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

[?]

Blind Faith! 

[Silver Tears]

Blind Faith! 

[Mladen]

Panic Attack 

[Kosmo]

Well since everyone else is doing it...

Endless Sacrifice!   

[Ħ]

Blind Faith and Endless Sacrifice!  Great choices!

[Bonham]

Who should I talk to to get a top 50 going? Message a mod?

Also, very interesting picks so far. tDoE is VERY underrated

[jsem]

It's been a while. Just sayin'

[CrimsonE]

I second this, although I imagine that sullivan may be on the Xmas holiday vacation 

I have one that's ready to go if the others don't mind me jumping spots.  If not, then I'll keep waiting.  No big deal. 

[Ħ]

I don't mind.

[CrimsonE]

Yes, but you're after me, so I don't think that counts.   

[Ħ]

Uh...it's almost been four weeks since guysullavin has updated.  Should we press on?

[hefdaddy42]

Uh...it's almost been four weeks since guysullavin has updated.  Should we press on?

Yeah, if TTTSTA has his list ready, let's move on.

[jsem]

It's been a while. Just sayin'

I've said this for quite some time. Some1 PM him, mail him... try to contact him to finish it

[CrimsonE]

I've got my list up and ready, so if we don't hear from him in the next few days, I'll go ahead and start posting mine--unless someone ahead of me on the list is also ready to go. 

[jsem]

I've got my list up and ready, so if we don't hear from him in the next few days, I'll go ahead and start posting mine--unless someone ahead of me on the list is also ready to go. 

Good idea.

[hefdaddy42]

Wait until I give you the A-OK.

[CrimsonE]

Wait until I give you the A-OK.

Fair enough, but what will be the timeframe before you consider the list to be abandoned? 

[hefdaddy42]

Wait until I give you the A-OK.

Fair enough, but what will be the timeframe before you consider the list to be abandoned? 

Not long.

[jsem]

Can I get in line please?

[hefdaddy42]

Can I get in line please?

Yes.

This will move along very quickly, I promise.

[jsem]

As it has been lately, it seems like it's going to be like half a year til I can do mine 

[orcus116]

Well hef asked me to start on my list since guy seems to have disappeared. Instead of a top 50 I'm only going to do a top 25. Let's start shall we?


[25] In The Presence Of Enemies Part 1

So why part 1? Why not the entire song? Well it's my list so I can do what I want. When I first heard this track I was kind of in the middle of a DT slump. I hadn't really listened to them in awhile and the excitement of the writing style of Octavarium was wearing off so I didn't really have too many expectations. After about two or three minutes all I could remember was "Wow this sounds incredible". The song just packs a great opener energy that can't wait to show off what's next. My initial reaction was more of a sigh of relief than anything and it has since waned but overall the song's a damn fine nine minutes of music that showcases a good variety of what that iteration of the band could do with the sound and style they so stubbornly stuck to.


[24] These Walls

I can remember back when the first 30 second samples from Octavarium were released in either late 2004 or early 2005. The only I distinctly remember being awesome was the main synth riff in "These Walls". I desperately wanted this song to be good because I loved that riff so much (and still do) so this song definitely shot up to my #2 spot on the album when I finally got the album. Dream Theater has tried and marginally succeeded at trying to create some mainstream sounding rock tracks and I honestly think this song works as such. Despite being so straightforward the instrumentation and songwriting work better than songs like "Constant Motion" and "A Rite Of Passage". The strings at the very end add a nice touch as well.


[23] Octavarium

I could write for pages on why I think "A Change Of Seasons" is a much more well crafted song than "Octavarium" but it's a futile argument no matter what side you're on. I only bring this up because there's always a hot debate between which of the two is the better and while I feel strongly about "A Change Of Seasons" that doesn't make "Octavarium" any less of a really good song. The best as well as most troubling part of the song is the fact that the two best sections of the song, Full Circle and Intervals, contains some of the best instrumentation and arranging the band has done with their current sound. Intervals is the closest to an interesting instrumental part they've done in a long time and at times sounds like a more hectic throwback to the well known "Metropolis" instrumental jam.

The song as a whole definitely has the feeling of group of musicians carefully crafting an opus though some of the reasons why it doesn't quite hold up as well as others stems from the fact that, at times, the song feels a little phoned in. The Continuum solo at the very beginning has a great buildup but I can't help but feel it's a bit too similar to "Shine On You Crazy Diamond". Razor's Edge used to feel so triumphant and powerful but as the years go on it just doesn't do it for me and almost has a canned epic feel to it in that "well we'll add a bunch of strings and have you hold a high note" kinda way. Still a treat to see live and for its diehard fans I can at least partially see why this song is so hailed.

[toro]

8VM at 23??? I'm kind ok with that, when I did my top 50 it was at 3 and now it got really boring for me, but i would put it in the top 20.

[Ħ]

  for These Walls!
  for Octavarium!

[Jirpo]

Interesting choices!

[orcus116]

I forgot to elaborate on the "most troubling part" comment. Essentially those two sections showcase some great potential the band has rarely matched since. I'd love for them to maintain that consistent quality but it only seems to appear in small chunks lately.

[jsem]

ITPOE pt 1 too low.
8vm too low.

[TTTSTA]

Sorry guys just got back from Vacation, i didn't think i was gonna be up for awhile, drop me down a few people and ill wait again. Sorry

[orcus116]

[22] In The Name Of God

Train Of Thought was the first album Dream Theater released after I got into the band back in mid-2003. From day one the heaviness of this track cemented it a spot amongst my favorite and as the easy standout track on the album it's one of the only songs from that release I don't mind listening to. The lyrics are surprisingly ambitious and the different segments of the song really tie them together well. The solo section goes a little overboard but to simply show off chops it does an amazing job, especially live. One thing this song has that I wish Dream Theater would bring back into their writing is simple things like adding the "Battle Hymn Of The Republic" underneath the end of the song. It's things like that that really lift a song up and as an album closer it works very well.


[21] Metropolis

It's a bit strange that for as I cherish Images And Words I don't equally cherish what some might consider the crown jewel of the album. "Metropolis" is often called the quintessential Dream Theater song and it's correct to a point but for only certain reasons. The obvious standout part is the instrumental section which not only sounds more purposeful than some of the more playful ones on the rest of the album but sets a standard that the band still tries to adhere to today. Everyone's chops (minus Labrie of course) are flaunted but none of it sounds excessive and even Myung gets a few seconds in the spotlight. My only gripe against the song is that while it is well written I could never get excited by it. Most of the riffing doesn't hook me the way some of the other songs on the album do. Still a solid track though.

[jsem]

Woah. Metropolis at 21...

wouldn't have seen it coming.


A lot of controversy so far.. I like it

[orcus116]

There's definitely going to be a few unorthodox choices and placements.

[Mladen]

That's what makes these lists interesting. Pretty cool choices so far.

[zxlkho]

Blind Faith better be in the top 5. (though I would be ok with top 10 probably...)

[jsem]

Blind Faith better be in the top 5. (though I would be ok with top 10 probably...)

Will you call for lynching if it isn't?

[zxlkho]

Yes.