Your 90s Dream Theater playlist/best-of

[Samsara]

Still buzzin' from the high of seeing Dream Theater earlier this week. Jammin' to Falling Into Infinity, and thought I'd come up with a best-off compilation of theirs from the 90s, which is my favorite era of the band (which of course, has all three of their keyboardists - lol).

Just a couple simple rules:

1. Images and Words, Awake, A Change of Seasons EP, Falling Into Infinity, and SFAM. Those are what to pull from (no demos, or anything like that - the official major releases).

2. AT LEAST three tracks per full album. For ACOS, if you choose to use that song, obviously use it. The covers don't count - has to be original DT.

3. NO MORE than five tracks per full album.

Pretty simple. What do you come up with? Here's mine:

1. Pull Me Under (Images and Words)
2. Take the Time (Images and Words)
3. Surrounded (Images and Words)
4. Metropolis, Pt. 1 (Images and Words)
5. Learning to Live (Images and Words)
6. Erotomania (Awake)
7. Voices (Awake)
8. The Mirror (Awake)
9. Lie (Awake)
10. Scarred (Awake)
11. A Change of Seasons (ACOS)
12. Hell's Kitchen (Falling Into Infinity)
13. Lines in the Sand (Falling Into Infinity)
14. Anna Lee (Falling Into Infinity)
15. Trial of Tears (Falling Into Infinity)
16. Overture:1928 (SFAM)
17. Strange Deja Vu (SFAM)
18. Home (SFAM)

>>>>>>For my tastes, there's no topping that. There are some songs I left out (Space Dye Vest and  Under a Glass Moon come to mind), but this is my 90s DT jam right here.   

[lovethedrake]

Still buzzin' from the high of seeing Dream Theater earlier this week. Jammin' to Falling Into Infinity, and thought I'd come up with a best-off compilation of theirs from the 90s, which is my favorite era of the band (which of course, has all three of their keyboardists - lol).

Just a couple simple rules:

1. Images and Words, Awake, A Change of Seasons EP, Falling Into Infinity, and SFAM. Those are what to pull from (no demos, or anything like that - the official major releases).

2. AT LEAST three tracks per full album. For ACOS, if you choose to use that song, obviously use it. The covers don't count - has to be original DT.

3. NO MORE than five tracks per full album.

Pretty simple. What do you come up with? Here's mine:

1. Pull Me Under (Images and Words)
2. Take the Time (Images and Words)
3. Surrounded (Images and Words)
4. Metropolis, Pt. 1 (Images and Words)
5. Learning to Live (Images and Words)
6. Erotomania (Awake)
7. Voices (Awake)
8. The Mirror (Awake)
9. Lie (Awake)
10. Scarred (Awake)
11. A Change of Seasons
12. Hell's Kitchen
13. Lines in the Sand
14. Anna Lee
15. Trial of Tears
16. Overture:1928
17. Strange Deja Vu
18. Home

>>>>>>For my tastes, there's no topping that. There are some songs I left out (Space Dye Vest and  Under a Glass Moon come to mind), but this is my 90s DT jam right here.   

Thats a great playlist outside of one HUGE omission for me.   Fatal Tragedy which is arguably my favorite song by them.

[SeRoX]

Can I make a setlist with your rules?

1- Metropolis Part -1
2- The Mirror
3- Scarred
4- Take Away My Pain
5- One Last Time
6- Finally Free
*****
7- A Mind Beside Itself (I know it is a cheat. )
8- Hell's Kitchen
9- Take The Time
10- Home
11- Wait For Sleep
12- Learning To Live
*****
13- Encore:Trial Of Tears
14- Encore 2: A Change Of Seasons

[mariner]

Pull Me Under
Metropolis Pt. 1
Wait for Sleep/Learning to Live
Take the Time
Caught in a Web
Voices
The Silent Man
Space-Dye Vest
A Change of Seasons
The Hollow Years
Peruvian Skies
Trial of Tears
Overture 1928
Strange Deja Vu
Fatal Tragedy
Home
The Spirit Carries On

[DTiwbwMP]

1. Pull Me Under (Images and Words)
2. Under a Glass Moon (Images and Words)
3. Surrounded (Images and Words)
4. Metropolis, Pt. 1 (Images and Words)
5. Learning to Live (Images and Words)
6. Erotomania (Awake)
7. Voices (Awake)
8. The Mirror (Awake)
9. Lie (Awake)
10. Scarred (Awake)
11. A Change of Seasons (ACOS)
12. Peruvian Skies (Falling Into Infinity)
13. Lines in the Sand (Falling Into Infinity)
14. Anna Lee (Falling Into Infinity)
15. Trial of Tears (Falling Into Infinity)
16. Overture:1928 (SFAM)
17. Strange Deja Vu (SFAM)
18. Home (SFAM)
19. The Dance of Eternity (SFAM)
20. The Spirit Carries On

[pg1067]

Pretty simple. What do you come up with? Here's mine:

1. Pull Me Under (Images and Words)
2. Take the Time (Images and Words)
3. Surrounded (Images and Words)
4. Metropolis, Pt. 1 (Images and Words)
5. Learning to Live (Images and Words)
6. Erotomania (Awake)  The Dance of Eternity (SFAM)
7. Voices (Awake)
8. The Mirror (Awake)  Lifting Shadows off a Dream (Awake)
9. Lie (Awake)
10. Scarred (Awake)
11. A Change of Seasons (ACOS)
12. Hell's Kitchen (Falling Into Infinity)
13. Lines in the Sand (Falling Into Infinity)
14. Anna Lee (Falling Into Infinity)
15. Trial of Tears (Falling Into Infinity)
16. Overture:1928 (SFAM)
17. Strange Deja Vu (SFAM)
18. Home (SFAM)

I don't know how long all this is, but yours is pretty close to mine.  I'm on the fence about LITS.  The guest vocals on the album kill it for me, but it might be better live with MP doing it.  The alternative would be to swap it out for YNM and Hollow Years.

[TAC]

1. Metropolis Pt. 1
2. Under A Glass Moon
3. Take The Time
4. Learning To Live
5. Erotomania
6. Voices
7. Scarred
8. Space Dye Vest
9. A Change Of Seasons
10. Peruvian Skies
11. Lines In The Sand
12. Trial Of Tears
13. Fatal Tragedy
14. The Dance Of Eternity
15. Finally Free

[Samsara]

I don't know how long all this is, but yours is pretty close to mine.  I'm on the fence about LITS.  The guest vocals on the album kill it for me, but it might be better live with MP doing it.  The alternative would be to swap it out for YNM and Hollow Years.

My 18 selected songs, according to Spotify, is 2 hours, 44 minutes. Remember, it's not a setlist. Just your own personal Best-of from the 90s.

[Cool Chris]

I'll consider doing this, but I can't in good conscience include anything from FII on a best-of list.

[RoeDent]

1. Surrounded
2. Metropolis Pt. 1
3. Learning to Live
4. Innocence Faded
5. Voices
6. Scarred
7. A Change of Seasons

8. Peruvian Skies
9. Lines in the Sand
10. Trial of Tears
11. Fatal Tragedy
12. Home
13. The Spirit Carries On

Double compilation album.

[Trav]

1. Pull Me Under
2. Another Day
3. Take the Time
4. Metropolis, Pt. 1
5. Learning to Live
6. 6:00
7. Caught In a Web
8. The Mirror
9. Scarred
10. Space-Dye Vest
11. A Change of Seasons
12. Peruvian Skies
13. Hollow Years
14. Lines In the Sand
15. Take Away My Pain
16. Trial of Tears
17. Overture 1928
18. Strange Deja Vu
19. Fatal Tragedy
20. Home
21. The Spirit Carries On

I love so much stuff they did after these albums, but this is peak DT.

[Revenge319]

1. Pull Me Under
2. Metropolis, Pt. 1
3. Learning to Live
4. 6:00
5. Erotomania
6. Voices
7. The Silent Man
8. Space-Dye Vest
9. A Change of Seasons
10. Hollow Years
11. Hell's Kitchen
12. Lines in the Sand
13. Trial of Tears
14. Strange Deja Vu
15. Fatal Tragedy
16. Beyond This Life
17. The Spirit Carries On
18. Finally Free

[pg1067]

My 18 selected songs, according to Spotify, is 2 hours, 44 minutes. Remember, it's not a setlist. Just your own personal Best-of from the 90s.

You wrote "playlist," and I read "setlist."  Doh!

That makes this a bit easier, then I have to go down to my #52 ranked song to fully comply with the rules:

1. A Change of Seasons (ACOS)
2. Learning to Live (I&W)
3. Metropolis Pt. 1 (I&W)
6. Home (SFAM)
7. Scarred (Awake)
10. Fatal Tragedy (SFAM)
20. Voices (Awake)
21. Strange Deja Vu (SFAM)
22. Surrounded (I&W)
23. Take the Time (I&W)
24. Beyond This Life (SFAM)
25. Overture 1928 (SFAM)
26. Finally Free (SFAM)
32. 6:00 (Awake)
36. Caught in a Web (Awake)
38. Hollow Years (FII)
40. The Dance of Eternity (SFAM)
41. Through Her Eyes (SFAM)
42. One Last Time (SFAM)
47. Lifting Shadows off a Dream (Awake)
50. Anna Lee (FII)
52. Trial of Tears (FII)

[DragonAttack]

Two discs, a tad 'softer' than others. But they each have a good 'flow'.  

Pull Me Under   
Another Day   
Metropolis, Pt. 1   
Surrounded   
Erotomania   
Lifting Shadows Off A Dream   
Hollow Years   
The Dance Of Eternity /   
One Last Time /   
The Spirit Carries On   
Trial of Tears   
TIME  76:06   
   
   
Overture 1928 /   
Strange Deja Vu   
Scarred   
Through My Words /   
Fatal Tragedy   
Through Her Eyes
Hell's Kitchen   
Wait For Sleep   
Learning To Live   
A Change Of Seasons   
TIME  74:37

(more importantly, the wife wouldn't mind me playing these on long road trips )

[Skeever]

Strict "3 per album" list

1. Metropolis pt 1
2. Surrounded
3. Learning to Live
4. Innocence Faded
5. Voices
6. Scarred
7. A Change of Seasons
8. Hell's Kitchen
9. Trial of Tears
10. Lines in the Sand
11. Overture1928/Strange De Ja Vu
12. Finally
13. The Spirit Carries On

[Bentower]

1. Pull Me Under (I&W)
2. Surrounded (I&W)
3. Under a Glass Moon (I&W)
4. Wait for Sleep (I&W)
5. Learning to Live (I&W)
6. Erotomania (Awake)
7. Voices (Awake)
8. Lifting Shadows off a Dream (Awake)
9. Scarred (Awake)
10. Space-Dye Vest (Awake)
11. A Change of Seasons
12. Hell's Kitchen (FII)
13. Lines in the Sand (FII)
14. Trial of Tears (FII)
15. Fatal Tragedy (SFAM)
16. Home (SFAM)
17. Finally Free (SFAM)

So, 5 from I&W and Awake + ACOS + 3 from FII and SFAM. I could live off of that easily.

And yeah, no Metropolis Pt. 1 as I'm quite burned out on it. It's still enjoyable when it's on, but I wouldn't go out of my way to listen to it.

[Samsara]

I love so much stuff they did after these albums, but this is peak DT.

For me, it really is. I do enjoy a lot of songs from the 2000s, 2010s, and 2020s. And WDADU from the 80s has some great songs that I think could have been a lot more dynamic had JLB been in the band then. But for my money, 90s DT is just extraordinary. They start to lose me a bit starting with Six Degrees, although I still like it. For me, the 90s albums just had more warmth and atmosphere, combined with youthful optimism and angst.

[Dream Team]

Surrounded
Metropolis
Under a Glass Moon
Learning to Live
The Mirror
Lifting Shadows off a Dream
Scarred
A Change of Seasons
New Millennium (by process of elimination, I don't like most of FII)
Take Away My Pain
Trial of Tears
Overture 1928
Fatal Tragedy
Beyond This Life
Home
One Last Time

[HOF]

For me, it really is. I do enjoy a lot of songs from the 2000s, 2010s, and 2020s. And WDADU from the 80s has some great songs that I think could have been a lot more dynamic had JLB been in the band then. But for my money, 90s DT is just extraordinary. They start to lose me a bit starting with Six Degrees, although I still like it. For me, the 90s albums just had more warmth and atmosphere, combined with youthful optimism and angst.

This is the golden era for me as well. I got into the band around the time of FII, and I liked each new release less than the previous one starting with SFAM (and even FII is a step down from Awake, even though it's my second favorite DT album). These days I rarely listen to anything from the band after SDOIT. But the run from I&W through FII is magnificent, and I like SFAM for the most part with some reservations that I've never *loved* it like I did the earlier albums. And there is almost a career's worth of music for some bands in their output up through the end of the 1990s.

[Samsara]

This is the golden era for me as well. I got into the band around the time of FII, and I liked each new release less than the previous one starting with SFAM (and even FII is a step down from Awake, even though it's my second favorite DT album). These days I rarely listen to anything from the band after SDOIT. But the run from I&W through FII is magnificent, and I like SFAM for the most part with some reservations that I've never *loved* it like I did the earlier albums. And there is almost a career's worth of music for some bands in their output up through the end of the 1990s.

I agree with ALL of this. Exactly how I feel. I like SFAM (including a few songs I left out - One Last Time, Spirit Carries On, etc.). But for ME, it didn't hit me the way Images and Awake did at all. And FII, while I like it "less" than Images and Awake, I still really enjoy it, much more so than post-SFAM material.

[TheCountOfNYC]

I chose to sequence it like a setlist instead of chronologically. In this hypothetical setlist, Metropolis would segue perfectly into the two following SFaM songs like on this current tour. Home would also segue perfectly into LitS. Finally, ending the setlist with arguably Dream Theater's two most popular songs and their most revered mega-epic was a no brainer.

01) Metropolis Pt. 1: The Miracle and the Sleeper
02) Overture 1928
03) Strange Deja Vu
04) Peruvian Skies
05) Lifting Shadows off a Dream
06) Home
07) Lines in the Sand

08) 6:00
09) Under a Glass Moon
10) Innocence Faded
11) Take the Time
12) Just Let Me Breathe
13) The Spirit Carries On
14) Pull Me Under

15) A Change of Seasons

I might try this with 2000's DT as well, but I think that'll be a bit harder for me as a lot of my favorite DT songs are from that decade so figuring out what stays and what goes will be a challenge.

[geeeemo]

Two discs, a tad 'softer' than others. But they each have a good 'flow'.  

Pull Me Under   
Another Day   
Metropolis, Pt. 1   
Surrounded   
Erotomania   
Lifting Shadows Off A Dream   
Hollow Years   
The Dance Of Eternity /   
One Last Time /   
The Spirit Carries On   
Trial of Tears   
TIME  76:06   
   
   
Overture 1928 /   
Strange Deja Vu   
Scarred   
Through My Words /   
Fatal Tragedy   
Through Her Eyes
Hell's Kitchen   
Wait For Sleep   
Learning To Live   
A Change Of Seasons   
TIME  74:37

(more importantly, the wife wouldn't mind me playing these on long road trips )

Your wife was awesome!!

[Cavalry of Despair]

Cool concept for my favorite era of the band! Rather than just doing a list of my own faves, I'm gonna do two different variations on this while still remaining within your parameters: a 3-track-per-album compilation that I'd introduce a newcomer with (basically a "greatest hits" album but without regard for the commercial viability of the songs), and then an ideal setlist the way SeRoX did.

Album Comp:
Pull Me Under
Take The Time
Metropolis Pt. 1
The Mirror
Lifting Shadows Off a Dream
Voices
Peruvian Skies
Hell's Kitchen
Lines In The Sand
Strange Deja Vu
Fatal Tragedy
The Spirit Carries On

Setlist:

Overture 1928
Strange Deja Vu
Surrounded
Erotomania
Voices
The Silent Man
Trial Of Tears

/intermission/

Take The Time
Lines In The Sand
Hollow Years
One Last Time
Scarred
Learning To Live

Encore:

A Change Of Seasons

[DragonAttack]

I did take a slight liberty as to one of the guidelines

3. NO MORE than five tracks scenes per full album.

I hope this wasn't cheating.

[geeeemo]

1. Metropolis Part 1
2. Surrounded
3. Learning to Live
4. A Change of Seasons
5. Peruvian Skies
6  Trial of Tears
7. Just Let Me Breathe
8. Lines in the Sand
9. The Mirror
10 Lie
11 The Silent Man
12 6:00
13 Fatal Tragedy
14 Beyond This Life
15 Home
16 Finally Free

[HOF]

I'll try my hand:

1. Take the Time
2. Another Day
3. Surrounded
4. Learning to Live
5. 6:00
6. Innocence Faded
7. Lifting Shadows Off A Dream
8. Scarred
9. A Change of Seasons
10. Hollow Years
11. Hell's Kitchen
12. Lines In The Sand
13. Take Away My Pain
14. Trial of Tears
15. Overture 1928
16. Strange Deja Vu
17. The Dance of Eternity

[BeatriceNB]

1) Under A Glass Moon
2) Metropolis pt. 1
3) Pull Me Under
4) Another Day
5) Trial Of Tears
6) Hell's Kitchen
7) Hollow Years
8) Learning To Live

9) The Mirror
10) Lie
11) Lifting Shadows Off A Dream
12) Scarred
13) Space-Dye Vest

14) A Change Of Seasons

15) Overture 1928
16) Strange Déjà Vu
17) The Dance Of Eternity
18) Finally Free

For the fun of it, I used the format of a certain live album (100% impossible to guess!!! ), which leads to some choices I wouldn't prioritize, but whatever

[CraftyCaleb2483]

Here goes..
1. Another Day
2. Under A Glass Moon
3. Learning To Live

4. Innocence Faded
5. Lifting Shadows Off A Dream
6. Scarred

7. New Millenium
8. Hell's Kitchen
9. Trial Of Tears

10. A Change Of Seasons

11. Fatal Tragedy
12. Beyond This Life
13. The Dance Of Eternity

[bosk1]

1.  Pull Me Under
2.  Metropolis
3.  Wait for Sleep
4.  Learning To Live
5.  6:00
6.  Voices
7.  The Mirror
8.  Lie
9.  Scarred
10.  A Change of Seasons
11.  New Millennium
12.  Peruvian Skies
13.  Lines in the Sand
14.  Take Away My Pain
15.  Trial of Tears
16.  Overture 1928
17.  Strange Deva Vu
18.  Beyond This Life
19.  Home
20.  Finally Free

I would definitely reorder it, but those are the songs.  I guess if I were to add a fifth song from Images, it would be Under a Glass Moon.  But I figured I would stick with the 4 good songs rather than scraping for something to fill space.

[Bentower]

3.  Wait for Sleep
4.  Learning To Live

That is a very good call and a must-have combo actually. I guess I'll have to snub Take the Time in favour of Wait for Sleep after all.

Speaking of snubbing, 0 from Scenes? Rly?

[Trav]

I guess if I were to add a fifth song from Images, it would be Under a Glass Moon.  But I figured I would stick with the 4 good songs rather than scraping for something to fill space.

He doesn't think Images and Words is perfect...what a rebel 

[nick_z]

For me, it really is. I do enjoy a lot of songs from the 2000s, 2010s, and 2020s. And WDADU from the 80s has some great songs that I think could have been a lot more dynamic had JLB been in the band then. But for my money, 90s DT is just extraordinary. They start to lose me a bit starting with Six Degrees, although I still like it. For me, the 90s albums just had more warmth and atmosphere, combined with youthful optimism and angst.

This is the golden era for me as well. I got into the band around the time of FII, and I liked each new release less than the previous one starting with SFAM (and even FII is a step down from Awake, even though it's my second favorite DT album). These days I rarely listen to anything from the band after SDOIT. But the run from I&W through FII is magnificent, and I like SFAM for the most part with some reservations that I've never *loved* it like I did the earlier albums. And there is almost a career's worth of music for some bands in their output up through the end of the 1990s.

I agree with ALL of this. Exactly how I feel. I like SFAM (including a few songs I left out - One Last Time, Spirit Carries On, etc.). But for ME, it didn't hit me the way Images and Awake did at all. And FII, while I like it "less" than Images and Awake, I still really enjoy it, much more so than post-SFAM material.

Had to quote all of this, because I could've basically written it. The only thing that's slightly different for me, outside of 90s DT, is the absolute mad love I have for WDADU. And as for SFAM - I've said it before...I really like it, and it was a crucial album in DT history, but it doesn't make pantheon-DT for me (and The Spirit Carries On is maybe the one song where I have the largest disconnect with the majority -  I think - of the fanbase. Never got into that one)

So, my 90s DT playlist, following the rules

1. Pull Me Under
2. Take the Time
3. Surrounded
4. Metropolis Pt.1
5. Learning to Live
6. Erotomania
7. Voices
8. The Mirror
9. Lifting Shadows Off a Dream
10. Space Dye Vest
11. A Change of Seasons
12. New Millennium
13. Peruvian Skies
14. Hell's Kitchen
15. Lines in the Sand
16. Trial of Tears
17. Overture 1928
18. Strange Deja Vu
19. Home

[bosk1]

That is a very good call and a must-have combo actually. I guess I'll have to snub Take the Time in favour of Wait for Sleep after all.

Speaking of snubbing, 0 from Scenes? Rly?

Oops.  That was just an oversight.  Fixed.

[Awaken]

I'll try my hand:

1. Take the Time
2. Another Day
3. Surrounded
4. Learning to Live
5. 6:00
6. Innocence Faded
7. Lifting Shadows Off A Dream
8. Scarred
9. A Change of Seasons
10. Hollow Years
11. Hell's Kitchen
12. Lines In The Sand
13. Take Away My Pain
14. Trial of Tears
15. Overture 1928
16. Strange Deja Vu
17. The Dance of Eternity

Off the top of my head, this is probably the closest to what I'd come up with as well.  I'm a massive fan of Awake, so I might add in Erotomania/Voices/Silent Man for a 'B' set.

[weirdo]

CD1 (~59 minutes):
Trial of Tears
A Change of Seasons
Erotomania
Voices
Surrounded

CD2 (~53 minutes):
Pull Me Under
Metropolis Pt.1
Scarred
Hell's Kitchen
Lines in the Sand
Space Dye Vest

CD3 (~49 minutes):
Beyond This Life
Home
The Dance of Eternity
The Spirit Carries on
Finally Free