Search - Jordan Rudess :: Feeding the Wheel

Dazzling virtuosity _and_ good songs.

Lord Chimp | Monkey World | 12/09/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This album is crazy! And it's official: Jordan Rudess is the most original keyboard player out there. Bold statement? Yep, but he's doing fun, inventive things with his instrument that I've never heard from anyone else. Most keyboardists out there play some strings, pianos, organs, and leads. That's about it. Rudess, on the other hand, uses so many different keyboard patches it makes my head spin! Compare Rudess to any keyboard player out there and he'll probably blow them out of the water. This man is _good_.If you buy this album, what should you be expecting? That's a difficult question to answer...Feeding the Wheel is so musically diverse it can't be easily described. I'd say you can expect a bit of everything: prog, jazz, funk, techno, space rock, world music, classical, and probably more other styles than I even know exist. Guest musicians include the mighty John Petrucci (of course you know who he is, neuhrg), the excellent drummer Terry Bozzio, Steve Morse (awesome guitarist of the Dixie Dregs; plays some great solos on a few songs), and master bassist Billy Sheehan stops by to play some funk bass on "Crack the Meter."After a voice-only intro, the albums moves into "Quantum Soup," one of the most exciting instruments I've ever heard. The myriad influences come together very nicely, and the great jazz section in the middle is worth the price of the entire CD. The ending is purely majestic. On "Shifting Sands," Rudess' conquering leads, supported by beautiful string synths, carry the song in beautiful directions. "Dreaming in Titanium" (cool name for a song!) is full of quirky percussion, a classical piano solo, and funky riffs. "Ucan Icon" is nuts! Weird industrial techno sounds and bizarre prancing synth patches drives the song towards it's exciting finale, which is a frenzy of leads and others crazy sounds. The funk-driven "Crack the Meter" is pure ear-candy. The keyboard/guitar duels of Rudess and Morse are a delight to listen to. "Headspace" is the "ballad" of the album, with gentle, icy layers of synths and pretty piano lines with quiet percussion. A guy named Eugene Friesen plays cello on this song. "Revolving Door" is one of the album's most insanely eclectic pieces, featuring some beautiful pianos, sinister orchestral movements, crazy solos, and a brief rap interlude! The amazing thing is that it all comes together very well, and though the song is close to 9-minutes long, it goes by fast! "Interstices" four minutes of piano, with a number of different styles all mixed together without a visible seam. I think the review that said Feeding the Wheel felt like "one long keyboard solo" calls for a rebuttal. Everyone's entitled to either like or dislike the album, but I don't think that statement was accurate in any way. Jordan Rudess is a phenomenal player, and he doesn't hold back. But most importantly, he has written good songs on this album. The melodies are catchy, the songs are entertaining and quirky. Songs often contain a solo or two, and some might say that's "indulgent"...but don't most songs feature solos at their peak of intensity? Yes, of course. The soaring keyboard solos at the finale of "Quantum Soup" are very triumphant in tone and also melodic, so it's not just pointless "wanking." Does the album feel random and weird? No...I think it's just the CD moving to the next track. The individual tunes are each pretty unique, and songs flow logically and are very cohesive.Any progressive rocker keyboardist that buys this album will be blown away, I'm certain. Fans of Rudess and Liquid Tension Experiment should also be delighted."

Nothing Short Of Stunning!

TOL | Long Island, NY | 11/01/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Being a follower of Dream Theater from their Majesty days, I was extremely dissapointed when Kevin Moore left the band. Although Derek Sherinian was, and is, a very talented musician, his style just didn't seem to compliment the band. And then, in walked Jordan Rudess. With the release of "Scenes From A Memory", Jordan displayed technical mastery along with a unique sense of orchestral timing that truly brought out the best in the band. Once again, the keyboards added more than just fast licks, they added true melodic content. "Feeding The Wheel" takes that overall theme and multiplies it by 100. This album is absolutely fantastic! If you have any of Jordan's previous solo works, remove all comparisons. This album is unlike any other. The closest comparison that I can come up with is Rick Wakeman's "Six Wives of Henry the VIII", set in the year 2001. The songs are fresh, modern, melodic, emotion-driven, and interesting. Every passage has you in awe of Jordan's technical expertise, and in anticipation of the next theme. In short, if you like the truly stand-out keyboard interludes on "Scenes From A Memory", and also enjoyed the more melodic passages from Liquid Tension Experiment, then you will undoubtedly LOVE this album. If you are a rock keyboard player, this album is definitely a pre-requisite for your collection. But, the true beauty of this album is that, unlike so many prog rock works, it transcends musical mastery. Said another way, you don't have to appreciate the technical musicianship in order to enjoy this album. That, in and of itself, speaks volumes. So, for anyone who just loves great music, buy this album NOW!"

Progression in Progressive Rock

Sven B. Schreiber | Fürth (Bayern) | 02/10/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"We already knew that Jordan is a great keyboard virtuoso, judging from his work with Dixie Dregs and Dream Theater. We also knew that Jordan is a great composer, listening to his musical contributions to both Liquid Tension Experiment CDs. Now we know that he's no less than a genius... Wow, this man has such an immense sense of melody and harmony, he knows how to write polyphonic conterpoints, and he knows how to develop a musical theme without boring his audience. "Feeding The Wheel" is almost an instrumental album - almost, besides some interesting vocal effects and a weird and funny rap insert. The music is piano/synth prog with dense polyphonic arrangements that would have made Johann Sebastian Bach smile. Yet Jordan is not one of those prog keyboarders who simply come up with permutations of stuff already played by Keith Emerson, Rick Wakeman, Jon Lord, and other keyboard veterans. He adds a fresh individual element that makes his music stand out in the world of new prog. Actually, Jordan is one of my biggest hopes for REAL progression in Progressive Rock. Play on, Jordan!"