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StyLaZyn 
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 Topic: LaBrie's DT Days Numbered?
Posted: June 03 2009 at 06:56 |
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I had read that some of the band members weren't happy with James LaBrie's vocals just prior to Octavarium for whatever reason. With the release of the new Dream Theater album, there is an instrumental only CD available. I think it is kinds of ridiculous since the album is mostly instrumental as it is. Then it had crossed my mind that maybe DT might be looking for a new singer . It sounds a little far fetched, but you never know.
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catfood03
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Posted: June 03 2009 at 07:04 |
They could stage a TV show like INXS did and audition for a new singer, or swap LaBrie for an American Idol contestant. 
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StyLaZyn
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Posted: June 03 2009 at 07:12 |
 catfood03 wrote:
They could stage a TV show like INXS did and audition for a new singer, or swap LaBrie for an American Idol contestant.
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No, they are being subtle about their search. Or is it just a ploy to keep the rumor mill going. That wouldn't surprise me either.
Regardless, few singers could match or exceed LaBrie's offerings. The only one that could possibly fit, that I can think of, is Russell Allen. In fact, I would love to hear him sing some select DT songs.
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M@X
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Posted: June 03 2009 at 08:38 |
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Maybe you are right or maybe not because as you may not know that PORCUPINE TREE released an intrumental version of "Fear of a Blank Planet".
So maybe it's just a new market trend to improve the quality and content of CD-package !
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Prog On !
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Mr ProgFreak
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Posted: June 03 2009 at 08:43 |
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I've read many times (mostly in interviews with Mike Portnoy) that they're very happy with him - I don't think that this will change any time soon.
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StyLaZyn
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Posted: June 03 2009 at 08:47 |
M@X wrote:
Maybe you are right or maybe not because as you may not know that PORCUPINE TREE released an intrumental version of "Fear of a Blank Planet".
So maybe it's just a new market trend to improve the quality and content of CD-package !
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Really? I wasn't aware of that about FoaBP. I don't know that I'd be interested in it though.
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Dalezilla
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Posted: June 03 2009 at 09:01 |
Mr ProgFreak wrote:
I've read many times (mostly in interviews with Mike Portnoy) that they're very happy with him - I don't think that this will change any time soon.
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Years ago I read something about Portnoy saying that if they had the chance to pick a singer now they wouldn't pick LaBrie. This sparked controversy, but Portnoy later addressed that back in the 90s singers like LaBrie were in fashion, so they picked him even though the case might be different today. However, he did also say that they are happy with LaBrie and he is the singer of DT and they will not change him. I remember reading something like this years ago, so it could be wrong. I don't remember seeing an actual interview, I just read it somewhere on the internet, so don't take this as something 100% accurate. 
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Nightfly
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Posted: June 03 2009 at 09:17 |
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It's in the book Lifting Shadows - apparently, I think it was around 8 years ago, they did consider replacing Labrie, partly on the grounds that his voice might be stopping them reaching higher popularity but mainly down to the fact that he wasn't pulling his weight and not contributing anything to the songwriting process. Rather ironic considering Portnoy and Petrucci's hold on the band in that department. also they were not satisfied with the fact that he was making no atempts to develop his skills as a vocalist (singing lessons etc) They decided that as he had been in the band for so long it may be a bad decision to change singers so they gave him an ultimatum to shape up or ship out. As he's still there i think he's unlikely to get the boot now after all this time.
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sleeper
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Posted: June 03 2009 at 09:24 |
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^It fits as around the time of Train of Thought he did start taking classical singing lessons and his voice is better now than it has ever been.
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Spending more than I should on Prog since 2005
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Roland113
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Posted: June 03 2009 at 10:05 |
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To follow up on M@X's comments, Nightwish also did a special edition of their latest album with an instrumental CD included as well.
I'm seconding the theory that it's just a cheap way to add bonus content.
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-------someone please tell him to delete this line, he looks like a noob-------
I don't have an unnatural obsession with Disney Princesses, I have a fourteen year old daughter and coping mechanisms.
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AstralliS
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Posted: June 03 2009 at 10:19 |
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Remember Systematic Chaos bonus DVD? There, Portnoy very explicitly says that James LaBrie is Dream Theater and that what you are presuming is without any principles. How much LaBrie would be bad, it wouldn't be good to have another vocalist. Maybe some guest appearances, but another change in the line-up. LaBrie is also indebted for that what Dream Theater has done as a band. And we have to accept it.
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StyLaZyn
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Posted: June 03 2009 at 10:25 |
AstralliS wrote:
Remember Systematic Chaos bonus DVD? There, Portnoy very explicitly says that James LaBrie is Dream Theater and that what you are presuming is without any principles. How much LaBrie would be bad, it wouldn't be good to have another vocalist. Maybe some guest appearances, but another change in the line-up. LaBrie is also indebted for that what Dream Theater has done as a band. And we have to accept it.
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I don't have the DVD. Why would he say such a thing, especially when everyone knows that the band is run by Portnoy and Petrucci? DT is actually truly MP/JP/JM, the only original members, if it needed to be said. That strikes me as odd he would voice such a thing.
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AstralliS
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Posted: June 03 2009 at 10:34 |
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He said that because LaBrie together with the rest of the original team (MP/JP/JM) "built" Dream Theater, and that fact is undisputably. It was expected that time will come when their musical capabilities will disintegrate in the run, and singer is always first in such flow. Those what really is disquietly now is the disintegration of their creativity what has the best preview on "Systematic Chaos" and "Black Clouds & Silver Linings".
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moshkito
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Posted: June 03 2009 at 12:05 |
Nightfly wrote:
... Rather ironic considering Portnoy and Petrucci's hold on the band in that department. also they were not satisfied with the fact that he was making no atempts to develop his skills as a vocalist (singing lessons etc) ... |
I actually think this is quite likely and possible ... but I don't think that it got to the point where it might hurt the chemistry in the band ...
You gotta remember that there is a lot of history of well educated musicians, which at least 3 DT members are and then some ... and employ/work with someone like James LaBrie's energy and vocal work ... the raw energy often helps develop what can end up sounding rather stoic and boring and repetitious compositions ... which (for example) my roomate thinks 6 Degrees is ... I don't ... I happen to think it is quite fine!
In my book, and you can see this on the live album with the orchestra, this is a band that KNOWS what they are doing ... and it is common for musicians that are that strong and talented to place demands on each other ... and asking LaBrie to learn something more about his voice and vocal abilities would not necessarily be a bad thing ... and I actually think that James might enjoy that ... not that he is going to sing Rigoletto tomorrow for crying out loud! Probably make a good one too!!!!
But it would add a lot to their musical expression and ability if they are not "locked" into one mode of music ... the metallic sound, for example ... and would allow the band to expand into other areas ... and YES ... I would like to see a long piece that is way more than just another sonata format piece of music! And that is important and I'm sure that the band understands this ... it might also be an issue if Myung brings out a song in a staff and James looks at it and he ... doesn't know C from a D on it ... yeah ... that would be a problem eventually when you are dealing with graduate school and above musicians!
The other concern might be that James likes his freedom to randomly vocalize and this may be an issue on a band playing some difficult music to begin with ... this is not begginner stuff and you can not teach this to a beginner musician ... and expect to stay in one piece, and in that sense, I wonder if at times James gets lost and doesn't know where he is ... which of course could easily be remedied with a couple sheets of music and such ... but I would seriously doubt that James can not read music or be stupid enough not to get better with a bunch of guys like these ... that's insane! go do pop music then!
Edited by moshkito - June 03 2009 at 12:12
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Endless Wire
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Posted: June 03 2009 at 12:06 |
The bonus mixes are just for the guitar/bass/drum/key geeks that make of about 95% of the DT audience.
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crimhead
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Posted: June 03 2009 at 12:42 |
Maybe they can get Susan Boyle from "Britain's got Talent". 
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StyLaZyn
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Posted: June 03 2009 at 12:46 |
crimhead wrote:
Maybe they can get Susan Boyle from "Britain's got Talent".
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SergiUriah
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Posted: June 03 2009 at 14:13 |
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IŽd would be a good new. La BrieŽs voice has never convinced me very much. Even when I saw them on stage 2 years ago, the sensation about his nasal voice was negative for me. I expected much more from him.
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Greg W
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Posted: June 03 2009 at 15:05 |
Get rid of LaBrie and you get rid of half the cheese. Get rid of the rest of the band and you get rid of the other half of cheese. Just kidding....maybe........
Seriously, Labrie did a solid job on Human Equation. With DT, he is happy singing in that old hair spray metal style of voice which is extremely annoying. He has proven, he is quite capable of singing in a more modern style, so why does he still sing with that cliched 80's style glam metal voice? YUK!  |
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SFranke
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Posted: June 03 2009 at 16:53 |
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I admittedly hate DT, but I have tried hard to get into the band (I've owned and listened to all but three albums). That said, when I watched the SC documentary, it became apparent that JL sounds like a nasally, insincere, cheesy goof because that's what MP wants him to sound like (so he'll fit in with the rest of the band, naturally).
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LaBrie's DT Days Numbered?
