Jordan Rudess
Feeding the Wheel

Our globetrotting keyboardist releases his second solo album in October 2001.
It has been a grand career for the musician, now a core member of Dream Theater, filled with many successes and magnificent masterpieces created, even with other outstanding musicians.

After various collaborations in various side projects, contributions to numerous CDs, supergroups, and achievements with his own bands, Dixie Dregs and Dream Theater, Rudess arrives at the doorstep of the "solo musician" dimension. In truth, back in 1994 when he released his first album "Listen" at the start of his career, which earned him the title of "best talent in the 1994 Keyboard Magazine Readers Poll Keyboardist category," Jordan showcased his immense qualities.
But "Feeding The Wheel" is the result of experiences lived with people who truly understand what it means to play an instrument and who evoke emotions each time they produce a single, seemingly insignificant note.

The album indeed contains this so-called experience, which can be either negative or positive for the listener. This solo project features Terry Bozzio on drums, Billy Sheehan on bass, Steve Morse and the sublime John Petrucci on guitars, Mark Wood on violin, and Eugene Freisen on cello.
A real Dream Team, in short, capable of ranging from old-school progressive rock to jazz fusion, without neglecting progressive metal, which, to be honest, is felt less prominently and evidently compared to other similar works.
The keyboard turns are very structured and impactful, supported by a complete cohesion of the other instruments. Though always read instrumentally, the album reveals the so-called narcissism of the authors. Indeed, the technical aspect is the most polished part, always coinciding with a great sense of improvisation and a foreign imagination, creating unparalleled melodies.

In an attempt to "demonstrate" their skill in playing the instrument, they pay less attention to songwriting and try to surpass the "insurmountable," attempting to merge the various ideas brought by each individual musician.
Let's say they do not set a destination point and freely unleash their creativity in a way that is not entirely appropriate and compact. The songs lose their form a bit, yet they remain always beautiful and majestic in their lengthy wandering among exciting melodies and symphonies.

Now I am certainly not trying to belittle this great masterpiece, because let it be clear that THIS IS A MASTERPIECE, but I think it is fair to say that it might prove difficult to assimilate for an ear unaccustomed to instrumental outbursts of this kind. I repeat: it's a masterpiece technically and melodically speaking, but it is convoluted and somewhat complex.
A light sampling is recommended before acquiring it.