As a musician, is it strictly necessary to blaze through every piece of music you play? Listening to Christmas music on Pandora and probably 2/3rds of tunes, particularly non-orchestral pieces, are at about 125% the speed they should be played. It doesn't make you a better player just because you can flail your fingers and/or lips at a ridiculous pace and remain on rhythm. Perhaps more technically competent, but if that was the goal, we'd only listen to sequenced music and no one would ever play it for real.
Yay for Trans-Siberian Orchestra and Mannheim Steamroller – two notable exceptions.  For the rest of you: slow down. Creating music is a gift. Enjoy it. We will too.
red house painters…
great great very slow and long songs. almost to a fault.
Trans-Siberian Orchestra…. like the line up they have….
I didn't know that a few Savatage alumni were playing with them.
;-)
And Alex Skolnick!!
Agreed. I've been a bass player for nearly 20 years most heavily influenced by my man Geddy from Rush and while I love technical style, I think going at breakneck speed 100% of the time shows a lack of creativity not to mention it gets boring quick (Dragonforce anyone?).
There are a few exceptions such as TSO as you mentioned, but I also think Dream Theater and Opeth are absolutely gifted at finding the right combinations/balance between speed, groove, and melody.
Anthony, I agree that Dream Theater and Opeth are certainly gifted… speed, groove, melody.. definate gift for composition.
Has anyone ever listed to Neal Morse's solo albums?
Like Testimony or "?"…
I really liked what he brought in Spock's Beard and I'm finding that some of his solo stuff is amazing…. can go from really soft to heavy prog…. then horns, latin grooves…
I think Neal has an amazing gift also.
There's $0.02 worth…
;-)
Or you can mix it up….
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXYjEMTQRm0&feature=related