I would've agreed had you picked the BTFW version of BAI. That was the highlight of the entire live album for me. I'm a fan of music but not so much lyrics. The music has to speak to me first before the lyrics can mean anything. Good lyrics will never save a poorly arranged song that is incoherent. On the other hand, good music that flows from beginning to end can easily be much more appreciated even with lack luster lyrics. A good example of this is TCOT. The music is first and foremost. Lyrics are just a form of filler. If I wanted to appreciate meaningful words, I would read poetry. The music in BAI is a perfect representation of a very well arranged and executed DT song. "IT" doesn't even come close. It doesn't flow and is extremely disjointed with an intermission of orchestra that has nothing to do with anything else in the song. A disappointing closer to a somewhat disappointing album as a whole. Only 3 songs I can get through without skipping. TEI, TLG and BTV.
Agreed about BAI being masterfully arranged and executed. Disagreed about IT being not.
Also agree about music coming first and foremost besides just lyrics (though it really depends on what kind of music we're looking at), but then it's a good thing IT is also so masterfully executed in that department. It still amuses me how it still gets shit for the orchestral section. Ragtime break downs don't really have anything to do with the main song either. It flows plenty well anyways. There's a good minute and half of ambiance right before it so it doesn't necessarily just come out of nowhere. And the ever-infamous bass interlude that ends it? Not every transition needs this slow, gradual crossfade. In fact, that would make things boring and formulaic if overdone. The sudden halt to the music is made poignant and evident with Myung and Mangini's groove, and this really drives the tone home. It's a spiral descent into building chaos, and that transition creates so much drama and anticipation.
As for the rest of the song, everything about it really just nails it. At points, it reaches such emotional highs that rival that of BAI. I'd call it a very satisfying end to a very satisfying album on the whole.
I don't think ragtime is a good comparison. Ragtime is meant to be off track, goofy and relatively short lived. It's deliberate. The orchestra section in IT is like a completely different song and the ambience before hand isn't really anything new. In fact, when I listen to this song, I find myself trying to keep track of everything that sounds familiar. The beginning sounds like parts of SDOIT. Next, I'm hearing parts of TMoLS, ITNoG, and ITPOE. Orchestra section tries to sound like Overture. Following that, it tries to sound like Rush then you have the JP/JR guitar/keyboard duel. Nothing really new there either. Now, I'm hearing something that came from SFAM and to top it off, it finishes like SDOIT with gong at the end. If I didn't know any better, Illumination Theory sounds more like a medley than an original song. A hodge podge of previously conceived ideas. It's all over the place. So, if that's what people like, more power to ya. I'm expecting something unique and original when hearing a new song that is nearly 20 mins in length. Guess I'll just have to wait and see what the next one is like. IT just doesn't make the cut.
Good day.
I have posted in other IT threads before my interpretation of Illumination Theory and why I believe it is a masterpiece from a compositional perspective. I never gave primacy to the lyrics, but I see lyrics as PART of the music, not separate from it. The lyrics, as part of the music, should be coherent to the NARRATIVE that the song is trying to put across with the words and the music. I would like to put forward again my understanding of the narrative of IT, which made sense for me, and which is why I really don't see it as a mishmash of previous ideas from other DT songs.
Unilluminated Section Illuminated Section
Structural similarities Relatively "dark" music Relatively "uplifting" music
Drum roll Crescendo Decrescendo
˅ ˄
Slow, majestic, paradox as theme Movement 1. Paradox of the Black Light Movement 8. Surrender, Trust and Passion
(with paradoxical lyrics)
˅ ˄
Similar rocking riff, signals a journey Movement 2. Transition to questions Movement 7. Transition from answers
˅ ˄
Mini-song in itself, lyrics-driven at start, Movement 3. Live, Die, Kill Movement 6. The Pursuit of Truth
ends with instrumental, grounded (asks the questions) (gives the answers)
˅ ˄
Band not playing, not on an "earthly" plane Movement 4. Embracing Circle Movement 5. Embracing Circle
(ambient, formless, directionless) (orchestral reprise of Movement 1, new beginning)
˅ ˄
Transition from unilluminated to illuminated Embracing Circle, first orchestral section
As you can see from the interpretation above, the lyrics contributed to the narrative, but the music was even more integral to telling the story of the song. This is my interpretation, so I am not imposing it on anyone (as Blob reminded me back when I was still too eager to push this interpretation). But I am sharing it (again) because I want to share also my joy when I saw this narrative. I would like to believe that this is what DT intended because they have a history of being really purposive in their compositions, and also because structural similarities of this scale within songs are hard to achieve without being purposive. It's hard to imagine for me that this mirroring structure would come out due to coincidence. And this is why I believe that it is a compositional masterpiece for DT.
Topic: Your ultimate Dream Theater masterpiece song (Read 12176 times)
