Shadow Ninja's Super Incredibly Awesome Top 50 EXTRAVAGANZA!!!!1!!! v. #1

[?]

As I Am rocks, but POW is horrible Cool to see some appreciation for Light Fuse... even though it's my least favorite on WDADU.

[senecadawg2]

Light the Fuse is one of my least favorite DT songs ever made, along with Prophets of War.

As I Am is phenomenal though. 

[425]

What on earth is this?

Light Fuse is my least favorite song that DT put on a studio album. As I Am isn't a whole lot higher. POW is the best of the bunch, and I agree with you on the Queen stuff and MP's rap, but it's still not nearly top 50.

I mean, it's Dream Theater, so all of them have some redeeming features and are good songs (Light Fuse is borderline but it's growing on me so I'll give it the benefit of the doubt), but I wouldn't list any of them among the band's best.

[Shadow Ninja 2.0]

Huh, I had no idea Light Fuse And Get Away was so disliked around here.

[Bolsters]

And come on, who doesn't want to sing along with this?

I certainly don't.

[?]

ASS! FOR! JAMES!

[Ruba]

You call that controversial? Prophets of War was in my top 20.

Like every song on WDADU, Light Fuse is underrated.

[hefdaddy42]

2/3 of that update are just awful.  Congratulations. 

[Shadow Ninja 2.0]

no u

[Shadow Ninja 2.0]

34. Caught In A Web - Awake

So, like many people, I really didn't like Awake when I first heard it. This song is one I remember listening to, and thinking, "I just don't get it" there was just nothing about the song that brought me back. I still listened to Awake occasionally, though, and eventually it started to grow on me. This song is one of the biggest examples of that. I contend that Awake as a whole is James' finest moment (and actually the band as whole, when it comes down to it). He really sounds fantastic here, from the harsher tone on the verses to the soaring chorus. The instrumental section contains some interesting synth tones from Moore, that sound vaguely Eastern to me. Though, I'm hardly knowledgeable in these matters.   I guess that'll do it, onward!


33. The Glass Prison - Six Degrees Of Inner Turbulence

So, what can I say about this one that hasn't already been said? For some people, this song is probably rated too low. But this is my list, so suck it. Really, though, I didn't even expect this one to end up as high as it did. When I was putting the list together, I was actually surprised by how good it was, since I hadn't listened to it in a while. Now, I believe this is something of a live favorite, and although I've never actually been to a DT concert, I can see how it would really rock live. Fast-paced, heavy, great riffs with cool back-and-forth between LaBrie and Portnoy. Great instrumetal section, as well.


32. The Great Debate - Six Degrees Of Inner Turbulence

So, here we have the second almost-14 minute song from SDOIT that appears on this list.   This song didn't really resonate with me for a while, like most of Disc 1. One day, though, I decided to give it another try.  And I was surprised to find how great it was. The beginning of the song is really cool, starting with a rumbling bass line and swirling keyboards. The sound bytes are cool, though they do wear on you if you listen to the song often. This song also contains some of Mike's best drumming, as least from my uneducated perspective. There are some very Tool-like moments here, like James' vocals from 4:25-4:40. Then my favorite part of the song, "RIGHT WING SOUND BYTE PREMONITIONS, A LABYRINTH OF RULES!!" followed by the fantastic guitar riff underneath, "ARE YOU JUSTIFIED!?!?!?!", which is one of James' best moments on the album. Huh, this writeup is getting a bit long. Time to wrap it up, folks.

[hefdaddy42]

You're getting better.  Only 1/3 of that one was awful.

[FlyingBIZKIT]

Awful, all of SDOIT is top 10 material

[Shadow Ninja 2.0]

It is not, or it would be in the Top 10.

[?]

Great choices!

[Shadow Ninja 2.0]

31. Learning To Live - Images And Words

I can hear people saying now, "NO SAHDOW NINJA LEARNING TO LIVE IS THEIR BEST SONG NO DONT DO IT". Shut up, you whiners.   ....I think doing this list is making me meaner.   Anyway, this really is a great song, and it's the first from I&W to appear on this list. So, what is there to like about this song? A lot! First, there's a lot of really cool synth work here, courtesy of Moore. Actually, pretty much everyone is performing extremely well here. James sounds really great here, especially at the "NO MORE TO GIVE!", part, which is one of my favorites. Now, what's the one thing everybody thinks about when the think of LTL? Yeah, the F#. Now, I've said so before, but because I have a (semi) captive audience, I'm going to say it again. I really don't see the big deal with the F#. It's just a note, and is very far from James' best moment on this song. I mean, it's a cool enough section, but not really good enough, in my opinion, to warrant the praise it gets.

But, I'm spending too much time complaining. The guitar solo (or whatever you want to call it) around 5:30 is fantastic, and the entire instrumental section is brilliantly done. The Wait For Sleep reprise is pretty cool too. Speaking of Wait For Sleep, we haven't seen it yet on this list. Huh......


30. Wait For Sleep - Images And Words

Yeah, I gave this one away. I'm sure there are some people saying, "How could you put WFS above LTL?" as if long songs are inherently better. (this is ironic, since I'm pretty much the biggest long-song fan there is. ) 

There's really not too much to say about this one. This is just a lovely song. Moore's keyboards and his lyrics are beautiful (although I'm not usually a lyrics guy). The whole song has kind of odd feel to it, as you'd expect a short piano-driven to be a ballad, but it doesn't really sound ballad-esque to me. Anyway, I'm gonna end this one so I can go listen to Wait For Sleep.

[425]

CIAW is perfectly placed. TGD is too high, and TGP is too low.

Same with WFS and LtL. Still, good to see Wait for Sleep make a list.

[Tom Bombadil]

The last 5 are all good songs, but WFS is a bit too high.

[Elite]

The Great Debate and Learning to Live are both top 10. Shame on you.

[Shadow Ninja 2.0]

They are not. Else they would be in the Top 10.

[Outcrier]

The Great Debate and Learning to Live are both top 10. Shame on you.

[Scorpion]

I thought that I was the only one that had WFS higher than LTL.


... I knew there was a reason that I liked you.

[Shadow Ninja 2.0]

\o

[?]

I wouldn't put WFS above LTL, but they are my favorite songs on I&W and in my top 10.

[Shadow Ninja 2.0]

29. The Spirit Carries On - Scenes From A Memory

So, I have a particular love for DT's softer songs, and this one is no exception. Some people say this is a Pink Floyd-like track. Eh, I've never heard PF do anything remotely close to being this good. But that's just me.   James has some weak spots on SFAM, but I sounds really great here. JP's restrained playing in the beginning is really fantastic, as is Jordan's piano playing. The reprises from Regression towards the end are really cool as well. This is also one of only songs on SFAM where I actually like the lyrics. I know some folks say they're cliched, but if this is cliched, I say bring it on.   

Well, I guess that's all for this one. Further up and further in....


28. Voices - Awake

Wow, talk about a hard track to take in. This song has an awful lot going on. There's a sort of unnerving feel throughout the song, from James soft vocals at the beginning to his scream of, "THOUGHT DISORDER, DREAM CONTROL," which is probably my favorite part. The chorus is really cool in the way it just seems to appear out of nowhere. Now, I've heard people praise this song as JP's finest moment lyrically. And this brings me to the only real complaint I have for this one. I mean, I guess the lyrics are supposed to be deep or symbolic or something like that, but I don't really see it. As far as I'm concerned, they might as well just be gibberish. I know this will annoy some people, but it's been a while since POW, we need more controversy in this list!

I really don't even dislike the lyrics that much, I should really stop being so negative. I really do love this song.

[Onno]

Voices is amazing and my second favourite from Awake. The lyrics don't bother me at all though, I like them! As for TSCO, I never have an urge to listen to it but when I listen to SFAM or any live album/DVD that it's on I really love it. The cliched lyrics fit perfectly well and I wouldn't want any other lyrics for that song.

[Ruba]

I have no idea what's Voices about, but the lyrics sound cool so what the heck.

Or maybe it's about some sort of dissociative identity disorder.

[Tom Bombadil]

2 excellent songs... and the lyrics of Voices are incredible

[?]

TSCO has always been too cheesy for my taste, but Voices is incredible and the lyrics started to make a lot of sense to me after I read some interesting analyses.

[iamtheeviltwin]

TSCO is about 29 places too low.  Good picks

[?]

TSCO is about 29 places too low.

It's #0 for you?

[iamtheeviltwin]

TSCO is patient Zero...the start of it all...or my maths just suck 

[Shadow Ninja 2.0]

27. The Ministry Of Lost Souls - Systematic Chaos

So, here we are. Some people really dislike this track, which I'll never really understand. This is a great song. The symphonic keyboards in the opening are really cool, plus JP's guitar work in the verses is really great, though understated. I've always felt that SC was one of the best DT albums in terms of JLB's vocals, and this song is no exception. His voice has a mournful edge to it, suiting the subject matter. Now, people tend to complain that the instrumental comes out of nowhere. Yeah, it does. But so what? It's a good instrumental, and besides, out of nowhere sections are sort of a DT trademark.

Anyway, I really love this song.


26. Wither - Black Clouds And Silver Linings

This is the second song from BC&SL to appear on this list. This is an example of how good DT can be when they hold back. James sounds fantastic here, the harmonies in the chorus are really great. The lyrics are suitably depressing, and Rudess's synth work is really great near the end. Also, in my opinion, this is one of JP's most emotional solos.

[Tom Bombadil]

Both decent songs, but putting them above Voices is blasphemy.

[Shadow Ninja 2.0]

[Sycsa]

It would be funnier if another sunglass were to fall on James as well.