A dramatic turn of events

Snow Dog wrote: darkshade wrote: The best, most consistent album they've had in a while, and best overall album since Scenes From A Memory or Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence. I wish that were true. Or at least I wish I could agree with you. To me it is their least appealing since Octavarium

I actually like Octavarium as well. It's a little inconsistent, but the weaker songs work in the context of the album. It's their last 2 albums that are slightly hit or miss; more hit though, especially on the last album.

You only listened to ADTOE once? You should listen a couple more times.

DisgruntledPorcupine wrote: Meh. Octavarium has the title track (which is one of my favourite songs ever), Sacrificed Sons, and The Root of All Evil for great songs. But then you got just a bunch of average-bad songs. I find I Walk Beside You, Panic Attack, and Never Enough to be amongst their worst songs. Just my opinion though.

I agree with you, though I don't consider Panic Attack or Never Enough some of their worst, they're just not as good as other songs. I think These Walls is one of the better ones too, seeing that you missed that one. I just like the transitions between the tracks, which is not something you usually get on a DT album.

I must admit I haven't even listened to the thing yet. Really must get round to doing so.

JS19 wrote: darkshade wrote: ^ In terms of raw technical ability; there are jazz, flamenco, and classical musicians that would make most prog musicians pee their pants In my opinion, DT are one of the exceptions. Petrucci, Myung, Portnoy, Sherinian, Rudess and Mangini are all some of the most skilled musicians around today. Love DT, but this just isn't true. Some of the most skilled ROCK musicians ok sure, but not even close to your Classical.

Well it's not mine. It's everyone's.

I was just talking about raw ability. Sure, plenty of jazz and classical musicians can do things that the DT guys cannot do. But the difference in ability between jazz / classical musicians and most prog musicians is pretty big.

And Ive heard Rudess, Pretrucci and Myung pull off jazz and classical stuff in the past, so it is not too beyond their reach.


Edited by darkshade - November 08 2011 at 14:05

JS19 wrote: darkshade wrote: ^ In terms of raw technical ability; there are jazz, flamenco, and classical musicians that would make most prog musicians pee their pants In my opinion, DT are one of the exceptions. Petrucci, Myung, Portnoy, Sherinian, Rudess and Mangini are all some of the most skilled musicians around today. Love DT, but this just isn't true. Some of the most skilled ROCK musicians ok sure, but not even close to your Classical.

I disagree fully here. I think a lot of "classical" musicians get undue props in technical prowess just because they play "Classical" music. Sure, there are some people that can shred a classical guitar up; anyone who can play Barrios' La Catedral: Allegro Solemne, for example, but Petrucci can easily hang with and even surpass the vast majority of them with his own technical ability.

Classical musicians usually have a more disciplined technique than "rock" guitarists, but as someone who played classical guitar before ever getting into prog, I have to support Mr. Petrucci here.

darkshade wrote: ^ In terms of raw technical ability; there are jazz, flamenco, and classical musicians that would make most prog musicians pee their pants In my opinion, DT are one of the exceptions. Petrucci, Myung, Portnoy, Sherinian, Rudess and Mangini are all some of the most skilled musicians around today.

ExittheLemming wrote: ^ When you walk down the street, does a blistering legato Petrucci solo pop into your head note for note or like the rest of us, do you find yourself whistling a much simpler but naggingly resilient melody? I'm not undermining your passionate regard for the technical abilities of DT but does music have to be hard to play or remember before you can allow yourself to enjoy it?

darkshade wrote: ^ In terms of raw technical ability; there are jazz, flamenco, and classical musicians that would make most prog musicians pee their pants In my opinion, DT are one of the exceptions. Petrucci, Myung, Portnoy, Sherinian, Rudess and Mangini are all some of the most skilled musicians around today.

Petrucci is no Bireli Lagrene.......

I think sometimes we confuse the technique with musicality, the technique for a musician is like reading for a writer, their knowledge of technique and the instrument will help to express yourself with your music, and with technique find your musicalit. the skill is not only for skill the music, the skill is for get more ways and colours hue in your musical expression.

Well, back to the topic, there's a couple of things I like to point out:

1- breathing space. It's evident that Rudess had more input and stop been a hired gun to play fancy solos. Now he is back to back with Petrucci in composition matters and even Myung is more audible.

2- Labrie's home. It is nice to hear an entire album wrote on his key tone and he sounds really great, especially in the ballads. I think it was good for them to have that space away from Portnoy, though I wonder how would be the input of Mangini if he was aloud to compose with them. Guess we'll have to wait Still...