Liquid Tension Experiment - Liquid Tension Experiment
Paradigm Shift
Osmosis
Kindred Spirits
The Stretch
Freedom Of Speech
Chris and Kevin's Excellent Adventure
State Of Grace
Universal Mind
Three Minute Warning
Label: Magna Carta
Year: 1998
Production: LTE
Total Playing Time: 73:55 m:s
Review date: August 1998
Mike Portnoy, on drums, gets together with Dream Theater buddy John Petrucci on guitar, Tony Levin from King Crimson on bass and Jordan Rudess on keyboards. I usually give instrumental albums a miss, but with both MP & JP from DT in the line-up, I decided to find out what they get up to in their 'spare time'.
The results of this particular experiment are pretty much as you'd expect - musicianship excellent (although I'm not qualified to comment) and music that is a mixture of DT and rock/jazz fusion. If you like the musical passages that frequent the longer DT tunes, then you at least stand a chance of liking this, if not then avoid it.
The band suggest on the back cover that the musically faint-hearted, impatient or critics of extreme self-indulgence should hit the stop button at after track 8, thus avoiding the 28:31 epic curiously called 3 Minute Warning. I'd go further and say if you fall into any of those categories, avoid the whole CD.
A quick track rundown goes something like this: Paradigm Shift is DT-like, Osmosis is a lilting atmospheric tune, Kindred Spirit is more DT rocking which calms down in the middle, The Stretch has a heavy funk influence, Freedom Of Speech is DT again, Chris & Kevin's Excellent Adventure is quirky (i.e. crap) & where they join The Scorpions by whistling, State Of Grace is stunningly beautiful piece of music, Universal Mind is more widdly-diddly music that is rescued by the keyboards, and 3 Minute Warning is a jam session that continued until they had to stop to let someone go to the toilet or something
You're either going to love it or dismiss it as self-indulgent rubbish. It all depends upon your view of progressive instrumental albums. I know I spent the money buying this, and that was more to do with my love of DT than anything else, but I'm surprised to find myself liking this. However, my final recommendation has got to be that this is one for very dedicated DT fans and insomniacs only.
Rating: 8
