Whatever happened to...

[Barry1977]

Yes,it is great to see another fan,who actually does appreciate not only the intellectual,but also emotional aspect of this band

Im not as long term fan as you are..I first got into them in 2004,when just out of curiosity,i bought the live scenes from New York..When i heard through her eyes,honestly,i was lost for words.It was like music had been taken to a new level for me
The song is a pretty simple chord progression,but that is what Petrucci is never given credit for..His simplicity,which makes it even more complex
When he lets rip on the outro solo,that is a back of the neck,shiver moment.
I had never heard anyone go from this beautiful chord progression into full on clean,fast picking..His definition,his clarity,and always using the right notes,is something of a lost art in guitar players nowadays

So i got the back catalogue,and soon i was immersed in everything DT.I was just fascinated at how they could even remember how to play all these songs
In fact a while back,i read that the guitarist who transcribes the tablature books was having a hard time with a part in the song Octavarium
So he asked John,and he said,i cant remember exactly,but it goes like this..
He then went on to show him 8 different ways to play it,and this man was just left open mouthed
The irony is,Jordan Rudess has said many times how Petrucci has this perfect memory..He writes it,records it,and can literally go on stage that night if need be,to play the song..That is genius!

I was at a loss before i discovered DT..I had gone through the thrash metal phase,iron maiden,queen,floyd,lizzy,hendrix,deep purple,and i felt i needed something challenging,just like you did..So we aren't pretentious,we just need to be mentally stimulated

I wasn't a fan of everything in the 2000's..Although i will say that six degrees of inner turbulence was a classic for me
When they played it on the score dvd,i was beaming..So many time signatures,emotions,plateaus..With the orchestra it worked so well..Thats why im looking forward to the boston dvd,with the berklee orchestra
Nice touch from the band,seeing as the two Johns were there,and Mike was a teacher too

Systematic Chaos had some outstanding moments..The ministry of lost souls,being my highlight..I can never get enough of that song
Count of Tuscany...What more can i say,that you already haven't?..The brilliant repeating intro,the heaviness,and then calm of the volume swells,very Jeff Beck,and then the acoustic section,followed by another emotional outro solo,is guitar nirvana to me..It is probably my fave DT song..It is storytelling at its best

Portnoy was starting to drag the band down..If you look at any of the recent DVD's it was like he was the star of the show,and poor John Myung,not even shown..That man is such a ninja on the bass..His songwriting is sometimes unfairly overlooked too
Mangini i find has calmed the band down...I honestly thought they should have gone with Marco Minneman,when i saw the dvd of the tryouts,but then i have come to realise,its not just his drumming,its his all round personality
When i saw them,they looked the happiest they have ever been,like they were a new band,having fun,feeding off each others musical talents
He is a great guy Mangini..In his interviews,he seems so nice and he loves his drumming..I feel he brought something they were lacking,which sometimes we all lose...Passion..I am mightily impressed by the new album..I think the outro to the bigger picture is melodic heaven

Unfortunately there are those that have not appreciated this latest offering..Saying they have no soul now,they play the same music over and over
I disagree,in fact,i think they have gone back 20 years,and written some excellent progressive music..
Progressive does not have to be 20 minutes long,as some of these idiots dont get..

I always say,a band writes music for themselves..If you do not like it,well tough..They dont write it for me,or anyone else
I think its also disrespectful,some of the comments i have read..Imagine if you had poured hours into lots of writing that was from the heart,and very personal to you,and then mindless idiots just pull it apart

Same with the Majesty..BP mentioned the negativity surrounding this guitar on facebook..Oh John go back to Ibanez,oh its ugly.John please stay stuck in the past with me,and we can listen to images and words forever..Well they didnt say that,but it just seems the internet has opened up a class of person that belongs in the gutter

If you have ever seen any interviews with JP,he is one of the most humble people..He loves guitar music,and he always takes time to talk to the fans,as they all do..
I like that about him,as well as his guitar playing,his humility..Sadly lacking in far less talented people


I dont know whether you've heard this,but its the only decent live recording of the count of tuscany i've ever found.
If you haven't heard enjoy!
Oh and its finally nice to talk to someone who appreciates real music,with real musicians,who are on another planet

 

[Greg Suarez]

Yes,it is great to see another fan,who actually does appreciate not only the intellectual,but also emotional aspect of this band

Im not as long term fan as you are..I first got into them in 2004,when just out of curiosity,i bought the live scenes from New York..When i heard through her eyes,honestly,i was lost for words.It was like music had been taken to a new level for me
The song is a pretty simple chord progression,but that is what Petrucci is never given credit for..His simplicity,which makes it even more complex
When he lets rip on the outro solo,that is a back of the neck,shiver moment.
I had never heard anyone go from this beautiful chord progression into full on clean,fast picking..His definition,his clarity,and always using the right notes,is something of a lost art in guitar players nowadays

So i got the back catalogue,and soon i was immersed in everything DT.I was just fascinated at how they could even remember how to play all these songs
In fact a while back,i read that the guitarist who transcribes the tablature books was having a hard time with a part in the song Octavarium
So he asked John,and he said,i cant remember exactly,but it goes like this..
He then went on to show him 8 different ways to play it,and this man was just left open mouthed
The irony is,Jordan Rudess has said many times how Petrucci has this perfect memory..He writes it,records it,and can literally go on stage that night if need be,to play the song..That is genius!

I was at a loss before i discovered DT..I had gone through the thrash metal phase,iron maiden,queen,floyd,lizzy,hendrix,deep purple,and i felt i needed something challenging,just like you did..So we aren't pretentious,we just need to be mentally stimulated

I wasn't a fan of everything in the 2000's..Although i will say that six degrees of inner turbulence was a classic for me
When they played it on the score dvd,i was beaming..So many time signatures,emotions,plateaus..With the orchestra it worked so well..Thats why im looking forward to the boston dvd,with the berklee orchestra
Nice touch from the band,seeing as the two Johns were there,and Mike was a teacher too

Systematic Chaos had some outstanding moments..The ministry of lost souls,being my highlight..I can never get enough of that song
Count of Tuscany...What more can i say,that you already haven't?..The brilliant repeating intro,the heaviness,and then calm of the volume swells,very Jeff Beck,and then the acoustic section,followed by another emotional outro solo,is guitar nirvana to me..It is probably my fave DT song..It is storytelling at its best

Portnoy was starting to drag the band down..If you look at any of the recent DVD's it was like he was the star of the show,and poor John Myung,not even shown..That man is such a ninja on the bass..His songwriting is sometimes unfairly overlooked too
Mangini i find has calmed the band down...I honestly thought they should have gone with Marco Minneman,when i saw the dvd of the tryouts,but then i have come to realise,its not just his drumming,its his all round personality
When i saw them,they looked the happiest they have ever been,like they were a new band,having fun,feeding off each others musical talents
He is a great guy Mangini..In his interviews,he seems so nice and he loves his drumming..I feel he brought something they were lacking,which sometimes we all lose...Passion..I am mightily impressed by the new album..I think the outro to the bigger picture is melodic heaven

Unfortunately there are those that have not appreciated this latest offering..Saying they have no soul now,they play the same music over and over
I disagree,in fact,i think they have gone back 20 years,and written some excellent progressive music..
Progressive does not have to be 20 minutes long,as some of these idiots dont get..

I always say,a band writes music for themselves..If you do not like it,well tough..They dont write it for me,or anyone else
I think its also disrespectful,some of the comments i have read..Imagine if you had poured hours into lots of writing that was from the heart,and very personal to you,and then mindless idiots just pull it apart

Same with the Majesty..BP mentioned the negativity surrounding this guitar on facebook..Oh John go back to Ibanez,oh its ugly.John please stay stuck in the past with me,and we can listen to images and words forever..Well they didnt say that,but it just seems the internet has opened up a class of person that belongs in the gutter

If you have ever seen any interviews with JP,he is one of the most humble people..He loves guitar music,and he always takes time to talk to the fans,as they all do..
I like that about him,as well as his guitar playing,his humility..Sadly lacking in far less talented people


I dont know whether you've heard this,but its the only decent live recording of the count of tuscany i've ever found.
If you haven't heard enjoy!
Oh and its finally nice to talk to someone who appreciates real music,with real musicians,who are on another planet

Yeah, that's the beauty of JP. He takes a simple idea, but then blows it up. Most of what he plays sounds simply impossible to reproduce. But after spending a long time studying and dissecting DT guitar song books, most of what he does has a foundation is basic theory. But he has built upon the basics so much and made that "simple" idea so completely his own, that it becomes Petrucci-fied. I think that's how he's able to play 3 hours worth of complex music without even once having to look at a piece of sheet music. He remembers that a particular song has a specific chord progression and that the solo is pentatonic, or whatever. I think he is able to make a mental map of a song's chord changes and scale types, and then he relies on his impeccable talent and training to go from there. He doesn't necessarily have to memorize every single last note; he knows the song's structure and then probably lets muscle memory take over. Although, the entire band thoroughly prepares before a tour.

That said, even if you understand what he's doing, you STILL have to have the physical, raw chops to do it. That's a completely different ballgame, altogether! LOL

Yeah, JP is SO incredibly fan-oriented. You're right that he is very humble. Ultimately he comes across as a music fan, himself. Like, if Alex Lifeson were doing a clinic at a Guitar Center, he would be in line with the fans talking about how much he loves Rush and have an armful of memorabilia for him to sign, and never once would have the attitude of, "Yeah. I'm John Petrucci. You probably heard of me. I'm kind of a big deal." He would just be another fan hanging with other fans.

I really like The Ministry of Lost Souls, as well. But you can't forget about Forsaken,The Prophets of War, and of course, let's not fail to mention The Dark Eternal Night. That song is a bit... uhh... darker (natch) than I generally like, but those lyrics about the resurrected monster pharaoh are just amazing. That song is another homerun as far as storytelling is concerned.

I'm glad that on the newest album they brought Myung forward a little more. He rocks during the synth solo of Along for the Ride and I love the bass lines that punch-in after the orchestral interlude of Illumination Theory. Usually Myung (like many bassists) is lost in the mix. It doesn't help that a lot of the time he's just doubling Petrucci's riffs. I'm not sure that Portnoy was somehow overshadowing Myung as much Myung is just kind of a reserved dude. You can tell he definitely has a quiet sense of humor, but I think he puts his guard up when he knows he's in front of an audience. He is definitely was one of the most purely talented bassists alive.

From what I've seen, Portnoy can come on strong. But I think he was getting burned out, and the direction of his songwriting demonstrated that. That's fine; everyone is entitled to relax. But the band was not called "Mike Portnoy and Dream Theater." I think it was absurd that he suggested the band should take a 5-year hiatus. These guys are as creatively fertile as ever - now is definitely not the time for that. And then he wanted back in the band after they already hired Mangini and Mangini had resigned as a prof at Berklee. That was a crappy thing to do, and luckily the other four guys refused. I think Portnoy actually didn't think the other guys would call his bluff.

I have the ADTOE DVD with that drummer documentary, also. I thought Mangini was the clear choice, although Minneman would have been a very interesting choice, also. Ultimately, even though it was not really spoken out loud by the band members in the documentary, Mangini is much more of a contemporary and peer to the other band members than Minneman was. That's no slight against Minneman, though - he is amazing. This is like when Def Leppard was looking for a new guitarist after Steve Clark died. They were looking for a peer/contemporary that was a similar age, had a similar background, and would make sense in the band. That's why they went with Vivian Campbell. He grew up in the UK (Ireland, to be exact, while most of the rest of the band was from Sheffield) and was influenced by many of the same bands that Def Leppard fashioned themselves after - Mott, Thin Lizzy, Bowie, T-Rex, etc. It wouldn't have made sense for them to hire some guy 10 years younger than the rest of the band and influenced by music that came later.

I really believe the people who don't like the latest DT album don't really understand what the band's about. I also think these are the "Portnoy Army" who wants everything DT makes to sound like A Dark Eternal Night and A Nightmare to Remember. Dark and aggressive is fine. But it is not everything this band is about. Just because they play in a heavy metal style does not mean they cannot produce melodic and contemplative songs. That is partly what progressive music is about. Just because you have long a haired guy shredding 7-string guitars, another kicking the hell out of a drum kit, and yet another wailing some powerful vocals doesn't mean they are going to fit into the prototypical "heavy metal" stereotype. That is why I love DT. They are more than a heavy metal band. That keyboardist with the wizard beard should give that away. Metallica and Megadeth don't have dedicated keyboardists.

Thanks for the link. I actually have seen that vid. I wanted to see Petrucci playing the interlude. He hits a very high note in the solo (I don't know what note... I should, though) and I always thought it was way high on the fretboard, but it sounded like it had too many harmonic overtones. Turns out he hit a natural harmonic more in the middle of the board. When I first heard this solo I was SURE he was using a sustainer or at least an E-Bow. Nope. JP don't need no stinkin' E-Bow!

 

[ozzyrules]

So anyway, I really like the BFR badge. I'm glad I own 3 of them.

 

[t_rod]

No other band has evicted as much emotion in me as Dream Theater has. No other guitarist has inspired me the way JP has, from his talent to the way he handles his profession. He obviously works hard, yet loves what he does and respects the art. Its for these reasons that Dream Theater is my #1.
Thanks for bringing up Illumination Theory again. I'm going to listen to it when I go to bed tonight and just let the music take me for a ride.
Edit: The Count of Tuscany is probably my favorite song by them as well, so many climactic moments in the intro alone!!

 

[Tollywood]

The BFR badge was cool, but a bit of "whatever" for me... I love the pearl dots and am glad they stayed.

I like the BFR badge, and regarding dots...I like that ebmm uses small dots.

 

[Stratty316]

I really like the BFR dots, the badge is cool but not necessary. I can't wait to see what the BFR dots look like on a roasted neck. That would be so cool!!


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[mtrejo]

I really like the BFR dots, the badge is cool but not necessary. I can't wait to see what the BFR dots look like on a roasted neck. That would be so cool!!


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Ahem, they look awesome

 

[t_rod]

Love the badge too, I really like the look and its an easy identifier. When I show people my guitar the seem to go straight to the 12th fret badge. I can see how people would find it "tacky" though, because it is quite obvious and maybe even "flashy", but I'm not one of those people who thinks so. I'm proud of my guitar and it should show itself off, I don't want to explain that this is a Ball Family Reserve instrument. I feel the guitar should make that statement for me.
Cheers

 

[Greg Suarez]

Love the badge too, I really like the look and its an easy identifier. When I show people my guitar the seem to go straight to the 12th fret badge. I can see how people would find it "tacky" though, because it is quite obvious and maybe even "flashy", but I'm not one of those people who thinks so. I'm proud of my guitar and it should show itself off, I don't want to explain that this is a Ball Family Reserve instrument. I feel the guitar should make that statement for me.
Cheers

When I spend that kind of money on a guitar, I want the unwashed masses to know it immediately.

Haha. Just kidding.

Not really.

Okay, I am. ;-)

 

[gregc]

Not a fan of the badges, anywhere of the fret board. YMMV, however, and that's why they make more than one model. Enjoy em, fellas!

 

[Greg Suarez]

Not a fan of the badges, anywhere of the fret board. YMMV, however, and that's why they make more than one model. Enjoy em, fellas!

I actually like a lot of fretboard bling on darker woods like rosewood and ebony. But a maple board should have as little on it as possible, especially if it has beautiful birdseye or flaming.

 

[ozzyrules]

I actually like a lot of fretboard bling on darker woods like rosewood and ebony. But a maple board should have as little on it as possible, especially if it has beautiful birdseye or flaming.

I kinda like this maple bling:



And this rosewood bling:



And I'm oficially hijacking this thread to a "show us your BFR badge!!!

 

[kestrou]

Ozzyrules - you make me weak in the knees!

kestrou

 

[mtrejo]

I personally think the BFR dots/inlay look 100 times better on maple, but to each their own. If I had it my way, I'd get every one of my necks in unfinished roasted with BFR dots.

 

[Stratty316]

I personally think the BFR dots/inlay look 100 times better on maple, but to each their own. If I had it my way, I'd get every one of my necks in unfinished roasted with BFR dots.

What Mario said!

And on the rosewood I dig the big dots on the HHAL... Though an Axis would be different. Why so much GAS?!?


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[Greg Suarez]

I love a deeply flamed maple fretboard with no markers at all... sort of like the Jackson PC-1 Phil Collen model. But I'm not good enough to have nothing on the board.