"Guitar for the Practicing Musician" - January 1994 
 
"Pull Me Under" 
Images And Words 
Dream Theater (ATCO/East-West) 
 
Christopher: This could be metal at any moment--I'm just warning everybody. 
Rogers: Either that or it could build up into a power ballad. 
C: I feel like we might have to excuse ourselves here for a second. We might 
   have to leave. 
R: This is one of those guitar sounds that when he hits a note, about a million  
   lights jump up on his guitar rig. 
C: Any minute now there is gonna be a squealy. 
R: Is this, like, Queensryche? 
C: If it is, let's turn it off right away because I hate that band. 
R: Hate it. This is the kind of music you listen to right when you start to get  
   your pubic hairs. 
C: I can't even be fair to this music, I hate it so bad. I can't even sit 
   through  one song. I know I'm not being fair but I think it is complete 
   garbage. That sort of guitar playing is just stupid. 
R: If I want to hear a metal band I really like old Black Sabbath and 
   Soundgarden, heavy bands with brains. If I were listening to an angry metal 
   band I would be  more into Rage Against the Machine or Sugar. I like that 
   Sugar record a lot, I like Sonic Youth a lot. That's heavy, guitar based 
   music that I listen to. 
C: Playing fast for the sake of fast is hideous. I hate that whole mentality of  
   sitting around playing scales and cock-rock crap. 
R: I heard some squealies. I don't really like that sound either. I'm not into  
   those guitar sounds. When I hear that stuff I get feeling squeamish. 
Guitar: That was Dream Theater. 
C: We'll remember not to buy that record. I bet they have really nice hair... 
   now I'm being mean. 
R: This is just our opinion. There's a lot of people that like Dream Theater and  
   that's fine. They get off on it--good for them. They'll probably hate us, 
   maybe they won't. 
C: They probably do because we sound like we're playing sloppy. But that's  
   alright, that's a different thing.  We're just coming from a different space. 
R: In no way do we condemn this sort of music. These people have a right to 
   exist. 
C: Just keep it the hell away from us. 
[on to the other songs.] 
 
To give you an idea how fucked-up Blind Melon are, they liked: 
Medicated Goo - Traffic 
Midnight Rider - Almond Brothers 
 
And they hated: 
Babe I'm Gonna Leave You - Sons of Mercury 
Omaha - Moby Grape 
Pull Me Under - Dream Theater 
Little Miss Can't Be Wrong - Spin Doctors 
Always With Me Always With You - Joe Satriani 
 
These following letters to the editor appeared in the February 1994 issue with 
Alex Lifeson of Rush on the cover!! 
 
"...I've had it! I'm sick of these stupid fucks writing that heavy metal is 
soulless, mindless bullshit..." 
 
"...If you have something to say about another type of music, keep it to 
yourself." 
 
And in March 1994: 
 
"Blind Lemon only wish they could compare to Queensryche and Dream Theater!" 
 
"...John Petrucci's technical skill and rapturous melodies are things of beauty, 
things that Christopher and Rogers hate because they can't create such things 
themselves..." 
 
And so on. 

Return to the Dream Theater FAQ