Just wanted to give thanks to multi-instrumentalist Marco for all the fine music he creates. Not only is he a fantastic drummer, his writing skills (as heard on his solo albums) are more progressive than most of the bands listed on PA. He is also a hell of a guitar/bass player. In addition to all the session work he does and playing/touring with his band The Aristocrats, he still puts out on average one solo disc each year. Amazing talent.

I'm so glad he didn't get (or take) the DT drum position. He has given the universe so much incredible music. Rock on Marco.

he really deserves the praise, great musician!

So, if I may extrapolate a little on your comments ... DT decided to take a bean counter for a drummer, instead of an intelligent and versatile drummer with a record already?

Let me rephrase that ... DT was looking for another graduate of the bad school of music that can only teach 4/4 and conventional rock drumming ... so they would finally get a drummer that shut up and played instead of thinking he was a song writer and producer! Sadly, the new guy's playing is really sad and has not elevated DT's music at all ... it's made it even more boring compared to previous stuff.

I tend to agree with you Pedro......Simply comparing Portnoy to Mangini, I don't think there is a comparison regarding DT music/band. Two different players, Portnoy more musical with fills that at least made sense, the other severely too mechanical and clinical and just too fast. Portnoy can play a very good 4 on the floor with hi-hat skills and Portnoy is so much better at cymbal playing.

There is a place for Mangini, just not with DT......but I also think their problem is not just him, Petrucci and Rudess have become so freaking boring, playing and writing.

History will say they should have listened to Portnoy and taken a hiatus, because today they desperately need one before its all over. Although overall IDC as they have enough previous material that is excellent and keeps me listening to that DT era.

I agree. I never had issues with BC&SL, sure the lyrics are cheesy but what band has not done this? Last album I bought was DT12. Really have not listened much to the new one but I'll check out Fall Into the Light. 

whoever he is I really hope he doesn't read these comments 

I had a conversation about this with Mike Howlett ... and he says ... it doesn't really matter what I do ... some will like it, and some will not like it ... and I, personally, don't care ... it's enough to know that I love what I do and how we work together and many times it's not about which note I do or don't do, because they all make suggestions ... like one of them always wants me to funk it up some more!

He did say, (paraphrased) I have a career in music and am now teaching it and sometimes I even do music lessons to some students. I really have nothing to look back at ... and think .... that was not very good, and I could have done better! (Here is the important part!!!!) And the only hope I have is that I can always play it well and right, and always sound valuable and important to the moment ... one note won't make the difference ... but my attitude towards it is the most valuable part of it all ... I love the music and what I am doing! There is nothing anyone can say that will interfere with what's inside me!

So, do we need to discuss who is the musician and who is the note/beat counter?

M1k3 M@ng1n1 

 

The Eclectic Team just okayed him for inclusion in the Archives.  Should be seeing him pop up in the database soon.

I think that DT's issues are that the guitarist is over rated to the point of being ridiculous, and he probably thinks that everyone else in the band is secondary ... and this is what you see on the stage with them ... nothing else ... John is a very good and steady bass player, but you would not know it on stage, and Jordan ... I'm not sure that he is as good as he thinks ... his fills are not great, and obviously does not believe in keeping a nice underground on each piece, or he has been told it is not necessary, making his bits and pieces a bit "lonely" with no connection to anything, except it looking like a small solo out of the blue that you probably could use in a hundred other songs! My thoughts are that he can not do what he really would like to do because the band belongs to the guitar!

Lastly ... I have no issues with the singer, but the lyrics are somewhat alienated from the music, and this would be a problem with his process and delivery ... and the way they create the work ... very little in the MUSIC supports the lyrics more often than not, and from my theater/film experience, this has to do with the way that the band associates "lyrics" with their music ... it's almost like they are better off not having lyrics at times. But, this process also has some nice pieces ... so something is in there ... just not used enough!

I'm not sure that Marco, or any other drummer, can help DT ... the music itself is what may need a bit of laundry soap to help clean out some old things, but I am not sure that they can do this ... with a guitarist enamored with the number of strings, and then number of notes being more important than the music itself ... it's just an odd feeling. Seen them twice (with Mike!) and enjoyed them, but the 2nd time it was obviously becoming "mechanical" and it showed why the drummer wanted a break ... and it would have done them good ... I would love to see John do some different things ... like go play with the free form'ers in Berlin for a year ... and then with other folks ... he would likely hold his own well, but I'm not sure that anyone else would/could.

Opinions from what one sees, has nothing to do with respect for the artist's choices. I respect the choices, however, I think that from a REHEARSING PERSPECTIVE found in theater and film, there is a certain kind of "invisible" togetherness that tends to define the work at hand ... and DT is unusual in that one piece it shows, and the next piece it doesn't, and it's hard to tell if it is the music definition and its parts, or the lyrics that do not quite fit. That's my seeing ... but this one is harder for most "readers" of the post, that are not aware of the details and fine eye required for a DIRECTOR to see things properly and a production to show its beauty, without confusing the audience ... sometimes I think that this is the part that folks do not like about a lot of things I write ... I see a rather lackluster lack of continuity now and again ... and it kinda makes you wonder if that is where the part where something else was added/subtracted, that changed the continuity of what was there before ... however, sometimes this works, and sometimes it doesn't ... a joke in between George and Martha will get you two black eyes, so to speak, specially if you get Liz and Rich!  This is ... what is hard for you folks to see, and the only constant is that each music piece has this or that and, of course ... a solo or two! 

The design itself could be the issue, not the parts in it. The sequencing does not sound like it is in tune ... and this is the objective part of what I say ... 

I like DT, and have 6 of their CD's, including one "after" with the new drummer ... it has lost a lot of "personality, and obviously with a new player it would try to create a new personality ... and for me, it didn't ... it tried hard to depend on the other 4 musicians to carry the band, and I think it suffered for it ... I have not bought the later stuff (on SS you have to be more selective), but what I heard (tube -- in its entirety) did not really impress me, like they had before ... c'mon, even if they were on stage with tux's ... or not ... it didn't matter ... the music was not "alive" like it had been before, and yeah, you are right, this could be the new DT that I don't see, but what folks are suggesting here, is the same I am ... it has faded and its star has long lost its brightness.

I like about 5 or 6 of their albums as well but for me they are well all over the shop in terms of direction. Really love Six Degrees to the point where I struggle to take anything else they did too seriously! I do like Octavarium but it obviously was a very safe effort to stay ingratiated with the prog community. I think their fans loved Train of Thought but I just didn't get that at all. Systematic Chaos was just plain horrible to me and I really had to give up at that point although I have come back a bit with The Astonishing which weirdly I quite like. I know it's cheesy but I like cheese.