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Dream Theater => Dream Theater => Topic started by: Dave_Manchester on December 20, 2014, 06:46:53 PM
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I gave both the relevant albums (probably my 2 favourites by the band) a full listen tonight, and these 2 tracks stood out. It also seemed to me that these songs have a lot of things in common. Both fall into the middle of some kind of bigger conceptual picture (A Mind Beside Itself, Scenes From A Memory), they have a vaguely similar structure, both build to a guitar solo of stunning virtuosity, and they're of almost identical length.
There are a dozen things which make Dream Theater one of my favourite bands, and both these tracks contain most of those things. There's so much skill and technique combined with great taste and beauty. Both tracks have soaring choruses. There's a lot of breathing space in these songs (more so in Voices; Beyond This Life is one of their 'busiest' tunes). From Voices - the slow build-up to Petrucci's histrionics is perfectly measured, and to my ears they haven't quite captured that sense of suspense since. In Beyond This Life, the unison is one of their greatest moments, and what a brilliant culmination to the instrumental section, a mad flurry of ideas composed in the white heat of inspiration. They revisted this kind of music in Outcry, my favourite song from the last 2 albums, and no band does this kind of thing better. Sometimes (rarely, I should better say) it can feel a bit forced when they compose those long instrumental parts, but more often than not it's an exhilirating journey. Beyond This Life is some of their best work in this area.
So although I've made a poll out of this (and Beyond This Life gets my vote in it), I'm really more interested to hear opinions on these 2 tracks, which one (if either) affects you more and why.
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Voices
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I have a feeling Voices is going to take this one easily.
But I voted for Beyond This Life
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Beyond This Life without hesitation. One of the strongest songs on their best album.
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Voices is one of DTF faves that I can nit get into. It feels like a Haken long song, impressive musicianship but overlong because there is not enough variety.
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Very odd and random comparison, but BTL for me. That song is DT off the leash, uncensored, without any of the preconceptions that I feel have held back their songwriting a bit since. It's wacky, it's beautiful, it's crazy, it's Dream Theater. Easily one of my favourites off SFAM.
Voices is an excellent song too, but it's not as much my style as BTL.
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Voices, easily. Great lyrics, great atmosphere, one of James' strongest vocal performances and an excellent solo by JP. I never really enjoyed BTL because of the headache-inducing instrumental section and the clumsy lyrics.
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Interesting choice of songs to poll.
Love both of these songs so much. Man, it's hard to choose.
Voices is easily my favorite song off of Awake. Beyond This Life is probably my 6th favorite song off of SFaM. However, Scenes is my fav album ever, so the 6th best song on it still holds a ton of weight.
Both songs have awesome JP solos. Both contain heavy wah use, which is a personal favorite sound of mine.
The solo in Voices however, is IMO, one of JP's absolute best solos ever. It's not overly complex, and shows off JP's amazing sense of feel. Those bends, wah, bluesy licks...that's the real chocolate cake right there.
Voices is also the much better written song, lyrics-wise. In general, prefer DT lyrics from the 90's over their newer stuff.
Beyond This Life, though, has a bit of everything. It is one of the centerpieces to SFaM, and fits my bill because I love the harder DT songs. It also has a beautiful chorus, and a crazy instrumental section. That bluesy part after the unison part in the instrumental section is amazing.
I just finished listening to both songs as I'm writing this, and I'm gonna go with.....
BTL.
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That's tough question. Both tracks are not in my top10 but maybe in top20. Both are killer in live set.
Hmmm, today I have to go with BTL. But just a millimeter.
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Both great songs, but I voted for Voices, mainly because it contains my favourite Petrucci guitar solo.
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Beyond This Life
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Voices
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Beyond This Life
I love Voices as well, but Beyond This Life is one of the craziest things they've ever done - and honestly one of my very favorites. :metal
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I'm surprised at the results so far. I would have thought this would be an easy win for Voices. Not taking anything away from BTL at all, I just find Voices to be one of the more definitive DT songs. The lyrical content alone pushes it above most of their other songs.
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Love them both, but Voices is an out and out masterpiece, and possibly my favourite DT song. Excellent atmospheres, that solo, outstanding, in depth lyrics chock full of impressive metaphors and powerful imagery
Damn, I with DT would (could?) write lyrics to this depth again...
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Don't understand the matchup, but I voted BTL, quite an easy decision.
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Voices. Had it not been for the wacky, and IMO out of place Zappa section, I would have voted BTL. I remember the first time I heard the album, I was loving it and that Zappa section made me wonder what the heck they were doing. To this day, I still am not a fan of it and feel the song would be much better without it. And yes, while I appreciate him being a genius and prolific writer, I'm not a Zappa fan.
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I thought the Zappa section took the song to a whole new level. No particular reason why, it just fits perfectly in my opinion.
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Could someone point it out exactly which part of what Zappa song does BTL resemble?
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I think it's the point around the 8-9 minute mark, although I've never listened to it and thought, "That sounds like Zappa." It might have been heavily inspired by Zappa, but it still totally sounds very DT-ish.
Anyway, Beyond This Life is great, but Voices is one of the DT's three or four best songs ever.
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Beyond This Life is really incredible, but there's something about it that makes it feel so long. Every part is great though but it seems like a chore to get through it sometimes.
I'm going with Voices because I have always really loved it. But BTL isn't too far behind. It's still much better than Home.
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I think it's the point around the 8-9 minute mark, although I've never listened to it and thought, "That sounds like Zappa." It might have been heavily inspired by Zappa, but it still totally sounds very DT-ish.
Anyway, Beyond This Life is great, but Voices is one of the DT's three or four best songs ever.
No, I know the Zappa section, I'm wondering which Zappa song inspired it.
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top 10 songs versus a top 40 maybe song
hmmmm
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That's the first time I've ever heard it called the "Zappa section".
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BTL for the solo section, except the horns obviously.
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I'd say Voices, but I really love both these songs. Voices just has that incredible atmosphere and build up to a beautiful, emotional JP solo.
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Wow, this comparison surprises me because those are practically my two favourite songs off each album as well ;D. One thing that they both have in common for me... Guitar solos with amazing use of wah and sweeps. Both demonstrate JP at his absolute best IMO. I find it very hard to pick one, I could go either way but I'll say BTL today.
I do also love the suspense that Voices very successfully generates, and the contrast between the first verse and chorus and the momentum it builds by the second verse up until the epic guitar solo.
Beyond This Life, the unison is one of their greatest moments, and what a brilliant culmination to the instrumental section, a mad flurry of ideas composed in the white heat of inspiration.
And this describes BTL brilliantly.
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I voted Voices, mainly because of the vocals. They're much more impressive, to say the least.
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That's the first time I've ever heard it called the "Zappa section".
I don't know any Zappa, but that description was given by the band for that section. I can't remember where it was explained (maybe an MP drum DVD?), but I think MP suggested to JR he write a really crazy Zappa inspired section, and that's what he came up with.
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That's the first time I've ever heard it called the "Zappa section".
I don't know any Zappa, but that description was given by the band for that section. I can't remember where it was explained (maybe an MP drum DVD?), but I think MP suggested to JR he write a really crazy Zappa inspired section, and that's what he came up with.
I know they talked about it in the commentary for LFSNY.
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Both are top-tier DT songs in my book. Kind of a random match-up though.
I have to give it to BTL by a hair.
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That's the first time I've ever heard it called the "Zappa section".
I don't know any Zappa, but that description was given by the band for that section. I can't remember where it was explained (maybe an MP drum DVD?), but I think MP suggested to JR he write a really crazy Zappa inspired section, and that's what he came up with.
I know they talked about it in the commentary for LFSNY.
That one totally slipped my mind! That's surely what I'm thinking of then.
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Not to metion they showed a Zappa montage on the big screen on the Budokan behind that wacky unison section.
I'm not sure it relates a specific Zappa piece - it's more the tonaility (or lack of it) and weird rhythmic not groupings, that is a tip of the hat to Zappa.
I voted for Voices. The lyrics and dynamics in that song are great - and it has one of JPs stand out solos.
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I also remember MP saying they were lucky they were able to show that video on the screens during that section. That they had to go through his estate to get the video and permission to use it.