The Mike Portnoy Appreciation/Discussion Thread (merged)

[gzarruk]

9. Anna Lee (PSMS)

Don't you mean Been Here Before?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tiZLZpqFNFU

AFAIK, they never did AL with PSMS. I remember DS even made comments about how he hated AL, so I can't imagine that would've made the setlist for PSMS.

Nope, I meant Anna Lee. They did it with Ted Leonard on vocals  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxtjIWxUB_4 (same show as the infamous version of BMS with Devin Townsend )

Ha! Nice call. I don't think I ever checked out that full show after seeing Devin's performance of BMS with them. Honestly, I'm surprised that MP convinced DS to play it given the amount of disdain DS has for that song.

Has he ever given more insight on why he hates that song? He seemed to be fine about it back in the FII era, since he's also a big fan of Elton John and the song was clearly inspired by his music.

[HOF]

9. Anna Lee (PSMS)

Don't you mean Been Here Before?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tiZLZpqFNFU

AFAIK, they never did AL with PSMS. I remember DS even made comments about how he hated AL, so I can't imagine that would've made the setlist for PSMS.

Nope, I meant Anna Lee. They did it with Ted Leonard on vocals  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxtjIWxUB_4 (same show as the infamous version of BMS with Devin Townsend )

Ha! Nice call. I don't think I ever checked out that full show after seeing Devin's performance of BMS with them. Honestly, I'm surprised that MP convinced DS to play it given the amount of disdain DS has for that song.

Has he ever given more insight on why he hates that song? He seemed to be fine about it back in the FII era, since he's also a big fan of Elton John and the song was clearly inspired by his music.

I think he means his disdain for Burning My Soul. Pretty sure DS wrote the music for Anna Lee and wouldn't despise it. :-)

Nevermind, I see the discussion was about Derek disliking Anna Lee. Just saw an interview where he mentioned he wasn't happy with the final product and that's why he redid it as ab instrumental for one of his solo albums. Not sure he disdains it though.

[Melphina]

Lately I've been playing Octavarium (the song) a lot. And man is the drumming in that piece extraordinary. I always wanted to learn to play drums largely because of this song. So much groove.

[TAC]

Lately I've been playing Octavarium (the song) a lot. And man is the drumming in that piece extraordinary. I always wanted to learn to play drums largely because of this song. So much groove.

Oh definitely. He blew me away when I became a fan. Listening to the I&W shows a couple of weeks ago reminded me of how in awe I was of him.

[cfmoran13]

He blew me away when I became a fan. Listening to the I&W shows a couple of weeks ago reminded me of how in awe I was of him.

I got to see him at a clinic he put on at a church near my house, sometime between Awake and ACOS.  He had a hand-written Tama logo on his bass drum head because he had just left Mapex.  I had only seen DT live once at that point.  Sitting 30 feet from him, watching him discuss and play the drums for 90 minutes, was absolutely phenomenal.  He's been my favorite drummer ever since. 

[Setlist Scotty]

Has he ever given more insight on why he hates that song? He seemed to be fine about it back in the FII era, since he's also a big fan of Elton John and the song was clearly inspired by his music.

I honestly couldn't tell you - I don't have a clue. Maybe due to some of the orchestration or because of the lyrics? You'd have to ask him. Either way, he still liked the melodies enough to do his own instrumental version of the song...

[TAC]

He blew me away when I became a fan. Listening to the I&W shows a couple of weeks ago reminded me of how in awe I was of him.

I got to see him at a clinic he put on at a church near my house, sometime between Awake and ACOS.  He had a hand-written Tama logo on his bass drum head because he had just left Mapex.  I had only seen DT live once at that point.  Sitting 30 feet from him, watching him discuss and play the drums for 90 minutes, was absolutely phenomenal.  He's been my favorite drummer ever since.

I took this shot at Axis in Boston on 12/16/92. Unfortunately, it's the only decent shot I got, but my eyes were locked in on him the entire night.

[HOF]

Here's the interview that I saw with DS where he mentions the Anna Lee thing:

https://dreamtheater.club/blog/2012/11/21/derek-sherinian-metalled-out-a-little-bit/

Speaking of Been Here Before, that one pretty much revisits Anna Lee…

Very much so! I thought the music was beautiful and I was never satisfied with the way it turned out on that record. I thought it was too beautiful of a song and I wanted to keep it pure and make it instrumental.

Not a ton to go off. Maybe there are other interviews where he's talked about it.

[cfmoran13]

I took this shot at Axis in Boston on 12/16/92. Unfortunately, it's the only decent shot I got, but my eyes were locked in on him the entire night.

I'll post a few I have from the clinic a little later today.

[gzarruk]

Here's the interview that I saw with DS where he mentions the Anna Lee thing:

https://dreamtheater.club/blog/2012/11/21/derek-sherinian-metalled-out-a-little-bit/

Speaking of Been Here Before, that one pretty much revisits Anna Lee…

Very much so! I thought the music was beautiful and I was never satisfied with the way it turned out on that record. I thought it was too beautiful of a song and I wanted to keep it pure and make it instrumental.

Not a ton to go off. Maybe there are other interviews where he's talked about it.

This is the only other thing I could find:
https://blog.yourmajesty.net/2017/08/29/interview-in-english-derek-sherinian/

And of course, as an album is often not enough to fill a setlist, are you going to play covers from your other bands (of course we are all thinking about a Dream Theater song, like “Anna Lee” at least if the band doesn’t want to play that song, you could play “Been Here Before”) or from other bands (Van Halen, Deep Purple just like what you did during the Ultimate Jam)?

Mike is the set list master.  He will let us know when he figures it out. I personally would feel comfortable playing « Lines in the Sand » and « Hell’s Kitchen » as Mike and I wrote half of that music. I have no desire to play Anna Lee again.

This was after they played it with PSMS, so maybe he just doesn't care about it anymore

[HOF]

This is the only other thing I could find:
https://blog.yourmajesty.net/2017/08/29/interview-in-english-derek-sherinian/

And of course, as an album is often not enough to fill a setlist, are you going to play covers from your other bands (of course we are all thinking about a Dream Theater song, like “Anna Lee” at least if the band doesn’t want to play that song, you could play “Been Here Before”) or from other bands (Van Halen, Deep Purple just like what you did during the Ultimate Jam)?

Mike is the set list master.  He will let us know when he figures it out. I personally would feel comfortable playing « Lines in the Sand » and « Hell’s Kitchen » as Mike and I wrote half of that music. I have no desire to play Anna Lee again.

This was after they played it with PSMS, so maybe he just doesn't care about it anymore

Maybe it’s kind of like how when Fripp reinvented Crimson in the 80s he didn’t want to play Schizoid Man. Like he doesn’t want to be know for just that song or something? No idea really!

[The Letter M]

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=506157400878936&id=100044540401846

After 36 years, I finally got to see my 1st Dream Theater show last night! 🤣 It was a wonderful evening and it was such a pleasure to spend time with my old friends again ☮️🙏

-Marc.

[DoctorAction]

Cool. 

[MirrorMask]

It's super cool and awesome to see him with James and "the other" Mike!

[Metro]

It's really nice to see MP and JLB together again. 

[Melphina]

Now THAT is unexpected. Pleasantly so. What shadowy corner did Myung sneak off to, though? Not a photo fan even with your old drummer? 

[The Letter M]

Now THAT is unexpected. Pleasantly so. What shadowy corner did Myung sneak off to, though? Not a photo fan even with your old drummer? 

PS - Of course I spent time w John Myung as well...(in fact went to the show with his family), we just didn't snap a pic

Mike added that comment later on.

-Marc.

[devieira73]

 
Super cool to see those pics!!!

[Melphina]

Now THAT is unexpected. Pleasantly so. What shadowy corner did Myung sneak off to, though? Not a photo fan even with your old drummer? 

PS - Of course I spent time w John Myung as well...(in fact went to the show with his family), we just didn't snap a pic

Mike added that comment later on.

-Marc.

Oh yay!

[Cool Chris]

Cool stuff!

[gzarruk]

It only took 11+ years, but it finally happened

[emtee]

Making peace amidst a war. Those pics make me very happy. Mostly because I'm pretty old now and time is passing fast. Making amends, for all of us, is life changing.

I'm so happy to see this.

[HOF]

Very cool to see, especially MP and James.

[romdrums]

That’s pretty cool.  As Phil Collins once sang in Genesis “They say that time is a healer.”

[Trav86]

That’s pretty cool.  As Phil Collins once sang in Genesis “They say that time is a healer.”

Great Genesis song! But, yes, perfect quote.
Maybe the pic with James was obligatory and just being civil. But I would like to think that after the professional issues they had with each other, there’s no bad blood on a personal level.
 

[nick_z]

That is indeed really cool  I gotta think it must have almost felt like an "out of body" experience, finally seeing the band live...

[ReaperKK]

Yea crazy to think what it's like to watch a band you were a member in for so long. It did bring a smile to my face seeing him there, the little video he posted on instagram was neat too.

[TAC]

Yea crazy to think what it's like to watch a band you were a member in for so long. It did bring a smile to my face seeing him there, the little video he posted on instagram was neat too.

??

[darkshade]

Great news!

[King Postwhore]

Yea crazy to think what it's like to watch a band you were a member in for so long. It did bring a smile to my face seeing him there, the little video he posted on instagram was neat too.

??

Get the app old man.

[TAC]

Yea crazy to think what it's like to watch a band you were a member in for so long. It did bring a smile to my face seeing him there, the little video he posted on instagram was neat too.

??

Get the app old man.

[King Postwhore]

Exactly.  You're missing out.  Mike has a strong,  masculine wave.

[TAC]

Exactly.  You're missing out.  Mike has a strong,  masculine wave.

Gee, I'd hate to miss that.

[King Postwhore]

 

[ProfessorPeart]

Time to start a new rumor!

DT will become a 2 drummer band like King Crimson or Grateful Dead. 2 drummers on stage at the same time. Might be better as they get older as they can split those difficult parts and do them as a twosome.