Your opinion on Outcry

[TheGreatPretender]

Best song on the album.

This.

The instrumental section alone puts it on top.

[IdoSC]

It's among my favorites in the album and it's a spectacular song. I can't say it's my absolute favorite, but that's quite unfair, because ADTOE is easily one of my favorite DT albums, and I'm kinda tempted to say it's my favorite period lately. So the competition is...fierce.

[Dublagent66]

It's pretty great, but not better than BAI.

[Scorpion]

Great song, but OTBOA, BTS, BITS and BAI are all better.

[GasparXR]

Not one of my favourites on the album, actually probably one of my least favourite, but given the fact that I absolutely LOVE the album as a whole, I can still listen to it any day and enjoy it. The instrumentak section is one of their most far-out and confusing, but it's very classical-inspired and majestic-sounding. Also, love the mini bass solos with Mangini matching it on his cannon toms. That was a really nice touch that he added, and together with other similar examples of him matching the other guys' parts, is why I love his playing.

[hefdaddy42]

I think it is pretty great.  I think a stronger ending could have made it the best song on ADTOE and potentially a top 20 DT tune, but as is, it is still a solid ending; it is just a bit plodding compared to the rest of the song (although I get why they ended it that way).

This exactly.

[Ħ]

Best song on the album.

This.

The instrumental section alone puts it on top.

Oddly enough the instrumental section is the only section I don't really care for.

[Jinx]

I like the instrumental section. The way I interpret it is that the public who have been suppressed for so long have finally started to fight back. Its a looong, uphill struggle, and when the last chorus begins its like this battle has waged for years maybe. And yet they're still singing 'Rise up, be counted, stand strong and unite..." so its quite emotional.

[RuRoRul]

I love it, but Breaking All Illusions is the best on the album. I don't really feel like the "It's pretty great" option is high enough praise for it, even though it's not my favourite on the album.

The instrumental section is good - but the rest of the song is great. The intro, first couple of verses and choruses were the first part of ADTOE that I was really blown away on first listen, then I was very disappointed when it transitioned into the crazy instrumental section, which kept going for so long that I realised there wouldn't really be much more to the song after that. Ironically this was basically the first time I've found an instrumental to be so out of place and at all detrimental to the song (on the album that lots of people here claimed was the first to not have this problem). I've come to appreciate the instrumental since then, as it is pretty good, and I still think the song as a whole is great. But if the rest of the song was more in the same vein as the intro, verses, chorus etc. (it's criminal that such an incredible anthem of a chorus is only in an 11 minute song twice), rather than having such a huge chunk taken up by an instrumental completely unlike them, it could easily be my favourite on ADTOE. Maybe not, since BAI is pretty perfect, but everything in Outcry outside of the instrumental section gives it a run for it's money.

[Unlegit]

It's awesome. BAI and BITS are better, but it's probably tied with LNF for me.

[ReaPsTA]

I think it is pretty great.  I think a stronger ending could have made it the best song on ADTOE and potentially a top 20 DT tune, but as is, it is still a solid ending; it is just a bit plodding compared to the rest of the song (although I get why they ended it that way).

Interesting.  I like the ending.  It's this really cool and fitting emotional transition from this call to revolution to sort of the actual march and brutality of it.

[jcmistat]

Being one the many first people to see it live changed my opinion of this song. I thought it was "alright" after first few listens of A Dramatic Turn of Events. I voted pretty great.

[RoeDent]

My favourite off the album! A call-to-arms fit for any revolution. "We suffered far too long/We gather now, growing stronger." And it contains an instrumental with progressive virtuosity to rival that of Metropolis.

[darkshade]

You know what bothers ME about Outcry?

The last fucking chord in the entire song! It should resolve to a lower chord, but they just hold out that last chord instead. Stuff like that doesn't usually bother me, but it does in Outcry for some reason, always has since I first heard it.

Otherwise, great song.

[Neuth]

When musicians push themselves to their technical limits, it's wanking, but when Olympic athletes push themselves to their limits, they're some kind of hero to be admired by all. 'Splain that, Lucy.

The difference being that music is and art form, and Olympics are competitive sports. If you use your technical ability in an unmusical way to show off, that is 'wanky'. Athletes push themselves for the competition; to win.

Anyway, I think Outcry has some great moments, but to me it lacks flow in certain areas. For example, the massive pause before the chorus at 2:50. They worked up all this fantastic driving motion up until that point, and then they blew it. They still could have made the pre-chorus soft in dynamics without the pause. Again at 8:44 after the instrumental, the sudden change in dynamic has never quite sat right with me. I do like that bass groove though.

[Elite]

You know what bothers ME about Outcry?

The last fucking chord in the entire song! It should resolve to a lower chord, but they just hold out that last chord instead. Stuff like that doesn't usually bother me, but it does in Outcry for some reason, always has since I first heard it.

Otherwise, great song.

Commencing (over)analysis:

The chorus riff is first played in B, on the lowest strings at the beginning of the song. The first time the chorus enters it's played in E, with an even higher chord vocing for the first E (an octave above the rest of the riff), a full fourth above the first time it was played. The second time we expect the chorus, we go into the instrumental section instead, only to resolve to the chorus far beyond that (with the piano break in between still), but now the chorus is played in B, like in the intro, giving a darker version of the chorus, signifying the struggle. The ending then almost sounds happy, but it's moving in minor thirds, back to the low B, alternating with the 'Hey!'-chants. The final chord the song resolves on then is an E, like in the first chorus, signifying that there might still be hope.

--

I think Outcry is the biggest grower on the album and quite possibly even the best song on the album, though it has a way to go still. It's growing on me like no other song on the album has and is one of the only tracks on the album I find myself wanting to listen to.

[6sAllTheWay]

Hmm the first big riff is killer, perhaps a bit heavy on the epic side with all the atmospherics and keyboards going on as well. But hey, of course they were going for an anthemic vibe to fit the lyrics. I really love the middle eastern vibes of the keyboard after "You'll never rule me now
Though you may stand upon my grave" Actually that whole thing, the middle eastern touch on the keyboards and the lyrics, kind of makes me wonder if the song is written about the current situation in Syria, with the rebels fighting Al-Assad's forces. It sort of fits perfectly with the lyrics, written from the perspective of a rebel.

The solo section that follows is just insane, dramatic and intense. Perhaps to showcase the battle that the lyrics talk about.

The world watches on
While we risk our lives
Locked in a kingdom of fear
As our children die

Not my favorite song on the album. But very good!

[j]

Intro and riff are pretty awesome, and I like quite a bit of the crazy instrumental section.  But the lyrics and the ending aren't very good IMO.

I guess I will go with "it has some nice bits," although that probably wouldn't be the exact phrase I'd use.

-J

[robwebster]

"It has some nice bits." And that would be the phrase I'd use.

Among the weaker tracks on ADToE - but that's a very faint criticism. Solid album, solid song, just... not one that's stuck with me. Not like the others. And I've listened to the instrumental section, specifically keeping an ear out for the crazy bit, but I've never found it. Doesn't sound any more or less crazy than your standard Dream Theater instrumental section, to me! Admirably melodic, but I might benefit from a spot of live footage, p'raps? So I can see what they're doing.

I'll wait for the DVD!

[Lowdz]

Great song. Voted second option as BAI is best on the album.

[GasparXR]

You know what bothers ME about Outcry?

The last fucking chord in the entire song! It should resolve to a lower chord, but they just hold out that last chord instead. Stuff like that doesn't usually bother me, but it does in Outcry for some reason, always has since I first heard it.

Otherwise, great song.

Commencing (over)analysis:

The chorus riff is first played in B, on the lowest strings at the beginning of the song. The first time the chorus enters it's played in E, with an even higher chord vocing for the first E (an octave above the rest of the riff), a full fourth above the first time it was played. The second time we expect the chorus, we go into the instrumental section instead, only to resolve to the chorus far beyond that (with the piano break in between still), but now the chorus is played in B, like in the intro, giving a darker version of the chorus, signifying the struggle. The ending then almost sounds happy, but it's moving in minor thirds, back to the low B, alternating with the 'Hey!'-chants. The final chord the song resolves on then is an E, like in the first chorus, signifying that there might still be hope.

--

I think Outcry is the biggest grower on the album and quite possibly even the best song on the album, though it has a way to go still. It's growing on me like no other song on the album has and is one of the only tracks on the album I find myself wanting to listen to.

Very good analysis! I noticed the key changes but never really related it to the subject matter. It totally makes sense too, because when I heard the last chord, it almost reminds me of the first chorus.

[DT2003]

Nope.  Disagree.  I love it.  It was my favorite, but BITS has probably taken the #1 spot now.  But it's close--probably just depends on what kind of mood you catch me in.  But in any case, great song.  I've been a fan since '92, so it's hard to beat the "classics" as far as I'm concerned, but this song is one of a handful that are in or close to top 10 all time.

Since this album was released, I have not been able to pick between Outcry and BITS.  They are both absolutely masterpieces IMO.  Love the entire album but these two songs are my favorite. 

[ishak540m]

I'm not sure how one can say that the instrumental in Outcry is out of place when instrumentals like the one in TMoLS exist.

[GasparXR]

I'm not sure how one can say that the instrumental in Outcry is out of place when instrumentals like the one in TMoLS exist.

People say that's out of place too. That answer your question?

[ishak540m]

I'm not sure how one can say that the instrumental in Outcry is out of place when instrumentals like the one in TMoLS exist.

People say that's out of place too. That answer your question?

just saying that I feel the instumental in Outcry fits a lot better than most others.

[BlobVanDam]

I'm not sure how one can say that the instrumental in Outcry is out of place when instrumentals like the one in TMoLS exist.

People say that's out of place too. That answer your question?

just saying that I feel the instumental in Outcry fits a lot better than most others.

I don't think it fits the song at all. Since it's all subjective though, I'm not sure I can really explain it and put a "why" on it compared to other instrumentals that I feel do work. Each to his own.

[hefdaddy42]

I've listened to the instrumental section, specifically keeping an ear out for the crazy bit, but I've never found it. Doesn't sound any more or less crazy than your standard Dream Theater instrumental section, to me! Admirably melodic, but I might benefit from a spot of live footage, p'raps? So I can see what they're doing.

Yes, probably.

[Rattlehead]

I basically feel the same way about Outcry as I do ADToE... good but far from great. Was better the first few times I listened to it now I hardly listen at all 

[Cedar redaC]

Great song. Voted second option as BAI is best on the album.

Yeah, I would say the same thing, only Outcry is tied with Bridges in the Sky on my list.