2010 Jim interview

[BenMech]

[walpurgis]

Thanks for posting. Maybe they'll work on an album next year. Maybe. Maybe.

Please?

[oblarg]

Glad to hear that a new album isn't out of the question.

The reasoning behind not playing the original songs is completely reasonable, in my opinion. The band has changed a lot. Yeah, I'd love to hear Traveler in Time live, but as he says it simply wouldn't be natural without the early lineup. Awesome to hear he'd be willing to do an original lineup tour with John Arch, though - that would be something to behold, if it ever would happen.

The Scandinavian band question was just...odd.

[SethFWF]

Yeah, thanks for that Ben. Great to hear Jim even talking about a new album, sure we'll all be hoping for some official news.

I get the not playing the Arch songs live, certainly not cuz Ray couldn't sing them...obviously he has at times. But Arch has such a distinct voice, maybe none of them were ever really comfortable doing them live...different time, different style that just wouldn't jive with the rest of the performance.

Didn't think the Scandanavian band question was too weird, I've always thought I'd ask my favorite musicians(if ever so lucky to talk with them) who they're favorite bands are. Of course who they're influences are too, but just where they're current listening tastes are...and are there some 'world metal/rock' type bands they are into. Think I was more surprised at Jim's answer that he really wasn't familiar with very many bands from the region. With the level of talent out there and popularity gaining(even if still underground in the States), would think he'd know more than just a couple. But his tastes are his tastes, cool that he's an Opeth fan though!... ;D

New album, soon please Jim!!!!!!!!!!!!

[oblarg]

It just seemed a bit out of the blue and not related to the rest of the interview.

I'm not too big of an Opeth fan myself. In fact, the only Scandinavian band to which I regularly listen is Conception, which doesn't exist anymore. Oh, and ARK, if you count them as Scandinavian (the drummer and bassist are both American).

[SethFWF]

Jul 15, 2010 16:49:17 GMT -5 oblarg said:

It just seemed a bit out of the blue and not related to the rest of the interview.

I'm not too big of an Opeth fan myself. In fact, the only Scandinavian band to which I regularly listen is Conception, which doesn't exist anymore. Oh, and ARK, if you count them as Scandinavian (the drummer and bassist are both American).

Sorry to go off topic a bit, but how much time have you given Opeth? At first I thought I'd never like them, but after giving them a couple extra chances I became a huge fan. There's lots of other band discussions(including a lot of Euro and World bands) in the 'Part of the Machine' section. It's not real busy now, but there's a lot to scan through and I've stumbled on countless awesome bands from there and other message boards.

I guess just being where they were for the interview brought up the question.

[galneon]

Regarding Ray's ability to sing Arch-era material... I rather doubt even John Arch can sing that stuff live anymore. It's no insult to acknowledge that the voice is the first instrument a musician loses ability with as they age. There are always exceptions, however rare... Ray still performs wonderfully live, but he doesn't go for any of the high notes anymore.

At the Houston show I attended last week, people were calling for Fata Morgana, Guardian, Pirates of the Underground, Prelude to Ruin, Anarchy Divine and lots of other stuff they'd never play in 2010. At the end of the show, Ray thanked the crowd, then told everyone to "stop dreaming". It has to be frustrating for the band, but I don't think most serious fans would expect to hear today's Ray hit the high notes on songs from Perfect Symmetry, No Exit, or even Parallels, much less Arch-era stuff like Fata Morgana, even if he tackled it well back in the day.

I wouldn't expect to see today's John Arch attempt Fata Morgana, either... Singing that stuff live night after night was, by his own words, hard enough on him in the mid '80s, and it'd likely be impossible today.

[BenMech]

Agreed Galneon.

[r0g3r]

I think John Arch painted himself into a corner in the studio that he could never reproduce live, even in his heyday. Ray Alder I think sounds better live since he stopped trying to hit so many high notes. He also, to his credit has done on his best days some really nice live renditions of Arch era Fates songs. I think "Still Life" has a really cool version of Prelude to Ruin, for example. I think very few vocalists would be able to do a better job of singing that song live, including John Arch. Arch's vocals are very idiosyncratic and just flat out demanding. It's no knock against Ray that he can't belt out album perfect versions of them, especially given his age.

[oblarg]

Jul 21, 2010 6:16:02 GMT -5 r0g3r said:

I think John Arch painted himself into a corner in the studio that he could never reproduce live, even in his heyday. Ray Alder I think sounds better live since he stopped trying to hit so many high notes. He also, to his credit has done on his best days some really nice live renditions of Arch era Fates songs. I think "Still Life" has a really cool version of Prelude to Ruin, for example. I think very few vocalists would be able to do a better job of singing that song live, including John Arch. Arch's vocals are very idiosyncratic and just flat out demanding. It's no knock against Ray that he can't belt out album perfect versions of them, especially given his age.

Have you heard the live versions of the songs that come with the remasters of The Spectre Within and Awaken the Guardian? Sure, the multi-tracking is gone, but he certainly could pull off the songs live (actually, it's pretty funny when he tries to let the crowd sing, because they can't even come close).

That said, I don't hold it against Alder that he doesn't attempt the Arch-era material. Not many vocalists could hit those notes, and furthermore the material is really meant for Arch rather than Alder - it wouldn't sound right with anyone else. Hell, the closest I've heard someone come to Arch in a cover would have to be Rick Mythiasin (one of my absolute favorite vocalists) in the Steel Prophet cover of The Apparition, and even he couldn't emulate the magic Arch had in his vocals.

[BenMech]

True, it can be said with some in-joke precision that Rick M shits over anything he touches.