The View From The Cube overfloweth with informationeth. It's a wonder the man's got anything left to give...eth.
wow! all cool stuff!
Yes indeed I just read this. Too bad the Progressive nation thing wouldn't work
right now,but ya never know in the future I guess. Any way you slice it, it could be
interesting couple of years ahead for Frost*.
Blimey! All that work, no wonder we've not heard much from him lately
Dude! I'm a huge flippin' fan of Dream Theater!
If Frost* and Dream Theater had toured together, that concert would have been filled with so much awesome that...
...I don't know....
My head would've exploded or something!
It's good to hear from Jem again though. 12 hours a day 7 days a week? Yikes.
I went to the inaugural Progressive Nation in NYC(Both nights!) and before, during, AND after the show I was thinking "WOW it would be awesome if Frost* ended up on this tour next year"
Why did you have to shatter my dreamsssssss :cry:
But considering his reasons are more than legitimate, I cannot really complain. I think I would spontaneously combust from the amount of awesome that show would have anyway.
But the fact that Portnoy even approached him means good things for Frost* in the future =D It wouldn't be the first time Portnoy's helped get a Prog band off their feet and into the "mainstream", so to speak.
It would have been sweet. Oh well. Last Prog Nation didn't come within 8 hours of me, and I live in the bloody USA. It would have been neat, with the exception of BTBAM, which is an obnoxious emo band thingie that really bugs me. Oh well. Maybe it'll be a good line up later.
But a new double album in conceptualization? As well as possibly another album between now and then? I'm already excited. And I haven't even bloody heard Experiments in Mass Appeal yet.
I would have loved to have seen DT and Frost* on the same bill but it's probably healthier for my back balance that it's not going to happen as I'd have been booking flights as soon as it was announced
Same here.
This is a true paradox. As a DT fan, I can only regret this double heavenly bill won't happen (though I also understand Jem's point of view), but at the same time, knowing these two blokes I love are in contact makes me really, really happy, and full of hope for the future.
That was huge news after such a long silence. Welcome back to the Internet Jem :D
Good news! :D
its a crying shame, but I'm sure there will be many other opportunities coming Frosts way .. just pleased to see a post from Mr G .. he's been on the missing list for a while, the VFTC certainly explains why !
It's nearly Christmas Jem .. make sure you have at least a couple of hours off on the 25th ! :lol:
Quote from: "Liquid"It would have been sweet. Oh well. Last Prog Nation didn't come within 8 hours of me, and I live in the bloody USA. It would have been neat, with the exception of BTBAM, which is an obnoxious emo band thingie that really bugs me. Oh well. Maybe it'll be a good line up later.
But a new double album in conceptualization? As well as possibly another album between now and then? I'm already excited. And I haven't even bloody heard Experiments in Mass Appeal yet.
You must know nothing about BTBAM if you think they're "emo". Colors is one of the best progressive metal albums to come out in the last decade. Educate yourself.
I'm a big fan of Mike Portnoy...but not Dream Theater
Dream Theater is like a gateway drug, for Prog.
A lot of people hear them first, and love them, and then get into all sorts of other Prog, and then they realize they don't like Dream Theater anymore because everything else is so much better.
Quote from: "BeyondThePale"Quote from: "Liquid"It would have been sweet. Oh well. Last Prog Nation didn't come within 8 hours of me, and I live in the bloody USA. It would have been neat, with the exception of BTBAM, which is an obnoxious emo band thingie that really bugs me. Oh well. Maybe it'll be a good line up later.
But a new double album in conceptualization? As well as possibly another album between now and then? I'm already excited. And I haven't even bloody heard Experiments in Mass Appeal yet.
You must know nothing about BTBAM if you think they're "emo". Colors is one of the best progressive metal albums to come out in the last decade. Educate yourself.
Might be. I still despise the vocals. I couldn't get through the whole album once...I tried a few times, but the vocals ruin it for me, sorry. Music is good, but vocals are just hard on the ears. And I DO listen to Opeth on a regular basis, so it's not like I can't put up with cookie monster vocals. Only difference being that Mikael knows how to do it and the other guy doesn't (or well, maybe he does, but it's just not appealing to my ears.)
idk, I personally had no problems with the vocals. I've heard much much much worse before so this was no problem. His clean singing voice is decent enough too. But the lyrics, and the way the album flows together, is just incredible. They really outdid themselves, especially considering they are usually lumped in with lame Metalcore bands like As I Lay Dying and The Devil Wears Prada and other such nonsense.
Quote from: "BeyondThePale"Dream Theater is like a gateway drug, for Prog.
A lot of people hear them first, and love them, and then get into all sorts of other Prog, and then they realize they don't like Dream Theater anymore because everything else is so much better.
This is how it was for me, although I do still like DT but obviously with so many albums under their belt there's some I like more than others
Quote from: "MikeEvs"Quote from: "BeyondThePale"Dream Theater is like a gateway drug, for Prog.
A lot of people hear them first, and love them, and then get into all sorts of other Prog, and then they realize they don't like Dream Theater anymore because everything else is so much better.
This is how it was for me, although I do still like DT but obviously with so many albums under their belt there's some I like more than others
Ditto!
Quote from: "BeyondThePale"Quote from: "Liquid"It would have been sweet. Oh well. Last Prog Nation didn't come within 8 hours of me, and I live in the bloody USA. It would have been neat, with the exception of BTBAM, which is an obnoxious emo band thingie that really bugs me. Oh well. Maybe it'll be a good line up later.
But a new double album in conceptualization? As well as possibly another album between now and then? I'm already excited. And I haven't even bloody heard Experiments in Mass Appeal yet.
You must know nothing about BTBAM if you think they're "emo". Colors is one of the best progressive metal albums to come out in the last decade. Educate yourself.
I own colors and like some of it. Most of it is built on whiny, puling lyrics and cut-and-paste metal cliches. Sure, it's kind of fun for a few minutes, and the hoedown is sweet. But I can't even put it in the progressive metal category. They are just highly technical metalcore with a couple of moments of trying something different. That's not enough to be lumped in there, not for me.
Why would you assume that if I came to an opinion that you didn't agree with that I had no musical understanding or qualification to come to such a judgment? I don't mock bands that I haven't at least tried before.
I think today's word should be "mellow". ;)
Is it strange that I inexplicably tie the word mellow to the concept of fluffiness?
You might be thinking of the Stay puffed MarshMallow man. :?
Holy crap, I think you're on to something. Mellow/marshmallow... That could be it.
Not so familiar with the Stay Puft thing, though. What is that about? I keep hearing that mentioned, and yet I've never really seen them in stores.
They may have only been made up for the film....but, hey, who ya gonna call? ;)
Ghostbusters!!
Thanks Pedders, I thought I'd successfully managed to expunge that particular earworm after the events of Feb/March this year...
Oh, Ghostbusters. Not surprised. Every common joke that I've never heard either comes from Ghostbusters or American Pie...
Quote from: "BeyondThePale"Dream Theater is like a gateway drug, for Prog.
A lot of people hear them first, and love them, and then get into all sorts of other Prog, and then they realize they don't like Dream Theater anymore because everything else is so much better.
Yeah, that's why they're selling more records than all those 'better' progbands combined.. ;) Seriously, they were indeed the band that got me into prog 15 years ago. Although I discovered many many more bands since then, they're still one of my favorites.
Ontopic: great to read that Jem is already thinking about new Frost* material, with EIMA just released. And.. the Frost reports will be back :) Incredible how he keeps up with everything, besides his 'dayjob'..
Quote from: "BeyondThePale"Dream Theater is like a gateway drug, for Prog.
A lot of people hear them first, and love them, and then get into all sorts of other Prog, and then they realize they don't like Dream Theater anymore because everything else is so much better.
True except for the realizing DT are not amazing thing anymore... ;)
I actually really admire Jem for turning down the offer. True courage, if you ask me! Well done sir!
Hopefully the opportunity will arise again at a more appropriate time. Contact with Mike Portnoy will ensure the rise of this little "hobby" we all love!
Although, Frost* and Dream Theater on the same bill? Maybe too many notes/time signatures for one to take?! :shock:
I really don't care if Frost* got signed on a ProgNation tour - though the band would highly profit from such exposure... If they could open for DT on a european leg, like in Paris for example :mrgreen: , that would be amazing enough. I really hope there will be some opportunities like this in the future, it's been my absolute dreambill these last two years, and EIMA made it an even better dream.
Fingers crossed (and toes too) !
Quote from: "MartijnB"Quote from: "BeyondThePale"Dream Theater is like a gateway drug, for Prog.
A lot of people hear them first, and love them, and then get into all sorts of other Prog, and then they realize they don't like Dream Theater anymore because everything else is so much better.
Yeah, that's why they're selling more records than all those 'better' progbands combined.. ;) Seriously, they were indeed the band that got me into prog 15 years ago. Although I discovered many many more bands since then, they're still one of my favorites.
Ontopic: great to read that Jem is already thinking about new Frost* material, with EIMA just released. And.. the Frost reports will be back :) Incredible how he keeps up with everything, besides his 'dayjob'..
Record sales don't mean a damn thing. By that logic, Britney Spears is one of the best musicians to have ever lived. I still like DT once in a while but there really are much better bands, Frost* included. Two albums in and they're already that much better than DT. If it came down to a keyboard duel between Jem and Jordan Rudess, Rudess might play faster but Jem would play stuff much more interesting to listen to.
Quote from: "BeyondThePale"Record sales don't mean a damn thing. By that logic, Britney Spears is one of the best musicians to have ever lived. I still like DT once in a while but there really are much better bands, Frost* included. Two albums in and they're already that much better than DT. If it came down to a keyboard duel between Jem and Jordan Rudess, Rudess might play faster but Jem would play stuff much more interesting to listen to.
Why does one band have to be "better" than another - can't you appreciate the good parts of both bands?
Its not a competition - its something that appeals to your emotions. If you like Frost* more than DT, then thats fine, but it doesn't make DT a bad band does it?
But never mind that - did you know that the Caistor Canal was a 4-mile (6.4km) canal in Lincolnshire, England, constructed in 1800 and abandoned in 1936. It ran from the River Ancholme, near South Kelsey toward Caistor through 6 locks, although it did not reach the town as it terminated in Moortown 3.5 miles (5.6km) away.
and when the boats leaked, we got Caistor Oil.
Why on earth is it always Britney Spears who gets trotted out when somebody wants to make the "sales don't equal quality" argument? She delivers great performances of excellent pop material.
But keeping things somewhat on topic, did you know that The Australian Canal Society was formed by fourteen canal enthusiasts who had enjoyed personal contact with British canals or who had an academic interest in them. They met for the first time in Dundas, a north-western suburb of Sydney in May 1988. The fledgling group immediately outgrew a living room and has met quarterly ever since in a church hall nearby, with attendances between 50 and 70 each meeting.
Quote from: "vocalnick"The fledgling group immediately outgrew a living room
I hope that no one was hurt.
Quote from: "vocalnick"Why on earth is it always Britney Spears who gets trotted out when somebody wants to make the "sales don't equal quality" argument? She delivers great performances of excellent pop material.
But keeping things somewhat on topic, did you know that The Australian Canal Society was formed by fourteen canal enthusiasts who had enjoyed personal contact with British canals or who had an academic interest in them. They met for the first time in Dundas, a north-western suburb of Sydney in May 1988. The fledgling group immediately outgrew a living room and has met quarterly ever since in a church hall nearby, with attendances between 50 and 70 each meeting.
So they came to britain and fell in a canal? :)
Quote from: "vocalnick""sales don't equal quality"
I'd happily settle for being as talentless as some people think Britney is if you give me the money :D
Maybe that needs another :D just in case
Quote from: "James_S"Quote from: "BeyondThePale"Record sales don't mean a damn thing. By that logic, Britney Spears is one of the best musicians to have ever lived. I still like DT once in a while but there really are much better bands, Frost* included. Two albums in and they're already that much better than DT. If it came down to a keyboard duel between Jem and Jordan Rudess, Rudess might play faster but Jem would play stuff much more interesting to listen to.
Why does one band have to be "better" than another - can't you appreciate the good parts of both bands?
Its not a competition - its something that appeals to your emotions. If you like Frost* more than DT, then thats fine, but it doesn't make DT a bad band does it?
But never mind that - did you know that the Caistor Canal was a 4-mile (6.4km) canal in Lincolnshire, England, constructed in 1800 and abandoned in 1936. It ran from the River Ancholme, near South Kelsey toward Caistor through 6 locks, although it did not reach the town as it terminated in Moortown 3.5 miles (5.6km) away.
Oh, you're definitely right on that. I guess the point I was trying to make is that by most prog standards, DT is quite mechanical and not nearly as gripping, emotionally, as most people once thought. I just outgrew them I guess. I still love Scenes From A Memory and Under a Glass Moon is still my favorite guitar solo of all time. =P
Quote from: "BeyondThePale"Oh, you're definitely right on that. I guess the point I was trying to make is that by most prog standards, DT is quite mechanical and not nearly as gripping, emotionally, as most people once thought. I just outgrew them I guess. I still love Scenes From A Memory and Under a Glass Moon is still my favorite guitar solo of all time. =P
That's why my remark about record sales wasn't too serious.. Of course it's not all about sales, although it says something.
As stated above, it's not a contest. But just because you don't like DT anymore as you used to, doesn't mean they're 'better or worse' for everyone. The band's popularity is still growing with each record, which clearly indicates they must still hit the right spot for a lot of people with their new music as well. Whose prog standards? I guess it's just your personal perception of music :)
Amen.
Quote from: "BeyondThePale"Oh, you're definitely right on that. I guess the point I was trying to make is that by most prog standards, DT is quite mechanical and not nearly as gripping, emotionally, as most people once thought. I just outgrew them I guess. I still love Scenes From A Memory and Under a Glass Moon is still my favorite guitar solo of all time. =P
I've always found DT hit and miss. When they hit emotional territory I respond to, I love it. The last two albums are much more enjoyable to me than some of their immediate predecessors. But I'm not a big metal fan, and I like it best when DT play tunes. I guess I'm not obsessively pro or anti DT, but take it a track or album at a time.
But as for favourite guitar solo of all time, well, that would be an icy path for me to walk upon. For me, a great solo isn't about the guitarist shredding (though that can be thrilling and impressive), but rather what the overall music communicates. And for that, I'd struggle to think of something more moving than Mark Knopfler's solo on "Tunnel of love" (especially the Alchemy Live version).
Hang on, shouldn't I have written this in the "Musical Embarrassment" thread? :roll: It's still totally uncool to love Dire Straits, but they were fantastic until 1984 (and still quite good in patches after that). Is it because their well-crafted songs don't fit in snugly with the media's trend of nostalgia for 80s naffness?
Cheers
David
Dire Straits have a lot to answer for - it was hearing Sultans of Swing in 1979 that made me want to buy a guitar...
Yes, Knopfler went a little too country for my taste latterly and tracks like Walk of Life I find very sad but Making Movies and Love Over Gold are just brilliant IMO. And if anyone knows of a better and more honest (i.e. no overdubs) live album than Alchemy, I want to hear it...
DS (not caring if anyone thinks he's dreadfully untrendy!) ;)
it's all music, and if you like it, you like it, and no apologies necessary. who you were with, what you were doing, how you were feeling, it all goes into it.
Quote from: "rogerg"it's all music, and if you like it, you like it, and no apologies necessary. who you were with, what you were doing, how you were feeling, it all goes into it.
Well put sir, that's what makes this place special, most of us although we like/love prog we are mostly open to many other influences. In my book that has to be a good thing.
Quote from: "johninblack"Quote from: "rogerg"it's all music, and if you like it, you like it, and no apologies necessary. who you were with, what you were doing, how you were feeling, it all goes into it.
Well put sir, that's what makes this place special, most of us although we like/love prog we are mostly open to many other influences. In my book that has to be a good thing.
WORD !
Music .. it's the sound track to our lives ... for me it always brings memories back to me when listeing to my music.
Just come in from a damp old cold winters afternoon.... reading the latter part of this thread has made me feel all warm inside... It's that Frostie* feeling. :D
Rog: Caister oil... fantastic! :D
wow Jem .. You are a passionate man about your family, work and music.
take care an live life to the full !
we 're proud of you.
I think Jem is right on the money when he says:
"The way things are going with the world, I am starting to think that a radical rethink of how a band makes itself available to it's audience has to change and sooner rather than later".
Mind you, I love gigs but for a band like Frost*, who has a modest but certainly not a big following, I really do feel that it is hardly worth the trouble. I bet they are happy if they reach a break-even point and that it doesn't cost them money taking into account that most of them have dayjobs. I found it very telling that someone as gifted as Andy Edwards is actually not interested in playing live but is moving into teaching fulltime.
Quote from: "ChrisX"I think Jem is right on the money when he says:
"The way things are going with the world, I am starting to think that a radical rethink of how a band makes itself available to it's audience has to change and sooner rather than later".
Mind you, I love gigs but for a band like Frost*, who has a modest but certainly not a big following, I really do feel that it is hardly worth the trouble. I bet they are happy if they reach a break-even point and that it doesn't cost them money taking into account that most of them have dayjobs. I found it very telling that someone as gifted as Andy Edwards is actually not interested in playing live but is moving into teaching fulltime.
I can understand why gigs for a band of Frost*'s size aren't financially viable.
I'd find it very very sad indeed though if bands decided not to do gigs any more. For me as a consumer of music, watching it performed live in front of my eyes is the biggest buzz possible.
And back in the days when I did a modest amount of performing, I'd say coming together with others to perform for people who were enjoying the noise you made was equally as good. I can completely understand though that you don't just turn up and play a rock gig and that there is a considerable amount of travelling and waiting around time that must drive people crazy. I imagine that's what Andy doesn't enjoy about gigs... I can't imagine that making the noise he makes in front of a crowd of roaring fans doesn't excite him?
I don't think he means 'no more gigs' I think he means 'less tours'. As in, 'literally a letter has come in from Liverpool asking if we can play a gig at the Academy in the spring, lets do it!' as opposed to 'people, ladies, gentlemen and children of all ages, we have cleared the next three weeks from our diaries to tour at your leisure. Please book us and we promise to play for some amount of money that may or may not cover our expenses. If we aren't booked then we're just wasting time and we're not playing where people want us anyway'.
Great explanation Danny :roll:
Also, like I said on the MP forums I hope in five or ten or whatever years time when the kid are older and day job is less hectic Jem will be given the choice again because a PN tour across America with a guaranteed crowd-drawer like DT would get them that much closer to the recognition Frost* deserve.
Hmm...it is a constant source of sadness that such great music can't seem to find the audience and therefore the revenue stream it deserves.
BTW on the subject of TBE, did he not say that out of all the music stuff he does he simply likes gigging the least? Also, he was already a music teacher so I'm not sure the move to do a whole load more music teaching can be seen as a move away from employing his gift. This is not a gifted drummer turning his back on it to go teach. :)
Do you think they're also making him run PE?