Dream Theater's 11th Album v. Play Nice

[Adami]

Uninteresting. Bad's a bit harsh but I find a lot of their metal stuff very pedestrian and ordinary. As I said in the other thread I can't recall the last memorable metal riff they've done.

The end of TDEN has one hell of a riff. The main riff of ITNOG is also pretty kick ass. But it's a little old.

The ITNOG riff is pretty cool. The end of TDEN is just boring. VERY boring.

Not is it pretty cool, it's the best riff JP has done with DT.

Sorry, I implied with DT. My point still stands.

[toro]

Uninteresting. Bad's a bit harsh but I find a lot of their metal stuff very pedestrian and ordinary. As I said in the other thread I can't recall the last memorable metal riff they've done.

The end of TDEN has one hell of a riff. The main riff of ITNOG is also pretty kick ass. But it's a little old.

The ITNOG riff is pretty cool. The end of TDEN is just boring. VERY boring.

Not is it pretty cool, it's the best riff JP has done with DT.

WAT.
Half of TOT would like a word with you.

[Adami]

Can we stop the whole "______would like a word with you" thing? Please?

And yea, I'm sure I'll get a 5/8 type response to this.

[Quadrochosis]

Can we please talk about DTXI?

[Adami]

I think it would be interesting (not for most bands, but for DT) if for one album, everyone ONLY wrote what pertains to their own instrument. The only minor exception would be Myung helping write riffs. But Myung writes his bass parts, Petrucci the guitar, JR the keys, and Labrie all the vocals. That includes words AND melodies. Like I said, it's normal most bands, but I'd be curious to see what DT would sound like without everyone writing the vocals for labrie, or JR writing the solos and bass lines or MP writing guitar.

[TL]

That would definitely be interesting to see, though with the modification of everyone writing an equal amount of lyrics.

[Nic35]

I don't see LaBarie writing lyrics for 8-10 songs. He would run out of inspiration after 3 or 4.

[Adami]

I don't see LaBarie writing lyrics for 8-10 songs. He would run out of inspiration after 3 or 4.

How do you know? That's like saying Myung couldn't write a bass album.

It might not be GOOD, but it would be a good change.


And TL, I wouldn't want that modification. Maybe JR and JM helping, but JP and MP have dominated the last like 5 albums, they could stand to the side for this one. It's not like either one has given us a masterpiece recently.

[Nic35]

I don't see LaBarie writing lyrics for 8-10 songs. He would run out of inspiration after 3 or 4.

How do you know? That's like saying Myung couldn't write a bass album.

Yeah, I guess you are right on that one

But given the length of the making of an album, I think it would take too much time for only one person to write all the lyrics.

[Adami]

I don't see why. Most bands don't seem to have an issue. It's not like LaBrie is doing anything else. MP and JP have to write all the music, and then all the lyrics. Seems like way more work.

[Quadrochosis]

I actually like that idea, considering they all do what they do best, for example, some of LaBrie's best vocal moments are on songs he wrote the lyrics/melodies for.

[Nic35]

I don't see why. Most bands don't seem to have an issue. It's not like LaBrie is doing anything else. MP and JP have to write all the music, and then all the lyrics. Seems like way more work.

It's not more work, because they have the inspiration to write the lyrics. I mean, JP doesn't write lyrics for a particular song because he knows nobody will. Every member of the band decides after a song is written if they want to write the lyrics of that song. Like when recorded ANTR, JP wrote the lyrics because he had a good idea of what could suit the music. It wouldn't be logic for James to write lyrics for songs he had no good idea of what lyrics could fit the music.

[Adami]

It's not like they say "hey james, any ideas? No? Ok I'll do it". Have the time James isn't even there. He is usually just called in when everything is finished.

[Nic35]

He was present in the studio when they recorded SC. Unfortunately he wasn't when they recorded Black Clouds, and I think that's why he didn't write lyrics on the album. But in Lifting Shadows, he said he'd be present for the next album.

[orcus116]

I don't see why. Most bands don't seem to have an issue. It's not like LaBrie is doing anything else. MP and JP have to write all the music, and then all the lyrics. Seems like way more work.

It's not more work, because they have the inspiration to write the lyrics. I mean, JP doesn't write lyrics for a particular song because he knows nobody will. Every member of the band decides after a song is written if they want to write the lyrics of that song. Like when recorded ANTR, JP wrote the lyrics because he had a good idea of what could suit the music. It wouldn't be logic for James to write lyrics for songs he had no good idea of what lyrics could fit the music.

To be honest I don't think any of the band members had any idea what lyrics could fit the music. The Best of Times was the only thing that sounded close to proper.

[Adami]

That's a good point. Aside from TBOT, you can make any of the songs about any of the other subjects and it works just fine.


Oh also excluding TSF for obvious reasons.

[contest_sanity]

I would like to hear JLB write all his own melodies; that would be cool.

[DarkLord_Lalinc]

I would like to hear JLB write all his own melodies; that would be cool.

That would be amazing, but it's very unlikely it will happen.

[contest_sanity]

I would like to hear JLB write all his own melodies; that would be cool.

That would be amazing, but it's very unlikely it will happen.

Yeah, I know.

[DarkLord_Lalinc]

Or let Steve Stone or Dominici write the melodies.

The gift we bring, your majesteeeeey

YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH

[hefdaddy42]

Dream Theater's obvious metal influences, like Maiden and QR inspired parts, have always sounded good to me.  It's the more Metallica inspired stuff, as well as the stuff inspired by newer metal genres, that they have the toughest time with IMO.

I agree with this.

[reneranucci]

I wouldn´t like James writing all the melodies, I don´t see it working. What I would like to see (although I don´t know if he´s actually done that recently) is James participating from the very beginning of the songs. The description on the LSFNY commentary of how they wrote "One Last Time" is what I´m looking for: everybody around the piano and James offering his input.

[orcus116]

Didn't they do that with Finally Free as well?

[TheOutlawXanadu]

Dream Theater's obvious metal influences, like Maiden and QR inspired parts, have always sounded good to me.  It's the more Metallica inspired stuff, as well as the stuff inspired by newer metal genres, that they have the toughest time with IMO.

Excellent point.

[reneranucci]

Didn't they do that with Finally Free as well?

Oh I meant Finally Free. Sorry.

[Jamesman42]

It'd be cool if they treat the writing process as a band effort and not a project effort. I absolutely love BC&SL, but there's always a chance to get another SC. They're all awesome musicians and potentially awesome lyricists, they should be blending it better.

[Dream Team]

I wonder if the next album is when we finally see Myung's name removed from the writing credits? 

[antigoon]

I wonder if the next album is when we finally see Myung's name removed from the writing credits? 

That's extremely improbable, I think.

[Aniland]

Didn't they do that with Finally Free as well?

REALLY? This is my favorite Dream THeater song. Knowing now that it had a completely different writing process than their other songs is awesome. I hope that they do this for album number 11.

[DarkLord_Lalinc]

I wonder if the next album is when we finally see Myung's name removed from the writing credits? 

They're still presenting always the music as
Music by: Dream Theater
Lyrics by: *insert lyricist here*

In very few spots, the "music by" tag changes, like in Wither for example, where the music is entirely attributed to JP, or Vacant where the music is attributed to JM and JR. They're still Dream Theater, not "The Rudess, Portnoy and Petrucci experience".

[orcus116]

There's a difference?

[DarkLord_Lalinc]

 

[contest_sanity]

They're still Dream Theater, not "The Rudess, Portnoy and Petrucci experience".

The Petrudnoy Experience.

[PlaysLikeMyung]

I wonder if the next album is when we finally see Myung's name removed from the writing credits? 

They're still presenting always the music as
Music by: Dream Theater
Lyrics by: *insert lyricist here*

In very few spots, the "music by" tag changes, like in Wither for example, where the music is entirely attributed to JP, or Vacant where the music is attributed to JM and JR. They're still Dream Theater, not "The Rudess, Portnoy and Petrucci experience".

It's really hard to tell, unfortunately

[DarkLord_Lalinc]

I wonder if the next album is when we finally see Myung's name removed from the writing credits? 

They're still presenting always the music as
Music by: Dream Theater
Lyrics by: *insert lyricist here*

In very few spots, the "music by" tag changes, like in Wither for example, where the music is entirely attributed to JP, or Vacant where the music is attributed to JM and JR. They're still Dream Theater, not "The Rudess, Portnoy and Petrucci experience".

It's really hard to tell, unfortunately

Yeah, that's another thing. It's undeniable that Myung has had less imput in recent DT music than in their older albums.