various Mike Portnoy comments

MP: Please stop blaming ME for JM not contributing lyrics anymore!!!! (and please spread the word to the people at DT.NET who love to blame me for everything that is to their disliking as well)

For the record, I went out of my way to try to get JM to contribute lyrics to this album but it didn’t happen. The door is always open for JM to contribute lyrics if he wants. I guess he chooses not to as he has never once brought up the subject to us or expressed any dissatisfaction with the process or the desire to write any new lyrics.

As far as the lyric “babysitting” philosophy, JP has as much to do with the idea as anybody (yet somehow I am always to blame) All we ask is that the lyricist bring their ideas to the table in a somewhat prepared, organized form - so they do not need to be “fitted” or rewritten as all of JM’s lyrics in the past (including Fatal Tragedy) were.

This is nothing more than we ask from or expect from each other (myself, JP and James)

MP: Even in CD sequencing, I am usually very conscious in still trying to create a side 1 / side 2 intermission feel whenever possible on DT albums.

I&W - Surrounded / Metropolis

AWAKE - The Silent Man / The Mirror

SFAM - Through Her Eyes / Home

TOT - Endless Sacrifice / Honor Thy Father

FII was an exception as LiTS sat smack in the middle and the upcoming DT CD will also not be able to follow the format either...

comment: I thought the way the FII cassette laid out was awesome-- Anna Lee, fade to silence, flip tape, Burning My Soul! I suppose it was the mastering plant that came up with that though, eh?

MP: Nope...twas I of course... You think I’d let some Joe Schmo decide the sequencing?? (I also had to get creative on the Awake cassette, too)

MP: Why is everybody saying / assuming our new album is going to be “prog” without having heard it?

I’m not saying what it is or isn’t, but I wish everybody would please stop putting this pre-existing label on the album and wait to hear it with their own ears to make their own judgement and description without all of this blind (actually, deaf!) speculation....

If you have too many expectations of it to sound like “X” (whether that be Prog, Metal, Pop, Rap or Bluegrass) then you will likely be disappointed because it doesn’t fit into the description you’ve been building up in your mind for months....

Just wait to hear it with your own ears before you start labeling it...

MP: On Friday February 25th 2005, Dream Theater wrapped up recording on their latest album. Mixing will be begin on Monday February 28th and the record will be delivered to the label in Mid-March. A release is expected for some time around May/June through Atlantic Records.

Dream Theater began writing and recording their latest album last November at the world famous Hit Factory studios in New York City. (everybody from Michael Jackson, John Lennon, Bruce Springsteen, Madonna, Britney Spears, U2, Mariah Carey, REM, etc. etc. have all recorded at the legendary studio)

As has been reported in the media several weeks ago, the famous recording studio is closing down upon the completion of Dream Theater’s recording session.

This album will hold the distinction of being the VERY LAST album ever recorded at the Hit Factory in NYC. (the first was Stevie Wonder’s “Songs In The Key Of Life”) After the Dream Theater sessions ended on Friday night, the lights were turned off and the doors were locked to the world famous studio - ending an era in the music industry....

MP: [regarding the second stage for Gigantour] Just for the record, Symphony X, Pain Of Salvation and Overkill were ALL my recommendations (I don’t know why Dave only mentions Sym X as being one....)

I have my fingers crossed for any (or all) of em!

MP: Also FYI - In addition to Sym X, PoS and Overkill - some of the other bands I suggested to Dave a while back:

--- Dillinger Escape Plan (the only band from my list to make the main stage)

--- Mudvayne (ended up on Ozzfest)

--- Mastodon (also ended up on Ozzfest)

--- Meshuggah (I spoke with them about it and they were unavailable)

--- Opeth (also spoke with them and they were already booked on their package tour)

--- Anthrax (I really tried, but it wasn’t in the cards...)

--- Testament

In any case, I think we already have a kick ass, diverse bill and if we can get a few of my suggestions on the 2nd stage it’ll be the icing on the cake.

MP: [regarding WDaDR commentary] Guys, this thread is ridiculous. John’s ideas are always welcomed and included as much as anybody else’s in this band.

The fact is, HE chooses to stay in the background and keep quiet 95% of the time. WE do not force him there...it is by his own choice and desire. It is his personality.

As an example that I’ve seen cited in one these threads, the fact that he is not present backstage with us or in any of the Budokan documentary footage is HIS choice. WE did not exclude him. He chooses to exclude himself. Why is that being held against any of US???

As far as his contribution (or lack of them) to recent music and lyrics, my thoughts and explanation can be found in another post elsewhere from when I addressed the issue several months ago. (can somebody please copy it into this thread please?)

As far as his comments on the commentary, I believe I address them directly on them commentary as well....(if you haven’t heard the whole commentary and are posting in this thread by seeing some of JM’s comments out of context, you should know better....)

John seems to be very happy with the role he plays in the band (as well as everybody else’s roles) and was simply getting nostalgic on the commentary. And if he’s seen these threads popping up all over, he probably now even regrets opening his mouth to begin with...

Now he knows how the rest of feel for all these years always being wrongly misinterpreted or misquoted out of context and overanalyzed. Maybe JM has had the right approach all along choosing to stay in the shadows! And I wouldn’t be surprised if these threads that have popped up all over scare him back there....

MP: I’m a big fan of El Cielo (their last album)....

In fact so much so, that I tried to get Tim Palmer to mix Octavarium (before we found Michael Brauer) and he was very up for the gig but the scheduling didn’t work out.

Looking forward to hearing what Dredg has up their sleeve with the new one....

MP: This interview [featured in an unidentified German magazine] had already been brought to my attention (as well as James’) and I just did an interview for the cover of Metal Hammer in Germany who also brought it up and I explained myself to them as well.

I think some of my intent was “lost in translation” and perhaps mis-quoted or taken out of context....

I’ve had nothing but praise for James in every single interview I’ve done recently. In fact, probably every interview since the summer 2003 tour where I think he really stepped up to the plate with a new commitment, dedication and improvement to his voice, performance and appearance... (and believe me, I get asked my opinion on him in literally EVERY interview I do as journalists LOVE to push band member’s buttons and try to dig up juicy dirt...)

Granted, I know James has always been the subject of debate amongst DT fans (as well as non-DT fans) as I see it every day all over the internet... The fact of the matter is, that his type of voice is not always everybody’s cup of tea (and yes, even *I* occasionally prefer a different style of vocals in the music I listen to...is that a crime to say??? Is that meant to be an insult to James??? both NO & NO!)

Regardless of whatever kind of vocalist the fans (or myself) like, I stand by my opinion that I think that James is the best singer in the world for what he does. And what he does is really the RIGHT and ONLY voice for DT.

I’ve often used this analogy when I (constantly) get asked this question, so I’ll make it again:

I LOVE Neal Morse’s voice...but would he be the right singer for DT? NO...

I LOVE Thom Yorke’s voice...but would he be the right singer for DT? NO...

I LOVE Phil Anselmo’s voice...but would he be the right singer for DT? NO...

James LaBrie is the right (and the best) singer for DT.

That is why he *IS* the singer for DT.

End of story.....

comment: I came across keyboardist David Rosenthal’s website. I was blown away to read this quote on his website: “Prior to the recording of this album, I was asked to become a bandmember of Dream Theater. I was unavailable because I was touring with Billy Joel at that time. However, I was able to make time to do some synthesizer programming on this EP.”

MP: This is NOT true at all.... David is a friend of ours, and he did help Derek with some sampling and programming during the ACOS sessions, but he was never asked (or even considered) for the keyboard position in DT...

MP: Hey Gang,

Well we’re back from the 1st Octavarium leg in Europe and it was really a GREAT first run to get the touring cycle started for us! (a combo of Festivals, Headliners, Evening With’s and even a few support slots with Iron Maiden...) I must say it was a nice way to warm-up and we are now WELL-OILED and ready to stomp some serious ass on GIGANTOUR! I’ve submitted the master song list for the summer to the band and crew guys and I am looking forward to dishing out nothing but BALLS AND CHUNK (with a serious side-order of shred...) Tonight I just returned from the Tama factory where we (myself, my drum tech Eric, our bass tech Jerry and several of the fine people at Tama) put the final touches on my brand new kit (the ALBINO MONSTER!) which will debut next week on GIGANTOUR...and I must say it is a sight to behold! It really is beautiful spectacle and another fine work of percussive art. (I don’t have a drum-set, I have a drum village!)

Picture if Godzilla swallowed a Sam Ash or a Guitar Center and then puked it onto my riser....

(but without the chunks of Japanese people of course...) I must say we are very disappointed we won’t be able to play the final week of Gigantour dates...

The tour will be hitting several Canadian markets we’ve been waiting for years to play, as well as Seattle and Portland which always seem to get shafted on DT tours...

Unfortunately, the dates interfere with some prior commitments we have... However, I AM happy for you guys to have the great ANTHRAX in our place for the final week...

I have been a big Anthrax fan since the OLD SCHOOL days in New York and have already seen them twice on this reunion tour and they are sounding AWESOME!

(My only regret is that we aren’t doing the tour together as they are good friends and I know I would’ve had a GREAT time spending the summer with them on board as well....) Alright...enough outta me...I only have a few more days with my family before heading out the west coast and kickin this baby off next week....

I’m looking forward to seeing all of you and all of the other great bands and musicians out there... Come on GIGANTOUR!

comment: Men...every time I read something about DT in SA...I can’t BELIEVE !!!! it’s hard for me to think that in a few months I’ll see my hero behind the Albino Monster (I guess he’ll use that when he come)... it makes me crazy!!!

MP: Just to avoid any disappointments:

Unfortunately I will NOT be able to bring my Siamese or Albino Monsters to South America...

One of the conditions that is making it possible for us to finally come down to SA, is that we had to cut back on our (usually MAJOR) overhead in order to be able to afford the expenses involved with such a tour....

So we will not have our usual production, but *WE* will be there and ready to play LOTS of music for all you great fans!

comment: Each phrase from Part IV: Intervals (18:28) from Octavarium’s title track references a different track on the album; each is also preceded with a word telling which it is (which I believe is said by Portnoy)

MP: Funny story:

Just a few weeks ago - me, James and Jordan were walking to Starbucks and James was telling me how hard it was for him to memorize the order to those spoken parts and I looked at him funny telling him to simply remember sequence of the order of songs on the album.

He and Jordan looked at me in amazement and had NO IDEA that my lyrics in that section were all references to each song on the album!

I then explained to them the audio snippets flying by in the background for each group of lyrics (they never noticed them) as well as my spoken vocal underneath laying out “Root” thru “Octave” (and thus my idea for naming the corresponding tracks “The Root Of All Evil” and “Octavarium”) and they were completely oblivious to all of the connections!

I suppose that’s what happens when a certain somebody (yours truly!) plants all kinds of nuggets all throughout an album while the others aren’t in the studio! (Either that or they should be reading some of the nugget threads posted on this Forum after Octavarium came out!)

Not trying to toot my own horn - just thought it was pretty funny!

comment: [Regarding the setlist for the 2 back-to-back shows in Amsterdam] the root of all evil was ‘predictable’ as they opened each night with that song. I was a little bit surprised to hear Never Enough again, and not I walk beside you (as that has been played some times this tour).

MP: Funny you should notice that!

I intended on making “Root” the only repeater between the 2 shows....

IWBY was supposed to have been in the first show and NE only in the second....

Somehow, I made a mistake when sending out the setlists and didn’t realize it until shortly before we hit the stage for show #2 and it was too late to change it (because Jordan’s rig and our light/video show needs to be reprogrammed each day at soundcheck)

Oh well! You guys got shorted 1 song....we owe ya one!