DreamTheaterForums.org Dream Theater Fan Site

Dream Theater => Dream Theater => Topic started by: Powerslave666 on April 27, 2010, 04:00:34 PM

Title: What Should Be The First DT Album my friend listens to?
Post by: Powerslave666 on April 27, 2010, 04:00:34 PM: story is my friend is a drummer and I showed him a vid of MP playing Dance of Eternity. He says he wants to check out more DT and wants to know where to start. Album with most votes is what I let him listen to first.
Title: Re: What Should Be The First DT Album my friend listens to?
Post by: AcidLameLTE on April 27, 2010, 04:01:44 PM: What does he normally listen to?
Title: Re: What Should Be The First DT Album my friend listens to?
Post by: Dr. DTVT on April 27, 2010, 04:33:31 PM: You mentioned he is a drummer. Do you want us to suggest the best drumming album, or which album we enjoy the most as a whole?
Title: Re: What Should Be The First DT Album my friend listens to?
Post by: LTE on April 27, 2010, 04:34:06 PM: Even if he doesnt really like progressive stuff and concept albums, SFAM has Mike's best drumming imo.
Title: Re: What Should Be The First DT Album my friend listens to?
Post by: Darkes7 on April 27, 2010, 04:34:14 PM: The answer is always obvious in these cases.

Octavarium. And an advice from the heart, DON'T tell him to start Images & Words, no matter what.
Title: Re: What Should Be The First DT Album my friend listens to?
Post by: skydivingninja on April 27, 2010, 04:50:28 PM: Scenes From A Memory, then either Octavarium or Images and Words, Awake and SDoiT if he's into heavier stuff. Basically avoid Train of Thought and Systematic Chaos until he has everything else.
Title: Re: What Should Be The First DT Album my friend listens to?
Post by: ScioPath on April 27, 2010, 04:58:40 PM: Well it really depends on what your friend likes. SFAM is the best of them in my opinion. Welcome to the forum.
Title: Re: What Should Be The First DT Album my friend listens to?
Post by: yeshaberto on April 27, 2010, 05:04:25 PM: initially I would say SFAM or Images (first one to capture me) or Octavarium

based on your name, are you a new fan based on the IM tour?

either way, welcome
Title: Re: What Should Be The First DT Album my friend listens to?
Post by: popol on April 27, 2010, 05:53:58 PM: I would suggest a live album, just for the fact that is has more diversity. Live scenes is pretty good. I don't really like SFAM anymore, but the live version sounds much better. Score would probably be the best introduction the band. Chaos in Motion is extremely good as well.
Title: Re: What Should Be The First DT Album my friend listens to?
Post by: skydivingninja on April 27, 2010, 06:03:48 PM: I wouldn't start with a live album unless its Live at the Marquee or Score. James' voice isn't always the best on live albums.
Title: Re: What Should Be The First DT Album my friend listens to?
Post by: juice on April 27, 2010, 06:17:20 PM: Quote from: Darkes7 on April 27, 2010, 04:34:14 PM
The answer is always obvious in these cases.

Octavarium.
Title: Re: What Should Be The First DT Album my friend listens to?
Post by: contest_sanity on April 27, 2010, 08:45:17 PM: Awake.

EDIT: Consult my sig to see my reasoning.
Title: Re: What Should Be The First DT Album my friend listens to?
Post by: Dr. DTVT on April 27, 2010, 11:15:40 PM: Quote from: skydivingninja on April 27, 2010, 06:03:48 PM
I wouldn't start with a live album unless its Live at the Marquee or Score. James' voice isn't always the best on live albums.

I agree with this statement, but it's kind of funny that Once in a Livetime was my first exposure to DT, and it got me hooked - but that just happened to be because that was the day that album came out.
Title: Re: What Should Be The First DT Album my friend listens to?
Post by: orcus116 on April 27, 2010, 11:40:18 PM: Best to start from the very beginning: Majesty Demos.
Title: Re: What Should Be The First DT Album my friend listens to?
Post by: Mladen on April 28, 2010, 12:06:32 AM: Scenes From A Memory
Title: Re: What Should Be The First DT Album my friend listens to?
Post by: tri.ad on April 28, 2010, 12:17:36 AM: Images And Words was my first DT album and imo, it was a very good choice, so I'll recommend it highly. Throw in SFAM as well, since TDOE got him interested.
Title: Re: What Should Be The First DT Album my friend listens to?
Post by: AwakeFromOctavarium on April 28, 2010, 04:31:43 AM: Quote from: contest_sanity on April 27, 2010, 08:45:17 PM
Awake.

It's a shame that I noticed your sig just now. Fellow Awake lover. *high fives*
Title: Re: What Should Be The First DT Album my friend listens to?
Post by: Portrucci on April 28, 2010, 04:57:26 AM: Quote from: AwakeFromOctavarium on April 28, 2010, 04:31:43 AM
Quote from: contest_sanity on April 27, 2010, 08:45:17 PM
Awake.

It's a shame that I noticed your sig just now. Fellow Awake lover. *high fives*
*\o

when I discovered DT two years ago. Awake was my first album and it blew me away. Through out those two years, it never budged from No. 1. A truly epic album.
Title: Re: What Should Be The First DT Album my friend listens to?
Post by: Dream Team on April 28, 2010, 07:56:09 AM: Images and Words is always the correct answer to these types of questions. Scenes would be 2nd, followed by Six Degrees.
Title: Re: What Should Be The First DT Album my friend listens to?
Post by: chknptpie on April 28, 2010, 08:00:09 AM: scenes opened me up to dream theater
Title: Re: What Should Be The First DT Album my friend listens to?
Post by: Darkes7 on April 28, 2010, 01:50:07 PM: Quote from: Dream Team on April 28, 2010, 07:56:09 AM
Images and Words is never the correct answer to these types of questions.
I mean it seriously, it's not accessible in any way.
Title: Re: What Should Be The First DT Album my friend listens to?
Post by: Silver Tears on April 28, 2010, 01:54:13 PM: Quote from: Darkes7 on April 28, 2010, 01:50:07 PM
Quote from: Dream Team on April 28, 2010, 07:56:09 AM
Images and Words is never the correct answer to these types of questions.
I mean it seriously, it's not accessible in any way.

I would agree with you on that one but then we'd both be wrong.
Title: Re: What Should Be The First DT Album my friend listens to?
Post by: KevShmev on April 28, 2010, 02:15:40 PM: Anything but the debut (too raw-sounding and the vocals...yeah), Train of Thought (too one-dimensional), Octavarium (songwriting isn't strong enough, despite the material being very diverse), or Systematic Chaos (lack of anything truly great, plus noticeably bad lyrics).

Short answer: Images and Words.
Title: Re: What Should Be The First DT Album my friend listens to?
Post by: Silver Tears on April 28, 2010, 02:24:04 PM: Quote from: KevShmev on April 28, 2010, 02:15:40 PM
Anything but the debut (too raw-sounding and the vocals...yeah), Train of Thought (too one-dimensional), Octavarium (songwriting isn't strong enough, despite the material being very diverse), or Systematic Chaos (lack of anything truly great, plus noticeably bad lyrics).

Short answer: Images and Words.

Exactly this.
Title: Re: What Should Be The First DT Album my friend listens to?
Post by: Darkes7 on April 28, 2010, 02:26:33 PM: Quote from: KevShmev on April 28, 2010, 02:15:40 PM
(too one-dimensional)

Short answer: Images and Words.
And that's my problem exactly. I&W is not representative of DT's style at all and has far less variety than any other DT album, WDADU and ToT included. Octavarium represents almost everything the band is.
Title: Re: What Should Be The First DT Album my friend listens to?
Post by: Silver Tears on April 28, 2010, 02:31:57 PM: I&W is a much better representative of DT's style than Octavarium in my opinion. I'm not really a fan of the style they adopted on that album (the song Octavarium and The Root of All Evil being obvious exceptions of course :P). I&W pretty much sums up all that I love about DT.
Title: Re: What Should Be The First DT Album my friend listens to?
Post by: OperantChamber on April 28, 2010, 03:25:23 PM: Not Images and Words.
I get that it's the obligatory favorite, but the drum triggers are horrid. When I first got into DT, it was entirely because of the drumming. I was recommended I&W and instantly hated it. I also feel Octavarium is much more representative of what DT is, and that is where my vote lands.
Title: Re: What Should Be The First DT Album my friend listens to?
Post by: DarkLord_Lalinc on April 30, 2010, 09:36:04 AM: Quote from: orcus116 on April 27, 2010, 11:40:18 PM
Best to start from the very beginning: Majesty Demos.
Yeah. He needs to check out John Arch and Steve Stone rockin' it out.
Title: Re: What Should Be The First DT Album my friend listens to?
Post by: ack44 on April 30, 2010, 09:43:45 AM: I voted the comedy option.
Title: Re: What Should Be The First DT Album my friend listens to?
Post by: orcus116 on April 30, 2010, 09:48:32 AM: Systematic Chaos?
Title: Re: What Should Be The First DT Album my friend listens to?
Post by: DarkLord_Lalinc on April 30, 2010, 09:49:25 AM: Forevermore
Into the Night
Scurvy Dreams!
Title: Re: What Should Be The First DT Album my friend listens to?
Post by: ack44 on April 30, 2010, 09:50:29 AM: Quote from: orcus116 on April 30, 2010, 09:48:32 AM
Systematic Chaos?
::)
Title: Re: What Should Be The First DT Album my friend listens to?
Post by: popol on April 30, 2010, 06:53:11 PM: Quote from: skydivingninja on April 27, 2010, 06:03:48 PM
I wouldn't start with a live album unless its Live at the Marquee or Score. James' voice isn't always the best on live albums.

Jame's vocals on Score and Systematic Chaos are pretty great actually.
Title: Re: What Should Be The First DT Album my friend listens to?
Post by: zmazar on April 30, 2010, 08:25:43 PM: Quote from: popol on April 30, 2010, 06:53:11 PM
Quote from: skydivingninja on April 27, 2010, 06:03:48 PM
I wouldn't start with a live album unless its Live at the Marquee or Score. James' voice isn't always the best on live albums.

Jame's vocals on Score and Systematic Chaos are pretty great actually.

I thought James' vocals on the Score were amazing. If I introduce someone to DT I usually start with SFAM, specifically The Spirit Carries On. Octavarium and BC&SL have such a good wide variety of styles that either of them work well for introductions.
Title: Re: What Should Be The First DT Album my friend listens to?
Post by: Dr. SeaWolf on April 30, 2010, 09:46:20 PM: Quote from: Darkes7 on April 27, 2010, 04:34:14 PM
The answer is always obvious in these cases.

Octavarium. And an advice from the heart, DON'T tell him to start Images & Words, no matter what.

Why? It was the first DT album I ever heard, and it had me hooked.
Title: Re: What Should Be The First DT Album my friend listens to?
Post by: Global Laziness on May 05, 2010, 11:20:16 PM: Quote from: AcidRainLTE on April 27, 2010, 04:01:44 PM
What does he normally listen to?

This is the most important question. Overall, I'm tempted to say Scenes from a Memory though.
Title: Re: What Should Be The First DT Album my friend listens to?
Post by: tri.ad on May 06, 2010, 12:21:15 AM: Quote from: ack44 on April 30, 2010, 09:43:45 AM
I voted the comedy option.

Huh? Kevin Moore isn't an option, and neither is WDADU. ???
Title: Re: What Should Be The First DT Album my friend listens to?
Post by: PixelDream on May 06, 2010, 08:18:45 AM: Almost every DT fan would say 'Images & Words', but think about it. For most of us, I&W holds nostalgic value. The production sounds good to our ears, with the triggered drums only adding to the charm.

I wouldn't introduce someone to DT with I&W. Yes, it's a classic, but it sounds way too outdated for someone who's unfamiliar with DT. I'd give them Scenes, as it's the best combination of 'old school DT' and the production is pretty good. Or the experimental masterpiece with awesome production and newfound heaviness: 6DIOT.