Official Distance Over Time discussion thread

[Northern Lion]

Half of the album is Top Notch.

Fall Into The Light
Barstool Warrior
S2N
At Wits End
Pale Blue Dot

I do really like Viper King

I don't not like Untethered Angel. It's fine.

But I can definitely live without Paralyzed, Room 137, and Out Of Reach. Especially Out Of Reach. God does that song blow.

I agree on everything except Out of Reach.  I really like it.

[Podaar]

I especially love Out of Reach. In fact, other than AWE, it's a favorite...probably number 2. Oh, and I like Paralyzed and Room 137 well enough. Really, Untethered Angel and Viper King is what I could live without, but they're alright, nothing really wrong with them.

[Ben_Jamin]

My ranking now would be

1. At Wits End
2. Barstool Warrior
3. S2N
4. Room 137
5. Pale Blue Dot
6. Fall Into The Light
7. Paralyzed
8. Untethered Angel
9. Out of Reach

I have no idea why I don't enjoy Out of Reach as much. I think it's the baritone.

[MirrorMask]

This is the album that will go down in history as the most perplexing one for me and my experience of it. I have NOTHING to complain about, since I like the songs, the approach of writing it together, the direction and the musical choices they've made, and yet I've come back rarely to it. I'm working from home due to the Covid-19 emergency, each day I have 8 hours to listen to music, and yet I have heard the album at best twice since the lockdown began.

[Architeuthis]

I haven't listened to d/t since probably January. I love the album, but I go through phases and albums come and go with me.
As far as my ranking goes.
1. Barstool Warrior
2. Pale Blue Dot
3. Fall into the Light
4. S2N
5. At Wits End
6. Viper King
7. Untethered Angel
8. Room 137
9. Out of Reach
10. Paralyzed

I still like every song on the album though, from strongest to weakest. 

[jammindude]

Count me in on the Out of Reach hate.   Worst song since Prophets of War...maybe worse.  It just sounds like one of JLB's more recent solo material, and OMG is that stuff cheesy and terrible.  (for the record, I liked the MM albums and *LOVED* EoP...but the last two have taken a turn for the worst.  Can't stomach them)

But as for the album as a whole: I really think this is an extremely strong album (in spite of the one misstep).   I even support the decision to list Viper King as a bonus track, as it doesn't feel like a part of the album, or even like a proper DT album track.  I think of it as a fairly cool "B-side" that they just decided to stick on the end of the album.   But I also find myself not coming back to it much.  I've listened to the album straight through probably a dozen times, and I still have it on shuffle at work.  I enjoy the songs when they come on, but even after all those listenings, I could only name half of them if you played them for me right now.    They are just not sticking for some reason.   Maybe I'm just burnt out on the DT sound after hearing them near constantly for 28 years.

[bosk1]

I play it less now than when it was newer.  But it is still probably my most played album.  REALLY strong, start to finish.  I'm glad the crazy people that don't like Out of Reach are a small minority, because that song is fantastic.  Probably my #3 behind At Wit's End and S2N.

[commanderbob]

Out of Reach is automatic skip for me. I've listened to the album many times and skipped it every time.

In fact it's the only DT song that I've never heard in it's entirety. I couldn't even make it through one single listen.

[ThatOneGuy2112]

As far as their more ballad-y songs go, Out of Reach is just a big blah. For sure one of the weaker ones, but I don't feel so strongly as to say I hate it.

No, the real stinker of this album? Room 137. What an utter disasterpiece of a song that is. I just cannot get behind that obnoxious and repetitive guitar riff that pervades the length of the track. I get the whole thing behind the significance of the number in the lyrics, but even coming from a bit of a maths geek, they still just come across as really trite, cliche, and nondescript. It's also probably the worst offender in the recent trend of drenching LaBrie's vocals in cold reverb, which does no favors for the already bland and forgettable chorus.

[IDontNotDoThings]

Out Of Reach is really pretty. I can understand the argument that it's more simplistic than the rest of the album, & maybe some people find it generic as a "love song", but I can't hate it. It's so sweet & lovely & it makes me happy.

[Moor]

This is the album that will go down in history as the most perplexing one for me and my experience of it. I have NOTHING to complain about, since I like the songs, the approach of writing it together, the direction and the musical choices they've made, and yet I've come back rarely to it. I'm working from home due to the Covid-19 emergency, each day I have 8 hours to listen to music, and yet I have heard the album at best twice since the lockdown began.

This is me as well.

[Polarbear]

Out Of Reach is really pretty. I can understand the argument that it's more simplistic than the rest of the album, & maybe some people find it generic as a "love song", but I can't hate it. It's so sweet & lovely & it makes me happy.

I think Out of Reach is DT's strongest ballad in years! DT are not particularly good at making ballads barring a few exceptions, but I quite liked Out of Reach.

Regarding the album as a whole, I still think it's easily the best Mangini era album! I don't listen a whole lot of DT nowadays, but I find myself coming back to Distance Over Time from time to time. Barstool Warrior, AWE and S2N are absolute bangers! There are not automatic skips on this album, although some of the songs are not as good as the ones listed above.

I have probably listened to D/T more already than the previous 2 albums combined! I was getting pretty burned on DT after The Astonishing, but now I'm excited to see where they go next.

[Architeuthis]

Out of Reach is automatic skip for me. I've listened to the album many times and skipped it every time.

In fact it's the only DT song that I've never heard in it's entirety. I couldn't even make it through one single listen.

I always skip Out Of Reach when my friends are around, but usually let it play through when by myself. So maybe I'm a closet Out Of Reach guy.. 

[fadetoblackdude7]

I think Out of Reach is a nice little ballad. It's my favorite one out of all the ballads from the MM era (excluding TA). I like the melodies and the buildup to the chorus. And excellent vocal work from James.

[bosk1]

...and excellent guitar work from Petrucci.  ...and excellent piano/keys from Jordan (the ambient swells that you barely notice if at all in the background are SO key to the song's energy and build).  ...and excellent, subtle bass lines from JM.  ...and excellent, tasteful drumming from MM.  Just an all around home run of a song, really.  And for someone who generally doesn't care for many of DT's ballads, I think that's saying something (although their ballads during the MM era have generally felt MUCH stronger than those that came before).

[Cool Chris]

Out of Reach isn't the best song, but it's the right song, at the right place, on the right album.

[KevShmev]

This is the album that will go down in history as the most perplexing one for me and my experience of it. I have NOTHING to complain about, since I like the songs, the approach of writing it together, the direction and the musical choices they've made, and yet I've come back rarely to it. I'm working from home due to the Covid-19 emergency, each day I have 8 hours to listen to music, and yet I have heard the album at best twice since the lockdown began.

I sorta know what you mean.  I always say that if I like an album a lot, it finds its way into my CD player (or iTunes or iPhone) a lot, and once the initial wave of excitement of the album wore off, I have barely revisited most of it.  The exceptions are Fall into the Light, At Wit's End and Out of Reach, all of which I will still listen to regularly when in the mood for DT, but I don't really listen to the others anymore except very rare occasions.

[Max Kuehnau]

...and excellent guitar work from Petrucci.  ...and excellent piano/keys from Jordan (the ambient swells that you barely notice if at all in the background are SO key to the song's energy and build).  ...and excellent, subtle bass lines from JM.  ...and excellent, tasteful drumming from MM.  Just an all around home run of a song, really.  And for someone who generally doesn't care for many of DT's ballads, I think that's saying something (although their ballads during the MM era have generally felt MUCH stronger than those that came before).

there we go, succinct and accurate.

Out Of Reach and PBD are the only two I regularly come back to. (whereas I always listen to my two favourite DT albums in one go and feel relieved) I hope DT15 will be more like the first two MM era albums in that regard for me. And yes I agree, it's perplexing to me that the hype for D/T was bigger than the thing itself (and wrongly so IMHO, but then again I know it's been praised to bits. I can't see why though.)

[IgnotusPerIgnotium]

Yeah for me Pale Blue Dot is the best track in the album, it's got the usual epic touch that the band is very familiar with and the lyrics are great..as far as the weakest song, easily for me it's Out of Reach..also why James decided to name it almost as a (much better) track from Impermanent Resonance (Slightly Out of Reach)  is something that leaves me puzzled..and only that, the song has a similar vibe with another really great song from Static Impulse called Coming Home..In any case it feels that the album could've easily existed without it.

[hunnus2000]

The spontaneity of the album is what I enjoy the most and that's part of the reason why I enjoy Out of Reach so much plus we all know the back story of how this song was written in 30 minutes.

BTW - I was listening to AWE at low volume yesterday while working out in the yard and when JP's outro interlude came in at around 5:56 I could have sworn I heard subtle sobbing in the background. Anyone else hear this?

[nobloodyname]

The spontaneity of the album is what I enjoy the most and that's part of the reason why I enjoy Out of Reach so much plus we all know the back story of how this song was written in 30 minutes.

BTW - I was listening to AWE at low volume yesterday while working out in the yard and when JP's outro interlude came in at around 5:56 I could have sworn I heard subtle sobbing in the background. Anyone else hear this?

I think what you're hearing there is actually a rhythmic tapping for a couple of bars from that exact timestamp.

It's been discussed before on this forum. If memory serves, the consensus was that it was probably part of a click-track.

[hunnus2000]

The spontaneity of the album is what I enjoy the most and that's part of the reason why I enjoy Out of Reach so much plus we all know the back story of how this song was written in 30 minutes.

BTW - I was listening to AWE at low volume yesterday while working out in the yard and when JP's outro interlude came in at around 5:56 I could have sworn I heard subtle sobbing in the background. Anyone else hear this?

I think what you're hearing there is actually a rhythmic tapping for a couple of bars from that exact timestamp.

It's been discussed before on this forum. If memory serves, the consensus was that it was probably part of a click-track.

It happens from 5:54 to 5:56 and at could be JP's finger moving against the string although I don't know what you mean by rhythmic tapping. But it sure don't sound like a click to me. 

[Max Kuehnau]

No, no click IMHO. I'm very sure it's James being on a delay on " warped inside a never ending TURN turn turn turn...." (you get the idea) and fading out gradually.

[Drinktheater]

Out Of Reach is really pretty. I can understand the argument that it's more simplistic than the rest of the album, & maybe some people find it generic as a "love song", but I can't hate it. It's so sweet & lovely & it makes me happy.

Out of reach is my most listened song in DOT.next to Barstool.

I used to like Unthetered Angel and other songs but like others the album felt old fast I listen more to the Astonishing now.

[nobloodyname]

No, no click IMHO. I'm very sure it's James being on a delay on " warped inside a never ending TURN turn turn turn...." (you get the idea) and fading out gradually.

My perception is that it sounds like a wooden block being tapped. I can hear it begin in earnest at 5m58. But I think we're hearing the same sound regardless of its origin.

Not hearing anything between 5m54 and 5m56, though.

Love these sorts of discussions. Always amazing to hear sounds that may simply be remnants of recording.

[IDontNotDoThings]

No, no click IMHO. I'm very sure it's James being on a delay on " warped inside a never ending TURN turn turn turn...." (you get the idea) and fading out gradually.

I kinda agree, but I think it sounds like there's some feedback thing on the vocals as well. It seems like it gets more jumbled up as it fades out, but it's subtle & quiet enough to not sound "weird". It's a nice touch that I hadn't noticed until today. 

[Kotowboy]

My perception is that it sounds like a wooden block being tapped. I can hear it begin in earnest at 5m58.

You can hear what MICROPHONE they used ? 

[Ben_Jamin]

I hear "Tide" being echoed and then as it fades, the echo is shortened to just repeat "Tide, tide, tide, tide"

[the_silent_man]

Still a great album, it was exactly what was required at the time following Astonishing.

It is a bit unremarkable in that we have mostly short songs that don't really offer anything new, however it is damn solid and has a great 'rocking' attitude that has been missing on the previous few albums that were getting overtly saccharine, culminating with TA. 

[Kotowboy]

How does everyone rank the Mike Mangini albums so far ?

For me it's :

1. Distance Over Time - completely nailed it. Great songs and great production. Everything sounds killer. Also - Wiki says it's their most successful album to date.
2. The Astonishing ( i love it for what it is - but if it was one CD with all the best material on it could have been their best album )
3. DT12 - despite the snare and hot production I think it's great
4. A Dramatic Turn Of Events - a really great 'comeback' if you will. It needed to be business as usual to reassure the fans and it mostly succeeded. I think it's better than Systematic Chaos for sure.

[JayOctavarium]

Dramatic Turn

DoT + DT12




I love DoT / DT12 but ADTOE has a special place for me.

Astonishing is... Not bad... At all... But I still haven't listened to it since seeing it live.

Astonishing

[Volante99]

1. ADoTE and it's not even close. Definitely in the top 4-5 records they've ever done.

2. D12 and D/T (tie) - both have 2 or 3 great cuts, a couple passable songs, and a couple duds.

3. Astonishing - 45 minutes of great, musical, ideas (especially from Rudess) buried within another 1.5 hours of filler, and saccharine cheesy lyrics. Did work better in a live setting, though.

[IDontNotDoThings]

1. The Astonishing
2. Distance Over Time
3. Dream Theater XII
4. A Dramatic Turn Of Events

Top 2 are really close though

[Revenge319]

1. A Dramatic Turn of Events - Great album. Breaking All Illusions is a Top 10 Dream Theater song, and most of the others are easily in my Top 50 or so.
2. Distance Over Time - It might not reach the highs that most of their other albums do, but it's so consistently good and it's so much fun to listen to. Fall Into The Light is the best song on the album for me.
3. The Astonishing - I really, really like this album. It's just really pleasant to listen to. I don't find myself bothered by a lot of the things people complain about, like "My muuuuusic plaaaayer" or the names of some of the characters. I'm glad DT decided to make an album like this. A New Beginning is easily my favorite.
4. Dream Theater - It has some absolutely amazing songs (Illumination Theory, The Enemy Inside, The Bigger Picture) but also has some songs I think are just "okay" (The Looking Glass, Behind the Veil, Surrender to Reason).

[Indiscipline]

1. The Astonishing
2. A Dramatic Turn of Events
3. Dream Theater
4. Distance over Time

Thinking about it, the overall most consistently good four consecutive albums streak in their catalogue.