Voices vs. Breaking All Illusions

[TheOutlawXanadu]

One thing I want to clarify: Thinking "Breaking All Illusions" is better than "Voices" is not shocking to me at all. Hell, I think I like "Breaking All Illusions" more than "Voices".

What I was ranting about back there was basically that the last two Dream Theater albums received more praise when they came out than they currently receive. Same goes for many of their songs. It's definitely reasonable to think that people will not think as highly of BAI in two years as they do now.

[IronEarthTheater]

One thing I want to clarify: Thinking "Breaking All Illusions" is better than "Voices" is not shocking to me at all. Hell, I think I like "Breaking All Illusions" more than "Voices".

What I was ranting about back there was basically that the last two Dream Theater albums received more praise when they came out than they currently receive. Same goes for many of their songs. It's definitely reasonable to think that people will not think as highly of BAI in two years as they do now.

You're probably right.  Some songs (like movies) age better than others,  Nightmare to Remember isn't nearly as good now as it was when I first heard it.  TCOT is just as good - maybe better.

[tweeg]

If BAI slays, people could dismiss it as new car smell with no evidence other than opinion.
If Voices slays, people could dismiss it as nostalgia with no evidence other than opinion.

It can work both ways, and they're both empty arguments. I'm not dismissing that the newness can and will affect how people like the song, but the only way to tell how much the newness is affecting the poll results is to do the same poll in a year or two. Until then, how about we respect people's opinions and just accept that BAI is winning because people prefer it?

This. Well said Blob!

[gm5k]

I agree with those saying BAI has that new track's allure, and I think it's quite funny how some are offended by the notion...like it hasn't happened with DT's last two albums and to such great extent.   

I still can't shake the LTL similarities from BAI as far as me fully enjoying it as it's own song for the first 5:00...really wish I could, and really thought I would have by now.  Post the 5:00 mark, I'm in love 

Voices stands out to me as the better, more original, creative, and groundbreaking song. 

[SnakeEyes]

I don't understand the Learning to Live comparison.  It's a completely different feel, atmosphere, sound, vibe, whatever you want to call it.  Even sonically, it sounds completely, 100% different.  There's like..... no similarities at all..... except maybe the form of the song.  But, that's pretty much where it ends. 

[ishak540m]

way too difficult for me.  Voices has been out since '94 and BAI just came out.  I'll let you know in 17 years or so. lol (I hope).

[TheOutlawXanadu]

I don't understand the Learning to Live comparison.  It's a completely different feel, atmosphere, sound, vibe, whatever you want to call it.  Even sonically, it sounds completely, 100% different.  There's like..... no similarities at all..... except maybe the form of the song.  But, that's pretty much where it ends. 

The form is important though. It's not important for short three-minute songs because then there's only really one form to go by, but when the song becomes long, the form becomes a part of its character. I wish the structural similarity between "Learning to Live" and "Breaking All Illusions" didn't bother me - and I know I shouldn't let it - but it does a little bit.

[namgalsipsclar]

I don't understand the Learning to Live comparison.  It's a completely different feel, atmosphere, sound, vibe, whatever you want to call it.  Even sonically, it sounds completely, 100% different.  There's like..... no similarities at all..... except maybe the form of the song.  But, that's pretty much where it ends.

Everytime I hear BAI and it gets to the bit just before the vocals come in, all I can think is "There was no time for pain, no energy for anger"
It just seems to fit

[Jaffa]

I don't understand the Learning to Live comparison.  It's a completely different feel, atmosphere, sound, vibe, whatever you want to call it.  Even sonically, it sounds completely, 100% different.  There's like..... no similarities at all..... except maybe the form of the song.  But, that's pretty much where it ends.

I agree with you that some people make the songs out to be more similar than they really are, but I also think the songs are more similar than you're making them out to be.  I see some similarities.  Not enough that I think of Learning to Live while listening to Breaking All Illusions, but enough that I can identify similarities when I think about it.

[bosk1]

Voices, easily.  ADTOE is amazing for the first six tracks.  The only thing that stops me from ejecting the CD and popping in something else at that point is the knowledge that Beneath The Surface is coming up.

[vulcandj]

For me, Voices could easily be my favorite DT song, so I voted for that. I absolutey love the song. As for BAI, it's really good, just not as good to me.

[yorost]

I might rank Breaking All Illusions not last if it were on Awake.

Voices, easily.  ADTOE is amazing for the first six tracks.  The only thing that stops me from ejecting the CD and popping in something else at that point is the knowledge that Beneath The Surface is coming up.

Best song on the album.

[missedthepoint]

For me, Voices could easily be my favorite DT song, so I voted for that. I absolutey love the song. As for BAI, it's really good, just not as good to me.

This pretty much sums up  my feelings on the matter. Actually it's word for word what i was going to write.

[jag66]

Voices is top 5. BAI is top 10 - so Voices by a wafer.

[snapple]

At what point do we start saying "Okay, Dream Theater wrote this song 10/15/20/25+ years ago? It isn't a fair comparison" If you think about it, that's like comparing something from 1975 to something from 2000. Something possibly disco to something most likely alternative rock or boy band.

Awake is classic Dream Theater. A Dramatic Turn of Events is new Dream Theater. To me, it's apples and oranges.

[namgalsipsclar]

At what point do we start saying "Okay, Dream Theater wrote this song 10/15/20/25+ years ago? It isn't a fair comparison" If you think about it, that's like comparing something from 1975 to something from 2000. Something possibly disco to something most likely alternative rock or boy band.

Awake is classic Dream Theater. A Dramatic Turn of Events is new Dream Theater. To me, it's apples and oranges.

Yeah but apples are better than oranges, everyone knows that

[snapple]

At what point do we start saying "Okay, Dream Theater wrote this song 10/15/20/25+ years ago? It isn't a fair comparison" If you think about it, that's like comparing something from 1975 to something from 2000. Something possibly disco to something most likely alternative rock or boy band.

Awake is classic Dream Theater. A Dramatic Turn of Events is new Dream Theater. To me, it's apples and oranges.

Yeah but apples are better than oranges, everyone knows that

Only if they are Honeycrisps. Legendary apples - for legendary people.

[namgalsipsclar]

At what point do we start saying "Okay, Dream Theater wrote this song 10/15/20/25+ years ago? It isn't a fair comparison" If you think about it, that's like comparing something from 1975 to something from 2000. Something possibly disco to something most likely alternative rock or boy band.

Awake is classic Dream Theater. A Dramatic Turn of Events is new Dream Theater. To me, it's apples and oranges.

Yeah but apples are better than oranges, everyone knows that

Only if they are Honeycrisps. Legendary apples - for legendary people.

More of a Pink Lady fan myself, but Honeycrisps are still better than any orange

[yorost]

At what point do we start saying "Okay, Dream Theater wrote this song 10/15/20/25+ years ago? It isn't a fair comparison" If you think about it, that's like comparing something from 1975 to something from 2000. Something possibly disco to something most likely alternative rock or boy band.

Awake is classic Dream Theater. A Dramatic Turn of Events is new Dream Theater. To me, it's apples and oranges.

A song is a song.  Timeframe doesn't play into what someone likes, unless you count the newness factor while it lasts.

[snapple]

At what point do we start saying "Okay, Dream Theater wrote this song 10/15/20/25+ years ago? It isn't a fair comparison" If you think about it, that's like comparing something from 1975 to something from 2000. Something possibly disco to something most likely alternative rock or boy band.

Awake is classic Dream Theater. A Dramatic Turn of Events is new Dream Theater. To me, it's apples and oranges.

A song is a song.  Timeframe doesn't play into what someone likes, unless you count the newness factor while it lasts.

Awake is probably my only Dream Theater "untouchable" album. I guess, for me, I just know better than to compare any other songs from other problems to it.

[Riceball]

This is probably the toughest "ADTOE track vs something" that's been canvassed so far.

As it stands, Voices gets my vote (number five on my highly entertaining list, which you should read ). Breaking All Illusions is certainly pushing thou heights though - even with NCSB.

[gabeh1018]

for some reason this is a tough choice for me, I wasn't too sold on BAI when I first heard it and it still is trying to grow on me. At the same time though, I don't listen to voices too much anymore. I used to love Awake, but over time it has lost it's appeal for some reason. But I still went with voices atm. To me voices has a lot more atmosphere and a great breakdown section before his awesome guitar solo. I may have gone with BAI if the instrumental section coming out of his bluesy guitar solo was better and more interesting.

[Evo]

I adore Voices, am an Awake fanboy, but I still went with BAI, which I consider their best song since...I don't even know when. It's top 5 for me.