So... Why no love for Jordan Rudess?

[Bitexion]

Well they're one of my favourite bands, so there you go.

[JayEm]

As has been mentioned, Rudess' bad rep stems from his being a shill for so many varied products. He's the shamwow guy of music gear.
I don't think I've ever heard a Dream Theatre song, I only know of them because of "Jordan Rudess of DT..."
Personally, I don't dislike him. h**l, I even bought one of his own products, morphWiz, for Android and then again for Windows.

And for those painting pictures of prog haters being angry because they can't, please stop. Music being subjective, its highly possible and probable to dislike overly technical "musicians" simply because you find it boring.

[meatballfulton]

I'm with Stab, he's become a joke for his endorsements.

As far as his playing, I've only bought one DT album ever and wasn't that interested...too much metal for me...but there's no question Jordan is a fine musician.

I don't think the prog angle has very much to do with the ridicule. I'll bet most folks on teh webz have never even heard DT.

[Jabberwalky]

Seems like a real synth lover (like lots of us)...I just don't like his style. Too many notes.

[Hybrid88]

...Music being subjective, its highly possible and probable to dislike overly technical "musicians" simply because you find it boring.

Exactly. And that's the point, the "fastest draw in the west" is a really lame way to appreciate music.

There's good technique but without telling a story and going somewhere it just fails to leave any kind of emotional impression. The better player doesn't always make the better musician.

I think this thread needs this..

[Bitexion]

Yeah I guess you can't win someone over to "your genre" by showing them videos of how fast some guitarist can play. Or how fast a keyboardist can play.

Of course is nothing to stop a fast player to tell a good story while playing aswell. Just listen to some of Wakeman's tracks from the 70s. Or listening to a good classical pianist play the Appassionata.

[gcoudert]

I respect him as a musician and I am somewhat envious of his technical abilities but I like catchy, melodic tunes and DT's music does not appeal to me for this reason, which I know is very subjective. Seems like a nice guy.

[Bitexion]

It's funny how what some people consider musical and melodic can sound as just shouting and screaming to someone else.

I was listening to a perfectly melodic metal band (Iced Earth) at work one day, and this girl came by and told me to shut off that horrible screaming racket (he was singing clean notes I swear).

Then she went off to her own office and listened to top 20 radio music.

Just like someone can really feel nice and relaxed listening to death metal, while another gets the same feeling only from rap music and thinks metal music is horrible.

It is quite off-topic, but maybe not afterall. It's always interested me.

[Jaytee]

Is it weird that I like him *because* of his product endorsements? I have only ever heard a couple Dream Theatre songs, not really my cup of tea, but it can be really hard to find recordings of talented musicians playing odd/alternative keyboards/controllers. Rudess' videos showcase what these instruments are actually capable of, instead of just showing off features, one by one.

[Bitexion]

Yeah like the Haaken Continuum, which is basically a fretless 3D keyboard

[Percivale]

I am neutral about this guy. I see him pop up endorsing all sorts of products. He's good at shredding on the keys I'd give him that!

[Cybercardinal]

Too many notes.

Classic!

[Broadwave]

Personally, I have nothing against the guy, or Dream Theater... It's just that I'm not into that kind of music.

I'd never heard of him before the Korg Kronos was released, then he appeared to be everywhere and promoting everything - to me, he just seems to have far more fingers than necessary

[Bitexion]

[youtube][/youtube]

It's like he can't just play notes, he HAS to make a scale out of it. But I think he's awesome, and so is Dream Theater.
Also, his fingers look like spiders.

With that kind of finger strength, he can probably grab straight through your ribcage and squash your heart.

[elsongs]

Rudess recently did a "keyboard challenge" in response to the over-done ALS ice-bucket challenge everyone and their mom has been doing this summer. That in itself isn't so bad other than that in his keyboard challenge he comes off like a total douchebag.

The difference between rock and prog-rock? In rock, you get the girls.