Favourite band member "farewell" song

[Stadler]

1. Trial of Tears
1. The Count of Tuscany
2. Space Dye Vest
3. A View From The Top Of The World
5. Only A Matter of Time


Note the numbers. 

[nobloodyname]

I went for Count but could just as easily have gone for Trial of Tears. Both are magnitudes of order better than the other tunes on the list although all are good.

[ZirconBlue]

1. Space-Dye Vest
2. Trial of Tears
3. A View from the Top of the World
4. Only a Matter of Time
5. The Count of Tuscany

[Zydar]

It's raining deep in Heaven.

[CDrice]

I went with the Count of Tuscany, but A View was a close second. The other three are nice songs too though.

[wasteland]

Only a Matter of Time is pretty awesome as well, but we are missing that one perfect version (unless there is a great boot out there of James doing it live when Kevin Moore was still in the band). 

If I'm not mistaken OAMOT was played in the final European leg of the I&W tour. The Lost In The Sky bootleg (which I actually managed to get autographed by the band!) is the best recording of the leg: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwJqM1p82AA&t=4497s

EDIT: I really am slipping. The song was also performed in the first US leg of the tour. This is from what is considered to be the best live performance by JLB in DT: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z78SqHGNmwU&t=1135s (watch for JP falling off stage in the middle of the song!)

[bosk1]

Only a Matter of Time is pretty awesome as well, but we are missing that one perfect version (unless there is a great boot out there of James doing it live when Kevin Moore was still in the band). 

If I'm not mistaken OAMOT was played in the final European leg of the I&W tour. The Lost In The Sky bootleg (which I actually managed to get autographed by the band!) is the best recording of the leg: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwJqM1p82AA&t=4497s

EDIT: I really am slipping. The song was also performed in the first US leg of the tour. This is from what is considered to be the best live performance by JLB in DT: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z78SqHGNmwU&t=1135s (watch for JP falling off stage in the middle of the song!)

Yeah, that was a great performance.  I'm not the biggest fan of Surrounded, but in a good live performance, it is just metal enough to make it hit differently than the album version, and James just KILLS IT on this version. 

[The Letter M]

I was the 69th vote (nice) and I went with SDV. Might not be my favorite of these but it's the most fitting as a farewell to the member who left. It's the only one of these where, had the band known the member would leave beforehand, they wouldn't have released the song, so it's very personal to Kevin and his legacy with DT.

-Marc.

[pg1067]

Only a Matter of Time is pretty awesome as well, but we are missing that one perfect version (unless there is a great boot out there of James doing it live when Kevin Moore was still in the band). 

If I'm not mistaken OAMOT was played in the final European leg of the I&W tour. The Lost In The Sky bootleg (which I actually managed to get autographed by the band!) is the best recording of the leg: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwJqM1p82AA&t=4497s

EDIT: I really am slipping. The song was also performed in the first US leg of the tour. This is from what is considered to be the best live performance by JLB in DT: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z78SqHGNmwU&t=1135s (watch for JP falling off stage in the middle of the song!)

I first heard OAMOT at my first DT show about 5 weeks after the Deer Park show.  I don't remember if were aware that WDADU existed, but we definitely didn't know any of the songs.  We referred to OAMOT as "the pirate song" because we thought the intro had a "pirate-y" feel to it.  I've been a huge fan of the song ever since.

[bosk1]

Well, there are also lyrics that call to mind seafaring imagery, so that's not a stretch at all:

Brave, yet afraid, his eyes on horizon
In a steady-set gaze
A mariner soon from an open cocoon
Takes a moment to summon his courage
To stifle his grave apprehension and trembling, approaches the surf

A father's benediction as his hopeful son departs
To brave the sea of rage and conquer at all costs

[pg1067]

True, but we had no idea what the lyrics were at that time.  Or maybe that stuff just soaked in subconsciously.

[bosk1]

Well, yeah, I know you guys didn't have lyrics sheets and were hearing it for the first time, but I figured you probably picked up a lyric or two as they were being sung and maybe made that connection. 

[HOF]

It kind of has a sea shanty type of lilt to it. I can hear a band of pirates singing that middle section with pints raised!

[Revenge319]

1. The Count of Tuscany
2. Space-Dye Vest
3. Trial of Tears
4. A View from the Top of the World
5. Only a Matter of Time

[MirrorMask]

The other day I got inspired to listen to Trial of Tears again for the first time since forever.

Preaching to the converted here but that song is a masterpiece. Amazing atmosphere and mood created throughout the song, the solo section does not derail too much from it, and all around a great song that does not overstays its welcome.

Also, for lack of a better term, there aren't "too many notes" in it. The musical prowess serves the song and not the other way round.

I truly hope there's something like that on the new album.

[bosk1]

^Yeah, some great observations there.  Don't get me wrong--I love when DT brings the heavy or brings the complex (or both).  But they are also very good at writing these sweeping epics that just breath and don't try to do too much, and TOT is a great example of a song that does that extremely well.

[gzarruk]

The other day I got inspired to listen to Trial of Tears again for the first time since forever.

Preaching to the converted here but that song is a masterpiece. Amazing atmosphere and mood created throughout the song, the solo section does not derail too much from it, and all around a great song that does not overstays its welcome.

Also, for lack of a better term, there aren't "too many notes" in it. The musical prowess serves the song and not the other way round.

I truly hope there's something like that on the new album.

Just to add that, while I'm not the biggest fan of Derek (specially his personality), credit where credit's due, that solo is one of the best keyboard highlights on DT's catalog IMO. I like it a lot more than what he did for the intro of LITS (which is the one that usually gets all the attention).

[bosk1]

I'm not the biggest fan either, but I have no problem admitting that he did some great work with DT.

[Dedalus]

Absolutely in agreement with bosk1, gzarruk and MirrorMask.
Amazing song and Derek deserves the praise.

[TheCountOfNYC]

I went with TCoT, but technically MP's farewell song was Raw Dog...

[Eldomm]

I guess I'm the only vote for OAMOT so far.

I'm the other one 

[energythief]

SDV and ToT were neck and neck, but I voted for Trial of Tears.

[TheBarstoolWarrior]

I think View is the strongest song of the list. Space Dye Vest is an interesting choice. If you said it was the curtain call of the guy who left I would say that makes total sense. It's a good song, I just don't think it is a home run on a DT album. I consider View to be a home run.

[TAC]

I consider Space Dye Vest a home run.