Bass Magazine – Issue 4 2019

24 BASS MAGAZINE ; ISSUE 4 ; bassmagazine.com

a singer or two before releasing their 1989

debut under the Dream Theater moniker,

When Dream and Day Unite. Although he

played 4-string on the debut and a Spector

NS-2 4-string on the sophomore release Im-

ages and Words [1991, ATCO], John would

thereafter become synonymous with 6-string

basses, using them on all subsequent albums

and tours. He mostly employs a three-fin-

ger right-hand technique and often peppers

his bass lines with tasteful tapping passag-

es and colorful melodic and harmonic inter-

play. His tapping solo on “Metropolis—Part

I: The Miracle and the Sleeper” (Images and

Words) put him on the map as a virtuosic pi-

oneer in the bass community.

On Distance Over Time, Myung con-

tinues to explore the creative bounds of his

instrument. His intro motif on “S2N” is a

jacked-up musical nod to Steve Harris and

Iron Maiden (think “Innocent Exile” on ste-

roids), while his nuanced fretless approach

on “Out of Reach” reveals deeply connected

and accurately intonated melodic sensibil-

ities. And, of course, there’s the shredding.

Unison passages between guitar, bass,

drums, and keys on tunes like “Untethered

Angel” will boggle the mind and send most of

us straight back to the woodshed.

“This album just tells me that the best is

yet to come,” attests Myung. “It’s time to do

the best stuff that we’ve ever done. So, we’re

John Myung

Myung with
Jordan Rudess