The best bass playing in a DT studio album

[erwinrafael]

What is your favorite bass playing performance for an album (not an individual song) in the DT catalogue? With John Myung's outstanding work, I imagine it would be really hard to select just one, so I am allowing up to three options to be selected.

Here are my top three:

1. Scenes from a Memory - this is John Myung at his best. I listened to the full album this morning and I love how he made his presence felt in all the songs. Rhythmic and playful at the same time, it has a lot of signature moments. He had tasty licks in Overture 1928 and Strange Deja Vu. He carried the band in Fatal Tragedy, Beyond This Life, and Home with outstanding rhythmic playing that's full of character, not merely duplicating Petrucci's rhythm guitars. Even the slow songs like The Spirit Carries On, One Last Time and Through Her Eyes are played beautifully with a distinctive voice. I would even go out on a limb that the technically difficult The Dance of Eternity is the second least impressive bass playing in the album (he basically did a lot of duplication of what the other instruments are doing outside his solo), and for me that's just how good the bass playing in SFAM is.

2. Falling into Infinity - this is quite close to what Myung did in Scenes from a Memory. I think Falling into Infinity is a breakthrough for Myung as this, for me, is where he found the balance between being rhythmic and playful. Highlights for me are Trial of Tears (possibly the best bass playing in an individual DT song, with only Octavarium as a close contender), Peruvian Skies (love love love how he played the bass in the stanzas, so full of character), the aggressive rhythm in Burning My Soul , and the use of the chapman stick in New Millennium. Heck, he played amazing bass even in DTF-hated songs You Not Me and Just Let Me Breathe.

3. Dream Theater - this is a different animal for Myung. While my first two choices are examples of the balance between rhythm and playfulness, Myung's bass playing in Dream Theater is a mix of rhythm and aggression. Not playfulness, but in-your-face aggression. The booming Taurus-pedals in TLG, the "duets" with JR (Along for the Ride) and JP (Illumination Theory and TLG), the way he carried the rhythm along with MM in Enigma Machine and Behind the Veil are amazing. And, of course, Surrender to Reason, which is the best bass playing in a DT song in a long while. The aggression in the instrumental section was  .

[CharlesPL]

WDaDU, IaW, FII

[BlobVanDam]

IaW, FII, SFAM.

[?]

1. FII
2. Awake
3. Images

[genome]

In before "I don't know, I can't hear him" 

[Zydar]

I don't know, I can't hear him.

[Dream Team]

WDADU is the only correct answer, and also the only album where he's audible consistently.

[jonnybaxy]

... They have a Bassist? 

 

[hefdaddy42]

1. FII
2. Awake
3. Images

[mikeyd23]

IaW, FII, SFAM.

I'd agree with this, these are the albums that jumped to mind as ones where his parts are unique, creative, and can stand alone away from JP's guitar lines on their own.

[goo-goo]

What is your favorite bass playing performance for an album (not an individual song) in the DT catalogue? With John Myung's outstanding work, I imagine it would be really hard to select just one, so I am allowing up to three options to be selected.

Here are my top three:

1. Scenes from a Memory - this is John Myung at his best. I listened to the full album this morning and I love how he made his presence felt in all the songs. Rhythmic and playful at the same time, it has a lot of signature moments. He had tasty licks in Overture 1928 and Strange Deja Vu. He carried the band in Fatal Tragedy, Beyond This Life, and Home with outstanding rhythmic playing that's full of character, not merely duplicating Petrucci's rhythm guitars. Even the slow songs like The Spirit Carries On, One Last Time and Through Her Eyes are played beautifully with a distinctive voice. I would even go out on a limb that the technically difficult The Dance of Eternity is the second least impressive bass playing in the album (he basically did a lot of duplication of what the other instruments are doing outside his solo), and for me that's just how good the bass playing in SFAM is.

2. Falling into Infinity - this is quite close to what Myung did in Scenes from a Memory. I think Falling into Infinity is a breakthrough for Myung as this, for me, is where he found the balance between being rhythmic and playful. Highlights for me are Trial of Tears (possibly the best bass playing in an individual DT song, with only Octavarium as a close contender), Peruvian Skies (love love love how he played the bass in the stanzas, so full of character), the aggressive rhythm in Burning My Soul , and the use of the chapman stick in New Millennium. Heck, he played amazing bass even in DTF-hated songs You Not Me and Just Let Me Breathe.

3. Dream Theater - this is a different animal for Myung. While my first two choices are examples of the balance between rhythm and playfulness, Myung's bass playing in Dream Theater is a mix of rhythm and aggression. Not playfulness, but in-your-face aggression. The booming Taurus-pedals in TLG, the "duets" with JR (Along for the Ride) and JP (Illumination Theory and TLG), the way he carried the rhythm along with MM in Enigma Machine and Behind the Veil are amazing. And, of course, Surrender to Reason, which is the best bass playing in a DT song in a long while. The aggression in the instrumental section was  .

I would add Awake to this list, but pretty much my thoughts. FII also some Chapman Stick playing by Myung...probably the only time he will use it

[erik16]

I'm going with WDADU, FII and DT. He has so many cool lines on the first album and he's very audible. And a lot of the times he's doing something melanholic, which he doesn't do a lot.

FII has less agression than most DT albums, so JM has more room. JM has so many cool grooves going on, in NM, LITS and TOT.

DT has power and individuality. This is the JM that suits best for the 'modern' DT. STR, EM and IT are standouts for me there.

[JayOctavarium]

Scenes and Dream n Day.


Voted for WDaDU

[erwinrafael]

WDADU is the only correct answer, and also the only album where he's audible consistently.

Myung is very audible in FII and DT. And even SFAM and SDOIT.

Surprised that BC&SL got votes. Myung was barely audible in that record. Not because of the prod, but I always felt that Myung's playing there is timid, for some reason.

Images and Words is leading. I guess I should not be surprised.

I'm going with WDADU, FII and DT. He has so many cool lines on the first album and he's very audible. And a lot of the times he's doing something melanholic, which he doesn't do a lot.

He did a lot of melancholic playing outside WDADU, particularly in Through Her Eyes, the stanzas of Peruvian Skies, Misunderstood, and Anna Lee. Myung is amazing with his range of styles.

[OsMosis2259]

IaW, FII, SFAM.

[Train of Naught]

1. ToT
2. Awake
3. I&W

Surprised ToT only has 5 votes so far.

[Cable]

Surprised ToT only has 5 votes so far.

While I love ToT and its direction, and probably say it's top 5, it's cannot touch WDADU, I&W, Awake and SFAM for me. I think what really helps him on the album is the mix actually gave him justice, despite being right in the middle of all the crunch.

It should get more respect, and the more I think about it, the more great parts he does have. Sure, it's not Ytsejam, LSOAD and so on like. But he has AIA intro, TDS chromatic unison section, writing Vacant, SOC ending, and the unison samba part of INTOG to name the obvious.

But, I could not pick those ToT parts over the best parts of LSOAD, Scarred, Voices, PMU, Metropolis and so on.

[Train of Naught]

Surprised ToT only has 5 votes so far.

While I love ToT and its direction, and probably say it's top 5, it's cannot touch WDADU, I&W, Awake and SFAM for me. I think what really helps him on the album is the mix actually gave him justice, despite being right in the middle of all the crunch.

It should get more respect, and the more I think about it, the more great parts he does have. Sure, it's not Ytsejam, LSOAD and so on like. But he has AIA intro, TDS chromatic unison section, writing Vacant, SOC ending, and the unison samba part of INTOG to name the obvious.

But, I could not pick those ToT parts over the best parts of LSOAD, Scarred, Voices, PMU, Metropolis and so on.

Hmm yeah I agree, but like you said, those parts in ITNOG and SOC for instance, they're not just great but they are also very easy to notice, so it's the first thing that comes to my mind.