Liquid Tension Experiment 3 (2021)
Sometimes I want some good old fashioned rock and roll. Other times I want 2 hours of blistering, melodic, jazz-inspired progressive hard rock and metal featuring musicians that are so good they may be from another planet.
After more than two decades, Liquid Tension Experiment, featuring John Petrucci (Dream Theater - Guitar), Jordan Rudess (Dream Theater - Keyboards), Tony Levin (King Crimson - Bass), and Mike Portnoy (former Dream Theater and seemingly every other band that finds themselves in need of a drummer - Percussion), are back with a 2-disc set.
The first disc is all studio-recorded tracks. Disc 2 consists of all improvised jams by the band that really show off their skill as musicians.
5 Highlights
Beating the Odds: If a Steve Vai song and a Mannheim Steamroller song met at a bar, got drunk, and had a night of passion, this track would be the resulting baby. That analogy went places I hadn’t intended, but I’m not editing it. It's fun.
The Passage of Time: With so much of Dream Theater involved in this project, it's no surprise that we get a few riffs that harken back to that band. The Passage of Time is the best example of this, but LTE puts their own spin on it to the point where you are ok when James LaBrie's angelic vocals don't enter over the piano.
Rhapsody in Blue: I've had the privilege of seeing Rhapsody in Blue performed by a number of groups, and I've even had a chance to perform it myself a few times. It's one of my favorites and this take on it from LTE is fantastic. All the little parts and entrances that make the piece special are covered by the foursome.
Shades of Hope: The million notes a minute and odd time signatures found on most of the album take a little break on this one, which is essentially a beautiful, slow tempo melodic Petrucci guitar solo with Rudess's piano accompaniment. It's nice.
Solid Resolution Theory: This one's from the second disc. I'm still unclear on how you can "jam" for this long and create music that seems to have a beginning, middle, and end, taking you on a journey, building suspense, and everything else that every song on this album does - but particularly this one. Put this on in your headphones, sit back, and ...that's it. You don't need to do any more than that. It's great.
You can stream LTE3 on all your favorite devices. Or you could buy the CD or vinyl to get the best quality you can. That's what I did. It's too good not to.