Falling into Infinity is amazing

[Dublagent66]

Going back and listening to this material makes me realize how much I miss Derek Sherinian's style of keyboards.  He really made his mark within the short time he was with DT.  Good stuff.

[El Barto]

I used to HATE Burning My Soul, but that keyboard solo is phenominal.  I don't want to turn this into a "this keyboard player vs. that keyboard player" thread, but that solo really makes me miss the old style of DT's soloing, where it wasn't ONLY about chops and who can play the fastest.  I think Derek's solo in Burning My Solo is more tasteful than most of Jordadn's new DT solos. 

Wow.  Between the first post and this one, I was pleasantly surprised that this could be the very first time, ever, that we actually agree about something.  Then you went and badmouthed Trial of Tears and blew my euphoria.

This post is dead on, though, and it's exactly the reason why I've always preferred DS over the other two keyboard players.  The guy just liked to rock out.  He had a more organic style that provided a much more musical aspect that the later albums lacked.  Because of that, I've always been a big fan of the album. 

[YtseBitsySpider]

I used to HATE Burning My Soul, but that keyboard solo is phenominal.  I don't want to turn this into a "this keyboard player vs. that keyboard player" thread, but that solo really makes me miss the old style of DT's soloing, where it wasn't ONLY about chops and who can play the fastest.  I think Derek's solo in Burning My Solo is more tasteful than most of Jordadn's new DT solos. 

Wow.  Between the first post and this one, I was pleasantly surprised that this could be the very first time, ever, that we actually agree about something.  Then you went and badmouthed Trial of Tears and blew my euphoria.

This post is dead on, though, and it's exactly the reason why I've always preferred DS over the other two keyboard players.  The guy just liked to rock out.  He had a more organic style that provided a much more musical aspect that the later albums lacked.  Because of that, I've always been a big fan of the album. 

^^yup^^

when it was about writing great songs.
no derek fan is going to tell you he's musically more gifted than Jordan. It's not about that.

[toro]

I used to HATE Burning My Soul, but that keyboard solo is phenominal.  I don't want to turn this into a "this keyboard player vs. that keyboard player" thread, but that solo really makes me miss the old style of DT's soloing, where it wasn't ONLY about chops and who can play the fastest.  I think Derek's solo in Burning My Solo is more tasteful than most of Jordadn's new DT solos. 

Wow.  Between the first post and this one, I was pleasantly surprised that this could be the very first time, ever, that we actually agree about something.  Then you went and badmouthed Trial of Tears and blew my euphoria.

This post is dead on, though, and it's exactly the reason why I've always preferred DS over the other two keyboard players.  The guy just liked to rock out.  He had a more organic style that provided a much more musical aspect that the later albums lacked.  Because of that, I've always been a big fan of the album. 

^^yup^^

when it was about writing great songs.
no derek fan is going to tell you he's musically more gifted than Jordan. It's not about that.

Agree'd with everything, And the derek thing its so true, he is not "musically better" but he plays more tasteful stuff.

[El Barto]

no derek fan is going to tell you he's musically more gifted than Jordan. It's not about that.

I can think of maybe one or two people who might be more musically gifted than JR, and it would require some real thought, but I can easily name a ton of keyboard players I like a lot more. 

[TAC]

Obviously Derek was a competent player, but his importance to the band had nothing to do with playing, but everything thing to do with showing the band what a true professional rock musician was. I think his personality lended itself to really blending everyone else's during that turmultuous time. While there were some certain differences of direction, my guess is that Derek got along with everyone.

He's almost like that one scene character that enhances the authenticity of a certain film.

[BRGM]

I am not a really big fan of Old DT

*faints in shock*

It's my opinion

[ScioPath]

yes, we know.

[KevShmev]

I think if it came down to raw skill, Rudess would win, and he deserves to; the guy went to f***ing Julliard when he was NINE, and has been a genius at the piano for forty years!

On another note, however, I do think that each keyboard player in DT had their own unique sound, and I like the three of them equally.

Fortunately, it doesn't just come down to raw skill (see: chops and technical skill), otherwise everyone would be talking about how much better a guitar player Yngwie Malmsteen is than David Gilmour.  

[MetalManiac666]

Though it contains many of their more mediocre songs (by DT standards), FII is still a great album.

[ScioPath]

I think if it came down to raw skill, Rudess would win, and he deserves to; the guy went to f***ing Julliard when he was NINE, and has been a genius at the piano for forty years!

On another note, however, I do think that each keyboard player in DT had their own unique sound, and I like the three of them equally.

Fortunately, it doesn't just come down to raw skill (see: chops and technical skill), otherwise everyone would be talking about how much better a guitar player Yngwie Malmsteen is than David Gilmour.  

Fine you win.
But they are all great.

[Kotowboy]

Does anyone else think that 3:36 of New Millennium hints at Scenes From A Memory ?

[rush-signals]

Probably my fave album from start to finish, no throw away tracks.  Very well thought out and put together no matter what anyone says.

[rush-signals]

Makes me also think I need to get the demo two disc version of this album.

[MadImmortalMan]

I really like this album. It has a few bad tracks which most everyone here has mentioned, but the high points are absolutely stellar and make up for the mediocrity. I also don't have much of a problem with the production. The album's probably my 6th or 7th favorite.

[Kotowboy]

Does anyone else think that 3:36 of New Millennium hints at Scenes From A Memory ?

[MadImmortalMan]

Does anyone else think that 3:36 of New Millennium hints at Scenes From A Memory ?

I always thought that part sounded like Home. It has everything but the girl moaning 

[Kotowboy]

Yeah exactly.

[theGonz]

Its more digestable than most DT albums but I wouldn't recommend it as the first album for a new fan.

[senecadawg2]

Trail of Tears 

Peruvian Skies, Lines in the Sand, Hell's Kitchen, Anna Lee, Hollow Years 

New Millennium, Take Away My Pain, You Not Me 

Just Let Me Breathe, Burning My Soul 

[Buddyhunter1]

Get rid of all the songs except New Millennium, Peruvian Skies, Hell's Kitchen, Lines In The Sand, Just Let Me Breathe (haters gonna hate), and Trial of Tears and make Hollow Years sound more like the Live at Budokan version and you've got a short but amazing album.

[snapple]

MP's drumming on this album is very good. In fact, it's one of his strongest.

[theGonz]

That trade off bit with John and Derek on JLMB is fuck yeah.

Thats prob the only part of the song I don't like. Sounds much better when played live.

[Adami]

That trade off bit with John and Derek on JLMB is fuck yeah.

Thats prob the only part of the song I don't like. Sounds much better when played live.

What's the difference?

Not a rhetorical question.

[BlobVanDam]

Does anyone else think that 3:36 of New Millennium hints at Scenes From A Memory ?

Nope.

[theseoafs]

It's literally nothing like Scenes From a Memory.

[Adami]

It's literally nothing like Scenes From a Memory.

But it is slightly middle eastern sounding! Just like Home!

[theGonz]

That trade off bit with John and Derek on JLMB is fuck yeah.

Thats prob the only part of the song I don't like. Sounds much better when played live.

What's the difference?

Not a rhetorical question.

They don't trade off live

[Adami]

That trade off bit with John and Derek on JLMB is fuck yeah.

Thats prob the only part of the song I don't like. Sounds much better when played live.

What's the difference?

Not a rhetorical question.

They don't trade off live

Ohhhh gotcha. I usually ignore any live versions (or recorded) of that song lol.

[BlobVanDam]

That trade off bit with John and Derek on JLMB is fuck yeah.

Thats prob the only part of the song I don't like. Sounds much better when played live.

What's the difference?

Not a rhetorical question.

They don't trade off live

I prefer the studio version with the tradeoff. I love the song either way though. The LSFNY version is why I got into FII in the first place.

[Scorpion]

FII is indeed amazing, and it was the first DT album I bought. It contains so many beatiful songs that the two total trainwrecks (YNM, JLMB) aren't really that important. Sure, it could have been better if those had been replaced by RTK and STM, but it's still a very good album.

Anna Lee is fantastic.

[nikatapi]

This is the last album i've heard before being able to listen to the albums at the time they came out, so coming from TOT, it was a strange album at first.

But man, it is a great album. JM, MP and DS absolutely slay on FII, and the production is awesome.
DS gave the band such a great diversity and atmosphere, which i feel they lacked after his departure.
I love FII, although i don't like some songs very much (TAMP especially) but it was such a creative album, and it felt like the result of amazing jams.

[Tis BOOLsheet]

Hell's Kitchen + Lines in the Sand is pretty amazing. Much of the rest of the album is terrible though.

[Scorpion]

Even Trial of Tears? That's like the best song on the album.

[senecadawg2]

Even Trial of Tears? That's like the best song on the album.