Not if your interest in them was as a live band. Though even in the studio he was always pushing them in different directions. While they may be uniquely Dream Theater, Dream Theater is a pretty generic band at this point.
Interesting point re: them as a live band. I never think of bands on those terms, since the odds of me seeing them live are small (based on their touring and my funds) but I can see how it would be more important to someone else.
Re: The different directions... I think some of them weren't good, though I am not going to pinpoint that on anyone since I am not in the studio with them. And I'll take good generic over bad unique any day.
In my mind, Barto is William Holden circa The Wild Bunch. Maybe not in terms of voice timbre and inflection but general personality.
Live has always been where it's at for me. There's something organic about hearing the real deal vs how a band in the studio wants something to sound. Don't get me wrong, you need to have the idealized version, but that's not what I generally want to listen to. To that end, if I feel like listening to DT I'm much more likely to put in Budokan or Bucharest than one of the albums.
As a live band I really don't have much use for modern DT. It's cool that they all like each other and are happier playing now, but from my perspective it was a poor deal. They were much better when they resented Portnoy but still played a good, "live" show.
I have no idea who I sound like. Plenty here have met me. Ask them. Sadly, it isn't Sam Elliot. Damn, that dude's got a helluva voice.
It's funny you brought up Holden, though. He's been an inspiration, if not hero, of mine since I was a kid. Since the first time I saw S.O.B. I always wanted to be Culley+Finegarten. That's where the armadillo breeder that occasionally adorns my profile pic comes from. Those two were cool AF. Between that, River Kwai, and The Wild Bunch he always demonstrated a willingness to do what needed to be done even if it sucks, a quality I deeply admire, but also a tendency to find the most enjoyable way to go about it. Also admirable in my book. It'd be surprising to me if I didn't have some of his qualities.