Jordan was recognized by his 2nd grade teacher as an exceptional piano player, and was immediately given professional tuition to enhance his prodigious talents. By the age of nine he entered the prestigious Julliard School of Music Pre-College Division for classical piano training, but by his late teens he had grown increasingly interested in synthesizers and progressive rock music. Against the advice and wishes of his parents and tutors, he decided to turn away from classical piano and try his hand as a solo prog rock keyboardist.
After performing in various projects during the 1980s, he gained national attention in 1994 when he was voted "Best New Talent" in the Keyboard Magazine readers' poll after the release of his Listen solo album.Two of the bands who took notice of the up and coming young star were Dixie Dregs and Dream Theater, both of whom invited him to join their respective bands. Jordan chose the Dregs primarily because being a part-time member of the band would have less of an impact on his young family, a choice he wasn't given with Dream Theater.
During his time with the Dregs, Jordan formed a so-called "power duo" with drummer Rod Morgenstein. The genesis of this pairing occurred when a power outage caused all of the Dregs' instruments to fail except Jordan's, so he and Rod improvised with each other until power was restored and the concert could continue. The chemistry between the two was so strong during this jam that they decided to perform together on a regular basis (under the name Rudess/Morgenstein Project or later RPM) and have since released a studio and a live record.
Jordan encountered Dream Theater once again when he and Morgenstein secured the support slot on one of Dream Theater's North American tours.
In 1997, when Mike Portnoy was asked to form a supergroup by Magna Carta Records, Jordan was chosen to fill the keyboardist spot in the band, which also consisted of Tony Levin and Mike's Dream Theater colleague John Petrucci. During the recording of Liquid Tension Experiment's two albums, it became evident to Mike and John that Jordan was precisely what Dream Theater needed. They asked Jordan to join the band, and when he accepted they released their then-keyboardist Derek Sherinian to make way for Jordan.
Jordan has been the full-time keyboardist in Dream Theater since the recording of 1999's Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes From a Memory. He has recorded 8 other studio albums since then; 2002's Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence, 2003's Train of Thought, 2005's Octavarium, 2007's Systematic Chaos, 2009's Black Clouds & Silver Linings, 2011's A Dramatic Turn of Events, 2013's Dream Theater, and 2016's The Astonishing. In addition, he has appeared on the live albums Live Scenes From New York, Live at Budokan, Score, Chaos in Motion, Live at Luna Park, and Breaking the Fourth Wall.
While most keyboard players in rock bands tend towards bringing numerous keyboards on stage, Rudess took full advantage of the possibilities offered by the Kurzweil K2600xs during his usage from the 1990's to 2004. Often sampling sounds from other keyboards, Rudess creates a series of setups, each of which maps different sounds to different layers and key ranges of the keyboard controller; these setups are then arranged in the order they will be required for a gig, and cycled through one at a time with a control pedal.
While Rudess' physical method of changing live setups will more than likely remain the same, his choice of hardware to implement this changed as of 2005. Citing a need for better tour support and more current technologies (his Kurzweil 2600's maximum sample memory of 128 MB had become insufficient for his touring needs) Rudess switched keyboard endorsements from Kurzweil to Korg's new flagship Korg Oasys workstation (which supports up to 1.5gb of sample memory [1]), which he uses on tour with Dream Theater along with a Receptor and a Haken Continuum triggering a Roland V-Synth and a Synthesizers.com Modular.
Studio Equipment
* Korg Oasys
* Haken Audio Continuum Fingerboard
* Muse Research Receptor
* Kurzweil K2600xs fully loaded 88 note weighted keyboard
* Kurzweil K2600 Rack modules
* Kurzweil K2000VP keyboard
* Kurzweil PC2 rack
* Minimoog
* Roland V-Synth
* Synthesizer.com Modular Synth
Virtual Instruments
* MOTU Mach 5
* MOTU MX4 Soft Synth
* Korg Legacy
* Spectrasonics Atmosphere
* Spectrasonics Trilogy
* Spectrasonics Stylus
* Native Instruments Komplete 2
* Native Instruments Absynth
* Native Instruments B4
* Native Instruments Guitar Rig
* Native Instruments FM7
* Native Instruments Pro 53
Live Rig
* Korg OASYS 88
* Freehand Systems Music Pad Pro
* Muse Receptor
* Synthesizers.com Custom Modular Synth
* Haken Continuum Fingerboard
* (2)Roland V-Synth XT
* Lap Steel Guitar
* Mackie 1604VLZ Pro Mixer
* APS Power backup
* Glyph and Iomega Hard drives
Discography
Solo albums
* Arrival (Cassette) (1988)
* Listen (CD) (1993)
* Secrets of the Muse (CD) (1997)
* Resonance (CD) (1999)
* Feeding the Wheel (CD) (2001)
* 4NYC (CD) (2002)
* Christmas Sky (CD) (2002)
* Rhythm of Time (CD) (2004)
* The Road Home (CD) (2007)
* Notes on a Dream (CD) (2009)
* All That Is Now (CD) (2013)
* Explorations (CD) (2014)
* The Unforgotten Path (CD) (2015)
With Dream Theater
* Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory (CD) (1999)
* Live Scenes from New York (DVD/3CD) (2001)
* Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence (2CD) (2002)
* Train of Thought (CD) (2003)
* Live at Budokan (2DVD/3CD) (2004)
* Octavarium (CD) (2005)
* Score (2DVD/3CD) (2006)
* Systematic Chaos (CD) (2007)
* Chaos in Motion (2DVD/3CD) (2008)
* Black Clouds & Silver Linings (CD; 3CD/DVD) (2009)
* A Dramatic Turn of Events (CD) (2011)
* Dream Theater (CD) (2013)
* Live at Luna Park (2DVD/3CD) (2013)
* Breaking the Fourth Wall (2DVD/3CD) (2014)
* The Astonishing (2CD) (2016)
Project Albums
* Rudess/Morgenstein Project (CD) (1997)
* An Evening with John Petrucci and Jordan Rudess (CD) (2001)
* Rudess/Morgenstein Project - The Official Bootleg (CD) (2001)
With Liquid Tension Experiment/Liquid Trio Experiment
* Liquid Tension Experiment (CD) (1998)
* Liquid Tension Experiment 2 (CD) (1999)
* Spontaneous Combustion (CD) (2007, as Liquid Trio Experiment)
* When the Keyboard Breaks: Live in Chicago (CD) (2009, as Liquid Trio Experiment 2)
* Liquid Tension Experiment Live 2008 (6CD/2DVD/BR) (2009)
Guest Appearance
* Vinnie Moore - Time Odyssey (1988)
* Noirin Ni Riain - Celtic Soul (1996)
* Explorers Club - Age Of Impact (1998)
* Rhonda Larson - Free as a bird (1999)
* Paul Winter and The Earth Band - Journey With The Sun (2000)
* Scott McGill - Addition by Subtraction (2001)
* Prefab Sprout - The Gunman And Other Stories (2001)
* David Bowie - Heathen (2002)
* Jupiter - Echo and Art (2003)
* Neal Morse - ? (2005)
* Daniel J - Losing Time (2005)
* Steven Wilson - Insurgentes (2008)
* Neil Zaza - When Gravity Fails (Not yet released)
Other
* Speedway Boulevard - Speedway Boulevard (CD) (1981)
* Steinway to Heaven - Chopin's "Revolutionary Etude (Op. 10, No. 12)" (1996)
Hollow Years
Jordan Rudess Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You hear about
Who leaves his family for
An easy out
They never saw the signs
He never said a word
He couldn't take another day
Bury me in the sand
Walk me across the water
And maybe you'll understand
Once the stone
You're crawling under
Is lifted off your shoulders
Once the cloud that's raining
Over your head disappears
The noise that you'll hear
Is the crashing down of hollow years
She's not the kind of girl
You hear about
She'll never want another
She'll never be without
She'll give you all the signs
She'll tell you everything
Then turn around and walk away
Carry me to the shoreline
Bury me in the sand
(Into the waves)
Walk me across the water
And maybe you'll understand
Once the stone
You're crawling under
(Once the stone)
Is lifted off your shoulders
Once the cloud that's raining
Over your head disappears
The noise that you'll hear
Is the crashing down of hollow years
Carry me to the shoreline
Bury me in the sand
(Into the waves)
Walk me across the water
And maybe you'll understand
Once the stone
You're crawling under
Is lifted off your shoulders
Once the cloud that's raining
Over your head disappears
The noise that you'll hear
Is the crashing down of hollow years
Once the stone
You're crawling under
Once the stone
You're crawling under
(The sound you'll hear,)
Once the stone
(the crashing)
You're crawling under
(down of hollow years)
Once the stone
You're crawling under
Once the stone
You're crawling under
Once the stone
You're crawling under
(The sound you'll hear, the crashing down of hollow years)
The lyrics of Jordan Rudess's song "Hollow Years" reflect the tragic consequences of a man leaving his family in search of an easy way out. The song starts with the description of the man as "just the kind of man you hear about" who abandons his family without any warning or explanation. The people around him never saw any signs of his dissatisfaction, which illustrates the danger of ignoring the subtle cues that something might be wrong in someone's life. The man is unable to cope with the stresses of life and chooses the easy path, leaving behind his loved ones to deal with the aftermath of his decision.
The song then transitions to a woman who is seemingly different from the man. She is described as not the kind of girl you hear about, and she is willing to communicate her feelings and intentions. However, she changes her mind without any explanation, which leads to confusion and frustration. The song ends with the chorus, where the metaphorical stone that represents the burdens we carry is lifted from the shoulders, and the cloud that represents our troubles disappears. The result is the crashing down of hollow years, which is the release from the negative energy that keeps us trapped.
Overall, "Hollow Years" is a thought-provoking song that highlights the importance of transparent communication, recognizing the signs of distress, and dealing with our problems before they become too overwhelming.
Line by Line Meaning
He's just the kind of man
You hear about
Who leaves his family for
An easy out
He is the type of man people talk about, who abandons his family for a quick and effortless solution.
They never saw the signs
He never said a word
He couldn't take another day
There were no indications to his family, nor did he share his struggles with them. He reached his breaking point.
Carry me to the shoreline
Bury me in the sand
Walk me across the water
And maybe you'll understand
He wants to escape from his current situation, and hopes that by taking him to the water's edge and across, someone will comprehend his perspective.
Once the stone
You're crawling under
Is lifted off your shoulders
Once the cloud that's raining
Over your head disappears
The noise that you'll hear
Is the crashing down of hollow years
When the weight holding you down is lifted and the metaphorical storm clearing, you'll be left with a deafening realization of the emptiness of wasted time.
She's not the kind of girl
You hear about
She'll never want another
She'll never be without
She is not the usual type, she will never look for someone else, and she will always be self-sufficient.
She'll give you all the signs
She'll tell you everything
Then turn around and walk away
She will communicate everything to you but still walk away in the end.
Once the stone
You're crawling under
Is lifted off your shoulders
Once the cloud that's raining
Over your head disappears
The noise that you'll hear
Is the crashing down of hollow years
When the weight holding you down is lifted and the metaphorical storm clearing, you'll be left with a deafening realization of the emptiness of wasted time.
Carry me to the shoreline
Bury me in the sand
(Into the waves)
Walk me across the water
And maybe you'll understand
He desires an escape, and hopes that by being transported to the shoreline and water, someone will understand him.
Once the stone
You're crawling under
(Once the stone)
Is lifted off your shoulders
Once the cloud that's raining
Over your head disappears
The noise that you'll hear
Is the crashing down of hollow years
When the weight holding you down is lifted and the metaphorical storm clearing, you'll be left with a deafening realization of the emptiness of wasted time.
Carry me to the shoreline
Bury me in the sand
(Into the waves)
Walk me across the water
And maybe you'll understand
He desires an escape, and hopes that by being transported to the shoreline and water, someone will understand him.
Once the stone
You're crawling under
Is lifted off your shoulders
Once the cloud that's raining
Over your head disappears
The noise that you'll hear
Is the crashing down of hollow years
When the weight holding you down is lifted and the metaphorical storm clearing, you'll be left with a deafening realization of the emptiness of wasted time.
Once the stone
You're crawling under
Once the stone
(The sound you'll hear,)
Once the stone
(the crashing)
You're crawling under
(down of hollow years)
The figurative weight you attempt to bear will inevitably become too much; when removed, it will leave the sound of wasted years crashing down on you.
Writer(s): John Petrucci Copyright: Ytse Jams Inc., WB Music Corp.
Contributed by Henry N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.