Poll

What is your favorite track 4 of the Rudess era?

Through My Words
2 (1.7%)
The Great Debate
47 (39.5%)
Honor Thy Father
11 (9.2%)
I Walk Beside You
3 (2.5%)
The Dark Eternal Night
22 (18.5%)
The Shattered Fortress
11 (9.2%)
The Is the Life
18 (15.1%)
Enigma Machine
5 (4.2%)

Total Members Voted: 115

Voting closed: June 08, 2014, 11:40:24 AM

Author Topic: Favorite Track 4 of the Rudess era  (Read 3256 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline KevShmev

  • EZBoard Elder
  • *****
  • Posts: 41963
  • Gender: Male
Favorite Track 4 of the Rudess era
« on: April 11, 2014, 11:40:24 AM »
Amazingly, while I like all of these songs, only one of them would probably make my DT top 50, and it is the one I am voting for: This Is the Life.

Offline ReaPsTA

  • DT.net Veteran
  • ****
  • Posts: 11204
  • Gender: Male
  • Addicted to the pain
Re: Favorite Track 4 of the Rudess era
« Reply #1 on: April 11, 2014, 11:44:44 AM »
I agree.  It's a very well-composed, thoughtful, and lovely piece of music.
Take a chance you may die
Over and over again

Online Evermind

  • DTF.org Alumni
  • ****
  • Posts: 16237
  • Gender: Male
Re: Favorite Track 4 of the Rudess era
« Reply #2 on: April 11, 2014, 11:48:12 AM »
This is the Life. My favourite ADTOE piece and overall a great song. The Great Debate is pretty close though. HTF is on the verge of my top50, and the other songs aren't even close.
This first band is Soen very cool swingy jazz fusion kinda stuff.

Offline Invisible

  • Posts: 335
  • Gender: Male
Re: Favorite Track 4 of the Rudess era
« Reply #3 on: April 11, 2014, 12:12:16 PM »
When it comes to Rudess only, The Great Debate easily, it's not even a question. Everything he did on that album ranks as his best work in Dream Theater. The others are awesome, but they don't stand out as much.

Offline mikeyd23

  • Posts: 5479
  • Gender: Male
Re: Favorite Track 4 of the Rudess era
« Reply #4 on: April 11, 2014, 12:37:14 PM »
TGD. This song is awesome to me, I know some don't like it, but I love it!

Offline TheGreatPretender

  • The Second Dancing Turtle
  • Posts: 6981
  • Gender: Male
  • You are reading these words.
Re: Favorite Track 4 of the Rudess era
« Reply #5 on: April 11, 2014, 12:44:50 PM »
Definitely Enigma Machine. The second best instrumental DT has ever done. TDEN and TSF follow close by, then IWBY. And the rest is quite underwhelming. I mean, TMW is a great piece of music and a wonderful lead in for FT, but on its own, it's so short, it's barely a song.
"How's that for a slice of fried gold?"

Offline TAC

  • DTF.org Alumni
  • ****
  • Posts: 74108
  • Gender: Male
  • Arthritic Metal Horns
Re: Favorite Track 4 of the Rudess era
« Reply #6 on: April 11, 2014, 12:54:29 PM »
I agree.  It's a very well-composed, thoughtful, and lovely piece of music.

I think This Is The Life is one of those perfectly written songs. I mean it's..perfect.

That said, my preference goes to The Dark Eternal Night.
would have thought the same thing but seeing the OP was TAC i immediately thought Maiden or DT related
Winger Theater Forums........or WTF.  ;D
TAC got a higher score than me in the electronic round? Honestly, can I just drop out now? :lol

Offline Tom Bombadil

  • Posts: 1649
  • Gender: Male
  • We Do Not Sow
Re: Favorite Track 4 of the Rudess era
« Reply #7 on: April 11, 2014, 01:10:35 PM »
I honestly don't like very many of these songs. TITL is pretty good, and so is TGD, but my favorite out of these has to be HTF.

Offline The Letter M

  • Posts: 15494
  • Gender: Male
Re: Favorite Track 4 of the Rudess era
« Reply #8 on: April 11, 2014, 01:19:13 PM »
The Great Debate

When I first got SDOIT, it was my second favorite song of the album (behind the title track). Something about the 7/8 and the drumming and the different sections all just clicked with me right away. I loved TGP and Disappear, but the others just didn't click right away like TGD did.

-Marc.
ATTENTION - HAKEN FANS! The HAKEN SURVIVOR 2023 has begun! You can check it out in the Polls/Survivors Forum!!!

Offline OsMosis2259

  • Posts: 2747
  • Gender: Male
  • Pretty Pretty Pretty Good!
Re: Favorite Track 4 of the Rudess era
« Reply #9 on: April 11, 2014, 01:31:07 PM »
I went with The Great Debate. This is the Life is close behind though!

Offline ?

  • Apparently the best username
  • DTF.org Alumni
  • ****
  • Posts: 11742
  • Gender: Male
  • Less=Moore, Even Less=Wilson
Re: Favorite Track 4 of the Rudess era
« Reply #10 on: April 11, 2014, 02:25:34 PM »
TGD easily, although I like TITL too.

Offline JayOctavarium

  • I used to be a whorejerk
  • DTF.org Alumni
  • ****
  • Posts: 10055
  • Gender: Male
  • But then I took a Hef to the knee...
Re: Favorite Track 4 of the Rudess era
« Reply #11 on: April 11, 2014, 02:32:37 PM »
TDEN


:metal
I just don't understand what they were trying to achieve with any part of the song, either individually or as a whole. You know what? It's the Platypus of Dream Theater songs. That bill doesn't go with that tail, or that strange little furry body, or those webbed feet, and oh god why does it have venomous spurs!? And then you find out it lays eggs too. The difference is that the Platypus is somehow functional despite being a crazy mishmash or leftover animal pieces

-BlobVanDam on "Scarred"

Offline CharlesPL

  • Posts: 4186
  • Gender: Male
Re: Favorite Track 4 of the Rudess era
« Reply #12 on: April 11, 2014, 02:35:19 PM »
Easily ,The Great Debate

Offline krands85

  • Posts: 3009
  • Gender: Male
Re: Favorite Track 4 of the Rudess era
« Reply #13 on: April 11, 2014, 04:03:30 PM »
I went with The Great Debate. This is the Life is close behind though!
Whoaaaahh, ohhh, ohhhhh. Whoaaaahh, ohhhhh, ohhhhhh. Waaah, ahhh, haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaowwwwww

Offline wolfking

  • DTF.org Alumni
  • ****
  • Posts: 46293
  • Gender: Male
Re: Favorite Track 4 of the Rudess era
« Reply #14 on: April 11, 2014, 04:15:23 PM »
HTF.  Debate is a close second.
Everyone else, except Wolfking is wrong.

Offline robwebster

  • Posts: 5021
Re: Favorite Track 4 of the Rudess era
« Reply #15 on: April 11, 2014, 04:32:52 PM »
What a delightfully weird poll.

I thought I was going to vote Enigma Machine, but then I noticed The Dark Eternal Night, which absolutely trashes the others. Through My Words is the only track I don't particularly care about - and even that's got more votes than the poor Shattered Fortress!

1. The Dark Eternal Night
2. Enigma Machine
3. This Is the Life
4. I Walk Beside You
5. Honor Thy Father
6. The Shattered Fortress
7. The Great Debate
8. Through My Words

There we go, I'd probably go with that. Enigma Machine is almost certainly being helped ever so slightly by the new car smell, but I do think it is an absolutely cracking tune. Crushing riffs, very technical but quite singable - This is the Life and I Walk Beside You feel like good company. Honor Thy Father and The Shattered Fortress are both direly underrated (although neither are essential!), and The Great Debate is very good but doesn't quite justify its runtime as the other songs do.

The Shattered Fortress probably has a modicum of new car smell, too. Seeing it live renewed my interest in it quite a lot - gave it a new lease of life.

Offline TAC

  • DTF.org Alumni
  • ****
  • Posts: 74108
  • Gender: Male
  • Arthritic Metal Horns
Re: Favorite Track 4 of the Rudess era
« Reply #16 on: April 11, 2014, 04:36:34 PM »
The Shattered Fortress probably has a modicum of new car smell, too. Seeing it live renewed my interest in it quite a lot - gave it a new lease of life.

It was GREAT live, and I don't really care for it. Like you said about TGD, not sure TSF justifies ITS runtime.
The intro and ending are excellent...another similarity it has with TGD.
would have thought the same thing but seeing the OP was TAC i immediately thought Maiden or DT related
Winger Theater Forums........or WTF.  ;D
TAC got a higher score than me in the electronic round? Honestly, can I just drop out now? :lol

Offline Nearmyth

  • Posts: 518
  • Gender: Male
Re: Favorite Track 4 of the Rudess era
« Reply #17 on: April 11, 2014, 05:17:08 PM »
The Great Debate by far, followed by Honor Thy Father
"Now I'm not one to soon forget
And I bet I never will...

WAAHH WAAHH DIGA DIGA WAAHH WAAHH"

Offline robwebster

  • Posts: 5021
Re: Favorite Track 4 of the Rudess era
« Reply #18 on: April 11, 2014, 05:44:06 PM »
The Shattered Fortress probably has a modicum of new car smell, too. Seeing it live renewed my interest in it quite a lot - gave it a new lease of life.

It was GREAT live, and I don't really care for it. Like you said about TGD, not sure TSF justifies ITS runtime.
The intro and ending are excellent...another similarity it has with TGD.
That's fair! I'm sure I am being swung by the live performance - if you'd asked me in January, The Great Debate would've beaten it hands down, but TSF is a great live song, and TGD doesn't quite transfer to the environment. Part of that's because TGD has a unique and fantastic atmosphere on the disc that's very hard to replicate, but TSF does have qualities TGD lacks, and it's what's doing the job at the moment. I suspect it'll balance out again before too long.

Offline TAC

  • DTF.org Alumni
  • ****
  • Posts: 74108
  • Gender: Male
  • Arthritic Metal Horns
Re: Favorite Track 4 of the Rudess era
« Reply #19 on: April 11, 2014, 05:55:50 PM »
I've never seen TGD live, but I bet I would enjoy it very much. Just based on watching the drumming alone. That's what's great about the live experience.
TGD and TSF are pretty bloated, but watching TSF live, it felt like its running time was cut in half, you know what I mean? I would love the opportunity to experience TGD live, even though I really don't rate it that high on my DT List.
would have thought the same thing but seeing the OP was TAC i immediately thought Maiden or DT related
Winger Theater Forums........or WTF.  ;D
TAC got a higher score than me in the electronic round? Honestly, can I just drop out now? :lol

Offline robwebster

  • Posts: 5021
Re: Favorite Track 4 of the Rudess era
« Reply #20 on: April 11, 2014, 05:59:35 PM »
The drumming's the highlight. It's that one bit - "Harvesting existence, only to destroy..." I suspect if I had to pick my favourite DT song in terms of musical drumming, The Great Debate would be right up there.

Offline TAC

  • DTF.org Alumni
  • ****
  • Posts: 74108
  • Gender: Male
  • Arthritic Metal Horns
Re: Favorite Track 4 of the Rudess era
« Reply #21 on: April 11, 2014, 06:00:35 PM »
Yup, without question!
would have thought the same thing but seeing the OP was TAC i immediately thought Maiden or DT related
Winger Theater Forums........or WTF.  ;D
TAC got a higher score than me in the electronic round? Honestly, can I just drop out now? :lol

Offline TheGreatPretender

  • The Second Dancing Turtle
  • Posts: 6981
  • Gender: Male
  • You are reading these words.
Re: Favorite Track 4 of the Rudess era
« Reply #22 on: April 11, 2014, 06:56:04 PM »
Man, I will never understand the love for TGD. Even if the drumming is good, a song requires a hell of a lot more than just good drumming to be top pick, and TGD is a grind to listen to all the way through. In my humble opinion of course.
"How's that for a slice of fried gold?"

Offline Shadow Ninja 2.0

  • Heir Transparent
  • Posts: 7663
  • Gender: Male
  • Transcribing Existence Rivets
Re: Favorite Track 4 of the Rudess era
« Reply #23 on: April 11, 2014, 10:09:48 PM »
ARE YOU JUSTIFIED?!?

Offline KevShmev

  • EZBoard Elder
  • *****
  • Posts: 41963
  • Gender: Male
Re: Favorite Track 4 of the Rudess era
« Reply #24 on: April 11, 2014, 10:41:09 PM »
Man, I will never understand the love for TGD. Even if the drumming is good, a song requires a hell of a lot more than just good drumming to be top pick, and TGD is a grind to listen to all the way through. In my humble opinion of course.

I mostly agree.  It's a good song, and the drumming is off the charts great, but the song just never really comes together.  In a way, On the Backs of Angels is like a modern day Great Debate, albeit shorter, in that both have all of the key elements that should make up a great DT song, but neither manages to be so.  Good songs, but neither are great.  I think the lack of truly memorable choruses hurts both.

Offline aprilethereal

  • Posts: 3746
  • Gender: Male
Re: Favorite Track 4 of the Rudess era
« Reply #25 on: April 12, 2014, 12:09:35 AM »
The Dark Eternal Night

Offline Outcrier

  • Posts: 3904
  • Gender: Male
Re: Favorite Track 4 of the Rudess era
« Reply #26 on: April 12, 2014, 12:48:22 AM »
Outcrier: Toughest cop on the force.

Offline TheGreatPretender

  • The Second Dancing Turtle
  • Posts: 6981
  • Gender: Male
  • You are reading these words.
Re: Favorite Track 4 of the Rudess era
« Reply #27 on: April 12, 2014, 12:56:47 AM »
I mostly agree.  It's a good song, and the drumming is off the charts great, but the song just never really comes together.  In a way, On the Backs of Angels is like a modern day Great Debate, albeit shorter, in that both have all of the key elements that should make up a great DT song, but neither manages to be so.  Good songs, but neither are great.  I think the lack of truly memorable choruses hurts both.

Shorter is exactly the reason why OTBOA is better, and a more enjoyable listen because it doesn't overstay its welcome. The problem with TGD isn't just that there's nothing remarkable about it, but that it's just so damn long, it drags on.
"How's that for a slice of fried gold?"

Offline Invisible

  • Posts: 335
  • Gender: Male
Re: Favorite Track 4 of the Rudess era
« Reply #28 on: April 12, 2014, 01:17:31 AM »
Man, I will never understand the love for TGD. Even if the drumming is good, a song requires a hell of a lot more than just good drumming to be top pick, and TGD is a grind to listen to all the way through. In my humble opinion of course.

I mostly agree.  It's a good song, and the drumming is off the charts great, but the song just never really comes together.  In a way, On the Backs of Angels is like a modern day Great Debate, albeit shorter, in that both have all of the key elements that should make up a great DT song, but neither manages to be so.  Good songs, but neither are great.  I think the lack of truly memorable choruses hurts both.
How can a song with TWO choruses lack on that department? :mehlin Well, opinions... Are you justified?!?!? :P

And OTBOA the definition of nothing truly remarkable for me, I found it ok when I first listened, but it's one of the truly rare cases of a DT song that the more I listened, the less I liked. Almost every other song is the exact opposite.

Offline Outcrier

  • Posts: 3904
  • Gender: Male
Re: Favorite Track 4 of the Rudess era
« Reply #29 on: April 12, 2014, 01:29:46 AM »
How can a song with TWO choruses lack on that department? :mehlin Well, opinions... Are you justified?!?!? :P

And OTBOA the definition of nothing truly remarkable for me, I found it ok when I first listened, but it's one of the truly rare cases of a DT song that the more I listened, the less I liked.

My thoughts.
Outcrier: Toughest cop on the force.

Offline TheGreatPretender

  • The Second Dancing Turtle
  • Posts: 6981
  • Gender: Male
  • You are reading these words.
Re: Favorite Track 4 of the Rudess era
« Reply #30 on: April 12, 2014, 01:36:45 AM »
How can a song with TWO choruses lack on that department? :mehlin

Simple! It's like when you have a glass of beer... Then you pour half of it into another glass and fill them both up with water. You end up with two full glasses of watered down beer.

So there it is. The Great Debate is like watered down beer.
"How's that for a slice of fried gold?"

Offline ?

  • Apparently the best username
  • DTF.org Alumni
  • ****
  • Posts: 11742
  • Gender: Male
  • Less=Moore, Even Less=Wilson
Re: Favorite Track 4 of the Rudess era
« Reply #31 on: April 12, 2014, 01:38:52 AM »
You guys are crazy, TGD rocks!

ARE YOU JUSTIFIED?! :metal

Offline BlobVanDam

  • Future Boy
  • DTF.org Alumni
  • ****
  • Posts: 38940
  • Gender: Male
  • Transform and rock out!
Re: Favorite Track 4 of the Rudess era
« Reply #32 on: April 12, 2014, 01:43:49 AM »
Despite being my least favourite song on SDOIT, TGD is still a great song. OTBOA is one of DT's most blandtacular songs, and I don't really see any notable comparison between the two songs.
I voted for TDEN. TGD or HTF probably would have been my next choice. I wouldn't consider any of the rest contenders.
Only King could mis-spell a LETTER.
Yep. I think the only party in the MP/DT situation that hasn't moved on is DTF.

Offline TheGreatPretender

  • The Second Dancing Turtle
  • Posts: 6981
  • Gender: Male
  • You are reading these words.
Re: Favorite Track 4 of the Rudess era
« Reply #33 on: April 12, 2014, 01:46:51 AM »
Blandtacular is exactly how I'd describe TGD. And you are right, I wouldn't really compare it to OTBOA. OTBOA is at least fun to listen to.
"How's that for a slice of fried gold?"

Offline BlobVanDam

  • Future Boy
  • DTF.org Alumni
  • ****
  • Posts: 38940
  • Gender: Male
  • Transform and rock out!
Re: Favorite Track 4 of the Rudess era
« Reply #34 on: April 12, 2014, 01:53:50 AM »
Blandtacular is exactly how I'd describe TGD. And you are right, I wouldn't really compare it to OTBOA. OTBOA is at least fun to listen to.

YOU CAN'T STEAL MY INVENTED ADJECTIVES! :getoffmylawn:
I don't find OTBOA at all fun to listen to. The song is devoid of fun, or character, or energy.
Only King could mis-spell a LETTER.
Yep. I think the only party in the MP/DT situation that hasn't moved on is DTF.