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

[orcus116]

It was probably a label an early reviewer threw out. Something along the lines of it being a short, delicate, lyrically driven piece serving more as a precursor to the song following it, harking back to what "Wait For Sleep" does for "Learning To Live". It kinda stuck with me even as I heard the song for the first time.

[DarkLord_Lalinc]

Yeah, definitely. It's even based on Stream of Consciousness' main riff. But hey, it works pretty well. Cello + bass + acoustic piano + James LaBrie = Goodness.

[orcus116]

Seeing it live with the cellist was definitely a bonus. Watching him try to play along with "Stream Of Consciousness" was hilarious. He was playing his balls off but you could barely hear him.

[Riceball]

[7] Scarred

I was aware of its existence, I could strangely recall certain sections perfectly in my head but it never quite sunk in.

That sums up my discovery of this song. Probably in the top five for me

[Mladen]

Always good to see some appreciation for Scarred, my 5th favorite Dream Theater song, mindblowing in every possible way. 

[reneranucci]

Scarred is my least favorite, or more disliked DT song.

[hefdaddy42]

Yeah, definitely. It's even based on Stream of Consciousness' main riff. But hey, it works pretty well. Cello + bass + acoustic piano + James LaBrie = Goodness.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm almost certain that the main riff of Steam of Conciousness was based on Vacant, rather than the other way around.

[j]

Good picks.  I might even put Scarred higher than that.

I have a feeling our album rankings are very similar.

-J

[Nekov]

Never got why people consider Train Of Thought to be such a bad album.

I don't think that there are man people that consider Train of Thought to be a bad album. What I think is that most people prefer the rest of DT's albums.

[Zantera]

Even though I agree on Train of Thought being a bit one-dimensional, it's still probably my favorite album after 6DOIT.
In this case it's kinda good that the prog isn't all over the place, because my problem with the other modern DT-albums would be the wankery, which is almost featured in every song.

[Nekov]

 

Maybe I am misunderstanding you but are you implying that what annoys you from modern DT is the prog? Because modern DT is loosing it's prog and going to the metal side.

[j]

Even though I agree on Train of Thought being a bit one-dimensional, it's still probably my favorite album after 6DOIT.
In this case it's kinda good that the prog isn't all over the place, because my problem with the other modern DT-albums would be the wankery, which is almost featured in every song.

You hate wankery and ToT is your second favorite album?  What about This Dying Soul, Endless Sacrifice, and ITNoG, three of the worst wanking offenders in DT history?  And even Stream of Consciousness deserves a mention too.

-J

[orcus116]

[6] Pull Me Under

Might be my only "Huh?" pick of the top 10 since I've seen numerous reasons why this song gets passed up. Yeah I can see where it's been played out but that doesn't stop it from being such a well crafted song. The first time I heard Images And Words this song blew me away. It's the perfect opener and the absolute perfect example of how progressive metal can be created in such a way that it's palatable for almost anybody. To some diehards that means sacrificing the quality of the song but Dream Theater has only really done that in recent attempts ("A Rite Of Passage", "Constant Motion"). The energy that each individual performance exudes creates in this 8 minute tracks leaves you wanting more. The buildups are quick and to the point, each section offers something worth listening to, the playing is very tasteful and never showy. Always a worthwhile listen.


Bonus: Album Rankings
[6] Scenes From A Memory

Like many I loved this album almost instantly. It just sounded like the band gave a little some extra when they recorded this. I played it constantly to the point where each day I'd have a new favorite song. Then it sat for a few years and coming back to it I've found I prefer the album in pieces more than its whole. The tracks that were great stayed great but the lulls weren't nearly as exciting as I remembered. The whole experience reminds me of "The Dance Of Eternity", amazing when you first hear it but if you lose your ear for it it's hard to digest again. One of the main reasons the album is harder to get into is the story just isn't all that great, nor is it well told. I give the band credit for trying to create characters out of lyrics Petrucci wrote years earlier that make almost no sense but ultimately they might've been better off settling on a completely new concept. That said, as much as the term "concept album" has become its own little joke it'd be interesting to see the energy and excitement that's so evident in the craft of the album attempted again. I'd be a little concerned lyrically but at this point I'm up for anything.

[Zantera]

You hate wankery and ToT is your second favorite album?  What about This Dying Soul, Endless Sacrifice, and ITNoG, three of the worst wanking offenders in DT history?  And even Stream of Consciousness deserves a mention too.

-J

Oh, I actually wrote wrong, or well.. What I meant was that ToT is my favorite album that has been released after 6DOIT, the top3 to me is Awake, 6DOIT and SFAM, ToT would be nr5 or 6.

Don't think Pull Me Under deserves to be this high, but I can still understand it.
SFAM that low is a bit surprising though, but can't complain.

[TheOutlawXanadu]

Yo. I want to do one of these soon. Where is the list and how do I sign up?

[AcidLameLTE]

An unusual choice but I can't really disagree with it. Excellent song.

[j]

You hate wankery and ToT is your second favorite album?  What about This Dying Soul, Endless Sacrifice, and ITNoG, three of the worst wanking offenders in DT history?  And even Stream of Consciousness deserves a mention too.

-J

Oh, I actually wrote wrong, or well.. What I meant was that ToT is my favorite album that has been released after 6DOIT, the top3 to me is Awake, 6DOIT and SFAM, ToT would be nr5 or 6.

Gotcha.

And PMU is your first pick that I gotta disagree with, orcus.  But I guess it's not like you put Constant Motion in your top ten or something.

-J

[jsem]

SFAM at 6?

You mad?

[hefdaddy42]

Yo. I want to do one of these soon. Where is the list and how do I sign up?

You're signed up.  The list is in the OP.  It might be a while.

[PlaysLikeMyung]

SFAM at 6?

You mad?

No sounds about right

[chaotic_ripper]

Orcus, you have great taste my friend. Great top 25.

[orcus116]

Thanks man 

SFAM at 6?

You mad?

Ask me 5-6 years ago and it probably would've been my #1. I just can't get into much at all anymore.

[Mladen]

Pull me under 

Also, your album ranking is kinda bizarre - you're gonna have FII and WDADU in your top 5, and that's something we don't see here quite often.

[tri.ad]

Nothing wrong with placing PMU in the top 10.  I love that song, but it would barely make the top 20 for me.

[hefdaddy42]

Pull me under 

Also, your album ranking is kinda bizarre - you're gonna have FII and WDADU in your top 5, and that's something we don't see here quite often.

I think you'd be surprised.

[Jirpo]

Very happy with those last two choices!!! :

[Dream Team]

My guess:

5. WDADU
4. SDoIT
3. FII
2. I&W
1. Awake

[orcus116]

[5] The Glass Prison

This is where it all started. I was on another forum and I saw the name "The Glass Prison" and it just sounded like a cool song name. I had never heard of the band so I picked it up off Kazaa or whatever I was using at the time. I was sold by the time the infamous arpeggio run hit. I had never heard anything so well played and awesome before in my life. I must've listened to the song a dozen times before exploring other Dream Theater songs and then I picked up Six Degrees Of Inner Turbulence. What I love about this song is how heavy the band decided to be and how well executed it was. Petrucci's balls to the wall riffing with Portnoy thunderous drumming makes for one of their best album openers. Even Rudess, who seems out of place at times during their metal songs, really adds great background. My only gripe is the solo section drags a bit but the song quickly gets back into it for the conclusion. As a Dream Theater fan it's my first love so it's always got a special place.


Bonus: Album Rankings
[5] When Dream And Day Unite

A bit high for most fans, I'd imagine. Most complain about things like immature song writing, bad production, and Charlie on vocals which I can understand but I don't find any of them much of a problem, aside from the muddy bass sound. While screaming of the 80s a lot of these songs rip. "A Fortune In Lies", "Ytse Jam", "The Killing Hand", and "Only A Matter Of Time" are just great tracks. What I love about this album is the energy and potential oozing out of the band at this point in their career. Sure some of the songs are a bit too complex for their own good resulting in less than memorable sections but that energy is so evident that you don't seem to mind it. The song writing is actually quite decent for a bunch of a musicians just trying to show off while aping some of their idols, even better than some of the more modern output which can come off as run of the mill at times. Lyrically the band seemed to just want words in the songs for pure aesthetics instead of meaning and Charlie seems to compliment that with more emphasis on vocal melodies than emotion. More attention needs to be paid to this album, I think, and I'm not talking about sitting down and listening to When Dream And Day Reunite. Actually listen to the real deal and find all that interesting stuff you're probably missing.

[Nekov]

  The Glass Prison. Same song that got me into DT. And I think WDADU is exactly where it should be. Although SFAM is not 

[jsem]

WDADU is great. I'd probably rank it in the middle somewhere too

[j]

WDADU is great. I'd probably rank it in the middle somewhere too

Yeah I'd rank it in the same place.  I like it about the same as SFAM, but obviously for totally different reasons.

-J

[hefdaddy42]

Both are a little higher than I would have them, but not by much.  The Glass Prison is amazing.

[PlaysLikeMyung]

Pull me under 

Also, your album ranking is kinda bizarre - you're gonna have FII and WDADU in your top 5, and that's something we don't see here quite often.

I think you'd be surprised.

Yep. Ytse Jam and Trial of Tears are in my top 5.

[orcus116]

[4] Voices

This song completely blew me away the first time I heard it. It's slow churning, brooding and worked on every level it attempts. Sitting in the middle of Awake, it perfectly encapsulates the atmosphere of the album and as its crown jewel demonstrates just how far the band had strayed from Images And Words. It's a song crafted with love, as shown in the lyrics and Petrucci's soaring solo, easily one of his best. What's wonderful about the song is that it's not really technical at all, yet bares all the marks of great musicianship, something the band should attempt on this next album.

Bonus: Album Rankings
[4] Six Degrees Of Inner Turbulence

My very first Dream Theater album and, in my opinion, the perfect representation of the potential its lineup could reach. There's a lot of variety, lots of experimentation (good and bad), and a clear effort to make an album that strayed from Scenes From A Memory. Every song on Disc 1 is fantastic, from the heavy assault of "The Glass Prison" to the haunting melodies of "Disappear". Even the love it or hate it song "The Great Debate" is impressive in the way it tries to present its message lyrically, something the other political/social commentary songs the band has tried since haven't done. My only real gripe about the album is Disc 2. As a piece of music it's ambitious and it shows, but that doesn't always translate into results. Some of the parts on their own aren't bad at all but as a whole it's very underwhelming. It's got a lazy Sunday afternoon feel to it which I can't shake. Seeing the suite live helped change my image of it a little but I'm usually perfectly happy listening to just Disc 1. All in all a solid album and one I'd recommend in a heartbeat.

[jsem]

I feel differently about SDOIT2. It's epic for sure. But certain parts bring it down (the test that stumped them all).

You're certainly placing the awake stuff high. Awake's prolly no 1 on your album ranking