Author Topic: Mike Portnoy  (Read 193579 times)

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Offline ?

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Re: Mike Portnoy
« Reply #455 on: August 20, 2014, 01:14:05 PM »
Woah, I had no idea there was video of recording sessions!
Yes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FOcSDXwRgo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBjX7XxDcWI

There might be more, but those are the only ones I remember.

Offline rumborak

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Re: Mike Portnoy
« Reply #456 on: August 20, 2014, 01:18:11 PM »
I think one major fundamental difference between Wilson and Portnoy is:
Portnoy looks at working with other musicians as crossing them off his bucket list of who he wants to play with.  Kind of like, "I want to work with this guy or that guy because I haven't yet, and whatever music comes out of it, cool." 

Yeah, definitely. Mike seems to have settled into a specific modus operandi at this point when writing music, one aspect being what you mention. The other one being, at least it seems that way, that he time-limits the writing sessions. The impression I have gotten over the last few years is that most of the projects he was involved in, wrote their albums in a matter of days.
That's probably directly opposed to how SW goes about it. He strikes me as the "it takes as long as it takes" kind of guy.
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Offline rumborak

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Re: Mike Portnoy
« Reply #457 on: August 20, 2014, 01:25:39 PM »
Woah, I had no idea there was video of recording sessions!
Yes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FOcSDXwRgo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBjX7XxDcWI

There might be more, but those are the only ones I remember.

I was actually looking for footage of Kev. Was he not there when on the days MP played the drums?
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Offline ?

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Re: Mike Portnoy
« Reply #458 on: August 20, 2014, 01:49:32 PM »
^He appears in the second clip, although not during the drum recordings. However, according to MP's studio diary Kevin was there and gave him direction on some songs: https://themooreatorium.proboards.com/thread/89

Offline rumborak

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Re: Mike Portnoy
« Reply #459 on: August 20, 2014, 01:54:27 PM »
Woooow, I had no idea OSI was supposed to have Gildenlöw on it, and MP was pushing hard for him. So happy that didn't happen. Kudos to Matheos for not just letting OSI drift into the usual prog metal corner.
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Offline Madman Shepherd

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Re: Mike Portnoy
« Reply #460 on: August 20, 2014, 03:44:15 PM »
Those videos came as a CD-Rom extra on the double disc of the first album in case anyone is interested in owning a copy.  The packaging is badass too.  Looks like a passport. 

Offline ytserush

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Re: Mike Portnoy
« Reply #461 on: August 31, 2014, 12:23:39 PM »
This is the problem with Mike right now.  He's a gun for hire instead of finding a new home.  He's a fill in and has rotating projects all the time.  I think it was the main reason he was burned out from DT, too many damn projects.  Mike is a guy that doesn't want down time in his life at all.  Sometimes you need to pull back a little but he pulled back from the one thing that should have mattered the most instead of all the other things in his life.

I don't know about that.  He's always tried to incorporate different styles to varying degrees, but that fire mostly burned out after Score.

Maybe what he needs is a Zappa-type  band where you can be free just throw everything into it but I don't know if that kind of band can succeed to the commercial degree it needs to be sustainable in this musical climate.

It's funny, when I first got into Dream Theater, I thought they could be that band, but I was wrong.


If you represented songs from every project he was in and packaged it, that would be one hell of album.  At least it would be for me.

Offline ytserush

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Re: Mike Portnoy
« Reply #462 on: August 31, 2014, 12:28:17 PM »

 The Winery Dogs are sort of like King's X for me: solid hard rock that I never have any urge to listen to.

Clearly you've not heard much in the way of King's X. Maybe it's just me, but I would never characterize King's X as "solid hard rock."

Offline KevShmev

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Re: Mike Portnoy
« Reply #463 on: August 31, 2014, 12:35:15 PM »
 :facepalm:

That was a general term I used off the top of my head.  I have four or five of their albums and have seen them live, so I am well aware of what their sound is. 

You missed my point anyway, which is that both bands have music I acknowledge as being enjoyable, but I simply have no urge to ever listen to either. 

Offline ytserush

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Re: Mike Portnoy
« Reply #464 on: August 31, 2014, 12:37:36 PM »
And TWD is the kind of band I would probably enjoy live if I accidentally saw them at a bar or something.

Not that there's anything wrong with that, but I am expecting waaaaaayyyy more from someone I've followed with awe for the last 20+ years.

Well, to some degree it shows how much fame is dependent on right place, right time, right combination of people.

Right, but DTis my favorite band for obviously a whole host of reasons, but number 1 was always watching MP perform, and enjoying the ride that his vision brought to the band.

I think you'd probably enjoy the Winery Dogs live.  The studio album is okay, but seeing them live just puts it on another level.

 A-Mob was a much less endowed version of that relationship, but I think the comparison is valid.

Offline ytserush

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Re: Mike Portnoy
« Reply #465 on: August 31, 2014, 12:51:44 PM »
:facepalm:

That was a general term I used off the top of my head.  I have four or five of their albums and have seen them live, so I am well aware of what their sound is. 

You missed my point anyway, which is that both bands have music I acknowledge as being enjoyable, but I simply have no urge to ever listen to either.

Fair enough.

Offline rumborak

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Re: Mike Portnoy
« Reply #466 on: August 31, 2014, 01:04:00 PM »
I always said that The Winery Dogs are a band I would enjoy seeing live if I randomly walked into a bar where they would be playing. It's just not music I would go out of my way for buying or listen to.
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Re: Mike Portnoy
« Reply #467 on: August 31, 2014, 01:34:39 PM »
This is the problem with Mike right now.  He's a gun for hire instead of finding a new home.  He's a fill in and has rotating projects all the time.  I think it was the main reason he was burned out from DT, too many damn projects.  Mike is a guy that doesn't want down time in his life at all.  Sometimes you need to pull back a little but he pulled back from the one thing that should have mattered the most instead of all the other things in his life.

I don't know about that.  He's always tried to incorporate different styles to varying degrees, but that fire mostly burned out after Score.

Maybe what he needs is a Zappa-type  band where you can be free just throw everything into it but I don't know if that kind of band can succeed to the commercial degree it needs to be sustainable in this musical climate.

It's funny, when I first got into Dream Theater, I thought they could be that band, but I was wrong.


If you represented songs from every project he was in and packaged it, that would be one hell of album.  At least it would be for me.

Well, listen, I thing his focus was lost on DT because he could play different styles of music on other projects.  But that is pigeonholing DT.  I think he talked himself into DT needing a break for artist reasons and not cutting back on side projects and focusing that desire more in DT.  Sure we got more Roo Roo's but really how much of that style did he play after he left DT?
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Re: Mike Portnoy
« Reply #468 on: September 01, 2014, 01:37:05 PM »
I always said that The Winery Dogs are a band I would enjoy seeing live if I randomly walked into a bar where they would be playing. It's just not music I would go out of my way for buying or listen to.
Yeah I could agree with that. Same for Flying Colors, TA, and everything else MP is involved with.
would have thought the same thing but seeing the OP was TAC i immediately thought Maiden or DT related
Winger Theater Forums........or WTF.  ;D
TAC got a higher score than me in the electronic round? Honestly, can I just drop out now? :lol

Offline PROGdrummer

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Re: Mike Portnoy
« Reply #469 on: September 01, 2014, 01:52:56 PM »
Maybe what he needs is a Zappa-type  band where you can be free just throw everything into it but I don't know if that kind of band can succeed to the commercial degree it needs to be sustainable in this musical climate.

It's funny, when I first got into Dream Theater, I thought they could be that band, but I was wrong.


If you represented songs from every project he was in and packaged it, that would be one hell of album.  At least it would be for me.

He ought to start a side project with Devin Townsend then.
« Last Edit: September 01, 2014, 06:03:21 PM by PROGdrummer »

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Re: Mike Portnoy
« Reply #470 on: September 01, 2014, 01:53:50 PM »
Misquoted.
would have thought the same thing but seeing the OP was TAC i immediately thought Maiden or DT related
Winger Theater Forums........or WTF.  ;D
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Re: Mike Portnoy
« Reply #471 on: September 01, 2014, 06:02:23 PM »
How did that even happen?

Offline TheAtliator

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Re: Mike Portnoy
« Reply #472 on: September 01, 2014, 06:10:54 PM »
MIKE PORTNOY GREATEST HITS (2014)

CD1-
1. Another Won
2. Pull Me Under
3. Paradigm Shift
4. Acid Rain
5. My New World
6. I am the Walrus (Beatles Cover)
7. Honor Thy Father
8. Panic Attack
9. Octavarium

CD2-
1. 2112 (Rush Cover)
2. Evermore
3. Set Us Free
4. The Shattered Fortress
5. Psychosane
6. Indifferent
7. Fool in my Heart
8. Elevate
9. Mask Machine
10. Cosmic Symphony

Coming November 2014...

Offline PROGdrummer

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Re: Mike Portnoy
« Reply #473 on: September 01, 2014, 06:22:45 PM »
MIKE PORTNOY GREATEST HITS (2014)

CD1-
1. Another Won
2. Pull Me Under
3. Paradigm Shift
4. Acid Rain
5. My New World
6. I am the Walrus (Beatles Cover)
7. Honor Thy Father
8. Panic Attack
9. Octavarium

CD2-
1. 2112 (Rush Cover)
2. Evermore
3. Set Us Free
4. The Shattered Fortress
5. Psychosane
6. Indifferent
7. Fool in my Heart
8. Elevate
9. Mask Machine
10. Cosmic Symphony

Coming November 2014...

The lack of ACOS/Neal Morse material bothers me.

Offline Mosh

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Re: Mike Portnoy
« Reply #474 on: September 01, 2014, 06:44:23 PM »
Any MP-related comp should have ACOS.
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Offline TheAtliator

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Re: Mike Portnoy
« Reply #475 on: September 01, 2014, 06:51:18 PM »
True, plus the first CD is also 90 minutes long  :lol

To be honest, I'm really not too familiar with Neal Morse stuff. So how's this-

MIKE PORTNOY GREATEST HITS (2014)

CD1-
1. Another Won
2. Pull Me Under
3. A Change of Seasons
3. Paradigm Shift
4. Acid Rain
5. My New World

CD2-
1. Something epic from Testimony? Like one of the 5 parts?
2. Honor Thy Father
3. Panic Attack
4. Octavarium
5. I am the Walrus (Beatles Cover)

CD3-
1. 2112 (Rush Cover)
2. Evermore
3. Set Us Free
4. The Shattered Fortress
5. Psychosane
6. Indifferent
7. Fool in my Heart
8. Elevate
9. Mask Machine
10. Cosmic Symphony

Coming November 2014...

Offline rumborak

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Re: Mike Portnoy
« Reply #476 on: September 01, 2014, 06:51:46 PM »
And no Psychosane.
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Offline TheAtliator

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Re: Mike Portnoy
« Reply #477 on: September 01, 2014, 07:00:19 PM »
Yea I hate AMOB but it just kinda has to be there for the lulz..

(I've never used that word before, did I do it right?  :lol)

Offline Zook

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Re: Mike Portnoy
« Reply #478 on: September 01, 2014, 07:00:43 PM »
You're not going to include Portnoy's greatest musical achievement?


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Offline PROGdrummer

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Re: Mike Portnoy
« Reply #479 on: September 01, 2014, 07:01:50 PM »
I'd replace Honor Thy Father with Constant Motion, personally.
And also, yeah no Psychosane  :lol
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Offline TheAtliator

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Re: Mike Portnoy
« Reply #480 on: September 01, 2014, 07:07:34 PM »
I could take either Constant Motion or Honor Thy Father. Love both.

Offline RodrigoAltaf

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Re: Mike Portnoy
« Reply #481 on: September 01, 2014, 07:22:06 PM »
If I was to choose a good AMob song which displays MP´s skills quite well, I´d choose Believe Me.

Offline Kotowboy

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Re: Mike Portnoy
« Reply #482 on: September 02, 2014, 01:29:05 AM »
Yea I hate AMOB but it just kinda has to be there for the lulz..

(I've never used that word before, did I do it right?  :lol)

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Offline splent

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Re: Mike Portnoy
« Reply #483 on: September 02, 2014, 12:38:33 PM »
OK, so is it bad that when I clicked on this I was hoping for a "....Jewish?" in the post? 

Yeah I know old nostaligic inside joke...

Plus I wanted an excuse to put "Progger... can't spell?  :omg:" again
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Offline The Letter M

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Re: Mike Portnoy
« Reply #484 on: September 03, 2014, 12:09:52 PM »
IMO, any MP Greatest Hits has to include at least ONE song from each of the following Non-DT acts:
Liquid Tension Experiment
OSI (first two albums)
Transatlantic
Neal Morse and/or Morse/Portnoy/George
Adrenaline Mob
Flying Colors
The Winery Dogs

The live covers band stuff isn't totally necessary, but if you wanted to do a disc of live covers and throw in some studio covers he's done with DT, TA, Neal Morse or MPG, then that would be fine. And if you pick from Cygnus & The Sea Monsters, why not got for "YYZ" with the drum solo? Perfect showcase for Mike! I mean, it's a compilation all about him, right? :tup

Also, any DT songs should likely be songs he wrote lyrics for, or at very least, has a large part in it drumming-wise, or vocally. Probably anything between FII and 8VM would be great.

In the end, I'd say if it was a 3-disc set (because his discography is so huge), the first disc would have to cover DT/LTE/OSI/AMob, the heavier stuff that he's been known for; the second disc would cover Neal's stuff, TA, Flying Colors, TWD, the more melodic/proggier stuff; and the third disc could be a covers disc, pulling various studio and live covers that he's done, just to show that Mike is a huge fan of music, and a great way to show off his influences and inspirations. Also, you can't forget the MagnaCarta covers albums he participated in, especially Working Man, which if I had to include ONE song from there, it would either have to be "La Villa Strangiato" or "Jacob's Ladder", easily my favorite performances of his on that album.

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Offline Sycsa

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Re: Mike Portnoy
« Reply #485 on: September 04, 2014, 09:24:17 PM »
Mike jumping on stage while his son's band plays Peruvian Skies. Funny he did the "GOOOOOOO!" like usual: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vbvrEi6Fxo


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Offline Kotowboy

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Re: Mike Portnoy
« Reply #486 on: September 05, 2014, 03:46:40 AM »
 ::)

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Re: Mike Portnoy
« Reply #487 on: September 06, 2014, 09:20:49 AM »
Ok ok ok I'll admit it... that was kinda cool.
I just don't understand what they were trying to achieve with any part of the song, either individually or as a whole. You know what? It's the Platypus of Dream Theater songs. That bill doesn't go with that tail, or that strange little furry body, or those webbed feet, and oh god why does it have venomous spurs!? And then you find out it lays eggs too. The difference is that the Platypus is somehow functional despite being a crazy mishmash or leftover animal pieces

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Offline Kotowboy

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Re: Mike Portnoy
« Reply #488 on: September 06, 2014, 10:40:44 AM »
Not my initial reaction. :-#

Offline Mosh

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Re: Mike Portnoy
« Reply #489 on: September 06, 2014, 11:30:51 AM »
Ok ok ok I'll admit it... that was kinda cool.
This. That was fun to watch.

Also, their rendition of Peruvian Skies wasn't bad at all.
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