A Different Kind of Top 50 List

chaossystem · October 14, 2014, 02:44:38 PM

I was told that if I want to submit my own top 50 "best" Dream Theater tracks, I have to start my own thread...

...So...

Here we go:

But since I hate having to just pick 50 songs and say "This one is number one / this one is number fifty, and this list is carved in stone..."

Because we don't always like the same songs in the same way all the time, and it was hard enough to select 50 tracks out of everything DT has ever done, I'm going to do it a LITTLE DIFFERENT.

Instead of picking 50 songs from best to worst, I'm going to submit what I think are the best songs from each album in chronological and alphabetical order, including a few "live" and "non-album" tracks.

Starting With-

When Dream and Day Unite:

1) Afterlife.
I like these kind of "spiritual" songs, and this is the first example of a recurring theme throughout their body of work. A song that asks questions about life and death and what happens after. Musically it rocks pretty hard, too!

2) The Ones Who Help to Set the Sun.
This song doesn't seem to get a lot of love from a lot of people, so I'm going to defend it. I think it's a good blueprint for a lot of what they did later, with the crazy "changes" and "progressions" in the music, not to mention the sound effects. A good taste of what was to come later.

3) Only a Matter of Time.
My favorite song from this album! Although I do wish there was a little more guitar. Lyrically it reminds me of "Hopelessly Human" by Kansas, or "Vital Signs" by Rush, in that it seems to be a hodge podge of lyrical ideas that may or may not mean something. I would like to think they weren't taking it too seriously, though.

The rest of the album is good, too, and I would like to give "honorable mention" to it, especially "A Fortune in Lies" and YtseJam".

Dream Team · October 16, 2014, 10:00:17 AM

+1 on OAMOT being the best. Afterlife and The Killing Hand are awesome also.

chaossystem · October 16, 2014, 01:24:35 PM

Images and Words:

A lot of people will probably think my selection this time was somewhat predictable, but I had good reasons for picking these songs.

4) Another Day.
A good example of their "lighter" side. too bad there were no songs like this on the first album. But I think that most people who like "soft" or "light" rock might find the guitar on this one to be a little bit heavy. However, you DO get used to it. When I first heard the sax it reminded me a little of Kenny G., not that I'm an expert on his music.

5) Metropolis.
I don't think this song was an immediate hit with the fans like it later became. When I first bought the album, I was curious about what that "Part 1" stuff was all about. I like the way that each verse has it's own (different) chorus, which is something that is rarely done by songwriters. That instrumental bridge is INSANE! What would be the first of many. A good for shadowing of what we were-and hopefully still are-in for.

6) Pull Me under.
I don't think I've ever seen this song on anyone else's "best of" list(s). But come on! This is THE song! the one that broke it open for them and put them on the map! When I first heard it I thought "Yeah! You CAN have a song that at least HINTS at some of the heavier, thrashier styles of metal, but still retain the more PROGRESSIVE styles of bands like Kansas, Rush, ELP, Yes, etc.
It CAN be done! HERE'S the proof!

Again, honorable mention to the rest of the album, especially "Under a Glass Moon," "Learning to Live," "Surrounded" "Wait for Sleep" and "Surrounded."

Rodni Demental · October 16, 2014, 04:19:45 PM

Surprising to not see The Killing Hand mentioned on a WDADU list because it's generally the most popular alongside A Fortune in Lies. Still cool to see appreciation for other parts of WDADU though.

And I'm inclined to agree about Pull Me Under. It might not be the best song DTs ever done, but it's still THE song that represents them.

I&W is pretty much win no matter what song you pull from it, but despite this I find it's been a breath of fresh air to not have any I&W on the latest tour. It's nice to hear other aspects of the band sometimes too.

fischermasamune · October 17, 2014, 01:24:53 AM

Probably any selection in I&W is good. I will do a different one in my list.

Abot WDADU, the ones you mention do not figure out in my top 50. Not sure if they would be in my top 75; probably not.

chaossystem · October 17, 2014, 10:44:04 AM

Well, I DID say my list would be "DIFFERENT!"

chaossystem · October 17, 2014, 01:07:17 PM

7) To Live Forever

I'm not sure if this (version of) this song is in the right place in the order of things, but in the "Live in Tokyo" video, James introduced it by saying "we've just started playing it out recently," so I would guess that it was recorded right AFTER "Images and Words."
I think it's one of their best songs, and if it HAD been included on one of their early albums and realeased as a single, they probably would have reached a much wider audience at the time, for better or worse.
It's maybe a little closer to "Another Day" in style, but I still think it doesn't deviate too much from their overall sound.

chaossystem · October 21, 2014, 02:29:02 PM

8) The "Live at the Marquee" version of A Fortune in Lies.

For some reason this song sounded best during the "Images" tour.
Maybe it was the rawness of it.
It also sounded great in the "Live in Tokyo" video.
I don't know if it's because Moore and Portnoy play it better than Mangini and Rudess, but for some reason the "Luna Park" version, although very good, sounds a little bland in comparison.
Maybe it's because they were younger "hungrier" and had more to prove, so therefore they played it with a little more passion.
But whatever the reason, I think that this is a live performance that stands-and will continue to stand-the test of time.

Honorable mention to "Bombay Vindaloo," an under-rated instrumental piece that no one ever seems to mention on here.
"The Killing Hand" and "Surrounded" are good, too. Too much screaming on the other two songs.

chaossystem · October 23, 2014, 05:13:28 PM

Awake:

9) Lie
This song is like therapy for me.
It almost seems to DOCUMENT some shit that I went through around the time when it first came out!
It was the WORST emotional pain I've ever experienced, and I STILL haven't entirely gotten over it.
When they played this song at the show I was at earlier this year and I was screaming along with the choruses, the ushers looked at me like I had either lost my mind, or was about to start something.
Now you know why.
I also like it's style. Kind of Metallica-ish.
Not EVERY song that they do has to be a "progressive epic" to be great. or at least good.

10) The Platypus Song...I Mean SCARRED!
A lot of people HATE this song, and I just plain don't CARE!
To me, this song IS a pretty good example of one of their "progressive epics."
I think it has some of their best playing, at least up until that time.
If I had to pick a favorite from the album, this would be it.

11) 6:00
This one seems to get ignored or passed over by a lot of people. I think it's as good as anything they've ever done.
For some reason it's always reminded me musically of Deep Purple, specifically the song "Space Truckin'."
I don't know why. Maybe it's the drum and keyboard sounds at the beginning.
Anyway, it SEEMS to be one of their most UNDER-RATED songs.
I would have to say that after "Platypus" it's my favorite "Awake" song.

Honorable mention to "A Mind Beside Itself," and MOST of the rest of the album. Not crazy about "Web," "Lifting Shadows," or "The Mirror."

fischermasamune · October 23, 2014, 09:18:16 PM

I like your Awake selection.

Rodni Demental · October 24, 2014, 05:24:34 PM

As far as I know (happy to be corrected by someone more knowledgeable). To Live Forever existed at least as early as 1988, before WDADU as we have the "Xmas Demos" version with Charlie. We also have the Steve Stone and John Hendricks versions that existed possibly as early as 1989/1990 right after Charlie left the band. Then we have the first JLB demo for this song recorded in 1991 as part of the I&W demos. I believe the more familiar studio version of the song that most of us know actually wasn't recorded until the Awake sessions in 94, and became the b side to one of the singles at the time and re-surfaced on the Greatest Hit album.

I always thought it had a slight Lifting Shadows vibe, or rather that LSOAD kind of had that TLF vibe.

chaossystem · October 24, 2014, 06:35:25 PM

The version that I have of "To Live Forever" is EITHER the '91 or '94 version. I'm not sure which. It IS James singing it, but that's all that I know. I used to have the "Greatest Hit" collection, but now the only version I have of it is the one that I downloaded a long time ago, probably around 2000, give or take a year or two. That's why I put it where I did, because I was pretty sure they had recorded a version of it either BEFORE "Awake" or as part of that album's demos.

hefdaddy42 · October 25, 2014, 04:23:24 AM

The '91 version sounds like it would be on I&W.

The '94 version sounds like it would be on Awake. Plus it has that extra verse at the end.

chaossystem · October 25, 2014, 10:44:18 AM

The version that I have is 4:53, and I think it has the added verse.

chaossystem · October 26, 2014, 01:06:57 PM

12) A Change of Seasons

A lot has been said about this song, (is it proper to call it a song?) including by me.
It's an absolute masterpiece!
A lot of people prefer the "Live Scenes" version to the '95 version, but I think I like this one just a little bit better.
Of course most, if not all DT fans are aware that this was Derek Sherinians first recording with the band, and he is the favorite DT keyboard player of many a DT fan.
I think I like Kevin Moore better, but Derek did ad some interesting moments to the mix. I don't just mean to this song.
This was also the first song where all of the lyrics were written by Mike Portnoy. Good job, Mike.
Is it just me, or do some of John Petrucci's guitar parts, especially on "The Darkest of Winters" sound a LOT like Joe Satriani?
And since I've already mentioned three members of the band, I might as well ad that James and John M. sounded great on this song as well.

I ALSO want to give a very STRONG honorable mention to a FANTASTIC version of Deep Purple's "Perfect Strangers," but I could have done without James's screaming at the end. "The Big Medley" is very good, as well.

ThatOneGuy2112 · October 26, 2014, 02:52:28 PM

Very solid Awake selection. I'd personally have Voices in there somewhere, but Scarred is a pleasure to see.

chaossystem · November 01, 2014, 11:43:58 AM

Falling Into Infinity:

13) Hollow Years
I don't BEGIN to understand why so many people HATE this song. Especially this version. The one without the protracted electric guitar solo from the Train of Thought tour / Budokan show, most of which sounds out of place in this song. I liked this song right from the beginning. It's one of their best, especially among the ballads.

14) Just Let Me Breathe
A complete turn-around from the previous selection, but this is what makes Dream Theater Dream Theater. The fact that they can play so many different kinds of music, and-for lack of a better way of saying it-not lose their integrity. I think this is a big part of the reason that so many people hate FII: maybe they thought the band had "sold out" by trying too hard to be all things to all people. Maybe a lot of you thought it made them come off sounding like they were trying too hard.
This song doesn't seem to get mentioned much on here. It seems to get ignored or passed over a lot, like people either don't like it, or it's "just there."

15) New Millennium
If I had to pick a favorite from the album, this would be it. Derek really shines on this song. It's a little funkier and jazzier than most of what they usually do, but still has the virtuosity that that band is known for. I can't be as optomistic about the state of the world as they were when they wrote this song, but it's still an excellent piece of music.

The rest of the album is very good, too. The only song I DIDN'T care for was "Anna Lee."

Scorpion · November 01, 2014, 04:46:01 PM

... It's like you took a look at my FII rankings and picked the bottom three.

Still good though (I love FII), but man, I can't fathom ranking those songs higher than ToT or LitS.

chaossystem · November 01, 2014, 05:09:39 PM

Stay tuned...

lucky7 · November 03, 2014, 12:51:46 AM

Quote from: chaossystem on October 17, 2014, 01:07:17 PM
7) To Live Forever

I'm not sure if this (version of) this song is in the right place in the order of things, but in the "Live in Tokyo" video, James introduced it by saying "we've just started playing it out recently," so I would guess that it was recorded right AFTER "Images and Words."
I think it's one of their best songs, and if it HAD been included on one of their early albums and realeased as a single, they probably would have reached a much wider audience at the time, for better or worse.
It's maybe a little closer to "Another Day" in style, but I still think it doesn't deviate too much from their overall sound.

Late to the party but I love this track as well...I think I appreciated it more after I purchased the greatest hits and played this particular track quite often...great choice!

Rodni Demental · November 03, 2014, 04:24:41 PM

Nice to see some

for New Millennium. It's my favourite song off FII aswell! (although after that, my favourites are more predictable (LITS/ToT). NM is a totally rockin' not to mention groovin' track.

That bassline is captivating, some of those guitar riffs are chunky and have a badass tone (as does a lot of the guitar work in FII) and those vocal harmonies with James and Mike are some of my favorite JLB/MP moments.

Also, Just Let me Breathe is quite a neat song too that's a bit overlooked sometimes imo. It's got some fun parallels of the themes in Take The Time that gives you a somewhat polarizing perspective. And it really is quite the full on, non-stop energetic piece that's consistent. I just think it's sometimes seen as a bit too generic for DT (perhaps like YNM?) but I'd still argue that there are DT staples all over it.

chaossystem · November 09, 2014, 12:41:16 PM

Sorry this is taking so long...

Once in a LiveTime:

16) Lines in the Sand
This track isn't perfect. I could do without the squealing, shrieking, screaming keyboard sounds at the beginning, but when the song actually starts, it's one of the best things they've ever done live, especially from this period of time. I like the studio version, too, but it's a little bland compared to this performance, and I think the guitar solo sounds much better here than it does on the FII version.

17) Trial of Tears
To me, this is the best version they ever did of this song. I know there are others who will agree with me. Some won't, of course. But that's okay. The rest of us are fine without such approval. I'm not sure WHY this version is so much better, but I think it's because while the FII version is Very good, and the Budokan version is basically just a note-for-note recreation of the original (very nice to look at on the DVD, by the way) they improvised a little on this one, so it sounds more like a live jam without coming across as sloppy and unorganized. Also James doesn't do the exaggerated screaming on this song as much as he does on so many of the others.

I can understand why some people don't like "LiveTime:" it does have some bad moments, and the production is a little thin in some areas. But it has some good moments as well, such as the two songs I've already mentioned, and the "Scarred-to-Drum-Solo" section, the "Freebird Jam," the versions of "Just Let Me Breathe," Voices," "Peruvian Skies," "Pull Me Under," and the encore are all pretty good.

RoeDent · November 09, 2014, 01:16:44 PM

Quote from: chaossystem on November 01, 2014, 11:43:58 AM

The rest of the album is very good, too. The only song I DIDN'T care for was "Anna Lee."

The single most frustrating thing about being a DT fan is the lack of love for this song. How on earth can you (speaking to everyone here) not be moved by that stunningly beautiful chorus?! It absolutely baffles me!

chaossystem · November 09, 2014, 01:19:45 PM

Sorry about your frustration.
I guess a lot of us just feel that it's a little weak in it's overall presentation.

Rodni Demental · November 09, 2014, 05:53:43 PM

Anna Lee is Dream Theater's love letter to The Beatles. At least that's how it came across to me. It's a simple piece, but it wasn't trying to be anything more than that.

Also, I think Livetime gets some pretty harsh reactions sometimes but I think it's a unique release that has an important place in the band's history. Personally it was my first DT live album and I was blown away by all the improv jams and mini covers present all throughout. Even the solo spots stood out because it felt refreshing to hear something new. (I didn't dive into listening to any live albums until I was quite familiar with their studio albums).

puppyonacid · November 10, 2014, 05:30:22 AM

.

chaossystem · November 11, 2014, 10:57:10 AM

Scenes from a Memory:

VERY hard to select the "best" tracks from this one!
So much good music to choose from.
Even if I based my selections on what everybody else likes, there is NO way (in HELL) that I could please everybody!!!
So we're stuch with the following:

18) Overture 1928
I think this is one of the most, if not THE most perfect instrumental(s) any band has ever done. You can pretty much hear EVERY note played on EVERY instrument, which rarely happens, especially in this kind of music.
Outside of LTE, this is the first time-and the first track-most of us got a chance to hear Jordan Rudess play with the band, and he showed why they wanted him!

19) One Last Time
The band rarely seems to get much praise for it's shorter songs. I don't know why. I think this one would have made a good single.It's a style of music that never really goes out of style, and I don't understand why radio doesn't play more of this sort of thing. Also one of James LaBrie's best lyrical contributions. He should write more things like this.

20) The Spirit Carries On
What can be said about this song? At least anything that hasn't already been said? One of their best ballads, and maybe another song that could have been a hit. But then again, it might be a little too long for airplay. And some idiots would probably say it's "too religious-sounding." Not that I care. Good music is good music.

Too paraphrase what I've already said: with songs like "Strange Deje Vu," "Fatal Tragedy," "Beyond This Life," "Home," and "The Dance of Eternity" to sift through, it's very hard to pick just a few tracks from an album like this, and even harder to please everybody.

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A Different Kind of Top 50 List