to SFAM fans...

Tumdace · October 10, 2011, 11:50:56 AM

Fan since 2005, favourite album is I&W, followed by a tie between ADTOE and SFAM. Third would be Awake.

energythief · October 10, 2011, 09:27:36 PM

I don't fit your theory. I have been a fan since I&W came out, but SFAM is by far their best album.

jammindude · October 11, 2011, 08:14:09 AM

I have been a fan since Oct '92. Three months after the release of IAW, but before PMU hit radio. I was working at Tower Records, and myself and one other guy were

-ing to this new amazing CD that hit me harder than anything I had ever heard since I first heard Moving Pictures at a 6th grade graduation party.

And yet...

#1. Octavarium
#2 SFAM
#3 Awake
#4 IAW

Nekov · October 11, 2011, 11:23:18 AM

Been a fan since around 2003. SFAM is my favorite album with I&W coming second.

Quote from: bosk1 on October 10, 2011, 07:30:53 AM

Even though I had been a fan since 1992, SFAM was the album that really blew me away and made me reevaluate my joining the dark side.

And everyone thought it was Luke almost getting killed by the emperor. We are all suckers.

Zook · October 11, 2011, 11:28:27 AM

I've been a fan since 2006 and Images and Words is my favorite album with Scenes at #4.

cfmoran13 · October 11, 2011, 12:10:25 PM

I've been a fan since '92. I&W and SDoIT are probably my top 2 albums. After that, Awake and (at the moment) ADToE. Then, ToT, FII and SFAM (not necessarily that order) would come.

To me, SFaM is a little too inconsistent. I absolutely LOVE "Home" and "The Spirit Carries On". But, for each of those, there's at least one song that I'm somewhat "meh" about.

pmahoney1337 · October 11, 2011, 01:28:29 PM

I've been a fan of DT since 2007. I didn't start with a single album, rather one or two songs from all different albums. The first song I heard was Panic Attack then Home. I actually didn't really listen to any songs off I&W for the first few weeks then I really started to fall in love with it, mostly because of Under A Glass Moon. Now I&W is #1 and I'm pretty sure it always will be followed by Awake then SFAM. I really don't think when people heard of DT has much to why they like one particular album more than another.

Dellers · October 11, 2011, 01:45:52 PM

I have definitely not been listening to Dream Theater since the beginning, as I was born in '87. Kinda discovered them in 2005 or something like that, because so many people talked about them. SFAM has become my favorite over time, with I&W being number two (now three after ADTOE, for the time being at least). I just think that SFAM is a stronger album, and probably would anyway. I have listened to every album with an open mind, and when it was released has little to do with my decision (not biased in any way). 1992 isn't old at all for me, I'm in love with the 70's, and dig stuff from back in the 30's.

lumpy33 · October 11, 2011, 05:26:25 PM

Quote from: pmahoney1337 on October 11, 2011, 01:28:29 PM
I really don't think when people heard of DT has much to why they like one particular album more than another.

yes, i'm starting to realize this by keeping up with the thread. maybe it has more to do with people's musical tastes. do they like their dream theater more proggy, more melodic, or more metal? which album has the best ratio of these things for their personal tastes? i think the proggers will say i&w, and the more melodics will say sfam.

senecadawg2 · October 11, 2011, 06:51:08 PM

I became a fan only 4 years ago. SFAM is my favorite. I&W is second. Awake is 3rd. I think that is a pretty typical top 3 no matter when you became a fan.

7thHanyou · October 11, 2011, 10:40:24 PM

I was introduced to Dream Theater in 2005 with Scenes from a Memory. I quickly grew to love it, though it took years to wrap my head around the nuances and really admire the songs.

Images and Words was the second Dream Theater album I picked up. Pull Me Under, Another Day, Take the Time, Surrounded, Metropolis pt. 1, and Wait for Sleep were the first songs I loved. I didn't really like Under a Glass Moon till this year.

I guess what I'm saying is that both albums took a long time for me to appreciate, but both were also incredibly special.

I came to the realization that Images was a better album. I think it's flawless, and there's not a note or lyric out of place. Scenes is my second favorite DT album and one of my favorite concept albums of all time, but it suffers from mediocre lyrics (especially problematic given that it's a concept album) and, in my opinion, some rather emotionless instrumentals that overstay their welcome. At times I think they bit off a bit more than they can chew, especially with the concept.

Again, Scenes is still my second favorite Dream Theater album. I just think Images' flawlessness pushes Scenes into second place. After fully digesting and appreciating both albums, I think it's safe to say Images is better.

Considering I'm a "new" fan whose first DT album was Scenes, I guess that should say something. But my first album with any band is rarely my favorite.

ElliottTamer · October 12, 2011, 06:57:35 AM

Cool topic. I was thinking about more or less the same topic the other day. The idea came to me that DT albums could be somewhat like wine, which gets better the older it is (in theory at least...). So the more you've known/listened to a certain DT album, the more you would appreciate it. Anyway, I digress...
SFAM is certainly my favourite DT album and I started listening to them a little after they released Octavarium.

Bone_Daddy · October 12, 2011, 12:54:59 PM

Quote from: serrano on October 10, 2011, 12:47:53 AM
I first heard I&W back in late '92. I loved it and i still love it but i still think that SFAM is their masterpiece. I use to hear I&W more, just because i prefer to listen to SFAM nonstop from Regression to Finally Free and it needs more time. This is the only album that after years i still lisen to as a whole, on I&W i skip tracks deppending on the mood.

I&W 10/10
SFAM 11/10

I'm in full accordance with the statement above. In addition, SFaM took every ounce of excellence that DT had thus far produced and put it into an album - a concept album none-the-less.

serrano · October 12, 2011, 01:38:08 PM

Quote from: lumpy33 on October 11, 2011, 05:26:25 PM
Quote from: pmahoney1337 on October 11, 2011, 01:28:29 PM
I really don't think when people heard of DT has much to why they like one particular album more than another.

yes, i'm starting to realize this by keeping up with the thread. maybe it has more to do with people's musical tastes. do they like their dream theater more proggy, more melodic, or more metal? which album has the best ratio of these things for their personal tastes? i think the proggers will say i&w, and the more melodics will say sfam.

I would say the other way around based on the instrumental and vocal melodies. Just my opinion.

kirksnosehair · October 12, 2011, 01:48:31 PM

I got into Dream Theater about two months after they released "Images & Words" and it's still my all-time favorite album by any band.

Scenes is my second favorite Dream Theater album.

TL · October 12, 2011, 03:40:55 PM

I've been a fan since 2004, but the Metropolis:2000 DVD was my introduction.
SFAM isn't my absolute favorite DT album (that would be Awake), but it's definitely well up there.

theseoafs · October 12, 2011, 03:53:20 PM

Quote from: lumpy33 on October 11, 2011, 05:26:25 PM
Quote from: pmahoney1337 on October 11, 2011, 01:28:29 PM
I really don't think when people heard of DT has much to why they like one particular album more than another.

yes, i'm starting to realize this by keeping up with the thread. maybe it has more to do with people's musical tastes. do they like their dream theater more proggy, more melodic, or more metal? which album has the best ratio of these things for their personal tastes? i think the proggers will say i&w, and the more melodics will say sfam.

You'll find that melodicness rises with progginess.

lumpy33 · October 12, 2011, 07:34:25 PM

what i mean is, i feel there's way more musical complexity overall in I&W, (what i would call prog elements) - metric modulations, tempo shifts, feel changes, etc. than i hear going on in SFAM, the dance of eternity not withstanding. the melodies on SFAM seem simpler and more repetitive, (easier to remember), so i think of that album as being more melodic.

theseoafs · October 12, 2011, 07:47:59 PM

Quote from: lumpy33 on October 12, 2011, 07:34:25 PM
what i mean is, i feel there's way more musical complexity overall in I&W, (what i would call prog elements) - metric modulations, tempo shifts, feel changes, etc. than i hear going on in SFAM, the dance of eternity not withstanding. the melodies on SFAM seem simpler and more repetitive, (easier to remember), so i think of that album as being more melodic.

Alright, but both albums are very melodic, as most of Dream Theater's music is.

lumpy33 · October 12, 2011, 07:56:32 PM

agreed.

PetFish · October 12, 2011, 08:51:32 PM

Fan since 1991 and I don't have a favourite album. They are all great and special mean something to me in their own way. I never understand the need for people to rank 'art'.

Ħ · October 13, 2011, 02:33:57 AM

My favorite album is either SFAM or SDOIT. See, SDOIT's best is better than SFAM's best, but there are enough lousy moments in SDOIT to where SFAM could edge it out.

DP_Gumby · October 13, 2011, 05:04:29 AM

Quote from: PetFish on October 12, 2011, 08:51:32 PM
Fan since 1991 and I don't have a favourite album. They are all great and special mean something to me in their own way. I never understand the need for people to rank 'art'.

This!

I started listening to DT in 2004 after ToT came out. And I bought SFAM not long after I heard ToT for the first time (I think it took me one and a half year to buy every album prior to ToT

). And I remember everytime Home started I would turn the volume down when it came to the sex part.. Man I was scared if someone at home should hear it and misunderstand the whole thing..

vulcandj · October 13, 2011, 08:54:45 AM

I've been a fan since Images and Words. I'd have to say the SFAM is my favorite. When I saw them do the entire CD in San Francisco, it was one of the best shows I have ever seen, by any band (they topped it, however with their performance of ADTOE, also in San Francisco.) For me, the entire CD is great. Some fans on here are posting that it doesn't flow. I've never felt that. I think it works great from beginning to end.

But differences make the world go round, or so they say.

Jaffa · October 13, 2011, 09:00:26 AM

Quote from: PetFish on October 12, 2011, 08:51:32 PM
Fan since 1991 and I don't have a favourite album. They are all great and special mean something to me in their own way. I never understand the need for people to rank 'art'.

I agree and disagree. Ranking albums/songs is often arbitrary and pointless, but I do it anyway because I think it's simply fun. So, I agree that sometimes the rankings threads can be a bit silly.

However, I do think it's perfectly natural to enjoy one piece of art more than another. You seem to be suggesting that we should all like everything equally. I don't think that would be possible for me. No matter how much I love two albums, I'm always going to prefer one over the other if it comes right down to it.

Snow_Dog · October 15, 2011, 01:19:23 AM

Fan since about the time Train of Thought came out, although surprisingly the first album I heard was Awake, then IaW, and SFaM. Scenes is my favourite DT album as a whole, and one of those rare albums I listened to the whole way through every day for awhile, and I still love it. Having the whole crowd sing along to The Spirit Carries On when I last saw them is my greatest concert experience.

commanderbob · October 15, 2011, 06:25:33 AM

Fan since Awake. Here's how I see it:

I&W is their Led Zeppelin IV: Their best songs, but not the best album as a whole.
Awake is their Led Zeppelin I: Great songs, and their best album as a whole.
SFAM is their Physical Graffiti: Not necessarily their best songs or their best album, but rather, their definitive statement.

That's all I've gotta say about that.

PS: FII is Presence, SDOIT is Led Zep II and ADTOE is Houses of Holy. WDADU is Coda.

NOW that's all I've gotta say about that.

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