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Thread: Is Portnoy misunderstood ?

  1. #26
    Studmuffin Scott Bails's Avatar
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    I think you have to consider the context of the music he plays.


    Honestly, I prefer a lighter touch, too, but for the type of music Portnoy plays, he's pretty damn good.
    Music isn't about chops, or even about talent - it's about sound and the way that sound communicates to people. Mike Keneally

  2. #27
    Quote Originally Posted by Splicer View Post
    He bashes the drums. I like a jazzier and lighter touch.

    I dont !

  3. #28
    Member Yodelgoat's Avatar
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    I Loved Portnoy in DT. Outside he is really, -pun intended - hit and miss. I think Mike likes a different kind of music than I do, and bless his heart, that's totally fine. I think he wishes for the popularity of his old gig, but didn't want to die playing those same songs for the rest of his life. I hope he is doing well enough to make ends meet comfortably, but he seems to be playing to the crowd of younger people who prefer their music free and easily downloaded. Its not a happy place. Breaking through again to get back to where DT is today, is the equivalent to lightning striking twice - in the middle of a drought. I think he's still trying to land on his feet. He is a supremely talented drummer. If that is a misunderstanding, then yeah, He is misunderstood, at least by me.

  4. #29
    A person can be true to their artistic musings and possibly starve or they can not look a gift horse in the mouth.

  5. #30
    Insect Overlord Progatron's Avatar
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    I think Mike's best drumming has been on the Neal Morse albums he's played on. Neal seems to bring out the best in Mike, personally and professionally from what I can tell.
    Interviewer of reprobate ne'er-do-well musicians of the long-haired rock n' roll persuasion at: www.velvetthunder.co.uk and former scribe at Classic Rock Society. Only vaguely aware of anything other than music.

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  6. #31
    Studmuffin Scott Bails's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Progatron View Post
    I think Mike's best drumming has been on the Neal Morse albums he's played on. Neal seems to bring out the best in Mike, personally and professionally from what I can tell.
    I would agree with this.
    Music isn't about chops, or even about talent - it's about sound and the way that sound communicates to people. Mike Keneally

  7. #32
    Parrots Ripped My Flesh Dave (in MA)'s Avatar
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    No.

    He's just a soul whose intentions are good.

  8. #33
    Member Garion81's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Yodelgoat View Post
    I hope he is doing well enough to make ends meet comfortably, but he seems to be playing to the crowd of younger people who prefer their music free and easily downloaded. Its not a happy place. Breaking through again to get back to where DT is today, is the equivalent to lightning striking twice - in the middle of a drought. I think he's still trying to land on his feet.
    I think you might be surprised at how successful TA, Flying Colors and The Winery Dogs projects have been. Not DT successful but certainly way more than enough to pay the bills. Even the NM projects have done well especially in Europe. I think Mike just has a lot music he wants to play and when his name gets attached it already demands attention. I have seen Mike play In several of his projects and never with DT so I cannot say if that band was what was his calling or not. I do think he adds tremendously to every project he is in. I have seen Neal with and without him and Neal is much better with him. Just for clarity I have seen him also with Flying Colors, Yellow Matter Custard, Liquid Tension Experiment and Transatlantic.

  9. #34
    Jefferson James
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    Jerry Blank: "But Mr. Jellineck, what about your dream of becoming an artist?"

    Mr. Jellineck: "I have a new dream now, Jerry: trying not to freeze to death."

  10. #35
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dave (in MA) View Post
    No.

    He's just a soul whose intentions are good.
    Nice.

    Quote Originally Posted by Yodelgoat View Post
    I hope he is doing well enough to make ends meet comfortably, but he seems to be playing to the crowd of younger people who prefer their music free and easily downloaded. Its not a happy place. Breaking through again to get back to where DT is today, is the equivalent to lightning striking twice - in the middle of a drought.
    It seems like the demand for TA is decent, and I would imagine that along with FC and Neal, those bring him in enough to at least be making ends meet. But I'd wager it's The Winery Dogs that really stand a chance at making the lightning strike all over the place. The pre-release promos have been huge and it seems like the cards are there for this power trio to do quite well. I don't know how that compares with what DT brought in, but at least there's less people to split the pie with!

  11. #36
    Highly Evolved Orangutan JKL2000's Avatar
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    ^ My prediction is that The Winery Dogs will fail, based largely on that stupid-ass name!

  12. #37
    Member PotatoSolution's Avatar
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    There have been plenty of successful bands with stupid-ass names. (The Flower Kings, anyone?)

  13. #38
    Studmuffin Scott Bails's Avatar
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    Music isn't about chops, or even about talent - it's about sound and the way that sound communicates to people. Mike Keneally

  14. #39
    Member Mikhael's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by PotatoSolution View Post
    There have been plenty of successful bands with stupid-ass names. (The Flower Kings, anyone?)
    Well, the FK aren't really successful in the larger music realm, either.
    Gnish-gnosh borble wiff, shlauuffin oople tirk.

  15. #40
    Insect Overlord Progatron's Avatar
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    I actually really like the name The Flower Kings. It matches their sort of positive, cosmic Jon Anderson-tinged approach. In fact, I remember when I got their live album "Tour Kaputt" in the mail, I was in the elevator on my way up to my condo when a rather attractive twentysomething girl noticed it and asked me what kind of music it was. She said "The Flower Kings, cool! What are they like?" and I said "Well, kind of like classic rock I guess" (I know, not an apt description, but I'm tired of explaining what prog is to dumbfounded expressions)... and she said "Cool, I'll check them out!"

    And I was like, "I'd like to check you out." ... and then we made out hardcore in the elevator.

    One sentence in this post is not true. I'm not going to tell you which one.
    Interviewer of reprobate ne'er-do-well musicians of the long-haired rock n' roll persuasion at: www.velvetthunder.co.uk and former scribe at Classic Rock Society. Only vaguely aware of anything other than music.

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  16. #41
    Progdog ThomasKDye's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Progatron View Post
    One sentence in this post is not true. I'm not going to tell you which one.
    Duh. It's the part where she said "Cool, I'll check them out!" Don't think the office building's janitorial services didn't make announcements about the carpet-cleaning job in the elevator.

    ... You know, I'm kind of drugged right now ...

  17. #42
    Insect Overlord Progatron's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by ThomasKDye View Post
    Duh. It's the part where she said "Cool, I'll check them out!"
    Oh! So close!

    That part is gloriously true.
    Interviewer of reprobate ne'er-do-well musicians of the long-haired rock n' roll persuasion at: www.velvetthunder.co.uk and former scribe at Classic Rock Society. Only vaguely aware of anything other than music.

    *** Join me in the Garden of Delights for 3 hours of tune-spinning... every Saturday at 5pm EST on Deep Nuggets radio! www.deepnuggets.com ***

  18. #43
    Member Reach's Avatar
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    I think battema is misunderstood...

  19. #44
    All Things Must Pass spellbound's Avatar
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    ^these guys were misunderstood
    We're trying to build a monument to show that we were here
    It won't be visible through the air
    And there won't be any shade to cool the monument to prove that we were here. - Gene Parsons, 1973

  20. #45
    Progdog ThomasKDye's Avatar
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    But he seemed superhuman!

  21. #46
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    Quote Originally Posted by Sordel View Post
    It's clearly important to him that people understand, but I'm not sure how important it is to the people. There is such a thing as letting the music do the talking, and it does avoid the situation where one ends up describing oneself in print as "one of the most misunderstood musicians in the world".

    I've got no problem with Portnoy spreading himself across multiple bands, and that's quite common in jazz, so it never occurred to me to form an opinion about whether it was a good or bad thing.
    It is important to the trolls on this site and others like it but not to most of us. He does remind me more of some jazz and fusion players who constantly rotate projects and bands. Just shows his versatility IMHO.

  22. #47
    Quote Originally Posted by YESHEAD777 View Post
    It is important to the trolls on this site and others like it but not to most of us. He does remind me more of some jazz and fusion players who constantly rotate projects and bands. Just shows his versatility IMHO.
    Actually, he's not that versatile in the opinion of very good drummers who I know that have critiqued his playing. Although he does play in very different genre's depending on the project, his actual technical skills are somewhat limited and he does many of the same things regardless of the genre. Not to say he's a bad player so don't get me wrong but there are many better drummers who really can adapt better to the genre they are playing at the time. Virgil Donati is one example.

    As far as whether Portnoy is misunderstood. I would say yes. In spite of all the effort he put into his main project (DT), to ask the others to take a break for an extended period, just because he needed to get away from them, is hard to understand. Especially after they tried very hard to talk him out of it and then chose to move on without him when he said no. Then having him ask to return after they committed to Mangini. Strange behavior in my view.

  23. #48
    Quote Originally Posted by hewhoknows View Post
    Actually, he's not that versatile in the opinion of very good drummers who I know that have critiqued his playing. Although he does play in very different genre's depending on the project, his actual technical skills are somewhat limited and he does many of the same things regardless of the genre. Not to say he's a bad player so don't get me wrong but there are many better drummers who really can adapt better to the genre they are playing at the time. Virgil Donati is one example.

    As far as whether Portnoy is misunderstood. I would say yes. In spite of all the effort he put into his main project (DT), to ask the others t

    o take a break for an extended period, just because he needed to get away from them, is hard to understand. Especially after they tried very hard to talk him out of it and then chose to move on without him when he said no. Then having him ask to return after they committed to Mangini. Strange behavior in my view.
    BS

  24. #49
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    Quote Originally Posted by Progatron View Post
    I think Mike's best drumming has been on the Neal Morse albums he's played on. Neal seems to bring out the best in Mike, personally and professionally from what I can tell.
    Alot of truth in this statement! Also, He kills on the first two Transatlantics for sure! I watched a couple of youtube videos from The Winery Dogs last night, and while I thought they were ok, esp. Ritchie Kotzens guitar work and vocals, I was underwhelmed with Mike's role. Had a very classic 70s blues rock vibe, very restrained.

  25. #50
    Member Oreb's Avatar
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    Prog fans. We turn. We eat our own.

    Does it matter that this waste of time is what makes a life for you?

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