Author Topic: Happy Birthday Train of Thought!  (Read 1951 times)

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Offline goo-goo

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Happy Birthday Train of Thought!
« on: November 11, 2017, 10:56:53 AM »
 :metal

Favorite songs off this album are Endless Sacrifice, Honor Thy Father, and In the Name of God.

Offline The Walrus

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Re: Happy Birthday Train of Thought!
« Reply #1 on: November 11, 2017, 11:23:10 AM »
Wow. 14 years. I think I got into the band just a few months after this came out.

Vacant is my favorite.
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Offline MirrorMask

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Re: Happy Birthday Train of Thought!
« Reply #2 on: November 11, 2017, 11:39:14 AM »
The gloomy afternoons of November (at that time I didn't had a job) were the perfect atmosphere for the album cover and of course the music that was inside.

All in all a good album, by now I think it suffers a lot of too fast and too heavy wankery but all things considered it's a mostly good release. Endless Sacrifice is a standout, As I Am is an excellent rocker and Vacant seguing into Stream of Consciousness is so haunting. In the Name of God is a great closer as any with clever and thoughtful lyrics. Not a masterpiece but still a strong album.
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Offline perfey

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Re: Happy Birthday Train of Thought!
« Reply #3 on: November 11, 2017, 12:56:30 PM »
My first album after I discovered DT through a friend. I thought it was awesome and I was awestruck by In the Name of God. I had never heard a song such like that before, so epic and majestic. I loved the long intro to As I Am, and how it gave the album a good and heavy start. Train of Thought will always be special to me in that sense. I have a feeling and "picture" the album as the "grey" album of DT.

Offline Madman Shepherd

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Re: Happy Birthday Train of Thought!
« Reply #4 on: November 11, 2017, 04:07:25 PM »
The gloomy afternoons of November (at that time I didn't had a job) were the perfect atmosphere for the album cover and of course the music that was inside.

All in all a good album, by now I think it suffers a lot of too fast and too heavy wankery but all things considered it's a mostly good release. Endless Sacrifice is a standout, As I Am is an excellent rocker and Vacant seguing into Stream of Consciousness is so haunting. In the Name of God is a great closer as any with clever and thoughtful lyrics. Not a masterpiece but still a strong album.

If I remember correctly, at the show I was at they closed with In the Name of God and came back and did Change of Seasons as the encore.  It was my second DT show but probably the moment I turned into a hardcore fan. 

That song also had various images of cults on the big screen.  Absolutely amazing experience and really let me absorb the brilliant lyrics. 

Online TAC

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Re: Happy Birthday Train of Thought!
« Reply #5 on: November 11, 2017, 04:09:21 PM »
I bought Train Of Thought at the Virgin Megastore at Downtown Disney just before we started our drive home.
would have thought the same thing but seeing the OP was TAC i immediately thought Maiden or DT related
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Offline KevShmev

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Re: Happy Birthday Train of Thought!
« Reply #6 on: November 11, 2017, 04:12:08 PM »
Time has been kind to this record, which I think has aged pretty well.  It's certainly not a top tier DT record, but it's certainly a mid-tier one, featuring one of their best songs ever (In the Name of God) and a few other notable DT classics (Endless Sacrifice, As I Am, Stream of Consciousness).

Hard to believe it has been 14 years to the day since dt.net nearly imploded (reactions to this record online were all over the map, with some of the criticism very harsh, some of it from yours truly). 

Offline MirrorMask

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Re: Happy Birthday Train of Thought!
« Reply #7 on: November 11, 2017, 04:17:54 PM »
The tour was also awesome, an Evening With show with badass setlists all around  :metal

Mine was one of the best, only the inclusion of A Change of Seasons would have made it better:

https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/dream-theater/2004/filaforum-di-assago-assago-italy-63d6d267.html
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Offline NoseofNicko

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Re: Happy Birthday Train of Thought!
« Reply #8 on: November 11, 2017, 07:44:54 PM »
Happy Birthday Train of Thought! Hope you have a wonderful day and get lots of presents! I love you! :)

Offline Herrick

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Re: Happy Birthday Train of Thought!
« Reply #9 on: November 11, 2017, 08:38:13 PM »
I could've sworn the album came out during a warmer time. Never would've guessed it came out on November 11  :eek
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Offline SeRoX

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Re: Happy Birthday Train of Thought!
« Reply #10 on: November 12, 2017, 02:15:45 PM »
Strange enough, I remember I didn't like ToT at first listening and on. Have to admit ToT aged very well and now one of my favourite. ITNOG and AIA are top songs.
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Offline ToT-147

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Re: Happy Birthday Train of Thought!
« Reply #11 on: November 12, 2017, 04:08:18 PM »
Their finest album, without any doubt..

I deeply love it, so there's no really much more than that to say about it.. It's the only piece that makes me feel that great with all that it has and just as it is.. But I will mention that it's not only because of its heavyness or particularly its riffs, drum/bass sections, solos or vocal melodies that I like it so much.. The secret ingredient to my ears is what Jordan is capable of doing with his parts.. From the sounds that he uses (the lead at the start of ES, e.g.) til his solos and strange and dark melodies, is just the element that makes the album entirely different from a mere "heavy" album as some often prefer to describe it..

But I can't explain myself much more than that about why I think and feel it's their best album.. It's not even a DT album for me, or a prog metal album at all, is just The Album.. :heart
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Offline MirrorMask

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Re: Happy Birthday Train of Thought!
« Reply #12 on: November 13, 2017, 01:08:18 AM »
Well, I wouldn't agree with you on all counts, but it's always nice to see such a passion and love for an album  :tup
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Offline Dreamdrummer

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Re: Happy Birthday Train of Thought!
« Reply #13 on: November 13, 2017, 04:01:14 AM »
The second DT album that I discovered.

It was in the fall of 2004, when I was on holiday in Germany.
Bought the album in a local store and gave it a spin. I remember during the first 3 songs, I was on another planet. Blown away. The songs, the sound and especially the drumsound. Just awesome.
Top 3 DT album for me!


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Offline krands85

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Re: Happy Birthday Train of Thought!
« Reply #14 on: November 13, 2017, 06:05:48 AM »
My second favourite DT album and the one that really got me into the band - having come from more straightforward metal.

ITNOG and ES are my favourites, but it's a great album all the way through  :metal :coolio
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Offline V_R11

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Re: Happy Birthday Train of Thought!
« Reply #15 on: November 13, 2017, 08:31:41 AM »
I’d just like to say that I think it’s cool that me and one of my favorite DT albums share a birthday. It’s 6 years younger than me. Naturally I wasn’t a fan back then but have been for years now. ES is one of the first DT songs I fell in love with
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Offline Tony From Long Island

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Re: Happy Birthday Train of Thought!
« Reply #16 on: November 13, 2017, 09:17:43 AM »
If not for "Vacant"  it would be a perfect album!   

Train of Thought is great!     As I Am and Endless Sacrifice . . . great stuff.


I am going to see DT next week.   I have scrupulously avoided set lists.    Other than hearing I&W  (duh)    I hope there's at least one Train of Thought song   (other than "Vacant")
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Offline Lethean

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Re: Happy Birthday Train of Thought!
« Reply #17 on: November 13, 2017, 09:17:57 AM »
Wow. 14 years. I think I got into the band just a few months after this came out.

Vacant is my favorite.

I thought you said you'd been a fan for a decade and a half? I was pretty impressed by how young you would have been. :P

Offline don_waka

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Re: Happy Birthday Train of Thought!
« Reply #18 on: November 14, 2017, 01:38:36 PM »
It's been growing into me lately. Still don't understand what they intended when they got JLB rapping. And the cheesy keyboard notes on ITNoG  :\

Offline Evai

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Re: Happy Birthday Train of Thought!
« Reply #19 on: November 14, 2017, 02:03:29 PM »
I think the rapping is really cool, but doesn't flow well into the 'on and on and on and on it goes' part. (Or it could be that 'on and on and on' is one of my least favourite lyrical tropes, I'd rather hear a fire and desire rhyme tbh)
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Offline Dublagent66

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Re: Happy Birthday Train of Thought!
« Reply #20 on: November 14, 2017, 03:17:05 PM »
Time has been kind to this record, which I think has aged pretty well.  It's certainly not a top tier DT record, but it's certainly a mid-tier one, featuring one of their best songs ever (In the Name of God) and a few other notable DT classics (Endless Sacrifice, As I Am, Stream of Consciousness).

Hard to believe it has been 14 years to the day since dt.net nearly imploded (reactions to this record online were all over the map, with some of the criticism very harsh, some of it from yours truly).

I remember it well.  Although, I've never had any criticisms toward this album except maybe for some of the over indulgent wankerisms. :lol  Still loved it.
I think that was the beginning of the end for DT.net.



Wow. 14 years. I think I got into the band just a few months after this came out.

Vacant is my favorite.

I thought you said you'd been a fan for a decade and a half? I was pretty impressed by how young you would have been. :P

Uh, 14 years is about a decade and a half...almost.  :biggrin:

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Offline pg1067

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Re: Happy Birthday Train of Thought!
« Reply #21 on: November 14, 2017, 04:54:45 PM »
I could live without the two Portnoy songs, which would reduce the album length down to under 48 minutes, which would have made it a perfect album (slightly shorter than Maiden's Powerslave).

I would rank the songs as follows:

1. Stream of Consciousness
2. In the Name of God
3. As I Am
4. Endless Sacrifice
5. Vacant
6/7. This Dying Soul and Honor Thy Father

By the way, it's not that I dislike the Portnoy songs, but both songs have that angry young white guy vibe that I don't really care for and (for me) don't really have anything memorable about them.  The other five songs, on the other hand, are diverse, well-written and contain myriad memorable riffs/hooks, etc.  As I Am comes close in tone to the two Portnoy songs but has memorable and clever songwriting elements and does the "fast and loud" thing much better.  Endless Sacrifice is a really strong "poppish" DT song.  Nothing great about Vacant, but it's cool for what it is, and the use of the cello is very cool.  Depending on the day, Stream of Consciousness might be my favorite DT instrumental (although the Beatles/Crimson sections drag a bit for my taste).  ItNoG puts it all together, and the embedded nuggets are a cool touch.
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Offline Lethean

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Re: Happy Birthday Train of Thought!
« Reply #22 on: November 14, 2017, 07:11:01 PM »
Time has been kind to this record, which I think has aged pretty well.  It's certainly not a top tier DT record, but it's certainly a mid-tier one, featuring one of their best songs ever (In the Name of God) and a few other notable DT classics (Endless Sacrifice, As I Am, Stream of Consciousness).

Hard to believe it has been 14 years to the day since dt.net nearly imploded (reactions to this record online were all over the map, with some of the criticism very harsh, some of it from yours truly).

I remember it well.  Although, I've never had any criticisms toward this album except maybe for some of the over indulgent wankerisms. :lol  Still loved it.
I think that was the beginning of the end for DT.net.



Wow. 14 years. I think I got into the band just a few months after this came out.

Vacant is my favorite.

I thought you said you'd been a fan for a decade and a half? I was pretty impressed by how young you would have been. :P

Uh, 14 years is about a decade and a half...almost.  :biggrin:

Yeah, not sure where my head was.  I'm pretty sure I had 6 Degrees in my head for when he became a fan and then saw that it was after ToT.   Although.... a few months after Train of Thought came out would be 2004, so less than 14 years, so... I dunno, a decade and a half is cheating.  (Or something like that...)

Offline Lethean

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Re: Happy Birthday Train of Thought!
« Reply #23 on: November 14, 2017, 07:15:22 PM »
I could live without the two Portnoy songs, which would reduce the album length down to under 48 minutes, which would have made it a perfect album (slightly shorter than Maiden's Powerslave).

I would rank the songs as follows:

1. Stream of Consciousness
2. In the Name of God
3. As I Am
4. Endless Sacrifice
5. Vacant
6/7. This Dying Soul and Honor Thy Father

By the way, it's not that I dislike the Portnoy songs, but both songs have that angry young white guy vibe that I don't really care for and (for me) don't really have anything memorable about them.  The other five songs, on the other hand, are diverse, well-written and contain myriad memorable riffs/hooks, etc.  As I Am comes close in tone to the two Portnoy songs but has memorable and clever songwriting elements and does the "fast and loud" thing much better.  Endless Sacrifice is a really strong "poppish" DT song.  Nothing great about Vacant, but it's cool for what it is, and the use of the cello is very cool.  Depending on the day, Stream of Consciousness might be my favorite DT instrumental (although the Beatles/Crimson sections drag a bit for my taste).  ItNoG puts it all together, and the embedded nuggets are a cool touch.

I could do without the rap section in Honor Thy Father, but otherwise like those tracks.  I really like the part with the movie samples - thought it was very well done.

All in all, Train of Thought isn't one of my favorite DT albums, but I do like it a lot. 

Offline The Walrus

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Re: Happy Birthday Train of Thought!
« Reply #24 on: November 14, 2017, 07:53:12 PM »
Wow. 14 years. I think I got into the band just a few months after this came out.

Vacant is my favorite.

I thought you said you'd been a fan for a decade and a half? I was pretty impressed by how young you would have been. :P

So I exaggerated slightly. Close enough :lol I've been a computer nerd my whole life so I found DT at a pretty young age on my own thanks to the Internet :)
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