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.
When I talked to Eddie Jackson back in 2001, for the release of Live Evolution, he gave me so much material that 80% of this has never been seen before!
I had so much material that I had to break it up into four parts!Β In case you missed them:
Part III is below.Β Stay tuned for the fourth and final part!Β
EDDIE JACKSON INTERVIEW, OCT 30 2001Β (Unedited –Β Part 3)
Picking up where we left off:Β Discussing unused song ideas.
Q β Who remembers these ideas when it comes down to jamming for a new album?Β Is it something that youβd dig up on old tapes, or you just say, βRemember this old bit?β and you play it?
E β Stuff like that just happens.Β What we normally try to do is just create something fresh.Β But itβs always fun to go back and take a listen to something that youβve worked with in the past, on the last release or the release before.Β Because thereβs always some ideas there that you can possibly use.
Q β Thereβs certainly enough stuff out there to collect with the Japanese bonus tracks and stuff.
E β Yeah, I mean, Promised Land had βChasing Blue Skiesβ.Β That was on the Promised Land CD that was released in Japan.Β [note: it was actually Hear In The Now Frontier that had that song]Β And it also had βSomeone Else?β but with the full band version.
Q β And some of those made it on to the Greatest Hits.
E β I think so.
Q β What about solo projects?Β Have you ever pondered that?
E β Oh yeah, oh yeah.Β I mean, Geoff βs [Tate, vocals] working on a little solo project for himself.Β Scotty [Rockenfield, drums] and Kelly put together something.Β Michaelβs kinda working on that.Β Iβve always wanted to do something like that, kind of like step away from Queensryche for the day and then do something on my own.Β Iβm always coming up with ideas and I eventually would like to put something together like that.
Q β Do you have any ideas for a direction?Β Obviously it would have to be different from Queensryche.
E β Yeah, you know, my listening taste of music is so eclectic.Β Itβs like from Abba to Zappa.Β I love pop rock, I love hard rock, I love jazz.Β I think one of the last albums that I actually bought was the Rob Zombie Hellbilly Deluxe.Β That was one of the last albums, I mean it grew on me like fungus!Β Itβs just got some angst and attitude.Β Stylistically that would be a fun little approach.Β You never know, itβs always up in the air when that time comes.Β You could always think about, βAlright, this is a direction Iβd like to approach,β but when that day comes,Β you could always have a different idea.
Q β One thing you notice when you listen to the new live album, is from about Empire onwards, there are a lot of strong grooves happening, especially on Q2K.Β A lot of the older stuff is faster, more riff-oriented.Β Which of the two do you prefer to play live?
E β When it comes to the era?
Q β Just which style of songs do you prefer, the faster or the groovier?
E β Oh jeez Iβll play anything!Β Iβm serious!Β I mean I love a lot of the groove.Β Yeah, I mean, heck, Iβll play just about anything, just about any type of a groove, you know.Β I mean thatβs what makes it interesting.Β You got a band like AC/DC.Β They are one of the few bands that can get away with writing 3 chord progression songs with the same 4/4 beat and still create something thatβs very good!Β But theyβre one of the few bands that can get away with that.Β I dunno what it is about them. Sure, thereβs other bands that might have released one album, and then a next one and itβs kind of similar, might have a lot of the same grooves and stuffβ¦sometimes it doesnβt work for them.Β Iβm always into the idea of creating something different.Β But you can only go so far because everythingβs pretty much been done, I feel.Β I think you have to continue to be creative with what you have to work with.Β You know, youβre obviously gonna hear a song thatβs gonna sound like somebody else.Β Thereβs something about that song, you know, βGod, that chorus sounds just like band that was out in the 80βs,β or βthat intro sounds just like this band that just came out last year,β you know.Β What can you do?Β You try to be creative. Itβs really difficult to be original anymore.Β Especially now.Β I dunno, thereβs a lot of musicians out there that are very talented, and thereβs a lot of bands that have been very successful doing what theyβre doing. Β You just have to credit them with their talents and whatnot.Β Itβs tough to be extremely original nowadays.
Q β You notice a lot of bands today resorting to electronic sounds to make something new.Β Moby, or whoever.Β Do you ever see Queensryche experimenting with something like that?
E β Like more instrumental?Β
Q β Yeah, I guess on Rage For Order you guys experimented a lot with electronic sounds.
E β Oh yeah, I mean we actually created some of those sounds ourselves!Β Yeah, you know at the very end of βWalk In The Shadowsβ?Β That big ambient reverberated sound?Β At the very end, βWalk in the shadowsβ¦walk with me!Β POW!βΒ Thatβs a door slamming in a parking garage!Β
Q β Itβs always something you donβt expect!
E β Exactly!Β Nobody else knows that unless youβve been told about it.Β Thatβs why that album to me is the most memorable one.Β We ended up putting something together, like I was explaining to you in regards to coming up with our own sound.Β Our own little ideas.Β I donβt know what triggered us into doing that, but I think we were just trying to pull out all the stops when it came to producing the album.Β For the production side.
Q β I find that album, even though sonically theyβre nothing alike, to be akin to Promised Land just for sonic experimentation.
E β Oh yeah!Β From banging on top of these big garbage cansβ¦Β What else did we do?
Q β Thereβs some really neat electronic vocal effects on Geoffβs voice on βDamagedβ.Β “The broken parts, of my machinery…”Β And then it sounds like an electronic overload or something.
E β And believe it or not, those were effects that I donβt think we could ever do again.Β Seriously, becauseβ¦βWell, that was cool, did you record it?βΒ He goes, βYeah.βΒ βWell letβs try it again!βΒ And we could not recreate that!Β It was weird!Β So again it was like one of those one-offs.Β Thatβs why the tape is always rolling because you never know what you can come up with, and you can use.
Q β The band was experimenting a bit with different instrumentsβ¦sax, cello, and piano, on that album.Β Do you play any different instruments?
E β Iβll tinker around with a little bit of keyboard, a little guitar here.Β Iβll tell you what I really love the most, itβs really kinda rivaling playing bass.Β Itβs singing.Β
Q β Oh really?Β Well youβve always sung backups live.
E β Yeah, I love singing!Β And Iβve noticed since Chris has left, Iβve had to cover a lot of his parts, and Iβm telling you theyβre up there sometimes.Β But still, itβs something that you donβt really think about.Β Through all these tours that weβve been performing on, Iβve never realized how much he actually sang.Β Because youβre so busy playing your bass and singing your parts.Β But youβre aware that heβs singing his parts too, but since Iβve covered his vocal partsβ¦gee whiz!Β Iβm like, holy cow, Iβve gotta sit down and remember all this!Β But yeah, itβs pretty interesting you know, but I just canβt believe how much he actually sang.Β
Q β I notice the Q2K materialβ¦itβs funny that you say youβre singing more, but I think the live versions have stronger harmonies.Β Do you hear that as well?
E β I think maybe a lot of that could be for the fact that the harmonies are riding a bit hotter than on the album.Β The harmonies are probably still there on the album, but they might have been recorded a little hotter on the live mix.Β
Q β I just thought they stuck out a bit and I thought, βHmm, well somebodyβs singing more!β
E β Yeah, well, thatβs Kelly and I.Β And for the fact that I love singing, I have no complaints with what was thrown at me with regard to all the backing vocals and whatnot.Β I mean heck, Iβll sing anything.Β
Q β Do you see yourself singing lead on a Queensryche song?Β I think Chris sang a lead on Hear In The Now.
E β You know, I donβt know.Β Thatβs never crossed my mind, but again you just never know!Β With Queensryche, heck, you just never know, weβre always branching off into some sort of new territory whether itβs sonically speaking, producing, writing or whatever.Β I guess at times you could say itβs a conscious effort, but thereβs times where you know, youβre aware, and you just try to create something for that moment.Β At least for myself, I donβt normally like to look back and listen to what weβve done in the past.Β Because then you start getting influenced by it, you know?Β And thereβs gonna be ideas that might sound like something in the past.Β Thereβs nothing wrong with that, butβ¦
Q β But when an interviewer asks you, βHey do you remember that electronic part in Damagedβ and you havenβt heard the album in 5 or 6 yearsβ¦!
E β Believe it or not, youβll be surprised, especially when you hear a lot of these songs that we had recording for this Live Evolution, itβs amazing how much more you remember.Β When you play βLondonβ, or βScreaming In Digitalβ, or βSuite: Sister Maryβ.Β All of a sudden you just start reminiscing, and you just start thinking back at the time when it was recorded.Β I mean we were in Philadelphia, Rage For Order we were up in Canadaβ¦
Q β Where were you in Canada?
E β Up in Mushroom Studios, was it?Β Up in Vancouver?Β Weβve recorded in many studios.Β We recorded in that one, was it in Montreal?
Q β Yeah I read about that, in the dead of winter.
E β Yeah, O:MC.Β Operation:Mindcrime.
Q β I think the most interesting location youβve recorded in was the cottage for Promised Land.
E β Oh geez, talk about tranquility and isolated!Β It was this small little island up north up by the San Juan Islands.Β Yeah, youβre right.Β We got away from everybody.Β Fortunately it was only like a 3, 4 hour drive, but still, just within those 3 or 4 hours you go from a live environment to a very tranquil and quiet environment.Β There were times at night when we would take a break, we were recording until 12, or 3 in the morning, however long it took us to record whichever song.Β But weβd be taking a break outside and you can hear the whales!Β It was pretty wild.Β There was a couple of little wildcats out there.Β We definitely didnβt leave any food outside!
Q β I think itβs safe to say that the environment must have impacted on the sound of that album.Β It sounds like it was recorded in a cottage, in the woods.
E β Do you think the influence was there?Β Do you think there was a lot of influence?
Q β I think so.
E β Well, there was this doctor, and I canβt remember his name, but he owned this cabin.Β It was actually sort of aβ¦not a bed and breakfast, but like a summer retreat sort of thing.Β He would hire the cabin out for people that would wanna head out to San Juans and stay there for the weekend, or for the week, or for the two weeks, orΒ month, whatever.Β So what we did is we just basically told him, βListen, weβre a bandβ¦β And that right there obviouslyβ¦βWait a sec!Β Before you even continue!βΒ That kinda scared him a bit.Β But no no, weβre not type kind of a band.Β We respect our environment we donβt start thrashing things for no apparent reason.Β But if the shitter stopped working in the middle of the night, then youβre going to hear from us!Β We kind of worked out a deal, and we were there for a few months, and we ended up just hiring outβ¦we moved in to both units.Β So it was a massive cabin, it was pretty cool.Β We were just living and breathing that album there.
I have to give Geoff Tate credit for a good answer to a tough question.Β Regarding “knife incident” and the rumoured Queensryche split, Geoff said,Β “I’m thinking, I’m not gonna really dispel too many of the rumors because it’s hardly ever that QueensrΓΏche gets any publicity, so this is great. All 43 people on the Internet are talking about it.”
That’s a great answer.Β He also says the band plan to tour in 2013.
With all this drama (hopefully) behind them, I’ll take you to Part 2 of my October 2001 chat with bassistΒ Eddie Jackson.Β This is the unedited transcript, never before seen anywhere by anybody.
EDDIE JACKSON INTERVIEW, OCT 30 2001Β (Unedited) Part 2
Q β Now the album packaging [Live Evolution] is pretty cool here, but what the heck does that say under your picture?
E β My credits?Β Itβs backwards!Β All the letters, the words are backwards!Β Theyβre spelled backwards!Β The words are spelled in reverse.Β So letβs say you come up with the word βhappyβ.Β I start with the letter Y first, and then a P and then a P and then an A and then an H.Β You know, heck, gotta be a little goofy every once in a while!Β What I original wanted to do was to have it printed out so if you put it up to a mirror, then you would be able to read it correctly.Β But I didnβt think about that until after.
Q β Next album right?
E β Youβre like the second or third person who asked me about that.Β [One guy said] βWhat is that, Spanish?βΒ No, itβs not!Β I think youβd know if it was Spanish or not.Β You know, heck, just going a little goofy.Β Some creativity there.
Q β Are you βcyber-savvyβ at all?Β Are you into the internet and stuff like that?
E β A little bit, you know.
Q β Do you see the internet as a way to reach new fans?
E β Oh, absolutely!
Q β Are you doing that?Β Are you noticing that?
E β I think so.Β Especially with our fan club.Β A lot of that is, instead of sending mailers out, we just send βem e-mailers.Β Not only is that a cost effective approach, but itβs a lot more efficient, I think you can do a lot more than just a letter or a flier.Β I think itβs done wonders.Β Obviously itβs been the wave of the future for a few years and I think itβs a great tool.
Q β Youβve got bands like Marillion who pre-sold their album online before even a note was recordedΒ Itβs just amazing how the dedicated fans will seek you out.
E β Oh absolutely, yeah yeah!Β Well again, weβve been very fortunate to have this type of fan base.Β Theyβve allowed us to evolve and grow as a band.Β And theyβve evolved and grown as individuals as listeners, as fans.Β What more can you ask for?Β [Theyβve] given us the freedom to create and I think thatβs great, and also by being able to communicate with them through our music and also through cyberspace.Β Itβs great!
Q β Letβs go back to LIVEcrime for a minute.Β Youβve got more than one new release coming out, LIVEcrime is being reissued on DVD and album.
E β I donβt know if itβs on DVD though.
Q β OK, Iβll have to check.Β [Note:Β It is coming this month]
E β I was only told it was going to be the live CD, but you may be right.
Q β Now, the live CD is going to have some bonus tracks on it.Β Are these the same versions as on Live Evolution or are they with the original lineup?
E β Those are with the original lineup.Β Those two songs, βRoad To Madnessβ and βLady Wore Blackβ, those were recorded at the time LIVEcrime was recorded.Β
Q β From the same gig?
EΒ – From the same gig.Β I mean, we recorded the whole show!Β But we were mainly focusing on LIVEcrime.Β Yeah, I mean, there were a few other songs through that whole set that we performed.Β Yeah, we recorded the whole show, but we just figured, OK.Β A lot of that was pretty much EMIβs idea.Β And so it was kinda interesting to hear about EMI releasing this.Β And here we are, just doing the groundwork on Live Evolution, and weβre just thinking, βWait a second!βΒ You know, are they going to conflict with one another?Β But I donβt think it has, I think itβs great because for the collector and for the hardcore fan out there, even though most of that LIVEcrime is the same as that released before, with the exception of those two extra tracks, thatβs what makes it interesting.Β But yeah, that was pretty much our very first live recording.Β With the exception of The Warning tour.Β You know, that had the live video.Β
Q β Which is also pretty much impossible to find.Β If you ever talk to EMI about getting something reissuedβ¦
E β Yeah, good luck finding that one!Β But then again, that was only released on video, that was never released as a live audio.Β And then Live Evolution was our very first full length live recording from start to finish, and a lot of people ask us, βWhyβd it take you so long?βΒ But I donβt know!Β As youβre evolving through your career, and recording and touring and all that, I guess for me it doesnβt really cross your mind because youβre so busy and youβre so tied up at that moment doing what youβre doing.Β Whether itβs recording or touring that it never really crossed my mind.Β There are times when you release a new album, by giving it an extra [live] track or two which Japan lovesβ¦they love that type of thing, when you can add a bonus track or two.Β Thatβs always fun but I donβt know why itβs taken us so long to release something like that.Β Look at the Greatest Hits, [it] was released last year!Β A lot of people said, βWhyβd it take you so long?βΒ Well, why are you complaining?Β (laughs)Β Stop bitching about it, there you go, itβs right there! (laughs).Β
Q β Well hereβs another release you can ponder.Β You guys did a video game, Promised Land a few years ago.Β Thereβs an exclusive track on that called β8 Miles Highβ.Β And itβs never been released anywhere else as far as I know on CD.
E β Have you heard it?
Q β Yeah.Β I couldnβt beat the game though, I had to, uhhβ¦cheat.
E β Well Iβve got the cheat sheet for that thing.
Q β But itβs a great track and it would be nice to get it released, like you guys have collected a few B-sides and live things and remixes that you can release on a rarities album.Β Is that ever gonna be in the cards?
E β You know, anything is possible, but again, I donβt know if weβve taken it that serious, to do something like that.Β Maybe perhaps the majority of the reason if, how satisfied are we with the results of that particular song?Β There was reason why it wasnβt added to the new album, or whichever album was released.Β Perhaps stylistically it didnβt coincide with what we were doing.Β Sonically, maybe it didnβt work.Β I dunno, thatβs an interesting point, I mean, would we ever put something like that together?Β Anythingβs possible.Β I think it would be fun.Β We have quite a few songs in the vaults.Β Weβve archived quite a bit of ideas, thereβs even songs that we have from The Warning days.Β From Operation:Mindcrime days.Β Just a couple of songs that are floating around doing nothing.Β You never know, thereβs actually been a couple of songsβ¦letβs see, what was it.Β Which album was it?Β Promised Land I believe?Β There were two songs that we had used ideas from a song that was written back inβ¦Rage For Order?Β Or Operation:Mindcrime?Β But we kinda took theintro or the middle piece of those songs and just kind of created a whole new song with it.Β
With the Geoff Tate “knife incident” having fans wondering what the hell is going on with the band, I thought I would bring us back to happier times. Back to 2001.Β Back to times before the knife incident and break up rumours. Times before Tribe. 11 years ago, I had the chance to speak to bassist Eddie Jackson for Global Bass Magazine. He gave me over an hour of his time.
Today I’m bringing you Part IΒ of the complete unedited transcript. It’s long, but enjoy, there is so much great insight here! Eddie was a fantastic interview, and I hope all is well with him and the band.
This is so massive that I have to break it up into sections. So, here is Part I!
EDDIE JACKSON INTERVIEW, OCT 30 2001 (Unedited)
Q β Live Evolution is your first really definitive live album. Before you had Operation:LIVEcrime which was basically just one albumβs worth of material. So this is a big deal, how much input did you personally have on the set list and the mix of the album?
E β The set list was pretty just a group effort there. Individually we all came up with certain songs that we thought we would like to perform that night. But you know, at the end of the day it was putting something that was gonna be something different from what we usually do, and that [something different] is go back several albums and perform some of these songs from The Warning, from Rage For Order, because a lot of the time these past few tours weβve been focusing on from Operation:Mindcrime forward. With the exception of maybe βThe Lady Wore Blackβ or βTake Hold Of The Flameβ from the earlier albums. But this time around we just wanted to give them somethingβ¦you know, you figure itβs a live album, a live DVD, letβs give βem something refreshing like some of the older stuff.
But with the mix�
Q β Well you always hear horror stories about bass players in the mix. The legendary John Entwistle story of him turning up the bass sound on Live At Leeds, all these stories. Is that a struggle for you?
E β Not necessarily. The thing is, are you talking the mix in the front of the house, or on stage?
Q β On the actually released album.
E β Basically no different than the way weβve been mixing our albums. You certainly want at least to be somewhat audible so you can at hear some of those lows, kinda compliment the rest of the mix. Iβm not really a flashy type of a bass player, I kinda like ride with the groove, you know. And play along with the groove there, but as long as itβs somewhat audible enough, to where you can hear it. Granted, thereβs gonna be some times where when you perform a song a little bit more up-tempo, youβre gonna lose some of that. Thatβs to be expected, thatβs just the nature of the song and the instrument. As long you can hear everything, itβs really tough to isolate everything and make it sound studio-like, especially when itβs a live recording. Kelly [Gray, guitar]βs the one who actually mixed the live CD, and we thought he did a really good job with it.
Q β I agree. Obviously the first thing you notice when you buy the album is that youβve got it organized into βsuitesβ and itβs basically almost laid out chronologically. So that kind of presents interesting problems, you donβt have the traditional βSilent Lucidityβ during the encore. So what made you guys decide to lay it out almost chronologically that night?
E β Well, again thatβs where the Live Evolution title came from. We just figured, OK, weβre going to put together a set list and then we came up with the idea, hey, why donβt we put this together in suites? And kind of, starting from the beginning to the present. The first suite was the songs from the first couple of albums, the second suite from the next following set of albums, and so on. It was just an idea that we put together, and we thought it would be kinda fun to do. It definitely makes sense when you look and it and then when you hear it. Actually, it kinda came up, I canβt remember who brought up the idea, but spontaneously it just came about. We wanted, like I said before, Live Evolution, from the beginning to now. That was a given there, because we obviously had start with the songs from the past, from the first few albums and so on, but with the suites it just kinda made it more interesting.
Q β Where there any songs in the early stages that were eliminated, that you were sorry didnβt get on to the album?
E β There were a couple of songs that didnβt make the album. Letβs see, one of them was “Enforcerβ, [sic, βEn Forceβ] and βNo Sanctuaryβ. And I canβt remember the other songs, there was just a handful, not many. The thing is, itβs really tough to sit down and try to perform everything that we have on paper. Because first of, weβre limited for time, and second of all, weβre limited on disc. Thereβs only so much time you can record, thereβs only information that those things can record. Iβm losing my train of thought here.
Q β (laughs) Thatβs OK, we can come back to it if you want.
E β Letβs actually go ahead and finish this. I was just thinking about something else about the show. Oh, about the songs. Yeah, itβs a long set, it was just trying to put together a good variety of songs that will not only please ourselves but also the fans. And again, if we were to play all the songs that we had written down on paper, heck, weβd be up there like 3 or 4 hours! So we had to kind of shave a few of the songs. I think selectively speaking we kinda chose songs that pretty much covered at least something from each album. Thatβs basically pretty much it.
Q β Were there any tunes that you knew, βIβm never playing this tune again, I never want to play this tune again!β
E β Well, not really. The funny thing was as we were writing these songs down on paper to choose from, and as we were learning these, it took me just a couple of days to remember these songs from The Warning! We hadnβt played some of these songs in 15 years, 16 years! And weβre just listening to them thinking, βGod, what key is this in?β βOh my God, thatβs right I remember this part!β And then you start reminiscing about the times when you recorded βem. So it was more fun than we actually anticipated because youβre just sittinβ there listening to these songs, remembering the time when you recorded it, and the place where we recorded it, so it kinda brought back a lot of memories. It was a lot of fun! But again, I guess the fun part was relearning a lot of these songs.
Q β On the DVD you also say that playing the old songs brought back memories. Is relearning them the pleasure itself?
E β Absolutely. Yeah, because weβre proud of everything that weβve done you know? And to go back and learn these songs that you havenβt played in 15, 16, 17 years, not only did it bring back memory butβ¦it might sound kinda odd saying this, itβs refreshing even though theyβre old songs. It was a refreshing approach if you know what I mean.
Q β It sounds like you rearranged some of the tunes slightly, like I think βRevolution Callingβ has a new intro.
E β Yeah, well, we figured we did release LIVEcrime [a boxed set from 1991] as you know, a few years back. So some of those songs weβve played them [in the past] verbatim to the original recording. We just figured, if weβre gonna play some of these songs, especially the songs that we normally play on tour, letβs kinda spice them up a bit, and we kinda did that with βLady Wore Blackβ. We did that with βRevolution Callingβ, just to name a couple. Itβs nice to rework a couple of the songs so to make it sound a little different and interesting, but still obviously in context. You know, again, thatβs another side of the joy of not only working on songs from the past, but also working on songs that are more current, than [to] rehash them.
Q β Now you mentioned Kelly mixing the album. Heβs got quite a few production credits under his belt. Youβve got a producer in the band now. Is that a huge relief to you?
E β Yeah I think so! Heβs a very talented individual you know? Like you said, heβs done producing work with a few bands, Candlebox, Dokken, Sven Gelis [sic] I think thatβs the name of the band [Sven Gali from Toronto] just to name a couple of them you know. Whatβs the other one, Second Coming. Heβs a very talented individual. Not only is he very talented when it comes to playing a producer role, but also as a musician, you know. Heβs a good songwriter, a good guitar player. That guy, he wears many hats. Itβs kinda a blessing in a way to work with someone like that because youβre killing two birds with one stone. Being a guitar player, a writer, but also coming in and helping us produce as well as mix. The last album, it was pretty much the band that had produced it. But he pretty much took the credit of engineering. I think itβs a major plus, when it comes to writing and then recording.
Q β Do you think youβll ever go back to, say, Peter Collins or any other outside producer?
E β Perhaps. Doors are always open. You know, weβll see! This last album, the Q2K release, was pretty much βoursβ as a whole. With the exception of some of Kellyβs insight as a producer, the majority of that was pretty much the bandβs production and ideas and whatnot. So, you never know. Working with Peter Collins, or Jimbo–James Barton, the doors are always open should we ever cross paths and if the idea ever comes up thereβs always that possibility.
Q β One thing about Kelly is that heβs replacing someone who was in the band for a long time. On the live album I was really surprised by how seamless the new guitar parts are. It sounds like they should be there, it sounds like the old Queensryche. Now, making the transition, did you guys feel you had to shape him in any way to play like Chris [DeGarmo] used to?
E β Well, not really because Kelly has a little more of a bluesier background as opposed to Chrisβ style. But I think you can tell, Q2K without Chris, stylistically itβs a little different than the songs Chris has worked on. He [Kelly] had some tough shoes to fill, but I donβt think it was that difficult for him to fit in. If you think about it, heβs playing pretty much Chrisβ parts so itβs still gonna represent, especially speaking of the older songs, youβre still gonna hear the older style. You know, when heβs playing the songs that Chris had worked on. Yeah, but thatβs almost inevitable. There are times when he would change maybe a solo here and a solo there so heβs not playing exactly what Chris wrote. I think he compliments Michael [Wilton, guitar] quite well stylistically and again heβs a very talented guy.
Q β As far as you being a bass player and getting a new guitar player in the band, did you have to make any adjustments? Did he come to you with harmonic ideas or anything like that?
E β I donβt know so much about that sort of an approach, but really, honestly, we just kinda let it happen. We really didnβt sit down and try to educate him into, βThis is what Queensryche sounds like. This is what we want you to play like.β We just let him have free reign over it and not reallyβ¦if you think about it, heβs not coming in to replace Chris. Heβs coming in to replace a guitar player. By coming in to replace Chris, that can be a little tough on someone. Of course, you know, people are going to see that and theyβre gonna question that. And obviously theyβre gonna βA and Bβ the two guitar players stylistically or just as musicians in general. But thatβs inevitable, thatβs gonna happen. It happened on its own, we didnβt sit and dictate it, or educated him into sounding like someone that was no longer with us. We just let it happen, he let it happen, and we think heβs done a pretty good job so far.
Q β I just wanted to bring something up here thatβs totally irrelevant. But I found a Bob Rivers Twisted Christmas album the other day, and Kelly Grayβs name is listed as a producer.
E β He has produced and mixed many of those.
Q β I just think you need to tease him a little about that (laughs).
E β Kelly, youβve made it big! Someone just recognized your credits on a Twisted Radio CD! Iβll bring that up to him.
Maybe I’m reading too much into this. But why would the other four guys form a new band without Tate? While not unprecedented (see: Talk Show/Stone Temple Pilots) it’s certainly rare, and raises eyebrows.
DOUBLE UPDATE WITH GRAVY:Β The Queensryche camp are denying any trouble saying that the band are just staying busy with side projects.Β Sure.Β A side project with everybody except the singer?Β Playing all Queensryche tunes from the EP to Empire?Β Bullshit!
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