"Scarred" Appreciation & Discussion Thread

[CrimsonSunrise]

Yesterday I downloaded OTBOA from iTunes. So....  I wanted to burn it and figured it was time for a new Best of DT disc...

OTBOA
Scarred
LITS
ACOS
LTL


Scarred is a very unique song, with a unique flow and feel.  Absolutely love it. Also Love the ending!!

[atmyne]

^ thats a pretty flawless disc you have come up with! I'm struggling to think of any tracks to add to it haha. I mean if it were me, I'd probably add (assuming it would fit on the disc) Blind faith, and maybe WFS before LTL.

Scarred rules. It's almost a perfect DT song for me, I just don't dig that noodly guitar/keyboard run thing. Initially I thought it was kinda cool (being a guitar player and all), but I just don't dig it at all. Guitar and keyboard solos rule... everything else in this track rules! especially DAT outro.
I seem to be in a minority here, but that outro is like the pinnacle of DT excellence. Admittedly, I never used to be too keen on it until not long ago; and it was such a profound moment for me when it did 'click'. I wish/hope more DT fans would have the ending 'click' for them in the same way as it did for me.

[Ravenheart]

Best song they've ever made.

The lyrics are so parallel to my parent's relationship with each other and their divorce. I remember reading the lyrics in the midst of all the drama, and I couldn't believe it. It's like Petrucci crawled through a hole in time, watched my parents for 5 or 6 years, then went back and wrote the lyrics.

[BlobVanDam]

Scarred is one of Awake's concrete shoes, metaphorically speaking.

[Ravenheart]

Scarred is one of Awake's concrete shoes, metaphorically speaking.

How so? 

[BlobVanDam]

Scarred is one of Awake's concrete shoes, metaphorically speaking.

How so? 

Because it drags the album waaaaay down. The metaphor is quite clear.

[Ravenheart]

...I know. I was just asking for an elaboration on why you felt that way.

[BlobVanDam]

Oh. I can't even remember the last time I listened to it and I can barely remember it, but I'll try.

There's nothing memorable about it. It starts off alright with the mellow intro, and the first verse is ok, I guess. But from there it loses the plot. What I figure is the chorus is so weakly written I can't actually tell for sure it's supposed to be a chorus. I'm not exaggerating, those melodies are like someone went up and down a piano to write them. They show no care for melody. And the church bell sound just further confuses me.
And the outro riff is unnecessary and has no clear purpose. It feels like an improv string melody over some random time sig riffing. It's not memorable, I can't tell what feel it's trying to convey, and it doesn't go anywhere. The whole song has all of the weaknesses of a WDADU song.
I can't remember the rest, and I'm not going to listen to it just to remember why I hate it.

[Ravenheart]

Wow, I couldn't disagree more with that.

I guess it's different for me. Like I said, the lyrics have a lot of personal meaning for me, so the chorus, or whatever you wanna call it, has a definite meaning. I feel like they captured feel and emotion in the instrumentation perfectly within its 11 minutes.

What you're saying could be applied to a lot of DT's songs post-Awake, but I just have a difficult time understanding how Scarred fits the bill. But if that's how you feel, then that's you feel, I guess, and I certainly can't change that.

[CrimsonSunrise]

Oh. I can't even remember the last time I listened to it and I can barely remember it, but I'll try.

There's nothing memorable about it. It starts off alright with the mellow intro, and the first verse is ok, I guess. But from there it loses the plot. What I figure is the chorus is so weakly written I can't actually tell for sure it's supposed to be a chorus. I'm not exaggerating, those melodies are like someone went up and down a piano to write them. They show no care for melody. And the church bell sound just further confuses me.
And the outro riff is unnecessary and has no clear purpose. It feels like an improv string melody over some random time sig riffing. It's not memorable, I can't tell what feel it's trying to convey, and it doesn't go anywhere. The whole song has all of the weaknesses of a WDADU song.
I can't remember the rest, and I'm not going to listen to it just to remember why I hate it.

Just goes to show, people have different tastes and opinions.  I'd be curious to see a list of your top DT tunes.

[BlobVanDam]

What you're saying could be applied to a lot of DT's songs post-Awake, but I just have a difficult time understanding how Scarred fits the bill. But if that's how you feel, then that's you feel, I guess, and I certainly can't change that.

Modern DT gets criticized for the same things that Scarred does to an equal extent, and yet it gets praised for it. I don't get it. At least modern DT songs focus on strong melodies and riffs where it counts. Scarred really has nothing to redeem the mistakes for me. It's a mishmash. You can say the same for modern DT, but I don't mind a mishmash when the individual parts are actually good to begin with.

I'm not trying to change your opinion either of course. Trying to change opinions online is pointless. I'm just venting an opinion.

[WDMode]

Love this song! Killer intro (i love the chaos in motion version, since it has and extended intro with a tasty  JP solo), the instrumental is pretty awsome, killer solo from JP and KM. What more can i say? one of my favourites from awake, no doubt

[LieLowTheWantedMan]

Their 3rd best song.

[KevShmev]

The lyrics are so parallel to my parent's relationship with each other and their divorce. I remember reading the lyrics in the midst of all the drama, and I couldn't believe it. It's like Petrucci crawled through a hole in time, watched my parents for 5 or 6 years, then went back and wrote the lyrics.

That has to be pretty surreal.  I remember when a friend and I were going hog wild over Awake shortly after it came out, we were really putting a lot of effort into reading the lyrics and deciphering their meanings (this was pre-internet for us), and Scarred was the one we kind of bent out minds into pretzels trying to figure out the real meaning of.  I still think it can be interpreted in several different ways, and I am still not honestly sure what I really think.

[Aramatheis]

Absolutely love the song.

But I don't understand the seemingly endless amount of people on this site who think it's garbage. I mean, wtf? Really?

[Infinite Cactus]

Still is my favorite song by any band ever. I have "Give up on misery, Turn your back on dissent, Leave their distrust behind, Wash your hands of regret" tattooed on my left forearm underneath a burning sacred heart with the DT logo in the middle of it.

[Mebert78]

Still is my favorite song by any band ever. I have "Give up on misery, Turn your back on dissent, Leave their distrust behind, Wash your hands of regret" tattooed on my left forearm underneath a burning sacred heart with the DT logo in the middle of it.

wow.  i'd love to see a pic of that!

[BlobVanDam]

But I don't understand the seemingly endless amount of people on this site who think it's garbage. I mean, wtf? Really?

Are we reading the same thread? All I'm seeing is ridiculous praise (myself excluded, of course)

[austin]

My third favourite song on Awake, I think. I like it a lot.

This exactly.

It was definitely a grower for me, though. At first it was the 'one with that bass tapping intro' I always ended up skipping 9 seconds in, but over time, it became emotionally one of the best roller coasters in DT's repertoire for me

[Aramatheis]

But I don't understand the seemingly endless amount of people on this site who think it's garbage. I mean, wtf? Really?

Are we reading the same thread? All I'm seeing is ridiculous praise (myself excluded, of course)

Just read through this real quick: https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=25598.0

[BlobVanDam]

But I don't understand the seemingly endless amount of people on this site who think it's garbage. I mean, wtf? Really?

Are we reading the same thread? All I'm seeing is ridiculous praise (myself excluded, of course)

Just read through this real quick: https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=25598.0

I admit the voting gave me a slight chubby, but survivors are only a relative measure against other songs, and none of the comments actually said anything bad about the song. Nothing in there indicates that people think it's garbage (unless I skimmed over a post that actually said something bad about it). Not quite the endless amount of people I was promised!

[CrimsonSunrise]

But I don't understand the seemingly endless amount of people on this site who think it's garbage. I mean, wtf? Really?

Are we reading the same thread? All I'm seeing is ridiculous praise (myself excluded, of course)

So...because we like it, we're rediculous?  Or our opinions are?  Wow... never the less, I respect your opinion Blob, even though I don't agree with it 

[BlobVanDam]

But I don't understand the seemingly endless amount of people on this site who think it's garbage. I mean, wtf? Really?

Are we reading the same thread? All I'm seeing is ridiculous praise (myself excluded, of course)

So...because we like it, we're rediculous?  Or our opinions are?  Wow... never the less, I respect your opinion Blob, even though I don't agree with it  

I didn't mean ridiculous as in "wrong", I meant ridiculous as in extreme, ie high level of praise. My vocabulary is limited. Work with me here.

[Lowdz]

Great song, one of DT's best. Great intro, great vocal, great "how come" section, great instrumental section/unison, great riff to fade out to. Not very articulate an explanation, sorry, but a great song.

[CrimsonSunrise]

But I don't understand the seemingly endless amount of people on this site who think it's garbage. I mean, wtf? Really?

Are we reading the same thread? All I'm seeing is ridiculous praise (myself excluded, of course)

So...because we like it, we're rediculous?  Or our opinions are?  Wow... never the less, I respect your opinion Blob, even though I don't agree with it  

I didn't mean ridiculous as in "wrong", I meant ridiculous as in extreme, ie high level of praise. My vocabulary is limited. Work with me here.

 Gee... and I thought I was the challenged one...

[WildeSilas]

When people mention Scarred, I honestly have to go listen to it to remember which song it is. Awake is my 2nd fav DT album and I've had it since the day before it was released, but Scarred has yet to resonate with me. It's like a clip show from your favorite sitcom. Bits and pieces left over and cobbled together from ACOS and I&W. I suspect that's what it is, actually. It's not actually bad, just unmemorable. The verse to chorus transition is the most awkward in the entire DT catalogue

[austin]

Awake is my 2nd fav DT album and I've had it since the day before it was released, but Scarred has yet to resonate with me.

That's heavy, man.

[CrimsonSunrise]

^ thats a pretty flawless disc you have come up with! I'm struggling to think of any tracks to add to it haha. I mean if it were me, I'd probably add (assuming it would fit on the disc) Blind faith, and maybe WFS before LTL.

Scarred rules. It's almost a perfect DT song for me, I just don't dig that noodly guitar/keyboard run thing. Initially I thought it was kinda cool (being a guitar player and all), but I just don't dig it at all. Guitar and keyboard solos rule... everything else in this track rules! especially DAT outro.
I seem to be in a minority here, but that outro is like the pinnacle of DT excellence. Admittedly, I never used to be too keen on it until not long ago; and it was such a profound moment for me when it did 'click'. I wish/hope more DT fans would have the ending 'click' for them in the same way as it did for me.

Thanks...yeah, I like that playlist fo sho!  I'm OK with the noodly guitar/keys, the ONLY part of the song I have any issue with is the vocal scream at "Maybe you'll leave me here to BUUUURRRRNNN!!!!!"    Even that I can appreciate as it's "Part of the overall feel" of the song.

[CrimsonSunrise]

When people mention Scarred, I honestly have to go listen to it to remember which song it is. Awake is my 2nd fav DT album and I've had it since the day before it was released, but Scarred has yet to resonate with me. It's like a clip show from your favorite sitcom. Bits and pieces left over and cobbled together from ACOS and I&W. I suspect that's what it is, actually. It's not actually bad, just unmemorable. The verse to chorus transition is the most awkward in the entire DT catalogue

I actually like the transition...  matter of fact, that's one of the BIG reasons the song sticks with me.  Doesn't seem ackward to me, I love the way it transitions.  Interesting perspective about it being cobbled together.  Who knows?  Maybe there is an inkling of truth to it.

[RaiseTheKnife]

I love the ending to this song, especially the odd 6/8 section that links it to the body of the song.  So prog!

[tri.ad]

I still really love it.

[orcus116]

What you're saying could be applied to a lot of DT's songs post-Awake, but I just have a difficult time understanding how Scarred fits the bill. But if that's how you feel, then that's you feel, I guess, and I certainly can't change that.

Modern DT gets criticized for the same things that Scarred does to an equal extent, and yet it gets praised for it. I don't get it. At least modern DT songs focus on strong melodies and riffs where it counts. Scarred really has nothing to redeem the mistakes for me. It's a mishmash. You can say the same for modern DT, but I don't mind a mishmash when the individual parts are actually good to begin with.

I'm not trying to change your opinion either of course. Trying to change opinions online is pointless. I'm just venting an opinion.

I fail to see how it's a mishmash because I don't buy into the fact that the transitions are anything but smooth so I'll only say the most glaring difference between the sections of "Scarred" and the sections of modern DT songs is that the sections of "Scarred" actually feel like they belong in the same song. There's a unifying style and sound that's so damn obvious to the point where it gives the song an identity. I rarely get that same feeling with a newer DT song because they all seem to be crafted with the exact same style and sound to the point where you could probably swap sections out and they wouldn't sound that much out of place. You can most definitely do that with the solo sections, maybe not so much the chorus and verse parts.

[gabeh1018]

i love how it starts, nice porn vibe. Some of the melodies later on aren't that great IMO, but the song definitely picks up and is awesome from the palm muted E with the unison and great JP guitar solo.
not sure if it would be a top DT song for me though.

[reneranucci]

I still think that the song is the worst DT has ever made. It's boring and convoluted at the same time, and it lacks any punch.

[CrimsonSunrise]

I still think that the song is the worst DT has ever made. It's boring and convoluted at the same time, and it lacks any punch.

The worst??  Wow.....   Not even close in my book. I was gonna list some ones I thought were worse, but then figured seeing it's in my top 10 it would be a helluva long list...