Dream Theater songs discussion

[OnTheBacksofAngela]

I will be choosing random songs everyday and we will discuss it. Feel free to give your opinion on that song, but please try talking about that song and that song only. Feel free to bash it, support it, rant about how underrated it is, how overrated it is, etc. Enjoy! The first song will be.......
PLEASE, the song that is featured for the day. You can mention other songs, but please don't stray from discussing today's song to discussing another song.

Day 1, November 4th, 2015: Endless Sacrifice on Train of Thought (11:24)

Song Facts:
This song was written by the Dream Theater guitarist John Petrucci. It is a love song to his wife where he talks about how he misses her and he also speaks of the sacrifices she makes for him as he is a traveling musician. You can note that the first verse is his wife speaking. The first chorus is also by his wife and the next verse is spoken by Petrucci, with the following chorus also by him.When the song really kicks in it is Petrucci again where he mentions his "Undying Dream" (being a musician and not being able to see her). Some of the lines in this part are shared by he and his wife: 'WE try to make sense of..." (thanks, Men - Cleveland, OH)

Lyrics:
Cold
Lying in my bed
Staring into darkness

Lost
I hear footsteps overhead
And my thoughts return
Again

Like a child who's run away
And won't be coming back
Time keeps passing by
As night turns into day

I'm so far away
And so alone
I need to see your face
To keep me sane
To make we whole

Try to stay alive
Until I hear your voice
I'm gonna lose my mind
Someone tell me why
I chose this life
This superficial lie
Constant compromise
Endless sacrifice

Pain
It saddens me to know
The helplessness you feel
Your light
Shines on my soul
While a thousand candles
Burn

Outside this barren room
The rain is pouring down
The emptiness inside
Is growing deeper still

You're so far away
And so alone
You long for love's embrace
To keep you sane
To make you whole

Try to stay alive
Until I hear your voice
I'm gonna lose my mind

Someone tell me why
I chose this life
This superficial lie
Constant compromise
Endless sacrifice

Moments wasted
Isolated
Time escaping
Endless sacrifice

Moments wasted
Isolated
Time escaping
Endless sacrifice

(EPIC INSTRUMENTAL!)

Over the distance
We try to make sense
Of surviving together
While living apart

Striving for balance
We rise to the challenge
Of staying connected
In spite of circumstance

All you've forsaken
And all that you've done
So that I could live out
This undying dream

Won't be forgotten
Or taken for granted
I'll always remember
Your endless sacrifice

Moments wasted
Isolated
Time escaping
Endless sacrifice

Moments wasted
Isolated
Time escaping
Endless sacrifice
On Train of Thought, this is usually the first song I listen to and on Pandora, this song is the first song that always pops up when I listen to it. I think this song is really underrated. This epic is indeed epic. 
I can't find anything that annoys the crap out of me or that doesn't stick out to me. I think it is perfect all around and shows how powerful a and duet can be. I love it starts softly, then it explodes. My favorite part is the Rudess/Petrucci solo and the bridge. This song is really powerful and shows that the band respects their family for always supporting them, even if they are far away and they are happy for their family's Endless Sacrifice. People think the solo is overly long and I can understand why they would say that, but heck, I don't care of the length because the content of the solo is fitting enough for me. Once again, I LOVE THE RUDESS/PETRUCCI DUET and I'm glad they did that a lot on this album.

[YtseJamittaja]

Top3 DT song for me. That brutal guitar riff in the chorus. Enough said.

[OnTheBacksofAngela]

Top3 DT song for me. That brutal guitar riff in the chorus. Enough said.

Thank you for putting Endless Sacrifice so high. It rightfully deserves to be at least on the top 10 or 15 Dream Theater song. It was ranked number 23 on the top tens list which is alright, but who the heck puts These Walls and Panic Attack above it? Come on people!! (Not this forum).

[jakepriest]

Endless Sacrifice is indeed underrated as is the entire album. Top 20 song for sure.

[pcs90]

Probably my favorite song off TOT, or at least tied with ITNOG. The rest of the album is forgetable to me, but these two are great.
However, as with basically all the other solo sections on TOT, the solos are boring and are simply technical for the sake of being technical. I do like the little solo Rudess has with all the quick patch changes, but after that I fast forward until the section right before James comes back in.

[Elite]

Endless Sacrifice wouldn't even be close to my top 50.

[MirrorMask]

Wonderful song, probably my favorite on the album. Melanchonic and haunting, poignant lyrics, great performance by James, and a nice balance between the slow verses and the more pumped up chorus. The ending is also nice and powerful, the "Over the distance we try to make sense of surviving together while living apart" is awesome and hard hitting. Too bad that to get to it I have to sit through a kinda random solo section that I don't enjoy at all... too long, it kills the emotional momentum of the lyrics and goes back to it way too late; what's the point of that comedy circus breakdown in the middle? it's like they jammed the solo section LTE style and whatever came up in the jam ended up being the solo section. If it had a shorter solo, making the song no longer than 8-9 minutes, and more focused, I would call this song a masterpiece.

But what the hell, I'll call it anyway, I hope to hear it live next time around 

[Enigmachine]

Wonderful song, probably my favorite on the album. Melanchonic and haunting, poignant lyrics, great performance by James, and a nice balance between the slow verses and the more pumped up chorus. The ending is also nice and powerful, the "Over the distance we try to make sense of surviving together while living apart" is awesome and hard hitting. Too bad that to get to it I have to sit through a kinda random solo section that I don't enjoy at all... too long, it kills the emotional momentum of the lyrics and goes back to it way too late; what's the point of that comedy circus breakdown in the middle? it's like they jammed the solo section LTE style and whatever came up in the jam ended up being the solo section. If it had a shorter solo, making the song no longer than 8-9 minutes, and more focused, I would call this song a masterpiece.

But what the hell, I'll call it anyway, I hope to hear it live next time around 

I think the instrumental section fits. It's kind of represents DT doing their thing on stage as usual but infused with the idea of being torn between the band and family and the frustration of the personal sacrifices needed to make this way of living work, hence the heavy and complex nature of it. I think of the song as being a sort of arc, with the instrumental part being the climax of it and the surrounding parts being like the lead-up and aftermath of a DT concert and I feel that each section is appropriate for what they were going for if they imagined the song to tell that story.

[Train of Naught]

This was the first song from DT I've listened to more than 'just once because it just so happened to be on.' That said, it has a special place in my heart and used to be in my top five, but after a few years the instrumental section got repetitive and I switcharoo'd it with ITNOG.

[Rodni Demental]

Has always been a standout track on TOT for me. I like the arpeggiated guitar riff that becomes distorted and builds up in the second half of the second verse. Also the chorus riff with the pinch harmonic is pretty neat. Favourite part is the instrumental section though, things start getting out of hand.

[OnTheBacksofAngela]

I read over most of your posts and I guess I kinda agree about the instrumental section. Here's my analysis:

Rudess/Petrucci Duet
I loved this part very much. This part was very necessary and up to this part, I feel like it wasn't too long, but after that.....

Unnecessary Part
I agree that this part could have cut. I feel like this part was to just flaunt and to show their abilities. Pretty unnecessary. Would've liked it if this part was cut out and it transitioned into......

Final Solo
this. This is a good finisher and connects well with the end part.

[jakepriest]

The final part of the instrumental break is what makes the song so good. That and the fucking awesome natural harmonic in the main chorus riff.

[Rodni Demental]

The final part of the instrumental break is what makes the song so good. That and the fucking awesome natural harmonic in the main chorus riff.

Yeah, you're right. I called it a pinch harmonic but I was very unconfident about whether that was true, it does sound more like a natural harmonic now that you mention it. But regardless, it makes an otherwise fairly simple riff sound pretty damn awesome. 

[Ben_Jamin]

One of the songs that got me hooked onto the band.

They played this at my first DT concert.  I barely remember but it was awesome. The instrumental is badass.

[OnTheBacksofAngela]

Day 2, November 5, 2015:As I Am on Train of Thought

With lyrics written by Dream Theater guitarist John Petrucci, this song is about a guy who affirms that he will not to change just because someone wants him to. (thanks, J - Jackson, GA)Since we are aboard the Train of Thought, let's go to As I Am. It's a song written by Petrucci. This song is meh to me. Let's say that I have my times where I love it, but other times, it's like repetitive and meh. The solo isn't too long, the riff is amazing and the solo is rocking!
The chorus is the part where I think repetition is the most prominent. Other than that, a fantastic song.

[jakepriest]

Probably the first song I heard by DT. I used to love it, but nowadays I'm not that into it. Both the guitar and drum solos still kick ass though.

[OnTheBacksofAngela]

Probably the first song I heard by DT. I used to love it, but nowadays I'm not that into it. Both the guitar and drum solos still kick ass though.

I agree, As I Am is an epic song, but there are 6 other songs that push past it. Heck, maybe 5, if you say that Vacant/SoC is together. I see people choose longer songs over shorter songs no matter how good the quality is. Heck, Octavarium, CoS, TGP, and Metropolis are like the top 5 for dream theater songs just because of the dang length, leaving shorter songs in the dust. I rarely see a 4-7 ish minute song in someone's top 5. Just because the longer songs packs for content is more "memorable" for some.

[jakepriest]

Heck, Octavarium, CoS, TGP, and Metropolis are like the top 5 for dream theater songs

ACoS could be in a top 5 list. A top 5 worst DT songs list. 

[OnTheBacksofAngela]

Heck, Octavarium, CoS, TGP, and Metropolis are like the top 5 for dream theater songs

ACoS could be in a top 5 list. A top 5 worst DT songs list. 

You can't be serious.

Please tell me you're kidding.

Edit:Ignore the emojis. I'm just putting emojis in every post and I have no idea what they are. So if I say you liar! And there's an emojis of someone pissued off, I am not feeling that.

[jakepriest]

It's not THAT bad, but I seriously don't care one bit for ACoS. The last time I listened to the entire song was like 2012. Apart from the intro and Another World it's just not good music to my ears.

[OnTheBacksofAngela]

Ah, I understand. But, for you, why does as I am not draw you in anymore?

[jakepriest]

Ah, I understand. But, for you, why does as I am not draw you in anymore?

Overlistened to it I guess + found better songs as I listened to the rest of the DT catalogue and other artists. I enjoy listening to it when I spin TOT, but it's not a song that I get the "oh, I feel like listening to this today" feeling for anymore.

[MirrorMask]

Love As I Am, not their best heavy song but it's fun, catchy, a great opener and a general "let's go insane" moment at shows. For what it is, an heavy catchy song, it serves in a great way its purpouse.

[OnTheBacksofAngela]

Day 3, November 6, 2015: Honor Thy Father

For me, I love it as heck. Extremely underrated and love every part. The sampling is very relevant and you can really hear the rage of Portnoy through Labrie. I don't care if people say the instrumentals is too long, I think it fits. Love Rudess' epic solo and the building up from: Nerve to blame this mess on me/Balls to blame this shit on me.
Really heavy, if not the heaviest dream theater song.

[pcs90]

I can't get into this song. It just doesn't feel like a DT song to me...really most of the album doesn't. I don't know how to describe what I mean by this.
However I will say the sampling is some of the best they've ever done along with SDV. This is how you make samples work! It really lets you understand how MP felt. The synth build-up following this is also great, but once it goes back into the main theme again it becomes boring with typically uninteresting TOT soloing.

[jakepriest]

A top 20 DT song for sure. Petrucci's riffing at its finest. The bass riff that kicks in at 1:25 is probably my favourite Myung moment. The instrumental could do with some cutting though, that would make it a top 10 song for sure. The second Rudess solo is unnecessary imo, even while I still enjoy listening to it.

[Train of Naught]

I love the first JR solo in this, I guess it's more like a repeating riff, but it's so good.

[SolitaryShell]

I think the instrumental part of Endless Sacrifice is a legendary progression and one of the best epic parts they've ever made

[MirrorMask]

Not a fan of Honor Thy Father. It has some nice moments but overall is not my cup of tea at all.

[OnTheBacksofAngela]

I think the instrumental part of Endless Sacrifice is a legendary progression and one of the best epic parts they've ever made

Hi there! Welcome! Yeah the instrumentals very fun, buthe compared to the mood of the song...meh.

[Rodni Demental]

A top 20 DT song for sure. Petrucci's riffing at its finest. The bass riff that kicks in at 1:25 is probably my favourite Myung moment.

Yes, the riffing is just spectacular. I love this song, definitely top 10 for me, easily would have been top 5 at one point. It's just so tight, and the drumming going against the syncopated bass/guitar playing, - always a cool technique in my book. 

[OnTheBacksofAngela]

A top 20 DT song for sure. Petrucci's riffing at its finest. The bass riff that kicks in at 1:25 is probably my favourite Myung moment.

Yes, the riffing is just spectacular. I love this song, definitely top 10 for me, easily would have been top 5 at one point. It's just so tight, and the drumming going against the syncopated bass/guitar playing, - always a cool technique in my book. 

Fixed that for you

[OnTheBacksofAngela]

Day 4, November 7th, 2015: This Dying Soul on ToT

Portnoy's second suite song is one of the best ever. Personally, this is my favorite suite. I love everything about it. I love Labrie's rapping and it's one of his finest. It's a mixture of heavy and some melodic near the middle and the ending. Holy shet. It blows me away everytime and I think that's one for the fastest solo I've ever heard. Never get bored of it! Top 3 on ToT, top 15 overall

[jakepriest]

This Dying Soul is a mixed bag. The first half of the song rivals ITNOG for the best piece of music on the disc but after the TGP reprise ends at 7:13 I usually just skip the rest of the song. Holy crap do I find those vocals annoying and the outro instrumental is just shredding without a good melody unlike ITNOG.

It probably still is my favourite song to play on drums when it comes to DT though.

[RoadTrain_of Thought]

This Dying Soul is a mixed bag. The first half of the song rivals ITNOG for the best piece of music on the disc but after the TGP reprise ends at 7:13 I usually just skip the rest of the song. Holy crap do I find those vocals annoying and the outro instrumental is just shredding without a good melody unlike ITNOG.

It probably still is my favourite song to play on drums when it comes to DT though.

Pretty much what I think of this song. I usually listen to the whole song, but sometimes I find that last part somewhat annoying.