Along for the Ride Discussion Thread

[Aythesryche]

I personally think its a fantastic song. I'm liking every minute of it and it all works nicely for me. I don't find any parts boring since my mind can usually extrapolate meaning and feeling from even the simplest of passages. I don't always crave or need complexity in the music I listen to in order to retain my interest or be positively moved by it. I don't like being mentally and emotionally confined.

I think the Moog sounds great! I couldn't care less at the fact that JR has used the sound before. So now DT has a couple mellow songs in their catalogue that feature it. Cool! I can't wait to hear the album straight through to see how it all flows together.

[Madman Shepherd]

I'mma start smacking the people who keep thinking this sounds like BTS for the goddamned thinnest of reasons. It's like saying all ELP sounds the same because of Emerson's synth tones. 

So much this. JR uses the same sound literally twice and some people are actually complaining about him "rehashing" sounds.

He's used the piano so many times as well. Boring and unoriginal.

I for one am psyched he used the same patch/sound/setting whatever it is.  I freakin' love that sound! 

Other than that the two songs are not similar at all except that they both kickass.

I agree. Hardly similar. Plus the AFTR solo is much longer. My initial reaction to the BTS solo was that it wasn't long enough actually despite how amazing it is.

haha, I can see that and sort of agree.  But the feeling you have when you're like, "Duuuuuuude....I want more!" is almost as good as getting a really satisfying longer solo. 

[AngelBack]

Myung sounding absolutely awesome.  Someone mentioned Geddy-esque tone and I get it.  Loving this more and more.  Not a lot of meat but one of those songs (like Anna Lee) I just don't see myself skipping over or tiring of.  Put it in the "guilty pleasure" column if you must, but I love it.

[Dacling]

I'mma start smacking the people who keep thinking this sounds like BTS for the goddamned thinnest of reasons. It's like saying all ELP sounds the same because of Emerson's synth tones. 

So much this. JR uses the same sound literally twice and some people are actually complaining about him "rehashing" sounds.

He's used the piano so many times as well. Boring and unoriginal.

I for one am psyched he used the same patch/sound/setting whatever it is.  I freakin' love that sound! 

Other than that the two songs are not similar at all except that they both kickass.

I agree. Hardly similar. Plus the AFTR solo is much longer. My initial reaction to the BTS solo was that it wasn't long enough actually despite how amazing it is.

haha, I can see that and sort of agree.  But the feeling you have when you're like, "Duuuuuuude....I want more!" is almost as good as getting a really satisfying longer solo.

I'm not so sure about that. The end of Take the Time. WHY WOULD YOU FADE OUT AT THE BEST PART OF THE SOLO

[PixelDream]

Fact of the matter is: It definitely doesn't sound spontanious. And it's again squashed to death. TEI and AFTR are nowhere near the weakest songs off of SFAM, SDOIT or TOT. Expectations are lower than ever for me. I fear I'm losng interest although I don't want to. Maybe MP is needed after all.

[Nefarius]

I agree. Hardly similar.

I don't have a problem with using the same keyboard patch at all but there are obvious similarities.
Compare AFTR 2:58 - 3:01 to BTS 3:27 - 3:29 and it should be audible even for the most ignorant of ears.

The first few notes of the guitar solo in TEI are equally reminiscent of the OTBOA guitar solo though it continues along another path. The AFTR solo is also nice but you can't deny there are similarities.

Greetings...
Nef

[rush-signals]

So much this. JR uses the same sound literally twice and some people are actually complaining about him "rehashing" sounds.
He's used the piano so many times as well. Boring and unoriginal.

And here I though this is what made bands, their signature sounds. I must be dumb! 

[Podaar]

I've listened to it a few times and really like what they've done.

Then I came here to read these pages and I just have to say...    Seriously? That many of the self proclaimed die-hard fans have that much to pick at with this song? 

I expected to see posts about the originality of the drumming (yes, and even the artistic and original sound of them). How everyone loved JP's clean sound and his obvious restraint. Especially in his quasi-solo. They unique lyrical take on an old theme and how clear and full JLB sings the first verse. How y'all loved JMX channeling Chris Squire while JR goes all Emerson on us. I expected at least a few pats on DT's back for making a catchy and engaging anthem to sing along with at concerts. Can you imagine this being played in RIO!? And yes, I expected some to not like it and a few to really dislike it but the amount of complaining is really strange to me. It's not that bad of a song...or so it seems to me. In fact, DT's slower, prettier songs aren't really my bag, but this song is very cool! 

Man, I've no clue what this forum wants from this band if not this song. 

[Lucien]

THE LYRICS ARE SO RIDICULOUSLY UPLIFTING.

2:25-2:57 is amazing.

So it seems to be a very divisive song: it's like 50/50 between people who seem to HATE the song (R.I.P. DT, etc), and people who love the song.

[hefdaddy42]

Maybe MP is needed after all.

No.

[Whatsername]

[rush-signals]

Man, I've no clue what this forum wants from this band if not this song. 

Well said, I got your back! Too much negativity here.

[Nefarius]

I'd say most of the feedback is very positive, just like it was with TEI. It's just that those who feel like complaining about something usually do so in a more detailled and elaborate way than simply posting "great tune".

Greetings...
Nef

[ResultsMayVary]

It makes me laugh when people seriously post "R.I.P. DT." You just listened to a song released two weeks before the rest of the album on an embedded soundcloud widget. If you're going to do that, at least wait for a listen through or two on the actual album playing through a proper sound system.

People seem to forget streaming is the worst way to listen to music, in general. The quality is literally shit the majority of the time.

[TL]

Again, many of the people critiquing it DO like it. You're allowed to like something and still be critical; shocking to some of you, I know.

If anything, some people are much more critical because they like DT and because this song has so much going for it. If you like 95% of something, it's not unusual to wish that the other 5% was up to par with the rest of it.

Liking a band doesn't mean that you're never allowed to say anything critical, and bitching about people who have voiced feedback you don't entirely agree with is getting really tiring.
If you like everything about the song, you're allowed to say that without prefacing it with how people 'shouldn't be so negative'.

It's not the worst thing in the world for people to say 'I like Mike's playing, but I'm not crazy about some of his drum sounds', or 'I like the song, but I wish the mix was better'.

[noxon]

And this is the reason why I thought it was weird that they chose this track as the next single. I knew this would happen.

[jammindude]

I just listened to it one time, and I don't want to burn it out so I won't be repeating it at all.

I thought it was OK.   I don't get the people saying "most memorable chorus since X"...it was catchy, but I think DT's been doing that for a long time.   And I thought Beneath the Surface was a *FAR* better ballad.    I did notice that the solo was nearly identical, which was a bit off-putting. 

Seriously never got how some people hate BTS, I think it may be my *all time* favorite DT ballad...up there with TSCO anyway.    This new was is a bit more typical.    Other than it was a bit more "noisy" and not as subdued. 

I'll give it a couple more listens after the album comes out.   It was good but not *OMG* good.   I'm still excited for the new album. 

[Tis BOOLsheet]

This is a pretty decent song. After reading descriptions of the song, this is more or less what I expected. I didn't expect to be blown away, but I did expect a singable quieter ("ballad" if you like), less intense, lyrical song that could easily appeal to the masses; that is what I got.

I really like the clean guitar in the intro and the synth strings; the guitar also has some neat stuff in the verse. The vocal melody is very nicely done in the verses and the chorus. I remembered it after hearing the song only once. I don't see why everyone is so angry about Jordan's keyboard solo. Who cares that he used the same setting as in BTS? There were maybe 1-2 seconds of the solo that actually echoed BTS. It's not enough for me to say "this is just part II of BTS." I thought it was a good melodic solo that showed awareness of the chord changes. I thought the drums were great, and well integrated into this song. All of the more intense drum parts with more double bass unequivocally matched the more intense guitar parts. That showed to me good musicianship and understanding of what the song was trying to accomplish musically and lyrically. This song (ballad is a misleading term in this case) is not meant to tug on your heart strings . This is a "free spirited anthem" as JP described, and I think the drumming gives a boost in all the right places. I am pretty happy with all of the instrumentals and the vocal melody. The only odd thing about this song is the way it ends. If this really is a "free spirited anthem" in which you can picture "everyone singing along" then I think the ending should not have been as abrupt. It sounds like they just cut the song off early and said "OKAY-- DONE NOW." It just doesn't feel right to me. I guess there could be worse things to have in this song. Overall, this is good, and I could see this as a nice break between some heavier, proggier songs. But I'm happy to hear that this song is not representative of the album.

Sonically, there are some issues for me. The drums just don't sound good. The cymbals are very difficult to hear and I'm not using crappy audio equipment. I wasn't crazy about the drum sound in ADToE but it was better than this. I've also talked to a couple of experienced drummers, all of whom said the drums sounded "wimpy" in both of the singles we've had. I find it extremely hard to believe that MM with his vast body of drum knowledge and professional experience as a studio musician and drum master, chose this sound. I'm starting to believe that someone who doesn't really play drums ultimately decided on sonic aspects of the drums. It does make the song a little more difficult to enjoy.

By the way, I should probably add that if the entire album sounded like TEI and AFTR, I would probably be totally horrified and disappointed. These songs are good for what I expected them to be...unrepresentative of the new album.

[rush-signals]

What does it get anyone about complaining about something they can never change? Nothing! Or as my mom said "If you don't have something nice to say, say nothing at all".

I've been a guitarist since 1976 and I've never been overly critical to what bands put out. I either like it or don't, it's their music. Could I name 5 songs off the last 3 DT before MP left? Probably not, so for me I'm reenergized about DT having changes in drummers and musical style. I feel like I did during the 90's DT period, all tingly inside like a kid again.

[theseoafs]

There's clearly a difference between "using the same piano patch" and "using the same synthesizer with the same patch playing almost the same melody".

lol

And this is the reason why I thought it was weird that they chose this track as the next single. I knew this would happen.

Why's this?  Because some people were critical of the song?

[Tis BOOLsheet]

It made total sense why they made this song the next single, when you take into account the fact that it premiered on Grammy.com

[Podaar]

Again, many of the people critiquing it DO like it. You're allowed to like something and still be critical; shocking to some of you, I know.

If anything, some people are much more critical because they like DT and because this song has so much going for it. If you like 95% of something, it's not unusual to wish that the other 5% was up to par with the rest of it.

Liking a band doesn't mean that you're never allowed to say anything critical, and bitching about people who have voiced feedback you don't entirely agree with is getting really tiring.
If you like everything about the song, you're allowed to say that without prefacing it with how people 'shouldn't be so negative'.

It's not the worst thing in the world for people to say 'I like Mike's playing, but I'm not crazy about some of his drum sounds', or 'I like the song, but I wish the mix was better'.

I'm going to address this as if it were directed at my post even though I'm not sure.

I agree with everything you say. For the record, I really enjoy reading everyones reactions and I even see what they're driving at when they make negative remarks. Although, the I'm not clever enough to get some of the complaints about the sound.

My post was more about how out of touch I am with this forum. After listening to the song a few times, I really expected more excitement because, to me, DT addressed many of the complaints usually thrown out on these pages. Although, I doubt they read any of this forum. 

Like I said before, this side of DT isn't really what I pay the admission price for. It's alright, I guess, but of this particular flavor I think DT has made some real bacon here.

Anyway, opine away!

[rush-signals]

It's alright, I guess, but of this particular flavor I think DT has made some real bacon here.

Wait, everyone loves bacon! 

[Shadow Ninja 2.0]

no

[theanalogkid7]

I've given it a few more listens now and honestly, I wish it went on just a bit longer.  The more subtle JLB vocal line near the end is just awesome.

Production aside (which Im reserving judgement on until I hear the non-streamed version), I really dig this tune.  I'm more excited for the album now, that's for sure.

[Outcrier]

I think this song will work much better when listening to the full album than as a standalone.
That "I will not live under a shadow of fear" section and the keyboard solo give me a certain feeling of closure.

[Tis BOOLsheet]

Interesting to see so many disappointed reactions on this thread, and after reading a bunch of them, I think people had unreasonably high expectations for what this tune was going to be. Unless people just did not read any descriptions of the song, I don't see how you could expect a WHOLE lot more than what we got. I really don't think this is any worse than say, Wither. I think it's a step up.

For me personally, I have my hopes for the album vested in Enigma Machine, Surrender to Reason, Illumination Theory, Bigger Picture and to a lesser extent, the Looking Glass.

[RodrigoAltaf]

I got this: "The owner of this track has not made this sound available for streaming in your location."

Can someone confirm that this is the song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9i0Cg8Vz8V4

[Dellers]

Interesting to see so many disappointed reactions on this thread, and after reading a bunch of them, I think people had unreasonably high expectations for what this tune was going to be. Unless people just did not read any descriptions of the song, I don't see how you could expect a WHOLE lot more than what we got. I really don't think this is any worse than say, Wither. I think it's a step up.

For me personally, I have my hopes for the album vested in Enigma Machine, Surrender to Reason, Illumination Theory, Bigger Picture and to a lesser extent, the Looking Glass.

The "problem" isn't the song for me, which I do like a lot, it's how it sounds (sound quality, balance between instruments). Along with TEI it's the worst sounding song I've heard in years, bad stream aside, and that to me is unforgivable from such a high quality band. I still look forward to the album a lot, but I'm now 100% sure I won't like how it sounds.

[Outcrier]

I got this: "The owner of this track has not made this sound available for streaming in your location."

Can someone confirm that this is the song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9i0Cg8Vz8V4

Maybe.

[RodrigoAltaf]

 

[XB0BX]

Close to the edge, down by the corner

[dparrott]

Then I came here to read these pages and I just have to say...    Seriously? That many of the self proclaimed die-hard fans have that much to pick at with this song? 

You're suprised by this?  I'm sure not!

..."If you don't have something nice to say, say nothing at all".

Yea...good luck with that around here! 

[matte.braso]

someone mentioned a possible Count of Tuscany-2 when the tracklist came out...well, actually AFTR has the same key (G#minor)

[LieLowTheWantedMan]

dat intro. Love it. The distorted guitar when it comes in detracts though IMO, it's too upfront and aggressive for this kind of song. I think the parts without that are much stronger.

I think the distorted guitar saved it from being incredibly boring.

AND WAS THAT A MYUNG I HEARD