1998 Transition and Q2k (1999)The departure of Queensr˙che guitarist and chief songwriter Chris DeGarmo was a significant blow to the band in late 1997. Having relied on DeGarmo to guide the creative aspect of Queensr˙che since the band's inception, it came as a surprise to many fans when Queensr˙che announced its decision to carry on without him. For months, two questions reverberated throughout the band's fanbase – "how and with whom?" Initially, rumor spread that the band had discussed adding a keyboard player to its ranks, leaving Michael Wilton as the sole guitarist. Another hot stove discussion had Queensr˙che becoming a four-piece band, re-arranging songs when needed to accommodate the lineup change.
All the while, Tate was testing the waters outside of Queensryche, most notably with Journey. Tate auditioned for the band and wrote demos with Neal Schon and Jonathan Cain. The sessions spurred three songs, one of which had a title: “Walking Away from the Edge.” The songs would ultimately be completely re-written and appear on Journey's
Red 13 EP with singer Steve Augeri. But Augeri was extremely complimentary of Tate. Check out some of the fan chatter from 10 years ago when the topic surfaced at MelodicRock.com:
https://forums.melodicrock.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=29644Note: There are a couple different articles on the Internet that speak briefly of Tate's audition, including one with Ross Valory, who confirmed the audition, and complimented Tate on his voice, but he simply wasn't the right fit for the band.
Tate obviously did not get the gig, and returned to focusing primarily on Queensryche. Throughout the year, Queensryche.com started posting pictures of an unnamed guitarist, blocking out his face. Tons of names were thrown out there. In the end, however, Queensr˙che reached into the past, emerging with fellow Seattle native Kelly Gray. Gray, the former guitarist of MYTH (a band that vocalist Geoff Tate fronted prior to joining Queensr˙che) was now a successful record producer and ironically, had been slated to produce the next Queensr˙che album (according to Gray) prior to DeGarmo's departure.
At Tate's urging, Kelly sat down for a jam session with Michael Wilton, and the duo wrote the music to "Right Side of My Mind" on the spot – a clear sign to the band that they had found the right man to follow DeGarmo. To gauge fan opinion, Queensr˙che staged two fan events – "Seattle '98" and "Seattle '99" – the latter of which included a live performance that was well received by fan club members who were able to attend. It was held on Jan. 16, 1999, at NAF Studios in Seattle.
Check out the setlist and some of my personal photos of the gig here:
https://anybodylistening.net/1-16-99.html Of note are a couple of new songs that were played: "One," "Breakdown Room," "Right Side," "Sacred Ground," and "Burning Man." All of those would appear on Queensryche's forthcoming record,
Q2k. As you probably noted, the first three on that list were re-titled prior to the record being released eight months later. A few days prior to the show, Seattle's rock station, KISW, hosted the band and debuted three new demo versions of songs: "Breakdown Room," "Liquid Sky" and "Sacred Ground."
Of all the new songs named above, only "Breakdown Room" was significantly altered from demo to finished track. The demo featured Tate screaming "Breakdown" much more harshly throughout the tune, and had a slightly different arrangement.
Gray's combination of guitar playing and songwriting, knowledge of record production, and connections at major record labels (Queensr˙che had finished up a seven-album deal with EMI before the label folded in 1997) was exactly what the band needed at the time. Essentially, Kelly's involvement resurrected Queensr˙che at a time when the remaining members of the band could have moved on to other things (like Tate's aforementioned audition with Journey).
Seattlites and northwest metal fans who remembered Gray as a guitar player in the early 1980s recalled how he was very influenced by Richie Blackmore of Deep Purple, and was able to shred with the best. However, over time, Kelly's guitar playing and songwriting styles shifted. Taking a much different approach to music than DeGarmo, Kelly focused more on rhythm and groove than the intricate guitar solos and time changes Queensr˙che was known for. The change was a drastic departure for the band, but one that ultimately got them signed to Atlantic Records. For the first time in years, the entire band sat in the studio together and wrote as a unit with Gray taking over DeGarmo's role, reviving the band members' confidence and revitalizing their desire to play music.
Q2k
Lead vocals: Geoff Tate
Rhythm & lead guitar, background vocals: Kelly Gray
Rhythm & lead guitar: Michael Wilton
Bass & background vocals: Eddie Jackson
Drums & percussion: Scott Rockenfield
Produced by Queensryche (Kelly Gray)
Engineered by Kelly Gray
Mixed by Jon Plum at London Bridge Studios (Redmond, Wash.)
With a new record deal, renewed chemistry and an album the band members believed in, Queensr˙che was reborn. The band released
Q2k on Sept. 14, 1999, with "Breakdown" as the lead single sent to radio. Initially pushed hard by reps from Atlantic Records, the song appeared on modern rock stations nationwide, but was quickly dropped from rotation.
Fans, even hardcore ones, were equally as brutal in their regard for
Q2k. Many deadpanned it the moment it was released, and were unrelenting in the criticism online of Kelly Gray, often referring to him as a “Klingon” in reference to both his hair and his more brutish style of playing. That angst was no doubt partially an outburst from those upset with DeGarmo leaving, but it had a much bigger impact on
Q2k's sales and reception than the band probably thought it would.
Despite the criticism,
Q2k has its finer moments. The opening cut, “Falling Down,” features a trade-off guitar solo between Wilton and Gray. The song is mid-tempo, but has a solid groove (the entire album does). What's striking is the increased reliance more on the rhythm section than the guitar. (Think the verses of “Best I Can.”) The song ended up being one of
Q2k's singles.
“Sacred Ground” was never a single, but musically, one of the record's more striking tracks. Unfortunately, Tate's lyrics mar this a bit. There's no getting around it – the song is quite clearly about him and his wife, Susan. The line “when I'm inside you, it brings me to sacred ground” is pretty clear. Yes, you could make an argument that the lyrics are meant to be interpreted differently, but the fact is, at least in most fans' opinions, they weren't. They were taken just as you probably imagine taking them. It made the song more of a joke than something to be respected, which, on a personal note, sucked, because the music was good.
“Right Side of My Mind” is probably the most respected and liked track on the album. Like “Falling Down,” it also features a trade-off guitar solo, but has a much more epic vibe than
Q2k's opener. It was a single and had an animated video that was debuted on VH-1 Classic in 2000. That video was done by Rory Berger, who also ran lighting for Queensryche on the road at times.
“Liquid Sky” is another high point for
Q2k. With a great drum groove and killer guitar riff, it quickly became a fan favorite live. “When the Rain Comes...,” a bluesier/epic ballad, the tune struck an emotional chord with fans as well. It features a classic Wilton guitar solo, and was one of Tate's favorites from the record (he posted on the band's website once he finished laying the vocals down for it).
The rest of
Q2k is more or less a story of “what if” moments. “Burning Man” starts off with an aggressive beat and guitar lick, but quickly becomes lyrically repetitive and goes nowhere, despite its promise. The band was high on the tune, using it to close out shows throughout the
Q2k tour, encouraging fans to sing along with the simple chorus. Songs such as "Wot Kinda Man" and “One Life” really don't go anywhere either, and overall, the album was a bit too mid-tempo and flat/uninteresting for most fans' tastes.
There were a number of leftover tracks that didn't make
Q2k's initial pressing. According to Kelly Gray, those songs were “Discipline,” “Monologue,” “I Howl,” and “'Til There Was You.” Gray told me in an interview in 2001 that “Discipline” “could probably be resurrected,” and was a more typical “Queensryche-like” track. He called “Monologue” a “punk-ish tune” that Eddie Jackson wrote. Two of those four tracks were included on an expanded edition of
Q2k through Rhino Records in 2006. “I Howl” became “Howl,” and “Til There Was You” was re-titled “Until There Was You.” The re-issue also contained a radio edit of “Breakdown” and a live version of “Sacred Ground.”
"Until There Was You" was a sappy ballad (which he's said was devoted to his wife) that Tate played at various solo shows in 2001. We'll get to the solo tour he took later. "Howl," however, was a bit more aggressive, featuring some higher pitched Tate vocals, a nice guitar riff, and as with many
Q2k cuts, a great groove. “Howl” is worth seeking out, if you haven't heard it. In fact, personally, it is my favorite tune from the
Q2k era. It was never played live.
In terms of songwriting, the songs on
Q2k were credited to the entire band, although Gray clearly shouldered a heavy load and stepped right into DeGarmo's shoes. In the aforementioned interview I did with Kelly Gray in June 2001, he also went a little more detailed on the co-writes. The following are from memory, but from what I recall, are accurate (credits in alphabetical order):
1. Falling Down (Gray/Tate/Wilton)
2. Sacred Ground (Gray/Rockenfield/Tate)
3. One Life (Gray/Tate)
4. When the Rain Comes... (Tate/Wilton)
5. How Could I? (Gray/Tate)
6. Beside You (Gray/Tate)
7. Liquid Sky (Gray/Rockenfield/Tate)
8. Breakdown (Gray/Jackson/Tate/Wilton)*
9. Burning Man (Gray/Rockenfield/Tate)*
10. Wot Kinda Man (Gray/Tate)
11. Right Side of My Mind (Gray/Tate/Wilton)
* - these are the two I am unsure about. Gray and Tate are correct, but Jackson WAS a co-writer on one of them, I just forget which. I'm pretty sure I have it correct, and it is "Breakdown."
12. Until There Was You (Gray/Tate)
13. Howl (unknown – although it's a sure bet it's Gray/Tate, although Eddie's bass playing is prominently featured, so I assume he also had a hand in writing it. The solo is clearly Kelly Gray).
Lyrics/MelodiesOne of the key elements of Queensryche's music had always been the challenging vocal melodies and engaging lyrics the band presented. DeGarmo, as most hardcores know, but many fans probably have no idea, helped shape Tate's vocal melodies over the years. Even on the songs where Tate was credited with writing the lyrics, he worked with DeGarmo on the vocal melodies extensively.
So,
Q2k was Tate's first record without DeGarmo's influence in that department and it showed. The vocal melodies weren't bad, but they weren't all that memorable either. They were safer, simpler, and less interesting. In fairness, vocal melody complexity had started to shift as far back as
Promised Land, where Tate opted for a simpler delivery. However, when DeGarmo left, the vocal melodies took a big nose dive in terms of quality.
The same was true with the lyrics. Quite simply, the lyrics to
Q2k were...a far cry from the social commentary and thought-provoking records of Queensryche's past. Even the heavily-criticized
Hear in the Now Frontier, while spotty, had a number of great lyrical moments on it.
Q2k, however, spent a lot of time on relationships. TOO much time in this writer's opinion. From the cringe-worthy "Sacred Ground" to "How Could I?" there was nothing very thought-provoking. Even the songs not about personal relationships, such as "Falling Down" and "Liquid Sky," really didn't jump out and engage the listener lyrically.
Lyrics are often overlooked, but like the vocal melodies, they were integral to Queensryche's unique sound. And
Q2k, with Tate assuming responsibility for both areas, unfortunately, fell flat in that regard. It exposed a significant weakness in the band's songwriting capabilities that suffered on subsequent records, except in certain situations such as
Tribe (we'll get to that later).
Note on production: Behind the glass, there isn't much to say regarding
Q2k's production. It was muddy, plain and simple. However, it was less dry than
Hear in the Now Frontier. The sound is typical of a Kelly Gray-produced album, and frankly, generally what bands were doing in the mid-late 1990s. Some people liked it, some didn't. It certainly fit Kelly Gray's rawer style, but didn't do Wilton any favors. Jon Plum mixed the album, who handled many mixes of records done at London Bridge Studios in Redmond, Wash., where Kelly does a lot of work. While the record says produced by Queensryche, Kelly Gray spearheaded the engineering and production duties.
CD Singles
TouringThe Electric Shockwaves Tour (the name taken from a line in “Liquid Sky”) in support of
Q2k began in October 1999 in Boise, Idaho, and ran through June 2000. Queensryche played all over the United States and Europe, with a variety of bands in support, including doubleDrive, Caroline's Spine, Project 86, Jesse James Dupree, and The Tea Party.
The tour relied heavily on tracks from
Q2k and
Operation: Mindcrime, along with a smattering of songs from
Empire,
Hear in the Now Frontier, and other albums. Queensryche also featured a couple of covers in the setlist, including “Bullet the Blue Sky” from U2, and “Join Together” by The Who (European shows). While Gray had sounded very good in the fan club show of 2001, it didn't dawn on people (at least on me) that they were playing songs then that relied heavily on Wilton's lead work. Once on tour for
Q2k, Gray's renditions of DeGarmo's parts were...different, to say the least. Most notable was "Jet City Woman" which was slightly re-arranged, with the lead guitar parts altered significantly. The drastic shift in style from DeGarmo's clean, crisp, melodic playing, to Gray's more wah-reliant sound was, frankly, shocking, and a major turn-off to many fans.
Queensryche played indoor theaters and a few small amphitheaters in the U.S. on the Q2k tour, with a minimalist stage set up of two large tri-ryches hanging behind the band. The eight-month trek had a couple of breaks worked in, but for the most part, they heavily toured the record.
Touring heavily usually wasn't difficult for Queensryche. But things changed a bit with Kelly Gray. Fan reaction to Gray's playing style turned sour, and unknown at the time to fans, according to Geoff Tate in the liner notes of the 2006 re-release of
Q2k, Kelly led a much different life on the road than the rest of the band. Said Tate:
"We were in a brand-new world, Kelly's world … Kelly lived hard and fast, and the people around him were the same. I have personally never seen as many drugs and as much alcohol consumed as when Kelly was in the band …The toll of indulgence was heavy. The band wasn't speaking, the new manager was fired, we were looking for a new record company, and three of our friends were dead. Road life is tough. It's not for everyone, and some people can't pace themselves, and then they get into trouble."
For reference, here was Queensryche full set of tunes for the first leg of the Q2k tour. (Wot Kinda Man would only be played sporadically, and the band would add cuts such as Walk in the Shadows, and the abridged version of NM 156 that had the shortened solo on later legs.)
www.anybodylistening.net/10-30-99.html Revolution Calling
Speak
Falling Down
Damaged
Empire
Liquid Sky
Spreading The Disease/ Electric Requiem
The Right Side Of My Mind
When The Rain Comes
Breaking The Silence
I Don't Believe In Love
Jet City Woman
Reach
Hit The Black
Wot Kinda Man
Sacred Ground
One Life
Breakdown
Bullet The Blue Sky (U2)
The Needle Lies
Eyes Of A Stranger
Silent Lucidity
I forgot to note -- the intro to "Revolution Calling" was NOT "Anarchy-X." The band worked up a basic instrumental intro that built up to the song.
Queensryche was off the road for a couple of months after concluding dates in support of
Q2k, but would hit the road again in August 2000 as direct support to one of heavy metal's iconic acts.
Samsara's top-3 from
Q2k: Howl, When the Rain Comes..., Liquid Sky
Next up: 2000-2001 (
Greatest Hits &
Live Evolution)
Topic: The Queensr˙che Discography Thread (Read 107433 times)
