Dream Theater self titled album discussion - [SPOILER FREE DISCUSSION ONLY]

[Voices]

Cool interview, but I expected lyrics from him in this new record. Too bad we'll see it only in the next one.

[aprilethereal]

Is there a link that works in Germany?

Could someone please summarize the important information for us?

[nicmos]

more importantly, can someone please enhance that framed picture behind them in the interview? 

[Mladen]

I just loved how John described The Illumination Theory on that video!

Me too, I'm absolutely pumped about the song after this video. Also, I have never heard of half the bands James named. 

Great interview with James as well. 

[rush-signals]

Who's JPs nephew?

[Whatsername]

If you guys haven't listened to Two Door Cinema Club or Young the Giant, I recommend checking them out. They both have really great vocalists. They get played on the alternative station out of Philadelphia, and they both have some massively good songs.

[Obfuscation]

Who's JPs nephew?

Jake Bowen. One of the guitarists for the band Periphery.

[rush-signals]

Thank you.

[Mladen]

Just watched that video again, what does JP whisper at 0:43?

[Lucidity]

So... um... who else hates The Enemy Inside?

[Shadow Ninja 2.0]

Yeah, it sucks.

[Onno]

Yeah, it sucks.

[Outcrier]

LaBrie could use some Beach House and Vampire Weekend latest releases then, as he likes some indie pop...

[Madman Shepherd]

Cool interview, but I expected lyrics from him in this new record. Too bad we'll see it only in the next one.

I wanted at least 3 lyrical contributions from him considering the last record he only got to do one...and its the slow song I always skip. 

I'm still excited for the record but man, if this is the quintessential DT album then it should have some JLB lyrics

[ariich]

If he didn't feel that he had anything to bring then I think it's right that he chose to save it all for his solo band. Otherwise we might have ended up with another Prophets of War.

[Madman Shepherd]

If he didn't feel that he had anything to bring then I think it's right that he chose to save it all for his solo band. Otherwise we might have ended up with another Prophets of War.

...and thats fine by me!


But he didn't even write very many lyrics for the last "solo" album.  I hate to pull a "never enough" here but damn it, I'm a fan and I want more JLB lyrics!

[duncan3dc]

Cool interview, but I expected lyrics from him in this new record. Too bad we'll see it only in the next one.

Not necessarily, I remember an interview during the Dramatic Turn cycle where Labrie said he submitted lyrics to like 4 songs, but Petrucci decided to only use 1 and write the rest himself.

Can't find the link now, does anyone else remember this?

[ariich]

If he didn't feel that he had anything to bring then I think it's right that he chose to save it all for his solo band. Otherwise we might have ended up with another Prophets of War.

...and thats fine by me!


But he didn't even write very many lyrics for the last "solo" album.  I hate to pull a "never enough" here but damn it, I'm a fan and I want more JLB lyrics!

I think he wrote lyrics to 5 of the songs, if I remember rightly, which is pretty good.

@duncan: Not sure it was as many as 4, but yeah there was definitely an interview where he explained that he submitted lyrics to another song or two that were ultimately not taken up.

[chaotic_ripper]

Just watched that video again, what does JP whisper at 0:43?

I think it's "fuck that".  Joking about the acoustic album.

[Madman Shepherd]

If he didn't feel that he had anything to bring then I think it's right that he chose to save it all for his solo band. Otherwise we might have ended up with another Prophets of War.

...and thats fine by me!


But he didn't even write very many lyrics for the last "solo" album.  I hate to pull a "never enough" here but damn it, I'm a fan and I want more JLB lyrics!

I think he wrote lyrics to 5 of the songs, if I remember rightly, which is pretty good.

@duncan: Not sure it was as many as 4, but yeah there was definitely an interview where he explained that he submitted lyrics to another song or two that were ultimately not taken up.

If I remember correctly it was a foreign interview and I only read somebody's quick translation of that one part.  I think it was 4 or at least 3...obviously only one was chosen.  Thankfully JP's lyrics were excellent on that album.  BC&SL on the other hand....

Kinda sucks James didn't take my advice when I met him which was, "Please write more lyrics!"

Anyway, you were right, he wrote 5 of 14 for his solo album which is 36%...not even half.  Thankfully, again, Guillory's lyrics were killer so I'm not too upset I guess

01: Agony (LaBrie)
02: Undertow (Guillory)
03: Slight Of Hand (LaBrie)
04: Back On The Ground (Guillory)
05: I Got You (Guillory)
06: Holding On (Guillory)
07: Lost In The Fire (Guillory/Lundin)
08: Letting Go (LaBrie)
09: Destined To Burn (LaBrie)
10: Say You're Still Mine (Lundin)
11: Amnesia (Guillory)
12: I Will Not Break (LaBrie)

Bonus Tracks:

13: Unraveling (Guillory/Lundin)
14: Why (Guillory)

[fadetoblackdude7]

I know James said he didn't wanna write any lyrics this time, but I think he should....he should do at least 2 per album IMO.

[Orthogonal]

I'm both concerned and excited for Illumination theory now. I'm not sure what to think of the description of the middle section that is not musical but just sounds (i.e. birds and other things). It could work, but I worry it will turn into a several minutes section I'll want to skip over after the first few listens.

[TheGreatPretender]

I'm both concerned and excited for Illumination theory now. I'm not sure what to think of the description of the middle section that is not musical but just sounds (i.e. birds and other things). It could work, but I worry it will turn into a several minutes section I'll want to skip over after the first few listens.

Well, if it happens, you could always edit and shorten it, right?

[Tis BOOLsheet]

I'm both concerned and excited for Illumination theory now. I'm not sure what to think of the description of the middle section that is not musical but just sounds (i.e. birds and other things). It could work, but I worry it will turn into a several minutes section I'll want to skip over after the first few listens.

We'll just have to see. It could go either way. It sounds like a difficult thing to pull off smack in the middle of a song, but we shall see. It's possible it could be great, but it will simply depend upon the execution. No reason to be concerned by that at this point. It's probably not even for that long if it's there.

[Shine]

I imagine it would sort of be like the middle part of TCOT from 11:00 to 14:20. Almost 3 and a half minutes of slow, not quite "music" noise and it doesn't really hurt the song, at least in my opinion.

[Tis BOOLsheet]

I imagine it would sort of be like the middle part of TCOT from 11:00 to 14:20. Almost 3 and a half minutes of slow, not quite "music" noise and it doesn't really hurt the song, at least in my opinion.

Any similarity this section of Illuminate Theory bears to the middle part of TCOT is legitimate cause for concern.

[Shadow Ninja 2.0]

no

[Lucidity]

I imagine it would sort of be like the middle part of TCOT from 11:00 to 14:20. Almost 3 and a half minutes of slow, not quite "music" noise and it doesn't really hurt the song, at least in my opinion.

Any similarity this section of Illuminate Theory bears to the middle part of TCOT is legitimate cause for extreme excitement.

FTFM.

[aXygnus]

I like that part of TCOT, it's really melancholic and I think it did something new for DT at the time.

[Tis BOOLsheet]

I like that part of TCOT, it's really melancholic and I think it did something new for DT at the time.

See the intro to Octavarium. The biggest difference is the placement.

[Lucien]

Well, now we know John Myung wrote the lyrics to Surrender to Reason

[Tis BOOLsheet]

Well, now we know John Myung wrote the lyrics to Surrender to Reason

Surrender to Reason has become my personal most anticipated song off this album-- really can't wait for it.

[m0hawk]

I like that part of TCOT, it's really melancholic and I think it did something new for DT at the time.

See the intro to Octavarium. The biggest difference is the placement.

I know many people feel the mellow bit of TCOT killed the pacing of the song, but I feel that's exactly what was intended. It's not meant to be a "small break" before the finale of the song, but rather the highlight of the song. And for me, it is super emotional. After the rush and the drama of the first 10 minutes, the character finally faces death. I feel like I'm floating in space. At peace. Not a care in the world. The character is facing death. And what does he feel? Serenity. Then, once I'm fully sedated by this mellow passage, an acoustic guitar brings  me slowly back out of my acceptance of death. It's like a human voice that is saying "I know you've accepted this fate, but this is not the time for you to go".

That.... might have been the cheesiest description of a song I've ever put to words 

[Mosh]

I laughed harder than I should have at "Melodius Monk". 

Some really cool bits in the interview and video, it's cool to see them having fun. I also agree with JLB on the idea of an acoustic album, I don't like the idea of them putting limitations on themselves.

[ToT-147]

WTF!! 

This is on Wikipedia:

     No.   Title                                  Lyrics                    Length
   
      1.   "False Awakening Suite"      (instrumental)         12:42
      2.   "The Enemy Inside"             John Petrucci           6:17
      3.   "The Looking Glass"            Petrucci                  4:53
      4.   "Enigma Machine"              (instrumental)          6:02
      5.   "The Bigger Picture"            Petrucci                  7:41
      6.   "Behind the Veil"                Petrucci                  6:53
      7.   "Surrender to Reason"         John Myung             6:35
      8.   "Along for the Ride"            Petrucci                  4:45
      9.   "Illumination Theory"          Petrucci                  22:18

      Album Length: 78:06

I'd assume they did a mistake.. Just like Aquiles Priester... This can't be right... Or they added 10 more FAS minutes just for the final version??...