Top 50 Dream Theater songs - by fischermasamune

[fischermasamune]

Hello.

This is my first post in Dream Theater Forums. I've been lurking around the forum for some time but this is my first manifestation. I'm going to have my debut making a Dream Theater Top 50 Songs. After all, even being new to DTF, I'm a Dream Theater fan; therefore, I love classifying all their music by quality.

Let me tell you a little about me. I'm male, 24 years old. I was born in Brazil, and I moved to USA in 2012. I live in the Midwest, and I study mathematics.

I first heard of Dream Theater in 2009, when a friend showed me Metropolis Pt. II: Scenes From a Memory (yes, I like to write it all!). He used to listen to that album every day before sleeping, and he convinced me to give it a try. I remember I liked only the first half in the beginning, and even when I would listen to it entirely I would skip some songs (won't tell which to not spoil anything).

The whole energy of that album has impressed me. I haven't had a lot of contact with good music (mainly because I was a "Brazilian hillbilly" and my friends were into some crappy music). So when I listened to SFAM, it stroke me as something wonderful, from another world. Those drums! Those solos! Those riffs! Man, that was unique, mindblowing!

After some time, the inevitable happened: I became as addicted as my friend. I began experimenting other albums (Black Clouds & Silver Linings and Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence were the next ones, if I'm not mistaken) and I liked the band even more. I'm not sure of the dates, but I believe Dream Theater became my favorite band in 2010 (even though I was still unveiling some of their albums), with SFAM my favorite album. Both still hold their titles.

I'm a relatively new fan. Even though Dream Theater is my favorite band, I still haven't gone through all their bootlegs and demos. Many times people in this forum mention songs that I haven't ever heard. I have never been to a Dream Theater concert, for example, and I'm not sure I will ever go (I'm not too much into live concerts).

That said, I'd like to make some remarks about my Top 50 list.

1) I used only music from their official discography, including their EP. I'm not counting their covers (like in A Change of Seasons or BC&SL). So no Raw Dog, Cover My Eyes, Bombay Vindaloo... I did it partially because there are many of those songs I just don't know, and I decided to leave all of them out.

2) I'll count the second disk of SDOIT and the first and last tracks of Systematic Chaos as being a single son. There will be no other merges (Fatal Tragedy and Through My Words will be dealt separately, for example).

3) I'm ignoring the songs played live. So, for example, the amazing Portnoy/Rudess duo at Budokan won't help Beyond this Life gaining any position. This is also done because I don't know all of their live songs, and also to keep it straight: what matters is the song released in the album.

4) English isn't my first language, and my vocabulary can be somewhat lacking compared to native speakers. Still, I'll do my best (trying to sound better than Aquiles Priester, for example!) in choosing the words that convey my opinion. Also, some lyrics are specially tough to decipher (looking at you, Innocence Faded). I know I can search lyrics online; I just want to point out that it's unlikely that some lyrics will sound poor/cringeworthy for me, or that they will be ground-breaking.

5) I'm not a musician either! For example, I never figured out what people mean when they complain about Mangini's snare sound... Although I appreciate technicality, I chose many songs because of emotional connections. Still, instrumental parts played a major role in my evaluation.

6) I'm going to release 5 songs at a time, from positions 50 to 11. Then I'll do 4+3+2+1 to the top 10 to keep the suspense a little longer. I'll probably remember you of the whole list at some point (or even update this first post). I'll post the songs daily, eventually skipping a day. There will be 3 honorable mentions. Since I’m counting 103 songs, this means the songs 51 through 53 are exactly the top mediocre songs, hehe! Mediocre at Dream Theater level, of course, since I like them all too!

7) Let me tell how I arrived at the current order of songs. The whole process took over three months. Before making my top 50, I split all the 103 songs in 4 tiers. Turns out it didn’t work well, and I went back to the common method of picking the best songs and keep rearranging them according to taste. I believe I’ve arrived at a final order!

8) Feel free to become trapped in the commentarium!

[fischermasamune]

The honorable mentions, that song what almost made into the top 50. In addition, they are the most median songs of their catalog!

TOP 53-51

53. The Ytse Jam
It’s their first instrumental, with the 80’s sound characteristic of the When Day and Dream Unite songs. It has some nice parts: the whole theme for the first minutes, and them the individual solos. I, however, don’t like what happens after the drum solo; somewhat generic and disconnected with the rest. Still, sometimes I can’t help but internally smile thinking on the main riff, which has its catchiness.

52. Outcry
Number 52 in my list, it is the most average Dream Theater song! This one has some rudessing of Rudess (in the sense of extraneous sounds in the instrumental part). There is some predictability in the wackiness of the middle instrumental section, or at least predictability on when the flow is broken to allow a new pattern to emerge. Still, the section sounds overall nice, and adds to the songs. The lyrics are somewhat cheesy, but I acknowledge their role, and it builds a decent epic song.

51. Lie
Almost a lie that it ended out of the top 50. But turned out there are 50 songs better than Lie. This one is very upfront in its message. I think it is a perfect fit for Awake, capturing the tooone of the album. I would say it doesn’t have many progressive elements until the guitar solo in the end, which is amazing. As a downside, the lyrics are somewhat repetitive.

[mike099]

Welcome and will be following.   Hope you change your mind about seeing the band live.  I live in the southeast US and my best hope to see them is Atlanta, GA.

The honorable mention songs you listed are pretty good songs.  With so many DT songs, tough to narrow to 50. 

[ThatOneGuy2112]

Dig your choice of Chrono as your avatar pic, I gotta say. And for a non-native speaker, your English is really fluent--I don't think anyone is gonna give you flak for any of that.

Will follow. We haven't had one of these in a while.

[OpenYourEyes311]

Dig your choice of Chrono as your avatar pic, I gotta say. And for a non-native speaker, your English is really fluent--I don't think anyone is gonna give you flak for any of that.

Will follow. We haven't had one of these in a while.

All of this.

[Evermind]

Nice choices for honourable mentions, I think those would be close to my Top 50 too, probably somewhere like 55-60th. I used to think Lie is a total failure compared to The Mirror, but it changed a bit after this tour.

[fischermasamune]

Thanks for the comments.

TOP 50-46

50. The Killing Hand
This one is the first of their epics, or their miniepics. To me, it signals what they wanted to be, what they were envisioning: long compositions, with a big chunk of meat inside. This one is more like a lean meat, instrumentally speaking, and has Dominici on vocals, which is quite… different. But all five bandmates did a good job on this song. And as I mentioned, I think it helped shape up the band.

49. Bridges in the Sky
I like this one, but apparently there are so many excellent songs it couldn’t get a better position. I think it was one of the A Dramatic Turn of Events songs that display more clearly the band disposition to play like they used to do, and recover some characteristics that were put a little aside for the two previous albums. Not only on the tone, but also on song structure. So it has the structure one would expect from a Dream Theater song, which I would call epic or miniepic, and I’m not complaining at all. If I’m not mistaken, this is the only song to have Rudess vocals, in a very special way!

48. Along for the Ride
I remember it being my least favorite in my first back-to-back listenings of Dream Theater (the album). I considered too slow, with cheesy lyrics and construction. Well, it’s still my opinion, but now I see some good features in this song. One is the Petrucci’s chocolate cake, which I started to like. In addition, I like the crescendo in energy throughout the song, and now I appreciate it. My favorite part is exactly the start of the synthesizer solo, which sounds wrong and off beat at first, but grew on me.

47. Another Day
Among the Dream Theater elements progressive/metal/ballad (in the lack of better word), ballad would be my last choice, but still I see value in many of them. It doesn’t have hardcore guitar solos but it has emotion, their vocals are spot on and very well integrated with the rest. In general, I think non-founder members perform very well in their debut album. Lyrics aren’t groundbreaking but are fair. Another Day is a straightforward song that accomplishes all it tries to do.

46. Trial of Tears
This one features lyrics by Myung and, as usual, they talk about some general mental states which I imagine reflect him getting mature. The best part, for me, is the second movement, which is the instrumental section. Very solid composition there, it builds up very well. Trial of Tears is surely thought of very highly by many fans. For me, it has three downsides, all connected to each other. One is that it could have more punch on the vocals, especially the third movement. Although enjoyable, I think the song drags a little. And, in an even more personal level, it lacks an emotional bond.

[ThatOneGuy2112]

Great picks. Another Day still remains one of my favorite DT ballads. The melody just gets stuck in my head.

Trial of Tears is amazing. Would definitely be up there in my own rankings.

[Scorpion]

Trial of Tears is about 45 spots too low, but good to see it mentioned. Digging your writeups!

[fischermasamune]

TOP 45-41

45. Erotomania
It’s a collection of many sections. Although themes repeat, some don’t have a logical link. Not a problem; I value the note patterns Dream Theater creates. Erotomania has many interesting musical ideas. My favorite part if the one which starts around 5:28, after the guitar solo and the “drum bridge”. I bet that if a pop artist came with that exact groove it would become a commercial success.

44. Finally Free
This one concludes SFAM, and for its own good it carries some of the lyrical power from previous songs. With traces of Regression and One Last Time (and maybe more songs), this song closes it closes it very well, not only storywise speaking but also in the recapitulation and strengthening of musical themes. The drum outro is another positive feature.

43. On The Backs of Angels
Probably composed to be a return to the origins, specially Images and Words, we have the opportunity to experience a strong and solid song. I imagine they worked hard in polishing this song to make sure it had the best presentation possible as the first single after Portnoy’s departure. The whole intro doesn’t fear the success, and does a good job. I don’t like the vocal melodies though; it sounds commonplace and uncreative.

42. A Change of Seasons
It’s hard not to include twenty-three minutes of Dream Theater. I’m not much into acoustics, and this A Change of Seasons has a slow start. There’s good stuff in the middle, but many times the song lacks in energy. At least it makes the more energetic parts shine! I really don’t like The Crimson Sunset; the whole song is high-pitched, but in this movement it appears worse.

41. The Shattered Fortress
Like Finally Free, this song that borrows some merit from others. The Shattered Fortress concludes the Twelve-Step Suite, and, shall I say, in a great note. It has three parts, all of them are good. It’s also a fun song to sing (even if one sucks at singing like I do). Although it has rap elements (that’s how I'd call Mike’s vocals) which hardly appear in Dream Theater, they appear for the best, making a unique song. It ends with a gift to us: a reprise of the killer The Glass Prison opening.

[ThatOneGuy2112]

Finally Free and A Change of Seasons should be much higher IMO. Definitely some of my favorites by them. Erotomania is a killer instrumental. Not too big on The Shattered Fortress anymore though. It's alright, but has a lot of moments I could do without.

[fischermasamune]

If before I had ToT and ACOS which are high rated by fans (but in my opinion didn't live up to their ambitions), now there are some underdogs.

TOP 40-36

40. Status Seeker
Let’s feel young again. There is a teenager song, not very DT-like, but it’s well-rounded! It’s also catchy; often I’ve catched myself singing it. I can just try to imagine if they were referring to a particular “status seeker” at that time, and if they were famous or influent enough in a way to provoke envy in people next to them.

39. The Great Debate
My natural tendency is to turn away from songs which heavily uses voice samples, and it took me some time to like this songs. Now I think the samples suit the song, not interrupting its flow or anything, and the song itself is very good. The chorus is not very inspired “taking life to save life”. However, the instrumental break starting at 9:37 is one typical of DT: many musical ideas which blend together to make a beautiful part. And I was happy that, this time, it didn’t recap the lyrics as it’s usually done.

38. A Rite of Passage
Almost a single riff throughout the whole song, and it’s a nice riff! Petrucci wouldn’t let us down. This song has no shame of showing itself; I like the general tone. The vocals make a good marriage with the background music, inducing a consistently pleasant experience. And I approve the pair of guitar and keyboard solos; they rock!

37. Beyond This Life
A good moment in SFAM, no doubt. The best part is of course the instrumental section. Impossible not to like first the synthesizer solo, changing patches everytime. To top it off, an unison only Petrucci and Rudess can offer, ending it in a perfect note. Labrie then comes to envelope this gem inside the song.

36. New Millennium
Probably because of keyboards and chapman stick, this song sound peculiar and unique. There’s no fast shredding here but a good groove from start to finish. There’s also a sticky part with the hammer. Finally, the chorus apparently inspired a commercially successful song twelve years later!

[fischermasamune]

I’m going to travel tomorrow and will not be back until Monday.  For this reason, I’ll be publishing ten more songs. I’m truly looking forward to hear your opinions.

TOP 35-31

35. The Root of All Evil
Nothing that speaks to my inside, but lyrics are meaningful, and easy to follow. This song is throughout good; solid ride from start to end. Props to the “wah-wah” keyboard patch in the last chorus.

34. Wait for Sleep
Short and sweet. This song always brings me good sensations: to be light, to be happy, to be free to not worry. The piano theme is nice, and makes the song easily recognizable. This is a song that knows how to use the empty spaces (in time) to create positive feelings.

33. In The Presence of Enemies
This song is a systematic chaos. Any improvisation was calculated. There isn’t much heart in this song: it’s very cerebral. Still, the guys know how to compose an epic, and it’s music for my ears, from the start to the end. It would get a better position if it had a more organic feel.

32. The Spirit Carries On
Almost a staple when we speak of DT. Sure it contributes to SFAM being the best album in my opinion. So we have strong and sentimental lyrics, without any cheese, and a wonderful and touching solo by John Petrucci. I understand the people who cried over this solo in Luna Park. This is not even my top 30, given DT’s fantastic material, but it may be a song to introduce people to the band.

31. Blind Faith
This one is hard to assimilate; quite the opposite from The Spirit Carries On. However, repeated listenings made me a fan of this song. What really shines is the long instrumental song, which lasts almost four minutes; there’s an enjoyable variety on it. The intro and verses are okay, but they are just the complement, or the side dishes of the meal.

[fischermasamune]

TOP 30-26

30. 6:00
The drum minisolo at the start is a winner. And so is the bass line. 6:00 makes me think I found a chest in the attic and I’m verifying its content. What I find is a song which may be old but is full of life and, why not, of personality.

29. False Awakening Suite
Gives me chills. The perfect opening. When I put DT12 on and listen to it, I know it’ll be a good ride. I like the three movements almost alike; given the upbringing feel, the latter ones get more passion that the first. Still, all of them are grandiose and fulfill brilliantly they role.

28. The Count of Tuscany
An excellent and long piece of music! The best moment is, without a doubt, the section from 9:33 to 10:29. Hearing it changed my perception of Dream Theater, and made me realize what is possible to be done in music; it opened my mind. I even tried to play it when I was learning violin, but it was impossible (what was I thinking?). There are other remarkable moments: the intro, especially from 2:30 to 3:32, and the ending, when there are strings coming out of Rudess keys to generate an epic ending. That said, I feel this song drags a little in the verses of the first half; and still, the second half is weaker than the first. I even burnt a CD with only the first 11 minutes (it was a CD with three songs, and I had to cut to fit), and sometimes I skip the song when the long “sliding” guitar solo starts.

27. The Mirror
When this song started on the Breaking the Fourth Wall concert, my friend and I start to headbang immediately. Not technical, but a lot of energy and powah. The riff is just killer. Love the backing vocals, and the Space-Dye Vest section deserves to be mentioned. If it was another band, it’ll be top 10 material. However, there’s so much awesomeness in what follows that this song is lieing here at spot 27.

26. A Nightmare to Remember
Another well-constructed song. I never decided which of the three movements is the best. By movement I mean each five-minute sequence. The first is a train which can’t be stopped; it’s amazing. The second is a beautiful counterweight for the heaviness of the song. The lyrics are touching, are incredibly well sung, with perfect accompaniment, back vocals and instrumentals. The third is famous for the growling at “for the grace of God above, everyone survived”. My favorite part of the third movement are the last verses, when the growling is over; the drum work is so musical.

[ThatOneGuy2112]

Collection of great songs, with the exception of ANTR. It's not bad, but it doesn't wow me nearly as much as it used to. Though I do like the Beautiful Agony section quite a bit.

[chaossystem]

Are we allowed to contribute our own lists on here?

[fischermasamune]

What normally happens is that people create individual threads for their top 50 songs. In those threads, other people comment and give their opinion about the songs mentioned, or anything else they find appropriate.

[chaossystem]

So when do we get your top 25?

[fischermasamune]

Here it is. I was absent for some days, and was very tired to write yesterday. Looking forward to discovering what you think.

TOP 25-21
25. Misunderstood
Not sure why I like this song. I really like the lyrics, and also the strings (emulated by Jordan). The song takes the time to develop, without rushing, becoming more and more full as time goes by. I like the whole part after the last word sang, although I must admit the best part on it are the keyboard notes that become dominant about 7:10, and not the “brushing-like noise”.

24. The Dark Eternal Night
A fun song. The riff is stick, in the best way you can take it, and I like the aggressive tone of the song. TDEN has a lot of contagious energy, and the drum lines are fantastically cool. The instrumental part at the middle is pure awesomeness from start to finish. It took me a while to like the outro, but it is a good way to discharge all the build-up power. Some people would dismiss the lyrics; I think they are good enough.

23. The Enemy Inside
Now the songs become almost flawless. TEI tells you what it is upfront: a heavy metal song. I really approve the “can-not-breathe” intro. It has consistent lyrics, and the chorus is great. Amazing also is the guitar solo approaching the end of the solo. The song ends in a good note, and adds well to DT12.

22. This is the Life
I really like the DT songs which build up, and this one does a great job on it. Every time the themes return, they are stronger. What a wide and powerful sound. Don’t know how to refer to the keyboard patch at 2:08, but it is part of what makes this song a divine gift. The piano also contributes positively for the mood of the song: a proof that one doesn’t need to play twenty notes per second to make a brilliant composition (but I must admit that it may help ).

21. The Best of Times
A really touching song idealized by Portnoy. It is honest and tells us a beautiful story. The lyrics may have some repetitions (someone once even made Portnoy angry by mentioning the abuse of the word “day” in this song), but the truth is that the lyrics are direct and uplifting: a great job. The violin intro (probably made on keyboards) speaks to the heart. And I couldn’t forget to mention what I consider the best guitar solo outro in all Dream Theater catalog. I’m looking forward to having a live version of The Best of Times, especially because of that solo.

[fischermasamune]

More songs of my favorite album appear. And together, because they wanted and nobody can say no to them.

TOP 20-16

20. Surrounded
A gem in Images and Words that sometimes go ignored. I like the variety in this song. Some piano at the start, some normal guitar following the first verse, the jazzy guitar in the middle minute which is the best of all, and some typical Moore in the last verse. Also, the 4-note pattern that defines Surrounded is a hit. Last but not least, James shines in this song, especially when approaching the end.

19. The Bigger Picture
A concise composition from their last album. At the first listen, wouldn’t seem so special. But the true is that The Bigger Picture is very well composed, and feels like an epic, but shorter. It has a powerful chorus, lyrically and melodically. This is one of the few songs which has the chorus as their best part. It has also a beautiful guitar solo in the very middle, just for the music to return stronger and fuller. This is another song I’d like to see live.

18. Home
Home has a lot of qualities. One is Rudess’ wah-wah, which appear in the intro but even more brilliantly in the outro. Another is Rudess’ sitar patch, which helps define Home and somehow fits the lyrics. This is one of the few top 20 songs having shortcomings: it has some moaning which can be embarrassing some times, and I would say it’s completely unnecessary. Also, the lyrics and main vocals are somewhat… lazy. Luckily, there’s a lot of fat in Home to make up for that. One is the backing vocals love-deceit-death, which I only discovered recently, while visiting another thread of DTF. But the best virtue of Home is the instrumental break, which starts after all fifty-three seconds of moaning! Hard to say who rules more: Rudess or Petrucci. Two timeless solos, with a good recap and a killing outro, which keeps everything hanging!

17. Overture 1928
A collection of rhythmic patterns and melodies, like Erotomania and False Awakening Suite, but better. Overture 1928 speaks to my feelings. Partially because it was the second DT song I ever heard, and partially because this song r-o-c-k-s. Like FAS, it becomes greater and greater as it progresses. It is a great showcase of interesting beats and melodies slowly but steady; they seem to naturally develop into each other. Definitively, Overture 1928 delivers everything one may want. At the end of it, I’m ready for anything in the world, including another masterpiece called…

16. Strange Déjà Vu
The third Dream Theater song I ever heard. Listening to this song, I realized music was more than what I used to think. Probably one of highlights for me, mindblowing at that time and still cool, is the double bass pedal work by Mike Portnoy. I’m not very sure how it’s done, but I know that it adds immensely to the sound: so groovy. Amazing also is when things get serious, at 2:37; awesome guitar riff, with drums contributing significantly. After it, the song becomes even more catchy, perfect to sing in the bathroom, doesn’t matter what one is doing there. I’m a great admirer of this song.

[ThatOneGuy2112]

All great songs in this latest update. TBP's spot is certainly deserved, as well as any song from SFAM.

[npiazza91]

Really happy to see TBP and especially SDV this high u[.  Great picks!

[adamack]

Thanks for the list man!

Your English seems really good, despite you thinking that your vocabulary is lacking. Better than most forum-goers who have English as a second language.

I like your list so far. The only points we differ largely on are that I'd have ACoS, Finally Free, OTBoA, and BITS much higher, with Finally Free being a top 3 song for me, and Seasons being top 6 or so. The others I mentioned would probably b top 25 or so.

Anyway though, great songs you have here. Great to see Home, Strange Deja Vu, and Overture all in the top 20! 

[fischermasamune]

Thanks for all the comments. Now the songs that are almost Top 10. There’s no SFAM this time; however, nothing could avoid the amalgamation of three tracks #7. And although I spent some time criticizing them, more than I’ve done before, many are the second best of their albums.

TOP 15-11

15. The Glass Prison
One of the best intros in DT catalog; all parts of it kick ass. The crescendo in drums is great, and Petrucci solo is incredibly good. The main theme (the one that reappears in TSF) is fantastic. Again, I think Portnoy’s “cookie” back vocals are very well placed. This is some of few songs whose longer instrumental break, which happens after 10 minutes, isn’t as phenomenal as it could be. At least we get a nice drum part in the last verse. Anyway, the intro makes up for it, and it is the reason that song scores so high.

14. In The Name of God
As many others from TOT, it seems it could use more thought. Like when it takes some time to things to settle, and they finally achieve the best among the possibilities. Even so, it still has a great power. I like when the music slows down and there’s highlight for… piano and choir, if I’m not mistaken. Lyrics are straight to the point; some rhymes could be subtler but it’s okay. The unison is nice and everything, with a great teamwork, but for me the greatest moment is when the song seems to be ending, at the10:24 mark, but does not. We get the chorus again, and this one seems the best iteration of them. Then the song threatens to finish again, but follows for a while, for our happiness. Then we get the “service” part, which is an awesome unorthodox section. ITNOG has definitively its ending as its strongest point.

13. Lines in the Sand
Another fantastic intro; this time, the hero is mainly Derek, but it has awesome assistance: the addition Portnoy makes to the intro is magnanimous. But my admiration from LITS doesn’t drink from a single fountain; the song is throughout good. Sometiiiimes it doesn’t sound too much DT as Pink Floyd, which is okay since Pink Floyd is great too. For example, 5:34-7:28 is incredibly good, a fantastic break. The general atmosphere is different from an average song, with maybe more repetitions than usual and almost no shredding. Finally, when we approach the end, on 9:44, we are happy, and still we continue to be delighted with their musicianship. Great bass there. To conclude, LITS is perfect. Since it didn’t make it to the top 10, let’s say it is the worst of their thirteen Tier 1 songs.

12. Surrender to Reason
Other song which I long to watch live. It isn’t perfect – I question the acoustic guitar every time. But apart from it, wow!!! I was worried about Dream Theater future when Portnoy left, and didn’t like ADTOE much. DT12 made me sure Dream Theater still has a lot of gems for us. Lyric wise, it is great contribution by JM, going on the line of LTL/TOT/BAI. The bass is very audible through this song, and is great, creating nice melodies (sometimes in the background, sometimes the main instrument after the vocals). This is Myung Midas touch. The drums are also spot on. Keyboards are somewhat buried in, what is okay to happen, and the guitar nails it every time it takes the lead. STS also builds, and builds it very well, with the ending coming after a glorious path. Wonderful song.

11. Voices
In my first listens of Awake, I would consider one among the worst. It starts with modesty, like if it was just another song. But it’s not. The main character here is Labrie. I’m sure hadn’t he sung this song so well, in interpretation and voice quality, it wouldn’t be so special. I couldn’t overstate Labrie’s contribution to Voices. To pick a moment, I always remember how he sings “window”. The lyrics are very well crafted, having the right levels of concreteness and abstraction. The tapes and backing vocals help a bunch to set the mood, and I like them even more since I heard them isolated (credits to The Great Pretender). When it’s Petrucci’s time to solo, he makes me think: this is not reality. Finally, one should not forget the intro, which is modest but very pleasant, and Petrucci’s chords, especially during the “I’m lying here in bed” verse, which are played at the right speed and frequency.

[yeah_93]

Nice 15-11, though Surrender To Reason is a rather strange choice.

[fischermasamune]

The impression I have is that STR (and not STS like I wrote above) has received a lot of praise from the fans.

[ThatOneGuy2112]

LITS and Voices are definitely top 20 material.

I like it, but I don't think STR would rank that high for me, at least in nearing the top 10.

[fischermasamune]

All of the following are Tier 1 songs. It’s very hard to compare songs with different lengths, especially when they have so much quality material. Sometimes, one needs to take also quality density besides quantity into account. In the end, that is the order I came up with.

TOP 10-7
10. Scarred
Scarred is a unique song, which evades the common classifications. Sometimes it feels like being from the old Egypt, or some desert where sand is blown by the wind. It has some similarities with The Killer Hand, but classes and classes above. Like in Voices, James Labrie truly lends its soul to the song, which has a very vivid character. Instrumentally, it is quiet; at least shows JLB bandmates know how to play in the correct dynamic. To be fair, when it kicks in, it comes for good, with both KM and JP solos. Finally, the ending is very good. I admire Portnoy addition to it; it is a unique and memorable twist.

09. Fatal Tragedy
I like the whole combination of tones that make up the sound of SFAM. I mean, guitar, keys, drums, bass and vocals blend together very well, and this happens also in Fatal Tragedy. I like the chorus; this is one of the few DT songs whose chorus is very good. Finally, the most important part of the song: the ending is possibly the best energetic outro of DT catalog! Has power, groove, keyboard and guitar solos competing to be the most amazing; in my opinion, JR wins by some margin. And we have a killer, stupendous unison, with the main player being the… bass. The bass line is gold in that section. Summarizing, most of the merit of FT comes from the ending, which is about half of the song, making it a fair deal to me.

08. Breaking All Illusions
I really like the intro melody; it was the first reason I got hooked up to BAI. It’s not its only trick, though; the bass groove that follows is exceptionally cool; it’s so good to hear Myung cranking up his bass. Lyrics are okay to support the song, but they aren’t groundbreaking. Finally, I should mention the long Petrucci solo, which is awesomeness from start to finish. It helped to construct the mature nature of the song, which I appreciate. In my opinion, BAI is a great (and obvious) return to their origins, more specifically I&W.

07. Octavarium
Firstly, the intro is superb; I really like all the development, passing from the flute to the acoustic guitar. The song drags a little until, but in the middle of Medicate it starts growing, and doesn’t stop. We have one of the best Rudess keyboards solos exactly at the start of the next movement. Full Circle is full of “assimultaneous harmonies”, and Intervals, though is somewhat weak lyrically, has an instrumental break with one of the nicest fast solos in Petrucci career. There’s a powerful orchestrated return to the theme, which is when we start to understand the grand scheme of things, and that the whole song connects, the beginning to the end. Finally, Razor’s Edge has one of most soulful slow Petrucci solos; it is a masterpiece among the guitar solos. I’m a big fan of Octavarium; I think the whole idea was well executed, and, when needed, they abdicated of coherence (like having an infinite song) in favor of music composition, which is more important after all.

[lucky7]

I am glad Octavarium made your Top 10, some interesting selections, you have obviously put a lot of thought into your list and it is a great read.....I am not too confident Hell's Kitchen will be in your Top 6....but here's hoping! 

[ThatOneGuy2112]

All of those are fantastic choices. Scarred and Octavarium have got to be top 5 choices for me, and Breaking All Illusions well within the top 10.

[fischermasamune]

Sorry for the delay – I was traveling during the weekend, and I had a lot of material to listen before writing it up. Again there are songs with very distinct lengths, and ordering them was difficult. Someway, lucky7 guessed correctly!

TOP 6-4

06. Hell’s Kitchen
Surprisingly or not, truth is that I adore Hell’s Kitchen. I like the alternative, light sound – there are no metal elements in HK. It also sounds very well, with each instrument having its fair share among the sound waves. It has catchy phrases and themes – as examples, the one starting at 2:12 or the one which follows, starting at 2:47, but not only them: I think every single riff, any single second of HK is awesome. I also think the outro is one of the best traditional DT endings. It’s a shame we don’t have a live version with the band. Hell’s Kitchen is so good that it could make Burning My Soul be top 50 hadn’t it been cut off. As a whole, HK is fantastic. What a song!

05. Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence
SDOIT is gigantic not only in size but as in spirit. The whole thematic album idea is great, and was extremely well-executed, lyrically and musically. I would say Overture, About to Crash, About to Crash (reprise) and Losing Time/Grand Finale are the ones contributing the most for SDOIT epicness. The level of energy is well distributed among the songs, with Goodnight Kiss interrupting the power, which returns fully at About to Crash (Reprise). I will analyze the tracks, or movements, separately. First, Overture is amazing – better than Overture 1928 and False Awakening Suite. Everything on About the Crash is great – especially the piano playing, and the two-minute instrumental part at the end. War Inside My Head is a good rocker, or a good “metaler”, and prepares us to one which is even better: The Test That Stumped Them All. I really love the initial fast start – the one Jordan commented on having to program different keys to sound the same note. In general Portnoy’s lyrics in SDOIT are weaker than Petrucci’s but they do their job. It ends in a cool instrumental part – and shall I say, Rudess is a great player. The first half of Goodnight Kiss is an example of how not to do a ballad – it’s just too slow, too mellow, At least the second part is very cool, full of feeling, and transitions wonderfully to Solitary Shell. SS starts with a Mario-&-Luigi-like theme, and everything is better – lyrics, vocal lines, instrumental accompaniment. Musically, it sounds tropical from the start to end. Finally, the ending is fantastically good. It has a jazzy feel, from all players. About to Crash (reprise) is very consistent, but it is beautiful in its own, and only make the suite more magnificent. The tone there is perfect, and the conduction is brilliant. Losing Time/Grand Finale concentrates a good chunk of the energy of the song, and is one serious good candidate for best movement. The final verses are a powerful blow; Labrie can sum it all up very well, delivering all energy stored. The drum fill and gong are also epic, a perfect conclusion for a masterpiece.

04. Learning to Live
I think Dream Theater has three creativity peaks in their career – one is during I&W and Awake, other is from SFAM to SDOIT, while the third starts at DT12, and I rationalize as consequences of the new members joining in. Learning to Live is a perfect example of prime composition. LTL is also a good option for introducing someone to Dream Theater, as it doesn’t have any weak points. Its lyrics are gold; they are deep and mature, and a strong aspect of LTL. Maybe the best lyrics of all. Musically, the song gradually grows, and it uses all its minutes very well. Every note seems to be thought through; nothing is rushed or out of place. It starts greatly, with the bass having some space to roll on, similarly to BAI, but even better and more notably. The song has Labrie’s prestigious F#, giving it an extra emotional dimension – the whole part transmits the idea of epicness, along with the guitar solo which segues, which is incredibly soulful. We should also highlight the WFS theme, which improves not only LTL but I&W as a whole. The ending is very cool, from the boss bass line immediately after the last verse all the way to the end. And I approve the fading out.

[ThatOneGuy2112]

Again, great update.

I've really warmed up to Hell's Kitchen. It's definitely one of DT's best instrumentals. Six Degrees lies in the lower half of their epics for me but I still enjoy it on the occasional spin, and Learning to Live is an all-time DT classic. Don't think many are gonna dispute that.

[yeah_93]

Breaking All Illusions and Learning to Live are solid choices.

[fischermasamune]

I was expecting other reactions for Hell's Kitchen. I wouldn't guess it had such penetration in fan hearts (I know, I know, only 3 people). It may sound bland or generic for the first listen, but after some time the encompassing harmony stands up.

[The Holy Tune]

Hell's Kitchen is just below TDOE in my instrumentals list, and both would make in my top 10. God I love that song, especially with the bells Jordan put at the Instrumedley's ending. Also 8VM and 6DOIT might need to swap their places

Jokes aside, it's being a great list so far. Have seen songs that I wouldn't have thought of getting into my top 25 or so. Can't wait for the top 3!