High Tension

Essential: a masterpiece of Progressive-Rock music
Since I am not selfish, I want to share this "High tension wires" LP from virtuoso guitarist Steve Morse (Dixie Dregs, The Dregs). If I could describe this work comes to me only one word: delicious.

La Monte Young - The Second Dream of the High-Tension Line Stepdown Transformer From the Four Dreams of China (1991) {Gramavision R2 79467}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 314 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 184 Mb
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© 1991 La Monte Young / Rhino / Gramavision | R2 79467
Classical / Modern Classical / Modern Composition / Experimental / Microtonal

The harmonic version of this piece was completed in 1963 and the current melodic version, played here by The Theatre of Eternal Music Brass Ensemble led by composer-performer Ben Neill, was created in 1984. Like Harry Partch, Ben Johnston and others, Young is known for basing his compositions on alternative tunings, especially "The Well-Tuned Piano" (1964-81), and "The Tortoise, His Dreams and Journeys" (1964-present). In this recorded realization, 8 trumpets with Harmon mutes provide an amazing recreation of the title's sonic experience as they play long sustained tones that beat against each other on four pitches in frequency ratios (of the complete quadrad 18/17/16/12) which "can be isolated in the harmonic structures of the sounds of power plants and telephone poles".

During the final years of the 20th century, then Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy founded an instrumental prog rock supergroup with guitarist/bandmate John Petrucci, keyboardist Jordan Rudess (then of Dixie Dregs), and King Crimson bassist/Chapman Stick master Tony Levin. They issued two highly acclaimed studio outings and toured through 2008. Apparently, the mandatory downtime imposed by the global COVID-19 pandemic provided the individuals with the necessary scheduling space to write and record together for the first time in 22 years. Socially distanced in a New York studio, the band composed and recorded LTE3 in July 2020…

In modern-day progressive rock, it seems as though there is a new supergroup every few weeks. But long before this was the norm, and before musicians were routinely involved in more than one band, there was Liquid Tension Experiment. Back in 1997, Mike Portnoy (Transatlantic, Sons of Apollo), John Petrucci (Dream Theater), Jordan Rudess (Dream Theater), and Tony Levin (King Crimson, Peter Gabriel), joined forces to create Liquid Tension Experiment. The foursome would release their iconic, self-titled debut album in 1998 and the dazzling follow-up, LTE2 in 1999, creating a dynamic, frantic, and inventive sound all their own. The incredible creativity between the collective would prompt Petrucci and Portnoy to invite Rudess to join Dream Theater, effectively marking the end of this side project…

A sort of instrumental prog-rock/prog-metal supergroup, Liquid Tension Experiment features Dream Theater's John Petrucci (guitar) and Mike Portnoy (drums), keyboardist Jordan Rudess (who has worked with the Dixie Dregs and has since joined Dream Theater), and bassist extraordinaire Tony Levin (King Crimson, Peter Gabriel, and many others).
The second LTE album doesn't contain anything quite as self-indulgent as its predecessor's chops-heavy half-hour jam session "Three Minute Warning"; the epic piece here, the 17-minute "When the Water Breaks," is much more composed and therefore focused (even if it's not what you'd call a tight listen). Elsewhere, the music blends Dream Theater-esque progressive metal (logically) and spontaneous interaction with mellower, more lushly textured pieces; the high level of musicianship is, of course, beyond question.