*Official* The Astonishing discussion thread

[Onno]

Didn't want to start a new thread...

- - - - - Six Degrees Disc Two VS The Astonishing - - - - -

• Six Degrees Of Inner Turbulence Disc 2

or

• The Astonishing



Which is your favourite ?

Listened to both yesterday and TA blows SDOIT out of the water.  I find SDOIT starts strong with Overture and About to Crash, then gets boring/meanders along until About to Crash (reprise) and Grand Finale.

For me it's the exact opposite 

[Outcrier]

You could make a disc with the best songs on TA and it wouldn't even come close to beat SDOIT Disc 2.

[Zydar]

Yup.

[Enigmachine]

You could make a disc with the best songs on TA and it wouldn't even come close to beat SDOIT Disc 2.

True...

It would actually beat it instead. 

[erwinrafael]

You could make a disc with the best songs on TA and it wouldn't even come close to beat SDOIT Disc 2.

True...

It would actually beat it instead. 

Same here. LOL

[Thematt202]

I dunno, every part of TA seems to serve a purpose and it seems that you're never more than 30 seconds away from a spine tingling moment.  SDOIT seems far less magical and much colder/more clinical.  I do still enjoy it, but not on anywhere near the same level TA and SFAM.

The funny thing is that it's actually SDOIT that got me into DT in the first place!  I saw it in the new releases section of my local HMV and something about it piqued my interest enough for me to buy it blind (YouTube/Spotify wasn't an option back then!).  Suffice to say, I promptly bought the other 4 albums (WDaDU doesn't count) and the rest is history!

[Outcrier]

I should've noted that SDOIT is my 1º DT album (and Disc 2 is a big reason why), whereas TA is 9th place.

[ariich]

I probably slightly prefer TA to the SDOIT title track (disc 2), but the rest of SDOIT is so ridiculously good that the album overall kicks TA's arse.

[DarkLord_Lalinc]

You could make a disc with the best songs on TA and it wouldn't even come close to beat SDOIT Disc 2.

That would be absurd, considering that TA is about the whole experience and not individual songs.

SDOIT is my favorite DT album, but definitely TA is slowly getting up there.

[ResultsMayVary]

I have TA anywhere between 3-6 depending on the week you ask, but SDOIT is at #1.

[Thematt202]

I probably slightly prefer TA to the SDOIT title track (disc 2), but the rest of SDOIT is so ridiculously good that the album overall kicks TA's arse.

Never really got into disc one either.  Glass Prison is ok, Blind Faith is amazing, Misunderstood is good (love the trippy ending), Great Debate bores me to tears and Disappear is meh.  All IMO, of course!

[ariich]

I probably slightly prefer TA to the SDOIT title track (disc 2), but the rest of SDOIT is so ridiculously good that the album overall kicks TA's arse.

Never really got into disc one either.  Glass Prison is ok, Blind Faith is amazing, Misunderstood is good (love the trippy ending), Great Debate bores me to tears and Disappear is meh.  All IMO, of course!

That's, like, the opposite of my opinion.

[rumborak]

Disc One is where it's at.

[TAC]

Disc One is where it's at.

6 D's I assume you're talking about.
To me, Disc 2 is useless. It's music that is way beneath them, and I still don't understand why they did it. There is NO part on it that I go "Holy Shit". I like SS and GF and the solo from GK, but that's it. There's nothing remotely interesting about any of it, really.
And TGP is one song that is not aging well for me. And people call ANTR long??

Disc 1 as a stand alone disc is excellent. But as a whole, I'm take TA easily.

[Enigmachine]

To me, Disc 2 is useless. It's music that is way beneath them, and I still don't understand why they did it. There is NO part on it that I go "Holy Shit". I like SS and GF and the solo from GK, but that's it. There's nothing remotely interesting about any of it, really.

whoa

[dtvoices94]

I haven't stopped listening to TA and honestly I was worried I would burn out on it.  TA is top five for me because it has everything I like about Dream Theater.  It has the heavy stuff, the melodic stuff, the softer stuff and the musicianship is top notch.  The only thing it's really missing is an epic but that wouldn't work within the context of what they were going for.  I have such a deep connection to Awake, I&W, SDOIT, and SFAM so it will be tough for TA to move past the 5 spot.

[cramx3]

Disc One is where it's at.

6 D's I assume you're talking about.
To me, Disc 2 is useless. It's music that is way beneath them, and I still don't understand why they did it. There is NO part on it that I go "Holy Shit". I like SS and GF and the solo from GK, but that's it. There's nothing remotely interesting about any of it, really.
And TGP is one song that is not aging well for me. And people call ANTR long??

Disc 1 as a stand alone disc is excellent. But as a whole, I'm take TA easily.

You took this a bit more extreme than I would, but in general I agree with you. TA EASILY, disc 2 of SDOIT is not really interesting to me besides the About to Crash's and Solitary Shell.  The rest I can do without, TA is way more cohesive as a whole.

[pretorios]

Disc One is where it's at.

6 D's I assume you're talking about.
To me, Disc 2 is useless. It's music that is way beneath them, and I still don't understand why they did it. There is NO part on it that I go "Holy Shit". I like SS and GF and the solo from GK, but that's it. There's nothing remotely interesting about any of it, really.
And TGP is one song that is not aging well for me. And people call ANTR long??

Disc 1 as a stand alone disc is excellent. But as a whole, I'm take TA easily.

I have to agree. If there's one thing that still baffles me, it's the love for disc 2 of SDOIT. I just don't get it. Disc 1 is great, but if I'm being honest, disc 2 is rubbish.

[ThatOneGuy2112]

Six Degrees Disc 2 isn't cohesive but it is consistent. It's not got their best material (besides maybe the Overture and About to Crash Reprise), but none of it is bad and it never meanders for too long.

That said, I'd take Disc 1 over it any day.

[erwinrafael]

So this has become the SDOIT thread. 

Anyway, just came in to say that Chosen has really gone up quickly to be among my favorites. In my bus commute earlier, the song came up between Bridges in the Sky and Behind the Veil. I started to sing and drum along to the song, and some people looked at me because I am listening through my earphones. 

Such a beautiful song.

[SebastianPratesi]

Such a beautiful song.

Mm, I'm not liking "Chosen" yet. The chorus is too... 'Bon Jovi' for my taste. I've grown tired of that chord progression after 15 years of hearing it everywhere. Good for you, though!

[BlobVanDam]

Disc One is where it's at.

6 D's I assume you're talking about.
To me, Disc 2 is useless. It's music that is way beneath them, and I still don't understand why they did it. There is NO part on it that I go "Holy Shit". I like SS and GF and the solo from GK, but that's it. There's nothing remotely interesting about any of it, really.

How is beautifully written music beneath them? I find every single track of it interesting.

[erwinrafael]

Such a beautiful song.

Mm, I'm not liking "Chosen" yet. The chorus is too... 'Bon Jovi' for my taste. I've grown tired of that chord progression after 15 years of hearing it everywhere. Good for you, though!

That's what I likee about it. It's Dream Theater doing a Bon Jovi.    I shared the song to my wife because I am so in love. 

[BlobVanDam]

I don't get a Bon Jovi vibe from it. I'd probably like it even more if I did! (I like it anyway)

[Ben_Jamin]

James LaBrie ONLY THREE LINES...

HHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAAH

[erwinrafael]

I don't get a Bon Jovi vibe from it. I'd probably like it even more if I did! (I like it anyway)

The chorus has that vibe for me. Think Bon Jovi singing:

"But I can't climb this mountain without you
No, I can't face this on my own
With you by my side, we will open his eyes
And the truth will deliver us home."

Use the style of one those post-Keep The Faith Bon Jovi songs, ala These Days. 

[Prog Snob]

I don't get a Bon Jovi vibe from it. I'd probably like it even more if I did! (I like it anyway)

The chorus has that vibe for me. Think Bon Jovi singing:

"But I can't climb this mountain without you
No, I can't face this on my own
With you by my side, we will open his eyes
And the truth will deliver us home."

Use the style of one those post-Keep The Faith Bon Jovi songs, ala These Days. 

I don't hear it.

[BlobVanDam]

I'm strictly pre-Keep the Faith for Bon Jovi. Still don't hear it though.

[Prog Snob]

I'm strictly pre-Keep the Faith for Bon Jovi. Still don't hear it though.

I pretty much stopped listening around that same time. They were my favorite band way back when.

[Logain Ablar]

I'm strictly pre-Keep the Faith for Bon Jovi. Still don't hear it though.

I pretty much stopped listening around that same time. They were my favorite band way back when.

Me too actually. I haven't bought any of their albums since KTF.
Dry County came up on 'shuffle' a couple of weeks back - that's a great song. 

[TAC]

I couldn't get my phone out quick enough, but yesterday while I was bringing my son to school, I was at a red light and the license plate in front of me was BONJVI!

[Prog Snob]

I'm strictly pre-Keep the Faith for Bon Jovi. Still don't hear it though.

I pretty much stopped listening around that same time. They were my favorite band way back when.

Me too actually. I haven't bought any of their albums since KTF.
Dry County came up on 'shuffle' a couple of weeks back - that's a great song. 

Yes, that's one of the better songs on that album.

[Thierry]

I'm strictly pre-Keep the Faith for Bon Jovi. Still don't hear it though.

Big Bon Jovi fan here . These Days is by far my favorite album, dark and moody.

[SebastianPratesi]

I'm strictly pre-Keep the Faith for Bon Jovi. Still don't hear it though.

During "Chosen" I keep hearing the choruses of a slower "Livin' On A Prayer"/"Stick To Your Guns"/"I'll Be There For You" (or, for post-New Jersey material, "Always"/"Bed Of Roses"/"Thank You For Loving Me").

I think my favourite song might be "Captain Crash & The Beauty Queen From Mars".

[dparrott]

I probably slightly prefer TA to the SDOIT title track (disc 2), but the rest of SDOIT is so ridiculously good that the album overall kicks TA's arse.

Never really got into disc one either.  Glass Prison is ok, Blind Faith is amazing, Misunderstood is good (love the trippy ending), Great Debate bores me to tears and Disappear is meh.  All IMO, of course!

The only song I really like is Glass Prison.  The rest of D1 is meh for me.