Such differing opinions on Awake....

[AcidLameLTE]

Cool. A bit like your posts in every Israel thread, right?

[ack44]

No, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a much more serious matter and there is no trolling whatsoever.

[hefdaddy42]

I just psycho-analyzed myself and realized the only reason I posted in this thread was to   while people got riled up about an undesirable link in their forum.

Why?

[Dublagent66]

Yes, many opinions do vary on Awake, but that doesn't change the fact that it is one of their best albums.

Obviously you don't know what opinion means if you think that's a fact.

Obviously, you can't take a joke.   

[Perpetual Change]

But when we're discussing 'best album' nothing beyond Six Degrees is in the equation anyways.

I'm listening.

This had better be fucking impressive.

Do listen, and be enlightened.

I just psycho-analyzed myself and realized the only reason I posted in this thread was to   while people got riled up about an undesirable link in their forum.

No disrespect, but your attitude exactly the reason why 5/8 will never fully grow up from being a place for people pissed off at DT or the various affiliated fansites.  Which is probably a good thing, because otherwise it'd just turn into a "lite" version of a certain "chan" site.

[hefdaddy42]

But when we're discussing 'best album' nothing beyond Six Degrees is in the equation anyways.

I'm listening.

This had better be fucking impressive.

Do listen, and be enlightened.

I just psycho-analyzed myself and realized the only reason I posted in this thread was to   while people got riled up about an undesirable link in their forum.

No disrespect, but your attitude exactly the reason why 5/8 will never fully grow up from being a place for people pissed off at DT or the various affiliated fansites.  Which is probably a good thing, because otherwise it'd just turn into a "lite" version of a certain "chan" site.

PC, we don't need bashing of ANY other forum here.

[Perpetual Change]

Aye aye, captain.

[Dream Team]

Congratulations, you contributed absolutely nothing to the thread

I was demonstrating that in a site with more diverse music discussion, Awake is top rated. It's probably not really the thing for prog nerds (ratings on progarchives are pretty low) but it seems like it's being more recognized with time.

5/8 is not only NOT a DT related forum, but it's a forum that exists because they didn't like DT any more, and reading any DT thread there, it's just a pissing contest to see who can blatantly bash DT the most, and you'll see there is no actual discussion there. If anything, their opinion means less than anyone's due to their ridiculous biases, and bringing it here has no relevance, let alone bumping an ancient thread to do so.

edit: beaten by robwebster, and in style

And of course, you have no rebuttal for this post of BVD's.

[orcus116]

Cause he responded to rob's, dude.

[emindead]

With a little help from food poisoning.

He was having bad nights before the incident, and plenty of bootlegs from the later legs of the I&W tours and before the incident show him as much less of a monster than we assume from the overdubbed Live at the Marquee. Sometimes, I genuinely wonder if the food poisoning had as much to do with James' inconsistent singing from 95-02 as simply not taking care of himself and screaming through songs like "Surrounded" did.

You got to be kidding. At that moment his voice was tired. He wasn't as dedicated to the care of his voice like today because he had his "I'm young and I'm a rocker, fuck the future" attitude. Had he been as careful as he is today you would listen the majority of the nights the same type of voice you hear in Awake. That lot of drive in his voice was, still, badass.

[Marvellous G]

I can see why people would call it badass, but to me it just sounds harsh and isn't really what I want from DT vocals.

[ack44]

No disrespect, but your attitude exactly the reason why 5/8 will never fully grow up from being a place for people pissed off at DT or the various affiliated fansites.  Which is probably a good thing, because otherwise it'd just turn into a "lite" version of a certain "chan" site.

Me pissed off at DT and affiliated fansites? Silliness. The only piss in this thread is towards 5/8, exact opposite dude. Sure there are people who hate DTF, but I'm not one of them.

[Perpetual Change]

No disrespect, but your attitude exactly the reason why 5/8 will never fully grow up from being a place for people pissed off at DT or the various affiliated fansites.  Which is probably a good thing, because otherwise it'd just turn into a "lite" version of a certain "chan" site.

Me pissed off at DT and affiliated fansites? Silliness. The only piss in this thread is towards 5/8, exact opposite dude. Sure there are people who hate DTF, but I'm not one of them.

Oh. Sorry. I couldn't tell 

[orcus116]

A music discussion site.

[hefdaddy42]

OK, enough, guys.

[ZKX-2099]

Yes Awake is my 2nd least favorite Dream Theater CD... but only because I like everything else more.

6:00 - Love that song one of the best on Awake.
Caught In A Web - Mid tier song. Not crazy about it. But I am listening to it as I type this. It's a fun one.
Innocence Faded - I would say another mid tier song for me.
Erotomania - Probably my least favorite Dream Theater instrumental. No real hooks that grab me. But very good technically.
Voices - Best song on Awake
The Silent Man - Love it... and I rarely say that about acoustic songs.
The Mirror - Lower mid tier. Not much that grabs me.
Lie - Love it. I like the contrast of the silly lyrics and the hard riffs.
Lifting Shadows Off A Dream - My least favorite Dream Theater song. Not a fan of "relationship" songs and "Lifting shadows off a Dream once broken. She can turn a drop of water Into an ocean" is tackier than any lyric in Burning My Soul.
Scarred - Took me time to like it. It's a solid song. That said they have done better.
Space Dye Vest - Love the song just shouldn't be an album closer.

[hefdaddy42]

Lifting Shadows Off A Dream - My least favorite Dream Theater song.

Not a fan of "relationship" songs and "Lifting shadows off a Dream once broken. She can turn a drop of water Into an ocean" is tackier than any lyric in Burning My Soul.

what

[ZKX-2099]

Keep my thoughts and ideas locked inside of my head?

Don't ask me why my hair is gray.

[robwebster]

THE APE ON MY BACK



Tbh, I do agree with you on Awake. Not on the specifics necessarily, but the bit where you say it's among your least favourites, but only cause you like everything else more - that's a fantastic quote.

It's superb! Fine figure of an album, brimming with very good songs. But then I look at all the other albums, and they're bursting at the seams with character! They're more turbulent and exciting, more ostentatious, more powerful. And so, on that behalf, I don't find myself wanting to listen to the subtle Dream Theater album very often when the band's clearly at their strongest when they're big and bombastic and jostle you about a bit.

But still. Awake's good.

[RazielSR]

As I said, for me Awake is the best DT album as a whole album. There are songs in other albums that I prefer, but as an album, is the best for me. And I entered into DT's world last summer. (I had a 2004 moment when I listened to ToT - the first DT album I listened to).

[ZKX-2099]

THE APE ON MY BACK



Tbh, I do agree with you on Awake. Not on the specifics necessarily, but the bit where you say it's among your least favourites, but only cause you like everything else more - that's a fantastic quote.

It's superb! Fine figure of an album, brimming with very good songs. But then I look at all the other albums, and they're bursting at the seams with character! They're more turbulent and exciting, more ostentatious, more powerful. And so, on that behalf, I don't find myself wanting to listen to the subtle Dream Theater album very often when the band's clearly at their strongest when they're big and bombastic and jostle you about a bit.

But still. Awake's good.

Exactly. Yeah Voices and Scarred are great "epic" songs. But stood up to songs like Lines In The Sand, Learning To Live, The Glass Prison and In The Name Of God? You get my point.

[AwakeFromOctavarium]

Awake is my top 1 DT album, because it contains almost all the sounds DT can produce.

Happy-Hippy songs like Innocence Faded and Lifting Shadows Off a Dream.

Sad song like Space-Dye-Vest.

Heavy songs like Caught in a Web, Mirror.

Complex songs like Lie, Scarred.

Clean song like Silent Man.

Unique songs like 6:00, Erotomania.

And probably the best song in the album, Voices.

[BlobVanDam]

Awake is my top 1 DT album, because it contains almost all the sounds DT can produce.

That's where I disagree. To me it feels like it's missing certain aspects of DT's sound, most importantly the aspect of what I'd sum up as fun. It has a bit more upbeat songs, but nothing fun. It mostly feels too dark and serious. IaW was a fun album. And even though I wouldn't really call FII fun, it was a much lighter album. That's one of the reasons Awake is my least favourite DT album.

[changing_seasons]

I think Awake is their worst album, mainly because of the keyboards. Except for 6:00, the keyboard work is terrible. I guess the only DT album with worse keyboard work could be WDADU, but I only listen to the WDADRU version of it, so I don't remember.

[Perpetual Change]

I think Awake is their worst album, mainly because of the keyboards. Except for 6:00, the keyboard work is terrible. I guess the only DT album with worse keyboard work could be WDADU, but I only listen to the WDADRU version of it, so I don't remember.

I think the Keyboards sound great about half of the time, but the other half they actively work against the songs.  And yup, same goes for WDADU.

[BlobVanDam]

The only keyboard work I'd call bad on Awake is perhaps Lie. Other than that, it's just their most subdued keyboard work and pretty inoffensive. At worst it just sits in the background and doesn't contribute at all, and at best it does a great job of adding atmosphere, like Voices, although the constant synth string sound throughout the album wears thin at times.

[robwebster]

Awake is my top 1 DT album, because it contains almost all the sounds DT can produce.

That's where I disagree. To me it feels like it's missing certain aspects of DT's sound, most importantly the aspect of what I'd sum up as fun. It has a bit more upbeat songs, but nothing fun. It mostly feels too dark and serious. IaW was a fun album. And even though I wouldn't really call FII fun, it was a much lighter album. That's one of the reasons Awake is my least favourite DT album.

You're right, actually. 100% couldn't-be-correcter. That's exactly what it is. It's not fun. Most of the other albums feel like a big ol' adventure. Awake's just solemn.

[BlobVanDam]

Awake is my top 1 DT album, because it contains almost all the sounds DT can produce.

That's where I disagree. To me it feels like it's missing certain aspects of DT's sound, most importantly the aspect of what I'd sum up as fun. It has a bit more upbeat songs, but nothing fun. It mostly feels too dark and serious. IaW was a fun album. And even though I wouldn't really call FII fun, it was a much lighter album. That's one of the reasons Awake is my least favourite DT album.

You're right, actually. 100% couldn't-be-correcter. That's exactly what it is. It's not fun. Most of the other albums feel like a big ol' adventure. Awake's just solemn.

And on the flpside, it's probably a big reason why a lot of people who love Awake love it. I can appreciate that many prefer the more serious dark tone of it, but personally I feel it has less character and charm than their other albums.

[TAC]

Blob, I can hear your frustration in what I've read in this thread. It's like being a non Opeth/Muse/PT fan on DTF....

[BlobVanDam]

Blob, I can hear your frustration in what I've read in this thread. It's like being a non Opeth/Muse/PT fan on DTF....

Which I can also sympathize with (although I like Opeth, I still easily understand this one)

[Perpetual Change]

I didn't know you liked Opeth, but cool 

Easily the best of the other bands DTFers cheat on DT with around here   

[bosk1]

Blob, I can hear your frustration in what I've read in this thread. It's like being a non Opeth/Muse/PT fan on DTF....

 Perfect analogy.

I think Awake is their worst album, mainly because of the keyboards. Except for 6:00, the keyboard work is terrible. I guess the only DT album with worse keyboard work could be WDADU, but I only listen to the WDADRU version of it, so I don't remember.

I think the Keyboards sound great about half of the time, but the other half they actively work against the songs.  And yup, same goes for WDADU.

Definitely.  For the longest time, I couldn't even listen to CIAW because of that horrible, whiny, off-key keyboard sound Kev is using.

[Perpetual Change]

Yeah, sometimes it sounds like all he's doing is pitch-bending generic string-synths and it sounds bad.  Caught in a Web and Lie were definitely the two examples I had in mind.  But on the A Mind Beside Itself songs, he does a fantastic job.

[BlobVanDam]

I think Awake is their worst album, mainly because of the keyboards. Except for 6:00, the keyboard work is terrible. I guess the only DT album with worse keyboard work could be WDADU, but I only listen to the WDADRU version of it, so I don't remember.

I think the Keyboards sound great about half of the time, but the other half they actively work against the songs.  And yup, same goes for WDADU.

Definitely.  For the longest time, I couldn't even listen to CIAW because of that horrible, whiny, off-key keyboard sound Kev is using.

Funnily enough, CIAW is my favourite use of the string sound on the album, and I quite like that intro. Funny how that goes
But I know what you mean, because I don't like the similar pitch bendy thing on Lie.

[bosk1]

Now that you mention it, I seem to recall being put off by it a bit on Lie as well.  I think I had more quickly forgotten about it because (1) it's either not as high in the mix on that song, or just not as "in your face" for some reason, and (2) I've heard so many good live versions of the song over the years, I don't even specifically recall the studio version all that well.