SONG REVIEWED: "OH GOD"
THE DREAM THEATER GUYS HAVE SO MANY SIDE PROJECTS GOING ON, IT'S TRULY ASTOUNDING THEY CAN FOCUS ON MAKING ANY MUSIC WITH THEIR REGULAR BAND... I MUST ADMIT, I NEVER HEARD THEIR FIRST RELEASE, "WHEN PUS COMES TO SHOVE", NOR DID I HAVE ANY INTEREST IN HEARING IT. WHY? WELL, SIMPLY PUT, I DIDN'T WANT TO HEAR ANOTHER WAY-TOO-COMPLEX FOR MY EARS DISC FULL OF PROG ROCK. A LOT OF THE PROGRESSIVE ROCK I'VE HEARD AS OF LATE HAS NEGLECTED MELODY FOR COMPLEXITY, THE MUSICAL EQUIVALENT OF CHOPPING OFF YOUR NOSE TO SPITE YOUR FACE... WELL, WHEN I RECEIVED THIS IN THE MAIL THE OTHER DAY, I FOUND MYSELF PLEASANTLY SURPRISED. THERE IS SOME BEAUTIFUL SONGWRITING ON THIS DISC.
FIRST OFF, TAKE A LOOK AT THIS LINE-UP: Bass: John Myung (Dream Theater), | Drums: Rod Morgenstein (Rudess Morgenstein, Dixie Dregs, Winger) | Keyboards: Derek Sherinian (Planet X), | Vocals, Guitar, and Percussion: Ty Tabo (King's X) ... CHRIST, THESE GUYS CAN PLAY CIRCLES AROUND MOST ROCK MUSICIANS. DOES THAT MAKE FOR GOOD SONGWRITING? IN THIS CASE, YES IT DOES... "OH GOD" STARTS OFF WITH A VERY MELLOW KEYBOARD INTRO, AND QUICKLY PICKS UP INTO A VERY CATCHY, SIMPLE ROCKER... I'M IMPRESSED WITH THE RESTRAINT THESE MONSTER PLAYERS HAVE EXERCISED IN THEIR WRITING. THERE'S NONE OF THIS, "DUDE, A MIXOLYDIAN MODE WOULD FIT REALLY WELL HERE"... "OR LET'S USE ALL SUS 4 ADD 13 CHORDS" CRAP (AND IF THERE IS, IT'S WELL-CONCEALED ENOUGH SO THAT YOU CAN ENJOY THE SONG).
THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO NEED TO CRTIQUE THE MUSICIANSHIP ON THIS SONG; IT'S OUTSTANDING. GRANTED, THE SONGS ON "ICE CYCLES" ARE MUCH MORE SUBDUED THAT WHAT THESE GUYS WOULD BE PLAYING IN THEIR REGULAR GIGS, BUT THE PLAYING IS TIGHT AS HELL, AND NO ONE OVERPOWERS ANYONE ELSE. IT'S REPORTED THAT ROD MORGENSTEIN DID MOST OF HIS DRUM TRACKS IN ONE TAKE... THAT'LL PISS OFF MORE THAN A FEW DRUMMERS, I'M SURE. GRANTED, LATER IN THE DISC, THESE GUYS TEAR LOOSE AND SHOW OFF THEIR TECHNICAL PROWESS, BUT THIS SONG, WHICH IS THE FIRST SONG ON THE DISC, KEEPS IT'S GROOVE FAIRLY SOLID.
IT'S NICE TO SEE TY TABOR SPENDING HIS NON-KING'S X TIME WISELY. THE VOCALS FOR "OH GOD" ARE APPROPRIATELY SOMBER CONSIDERING THE LYRICAL TONE. THE SONG SEEMS TO BE ABOUT A DEPRESSED/SUICIDAL MAN WHO'S AT THE END OF HIS ROPE, CALLING OUT TO GOD FOR THAT FINAL GRASP FOR HELP (UPLIFTING, HUH?). THE MORE I HEAR FROM THIS GUY, THE WORSE I FEEL FOR KING'S X, A BAND THAT WAS REALLY SO AHEAD OF THEIR TIME, THEY BASICALLY SHOT THEMSELVES IN THE FOOT BY BEING SO DAMN GOOD. HAD THEY HIT THE MUSIC SCENE TEN YEARS LATER, THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN JUGGERNAUTS IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY.
MY GUT FEELING IS THAT THIS DISC IS GOING TO GET A STRONGER RESPONSE OVERSEAS, ALTHOUGH "OH GOD" COULD EASILY BE PICKED UP BY ROCK RADIO STATIONS IN THE U.S... IT CERTAINLY HAS A VERY MODERN SOUND, AND COULD EASILY FIT INTO THE MODERN ROCK FORMAT. I'M GOING TO HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS DISC TO EVERY ONE OF MY CRONIES...AND IF THEY DON'T PICK IT UP IMMEDIATELY... WELL, THEY'RE ALL GOING TO NEED ORTHAPEDIC SURGEONS TO REMOVE MY FOOT FROM THEIR COLLECTIVE ASS.
