DT15: A View From The Top Of The World (Timeline for DT15)

[MirrorMask]

should James leave his hair white/gray?
i think that he could rock those colors

and yes, that "ventablack" hair of previous years is a little off-putting

Speaking of hair, I've noticed that JR has grown his out during the pandemic. I wonder if he will keep it that way, or shave his head as before.

Seems like they both have to make a conscious decision soon since the photo shoot is incoming. Stay as they are, or get back to their usual looks?

Also the weird thing is that we've all seen them like this in videos. I mean, it's not that we don't KNOW that Jordan is not totally bald or that men of their age obviously dye their hair, but until you never see them, the illusion kinda stands. If the whole point was "we have to look younger, looks plays a little bit of a part", they would refuse to show themselves with the hair growth, since they don't care for it, they might as well stop with the dye.

[JRuless]

should James leave his hair white/gray?
i think that he could rock those colors

and yes, that "ventablack" hair of previous years is a little off-putting

Agree! I like the senior look in LTE. Its not about 'old' but if done in the right way its about experience in a vital way. I think its time for such an era. Embrace it.

[The Curious Orange]

I was being sarcastic.  I actually don't think it's a "bad" album.  It's just not my cup of tea.  I'm not one of those people who thinks it's just garbage.  There's actually a few really good songs scattered across those two discs.


If they could have culled it down to one disc of the best material I probably would have liked it and listened to it a lot more.

Wow - you could have done this years ago. You could do it now and possibly have a different opinion about the album.

See, to me, The Astonishing doesn't just need to be trimmed down to the better songs, those songs also need to be extended to make them DT awesome. The Chosen is a fantastic song, but it's crying out for a beautiful guitar solo, and several of the tracks need manic extended instrumentals to make them work. So even if I cut out half the songs, I'd double the length of the others.

[AboutToCrash]

Holy hell he's looking really grey.

Breaking news: 57 year old man has grey hair 

[Architeuthis]

Holy hell he's looking really grey.

Breaking news: 57 year old man has grey hair 

Yep, and looks better than the dyed black by far.  It has more of a prog rock jedi master vibe. 

[Ben_Jamin]

I was being sarcastic.  I actually don't think it's a "bad" album.  It's just not my cup of tea.  I'm not one of those people who thinks it's just garbage.  There's actually a few really good songs scattered across those two discs.


If they could have culled it down to one disc of the best material I probably would have liked it and listened to it a lot more.

Wow - you could have done this years ago. You could do it now and possibly have a different opinion about the album.

See, to me, The Astonishing doesn't just need to be trimmed down to the better songs, those songs also need to be extended to make them DT awesome. The Chosen is a fantastic song, but it's crying out for a beautiful guitar solo, and several of the tracks need manic extended instrumentals to make them work. So even if I cut out half the songs, I'd double the length of the others.

I have no idea what version of Chosen you're listening to, but it does have an amazing beautiful guitar solo. That guitar solo is one reason I love Chosen.

[hefdaddy42]

I was being sarcastic.  I actually don't think it's a "bad" album.  It's just not my cup of tea.  I'm not one of those people who thinks it's just garbage.  There's actually a few really good songs scattered across those two discs.


If they could have culled it down to one disc of the best material I probably would have liked it and listened to it a lot more.

Wow - you could have done this years ago. You could do it now and possibly have a different opinion about the album.

See, to me, The Astonishing doesn't just need to be trimmed down to the better songs, those songs also need to be extended to make them DT awesome. The Chosen is a fantastic song, but it's crying out for a beautiful guitar solo, and several of the tracks need manic extended instrumentals to make them work. So even if I cut out half the songs, I'd double the length of the others.

I have no idea what version of Chosen you're listening to, but it does have an amazing beautiful guitar solo. That guitar solo is one reason I love Chosen.

That's what I was thinking.

[geeeemo]

Speaking of hair, I've noticed that JR has grown his out during the pandemic. I wonder if he will keep it that way, or shave his head as before.

Jordan posted a video in FB yesterday. He shaved his head. I like James grey, but he will need to cut his hair. The white for 4 inches, followed by black isn't a good look to me.

[kirksnosehair]

I was being sarcastic.  I actually don't think it's a "bad" album.  It's just not my cup of tea.  I'm not one of those people who thinks it's just garbage.  There's actually a few really good songs scattered across those two discs.


If they could have culled it down to one disc of the best material I probably would have liked it and listened to it a lot more.

Wow - you could have done this years ago. You could do it now and possibly have a different opinion about the album.

Uh, OK, but this assumes that I want to do something like that and it misses the point I was making.  I didn't say "If I could have culled it down" (I both could have and did cull it down) I said "If they could have culled it down" Meaning, if they could have made the album shorter themselves.  I'm not referring to just taking the best tracks from it and ditching the rest.  I did that a week after it came out, but even the best material from this album is just kind of there.  And bastardizing it like that makes the story completely opaque and pointless.  So it becomes a collection of 7 or 8 decent, but mostly disjointed tracks that just don't scratch my Dream Theater itch.  What's the point of listening to 1/3 of a concept album? 


I have a collection of Dream Theater songs compiled into a big playlist and some of the tracks from this album made the cut along with a few selected tracks from some of the other Dream Theater albums I'm not very fond of like Octavarium, Systematic Chaos, Falling Into Infinity and the self-titled album. 


But I would have preferred a single-album and not a Frankenstein's partial mix of what I consider the best tracks, but a completed piece of work by the artist themselves. 

[Stadler]

What's the point of listening to 1/3 of a concept album? 

This made me laugh out loud.   

[CodyWanKenobi]

So here's my take on TA. I don't think DT made it thinking any DT fans would often casually listen to it just like any old DT album. I love the album, but I hardly listen to it unless I'm in the mood and have the time to take that journey. I kind of look at it the way I look at Krispy Kreme donuts vs donuts from a traditional donut shop. Krispy Kreme donuts are technically donuts right? But we all know they're kind of their own thing. Completely different from donuts that are made at a traditional donut shop. I might be in the mood for donuts (a DT album) one morning, but that doesn't mean I'm in the mood for Krispy Kreme donuts (TA). Gotta be in the right mood for those. Sometimes I'm totally in the mood for Krispy Kreme (TA) and a traditional donut (more typical DT album) isn't going to give me what I'm craving from a KK (TA). The problem with the fans is, they want The Astonishing to be a traditional donut so bad but it's not. It's a Krispy Kreme donut.

It's unfair to talk about it in the same way we'd talk about a normal DT album. It's not. It wasn't supposed to be. It's never going to be. In that way, it's unfair to compare it to the others. Apples to oranges. It's a fuckin rock opera for crying out loud.

[pg1067]

I kind of look at it the way I look at Krispy Kreme donuts vs donuts from a traditional donut shop. Krispy Kreme donuts are technically donuts right? But we all know they're kind of their own thing. Completely different from donuts that are made at a traditional donut shop.

LOL...what?  The standard Krispy Kreme glazed donut is virtually identical to a glazed donut at every other donut shop.  What makes KK different is that most of its donuts are based on the standard glazed donut.  There are tons of KK varieties that are nothing but a standard glazed donut with something added on top.  A normal donut shop has two categories of donuts:  those made with yeast (e.g., a standard glazed) and those made like cake (e.g., a standard sprinkle donut).  Basing most of its donuts on the standard glazed creates lots of production efficiencies for KK, but reduces variety.  Fortunately, KK has a few varieties that are slightly different (e.g., Boston Cream).

With all that being said, the analogy of TA to KK might make sense in terms of the massive amount of sameness on the album, but I don't think that was what you were going for.

[hunnus2000]

KK donuts  = 

[darkshade]

A Dream Theater album is like your favorite item(s) at Taco Bell, plus a couple of tacos and a drink.

The Astonishing is all of the Taco Bell ingredients piled high onto a giant platter, with no drink, no utensils, and no napkins.

[WilliamMunny]

A Dream Theater album is like your favorite item(s) at Taco Bell, plus a couple of tacos and a drink.

The Astonishing is all of the Taco Bell ingredients piled high onto a giant platter, with no drink, no utensils, and no napkins.

[nobloodyname]

Well, one thing's for sure. We all know a lot more about doughnuts now.

[SwedishGoose]

Apart from the donuts which I don't know anything about I wholeheartedly agree with you.

The Astonishing is to me a masterpiece that is quite different from their other albums yet still contains the core of what they are.

It's also something where you will need time and focus to really aporeciate it.

It's clearly not for everyone but for some of us it holds a apecial place in our hearts.

Cutting it down would be like carving away at my heart

[IDontNotDoThings]

So here's my take on TA. I don't think DT made it thinking any DT fans would often casually listen to it just like any old DT album. I love the album, but I hardly listen to it unless I'm in the mood and have the time to take that journey. I kind of look at it the way I look at Krispy Kreme donuts vs donuts from a traditional donut shop. Krispy Kreme donuts are technically donuts right? But we all know they're kind of their own thing. Completely different from donuts that are made at a traditional donut shop. I might be in the mood for donuts (a DT album) one morning, but that doesn't mean I'm in the mood for Krispy Kreme donuts (TA). Gotta be in the right mood for those. Sometimes I'm totally in the mood for Krispy Kreme (TA) and a traditional donut (more typical DT album) isn't going to give me what I'm craving from a KK (TA). The problem with the fans is, they want The Astonishing to be a traditional donut so bad but it's not. It's a Krispy Kreme donut.

It's unfair to talk about it in the same way we'd talk about a normal DT album. It's not. It wasn't supposed to be. It's never going to be. In that way, it's unfair to compare it to the others. Apples to oranges. It's a fuckin rock opera for crying out loud.

Yngwie Malmstein did not like this post

[Bertielee]

So here's my take on TA. I don't think DT made it thinking any DT fans would often casually listen to it just like any old DT album. I love the album, but I hardly listen to it unless I'm in the mood and have the time to take that journey. I kind of look at it the way I look at Krispy Kreme donuts vs donuts from a traditional donut shop. Krispy Kreme donuts are technically donuts right? But we all know they're kind of their own thing. Completely different from donuts that are made at a traditional donut shop. I might be in the mood for donuts (a DT album) one morning, but that doesn't mean I'm in the mood for Krispy Kreme donuts (TA). Gotta be in the right mood for those. Sometimes I'm totally in the mood for Krispy Kreme (TA) and a traditional donut (more typical DT album) isn't going to give me what I'm craving from a KK (TA). The problem with the fans is, they want The Astonishing to be a traditional donut so bad but it's not. It's a Krispy Kreme donut.

It's unfair to talk about it in the same way we'd talk about a normal DT album. It's not. It wasn't supposed to be. It's never going to be. In that way, it's unfair to compare it to the others. Apples to oranges. It's a fuckin rock opera for crying out loud.

Yngwie Malmstein did not like this post

Yngwie and the "fooking" donuts...

[Stadler]

KK donuts  = 

You are incorrect. 

[Lonk]

I had KK for the first time just a few weeks ago. Way better than Dunkin'

[hunnus2000]

KK donuts  = 

You are incorrect. 

Oh Yeah? All I know is that every time someone would bring KKs into the office, the glazed donuts look like they were coated in polyurethane so much that I could see my reflection in them. Give me a regular glazed donut from your mom and pop shop any day of the week.

That said, it's prolly been close to two years since I've had a donut of any kind.

[T-ski]

Dunkin' Donuts are not good, they have a weird chemically taste to them.

For me, The Astonishing and Dunkin' Donuts are very similar, they are both the bottom of their respective barrels.

[hefdaddy42]

KK donuts  = 

You are incorrect. 

Hot N Ready, baby.  Nothing like it.

[gzarruk]

I'm just waiting for the announcement that DT15 will be a double concept album about donuts. They'll make you pick sides, DD or KK, and your order will ship with discount cupons and free coffee.

[TheCountOfNYC]

I'm just waiting for the announcement that DT15 will be a double concept album about donuts. They'll make you pick sides, DD or KK, and your order will ship with discount cupons and free coffee.

Free coffee gives DD the edge.

[pg1067]

Dunkin' Donuts are not good, they have a weird chemically taste to them.

Dunkin' are more dissimilar to your normal donut than are KK.  The angel donuts at Dunkin' are killer, as are the toasted coconut and butternut donuts.  I haven't been there in a while, but I was geeked when they opened a Dunkin' close enough to me to go once in a while.

[Architeuthis]

I dunno, but I find the donuts from the Safeway bakery better than KK or DD.  Just ask your local sheriff.. 👮‍♂️🍩

[TAC]

Speaking of hair, I've noticed that JR has grown his out during the pandemic. I wonder if he will keep it that way, or shave his head as before.

Nope!

[RMGadelha]

I'm just waiting for the announcement that DT15 will be a double concept album about donuts. They'll make you pick sides, DD or KK, and your order will ship with discount cupons and free coffee.

I'm still waiting for the "Smell My Beard" 20-minute epic. 

[dparrott]

DD apple fritter is better than KK, it has apple filling in the middle.

[Lonk]

I'm just waiting for the announcement that DT15 will be a double concept album about donuts. They'll make you pick sides, DD or KK, and your order will ship with discount cupons and free coffee.

I'm still waiting for the "Smell My Beard" 20-minute epic. 

Well, we got a 14+ min "your beard is good" improvisation jam, so close enough

[hefdaddy42]

Speaking of hair, I've noticed that JR has grown his out during the pandemic. I wonder if he will keep it that way, or shave his head as before.

Nope!

[Zydar]

Nice!

[bosk1]

Speaking of hair, I've noticed that JR has grown his out during the pandemic. I wonder if he will keep it that way, or shave his head as before.

Nope!

I enjoyed that way more than I should have.