Rich Wilson's Musings

Hey Guys

2011-08-07T11:41:00.001Z

This is the last blog post on this site. New blog as well as the archive for this blog can now be found over at the newly revamped and flash free http://www.rich-wilson.com

See you over there!!

The Tangent

2011-07-28T22:16:00.004Z

Seems my review of the latest Tangent DVD has caused a bit of a stir (understatement).

Admittedly, some of my comments were probably a touch harsh and I have since been in contact with Andy Tillison and we've had a frank exchange of opinions. What I would stress is that I am a fan of the Tangent's music and I can't wait to hear their new CD. In my defence of the DVD review, I'd just like to stress a couple of things:

Whether the release was intended for "fans only" (in itself an odd description as I can't imagine any "non-fans" buying it), I was given a DVD to review. In doing that, I have to give my honest opinion about the visual contents as well as the musical. Although many didn't agree with my criticisms, I feel they were in part justified. It is a low budget film, with no fan interaction to enliven things, and it just looks done on the cheap. Could I therefore recommend that people spend money on it? In my opinion, no. It may be aimed at fans and paid for by fans, but last time I looked it was still on sale on their website and as such can't be treated any different from any release. It's simply not what I personally would be looking for in a live DVD. Others may find it awesome. I guess that's what opinions / freedom of expression is all about. This might sound patronising but I honestly think the band deserved better. Musically, they have always been top notch and the soundtrack on this DVD continues that. But as a visual experience, it's just not one for me. On a more general note, it is irksome how there are people out there who believe that just because something is prog, that it has to be great!!

I know Andy was upset by my comments, which I have since apologised for as I am fully aware he's an honest and decent guy who is determined to make a success of the band. I think he understands where I was coming from, even if I did make my point too bluntly. He's also been gracious enough to ask me over to his place in order I can listen to the new CD - an offer which I hope to take up very soon.

Roger's Last Laugh

2011-05-23T16:28:00.004Z

It all began in Montreal in 1977. Incensed by the boorish behaviour of a "fan", Waters gobbed into his face. That incident generated a thought that it would be far better to build an onstage wall between the "fans" and band - a place where the band could perform away from the cat-calling, beer swilling, shouting morons who at that time had started to infiltrate Pink Floyd's stadium and arena shows. It was also perhaps the catalyst that led the notoriously grouchy Waters to become even more isolated and acidic, and he would regularly dismiss stadium shows for years to come.

"Who let all of this riff-raff into the room? There's one smoking a joint, And another with spots!If I had my way, I'd have all of you shot!"

Zip forward to 2011. Waters is grossing - by my reckoning - somewhere in the region of £750,000 per night as he recreates Pink Floyd's masterpiece The Wall in large arenas around the globe. As Roger will tell you every night, he's a far happier man than he was all those years ago, yet nothing has really changed. The same morons are still inhabiting these gigs, happy to pay seventy five quid to talk loudly with their mates, and get up to go for a piss / beer / fucking hot dog every five minutes, delighting in disrupting the gig for every other poor fucker who is sat on their row. My only chance the see The Wall ruined by the same type of selfish cunts that you always seem to get going to gigs these days.

Roger doesn't mind though. At least he can get his revenge on these bastards by charging that £75 per ticket and getting them to pay another £35 for a t-shirt. Good on him I say. I'd be happy to pay £300 to sit behind the wall with him next time around.

Website Revamp

2011-03-29T16:15:00.002Z

Spent much of the last few days trying to revamp the rather tired looking http://www.rich-wilson.com/ Just a few bits to finish off but it certainly has a more up to date feel about it. There was some stuff on there I hadn't updated since about 2003 which is piss poor by any standard!

Must. Stop. Researching.

2011-02-19T20:05:00.000Z

340,000 words and counting all stashed away here in Word docs. Help.

This Is Gonna Be Epic

2011-02-04T21:42:00.000Z

Right. That's now 280,000 words of research on the mystery band. In a few days I'll be done. Then it's a case of starting the interview process with those willing to speak to me, and finally to start to knit thit beast together and write the bastard. Watch this space . . .

And Back To Book Two

2010-11-29T22:34:00.003Z

Well it's taken a while, what with all the fallout from the Dream Theater story, a three week vacation and a few other pieces to write for Classic Rock Presents Prog, but I'm finally getting stuck into book number two. I still feel that I'm only scratching the surface in terms of research, and yet I've hit the 200,000 word mark. When you think the DT book was about 140,000, that gives you an idea. And I've not even started the interview process with any of the people close to the band in question.

I can't tell you who the book is on at the moment. I'll have to leave that to your vivid imaginations. But for those of you who bother coming back (there must be a couple of you at least . . .), please keep checking here and I'll keep you updated. All two of you . . .

Classic Rock Presents Prog - DT Issue

2010-10-31T15:04:00.001Z

The issue is out November 3rd . . .

And The Work On Book Two Stops

2010-09-19T20:21:00.002Z

Just when you think you've got everything perfectly planned out . . .

So with Mike Portnoy's departure from Dream Theater, everything I'd scheduled has now been chucked! Work on book two has been put on permanent hiatus (!), the planned paperback of Lifting Shadows has been shelved for the moment, and I'm desperately putting together a long piece on the DT news for a Classic Rock Presents Prog cover story. Deadline too near.

It's all good though and it's given me the chance to speak with all the remaining DT guys for the piece. All very sad but they seem determined to carry on. Mike has understandably gone incommunicado on all things DT for the moment, so there won't be any new quotes from him. But I've got the inside story from the remaining DT guys so it will make an interesting read. I'll let you know when I've got the date the issue is out. Meanwhile, I've got some transcribing to be doing . . .

And So It All Begins Again

2010-08-11T17:10:00.001Z

Day one. Book two.

Kerrang Review Of Lifting Shadows

2010-01-31T17:27:00.002Z

Classic Rock Presents Prog Review Of Lifting Shadows

2010-01-31T17:26:00.002Z

Classic Rock Review Of Lifting Shadows

2010-01-31T17:17:00.003Z

(Click to open a larger view)

Another Interview Now Online

2009-11-14T10:40:00.001Z

Did an interview with Phil Simon yesterday where we discussed the DT book. Take a listen over at http://philsimonsystems.com/2009/11/authors1/

Lifting Shadows Release Date Revealed

2009-11-13T20:39:00.001Z

Taken from www.liftingshadows.com

Today we’re announcing the publication date for the two new editions of Lifting Shadows: 30th November 2009.

The books are currently being printed, and they’ll be sent out from our warehouse in the days immediately after the publication date. The delivery time will vary depending on where you are in the world, but you should receive your order in plenty of time for Christmas.

The publication date will also mark the end of the pre-order period. So orders placed after 30th November will no longer benefit from the 15% discount on the Classic Edition. If you haven’t placed your order yet, now’s the time to buy.

Finally, if you have already placed your order, please take a moment to check that we have the correct shipping details for you.

It’s a little while since the first orders were placed, so if your address has changed since ordering you’ll need to let us know. You can update your details online using the weblink at the bottom of your confirmation email. Please note that any amendments to your shipping address must be made by 23rd November 2009

Do You Remember?

2009-11-10T22:10:00.002Z

I stumbled across a few things on YouTube that really hit home this week.

Anyone who recalls the Marillion years with Fish will remember all the imagery, the wonderful lyrics and music, performances on Top Of The Pops and all the world's greatest stages. I still adore both Fish's solo work and much of modern Marillion, but taking a look at these clips made me feel kind of sad. I only wish the guys would get back together for a series of shows to reprise some of those wonderfully edgy, progressive rock tracks once again . . .

Fish - Leamington Spa 2009
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNnRrAuEh3Y

Marillion live in 2009
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vA1PIKYwec

Marillion in 1985
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUbDnGYMyig

Sometimes the passing of time really sucks

Win The Golden Book

2009-09-21T18:01:00.000Z

Feel a bit like Willy Wonka here, but . . .

From the news page of www.liftingshadows.com

"As we’ve been hinting over on Twitter, we’ve got a very special competition up our sleeves. We’re printing a very, very small number of extra special copies of the Limited Edition for the band themselves. Like the rest of the Limited Edition books, these will be luxurious leather-bound copies of Rich’s acclaimed biography. Unlike the rest of the Limited Edition, they will sport a unique foiled designation on the front cover and they won’t be put on sale. In fact, the only place you might ever see one is on the guys’ personal bookshelves. We’ve got one of these highly unusual books – we’re calling it the Golden Book – to give away. What’s more, Dream Theater have agreed to sign it."

"To be in with a chance of winning the Golden Book, simply pre-order either edition of the new Lifting Shadows. When the pre-order phase ends, we’ll randomly select one purchaser to receive the prize. You can choose either the Classic Edition or the Limited Edition – they’ll simply be one chance to win per customer, so it doesn’t matter which edition you order or how many copies you buy. And if you’ve already ordered, don’t worry – your name will also go into the hat. Good luck!"

Quite A Sad Day

2009-09-21T11:47:00.002Z

Well it's been a bit of an odd day. I have tidied my office and for the first time in over 5 years, I'm not surrounded by large black folders marked with the words "Dream Theater Research". Given that I can't honestly see myself updating the book for a few years (if at all), I've moved the mounds of research I've accumulated over the years into storage boxes and chucked them into the loft.

It's quite a strange feeling really and the only other time I can recall feeling this way was the day I finsished my final exams at University. I can't imagine what I'm going to do with my time now that the Dream Theater book project has finished. I guess I need to start thinking about what I'm going to do next . . .

In the meantime, please do spread the word amongst the DT fans about the second edition of the book. The publishers are going to base the number of copies they print on the number of pre-orders, so if people want a copy then they better get in there fast. They will only print a few copies over the pre-order levels of orders. And with the world economy in the mess it is in, and people understandable watching their cash flow, it actually looks as though this second edition will end up being rarer than the original two book set . . .

Second Edition Extracts

2009-09-09T12:19:00.002Z

Here are a couple of extracts from the second edition of the book for you!

Firstly, a section from the appendix (which covers the side projects) on the Chicago LTE show, when the keyboard broke down mid-set

With the keyboard written off, and Jordan feeling disappointed for himself and all the audience, he decided on a radical and unexpected solution – wandering onstage and trying to persuade John to let him use the guitar.
“I decided that rather than just have the disappointment of having the keyboard go down, I would just go out there and do a bit of jamming on the guitar,” smiles Jordan. “So I remember getting the courage up to go out on stage when they were playing. When I walked on stage, John was doing this thing where he was playing so fast, playing with two hands on the fretboard and was looking down. And as I got close to him, I realized he was really wrapped up in his own world. He looked up and was like ‘What the hell are you doing here?’ So I kind of said ‘Give me your guitar,’ and he realized and thought ‘OK what the hell’ and passed his guitar to me. He went over and played bass while Tony was playing the Chapman Stick. I hadn’t played the guitar in a long while and his guitar was like some wild animal and was screaming. I was doing my best to control the beast and play some riffs. I think I did a few good ones but I could definitely have done with some practice. It was one of the most dreadful nights of my life but I think the fans got a kick out of it, and we all ended up having some fun.”
“If you can’t play keyboards, alright play my guitar. That’ll work,” laughs John at the memory. “Obviously I felt sorry for Jordan because having a technical problem that you really can’t solve really sucks because you are just in panic mode. And because we were only out there for five shows, it was low budget and you aren’t going to take out back-up rigs. You are just trying to do it inexpensively and have fun. So if I was in that position, and my amp blew up and there was nothing I could do, I’d be like freaking out. I also felt bad because there were only a few shows and the people in Chicago didn’t get to see the whole thing and it was going pretty well until that point. But what are you going to do? We made the best out of it in the spirit of improvisation which was how the whole project was born.”

And here is a section from the mammoth chapter covering the making of Black Clouds & Silver Linings

One of the criticisms levelled at Systematic Chaos was that lyrically – certainly in terms of those written by John Petrucci – there was a tendency to dwell on supernatural tales. Although there was unquestionably a proportion of the Dream Theater fan base that lapped up songs about dark masters and vampires, there were those who found those lyrics incongruous and impossible to relate to. Perhaps recognising that fact, John deliberately veered away from fantasy worlds as a subject matter.

“Yeah, this album is all reality for me,” explains John. “I thought I’d try something different, went in the exact opposite direction and I wrote about real experiences. I was talking to my wife before I started writing the lyrics, and she was saying that I have so many interesting stories that I’m always telling. She was saying ‘Why don’t you think of some of those events as you have such colourful stories.’ And it seemed so obvious but I guess I’ve never really done that. I’ve written songs that are fantasy based, and even early on in our career, I’d done that with songs like ‘Metropolis’ or ‘The Killing Hand’. But at the same time, I’ve also written songs that are reality based about my own experiences. So those are songs like ‘Take Away My Pain’ or ‘Another Day’. But I realized that I’ve never written stories about things that actually happened to me. You know, about situations that I went through that were unusual or bizarre, or interesting. Whenever I wrote about reality it would always be more emotional. It would be about a loss, a feeling, a philosophy or generalisation about something. So this album, I wrote about experiences and I started to think back ‘What are some interesting stories that I’ve told my friends’. You know, like ‘Guys, you’ll never believe what happened to me!’ So I started to realize that these were really cool stories. And when you do that you are able to really write from your heart and you’re not making it up. You are just reflecting back and thinking about what happened. All these people that seem like really weird characters are actually real people. And when you hear the lyrics you will be like ‘What the hell happened here?’ Who the hell are these people?’”

Full Details On The Second Edition!

2009-09-08T15:55:00.002Z

Hi All
Just to let you all know that the second edition of the Dream Theater biography, Lifting Shadows, is now available to pre-order!
VERY IMPORTANT - IF YOU BOUGHT THE FIRST EDITION, PLEASE DO NOT ORDER YET, AS YOU WILL BE RECEIVING A DISCOUNT CODE IN YOUR EMAIL BOX LATER THIS WEEK!
Full details of this updated book can be found at www.liftingshadows.com
For the second edition of Lifting Shadows, I've tracked down and interviewed even more people involved in the Dream Theater story. The text has also been thoroughly revised and updated. So there's also a detailed look at the making of the Black Clouds & Silver Linings album, which includes all new interviews with the band. Plus I've also added an appendix which covers the numerous side projects, such as Liquid Tension Experiment, Transatlantic, OSI, G3 and other solo albums, with interviews with the likes of Neal Morse, Jim Matheos, Tony Levin and the DT guys. This is edition is also around 40% longer than the original.
As you might know, the original, two book, one CD special edition set has now completed sold out. As that was sold strictly on the basis that it was a limited print run, the publishers have rightly decided not to reissue that. They are however producing a new limited edition version as there are people who want something more special than just a hardback. So there are two versions of the book on sale.
The Classic Edition of the book is a standard hardback version. If you imagine the “Words” book of the first edition, expanded by 40%, with 8 pages of colour photos.
The second of these is the Limited Edition book, which is bound in real leather. This contains the same text as the Classic Edition and also has 8 pages of colour photos. The print run is limited to 2000 copies and each copy is hand signed by myself.
The books are being published by Essential Works who printed the first edition of the book. All sales of the book will also be made via their website.
The book is priced as follows:
Classic Edition:
This retails at $28.95 in the US, £17.99 in the UK and EU plus shipping.Those of you who bought the first edition will shortly be receiving an email from Essential Works offering you a 25% discount off the retail price as a “thank you” for your support in getting the first edition off the ground.But even if you did not buy the first edition, for a limited time, those of you pre-ordering will be entitled to a discount of 15% off the retail price.
Limited Edition
This version retails at £30 in the UK and EU, and $50 in the US plus shipping.Due to the high production costs, low production run and the price already being kept as low as possible, there will be no discount available for this version of the book.
Full details of all the ordering process, details of shipping charges, a list of FAQ and other details on the book can be found at www.liftingshadows.com
Thanks again for all your support!!
I’d also like to ask a small favour – if you could help spread the word of this release through other forums you may visit, through any of your Facebook / MySpace pages I’d be really grateful!
Rich

Well . . .

2009-08-09T17:17:00.004Z

After hearing about the way Jordan Rudess recorded one of his albums - he basically locked himself in the studio for two weeks and didn't come out until he had finished - I decided the only way I was going to hit deadline and write the update to the DT book was to do the same. So for four days I tied myself to the computer and pulled my finger out of my ass.

And surprisingly, despite the odd venture out of the house to bring back kebabs, fish & chips and any other fat-filled take aways you can imagine - I stayed the course. Which means the book is 99% finished. I still have to write a new ending, tart up a few bits here and there, and slot in another interview that should be done this week, we are virtually ready to rock. I have employed a new proof reader - my non-journalistic mate who has the power to spot all typos (unlike the prick we used first time around and who put-more-fucking-errors-into-the-bastard-text) which is great. So he has the "pleasure" of reading it first. Also got the "go" from the band, so hopefully the publishers will get their mitts on the thing some time next week.

Now I know a lot of you are thinking: "Bollocks. I bought the first edition so why should I fork out my cash on this?". Well first of all, there was always the intention of the book being released in a second, single hardback edition. I always made this clear at the time. It has taken longer than expected to come to fruition for a number of reasons - my health being the main one - and it has taken time for me to have the energy and time to complete it. But that is actually a good thing as it means there is more info for you all to devour. Here are the main bullet points you need to know about:

- The book is to be released as a single hardback which will have a few pages of colour pics throughout the text. Think of your usual band biography.

- The book is around 30% longer in terms of the word count than the original.

- There is a massive chapter covering the Black Clouds & Silver Linings album that discusses the making of the album, the meaning of the songs, the touring as well as detailing some of the more controversial questions that crop up on the forums. For example why James wasn't involved in the writing process, cookie monster vocals, are the band trying to appeal to teenagers etc.

- There is also a huge chapter covering off the various side projects the guys in DT have been involved in. So that's solo albums, plus the likes of Transatlantic, OSI, Liquid Tension Experiment etc etc.

- Apart from the standard hardback, it is likely there will be a limited edition version which will be bound in real leather and signed by myself. Print run in the region of 1000. The publishers are constantly being asked for copies of the original limited edition which has sold out. There was talk of them reprinting it, which I was completely opposed to. But there are those people who want something a little bit more special than the standard book. So this is the compromise and it will look awesome.

- I have also made sure we offer you a discount if you bought the first edition, and even if you didn't buy it, we will be offering you a discount if you pre-order. Obviously though the pre-order discount won't be as great as is offered to those who bought the first edition.

- We are talking about opening up the pre-ordering in the next 3 or 4 weeks.

- I don't know the prices yet or the discounts, but I expect the retail price to be about (and please, please don't hold me to this) £19.99 or $29.99. And then you can get a discount off this price as noted above.

- The new interviewees for this edition apart from the band are Gail Flug, Andrew Ross, John Hendricks, Steve Sinclair, Robert Mason, Jim Matheos, Neal Morse, Roine Stolt and Tony Levin.
- The book should be released around October time.

I will post updates as to when you can order here, on the various DT forums, and via the "Dream Theater Book Lifting Shadows" Facebook page (become a "fan " to get the updates). We should also be emailing all of you who either bought the book or expressed an interest in being kept informed of future releases. Not sure if you are registered? Then go to http://www.essentialworks.co.uk/dreamtheater/ and enter you e-mail address.

Right, that's all I can think of for now. Thanks for all your continued support on this project. Sorry it has taken so long, and I'm also sorry I couldn't persuade Kevin Moore to speak to me and finally get his side of the story. I tried my best . . .

Five Days To Finish The Book

2009-07-16T15:19:00.002Z

So I am nearly at the end of day one. I have set aside five clear days to finish the second edition of the book. I really can't believe how much longer this version is going to be. I suspect at least 25% longer.

Please become a "fan" of "Dream Theater Book Lifting Shadows" over at Facebook, as I am posting regular updates several times a day there. It also takes less time to do that then write a full daily blog.

Right got to get back to it!

An Open Letter To Kevin Moore

2009-06-21T16:10:00.004Z

Kevin

I know your reluctance to be interviewed for anything related to Dream Theater, but I have a proposal . . .

I am putting the finishing touches to a second edition of the Dream Theater biography, Lifting Shadows. As a "journalist" I am always striving to get both sides of the story and without your input it is impossible for me to do. So I have a suggestion. That we arrange to have a two hour phone interview covering off your years in Dream Theater as well as OSI.

But what's in it for me I hear you cry? Well think about it. We do this final interview on Dream Theater. Anyone who ever asks you about the band in the future, you can just suggest they "go read the book". You'd never have to talk about them again.

In exchange, I'm also prepared to make a charitable donation in your name to the charity of your choice in the amount of $500. Pick a charity. New York Firefighters Fund, The Red Cross, Cancer Research or whatever.

All I'm asking is that you at least have a think about it.

I would need to do this in the next three weeks due to deadlines. You can contact me through http://www.rich-wilson.com/ or via Inside Out's UK press representative Dorothy. She has my details . . .

We're Up On Facebook

2009-06-19T14:51:00.003Z

Hey all

The publishers and myself are up on Facebook under "Dream Theater Book Lifting Shadows"
Add yourself as a friend for all the latest updates on the second edition of the book, and details when we get it as to how you can pre-order and bag yourself a discount!

TransAtlantic Day

2009-06-07T20:22:00.002Z

Well, I am motoring here to get the text finished for the updated version of the book which we will be releasing later this year. The chapter covering off Black Clouds & Silver Linings is pretty much completed. I just need to add in some details from Donington which is happening next weekend.

This weekend I've been charging through the Dream Theater side-projects, putting all the interviews into some coherent order and knitting the text together. Managed to get through OSI yesterday and most of TransAtlantic today. But there are so many of 'em that I could have written another book on side projects alone. Anyway, I'll keep you posted.

Oh, and last week, after trying for 5 years, I finally spoke on the phone with the ever elusive Kevin Moore. He put the phone down on me after about 11 seconds, but hey, technically I did speak to him. And then people wonder why he's such a "popular" guy . . .

Notes From A Dream Review

2009-05-31T12:13:00.003Z

Hi all
I should have an update for you on the secnd edition of the Dream Theater book at some point in the next few weeks. We're aiming for a October (ish) release.

In the meantime, I've put together a review of Jordan Rudess' latest solo album, 'Notes From A Dream'. I really can't recommend this album enough. I hope the review doesn't read like a press release, as that wasn't the intention, but this album is simply stunning.

JORDAN RUDESS

"Notes From A Dream"

Jordan Rudess has released an album of his own piano interpretations of Dream Theater songs, and it's mightily impressive stuff. Sifting through the DT back-catalogue and selecting the more mellow tracks, he has re-arranged them and added his own startling flourishes to them. Probably the most notable feature of the album is that he has retained those instantly recognisable melodies from such tracks as 'Hollow Years', 'The Silent Man' and 'The Answer Lies Within' yet arranged them in such a way that they have almost taken on a new and mesmerising identity.

When Jordan is writing and perfoming with Dream Theater, his work is mind-blowing enough. But you have to remember that he is a classically trained performer. And although he unquetionably adores his DT "day job", he also clearly has a insatiable desire to continue to write and perform on the piano. Album's such as 'Notes From A Dream' are merely a reminder of that other half of his musical identity. The melding of the two facets of his work is simply stunning and one that deserves to be heard by a larger audience than just DT fans. Any lover of classical music, would, if they rise above any snobbery against a musician who has made his name in the prog rock field, see the virtues of his work. And there are plenty of comparisons that can be made in the classical world, with tracks like 'Through Her Eyes' having a style that can accurately be described as Dream Theater meets Rachmaninov. It really is that alluring. It would also be intriguing to see how the classical world would view his technique and creations, and I can only hope that a copy of his album has been sent to the likes of Gramophone or International Piano magazine for their appraisal. Such reviews could only be positive and would rightly allow a wider audience access to an album that is elegant, adventurous and the work of a modern day genius.

==

The album can be bought from Jordan directly at http://www.jordanrudess.com/jr/store.html

Head Over To Metal Hammer

2009-04-24T11:48:00.000Z

for that review . . .

http://www.metalhammer.co.uk/news/dream-theater-album-review-black-clouds-and-silver-linings-track-by-track/

Win Win Win

2009-04-23T15:45:00.003Z

I knew there was something I'd forgotten to mention. In the current edition of Classic Rock Presents Prog, there's a competition to win a signed copy (me not the band before you get excited) of the limited edition version of Lifting Shadows.

The publishers have put all the details on their website, which you can find here http://essentialworks.co.uk/blog/

Good luck and all that . . .

Nothing To See Here

2009-04-22T12:59:00.004Z

Well that review won't be appearing here after all. Yesterday I mentioned Metal Hammer are to do their own "First Listen" review and they've kindly asked me to "bosh it out" for them. So look out for it over at their site http://www.metalhammer.co.uk/ in the next day or two. I suppose I'd get my butt in gear and start writing it then . . .

About That Review

2009-04-21T17:51:00.002Z

I know that Metal Hammer are going to be putting up a review of the 'Black Clouds . . .' on their website. So I am basically waiting until they do before I start writing mine - don't want to annoy anyone by jumping the proverbial gun and all that. But it is very, very good . . .

Saw Asia last night at the rather odd surroundings of the Buxton Opera House. Backstage, the changing rooms looked like a Victorian toilet and the catering looked pretty basic ( a plate of lettuce). Can't imagine what the likes of Carl Palmer thought about it - all a bit far removed from having your own personal truck and tourbus as he did in the heyday of E.L.P.

I was hoping to be heading off to see the mighty AC/DC tonight, but couldn't get tickets for love nor money. Bastard.

Shot of Asia above taken by my good self last night.

Review Of Black Clouds & Silver Linings

2009-04-18T21:02:00.002Z

To follow in the next few days . . .

Well . . .

2009-04-14T15:25:00.004Z

as it seems that a few people are actually visiting the blog these days, I thought I'd give you all a bit of an update on the book.

The original plan was to release the book earlier this year, but for various reasons that didn't come off. The main problem was that I was unhappy with just releasing a book for the sake of it that didn't contain any more information than the previous edition. So now we are hoping to get the standard hardback out later in the year - maybe September. This gives me the time to update the DT story to include all details on the new album. Additionally, as I might have mentioned, I am adding a chapter or ten in covering the bands various side projects. As such, I've been interviewing the members of Transatlantic and Liquid Tension over the last few months. So all this takes time to transcribe and get all the needed detail in there. But I know I keep saying this, but do check back from time to time as I might get around to updating this blog a touch more regularly than once every four months. Honest.

I've been doing quite a bit of work for the new Classic Rock Presents Prog which has kept me busy and been a blast. For any fans of prog, it's an awesome read and well worth checking out. There's also a nice feature in the current issue on the writing of the DT book.

Metal Hammer were also kind enough to put a reference to the DT limited edition in their objects of desire section - a scan is above! Click on the image to read. Ring Of Sauron indeed . . .

Oh, and if any of you were still thinking about getting a copy of the limited edition of "Lifting Shadows" then there are literally a handful left and once they're gone that's it. The exchange rate should also help out all Americans too. I know the publishers will be taking them off sale shortly in the run up to the new edition. You've been warned!

Black Clouds & Silver Linings Review - No Spoilers

2009-04-13T15:56:00.002Z

Well, I've been listening to the new DT album for about the last two weeks now. I really don't want to ruin everyone's first listen to Black Clouds And Silver Linings, so I won't go into too much detail. Save to say that 'The Best Of Times' and 'The Count Of Tuscany' (20 minutes? Oh yes!!) are both amongst the best tracks the band have ever released. It's epic. It's contemporary with plenty of prog. There's a huge portion of metal in there too. Other plus points (for me anyway) are the lack of fantasy lyrics about vampires and "dark master" which did little for me on their last album, and they've cut back on those growling vocals. In terms of balance, it's probably their most solid album since 'Scenes From A Memory'.
The only downside is that the CD is one of those watermarked efforts, and it won't play on the PC or half the CD players in the house. The only ones that work are in the bathroom and car. So cue lots of pointless car journeys and I've not been this clean since I was a baby . . .

Bit Of An Update

2008-11-11T21:39:00.002Z

So what's new I hear you ask?

Well, I'm still working on that side-projects chapter. I interviewed Mike Portnoy last week to cover off his work with OSI, Transatlantic and God knows how many others, and tomorrow I'll be having a chat with Neal Morse. I'll then get transcribing them and start bashing them around and getting them into a logical framework. And then it's a case of speaking to a load more people involved in the side projects. This could take a while . . .

Officially Now Back At It

2008-10-25T18:50:00.002Z

Well, only two months since my last entry. That's pretty good for me.
So with Dream Theater back in the studio working on a new album, that's the cue for me to pull my finger out and crack on with writing an updated version of the book for release in 2009. So though I said two months ago I was beavering away on this, fact is I wasn't pressed by any deadlines. So cue long periods of not actually doing anything on the book at all. So now there's a deadline, I have to start writing again. And that, as they say is all there is to report. But I promise to keep anyone (who is still bothering the check this page for updates) in the loop as to exactly what I am doing more regularly. Honest. Though I admit I have said that before . . .

You're A BAD BAD Person . . .

2008-08-20T14:27:00.001Z

if you laugh at this!!

Hardback Version Update

2008-07-30T14:49:00.000Z

Hi all

Right then - here's a bit of an update on the proposed standard hardback version of "Lifting Shadows". For those of you not keeping tabs on this, this version is just a single normal hardback, with a few photos in it. ie the type of band biography you can find down any Borders branch.

The publishers had planned to get this version out by Christmas / early 2009. However this was something I wasn't comfortable with, as there wouldn't be a huge amount of new text to add in. I felt this would be just printed for all the wrong reasons. I have therefore agreed that this will be released Spring 2009, by which time I can add in detail on the writing and recording process of the next DT album, as well as really go to town with the chapter on the band's various side projects.

Paperback Version

2008-07-24T09:53:00.002Z

I've had a few people ask me if there was any way they could buy the paperback version of Lifting Shadows, which the band were selling on tour. Well, it looks like they had a few copies left over which are now available via Fanfire :

http://www.fanfire.com/cgi-bin/WebObjects/fanfire.woa/wa/product?sourceCode=FANWEB&sku=DRA43489

Please note that the text is in the main the same as the original, limited edition with a few smal updates that continue the story to the ProgNation tour.

Really Getting Into This Again

2008-07-19T19:57:00.004Z

This is great. Takes me back 4 years to when I was first knitting together research for the DT book. I've been slotting info into place on Liquid Tension Experiment as I valiantly battle with this long-talked-about proposed bonus chapter - "Dreaming Aside" - for the second edition of the book. Over the last year, I've not really had the book writing "bug", but now I'm feeling back on form and having a blast again.

I'd also been toying with the idea of writing another book on another band, but really I don't have the heart for that at the moment. I think I'll just stick at being "DT biographer" for a long while yet. Plus there are very few bands that I have such a strong affection for as Dream Theater, and long may that continue. So the idea of writing a book on the Foo Fighters can Foo(k) off for the time being. Really not that interested. Plus the experience with the bird-with-the-studded-glove (see blog entry June 3) has meant that I come out in an unpleasant rash when anyone mentions the Foo Fighters.

So given that the first Liquid Tension Experiment album was written and recorded in five days, my task is to emulate them by writing and finishing "Dreaming Aside" by the end of August. Might not make it, but I'm going to have fun trying !!

Sorry To German DT Fans

2008-07-09T16:12:00.003Z

Well, it was hoped that Lifting Shadows was going to be translated and published in German, but the prospective publishers are now not interested. There aren't that many German rock book publishers, so you can probably work out which one it was. Cough. Iron. Cough. Cough. Pages. Cough

But why I hear you ask? Well apparently, for the broader market, it wasn't "spectacular or entertaining enough." They are also of the opinion that there isn't the demand from German DT fans for such an edition.

"What can we do about this outrage?" I hear you cry. Or more accurately, "Was können wir über dieses Verbrechen tun?" (gotta love BabelFish.com)

I've no idea what you can do. Short of perhaps emailing said publisher and suggesting they are wrong, but I would never be the one to suggest such a thing as they will probably get very cross.
Still . . .

Anonymous Asks

2008-07-08T15:09:00.003Z

"Anonymous said...
When are you hoping for a release of the book? New chapter would be great, though there is always scope for a second edition"

Oh come on and leave your name - it's far more fun!
Well as you know, the limited edition version was released last year (there are a handful of copies left btw at http://www.dreamtheaterbook.com )
There was a second version released for the band - a paperback they sold on tour.
This version I'm now talking about is effectively the second edition and I think they want it out by the end of this year / beginning of 2009.
The side projects chapter may have to wait for now though given the deadline.

Apparently . . .

2008-07-05T10:59:00.004Z

There are people that read this irregular, inconsistent stream of nonsense that I occasionally motivate myself to write. So, I will try and update it more than I have been doing. But if you do need your daily dose of rock gossip, then I heartily recommend Dave Ling's diary (http://www.daveling.co.uk/diary.htm). But you've still got to check back here. OK? Do we have a deal?

Was at the Spock's Beard gig last night at the Academy 3 in Manchester. I can't believe I've never been there before. It's an odd venue. Accessed via a spiral staircase into the loft space of the building, decorated in a sort of prison-dirty-protest style, and with a stage the size of a small family hatchback, it's certainly "interesting". Spock's were on fine form, with Ryo Okumoto going walkabout from the stage (well, it's raised about a foot off the ground . . .) to the bar, mingle with fans and even getting his photo taken with members of the audience while the rest of the band were still playing. Set list was great too.

As for all things DT related? I'm updating the text for a single hardback edition which will be more widely available than the limited edition (and obviously won't include all the sparkling extras such as the "Images" book or the CD). The publishers need it by the beginning of September, so it's keeping me occupied. I was hoping to add a chapter on the band's side projects but the more I research it, the longer it gets, so I doubt I'll get that done in the next 8 weeks. Still . . .

Foo-ey

2008-06-03T18:38:00.002Z

OK. Went to the Foo Fighters gig at the City Of Manchester Stadium last night. I am never, ever going to lower myself to attend a stadium gig ever again. I don't care if it's the fucking Beatles, and they have found a way to re-animate John and George, it ain't happening.

None of this is of course the fault of the band, who sounded pretty good with a decent enough set. It's just the whole, soulless experience of being herded in like sheep, having a crap view, surrounded by retards that spoils the whole experience. Take for example the dolls-head sat in front of me. A women whose last concert was clearly James Bastard Blunt or Kylie, who for some reason had brought with her studded leather gloves. She spent all her time showing her boyfriend the glove and throwing Ronnie-Dio-Devil-Horns into the air. It's a fucking glove love, you are about as metal as Heather Mills' plastic leg, now please go and drown yourself in the ship canal you bandwagon jumping cretin.

Ahhhhh. I feel better now I've got all that out. Blogging eh? It's the best therapy you can have!

Lagged

2008-06-01T14:04:00.003Z

Well, I'm back after a couple of weeks away. No major news to report, and I need time to get over the jet lag . . .

In the meantime, Neil Daniels has for some reason interviewed me for his ever-excellent website. You can check it out over at http://www.neildaniels.com/Writers.html and the rest of his site is also well worth a browse.

Charity Auction - Please Bid

2008-05-17T08:36:00.003Z

Hey there

There's a very special auction over at eBay - a copy of Lifting Shadows (the limited edition) signed by the band and myself. Obviously my signature will keep the price down (!) but please get bidding anyway as it is a very worthwhile cause. Not my pension plan but the Camp Good Days Charity. The auction is being run by Mike Portnoy's sister, Sam. More details on the charity can be found on the auction page.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=200224699914

Lifting Shadows - Proposed Second Edition - What would make you want it?

2008-04-16T16:31:00.000Z

The title says it all really . . .

Apart from the softback version of the "Words" book from the limited edition that the band are selling on tour this spring, the publishers are talking about a second edition. This would be a standard hardback (as in the Words book) but there would be say 8 pages of colour pics in a couple of places. Oh and no CD as that was an extra for the Ltd edition.

My plan at the moment is to interview a few more people to add into the text, the typos have all been removed, update the story etc.

So all I want to know is what else can I add to make this version appeal to the DT masses? Obviously the publishers are trying to gauge interest in this before they press the go button . . .

Record Collector Review

2008-04-09T16:25:00.001Z

Italian Language Version Of Lifting Shadows

2008-04-09T13:30:00.002Z

For all you Italians out there in mourning at the loss of the Italian Dreamers Dream Theater Fan Club, here's a bit of good news. The "Words" part of Lifting Shadows is to be printed in an Italian language version in the next few months. Visit http://www.sublime-label.com/ for more details. Though for some reason they still seem to think that Hugh Syme has provided the cover art, which isn't the case.

Interview

2008-04-08T17:56:00.002Z

Here's an oddity. For some unknown reason, Metal Shrine wanted to interview me.
The link is http://web.telia.com/~u43123410/mfintervju249.html

However to save you time, here it is in full . . .

Congratulations on the book! It´s great! Can you tell us a little about who you are and why you decided to write a book about Dream Theater?

Thanks - I am glad you liked it. I'm a freelance rock writer, living in England. I've written for a number of magazines, including Classic Rock, Metal Hammer and Record Collector. I guess the reason why I wanted to write the book was because I have been a fan of theirs for years (since their first album) and I thought there was a story to tell. Also for me to write a book it would have to be a about a band that I loved otherwise it wouldn't be much fun! So Dream Theater were the obvious choice.

You must have spent quite some time interviewing the bandmembers. Can you tell us something about each member that maybe the standard fan doesn´t know.

The thing that comes across about them all is that they're all great guys. Believe me, that is a rarity in this business! I guess Mike is the obsessive fan, who just loves everything about being in a band, collects everything he can. John P is another perfectionist but this is usually in terms of his gear and how it is set up. John Myung has a very firm handshake that could crush bones! Jordan just loves to play music and is a very funny guy. And James used to fight people!

Since producer David Prater seems like a prick, what was your personal impression of him?

I actually really like David. When you are putting together a book, the last thing you want is someone who doesn't have any interesting opinions. As you have read, David has strong opinions on a lot of things, which from my point of view was perfect. I know his opinions have upset a few people, but I do think they all added to the colour of the book.

My only complaint with the book is that I think some periods gets a lot more attention than others. Many pages are dedicated to the formation of the band and the road up to the first album while the most recent albums get less attention. Does this mirror your personal interests in the different periods?

No, not at all. I guess the earlier years were concentrated on because that is the period that people would know the least about. Plus once the band get onto the writing-recording-touring cycle the story does become less interesting. On more recent albums the band have been very settled with no internal battles, or fights with producers, so basically there is far less to talk about.

One of the "scoops" of the book was the fact that singer James LaBrie almost was fired from the band a few years ago. Since this wasn´t common knowledge, was he comfortable talking about it?

Yes, he was. Admittedly I had spoken to Mike and John Petrucci about it first, so when it came to speaking with James, it made it easier for him to talk about it. But I am sure it was hard for him to remember that period of his life, much like it was hard for Mike to recall events in his past - such as his drink and drug problems and the death of his mother. I also think that period when James was under threat was the last great internal "battle" and things have - on the surface at least - settled down.

According to recent interviews the vibe in the band seems pretty good at the moment and they don´t show any sign of stopping anytime soon. Is that your impression as well after conducting these interviews? What´s your prediction of DT´s future based on your interviews?

I hope so and I would agree that the vibe in the band is good. It is of course hard to really know what is going on inside a band, as even though I spent hours talking to them, I never really became part of the band's inner circle. So who knows? These things all tend to come out later, but certainly I know Mike thinks that the vibe in the band is the best it has ever been. As for the future, it will be very intersting. For the first time in a long time, they are attracting younger fans to gigs, who I guess all must love the "Systematic Chaos" album. It will be fascinating to see if these fans stick around, and if the band continue in the same musical vein to ensure that they do.

The only keyperson who wasn´t interviewed for the book was of course former keyboardist Kevin Moore. How does it feel, as an author putting your heart and soul into this book, to have ONE person ruining the possibilities for the book to be absolutely complete? Did you even get a hold of him?

Yes, we exchanged emails. Kevin basically wished me luck with the project but said he didn't want to get involved. Of course that is frustrating but there is no way of forcing him to do it. But I haven't totally given up. It is just a shame that he passed on the one opportunity he has had to set the record straight. Still, I've not given up on interviewing him one day!

What´s your personal opinion about Dream Theaters progress over the years in terms of music? Which are your favourite and least favourite albums?

I guess we all have to have favourites, and for me I really loved "When Dream And Day Unite", "Scenes From A Memory" and to a slightly lesser degree "Octavarium". Of all their albums, the one I play the least is "Systematic Chaos". I do love the music but I'm probably getting too old for some of the fantasy lyrics about "dark masters". But the one good thing is that DT have never repeated a formula, so I'm really looking forward to their next album. And I think that is the key to their progress. They have always created fresh music which has gradually expanded their fanbase who tend to stick with the band. That success is solely due to their hard work and musicianship, which from their point of view must be very satisfying. But I think they will continue to grow and, for better or worse, we will be getting used to seeing them perform stadium/ arena gigs instead of theatres.

The response to the book has been overwhelming. Do you have any plans to do anything more DT-related in the future?

Yes, I've been pleased with the response. We are releasing an updated paperback version of the book (just the "Words" book ) in time for the US tour this summer, with perhaps another hardback being available on general release later in 2008. There is also talk of an Italian language version. So I guess DT will keep me busy for some time to come!

Site Update

2008-04-08T14:37:00.002Z

Nothing major to report other than there have been a few updates over at www.dreamtheaterbook.com that are worth checking out. Of course there's nothing there that any of you ardent blog readers won't know already (you get it here first folks!). But as there are only about 4 people that seem to read this (and one of 'em is my dog) it was well worth doing!

Dream Theater's Greatest Hit

2008-03-25T16:19:00.004Z

Got my paws on a copy of the Greatest Hit collection today. Wasn't sure what to expect really with the several remixes on there. Kevin Shirley has done a decent job on the Images And Words tracks, in bringing them up to date. That said, the original David Prater production was perfect for the early nineties market, as was proved by the fact that 'Pull Me Under' became such a radio hit. Definitely worth checking out then, as it does have some rare-ish edited tracks and b-sides on there.

And the liner notes aren't bad either . . .

Tour Version Cover

2008-03-16T16:11:00.004Z

Ignore the odd looking "S" in Shadows as something weird just happened when I opened it with Photoshop. Obviously the printed version won't look like this. Though if the publishers employ the same proof-reader as they did for the limited edition, then it might . . .

Click for enlarged version

Metal Hammer Review

2008-03-16T14:17:00.005Z

Review from this month's Metal Hammer

Click on the image to enlarge . . .

Classic Rock Review

2008-03-16T14:10:00.003Z

Classic Rock Magazine . . . Click on the scan above to enlarge . . .

Testing For Echo

2008-03-16T14:01:00.004Z

Well ain't this a surprise? I'm back. Long, long dull story involving machines that go beep, bad medicines and other wacky things. Shit happens as they say. Anyway . . .

Right. Well I guess I should update you all as to what has been happening with the Dream Theater book, given that it was the reason I started doing this blogging thing in the first place. I don't know the exact numbers, but I know there are only a few of the lovely, 2-book limited edition left. So get in there quick if you want one. For those of you that haven't seen one yet, see above for an idea of what it looks like. The press reviews have been kind - always a huge relief - and I'll post some later on today.

There is also another version heading out this spring - a softback tour edition that DT will have on their merch stalls in time for their US spring tour. This has updated text and all typos have also been removed (hopefully . . .)

I should have a copy of the sleeve somewhere which I'll also post soon. And for all Italians out there, there is talk of an Italian language version which is hopefully being signed off in the next few days.

So Then . . .

2007-08-01T20:05:00.000Z

Yes, I am still here. It's just been hectic with proofs to approve, captions to write as well at that crucial task of actually plugging and selling the book. So far, of the 7000 registrations, there have been just less than 2000 orders placed.

So the message is get in there fast. The publishers may only decide to make 3000 copies of this, so if they all sell out before you order . . . Well, I've warned you at least!

Plus you've only got until the 31st August to pre-order in order to get your name printed in the book as a special thank you for your faith. The link is below in my last post.

Some good news is that the well-respected Rock Hard magazine in Germany are to publish extracts from the book in an upcoming issue. All good publicity and a few of those precious beer tokens for my back pocket!

Pre-Order Now Available

2007-07-24T17:34:00.001Z

OK then!

Emails are now being sent out to those of you who registered your interest in buying the book. There are 7000 of you so it may take some time. There is a link in the email to the publishers (Essential Works Ltd) website where you can pre-order and pay by either Googlecart or Paypal.
The payment will go direct to the publishers and not myself. Remember that your name will only be printed in the book if you order before 31st August 2007.

Essential have also set up a large FAQ section which should answer all your queries and you can also contact them if you wish

As these emails are taking time to get out to people, here's the link

http://www.essentialworks.co.uk/dreamtheater

Thanks for your support over the last three years

Book Bonus For Pre-Ordering

2007-07-23T17:29:00.001Z

Just to let you all know that we expect the pre-ordering to start in the next couple of days.

I've agreed an added extra for those of you who pre-order. Basically as a thank you, if you order before 31st August (date TBC) we will print your name in the back of one of the books in a a Roll Of Honor. This is something I wanted to do by way of thanking you for all of your support in the whole pre-ordering concept. So keep checking those e-mails, as we should be sending a pre-order link out soon!

Thanks again for all the support

Update On The Book

2007-07-23T07:51:00.000Z

OK. Basically what is happening is that we have a publisher and the book is being designed and proof read now. The publishers are going to be taking the orders, and they have just been working out the best way to do this. Also we have been trying to cut down on shipping costs in the US by arranging for a US distributor as well as a UK one. But they are in the process of setting up an ordering page at their website.

What will happen from here is that those who registered their interest will shortly get an email explaining that they can now order a copy. The publishers are expecting not everyone who registered their interest to follow up with an order. So, as we now have around 6800 registered, I expect them to initially plan for a print run of 5000. Of course, if the orders flood in then they can add to that total. But I would say that it is better to order quickly after the pre-ordering process starts to make sure you get a copy.

I am also trying very hard to get an added bonus for those of you who order in the first few weeks as a thank you. I am not sure if we can do it, but I am pressing hard for it. I'll not say what it is just yet in case it all goes wrong. But it's not a signed edition unfortunately, so don't get your hopes that high!! But I still think it's something pretty cool.

Update

2007-07-04T08:33:00.001Z

So, with the number of registrations heading steadily towards the 4000 mark, the book is obviously officially happening. Thank you for your support. As I have mentioned before, this is the limited edition version. My concern now is that every DT fan that wants a copy registers, as we won't be printing a massive surplus of these. So please register your interest. Some things are yet to be sorted - such as dsitribution - but I'll keep you posted.

Oh and in case anyone has missed this, here are all the details again . . .

‘Lifting Shadows - The Authorized Story Of Dream Theater’ will soon available to order in a deluxe, ‘Images And Words’ special edition that includes a free CD of Dream Theater music. This limited edition comprises two hardback books that are held together in a slipcase.

Register now at http://www.dreamtheaterbook.com/

Please note that the book will not be available in stores or at online retailers. The ONLY place you can purchase this book is via http://www.dreamtheaterbook.com/.

We will be shipping worldwide in conjunction with our distributors who are based in the UK and USA.The UK RRP will be £39.99 and $69.99 in the US, plus postage and packing. Please note at this time we do not have the postage costs. It has also not been decided as to whether this book will be re-issued at a later date in another format.

The first of these books is entitled ‘Images’ and is crammed with colour photos of the band, previously unseen/unused album artwork, letters, press releases and a host of other memorabilia. ‘Images’ is printed on luxury 130gsm art paper, measures 234 x 197mm and has around 192 pages.The second book, ‘Words’, contains the definitive biography of Dream Theater. It is printed on 80gsm paper, measures 234 x 153mm and has around 384 pages. The book features all new interviews with the band and a host of others who have played their part in the rise of one of prog-metals finest bands. The book’s foreword has been written by Mike Portnoy. The book cover is to be designed by legendary rock artist, Hugh Syme.

CD Tracklisting:

1. ANOTHER WON (1985)
(Original Instrumental Berklee Demo)
Taken from the Ytsejam Records CD "The Majesty Demos 1985-1986"

2. TWO FAR (1986)
(1986 Majesty Demo)
Taken from the Ytsejam Records CD "The Majesty Demos 1985-1986"

3. STATUS SEEKER (1988)
(Radio Remix)
Previously only available as a Mechanic Records Radio Promo CD
Remixed by Terry Brown

4. DON'T LOOK PAST ME (1990)
(Vocalist Audition Demo)
Taken from the 1999 Dream Theater Fan Club CD "Cleaning Out The Closet"
Music originally recorded in Feb 1990J
ames LaBrie vocal tracks added in Oct 1999
Mixed by Doug Oberkircher

5. UNDER A GLASS MOON (1993)
(Live At The Marquee Outtake)Previously Unreleased
Recorded at the Marquee - London, England - April 23rd 1993
Mixed by Doug Oberkircher

6. CAUGHT IN A WEB (1995)
(Live on BBC Radio One)
Previously Unreleased
Recorded Live on Bruce Dickinson's BBC Radio One Show - January 30th 1995.

7. YOU OR ME (1996)
(1996 Demo)
Taken from the Ytsejam Records CD "Falling Into Infinity Demos 1996-1997"

8. BURNING MY SOUL (1998)
(Once In A LIVEtime Outtake)
Previously only available on the "Five Years In A LIVEtime DVD"
Recorded at Le Bataclan - Paris, France - June 25th 1998
Live Mix by Kevin Shirley

9. THROUGH HER EYES (1999)
(Original "Long Titanic" Arrangement)
Previously only available on the end credits of "Metropolis 2000 - Scenes From New York"

10. YOUR MAJESTY (2002)
(Live in Paris)
Previously Unreleased
Recorded at Mutualite - Paris, France - October 23rd 2002

11. METROPOLIS (2004)
(Live in Los Angeles)
Special Guests: Charlie Dominici and Derek Sherinian
Taken from the Ytsejam Records CD "When Dream And Day Reunite"
Recorded at The Pantages Theater - Los Angeles, CA - March 6th 2004

Nicer Job

2007-07-03T20:06:00.001Z

3524 and rising . . .

Nice Job!!

2007-07-02T15:30:00.000Z

As of two minutes ago, the total number of registrations (which is still rising at a healthy rate) was 3160 !!

So thanks to all of you who have pre-ordered. I can also confirm that because of YOUR support, this book is now officially happenin.g Thank you all!

But I would say that if you do want a copy, then you must still register your interest. At current levels we are probably looking at a print run of about 4000 (as the total of registrations will creep up). So although there might be a few extra copies floating around after we've sent them to those who pre-ordered/ pre-paid, in order to reserve a copy, you need to register . . . Thanks again. It means a lot. I always had faith, but you know what publishers are like . . .

DT Book - Pre Order Details Now Available!

2007-06-28T07:21:00.001Z

OK
Here’s the situation with the Dream Theater book. Thanks for your patience over the last three years!

The intention is that ‘Lifting Shadows’ will soon available to order in a deluxe, ‘Images And Words’ special edition that includes a free CD of Dream Theater music. This limited edition comprises two hardback books that are held together in a slipcase.

However in order for the book to be published before Christmas, we need to hit a certain level of pre-orders. Currently this is around the 2000 copies mark. Indeed anything significantly less than this, and the project may well need to be adapted due to the high costs involved in producing a book of this type. Rather than ask people to part with their money at this stage, you can now register your interest in pre-ordering the book by entering your name and e-mail address. The benefit of this is that you will be the first to know when the ordering process begins (hopefully in two to three weeks time) and will be able to guarantee yourself a copy. We will e-mail you as soon as this ordering process is available. We hope that we will be able to have the books in our warehouse and ready for shipping before Christmas.

The reason I am having to do thing this way, is that this is a joint venture between myself and a small contract publishing firm. If we did this without a registration process, just asked for payments now and that pre-order bombed (and only 200 people bought the book) the book wouldn’t happen, I’d look like a clown, and have to send all the money back. So this way everyone is a winner.

It is imperative therefore that you register as soon as possible if you want to buy the book, as if the number of people registering is far less than the 2000 mark, the project may be in doubt. Obviously please only register once, as we will be basing the print run on the number of registrations. However well intentioned, if we get a load of dud registrations, we will just be left with a huge bill and a load of books that will get pulped.

Register now at http://www.dreamtheaterbook.com/ and click on the BOOK link

Please note that the book will not be available in stores or at online retailers. The ONLY place you can purchase this book is via www.dreamtheaterbook.com. We will be shipping worldwide in conjunction with our distributors who are based in the UK and USA.

The UK RRP will be £39.99 and $69.99 in the US, plus postage and packing. Please note at this time we do not have the postage costs. It has also not been decided as to whether this book will be re-issued at a later date in another format. Please spread the word among the DT community to ensure that we can maximise the level of those registering for pre-orders to ensure that this project happens!

The first of these books is entitled ‘Images’ and is crammed with colour photos of the band, previously unseen/unused album artwork, letters, press releases and a host of other memorabilia. ‘Images’ is printed on luxury 130gsm art paper, measures 234 x 197mm and has around 192 pages.

The second book, ‘Words’, contains the definitive biography of Dream Theater. It is printed on 80gsm paper, measures 234 x 153mm and has around 384 pages. The book features all new interviews with the band and a host of others who have played their part in the rise of one of prog-metals finest bands. The book’s foreword has been written by Mike Portnoy. The book cover is to be designed by legendary rock artist, Hugh Syme.

CD Tracklisting:

1. ANOTHER WON (1985)
(Original Instrumental Berklee Demo)
Taken from the Ytsejam Records CD "The Majesty Demos 1985-1986"

2. TWO FAR (1986)
(1986 Majesty Demo)
Taken from the Ytsejam Records CD "The Majesty Demos 1985-1986"

3. STATUS SEEKER (1988)
(Radio Remix)
Previously only available as a Mechanic Records Radio Promo CD
Remixed by Terry Brown

4. DON'T LOOK PAST ME (1990)
(Vocalist Audition Demo)
Taken from the 1999 Dream Theater Fan Club CD "Cleaning Out The Closet"
Music originally recorded in Feb 1990
James LaBrie vocal tracks added in Oct 1999
Mixed by Doug Oberkircher

5. UNDER A GLASS MOON (1993)
(Live At The Marquee Outtake)
Previously UnreleasedRecorded at the Marquee - London, England - April 23rd 1993
Mixed by Doug Oberkircher

6. CAUGHT IN A WEB (1995)
(Live on BBC Radio One)
Previously Unreleased
Recorded Live on Bruce Dickinson's BBC Radio One Show - January 30th 1995

7. YOU OR ME (1996)
(1996 Demo)
Taken from the Ytsejam Records CD "Falling Into Infinity Demos 1996-1997"

8. BURNING MY SOUL (1998)
(Once In A LIVEtime Outtake)
Previously only available on the "Five Years In A LIVEtime DVD"
Recorded at Le Bataclan - Paris, France - June 25th 1998
Live Mix by Kevin Shirley

9. THROUGH HER EYES (1999)
(Original "Long Titanic" Arrangement)
Previously only available on the end credits of "Metropolis 2000 - Scenes From New York"

10. YOUR MAJESTY (2002)
(Live in Paris)
Previously UnreleasedRecorded at Mutualite - Paris, France - October 23rd 2002

11. METROPOLIS (2004)
(Live in Los Angeles)
Special Guests: Charlie Dominici and Derek Sherinian
Taken from the Ytsejam Records CD "When Dream And Day Reunite"Recorded at The Pantages Theater - Los Angeles, CA - March 6th 2004

You can register now at http://www.dreamtheaterbook.com/ and click on the "Book" link

Something's Brewing . . .

2007-06-25T20:54:00.000Z

in the land of the Dream Theater biography. Big news should be coming by the end of the week.

I Am Still Here

2007-06-20T20:42:00.000Z

Yep, I'm still here. Been a hectic few days as I am trying to rapidly get this final chapter written. Mind you, I say final, but the way things have been going, I might be writing another one in a couple of years! No. Actually things look to be moving. We are just trying to source someone who can take the online pre-orders, warehouse the books once printed, pack and post the things! Sounds simpler than it actually is. I just think it's too much to ask for you good punters to order a book that you won't be getting your paws on for a few months, and expect you to pay me directly. We need a trustworthy third party. Not that I'm not trustworthy of course, but you know what I mean. For all you know, I might spend all your hard earned cash bribing Kevin Moore to speak to me!! I do expect to solve this minor problem in the next few days.

In the meantime, keep 'em peeled. I'll be back soon. And one of days, when you pay a visit to this saga known as my blog, you never know - there might actually be a book you can order.

Newcastle Pics

2007-06-10T18:07:00.000Z

Caught DT in Newcastle last night. Predictably unpredictable setlist, with the band throwing the entire 'Images And Words' album into the mix. Awesome night. The inclusion of Marillion's 'Sugar Mice' was a wonderful addition too.

And hey! Dontca love just You Tube?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDrve1OxeWY

Tired though, so more blog later. But for now, here are few of my snaps from the gig to be going on with.

Elmer Fudd And Aide Memoire

2007-06-08T09:08:00.000Z

No updates for an age. Apologies for that. I spent a week away from the PC in Ireland last week, and apart from a quick visit to an internet "cafe" (really a room stacked with PC's, run by a woman who looked like Elmer Fudd) kept away from checking e-emails too. Which of course meant a mountain of stuff to plough through when I got back. But things do seem to be moving on the book front at an alarming rate. I'm still knee deep wading through all the details, but it looks like a pre-order may be up and running in the next few weeks, with a release in November. So the deal would be you order a few months in advance, book yourself a copy and we send it out once it hits the warehouse. Effectively I am self-publishing which means the pre-order is needed to make sure I can pay for the printing. Otherwise, I'll be auctioning a kidney on eBay to raise the funds. That would not be good.

Of course, I realise that many of you are new to this saga, so I thought I'd give a reminder about the book. Basically, the first release of 'Lifting Shadows - The Authorized Story Of Dream Theater' will be the 'Images And Words Limited Edition'. The comprises of two hardback books that are held together in a slipcase. One of the books contains the words - which runs in at a massive 140,000 - and the other 'Images' contains a host of photos, flyers, unseen/ unused album cover drafts, etc etc dating back twenty years. This runs in at around 200 pages. Plus Mike Portnoy has collated a CD of rare DT tracks, some of which are available on releases, some that are rare, and a few that have never before seen the light of day on CD. So that should keep you quiet! Hugh Syme is creating the cover art as I type. Oh, and the paper used is top-quality.

The retail price has yet to be fixed, but I expect it to be about £39.99 UK, $69.99 US with Euro costs about 59.99 plus P+P. Of course this weighs a tonne - actually it's 2kg - so postage charges are a few more £. I will keep you all updated as and when, but I hope to get things finalized in the next 10 days.

It it highly unlikely that it will be available in the stores in this format, so the only place to get it will be via http://www.dreamtheaterbook.com And if you could all pre-order when we start that, I'd be grateful. I am quite fond of my kidney . . .

Something Interesting

2007-05-20T15:50:00.000Z

So today I thought I'd break from the usual posts about the strife I'm having with the music / publishing business and my usual moans about the many fuckwits that infest this industry and give you all something interesting to read. It's been ages since I posted an extract from the book, so just to keep you reading this drivel (seriously, I'm impressed you stick with it) here's a short section from the chapter that covers the Awake era tour:

One of the more visible changes on that tour was the outlandish appearance of Derek Sherinian and his luridly decorated keyboard riser. Prior to Sherinian becoming a full-time member, he cut a bashful figure on-stage, preferring to dress plainly with little interaction with the crowd. But following his permanent appointment as Kevin Moore’s replacement, a new Derek Sherinian began to manifest itself. Wearing flashy and unbefitting clothes, he festooned the keyboard area with lava-lamps and a rug and even admitting himself that his stage area had the appearance of a “cross between an opium den and a bordello.”

“I knew it would help elevate me and make me more famous,” says Sherinian without a hint of irony. “It was a very calculated move. I knew during this transformation that a huge portion of the fans would resent the flamboyance but I knew that another portion would dig it. I wanted to step out from being the guy quietly playing keyboards in the corner and make a bit of a mark. The key to that was that I always had to make sure that the playing was there to back it up.

“I remember we were rehearsing at S.I.R studios in New York for the tour,” he continues. “I’d purchased these four lava lamps, and a television that only showed static which I’d set up at the rehearsals before they got there. So I had this huge production set up on my keyboard riser. First thing Mike said was ‘That’s fucking great – I love it!’ Then I think Petrucci didn’t say anything. After we had started playing and started doing some shows, I added this seventies, white shag pile carpet on the riser with it and I had incense going too. But it was a total anomaly on stage because nobody else had anything on there and I had this full production. I remember a couple of weeks later, Petrucci came up and said ‘Derek, you know, all this stuff up here looks a little bit out of place.’ So I just suggested we put them all over the stage to add a bit of a vibe and some colour. So if you notice, towards the end of the tour, the lava lamps extended all the way back and across the stage. Portnoy even put the same white shag pile carpet under his riser. So it was spreading a little bit!”

Rope On Standby

2007-05-19T13:30:00.000Z

Another ten days go into the ether. Well, it's been pretty busy here, as I finally got around to transcribing the Jordan, Mike and James interviews. With John Myung lined up for next week, things are going well. Then I have to start writing this all-new chapter, and working it in to the rest of the book. Once that is all done, I can at least start thinking about getting this out there. But at least I'm ready to go. The website is pretty much completed and will be re-launched soon (www.dreamtheaterbook.com), all the pics (850 of them) are ready to go to the designers for them to make their selection. The CD of DT material provided by Mike is in my paws and just needs mastering, and the mighty Hugh Syme (www.hughsyme.com) is working on the cover.
I'm sure there's something else I need to do though? Oh, yeah, tie down a new publisher. But I have rope here standing by. One thing that all of this might entail is a pre-order some months in advance of the release by you DT fans! This means you are guaranteed a copy of the limited edition, likely at a discount and probably with some form of extra as a gift for your support. But that's to be decided on another day . . .

Flying Pigs

2007-05-09T17:25:00.000Z

Caught Roger Waters on Monday night at the arena in Manchester. Talk about standard setting. Over the years, I have seen God-knows how many hundreds of gigs, but Waters has now claimed the prize of sitting at number one. Absolutely superb. An incredible set list covering FLoyd material from The Wall, the criminally under-rated The Final Cut, Wish You Were Here and his own solo albums, all knitted together with a mind-blowing, massive HD screen and some wild props. How about a remote-control, flying inflatable pig the size of a double-decker bus that whizzed around the arena? A floating astronaut of similiar propotions? Plus a massive revolving prism shaped lighting rig. Oh, and surround sound for a gig that lasted the best part of three hours.

Not that I ever encourage bootlegs (actually that's bollocks) but if you missed it here is a link to some footage from the Manchester gig - you'll have to wait about 4 minutes in until Mr Pig makes an appearance: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhGa0-1RlYs

A few other links are: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nFsGgn8tA4U

And some quality footage at : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VH5xJpjnxc

Enjoy!

Interviewing & Transcribing

2007-05-03T19:59:00.000Z

Well, I didn't think I'd be doing all this again. Spoke to Jordan Rudess today to get the background on the new album. On the back of the interviews with Mike and James last week, I'm back to transcribing the interviews. This has to be the worst part of the whole process. I type like a baboon at the best of times, so three interviews is a nightmare. But I can't complain. That's the great thing about writing a book on Dream Theater - the fact that all of them are decent, friendly, regular guys. Not everyone in this business is. It's always a pleasure and entertaining speaking to them. And I've done a lot of that over the last three years - I've worked out that there are about 45 hours worth of interview tapes here! So then it will be a case of writing that all-new final chapter and re-working things.

The other good news is that I have commissioned Hugh Syme to start the book cover art. Can't wait to see what he comes up with. Of course, I'm paying for this myself. Tired of waiting for said publishers to do anything like this. But then, I haven't signed a contract yet - which given the delays has one very big benefit - I'm still a free agent . . . . . .

As for a release date? We should hold a sweepstake. But I have a couple of things up my sleeve which should hopefully come to fruition next week. In the meantime, dig out the Falling Into Infinity album and check out the lyrics to 'Burning My Soul'. There's a delicious irony and coincidence in those lyrics that I'll reveal another time.

Back To Writing The Book

2007-04-30T18:08:00.000Z

The sole benefit of this intolerable delay on the book front is that I'm now writing a new final chapter. Somehow it didn't sit well with me that the Radio City gig was the book's finale, and with all the nonsense that's been going on, that would have made the last chapter over a year out of date. So I was on the phone with Mike Portnoy and James LaBrie last week, going over the details of the upcoming 'Systematic Chaos' album that's out in June. Jordan Rudess is lined up for later this week, which just leaves John P and John "Gripper" Myung to go. Shake Mr Myung's hand once, and you'll know why his middle name is Gripper by the way.

Wilson In Not Dead Shocker

2007-04-21T12:49:00.000Z

Yes, it's true. I can confirm that I am not dead. So thanks to Paulo somewhere near Milan (apparently) and Steve from Yarmouth for your concerned e-mails. It is good to know that someone actually takes the time to check if I've updated this drivel. So what's new? Well, you'll never guess what. I still haven't signed that contract with the publishers I was wittering about back in 2001. Well, OK, it was probably Janaury, but it feels like years. I tell you, all of this book writing lark was at some point in the increasingly dim past good fun. Then the industry gets involved and sucks all life and enthusiasm from you. Hopefully, this will get signed off sometime soon, but then I've been saying that for weeks and cock all happens . . .

Apart from that, was in Preston last night for a Porcupine Tree gig. Stunning stuff really, with the ever-so-slightly-disturbing backdrop movie adding to the general ambience. Which reminds me, I need to put together a review of last night for Classic Rock. I guess I'd better get to it . . .

Nuggets

2007-04-09T15:47:00.000Z

As with all DT releases, the hardcore fans are already searching for "nuggets" - those hidden images on sleeves, or sounds on songs that once discovered will mean something. Something to search for between albums. So someone has done a piss-take out of the "nugget culture" by posting the above pic over at DT's MySpace site. The question is, can YOU see find the nugget?

Scrabbling Around

2007-04-08T11:13:00.000Z

Well, as you might have predicted given the intolerably slow pace of progress on the book release date, I am still negotiating the contract with the publishers. So no news to report - hence the lack of posts. All of which is of course what is technically known as "bollocks", but I do hope to get this sorted in the next week (bangs head on wall . . .)

But at least it has given me time to try and work out what my next project will be, as I'm chomping at the bit. There are a couple of rock-irons in the flames, but as always with these things, they are best left roasting before I reveal all, as nothing is certain in this business.

Still, all this inactivity has given me chance to pop over to the mighty Sifters Records on Fog Lane in Manchester. Stocked up yesterday with a fine selection of Dio, Genesis, Ratt, Gary Moore, Anvil and Whitesnake albums to see me through the long weekend.

More to follow as and when.

Five Days Gone

2007-03-23T18:21:00.000Z

Don't know where the last week has gone. Actually, I've not been feeling the best - apparently the technical term is "rotavirus gastroenteritis". Messy is the word. But I do recommend it as a way of rapidly losing weight, as I've lost half a stone. Result! Apart from that, I've been doing my best to go through the ongoing contract negotiations without straying too far from the bathroom or my bed. But I'm feeling a tad better today, so I might venture out for a kebab later - though that might be a touch adventurous/ stupid. Maybe if I just go for "mild" chilli sauce instead of the usual "inferno" level of heat . . .

I see Dave Ling was lucky enough to attend the listening party in London for the new Rush album (http://www.daveling.co.uk/diary.htm ). Sounds like the oik from Kerrang! was on form. Really, that magazine died on its arse about fifteen years ago. Album sounds as though it could be a cracker. I did actually receive an invite to go down myself for the preview, but given I'm about 200 miles away and this week's little problem, decided against it. There might have been a few "Vapor Trails" . . .

Back In Time

2007-03-18T17:21:00.000Z

Just as the book is being proof-read and edited, ready to be flung in the direction of the designers, I've managed to track down a couple more people who played pivotal roles in DT history. No, not Kevin Moore (even I've given up on that one) but people who were involved in signing DT to their first label. I've been trying to track them down for three years, and thanks to a chance encounter on Myspace with Long Island guitarist Rich Brymer who is in contact with 'em, I've finally hunted them down. So, it's back to the process of interviewing, transcribing and editing their accounts into the text. Which is great, as it makes the book just that little bit more complete. In fact, Kevin Moore aside, the only person I've now not tracked down is a guy from Florida called John Hendricks who worked with DT in the period before James LaBrie joined the band. So Johnnie boy, if you're out there and by some miracle are reading this, get in touch . . .

More Masterplan

2007-03-11T16:38:00.000Z

In answer to a few questions, it is unlikely at this stage that the book will be distributed to the likes of Amazon, Barnes & Nobles, Borders etc. Copies will be sold via my http://www.dreamtheaterbook.com website and the publishers http://www.rockcandyrecords.com also intend to sell it. I hope to do a pre-sale to ensure that the hardcore DT fans on all the forums get first shot at a copy. As for the wording of "Limited Edition", I will be granting rights to the publishers for them to produce a paperback version - which would just be the text without photos or CD. But there is no guarantee that they will take up the option . . .

== EDIT ==============

Received the following query:
"I was wondering how us europeans will be able to get our hands on the goods? Will we have to order it from the U.S., or can we hope for a seperate european shipping?"

The books will be distributed worldwide from the UK.

======================

The Masterplan

2007-03-11T13:05:00.000Z

So here's the plan with the book. But don't send the boys round to give me a good kicking if any of this doesn't work out! The book is entitled 'Lifting Shadows - The Authorised Story Of Dream Theater'. The initial release is the 'Images And Words' limited edition. But what's so special about the limited edition I hear you cry? Well, it's basically TWO books. One called 'Words' containing the words (of which there are over 140,000 with all new interviews with the band) and the other called 'Images' which funnily enough, is full of photos, memorabilia, letters etc etc. These are held together in a slipcase and both printed on top drawer paper (apparently 130gsm art paper for those of you who understand these things. . .) In total the books are expected to contain around 600 pages, and the books weigh around 4.5 pounds (2kg). Now, here's the main attraction. Included as an awesome freebie in the book set is a free CD of Dream Theater music, compiled by the ever-generous and supportive Mike Portnoy, which includes a stack of previously unreleased tracks. I'll release the track listing nearer the time, but rest assured that Mike really has pulled out the stops on this one! Oh, and if things go to plan, the book's cover is being designed by Hugh Syme, and Mike has also graciously offered to write the foreword. Phew! I can't confirm a release date as yet or a retail price, but I'll update you all here as and when I know more . . .

Calling Y19

2007-03-07T22:18:00.000Z

Made my way to the Manchester Apollo to last night to catch Journey. Steve Perry may not be with them any more, and their last vocalist Steve Augeri disappeared in a haze of a miming controversy (my lawyer tells me to insert the word "allegedly" here), but all of this mayhem has at least given Jeff Scott Soto a chance. Decent job he did too, though there was the passing thought as to how many of the 3000+ in attendance knew about the change. I thought I heard a distanct gasp of "Who the f***? when he came on stage. They were supported by the equally able Danny Vaughn, who despite looking like a slightly camp, mini-me version of Iggy Pop has a solid back-catalogue of solo and Tyketto/ Waysted albums to dig into. Anyway, once again it's time to shame a cretin! This time it's the woman who was sat in seat Y19 in the lower stalls. Thanks for talking all the way through the set about your fascinating life, which judging by the level of conversation, consists solely of watching "World's Most Amazing Lobotomy Videos", "Tricia", and the cartoon channel. I just don't get it. But then like a lot of things, I find myself asking the question "Is is just me?" regularly these days. It usually is too . . .

Jerry Garcia's Ghost

2007-03-04T14:22:00.000Z

So, today became the nominated review-writing day. I must have been a bad bastard in a previous life. No really. I have the dubious joy of reviewing The Moody Blues, Supertramp and The Grateful Bloody Dead. What can you say about any of these? Apart from the fact that they won't make the transition from my desk to my CD collection. There are only fifteen other words for "bland" in the Thesaurus. Just as I thought things couldn't get any worse, as I was cheerily demolishing the Grateful Dead album, the power went off. For an hour. Clearly there must have been a light drizzle within 10 miles of an electricity pylon. And of course, when it came back on again the Word document on my PC had vanished into the ether. I reckon it was Jerry Garcia returning from the dead and taking a beardy, tie-dye revenge for my dissing of his legacy. It's still a dreadful album. If this page disappears or the server goes down for a few days, you know who to blame . . .

Elks Blood

2007-03-03T18:01:00.000Z

I'm disappointed to find out that Jagermeister doesn't actually contain Elks blood. It would have explained why my mouth tasted like a deers bottom this morning, as I staggered out of bed grunting and looking like Mr Burns. At least there are a few benefits. Never again will I utter the words "Let's start the evening off with a few shots of Jagermeister." It screws with your legs that stuff - at least that's my excuse, as I spent the rest of last night walking around like Douglas Bader with a severe woodworm infestation.

Of course, the end result is that today has been wiped out, with my good intentions of firing off a few Classic Rock reviews exchanged for a few packets of "Resolve". I might try and get hold of Paul McKenna to see if he can hypnotise me so that in future, whenever I try to order a Jager at the bar, I actually ask for a half of Top Deck Shandy with a lemonade top . . .

£1 = $1.95861

2007-03-01T15:27:00.000Z

Well, the contract has finally been honed to perfection at my end - I just need the publishers to read it and agree with it. Here's hoping as I really would lick my finger and shove it into a live mains socket if I ever have to look at that document again. Once that is signed off, I will finally reveal all about the book. This has been far too long a process, and I can only thank everyone for their patience as I know there are a few of you at least who want to buy this book. What I will say is that I really hope you think it's been worth the wait. My only real concern is the awful £/$ exhange rate (well, if you're American) and the fact that this set of books (there's a titbit for you) weigh about the same as a dead cow. Consequently, this might add a fair few dollars on for postage and packing (it'll be sent from the UK), plus the set won't exactly be bargain basement pricing - due to the design, quality and "extras". So, I'm trying to figure out a way we might be able to distribute directly in the US. Plus the other aspect is that this book will be mainly sold online (at http://www.dreamtheaterbook.com and http://www.rockcandyrecords.co.uk) and not necessarily sent to the likes of Amazon, and you certainly won't find a copy in Barnes and Noble. So that's something else for me to worry about . . .

Fishy Legal Things

2007-02-22T19:58:00.000Z

I'm just wading through a draft version of the contract that needs to be agreed between myself and the book publishers. Boy, I see why lawyers get paid the amount they do. There are so many clauses and sub-clauses it's making my brain melt. Of course, minion writers like myself don't have agents - they always have to snaffle a healthy percentage and really aren't interested unless you're a fiction writer. Which means the emphasis falls back on my good self to organise this aspect too but thankfully I have a very astute lawyer who knows the difference between a preamble and a subsidiary right. I think.

I've noticed that Fish is going to presenting a Friday night show on Planet Rock (http://www.planetrock.com ) which should be worth a listen. Oh, as some of you spotted, the Dream Theater Book website ( http://www.dreamtheaterbook.com is down as mentioned in a post a couple of days ago. But, this should be sorted shortly . . .

Sweaty Betty And The Roadrunner

2007-02-19T20:36:00.000Z

Just got back from London after The Big Meeting to decide the final details of the Dream Theater book with the publishers. I'm too beat to try and type in all the details at the moment, mainly due to a flight from hell. Tell me, why is it that whenever I get on a plane, the most clinically obese individual you can imagine always parks themselves next to me? I'm not talking slightly porky here either - hell, I've got a few extra pounds I could do with shedding myself. No, this was a "women" who needed one of those extendable seatbelts usually reserved for the pregnant. The safety drill was pointless. In the event of an emergency, there would've been no chance of finding my way to an exit. It would have been like trying to wade over a bouncy castle filled with rice pudding, which, without crampons and a sturdy rope, would have been a physical impossibility. So that was far from pleasant and ever-so-slightly alarming as you can imagine.

But other than that, it was a thoroughly enjoyable time had down at Roadrunner Records in London, home of Dream Theater's new label and also where A&R men Derek Oliver and Dante Bonutto work. Who just happen to be the people who are going to be financing and publishing the DT book on their very own Rock Candy Record label. What a happy coincidence!

More later when I've showered off the residue from Big Fat Sweaty Betty.

Chubby Funster

2007-02-18T12:22:00.000Z

Managed to catch a performance by Ricky Gervais at the Manchester Apollo last week. Perfect Valentines Day evening out. No red roses, no fixed-price Valentines menus, no waiters from Burnage pretending to be Italian. Instead some good-old politically incorrect gags about ME, Dawn French and obesity! What sets Gervais apart is the fact that he's natural and like, say, Billy Connolly, he just comes across as a bloke in a pub who is telling a few stories for his mates.

I see Marillion have released a few soundclips from their forthcoming album 'Somewhere Else' over at http://www.myspace.com/marillion Quite an intriguing listen, though you can't really appreciate tracks based on a few short samples. Not sure about the single choice though. I'm usually proven wrong, so 'See It Like A Baby' is bound to go top ten.

I'm off to London early next week for a meeting with the book publishers, so I'll finally be able to give a firm update of the masterplan. In the meantime, I'm trying to pitch feature stories (basically book extracts) at various editors to coincide with the book and DT album release.

Don't Be Alarmed

2007-02-13T16:22:00.000Z

The dreamtheaterbook.com website will be offline for a few days in the next week or so while it gets moved to a decent host. But it'll soon be back up and running and ready for a re-launch nearer the book release date, complete with final details of the book's content, a few extracts and that all important store! Got to finish off a review of Helloween's latest live album for Classic Rock now, so it's only a short post. Can you believe the "snappy" title of that album?

Helloween: "Keeper Of The Seven Keys- The Legacy - World Tour 2005/2006 - Live In Sao Paulo"

Someone's having a laugh. I've only got 120 words to play with and that takes up almost 10%. Muppets!

Out Of The Chaos

2007-02-09T21:32:00.000Z

I should be able to give you a decent update on the proposed DT book format in the next week or so, as I will be heading down to London to meet with the publishers to finally nail this down. So it looks like the dog is safe and not heading for eBay. In the meantime, thanks for the messages of support! Just for interest, I've posted below the final list of the interviewees . . .

Current Band Members:

Mike Portnoy,
James LaBrie,
John Petrucci,
Jordan Rudess
John Myung

Former Band Members:

Charlie Dominici
Chris Collins,
Stephan Erickson (a.k.a Steve Stone)
John Arch
Derek Sherinian
Chris Cintron

Album Producers/ Engineers

David Prater
Kevin Shirley
Terry Date
Doug Oberkircher

Cover Artists:

Larry Freemantle
Amy Guip
Dung Hoang
Hugh Syme
Storm Thorgerson
Peter Curzon
Dave McKean

Band Managers/ Record Label Personnel

Derek Oliver
Dante Bonutto
Jim Pitulski
Derek Simon
Rob Shore
Rikk Feulner
Bill Barclay
Frank Soloman
Janna Glasser
David 5-1 Norman
Derek Shulman

Other related Bands etc:

Bruce Dickinson
Pete Trewavas (Marillion)
Ben Huggins (Galactic Cowboys)
Jamshied Sharifi (Conductor – Octavarium / Radio City)
Jens Johansson
Chris Jericho
Sebastian Bach
Erik Neldner
Eric Gandras (lead singer with JP/ KM in Centurion circa 1983)

Princess What?

2007-02-08T19:32:00.000Z

Blimey, the postman has come up trumps today, with promo copies of the new Magnum and Saxon albums, plus a Helloween live album. Not a bad haul for one day compared to the usual dross that clutters up the letterbox. I've not had a chance to listen to it all, but the new Magnum album sounds superb. Quite heavy in parts but still having that pomp, fist-waving edge that makes them such a euphoric band to see live. But, what were they thinking with the album's title? Are you sitting down? Beer in hand ready to dull the pain? Well just don't spray the Stella over the keyboard OK?

The new album is called 'Princess Alice And The Broken Arrow'! Why not call it 'Bedknobs and Broomsticks' or 'A Hobbit's Second Breakfast' and lose all credibility? But what the hell. It sounds great, so balls to the comedy title. Then again, there's a song called 'Dragons Are Real' which hints that Tony Clarkin has gone all Ronnie James Dio on us. But there's some great sleeve art - well, if you like that kind of thing- which if my addled brain is right was created by their old artist in crime, Rodney Matthews.

Burning My Soul

2007-02-07T21:05:00.000Z

Yeah I know. So much for New Year's resolutions huh? God only knows where the last few weeks have disappeared to. Actually they have been pretty stressful on the book front, with me trying to suss out whether the original publishers were going to come through and finance the thing, or whether I was going to end up trying to locate a way of paying for it myself. Working out all the options, I had actually managed to pencil out a plan that meant I could indeed scrape together the cash to self-publish. Sure it would have meant borrowing against the house, begging and stealing, probably selling the wife and the dog on eBay, but I know the DT fans will come through right? And buy all 5000 copies from a potentially destitute author? I mean, where else are you going to get 600 pages of Dream Theater heaven, a wonderful cover designed by someone you will all have heard of, and a potential freeby of the silver disc variety? All to be confirmed of course, but I know you guys will buy it right? Even if it does cost a shedload to produce in it's luxury box set.

But then, just as I was about to book a meeting with the bank manager, we are back at square one - with the original publishing bods now back on the scene and seemingly keen. I'll know more in a few days but trust me, don't write a book. Don't even contemplate it. The stress will kill you.

Something And Nothing

2007-01-13T11:51:00.000Z

Just watching DT's 'Score' DVD and spotted something. At the end of 'Octavarium', the orchestra stand up to take their bow. Bearing in mind these are all classically trained musicians who normally play in the Met Orchestra in NYC, it made me chuckle that one of the guys gets up and promptly gave the metal horn sign! Rock on dude!

And They're Off

2007-01-12T19:45:00.000Z

Today was the day things started moving at a fair pace on the DT book front. This was encouraged by a titbit of information I gleaned from the printers. Apparently, due to the format of the book, the thing will need to be printed in the Far East. All of which is fine, until the bombshell hit that once the copy is finished (ie designed) and sent over to the Chinese sweatshop, it will take THREE BASTARD MONTHS for them to print it. And then send it half way around the world by BOAT back to the UK. Add on to that a good 4-6 weeks for the book to be designed, me to sign a contract, and for the cover art to be done by a soon-to-be-revealed-famous-rock-cover-designer (fingers crossed), time really is a pressing. Especially since we are aiming for the book to be out to coincide with the DT album release and tour. A few panicked phone calls later and the text is in the hands of an editor as we speak. But I am really psyched about this project. If it comes off as I intend in terms of design, quality and the inclusion of the proposed "extras", this will be a release you'll love. Just pray with me to whichever God/ Idol / Clown/ Cartoon Character you worship that this all goes to plan . . .

And Here It Is

2007-01-10T20:06:00.000Z

I have actually just visited the SF Museum of Modern Art website to check I hadn't dreamt the whole thing. But no. Here it is in all it's glory. I just love the way that the artist has tranposed the feeling of emptyness they were feeling onto the canvas. Such vision and understanding of their craft. Genius is used far too often to describe artists, but this is a creation of such beauty. I now want to go back the the gallery, stand in front of it, stroke my chin, umm and aarrgh for ten minutes and then declare in a booming voice "Now that's shit"

Warhol Myung

2007-01-10T19:50:00.000Z

I was just trying out the new Beta version of blogger by trying to post a pic of John Myung taken in 1988 - really just to brighten the page. No idea what Beta is, but it's presumably an all-singing-and-dancing improvement on it's predecessor (alpha?). Unless of course you just want to upload a photo. Then it'll quite happily bugger up the image and have you scratching your head like a chimp. Still, I actually kind of like the psychedelic look. Better than so much of the bollocks that passes as art these days. If you're ever in San Francisco, check out the modern "art" gallery. In there (and I swear I'm not making this up), you'll find a square canvas that has just been painted completely white using emulsion. Nothing else. Just white emulsion. They paid the guy who did it thousands of bucks. It's probably called "White" or something. It's a centrepiece in the gallery for God's sake. Apparently they have to repaint it ever few years to ensure it retains it's brightness. I am seriously in the wrong job.

It's Been A While

2007-01-09T20:49:00.000Z

Sorry for the lack of posts and updates. As always Christmas and New Year took over my life, and I've been away for a few days enjoying the splendour of Venice. Anyway, I'm back with my nostrils wedged firmly against the grindstone as I try and motivate myself to becoming creative again!

As for the DT book, well things are slowly moving. I guess with the band's album coming out around May, a book release date somewhere about that time looks probable. But nothing is yet fixed. Of course, that leaves me with the small matter of having to write another chapter. I was hoping that the Radio City gig would have been the last few paragraphs as it seemed like the perfect way to end. But these things never go to plan. So there will now be an Epilgoue!

There are also a couple of other projects I've got on the go - more of which later - that need to be firmed up and should keep me busy throughout 2007. Keep watching this space. New Year Resolution numero uno is to update this blog more often.

Stumbled across a store when I was away specialising in Absinthe. A very interesting drink. Cough. Anyone else see a green fairy floating past or was it just me?

Arena: Heavy Metal

2006-12-18T22:46:00.000Z

I've been searching for this for ages. Back in 1989, there was a classic edition of the BBC2 Arena programme entitled "Heavy Metal". I used to have it on tape, but it got lost somewhere along the line. Anyway, some genius has uploaded this for all to enjoy at:

http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=-7574758784593826253&q=arena+heavy+metal

It has to be seen to be believed. The funniest moment is when members of Napalm Death try and put an intellectual spin on death metal, noting "There's some good death metal bands in Chile". Right . . .

Watch out for the retard known only as "Mitch" whose Venn diagram on the history of metal is beyond description. Trust me, it's the best 50 minutes you'll spend this year.

Maiden Manchester

2006-12-15T20:31:00.000Z

I know I'm gonna get panned for this, but what the hell . . .

Saw Iron Maiden in Manchester last night. As you're no doubt aware, they have taken the "bold" move of performing their new album in its entirety on this tour, only reverting to dipping into their back-catalogue for the encores. It was the first Maiden gig I have ever been to where I was both disappointed and bored. Now before anyone starts, I love Maiden. Their new album is probably their best in the last 10 years. But it really doesn't have the weight to carry an arena crowd for 70 minutes. Sorry guys, bad move. I say this not only because I found myself looking at my watch, but given the fact that there were people leaving and I have never seen the bar so busy during a gig. Maybe they've got shares in Boddingtons?

Despite Bruce's best efforts the crowd were pretty listless - apart from those suffering from blind faith down the very front (let's be honest, Maiden could have performed Des O'Connor numbers and they'd have loved it). Of course they will claim that this was a smart move on their part, but I guarantee in a years time, they'll be admitting it was a disaster. The whole thing reminded me of the scene in Spinal Tap where they played "Jazz Odyssey" in front of a dis-interested crowd. There was even the hint of a festival performance next summer with the promise of them playing "some of the old songs we didn't have time for" which to me came across as an huge apology. For 70 minutes last night, I wished that I had stayed at home and had a big wank . . .

Never Meet Your Idols

2006-12-03T19:55:00.000Z

I've spent the weekend penning a few reviews for Classic Rock. Perhaps the hardest piece I've ever had to write was a review of the new Neil Peart book 'Roadshow'. It's basically a travel book detailing Rush 30th anniversary tour. As usual, Peart is a witty and sharp writer, astutely noticing the various foibles of those around him, as well as the places he passes through. But there's also a depressing side to the book. It's obvious that he dislikes fans and touring, and I can to some extent sympathise with that. He comes across as modest and someone who really can't get his head around why people revere him. But in my humble opinion, the tale of him pushing a fan onto the floor after after his admirer had asked him to sign a load of old LP's was appalling. There may be more to the story than meets the eye, but the way it has been written leaves Peart in an extremely bad light. Fans do take extraordinary steps to meet their idols. It would have been far easier to sign the records in 10 seconds and move on. Leaving the guy in a heap surrounded by his treasured (and presumably now scratched) vinyl was un-necessary. It reminds me of the time when as a 12 year old lad, ny Dad took me to see Yorkshire play cricket. He wanted to show me what a great player Geoff Boycott was. During the interval, I wandered over the the pavillion to ask Mr Boycott to sign the game programme for my Dad. He refused saying "No. I'm reading my paper." I've been a football lover ever since.

Bastard? Me?

2006-11-18T10:43:00.000Z

The postman had me worried today. A package came through the door which was packed with a poster and beer mat emblazoned with the words "YOU BASTARD". But my initial fears that Phil Lesh or Glenn Hughes had finally tracked me down were unfounded when I sussed there was also a CD in there. Now, I know I should hate this. Any band that has to resort to using song-titles such as 'Bastard', 'Beat Me' or 'Killer Killer' are clearly begging for attention - usually as a result of trying to over-compensate for piss-poor material. But Electric Eel Shock are actually surprisingly impressive. OK, they may not be stunningly original, as their sound is blatantly entrenched in the stoner-riff genre, but the truth is that they rock like, errr, bastards.

At That Time Of The Night

2006-11-17T19:12:00.000Z

With things still drifting along at a virtually un-noticeable pace on the DT book front (I'm going to have to write another chapter at this rate Mr Publisher . . !), I've had to try and find something new to fill my days and evenings. It's a bit like finishing exams - you can't wait to get the blight of your life out of the way, but when you do, you end up twiddling your thumbs and being driven slowly insane by the lack of activity. So, I've been scavenging around to try and come up with a new project. Thankfully, it looks like I'm going to be starting a new book early next year. The subject is a closely guarded secret - just because I'm an old paranoid who believes that by "going public" things will rapidly turn to crap. But, I can say that it involves another legendary prog rock band. And that's all you're getting out of me for now.

I've been perusing the latest issue of Metal Hammer today. Of late, I've been pleasantly surprised at the content, as they have seemingly shifted towards more of a "Classic Metal" stance. Yet, they let themselves down by covering the latest bunch of talentless retards who think that dressing as zombies is original/ amusing. Alice Cooper did it years ago. Then there was GWAR the truly gimpish Shitknot, Marilyn Manson etc etc. Need I go on? But no. Here come "metal ghouls" Send More Paramedics. WOW!!! They're "Zombiecore"! WOW!!! They turn up late cos they can't park they're zombie van! WOW!!! They use blood capsules! WOW!!! They're from, errr, Leeds! WOW!! They say such things as "We are zombies risen from the grave to eternally wander the earth in search of brains". WOW!! Such originality and what rebels! But then again, pre-pubescents probably find them cool, so what do I know?