Let me share a pointless, useless story on my experience with this song.
BC&SL has been out for a while and therefore hasn't been in my cd player for a couple of months. I manage and operate a few aquatic centres in my area, and this morning I woke early and decided to start early and manually vac the pool I was at today well before opening. Getting the opportunity to listen to my mp3 player while I took my time doing this, I was listening to a random selection of tunes. After some nice random songs from the likes of Rush, Eric Johnson, Sunstorm, Incubus and Bruce Dickinson I was treated with TCOT. After not hearing it for a couple of months, I was more than happy to indulge in 20 minutes of bliss.
Now, as the acoustics started and John's amazing lead pleasured my ears, it was about 15 minutes before sunrise. With a blanket of cloud on the horizon it was light, but not a great deal, but still dark enough to compliment the dark atmosphere in the beginning. I never really realized how good that intro was. As the instrumental breaks rolled in and eventually James takes us for a ride, it begins to lighten, and the heat this morning was immense. Noticing the time, I had to hurry as there was wasn't that long until opening, combine my loss of time with the heat I was rushing and sweating much like the protagonist on his way to meet the count. As the amazing frenzied instrumental sections continue around the nine minute mark I have a small hiccup with my vac, sending me a little frenzied myself. By the time the slow section comes I have it sorted and have calmed back down.
As John's amazing guitar sends us of to dreamland for a few minutes, a couple of birds come down and decided to splash and play in the water, sending ripples and disturbing the water, I imagine trickling water sounds followed them as they bathed, very fitting so far. Then as the final acoustics break in the light of day is seconds upon us. The clouds have moved and the sun is about to beam on us. As James tells us to wait a minute man, the sun is starting to shine. The light of day is here and as James tells us to tell the world of the story and when he says the line "The Count of Tuscany" the sun is here and the brightness of John's lead lines shines as bright as the sun. Remembering it was a lot darker on the intro guitar solo and the contrast on the final extended solo, it is so bright and powerful.
On a very hot morning and not much time to waste, at that moment in time, I was frozen and cold with goosebumps affecting my entire body, I couldn't move. I eventually looked around and it was just one of those moments where you are thankful to have a good job, someone you care about and good health, just thankful to be alive, very amazing. James' woooo's were ever so fitting also with the final part ending everything on a high. The finale of this song really is something else, one of the best climaxes I've ever heard. I didn't realize it's full potential until this morning. Right now, I am spewing that I missed the tour and missed this song live.
Standouts are John and James on this song. When James sings 'The Count of Tuscany' and Petrucci enters, that could be one of the best moments in music that we have seen for a long time. Petrucci's half bend at 17:03 is too amazing to describe in words. It's astounding how much emotion is expressed in this one bend alone, let alone the entire solo. This song will stand the test of time and forever be on the top of DT lists along with Pull Me Under, Metropolis, Octavarium, A Change of Seasons etc.
Sorry for my long, boring story, but I feel I had to share my excitement about this song and how I opened up to it in such an epic way!
Well done DT.
Topic: The amazing effects of The Count of Tuscany *warning, long boring story* (Read 3540 times)