They started a side project called Rising West, and they quickly found out that it didnβt have any value in the marketplace. They couldnβt sell any shows. They couldnβt get booked for shows. And thatβs when they fired me and tried to use the name Queensryche to book shows, so they could all make a living.
So what you’re saying Geoff is that the firing had nothing to do with theΒ spittingΒ and theΒ physical assaultsΒ and so on and so forth? Β This argument doesn’t even make any sense. Β Geoff’s claiming that Queensryche fired him, because their side project couldn’t sell any shows? Β I’m sure they don’t need a side project to sell shows to make a living while they’re in Queensryche? Β If business was as good as Geoff claims, anyway.
On Glen Drover, guitar player in Tate’s new “second” Queensryche:
I had known of him but never met him, but Iβve seen him play a number of times withΒ Megadeth, and I thought he was a fantastic player; just a real fluid, effortless guitar player. And then talking with him, heβs just a really cool guy, very down-to-earth. Heβs a Canadian guy who likes hockey and beer, and Iβm all down with that.
Alright. Β I’m down with that too.
And lastly, on his solo album:
It just happened pretty quickly, and I worked at a pace thatβs pretty normal for me, really. A lot of what you hear on it are first, second or third takes. It was pretty immediate, us sitting in the same room, playing together, feeding off each other, and just kinda making stuff up as we went. So it was a fun, immediate record, without a lot of rehearsing it into the ground. Not a very polished record, not over-produced and slick. Itβs pretty raw.
OK, that doesn’t sound bad. Β Has anybody heard the record yet? Β I’ve read good things, but Christmas is coming.
With Geoff’s recent departure from the original Queensryche and his decision to form a simultaneous second Queensryche, I felt I should pull Geoff Tate off my shelf, where it has sat collecting dust for almost 10 years. Β The web (and comments on this site) has been abuzz with opinions on every side of the Tate situation, so dig in and let me know what you think.
GEOFF TATE – Geoff Tate (2002 EMI)
When I first heard this album 10 years ago, it seemed a lot more “different” than it does now. Β Now I listen to it and I can hear aspects of it (repetitive drony guitar bits, drum programs, mellow vibes) that Geoff Β incorporatedΒ into Queensryche albums that came later. Β But this is clearly a Tate album and not a Queensryche record, “Helpless” being one that would not have fit in on any Queensryche album.
Yet try as I might, I cannot get into this album. Β It has moments that I like (again, “Helpless” is an example with strong vocal melodies and guitar parts), but mostly just fleeting moments. “Helpless” in particular has a nice acoustic guitar solo, flamenco in flavour, that is appealing to me. Β Yet I find the song still sunk by (what sounds like) awful programmed percussion and bass.
Up next is “Touch”, a nearly tuneless mellow drone with something that sounds like telephones dialing a melody in the background. Β Ugh. The track after, “Every Move We Make” has a nice simple guitar melody, a pretty one that could have had some feeling in it, but it’s choked under a blanket of samples and effects. Β Geoff never comes up with a memorable vocal to go with it either. Β It does have some nice sounding (real) drums, and some cool guitars. “In Other Words” rests itself on piano and acoustic guitar backed by what sounds like viola. Β The music is pleasant sounding, just not memorable. Β It picks up steam towards the end. Β Perhaps this one could have made a most excellent Queensryche album closer, similar to “Someone Else?”, in another world. Β “A Passenger” has memorable moments, although it awkwardly stumbles from one section to others that sound nothing alike.
Best song: Β Epic closer “Over Me”. Β Great cascading guitars, liquid bass, no nonsense.
There’s nothing wrong with albums like this, every artist needs to explore their creative muse. Β More power to Geoff for doing it. Β But I’m not particularly into this kind of mellowness. Β Back in the record store days, if I had no idea who Geoff Tate was, I wouldn’t know where to file it and I guess that’s the point of doing a solo album like this. Β At no point does it rock, but it’s also too aggressive in spots for Easy Listening and New Age. Β It incorporates aspects of world music and electronica but couldn’t be called either. Β None of that is bad — I love a lot of records that can be described in similar ways, when genres collide. Β (Accidentally On Purpose, by Gillan/Glover perhaps?) Β The problem here boils down to the songs — they’re just not all that good. Β Marillion make albums that you might say sound like this — but better.
When asked about the now-infamous “knife incident”, Geoff said,Β “Definitely, I regret my actions that night,” he said. “And I’m not making any excuses for it; it was definitely the wrong way to handle things. And I’m not trying to justify it, but bands are bands and we’re a bunch of guys, and sometimes guys are physical [laughs], and it’s happened many times over the years.Β The Who, for example, is a band that is pretty known for getting into brawls and things like this. It’s not uncommon, definitely.”
I don’t think Tate’s a bad person, he’s an artist, so are Queensryche, artists can be emotional sometimes. Β Maybe they can patch it up. Β Who knows.
But on the other hand, I’m curious what the new Queensryche with Todd La Torre have in store. Β I dig the return to the metal. Β I want to see what they can do, because the Queensryche name has been (in my opinion) tarnished in recent years by substandard albums and cabarets and all this. Β I’d like to see Queensryche make a real metal album again, and I don’t know if they can do that with Geoff Tate.
Now Eddie Jackson (of the “original” Queensryche) says that Tate (now forming a “second” Queensryche with ex and present members of Ratt, Quiet Riot, and Megadeth) should stop using the Queensryche name. Β I think he has a valid point, but the proof will be in the new music. Β I wonder which Queensryche will be the first out of the gates with new tunes?
The “real”Queenryche: Eddie Jackson (bass), Scott Rockenfield (drums), Michael Wilton and Parker Lundgren (guitars), Todd La Torre (new singer)
Geoff Tate’s new “second” Queensryche:Β Rudy Sarzo (bass, ex-Dio, ex-Quiet Riot, ex-Ozzy, ex-Whitesnake), Bobby Blotzer (drums, Ratt), Glen Drover (guitars, ex-Megadeth), Kelly Gray (guitars, ex-Queensryche) and Randy Gane (keyboards, ex-Myth).
Getting (Canadian!)Β Glen Drover is a huge coup.Β Sarzo’s history speaks for itself.Β Gray is no surprise, at least to me.Β But “Da Blotz” Bobby Blotzer on drums?Β Seriously, Geoff?Β That’s…uhhh…an interesting choice for a new Queensryche.Β What, was Frankie Banali unavailable so next on the list was Da Blotz?
My initial impressions are as follows:Β Drover’s brilliant but this new patchwork Queensryche smells like the new Guns N’ Roses.Β Blotzer is a choice that just boggles my mind.Β Β I guess we’ll see how it goes, but my money’s on the old Queensryche.Β Β Still can’t believe the fans have to deal with two Queensryches, now.Β Hopefully the courts will put this to an end in 2013 and rule that the guys who booted Geoff out byΒ majority vote have the rights to the name….
This is just getting stupid.Β Geoff, stop being a douche!
First there’s this.Β Queensryche make Tate sound like a total douche, but the future of their music is exciting.Β And that 2013 “Return to History” tour sounds totally cool.Β Read it:
2013 QUEENSRΕΈCHE Anniversary Tour featuring an All-Star lineup, starring Geoff Tate, “the longtime creative and driving force behind the band, whose vocals can be heard on every Queensryche song ever released!” [NOTE:Β Didn’t DeGarmo sing on “All I Want”?]
Yeah, this is definitely going to get messy.Β 2013 will be an interesting year as two entities seemingly calling themselves Queensryche attempt to do an anniversary tour.Β Can’t imagine who the hell is in Geoff’s “all star lineup” though.
Q: How about musically? Were you guys seeing eye-to-eye on the sound of the band at this point?
A: “Well, this is kind of a weird situation too. In the press release they said there were “creative differences.” But to have creative differences, you have to have two entities or more offering up creative ideas. And that just wasn’t the case. QueensrΓΏche has always been my idea, starting from the first record. QueensrΓΏche is about albums. It’s about concepts and themes, and those concepts were mine. [Laughs] I started out with The Warning, bringing those ideas in for Rage For Order, Operation: Mindcrime… all the albums. I write 81% of the music and the lyrics. Of the 144 songs that QueensrΓΏche has released, I’ve written 116 of those. I am the creative energy in the band, especially since Chris left. When he was in the band it was more of a shared thing between him and I. But once he left, the burden was on me. I don’t consider it necessarily a burden. That’s what I do. I’m a creative person. I write everyday and I’m constantly coming up with creative ideas. I present them to the other guys and they go, “Yeah, sure, that sounds good to us.”
This guy is so full of himself, it’s not even funny.Β It is undeniable that Geoff Tate has written some great songs.Β It also seems apparent from recent developments that the band just wanted to get back to playing progressive metal again.Β And what is wrong with that?Β And the video footage of Tate spitting on Rockenfield live in concert?Β Disgusting.Β Geoff will one day have to apologize to his old bandmates, mark my words.
Also, Geoff says:
For it to end in such a hostile way, itβs just mind-boggling.
QUEENSRYCHE’S Promised Land(CD-ROM for Windows, Windows 95, or Mac) (1996)
Promised Land is my favourite ‘Ryche album, so when this came out I had to have it.Β Somewhat a companion piece to the album, it is also a game on its own.Β There are two discs:Β One, a virtual tour of the cottage where the band recorded the album, and Two, the Promised Land video game.
The object of the game:Β Explore five different fantasy lands (one “world” for each member) that “reflect the thoughts, dreams, nightmares, humor and values of the members of Queensryche.”Β There are puzzles in these areas and a lot of places where you just get lost, but there’s also cameos by the band members and snippets ofΒ original music.Β Β The goal of the gameΒ is to find all five pieces of the Queensryche totem.Β They’re hidden, one per world, and if you get them all you unlock a Queensryche song called “Two Mile High”.Β This song, a brief acoustic number with an electric DeGarmo solo, was recorded specifically and exclusively for this game.Β Unfortunately you won’t unlock it in any worthwhile format, you’ll sit and watch a Quicktime video instead.
The other part of the Promised Land package is a lot cooler.Β On the disc labelled Big Log, you can explore the cabin studio where Queensryche recorded the album.Β You can move from room to room and click objects to unlock videos.
Unfortunately, with Geoff Tate out of the picture, it seems unlikely that a DVD release of these video segments would be high on the priority list for the band.
Anyway, it seems kind of pointless to give a rating to a game like this since it’s unlikely you’re currently rushing out to buy a 1996 PC video game.Β If I had to put myself back in the day and how I felt when I got it, I’d rate it like this:
I called it weeks ago and now the splitΒ is official:
Geoff Tate is OUT of Queensryche.
He has been replaced by Crimson Glory/Rising West singer Todd La Torre.Β
After the now-infamous “knife incident” news,Β this really comes as no surprise.Β The only consolation to fans is that Rising West (which is now actually Queensryche considering the membership is now identical) played exclusively material from the first 5 QR records.Β Hopefully this means a return to the metal, and an end to stuff like Tribe….
Todd LaTorre reports that he is in both Queensryche AND Crimson Glory, as both prepare material for new albums!Β He also states:Β “Queensryche enters a new chapter; buckle up.”
Time to wrap up my four-part Eddie Jackson interview from 2001!
This has been the complete, unedited text of our 1-hour conversation.Β This has never been seen by anybody before.Β In case you missed the three previous parts:
EDDIE JACKSON INTERVIEW, OCT 30 2001Β (Unedited – Part 4)
Q β [NOTE:Β We had just finished talking about the recording of the Promised Land album.]Β Now the next album, Here In The Now Frontier, was different.Β In the liner notes to the new live album, itβs pretty much just skipped over completely.Β And only one track appears.Β Were you disappointed in that album at all?
E β No.Β Thatβs interesting that you bring that up, because we were working on a couple of the other songs, but I donβt know why there was only one song recorded for the Live Evolution.Β Thatβs just interesting you bring that up because I kind of noticed that.Β I go, βGod, thereβs only one song from that album, I wonder how that happened?β
Q β I guess itβs the same problem you talked about before, where you canβt fit in everything you ever played.
E β Again, I think we were really focusing on a lot of the older stuff.Β Throughout our touring, these last few years and whatnot, we kept hearing a lot ofΒ βHey, are you guys playing anything off The Warning or anything off Rage For Order, or anything off the EP?βΒ So right then, that kinda sparked the idea of, βHey, letβs go back.Β Letβs really give βem something that theyβre gonna really enjoy.Β Who knows if weβll ever get this opportunity again?Β Why not just give βem a variety, a potpouri of Queensryche material from the beginning to the present, you know.
Q β Listening to the live album, and trying to pick out influences, I think I hear a bit of Steve Harris and Geezer Butler.Β Were those guys influences on you or am I just hearing things?
E β Since the beginning?
Q β Just bits here and there.
E β Iβm sure, especially from the earlier days, there were some major influences from Geezer Butler, Steve Harris, a little bit of Geddy Lee.Β If thereβs times that it sounds like that then youβre probably right.Β At that given moment, Iβm sure I was influenced.Β We were all influenced by what was out at that time.Β Especially with the EP, and The Warning.Β When youβre listening, like I was saying before, youβre relearning the songs.Β And then when you start hearing the instruments, you go, βWow, doesnβt that sound like that one band back then?βΒ I donβt youβre really aware of it up until a few years later when you listen back you know!
Q β Is there anybody out there right now who just frightens you on the bass?
E β Oh heck, thereβs tons of them!Β I take more of a simplistic approach, but thatβs just my style.Β I love funk, I really like a really hard driving sound.Β I tend to focus more on the sonic end of it than the performance end.Β Iβm really into experimenting with sound.Β As you can tell, actually on the Mindcrime album, Iβve had guys come up to me,Β and they go, βHey, how did you get your bass to sound like a truck?βΒ I go, βWhat?Β Whereβd that come from?β you know?Β So obviously thereβs a little bit of fretless in Promised Land, and Real World, thereβs some fretless on there.Β So heck, you know, some 5 string here, some whatever, here or there.Β Iβll experiment with anything.Β I think I really love approaching the sonic end of it, trying to come with a really cool sound, something thatβs very distinctive.Β
Β Β Β Β Thereβs a lot of bands out there with a lot of talented bass players that Iβm just listening to this thing and go, βHow the hell did he get that sound?Β That is so cool!Β What is he running?Β Some sort of an effect?Β I wonder what heβs using!βΒ Youβre just reaching and guessing, itβs a lot of fun though, hearing a lot of these bass players.Β I tell you, you learn a lot just from listening and I was really a big, big Grand Funk and especially Alice Cooper fan.Β I mean, [Dennis] Dunaway [Alice Cooper] back then, that guy was an amazing bass player.Β And then, whatβs his name?Β Sure?Β Sher?Β From Grand Funk?Β Heck, I forgot his nameβ¦Mel Schacher.Β Yeah, he was an amazing bass player.Β I kind of enjoyed a lot of their bass work back then.Β You donβt really hear it in my style, I just liked hearing it.Β The performance, you know.
Q β I know when you put on the Promised Land video game, thereβs some definite funk influences there.Β Funky backgrounds and colours too!Β Do see yourself for that aforementioned solo project doing some funk, big horn sections and stuff?
E β Oh yeah yeah!Β That was just a little piece I wrote for that Promised Land CD-ROM game.Β Yeah, that was kinda fun.Β And if you noticed, Iβm using a different coloured tie on each musician.Β Each instrument that Iβm playing.Β I dunno, thatβs not a big deal but it was to me.Β You know I go hey, I wanna put a different tie, I wonder if anybody will catch it.Β But yeah, that was a lot of fun.Β I tell ya, youβre almost kinda acting your parts out, especially when I was the secretary at the front desk there.Β It was kinda weird, putting all that makeup, and dressed in drag.
Q – I guess itβs a chance to lighten up because Queensryche are not the kind of band that is really known for joking around.
E β Yeah, I mean, some levity here and there, it doesnβt hurt.Β
Q β Running out of time here, Iβd better start wrapping up!Β I wanted to ask you if thereβs any questions out there that youβve been waiting to get, but nobodyβs asked it yet.
E β Oh geez!Β That is a great question!Β Oh geez!Β You got me on the spot here!Β This is cool!
E – Heβs eight months.Β Other than that, I canβt think of anything else.Β Do you have anything you want to ask?
Q β I donβt knowβ¦now I’m on the spot here!Β How aboutβ¦what can I sayβ¦do you remember playing Toronto in β95 at Molson Amphitheater?
E β Yeah.
Q β I was there at that show, I thought it was a great show.
E β That was with AC/DC.
Q β Type O Negative.
E β Type O Negative, youβre right!Β The Molson Amphitheater or Labbattβs?Β Yeah, that was back in, yeah with Type O Negative.Β
Q β Was that the last night of the tour?
E β Yep.
Q β I seem to remember you guys messing around, like a big roadie with a wig playing the part of the nurse during that one songβ¦canβt remember the song.
E β Yeah yeah, well that was our crew, kind of putting in the finishing touches of the last show of the tour.Β And with the brawl, the bar brawl, yeah, normally that really didnβt happen except for that night.Β It was the last show of the tour and they wanted to screw with ya.
Q β One of those examples of Queensrycheβs sense of humour.
E β Yeah, you know, and Iβm sure it throws the audience for a loop, because they just like, βIs this part of their show?βΒ You can just look at their incredulous looks you know.Β I can just imagine whatβs crossing their minds, like, βWait a sec, whatβs that guy with that wig doing onstage?βΒ Oh, get this!Β We had that same production through that whole tour, with the bar scene, and the lounge band.Β We were in Dallas, and every night thereβs guests that can win seats to sit in, on stage, during the Promised Land song, and thatβs when the bar comes out, and weβre the lounge band.Β The winners would go up onstage with us and stuff.Β And there were these two girls, and they had to have been peelers!Β During that song, they started to like, make out! It almost took away my whole emphasis of performing.Β Iβm just looking at this, and looking at Michael, and next thing you know theyβre on the floor just like, rubbing each other body to body and I go βOh my God!Β Here I am and Iβve got some cousins and aunts and nieces here!βΒ And I go βOh my God, what the hell are they going to say after the show!βΒ It was just nuts!Β That was very entertaining that night!Β They were justβ¦yeah, they were going for it!Β Iβm surprised we didnβt get arrested.
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