The Official Flying Colors Thread

[ytserush]

I'm all in.

I'm probably the only one that doesn't rank Kayla as a Flying Colors favorite.  I don't dislike it though. I just think it's ok.

[Nihil-Morari]

I don't know that I prefer one over the other; I think there is more that I like on the second, but then again...

Kayla is still one of my favorite songs of all time by any band.
   
 The Storm is still one of my favorite Portnoy moments in his career.   When Casey is singing the chorus and Mike is playing that "rat-a-tat" figure - "the storm" and then when the band sings "and all our pain will be washed away" he switches (I don't drum, so I don't know the term, is it a "straight four"?) to a less syncopated, more "smooth" rhythm reflecting the song.... talk about playing to the music.   It's just about perfect for me.   
   
 He does the same thing in the build up to the solo as well.    Fucking A. 

So either way, I'll take a third helping of this.

Musically speaking, I even use that track in my lessons at the conservatory. I LOVE that IVsus4. Such a rare thing, but so beautifully used. (For the non-musicians that's the chord on the 'all', of the 'all of our pain is washed away')

[KevShmev]

I'm probably the only one that doesn't rank Kayla as a Flying Colors favorite.  I don't dislike it though. I just think it's ok.

I like it a lot, but I like at least half of the songs on the debut more, as well as probably half from Second Nature.  Of the 20 songs they have, Kayla would probably be in the 11-13 range for me.

Shoulda Coulda Woulda, All Falls Down and Bombs Away are definitely the bottom three.

Top ones would be Infinite Fire, The Storm, Blue Ocean, Love Is What I'm Waiting For, One Love Forever, Peaceful Harbor and Cosmic Symphony.

I'd also put Forever in a Daze, Everything Changes, Better Than Walking Away, A Place in Your World, The Fury of My Love and Mask Machine ahead of it.

So that would put Kayla more around 14 (ahead of the three bottom ones above, Open Up Your Eyes, Lost Without You and Fool in My Heart).

[ytserush]

I'm probably the only one that doesn't rank Kayla as a Flying Colors favorite.  I don't dislike it though. I just think it's ok.

I like it a lot, but I like at least half of the songs on the debut more, as well as probably half from Second Nature.  Of the 20 songs they have, Kayla would probably be in the 11-13 range for me.

Shoulda Coulda Woulda, All Falls Down and Bombs Away are definitely the bottom three.

Top ones would be Infinite Fire, The Storm, Blue Ocean, Love Is What I'm Waiting For, One Love Forever, Peaceful Harbor and Cosmic Symphony.

I'd also put Forever in a Daze, Everything Changes, Better Than Walking Away, A Place in Your World, The Fury of My Love and Mask Machine ahead of it.

So that would put Kayla more around 14 (ahead of the three bottom ones above, Open Up Your Eyes, Lost Without You and Fool in My Heart).

If I'm forced to think about it  I'd put Fool In My Heart in the top tier (I really love Mike's vocal on this. Very organic and honest) and Mask Machine in the bottom tier but otherwise that sounds frighteningly similar to my assessment. Maybe Infinite Fire in the middle tier. But maybe not.
And Shoulda Could Would and All Falls Down in the middle....maybe it's not that similar.  Still pretty close though.

[Sacul]

Shoulda Coulda Woulda is my 2nd favorite song on their debut 

[Mladen]

Bombs away turned out to be a huge grower for me. It could have used some cutting during the instrumental section, though. What can I say, I love when they're going for a short and more traditional song structure. However, I don't mind having an epic closer - Infinite fire and Cosmic symphony were remarkable.

[axeman90210]

I think the first album is a little bit more interesting because of the more concise songwriting (the Kayla through Forever In a Daze stretch is fantastic), but I find myself coming back to the second album a little bit more. The choir coming in on Peaceful Harbor, along with the second half of Cosmic Symphony, are two of my favorite bits of music to come out in the last few years.

[bosk1]

Bombs away turned out to be a huge grower for me. It could have used some cutting during the instrumental section, though.

Same here.  That and Blue Ocean may be my two favorite FC songs.

Can't remember if I posted this anywhere on the forum, but I saw the Dave LaRue band open for Travis Larson just before this last NAMM.  I jokingly said to Dave after the show, "That was fantastic...but I guess hoping for Blue Ocean was a bit unrealistic, eh?"  He laughed.  ...and then rolled his eyes and walked away.

[Stadler]

I'm probably the only one that doesn't rank Kayla as a Flying Colors favorite.  I don't dislike it though. I just think it's ok.

I like it a lot, but I like at least half of the songs on the debut more, as well as probably half from Second Nature.  Of the 20 songs they have, Kayla would probably be in the 11-13 range for me.

Shoulda Coulda Woulda, All Falls Down and Bombs Away are definitely the bottom three.

Top ones would be Infinite Fire, The Storm, Blue Ocean, Love Is What I'm Waiting For, One Love Forever, Peaceful Harbor and Cosmic Symphony.

I'd also put Forever in a Daze, Everything Changes, Better Than Walking Away, A Place in Your World, The Fury of My Love and Mask Machine ahead of it.

So that would put Kayla more around 14 (ahead of the three bottom ones above, Open Up Your Eyes, Lost Without You and Fool in My Heart).

I think the more they sound like "Muse" the less I like it, and that means that I don't really care for "Shoulda Woulda Coulda".  I do like "Better Than Walking Away" a LOT, too, though.

[RoeDent]

For "sound like Muse", read "use a vocoder".

[ytserush]

Bombs away turned out to be a huge grower for me. It could have used some cutting during the instrumental section, though.

Same here.  That and Blue Ocean may be my two favorite FC songs.

Can't remember if I posted this anywhere on the forum, but I saw the Dave LaRue band open for Travis Larson just before this last NAMM.  I jokingly said to Dave after the show, "That was fantastic...but I guess hoping for Blue Ocean was a bit unrealistic, eh?"  He laughed.  ...and then rolled his eyes and walked away.

His band is awesome in it's own right. I've seen them a few times myself (One time on a couch from four feet away). But I dig fusion so that kind of thing is in my wheelhouse.

[bosk1]

Yeah, it wasn't my cuppa tea, but I was still able to appreciate their talent.  I was mainly there to see Travis' band.  But Old Number 7 was a pretty cool tune.

[KevShmev]

If I'm forced to think about it  I'd put Fool In My Heart in the top tier (I really love Mike's vocal on this. Very organic and honest) and Mask Machine in the bottom tier but otherwise that sounds frighteningly similar to my assessment. Maybe Infinite Fire in the middle tier. But maybe not.
And Shoulda Could Would and All Falls Down in the middle....maybe it's not that similar.  Still pretty close though.

Fool in My Heart is somewhat enjoyable, and in the case of Portnoy's vocals, it sure helps that most of his in that song were of the talking variety, meaning melodies that are easy for someone of limited vocal ability to pull off. 

I think the more they sound like "Muse" the less I like it, and that means that I don't really care for "Shoulda Woulda Coulda".  I do like "Better Than Walking Away" a LOT, too, though.

I think they really off have two songs that are "Muse-like," which is the crappy Shoulda Woulda Coulda and Mask Machine, the latter of which only really sounds like Muse in the vocal effect during the verses department. 

[ariich]

Quiet you, Shoulda Woulda Coulda is awesome.

[Stadler]

Hahaha.

[pain of occupation]

I thought the two Muse-esque FC tunes were Mask Machine and All Falls Down, aka Muse on steroids.
isn't Shoulda Coulda Woulda more metallica's 2X4 meets Stone Temple Pilots?

[Polarbear]

Quiet you, Shoulda Woulda Coulda is awesome.

Love this song!

Anyway... Really happy that we are getting FC3, lets hope it's as good as the ST and Second Nature. Can't wait!

[jasc15]

Just found out about this band, and I like what I hear.  Blue Ocean, Kayla and Better Than Walking Away are the standouts to me so far.  I don't have any albums, so I've only heard their stuff on pandora, etc.

[KevShmev]

Just found out about this band, and I like what I hear.  Blue Ocean, Kayla and Better Than Walking Away are the standouts to me so far.  I don't have any albums, so I've only heard their stuff on pandora, etc.

Both albums are definitely worth buying. 

Quiet you, Shoulda Woulda Coulda is awesome.

If by awesome, you mean crappy, then I agree! *high fives*

[Sacul]

Quiet you, Shoulda Woulda Coulda is awesome.

Love this song!

Definitely! Dunno why some people think it's "crappy" - it just screams badass to me.

[Stadler]

Quiet you, Shoulda Woulda Coulda is awesome.

Love this song!

Definitely! Dunno why some people think it's "crappy" - it just screams badass to me.

Look, I'm a Portnoy/Flying Colors fanboy, unabashed, and to be fair, I even went back to relisten to it... I'm sticking with "crappy", at least as compared with what comes before it (Song 1) and immediately after it (Songs 3 and 4).  There are so many good voices in that band, and so many sweet melodies on that record... just not in that song. 

But I get it... taste.  And at least those that think it's awesome are listening to Flying Colors, so it's not all bad.

[Sacul]

Dunno man... I think the main riff is great, stellar drumming, and the chorus is excellent 

[ariich]

Quiet you, Shoulda Woulda Coulda is awesome.

If by awesome, you mean crappy, then I agree! *high fives*

*slaps face instead of hand*

[axeman90210]

Don't know that Shoulda Woulda Coulda is in my top half of the album, but definitely still an enjoyable song.

[hefdaddy42]

Count me as not caring very much for Shoulda Coulda Woulda.

[Mladen]

Eh. It's okay, I guess.

[jasc15]

My Flying Colors Pandora station is becoming the Mike Portnoy station:  Transatlantic, Dream Theater, Liquid Tension, Neal Morse, etc. because I can't bring myself to select thumbs down for any of those songs.

[OpenYourEyes311]

My Flying Colors Pandora station is becoming the Mike Portnoy station:  Transatlantic, Dream Theater, Liquid Tension, Neal Morse, etc. because I can't bring myself to select thumbs down for any of those songs.

This is pretty much what listen to anyway. I go from Neal to DT to TA back to Neal. Some Flying Colors, Winery Dogs, OSI and LTE thrown in every once in a while. If I get real bored, I'll throw on some Metal Allegiance, Adrenaline Mob, Rising Power, or Nightmare. Very rarely will I throw on something without MP. I have to be in a mood to do so.

[hefdaddy42]

My Flying Colors Pandora station is becoming the Mike Portnoy station:  Transatlantic, Dream Theater, Liquid Tension, Neal Morse, etc. because I can't bring myself to select thumbs down for any of those songs.

Well, he's been involved with lots of great music, so it's cool.

[Metro]

It's happening

https://teamrock.com/news/2016-07-04/flying-colors-to-start-work-on-3rd-album-in-december

[Kwyjibo]

Yay, hoping it's another good one 

[RoeDent]

I imagine it might be released around this time next year then. Maybe even late summer/early autumn 2017.

[Mosh]

I hope they dial back the prog a little and make it more like the debut. More songs like Forever In a Daze and Love Is What I'm Waiting For.

[Mladen]

I hope they dial back the prog a little and make it more like the debut. More songs like Forever In a Daze and Love Is What I'm Waiting For.

This, please! 

[The Letter M]

I hope they dial back the prog a little and make it more like the debut. More songs like Forever In a Daze and Love Is What I'm Waiting For.

Funny you say that - someone on the Facebook post by the PROG Magazine that posted this story said they hoped the next album would be as proggy as their last one, if not proggier.

Guess you can't please'em all...

-Marc.