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Dream Theater => Dream Theater => Topic started by: BeardedGentlemanHistorian on April 28, 2017, 12:22:06 PM

Title: Dream Theater ruined me
Post by: BeardedGentlemanHistorian on April 28, 2017, 12:22:06 PM
It started innocently enough. Fourteen months ago I had a road trip coming up and wanted something new to listen to. I knew I would be driving for at least twelve hours so just for fun I used Google to track down some longer rock songs. My music collection had grown stagnant. I was basically listening to the same bands I did growing up. Stone Temple Pilots, Foo Fighters, Alice in Chains, Megadeth. Trying to find something new and exciting was an uphill battle since the music industry seemed content on pushing nothing but manufactured, bland pop. My search led me to a song called Octavarium. Dream Theater? The name didn't ring a bell. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw it was 24 minutes long! Keep in mind that at this time I thought the 10:13 "Coma" by Guns 'N Roses was long. My curiosity was piqued and I decided to pick up the entire album.

I liked both the title track and the rest of the album immediately. The technical abilities of the band members blew me away. They were on a totally different level than what I was listening to. I knew this wasn't a band for "normal' people. From here, I decided to explore their other "epic" (20 minutes and over) songs first. Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence. A Change of Seasons. Illumination Theory. I was hooked. By June I had all of their albums on CD. This led me to the supergroups. Liquid Tension Experiment. Transatlantic. From there I discovered other prog rock bands. Classics like Rush, niche groups like Spock's Beard, lesser known groups like Seventh Wonder, popular ones like Symphony X. I've spent more on music over the past fourteen months than I did in the decade preceding it. My music collection has more than doubled in slightly over a year. Thankfully my wife has been very patient as I geek out about these new bands.

The newness has worn off but I still find myself preferring prog rock/metal to the stuff I listened to over the last two decades. I still like it, of course, and maybe my zeal will fade a bit as these new bands become more familiar to me. Time will tell. Dream Theater really raised the bar for what I consider high end musical talent.
Title: Re: Dream Theater ruined me
Post by: Podaar on April 28, 2017, 12:26:51 PM
Welcome...and great username, BTW!  :biggrin:
Title: Re: Dream Theater ruined me
Post by: rumborak on April 28, 2017, 12:33:02 PM
Quick, choose sides now: MP vs MM, JR vs KM, CD vs JLB. So many choices, so little time!!!  :o
Title: Re: Dream Theater ruined me
Post by: mikeyd23 on April 28, 2017, 12:33:52 PM
 :metal

Welcome!

Quick, choose sides now: MP vs MM, JR vs KM, CD vs JLB. So many choices, so little time!!!  :o

Also - this.
Title: Re: Dream Theater ruined me
Post by: cramx3 on April 28, 2017, 12:39:17 PM
Welcome and I felt the same way when I first started listening to DT  :metal
Title: Re: Dream Theater ruined me
Post by: hefdaddy42 on April 28, 2017, 01:01:47 PM
Welcome!
Title: Re: Dream Theater ruined me
Post by: Mladen on April 28, 2017, 01:53:56 PM
Yeah, been there, my friend.  ;)

Welcome!
Title: Re: Dream Theater ruined me
Post by: Prog Snob on April 28, 2017, 04:14:24 PM
They've ruined my ability to be responsible with my finances.
Title: Re: Dream Theater ruined me
Post by: rumborak on April 28, 2017, 04:18:49 PM
DT ruined my sex life, I can only come in 5/8.
Title: Re: Dream Theater ruined me
Post by: TAC on April 28, 2017, 04:28:35 PM
Probably closer to 5 than 8.

:neverusethis:
Title: Re: Dream Theater ruined me
Post by: Evai on April 28, 2017, 05:03:02 PM
This thread was not what I thought it was gonna be :(
Title: Re: Dream Theater ruined me
Post by: King Postwhore on April 28, 2017, 05:27:18 PM
DT ruined my sex life, I can only come in 5/8.

When you don't want to cum think of 4/4.
Title: Re: Dream Theater ruined me
Post by: rumborak on April 28, 2017, 06:08:05 PM
But MM taught me to reinterpret a 4/4 as a 7/16 followed by a 9/16!!
Title: Re: Dream Theater ruined me
Post by: King Postwhore on April 28, 2017, 06:49:49 PM
Get a tissue now.
Title: Re: Dream Theater ruined me
Post by: Skeever on April 28, 2017, 08:50:35 PM
Now you gotta learn all the acronyms for all the albums and song titles if you really want to be taken seriously.
Title: Re: Dream Theater ruined me
Post by: Architeuthis on April 28, 2017, 09:51:38 PM
Awesome first post, welcome to DT forums. I've been following DT for 25 years and have never gotten tired of them.  They certianly know how to keep it interesting!
Title: Re: Dream Theater ruined me
Post by: BlobVanDam on April 28, 2017, 11:52:21 PM
DT ruined my sex life, I can only come in 5/8.

And also because prog fans don't get laid. :neverusethis:
Title: Re: Dream Theater ruined me
Post by: RoeDent on April 29, 2017, 12:09:06 AM
Title is misleading. DT hasn't ruined you. It's enhanced your life by introducing you to the best music ever made. Welcome aboard, sir!  :tup
Title: Re: Dream Theater ruined me
Post by: Prog Snob on April 29, 2017, 01:43:10 AM
DT ruined my sex life, I can only come in 5/8.

And also because prog fans don't get laid. :neverusethis:

Never had a problem here. ;)  It must be my charm and friendly personality.
Title: Re: Dream Theater ruined me
Post by: geeeemo on April 29, 2017, 08:42:08 AM
I am with you!!!  Made the discovery about 1.5 years ago and cannot listen to anything else.  I have tried.  Every time I listen to other music, I just can't wait for it to be over and return to what I really want to hear.   I was able to see them 3 times last year, (1 meet and greet)  and that totally put me over. Check out their bio book Lifting Shadows, a great read! I read that before I had listened to ACOS. I checked it out the song and it literally gave me the chills..  Oh and check out the you tube (3 parts) video of MM interview..
Title: Re: Dream Theater ruined me
Post by: Scottjf8 on April 29, 2017, 05:39:59 PM
Welcome!!  Glad to have you!

Some lots of good things to discover. 
Title: Re: Dream Theater ruined me
Post by: wolfking on May 04, 2017, 11:11:54 PM
Welcome mate!  Great first post.
Title: Re: Dream Theater ruined me
Post by: Podaar on May 05, 2017, 05:30:57 AM
Welcome mate!  Great first post.

And apparently his last, as well.
Title: Re: Dream Theater ruined me
Post by: Dream Team on May 05, 2017, 12:36:13 PM
Welcome mate!  Great first post.

And apparently his last, as well.

 :rollin
Title: Re: Dream Theater ruined me
Post by: ToT-147 on May 05, 2017, 04:17:48 PM
Title is misleading.

This..

Now you gotta learn all the acronyms for all the albums and song titles if you really want to be taken seriously.

 :lol

Judging by his username though, I think he already knows how to be a DTFer as he's already making fun of DT's lyrics..
Title: Re: Dream Theater ruined me
Post by: BeardedGentlemanHistorian on May 05, 2017, 05:21:43 PM
Title is misleading.

This..

Now you gotta learn all the acronyms for all the albums and song titles if you really want to be taken seriously.

 :lol

Judging by his username though, I think he already knows how to be a DTFer as he's already making fun of DT's lyrics..



I minored in History in college and have a beard. I picked my username to both reflect that and to poke a bit of fun at the silliness of TCOT lyrics.
Title: Re: Dream Theater ruined me
Post by: ToT-147 on May 05, 2017, 09:49:25 PM
I wonder whether JP knows about the general opinion about his apparently silly lyrics or not.. He puts so much dedication into them that he seems like a child when explaining their meanings in an interview.. I don't think he'd like to read what most of you guys think about some of them.. Idk, just a guess.. ;V
Title: Re: Dream Theater ruined me
Post by: PetFish on May 06, 2017, 12:23:59 AM
Cool stories, bros.

Next step is to own all of Jordan Rudess' apps.
Title: Re: Dream Theater ruined me
Post by: Architeuthis on May 07, 2017, 11:29:36 AM
JPs lyrics are just fine to me, they seem to work well in the context of the music. Illumination Theory has depth and meaning and the music drives the point home. The Bigger Picture is another good example, and they beat Metallica to the chase with the moth into the flame part.. Ha!
Title: Re: Dream Theater ruined me
Post by: V_R11 on May 07, 2017, 03:14:11 PM
I wonder whether JP knows about the general opinion about his apparently silly lyrics or not.. He puts so much dedication into them that he seems like a child when explaining their meanings in an interview.. I don't think he'd like to read what most of you guys think about some of them.. Idk, just a guess.. ;V

JP lyrics are,at least to me, pretty good excluding Illumination Theory and The Count of Tuscany. Those kinda had me go like "I know you can write better stuff"
Title: Re: Dream Theater ruined me
Post by: ToT-147 on May 07, 2017, 06:10:04 PM
I wonder whether JP knows about the general opinion about his apparently silly lyrics or not.. He puts so much dedication into them that he seems like a child when explaining their meanings in an interview.. I don't think he'd like to read what most of you guys think about some of them.. Idk, just a guess.. ;V

JP lyrics are,at least to me, pretty good excluding Illumination Theory and The Count of Tuscany. Those kinda had me go like "I know you can write better stuff"

IT has good, complex and -as Architeuthis said- deep lyrics, which TCoT has not, so Idk how they can be matched at all.. I don't think all JP's lyrics are good, but I just don't care for what I don't like.. So I don't get why almost everyone tends to joke about them; I mean, they're not that bad.. Is one guy, which isn't a writer but a guitarist, this is what he does, and also the main composer of the band... and, apparently, the rest of the guys in the band don't wanna write a thing.. So it's really all about him since MP's departure..

Unfortunately TA gets that same feeling for most people, that it's not serious lyrics because they don't talk about RL's issues but "only" tell a story*.. Two things about this argument: first, it'd be very boring having in every album lyrics like the ones in I&W, ADToE or DT12, and also it'd be boring for JP to write always the same... How many times might have happened that he wouldn't have anything to write about and kind of feel forced to it because the song wasn't an instrumental and had to have *any* lyrics? (see Wither's meaning).. And second, there are ppl -like me- that just prefer these kind of fictional lyrics every once in awhile..

*which isn't true; TA has a straightforward meaning about what music might become if it continues in the way it's going right now [Just like a Black Mirror episode].. The story is sort of an excuse to compliment that argument... and, again, coming from a guitar player, I wasn't expecting the super mega mindblowing plot as many seem to have expected...
Title: Re: Dream Theater ruined me
Post by: PetFish on May 07, 2017, 11:36:06 PM
I mean, they're not that bad.. Is one guy, which isn't a writer but a guitarist, this is what he does, and also the main composer of the band... and, apparently, the rest of the guys in the band don't wanna write a thing.. So it's really all about him since MP's departure..

... which really wouldn't have changed anything if MP was still around cuz he said he really didn't want to write anymore either and would be perfectly happy if JP did the rest of the writing going forward.

I also don't understand the IT to TCoT comparison.  O_o
Title: Re: Dream Theater ruined me
Post by: V_R11 on May 08, 2017, 02:16:07 AM
I mean, they're not that bad.. Is one guy, which isn't a writer but a guitarist, this is what he does, and also the main composer of the band... and, apparently, the rest of the guys in the band don't wanna write a thing.. So it's really all about him since MP's departure..

... which really wouldn't have changed anything if MP was still around cuz he said he really didn't want to write anymore either and would be perfectly happy if JP did the rest of the writing going forward.

I also don't understand the IT to TCoT comparison.  O_o

I wasn't exactly comparing them. I know IT lyrics have a deep meaning but I just never liked them
Title: Re: Dream Theater ruined me
Post by: Prog Snob on May 08, 2017, 02:48:18 AM
But you're not allowed to dislike them. You might upset DT-Side and we wouldn't want that, so to make peace quick and avoid a full scale war, here is a vampire holding a teddy bear.

(https://33.media.tumblr.com/c07b8a4f033b289ced94793ae059e7eb/tumblr_nff51ueHKJ1sugj32o1_500.gif)
Title: Re: Dream Theater ruined me
Post by: ToT-147 on May 08, 2017, 11:09:12 AM
I mean, they're not that bad.. Is one guy, which isn't a writer but a guitarist, this is what he does, and also the main composer of the band... and, apparently, the rest of the guys in the band don't wanna write a thing.. So it's really all about him since MP's departure..

... which really wouldn't have changed anything if MP was still around cuz he said he really didn't want to write anymore either and would be perfectly happy if JP did the rest of the writing going forward.

Didn't know that..

But yeah, hopefully in the next album we see some JM and/or JLB lyrics.. I think TA was just a separate case and that there were only JP's writing on it because it was some sort of novel or play... although in SFAM that didn't happen.. Anyways, I guess we'll see...
Title: Re: Dream Theater ruined me
Post by: V_R11 on May 08, 2017, 11:45:55 AM
JM lyrics are my favorites,so +1 for that. Personally I'd also be really interested to see what an MM lyric would be like. Don't know if that's a thing they'll ever do,but it would be interesting
Title: Re: Dream Theater ruined me
Post by: PB1 on May 09, 2017, 09:11:04 AM
awesome op!! dream theater kicks ass
what's your favorite album? Mine is Awake.
Title: Re: Dream Theater ruined me
Post by: Evai on May 09, 2017, 03:22:20 PM
My favourite album is The Astonishing. :)

But my favourite Dream Theater album is SFAM
Title: Re: Dream Theater ruined me
Post by: ToT-147 on May 09, 2017, 03:55:40 PM
 :justjen
Title: Re: Dream Theater ruined me
Post by: Prog Snob on May 10, 2017, 08:35:00 PM
My favourite album is The Astonishing. :)

But my favourite Dream Theater album is SFAM

(https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/54/b2/3f/54b23fb44e686fa030db901c8a2f717d.gif)
Title: Re: Dream Theater ruined me
Post by: Cyclopssss on May 11, 2017, 12:26:45 AM
I pretty much felt the same for a long time. It will wear off.