Ludicrously Talented Extra (Musical Project) - the Music of Liquid Tension Experiment

Just a little something to tide any readers over until I can make a more cohesive update - and, also, this song has snagged me, so it's worth sharing.

Just recently, I acquired Mike Portnoy's (of Dream Theater) instructional drumming video, Liquid Drum Theater, which is a walkthrough of a lot of popular songs from both DT, and from his side project (featuring DT members John Petrucci and Jordan Rudess) Liquid Tension Experiment. Basically, Mike was asked by record label Magna Carta to put together a progressive super group, and LTE was what he came up with. The group recorded two albums, each one in about the span of of a month or less - some improvised jams, others carefully planned out songs. Bass player Tony Levin (of note for his work with King Crimson) was also on board - and one of the jam tracks that happened on the first album is the one I'm posting today - meet Chris and Kevin's Excellent Adventure. Mostly, I'm giving it note because a bass playing friend and I are trying to learn it. Mostly, it is ludicrously complicated, even with the instructional video... but we persist nonetheless.

Basically, this is a two and a half minute jam between Mike and Tony, with Mike (of course) on drums, and Tony on chapman stick... there's some whistling involved too. It's a hard track to describe... basically, what it is, is a jam. You have to listen to it to experience it. Thusly, I'm not trying to learn it ad verbatim, but the framework. Anyway. Both the Liquid Tension Experiment albums (Liquid Tension Experiment 1 and 2) are worth checking out if you like a kind of more free-form, jazz influenced (yes, really) kind of progressive instrumental thing. There's even talks of a third album, maybe, but that's tentative. Anyway, Megaupload link is here.

Right now, music is sparse, but I'm trying to keep my ears open. Would help if I had more traffic - despite all my efforts, still none. Really bothersome. But more tracks later, if I can find 'em. Maybe even an artist. Rant. who knows.

Soon to be thwarted ambitions

Track of the day: On The Breath of Poseidon (Live) by Symphony X. This is from their album Live At The Edge of Forever. As far as live albums go, in a two disc, it's pretty good. For those of you who haven't heard of Symphony X, they're basically a more neo-classical, mythology based version of Dream Theater. While DT's lyrics are rooted somewhat in commonplace existence and ideology, Symphony X is sort of the same thing, only also about legends and dragons and existentialist jibber-jab. It's astounding that throughout all my time keeping an eye on Progessive music, I'd heard of them but never really given a listen - There's no overwhelming rush to listen to them, as they're basically just another voice of Dream Theater-esque kind of thing - maybe I've become too accustomed to the amazing musicianship in DT. They are good though, and I'm hoping to give more of their discography a listen in hopes that I can like more progressive stuff than the 'mainstream' would push at me. As for the track - I understand that this song was originally a bridge piece without much consequence - as is the case with live shows (often, anyway), it has mutated herein into someting beautiful, and I'm a big fan of it - there's a ripping guitar solo that demonstrates pretty good talent at the latter half of the song. As far as 'tracks of the day' have gone, it's not the most stand-out-ish piece, but I wanted to try something different, and here it is. Megaupload link (as so far unvisited, I'm thinking) is here.

For something a little different, I thought I'd relate a scope of my musical life at the moment. Normally, self-indulgence isn't important, (unless it is Mindless), but I had a jam session today I'd like to reflect upon.

Basically, I feel it went well - I seemed to get along a lot better with the guitar player this time than usual (His name is Django - an interesting monocre, eh?), at least as a person. Musically, I feel our directions are quite a bit different - and he's certainly the least talented of any of the guitar players I've jammed with so far, but for the fact that he decently knows how to actually jam. He can just pick a key and play in it, and I'll lay a back-beat kind of thing. Sadly, however, everything we played was standard metal fair, maybe with kind of a punk twist. It sounded familiar, though I had never heard it before.

As with everyone I jam, with, we got in talks of starting a band. Right now, focus is on finding a vocalist, bass player, and rhythm/lead guitarist. I can't imagine it would be overly difficult - but I'll see what happens, I guess. I usually don't put much stock in projects like this after my first band fiascos, especially when the subjects involved are unmotivated teenagers - myself included.

Basically, I am finding it hard to develop a progressive direction of music internally. I can play to Portnoy decently, so I have a feel to his drums - and the same with Peart - but right now my own, internal style is too... bland Metal. I want to develop a progressive edge, and it's hard to develop that right now. I need to work on it. It's hard when the only riffs I get sound like Metallica though.

I'm thinking that when decent album comes out, I'll write a couple reviews and send them to some papers, see if I can get published. I mean, I write about music all the time for free, I may as well see if I can get paid for doing it - there aren't a lot of things I like doing better.

Now, at the risk of making this a faux-Livejournal entry, I'll end things here. Tomorrow, we have album and track of the week. Be excited!