The Mike Portnoy Appreciation/Discussion Thread (merged)

[RodrigoAltaf]

That group pic is awesome...did anyone else see that it's a spoof of Van Halen's Women and Children First?

[Max Kuehnau]

That group pic is awesome...did anyone else see that it's a spoof of Van Halen's Women and Children First?

Yes, almost instantly.

[TAC]

If he's happy and pumped about, good for him.

I have no interest in it. Frankly, I'm wondering if MP will ever
be involved in something I will buy.

Yup. This is how I feel.

[Zydar]

I'm still kind of interested in his stuff with Transatlantic and The Neal Morse Band. But that's it.

[TAC]

I'm still kind of interested in his stuff with Transatlantic and The Neal Morse Band. But that's it.

Well, at least with that, I feel there's a certain amount of...not sure what the right word is..."integrity" might be too strong.. so I can at least respect that, even though I'd never listen to it because musically, it's not my thing either.

[DragonAttack]

VH's 'Women and Children First'....just zoom in on Mike's tee shirt

[goo-goo]

Would have loved for this lineup to do some original material...probably won't pick it up.

[cramx3]

Would have loved for this lineup to do some original material...probably won't pick it up.

That's what I don't get.  Why are they just doing covers?  Is there really a crowd for this?  With everyone doing live streams from home, this seems perfect for that not for an actual album release on Napalm.  Unless these are totally reworked versions to make something interesting of it, I just don't get it.  Sure if MP and the rest are happy, have at it, I just don't see why this is something anyone would buy.

[Fritzinger]

Agreed. This might be the one of MP's projects I am least interested in. Begins with the name. Extremely unimaginative. And then they are announced as the new juggernaut whatever thing... doing covers of old hard rock and heavy metal classics (that I personally don't like in the first place). If MP and the others have fun doing this, sure, why not. But for me: no thanks.

[gmillerdrake]

I'm still kind of interested in his stuff with Transatlantic and The Neal Morse Band. But that's it.

Pretty much this for me. I really wanted to like SOA....just never clicked for me. I dig Flying Colors....those albums are fun to listen to but in small doses.

[Adami]

I really dig Flying Colors. I never got into Neil Morse stuff, but a few songs showed up on my youtube feed and I dug them, so maybe I'll check them out at some point.

[gmillerdrake]

I really dig Flying Colors.

When 'Third Degree' came out it didn't grab me. I gave it a few spins and then forgot about it. About a week or two ago I fired it up again when I driving for an extended time....and man, it really clicked for some reason. I really liked the first two albums but now I think Third Degree may be my favorite out of the bunch.

[Stadler]

Remember when covers were a neat thing that was tossed in as a surprise live? Or were a special treat on a bonus disk/special edition?  Now it's the very reason for being.   That kind of makes me sad, to be honest.

[HOF]

The Winery Dogs are the one project MP is involved in right now that I really really like. Flying Colors has its moments too, but Third Degree is a step down from the second album IMO. I’ve mostly lost interest in anything else Neal Morse does these days though, so NMB is a no for me, and I have only slight hopes for the new Transatlantic. I have zero interest in anything metal that MP is involved in (including Sons of Apollo which is mind numbingly bad).

However, I could see a covers album being at least listenable, given that songwriting tends to be my hang up with most MP stuff these days. The reason TWD is great is Richie knows what he’s doing.

[DTA]

Not only is this the least interesting project I've ever heard of, but I'm really getting bored of the covers being constantly chosen from the same pool of 70's /80's bands artists. How about throwing in some random shit from the 90's/00's/10's? The cover choices seem to get narrower and narrower with each new band MP starts. It's like they want their fanbase to be only 50 year old dudes.

[Adami]

Not only is this the least interesting project I've ever heard of, but I'm really getting bored of the covers being constantly chosen from the same pool of 70's /80's bands artists. How about throwing in some random shit from the 90's/00's/10's? The cover choices seem to get narrower and narrower with each new band MP starts. It's like they want their fanbase to be only 50 year old dudes.

Mike Portnoy, Jens Johanson, Tony Levin, Michael Romeo, and Timo Kotipelto doing prog renditions of Nirvana songs. That's the next big idea.

[HOF]

I’ve always (for no good reason other than I want to hear it with a ripping drum part) wanted an MP project to cover We Built This City on Rock and Roll.

[Stadler]

Not only is this the least interesting project I've ever heard of, but I'm really getting bored of the covers being constantly chosen from the same pool of 70's /80's bands artists. How about throwing in some random shit from the 90's/00's/10's? The cover choices seem to get narrower and narrower with each new band MP starts. It's like they want their fanbase to be only 50 year old dudes.

If it looks like a duck, and walks like a duck... 

[pg1067]

https://nextmosh.com/supergroup-bpmd-signs-to-napalm-records/

According to Demmel from a different interview story, they each picked 2 classic songs from the 70's to cover and a wild card tune. There's 10 songs total, covering Ted Nugent, Aerosmith, ZZ Top, Skynyrd, Blue Oyster Cult, James Gang, Mountain, Cactus and Van Halen. So, all these classic tunes with these souped-up, modern-day technology sounds.

It's been what...9 1/2 years, and I'm still waiting for MP to do something that interests me.

[Adami]

Not only is this the least interesting project I've ever heard of, but I'm really getting bored of the covers being constantly chosen from the same pool of 70's /80's bands artists. How about throwing in some random shit from the 90's/00's/10's? The cover choices seem to get narrower and narrower with each new band MP starts. It's like they want their fanbase to be only 50 year old dudes.

If it looks like a duck, and walks like a duck...

Then it should go to a chiropractor or something.

[Cool Chris]

Remember when covers were a neat thing that was tossed in as a surprise live? Or were a special treat on a bonus disk/special edition?  Now it's the very reason for being.   That kind of makes me sad, to be honest.

This, but I will add that when a band used to do covers, they made it their own, with their own unique sound and style. The Who did Summertime Blues, and didn't say "Let's make made it sound exactly like Eddie Cochran, let's make it like sound like it would have if we written it!"

[cramx3]

Remember when covers were a neat thing that was tossed in as a surprise live? Or were a special treat on a bonus disk/special edition?  Now it's the very reason for being.   That kind of makes me sad, to be honest.

This, but I will add that when a band used to do covers, they made it their own, with their own unique sound and style. The Who did Summertime Blues, and didn't say "Let's make made it sound exactly like Eddie Cochran, let's make it like sound like it would have if we written it!"

Dream Theater's cover of Iron Maiden's Gangland comes to mind, totally different style and well done.  If that was the idea behind this new band, I could get behind that a bit more than just doing the songs as they are.

[MinistroRaven]

From MP facebook page:

Head over to the new BPMD page to see the track by track list of covers we recorded that will be unveiled over the coming days...each of us picked 2 songs and then we added 2 additional group choices. The prerequisite was they had to be American 70’s bands. What bands/artists do you predict we chose?
Today is the 1st video installment where I reveal one of my picks...
(Side note to the trolls bitching about “another MP project” :
This is NOT a “new band”!!!!
This was a fun “album” I did...
4 friends getting together to jam and record some fun covers...
Not much different from my MPG Cover To Cover Albums, or the PSMS tour, or the YMC, AJ, HOTG & CATSM tribute shows I did w Paul Gilbert...
Chill out and enjoy the music...or don’t if you can’t handle any more MP albums...just take the bitching elsewhere! This is supposed to be a page where MP fans gather to discuss positive things!)
OK now check out todays BPMD post if you’re curious my 1st cover pick...

[HOF]

Yeah, I don’t have any problem with him and his buds cranking out some covers they like just for fun. I might not buy it, but I’ll probably check a few of these tunes out to see if I dig them or not.

[pg1067]

Head over to the new BPMD page to see the track by track list of covers we recorded that will be unveiled over the coming days...each of us picked 2 songs and then we added 2 additional group choices. The prerequisite was they had to be American 70’s bands. What bands/artists do you predict we chose?

All the stuff about "trolls shut up" is more than a little tiresome.

As for the criteria, I have a hard time thinking of "American 70's bands" that I really like.  Most of the 70's stuff I like is British or Canadian, and most of the American artists I like started post-70's.  My favorite American 70's band is Styx, and I don't see this group doing a Styx song (but I'd certainly give it a listen if they did).

[ytserush]

If he's happy and pumped about, good for him.

I have no interest in it. Frankly, I'm wondering if MP will ever
be involved in something I will buy.

Not really interested in this one either.

Still interested in Liquid Tension Experiment Winery Dogs, Flying Colors, Transatlantic and Neal Morse, but those aren't exactly new.

[MinistroRaven]

Mike says in a video on BPMD facebook page that the opener of the album is this one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTVDHnwlz5k

[ytserush]

Not only is this the least interesting project I've ever heard of, but I'm really getting bored of the covers being constantly chosen from the same pool of 70's /80's bands artists. How about throwing in some random shit from the 90's/00's/10's? The cover choices seem to get narrower and narrower with each new band MP starts. It's like they want their fanbase to be only 50 year old dudes.

Like Eddie Trunk.....

[ytserush]

Head over to the new BPMD page to see the track by track list of covers we recorded that will be unveiled over the coming days...each of us picked 2 songs and then we added 2 additional group choices. The prerequisite was they had to be American 70’s bands. What bands/artists do you predict we chose?

All the stuff about "trolls shut up" is more than a little tiresome.

As for the criteria, I have a hard time thinking of "American 70's bands" that I really like.  Most of the 70's stuff I like is British or Canadian, and most of the American artists I like started post-70's.  My favorite American 70's band is Styx, and I don't see this group doing a Styx song (but I'd certainly give it a listen if they did).

That's the issue for me

If it was music I liked, I'd buy it.  Well, that's not entirely true either, while I generally like what Mike brings to a project, it's not just him.  I have to at least like most of the rest of the band.

For example, he he were to do something with Alex Skolnick and Billy Sheehan, I'd be all over it. Depends on who is in the band.

[Fritzinger]

Mike says in a video on BPMD facebook page that the opener of the album is this one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTVDHnwlz5k

Alright, I'm out 

This is exactly the 70s music (or American music) I DON'T like. Great 70s American music... That's Kansas, Steely Dan, Eagles, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Billy Joel, Zappa and Toto for me. But of course, that's not what MP was going for.

[Stadler]

I'm pretty much in the same boat as ytserush on this, even down to the players. 

For me, it's not any one thing; it's a decent song, the players certainly seem like nice guys (at least Bobby; I don't know the other two), any time musicians are having fun there's a chance for something interesting, but as a whole this just doesn't seem to have legs.   I don't know.  It just doesn't scream "you HAVE to hear this!" (and no, I don't need a 75 minute prog opus in six parts with orchestra for that; I think Mike's cover records with Neal are stellar.)

[The Walrus]

MP is washed up.

[The Walrus]

Not only is this the least interesting project I've ever heard of, but I'm really getting bored of the covers being constantly chosen from the same pool of 70's /80's bands artists. How about throwing in some random shit from the 90's/00's/10's? The cover choices seem to get narrower and narrower with each new band MP starts. It's like they want their fanbase to be only 50 year old dudes.

Mike Portnoy, Jens Johanson, Tony Levin, Michael Romeo, and Timo Kotipelto doing prog renditions of Nirvana songs. That's the next big idea.

Okay hold up I'm actually down for this lol

[pg1067]

Great 70s American music... That's Kansas, Steely Dan, Eagles, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Billy Joel, Zappa and Toto for me. But of course, that's not what MP was going for.

Gaaa....I forgot Kansas in my prior comment.

Also...

while I generally like what Mike brings to a project, it's not just him.  I have to at least like most of the rest of the band.

Yup.  I don't know any of the other guys involved with this, so....

[Architeuthis]

MP is washed up.

Remember, this is the Mike Portnoy APPRECIATION thread.  And NO,  he is not washed up in any way. If anything MP is one of the most relevant drummers out there..