How has each album in the DT catalog aged for you?

[bosk1]

Topic is self-explanatory, I think.  I was thinking about this earlier this morning.  We have had threads on a few particular albums, but not for others.  So I was just thinking it might be interesting to do this for the entire catalog.

WDADU:  Hard to rate, since I wasn't really there when this came out.  I got it much later just to complete my collection.  Hated it at first.  Warmed up to it after WDADRU helped me become more familiar with the songs as a whole. 

I&W:  Has aged fairly well.  I may not be as high on it as a once was, and the songs that I do not care for, I don't much even bother with as a whole, which means I do not listen to the album much.  But I still hold it in pretty high regard.

Awake:  Aged pretty well.  I thought it was strong when I first got it, and I pretty much still do.

FII:  Has actually aged pretty well.  I did not like it at first.  But it has some truly great material on it, and definitely feels like a "classic" to me.

SFAM:  Has aged VERY well.  I do not listen to it as much as I used to, but still hold it in very high regard.

SDOIT:  Has also aged VERY well.  Strong album that has stood the test of time.

TOT:  Has aged fairly well.  I rarely listen to it, but still hold it in pretty high esteem.

8VM:  About the same.

SC:  Surprisingly, has aged VERY well.  I liked it when I got it, and it slipped a little as I discovered that really didn't care for about 1/3 or so of the album.  But although the songs I do not like have slipped even farther, the songs that I like have not only remained well-liked, but have gotten better with age.  Other than the two newest albums, this is probably my most-listened to DT album at present.

BCSL:  Has not aged well.  I liked it when it came out.  But I never really want to listen to anything other than ANTR, TSF, and maybe TCOT, so I never listen to it. 

ADTOE:  Has aged very well.  After having it long enough to give it a true ranking in the DT catalog, I put it at #3.  That still feels about right.

DT12:  Seems a bit early to say how this album has "aged."  But it seems to be aging well, I would have to say.  I thought it was "good" when I first got it.  And now it is at the point where I listen constantly and "get" things I did not really resonate with in the beginning.  I am now at a stage where I truly appreciate this album for what it is and I can see it ranking in the upper half of the discography for me over time.

[Sycsa]

My favorite thing about prog is how it can evolve with time, grow on me and offer new experiences even after years have passed. When boring and dragging songs magically become all-time favorites, when listening to a song for the 50th time still feels like exploring. Consequently, my answer is that every album aged well for me. For some of them, it took longer to grow on me (FII, SC), and those that I instantly loved, got even better once I explored them deeper (I&W, DT12). Of course, the glam wears off after a while, the impact gets blunted, but DT has enough fuel that I've pretty much listened to it almost every day for the past 3 years or so.

[Zook]

8 years later:

WDADU: Certainly not something I listen to all the time, but as an album it's better than both BCSL and SC.

IAW: Masterpiece

Awake: Masterpiece, I actually like SDV more now

FII: This one aged the best. Just a few weeks ago the whole album clicked. Even the silly songs everyone hates including myself, I like.

SFAM: Masterpiece

SDOIT: Masterpiece. Misunderstood ain't bad, but still my least favorite. Nothing's changed.

TOT: Same as SDOIT. As I Am is the weak link.

8VM: Never Enough clicked with me a awhile back. Yeah it's silly, but heavy breathing aside, the song's pretty cool.

SC: Prophets of War is a horrible song, but the rest are good. Still a pretty mediocre album. I did like it a lot at first.

-------

BCSL: I tried and tried to "fix" the problems I had with this album. Still the only 2 songs I really care about are TSF and TCOT, and sometimes Wither on occasion. Everything else is just BLEH.

ADTOE: I wouldn't say it was Thiago's fault, I might have discovered the IAW similarities anyway, but the similarities are there, and turn me off. Except BAI, which dispite being LTL, is an excellent song. That and BITS are the only 2 I come back to, but I never hated any songs.

DT: Masterpiece

[ReaPsTA]

WDADU - I appreciate it more, but enjoy it less.  The music is really great, but CD's voice becomes harder to enjoy.

I&W - Great great great songs, but the production feels more dated every year.

Awake - Ages like fine wine.

FII - I feel about the same as I did when I first heard it.

SFaM - I appreciate more why this is their most popular album.

6DOIT - I barely listen to it.

ToT - I appreciate what they were going for more.

8vm - Holds up surprisingly well.  At the time it felt like they just wrote some mehish pop songs.  In retrospect it's cool to listen to.

SC - Aged very well.  I still don't like the parts I don't like, but I care about them less.  The good parts are really enjoyable and memorable.

BCSL - Aged very poorly.  It feels like something they went into a studio and cranked out because it was that time of the year.

ADTOE - I like the parts I liked more, and I dislike the parts I disliked more as well.

DT12 - Too early.

[Zook]

6DOIT - I barely listen to it.

I remember back in the day you saying how horrible the lyrics were to the title track. I agreed with you until I found out he doesn't say "reverend eyes" lol

[ReaPsTA]

I remember back in the day you saying how horrible the lyrics were to the title track. I agreed with you until I found out he doesn't say "reverend eyes" lol

I looked up the lyrics and realized you're right.  This is depressing news.

[robwebster]

When Dream and Day Unite:
Not amazingly. First time I heard it, I was pleased to hear a few new Dream Theater songs - really liked Status Seeker, really liked Light Fuse and Get Away. Now, I mostly just limit myself to A Fortune in Lies, Ytse Jam and Only a Matter of Time. It's interesting, but it's an artifact rather than any part of my listening schedule.

Images and Words:
Great! It's not as shiny as it first was, but all the songs are killer.

Awake:
It's aged quite well, inasmuch as it's improved the more I listen to it. When the singles wore off, I started to think of it as one of the more boring albums in their catalogue, but it creeps back up. It's never going to be a favourite, but I think it's the kind of album that's low on thrills but conceals hidden depths.

Falling into Infinity:
It used to be among my top three, and nowadays wouldn't be anywhere near... but part of that's just the sheer volume of stuff that's come out since I got into the band in the Train of Thought era. Falling into Infinity's mostly stood still.

Scenes from a Memory:
Emphasis has shifted. It's gone from, "WHOA! IT TELLS A STORY!" to "Hm, neat." Tentpole songs like Home and The Dance of Eternity are marred by big flaws that I didn't really clock at first - both suffer from bloat, as much as anything - but other songs like Overture 1928, Strange Deja-Vu and Fatal Tragedy have matured nicely and engage me now, more than ever. There are still a couple too many average songs, and it's not a favourite album, but it's nicel balanced.

Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence:
Aged very well indeed. The first disc is genius, and the second disc is a great journey. Both discs benefit from being split into digestible acts, too. As an album, it's their longest, but neither disc is full for the sake of being full. Just one of those weird quirks of the format, but serendipitous.

Train of Thought:
Superb! I always liked it, and I think I like it more now than I ever have. It was the newest DT album at the time I got into the band, and In the Name of God and Honor thy Father were the first songs I had... but I see it with completely different eyes, now. Once, it was all the DT I knew, now it seems quite quirky and out of character. It's a good kind of quirky, though - each song is a different kind of superb. Very heavy, very melodic, I think age is treating it well.

Octavarium:
Well-ish - but that's considering I was obsessed with this album for a very long time. I can't listen to any of the songs with the same ears, any more... but I think they're all good songs.

Systematic Chaos:
Brilliantly. Smashing, at first, and still smashing. Unique among the discography - a vibrant and colourful episode in DT history.

Black Clouds & Silver Linings:
Not good news! Originally, it was exciting to find my way around those big long songs, but the more I hear, the more I decide they're really not that well-honed. Bloated, gratuitous - and even when it's curt, it's not as interesting about it as other discs. It's not bad news, either, it's still six good Dream Theater songs, but if they'd been smarter and more disciplined it could've been so much more. Needed keener editing and a clearer vision. Flabby.

A Dramatic Turn of Events:
Like the music itself, the album's remained fairly consistent in my rankings. It's the perfect example of a pleasant and reliable DT fix. It's not some huge, soaring, high-puncher, but it's a solid and well-sculpted bit of classic Dream Theater.

Dream Theater:
Early days, but signs are promising. It went right in at the top, so there's everything to lose, but it's stayed pretty steady. Really spectacular songwriting. The best poster, ever, for the band's songwriting abilities. Nine great songs, sharp and strong. Completely superb.

[TAC]

Systematic Chaos:
Unique among the discography - a vibrant and colourful episode in DT history.

Excellent! I agree.

[King Postwhore]

Great topic!

WDADU: I still to this day, can't get into this album because of Charlie's voice.  The album as a whole doesn't age well and I rarely play it.

I&W:  I still reach for this album so for me it's aged well.  Modern sounding?  No, but I still love it.

Awake:  I loved this album when it came out but over time, I reach for it less so it hasn't aged well for me at all.

FII:  The classic sound for an album.  middle of the road for me.  I like it but of late I haven't played it as much as I used to.

SFAM:  Aged very well and I still love to play this album.

SDOIT:  Everything about this album gravitates to me from the sonics of the album to the music.  I play this a lot.

TOT:  I, for the longest time did not play this album.  I'm gravitating back to it so it's in the middle for me.

8VM:  As much as people rail on this album I still love it and play t a lot.  I loved the classic sound they went for on this album.

SC:  Sound wise, I know what they were going for but this album does not "hook" me like other DT albums so it hasn't aged well for me.

BCSL:  Another surprise, I like it.  Sonically, a less than average album but I liked the songs and I seem to play it a bit.

ADTOE: Can't say enough about this album and I still spin this weekly.

DT12:  For now, I still play this album a lot so as of right now, I like how it's aged so far.  Still early.

[Tom Bombadil]

Thanks for an interesting topic Bosk

WDADU- it's gotten better with time, but still one of my least favorites due to the production and Charlie's voice just sounds out of place.

I&W- definitely aged well, especially Learning to Live. One of my favorite DT albums when I first heard it, and still ranks at #2 for me

Awake- took awhile to get in to, then became my favorite DT album by far. Every single song on the album has aged well except for Erotomania, which I rarely listen to these days. The gap between Awake and the rest of their albums widens with each passing year.

FII- Some songs aged well, some haven't. LITS used to be a top 5 DT song, now probably 30 or so. TOT on the other hand took forever for me to like, but is now my favorite on the album. I recently started liking TAMP, but NM hasn't aged well. So its pretty 50-50

SFAM- Definitely hasn't aged well. The first couple of listens were mind-blowing, but I almost never listen to it anymore.

SDOIT- Disc 1 aged quite well at first, but recently I haven't been listening as much. Disc 2 aged very poorly.

TOT- Stayed very constant. Never been my favorite album, but its always been above average.

8VM- Didn't age well at all. I used to like almost every song on the album, now I only listen to the title track.

SC- Always been my least favorite DT album. Haven't listened to any song off of it in months.

BC&SL- Didn't age well either. I used to like ANTR an Wither a lot more than I do now. Only TCOT has aged well on this one.

ADTOE- Another one that didn't age so well. I listened to it a lot when it came out, but rarely do these days.

DT12- Liked it when it came out, but it seemed to fade really quickly. Haven't listened to it in a very long time. Still early to judge too harshly, hopefully some songs get better with more time.

[Kotowboy]

Can only say that Dramatic Turn has aged really well and i'm tired of DT12 already.

Octavarium remains my favourite though by a long way.

[Kotowboy]

Now for the obligatory and completely un-necessary kotowboy Joke answer

WDADU : 25 years
IAW : 22 years
Awake : 20 years
FII : 17 years
SFAM : 15 years
SDOIT : 13 years
TOT : 11 years
8V : 9 years
SC : 7 years
BC&SL : 5 years
ADTOE : 3 years
DT12 : 1 year(s)   

[OpenYourEyes311]

gonna go with the order I first heard them

Scenes: Blew me away when I first heard it, but rarely listen to it. When I make a point to listen to it, it is still fantastic. Love everything but Beyond this Life. Was: A, Now: B+

Awake: Didn't like it as much as Scenes at first, but has steadily grown on me more and more with each passing year. Love everything but Scarred. Was: B-, Now: B+

Train of Thought: First time I heard it I thought it was fantastic. Another one I rarely listen to, but like it when I do. Honor Thy father is ok, everything else is great. Was: A-, Now: B

When Dream and Day Unite: Didn't understand it at first, but didn't hate it. One of my faves in the catalog now. Love every song. It's a charming little album. Was: B, Now: A-

Images and Words: Has always been a favorite. Every song on this album has been my favorite song from this album at some point. That's the mark of a great album. Was: A, Now: A

Six Degrees: Didn't get disc one for the longest time, but have always love the second. Once it clicked, it became my favorite by Dream Theater. Was: B+, Now: A+

Falling Into Infinity: Never hated this album, but its always been pretty much middle of the road for me. Love some, like some, leave some. Was: B, Now: B

Octavarium: The last DT album I loooved. Has lost some of it's shine, but still adore this album and would probably be in the top 3 for me. Was: A, Now: A-

Systematic Chaos: Did not like this album first time I listened to it. Very disappointing for me. Though I do like most songs, I get bored pretty much after side one. Was: B-, Now: C+

Black Clouds: Liked it more than SC off the first listen, but still pretty disappointing. I like everything but Best of Times, but thought the length of songs detracted here. Was: B, Now: B-

Dramatic Turn: I was really excited for this album, and for the most part it didn't disappoint. Don't listen to it much nowadays tho. Love Angels, Bridges and BtS. Was: B+, Now: B

Dream Theater: Still early, but I liked it when I got it, and I'm still listening to it all the way through at least once every week or two. No stinkers! Was: B+/A-, Now: B+/A-

[Rodni Demental]

Okay, I'll make a small statement about my experience with each album, hopefully it doesn't get too out of control. 

WDADU: I think in general this album has only gotten better with time for me. Although certainly not because of the production quality which doesn't gain any more appreciation with age. Every single one of the songs is a grower so there's many subtleties that you pick up on that you might not notice until the 5th or even 10th listen. I think that's why I still like this album because ironically enough for their oldest album, doesn't feel like it's gotten old for me.

I&W: I think this is one of only a few completely consistent albums in the discog. so anything from it will always maintain a high position in my music rotation. Took a while for some of the songs to grow on me, but they were still interesting enough at first to get me to listen to them over and over until I would appreciate it's greatness.

Awake: Bit of a hit and miss bag for me. These days I kind of appreciate everything on it more than I used to save for 2 or 3 or so songs that I'm not much into. But as a representation of DTs evolution I'd regard it as a completely essential album, and sometimes I'll even get into like some of the less favourite songs just because of James' stunning and powerful vocal delivery which is certainly a highlight of the album.

FII: It grew on me. I remember some Falling Into Infinity tracks showing up in some early DT playlists that I'd made and never being particularly impressed by the vocals and lack of metal songs. I approached DTs albums backwards essentially as ToT/BL&SL were my first albums, so an album nearly half made up of ballads? Was a bit strange but I'd heard Greatest Hit at the time so Hollow Years Peruvian Skies were the only familiar bits. But now it's basically a classic album. And  Dereks input at the time.

ACOS: Took me a while to digest this one but I now believe this to be a masterpiece of composition. The covers actually showed up in my listening randomly with other DT tracks so occasionally I might not have known it was a cover unless it was really obvious (eg. The Big Medley). I sorta lumped the covers in a similar category as some FII songs and considered the vocals to be of similar quality so they didn't get as much attention until I got to a point where I needed more unfamiliar DT material then the covers all gained my appreciation eventually.

SFAM: I didn't listen to this album the way one would expect to. I had it shuffled and separated all over the show so I heard bits of it, one by one I eventually had heard a very disconnected theme with some recurring ideas. But it was probably the last album I listened to in it's entirety and so the last of DTs material that I got to appreciate, I guess you could say I kinda saved the best for last. Although these days I pretty much only listen to it in one go or not at all.

6DOIT: This one made a good impression from the get go because I could tell that it had a certain style that was familiar to me from Train of Thought and this album might even represent the origin of the band moving in that direction. I was right at home with the long songs because I was accustomed to BL&SL. I listened to disc 2 as sporadically as I did with SFAM so there was no coherency, just little bits that I was slightly familiar with until I eventually listened right through. And now it's another case of normally listening to it in one go. But the disc 1 tracks get individual rotation in playlists quite regularly.

ToT: Although this might have actually been the third album I heard from DT, I consider it the the second one I heard properly and from a personal listening experience. Pretty much, the whole thing is epic. I love the riffage, the drum patterns, the long arrangements and expanded musical themes, the variety of styles even within the confines of a 'metal driven album'. All of these things made a great impression on me in originally judging and connecting with DT so to me, the songs hold up strongly today.

Octavarium: This one's a bit weird. I liked a few songs on it, mainly the heavier ones but never heard at least half the album somehow until much later. As a result, the genius of Octavarium the song was quite late to click with me. And was a pleasant surprise to listen through the whole album and find songs I had somehow skipped over. I love all the nuggetz and easter eggz and synchronistic tid bits, looks like it would have been a very fun album to construct. It's aged very well, I'll regularly listen to almost any track from this one.

SC: might have been the first album I heard by them but it was so out of context and I only had impressions made when I was occasionally paying attention as it was during a car trip. The album was a bit hit and miss when I actually started re-listening on my own after hearing ToT but today most of the tracks have grown on me. Even the unpopular ones have a couple of reasons for me to appreciate. Highly underrated album and responsible for me wanting to dig deeper into the DT catalogue.

BL&SL: This album blew my tiny musical world. First album I personably listened through in it's entirely from the band, although maybe second I had heard. Still, I was just amazed that I kept noticing new things from all the instruments. The keyboards were very subtle but were always up to something interesting, the guitar tones were thick, dynamic, and varied. Even the vocals regularly impressed me with the 2-3 part harmonies occasionally. All the songs were created and written on a grand scale. The guitar solos, the arrangements, the dynamic of beautiful atmospheric sections (TBOT/TCOT/ANTR) Not to overstate how DT is epic, but this album helped me understand what an epic band was.

ADTOE: First album I anticipated from the band after being a fan for a couple of years. It didn't disappoint. A lot of the songs stood out at first but grew a bit tiresome, others grew into favourites today. I really overlistened to this one when it came out so as long as I give it a break every once in a while, I'll always like the songs on this album as it reminds me of the excitement of hearing for the first time after waiting with so much anticipation.

DT12: I'm not sure if it's been enough time, but I think it's getting better. Or at the very least retaining the original feel of when I first heard it, which was mindblown. It think it's a great effort and a top 5 album for sure. There's just so many subtle things that I keep noticing despite the obviously apparent effort to more tightly and concisely arrange the songs.  Which is great, because it feels like a blend of albums like I&W and Octavarium that have lots of discoveries to make or hear on multiple listens which is something DT has always been about for me.

[Ħ]

WDADU: Liked it at first for the novelty. Then I forced myself to listen to it as much as I did the other albums (for no reason, lol). Now I pretty much don't like it but enjoy the familiarity.

IAW: Loved it at first. I never want to listen to it anymore, but it brings back fond memories.

Awake: Loved it at first for the bluesy/dark atmosphere. Really appreciated James. Now I just am not into it anymore.

ACOS: Loved it, loving it, will forever love it. Even the covers are pretty good.

FII: Liked it quite a bit at first, but now I never listen to it as an album. There are some shiners but some major stinkers too.

SFAM: Thought it was really weird at first, but it has aged superbly. Probably the best album, I would argue, though it may not be my favorite.

SDOIT: Absolutely loved it at first, but it has not aged very well. I'll find myself listening to random tracks here and there, but I can't remember the last time I went through the whole thing.

TOT: Loved it at first, now it is OK but nothing spectacular. It does have As I Am and Honor Thy Father, which are two stellar tracks.

Octavarium: Thought it was pretty good at first, now I just have no desire to listen to it. I think the album is basically redeemed by the title track because most of the others are major snoozefests.

SC: Thought it was OK at first, and my opinion is still about the same. It has some obvious strengths and obvious weaknesses, but nothing terribly interesting.

BCASL: Has aged horribly. I used to think this album was the return of the old DT and nearly every song made it into my top 15 at least. Now it has some highlights but they are drowning in noodling crap.

ADTOE: I didn't love it at first and I don't love it now. I simply don't "get" this album.

DT12: Loved it at first. Now I am burnt out. I'm thinking it'll ultimately end up as an album I just don't get, like ADTOE.

[Rodni Demental]

WDADU: Liked it at first for the novelty. Then I forced myself to listen to it as much as I did the other albums (for no reason, lol). Now I pretty much don't like it but enjoy the familiarity.

Haha, I get this with some bands. I think Rush might be becoming a novelty band for me in that I like many of their songs, but there are some albums that I've tried to make myself like, I wanted to like them so I listened over and over. But now it's sort of left a bittersweet taste; a mix of discontented appreciation for what it is but enjoying it from a certain level of familiarity, almost like those popular 1 time hits by a certain band that everyone seems to go crazy over, but no one is into thaaat much. Something like Enter Sandman by Metallica comes to mind as an example of enjoying something based on familiarity if I heard it, but not being all too crazy about it.

[ThatOneGuy2112]

Haven't been a DT fan for nearly as long as most people on this board, I'm sure. I don't think I started listening to them seriously until around 2009, so I'm pretty sure it's too early to make any assessments myself. What I can say is..

Awake: At first I just wasn't too big on it. I thought it was OK, but probably in the lower-tier of DT albums. It had too much filler and the really good songs were spread out too far and thin, not to mention Scarred was way too long (yeah, you can shoot me). I don't think it was so much as other albums having moved down my last as this one had moved up. It's tied with TOT for my 4th favorite.

Black Clouds & Silver Linings: I thought this was one of the greatest things I'd ever heard when I first heard it. It was my first full-length DT album. I knew other songs, but never went into any of their full albums, so this one was my first album listening to on release and ADTOE was my first that I actively anticipated. I fell in love with every song on here and spun them all constantly. I'm not sure I "burned" them out, but I rarely go back and listen to this one with the exception of TCOT.

As for all their other albums, my opinion on them hasn't gone through any radical change. At the most, they shifted around in my rankings a smidge.

[BlobVanDam]

WDADU: lol

I&W:  Has aged incredibly well. Can still listen to this album any time, and still love it as much as ever.

Awake: Has aged ok. Half of the album still sounds pretty good to me, while the other half grates on me more over time. I never got into this album as much as others, so my opinion on it has remained fairly constant.

FII: This album is perhaps still getting better with age for me, so I'd say it's aging very well.

SFAM: Has aged incredibly well. Still a joy to listen to each time, and it still kicks my ass.

SDOIT: Has aged incredibly well. Every time is as good as that first time a song clicked, and I'm never not in the mood to appreciate it. To this day, the title track flies by quickly, and I've only ever listened to it as a whole.

TOT: Has aged quite well. I need to be in the mood for it, but when I am, I still enjoy the vast majority of the album a lot. The only song that's worn out for me is ES, which I don't enjoy any more.

8VM: Has aged pretty well. I still enjoy the great songs as much as ever, but those few filler tracks I can't listen to at all anymore, which disrupts the flow of enjoying the album as much.

SC: Has aged ok. I loved the album when it came out. I still love about half of the album, and I don't dislike the rest, but I mainly stick to occasionally listening to the few I love.

BCASL: Hasn't aged too well. I listened to this album constantly when it came out for a few weeks. I still like most of the album, but I rarely feel like listening to it anymore.

ADTOE: Barely even got into it before it wore out on me. Hasn't aged well, and never sounded too fresh or exciting to me. I only ever got a couple of weeks of "this album isn't too bad" out of it before never listening to it again.

DT12: Wore out on me before the album even came out. It's already failed the test of time for me.

[PixelDream]

WDADU: Never gave it enough of a chance.

I&W: Has aged well, remains pretty constant.

Awake: I've always loved it but what's great about it, it just keeps getting better with time.

Falling into Infinity: I'm not that much into it right now, but I'm not sick of it.

SFAM: I used to love it, but I don't really care anymore. Has aged the worst of all DT albums.

Six Degrees: Like it better than FII, but is in a comparable situation as that album.

TOT: I rediscovered it last winter, now I'm laying off for a while.

8VM: I can always spin the title track or TROAE. The rest I don't care that much for anymore.

SC: I've gained some appreciation again for it. ITPOE is just great.

BC&SL: The Count remains a great song.

ADTOE: Never got that much into it.

DT12: I was very much into it when it came out, wore off pretty fast unfortunately.

[son_ov_hades]

When Dream And Day Unite: Gets better with each listen ans has aged extremely well. I wasn't sold when I first heard it.

Images And Words: I love it now as I did when I first heard it, has aged very well.

Awake: I was totally in love with this album at first, and while it is still number 3 for me it hasn't aged as well as others.

Falling Into Infinity: Aged really well, at first I didn't like You Not Me or several other songs at all. Now I love every song on the album.

Scenes From A Memory: My favorite album ever, by any band. Has been since the first listen.

Six Degrees Of Inner Turbulence: Hasn't aged very well. The title track is incredible, but other than Blind Faith and Misunderstood I'm not crazy about the rest.

Train Of Thought: Aged horribly. I hated it when it came out, hate it now.

Octavarium: Hasn't aged well, I enjoyed it more when it came out than I do now. Only the title track seems to really do it for me anymore, not a bad album just kind of bores me now.

Systematic Chaos: Poorly, I almost never listen to it.

Black Clouds And Silver Linings: I hesitate to say it has aged sort of well. I find myself really liking The Shattered Fortress now, and I didn't when it came out.

A Dramatic Turn Of Events: Other than the awful Build Me Up, Break me Down I love this album as much as when it first came out.

Dream Theater: Still in the honeymoon phase

[Dream Team]

WDADU: Has aged very well, 3 of my favorite DT songs are on this album and it usually falls about halfway in the album rankings

I&W: Has aged best of all - still is and always will be my favorite

Awake: Hasn't aged well. Only listen to 5 of the songs.

FII: Always hated it and still do.

SFAM: Has aged well, though it has dropped in the rankings a little. Like others have said, the "story" bores me to tears.

SDOIT: Aged very well, especially Side 1. Usually rank it # 2 or 3.

ToT: Not that well, although the 3 that came after it were worse and so made it appear better over time. ITNOG is top 10 for me.

OV: Has not aged well. Another album with a lot of boring songs like FII. Title track and TROAE are the only ones I listen to.

SC: About the same I guess. Still enjoy certain parts but it's remained toward the bottom of the discography.

BCSL: I'll never forget MP claiming this album had PMU, ACOS, OV, TGP, and LTL all in one album! What a let-down. Only listen to The Count.

ADTOE: Has aged extremely well. This is the classic DT sound I like best.

DT12: Too early to tell, but seems to be aging well so far.


ACOS: Aged very well - still my fave DT song.

[RaiseTheKnife]

My reasoning for BCSL not aging well has to do with the length of songs.  Its just such a committment to listen to any one track, which makes it hard to return to these cuts on a frequent basis.

[emtee]

Great question.

1) WDaDU - pretty well. Still like the songs but production and CD's voice limit play somewhat.

2) I&W - exceptionally. Still love every minute of it. No skips.

3) Awake - perfectly except for SDV. My favorite all time prog/metal album.

4) FII - very well. I enjoy every song and that includes BMS.

5) ACoS - exceptionally well. Usually skip covers but ACoS is one of my favorite DT songs so...

6) SFaM - pretty well. Some killer tracks and some skips. This is where the 'skips' in the discography begin.

7) SDoIT - very well. Enjoyable almost from beginning to end with a few spots of fast forward.

8) ToT - pretty well. Mood album now. Some skips and some songs too long for me but still a good listen.

9) 8VM - not well. Very rarely go back. Love a couple tracks and that's all. Inspiration corner too strong with this one.

10) SC - better than expected. An enjoyable listen with some skips. Sonic quality an issue.

11) BC&SL - pretty well. Some of my favorite DT moments on this one and some skips also. Don't reach for it often.

12) ADToE - the worst due to sonics. Great songs and playing with terrible muted sound and DT's worst drum sound.

13) DT12 - not enough time yet. I expect this will be in the better than expected category.

LIVE ALBUMS:

LatM - Excellent. No skips.
LSFNY - Excellent. No skips.
LaB - pretty well. Some skips. Too long to listen all the way through.
Score - pretty well. Disc 1 RULES. Disc 2&3 are not spun often. Orch was a cool idea but needed more rehearsal time.

[425]

I haven't been a fan for more than a couple of years, but I'll still do kind of a rudimentary assessment of how I feel each album has aged for me since I got it.

When Dream and Day Unite - Moderately well. When I first heard the album all I could hear was the production value and Charlie's voice as a not-so-welcome contrast to James's. Initially, I only liked a few of the songs. Over time, I have grown to appreciate more of the album, though I still don't like all of it.
Most Improved Tracks: A Fortune In Lies, Status Seeker
Most Unchanged Tracks: Light Fuse and Get Away, Only a Matter of Time
Most Disappointingly Aged Tracks: The Ones Who Helped to Set the Sun

Images and Words - Quite well. I loved this album with all my heart when I first heard it, and I still love it, though I don't listen to it nearly as often.
Most Improved Tracks: Take the Time
Most Unchanged Tracks: Metropolis, Pt. 1: The Miracle and the Sleeper
Most Disappointingly Aged Tracks: Learning to Live

Awake - Okay. When I first got the album, I fell in love with it. Then some of the songs fell out of my favor, and now some of them have somewhat crawled back up.
Most Improved Tracks: Innocence Faded
Most Unchanged Tracks: 6:00, Space-Dye Vest
Most Disappointingly Aged Tracks: Voices

Falling Into Infinity - Pretty much unchanged. At first I loved some tracks, and others did little for me, and now it's pretty much the same with slightly different tracks.
Most Improved Tracks: Burning My Soul
Most Unchanged Tracks: Lines in the Sand, Trial of Tears
Most Disappointingly Aged Tracks: New Millennium

Metropolis, Pt. 2: Scenes From a Memory - Not so well. As robwebster said, the concept is interesting at first but not quiet so much later. And I have found that some of my initial favorites are flawed songs.
Most Improved Tracks: Beyond This Life, Finally Free
Most Unchanged Tracks: Fatal Tragedy, The Spirit Carries On
Most Disappointingly Aged Tracks: Home

Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence - Poorly. I've made no secret out of the fact that this is one of my least favorite DT albums. I enjoy the title track but the first disc doesn't do a lot for me. Even the songs I like on there (The Glass Prison, Blind Faith) are overrated.
Most Improved Tracks: Blind Faith
Most Unchanged Tracks: The Great Debate, Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence
Most Disappointingly Aged Tracks: The Glass Prison

Train of Thought - Very well! This was the first album I had. When I got the other ones I started to ignore it some, but the more I come back to it, the more I still love it, to this day.
Most Improved Tracks: This Dying Soul, Vacant
Most Unchanged Tracks: In the Name of God
Most Disappointingly Aged Tracks: None, really! All have improved or stayed the same in my estimation over time.

Octavarium - Well. Not a lot has changed in my estimation since I got the album. I loved it and I still love it.
Most Improved Tracks: Never Enough, Sacrificed Sons
Most Unchanged Tracks: The Answer Lies Within, These Walls, Octavarium
Most Disappointingly Aged Tracks: The Root of All Evil

Systematic Chaos - Not so well. A lot of the unusual songs on here did a lot of me at first and don't interest me quite so much anymore. It's still a solid album but I don't love it like I used to.
Most Improved Tracks: Repentance, Prophets of War
Most Unchanged Tracks: In the Presence of Enemies, The Ministry of Lost Souls
Most Disappointingly Aged Tracks: Forsaken, The Dark Eternal Night

Black Clouds & Silver Linings - Well. At first I wasn't sure how to feel about this album, but I soon found that I loved it and I still love it today.
Most Improved Tracks: The Best of Times
Most Unchanged Tracks: Wither, The Count of Tuscany
Most Disappointingly Aged Tracks: A Rite of Passage

A Dramatic Turn of Events - Very well. I like this much more than I did initially. It's been a slow grower, and now has probably snuck into my top half of DT albums.
Most Improved Tracks: Lost Not Forgotten, Outcry
Most Unchanged Tracks: On the Backs of Angels, Far From Heaven, Breaking All Illusions
Most Disappointingly Aged Tracks: Bridges in the Sky

Dream Theater - Too soon to tell. I soured on this album pretty quickly but still have hope that I could come back to it and love it.
Most Improved Tracks: Illumination Theory
Most Unchanged Tracks: The Bigger Picture, Along for the Ride
Most Disappointingly Aged Tracks: Behind the Veil

[senecadawg2]

I'm not sure I can talk about how they've aged to the present day, since I almost never listen to DT anymore, but I'll give it a shot nonetheless... Also, to avoid saying, "it aged well...." multiple times, I'm going to rank them by how they aged.

Awake- Wasn't thrilled (or even particularly interested) at first, or for a while, and now it's top 2 or 3, on any given day. Best aging DT album for me.

WDADU- Considering I didn't like most of it upon first listen, and now like most of it...

SFAM & SDOIT & I&W- Great when I first heard them, and still great. Not an improvement like the above two, but I couldn't ask for much more from these masterpieces.

FII- Liked it a lot before, and listened to it a lot. Now it's pretty much limited to ToT and LitS.

ToT- I'm tempted to say that this aged well, because it did grow on me. Oddly enough, though, my number of listens over time has only decreased.

8vm- This one stagnated really quickly for me, and I did enjoy it the first few listens.

SC- Never listen to this anymore

BC&SL & ADTOE- last because I was obsessed and loved both of these albums in the months following their releases, and now can hardly stand the thought of listening through them in full.

[Daso]

WDADU: I was never a huge listener of the album itself because of Dominici and my dislike for the albums's mix, however I compiled my favorite performances of the songs live w/JLB and I think it's a fantastic album.

I&W: Among my top 3 albums of all time. I don't listen to it often, though, because I'm afraid of it wearing out (which happens often for me whenever the album's production and mixing is so dated). Not that it has happened, but I'm still cautious. Just in case.

Awake: pretty much the same as I&W but I listen to it more even since the current tour started.

FII: This one has possibly aged the best for me. Didn't listen to it too much at first, then I began listening to it more for the tracks that I believe to be great from the album and ended up loving pretty much all of it.

SFAM: It holds a very special place for me because it was the first DT album I bought and I know it's a phenomenal album, but it aged pretty bad. I think it might be because of listening to it 3 times a day or even more, but I can't seem to keep focused while listening to it.

6DOIT: I still think it's as good as when I first heard it.

TOT: I was never a huge fan. I think there's some great songs on it, and ITNOG is on my top 10 DT, but I never listen to the albums. Raw heaviness + long songs = total listening fatigue. And then there's TDS and HTF... I thought I'd like both more with time, but I like them less every day.

8VM: I used to love it, then stopped listening to it and when I heard it again most of the magic was gone. The only tracks I still consider phenomenal are 8VM and TROAE, and there's IWBY, TW and TALW which I consider fairly good, but never listen to.

SC: At first I didn't really like it, thought TDEN sucked and, despite of thinking it was the best song on the album, heard ITPOE the least. When I bought the album it all changed, though: ITPOE became my most heard song, Repentance became one of my favorites and my enjoyment for CM and Forsaken started decreasing. I started loving TDEN when I saw DT live.

BC&SL: Aged the worse. It was the first album to come out after I started being a DT fan and I played the songs quite often, except for ANTR which I didn't like (it reminded me of TDEN, which I hated back then). Then I heard most of their other albums (I think at that point I had only heard I&W in full) and when I came back to BC&SL I thought it just wasn't as good as the rest. I think the songs are actually pretty good, but most DT songs/albums have priority over this one.

ADTOE: I definitely don't listen to it as much as I used to, but still think it's fantastic. I listen to music on playlists mostly and songs off this album are always among the first ones I think about.

DT12: Not really old, I guess. I heard it a lot when it came out, think it's the best album DT have done it quite a while and it's my third favorite DT album, and I say both considering the "new album" sensation already faded out for me.

[commanderbob]

FII, SFAM BCSL and ADTOE have all aged poorly.  Everything else has aged absolutely awesomely.

[The Curious Orange]

WD&DU -
Like many folks, I only bought this more recently. Despite the dodgy 80s production, which has aged badly, the music still stands up well. The best songs are a solid foundation for what was to come, the weaker songs are... well, "formative" is probably the kindest word. I still enjoy listening to this on the rare occasions I do, I get something new out of it every time.

I&W -
The first DT album I heard, waaaaay back in '92. Suffers from the "treble-heavy" production that was in vogue for metal bands at the time, and therefore dates the album. But musically, this is a masterpiece, with some of the best songs in the DT catalogue.

Live at the Marquee -
Still the band's best live performance, IMO.

Awake -
If I&W made me fall in love with DT, then this was the album that convinced me this was a lifelong commitment. Seeing "Side 2" on the current tour should convince anyone that this hasn't dated at all.

ACOS -
Holding up well, but prefer the live version on LSFNY

FII -
I love this. I loved it then and I love it now. It's DT, but more mature, mellow and conventional. That's not a bad thing - this is DT meditation music. I've probably over-listened to this one, and the harsh tone of the acoustic guitars on tracks like HY and TAMP screams "late 90s". Some great tunes, and a real prog vibe.

OIAL -
Dated hideously badly, especially since LSFNY came along and did it right. Supurb performances, but a dreadful product.

SFAM -
As fresh today as it was then. The band's best album.

LSFNY -
Possibly the definitive live set. I love it. Damn near perfect.

6DOIT -
The first disc has dated well, and really improved over time. The second disc not so well - it's just too long and I tend to lose interest by the end.

TOT -
Never my favourite album, but time has been kind to this one.

Live at Budokan -
Tick VG.

8VM -
I loved this, and played it to death. Kind of bored of it now.

Score -
Very well filmed, sound on the CD is a bit muddy, odd set list choices prevent it being a true classic IMO.

SC -
Again, one that has improved with age. Didn't like it at first, now it fits a certain mood.

CiM -
Gets better with age.

BC&SL -
Loved this at first, but it's quite a chore to sit through in one go. Each of the longer songs is OK on its own merits, but they're too much in one go. CoT is a masterpiece, ANTR is too long.

ADTOE -
Still holding up well, but I feel this is unlikely to become a classic.

LALP -
Too many obvious song choices, and mic issues during the softer parts spoil it. They should have overdubbed.

DT12 -
Still loving it, but the loudness / compression issues are becoming a problem.

[Sir Walrus Cauliflower]

I've only been a true fan for about 1.5 or 2 years, but I've listened on a very heavy rotation for that long.

WDADU - I haven't listened to this enough to really say. I watched WDADR, listened to the album once, and a few individual songs after that.

I&W - Aged very well.
When I first heard it, it didn't sound coherent, and I found some songs rather annoying and bland.
Now, It's my #2 album as opposed to 8th. I thoroughly enjoy every song except AD.
Drastic Opinion Changes:
Metropolis Part 1: Couldn't stand it, didn't get the fuss. I listen to it fairly often now.

Awake - Aged alright.
I used to find it very bland and boring, largely because of James' gritty vocals throughout.
The more I familiarized myself with it, the more I enjoyed it. I don't listen in one sitting, but in halves. It sits comfortably around the the middle of my rankings.

FII - Aged very well.
It bored me. I thought it sounded dry and lifeless.
Now, I'm listening as I type this. I find the album free and comfortable. None of the members parts sound like they're in a war with each other.

SFAM - Aged very well.
I absolutely adored this album before.
I absolutely adore this album now. I still listen regularly.

SDOIT - Aged exceptionally well.
I loved this album when I first heard it. The unique sound, the production, and consistency, but Disc 2 seemed jarring and sometimes forced.
Now it sits #1. I love the flow, tracks, names, concept, lyrics, production, and overall quality. Once I listened through the suite more often, I understood it, and why it transitions the way it does.
Drastic Opinion Changes:
Goodnight Kiss: Thought it was considerably weaker than anything else on SDOIT. Now that I "understand" disc 2, I enjoy it much more.

TOT - Aged well.
I enjoyed the album at first, thought Vacant, ES, and SoC where disappointing.
ES, Vacant, and ITNOG are my favorite songs. I enjoy SoC. My favorite songs are ranked opposite of when I first heard it.
Drastic Opinion Changes:
Endless Sacrifice: I thought it was boring with awkward phrasing, now it's my #2 track from TOT.

8VM - Aged well
I've grown to like a few songs I didn't before, some have remained the same.
IWBY and NE are the most annoying tracks on the album, but I still love every second of the title track, and I enjoy PA, SS, and TROAE
Drastic Opinion Changes:
SS: Seemed tedious, and a chore to listen to. Now it's my #2 off of the album next to the title track.

SC - Aged alright
At first I thought the album as a whole was fresh and energetic sounding
Now I find I enjoy the first track, skip the middle, and enjoy the last few songs.
Side note: I used ITPOE1 in a powerpoint on DT I did last semester for Computer Apps 1.

BCASL - Aged alright
I liked it at first, thought it was fairly consistent
Now I find all the songs are too damn much work to listen to. I still enjoy TCOT, but the rest of that album doesn't have that "discovery" effect each time I listen.

ADTOE - Aged well
This album aged like SC for me. I loved it when I heard it, and really liked the atmosphere.
Now, I enjoy the first track, skip the middle section, and love the last 5.
Drastic Opinion Changes:
BMUBMD: For some reason I used to enjoy this song. Now I gag at the thought of it.

DT12 - Aged very well
I was originally a tiny bit disappointed, and I missed some of the wankery
Now I can appreciate the tighter songwriting, and I find this the most consistent album they've released aside from maybe I&W and SDOIT.

EDIT: Blob, your description of WDADU actually made me laugh out loud.

[mirko_metal_88]

WDADU - at first i liked it....it's now one of my favourite albums

I&W - always loved it, still love it

Awake - always loved it, still love it

FII - never liked it, still don't like it

SFaM - always loved it, now i like it a bit less

6DOIT - at first i disliked it...i currently like it very much (apart from some tracks on cd1)

ToT - at first i liked it....still like it very much aspart from some tracks

8vm - at first i disliked it, still don't love it

SC - never liked this one, apart from some tracks (ministry of lost souls is awesome)

BCSL - total dislike, then & now

ADTOE - never liked it, still don't like it apart from breaking all illusions

DT12 - at first i liked it, still do it

[kirksnosehair]

WDADU:  I didn't know who Dream Theater were when this was released.  I bought this one after hearing I&W and it was a pretty huge letdown.  That said, for what it is, I feel it has aged pretty well. 


I&W: I still love it today.  Nothing has ever blown my mind the way that album did, and I don't think my fondness of it will ever wane.
 
Awake: I've always had a love/hate relationship with this album, and over the years that has not changed much, although today there is a lot more love than hate.  When it first came out, I hated it. I didn't want this shit, I wanted "Images & Words II"  Today, I love this album.  I love every song, except "Space Dye Vest"  That song is dead to me.


ACOS: Yeah, yeah, yeah, not an album, blah, blah, blah....ok, now that I've got that out of the way, this album really bums me out, because it could have been so much better.  The "live" tracks are great, Dream Theater show some nice versatility.  One might even call it...especially special versatility.  I still spin it from time to time and think it's aged pretty nicely.




FII:  Pretty much hated it when it came out, and since at this point I also had not warmed to "Awake" (that would happen years later) I was on the fence about buying any more Dream Theater records after FII.   It's half of a great album and half of a progressive metal band trying to be something it never was and never would be: mainstream     That said, the good tracks like "Peruvian Skies," "Hell's Kitchen," "Lines In The Sand" and "Trial of Tears" were absolutely killer.  Still 4 of my favorite Dream Theater tracks to this day.


SFAM: Loved it then, love it now. This one brought me all the way back into the fold.


SDOIT: Loved it when it came out, but for me the "epic" got worn out a while ago and these days I think of it as an excellent Dream Theater album, but I don't reach for it too often.


TOT: One of the few albums from ANY band that has actually [MP] improve[d] with age [/MP]     Wasn't crazy about it when it came out.  It felt a bit contrived to me, but it's grown on me a lot and today it's among my favorites.


8VM: Didn't like it at all when it was released.  Still don't like it much, but the title track has grown on me a little bit.  This album and SC swap spots at the bottom of my DT preference list.


SC:  (see above)  +  This album is DEAD TO ME!!


BCSL:  This has aged surprisingly well.  The lyrics didn't bug me anywhere NEAR as bad as all of that "Dark Master" and creepy crawly monster stuff from SC.

ADTOE:  FINALLY!!!  They gave me I&W II      Um, yeah, so anyway, this album has really aged well.  It's only been out a few years, sure, but even though I hate the production I was able to tweak it a bit in the studio and improved the muffled/muted sound a bit.


DT12: Too early to tell right now, but I definitely liked ADTOE more.  Now if they can just release an album with songs I like as much as the songs on ADTOE, but with a sound similar to DT12, I will be one happy music nerd!

[TAC]

OK, ill go..

WDADU.... I never listen to this. I got it after I&W and I like the songs enough, but its just not all that pleasant to listen to. I much prefer WDADRu, which I absolutely love. And the Score version to Afterlife is like a whole new song!

I&W....nothing has changed. Still the best album these ears have ever heard.

Awake...not really an album i listen to a lot. When it came out, it was realy a 3 song album to me (Scarred, Voices, and SDV), although I did like Erotomania and LSOAD. Those first three songs did not impress. With this thread in mind, i will say that Innocence Faded has aged incredibly well, from a song I didnt care fo to one I love.

FIi.. When this came out, I was like WTF happened to my DT? It sounded shameful from the beginning. This was also a 3 song album with Perivian Skies, Lines, and Trial Of Tears all great songs, but the rest? Yuk. The Budokan version of Hollow Years turned a bottom 15 song into  Top 15 song, in its '04 form.
I still rank this at the bottom of my DT list.

SFAM...such a relief when this came out. My second favorite DT album. Still holds up.

6 Degrees... Never cared much for the second disc. Always thought it was a waste of time and DT's talents. Thought Disc 1 was great, but The Glass Prison is a track that has not aged well. If there is an album that has slipped a little, it would be this.

Train Of Thought..Although I'm a metal guy, there was something not quite right with this album. I do not need DT to do metal. I have other bands for that. It just lacks something. It sounds so mechanical. There is no breath in these songs. My lowest point of my DT fandom came around this time. I also had kids about this time, so I just wasn't connecting. But Live At Budokan came out, and the  Train tracks  were incredible.  I still rarely reach for it, as I am more inclined to listen to LaB or a boot from this great tour.

Octavarium... A modern day FII is what I thought. Wasn't crazy about it. Love the title track and  i liked Panic Attack, but the rest was just Ok. I will say that it has aged pretty well though. Lots of great variety.

Systematic  Chaos...remains the same as when it came out. Not a great album, but one that is pretty easy on the ears. I have always maintained that after the pinnacle of  Score, this was DT's take a breath album. Something fun and not too serious. It is that.

BC&SL...to me this is still a two song album (TCOT &TBOT). The rest is OK but generally bloated. While I gave them a pass on SC, i was disappointed overall with BC&SL. I actually think AROP has aged well though for me. I fully expect it on the next DT tour leg.

ADTOE...great album then, great album now.

DT12... I like it, not as much as ADTOE, but I do like it. It does have a feeling that it will age well.