One-CD samplers for each band member

[erwinrafael]

I have been doing a CD-length sampler for each individual DT member so that I could change my "soundtracks" during my daily one-hour-and-a-half commute to work. I have been choosing songs that I think captures the best work of each individual member for whole songs, not just parts of a song (like Portnoy's amazing outro to Finally Free). I am also arranging the songs in a sequence that makes the playlist sound like a decent album. Anyway, here's what I came up with so far:


Mangini sampler:

Bridges in the Sky
A Life Left Behind
Enigma Machine
On the Backs of Angels
Three Days
Surrender to Reason
The Path that Divides
The Walking Shadow
Lost not Forgotten
Illumination Theory


Portnoy sampler:

Metropolis Pt. 1
The Glass Prison
6:00
Stream of Consciousness
The Great Debate
Panic Attack
Trial of Tears


Myung sampler:

6:00
Peruvian Skies
Fatal Tragedy
Trial of Tears
Take the Time
Panic Attack
Surrender to Reason
Octavarium


I am working on the Petrucci sampler now and it's so freaking difficult to narrow down the best of his work to a CD-length playlist.

[gzarruk]

Those samplers look great! It shows you really wanted to make the songs flow naturally like on an album and not just including your favorite songs untill you get to  80 minutes.

This reminds me when I tried to make a double album (80 mins for each disc) using the MM era albums only. There's so much good material, that I couldn't even decide which songs should be left, so I never finished it 

[pcs90]

I will say Jordan's would absolutely have to include Blind Faith and Beyond This Life for me.

[TheCountOfNYC]

For Portnoy's I would replace Stream of Consciousness with The Dance of Eternity (one of the most rhythmically complex songs of all time should be included in a playlist highlighting the person in charge of keeping time) and replace Trial of Tears with Finally Free (dat drum solo). Other than that I completely agree with your choices.

[erwinrafael]

For Portnoy's I would replace Stream of Consciousness with The Dance of Eternity (one of the most rhythmically complex songs of all time should be included in a playlist highlighting the person in charge of keeping time) and replace Trial of Tears with Finally Free (dat drum solo). Other than that I completely agree with your choices.

My problem with Finally Free is that the drumming brilliance is overwhelmingly in one part of the song. Trial of Tears, for me, has the Portnoy-isms all over the song (how he orchestrates to complement the other band members, his brilliance in marking sections with distinct drum patterns, his love for syncopated hi-hats and rides, then a fill section that is bordering on overkill). It's a more disciplined version of his drumming in Blind Faith, which for me went a bit overboard because there were parts where he "competed" with the other members, especially when he drowned out some parts of JR's solo.

I joked before that if you get used to listening to Trial of Tears, Peruvian Skies and The Mirror, you would pretty much know how to hear if Mike Portnoy is the one drumming. 

[gzarruk]

For Portnoy's I would replace Stream of Consciousness with The Dance of Eternity (one of the most rhythmically complex songs of all time should be included in a playlist highlighting the person in charge of keeping time) and replace Trial of Tears with Finally Free (dat drum solo). Other than that I completely agree with your choices.

My problem with Finally Free is that the drumming brilliance is overwhelmingly in one part of the song. Trial of Tears, for me, has the Portnoy-isms all over the song (how he orchestrates to complement the other band members, his brilliance in marking sections with distinct drum patterns, his love for syncopated hi-hats and rides, then a fill section that is bordering on overkill). It's a more disciplined version of his drumming in Blind Faith, which for me went a bit overboard because there were parts where he "competed" with the other members, especially when he drowned out some parts of JR's solo.

I joked before that if you get used to listening to Trial of Tears, Peruvian Skies and The Mirror, you would pretty much know how to hear if Mike Portnoy is the one drumming. 

I think you must be a drummer, since I've seen many of your posts analyzing (on a very cool and understandable way) Mangini's and Portnoy0s drum parts. Kudos for that!

I'm also a drummer, but primarily a bassist. And, while I think MP's drum arrangements were spot on most of the time, and realy love the drum parts on Blind Faith, to me, the best example of MP playing a fill just for the sake of playing a fill, which doesn't work at all on the song, is what he did on AROP from 3:47 to 3:52. That fill just takes me out of the song all the time (a song which I don't really like that much, anyway). What do you think about it?

[erwinrafael]

I'm also a drummer, but primarily a bassist. And, while I think MP's drum arrangements were spot on most of the time, and realy love the drum parts on Blind Faith, to me, the best example of MP playing a fill just for the sake of playing a fill, which doesn't work at all on the song, is what he did on AROP from 3:47 to 3:52. That fill just takes me out of the song all the time (a song which I don't really like that much, anyway). What do you think about it?

Yes, it's at the level of those fills in Wither where he's like trying to call for attention when the other band members are doing a dramatic slow part with a cinematic vibe. That's why I was so relieved with Mangini's restraint (while doing subtle drumming brilliance) in the instrumental of The Bigger Picture. I thought it would be Wither Part 2. 

MP started doing those overkill fills in parts of SDOIT (like almost ruining Misunderstood with those fast-hi-hat fills). At the time, my mind was going like, "Mike, just because you got away with it on Fatal Tragedy does not mean you do it on all songs." 

[gzarruk]

I'm also a drummer, but primarily a bassist. And, while I think MP's drum arrangements were spot on most of the time, and realy love the drum parts on Blind Faith, to me, the best example of MP playing a fill just for the sake of playing a fill, which doesn't work at all on the song, is what he did on AROP from 3:47 to 3:52. That fill just takes me out of the song all the time (a song which I don't really like that much, anyway). What do you think about it?

Yes, it's at the level of those fills in Wither where he's like trying to call for attention when the other band members are doing a dramatic slow part with a cinematic vibe. That's why I was so relieved with Mangini's restraint (while doing subtle drumming brilliance) in the instrumental of The Bigger Picture, I though it would be Wither Part 2. 

MP started doing those overkill fills in parts of SDOIT (like almost ruining Misunderstood with those fast-hi-hat fills). At the time, my mind was going like, "Mike, just because you got away with it on Fatal Tragedy does not mean you do it on all songs." 

And let's not forget his blast beat on ANTR... just why? 
MP tends to overplay a lot, specially playing live, but, yeah, those fills in that part of Wither are just too much 

Completely agree on TBP, Mangini's playing during that section makes it much more enjoyable. I still think DT12 is the best MM drumming on a DT album so far. Just pure brilliance.

[erwinrafael]

I will say Jordan's would absolutely have to include Blind Faith and Beyond This Life for me.

Finally finished my Ruddess sampler:

Overture
About to Crash
Beyond this Life
Ravenskill
On the Backs of Angels
The X Aspect
Blind Faith
Octavarium

The Petrucci and LaBrie samplers are difficult!

[Tony From Long Island]

I have been doing a CD-length sampler for each individual DT member so that I could change my "soundtracks" during my daily one-hour-and-a-half commute to work. I have been choosing songs that I think captures the best work of each individual member for whole songs, not just parts of a song (like Portnoy's amazing outro to Finally Free). I am also arranging the songs in a sequence that makes the playlist sound like a decent album. Anyway, here's what I came up with so far:


Myung sampler:

6:00
Peruvian Skies
Fatal Tragedy
Trial of Tears
Take the Time
Panic Attack
Surrender to Reason
Octavarium


I am working on the Petrucci sampler now and it's so freaking difficult to narrow down the best of his work to a CD-length playlist.

I wouldn't delete anything from your lists, but No New Millenium for JM?

[erwinrafael]

No New Millennium because I won't delete anything on the list.

[Cable]

Wow, glaring JM absences;

PMU - is worth it too with the harmonics and lead line.
Scarred
LSOAD
Voices

ALL of WDADU could make it naturally. But OAMOT and Ytsejam for sure.

So I would take out some of the existing ones, probably 8V, PS, & FT for others to fit.

[erwinrafael]

Those are good too. Still, am sticking with my choices. The Medicate section alone makes Octavarium a bass playing gem. Peruvian Skies has this amazing singing bass line in the slow stanza. And Fatal Tragedy has this aggressive approach to the bass, especially in the instrumental section.

Would love to see your own sampler.

[Robo4900]

Charlie Dominici:

A Fortune In Lies
Status Seeker
YtseJam
The Killing Hand
Light Fuse And Get Away
Afterlife
The Ones Who Help To Set The Sun
Only A Matter Of Time

Not a perfect list IMO, but I like it, and I think it serves its purpose.

[MirrorMask]

Charlie Dominici:

YtseJam

Yeah, he kinda killed it on that one.

[gzarruk]

Charlie Dominici:

YtseJam

Yeah, he kinda killed it on that one.

[erwinrafael]

Charlie Dominici:

YtseJam

Yeah, he kinda killed it on that one.

He did say it is not a perfect list. 


Anyway, I finally finished my Petrucci sampler:

Under a Glass Moon
The Glass Prison
Voices
As I Am
Misunderstood (controversial pick 1)
Lie
The Spirit Carries On
Breaking All Illusions
Our New World (controversial pick 2)

[pcs90]

Anyway, I finally finished my Petrucci sampler:

Misunderstood (controversial pick 1)

When I was thinking about some songs I would include in a JP sampler, Misunderstood was one of the first ones I came up with, just for its uniqueness alone. I am actually more surprised As I Am made the cut, TBH.

[erwinrafael]

As I Am I think is a good representative of JP's catchy riffing in a straightforwars metal song. The solo is a good representative of a JP speed solo. 

[gzarruk]

I would put another song instead of AIA, but it's ok since it's your list 
I think, though, the list needs something from FII. People can argue about the album being good or not, but something we should agree on is that it had some of JP's finest guitar work at the time. Solos like TAMP, PS, HK, LITS, TOT... just too many good JP solos on that album 

[erwinrafael]

Would love to see your list. Anyway, when I constructed my samplers, I was conscious of making sure the playing ia brilliant throughout the whole song, not just the solos. So most of the songs in my JP sampler had to have good riffs, rhythm guitar work and solos.

Anyway, finally, came up with a LaBrie sampler.

Take the Time
Lord Nafaryus
Voices
Three Days
Vacant
Disappear
Ravenskill
A New Beginning
The Mirror
Scarred
The Path that Divides
Wait for Sleep
Surrounded