Author Topic: SFAM ----> DT 12 Ranked and Reviewed  (Read 19766 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline Rodni Demental

  • Posts: 1113
  • Gender: Male
Re: 95 Dream theater songs ranked and reviewed.
« Reply #70 on: October 26, 2015, 01:59:20 AM »
I actually heard about Chaos in Motion (and songs there) before I even got to know about Score, and BTFW wasn't out yet. So, it's... possible.

True that, I discovered the band in '09 around the time of BC&SL and I think some of the first live stuff I delved into was Chaos in Motion as it was representing a lot of the modern songs that I was more familiar with. Was aware of Score but didn't get it immediately 'cause the songs seemed unfamiliar. I think the next one I heard was Livetime, which might not be the best live release either but I really enjoyed all the references/mini-covers and extra tidbits in the songs.

Offline KevShmev

  • EZBoard Elder
  • *****
  • Posts: 41963
  • Gender: Male
Re: 95 Dream theater songs ranked and reviewed.
« Reply #71 on: October 31, 2015, 12:51:20 PM »
Are you going to review Eve as the last track of Awake?

 ???

Why would he review it as the last track of Awake when it's not the last track of Awake?

Offline KevShmev

  • EZBoard Elder
  • *****
  • Posts: 41963
  • Gender: Male
Re: 95 Dream theater songs ranked and reviewed.
« Reply #72 on: October 31, 2015, 12:52:05 PM »
Oh, and good write-ups, OP.  I am reading and not really replying, but good stuff. :tup :tup

Offline Train of Naught

  • I sympathize, with a cockroach
  • Posts: 8008
  • Gender: Male
  • .....and a cockroach
Re: 95 Dream theater songs ranked and reviewed.
« Reply #73 on: October 31, 2015, 12:53:52 PM »
people on this board are actual music fans who developed taste in music and not casual listeners who are following current fashion trends and listening to only current commercial hits.

Offline James Mypetgiress

  • Posts: 740
  • Call me Dani. I have grown to hate this username.
Re: 95 Dream theater songs ranked and reviewed.
« Reply #74 on: November 01, 2015, 04:58:47 AM »
 :lol that made me giggle a bit more than it perhaps should.
I'm really loving this thread. The OP is doing an excellent job!

Offline Robo4900

  • The Killing Hand
  • Posts: 154
  • Gender: Male
Re: 95 Dream theater songs ranked and reviewed.
« Reply #75 on: November 01, 2015, 11:27:34 AM »
Why would she review it as the last track of Awake when it's not the last track of Awake?
In Japan, the album came with a mini-CD containing Eve.
They did a similar thing on Falling Into Infinity with Speak To Me and the demo version of Take Away My Pain.
Q: "When he went, had you gone and had she, if she wanted to and were able, for the time being excluding all the restraints on her not to go also, would he have brought you, meaning she and then, to the station?"
A: "OBJECTION, your honor! That question should be taken out and shot!"
--Allegedly from Utah vs Kelly, Superior Court of Utah, 1994. May be apocryphal

Offline OnTheBacksofAngela

  • DTF Enthusiast!
  • Posts: 492
  • Gender: Female
  • :)
Re: 95 Dream theater songs ranked and reviewed.
« Reply #76 on: November 01, 2015, 11:56:38 AM »
Thanks guys! :tup
And no, I won't be doing Eve, but you just made me realize something. The next song should he ACOS and I'm debating on whether to do it or to just jump to FII.
Glad to be back.

Offline Train of Naught

  • I sympathize, with a cockroach
  • Posts: 8008
  • Gender: Male
  • .....and a cockroach
Re: 95 Dream theater songs ranked and reviewed.
« Reply #77 on: November 01, 2015, 12:04:52 PM »
When asking that question, you should always keep in mind: "Is ACOS worth the attention?" The answer to that question is always yes, yes it is.
people on this board are actual music fans who developed taste in music and not casual listeners who are following current fashion trends and listening to only current commercial hits.

Offline jakepriest

  • Posts: 3965
  • Gender: Male
Re: 95 Dream theater songs ranked and reviewed.
« Reply #78 on: November 01, 2015, 12:08:04 PM »
When asking that question, you should always keep in mind: "Is ACOS worth the attention?" The answer to that question is always yes, yes it is.

Unless you think it's incredibly overrated and bland, which I do.  :biggrin:

Offline Train of Naught

  • I sympathize, with a cockroach
  • Posts: 8008
  • Gender: Male
  • .....and a cockroach
Re: 95 Dream theater songs ranked and reviewed.
« Reply #79 on: November 01, 2015, 12:10:13 PM »
You sound like BlackInk when I say Icarus Lives!/Scarlet/Alpha is a good song.  :lol  :-\
people on this board are actual music fans who developed taste in music and not casual listeners who are following current fashion trends and listening to only current commercial hits.

Offline OnTheBacksofAngela

  • DTF Enthusiast!
  • Posts: 492
  • Gender: Female
  • :)
Re: 95 Dream theater songs ranked and reviewed.
« Reply #80 on: November 21, 2015, 10:55:07 AM »
Just realized this had been untouched for a whhhiiile.
Will start ACOS very soon. Possibly by today around 5-6, Pacific Time.
Glad to be back.

Offline OnTheBacksofAngela

  • DTF Enthusiast!
  • Posts: 492
  • Gender: Female
  • :)
Re: 95 Dream theater songs ranked and reviewed.
« Reply #81 on: November 21, 2015, 08:49:50 PM »
A Change of Seasons (23:09)
Ah, here it is! A Change Seasons is here and it easily tops as the best song in Dream Theater history by most people. Out of 10 boys at school, 8 prefer ACOS. They say that it contains every element to be the best Dream Theater songs and even beats Octavarium. I would have to kind of agree. The thing is that I wasn't introduced to ACOS since about a month ago. I had known every big albums, except ACOS and my friends told me to check out ACOS and when I heard it, I first didn't like it. Well, it's not that, but it didn't get to me. This is my fourth time listening to ACOS and it is slowly, but surely getting to me. It's about Mike Portnoy's moms death on a plane and I feel extreme sympathy for Portnoy and given time, I would break down. No one deserves to have their loved ones taken away like that. Remember when Portnoy wipes the tears after drumming The Best of Times? Gosh, poor man. Anyways, let's begin.

[I. The Crimson Sunrise]
[Instrumental]

This marvelous piece begins with Petrucci on the acoustic guitar as he plays a simple, but a bit haunting tune. This mood draws me in as Sherinian enters also. The duet between Petrucci and Sherinian makes this part all the more haunting and I can feel my eyes closing as I sway with the beat. Then, we can hear a twinkle (if that's what you call it) and a synth. After a little more duet, everyone comes in as the song starts with a bang. Petrucci's electric guitar and Portnoy's drum is the most prominent as Petrucci plays a nice riff and Portnoy has some nice drum fills. After that, the song stops as Sherinian and Myung has two isolated parts all to themselves. Sherinian and Myung is heard more louder. Sherinian also has a solo with his grand piano then we can hear a familiar tune to Erotomania. Nostalgia, eh? The intro would be the only reason why I think ACOS is a tad better than Octavarium. I'm sure most of you agree with me. The song later briefly stops as the instruments play all in harmony, then we can hear a solo by Petrucci with Myung and Sherinian there to back him up.

[II. Innocence]
I remember a time
My frail, virgin mind
Watched the crimson sunrise
Imagined what it might find
Life was filled with wonder
I felt the warm wind blow
I must explore the boundaries
Transcend the depth of winter's snow


This was set before the accident. We can see that Portnoy was staring at the sunrise. The sunrise is especially beautiful and it takes my breath away every time I see it. This was the time before his innocence was taken away. It is said that your innocence is the sharpest when you are young and as you grow older and see the outside world, that is when your innocence starts fading. For me, my parents, especially my dad, being overprotective of me is sometimes really annoying and gets in my nerves, but I can kind of understand why they would want to protect me from the outside world. Before we experience death and all of life's curses, we think the world as perfect and full of wonders. "I must explore the boundaries/Transcend the depth of winter's snow." Now I realize that I could relate to that. Hey, these write ups are helping me a lot! I remember from like a week ago, I wanted to know what life was all about. I wanted to know all about family and marriage and that I wanted to explore, to push past the boundaries. But, by doing that, I might see life's cruelness.

Innocence caressing me
I never felt so young before
There was so much life in me
Still I longed to search for more


Portnoy was an eager child and he wanted to explore the whole world. He hadn't felt this young and so passionate before. He was bursting with life and his passion and his non exposure to the life's cruelness, benefited him. Labrie holds the word, "More," and we can see Sherinian play a little riff.

But those days are gone now
Changed like a leaf on a tree
Blown away forever
Into the cool autumn breeze
The snow has now fallen
And my sun's not so bright
I struggle to hold on
With the last of my might


We can hear an ominious sound, like a breeze being played. We can see the season slowly changing to winter, the darkest of all the seasons. The days of summer, of joy, they are all gone. The leafs blow away in the winter as the harsh wind strips them out of their tree. They are blown away and lost forever. The snow now falls as the sun is blocked out. This is Pornoy's innocence being clouded by a barrier as he struggles to hold on to his innocence. Sadly, his innocence is slipping away from him, and it takes all his strength to not give it up, but........

In my den of inequity
Viciousness and subtlety
Struggle to ease the pain
Struggle to find the same


Petrucci riffs around for a while, then Labrie comes in. Petrucci is in his own "den" of unfairness and justice. He becomes vicious and subtle, as he tries to make the pain go away and to find the same. The key word here is struggling. He is not overcoming or winning. He is struggling.

Ignorance surrounding me
I've never been so filled with fear
All my life's been drained from me
The end is drawing near...


He begins to be filled with ignorance. He has never been filled with fear, this strongly. His life is being drained. HE is struggling, but not overcoming as he is losing the battle. He feels that the end is coming soon and it will not be pleasant. As the last sentence ends, everything turns ominous and silent as we can hear the acoustic guitar only as the next phase of the song beings.

[III. Carpe Diem]
"Carpe diem
Seize the day"


An ominous voice starts off Carpe Diem and the first time I heard it, it brought chills to me and it still sometimes does. Labrie starts only a little after.

I'll always remember
The chill of November
The news of the fall
The sounds in the hall
The clock on the wall
Ticking away
"Seize the Day"
I heard him say
Life will not always be this way
Look around
Hear the sounds
Cherish your life
While you're still around


The mood is still dark. It's winter and it's November. The clock ticks away. Possibly, the clocks ticks away as Portnoy's mom's time is ticking away too. Portnoy feels really uneasy. Remember that this is before his mother died on a plane crash. The person who says seize the day could either be his father (though I highly doubt it), or his alter ego...? Seize the day can mean very strongly to a person. Live life. It also means YOLO. Live life to the fullest and do not let a single year go by wasted. I feel like the only time someone cherishes their life so much is when they are close to death. After that, sampling comes in.

("Gather ye rosebuds while ye may)
(Old Time is still a-flying;)
(And this same flower that smiles today)
(Tomorrow will be dying")


This sampling is from a poem. The poem's name is "To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time," by Robert Herrick.

We can learn
From the past
But those days
Are gone
We can hope
For the future
But there might not be one


This brings out the con's of life. We might want to learn our mistakes from the past and do something to fix it! Great, right? Nope! What if those days all are gone? All erased from memory forever? We can also hope. We can hope that our future will work out fine. After all, hope can be the thing that keeps us going and to not give up? What if there is no future? What if our life is cut short? I can see how Portnoy's mom's future was cut short after that horrifying accident. I never liked planes......

The words stuck in my mind
Alive from what I've learned
I have to seize the day
To home I returned


Carpe Diem. Mike Portnoy realizes that he as to seize the day, to live life to the fullest as he returns home. But, tragedy strikes really soon like a bullet.

Preparing for her flight
I held with all my might
Fearing my deepest fright
She walked into the night
She turned for one last look
She looked me in the eye
I said, "I Love You...
Good-bye"


We can see the chain of events leading up the climax. His mother prepares for her fateful flight. Portnoy holds on to his mother with all his might, refusing to let her go. He fears his deepest fright as she walks away into darkness as she turns back. She looks Portnoy in the eye as Portnoy replies, "I love you....Goodbye." Each sentence gets more intense as it is spoken. This here is the climax as you are anticipating what will happen next. This part kinda scared me when I first listened to it. I get scared easily and....Dream Theater's songs, kinda scared me. Well, some songs. The thing I got scared the first time was Bridges in the Sky, Portnoy's vocals, and yeah...there's more, but I'd rather not get into it, yet.

("It's the most awful thing you'll ever hear")
("If you're lying to me...")
("Oh, you dearly love her")
("...just have to leave...)
(All our lives")
("Seize the day!")
("Something happened")
("Gather ye rosebuds while ye may")
("She was killed")


More sampling as we realize what happen.
"She was killed."

[IV. The Darkest Of Winters]
[Instrumental]


This is the darkest part of the song. The title also supports that fact, though the part before could also easily be the darkest part. Petrucci plays a sick riff, then just riffs for a while. Around 25 seconds into The Darkest of Winters, Sherinian has a solo which I find really catchy, but brings out the dark mood. Petrucci's riffing is no slouch either as the riffing brings out the dark mood. Petrucci riffs, Sherinian plays, Petrucci riffs, Sherinian plays and it is like that for a while. Sick riff Mr. Petrucci.  :hefdaddy
After a bit more riff, we can hear the band all on fire. Myung and Portnoy then play a piece together, then there is a Sherinian/Portnoy duet also, then it leads up to.....Ytse Jam? Nope! A solo by Petrucci. The thing was that I had first listened to the Instrumedley and I find it really cool that they included pieces of A Change of Season. Also, in live versions, Myung plays the Major League Baseball Theme, Petrucci the Simpsons theme, and Rudess the Entertainer theme. Another reason why I  :heart Dream Theater very much. Loved the Beyond the Life extension!  :tup

[V. Another World]
So far or so it seems
All is lost
With nothing fulfilled
Off the pages and the
T.V. screen
Another world
Where nothing's true
Tripping through
The life fantastic
Lose a step
And never get up
Left alone
With a cold blank stare
I feel like giving up


Only Sherinian and Labrie is present. He feels like that life is lost and nothing can ease his pain and you can understand why he would feel like that. If I lost a parent, I wouldn't be able to take it and it'd probably lead me to suicide. That's how close I am to my parents and I've already lost too much people already. I don't think my heart would take it. I can feel how Portnoy feels because I had lost someone that I loved closely and her screams still haunt me to this very day. I felt like the world had been taken away from me. My best friend had been my anchor to live, but with her gone...... I felt like giving up until Dream Theater, my other friends, and my families stepped in and helped me through everything.

I was blinded by a paradise
Utopia high in the sky
A dream that only drowned me
Deep in sorrow, wondering why
Oh come let us adore him
Abuse and then ignore him
No matter what
Don't let him be
Let's feed upon his misery
Then string him up for all the world to see
I'm sick of all
Your hypocrites
Holding me at bay
And I don't need
Your sympathy
To get me through the day


Labrie sings really passionately here. He thought that life was all good and nothing could get in his way. He dreamt that he was in a perfect world, as innocence was caressing him. But, he realizes that it was all wrong. He realized that life wasn't perfect and that it had finally reared its ugly face. Labrie sings the next part with anguish as we can see people ridicule him for being so introverted. He is sick of people who treat him well when he is healthy and being his true, nice, funny self, but treats him like a virus when he loses someone so special and he withdraws from the world. Another climax is when Labrie yells, "I'm sick of all your hypocrites, holding me at bay." He is pissed right now. Sadness, loss of the will to live, and rage are really dangerous combinations as that person can be quite unpredictable.

Seasons change and so can I
Hold on Boy
No time to cry
Untie these strings
I'm climbing down
I won't let them push me away


The highlight of this entire song. Seasons continuously change in a cycle and if seasons could easily change, why can't we? Mike knows that no one will stop him from climbing down the ladder. Portnoy is a strong man and he is fed up with the hypocrites. He will not let them control his life and he will change. He will not wallow in his self pity and he will rise up high. To add the exclamation point, Petrucci comes up with an awe inspiring solo, that fills me with hopefulness. This is Portnoy, climbing down the ladders and facing the hypocrites, overcoming them.

[VI. The Inevitable Summer]
[Instrumental]


We can hear the beginning being played, but a bit different. This is the kind of transition that I really love. It also has a fitting title. Ever season is inevitable, and summer is the time for joy. Summer is here again! The winters are gone and now Summer will bring us joy! This part is really light headed and really fits. It doesn't make me want to headbang, but it makes me want to just go hug someone and tell them to cherish life forever. Hold on, I'm going to do that right now! :D
Alright, I'm back! So, what was I saying? Petrucci getse another solo here, then suddenly it changes as Petrucci riffs. What's going on? A Sherinian solo! You know, I feel like Sherinian is underrated. Sure, I think Rudess and Moore are a bit more.....errr, how can I say this correctly...talented? But that doesn't mean Sherinian should be underrated. Every perfect song needs a good transition from one part to another and this does it perfectly. Now, on to the beautiful sunset.


[VII. The Crimson Sunset]
I'm much wiser now
A lifetime of memories
Run through my head
They taught me how
For better or worse
Alive or dead
I realize
There's no turning back
Life goes on
The offbeaten track


The summer is here and Portnoy comes out wiser than he was. He knows that life is not all sunshine and it can be storms, but he mustn't lose hope. Memories run through him and it taught him that no matter if you are for better or for worse, alive or dead, there is not turning life back. Life always goes on, no matter how much we try to stop it. Remember the part, back in Carpe Diem when the lyrics said: "We can learn from the past/But those days are gone?" We realize that, the past will always be there, engraved in our memories....unless we get concussion and amnesia and all those good stuff.

I sit down with my son
Set to see the Crimson Sunset
(Gather ye rosebuds while ye may)
Many years have come and gone
I've lived my life, but now must move on
(Gather ye rosebuds while ye may)
He's my only one
Now that my time has come
Now that my life is done
We look into the sun
"Seize the day
And don't you cry
Now it's time
To say good-bye
Even though
I'll be gone
I will live on
Live on"


Wow, a beautiful finisher. This is the main character, way older, sitting down with his son, watching the sunset. Though, the ending isn't all happy. We can feel that the main character is going to die and he is saying goodbye, but he will live on. His memories will always live on. Just by writing about this song, my love for it grew. Yes, it is still not my favorite song, but I now put it on spot number five. Perhaps as I listen to it more, it will rise. This is a beautiful 23 minute song, way more emotional that 8vm, but 8vm also has its ups.

Next up, we have the underrated, possibly the most despised, FII.
Glad to be back.

Offline pcs90

  • Posts: 979
  • Gender: Male
Re: 95 Dream theater songs ranked and reviewed.
« Reply #82 on: November 21, 2015, 10:08:23 PM »
Out of 10 boys at school, 8 prefer ACOS. They say that it contains every element to be the best Dream Theater songs and even beats Octavarium.
So just checking, you know 10 other people at your school who are DT fans? If so, you are incredibly lucky.

Then, we can hear a twinkle (if that's what you call it) and a synth.
The 'twinkle' is Portnoy, playing Crotales. He used them live a few times as well, they are basically small round tuned metal discs.


Offline OnTheBacksofAngela

  • DTF Enthusiast!
  • Posts: 492
  • Gender: Female
  • :)
Re: 95 Dream theater songs ranked and reviewed.
« Reply #83 on: November 21, 2015, 10:52:23 PM »
Oh yes. The thing is, my school is both a middle school and a high school, so from grades 6-12 and when we made clubs, I started a Dream theater club and made an announcement for fans to join so yeah. We're a club and thanks for the info, but I felt like the Sherinian played the twinkle because it sounded like it would come from a synth.
Glad to be back.

Offline paulstfu

  • Posts: 130
  • Gender: Male
Re: 95 Dream theater songs ranked and reviewed.
« Reply #84 on: November 22, 2015, 12:01:17 PM »
Oh yes. The thing is, my school is both a middle school and a high school, so from grades 6-12 and when we made clubs, I started a Dream theater club and made an announcement for fans to join so yeah.



Standing on the Wetbacks of angels (?)

Offline noxon

  • Fan Club Professional
  • Posts: 1319
  • Gender: Male
Re: 95 Dream theater songs ranked and reviewed.
« Reply #85 on: November 22, 2015, 12:31:11 PM »

Offline OnTheBacksofAngela

  • DTF Enthusiast!
  • Posts: 492
  • Gender: Female
  • :)
Re: 95 Dream theater songs ranked and reviewed.
« Reply #86 on: November 23, 2015, 09:36:38 PM »
New Millennium (08:20)

Highlight of the song:Swallow pride before it swallows you.

Ah, New Millennium! Here is the first off of Falling into Infinity and it is written by Mike Portnoy. Strange thing about this title is that millennium is a period of a thousand years. But, this is Mike Portnoy's song so he can do whatever! To me, NM is a pretty good opener of this entire album, considering that it displeases many fans, though Lines in the Sand and Trial of Tears, among others, saves this album from sinking too low to the bottom. I would put this between the low and middle tier. Though it is not horrible, it is not too great either. I listen to Falling into Infinity once every two weeks, because there are other superior albums. I am in no way saying that FII is a bad album, I just feel like it's a tad underrated. Now, let's get started on NM.

This song begins with a duet with Petrucci and Sherinian. We can also hear the "twinkle" that was present in ACOS. After a while, we can hear traces of Myung, then the whole song stops when Portnoy plays his snare. Myung gets his own solo part (love those by the way), then Sherinian and Portnoy enters with the same beginning riff, then Petrucci himself comes in and is present in the right headphone or earphone. Then Sherinian changes to a grand piano and the band jams it out for a while. Sherinian throws in synths here and there and the mood right now is really catchy. I could feel myself dancing a bit to this song. After the jam, Petrucci riffs and Portnoy gets a little fill. After that Labrie comes in.

A single star behind me
A red sky burns aheads
A lonely light below me
Awake among the dead


The main character (He) who is going through a new phase in life does not like the change at all. He wakes up in a new millenium, only to find a single star in the red sky. There is only a single light, a lonely light that is awake, among all the darkness. I think that Portnoy wrote the lyrics this way, because even though Portnoy thought the album to be a failure, he hadn't lost complete faith in it. If he had lost complete faith and quit the band, there wouldn't be any star that shined behind him. Likewise, there would only be darkness that would consume all the light.

An overwhelming feeling
Leaves me numb and strange
A sense of new beginning
I sense a wind of change


As a new change takes place, there are times when there is an extreme strange sensation in your body. Have you ever had that feeling before? I know I have. Whenever I had to move and go to a whole new environment, my body gets all tingly. I'm sure this is the exact feeling Portnoy is talking about. But, even in this environment, you can't help but feel that there is hope ahead for you. That is the wind of change and a sense of a new beginning.

Out with the old useless
People so cold ruthless
Welcome in a new millennium
How many times must I
Live out this nightmare I
Can't wait until a new millennium


As you go through a new era, there will be people that oppose you. There will be cold, ruthless people that only want to bring hardship and pain throughout your new millennium, and I have a feeling Portnoy is talking about the record company that kept on pressuring them to make their songs mainstream. Portnoy could also be talking about how the millennium he is in (the FII era), is a nightmare and how he wishes for a new millenium, a change. Brilliantly written.

I've got this feeling
The tide is turning now baby
Funny feeling
Everything's gonna be alright now


Now, here's the chorus. It reinforces verse two of this song. Once again, Portnoy has this feeling, this feeling of hope, a strange and weird sensation. He knows that the new millenium will bring all sorts of weird, funny, hopeful changes. I personally love this chorus, not because of the lyrics, but because of how Labrie sings it. His voice sounds really tingly when he says the word baby. I don't have anything against this chorus, but I am puzzled on why he would include the word baby, but hey, I'm not the one to judge.

Living out a constant deja vu
Keep your head up
Please be patient we will get to you
Keep your head up


The line "Keep your head up," echoes throughout the next few verses. If you don't keep your head up, the new millennium you have been waiting for, might just fly ahead without you noticing it. Life is a cliche. We always live out a deja vu and even if it may seem tedious, we must always keep our head up, lest something new occurs. Patience is another trait that is essential to life and to a new millennium. Without patience, we lose faith of something really quickly and it can make us angrier, or it might split a lot of people up.

Just have some faith and you can see it through
Keep your head up
But faith don't pay the rent that's overdue
Keep your head up


Faith is another necessity to life. You must have faith in something, you must have faith that all will go well. Without faith, we would give up really easily. But, the problem with faith is that no matter how strong your faith is, if you mentality is, "I have faith that I will be able to pay an overdue rent without doing anything. I have faith." But, if you only have faith, will you actually be able to pay the rent? I think Portnoy's friends and the record label said to Portnoy to have faith, but Portnoy responded with: "But faith don't pay the rent that's overdue."

All that's glittering is turning blue
Keep your head up
What they want from me ain't gotta clue
Keep your head up


This verse was pretty straightforward except the first line of this verse. I am guessing that all the hope that sparkles, is starting to turn blue. Blue signifies sadness and I guess Portnoy has lost his hope and that hope is starting to turn to sadness. What the record label wants from Portnoy, doesn't have a clue.

Swallow pride before it swallows you
Keep your head up
Don't dare bite the hand that's starving you
Keep your head up


Ah, the first line is like a proverb in my house. We are always told to swallow our pride, before it swallows us. Honestly for me, swallowing pride is really simple, because I absolutely despise arguments and whenever I argue with someone and neither side wins, I just simply give in. There are people who can't do that and may find themselves in an endless argument that might turn explosive really soon. And I love the third verse, because it's usually, "Don't bite the hand that feeds," but Portnoy changed it to "Don't bite the hand that starves." What I find ironic is that if you bite the hand that starves, you will still starve.

How can you keep your head
And not go insane?
The only light at the end
Of the tunnel is another train


This is Portnoy's frustration that is cleverly worded. By keeping his head, Portnoy finds himself getting more and more insane. Portnoy's life right now is like a train headed towards a dark tunnel. The hope is usually the light at the end of another tunnel. Whenever I ride trains, I hold my breath when entering a dark tunnel, and sigh in relief when I see light in the end. The light signifies hope, but to Portnoy, there is a light at the end of the tunnel, but does the light belong to the sunlight outside? No. It belongs to the light of another train and collision is imminent, unless something is done, quickly.

Lies ten feet tall
Broken my fall
Welcome you all new millennium
It's well overdue
And I can't wait to
Welcome in a new millennium


Absolutely love Myung here. Though the lyrics here are a bit strange to me. No, I'm not criticizing, "Lies ten feet tall/Broken my fall," but I'm talking about "Welcome you all new millennium," and "Welcome in a new millennium." I dunno, the wording sounds a bit strange to me, but it flows perfectly well. The lies that were told to Portnoy has gone so high, that it broke his fall. Wow. Ten feet of lies are actually pretty big. Portnoy feels like a new millennium is overdue and it should come like right now.

The chorus is played once more, then is an instrumental section. We can only hear Portnoy, Sherinian, and Myung for the first few seconds. Then Petrucci slowly comes in. Myung takes the spotlight with Petrucci backing him up. Then the beginning of the song, bits of it is quickly played, then Myung takes the stage once more, with Petrucci again, backing him up. Petrucci then plays a groovy tune as the whole band begins to rock it out. It's not anything too big, but it is still pretty catchy. I feel a bit hopeful when listening to this piece, like there is more in store for all of us. Honestly, I felt like they could shorten the instrumental section a bit, but....it's fine. Myung takes another spotlight for a few seconds, then Sherinian comes in with a bang, then possibly the darkest instrumental section of this song comes in, when Petrucci's riff, then, Labrie comes once more. The chorus is played twice, then, the closing instrumental. Petrucci and Sherinian riff it out as Portnoy and Myung plays a note every second, then the song closes with a bang.

I love this song and I think it opens a song perfectly than any of the song in FII will. Some lyrics are cleverly written, while some are meh, but things flow perfectly well. The instrumental is nothing too flashy. What I love about it is Myung. I just love his bass sounds really much, especially on his SoC solo, but we'll get to that later. Overall, a strong performance by them. Next up is You not Me.
Glad to be back.

Offline Mastermax0213

  • Dream Theater, no 1 prog band.
  • Posts: 18
  • Gender: Male
Re: 95 Dream theater songs ranked and reviewed.
« Reply #87 on: November 23, 2015, 09:46:35 PM »
Horrible album imo. Not too bad of a song, but it's still pretty low.

Offline pcs90

  • Posts: 979
  • Gender: Male
Re: 95 Dream theater songs ranked and reviewed.
« Reply #88 on: November 23, 2015, 09:48:42 PM »
Don't really care for the song as a whole but it does have a nice groove to it.

Offline Pettor

  • Posts: 597
Re: 95 Dream theater songs ranked and reviewed.
« Reply #89 on: November 24, 2015, 03:02:48 AM »
Yeah the lyrics don't do much but the song is good. Nice groove  :tup

Online RoeDent

  • 2006 Time Magazine Person of the Year
  • Posts: 6029
  • Gender: Male
Re: 95 Dream theater songs ranked and reviewed.
« Reply #90 on: November 24, 2015, 08:29:55 AM »
The album came out in 1997, near the transition from one Millennium (1001-2000) to the current one. And it was a big thing, in the news a lot at the time, so they wrote a song inspired by that.

Offline OnTheBacksofAngela

  • DTF Enthusiast!
  • Posts: 492
  • Gender: Female
  • :)
Re: 95 Dream theater songs ranked and reviewed.
« Reply #91 on: November 24, 2015, 07:53:40 PM »
You Not Me (04:58)
Highlight of the song: "It's all about you, not, me!"

**Remember that these interpretations is what I think of the song! This may not be the actual interpretation.**

Ah, here is, perhaps one of the most controversial songs ever written by Dream Theater. Every You not Me youtube video I see, there is at least one person that replies with, "Ugh! You Or Me was so better than You Not Me! Why did Desmond Child have to f*** up everything?" The thing is, I don't feel like this song is too bad. Sure, the chorus may be poppy and mainstream and not "Dream Theater standards," but I still think that overall it is an awesome song. I couldn't comprehend the meaning of this song fully, because I think the lyrics are somewhat cryptic, but I think I got the gist of it. Now, let us begin this mysterious song.

There are two characters, He and She. They are childhood friends and are basically inseparable. He feels like the girl is trying to control their relationship and the direction they want to go. They aren't a couple yet, but she is doing everything to try and draw him near. The purpose of her act is to give him a hint that she likes him and does everything she can to make him her's, but the guy takes it the wrong way. He thinks that she is doing all these things just to annoy him and eventually, give what she wants. That soon messes up their friendship.

The song starts off with Portnoy's drum fill, then the rest of the band follows, with not a single instrument left behind. Possibly, Petrucci's riff is the most noticeable, with Portnoy's drums. At 0:14 James Labrie comes in to sing the first verse. Let's take a look.

Being around you is driving me crazy
Watching you run is making me lazy
You're trying to buy a place in my head
Telling me lines I've already read
Speaking my name, you're tryin' to confuse me
Say it again, you're starting to lose me


Portnoy, Myung, Labrie, and Petrucci is the only one there, until Sherinian comes in at verse 3. There are two characters present, Character A (HE), and Character B (She). She and He are best friends and they hang out with each other a lot, without getting into any intimacy. He is resting and watching the girl just annoy him. She just wants to talk and talk and talk while he just listens. She happens to be stuck to him like glue and that drives He very crazy. She talks about the same stuff to the guy, "Telling me lines I've already read." She is basically is making their relationship really complicated and he is being more and more confused. He has had enough to the point where he is ignoring the girl and starts to lose her, lose faith in her.

That's alright, I'm okay, it happens every single day
It's all the same but I'm not blind


The pre-chorus. He feels like he is going out of his head and honestly is fed up with her. As he sits alone to recollect his thoughts, he understands. He knows that the girl is drawn to him and since he is slow and doesn't fully comprehend, a.k.a, take a hint, he ends up making the girl more frustrated too, as time passes. He realizes that this happens every day, but still doesn't know why it is happening. He claims he is not blind. He thinks that she is doing that just to get on his nerves.

It's all about you, not me
It's all about the things that you're expecting me to be
There's not enough time to live
And all that you're expecting me to give
It's all about you, not me
It's all about you, not me


He doesn't know that the girls is trying to get him to notice her and start a relationship. Instead, he thinks that she is trying to annoy her, to get him finally fed up, so he can submit to her. He thinks that the girl thinks everything is about her and what she wants. I think this chorus is not as poppy as it sounds. This is my opinion, so feel free to disagree. I think in a sense, Petrucci worded it as, "Why do you think it's all about you, not me."
He (Character A) is frustrated because the girl thinks that everything is about her, not him. Life is short, and he thinks that the girl's expectation of him is too big. He feels like it's all about her, not him, and is frustrated, contrary to what the girl actually means by doing all this.

Love the chorus by the way. It is really catchy, especially Petrucci and Sherinian. Portnoy's ride is played after, "It's all about you/not/me." The same riff from the beginning is played and then Labrie enters.

You're building my prison brick by brick
Eating your words is making me sick
You get what you want 'cause nothing is sacred
You're reading my mind and leaving me naked
You say I gotta give before I receive it
One of these days I'll believe it


He feels that their friendship is being tainted. He thinks that the girl is trying to manipulate his feelings. He thinks that she is building his prison personally. She is always next to him and he thinks that she is doing everything to confine him. Eating your words is an idiom for taking back publicly what you said and he gets sick. What I find really interesting is the last two verses: "You say I gotta give before I receive it/One of these days I'll believe it." The guys has a totally different situation than the girl. The girl claims that giving comes first, then receiving. He takes is the wrong way, thinking that he must always give to appease the girl, without receiving anything in response.

After that, the chorus is played once more, then there is an instrumental section. We can hear Labrie's sighing as Petrucci riffs it out and has a solo. I don't care how simplistic this solo is, but it still makes me catch my breath for a second. After his solo, the chorus is played once more, but Petrucci is heard more stronger, then the outro. Sherinian plays a string synth as Myung and Petrucci riff it out. We can also hear echoes as the whole band just jams it out for the rest of the song as it abruptly ends with Portnoy pounding on his snare.

If I think of it that way, I feel like this song isn't as poppy as it was meant to be. It seems a bit dark. Basically, an eternal bond and friendship is ruined because of miscommunication and pride. Neither of them voices their opinion on what they are doing and it further complicates their relationship. As this keeps going on, their relationship is doomed to fail, forever.

Glad to be back.

Offline OnTheBacksofAngela

  • DTF Enthusiast!
  • Posts: 492
  • Gender: Female
  • :)
Re: 95 Dream theater songs ranked and reviewed.
« Reply #92 on: November 25, 2015, 05:41:01 PM »
Peruvian Skies (06:43)
Highlight:Terror by night, liar by day, Telling her secrets won't take them away

Here is the third song from the fourth song on Dream Theater's discography, Falling into Infinity. Honestly, I love this song very much as it talks about a serious problem involving girls. Abuse. This speaks out strongly to me because I know how it feels to be a girl, since I am a girl. I could never get bored of it while listening to it and it just puts me in a deep thought up until Lines in the Sand. I've heard so many stories of girls being abused and find it completely unfair. If I get angry while writing this....please ignore it, but this subject of rape, abuse, or anything like that just pisses me off completely. Hearing the song Anna Lee also just pisses me off. There are two songs dealing with the subject of abuse and while Anna Lee saddens me, more that angers me, Peruvian skies does the exact opposite. So, while I am writing about this song, I may seem more angrier and while I'm writing Anna Lee, it might be a bit depressing.

I would like to introduce Vanessa to you. Vanessa is a young Peruvian girl who is a victim of abuse and rape. She has been beaten countless times and tries her best to endure the pain, but she can't hold it any longer. She doesn't know what to do anymore. What can she do? Even death is a pleasant option to her. It has been days since she has been abused. She had been separated from her family and she misses them dearly. As each day passes, she grows weaker and weaker and loses the will to live. As days pass, memories of her friends and family slowly slips away as she curls up and the meaning to live is gone. Here is a tragic tale of a young girl named Vanessa, her life taken away from her by abuse.

This song starts of with an acoustic guitar as Mike's hi hat comes in also. Then it is Myung, followed by Sherinian. The intro is short and Labrie comes in at 0:35 to tell about her tragic tale.

There, there it is
I swear he's gonna murder that poor kid
Wait, I hear it again
Don't turn on the lights until we hear the way it ends


Labrie's tone is pained as if he is the one feeling the pain. The mood is mysterious and unsettles me. A witness is there witnessing what is happening. There are two people, Vanessa and her captor. Sexism is still a major problem in the whole world and the sight is terrifying to see. The witness watches what's happening and thinks strongly that the abuser is going to brutally abuse Vanessa and then kill her. The witness hears her pleas for help and her scream as she is being abused again and again. Each night is when she is abused. During the day, she is kept captive with barely enough food and water. At night, the witness hears the girl's screams and pleas for help as her abuser abuses her every day. Every night, he can hear the terrifying scream.

Under Peruvian skies Vanessa regretfully waits
The story unfolds in her eyes
Where midnight hysteria's no big surprise
Battered and bruised, always confusing
The love that she's losing for hate
Poor Vanessa, poor, poor Vanessa


I absolutely love Labrie's voice when he sings, "Under Peruvian skies Vanessa regretfully waits/Poor Vanessa." Labrie seems absolutely pained and I swear, I could hear a girl's scream. Obviously the setting is in Peru and everyday, Vanessa waits to be abused. Hell, what can she do about it? Every night when the man fills her with promises, empty promises, every time she is raped, every time she is battered and bruised, EVERY freaking time, she loses her will to live. The story is basically playing in her eyes as her future is basically set for her. Everyday, she will be abused and beaten. Every night she is assaulted. Her black eye and bloody nose never heals. Everytime she is raped, the rape is not because of love, but because of hate. Anyone that hears about Vanessa says that she is poor. Not poor as in not enough money poor, but pitied.

Hey, I hope you know
I'm taking all of this with me when I go
Shame, you're not to blame
I'm the monster you created in your daddy's name


This reveals something very subtle. We now move on to the point of view of the abuser. He knows that being abusive has its consequences and says that everywhere he goes, his conscience will follow him. Ever smack, every time he rapes her, he feels really guilty, but doesn't do anything to stop. He claims that it is not her fault that he is raping her, but her dad's fault. This could mean that the abuser and Vanessa's dad knew each other and Vanessa's dad had wronged the abuser. The abuser couldn't do anything to the dad, so he takes it out on his daughter, his precious baby. He tells Vanessa that it is a shame, because she isn't to blame. Instead, he is a monster created by a feud between her and Vanessa's dad.

The chorus is played once more as the mood grows more and more tense until near the end of the chorus. Petrucci's strong riff is played as Portnoy pounds his snare drum. By the time Labrie sings, "Poor Vanessa," the entire mood of the song is shifted and is a strong instrumental section, releasing all of Vanessa's pain and anguish.

Terror by night, liar by day
Telling her secrets won't take them away


And here it is. The highlight of this entire song. Labrie's voice grows stronger until he is basically screaming. This sums of the entire rage and sadness penned up. After that, Petrucci's solo follows and this draws me in the most. I can feel the pain Vanessa has gone through and by this point, I am basically very  >:(. You can feel the anguish, the pain she is suffering through. She has been beaten everyday and raped and her life is now ruined. After Petrucci's solo, is his epic riff, then it's a quick trade off between the band and Myung, then Petrucci's riff comes in stronger than ever. What follows is Petrucci's distorted tune and Mike's double kick becomes furious as it pounds its way throughout the song. Labrie comesi nwith the chorus, but this time, the chorus is really heavy. Portnoy's double kick is heard at intervals. Petrucci's riff comes in at, "Battered and bruised," as does Sherinian, more strongly. Labrie holds the word hate and Petrucci's riff is present once more as Mike pounds his snare drums. The riffing goes on for one more round as the song abruptly ends.

This song is really beautiful in a way, but agonizing to listen to. The funny thing is that when someone annoys me or pisses me off while I'm listening to the bridge, I abruptly pause the music and yell, "WHAT?!" in a very vicious tone and it either silences them, or they just look at me strangely. After a few seconds, I just resume listening to this music. This song is really gut wrenching to listen to and it just fills me with pain, thinking about how many girls go through this kind of treatment every single day. It's really a hard song to listen to.

chorus
Glad to be back.

Offline Train of Naught

  • I sympathize, with a cockroach
  • Posts: 8008
  • Gender: Male
  • .....and a cockroach
Re: 95 Dream theater songs ranked and reviewed.
« Reply #93 on: November 25, 2015, 05:45:22 PM »
One of my favorite and one of my least favorite FII songs, although my PS highlight is definitely the breakdown.
people on this board are actual music fans who developed taste in music and not casual listeners who are following current fashion trends and listening to only current commercial hits.

Offline pcs90

  • Posts: 979
  • Gender: Male
Re: 95 Dream theater songs ranked and reviewed.
« Reply #94 on: November 25, 2015, 05:46:39 PM »
Here is the third song from the fourth song
haha

Offline OnTheBacksofAngela

  • DTF Enthusiast!
  • Posts: 492
  • Gender: Female
  • :)
Re: 95 Dream theater songs ranked and reviewed.
« Reply #95 on: November 25, 2015, 06:05:17 PM »
Glad to be back.

Offline OnTheBacksofAngela

  • DTF Enthusiast!
  • Posts: 492
  • Gender: Female
  • :)
Re: 95 Dream theater songs ranked and reviewed.
« Reply #96 on: November 25, 2015, 06:05:43 PM »
One of my favorite and one of my least favorite FII songs, although my PS highlight is definitely the breakdown.
Why is thhat.
Glad to be back.

Offline Train of Naught

  • I sympathize, with a cockroach
  • Posts: 8008
  • Gender: Male
  • .....and a cockroach
Re: 95 Dream theater songs ranked and reviewed.
« Reply #97 on: November 25, 2015, 06:09:44 PM »
The YNM chorus straight up annoys me, and I highly prefer You Or Me.
people on this board are actual music fans who developed taste in music and not casual listeners who are following current fashion trends and listening to only current commercial hits.

Offline chaossystem

  • We're on to your agenda, the dead-end road to nowhere.
  • Posts: 1592
  • Gender: Male
  • Chapters unfinished, fading
Re: 95 Dream theater songs ranked and reviewed.
« Reply #98 on: November 25, 2015, 06:53:10 PM »
I think this post is very relevant now:

https://www.facebook.com/mikeportnoyofficial/posts/1036438213040487

If that happened to Portnoy's mother way back in 1984, then who was "Honor Thy Father" directed at?

I thought it was about his step-father, but according to the Facebook post, she never remarried, because it was her boyfriend that she was with when the plane crashed.
I can't stop the world from turning around, or the pull of the moon on the tide, but I don't believe that we're in this alone, I believe we're along for the ride...

Offline OnTheBacksofAngela

  • DTF Enthusiast!
  • Posts: 492
  • Gender: Female
  • :)
Re: 95 Dream theater songs ranked and reviewed.
« Reply #99 on: December 03, 2015, 06:59:56 PM »
Ranking of Metropolis Part 2
Sorry I haven't been active. School got to me and I was pretty busy. Also, since I wanna finish the write-up ASAP, there will be a couple of changes going on. First off, I will completely abandon Falling Into Infinity. Sorry to those  loved reading those. I will skip to the first album Dream Theater had Rudess and I will be ranking the songs.  And the album is obviously Metropolis Part 2. So everyday, I'll post a write up of the songs in Metropolis Part 2 and they will be in the order that I think the song falls under. So, it will change to a write-up and a ranking, but I won't give my opinion of the song, but the quality of the lyrics, how good each member of the band is, is I liked it or not, etc. So let's get started on this countdown! I am a sucker to 10-42 minute Dream Theater songs so don't be surprised if my top Dream Theater songs in every album are those long ones.

Number 12: Through My Words (01:02)
And, here is the shortest song ever on Dream Theater! :angel:
Every song in Metropolis Part 2 and every song there is above average, but all the songs beat this. Well, that is no surprise as it is extremely short and is a very good opener for Fatal Tragedy. I have no ill will against this, because this song is great, but compared to the others, they are better. It is their first album with Rudess and this album is running for the best Dream Theater album with Images and Words. Most consider this to be best Dream Theater album and I can't argue. This album is really great as it has a story line and with the introduction of Rudess, the keyboard's role has been beefed up. Rudess is the only one present with Labrie in this song.l

All your eyes have ever seen
All you've ever heard
Is etched upon my memory
I spoken through my words
All that I take with me
Is all you've left behind
We're sharing one eternity
Living in two minds
Linked by an endless thread
Impossible to break


Labrie delivers these lines perfectly. It is a really quiet ballad and it transitions well into Fatal Tragedy. Basically, this hints at the reincarnation of Victoria on the lines: "We're sharing one eternity/Living in two minds." The are linked together by an  indestructible, endless thread and that is why Nicholas was sucked into this. Good song, but compared to the rest of the songs in this album, I believe that this the right place for this song. Twelfth place for me in Metropolis Part 2.

And basically, this is how the ranking and the write-up will go like and normally I'd end it here, but since this is so short, I will do one more.

Number 11: Regression (02:06)
I'm sure most of you expected that Regression would come really early and here it is. This is basically an introduction to Metropolis Part 2 and its greatest and although, when I first listened to this album, it got me well. When the hypnotherapist first spoke these words, I didn't realize that it was an album. I had no idea this was a story album so I did as the hypnotherapist said and I guess it kind worked. Then, Nicholas' voice came in and it baffled me. I searched up Metropolis 2 and I realized that this was a story album then the puzzle fell into place. Let's begin.

Hypnotherapist:
"Close your eyes and begin to relax. Take a deep breath, and let it out slowly. Concentrate on your breathing. With each breath you become more relaxed. Imagine a brilliant white light above you, focusing on this light as it flows through your body. Allow yourself to drift off as you fall deeper and deeper into a more relaxed state of mind. Now as I count backward from ten to one, you will feel more peaceful, and calm. Ten. Nine. Eight. Seven. Six. You will enter a safe place where nothing can harm you. Five. Four. Three. Two. If at any time you need to come back, all you must do is open your eyes. One."

As I said before, this is an introduction to SFAM. He is giving instructions on Nicholas to close his eyes, relax, and imagine a brilliant white light. Nicholas does so as he drifts off deeper and deeper into a more relaxed state.  The hypnotherapist counts back from ten to one and he feels peaceful. The hypnotherapist counts back to one and Nicholas drifts off and it switches immediately to his point of view.

Nicholas:
Safe in the light that surrounds me
Free of the fear and the pain
My subconscious mind
Starts spinning through time
To rejoin the past once again
Nothing seems real
I'm starting to feel
Lost in the haze of a dream
And as I draw near
The scene becomes clear
Like watching my life on a screen
Hello Victoria so glad to see you
My friend.


Here is Nicholas. He feels safe in the arms of the hypnotherapist and the light that is surrounding him. He has had dreams of Victoria and wanted to find the answers and he finally meets the girl he was looking for. I love Labrie's voice here (when do I not?) and he does really well of portraying Nicholas. He sings calmly and draws you into the song.

The only reason this song is higher than Through My Words is because it packs more content. It introduces an epic concept and gives you the plot of what is happening right now. Only an acoustic guitar is featured in this track.
Glad to be back.

Offline Nomaniac

  • Long Live Dream Theater!!!
  • Posts: 381
  • Gender: Male
  • Dream Theater Fanatic
Re: SFAM ----> DT 12 Ranked and Reviewed
« Reply #100 on: December 03, 2015, 07:09:56 PM »
Hey there Angela, just found this thread! Some very good analysis going on here . . . definitely keep up the good work :)

Impressive that you have these things figured out at 13 . . . DT itself was waaaay to complex for me at that age :lol

"Through Nature's Inflexible Grace, I'm Learning To Live"

Offline OnTheBacksofAngela

  • DTF Enthusiast!
  • Posts: 492
  • Gender: Female
  • :)
Re: SFAM ----> DT 12 Ranked and Reviewed
« Reply #101 on: December 03, 2015, 08:03:46 PM »
Thank you very much :)
Glad to be back.

Offline RaasMah

  • Posts: 123
Re: SFAM ----> DT 12 Ranked and Reviewed
« Reply #102 on: December 05, 2015, 04:34:20 AM »
Aww but you missed the best songs from FII :sad: LITS and TOT are just too good to pass.

Anyway, as people said, nice write-ups. You really dig into the songs more than the average DT listener.

Offline Pettor

  • Posts: 597
Re: SFAM ----> DT 12 Ranked and Reviewed
« Reply #103 on: December 05, 2015, 05:11:40 AM »
I love SFAM but Through My Words is one hell of a highlight for me! Love that part. So simple yet so beautiful and awesome transition. Think that song deserves more love ;)

Offline OnTheBacksofAngela

  • DTF Enthusiast!
  • Posts: 492
  • Gender: Female
  • :)
Re: SFAM ----> DT 12 Ranked and Reviewed
« Reply #104 on: December 29, 2015, 06:44:24 PM »
Thanks! And Merry Late Christmas!
Sorry I haven't been participating for a while. Things came up and yeah, let's leave it at that.
BTW, expect the next part of this to come up soon!
Glad to be back.