Pols Voice's Top 50 Dream Theater Songs

[Unlegit]

Awesome update!

[Pols Voice]

I've finally gotten around to appreciate Only A Matter Of Time these last couple of days. It's gone from being an okay song to being a great song, and I've listened a lot to the Budokan version.

Which of course is so much better than the original!

I actually like the WDADU version better than the Budokan one.

[Pols Voice]

35. The Count of Tuscany

I wonder if it's possible to mention this song without calling the lyrics silly. Oops. Anyway, the lyrics don't really bother me, and there are several DT songs with worse lyrics, including on the same album (A Rite of Passage)! The beginning of the song is really cool and melodic, with some Rushiness thrown in for good measure. Things go a bit awry around 3:20, where the song starts sounding more like generic later period DT. The verses have a nice driving feel, though. You can tell the band just wants to have some fun, and there's nothing wrong with that, is there?

The ambient section is such a refreshing change of pace for DT, and it's really quite pretty. And the section starting with the acoustic strumming and leading to a stirring finale is the best. One final note: those "IIIIIIIIII"s in the chorus (I guess it's the chorus) sound like a bunch of surly pirates.

34. Another Day   

A beautiful song. JLB puts on a vocal clinic, as he does on most of I&W. Jaw-dropping range. The saxophone is a nice accent to give the song a unique feel in the DT discography. Petrucci's solo is spot on too. Images and Words is a classic in part because everything feels so highly arranged and well thought out. Nearly every note seems perfectly placed.

33. Outcry

Wow, there's some really slick playing on this one. The little electronic flourishes in the intro are a nice touch, and the main melody that follows is quite epic and soaring. The off-the-wall instrumental section is pretty great. Those little bass and drum runs are fun, as is JR's demented piano freakout. He so crazy. And Mangini really brings the goods. I like how it seems that the instrumental section is about to end, and then it goes back into some other tangent. My only complaint is that the ending of the song seems a little anticlimactic for some reason.

32. Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence

Well, let's see. I can recognize the effort that went into the whole thing, and I've always liked it, yet not much has ever stood out to me as masterpiece-level. I have some problems with the lyrics, and Solitary Shell, while a great "song", is too close to Solsbury Hill for comfort IMO. But, yes, it's a good mega epic song mission quest thing.

The Overture reminds me of video games, which is never a bad thing (I'm a video game music megafan). Jordan really dominates the proceedings, and this continues with the piano heavy About to Crash, which starts pleasant but ends more unsettled. Actually, it's worth noting that SDOIT has a lot of upbeat and almost playful music for a song with such, at times, sad subject matter.

War Inside My Head changes the mood considerably. It's effective but pretty short. Mike's backing vocals are actually okay! The Test That Stumped Them All is a frenetic powerhouse of top-notch musicianship. I'm glad they put a really heavy section in the epic for contrast. Goodnight Kiss is an intelligently placed breather. James is just a poor girl. The aforementioned Solitary Shell is my favorite part of the epic and features some shimmering Yessy keyboard parts and a really catchy chorus. JP's solo in the laid-back interlude later on is really cool. I like About to Crash (Reprise) because it's got a classic rock feel at first, which DT rarely explores. Losing Time was always interesting to me because it seems like it's oddly placed in the grand scheme of the epic. Grand Finale lives up to its name: it's a fitting ending to a long-as-all-get-out song. Oh yeah, and it ends with a gong. That's prog.

31. Innocence Faded

A nice respite from Awake's dark mood, although it still has that introspective element to it. The beginning sounds like it could be from some early '90s TV show, but that's okay with me. JLB's vocals are friggin' awesome. He pretty much dominates this song. Those high notes! CONDESCENDING, NOT INTENDING TO EEEEEEEEEEEND = one of his greatest moments. The Dixie Dregsish ending is nifty. Steve Morse was certainly a big influence on Petrucci.

[Unlegit]

Six Degrees should be higher, but good update overall. 

[j]

35. The Count of Tuscany

I wonder if it's possible to mention this song without calling the lyrics silly. Oops. Anyway, the lyrics don't really bother me, and there are several DT songs with worse lyrics, including on the same album (The Best of Times)! The beginning of the song is really cool and melodic, with some Rushiness thrown in for good measure. Things go a bit awry around 3:20, where the song starts sounding more like generic later period DT. The verses have a nice driving feel, though. You can tell the band just wants to have some fun, and there's nothing wrong with that, is there?

The ambient section is such a refreshing change of pace for DT, and it's really quite pretty. And the section starting with the acoustic strumming and leading to a stirring finale is the best. One final note: those "IIIIIIIIII"s in the chorus (I guess it's the chorus) sound like a bunch of surly pirates.

FTFY.

Great list so far.

-J

[Ruba]

Innocence Faded!

[BlobVanDam]

Six Degrees should be higher, but good update overall. 

Agreed! Except Outcry. Outcry is one of their worst songs imo.

[Ruba]

Six Degrees should be higher, but good update overall. 

Agreed! Except Outcry. Outcry is one of their worst songs imo.

We rarely agree on anything DT related huh  ?

[BlobVanDam]

Six Degrees should be higher, but good update overall. 

Agreed! Except Outcry. Outcry is one of their worst songs imo.

We rarely agree on anything DT related huh  ?

Um yeah, pretty much. Maybe one of us should hire the other to just fill in for us for a week. Just post the opposite of our own opinion.

[Ruba]

Six Degrees should be higher, but good update overall. 

Agreed! Except Outcry. Outcry is one of their worst songs imo.

We rarely agree on anything DT related huh  ?

Um yeah, pretty much. Maybe one of us should hire the other to just fill in for us for a week. Just post the opposite of our own opinion.

People's faces when they'd see you giving credit to WDADU or me liking Black Clouds & Silver Linings  .

[BlobVanDam]

Six Degrees should be higher, but good update overall. 

Agreed! Except Outcry. Outcry is one of their worst songs imo.

We rarely agree on anything DT related huh  ?

Um yeah, pretty much. Maybe one of us should hire the other to just fill in for us for a week. Just post the opposite of our own opinion.

People's faces when they'd see you giving credit to WDADU or me liking Black Clouds & Silver Linings  .

No no, I meant we'd post the opposite of our own opinion so that it would be correct to the other person's opinion! I'll be damned if I let a single good word towards WDADU go under my username, dag nabbit.

[Ruba]

Six Degrees should be higher, but good update overall. 

Agreed! Except Outcry. Outcry is one of their worst songs imo.

We rarely agree on anything DT related huh  ?

Um yeah, pretty much. Maybe one of us should hire the other to just fill in for us for a week. Just post the opposite of our own opinion.

People's faces when they'd see you giving credit to WDADU or me liking Black Clouds & Silver Linings  .

No no, I meant we'd post the opposite of our own opinion so that it would be correct to the other person's opinion! I'll be damned if I let a single good word towards WDADU go under my username, dag nabbit.

Oh, silly me. I misread it  . Well yeah, that might work.

[iamtheeviltwin]

Good selection of songs...for some reason Another Day just never clicked with me in a way the rest of the album did.

[Pols Voice]

Thanks for the responses, guys. I really appreciate it, and I'm glad you're enjoying my list.

[senecadawg2]

Yes, I really am enjoying it!

You've got some great songs in the last couple updates that I would certainly put higher myself.

[jhonvictor]

34. Another Day   

33. Outcry

32. Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence

Lol. 6DOIT so low. Outcry and Another Day SO HIGH.

[Pols Voice]

Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about this.

[Pols Voice]

30. New Millennium

Funky! I dig Myung's Chapman Stick usage. This one starts off very ear-catching and immediate. The whole vibe of the track is pretty unique and fun, although the moodier part at 3:35 kinda makes me think of SFAM...it even mentions deja vu (pre-nugget!). NM exudes an overall positive atmosphere; everything's gonna be alright now, after all. Some of the vocal melodies are perhaps a little clunky, but I don't really mind them. Derek does some nice supporting work on this song. By the way, FII has great production. Also, millennium is one of the most misspelled words ever.

29. Lost Not Forgotten

So, I like deserts. And this song makes me think of the desert, so it gets points right there. The intro is so cinematic and exciting. One of my favorite DT song openings. Then we have the fabled "tickle section", which is...interesting. I totally love the riff right after that. So energy, powah, etc. JP's solo is lots of fun, and JR's subsequent keyboard solo really reminds of Kevin Moore's old style. Myung has some solid (actually, they're better than solid, but that word is always used to describe bass) basslines throughout. I like that I can actually hear most of the bass on ADTOE! Anyway, really cool song.

28. Under a Glass Moon

Here's Lost Not Forgotten's less exotic dad. I like the lyrics on this one because they're not as literal as the band's more recent output. Even the title sounds intriguing. The intro makes me want to air drum like a goofball. Despite having an aversion to big '80s style drums, I love Images and Word's production, including its huge pounding drums. The riff that starts at 1:19 is pretty fun and kind of amusing, really. I like the well-placed double bass (that rhymed) in the chorus. Petrucci's solo is one of his most awesome. It just has an amazing flow to it. And yet again I have to mention LaBrie's amazing vocals, especially those "TIME!"s.

27. Breaking All Illusions

Pretty much the DT I was missing from the three or so albums before ADTOE. Complex yet memorable, its progressive arrangement and structure is so good, and it also contains some really nice melodies. The "searching out, reaching in" part is especially enjoyable. The instrumental section from 5:05-6:07 is really awesome, going through different moods at lightning speed. From renaissance faires to funky breakdowns in a few seconds. Boo yeah. I actually get a Blind Faith vibe there. JP's emotive solo is pro and reminds me of Lines in the Sand a bit. The ending of the song with its callback to Far From Heaven is nice too. It's interesting that there are relatively few vocals on this one. If I have to point out something negative (which I don't), it's that the song seems a wee bit disjointed. But I love it all anyway. Hurray!

26. Hell's Kitchen

The way this builds and its general proggy feel make this a fantastic instrumental. It's really majestic and soaring. The feel is also quite optimistic and a bit reflective. I love the rhythms: the whole thing just ebbs and flows wonderfully. The band locks in absurdly well together (at 3:08 especially). HK transitions perfectly into Lines in the Sand, as well.

[BlobVanDam]

All good choices. I really dig New Millennium (along with the whole album), so it's nice to see that included!

[Unlegit]

5 awesome songs!

[Glass Moonlight]

Hell's Kitchen is so good.

[Nekov]

Hell's Kitchen is so good.

And so low in the list...

[Scorpion]

I don't really like New Millennium (which I, up to now, always spelled 'Millenium'), but the other four are awesome and more than make up for it.

[Pols Voice]

25. Erotomania

A quirky and ever-changing track demonstrating that DT knows how to put the prog in prog-metal. But they don't forget to include some sweet melodies as well to add to the delicious stew that is their music. I bet you can tell I'm running out of interesting things to say in these writeups. Moore has some great sounds on this track, with that gritty Hammond-ish organ being a standout. Cool icy-sounding piano too. The Silent Man part is really good, and I also like the little reference to Caught in a Web. Petrucci's shredtastic solo is of course legendary for good reason.

24. Fatal Tragedy

Contains one of the group's best instrumental sections. It's very intense and pretty much demands your attention. This ain't no background music, my friends. The whole part with the vocals is also awesome, of course, with a nice chorus. The song in general has an effective creepy/eerie feel, which certainly fits the lyrics. You can hear from this song that Jordan had already become well-integrated into the DT sound. Ya know, that hypnotherapist sure is a weird guy...I don't trust him...

23. Beyond This Life

Aaand here's the next song on SFAM. Despite the lyrics about murder, this song is fun as all get out. That intro riff is prime headbanging material. The ethereal, quieter sections are a good contrast from all the craziness. James can sing with such a pure voice sometimes. The instrumental section from 7:11 to 10:04 is just SO ENTERTAINING. It deserves more appreciation, methinks. Even Jordan's patented tooty li'l horn section is coo'. As with About to Crash (Reprise), I like that there's some classic and hard rock sound creeping in here and there throughout the track. It's also neat that the song ends on a much more gentle note than it started.

22. The Glass Prison

Raaaaaaaaawk. A great beginning to the AA Suite (which unfortunately didn't end nearly as great). It works well on its own and wouldn't lose its impact even if the rest of the suite had never been written. After a pensive opening, the band just lets loose and indulges in their metal side. The intensity just doesn't let up. There is a lot of raw energy on display, for sure. I'm not usually a fan of abundant non-JLB backing vocals, but they were okay on this one. Those parts with the "hey"s were always kind of zany, I thought. The dramatic ending seems somewhat disconnected from the rest of the song, but it works. Don't really know what else to say. It rocks.

21. The Silent Man

I wish DT would go acoustic more often. I also like it when they make more simple songs, as I've said before. This tuneful little track is a well-placed breather on the album. The lyrics are interesting, and LaBrie does them justice with a pleasant, laid-back vocal performance. Variety is a good thing, and Dream Theater can pummel you with heavy technicality and then turn around and make songs that non-prog and non-metal fans can easily enjoy. That's one aspect that sets the band apart from the pack.

[BlobVanDam]

Fatal Tragedy and Beyond This Life are among my very favourites from SFAM. I love the instrumental stuff in those. And Erotomania and especially The Silent Man would be among my favourites from Awake. And TGP would be my favourite from SDOIT.
Actually, that's a great batch. I'd place TGP at least 20 spots higher, but 22 ain't bad either.

And bonus points for ranking a ballad this high. There's no reason a simple 4 minute acoustic ballad can't be as good as a 7 minute crazy prog instrumental.

[Pols Voice]

I agree with Blob on something?!

[BlobVanDam]

With how much I ramble, someone's bound to agree with me on something at some point. Just don't get used to it or anything.

[Nekov]

5 great songs right there. I think this is the first update I've seen in any of these where I like all of the songs. And I have to agree with you on the part where DT should go acoustic more often, they are so good at it.

[Lolzeez]

The Silent Man,Beyond This Life and Fatal Tragedy. Awesome. 

[iamtheeviltwin]

With how much I ramble, someone's bound to agree with me on something at some point. Just don't get used to it or anything.

Yup, next thing you know he is telling you that whole batch wouldn't make his top 200 DT songs. 

[Unlegit]

All these song are great.

[Pols Voice]

20. Surrounded

What an uplifting track. Moore and LaBrie really stand out with strong performances. Starting out very airy and soothing, the song then becomes invigorating when the rest of the band joins in. The song has an accessible sound, but the band wisely throws in some interesting time sig stuff to spice things up. Petrucci's solo is unique and fits the track perfectly. Oh yes, and this rules: "Light to dark, dark to light, light to dark, dark to light."

19. Learning to Live

This will seem controversially low to most of you, but come on, 19 is still high! The oh-so-progressive intro is nice, and the vocal sections that follow are good, but for me the song really starts picking up 4 minutes in. The calm, flamenco-y bit is enjoyable. All the stuff in the second half is really good (marvel at my really good descriptive words). The callback to Wait for Sleep is...uh...really good. I love that part at 9:31-9:45, for it is especially special. Is it just me or do some of the instrumental sections sound vaguely Celtic, like the band should be Riverdancing all over the place? It's just me. The dramatic ending has a well done fadeout. People are always bashing fadeouts, but sometimes one can be used to artistic effect, as it is here.

18. Strange Deja Vu

Yeah, a lot of people count this song and Overture 1928 as one song, but I don't, so blargh. The verses have a great stomping feel to them, with some fun little flourishes like what Portnoy does at 0:33, and that distorted bass growl at 0:55. As I've mentioned before, LaBrie sings so well on this album, and he utilizes different personalities and emotions in this song to great success. The "back on my feet again" riff = oh yeah! How could somebody not like that riff? HOW?!! The lyrics are pretty effective too.

17. The Spirit Carries On

This is how to write a ballad, folks. A real hands/lighters/phones in the air song that demonstrates Nicholas coming to grips with his issues amid a sea of negative and uncertain other songs. Even though I'm in no way a Pink Floyd fan (deal with it), their influence doesn't ruin this song. I dig that fill when the drums come in. Well done solo, Mr. Bear. One of his most memorable, for sure. Regression's reappearance, now reworked to be soaring and anthemic, ties the album together really well, and that big final note from LaBrie with that underlying guitar melody...yeah, that's fantastic.

16. Beneath the Surface

Such an emotional song. The melodies, lyrics, vocals, and arrangement are all spot on. I have to admit, this one made me cry a bit; it's one of the only songs by anyone to ever do that. "And the darkness turned to pain and never went away"...that part is so musically beautiful. I'd say that this is one of their most melodic songs ever. JR's solo has that classic prog sound and fits in well. His lush orchestral sounds throughout the song are also amazing. There's some nice understated percussion in the track too. It's the perfect way to end ADTOE.

[Nekov]

TSCO is one of the most overrated songs. The other 4 songs are great

[?]

TSCO is one of the most overrated songs. The other 4 songs are great

This. Also, LTL could always be higher

[BlobVanDam]

Surrounded, TSCO, and Strange Deja Vu are good, although I wouldn't rank them this high (although they're probably all in my top 50). I've always found LTL and BTS to be hugely overrated, and they wouldn't make my top 50.



Guys, guys, I have a new drinking game. Take a drink every time I say a song wouldn't make my top 50. You'll be posting in the drunk thread in no time.