As I awoke this morning there is a familiar feeling that I have known since 1991…that today is the day of a new Dream Theater release. I have been a fan of this band for 20 years now. I have watched them grow musically, met and talked with the band members, traveled great distances to see concerts. Even my kids are Dream Theater fans and have been to concerts and met the guys in the band.
So today is another day in the my personal history with Dream Theater as well as a landmark event in the bands history..the release of their newest album A Dramatic Turn of Events. So this is my official Dream Theater A Dramatic Turn of Events Review. Enjoy!
Dream Theater A Dramatic Turn of Events Review – Overall
This album is definitely very different than anything you have heard from DT so far. For those of you who love the old school Dream Theater you are going to hear a bunch of that. For those that like the low tunings and hard driving metal…you are about to be in love. And for the musicians out there who can’t get enough progress of changes and time signature twists…you are in for a ride. This album has some of the strangest time changes and progressive changes of any DT album that has come before it. And there is plenty of hard-driving metal to blow your ears out…but at the same time the album has a very melodic feel. Definitely very different and I can honestly say that I love it.
DT fans need to understand that this is not Mike Portnoy. A different drummer brings a bit of a different feel to the music. But Mike Mangini shows that he is definitely the right choice for DT.The drumming is tight and fits like a glove.
Dream Theater A Dramatic Turn of Events Review – The Artwork
The artwork on the CD is amazing. I bought the Deluxe edition with the CD and A Spirit Carries on DVD. The front cover has a very Ronald McDonald-like character high in the air on a tight rope that is about to snap…and just under them is an airplane in the clouds that looks like if he falls it will catch him just in time.
The back cover has two bamboo poles coming up through the clouds with plates; saucers, spinning on each…of course it is only a matter of time before the saucers tumble. Knowing that Dream Theater is stationed in Long Island, New York and has a deep heart for New York City and the tragic events that happening on 9/11 it seems that it is maybe symbolizing what happened on 9/11. See how this album just released today, two days after the 10th anniversary of 9/11/2001.
Ironically, on 9/11/2001 Dream Theater released the live in New York CD which pictured the heart with the thorns around it with the World Trade Center buildings #1 and #2 in flames. Of course because of these tragic events Dream Theater immediately removed those CD’s from the shelves and eventually released the CD with new album art. Of course several were sold of which I owned 2 of them still sealed in the original packaging. You can usually find them on eBay at times running for about $100 each.
Dream Theater A Dramatic Turn of Events Review – The Songs
There are nine songs on this CD with a wide range of sounds and styles. Lets go through each one:
1. On The Back of Angels – This song is absolutely amazing. The intro to this song starts light and then progressively builds into a killer melodic driving rock. This song was the teaser release for the new album in which the song was released on the Road Runner Records Youtube channel on June 28th, 2001. You can listen to the song below:
2. Build Me Up, Break Me Down -If you like the sound of Linkin Part you will love the intro to this song. And in 22 seconds Petrucci hits it hard with an opening riff that is so kick ass you have to listen to it again. The chorus on this song is great. Sounds like this song was played on a baritone guitar. You will love this song!!
3. Lost Not Forgotten -Killer tune…don’t let the toned-piano playing from Jordan Rudess fool you on this song…because 43 seconds into this song the epic continues and it is a masterpiece. And Mike Manginis drumming on this song is tops. Will put a smile on our face as you are driving down the road. There is a feel of some old school DT in there as well as some new stuff…but 2 minutes into the song the time signature switches and guitar/keyboard unisons are nuts…then switches to this straight E5 driving rythme that will keep your head rocking. The entire song keeps you on your toes with time signature switches and tempo/key changes. Lots of fun!
4. This is the Life -This song starts out clean then kicks it in with a slow escalating rock rhythm that has a slight feel from On The Backs of Angels…then shoots into some slow piano and James Labrie…who also did a fabulous job on this album. Then some really cool guitar swells. This song has a major key sounding feel for a lot of it. Very positive feeling with some all new sounds from John Petrucci that I know you are going to enjoy.
5. Bridges in the Sky -This song is so cool. I find the very beginning a little weird. Jordan letting loose on his Morphwiz with a sound of a depp-throated ogre yelling out. Then some keyboard/choir-type vocals that sound like the fight scene from Star Wars Episode 1 where Obi-Wan was fighting Darth Mul. 1:37 into the song Petrucci starts kicking it hard with a baritone guitar backed up by Mangini’s drums driving drums. This song is probably one of the best on the album for those of you who want to crank it up and rock hard. This song has some really cool time changes that you are going to enjoy.
6. Outcry – Song is a slower driving rock style song with a slight feel of old and new DT all combined. Also has a spot with a little of the Linkin Park feel as well. Great song.
7. Far From Heaven – This song is Jordan, James and sounds like a cello and a few other strings. Very slow ballad.
8. Breaking All Illusions – Very cool unison opener. Not as heavy as some of the other. Has an old school Dream Theater sound all the way. DT fans will definitely love this tune.
9. Beneath the Surface – The final song on the album is a light son. Sounds like it is in E major. Petrucci, Labrie, some strings…eventually the rest of the gang jump in there. All round cool sound.
So there you have it. Overall I am very pleased with the album and I know you are going to love it. Be sure to check out my YouTube reviews on this album as well.
Progressive super band Dream Theater has just released a brand new song from their long awaited new album A Dramatic Turn of Events set to hit the stands September 13, 2011. The new song was released on Road Runner Records YouTube channel. This is the first song released with new drummer Mike Mangini.
Mike Mangini joined the band in September of 2010 when drummer Mike Portnoy decided to leave the band.
Click the youtube link below to listen to the brand new Dream Theater song On The Backs of Angels from the new album A Dramatic Turn of Events
The band is a tight as ever and I think you will really enjoy the new song.
Not all web hosting is created equal. I have people telling me all the time…no, more like bragging on how cheap they are paying for web hosting. But then when I look at their site, see how slow it runs or ask them questions about software they will need to add to their sites in order to grow their business they have no idea if will their current hosting provider work. So in this blog I am going to share with you how to choose the right web hosting package that is going to work for your business and give you my web hosting company along with a discount code that you can use right away.
Different types of web hosting
Virtual Web Hosting – Virtual web hosting is simple. The hosting company has a server and when you pay for a hosting plan you may be 1 in 1000+ sites on that server. If you have a site that is straight html, no databases and you are not planning on getting a ton of traffic to that site than a simple virtual hosting plan will work for you. Read below and get a special discount code to save big on virtual web hosting plans.
Virtual Dedicated Web Hosting – Virtual dedicated web hosting is similar to the virtual web hosting. It may be 1 server with 100 customers. But each customer could have a large number of sites as well. So it really is not going to be much different than virtual web hosting.
Dedicated Web Hosting – Dedicated web hosting is where you and only you have your content on your own server. You are not sharing your server with anyone. If you have a site you are planning on getting a ton of traffic to than you may want to go with a dedicated server. Especially if you have lots of Word Press sites. It would be well worth the money.
Choosing the right hosting company is a huge key to making sure your web site can handle what you are looking for. For instance, you always want a hosting company that will give you:
Unlimited Disk Space
Unlimited Bandwidth
Lighting Fast Technical Support
That is why I have chosen Host Gator as my hosting company of choice. I used to be with Godaddy but since 95% of my sites are build on Word Press, which is VERY heavy on databases, godaddy was WAY too slow and had customers complain on site loading speed. So I switched to Host Gator and my sites are lighting fast. They even offer you to move all of your sites to your web hosting account FOR FREE for the first 30 days which saved me a bundle of time and money.
So, go check out Host Gator right now. And you can enter a discount code that I worked out with Host Gator just for my blog readers. The discount code is X13GH32994HG.
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I am going to keep this post super short today. But this is a video that ALL men need to watch whether you are single or married on how to honor your wife.
If you are like me you have often found yourself just feeling absolutely overwhelmed. Trying to juggle everyday life can sometimes be like trying to climb up a greasy coconut tree…physically straining and mentally impossible. There are kids soccer games, getting everyone off to school, work, family time, the car breaks down so now you have to go take care of that. It seems to never end.
For me it was more like dealing with the massive number of business ideas that I was constantly working on. I have huge goals for my life and I am not just going to sit around and be what Zig Ziglar calls a “wondering generality.” I wanted to make life happen. I have things I want to do, places I want to see, things that I want to accomplish in my life. But it seemed like my “to do” list would never be DONE. And just when I thought that I was going to clear my plate even more projects would get stacked on top…. and the list continues. And with it comes the feeling of being overwhelmed.
So one day as I was particularly overwhelmed I looked at my to do list. 45 items that I needed to get done. 45? As I sat there staring at this elephant-sized list, to say that I was overwhelmed was an understatement. I sat there blankly staring at that list and said to myself, “do I really HAVE to do all of this?”, “crap, am I ever going to get all of this done?” “It’s so nice outside. Wouldn’t I rather just get on my motorcycle and enjoy my day?”
I realized that I did that often. I would often get frustrated and overwhelmed by everything I had to do for the day and I would emotionally bail out. I would often take a very long motorcycle ride. And “hey, I have been meaning to see that movie.” You see what I am saying. It was easier to just say procrastinate because it felt like it was too much to handle.
Look at your own life. Are there times when you feel so overwhelmed that you just throw in the towel and “bail” for the day? If you do then its time to get your life back.
I took a good hard look at my life and what I was doing with it and realized that I was doing way too much bitching by asking myself the wrong questions. The questions that I was asking myself such as “how come I never seem to get everything done” are the wrong ones. So I decided to ask a different question:
What is it that I really want?
I had no idea that asking myself that simple question would completely change how I do everything in my life. The question was <b>”What is it that I really want?</b>” Pretty simple question. But have you ever just stopped and looked at your life and asked that simple question. Do it now. <b>Ask yourself, “(your name here), what is it that you really want?”</b>
Sometimes the “busy” things that we keep doing to be “productive” are really not helping us get where we ultimately want to be. And how do you know where you really want to be if you have not asked yourself that simple but life-changing question.
Most of what was on my list where projects that were revolved around managing employees, making sure a website was built right, technical things on a website I was working on. It was all management, management, management. The reality is that I suck at management. I knew that. There was no use in denying that. I had already read the amazing book by Michael Gerber The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It. I am not a manager. Never was and never will be. I am the entrepreneur; the creative mind that takes an idea and turns it into a machine. I am supposed to get other people, the managers, to deal with that daily stuff. So if that was the case then why in the heck was I spending all of my time “managing” when my strong suit is in creating?
As I sat there frustrated I crumpled up my list and threw it across the room. “What is it that I really want?” “What is it that I wanted to be, do and have in my life?” So I took a walk. There is nothing like a good walk to ponder on your life and get some perspective. I already knew what I wanted. I just needed to spend the next hour solidifying in my head what I wanted. I knew that to live the life that I wanted and to have the freedom that I wanted that I would need to make $40,000 a month. That’s all I wanted. Make a decent income, be able to have the time freedom to be home with the kids, work out, go to the park to read and pray, spend time with my wife, be at kids soccer games. I wanted to have a life. And $40,000 a month would get me there.
The human mind is absolutely amazing. When you start asking yourself the right questions your brain will start coming up with ways to give you the answers. And that is how you should look at every area of your life. “How can I improve my marriage?” “How can I spend more time with my family?” “How can I double my income in the next 6 months?” Empowering questions. Questions that will get your wheels turning to come up with the answers. Got it? Good
So back to my story. Overwhelmed, 45 items, is this what I want, crumpled list, took a walk. Right? On that day that I was looking at my list I felt a particular level of angst…so I bailed. I went to see a movie..ON my motorcycle, had lunch at my favorite Chinese restaurant. Ahhhh…life felt good. After I walked out of the movie theater I ventured into the book store looking to see what I could dig up. I needed answers and I needed them fast!
While strolling through the book aisles I came across this book with a palm tree on it that read, The 4-Hour Workweek. I picked up the book, took a seat and started skimming through the book. This guy went through the same thing I did. Owned a business, working 80 hours a week, gets “overwhelmed”, takes off to Europe for 6 months to emotionally bail (rather than going to the movies) and comes back to a business that is stronger and making more money than ever before. I told myself “THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT I WANT!!” So I bought the book and read as Tim Ferris took me step-by-step on how to get my life back. It was amazing. He showed me how to simplify, how to outsource my life and start living.
Here are some steps you need to take to get your life back.
Ask yourself, “What is that I really want?”
Make a massive game plan to get what you want that will include cutting things out of your life that really do not matter
TAKE ACTION!!
It’s really that simple. OK, there is much more to it than that but to keep this blog down to less than a book that I could send to my publisher, you need to start with getting the book The 4-Hour Workweek.
There is a great article I just saw by Michelle MacPhearson who just released a very interesting video on how social media’s possible affect on SEO. Take a look
This post may be a little different than most. As most of my posts are focused on affiliate marketing training videos or “how to” tutorials sometimes I need to post something a little deeper from the soul.
As I reflect on my life, my business, my family…I often look myself in the mirror to take a deep look at “why” I am doing all of this. Working hard on building a business, training others…I have to look at myself and make sure that my heart is always in check. It can be so easy to focus on having a better life for your family that you forget the underlying reasons why you are working so hard. Don’t get me wrong, wanting a better life, more freedom, the trips, nice house…all of that are worthwhile and you are meant to stand up and break out of the glass prison of mediocrity and make something of yourself. But the drive for “stuff” and “the better life” can very easily become your focus to the point of damaging all that you care for.
I realize in my life that God has given me a purpose of creating wealth and helping others to do the same. I have been rich, broke, rich, and broke again. I have had the 6,300 square foot house, with 7 vehicles, vacation homes, travel. I have lived the wealthy lifestyle. And I can tell you that it was the most miserable time of my life. Not that wealth creates misery. But that my “drive” for wealth and WHY I felt I needed to be wealthy were off track.
So sometimes we need to refocus our “why” and keep driving forward with a correct perspective. So I am going to share with you a few truths that I have found in my life.
1. Money does NOT create Happiness
I came to a realization at one point in my life that I was driving so hard to get rich because I was really trying to impress the “Jones’s.” You know what I am talking about. Those neighbors you are trying to impress that you really never talk to. I have found that most people are driven by the need to feel like they have what it takes. That they are somebody. The mentality becomes “see, look what I have done with my life. Look at what I have achieved.” The reality is that even though achieving financial success is wonderful and definitely worth a pat on the back, REAL accomplishment comes from your heart. When you are content with the little things in life such as walks in the park just between you and God, watching the face of your child as they open a present for Christmas, watching your wife melt as you look into her eyes when you tell her you love her, taking the time to talk with someone who lives on the street and tell them that they matter. What I have learned is that money will only amplify what is truly in your heart. If there is selfishness there all you are going to do is buy stuff. If your heart is in helping others that money will be used to make a serious impact on the world. Which takes me to life lesson #2…
2. Your Gifts are NOT Your Own
Every one of us has gifts; things that we are really good at. If you are reading this you may have a gift of creating wealth, or at least the desire to. The reality is that your dreams of becoming wealthy are not meant for you to buy the next exotic sports car, though there is nothing wrong with that. You have been giving the gifts that you have to help other people. I want to challenge you today to look at the gifts and talents that you have and find a way to start making a difference in the lives of others. You will quickly find that a new spark and purpose will permeate your life.
3. Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff
On a daily basis we are bombarded with people who do or say things to us that really upset us. One of the greatest gifts we have is the ability to choose to forgive others. Its the little stuff in a marriage if you let it build up that will destroy it. Its the little stuff in a business built up that will destroy it as well. The key to living a happy life…DON’T SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF!!
We have the responsibility and we need to make the daily choice to let things go, to forgive, and to choose the battles we are going to fight. Choosing to let go of wrongs from others is a real sign of maturity.
I remember years ago I sold a business to a partner of mine. I pretty much built the entire business single-handed. I sold out for what would have been about $1,000,o00 over a period of years. I was young, naive, and had never done a deal that big. So I rushed and signed the agreement….without having an attorney look at it. Ultimately I got around $50,000 and never got the rest. That really ticked me off. But what upset me the most was that I trusted this person and actually considered them a friend. So for several years I would awake in the middle of the night and just pace the house all night, burning with anger. I would often have heart palpitations because of the stress. I was angry all the time. And guess how I was doing financially..I was broke for those 2 years. Why? Because MY CHOICE to hold on to bitterness held ME back. Not the ex-business partner…ME. And when I finally let go and forgot the past and starting moving toward the future, things exploded again.
Choose today to let things go and move forward to a bright and hope-filled future rather than to hang on to wrongs of others or to allow them to irritate us. It will only hold you back from becoming everything you were destined to be.
Now, my friends…go out and do like wise and LIVE ON PURPOSE!!
About Gregory Schneider
Gregory has been an online marketer since 1997. He has had done online sales of over $500MM between his own Internet companies and clients he has consulted. This blog was created to take his 15 years of Internet marketing experience and share with the general public in order to give the average person out there a fighting chance in the Internet marketing world.
I looked at my to do list. 45 items that I needed to get done. 45? As I sat there staring at this elephant-sized list, to say that I was overwhelmed was an understatement. I sat there blankly staring at that list and said to myself, “do I really HAVE to do all of this?”, “crap, am I ever going to get all of this done?” “It’s so nice outside. Wouldn’t I rather just get on my motorcycle and enjoy my day?”
. I am not a manager. Never was and never will be. I am the entrepreneur; the creative mind that takes an idea and turns it into a machine. I am supposed to get other people, the managers, to deal with that daily stuff. So if that was the case then why in the heck was I spending all of my time “managing” when my strong suit is in creating?
. I picked up the book, took a seat and started skimming through the book. This guy went through the same thing I did. Owned a business, working 80 hours a week, gets “overwhelmed”, takes off to Europe for 6 months to emotionally bail (rather than going to the movies) and comes back to a business that is stronger and making more money than ever before. I told myself “THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT I WANT!!” So I bought the book and read as 
Gregory has been an online marketer since 1997. He has had done online sales of over $500MM between his own Internet companies and clients he has consulted. This blog was created to take his 15 years of Internet marketing experience and share with the general public in order to give the average person out there a fighting chance in the Internet marketing world.
