*Official* A View from the Top of the World discussion thread

[bosk1]

Odd.  I have felt since first listen that Jordan is very prominent in the mix.

[Architeuthis]

Odd.  I have felt since first listen that Jordan is very prominent in the mix.

Same here, I can hear Jordan just fine throughout the whole album.  I love the way everything is produced and mixed. Pretty hard to top.   

[Vlasto]

Let' support band on progarchives.
I remember my rating for DoT, I suddenly put 5 stars, here I'm balancing between 4 and 5... how crazy I am... 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.progarchives.com/album.asp?id=73168

[WardySI]

Still absorbing this one love so much of it and so grateful to the young son who started working recently wanting to surprise his old man with some vinyl for the Christmas / Birthday combo!  He didn't have to but boy did he choose great!

CHEERS MATE!

[Glasser]

Still absorbing this one love so much of it and so grateful to the young son who started working recently wanting to surprise his old man with some vinyl for the Christmas / Birthday combo!  He didn't have to but boy did he choose great!

CHEERS MATE!

That's a beautiful thing! Sounds like you have a great thoughtful young lad! 

[WardySI]

Still absorbing this one love so much of it and so grateful to the young son who started working recently wanting to surprise his old man with some vinyl for the Christmas / Birthday combo!  He didn't have to but boy did he choose great!

CHEERS MATE!

That's a beautiful thing! Sounds like you have a great thoughtful young lad! 

Cheers, think he's a keeper this one 😉

[Wim Kruithof]

Now that's how you love a dad. Can I borrow your son arround july for a day or two? 😉 Well, I can't complain, since my daughter bought me Distant Memories in vinyl for my birthday.

Seems like we're blessed.

[Samsara]

Been revisiting the new record today. I like it a lot more than I did when it first came out. I played it a few times, shelved it in favor of other records I was jamming on (Myles Kennedy, Mastodon). But really dug what I heard today. Title track is by far my favorite. Could be one of my favorite DT songs of all time.

[TAC]

Been revisiting the new record today. I like it a lot more than I did when it first came out. I played it a few times, shelved it in favor of other records I was jamming on (Myles Kennedy, Mastodon). But really dug what I heard today. Title track is by far my favorite. Could be one of my favorite DT songs of all time.

It's an excellent album Brian, though I have no idea why anyone would shelve it for the Mastodon..

[Samsara]

Tim - their latest, Hushed and Grim, is spectacular. ha ha ha.

But yeah, jammin on A View From the Top of the World today for sure. The show should be fun. Would be more fun with you here bro! 

[TAC]

Tim - their latest, Hushed and Grim, is spectacular. ha ha ha.

But yeah, jammin on A View From the Top of the World today for sure. The show should be fun. Would be more fun with you here bro! 

Amen Brother.

We're seeing them in Boston. I can't wait!

[Kram]

Been revisiting the new record today. I like it a lot more than I did when it first came out. I played it a few times, shelved it in favor of other records I was jamming on (Myles Kennedy, Mastodon). But really dug what I heard today. Title track is by far my favorite. Could be one of my favorite DT songs of all time.

A View is a top 10-15 all time DT song for me (would have to make a comprehensive list to figure out exactly where, maybe I'll try to do that soon).  Regardless, big big fan of it!

[SuperTaco]

I don't know why I keep doubting Dream Theater. It probably has more to do with me than them. This album is very solid, with the title track, The Alien, and Awaken The Master especially getting better with each listen. The only track I don't like is Invisible Monster. Everything else is greatly enjoyable.

The mix and overall sound have improved with each new Mangini-era album since The Astonishing, and AVF continues that upwards trend with a concise and powerful atmosphere that lets everyone shine. The bands musicianship has not faltered one bit either. A couple of things actually surprised me, like the keyboard solo on The Alien being phrased somewhat similarly to a guitar at times. I won't ramble too much though. Just want to state how impressed I am at how much this album has grown on me. It's another one of those that didn't catch on right away, but pulled me in later

[gzarruk]

Official video for Transcending Time: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LbzrxFRCyAk

[TAC]

Official video for Transcending Time: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LbzrxFRCyAk

It's a beautiful video, but...no band footage?

[Trav]

Official video for Transcending Time: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LbzrxFRCyAk

It's a beautiful video, but...no band footage?

It's the same video that is on the blu-ray that came in the box set. Just like the one they put out for Awaken the Master.

[Glasser]

Official video for Transcending Time: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LbzrxFRCyAk

It's a beautiful video, but...no band footage?

[PetFish]

It's a beautiful video, but...no band footage?

Yes, beautiful, but really disappointing.  It's just album artwork with effects.  I did the same thing for the ADtoE lyric video contest 10 years ago for This is The Life (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksQqoXVNTmI).  Yeah, it's cheesy AF, but I still think it turned out well.

DT is doing, like, 3 lyric videos for every 1 actual video these days... and this one doesn't even have lyrics!

Especially for a band like DT I want to see them playing. This video is good for exactly one viewing and after that I'm just doing stuff on my phone while it plays.
Musicians can learn a lot from watching other musicians play. Even a simple video of them playing, like on Untethered Angel, would be awesome and worth several re-watches.

I'm not big on the "sinister" instrumental section.  It seems so out of place in the middle of such a happy song.  I think doing a piano/acoustic breakdown like at 4:50 or the outro would have been a better way to go.  But it's still my favorite song on VTW.

They're all great but I seem to gravitate more towards their happier-sounding songs.

[T-ski]

Well it took three months but I finally picked up my copy.

I listened to it in my car on my trips to and from work so it wasn't a concentrated listen. Only "Transcending Time" really caught my attention first time through. Certain parts of certain songs peaked my interest, but overall, again after one listen, this one feels like a bottom half album in their discography.

[Setlist Scotty]

Well it took three months but I finally picked up my copy.

I listened to it in my car on my trips to and from work so it wasn't a concentrated listen. Only "Transcending Time" really caught my attention first time through. Certain parts of certain songs peaked my interest, but overall, again after one listen, this one feels like a bottom half album in their discography.

Give it time. It's a grower. Took several spins for it to click for me, and now I think it's the best MM-era album.

[MirrorMask]

Well it took three months but I finally picked up my copy.

I listened to it in my car on my trips to and from work so it wasn't a concentrated listen. Only "Transcending Time" really caught my attention first time through. Certain parts of certain songs peaked my interest, but overall, again after one listen, this one feels like a bottom half album in their discography.

Trascending Time stands out because it's the only song remarkably different from the rest of the bunch. The other ones will grow on you.

[Vlasto]

Well it took three months but I finally picked up my copy.

I listened to it in my car on my trips to and from work so it wasn't a concentrated listen. Only "Transcending Time" really caught my attention first time through. Certain parts of certain songs peaked my interest, but overall, again after one listen, this one feels like a bottom half album in their discography.

soon to judge...
focus on that, you'll discover more, MM is fantastic, resp., all of them, Production quality is top. Try listen on good headphones or speakers.
I gave it time too.

[hefdaddy42]

I just watched the BTS video on the blu-ray for the first time this weekend.  Great stuff.

[geeeemo]

Well it took three months but I finally picked up my copy.

I listened to it in my car on my trips to and from work so it wasn't a concentrated listen. Only "Transcending Time" really caught my attention first time through. Certain parts of certain songs peaked my interest, but overall, again after one listen, this one feels like a bottom half album in their discography.

When I first listened, more than once, I almost cried. "Is this really it?" I thought. "Alien will be the best song?".
Well, now Alien is my least favorite. It really took longer to digest this one. But once it took hold, no skips. Its fantastic! It doesn't topple my 1 and 2, but its super enjoyable and what I listen to when listening to DT right now.

[Stadler]

I'm glad you all found some resting point with this record.  I know for me, I gave it a number of listens, and it DID get better as I dug in. But it's still stalled at mid-tier DT now. Nothing BAD; it's well-written, well-played, and well-sung, but it hasn't burrowed it's way in at this point.  I wake up some mornings humming the melody to Bird On A Wire (Neal Morse Band) or Senjutsu (Iron Maiden), my two albums of the year.  That hasn't happened with the new DT as of yet.

[Architeuthis]

I'm glad you all found some resting point with this record.  I know for me, I gave it a number of listens, and it DID get better as I dug in. But it's still stalled at mid-tier DT now. Nothing BAD; it's well-written, well-played, and well-sung, but it hasn't burrowed it's way in at this point.  I wake up some mornings humming the melody to Bird On A Wire (Neal Morse Band) or Senjutsu (Iron Maiden), my two albums of the year.  That hasn't happened with the new DT as of yet.

Maybe you need SHOCK TREATMENT!!  🤯⚡⚡

[gzarruk]

I'm glad you all found some resting point with this record.  I know for me, I gave it a number of listens, and it DID get better as I dug in. But it's still stalled at mid-tier DT now. Nothing BAD; it's well-written, well-played, and well-sung, but it hasn't burrowed it's way in at this point.  I wake up some mornings humming the melody to Bird On A Wire (Neal Morse Band) or Senjutsu (Iron Maiden), my two albums of the year.  That hasn't happened with the new DT as of yet.

Maybe you need SHOCK TREATMENT!!  🤯⚡⚡

It really might do some help

[T-ski]

Well it took three months but I finally picked up my copy.

I listened to it in my car on my trips to and from work so it wasn't a concentrated listen. Only "Transcending Time" really caught my attention first time through. Certain parts of certain songs peaked my interest, but overall, again after one listen, this one feels like a bottom half album in their discography.

Second spin brought some life, the title track really jumped out this time, as did Answering the Call.

Gotta say, I think some of the lyrics aren't very good. This has been an issue over the last few albums.

[Stadler]

I'm glad you all found some resting point with this record.  I know for me, I gave it a number of listens, and it DID get better as I dug in. But it's still stalled at mid-tier DT now. Nothing BAD; it's well-written, well-played, and well-sung, but it hasn't burrowed it's way in at this point.  I wake up some mornings humming the melody to Bird On A Wire (Neal Morse Band) or Senjutsu (Iron Maiden), my two albums of the year.  That hasn't happened with the new DT as of yet.

Maybe you need SHOCK TREATMENT!!  🤯⚡⚡

It really might do some help

Help to save me from myself?   

[Trav]

Is anyone else having trouble deciding how they feel about this album? I know that I like it, but I have no clue where I would rate amongst the others.  Not that it really matters anyway.  Just wondering if I'm alone in that.

[gzarruk]

Is anyone else having trouble deciding how they feel about this album? I know that I like it, but I have no clue where I would rate amongst the others.  Not that it really matters anyway.  Just wondering if I'm alone in that.

I still can't figure out where to rank The Astonishing (I love it, though)

[Kram]

Is anyone else having trouble deciding how they feel about this album? I know that I like it, but I have no clue where I would rate amongst the others.  Not that it really matters anyway.  Just wondering if I'm alone in that.

I hear what you're saying. I'd probably rank it upper middle tier of their discography.  But some days I think maybe it should be higher and some days maybe lower. I do think the tittle track is a top 10-15 song of their's though.

[Trav]

Is anyone else having trouble deciding how they feel about this album? I know that I like it, but I have no clue where I would rate amongst the others.  Not that it really matters anyway.  Just wondering if I'm alone in that.

I hear what you're saying. I'd probably rank it upper middle tier of their discography.  But some days I think maybe it should be higher and some days maybe lower. I do think the tittle track is a top 10-15 song of their's though.

Same here. The title track is one that I seem to love more with each listen.

[jammindude]

The more I listen to it the more I just appreciate that there's nothing on it I wanna skip. That alone put it in the upper middle for me.

It's a nice "album experience". It doesn't feel overlong like TA and ADTOE did. It doesn't have anything that makes me roll my eyes wanting it to be done like D/T did.

It's not anything close to their classic era, but I still maintain that it's the best album from the MM era.

[TAC]

The more I listen to it the more I just appreciate that there's nothing on it I wanna skip. That alone put it in the upper middle for me.

Yes...this. I do have a least favorite song...Answering The Call....but I still like it and I still feel no need to skip it!!!