Official DT Top 50 Thread Mark II (bss4life15 up now - starting page 79)

[FlyingBIZKIT]

So is FII, and Awake, and SFAM, and SDOIT 

[TheGreatPretender]

So is FII, and Awake, and SFAM, and SDOIT 

Well, if SDOIT is better than I&W, then Systematic Chaos is DEFINITELY better than I&W.

[FlyingBIZKIT]

 

[Jaffa]

Nothing is better than I&W.  Just thought I'd mention that.   

Anyway, cool update.  I'm not THAT fond of Far from Heaven or Vacant, but I appreciate them.  And Breaking All Illusions and Stream of Consciousness are both totally awesome. 

Out of curiosity, Bizkit, how many tracks are included in your top 50? 

[TheGreatPretender]

Oh yes, also, unlike Vacant and Stream of Consciousness, I wouldn't put Far From Heaven and Breaking All Illusions together.

[KevShmev]

The F# isn't the best part of LTL.

No, but it automatically trumps everything on Breaking All Illusions. The vocals on Breaking All Illusions were so 'safe'. On pretty much the entire album, LaBrie's not using very much of his range at all. The only songs where the vocals do get impressive are at the end of This Is The Life, and the last chorus of Beneath The Surface.
Otherwise, it's my least favorite part of the album, and Breaking All Illusions is no exception. And 'he's getting old' is not an excuse. If he can perform Learning to Live and Metropolis on stage, he should've pushed his vocals a bit further on the new album.  /rant

What a bizarre opinion.  His vocals are just fine on ADTOE, and I can't think of any instances where I wished they sounded better.  Showing off your range, or showing off on your instrument, really only works if the song calls for it.  Otherwise, you ended up with a trainwreck of an ending like that in This Dying Soul.

[theseoafs]

The F# isn't the best part of LTL.

No, but it automatically trumps everything on Breaking All Illusions. The vocals on Breaking All Illusions were so 'safe'. On pretty much the entire album, LaBrie's not using very much of his range at all. The only songs where the vocals do get impressive are at the end of This Is The Life, and the last chorus of Beneath The Surface.
Otherwise, it's my least favorite part of the album, and Breaking All Illusions is no exception. And 'he's getting old' is not an excuse. If he can perform Learning to Live and Metropolis on stage, he should've pushed his vocals a bit further on the new album.  /rant

The thing is that, yes, he is getting old. His voice is simply not what it used to be. Although he can still hit notes such as those in LTL and Metropolis, all of DT's songs for the rest of forever can't be similarly challenging, so like Rush, DT is filling their most recent albums with more comfortable vocal melodies. If the vocals on ADTOE were similar to those on I&W, JLB would have blown out his voice early in the tour.

[TheGreatPretender]

What a bizarre opinion.  His vocals are just fine on ADTOE, and I can't think of any instances where I wished they sounded better.  Showing off your range, or showing off on your instrument, really only works if the song calls for it.  Otherwise, you ended up with a trainwreck of an ending like that in This Dying Soul.

Higher vocals could've worked on ADTOE. The biggest problem, I think, are the harmonies. Usually, on previous albums, the standard vocals would be accompanied by harmonies that were in a higher octave (great example is Misunderstood). On this album, most of the backup vocals are in a lower octave. It was just so underwhelming. And even the main vocals. I tried doing the chorus for On The Backs Of Angels in a higher octave, and it felt great.

Also, the ending of This Dying Soul kicks ass.

The thing is that, yes, he is getting old. His voice is simply not what it used to be. Although he can still hit notes such as those in LTL and Metropolis, all of DT's songs for the rest of forever can't be similarly challenging, so like Rush, DT is filling their most recent albums with more comfortable vocal melodies. If the vocals on ADTOE were similar to those on I&W, JLB would have blown out his voice early in the tour.

I'm not saying they had to be THAT high. But even if he reached the notes that he did on Systematic Chaos (like it or not), it would've been better. The high parts on Forsaken, In The Presence of Enemies, all sounded great.

[Dreamer81]

Repentance suck,  is boring as Hell...

[FlyingBIZKIT]

The discussion. Of a lifetime.


And here is my top 10:



10. The Glass Prison

Dream Theater's most badass song. There are some close contenders, but The Glass Prison takes the cake. It is kinda strange, but I do like listening to this song after Finally Free, because the mood completely changes. We all know and love JP's Arps. I think what is so cool about this song is that JP has riff after riff after riff. The vocals start with MP, which I think he does an outstanding job with in this track. It has some of their best lyrics, I think. Here we go, the most badass part in any DT song: That breakdown at 5:52. When the riff starts, and JR does the turntable scratch sound. That is the most fucking sick thing I have ever heard, and that's just the start of what is left to come. I really love the part later in the song where they start trading off vocals. I wish they would do that more in DT songs, because that was really cool. Anyway, this song is packed with riffs and headbanging DAMNIT....and it's also the best from the 12 Step Suite, so The Shattered Fortress, unfortunately, does not make my top 50.

[TheGreatPretender]

I got nothing. Pretty much everything you said is true. Still not top 10 material. And The Shattered Fortress is better. 

[BlobVanDam]

I'd put this at #1, but at least it made top 10. Excellent choice. The song that instantly got me into the band.

[Elite]

And The Shattered Fortress is better. 

Now, THAT is funny.

TGP is a very solid song, but as I said in my write-up in my own top 50, I think it drags too much and that's why I don't like it as much as some people here. I can see why someone would though, so good choice.

[Scorpion]

I would neither grope FFH/BAI or Vacant/SOC together, but their both cool songs. TGP is good though, but not that good. I think that it suffers a bit from being straight out metal all the way through. If they had wanted to do that, they should have shortened the whole god-damn thing by two minutes or so.

I actually like Repentance better.

[Nekov]

 

TGP is the song that got me into DT

[Jaffa]

The Glass Prison is definitely an awesome song.  Not in my top ten, but definitely a worthy choice.   

[hefdaddy42]

What's up with squeezing in extra songs for 11 & 12?  It's the Top 50, not the Top 52.

/rant

[BlobVanDam]

What's up with squeezing in extra songs for 11 & 12?  It's the Top 50, not the Top 52.

/rant

You're a mod. Make some rule about listing actual songs!

Top 50 songs, not scenes, not suites, not tracks, not albums, not "things". Songs!

[Jaffa]

 

[TheGreatPretender]

I would neither grope FFH/BAI or Vacant/SOC together,

I would grope Anna Lee.

[Zydar]

I would neither grope FFH/BAI or Vacant/SOC together,

I would grope Anna Lee.

Poor Vanessa...

[FlyingBIZKIT]

Because I like to do that 

[TheGreatPretender]

Poor Vanessa...

By the way, I groped Victoria. And you're not gonna believe this.... Victoria's real!

[BlobVanDam]

Poor Vanessa...

By the way, I groped Victoria. And you're not gonna believe this.... Victoria's real!

She's also dead, you sick freak.

[TheGreatPretender]

She's also dead, you sick freak.

What can I say? I am the seventh degree of inner turbulence.

[BlobVanDam]

She's also dead, you sick freak.

What can I say? I am the seventh degree of inner turbulence.

I never thought I'd have to say this, even on DTF, but I'm glad my copy of SDOIT doesn't have the track about necrophilia.

[TheGreatPretender]

I never thought I'd have to say this, even on DTF, but I'm glad my copy of SDOIT doesn't have the track about necrophilia.

Hahahah. I actually just starred in a short film where I play a guy who pimps corpses out to necrophiliacs. It was fun.

[Scorpion]

Oh my god.   

I should probably be a little more careful with what I write in the future, shouldn't I?

Oh, TGP, I'd love to see that movie.

[Ħ]

TGP was my first DT song and it deserves such a high spot.

[FlyingBIZKIT]

9. Octavarium

At one time, this was my favorite song ever. Not that it has grown worse, I just like 8 other songs better.
The intro is obviously alot like Shine on You Crazy Diamond, which happens to be my favorite Floyd song! I love the continuum solo, and it's a great way to start an epic like this. I never was sure what my favorite part of the song was, but if I had to pick, it would probably be Someone Like Him. The lyrics in this section are incredible and the music is dazzling. Medicate is awesome, and I think James can write some damn good lyrics. The chorus is sweet, and the keyboard solo is one of the greatest moments of Rudess. Full Circle is genius and very unique. I love the riff JP plays throughout it. I always admired MP as a lyricist as well as a drummer and vocalist, believe it or not. Intervals is also mind blowing, as it sets you up for the finale. Razor's Edge includes a top 5 JP solo for me. I get chills during it, and I probably always will. I just wish the album had been more consistent. Instead, we get one incredible song, 3 great songs, and 4 good to mediocre songs. I love nuggets man.

[Nekov]

 

Fantastic song

[senecadawg2]

Octavarium 

Glass Prison is good, I don't know if it is top 10 material.

[Jaffa]

Oh, Octavarium.  I should have seen that coming.  Cool song, though it's fallen out of my top ten.  Interesting to hear that your favorite part is Someone Like Him, which is probably my least favorite section of the song. 

Anyway, great song.   

[Fourth Horseman]

Hi all, new to DTF! Can you put me on the top 50 list?

Anyway,
Octavarium 

TGP 

[Scorpion]

Octavarium. Don't ask me why, but I didn't see that one coming.

It's a cool song, I guess, but I never really got why people seem to think that it's the best DT song ever. It's just inside the Top 20 for me. The first two parts, along with the long intro drag it down a bit, I find.