Petrucci’s Lines In The Sand

For a long time now, Erik and I (Iris) have been toying with the idea of doing an interview with Dream Theater by letting them listen to pieces of music. As it became too complex to get the whole band together for this kind of interview, we settled for John Petrucci instead. But that’s okay; in fact it is probably even more interesting... So we selected some songs from different bands as a basis to go deeper into the music and especially to delve further into some heavier subjects like expressing individual opinions, politics, and religion. Together, we came up with the questions, Erik would do the talking and I would do the hard work by typing out this interview, which lasted 45 minutes(!)

BTW: John, again thanks a lot for your enormous generosity, especially as Rikk already wanted you to quit after 7 minutes and came back twice later, but you made the time for us and we deeply appreciate that!

Al Di Meola – Fantasia Suite

Erik: Here is the first tune, let’s see if you recognize this.

John: (after just 2 seconds) Yeah, it’s Al DiMeola (smiles).

Erik: Do you like it?

John: Yeah, I love it! Are you kidding me?!?

Erik: No!! (laughs) In what way did Al DiMeola influence you?

John: Well, he completely influenced me. Let me put it this way: when I heard him do this – is this Friday night in San Francisco?

Erik: Yes.

John: When I heard Al, Paco and John do this stuff, it made me want to be able to play that way and to be able to get my chops that powerful and fast. I just used to hear the guys, well, on electric, but when I heard them on acoustic, it freaked me out, you know.

Erik: How old were you when you listened to it the first time? And was he already an influence for you when you were young?

John: Yeah, but it was more later on. I started playing when I was 12, so (thinks and whispers) it was perhaps when I was in high school maybe, like 14, 15 or 16, it was around that age. I remember being at a party and somebody was like (whispers) “You got to listen to this!” Actually my favourite album is Casino. Yeah that’s my favourite Al DiMeola album! (smiles)

Iris: (wonders) This was at a party? This music?

John: Yeah, the guy had an Al DiMeola record and started playing it.

Iris: Wow, real party music...

John: Yeah! (laughs) Well that was the thing, when all of us were growing up, like me, John and Kevin Moore, there were so many people into music and playing. There were like so many bands.

Erik: So, when do you call somebody an influence to you?

John: When I hear it and it makes me want to be able to do that as well. When I pursue it, I think it’s an influence.

Erik: Okay, and when did you start to appreciate metal and progressive music, was that from the early days?

John: Yeah early. I started liking Led Zeppelin, Sabbath, AC/DC and Iron Maiden and all that kind of stuff. As far as progressive goes, a friend of mine got me into Yes, and I was like “Wow! This is amazing!” Then I remember being into Rush, just because they were popular in New York. This was when Moving Pictures came out and I was hearing Tom Sawyer on the radio, then another friend of mine, who was a really big fan, was like “Oh no this is nothing, you got to hear Hemispheres and A Farewell To Kings and all that stuff” and I was like “Oh yeah? Let me check that out” and I loved it. I fell in love with it.

Erik: So you started with rock and metal and then moved on to progressive?

John: Yeah, I started with all the English bands like The Who, Zeppelin and Sabbath and all that shit.

Erik: Do you remember the first LP that you bought?

John: Uhm, I can’t remember if it was the Yessongs EP, uhh double live thing, though I remember earlier buying Zeppelin’s “In Through The Out Door”. Yeah I remember that. Well (proud smile) that must have been my first one from the record store and actually having an album! Well, how old was I then? When did that album come out? I don’t even know. I wonder.

Erik: In the early seventies?

John: The early seventies, that would make sense. I was born in 1967, so when I was ten? No, that doesn’t make any sense. Well I don’t remember, I’m terrible with years. (shy laugh)

Erik: Let’s move on to the next song and see if you recognise this one.

Pain Of Salvation – !

(John thinks very deeply but has no idea)

Erik: I’ll give you a hint: They didn’t play this song during their regular set.

John: I don’t know what this is!

Erik: Maybe you’ll recognise it when the singer begins.

John: Okay... (listens)... What is this?

Erik: You’ve met them a couple of times, not so long ago, in Europe.

John: Did they play with us? Oh, what is this? It’s not that band that played with us? Is this, uhh Daniel?

Erik: Yeah, this is Daniel. It’s from their first album.

John: Is it? You know, it’s funny, because every time they were on stage, I was backstage, warming up, so I never really saw them perform. I saw them from the side of the stage maybe once, but it wasn’t the whole show.

Erik: You know that Mike is a big fan of them.

John: Yeah, he really likes them.

Erik: But you don’t know anything about them?

John: No, I guess not. I heard some of the album that they were supporting when they were on tour with us, we listened to it together on the tour bus.

Erik: But do you like them?

John: Yeah it’s alright, but I didn’t listen to it enough to really form an opinion, to be honest with you. I remember it being pretty cool. You know it has cool rhythms and it’s kind of dark, it’s actually something I keep meaning to listen to.

Erik: Yeah, you should! It’s our favourite band along with Dream Theater and they are such nice guys.

John: Cool! Yeah, they were cool guys!

Erik: You know they have some pretty strong opinions, like in this song for example, they call upon people to take a stand on several difficult issues. As an artist, do you ever want to take a stand on these kinds of issues?

John: You know, I suppose I do, but I don’t usually take that angle when I write lyrics. I tend to be a little bit more introspective and philosophising. Is that a word, philosophising?

Erik: (everybody laughs) Well, I am not an expert in the English language, but it sounds good to me.

John: Yeah, well. So it’s almost like I use the songs as a forum, like a discussion on the topic.

Erik: Like in The Great Debate, you give an example of two views on the same subject.

John: Exactly!

Erik: Weren’t you tempted to let your own point of view shine through?

John: No, not in that song. The point of that song was to illustrate how there is a conflict. It wasn’t to express my own views. You know, I don’t like getting too ‘preachy’ with my lyrics, I think it sounds kinda immature.

Erik: So even when you have a strong opinion about something, you wouldn’t say: well this is what I stand for?

John: As long as it’s the right kind of topic, I suppose I would do that. I mean, I probably have done it. I’m just not thinking about it in some of the songs.

Erik: In Take Away My Pain for example?

John: Yeah, but it’s almost like not being an opinion, it’s like a feeling, you know. Even “Scenes From A Memory”, I mean that’s all about past life, regression and reincarnation, and it’s not like something I necessarily believe or feel strong about, but it was once again a cool topic to dive into. I think when I do write about my opinion, it is not as ‘preachy’. Like Misunderstood: it’s totally about my opinion, my feelings or my topic, but it’s not like (talks ‘preachy’ with his forefinger up): “you have to do this” and “you have to do that.” I just don’t like that style.

Erik: Okay, next song. This one you’ll know, I guess.

System Of A Down – Prison Song

John: Laughs. Hmm, I don’t recognise them. It sounds like S.O.D.

Erik: Almost, you have to add another letter. It’s System of a Down.

John: Right!

Erik: Or was that what you meant by S.O.D.?

John: I meant Billy Milano, as that is S.O.D. I was going to say System of a Down, as soon as I heard them start singing. Yeah.

Erik: Okay, so you have heard of this band?

John: Yeah! You know, in fact – once again I am guilty – I have this CD, but I haven’t listened to it. There are only a few CDs that I listen to, I mean that I put in my CD player. But I am going to listen to this shit. I listened to Mudvayne, which is awesome. It’s fucking amazing!

Erik: Mudvayne? Doesn’t ring a bell.

John: I love them. It’s really very, very heavy and the players are really good. The images of these guys are really evil, they have this tucked up make-up and wear masks. I mean, I don’t care what they look like, but the album production is unbelievable. It’s amazing.

Erik: So, Mudvayne is one to check out?

John: Yeah, actually they have a new one coming out in a couple of weeks, but they’re really good players and it’s really heavy, sometimes the vocals sound like Phil Anselmo from Pantera.

Erik: Then you probably know Meshuggah as well?

John: Yeah, I would say that Mudvayne is like Meshuggah. I don’t know if it is as technical, but I like Meshuggah also.

Erik: That’s what I figured. So what is your opinion about all these nu-metal bands, like Limp Bizkit, Korn and System of a Down?

John: It depends on who they are. You have to take them all individually, you know. I don’t really like Korn or Limp Bizkit, and System of a Down I don’t know well enough to say if I like them or not. I know Mike is really into them, he keeps telling me “That was that CD!!”

Erik: Is Mike ever not into something?

John: Well, he is not into the pop-metal bands, he doesn’t want to hear them. Like Papa Roach and Creed or Staind, all that shit. He has no idea, which means that he has no interest.

Erik: This band, System of a Down, give their opinion about several political issues, like for instance the drug policy in this song. Is that something that you agree with?

John: I used not to agree with that. When I was younger, U2 was always the band that was preaching politics and I never liked that actually. I always used to say “Oh I hate it when they do that”. But now for some reason, I kind of see the point and I think it’s cool to write or express your opinion about that type of stuff.

Erik: Would you do that with Dream Theater? You did, in a way, in The Great Debate.

John: Yeah, absolutely, that song is about political issues.

Erik: Is politics an important thing in your life?

John: Relatively, to know what is going on in the world and especially in America. On tour I watch CNN all day long (laughs), and at home we always watch all the news, usually CNN, but there are also a lot of local stations.

Erik: What do you think about the current political environment?

John: I think it’s tucked! (laughs) (Then seriously) It is really scary you know, it’s incredibly scary, especially what happened on September 11th and everything that resulted from that. Talking about going to war with Iraq and trying to form a coalition, etc.

Erik: Do you agree with the American way, the Bush way?

John: Yeah, totally!

Erik: As you know, the opinion here in Europe is more of a neutral one.

John: Yeah, well I am definitely a Republican. I am like: get these guys out of here. People might think that as a musician I would be more liberal; well I am not, I am more conservative. All those leaders walking around and controlling these poor countries and doing whatever they want, I think that’s tucked up.

Iris: We were in Africa at the time of September 11th, reading all those African newspapers about the tragedy you see a totally different opinion. People really feeling ignored by the Americans and at the opposite end, you hear for example Bush talking as if he is the leader of the world.

John: Right, you know what I don’t understand is, no matter where you live or whatever, how could anybody think that was a good thing, you know what I mean? It’s one thing to be pissed off about oppression, but to cheer because 3000 people got killed.... that’s just not right. The other thing is, that America is the richest country in the world and it is always financing all these countries and their interests. Everybody is always looking up to America for alliance or for help and when someone says, “Let’s get rid of these guys” then everybody is like “Oh no”. Well, you know, what happened in New York... it is so... I cannot even describe it. I live one and a half hours away from that! Fire fighters from my town were killed. It was very fucked up. That was unbelievable. It was really scary.

Iris: Have you been to Ground Zero?

John: No, I have never been there. I don’t know if I want to, maybe eventually.

Erik: Well this brings us to the next song.

Live – Overcome

John: What’s this?

Iris: You don’t know this? This is the 9/11 song.

John: Who played it?

Erik: This is Live, do you know Live?

John: Yeah, but I never heard it.

Iris: Well this song is called Overcome, and has this video clip of Ground Zero.

John: Yeah, there are a lot of songs written in all these countries, but I never heard this one.

Erik: I don’t know if they played this in America, but in Europe it was a number one hit.

John: Is that right? And I never heard this song? Oh (wonders)?

Erik: Talking about 9/11, do you think 9/11 will have an impact on the new Dream Theater album?

John: It could, it certainly could, because it was such a horrible, horrible event, that completely affected everybody in the world and especially New Yorkers. And speaking about Kevin Moore, his brother is a NYC fire fighter and he was in the buildings! He actually got out, but he responded to the fire, so yeah, I don’t know for certain, but sure those emotions are too powerful to just ignore and it can work its way onto the album.

Erik: Has your personal life and way of life changed since 9/11?

John: Yeah definitely. You know, before this happened, you had a feeling like nothing can happen and now you just seem so vulnerable being anywhere. Like, it can happen at any time and any place, and the way it happened in New York, it seems ridiculous when you think about it, just to fly some planes into a building. Plus it is scary, flying, and I fly all over the world.

Erik: Yeah, you toured in Europe a couple of months afterwards; that must have been scary.

John: Yeah, absolutely. I am definitely more scared than before.

Erik: This brings me to the next stuff. I don’t think you know this band.

Saviour Machine – Legend 1: 1 & The Lamb

John: Is this Gung Ho?

Erik: No, the band is called Saviour Machine and it’s a Christian band.

John: It is? Hmm, scary.

Erik: They have a project called Legend, which will span 4 CDs and describes Armageddon as told by the Bible. This song is from the first CD and they are currently working on the last one. We talked about 9/11 and after such a tragedy, people find support in their religion. How important is being a Catholic for you and your family?

John: It is very important; it is part of who we are, how we make decisions and how we raise our kids. How we want them to look at serious topics and challenges that come along, things like prejudice. Our kids go to a Catholic school and religion is important there. In fact, yesterday, was a big Catholic holiday, as it was All Saints Day and the kids were off school and they go like “yeah!” (laughs)

Iris: Do you also go to church?

John: Yeah, I went to church in London last Sunday. It was kind of boring. (laughs)

Iris: You went alone?

John: Yeah, I go alone as nobody else wants to go.

Erik: I read an interview that you did a couple of months ago with a Christian rock magazine.

John: Yes, I remember, it was also posted on my Forum. His questions were so direct. I was like, how the tuck can he ask me these questions? (with a very low voice) “Do you believe that Christ is the Saviour?” (laughs)

Iris: I thought it was 2 interviews, one with you and one with James.

John: Yeah, I think it was. I remember talking to the guy individually, and I remember, I got off the phone and was like what was that all about?

Erik: We already touched upon this subject, but how do you combine touring, writing lyrics and making music, with your religion?

John: It totally works its way in, like trying to go to the church on the road while touring. Lyrically it has worked its way into lots of my lyrics; Lines In The Sand, The Spirit Carries On and Misunderstood are all examples of that.

Erik: Do you have a special religious meaning with the phrase “line in the sand”?

John: No, it is just an American expression. Sometimes it is lyrically fun to take an expression and even though the song isn’t literally about that, it’s just fun to play on it. It’s something that Neil Peart of Rush does. He always takes this cool phrase and writes about it, but it wouldn’t literally be about that phrase.

Erik: Do you feel a need to express your Christianity like, for example, Saviour Machine, which is very direct, or like Neal Morse did by quitting Spock’s Beard?

John: No, I never felt the need to start preaching although I do use spirituality as an inspiration at times in my lyrics. As far as Neal, I respect his decision, it sounds like he is ‘born again’, you know that term? Not that Neal is this way, but sometimes people approach me backstage and ask, (John with soft serious voice): “When did you find the Lord?”. Their intentions are really good, but saying things like “I can hear messages in your music” makes me go (John makes a cross with his fingers). (laughs)

Erik: Actually before the show in London, there was this incredible line of people waiting for the doors to open and there was a guy walking along these people with this huge megaphone, while talking about The Spirit Carries On, how good that song is and that people should believe in that, and that there is a life after death and all these kind of things.

John: Are you serious? Are you kidding me?!? I didn’t know that! Oh wow, I wish somebody had got that on video!

Erik: Yeah, next time I’ll do it. For the sake of time, let’s move on to the last song.

Las Ketchup – Ketchup Song

Erik: This is the number one in Europe now.

John: I don’t know what it is. It sounds kind of... I might have heard it.

Iris: It’s Las Ketchup and the song is called Ketchup Song.

John: Ketchup Song? They are speaking Spanish, right?

Erik: Well it’s kind of a mix between English, Spanish and something they made up.

John: I heard this song, wait... Yes, yes I heard this. In fact, I heard it when I was in my car with my daughter and this came on. I thought it was so funny, so I was singing it to her and then she was cracking up (smiles).

Erik: What do you think of the current music scene?

John: Well there is some good stuff and some bad stuff. One of those things I don’t like which is happening, is there’s a lot of copying of stuff. You know when something hits, and all of a sudden there is like 5 versions of that, and I don’t like it, it is so controlled by money. Because what you hear on the radio is what the label wants to push, because they are pumping tons of money into it, so it is very controlled and I hate that. You know there is no chance for music like ours, for example, to really get out there and perform.

Erik: Do you think that will change?

John: No, you know what? I don’t see it changing in the near future. It doesn’t seem like it’s going that direction. It is all marketing, money, pop, appealing to little kids.... So I really can’t see it changing too much. I think the only cool thing in the past few years, is that more heavier music has worked its way in and I think that’s kind of cool. Lots of guitars and shit, you know. It is definitely cool!

Erik: Okay, finally we would like you to give some comments on the following bands, like: Tool?

John: Tool? I love Tool. Great, it’s very cool.

Erik: Radiohead?

John: Love Radiohead too, big fan of that.

Erik: Metallica (old & new)?

John: Love Metallica! The new and the old: my favourite band! (Big smile)

Erik: You still love them?

John: I don’t listen to them now really. I think they are more of a band, which I was influenced by when I was younger and I go see them and I buy records, but now, I don’t think it is really a current influence of mine. I mean: I want to hear it, I am interested in hearing that.

Erik: Opeth?

John: Actually that’s another band that it’s in my listen-to list. The first time I heard about this, was when I had an interview with a guitar magazine, and the editor was like “you got to hear this band Opeth”. He told me the name of the album “Blackwater Park” and I got the CD but I haven’t listen to it yet (shy laugh). But I will, especially as, since then, a few people have said that I should hear this shit.

Erik: Yeah, well I think you’ll like it, it has this seventies prog-element and a very death metal sound.

John: Yeah so I heard. I’m very psyched to hear it!

Erik: Rammstein?

John: Hmm I don’t know, I am not crazy about that. I don’t really know a lot about them, I just know the songs for which, maybe there were videos made. Well some of the guitar stuff is cool, the way it is produced, like a more techno sound, it’s really like, razory sounding and that’s pretty cool. But I’m not crazy about the band.

Erik: Yngwie Malmsteen?

John: I love Yngwie. Actually, I recently saw the concert that he did with the orchestra; there is a DVD of that and that was great, it is very cool. He plays his ass off.

Erik: And the albums that he did recently?

John: Yeah, I guess that is a taste thing. When I was younger I was more open to that kind of music and now I don’t really like that style anymore. He is still doing what he does best, you know and I still think he plays great. But the style of music doesn’t interest me anymore. It used to be. I used to love King Diamond and Yngwie and all that dark neo-classical stuff, but I just don’t like that style anymore. As far as his playing is concerned, it’s awesome.

Erik: Well, I don’t know if you ever heard of this one: Dream Theater?

John: (laughs) Who are those guys? No, I like them, absolutely. I still get a lot of enjoyment from it. I’m so conceptually into what we are about, because we are very different to a lot of stuff out there and conceptually taking a heavy style of music, but not being afraid to add in sections of improvisation, jazz, classical and fusion and mix it all up. That’s what excites me about it.

Erik: Do you get enough space to manoeuvre in the music?

John: Yes and no. Because we definitely have developed a certain sound, which to our fans we are known for and almost expected to be. In order to fully express a different direction might be hard to do in the band, but that’s okay; there are always side projects. (laughs)

Erik: Like your new solo album?

John: Yeah, I think that’s a good example. That has some stuff on it that is a little bit more jazz, like more deeper jazz and it has some stuff that is more like rock, like guitar soloing forever. That just wouldn’t happen in Dream Theater, because it’s not that kind of thing.

Erik: (quasi serious) You never play guitar solos in Dream Theater?

John: (laughs) It is a different type of thing and plus that’s just a trio, just guitar, bass and drums, which you don’t hear in Dream Theater.

Erik: Is the CD already done?

John: No, but it soon will be, as soon as I get home I’m finishing it off. You know that trio thing is cool to me, that’s something you never hear us do. We’ve also got keyboards and vocals, but just doing guitar, bass and drums is really cool!

Erik: And how do you think about touring with it?

John: It is something that I could tour with if I wanted to. I think it is a type of thing that I can probably do in a little bit of a controlled way, in other words: I can go out, like 10 days on the East Coast.

Erik: No not the East Coast, Europe!

John: I can come to Europe, I could. You know, it is something I could tour on.

Erik: Yeah, you should bring G3 over here.

John: Exactly, now that would be a perfect example once, I suppose, I have a solo album out. I can play this stuff live.

Erik: Well, we would love it.

John: Yeah! It’s actually a lot of fun. For me it’s just guitar, bass and drums and all in your face and it’s all rocking, I love doing that! It’s a lot different to playing in Dream Theater. Dream Theater is more, like, you are part of an ensemble.

Erik: That’s what Jordan told me as well.

John: Yeah, you can just go off doing whatever you want. But Dream Theater is probably the one and only band that is more in that direction. Because stylistically we do go off, but even within a band you have to realise your constraints as you have songs and vocalists and you’ve got a responsibility. You just can’t have a half-hour jazz excursion; I don’t think people would appreciate that.

Iris: Some would.

John: Yeah, two people (laughs). Two people in the audience would go like... (makes a “yeah we love it”- face).

Erik: Alright. Thank you very much for your time and answers.

John: Very cool. Good job!

Erik & Iris