“For a band to work, you have to fall in line and realise what your part is”: Can’t hear John Myung’s bass in Dream Theater? He says it’s a “minor detail”
Dream Theater bassist John Myung has addressed criticism that his bass playing is often difficult to hear in the band's mix, dismissing it as a "minor detail" compared to the importance of serving the overall sound of the group. Known for keeping a low public profile and rarely giving interviews, Myung used the release of his supergroup The Jelly Jam's fourth album, Profit, in 2016 to reflect on his role within a band setting, contrasting his more prominent presence in the trio with his sometimes understated contribution to Dream Theater's dense progressive metal arrangements.
Myung explained that being part of a successful band requires musicians to subordinate individual recognition to the collective sound, saying that "for a band to work, you have to fall in line and realise what your part is." The Jelly Jam, formed with Ty Tabor of King's X and Rod Morgenstein of Winger and Dixie Dregs, gave Myung a different musical outlet as a three-piece, highlighting the contrast with Dream Theater's more layered, six-member sound where his bass parts can be less prominent in the final mix.
- John Myung says his quiet Dream Theater bass mix is a "minor detail"
- He prioritises band cohesion over individual instrumental prominence
- Comments made around The Jelly Jam's 2016 album Profit release