Trial of Tears Appreciation Thread

[TheGodOfN00bs]

I've always wondered what the lyrics for this song meant. Coul someone post an answer to this?

[Vajra]

It's the most "meh" epic by DT that i have heard.

While you suffer that, some of us choose to live gracefully and enjoy the song for all its worth.

[obscure]

masterpiece!

Once in a Livetime doesn't sound better than the original for anything.

The Budokan version however, is at least on par with the original. JLB sings really good on that particular song, and improvises some nice melodies, and the lead-in to the acoustic section gives me chills.

and this.

[bss4life15]

The Wasteland is a great ending but the instrumental section of the song is extremely boring and the first part has some cool vocal melodies, but that's it.  Lines In The Sand is a much better song.

[toro]

The Wasteland is a great ending but the instrumental section of the song is extremely boring and the first part has some cool vocal melodies, but that's it.  Lines In The Sand is a much better song.

lolno

[PS Head]

Effing brilliant song....love the begining thats sounds very"Xanadu"...with hints of U2 when the song gets going.As for the guitar+keyboard solos,what can i say apart from stunning...JP's solo in particular very Mcalpine/Vai.

[Raoul Sanchez]

I definitely prefer LITS, but ToT is one of my favourite DT songs.

[hefdaddy42]

Definitely Top 10 material, if not higher.  Fantastic, no weak points whatsoever.

[FlyingBIZKIT]

Not one of my absolute favourites, but a solid Top 20.

[ACID_FOX]

It's the most "meh" epic by DT that i have heard.

some of us choose to live gracefully

[McNugg]

Reviving this thread!  Thought it was better than making a new one.

Just been going through recent footage of DT shows on the Youtubes and noticed that they have replaced the intro to Trial of Tears with a very cool new jam.

https://youtu.be/ey3tIypNSfE

Very unlike ANYTHING I have heard DT do before and many emotions were felt. (Reminded me more of an LTE jam)   Just thought i'd share as I think it's much nicer than the usual Xanadu inspired intro

[genome]

They did this both nights in Argentina too, there was a bit of discussion about it on the BTFW thread. 

[Kotowboy]

Trial Of Tears > > > > Scarred.

[RodrigoAltaf]

Reviving this thread!  Thought it was better than making a new one.

Just been going through recent footage of DT shows on the Youtubes and noticed that they have replaced the intro to Trial of Tears with a very cool new jam.

https://youtu.be/ey3tIypNSfE

Very unlike ANYTHING I have heard DT do before and many emotions were felt. (Reminded me more of an LTE jam)   Just thought i'd share as I think it's much nicer than the usual Xanadu inspired intro

Yep...I saw them in Rio last night and they played it like that, with the jam into. MUCH better than just quoting Xanadu like they did 1000 times already, and the jam has a Marillion feel which I really enjoy.

[mikeyd23]

Reviving this thread!  Thought it was better than making a new one.

Just been going through recent footage of DT shows on the Youtubes and noticed that they have replaced the intro to Trial of Tears with a very cool new jam.

https://youtu.be/ey3tIypNSfE

Very unlike ANYTHING I have heard DT do before and many emotions were felt. (Reminded me more of an LTE jam)   Just thought i'd share as I think it's much nicer than the usual Xanadu inspired intro

Holy smokes! That intro jam was awesome!!    Happy to see them doing stuff like this again!

[devieira73]

Dereks keyboard solo on this song is one of my fav DT solos.

Amazing song overall 

The rhythm guitar guitar on that solo is fantastic too, very groovy/funky stuff, rare to hear JP doing that these days.

[Dublagent66]

It's the most "meh" epic by DT that i have heard.

I guess you haven't heard Illumination Theory yet.   

[Scorpion]

Best DT song ever, and the BTFW version just cemented that fact for me. Everything about this song is ridiculously perfect.

[Kotowboy]

It's the most "meh" epic by DT that i have heard.

I guess you haven't heard A Change Of Seasons yet.   

FTFY

[efx]

Dereks work on this song is some of the best keyboard work of any DT song, ever.

[RodrigoAltaf]

it's better than Stairway to Heaven!

[Sycsa]

it's better than Stairway to Heaven!

Definitely way more original.

[ThatOneGuy2112]

It's the most "meh" epic by DT that i have heard.

I guess you haven't heard In the Presence of Enemies yet.   

FTFY

Awful lot of typos going around lately.

[DarkLord_Lalinc]

it's better than Stairway to Heaven!

Definitely way more original.

Yeah, because in 1997 there weren't as many prog influences and icons like in 1971.

[OnTheBacksofAngela]

Just listened to it today and it finally clicked! I love this song very much. Petrucci and Sherinian's back to back solo is just wonderful to listen too. Words can't describe how much I love this song and LOVE Labrie also very much here. Gosh, it finally dawns upon me that thing is Myung's best song and the best song in the album.

[pcs90]

I love all JM's songs so it's nearly impossible for me to rank them but I will say James does a great job here. I do prefer Jordan's interpretations of the keyboard solo as well as MM's drum parts (all the stereo hi-hat work on BTFW is really cool). Plus, the extended intro jam they did for part of the last tour is also really fun to listen to.

[Pragmaticcircus]

Trial of Tears, Lines in the sand, Raise the knife. We need these song all live again, once they're done with the concept album tour.

[lovethedrake]

DT at its best.  This is one of my favorite one two punches of their catalogue as I think Anna lee is criminally underrated as well.

Trial of tears is one of those dream theater songs that you wish would never end.   The instrumental breakdown wanders aimlessly but the production and mix is so good that it doesn't even matter, I want it to go on forever.    I wish they would go back to making epics like this that breath and don't need to rely on a huge power chord at the beginning to make it sound epic... Like moment of betrayal.

Myung is very present in the mix here and it's a pleasure to listen to.  Great song!

[Enigmachine]

DT at its best.  This is one of my favorite one two punches of their catalogue as I think Anna lee is criminally underrated as well.

Trial of tears is one of those dream theater songs that you wish would never end.   The instrumental breakdown wanders aimlessly but the production and mix is so good that it doesn't even matter, I want it to go on forever.    I wish they would go back to making epics like this that breath and don't need to rely on a huge power chord at the beginning to make it sound epic... Like moment of betrayal.

Myung is very present in the mix here and it's a pleasure to listen to.  Great song!

Moment of Betreyal isn't an epic though... and it doesn't begin with a power chord. I do like Trial of Tears a lot though, probably one of their best songs (though I'd say that about like 25 DT songs).

[lovethedrake]

DT at its best.  This is one of my favorite one two punches of their catalogue as I think Anna lee is criminally underrated as well.

Trial of tears is one of those dream theater songs that you wish would never end.   The instrumental breakdown wanders aimlessly but the production and mix is so good that it doesn't even matter, I want it to go on forever.    I wish they would go back to making epics like this that breath and don't need to rely on a huge power chord at the beginning to make it sound epic... Like moment of betrayal.

Myung is very present in the mix here and it's a pleasure to listen to.  Great song!

Ok my bad I forgot the quiet intro... once that ends they do the same boring "epic" sounding chord to make it sound big.   That is something that seems to have come with their later albums and IMO its just lazy songwriting.

Moment of Betreyal isn't an epic though... and it doesn't begin with a power chord. I do like Trial of Tears a lot though, probably one of their best songs (though I'd say that about like 25 DT songs).

[Enigmachine]

Ok my bad I forgot the quiet intro... once that ends they do the same boring "epic" sounding chord to make it sound big.   That is something that seems to have come with their later albums and IMO its just lazy songwriting.

I wouldn't call it lazy songwriting considering 1. it doesn't even happen as much as you think it does, 2. there aren't a ton of ways to suddenly make a big, dramatic entrance after a soft intro like that and 3. a song doesn't hinge on one single idea being unique, it's all about execution and while (for example) OtBoA, BtV and MoB all use huge chords following a quiet section, all have a very different feel and sound to them.

[Scorpion]

Yeah, still DT's best song ever. I don't listen to DT a lot anymore, but this is one of the few songs of theirs that I can put on anytime and always enjoy. Definitely one of my Top 10 songs of all time.

[Pragmaticcircus]

Out of any DT song, I'd love to hear Devin Townsend sing this one. He could fit some screams in there and his classic operatic style 

[TheOutlawXanadu]

Was driving home in the snow yesterday and felt compelled to play Trial of Tears. Even though it's not "Trial of Snow", it still felt right.

[The Walrus]

Out of any DT song, I'd love to hear Devin Townsend sing this one. He could fit some screams in there and his classic operatic style 

I just thought of him singing it and got chills. I can imagine he'd up the intensity of singing the chorus and by the end he's screaming. I wonder if we can crowdfund to get him to do this.