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MIKE PORTNOY: Prime Cuts

Release

Style

An average pop band consists of a number of ‘musicians’ who often are controlled by a clever producer and do not mean that much on their own. A rock band consist of several musicians and a singer and each nicely plays their part. Then there is progressive rock, where the concept ‘band’ often does not really apply, as in many bands is happens to be a bunch of multi instrumentalists that play together under one name and have several project besides that.

In this situation it is not simply a drummer that nicely hits his part and just beats the rhythm in the song. No, all musicians showcase within a song their talents, fortunately as a coherent band and not as loose ego’s who all want the lead.

That brings us to the drummer in question: Mike Portnoy. Mentioning he is the drummer of Dream Theater is, was fitting for ten years ago, but not now. Transatlantic, O.S.I., Liquid Tension Experiment, Neal Morse are but a few names of the artists and projects Portnoy played an important role in, and still plays in. In the case of the Magna Carta release Prime Cuts, we will leave Dream Theater out of the picture and focus on “Mike Portnoy’s Magna Carta Sessions”, or the songs he released on this label.

The nine songs on the album are for the larger part from the Liquid Tension Experiment, and from a few tribute projects, for ELP and Rush. The opening song might be the least known on the album: ‘Mad March’ fom Andy West with Rama. This Andy West (bassist and co-founder of The Dixie Dregs) wanted to replicate the principle of jazz musicians, that being, getting together to play, without rehearsing in advance, and this is a prog rock setting. Mad March contains a nice counter-rhythm, but as a whole it sounds fairly the same and does not offer much variation. I find this the least interesting song on the album. Despite that, the drumparts by Portnoy are OK, but can’t save the song.

Portnoy in the shoes, or better said, chair of Carl Palmer, that is ‘Endless Enigma’, of the  ELP tribute album Encores, Legends & Paradoxes. This is one of the better songs on the album, where, of course, the instrumental break stands out, as Portnoy can really go loose there. Two songs from Working Man, a tribute to Rush: ‘Working Man’, with Sebastian Bach on vocals and ‘By-Tor and the Snow Dog’. The first one sounds nice, with good drums. Portnoy once again on the chair of a drum icon: Neal Peart, but this is definitly entrusted to him I prefer the second track, as Portnoy get’s lot’s of space there, plays great together with guitarist Jake E Lee and has an amazing drum solo.

Then there is left the Liquid Tension material,  where ‘Chris & Kevin’s Excellent Adventure’ stands out like a giant in a crowd, because of …of course, the drums. Hier in sort of duet with Tony Levin on bas. I am not very familiar with Liquid Tension, but it all sounds really good. Lot’s of variation in the music and solid play by Portnoy. These songs alon justify the purchase of this album.

Well, how then do you judge this kind of an album? It is about Portnoy, but there are the songs that he, in some cases, just played on. Still it is evident he is a real superdrummer, because whatever material he plays, his parts sound tight and powerful.

Put this next to his work with O.S.I, Transatlantic and of course, Dream Theater and the end conclusion may be clear: Mike Portnoy is de best drummer that walks around! Prime Cuts may not be that special as an album, as a whole, it is still good to listen to.

Musicians

Mike Portnoy
Sebastian Bach
Geoff Downes
Trent Gardner
Mike Keneally
James LaBrie
Jake E. Lee
Tony Levin
John Petrucci
Jordan Rudess
Billy Sheehan
Andy West

Mike Portnoy - Prime Cuts (2005)
Dream Theater – Octavarium (2005)
Mike Portnoy – Live at the Budokan (DVD, 2004)
Dream Theater – Live at the Budokan (2004)
Neal Morse – One (2004)
Dream Theater – Train of Thought (2003)
John Arch – Twist of Fate (2003)
O.S.I. – Office of Strategic Influence (2003)
Yellow Matter Custard – One Night in New York City (2003)
Neal Morse – Testimony (2003)
Transatlantic – Live in Europe (2003)
Andy West with Rama – Rama 1 (2002)
Liquid Tension Experiment - Liquid Tension Experiment 2 (1999)
Liquid Tension Experiment - Liquid Tension Experiment (1998)
Various Artists – Working Man (Rush Tribute, 1996)
Dream Theater – Awake (1994)

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Last updated: 26/07/2005 .
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