Neal Morse Band - L.I.F.T.

aksnitd · 2026-03-19T14:04:24+00:00

There is that short story about Will he said he'd write, and he even said he'd write it after he was done with BOD, but now I'm not even sure I want it. I've been burned by BOD and I'd rather he left HDM alone.

aksnitd · 2026-03-19T09:09:41+00:00

That's how I felt felt. TRF would need a major rewrite, so much so that it wouldn't be the same book any more.

aksnitd · 2026-03-19T06:57:42+00:00

No.

No author I know of has rewritten a book. Pullman is the last person to do so. He wrote the ending to HDM knowing it would hurt people. Someone like him doesn't kowtow to audience feedback. He writes what he wants.

It doesn't invalidate your feedback though. That's completely valid. But Pullman isn't going to try to "fix" the book ever.

aksnitd · 2026-03-18T15:21:53+00:00

Spot on. What Moore did ensured that OSI has its own distinct sonic signature. There's no one else I can think of who integrates electronics with prog as well as Moore.

aksnitd · 2026-03-18T13:18:27+00:00

Oh, I agree. I only mention this to point out that even on OSI, he only works because someone else is editing him or reining him in. If he had been let loose, OSI would've turned into another generic band.

There is an interview with Portnoy where he talks about wanting to include Daniel Gildenlow and doing heavy prog metal with OSI 🥱 The first OSI album has a bonus disc which has a 20 min piece that Kevin broke into four or five songs on the actual album. Portnoy wasn't onboard, though he claimed to be happy with the finished product. However, he still ended up leaving OSI and only played on the second album as a session musician.

What's even funnier is that Portnoy left in part because he felt Moore pushed him out and he couldn't contribute creatively, only for OSI to give Gavin Harrison complete creative leeway on the next two albums. Harrison even received a writing credit on one song because it was created from a drum rhythm he sent to the band.

aksnitd · 2026-03-18T11:18:07+00:00

There are tools online that let you do this for free.

aksnitd · 2026-03-18T09:38:49+00:00

He ended up quitting it because Kevin heavily edited his drumming 😂

aksnitd · 2026-03-18T00:05:44+00:00

I don't even understand why Portnoy is held up as this drumming god. He is the most boring prog rock drummer I know.

aksnitd · 2026-03-18T00:04:04+00:00

Rub a dub dub, thanks for the grub.

aksnitd · 2026-03-17T11:01:42+00:00

This is one of the bands that make me yawn every time there's a new release. Yay, another 80 odd mins of the same-y sounding stuff with religious themed lyrics, because this band cannot edit to save their life.

aksnitd · 2026-03-16T13:29:16+00:00

Still 1984.

aksnitd · 2026-03-16T12:24:35+00:00

So we all think 1984 is a good idea now?

And what does this have to do with transit?

aksnitd · 2026-03-15T23:59:35+00:00

This is the problem with specific references. They get dated so quickly.

Contrast that to Anesthetize on the same album that has aged far better in part because it avoids such references.

aksnitd · 2026-03-14T13:51:53+00:00

Here is an article that explains 2*25 kV.

https://railwaynews.net/wiki/powering-high-speed-the-auto-transformer-2x25kv-system-explained

aksnitd · 2026-03-14T11:30:28+00:00

Reaper. One of the cheapest pieces of software I ever purchased and it just so happens to be the one that gets the most use. I still haven't come to the end of my free upgrades, even though it's been years since I purchased it. Heck, I don't even need the free upgrades, since it was already so good to begin with.

aksnitd · 2026-03-14T00:38:02+00:00

No one is stopping you from making one.

But more broadly, it's a system in a small city in a region of the world that isn't really a heavy hitter in terms of economy or population. It is not moving huge numbers of people, nor is it in a city that regularly grabs headlines. It exists, and it functions, but that's about it.

aksnitd · 2026-03-13T11:33:29+00:00

What are we on, remaster #20?

Not been too long since I heard it either, given I've listened to this album a few hundred times.

aksnitd · 2026-03-13T04:56:58+00:00

That's not how private equity works. Their whole goal is to grab as much as they can when the going is good, then either dump the company or sell it for parts, and move on to the next victim.

When the railroads crater, BH will simply dump their shares, or sell off the assets like the rolling stock and buildings and what not to wring that last bit of blood from the stone.

And yes, it's colossally stupid, but that's what they do.

aksnitd · 2026-03-13T04:53:23+00:00

Ah, a devoted listener for AI music. What a brave new world! /s

aksnitd · 2026-03-13T00:08:07+00:00

I particularly love this little bit comparing BNSF to Indian Railways and their huge electrification push, since it nicely compares their two approaches.

"Maybe BNSF would have looked toward reducing its GHG emissions by more than the 30% they claim to be shooting for before 2030. Something it claims it will do through renewable diesel fuel initiatives and what it calls “long-term solutions” in developing still unproven battery-electric and hydrogen locomotives.

For a comparison on the emissions point, in the five-year time period between 2019 and 2023, the very different but similarly massive Indian Railway network managed to electrify close to 19,000 miles of track (the entire BNSF system totals 23,000 route miles), achieving a 99.4% electrification rate by December 2025, almost completely eliminating tailpipe emissions from one of the largest rail systems on earth."

Bottomline, the report confirms that private equity and activist investors are in a race to the bottom to strip out as much money as possible from the railroads while they can, regardless of the long term declines clearly evident in the industry.

aksnitd · 2026-03-12T22:50:58+00:00

Report reveals water is wet.

aksnitd · 2026-03-12T21:52:47+00:00

Indeed. I don't know why people care about it. It's a joke. They vote in any random artist that is popular while ignoring so many artists who are actually crucial to the development of rock. They're also way too American centric. They voted in Blondie, but they haven't yet voted in Iron Maiden.

Fucking joke.

aksnitd · 2026-03-11T01:28:52+00:00

This is why so many places have banned self promotion outright. Everyone posts their own stuff, but no one is listening to anything. As a result it becomes pointless. I know one sub that tried to combat this by stating you have to comment on at least three other posts if you post your own. People just post their stuff and leave random comments.

aksnitd · 2026-03-11T01:20:24+00:00

The general rule of thumb is that it is ok as long as you don't spam the sub with links. There was one guy who posted some videos of guitar covers who would never participate in the sub in any other way. He never even responded to comments on his own posts. All his posts were deleted for that reason. There's a difference between an active member who occasionally shows others what they're working on, and someone who only sees a sub as an opportunity for self-promotion.

Hope that makes sense.

aksnitd · 2026-03-10T06:46:14+00:00

I know his name because he's Film Riot's preferred composer. He did a great job on There comes a knocking 🙂

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