Second review from Mike and Aaron Go to Toronto…Again! I paid $2.99 for this CD at Sonic Boom. A steal.
PLATYPUS – Ice Cycles (2000 InsideOut)
Platypus are: Ty Tabor – Guitars & vocals (King’s X). John Myung – Bass (Dream Theater). Derek Sherinian – Keys (Dream Theater, Alice Cooper, Kiss). Rod Morgenstein – Drums (Dixie Dregs, Winger).
From the information above, you already know several things: 1. Platypus is a supergroup. 2. This is going to have plenty of incendiary playing on it. 3. It’s gonna be progressive. Much like their first album (this is their second), it’s also gonna be fun!
If you’re a fan of any of these guys, you will love to hear them in this band’s context. There are plenty of King’s X-isms, but the personalities of the players have their own influences. Nobody plays drums like Rod Morgenstein, and I always enjoy the chance to hear him work.
The opening track, “Oh God” is quite heavy, with quieter keyboard moments. The track has some serious weight to it. Ty of course is a melodic singer, so that balances it. It’s just one of several standout tracks. “Better Left Unsaid” has a pleasant aura, similar to Faith Hope Love-era King’s X, but with Sherinian’s keyboards lending a completely different sound. Myung doesn’t play bass like Dug Pinnick does, but he does create a thick sound. Morgenstein’s drums have marching band precision.
The heavy melody-driven “The Tower” really gets the engine running during the chorus. The verses lack a bit, but that chorus section is furious, as is the guitar solo. The piano tinkle of “Cry” has a moment that is playfully lifted from Alice Cooper’s “I Love the Dead”, but the chorus is like Alice In Chains! This is a complex track, not instantly likable. Give it some time to sink in. Morgenstein, once again, leaves jaws on the floor.
My favourite tracks are two: the brief “I Need You”, which has the lush Tabor vocals that we know and love. This track is probably the most like King’s X, coincidentally. Then there’s the smoking hot “25” with its Dream Theater keys and Zeppelin guitars. There’s also a Rush riff in there somewhere. This is one of only two instrumentals on the album, but it sure is a corker! Just stunning.
The final track can only be called an epic. “Partial to the Bean (A Tragic American Quintology)” is a instrumental that goes all over the board, in seven parts. If you’ve heard instrumental epics by these players before then I’m sure you know what you’re up against. A challenging but rewarding listen.
That can be said for the album in general. It’s a rewarding listen that will, at times, challenge you. I like that.
After hearing so much praise for The Winery Dogs, I finally bought a copy. I decided for now there was no point in writing a review: After all,Jon Wilmeniusalready said it all. So for my own review, all I’ll write is: “What he said!” Enjoy this review from Jon’s own excellent site,Music and Festival Reviews, reprinted with his kind permission.
THE WINERY DOGS – The Winery Dogs (2013 Loud & Proud)
Way back in the late 80′s / early 90′s supergroups were popping up like mushrooms in your garden. Bands like Bad English, Mr Big and Badlands had big success with the odd album or two before breaking up, but when the 90′s grunge era took over, supergroups were as rare as money on your bank account. Today, things have turned around and with the music industry looking like it does, musicians are forming different projects and bands with each other like never before. One guy that seems to involved a little everywhere are former Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy. As of now he is involved in no less than four different bands, Transatlantic, Flying Colors, Adrenaline Mob and now this thing. When The Winery Dogs started out in 2011, they consisted of Portnoy, bassist Billy Sheehan of Mr Big (formerly of Talas and David Lee Roth) and guitarist / lead singer John Sykes (Tygers Of Pan Tang, Thin Lizzy, Whitensake, Blue Murder), but since Sykes seemed to have too much on his mind, he decided to split and was replaced by multi musician and guitar player / lead singer Richie Kotzen, who also has a successful solo career going on, but also a former member of Poison, Mr Big and Forty Deuce.
Without hearing a note of their music, just by looking at the line up makes expectations rise like a virgin’s dong at the Playboy Mansion. That means that nothing worse than ‘great’ would be acceptable for this trio’s debut release. Now, I don’t know how much music that was written with Sykes in the band and how much of it that ended up on this album, but the fact is, Kotzen is all over this record. Kotzen’s solo career sky rocketed after he got the boot from Poison, at least quality wise and even a tone-deaf could spot his style miles away. Just listen to Poison’s Native Tongue, the best album they ever released, and you’ll hear pretty fast which songs he brought to the table. He really should re-record them as a solo artist someday. So, if you’re a fan of Kotzen’s, this album is a no-brainer – as a matter of fact, it really should be a no-brainer for any a rock fan to buy this CD, because this is amazing stuff. “Elevate” kicks this album into motion with a bang, a rootsy rocker that sounds a lot like Richie’s solo stuff only with Sheehan’s famous and personal bass sound and Portnoy’s heavy groove. “Desire” follows and it is a brilliant tune, full of catchiness and groovy rhythms, “I’m No Angel” has a fantastic refrain and a killer melody, you’re stuck after the first chorus, on “The Other Side”, Sheehan and Portnoy totally rules the groove and the bass and drums are both one and separated at the same time and they give us a brilliant blues ballad in “You Saved Me”. It has a bit of a U2 – feel and Kotzen sings the hell out of it. The guy has got some feel, to say the least.
Both “Not Impossible” and “One More Time” has a lot of Kotzen over them and I find myself thinking that they probably would have been a great fit on his last album 24 Hours. “Six Feet Deeper” has a major swing to it and it strikes me that this is the first album I have heard where Mike Portnoy plays rock ‘n’ roll like this. I mean, he’s an amazing drummer, but his skills has always been in progressive metal where he doesn’t groove that much. This album shows that Portnoy is a lot more all round than people might think. “Criminal” on the other hand, is a heavy piece – not a far cry from how a Kotzen fronted Mr Big would sound. “The Dying” is a ballad, but it leans way more towards heaviness than anything else which is really cool – and it is a great song. The album ends with “Regret”, a classic Kotzen ballad, very bluesy in a 70′s style. Wow! This really is a super trio and they have made one hell of a debut album and hopefully enough people will buy this to convince the guys to keep this project alive. Another thing, has Billy Sheehan and Mike Portnoy ever played with such a groove like they do here? I mean, they are both ace players and with Kotzen, groove is in his blood, but on here Sheehan and Portnoy really makes the rhythm section swing. When we’re writing January 2014 and making a list on the best albums of 2013, this album will no doubt be up there as a contender for the number one spot. Jon says: Get this!
FLYING COLORS – Live In Europe (2013 Mascot Music)
There hasn’t been a new band that got me going like Flying Colors did in a dog’s age. Their 2012 debut is a fantastic album, and it’s only grown on me more since I first reviewed it. Songs like “Kayla”, “The Storm”, and “Shoulda Coulda Woulda” had me hooked on repeat — in the car, at home, it didn’t matter. Flying Colors has been on constantly for months.
That’s why I decided to get the double Live In Europe CD. I had to have more. Who cares that it’s a double live album immediately following a debut! All 11 songs from that album are here, plus covers and songs from each member’s past. I am glad to report that Live In Europe is as stunning as the debut, even over its long running time. When you have a band made up of guys like Mike Portnoy, Steve Morse, Dave LaRue, Neal Morse and Casey McPherson, you can count on a live show full of explosive instrumental pyrotechnics. And that is present. But it’s the quality of the songs and the humour of the band that makes it special.
The band open the set with three album tracks in a row, each different from the last. “Blue Ocean” is the long, breezy opener, which is followed by the pummeling “Shoulda Coulda Woulda”. Then, “Love Is What I’m Waiting For” is more soulful. All three are outstanding songs with stunning playing.
Portnoy does most of the talking, but Casey McPherson gets the first solo outing. “Can’t Find a Way” is from his former band Endochine, but played by Flying Colors, it fits seemlessly in the set. Its soft vibe is similar to some of the quieter material on Flying Colors, and McPherson’s emotive vocals set it apart. Steve Morse throws down one of his classic solos and seals the deal. This powerful number could have been on the album easily. They follow this one with my favourite song, “The Storm,” and the whole place ignites.
From 1978’s What If album comes the Dixie Dregs’ “Oddyssey”. Since Flying Colors don’t have a violin player, it’s very different, but every bit as jumpy and complicated. Coming back to something a little more straightforward, the band rock out to “Forever In A Daze.” Then McPherson stuns the crowd with Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah”. Yeah, it’s been a trendy song to cover lately, but when you pull it off as well as MacPherson does, why not?
The first CD ends with a mellow “Better Than Walking Away,” and by now a Flying Colors concert already feels like an emotionally uplifting experience. It is a song like this that underlines not just the chops, but the melodic tendencies of this band. It’s always fun to listen to a bunch of guys shred for 90 minutes, but it’s even better when they play a bunch of great songs, too.
The second CD commences with “Kayla,” which to me is already a classic. The vocal harmonies of Neal Morse and Casey McPherson really dance. After this, Mike Portnoy takes over, at the request of Neal Morse, sings lead on his “Fool In My Heart.” I quite this swinging little ballad, and there’s nothing wrong with Portnoy’s vocal. Dave LaRue’s solo piece, “Spur of the Moment,” leads into a Dream Theater classic. “Repentance,” from 2007’s excellent Systematic Chaos, is part of Mike’s “12 Step Suite.” As such it’s only fitting that he sings it himself. It’s not the whole 10 minute version, it’s pretty much just the first half, “Regret.” But it is every bit as powerful as Dream Theater’s original, yet very different.
From 1998’s The Kindness Of Strangers, Neal Morse performs “June” by Spock’s Beard. This bright ballad enables McPherson and Portnoy to harmonize very nicely with Morse. It’s certainly a nice respite before the slamming “All Falls Down.” After the band lays waste with that tune, it’s only epics from there forward. From the album, 8 minutes of “Everything Changes” is only topped by 12 minutes of “Infinite Fire”. While these two are still “songs,” the shredders get their wishes granted with some long-bomb jams.
In a band like Flying Colors, you can’t single out any one player as an MVP. It seems like a band powered by all five members equally. Having said that, Steve’s Morse’s guitar solos are always a treat, and it also a pleasure to hear the rhythm section of LaRue and Portnoy gel like this. They give the whole album a tremendous pulse. Turn up your bass and see what I mean.
DREAM THEATER: The Number of the Beast (2002 Ytsejam Records, Covers Series)
For the most part, Dream Theater is a band you either love or you hate. Some Metal fans are put off by the keyboards perhaps, while many others find Dream Theater hard to listen to because of the effeminate tone to the voice of singer James LaBrie. On the other hand, music fans who are not into the sensibilities of progressive music would label Dream Theater as “pretentious,” or which have you. Most music fans though can appreciate the musical talent of everyone involved. They are also a very busy unit, often branching out into different projects between DT albums and tours.
While still in the band, and then after his departure from DT in 2010, Mike Portnoy has been the busiest of all the DT members. So much so, that while researching to do this review of Dream Theater’s Official Bootleg: The Number of the Beast, I was blown away with how many projects Portnoy has been a part of that I truly love. Simply said, Mike Portnoy comes off as the biggest music fan in the music business. On top of his resume of original music, his obsessively accurate tribute projects can only be pulled off by someone who is an authentic “music geek super fan”. Sound familiar, LeBrain? So yes, this review has morphed itself into a bit of a Mike Portnoy love fest. Check out this list of his accomplishments outside of Dream Theater.
LIQUID TENSION EXPERIMENT – The two studio albums with John Petrucci, Jordan Rudess and Tony Levin are fantastic albums. Their self-titled CD is one of my favorite progressive rock albums. With three subsequent live albums with that lineup and two albums with a name change to Liquid Trio Experiment, that makes seven albums with the great Tony Levin alone.
TRANSATLANTIC – Four studio albums and four live albums with this Prog super group along with Roine Stolt (The Flower Kings), Neal Morse(Spock’s Beard, Flying Colors) and the bassist from one of my favorite bands…Marillion…Pete Trewavas.
AVENGED SEVENFOLD – After the death of their drummer, Jimmy “The Rev” Sullivan, during the writing of a new album, Mike Portnoy stepped in and played drums on their 2010 CD titled Nightmare. He also joined them for a few shows over in Iran and Kuwait for American troops overseas.
ADRENALINE MOB – Two albums with this band consisting of members from Symphony X and Fozzy. I honestly do not think I have heard it so can’t say much really.
FLYING COLORS – One studio album and one live album playing with my favorite musician of all time… Steve Morse. Consisting of Neal Morse again and others, including the incredible Steve Morse Band bassist Dave LaRue. Maybe you should just read LeBrain’s review of this band right “here”.
WINERY DOGS – With a more straight ahead rock and roll approach, the Winery Dogs is his current gig with bassist Billy Sheehan and guitarist Richie Kotzen. [Check out Jon Wilmenius’ excellent review here — LeBrain]
And that’s just the original music he has been a part of. He has gone to great lengths to put together live shows recreating the concerts of, and playing the music of, his favorite drummers. He has arranged one for Led Zeppelin called Hammer of the Gods. He has also done one for Rush called Cygnus & the Sea Monsters. I actually learned about these while researching the review that I haven’t even got around to yet (yes this has become a much larger project than initially thought), so I am curious to search these out. You should be as well. The one I can comment on is his Beatles tribute called Yellow Matter Custard, named from a lyric within the song “I Am the Walrus”.
Consisting of Matt Bissonette, Paul Gilbert and Neal Morse and himself, this unit recreates what it would have been like to see The Beatles live. A lot of the songs were never played by the Beatles live. I listened to this with a good friend of mine who himself is a great musician and huge Beatles fan. Listening to it brought the Beatles super-fan out of him, most especially loving the somewhat obscure tracks performed live by the band. I highly recommend checking this out if you are a Beatles fan. So that pretty much means everyone.
I can’t believe I am now just starting the intended review, but here goes. In 2002, while touring for the album Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence, Dream Theater went on a short club tour in Europe where they played a different album in its entirety, track for track. Among the albums covered in this tour were Master of Puppets – Metallica, Dark Side of the Moon – Pink Floyd and Made in Japan – Deep Purple. (Who covers a live album? And one of my favorite live albums of all time? Dream Theater does, that’s who).
On October 24, 2002 DT played a small club called La Mutualite in Paris, France. The album on the menu that night was The Number of the Beast by Iron Maiden. From the sound of the enthusiastic crowd you can clearly hear throughout the album, this was a well-appreciated re-creation of one of the greatest Metal albums of all time.
The show starts off with album opener “Invaders”. My first impression was how great it sounded. Lively version and a thick guitar sound. Another thing I quickly realized is this: say what you want about James LaBrie and his effeminate style. Not many singers, including Bruce Dickinson himself can sing these songs live. I have seen Iron Maiden play several of these songs live, and even in a reduced key it is a struggle for Dickinson to sing the songs how they are recorded on the album. The opening track just left me looking forward to the rest of the set.
“Children of the Damned” was a joy to listen to, again mostly because of the vocals. This is probably his best singing on the album. Bruce Dickinson would have to get himself on a Lance Armstrong-like drug program to ever have a chance of singing this song in this key again. This song is also where I first really noted one of the truly great and original things about this album. Iron Maiden is a classic two-guitar fueled machine. DT is doing this with one guitar and a keyboard. Check out the twin guitar/keyboard solo in this song and hear throughout as the guitar and keyboard trade solos. A magnificent treat for the ears and surprisingly seamlessly done.
The crowd revs up as the classic Patrick McGoohan intro to “The Prisoner” plays as it is on the album. Chanting along with the intro just before Portnoy launches into the classic Clive Burr drum beat, this makes for a great listen, hearing the energy of the crowd and their appreciation of this show. Awesome version as well I must say.
“22 Acacia Avenue” is another track that is a treat to hear live. Live favorites “The Number of the Beast” and “Run to the Hills” follow. These two Heavy Metal anthems go over with the crowd extremely well as you would think they would. A case could be made that these back to back songs are the two most popular Iron Maiden songs of all time. Agreed? Discuss….
Coming next is their amazing version of “Gangland”. This is easily the most ambitious moment of the show. Kind of making the song their own, they begin the song off as a piano ballad and then make a left turn and turn it into a progressive, almost jazz fusion-ish groove as the song closes out. Absolutely brilliant and is probably my favorite track on the album. The show ends with a perfect version of “Hallowed Be Thy Name”, and the performance is over.
This is not just re-hashing of a great album. This was a well thought out and rehearsed celebration of this album, allowing true Maiden fans to hear what these songs may have sounded like when the album was toured in the 80’s. A friend of mine scoffed at the idea of DT covering this album and I may have shared some of his trepidation before I heard this recording. After listening to it now several times it has become obvious that this is not only a very relevant capturing of Number of the Beast, but it makes a very simple statement. Love ‘em or hate ‘em, the players in Dream Theater have a higher level of musicianship than really any of their peers in popular music. And as listed earlier, it seems that everything Mike Portnoy does comes from the heart of just another music fan like you and I. So who is gonna come along and play one of Dream Theater’s albums track for track? Well Dream Theater of course. Who else possibly could? Good luck with that, Three Days Grace.
Not only is this Part 2 of the Dream Theater review, but also a nice way to introduce THE WEEK OF SINGLES 2! From Monday through Saturday, we’ll be taking a look at some rare singles. Today’s is Dream Theater’s “Lie”.
RECORD STORE TALES Part 268: Lie
DREAM THEATER – “Lie”: This single was given to me by a customer named Ed. He was one of my earliest customers, very much intro progressive rock and heavy metal. He was a couple years older than me, with ginger hair and big big “Bubbles” glasses.
I had seen a copy in Toronto, at the big HMV store at 333 Yonge St. For whatever stupid reason, I chose to pass on it. Maybe it was the price. When I got back to Kitchener, I tried to order a copy from Encore Records but they reported to me that it was deleted. I then tried to order it from Amazon.com, who had it on back order for months before they too told me they could not get any more.
There were a couple good reasons to need this single:
1. The unreleased bonus track “To Live Forever”.
2. The hard to find live track “Another Day” which was only on the very rare (very expensive) Japanese release of the Live at the Marquee EP.
While discussing Dream Theater albums with Ed one day in ’97, I explained my frustration at not owning this single.
“I have two copies,” Ed said. “I bought it when it came out, and there were two CDs in the same case.”
“Really?” I exclaimed. “Any chance you want to let one go?”
“I’ll think about it,” Ed said. “I don’t have two cases, just two CDs, and I don’t need the second one.”
“I’ll be happy to take that off your hands,” I answered.
Ed did indeed give me his extra copy of the CD. Even without the case and cover art, I was satisfied. I bought an empty 2 CD case to put my copy of Awake in, with the “Lie” single as a “bonus CD”. Not exactly the ideal for a collector like me, but it’s an original physical CD copy and that’ll do.
“To Live Forever” was an obvious choice as a B-side, in comparison to the better tracks on Awake. It’s similar to, but not as spectacular as the mellow songs like “Lifting Shadows” or “Innocence Faded”. The live “Another Day” on the other hand is every bit as good as the Live at the Marquee CD. This single saves me from having to track down a Japanese copy! Thanks, Dream Theater.
From the album itself comes the incredible Kevin Moore song “Space-Dye Vest”. As mentioned in yesterday’s review, that is my favourite song from Awake. It defies categorizing, and it has a dark but glowing soul. Also included is the single version of “Lie”, which is nice if you plan on making a mix CD. The album track didn’t lend itself well to that, since it melds into other songs on the album.
I don’t know what happened to Ed. He’d mentioned he was losing interest in rock music. I guess that can happen, inconceivable as it is to me! He bought a bit of classical stuff, but I stopped seeing him towards the end. Maybe Ed will stumble upon this blog, and I can thank him again for this great CD single.
Awake has stood the test of time. In 1994 it was considered a commercial failure by the record label, in comparison to Images and Words. In 2014, it is still my favourite Dream Theater album. It is a lot of people’s favourite Dream Theater album, for its songs, complexity and aggression. It was also the final album to feature keyboardist and cofounder Kevin Moore. Moore had become increasingly more interested in samples, and you can hear that all over Awake. It is all the stronger for it.
Awake feels like a natural progression from Images and Words. Sonically it’s similar, and there’s no mistaking that it’s the same band. Awake is infinitely more complex, less commercial, and more ambitious. Clocking in at 75 minutes (a very fast 75 minutes), Awake was more epic than anything Dream Theater had attempted in the past. It was also heavier. James LaBrie’s vocals are more aggressive in delivery, and the album as a whole is more pedal-to-the-metal.
While Awake is not a concept album, it does have recurring lyrical and musical themes. The melody from “Space-Dye Vest” (written solely by Moore) appears elsewhere on the album, and there are a few multi-song suites as well. You’d be forgiven for thinking it’s a concept album. In fact Awake holds together much better than some lesser concept albums by other artists.
Challenging, heavy arrangements include the opening “6:00” which introduced Kevin Moore’s propensity for samples. I don’t know if the dialogue on the album is movie dialogue, or original material recorded for the album. Regardless, it’s effective and the dialogue complements the song. “The Mirror” and “Scarred” are also challenging, but rewarding to listen to.
There are more melodic songs, nothing as immediate as Images and Words, but still excellent: “Caught In A Web”, “Innocence Faded”, “The Silent Man” and “Lifting Shadows Off A Dream” are all personal favourites. “Caught In A Web” was selected as the second single, but failed to make an impact.
One of the strongest, and certainly the angriest song, is “Lie” which was the first single. I remember seeing the video on a program called “The Box”. I was shocked that Dream Theater had gone for such a heavy first single, but I was impressed nonetheless. “Lie” remains one of my favourite DT songs of all time. It was built from the groove up, and lyrically it’s angry as hell!
This is the edit version from the single
The best song on the album is Moore’s “Space-Dye Vest”. I don’t know what a space-dye vest is, but the title works with the song. Based on piano, samples, and a haunting vocal melody, this is the most unique Dream Theater song that I can think of. I think I can safely say that this one song is my favourite, even over “Lie”. The band revealed that they would not have put it on the album had they known Moore would leave later that year. The song was his baby, the others had no hands in its writing.
I’m not sure I would recommend Awake as the first Dream Theater album for somebody to try, but it should be tried by anyone curious about this band. It has had a huge impact on me, and I hope it can do the same for you.
No bullshit, let’s just get to the lists! Yes, lists! This year I asked some past contributors & readers to give me their Top Five Albums of 2013. Some have left comments with their lists. So let’s get to the lists — I also threw my hat into the ring!
5. OST- Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa. Mostly for the Alan Partridge banter between tracks. Insanely funny stuff from Steve Coogan. Some decent music too. Featuring an eclectic playlist featuring the likes of; The Human League, Glen Campbell, Carly Simon, Sting and OMD. 4. Travis – Where You Stand Quietly released in August. Solid record from the Glasgow quartet.
3. David Bowie – The Next Day I’m one of the people who like all eras of Bowie. That’s it.
2. Sigur Rós – Kveikur Love this band. Everything they’ve done.
1. Steve Earle and The Dukes – The Low Highway Some of the best songs Steve has written. This record is up there for me with I Feel Alright and El Corazon.
Seb
Sebastien, whom I first met at Sausagefest is a talented guy and you will be hearing from him in the future! He’s a musician/ producer/ filmmaker/ Star Trek fan and we’ll be collaborating on something in 2014 for sure. Consider this Seb’s first guest shot.
5. Killswitch Engage – Disarm the Descent
4. Black Sabbath – 13
3. Philip H. Anselmo & The Illegals – Walk Through Exits Only
2. Avenged Sevenfold – Hail to the King
1. Protest the Hero – Volition
Tom is our host at Sausagefest, and one of the Jedi Masters who helped instruct me in the ways of Rock. Top Five was simply not possible for this rock warrior.
11. Vista Chino – Peace
10. Motorhead – Aftershock
9. Deep Purple – NOW What?!
8. Charles Bradley – Victim of Love
7. Anthrax – Anthems
6. Voivod – Target Earth
5. Steve Earle – The Low Highway
4. Black Sabbath – 13
3. Orange Goblin – A Eulogy For The Fans
2. Clutch – Earth Rocker
1. Ghost – Infestissumam
You guys already know Uncle Meat from his numerous lists in the past. Please welcome back the one, the only, the man the myth the legend, Uncle Meat. He’s submitted a Top 8 this year. That’s cool with me.
8. Motorhead – Aftershock
7. Eminem – The Marshall Mathers LP 2
6. Vista Chino – Peace
5. Ghost – Infestissumam
4. The Sadies – Internal Sounds
3. Black Sabbath – 13
2. Sound City Players – Real to Reel
1. Steve Earle – The Low Highway
LeBrain
I thought I had my Top Five nailed down weeks ago. Then, Aaron threw a spanner in the works by giving me the new Pearl Jam for Christmas. Instantly enamored with this sure-to-be classic, I had to re-think my Top Five.
Then, just two days ago I realized that one of my albums is a 2012 release. But I felt so strongly about it, that I can’t take it out. So here’s a Top Six.
I would also like to give credit to the new self-titled Dream Theater for putting out an album that caused me to rethink this list over and over and over again!
2013 was an interesting and exciting enough year that I’ve decided to do another buncha lists tomorrow! We’ll be looking at movies, television and more. Come back then for some bonus Top 5’s of 2013.
How many bands is Mike Portnoy in anyway? I have no idea, but I’ve bought many of them over the years. Flying Colors is another, a supergroup featuring Steve Morse, the unrelated Neal Morse of Spock’s Beard, Dave LaRue from Steve Morse Band, and Casey McPherson of Alpha Rev. McPherson is the only one I’m not familiar with from elsewhere, and he handles lead vocals as well as keyboards and guitar. Peter Collins (Rush) produces, a man who knows plenty about progressive rock that gets played on the radio.
Together they created an accessible album of jaw-dropping chops but also something melodically engrossing. While these guys are all primarily renowned as musician’s musicians, together it seems they know how to write a song or two. The 7-minute opener “Blue Ocean” is a great example. It’s very hard to describe because it’s not any one thing. It has a hypnotically cool lead vocal, but backed by a neat shuffle and Morse’s trademark hybrid style.
“Shoulda Coulda Woulda” is a heavy one, again with a hypnotic vocal. It’s unforgettable and one of the most powerful tunes. Steve Morse lays yet another awesome guitar solo on top of it. It’s not how many notes he plays or how fast he plays them. It’s what he wrenches out of them. Then like a 180, “Kayla” opens with some gorgeous classical guitar, as if we switched to a Blackmore’s Night album! But this is temporary; “Kayla” is a sparse mid-tempo rock song, with an anthemic chorus. “Kayla” is one of the most instantly catchy moments on Flying Colors. The vocal harmonies in the middle section are killer.
This is followed by my favourite tune, the radio-ready “The Storm”. The chorus here is the best one on the album, powerful and layered. The verses are soft and melodic; commercial rock goodness. Portnoy perfectly compliments the song without overplaying. Only a classic Steve Morse solo could further elevate “The Storm” to the heavens, and that’s exactly what happens.
LaRue funks it up a bit on “Forever in a Daze” which thumps along nicely. “Love is What I’m Waiting For” has a Beatles vibe, which is interesting enough. It’s probably worthy of radio play in a perfect world. “Everything Changes” is another 7 minute long-bomber, and I don’t want to call it a ballad, so I’ll call it “quiet”. It’s an epic. It has acoustic guitars and strings and all kinds of cool stuff, including plenty of electric Morse. Once again, I hear Beatles.
The introspective “Better Than Walking Away” is another really good song, soft and pretty but lyrically intense. Then like a cold slap in the face comes “All Falls Down”. This the most “metal” moment on the album, a blazing blitzkrieg of guitars and drums. It’s over in 3 minutes and 20 seconds, but it’ll leave you knocked out. I really love the vocals on this song too.
Approaching the end, “Fool in My Heart” is a slow dance. Its melodies are warm and classic sounding. This serves to cleanse the palette before the final 12 minute feast of “Infinite Fire”. It’s one of my favourites, and it’s over more quickly than it seems it should be. It doesn’t wear out its welcome; it has a bit of everything in it including melody and spellbinding playing.
How the hell have Portnoy and Morse managed to put out multiple great albums in 2013 is beyond me. Why are guys like these not the biggest rock stars on the planet? Thankfully, a live album and second studio record are on their way.
By unfortunate coincidence, this album featuring the New York skyline aflame, was released on 9/11/2001. The album was recalled and re-released with new cover art. I’m glad I have an original, but I never really listen to it, because it always reminds me of that day.
Happy Father’s Day to all the dads out there, and always a salute to the ones that are gone too soon!
RECORD STORE TALES Part 205: Dad Rock
When Ashleigh started at our store she became the resident hippie. Everybody loved Ash, she was one of the best. I teased her a bit about hippie things, and called her Crunchy Granola. This was all done (and hopefully taken) in fun, because she is really a great person. If you needed to know anything about Simon & Garfunkel, the Dead, Ani DiFranco or Dave Matthews Band, she was the one to ask. She knew it all.
There was a generational thing between us, and I remember this was obvious when we were setting up a Father’s Day display. We were looking for CDs and movies that “typical dads” would like for Father’s Day gifts. I would say things like “Dads like World War II movies,” while she said, “Dads like Kim Mitchell.”
“What?” I said incredulously. “Dads do not like Kim Mitchell. My dad thinks Kim Mitchell is a girl.”
Ash gave me a patient look. “Dads do like Kim Mitchell. That’s what dads listen to now.”
“Cool people listen to Kim Mitchell,” I responded quietly.
I slowly absorbed all this new information. Dads liked Kim Mitchell? But Kim Mitchell was one of my highschool idols. My dad had no interest in doing his “Rock N Roll Duty”. This must have meant that people of the Kim generation were dads themselves now…and had kids as old as Ash! Jesus!
Kim’s dad is in this video!
A little later on, Ash start socializing with this guy named Andy. At first I was skeptical of Andy because of his large gauge piercings and dreadlocks. He didn’t talk much.
Turns out Andy was just shy. Ash approached me one day.
“Andy thinks you’re cool. He wants you to make a mix tape for him. Would you be willing to do that?”
Taken aback, I said “Seriously? Sure! He thinks I’m cool? What kind of music does he want on here?”
Ash paused. She took a deep breath.
“Dad rock. Stuff like Kim Mitchell and Van Halen and David Lee Roth.”
Once again, I paused to absorb all this new information. Ash was with a guy who liked “dad rock”. This was awesome. I started laughing. I gasped for breath, as my face turned red.
“Oh…my…God! Andy likes Kim Mitchell! You’re going to have to listen to Kim Mitchell with him aren’t you?”
“Possibly,” she mumbled.
“This is awesome. This is awesome. This is awesome. I can’t wait to get started. Seriously, I already have ideas. Right on. This is going to be an awesome mix tape.”
Good as my word, eventually I furnished a custom mix tape, with liner notes and carefully selected music to entertain and hopefully enlighten. I wish I had kept a copy. Unfortunately, I didn’t. So in lieu of the actual track list, here’s the mix tape I would make today given the exact same circumstances. Let me know what you think!
Side One:
Van Halen – Eruption, Runnin’ With the Devil
Kim Mitchell – Kids In Action
Max Webster – Hangover
Talas – NV43345
David Lee Roth – Shy Boy
Van Halen – Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Love
Max Webster/Rush – Battle Scar
Rush – Tom Sawyer
Dream Theater – Pull Me Under
Side Two:
Rush – 2112 (Side One)
Kim Mitchell – Lager and Ale
Van Halen – Hot For Teacher
Rush – Subdivisions
Max Webster – Toronto Tontos
Kim Mitchell – Sudbury Saturday Night
This is not the last of Andy’s exploration of the greatest music of all time either…stay tuned for…
PLATYPUS – Ice Cycles (2000 InsideOut)
The heavy melody-driven “The Tower” really gets the engine running during the chorus. The verses lack a bit, but that chorus section is furious, as is the guitar solo. The piano tinkle of “Cry” has a moment that is playfully lifted from Alice Cooper’s “I Love the Dead”, but the chorus is like Alice In Chains! This is a complex track, not instantly likable. Give it some time to sink in. Morgenstein, once again, leaves jaws on the floor.
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