So, I'm re-listening to SFAM and

[Ultimetalhead]

My GOD this album is so good.

[Nick]

Seeing this from the main page I had really hoped the thread was started to TOX, having finally come to his senses.

[Jamesman42]

Or me.

[Dublagent66]

It's been a while for me, but every time I hear it......absolutely amazing!  I'm probably due for another spin.   

[Orbert]

Hmm... me too.  I'll have to give it a spin.  It's been maybe six months or so.

[ScioPath]

I literally cannot go a month without listening to AT LEAST one track from SFAM.

I listen to it routinely.

[moffatt]

I literally cannot go a month without listening to AT LEAST one track from SFAM.

I listen to it routinely.

I can't go a week
tis a masterpiece of an album

[MetropolisxPt1]

I did the same thing one of my fav albums. Power Windows by rush is my favorite.

[BRGM]

Yeah, SFAM is a good album, really like the dance and fatal tragedy

[hefdaddy42]

I haven't listened to this in a while.  Must fix that.

[ZKX-2099]

Listened to it as I took a walk on the beach. Listening again.

God tier music right here.

[Birch Boy]

Awesome album 

[zxlkho]

Not nearly my favorite DT album, but it's still very 

[Sigz]

DT's best.

[ZKX-2099]

I want to put it at the top (and I have before) but when I listen to Six Degrees I am a bit torn...

[axeman90210]

A live version of of Fatal Tragedy just came on shuffle as I opened this thread... I will most definitely be listening to SFAM in its entirety tomorrow

[SystematicThought]

I do have fond memories of listening to it back in November of 2008, when I bought it. Such a great time.... my school was still open.

Great album.

[reneranucci]

After the lenghty discussion about epics, I listened to this playlist: The Spirit Carries on - Finally Free - Octavarium

It was EPIC

[Orbert]

Listened to Act I tonight in the car.  It kicked my ass.
Will listen to Act II tomorrow on the way to work.

Man, I did forget how fucking awesome this album is.

[UnutterableSquid]

 

Best album ever made, much?

Honestly, I find myself often switching to a specific track just to listen to for a few minutes late at night, and then I somehow always get sucked in and end up listening to the entire album.

[yeshaberto]

all time fav for me

[Arcaeus]

Haven't listened to it in its entirely for about a year. I don't plan on fixing this any time soon, either.

But it's got some great tracks, like Overture, Home, The Dance of Eternity, and Finally Free. Can't say I'm fond of the rest. I don't hate them, I'm just indifferent towards the album. But it was the album that got me into Dream Theater, so I'll be forever thankful for that.

[Adami]

As great as SFAM is, and it is great, it did introduce a few really bad trends that DT has been keeping up.

1. The extremely compressed thin sounding production
2. The overly wanky instrumental sections (though they get WAY worse after this album)
3. The JR/JP solo trade off then unison deal.

[MirzekDT]

As great as SFAM is, and it is great, it did introduce a few really bad trends that DT has been keeping up.

1. The extremely compressed thin sounding production
2. The overly wanky instrumental sections (though they get WAY worse after this album)
3. The JR/JP solo trade off then unison deal.

Wasn't too much compressed sounding production introduced with FII? At least in audacity it looks as compressed as SFAM

[tri.ad]

No, FII sounds amazing compared to SFAM. All instruments have got the space they need (you hear the bass drum extremely well and the snare has the necessary punch) and it doesn't sound too compressed at all.

[ScioPath]

On first listen, i thought that the instrumentals sounded too unnatural, but probably because i had listened to it through LSFNY before the actual album.

[MirzekDT]

No, FII sounds amazing compared to SFAM. All instruments have got the space they need (youcc hear the bass drum extremely well and the snare has the necessary punch) and it doesn't sound too compressed at all.

Yes I agree that FII has great sound but when I look at the waveforms of the songs I see a lot of almost full blue rectangles in some cases they are through whole songs. So maybe I'm missing somthing and the way how does the song look like in waveform may not tell if it's compressed too much or not correctly but I thought it does...

[tri.ad]

Zoom in and take a look at a 30-second sample.

[Orbert]

What strikes me about SFAM is how the instrumentals don't seem as ridiculous and over-the-top as what came later.  Yes, they go on for a while, and show off their chops and ability to dance through time signature shifts and all that.  But the instrumentals seem to flow much more organically from the songs themselves.  They support the lyrics and story, which is of course exactly what they should do.  Somehow (to me) they don't feel like they were inserted just to provide a wankfest.  There are many examples of later songs where the instrumental just comes out of nowhere and really does nothing for me.

[reneranucci]

What strikes me about SFAM is how the instrumentals don't seem as ridiculous and over-the-top as what came later.  Yes, they go on for a while, and show off their chops and ability to dance through time signature shifts and all that.  But the instrumentals seem to flow much more organically from the songs themselves.  They support the lyrics and story, which is of course exactly what they should do.  Somehow (to me) they don't feel like they were inserted just to provide a wankfest.  There are many examples of later songs where the instrumental just comes out of nowhere and really does nothing for me.

Agreed, and Fatal Tragedy is a good example of that. As much over the top as the instrumental section is, it flows very well with the rest of the song. Even BTL, which many people despise but I like a lot, evolves from within the song and has a nice flow. Maybe not their best instrumental section, but doesn´t have that feel of being completely unrrelated to the rest of the song.

[Jamesman42]

I think for the first time ever, I am itching to listen to this album. I'm actually looking forward to listening to it right now.

Am I dreaming?

[MetropolisxPt1]

SFAM is IMO the most complete DT album from cover to cover. In a sense of the musicianship, the lyrics and the overall flow from song to song. SFAM is much more entertaining to me then some other DT albums because each song makes that album a whole, instead of a bunch of assorted songs that have no relation.

[MykeHavoc]

You know there's only one issue I have with the album's narrative: Edward being the author of the note.
I felt like the ambiguity of it's meaning was perfect. It could have been a sweet gesture from Julian taken out of context because of what ended up happening, being the final tragic piece of the puzzle that left their deaths improperly solved for so many decades.

[Jamesman42]

Just listened to SFAM in its entirety.

I like the album now. Probably 7th on my list, inching just above FII. The music is just awesome.

New ranking:

1. SDOIT
2. BC&SL
3. 8VM
4. IaW
5. ToT
6. Awake
7. SFAM
8. FII
9. SC
10. WDADU

[tri.ad]

... Does that mean that I'm alone on the field of those who don't really like SFAM now?