Author Topic: A Thank You to Dream Theater (from a new guy)  (Read 2896 times)

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Offline Illethal

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A Thank You to Dream Theater (from a new guy)
« on: April 05, 2015, 10:44:11 AM »
Hi all,

I just wanted to start off by saying that i'm fairly new here and fairly new to DT as a whole. And I'm sorry for such a long post.

I just really needed a good venue to express how much I appreciate DTs music, and how much it has helped me over the last couple of months. I have been going through a tough time in my life as I approach nearly being 30, between a sudden breakup of my last gf and lots of thoughts about my overall future. Emotional issues that have caused me to lose 25lbs+ in less than two months. It almost seems like i'm hitting my "quarter-life crisis" a little later than some people haha. So needless to say, i've been a wreck.

Over the last few years I was a "causal" DT fan. I only knew maybe one or two songs (songs like CM and PA), that I had in my music rotation. My overall music tastes mostly surrounds around rock and metal, any type really. I love good melodies, good vocals. I'm not too picky about it, as long as it sounds good. I'm not a musician so I can't say I can fully "appreciate" the talent that goes into some bands (like DT), but I can definitely understand it as I know its not easy, and its very unique.

The last month or so, I have been listening to DT almost non-stop. Any time I feel kind of in a depressed mood, overcome by my thoughts, I just blast pretty much any album and it helps me calm down better than anything else I have tried. Nearly every morning, I start my day listening to "Panic Attack", which actually calms me down on some of those mornings when I feel like I have an actual panic attack oncoming. Its been my escape from reality and my thoughts.

I drive a car with a really nice 5.1 DVD-A surround system, so I have really been using it as best I can (I bought SC in 5.1, and have a couple live DT DVDs that I play often). The sound system in my car is better than anything I have at home so lately I have been spending a lot of time there.

The emotions I feel while listening to some of the songs, how I can feel the passion behind the music, and the meaning by the lyrics, it gives me chills and really affects me as a whole. Its just that feeling you get thats hard to explain. There have been times where i've just sat in my car for an hour or longer just blasting DT. Sometimes i'll play other bands, but I always end up switching back to DT.

One of the main reasons I'm so glad I found is community is because I don't have many friends that know about DT, so I don't have anyone close to really share my appreciation of the band. Seeing this community and how active it is really brought a smile to my face. I have been kind of a lurker on this community, but reading the opinions of fellow DT fans, and learning about some other more obscure songs has also really helped me grow a bigger appreciation of this band.

I hope at some point to actually see DT live. If I do, I know i'll probably be so overcome with emotion. I live in FL, and I think the last time there were here was years ago.

So, I just wanted to send a big thank you to Dream Theater, and this community. It has been, and continues to be, a huge help in my life. I look forward to getting to know a lot of you guys! I'm sorry if this post was all over the place, It was just a big dump of my emotions that i've had for a while, and I don't have many people in my life that would probably understand this as well as the community here.

Also if you guys have any other suggestions of some lesser known or obscure DT songs for me to listen to, or what songs you play to help escape from reality, I would definitely be interested in knowing. I'm an open book thats still trying to fully go through the DT catalog.

Offline TheSilentHam

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Re: A Thank You to Dream Theater (from a new guy)
« Reply #1 on: April 05, 2015, 11:38:35 AM »
 :tup Welcome to the family!

Offline mike099

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Re: A Thank You to Dream Theater (from a new guy)
« Reply #2 on: April 05, 2015, 11:58:57 AM »
Welcome!  Each night I listen to my ipod before going to sleep and almost always play trial of tears and surrounded.  At work, the first thing I listen to is the symphonic tribute to DT.  You can listen on  youtube for free.  Also, check out some other bands like Porcupine Tree, Steven Wilson and Redemption.
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Offline mikemangioy

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Re: A Thank You to Dream Theater (from a new guy)
« Reply #3 on: April 05, 2015, 12:12:54 PM »
Man, welcome! Nice story there. If you search for emotional music you have to check bands like Porcupine Tree (or Steven Wilson as a solo artist).
Because Mike is better than Mike

Offline RJ86

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Re: A Thank You to Dream Theater (from a new guy)
« Reply #4 on: April 05, 2015, 01:59:01 PM »
Don't know where you are at with you mood.. But mine made a drastic switch around 1992. I was in my early 20's. I had just gone through, not a bad break up, but one that should have never really happened. Hard to explain, but to this day we are still very close friends and there are still some deep feelings. It was just bad timing for the both of us.
Anyway, I realized later on that the song was about AIDS, but, LEARNING TO LIVE was my pinnacle moment with Dream Theater. I didn't like the new singer, he sounded like everyone else at the time. I thought some of the songs were a bit to "pop"... But at some point I was a few beers into my evening, half asleep on the couch, and LEARNING TO LIVE was playing. It was the outro that really caught my attention. I kept scanning the CD back and re-listening to it over and over and over again. By the end of the night it became my favorite song ever. Even though I misunderstood the meaning of the song, at that time, I heard it as letting go of your demons/past/bad thoughts and moving on with your life.. Learn to live!
It is still probably my single most listened to song ever. It is melodic, meaningful, inspired, and is really well planned out. I still go through periods in my life and play it repeatedly.
It is not an escape from reality, but rather a song to inspire you to get a grip and move on. There is a lot of life worth seeing and living.

"Through nature's inflexible grace, I'm Learning to Live!"

Offline fischermasamune

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Re: A Thank You to Dream Theater (from a new guy)
« Reply #5 on: April 05, 2015, 02:16:40 PM »
Did Myung ever said LTL was about AIDS?

Offline RJ86

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Re: A Thank You to Dream Theater (from a new guy)
« Reply #6 on: April 05, 2015, 02:28:07 PM »
Did Myung ever said LTL was about AIDS?

Yeah, I should probably rephrase that.. "the internet claims the song is about AIDS, I saw it much differently"
I have never heard that the song was about AIDS, other than from the internet, which was well after I felt the meaning of the song in my eyes/ears. So, in my mind, it still speaks to me the way it was originally heard in 1992. :)

Offline TheOutlawXanadu

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Re: A Thank You to Dream Theater (from a new guy)
« Reply #7 on: April 05, 2015, 02:42:00 PM »
Always fun to see a new fan falling in love with the band's music. Welcome!
:TOX: <-- My own emoticon!

Offline BlobVanDam

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Re: A Thank You to Dream Theater (from a new guy)
« Reply #8 on: April 05, 2015, 03:19:36 PM »
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 jjrock88

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Re: A Thank You to Dream Theater (from a new guy)
« Reply #9 on: April 05, 2015, 06:58:26 PM »
welcome

Offline commanderbob

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Re: A Thank You to Dream Theater (from a new guy)
« Reply #10 on: April 05, 2015, 07:14:06 PM »
Welcome from a fan since 1994!

Offline Illethal

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Re: A Thank You to Dream Theater (from a new guy)
« Reply #11 on: April 05, 2015, 07:25:39 PM »
:tup Welcome to the family!

:welcome:

Thank you! I definitely "manginied' a little bit when my registration was finally approved after about a week of waiting  :lol

And thanks to everyone else for your kind welcome.

@RJ86, Learning to Live is definitely another great song, though I still don't think i've listening to it enough to fully appreciate it. But now I definitely will, thanks for sharing your story  :tup

Offline RaiseTheKnife

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Re: A Thank You to Dream Theater (from a new guy)
« Reply #12 on: April 06, 2015, 01:12:46 AM »
Did Myung ever said LTL was about AIDS?

Yeah, I should probably rephrase that.. "the internet claims the song is about AIDS, I saw it much differently"
I have never heard that the song was about AIDS, other than from the internet, which was well after I felt the meaning of the song in my eyes/ears. So, in my mind, it still speaks to me the way it was originally heard in 1992. :)

Old band interviews and Rich' book both confirmed the song is about the AIDS epidemic.

Offline Counselor of Prog

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Re: A Thank You to Dream Theater (from a new guy)
« Reply #13 on: April 06, 2015, 01:27:56 AM »
Welcome!!  :tup
"The only closed systems in the universe are hardened hearts and darkened minds." Scott Becker, Valley of the Shadow

Offline AngelBack

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Re: A Thank You to Dream Theater (from a new guy)
« Reply #14 on: April 06, 2015, 08:12:26 AM »
Welcome!  I think many of us find comfort in DT's music.  It is emotional and the lyrics, while sometimes venting some of life's frustrations, tend to lead us to seek answers and know they are out there.  I do not think I would feel quite the same about DT if they wrote sex, drugs and rock and roll.
But the arc of your life will still be profound

Offline SuperTaco

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Re: A Thank You to Dream Theater (from a new guy)
« Reply #15 on: April 06, 2015, 08:46:42 AM »
I love these kinds of stories about Dream Theater. Music is all about creating positive energy.

As far as a recommendation, I guess I'd go with the Scenes From A Memory/Six Degrees Of Inner Turbulence albums. There are gems on every DT record though. I suggest that you put aside ample time for each record, listen to them from start to finish, and figure out which sonic atmospheres really resonate with your heart. Those two that I mentioned are especially special IMHO.
So fking tired of being an oversensitive naive moronic fkin bitch. I CANT STOP IT. I CANT CHANGE. IM STUCK. This world eats me alive. My purpose is simply to be what others shouldn't be. A shriveled fking beacon of sad energy. I have lost. I am lost.

Offline Illethal

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Re: A Thank You to Dream Theater (from a new guy)
« Reply #16 on: April 08, 2015, 08:39:23 AM »
I love these kinds of stories about Dream Theater. Music is all about creating positive energy.

As far as a recommendation, I guess I'd go with the Scenes From A Memory/Six Degrees Of Inner Turbulence albums. There are gems on every DT record though. I suggest that you put aside ample time for each record, listen to them from start to finish, and figure out which sonic atmospheres really resonate with your heart. Those two that I mentioned are especially special IMHO.

Its funny you mention those two albums, as those are probably the two i've listened to the least amount, except for songs like TGP. I'll definitely give them a good listen as they seem to be highly regarded here by the fans.

The current song i've been listening to a lot to is The Shattered Fortress. I love the reprise of the earlier songs in the suite (The Root of All Evil was my original favorite song of the suite).

I feel like I have a very short attention span at times, so I always avoided a lot of these longer songs by the band just due to the possibility of losing interest. But boy was I wrong. Now I play songs like Octavarium, or ITPOE pt 1 and 2 (I play pt 1 and 2 back to back), without batting an eye. Those epics really are an emotional roller coaster and really keep you engaged.

Thank you to everyone again for your kind welcome.  :)

Offline SuperTaco

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Re: A Thank You to Dream Theater (from a new guy)
« Reply #17 on: April 09, 2015, 09:08:42 AM »

Thank you to everyone again for your kind welcome.  :)

Happy to help guide another fan :) The Shattered Fortress still gets stuck in my head all the time. One of the many DT songs that seem to rotate through my mind xD
So fking tired of being an oversensitive naive moronic fkin bitch. I CANT STOP IT. I CANT CHANGE. IM STUCK. This world eats me alive. My purpose is simply to be what others shouldn't be. A shriveled fking beacon of sad energy. I have lost. I am lost.

Offline mike099

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Re: A Thank You to Dream Theater (from a new guy)
« Reply #18 on: April 09, 2015, 11:19:52 AM »
Most folks around here are not fond of The Shattered Fortress.  When I am in a heavy/rocking mood I like this song and Honor Thy Father.
Quote from: Flying BIZKIT

Yeah, I hate when I visit the local circus and all they fucking play is Haken.