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Dream Theater => Dream Theater => Topic started by: Shadow Ninja 2.0 on October 08, 2013, 04:33:34 PM
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All right, I know many (read: none) of you have been waiting for this moment, and finally, here it is. My Top 50. Expectations shall be shattered, people shall be amazed, and bowels will experience involuntary movement.
I have a majority of my list already written, and I'm just going to do a few final revisions, and I should have the first five or so up within the hour. In the meantime, let's see how many people I can get to follow this.
.....Maybe I should offer cash incentives.
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I want DT
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They will have a few songs on this list.
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I'm gonna go ahead and guess your #1 is a DT song, on one of their studio albums.
So in other words, A Change of Seasons is not #1
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I'll be following... Once you start, that is.
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All right, here we go. This list was pretty hard for me to put together. I really love the majority of DT's material, plus the songs I like can change fairly quickly, depending on what I want to listen to at the moment. So, basically as soon as this list is finished (or before then, possibly. :P), it'll be obsolete. Still, it'll probably be a fairly good representation of my tastes. Anyway, I had a lot of fun putting this together, so I hope all of you enjoy reading it. :)
So, let's go!
Actually, I have a few notes before we begin. First, I'm not overly familiar with Falling Into Infinity as of this writing. Take that how you will.
Second, there will be no b-sides or demos on this list. It would cause my slightly obsessive mind to short-circuit, possibly tearing a hole in the space-time continuum.
Third… nothing really. I just feel like there should be three. Let's go!
50. This Is The Life - A Dramatic Turn Of Events
This one was unexpected. Before making this list, I hadn't really thought of this song much. "Understated" is probably the best word for it. If I waited a bit longer to make this list, this song might have been much higher. So, what does Shadow Ninja like about this song? First, the clean guitar intro is just beautiful, as are the subsequent guitar solos. People who say JP is all shred and no heart obviously haven't heard this song. Then, LaBrie's vocals are just wonderful. Jordan is very subdued here, he has some quite piano parts, and his subtle pads around the 3:30 mark are fantastic. Special mention goes to Petrucci's lyrics on here. They're still his more recent straight-forward style, but they're quite beautiful in their own way. All in all, a fine choice for number 50!
49. Strange Deja Vu - Scenes From A Memory
I'm really trying to think of things to say about this one. I mean, I love it, but why do Iove it? Part of it, I suppose, is the way Overture 1928 melts into it. Then the sudden fast paced guitar riff around 3:00. The vocals are really great here as well. Though I will admit, in general, I don't really care about the lyrics of Scenes From A Memory. There are a few exceptions, but this is not one. Not being a lyrics guy, though, not paying attention to the lyrics doesn't really hurt the song for me.
So, why isn't this one higher? I've said only good things about it. Well, for one thing, there are simply 48 DT songs that I think are better. Also, one of the problems with SFAM is that taken out of context, some of the songs lose a bit of their "punch" I suppose. Regardless, this explanation is dragging on, so I'll just end this one here.
48. Outcry - A Dramatic Turn Of Events
This is a song I never really think of until I listen to it. It starts with quiet keyboards and some electronic drums. Then the song explodes as JP's riff comes in. Also, this song contains probably my favorite vocal line from James on the album.
Bullets fall like fire raining from the sky
I just love the way he delivers that line. Actually, his vocals are great throughout the song. I can't remember offhand, but the lyrics are by JP, right? I really enjoy them. The "rise up, be counted" section is really cool. The instrumental section is also one of their best (on this album). It feels like an actual composed instrumental rather than just solos. (which I also like :P) Rudess and Myung really shine on this track, especially the quieter parts.
That's really all I have to say for this one… Great song, number 48.
47. Sacrificed Sons - Octavarium
This one is a bit different for Dream Theater. Somewhat atmospheric, with a bit of creepy edge to it. It's one I hadn't really appreciated until recently. It was just "that song before Octavarium". However, it's really grown on me lately. I love James's falsetto vocals at the beginning. The harmonies in the chorus are really cool as well. The lyrics are good as well, although there is a bit of a "why now?" feeling to them. The solo section isn't one of my favorites, but it's solid enough.
Hmmmm… .I don't really have anything else to say. :lol I feel like I should try to make these writeups more interesting… but then I get distracted, so whatever. :P
46. Peruvian Skies - Falling Into Infinity
So, I said I wasn't very familiar with Falling Into Infinity. But now you know there is at least one song from that album on my list (or could there be more? :omg: who knows?)
So, what is there to say about this song? The opening is great. I'm sure what kind of effect JP is using to get that sound, but I like it. James sounds really good here as well, the somewhat aggressive tone he uses in the verses is nicely offset by the light tone of the choruses. I like the way the song changes halfway through and gets a lot heavier. JP has a really great solo here.
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booo! :tdwn Everyone knows that Strange Deja Vu isn't a song by itself, only with Overture 1928
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Familiarize yourself with FII.
Nice songs, would be in my top 50 as well.
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Familiarize yourself with FII.
Yeah, particularly ToT and LitS. If both of those don't make an appearance in your top 10 I will lose my shit.
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Prepare your undergarments.
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Prepare your undergarments.
:-[
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Excellent choices, though Outcry really hasn't clicked for me yet. The rest deserve their places or higher (SDV, SS).
Question: Will any songs from the self-titled album be appearing on this list? Or, if that's more specific than you want to reveal, did you take the self-titled album into consideration when making the final version of this list?
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All 5 are pretty solid choices. Nice start.
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Excellent choices, though Outcry really hasn't clicked for me yet. The rest deserve their places or higher (SDV, SS).
Question: Will any songs from the self-titled album be appearing on this list? Or, if that's more specific than you want to reveal, did you take the self-titled album into consideration when making the final version of this list?
I wrote this before hearing the self-titled album, so none of those songs will appear on this list. I'm not really familiar enough with them to judge them accurately, anyway.
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I is following dis, dawg.
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Outcry and Peruvian Skies are amazing. :tup
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I had all of those songs (Strange Deja Vu was coupled with Oveture 1928 though) ranked around 40-50, except Peruvian Skies which got an honorable mention. We'll see if there are more similarities in our tastes :D
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Following. Cool choices so far but Outcry is one of my least favourite songs from ADTOE. I think the lyrics are way too cheesy. Instrumentally it's great though.
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Update cometh.
45. A Rite Of Passage - Black Clouds And Silver Linings
I suppose this might be something of a controversial choice, seeing as Black Clouds And Silver Linings isn't always too well thought-of here. But this is my list, so deal with it. :P
This is really a great song.
….Oh, you were expecting me to say something else? :P I love the main riff, I love James's vocals, the chorus is one of DT's best, and JP has a really killer solo here. The only thing I don't really care for is the Bebot solo, and it doesn't last long enough to really bother me that much. So, that's all!
44. Lost Not Forgotten - A Dramatic Turn Of Events
So, here we are. Number 44. What do I like about this song? First, the piano at the beginning is really cool, as is the riff that follows. Mangini's drumming really stands out here, he has some really fantastic parts. James's vocals are fantastic, and I personally really enjoy the lyrics. I know not everyone's crazy about JP's "historical" type lyrics, but I quite enjoy them, especially here, where I think they worked a lot better than in A Rite Of Passage.
There is one thing, however, that I do not like about this song. That is the infamous "tickle" section. Normally, I like DT's unisons, but this one just bugs me. I think the song would have been stronger without it. But, life moves on, and doesn't subtract that much from the song.
43. The Dance Of Eternity - Scenes From A Memory
Now, I'm not really an instrumental kind of guy. I know that seems odd coming from a DT fan, but I tend to take more of a "vocals first" approach. Even though I enjoy some instrumental groups, (Animals As Leaders, Gordian Knot, LTE) the vocalist is normally the biggest selling point for me. But, there are some songs that despite having no singer, remain interesting to me all the way through. This is one of those songs.
Now, I know most people think this song is just sort of a pointless technical exercise for DT to show how talented they are. And maybe they're right, but to me, this is one of the only instrumentals I actually find "catchy". I get parts of this caught in my head quite often. Whether it's a guitar riff, a ragtime piano solo, or what have you, I find this song to be fun and interesting all the way through. The only negative it really has in my eyes is that the production is not quite to my liking. But, in the grand scheme of things, that really doesn't matter to much. Onward and upward….
42. Far From Heaven - A Dramatic Turn Of Events
Not really much to say about this one. Jordan has some really nice restrained playing, James vocals are beautiful. I can't remember, but he did write his own vocal lines for this one? If so, he did a wonderful job as these are some of the best melodies he's ever sung with DT. Overall, just a very lovely song.
41. One Last Time - Scenes From A Memory
So, another song under 4:00 minutes. This trend is somewhat disturbing. :P Very nice, almost pop-like song. Honestly, I think this song is one of the ones that could actually get some radio play, if radio stations played any groups that play instruments. /progsnob :P Anyway, this is just a great song. I feel like Scenes From A Memory is a bit hit-or-miss as far as James' vocals go, but on this song he sounds great. "His words I cannot HEAR!". Fantastic.
That's really all I have to say for this one. Onward!
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Not the biggest fan I this update. I only like LNF and One Last Time. I could do without the others.
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All songs listed are good, with the exception of AROP. and a nice mention to This Is the Life, which is a perfectly written song. Everything about it.
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Good choices. I will join you in the "Rite of Passage Chorus Fanclub."
LNF is another song from ADTOE that I like on paper but doesn't click too well with me.
TDOE is good, it recently started clicking with me and sounding like a good song instead of just wacky instrumentals.
FFH is one of my favorite DT ballads and one of my favorite songs on ADTOE. "Not asking you to save me, I'm too far from Heaven" = chills.
OLT is another DT song that is just really good in 1500 different ways.
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I never listen to TDOE and AROP has a catchy chorus, but the song is ruined by the instrumental section. The rest of the songs in this update are great though :tup
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40. These Walls - Octavarium
So, what can I say about this song? It's probably one of DT's more underrated tracks, (if that term really meant anything) I never really see anyone who particularly dislikes it, but you never anyone say they like it, either. It seems a bit overlooked. Which is a shame, because it's really a great song. It starts with a great crunchy riff, has great keyboards, and James' vocals are fantastic. The build up to the chorus is one of the best they've done, which leads me to my only real complaint about the track, which is that chorus isn't quite as good as the rest of the song, especially considering the greatness of the pre-chorus. But, that's a minor complaint. It's still a great song. Onward!
39. This Dying Soul - Train Of Thought
So, here's the first song from Train Of Thought on my list (but will it be the last? Who knows!). Honestly, while I enjoy Train Of Thought, it ranks pretty low for me, due to some fairly lackluster songs.
But, we're not talking about those. We're talking about This Dying Soul. And what is there really to say about it? This is just a great headbanging song, especially the part starting at 3:45, probably my favorite part of the song. Not really a whole lot to say about this one, just a really solid song. Also, this is the song (I think) that has a section supposedly heavily inspired by a Metallica song. I don't really hear that, but I haven't listened to a lot of Metallica, so maybe that's why. But! Anyway, that's really neither here nor there (what an odd phrase, by the way). Onward!
38. Repentance - Systematic Chaos
So, another song from the Twelve Step Suite. This one is a bit different, DT have never done anything else quite like it. It's very restrained, with everybody playing only what is needed. Also, the song contains one of JP's best solos. The spoken word section seems to be the part most people dislike, and while I understand their complaints, I think it works very well in the context of the song.
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::) ::) ::) ::)
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We can't all have These Walls at number 1.
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These Walls is very cool, but both TDS and Repentance are nowhere near my top 50 (although I must say the former has grown on me since I did my top 50).
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Yeah, I'm with Onno. These Walls is the only one of these that does too much for me. The others aren't bad but they're the definition of 60s-70s range songs.
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These Walls is very cool, but both TDS and Repentance are nowhere near my top 50
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(https://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i238/hefdaddy42/DTF/i-am-monitoring-this-thread.jpg)
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Repentance is amazing, These Walls is very good and This Dying Soul good. Best update so far.
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I love These Walls. Mostly because Mike's evolving pre-chorus drum fills, JP's tasty solo, and the time signature. It's pretty catchy, even poppy, but I love the way it achieves that effect.
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(https://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i238/hefdaddy42/DTF/i-am-monitoring-this-thread.jpg)
(https://i1300.photobucket.com/albums/ag94/ShadowNinja38/huh_zps56f724f3.png)
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Repentance is amazing, These Walls is very good and This Dying Soul good. Best update so far.
Based on the other posts so far, I think this comment belongs in the controversial opinions thread. :lol
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37. Light Fuse And Get Away - When Dream And Day Unite
This is the first song from WDADU to appear on my list. Now, I've heard a lot of complaints about this song, it's too disjointed, the melodies are unusual, there are far too many lyrics, and so on. To be honest, most of these things are true. It just so happens that I like it. :P The song has a lot of energy, with lots of rapid changes. I know a lot of people don't care for Charlie's vocals, but I not only tolerate them, I really enjoy them. Apart from a few unfortunate moments, he really sounds fantastic on the entire record. Anyway, back to the song. I imagine this one would be hard to sing live, with so many words crammed all together. :lol This song also has one of my favorite DT choruses.
That's really all I have to say about this one, I suppose. Moving on.
36. As I Am - Train Of Thought
So, I've said before that TOT is one of my least favorite DT albums. Still, even a lower ranked DT album is a really good album as far as I'm concerned. To be honest, I don't really have much to say about this one. Great riffs, great vocals, great solos, just a really great metal track. Also, the lyrics are fun to listen to when you're angry. :metal
35. Prophets Of War - Systematic Chaos
"No, Shadow Ninja, don't do it! POW is horrible!!" No, it's not. Shut up. :P Seriously though, I love this song. Until I joined this forum, I has no idea that this song was so disliked among DT fans. I really like James' lighter vocals in the first verse and chorus. The following riff is fantastic, if I could actually play guitar, I'd want to play that riff. The Queen-style vocals I think are really cool, though for some reason people dislike them. (Do they have the same problem with the ones in the Queen cover on BCSL? 'Cus those were pretty bad. :P) Now, there's one more thing people hate about this song. Mike's vocals. Now, prepare yourself.
Are you ready?
I like Mike's vocals here. His pseudo-rap is really cool, it's got a nice driving beat to it. And come on, who doesn't want to sing along with this?
SEE YOU SWEAT
UNEXPECTED CONTROVERSIAL
:metal Well, that's probably enough controversy for now….
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As I Am rocks, but POW is horrible :P Cool to see some appreciation for Light Fuse... even though it's my least favorite on WDADU.
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Light the Fuse is one of my least favorite DT songs ever made, along with Prophets of War.
As I Am is phenomenal though.
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What on earth is this? :P
Light Fuse is my least favorite song that DT put on a studio album. As I Am isn't a whole lot higher. POW is the best of the bunch, and I agree with you on the Queen stuff and MP's rap, but it's still not nearly top 50.
I mean, it's Dream Theater, so all of them have some redeeming features and are good songs (Light Fuse is borderline but it's growing on me so I'll give it the benefit of the doubt), but I wouldn't list any of them among the band's best.
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Huh, I had no idea Light Fuse And Get Away was so disliked around here. :lol
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And come on, who doesn't want to sing along with this?
I certainly don't. :P
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ASS! FOR! JAMES!
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You call that controversial? Prophets of War was in my top 20.
Like every song on WDADU, Light Fuse is underrated.
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2/3 of that update are just awful. Congratulations. :biggrin:
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no u
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34. Caught In A Web - Awake
So, like many people, I really didn't like Awake when I first heard it. This song is one I remember listening to, and thinking, "I just don't get it" there was just nothing about the song that brought me back. I still listened to Awake occasionally, though, and eventually it started to grow on me. This song is one of the biggest examples of that. I contend that Awake as a whole is James' finest moment (and actually the band as whole, when it comes down to it). He really sounds fantastic here, from the harsher tone on the verses to the soaring chorus. The instrumental section contains some interesting synth tones from Moore, that sound vaguely Eastern to me. Though, I'm hardly knowledgeable in these matters. :P I guess that'll do it, onward!
33. The Glass Prison - Six Degrees Of Inner Turbulence
So, what can I say about this one that hasn't already been said? For some people, this song is probably rated too low. But this is my list, so suck it. :P Really, though, I didn't even expect this one to end up as high as it did. When I was putting the list together, I was actually surprised by how good it was, since I hadn't listened to it in a while. Now, I believe this is something of a live favorite, and although I've never actually been to a DT concert, I can see how it would really rock live. Fast-paced, heavy, great riffs with cool back-and-forth between LaBrie and Portnoy. Great instrumetal section, as well.
32. The Great Debate - Six Degrees Of Inner Turbulence
So, here we have the second almost-14 minute song from SDOIT that appears on this list. :lol This song didn't really resonate with me for a while, like most of Disc 1. One day, though, I decided to give it another try. And I was surprised to find how great it was. The beginning of the song is really cool, starting with a rumbling bass line and swirling keyboards. The sound bytes are cool, though they do wear on you if you listen to the song often. This song also contains some of Mike's best drumming, as least from my uneducated perspective. There are some very Tool-like moments here, like James' vocals from 4:25-4:40. Then my favorite part of the song, "RIGHT WING SOUND BYTE PREMONITIONS, A LABYRINTH OF RULES!!" followed by the fantastic guitar riff underneath, "ARE YOU JUSTIFIED!?!?!?!", which is one of James' best moments on the album. Huh, this writeup is getting a bit long. Time to wrap it up, folks.
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You're getting better. Only 1/3 of that one was awful.
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Awful, all of SDOIT is top 10 material :D
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It is not, or it would be in the Top 10. :P
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Great choices! :tup
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31. Learning To Live - Images And Words
I can hear people saying now, "NO SAHDOW NINJA LEARNING TO LIVE IS THEIR BEST SONG NO DONT DO IT". Shut up, you whiners. :P ….I think doing this list is making me meaner. :lol Anyway, this really is a great song, and it's the first from I&W to appear on this list. So, what is there to like about this song? A lot! First, there's a lot of really cool synth work here, courtesy of Moore. Actually, pretty much everyone is performing extremely well here. James sounds really great here, especially at the "NO MORE TO GIVE!", part, which is one of my favorites. Now, what's the one thing everybody thinks about when the think of LTL? Yeah, the F#. Now, I've said so before, but because I have a (semi) captive audience, I'm going to say it again. I really don't see the big deal with the F#. It's just a note, and is very far from James' best moment on this song. I mean, it's a cool enough section, but not really good enough, in my opinion, to warrant the praise it gets.
But, I'm spending too much time complaining. The guitar solo (or whatever you want to call it) around 5:30 is fantastic, and the entire instrumental section is brilliantly done. The Wait For Sleep reprise is pretty cool too. Speaking of Wait For Sleep, we haven't seen it yet on this list. Huh……
30. Wait For Sleep - Images And Words
Yeah, I gave this one away. I'm sure there are some people saying, "How could you put WFS above LTL?" as if long songs are inherently better. (this is ironic, since I'm pretty much the biggest long-song fan there is. :P)
There's really not too much to say about this one. This is just a lovely song. Moore's keyboards and his lyrics are beautiful (although I'm not usually a lyrics guy). The whole song has kind of odd feel to it, as you'd expect a short piano-driven to be a ballad, but it doesn't really sound ballad-esque to me. Anyway, I'm gonna end this one so I can go listen to Wait For Sleep. :P
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CIAW is perfectly placed. TGD is too high, and TGP is too low.
Same with WFS and LtL. Still, good to see Wait for Sleep make a list.
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The last 5 are all good songs, but WFS is a bit too high.
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The Great Debate and Learning to Live are both top 10. Shame on you.
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They are not. Else they would be in the Top 10.
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The Great Debate and Learning to Live are both top 10. Shame on you.
:hifive:
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I thought that I was the only one that had WFS higher than LTL.
... I knew there was a reason that I liked you.
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\o
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I wouldn't put WFS above LTL, but they are my favorite songs on I&W and in my top 10.
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29. The Spirit Carries On - Scenes From A Memory
So, I have a particular love for DT's softer songs, and this one is no exception. Some people say this is a Pink Floyd-like track. Eh, I've never heard PF do anything remotely close to being this good. But that's just me. :P James has some weak spots on SFAM, but I sounds really great here. JP's restrained playing in the beginning is really fantastic, as is Jordan's piano playing. The reprises from Regression towards the end are really cool as well. This is also one of only songs on SFAM where I actually like the lyrics. I know some folks say they're cliched, but if this is cliched, I say bring it on.
Well, I guess that's all for this one. Further up and further in….
28. Voices - Awake
Wow, talk about a hard track to take in. This song has an awful lot going on. There's a sort of unnerving feel throughout the song, from James soft vocals at the beginning to his scream of, "THOUGHT DISORDER, DREAM CONTROL," which is probably my favorite part. The chorus is really cool in the way it just seems to appear out of nowhere. Now, I've heard people praise this song as JP's finest moment lyrically. And this brings me to the only real complaint I have for this one. I mean, I guess the lyrics are supposed to be deep or symbolic or something like that, but I don't really see it. As far as I'm concerned, they might as well just be gibberish. I know this will annoy some people, but it's been a while since POW, we need more controversy in this list!
I really don't even dislike the lyrics that much, I should really stop being so negative. I really do love this song.
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Voices is amazing and my second favourite from Awake. The lyrics don't bother me at all though, I like them! As for TSCO, I never have an urge to listen to it but when I listen to SFAM or any live album/DVD that it's on I really love it. The cliched lyrics fit perfectly well and I wouldn't want any other lyrics for that song.
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I have no idea what's Voices about, but the lyrics sound cool so what the heck.
Or maybe it's about some sort of dissociative identity disorder.
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2 excellent songs... and the lyrics of Voices are incredible
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TSCO has always been too cheesy for my taste, but Voices is incredible and the lyrics started to make a lot of sense to me after I read some interesting analyses.
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TSCO is about 29 places too low. Good picks
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TSCO is about 29 places too low.
It's #0 for you? :neverusethis:
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TSCO is patient Zero...the start of it all...or my maths just suck :biggrin:
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27. The Ministry Of Lost Souls - Systematic Chaos
So, here we are. Some people really dislike this track, which I'll never really understand. This is a great song. The symphonic keyboards in the opening are really cool, plus JP's guitar work in the verses is really great, though understated. I've always felt that SC was one of the best DT albums in terms of JLB's vocals, and this song is no exception. His voice has a mournful edge to it, suiting the subject matter. Now, people tend to complain that the instrumental comes out of nowhere. Yeah, it does. But so what? It's a good instrumental, and besides, out of nowhere sections are sort of a DT trademark.
Anyway, I really love this song.
26. Wither - Black Clouds And Silver Linings
This is the second song from BC&SL to appear on this list. This is an example of how good DT can be when they hold back. James sounds fantastic here, the harmonies in the chorus are really great. The lyrics are suitably depressing, and Rudess's synth work is really great near the end. Also, in my opinion, this is one of JP's most emotional solos.
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Both decent songs, but putting them above Voices is blasphemy.
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(https://i1300.photobucket.com/albums/ag94/ShadowNinja38/dtdealwithit_zps1ec1b82d.gif)
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It would be funnier if another sunglass were to fall on James as well.
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I disagree with the placement of both songs, but I can forgive you because that gif is awesome :lol
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Yeah, I didn't expect this to be a popular update. :lol
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Great choices! I'd easily put both above Voices. TSCO I would have higher, but the two you've just listed are both seriously good songs, particularly TMOLS.
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That is an unexpected, but welcome, opinion.
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Ministry is one of those songs where I guess I can see why people don't like it, but absolutely love it. I'm definitely one of the few members of the TMOLS fan club right along with you.
o/
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I'm actually kind of in between. It feels like a song that will grow on me, that hasn't yet, kind of like Scarred.
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I disagree with the placement of both songs, but I can forgive you because that gif is awesome :lol
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Umm... I have a feeling that next up will come more Scenes and Awake...
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Both decent songs, but putting them above Voices is blasphemy.
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Umm... I have a feeling that next up will come more Scenes and Awake...
Don't put too much stock in your instincts.
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I hope there will come a day when I finally make peace with TMOLS :lol
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TMOLS is super awesome, Wither is good but too high IMO.
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I would rank TMOLS even higher.
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25. Innocence Faded - Awake
Well, this is lovely little song. James' softer vocals sound great here, especially in context of the album, since he'd been using his harsher style up till now. Now, I admit, I have no idea what he's saying during the really high part, but he sounds good so it doesn't matter. Listening through this song again, I noticed Mike doing a lot of cool little fills and stuff in the background, and Moore is doing the same sort of thing, just staying in the back. Probably the best part about this song, though, is the chorus. Gets stuck in my head for quite a while afterwards.
24. Endless Sacrifice - Train Of Thought
This song is often unfairly (in my view) hated on. I love it, though. I love the way it goes from the soft opening, to the huge riff and chorus, one of my favorites from DT (yeah, I know I say that a lot. :P) "TRY TO STAY ALIVE-EEEE UNTIL I HEAR YOUR VOICE I'M GONNA LOSE MY MIND-EEEEE". I love the harmonics there. I think I heard someone describe it as "nu-metal bleeps" before. :lol Now, I've said before that I mostly don't worry much with lyrics, but on this song I really like them, and I think they add a lot to the song, at least for me. A lot of people have problems with the instrumental, but I really don't, as it's a slammin' :adrenalinemob: instrumental. :metal
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I like Innocence and LOVE Endless Sacrifice. I also am a fan of the "nu-metal bleeps" and the instrumental section. Great choice! :tup
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I liked Endless Sacrifice a lot before seeing it played on Budokan but afterward...I love it! Whenever I hear it now I see JLB shaking his hand while emphasising, "End-less-sac-ri-fice!" Raaaaawk!
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Both great picks :tup
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Bloody Yes Endless Sacrifice! :metal
Not so keen on Innocence Faded, but I can see the merits of why people like it!
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Innocence Faded. :heart :hefdaddy
Endless Sacrifice used to be one of my favourite DT songs. It's still good.
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Endless Sacrifice :heart
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23. The Best Of Times - Black Clouds And Silver Linings
This is sure to generate some controversy. The opening is just perfect. Jordan playing piano with JP's acoustic guitar is just sublime. The guitar riff after that is definitely reminiscent of The Spirit Of Radio, except that this song is much, much better than The Spirit Of Radio. :P Now, some people have problems with the lyrics. I don't. I think if you're expecting them to be beautiful poetry, you have the wrong idea. It's just Mike talking to his dad, which, to me at least, is very touching. I can't say I really relate to the lyrics (my dad's still alive), but I feel Mike did a good job saying how he felt. Also, JP's outro guitar solo is transcendent, though it's not particularly flashy.
22. The Silent Man - Awake
To be honest, even after I started really liking Awake, I never thought much of this track. I don't mean I disliked it, I simply didn't think of it at all. I was aware of it's existence, but I couldn't really recall anything from it, nor did I care to. Then, sometime fairly recently, I was listening through Awake and I realized how gorgeous this song is. It's not often you hear a DT song played entirely on an acoustic guitar. The melodies are really lovely, and JP's :neverusethis: backing vocals are really good. I think a lot of people may be like I was for a while, not really paying much attention to this one. If that's you, go ahead and try it again. You may find something new this time. :)
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I feel the same way about TSM as you did before your transformation. It's one of the few DT songs that's really just kind of there for me. I do like James on it and John's little acoustic guitar solo.
The Best of Times is my least favorite on Black Clouds, but I don't not like it, it just doesn't really reach any incredible heights for me.
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The guitar solo is the only part of The Best of Times that I really like. The rest is not bad, but I never really want to listen to it either.
The Silent Man is great.
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I love the intro and outro of TBoT, but other parts are killing the song for me. If I listen to BC&SL, I always end up skipping the song as electric guitar comes in.
TSM is a fine pick.
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21. Disappear - Six Degrees Of Inner Turbulence
So, I believe I've already mentioned how I came to appreciate The Great Debate. It's pretty much the same with Disappear. Actually, I think it may have been the same day. The first few times I heard it, I didn't really care for the weird vocal effects coupled with Rudess's odd-sounding synth. The more I listened to it, though, the more I liked it. I really love the way James' vocals echo at the beginning. This song is also hard to listen to without feeling sad. In fact, this may be DT's saddest song. :sad: ….. moving on. :'(
20. Home - Scenes From A Memory
This is another track I hand't really expected to place very high on this list. Then I listened to it. :lol This is one of DT's most-like tracks, and for good reason. It pretty much has everything, from odd eastern-sounding synths, great vocals, fantastic drumming, and above everything else, WOMP WOMP. Simply one of the best riffs DT have ever done. The only thing that's not good about this one is the sex scene in the background. I mean, who's idea was that? It's just annoying. But, anyway, this is a fantastic song, thus why I placed it so highly. :P
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21. Disappear - Six Degrees Of Inner Turbulence
In fact, this may be DT's saddest song. :sad:
Space-Dye Vest says hello ;)
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Nah. I love Space-Dye Vest, but DT have sadder songs.
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Two songs that are unquestionably good but that I would definitely not put this high.
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IMO Space Dye Vest isn't that sad, when you think about the somewhat ridiculous subject matter.
Now Disappear... What a song. That one didnt get anywhere with me for a long time, until my fourth or fifth full listen of it. It's great, good pick!
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Disappear is too low.
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Disappear is too low.
Definitely. :tup
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IMO Space Dye Vest isn't that sad, when you think about the somewhat ridiculous subject matter.
It's not ridiculous at all. I can relate well to it.
Two fantastic songs. :tup
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19. Panic Attack - Octavarium
Where to start with this one? The start, perhaps. It opens with a blazing bass line from Mr. Myung, leading into a huge guitar riff. The best thing about this song is it's energy, it's pretty much fast-paced all the way through. I like the way Jordan uses his synths to emphasize the main riff. Mike's got some really cool drums rhythms as well, which I hadn't really noticed until I listened to it again to write this.
That's really all i've got for this one. :metal
18. A Nightmare To Remember - Black Clouds And Silver Linings
Yeah. This is number eighteen.
(https://i1300.photobucket.com/albums/ag94/ShadowNinja38/RogerSterlingDealWithIt_zps1ad27f14.gif)
This is the first song off BC&SL that I heard, and at the time I was only familiar with a few songs from Images And Words. The first time I heard this one, it was way too heavy for my tastes. (which is kind of funny to think about now). Anyway, I did really like the "Beautiful Agony" section, so I guess that's why I kept listening to it. And it's a good thing I did, because this is a monster of a song. Jordan's opening piano is really great, and the following riff is crushing. James sounds really great here, I think he does the "metal" voice a lot better on BC&SL than he did on Train Of Thought (which I feel is a bit weak vocally, at times).
Some people don't like the solos. Eh, I can see where they're coming from, I suppose, but I love 'em. Some of JP and JR's best, in my opinion. I also like Mike's vocals, though it does seem odd to be singing "everyone survived" in his tough guy voice. But, oh well. Doesn't really take away from the song, in my opinion. So, there you are. I await the rage. :P
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Woah woah woah woah woah slow down a minute.
People don't like the ANTR solos? Huh. (Good picks for 19/18, maybe panic attack should be a bit higher? I unno.)
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I quite like ANTR. There are sections I thoroughly enjoy, there are sections I want to headbang to and there is that section I laugh everytime I hear it. Wouldn't place it in top 20, but it would surely make my top 50.
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Nah. I love Space-Dye Vest, but DT have sadder songs.
Disappear and Take Away my Pain are two of the most heartbreaking and emotional songs in the band's catalog. SDV isn't sad...perhaps a bit depressing, but I get the feeling that was the point.
Love Panic Attack and ANTR just missed my top 50 I think...
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I like Panic Attack quite a lot, and this is a really good placement for ANTR, a song that really doesn't seem to get as much love as it deservers.
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IMO Space Dye Vest isn't that sad, when you think about the somewhat ridiculous subject matter.
It's not ridiculous at all. I can relate well to it.
Two fantastic songs. :tup
Kevin Moore falling in love with a girl on a magazine cover? Sounds ridiculous to me personally ;) Don't get me wrong the song and music itself is actuallly pretty sad.
OT: ANTR is great! Though it would only be in my 30's, I think it deserves that placement. It was one of my first DT songs and is a great prog song in general, I often ignore the criticism it receives :tup
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IMO Space Dye Vest isn't that sad, when you think about the somewhat ridiculous subject matter.
It's not ridiculous at all. I can relate well to it.
Kevin Moore falling in love with a girl on a magazine cover? Sounds ridiculous to me personally ;) Don't get me wrong the song and music itself is actuallly pretty sad.
That's what it is on the surface level.
He had had a relationship, which ended too soon for him. JM's wife lended him a magazine (Lisa Martens, thus "Falling through pages of Martens"), where he saw a picture of this girl wearing an apparel called space-dye vest. He fell in love with that girl, even though he knew nothing about, so he had to imagine her, and so cherished the image he knew it wasn't true. If he had ever met her in real life, the illusion would have shattered. And what if she wasn't like the way he imagined her?
Or at least that's the way I see it.
Sorry Shadow Ninja. ANTR is very good, but could use some trimming. Panic Attack was one of the first DT songs I heard, I found it too heavy back then, but I learned to love it over time.
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17. Pull Me Under - Images And Words
I think a lot of people overlook this song. It's not altogether surprising, it the only DT "hit", and everybody's probably heard it quite a bit by now. To be honest, I didn't really expect it to be very high on this list. However, on a long car trip I took recently, I brought I&W along to listen to. (My mom and sister were with me, and I figured it was my best chance at getting them to listen to DT. :P) I was listening to Pull Me Under, and I remembered what a fantastic song it is. Great riffs, great drums, great solos, and one of DT's best choruses. My copy cuts off at the end, though, what's up with
16. Beyond This Life - Scenes From A Memory
You know, I'm noticing a lot of SFAM songs on this list, despite the fact that in the album rankings, I usually rank it pretty low. I'm not really sure why that is. ??? Anyway, this is a fantastic song. I love Myung's bass line combined with Mike's kick drums in the verses. The song does a great job of going from heavy to soft and back to heavy again. The instrumental section is great as well, with Rudess showing off various bizarre synths. The lyrics are mostly eh, but there is one line I really like, the "Our deeds have traveled far, what we have been is what we are". I believe someone said that line is form something else, but regardless, it works really well.
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Two very good choices. I probably wouldn't place PMU quite this high, but Beyond This Life is AMAZING and is perfectly placed.
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He fell in love with that girl, even though he knew nothing about, so he had to imagine her, and so cherished the image he knew it wasn't true. If he had ever met her in real life, the illusion would have shattered. And what if she wasn't like the way he imagined her?
Yeah, that's why it's kind of stupid and not sad. Except that the whole thing is kind of sad.
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He had had a relationship, which ended too soon for him. JM's wife lended him a magazine (Lisa Martens, thus "Falling through pages of Martens"), where he saw a picture of this girl wearing an apparel called space-dye vest. He fell in love with that girl, even though he knew nothing about, so he had to imagine her, and so cherished the image he knew it wasn't true. If he had ever met her in real life, the illusion would have shattered. And what if she wasn't like the way he imagined her?
And to expand on that:
I had just come out of a relationship where I'd gotten dumped, basically, and so I think the situation was that I wasn't finished giving all that I was ready to give, so I was just, like, throwing it around, you know, just aiming it in different directions. It was a total case of projection. And this song is just trying to sort it out and just kind of admitting that I'm just kind of lost.
At least I find that kind of feeling pretty sad...
Anyway, PMU is a classic but I don't like BTL.
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15. The Killing Hand - When Dream And Day Unite
Yeah, this is really number 15. I love this song. The guitar intro is fantastic, as is the riff that follows. Now, obviously some people like to make fun of "I am the killing haaaaaaaaaand" (myself chief among them), but apart from that, Charlie really sounds amazing here. I know this is pretty much heresy, but I like this song better with Charlie on vox. I've never heard a version where I thought James really matched him. Yeah. I went there. Moore is pretty much everywhere in this song, even if you don't notice him at first. My favorite part is the part around 3:20, the "lowered deep into the sea" part. :metal Anyway, I can't really do justice to this song in my writeup, so I'll just end it here. :P
14. Lie - Awake
I remember watching the "Score so far" documentary a while back, and when they mentioned that this was the single released for Awake, but that it didn't really do well, I couldn't figure it out. It's heavy in the right places, lighter where it needs to be, and the lyrical flow is stunning. (the work of KevMo, I believe) Then I came to this forum, and everyone seemed to hate Lie. Even if I don't agree with some criticisms of DT, I can usually understand them. But the hate for this song never has and probably never will make any sense to me. And "the lyrics are terrible", umm, wat?
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2 kickass songs :metal
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Neither of these would be nearly this high for me but both are still pretty awesome songs~
Then again DT has lots of awesome songs, so :V
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Lie is way too high, but I agree that the lyrics aren't bad. TKH is well placed though I definitely don't get the opinion that Charlie tops LATM James on the song.
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I just really enjoy the way Charlie delivers the lines. Plus, on a lot of the James versions, he randomly shrieks out high notes for no particular reason, which to me at least, doesn't really add to the song.
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I do think Charlie does a good job on it (except on the very last line), I just think James takes it to a new level on that Marquee performance in every way. The power begins with "An angel's kiss..." and stays throughout the whole song. And I love it when he pulls out crazy high notes, so I like stuff like "oooooAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH... Lowered deep..." and "Sipping his poison, the raven sings YET! Another to..."
Eh, each to his own. We can still agree that this is a top 20 song.
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No. We have disagreed, therefore we must fight to the death.
Prepare yourself.
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Honor the fighting... leave life to die... Oh...
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Lie might be in my top 10 worst DT songs :eek. The Killing Hand is legit though :metal
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2 kickass songs :metal
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13. Through Her Eyes - Scenes From A Memory
This is a fantastic ballad, one of DT's best. The whole thing is very subdued, which works in it's favor. This contains some of my favorite guitar work from JP, as well as some of JLB's best vocals. The lyrics are a bit spotty in places (I've got a son, I've got a wife) but mostly I feel they work very well in the song. The addition of Theresa Thompson (I think that's her name, too lazy to look it up. :P) works very well, in this fan's opinion. I really have nothing else to say about this one. It's just great. :)
12. Metropolis - Images And Words
Well, you knew it had to happen at some point. This is pretty much the quintessential Dream Theater song. The way the song builds on the opening keyboard lines is amazing. Now, I'm blanking a bit on who wrote the lyrics for this one, but I'm thinking it was Kevin. I really enjoy them, though I'd have no idea what they were about if I hadn't been told. :lol This song is interesting in that, (as far as I can tell) it really has no chorus. Somehow, though, that really doesn't matter. The instrumental break is a bit of a :wtf: , but in the best way possible. :lol Anyway, this is a great song. Over and out…
Oh yeah, the bass solo rocks. :metal
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Great position for Metropolis, but Through Her Eyes is far too high IMO. And the lyrics to Metropolis are by John P.
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Great songs. Both are definitely in my top 15. :metal
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Metropolis does have a chorus, the same bit that was reprised as Home's chorus :P
Through Her Eyes wouldn't get near my top 50 but Metropolis certainly deserves to be up here, fantastically composed song form beginning to end.
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I don't really like Through Her Eyes (Victoria is a hoe was probably the best freaking thought about this song :rollin), but Metropolis surely deserves this place.
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I really like Through Her Eyes, great pick. Unfortunately it is very highly underrated. :-[
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11. 6:00 - Awake
SIX O'CLOCK IN A CHRISTMAS MORNING SIX O'CLOCK ON A CHRISTMAS MORNING
KevMo, you know I love you but those samples are horrendous and make me want to claw my ears off. Fortunately, the rest of the song is far better. James' new-found growl in his voice is on full display here, and it sounds fantastic. The chorus is a bit odd, but it's quite catchy. The drumming in this song is fantastic, as it is on the entire record. Honestly, I think this may be their best album in terms of drumming. (as well as their best album overall. :P) Now, I've said (many times) that I'm not a lyrics person. By which I mean, I don't really care what the words mean, as long as they sound good. "Good" being either poetic sounding, or just good as in set to good melodies. I do occasionally, however, enjoy reading people's interpretations of lyrics, as they usually see something I wouldn't. Someone on this site (I think it was Mebert) posted an interpretation of the lyrics to 6:00 being about Kevin struggling with whether or not to leave DT. I don't know if that's been confirmed, but I really like that interpretation, which makes this one of the few songs where I listen to the lyrics.
Wow, that dragged on. Let's continue…
10. Beneath The Surface - A Dramatic Turn Of Events
This is a beautiful song, by far the best of the three ballads on ADTOE. This is an odd one, as the song itself doesn't sound that sad, but the lyrics are very sad. I remember I was listening to this in the car with my dad, and he was enjoying the song, then he started listening to the lyrics, and was like, "Wow, this is depressing." :lol Now, I really love it when we get to hear Petrucci play acoustic guitar, not as a background part, but as the lead. And this one does not disappoint. James sounds fantastic here, and though some people complain about the pitch correction, I don't hear it, and therefore it doesn't bother me. :P Jordan's solo is fantastic, I really love the tone he has on it. Anyway, this writeup is a bit jumbled, but essentially, I really really love this song. :)
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Two great choices. I think I agree with everything you wrote this time. Well, I don't HATE the 6:00 samples but they definitely aren't my favorite.
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Two great picks. 6:00 is just -awesome- and probably Portnoy's best performance in the entire DT discography. Beneath the Surface is also very lovely, and yes, it sounds so much brighter than the lyrics are, which only makes it sadder.
But hell yeah 6:00, is basically most of what I'd say.
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Both fantastic songs, great choices!
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Both fantastic songs, great choices!
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Woo some love for 6:00 ;D
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9. Breaking All Illusions - A Dramatic Turn Of Events
And next we have another song from ADTOE. The first few times I listened to this one, the some of the transitions seemed a bit odd, but I really appreciate them now. I love JM's bass groove about 2 minutes in, coupled with JLB's light vocals. I think my favorite line in this song is, "masterful destruction" just for the way James delivers it. The instrumental break is one of the craziest they've done in a while, especially since a good portion of it isn't just solos, like a lot of DT"s recent material. (not to say anything against that, since I'm a huge fan of it. It's just nice to change things up a bit.) Also, the pan-flute patch or whatever JR is using at 5:02 is one of the greatest things ever, and I really wish they'd expanded on that part a bit. Alas. JP's solo here is one of his best ever, starting with a slow, improvised feel (maybe it was improv) and building up to it's epic finale. Really, this is just an example of DT firing on every level, and the result is fantastic.
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Yes. BAI is pure bliss <3
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Breaking All Illusions deserves to be in top 10. The instrumental part might be one of my most favourite out of the entire DT catalog.
Beneath the Surface is a great ballad, but I'm not sure it deserves to be so high. Imo Through Her Eyes is better.
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Fantastic choice. BAI belongs in the top 10 and is just fantastic, one of the band's best.
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Breaking All Illusions is fantastic! Love everything about it that you mentioned; the light vocals, the solo, the instrumental section...
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8. Surrounded - Images And Words
This is one of DT's only cheerful songs. Though, based on the quality of this song, they really should do it more often. I'm really struggling to find things to say about this one. It's just a great upbeat song. I love the guitar line that JP plays right after James sings, "And from an ivory tower hears her call", just fantastic. I like the way they way the instrumentation in the second verse is different from the first verse. which isn't something unique for DT, but it sounds really good here so I thought I'd mention it. :D
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All things considered, Surrounded is probably LaBrie's absolute best performance, at least on any studio album. Awesome song though I doubt it would get quite that high for me xD
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Yesyesyes! Another song that definitely belongs in the top ten! Gorgeous song. Light to dark dark to light light to dark dark to light.
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7. In The Presence Of Enemies - Systematic Chaos
Now, lots of folks rank these separately, and that's all well and good, but as I only listen to them as one song, that's how I shall rank them. This song has some of LaBrie's vocals ever, from his his soft delivery of Heretic to the blazing metal of Slaughter Of The Damned. And come on, who doesn't sing along to, "FEAR! THERE IS NO EVIL TO FEAR NOW, FOR I KNOW YOU ARE WITH ME!". The way that section takes Psalms 23 in distorts it as if from Satan's perspective is, to me, very cool. I'm not sure if that was in the Priest novel or not, but it's great. Speaking of lyrics, I really like them here. The story they tell I find quite compelling. Now, some people don't like that this is something of a "typical" DT track. I can see where they're coming from, but I really like it, and to be honest, DT's never really done anything else quite like it.
Let's take a moment to talk about The Reckoning, the part most people dislike. Well, it's definitely the weakest part of the song. But considering how strong the song is, that's really not saying much. It's not one of DT's best Instrumental sections, but it's pretty good and has some really great sections. Anyways, I love this song.
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Surrounded is a Top 3 DT song for me :tup
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Haa, I love ITPOE. And The Reckoning, it's one of their best instrumental sections IMO.
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Surrounded and ITPOE are both great. I'm not much of a lyrics person so I don't care what it's about as long as it sounds epic. And ITPOE definitely is :metal
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ItPoE has some great parts to it but as a whole the song doesn't do much for me though I liked it more when I was first getting in to the band.
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Another fantastic choice for the top 10!
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Both Surrounded and ITPOE are super epic, I like ITPOE more.
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6. Take The Time - Images And Words
Yes, this is higher than Metropolis. Deal with it. This is a really fun song. The chorus is great, as is the lead up to it. "I think it's for a CHAAYYEEEYAAAAAAAAANGE!!!!". LaBrie pretty much dominates on this song. Another amazing thing about this song is how many changes it has, without ever losing it's flow or feeling out of place. JP and KM's solo is nothing short of amazing. Plus the guitar part around 7:10. I don't know enough about guitar to know the technical term for that, but it sounds amazing.
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YES. Take The Time is one of the most fun songs ever. I don't know how I used to hate it. I love it now. Don't know if I'd put it higher than Metropolis but it'd certainly be one of my top songs.
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Take the Time wouldn't make my top 50. The song just hasn't clicked with me.
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Yet another top ten choice with which I absolutely cannot argue!
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love Surrounded and Take the Time. Great picks.
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Just to recap:
6. Take The Time
7. In The Presence Of Enemies
8. Surrounded
9. Breaking All Illusions
10. Beneath The Surface
11. 6:00
12. Metropolis
13. Through Her Eyes
14. Lie
15. The Killing Hand
16. Beyond This Life
17. Pull Me Under
18. A Nightmare To Remember
19. Panic Attack
20. Home
21. Disappear
22. The Silent Man
23. The Best Of Times
24. Endless Sacrifice
25. Innocence Faded
26. Wither
27. The Ministry Of Lost Souls
28. Voices
29. The Spirit Carries On
30. Wait For Sleep
31. Learning To Live
32. The Great Debate
33. The Glass Prison
34. Caught In A Web
35. Prophets Of War
36. As I Am
37. Light Fuse And Get Away
38. Repentance
39. This Dying Soul
40. These Walls
41. One Last Time
42. Far From Heaven
43. The Dance Of Eternity
44. Lost Not Forgotten
45. A Rite Of Passage
46. Peruvian Skies
47. Sacrificed Sons
48. Outcry
49. Strange Deja Vu
50. This Is The Life
I will now entertain guesses for the Top 5.
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I'm thinking Scarred, Trial of Tears or something from 2005-2009
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Octavarium, A Change of Seasons, Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence, In the Presence of Enemies, Illumination Theory
:V
in all seriousness. umm. Scarred, Trial of Tears, Lines in the Sand, Octavarium, Bridges in the Sky
*random*
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In The Presence Enemies is number 7, and I don't have any from DT12. You may be on to something with the others, though.
Or not, who knows.
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A Change of Seasons is definitely going into top 5...
SDOIT might be there in its entirety as well.
Octavarium definitely as well.
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if his top 5 is all epics this list would be boring as hell, lol.
and wow okay sure itpoe is already not an option, right. that first list was a joke :V
the second list is my real guesses.
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I'm gonna guess that A Change of Seasons, Octavarium, and Bridges in the Sky or maybe Scarred will be in there.
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If Trial of Tears isn't there, we can't be friends any longer. Sorry brah, that's life.
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I rank TTT above Metropolis as well :tup
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Take The Time is amazing :tup
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5. The Count Of Tuscany - Black Clouds And Silver Linings
Well, what can I say about this one? The intro is magnificent, and the way it builds into the droning riff in the verses is incredible. One of the problems people have with this song is the lyrics. Well, they don't really bother me. I find them pretty well suited to the music, and they tell an interesting story that shows that DT don't take themselves too seriously. The slow, ebow section is amazing, and is one of my favorite parts. This is an example of Dream Theater firing on every level, and succeeding almost completely. I will say that the tough-guy voice on the pre chorus annoys me somewhat, but that's really the only complaint I have for this song.
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The entire metal section kills what is otherwise a pretty good song for me, but that 6 minutes or so of the song I can't stand drag it down. The ambient section is nice but it kind of kills the flow of the song too, makes it disjointed. The good parts are really good though, at the very least, but this wouldn't be nearly this high for me.
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Glad to see such an incredible song so high on your list. :tup
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Another great choice! I actually think this song is one of the best ever in use of the tough-guy voice, but I'm sure my opinion is in the minority on that one.
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I like the emphasis he adds to the "I!" parts of the chorus, but other than that I don't really care for it.
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TCoT is #7 in my top 50, so :tup :tup
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4. Space-Dye Vest - Awake
Well, you knew it to be here somewhere. This is one of DT's most unique songs, probably because it was not written by DT, just Kevin Moore. This song captures an atmosphere that no other DT has. It's really hard to explain what's so great about this song. This song really shows how great DT can be when they're holding back. It is also a testament to Moore's ability to create atmosphere. I really enjoy the lyrics, although not really because of what they're about. I liked them before I heard what he had actually wrote them about, and to be honest, that hasn't really changed my perspective on the song. Anyway, I know this is way too high for some, and probably now high enough for others, but this is what it is.
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Another excellent choice :tup
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Another excellent choice :tup
:metal
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My #1 :)
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Again, a great top 10 choice with which I cannot argue.
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Great song though I don't think it deserves to be ranked *that* highly but I certainly won't complain.
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It would be high on my list had it actually been a DT song.
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Is Wait For Sleep not a DT song? Or The Silent Man? Or Wither? Or Beneath The Surface?
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Written by a single person who left practically the next day...
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So a song written by one member of the band is therefore not that band's song?
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The band is still who played and recorded the song and it was written by a member of the band. That makes it the band's song. Is The Shattered Fortress not a DT song then, since it was written by Portnoy and he left shortly after?
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The Shattered Fortress' lyrics were written by Mike Portnoy. The music, him and everyone else.
Space Dye Vest and everything to do with it, songwriting and lyrics, was all Kevin Moore. The band said that if they had known he was going to leave earlier, they wouldn't have kept SDV on the album.
Eh, it's debatable :dunno:
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It's not really debatable, because it was written by someone who was in Dream Theater at the time, performed by three, likely four musicians who were members of Dream Theater at the time (Kevin, James, Mike, and likely John), and, most importantly, the CD on which it was released says "Dream Theater" on the cover and the spine. You are free to think that it is not a Dream Theater song, it's just that if you think that, you are objectively wrong.
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The Shattered Fortress' lyrics were written by Mike Portnoy. The music, him and everyone else.
Space Dye Vest and everything to do with it, songwriting and lyrics, was all Kevin Moore. The band said that if they had known he was going to leave earlier, they wouldn't have kept SDV on the album.
Eh, it's debatable :dunno:
Mike said that. I don't believe any of the others have commented on it.
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The song would be in my top 15 but I'm not putting it there. :dunno:
The Shattered Fortress' lyrics were written by Mike Portnoy. The music, him and everyone else.
Space Dye Vest and everything to do with it, songwriting and lyrics, was all Kevin Moore. The band said that if they had known he was going to leave earlier, they wouldn't have kept SDV on the album.
Eh, it's debatable :dunno:
Mike said that. I don't believe any of the others have commented on it.
Eh, whatever.
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5:30-6:30 Learning To Live
So beautiful. I almost never see this section mentioned.
And of course the rest of the song thereafter.
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???
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5:30-6:30 Learning To Live
So beautiful. I almost never see this section mentioned.
And of course the rest of the song thereafter.
I think you're supposed to be in the "best section of IAW" thread
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SDV is very amazing indeed! You are right about the atmosphere. The only thing that comes close to having as much atmosphere as SDV is Disappear.
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5:30-6:30 Learning To Live
So beautiful. I almost never see this section mentioned.
And of course the rest of the song thereafter.
Learning To Live - 5:30
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3. Another Day - Images And Words
Something that I've noticed, when people rank the songs from Images And Words, this song usually comes last. I've never understood that, as this is a pretty much perfect song. It has just about everything, soft vocals form JLB with a belted section near the end, great lyrics, saxophone, and one of my absolute favorite JP solos.
Hmm, I really don't have too much to say about this one. Oh well. :D
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I don't disagree that it's a fantastic song, though I also wouldn't put it nearly that high, but I am totally okay with this decision anyways :tup
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It's definitely an underrated track. It doesn't really get any derision directed at it, but also gets little praise. It's always been a favourite of mine though, and it was actually one of the songs that got me into the band in the first place. :hefdaddy
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Perhaps this one is my favourite from IAW.
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Some love for Another Day? 10/10 list would read again
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I like the pick. It's far higher than I would put it but still a nice pick. Interested to find out your top 2.
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I will only say that #2 will cause many, many heads to explode.
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5:30-6:30 Learning To Live
So beautiful. I almost never see this section mentioned.
And of course the rest of the song thereafter.
I think you're supposed to be in the "best section of IAW" thread
What in the... I could've sworn I posted that comment in the "best section of IAW" thread :lol That's so weird.
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Something that I've noticed, when people rank the songs from Images And Words, this song usually comes last.
Take The Time is the worst by far imho. Another Day is amazing but not top 10 material for me.
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Another Day and Surrounded are my least favorites from Images but i don't skip them though.
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Surrounded is too low.
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I will only say that #2 will cause many, many heads to explode.
Raw Dog? :)
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I think it may cause even more outrage.
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You Not Me, Burning My Soul, BMUBMD, etc? :V
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Another Day does seem to be underrated for the most part. Great to see SDV and TCOT get their due respect as well :tup
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Another Day is great, but it is indeed in at the bottom of my I&W ranking. I'm really curious what your #2 and #1 are now :lol
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Yeah, I put Another Day at the bottom of my IAW, but I still love it. It would probably make my top 30. It's certainly an interesting top 10 pick.
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Hey guys, I'm sorry but there probably won't be an update today. I will definitely get it by tomorrow, though.
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you dick being all HEY GUYS NEXT PICK IS CONTROVERSIAL and then disappearing
nah in all serious no worries <3
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:lol
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2. Octavarium/A Change Of Seasons - Octavarium & A Change Of Seasons
Oh yeah. I went there.
:vomitard:
But seriously, these are both at number 2. So why did I rank these two songs the same? For one thing, the exploding of heads that is likely to occur will be very amusing. But really, it's simply because I couldn't decide which song I like better. I spent a lot of time trying to decide, before realizing, hey, this is my list, I can do whatever I want. :P
So let's talk about A Change Of Seasons. This is one of the songs that really had to grow on me, as I didn't really care for it the first time I heard it. That's why when some people complain about ACOS being too long, or boring, or something like that, I understand where they're coming from, because that's what I used to think. But, let's talk about the song itself. It contains some Portnoy's best lyrics, in my opinion. All of the movements are well-defined, but they still all feel like part of a whole. Also, it's really cool to hear some rock organ in DT. I love Jordan, but I do wish we'd had more of a chance to see what Derek could have done with the band.
And now Octavarium. I'll be honest, I almost only listen to the Score version, although I've said in the past that I'm not one for listening to live over studio. This is one of two big exceptions. I love Jordan's solo at the beginning. Some people say it goes on too long, but I can't really agree with that. I've listened to it probably a hundred times or so and haven't gotten bored of it. Some people may disagree with me here, but I actually really like the lyrics to Octavarium as well, especially Full Circle and Intervals.
For all their high points, there are a few things about each that I'm not crazy about. For ACOS, it's that horrendous snare sound. It is so horrible, it almost causes me physical pain, though I've grown accustomed to it. Also, to be honest, James doesn't sound all that great over a lot of ACOS. He has some really great moments, but overall, it's one of his weaker performances, in my opinion. Now Octavarium. For me, the only real detractor is Razor's Edge. And I actually feel kind of bad saying that, because Razor's Edge is quite good, and JP's solo is fantastic. But, I feel like it should have been worked into another song, because for me, Octavarium really should ended after the last "TRAPPED IN THIS OCTAVARIUM!". But, that's just me.
So anyway, yeah. Bet you guys weren't expecting that. :P
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cheater.
in all serious both are great songs, easily DT's two best epics. Dunno how I'd rank them, ACoS used to be my favorite DT song but now it very much isn't xD
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Octavarium has 2 sections I'm not crazy about: Full Circle and Intervals. The rest is great. ACOS will always be #1 for me though.
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So anyway, yeah. Bet you guys weren't expecting that. :P
I was expecting something like "Mike Thinks He's Dee Dee Ramone Introducing A Song Song" :rollin
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THIS IS TERRIBLE.
Neither of them should be higher than #50! ;)
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Having 2 songs in the same place isn't as big of a crime as ranking Octavarium as high as ACOS ;)
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I... almost want to agree. I like Octavarium better, but both are great songs in their own right. And I like your style of pointing out that fact in the face of the whole ACOS vs. 8VM debate that rages on and on.
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I don't care much for ACoS except for the first and second parts and Another World.
However every single Octavarium part is epic, esp. Someone Like Him and Intervals. + that otherwordly keyboard solo at the end of Medicate :hefdaddy
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jake just pointed out all the best parts of 8vm so I'm not going to argue against him even if I disagree and think that ACoS is better than 8vm even if only by a little
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That's a tough call for me. I would probably rank ACOS higher though. Either way, two awesome songs!
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ACOS isn't in my top 30, while Octavarium is my #3.
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I can't empathise with this decision. It's just so easy for me to say I like Octavarium more.
Also:
cheater.
:P
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Octavarium has 2 sections I'm not crazy about: Full Circle and Intervals. The rest is great. ACOS will always be #1 for me though.
I don't think Octavarium has a part called Full Circle ::)
But I'm glad these too are out of the way. Definitely curious for the #1 now :) Can't wait!
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Octavarium and ACOS are 1º and 2º for me.
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Crapsticks, I forgot about this. I should have #1 up by tomorrow.
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WHY SHADOW NINJA, WHY. I WAS WAITING ALL DAY, BY THE WINDOWSILL, LOOKING AT THE INSIDE IN. I'M TRAPPED INSIDE THIS CHANGE OF SEASONS, AWAKE AS YOU GIVE ME A NIGHTMARE TO REMEMBER AND i can't think of any more lyrics/references to things so uh.
Is it voices
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Octavarium and ACOS are 1º and 2º for me.
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1. Six Degrees Of Inner Turbulence - Six Degrees Of Inner Turbulence
Yeah, everybody probably saw this coming. It's somewhat fitting, I suppose. This isn't the first DT song I heard, but it was the first one I bought. Also, this is the other exception I mentioned, where I almost only listen to the live version. Some people complain that this song isn't coherent, has too much filler, or numerous other things. Well, I disagree with them. I love everything about this song.
…I really don't have all that much to say here. Anyway, thanks to everybody for reading and commenting, I had a lot of fun doing this. :D
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Brilliant and brilliant choice. I mean I wouldn't quite go for number 1 on that song, but still a brilliant and brilliant choice. One of the band's very best songs.
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Wouldn't make my top 50. :tdwn Not as a whole piece.
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But
It is a whole piece.
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Two of these three songs don't deserve these placings.
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It's a whole piece, which is why it's an inconsistent mess that I barely listen to :>
Some of the parts on their own I do like a lot, but it's... just too long, they could've cut out a lot and made a much better song.
then again I've grown to dislike "epics" in general nowadays so I'm kinda biased anyways.
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It's a whole piece, which is why it's an inconsistent mess that I barely listen to :>
Some of the parts on their own I do like a lot, but it's... just too long, they could've cut out a lot and made a much better song.
then again I've grown to dislike "epics" in general nowadays so I'm kinda biased anyways.
All of this.
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I saw this one coming so I'm not at all surprised. Still don't like the song though. Other than this last pick though I really enjoyed your top 10.
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Nice pick! Certainly an epic song. It's in my top 10 I believe.
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I really like the various songs in it, but as a whole, nope. They could've make a concept like DSOTM instead of pushing all the stuff into one single song.
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That... doesn't really make any sense. Do you ever listen to The Dark Side Of The Moon as separate songs?
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Not to speak for mike, but yes, I do. Well, some do belong together, like Brain Damage/Eclipse, but what I really like about DSOTM is that it holds up both as individual songs and as a whole. Six Degrees, apart from the Overture, ranges from good to great as far the single pieces go, but as a whole it just doesn't work at all.
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Hmm, ok then. I don't particularly care for DSOTM personally, but I had the impression people listened to it as one piece. I suppose I stand corrected. :D
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Appropriate choice. It's a great song (I consider SDOIT as one song). I do not think it is incoherent at all, each part flows perfectly, the contrasts compliment each other, and the ending is a great outro, albeit slightly underwhelming for me. :tup
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Your top 3 is the same as mine, the only difference is the ranking order:
1º - 8V
2º - ACOS
3º - SDOIT
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Two of these three songs don't deserve these placings.
Indeed.
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Apparently at least two posters don't know who I am. :lol
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Prophets of War is there but Fatal Tragedy isn't :'(
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I voted for "Who's Shadow Ninja?" because I am not familiar with that person or their Top 50. I only know Shadow Ninja 2.0. :neverusethis:
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Prophets of War is there but Fatal Tragedy isn't :'(
I've never gotten the big deal about Fatal Tragedy. It's good, but it always seemed like a fairly run-of-the-mill DT song to me.
I voted for "Who's Shadow Ninja?" because I am not familiar with that person or their Top 50. I only know Shadow Ninja 2.0. :neverusethis:
Curses! We must have an imposter on our hands.
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Prophets of War is there but Fatal Tragedy isn't :'(
I've never gotten the big deal about Fatal Tragedy. It's good, but it always seemed like a fairly run-of-the-mill DT song to me.
The instrumental section is one of the best DT moments ever imo.