DT16 Timeline Thread - James finishes recording vocal parts

[crystalstars17]

But I do hope his vocals are doing better and when the time comes to perform live, he's got things under control better than the last tour.

Agreed, 💯. This is my sincerest hope as well.

[emtee]

Getting more excited every day to hear new DT. I may end up not listening to any singles though because I want that first full listen on the headphones to be untarnished.

[Stadler]

Getting more excited every day to hear new DT. I may end up not listening to any singles though because I want that first full listen on the headphones to be untarnished.

Me too.  100%.

[gzarruk]

MP just posted:

Hitting the Rec Button on the Drum Cam before laying down my drum tracks for Song #5 on Saturday... Hmmm, this may be my fav track so far?!? I dunno...I'm luving them ALL! 😉😎🥁 Moving onto starting writing Song #6 today... #DT16 #DreamTheater2024

[lucasembarbosa]

He posted the message along this pic (the board is still too blurried...)

[HOF]

At least 6 tracks written then. Sounds like they are tracking after having already written them, so I suppose they may be done writing.

[nobloodyname]

Getting more excited every day to hear new DT. I may end up not listening to any singles though because I want that first full listen on the headphones to be untarnished.

Me too.  100%.

I won't be listening, either.

But here's a sneak preview of the forum's thoughts on the first available track:

1) DT by numbers
2) I've heard those fills a million times before
3) James sounds all right but where's the melody?
4) Not a fan of MP's background vocals
5) Snare sounds great!
6) Too metal
7) Production's rubbish
8) Drums are too loud
9) Lyrics are hilarious
10) Mangini was replaced for THIS?

[hefdaddy42]

At least 6 tracks written then. Sounds like they are tracking after having already written them, so I suppose they may be done writing.

That's what it sounds like to me, but I don't like making suppositions.

[Dream Team]

@nobloodyname

I think you nailed all of them! 

[Stadler]

At least 6 tracks written then. Sounds like they are tracking after having already written them, so I suppose they may be done writing.

That's what it sounds like to me, but I don't like making suppositions.

Am I missing something? 

He hit the Drum Cam record button on Saturday to "lay down tracks for song 5".  I'm assuming "laying down tracks" is a euphemism for recording the track. So song five is written, and he likes that best of the five that are written.   THEN he says "moving on to WRITING song six today".  So 6 IS NOT written, and it sounds to me as if they are TRACKING EACH SONG after writing EACH SONG, so since they're starting writing today for another song, they're NOT done writing yet.

Am I missing something (not trying to be argumentative, just explaining how I read that). 

[MirrorMask]

That's how I understood it as well, they're recording each song separately.

[Dream Team]

You are correct Stads. Some folks are desperate to get this album through a time machine  .

[geeeemo]

so the title of the thread isn't really accurate...

[gborland]

So it's not a concept album, then. 

[HOF]

At least 6 tracks written then. Sounds like they are tracking after having already written them, so I suppose they may be done writing.

That's what it sounds like to me, but I don't like making suppositions.

Am I missing something? 

He hit the Drum Cam record button on Saturday to "lay down tracks for song 5".  I'm assuming "laying down tracks" is a euphemism for recording the track. So song five is written, and he likes that best of the five that are written.   THEN he says "moving on to WRITING song six today".  So 6 IS NOT written, and it sounds to me as if they are TRACKING EACH SONG after writing EACH SONG, so since they're starting writing today for another song, they're NOT done writing yet.

Am I missing something (not trying to be argumentative, just explaining how I read that).

Ah, yeah, that is what he said. I misread and thought he was tracking song 6.

[BlackInk]

3) James sounds all right but where's the melody?
9) Lyrics are hilarious

Unfortunately, these two seem very likely to me.

[Wim Kruithof]

Getting more excited every day to hear new DT. I may end up not listening to any singles though because I want that first full listen on the headphones to be untarnished.

Wish I was on that boat as well, but being so curious, I know I can't sit on my patience for months.

[geeeemo]

Getting more excited every day to hear new DT. I may end up not listening to any singles though because I want that first full listen on the headphones to be untarnished.

Wish I was on that boat as well, but being so curious, I know I can't sit on my patience for months.

I am going to listen. I simply can't wait. DT songs are so "much" anyway, it'll be good to get a head start on the album.

There is so much hype this time. I mean, there always is, but obviously there will be more this time. So, I am curious to hear how much let down there will be. Because... there is always griping.

The songs are too long!"
"The songs are too short!"
"James doesn't sound right"
"Too much noodling"
"Too much metal"
"Not enough metal"
" I've heard that before"

Whether a song is a top song, or a bottom song. Dream Theater is just better. I have an employee who streams music out in our front shop. ( a killer stereo system) He usually puts on Rush Radio from Pandora. There are a lot of DT songs played.  Just today Room 137 came on. Definitely not a favorite and I never listen to it. But...geeze.. it was really enjoyable to hear in that context. It beat the heck out of the Def Leppard that came on after.

[devieira73]

MP just posted:

Hitting the Rec Button on the Drum Cam before laying down my drum tracks for Song #5 on Saturday... Hmmm, this may be my fav track so far?!? I dunno...I'm luving them ALL! 😉😎🥁 Moving onto starting writing Song #6 today... #DT16 #DreamTheater2024

Great news!! Well, I guess that confirms, as Stadler said, that the band is writing and recording one song at time, restarting the process next. I hope that it brings a good diversity to album. Also it seems like it's not a concept album, I'm happy with that too.

[Adami]

Getting more excited every day to hear new DT. I may end up not listening to any singles though because I want that first full listen on the headphones to be untarnished.

Sadly DT stopped being an automatic buy for me. So I'll definitely need to check out a few songs before I buy it.

[crystalstars17]

I am going to listen. I simply can't wait. DT songs are so "much" anyway, it'll be good to get a head start on the album.

Count me in!!!

[Setlist Scotty]

So it's not a concept album, then. 

I see the emoji, so I'm guessing you're half-joking, but why couldn't it be? This is the same method they used for writing/recording SFaM.

I am going to listen. I simply can't wait. DT songs are so "much" anyway, it'll be good to get a head start on the album.

There is so much hype this time. I mean, there always is, but obviously there will be more this time. So, I am curious to hear how much let down there will be. Because... there is always griping.

There will always be ASSumptions made. Just wait until the album title and song titles are announced - then people will really start to jumping to conclusions. I still remember when the track listing for ToT was released, and a lot of people ASSumed DT was going Christian rock based on the song titles and that MP had just been working with Neal Morse, who had recently quit Spock's Beard and Transatlantic to pursue his solo career as a Christian artist.

[Stadler]

So it's not a concept album, then. 

I see the emoji, so I'm guessing you're half-joking, but why couldn't it be? This is the same method they used for writing/recording SFaM.

I am going to listen. I simply can't wait. DT songs are so "much" anyway, it'll be good to get a head start on the album.

There is so much hype this time. I mean, there always is, but obviously there will be more this time. So, I am curious to hear how much let down there will be. Because... there is always griping.

There will always be ASSumptions made. Just wait until the album title and song titles are announced - then people will really start to jumping to conclusions. I still remember when the track listing for ToT was released, and a lot of people ASSumed DT was going Christian rock based on the song titles and that MP had just been working with Neal Morse, who had recently quit Spock's Beard and Transatlantic to pursue his solo career as a Christian artist.

I dread that day as much as I anticipate hearing the music.  I remember when the titles and times of Flying Colors was released.  Everyone just assumed the two longest songs - Blue Ocean and Infinite Fire - were going to be best and people were lamenting "WTF?  KAYLA?" 

Here we are x years later, the two long songs are barely in the top half of the record for me, and "Kayla" is my favorite FC song they've done.  Times and titles are artificial; it's the MUSIC that matters.

[Adami]

I thought Better Than Walking Away was your favorite.

[Adami]

So it's not a concept album, then. 

I see the emoji, so I'm guessing you're half-joking, but why couldn't it be? This is the same method they used for writing/recording SFaM.

I am going to listen. I simply can't wait. DT songs are so "much" anyway, it'll be good to get a head start on the album.

There is so much hype this time. I mean, there always is, but obviously there will be more this time. So, I am curious to hear how much let down there will be. Because... there is always griping.

There will always be ASSumptions made. Just wait until the album title and song titles are announced - then people will really start to jumping to conclusions. I still remember when the track listing for ToT was released, and a lot of people ASSumed DT was going Christian rock based on the song titles and that MP had just been working with Neal Morse, who had recently quit Spock's Beard and Transatlantic to pursue his solo career as a Christian artist.

Oh god. I remember those ToT days. Was crazy. I also remember everyone accidentally downloading EOP and thinking it was 8VM and having a field day.

[Stadler]

I thought Better Than Walking Away was your favorite.

Well, it is certainly the most emotionally resonant, but it's sometimes hard to listen to.  It hits pretty close to home.  That song is more or less two years of my life.

[devieira73]

So it's not a concept album, then. 

I see the emoji, so I'm guessing you're half-joking, but why couldn't it be? This is the same method they used for writing/recording SFaM.

I am going to listen. I simply can't wait. DT songs are so "much" anyway, it'll be good to get a head start on the album.

There is so much hype this time. I mean, there always is, but obviously there will be more this time. So, I am curious to hear how much let down there will be. Because... there is always griping.

There will always be ASSumptions made. Just wait until the album title and song titles are announced - then people will really start to jumping to conclusions. I still remember when the track listing for ToT was released, and a lot of people ASSumed DT was going Christian rock based on the song titles and that MP had just been working with Neal Morse, who had recently quit Spock's Beard and Transatlantic to pursue his solo career as a Christian artist.

I believe, from Scenes to Black Clouds, DT written all the songs instrumentally and record one song at a time and, after all songs were recorded instrumentally, then they focused on writting lyrics for all the songs and James would record his vocals after all this process. It seems now that they are making it differently, completing the writing of the songs with lyrics, with James also recording it after that, one song at a time. It's not impossible, since they can have all the themes and plots of the story maped out before hand, but it seems more difficult to make a conceptual album this way.

[Glasser]

Or this... "the single is OK but I hope it's the weakest song on the album"

[Setlist Scotty]

So it's not a concept album, then. 

I see the emoji, so I'm guessing you're half-joking, but why couldn't it be? This is the same method they used for writing/recording SFaM.

I am going to listen. I simply can't wait. DT songs are so "much" anyway, it'll be good to get a head start on the album.

There is so much hype this time. I mean, there always is, but obviously there will be more this time. So, I am curious to hear how much let down there will be. Because... there is always griping.

There will always be ASSumptions made. Just wait until the album title and song titles are announced - then people will really start to jumping to conclusions. I still remember when the track listing for ToT was released, and a lot of people ASSumed DT was going Christian rock based on the song titles and that MP had just been working with Neal Morse, who had recently quit Spock's Beard and Transatlantic to pursue his solo career as a Christian artist.

I believe, from Scenes to Black Clouds, DT written all the songs instrumentally and record one song at a time and, after all songs were recorded instrumentally, then they focused on writting lyrics for all the songs and James would record his vocals after all this process. It seems now that they are making it differently, completing the writing of the songs with lyrics, with James also recording it after that, one song at a time. It's not impossible, since they can have all the themes and plots of the story maped out before hand, but it seems more difficult to make a conceptual album this way.

Actually ToT was written the "old" way in that they worked out the songs instrumentally in a rehearsal studio and recorded demos before taking them into a proper studio to record them. Regarding the other 4 albums from that lineup, yes the songs were all written and recorded simultaneously. Then they took the time to work out vocal melodies and lyrics, although the guys may have started even developing some ideas before finishing the proper recording of the instruments. I'm pretty sure they're doing the same thing with this album as well. Even with MM in the lineup, it seems that lyrics were always worked out last (as is evident from the fact that there's the official bootleg of the d/t demos, and they are also instrumental). So while JL is in the studio with the band (as he also was with 8v and SC), and it's possible he may be thinking of some vocal melodies for some of the songs, I'm pretty confident that the vocal melodies and especially lyrics won't really be worked on until the songs are written and recorded instrumentally.

[devieira73]

Yes, true, ToT had demos. Hum, I have understood that James was already recording his parts. Maybe it's like you said, just him following the process and thinking about vocal melodies and lyrics in advance.

[TAC]

Or this... "the single is OK but I hope it's the weakest song on the album"

This is something I always say...."If this is my favorite song on the album, I'm not gonna be happy."

[Glasser]

Or this... "the single is OK but I hope it's the weakest song on the album"

This is something I always say...."If this is my favorite song on the album, I'm not gonna be happy."

I feel the same but oddly Alien turned out to be one of my favorite songs on View but my first opinion was this at first.

[TAC]

Or this... "the single is OK but I hope it's the weakest song on the album"

This is something I always say...."If this is my favorite song on the album, I'm not gonna be happy."

I feel the same but oddly Alien turned out to be one of my favorite songs on View but my first opinion was this at first.

The Alien is a fucking badass tune.

[wolfking]

Or this... "the single is OK but I hope it's the weakest song on the album"

This is something I always say...."If this is my favorite song on the album, I'm not gonna be happy."

I feel the same but oddly Alien turned out to be one of my favorite songs on View but my first opinion was this at first.

The Alien is a fucking badass tune.

I'm shocked how much I quite enjoy it now after hating it at the start.

[geeeemo]

Or this... "the single is OK but I hope it's the weakest song on the album"

This is something I always say...."If this is my favorite song on the album, I'm not gonna be happy."

I feel the same but oddly Alien turned out to be one of my favorite songs on View but my first opinion was this at first.

The Alien is a fucking badass tune.

I'm shocked how much I quite enjoy it now after hating it at the start.

Alien Is a fab song. When it starts, I think. "Ya, cool." But by the time it finishes, I feel like clapping and hitting the repeat button.