James LaBrie – London December 1997

‘It’s raining, raining on the streets of London Town!’

Forgetting gray London and the rain for a moment, I remember when we were sitting in the bar in Amsterdam, before the album was recorded, talking with Kevin Shirley, you expressed interest in experimenting with things in the studio. Were you able to fulfill that?

JL: Well that’s an interesting question. Actually, with this album, that’s one aspect of the recording I thought was great. We really grew from it, and that was the fact that he really focuses on live, he tries to take that into the studio, which is what he did with us. Basically he had us go through all the songs in a live environment, which was great as it added a lot of energy and innocence to the songs. Now with me, he kept a couple of rough tracks because it just came out as what we thought was okay. But for the most part, me recording the way I like to do it – on every other album we’ve done – I like to approach the vocals and totally get into that head space. The way that I’ve done that in the past is basically gone in and started to work on whatever song we decide is the first, and I find the more I’m in there, things get better. And a lot of times in cases in the past I’ve gone back and re-recorded the first song, because now I’m in that headspace, I’m really grooving.

Now with this album it was weird because we wanted to do one song at a time, and finish that, and then do another song and really concentrate on that; so I was coming and going vocally. I think at times – not to come off conceited or anything – Kevin knew that I worked really quick in the studio; I sing the songs very, very quick, and I think in a way it made him comfortable in a sense that he thought ‘this is great, this aspect of the music I’m going to be able to get down quick, I can concentrate on the other instruments that need more time to get their tracks down. So with me it was a little different, but I would rather have done it the method I had done it in the past. I think if we work with Kevin again – who I thought was an incredible producer – I would really like to bring that back in, introduce that once again, and say “no, this is the way I think I work at my best.”

Listening to the album, there’s a couple of places, and in particular on the demo of “Speak To Me”, where you’re hitting a higher register. A couple of places hitting nice crystal clear higher pitched pieces that change the character to the usual sound; something that you cannot generally do in Dream Theater material.

When I approached this album, I definitely thought “how can I really bring more character and personality and emotion to this album vocally?” Obviously, it is the vocalists’ job to say “how can I enhance the music? How can I evolve as an artist or a vocalist?” What you’re talking about there, I really concentrated, even before I got behind the microphone in the studio I’d practice on my own, in just the way I’d approach certain sections of songs that it really allowed for more control, vocally, and allowed for more breathing. More absorption, it was easily digestible.

I know it’s only a demo track, and before you got into the studio, but “Speak To Me” that came out on the Japanese bonus disc, I think is a wonderful song, and the vocal I think is beautiful! That high note really nails it.

Thank you. I love that song. I’ll tell you, and I think it’s quite obvious whose head I got in there for that, I started thinking of Bono. He would approach it this way, he does that falsetto thing, but it really moves you, that kind of stuff moves you. I still really love that song, and also “The Way It Used To Be” – in a way I wished that they had been on the album, but there is always a reason for things, and I think that where they are and how they’ve been released is fine.

The other thing that I was going to mention was the alternate take of “Take Away My Pain”...

Have you noticed the way I sing it live?

It’s a mixture of the demo and the final recorded version. Now I must say, that when you were playing the song live, pre-album, the feel of it was magical. I stood out front during soundcheck a couple of times and you could feel the shiver of emotion run through your body. I feel the album version now has something missing from the overall feel of it. I can understand the change in lyric and general style, it brings it a bit more upbeat, taking that somber mood out, and from John’s point of view, you can understand that.

That’s the way I approach the vocal. I’m trying to pass the buck here, but the truth is that when we approached this in the studio, the version that it was, was very ‘80s sounding, and everybody was worried that it sounds like this or that, but the fact remains that it’s Dream Theater, let’s leave it at that. It’s our expression, so it’s sincere, the integrity is there, let’s not screw with it. When I started singing the way I did on the demo, Kevin said “no man, you gotta give it more of a somber approach.” I said that I didn’t think that’s going to convey the message of the lyrics, so that was one area of the recording that we sort of butted heads. Finally, I conceded to his wants and to this day, I still listen to that and wish I’d sung it the other way, but that’s all learning process.

Now I know that when I feel that strongly about something, someone’s gonna have to kill me before they do away with it. But that’s okay, because I’ve heard both sides. I had more people who say I love this, and I’ve had it where people who say “unfortunately I’ve been spoiled with the demo.” What we’ve done is the first part live is the old version, the second part becomes the new version. So we’ve incorporated the two to give it that magic it had before we went into the studio.

The final verse that was changed, were there several different versions that were written, as on the Xmas CD, you sing something that once again is different to the original and the final choice?

When we approached the end of the song, we found that the lyrics were a little too religious; so Kevin asked John to come up with other lyrics, and John wracked his head for a day or two and came up with the last verse. Then I approached that – that is one section I think if you listen on the album, that I really said “no, this is going to be feeling,” I’m going to give this verse feeling, whatever.

The song still has feeling; it just does not drip with it as before.

I know, exactly. If you noticed the other night, when I get to that point I really put it on. The lyrics are very powerful; it’s recalling all the moments with someone very special to you. When I sing something like that, I really try to immerse myself in that person’s emotions, and what they’re going through. Fortunately, I haven’t lost any of my parents, but when that day does come, I wonder if there will be something deeper and richer that I’ll be able to tap into, and I’m sure there will be, lyrically there’ll be something there. I know it.

Finally, do you feel threatened – your position in the band – by Mr. Nicky Lemons?

Hahaha! Would you? I think that’s all that has to be said. He came up to me and asked what I think. I think it’s hilarious.

You’ll probably start seeing the ‘James pissed with Derek and Nicky Lemons’ comments now!

Yeah. Just relax people, I’m into it. We gotta have fun, we’re human beings.

That’s something you guys seem to be having more and more of on stage, fun!

Exactly. We are.