What songs would you remove from Falling Into Infinity?

[Gadough]

I was listening to the album the other day, and I came to the conclusion that it would be MUCH better if the first two songs (New Millennium and You Not Me) weren't included. They start an otherwise excellent album off on a very poor note. The rest of the album is so good that it's almost comical how they chose two terrible songs to introduce it. "Here's an album full off great songs, but you have to sit through two pieces of shit first to get you warmed up. Enjoy."

The only other song I would consider removing is Anna Lee. I'm on the fence about it. I wouldn't lose any sleep if it wasn't there, but at the same time, I like it enough to keep it.

Fans call this album a "mixed bag", with some of Dream Theater's best alongside their very worst. Which songs would you remove from the final tracklisting, and why?

[ResultsMayVary]

You Not Me, Anna Lee, and Burning My Soul. I would then replace them with Raise The Knife and Where Are You Now.

[SeRoX]

I think it's great how it is but I would choose You Or Me over You Not Me and add amazing solo section into the Hollow Years (Budokan Version) now this album could have been fantastic.

[RaiseTheKnife]

New Millenium is not a terrible song.  If you heard it when it came out in 97 you'd understand that the turn of the millenium was a very zeitgeist subject and I was thrilled that DT could turn this optismism and fear into a song.  Upon first listen I thought they dipped heavily into their rush influence, but I appreciated the progginess.  The song is a stellar example of polyrhythms and JM's chapmanstick lines still kick my ass.

The only song I rolled my eyes upon first listen in 97 was Hollow Years.  I've later come to appreciate it.

[Gadough]

You and I are on two different wavelengths. Hollow Years might be my favorite song on the album.

[RuRoRul]

I sometimes do listen to all of it but on my computer right now some songs are unchecked because so often I want to listen to just a few from FII, so going by that I would omit You Not Me, Peruvian Skies, Burning My Soul, Take Away My Pain and Anna Lee .

Definitely don't think New Millennium should be removed as it is the third best song.

New Millennium, Hollow Years, Hell's Kitchen, Lines In The Sand, Just Let Me Breathe then Trial Of Tears is a good playlist to me. But really the only important thing about this album is that it has Lines In The Sand and Trial Of Tears on it.

[Ryzee]

New Millennium is a good song.  I kinda like the album the way it is.  I've never been a big fan of Just Let Me Breathe, so I wouldn't miss that if it wasn't there.  Same goes for You Not Me I guess.

[iamtheeviltwin]

Drop Just Let Me Breathe and Burning my Soul for Raise the Knife and the album would be just about perfect.

I'm not a big fan of New Millennium either, but I don't dislike the song as much as I used to.  It was the references to the coming millennium that first put me off the song.  Much like in Learning to Live the line about "the 90s bring new questions" was always a stumbling block.

Personally I think You Not Me is a much stronger song that the original cut.  The song structure and the chorus were big improvements.  I do miss the punchy bass pop of You or Me, but that has more to do with the bass being pushed back into the mix more than it not existing in You Not Me.

[BlobVanDam]

YNM and TAMP. Aside from that, perfect as is. Wouldn't even put any of the discarded demos back on there.

[Gadough]

I would omit Peruvian Skies

Wut.

[Jaffa]

I would be happy without Just Let Me Breathe.  But then I think you'd also have to get rid of one of the softer songs, because JLMB provided a needed break from them.  So I'd say cut Take Away My Pain, too.

Also, cutting New Millennium is a bad idea. 

[The Letter M]

YNM, JLMB and BMS. Any of those could have been replaced with better songs that got relegated to B-Side status. But I can understand their inclusion as they were all likely options for singles in their own right.

-Marc.

[RuRoRul]

I would omit Peruvian Skies

Wut.

I would probably rate that song higher than or just as highly as Hollow Years but for some reason it's ony I can't be bothered listening to as much. Or I just feel like Hollow Years fits in better with my abridged "playlist" of FII I sometimes listen to.

The only ones I'd really like to get rid of are Take Away My Pain and Anna Lee - I don't even mind You Not Me although I'm not a fan of the chorus. Or, if I was being really ruthless, New Millennium-Lines In The Sand-Trial Of Tears would be a solid "album".

[Dublagent66]

YNM & JLMB.  Replace those two with Raise The Knife.   Yeah the hell! 

[Aythesryche]

I like the album just the way it is. I'm glad none of you people have any real influence on such matters.

[theseoafs]

Take Away My Pain and Just Let Me Breathe are filler, uncommon for DT. They must be eliminated.

You Not Me and Burning My Soul aren't even filler; they're legitimately bad songs, the worst in DT's catalog. They must be eliminated.

If it were up to me, I'd add a well-produced version of Raise the Knife, probably as the opener. New Millenium is a great song.

[KevShmev]

New Millennium is good, but just not that good of an opener.  But I'd still keep it.

I'd chuck You Not Me in the trash.  I am not wild about Burning My Soul or Just Let Me Breathe, but you almost have to keep one or both of them, or else the album is then devoid of any short rockers.

[Phoenix87x]

Probably only Burning the Soul. The rest I pretty much love.

[Gadough]

<--- Doesn't understand the hate for Burning My Soul.

Is it because of the forced anger? Or is it too aggressive for the album it's on?

I love it, personally. It's nasty and it has some bite to it.

[Flacracker]

If the album is good without those songs then it is good with them. It is extra content. Who gives a shit if it is good or not. I would never take away songs.

[BlobVanDam]

If the album is good without those songs then it is good with them. It is extra content. Who gives a shit if it is good or not. I would never take away songs.

I get your point, but it affects the flow of the album, because you have to skip them, and it weakens it as a whole, because instead of being say 9/9 good songs, it's like 9/12. Do the math.
Anything that stops me from listening to the album from start to finish and enjoying it, is weakening it.

[RuRoRul]

If the album is good without those songs then it is good with them. It is extra content. Who gives a shit if it is good or not. I would never take away songs.

I agree I wouldn't want to wish those songs out of existence or make them unavailable - they're just songs I'd remove if I was to make a "playlist" of the best of FII that's better to listen to in one sitting.

[Jaffa]

If the album is good without those songs then it is good with them. It is extra content. Who gives a shit if it is good or not.

I'm afraid I can't agree with this logic.  I would rather watch a movie with ten great scenes than one with ten great scenes and three scenes dedicated to an obese man pleasuring himself. 

Extra content is not automatically a plus. 

[Zydar]

I could do without Just Let Me Breathe.

[voncorn]

-

[a51502112]

JLMB

[theseoafs]

If the album is good without those songs then it is good with them. It is extra content. Who gives a shit if it is good or not. I would never take away songs.

Nope. An album isn't just a collection of songs with bands like DT; an album is a cohesive unit, like a movie or a book. Bad songs make albums worse.

[Lowdz]

Drop Just Let Me Breathe and Burning my Soul for Raise the Knife and the album would be just about perfect.

I'm not a big fan of New Millennium either, but I don't dislike the song as much as I used to.  It was the references to the coming millennium that first put me off the song.  Much like in Learning to Live the line about "the 90s bring new questions" was always a stumbling block.

Personally I think You Not Me is a much stronger song that the original cut.  The song structure and the chorus were big improvements.  I do miss the punchy bass pop of You or Me, but that has more to do with the bass being pushed back into the mix more than it not existing in You Not Me.

Agree with you on these two points. The rest of the album is pretty flawless so get rid of the two clunkers and away we go.

[KevShmev]

If the album is good without those songs then it is good with them. It is extra content. Who gives a shit if it is good or not.

I'm afraid I can't agree with this logic.  I would rather watch a movie with ten great scenes than one with ten great scenes and three scenes dedicated to an obese man pleasuring himself. 

Extra content is not automatically a plus.

Agreed. 

An album with 10 greats songs is better than an album with 10 great songs and 2 bad songs.  Bad/mediocre songs drag down the overall quality.

[Mladen]

You not me, Take away my pain and Anna Lee. It would be slightly better than, although most of the remaining songs are just OK. There are some great songs that didn't make it to the album, and those would be the ones included on the album if it were up to me.

[rumborak]

You Not Me, Anna Lee, and Burning My Soul. I would then replace them with Raise The Knife and Where Are You Now.

/thread

[Mebert78]

All the songs where MP wrote lyrics, and I would have someone else write the lyrics for those songs.  "Burning my Soul" is filled with cliche phrases and "Just Let Me Breathe" makes me cringe personally.  I think he also wrote "Raise the Knife," which I can't stand because of the lyrics.  I could do without him using DT songs as a platform to tell off people who did him wrong in the past.

So, basically, my problem is with lyrics on FII.  I enjoy the music.

[Pols Voice]

I wouldn't remove anything, but Burning My Soul could be better. It starts off cool, but the lyrics and chorus aren't so good. And you know...I have no problem with You Not Me. There, I said it. Also, New Millennium is really great.

[theGonz]

If I had to choose two songs to take off, they'd be YNM and burning my soul. Sux that speak to me never made the album

[Dublagent66]

If the album is good without those songs then it is good with them. It is extra content. Who gives a shit if it is good or not. I would never take away songs.

I get your point, but it affects the flow of the album, because you have to skip them, and it weakens it as a whole, because instead of being say 9/9 good songs, it's like 9/12. Do the math.
Anything that stops me from listening to the album from start to finish and enjoying it, is weakening it.

Agreed.  A truly good album has no skipable songs.