Liquid Tension Experiment's Three Minute Warning

Paradigm Shift is great, but like Acid Rain on the 2nd album, so many of the other songs are so much better, that it gets overlooked at times.  Really, every full band song on both LTE albums is nothing short of terrific, and even the songs involving only two or three members are all mostly very good as well. 

LTE2 is awesome. but it could have benefited by a reworking of the track order.  Having the beast that is When the Water Breaks in the middle of the album makes everything after it seem like overkill, which is a shame cause Chewbacca and Liquid Dreams are both terrific.  And ending the album with Hourglass, after all of those longer songs, makes it seem like a last minute throw-on.  

darkshade wrote: infandous wrote: I don't much care for 3 minute warning.  I much prefer LTE2 over the first one, but both have good tracks on them.  For me, I just can't stand Petrucci when he pretends to improvise.  I just get the sense it's not really his thing at all, and he's not very good at it (IMO).  His random bits of shred just seem out of place and almost never mesh with what the others are doing.  The rest of the guys do a decent job, but I prefer the shorter improv's on LTE2, especially because Petrucci overdubbed his parts later, which I think works better for him since he can plan out what he's going to do.  Again, no flaming, I'm just stating my opinion on it and I think aside from lack of improv skills, Petrucci is an amazing guitarist. Maybe in the studio, but have you listened to any of LTE's live albums? JP knows how to improvise.

Saw them live at Nearfest.  I guess if it's a shredding type improv, then yeah, he does fine.  If it's mellow or atmospheric in any way, then no, I don't agree  (this is true for DT stuff I've seen as well).  Again though, I'm not knocking on the guy......he's an incredible guitarist.

infandous wrote: I don't much care for 3 minute warning.  I much prefer LTE2 over the first one, but both have good tracks on them.  For me, I just can't stand Petrucci when he pretends to improvise.  I just get the sense it's not really his thing at all, and he's not very good at it (IMO).  His random bits of shred just seem out of place and almost never mesh with what the others are doing.  The rest of the guys do a decent job, but I prefer the shorter improv's on LTE2, especially because Petrucci overdubbed his parts later, which I think works better for him since he can plan out what he's going to do.  Again, no flaming, I'm just stating my opinion on it and I think aside from lack of improv skills, Petrucci is an amazing guitarist.

Maybe in the studio, but have you listened to any of LTE's live albums? JP knows how to improvise.

I don't much care for 3 minute warning.  I much prefer LTE2 over the first one, but both have good tracks on them.  For me, I just can't stand Petrucci when he pretends to improvise.  I just get the sense it's not really his thing at all, and he's not very good at it (IMO).  His random bits of shred just seem out of place and almost never mesh with what the others are doing.  The rest of the guys do a decent job, but I prefer the shorter improv's on LTE2, especially because Petrucci overdubbed his parts later, which I think works better for him since he can plan out what he's going to do.  Again, no flaming, I'm just stating my opinion on it and I think aside from lack of improv skills, Petrucci is an amazing guitarist.

I listened to LTE2 first and I think I'm more partial to that one (Chewbacca and Acid Rain are amazing, and I like the ballad songs from LTE2 better). However, Three Minute Warning has SO MUCH going for it.  It's a close call... Three Minute Morning is probably the best single recording from the LTEs.. but LTE2 is probably the best Album.

I like both albums very well and I really like TMW.....

darkshade wrote: Let it be known that Petrucci and Rudess are still on good terms with Portnoy, so the chances of another LTE reunion (and maybe a new album) are very high.

That would be a show worth seeing. Do you think Tony Levin would rejoin for it?

I'm also happy that Portnoy still has the DT bootleg site up.

I only have this first LTE album as dbl vinyl (nice package, for sure) and it's a knock-out beginning to end.  And Three Minute Warning is a full-on blast.  I really appreciate on-the-spot jamming/improv (the same way 'My Brother The Wind's debut was made up of instant jams) so it's right up my alley, and what these guys come up with is nothing short of amazing.  Levin always impresses. I never understood though what those extended super-fingers on Levin's hand are supposed to achieve (a more 'percussive' attack is all I can muster...)??

Let it be known that Petrucci and Rudess are still on good terms with Portnoy, so the chances of another LTE reunion (and maybe a new album) are very high.