Oh, you're right! Quoting Mike: 1. The intro is Tony on the Chapman Stick (not JP on guitar) 2. We created this arrangement of RiB for LTE’s 2008 shows BEFORE BC&SL, so THIS middle section is what inspired TCOT (not visa versa)
@@petruccifanboi no, I was at a guitar center in Smyrna Georgia, I was trying out basses There was a drummer setting up a drum set... I'd play my weird off time stuff and he would play along with me... I would stop to try a different bass Or he'd stop to make adjustments... Turned out it was Mike Portnoy there to put on a drum clinic...
He is indeed a master of the Stick. He plays bass for Peter Gabriel on his Secret World tour, which is up there with the very best live music performances.
I love how there's no pretentiousness about this. I'm sure there's some classical guys who would turn their nose up at some prog guys playing a classic rhapsody, but you loved it and weren't embarrassed about that at all. I'm the opposite - a rock, prog and metal focused drummer who has basically zero classical background. I don't know why RU-vid recommended this video to me, but I'm glad it did.
The first Liquid Tension Experiment album was supposedly recorded in less than a week. Unfreakinbelievable the talent that was assembled and the fruit that it bore. Both albums are just so disgustingly incredible. Acid Rain is without a doubt, in my mind, one of the absolutely best songs that showcase every single instrument equally in a single song.
My mom used to play this a lot!! I'm 60 years old now and remember It so vividly... LTE kills it on this. Also, I'm total Dream Theater fan since their first album from 1989. Thanks for this Doug!! Subbed.
58 here, been a fan since buying "When Dream and Day Unite" on LP when it debuted (still have it). A Progger since 1977, and Metalhead since 1981. And I guess a Prog Metaller since 1985-86 (Thanks Queensryche & Fates Warning).
@@Dan-C-71 Yeah, Fripp and Gabriel also were close and worked together. All those dudes are connected. Hackett was inspired in his gtr playing by Fripp for example.
Tony Levin, the bassist of LTE was interviewed by Thomann and he said that the intro's clarinet was replaced by him on the chapman's stick. Edit: also if I remember correctly, when LTE reunited for touring in 2007 they played rhapsody in blue and the count of tuscany's mellow part was inspired by it.
Actually that mellow section in the middle is an excerpt of a live recording of that tour in 07'. John Petrucci talked about how hard it would be to recreate it in the studio so they just inserted it from the live recording
I feel like there's actually a decent amount of crossover between prog metal fans and classical fans. I know Gershwin and DT are definitely among my favorite artists, anyway.
@@DaMastaMynd I absolutely agree! I most definitely feel there's a prodigious and proggy attitude to this particular Gershwin composition anyway and of course, DT is a very capable band and I'm nothing but stoked that they would seek to cover something as exciting and interesting as 'Rhapsody'
My dad was an audiophile when I was growing up ( 50's and 60's) and this piece was one of the standout things he used to play on his a lot. I was going to say it sounds like an updated version of the original, until I realized it is really makes it contemporary New York, exactly like the the original was a contemporary New York. Very true the the FEEL of the time of original. A sort of now is now ( if you get what I mean).
Mike Portnoy said that they had written this arrangement before they started recording the album that the Count of TUscany was on and he definitely used this section in that song. I'm sure these guys were big into Gershwin and this song especially because John and Mike Portnoy are both from New York, went to Berklee, and Jordan went to Juilliard so they know their classical pieces
I've watched several Doug videos, and Romantic Warrior by Return To Forever is EXACTLY what I was thinking as well. I still haven't decided which album by Frank Zappa... Perhaps The Grand Wazoo - Cletus Awreetus Awrightus deserves listening. Also - after his reaction to Suppers Ready, he's ready to be introduced to The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway - all four sides over the course of 4 consecutive days...although one session really is the best way to appreciate it.
Prog Rock is just the natural evolution of classical music concepts. Most of the original Prog Rock bands were heavily classically trained, so you really can't separate the two musical universes without calling it something else.
LTE stayed true to the spirit of the original while also taking some creative and improvisational liberties. Nothing short of a masterpiece rendition of a classic.
Well, that brought a smile to my face. Whoever recommended this...you guys have TASTE! Thanks Doug (your face is an absolute picture while you're listening to this BTW).
You mention the pandemic and using that as an opportunity to do some work in the studio. This prompted me to want to pass on this information along to you: John Petrucci, solo album Terminal Velocity Recorded March-May 2020 Released August 28, 2020 Liquid Tension Experiment 3, Released April 16, 2021. I read somewhere that Dream Theater has completed the recording of a new album and now just waiting for the release. That would be 3 albums for John Petrucci in about 9 months.
Actually LTE3 was composed and recored in two weeks. Las week of July and first of August 2020. Two weeks to compose, arrange and record all that!!! Damn...
I can't wrap my head around that even being possible. Given his already extensive catalogue, one might think it would tale longer to...you know come up with new shit! 😂
And the quality shows. His solo album is amazing, LTE is good but nowhere near the quality of the first 2 albums and the DT album is uninspired and on the edge of being irrelevant
That was great! Besides the reaction to the song itself, we got a whole lot of a background on the brilliant Gershwin's piece and that's the kind of stuff that separates this from other reaction channels. We really learn more about the music after watching these videos.
Wow.....metalhead here that discovered this song in 1989 by chance...version was Los Angeles SO wtith conductor Leonard Bernstein...it changed me....and for the better. So wonderful to hear modern interpretation
Hey Doug, I think it's time you listened to "When The Water Breaks" (studio, if possible). This is the grand daddy of anything LTE has ever recorded (in my opinion, and most). This is their magnum opus. We do hope you take a listen real soon!
Yeah, man, I totally subscribe to this. Or Watcher of the Skies with the intro, the fountain of salmacis, the epic parts in The lamb, a big etcetera :-). I just joined the channel and was about to make this suggestion, glad I went through the comments first!
Dude! Jjust last week I was recommending a particular performance of Rhapsody in Blue to a friend who was gushing over The Four Seasons by Vivaldi! I actually had to go check because I made a request on your last Devin Townsend video and it was a toss up between that or Snarky Puppy - Lingus, apparently I flipped a coin and settled on Lingus! But anyway, I'm super excited to check this out. Thanks for sharing with us!
I'd love to see him react to Lingus. Even ignoring that solo, there's a lot of great stuff going on. But that solo definitely elevates it to something way more.
Well, it's 11.20pm here in the UK, I was about to go to bed...a 29 minute Daily Doug? Why the hell not! Edit: Man, I wish I had this level of internet when I did my History of Music degree back in '95
I can't stop listening to the recording of this song and the album for that matter. I love all of the information you covered about the original, all the musical theory and your reaction in this video. Big thumbs up from me!
I’m a DT fan but also a big fan of Gershwin stuff. I’ve heard a lot of versions from different eras of this piece. I never thought I’d like a rock version of RIB, but this is fantastic. Gotta check out the new LTE album.
What a great commendation of a rock cover of a "classical" composer: "I think it was done in REVERENCE". I believe every prog rock group which have got into the task of recreating a classical piece have done it in true reverence of the original composer, because it is not an easy task to do. I loved your reaction. Thanks a lot.
I missed this video when first posted. Caught up when browsing. this was great! I have LTE 1 and 2 on CD already, so LTE 3 just got added to my wish-list...
I went back and listened to the original before I listened to LTE’s take on it. It was worth the time. Doug, I enjoy your analysis as much as I enjoy the songs you analyze. I’m not theory savvy, but the way you describe theory and chord progressions are fascinating. You’re knowledge of music history, and context are free education! Huge respect for you! Thanks for another great video!
Another great video, Doug!! So much info of the background of this piece!! Great!! LTE is amazing and they do a great job not only in this cover but in their own material too. Thank you so much again for the very "educational time" with great music!!! Well done!! All the best!!
I like that the musicians in Dream theater continue to make music during the pandemic other musicians kind of thrown in the towel or is waiting until they tour again or they don’t see a point making a album because they can’t tour with it but Dream theater they’re actually finishing up making a new studio album so pretty cool positives during dark times
How did I never know about Liquid Tension Experiment's Rhapsody in Blue? Back when I played a ton of clarinet that was always my favorite iconic solo to play, it was one of my favorite concert experiences when I got to play lead clarinet with the solos and one of my friends played the intensely difficult piano part, and I never knew that one of my favorite prog groups covered it. Why can't that appear in my recommendations? I'm really glad that I discovered this piece through your video Doug because I don't think RU-vid would have put it in front of me otherwise.
I recommend you "Learning to live" from Dream Theater. It's a song from "Metropolis part 1", which is their second studio album so it would make an instructing contrast to their more recent albums
I recently had surgery and was surfing youtube and happened upon your channel! I am a big prog fan and this track is my favorite on the new LTE LP. I have also enjoyed your videos on YES and RUSH! Thank you! ✌
I am so glad I got to hear my first tune off this album with you. Love your enthusiasm and your introduction really made this worth while. Been too long since liquid tension experiment got an airing. I miss hearing portnoy and petrucci together. Wonderful video. Thank you for brightening up my evening here in Dublin. Ps. LOVE THE MAIDEN VIDEOS. UP THE IRONS!
Great channel. You're also the person with the best English pronunciation I've ever heard. I'm Spanish (from Spain, the other side of the world...). Congratulations.
Julia Hofer, who does interviews on the Thomann's Guitars channel, talked with Tony Levin about this piece a couple of days ago. It's an great conversation. They discuss how Rhapsody in Blue was selected, what the process was like, how the arrangement was developed, why Tony used the Chapman Stick on some tracks - I believe that's how he got what was originally a clarinet part. The link is ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-9LYkboIA91Y.html. The Rhapsody in Blue discussion starts at about 12 minutes in. I loved your analysis and your reaction, Doug, and I will be posting a link to this video in the comments for the Tony Levin interview. Tony is an amazing musician. I've never seen anyone else use a Chapman Stick at a rock concert. He also invented funk fingers, which began life when he taped a couple of drumsticks to his fingers on the picking hand, and played the bass using those in order to get a funky percussive sound. Imagine a recording studio that encourages something that must have seemed absolutely bizarre! That's apparently the norm for Peter Gabriel. The Chapman Stick is an interesting instrument that was invented in the 70s. I won't even try to describe it. Cross fertilization of ideas on RU-vid. Love it!
I met Tony once (circa 2000/2001) when he was touring with the California Guitar Trio... nice guy! I've since seen him perform with King Crimson & Peter Gabriel... awesome bassist!!
I haven't watched the video yet but I listened to this song a few days ago and it blew me away. Very excited to watch you go through it and break it down.
When I wrote my final paper in college that compared/contrasted Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody and Rhapsody in Blue, I NEVER thought I'd hear this piece like this.
Really enjoying all these videos. Hearing the impressions of a professional in fields so distant from his own is quite intriguing. You could also check Stickmen, Tony Levin's band, a three man piece with Pat Mastelotto on drums, Markus Reuter on guitar and Tony Levin on the bass. They made a pretty creative cover of Firebird Suite on their Soup album.
