Falling Into Infinity Demos

[Bardic Tortoise]

Just got the Falling Into Infinity Demos from YtseJam. Wow! This has given me a whole new appreciation for this album. Great writing, great themes, great lyrics. There wasn't a single song that I didn't like better (even if it was just a little bit better) on the demos than on the album, except Metropolis Pt. 2.

Then again, it's not really fair to compare a 20 minute instrumental demo song with the brilliance that is SFAM. Though I do think it makes you appreciate the presence of Rudess as a songwriting and arranging force on SFAM when you hear the lack of Rudess elements on the demo. I hadn't even thought about that before listening to this.

[bosk1]

Then again, it's not really fair to compare a 20 minute instrumental demo song with the brilliance that is SFAM.

And it's not even really a "demo."  They just recorded some ideas they were jamming out. 

[tweeg]

I'd have to say, at least, Anna Lee is better on the actual album than on the demo. The key change after the solo works, IMO, much better than another verse. Kevin Shirley got it right on that one.

[The Letter M]

I'd have to say, at least, Anna Lee is better on the actual album than on the demo. The key change after the solo works, IMO, much better than another verse. Kevin Shirley got it right on that one.

Also, taking the instrumental out of "Burning My Soul" and making it an instrumental bridge between BMS and LITS and calling it "Hell's Kitchen" was a good move, as well. I listen to BMS'96 and it doesn't sound as good to me as it would as 2 separate songs. I guess I'm just too used to it being the way it is on the album, but I love the climactic ending of "Hell's Kitchen" and how it just flows right into "Lines In The Sand". Absolutely perfect.

As for the Demos, "Take Away My Pain" is just EPIC, and the band really needs to resurrect this version of this song on tour soon.

-Marc.

[Bardic Tortoise]

Also, taking the instrumental out of "Burning My Soul" and making it an instrumental bridge between BMS and LITS and calling it "Hell's Kitchen" was a good move, as well. I listen to BMS'96 and it doesn't sound as good to me as it would as 2 separate songs. I guess I'm just too used to it being the way it is on the album, but I love the climactic ending of "Hell's Kitchen" and how it just flows right into "Lines In The Sand". Absolutely perfect.

On first listen, I was just really impressed and delighted with the Hell's Kitchen instrumental as part of BMS. It just clicked for me. It helped flesh out BMS and gave it a lot more depth than I felt it had without it.

Then again, I am known to lean toward the long-prog-epics end of things, and the fact that all of the tracks on the demos are longer and more proggy caters precisely to my tastes.

[Mladen]

I'll use this opportunity to say that I prefer all of the songs from the demos that didn't end up on the album to more than a half of Falling into infinity. Truly incredible songs, especially Raise the knife and The Way it used to be.

[hefdaddy42]

I think that the final album version of Lines In The Sand is better than the demo version.

[tweeg]

I think that the final album version of Lines In The Sand is better than the demo version.

This. The sections are arranged in a great order, and they're a great length. The album version trimmed all of the fat off.

[BlobVanDam]

I actually find that most of the changes made on the final album were for the better, or didn't make any difference at all.
YOM is only marginally better in demo form, and either way it's not a good song. The Hollow Years pre-chorus makes no difference, but I like both versions. Hell's Kitchen turned out much better on its own. LITS ended up slightly better. The rest were pretty much the same, and I don't care for the songs that didn't make the cut, at least not enough to replace what made it onto the album.

All in all, I think the album turned about as good as it could have been, and is one of my favourites. But it is interesting hearing the demos and seeing the progression from demo to final album.

[ZKX-2099]

I would have liked Lines In The Sand to have had that last verse in the final version though.

[Lowdz]

I would have liked Lines In The Sand to have had that last verse in the final version though.

I'd have preferred it without the guy from King's X screaming all ove the chorus.

[ZirconBlue]

I'd have to say, at least, Anna Lee is better on the actual album than on the demo. The key change after the solo works, IMO, much better than another verse. Kevin Shirley got it right on that one.

I disagree, because lyrically the last verse gives closure and points to a more optimistic future for the character.  Chopping out the last verse screws up the lyrical arc.  Similarly, the last verse of demo version of Take Away My Pain follows the parallel structure set up in the first two verses, while the released version abandons that structure in the final verse.   

[Mosh]

I would have liked Lines In The Sand to have had that last verse in the final version though.

I'd have preferred it without the guy from King's X screaming all ove the chorus.

He was cool though.

[snapple]

It's surprising how much of the demo for Metropolis 2 was used on the album. Really shows how great Derek is.

[tweeg]

I'd have to say, at least, Anna Lee is better on the actual album than on the demo. The key change after the solo works, IMO, much better than another verse. Kevin Shirley got it right on that one.

I disagree, because lyrically the last verse gives closure and points to a more optimistic future for the character.  Chopping out the last verse screws up the lyrical arc.  Similarly, the last verse of demo version of Take Away My Pain follows the parallel structure set up in the first two verses, while the released version abandons that structure in the final verse.

I'll admit that I didn't pay close attention to the lyrics of the third verse, so you may very well be right. But I find the demo version very "same-y" and since there's not really anything new going on in the third verse and chorus, at least musically, the demo tends to get a bit boring for me.

And ending the song a whole-step down from where you started is kind of anti-climactic. So the key change, to me anyway, brings a bit of life to the end of the song.

[Anonymous]

I love the demos. But I also love the released album as well. Listening to the demos and then the album is a great listening experience if you have time to kill. Shame they cut some of the unreleased songs from the final album. 

[Bardic Tortoise]

I think that the final album version of Lines In The Sand is better than the demo version.

This one is a really close call for me. I guess I did word my original post with a lot of finality given that I'd only listened to the demos once. I think I'd have to do more side-by-side comparos to really nail down which I like better.

Overall, though, my impression from the demos was to really appreciate a lot more of the songwriting and storytelling that came through on the final album after having heard the rough material that it came from. It changed some previously so-so songs for me into ones I could really appreciate. From the response here, it looks like some others didn't need all that backstory to appreciate the album.

[Progmetty]

Quick question: which one of the non-album songs would you is the worst here?

[hefdaddy42]

IMHO, the worst of the non-album tracks is Where Are You Now.

[KevShmev]

hef stole my answer.  

Where Are You Now? has some really nice melodies, but also has parts that sound really clunky.  A true demo in every sense of the word.

[hefdaddy42]

Yeah, I think it COULD have been a pretty cool song, but all we got is all we got.

[MoraWintersoul]

I would have liked Lines In The Sand to have had that last verse in the final version though.

I'd have preferred it without the guy from King's X screaming all ove the chorus.

Noooo! He's brill.

[Scorpion]

I like a lot of the demos better, most notably TAMP, but the production kinda ruins it for me. It's so muddy that it makes it a chore to listen to the demos.

[Progmetty]

I would have liked Lines In The Sand to have had that last verse in the final version though.

I'd have preferred it without the guy from King's X screaming all ove the chorus.

Noooo! He's brill.

I'm so repulsed by the song just cause of it's chorus, last time I heard that song was at least 6 years ago. I don't care who's singing there but the s.o.b is so annoying.

[ResultsMayVary]

I absolutely love Raise The Knife and it sucks that it was never included on the final album. It definitely could have replaced You Not Me and Anna Lee. I don't really care for those two tunes.

[Ruba]

I would have liked Lines In The Sand to have had that last verse in the final version though.

I'd have preferred it without the guy from King's X screaming all ove the chorus.

Noooo! He's brill.

Because I love FII a lot, I got to check all the demos someday. I know Burning My Soul, Lines in the Sand and You Or Me (YNM is better) demos currently. And Raise the Knife from Score.

[Scorpion]

I would have liked Lines In The Sand to have had that last verse in the final version though.

I'd have preferred it without the guy from King's X screaming all ove the chorus.

Noooo! He's brill.

Because I love FII a lot, I got to check all the demos someday. I know Burning My Soul, Lines in the Sand and You Or Me (YNM is better) demos currently. And Raise the Knife from Score.

Check out the TAMP demo next - it's completely different from the album version, and far superior, imho.

[Ruba]

^OK, I will, because I don't really care about the studio version.

[Adami]

^OK, I will, because I don't really care about the studio version.

It's pretty much the same as on OIALT.

[Scorpion]

^OK, I will, because I don't really care about the studio version.

It's pretty much the same as on OIALT.

I haven't listened to OIALT in a while, but IIRC, then they differ quite a lot, because JP stays with the acoustic for all of TAMP on OIALT. I could be wrong though.

[Adami]

^OK, I will, because I don't really care about the studio version.

It's pretty much the same as on OIALT.

I haven't listened to OIALT in a while, but IIRC, then they differ quite a lot, because JP stays with the acoustic for all of TAMP on OIALT. I could be wrong though.

I'm never wrong. Except for the times that I am.

[RaiseTheKnife]

From the liner notes, to the raw recording of Metropolis Part 2, this CD set is just full of gifts.  We are a spoiled fanbase. 

[bosk1]

I would have liked Lines In The Sand to have had that last verse in the final version though.

I'd have preferred it without the guy from King's X screaming all ove the chorus.

Noooo! He's brill.

I'm so repulsed by the song just cause of it's chorus, last time I heard that song was at least 6 years ago. I don't care who's singing there but the s.o.b is so annoying.

I don't think I've ever met anyone before who didn't like Doug Pinnick's singing.  You are a strange, strange man.

[BlobVanDam]

I would have liked Lines In The Sand to have had that last verse in the final version though.

I'd have preferred it without the guy from King's X screaming all ove the chorus.

Noooo! He's brill.

I'm so repulsed by the song just cause of it's chorus, last time I heard that song was at least 6 years ago. I don't care who's singing there but the s.o.b is so annoying.

I don't think I've ever met anyone before who didn't like Doug Pinnick's singing.  You are a strange, strange man.

It's always seemed to me that his vocals are viewed overall negatively here, or maybe it's just a vocal minority. I've always loved his vocals in that song though.

[Mosh]

I would have liked Lines In The Sand to have had that last verse in the final version though.

I'd have preferred it without the guy from King's X screaming all ove the chorus.

Noooo! He's brill.

I'm so repulsed by the song just cause of it's chorus, last time I heard that song was at least 6 years ago. I don't care who's singing there but the s.o.b is so annoying.

I don't think I've ever met anyone before who didn't like Doug Pinnick's singing.  You are a strange, strange man.

It's always seemed to me that his vocals are viewed overall negatively here, or maybe it's just a vocal minority. I've always loved his vocals in that song though.

That surprises me. Doug Pinnick is great, and his singing on LITS is awesome.