If falling into infinity was released like this..

[Polis]

1. New Millennium
2. Peruvian Skies
3. Hollow Years
4. Hell's Kitchen
5. Lines in the Sand
6. Anna Lee
7. Trial of Tears
8. A Change of Seasons

would it be among Images and Words and Awake and Scenes from a Memory as godly albums?

[Ħ]

Yeah.

[theseoafs]

Hell yes it would.

[bosk1]

Well, it would pass Images & Words, but that's not really that big a feat.  And it still has Hollow Years and Hell's Kitchen to drag it down and completely counteract the awesomeness of ACOS.

[Ħ]

And it still has Hollow Years and Hell's Kitchen to drag out down

Drag it down to the pits of awesomeness, of course.

[Polis]

Well, it would pass Images & Words, but that's not really that big a feat.  And it still has Hollow Years and Hell's Kitchen to drag it down and completely counteract the awesomeness of ACOS.

I (and a lot of other people) think Images and Words as one of the best albums ever made... hollow years is a great song, I can understand why people don't like it, but hell's kitchen man... how can anyone hate that song? Short 4 minute instrumental with awesome solo.

[Cable]

Nope IMO.

As the demos version it is all sorts of win, minus a couple of things here and there. Demo version, or with ACOS it cannot top I&W and SFAM for me.

[yorost]

My first reaction is, "way too long."  I'm also not terribly fond of tracks 3-6, but it might pass Images & Words, anyways.  Remove 3-6 and it would absolutely pass Images & Words.

[Syzzle]

Remove New Millennium, Anna Lee, and replace them with Raise The Knife.

Then it would be their 3rd best album behind SDOIT and SFAM.

[Ħ]

Oh yeah, Raise the Knife. That would be a great track to add.

[The Letter M]

Oh yeah, Raise the Knife. That would be a great track to add.

Make the only ballads "Hollow Years" (either the final version or the '96 version) and "Take Away My Pain '96", get rid of "Anna Lee", put on "Raise The Knife" and "Speak To Me", then we've got an album.

I guess keep "Hell's Kitchen"/"Lines In The Sand" and "Trial Of Tears". "A Change Of Seasons" would be okay, but I'd rather not put it on the album. If it was meant to be on ANY album, it was Images And Words, although if it was released then, it would've been the '91 version.

-Marc.

[skydivingninja]

Replace Hollow Years with Speak to Me and then we can talk. 

[bosk1]

I (and a lot of other people) think Images and Words as one of the best albums ever made...

Which is fine.  I, on the other hand, think it is about half-an-album's worth of the best music ever made, and about half an album of filler.  So despite a lot of incredible stuff, there's a lot of stuff that I rarely feel like listening to.  In that regard, I hold it about equal to Systematic Chaos, which similarly is about 1/2 awesome and 1/2 filler.  (actually, both albums are probably closer to 2/3 awesome, 1/3 filler, but we're just talking rough estimates, so...)

hollow years is a great song

Can't stand it, but if you like it, more power to you.  As far as ballads go, I enjoy Take Away My Pain about 1,000 times more.

hell's kitchen man... how can anyone hate that song? Short 4 minute instrumental with awesome solo.

It serves as a nice intro to Lines In The Sand.  But, honestly, I've never understood the love for this song at all.  It's four chords, mindlessly repeated for the entire song, with a noodly guitar solo over the top.  Okay, fine.  I've simply grown accustomed to DT having more variety in 40 seconds than this song has in its entire length.

[TheGreatPretender]

No, I wouldn't say FII would reach a 'Godly' status if it had ACOS as described. Although, if the list of songs was like this, it would be another story:

Raise The Knife
Peruvian Skies
Hollow Years
Take Away My Pain
Speak To Me
Trial Of Tears
A Change Of Seasons

I don't know how much time that adds up to, but those are the only songs from the FII sessions that I'd say are above average by DT's standards. I wouldn't be mad if Burning My Soul and You Or/Not Me were thrown on there too.

[Ħ]

Where's New Millennium? AKA one of DT's top 5 songs.

[Polis]

Replace Hollow Years with Speak to Me and then we can talk.

I haven't listened to FII demos yet, so I don't know how raise the knife and speak to me sound like.

[TheGreatPretender]

Where's New Millennium? AKA one of DT's worst 5 songs.

FTFM

[yorost]

Where's New Millennium? AKA one of DT's top 5 songs.

Agreed.

[Polis]

No, I wouldn't say FII would reach a 'Godly' status if it had ACOS as described. Although, if the list of songs was like this, it would be another story:

Raise The Knife
Peruvian Skies
Hollow Years
Take Away My Pain
Speak To Me
Trial Of Tears
A Change Of Seasons

I don't know how much time that adds up to, but those are the only songs from the FII sessions that I'd say are above average by DT's standards. I wouldn't be mad if Burning My Soul and You Or/Not Me were thrown on there too.

lines in the sand? listen to it a while... it is pretty good...

[TheGreatPretender]

lines in the sand? listen to it a while... it is pretty good...

Well, if you ask me, I'd say every DT song is at LEAST 'pretty good'. I'm a little on the fence about that song, but yeah, it's definitely one of the better ones on the album. I think the backup vocals are a little off putting, though.

[hefdaddy42]

I (and a lot of other people) think Images and Words as one of the best albums ever made...

Which is fine.  I, on the other hand, think it is about half-an-album's worth of the best music ever made, and about half an album of filler. 

That's because you are a crazy person.

[Kotowboy]

Falling Into Infinity > Systematic Chaos.

[hefdaddy42]

Falling Into Infinity > Systematic Chaos.

Yeah, I think so.

[snapple]

I was hoping for a Kev post so I could just quote it and accurately convey my opinion 

[TheGreatPretender]

Falling Into Infinity > Systematic Chaos.

How relevant to the topic...

[snapple]

FWIW, I love the album as is. I guess I could go without Burning My Soul, but at least it's a change of tone from most of the album.

[theseoafs]

Falling Into Infinity > Systematic Chaos.

How relevant to the topic...

It is.  Bosk mentioned that he thinks SC is approximately as good.

[Jaffa]

It would definitely surpass Awake and probably surpass SFAM.

It would not surpass Images and Words.

[Cedar redaC]

Raise the Knife
Peruvian Skies
New Millenium
Speak to Me
Take Away My Pain
You Or Me
Lines in the Sand
Trial of Tears
Eve (as a bonus track)

Would be great!!

To me, A Change of Seasons wouldn't really be a song for this album. It's a great song, but it is complete as its own work. I wouldn't have it any other way than on the EP.

[TheGreatPretender]

FWIW, I love the album as is. I guess I could go without Burning My Soul, but at least it's a change of tone from most of the album.

Yeah, but the album isn't very heavy overall. I actually think that FII thrives on its ballads, and more gentle parts, rather than on its heavier parts. But without Burning My Soul, I wouldn't even call it a Progressive METAL album... Well, maybe the second part of PS, but still, I think it could've used more heavy songs.

[BlobVanDam]

It would actually go slightly down my ranks thanks to missing good songs, and including the averageness of ACOS. As it stands, the album is already my fourth favourite just behind my big three of SDOIT/SFAM/IAW.

[Jaffa]

It would actually go slightly down my ranks thanks to missing good songs, and including the averageness of ACOS. As it stands, the album is already my fourth favourite just behind my big three of SDOIT/SFAM/IAW.

Out of curiosity, which FII songs you like a lot are missing here?

[BlobVanDam]

It would actually go slightly down my ranks thanks to missing good songs, and including the averageness of ACOS. As it stands, the album is already my fourth favourite just behind my big three of SDOIT/SFAM/IAW.

Out of curiosity, which FII songs you like a lot are missing here?

Ok, it's mostly just JLMB, which I really love (I'm pretty sure I'm the only one there). It seemed like more at first glance, but YNM and TAMP aren't listenable, and BMS is ok, but not a loss.
But the inclusion of ACOS would water down the album for me, rather than improve it. I don't think it would fit the style or the flow of the album at all.

[bosk1]

JLMB, which I really love (I'm pretty sure I'm the only one there).

Nope, not the only one.  I mean, I wouldn't say I LOVE it, but it's very good.

[Scorpion]

It would be up on par with I&W and Awake if you removed NM as well. Never got why people liked that one at all.