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Dream Theater => Dream Theater => Topic started by: PlaysLikeMyung on July 10, 2010, 10:19:30 AM

Title: The Awake Fanboy Thread
Post by: PlaysLikeMyung on July 10, 2010, 10:19:30 AM
If Awake is your favorite album, and the best album, according to you, then post here in this thread

Awake is untouchable. No DT album has ever come close and no album in the future will. It is perfection
Title: Re: The Awake Fanboy Thread
Post by: ZKX-2099 on July 10, 2010, 10:23:46 AM
No. But it is awesome.

I don't think I'll ever get sick of 6:00.
Title: Re: The Awake Fanboy Thread
Post by: El JoNNo on July 10, 2010, 10:23:59 AM
inB4BlobIhatesitall speach :neverusethis:
Title: Re: The Awake Fanboy Thread
Post by: PlaysLikeMyung on July 10, 2010, 10:25:52 AM
inB4BlobIhatesitall speach :neverusethis:

inb4blobdoesn'tposthereanymorelol :neverusethis:
Title: Re: The Awake Fanboy Thread
Post by: tri.ad on July 10, 2010, 10:26:24 AM
Don't jinx it.
Title: Re: The Awake Fanboy Thread
Post by: ZKX-2099 on July 10, 2010, 10:30:33 AM
That guy was alright.
Title: Re: The Awake Fanboy Thread
Post by: El JoNNo on July 10, 2010, 10:40:06 AM
inB4BlobIhatesitall speach :neverusethis:

inb4blobdoesn'tposthereanymorelol :neverusethis:

dahhh! I thought he had came back....Must have been older posts.
Title: Re: The Awake Fanboy Thread
Post by: nightmare_cinema on July 10, 2010, 11:26:42 AM
Meh, I love parts of it, but overall I honestly think it's in my bottom three or four DT albums, I just don't get all the love for it! *blatantly ignores what the first post asked people to do*
Title: Re: The Awake Fanboy Thread
Post by: PlaysLikeMyung on July 10, 2010, 11:30:11 AM
GET OUT

:neverusethis:
Title: Re: The Awake Fanboy Thread
Post by: pogoowner on July 10, 2010, 11:49:41 AM
I generally lean toward ranking Images and Words just higher than Awake, but it's certainly part of DT's golden era, when the things they were doing were fresh, and just plain fantastic. It's an amazing album, and it's the one that got me into the band.
Title: Re: The Awake Fanboy Thread
Post by: Seventh Son on July 10, 2010, 01:01:12 PM
#2 for me. However, my favorite DT song is from Awake, so take that as you will!
Title: Re: The Awake Fanboy Thread
Post by: KevShmev on July 10, 2010, 01:06:57 PM
*raises hand*

Their best album EASILY, and one of my all-time favorites. :)
Title: Re: The Awake Fanboy Thread
Post by: Sigz on July 10, 2010, 01:09:26 PM
It has three songs that I absolutely adore, but the rest is just meh. The album as a whole is in the bottom two of my rankings.

*leaves*
Title: Re: The Awake Fanboy Thread
Post by: hefdaddy42 on July 10, 2010, 01:40:33 PM
Yes, it is the best them.
Title: Re: The Awake Fanboy Thread
Post by: contest_sanity on July 10, 2010, 03:03:11 PM
Awake is #1 for me.  It was the first DT album I was exposed to (sometime in 1996), but its status at the top does not rest on mere sentiment alone.  Additional factors include:

- near perfect combination of heaviness with technicality and progressiveness
- JP's best solo (Voices)
- JLB's vocal performance
- diversity: heavy songs & ballads; short songs & long ones; happy, soaring melodies & dark, disturbing tones; accessible & hard-to-wrap-your-brain-around
- some of their best lyrical work (Voices, SDV), as well as overall lyrical consistency
- the best instrumental
- squeezing the most amount of heaviness out of a simplistic riff EVER (The Mirror)
- galactic cowboys are thanked in the liner notes

- Awake has 5 letters; JESUS has 5 letters...

case closed.
Title: Re: The Awake Fanboy Thread
Post by: Seventh Son on July 10, 2010, 03:04:28 PM
- Awake has 5 letters; JESUS has 5 letters...

case closed.
To be fair, so does Satan.
Title: Re: The Awake Fanboy Thread
Post by: contest_sanity on July 10, 2010, 03:08:04 PM
- Awake has 5 letters; JESUS has 5 letters...

case closed.
To be fair, so does Satan.
Then it's also the HELLA-BEST album ever!!!!
Title: Re: The Awake Fanboy Thread
Post by: TL on July 10, 2010, 03:34:09 PM
Awake is probably my favorite album. Not just for DT; overall.
Title: Re: The Awake Fanboy Thread
Post by: Darkes7 on July 10, 2010, 03:37:21 PM
My second DT favourite, the only song below great is Erotomania imo. Easily the best of the early era, owns I&W in every existing category.
Title: Re: The Awake Fanboy Thread
Post by: Seventh Son on July 10, 2010, 03:41:46 PM
The only true weak song would have to be Caught in a Web, the chorus kind of annoys me.
Title: Re: The Awake Fanboy Thread
Post by: Jamesman42 on July 10, 2010, 04:27:38 PM
A fantastic album that I don't listen to very much for some reason.

I'll listen now, though. Good job, PLM.
Title: Re: The Awake Fanboy Thread
Post by: hefdaddy42 on July 10, 2010, 04:27:48 PM
There are actually a few songs I'm not crazy about, but in this case, the whole is definitely better than the sum of the parts.
Title: Re: The Awake Fanboy Thread
Post by: LCArenas on July 10, 2010, 04:36:53 PM
Awake is probably my favorite album. Not just for DT; overall.
This. It's my favorite album of all time. OF ALL TIME!
Title: Re: The Awake Fanboy Thread
Post by: Birch Boy on July 10, 2010, 04:41:23 PM
I agree that it's amazing. The only two Dream Theater albums that I think can even compare to it are Images And Words and Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes From A Memory.
Title: Re: The Awake Fanboy Thread
Post by: BRGM on July 10, 2010, 07:32:09 PM
I like the Mirror, The silent man, and the Scarred intro...and the unison on Caught in a web. That's pretty much it.
Title: Re: The Awake Fanboy Thread
Post by: Adami on July 10, 2010, 07:41:17 PM
My favorite DT album, the best of them, yea OF them. Suck it.
Title: Re: The Awake Fanboy Thread
Post by: Jamesman42 on July 10, 2010, 07:47:19 PM
My favorite DT album, the best of them, yea OF them. Suck it.

Of?
Title: Re: The Awake Fanboy Thread
Post by: PlaysLikeMyung on July 10, 2010, 09:53:41 PM
I like the Mirror, The silent man, and the Scarred intro...and the unison on Caught in a web. That's pretty much it.

This is an Awake FANBOY thread.

Does nobody bother reading through threads anymore? :P
Title: Re: The Awake Fanboy Thread
Post by: Rafael Guerra on July 10, 2010, 09:58:18 PM
Awake is an excellent album that was grown DRAMATICALLY over time for me. In my early days as a DT fan i didn't even like that much, but today it is definably top 3 DT albums to me. I think the more you listen to it, the more you get trapped by its atmosphere and once you are in there, you can enjoy all the awesome music craziness and melodies it has.
Title: Re: The Awake Fanboy Thread
Post by: Birch Boy on July 10, 2010, 10:12:21 PM
TRAPPED INSIDE THIS. OC-TA-VAR-YEE-UM.
Title: Re: The Awake Fanboy Thread
Post by: PlaysLikeMyung on July 10, 2010, 10:15:39 PM
TRAPPED INSIDE THIS. OC-TA-VAR-YEE-UM.

NO GO AWAY
Title: Re: The Awake Fanboy Thread
Post by: Birch Boy on July 11, 2010, 12:20:42 AM
TRAPPED INSIDE THIS. OC-TA-VAR-YEE-UM.

NO GO AWAY
NO U
My Octavarium reply was in response to something that Rafael Guerra said in his post... I'm in this thread for the same reason everyone else is... I love Awake
Title: Re: The Awake Fanboy Thread
Post by: SystematicThought on July 11, 2010, 12:34:03 AM
I think Caught In A Web is awesome simply for the cowbell. I want cowbell on the new album now....

Title: Re: The Awake Fanboy Thread
Post by: ? on July 11, 2010, 01:12:31 AM
Awake is my favourite DT album! It's the best DT album lyrically, it features some of my favourite songs ever and James is at his best.
Title: Re: The Awake Fanboy Thread
Post by: orcus116 on July 11, 2010, 01:49:17 AM
My second DT favourite, the only song below great is Erotomania imo. Easily the best of the early era, owns I&W in every existing category.

Oh god the internal fight. I agree as second best definitely but because Images is my #1 I can't agree with the second.

I actually got this album from some random dt.net person. At that point I only had SDOIT, SFAM and Images that I had bought and they were all awesome. I remember him saying that Caught In A Web was what I should expect throughout the rest of the album for some reason.
Title: Re: The Awake Fanboy Thread
Post by: fsh3702 on July 11, 2010, 03:22:18 AM
it's the last album with kevin moore, KM has displayed his talents to the extreme. awake is milestone, it cemented DT's hard-won reputation built by I&W. the marvellous space-dye vest seems an indication of the termination of an era.
Title: Re: The Awake Fanboy Thread
Post by: Seventh Son on July 11, 2010, 04:59:19 AM
Awake is my favourite DT album! It's the best DT album lyrically, it features some of my favourite songs ever and James is at his best.
I'll agree with this. James never hit the sheer insanity ever again that his vocals hit in a lot of songs showcase. I thought his vocals in Scenes were good, but nothing compared to Awake. Innocence Faded, Scarred, The Silent Man, Voices, Space-Dye Vest, Lie, The Mirror; all of them some of Labrie's best vocals ever.
Title: Re: The Awake Fanboy Thread
Post by: hefdaddy42 on July 11, 2010, 05:18:53 AM
Awake is my favourite DT album! It's the best DT album lyrically, it features some of my favourite songs ever and James is at his best.
I'll agree with this. James never hit the sheer insanity ever again that his vocals hit in a lot of songs showcase. I thought his vocals in Scenes were good, but nothing compared to Awake. Innocence Faded, Scarred, The Silent Man, Voices, Space-Dye Vest, Lie, The Mirror; all of them some of Labrie's best vocals ever.
^All of that^
Title: Re: The Awake Fanboy Thread
Post by: Darkes7 on July 11, 2010, 06:28:48 AM
While I think Awake indeed is incredible in terms of vocals (Voices...), I still think the ones on SFAM are even more impressive and his best. Awake still feels like if he couldn't entirely control his voice at moments, at least for me.
Title: Re: The Awake Fanboy Thread
Post by: Seventh Son on July 11, 2010, 06:30:57 AM
While I think Awake indeed is incredible in terms of vocals (Voices...), I still think the ones on SFAM are even more impressive and his best. Awake still feels like if he couldn't entirely control his voice at moments, at least for me.
I like that though. It gives a feel of chaos to me, and I really like that. I don't really care for everything to be picture-perfect and controlled 24/7. Go nuts, go crazy!
Title: Re: The Awake Fanboy Thread
Post by: Mebert78 on July 11, 2010, 10:51:45 AM
I consider myself the ultimate Awake fanboy.  I love that album passionately.  I would make love to that album if possible.  OK, kidding about that.  But from start to finish, I love every note, every lyric, and everything about the album artwork.  It is perfection in my eyes.
Title: Re: The Awake Fanboy Thread
Post by: Plasmastrike on July 11, 2010, 01:02:31 PM
My second favorite album of all time. Merbert, SeventhSon, and others have really summed it up.

Bow down. :hefdaddy
Title: Re: The Awake Fanboy Thread
Post by: AwakeFromOctavarium on July 11, 2010, 01:27:19 PM
Awake is the best.
Title: Re: The Awake Fanboy Thread
Post by: j on July 11, 2010, 10:15:00 PM
I generally lean toward ranking Images and Words just higher than Awake, but it's certainly part of DT's golden era, when the things they were doing were fresh, and just plain fantastic. It's an amazing album

This, and...

Awake is an excellent album that was grown DRAMATICALLY over time for me. In my early days as a DT fan i didn't even like that much, but today it is definably top 3 DT albums to me. I think the more you listen to it, the more you get trapped by its atmosphere and once you are in there, you can enjoy all the awesome music craziness and melodies it has.

...this.  Took me awhile to get into, but probably the most rewarding "grower" album experience I've ever had.  And I usually list I&W at number one when it comes down to it, but for all practical purposes I love both of these albums equally.

-J
Title: Re: The Awake Fanboy Thread
Post by: Samsara on July 12, 2010, 08:23:55 AM
The pinnacle of DT. Never again have they reached this level of quality.

I'm not a Kevin Moore fanboy, but Kev Mo was the element in DT that gave the band its sense of ambiance and a great source of lyrics. Those items are sorely missed.

Since Awake, DT has opted for a style that is less ambient, and more virtuoso-oriented. That's fine, but that's not what I loved about DT. Awake, to me, is the essence of what I loved about Dream Theater.
Title: Re: The Awake Fanboy Thread
Post by: Adami on July 12, 2010, 08:45:09 AM
One of the coolest things about Awake is that (with very few exceptions) the writing is completely undated. You don't listen to it and think "dude, this is so early 90's" it's pretty timeless. As opposed to most modern albums where they are very dated.
Title: Re: The Awake Fanboy Thread
Post by: Dublagent66 on July 12, 2010, 11:22:41 AM
Awake isn't my #1 album but I still love it to fucking death.  :2metal:
Title: Re: The Awake Fanboy Thread
Post by: Darkes7 on July 12, 2010, 03:00:28 PM
The pinnacle of DT. Never again have they reached this level of quality.

I'm not a Kevin Moore fanboy, but Kev Mo was the element in DT that gave the band its sense of ambiance and a great source of lyrics. Those items are sorely missed.

Since Awake, DT has opted for a style that is less ambient, and more virtuoso-oriented. That's fine, but that's not what I loved about DT. Awake, to me, is the essence of what I loved about Dream Theater.
Not at all. Look at Trial of Tears, Through Her Eyes, Disappear, Vacant, The Answer Lies Within, Repentance, The Best of Times... this will do for starters.
Title: Re: The Awake Fanboy Thread
Post by: contest_sanity on July 12, 2010, 03:06:17 PM
^
That's exactly 1 song per album; Awake is the entire album.
Title: Re: The Awake Fanboy Thread
Post by: Darkes7 on July 12, 2010, 03:11:08 PM
These are the most obvious of the most obvious examples. Awake has two songs which could belong into this group.
Title: Re: The Awake Fanboy Thread
Post by: pogoowner on July 12, 2010, 03:31:14 PM
The pinnacle of DT. Never again have they reached this level of quality.

I'm not a Kevin Moore fanboy, but Kev Mo was the element in DT that gave the band its sense of ambiance and a great source of lyrics. Those items are sorely missed.

Since Awake, DT has opted for a style that is less ambient, and more virtuoso-oriented. That's fine, but that's not what I loved about DT. Awake, to me, is the essence of what I loved about Dream Theater.
Well said.
Title: Re: The Awake Fanboy Thread
Post by: TheOutlawXanadu on July 12, 2010, 05:36:47 PM
These are the most obvious of the most obvious examples. Awake has two songs which could belong into this group.
What group are we talking about here?

Because compared to both older and later Dream Theater albums as wholes, Awake as a whole is certainly less* virtuoso-oriented and more ambient.

In regards to viruosity, there are only two keyboard solos through eleven songs. I do not think any other Dream Theater album has that kind of restraint on the part of the keyboardist.

Ambience is less quanitfiable. I will not even take a stab at it.

*Keep in mind that Samsara is not saying Awake is not virtuostic-oriented at all. He is just saying that, overall, it is less viruostic-oriented than later Dream Theater. Like if the least virtuostic later Dream Theater album is Octavarium, and it is a 6/10 on the virtuostic-oriented scale, then Awake is a 4/10.
Title: Re: The Awake Fanboy Thread
Post by: Dr. SeaWolf on July 12, 2010, 06:06:42 PM
Awake is my favorite album, but I&W is the best album.
Title: Re: The Awake Fanboy Thread
Post by: Seventh Son on July 12, 2010, 06:10:45 PM
These are the most obvious of the most obvious examples. Awake has two songs which could belong into this group.
What group are we talking about here?

Because compared to both older and later Dream Theater albums as wholes, Awake as a whole is certainly less* virtuoso-oriented and more ambient.

In regards to viruosity, there are only two keyboard solos through eleven songs. I do not think any other Dream Theater album has that kind of restraint on the part of the keyboardist.

Ambience is less quanitfiable. I will not even take a stab at it.

*Keep in mind that Samsara is not saying Awake is not virtuostic-oriented at all. He is just saying that, overall, it is less viruostic-oriented than later Dream Theater. Like if the least virtuostic later Dream Theater album is Octavarium, and it is a 6/10 on the virtuostic-oriented scale, then Awake is a 4/10.

If DT would cut back on the keyboard solos and showed more restraint, I'd probably like their recent material a lot more than I do.
Title: Re: The Awake Fanboy Thread
Post by: PlaysLikeMyung on July 12, 2010, 07:51:58 PM
The pinnacle of DT. Never again have they reached this level of quality.

I'm not a Kevin Moore fanboy, but Kev Mo was the element in DT that gave the band its sense of ambiance and a great source of lyrics. Those items are sorely missed.

Since Awake, DT has opted for a style that is less ambient, and more virtuoso-oriented. That's fine, but that's not what I loved about DT. Awake, to me, is the essence of what I loved about Dream Theater.
Well said.

I agree completely :tup