Hello

[HeAvY-MeTaL-MaN]

Im a new DT fan. I know, I know. I am very late getting into this band. I was a big fan of Scenes From A Memory, and didn't really listen to anything else from Dream Theater until now. I have recently purchased pretty much every DT album on iTunes in an attempt to get into them more (Due to getting tickets to see them with a friend of mine who didn't want to go on his own!) and now I love them! A lot of their songs are technically brilliant, though do take some time to really get into and appreciate.

Im the kind of guy who needs to listen to a certain song over and over again to really get into it. I was just wondering if you guys need to train your ear so to speak, in order to like a DT song, or do you listen and immediately fall for it?

I had seen Queensryche operation mindcrime live in Bristol a few years back, and that was one of the best gigs I have been to. They had some acting involved as well, but the progressive album is very good, for the most part at least and listening live, it was even better. Will DT be better? Who knows, but im looking forward to it! 

Songs that I like particularly are
Count of Tuscany (Is this song Epic or what?!) 
Forsaken
Constant Motion
Another Day (cheesy I know, but can't help loving this song!)
The Best of Times
Wither
Pretty much all of Scenes from a memory

Can you guys recommend any other tracks that I should know of (big with other DT fans)?

Cheers

Chris

[Zydar]

Hi and welcome to the forum! You get a big plus from me for mentioning Another Day and The Best Of Times I love them too.

Other songs that are big with DT fans are The Glass Prison, Learning To Live, Octavarium, A Change Of Seasons, and Trial Of Tears. I would say they are mostly held in high regard among the fans.

As with most progressive music I need to listen to songs many many times before they "click" so you're definitely not alone in this.

[HeAvY-MeTaL-MaN]

Excellent, I shall check those out some more 

That's good to know, some songs are very easy going, whilst DT have so much going on that I just need to listen to it a lot of times to take everything in 

What are your favorite DT songs? Am I the only one who likes Forsaken as I dont see it mentioned very much at all 

[jingle.boy]

You could always check out the survivor's to see what the general consensus is from the forum on DT's best songs.  Along with what Zydar said, I have to add Metropolis Pt 1, Voices, and In The Name of God.  Hope you've got a lot of time on your hands, cuz all of their best songs are 10+ minutes (or so)

If you want some of their shorter songs, I'd say YtseJam, Surrounded, A Fortune In Lies, Under a Glass Moon, These Walls and Peruvian Skies.

Forsaken is ok... but much better when they do it live.  You'll probably not find as much love for it here, as those of us that have been DT fans for a long time know how amazing their entire catalog is.  They have many many songs that are much better.  So, if you love that, you're in for a treat as you get to 'know' the rest of their catalog.

And welcome!

[Zydar]

If I would rank my 10 favourite DT songs it would be something like this:

1. Learning To Live
2. Surrounded
3. Breaking All Illusions
4. Six Degrees Of Inner Turbulence
5. The Spirit Carries On
6. A Change Of Seasons
7. In The Name of God
8. Sacrificed Sons
9. Finally Free
10. Metropolis Pt 1

Pretty much the "epics", except Octavarium as I'm not too crazy about that song.

Other songs I love that don't get that much attention and acclaim (that I know of) are Status Seeker, Afterlife, Anna Lee, Take Away My Pain, and Innocence Faded.

[HeAvY-MeTaL-MaN]

You could always check out the survivor's to see what the general consensus is from the forum on DT's best songs.  Along with what Zydar said, I have to add Metropolis Pt 1, Voices, and In The Name of God.  Hope you've got a lot of time on your hands, cuz all of their best songs are 10+ minutes (or so)

If you want some of their shorter songs, I'd say YtseJam, Surrounded, A Fortune In Lies, Under a Glass Moon, These Walls and Peruvian Skies.

Forsaken is ok... but much better when they do it live.  You'll probably not find as much love for it here, as those of us that have been DT fans for a long time know how amazing their entire catalog is.  They have many many songs that are much better.  So, if you love that, you're in for a treat as you get to 'know' the rest of their catalog.

And welcome!

I have much time for this band at the moment. I can't get enough of them
I also like Under a Glass Moon and Metropolis Pt 1, both very good songs. I suppose I just need to keep on listening to all their albums. I have to say at the moment, my preferred album is probably Systematic Chaos, which again doesn't appear to be amongst the favourites of most other DT fans, but this for me has some very good tracks on it (Forsaken, Constant Motion, Dark Eternal Night, and The Ministry of Lost Souls) all amongst some of my favourites so far.

[Nekov]

Welcome to the forum. Let me suggest the following thread to you
https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=322.1155

Enjoy your stay

[gabeh1018]

not that it's funny, but systematic chaos is usually at the bottom of many people's lists here.  But either way, I think it's awesome you discovered DT and now are a fan. I would also check out Lines in the sand and hell's kitchen off Falling into Infinity, scarred off Awake, Blind Faith and Octavarium to name a few. It only gets better from here.

[nikatapi]

Welcome to the forum, i hope you enjoy your stay here!

[HeAvY-MeTaL-MaN]

Thanks for the warm welcome guys 

[HeAvY-MeTaL-MaN]

not that it's funny, but systematic chaos is usually at the bottom of many people's lists here.  But either way, I think it's awesome you discovered DT and now are a fan. I would also check out Lines in the sand and hell's kitchen off Falling into Infinity, scarred off Awake, Blind Faith and Octavarium to name a few. It only gets better from here.

hmm, Octavarium I have listened to a couple of times, dont see what all the fuss is about im afraid. I much prefer Count of Tuscany. That's not to say I wont get into Octavarium though, I shall keep listening and see how it goes with that one.  I also like 'A change of seasons'. There is one particular album which sound very much like the british band Muse (Not sure which one it is now - I have listened to so many that I have forgotten which songs go with which album) but it is not something I thought dream theater would take inspiration from so its probably just coincidental. 

What are dream theater like live? Do they tend to play their songs in their entirety, or do they shorten them/only play the bigger hits etc?

[bosk1]

Am I the only one who likes Forsaken as I dont see it mentioned very much at all 

It's probably considered "middle-of-the-road" by the fan base as a whole, but would be ranked fairly low by the majority of fans on this site.  Personally, I like it a lot and was really happy they played it when I saw them on this tour.

[yorost]

I love Forsaken.  I probably wouldn't normally put it in my top ten, but it isn't far from there.

[bosk1]

hmm, Octavarium I have listened to a couple of times, dont see what all the fuss is about im afraid.

It's easy to lose interest during the long intro and then not pay as much attention during the song itself.  Not sure if that is going on with you, but thought I'd mention it.  Perhaps the two coolest aspects of the song are (1) how it takes the "full circle"/cycles them and presents it in so many different ways, both lyrically and musically, and (2) the fact that even though it is 24 minutes long, it continually builds throughout the entire song.  Based on the songs you noted you liked in your first post, I was going to recommend this one as well.  Maybe it'll click with you, and maybe it won't.  But as you pointed out, there are so many other great songs as well.

There is one particular album which sound very much like the british band Muse (Not sure which one it is now - I have listened to so many that I have forgotten which songs go with which album) but it is not something I thought dream theater would take inspiration from so its probably just coincidental. 

I don't know of an entire album that sounds Muse influenced, but a few of the songs on Octavarium are intentionally and obviously Muse influenced (Panic Attack and Never Enough most notably).

What are dream theater like live? Do they tend to play their songs in their entirety, or do they shorten them/only play the bigger hits etc?

Check out the concerts/set lists forum.  There is a sticky thread that has links to all their set lists.

They do usually play their songs in their entirety and they mix it up big time in terms of playing not only the more familiar tracks, but lots and lots of deep cuts as well.  Occasionally, they will play shorter versions of a couple of songs or will do medleys.

[bosk1]

I love Forsaken.  I probably wouldn't normally put it in my top ten, but it isn't far from there.

I always knew I was in good company.  I just didn't realize how good.  :

[kirksnosehair]

Welcome to the forum.  Wow, I envy the journey ahead of you.  So much great, great music to discover.  I agree with you completely about Octavarium.  It's at or near the bottom of my list of Dream Theater tunes, and really, I thought the whole album was kind of bland......too many cases of Dream Theater trying to sound like other bands.   The only tracks from that album that I ever listen to are "The Root of All Evil" "Panic Attack" and "Sacrificed Sons"

[HeAvY-MeTaL-MaN]

hmm, Octavarium I have listened to a couple of times, dont see what all the fuss is about im afraid.

It's easy to lose interest during the long intro and then not pay as much attention during the song itself.  Not sure if that is going on with you, but thought I'd mention it.  Perhaps the two coolest aspects of the song are (1) how it takes the "full circle"/cycles them and presents it in so many different ways, both lyrically and musically, and (2) the fact that even though it is 24 minutes long, it continually builds throughout the entire song.  Based on the songs you noted you liked in your first post, I was going to recommend this one as well.  Maybe it'll click with you, and maybe it won't.  But as you pointed out, there are so many other great songs as well.

There is one particular album which sound very much like the british band Muse (Not sure which one it is now - I have listened to so many that I have forgotten which songs go with which album) but it is not something I thought dream theater would take inspiration from so its probably just coincidental. 

I don't know of an entire album that sounds Muse influenced, but a few of the songs on Octavarium are intentionally and obviously Muse influenced (Panic Attack and Never Enough most notably).

What are dream theater like live? Do they tend to play their songs in their entirety, or do they shorten them/only play the bigger hits etc?

Check out the concerts/set lists forum.  There is a sticky thread that has links to all their set lists.

They do usually play their songs in their entirety and they mix it up big time in terms of playing not only the more familiar tracks, but lots and lots of deep cuts as well.  Occasionally, they will play shorter versions of a couple of songs or will do medleys.

hmm, Octavarium I have listened to a couple of times, dont see what all the fuss is about im afraid. I much prefer Count of Tuscany. That's not to say I wont get into Octavarium though, I shall keep listening and see how it goes with that one.  I also like 'A change of seasons'. There is one particular album which sound very much like the british band Muse (Not sure which one it is now - I have listened to so many that I have forgotten which songs go with which album) but it is not something I thought dream theater would take inspiration from so its probably just coincidental. 

What are dream theater like live? Do they tend to play their songs in their entirety, or do they shorten them/only play the bigger hits etc?

To be fair, it is probably just the fact I have not paid it enough attention. After all, at the point I had listened to it, I have already gone through hours of listening to their other stuff and have had enough of music at that point . I shall obviously listen more and more to them, but I think its best for the time being to just concentrate on the songs I initially like, and then push myself through the rest of their music, that perhaps would take more time to get into than the ones I currently like. I have discovered my fav album to be Systematic Chaos, which I assume will not be the case for too long

I find it strange how I immediately loved Count of Tuscany though, which is a long song in itself, but I think the intro pulled me in and that was that absolutely brilliant track 

[HeAvY-MeTaL-MaN]

I love Forsaken.  I probably wouldn't normally put it in my top ten, but it isn't far from there.

I always knew I was in good company.  I just didn't realize how good.  :

Personally, I think it helps to listen to the music with a video playing, as this helps your imagination run with the song, especially in the case of Forsaken. It is a great track and great video, and that is what helped me get into Dream Theater to start with

[WildeSilas]

The weird thing about Forsaken is that it seems the band themselves really love the song, while the fanbase is mostly ambivalent about it.

My only word of advice is, don't ignore Falling Into Infinity. It gets a bad rap because of all the drama surrounding it at the time, the fact that it featured an outside writer on one song, etc. It's by far the most "mellow" album they've done, but the production is the best, and the songs are great. It took me almost ten years to pay it the attention it deserved and I felt really shallow for having not given it a fair shake when it was first released.

[HeAvY-MeTaL-MaN]

The weird thing about Forsaken is that it seems the band themselves really love the song, while the fanbase is mostly ambivalent about it.

My only word of advice is, don't ignore Falling Into Infinity. It gets a bad rap because of all the drama surrounding it at the time, the fact that it featured an outside writer on one song, etc. It's by far the most "mellow" album they've done, but the production is the best, and the songs are great. It took me almost ten years to pay it the attention it deserved and I felt really shallow for having not given it a fair shake when it was first released.

I dont know a great deal about the history of Dream Theater to be honest so it wont affect me 

[gabeh1018]

not that it's funny, but systematic chaos is usually at the bottom of many people's lists here.  But either way, I think it's awesome you discovered DT and now are a fan. I would also check out Lines in the sand and hell's kitchen off Falling into Infinity, scarred off Awake, Blind Faith and Octavarium to name a few. It only gets better from here.

hmm, Octavarium I have listened to a couple of times, dont see what all the fuss is about im afraid. I much prefer Count of Tuscany. That's not to say I wont get into Octavarium though, I shall keep listening and see how it goes with that one.  I also like 'A change of seasons'. There is one particular album which sound very much like the british band Muse (Not sure which one it is now - I have listened to so many that I have forgotten which songs go with which album) but it is not something I thought dream theater would take inspiration from so its probably just coincidental. 

What are dream theater like live? Do they tend to play their songs in their entirety, or do they shorten them/only play the bigger hits etc?

I will say in 2005 when Octavarium was released I wasn't a fan at all of the title track. When I saw them perform it live at radio city I was sold and since then it's a top tier song for me. I think you may be referring to either panic attack or never enough in terms of the muse sounding songs. Also they generally always do play the entirety of a song, they did medleys of songs when portnoy was in the band and obviously that is no longer the case.

[jingle.boy]

What WildeSilas said about FII.  While it does have a couple of duds, it has by far aged the best for me. 

On the 8vm comment... it's funny, I remember putting it in my CD player the first time, and thinking at the end of it 'ehhh.. it's no Change of Seasons'.  Little did I know how ironic that thought would be, as it is largely considered by this forum to be on par with ACOS as the top 1 & 2 songs from DT.  It does take some time to truly appreciate, but (IMO) it is DT's best song.

And the live version is sooooo good, I really have a hard time listening to the studio version.

[Millais]

I find for me, I have to be in the right 'mood' to listen to Octavarium. some days it just really doesn't work for me, other days I absolutely love it!
Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence seems to be up there in the majority of this forum's members top albums.

[DebraKadabra]

Hiya, HMM--welcome!  You have an awesome journey ahead of you--I wish I were in your shoes, I'd love to discover DT all over again.

Let me list some of my personal favorites for you, as you had asked that question--

These Walls
Octavarium
Through Her Eyes/Fatal Tragedy
Erotomania/Voices
Solitary Shell
Repentance (this song gets SO much crap from hardcore DT fans, but I don't care as it's my favorite of the AA Saga)
Panic Attack
As I Am
Take The Time
Raise The Knife
The Answer Lies Within (this is like Repentance, but I love the message in this song)
The Spirit Carries On
A Rite of Passage
Lost Not Forgotten
Breaking All Illusions

I could go on.  And on.  And on.  But I'll stop there since half the fun in any journey is the journey itself.

[TL]

I'd highly recommend checking out the Awake album if you haven't already. Easily one of my favorites.

[DebraKadabra]

^ Definitely agreed on that one.

[HeAvY-MeTaL-MaN]

Thanks for your recommendations guys. I don't have the awake album as of yet, but will look into purchasing this one soon. I have given Octavarium a few more listens and it is growing on me 

[Gysten]

Listen to A Change of Seasons (!), Learning To Live, Metropolis and Stream of Consciousness.

[HeAvY-MeTaL-MaN]

I love Change of Seasons and Metropolis 

I'll make sure I listen to the other 2

[BMWWrstlr]

Falling Into Infinity has 2 of Dream Theater's worst songs (Just Let Me Breathe, You Not Me)...and a couple of other duds, but for me, it's Portnoy's best recorded performance front to back...and Lines in the Sand and Trial of Tears are exquisite. And as much as I love The Dance of Eternity and understand why most DT fans think it's their best instrumental...my fave instrumental of theirs remains 'Hell's Kitchen'.

[Tumdace]

I didnt bother skimming the thread cause im lazy, but my personal DT favs include: Metropolis Pt 1, Learning to Live, In The Name of God, Breaking All Illusions, The Dance of Eternity, and A Change of Seasons.

[DebraKadabra]

I have given Octavarium a few more listens and it is growing on me 

Yeah, I had that same reaction too.

[jingle.boy]

If you really want the general consensus from the forum on DT's best songs, consult https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=8535.0 in the Archive --> DT section.  It was done in 2009, but gives a good representation of the best songs, irrespective of the rules governing a survivor.

[HeAvY-MeTaL-MaN]

Cool, thanks for that