Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence (Song) Appreciation

[PwnsomeWin]

So I just wanted to say that I listened to About To Crash, and all of a sudden it's my #2 favorite DT song. There are no weak parts IMO; they are all strong. And then you have the slow part, with the guitar solo, one of the most epic sections I've ever heard in a DT song. So yeah.

[Pettor]

I absolutely love this song. Every melody and progression hits perfectly — there's nothing I dislike about it. I recently put on SDOIT while taking a 40 min drive and once got reminded of how great this track is to sing a long with.

This was me the entire drive: 😁

https://youtu.be/G-NXwSLFZfM?si=zHZWaVg34dYMMkXm&t=767

[TheBarstoolWarrior]

Controversial opinion: SDOIT > SFAM in terms of songwriting and listening experience straight through.

[Kyo]

Controversial opinion: SDOIT > SFAM in terms of songwriting and listening experience straight through.

They're very different. SDOIT puts the music first and lets it breathe. You could say it does so excessively, with the songs on disc 1 often feeling quite extended, the never-ending overture on disc 2, and even the silly two-minute ending chord. But whatever you think of that, it's almost the opposite of SfaM in that respect, where only Home feels as expansive and a lot of the rest feeling not only much more focused, but almost hurried in places (SDV through Fatal Tragedy and One Last Time in particular). Where SfaM throws in surprising twists, sometimes kinda plot-based (like the One Last Time reprise in Finally Free), SDOIT takes its time to develop sections and slowly build intensity.

On some days (probably most days, really) I prefer Six Degrees for that reason.

[WilliamMunny]

Controversial opinion: SDOIT > SFAM in terms of songwriting and listening experience straight through.

Maybe, but one that I share.

[gzarruk]

For years I'd say something like "SFAM might be my favorite but SDOIT is their best". I still agree with that to some degree, though with the amazing quality of the MM albums it's been really hard for me to properly rank them against everything else. Still a top 5 album for me, though, and the title song is just fantastic with the exceptions of the Overture being too long and the unnecessary two minute long final chord.

[pg1067]

Controversial opinion: SDOIT > SFAM in terms of songwriting and listening experience straight through.

Do you mean SDOIT the "song" (which is the subject of this thread) or SDOIT the album?

If the former, I don't agree and think it's hard to compare a song (or, IMO, more accurately, a suite of songs) to an album.  If the latter, I absolutely disagree because Disappear and TGD drag SDOIT way down.  I've posted before that, if those two songs had been removed (and if they had shortened the endings of Misunderstood and LT/GF), they could have fit the album on a single disc and it would give SFAM a real run for the money for my favorite album.

[TheBarstoolWarrior]

The song.

[hefdaddy42]

I'm not sure it was necessary to resurrect an 11-year dead thread.

[Setlist Scotty]

Do you mean SDOIT the "song" (which is the subject of this thread) or SDOIT the album?

If the former, I don't agree and think it's hard to compare a song (or, IMO, more accurately, a suite of songs) to an album.  If the latter, I absolutely agree because Disappear and TGD – and the rest of disc one – raise SDOIT way up.

FTFM

[Jamesman42]

Controversial opinion: SDOIT > SFAM in terms of songwriting and listening experience straight through.

Six Degrees crushed SFAM in every category, there's nothing controversial about it

[TAC]

Nope. That's a hot take.

[Ben_Jamin]

Nope. That's a hot take.

I agree with James...

[wolfking]

The song.

Oof.  Not even close IMO.

[wolfking]

Six Degrees crushed SFAM in every category, there's nothing controversial about it

Extremely controversial to me.

[Trav]

"Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence" as a song (or suite of songs) is amazing. Some days it's my favorite thing they've done.

As for the SFAM vs. SDOIT... for my personal experience, when these albums were new, Scenes from a Memory and Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence were peak and Dream Theater could do no wrong. I couldn't fault anyone for putting either over the other.