Scenes From a Memory vs. The Astonishing

[Bertielee]

I think the fact that at least 20 songs on the album start with a piano melody or acoustic melody makes it come across as even more ballad-y than it actually is, though there a still a crazy amount of ballads for a progressive metal band

The album is too mellow to be progressive metal.

This I don't get, because there is a lot of metal moments on it.

B.Lee

[Enigmachine]

softer songs
My Last Farewell

nah

[ytsejam58]

I don't know how to quote things on here, but this is in response to the ballads comments.

I think the ballads would have been fine if they didn't drag on too much. See, there are songs like Heaven's Cove which I feel was a really awesome song but it was so short! The first half is riffing and then 2 minutes is left for the actual singing part and it just feels like a wasted potential, while on the other hand, they put WAY too much time into songs like "Chosen" and "Act of Fayth" Hymn of a Thousand Voices is actually a good song but I have a problem with the premise of the story after My Last Farewell.
And A Better Life would have been a solid song too.. if not for the lyrics. "They ask me Aries, could things be any tougher? The answer's No surprise, Yes you bet your life" -facepalm- you know what that sounds like. It's that misdirect thing that people like to do in sitcoms. "Are you having a baby?" "No...ah's his name. Due in october"
"I'll keep from losing Fayth (Faith? I don't know). I will ask for Grace and Hope will find a way" XD Oh my gosh! That's so bad. First of all, the whole homonym of Fayth and Faith is confusing enough but then you add in Grace and Hope in the same passage too? (which by the way are all girl's names) My grandmother had a bracelet that had Faith, Hope, and Grace on it.. or something like that. There are decals that you can stick on your wall. It's a cliche.

What was I saying. Oh yeah. Ballads. Ballads are good if they are done right. But these ballads go on for way too long and have really bad lyrics. so... That's why I exclude them. They should have put more time into things like Heaven's Cove or other parts.

[bosk1]

I definitely fall on the side of preferring rockers to ballads.  And for the most part, DT's ballads in particular don't tend to do much for me (with some notable exceptions).  But, dude, Chosen is AMAZING!  And I don't get why you think the lyrics you quotes are somehow "bad" either. 

[Bertielee]

They should have put more time into things like Heaven's Cove or other parts.

No. They should not have done anything except what they wanted to do. And that's what they did.

B.Lee

[Mosh]

And that's the sort of response that shuts down any chance for a constructive discussion.

Yes I'm sure DT made the album they wanted and are proud of everything to do with it. That doesn't mean we have to all agree that there were missed opportunities.

[Bertielee]

And that's the sort of response that shuts down any chance for a constructive discussion.

It doesn't shut down any discussion at all. I just gave my opinion as to the way I see things, just like eveybody else here. This should always rubs me the wrong way, is all.

B.Lee

[ytsejam58]

It feels more like they made the album Petrucci wanted. Thats what frustrates me. It doesn't feel like a Dream Theater album. It feels like a Petrucci project... Also featuring these guys.

[KevShmev]

I simply cannot grasp that line of thinking, considering how heavily LaBrie and Rudess are both featured.  It is a very vocal-heavy record, and Rudess has more featured melodies than you can shake a stick at.

[Mosh]

Yea I almost hear Rudess' influence more in the music than Petrucci. Petrucci's lyrics for sure, but I'm certain he wouldn't be able to create a lot of the music featured without the help of Rudess.

[Ben_Jamin]

It feels more like they made the album Petrucci wanted. Thats what frustrates me. It doesn't feel like a Dream Theater album. It feels like a Petrucci project... Also featuring these guys.

Well, he did ask the guys and they all said "go for it."

[ytsejam58]

Okay... I first listened to the album back on it's release day in January. Listened, relistened, dissected, analysed, fought, argued, but in the end, there is no denying that this IS a part of Dream Theater history now. Just like Falling Into Infinity, I'm sure I can look back on this album and appreciate it for what it tried to do. Just like in Falling into Infinity, too many factors went in preventing it from being the album it should be, but the end product is still decent and none the less Dream Theater than Images and Words. And I think most of the reasons why I fought it so much is because, It wasn't the prog album it was built up to be. It's a rock opera. And instead of comparing this to The Whirlwind or Clockwork Angels, I should have compared this to something like Bat Out of Hell or American Idiot. It has some good melodies in it, some good moments of prog, a few more ballads than I'm willing to tolerate. Does that make it bad? No! Alright, The Astonishing is not bad. But is it shy of being the most amazing, thought provoking, game changing prog album of all time? Hell yes! It's daring, it's different, but it's not new, and it's not astonishing. too many things work against it to be considered a masterpiece in my book. But in the end, I keep coming back to this and humming the tune for Life Left Behind or growling the vicious warning from lord Nafaryous! (I noticed the proggiest moments are when Nafaryous are in a scene ) Yes songs like Act of Fayth and When Your Time Has Come still make me cringe, but I can look past those moments at get to the moments of greatness this album does have! I still think it's missing that thing that made Dream Theater DT, but it stands as an album on it's own

[TheOutlawXanadu]

This is a tough call, and frankly, I wonder if I can even do the comparison sincerely. Scenes is an album I've heard a million times that, while I love, has lost its freshness. The Astonishing is an album that's I'm still learning things about and get excited for each time I start it.

I guess I would say that right now I'd rather listen to The Astonishing. Five years from now though? I don't know. Maybe once the grace period has worn off, The Astonishing will fall and Scenes will rise.

[BelichickFan]

The Astonishing for me.  I love DT's melodic side (whether vocals or instrumental) and TA has a ton of that.  There's a few things I wish they'd done (expanded the final track, had a little heavier stuff mixed in, expanded some solos, etc) but I am constantly listening to TA.

[Chino]

The Astonishing > Scenes From a Memory

No question for me. I actually rate SFAM way at the bottom in terms of DT's work. I find most of the song a chore to listen to with the exception the O1928, TSCO, and FF. I like Home if it's live.

[BlobVanDam]

Looks like I haven't posted in this thread yet somehow.

This isn't a comparison to me. My 2nd favourite DT album vs my 2nd least favourite (or maybe 3rd least favourite. I forgot that DT12 is also a thing). Even after less than a year since TA's release, SFAM still sounds much more fresh and amazing. The Astonishing falls far short of its ambitious goals, and is 2/3 skipworthy for me. SFAM is basically the perfect DT album.

[Prog Snob]

The Astonishing > Scenes From a Memory

No question for me. I actually rate SFAM way at the bottom in terms of DT's work. I find most of the song a chore to listen to with the exception the O1928, TSCO, and FF. I like Home if it's live.

Just for that, I hope cone lady bears your children.

[Chino]

The Astonishing > Scenes From a Memory

No question for me. I actually rate SFAM way at the bottom in terms of DT's work. I find most of the song a chore to listen to with the exception the O1928, TSCO, and FF. I like Home if it's live.

Just for that, I hope cone lady bears your children.

Now that's just uncalled for.

[Bertielee]

SFAM for me. It holds a special place in my heart, if not for the fact that it was offered to me by my brother-in-law at a time when I had no money at all to buy it. It was DT reborn for me. Not the perfect album but close to it. TA is disjointed : there are awesome highs, especially on Disc 1 but Disc 2 is too samey for me and what's more, it doesn't seem to belong to the same album.

B.Lee

[Dublagent66]

I think the fact that at least 20 songs on the album start with a piano melody or acoustic melody makes it come across as even more ballad-y than it actually is, though there a still a crazy amount of ballads for a progressive metal band

The album is too mellow to be progressive metal.

This I don't get, because there is a lot of metal moments on it.

B.Lee

Compared to the length of the album and the number tracks, there isn't a lot.  Hence previous discussions of the album being too ballady.  It's a valid point.

[Bertielee]

I think the fact that at least 20 songs on the album start with a piano melody or acoustic melody makes it come across as even more ballad-y than it actually is, though there a still a crazy amount of ballads for a progressive metal band

The album is too mellow to be progressive metal.

This I don't get, because there is a lot of metal moments on it.

B.Lee

Compared to the length of the album and the number tracks, there isn't a lot.  Hence previous discussions of the album being too ballady.  It's a valid point.

So, we have to agree to disagree, because I don't think there are too many ballads. This impression, to me at least, is given by the number of tracks beginning with piano, in a balladish style.

B.Lee

[Prog Snob]

The Astonishing > Scenes From a Memory

No question for me. I actually rate SFAM way at the bottom in terms of DT's work. I find most of the song a chore to listen to with the exception the O1928, TSCO, and FF. I like Home if it's live.

Just for that, I hope cone lady bears your children.

Now that's just uncalled for.

[Pragmaticcircus]

Will I be murdered if I say I don't care to much for either SFAM or The Astonishing? 

[Prog Snob]

Will I be murdered if I say I don't care to much for either SFAM or The Astonishing? 

I'm surprised you're still here.   

[Pragmaticcircus]

Will I be murdered if I say I don't care to much for either SFAM or The Astonishing? 

I'm surprised you're still here.   

Do you remember me? I remember you!


The pacing is what causes my "problems" and The Astonishing isn't my cup of coffee for the most part.

But by golly have I been having a DT revival craze lately! 

[Prog Snob]

It's hard to forget a name like that.

[bl5150]

Will I be murdered if I say I don't care to much for either SFAM or The Astonishing? 

Neither do I.

[Pragmaticcircus]

It's hard to forget a name like that.

That's good then. Now it's Kotowboy and Bosk's turn....   

[Thoughtspart3]

For me Scenes is superior lyrically.  I can feel the tension and struggles of the characters.  Not so much with TA.  This was even more crucial in TA because it is more of a musical.  The story colors the way we look at the music in a more significant way since it is more front and center.  I have a feeling that if the story had been more powerful and resonated more with our own struggles we would most likely have a different view of the ballads. If we could feel more of the conflicting feelings of the characters in more poetic ways (that connect with our experience) the ballads wouldn't feel as tiresome or less dramatic.  Some people just don't like ballads at all so this would not apply to them.

I really love the music on TA(ballads included) and find myself singing the melodies often.  The story, however just doesn't connect or make sense in certain parts which distracts from the beauty of it.

[Blind Faythe]

For me, I find The Astonishing more enjoyable and fun to listen too.

James portrays each character fantastically and the songs are also way shorter than SFAM and for me, I can digest those songs more easily and quickly than SFAM. Instrumentally, I thought Scenes was much more present, but The Astonishing also has one of the most beautiful melodies and piano work by Jordan Rudess.

[Architeuthis]

The Astonishing!  I like Scenes alot, the heaviness, the prog, the lyrics. TA leaves me feeling better after listening to the whole thing. The melody lines and vocals are just amazing and the overall vibe transcends SFAM for me..

[Thoughtspart3]

I think I agree about the vibe.  Musically it ends with a lot of hope and energy.  Of course, there is a reason Scenes ends the way it does...

[Evai]

Maybe I'm a sucker for ballads and simpler songs, but everything from Losing Faythe to the end of the album has me completely hooked. Hymn of a Thousand voices = majestic goosebumps. And then Our New World (a song I otherwise wouldn't care for) just fits so well after, feels like the credits song. Everything is resolved. And then there's more with the last track, tying everything together.

SFAM has the advantage of keeping me entertained the entire time without having to pay attention to the story, by not having a very long first disc that loses me on multiple listens. No way can I choose between the two.