Whirlwind is my favorite. Always love more Transatlantic!!
Whirlwind is my favorite. Always love more Transatlantic!!
Originally Posted by JKL2000
...along with the Blu-Ray of the making of the making of the drum-cam from the sessions.
I love the first two albums. They just seemed more unpredictable and in a way - jarring of styles - in that they didn't really agree much on what direction the band should go in, or what bits to use or not not use. Roine thought they should do more improv and didn't like the structure, Mike pushed for more Beatlesque sounds, and Neal hated the Procol Harum cover. They argued a lot on tour. Things seemed to matter more. But then they took a 7 year hiatus, and the music became a lot more formulated, content, and business as usual. I didn't feel any spark out the latter two records. It's as if they knew these discs just made money no matter what, so who cares? Just makes some epics and they will come.
Well, I do have their earlier albums so I might as well get this one also
Last edited by Hour Candle; 09-25-2019 at 10:15 PM.
Mike used joke that they might be the only band that had more live albums than studio albums.
It's a formula Neal has taken too. Often coming out with 2 live offerings from every tour he does. I know, I worked on them.
I didn't know either of those things! Interesting...
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 ***
Yeah. Neal didn't want to do the Procol Harum cover at all. I can also tell you from private video I have, that the band wanted to cover Heart of The Sunrise on the BAF tour. Everyone learned their parts for it, except for Neal who blew it off because he didn't want to do that one either. That started a huge argument in rehearsals. I have video of Neal bitching about it in his hotel room, insofar as him saying it's becoming a struggle and he doesn't "need" to do Transatlantic. There's also video footage of Mike having a total meltdown during soundcheck in Hamburg (I think)... though I was never able to secure that footage. I almost included the Neal bit in the "TA Live Bootleg DVD" I produced, but it kind of dragged the whole mood of the DVD down, so I left it off. Roine also never fit in well with the two bossy American guys, and didn't really know how to deal with them at first. He gave me an earful one day. But I tell you, Roine really cared about quality, and he really cared about the fans. It was interesting working with him on a few projects.
They're all good guys. My point is there seemed to be more conflict and struggle with the first two albums - which brought out something unique. Whereas when they reformed, it seemed like they were just in it because it's a great vehicle for product.
Last edited by Man In The Mountain; 09-25-2019 at 10:42 PM.
Um... exactly WHICH one of these guys has the voice to sing "Heart of the Sunrise"?
"Arf." -- Frank Zappa, "Beauty Knows No Pain" (live version)
And yet I love the vocal melody he sings on the first part, which was spoken on the Procol original.
Wouldn't that give credit to the idea that if they're recording in Sweden, the two bossy americans might be more willing to do things on Roine's terms?
Now that would be very interesting to me. Roine is my favorite of the four guys, musically speaking at least. Not a knock on the others of course, it’s just personal preference really. Pete actually came up with my favorite part/theme on The Whirlwind.
I didn’t realize you were involved in the production of the DVD. Good job with that.I think you’re onto something here.
WANTED: Sig-worthy quote.
I guess we'll never know.
Thanks! Man, it's been a long time now. Yeah, the Bootleg DVD was my puppy, it was 100% me. It came about when Neal sent me all his home videos from the BAF tour. He wanted me to look through them for bonus clips we could use on the Live In America DVD. Which was an upgrade from the original VHS. Not sure if anyone noticed, but Roine re-did his entire guitar track for the DVD release, since it was lost on the original recording. I worked exclusively with Roine on that.
If I recall there were about 8 hours of home video Neal recorded. Yet, only room for about 10 minutes of bonus clips on that America release. I pieced together in my mind what would be a great home-movie release, and started to assemble it. The idea in my mind, since the band had broken up - that this would be the last remaining memento from the band. I had no idea they would ever reform, because Neal had sworn of returning to making devil music. I brought up the idea to Neal and he was on board. So, he connected me with Portnoy (who didn't know me at the time) and I asked him for DAT tapes of certain shows we had on film. He balked at the idea and refused, but wanted me to send him what I was working on. Then he fell in love with it!! Mike started giving me a few ideas and sending me tapes. He also sent me an entire pro camera shoot of the Hamburg show. Very raw, there where only two cameras. However the guy who filmed it was a dick and wanted money for it, and since this was a low budget fan-club release, there was no way. So, that show just sits in my private collection. To my surprise, by the time I finished the DVD, the band announced their reunion and they used my DVD as tour merch at the shows. But, it was never intended as that, and I believe the impact of being a "last memento" was lost, to be a cheap merch item to sell to fans. I put a lot of love into it for very little monetary reward.
On a somewhat serious sidenote:
When I make fun of certain aspects of an artist's sound, it is for me akin to attending the roast of a particular celebrity. The remarks and jokes might cut close to the bone and seem downright mean, but it is not coming from a place of hate. I'm merely pointing out certain things that come across as cliches or signatures of the artist. It's meant in good fun.
I very much enjoy comfort music no matter the genre as much as I like hearing something new that piques my interest. However, piling on to roast a particular artist is part and parcel of internet culture since forever.
That said, I look forward to the record. I'll listen as I have their other albums and see what happens.
Mongrel dog soils actor's feet
...and there's always the inevitable Mike Portnoy "drum-cam" video...
CTTE 2020 already has Marillion, Flying Colors, The Flower Kings and Pain of Salvation confirmed to play...
Anyone want to predict the live debut of new Transatlantic material then?
It obviously provide a rare opportunity for the full original touring lineup to get together!
It looks inevitable!
That's pretty much my view as well. When I rib them, it's affectionate ribbing. If I actually had any real dislike for them I probably wouldn't comment or joke around at all.
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Well, they did "And You And I" didn't they?
But "Heart of the Sunrise" is quite a different beast, vocally. Portnoy and Trewavas intro interplay... could only imagine now.
"The world will soon be right again,
Innocence and undying love will reign." - Transatlantic
They also did the entire Revealing Science Of God live - but then, that was with Jon Anderson singing.
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 ***
That's right up Portnoy's alley.
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Let the heathen rage, another auto buy for me!! I want my comfort prog!
My only request is that Mike not get any lead vocal lines.
You say Mega Ultra Deluxe Special Limited Edition Extended Autographed 5-LP, 3-CD, 4-DVD, 2-BlueRay, 4-Cassette, five 8-Track, MP4 Download plus Demos, Outtakes, Booklet, T-Shirt and Guitar Pick Gold-Leafed Box Set Version like it's a bad thing...
Just Mike ? Not Pete ? And his «*vocal stylings*» ?
Let's hope not
That's strange. I bet then that it was Neal who refused to include the Teatime At the Circus bit, which I'm sure Roine would have enjoyed.
Didn't know that. Makes total sense and might have been one factor in the first hiatus. I'm sure Neal had an eye toward establishing his solo career too.
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