Good morning, everybody. This week’s episode is a bit of a time machine — not just for Rolling with Scissors, but for me personally.

I know it probably sounds strange for a guy who’s spent half his life behind a radio console to say he’s rediscovering his love for music. But lately, I’ve been living in my headphones in a way that feels different. Deeper. Like the songs I’ve absorbed for years are pushing back through my ribs and demanding I really hear them again.

So I did what I always do when that itch hits — I started digging through old records. One stack turned into ten, and buried in there was an album that once flipped my world on its head: Liquid Tension Experiment.

For those who don’t know, Liquid Tension Experiment is one of the ultimate prog rock “what ifs” made real. Back in the late ’90s, Mike Portnoy and John Petrucci — yes, the Dream Theater guys — teamed up with keyboard wizard Jordan Rudess and legendary bassist Tony Levin (of King Crimson and Peter Gabriel fame). No label pressure, no radio singles — just four insane musicians given full permission to blow the roof off the studio and see what happened. The result? Pure, instrumental, mind-melting magic that redefined what a side project could be.

When I checked, I realized we haven’t aired any of this on Rolling with Scissors since… 2014? Maybe even longer. Right around the time I stepped away for a bit.

So tonight, we fix that. We’re going all in — all three albums, spread across three hours, unfiltered and alive in your speakers just like they should be. If you’re new to LTE, buckle up. If you’re not, welcome back.

Sometimes the music finds its way back to you exactly when you need it most.

Thanks for listening — let’s get into it.

Hour 1

Artist – Song – Time – Album – Label

Liquid Tension Experiment – Paradigm Shift – 08:55 – Liquid Tension Experiment – Magna Carta – 1998

Liquid Tension Experiment – Osmosis – 03:26 – Liquid Tension Experiment – Magna Carta – 1998

Liquid Tension Experiment – Kindred Spirits – 06:29 – Liquid Tension Experiment – Magna Carta – 1998

Liquid Tension Experiment – The Stretch – 02:00 – Liquid Tension Experiment – Magna Carta – 1998

Liquid Tension Experiment – Freedom Of Speech – 09:19 – Liquid Tension Experiment – Magna Carta – 1998

Liquid Tension Experiment – Chris and Kevin’s Excellent Adventure – 02:21 – Liquid Tension Experiment – Magna Carta – 1998

Liquid Tension Experiment – State of Grace – 05:02 – Liquid Tension Experiment – Magna Carta – 1998

Liquid Tension Experiment – Universal Mind – 07:53 – Liquid Tension Experiment – Magna Carta – 1998

Liquid Tension Experiment – Three Minute Warning Pt 1 – 08:20 – Liquid Tension Experiment – Magna Carta – 1998

Hour 2

Artist – Song – Time – Album – Label

Liquid Tension Experiment – Three Minute Warning Pt 2 – 04:03 – Liquid Tension Experiment – Magna Carta – 1998

Liquid Tension Experiment – Three Minute Warning Pt 3 – 05:18 – Liquid Tension Experiment – Magna Carta – 1998

Liquid Tension Experiment – Three Minute Warning Pt 4 – 04:20 – Liquid Tension Experiment – Magna Carta – 1998

Liquid Tension Experiment – Three Minute Warning Pt 5 – 06:31 – Liquid Tension Experiment – Magna Carta – 1998

Liquid Tension Experiment – Biaxident – 00:14 – Liquid Tension Experiment 2 – Magna Carta – 1999

Liquid Tension Experiment – Acid Rain – 06:36 – Liquid Tension Experiment 2 – Magna Carta – 1999

Liquid Tension Experiment – 914 – 04:01 – Liquid Tension Experiment 2 – Magna Carta – 1999

Liquid Tension Experiment – Another Dimension – 09:50 – Liquid Tension Experiment 2 – Magna Carta – 1999

Liquid Tension Experiment – When The Water Breaks – 16:57 – Liquid Tension Experiment 2 – Magna Carta – 1999

Liquid Tension Experiment – Chewbacca – 13:35 – Liquid Tension Experiment 2 – Magna Carta – 1999

Hour 3

Artist – Song – Time – Album – Label

Liquid Tension Experiment – Liquid Dreams – 10:50 – Liquid Tension Experiment 2 – Magna Carta – 1999

Liquid Tension Experiment – Hourglass – 04:25 – Liquid Tension Experiment 2 – Magna Carta – 1999

Liquid Tension Experiment – Hypersonic – 08:21 – Liquid Tension Experiment 3 – Inside Out Music – 2021

Liquid Tension Experiment – Beating The Odds – 06:08 – Liquid Tension Experiment 3 – Inside Out Music – 2021

Liquid Tension Experiment – Liquid Evolution – 03:22 – Liquid Tension Experiment 3 – Inside Out Music – 2021

Liquid Tension Experiment – The Passage Of Time – 07:33 – Liquid Tension Experiment 3 – Inside Out Music – 2021

Liquid Tension Experiment – Chris & Kevin’s Amazing Odyssey – 05:04 – Liquid Tension Experiment 3 – Inside Out Music – 2021

Liquid Tension Experiment – Rhapsody In Blue – 13:16 – Liquid Tension Experiment 3 – Inside Out Music – 2021

Liquid Tension Experiment – Shades Of Hope – 04:41 – Liquid Tension Experiment 3 – Inside Out Music – 2021

Liquid Tension Experiment – Key To The Imagination – 13:14 – Liquid Tension Experiment 3 – Inside Out Music – 2021

Rolling with Scissors airs live every Tuesday from 2–5 AM on 89.9 FM in Madison and streams at wortfm.org. Missed it? You can catch the episode for two weeks after broadcast at archive.wortfm.org or at rwsradio.com.

While the audio disappears after two weeks, the episode notes and playlists don’t. Every deep dive, rant, and full album breakdown stays right here — so you can revisit the details any time.

Spin the dial — we’re probably on it. Lock onto your frequency. Pick your favorite antenna below and ride the signal back to us.

Facebook | Instagram | Threads | Bluesky | X (Twitter)