Savatage

[Buelinator]

This one hits hard.  He wrote & produced so many great albums - an absolute visionary... not to mention an incredible human being.  Prayers to the entire Sava/Trans family.

[ted262]

If there was ever any question about the huge crossover appeal of TSO, the fact that this has been reported on both USA Today and NPR is a big clue.

[Eye9]

More of a Savatage fan here, more so than TSO, but sad to hear, not that old , sucks big time. Paul was a mastermind, and a MAJOR player in the songwriting and production of all of Savatage's best works.

[Sully NM_156]

Sad

Paul had IMO a big influence on the band.  They started collaborating from HOTMK.  You can hear the start of the more progressive influences he brought on HOTMK.  From then on the band made some fantastic albums.  IIRC, Streets was a story that Paul had laying around until Criss (original guitarist) found it and they made it onto the album.  Never met the guy, but his influenced shaped Savatage into my second favorite band behind QR.  Some of the stories posted on Facebook (check Chris Caffery's profile) make it seem like he was genuinely a great person.  Seems young. On Wake of Magellan Paul is credit with story and all lyrics.  So I guess if I had to point to one thing and say this is an example of Paul, it would be Wake of Magellan 

[NJFIREFIGHTER]

Definitely sad news. Yes, absolutely Paul's name is all over the place on the cd booklets for HOTMK, Gutter Ballet, and Streets, production and writing credits. Which I consider their finest output. Way too young, as well. 

[NJFIREFIGHTER]

http://loudwire.com/alex-skolnick-reflects-trans-siberian-orchestra-note-founder-death/

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/trans-siberian-orchestra-founder-paul-oneill-dead-at-61-w475347

http://www.latimes.com/local/obituaries/la-me-paul-oneill-20170407-story.html

[tawnole]

Paul could be seen around where I live from time to time.  Down to earth guy who loved his community.  Was real good friends with one of the families we knew from my son's sub scout troop.  They would wear their Savatage tour jackets to scouting events. 

http://www.theledger.com/news/20170406/trans-siberian-orchestra-founder-paul-oneill-dies 

[Eye9]

Very cool, Was Oliva hanging around with him during those times, did you get to see him too?

Nice article also. Sounds like he was a pretty down to earth dude.

[tawnole]

Never saw Oliva with him.

[Dream Evil]

This is pretty cool, Ray Gillen joining them on Strange Wings Anaheim, CA 1990
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DLhi1v7NZA

[Eye9]

That was cool, loved that. I think both Ray and Jon had a good bit to drink that evening  but that was pretty cool, I get the impression they were fan boys of one another 

[Rockox]

My knowledge of Savatage begins and ends with Handful of Rain. Chance is one of my favourite songs ever. There was a recent video with Zak Stevens singing it with TSO and it's fucking incredible.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZKgrsof-UY

[Eye9]

Dude, you seriously need to give a listen to several of their albums. for starters
Sirens, Hall of the mountain king, Gutter Ballet and Streets (a rock opera). 

[Sully NM_156]

My knowledge of Savatage begins and ends with Handful of Rain. Chance is one of my favourite songs ever. There was a recent video with Zak Stevens singing it with TSO and it's fucking incredible.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZKgrsof-UY

  If you liked Handful of Rain, then you really should go back an album and check out Edge of Thorns.  Last album with original guitarist Criss Olivia and first one with Zak on vocals

Title track - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4VOzdcCy1Vg
Follow me - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ib1LUCxds38
This one they even had TSO play - All that I bleed - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=duSxvjy8OYk
Degrees of Sanity - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwMTtfhg4Vs

For other suggestions, do you like Jon's vocals at all?  They can be an acquired taste.  Jon Oliva was the original vocalist up to Streets.  He then turned lead vocals over to Zak on EOT forward.  He still sang some tracks live and on a couple album tracks here and there.  Eventually Zak left and Jon took over for the last album Poets and Madman.  In terms of Guitarist, Skolnik only played on HOR.  After that Al Piterlli and Chris Caffery took over guitar duties.  If you like rock opera type albums the ones after HOR are all concept albums, with story, etc.  From a story point of view, I think Dead Winter Dead holds up the best in terms of being able to listen and get the story without need of liner notes.  If you like Chance the later albums all have that counter point vocal thing going on

Wake of Magellan - The Hourglass - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkvtORNsNyk

Dead Winter Dead  - One Child  - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KcdYdDCV44

Poets and Madmen - Morphine Child - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=My0RsdFY_-E

[NJFIREFIGHTER]

For me, I'm a Jon Oliva guy. I love their material up through Streets, after Jon stepped away and Zack took over most of the vocals it is hit or miss with me. I like most of Handful of Rain, but beyond that I only like a few tracks from Edge of Thorns, Dead Winter Dead and Wake of Magellan. Poets and Madmen is decent with Jon back on lead vocals but doesn't measure up to their earlier work. Degrees of Sanity is Excellent though