ADTOE vs. Your Least Favorite Track From Each Prior Album

[The Letter M]

So I'm sitting here listening to ADTOE for the first time in what feels like 2 months, and I'm wondering what you guys would think about this "vs" option. Fans have been torn on this album and I'm wondering if those of you who didn't warm up to it so easily would rather listen to a compilation of their least fave tracks from DT albums 1-10 over ADTOE in it's entirety?

If you choose option two, list the songs that you find are your least favorites!

-Marc.

[YtseJamittaja]

I still don't like Outcry but other songs are so good that I rather listen ADTOE.

[KevShmev]

This is no contest.

And have fans really been torn on this album?  It seems to have gotten mostly really positive feedback.  Granted, there are always gonna be a few dissenters, but it is generally gone over extremely well with the fanbase. 

It has a 4.07 rating at Prog Archives, which is a much higher grade than the four albums prior to it.

It has 4 1/2 stars at amazon (which tends to always slant towards higher ratings, but that is still higher again than the last four)

And even the criticism here on the forum has been pretty small and significantly less than any I have see about any new album since probably Scenes from a Memory.

[7thHanyou]

I'll take ADToE any day of the week, but I'm going to share my list anyway.

1. The Ones Who Help to Set the Sun
2. Take the Time (this was nearly impossible to choose...I love every track on this album)
3. The Mirror
4. You Not Me
5. Through My Words
6. The Great Debate
7. In the Name of God
8. Never Enough
9. Constant Motion
10. A Rite of Passage

To be honest, I like The Ones Who Help to Set the Sun, Through My Words (which is kind of just there), and Never Enough (yeah, I know).  I love Take the Time.  Otherwise, I'm not that enthusiastic about these songs.  Albums number 6, 7, 9, and 10 are albums I dislike for the most part, so my least favorite tracks from them aren't going to interest me.

[The Letter M]

This is no contest.

And have fans really been torn on this album?  It seems to have gotten mostly really positive feedback.  Granted, there are always gonna be a few dissenters, but it is generally gone over extremely well with the fanbase. 

It has a 4.07 rating at Prog Archives, which is a much higher grade than the four albums prior to it.

It has 4 1/2 stars at amazon (which tends to always slant towards higher ratings, but that is still higher again than the last four)

And even the criticism here on the forum has been pretty small and significantly less than any I have see about any new album since probably Scenes from a Memory.

Eh, well among fans, and even at Prog Archives, there's a good chunk of DT fanatics who were in love with the album at first listen, but I've seen some less-than-favorable reviews and some that said ADTOE was what was "expected" and nothing too "new" for the band (not to say that means it was BAD, but just that it was more of the same, especially those who believe the whole ADTOE-is-IAW-reborn/rehashed/re-something).

Either way, I remember reading that some fans were astonished with a few key tracks, and let cold with the rest, so this poll came to my  mind. Would the least favored tracks of the previous ten albums contend with an album that was half-and-half for some fans?

I thought about doing the inverse - ADTOE vs. Your Favorite Tracks of the prior 10 albums...but realized that the latter might win over the still-fresh ADTOE, especially if you count tracks that appear to be near-universal fan-favorites like "Learning To Live", "Octavarium" and "Six Degrees".

-Marc.

[MasterLomaxus]

I find ADTOE to be a very "safe" album.  With that being said, I would rather listen to it, as opposed to an album of the worst songs off each previous album. 

[Pols Voice]

Since the worst songs on the last several albums are some of the worst songs I've heard by ANY band, not just Dream Theater, ADTOE would blow a "worst tracks" album out of the water.

[7thHanyou]

I find ADTOE to be a very "safe" album.  With that being said, I would rather listen to it, as opposed to an album of the worst songs off each previous album.

I've never understood why people think a safe album is bad.  The fact that it's safe doesn't really affect its objective qualities.

[MasterLomaxus]

I don't exactly find it to be a band thing. 

[BlobVanDam]

I don't get it. Regardless of anyone's thoughts of ADTOE, how could anyone vote is as worse than literally the worst of every other album? I think ADTOE is well into the lower half of DT's discography, and it's still no contest for me.
There are a lot of people here who dislike ADTOE, and I still can't imagine them voting for their least favourites from every other album.

[wolfking]

Your Least Favorite Track From Each DT Album Prior to ADTOE gets my vote.

[Mladen]

Your Least Favorite Track From Each DT Album Prior to ADTOE gets my vote.

I knew you're gonna be the only one. 

[johncal]

WTF

[Nekov]

This doesn't make much sense. The only time I would pick the worst songs from other albums would be over Octavarium. I'm not a fan of ADTOE but it's better than having to listen to:

Light Fuse and Get Away
Wait for Sleep
Lie
Just Let me Breathe
Regression
Dissapear
Vacant
Never Enough
Forsaken
Wither

[Rob24]

I don't really see a point in always comparing musical pieces. I really don't know which one I would prefer, because they're so different.

[Phoenix87x]

ADTOE is what rekindled my love and passion for DT, which had almost fully disappeared since the SC, BC&SL era.

  The first night I heard it I would consider one of the greatest nights of my life, since it was on that night that Dream Theater once again became my favorite band in the world.

[Dillster22]

Although I'd rather listen to ADTOE, it's not really that big of a difference for me, and I'll share my list anyway. I find ADTOE fairly boring with little material that stands out.

The Killing Hand
Metropolis, Pt. 1: The Miracle And The Sleeper
Erotomania
Anna Lee
Scene Seven: I. The Dance Of Eternity
Disappear
Stream of Consciousness
The Answer Lies Within
Forsaken
Wither

[reneranucci]

I'd rather listen to this playlist:

Status Seeker
Under a Glass Moon
Scarred
Burning My Soul
Beyond This Life
The Great Debate
Honor Thy Father
These Walls
Forsaken
A Rite of Passage

Heck, even Scarred doesn't look that bad compared to ADTOE  I'll miss Bridges in The Sky, though, amazing song 

[Tomislav95]

What? ADTOE is so great IMO.

[wasteland]

ADTOE is what rekindled my love and passion for DT, which had almost fully disappeared since the SC, BC&SL era.

  The first night I heard it I would consider one of the greatest nights of my life, since it was on that night that Dream Theater once again became my favorite band in the world.

It is always wonderful to read comment like this. Well said, man!   

[Sigz]

ADTOE easily.

[Elaitch]

Why would I even like to sit through an album with all of their worst songs from prior albums? It would just be a crappy compilation, not an album.

Poll is stupid.

[The Letter M]

Why would I even like to sit through an album with all of their worst songs from prior albums? It would just be a crappy compilation, not an album.

Poll is stupid.

Fair enough, but the very fact that people have voted for the 2nd option means that it was worth finding out.

Basically, the idea was for me to see if the reaction to ADTOE had stayed or changed toward being completely positive, and it seems like it has been, but I did want to see if anyone would actually vote for the latter option.

-Marc.

[theseoafs]

The album, on the whole, has been very positively received, both critically (see: Grammys) and with the fans (see: DTF). I'd suggest that this poll proves that, but it doesn't. All it proves is that people would rather listen to ADTOE, a good album, than a random compilation of unrelated and crappy songs.

[LieLowTheWantedMan]

ADToE. There are some DT songs I utterly despise, while ADToE has none of those.

[wolfking]

Why would I even like to sit through an album with all of their worst songs from prior albums? It would just be a crappy compilation, not an album.

Poll is stupid.

I don't think the poll is stupid, it's just getting another perspective on the album.  Agreed that it might not be that practical but as the OP mentioned 4 people (including myself) have voted the second option.  I don't think anyone would expect the results to be the other way around at all, it's just to get another point of view on the album.

[johncal]

I think this is the dumbest poll. Please add that option so I can vote.

It's just snarkiness. Maybe there should be a why every other album sucks next to ADTOE poll. It would be just about as subtle..... but at least closer to the truth.

[wolfking]

I think this is the dumbest pole. Please add that option so I can vote.

It's just snarkiness. Maybe there should be a why every other album sucks next to ADTOE pole. It would be just about as subtle..... but at least closer to the truth.

You spelt poll wrong dude.

[Nick]

While I think anyone who votes option #2 is crazy, there are people voting for it, and I just ask everyone to please remain civil.

[johncal]

I think this is the dumbest pole. Please add that option so I can vote.

It's just snarkiness. Maybe there should be a why every other album sucks next to ADTOE pole. It would be just about as subtle..... but at least closer to the truth.

You spelt poll wrong dude.

Duh   Fixed it.

[snapple]

While I think anyone who votes option #2 is crazy, there are people voting for it, and I just ask everyone to please remain civil.

Well, with some people that is an exercise in futility.

[wolfking]

While I think anyone who votes option #2 is crazy, there are people voting for it, and I just ask everyone to please remain civil.

Well, with some people that is an exercise in futility.

Rubbish.  Nick just told everyone to keep it civil, this comment is not needed, thank you.

In fact, after a month or so of not even touching ADTOE, I'm gonna revisit it tonight and see if I see it in a new light.  I do try and keep into this record, but I just can't.  So I'm not voting for #2 just to be an ass, at this stage, that's the option I prefer, but I do keep trying, as I love DT and really want to get the joy that everyone else is getting out of this album.

[reneranucci]

While I think anyone who votes option #2 is crazy, there are people voting for it, and I just ask everyone to please remain civil.

Well, with some people that is an exercise in futility.

Rubbish.  Nick just told everyone to keep it civil, this comment is not needed, thank you.

In fact, after a month or so of not even touching ADTOE, I'm gonna revisit it tonight and see if I see it in a new light.  I do try and keep into this record, but I just can't.  So I'm not voting for #2 just to be an ass, at this stage, that's the option I prefer, but I do keep trying, as I love DT and really want to get the joy that everyone else is getting out of this album.

I did that and I found some things in the album that excited me. The first 5 minutes of Outcry are awesome, Beneath the Surface works wonderfully as a closer, etc. However, there is still a huge wall between that album and me, I just can't get to the point of really wanting to listen to it. 

[DarkLord_Lalinc]

This album has had really good reception, and a constant one for that matter. Ever since Train of Thought, fans have disliked the records after a short while of digesting the songs. This has really not happened with ADTOE, which is a great thing.

[wolfking]

While I think anyone who votes option #2 is crazy, there are people voting for it, and I just ask everyone to please remain civil.

Well, with some people that is an exercise in futility.

Rubbish.  Nick just told everyone to keep it civil, this comment is not needed, thank you.

In fact, after a month or so of not even touching ADTOE, I'm gonna revisit it tonight and see if I see it in a new light.  I do try and keep into this record, but I just can't.  So I'm not voting for #2 just to be an ass, at this stage, that's the option I prefer, but I do keep trying, as I love DT and really want to get the joy that everyone else is getting out of this album.

I did that and I found some things in the album that excited me. The first 5 minutes of Outcry are awesome, Beneath the Surface works wonderfully as a closer, etc. However, there is still a huge wall between that album and me, I just can't get to the point of really wanting to listen to it.

Yeah, my thoughts exactly, nothing makes me want to listen to the album, and yeah there is like the great wall of china between the album and me.  I will keep trying.