MP new interview "the 12 SS is completely my concept and my baby..."

[TAC]

I'd be rather surprised if DT was still around in 2022.

You think so?
It's only 7 1/2 years away.

[The Letter M]

I'd be rather surprised if DT was still around in 2022.

You think so?
It's only 7 1/2 years away.

Well, given their ages, I'd say 2020/2022 would be their limit. If they stay on schedule with little deviation, they'd have 3 to 4 more studio albums in that time, getting us to Studio Album #15 or 16. I'd say that's a pretty big achievement.

Does anyone know when their current contract with RoadRunner Records runs out? That might be a good indicator as to when they may throw in the towel. I mean 2015 will (likely) see the band's 13th album as well as their 30th anniversary. 2020 would see the band's 35th anniversary, and possibly a tour on their 15th album. A lot of landmarks going on here, so I don't see them quitting until at LEAST 2021 or 2022.

-Marc.

[rumborak]

I'd be rather surprised if DT was still around in 2022.

You think so?
It's only 7 1/2 years away.

I personally think they're on the home stretch, yeah. Before DT12 came out, I made the prediction "two more after this one", and I think that's still the case (I.e. two more albums total).

[theseoafs]

2022 tour (20th anniversary of the first 12ss song) or 2019 tour (10th anniversary of finishing 12ss)  might seem appropriate to play it with Portnoy in a one off show.

Yeah, and 2016 would be the most appropriate year for DT to release a concept album about George W. Bush's presidency, given that that year will be his 70th birthday.  Doesn't mean it's going to happen.

[Sir Walrus Cauliflower]

2022 tour (20th anniversary of the first 12ss song) or 2019 tour (10th anniversary of finishing 12ss)  might seem appropriate to play it with Portnoy in a one off show.

Yeah, and 2016 would be the most appropriate year for DT to release a concept album about George W. Bush's presidency, given that that year will be his 70th birthday.  Doesn't mean it's going to happen.

I'd buy it.

But seriously, they've already devoted half their setlist this tour to playing albums that had anniversaries, and the 12SS seems to be considered a pretty important piece from what I see on sites other than this. I doubt the Portnoy thing will ever happen, but the celebrating the 12SS anniversary doesn't seem too far fetched.

[tiagodon]

Steven Tyler is almost 70 years old and the man is still rockin like a teenager!
DT performances are so at ease. They barely move on stage. They can go on till they are in their 80s!
Of course it wouldn´t be healthy to play gigs night after night. Maybe one per week...

[rumborak]

I was listening/watching several early DT videos a while ago, and JP's playing was insanely fluid, with the most difficult runs having perfect definition and clarity. I can't say that is still the case these days. A lot of his fast runs just "run together" for a lack of a better term.

[ZirconBlue]

I was listening/watching several early DT videos a while ago, and JP's playing was insanely fluid, with the most difficult runs having perfect definition and clarity. I can't say that is still the case these days. A lot of his fast runs just "run together" for a lack of a better term.

George Lynch talks about how eventually his body-building interfered with his playing.  I don't know if JP's been doing it enough to have similar issues.

[TheGreatPretender]

Of course it wouldn´t be healthy to play gigs night after night.

They'll play every event. They'll be forever in the stage lights.

[Grizz]

Over and over, scene by scene,
Like a recurring nightmare cinema machine. (DT vs. DT?)

[Mosh]

My favorite transition is from Repentence to TSF. Although not the most natural, it sounds great. I cut the first 20 seconds of the instrumental TSF intro and placed it instead of the normal TSF, as the instrumental starts full volume instead of the fade in. It hits so hard after the more laid back ending of Repentence.

On my edit, I start the fade in for TSF as soon as the "Truth is the truth" line comes in. Works seamlessly.

[Super Dude]

For their sakes, I hope they throw in the towel by 2022. And have a final farewell show with MP or KM.

[robwebster]

Rush are 15 years John Petrucci's senior, and they're still going. He won't be the age Alex and Geddy are now 'til 2028, and Rush don't look like they're hanging it up any time soon. They're career musicians, and they love their job.

Jordan Rudess would turn 72, in 2028! I wouldn't be surprised if he wanted to get out of metal by then. But 2022 seems like a pretty arbitrary place to stop. They're aging, as we all are - not fossilising.

[Madman Shepherd]

I think I remember in an interview they even said they have at least 3 more albums in them, signifying that they have indeed thought about calling it a day sometime in the next ten years or so. 

Even then, I doubt they will necessarily have a farewell tour.  They may just scale things back.  Still record albums and do abbreviated tours.  Even then, touring is EXPENSIVE!  This last tour, I think I counted 3 semi trucks and at least two tour buses.  You need to have long tours to turn a profit. 

For their sakes, I hope they throw in the towel by 2022. And have a final farewell show with MP or KM.

Mike Portnoy said that in retrospect, he was glad Kevin Moore turned down the invitation to perform at the Score concert because then it would have been all about him and not the band.  Using Portnoy's reasoning, I doubt they will have a farewell show with MP or KM. 

[rumborak]

I think any statement by MP regarding KM has to be taken with this.

[?]

I think two or three more albums is a realistic expectation. I can't see DT carrying on after Jordan turns 65, unless he gets replaced with a younger keyboardist.

[Madman Shepherd]

I think any statement by MP regarding KM has to be taken with this.

A salt lick? 

[Madman Shepherd]

I think two or three more albums is a realistic expectation. I can't see DT carrying on after Jordan turns 65, unless he gets replaced with a younger keyboardist.

I just saw Philip Glass in concert and he is 77.  Granted, his touring schedule is not nearly as brutal as Dream Theater's BUT I think DT would choose a reduced schedule over replacing Jordan. 

[rumborak]

I can totally see Jordan wanting to branch out more in his late career. Maybe play some classical concerts, have weirdo über-prog projects etc.

[Another_Won]

I think any statement by MP regarding KM has to be taken with this.

A salt lick?

  . . . with a [huge] grain of salt.  The picture does it more justice than just saying it.

[Madman Shepherd]

I think any statement by MP regarding KM has to be taken with this.

A salt lick?

  . . . with a [huge] grain of salt.  The picture does it more justice than just saying it.

But....thats not one big grain of salt, that is several thousand grains of salt lumped together. 

#literalwednesday #imjustbeinganasshole #hashtag

[haceeb]

https://www.blabbermouth.net/news/mike-portnoy-weighs-in-on-queensryche-settlement-calls-it-the-right-outcome/

What about the fans MP that followed you and DT throughout this suite? Did you think of htem before making such a statement? However... your thoughts?

Yes, what about us? I think he only cares about his ego.
Q: Why you aren't down to earth? MP: Eff off.

[Grizz]

I think any statement by MP regarding KM has to be taken with this.

A salt lick?

  . . . with a [huge] grain of salt.  The picture does it more justice than just saying it.

But....thats not one big grain of salt, that is several thousand grains of salt lumped together. 

#literalwednesday #imjustbeinganasshole #hashtag

Isn't every grain of salt several thousand grains of salt lumped together?

[Madman Shepherd]

I think any statement by MP regarding KM has to be taken with this.

A salt lick?

  . . . with a [huge] grain of salt.  The picture does it more justice than just saying it.

But....thats not one big grain of salt, that is several thousand grains of salt lumped together. 

#literalwednesday #imjustbeinganasshole #hashtag

Isn't every grain of salt several thousand grains of salt lumped together?

I got a C- in high school chemistry...and that was a very lenient teacher so I am not the man to ask. 

[Rodni Demental]

Sorry for large post, I would have trimmed the quotes but just wanted to retain context.

But I mostly wanted to say; I think some of you guys are understating the relevance of the drum patterns in the composition. It's something Nearl Peart said that left an impression on me, and it's something I am inclined to agree with, I wouldn't quote me directly, but it was along the lines of: [i]Drums are usually the subject of rock music, they don't have to be, but more often than not, the drums are the key ingredient and basis for the progression and movement of the song. Also, we practically universally use the subject of the kick and the snare to define and separate aspects of the music, and the cymbalwork is the glue that holds the focal points of that rhythm together. Lyrics are another rhythmic aspect of the music, because the structure and annunciation of the word is what determines which beats are emphasised by the phrasing of the lyrics. This shows that lyrics play an integral role in the rhythm and structure of a song, equally as much as they determine the lead melody (which is what we normally assume as the primary role of vocals). [/i]

it all boiled down to that the drums are only like the basic structures of songs. drums, rhythms or simply beats are the subject of music in general and not just rock in particular. the time signatures holds the music and keeps it in place. w/o the vital ingredients a series of time signature bars or drum sections are just hollow structures with no functions.  guitars, keyboards or even bass, can create main melodies, but drums serves to hold them in place. Mangini was clever enough to apply the complex patterns towards Petrucci and Rudess' melodies. as i recall Petrucci has said for the current album the members picked each song they feel close to for writing the lyrics which means the vocal melodies were already composed be4 lyrics were written, i dunno if thats correct to assume for all of their previous albums. James wrote quite a few lyrics for the songs but does that mean he wrote the vocal or main melodies of the songs?

I think the subject was said as Rock music because I guess that's the type of music Rush generalise themselves with. But I think the 'subject' of music doesn't HAVE to be drums. It's just a very familiar, and ideal rhythmic device to hold other notes, progressions and melodies together. Surely there are other types of expressions that can 'hold' music together so to speak although I struggle to think of anything other than electronic/digital sounds, ie. synthetic drums. Our perception is too limited But also, I wouldn't automatically assume that vocal melodies were pre-written, I figured it was a primary role for a lyricist to develop the melody. Besides, it's pretty limiting to impose words on a predetermined melody. There might be a generalised motif that is implied by the other instruments but I think composing credit is due to a vocalist who writes lyrics and determines vocal melodies, even if they're altering predetermined lines and stretching or contracting a melody to fit their words.

It seems that as a drummer and a lyricist he's established a very profound understanding of the relationship between these functions in music composition and he could describe this idea far more elegantly than my attempt. But part of my point is, a bunch of you guys seem to be discounting drums from the composition to a certain extent. I mean a drummer doesn't (traditionally) write chord progressions or melodies based on scales, but they do determine the mood and lay a basis for other subjects within the music to fit. Also, a drummer is normally more aware of the arrangement of a piece than anyone else because their sections are based on differing phrases of bars for each section or movement. Melodic instruments and singers have phrasing too, but to different effect, and normally with the drumming as a basis or foundation. And some of the motifs and progressions made by JR/JP wouldn't have been generated without the drumbeat that gave them the foundation for some of those ideas. I'm obviously assuming that they write as a group and so the would have bounced ideas off of each other like this. Of course not to say that any one individual member couldn't have come up with an idea on their own and tried to integrate it into the compositions, but I'm betting that most of the time the ideas are spontaneous, and naturally form and grow from each others ideas.

i dont get the impression that anybody here is attempting or implying to discount Portnoy's input as a drummer and lyricist. each member excluding Myung has had their own side projects and even James composed the music on his solo albums. in all the projects Portnoy's involved, from Transatlantic, Flying Colors to the current Winery Dogs, the music were composed as a group similar to Dream Theater style. there isn't any evidence of him writing an entire piece all by himself or has done solo albums like Petrucci and Rudess. drumming as the foundation only provides the basic layout. and no doubt Portnoy developed and arranged it into complex patterns. but ADToE was still written w/o drum parts and was later programmed by Petrucci and then added inputs from Mangini.

I don't think anyone was implying to discount drums or lyrics completely, but it was clear that they weren't necessarily being recognised or appreciated as the critical devices that they are, especially in a discussion about relevance of roles in composition. Because there are different methods, there are potentially imaginably unlimited possibilities to how a composition can turn out. If you reverse the roles, you can imply drum patterns by composing the other instruments first which is what happened with ADTOE. But we know this was a unique method and a first for DT at the time, and even then I still think Mike Mangini should be given more credit for his interpretations because I'm sure his patterns were more interesting and probably more creative, and certainly more real than some pre-sequenced, segmented semi-complex bee boo bops.

---

One last thing.. I can't find who said it but someone mentioned something about making assumptions based on what we would personally do, and then imposing our perception and ideas onto our own versions of JP/JR/MP etc. Well regarding Jordan; he doesn't have an age limit to when he'll stop playing keyboard... (Perhaps a part from his deathday which not even he could possibly know). Which probably means he doesn't have a limit to when he'll be done with DT. I think we've only just recently passed the halfway point and that they'll have a decent collection of about 20+ albums before it's over. At least, that's the best outcome that I'd prefer to buy into. 

[Madman Shepherd]

New interview with MP where he talks about his baby.  In this case, the 12SS, although DT is also his baby, as is almost anything hes done.

Also, people badmouth him as much as people badmouth Axl Rose and Geoff Tate (often by quoting him verbatim).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0c3rhzLHoZQ&feature=player_embedded

[Madman Shepherd]

In response to the question:  Is there still hope for a new LTE studio album to happen in the future?

I never say never (and in fact would do another LTE session tomorrow if the others were into it)

I'm pretty sure there's two other members that probably feel the same as me...sadly, I get the feeling the fourth member is not nearly as sentimental as the three of us and doesn't seem to have any interest in ever looking back...shame really...

I'd LOVE to be proven wrong...life's way too short for grudges...
Carpe Diem!

I hope nobody twists his words around....

[KevShmev]

New interview with MP where he talks about his baby.  In this case, the 12SS, although DT is also his baby, as is almost anything hes done.

Also, people badmouth him as much as people badmouth Axl Rose and Geoff Tate (often by quoting him verbatim).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0c3rhzLHoZQ&feature=player_embedded

Timestamp? (for those of us who don't want to listen to the entire 19-minute interview)

[Madman Shepherd]

A little after the 12:00 mark

[PetFish]

Why the freaking hell would MP even say something like that?  What's the damn point?  Just say "I'd love to do more LTE stuff, we'll see what happens" or something.

JFC, man, seriously.

[Setlist Scotty]

A little after the 12:00 mark

Talking about the 12SS actually starts at about the 17:00 mark.

[KevShmev]

A little after the 12:00 mark

Talking about the 12SS actually starts at about the 17:00 mark.

Cool, thanks.  Interesting that he (and probably DT) isn't allowed to talk about the legal terms of their breakup.  Granted, I suspect that is standard, but it must kill him to have to keep quiet since he prides himself of telling like it is (from his point of view).

[Madman Shepherd]

A little after the 12:00 mark

Talking about the 12SS actually starts at about the 17:00 mark.

Cool, thanks.  Interesting that he (and probably DT) isn't allowed to talk about the legal terms of their breakup.  Granted, I suspect that is standard, but it must kill him to have to keep quiet since he prides himself of telling like it is (from his point of view).

Yeah it is kind of standard to have to keep it quiet which is kind of funny how Queensryche got to give a lot of the details.  I wouldnt doubt if Portnoy's was somewhat similar as far as DT having to pay out his share to him.  Unlike Queensryche, it looks like MP has to immediately stop using the DT logo or the name to advertise himself.  He also had to stop selling DT related DVDs by the 1st of the year, hence the clearance sale he had, though it worked out great for me.  I ended up picking up every drum cam he had that had a commentary with it.  I'm not really interested in his drumming necessarily but love the behind the scenes info he gave. 

[Zook]

Is he talking about Tony Levin? I thought he was on good terms with JP and JR. Did he have a fallout with Levin?

[ReaPsTA]

I hope nobody twists his words around....

What's so hard about this?:

"Even though it would be weird, JP and JR would be really into it I think.  TL though is busy with his own stuff at the moment.  For me, JP, and JR, LTE is a really important and special part of our lives.  While TL certainly enjoyed the project and came back for a reunion in 2008, he doesn't feel nearly as emotionally attached to it.  He's doing a King Crimson reunion tour right now and god knows what else.  LTE isn't something he's super interested in right now."

Can I be hired to be MP's PR director?