02-14-2015, 09:00 AM
I actually work with many of those "disgruntled" members all year long.( And not all of them are even remotely disgruntled). They seem like very honest people to me. Consistently, they all state the same thing. It was absolutely forbidden to go off script, they loved the early days when the band actually connected with the fans, the massive light show ( which in most cases only presented them lit from behind) became the main focus of the production, no original music ideas have developed in many, many years....only the production changed. If it wasn't about the lights, it was about the hair or looks. Their view is that the band lost its edge.
I can only imagine how hard it is to leave a band performing at TSO's level. But quite frankly, despite the financial impact, I think Paul did them a favor in letting them go. Now they have become legends. Mythical creatures only spoken of with hushed voices :-) Things can happen in any job that can cause a person to no longer be of perceived value. It happens all the time. And sure, all the new people that have come to find TSO since those days, don't know or care who they are. But in the end...so what? As individuals, they know what they did. They built Paul's railroad. They reached for the stars....and grabbed some for what it is worth.For the soul of any man, that should be enough. The joy is in the journey.
I was never a member of TSO, I am not even a hardcore fan any longer, so I have no axe to grind. The fact is that I was offered 8 free tickets to see them this year, and passed on the opportunity. While I know this is a very controversial statement to make here, quite frankly I don't find the shows that interesting anymore.. It is too plodding and too plastic for me.
Don't bother responding to this note or attacking me. It is just my opinion. I am not going to argue about it. I just know the people... the ex-members, that get bashed over and over again. And I am glad to call them brothers. I would share a foxhole with any of them.
I can only imagine how hard it is to leave a band performing at TSO's level. But quite frankly, despite the financial impact, I think Paul did them a favor in letting them go. Now they have become legends. Mythical creatures only spoken of with hushed voices :-) Things can happen in any job that can cause a person to no longer be of perceived value. It happens all the time. And sure, all the new people that have come to find TSO since those days, don't know or care who they are. But in the end...so what? As individuals, they know what they did. They built Paul's railroad. They reached for the stars....and grabbed some for what it is worth.For the soul of any man, that should be enough. The joy is in the journey.
I was never a member of TSO, I am not even a hardcore fan any longer, so I have no axe to grind. The fact is that I was offered 8 free tickets to see them this year, and passed on the opportunity. While I know this is a very controversial statement to make here, quite frankly I don't find the shows that interesting anymore.. It is too plodding and too plastic for me.
Don't bother responding to this note or attacking me. It is just my opinion. I am not going to argue about it. I just know the people... the ex-members, that get bashed over and over again. And I am glad to call them brothers. I would share a foxhole with any of them.