Stratovarius Community

The unknown one wrote:the first of many new things in 2011.

Neal Morse
Steve Morse
Dave LaRue
Mike Portnoy
Casey McPherson

NeonVomit wrote:I was actually listening to the first Kyrie of your Mass in B Minor

Ludwig Van Beethoven wrote:

NeonVomit wrote:I was actually listening to the first Kyrie of your Mass in B Minor

More like a mass of shit.

-Ludwig

J.S. Bach wrote:

Ludwig Van Beethoven wrote:

NeonVomit wrote:I was actually listening to the first Kyrie of your Mass in B Minor

More like a mass of shit.

-Ludwig

Oh, can you hear how I laugh? OH yes, you can't!

Ludwig Van Beethoven wrote:

J.S. Bach wrote:

Ludwig Van Beethoven wrote:

NeonVomit wrote:I was actually listening to the first Kyrie of your Mass in B Minor

More like a mass of shit.

-Ludwig

Oh, can you hear how I laugh? OH yes, you can't!

Careful with that sharp wit. You're liable to poke your eye out with it, then die from complications after surgery.

ggonza43 wrote:Bach and Beethoven arguing with each other? Am I on something ?

AAAAAAAAAA wrote:You are on...line.

The unknown one wrote: Steve Morse

ggonza43 wrote:

AAAAAAAAAA wrote:You are on...line.

*Insert joke drums here*

Rebel wrote:Isn't Morse busy doing the neverending tour with Deep Purple?

ggonza43 wrote:Still no news about this?

robocop656 wrote:Would you do a striptease for me cam to cam over yahoo messenger?

hiro23 wrote:I just hope that Deep purple comes out with an album, Haven't heard anything since they did "Rapture of the Deep"

Hello,

First of all, my apologies for not posting much of anything about this project until now. I have been really busy with getting the studio ready for this extravaganza and now the project itself. Enough excuses...

Well, it is now Day 8 of project that I am calling MMPLM (our initials) for short. As I write Steve is fixing his parts and a really cool shreddy bit in a song that sounds a bit like Muse meets Yngwie. Really cool and different for me. We have now recorded 11 songs of varying styles and lengths; from rockin' short songs to beautiful slow songs to proggy longer pieces.

I read that many of you are wondering about Casey. Wow. What a talent. His voice is so expressive and ....well, just beautiful and filled with emotion. He is also one of the best songwriters I've ever worked with, and plays really cool stuff as well.

It's been an amazing week...what a great bunch of guys! It's been fun and exhilarating musically and personally.

We all hope you enjoy this recording as much as we are enjoying making it.

May you be blessed,

Neal

Day #8

As the session began, we determined that as we only have 2 more day together, we should write one more song and then spend the rest of time reviewing everything and making any last changes needed...

We dive into what becomes the 11th and final song...a real barn-burner that is a true Steve Morse/Dave LaRue/Mike Portnoy shred-fest (Neal and Casey were pushing us to write something like this, and as the saying goes: "Be careful what you wish for"!)

Musically it's very Yngwie meets LTE but with a Muse-ish harmonic and melodic edge....I think this song is the last remaining "missing ingredient" to an album that is a very well balanced musical meal!

We then begin the process of listening down to all the songs one at a time and addressing any last changes we'd like to make to the arrangements, chord progressions, instrument orchestrations, vocal melodies, etc.

Tonight and tomorrow will have us finishing up this last stage with the songwriting and arranging, doing a photo session and some video interviews, kicking around band names and then wrapping up our time together....

I will then spend the rest of the week doing my proper drum tracks before leaving for NAMM on Friday morning....and as there wont be much to report with my drum tracking, this will be my last studio report....

It's been an amazing experience with amazing guys and amazing musicians....I cannot wait to see how the album continues to develop over the coming weeks and months and hopefully we will have more info for you all soon concerning its release.

Thanks for reading...and thanks for supporting me in all my musical (ad)ventures! You guys are my REAL fans and I know you are behind me and my decisions and that means the world to me...I will continue to raise the bar and work my ass off for you all!

Carpe Diem,
MP

Hey Mike see if you 'get' this one for a band name for the new project:

Martin Lane

Think about it...a ton of your music has been created around this name and this new chapter in your life post DT (for now) is where I truly think one of the best records you will ever do is being written.
Plus it has a British sort of ambience to it like Pink Floyd's name. Even kind of Beatle-ish (Abbey Lane).
Also its a name that could be prog....could be rock...could be alternative...could cover any type of music you do really.

I know I know...i'm wasting my time posting band name ideas...if i was in your shoes why would I want to let a fan name a project i'm working on...surely a band name idea will pop up during your writing sessions with those guys and when ever in the history of bands has a musician let a fan suggest anything and they use it? Prolly fucking never!!! and yes its prolly cuz the ideas always sucked hahaha!!!
Martin Lane sounds good to me but then again i'm biased cuz I came up with it...but then again I didn't come up with it...it's been right at the end of the driveway the whole time! I just happened to remember it cuz of all the good times I had there and the good time that's being had there right now!!!

Peace man...thanks for the updates and even bothering to post them...\m/


Actually, I LOVE this idea!!!
I will run it by the guys and see what they think....


MP