The one Dream Theater song you just don't "get"---POLL ADDED

[Joshin U]

Ta-da, poll added!

[aprilethereal]

The only one of those in the poll I don't get is Voices.

[Joshin U]

Dammit, maybe I shouldn't have added the "I understand everything" option

[Shadow Ninja 2.0]

In fairness, I feel like I do "get" all the songs in the poll.

[hefdaddy42]

My choice isn't in the poll.  Oh well.

[Zydar]

I voted Octavarium and Blind Faith.

[Joshin U]

My choice isn't in the poll.  Oh well.

Added. Just for you!

[?]

I voted Octavarium and Blind Faith.

[RoeDent]

The rap in A Nightmare to Remember. Just, WHY?! Nothing merits a ferocious metal roar quite like a religiously grateful account of a car crash that claimed no fatalities.

[Mladen]

Of these, I went with Blind faith. I like the song, but I never considered it a masterpiece like many other fans do.

[OsMosis2259]

I went with Scarred

[425]

I voted for ACOS and Blind Faith. Both are songs that I like, but unlike many, would not put in the top 10 or probably even 20.

[aprilethereal]

Don't know why I didn't vote for Blind Faith, never liked and never got that one.

[Laich21DT]

I said I understand everything. Not to be snobbish at all, but there's something in literally every DT song that I like. You Not Me? Like the guitar solo.

With that said, I have never appreciated the part that begins around 6:00 in The Dark Eternal Night. It just sounds like mush to me. I've really tried to like it, but with no success.

[sueño]

I said I understand everything, as well.  Mainly because there wasn't really a choice for me to select in trueness -- that I don't need to understand everything. 

I can easily like music that I don't "get" -- lyrically or musically.  I'm not the type (rare here, it seems) to deconstruct music to its bones or question why the composer wrote this or that.  It's totally fun watching you guys do it; I learn a lot!  If it sounds good to me, I like it.    

If I don't like it, it's cool.  Maybe I will later on (some music is an acquired taste...like coffee or liquor) or maybe not.  It's still cool -- lots more out there to love!   

[tiagodon]

Metropolis Pt. 1 - What is it about anyway?

Under a Glass Moon & Learning to Live - vague and childish lyrics.

[425]

Metropolis Pt. 1 - What is it about anyway?

I think the key to the popularity of Metropolis is that it is THE quintessential Dream Theater song. It has elements of both metal and prog, it's long, it has a lengthy and complex instrumental section and it features top-notch performances from all five band members. I mean, if it doesn't work for you, it doesn't work for you, but I think that is the reason for its popularity (embodying the band and doing it very well).

Under a Glass Moon & Learning to Live - vague and childish lyrics.

[GasparXR]

I voted for Voices, because there's one part I find particularly jarring that I've never seen one person on here mention before. It's the part that contains 'Love, just don't stare.' 'Reveal the Word when you're supposed to' There's this droning A string coming from the guitar and it's very off-putting.

[Lucidity]

The only song in the poll I don't get is Scarred.

Metropolis Pt. 1 - What is it about anyway?

Under a Glass Moon & Learning to Live - vague and childish lyrics.

And I'm glad someone said this. These are all top DT songs for me, but I hate that everyone reveres the lyrics when they seem like utter nonsense to me.

[King Postwhore]

I voted Octavarium and Blind Faith.

De-friended on FB.

[PROGdrummer]

Well i see that there is no option for Misunderstood.
Have I made it clear to this forum just how much that song actually sucks?

[RuRoRul]

To Live Forever
Lifting Shadows Off A Dream
Bridges In The Sky
Voices

I like these songs to varying degrees. In fact I like two of them are great. I just don't "get" why they are rated so much more highly than I think they deserve.

Bridges In The Sky is an easy pick for third best on A Dramatic Turn Of Events, and if you don't get Outcry then fair enough for it being in the top two. But from what I've seen this song seems to be in a fairly close contest for most highly rated song on the album, which always surprised me. More than that though, it's that I feel like I often see people loving it that don't like Black Clouds And Silver Linings, even though to me it could easily have been on that album and exhibits many of the "flaws" people claim ADTOE improved on (pretty cheesy lyrics, a kind of laughable addition in the shaman noises (no matter how much we've come to appreciate or get used to them now), a similar level of heaviness).

Voices I also really like, I was just surprised it seemed to be such a clear favourite over Scarred on Awake and rated so highly among DT songs in general.

To Live Forever and Lifting Shadows Off A Dream are two of the weakest DT songs for me. I don't dislike them, but LSOAD is nothing special to me and I usually skip To Live Forever. But unlike other songs I'd rate about the same, these two are held in pretty high regard. Part of that might be the "rare" bonus for To Live Forever, I suppose.

[Lucien]

Well i see that there is no option for Misunderstood.
Have I made it clear to this forum just how much that song actually sucks?

[hefdaddy42]

My choice isn't in the poll.  Oh well.

Added. Just for you!

I love you.

[GasparXR]

Bridges In The Sky is an easy pick for third best on A Dramatic Turn Of Events, and if you don't get Outcry then fair enough for it being in the top two. But from what I've seen this song seems to be in a fairly close contest for most highly rated song on the album, which always surprised me. More than that though, it's that I feel like I often see people loving it that don't like Black Clouds And Silver Linings, even though to me it could easily have been on that album and exhibits many of the "flaws" people claim ADTOE improved on (pretty cheesy lyrics, a kind of laughable addition in the shaman noises (no matter how much we've come to appreciate or get used to them now), a similar level of heaviness).

It's FAR more melodically driven than the heavy songs on BC&SL (ANTR and TSF), but it does have that kind of riffing, particularly akin to TSF. The problem I see most people actually criticize about those songs is their structure, which DT improved on GREATLY on ADTOE in my opinion. All of the songs on ADTOE flow much more interestingly and naturally than those BC&SL songs.

[aXygnus]

I don't know how people don't enjoy WOMP WOMP. That fucking WOMP WOMP is, like, the 3rd best part in SFAM, maybe 4th if I'm feeling melancholic and listening to Through Her Eyes.

[BlobVanDam]

Bridges In The Sky is an easy pick for third best on A Dramatic Turn Of Events, and if you don't get Outcry then fair enough for it being in the top two. But from what I've seen this song seems to be in a fairly close contest for most highly rated song on the album, which always surprised me. More than that though, it's that I feel like I often see people loving it that don't like Black Clouds And Silver Linings, even though to me it could easily have been on that album and exhibits many of the "flaws" people claim ADTOE improved on (pretty cheesy lyrics, a kind of laughable addition in the shaman noises (no matter how much we've come to appreciate or get used to them now), a similar level of heaviness).

It's FAR more melodically driven than the heavy songs on BC&SL (ANTR and TSF), but it does have that kind of riffing, particularly akin to TSF. The problem I see most people actually criticize about those songs is their structure, which DT improved on GREATLY on ADTOE in my opinion. All of the songs on ADTOE flow much more interestingly and naturally than those BC&SL songs.

I don't agree with that. Aside from the opening verses where JLB is singing a simple Hetfield-ish melody, ANTR is very melodic, with more layered vocal harmonies than anything on ADTOE. The mid section alone is gorgeous, although that's not the only stand-out section either.

Structure/Solo-wise, I don't see BITS as a departure from BCASL either. There is more care to solo placement overall on ADTOE (except Outcry, which I don't "get" at all given that it's 1/3 instrumental), but I think BITS could fit on BCASL or TOT very easily.
And I don't mean that as a bad thing, as I like all of those albums, and I rank BITS highly, the highest of any song on ADTOE.

[robwebster]

I don't know how people don't enjoy WOMP WOMP. That fucking WOMP WOMP is, like, the 3rd best part in SFAM, maybe 4th if I'm feeling melancholic and listening to Through Her Eyes.

The problem with the "womp womp," for me, is that along with the intro that riff is far and away the most interesting part of the song - and it's over within a few minutes.

Superb riff, but I don't think there are enough other ideas in the song to sustain it. The instrumental sections (all of them!!) in particular just do not do it for me, the verses are good not great, the chorus is great, I'll definitely give you the chorus - but it's a twelve minute song that, in my opinion, doesn't contain anything like twelve minutes of interesting music.

[FourthHorseman]

Metropolis Pt. 1 - What is it about anyway?

Under a Glass Moon & Learning to Live - vague and childish lyrics.

[Zydar]

I voted Octavarium and Blind Faith.

De-friended on FB.

[wasteland]

Metropolis Pt. 1 - What is it about anyway?

Under a Glass Moon & Learning to Live - vague and childish lyrics.

Damn, I found the holy grail of controversy. You can't get better than that.

[?]

Under a Glass Moon & Learning to Live - vague and childish lyrics.

[Ruba]

Voted for Octavarium and In the Name of God.

Metropolis Pt. 1 - What is it about anyway?

Under a Glass Moon & Learning to Live - vague and childish lyrics.

I don't really get the lyrics for Metropolis or UAGM (in that case, Jaffa's explanation helped a bit), but they sound awesome, so what the fuck, but LTL has one of my favourite lyrics ever.

[CodyWanKenobi]

Would have voted, but Trial Of Tears wasn't an option.

[mellotron_scratch]

Well, I voted Peruvian Skies and Voices. Two songs that I loved for a while after I first heard them, but these days they don't really do much for me.