Any Porcupine Tree Fans?

[TSJMajesty]

being a fan of Petrucci would make me a better guitar player.

Sorry, I think I missed everything else you said. THIS sums up a lot for me. I play mostly for the enjoyment I get from learning new things on guitar, and getting better at doing, well, whatever. I stopped using "guitar method-type" books, and just use his songs as a means to improve my playing. He's got SO much! Discovering DT, and Petrucci in particular have been the single most important thing for me during my years of playing. (the 2nd most inspiring being buying the AF3! Or maybe even first...?)

Oh, I did hear one other thing, haha (I read it all, J/K)... imo, the only way Portnoy will be back, is if Mangini leaves on his own. I just couldn't see DT doing that to him. I mean, the dude practically cried when he got the gig! But I also gotta wonder, if these latest outside-of-DT projects (Petrucci new solo album, and the new LTE) make MM feel any pressure, or give him any concern...? And I realize they're simply continuations of things done in the past, with the same guys, but still..., there was a period of time where MP wasn't engaging with JP at all, and now he's back, and done 2 new albums. If I was MM, I couldn't help but at least, wonder...

And I don't care; the thread will go where it goes. I LOVE chatting about progressive music. Just wish I understood why/how it just DOES it for me. Some songs/guitar solos still give me goose bumps!

 

[unix-guy]

And I don't care; the thread will go where it goes. I LOVE chatting about progressive music. Just wish I understood why/how it just DOES it for me. Some songs/guitar solos still give me goose bumps!

I'm not a big prog guy, and I'm not into DT... They missed me completely.

But since you mentioned that and Portnoy, I assume you're a fan of Flying Colors?

When I got their first album I don't think I listened to any other music for 3-4 weeks. It was the constant playlist.

 

[TSJMajesty]

But since you mentioned that and Portnoy, I assume you're a fan of Flying Colors?

Not really. I didn't go too deep, so I suppose it's possible. Steve Morse doesn't really do it for me at all, which is interesting, since he's John Petrucci's biggest influence, and JP is mine, but I don't care for Steve. Of all MP's projects I've heard, I like the one with Derek Sherinian and Ron Thall. (Sons of Apollo)

And this is really weird: When I saw DT at 930 in DC (Scenes From A Memory), Dixie Dregs opened for them, and I was LOVING everything about them. The music was certainly off-center from what I usually gravitated to, but I went right out and bought their latest CD anyway. I absolutely hated it. So much in fact, I threw it out the window of my truck driving down the highway (which I've never done before or since.)

Music is SO subjective, and I don't think it can ever be explained why certain stuff resonates with us, and certain stuff doesn't. Or why there can be 2 people who share so much musical common ground, and one of them can love something that the other totally dislikes.

 

[la szum]

I loved everything about that and will be checking out Pineapple Thief immediately. As much of a metalhead I am, there's nothing cooler to me than an extremely dynamic drummer who can pull stuff off whisper quiet at the same speed he can when he's wailing away. There's not too many guys who are that dynamic with their playing, even some of the great guys, like Mangini, as amazing as he is, he's got soft/medium/loud and stays within those until he has to change. Gavin, Dave Weckyl, Virgil Donati; those dudes approach the kit the same way a vocalist approaches dynamics when singing. Makes the song feel so much more organic and like a living, breathing thing. Danny Carey is another one....even though he wails the piss out of those drums, he's constantly varying the dynamics.

While it's all extremely dynamic, 6:15 on is a great example because he's playing like 3 different things at once and they've all got they're own independent dynamics. Ridiculous.


Thanks for posting that! Holy shit they've got a lot of albums! I went back as far as 2007 and added them all to my iTunes, I'm anxious to check these guys out!

Great post! The curse of drummers is if I have to play harder I also play faster,
and if the soong requires going softer in dynamics I will also slow way down.

I have played/manned just about every slot in gigging bands over the years
and drums for me has been the most difficult, for the reasons stated above.
Also, as a drummer you don't really get a brake and get to sustain a chord, or take
a breathe like a vocalist, or lay out of the intro like the bass player. The stamina
and consistency required to pull off a 60 to 90 minute original show (or 4 or 5 sets poof
45 minutes in a cover band) are truly monumental for all but the best, who make it
seem so easy and effortless.

 

[TSJMajesty]

The stamina and consistency required to pull off a 60 to 90 minute original show (or 4 or 5 sets poof 45 minutes in a cover band) are truly monumental for all but the best, who make it seem so easy and effortless.

And the ones that also sing have it even harder. A buddy of mine does that (doesn't sing lead, but enough harmonies, and enough lead on certain songs), and he's told me it's the hardest thing he does.

 

[RevDrucifer]

Great post! The curse of drummers is if I have to play harder I also play faster,
and if the soong requires going softer in dynamics I will also slow way down.

I have played/manned just about every slot in gigging bands over the years
and drums for me has been the most difficult, for the reasons stated above.
Also, as a drummer you don't really get a brake and get to sustain a chord, or take
a breathe like a vocalist, or lay out of the intro like the bass player. The stamina
and consistency required to pull off a 60 to 90 minute original show (or 4 or 5 sets poof
45 minutes in a cover band) are truly monumental for all but the best, who make it
seem so easy and effortless.

Yeah, all those are some of the reasons I love playing drums so much. They're the engine of a song, just like car, even if you're at a stop sign, your engine is still going! (well, the majority are...for now). They're extremely gratifying to play, especially once you start really learning how to lock into a groove. It's just a blast.

 

[la szum]

Not really. I didn't go too deep, so I suppose it's possible. Steve Morse doesn't really do it for me at all, which is interesting, since he's John Petrucci's biggest influence, and JP is mine, but I don't care for Steve. Of all MP's projects I've heard, I like the one with Derek Sherinian and Ron Thall. (Sons of Apollo)

And this is really weird: When I saw DT at 930 in DC (Scenes From A Memory), Dixie Dregs opened for them, and I was LOVING everything about them. The music was certainly off-center from what I usually gravitated to, but I went right out and bought their latest CD anyway. I absolutely hated it. So much in fact, I threw it out the window of my truck driving down the highway (which I've never done before or since.)

Music is SO subjective, and I don't think it can ever be explained why certain stuff resonates with us, and certain stuff doesn't. Or why there can be 2 people who share so much musical common ground, and one of them can love something that the other totally dislikes.

Sons of Apollo are so good. It's a bit like Van Halen and that hooky hard rock
vibe injected with Prog on steroids. Bumblefoot on that doubleneck and all of
those sick tones he gets out of that downtuned fretless guitar. WTF???!! Amazing!

I also enjoy Jeff Scott Soto's voice more than someone like LaBrie who I have struggled
with the tonality of his nasally headvoice approach. Lots of people love it/him, so who am I
to quibble??

 

[la szum]

Yeah, all those are some of the reasons I love playing drums so much. They're the engine of a song, just like car, even if you're at a stop sign, your engine is still going! (well, the majority are...for now). They're extremely gratifying to play, especially once you start really learning how to lock into a groove. It's just a blast.

For sure! I'm way more into grooves than I am shredding. One can be the basis for
a timeless song---the other a Youtube video with 37 likes.

Not that the two need to be mutually exclusive. Great Prog has room for both.

 

[unix-guy]

Not really. I didn't go too deep, so I suppose it's possible. Steve Morse doesn't really do it for me at all, which is interesting, since he's John Petrucci's biggest influence, and JP is mine, but I don't care for Steve. Of all MP's projects I've heard, I like the one with Derek Sherinian and Ron Thall. (Sons of Apollo)

And this is really weird: When I saw DT at 930 in DC (Scenes From A Memory), Dixie Dregs opened for them, and I was LOVING everything about them. The music was certainly off-center from what I usually gravitated to, but I went right out and bought their latest CD anyway. I absolutely hated it. So much in fact, I threw it out the window of my truck driving down the highway (which I've never done before or since.)

Music is SO subjective, and I don't think it can ever be explained why certain stuff resonates with us, and certain stuff doesn't. Or why there can be 2 people who share so much musical common ground, and one of them can love something that the other totally dislikes.

As they say, "there's no accounting for taste"!

I do like Morse and started with Dixie Dregs and then onto his solo stuff.

I like the songs from Flying Colors and I think a lot of the band's sound comes from Neal Morse's writing.

But I totally get what you're saying...

 

[la szum]

As they say, "there's no accounting for taste"!

I do like Morse and started with Dixie Dregs and then onto his solo stuff.

I like the songs from Flying Colors and I think a lot of the band's sound comes from Neal Morse's writing.

But I totally get what you're saying...

Trying to keep on Mike Portnoy's side projects and bands in 3... 2. ... and 1.

Isn't Transatlantic another one that Morse (Neal, not Steve) and Portnoy are in together
along with Flying Colours?? More of a 70's inspired Prog than a modern Prog band.

 

[unix-guy]

Trying to keep on Mike Portnoy's side projects and bands in 3... 2. ... and 1.

Isn't Transatlantic another one that Morse (Neal, not Steve) and Portnoy are in together
along with Flying Colours?? More of a 70's inspired Prog than a modern Prog band.

That was enjoyable... Again I think I can hear the Neal Morse influence.

I have one recent Neal Morse Band album and all the fingerprints are there.

 

[spagthorpe]

I saw John Wesley (PT’s touring guitarist) at a small venue in Annapolis MD a few years ago and he was outstanding. Had a chance to talk to him for a bit and he was an all around good dude.

Also I saw The Pineapple Thief (if you like Porcupine Tree you should check them out) also at a fairly small venue in Baltimore and Gavin Harrison was drumming for them. I probably spent more time paying attention to what he was playing the whole show rather than the entire band. To watch Gavin play from about 50 feet away is one hell of an experience.

I saw him open up for Marillion back in the 90s. I got to talk for a little. Yeah, really nice guy, and put on a great show. It was awesome when I first went to see PT live and saw him again.

I had listened to PT for years, having gotten turned on to them by my local record store prog-head. I tend to learn more to the earlier albums than the later ones. Surprisingly, I haven't really gotten into Steve Wilson's solo stuff. I do enjoy a number of his remix efforts on some old Tull albums for example. I don't know what it is about the solo albums.

 

[ruso]

Huge Steven Wilson fan here. Especially enjoy Porcupine Tree and Blackfield.

 

[deathbyguitar]

I didn't start listening to them until The Incident. I've heard a good amount of their studio albums and so far my favorite song is The Blind House...it's close to perfection IMO. Fear of a Blank planet is a fantastic album other than the whole "kids today are dumb" thing which is pretty cheesy to me.

Their FB page has been pretty active lately and they've been re-releasing old material on new formats. It sure does look like they're gearing up for a reunion.

 

[Gregmang]

I didn't start listening to them until The Incident. I've heard a good amount of their studio albums and so far my favorite song is The Blind House...it's close to perfection IMO. Fear of a Blank planet is a fantastic album other than the whole "kids today are dumb" thing which is pretty cheesy to me.

Their FB page has been pretty active lately and they've been re-releasing old material on new formats. It sure does look like they're gearing up for a reunion.

I’ve noticed that as well - their webpage has def been kicked into overdrive lately.

 

[Mott]

Well if Gavin is involved it will be a few months. He’s touring the US with Crimson from at least July to September. Got my tickets for Austin today.

 

[la szum]

Well if Gavin is involved it will be a few months. He’s touring the US with Crimson from at least July to September. Got my tickets for Austin today.

They'll be fine.... as they have a surplus of drummers.

 

[la szum]

This thread has me kind of stoked to take the Hot Kitty Amp Model and
pair it with a 1 x 12 IR and see if I can get close to Steven's live tone with PT.

Could also just start with the Hot Kitty Preset (50) and go from there, too.

 

[TSJMajesty]

This thread has me kind of stoked to take the Hot Kitty Amp Model and
pair it with a 1 x 12 IR and see if I can get close to Steven's live tone with PT.

Could also just start with the Hot Kitty Preset (50) and go from there, too.

That's one thing that I don't really care about with PT. For me, it's the textures of the music (and the drumming!!!) I personally don't hear anything worth chasing from either guitar. For like the heavy, drop-D riffs, the absolute, most awesome, jaw-dropping tone I've ever heard is Petrucci's, on "Home." Has a lot to do with how the bass is mixed with the guitars of course..., but still.

 

[TSJMajesty]

It sure does look like they're gearing up for a reunion.

If they do, other than FB, what would be the best way to be notified? I just checked their website, and there's a "Contact" page, but I'm not sure which of the recipients (e.g., Management, Fan Mail, Press/PR) I should use. I didn't see an email newsletter.