On September 3rd, Eagle Rock Entertainment will release Live In Tokyo by Portnoy Sheehan MacAlpine Sherinian on DVD, Blu-ray, 2CD and digital audio and video formats.
Live In Tokyo was filmed/recorded on November 14th, 2012 at Zepp Tokyo. This 95-minute concert is the first release of material from the PSMS supergroup, and it showcases a wide range of instrumental performances from each of the members’ careers and collaborations. Wider fanbases of Dream Theater, Mr. Big and Black Country Communion will definitely stand up and take notice. Drummer Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater, The Winery Dogs), bassist Billy Sheehan (Talas, Mr. Big, David Lee Roth), guitarist Tony MacAlpine and keyboardist Derek Sherinian (Black Country Communion, Dream Theater) brought their collective strengths to Japan this past fall. The result was a 16-track deep cornucopia of the members’ individual highlights. The group unleashed a fierce storm of sonic musicianship on songs such as Shy Boy from Sheehan’s band Talas, MacAlpine’s The Stranger, Sherinian’s Apocalypse 1470 B.C. and Dream Theater’s A Change Of Seasons: The Crimson Sunrise. The DVD and Blu-ray also offer an exclusive peek at this production with a behind-the-scenes featurette.
Live In Tokyo track listing:
1. A Change Of Seasons: I The Crimson Sunrise (Dream Theater song)
2. Acid Rain (Liquid Tension Experiment song)
3. The Stranger (Tony MacAlpine song)
4. Stratus (Billy Cobham song)
5. Atlantis, Part 1: Apocalypse 1470 B.C. (Derek Sherinian song)
6. Tony MacAlpine Guitar Solo
7. Been Here Before (Derek Sherinian song)
8. Birds Of Prey (Billy’s Boogie)/Billy Sheehan solo
9. The Farandole (Talas song)
10. The Pump (Jeff Beck song)
11. Mike Portnoy Drum Intro
12. Nightmare Cinema (Derek Sherinian song)
13. Hell’s Kitchen (Dream Theater song)
14. Derek Sherinian Keyboard Solo
15. Lines In The Sand (Dream Theater song) (abridged)
16. Shy Boy (TALAS song) (Billy Sheehan on lead vocals)
Watch a performance clip of “Birds Of Prey (Billy’s Boogie)” from Live In Tokyo below.
13 Responses
What is there to say with music like this? I appreciate the time and energy and musicianship that goes into this type of music. Billy Sheehan sounds like a big Eddie Van Halen fan. The audience seems to like it. For the amount of effort that goes into playing like this, the results to me don’t justify the means.
I also think the word “Supergroup” is thrown around an awful lot lately. How is this a “supergroup?” Tony M. has made a name for himself among shredders, but he’s never been in any band that’s gained a name for themselves outside of that genre. He’s never had a hit in rock or pop. Billy Sheehan – same thing. He’s basically a bass “stud” for hire. The other guys were in Dream Theater – again, not exactly a household name, though they had some success. Not to sound like a crusty old man, but supergroups used to be formed from guys that all had major track records. This isn’t a Supergroup.
Agree completely. ASIA was a supergroup. Even the Damn Yankees was a supergroup. This is not a supergroup. I can understand someone appreciating this music, but its not for me. Again I agree completely on Sheehan. Albeit the impressive finger tapping move, its essentially the one move he’s got. Clearly he knows his scales and arpeggio’s – I get it. But can he write a melody or just play as fast as he can? Portnoy is a beast behind his kit and as technical as it gets. But I can only listen to it for so long, which is why I never could listen to an entire Dream Theater CD in one sitting without wanting to blow my brains out. McAlpine had one record (Edge of Insanity) way back in the day, and I bet most people don’t even know it exists. This feels more like 4 guys trying to show how good they are at their instruments instead of creating good music. For those of you who like it, I say enjoy. But I wonder if you really like the music, or if you are just appreciating the talent.
Yes, it reaks of four guys trying to impress with ego, I mean music. Hey guys: WE ALL KNOW YOU CAN PLAY. YOU ARE ONSTAGE – YOU SHOULD KNOW YOUR INSTRUMENT. NOW WRITE SOMETHING THAT WE’D WANT TO HEAR AGAIN AND THAT WILL STAND THE TEST OF TIME!
Cream was a super-group. Blind Faith was a super-group. Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young were a super group. HSAS was pretty damn close. Beck, Bogart and Appice were again – pretty damn close. No one’s saying it’s easy to write good stuff, but you gotta try. If you listen to Mahavishnu Orchestra, Return to Forever (pre- Al DiMeola,) Jean Luc Ponty (with or without Holdsworth) you’ll hear virtuosos create wonderful, adventureous music. And it’s damn technical too, but it’s music first and foremost. I give Tommy Bolin a lot of credit too – that guy could play his ass off but he never let his chops take over like these guys too. Jeff Beck with Jan Hammer also. There are plenty more.
And I agree – if you like this sort of thing, more power to you and enjoy. But for the other 99.9% of us, please keep trying. And it’s become very clear over the past twenty years, that it’s much easier to get monster chops (check out the children on YouTube) than it is to write great stuff that endures. The greats will get the last laugh. It was so hip for shredders to trash Clapton and Page back in the 1980s. Now things are back in perspective. Enjoy playing the clubs guys.
PMS…S
SS…MP
PSS…M
PS…MS
MS…PS
All bad. But at least when Portnoy quits(and he will) they can then call themselves MShe²…
For all the incredible musicianship these guys have, I bet they would all give their left nuts to be able to write a great song. All these chops sound fucking boring without a real song. I think I’ll go back to my Kansas albums to hear real songs.
BS is basically a for hire bassist. He shows off scales & tapping & EVH fingering. He’s basically in a group to show ego but people in the know see that no group exists with him cause there are no hooks,riffs,tunes,songs from him. These type of groups are a joke. Beck Bogart Appice/CSNY/Damn Yankees etc are real groups. I doubt BS makes anything playing clubs after roadie fees,carting,bus,hotel,food,wine, etc..
This is all fall out from Mike Varney and Shrapnel records. The guy singlehandedly put speed and flash over substance and taste with his “artists.” And most of them haven’t amounted to much. I read an interview with (I think it was) Greg Howe – He said Varney more of less told him to just show up in the studio and play a bunch of fast stuff and not worry about anything else. Just slap together a CD, cause all the audience cares about is fast guitar. Joe Satriani got rejected by Shrapnel! At least Joe tries to write decent tunes and play with a level of taste. Musicians used to have to prove themselves on the road or on the radio. Varney eliminated that unnecessary step and gave guys that spent most of their lives in their bedrooms practicing to metronomes record deals and notoriety.
Thank god I saw Zeppelin,The Who,Stones etc. in the mid 70’s…..this stuff is ego inflating crap like NS in Journey ’13.