JoeG's Ramblings About Zero Hits and 50 Other Pretty Cool Songs - Five left!

[JoeG]

Time for me to start my Top 50 thread! (Thread title spoiler: Pull Me Under didn't make the cut )

I was introduced to Dream Theater just a couple of months before Mike Portnoy left the band, and have followed them closely since. Aside from prog metal, it's hard to find a genre of music that I don't deeply enjoy at least some of. As a result, some very "Non-DT sounding" songs managed to creep their way near the top of my list. I promise plenty of controversial picks, overly wordy write ups, and general excitement throughout this thread. 

I'm a sucker for a good live recording, and rarely listen to the studio versions of songs I have good live versions of. As a result, in determining my rankings, I often consider parts of a song only performed live, or changes made by newer members of the band performing older material, part of the song.


The list so far:

50. Panic Attack
49. New Millenium
48. Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence
47. The Silent Man
46. Honor Thy Father
45. Peruvian Skies
44. To Live Forever
43. Innocence Faded
42. The Glass Prison
41. Endless Sacrifice
40. 6:00
39. Outcry
38. The Dark Eternal Night
37. Where Are You Now?
36. The Shattered Fortress
35. A Change Of Seasons
34. As I Am
33. Beyond This Life
32. Under a Glass Moon
31. Another Day
30. The Count of Tuscany
29. Cover My Eyes
28. These Walls
27. Finally Free
26. Stream of Consciousness
25. Overture 1928/Strange Deja Vu
24. Erotomania
23. Breaking All Illusions
22. Hollow Years
21. Octavarium
20. Take Away My Pain
19. In The Name of God
18. Raise The Knife
17. Bridges In The Sky
16. In the Presence of Enemies
15. Metropolis Pt. 1: The Miracle and the Sleeper
14. Only a Matter of Time
13. Surrounded
12. Sacrificed Sons
11. The Great Debate
10. Home
9. Lines in the Sand
8. Lifting Shadows off a Dream
7. Trial of Tears
6. Blind Faith
5.
...
1.



Anyways, time to get this started!



50. Panic Attack (Octavarium)
Overwhelmed by this complex delirium

The song that introduced me to Dream Theater, through a night with friends trying futilely to muscle our way through the instrumental section on Rock Band 2 (Yes, I'm one of those fans  ). It's still barely clinging to a spot in my top 50. Panic Attack is everything a Dream Theater metal song should be. JMX gets a chance to shine before the band hits you over the head with heavy riffage. I love the way the song returns to this opening riff throughout the song, especially when it serves as a counterpoint to each line in the chorus.  MP's drumming fits great throughout, particularly some of the ride cymbal passages. Likewise, JR's piano work in the background of many otherwise straightforward sections, particularly the vocal bridge before the instrumental, adds real flavor to this song.
If anything, the weak point is the instrumental section. The evolution of the main riff to lead into it works well enough, and the rhythm section remains strong throughout, but JR's solo doesn't really go anywhere, and is somewhat reminiscent of some of his more wandering, pitch-bend-filled solos that peppered Train of Thought and BC&SL, a style he thankfully stayed away from for most of 8VM. JP's solo, while perfectly fine, feels forced and static at times when compared to some of his many masterpieces.



49. New Millennium (Falling Into Infinity)
Don't dare bite the hand that's starving you

The first of many tracks from Falling into Infinity to appear on this list. New Millennium has a simply unbelievable groovy feel to it throughout, driven along by John Myung's fantastic Chapman stick work. New Millennium has an experimental feel to it, from the unorthodox rhythmic structure, to the wide variety of tones JP uses. The song feels like it doesn't simply shift around, but instead evolves. This can be seen everywhere from the drums, which seem like they're never playing the same thing for more than 15 seconds, to the guitar solo, which grows from simple sustained notes into something quite complex. A highlight of this song for me is the heavy riff which first appears out of nowhere under JLB's vocals at 4:28, then re-emerges in the instrumental section. Such a badass sound.



48. Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence (Six degrees of Inner Turbulence)
He's a Monday morning lunatic

Putting this song so low is probably the first majorly controversial pick on this list. I feel bad putting it so low, as it's doubtlessly a brilliant piece of music. But aside from such a strong discography to compete against, Six Degrees suffers from one major flaw throughout its entire length which drags it down significantly for me.


Six Degrees Disk 2 was a near-perfect concept album in the making, which was severely hurt by forcing it to be a single song.


Let me explain.

Taken individually, the vast majority of Six Degrees is brilliant. Overture is a beautiful orchestral arraingement which sets the tone beautifully, and ties numerous themes from the piece together better than the main piece itself does at times. About to Crash and Solitary Shell are melodic and lyrical masterpieces. War Inside my Head is a good straightforward heavy piece, and Goodnight Kiss sets up a powerful haunting atmosphere, capped off by a great guitar solo. The Test that Stumped them all is not a favorite of mine (I can deal with snarling tones, but can't stand the non-melodic "shouting" delivery of the vocals), but it's doubtlessly a good piece of music as well. 

The movements are cohesive enough, their transitions just seamless enough, and enough themes re-quoted, that it feels wrong to consider them separate songs. So I consider it one song. But there, the opposite problem occurs. Transitions feel abrupt. Halfway through Goodnight Kiss, I struggle to comprehend how what I'm listening to was ever tied to War inside my Head. But most importantly, I'm forced to think about what could have been if the movements had not been forced into one piece the way they were.

Giving the movements breathing room from one another would have given the lyrics more chances to explore each character's story more, rather than giving us a brief snapshot and then abandoning them. About to Crash could come to a proper conclusion rather than developing forced heaviness to feed into War Inside My Head. War Inside My Head, a great example of straight forward Dream Theater metal, deserves to be much longer, and should flow into a good heavy instrumental where it ends rather than The Test That Stumped Them All. Goodnight Kiss has the opposite problem of About to Crash, suddenly developing an upbeat feeling after the downright menacing sounding guitar solo, just to feed into Solitary Shell. And so on. It's a shame, because Six degrees features some of my absolute favorite Dream Theater moments (About to crash intro, War Inside my Head Intro, Goodnight Kiss Solo, all of Solitary Shell, and the final lines of Losing Time). But it just doesn't work as a cohesive piece for me, and that's hard to overlook this when it so easily could have been tweaked to create a concept album of SFAM caliber.



47. The Silent Man (Awake)
There's always one more mask

A nice simple ballad. Great acoustic work by John on this one. The backing vocals really add to the song. And of course, James' soaring delivery of the final "tonight he's awake" is beautiful. The subtle atmospheric elements in the background, such as the string section, really add to the song's power. I can't wait for the Luna park version of this one. I may be in a minority here, but I actually really like the non-acoustic live versions of this song as well, like the LSFNY performance. The arraingement gives the clean guitars plenty of room to breathe, keeping the spirit of the studio version intact, while adding in some very tasteful drum and key work. The tradeoff solo works great as well here. The overall tone of the section fits the song great. I've always been a fan of JR's piano solos and embellishments, and this is no exception.



46. Honor Thy Father (Train of Thought)
I'll get my piece of mind when you hear this song

Ending today's update with another great heavy piece. Many consider this one of the weakest tunes off Train of Thought, and I can kind of see why. The song could have probably been cut down a few minutes without loosing much, some of the vocal melodies feel shoehorned into the music, and the music itself doesn't always flow quite right (I'm looking at you, don't cross the crooked step transition).

But its still a great song. Mike went above and beyond the call of duty on this one, with some great double bass work, nice fills, and of course the groove under the sample section. The riffs make me want to headbang while exclaiming "So Energy! Powah!" The samples and the increasingly frantic instrumental that accompanies them do a great job adding to the theme of the song. The vocal delivery, while unorthodox for Dream Theater at times, fits the music well. And of course, a writeup of Honor Thy Father cannot be complete without mention of its prominent use of the "snarling pig;" it somehow stands out from the guitar riffing much more here than in any other Dream Theater song, and I love every minute of it, it adds a unique flavor to this song.

[Tom Bombadil]

Good start to your list. Will be following I like your write ups too.

[Outcrier]

The song could have probably been cut down a few minutes without loosing much

Although i agree, i always liked this song, especially the guitar riffs and the vocals 

[Shadow Ninja 2.0]

48. Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence (Six degrees of Inner Turbulence)

[Daso]

I disagree with most of those, which is exactly the reason why I'll keep looking into this thread. I'm really interested, in the most positive way, in seeing which your top 15 songs are.

[wasteland]

I really approve your stance with respect to Six Degrees. I definitely feel the same way   

[?]

I really approve your stance with respect of Six Degrees. I definitely feel the same way   

[mikemangioy]

I really approve your stance with respect to Six Degrees. I definitely feel the same way   

[aprilethereal]

48. Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence (Six degrees of Inner Turbulence)

Shouldn't be so high, right

[425]

I'm not sure what the bottom part of my own top 50 looks like exactly, but I think Panic Attack and New Millennium are placed pretty well. You definitely put Honor Thy Father and The Silent Man higher than I would put them.

And then Six Degrees. I guess I sort of get it, but... I totally disagree. Six Degrees is a masterpiece that is definitely top 20 material.

In any case, this was an interesting mix of songs. Definitely following your list to see what on earth you do next. 

[Ruba]

Ooh, I like the start. New Millenium is very underrated, it's good to see it on top lists. Don't really care about SDOIT, however.

[JoeG]

Update time!

45. Peruvian Skies (Falling Into Infinity)
I'm taking all of this with me when I go

Peruvian skies shows how great Dream Theater can be at seamlessly combining styles. You can hear both the Floyd and Metallica influences throughout, one of the many reasons I love the Once in a LIVEtime version; the Have a Cigar and Enter Sandman bits work so seamlessly with the song. The moment after the guitar solo when the main riff from the beginning comes back, but with full band heaviness behind it, is brilliant. This song also showcases Derek and John Myung's great talents at developing atmosphere, the opening, and Derek's Hammond work before the solo, really add to the song. This is a song that the whole band seems to take to a whole new level live, especially James. His performance on the High Voltage version is great. I hope to see this live someday.



44. To Live Forever (B-Side)
She said 'You don't have to live forever,
You don't want to live forever

The first, but not the last, non-album track to appear in this list. An incredible piece on the more mellow side for Dream Theater. It's easy to tell that this song is a relic of the Images and Words era, it would have fit right in. The lyrics have a great poetic quality about them, and James delivers them with the full force of his pre-accident voice. The drums, while creative as always, serve to support the other players rather than drive them as they seem to on later albums. The keys, while rarely coming to the front of this guitar-driven piece, truly shine on the occasions when they do.  And of course, John Petrucci is the star of this one, with highlights left and right. At times during some versions, it almost feels like the work of a solo guitar virtuoso like Satriani.

I think the fact that it did not appear on a studio album gave the band a greater sense of freedom in their live performances of this one, and we are all better for it, as there are numerous variations on this piece out there. The improvisational work the band builds off this piece is fantastic, from the extended solos on Live in Tokyo and throughout the Images and Words tour, to the Oakdale Odyssey mashup (The moment the main To Live Forever melody emerges out of the shredded solo is god-like).



43. Innocence Faded (Awake)
Beginnings get complicated the farther we progress

An underrated little piece off Awake. The lyrics are well written, and James gives what is arguably one of his absolute best performances. He's performance is great throughout, but the delivery of "Condescending, not intending to end" is downright unreal (or if you prefer, "Something Something, God it's Sunday, Do HAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIRRRRRR"  ).  Innocence Faded also features a great performance by John Myung, which comes out best in live versions. Mike's drumming really makes this song, some of his fills jump right to the front of the mix and almost serve to provide melody during some of the simpler passages. Other highlights include the keyboard solo before the first chorus, which while simple makes a huge impact, and of course the outro solo. It twists and turns all over the place, while still maintaining a great flow to it. The Score version of this one is very good, I think Jordan's key tones work better with this song than the studio version's, particularly the organ busts in the solo

[Tom Bombadil]

Love innocence faded and to live forever. Peruvian skies is a solid pick too. Nice list so far.

[425]

Three good choices. I would rank all of them in a similar region of my own list. 

[Whatsername]

Quite interesting! I love Innocence Faded, though I'm not super keen on the other two choices. I will definitely be following this though.

Also, I've completely been formatting my top 50 list like yours, with the lyrics and everything.

[wasteland]

to the Oakdale Odyssey mashup (The moment the main To Live Forever melody emerges out of the shredded solo is god-like).

This made my day.

[Ruba]

Innocence Faded never gets the love it deserves. Kinda sad.

[JoeG]

Thanks for all the responses so far!

Another quick 3 song update for tonight. After a relatively agreeable 2nd post, we're back to some pretty controversial picks for this update and the next.



42. The Glass Prison (Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence)
Way off in the distance I saw a door
I tried to open

No, I don't have some kind of personal vendetta against Six Degrees  . It's well represented in the upper parts of this list as well.

The Glass Prison is doubtlessly a great song, with plenty of great parts. But I don't get the "Dream Theater's best metal song" hype that goes along with it. I may be jaded by the fact that as a recent fan, I did not hear the 12 step suite for the first time in the proper order, and in fact heard The Glass Prison last, but it just doesn't feel like it flows right, particularly the instrumental section after Restoration. As the first song in a multi-album suite, it at times suffers from feeling like it was composed as an overture for material not yet written, introducing riff after riff at lightning speed in hopes that other songs in the suite could springboard off them, without enough regard to how they work within the song. Add that to a few bits that should have been simply cut like the turntable scratches, and this song sinks surprisingly low when compared to Dream Theater's incredibly strong discography.

But enough about its shortcomings, you're hear to read good things about great songs. Much like its album's title track, even though I don't feel it as a whole, The Glass Prison is filled with great moments and great playing. The way the intro slowly builds in speed and intensity is great, especially given the way that Jordan's solo mirrors it to end "Reflection." Jordan and John both contribute very nice solos, John's frantic pace-setting intro solo is a high point. The trade-off vocals between Mike and James in the middle of the song are pulled off very well indeed, a success the band tried time and time again to repeat on subsequent albums, with very limited success. The lyrics themselves are great, some of Mike's best. Speaking of Mike, the drums are very well put together, with a real creative edge to them which got lost under bass drum chugachuga in some of his more recent heavy parts. In particular, I like the bit near the end of Restoration, where the drums go off-beat while the rest of the music remains the same. But the highlight of The Glass Prison for me is the final minute of vocals, and the unhinged drumming that goes with it. One of Dream Theater's absolute best heavy parts, and James' operatic vocals work darn near perfect with it. Heavy music doesn't need a heavy-sounding vocalist.



41. Endless Sacrifice (Train of Thought)
Striving for balance, we rise to the challenge

Many of Dream Theater's longer songs get criticism for sections with very different feels, which don't work right next to each other. Endless Sacrifice is a fantastic example of doing it right. The slow, low-key verses are a welcome break from the sonic assault of the rest of Train of Thought, and have a palpable tension to them, which explodes going into the chorus. Even better, this mechanic works perfectly with the lyrics, which shift from quiet contemplation to anger and frustration with the music. Great playing throughout on this one. Highlights include Jordan's piano in the verses and the short organ break after the first chorus. The instrumental overstays its welcome a bit, but fits well with the rest of the song. Some of the key/guitar tradeoffs around the middle are somewhat forgettable, but many other bits are great, such as Jordan's first solo from 5:18-5:43 with that plucked-string sounding patch (Does it have a name? Whatever it is, it's great), and the unison leading into the drum break. The instrumental is most effective, however, are after the short drum break, when it settles into a more riff driven structure. Great heavy playing here. And it all leads into an unbelievable climax, with an incredible soaring delivery of the final vocal bridge by James. A great high-energy Dream Theater piece which achieves what Train of Thought set out to do as an album, while maintaining more elements of Dream Theater's sound than most other pieces on the album.



40. 6:00 (Awake)
He finally found the sound but he's in too deep

Another great concise piece of music from Awake. I don't know why so many people are worried about the track lengths on DT12 when they've put out so many amazing short pieces like this. 6:00 is well known for the iconic drum groove that drives the song from the first note. It gives the song a fun tone, and the embellishments added to it by Mike keep it from getting stale. The overarching arrangement of this piece is effective and somewhat unique, with no clear verse structure ever established, and a vocal interlude right in the middle of the instrumental section. The slow build up from this into the guitar solo and remainder of the song is very well done. Lyrically, the song is great; Kevin Moore's lyrics are some of the best in the Dream Theater catalog. Obviously, they are inspired by his feelings about his involvement with Dream Theater at the time, but they're done in a way which makes them very relatable in a general sense, about realizing potential to do great things but being stuck elsewhere. 6:00 is also a great live piece, the Build Me Up, Break Me Down-esque screams James added last tour were very effective. Oddly enough, the one bit that drags this song down for me is perhaps its most recognizable bit, the samples. They're not bad, per se, I just don't feel they add much either, and are somewhat distracting from the music, especially the way they get repeated. In general, I'm not a fan of the use of samples throughout Awake.

[aprilethereal]

Great songs, but they're all way too low IMO. Especially ES.

But it's your list after all, not mine

[Tom Bombadil]

All 3 of those songs are awesome.

[425]

Three fantastic choices. TGP might be too low, but it is still a fantastic choice.

[Lucien]

Following this because of how surprising almost every single song is

[aprilethereal]

Following this because of how surprising almost every single song is

[Lucien]

Following this because of how surprising almost every single song is

Generally, people put SDOIT higher, TGP higher, and most of the other songs are just surprising.

[aprilethereal]

most of the other songs are just surprising.

Again:

What do you mean by that

[Lucien]

New Millennium, Honor Thy Father, Peruvian Skies...

[JoeG]

Generally, people put SDOIT higher, TGP higher, and most of the other songs are just surprising.

You think it's been weird so far, just wait till today's update! 

I like to think it normalizes a bit after that, but putting unconventional songs down low means some unconventional songs are up real high pushing them down...

[JoeG]

Moving right along...


39. Outcry (A Dramatic Turn of Events)
The world watches on

This song is up this high for one reason: that huge, explosive opening riff. My god, that thing is powerful. Everyone comes out of the gate firing on all cylinders to create one of the most epic-sounding pieces in Dream Theater history. The 7-string, the organ, bass, and drums all come together to create something beautiful. It worked great live as the first song after the acoustic section, and would work great as an opener in the future; it gives off such a strong vibe. It says "We're going on a journey. And it's going to be awesome."

Aside from the opening, it's a very strong song. Everyone gives a great performance. The solo section between the opening riff and first verse gives a sign of the crazy instrumental to come. The lyrics are very good, with great imagery. Outcry regularly shrinks back down to very atmospheric sections, where Jordan's synth and piano work gets a chance to shine. The best of these is the post-instrumental, which has some very tasty drum, piano, and bass work. And then of course there's the instrumental. It took me a very long time to "get" this section when ADTOE came out, and there are some bits that still don't quite sit right with me (the keys/bass call and response comes to mind), but for the most part, it flows very well for such a complex section, and everyone gives a great performance here, particularly John Myung and Mike Mangini. Mike's playing here is simply ridiculous, and I can't wait so see what he does next.



38. The Dark Eternal Night (Systematic Chaos)
Drifting beyond all time
Out of a churning sky

One of Dream Theater's heaviest pieces, which works very well live. The vocal filters on this one are way overdone, and leaves the chorus less effective than ideal. It works much better in a live setting, with James using the more natural snarling tone present on most of their other heavy pieces. The almost anthemic chorus makes up for it though, and of course, the instrumental work here is incredible. Aside from the heavy riffing and out of control drum fills in the vocal sections, the instrumental sections steal the show here. The opening successfully strings together a number of riffs which will drive the song later on seamlessly. The middle section has a funky quality that's been rare in recent dream theater pieces, and is practically absent entirely from most heavy pieces. Love the piano/guitar call and response, and the drum groove that leads into the instrumental with the offbeat snare. Aside from John's solo at the end, it never looses its riff-driven quality like the rest of the song, and as a result, has a very composed feel to it as it transitions from riff to riff introduced in the opening section in suprising and creative ways. Much more effective here than the wandering solos that pepper many of their heavier pieces. And the end turns the piece into a straight up headbanger. One of the highlights of seeing DT live last year was this closing riff, with John and John up on the drum stand, facing Mike, just completely lost in the groove and rocking out, creating a seamless rhythm section.



37. Where Are You Now? (Falling Into Infinity Demos)
What do you hear to talk so loud?

This song is painfully underrated. Yes it's a relatively straightforward song, but it's a damn good straightforward song. Such a catchy chorus. The drums hit you with a bang at the song's opening, and remain interesting throughout; Mike really went freeform on this one and rarely settles into a groove for very long at all without some embellishment. Derek's organ is front and center throughout this song, which is great; his organ work is one of the best things he brought to dream theater. His soloing is rather restrained here by Dream Theater standards, but it works perfectly within the context of the song. Where are you now does a great job transitioning through multiple tones; I love the soft middle part where acoustic guitars take over, and the "comfort you" buildup to the guitar solo is great. Petrucci's solo is short but sweet, a good example of his remarkable talent for introducing short bursts of fast playing into more laid back pieces to add to it. But the best is still yet to come, as the song ends with a really cool vocal harmony section. Love the arraingement of this one, and the way John/Mike lead into each "Wheeeerrrrreeeee"



36. The Shattered Fortress (Black Clouds & Silver Linings)
All your sins will help to make you strong
And help you break right through the prison wall

If putting The Glass Prison down at 42 didn't rustle some jimmies, putting The Shattered Fortress above it, and as the highest ranked song in the 12 step suite, ought to. I may again have an unusual view on this as I actually heard The Shattered Fortress before anything else in the 12 step suite, but I find that it actually works better as a cohesive piece of music than most that came before it, and that too many people don't look past the musical and lyrical references to see the great composition here. As I said, the Glass Prison, while showing great promise, at times feels like an overture for material not yet written. Other songs in the suite took only minimal advantage of this and suffered for it, but The Shattered Fortress, with the stated objective of serving as a grand finale and tying everything together, is able to use these pieces liberally, and often more effectively than the original. The riff from the glass prison that leads into the first vocal section of The Shattered Fortress is given much more room to breathe and a proper lead in. The This Dying Soul quote at 3:30 is much easier on the ears at the lower tempo it has here. The Repentance and Root of All Evil Lyrics work great within the context of the song, and don't particularly feel shoehorned into place. The acoustic section, while not quoting it directly, certainly has a Repentance feel, but it serves as a welcome breather rather than as a 10+ minute drag-fest. The Glass Prison ending bit brings the suite full circle. And so on.

The Shattered Fortress combines these references with some great original music. The opening riff is great heavy writing. The drum groove changing under the same riff has become a staple of MP's drumming, and it works great here. The key solo has a similar feel to The Dark Eternal Night outro, with the soloing actually falling to the back of the mix as the heavy riffing continues to pound you over the head. The mellow section is one of my favorite parts, and the spoken word parts work well. But once the lyrical reframe from The Root of All Evil comes in, the song goes to new heights. The lyrics are a great lead-in to what I think is one of Petrucci's most underrated solos. It's great throughout, but once The Root of All Evil riffing drops out at 10:28, it becomes positively incredible. One of the high points of Black Clouds and Silver Linings. The only thing dragging this piece down are the occasional subpar lyrics. Mike went a little too literal on some parts here, such as "I am responsible," "Have I done to them As I would have them do to me?" and of course the imfamous "INVENTORY! ANALYSIS!"



35. A Change of Seasons (A Change of Seasons EP)
'Seize the Day, I heard him say
Life will not always be this way
Look around, Hear the sounds
Cherish your life while you're still around

And to close out today's bizarre rankings, here's A Change of Seasons, all the way up at #35. A great piece, but also quite overrated.

Despite its release timing, A Change of Seasons was one of the earliest pieces written by the band, with much of the music composed between When Dream and Day Unite and Images and Words. And although the band had plenty of time to sit on the piece and refine it, some of the unfortunate relics of When Dream and Day Unite songwriting remain in parts, such as awkward time changes and beats which seem to be done because they can rather than advancing the song in a new direction (much of the drumming in the first half of the song), rushed vocals forced to go along with the music ("In my den of inequity, viciousness and subtlety"), forced transitions (The "car horn" sound at 18:36), and cramming too many ideas into too small a space (The Darkest of Winters). This, plus a relative scarcity of truly standout parts for a 23 minute epic, gets it ranked this low in my list.

The Crimson Sunrise does a great job transitioning from riff to riff and feeling to feeling, even if I don't quite get many of the ones here that people rave about. It seems to take a bit too long to get going, lingering on the clean guitar too much. It's worth noting here that the bass mix on A Change of Seasons is great. John Myung shines through, and is the underappreciated star of many sections at every part of A Change of Seasons. Innocence has some good playing, and the chorus is really cool, with good harmonies. The transition from innocence to Carpe Diem is very well done, with very sinister sounding acoustic guitars leading the way. After the "gather ye rosebuds" sample, the quality of this section fades a bit. I find the delivery of the next vocal section a little forced, and the while I get what they were trying to do with the frantic final section, it just feels out of place in the context of the piece.

The weak point of the song is The Darkest of Winters. It just feels all over the place, and never establishes a good flow to it. This is especially true towards the end, in that awkward section where bass and key solos interrupt the guitar riffing every few seconds. But afterwords, everything is wonderful again as the sweeping guitars lead us into Another World. The epic sustained keys lead us into the most restrained section of the song, as James takes center stage and gives us an emotional delivery of what are some of the best lyrics in what's a lyrically strong piece throughout. "No matter what, don't let him be, let's feed upon his misery" "Seasons change, and So can I." So much epic, aided by great atmospheric playing by Derek and John Myung. The emotional playing here seems to have inspired many of Dream Theater's more recent pieces which rank very high indeed with me. The sadness bursts into anger with the "hypocrites" passage, and it leads into probably the high point of the song: the Another World guitar solo. People who say Petrucci can't play with emotion just don't know what they're talking about. The final vocal lines of Another World lead us into another Petrucci solo, this one with a real jazzy feel to it. I love when Petrucci lets his jazz influences show, even if it looses its effect as the solo speeds up towards the end. The riffing and key solo that comes after doesn't do much for me, but the song once again makes up for it as we enter The Crimson Sunset. The riff and drum beat that leads into this section have a real upbeat feel to them. And of course, the final "I will live on, live on" delivery is spectacular.

A proper epic, and one that I will always think very highly of. But, there are 34 Dream Theater songs better than it.




16 songs into the list, and we're already chiseling away at many of the traditional top picks. Hmm...

[Lolzeez]

Nice to see Where Are You Know on another list besides mine. 

[JoeG]

Nice to see Where Are You Know on another list besides mine. 

It's such an underrated piece, not enough people give the B-sides the chance they deserve. It's not the last unreleased track on my list either.

[Tom Bombadil]

Nice to see Where Are You Know on another list besides mine. 

It's such an underrated piece, not enough people give the B-sides the chance they deserve. It's not the last unreleased track on my list either.

This. The guitar solo at the end is absolutely beautiful. Such a great piece of music.

[425]

Outcry is a song where I hear good things in but it has yet to click with me. I'm hoping it will soon though.

TDEN is great, I'd put it even higher.

I only just got the FII Demos and therefore haven't heard Where Are You Now? enough to give a clear opinion on it.

TSF is my third favorite in the suite, I wouldn't put it quite this high but I like it.

ACOS is I agree is slightly overrated but I'd still put it a bit higher than you did. Still, nice to see an opinion similar to mine about the track's strengths and weaknesses, since most reviews seem to emphasize one or the other.

[JoeG]

ACOS is I agree is slightly overrated but I'd still put it a bit higher than you did. Still, nice to see an opinion similar to mine about the track's strengths and weaknesses, since most reviews seem to emphasize one or the other.

Thanks! If you're going to do a top 50 that puts SDOIT at 48, TGP at 42, and ACOS at 35, you've got to have some good explanations behind it, I guess

[Tom Bombadil]

JoeG, I like how you put a line or two of the lyrics under the title. Just out of curiosity, are they your favorite lines from the song or just random ones?

[Mosh]

Cool to see some Train Of Thought love, some odd picks too. Interesting read!