John Myung, How art thou so great?

The_Ryst · #1 02-22-2005, 05:06 PM

John Myung is my number one favorite bassist right now. How can you deny him with that two hand tapping solo in Metropolis?

Virtuosity is obvious and great with this guy. I love him, and he's so modest about it, just like Satch.

adam on bass · #2 02-22-2005, 05:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The_Ryst

John Myung is my number one favorite bassist right now. How can you deny him with that two hand tapping solo in Metropolis?

Virtuosity is obvious and great with this guy. I love him, and he's so modest about it, just like Satch.

Have you seen that video he did a couple years ago? The solos in that aren't that great. I'd love to see him put out another one.

DiG · #3 02-22-2005, 05:29 PM

I used to love his stuff, now the more I listen to it it just seems to be fast guitar-like riffs palyed on bass. No phat beats

coming from him

SomecallmeTim · #4 02-22-2005, 05:29 PM

His solo in 'The Dance of Eternity' is also out of control. The first time I saw it on the 'Scenes From a Memory' DVD, my jaw pretty much dropped. Myung constantly impresses me, even when I grow tired with Dream Theater as a unit.

cassanova · #5 02-22-2005, 05:43 PM

I was watching Live At Budokan over the weekend with a friend. John's a phenominal player.

Here's this real monster of a player who can do solo's all night long should he choose. Most of the night he played intricate bass lines but never really solo'd and just played the supporting role all night long.

I really admired that about him.

The_Ryst · #6 02-22-2005, 06:33 PM

I learned a new technique from him. I normally strummed my doublestops or chords with a fingernail, but while he's walking the bass for a chord on the Budakon DVD he pops his fingers outward at teh same time.

SlavaF · #7 02-22-2005, 06:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The_Ryst

I learned a new technique from him. I normally strummed my doublestops or chords with a fingernail, but while he's walking the bass for a chord on the Budakon DVD he pops his fingers outward at teh same time.

Yeah I picked that up from him too, really cool technique!

Also, hearing "The Glass Prison" for the first time about 2 years ago completely blew me away. Before I heard of Dream Theater, Mark Hoppus was my bass idol...

Arikash · #8 02-22-2005, 08:09 PM

<3 Dream Theater so much, I should watch my Budokan DVD again.

Why is there no "Bass guitar with John Myung" on the second disc?

Ian Perge · #9 02-22-2005, 11:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Arikash

Why is there no "Bass guitar with John Myung" on the second disc?

Because he doesn't need the ego boost that Portnoy and Petrucci do, and bassists in general aren't the drooling fanboys that guitarists and drummers are. Emphasis on "drooling" for dummers.

As much as JM was an influence on my early/mid development as a bassist, I have to say I much prefer his playing on Dream Theater's earlier albums where he was playing much more interesting counterpoint lines to Petrucci as opposed to his "95% unison" mindframe now - compare the lines on "Only A Matter Of Time" and the "Ytsejam" section of the "Instrumedley" on Live At Budokan to see them with with his modern-day tone. Even given the sound quality and Charlie Dominici vocals on "When Dream and Day Unite", the lines on their are both killer from a technical as well as "conceptual" view, whereas in general on the Rudess-era albums it feels as he's very limited in what he can play, ala Jason Newsted. I wouldn't be surprised if that were the case, as it already is lyrically given that MP & JP have decreed that lyrics must be "submitted" in a certain format and therefore JM's more "poetic" lyrics can't be submitted to the band as is.

Personally, I could never be a part of such a stifling artistic environment, but then again I'm not making a "good amount" of money nor recording major-label albums at a steady pace and touring the world as Myung is, so I'm not quite in the same position to judge.

elros · #10 02-23-2005, 01:42 AM

JM rocks.

To me, his playing is as inspirational as the playing of Tony Levin. And that's saying a bit.
Plus he's apperaently quite a cool guy as well.
And Dream Theater is brilliant.

The_Ryst · #11 02-23-2005, 05:02 AM

I can't wait for their new album, but I'll have to watch the cam view of John Myung in instrumedly on Budakon instead

**Vorago** · #12 02-23-2005, 05:04 AM

No doubt a superb player, but, I'd like him something different then the guitarparts. Don't get me wrong, he has his moments of glory (mentioned above), but most of the time he is just doubling the guitarparts, while I'm absolutely sure that he could write some great countermelodies/basslines instead! Also, Petrucchi doubles his guitarparts when soloing (there is always rhythmguitar going when he solos, I hate bands who do that), so, why not play something different? Probably his ego is too small in comparison to Petrucchi and Portnoy..

Funkize you · #13 02-23-2005, 10:13 AM

Ehh... Im over dream theater, Not too impressive anymore IMHO, The only dist I REALLY liked was "Scenes from a memory: Pt. 2, Metropolis"

They arent the greatest song writers imho... I do enjoy a knight with John petrucci and Jordan rudess 'tho.

As far as progressive stuff goes, I've come to love "Pain of Salvation" MUCH better writters, they play more tastefully (Grammer?) and they play together MUCH better. You cant change a single note in there music without messing it all up...

But this is all subjective AND my personal Taste.

SomecallmeTim · #14 02-23-2005, 12:49 PM

I'm with you on Pain of Salvation being better than Dream Theater; PoS is becoming one of my favorite prog bands. Still, Myung is the man, and I have a feeling he might feel dominated by the rest of Dream Theater. He seems like a pretty shy guy anyway, and if they scoff at his lyrics, I wouldn't be surprised if they did the same for some of his basslines. Or maybe he just likes to double guitar parts...

VinceLovesF · #15 02-23-2005, 01:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The_Ryst

John Myung is my number one favorite bassist right now. How can you deny him with that two hand tapping solo in Metropolis?

Virtuosity is obvious and great with this guy. I love him, and he's so modest about it, just like Satch.

Everybody is free to think...

Personnaly, his technique don't touch my heart....Just my opinion...
But I respect your choice

Vince

mariner · #16 02-23-2005, 10:09 PM

I got to see Dream Theater live, twice, in very small venues. I was expecting much more from Myung in the form of soloing. This was after their 1st major release and he only solo'd during his scripted parts in the few songs he got to show off. The keyboard player had more solo time than John. Still two of the best shows I'd ever seen....

MacheteJames · #17 02-23-2005, 11:02 PM

I saw DT live last year. John Myung was completely inaudible. You couldn't pick him out of the mix... Portnoy's idiotically huge drum kit and Petrucci's scooped tone left him no space. Maybe it was the FOH guy's fault, who knows.

Rusty Chainsaw · #18 02-24-2005, 03:38 AM

I got hold of the Live At Budokan DVD, and it is very good from a muso's perspective, and I did enjoy John Myung's playing on it... I guess at least 75% of people who go to Dream Theater shows are musos, mostly there to see Petrucci or Portnoy, but from a standard "rock show" perspective, I wasn't impressed.

Kinda says something when the most "showbiz" people in your band are the drummer and the keyboard player (Jordan Rudess PWNS). James LaBrie's voice isn't on great form, and neither are his frontman chops, and Petrucci hardly moves anything other than his hands through the whole show, as does Myung. I don't recall them being that boring to watch when I saw them a couple of years back...

Maybe it's just how they play in Japan or something.

Russ

SlavaF · #19 02-24-2005, 04:31 PM

Well, if you're into a band like Dream Theater, chances are you don't go to their shows for theatrical value - hell, if I could go to a DT show, I'd be ecstatic no matter what their stage movements were like! Plus their awesome light show makes up for their stillness.

And another thing - when you play stuff as complex as DT's members do, moving around on the stage becomes pretty damn tough!

The_Ryst · #20 02-24-2005, 06:41 PM

It's hard to jump around when you're playing some of the most complicated music out there.