Official New Millennium appreciation thread.

[Ruba]

One of the best songs on FII.

DT needs more Chapman Stick.

*dom-dum-dum-dom-dum-dum-dom-dum-dum-dum-woow*

[ZKX-2099]

Looks like some peoples opinion on the song has changed... the tide is turning now....................... baby.

[The Stray Seed]

I really like it as an opener.  From the opening notes, it is clear that some new sounds and influences have entered the Dream Theater repertoire.  I recognized the Chapman Stick immediately and thought it was cool as hell that Myung had picked one up.  It immediately put me into an 80's King Crimson mentality, and a lot of their work had to do with playing patterns against each other, which happens a lot in "New Millenium", so it all fit very nicely.

I can see how a lot of people have trouble with it, as it is definitely an anomoly in the DT catalogue, and they didn't exactly follow this new direction, but I thought it was great.

Well said Orbert, I totally agree with you. I can understand why many people have troubles with it. And I like this fact. It means they were very courageous in the sound choices they made, which is an effort that has a lot to do with the idea of progressive. They pushed the boundaries, and came up with a great song. Actually, if one has a solid progressive background, as you said before, he will unlikely dislike New Millennium.

The "lies ten feet tall" part always puts a big smile on my face, as I picture John Petrucci's expression while playing that heavy, tasty riff in live at Budokan.

[Super Dude]

How can you keep your head and not go insane/When the only light at the end/Of the tunnel is another train?

I love that. Not very imaginative, but definitely visceral. I can relate.

[Rattlehead]

It's a pretty cool song, I actually quite like it as an opener. As a relatively new DT fan, I am guilty of not really giving FII a chance at first, but after revisiting it, I realized how wrong I was to dismiss the album as not worth listening to. 

[Sycsa]

Looks like some peoples opinion on the song has changed... the tide is turning now....................... baby.

One of the reasons I'm not too fond of that song is exactly that line...it vibes Axl Rose, not DT.

[Pols Voice]

This song is great (30th on my Top 50). I love the fun and funky feel.

[Dublagent66]

I grew to like it over time but wasn't too impressed with it as an opener when I first got the album.

[WildeSilas]

Easily in my top 3, though the keyboard intro made me shelve the album for a few years because I thought the new key player was ruining the band. Also wasn't a fan of a few of the other songs. I'd say now that FII is my second favorite DT album, and not a bad song on it. New Millennium makes me feel like I'm going on a journey. It opens the most unique and creative DT album in the discography and I LOVE IT. 

[Lucidity]

I actually really love New Millennium; it's got some very unique vibes to it that I wish DT played with more, and it has tons of great consistent ideas and passages that keep you entertained without boring you. It's not from DT's best, but there is very little wrong with it.

When I'm listening to music on shuffle and New Millennium comes on, I almost never skip it.

[Super Dude]

This and 6:00 are my two all-time favorite openers. Although On the Backs of Angels ain't half bad either.

[cyberdrummer]

I think this song contains one of DT's best instrumental sections. So much groove.

Yes I went there.

Bring back the Chapman stick, JM.

[FlyingBIZKIT]

I think this song contains one of DT's best instrumental sections. So much groove.

Yes I went there.

Bring back the Chapman stick, JM.

This.

[WildeSilas]

I was too much of a stupid metal head to get NM when I first heard it, and typically skipped over it. Once my ears matured a little and I revisited it, I realized it's probably one of the greatest DT songs ever written. I would love to hear JP play like that again and often - and he actually gets pretty close on DT12. Brilliant composition and Derek is as usual the most creative member in the group at that point.

[Buddyhunter1]

2nd best song on FII.

I wouldn't be bothered to post this if the song wasn't so underrated.

[TheAtliator]

I freakin love this song!!! I'd love to see it live.

KEEP YOUR F***IN HEAD UP

[Super Dude]

I love how groovy this era in DT was. A small part of me wishes the band had gone radio friendly afterwards.

[Tunnel Vision]

One my favorite moments of the Live at Budokan concert is the intro to New Millennium. Awesome keyboard sound + chapman + JP's soaring guitar make for a great intro

[jammindude]

The breakdown in NM is IMO, one of the funnest moments in DT history.

[adamack]

Time to bring this thread back to life. Amazing song. Its a shame that they probably wont play it live again (being James' least favourite DT song)

Wow, great nugget of info that I never knew. I've always wanted to know each member of DT's fav/least fav DT song...

...

...  New thread idea?!

[Pragmaticcircus]

I fucking love this song 


(ps. there's definitely a 46&2 reference around 4 mins, DT really liked Tool around those years if it wasn't blatantly obvious)

[ToT-147]

I think dedicating an entire thread to discussing the victory that is New Millennium is long overdue.

I know that it was kinda built off of Caught In A Web but it's still one of Dream Theaters most unique sounding songs I can think of. It's kinda gotta an enjoyable funk vibe and is up there with Metropolis' instrumental section.

Agree? Of course you do.

Ok.. I have plenty of unpopular opinions (generally speaking), but I never thought I would ever see/hear someone comparing just like that my least favorite DT song with my favorite song (generally speaking :v).. Now I have seen everything...



PS: I don't need to clarify which is which, rigth?..

[Cool Chris]

I would have pegged Raw Dog as James' least favorite song.

[Pragmaticcircus]

I would have pegged Raw Dog as James' least favorite song.

James in the studio hearing for the first time, after two weeks of pampering at the masseuse:

James:  So, you sent me away for two weeks.....JUST TO WRITE THIS SHIT??

Petrucci: It was Mikes idea.......

[Ninjabait]

Honestly, I don't get all the hate for New Millennium. I think it's a great song all around, and is like a master class in maintaining a groove through like 72 time signature changes. I hardly even notice some of the odd meters in the song, they're just used so subtly. The interlude maintains interest without being overly flashy (imo it's super conservative by DT standards), and it has one of my all-time favorite basslines. All the playing is really just...tasteful.

[Pragmaticcircus]

Honestly, I don't get all the hate for New Millennium.

Where?

I think it's a great song all around, and is like a master class in maintaining a groove through like 72 time signature changes. I hardly even notice some of the odd meters in the song, they're just used so subtly. The interlude maintains interest without being overly flashy (imo it's super conservative by DT standards), and it has one of my all-time favorite basslines. All the playing is really just...tasteful.

Agreed!

[Cool Chris]

No one is going to say the groove and base aren't quite good. The lyrics and terrible keyboard bring it down. Popping FII in the CD player for the first time and hearing that grating keyboard intro, I was all "Uhhhhhh............. what?"

[DTA]

New Millennium is awesome. I'm just not hearing the things that people say are "wrong" with it. This is easily the most fun DT song they've ever released.

[Orbert]

I keep wondering about people who mention the "keyboard intro".  That's a Chapman Stick, not a keyboard.

[Adami]

I keep wondering about people who mention the "keyboard intro".  That's a Chapman Stick, not a keyboard.

The very intro? That's keyboard too. After that it's all just chapman for a few seconds.

[pg1067]

I keep wondering about people who mention the "keyboard intro".  That's a Chapman Stick, not a keyboard.

The Stick doesn't come in until around the 30 second mark.  Before that it's keys/guitar.

I like the intro to the song, but then it just plods along and commits the biggest sin any song can commit:  it's BORING.

[YtseJamittaja]

The groovy instrumental section and John's guitar there are the best thing in this song. Loving that groove!  I have to say that I enjoy NM a lot, I really would love to see it live, could be really surprise but I think we never hear it again because of James's hate to this song.

[Orbert]

I keep wondering about people who mention the "keyboard intro".  That's a Chapman Stick, not a keyboard.

The very intro? That's keyboard too. After that it's all just chapman for a few seconds.

The Stick doesn't come in until around the 30 second mark.  Before that it's keys/guitar.

My mind is blown.  From the moment I first put on the CD, I was certain that those opening patterns were Stick.  It never occurred to me that they were anything else.  When I mentioned the Stick and others also noted it, I was reassured.  The fact that there is Stick, but not where I thought it was, is actually kinda funny (to me anyway).

FII was one of the first DT albums I ever bought, and I didn't realize until much later that some of the leads that I thought were guitar were actually synth.  Partly because I wasn't listening that critically, and partly because Derek brought such a different approach to keyboards that I didn't even recognize his sounds as coming from keyboards.

And yes, that's pretty sad since I'm a keyboard player, but DT was the first Prog Metal band I'd ever heard and I'd never heard keyboards used this way before.  Metal was always the domain of guitars, and I was amazed that a band had even found a way to integrate keyboards into their sound.

[Adami]

Honestly, I only really knew what was what from watching the Live in Budakon.

[Pragmaticcircus]

Instrumentally really makes me go "Damn, now I know why I love this song so much!"   

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8RkGPOaXR_g