Queensryche Frontman Chucks Fan's Phone

[conversationpc]

Just out of curiosity, I counted the songwriting credits on each album up through and including HITNF...

Chris DeGarmo = 58
Eddie Jackson = 4
Scott Rockenfield = 6
Geoff Tate = 49
Michael Wilton = 29

Interestingly Wilton only had one writing on HITNF while DeGarmo had 13. That was the first QR album that really took a huge step backward, in my opinion. Lots of other QR fans thought that way about "Promised Land", on which Wilton co-wrote two tracks while DeGarmo penned nine. More fodder for the ship going down while DeGarmo was still on board argument.

[verslibre]

Wilton is responsible for some of the band's heaviest songs. Also, the deeper you dare to dig into the abyss that is QR (LOL), you start to notice that Geoff's songwriting credits range from legitimate all the way to downright superficial. A bank of fans contend that some Tate-DeGarmo collaborations amount to Chris writing the whole thing and Tate just singing the lyrics with "record" on. Tate has as many credits as he does because of OM:2, American Soldier and Dedicated To Cock.

Also note that the severely underrated "One and Only" on Empire is a DeGarmo-Wilton song, one of the few from the prime era that Geoff only sang on and had nothing to do with the composition or arranging (and probably lyrics).

[conversationpc]

Wilton is responsible for some of the band's heaviest songs.

I always kind of got the picture from listening to the styles of the two guitarists that Wilton was more the balls-out rocking, metal guitarist, while DeGarmo was the more melodic of the two. Nothing wrong with either style, mind you, but I think both styles meshed very well together in that band for those first half dozen albums.

Also note that the severely underrated "One and Only" on Empire is a DeGarmo-Wilton song, one of the few from the prime era that Geoff only sang on and had nothing to do with the composition or arranging (and probably lyrics).

I think every song on that "Empire" album is better than average to excellent. Even "Della Brown", while not a standard QR song per se, is a well-done track that doesn't seem to be too out of place on that album. While O:M is my favorite QR album, I've always felt that "Empire" is the album that I'd show someone as an example of the best mix of songwriting and rock musicianship as a craft. Just very well-written songs and instrumentated perfectly (if that's even a real word...LOL).

[jestor92]

The only QR albums I like are Mindcrime and their debut EP. The rest of the music does nothing for my ears.

Not even The Warning, their first LP? That record is mondo!

Yeah, I don't get how someone could like the EP and NOT like "The Warning".

I do like a couple songs off Warning, but the album as a whole doesn't really do much for me. Warning is a strong song, I like N M 156, and Deliverance is an OK song as well. I liked the EP because to my ears it had a bit of an old school Iron Maiden sound to it. I love Queen of the Reich.

[The_Noble_Cause]

Huge fan of Empire and Mindcrime. The production on the new album sounds pretty sharp. Not sure about the songs tho. And what's with the lame white boy rapping on Redemption? Is this Queensryche or Uncle Kracker?

[verslibre]

Wilton is responsible for some of the band's heaviest songs.

I always kind of got the picture from listening to the styles of the two guitarists that Wilton was more the balls-out rocking, metal guitarist, while DeGarmo was the more melodic of the two. Nothing wrong with either style, mind you, but I think both styles meshed very well together in that band for those first half dozen albums.

They complemented each other perfectly. DeGarmo did write "Queen Of The Reich" so he's no stranger to heaviness.

I think every song on that "Empire" album is better than average to excellent. Even "Della Brown", while not a standard QR song per se, is a well-done track that doesn't seem to be too out of place on that album. While O:M is my favorite QR album, I've always felt that "Empire" is the album that I'd show someone as an example of the best mix of songwriting and rock musicianship as a craft. Just very well-written songs and instrumentated perfectly (if that's even a real word...LOL).

Go for orchestrated, instead. LOL! The funny thing about Empire is that Peter Collins produced it (with Jim Barton still recording it) and I prefer the way the instruments sound on that album than on Hold Your Fire by Rush (too much reverb and the bass is too light). The same year (1990) saw the release of another of my favorite metal albums, Persistence Of Time by Anthrax, and like Empire, it also makes a great intro for a noob because it's *that* much less thrashy and featured their most melodic material yet.

[verslibre]

Huge fan of Empire and Mindcrime. The production on the new album sounds pretty sharp. Not sure about the songs tho. And what's with the lame white boy rapping on Redemption? Is this Queensryche or Uncle Kracker?

"Revolution Calling," "Speak," "Spreading The Disease," "The Needle Lies"...the heaviest songs came from Wilton, with both Chris and Mike composing "Anarchy-X."

Geoff Tate's been guilty of some pseudo-rapping, too. I know what you mean about those few lines on "Redemption," but they don't bother me. Think of them as angry shouts. At least Todd isn't going "Yeahhhh, boyeeee!! Tri-Ryche's in da house!!"

[verslibre]

[verslibre]

LMAO!

[verslibre]

[The_Noble_Cause]

Geoff Tate's been guilty of some pseudo-rapping, too. I know what you mean about those few lines on "Redemption," but they don't bother me. Think of them as angry shouts. At least Todd isn't going "Yeahhhh, boyeeee!! Tri-Ryche's in da house!!"

Yea, I know. What's the song on Dedicated to Chaos were he is singing about YouTube and downloads and trying oh-so-hard to sound hip? The band has been going through a personality crisis for awhile.

[verslibre]

Century Media has posted the third song from Queensryche, a VERY short jammer called "Fallout." Crank it! Check out Wilty's solo! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=saiLGixoyzw

[verslibre]

Geoff Tate's been guilty of some pseudo-rapping, too. I know what you mean about those few lines on "Redemption," but they don't bother me. Think of them as angry shouts. At least Todd isn't going "Yeahhhh, boyeeee!! Tri-Ryche's in da house!!"

Yea, I know. What's the song on Dedicated to Chaos were he is singing about YouTube and downloads and trying oh-so-hard to sound hip? The band has been going through a personality crisis for awhile.

Geez, I dunno...that album is such a travesty I burned it from my mind. It consists of songs that have no business being published under the QR mantle. It's a Tate solo album with more guitar on it by Kelly Gray than Michael or Parker. "Get Started," "Got It Bad," "LuvnU," "Big Noize"...utter shit. I mean, "LuvnU"? That's a song title on a QR album? And how about "Wot We Do"? "Wot"? Exactly. "I'm jumpin' on the dance floor / That's what it's for..." LMAO! Got your rhyming dictionary handy, Geoff?

[The_Noble_Cause]

Gotta admit, I have a soft spot for "Get It Started". It could very easily be a Spice Girls pop tune. Yes it's crap, but it's a catchy little number.

[verslibre]

Gotta admit, I have a soft spot for "Get It Started". It could very easily be a Spice Girls pop tune. Yes it's crap, but it's a catchy little number.

That's the problem with it.

[verslibre]

Just saw this on Blabbermouth. This is hysterical. All of these individuals were involved in making FU. I hope the checks Tater wrote to Rudy, Robert, Simon, Paul, Evan, Chris, Ty, K.K., Brad, Dave and Chris didn't bounce.

Queensrÿche with Geoff Tate[33]

Geoff Tate – lead vocals (on all tracks)
Kelly Gray – guitars (not on the album except for a solo)
Robert Sarzo – guitars (not on the album except for a solo)
Rudy Sarzo – bass (on tracks 1, 5, and 9)
Simon Wright – drums (on tracks 1 and 5)
Randy Gane – keyboards (on tracks 1, 5–6, and 8–10), bass (on track 10), orchestration (on track 14), answering machine message (on track 12)

Additional musicians[33][34]

Craig Locicero – rhythm guitars (on tracks 1–10)
Jason Slater – bass (on tracks 2–4, and 6–8), keyboards (on tracks 7–8)
Martín Irigoyen – all guitars, bass, and drums (on tracks 11–14)
Paul Bostaph – drums (on tracks 6–9)
Evan Bautista – drums (on tracks 2–4, and 10)

Guest appearances (in order of appearance)[4][33]

Kelly Gray – guitar solo (on track 1)
Jason Slater – theremin solo (on track 2)
Robert Sarzo – guitar solo (on track 3)
Chris Cannella – guitar solo (on track 4)
Ty Tabor – guitar solo (on tracks 5 and
K.K. Downing – guitar solo (on track 6)
Brad Gillis – guitar solo (on track 7)
Dave Meniketti – guitar solo (on track 9)
Chris Poland – guitar solo (on track 10)
Nina Noir - background vocals (on track 13), spoken word (on track 14)[35]
Emily Tate – background vocals (on track 14)
Miranda Tate – background vocals (on track 14)



Production (original version)

Jason Slater – recording, production, mixing[1][34]
Maor Appelbaum – mastering,[37] remastering[43]
Brian Perera – executive producer
Andy Dequara – recording
Anthony Clarkson – artwork, layout
Jeff Albright – publicity

Production (remixed version, in order of appearance)[3][6][28][42][43]

Anthony Focx – production (on track 1), remixing (on track 1)
Peter Amato – remixing (on tracks 2–5)
Jürgen Engler – remixing (on tracks 6, 11–14)
Chris Lietz – remixing (on tracks 6, 11–14)
Fred Coury – remixing (on track 7)
Glenn Fricker – remixing (on track
Voytek Kochanek – remixing (on track 9)
Jason Slater – remixing (on track 10)

[verslibre]

Queensryche is streaming the entire album online!

http://queensrycheofficial.com/surpriseevent

[Duncan]

That sounds pretty good to me. Great move to stream the whole album on their website, it shows confidence. Definite buy for me.

[conversationpc]

Queensryche is streaming the entire album online!

http://queensrycheofficial.com/surpriseevent

That's fairly unheard of...Of course, it's not a long album to begin with and actually harken back to the days when albums were usually 8-11 songs, 35-45 minutes, which I think is about right. I wish bands would release less material per album but release albums more often.

[G.I.Jim]

Really digging the stream so far! There's one song they already released (Redemption I think?) that I don't care for. Seems like there's another one I don't care for either. I'm really liking this though and it is HANDS DOWN better than that crap I just bought from Tate! Talk about a waste of money. I'm looking forward to hearing the actual cd of this. The production sounds pretty solid here!

[verslibre]

"Redemption" was the very first single and ironically it's the song I like the LEAST.

Crankin' album, of course. Buying the 2-disc spec. ed.

[G.I.Jim]

"Redemption" was the very first single and ironically it's the song I like the LEAST.

Crankin' album, of course. Buying the 2-disc spec. ed.

What's in the special edition? I haven't checked out buying it yet. I can't wait though. I'm liking this more and more as I listen to it!

[G.I.Jim]

BTW... I have to say... "Midnight Lullaby" is pretty disturbing!! Sounds like classic Ryche though!

[verslibre]

"Redemption" was the very first single and ironically it's the song I like the LEAST.

Crankin' album, of course. Buying the 2-disc spec. ed.

What's in the special edition? I haven't checked out buying it yet. I can't wait though. I'm liking this more and more as I listen to it!

Just some classic QR songs performed live, including "Queen Of The Reich" and "Empire." Todd nails those songs down, too.

[G.I.Jim]

"Redemption" was the very first single and ironically it's the song I like the LEAST.

Crankin' album, of course. Buying the 2-disc spec. ed.

What's in the special edition? I haven't checked out buying it yet. I can't wait though. I'm liking this more and more as I listen to it!

Just some classic QR songs performed live, including "Queen Of The Reich" and "Empire." Todd nails those songs down, too.

Sweet!!! I've seen clips on Youtube. I can't WAIT to get this album!!!

[The_Noble_Cause]

"Redemption" was the very first single and ironically it's the song I like the LEAST.

Crankin' album, of course. Buying the 2-disc spec. ed.

What's in the special edition? I haven't checked out buying it yet. I can't wait though. I'm liking this more and more as I listen to it!

Just some classic QR songs performed live, including "Queen Of The Reich" and "Empire." Todd nails those songs down, too.

Seems like Todd can barely nail his own songs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujMx0aS5ADs

[G.I.Jim]

OUCH!!! At least he sounds good in the studio!

[conversationpc]

Seems like Todd can barely nail his own songs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujMx0aS5ADs

I can't hear the vocals well enough on that video to really tell what he sounds like. It does look like he was having trouble with his in-ear monitors, so perhaps he could not hear himself that well.

[verslibre]

Seems like Todd can barely nail his own songs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujMx0aS5ADs

Already discussed at length on Anybody Listening. Todd's in-ear monitors took a shit at the Mexico City gig so he couldn't hear himself at times and his pitch went all over the place. Two days later they were in Texas, he had a good set of monitors and the band resumed crushing grooves.

Funny, the Mexico City crowd still loved 'em.

[verslibre]

Oh, yeah, I forgot to mention that at a very recent show, Geoff Tate's guys were all so out of time with each other in the opening bars of "Empire" that they STOPPED and restarted the song!!

I'm hoping some footage surfaces of that. Those guys are supposed to be pros.