Dream Theater self titled album discussion - [SPOILER FREE DISCUSSION ONLY]

[Lucien]

Do we know of ballads on the album? I didn't go through the thread.

No the details on the songs themselves haven't been officially revealed, so we can only speculate. But I'm sure there's at least one.

I'm thinking Behind the Veil and Along for the Ride.

[TheGreatPretender]

I'm thinking Behind the Veil and Along for the Ride.

I doubt that Behind The Veil is a ballad. I mean, it could be. But they're including the stems for Behind The Veil in the Box Set. And I don't really see why the ballad would be the one they provide stems for, and then encourage people to make remixes of.

[Flurokazoo]

On wikipedia I can see the track lengths of every track:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dream_Theater_(album)

However, it being Wikipedia, it could be complete bogus, as I can't find a source anywhere.

[Lucien]

Well, let's see...

1. False Awakening Suite - This is the concert opener. No way is it a ballad.
2. The Enemy Inside - Duh, we know what it sounds like.
3. The Looking Glass - Considered a "Rush-like" song, doubtful it is a ballad.
4. Enigma Machine - Maybe, but I can't really see it. This is probably the instrumental.
5. The Bigger Picture - Maybe.
6. Behind The Veil - Maybe, but unlikely due to stems.
7. Surrender To Reason - Also considered a "Rush-like" song, doubtful.
8. Along For The Ride - Maybe.
9. Illumination Theory - Lolno.

On wikipedia I can see the track lengths of every track:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dream_Theater_(album)

However, it being Wikipedia, it could be complete bogus, as I can't find a source anywhere.

FAS was confirmed by noxon to only be 2:42. The rest of the tracklengths are correct as confirmed by him, though.

[?]

I looked at the edit history and it seems that someone changed the length of FAS.

[Dark Castle]

I'd bet a nickel that Along For the Ride is the ballad, due to the name giving the impression as one, and it's supposed length.

[Lucien]

I looked at the edit history and it seems that someone changed the length of FAS.

That would be me. Just now.

[?]

Along for the Ride could easily be the ballad; it may be a little breather before the big epic.

[Flurokazoo]

Wait, False Awakening Suite is a three-part song and only 2.42 in length? That's odd.

[The Letter M]

Wait, False Awakening Suite is a three-part song and only 2.42 in length? That's odd.

It's also all instrumental with no lyrics!

For anyone who says this album isn't going to do anything "new" in terms of what DT has done before, this opening track is TOTALLY new in terms of being an opening instrumental, and being 3 movements while under 3 minutes long.

It's not unusual, lots of bands do multi-movement songs/suites that last 5 or less minutes. Some done long songs withOUT movements. When the track times for BC&SL were released, I expect ANTR and TCOT to have movements, but the only track on that album that did was TSF and only because it was the last part of the Twelve-Step Suite.

-Marc.

[Flurokazoo]

Man, I want this album now.

[robwebster]

3. The Looking Glass - Considered a "Rush-like" song, doubtful it is a ballad.

Rush did ballads. And what we've heard of the Looking Glass is pretty acoustic. Doesn't mean it's acoustic all through, but it means it'd be very wrong to rule it out.

[The Boomr]

3. The Looking Glass - Considered a "Rush-like" song, doubtful it is a ballad.

Rush did ballads. And what we've heard of the Looking Glass is pretty acoustic. Doesn't mean it's acoustic all through, but it means it'd be very wrong to rule it out.

When have we heard any part of The Looking Glass?

[MarioK20]

I'm just happy to hear Myung has adjusted his tone a bit to make it put a little more in the mix.   He also is playing more Estring which makes it more audible.   That 6 string was probably the worst decision he ever made.   If only he could just play a simple jazz bass like Geddy.  His 1970s tone was unmatchable imho sounds like he's going in a better direction though.   We shall see...

[Joshin U]

3. The Looking Glass - Considered a "Rush-like" song, doubtful it is a ballad.

Rush did ballads. And what we've heard of the Looking Glass is pretty acoustic. Doesn't mean it's acoustic all through, but it means it'd be very wrong to rule it out.

When have we heard any part of The Looking Glass?

In the studio video #3!

[The Boomr]

Time marker?? I DID NOT KNOW THIS

[The Boomr]

Time marker?? I DID NOT KNOW THIS

EDIT: Wait, is it that scene where JP is playing the acoustic guitar?

[Mosh]

Just because he played it on acoustic in the video doesn't mean the song is like that. It looked like he was outlining the chords and making sure the lyrics worked with the vocal melody.

[Joshin U]

Just because he played it on acoustic in the video doesn't mean the song is like that. It looked like he was outlining the chords and making sure the lyrics worked with the vocal melody.

True, but it sure sounded like a naturally acoustic song from what we heard, vocally and instrumentally.

[GasparXR]

Just because he played it on acoustic in the video doesn't mean the song is like that. It looked like he was outlining the chords and making sure the lyrics worked with the vocal melody.

True, but it sure sounded like a naturally acoustic song from what we heard, vocally and instrumentally.

Considering it's Dream Theater, I wouldn't count on hearing a max of 3 seconds of acoustic + vocals meaning the entire song is that way. Also, when was it confirmed that the song in the video is indeed The Looking Glass?

[Joshin U]

Just because he played it on acoustic in the video doesn't mean the song is like that. It looked like he was outlining the chords and making sure the lyrics worked with the vocal melody.

True, but it sure sounded like a naturally acoustic song from what we heard, vocally and instrumentally.

Considering it's Dream Theater, I wouldn't count on hearing a max of 3 seconds of acoustic + vocals meaning the entire song is that way. Also, when was it confirmed that the song in the video is indeed The Looking Glass?

Fair enough.  And I believe we CSI-ed the lyrics page he was holding up. Or he checked the box on the board for the lyrics for the song labeled "Looking Glass".

[hefdaddy42]

Lots of songs on lots of albums by DT feature acoustic guitars for layering, even if they aren't blazingly obvious on the surface.  This is a tried and true JP method.

[Jinx]

So the Wikipedia page for the album states the album length as 68:01. Unless someone forgot to edit back 

[Progmetty]

Confused..
The opening 3 part suite is not a long epic, it's a 3 minute song ----> how do we know that? who's noxon?

[Joshin U]

Confused..
The opening 3 part suite is not a long epic, it's a 3 minute song ----> how do we know that? who's noxon?

Reviewer who got an advance copy.  He is also a member here and posts semi-regularly.

[GasparXR]

Just because he played it on acoustic in the video doesn't mean the song is like that. It looked like he was outlining the chords and making sure the lyrics worked with the vocal melody.

True, but it sure sounded like a naturally acoustic song from what we heard, vocally and instrumentally.

Considering it's Dream Theater, I wouldn't count on hearing a max of 3 seconds of acoustic + vocals meaning the entire song is that way. Also, when was it confirmed that the song in the video is indeed The Looking Glass?

Fair enough.  And I believe we CSI-ed the lyrics page he was holding up. Or he checked the box on the board for the lyrics for the song labeled "Looking Glass".

On the board, the songs were labeled by their working titles, not the final ones. As for the CSI filtering, that's likely how we know.

[Dream Team]

Confused..
The opening 3 part suite is not a long epic, it's a 3 minute song ----> how do we know that? who's noxon?

Not sure if serious.

[ronnibran]

I'm thinking Along for the Ride is the instrumental.  Having no lyrics to it, it makes sense that it's the only one that kept the working title.

[wasteland]

@Gaspar: I could see the line "singing your own praise" in the LP package promo picture with my CSI eye, under the song "The Looking Glass". That line was being sung by James in the video

[The Letter M]

Prog Misconception #58: Suite =/= Epic

And by suite, it could be any song with two or more subsections/movements/parts. Just because a song is labelled as having two or more parts doesn't mean it has to be some grandiose epic that goes on for more than 10, 15 or 20 minutes. Sure, a majority of suites end up being epics in the side-length range, but there are also a lot of bands, prog or not, who write songs that are 5 or less minutes that have 2 or 3 parts within them.

I like that DT are opening the new album with a short instrumental show-opening-styled piece, and by the sound of it, it seems like it goes through 3 moods/sounds/styles/changes, enough to warrant labeling them as three distinct movements in the suite, each being around 40-60 seconds long, I'm sure. I'm excited for it!

I'm thinking Along for the Ride is the instrumental.  Having no lyrics to it, it makes sense that it's the only one that kept the working title.

Highly unlikely, considering the song with the same working title was shown on the DT Progress Board as having a spot for lyrics.

-Marc.

[ronnibran]

Ahh, thanks for the clarification!  Too many details and I haven't been paying all that close attention.

[The Letter M]

Ahh, thanks for the clarification!  Too many details and I haven't been paying all that close attention.

No problem. Glad to be helpful. The only instrumentals on the album were the Opening/"YARGGG" and Song 5/"The Clover", as well as the "Easter Egg" at the end of "Illumination Theory"'s track.

And given that the 7" clear vinyl single in the Box Set is the song "The Bigger Picture", I doubt that would be the instrumental.

Also, given that the stems for "Behind The Veil" are included, I would assume they wouldn't include stems for the instrumental given that the last time they gave out stems was for their first single off their last album in the form of "On The Backs Of Angels", and I think having stems for all FIVE members would be cooler to have, so I can safely predict that "Behind The Veil" won't be the instrumental.

We've also seen lyric sheets for "The Looking Glass", so clearly that cannot be the instrumental either. This leaves "Enigma Machine" and "Surrender To Reason".

-Marc.

[Mosh]

I saw a few reviews saying Enigma Machine was the instrumental. Pretty sure they were posted here, even.

[The Boomr]

I saw a few reviews saying Enigma Machine was the instrumental. Pretty sure they were posted here, even.

What? Where? Tell me.

If those reviews don't exist, though, I called it here, folks. Enigma Machine = instrumental.

[The Letter M]

I saw a few reviews saying Enigma Machine was the instrumental. Pretty sure they were posted here, even.

What? Where? Tell me.

If those reviews don't exist, though, I called it here, folks. Enigma Machine = instrumental.

https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=37931.0

Actually, about 109 people called it, starting July 9th. So yeah...

-Marc.