The Mike Portnoy Appreciation/Discussion Thread (merged)

[Nick]

Quick note re: Eric Gillette.

I love the man, from his guitar playing, to his singing, to his stage presence and the conversations I've had with him off stage. And he's an amazing musician on other instruments as well. That said, having his two solo albums, you really see where the magic with a guy like Neal Morse happens. His ability to take the raw pieces of Eric's work and infuse and arrange them in his masterful songwriting ways, really takes Eric to the next level. On a technical scale, no question Eric runs circles around Neal in several ways, but Neal just has that *it* factor when composing that is tough for many to equal.

[gzarruk]

I'm just waiting for the Tejeida/Gillette/Sandnes album that "doesn't exist" , which IMO will showcase much more of Eric in his own element vs with NMB.

[MinistroRaven]

I'm just waiting for the Tejeida/Gillette/Sandnes album that "doesn't exist" , which IMO will showcase much more of Eric in his own element vs with NMB.

 

[EPICVIEW]

Mike Rocks

[KevShmev]

Quick note re: Eric Gillette.

I love the man, from his guitar playing, to his singing, to his stage presence and the conversations I've had with him off stage. And he's an amazing musician on other instruments as well. That said, having his two solo albums, you really see where the magic with a guy like Neal Morse happens. His ability to take the raw pieces of Eric's work and infuse and arrange them in his masterful songwriting ways, really takes Eric to the next level. On a technical scale, no question Eric runs circles around Neal in several ways, but Neal just has that *it* factor when composing that is tough for many to equal.

Agreed.  Being great at songwriting trumps everything in music.  You can have the greatest voice in the world, or have the most technical skill on an instrument, but if you can't write a song, then you have to rely on others for the hard part (writing good songs).

[Mladen]

"Mike Portnoy Breaks Down His Favorite Teenage Albums"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zH7gmLJxws

That was such a cool video. I love it when Mike nerds out and talks music. 

[hefdaddy42]

Quick note re: Eric Gillette.

I love the man, from his guitar playing, to his singing, to his stage presence and the conversations I've had with him off stage. And he's an amazing musician on other instruments as well. That said, having his two solo albums, you really see where the magic with a guy like Neal Morse happens. His ability to take the raw pieces of Eric's work and infuse and arrange them in his masterful songwriting ways, really takes Eric to the next level. On a technical scale, no question Eric runs circles around Neal in several ways, but Neal just has that *it* factor when composing that is tough for many to equal.

Agreed.  Being great at songwriting trumps everything in music.  You can have the greatest voice in the world, or have the most technical skill on an instrument, but if you can't write a song, then you have to rely on others for the hard part (writing good songs).

True.  And it seems so simple to grasp, but many people don't.

[emtee]

A video of MP behind a kit playing some of his favorite intros from bands that influenced him, as well as some of his creation, popped up on my feed yesterday.

He has many amazing qualities as a drummer but while watching the vid it occurred to me that his memory might be his most prized asset. He astounds me in this regard. He would name an intro and play it. One after another. Maybe my age is catching up to me but I couldn't do that without a refresher for each intro. The dude could put an elephant to shame.

[Stadler]

A video of MP behind a kit playing some of his favorite intros from bands that influenced him, as well as some of his creation, popped up on my feed yesterday.

He has many amazing qualities as a drummer but while watching the vid it occurred to me that his memory might be his most prized asset. He astounds me in this regard. He would name an intro and play it. One after another. Maybe my age is catching up to me but I couldn't do that without a refresher for each intro. The dude could put an elephant to shame.

This.  Now expand that to entire ALBUMS not just intros.  I really DON'T know how he does it.  It's not like Kiss, who has been playing the same setlist more or less since 1984.  Some of the records he's played on he's only done live a dozen times at best. 

[cramx3]

A video of MP behind a kit playing some of his favorite intros from bands that influenced him, as well as some of his creation, popped up on my feed yesterday.

He has many amazing qualities as a drummer but while watching the vid it occurred to me that his memory might be his most prized asset. He astounds me in this regard. He would name an intro and play it. One after another. Maybe my age is catching up to me but I couldn't do that without a refresher for each intro. The dude could put an elephant to shame.

This.  Now expand that to entire ALBUMS not just intros.  I really DON'T know how he does it.  It's not like Kiss, who has been playing the same setlist more or less since 1984.  Some of the records he's played on he's only done live a dozen times at best.

I've always been amazed at not just him, but Dream Theater in general, being able to play all those songs back when they'd change up sets and just be able to play them.  So many intracacies just stored in the brain.  I will say, to be fair, I'm sure we all remember lots of things at our day jobs and it may be similar.  They play music for a living, being able to remember all the parts probably comes with the territory of such a job.  I still think it's amazing though because it does show a passion for the music beyond just memorizing your parts.

[bosk1]

A video of MP behind a kit playing some of his favorite intros from bands that influenced him, as well as some of his creation, popped up on my feed yesterday.

He has many amazing qualities as a drummer but while watching the vid it occurred to me that his memory might be his most prized asset. He astounds me in this regard. He would name an intro and play it. One after another. Maybe my age is catching up to me but I couldn't do that without a refresher for each intro. The dude could put an elephant to shame.

This.  Now expand that to entire ALBUMS not just intros.  I really DON'T know how he does it.  It's not like Kiss, who has been playing the same setlist more or less since 1984.  Some of the records he's played on he's only done live a dozen times at best.

I've always been amazed at not just him, but Dream Theater in general, being able to play all those songs back when they'd change up sets and just be able to play them.  So many intracacies just stored in the brain.  I will say, to be fair, I'm sure we all remember lots of things at our day jobs and it may be similar.  They play music for a living, being able to remember all the parts probably comes with the territory of such a job.  I still think it's amazing though because it does show a passion for the music beyond just memorizing your parts.

Totally.  JP is like that as well (or at least was--I think the passage of more time and the volume of material he has written is catching up a bit.  I remember the story of when they got together with the Queensryche guys when they were planning the tour, and were talking about setlists, and Wilton saying with respect to some of the older QR songs they hadn't played in awhile that he would have to go back and relearn those songs if they played them because he couldn't remember how they went, and JP grabbing a guitar and going, "Oh, let me show you real quick.  It goes like this..."

[cramx3]

  that's great

I follow Mark Morton (guitarist of Lamb of God, he's very active on twitter and will respond) and he's said he'll go watch youtubers playing Lamb of God videos to relearn how to play the old rarer songs when they come on the setlist.  In some ways, I get that and it's honest and respectable way to learn your parts, but also, it does make me think of how I bet JP wouldn't need to do that.  I feel like a musician on his level (or MP, JR, and many others) they could probably listen to the song again and start remembering how to play it.

[hefdaddy42]

Rudess remarked once something along the lines of JP having the best musical memory he has encountered.  If they were going to plan to put something in the setlist that the band hadn't played in 15 years, he would just remember it, or mostly remember it.

[Stadler]

Rudess remarked once something along the lines of JP having the best musical memory he has encountered.  If they were going to plan to put something in the setlist that the band hadn't played in 15 years, he would just remember it, or mostly remember it.

I'll buy that for a dollar, after seeing his solo show on consecutive nights.  What sounds like "jamming" most assuredly is NOT.

[Adami]

Rudess remarked once something along the lines of JP having the best musical memory he has encountered.  If they were going to plan to put something in the setlist that the band hadn't played in 15 years, he would just remember it, or mostly remember it.

Oh man I wish I had that. I literally video record myself playing almost every riff I write because I won't remember it 10 minutes late and listening to it on audio only doesn't mean I'll remember or be able to figure out how to play it. I currently have 41 videos on my phone for the new song I'm writing.

[ReaperKK]

I'm the same way, if I write a great melody or tune I need to record it asap, it'll be gone by the time I come back to the guitar if I don't record it somewhere

[Adami]

I'm the same way, if I write a great melody or tune I need to record it asap, it'll be gone by the time I come back to the guitar if I don't record it somewhere

Yea, I also just have an awful ear. At least for stringed instruments. I've written whole songs and now I have no idea how to play 90% of them. Maybe if I sat down for hours I could get somewhere, but it's unlikely. I usually need to see my hands on the frets to know what I'm doing. Really lame. Good thing I'm mostly a drummer 

[The Realm]

A video of MP behind a kit playing some of his favorite intros from bands that influenced him, as well as some of his creation, popped up on my feed yesterday.

He has many amazing qualities as a drummer but while watching the vid it occurred to me that his memory might be his most prized asset. He astounds me in this regard. He would name an intro and play it. One after another. Maybe my age is catching up to me but I couldn't do that without a refresher for each intro. The dude could put an elephant to shame.

Yeah, this is an awesome video. I really enjoyed it.

In terms of the memory aspect, most of what Mike was playing (the 70s/80s stuff) he learnt when he was a teenager. If I think of myself, I learnt the rhythm guitar parts of the entire Metallica Masters of Puppets and Justice albums when I was 17/18 years old and played along to those albums 100s of times. Today, many, many years later I can still pick up a guitar and play all those parts like it was yesterday. However, I also played bass in a cover band for 10 years when I was in my late 30s into my 40s and now a few years later I can barely remember how to play any of those songs.

So I think what is amazing about Mike is that he can retain the newer as well as the old.