from
Modern Drummer Presents Drum Nation Volume One,
released January 13, 2004
“Faceless Pastiche” - ROD MORGENSTEIN
Drums and Percussion - Rod Morgenstein
Keyboards - Jordan Rudess
Written by Rod Morgenstein
Even though musicians and bands often receive great reviews for concerts and recordings, it's funny how we tend to remember (and sometimes obsess on) the occasional 'knife in the back' remark. The very first negative review my band, the Dixie Dregs, ever received referred to our music as 'faceless pastiche'. This infamous remark, a phrase which I assume was intended to portray our music in a negative light as 'uncategorizingly all over the place', is, in fact, the inspiration for my song on this Magna Carta drummers recording. Fusion, by its very nature, involves a melting pot or 'fusing together' of different musical styles, in the hope of creating something new, special, different, and perhaps even uncategorizable. I am proud of the fact that this song dabbles in the realm of fusion, prog, and jazz, with some ethnic sounding drumming thrown in for good measure. So, if 'faceless pastiche' is what that SOB calls it, then 'Faceless Pastiche' it is! - Rod Morgenstein