original mp.com stickie
For Immediate Release
August 26th 2009
TRANSATLANTIC'S THE WHIRLWIND
Coming in October!!
TRANSATLANTIC - the Progressive Rock Supergroup featuring DREAM THEATER's Mike Portnoy, MARILLION's Pete Trewavas, THE FLOWER KINGS' Roine Stolt and Neal Morse (Ex-SPOCK'S BEARD) - will release their long-awaited third album in October 2009.
THE WHIRLWIND is a 77-minute piece of music that is sure to satisfy the band's legions of fans that have patiently waited almost the entire decade for the reunion of these 4 musicians.
THE WHIRLWIND will be available in two formats:
A Regular Edition Single CD of the entire 77 minute Epic as well as a 2-CD Special Edition containing a Bonus Disc with 8 newly recorded Studio Tracks.
(4 new Transatlantic compositions and 4 Cover Songs)
The Track Listing for the Special Edition is:
Disc One:
THE WHIRLWIND
Disc Two:
1. SPINNING
2. LENNY JOHNSON
3. FOR SUCH A TIME
4. LENDING A HAND
5. THE RETURN OF THE GIANT HOGWEED (Genesis)
6. A SALTY DOG (Procol Harum)
7. I NEED YOU (America / The Beatles)
8. SOUL SACRIFICE (Santana)
TRANSATLANTIC'S THE WHIRLWIND is currently scheduled for the following release dates:
October 23rd 2009: Germany, Austria, Switzerland
October 26th 2009: Europe
October 27th 2009: North America
This is what is going through my brain about this right now.
1) I failed to notice all the details there, and shot-myself-in-the-foot with a posting a bit ago on mp.com. Fine. But it's shit like that as to why I have no business continuing POSTING..specifically REPLIES on most forums. Passing news along is great, and pointing out observations, while can be worth doing, it seems far too many cases, I've thought I noticed something (or knew something, even offered a less than definitve fact about something..a band or something else), and I look totally foolish. D-I-S-C-P-L-I-N-E. I suck at it, I know.
2) There is not info there about an actual RECORD LABEL RELEASING it yet. It's great all the details and everything have come out, and a release date announcements; but I would think the most important thing in order to make this thing a reality would be HOW it will be released. I.e. via what label or means of distribution. Now the info posted on progressiveears.com says it was from
Radiant Records, Spock's Beard's label, which is a tiny, self-run label still. And the fact it was sent via a *newsletter* doesn't necessarily mean anything as for how or who will be involved in this record's actual release.
Insideout Music is as far as we know, still "insolvent" i.e. bankrupt from the last reports. Perhaps they've recovered enough of late, and will be giving the public (internet) word about their getting out of the red, and now able to move forward as a small independent record label specializing in progressive rock. But that hasn't happened.
Some names that crossed my mind
a) Racket Records, Marillion's label. Frankly, it's a better label than Radiant, and could probably reach more people.
b) Metal Blade. I don't love them, but if I recall, at least 1 of the editions of the 1st Transatlantic cds "SMPT:e" came out on this. Given they want to put it out, it's a bigger distributor than Radiant; and with the previous relationship, on the surface it would be as good as anything else that comes to mind. Spock's Beard was (or may still be) partially involved with them still.
c) self-release. The easiest digitally, but the hardest for hardcopies I imagine, and distribution. Perhaps a digital in October and hardcopies on another label in 2010?
d) RoadRunner..this would be biggest benefit on many levels. And they did just sign 3. Along with Dream Theater's success, I would think it would be a possibility. But given how late in the game they are, I'm not sure how feasible it'd be, nor if the suits over there have enough confidence in it.
more to add obviously, but with this in the 2009 calendar's index mix for new music; and Kevin Gilbert as well. 2009 is starting to comeback a bit. Way more to say about that, as it's been on my mind ..the whole bands-announcing-and-releasing their procrastinated timeframes for new albums in the late Summer/Fall, instead of earlier in the year process. It's a broken record, and expected. But with that, the lack of certain new albums to drop in 2009, while still not huge, is starting to look a little better. Quality/Classic potential?..that's a whole nother story.
Also to comment on the length. 1 song, 77mins. I'm not gonna judge it in any way, as similar to what I've posted about the upcoming 55minute Porcupine Tree song, a single song that long, while it sounds like it could be way too extended for no good reason, it has worked many times in music:
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Green Carnation's "Light of Day, Day of Darkness" 1 hour, 1 track. It never feels long to me. Its a quick 1-hour album listening experience to be honest.
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Fates Warning's "A Pleasant Shade of Gray" sure, it's 45minutes separated into 12 tracks, but it really is 1 song, that is never better heard unless it's from beginning to end.
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Dream Theater's "Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence" much like APSOG. They're *movements* NOT SONGS. 42minutes or whatever, and it hardly feels lengthly; more like a 45minute album that's a suite.
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Jethro Tull's "Thick as a Brick" even though it's separated into 2 parts, it's really 1 song, that is best heard all-at-once. Sure, the band played the main theme many times live separately, but the 40 some odd minutes hardly feel that long.
Granted, 45 or 40 minutes =/= 77 minutes. Nor does 60minutes = 77minutes. But if you play their epics back to back, there's isn't any filler to me really, so if it's 1 song, so be it. I mean certainly if you listen to a 77 minute track, and have to pause it in the middle or your power goes out and you have to restart, that would suck. So it would probably still be best for them to have movements and separate them into tracks. But I get how they are making it 1 77 minute song. If it's to work well, then I'll want to play the whole fucking thing everytime, all at once. How many epic, concept albums that clock-in near that amount, can the same thing be said about? Set Sail the Prairie, Act II (The Dear Hunter)..heck, even Tales From Topographic Oceans. I don't see how this will be any different.
Also, some other big stuff popped-up today, so I got a few more notes coming shortly...
