Redemption

Dream Theater released their new album, "Black Clouds and Silver Linings" this past Tuesday. Of course, I purchased it as soon as Best Buy opened their doors. At 10:01 am, I was a proud owner. I have listened to the songs a few times (all but one of them, actually...read on for details). The base album consisted of six songs. Five were good. The second disc on the special edition (I always buy the SE) had some new covers. One of them was Iron Maiden's "To Tame a Land". As Dan (Flapperwax drummer) said, you can't get a cut any deeper than that. The original is the last song on "Piece of Mind". Dream Theater executed brilliantly, but Iron Maiden's version is the better of the two. Just like no one can make Dream Theater songs sound better, no one can make Iron Maiden songs better. All they can simply do is pay respectable homage and maybe introduce their own flavor. In the case of Dream Theater, I couldn't have asked for more.

There was a third disc. The third disc is the instrumentals of every song on disc one. In other words, no lyrics.

As with Systematic Chaos (DT's last album), I will break down my review of disc one in order of song:

1. "A Nightmare to Remember" - This song is pretty good. It is similar - as Mike (linked right) noticed - to so many other first songs on DT albums. It gives its fans what they want, but it isn't fabulous. I will listen to it a couple more times, but I have the feeling that it will be a song I won't commit much more of my time to.

2. "A Rite of Passage" - The song is fantastic. I guess it is the track sent to the radio stations, and I can see that. Everything about this song is put together well, and it is definitely a tune the general public can embrace.

3. "Whither" - I have mixed feelings here. While it is the best vocal performance of the album, I can't help but feel a little let down that it is about writer's block. I dodn't catch that until Mike pointed it out. It is arranged beautifully on an instrumental side as well. I just have a hard time believing writer's block is all that gut wrenching. The way James LaBrie sings it, you would think his dog dies or something. If I choose to ignore the theme of the song, I can appreciate it for the beautiiful song it is. Maybe I'll do that.

4. "The Shattered Fortress" - This may be my favorite song on the album. This or the next track. Mike (sorry to bring you up so much, but I sincerely hope people read both takes) has noted that it reprises the other four songs from the alchohol saga that have appeared over the last four albums. My opinion on the matter is that they did exactly what they should have done. This song brings closure to the epic. The first of the epic was "My Glass Prison" off of Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence. How appropriate is this title of the final song of the series. To drive the point home, this song actually ends with the beginning riff from "My Glass Prison". While there is more new additions than there are reprisals, the latter made the song whole, and the series complete. I cannot say enough good things about this song.

5. "The Best of Times" - This is snother song about a band member's dead father. What I love about Dream Theater is that they pay their respects to their loved ones in a way I could only dream of doing. Additionally, this is one of their best songs in a long time. Right now, this song struggles with the last one for #1. The Guitar solo is even more emotive than Whither's...and this song is about a subject that I can emotionally embrace.

6. "The Count of Tuscany" - this is the meh of all mehs. Dream Theater has to stop writing long songs for the sake of having long songs. The length of this tune is all Mike Portnoy, and I hold him largely responsible. For those of you who have heard it, imagine the first 5 1/2 minutes of Octavarium*. Now multiply the length of it by three. That is "The Count of Tuscany" for you. There is nothing memorable about the song. Dream Theater will never top "A Change of Seasons" in this category, so they should stop trying. Of course, I refer to the category of epic songs that are not broken down into separate tracks. SFAM and Six Degrees don't count.

All in all, the album is very good. Still, nothing they have done holds a candle to Images and Words. However, I am glad they don't. If they kept releasing songs like they did back in the day, there would be no progression, and nothing special about I&W. That said, this album was a huge step in the right direction from their last one.

Change of subject...

I haven't posted this yet, but Mike Seppy will be in town on businees in a couple weeks. I am excited about that. He gets a per diem food allowance (and keeps the remainder). He has graciously offered to feed me while he is here. I won't get to see him every day he is in town, but it has been over a year and it is high time we see eachother. His plans for moving here are on a slight defferment. Who knows, maybe the defferment will be permanant once he feels Phoenix in July.

Speaking of Mike, I came a cross some of his old artwork from the late 90's while I was at work the other day. Mike used to draw Manga style quite a bit for a while there. I have no idea whether he still does it, but he is pretty good. One was of me back in my Bujinkan (and long hair) days. I thought I would share it. I am wielding a Shoge if you were wondering:





Looking forward to seeing him again.



Finally, let's get some music up here. I have decided against Dream Theater. Instead, I would like to play a video of one of the songs my band is planning to cover. It is "Wild Child" by W.A.S.P.

Yum

I have made some decisions recently that should interest my four readers. First, I am putting my financial services idea on ice for a little while. When it comes down to it, I just don't have the time. Sure, I could pick up a client or two, but a full-fledged business just won't work. I have decided to continue with my degree and even possibly wait until I have my Masters in 2011 to start it. By then I will have enough classroom time to get my CPA and CMA.

As for my blog, I will start posting more items of significance. Mostly, they will be topics that interest me. I will occasionally post political topics of course, but I will also be writing about financial health, debit and credit card safety (this is what I do for a living afterall), Egyptology, and whatever else puts me in the mood to write.

Still, I will be posting music videos and whatnot because I am a rocker to the core, and there is noo use hiding it.

Speaking of rocking, Flapperwax is progressing apace. I am starting to catch up with the other guys whose catalogue is extensive. An announcement on a new member of the band will be made once it has been made official on the band's myspace page (linked right). Oh yeah, I added the band's page to my list of links. The recordings were done on protools by the guitarist. He laid down every track (though the drums are dome through a sampler). For a rough recording, they sound great. I am excited to see what it sounds like once we all lay down our tracks - particularly with the live drummer element.

My wife, Kristin, has entered the blogosphere. She has a blog (linked at right) dedicated to the cakes she has made. I am not sure whether it is to promote her cake decorating business, but if anyone here likes what they see, Kristin's services are always for sale. For cakes, I mean :-)

Back to rocking...

It has been a while since I have posted a music video. This time, it is not an '80s video this time. In fact, it was done in circa 1990. This is just about as heavy as it gets. Here is Judas Preist and "Painkiller"

Return of the muse

Some of you know I had to stop my martial arts training for a while. The ETA of my return is unknown. Basically, it depends on finances. If I get a higher paying job, then I go back. Luckily, I have been given time to look. My friends at the dojo were kind enough to let me freeze my account with them for three months so that I can return with the same terms as my original agreement. My hope is that this will be worked out before then.

Having no release from the day to day grind, I looked into less expensive means of therapy. So, on a whim I pulled up my dear old friend, phoenixbackpage.com. As usual, there were no shortages of musical projects looking for bass players. And as usual, most of the bands were in Phoenix or the west valley. One ad caught my attention. There was a band practicing out of a storage shed in Mesa who are in their thirties. I responded to them and went to jam with them on Monday. The chemistry was instant, and their music is challenging. I have practiced with them again since and have plans to practice tomorrow morning as well. At the rate I am learning the material, we may be performance ready in six weeks.

Another thing that this group has that none of the other bands I have worked with had was the willingness to agree on covers. Already we have an Iron Maiden cover close to ready and we have some other treats planned. I have had to pull teeth to get any band to agree on a cover to do (if we did them at all), so it is refreshing knowing that I do not to have to deal petty arguments. Additionally (bear in mind, the originals these guys have can sustain at least an entire setlist if not more), we are planning to have a catalogue of covers that we can cycle through to change the set up from performance to performance. Very exciting.

Thw most important element to me is the musical relationship with the drummer. He and I are spot on together. This is always my biggest worry. Oh, and don't suppose I wasn't ecstatic when I found out this group actually has a drummer. They are a rare breed around these parts.

Anyway, expect more news as it develops. Our goal is to go out, play, and have a good time. Priorities are family, work, then band (although I insert school between work and band). These guys are like-minded, share the same musical interests, are ego-free, and sober.

The band's name is Flapperwax.

Speaking of music, I heard a song the other day that was truly inspired. Seether did a cover of Wham's "Careless Whisper". This is yet another song that I have actually petitioned other projects I have been a part of to cover. They all said "no, it would be ghey". Well, they said the same thing when I would try to get them to do "Land of Confusion" and Disturbed made an amazing version. Good thing Flapperwax is of the mind to entertain remakes. I have some ideas that if we can arrange them, will stun our audience.

I digress.

I would like to point out that I am not a Seether fan. In fact, I don't like anything of theirs I have heard. However, this song is brilliant. Yet another testament to the fact that the 80's was the best decade for music. Here is a youtube video I pulled up for the song. Sorry, Seether is in this photo montage, but it beats Twilight: