Space-Dye Vest Appreciation v. Do you really think I need you?

[TAC]

My #5 DT song.

When Awake came out, it was basically a three song album for me as my ride to work each day consisted of Voices, Scarred, and SDV.

[wasteland]

My #5 DT song.

When Awake came out, it was basically a three song album for me as my ride to work each day consisted of Voices, Scarred, and SDV.

The three best ones in scambled order, for me 

[Cruithne]

It caps Awake perfectly and I'm so glad it got the DT treatment. I quite like Kevin Moore's solo work, but I think the delivery and arrangement from the full band works to the song's advantage.

Probably not a top-10 DT song for me but not far off.

[KevShmev]

It caps Awake perfectly and I'm so glad it got the DT treatment. I quite like Kevin Moore's solo work, but I think the delivery and arrangement from the full band works to the song's advantage.
 

This, exactly!

But yeah, an incredible song in every way possible - lyrically, musically, atmospherically, etc. - and one I would still call one of the best the band has ever done.

[Glass Moonlight]

My #5 DT song.

When Awake came out, it was basically a three song album for me as my ride to work each day consisted of Voices, Scarred, and SDV.

The three best ones in scambled order, for me 

You had a CD player in your car in the mid-90s? How? The cassette doesn't have scarred so no way

[bosk1]

  A lot of people had CD players in their cars in the mid '90s.  But even if he didn't (and he didn't say his ride to work was in a car), he could have owned the CD and copied it to cassette.  That's what I did with a lot of my CD's during that time.

[KevShmev]

The car I bought in '95 had a CD player, so I don't get that comment either.

[Onno]

It's a fantastic song.

[Glass Moonlight]

I really didn't do my research I guess just assumed since CD players were just becoming common in PCs meant that car CD players wouldn't be viable at the time.

[Dublagent66]

Yeah, 180 degrees but it's a dry heat.  Cool song but anti-climactic.  Doesn't belong as a closer.  It would've followed LSOAD much better if it was switched with Scarred which has a much better outro as a closer.  Just sayin' that's the way I would've done it.

[425]

This was the first song to really catch me when I first listened to Awake. I mean, I really liked A Mind Beside Itself and The Mirror, but when the first notes of Space-Dye Vest came on, I just stopped everything and focused on this song. I still do usually stop what I'm doing when I reach this song. It is just so perfectly emotional; and, in addition to Kevin Moore's obviously fantastic playing, I love James' singing. Just a perfect song, and (I think) a great closer to the album.

[wasteland]

Did you know that Kevin came out and sang underneath James on the album? Basic Dream Theater trivia! 

[ddtonfire]

Yeah, he's actually panned very slightly to the right.

[JayOctavarium]

Yeah, he's actually panned very slightly to the right.

That part I didn't know

[Ruba]

A top 25 DT song for me. I love the piano, samples, vocals (James's low register  ), lyrics, pretty much everything in it. I love good melodies.

[MoraWintersoul]

Did you know that Kevin came out and sang underneath James on the album? Basic Dream Theater trivia! 

James always has the best information
(for those who don't know what on earth we're talking about, find Space-Dye Vest in Tarrytown - the closer and shorter video has better speech audio - and listen to the beginning)

The way he says basic Dream Theater trivia... He knows we're freaks and then teases us for it

[Lolzeez]

Did you know that Kevin came out and sang underneath James on the album? Basic Dream Theater trivia! 

James always has the best information
(for those who don't know what on earth we're talking about, find Space-Dye Vest in Tarrytown - the closer and shorter video has better speech audio - and listen to the beginning)

The way he says basic Dream Theater trivia... He knows we're freaks and then teases us for it

Isn't there also a Kevin only version on you tube? Oh and check out Kevin's album called Music Meant To Be Heard. It's sweet.

[TAC]

My #5 DT song.

When Awake came out, it was basically a three song album for me as my ride to work each day consisted of Voices, Scarred, and SDV.

The three best ones in scambled order, for me 

You had a CD player in your car in the mid-90s? How? The cassette doesn't have scarred so no way

I used my Sony Discman with a cassette adapter.

The other thing about SDV is that the first time I listened to Awake, I honestly felt that it was the first song on the album that actually felt unique, where each track on I&W had its own uniqueness.

[MoraWintersoul]

I had a thought yesterday that I figured I'd share with you guys. I figured that, by playing it in Tarrytown, Jordan and James have perfectly absolved DT of putting SDV into live rotation if they don't want to play it.

Well, not that they need an excuse if they don't want to play it, but it's just a perfect situation. Now the song has been performed live by members of Dream Theater, but not on a Dream Theater concert, which is perfect for the crowd who doesn't like the song, or for the crowd who thinks it's sacrilege to perform it without Kevin. On the other hand, the song is not "untouchable" anymore, and James' speech before the song confirmed that MP's opinion that KM and the song are totally overrated is not shared by all members of the band. So it's just a perfect situation for a song like that.

I think the reason why they still avoided it in the previous tour is that it would prove a bit of a problem to them to find a place for it in the set, because, let's face it, even us who adore the song think it has a big downer vibe. And the song kind of stands for itself - even though, by mood, it totally fits Awake, even placed in the end it sounds like an afterthought and not like a part of the flow. So. while a suitable place for it would definitely be in the end of a set, I don't know if DT would like to end a show on such a huge downer.

But I also have the perfect solution for that. If, by any chance, they would have this slower part of the set like the acoustic part in the Dramatic Tour, a part of it, or perhaps the whole two-song or three-song or however long the set could be dedicated to James and Jordan. Just the two of them on stage, like James and John last year. And then SDV could come in the end of that piano/vocal spotlight. Emotional and simple, a nice breather. And then a huge angry metal song could come afterwards, for venting and kicking our nerves into overdrive.

[Ben_Jamin]

I wouldn't mind it as the set closer then they play whatever for the Encore.

[wasteland]

I agree on all the points that you make, but I think SDV would work great as first song of the encore. Kind of what happened in 2002 or 2006 when the band performed two (or occasionally three) songs after the second set: in those case the first was always a mood song like Hollow Years or The Spirit Carries On.

I personally think an encore made of Space Dye Vest and Learning To Live right after would not present downsides. And would allow a full band performance of the song. 

[Ħ]

I used to LOVE this song. And now I think it's corny and lame.

[?]

Well, not that they need an excuse if they don't want to play it, but it's just a perfect situation. Now the song has been performed live by members of Dream Theater, but not on a Dream Theater concert, which is perfect for the crowd who doesn't like the song, or for the crowd who thinks it's sacrilege to perform it without Kevin. On the other hand, the song is not "untouchable" anymore, and James' speech before the song confirmed that MP's opinion that KM and the song are totally overrated is not shared by all members of the band. So it's just a perfect situation for a song like that.

I don't think they even considered playing it on the ADTOE tour. To quote this intie with James:

The setlist is pretty varied, but kinda safe – it’s all album tracks. Are you going to add some B-sides or really rare stuff like Speak To Me, Eve or Space-Dye Vest, which hasn’t been performed by the full band yet?

At this point there’s no talk about that. The fact is that this is a whole new chapter for us, obviously. We have a new album coming out September 13, so the focus is really on making sure that that is set up properly, that that is going to get the attention it deserves because we’re extremely proud of it. At this point anything like that, any of the b-tracks or whatever you want to refer to – any extraneous parts to Dream Theater are still going to remain in the background – right now! I’m not saying it’ll never happen – right now!

But now that MM has been introduced to the fans and they've played the most essential fan favorites with him live already, I think they could pull out SDV, and maybe some other songs that haven't been played in ages, if ever. The way MP put setlists together was cool, but he also had some weak reasons for not playing some songs (Disappear, Anna Lee) - now that he's gone, the rest of the band could bring those songs back if they really like them.

I agree with Marco that SDV could work well as the first song of an encore. Jordan and James could perform it as a duo, and the rest of the band would return for the final song. I know I've said this before, but if they do plan on playing it, I hope it won't be in the setlist for the first European leg, as I would miss it then. Just imagine if they premiered it in Helsinki...

I used to LOVE this song. And now I think it's corny and lame.

See thread title:

Space-Dye Vest Appreciation

[KevShmev]

I love Space Dye Vest, and while I think it is the perfect closer for Awake, I don't think it would be a good set closer or encore song in concert.  It would work well as a middle of the set tune, during one of those 2-3 mellow set breakdowns. 

To make a comparison, as much as I love Queensryche's Someone Else?, and I too feel that was the perfect closer for Promised Land, it was kind of strange having it as the last song of the concert on the Promised Land tour (the show overall was still awesome, regardless).

I just think set closers and encores should usually be something rocking that slays the audience.

[Ħ]

I appreciate how dynamic it is. I used to love it, and now I hate it. What a drastic change!

[TAC]

I agree on all the points that you make, but I think SDV would work great as first song of the encore. Kind of what happened in 2002 or 2006 when the band performed two (or occasionally three) songs after the second set: in those case the first was always a mood song like Hollow Years or The Spirit Carries On.

I personally think an encore made of Space Dye Vest and Learning To Live right after would not present downsides. And would allow a full band performance of the song. 

First song of the encore would be the perfect spot for it. Kind of like where Iron Maiden placed Journeyman.

And then to follow it up with LTL? Yes!!

[Mladen]

I personally think an encore made of Space Dye Vest and Learning To Live right after would not present downsides. And would allow a full band performance of the song. 

This, please! 

[LieLowTheWantedMan]

Top 20 song for them.

[The Letter M]

Top 20 song for them.

Okay, but what about you?

-Marc.

[wasteland]

I took a couple of minutes earlier this evening to come up with a possible setlist for a non existent DT show in promotion of the Awake album, where Kevin Moore still is in the band and the band adopts a 2,5h Evening With format:

01. Metropolis Pt.1
02. 6:00
03. Afterlife
04. The Mirror
05. Lie
06. Under A Glass Moon
07. Bass/Guitar Jam
08. Lifting Shadows Off A Dream
09. Scarred
---
10. Pull Me Under
11. Another Day
12. Another Hand / The Killing Hand
13. Eve
14. Surrounded
15. A Fortune In Lies
16. AMBI: Erotomania
17. AMBI: Voices
18. AMBI: The Silent Man
19. Puppies On Acid / Take The Time (extended outro solo)
---
20. Wait For Sleep (sans last chord)
21. Space Dye Vest
22. Learning To Live

[Ben_Jamin]

Why would they play Puppies on Acid twice.

[wasteland]

Why would they play Puppies on Acid twice.

Surprise effect.

[?]

That's a really good set, but I would throw in Innocence Faded (otherwise they would play I&W in full, but not Awake in full) and The Ones Who Help... (because it was played on the Awake tour and would make the setlist a little different from the I&W tour).

[?]

Sorry for double posting, but this deserves a post of its own:

Another interesting connection between SDV and A Room With A View is that Kevin based most of the song around a chord progression that's actually from the background music in movie! It only appears a couple of times in very short sections, but it's definitely the same chord progression that Kevin used in SDV.

[hefdaddy42]

Definitely a grower.  For the longest time, I couldn't stand it.  Then, I could stand it, but that's about it.  Now I can appreciate it, and like it somewhat.

Maybe someday I will love it.