Whatsername's Top 50 Songs: now with unnecessarily wordy explanations!

[(nothing)]

I used to like the piano version of Wither more than the original version, now the roles are reversed. And I think I have this around #25 as it stands. Overall a great song and from what I've seen, it's usually overlooked. For me though the bridge is the highlight of the song, not the solo.

[Ruba]

IF, Vacant, CIAW.

[hefdaddy42]

Fantastic choices.

[Whatsername]

More updates! Only going with 3 songs since I'm fairly busy today.


33. Hell's Kitchen | Falling Into Infinity

Finally an instrumental is making the list! I'm not a huge instrumental fan. I have trouble grabbing hold of a melody if it isn't being sung, but this song is just so stunning that I just can't help but be drawn into it. It starts with this awesome atmospheric backdrop that is just spacey and sort of trippy and eerie. And then suddenly the drums come in and I catch myself thinking, is this a Dream Theater song? It sounds nothing like their other instrumentals, which I think is what I love about it. There's so much restraint and poise and precision used in on this album, and by extension this song. When it opens up into the more technical aspects we get to see Petrucci shine in some crazy runs, but it calms down again into this lovely riff with the drums and bass and keys building this background for John to just travel through and take us on this journey. I love the moment when you can hear Myung doubling Petrucci but the mix is so clear that you can hear both of them perfectly. This is just such a lovely nugget on an album that I think is criminally underrated. Beautiful song.


32. The Answer Lies Within | Octavarium
Face each day with both eyes open wide, and try to give, don't keep it all inside

AHHHHH PIANO BALLADS. There's a bit of a trend here if you haven't noticed. I love the ambient background in the beginning before the music kicks it. It creates a lovely atmosphere. AND THEN THE PIANOOOO. James sounds perfect of course, so tender and sort of reassuring. The composition of this song isn't that complicated but I don't think it needs to be. I'm a firm believer that a simple ballad is better than an overly complicated one.

I love the acoustic guitar under the second verse. It hints at the rest of the band, who are all showing wonderful restraint here and giving each instrument it's own breathing space. I think the mix on this track is fabulous. AND THE STRINGS ECHOING THE OCTAVARIUM MELODY AAHHHH. That part gives me chills every single time. I can only imagine how beautiful and uplifting this must have been to hear live. Truth be told it would probably bring tears to my eyes. If I'm feeling really down and I listen to this song, it brings me close to tears. It makes me feel, which I think a good song needs to do.

I love the final chorus with the double vocals/harmony. It's really lovely, and I love the that they brought the melody higher, partly because it's easier for me to sing. This is just such a simple and beautiful song.

Get used to me gushing about piano ballads because there's plenty more where this comes from!


31. Far From Heaven | A Dramatic Turn of Events
Every day I struggle through it once more, keep things bottled up, never speaking my mind

By now if you guys haven't realized I'm a sucker for a piano then I don't know where you've been. This song is just so quiet and so heartfelt. I think the piano and strings, coupled with James's voice, is just the most heartbreaking thing ever. I absolutely adore his quiet and tender voice. And when he gets to the chorus, I get chills. It's absolutely stunning.

This song is just so emotional. The lyrics are heartfelt and relatable, and it's so easy to believe them with James's performance. First time I heard this song it hit me so hard I had to pause it because I was in tears. I need to learn this song, it's just so beautiful. If I could learn it with HALF as much love as Jordan puts into it I would be able to die happy. The piano and strings are so so restrained and simple, which adds so much to the song. If this had the kind of build up of something like TSCO or another ballad with that kind of build, it would ruin the moment and destroy the emotional tone that is so perfectly crafted in this song. If I'm going to nitpick here, I don't like in the bridge when it builds up to the part "I'm too far from heaven" because I find that the background gets about as loud as James's vocals and I have difficulty hearing him as clearly. But that's a very very minor fault in a really beautiful song.

[Ruba]

Three underrated songs  .

[Tom Bombadil]

Love Hell's Kitchen. The other two are good, but not great IMO

[hefdaddy42]

TALW?

You were doing so well.

[Whatsername]

TALW?

You were doing so well.

I'm sorry! I can't help it.

[iamtheeviltwin]

Nice to see someone else that appreciates the "softer" side of DT as much as I do. 

[Shadow Ninja 2.0]

I like Far From Heaven.

[hefdaddy42]

Nice to see someone else that appreciates the "softer" side of DT as much as I do.

I do too.  I just find TALW to be abysmal.

[BlobVanDam]

I adore DT's ballad side, but TALW and FFH don't rank at all for me. Both well enough written songs, just dull.

[wasteland]

I like TALW! Maybe the lyrics are more than a bit cliché, but we can't have perfection all the time. I just enjoy it and I listen to it from time to time, soothing as it is.

On the contrary, Hell's Kitchen is my favourite instrumental ever to appear on a DT album.

[?]

I adore DT's ballad side, but TALW doesn't rank at all for me. Well enough written song, just dull.

FTFM (I love Far from Heaven)

[Whatsername]

Updating now before I leave for my friend's house! Leave you guys something to talk about until I get back.


30. The Mirror | Awake
Constant pressure tests my will. My will or my won't, my self control escapes from me still

Yay more Awake! While Awake isn't my favorite album, it would be a sin not to include this song. I love the really heavy intro with the chords and drums. It basically makes it very clear that this song means business, and it's here to kick some ass. The beautiful juxtaposition of the strings in the background and the ultra dirty guitar riffs is fantastic and adds almost a haunted/horror kind of element to it. This intro is so guitartastic.

OMG, I adore the growl in James's voice in the verses. It is so damn sexy I can't even. I think that the variety of melodies that he employs on this album is mind-blowing. He goes from super low and growly to crazy high and operatic. His vocals just sound so angry and punch-y, and this song pumps me up so well. Good workout track if I need to lift weights or something.

THAT KEY MELODY. OH MY GOD. That's the part that will catch in my brain and I'll be humming it all day. It's so pretty and atmospheric. And the bridge after the samples. JAMES. James James James, you sound like a god here. I need to stop raving about his vocals, but it's so hard.

I used to have a serious problem with the mix on Awake. I used to say it felt too thin, like there wasn't enough oomph or depth to it, but I'm quickly realizing that I actually love it. It's fresh and aggressive and clear as hell. I wish I could have experienced this album when it first came out. Only knowing of Images And Words and buying this album and taking it for a spin. I think it would have blown my mind. I know it blows mine now.


29. Disappear | Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence
Give chase, to find more than I have found. And face, this time now on my own

I don't know what it is about this song but I SWEAR it could be in a video game. The intro keyboard melody SCREAMS Final Fantasy. In fact, the first time I heard this I was convinced it was a Final Fantasy melody and I proceeded to listen to the soundtracks for as many as I could find to figure out where I had heard it before. Anyway, it's absolutely beautiful.

I love this song as a ballad. It's just so so powerful and poignant. I think the reverb on James's voice actually detracts from it a bit and takes it from the beautiful and emotionally heartbreaking arena to the slightly overdone arena, but that's just me. Regardless, this song is still SO RIDICULOUSLY sad.

This song becomes perfect when the acoustic guitar comes in below the vocals. And this is where I generally want to cry. It's just so incredibly sad, especially when you read the lyrics with the song. I have to limit how often I listen to this to keep from depressing myself. I love the continuity of echoing the keyboard melody. Perfect closer to the first disc.


28. As I Am | Train of Thought
To those who understand, I extend my hand. To the doubtful I demand, take me as I am



What? Nothing more need be said!

...

Oh fine, I'll explain why I like this song so much when it seems to generally earn such hate. Because I think it's a fucking great metal song. I love the moody guitar intro before it breaks out into those massively huge power riffs. It's just like, oooh shit what is this, it's dark and spooky. And then your face is just melted by these massive riffs. It's such a huge and powerful sound.

James's voice is so versatile. I'm so impressed how he can sing things like Far From Heaven and then turn around and sing straight-out metal songs and still sound perfect. Although, am I the only one who feels awkward listening to him scream "fucked"? It just doesn't fit my impression of this band. I mean, it fits really well with the aggressive and angry tooooooooone of this album, but I wish they didn't.

Can we just take a moment to appreciate Petrucci's massively growling guitars? Because the mental image I get is of John playing a guitar atop a mountain with lava and lightning flying around him, with his hair blowing from the strength of the pure badassery that is coming from his guitar. Also, let us not forget Mike Portnoy here, who lays down a really great backbone for this song. I honestly really like Portnoy when he's doing a metal-style drumming (except the blast beats ).

I don't have a problem with Dream Theater doing more metal songs, so I didn't find anything wrong with Train of Thought. It isn't great but it definitely isn't horrible either. This isn't the last song from it either. I know I'm gonna lose a lot of respect for this.


27. Learning To Live | Images And Words
Once I reached for love and now I reach for life

Taking a step back to Image And Words! I'll admit, this song took a while to grow on me. I used to hate it, and I still don't like it as much as the rest of the album, but when you're discussing Images And Words that means that Learning to Live is better than 98.575% of all music out there.

Anyway. I love the lyrics of this song so much. I think Myung needs to write more lyrics a lot, because I always think his lyrics are the best. This song is really atmospheric in the beginning verse. Aaaaand James is awesome of course. I should just start commenting on James if I don't like his vocals. However, I absolutely LOVE the drums in the verses. The singing is really melodic, but Portnoy is throwing down this crazy groove in the background that somehow works perfectly. And then it goes into that really great rocking riff for the chorus. So good.

THAT NOTE right before Petrucci's little flourishes is amazing. And then Kevin has his solo which is so spiffy. This is one of my favorite instrumental sections on Images And Words. Especially the moment where we get the gorgeous acoustic guitar that sounds really Latin-inspired. And it builds back into the full band and it's so gorgeous. Especially with James. DAT NOTE. For those of you who are musically inclined, how high is that note he hits before Petrucci's solo? Also Petrucci's SOLO. So epic. AND THEN HIM AND KEVIN WITH THE UNISON SECTION GAHHH.

My favorite moment though is the little Wait For Sleep throwback. It's so fantastic, and helps create this beautiful book-end moment for this song. It's such a beautiful melody so I'm happy whenever they throw it in. And Myung gets a moment at the end that's just him. I love how prominent he is on this track. The Silent Man is silent no more!

[MoraWintersoul]

That note is F#, and I think it's the second highest he ever hit in a studio recording (I think the famous end note he did on Ayreon's The Human Equation is also F#). It's on the upper end of my range, and my voice is not low for a girl at all, so it's pretty damn high for a dude.

[?]

I can reach the F#5 if I warm my voice up enough and try really hard - there's even proof of that in the legendary "what do you sound like" thread

[Zydar]

I can reach the F#5 if I hit my knee on the coffee table.

[maximumrocker]

I can reach the F#5 if I hit my knee on the coffee table.

Usually happens for me when a brick is tied to my balls...

[JoeG]

As I am 

Straightforward Dream Theater metal exactly as it should be.

[Rattlehead]

I can reach the F#5 if I hit my knee on the coffee table.

[fadetoblackdude7]

This is a little late, but Whatsername, I totally agree with you about how JLB sounds gritty and angry on ITPOE Pt. 1....I knew there was something I liked about his vocals on that one but couldn't quite put my finger on it 

[Lucien]

I can only reach the F#5 with falsetto.

[Tom Bombadil]

the mirror- awesome
Disappear- awesome
As I Am- awesome
Learning to live- awesome

I liked this update quite a bit

[BlobVanDam]

All great songs, except LTL, which I'd only consider good. But at 27th place, I have nothing to complain about here.

[jayvee3]

Absolutely love The Mirror, actually top 10 for me. Love how the Space Dye Vest melody appears at different points, and done at different speeds and structures. James sounds as sinister as all hell too..  Monster track..

Others are all great picks too :-)

[Onno]

Disappear is my favourite DT ballad, The Mirror is awesome, As I Am is awesome too and LTL is just godly.

[wasteland]

I was waiting to see where you'd place Learning To Live. I can say that it's a sort of trend to see it placed much lower on new fans' lists than in those by older aficionados. Of course wonderful people like Bolb make an exception to this trend, as it should be

[hefdaddy42]

All good choices, but LTL is way too low for me (I have it at # 1).

I can hit the F#, and I actually take it an octave higher when I sing along.

[BlobVanDam]

All good choices, but LTL is way too low for me (I have it at # 1).

I can hit the F#, and I actually take it an octave higher when I sing along.

I would highly doubt that, my friend. Even singers like Michael Matijevic don't reach an octave higher.

Either way I want to hear it though!

[hefdaddy42]

All good choices, but LTL is way too low for me (I have it at # 1).

I can hit the F#, and I actually take it an octave higher when I sing along.

I would highly doubt that, my friend. Even singers like Michael Matijevic don't reach an octave higher.

Either way I want to hear it though!

If I can figure out some of this technology, I'll see what I can do about that.

[BlobVanDam]

All good choices, but LTL is way too low for me (I have it at # 1).

I can hit the F#, and I actually take it an octave higher when I sing along.

I would highly doubt that, my friend. Even singers like Michael Matijevic don't reach an octave higher.

Either way I want to hear it though!

If I can figure out some of this technology, I'll see what I can do about that.

Excellent. I can't imagine hefdaddy singing the F# being anything less than epic.

[Zydar]

All good choices, but LTL is way too low for me (I have it at # 1).

Yup.

[wasteland]

All good choices, but LTL is way too low for me (I have it at # 1).

Yup.

Same.

If you have a laptop with in-built microphone (which most laptops have) all must to do is open your vocaroo, hef! 

[Ruba]

I dislike As I Am, but the other three are great.

I can't hit F#5. I mean, isn't it the YAAAAAAAAAAAAH on Your Majesty? I can't sing that.