DreamTheaterForums.org Dream Theater Fan Site

Dream Theater => Dream Theater => Topic started by: npiazza91 on March 30, 2018, 11:46:04 PM

Title: Does anyone else find Pull Me Under boring?
Post by: npiazza91 on March 30, 2018, 11:46:04 PM
To be honest, it's one of my least favorite off the album.  I listen to Pull Me Under, then Another Day just rocks my socks off.  The amount of music, soul and emotion in Another Day just moves me every which way.  The way the intruments play off each other, and sometimes do their own thing, it's absolutely amazing.  Then Labrie's voice is just truly on another level, that is one of his best vocal performances of any DT song.  Another Day would definitely make my top 50 (maybe like in the 30's I'd guess), but Pull Me Under wouldn't even make my top 50.  Pull Me Under is just generic to me, and it's one of the reasons why I think Images and Words is overrated.  It's 8 and a half minutes of boredom to me.  The main riff is nice, but it never really deviates, it never strays from that basic formula.  Labrie's singing is nice as always, but it's sooooo slowwwwww.  I feel like the chorus takes an hour, and while the verses are neat, it's just not heavy enough to give off that "heavy chugging riff" impression, so it kind of just falls into the "meh" background.  I don't know, maybe it's just me, but Pull Me Under just bores me. 
Title: Re: Does anyone else find Pull Me Under boring?
Post by: MirrorMask on March 31, 2018, 01:02:04 AM
Short answer: no.

There's only so many gazillion times you can hear this and any other song before eventually growing out of the "wow" factor, but the song IS great, and it was well deserving of some more mainstream recognition back in the day.
Title: Re: Does anyone else find Pull Me Under boring?
Post by: Bertielee on March 31, 2018, 03:02:00 AM
No. It's a great way to start I&W : concise, great playing, great singing, it encapsulates for me DT in a nutshell.

B.Lee
Title: Re: Does anyone else find Pull Me Under boring?
Post by: Evai on March 31, 2018, 03:07:08 AM
It's kind of trendy for hardcore fans to bash a bands most popular song, but really Pull Me Under has always been excellent.
Title: Re: Does anyone else find Pull Me Under boring?
Post by: ChuckSteak on March 31, 2018, 04:11:32 AM
No, but I played it so many times that I got tired of it. I haven't listened to it in a long time.
Title: Re: Does anyone else find Pull Me Under boring?
Post by: krands85 on March 31, 2018, 04:30:34 AM
Short answer: no.

There's only so many gazillion times you can hear this and any other song before eventually growing out of the "wow" factor, but the song IS great, and it was well deserving of some more mainstream recognition back in the day.
:tup
Title: Re: Does anyone else find Pull Me Under boring?
Post by: Fritzinger on March 31, 2018, 05:33:40 AM
I think the song is great, but it's also my least favorite off the album. I think I even like On The Backs Of Angels better. That being said, it rocks as hell when played live.
Title: Re: Does anyone else find Pull Me Under boring?
Post by: Elite on March 31, 2018, 06:26:47 AM
Short answer: no.

Technically, or logically speaking, this is answer is incorrect :neverusethis:
Title: Re: Does anyone else find Pull Me Under boring?
Post by: Dream Team on March 31, 2018, 06:30:59 AM
I agree to a degree. It does plod a little, but it is very well structured. I like 5 of the other songs better.
Title: Re: Does anyone else find Pull Me Under boring?
Post by: DTA on March 31, 2018, 07:27:33 AM
I don't think it's boring but I've heard it so many times that it's virtually unlistenable to me at this point. I'm sure if I wait a few years I'll enjoy it again. I listened to the demo version a little bit ago (Oliver's Twist) and was amazed at how silly the original version was with the Erotomania parts...great editing decision by the band (or Prater?) to remove that.
Title: Re: Does anyone else find Pull Me Under boring?
Post by: RoeDent on March 31, 2018, 07:58:42 AM
Nope. It's alright. It's fantastic as an album opener. But it's not boring. No DT song is boring to me.
Title: Re: Does anyone else find Pull Me Under boring?
Post by: Ninjabait on March 31, 2018, 09:12:34 AM
Well, yes and no. It's a really good song, but if you ask me it has a bit of padding and fat on it that really bring the quality of the song down aways. You can easily cut off about 2-3 minutes of the song and make it that much stronger. There's a lot of repetition with little to no variation that imo doesn't really serve the song. Basically, it feels like a really killer 4-6 minute song trapped in a 8 minute long song's body.
Title: Re: Does anyone else find Pull Me Under boring?
Post by: gzarruk on March 31, 2018, 02:00:47 PM
I don't think it's boring, but it's been played so much for 25 years that people can get tired of it. I feel the same way with songs like TSCO or AIA. They're great tunes, but they've been played so much that I'd rather listen to other DT songs.
Title: Re: Does anyone else find Pull Me Under boring?
Post by: TheLordOfTheStrings on March 31, 2018, 04:42:15 PM
Definitely not boring, but overpayed. A huge part of the reason Score is my favorite live DT release is because PMU isn't on it. 😂
Title: Re: Does anyone else find Pull Me Under boring?
Post by: Rodni Demental on March 31, 2018, 09:02:48 PM
Heard it a lot but it still rocks.  :metal
Title: Re: Does anyone else find Pull Me Under boring?
Post by: Prog Snob on March 31, 2018, 09:16:31 PM
I don't necessarily find it boring. It's just that I first heard it when it came out 26 years ago, so I've heard it so many times, and I feel that album is filled with mostly better songs. I could probably say the only song that I like less than PMU on Images and Words is Wait For Sleep. Maybe Another Day, too, but that's an uncertainty.
Title: Re: Does anyone else find Pull Me Under boring?
Post by: Herrick on March 31, 2018, 10:28:07 PM
My DT history isn't as long as many other fans. I never heard Pull Me Under on the radio or saw the video on MTV so it never got "played out" in that sense.

I got into the band in 2001 and Images and Words was the first album I bought. Didn't even hear any of the songs before buying the album. I liked Pull Me Under right away. The heavy riff is just badass and the section before LaBrie starts singing and then that ascending guitar thing while he's singing is just fucking cool. Cool guitar part right before the nice sing-along chorus. Probably my third favorite song after Metropolis & Learning To Live. That being said, I can definitely see how others may think it's boring compared to other songs on the album.
Title: Re: Does anyone else find Pull Me Under boring?
Post by: The Silent Cody on March 31, 2018, 11:25:10 PM
It's not boring, if You're looking for boring DT song I could find one, only. Stream Of Consciousness. :)
Title: Re: Does anyone else find Pull Me Under boring?
Post by: ChuckSteak on April 01, 2018, 05:43:04 AM
It's not boring, if You're looking for boring DT song I could find one, only. Stream Of Consciousness. :)
Please, die. (https://illiweb.com/fa/i/smiles/icon_evil.gif)
Title: Re: Does anyone else find Pull Me Under boring?
Post by: pcs90 on April 02, 2018, 04:38:27 PM
I think it's pretty boring, easily my least favorite on the album.
Title: Re: Does anyone else find Pull Me Under boring?
Post by: pg1067 on April 02, 2018, 05:41:30 PM
Short answer: no.

There's only so many gazillion times you can hear this and any other song before eventually growing out of the "wow" factor, but the song IS great, and it was well deserving of some more mainstream recognition back in the day.

This is basically how I feel, but it's certainly not my favorite song on the album.  I first heard the song on the radio (probably KNAC 105.5 FM in southern California) in the second half of 1992.  I was blown away.  I bought I&W as soon as I could and was blown away that there were a bunch of songs that I liked better (e.g., Metropolis, LTL, TtT and Surrounded).  I've never really liked UAGM, and Another Day quickly lost its initial luster.
Title: Re: Does anyone else find Pull Me Under boring?
Post by: DT2003 on April 02, 2018, 06:39:06 PM
I love it. That song brings back great memories for me as this was the song that introduced me to DT 25 years ago. It blew my mind back then, and once I bought the album shortly after that it opened my eyes to prog metal and that’s been my favorite genre ever since then. I still love the song although I will admit there are other songs I’d prefer to see live over that one.
Title: Re: Does anyone else find Pull Me Under boring?
Post by: ytserush on April 02, 2018, 07:41:53 PM
I've always found it kind of boring (least favorite on that album) but I have to say considering how it jump started the band's career it really hasn't been played live as much as it could have been over the years.
Title: Re: Does anyone else find Pull Me Under boring?
Post by: Prog Snob on April 02, 2018, 08:33:14 PM
It's not boring, if You're looking for boring DT song I could find one, only. Stream Of Consciousness. :)
Please, die. (https://illiweb.com/fa/i/smiles/icon_evil.gif)

I'll help you bury the body.
Title: Re: Does anyone else find Pull Me Under boring?
Post by: Pragmaticcircus on April 03, 2018, 02:33:23 AM
Short answer: yes

Less-long answer: I wish it stayed on the demo
Title: Re: Does anyone else find Pull Me Under boring?
Post by: ariich on April 03, 2018, 03:23:13 AM
Not boring, no, but it is a pretty average DT song and one of the weakest tracks on what is otherwise a pretty stellar album.
Title: Re: Does anyone else find Pull Me Under boring?
Post by: Logain Ablar on April 03, 2018, 02:07:11 PM
It's not boring, if You're looking for boring DT song I could find one, only. Stream Of Consciousness. :)
Please, die. (https://illiweb.com/fa/i/smiles/icon_evil.gif)

I'll help you bury the body.

And I’ll say you were with me when the cops come calling..  :lol
Title: Re: Does anyone else find Pull Me Under boring?
Post by: The Walrus on April 03, 2018, 02:25:45 PM
Pull Me Under rules. Crank the volume to 11 when James enters. Makes me want to RAAAAAWK  :metal  :biggrin:
Title: Re: Does anyone else find Pull Me Under boring?
Post by: Lethean on April 03, 2018, 05:24:12 PM
Like others have said - it's a great song. At this point it's been over played, so I'd rather them give it a break on the next tour, but that doesn't take away from what a good song it is.
Title: Re: Does anyone else find Pull Me Under boring?
Post by: Grappler on April 04, 2018, 06:35:14 AM
Never.  It's the first Dream Theater song that I had ever heard, and I would much rather hear that than a song like Surrounded from the same album.  Pull Me Under is heavy, catchy, and has everything I love about the band wrapped up in one song.
Title: Re: Does anyone else find Pull Me Under boring?
Post by: TheSilentHam on April 04, 2018, 08:55:52 AM
I never find it boring, and like it just the way it is.  I don't rank songs or albums, and usually listen to a whole album at a time when possible, but I know I have listened to PMU more than any other DT song (Partially because of Guitar Hero World Tour)
Title: Re: Does anyone else find Pull Me Under boring?
Post by: mikeyd23 on April 04, 2018, 09:07:35 AM
I like PMU, I don't find it boring, but I do think it is one of the weaker tracks on I&W.
Title: Re: Does anyone else find Pull Me Under boring?
Post by: Super Dude on April 05, 2018, 12:32:37 AM
It actually took me a long time to "get" this song. It was one of my least favorite DT tracks overall until I heard an unexpectedly awesome cover of it.
Title: Re: Does anyone else find Pull Me Under boring?
Post by: Prog Snob on April 05, 2018, 05:33:52 AM
It's not boring, if You're looking for boring DT song I could find one, only. Stream Of Consciousness. :)
Please, die. (https://illiweb.com/fa/i/smiles/icon_evil.gif)

I'll help you bury the body.

And I’ll say you were with me when the cops come calling..  :lol

Isn't it fascinating how we can all bond over the slight distaste for one song?
Title: Re: Does anyone else find Pull Me Under boring?
Post by: Dublagent66 on April 05, 2018, 11:33:56 AM
The first DT song I heard.  The song that turned me on to DT.  DT's greatest hit.  A song that's stood the test of time.  Boring isn't even remotely near that equation.

Less interesting than some other DT songs?  Probably, but definitely not boring.
Title: Re: Does anyone else find Pull Me Under boring?
Post by: Setlist Scotty on April 05, 2018, 12:56:25 PM
Agree with the consensus that it's not boring, but it has been overplayed, which is why I don't listen to it often. Not a super big fan of it live, but I do love the sound of the album version.

I've always found it kind of boring (least favorite on that album) but I have to say considering how it jump started the band's career it really hasn't been played live as much as it could have been over the years.
And we can thank MP for setting the band in a trajectory so that they never had any perennial favorites that they had to play at every show!
Title: Re: Does anyone else find Pull Me Under boring?
Post by: Lethean on April 05, 2018, 01:04:51 PM
Agree with the consensus that it's not boring, but it has been overplayed, which is why I don't listen to it often. Not a super big fan of it live, but I do love the sound of the album version.

I've always found it kind of boring (least favorite on that album) but I have to say considering how it jump started the band's career it really hasn't been played live as much as it could have been over the years.
And we can thank MP for setting the band in a trajectory so that they never had any perennial favorites that they had to play at every show!

Absolutely!  Dream Theater is in a great position as far as that goes.  There is nothing that they must play, and it makes for more options and a more exciting show. 
Title: Re: Does anyone else find Pull Me Under boring?
Post by: Architeuthis on April 05, 2018, 01:07:50 PM
The most boring DT song to me is Repentance. It's unique, but incredibly boring. I usually skip that track when listening to Systematic Chaos, unless I'm too lazy to get up out of the chair to go hit the skip button.  The rest of the album is brilliant!
Btw, there's nothing boring about PMU..
Title: Re: Does anyone else find Pull Me Under boring?
Post by: Dublagent66 on April 05, 2018, 02:41:05 PM
Agreed on Repentance.  However, JP's solo does make it a little less boring.  :lol
Title: Re: Does anyone else find Pull Me Under boring?
Post by: Architeuthis on April 05, 2018, 04:07:42 PM
The solo is the only saving grace,  the jazzy piano chords are kind of cool but the song just falls flat into a snoozefest. :natalieportman:
Title: Re: Does anyone else find Pull Me Under boring?
Post by: Adami on April 05, 2018, 04:14:18 PM
Repentance is the best song on the album.


BOOM!
Title: Re: Does anyone else find Pull Me Under boring?
Post by: Architeuthis on April 05, 2018, 05:22:50 PM
Repentance is the best song on the album.


BOOM!
:flame:

Title: Re: Does anyone else find Pull Me Under boring?
Post by: Adami on April 05, 2018, 05:30:33 PM
Repentance is the best song on the album.


BOOM!
:flame:

Beginning to end. Not a second of it is boring.
Title: Re: Does anyone else find Pull Me Under boring?
Post by: Architeuthis on April 05, 2018, 05:43:33 PM
Repentance is the best song on the album.


BOOM!
:flame:

Beginning to end. Not a second of it is boring.
I guess I need to listen to it through different ears, these Dumbo ears just aren't working..
Title: Re: Does anyone else find Pull Me Under boring?
Post by: The Walrus on April 05, 2018, 05:54:42 PM
Repentance would be better if it wasn't ten freaking minutes... Then again I also unironically like Prophets of War.

There was time to make a change
Repentance is such a bore
'cause they made it way too long
Getting through it is a chooooore
There was time to make a change
Title: Re: Does anyone else find Pull Me Under boring?
Post by: ytserush on April 05, 2018, 06:12:46 PM
Agree with the consensus that it's not boring, but it has been overplayed, which is why I don't listen to it often. Not a super big fan of it live, but I do love the sound of the album version.

I've always found it kind of boring (least favorite on that album) but I have to say considering how it jump started the band's career it really hasn't been played live as much as it could have been over the years.
And we can thank MP for setting the band in a trajectory so that they never had any perennial favorites that they had to play at every show!

Absolutely.

I think it's pretty unique for a band being around as long as they have and not really have any songs that they might feel obligated that they had to play every night. Even Rush felt they couldn't escape playing about a half-dozen songs.
Title: Re: Does anyone else find Pull Me Under boring?
Post by: ytserush on April 05, 2018, 06:15:17 PM
Repentance is the best song on the album.


BOOM!

One of them anyway. Along with Constant Motion and Prophets Of War. Those are the only three that doing anything for me on that album.
Title: Re: Does anyone else find Pull Me Under boring?
Post by: Adami on April 05, 2018, 07:18:55 PM
Repentance is the best song on the album.


BOOM!

One of them anyway. Along with Constant Motion and Prophets Of War. Those are the only three that doing anything for me on that album.

I have come to actually really appreciate Prophets. This is also one of my least favorite DT albums. Besides Repentance, which is one of DT's best songs.
Title: Re: Does anyone else find Pull Me Under boring?
Post by: gzarruk on April 05, 2018, 08:54:26 PM
No love for ITPOE? It’s probably their darkest/heaviest/most technical epic ever :metal
Title: Re: Does anyone else find Pull Me Under boring?
Post by: Adami on April 05, 2018, 08:55:30 PM
No love for ITPOE? It’s probably their darkest/heaviest/most technical epic ever :metal

It has a few cool moments, but if I never heard it again I'd be okay.
Title: Re: Does anyone else find Pull Me Under boring?
Post by: Architeuthis on April 05, 2018, 09:15:15 PM
Repentance would be better if it wasn't ten freaking minutes... Then again I also unironically like Prophets of War.

There was time to make a change
Repentance is such a bore
'cause they made it way too long
Getting through it is a chooooore
There was time to make a change
:rollin
Title: Re: Does anyone else find Pull Me Under boring?
Post by: ChuckSteak on April 05, 2018, 09:52:04 PM
I enjoyed Repentance much more when Mikael Akerfeldt sang it. His voice fits the song better.
Title: Re: Does anyone else find Pull Me Under boring?
Post by: gzarruk on April 05, 2018, 10:37:59 PM
No love for ITPOE? It’s probably their darkest/heaviest/most technical epic ever :metal

It has a few cool moments, but if I never heard it again I'd be okay.

It’s one of my favorites ;D

I enjoyed Repentance much more when Mikael Akerfeldt sang it. His voice fits the song better.

I think it’s because the song has an Opeth vibe in some way. Mikael’s version sounds so good because of that. Anyway, I’ll take any version over the one with MP singing lead ???
Title: Re: Does anyone else find Pull Me Under boring?
Post by: Lethean on April 06, 2018, 09:00:13 AM
No love for ITPOE? It’s probably their darkest/heaviest/most technical epic ever :metal

It has a few cool moments, but if I never heard it again I'd be okay.

It’s one of my favorites ;D

I enjoyed Repentance much more when Mikael Akerfeldt sang it. His voice fits the song better.

I think it’s because the song has an Opeth vibe in some way. Mikael’s version sounds so good because of that. Anyway, I’ll take any version over the one with MP singing lead ???

No doubt.  That was one of the most uncomfortable and cringe worthy moments I've ever seen at a live show.

I like Repentance, and I prefer James' vocals to Mikael's, but I've never been a huge fan of MA's vocals anyway.

As for ITPOE, I hate the dark master stuff, but like the song itself.
Title: Re: Does anyone else find Pull Me Under boring?
Post by: Dublagent66 on April 06, 2018, 09:59:12 AM
Ok, how did this thread turn into SC?  :lol Back on topic.  I listened to PMU yesterday and still love it.  However, I also listened to LTL.  I suppose someone could say that PMU is boring compared to LTL and that is somewhat understandable, but I wouldn't put it that way.  LTL is just light years better that's all.  :biggrin:
Title: Re: Does anyone else find Pull Me Under boring?
Post by: TheOutlawXanadu on April 06, 2018, 10:39:01 AM
If you can, go six-to-twelve months without listening to PMU. Then blare it while you're at the gym or something. I did that last year and was blown away by how great a song it is. It's just overplayed. If you give it a break, you'll probably really enjoy it once you come back!
Title: Re: Does anyone else find Pull Me Under boring?
Post by: Dublagent66 on April 06, 2018, 10:44:44 AM
Done that several times over.  :tup
Title: Re: Does anyone else find Pull Me Under boring?
Post by: gzarruk on April 06, 2018, 11:47:51 AM
Besides being overplayed, I think the problem with PMU is that it isn't as good as many other DT "singles", so it falls short in comparison, but it isn't boring or bad, just less interesting than others.
Title: Re: Does anyone else find Pull Me Under boring?
Post by: Setlist Scotty on April 06, 2018, 02:06:52 PM
Besides being overplayed, I think the problem with PMU is that it isn't as good as many other DT "singles", so it falls short in comparison, but it isn't boring or bad, just less interesting than others.
Hmm....not sure what you mean by putting singles in quote marks, but when looking at the list of promo singles that DT has released, I'll take PMU over more than half of them any day of the week. Of course that is just my opinion, but I doubt I'm alone.
 
Status Seeker
Afterlife
Take the Time
Another Day
Lie
Caught in a Web
The Silent Man
Burning My Soul
You Not Me
Hollow Years
Home
Through Her Eyes
Blind Faith
Misunderstood
Solitary Shell
The Test That Stumped Them All
As I Am
The Root of All Evil
These Walls
I Walk Beside You
Panic Attack
Constant Motion
Forsaken
A Rite of Passage
Wither
On the Backs of Angels
Build Me Up Break Me Down
The Enemy Inside
Along for the Ride
The Looking Glass
The Gift of Music
Moment of Betrayal
Our New World
Title: Re: Does anyone else find Pull Me Under boring?
Post by: Architeuthis on April 06, 2018, 03:36:09 PM
PMU is kind of like Dream Theater's Tom Sawyer. The song that got the most airplay, and the song that fair weather fans are familiar with..
Title: Re: Does anyone else find Pull Me Under boring?
Post by: metrojam on April 06, 2018, 03:41:19 PM
Not boring and not overplayed i.m.o. Probably the most important song in the history of DT so just don't get why so many people are so "lukewarm" to it. Now, if you're looking for a boring DT song, then there are about 25 to choose from and all are on TA!
Title: Re: Does anyone else find Pull Me Under boring?
Post by: MirrorMask on April 06, 2018, 04:00:10 PM
The nice thing about Pull Me Under is, for me, that it had the success it had while still being a Dream Theater song. Imagine an alternate world where You Not Me became ultra famous.... a short song written with Desmond Child, the hitmaker of hard rock. An "easy win" so to say. But Pull Me Under lasts 8 minutes. It has a long intro. It has subtle variations here and there in the verses. It has a solo which is not shortened or missing at all. Still it was catchy enough to appeal also to a broader audience. It wasn't even a ballad like Nothing Else Matters or More than Words, that condemned Extreme to be talked about as "Those who wrote More than words".  It happened at the right time, sure, but it was actually a song constructed well enough to interest more people.

Title: Re: Does anyone else find Pull Me Under boring?
Post by: Ben_Jamin on April 07, 2018, 06:54:56 PM
I listen to the warped version whenever I get tired of the studio
Title: Re: Does anyone else find Pull Me Under boring?
Post by: Herrick on April 08, 2018, 12:39:35 AM
Besides being overplayed, I think the problem with PMU is that it isn't as good as many other DT "singles", so it falls short in comparison, but it isn't boring or bad, just less interesting than others.
Hmm....not sure what you mean by putting singles in quote marks, but when looking at the list of promo singles that DT has released, I'll take PMU over more than half of them any day of the week. Of course that is just my opinion, but I doubt I'm alone.
 
Status Seeker
Afterlife
Take the Time
Another Day
Lie
Caught in a Web
The Silent Man
Burning My Soul
You Not Me
Hollow Years
Home
Through Her Eyes
Blind Faith
Misunderstood
Solitary Shell
The Test That Stumped Them All
As I Am
The Root of All Evil
These Walls
I Walk Beside You
Panic Attack
Constant Motion
Forsaken
A Rite of Passage
Wither
On the Backs of Angels
Build Me Up Break Me Down
The Enemy Inside
Along for the Ride
The Looking Glass
The Gift of Music
Moment of Betrayal
Our New World

Wow lots of singles. This shouldn't be surprising to me but as a fan who never heard a DT song on the radio or saw a video on TV...it's surprising to me.
Title: Re: Does anyone else find Pull Me Under boring?
Post by: Zook on April 10, 2018, 10:41:38 PM
I used to feel that way, but compared to............ On the Backs of Angels, it couldn't be any less boring.