Official DT Top 50 Thread (Riceball Up Now - starting Page 66)

[Jamesman42]

Endless Sacrifice
Octavarium
Learning to Live
Voices
Disappear

[Riceball]

No........one else wants to have a go at guessing my top five? List is on the previous page.

[BlackInk]

Surprised to see Surrounded that high, TCoT too actually.

As of the top 5, yeah Learning to Live would be a given. Yeah I think Jamesman covered my guesses.

[Jaffa]

No........one else wants to have a go at guessing my top five? List is on the previous page.

Seems like Learning to Live and Octavarium are probably locks.  Also, unless I'm very much mistaken, I don't see Take the Time anywhere on your list so far, so either it's not in your top 50 at all (which would make me sad), or it's in your top five (which would make me happy).  Voices is also conspicuously absent from your list so far.  And... I'd like to believe the last one might be Caught in a Web, just because if you had Take the Time and Caught in a Web in your top five, I'd love you.  But I'm thinking it's doubtful.  Ummm... heck, I'll say Space Dye-Vest, just to put something.

As for the order, no idea, but as a guess:

5. Space Dye-Vest
4. Octavarium
3. Take the Time
2. Learning to Live
1. Voices

[Riceball]

Close(ish) but no.

Anyone else? You've got about 12 hours til all is revealed

[Jirpo]

Surrounded is incredibly beautiful. I've overlistened a bit which is the only reason it isn't my #3 lol

[Riceball]

Well, some guessed this track correctly as in the top 5, but noone had it at number 5.

5. Voices
This was an instant top five-r for me. Voices is a fantastic track, plain and simple. From the vocal melodies, to the brooding atmosphere, the lyrics, it all just works. Something that I like in this track is that the instrumentation is really secondary to the lyrics, story and vocals – it's a bit different to the standard DT formula but its great. Mike's spoken word near the end third of the track is really cool, too – really builds that sense of climax.  The whole song progresses fantasmically, also.

Yeah, as you can tell, I've got a bit of writers block today; sorry. But as promised, number five delivered on time, on budget and ready to roll.

[Jirpo]

Nice pick! I would have it a bit lower though

[BlackInk]

Voices is great indeed, but I too would have it lower.

Bring on number 4....

[JustinSire]

please, sir, I would like a spot on this fine list!

[namgalsipsclar]

6. Surrounded

Great to see this song getting some appreciation

[hefdaddy42]

Hard to argue with Voices, definitely amazing.

[Riceball]

4. Learning to Live
The perennial winner for many comes in at number four in the 'Balls list. I really dig this track for so many reasons that it would be a bad look if I went through them all and only put this at number four; so I won't...at least I don't think I will.

The keyboard riff that kicks off LtL (and makes its presence felt throughout) is sublime and just resonates so strongly that I sometimes hear something similar in other songs and my brain goes into overdrive – like, "holy shit they are playing LtL on the radio!!1" – ofcourse that's never happened. I think it was a really nice touch at the time for the band to essentially reprise Wait for Sleep; it gives the whole 'this is all a dream' feel which I don't think has been captured since.

I really love the vocals and the melodies in Learning to Live too, they really cut through the craziness that's going on behind them – which to be honest is the reason we all listen to DT, isn't it? Instrumentally, the song has some of the boys' best moments: from the aforementioned key riff, to the vox-gasm build up, I mean the whole thing is really full of sweet, awesome, tight, brilliant Dream Theater instrumentation that I wouldn't do it justice trying to isolate cases.

And, ofcourse, you can't mention LtL without the WOOOOAHHH HO HO, WOOOAHH HO HO, WAAAAAH HAH HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! I've always thought it was a bit out of place – as in its just like this arbitrary moment thrown into the track to give it a sense of climax (zing!) – but who cares, its awesome anyway.

I'd also consider this DTs second best example of progression. Number one? You'll have to wait and see

[Jirpo]

Great song, but overrated IMO.

[Riceball]

Yeah I think its a tad over-rated. I mean, I've got it in my top five - but I'd almost (almost) say that if I were to include ADToE in there, it might get bumped back two places on account of Breaking All Illusions and Bridges in the Sky...they've got a "new car smell bonus" right now, but I rate them higher than LtL. Still, a brilliant track.

However, I don't think those two would beat my top three, ever, even with the NCSB.

[lumpy33]

can we stop with bridges in the sky please?  even though it has a great chorus, it's the most tame of all the heavy songs on the new cd, imo.  don't get me wrong - it's a great tune, but moving it's way into a top 5 of all time list?  not a chance. 
learning to live is an excellent top 5, riceball.  take the time must be in there you too, i'm guessing...

[LieLowTheWantedMan]

lolopinions

[Riceball]

Like I said, right now its got a NCSB, so it may not end up that high. But right now, I'd listen to it over LtL if I was only allowed to listen to five DT tracks ever.

Oh, and this

lolopinions

[Elite]

hmm, too late for the top 5, but:

3. Take The Time
2. Space-Dye Vest
1. Octavarium

Now do it, it would be good.

[hefdaddy42]

Great song, but overrated IMO.

It's not overrated.  It wins or finishes second in the DT survivor every single year, and has done so for years. 

[MK_Ultra]

Fatal Tragedy (more on this tasty beast later)

If this means what I think it does...
(probably not as no-one else seems to have mentioned it)

3. Space-Dye Vest
2. Fatal Tragedy
1. Octavarium

[RuRoRul]

Great song, but overrated IMO.

It's not overrated.  It wins or finishes second in the DT survivor every single year, and has done so for years.

Exactly... it's rated extremely highly so if you don't think it's the best, then it's overrated.

Good pick of Learning To Live, Voices wouldn't be anywhere near that for me though.

[Jaffa]

Great top five so far, Riceball.   

Great song, but overrated IMO.

It's not overrated.  It wins or finishes second in the DT survivor every single year, and has done so for years.

  Pointing out that a song is rated highly doesn't show that it isn't overrated.   

Fatal Tragedy (more on this tasty beast later)

If this means what I think it does...

Well spotted!  I hadn't thought of that at all.

[BlackInk]

Loving the top 5 so far. Bring it on.

[lyfeternl]

Loving the top 5 so far. Bring it on.

AROP within the top 5 anyone?

[Mladen]

Good ones so far in top 5. 

[FlyingBIZKIT]

Loving the top 5 so far. Bring it on.

AROP within the top 5 anyone?

Bottom Five

[lelanddt]

What a fantastic thread! May I be added to the list please?

[Riceball]

BREAKING NEWS

Ball Leak: Riceball's top three Dream Theater tracks revealed

In an act of computer hacking not seen since John Myung broke into Starbucks' logistics network, a suave, debonare soul has decided enough is enough and released Riceballs's top three Dream Theater tracks to the press. Scroll down for the scoop:
























3. Constant Motion
Wow what a fantastic track! You know, sometimes I just can't take the intensity of having to make it through some of DTs epic, proggy tracks of gold. I had been waiting all of my life for the boys to put out a track like this. Just a fantastic example of how to create a track which inspires the same feelings that it explores - I just can't stop listening! My only bugbear is that solo from JP, its pure horrible! The highlight though has to be both the lyrics (BLISTERING!!!!1) and the unique, never-before-seen call and response vocals; pure genius!

2. A Rite of Passage
Can anyone say beebot? I can! Truly the highlight from my number two, all-time favourite DT track. Another is the consistent application of the main riff; brilliant. I also love, love, love dat chorus, easily the best ever written by the boys! And I mean c'mon, its a song about free masons, how friggin' cool is that <3

1. Burning My Soul
Really, are you surprised? This is not only my fave DT track, its my fave track by anyone ever!!!!!1 My only gripe is that they don't use the "burnin mah soh" line enough, but that really doesn't matter, the instrumentation behind it makes up for it 100000x over.

[FlyingBIZKIT]

Bullshit.

[Elite]

BLISTERING PASSAGE BURNING YAAAAAAH.

[hefdaddy42]

My point was that "overrated" doesn't mean anything.  Whenever anyone uses that phrase, what they mean is that they don't like whatever they're talking about as much as most people do.

[FlyingBIZKIT]

Yeah, pretty much. Everything is "overrated" these days.

[Jirpo]

My point was that "overrated" doesn't mean anything.  Whenever anyone uses that phrase, what they mean is that they don't like whatever they're talking about as much as most people do.

Yeah, thats what I meant

[lyfeternl]

BREAKING NEWS

Ball Leak: Riceball's top three Dream Theater tracks revealed

In an act of computer hacking not seen since John Myung broke into Starbucks' logistics network, a suave, debonare soul has decided enough is enough and released Riceballs's top three Dream Theater tracks to the press. Scroll down for the scoop:

3. Constant Motion
Wow what a fantastic track! You know, sometimes I just can't take the intensity of having to make it through some of DTs epic, proggy tracks of gold. I had been waiting all of my life for the boys to put out a track like this. Just a fantastic example of how to create a track which inspires the same feelings that it explores - I just can't stop listening! My only bugbear is that solo from JP, its pure horrible! The highlight though has to be both the lyrics (BLISTERING!!!!1) and the unique, never-before-seen call and response vocals; pure genius!

2. A Rite of Passage
Can anyone say beebot? I can! Truly the highlight from my number two, all-time favourite DT track. Another is the consistent application of the main riff; brilliant. I also love, love, love dat chorus, easily the best ever written by the boys! And I mean c'mon, its a song about free masons, how friggin' cool is that <3

1. Burning My Soul
Really, are you surprised? This is not only my fave DT track, its my fave track by anyone ever!!!!!1 My only gripe is that they don't use the "burnin mah soh" line enough, but that really doesn't matter, the instrumentation behind it makes up for it 100000x over.

I decide not to buy in on this complete fabrication of reality... But still...