INTERVIEW 1

It's been a long time in the making, but Dream Theater returned during the later part of 1997 with a new, full-length album called Falling Into Infinity. For a band usually categorized as a progressive metal band, Falling Into Infinity marked an exploration into different areas. Although the CD features plenty of epic Dream Theater music that their devoted audience continually demands, it also offers a new appreciation of concise, melodic songs. With tracks like "Hollow Years" and "Take Away My Pain," the band has the potential to reach an even broader audience than ever before. Guitarist John Petrucci took time from the band's busy preparations for their tour to talk about the creativity and relationships that sustain him as a song writer, as well as collaborating with Desmond Child and King's X vocalist Doug Pinnick.

So, you guys have your new album out.

Yes, we do.

A long time in the making. What's the next step? Are you getting ready to go out on tour?

Yeah. We're setting everything up, trying to do as much promotion as we can before we hit the road. We're going to start in America around October 25th, and I think we'll actually start in Connecticut, coincidentally.

Oh, really? Somebody's going to be upset with that. I'm getting married on the 25th.

Oh, is that right?

And my fiancee and her best friend-who's coincidentally in the wedding party-are probably the two biggest Dream Theater fans I've ever met.

Oh, no!

In fact, we actually met at one of your shows.

Oh, cool.

At the El 'N' Gee in New London [Connecticut]. It was two years ago when you were doing those shows around Christmas time.

I remember.

Oh, she's going to be bummed when she hears that!

Yeah. I mean, I'm not totally sure, but I think it's going to be at Toad's [Place] on the twenty-fifth; I think that's the starting date. But I could be wrong. That'll kick off the American leg, and then we'll go, next year, to Europe and Asia and South America and stuff.

You just actually got back from Brazil.

Yeah. We went there for the first time. We've never played there and we went there before the record was out, so we concentrated mostly on the old material. And, it went real well.

My understanding is that when you were down there, you did smaller venues-two or three thousand seats.

Well, we did three shows, and the first two, I think, were like, seven thousand. It was actually our biggest headlining show, and then the last one was like, three or four thousand.

It just strikes me as rather odd, because most of the time when you hear of any English-speaking bands, shall we say, playing in South America, it's usually big stadium productions.

Right. Oh, totally, totally, I think that we have the potential of growing to that level there. I mean, just seeing the enthusiasm, never going there at all. And going down there and doing real successful shows, I think we have the potential of being one of those bands. There's certainly a lot of fans down there.

Did you find that the fans down there were very familiar with your material?

Oh, yeah, totally. Definitely. It was as if we'd been there many times. They knew all the words and everything. It was very cool.

Which just has to be especially cool, considering that most of the people down there probably don't speak English. Y'know, just to hear 'em singing your songs.

Yeah, exactly.

This new album, one of the things that I like about it is the fact that it seems more... ah, how do I put it? It seems more concise and song-oriented, rather than long and epic. I mean, there's stuff on there that certainly falls into that sort of categorization, but there's a lot of stuff on there that I find really accessible.

That's definitely true. I mean, it's definitely more song-oriented, and I think that we tried to have a balance because we've built our careers based on a style that we love to do, so we're not about to change our identity or something-it's real important to us. But I think that we all want to become better at writing songs. And, if you can kind of create a balance between your musical integrity and trying to write good songs, and, in our case, challenging ourselves musically and stuff like that, then that's a good album. That's what we tried to do.

It just seemed to me like maybe it was a step in the direction of... not necessarily freeing yourself from the typical Dream Theater material, but creating that option.

Yeah. I think-it's almost like a simple matter, y'know? In a lot of our songs-'cause we've always focused in melody and grooves-the meaning of a song has always been important to us, but we've always kind of like, meandered a bit within that structure. It's really funny... people would say to us, "You can take this song and make three songs out of it." [Laughs] And, we kind of did that on this album, literally. We'd have some songs that were real long and had lots of changes in direction, and we used some of those sections-take 'em out and use 'em as whole other songs. So there's sort of a consistent vibe throughout one song. It was kind of like, liberating to do that because you give yourself the freedom of just pursuing a real consistent thought and focusing in, and it was real cool.

One of the things that I think I really enjoyed about this album is the fact that you did all the songs song-by-song.

Yeah.

I've always found in the past with Dream Theater material that it just-it's precise, but it just seems to lack a certain amount of emotion.

Yeah!

And this time around, it seems like you hit that right on the head.

I think so too. I appreciate you saying that. I think that the goal of Kevin Shirley as a producer was to bring that out-to get more of a live element, to not over-produce. And, to do one song at a time. It's what we wanted to do and what he wanted to do, so each song would have a certain identity. You can do more experimentation that way, and all the band members can be involved-it's more of a band effort doing it that way. So everybody's constantly playing together and making improvements and changes together. I think if you do it that way, you loose some of the sterilization, y'know?

I'm sure there's already a strong bond from all the years that you guys have played together, but did you find that doing it in a situation where you were all together, that that built up the comraderie even more?

Yeah, definitely. I mean, that's going to happen as a result of that, y'know? It's a cool process. Recording's a lot of fun, and I think it's more fun when there's a real sort of positive vibe going on with everybody at the same time.

Did you find in this case that it may have been difficult as far as previous recording experiences [are concerned]? I always got the impression with previous Dream Theater albums that everything had to be so precise and on the money, and I gathered with this time, maybe that wasn't quite so true. Was that a difficult thing to get over?

Well, it's funny because with all our albums, we don't get really perfectionist-minded when we record. I think we're pretty tight because we've been playing together for a while, but things definitely aren't perfect. They never have been in the past, and it really wasn't any different this time around. Most of the songs we'd already been playing-we played a few of them live. We can play them through, so it really was the same thing. There is a way to balance getting a performance that's the right thing that's polished, but at the same time, that's fresh enough to have the emotion. Like I said, I think from having the experience of playing live and stuff, there really wasn't a change in that.

It's interesting to look at the credits and the liner notes on this album and some of the names that are on there, particularly Desmond Child. From his background and what he's known for, I would've never, ever, associated him with Dream Theater.

Right, right. There's a funny story with Desmond. When I went down to work on this song ["You Not Me"] with him, he said that all the people on his staff, like his interns, were all big Dream Theater fans and they were all excited that I was coming down. It's hilarious, y'know? He's like, "Yeah, I just met with Madonna, and I told them that if she calls, let me know. And they were like, 'Yeah, yeah yeah.' And then I said that you were coming down, and they were like, 'Oh, man!'" [Laughs] It's pretty funny, things that you don't think of [like] the way you're perceived or whatever, isn't necessarily the case.

No, not at all. I mean, my first thought when I saw the name was thinking of the stuff that he's done with Kiss and Aerosmith and so forth. Oh, God, what is this gonna be?! And, it was not what I expected.

Yeah. That's cool.

Now Doug Pinnick, that was a fantastic surprise!

Yeah, I love Doug, he's awesome.

Quite frankly, I think the vocals that he did on "Lines In The Sand" are probably the best thing he's ever done. [Laughs] How did that come about?

Well, we wrote that song and the chorus to that song where he's singing, we had his type of style in mind, y'know? And we were telling James, "Kinda sing it with a Doug vibe." And then when it came to doing the record, we were like, "Why don't we ask Doug to do it?" Y'know, we know him, and he was happy to do it. So we got the actual guy that inspired the part to do it. [Laughs] And it was so cool watching him do it. We gave him the words and he just improvised a whole bunch of takes and it was amazing. I mean, he's so soulful.

Yeah! I mean, that's what makes that tune so interesting to me, is that there's just such a tension between James having the lush, high European voice, and Doug's voice being so gritty and, as you said, soulful. It creates such a really cool tension.

Yeah, it does.

As far as working with Kevin [Shirley], I know in the past you guys were always compared to Yes and Rush and Kansas and so forth. That must have been kind of cool working with him, considering that he's worked with... well, with Rush, particularly.

Yeah, it was great, especially the stories. [Laughs] He's really good friends with Geddy and he's really cool. He got us Rush tickets when they played in the area. [Laughs]

Oh, that's cool. On the subject of influences and everything, it seems kind of neat, too, [that] the guy that you got to do the album covers-

Yeah, that was totally cool. I mean, I'm such a big Pink Floyd fan and it's like, you look at that stuff and the Zeppelin covers, and you're like, "Man, we'd love to work with someone like this." And, we've thought that for a while, and this time it actually worked out. It was cool because he fit right into us, and we fit right into him. As soon as we told him the title of the album, he was kind of laughing. Like, "I think I can do something with that." It fit right in.

Well, that must be kind of cool, considering growing up and listening to that kind of stuff, you probably never imagined, "God, whoever did this artwork..."

I know! There's a lot of real weird things that happen as you move on and you're able to do this professionally. And that's one of 'em, being able to work with people like that, like you said, you grew up admiring their work. It's amazing.

And then, all of a sudden, they're doing your album covers.

Yeah, and you're talking to the guy and you're like, "What?"

One of the things that I think is really interesting about the band is the level of fan devotion that you guys have. I went to a show last year at the Strand in Providence, Rhode Island. I'm a pretty big guy, pretty tall, and there was a guy standing behind me [who] tapped me on the shoulder and said, "Would you mind moving out of the way so I can see?" I'm like, "Yeah, no problem." And he starts to tell me that he wasn't trying to be rude pushing me aside, but he had come all the way up from, I don't know, like South Carolina or Georgia, all the way to Providence to see you guys. I'm sure New England isn't the only place that you guys play live. [Laughs] It just was so interesting to hear that somebody came that far to see you guys.

I think that's great. That's how we're able to develop and continue to do this. I think that the fans being that dedicated to the band and interested in what we're doing has helped us to continue to be able to do this. And, I think them being consistent allows us to be consistent, be ourselves. You know what I mean? It's just like we feed off of it, and it's really, really cool. Some of the things that you hear people say or things like you said-somebody driving real far, or seeing so many shows, or telling you a story on how such-and-such song or something was a positive influence or whatever, it's just... it's real, real cool.

It's just really strange to hear people arguing over various performances. It almost sounds like the Grateful Dead, y'know? It's just something I wouldn't associate with a rock band.

I know, I know. It's great. It's so wild, it really is wild. Very cool.

Something that was pretty cool on this album is to see that John [Myung]'s playing the Chapman Stick. And yes, I actually know what it is! [Laughs]

[Laughs] There you go.

Was it experimental, or is it something he's played for a while?

No, he actually got it pretty recently. That's like, the instrument for him because he's kind of an experimental kind of guy and he likes to have a wide range of sonic capability. He likes to play melodic chordal ideas. He plays piano-I mean, it's just like, the perfect instrument for him.

Have you come across all the questions yet about that? Like, "Boy, what's he playing there? A two-by-four with some string on it?"

Yeah, right. I don't think most people really know what that is. He hasn't played that live with us yet, but when you bring it up, people are like, "What's that?"

As I mentioned before, how surprised I was with Desmond Child, it's kind of interesting with your keyboard player now, considering where he comes from and with whom he's played. It was quite surprising, like, "Wow! He's playing with Dream Theater?!"

Yeah. It's funny, it's like, Derek pretty much has the same background as us-growing up listening to the same type of bands, going to Berklee and studying music. It's just that he pursued a different course. Whereas we formed a band, he got gigs doing the sideman thing. It was only a matter of time until he got into a band where he was able to write and everything else.

From my perspective, it sounds like, as far as the keyboards are concerned, there's a lot more jazzy soulfulness, which I think kind of lightens up the-for lack of a better word-sterility. It just kind of makes things a little bit more human, I think.

Yeah, exactly. That's his whole vibe.

I'm curious about this whole Nightmare Cinema project.

Oh, don't be too curious. [Laughs] It's nothing.

Is that an ongoing thing, or is it just a one-time-

Well, actually, what we did one night is we decided to play a song, just switching our instruments. I played drums and Mike played guitar-no, bass. John played keyboards and Derek played guitar. Y'know, it sounds horrible. But we had to call it something, so we just like, did the reverse of our name.

So it's actually not something that's a serious, ongoing-

Oh, it's totally not serious at all! Whether or not it's ongoing is another story. [Laughs] But it's the farthest from serious.

Actually, have you ever considered maybe doing something like opening for yourselves?

Well, y'know, it's funny. Mike and I, we're doing a side-project album right now with Tony Levin and Jordan Rudess. It's all instrumental. It's real cool. It's pretty wacky, progressive stuff. And we talked about it. "Oh, we should open for ourselves."

That would actually be kind of cool. Something that I never really realized before is how much of a lyricist you are. I mean, I always just go under the assumption [of] "Okay, singer... writes the lyrics." And it was pretty wild to go through this album and [say], "Wow! This guy has written a lot of the lyrics on here."

I'm real into it, y'know? I've always been into writing, and I've always gotten into the lyrics in bands. I mean, whether it was Marillion or Rush or Pink Floyd, they've always moved me, and I think it's a real creative form of writing. It's something that comes natural to me, so I love doing it.

Something that's really interesting, I think, is the song "Take My Pain Away." Considering the subject matter, it's pretty wild that musically, it's very upbeat.

Right. And the subject is very-it's not necessarily dark, but it's of a very serious nature. Yeah, there is a contrasting feel there. The song originally started out as an acoustic thing, still with a more positive musical outlook, but a little bit darker in the way it was presented. And this version, which is more rhythmical, more tribal, turned out to be more poppy and happy, so it's kind of a strange marriage there.

Yeah, very much so because, again, I had one expectation and it didn't turn out to be what I thought it was going to be. It's really kind of neat with this record how it just bounces through so many things. I mean, there's stuff on here that sounds very, very European and very... almost majestic. And then there's other stuff that just sounds like classic Metallica. Is that a conscious effort to encompass so many styles, or is it just natural?

Nah, it's just natural. We're just spitting out our influences. I mean, yeah, Metallica and hard rock metal bands and stuff, are things that we grew up on, as well as progressive bands and fusion and jazz and classical. So it's kind of like, we're in a band where we give ourselves the freedom of letting all this out, we're not just confined to doing one thing. And it's a lot of fun. It's a lot of fun to write that way, and like I said, our influences are pretty obvious when you hear stuff, y'know? Like, "Oh, man that sounds like Metallica," or, "That sounds like Floyd," but it's still us, and we have fun doing it.

I just think it's really a positive thing in the sense that I think there's a lot of people [that I've seen at your shows and listening to your music] that are probably more into a hard rock, heavy metal kind of thing, and I think that's kind of cool that maybe you guys are the beginning point of somebody being exposed to different styles. Unfortunately, it seems like there's a lot of people who don't follow where something came from. "It's not Metallica, so it's no good. It sucks."

Yeah.

One of the things I'm curious about is the significance of the title. Where did that come from?

Well, the name of the band being Dream Theater, we've used a lot of imagery having to do with dreams and drama and stuff. "Falling Into Infinity" is sort of a metaphor for like, entering into a state of dreaming where anything's possible. And that's kind of how we view the band and our writing process, so that's basically where that one came from.

I'd also like to ask you about the song "Peruvian Skies." What is the incident that that's based on?

It's based on... sort of about, like, child abuse, potential child abuse topic. As you're reading the lyrics or going through it, it's sort of from the perspective of someone that's on the outside that detects something might be happening, and how they're sort of dealing with it.

That must have been a really strange subject to write about, considering that you have children.

Yeah! It's weird. Y'know, some things you really get into, and some things, as a writer, you remove yourself from. Something like "Take Away My Pain" is very personal, and it really comes from deep within, and letting it out is like... it's sort of a therapy. Then there's like, a fictional side that's just a fun thing of writing. And you can write about stuff that you don't have any experience in, whether it be dark or whatever. That's half the fun of being creative.

Having a family now, how has that changed... I guess, even just the way you look at things. When I think of a rock band, I don't think of a guy with a family life. And apparently, all of you guys are pretty well settled down.

Yeah, totally. I mean, it's always something that I've wanted to do. I've always wanted to have children and I think it's wonderful. I mean, I can't imagine life any other way. The relationship that I have with my wife, and now with my kids, has been inspiring beyond what I could imagine. So far as creatively, it's like your life and your whole perspective and your enrichment changes drastically. Obviously, being someone who has to tour and stuff like that, that's something that has to be worked out. It's a balance that has to try to be kept so you're there. That's the hard part, but I can't imagine-I don't think I'd get as far if I was just by myself.

I know what you mean, because I think maybe that's just a part of growing up. When you're younger, you feel invincible and you think that you can take on the world on your own.

Yeah. Y'know, it's wild-whether it's in music or any other form of entertainment, or art, or business, most people have families and children, and it's like their center of their life. It doesn't matter what they do. But, it's cool.

Well, I don't think I have any other questions.

Let me ask you something. You're saying that your fiancee and her friend were real big Dream Theater fans?

Absolutely.

What's their reaction to this album? I'm curious from fans' perspective.

Y'know what? To be honest with you, they haven't had a chance to listen to it, because I've been listening to it, boning up on it.

Uh-oh!

I think they're gonna like it. I think there's enough of what people have come to expect from Dream Theater that they're gonna like it, enough so that it'll lead them into the stuff that's a little bit different.

Yeah, right. Well, that's cool. I mean, I think that's part of doing a new album. Stay true to the identity of the band, but you also grow and move on to something that brings in new people, and that challenges what you want to do musically. So, that's cool. If it strikes that balance, that's real cool.

Well, it's actually something where they've been the people who are really into Dream Theater, and in all honesty, I haven't. This album came, and I've been listening to it. And it's something that, in all honesty, I'm really starting to get into.

Great, man! That's so cool.

INTERVIEW 2

Metal Rules!!
How did four progressive rock virtuoso's come together to form LIQUID TENSION EXPERIMENT?

MIKE PORTNOY:
Coincidentally we all live in New York. Jordan and I both live in Rockland County and John lives on Long Island, where I used to live and Tony lives upstate in Woodstock. That was just by coincidence. The project actually came together when Magna Carta approached me about the possibility of putting together a "Super Group" of my choice and I gave them a big wish list of all the people that I wanted to work with. Over the course of a year or so this was the lineup that ended up solidifying itself. We ended up do this album, writing and recording within five days or so. It was a really wild experience.

Metal Rules!!
One of the facts that I gleaned from my research was that you had worked for a very long time on the DREAM THEATER record but for only a few days on the LTE project. Does it get you a bit frustrated that you can manage such an incredible LTE recording in five days but it takes so much longer to put together a DREAM THEATER record?

MP:
Well, I think that DREAM THEATER is a very different thing than what we are doing with LTE. DREAM THEATER is A) our bread and butter. This is what we do for a living. LTE is sorta like our hobby. DREAM THEATER is our real job so we put a lot of time and care into it and I think that we have been known for making records that are very meticulous and polished so that is what DREAM THEATER is all about. Having done a whole album in one week I would have to say that I prefer doing it that way. I prefer working with spontaneous ideas and recordings and stuff like that. With DREAM THEATER's music we spent a year and a half writing this latest album. During that process we would demo it and re-write it and re-record it and then try it out live so that by the time we got into the studio to record it, it was very well rehearsed. Which can be a good thing but the bad thing is that you lose a lot of that initial magic and spark when you are writing the music. That was the beauty of the LTE album. We would write something on the spot, spend a few hours putting it together and then hit record. What you are listening to on the album was written just hours before that so, it is as fresh as it could be. There is a lot to be said for doing it both ways.

Metal Rules!!
Was the title "Liquid Tension Experiment" something that came as an after thought or was that something that you had before the band was finalized?

MP:
Originally I was calling it "The Millennium Project" and halfway through the record we decided to go with something different and we had a list of stuff that we pulled from this book that had been sitting around the studio. That is where we got a lot of the phrases for the song titles like "Universal Mind" and "State of Grace" and "Freedom of Speech". Another thing that we pulled was the phrase "Liquid Tension" and that just seemed to sum it all up because it was liquid in the sense that everything flowed so smoothly but it was tension because it was a very tense, stressful process to write and record this thing in such a short period of time. It really summed up the two extremes in this whole project. I wanted to get the word experiment in there because that is exactly what it was. We had no idea what was going to become of this project. It was like putting four mice in the studio and seeing what they would come up with.

Metal Rules!!
When you were writing this with these three other virtuoso musicians did ego ever become a problem? Was there ever a point where one of you would say "I want it to go this way." and then someone else would say "No, I think it should go this way."?

MP:
Oh, definitely. That is part of the process of collaborating but it all happened so quickly that there wasn't much time for much of that. I mean, with DREAM THEATER, talk about ego's and about going head to head!  We have been writing together for a very long time now so DREAM THEATER takes a very long time to get the ideas from point A to point Z. There is a lot of compromising that goes on. With this project there wasn't so much of that. Even though all four of us have established or accomplished a lot in our individual worlds, I would have to say that everybody involved in this project, I won't speak for myself, but John, Tony and Jordan are all easy going soft spoken guys. Jordan is a bit of a perfectionist but in a good way. Jordan is not used to collaborating where John and I are used to it and Tony is the ultimate professional. Jordan is used to doing things his own way because he has never been in a band so maybe for him it was a little awkward and he would have to compromise his ideas a little but the whole thing was so quick that there wasn't enough time and we all went with the flow. Whatever happened, happened.

Metal Rules!!
Have you heard the RPM CD?

MP:
Yeah. They just toured with us in Europe.

Metal Rules!!
Jordan played with DREAM THEATER for a short time, didn't he?

MP:
He did one show with us.

Metal Rules!!
Between RPM and DREAM THEATER did you all have occasion to jam on this
stuff at all?

MP:
No. When Jordan and Rod were opening for us we didn't incorporate them into the DREAM THEATER show and we should have. John Myoung and Derrick just did a side project with Rod Morgenstein along with Ty Tabor from KINGS X. So, when you had RUDESS/MORGENSTEIN and DREAM THEATER on tour together you had six of the eight members of these two projects and it was tempting to do something. I think that in the future we might do a tour together. Their project and our project and we would be able to play in all of these different formations. DREAM THEATER could play RUDESS / MORGENSTEIN could play. LTE could play. We even had a show on this last tour in England when James became very sick and we had to cancel the show. We tried to talk the promoter into letting all of us play. Me, John, John, Jordan, Rod and Derrick but it ended up not happening.

Metal Rules!!
The promoter said "Not for this money!"

MP:
(Laughs)Yeah!

Metal Rules!!
I know that this is just seeing the light of day but can you see an LTE 2 or other projects where you work with other people?

MP:
I see both. Before I see a second LTE project I can see live dates. I think that is what is next on the horizon if we were to do anything else together. I think that would be the way to go. Like I say, I would love to put together a tour with Derrick and John Myoung's side project. I would love to do another album with those guys. All four of us had a great experience with it and I think that we would work together in a heartbeat. It's just a matter of the timing being right. As for the second part of your question, I think that I am also going to put together another project similar to this one later in the year. Another sort of "Super Group" lineup but we will see.

Metal Rules!!
You are not going to tell me who are you?

MP:
Nope!(laughs) I have spoken to all of them and once again it is just a matter of finding the window of opportunity.

Metal Rules!!
Will this be another Magna Carta project?

MP:
I don't know. I will talk to them and see if they are interested in it.

Metal Rules!!
I was asked by someone to ask you about your relationship with Magna Carta.

MP:
I have nothing but support for those guys. I have had a great relationship with those guys for years. How can I say anything bad about a label that has given me an opportunity to do an album with Tony levin and an album with Billy Sheehan? Two people who I love and always wanted to work with. I have a lot of respect for what they are doing and even though it is a small label and it is at a smaller level than what we do with Dream theater, I fully respect the fact that they are really trying to give a lot of these younger progressive bands an opportunity that they wouldn't have had normally. It's a tough business and major labels are not giving the time of day to the progressive scene so, I am very supportive of a label that is willing to do that.

Metal Rules!!
I have read about your disdain for the state of the music business in general. That is something that most artist don't do, at least publicly. Tonight, your concert is being "presented" by a radio station that hasn't played your music in years...

MP:
Don't get me started! I'll be flipping these guys off from the stage tonight! I have said many bad things about the media and radio stations and magazines and it pisses them off. I don't want to get all off on that. It's a very frustrating business to be in. There is a lot of politics involved and, its just frustrating.

Metal Rules!!
DREAM THEATER has been a group that has maintained its integrity in that it doesn't write songs specifically so that they would get on MTV or on the radio. Would you agree?

MP:
I think that we have been very lucky to have been able to survive this long and to do what we do. There are always obstacles. Making this record took longer than we would have liked because of all the political bullshit involved but ultimately, at the end of the day, we are proud of every one of our albums. We have done them on our own terms and I think we have built up quite a fan base through it. As much as I dislike major labels, the fact of the matter is they have gotten us the recognition that a lot of younger bands don't get because smaller label just can't do it. I feel very fortunate that we are still able to do this for a living. Everybody from YES to QUEENSRYCHE to MARILLION, those guys don't even have major label deals anymore. I guess we are pretty fortunate in that respect or unfortunate. It depends on how you look at it!(laughs).

Metal Rules!!
I think the finest testament to what you just said was the line that we just passed to get onto the buss. We are still an hour ahead of show time and the line is huge. Do you remember the days when this wasn't the case?

MP:
Yeah. We are very fortunate. We have had a fanbase that stands by us. This is like, a last minute tour that was only put together about a month or so ago but the people always come out. About a year or so ago before we went and did "Falling Into Infinity" we went and did some dates, just some one offs to just get out and play again. This is two or two and a half years after our last release with nothing else in the stores yet we sold out all the shows and that is completely do to our great fans. They always stand by us and that is the one thing that I absolutely love about this band is how great the fans are.

Metal Rules!!
This summer you will be out with DEEP PURPLE and ELP. Do you worry that this may place the image of a retro-act on yourselves?

MP:
That was our only concern with that bill. Being that they are both from the 70's and we are from the 90's. I really think that it should be looked at as the progressive rock heros of the past and, hopefully, of today and tomorrow, colliding somewhere in between. I don't think that we will be lumped in with them. I think that we are, obviously, a young band and they have been around for a long time. We are glad that they are taking us out because we have been wanting a support slot for years. We have always been headlining and doing it on our own and we have always been looking for a band like DEEP PURPLE or YES to take us out so, I think it will be good. Even if we do sell more records then them of our current products, the fact of the matter is that both of those bands are legends and big influences for us and it is going to be amazing. Though we are all part of the progressive rock scene their audience is much older than us and there is a good chance that big portions of their audiences have no idea who we are which would be some good exposure for us. We would like to tap into some new listeners.

Metal Rules!!
Where do you see progressive rock music heading to as a whole? I ask because until you guys came along a few years ago the whole progressive rock scene had become very stagnate.

MP:
Musically and creatively the progressive rock scene is bigger than ever. All the bands that are on Magna Carta and there is a label in Europe called Inside Out that has a lot of progressive bands. SPOCK'S BEARD is a new band that I absolutely love. I think that they are the best out there for this genre. So, creatively it's bigger and better than it ever has been or at least better than it has been in a very long time. However, as far as it having much impact on the mainstream of music, I don't see it having much impact because the major labels, they don't care. They would rather be signing THE PRODIGY or the SPICE GIRLS and the quick sell. We are the only young progressive band that I can think of that even has that level of exposure. As long as the major labels are going to be that closed minded, it's going to be a rough ride.

Metal Rules!!
What does the immediate future hold for you?

MP:
I think that we will probably put out some new live material in the fall. Maybe a live home video but that is still in the works. That's what is going on with DREAM THEATER. As far as LTE, like I said, I would love to be able to put together some type of tour. maybe in the fall or winter depending on every bodies schedule.

INTERVIEW 3

With the release of their fourth full-length album, Falling Into Infinity, Dream Theater are steadily becoming the new leaders of prog-rock. The band has attained an enormous legion of loyal fans worldwide that continues to grow stronger album after album. Over the last decade, this musically masterminded quintet has managed to remain unaffected by the shifting winds of trend, with their latest release venturing into even deeper, unknown territory. From their breakthrough 1992 release, Images And Words, to 1994's follow-up Awake, to 1995's partial live set A Change Of Seasons, the band has always conceptualized their music with their audience in mind. I recently caught up with DT bassist John Myung to discuss the group's ever-growing success.

SW: Let's talk about your latest release Falling Into Infinity (EastWest /Elektra); how would you say this record differs from your previous releases musically?
John: I think we've concentrated more on the songwriting with this album, whereas our previous songs had a lot of twists and turns.

SW: Was this album written with the intention of making the songs more marketable?
John: I would seem to think so.

SW: Not many people are aware that Dream Theater's debut came out in 1989 on the Mechanic/MCA label...have you maintained the same lineup since that release?
John: Myself, Mike Portnoy, and John Petrucci have remained, since then we got a new singer and keyboard player.

SW: What was the band doing between 1989 and the release of your Atco/EastWest debut, Images And Words, in 1992? The band seemed to have disappeared...
John: We were in our basement studio writing a lot, refining our songs. We decided not to go the club circuit route, we rehearsed Monday through Friday and really concentrated on our material. After the release of Images and Words, we hit the road for about 18 months.

SW: The second track, "You Not Me," was co-written with Desmond Child, who is known as the "'80s rock hit-maker," most notably from his involvement with Bon Jovi's biggest hit singles...what prompted you to collaborate with Desmond?
John: It was our relationship with Kevin Shirley (the producer). Kevin had just finished up with the new Aerosmith record, and he had worked with Desmond on that. He heard "You Not Me," and he felt it needed a stronger, more powerful chorus. So, Desmond and John Petrucci did a rough demo and Desmond reinterpreted the lyrics and collaborated with John on the music...the chord progressions. He stripped down the song to give it more of a straight-ahead chorus. This was the first song Dream Theater ever wrote with someone outside of the band.

SW: Was it a good first-time experience, especially to work with someone as famous as Desmond Child?
John: Well, it's a learning experience. You hear what Desmond has done in the past with bands like Aerosmith, Bon Jovi, and even now with Hansen, and you tend to wonder, "What is his magic?"; and it is actually very much what we do, and that is, try a lot of options and find out which one works the best.

SW: In your bio, it describes that song as a "tortured love anthem"... can you explain the meaning behind that? Or is that just the record company's perception of it?
John: I think that's the record company being a little bit too creative.

SW: "Lines In The Sand" is a really great song. I noticed it features King's X vocalist Doug Pinnick. How did that come about?
John: We heard this melody when we were writing the song and we decided to give Doug a call because he is one of our favorite singers and he's been a friend of ours for quite a while. He was really happy that we thought of him, so we flew him to New York to record it. It was amazing working with him, he is a true professional...he just came right in and banged it out.

SW: The music we hear today on the radio, and what is covered in the media, has changed quite drastically within the last five years, at least here in the US, making it, nowadays, extremely difficult for a talented hard rock band such as Dream Theater to get national recognition. Yet in Europe, and Japan, Dream Theater records have gone multi-Platinum and the band headlines large arenas. Why do you think foreign countries have taken such a liking to Dream Theater as opposed to here in your homeland?
John: Good question...the climate is really different over there, whereas here, there's many different ways for people to get information. There's many different video channels, and radio in general is pretty huge out here, whereas over there it's more streamlined...there are very few radio stations dedicated to hard rock. I see the music over there is more built on relationships, people are really into following the groups, whereas the state-of-mind over here changes from year to year. Although we do have a following here in the States, but it's more of a cult following. The Internet has been very good in keeping them informed on what the band is doing.

SW: Speaking of the Internet...we interviewed Geoff Tate; and he also stated that Queensryche maintains much of their fan base by utilizing the Internet. And, like Queensryche, Dream Theater has maintained a very loyal fan base through these so-called "alternative" years. It seems as though the Internet is one of the only means of promoting a new CD from a hard rock/metal band...apart from rigorous touring.
John: Well, the Internet has been the most useful as far as getting the information out to our fans. For our previous albums, Awake and Images and Words, it was very press heavy. The Internet has opened up a whole new way for any diehard fan to get information on us. It has really changed things a lot and has really helped us in promoting our new record.

SW: Progressive rock is still very popular today...in fact, the reunited Styx recently sold out three nights at Universal Amphitheater here in LA. Bands like Yes, Rush and Queensryche are still headlining arenas...and Dream Theater also sells out large venues. What do you feel contributes to the success and the demand for progressive rock, despite the lack of media coverage?
John: I think it's the type of relationship the fans have with the artists, it's not something that will go away just because radio or MTV decides not to play it, it goes beyond that. These fans really look forward to hearing a new record, whether or not MTV plays your videos.

SW: Bands such as Styx, Kansas, Rush, Yes, ELP...obviously they attract an older audience, generally 30 years plus. Even though Dream Theater is not a band from the seventies, your music is much more sophisticated than the average rock band of the nineties, and you, too, also attract a somewhat older audience. Do you feel that there is potential in this day and age to market your style of music to today's teenagers?
John: It really depends on who has the most money and clout...it takes someone to really step in and spend mega-dollars to keep you popular. And I don't really see that happening, I see it more as us taking matters into our own hands.

SW: Are you agreeing that the music industry today has become much more a business than a love for music?
John: Yes. There's always that side to it. You know, we're not Michael Jackson or someone, where millions of dollars are spent to keep up his popularity. We're totally on the opposite side of the spectrum when it comes to that, because we don't really write songs that are formatted for Top 40.

SW: There have been certain people in the industry who claim that everything in music has come around full-circle, and that a new "progessive" musical revolution will soon emerge into the mainstream...what are your thoughts?
John: It's possible...I mean, what other options do you have? (slight laughter).

SW: What music business advice would you give to a young band today that is just starting out?
John: The way I see it is, it's really tough to be a musician because the overhead is really expensive when you think in practical terms of being able to pay for your gear, pay for your health insurance, and whatever else. It can be really frustrating. You have to really keep things in perspective...especially your finances. A lot of businesses feed off the industry, or off the musicians themselves, whether it be attorneys, recording studios, tour bus companies, the promoters, or booking agents...it's very hard to do well for yourself when you have all these different industries that evolve around you and take a piece of what you do. It really pays to have a good understanding of the financial and business aspects when it comes to your career. I've made mistakes, and I've paid for them. I don't know if it's so much different from when I first started to where it is now, it's just that now I am that much more aware of everything that is going on on a business level.