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Dream Theater => Dream Theater => Topic started by: KevShmev on May 15, 2020, 08:46:24 AM

Title: What are your favorites of these DT songs? (Part 2)
Post by: KevShmev on May 15, 2020, 08:46:24 AM
Choose up to 3 songs.

Another tough one. :biggrin:

I went with:

Scarred
In the Name of God
Lines in the Sand
Title: Re: What are your favorites of these DT songs? (Part 2)
Post by: DTA on May 15, 2020, 08:55:30 AM
Scarred
Finally Free
Lines In The Sand
Title: Re: What are your favorites of these DT songs? (Part 2)
Post by: ThatOneGuy2112 on May 15, 2020, 08:58:10 AM
Scarred
Blind Faith
Finally Free

In that order
Title: Re: What are your favorites of these DT songs? (Part 2)
Post by: MirrorMask on May 15, 2020, 09:17:23 AM
Pull Me Under, Scarred, Finally Free.

Had to remove clicks from Bridges in the Sky and Surrounded.
Title: Re: What are your favorites of these DT songs? (Part 2)
Post by: Trav86 on May 15, 2020, 09:29:30 AM
Scarred
Finally Free
Lines In The Sand

Same.
Title: Re: What are your favorites of these DT songs? (Part 2)
Post by: pg1067 on May 15, 2020, 09:32:07 AM
Scarred
Blind Faith
In the Name of God

Honorable mention to Finally Free and Beyond This Life

Why are Raise the Knife and The Dark Eternal Life even choices here?
Title: Re: What are your favorites of these DT songs? (Part 2)
Post by: Indiscipline on May 15, 2020, 09:32:20 AM
Scarred
Lines in the Sand
Beyond this Life
Title: Re: What are your favorites of these DT songs? (Part 2)
Post by: Podaar on May 15, 2020, 09:38:07 AM
Finally Free
Lines in the Sand
In the Name of God
Title: Re: What are your favorites of these DT songs? (Part 2)
Post by: krands85 on May 15, 2020, 09:43:03 AM
In the Name of God
The Count of Tuscany
Bridges in the Sky

The first 2 were easy picks, with Bridges pipping Lines in the Sand to the third spot.
Title: Re: What are your favorites of these DT songs? (Part 2)
Post by: hefdaddy42 on May 15, 2020, 09:48:33 AM
Lines in the Sand
Scarred
Blind Faith
Title: Re: What are your favorites of these DT songs? (Part 2)
Post by: Cool Chris on May 15, 2020, 10:31:45 AM
This was wasn't nearly as tough.

Finally Free
Bridges in the Sky
The Root of All Evil

Just missing out:
Blind Faith, and maybe Three Days

Don't belong with the others (based on my tastes):
Raise the Knife
The Dark Eternal Night
The Count of Tuscany
Lines in the Sand
Beyond This Life
In the Name of God
Title: Re: What are your favorites of these DT songs? (Part 2)
Post by: RoeDent on May 15, 2020, 10:42:10 AM
Scarred
Bridges in the Sky
Surrounded
Title: Re: What are your favorites of these DT songs? (Part 2)
Post by: ChuckSteak on May 15, 2020, 11:45:07 AM
Scarred
Finally Free
Lines In The Sand
Title: Re: What are your favorites of these DT songs? (Part 2)
Post by: Northern Lion on May 15, 2020, 01:13:37 PM
In the Name of God
The Count of Tuscany
Bridges in the Sky

The first 2 were easy picks, with Bridges pipping Lines in the Sand to the third spot.

Same.  Although If Raise the Knife had a proper studio recording, I may have picked that over Bridges in the Sky.
Title: Re: What are your favorites of these DT songs? (Part 2)
Post by: Setlist Scotty on May 15, 2020, 01:24:04 PM
A bit easier this round. Went with Lines in the Sand, The Count of Tuscany and Scarred. Was debating on whether to pick Raise the Knife or Bridges in the Sky, as they also rank pretty highly for me.
Title: Re: What are your favorites of these DT songs? (Part 2)
Post by: Dublagent66 on May 15, 2020, 04:10:38 PM
Why are Raise the Knife and The Dark Eternal Life even choices here?

Why not?  The Dark Eternal Life?  :lol


PMU
Scarred
Blind Faith
Title: Re: What are your favorites of these DT songs? (Part 2)
Post by: Cool Chris on May 15, 2020, 04:23:31 PM
Wow Scarred takes an early lead. Did not see that coming.
Title: Re: What are your favorites of these DT songs? (Part 2)
Post by: Northern Lion on May 15, 2020, 10:28:03 PM
Wow Scarred takes an early lead. Did not see that coming.

I agree.  I don't hate Scarred at all, but if I was stuck on an island with only 3 DT songs to listen to, that wouldn't be one of them.  But it apparently has a lot of appeal.
Title: Re: What are your favorites of these DT songs? (Part 2)
Post by: IDontNotDoThings on May 16, 2020, 02:49:52 AM
Blind Faith
Surrounded
The Count Of Tuscany
Title: Re: What are your favorites of these DT songs? (Part 2)
Post by: MarkFitDT on May 16, 2020, 03:41:15 AM
Blind Faith
In the Name of God
Count of Tuscany
Title: Re: What are your favorites of these DT songs? (Part 2)
Post by: DTA on May 16, 2020, 07:26:48 AM
Wow Scarred takes an early lead. Did not see that coming.

I agree.  I don't hate Scarred at all, but if I was stuck on an island with only 3 DT songs to listen to, that wouldn't be one of them.  But it apparently has a lot of appeal.

It just has every single element of a what I consider a perfect DT song. Others come very close, but this one just covers it all.
Title: Re: What are your favorites of these DT songs? (Part 2)
Post by: MirrorMask on May 16, 2020, 08:50:00 AM
Scarred is the only song, alongside Finally Free, that I would have expected to lead. Fantastic track.
Title: Re: What are your favorites of these DT songs? (Part 2)
Post by: Architeuthis on May 16, 2020, 11:30:08 AM
Barstool Warrior
Dark Eternal Night
Bridges in the Sky

 :coolio
Title: Re: What are your favorites of these DT songs? (Part 2)
Post by: jammindude on May 16, 2020, 01:05:29 PM
Beyond This Life
Scarred
Barstool Warrior
Title: Re: What are your favorites of these DT songs? (Part 2)
Post by: JLa on May 16, 2020, 03:50:07 PM
Scarred
Blind Faith
Surrounded
Title: Re: What are your favorites of these DT songs? (Part 2)
Post by: gborland on May 16, 2020, 04:10:13 PM
WTF is Three Days? I have never even heard of it.
Title: Re: What are your favorites of these DT songs? (Part 2)
Post by: gborland on May 16, 2020, 04:13:51 PM
WTF is Three Days? I have never even heard of it.

OK, I googled it. I kinda recognise it now.
Title: Re: What are your favorites of these DT songs? (Part 2)
Post by: geeeemo on May 16, 2020, 04:41:29 PM
WTF is Three Days? I have never even heard of it.

OK, I googled it. I kinda recognise it now.

What??  :omg: I almost voted for Three Days.
Title: Re: What are your favorites of these DT songs? (Part 2)
Post by: NoFred on May 16, 2020, 05:54:54 PM
1. BTL
2. PMU
3. ITNOG
Title: Re: What are your favorites of these DT songs? (Part 2)
Post by: Northern Lion on May 16, 2020, 08:04:55 PM
WTF is Three Days? I have never even heard of it.

OK, I googled it. I kinda recognise it now.

I'm not surprised.  The Astonishing was one of those albums that you really loved (like me) or you really did not.  Plus it has 34 tracks on it.  So if that album hasn't been on your radar much, then Three Days would be easy to miss.  :tup
Title: Re: What are your favorites of these DT songs? (Part 2)
Post by: Dream Team on May 16, 2020, 08:05:44 PM
WTF is Three Days? I have never even heard of it.

Wouldn’t that automatically tip you off that it was on The Astonishing?

Surrounded
The Count
ITNoG
Title: Re: What are your favorites of these DT songs? (Part 2)
Post by: Fiery Winds on May 16, 2020, 09:46:07 PM
Bridges in the Sky
Barstool Warrior
Lines in the Sand
Title: Re: What are your favorites of these DT songs? (Part 2)
Post by: TAC on May 17, 2020, 03:35:25 PM
Scarred
Lines In The Sand
The Count Of Tuscany
Title: Re: What are your favorites of these DT songs? (Part 2)
Post by: npiazza91 on May 17, 2020, 03:54:57 PM
I’ve never heard Raise the Knife or Three Days before so I won’t mention those. I’m gonna rank the others though.

13. Lines in the Sand- One of my least favorite DT songs. There’s literally no hook here that sounds appealing in any way. I can’t stand the chorus at all and the rest of the song doesn’t do much for me. Every time I see so much praise for this song I’m like “why? What am I not seeing?”

12. Pull Me Under- Meh, this ones ok. If this was a 5 minute song it would be much better, but for how “commercial” it sounds it goes on for WAY too long. I get bored. Every section feels so unnaturally stretched out.  Imagine if Forsaken was turned into an 8 minute song. That’s how I feel here.

11. Beyond This Life- This one is a mixed bag for me. I LOVE the chorus and I think labrie’s vocal melodies really bring the emotion, but I don’t like that riff at all, the one that opens the song. It feels awkward, almost kinda thrashy, but it just doesn’t fit the song. I always get turned off by that.

10. The Count of Tuscany- I love it...for like the first 10 minutes. Then it starts to drag on and on. I get that people see this song as an “experience” and I understand why, especially with that calm middle section, but for me it just doesn’t work as a whole. Octavarium works 100% for me as a 20+ minute song. Imo this one just doesn’t pull it off the same way. But like I said, I love the first 10 minutes or so.

9. The Dark Eternal Night- This one is hard for me to rank. It’s so odd amongst their discography. The verses sound like...Slipknot for some reason, but...it kinda works? I think? I absolutely love that chorus though, it has a great melody and it’s just Dream Theater at their best. The instrumental section is a ton of fun as well, and I think it’s better than it deserves to be in a song like this.

8. Barstool Warrior- Above average for me. This song mostly works, but I find it a bit hard to catch the melody at time especially in the chorus. Not much to say here, this is a very good song.

7. Finally Free- Ok now we’re getting into “great” territory. We’re at the 4/5 stars songs now. I love this song, especially as a finale to the story on the album. I do think it’s a bit long at times, and as a whole it just...doesn’t FULLY work, I do get a bit bored, but overall it’s a very satisfying ending and I don’t really have much to complain about.

6. Surrounded- Maybe an unpopular opinion but this is my favourite song in their entire discography up until “Voices” on Awake. Yes, this is my favorite song on Images and Words. For what it sets out to do, this song is pretty much perfect. This MIGHT be my favourite short song they’ve ever done. We’re still not at 5/5 though.

5. Scarred- Love this song. Not QUITE as good as Voices, but it’s still fantastic. Not much else to say, this song is dark, it’s hard, and it slays.

4. Blind Faith- Were at 4.5/5 here. This song is SO CLOSE to top tier...but I do think it meanders a bit just slightly in the middle section. But the atmosphere, the unison, the melodies, this is one of the most beautiful songs they’ve ever done. I can’t get enough of it.

3. The Root of All Evil- The most “Megadeth” song they’ve ever done, and Megadeth is my favourite band of all time just edging out DT, so naturally this one is gonna be high up there. This is one of the most kickass songs they’ve ever done. It’s not too long, it’s not too short, it hits that perfect sweet spot in the middle there. I love the verses, I love the chorus, I love the riffs, I love the vocal melodies, and it has a fantastic (and very underrated) solo section. It sounds so evil.

2. Bridges in the Sky- Ok, now we’re in 5/5 territory. This song is pretty much perfect to me and it definitely makes my top 10. It has probably my favourite chorus of all time by any band, ever. It feels like you’re ascending to a higher level, it’s so powerful, but at the same time it’s so calming and pure. The verses and pre chorus are also amazing. Top tier song.

1. In the Name of God- It was so close. This is a top 5 DT song right here. This is, in my opinion, one of the most tightly written 15 minute song I e ever heard. It all just...flows. The riffs are some of the most badass in their entire discography, the chorus is infectious, the lyrics are amazing, and yes I absolutely love the solo sections. The shredding is NASTY. Then they come back to the beginning and wrap it all up with an epic, almost choir type ending. Pretty much perfect to me.
Title: Re: What are your favorites of these DT songs? (Part 2)
Post by: wolfking on May 17, 2020, 07:05:04 PM
Scarred, Blind Faith, In the Name of God.
Title: Re: What are your favorites of these DT songs? (Part 2)
Post by: Zook on May 17, 2020, 08:30:39 PM
Surrounded
Scarred
Beyond This Life
Title: Re: What are your favorites of these DT songs? (Part 2)
Post by: Ben_Jamin on May 17, 2020, 10:30:48 PM
Scarred
Finally Free
Surrounded
Title: Re: What are your favorites of these DT songs? (Part 2)
Post by: Eldomm on May 17, 2020, 11:01:52 PM
In fact, not so hard as the first one...

Pull me under
Surrounded
Lines in the sand
Title: Re: What are your favorites of these DT songs? (Part 2)
Post by: Zydar on May 17, 2020, 11:55:34 PM
Finally Free
Surrounded
In The Name Of God
Title: Re: What are your favorites of these DT songs? (Part 2)
Post by: pg1067 on May 18, 2020, 10:50:23 AM
Wow Scarred takes an early lead. Did not see that coming.

I agree.  I don't hate Scarred at all, but if I was stuck on an island with only 3 DT songs to listen to, that wouldn't be one of them.  But it apparently has a lot of appeal.

It just has every single element of a what I consider a perfect DT song. Others come very close, but this one just covers it all.

Scarred is the only song, alongside Finally Free, that I would have expected to lead. Fantastic track.

Pretty much.

The top 5 as I type this (actually a top 6) should surprise no one:

1. Scarred (6, 1)
2T. Surrounded (17, __)
2T. The Count of Tuscany (19, 1)
2T. In the Name of God (23, 1)
5T. Finally Free (8, 1)
5T. Blind Faith (11, 2)

The first number in parentheses represents where each song ranked after the "regular season" in the recent Dream Theater "league" conducted on the polls/survivors board.  The second number in parentheses represents where each song finished in its respective album tournament in the same "league."  Surrounded, which was knocked out in the first round by PMU, is the only song that wasn't voted either favorite or second favorite on its respective album.

In the "league" playoffs, Finally Free finished #2 (behind Metropolis) in the Petrucci Division.  Surrounded got knocked out by Metropolis in the semi-finals.

ITNOG was knocked out by Home in the quarterfinals of the Myung Division.

Scarred knocked out Blind Faith in the semi-finals of the Labrie Division and then lost to Learning to Live in the finals.  TCOT lost in the quarterfinals to ITPOE.


By contrast, Raise the Knife and The Dark Eternal Night finished in a 7-way tie for 94th place and missed the "playoffs."
Title: Re: What are your favorites of these DT songs? (Part 2)
Post by: omie on May 18, 2020, 11:46:23 PM
Pull Me Under
Scarred
Surrounded
 :tup
Title: Re: What are your favorites of these DT songs? (Part 2)
Post by: SleeperAwake on May 20, 2020, 12:33:30 PM
Surrounded
Lines in the Sand
Blind Faith


...with Scarred just behind.
Title: Re: What are your favorites of these DT songs? (Part 2)
Post by: CharlesPL on June 23, 2020, 11:34:54 AM
Scarred
In the Name of God
Surrounded
Title: Re: What are your favorites of these DT songs? (Part 2)
Post by: El Barto on June 24, 2020, 01:08:48 PM
I honestly had no idea people actually liked Blind Faith. I didn't assume people despised it as much as I do, but I would have expected it to come in well towards the bottom of that already fairly mediocre list.
Title: Re: What are your favorites of these DT songs? (Part 2)
Post by: geeeemo on June 24, 2020, 01:17:25 PM
It is rare that Dream Theater has a mediocre song.  imho.   :)
Title: Re: What are your favorites of these DT songs? (Part 2)
Post by: LCArenas on June 24, 2020, 01:53:38 PM
Bridges in the Sky
Surrounded
Lines in the Sand
Title: Re: What are your favorites of these DT songs? (Part 2)
Post by: hunnus2000 on June 24, 2020, 02:05:52 PM
I honestly had no idea people actually liked Blind Faith. I didn't assume people despised it as much as I do, but I would have expected it to come in well towards the bottom of that already fairly mediocre list.

Well I will explain why I love the song if you will explain why you hate it so much.

This song is the very definition of progressive.

OK - your turn.  :biggrin:
Title: Re: What are your favorites of these DT songs? (Part 2)
Post by: pg1067 on June 24, 2020, 02:34:01 PM
I honestly had no idea people actually liked Blind Faith. I didn't assume people despised it as much as I do, but I would have expected it to come in well towards the bottom of that already fairly mediocre list.

Shouldn't be surprising.

Did you participate in the "league" that finished a couple months ago?

BF finished second (to the title track) in both the regular season and playoffs for SDOIT, and it made the "sweet 16," only losing (to Scarred) in the semifinals of its division.

I could see not liking it, but to "despise" it?  Even the DT songs I don't like and consider to be at the bottom of the barrel I don't "despise."
Title: Re: What are your favorites of these DT songs? (Part 2)
Post by: El Barto on June 24, 2020, 06:11:36 PM
I honestly had no idea people actually liked Blind Faith. I didn't assume people despised it as much as I do, but I would have expected it to come in well towards the bottom of that already fairly mediocre list.

Shouldn't be surprising.

Did you participate in the "league" that finished a couple months ago?

BF finished second (to the title track) in both the regular season and playoffs for SDOIT, and it made the "sweet 16," only losing (to Scarred) in the semifinals of its division.

I could see not liking it, but to "despise" it?  Even the DT songs I don't like and consider to be at the bottom of the barrel I don't "despise."
No, I rarely check into that sub. I'll vote in the occasional survivor if there's a tiebreaker going on or something, but mostly I forget it's there. And truth be told, the reason I so seldom participate is because of things like BF beating out the rest of the album.  :lol  And I want to make abundantly clear that I don't think others are wrong, or flawed in their opinions. I fully get the subjective nature of music. I simply recognize that my musical taste seldom jibes with the masses. In this case I assumed that it did, for some reason.


Well I will explain why I love the song if you will explain why you hate it so much.
    • I love the dreamy psychedelic intro that reminds me of weed and acid trips from days gone by.
      I love that that dreamy part gives way to the ultra heavy parts in the chorus
      I love chord progression after the second chorus and the start into double time
      I love JP's guitar intro to the solo
      I love the piano break and then I love the choir patch after the break (Is that the first time JR used this patch since he first joined DT?)

This song is the very definition of progressive.

OK - your turn.  :biggrin:
Fair enough. By and large, I just don't find it a particularly interesting song, particularly when compared to all of the greatness on the album. For dreamy and atmospheric, which I also really dig, Misunderstood and Great Debate blow it out of the water. The only part of it that stands out to me is a fairly rocking guitar solo, but considering the guitarist that's pretty much par for the course. And, I particularly don't like the vocals. That's often the case with JLB, and often not, so it's not the end of the world. Where it moved into despise territory was being subjected to live versions of it where I just can't stomach LaBrie's caterwauling. Both in person and on video. I think a lot of us can probably agree it's not the best song for him to be singing live, and for me it just became one of those "impossible to unhear" things. Now even the studio version bugs me.

None of this is anything I'd expect to apply to other people. If people like it more power to them. I just never realized that so many people thought so highly of it. From my perspective I kind of assumed it was a throwaway song on an otherwise wonderful album.
Title: Re: What are your favorites of these DT songs? (Part 2)
Post by: KevShmev on June 24, 2020, 06:26:55 PM
I don't rate Blind Faith nearly as highly as I used to, but I still like it quite a bit. 
Title: Re: What are your favorites of these DT songs? (Part 2)
Post by: TAC on June 24, 2020, 06:28:59 PM
Bart, Indiscipline actually has a pretty good breakdown in his Scenes From A Memory thread. It was one of the last songs he covered.
Title: Re: What are your favorites of these DT songs? (Part 2)
Post by: hunnus2000 on June 25, 2020, 12:56:16 PM

Fair enough. By and large, I just don't find it a particularly interesting song, particularly when compared to all of the greatness on the album. For dreamy and atmospheric, which I also really dig, Misunderstood and Great Debate blow it out of the water. The only part of it that stands out to me is a fairly rocking guitar solo, but considering the guitarist that's pretty much par for the course. And, I particularly don't like the vocals. That's often the case with JLB, and often not, so it's not the end of the world. Where it moved into despise territory was being subjected to live versions of it where I just can't stomach LaBrie's caterwauling. Both in person and on video. I think a lot of us can probably agree it's not the best song for him to be singing live, and for me it just became one of those "impossible to unhear" things. Now even the studio version bugs me.

None of this is anything I'd expect to apply to other people. If people like it more power to them. I just never realized that so many people thought so highly of it. From my perspective I kind of assumed it was a throwaway song on an otherwise wonderful album.
[/quote]

Well to each their own. I think Misunderstood and Great Debate as just meh but as they say, one man's trash is another man's treasure (not that I think those songs are trash).
Title: Re: What are your favorites of these DT songs? (Part 2)
Post by: Dublagent66 on June 25, 2020, 01:15:50 PM
El Barto is to Blind Faith as BlobVanDam is to Scarred. :lol
Title: Re: What are your favorites of these DT songs? (Part 2)
Post by: CrimsonSunrise on July 13, 2020, 01:39:58 PM
Scarred
Bridges in the Sky
Lines in the Sand
Title: Re: What are your favorites of these DT songs? (Part 2)
Post by: Setlist Scotty on July 13, 2020, 07:02:31 PM
I’ve never heard Raise the Knife or Three Days before so I won’t mention those.
/methinks you need to bust out your copy of Score and enjoy the track following Innocence Faded!  ;)
Title: Re: What are your favorites of these DT songs? (Part 2)
Post by: hefdaddy42 on July 14, 2020, 10:09:47 AM
I’ve never heard Raise the Knife or Three Days before so I won’t mention those.
/methinks you need to bust out your copy of Score and enjoy the track following Innocence Faded!  ;)
No kidding.  Raise the Knife is one of my favorite DT songs.
Title: Re: What are your favorites of these DT songs? (Part 2)
Post by: Octawakeimages on July 16, 2020, 01:48:13 PM
Surrounded
Raise The Knife
Scarred

I've always loved Surrounded,  one of my top favorite Dream Theater songs ever!  Just heard Raise The Knife recently and absolutely love this song!  Too bad it was never released on the album,  I ended up just ordering the FII demos so I can have it.  Scarred has always been a favorite as well.