The Way it Used to Be

El Barto · March 17, 2010, 08:30:15 PM

Interesting. Though I think I have this at the shop, I'd never actually listened to it until now. At first, I completely understood why. I probably tried to listen to it once or twice and turned it off exclaiming loudly that it was total shit. This time around, I was contemplating starting a thread where I discussed how much I fucking hate when DT tries to sound like U2¹. While composing that post, the song continued playing, and it turns out that after the first 2 minutes is over, it's actually a good song. Once they get out of the U2 mold and start doing their own thing, it gets better and better. It seems like the entire song is linear. It just evolves from beginning to end with no section being dominant or repeating. It's a shame it didn't get more treatment.

¹To be fair, I'm not sure it was as much U2 as A Momentary Lapse of Reason era Floyd, but as it turns out, there isn't really any difference.

Regardless, when I get some time tomorrow I'm going to listen to the entire 2 disk set and see what else I've overlooked. After reading MP's thoughts on FiI, I'm not sure I agree with him about some of it. BMS-HK-LitS is monumental, and I gather that never would have existed. It'll be interesting to compare his idea and the finished product.

ddtonfire · March 17, 2010, 08:59:16 PM

I have always enjoyed this song. DT really can do anything.

sonatafanica · March 17, 2010, 09:23:29 PM

Quote from: ddtonfire on March 17, 2010, 08:59:16 PM
I have always enjoyed this song. DT really can do anything.

At the end of the day, I think that's what we all think of DT.

Plasmastrike · March 17, 2010, 09:33:43 PM

Quote from: sonatafanica on March 17, 2010, 09:23:29 PM
Quote from: ddtonfire on March 17, 2010, 08:59:16 PM
I have always enjoyed this song. DT really can do anything.

At the end of the day, I think that's what we all think of DT.

Cue group hug in 3.. 2.. 1..

yeshaberto · March 17, 2010, 10:39:11 PM

not one of my favorite songs, but a breath of fresh air

tri.ad · March 17, 2010, 11:48:36 PM

Great song, shame it gets overlooked so often. JP's solo at the end is amazing.

hefdaddy42 · March 18, 2010, 03:25:54 AM

Quote from: tri.ad on March 17, 2010, 11:48:36 PM
Great song, shame it gets overlooked so often. JP's solo at the end is amazing.

This, I wish they would bring it back into rotation on tour.

ddtonfire · March 18, 2010, 04:54:46 AM

Quote from: hefdaddy42 on March 18, 2010, 03:25:54 AM
Quote from: tri.ad on March 17, 2010, 11:48:36 PM
Great song, shame it gets overlooked so often. JP's solo at the end is amazing.
This, I wish they would bring it back into rotation on tour.

It's not metal enough; it haz no ballz.

KevShmev · March 18, 2010, 06:21:34 AM

Quote from: El Barto on March 17, 2010, 08:30:15 PM
¹To be fair, I'm not sure it was as much U2 as A Momentary Lapse of Reason era Floyd, but as it turns out, there isn't really any difference.

Huh? I am gonna need you to unwrap that one a little more, please.

Bone_Daddy · March 18, 2010, 07:53:17 AM

Love this tune!

I'd say it's progressive rock.

MP doesn't overplay the skins which is a plus!

Good song for a...

MONTAGE!

Cool Chris · March 18, 2010, 08:39:05 AM

Quote from: hefdaddy42 on March 18, 2010, 03:25:54 AM
This, I wish they would bring it back into rotation on tour.

Back on tour? I didn't know it ever was on tour.

It is a decent B-Side, but I can see why it didn't make the cut, and I don't see any reason it needs to be played live.

emindead · March 18, 2010, 08:48:26 AM

Edit: I got confused with which song we were talking about.

I don't listen too much about it, but I do hear the U2 vibe.

Quadrochosis · March 18, 2010, 08:53:22 AM

Quote from: KevShmev on March 18, 2010, 06:21:34 AM
Quote from: El Barto on March 17, 2010, 08:30:15 PM
¹To be fair, I'm not sure it was as much U2 as A Momentary Lapse of Reason era Floyd, but as it turns out, there isn't really any difference.

Huh? I am gonna need you to unwrap that one a little more, please.

While I wouldn't go as far as saying there is almost no difference, I can definitely understand the comparison.

antigoon · March 18, 2010, 10:34:21 AM

Eh, I kinda like when DT tries to sound like U2. Better than when DT tries to sound like Meshuggah, anyway. *runs*

El Barto · March 18, 2010, 11:04:07 AM

Quote from: Quadrochosis on March 18, 2010, 08:53:22 AM
Quote from: KevShmev on March 18, 2010, 06:21:34 AM
Quote from: El Barto on March 17, 2010, 08:30:15 PM
¹To be fair, I'm not sure it was as much U2 as A Momentary Lapse of Reason era Floyd, but as it turns out, there isn't really any difference.

Huh? I am gonna need you to unwrap that one a little more, please.

While I wouldn't go as far as saying there is almost no difference, I can definitely understand the comparison.

Painting with too broad a stroke, I suppose. However, listen to the first 2 minutes of TWiUtB, and try to figure out if it sounds more like generic U2, or any number of songs from post Waters era Pink Floyd. Remarkable similarity.

As for the solo, I like the way it ends, but don't care for the beginning of it at all.

Bombardana · March 18, 2010, 11:46:03 AM

Quote from: antigoon on March 18, 2010, 10:34:21 AM
Eh, I kinda like when DT tries to sound like U2. Better than when DT tries to sound like Meshuggah, anyway. *runs*

I'm waiting for them to perfectly fuse the two in the next album.

Jamesman42 · March 18, 2010, 12:31:12 PM

From what I remember, this song is very fun and good.

orcus116 · March 18, 2010, 05:48:22 PM

If U2 made the song (at least the beginning) it'd be a bonafide hit. I've always liked the song regardless though.

2Timer · March 18, 2010, 06:05:18 PM

Quote from: Cool Chris on March 18, 2010, 08:39:05 AM
Quote from: hefdaddy42 on March 18, 2010, 03:25:54 AM
This, I wish they would bring it back into rotation on tour.

Back on tour? I didn't know it ever was on tour.

It is a decent B-Side, but I can see why it didn't make the cut, and I don't see any reason it needs to be played live.

The jam at the end is why it needs to be played live. That one bend up to a G JP does halfway through would provoke some pretty cool faces from him if it was played live.
It is a really cool song; something completely different from them, which works very well from time to time.

KevShmev · March 18, 2010, 07:32:28 PM

Call me crazy, but I just cannot wrap my head around the idea that U2 and A Momentary Lapse of Reason sound similar (assuming I am interpreting that correctly).

Oh, and the keyboard solo in this song is totally Camel-esque (given the keyboard tone and style, not the actual melody). I remember thinking that the first time I heard this song.

King Postwhore · March 18, 2010, 08:14:03 PM

Everytime somebody does a staccto, muted picking wirh delay & reverb it's U2ish. Well I guess that's Edge's signature sound but Come on!!!! Good song that, to me wasn't fully flushed out.

xeper · March 18, 2010, 09:14:48 PM

One of my favorite DT rarities, definitely something different for them. Tracks like this are why I'm grateful for the official bootleg series.

ZKX-2099 · March 19, 2010, 06:08:28 AM

I would have gladly traded Anna Lee or Take Away My Pain for it to be on the CD.

hefdaddy42 · March 19, 2010, 09:34:08 AM

Quote from: Cool Chris on March 18, 2010, 08:39:05 AM
Quote from: hefdaddy42 on March 18, 2010, 03:25:54 AM
This, I wish they would bring it back into rotation on tour.

Back on tour? I didn't know it ever was on tour.

It was played live twice on the third European leg of the FII tour (the Rotterdam Fan Club show and the show from La Bataclan in Paris recorded for Once In A LIVEtime) and 5 times on the "Intimate Evening With Dream Theater" shows in December 1998.

Samsara · March 19, 2010, 02:00:41 PM

Quote from: El Barto on March 17, 2010, 08:30:15 PM
Interesting. Though I think I have this at the shop, I'd never actually listened to it until now. At first, I completely understood why. I probably tried to listen to it once or twice and turned it off exclaiming loudly that it was total shit. This time around, I was contemplating starting a thread where I discussed how much I fucking hate when DT tries to sound like U2¹. While composing that post, the song continued playing, and it turns out that after the first 2 minutes is over, it's actually a good song. Once they get out of the U2 mold and start doing their own thing, it gets better and better. It seems like the entire song is linear. It just evolves from beginning to end with no section being dominant or repeating. It's a shame it didn't get more treatment.

¹To be fair, I'm not sure it was as much U2 as A Momentary Lapse of Reason era Floyd, but as it turns out, there isn't really any difference.

Regardless, when I get some time tomorrow I'm going to listen to the entire 2 disk set and see what else I've overlooked. After reading MP's thoughts on FiI, I'm not sure I agree with him about some of it. BMS-HK-LitS is monumental, and I gather that never would have existed. It'll be interesting to compare his idea and the finished product.

I agree that BMS-HK-LiTS is monumental and glad we got that.

I rather enjoyed The Way it Used to Be on first listen, however. I totally hear the U2 vibe, but to me, it's a nice change of pace. The song breathes (as do many of the songs on FII), which in this fan's opinion, is something we need more of.

02T · March 20, 2010, 11:16:48 AM

Quote from: El Barto on March 17, 2010, 08:30:15 PM
It seems like the entire song is linear. It just evolves from beginning to end with no section being dominant or repeating. It's a shame it didn't get more treatment.

It's called "through composed" where a song doesn't repeat choruses or verse forms. Common in classical music. Not a problem with the song.

El Barto · March 20, 2010, 12:15:53 PM

Quote from: 02T on March 20, 2010, 11:16:48 AM
Quote from: El Barto on March 17, 2010, 08:30:15 PM
It seems like the entire song is linear. It just evolves from beginning to end with no section being dominant or repeating. It's a shame it didn't get more treatment.

It's called "through composed" where a song doesn't repeat choruses or verse forms. Common in classical music. Not a problem with the song.

I wasn't suggesting it was a problem with the song. It's precisely what I like about it. I lament that they didn't decide to keep the song and really turn it into something badass.

millahh · March 21, 2010, 08:21:50 AM

I get way more of a Floyd vibe than U2. The verses distinctly remind me of Run Like Hell (JM is doing a dead-on Waters impression for most of it), and the guitar solo seems to be a direct reference to later Gilmour.

TAC · March 28, 2010, 11:01:23 AM

Quote from: yeshua4 on March 17, 2010, 10:39:11 PM
not one of my favorite songs, but a breath of fresh air

I agree.

I definitely don't pick up a Pink Floyd vibe in this song. And it's not as U2ish as Speak To Me. It's a B-side all the way.

And Bart..excellent use of a footnote!

RaiseTheKnife · March 31, 2010, 03:32:30 AM

[
[/quote]It was played live twice on the third European leg of the FII tour (the Rotterdam Fan Club show and the show from La Bataclan in Paris recorded for Once In A LIVEtime) and 5 times on the "Intimate Evening With Dream Theater" shows in December 1998.
[/quote]

I saw it live at Toad's Place on the Evening With leg. Same night they played Where Are You Now for the first time.

PC269 · March 31, 2010, 05:56:24 PM

How do I acquire this song?

hefdaddy42 · March 31, 2010, 06:13:21 PM

Quote from: PC269 on March 31, 2010, 05:56:24 PM
How do I acquire this song?

https://www.ytsejamrecords.com/ProductCart/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=26&idcategory=6

cyberdrummer · February 03, 2013, 04:30:03 AM

I've been listening to Cleaning Out the Closet a lot recently, and this track has moved up to my second favourite behind Raise the Knife. Great tune.

kirksnosehair · February 03, 2013, 04:54:14 AM

Another song that should have been on FII instead of some of the utter dreck that plagues that album (I'm looking at you, Burning My Soul)

Mladen · February 03, 2013, 05:47:36 AM

Quote from: cyberdrummer on February 03, 2013, 04:30:03 AM
I've been listening to Cleaning Out the Closet a lot recently, and this track has moved up to my second favourite behind Raise the Knife. Great tune.

This.

Quote from: kirksnosehair on February 03, 2013, 04:54:14 AM
Another song that should have been on FII instead of some of the utter dreck that plagues that album

And this. Although I wouldn't say utter dreck, but songs that aren't nearly as awesome as The Way it used to be. I adore this song from start to finish. Top 50 material for sure.

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The Way it Used to Be