YTSEJAM Digest 6105 Today's Topics: 1) Best Buy by "Ambassador Nelaskon" 2) new VP album... by email_address_removed 3) DT on Billboard charts by Ilia 4) Green Carnation by "Niall Connaughton" 5) Re: Green Carnation by Mike Patrick 6) DT - ^DoIT by "Dr. Scott Mosher" 7) Andromeda, Lyle! by "Dr. Scott Mosher" 8) James LaBrie's 'new' vocal clothes. by "Dr. Scott Mosher" 9) Vaden Plas, Leonadro, Pain of Salvation, SDoIT by Robert Taylor 10) CDNO top 100 by Robert Taylor 11) DT on the new CDs stand in Tower Records Israel by yallin 12) RE: Andromeda, Lyle! by "Souter, Jan-Michael" 13) Disappear and other notes by Brian Hansen 14) Leonardo by Alexis Ramos 15) Re: Vocal melodies by email_address_removed (Steve Chew) 16) Prog Rock Radio by ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 07 Feb 2002 20:32:29 +0800 From: "Ambassador Nelaskon" To: ytsejam@torchsong.com Subject: Best Buy Message-ID: Well, it's taken me a while to write here ... As we all know, 6DoIT was released last Tuesday. Well, it was Thursday before I was able to get down to Best Buy to get me a copy. They had this bigass section set up for DT, and NO copies of 6DoIT there. A guy who worked there had to dig around all over the place in the back of the store to fiind ONE. The last one. The store had ordered, and recieved, 300 copies of it. In 2 days, all 300 had sold, and it may have been sooner than that. Who knows how many people looked for it and just went somewhere else because they didn't see it there? I just thought it was worthwhile to mention this. Here I thought NOBODY in my area knew who Dream Theater were, and one Best Buy sells 300 in less than 2 days. There is hope :) .. Now just to get "Blind Faith" and "The Great Debate" on the damned RADIO! That's all for now :) Cyaron -- "Never stop dreaming, because your dreams will never die. When you forget how to dream, you forget how to live." - Max Verran _______________________________________________ Sign-up for your own FREE Personalized E-mail at Mail.com http://www.mail.com/?sr=signup Win a ski trip! http://www.nowcode.com/register.asp?affiliate=1net2phone3a ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 7 Feb 2002 08:35:21 EST From: email_address_removed To: ytsejam@torchsong.com Subject: new VP album... Message-ID: I totally disagree...the album sounds nothing like any of the others ones IMHO especially far off grace.. -darlene ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 7 Feb 2002 05:48:20 -0800 (PST) From: Ilia To: ytsejam@torchsong.com Subject: DT on Billboard charts Message-ID: #46 on the billboard... let's see how far up it can make it! - Ilia http://www.44lbs.com __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Send FREE Valentine eCards with Yahoo! Greetings! http://greetings.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 8 Feb 2002 01:01:52 +1100 From: "Niall Connaughton" To: Subject: Green Carnation Message-ID: > Date: Wed, 6 Feb 2002 17:31:19 +1100 > From: Graham Boyle > To: Stephen Gervois > Subject: Re: Vanden Plas > Message-ID: > > If you want an awesome album, of true progressive metal, check out > Green Carnation 'light of day, day of darkness', 1 60 minute song. > A delightful combination of Pink Floyd, Opeth, Pain Of Salvation, DT > and even a bit of Rush. Hmm, that sounds like a really good combination, I might have to try me some of that! I went back and listened to UaGM last night after not having played any other music since I got 6DOIT 6 days ago, and gee it sounded odd. But, of course, it's the 6DOIT stuff that's fruity, Images is perfectly normal! ;P Cheers, Niall ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 7 Feb 2002 06:15:49 -0800 (PST) From: Mike Patrick To: ytsejam@torchsong.com Subject: Re: Green Carnation Message-ID: --0-944863928-1013091349=:20958 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii > If you want an awesome album, of true progressive metal, check out > Green Carnation 'light of day, day of darkness', 1 60 minute song. > A delightful combination of Pink Floyd, Opeth, Pain Of Salvation, DT > and even a bit of Rush. Are you sure you're not describing the new Wolverine? Man, those guys are back in a BIG way... Yes, the Green Carnation is very good. Some cheese but not much... Mike --------------------------------- Do You Yahoo!? Send FREE Valentine eCards with Yahoo! Greetings! --0-944863928-1013091349=:20958 ---YTSEJAM FILTER: Rest of message skipped because of attachment ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 07 Feb 2002 09:44:05 -0500 From: "Dr. Scott Mosher" To: ytsejam@torchsong.com Subject: DT - ^DoIT Message-ID: Yeah, those DAMN damn damn dirty apes of Dream Theater HAVE to fabricate a NEW CD and release it just as I am attempting to pick up the VIRTUALITY promotional campaign. Trapped in the wheels of the DT machine, coughing the dust up and rolling over the flames. Anyhow, sarcasm mode off. But yeah, still digesting the CD(s) and quite impressed. Not incredible, but I definitely like both better than SfaM. Very impressive. Lot of music, though. I'm STILL not acclimated to where I can differentiate the songs with the titles yet... Scott http://www.theambientmind.com/virtuality ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 07 Feb 2002 09:47:10 -0500 From: "Dr. Scott Mosher" To: ytsejam@torchsong.com Subject: Andromeda, Lyle! Message-ID: Hey man, I traded last year to obtain the Andromeda CD (Extention of the Wish) the 'old vocalist' version, which I think is a great CD. Somewhat reminscent of Dt, but not an overt clone like other bands (unmentioned, for now, haha!). Actually, the vocalist (i would assume, ex-vocalist) is an aquired taste here, but I can dig, man. I'm pretty sure they have a NEW and PERMANENT (well, as permanent as any new musician can be) vocalist. Haven't heard the NEW versions, but I have no problem with the old versions, either. Scott (VIRTUALITY) http://www.theambientmind.com/virtuality ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 07 Feb 2002 09:50:10 -0500 From: "Dr. Scott Mosher" To: ytsejam@torchsong.com Subject: James LaBrie's 'new' vocal clothes. Message-ID: James LaBrie vocal style suits me fine too. I find he's actually less abrasive and using more effects on his voice. Actually, in the opening song, the effect on his voice, and his singing style there kind of reminds me of Ray Alder's technique from Disconnected, and even Engine. Very interesting. Personal observation. ANyhow, I think it seems LaBrie has toned down the annoying vocal gymnastic and acrobatics somewhat, which is more pleasing to my ear, but to the progressive nut, I'm sure those subtlties get construed as 'losing it' (to quote a Rush song)... Controlled is right. Scott (VIRTUALITY) http://www.theambientmind.com/virtuality ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 7 Feb 2002 10:31:26 -0600 (CST) From: Robert Taylor To: Subject: Vaden Plas, Leonadro, Pain of Salvation, SDoIT Message-ID: First off, I found the new Vanden Plas through www.lasercd.com and got the edition with the bonus track of a Kansas cover ("Point of No Return") for $13. For the person who asked about Leonardo (don't remember and I already deleted the digest): personally, I really enjoyed it. If you like Trent Gardner's work (such as Explorer's Club) you would probably enjoy it. I don't have any of Trent's work with Magellan, so I cannot comment. I actually like the album more than Explorer's Club, though. It has a musical feel to it with all of the characters and different vocalists. It's grown on me with each listen. Besides James Labrie, Steve Walsh and the singer of Shadow Gallery are also on the album, as well as half a dozen others. I also just got the new Pain of Salvation. I highly recommend it. It's as good as any of their other releases. I find it hard to pick a favorite from among them all. I just think it's awesome that my two favorite bands released albums so close together! Now both albums can stay in my 3 disc changer. :) Musically, it's what you would expect from PoS (the unexpected). As for SDoIT, again, I find it hard to pick a favorite DT album. I'm just really enjoying the whole album, lyrics included. At first, I wasn't too fond of "Disappear," but after taking a closer look at the lyrics and repeated listens, it has really grown on me. I think it's really a great, emotional ballad. Very moody, and great lyrics from James. Robert Taylor email_address_removed http://www.students.uiuc.edu/~rctaylor ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 7 Feb 2002 10:35:09 -0600 (CST) From: Robert Taylor To: Subject: CDNO top 100 Message-ID: Check out the CDnow top 100. DT has the top 2 positions! Robert Taylor email_address_removed http://www.students.uiuc.edu/~rctaylor ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 07 Feb 2002 18:44:30 +0200 From: yallin To: ytsejam@torchsong.com Subject: DT on the new CDs stand in Tower Records Israel Message-ID: <000001c1aff6$bc452bf0$36ac003e@yallinmmd> Hi all, Yesterday I walked into a Tower Records store in Tel-Aviv, and surprisingly I spotted 6DoIT right away in the new CDs stand in the enterence to the store! This is in a country where 3 years ago asking the clerk for a Dream Theater album would result in some dance-ambient-trance cd... Just wanted to share my joy. shai ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 7 Feb 2002 11:20:50 -0600 From: "Souter, Jan-Michael" To: "'ytsejam@torchsong.com'" Subject: RE: Andromeda, Lyle! Message-ID: The Andromeda CD with the NEW singer kicks ass... I have both versions and the new singer sounds a lot better on that material... JM -----Original Message----- > From: Dr. Scott Mosher [SMTP:email_address_removed > > Hey man, I traded last year to obtain the Andromeda CD (Extention of the > Wish) the 'old vocalist' version, which I think is a great CD. Somewhat > reminscent of Dt, but > not an overt clone like other bands (unmentioned, for now, haha!). > Actually, the vocalist (i would assume, ex-vocalist) is an aquired taste > here, but I can dig, man. > I'm pretty sure they have a NEW and PERMANENT (well, as permanent as any > new musician can be) vocalist. Haven't heard the NEW versions, but I have > no problem with the > old versions, either. > > Scott (VIRTUALITY) > http://www.theambientmind.com/virtuality ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 7 Feb 2002 09:26:39 -0800 (PST) From: Brian Hansen To: ytsejam@torchsong.com Subject: Disappear and other notes Message-ID: Time to throw in my $.02 on the lyrics on SDoiT... Disappear - I liked this song right off. Seems to have a "Space-Dye Vest" feel to it. The sparse piano lines are somewhat "Moore-ish", and the distorted chords that Petrucci holds near the end are similar to SDV. Of course there's parts that aren't like SDV, such as the acoustic guitar portion where the piano just follows, and the Beatlesque portions. My fav song so far. I give the lyrics a B-. LaBrie wins the lyrics contest on this disc. The song SDoiT - About Overture, a funny comment from a friend was that it sounds like a Disney soundtrack. It is a little too upbeat and dramatic, but I'm actually getting used to it. As for the rest of the long "song", it's growing on me musically. But I give the lyrics a D-. Glass Prison - Music's good, and I'll give these lyrics a C. As was discussed, this is about alcoholism and AA. I'd point out that even the "Revelation" portion of the lyrics are AA related, as AA tells people to "turn themselves over to a higher power". I've heard (from a friend who got a DUI, and was forced to go), that they do it in a very generic sense, and there's no particular religion they're pushing, so even atheists/agnostics can try to relate. (Hey, is AA now a government sponsored religion if they force someone to go?) The rest - Music is growing on me, even some vocal melodies coming into view. The rest of the lyrics get a D- from me. I'll give it to Petrucci for these clever lines that can be taken two ways: "Turn to the light Don't be afraid of the shadows it creates Turning away would be a terrible mistake" Other than that, most of the lyrics on the disc take away from the experience. IMHO. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Send FREE Valentine eCards with Yahoo! Greetings! http://greetings.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 7 Feb 2002 11:56:40 -0800 (PST) From: Alexis Ramos To: ytsejam Subject: Leonardo Message-ID: Opinions on the album Leonardo the Absolute Man are very varied. I personally love the album, can't get enough of it. If you like Explorer's Club, there's a high probability that you will like Leonardo, although the showcase on this album is the vocalists instead of the guitarists and keyboardists. The music is still great, but there isn't as much wank as on Explorer's Club. The music in some parts reminds me of Overture (or whatever it's name is) on 6DoIT. I guess you're going to have to give it a couple of listens for yourself to see if it fits your tastes. Alexis __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Send FREE Valentine eCards with Yahoo! Greetings! http://greetings.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 7 Feb 2002 17:57:34 -0500 (EST) From: email_address_removed (Steve Chew) To: ytsejam@torchsong.com Subject: Re: Vocal melodies Message-ID: > >Okay...a bunch of you have been saying that James's vocals have gone >downhill...and you all liked him better in Awake and Images and Words...I >don't know if any of you read interviews or heard him speak, but he has said >that he can't scream like he used to because it was damaging his vocal cords. > Personally, I think he's sung beautifully in the past two albums. And how >many of you have listened to Leonardo, The Absolute Man. That's a good >album, and his vocals are excellent at Leonardo DaVinci. So what if he can't >scream anymore...that doesn't make him a bad singer... At least that is my >opinion... > Actually, what I said was that the vocal melodies have gone downhill. I like his vocal delivery at least as well now, if not better in some cases, than on the older albums. Anyway, I don't think anyone actually agreed with me. :) Since I'm stubborn and since no one seemed to agree with me on my vocal melody idea I'm throwing out some examples of what I mean to try to make my point. Keep in mind that I still like the newer songs, they just seem to often be missing the cool vocal melodies that I love from the older songs. I took another listen to samples from the various albums again and I found that on many of the newer songs the vocal melodies are simpler and less interesting (to me). What I mean by "simpler" is that the vocal lines tend to be shorter (fewer syllables), with longer gaps between each line, and often consist of a repetitive melody which only varies minutely for each line. One of the big problems for me is that often each lyrical line is delivered independently of the next line, with little carry over between them. Each line may only have 5 - 7 syllables followed by a relatively long gap to the next line which is delivered in a similar manner. I feel that the overall feel of this melodic style lacks energy and fluidity. On the other hand, the older songs tend to have vocal lines which are more complex. They're longer, crossing lyrical line boundaries. The melodies delivered encompass longer lyrical passages and can more easily have variety within them. Because of their length and variety they sound less repetitive. In the older songs this style is mixed in better with the shorter style which provides further variety. I feel this style is more fluid and provides more energy, which I enjoy more. For an example of the new style, off SFaM, listen to "Strange Deja Vu." The beginning verses show the style I'm talking about: "Every time I close my eyes" "There's another vivid surprise" "Another whole life waiting" "Chapters finished, fading" "Closer now - Slowly coming into view" "I've arrived - Blinding sunshine beaming through" Each of these lines is delivered independently, with gaps between them. While they do have some variation, the melody is basically the same for each line. There is little carry-over of energy between each line. Just to contradict myself a bit, the vocal melodies in "Strange Deja Vu" in the Victoria section tend to be more like the older style. :) For an example of the older style, off I&W, listen to "Pull Me Under." The beginning verses are fairly short, but they mix up the melodies between lines, reducing repetition. Plus, they tend to be more closely tied together. "Lost in the sky" "Clouds roll by and I roll with them" "Arrows fly" "Seas increase and then fall again" [Now changes melodies:] "This world is spinning around me" "The whole world is spinning without me" "Every day sends future to past" "Every day leaves me one less to my last" [For me, this next section epitomizes that wonderful vocal melodies that are prevelant throughout the earlier albums:] "Watch the sparrow falling" "Gives new meaning to it all" "Not today nor yet tomorrow" "Then some other day" ... ---- Notice how in that last section (which continues into the next verse) the vocal melody is very long with no separation between lines. It all ties together and has a ton of energy. For a similar example, take a listen to "Fatal Tragedy" (new style). These lines are longer but still feel independent from each other. There are some variations within each line to give it a little more energy though. "I shut the door and traveled to another home" "I met an older man, he seemed to be alone" "I felt that I could trust him" "He talked to me that night" -- "Learning to Live" (old style). Longer melodies and more variation between verses. The vocals flow smoothly and build on each other. "There was no time for pain" "No energy for anger" "The sightlessness and hatred slips away" "Walking through winter streets alone" "He stops and takes a breath" "With confidence and self-control" ---- Now take a listen to "Blind Faith." (new style) It has similar issues of lyrical lines being delivered independently of each other and shorter vocal melodies with less variety. For me they lack energy. "Sick of all of this" "The suffering and we just carry on" "Isn't it time we care and lose the hate" "Understand our fears" -- However, on 6DoIT, "Misunderstood" is a good example of the older vocal style. It starts off with shorter lines and then goes into more complex and energetic ones and maintains that for most of the song: "How can I feel abandoned when the world surrounds me" "How can I bite the hand that feeds the strangers all around me" "How can I know so many" "Never really knowing anyone" I think that "Glass Prison" and "The Great Debate" also have some good vocal melodies, but aren't quite as consistent about it as I'd like. --- Obviously I pulled out examples that I felt illustrated my point. And the whole thing is really subjective. Perhaps I'm barking up the wrong tree -- maybe it's the lyrics or even the music which are behind what I perceive to be a lack of energy in the vocals. But, I tend to think that the "new style" lyrics listed above could have had melodic lines attached to them which would improve their energy and flow. What do you think? Steve ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 7 Feb 2002 22:25:28 -0500 From: To: ytsejam@torchsong.com Subject: Prog Rock Radio Message-ID: <20020208032528.WTGI28702.imf06bis.bellsouth.net@localhost> Hello all, Recently I started a new Progressive Rock station at http://www.shoutcast.com or with Winamp installed you can go directly to the station by going to http://65.188.251.157:8000/listen.pls This channel has a large selection of Progressive Rock featuring Dream Theater, Rush, Enchant, Shadow Gallery, Queensryche, Playtpus, Explorer's Club, and TransAtlantic just to name a few. Check it out and hope you all enjoy, ThWizard ------------------------------ End of YTSEJAM Digest 6105 ************************** === Contributions to ytsejam: ytsejam@torchsong.com === === Send requests to: ytsejam-request@torchsong.com === === Brought by the ghost of ytsejam@arastar.coms past === === Reach the owner of this list at: ytsejam-owner@torchsong.com ===