The Mike Portnoy Appreciation/Discussion Thread (merged)

[Cool Chris]

i bet after the house closes and he moves in he gets possessed by BOB and tries to rejoin Dream Theater via force

Perhaps. Maybe Philip Gerard took possession of Rick Allen?

[TheHoveringSojourn808]

TFW you just closed on your new home in Seattle

[hefdaddy42]

They credited him as being with DT?  Nice.

[Adami]

They credited him as being with DT?  Nice.

He’s not with DT.



He IS DT.

[TheHoveringSojourn808]

Dream Theater is just the name of the movie theater he is installing in Sarah Palmer's room

[MinistroRaven]

TFW you just closed on your new home in Seattle

This only means one thing, MM is out and MP is coming back 

[The Letter M]

TFW you just closed on your new home in Seattle

This only means one thing, MM is out and MP is coming back 

1000% Confirmed. Someone let Blabbermouth know ASAP!

-Marc.

[TheHoveringSojourn808]

has anyone ever embarked on a pilgrim's path journey with mike portnoy's music? i've been thinking about this lately, and it sounds like quite the adventure. the idea is to listen to every single record he's been a part of, in chronological order, without taking any breaks. it's a musical pilgrimage of sorts, isn't it? starting with those early dream theater albums, like "when dream and day unite" and "images and words," and then moving through all the other projects and bands he's been involved with over the years. it would be a journey through different styles and genres, from progressive metal to rock to experimental stuff. i imagine it would take quite a bit of time to complete, but the idea of immersing yourself in mike portnoy's musical evolution is intriguing. you'd get to witness his drumming skills evolve, his songwriting develop, and the way he collaborates with different musicians change over time.

i heard a rumor that if you manage to complete the mike portnoy pilgrim path challenge, you can earn a nice piece of flair in the dream theater discord. it's like a badge of honor for dedicated fans. i wonder what that flair would look like.

anyway, just wanted to share this idea and see if anyone else has ever thought about doing something similar. it could be a truly epic musical journey.

[ReaperKK]

It's crossed my mind before but honestly MP has been a part of too many bands that I have zero interest in listening to ever again.

[TheHoveringSojourn808]

It's crossed my mind before but honestly MP has been a part of too many bands that I have zero interest in listening to ever again.

yeah..

[Metro]

For example: BPMD - American Made. That atrocious cover album he did a few years ago. I was reminded of it's existence earlier, and I had forgotten how atrocious it was. Not the worst thing to happen in 2020, but it's up there. You couldn't pay me to listen to that again. Atrocious.

[HOF]

For example: BPMD - American Made. That atrocious cover album he did a few years ago. I was reminded of it's existence earlier, and I had forgotten how atrocious it was. Not the worst thing to happen in 2020, but it's up there. You couldn't pay me to listen to that again. Atrocious.

Had to look that one up, and yeah I remember it now but that was a totally forgettable project.

[The Great Ape]

has anyone ever embarked on a pilgrim's path journey with mike portnoy's music? i've been thinking about this lately, and it sounds like quite the adventure. the idea is to listen to every single record he's been a part of, in chronological order, without taking any breaks. it's a musical pilgrimage of sorts, isn't it? starting with those early dream theater albums, like "when dream and day unite" and "images and words," and then moving through all the other projects and bands he's been involved with over the years. it would be a journey through different styles and genres, from progressive metal to rock to experimental stuff. i imagine it would take quite a bit of time to complete, but the idea of immersing yourself in mike portnoy's musical evolution is intriguing. you'd get to witness his drumming skills evolve, his songwriting develop, and the way he collaborates with different musicians change over time.

i heard a rumor that if you manage to complete the mike portnoy pilgrim path challenge, you can earn a nice piece of flair in the dream theater discord. it's like a badge of honor for dedicated fans. i wonder what that flair would look like.

anyway, just wanted to share this idea and see if anyone else has ever thought about doing something similar. it could be a truly epic musical journey.

I've done this and honestly it blew my mind. Highly recommend it to anyone, members of the MP discord or not.

I will say, there was a lot to cover so I did have to speed things up a bit. A few of the albums I cranked the speed to 2x or even 4x just to get through them (sup, Neal Morse). But there were some where I actually took the speed down to like .25x and my dude, if you have never listened to The Winery Dogs at quarter speed, it freaking rocks. Like listening to a sludge album. I also found that I liked listening to Adrenaline Mob maaaaybe .05x faster that the speed the recordings were made at. Those albums didn't do much for me but I found they were a lot more exciting when I put a little sizzle on them.

BTW, another thing I found... slowing down the slower tracks often also gave them a real soulful vibe that hit me right in the feels. Stuff like "The Best of Times" as a ballad, for example. Check it out at .5 speed. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBrCBfAxBM8

[TAC]

What is an MP discord?

[TheHoveringSojourn808]

a discord for MP, presumably. i'm not familiar with it but i know about the DT discord

[jammindude]

a discord for MP, presumably. i'm not familiar with it but i know about the DT discord

This is Tim. You’re going to have to explain “discord”. 

[cramx3]

a discord for MP, presumably. i'm not familiar with it but i know about the DT discord

This is Tim. You’re going to have to explain “discord”. 

I'm fairly sure this has been explained to Tim before too 

[TheHoveringSojourn808]

oooh sorry. i didn't realize that wasn't obvious lol

discord is an social media app. there are "discords" for various things (dream theater, zelda, porcupine tree, whatever) and you join them and they're basically the Millennial version of message boards (which are a relic of past ages and barely used anymore except by old gen xers and boomers). i am partial to message board style and don't really like the fast pace of discords so that's why i'm mostly here

[Cocopjojo]

has anyone ever embarked on a pilgrim's path journey with mike portnoy's music? i've been thinking about this lately, and it sounds like quite the adventure. the idea is to listen to every single record he's been a part of, in chronological order, without taking any breaks. it's a musical pilgrimage of sorts, isn't it? starting with those early dream theater albums, like "when dream and day unite" and "images and words," and then moving through all the other projects and bands he's been involved with over the years. it would be a journey through different styles and genres, from progressive metal to rock to experimental stuff. i imagine it would take quite a bit of time to complete, but the idea of immersing yourself in mike portnoy's musical evolution is intriguing. you'd get to witness his drumming skills evolve, his songwriting develop, and the way he collaborates with different musicians change over time.

i heard a rumor that if you manage to complete the mike portnoy pilgrim path challenge, you can earn a nice piece of flair in the dream theater discord. it's like a badge of honor for dedicated fans. i wonder what that flair would look like.

anyway, just wanted to share this idea and see if anyone else has ever thought about doing something similar. it could be a truly epic musical journey.

I've done this and honestly it blew my mind. Highly recommend it to anyone, members of the MP discord or not.

I will say, there was a lot to cover so I did have to speed things up a bit. A few of the albums I cranked the speed to 2x or even 4x just to get through them (sup, Neal Morse). But there were some where I actually took the speed down to like .25x and my dude, if you have never listened to The Winery Dogs at quarter speed, it freaking rocks. Like listening to a sludge album. I also found that I liked listening to Adrenaline Mob maaaaybe .05x faster that the speed the recordings were made at. Those albums didn't do much for me but I found they were a lot more exciting when I put a little sizzle on them.

BTW, another thing I found... slowing down the slower tracks often also gave them a real soulful vibe that hit me right in the feels. Stuff like "The Best of Times" as a ballad, for example. Check it out at .5 speed. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBrCBfAxBM8

There's an MP discord? I'm in the DT server but didn't realize there was an MP one.

[Cool Chris]

For example: BPMD - American Made. That atrocious cover album he did a few years ago. I was reminded of it's existence earlier, and I had forgotten how atrocious it was. Not the worst thing to happen in 2020, but it's up there. You couldn't pay me to listen to that again. Atrocious.

 

[Adami]

has anyone ever embarked on a pilgrim's path journey with mike portnoy's music? i've been thinking about this lately, and it sounds like quite the adventure. the idea is to listen to every single record he's been a part of, in chronological order, without taking any breaks. it's a musical pilgrimage of sorts, isn't it? starting with those early dream theater albums, like "when dream and day unite" and "images and words," and then moving through all the other projects and bands he's been involved with over the years. it would be a journey through different styles and genres, from progressive metal to rock to experimental stuff. i imagine it would take quite a bit of time to complete, but the idea of immersing yourself in mike portnoy's musical evolution is intriguing. you'd get to witness his drumming skills evolve, his songwriting develop, and the way he collaborates with different musicians change over time.

i heard a rumor that if you manage to complete the mike portnoy pilgrim path challenge, you can earn a nice piece of flair in the dream theater discord. it's like a badge of honor for dedicated fans. i wonder what that flair would look like.

anyway, just wanted to share this idea and see if anyone else has ever thought about doing something similar. it could be a truly epic musical journey.

It’s a cool idea. According to Wiki, MP has been involved in over 50 albums. That’s just way too much and I probably won’t like a good amount of it. Some of it might even drive me psychosane. So I’ll pass. But let us know how it goes!

And listening to some things on double speed or whatever seems to miss the point.

[WilliamMunny]

has anyone ever embarked on a pilgrim's path journey with mike portnoy's music? i've been thinking about this lately, and it sounds like quite the adventure. the idea is to listen to every single record he's been a part of, in chronological order, without taking any breaks. it's a musical pilgrimage of sorts, isn't it? starting with those early dream theater albums, like "when dream and day unite" and "images and words," and then moving through all the other projects and bands he's been involved with over the years. it would be a journey through different styles and genres, from progressive metal to rock to experimental stuff. i imagine it would take quite a bit of time to complete, but the idea of immersing yourself in mike portnoy's musical evolution is intriguing. you'd get to witness his drumming skills evolve, his songwriting develop, and the way he collaborates with different musicians change over time.

i heard a rumor that if you manage to complete the mike portnoy pilgrim path challenge, you can earn a nice piece of flair in the dream theater discord. it's like a badge of honor for dedicated fans. i wonder what that flair would look like.

anyway, just wanted to share this idea and see if anyone else has ever thought about doing something similar. it could be a truly epic musical journey.

It’s a cool idea. According to Wiki, MP has been involved in over 50 albums. That’s just way too much and I probably won’t like a good amount of it. Some of it might even drive me psychosane. So I’ll pass. But let us know how it goes!

And listening to some things on double speed or whatever seems to miss the point.

 

[faizoff]

Years ago I remember seeing someone made a pdf of all of MP's involvement in every project he played in. It was an insane and very thorough list of every album, track he played on. It was muthafuckin psychoinsane.

[ReaperKK]

I'd like to see that list, I don't wanna listen to it, but I would like to see it.

[TAC]

I'd like to see that list, I don't wanna listen to it, but I would like to see it.

I'd like to see it to, but I sure as hell wouldn't want to listen to it.

[Metro]

I'd like to see that list, I don't wanna listen to it, but I would like to see it.

I'd like to see it to, but I sure as hell wouldn't want to listen to it.

I wanna see this list too, but I definitely don’t want to listen to it.

[Zydar]

Quite a lot on that list would be Neal Morse related, I'd wager.

[Stadler]

Really disappointed with Mike Portnoy. When drummers I like are in town to perform a show I prefer they stay at the venue at all times and never leave the premises. I don't think I'll be able to view MP is the same light again.

HAHA.   

[Stadler]

That's crazy, I've lived my whole life here, and loved Twin Peaks in its original run. I've been to Snoqualmie Lodge (Great Northern Hotel) multiple times, driven by the Double R Diner, and had no idea Laura Palmer's house is... checking... 12.1 miles from where I live.

So did MP make an offer on your house?

That's so cool that Mike is buying Cool Chris' house.  I'm pumped, man!  Though I'm never buying anything he ever does again, ever.   

[Stadler]

has anyone ever embarked on a pilgrim's path journey with mike portnoy's music? i've been thinking about this lately, and it sounds like quite the adventure. the idea is to listen to every single record he's been a part of, in chronological order, without taking any breaks. it's a musical pilgrimage of sorts, isn't it? starting with those early dream theater albums, like "when dream and day unite" and "images and words," and then moving through all the other projects and bands he's been involved with over the years. it would be a journey through different styles and genres, from progressive metal to rock to experimental stuff. i imagine it would take quite a bit of time to complete, but the idea of immersing yourself in mike portnoy's musical evolution is intriguing. you'd get to witness his drumming skills evolve, his songwriting develop, and the way he collaborates with different musicians change over time.

i heard a rumor that if you manage to complete the mike portnoy pilgrim path challenge, you can earn a nice piece of flair in the dream theater discord. it's like a badge of honor for dedicated fans. i wonder what that flair would look like.

anyway, just wanted to share this idea and see if anyone else has ever thought about doing something similar. it could be a truly epic musical journey.

It’s a cool idea. According to Wiki, MP has been involved in over 50 albums. That’s just way too much and I probably won’t like a good amount of it. Some of it might even drive me psychosane. So I’ll pass. But let us know how it goes!

And listening to some things on double speed or whatever seems to miss the point.

I'm just doing quick math, but that seems low, doesn't it? Unless they're not counting live things.  Maybe then.

[faizoff]

I'm pretty sure I have at least 50 live albums with MP playing on them. I have to one day sit down and put them all in a pile and take a pic.

[Lonk]

I'd like to see that list, I don't wanna listen to it, but I would like to see it.

I'd like to see it to, but I sure as hell wouldn't want to listen to it.

I wanna see this list too, but I definitely don’t want to listen to it.

I mean, Wikipedia has a list

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Portnoy_discography#Albums_discography

[Adami]

has anyone ever embarked on a pilgrim's path journey with mike portnoy's music? i've been thinking about this lately, and it sounds like quite the adventure. the idea is to listen to every single record he's been a part of, in chronological order, without taking any breaks. it's a musical pilgrimage of sorts, isn't it? starting with those early dream theater albums, like "when dream and day unite" and "images and words," and then moving through all the other projects and bands he's been involved with over the years. it would be a journey through different styles and genres, from progressive metal to rock to experimental stuff. i imagine it would take quite a bit of time to complete, but the idea of immersing yourself in mike portnoy's musical evolution is intriguing. you'd get to witness his drumming skills evolve, his songwriting develop, and the way he collaborates with different musicians change over time.

i heard a rumor that if you manage to complete the mike portnoy pilgrim path challenge, you can earn a nice piece of flair in the dream theater discord. it's like a badge of honor for dedicated fans. i wonder what that flair would look like.

anyway, just wanted to share this idea and see if anyone else has ever thought about doing something similar. it could be a truly epic musical journey.

It’s a cool idea. According to Wiki, MP has been involved in over 50 albums. That’s just way too much and I probably won’t like a good amount of it. Some of it might even drive me psychosane. So I’ll pass. But let us know how it goes!

And listening to some things on double speed or whatever seems to miss the point.

I'm just doing quick math, but that seems low, doesn't it? Unless they're not counting live things.  Maybe then.

My bad, I should have specificied studio albums. Yea, wasn't counting any live stuff.

[Skeever]

I'd like to see that list, I don't wanna listen to it, but I would like to see it.

I'd like to see it to, but I sure as hell wouldn't want to listen to it.

I wanna see this list too, but I definitely don’t want to listen to it.

I mean, Wikipedia has a list

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Portnoy_discography#Albums_discography

Is that real early stuff even available?

[Lonk]

I'd like to see that list, I don't wanna listen to it, but I would like to see it.

I'd like to see it to, but I sure as hell wouldn't want to listen to it.

I wanna see this list too, but I definitely don’t want to listen to it.

I mean, Wikipedia has a list

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Portnoy_discography#Albums_discography

Is that real early stuff even available?

Some is, at least 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7zxHMqMh_k

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ep8aK093KO4