One of the next Ytse Jam Bootlegs *WAS* going to be...

[Madman Shepherd]

A Rush compilation. 

Mike Portnoy: You know... with Dream Theater we used to do these one-off covers. And every time we played Toronto, I always put a Rush cover in there. And I’d been collecting them, and I was eventually going to release them because, you know, I used to oversee the official bootleg series for Dream Theater. And I had been compiling all the Dream Theater Rush covers. We had done “Jacob’s Ladder,” “A Passage to Bangkok,” “The Necromancer.” I had pretty much a whole CD’s worth of stuff now. We did “Different Strings.” And sadly now I’ll never get to release it. But I was aiming to get it out there! (Laughs)

https://andrewolson.com/Neil_Peart/mike_portnoy/mike_portnoy_interview.htm


I guess it doesn't specifically say he was going to release them all on one but I think he was alluding to it. 

[Setlist Scotty]

Sometime back, MP actually talked about the next batch of bootlegs he had been lining up. Here's what he said:

The next batch I was going to work on if things didn't go the way they went was:
--- a compilation of all the Rush Covers (Covers Series)
--- "The Making of SDOIT" (Studio Series)
--- Poughkeepsie, NY '98 (Xmas Unplugged Show - Derek's last show) (Live Series)
and DVD:
--- Several "Pro-shot" BC&SL shows (including Download '09 and the very final show in Tokyo)

Sucks that these were never released, but what are you gonna do?

My BIG question is: when are we going to see some official bootlegs from the current band? They said that they wanted to continue putting out titles, but I would expect that they would have put out something by now if they were going to make good on their word. At the very least they could've released:
• an expanded version of The Spirit Carries On documentary, complete with full performances with MM (and perhaps the other drummers, if they'd allow it)
• one of the summer European 2011 shows, which contains a very different setlist to what is on LaLP
• a making of CD containing demos of the songs on ADToE as well as bits and pieces of other things (initial rough performances, alternate ideas, etc)

[cyberdrummer]

It's a shame we won't see a show from the BCSL tour.

And it would be very easy for the band to release the High Voltage show from 2011. Needs to be done.

[Kotowboy]

  Guys - Look at all this cool stuff you'll never have because THEY won't let me !!!!!!!!

[BelichickFan]

Well we wouldn't have had ADToE or DT if Portnoy had his way.  I'll take the tradeoff the way it worked out.  Those two CDs over Rush covers any day 

[BlobVanDam]

I would have loved to have a making of SDOIT bootleg, but I don't care for Rush at all, or DT's covers in general.

[425]

I don't see anything wrong with Mike saying this. I realize that he sometimes says things he probably shouldn't say, and this is a case where this casual comment will blow back on him, but the interviewer asked him specifically about Rush covers, and this seemed to have been a fairly long term project relating to Rush covers. I think he's completely justified in being bummed that he never got to release that bootleg and even in expressing that emotion, even if it's not the best PR decision. And he's clearly not blaming the band for that, he's just saying that it's a shame that because of the way things happened he never got to release those to the fans.

Of course, the dream is that some kind of deal is reached where Mike allows material from his archives to be released in the future by Ytse Jam Records. I don't know what that could involve, possibly royalty payment and a producer credit for MP. But I suspect that will not ever happen because a) the band does not seem to have a whole lot of interest in Ytse Jam and b) Mike Portnoy has mean mean pride.

Still, my point is, I don't see the problem with what Mike said there. The topic of conversation was Rush covers, so he brought up a Rush cover project that he'd obviously been working on for quite a while and expressed regret that the situation with him having left the band means that that project will never be released. All of which is totally justifiable and none of which constitutes a shot at the band.

[Cable]

[tangent]
Does anyone know if they are rolling tape so to speak on everything they do, like MP did? I would hate to think that if they ever do this again, they do not have a lot of stuff lying around to pick from.

My guess as to nothing being out there is DT rather have someone manage this stuff, but may not be big enough to fund it?

[BlobVanDam]

[tangent]
Does anyone know if they are rolling tape so to speak on everything they do, like MP did? I would hate to think that if they ever do this again, they do not have a lot of stuff lying around to pick from.

Pretty sure they still record every show. In the DTF video chat they had, JLB mentioned listening through them and taking note of better performances.

[KevShmev]

Well we wouldn't have had ADToE or DT if Portnoy had his way.  I'll take the tradeoff the way it worked out.  Those two CDs over Rush covers any day 

Damn right. 

That aside, that is one of the best Portnoy interviews I have seen in a long time.  If he came off like that in every interview he did, he'd have a lot less critics.

[Zydar]

I would have loved to have a making of SDOIT bootleg.

This would be awesome indeed.

[Stef1]

3/20/2002 Toronto, ON, is the concert I was always hoping would be released on Ytse Jam.
Why?
Chris Jericho doing vocals on Pull Me Under, brilliant.
Sadly there doesn't appear to be a bootleg of this date.

[?]

That aside, that is one of the best Portnoy interviews I have seen in a long time.

[wasteland]

Hey, if anyone is interested in the Rush cover I can make a compilation of them out of the unofficial bootlegs that are in existence! 

[snapple]

Well we wouldn't have had ADToE or DT if Portnoy had his way.  I'll take the tradeoff the way it worked out.  Those two CDs over Rush covers any day 

[Ravenfoul]

Makes me cry on the inside. I'd pay so much to hear that poughkeepsie show.

[Prog Snob]

I would have loved to have a making of SDOIT bootleg.

This would be awesome indeed.

Agreed.  I'd love to hear some of the ideas that were thrown around.

[Madman Shepherd]

Sometime back, MP actually talked about the next batch of bootlegs he had been lining up. Here's what he said:

The next batch I was going to work on if things didn't go the way they went was:
--- a compilation of all the Rush Covers (Covers Series)
--- "The Making of SDOIT" (Studio Series)
--- Poughkeepsie, NY '98 (Xmas Unplugged Show - Derek's last show) (Live Series)
and DVD:
--- Several "Pro-shot" BC&SL shows (including Download '09 and the very final show in Tokyo)

Now that you mention it, I think I have heard about this.   Was this in an interview?

Well we wouldn't have had ADToE or DT if Portnoy had his way.  I'll take the tradeoff the way it worked out.  Those two CDs over Rush covers any day 

Totally agree.  If this was a game of "Would you rather?" I would choose ADTOE and DT12 over just about anything. 

I don't see anything wrong with Mike saying this. I realize that he sometimes says things he probably shouldn't say, and this is a case where this casual comment will blow back on him, but the interviewer asked him specifically about Rush covers, and this seemed to have been a fairly long term project relating to Rush covers. I think he's completely justified in being bummed that he never got to release that bootleg and even in expressing that emotion, even if it's not the best PR decision. And he's clearly not blaming the band for that, he's just saying that it's a shame that because of the way things happened he never got to release those to the fans.

Of course, the dream is that some kind of deal is reached where Mike allows material from his archives to be released in the future by Ytse Jam Records. I don't know what that could involve, possibly royalty payment and a producer credit for MP. But I suspect that will not ever happen because a) the band does not seem to have a whole lot of interest in Ytse Jam and b) Mike Portnoy has mean mean pride.

Still, my point is, I don't see the problem with what Mike said there. The topic of conversation was Rush covers, so he brought up a Rush cover project that he'd obviously been working on for quite a while and expressed regret that the situation with him having left the band means that that project will never be released. All of which is totally justifiable and none of which constitutes a shot at the band.

Very good point.  In this one instance, it seems totally appropriate what he said and how he said it.  Unlike most other times this has been brought up, he seems to have a tone of, "Well since you brought it up....but oh well" as opposed to what our buddy Kotowboy mentioned (whom I usually agree with btw)

[jingle.boy]

Hey, if anyone is interested in the Rush cover I can make a compilation of them out of the unofficial bootlegs that are in existence! 

Yeah, it ain't that tough.  I think I have most (at least several) of them... and the beauty thing is I was at the shows for a few!   

[ZKX-2099]

Well we wouldn't have had ADToE or DT if Portnoy had his way.  I'll take the tradeoff the way it worked out.  Those two CDs over Rush covers any day 

Oh wow your post just made me realize if MP got what we wanted we would still have like 2 years till the next DT release... 

[cramx3]

The DVD of the unplugged show and the pro shot BCSL shows make me drool for them but oh well.

[goo-goo]

The DVD of the unplugged show and the full once in a livetime show both audio and video

Fixed 

[Lucien]

I began reading this right as I was playing Jacob's Ladder, the first time I had listened to it in months...

[The Curious Orange]

The YtseJam bootlegs had some serious quality issues. I understand that they were taken from the sources they were taken from, but it has always bothered me that a band the size of DT aren't able to better record a live album for these releases. I've said it before and I'll say it again - just look at the quality of the web-only releases Marillion put out. You can't tell me DT aren't capable of matching this.

[wasteland]

The YtseJam bootlegs had some serious quality issues. I understand that they were taken from the sources they were taken from, but it has always bothered me that a band the size of DT aren't able to better record a live album for these releases. I've said it before and I'll say it again - just look at the quality of the web-only releases Marillion put out. You can't tell me DT aren't capable of matching this.

Keep in mind that all the live bootlegs officially released by YJ date back to the '90s, where the band was not nearly as big financially as Marillion, and as far as I know none of them were recorded with the intention of being released in the future. So whoever did the mastering job ( ) had to deal with raw soundboard recording, nothing more.

[The Curious Orange]

I get that, I really do, but the YtseJam releases could have been so much more...

[Prog Snob]

I get that, I really do, but the YtseJam releases could have been so much more...

In the future, they probably will be.

[ZirconBlue]

I think the YJR releases sound pretty damn awesome for what they are.  Having heard plenty of actual bootlegs over the years, most of them being unlistenable, I'm very happy to have some of these recordings at as high a quality as they are.

[cramx3]

I think the YJR releases sound pretty damn awesome for what they are.  Having heard plenty of actual bootlegs over the years, most of them being unlistenable, I'm very happy to have some of these recordings at as high a quality as they are.

This. Some of them sound fine to me, specifically the cover series. The DVDs aren't the best quality but I love them for what they are.

[wasteland]

I think the YJR releases sound pretty damn awesome for what they are.  Having heard plenty of actual bootlegs over the years, most of them being unlistenable, I'm very happy to have some of these recordings at as high a quality as they are.

Hey, there are many bootlegs sounding just as good as the YJ records, don't give up on them just because many others are not top notch 

[Progmetty]

Mike Portnoy: And sadly now I’ll never get to release it. But I was aiming to get it out there! (Laughs)[/i]

Sadly? You won't allow them to release it cause it's in your possession, cause you were responsible for recording it and you own it, there's no "sadly" there, he's talking like it's not up to him.

[bosk1]

Mike Portnoy: And sadly now I’ll never get to release it. But I was aiming to get it out there! (Laughs)[/i]

Sadly? You won't allow them to release it cause it's in your possession, cause you were responsible for recording it and you own it, there's no "sadly" there, he's talking like it's not up to him.

It probably isn't up to him, whether he is in physical position of the tapes or not.

[ZirconBlue]

Mike Portnoy: And sadly now I’ll never get to release it. But I was aiming to get it out there! (Laughs)

Sadly? You won't allow them to release it cause it's in your possession, cause you were responsible for recording it and you own it, there's no "sadly" there, he's talking like it's not up to him.

It probably isn't up to him, whether he is in physical position of the tapes or not.

Well, obviously, they can choose what to release or not, but I have a hard time believing that if he handed over the tapes and said, "here are these awesome tapes that I'm giving you to release on YJR", that the band would refuse to do so.

[bosk1]

Yes, granted it sounds very simple.  But the reality of the situation is that Dream Theater, like any successful band, is a corporate entity.  And when it comes to a band member exiting, the rights of who owns what assets of the corporation gets very messy and blurry.  There may very well be more legal issues tied up on who owns what in those recordings and in what percentages than you may realize, and that seriously complicates what can be done with them. It may not be nearly as simple as Mike just giving up the tapes and the band publishing them.

[TAC]

The lack of continuing on with Ytsejam, I thought, would be the greatest disappointment that I expected when MP left. Heck, they were slow to come when MP was involved.
Ytsejam was a huge extra for being a DT fan.

I really wish the band would revisit these and take this seriously.