The Mike Portnoy Appreciation/Discussion Thread (merged)

[RodrigoAltaf]

TA is 100% done. Two of the members don't get along.

[Skeever]

If anyone can point me to an interview, I'd be grateful.

[MinistroRaven]

TA is 100% done. Two of the members don't get along.

Yes, Ted tells in my interview that that TA in the future is pretty unlikely. It felt more like he couldn't say it's done, but...

[Trav86]

Neal and Mike both hinted at it.

The live album from the Paris show is called The Final Flight for a reason lol

Neal was very emotional (more than usual lol) at the end of that show. There are lots of pics they posted with him crying hugging Mike. Mike even looked a little weepy.

[Trav86]

Also, I saw someone said they hoped that Transatlantic would have become more active after Mike left DT. I think part of the appeal of Transatlantic was that the albums were kinda “rare” I think creatively they benefited from that as well. To me it’s a perfect discography.

[TheHoveringSojourn808]

which two members of TA don't get along? NM and who else? My assumption is one of them (prob not MP) doesn't like all the preachy stuff. Would that be Roine or the Marillion guy?

[Metro]

All signs point to Roine and Neal. I’d be shocked if it wasn’t. We’ve talked about it at length in the Transatlantic thread.

[TheHoveringSojourn808]

yeah, figured.

[Stadler]

which two members of TA don't get along? NM and who else? My assumption is one of them (prob not MP) doesn't like all the preachy stuff. Would that be Roine or the Marillion guy?

I never got that it was the preachy stuff; I took it to be more fundamental.   I know there were musical choices that didn't sit well.  I know that learning the massive amounts of material didn't sit well.  The changes to material done individually didn't sit well. 

[MinistroRaven]

which two members of TA don't get along? NM and who else? My assumption is one of them (prob not MP) doesn't like all the preachy stuff. Would that be Roine or the Marillion guy?

I never got that it was the preachy stuff; I took it to be more fundamental.   I know there were musical choices that didn't sit well.  I know that learning the massive amounts of material didn't sit well.  The changes to material done individually didn't sit well.

That right there was TROAE

[bosk1]

I don't know that it's a given that two members don't get along.  Rodrigo may know something I don't, but I haven't seen anything that would indicate that that is the case.  But that of course doesn't really alter that point that, from what has been said by a couple of members, TA is not an active entity right now and has no plans to be.  That isn't to say they wouldn't do something at some point in the future.  But I think they seem to consider themselves done for the moment.

[gmillerdrake]

Also, I saw someone said they hoped that Transatlantic would have become more active after Mike left DT. I think part of the appeal of Transatlantic was that the albums were kinda “rare” I think creatively they benefited from that as well. To me it’s a perfect discography.

If you throw out Kaleidescope and The Absolute Universe then I agree 100%. Near perfect discography.

Those last couple efforts were way too "rinse/repeat" for me to be considered anything original from those guys....pretty cut and paste and ho hum.

[Kram]

I don't know that it's a given that two members don't get along.  Rodrigo may know something I don't, but I haven't seen anything that would indicate that that is the case.  But that of course doesn't really alter that point that, from what has been said by a couple of members, TA is not an active entity right now and has no plans to be.  That isn't to say they wouldn't do something at some point in the future.  But I think they seem to consider themselves done for the moment.

I agree Bosk.  I'm sure they "get along".  I think it's more "creative differences", if you will..

[HOF]

Also, I saw someone said they hoped that Transatlantic would have become more active after Mike left DT. I think part of the appeal of Transatlantic was that the albums were kinda “rare” I think creatively they benefited from that as well. To me it’s a perfect discography.

If you throw out Kaleidescope and The Absolute Universe then I agree 100%. Near perfect discography.

Those last couple efforts were way too "rinse/repeat" for me to be considered anything original from those guys....pretty cut and paste and ho hum.

If you also throw out The Whirlwind IMO. I can’t explain it, but I really only enjoy the first two TA albums (two of my favorite albums ever). TAU is the one I enjoyed most after that. But I agree, they have probably made all the music I need them to make.

[TheHoveringSojourn808]

thinking on it more it would be really hard to imagine roine and neal actually fighting over something like a religious reason. i would imagine even if roine doesn't agree with neal's specific beliefs he'd be accepting of them given his own spirituality. deff agree that it seems a bit overplayed that there is a some (any?) drama

[ReaperKK]

All signs point to Roine and Neal. I’d be shocked if it wasn’t. We’ve talked about it at length in the Transatlantic thread.

Gonna pop some popcorn and settle in for some reading

[KevShmev]

If the issue is between Neal and Roine, I doubt it is over religion, but over way the Neal did his shortened version of The Absolute Universe, which saw him remove quite a bit of Roine's best stuff, not to mention adding a song that Roine didn't even play on (Can You Feel It).  I am sure Neal's intentions were noble, and a couple changes were for the better, but if I were Roine, I would have been pretty ticked.  Neal deciding to remove The World We Used to Know, the centerpiece of the album (and the best song, IMO), just boggles the mind.

[HOF]

Yeah, it’s almost certainly not a religious thing.

[The Letter M]

If the issue is between Neal and Roine, I doubt it is over religion, but over way the Neal did his shortened version of The Absolute Universe, which saw him remove quite a bit of Roine's best stuff, not to mention adding a song that Roine didn't even play on (Can You Feel It).  I am sure Neal's intentions were noble, and a couple changes were for the better, but if I were Roine, I would have been pretty ticked.  Neal deciding to remove The World We Used to Know, the centerpiece of the album (and the best song, IMO), just boggles the mind.

I've always seen this situation the same way, with Mike trying to play peacemaker between the two by suggesting they release both versions - Roine's original, longer idea of the album, and Neal's truncated/re-done version, and while he was at it, make his own version that combined his favorite bits from both while making it longer than either.

It definitely struck me as ironic when Neal was the one who wanted to make the album shorter and Roine wanted it to keep it a double, but I think Neal was maybe worried that he would be associated with putting out so many double albums in such a short time (after TSOAD and TGA came out). There's always going to be more than what we'll ever know about that situation and what their personal feelings were at the time, but I think at this point they've probably mellowed out a bit, but are not likely to reunite any time soon, and it definitely feels like TAU will be their last albums.

As far as how their catalog ranks, it's easily one of my favorites, and while their last two albums feel like a bit of a rehash of their earlier works, it's like being served a really good burger and fries instead of a steak and mashed potatoes. Sure, there's almost the same, and earlier steak and potatoes are probably better than the latter burger and fries, but both are good meals regardless. I think throwing in the towel after album and tour number five was a good call over-all, as they've definitely said all they need to say with their music.

Now, if they do a one-off show in the future, I would not put it past them. Neal would most likely initiate that conversation, but it would probably be part of a festival or a cruise, where Mike, Roine, and Pete also happen to be there in addition to Neal, though given how old they're all getting, and how sporadically everyone but Mike seems to tour, I wouldn't hold my breath.

-Marc.

[Cocopjojo]

Like someone said, this has been discussed extensively over in the TA thread, but in general this is not something that happened suddenly or due to one event. If you've read Neal's newsletters over the years, or seen the Transatlantic Making Of videos, even going back to the one for The Whirlwind, it's clear that there's been some strife for a long time. TAU seems to just be the culmination of it. And I for one am thankful that they called it quits before it turned into anything publicly nasty.

[bosk1]

I never saw anything I could consider "strife."  I saw creative differences, and very different personalities, but that happens in a lot of bands without becoming any sort of interpersonal conflict.  Given how much time these guys have spent together, it seems odd to me to try to draw conclusions about their relationships based on clips assembled together into a total of a few hours of video footage. 

[KevShmev]

Like someone said, this has been discussed extensively over in the TA thread, but in general this is not something that happened suddenly or due to one event. If you've read Neal's newsletters over the years, or seen the Transatlantic Making Of videos, even going back to the one for The Whirlwind, it's clear that there's been some strife for a long time. TAU seems to just be the culmination of it. And I for one am thankful that they called it quits before it turned into anything publicly nasty.

I just remember a few interviews with Roine around the time of the release, and while he didn't come right out and say it, his aggravation about how it all went down was pretty clear.  I am pretty sure it was discussed in real time in the TA thread here.

[Schurftkut]

Roine did remixes of all the albums i believe, some are quite interestingly different. Him feeling like his contributions being left out has been there from the get go.

[SoundscapeMN]

yep.

[devieira73]

On The Winery Dogs front:
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=853730742784484&set=a.239944944163070&comment_id=292808863674050&notif_id=1699013975164330&notif_t=feedback_reaction_generic&ref=notif

Also a live Bluray/DVD.

[Kyo]

Roine did remixes of all the albums i believe, some are quite interestingly different. Him feeling like his contributions being left out has been there from the get go.

I don't think Roine mixed any album other than their debut, with the band ultimately picking Rich Mouser's mix over his.

[HOF]

Roine did remixes of all the albums i believe, some are quite interestingly different. Him feeling like his contributions being left out has been there from the get go.

I don't think Roine mixed any album other than their debut, with the band ultimately picking Rich Mouser's mix over his.

Didn’t Neal do his own remix of the first album as well? Or maybe he just put out the demos.

[Trav86]

He put out demos of the first two.

[Rob24]

The new golden age of DTF, when former and current reunite!

It's really nice to see. I'm an oldschooler too, but I think you guys probably won't remember me.
My name was Keks of Thought back in '04 in DT.net times, some other nicks that I'm forgetting right now and later Mike's Schieaybude in MP.com.

Anyways, sad to see the end of TA, I really wonder what exactly the beef is. TAU didn't really click with me, anyway.

[axeman90210]

Bumping this thread because MP's set with Umphrey's McGee is tonight in Chicago. The show will be livestreamed on nugs.net, should be easy to sign up for a free one week trial if you want to check it out. I believe the band will be playing two sets, with MP only sitting in for one of them.

[ytserush]

Bumping this thread because MP's set with Umphrey's McGee is tonight in Chicago. The show will be livestreamed on nugs.net, should be easy to sign up for a free one week trial if you want to check it out. I believe the band will be playing two sets, with MP only sitting in for one of them.

Hopefully this will be on you tube one day.

[ProfessorPeart]

As I posted in the concerts thread, I will be there in person. Melody will be in the house as well. Be leaving for my buddy's soon so we can start making our way there.

[ProfessorPeart]

Fantastic show. First set was all old stuff and Jake was pure fire as always.

I expected a decent amount of covers in MP's set but there was still a lot of jamming and he was a natural fit. Knowing how UM works, I am aware of their communication methods while playing and they were coaching and leading MP quite a bit, but the casual watcher wouldn't have known. Brendan was on the talkback mic quite a bit and you could see him and MP clearly communicating. Ryan also seemed to be leading him occasionally with some body movements on when to drop a beat. Ryan spent a good amount of MP's set facing him and just having a blast. Jake too. You had Ryan and Jake facing MP quite often and just having fun. The whole band seemed really enamored with having the man on stage with them.

My one hope was Wizard Burial Ground and they gave us an awesome WBG to close the second set. I'm still reeling from the show as I got home at like 2:30am. It was a long show and a long night.

Last note, all concert sound guys should take lessons from UM's guy. No earplugs needed and just an amazing balance and clarity in the sound. One of the best sounding shows I have even seen.

EDIT: Oh yeah, they did Big Bottom in the encore with Ryan on Lead Bass 1, Brendan on Lead Bass 2 and MP on Lead Bass 3. It was awesome.

[King Puppies and the Acid Guppies]

Fantastic show. First set was all old stuff and Jake was pure fire as always.

I expected a decent amount of covers in MP's set but there was still a lot of jamming and he was a natural fit. Knowing how UM works, I am aware of their communication methods while playing and they were coaching and leading MP quite a bit, but the casual watcher wouldn't have known. Brendan was on the talkback mic quite a bit and you could see him and MP clearly communication. Ryan also seemed to be leading him occasionally with some body movements on when do drop a beat. Ryan spent a good amount of MP's set facing him and just having a blast. Jake too. You had Ryan and Jake facing MP quite often and just having fun. The whole band seemed really enamored with having the man on stage with them.

My one hope was Wizard Burial Ground and they gave us an awesome WBG to close the second set. I'm still reeling from the show as I got home at like 2:30am. It was a long show and a long night.

Last note, all concert sound guys should take lessons from UM's guy. No earplugs needed and just an amazing balance and clarity in the sound. One of the best sounding shows I have even seen.

EDIT: Oh yeah, they did Big Bottom in the encore with Ryan on Lead Bass 1, Brendan on Lead Bass 2 and MP on Lead Bass 3. It was awesome.

Talk about mudflaps.

[ProfessorPeart]

Pretty good quality vid of Big Bottom and YYZ.

https://youtu.be/QKe57-xBhio?si=DRK0AWRi5pxVTuFS

Show is already up on Nugs and I have it downloaded.