YTSEJAM Digest 596 Today's Topics: 1) by 2) Re: Accesibility of Metropolis by Phil Felicia 3) promo cds by "Steve M. Bauer" 4) Next Singles by James=Utz%Mech%PCPD=email_address_removed 5) WDAJU by Matt Leger 6) Re: Birthdates and more ... by email_address_removed (Chris White) 7) CIAW video??? by "Douglas Slauson" 8) Re: CIAW video??? by Michael Bahr 9) Re: Next Singles by email_address_removed (Zack Gemmill) 10) Re: WDAJU by email_address_removed (Dr. Mosh) 11) by email_address_removed (Dr. Mosh) 12) Re: New Revamped FAQ by email_address_removed 13) New Revamped FAQ correction by BERTAPELLE ADAM RAYE 14) Awake on vinyl by "Cackowski, David" ---------------------------------------------------------------------- /Hee, that Wanted: Dead Or Alive thing is John Petrucci solo /w/a drum machine & Kevin Moore's roommate, Rich (who also /used to be John P.'s Mesa-Boogie rep), on lead vocals...or /whatever you want to call that screeching!haha ;) John /recorded it originally for one of his guitar pupils to practice /to and Rich added the vocals later without John's knowledge! /Pretty funny stuff! 4.2 What is "A Fortune In Lies" about? According to Mike, it was about a friend of theirs who was busted for stealing, and the experience he gleaned from it. 4.3 Where is the sampled voice in "A Fortune In Lies" from? Mike Portnoy recorded it off a television documentary about the prison system. 4.4 What does "The Ytse' Jam" mean? YTSEJAM is MAJESTY written backwards, and it probably refers to their original band name in that ambiguous way instrumentals refer to things. 4.5 What is "The Killing Hand" about? John does not comment on it often, but Mike Portnoy opened up in an interview about why it was written and what he "thinks" it's about. In the interview Portnoy is very careful to remind the reader that he Could be all wrong, but that it's not likely. Petrucci wrote it as a sort of "Twilight Zone" story about war, in which he witnesses all these atrocities, and sees the names of the dead on a wall, and then realizes it's been him this whole time causing all the atrocities... then he sees his name on the wall, very Rod Serling-type of stuff. 4.6 Is "Afterlife" a Christian song? Is "Eve"? While the band admits Afterlife has Christian overtones, it is not a religious tune in the same spirit as the music of King's X or Parallax. Eve, the piano/guitar intro sequence used live for both Pull Me Under and Learning To Live at different times, includes a lot of voice samples including "Guide us on to our Lord Jesus, guide us home." Kevin Moore and John Myung are the more religious members of the band (compared to the secular Portnoy) and Moore wrote it, so while it is certainly not a Stryper-style preach jam, it can be classified as a Christian song. Mike indicated in an interview that Kevin Moore was aiming at that, but that (like in the Killing Hand case) he didn't write it himself so he couldn't guarantee the meaning was exactly right. 4.7 What is "Pull Me Under" about? The current explanation goes that it was inspired by Shakespeare's "Hamlet". Prince Hamlet swore vengeance on King Claudius for murdering his father, the former King, and then marrying his mother, still Queen. Hamlet's famous Soliloquy was the passage in which the conflict in Hamlet's mind is detailed, and the second verse of "Pull Me Under" coincides pretty thoroughly with it. The very end of the song James can be heard singing this line from Hamlet: "Oh that this too, too solid flesh would melt." Furthermore, after seeing the video, in an interview, Portnoy said "Who the hell was that wolfman guy in the video anyway? We had written it based on something else entirely." Portnoy noted that while Moore did not write PMU about Hamlet specifically, he DID write PMU about what Hamlet was ABOUT. Same themes, ideas, etc. Here's the no-brainer explanation: _____ _ _ __ __ _ _ _ | __ \ | | | | \/ | | | | | | | | |__) | _| | | | \ / | ___ | | | |_ __ __| | ___ _ __ | ___/ | | | | | | |\/| |/ _ \ | | | | '_ \ / _` |/ _ \ '__| | | | |_| | | | | | | | __/ | |__| | | | | (_| | __/ | |_| \__,_|_|_| |_| |_|\___| \____/|_| |_|\__,_|\___|_| . _.._ _| (_][ )(_] _-_- ,, , /, _ || || || __ < \, \\/\\/\\ || _-_ =||= ~||- - /-|| || || || || || \\ || ||===|| (( || || || || || ||/ || ( \_, | \/\\ \\ \\ \\ \\ \\,/ \\, ` a comparison by Pete "Ender" Walsh PULL ME UNDER Images: Dream Theater Words: Moore Lost in the sky Clouds roll by and I roll with them KING CLAUDIUS [to Hamlet] How is it that the clouds still hang on you? Arrows fly Seas increase and then fall again HAMLET To be, or not to be: that is the question: Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, And by opposing end them? To die: to sleep; No more; and by a sleep to say we end The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks That flesh is heir to, 'tis a consummation Devoutly to be wish'd. To die, to sleep; To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub; For in that sleep of death what dreams may come [and so on...] This world is spinning around me This world is spinning without me Every day sends future to past Every breath leaves one less to my last Watch the sparrow falling Gives new meaning to it all If not today nor yet tomorrow then some other day HAMLET Not a whit, we defy augury: there's a special providence in the fall of a sparrow. If it be now, 'tis not to come; if it be not to come, it will be now; if it be not now, yet it will come: the readiness is all: since no man has aught of what he leaves, what is't to leave betimes? I'll take seven lives for one [Hamlet is responsible, in some way, for seven deaths in the play.] And then my only father's son As sure as I did ever love him I am not afraid Ghost I am thy father's spirit, Doom'd for a certain term to walk the night, And for the day confined to fast in fires, Till the foul crimes done in my days of nature Are burnt and purged away. But that I am forbid To tell the secrets of my prison-house, I could a tale unfold whose lightest word Would harrow up thy soul, freeze thy young blood, Make thy two eyes, like stars, start from their spheres, Thy knotted and combined locks to part And each particular hair to stand on end, Like quills upon the fretful porpentine: But this eternal blazon must not be To ears of flesh and blood. List, list, O, list! If thou didst ever thy dear father love-- HAMLET O God! Ghost Revenge his foul and most unnatural murder. HAMLET Murder! Ghost Murder most foul, as in the best it is; But this most foul, strange and unnatural. HAMLET Haste me to know't, that I, with wings as swift As meditation or the thoughts of love, May sweep to my revenge. - AND - HAMLET Ay, so, God be wi' ye; [Exeunt ROSENCRANTZ and GUILDENSTERN] Now I am alone. [...etc, etc...] O, vengeance! Why, what an ass am I! This is most brave, That I, the son of a dear father murder'd, [...etc, etc...] This world is spinning around me The whole world keeps spinning around me All life is future to past Every breath leaves me one less to my last Pull me under Pull me under Pull me under I'm not afraid All that I feel in honor and spite All I can do is set it right HAMLET Rest, rest, perturbed spirit! [They swear] So, gentlemen, With all my love I do commend me to you: And what so poor a man as Hamlet is May do, to express his love and friending to you, God willing, shall not lack. Let us go in together; And still your fingers on your lips, I pray. The time is out of joint: O cursed spite, That ever I was born to set it right! - AND - HAMLET [...] When honour's at the stake. How stand I then, That have a father kill'd, a mother stain'd, Excitements of my reason and my blood, And let all sleep? while, to my shame, I see The imminent death of twenty thousand men, That, for a fantasy and trick of fame, Go to their graves like beds, fight for a plot Whereon the numbers cannot try the cause, Which is not tomb enough and continent To hide the slain? O, from this time forth, My thoughts be bloody, or be nothing worth! Dust fills my eyes Clouds roll by and I roll with them Centuries cry Orders fly and I fall again This world is spinning inside me The whole world is spinning inside of me Every day sends future to past Every step brings me closer to my last Pull me under Pull me under Pull me under I'm not afraid Living my life too much in in the sun Only until your will is done HAMLET Not so, my lord; I am too much i' the sun. [in response to Claudius's comment on clouds, above.] Oh that this too Too solid flesh Would melt [Direct quote] HAMLET O, that this too too solid flesh would melt Thaw and resolve itself into a dew! 4.8 What is "Another Day" about? There are two schools of thought on the subject. Suicide is the most obvious meaning. Pretty much every verse supports the theme of a person trying to talk someone out of killing themself. "so die another day... better to save the mystery" Another equally valid point of view is that of mental illness, and trying to cope with it as the sufferer and/or family. "they took pictures of our dreams... etc" People on Ytsejam have dug up gobs of evidence to support both meanings, so pick and choose whichever one you feel is right, or find your own. After all, this is music, not math. :) 4.9 What is Take The Time about? The band wrote this as a joint effort just before LaBrie joined them, so the meanings are many and esoteric. However, in an interview, Portnoy has said it is just what it implies. You'll find all you need in your mind if you take the time. 4.10 What is being said in Italian in "Take the Time" and where is it from? It's Italian for "Now that I'm blind, I can see much clearer." It was from the film "Cinema Paradiso" as the following: "Adesso che ho perso la vista, ci vedo meglio e di piu" It's Not a coincidence that LaBrie sings "I can see much clearer now I'm blind" right before the sample. 4.11 What was the original title of "Surrounded"? Promotional cassettes for Images And Words had Surrounded labeled as "The Longest Night" on the sleeve. 4.12 What is "Surrounded" about? During the IAW tour they dedicated the song to Arthur Ashe, the tennis player who died of AIDS. However, the song seems more about enlightenment (in several forms) than death. The fact that Ashe was the first African-American tennis player to succeed in the sport supports this hypothesis. 4.13 What story is "Metropolis part I: The Miracle and the Sleeper" based on? It is based on the story of two twins from the Iliad (? or is it the Odyssey?) who are telepathically linked. It has no relation to the movie "Metropolis". Petrucci wrote it as a sort of fantasy epic, inspired by the likes of, you guessed it, Yes and Rush. The story itself is original (the twins are named Miracle and Sleeper and do not appear in literature) but the story type was Homeric. 4.14 What is "Wait For Sleep" about? Who is the girl/woman in "Wait For Sleep"? Kevin Moore has said she was a friend of his who had a spiritual void and a hard time filling it, reaching for something to believe in. It dealt with her fears about belief and her grief over a loved one's death. His explanation is longer, but that about says it. 4.15 What is "Learning to Live" about? This has been the bigger topic of discussion on the YML because Myung has commented briefly on it and Portnoy has, while not wanting to confirm it, indicated that the premise is correct in an interview. Learning to Live was inspired by the AIDS epidemic. Patricularly, the "From a common fear ... reach for life" passage, but the rest fits very snugly with the AIDS theme. 4.16 What is a "Vindaloo"? A Bombay Vindaloo is a hot spicy herb/pepper served on Indian food, usually chicken. It is also taken after drinks. My guess is DT got blasted in Asia or Europe and got to try this most interesting spice. :) 4.17 What is unique about the song "A Change of Seasons"? Several things. First of all, it's the first lyric work Mike Portnoy did. (of course, it is not the only vocal work Mike has done... Mike had the dubious priviledge of singing the end of "Surrounded" after James walked off the stage at one of the England shows) Second of all, it's the longest DT song at 20:42. It barely misses matching the longest Rush song on CD (2112, which is 20:47) and the longest Rush song on LP (2112, which was 21:12). This is a distinction because it's very rare to find bands comfortable with lengthy formats. Third of all, it's the only song that had LaBrie singing in it that has ONLY been recorded live, as in, not for any album. The other four songs that hold the live distinction are instrumentals. The band wants to record it very much. As Portnoy said, "We'd like to get that one off our chests. It's pretty meaningful to us." 4.18 Has anybody noticed the re-usable riff phenomenon? Yes. Pull Me Under and Take The Time share a melody, which is not quite a riff but is identical if juxtapositioned on a corresponding major/minor scale, and Wait For Sleep and Learning to Live also share a main riff. Thematically, none of the songs interconnect. Mike Portnoy has said that the music is written out before the lyrics are written and set to melody. It is possible (any interviews mention this?) that they were intended to be counterparts and that the relation was either scrapped or made more subtle. The PMU-TTT connection is not as direct as the WFS-LTL connection. The melody from PMU's "This World is spinning around me, this world is spinning without me" in a minor scale sung by LaBrie is reproduced at 4:18 of the TTT instrumental section in a major scale played by Petrucci. Thus, the remaining question is whether or not 16-note melodies are reproduced completely in coincidence on the same album by the same band. Also, all throughout Awake, there is a lot of intentional riff sharing. Without referring to the obvious Erotomania, which is MADE UP OF riffs from other songs, the Space Dye Vest piano melody was added to The Mirror, LSOAD, and Scarred. 4.19 Has anybody noticed the Another Song phenomenon? Yes. DT has a knack, it would seem, for Another Song titles. Another Won (from the Majesty demos), Another Day (from Images And Words) and Another Hand (prologue to The Killing Hand live and on LATM) are the factors of this phenomenon. The album "Awake" seems to have escaped this trap of nomenclature. 4.20 Who wrote "(To Live) Forever"? John Petrucci. 4.21 Did the demos "Death of Spark" and "Cry For Freedom" ever go anywhere? Yes. They became "The Ones Who Help to Set the Sun" and part of several instrumental improvisations. (listen to Bombay Vindaloo, Moon Bubbles, and Barfbag... it's in there.) 4.22 What is "Caught In A Web" about? Anyone? Anyone? ....Bueller? 4.23 What is "Lie" about? According to Moore, it's connected to the theme of The Mirror. Betrayal and disillusionment are the main ideas. 4.24 What is "Space Dye Vest" about? How does Kevin come up with this stuff? From Michael Burstin (email_address_removed): You might want to add to the FAQ at some point where the long soundbite in the middle of SDV comes from. I identified it quite awhile ago, actually, since it's from one of my favorite movies. :) It goes "...he's the sort who can't know anyone intimately, least of all a woman. He doesn't know what a woman is. He wants you for a possession, something to look at like a painting or an ivory box. Something to own and to display. He doesn't want you to be real, or to think, or to live. He doesn't love you. But I love you. I want you to have your own thoughts and ideas and feelings, even when I hold you in my arms...it's our last chance." It's from the film _A Room With A View_ and it's spoken by actor Julian Sands' character, George Emerson. In the scene in which these words are spoken, he's trying to convince the woman he loves, Lucy Honeychurch (played by Helena Bonham Carter), who is engaged to be married to someone else, that she's making a horrible mistake and that she truly belongs with him instead. It's a very powerful, moving scene in the film and ever since I saw it, I couldn't forget his passionate speech. Then Kevin goes and uses it in a song! Weird. :) Another interesting connection between SDV and _A Room With A View_ is that Kevin based most of the song around a chord progression that's actually *from* the movie! I didn't notice this until a few days ago when a friend of mine rented the movie and invited me over to watch it. Then I noticed some background music that sounded *awfully* familiar. ;) It only appears in the movie a couple of times in very short sections, but it's *definitely* the same chord progression that Kevin used in SDV. Interesting, isn't it? That movie must have made quite an impression on him. :) 3.25 Anyone notice that Erotomania contains snippets of all the songs on the first half of Awake? Yes. 3.26 Who sings backup vocals on The Silent Man? John Petrucci. END OF FAQ Again, for any corrections, information, or if you just need a snide comment to liven up your day, mail me at email_address_removed and be prepared to explain why you woke me up. :) -=- ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 22 Nov 1994 16:03:39 -0400 (EDT) From: Phil Felicia To: email_address_removed Subject: Re: Accesibility of Metropolis Message-ID: >>> Yes, anyone not interested in music as music would probably go >>> nuts at the polyrythms in Metropolis I. Any band that deviates from >>> 4/4 time I can respect, even if I might not like them. This was one of >>> the reasons I got into Rush at first - as a previous marching band >>> member and drum major, polyrythms are a fetish of mine. But to the >>> average radio listener, it soundslike the band is confused and is >>> f%^&ing up trying to get back together. >> >> First I gotta disggree and give more credit ro the average radio >> listener. I've got lots of buddies who aren't musicians at all, >> butaare fascinated by the complexity of Dream Theater's tunes. Also, I > >I would definatly agree there.... using myself as the perfect >example... I don't play any instrument, yet I completly and totally >appreciate the complexity of DT's songs... (although this probably at >least partially comes from the fact that over half of my friends at >home are musicians...) > I think the *Average Radio Listener* refered to in the first post is the same kind of person who: 1 watches eMpTyV five hours a day, 2 enjoys shows like the Real World 3 has an attention span of four minutes 4 thinks that bands like Rush and DT cant hold a beat(non-4/4 time) I think it is for these reason that they cannot enjoy/respect the talent of bands like Rush and DT. (if they can only focus their attention for four minutes, that rules out almost all Rush and DT songs) TRUST ME!!! THESE PEOPLE ACTUALLY EXIST!! And there are alot of them! I usually end up having them as my roomates :( Phil, ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 22 Nov 1994 14:44:38 -0500 (EST) From: "Steve M. Bauer" To: email_address_removed Subject: promo cds Message-ID: I am wondering how I can obtain the Instumental bootleg, the "Lie" promo cd and the "Caught In A Web" promo cd. I have lots to trade including 2 Fates Warning guitar picks (one of Jim's and one of Frank's)and an original Majest demo tape from 1986 still in its plastic wrapper. Please post if interested. Thank You! Dream Theater Rules!!!! ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 22 Nov 94 17:07:51 CST From: James=Utz%Mech%PCPD=email_address_removed To: email_address_removed Subject: Next Singles Message-ID: I spoke with James LaBrie after the Houston show, and I asked him what the next singles would be. He said "Silent Man" might be a single in Europe. The next single in the US, following "Caught In A Web", might be "Lifting Shadows Off A Dream". James email_address_removed ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 22 Nov 1994 18:52:13 -0500 (EST) From: Matt Leger To: email_address_removed Subject: WDAJU Message-ID: Hey kids, I was just thinking. (That's something new). It seems that the When Dream And James Unite disk thing has been blown out of the water because of legalities. This is probably going to sound really stupid but here goes: I know bootlegs are "illegal" but CD versions are still made.... why can't we do the same??? Obviously the people who make the bootlegs don't get arrested that often or at all. The same goes for the distributors, are they constantly running from the law because they sell this "illegal" merchandise??? I guess I still am hopeful about this project.... Later, Matt ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 22 Nov 94 19:16:30 EST From: email_address_removed (Chris White) To: email_address_removed Subject: Re: Birthdates and more ... Message-ID: I have a copy of the audition tapes I could send ya if you want. Let me know if you already have offers :) Chris ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 22 Nov 1994 18:37:49 CST From: "Douglas Slauson" To: email_address_removed Subject: CIAW video??? Message-ID: Has anyone seen the CIAW video, or hasn't it been released yet? I'll be watching HBB this weekend, so maybe it'll turn up. Also, does anyone know when the video for "Monument" (FW) might show up, if ever? Douglas ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo Tonight you sleep in Hell... There can be only one! oooooooooooo email_address_removed oooooooooooo ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 22 Nov 1994 23:18:49 -0700 (MST) From: Michael Bahr To: email_address_removed Subject: Re: CIAW video??? Message-ID: > Has anyone seen the CIAW video, or hasn't it been released yet? > I'll be watching HBB this weekend, so maybe it'll turn up. It's supposed to hit this weekend or the next. Mike Bahr, email_address_removed ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 22 Nov 94 22:24:16 PST From: email_address_removed (Zack Gemmill) To: email_address_removed Subject: Re: Next Singles Message-ID: > From: James=Utz%Mech%PCPD=email_address_removed > > > I spoke with James LaBrie after the Houston show, and I asked him what the > next singles would be. He said "Silent Man" might be a single in Europe. > The next single in the US, following "Caught In A Web", might be "Lifting > Shadows Off A Dream". > > James > email_address_removed > "Well that's great, but let's not start sucking each other's dicks just yet..." (paraphrase of Mr. Wolf in Pulp Fiction). IOW, they could release their entire music catalogue as "singles", but we'd never hear any of it because AOR stations just aren't playing DT. I've heard PMU twice as much as I've heard Lie since the latter was released. I can't believe there are people actually calling up the station saying "that song sucks! don't play it anymore!" so... (I *did* hear the LATM version of PMU once). What's the deal? I hear a lot of non-trendy crappy songs that no one listens to that get played more than DT. What factors could be causing this phenomenon? Any people in radio care to offer special insight? Is something else going on? Should I post this to alt.conspiracy..? Zach? ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 23 Nov 1994 02:32:57 PST From: email_address_removed (Dr. Mosh) To: email_address_removed Subject: Re: WDAJU Message-ID: > >Hey kids, > > I was just thinking. (That's something new). It seems that the When >Dream And James Unite disk thing has been blown out of the water because >of legalities. This is probably going to sound really stupid but here goes: >I know bootlegs are "illegal" but CD versions are still made.... why >can't we do the same??? Obviously the people who make the bootlegs don't >get arrested that often or at all. The same goes for the distributors, >are they constantly running from the law because they sell this "illegal" >merchandise??? > >I guess I still am hopeful about this project.... > >Later, >Matt > Cause if you noticed, these bootlegs are made in Italy and various other European countries which have different copyright laws then we do... and sometimes what we consider bootleg here is not even bootleg in Europe... perfectly legal... so if you wanna run down to Italy and cut us a few CD's... no prob! -The Doc -- #$%*#$*@ REAL: email_address_removed + VIRTUAL: email_address_removed *@#$*@#$ *$%&%#$* The Dream Theater Archives: ftp.netcom.com: /pub/drkhoe/dt &*@#$*@$ **%^$#$% WWW: "ftp://ftp.netcom.com/pub/drkhoe/www/dthome.html" #$**@#*$ *$*$*$*# Reality Enhancement Software - Engineering Reality *$&#*#@$ ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 23 Nov 1994 02:34:05 PST From: email_address_removed (Dr. Mosh) To: email_address_removed Message-ID: Chris Collins was rough around the edges... but he had gusto... Dominici was short of breath... -The Doc -- #$%*#$*@ REAL: email_address_removed + VIRTUAL: email_address_removed *@#$*@#$ *$%&%#$* The Dream Theater Archives: ftp.netcom.com: /pub/drkhoe/dt &*@#$*@$ **%^$#$% WWW: "ftp://ftp.netcom.com/pub/drkhoe/www/dthome.html" #$**@#*$ *$*$*$*# Reality Enhancement Software - Engineering Reality *$&#*#@$ ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 23 Nov 94 10:21:57 -0800 From: email_address_removed To: email_address_removed Subject: Re: New Revamped FAQ Message-ID: > 2.6 Marillion is thanked in the liners in IAW, whats the relation? > > Dream Theater opened for Marillion in New York (anyone have the > exact date?). Mike Portnoy also said, "We're all really big fans. I > really dig 'Misplaced Childhood'." Whether Dream Theater and Phish are > familiar with each other is not certain. This is probably a very stupid question but I would like to know what does Phish have to do with Marillion or Dream Theater? Shouldn't it be Fish by any chance? Kinga ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 23 Nov 1994 13:04:52 -0700 (MST) From: BERTAPELLE ADAM RAYE To: email_address_removed Subject: New Revamped FAQ correction Message-ID: In the influence section, it is written that Petrucci is keen to Pantera....Shouldn't this say Portnoy? ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 23 Nov 94 17:54:00 EST From: "Cackowski, David" To: email_address_removed Subject: Awake on vinyl Message-ID: <2ED3F2B1@OSCS_MAIL_GATE> Well, I finally got it gang. Yes, indeed. The vinyl copy of "Awake" that I have been seeking since it's release finally arrived in my mailbox last Thursday. Anyone who wants details or how to obtain their own copy, please e-mail me privately or to the list. Happy turkey day jammers, Dave C. Cleveland ------------------------------ End of YTSEJAM Digest 596 *************************