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General => General Music Discussion => Topic started by: pg1067 on September 21, 2022, 03:26:25 PM
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Similar to the several prior countdowns done by KevShmev, we will now do a top songs countdown for Fates Warning. We will do a top 50. I am not reinventing the wheel, so this is straight out of Kev’s playbook, and I owe him a huge THANK YOU for giving his blessing for me to do this!
I will count down the top 50 songs in order, and they will be taken from lists of anyone who wants to send me theirs via PM. Do not post them on the forum here. Send them to me via PM. I will take all of the lists and come up with a top 50 based off all lists cumulatively and count the songs down from 50 to 1.
The rules:
-Songs must be listed from 50 to 1 in order (in reverse order), with no ties. No having three songs at number 1 or anything like that. 50 songs, listed from 50 to 1. DO NOT list your songs with the points total. List them in your order (I will figure out the points on my end). Any list submitted with the songs not numbered will be ignored.
-For the different tracks on A Pleasant Shade of Gray, I have included made-up titles along with “APSOG I,” “APSOG VIII,” etc. When you submit your lists, PLEASE make sure to include “APSOG” and the Roman numeral track number. Including my made-up titles is optional, but PLEASE do not submit only the title, and do not use your own made-up titles.
-The following are single entities for purposes of this countdown: (1) At Fates Hands/At Fates Fingers; (2) Shelter Me/Circles; (3) Disconnected Part 1 & Part 2) and (4) Falling/Falling Further. DO NOT submit a list that, for example, includes both Shelter Me and Circles.
-Anyone wanting to submit a list must do so by the end of day, Saturday, October 8th. I will then begin the countdown the following week. This should give anyone and everyone time to listen to the band’s songs. Note that there may be a pause while I’m out of town between October 18-24.
-The list will be tallied numerically in a simple way. On each list, whatever song is at number 1 gets 50 points, number 2 gets 49 points, number 3 gets 48 points, etc.
-I am adopting Kev’s No More Mr. Nice Guy rule. PROOFREAD YOUR LISTS BEFORE SENDING THEM. Any list with the same song mentioned twice or which otherwise doesn’t comply with these rules may not be counted!
Feel free to post in this thread as well that you have PM’d me, if for no other reason than to bump this back up for others who may want to participate who may not have seen the thread yet.
This ranking engine link below works great. You can input all of the songs, and then you pick your favorite of every 1 on 1 matchup and then it spits out your list.
https://rankingengine.pubmeeple.com/
Please use the below list of songs, no others. Listing anything else will invalidate your list from being used.
Buried Alive
The Calling
Kiss of Death
Night on Brocken
S.E.K.
Misfit
Shadowfax
Damnation
Soldier Boy
Traveler in Time
Orphan Gypsy
Without a Trace
Pirates of the Underground
The Apparition
Kyrie Eleison
Epitaph
The Sorceress
Valley of the Dolls
Fata Morgana
Guardian
Prelude to Ruin
Giant’s Lore (Heart of Winter)
Time Long Past
Exodus
No Exit
Anarchy Divine
Silent Cries
In a Word
Shades of Heavenly Death
The Ivory Gate of Dreams
Part of the Machine
Through Different Eyes
Static Acts
A World Apart
At Fates Hands/At Fates Fingers
The Arena
Chasing Time
Nothing Left to Say
Leave the Past Behind
Life in Still Water
Eye to Eye
The Eleventh Hour
Point of View
We Only Say Goodbye
Don’t Follow Me
The Road Goes on Forever
Outside Looking In
Pale Fire
The Strand
Shelter Me/Circles
Island in the Stream
Down to the Wire
Face the Fear
Inward Bound
Monument
Afterglow
APSOG I (So Where Do We Begin)
APSOG II (Drifting in and Out)
APSOG III (Rain Falling Hours Crawling)
APSOG IV (Listen)
APSOG V (Murdered in Munich/Let Nothing Bleed into Nothing)
APSOG VI (Turn Back All the Years)
APSOG VII (Stare from the Darkness/Let Nothing Bleed into Nothing Reprise)
APSOG VIII (Instrumental)
APSOG IX (Stayed up Late Last Night)
APSOG X/XI (Instrumental/Do You Think That I Remember)
APSOG XII (This Pleasant Shade of Gray)
Disconnected Part 1 & Part 2
One
So
Pieces of Me
Something from Nothing
Still Remains
Left Here
Simple Human
River Wide Ocean Deep
Another Perfect Day
Heal Me
Sequence #7
Crawl
A Handful of Doubt
Stranger (With a Familiar Face)
Wish
One Thousand Fires
Firefly
Desire
Falling/Falling Further
I Am
Lighthouse
Into the Black
Kneel and Obey
O Chloroform
And Yet It Moves
From the Rooftops
Seven Stars
SOS
The Light and Shade of Things
White Flag
Like Stars Our Eyes Have Seen
The Ghosts of Home
Theories of Flight
The Destination Onward
Shuttered World
Alone We Walk
Now Comes the Rain
The Way Home
Under the Sun
Scars
Begin Again
When Snow Falls
Liar
Glass Houses
The Longest Shadow of the Day
The Last Song
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:metal
Cheers for running this pg!
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Similar to the several prior countdowns done by KevShmev, we will now do a top songs countdown for Fates Warning. We will do a top 50. I am not reinventing the wheel, so this is straight out of Kev’s playbook, and I owe him a huge THANK YOU for giving his blessing for me to do this!
-The list will be tallied numerically in a simple way. On each list, whatever song is at number 1 gets 40 points, number 2 gets 39 points, number 3 gets 38 points, etc.
Do you mean 50 points? If not my 41-50 won't get any points?
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Similar to the several prior countdowns done by KevShmev, we will now do a top songs countdown for Fates Warning. We will do a top 50. I am not reinventing the wheel, so this is straight out of Kev’s playbook, and I owe him a huge THANK YOU for giving his blessing for me to do this!
-The list will be tallied numerically in a simple way. On each list, whatever song is at number 1 gets 40 points, number 2 gets 39 points, number 3 gets 38 points, etc.
Do you mean 50 points? If not my 41-50 won't get any points?
Damnit...I knew I was going to miss one! Yes. #1 gets 50 points; #50 gets 1 point. Thanks.
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Fantastic! Thanks, pg, this will be fun :)
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Thanks for doing this PG, I'll be submitting a list by the end of the month. :metal
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I'll try to participate in this. I love some FW albums but didn't listen to some in a very long time. Will remedy that starting now ;)
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Definitely will follow, but I don’t know much of the Arch era stuff to participate.
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Shit. Looking at the Arch songs...I'm not as familiar as I thought I was. I'll have to listen to those records a bit before compiling a list.
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I may listen to the Arch album again, but even if I do, my list is going to be all Ray.
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Definitely will follow, but I don’t know much of the Arch era stuff to participate.
It's only three albums - 137:43 of music - plenty of time to give each a couple spins and play (and even if you don't pick any of the tracks for your top 50, you can still play).
With that said, I started with my list on the ranker yesterday. I didn't include EVERY song, but this has been the hardest one yet. Nearly every match up has me pausing and saying...hmmm. So many great songs!
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Like I said in the QR countdown, my list will only contain songs from certain albums. In this countdown, the Arch albums won't make my top 50 anyway. Hope that's not a problem.
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Yeah, there really isn't one Arch thing I like that would surpass a top-50 Alder Fates list. So it won't matter.
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Wow!
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In. I’ll get working on my list.
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Like I said in the QR countdown, my list will only contain songs from certain albums. In this countdown, the Arch albums won't make my top 50 anyway. Hope that's not a problem.
No more of a problem when I only considered two post-Empire songs for my QR list (i.e., no problem at all).
BTW, I'm expecting about a half dozen Arch-era songs in my top 50, but we'll see.
And I'm really looking forward to seeing the raw lists.
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Thank you. Wow, this is gonna be a doozy. Glad we still have 2 weeks to submit the list. :eek
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Yeah, there really isn't one Arch thing I like that would surpass a top-50 Alder Fates list. So it won't matter.
Hmm....I'm a Ray guy by far over Arch, but my list won't fall this way.
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To break the Arch ice, aren't there a number of live recordings with Ray sings Arch songs?
Also, if one thinks the Arch albums sound dated, the semi recent Awaken The Guardian Live release is worth a listen.
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To break the Arch ice, aren't there a number of live recordings with Ray sings Arch songs?
Also, if one thinks the Arch albums sound dated, the semi recent Awaken The Guardian Live release is worth a listen.
Yeah, that was a nice pickup. I'll probably have that in the car today.
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Yeah, there really isn't one Arch thing I like that would surpass a top-50 Alder Fates list. So it won't matter.
Not even Guardian? That song took on a whole new meaning for me after reading the book. Heavy yet beautiful at the same time.
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Or Damnation?
Kyrie Eleison?
Epitaph?
Exodus?
There are sme great tunes on those albums.
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Apparition is close to my fav Arch song.
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To break the Arch ice, aren't there a number of live recordings with Ray sings Arch songs?
Also, if one thinks the Arch albums sound dated, the semi recent Awaken The Guardian Live release is worth a listen.
Yeah, that was a nice pickup. I'll probably have that in the car today.
I'm listening now! This is a great album. Two live performances and the band is on fire! John Arch doesn't quite have the range he did in the 80's, but I think that actually helps the tracks.
Anyone hesitant on the Arch Era needs to pull this up on Spotify and give it a listen.
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Revisited Awaken the Guardian (the studio album) today, after a long time...
...while I can't say it's among my favorites in FW discography, it's undeniable it has an incredible charm. Very, very unique. A big part of this is Arch voice, of course, but the songs themselves, the sound, the riffs...it's great stuff.
Love Guardian, Prelude to Ruin and Exodus, but I forgot how good Valley of the Dolls is too...
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The album is a masterpiece. Remember, this was released in 1986. Thank about that.
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To break the Arch ice, aren't there a number of live recordings with Ray sings Arch songs?
Also, if one thinks the Arch albums sound dated, the semi recent Awaken The Guardian Live release is worth a listen.
Yeah, that was a nice pickup. I'll probably have that in the car today.
I'm listening now! This is a great album. Two live performances and the band is on fire! John Arch doesn't quite have the range he did in the 80's, but I think that actually helps the tracks.
Anyone hesitant on the Arch Era needs to pull this up on Spotify and give it a listen.
Wait a second.....I don't think I have this, I just pulled out the remaster thinking that is what you were talking about. This has the album, a cd of demos and a live DVD. Maybe I completely missed the live one....
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Apparition is close to my fav Arch song.
It is mine of the Fates stuff 😁
That said I'm not as big on the Arch era but let's just say if we were including all side projects Arch Matheos would be another thing \m/
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I listened to Night on Brocken earlier. it’s the only FW album I don’t own, so I had never heard NOB before. I don’t think any Arch-era tunes will make my list either.
I’m currently listening to No Exit, which was my first FW album in 1988, and is still my favourite.
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To break the Arch ice, aren't there a number of live recordings with Ray sings Arch songs?
Also, if one thinks the Arch albums sound dated, the semi recent Awaken The Guardian Live release is worth a listen.
Yeah, that was a nice pickup. I'll probably have that in the car today.
I'm listening now! This is a great album. Two live performances and the band is on fire! John Arch doesn't quite have the range he did in the 80's, but I think that actually helps the tracks.
Anyone hesitant on the Arch Era needs to pull this up on Spotify and give it a listen.
Wait a second.....I don't think I have this, I just pulled out the remaster thinking that is what you were talking about. This has the album, a cd of demos and a live DVD. Maybe I completely missed the live one....
Wait, false alarm...I found it. ;D
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Haven’t even started my list yet, but I’m thinking my top 50 would have to include
Damnation
Traveler in Time
Pirates of the Underground
Apparition
Epitaph
Valley of the Dolls
Guardian
Prelude to Ruin
Giant’s Lore
….at the very least. If these aren’t anywhere on my first try, I’d probably have a do over.
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Haven’t even started my list yet, but I’m thinking my top 50 would have to include
Damnation
Traveler in Time
Pirates of the Underground
Apparition
Epitaph
Valley of the Dolls
Guardian
Prelude to Ruin
Giant’s Lore
….at the very least. If these aren’t anywhere on my first try, I’d probably have a do over.
All made my nomination list, and because I had trouble nominating 50 songs, all will make my list.
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I will not have any trouble finding 50 Ray songs.... it's just going to be putting them in order that will be torturous.
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Haven’t even started my list yet, but I’m thinking my top 50 would have to include
Damnation
Traveler in Time
Pirates of the Underground
Apparition
Epitaph
Valley of the Dolls
Guardian
Prelude to Ruin
Giant’s Lore
….at the very least. If these aren’t anywhere on my first try, I’d probably have a do over.
But no Buried Alive?🤔
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Not a big fan of Arch era but I already know at least two songs will be in my Top 50
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Haven’t even started my list yet, but I’m thinking my top 50 would have to include
Damnation
Traveler in Time
Pirates of the Underground
Apparition
Epitaph
Valley of the Dolls
Guardian
Prelude to Ruin
Giant’s Lore
….at the very least. If these aren’t anywhere on my first try, I’d probably have a do over.
But no Buried Alive?🤔
I’d put Kiss of Death over Buried Alive.
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Yeah, there really isn't one Arch thing I like that would surpass a top-50 Alder Fates list. So it won't matter.
Not even Guardian? That song took on a whole new meaning for me after reading the book. Heavy yet beautiful at the same time.
Guardian might, yeah.
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Like at least a few others here, this thread has got me digging back into Fate's old stuff and I really need to make a point to listen to this stuff more often. Awaken the Guardian takes me back to high school, to the point of remembering the autumn air and people I haven't thought about in some time. Just a great weekend ahead working through the entire catalog!
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Aresti's solo at the beginning of Guardian is world class.
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Aresti's solo at the beginning of Guardian is world class.
That whole album is a masterpiece! Spectre Within isn't far behind either.
All the hate in this thread for the Arch era is a little saddening. It's quite Astonishing one might say..... :biggrin: OK, I'll see myself out now.
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I'm actually the most unfamiliar with their last three albums.
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I'm actually the most unfamiliar with their last three albums.
You should revisit Theories of Flight ASAP! :biggrin: It's fantastic - the very definition of late-career highlight, for me.
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Of the three, that's the one I listened to the most when it came out. I actually played it at work today, but I didn't really get a good listen in.
I already hit LDGN tonight and I actually have DIADL on right now.
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Aresti's solo at the beginning of Guardian is world class.
That whole album is a masterpiece! Spectre Within isn't far behind either.
All the hate in this thread for the Arch era is a little saddening. It's quite Astonishing one might say..... :biggrin: OK, I'll see myself out now.
I listened to the Spectre Within today for the first time in 30 years, as I only own it on cassette and I haven't owned a cassette player in decades.
It was like listening to it for the first time, as I had no memory of any of the songs. ??? I may actually now include some Arch-era songs on my list. Some good stuff there.
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Aresti's solo at the beginning of Guardian is world class.
That whole album is a masterpiece! Spectre Within isn't far behind either.
All the hate in this thread for the Arch era is a little saddening. It's quite Astonishing one might say..... :biggrin: OK, I'll see myself out now.
I listened to the Spectre Within today for the first time in 30 years, as I only own it on cassette and I haven't owned a cassette player in decades.
It was like listening to it for the first time, as I had no memory of any of the songs. ??? I may actually now include some Arch-era songs on my list. Some good stuff there.
If the preparation for this countdown accomplishes a lot more of this, I will be extremely pleased.
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I think we'll be lucky to get an Arch song into the Top 20.
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Aresti's solo at the beginning of Guardian is world class.
That whole album is a masterpiece! Spectre Within isn't far behind either.
All the hate in this thread for the Arch era is a little saddening. It's quite Astonishing one might say..... :biggrin: OK, I'll see myself out now.
I listened to the Spectre Within today for the first time in 30 years, as I only own it on cassette and I haven't owned a cassette player in decades.
It was like listening to it for the first time, as I had no memory of any of the songs. ??? I may actually now include some Arch-era songs on my list. Some good stuff there.
Same. While appreciate the love for Awaken The Guardian, revisiting The Spectre Within again recently reminded me why it's my favourite of the Arch era🤘
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Aresti's solo at the beginning of Guardian is world class.
That whole album is a masterpiece! Spectre Within isn't far behind either.
All the hate in this thread for the Arch era is a little saddening. It's quite Astonishing one might say..... :biggrin: OK, I'll see myself out now.
I listened to the Spectre Within today for the first time in 30 years, as I only own it on cassette and I haven't owned a cassette player in decades.
It was like listening to it for the first time, as I had no memory of any of the songs. ??? I may actually now include some Arch-era songs on my list. Some good stuff there.
I've always found Arch songs hard to latch onto. His voice produces awkward melodies that aren't very memorable.
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Aresti's solo at the beginning of Guardian is world class.
That whole album is a masterpiece! Spectre Within isn't far behind either.
All the hate in this thread for the Arch era is a little saddening. It's quite Astonishing one might say..... :biggrin: OK, I'll see myself out now.
I listened to the Spectre Within today for the first time in 30 years, as I only own it on cassette and I haven't owned a cassette player in decades.
It was like listening to it for the first time, as I had no memory of any of the songs. ??? I may actually now include some Arch-era songs on my list. Some good stuff there.
I've always found Arch songs hard to latch onto. His voice produces awkward melodies that aren't very memorable.
Yep and you're not alone, Alder era is my Fates absolutely.
Let me say though if you work with it and a melody or two do catch on, they're VERY hard to let go of 😂
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Aresti's solo at the beginning of Guardian is world class.
That whole album is a masterpiece! Spectre Within isn't far behind either.
All the hate in this thread for the Arch era is a little saddening. It's quite Astonishing one might say..... :biggrin: OK, I'll see myself out now.
I listened to the Spectre Within today for the first time in 30 years, as I only own it on cassette and I haven't owned a cassette player in decades.
It was like listening to it for the first time, as I had no memory of any of the songs. ??? I may actually now include some Arch-era songs on my list. Some good stuff there.
I've always found Arch songs hard to latch onto. His voice produces awkward melodies that aren't very memorable.
For me, I don't think Awkward is the right word. I'd say unconventional. I also love his voice, so I'm biased. :metal
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Haven’t even started my list yet, but I’m thinking my top 50 would have to include
Damnation
Traveler in Time
Pirates of the Underground
Apparition
Epitaph
Valley of the Dolls
Guardian
Prelude to Ruin
Giant’s Lore
….at the very least. If these aren’t anywhere on my first try, I’d probably have a do over.
Nothing's final for me yet either, but I'm thinking 5 of those will for sure make my top 50. My guess is that I'll have (at least) 3 from ATG, 2 from Spectre and one from NOB.
I've always found Arch songs hard to latch onto. His voice produces awkward melodies that aren't very memorable.
I don't disagree with this. He seemed to have written about 50% more words than the space called for, and it certainly prevents a lot of his songs from being among my favorites. That said, there are some real gems in there.
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Long Day Good Night is sounding way better than I remember. This is the first time I've listened to it in over a year. Huh.... :corn
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Long Day Good Night is sounding way better than I remember. This is the first time I've listened to it in over a year. Huh.... :corn
It's fabulous. Stuck with me right away.
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I've always found Arch songs hard to latch onto. His voice produces awkward melodies that aren't very memorable.
For me, I don't think Awkward is the right word. I'd say unconventional. I also love his voice, so I'm biased. :metal
What's the difference between awkward and unconventional? :lol
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I've always found Arch songs hard to latch onto. His voice produces awkward melodies that aren't very memorable.
For me, I don't think Awkward is the right word. I'd say unconventional. I also love his voice, so I'm biased. :metal
What's the difference between awkward and unconventional? :lol
Let's just say both! :lol
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I've always found Arch songs hard to latch onto. His voice produces awkward melodies that aren't very memorable.
For me, I don't think Awkward is the right word. I'd say unconventional. I also love his voice, so I'm biased. :metal
What's the difference between awkward and unconventional? :lol
Unconventional would be more like outside the norm. Or different than expected. Awkward is more like forced or uncomfortable
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I've always found Arch songs hard to latch onto. His voice produces awkward melodies that aren't very memorable.
For me, I don't think Awkward is the right word. I'd say unconventional. I also love his voice, so I'm biased. :metal
What's the difference between awkward and unconventional? :lol
Unconventional would be more like outside the norm. Or different than expected. Awkward is more like forced or uncomfortable
So....it's both, like Wolfking said. :lol
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(https://i.imgur.com/cSaX3WR.jpg)
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But uncomfortable and unconventional are not the same thing. I already said awkward and uncomfortable are similar.
Edit - nevermind, you removed the picture :lol
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This conversation is making me awkward because it feels unconventional.
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But uncomfortable and unconventional are not the same thing. I already said awkward and uncomfortable are similar.
Edit - nevermind, you removed the picture :lol
I reposted it because the website I used updated it with a new synonym.
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But uncomfortable and unconventional are not the same thing. I already said awkward and uncomfortable are similar.
Edit - nevermind, you removed the picture :lol
I reposted it because the website I used updated it with a new synonym.
In that case, my point still stands :P
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But uncomfortable and unconventional are not the same thing. I already said awkward and uncomfortable are similar.
Edit - nevermind, you removed the picture :lol
I reposted it because the website I used updated it with a new synonym.
In that case, my point still stands :P
When the hell did we get married? :lol
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Submitted my list. That was tough.
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submitted my list.
I really didn't want to spend hours or days trying to (over) think this, especially since I listened to all 13 albums
(or 16 incl the other Arch-related records) over the last 2 months for my YouTube channel.
I also plan to make 2 other lists, 1 including APSOG as 1 song, and the other that includes those other Arch tracks, just per those seem to be more proper, personal lists for me.
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I'm dedicating a few days to this, and I'm right in the middle of it. I'm actually not using the ranker for this.
Fates Warning is a band that I like, not love. They only have two albums that are essential to me, Parallels and Inside Out. I mean, I own everything but they have just never elevated for me.
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Two lists received, and already some interesting choices. Great start.
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I think every list is going to be interesting.
My method right now is ranking the Arch songs and the Alder songs separately and then merging the lists.
EDIT:
I have my 50 songs:
16 Arch
34 Alder
I'll merge them in the next couple of tomorrow hopefully.
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My original list was 70 songs long. ::) ;D It was tough to trim it down. Let alone rank. I guess I wanted to include everything. But most of the Arch-era songs were the first to get cut. I originally had eight songs from that era across the three albums and whittled it down to, I think, three songs from Awaken The Guardian. I also wound up using the ranking engine for a start and did some major tweaking to the results. I hope I spelled that right...
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I think every list is going to be interesting.
My method right now is ranking the Arch songs and the Alder songs separately and then merging the lists.
EDIT:
I have my 50 songs:
16 Arch
34 Alder
I'll merge them in the next couple of tomorrow hopefully.
i really have no idea how say the top 10 or even top 20 will play out. So many different styles, eras and favourites. I'm really looking forward to seeing how this plays out.
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Not even halfway through a potential 50 and already my Top15 are drawn from 10 different albums. This is much harder than anticipated.
And I might add, returning to Long Day again was a pleasant surprise dug the album a ton back when but even better than I remember it to be \m/
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Sent my list!
Here is my album breakdown..
NOB....6
TSW....5
ATG....5
NE....4
PS....2
P....6
IO....7
APSOG....4
Dis....3
FWX....1
DIADL....1
ToF....3
LDGN....3
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Sent my list!
Here is my album breakdown..
NOB....6
:o
That's a lot of songs from the debut!
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It's an awesome album!! ;D
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Only 1 from PS is surprising too I must say.
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Only 1 from PS is surprising too I must say.
Its placement might be surprising too..
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Only 1 from PS is surprising too I must say.
Its placement might be surprising too..
So it's number 50 or number 1, got it. :lol
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Only 1 from PS is surprising too I must say.
Its placement might be surprising too..
So you put Chasing Time at #1 eh? :biggrin:
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Only 1 from PS is surprising too I must say.
Its placement might be surprising too..
So you put Chasing Time at #1 eh? :biggrin:
If so is not a laughing matter quite understandable if I do say so myself 😁
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Only 1 from PS is surprising too I must say.
Its placement might be surprising too..
So you put Chasing Time at #1 eh? :biggrin:
If so is not a laughing matter quite understandable if I do say so myself 😁
I only say that because TAC's been chasing time ever since he emerged after being buried in a time capsule for 30 years. :biggrin:
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:rollin :rollin :rollin
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Only 1 from PS is surprising too I must say.
Its placement might be surprising too..
So you put Chasing Time at #1 eh? :biggrin:
If so is not a laughing matter quite understandable if I do say so myself 😁
I only say that because TAC's been chasing time ever since he emerged after being buried in a time capsule for 30 years. :biggrin:
Haha, outstanding!
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Must be why I’m ..Disconnected.
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Only 1 from PS is surprising too I must say.
Except that Tim actually had TWO PS songs on his list.
I had to reject a list, so a friendly reminder to proof your lists before submitting. :)
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Four lists are in (the one rejected list was fixed and resubmitted).
- Only 11 songs (one from the Arch era and two from the post-APSOG era) have been mentioned on every list.
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I haven't started on mine. I'm going to have to use the ranker I think. I can't even really spitball a top 10, so many great songs with so much variety and depending on the mood is what I might feel like reaching for.
I'll do it on this upcoming weekend.
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Only 1 from PS is surprising too I must say.
Except that Tim actually had TWO PS songs on his list.
Oh shit I do. You're right!
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... Man, I want to participate in this so bad if there's still time to sign up, but I'll have such a hard time making my list.
Either way, I guess this is just the excuse I need to re-listen to the whole discography over the next few days. :lol
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... Man, I want to participate in this so bad if there's still time to sign up, but I'll have such a hard time making my list.
Either way, I guess this is just the excuse I need to re-listen to the whole discography over the next few days. :lol
Still nearly two weeks two get your list in (by next Friday, October 7). Plenty of time!
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... Man, I want to participate in this so bad if there's still time to sign up, but I'll have such a hard time making my list.
Either way, I guess this is just the excuse I need to re-listen to the whole discography over the next few days. :lol
Still nearly two weeks two get your list in (by next Friday, October 7). Plenty of time!
Fantastic news! Glad I checked in and spotted this thread in time then! :hat
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For a generally pretty accessible album, Mark Zonder is phenomenal on Inside Out.
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For a generally pretty accessible album, Mark Zonder is phenomenal on Inside Out.
Mark Zonder is phenomenal period. He is my favorite FW drummer by far.
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For a generally pretty accessible album, Mark Zonder is phenomenal on Inside Out.
Mark Zonder is phenomenal period. He is my favorite FW drummer by far.
The only time I saw FW was on the Inside Out tour and I stood literally about 6 feet from him. The stage was quite low so my knees were almost above the stage floor, so I could look clearly into his kit. The club/stage was so small. Unfortunately, I didn't bring my camera as I decided to record the show instead, and it came out shitty on top of it.
I was surprised to see him use the traditional grip on his left hand stick. I thought that was cool as hell.
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Zonder was the first drummer other than Neil Peart who really grabbed my attention visually. He had a very cool style.
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For a generally pretty accessible album, Mark Zonder is phenomenal on Inside Out.
Mark Zonder is phenomenal period. He is my favorite FW drummer by far.
The only time I saw FW was on the Inside Out tour and I stood literally about 6 feet from him. The stage was quite low so my knees were almost above the stage floor, so I could look clearly into his kit. The club/stage was so small. Unfortunately, I didn't bring my camera as I decided to record the show instead, and it came out shitty on top of it.
I was surprised to see him use the traditional grip on his left hand stick. I thought that was cool as hell.
Only time seeing FW live was on DT's Awake tour, so around the same time. Their opening set was amazing, it truly cemented how much I loved the band. Agreed on Zonder - his drumming especially on the more "accessible" FW albums is such an important component, and really elevates the material. Subtle and complex, but always serving the songs well.
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I've got 6 shows under my belt.
11/19/89, 5/12/90 and 5/13/20 - Three shows in support of Perfect Symmetry. The two B2B shows were a co-headlining thing with a band called Sanctuary. I remember at the first show Ray's voice was somewhat shot, but it was the first time I heard Fata Morgana, which was a big treat. We also got Static Acts, the Apparition and the entirety of The Ivory Gate of Dreams.
12/8/94 - Opening for Dream Theater. Per MP's Tourography, "This show was designated as the end-of-tour shenanigans show as the following night would be a high profile show. At this show, DT threw food and silly string onto the stage during Fates Warning's set, while Fates Warning delivered a pizza, and drove remote control cars on stage during DT's set. They also came out dressed as elves, complete with a miniature Stone Henge [sic] (a la Spinal Tap) during Voices and when Mike threw up a drum stick, 20 would fall on top of him. Oddly enough, Don Was was at this show with his son." Seeing the two bands play together was something special.
3/19/10 - Parallels reunion show. This has to be one of the highlights of my concert going life. After not having seen them for 16 years, I wasn't sure what to expect, but they were on fire. I was right up on the stage. In addition to all of Parallels, we got four songs from IO, and the closed the set with Monument. As opposed to when they played it in '94, they didn't bring out an acoustic guitar for Jim's solo. Unfortunately, all I have are a few really grainy Blackberry photos.
(https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.18169-9/25210_1238095033071_5652956_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=2c4854&_nc_ohc=9x7VSTZD75IAX8NLu8K&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AT97uzGFOS7lkIjj-ftP2DBoBdH4Ygf-KTAZAydMsPS2Pw&oe=6357E428)
(https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.18169-9/25210_1238095073072_5880497_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=2c4854&_nc_ohc=KAdW8KUaL70AX9MiBkh&_nc_oc=AQmbzQxe2E3waDCcYr44j2v1tnf_1sLI4dRFGjJiPTpb5W3BrUdAY1vKqrmyUznOfgg&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AT-1rMgqhcWI2wD6g8rv9pSeTAvV_szxCjMX9MsPI2Zk4g&oe=63587835)
12/7/13 - Supporting DIADL, and one of only two concerts I've ever traveled for. The LA area show was on a work night, so I flew to Phoenix for the Mesa, AZ show, and a friend and her family drove out from Albuquerque and we met up at the show. Quietus and APSOG XI back-to-back was amazing, and I gained a bit of appreciation for a couple Disconnected/FWX songs.
Unfortunately, I missed them on the TOF tour, so I'm hoping we get at least one more batch of shows one of these days.
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Awesome, Paul!!
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For a generally pretty accessible album, Mark Zonder is phenomenal on Inside Out.
His drumming on both IO and Parallels is a highlight IMO.
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For a generally pretty accessible album, Mark Zonder is phenomenal on Inside Out.
His drumming on both IO and Parallels is a highlight IMO.
Speaking of IO...since this countdown obviously put me in a Fates mood, I'm toying with the idea of getting the expanded version of IO that came out, what, ten years ago? Anyone here has it, by any chance? How is the video portion of it?
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For a generally pretty accessible album, Mark Zonder is phenomenal on Inside Out.
His drumming on both IO and Parallels is a highlight IMO.
Speaking of IO...since this countdown obviously put me in a Fates mood, I'm toying with the idea of getting the expanded version of IO that came out, what, ten years ago? Anyone here has it, by any chance? How is the video portion of it?
What is on it? Is there a full concert?
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What is on it? Is there a full concert?
Doesn't look like it - here's the tracklist:
https://www.discogs.com/release/9739539-Fates-Warning-Inside-Out
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For a generally pretty accessible album, Mark Zonder is phenomenal on Inside Out.
His drumming on both IO and Parallels is a highlight IMO.
Speaking of IO...since this countdown obviously put me in a Fates mood, I'm toying with the idea of getting the expanded version of IO that came out, what, ten years ago? Anyone here has it, by any chance? How is the video portion of it?
Pretty sure I have this. Couldn't tell you much about it but I'll try and find it.
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Yeah, I do have it. From memory I don't think the live perfromances were anything to write home about and I think the live DVD were all bootlegs from different shows. I'd have to check the DVD and second disc again but I don't remember being blown away by it. Saying that, I never am, I used to just buy these editions as part of the collection.
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Yeah, I do have it. From memory I don't think the live perfromances were anything to write home about and I think the live DVD were all bootlegs from different shows. I'd have to check the DVD and second disc again but I don't remember being blown away by it. Saying that, I never am, I used to just buy these editions as part of the collection.
Thank you for checking - appreciate it! :tup
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Yeah, I do have it. From memory I don't think the live perfromances were anything to write home about and I think the live DVD were all bootlegs from different shows. I'd have to check the DVD and second disc again but I don't remember being blown away by it. Saying that, I never am, I used to just buy these editions as part of the collection.
Thank you for checking - appreciate it! :tup
I'll double check the DVD for you mate later but don't think it was anything special or pro shot.
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Checking Youtube, yeah it seems like all bootlegs. On one of the songs it's not even in synch.
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Checking Youtube, yeah it seems like all bootlegs. On one of the songs it's not even in synch.
Yeah, I think I remember pretty pretty let down by it. The Parallels edition wasn't too bad so I think that's why I got the IO one too. They are my two fans albums from them but still.
I think the audio for the live stuff sounded okay but think the performances from the band were pretty spotty.
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Just ran through NOB in the car this morning. This is a great debut. Been years since I have listened to it but there's some great songs. I like the more straight ahead Maiden/Ryche direction they have on this one. There might be more songs in my 50 from this one over the other two Arch albums.
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Just ran through NOB in the car this morning. This is a great debut. Been years since I have listened to it but there's some great songs. I like the more straight ahead Maiden/Ryche direction they have on this one. There might be more songs in my 50 from this one over the other two Arch albums.
Tell me about it.
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I'll double check the DVD for you mate later but don't think it was anything special or pro shot.
The main thing I remember about it is footage of MP jamming Guardian with them at a soundcheck and John Arch duetting with Ray Alder on the same song at another performance.
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Just ran through NOB in the car this morning. This is a great debut. Been years since I have listened to it but there's some great songs. I like the more straight ahead Maiden/Ryche direction they have on this one. There might be more songs in my 50 from this one over the other two Arch albums.
Tell me about it.
I already did. ;D
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I'll double check the DVD for you mate later but don't think it was anything special or pro shot.
The main thing I remember about it is footage of MP jamming Guardian with them at a soundcheck and John Arch duetting with Ray Alder on the same song at another performance.
I see there's only a couple of live tracks and the rest are demo's too. I've never cared for demo's.
I can't even remember those things from the DVD.
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This process has taken up WAY more time than I anticipated. The bright side is that I've been listening to FW pretty much non-stop for the past few days
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For a generally pretty accessible album, Mark Zonder is phenomenal on Inside Out.
His drumming on both IO and Parallels is a highlight IMO.
Speaking of IO...since this countdown obviously put me in a Fates mood, I'm toying with the idea of getting the expanded version of IO that came out, what, ten years ago? Anyone here has it, by any chance? How is the video portion of it?
What is on it? Is there a full concert?
Not a full concert. I have it, but I couldn't remember at all what's on it without looking at the Wikipedia page. I'll have to revisit it this weekend.
Yeah, I think I remember pretty pretty let down by it. The Parallels edition wasn't too bad so I think that's why I got the IO one too. They are my two fans albums from them but still.
I believe the expanded versions of both Perfect Symmetry and Parallels had documentary footage that, by itself, was worth the cost of buying them again.
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Even with just an Alder era top 50, I'm gonna have to do a sizable amount of homework. :facepalm: Especially the material following APSOG (my fav FW album btw).
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This process has taken up WAY more time than I anticipated. The bright side is that I've been listening to FW pretty much non-stop for the past few days
Same for me. I’m not even at the point of starting my list yet, as I’m still in the process of re-familiarizing myself with some of the albums.
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And sent. Looking forward to the results!
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I'm trying my best to just go with my instincts and not agonize over rankings. I'm listening to the discography and just moving songs into the list according to what I'm feeling at the moment. I might listen through again after I'm done and see what changes but if I spend too much time on it I'll never have a list.
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I'm trying my best to just go with my instincts and not agonize over rankings. I'm listening to the discography and just moving songs into the list according to what I'm feeling at the moment. I might listen through again after I'm done and see what changes but if I spend too much time on it I'll never have a list.
I know the feeling!
Also, we now have only 8 songs that have been included on every list. LOTS of variety here!
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For a generally pretty accessible album, Mark Zonder is phenomenal on Inside Out.
His drumming on both IO and Parallels is a highlight IMO.
Speaking of IO...since this countdown obviously put me in a Fates mood, I'm toying with the idea of getting the expanded version of IO that came out, what, ten years ago? Anyone here has it, by any chance? How is the video portion of it?
What is on it? Is there a full concert?
Not a full concert. I have it, but I couldn't remember at all what's on it without looking at the Wikipedia page. I'll have to revisit it this weekend.
Yeah, I think I remember pretty pretty let down by it. The Parallels edition wasn't too bad so I think that's why I got the IO one too. They are my two fans albums from them but still.
I believe the expanded versions of both Perfect Symmetry and Parallels had documentary footage that, by itself, was worth the cost of buying them again.
I have all 3 and remember this could be a reason why the former two were great but IO was a letdown.
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So I love Parallels and Inside Out...
..it seemed Parallels detailed the falling apart of a relationship, and Inside Out seemed to present kind of moving on..kind of.
But when APSOG came out, it was the third album in a row with some sort of relationship lament in the lyrics, and there was a sappiness to them. It's one if the big things I hold against that album.
Does the book address any of this?
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So I love Parallels and Inside Out...
..it seemed Parallels detailed the falling apart of a relationship, and Inside Out seemed to present kind of moving on..kind of.
But when APSOG came out, it was the third album in a row with some sort of relationship lament in the lyrics, and there was a sappiness to them. It's one if the big things I hold against that album.
Does the book address any of this?
The book paints a very different story IMO.
Firstly, Jim makes it clear that the lyrics on Parallels are often misinterpreted. For instance, Eye to Eye is often interpreted as a personal relationship song, when it was written from the point of view of the performer to the audience. Not two people in a personal relationship.
The book also paints a very bleak picture of the making of IO with more than one band member feeling it was not what it should have been. I think Jim and Ray both state that it was the first time no one felt like the band took a step forward, and instead were just attempting to retread Parallels…and it just didn’t feel right the second time around. (Though Monument is mentioned as a big highlight)
APSOG is never described as having anything to do with relationships…but all who were involved glow about the project as being a reinvention and something they are extremely proud of.
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Thanks Ben. Interesting. Inside Out and Parallels are kind of sister albums. They're right. They are quite similar. I don't mind though.
Which is maybe why Jim is doesn't seem to be in a rush for any new FW. He's basically released the same album for the last three releases.
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I got my copy of A Pleasant Shade of Gray signed and mentioned that it was my favorite Fates Warning album, and Jim said it was his as well. This was during the Theories of Flight tour and that had just come out, so it's possible that either or the new album could now be his favorite, but I think A Pleasant Shade of Gray is just special.
I really wanted to rank it as one track and it would be #1 for me. But as it is I think most of the tracks are going to be at the top of the list.
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People wonder what the album is about. Maybe I’m reading into it, or maybe the author just shared my viewpoint. But I got the impression that the meaning of the piece was simply the fragmented and sometimes barely disconnected thoughts that keep a man tossing and turning through a sleepless night. Thoughts of despair, thoughts of failed endeavors, thoughts of wanting to be better in your personal relationships…etc etc. And then ultimately concluding that tomorrow is another opportunity to try and make things better. You finally find a small moment of peace……..and then one minute later the alarm clock rings. I’ve lived this many times. So it speaks to me on that level.
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I got my copy of A Pleasant Shade of Gray signed and mentioned that it was my favorite Fates Warning album, and Jim said it was his as well. This was during the Theories of Flight tour and that had just come out, so it's possible that either or the new album could now be his favorite, but I think A Pleasant Shade of Gray is just special.
I really wanted to rank it as one track and it would be #1 for me. But as it is I think most of the tracks are going to be at the top of the list.
I've listened to it straight through 3 times in a row trying to figure out what I can cut out. Some of the movements are definitely stronger than others but I can't seem to cut any of them out of my draft listing. If it was one song it would have been #1 for me, as well.
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Firstly, Jim makes it clear that the lyrics on Parallels are often misinterpreted. For instance, Eye to Eye is often interpreted as a personal relationship song, when it was written from the point of view of the performer to the audience. Not two people in a personal relationship.
Yeah...lyrically speaking, Eye to Eye is a sequel to Rush's Limelight, and I recall Jim discussing this in contemporary interviews. The lyrics are about as blatant as can be. "I saw you once again last night, through a sea of sullen faces. Admiring eyes following the path that the spotlight traces." Don't Follow Me has a similar theme.
People wonder what the album is about. Maybe I’m reading into it, or maybe the author just shared my viewpoint. But I got the impression that the meaning of the piece was simply the fragmented and sometimes barely disconnected thoughts that keep a man tossing and turning through a sleepless night. Thoughts of despair, thoughts of failed endeavors, thoughts of wanting to be better in your personal relationships…etc etc. And then ultimately concluding that tomorrow is another opportunity to try and make things better. You finally find a small moment of peace……..and then one minute later the alarm clock rings. I’ve lived this many times. So it speaks to me on that level.
It's funny to see folks wondering what it's about. I don't remember if I read/heard interviews, but I've always been of the impression that this is what it is about. It's the only thing that really harmonizes all of the various ideas/themes.
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People wonder what the album is about. Maybe I’m reading into it, or maybe the author just shared my viewpoint. But I got the impression that the meaning of the piece was simply the fragmented and sometimes barely disconnected thoughts that keep a man tossing and turning through a sleepless night. Thoughts of despair, thoughts of failed endeavors, thoughts of wanting to be better in your personal relationships…etc etc. And then ultimately concluding that tomorrow is another opportunity to try and make things better. You finally find a small moment of peace……..and then one minute later the alarm clock rings. I’ve lived this many times. So it speaks to me on that level.
It's funny to see folks wondering what it's about. I don't remember if I read/heard interviews, but I've always been of the impression that this is what it is about. It's the only thing that really harmonizes all of the various ideas/themes.
Yeah, isn't there even something in the liner notes about this? I could have sworn I read that in the liner notes. Or maybe it was in an interview with Jim.....Or maybe I just imagined the whole thing... :lol
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People wonder what the album is about. Maybe I’m reading into it, or maybe the author just shared my viewpoint. But I got the impression that the meaning of the piece was simply the fragmented and sometimes barely disconnected thoughts that keep a man tossing and turning through a sleepless night. Thoughts of despair, thoughts of failed endeavors, thoughts of wanting to be better in your personal relationships…etc etc. And then ultimately concluding that tomorrow is another opportunity to try and make things better. You finally find a small moment of peace……..and then one minute later the alarm clock rings. I’ve lived this many times. So it speaks to me on that level.
It's funny to see folks wondering what it's about. I don't remember if I read/heard interviews, but I've always been of the impression that this is what it is about. It's the only thing that really harmonizes all of the various ideas/themes.
Yeah, isn't there even something in the liner notes about this? I could have sworn I read that in the liner notes. Or maybe it was in an interview with Jim.....Or maybe I just imagined the whole thing... :lol
Heck if I know. The last time I pulled one of my CD booklets out, I couldn't read it (without more effort than I wanted to put into it) because I didn't have my reading glasses. I pulled up whatever it was online and enlarged the screen. Ugh!
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I need reading glasses just to browse this forum.
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(https://media3.giphy.com/media/w0vFxYaCcvvJm/giphy.gif)
Fogey problems :neverusethis:
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I need reading glasses just to browse this forum.
I usually read it on a nice big work monitor (at 110%) or on my laptop at home (at 125%). Every once in a while I pull it up on my phone and...forget it!
By the way...based on lists submitted so far, 8 different albums are represented in the top 10.
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My 65 are selected and the first half in a rough order. I might run them all through the ranking to help sort the ones I am struggling to decide on...
Good APSOG chat above too cheers am keen to read comments and thoughts once the countdown begins!
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One thing I've realized for the first time, during this entire process of relistening to the discography and ranking everything, I really want to hear how Mark Zonder would have done the drums on the first 4 albums. Not that Zimmerman was bad, but Zonder is on a whole other level.
Also if Fates Warning does continue to make new music and Bobby Jarzombek ever decides to leave, they are going to need to find another drummer with a Z in their name...
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Also if Fates Warning does continue to make new music and Bobby Jarzombek ever decides to leave, they are going to need to find another drummer with a Z in their name...
Mike Zortnoy? :biggrin:
Two more lists received today, and we're down to only five songs mentioned on every list.
Also, I'm going to extend the deadline to submit lists to the end of the day (Pacific time) next Saturday, October 8. I'll then compile the master list on Sunday and start the reveal on Monday, October 10.
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How many lists are we up to?
Only 5 songs? Wow, that's amazing!
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Also if Fates Warning does continue to make new music and Bobby Jarzombek ever decides to leave, they are going to need to find another drummer with a Z in their name...
Nir Zidkyahu
Charlie Z (Charlie Zeleny)
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Charlie Z (Charlie Zeleny)
Didn't his name come up when MP left DT?
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I'm coming up with my list this afternoon. Should be fun. I'll have to use the ranker I think.
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Just ran through the ranker. I'm quite surprised how many songs from Disconnected onwards made the list. Looking at it though, I'm not sure I'd take any out.
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Also if Fates Warning does continue to make new music and Bobby Jarzombek ever decides to leave, they are going to need to find another drummer with a Z in their name...
Mike Zortnoy? :biggrin:
Two more lists received today, and we're down to only five songs mentioned on every list.
Also, I'm going to extend the deadline to submit lists to the end of the day (Pacific time) next Saturday, October 8. I'll then compile the master list on Sunday and start the reveal on Monday, October 10.
:o
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I already sent my list, but used the ranker for kicks last night and it came out pretty similar. I kind of rushed through it though because it was taking longer than I'd expected (with that many songs, I should have expected it).
This exercise has made me re-realize how much I prefer current Ray (though it's been more than 20 years) over really high pitched Ray. I like high pitched vocals a lot - James, Geoff Tate, etc, but while Ray's were fine, I like it when it takes it down a bit.
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This exercise has made me re-realize how much I prefer current Ray (though it's been more than 20 years) over really high pitched Ray. I like high pitched vocals a lot - James, Geoff Tate, etc, but while Ray's were fine, I like it when it takes it down a bit.
Couldn't agree more. I appreciate that he was going all in on No Exit (and, to some extent, Perfect Symmetry, even though the material was overall quite different), but it was really beneficial to the music when he toned it down a bit. His performances on Parallels, Inside Out and Pleasant are stellar, for my taste.
...and talking about later career resurgence, I think his singing on Theories of Flight is outstanding.
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I just listened to Parallels today and Ray :hefdaddy
To me, that is Ray's best.
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Yes, along with some of my favorite guitar work ever - seriously, I have listened to Parallels again a few days ago, and the use of two guitars in that album is close to perfection. Basically a mini-orchestra. Such tasteful interplay, perfect clean and distorted tones...just amazing stuff.
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The whole sound of the album is beyond incredible.
Frank's Still Water solo is one of the most creative and challenging solos out there IMO.
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How many lists are we up to?
Only 5 songs? Wow, that's amazing!
Seven lists submitted so far, but I'm expecting more than twice that many.
Also, only 17 songs that haven't appeared on any of the lists.
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Not sure I will be able to contribute to this one. I planned to, but been busy.
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Not sure I will be able to contribute to this one. I planned to, but been busy.
Always busy and thought the same as wanting to relisten and invest properly but at very least a quick use of the ranker is a 10min exercise so I have no excuse ;D
Hope you can jump on board mate
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I think we forgot a song for the master list. Radio Underground. Or is that a cover? I can't even remember anymore and I can't find my Spectre Within liner notes to check. :dunno:
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Okay, okay, I got to the office early this morning and did it. Submitted.
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I think we forgot a song for the master list. Radio Underground. Or is that a cover? I can't even remember anymore and I can't find my Spectre Within liner notes to check. :dunno:
I only became familiar with that song this morning (I didn't buy the 2002 reissue). It does appear to be an original, but the only version out there is the live recording, right? If someone wants to include it in a top 50, I'd be happy to add it, but I doubt it'd impact the aggregate top 50.
Okay, okay, I got to the office early this morning and did it. Submitted.
:tup :tup
EDIT: yeah...I's can write good.
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I think we forgot a song for the master list. Radio Underground. Or is that a cover? I can't even remember anymore and I can't find my Spectre Within liner notes to check. :dunno:
I'm only became familiar with that song this morning (I didn't buy the 2002 reissue). It does appear to be an original, but the only version out there is the live recording, right? If someone wants to include it in a top 50, I'd be happy to add it, but I doubt it'd impact the aggregate top 50.
Yeah, I doubt it would be included in any top 50's, just thought I'd bring it up for thoroughness sake. I do wish there was a proper studio recording of the song. Oh well.
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I think we forgot a song for the master list. Radio Underground. Or is that a cover? I can't even remember anymore and I can't find my Spectre Within liner notes to check. :dunno:
I'm only became familiar with that song this morning (I didn't buy the 2002 reissue). It does appear to be an original, but the only version out there is the live recording, right? If someone wants to include it in a top 50, I'd be happy to add it, but I doubt it'd impact the aggregate top 50.
Yeah, I doubt it would be included in any top 50's, just thought I'd bring it up for thoroughness sake. I do wish there was a proper studio recording of the song. Oh well.
I haven't checked it out from the Spectre reissue, but I think I remember reading from Jeff Wagner's book it was an early version of Pirates of the Underground...?
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I think we forgot a song for the master list. Radio Underground. Or is that a cover? I can't even remember anymore and I can't find my Spectre Within liner notes to check. :dunno:
I'm only became familiar with that song this morning (I didn't buy the 2002 reissue). It does appear to be an original, but the only version out there is the live recording, right? If someone wants to include it in a top 50, I'd be happy to add it, but I doubt it'd impact the aggregate top 50.
Yeah, I doubt it would be included in any top 50's, just thought I'd bring it up for thoroughness sake. I do wish there was a proper studio recording of the song. Oh well.
I haven't checked it out from the Spectre reissue, but I think I remember reading from Jeff Wagner's book it was an early version of Pirates of the Underground...?
I just listened to it once yesterday. It was a rather low-quality live recording. Didn't sound like Pirates to me (and the lyrics were nothing alike), but I can't rule it out.
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I just listened to it once yesterday. It was a rather low-quality live recording. Didn't sound like Pirates to me (and the lyrics were nothing alike), but I can't rule it out.
Not sure, but as much as it's difficult to hear stuff properly (given the low quality), I can hear bits and pieces of Pirates in there...the opening, faster riff, and then slower-tempo one that follows are basically the same, no? And most of the lyrics in the first verse, too, I think.
Doesn't really matter, I guess. Not for the ranking, at least :)
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List sent!
My top 50 breakdown by album:
Night on Bröcken: 0
The Spectre Within: 1
Awaken the Guardian: 4
No Exit: 5
Perfect Symmetry: 6
Parallels: 8
Inside Out: 8
A Pleasant Shade of Gray: 6
Disconnected: 3
FWX: 1
Darkness In a Different Light: 1
Theories of Flight: 5
Long Day Good Night: 2
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I like the breakdown Nick. I just don't get that excited for Perfect Symmetry which doesn't really make sense, and I love a number of songs on Broken. But other than those two albums being reversed, we're very close.
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I like the breakdown Nick. I just don't get that excited for Perfect Symmetry which doesn't really make sense, and I love a number of songs on Broken. But other than those two albums being reversed, we're very close.
You know, NOB for me suffers a bit from a similar syndrome to Rush's first album. It's a very enjoyable listen per se, but it's a very different beast than what came after and I find it especially hard to compare. To be fair, in this case, Spectre is not hugely different from it (and it's literally all the same guys). And indeed I do still find it to be a "work-in-progress" version of FW. Although you can hear some of that arcane, special FW sauce find its way. Awaken the Guardian is the one record that benefitted the most from my full revisit of the band's discography. I listened to that one several times in the past couple of weeks. Arch is still a very tough nut to crack, but there's some real magic in those songs. Again, a different sound than my favorite version of FW, but in this case several songs were able to creep in ;)
But yes, Perfect Symmetry/Parallels/Inside Out is the real sweet spot for me. And as for the post-Disconnected material, Theories of Flight is head and shoulders above all the rest.
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Just sent in my list. I hope I didn't screw it up....
Anyway my top 50 breakdown is as follows:
Night on Bröcken: 0
The Spectre Within: 7
Awaken the Guardian: 7
No Exit: 3
Perfect Symmetry: 6
Parallels: 7
Inside Out: 4
A Pleasant Shade of Gray: 3
Disconnected: 4
FWX: 6
Darkness In a Different Light: 0
Theories of Flight: 2
Long Day Good Night: 0
I thought maybe 1 or 2 would sneak in from LDGN, but not quite. If it were a top 60 one would have made it. So many good songs just outside my top 50........Can we make this a top 75 instead? :biggrin:
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I SECOND THAT MOTION!!!
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I couldn’t go 75 deep on FW.
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Still pairing down my list. :facepalm:
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Just sent in my list. I hope I didn't screw it up....
You did not. :tup
I thought maybe 1 or 2 would sneak in from LDGN, but not quite. If it were a top 60 one would have made it. So many good songs just outside my top 50........Can we make this a top 75 instead? :biggrin:
If we had started it as 60 or 75....
- It's really interesting watching some songs teeter on the edge of making or not making the top 50.
- We're still holding at five songs mentioned on every list (but they're not, at the moment, the consensus top 5).
- Only 14 songs not mentioned on any list.
- As the top 10 currently stands, 6 albums are represented.
- As things stand, Tim's list holds a distinction that is true of none of the other lists.
-
- As things stand, Tim's list holds a distinction that is true of none of the other lists.
You're not using it? :lol
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Just chiming in to say that you will definitely get a list from me…but it will definitely be at The Eleventh Hour.
:neverusethis:
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- As things stand, Tim's list holds a distinction that is true of none of the other lists.
You're not using it? :lol
:lol
Just chiming in to say that you will definitely get a list from me…but it will definitely be at The Eleventh Hour.
:neverusethis:
I guess you felt the need to explain. :biggrin:
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I will be submitting a list for this, nearly there! This has been the most challenging list countdown to do so far. I also have no idea how this one is going to play out, so is going to be really interesting and looking forward to hearing everyone's views on the songs.
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I used the ranker, which I did NOT do for Queensryche. It made things easier, but I had to adjust some stuff after I did it. Still not happy totally (the top-15 are just about right), but it is what it is.
It was a lot harder with Fates for me.
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Just chiming in to say that you will definitely get a list from me…but it will definitely be at The Eleventh Hour.
:neverusethis:
Ha! Same here. It has been more difficult than I originally thought to get my list down to 50 with just Alder era material.
I couldn’t go 75 deep on FW.
For me, 75 would've been much easier than 50. At least until I got to the ranker. :splodetard:
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Mine will come right at cut-off too. Did the ranked on the weekend but work has been non-stop this week so I'll look over it again Saturday and send. There were a few surprising things going on in my list, but I probably won't bother changing much.
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The more I look at my list the more I want to change things. But now that I've sent.....oh well :corn :lol
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PM'd you my list thanks pg1067!
Fingers crossed is all good, like others have said that was much harder than any the lists so far. What a great discography these guys have, don't think I've ever tried going beyond 10 FW faves so this was difficult but fun! :metal
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I'll be sending my list over shortly. Any one else run through the ranker multiple times and get different results each time?! I guess my tastes change day to day w FW :lol Anyway, the last one was as good as any I did so it's on the way!
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- As things stand, Tim's list holds a distinction that is true of none of the other lists.
And...just like that...this is no longer true.
The diversity I've seen in the 12 lists I've received so far is really impressive. I expect Kev saw the same with the Rush and Maiden countdowns. This is fun being on the other side of this one.
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- As things stand, Tim's list holds a distinction that is true of none of the other lists.
And...just like that...this is no longer true.
The diversity I've seen in the 12 lists I've received so far is really impressive. I expect Kev saw the same with the Rush and Maiden countdowns. This is fun being on the other side of this one.
I'm guessing this was the representation of NOB.
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I was thinking it could be that as well.
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Nope, but you're on the right track.
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List sent on 10/6. :2metal:
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Nope, but you're on the right track.
Maybe the lack of representation in the later albums.
Or could be the amount of Arch songs.
Or I have no fucking clue.
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My list is in. This was really hard but really enjoyable to do.
Album breakdown:
Night on Brocken 2
The Spectre Within 5
Awaken the Guardian 5
No Exit 3
Perfect Symmetry 1
Parallels 7
Inside Out 4
A Pleasant Shade of Grey 7
Disconnected 2
FWX 2
Darkness in a Different Light 1
Theories of Flight 6
Long Day Goodnight 5
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Nope, but you're on the right track.
Maybe the lack of representation in the later albums.
Or could be the amount of Arch songs.
Or I have no fucking clue.
:lol
My guess is more than one song from NOB...?
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Arch songs in the Top 10??
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I just submitted my list, though it is by no means definitive.
That was labour intensive. I've never listened to so much music by a single artist in such a short period of time.
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Nope, but you're on the right track.
Maybe the lack of representation in the later albums.
Or could be the amount of Arch songs.
Or I have no fucking clue.
:rollin
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Nope, but you're on the right track.
Maybe the lack of representation in the later albums.
Or could be the amount of Arch songs.
Or I have no fucking clue.
:lol
My guess is more than one song from NOB...?
- As things stand, Tim's list holds a distinction that is true of none of the other lists.
And...just like that...this is no longer true.
The diversity I've seen in the 12 lists I've received so far is really impressive. I expect Kev saw the same with the Rush and Maiden countdowns. This is fun being on the other side of this one.
I'm guessing this was the representation of NOB.
Nope, but you're on the right track.
-
- As things stand, Tim's list holds a distinction that is true of none of the other lists.
And...just like that...this is no longer true.
The diversity I've seen in the 12 lists I've received so far is really impressive. I expect Kev saw the same with the Rush and Maiden countdowns. This is fun being on the other side of this one.
I'm guessing this was the representation of NOB.
Nope, but you're on the right track.
My guess is more than one song from NOB...?
I was just thinking you meant Tim was the only one with any song from NOB at that point (i.e. more than zero)...I slightly modified the guess to mean maybe he was the only one with more than one song from NOB...pg, can you reveal what it is? :lol
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I just think someone tied me for having the best list in the thread.
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I just think someone tied me for having the best list in the thread.
Absolutely this :biggrin:
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Well...I don't want to say too much about individual list contents until all the lists are in, but there was a clue in one of my recent posts. I will, however, say that, while it wasn't what I was talking about, one of the things recently mentioned was true.
By the way...I have now received 15 lists and am expecting at least two more, which is great!
We are now down to only three songs that were included on every list and (possibly more surprsiing) only NINE songs (out of 114) that have not appeared on anyone's list. I think I will reveal those nine songs (or however many it turns out to be) at the same time I do the first reveal next week. If you want to speculate about those songs, have at it!
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Sequence #7?
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Good guess. I excluded that one too.
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Tim omitted the Eleventh Hour?
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Sequence #7?
Yeah, I'd say that and S.E.K., No Exit, Kiss of Death, Time Long Past, Afterglow, Inward Bound, and a couple others... :dunno:
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Sequence #7?
Yeah, I'd say that and S.E.K., No Exit, Kiss of Death, Time Long Past, Afterglow, Inward Bound, and a couple others... :dunno:
Kiss of Death?
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Sequence #7?
Yeah, I'd say that and S.E.K., No Exit, Kiss of Death, Time Long Past, Afterglow, Inward Bound, and a couple others... :dunno:
I sent one of those songs.
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We are now down to only three songs that were included on every list
This is actually mind boggling.
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We are now down to only three songs that were included on every list
This is actually mind boggling.
Yeah, that's actually difficult to comprehend.
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My list is in. Here's the breakdown;
NOB - 3
TSW - 1
ATG - 4
NE - 2
PS - 4
P - 8
IO - 7
APSOG - 2
D - 3
FWX - 5
DIADL - 2
TOF - 5
LDGN - 4
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Sequence #7?
Yeah, I'd say that and S.E.K., No Exit, Kiss of Death, Time Long Past, Afterglow, Inward Bound, and a couple others... :dunno:
That's 5 correct.
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Albums for me:
Perfect Symmetry: 4
Parallels: 4
Inside Out: 4
A Pleasant Shade of Gray: 9
Disconnected: 5
FWX: 7
Darkness in a Different Light: 5
Theories of Flight: 5
Long Day Good Night: 7
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Can I still send? I made the list but forgot to send yesterday, I'm not home right now :huh:
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Pretty sure we have until midnight. I’m still tweaking mine.
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Albums for me:
Perfect Symmetry: 4
Parallels: 4
Inside Out: 4
A Pleasant Shade of Gray: 9
Disconnected: 5
FWX: 7
Darkness in a Different Light: 5
Theories of Flight: 5
Long Day Good Night: 7
I thought I'd be the only one with more than 5 songs from FWX. :metal
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My album breakdown:
Night on Brocken 1
The Spectre Within 3
Awaken the Guardian 2
No Exit 4
Perfect Symmetry 6
Parallels 6
Inside Out 5
A Pleasant Shade of Grey 4
Disconnected 2
FWX 5
Darkness in a Different Light 3
Theories of Flight 6
Long Day Goodnight 3
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Albums for me:
Perfect Symmetry: 4
Parallels: 4
Inside Out: 4
A Pleasant Shade of Gray: 9
Disconnected: 5
FWX: 7
Darkness in a Different Light: 5
Theories of Flight: 5
Long Day Good Night: 7
I thought I'd be the only one with more than 5 songs from FWX. :metal
:metal I think FWX is often overlooked, but it rules.
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I have to look at mine, but I do have several from FWX. I actually much prefer FWX to LDGN, believe it or not.
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Can I still send? I made the list but forgot to send yesterday, I'm not home right now :huh:
Quick mate, get it in......
(https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/000/636/111/b67.gif)
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I have to look at mine, but I do have several from FWX. I actually much prefer FWX to LDGN, believe it or not.
I wouldn't take it over LDGN, however I would easily take it over DIADL.
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Can I still send? I made the list but forgot to send yesterday, I'm not home right now :huh:
I'm super behind on making my list. Life came at me fast this past week, so I was completely distracted. :lol
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Just barely finished and submitted the list on time! :lol
Night On Brocken - 1
The Spectre Within - 2
Awaken the Guardian - 7
No Exit - 2
Perfect Symmetry - 6
Parallels - 7
Inside Out - 3
A Pleasant Shade of Gray - 2
Disconnected - 5
X - 2
Darkness in a Different Light - 5
Theories of Flight - 6
Long Day, Good Night - 2
What's really fascinating to me is that the numbers paint a slightly different picture for what people would expect for my FW album rankings than what I'd actually say. For instance, Theories of Flight is the top album in the band's discography for me over Awaken the Guardian, Parallels or Perfect Symmetry. In fact, I'd thought that I had included all seven of the non-instrumental tracks off of TOF in my list at first and then realized that one track just barely didn't make it in.
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@ Paul... At the end of the thread, is there any way that you can rank the albums based on the Top 50?
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Pretty sure we have until midnight.
The reality is that you have until roughly 8 a.m. (Pacific time) on Sunday. If it's there when I get up and log in tomorrow, I'll count it. ;D
@ Paul... At the end of the thread, is there any way that you can rank the albums based on the Top 50?
Absolutely will do.
To whet your appetite, I give you Joe DiBiase's rankings of the seven albums on which he played (from the Destination Onward book):
7. Night on Brocken
6. No Exit
5. Inside Out
4. The Spectre Within
3. Awaken the Guardian
2. Perfect Symmetry
1. Parallels
His favorite of those on which he didn't play are APSOG and Theories.
And...Jim Matheos's top 10 UFO songs (not in order):
- Mother Mary
- High Flyer
- Lights Out
- Love to Love
- I'm a Loser
- Natural Thing
- Pick It up and Go
- Makin' Moves
- Venus
- Baby Blue
And last...the distinction that Tim held by himself for a while (but which is now true of about a half dozen lists) is that he was the only one to rank at least one song on every album.
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To whet your appetite, I give you Joe DiBiase's rankings of the seven albums on which he played (from the Destination Onward book):
7. Night on Brocken
6. No Exit
5. Inside Out
4. The Spectre Within
3. Awaken the Guardian
2. Perfect Symmetry
1. Parallels
His favorite of those on which he didn't play are APSOG and Theories.
Not a bad ranking on DiBiase's part, even if I don't necessarily agree with the exact order of the Top 3.
He's spot on about APSOG and Theories being the band's best works after his tenure in the band IMO. Funny enough, APSOG only landed two songs on my Top 50, but that has more to do with the album's format being structured more as a single 'long form' song that all largely flows together throughout rather than the songs being weaker than the other albums in the catalogue that had more songs in my Top 50 list.
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Not sure I will be able to contribute to this one. I planned to, but been busy.
I REALLY wanted in on this as I'm a lifelong fan and love them but I saw the thread late. Not happy about it. :angry:
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Just turned in my list. I’ll give a breakdown tomorrow.
But it went through the ranker 3 times. And I hit send 11 minutes before 11pm.
Good night.
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Not sure I will be able to contribute to this one. I planned to, but been busy.
I REALLY wanted in on this as I'm a lifelong fan and love them but I saw the thread late. Not happy about it. :angry:
Quickly run through the ranker! You have until PG wakes up tomorrow. :corn
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Just turned in my list. I’ll give a breakdown tomorrow.
But it went through the ranker 3 times. And I hit send 11 minutes before 11pm.
Good night.
That's a long day mate, good night.
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Just turned in my list. I’ll give a breakdown tomorrow.
But it went through the ranker 3 times. And I hit send 11 minutes before 11pm.
Good night.
That's a long day mate, good night.
:neverusethis:
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Not sure I will be able to contribute to this one. I planned to, but been busy.
I REALLY wanted in on this as I'm a lifelong fan and love them but I saw the thread late. Not happy about it. :angry:
Quickly run through the ranker! You have until PG wakes up tomorrow. :corn
Too late. Rules are rules and I wanted to do it right as this is not an easy one. My bad on this. My only issue is there are no Pizza Death tunes on the list. :lol
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Here's my split, it's now obvious which are my favorite albums at all :P
Night On Brocken - 0
The Spectre Within - 1
Awaken the Guardian - 1
No Exit - 3
Perfect Symmetry - 3
Parallels - 8
Inside Out - 7
A Pleasant Shade of Gray - 8
Disconnected - 5
FWX - 2
Darkness in a Different Light - 2
Theories of Flight - 7
Long Day, Good Night - 3
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Here's my split, it's now obvious which are my favorite albums at all :P
Night On Brocken - 0
The Spectre Within - 1
Awaken the Guardian - 1
No Exit - 3
Perfect Symmetry - 3
Parallels - 8
Inside Out - 7
A Pleasant Shade of Gray - 8
Disconnected - 5
FWX - 2
Darkness in a Different Light - 2
Theories of Flight - 7
Long Day, Good Night - 3
:facepalm: maybe its better I'm not in this one. I would have the entire ATG album ranked. But that's just me.
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Here's my split, it's now obvious which are my favorite albums at all :P
Night On Brocken - 0
The Spectre Within - 1
Awaken the Guardian - 1
No Exit - 3
Perfect Symmetry - 3
Parallels - 8
Inside Out - 7
A Pleasant Shade of Gray - 8
Disconnected - 5
FWX - 2
Darkness in a Different Light - 2
Theories of Flight - 7
Long Day, Good Night - 3
:facepalm: maybe its better I'm not in this one. I would have the entire ATG album ranked. But that's just me.
I had 7 from each of Spectre Within and Awaken the Guardian.
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And...Jim Matheos's top 10 UFO songs (not in order):
- Mother Mary
- High Flyer
- Lights Out
- Love to Love
- I'm a Loser
- Natural Thing
- Pick It up and Go
- Makin' Moves
- Venus
- Baby Blue
Yeah, I found it interesting that there were five separate top 10 UFO songs lists (Matheos, DiBiase, Vera, Jarzombek and Arduini) in the book appendix :)
There's a top 10 Rush albums from Matheos too...his #1 is Caress of Steel...you don't see that every day ;)
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Alrighty! 19 lists received (including mine). Thanks to everyone for contributing! The top 50 starts tomorrow (possibly not until the evening).
But now...here are the 9 songs that appeared on NO lists:
106T. The Calling
S.E.K.
Soldier Boy
Time Long Past
No Exit
Inward Bound
Sequence #7
Desire
Liar
I know...I'm sure you're all shocked.
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Just broke mine down by album:
NOB - 1
TSW - 5
ATG - 6
NE - 4
PS - 6
Parallels - 3
IO - 1
APSOG - 8
DC - 4
FWX - 2
DIADL - 3
TOF - 5
LDGN - 2
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Alrighty! 19 lists received (including mine). Thanks to everyone for contributing! The top 50 starts tomorrow (possibly not until the evening).
But now...here are the 9 songs that appeared on NO lists:
106T. The Calling
S.E.K.
Soldier Boy
Time Long Past
No Exit
Inward Bound
Sequence #7
Desire
Liar
I know...I'm sure you're all shocked.
Interesting.
The Calling - This was #73 on my full list. So it would have made a top 75 ;) Definitely not a bad song.
S.E.K. - This is just a short little instrumental of no consequence and therefore landed at #111
Soldier Boy - I had this at #80. Definitely not the worst on NOB, but not amazing either, some cool guitar melodies sprinkled throughout.
Time Long Past - See S.E.K. description. Landed at #97
No Exit - See S.E.K. description. my #113
Inward Bound - Came in at #84. It's a decent enough little ditty.
Sequence #7 - A farcry from being my #7 song. This was at the very bottom of my list at #114.
Desire - Like a lot of DiaDL, this song doesn't do much for me. It's competent and that's about all I can say about it. #89 for me.
Liar - A bit better than Desire, but still only landed at #79.
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I don't know how you could rank every song. I had a tough enough time just nominating enough songs to fill out the Countdown.
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I don't know how you could rank every song. I had a tough enough time just nominating enough songs to fill out the Countdown.
Fates Warning has been a major staple of my listening for almost 20 years now. I picked up their Chasing Time compilation on a whim in 2003 and absolutely loved it. Then picked up FWX when it released in 2004 and absolutely loved that too, then proceeded to go down the Fates Warning rabbit hole over the next year or so and bought all their albums. This was around the same time I discovered Dream Theater. I pretty much only listened to these 2 bands and Rush for about 3 years. I would really start branching out once I discovered Opeth and Type O Negative in 2005.
Long story short (too late!), I love this band and it was super easy, barely an inconvenience. :)
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I don't know how you could rank every song. I had a tough enough time just nominating enough songs to fill out the Countdown.
I did every song (except the “intro songs” that have been covered) the first pass. But after that, I just took the top 60ish or so (songs I thought truly deserved a shot) and ran them through twice more. A pattern developed. My final list is one I’m pretty happy with. If I were to make any more tweaks, it wouldn’t be anything more than just swapping 26 for 27 or something like that.
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I don't know how you could rank every song. I had a tough enough time just nominating enough songs to fill out the Countdown.
But they're only competing against other FW songs, so how can it be hard to find 50 songs to fill the list? The hard part for me is ranking them in a precise order, but not being able to have 50, 75, or 100 songs.
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I don't know how you could rank every song. I had a tough enough time just nominating enough songs to fill out the Countdown.
But they're only competing against other FW songs, so how can it be hard to find 50 songs to fill the list? The hard part for me is ranking them in a precise order, but not being able to have 50, 75, or 100 songs.
Well, the thing is, I love a bunch of FW songs but they're a peripheral band for me. I have all of their albums, but I have never fell in love with them as a band.
When I looked at every album, I nominated songs and the first pass netted me 44 tracks that I liked or really liked.. Then I added another 15 that were good enough.
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Here's my split, it's now obvious which are my favorite albums at all :P
Night On Brocken - 0
The Spectre Within - 1
Awaken the Guardian - 1
No Exit - 3
Perfect Symmetry - 3
Parallels - 8
Inside Out - 7
A Pleasant Shade of Gray - 8
Disconnected - 5
FWX - 2
Darkness in a Different Light - 2
Theories of Flight - 7
Long Day, Good Night - 3
:facepalm: maybe its better I'm not in this one. I would have the entire ATG album ranked. But that's just me.
I had 7 from each of Spectre Within and Awaken the Guardian.
Tbh I didn't give them chance for a quite some time, last time I did I didn't like them that much. I'm not fan of power metal so that might not be surprising.
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Those albums are anything but power metal.
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Those albums are anything but power metal.
This ^
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Here's my split, it's now obvious which are my favorite albums at all :P
Night On Brocken - 0
The Spectre Within - 1
Awaken the Guardian - 1
No Exit - 3
Perfect Symmetry - 3
Parallels - 8
Inside Out - 7
A Pleasant Shade of Gray - 8
Disconnected - 5
FWX - 2
Darkness in a Different Light - 2
Theories of Flight - 7
Long Day, Good Night - 3
:facepalm: maybe its better I'm not in this one. I would have the entire ATG album ranked. But that's just me.
Quite a few of us ranked over half of TSW and ATG, and we probably could’ve used your additional support! My complaint from the very beginning was that there wasn’t going to be enough support for the first three albums. I would like to see more people that love all areas of the band equally and give the early albums at least a fair shake.
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Those albums are anything but power metal.
Well, not similar to european power metal but still
-
Here's my split, it's now obvious which are my favorite albums at all :P
Night On Brocken - 0
The Spectre Within - 1
Awaken the Guardian - 1
No Exit - 3
Perfect Symmetry - 3
Parallels - 8
Inside Out - 7
A Pleasant Shade of Gray - 8
Disconnected - 5
FWX - 2
Darkness in a Different Light - 2
Theories of Flight - 7
Long Day, Good Night - 3
:facepalm: maybe its better I'm not in this one. I would have the entire ATG album ranked. But that's just me.
Quite a few of us ranked over half of TSW and ATG, and we probably could’ve used your additional support! My complaint from the very beginning was that there wasn’t going to be enough support for the first three albums. I would like to see more people that love all areas of the band equally and give the early albums at least a fair shake.
I've given them a fair shake and have even seen Fates live with Arch for the Awaken the Guardian reunion. I enjoyed it and liked him better live than I do on the albums. But I just don't like those albums that much. It's not all him - I think they became a better band with some albums under their belt. I can appreciate the early stuff and I own all of it, but I don't love it like I do the Ray era.
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Here's my split, it's now obvious which are my favorite albums at all :P
Night On Brocken - 0
The Spectre Within - 1
Awaken the Guardian - 1
No Exit - 3
Perfect Symmetry - 3
Parallels - 8
Inside Out - 7
A Pleasant Shade of Gray - 8
Disconnected - 5
FWX - 2
Darkness in a Different Light - 2
Theories of Flight - 7
Long Day, Good Night - 3
:facepalm: maybe its better I'm not in this one. I would have the entire ATG album ranked. But that's just me.
Quite a few of us ranked over half of TSW and ATG, and we probably could’ve used your additional support! My complaint from the very beginning was that there wasn’t going to be enough support for the first three albums. I would like to see more people that love all areas of the band equally and give the early albums at least a fair shake.
Being a fan for a long time, I've always given them a fair shake, I just found more later FW tunes get into the 50 over them.
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Quite a few of us ranked over half of TSW and ATG, and we probably could’ve used your additional support! My complaint from the very beginning was that there wasn’t going to be enough support for the first three albums. I would like to see more people that love all areas of the band equally and give the early albums at least a fair shake.
Yeah, almost all of Awaken the Guardian made it on my list, save for Time Long Past. While Night on Brocken and The Spectre Within don't have nearly as much rep in my list, I can say that there would have been a LOT more Arch material in my list if we were including the two Arch/Matheos albums for some reason. I got into Fates Warning to begin with through the first A/M album and AtG, but as I've gotten older, I have found myself listening to the Alder albums far more regularly than I do NoB or TSW.
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I'll provide some stats regarding the Arch songs later, but it's really no different than Rush or Maiden. If I recall correctly, Vapor Trails got only one song or maybe no songs on the countdown. Same with the Bailey albums for Maiden and a couple of the QR albums.
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Alrighty! 19 lists received (including mine).
But now...here are the 9 songs that appeared on NO lists:
......
How many songs were on every list. I think we were down to just three.
The top 50 starts tomorrow (possibly not until the evening).
So..Tuesday morning for me. ;D
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Here's my split, it's now obvious which are my favorite albums at all :P
Night On Brocken - 0
The Spectre Within - 1
Awaken the Guardian - 1
No Exit - 3
Perfect Symmetry - 3
Parallels - 8
Inside Out - 7
A Pleasant Shade of Gray - 8
Disconnected - 5
FWX - 2
Darkness in a Different Light - 2
Theories of Flight - 7
Long Day, Good Night - 3
:facepalm: maybe its better I'm not in this one. I would have the entire ATG album ranked. But that's just me.
Quite a few of us ranked over half of TSW and ATG, and we probably could’ve used your additional support! My complaint from the very beginning was that there wasn’t going to be enough support for the first three albums. I would like to see more people that love all areas of the band equally and give the early albums at least a fair shake.
Being a fan for a long time, I've always given them a fair shake, I just found more later FW tunes get into the 50 over them.
I totally get that. I listened to Fates years before Ray was in the band. I love Ray, I'm literally gay for the dude! (Joking). Saw Ray on his first 2 FW tours and was blown away.
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Alrighty! 19 lists received (including mine).
But now...here are the 9 songs that appeared on NO lists:
......
How many songs were on every list. I think we were down to just three.
Yes. Only three made every list.
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I'll say it again. That is mindboggling.
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I'll say it again. That is mindboggling.
Yes mindboggling but I think 3 is the most we have ever had? I can't remember more than 2 previously in the other countdowns.
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I'll say it again. That is mindboggling.
Agreed. I would have thought that One would be guaranteed to make everyone's list, but I imagine the 3 are from Perfect Symmetry and Parallels... maybe.
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We should all PM pg with our guess on the three songs. Winner gets DTF boasting glory.
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Pretty tough to get all 3 I'd say.
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We should all PM pg with our guess on the three songs. Winner gets DTF boasting glory.
Feel free. Valuable internet points will be awarded if anyone gets them.
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We should all PM pg with our guess on the three songs. Winner gets DTF boasting glory.
Feel free. Valuable internet points will be awarded if anyone gets them.
Hmm......internet points. That is nice indeed.
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I'll go ahead and just say this about my list; the top two picks were far and away the easiest parts of the list to make. On a related note, only one Alder era song on my list is ranked higher than Guardian. :metal
That said, almost all the rest of my Top 20 is Alder-era material. :lol
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(https://media.tenor.com/IVH-00ntXbMAAAAC/lets-go-girls-shania-twain.gif)
We start off with……
A three-way tie for 49th place (which means this will actually be a top 51 countdown)!
49T Face the Fear (Inside Out – 1)
Appeared on 9 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 2
Highest Ranking: 6 (devieira73)
I really love this song. I had it at #22 and hoped that it would fair a little better than it did. I love the odd feel of the verse rhythm. Two people had it in their top 10, but only making 9 lists doomed it to the bottom of the countdown.
49T Don’t Follow Me (Parallels – 1)
Appeared on 9 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 0
Highest Ranking: 15 (Dubleagent66)
The numbers game here is interesting. It made the same number of lists as Face the Fear, and it’s highest finish was much lower, but it performed much more consistently, with only a couple finishes in the low 30s. As for me, this is one of my favorites on Parallels. Great driving rhythm and guitar harmonies.
49T Exodus (Awaken the Guardian – 1)
Appeared on 10 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 2
Highest Ranking: 3 (Puppies_on_Acid)
The first of the Arch era songs. This song reminds me a lot of Roads to Madness by Queensryche. A lot of shifting time signatures that demonstrated what Fates was capable of. We also got John Arch not trying to cram too many words into too little space. For those who aren’t fans of his vocal style, definitely check this one out. I had it at #26 and thought it would do better, but three of the ten rankings it got were very low, despite two top 10 finishes.
P.S. The gap between these three songs and song #52 was only four points.
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Face the Fear (35)
Ray is really strong in verses, the ending is epic. My only problem is kinda soft chorus when compared to the rest of the song.
Don't follow me (20)
Definition of a grower for me. Contrary to the previous entry, chorus is the high point. Also, atmosphere and guitarwork is just tasty here.
Exodus
Just barely missed my top 50, I like it but not enough.
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None of these ranked for me.
Exodus came the closest. The final list had it at 53. The previous two lists had it at 55 and 57. I just remember it being the only disappointment (to me) from the Guardian album. Epitaph was such an amazing closer to TSW and I was hoping for something as good or better to close Guardian and I didn’t get it.
Don’t Follow Me is ok. It came in at 75 on my first list, so I didn’t include it on my next two.
I’m shocked that Face the Fear is here. Just a completely uninteresting meh-fest. I looked everywhere on my first list for it and I couldn’t find it anywhere. I’m wondering if I just deleted it from the running completely as the song never would’ve cracked my top 100 much less 50.
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One thing I love about Face the Fear is the spinner in the chorus. Such an unusual percussive effect in a song like this, but it works.
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Face the Fear was at 31 for me.
I didn’t rank Don’t follow Me, but it could easily have slipped into the 40-50 range of my list.
I had Exodus at 47. All the Arch tunes I ranked were low on my list. I found it tough rating them against the Alder songs.
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49T Face the Fear (Inside Out – 1)
Appeared on 9 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 2
Highest Ranking: 6 (devieira73)
I really love this song. I had it at #22 and hoped that it would fair a little better than it did. I love the odd feel of the verse rhythm. Two people had it in their top 10, but only making 9 lists doomed it to the bottom of the countdown.
49T Don’t Follow Me (Parallels – 1)
Appeared on 9 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 0
Highest Ranking: 15 (Dubleagent66)
The numbers game here is interesting. It made the same number of lists as Face the Fear, and it’s highest finish was much lower, but it performed much more consistently, with only a couple finishes in the low 30s. As for me, this is one of my favorites on Parallels. Great driving rhythm and guitar harmonies.
49T Exodus (Awaken the Guardian – 1)
Appeared on 10 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 2
Highest Ranking: 3 (Puppies_on_Acid)
The first of the Arch era songs. This song reminds me a lot of Roads to Madness by Queensryche. A lot of shifting time signatures that demonstrated what Fates was capable of. We also got John Arch not trying to cram too many words into too little space. For those who aren’t fans of his vocal style, definitely check this one out. I had it at #26 and thought it would do better, but three of the ten rankings it got were very low, despite two top 10 finishes.
Face the Fear - Count me surprised this made the list. Although it did just miss mine at #59. It's a decent song, but one of the less memorable from Inside Out. I'm with HOF and the spinner effect though :biggrin:
Don't Follow Me - This landed at #38 for me. Can't say I'm surprised this was so low on the list, but I'm glad it's there. Great chorus!
Exodus - This is one I thought for sure would make the top 25. You guys failed me. I'm at the opposite end from jammindude. I think this song took everything that was great about Epitaph and slightly condensed it and made it better. Mostly in the sense of an epic album closer.
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Face the Fear was number 49 for me, and the others didn't make the list. I think Face the Fear is a really nice track. I really like the vocal melodies and Ray's delivery.
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Face the Fear - Not ranked
Don't Follow Me - #15
Exodus - Not ranked
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49T Face the Fear (Inside Out – 1)
Appeared on 9 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 2
Highest Ranking: 6 (devieira73)
Well, I guess I MUST say something here... ;)
Inside Out is my favorite FW album. I just wish it had the same production values of Parallels and it seems I hear it as much more proggier thant most of us here. To me, Face the Fear is one of its finest moments: all the drumming (specially in the lighter chorus), the syncopated melodies on the verses and on the gorgeous pre-chorus, amazing solos and the excellent Inward Bound, that really serves as its outro.
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50. Face the Fear (NR). Didn't make my list. Not a bad song, but just kinda there.
49. Don't Follow Me (38). A favorite of mine from Parallels. Very Rush inspired. Likely wouldn't have sounded out of place on Hold Your Fire.
48. Exodus (NR). Just missed my cut off. Solid closer to the best Arch-era album.
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Exodus - This is one I thought for sure would make the top 25. You guys failed me. I'm at the opposite end from jammindude. I think this song took everything that was great about Epitaph and slightly condensed it and made it better. Mostly in the sense of an epic album closer.
Yeah...I agree. Exodus was an improvement on the existing model, although I like both songs quite a bit.
One thing I love about Face the Fear is the spinner in the chorus. Such an unusual percussive effect in a song like this, but it works.
Hmmm...never heard a vibra slap referred to in that way, but it's an apt term. Of course, it's more famously known for its appearance in the intro to Crazy Train.
(https://c1.zzounds.com/media/productmedia/fit,2018by3200/quality,85/LP208-4aa0ffb603e17b3b559e2a9e73920ffb.jpg)
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If they make another album I hope they use the vibraslap again and use a mouth harp :corn
I believe the vibraslap was also used in Devin Townsend's The Death of Music.
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(https://media.tenor.com/IVH-00ntXbMAAAAC/lets-go-girls-shania-twain.gif)
First off, thanks for starting this off with a real woman, and not like the Mousekateer that the other guy puts in his countdowns.
49T Face the Fear (Inside Out – 1)
Appeared on 9 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 2
Highest Ranking: 6 (devieira73)
49T Don’t Follow Me (Parallels – 1)
Appeared on 9 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 0
Highest Ranking: 15 (Dubleagent66)
49T Exodus (Awaken the Guardian – 1)
Appeared on 10 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 2
Highest Ranking: 3 (Puppies_on_Acid)
I had Face The Fear at #38.
Not nearly my fave from Inside Out, but it's a great side 2 track. Love Mak Zonder here. His parts have an UAGM style too it. Nice tune.
I had Don't Follow Me at #31.
This song has a great pace and feel. Parallels is kind of a heavy album to me (lyricwise, not musically) but I find the music of Don't Follow Me quite uplifting, even if not lyrically if that makes any sense.
I had Exodus at #17.
First off....this is way too low.
@Paul, yeah I feel you on the Roads To Madness comp. Especially how it opens. Great song!!
50
49
48
47
46
45
44
43
42
41
40
39
38 Face The Fear
37
36
35
34
33
32
31 Don't Follow Me
30
29
28
27
26
25
24
23
22
21
20
19
18
17 Exodus
16
15
14
13
12
11
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
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One thing I love about Face the Fear is the spinner in the chorus. Such an unusual percussive effect in a song like this, but it works.
Hmmm...never heard a vibra slap referred to in that way, but it's an apt term. Of course, it's more famously known for its appearance in the intro to Crazy Train.
(https://c1.zzounds.com/media/productmedia/fit,2018by3200/quality,85/LP208-4aa0ffb603e17b3b559e2a9e73920ffb.jpg)
Didn’t know what to call it or how to look it up, really! It sounded like something spinning to me, and I was probably thinking of this:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rkYJh5KinOA
Cool to know what that sound actually is though!
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49T Face the Fear (Inside Out – 1)
Appeared on 9 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 2
Highest Ranking: 6 (devieira73)
49T Don’t Follow Me (Parallels – 1)
Appeared on 9 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 0
Highest Ranking: 15 (Dubleagent66)
49T Exodus (Awaken the Guardian – 1)
Appeared on 10 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 2
Highest Ranking: 3 (Puppies_on_Acid)
Face The Fear - this didn't rank for me. I do like this song, so not that surprised to see it make it but was never really in the running for my top 50. There is some great drumming on the track and some interesting musical ideas.
Don't Follow Me - Also unranked by me. I have a feeling this is the first song of many from Parallels that we will be seeing in the countdown.
Exodus - now we are talking! Ranked 32 for me. Not sure how much love the John Arch era will get in the countdown but great to see this one make it. I get the comparison to Roads of Madness, the beginning is very similar but then this track winds it way into one great part after another.
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(https://media.tenor.com/IVH-00ntXbMAAAAC/lets-go-girls-shania-twain.gif)
First off, thanks for starting this off with a real woman, and not like the Mousekateer that the other guy puts in his countdowns.
Oh yeah, I support this. Shania is damn sexy and indeed the definition of a real woman.
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FTF - Had this at 29. This was a late grower and not as immediate as a lot of the other songs on FTF. It's placed well in the album and I really like the pre chorus especially.
DFM - 23 - Always a highlight on Parallels and again placed nicely later in the album. Great Frank solo here and nice Maidenish harmonies.
E - 49 - Very nice track, a highlight from the Arch era.
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Face the Fear - My ranking: #7
I guess I'm the other one that has it in the top 10 :biggrin: What can I say, I love everything about it. I mean, like devieira, I consider Inside Out a top, top FW album (#2 for me), and Face the Fear is surely one of the reasons why. Absolutely yes to the UAGM feel of Zonder's parts. And those guitars in the verses are so good: the clean/distorted interplay is one of my favorite aspects of that FW era. I think the chorus is fantastic and, again, the way Zonder pushes it is just perfect.
Don't Follow Me - My ranking: #25
Very late-80s Maiden guitar harmonies to open the song. That my #25 song is not even among my very favorites on Parallels should be telling of my feelings on this album. Anyway - very cool-sounding verse, great chorus and slightly more straightforward drumming, perhaps, but still full of delicious and subtle flourishes. Excellent tune.
Exodus - My ranking: #50
Just squeaked in ;) Despite the length, I find this to be an easily digestible Archer-era track (relatively speaking ;)) Very epic riffage, lots of dynamics and beautiful melodies.
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(https://media.tenor.com/IVH-00ntXbMAAAAC/lets-go-girls-shania-twain.gif)
It took me half the day to get past this :P
Okay...
Face The Fear #22.
Parallels and Inside Out being my top2 Fates this kinda song is just a no-brainer. Always loved this one but it wasn't until their Live In Athens did I really sit up and say whoah! Never misses my Fates playlists and now inspired to watch that show again during the week :metal
Don't Follow Me #33
Parallels and what can I say? Much like Face The Fear this is just staple Fates through and through a beautiful song actually expected it to get a better result tbh but thankful it made an appearance. ;)
Exodus #38
Ya know listening back through the catalog for this countdown and I reckon this is one of the most underrated Fates songs period and damn pleased it made the list!
Thanks again for doing this one pg1067 these are so enjoyable just love reading other peoples results and opinions cheers!
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(https://media.tenor.com/IVH-00ntXbMAAAAC/lets-go-girls-shania-twain.gif)
It took me half the day to get past this :P
Impressive, only took me a few minutes.
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(https://media.tenor.com/IVH-00ntXbMAAAAC/lets-go-girls-shania-twain.gif)
It took me half the day to get past this :P
Impressive, only took me a few minutes.
:rollin
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That don't impress me much.
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That don't impress me much.
One of the worst songs I’ve ever heard, did not make my list. ;)
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(https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F66.media.tumblr.com%2Fc59b657d3375861f67bba18ed17603a2%2Ftumblr_obea3wJHsQ1r8dxfio1_400.gif&hash=d43a3d5307f1654d73e62ffcd0e682636e94a354)
For day 2, we get……
Another tie! These two songs finished a mere three points ahead of the three songs that tied for 49th place.
47T Handful of Doubt (FWX – 1)
Appeared on 9 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 1
Highest Ranking: 7 (Samsara)
FWX is my least favorite Fates album, and I didn’t even include this song in my pool of songs to rank. I listened to it for purposes of this blurb. The first half did nothing for me. The heavier part would be a great ending for something, but it didn’t really save the song for me.
47T A Pleasant Shade of Gray VIII (APSOG – 1)
Appeared on 7 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 2
Highest Ranking: 4 (Zoom E)
I LOVE this instrumental, but I only had it at #33. I wasn’t sure it was going to make the list, but it was boosted by the two top 10 finishes and three other top 20 finishes. It’s a brilliantly crafted transitional piece/etude with an incredible acoustic guitar/piano duet between Jim Matheos and Kevin Moore – a pattern that shows up later in the album.
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Handful of Doubt - Not Ranked
This one wasn't too too far from entering my top 50. It's a good moody piece from FWX. I agree it builds up quite effectively, but ultimately it didn't make the cut.
APSOG Part VIII - Not Ranked
It is indeed a beautiful instrumental interlude. It works perfectly within the album, and could've made my list. In the end, as a stand-alone piece, it didn't. If anything, it shows (imo) how great APSOG really is when considered as a whole.
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47T. Handful of Doubt (18). One of my favorites from FWX. I love how moody and dynamic this song is. Ray does a great job on the vocals.
47T. APSOG Part VIII (NR). Works better in the context of the album, IMHO. Feels like more of an extension of Part VII than a standalone piece, despite the shift into the piano and acoustic guitar duet.
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A Handful of Doubt is an incredible tune. Moody, emotional, has a good heavy section. When I first picked up FWX, which I think is underrated by many, this immediately stood out to me as one of those under the radar gems in the catalog.
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A Handful of Doubt is an incredible tune. Moody, emotional, has a good heavy section. When I first picked up FWX, which I think is underrated by many, this immediately stood out to me as one of those under the radar gems in the catalog.
Yeah, FWX is a fantastic album.
"Left Here," "River Wide, Ocean Deep," "Another Perfect Day," & "Heal Me" are all standout tracks. In fact, I'm of the opinion that the 3 'rockers' ("Crawl," "Simple Human," & "Stranger With a Familiar Face") kind of bog the album down. Without those three, the record is an incredibly focused E.P. that stands among their best work (at least IMO)
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Handful of Doubt was #21 for me. I love FWX and think this is an incredible song.
I have almost all of the rest of A Pleasant Shade of Gray ranked, and highly, so I left this one off.
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Again….two non-rankers for me.
Handful is ok. It got to 103 on my first pass, so it was too low to include on my second and third lists.
APSOG 8 is admittedly beautiful, and I probably should have ranked it a bit higher. It came in at 83 on my first list. One of only 3 tracks from APSOG that didn’t make the cut.
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I have Handful of Doubt at 25. i’m a big fan of the FWX album.
I ranked APSOG VIII at 4. I enjoy this musical interlude a great deal.
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Handful of Doubt - NR
APSOG VIII - #13
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47T Handful of Doubt (FWX – 1)
Appeared on 9 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 1
Highest Ranking: 7 (Samsara)
47T A Pleasant Shade of Gray VIII (APSOG – 1)
Appeared on 7 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 2
Highest Ranking: 4 (Zoom E)
A Handful of Doubt - unranked. I rarely listed to FWX so was probably always going to be hard to get this song in my top 50. It is a great vocal by Ray.
VIII - also unranked. This is a great instrumental and is awesome in the context of the album but as a stand alone track I had to leave this out.
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47T Handful of Doubt (FWX – 1)
Appeared on 9 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 1
Highest Ranking: 7 (Samsara)
47T A Pleasant Shade of Gray VIII (APSOG – 1)
Appeared on 7 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 2
Highest Ranking: 4 (Zoom E)
I had Handful Of Doubt as Not Rated. FWX is also my least favorite FW album too. I do have one song from this album, but this ain't it.
I had APSOG VIII (Instrumental) at #46. One of the few parts of APSOG that really has some energy to it. And yes, the piano part at the end is awesome.
50 NR
49 Handful Of Doubt
48
47
46 APSOG VIII (Instrumental)
45
44
43
42
41
40
39
38 Face The Fear
37
36
35
34
33
32
31 Don't Follow Me
30
29
28
27
26
25
24
23
22
21
20
19
18
17 Exodus
16
15
14
13
12
11
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
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I have a few FWX songs on my list but this one just missed out. APSOGVIII also was not ranked for me.
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About A Handful of Doubt (#48 to me): I love the "FW meets Porcupine Tree" vibe of the song and I think its building already makes the whole song worthwhile. I'm also between the ones who love FWX. It's a great album and it has the second best mixing and recording in FW's discography.
The combo APSOGVI-VII-VIII sounds to me as an amazing musical section of APSOG and I ranked them at #17/18/19.
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VIII - also unranked. This is a great instrumental and is awesome in the context of the album but as a stand alone track I had to leave this out.
This one really demonstrated different approaches to ranking the many parts of APSOG.
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VIII - also unranked. This is a great instrumental and is awesome in the context of the album but as a stand alone track I had to leave this out.
This one really demonstrated different approaches to ranking the many parts of APSOG.
Yes, I did find it incredibly difficult to rank those tracks individually.
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Handful Of Doubt #20
I too found FWX somewhat lacking and agree with whoever said the rockers are arguably what lets it down but there's some great moments here and Handful is an exceptional song. Love this one!
APSOG VIII NR
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After two days of ties…
We have another tie!
(https://preview.redd.it/bptkvbb22al11.jpg?auto=webp&s=fe2205d48a6fbdde697403f09d1a262d5ce57725)
Once again, these two songs finished a mere three points ahead of the two songs that tied for 47th place. Fortunately, this will be the last tie for a while.
45T The Longest Shadow of the Day (Long Day Good Night – 1)
Appeared on 10 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 2
Highest Ranking: 3 (Lethean)
I’ve listened to LDGN a bunch of times, but none of the songs have really gotten me excited, and this song does virtually nothing for me (the first three minutes are exceedingly boring). I did not rank this song.
45T Down to the Wire (Inside Out – 1)
Appeared on 9 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 3
Highest Ranking: 6 (TAC)
I often think of songs in pairs. The previously mentioned Don’t Follow Me is a companion to We Only Say Goodbye, and Down to the Wire pairs with Face the Fear. This was Ray Alder’s first lyrical contribution to Fates. If I recall correctly, it’s about Ray’s relationship with his father. It’s a superb song in every regard, although I prefer its “companion” track a bit more. I ranked it #32.
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The Longest Shadow of the Day - #33
Down to the Wire - NR
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The Longest Shadow of the Day came in at #47 for me. Good tune. I feel like it tried to replicate the vibe of The Light and Shade of Things to a degree, but never really got there. Still a cool tune.
Down to the Wire went UNRANKED for me. That said, it was close. In the early 50s.
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Seven songs in and we still have yet to include one song that made my list.
My first list went completely from memory and Longest Shadow placed 17. But the second list was where I really took a close listen to just about everything in the top 30 or 40 and Longest Shadow just did nothing for me on that relisten. It dropped to 61 on my second list and then wasn’t even included on my third pass.
Down to the Wire is another meh-fest for me. It made 100 on my first list, and was completely dropped from my second and third.
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I didn’t rank Longest Shadow of the Day or Down to the Wire.
Long Day Goodnight is one of the weaker FW releases for me.
Down to the Wire could have snuck in to the lower part of my list, but it didn’t.
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45T The Longest Shadow of the Day (Long Day Good Night – 1)
Appeared on 10 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 2
Highest Ranking: 3 (Lethean)
45T Down to the Wire (Inside Out – 1)
Appeared on 9 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 3
Highest Ranking: 6 (TAC)
I had The Longest Shadow Of The Day at #39.
I feel like musically, the intro takes you on a kind of journey with a heaviness that reminds me of the Arch Era. Great tune.
I had Down To The Wire at #6.
What separates Down To The Wire for me is the great chorus and amazing performance by Ray.
I love these two lines..
I hold on clutching to the hope that i'll be strong
I'll hold on to with every ounce of strength within me
Ray just kills it!
50 NR
49 Handful Of Doubt
48
47
46 APSOG VIII (Instrumental)
45
44
43
42
41
40
39 The Longest Shadow Of The Day
38 Face The Fear
37
36
35
34
33
32
31 Don't Follow Me
30
29
28
27
26
25
24
23
22
21
20
19
18
17 Exodus
16
15
14
13
12
11
10
9
8
7
6 Down To The Wire
5
4
3
2
1
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The Longest Shadow of the Day - My rank: #28
My highest ranked song from LDGN - it's fair to say it's not among my very favorite FW albums. This one is a pretty interesting song. It doesn't quite achieve true "greatness" in my book, but there's a lot of, well, goodness in here ;) The jazzy-plus-Discipline-era King Crimson intro is very, very cool, and the guitar riffs and drumming when it gets going are fantastic. There isn't a ton of singing in here but, when the vocals do come in, the melodies are real nice. Also, Vera's bass is a true star here - in the intro, but then also for the groovy part starting around 8:40. All in all, something a little different for the band, and quite a journey of a song.
Down to the Wire - My rank: #33
Not even one of my favorites on Inside Out, and it's a great song. A slightly more "metal" intro (at least compared to the rest of the record), and a fantastic performance by Alder. LOVE the melodies in the verses (they resolve so perfectly) and the chorus. Cool and unexpected slowdown towards the end too, before the last series of chorus(es).
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Seven songs in and we still have yet to include one song that made my list.
(https://media.tenor.com/C0eSZVc3s1sAAAAC/tomorrow-annie.gif)
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J-Dude needs to turn in his Fogey Card for not having Exodus on there.
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45T. The Longest Shadow of the Day (NR). On the first run through, I had it ranked, but when I redid my list, it fell off. I think I need to listen to this one some more.
45T. Down to the Wire (NR). This one just missed the cut for me. Better production may have helped this one rank better for me. Not a bad song, just a bunch that I like more.
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J-Dude needs to turn in his Fogey Card for not having Exodus on there.
:rollin
I don’t know why, but for me it still lives under Epitaph’s shadow.
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J-Dude needs to turn in his Fogey Card for not having Exodus on there.
:rollin
I don’t know why, but for me it still lives under Epitaph’s shadow.
But there's not room in a FIFTY song countdown for both??
I actually rate it higher than Epitaph. ;D
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J-Dude needs to turn in his Fogey Card for not having Exodus on there.
:rollin
I don’t know why, but for me it still lives under Epitaph’s shadow.
But there's not room in a FIFTY song countdown for both??
I actually rate it higher than Epitaph. ;D
If it helps, it’s my 13th highest rated Arch song. :D
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Well, that just tells me that you have less than 13 Arch songs in the countdown, which I would expect from a whippersnapper which I know you are definitely not.. :lol
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I love The Longest Shadow of the Day. Definitely agree with those calling it a journey. To me it sounds really fresh and new and yet totally like Fates Warning.
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Well, that just tells me that you have less than 13 Arch songs in the countdown, which I would expect from a whippersnapper which I know you are definitely not.. :lol
I have exactly 12. Exodus barely missed the cut at 53.
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I had Longest Shadow at 19. What an amazing tune so late in their career. Creative, atmospheric and a great interesting structure. Nice and heavy too.
Looks like Tim just beat me to the punch with DTTW. I had it at 9, incredible, melodic, brilliant tune. Amazing chorus and the intro is incredible. That lead guitar melody is just too good.
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45T The Longest Shadow of the Day (Long Day Good Night – 1)
Appeared on 10 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 2
Highest Ranking: 3 (Lethean)
45T Down to the Wire (Inside Out – 1)
Appeared on 9 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 3
Highest Ranking: 6 (TAC)
Well I am struggling so far in this countdown - only 1 ranked song so far..jammindude I feel your pain.
The Longest Shadow of the Day - unranked but only just! I couldn't squeeze this one in but I am happy to see it make it. I am a big fan of this album, it has grown on me over time and I do often return to it. I did rank a few of the songs but this one just missed out. Starts with a slow build up but when the heavy instrumental part kicks in this really rocks. I really like the soft opening verse, great vocals.
Down to the Wire - unranked. A good song but I feel this shares many similarities, especially the chorus with other Fates songs that I just prefer more. I don't listen to Inside Out often so this song didn't really have much of a chance for my list.
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J-Dude needs to turn in his Fogey Card for not having Exodus on there.
:rollin
I don’t know why, but for me it still lives under Epitaph’s shadow.
But there's not room in a FIFTY song countdown for both??
Well...every list didn't rank dozens of songs that could have been ranked. I'm pretty sure there are multiple songs in everyone's top 10 that didn't make a LOT of other lists. For example, my #10 song only made seven other lists and, for a while, wasn't even close to the top 50 (and ultimately finished at #54).
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Thanks Dad! :lol
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Thanks Dad! :lol
Just wait 'til you find out where one of your top 10 finished! :P
In fact, you and I are only 2 of 7 voters in the countdown to have a song in our top 10 not make the overall top 50.
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I know which one didn't make it.
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The Longest Shadow of the Day (NR)
Almost made it. I quite like but not nearly my favorite from the album.
Down to the Wire (27)
IMO one of the best showcases of Rays voice, absolute adore him here (on this album in general). It is hard to explain it but this song just has that unique (kinda nostalgic) feeling. It wouldn't be out of the place on Parallels which may even be my all time favorite album.
35 Face the Fear
27 Down to the Wire
20 Don’t Follow Me
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The Longest Shadow Of The Day #30
This was one of a number of LDGN songs that surprised me during the rankings. Rediscovering this album after having already rated it so highly in 2020 was so good it moved me to finally get it on vinyl which arrived last week \m/
Anyway I can see how this could be considered an attempt at another Light And Shade maybe And Yet It Moves etc, but it manages to have its own identity and think nick_z already described it all pretty well ;)
Down To The Wire #31
Agree this pairs nicely with Face The Fear sensational stuff!
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Finally, no tie! It’s interesting that the first seven songs revealed, along with one of today’s songs, all came from different albums. I mentioned that there was a lot of diversity in the lists I received.
44 Chasing Time (Perfect Symmetry – 1)
Appeared on 11 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 1
Highest Ranking: 5 (WardySI)
I ranked Chasing Time at #40. The first few lists I received didn’t rank it at all, but it eventually showed up on 11 lists. Most of the rankings were in the 25-45 range, and the high ranking is 15 spots higher than anyone else’s. I think it’s an excellent composition, and I love that they used a violin solo. I did a quick Google search, and the violinist, Faith Fraioli, was apparently a member of a ‘70s jazz-rock band called Flying Island. Such an eclectic choice!
43 A Pleasant Shade of Gray III (Rain Falling Hours Calling) (APSOG – 2)
Appeared on 9 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 3
Highest Ranking: 3 (SoundscapeMN)
We now have our first album to get a second song on the list (and our first 2x high ranker). APSOG III is where the metal part of the album kicks in with Jim’s simple, feedback-laden riff, but it also has a very moody chorus. I love the little girl saying “rain falling hours calling." Ray really stretches things out here as well, and Joey lays down some great slap bass. Great track, but I only ranked it at #49, and I’m feeling I should have ranked it higher.
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Chasing Time at #40 for me. I think this is a really beautiful song.
APSOG III: #6. I love this track alone or in the context of the album.
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Chasing Time clocked in at #39 for me. Beautiful track.
APSOG III went unranked for me for purposes of top-50, but it's right outside of 50.
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44. Chasing Time (27). I love the placement of this song on Perfect Symmetry as a respite of calm in an otherwise chaotic album. Ray sounds fantastic here, and I really love the violin solo. Over the years, I've realized how this song really succeeds as their attempt at their own version of Rush's "Losing It," both with the violin work, the overall mood of the song, and it's placement as the penultimate track on the album. Great stuff.
43. APSOG III (NR). Another one that I had ranked in my original rankings. I think it works better in the context of the album.
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Chasing Time - NR
APSOG III - #26
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Two unranked songs for me. Not even close.
50 NR
49 Handful Of Doubt
48 Chasing Time
47 APSOG III
46 APSOG VIII (Instrumental)
45
44
43
42
41
40
39 The Longest Shadow Of The Day
38 Face The Fear
37
36
35
34
33
32
31 Don't Follow Me
30
29
28
27
26
25
24
23
22
21
20
19
18
17 Exodus
16
15
14
13
12
11
10
9
8
7
6 Down To The Wire
5
4
3
2
1
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I never thought Chasing Time (#30 for me) as a FW's Losing It, but I think it's a perfect association!! Wonderful song :heart
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I had Chasing Time at #20. As RHCP would say, it’s a pretty little ditty.
I didn't rank APSOG III.
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Chasing Time didn't rank for me. Never quite did much for me to be honest. APSOG3 came in at 45.
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Chasing Time - My rank: #31
Lovely, lovely song. A more subdued performance by Ray, much needed after he pretty much goes for it in all the songs preceding it on PS (and The Arena, in particular!). Love the violin and the guitar "solo" all done with harmonics.
APSOG Part III - Not Ranked
Never really loved this one. I mean, the mood is cool, but Ray's singing is a bit grating in the chorus.
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44 Chasing Time (Perfect Symmetry – 1)
Appeared on 11 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 1
Highest Ranking: 5 (WardySI)
43 A Pleasant Shade of Gray III (Rain Falling Hours Calling) (APSOG – 2)
Appeared on 9 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 3
Highest Ranking: 3 (SoundscapeMN)
Chasing Time - unranked and wasn't close to making it. A nice song but I am surprised to see this in the top 50.
APSOG III - number 20. I love this whole album and this track really gets things going.
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Yep so clearly had Chasing Time at #5 which was about where I expected it to be before using the ranker. On an album which romdrums described as a tad chaotic this was not only an appreciated calm, it's also a beautiful song showcasing Ray's vocals which I was glad to hear more of this style on followup albums. And yes that violin was all class! ;D
APSOG III great song but NR, IIRC wasn't far out of my 50.
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I had Chasing Time at #25. Beautifully haunting song. Funny story about that song. I can’t remember now how I got it…but I got a 4 song promo cassette “from the forthcoming album” at least a couple of months before it was released. It had Through Different Eyes, Static Acts, At Fate’s Hands, and Chasing Time. The same program was repeated on both sides. But the weird thing was that after Chasing Time, the cassette included the opening section of Nothing Left to Say. JUST the opening section. But since there was no other song listed on the cassette, I spent two months thinking that it was an ending instrumental heavy section of Chasing Time (kind of like AFH had). It took a bit of adjustment when the album finally dropped to realize that it was the opening section of another song.
APSOG III - at #39. It’s hard for me not to rank any individual sections of their masterpiece. This section keeps the energy from part 2 chugging along. I especially love the post chorus quiet section.
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With today’s songs, we close out the 41-50 group. Although these songs ranked at the bottom of our countdown, all but 2 of the 11 songs ranked in at least one person’s top 10 (and today we get someone’s #1 song!). Also, we’ve now seen NINE of the band’s 13 albums represented and have had nine different high rankers!
42 White Flag (Theories of Flight – 1)
Appeared on 9 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 0
Highest Ranking: 11 (Samsara)
It took me an inordinately long time to get into Theories of Flight. One day…BANG…it clicked. For my money, however, it’s a front-loaded album. I still like White Flag (maybe the heaviest track on TOF?), but it finished just outside the top 50, at #54.
41 Silent Cries (No Exit – 1)
Appeared on 14 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 1
Highest Ranking: 1 (Zoom E)
No Exit was the first FW album I bought, and I’m pretty sure I listened to the album before seeing the video for this song on MTV. It’s a really good song, and I LOVE the “time blindly races on” section after the guitar solos. However, it’s one of the more basic songs on No Exit, so I’m one of only five rankers who didn’t include it in the top 50.
By way of a preview, the next group of 10 songs will come from 8 different albums (including 3 we haven't yet heard from).
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I didn’t rank White Flag. There are so many good songs on ToF that I may have overlooked this one.
And yes, I ranked Silent Cries as my #1 song. When doing so I considered whether I was just being nostalgic as it was the first FW song I ever heard, but no, I don't think there is any other FW song that I enjoy more than this one.
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I really feel badly for not ranking White Flag. It’s a fantastic rocker. It just came in at #72 on my first attempt and I only included the top 65 or so in my 2nd and 3rd tries. But I at least should have included this one in the subsequent attempts and I didn’t.
Silent Cries is classic. Ray really hits the stratosphere!!! I had it at #34. I really need to give No Exit a spin.
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Ha! Well, I guess my tastes differ, since this now marks two songs that I've had ranked way higher than most of us as a group.
White Flag just has this vibe I connect with. Looking at my list, I may have put it a couple songs lower, but not much. It's a bad ass tune and great solos.
Silent Cries was #15 for me. As JDude said, it's a classic. Love the original version, and also really like the modified version they did on Live Over Europe that has Ray doing a lower vocal. I mean, obviously I prefer the original, but the tune is just such a great tune, it doesn't matter.
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Album rankings through the first 10:
1. A Pleasant Shade of Gray (2 songs, 12 points): VIII (47T), III (43)
2. No Exit (1 song, 10 points): Silent Cries (41)
3. Theories of Flight (1 song, 9 points): White Flag (42)
4. Inside Out (2 song, 8 points): Face the Fear (49T), Down to the Wire (45T)
5. Perfect Symmetry (1 song, 7 points): Chasing Time (44)
6. Long Day Good Night (1 song, 6 points): The Longest Shadow of the Day (45T)
7. FWX (1 song, 4 points): Handful of Doubt (47T)
8. Awaken the Guardian (1 song, 2 points): Exodus (49T)
9. Parallels (1 song, 2 points): Don't Follow Me (49T)
10T. Night on Brocken (0 songs)
10T. The Spectre Within (0 songs)
10T. Disconnected (0 songs)
10T. Darkness in a Different Light (0 songs)
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White Flag - NR
Silent Cries - #30
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42 White Flag (Theories of Flight – 1)
Appeared on 9 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 0
Highest Ranking: 11 (Samsara)
41 Silent Cries (No Exit – 1)
Appeared on 14 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 1
Highest Ranking: 1 (Zoom E)
I had White Flag as Not Rated. Just not really impressed with it. It's the kind of song that generally would make my ears glaze over on the last three albums.
I had Silent Cries at #32. Great tune. Classic and thrashy. Good on Zoom for having it #1.
I LOVE the “time blindly races on” section after the guitar solos. However, it’s one of the more basic songs on No Exit, so I’m one of only five rankers who didn’t include it in the top 50.
That's a great part, yes. Odd to see a song on so many lists end up this low.
50 NR
49 Handful Of Doubt
48 Chasing Time
47 APSOG III
46 APSOG VIII (Instrumental) White Flag
45
44
43
42
41
40
39 The Longest Shadow Of The Day
38 Face The Fear
37
36
35
34
33
32 Silent Cries
31 Don't Follow Me
30
29
28
27
26
25
24
23
22
21
20
19
18
17 Exodus
16
15
14
13
12
11
10
9
8
7
6 Down To The Wire
5
4
3
2
1
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I didn't have either one on my list. Like them both just fine.
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White Flag - My rank: #30
I never particularly loved FW's "heavier" songs in their post-Disconnected output, with some exceptions. Well, this is one such exception :) Great, great opening riff, and enough of that FW melodic stamp (the bridge, for example). Excellent performance by Ray (true for ToF as a whole, actually)
Silent Cries - My rank: #38
I guess we could call this a melodic thrasher? The riffage is excellent and headbangable, but I love the interplay with the cleaner-sounding guitars, especially in the verses. Great song.
EDIT: had my rank wrong for Silent Cries
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I LOVE the “time blindly races on” section after the guitar solos. However, it’s one of the more basic songs on No Exit, so I’m one of only five rankers who didn’t include it in the top 50.
That's a great part, yes. Odd to see a song on so many lists end up this low.
Just for funsies...as mentioned, Silent Cries showed up on 14/19 lists with the following rankings:
32 (you) (19 points)
29 (22 points)
45 (6 points)
35 (16 points)
48 (3 points)
34 (17 points)
15 (36 points)
38 (13 points)
45 (6 points)
37 (14 points)
1 (50 points)
38 (13 points)
30 (21 points)
38 (13 points)
Average ranking (only including those who had it in the top 50): 30
Total points: 249 (6 points behind White Flag and 3 points ahead of song #40)
Other than the two outliers in red, it had a pretty consistent range. When you factor in five non-rankings, it drops from 30 to 40.
Also:
41. Silent Cries - 249 points
42. White Flag - 243 points
43. APSOG III - 236 points
44. Chasing Time - 232 points
45T. The Longest Shadow of the Day - 226 points
45T. Down to the Wire - 226 points
47T. Handful of Doubt - 223 points
47T. APSOG VIII - 223 points
49T. Face the Fear - 220 points
49T. Don't Follow Me - 220 points
49T. Exodus - 220 points
The spread between songs 40-49T (29 points) is the lowest spread between any group of ten until you get down to songs 81-90. By way of comparison, the spread between songs 3 and 4 was 110 points, which is about the same as the spread between songs 41-65.
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White Flag didn't rank for me. It's solid but it hasn't aged that well and one if the weakest on the album.
Silent Cries I had at 37. Nice solid tune.
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42. White Flag (13). Solid banger, and I love Bobby Jarzombek's drumming on this.
41. Silent Cries (35). Interesting that this was one of the few songs ever that the band actually wrote as a group, the other being Shades of Heavenly Death. Really shows off Ray's range at the time.
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42 White Flag (Theories of Flight – 1)
Appeared on 9 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 0
Highest Ranking: 11 (Samsara)
41 Silent Cries (No Exit – 1)
Appeared on 14 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 1
Highest Ranking: 1 (Zoom E)
Two songs I ranked today!
White Flag - number 29. This song is heavy but just has a great driving chugging riff and feel. I just love the guitar playing and the drums in this song.
Silent Cries - number 38. Great song with a very different style of vocal from Ray - compared to White Flag.
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White Flag #49
Fantastic song but eclipsed by a few other Theories and think a few of the upbeat numbers on LDGN were better but hey White Flag made my list and dig the song plenty!
Silent Cries NR
And I really don't know why it didn't rank as it's a great number and this is the first in the countdown I regret not pushing into my 50 as I play the songs with each reveal, and listening back now I'm gutted I didn't include it.
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(https://c.tenor.com/unRlK3fmVEwAAAAd/awake-im-awake.gif)
Welcome to the Top 40!
40 A Pleasant Shade of Gray IV (Listen) (APSOG – 3)
Appeared on 10 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 2
Highest Ranking: 8 (Dublagent66)
This section opens with some nice clean guitar, but the standout instrument on this track (or at least the first half of it) is the fretless bass. Joey Vera uses the fretless to GREAT effect a few times on APSOG, but this piece really demonstrates something special, which I doubt anyone expected when the guy from Armored Saint replaced Joe DiBiase. The second half of the track is very different – a very cool instrumental with a bunch of odd time hooks and Kevin Moore’s keyboards adding some great accents. I only had this at #48, and I’m now wishing I had pushed it higher.
39 Firefly (Darkness in a Different Light – 1)
Appeared on 10 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 1
Highest Ranking: 7 (Tomislav95)
I had Firefly at #43, but I kinda thought it would rank a bit higher on the consensus. I can recall hearing this song when it was released and being so happy that, after nearly a decade, Fates had taken a massive leap forward after the prior two very disappointing albums. It’s a great heavy track with a nice chorus, but I ultimately think there are a bunch of much better songs on DIADL.
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APSOG IV at 23 and Firefly 30. I really like the vocal melodies on Firefly.
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Huh. Two more non-rankers for me.
APSOG IV is a beautiful interlude between 3 and 5, but it feels more just that…a bridge between two larger pieces.
Firefly placed in the 90s on my first try. Decent song, just more than 50 songs that are better.
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Both didn't rank for me.
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40 A Pleasant Shade of Gray IV (Listen) (APSOG – 3)
Appeared on 10 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 2
Highest Ranking: 8 (Dublagent66)
39 Firefly (Darkness in a Different Light – 1)
Appeared on 10 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 1
Highest Ranking: 7 (Tomislav95)
APSOG IV - This is my number 9 so I just missed out on the highest ranker. As already stated, ranking these parts/songs was really tough. I really love the back end instrumental section, just a ton of really cool music and ideas going on.
Firefly - Number 22. This is the standout song on DIADL and only one I ranked. Such a great chorus and vocals from Ray.
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APSOG IV - My rank: #34
This is, for me, when Fates Warning truly starts being Fates Warning on this album. The atmospheric first part, with Matheos' cleans and the bass, is so beautifully moody (that clean chord when Alder sings "Listen, only us breathing"...perfect)...then when Zonder starts playing around with his cymbals, you know something cool is about to happen...and it sure does! Great instrumental section. I don't disagree with JDude that this could be considered an interlude of sorts, but for me it sets the tone brilliantly, even more so than the previous parts.
Firefly - Not Ranked
Not a huge fan of DIADL, unfortunately. The generally heavier approach on this album falls a little flat for me. This song is actually pretty good, and would have made a hypothetical top 75. The chorus, in particular, works very well.
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I adopted the approach of combining APSOG parts in bigger musical segments that made more sense to me in terms of sounding more or less like a one song. So APSOGIV and V I ranked at #39 and 40. There’s indeed an amazing fretless bass on it and the instrumental section is great!
I love Firefly (#26) and I think DIADL is a very strong album, although the next would be even better.
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40 A Pleasant Shade of Gray IV (Listen) (APSOG – 3)
Appeared on 10 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 2
Highest Ranking: 8 (Dublagent66)
39 Firefly (Darkness in a Different Light – 1)
Appeared on 10 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 1
Highest Ranking: 7 (Tomislav95)
I ranked neither.
Joey Vera uses the fretless to GREAT effect a few times on APSOG, but this piece really demonstrates something special, which I doubt anyone expected when the guy from Armored Saint replaced Joe DiBiase.
Joey's bass playing in Armored Saint is amazing. They had some sneaky intricate parts, especially during the solo sections.
50 NR
49 Handful Of Doubt
48 Chasing Time
47 APSOG III
46 APSOG VIII (Instrumental) White Flag
45 APSOG IV
44 Firefly
43
42
41
40
39 The Longest Shadow Of The Day
38 Face The Fear
37
36
35
34
33
32 Silent Cries
31 Don't Follow Me
30
29
28
27
26
25
24
23
22
21
20
19
18
17 Exodus
16
15
14
13
12
11
10
9
8
7
6 Down To The Wire
5
4
3
2
1
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I also did not rank either of these songs.
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APSOG IV NR
Came close but NR as it truly is an album piece for me.
Firefly #17
This was Fates announcing their return and after the exceptional work Ray had been doing with Redemption it did not let us down and fit perfectly in that heavier Fates template. Has remained a favourite since. An excellent song off an excellent album which took my AOTY back in 2013, in fact I had this and Dream Theater selftitled back to back for months. My then 11yr old son fell in love with both Firefly and And Yet It Moves amongst others during some lengthy road trips so some nostalgic points throughtout Darkness In A Different Light to boot ;)
I quietly wondered if I might have Firefly at one of the higest rankings, nice to see the love and with Tomislav95 at #7 nice work! :metal
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Joey's bass playing in Armored Saint is amazing. They had some sneaky intricate parts, especially during the solo sections.
AS is a band I completely skipped over back in the day. What's a good starting point (if not the beginning)?
I quietly wondered if I might have Firefly at one of the higest rankings, nice to see the love and with Tomislav95 at #7 nice work! :metal
You were the/a high ranker for 11 of 114 songs (although not all made the top 50).
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March Of The Saint. The first 4 albums are incredible. (sorry, had to chime in on this).
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Still in shock from the Dodgers epic collapse yesterday….
38 The Destination Onward (Long Day Good Night – 2)
Appeared on 12 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 2
Highest Ranking: 5 (Mister Gold)
Today is my day for “I didn’t rank either of these songs.” I’m still working on finding things to like on LDGN. It hasn’t happened yet. The beginning of this song sounds like something from Disconnected or FWX, which is NOT a good thing in my book. It takes almost as long as Octavarium for something interesting to happen. The rest of the song isn’t bad, but it wasn’t enough to grab me. Maybe next year.
37 Left Here (FWX – 2)
Appeared on 13 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 0
Highest Ranking: 13 (jammindude, wolfking)
I didn’t rank this song. It’s ok. I like the chorus melody, but the wordplay kind of annoys me.
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I usually LOVE it when Jim takes a long time to build the “atmosphere” of a song… but it just hasn’t clicked with me on TDO. It came in at #69 on my first list, so it was left off the other two. I have a feeling that this is one of those songs that could grow on me in the future. So if you were to do the same countdown in a couple of years, I might feel differently.
Never been a huge fan of FWX, but Left Here is a highlight and by far the best song on the album. Might be one of the best openers in their entire catalog. Glad to see I was one of the high scorers.
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39 The Destination Onward
19 Left Here
Both great songs. I'm a big fan of FWX but it was definitely a grower for me. It just got better and better the more I listened to it.
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Both songs ranked for me, but they also mark the only remaining appearance of the respective albums on my list...
The Destination Onward - My rank: #36
I actually like the slow build on this one...then a pretty "typical" Jarzombek's drum pattern kicks in and the song gets going. Interesting guitar work. I really like the melody in the "The page forever altered" part, and the chorus is great. My second-favorite on LDGN (after Longest Shadow...), but there will be no more from it in my top 50...
Left Here - My Rank: #46
The lone representative from FWX on my list, it's a very good opener that builds nicely. A good combination of the moods the band had explored in their recent couple of albums and the more melodic approach of the early 90s (especially the chorus, which is excellent)
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38 The Destination Onward (Long Day Good Night – 2)
Appeared on 12 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 2
Highest Ranking: 5 (Mister Gold)
37 Left Here (FWX – 2)
Appeared on 13 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 0
Highest Ranking: 13 (jammindude, wolfking)
I didn't rank either song.
I'm not doing very well. 7 in, 8 out!
50 NR
49 Handful Of Doubt
48 Chasing Time
47 APSOG III
46 APSOG VIII (Instrumental) White Flag
45 APSOG IV
44 Firefly
43 The Destination Onward
42 Left Here
41 The Road Goes On Forever
40
39 The Longest Shadow Of The Day
38 Face The Fear
37
36
35
34
33
32 Silent Cries
31 Don't Follow Me
30
29
28
27
26
25
24
23
22
21
20
19
18
17 Exodus
16
15
14
13
12
11
10
9
8
7
6 Down To The Wire
5
4
3
2
1
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Both songs ranked for me, but they also mark the only remaining appearance of the respective albums on my list...
Hmmm...interesting point. One of the albums is done in the overall countdown.
BONUS SUNDAY SONG!
(https://i.gifer.com/6l8K.gif)
36 The Road Goes on Forever (Parallels – 2)
Appeared on 15 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 0
Highest Ranking: 11 (Zoom E)
I love this song and, in almost any other discography, I’d probably have it higher than #39. I’ve often said that it’s the song I’d like to have played at my funeral. Sort of sounds like a production number, but I was fortunate enough to be in attendance the first time it was played live, and it sounded GREAT.
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Juuuuuust missed my list. All 3 lists had it just outside the top 50. Scores were 53, 54, and 57.
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0 for 3 today! :lol
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Both of you will fare better tomorrow (Tim in particular).
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Never been a huge fan of FWX, but Left Here is a highlight and by far the best song on the album. Might be one of the best openers in their entire catalog. Glad to see I was one of the high scorers.
I like FWX, but I agree it's easily the best song. Glad to see another rate it so highly.
I had TDO at 24, wonderful song.
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I had TRGOF at 35. I love the Leave the Past reprise at the beginning but the whole thing is beautiful.
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I didn't rank Destination Onward.
I had Left Here at #15. I rate FWX quite highly and this is my highest ranked album from FWX.
I’m surprised that I had the highest ranking for The Road Goes On Forever, which is ranked #11 for me.
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38 The Destination Onward (Long Day Good Night – 2)
Appeared on 12 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 2
Highest Ranking: 5 (Mister Gold)
37 Left Here (FWX – 2)
Appeared on 13 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 0
Highest Ranking: 13 (jammindude, wolfking)
The Destination Onwards - I love this song. My number 8. Really interesting how people can have different opinions on music - this intro is something special to me. Just love the guitar arpeggios and melody and the vocals when Ray come in are just superb. The song then turns into a very powerful and catchy heavy song which really works for me.
Left Here - number 35 so pretty close to consensus. Great vibe to this track, strange verse rhythm which feels like it shouldn't work but then continues to build this tension which is released with a great chorus.
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36 The Road Goes on Forever (Parallels – 2)
Appeared on 15 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 0
Highest Ranking: 11 (Zoom E)
Number 49 so just got this one in. I love the Parallels album. This song could have been much higher. A beautiful track.
As a side note is this the highest amount of lists a song has been ranked on so far? 15?
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Joey's bass playing in Armored Saint is amazing. They had some sneaky intricate parts, especially during the solo sections.
AS is a band I completely skipped over back in the day. What's a good starting point (if not the beginning)?
March Of The Saint. The first 4 albums are incredible. (sorry, had to chime in on this).
To get the foundation, yes, the first 4 albums..
March Of The Saint ('84)
Delirious Nomad ('85)
Raising Fear ('87)
Symbol Of Salvation ('91)
Symbol Of Salvation is their most iconic album, and is generally considered their best album. I can't argue with that.
I LOVE Raising Fear though. Book Of Blood is my favorite song by them, and features a great solo by Dave Prichard,. He passed away at 26 of Leukemia in 1990.
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Tim, I personally like Raising Fear the best! Dude, that guitar riff and those bass runs in Frozen Will/Legacy ICONIC!! (Sorry pg , no more AS talk in your thread)
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Tim, I personally like Raising Fear the best!
So do I. :)
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Tim, I personally like Raising Fear the best!
So do I. :)
Hmmm. I've never heard Raising Fear. I skipped right over that one because Delirious Nomad didn’t do much for me.
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Tim, I personally like Raising Fear the best!
So do I. :)
Hmmm. I've never heard Raising Fear. I skipped right over that one because Delirious Nomad didn’t do much for me.
You need to go back and check it out.
Half of Delirious Nomad is Excellent, especially Aftermath.
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Tim, I personally like Raising Fear the best!
So do I. :)
Hmmm. I've never heard Raising Fear. I skipped right over that one because Delirious Nomad didn’t do much for me.
You need to go back and check it out.
Half of Delirious Nomad is Excellent, especially Aftermath.
Will do.
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Tim, I personally like Raising Fear the best!
So do I. :)
Hmmm. I've never heard Raising Fear. I skipped right over that one because Delirious Nomad didn’t do much for me.
You need to go back and check it out.
Half of Delirious Nomad is Excellent, especially Aftermath.
Will do.
I would also highly recommend the Saints Will Conquer live album, recorded on the Raising Fear tour. It's not a full set, but the two Delirious Nomad songs on it, Nervous Man and Long Before I Die really come alive as compared to the tame studio versions.
Oh...and Book Of Blood!!!! :metal
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Just to update on a few:
APSOG III (9)
Heard it live, great atmosphere. Even though it's pretty simple I absolutely love every second of it.
Firefly (7)
Song that got me back into (newer) FW. Again, got into it because of live show supporting that album. Love the emotion it brings, Ray is awesome here. Listen to acoustic version on Youtube if you didn't.
The Destination Onward (16)
Most memorable song on the latest albums for me. It is one of the peaks of modern FW. Love the buildup.
48 Silent Cries
35 Face the Fear
30 The Road Goes on Forever
27 Down to the Wire
25 White Flag
20 Don’t Follow Me
16 The Destination Onward
9 APSOG III (Rain Falling Hours Crawling)
7 Firefly
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The Destination Onward #26
Wow, a top5 vote fantastic Mr Gold :metal
Love this one but admittedly it took me time to get past that long ass intro but fully appreciate it now and the song rocks. A fantastic opener and like I said a couple pages back, LDGN is the album that surprised me the most on return listens for this countdown, and The Destination Onward was on of the true standouts once it kicks in after the 3min mark and Ray comes in is just brilliant!
Left Here NR
Really taken by the love for this one. I did include another FWX song but thinking it may well be the album we've seen the last of anyway clearly wasn't this one ;) May just be me but do think Left Here sounds more APSOG than what would expect of a followup to Disconnected, but yes can appreciate the love for it great song.
The Road Goes On Forever #45
A damn fine song!
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Still in shock from the Dodgers epic collapse yesterday….
38 The Destination Onward (Long Day Good Night – 2)
Appeared on 12 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 2
Highest Ranking: 5 (Mister Gold)
Today is my day for “I didn’t rank either of these songs.” I’m still working on finding things to like on LDGN. It hasn’t happened yet. The beginning of this song sounds like something from Disconnected or FWX, which is NOT a good thing in my book. It takes almost as long as Octavarium for something interesting to happen. The rest of the song isn’t bad, but it wasn’t enough to grab me. Maybe next year.
37 Left Here (FWX – 2)
Appeared on 13 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 0
Highest Ranking: 13 (jammindude, wolfking)
I didn’t rank this song. It’s ok. I like the chorus melody, but the wordplay kind of annoys me.
My apologies for having been quiet on my votes up to now, but I definitely feel like I need to bring up my ranking for The Destination Onward and why the song made it all the way into my Top 5. While I certainly don't dislike the latest album from FW, I've been surprised by how rarely I revisit it... safe for TDO. That song has gotten frequent and regular rotation from me whenever I go on a Fates Warning binge every few weeks.
There's just something about the song. The lyrics are some of the finest Ray's ever written and his vocal melodies in the song- especially that chorus- are utterly sublime.
Also, as a tease for everyone: The remainder of my Top 5 consists of one other song from the 2010's, two songs from the 1980's and one song from the 1990's. Also, my Number 6 was another song from the 2010's era.
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I've missed a whole bunch of this, just catching up. So far I've had a few from my list close to the final rank and a whole bunch that missed my list completely.
The Destination Onward:
My highest ranked song from LDGN at #30, love the build up - love the chorus call/response - Ray sounds great on this one.
Left Here:
Not my highest ranked song from FWX, but it did come in at 16. Loved this song from the first spin and that hasn't waned one bit with time. Great FW tune!! If it wasn't for the connection I have with another song, this would have been the highest on FWX for me.
Did not rate:
Face the Fear
Don't Follow Me
Exodus
Chasing Time
APSOG III
White Flag
Firefly
The Road Goes on Forever
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AS is a band I completely skipped over back in the day. What's a good starting point (if not the beginning)?
Symbol of Salvation gets my vote. GREAT record.
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Still in shock from the Dodgers epic collapse yesterday….
38 The Destination Onward (Long Day Good Night – 2)
Appeared on 12 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 2
Highest Ranking: 5 (Mister Gold)
Today is my day for “I didn’t rank either of these songs.” I’m still working on finding things to like on LDGN. It hasn’t happened yet. The beginning of this song sounds like something from Disconnected or FWX, which is NOT a good thing in my book. It takes almost as long as Octavarium for something interesting to happen. The rest of the song isn’t bad, but it wasn’t enough to grab me. Maybe next year.
37 Left Here (FWX – 2)
Appeared on 13 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 0
Highest Ranking: 13 (jammindude, wolfking)
I didn’t rank this song. It’s ok. I like the chorus melody, but the wordplay kind of annoys me.
APSOG IV - unranked for me. Not much to say.
Firefly - came in at #20 on my list. LOVE this song. I by far prefer the long version. IIRC, Jim said the label wanted a single, so they agreed to hack off the end section. I think that was a mistake.
The Destination Onward - had this at #31. It could climb higher for sure, but I didn't spend enough time with it. It is my favorite off of LDGN. I just think the album suffers from not having a tour and listening to it be performed live. Plus LDGN was released and then just...nothing, because of the pandemic. Really hurt the ranking of those songs for me.
Left Here - I had this at #30. Love this tune. Great opening track in an odd way. It's midtempo, but works because of the moody and angry feel that Ray delivers. I will say it again, FWX is criminally underrated.
The Road Goes on Forever - #36 for me. Great end to Parallels.
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Catching up:
40. APSOG IV (NR). Just missed the cut at #52 for me. Another song that works best as part of the whole for me. Mark does some really cool drumming on this.
39. Firefly (NR). If I were to redo my list, this would make the cut over some of the other DIADL songs that made my list. I really like the extended version, as well.
38. The Destination Onward (50). Just made the cut. Once it gets going, this is a great song.
37. Left Here (NR). Left off my list.
36. The Road Goes On Forever (NR). Great closer for Parallels, but I'm not a huge fan of the electronic drum sounds Mark uses on the verses. Adds an unnecessary layer of cheese, IMHO.
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A quick housekeeping note: I likely will not be doing any reveals tomorrow. I'm getting on a plane at 6 a.m. Pacific time and will be driving for about four hours after I land. However, I now have a bunch of Armored Saint to listen to on the plane, so thanks for that!
Moving on...
35 Something from Nothing (Disconnected – 1)
Appeared on 9 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 3
Highest Ranking: 4 (Lethean, jammindude)
The first appearance of a song from Disconnected. I didn’t rank this song, and this album was a big disappointment on the heels of APSOG. They played a few songs when I saw them on the DIADL tour, so one song actually made my list and another came close. But this wasn’t either of those songs. There's the makings of a decent song here, but you'd have to peel back to much other stuff to get to it. Obviously, three very high rankings made up for the fact that it made fewer than half of the lists.
34 The Strand (Inside Out – 3)
Appeared on 12 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 1
Highest Ranking: 9 (Zoom E)
This is the first big surprise for me among songs that made the top 50. I believe this was Frank Aresti's last writing contribution to Fates until one small contribution on DIADL. This song is fine. The chorus is nice, but I generally consider it the weak link in the first half of Inside Out. I didn't figure it would fare well, but it kept turning up on more and more lists, with 6 of the 12 lists that included it having it in the top half.
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Safe travels P!
Something From Nothing - unranked for me. Not a bad song, but just didn't crack my top 50.
The Strand - #40 on my list. Good song, Aresti has such a distinct writing style. I like it.
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I want to point out that I am tied with Lethean because I ranked SFN at #4 as well. I will comment later, as I am at work now.
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I didn’t rank Something from Nothing. Disconnected is one of tge weaker FW releases for me.
While Inside Out is far from being a favourite FW. Album, The Strand is a standout for me and I had it ranked at #9. This is the third song that I’ve given the highest ranking. Interesting.
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I want to point out that I am tied with Lethean because I ranked SFN at #4 as well.
You're right. I edited the post.
By the way, unless I miscounted (and I might have), there three people who will be high ranker for six songs. Six people are high ranker on four songs. Four people are high ranker on three songs. Six people are high ranker on two songs. No one is high ranker on fewer than two.
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#28 for The Strand, and #4 for Something from Nothing.
I don't usually think of The Strand when thinking about my favorite FW songs, but whenever I hear it I love it, and that was definitely reinforced when making this list.
And I really think Something from Nothing is incredible.
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35 Something from Nothing (Disconnected – 1)
Appeared on 9 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 3
Highest Ranking: 4 (Lethean, jammindude)
34 The Strand (Inside Out – 3)
Appeared on 12 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 1
Highest Ranking: 9 (Zoom E)
I had Something For Nothing at #5.
This is a great song. When it finally gets going, it's fantastic. Love Mark Zonder's slappy hi-hat in the verse.
I had I had The Strand at #13.
I love Ray's voice on this album and this has such a nice chorus. Really smooth.
50 NR
49 Handful Of Doubt
48 Chasing Time
47 APSOG III
46 APSOG VIII (Instrumental) White Flag
45 APSOG IV
44 Firefly
43 The Destination Onward
42 Left Here
41 The Road Goes On Forever
40
39 The Longest Shadow Of The Day
38 Face The Fear
37
36
35
34
33
32 Silent Cries
31 Don't Follow Me
30
29
28
27
26
25
24
23
22
21
20
19
18
17 Exodus
16
15
14
13 The Strand
12
11
10
9
8
7
6 Down To The Wire
5
4 Something For Nothing
3
2
1
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35 Something from Nothing (Disconnected – 1)
Appeared on 9 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 3
Highest Ranking: 4 (Lethean, jammindude)
34 The Strand (Inside Out – 3)
Appeared on 12 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 1
Highest Ranking: 9 (Zoom E)
Something for Nothing - unranked. A bit surprised at the really high rankings of this song. This song takes 5 minutes to actually get going and when it does, it doesn't really appeal to me however the drumming is great.
The Strand - unranked. This is an interesting song with some really cool parts but I am not sure the sum of them all entirely works for me. This song was never a chance for my top 50.
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2 more unranked from me.
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I had Something from Nothing at #4. This song is literally goosebumps in a can. I love every single second. If “atmosphere” had a musical definition, it would simply say “see: first 3 minutes of Something from Nothing by Fates Warning”
I’ve memorized the little sound effects. The way they build layers to the payoff. If this comes on while I’m driving, the sound immediately goes all the way up, and I have a different “face” I make for each individual layered effect. I especially like the very quiet electrical sound (not sure how else to describe it?) during the quiet vocal section. This song is like very slow ear sex.
The Strand didn’t rank. It’s ok. It got to 88 on my first list.
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Generally, I can do without the intro to Something For Nothing.
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The Road Goes On Forever - My rank: #41
Not too far from aggregate ranking. While it is my least favorite on Parallels, this song has grown on me significantly in time. For a while, I viewed it as a pretty nondescript way of concluding an amazing album. Not band, but just kind of there. Now I appreciate it much more. It doesn't have the striking qualities of the rest of the songs, but it's quite beautiful - especially the bridge starting before the 4-minute mark (I wish that lasted a little longer, although the subtle guitar theme in it gets a reprise later)
Something for Nothing - My rank: #40
Ha! Consecutive rank in my list too! For me, it suffers a bit from the comparison with the other longer song on the same album, but it's a pretty great song. Yes, the intro is kinda long, but the mood it creates is quite special. When it gets going, the riffing is great, and I LOVE Zonder's drumming on this one.
The Strand - My rank: #32
Again, close to the aggregate. A "sleeper" song from Inside Out, in that it didn't grab me right away. Not as immediate as some of the songs surrounding it, but I love it now. Very unique, with lots of interesting bits and pieces.
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The Strand (#20 to me) - I love this one, very climatic and somewhat restrained, but also it's really cool and different.
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Generally, I can do without the intro to Something For Nothing.
Did Kade write that? Oh wait, that was "I Still Remember Someone Else". :lol
** Much love to the Kangaroo King! My mate!!!! :heart
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2 more unranked from me.
Did you actually submit a list mate? ;)
Something from Nothing NR
Yeah that intro lost me for years but I can listen to this one now no problems to my ears the distinct nod to APSOG on Disconnected. Cool song .
The Strand #44
Nick described this one perfectly already for me was always a sleeper but once it gets in yer head it is quite the staple IO song, love Ray's delivery in the chorus \m/
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Generally, I can do without the intro to Something For Nothing.
Did Kade write that? Oh wait, that was "I Still Remember Someone Else". :lol
** Much love to the Kangaroo King! My mate!!!! :heart
Just when I let my guard down this random zinger comes out again! :lol
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2 more unranked from me.
Did you actually submit a list mate? ;)
Something from Nothing NR
Yeah that intro lost me for years but I can listen to this one now no problems to my ears the distinct nod to APSOG on Disconnected. Cool song .
The Strand #44
Nick described this one perfectly already for me was always a sleeper but once it gets in yer head it is quite the staple IO song, love Ray's delivery in the chorus \m/
:lol Kombo Kade attack!
I actually haven't kept track of how many I have currently. I'll have to go back and check.
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35 Something from Nothing (Disconnected – 1)
Appeared on 9 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 3
Highest Ranking: 4 (Lethean, jammindude)
The first appearance of a song from Disconnected. I didn’t rank this song, and this album was a big disappointment on the heels of APSOG. They played a few songs when I saw them on the DIADL tour, so one song actually made my list and another came close. But this wasn’t either of those songs. There's the makings of a decent song here, but you'd have to peel back to much other stuff to get to it. Obviously, three very high rankings made up for the fact that it made fewer than half of the lists.
34 The Strand (Inside Out – 3)
Appeared on 12 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 1
Highest Ranking: 9 (Zoom E)
This is the first big surprise for me among songs that made the top 50. I believe this was Frank Aresti's last writing contribution to Fates until one small contribution on DIADL. This song is fine. The chorus is nice, but I generally consider it the weak link in the first half of Inside Out. I didn't figure it would fare well, but it kept turning up on more and more lists, with 6 of the 12 lists that included it having it in the top half.
The Strand (25):
Really enjoy everything about this one, will second my love for how Ray handled the chorus. This is the best era/line up of FW, for me, and my ranking covered a lot of Parallels/IO. Though, the last two albums are also well represented on my list.
Did not rate:
Face the Fear
Don't Follow Me
Exodus
Chasing Time
APSOG III
White Flag
Firefly
The Road Goes on Forever
Something From Nothing
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No. Ranked Songs Not Ranked Songs
50 Face the Fear
49 Left Here Don't Follow Me
48 Exodus
47 Handful of Doubt
46 Down to the Wire
45 Chasing Time
44 White Flag
43 The Destination Onward
42 Something from Nothing
41
40
39
38
37 The Strand
36
35
34
33 The Longest Shadow of the Day
32
31
30 Silent Cries
29 Firefly
28
27
26 APSOG III
25
24
23
22
21
20
19
18
17 The Road Goes on Forever
16
15 Don’t Follow Me
14
13 APSOG VIII
12
11
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
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Sorry about the lateness of this post, which comes to you from Belfast, Maine. In penance, I will give you the bonus song that I was going to post yesterday!
33 We Only Say Goodbye (Parallels – 3)
Appeared on 10 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 3
Highest Ranking: 3 (TAC, WardySI)
We’ve now seen the final 3 songs from Parallels. I like this song just fine, but it didn’t make my top 50. There’s just nothing exceptional about it. The chorus is ok. The verses – nothing special. I think I’d like it more if it were 20% or so faster.
32 The Apparition (The Spectre Within – 1)
Appeared on 12 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 2
Highest Ranking: 9 (WardySI)
Alright…Arch song #2! I LOVE this song and ranked it at #14 and was pleased that two others ranked it higher. Killer intro (although I admit it might drag on just a bit too long). Possibly my favorite set of Arch lyrics – especially the part about the four mirrors of life. That said, it’s not my favorite song on TSW.
31 Another Perfect Day (FWX – 3)
Appeared on 15 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 1
Highest Ranking: 10 (Puppies_on_Acid)
This is a song I skipped over when FWX came out, but they played it live when I saw them on the DIADL tour and then got into it. I had it at #50, and it’s the only FWX song I ranked.
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Album rankings through the first 20:
1. FWX (3 songs, 38 points): Handful of Doubt (47T), Left Here (37), Another Perfect Day (31)
2. Parallels (3 songs, 35 points): Don't Follow Me (49T), The Road Goes on Forever (36), We Only Say Goodbye (33)
3. Inside Out (3 songs, 25 points): Face the Fear (49T), Down to the Wire (45T), The Strand (34)
4. A Pleasant Shade of Gray (3 songs, 23 points): VIII (47T), III (43), IV (40)
5T. Long Day Good Night (2 songs, 19 points): The Longest Shadow of the Day (45T), The Destination Onward (38)
5T. The Spectre Within (1 song, 19 points): The Apparition (32)
7. Disconnected (1 song, 16 points): Something from Nothing (35)
8. Darkness in a Different Light (1 song, 12 points): Firefly (39)
9. No Exit (1 song, 10 points): Silent Cries (41)
10. Theories of Flight (1 song, 9 points): White Flag (42)
11. Perfect Symmetry (1 song, 7 points): Chasing Time (44)
12. Awaken the Guardian (1 song, 2 points): Exodus (49T)
13. Night on Brocken (0 songs)
P.S. 8 of the next 10 will come from two albums.
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33 We Only Say Goodbye (Parallels – 3)
Appeared on 10 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 3
Highest Ranking: 3 (TAC, WardySI)
32 The Apparition (The Spectre Within – 1)
Appeared on 12 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 2
Highest Ranking: 9 (WardySI)
31 Another Perfect Day (FWX – 3)
Appeared on 15 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 1
Highest Ranking: 10 (Puppies_on_Acid)
We Only Say Goodbye - my number 27. I really like this song, just really strong melodies. Musically it doesn't take the listener on a huge journey but the strength of the musical hooks makes it memorable.
The Apparition - my number 28. This song is pretty classic John Arch stuff. His vocals are obviously an acquired taste but when they are on they are on and he delivers on this track. Melodically it probably isn't as wordy as other tracks which helps to make it more appealing. The last couple of minutes of this track are totally awesome. I think the love for Arch will be limited in this countdown but great to see this song make it.
Another Perfect Day - my 36. 15 lists for this song is a good effort. Are we done with FWX now?
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33 We Only Say Goodbye (Parallels – 3)
Appeared on 10 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 3
Highest Ranking: 3 (TAC, WardySI)
32 The Apparition (The Spectre Within – 1)
Appeared on 12 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 2
Highest Ranking: 9 (WardySI)
31 Another Perfect Day (FWX – 3)
Appeared on 15 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 1
Highest Ranking: 10 (Puppies_on_Acid)
I had We Only Say Goodbye at #3. I love this song, and it is so relatable to anyone who has had a relationship fizzle.
I love these two lines..
Thought I heard you call my name
But you only said goodbye
Tried to tell you my deepest thoughts
But I only said goodbye
Fucking brilliant.
I had I had The Apparition at #35. Really classic metal feel to it. Nice and accessible for an Arch-Era track. Have they ever done this with Ray?
EDIT: They played it on the Perfect Symmetry tour..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YtnzYD7ELY
I had Another Perfect Day at #36. Very nice and easy on the ears. My only track from FWX.
50 NR
49 Handful Of Doubt
48 Chasing Time
47 APSOG III
46 APSOG VIII (Instrumental) White Flag
45 APSOG IV
44 Firefly
43 The Destination Onward
42 Left Here
41 The Road Goes On Forever
40
39 The Longest Shadow Of The Day
38 Face The Fear
37
36 Another Perfect Day
35 The Apparition
34
33
32 Silent Cries
31 Don't Follow Me
30
29
28
27
26
25
24
23
22
21
20
19
18
17 Exodus
16
15
14
13 The Strand
12
11
10
9
8
7
6 Down To The Wire
5
4 Something For Nothing
3 We Only Say Goodbye
2
1
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We’ve now seen the final 3 songs from Parallels.
Wait wut? :omg:
I guess I know what this means...
- As things stand, Tim's list holds a distinction that is true of none of the other lists.
I have bad news for Awaken....
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I had Goodbye at number 4. It's fucking incredible. As Tim said, the lyrics are amazing and the simple nature and structure of it is just perfect. Jim's simple solo is wonderful also.
Apparition was at 17 for me. Wonderful song and such an ear worm.
Perfect Day I had at 20. An instant fav from FWX.
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We’ve now seen the final 3 songs from Parallels.
What the fuck?!
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We’ve now seen the final 3 songs from Parallels.
Wait wut? :omg:
I imagine pg means the last 3 songs in the tracklist, not that we are done with Parallels in the ranking...that would be shocking indeed :biggrin:
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We’ve now seen the final 3 songs from Parallels.
Wait wut? :omg:
I imagine pg means the last 3 songs in the tracklist, not that we are done with Parallels in the ranking...that would be shocking indeed :biggrin:
That would make more sense. Hopefully that's the case.
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We’ve now seen the final 3 songs from Parallels.
Wait wut? :omg:
I imagine pg means the last 3 songs in the tracklist, not that we are done with Parallels in the ranking...that would be shocking indeed :biggrin:
That would make more sense. Hopefully that's the case.
That has to be the case, surely more to come from Parallels!
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Paul, you got some splaining to do.
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We Only Say Goodbye - My rank: #17
Fantastic song. It's a common theme on Parallels but, man oh man, those guitars. Even in stuff that is relatively simple, the interplay and the tone...just so incredibly tasteful. And the chorus on this thing, with the vocal harmonies, is amazing,
The Apparition - My rank: #48
The lone representative from The Spectre Within on my list. I agree with Tim there's a classic metal feel to it, but with enough of that special 80s FW sauce already. And all wrapped in a relatively accessible package. Arch sounds great, especially in the more up-tempo, final part of the song. Good stuff.
Another Perfect Day - Not Ranked
Missed my top 50, but not by much. It's a catchy and pleasant song that certainly appears to be a crowd favorite from FW's 21st century records. Nothing wrong with the tune, just many better ones for me...
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Perfect Day I had at 20. An instant fav from FWX.
It was for me as well. The album as a whole was a grower but I immediately loved this song. I like some others from FWX better now but still consider this a favorite. I ranked it at #35.
The other two were unranked for me.
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I had Another Perfect Day at #16. A highly memorable tune. It’s just a nice listen.
I didn't rank The Apparition or We Only Say Goodbye.
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Perfect Day I had at 20. An instant fav from FWX.
It was for me as well. The album as a whole was a grower but I immediately loved this song. I like some others from FWX better now but still consider this a favorite. I ranked it at #35.
The other two were unranked for me.
Left Here has become the best tune for me, but for a long time, Perfect Day was the instant song I was drawn to.
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We’ve now seen the final 3 songs from Parallels.
Wait wut? :omg:
I guess I could've worded that better.
We've now seen the last three tracks from Parallels - 6. WOSG, 7. DFM and 8. TRGOF. :biggrin:
Another Perfect Day - my 36. 15 lists for this song is a good effort. Are we done with FWX now?
Two albums that have had songs revealed are done. That's all I'll say for now.
I guess I know what this means...
- As things stand, Tim's list holds a distinction that is true of none of the other lists.
I have bad news for Awaken....
Didn't I subsequently explain what I meant by that? I know I mentioned that several other lists achieved the same distinction: including at least one song from every album. Those whose lists did that are TAC, WardySI, Awaken, The Realm, Zoom E, Mister Gold, and jammindude.
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Another Perfect Day - my 36. 15 lists for this song is a good effort. Are we done with FWX now?
Two albums that have had songs revealed are done. That's all I'll say for now.
That is interesting. I like how you wrote 'two albums that have had songs revealed are done' as I think in total 3 albums may be done. I'm thinking there is a good chance no songs from Night on Brocken make it. My guess for the 2 albums with revealed songs that are done: FWX and DIADL.
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Perfect Day I had at 20. An instant fav from FWX.
It was for me as well. The album as a whole was a grower but I immediately loved this song. I like some others from FWX better now but still consider this a favorite. I ranked it at #35.
The other two were unranked for me.
Left Here has become the best tune for me, but for a long time, Perfect Day was the instant song I was drawn to.
Left Here is one of my favorites from FWX as well.
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We Only Say Goodbye was #62 on my first list, and it just missed being included on subsequent lists. Pretty good tune.
The Apparition was officially my first FW love. This was THE song that was included on The Best of Metal Blade Volume 1, that convinced me to go buy TSW right away. Still love this song. The golden mirrors section deserves all the love it gets. I had it at #17 overall.
I absolutely do not get the love for APD at all. I always thought Jim was a million times better at writing epics than singles. Even Through Different Eyes (which, IMO, was his first blatant attempt at writing a catchy “single”) was the weakest link on PS. And I think APD suffers from the same klunky-ness. I had it at #106 out of 107 that I even bothered with on my first run through.
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We Only Say Goodbye #3 and we'll played TAC \m/
First time hearing this album in full was late in the day during a road trip and by the time this track came on we were headed towards a beautiful sun setting and somehow it all still fit and made sense. Just love this one!
The Apparition #9
Wow! Essential Fates did not expect to get highest vote for this killer track thought it would easily be further up there for some but there ya go. Classic Arch era Fates!
Another Perfect Day NR
Like this one but never quite understood the love for it. NR for me but nice enough song will give this some more spins see if it clicks some more ;)
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We Only Say Goodbye - Love the lyrics, on the same page w TAC on that point. And I had it right at 33, too.
The Apparition - I had this one at 37 - it was my intro to FW (I believe I saw it was someone else's as well). I loved everything about this one on first listen and still go back to it often. One of those songs where I can put it on and remember immediately where I was, who I was with, what we were doing when I first heard it. Probably should have put it higher based on that alone.
Another Perfect Day - Came in at 49 for me - Barely made the list and didn't make it at all 2 of the 5 times I ran through the ranking. Depends on the day, I guess, but this is another one where the the lyrics really stuck out to me, love the composition as well.
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Another Perfect Day - my 36. 15 lists for this song is a good effort. Are we done with FWX now?
Two albums that have had songs revealed are done. That's all I'll say for now.
That is interesting. I like how you wrote 'two albums that have had songs revealed are done' as I think in total 3 albums may be done. I'm thinking there is a good chance no songs from Night on Brocken make it. My guess for the 2 albums with revealed songs that are done: FWX and DIADL.
If you were an MLB player, you'd have led both leagues in batting average but would not have satisfied Meatloaf's criteria for "not bad."
Moving right along before I get on the road today....
30 Island in the Stream (Inside Out – 4)
Appeared on 11 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 0
Highest Ranking: 11 (devieira73, sfam2112)
I said before that I was surprised at how well The Strand did in this countdown, and I’m even more surprised about this song. This song is a big dull dud for me. I think I might like it a bit better if it ended at the 4:54 mark, where it sounds like it’s about to end. That long outro really drags for me, and it diminishes the impact of the build up prior to that point. Needless to say, I didn’t rank this song.
29 Shelter Me/Circles (Inside Out – 5)
Appeared on 11 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 2
Highest Ranking: 6 (Dublagent66)
On the other hand, I LOVE Shelter Me/Circles. Zonder’s use of unusual percussion in the intro and verses is masterful, and it’s got another one of those great Fates Warning pre-choruses, followed by one of the catchiest choruses in the catalog. Hard to understand why this song didn’t hit (although I guess the release year and lack of record company support probably explains it). I assume Circles was the original version of the song – with the interlude that worked its way into Outside Looking In (where it works WAY better). The changes they made for the album version greatly improved the song – particularly the chorus.
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Island in the Stream was #14 for me. One of my favorites from their catalog. It paints such a great picture.
Shelter Me was not ranked...which must have been an error on my part.
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Island in the Stream (#11) - It has an amazing atmosphere, it really transports you to a beautiful and peaceful place.
Shelter Me (#16) -So catchy! It should be a hit (to the fan base) like Point of View.
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Island in the Stream was #12 for me. I think that song is incredible and Ray's vocals are amazing.
Shelter Me wasn't ranked but I think it was hovering near the top 50.
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No. Ranked Songs Not Ranked Songs
50 Face the Fear
49 Left Here Don't Follow Me
48 Exodus
47 Another Perfect Day Handful of Doubt
46 Down to the Wire
45 Chasing Time
44 White Flag
43 The Destination Onward
42 Something from Nothing
41 We Only Say Goodbye
40 The Apparition
39
38
37 The Strand
36
35
34
33 The Longest Shadow of the Day
32
31
30 Silent Cries
29 Firefly
28
27
26 APSOG III
25
24
23
22
21
20
19
18
17 The Road Goes on Forever
16
15 Don’t Follow Me
14 Island in the Stream
13 APSOG VIII
12
11
10
9
8
7
6 Shelter Me/Circles
5
4
3
2
1
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Island in the Stream came in at 15 for me, Shelter Me/Circles at 11. Just relistened to both and happy with those ranks, though Island came in higher than I expected when I did the final ranking.
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I had Island in the Stream at #35 and did not rank Shelter Me/Circles.
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Island in the Stream is my 2nd favorite from IO. But it didn’t rank. It made 58 and 52 on the first two list, and 55 on the final. Beautiful song that just barely missed being included.
Shelter Me is ok. But like so much of IO, it feels like a Parallels “B-side”. I had it at 99 on my first list.
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30 Island in the Stream (Inside Out – 4)
Appeared on 11 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 0
Highest Ranking: 11 (devieira73, sfam2112)
29 Shelter Me/Circles (Inside Out – 5)
Appeared on 11 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 2
Highest Ranking: 6 (Dublagent66)
I had Island In The Stream as Not Rated. I love Inside Out, but this song is a slog to get through.
I had Shelter Me at #10. I love this song. Ray is amazing and it has a great solo spot.
50 NR
49 Handful Of Doubt
48 Chasing Time
47 APSOG III
46 APSOG VIII (Instrumental) White Flag
45 APSOG IV
44 Firefly
43 The Destination Onward
42 Left Here
41 The Road Goes On Forever
40 Island In The Stream
39 The Longest Shadow Of The Day
38 Face The Fear
37
36 Another Perfect Day
35 The Apparition
34
33
32 Silent Cries
31 Don't Follow Me
30
29
28
27
26
25
24
23
22
21
20
19
18
17 Exodus
16
15
14
13 The Strand
12
11
10 Shelter Me
9
8
7
6 Down To The Wire
5
4 Something For Nothing
3 We Only Say Goodbye
2
1
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30 Island in the Stream (Inside Out – 4)
Appeared on 11 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 0
Highest Ranking: 11 (devieira73, sfam2112)
29 Shelter Me/Circles (Inside Out – 5)
Appeared on 11 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 2
Highest Ranking: 6 (Dublagent66)
Island in the Stream - unranked. Not really my 'cup of tea' when it comes to Fates Warning.
Shelter Me/Circles - number 39. Great chorus carries this one.
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Since when is it called Shelter Me/Circles?
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Since when is it called Shelter Me/Circles?
Ha! Yeah good question. I was just writing it like that as everyone else is. It is just Shelter Me (to me).
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Since when is it called Shelter Me/Circles?
Ha! Yeah good question. I was just writing it like that as everyone else is. It is just Shelter Me (to me).
Pg explained that in the OP
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On the off chance that someone isn't familiar with this.
This is Shelter Me (from Inside Out): https://youtu.be/kHliWCJWhvw
This is Circles (from the Chasing Time compilation album, which was released almost exactly a year after IO): https://youtu.be/2c7XD_As4hM
They're different versions of the same song which (as explained in the original post) I counted as a single song for purposes of this countdown. I've never read anything about this, but Circles appears to be the original version. It's in a different key, at a slower tempo, and with mostly different lyrics. There's a also an interlude that eventually found its way into the song Outside Looking In.
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Oh my. Circles can go fuck itself. :lol
Is it a demo of Shelter Me? If so I take it back.
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Yeah, Circles is not in the same league as Shelter. It's a nice listen, but that's it.
I had Island at 22. I love the atmosphere of this one and Frank's solo is wonderful.
Shelter Me I had a t 15. Again, just a wonderful song and a simple but very effective Matheos solo.
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I actually like parts of Circles better than Shelter Me, but hey it's all pretty much the same song anyway.
Here's an extended version (demo). When the song ends...wait for it...
https://youtu.be/X-tA0_MLlLs
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Monument fuckers! :metal
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Monument fuckers! :metal
I'm sure it's coming.
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Yes, Inside Out day! And two fantastic songs to boot...
Island in the Stream - My rank: #18
Count me in as a huge fan of this one. 100% agree with Lethean that Ray's vocals here are so, so good. The melody in the verses is pure bliss. I love how the orchestration is very subtle but its presence is felt more and more. Anyway, beautiful ballad, I like pretty much everything about it
Shelter Me - My rank: #13
Almost cracking my top 10, this is another big favorite from Inside Out. Catchy Fates Warning at their best. Beautiful guitars, beautiful melodies, and great drumming. And, since we are discussing this vs. its demo (sorta) version Circles - for me, the chorus really is where it's at. Shelter Me really delivers there.
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Monument fuckers! :metal
(https://external-preview.redd.it/WW8M_eRfHsyJfIG9yyYxV2HW7B20d7OIE99jy3Nm-7M.jpg?auto=webp&s=a8b243f2cc7eb53bc0b1038e6823d7d6cdbcf7c6)
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Monument fuckers! :metal
(https://external-preview.redd.it/WW8M_eRfHsyJfIG9yyYxV2HW7B20d7OIE99jy3Nm-7M.jpg?auto=webp&s=a8b243f2cc7eb53bc0b1038e6823d7d6cdbcf7c6)
Thank you! :)
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Monument fuckers! :metal
(https://external-preview.redd.it/WW8M_eRfHsyJfIG9yyYxV2HW7B20d7OIE99jy3Nm-7M.jpg?auto=webp&s=a8b243f2cc7eb53bc0b1038e6823d7d6cdbcf7c6)
WTF is that??? :-[
Aaaaanyway...
Island in the Stream #46
Lovely song albeit wasn't instant and took some time to win me over. Otherwise everything said above already covers it!
Shelter Me #25
Playing it now am starting wonder if I didn't rate this highly enough. Incredible song and agree with whoever said it above already this should've been a hit!
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Burnside Fountain in Worcester, Mass.: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burnside_Fountain
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Yesterday was Inside Out day, so today is APSOG day!
28 A Pleasant Shade of Gray X/XI (Instrumental/Do You Think That I Remember) (APSOG – 4)
Appeared on 11 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 4
Highest Ranking: 2 (SoundscapeMN)
This is my highest ranked track from APSOG at #7. I’m honestly not sure why X is a separate track since it’s nothing but pulsing electronics and a simple keyboard progression (hence the reason I combined it with XI, which is where all the action is). I love the main riff, which I look at as 4/4, 4/4, 5/8, with the 5/8 replaced by a bar of 4/4 every fourth time. It’s a great rhythm that keeps pushing the song along to that final run to that final line of “call, hear your call, hear your call, hear your call!” What I love even more is that this rhythm comes directly from the acoustic guitar/piano etude in APSOG VIII. Brilliant composition by Jim.
27 A Pleasant Shade of Gray V (Murdered in Munich/Let Nothing Bleed into Nothing) (APSOG – 5)
Appeared on 13 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 2
Highest Ranking: 7 (Lethean)
Great first half of APSOG track. Nice groove. Some slap bass from Joey and great atmospheric keys from Kevin Moore. It’s the one track from APSOG that didn’t make my top 50, and I can’t think of any good reason why.
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APSOG X/XI - My rank: #44
Great atmospherics in the instrumental, reprising the main theme. Then it gets proggy with Part XI, in a very Fates Warning-way. Absolutely LOVE the guitar/keys riff 20 seconds in, with Zonder shifting stuff around. The faster tempo section is great too. I could have (should have?) easily ranked this one higher...I guess it's just a reminder of how good APSOG is as a whole.
APSOG V - My rank: #24
Love Kevin Moore's work here. The drum/bass interplay in the first half of the song is brilliant, as is the chorus. Then things go kinda nuts roughly after the 3-minute mark. Deliciously complex. Talk about a lot happening in a relatively short piece. Love it!
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No. Ranked Songs Not Ranked Songs
50 Face the Fear
49 Left Here Don't Follow Me
48 Exodus
47 Another Perfect Day Handful of Doubt
46 Down to the Wire
45 Chasing Time
44 White Flag
43 The Destination Onward
42 Something from Nothing
41 We Only Say Goodbye
40 The Apparition
39
38
37 The Strand
36
35
34
33 The Longest Shadow of the Day
32
31
30 Silent Cries
29 Firefly
28
27
26 APSOG III
25
24
23
22 APSOG V
21
20
19
18
17 The Road Goes on Forever
16
15 Don’t Follow Me
14 Island in the Stream
13 APSOG VIII
12
11
10 APSOG X/XI
9
8
7
6 Shelter Me/Circles
5
4
3
2
1
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28 A Pleasant Shade of Gray X/XI (Instrumental/Do You Think That I Remember) (APSOG – 4)
Appeared on 11 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 4
Highest Ranking: 2 (SoundscapeMN)
27 A Pleasant Shade of Gray V (Murdered in Munich/Let Nothing Bleed into Nothing) (APSOG – 5)
Appeared on 13 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 2
Highest Ranking: 7 (Lethean)
APSOG X/XI - unranked. This is great as the whole album is and could have appeared anywhere in my list but to get everything else in I had to regrettably leave out something....
APSOG V - number 12. Love the power and rhythm of this track. Some great keyboard work, featuring that cool simple motif about half way through. The drumming on the second half of the track is fantastic.
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28 A Pleasant Shade of Gray X/XI (Instrumental/Do You Think That I Remember) (APSOG – 4)
Appeared on 11 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 4
Highest Ranking: 2 (SoundscapeMN)
This is my highest ranked track from APSOG at #7. I’m honestly not sure why X is a separate track since it’s nothing but pulsing electronics and a simple keyboard progression (hence the reason I combined it with XI, which is where all the action is). I love the main riff, which I look at as 4/4, 4/4, 5/8, with the 5/8 replaced by a bar of 4/4 every fourth time. It’s a great rhythm that keeps pushing the song along to that final run to that final line of “call, hear your call, hear your call, hear your call!” What I love even more is that this rhythm comes directly from the acoustic guitar/piano etude in APSOG VIII. Brilliant composition by Jim.
27 A Pleasant Shade of Gray V (Murdered in Munich/Let Nothing Bleed into Nothing) (APSOG – 5)
Appeared on 13 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 2
Highest Ranking: 7 (Lethean)
I had APSOG XI (Do You Think That I) at #22. This is such a great and long awaited climax to this overblown album.
I had APSOG V (Murder In Munich as Not Ranked. Didn't rank it.
50 NR
49 Handful Of Doubt
48 Chasing Time
47 APSOG III
46 APSOG VIII (Instrumental) White Flag
45 APSOG IV
44 Firefly
43 The Destination Onward
42 Left Here
41 The Road Goes On Forever
40 Island In The Stream
39 The Longest Shadow Of The Day APSOG V (Murder In Munich)
38 Face The Fear
37
36 Another Perfect Day
35 The Apparition
34
33
32 Silent Cries
31 Don't Follow Me
30
29
28
27
26
25
24
23
22 APSOG XI (Do You Think That I)
21
20
19
18
17 Exodus
16
15
14
13 The Strand
12
11
10 Shelter Me
9
8
7
6 Down To The Wire
5
4 Something For Nothing
3 We Only Say Goodbye
2
1
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I have APSOG X/XI at #12. A definite highlight of the album.
I didn’t rank APSOG V.
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NR either sorry folks.
Listening back now and on any other day XI could've made my 50 probably should've on this occassion to be fair great song!
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Neither ranked for me too.
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APSOG X/XI at 17, and V at #7. I think both tracks are absolutely incredible.
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And so we reach the halfway point….
26 Outside Looking In (Inside Out – 6)
Appeared on 14 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 0
Highest Ranking: 11 (nick_z, wolfking)
I know some folks say that Inside Out is just a discount Parallels, but I don’t see why that’s a bad thing. Toward the end of the ‘80s and into the ‘90s, many of my favorite bands were letting me down. Fates was the one constant during this time. OLI kicked off this album in fine fashion and let me know right off the bat that everything was going to be ok. The song came in at #15 on my ranking.
25 A Pleasant Shade of Gray IX (Stayed Up Late Last Night) (APSOG – 6)
Appeared on 15 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 2
Highest Ranking: 8 (SoundscapeMN)
I told you that 21-30 was going to be mostly about two albums, so here you go. This is an excellent piece, coming on the heels of the fast, odd time etude at the end of VIII and leading into the climax of X/XI. It reminds me A LOT of the Whispers on the Wind section of The Ivory Gate of Dreams. Ray delivers a heartfelt performance. Joey’s fretless bass provides great accents, and Jim’s lyrics paint such a vivid picture. This was my third highest ranked APSOG track and #19 overall.
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I didn't rank Outside Looking In. #9 for APSOG IX. That one is all about Ray for me.
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I have Outside Looking In at #26 and APSOG IX at #18.
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Outside Looking In (#32): I really like this song, but I think it's the one that suffers most from the thin Inside Out production.
APSOG IX (#38): It's truly a beautiful song and Ray indeed shines on it.
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Outside Looking In - My rank: #11
First time high-ranker in this countdown (shared, but still :))! Almost made my top 10. To me, this song exemplifies how IO is not just rehashing what the band was doing on Parallels. Sure, it was the least significant stylistic leap up to that point, but many of the songs in IO showed an even more "concise" songwriting, without losing any of the subtle complexities. Outside Looking In, to my ears, could fit in a more "mature" version of Perfect Symmetry. Instrumentally, it has that futuristic vibe, with Zonder's flourishes of electronic percussion and chord stabs that almost sound Voivod-ian. Yet the melodies really manage to stand out, especially in the chorus. Zonder's cymbal work on this one is just wonderful.
APSOG IX - Not Ranked
Barely missed my top 50. Very pretty song that, once again, works especially well in the context of the album. Nice performances by everyone, and Matheos' solo is especially sweet. I have a good memory of this song - the band had an in-store appearance in Milan as part of the press tour for the album release. The core line-up was there (Alder, Matheos, Zonder and Vera), and this was one of the tunes they performed, fully acoustic.
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26 Outside Looking In (Inside Out – 6)
Appeared on 14 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 0
Highest Ranking: 11 (nick_z, wolfking)
25 A Pleasant Shade of Gray IX (Stayed Up Late Last Night) (APSOG – 6)
Appeared on 15 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 2
Highest Ranking: 8 (SoundscapeMN)
I had Outside Looking In at #40. Real nice way to Open Inside Out.
I had APSOG IX (Stayed Up Late One Night at #48. Just squeaked into the Countdown for me. Real nice and smooth.
50 NR
49 Handful Of Doubt
48 APSOG IV (Stayed Up Late One Night) Chasing Time
47 APSOG III
46 APSOG VIII (Instrumental) White Flag
45 APSOG IV
44 Firefly
43 The Destination Onward
42 Left Here
41 The Road Goes On Forever
40 Outside Looking In Island In The Stream
39 The Longest Shadow Of The Day APSOG V (Murder In Munich)
38 Face The Fear
37
36 Another Perfect Day
35 The Apparition
34
33
32 Silent Cries
31 Don't Follow Me
30
29
28
27
26
25
24
23
22 APSOG XI (Do You Think That I)
21
20
19
18
17 Exodus
16
15
14
13 The Strand
12
11
10 Shelter Me
9
8
7
6 Down To The Wire
5
4 Something For Nothing
3 We Only Say Goodbye
2
1
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26 Outside Looking In (Inside Out – 6)
Appeared on 14 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 0
Highest Ranking: 11 (nick_z, wolfking)
25 A Pleasant Shade of Gray IX (Stayed Up Late Last Night) (APSOG – 6)
Appeared on 15 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 2
Highest Ranking: 8 (SoundscapeMN)
Outside Looking In - 31 for me. As devieira73 mentioned I also think this song suffers a bit from the production, some really cool parts are a bit buried in the mix and agree the overall sound is thin and takes away much of the power of the track.
APSOG IX - 42 on my list. Great vocals from Ray.
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Nice to be a high ranker. Just a brilliant song, love everything about it. Frank's super melodic yet simple solo is the icing on the cake too.
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Outside Looking In #42
Fantastic song. I was surprised just how many songs from this album made my list and this song just keeps getting better.
APSOG IX #21
A beautiful piece. My first spin of APSOG had me stop twice and hit repeat. IX was one of those times ;)
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(https://i.imgur.com/8hBGPVz.gif)
24 Part of the Machine (Perfect Symmetry – 2)
Appeared on 13 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 2
Highest Ranking: 5 (pg1067)
Well…as high ranker, I obviously love this song. The second high rank was 10, and it also pulled an 11. However, I really thought it would rank in the top 20. I had never heard anything like this when I first hear it in the summer of 1989. I thought there was something wrong with my stereo at first, but then the actual song kicked in. Odd times galore, and a BASS SOLO during the second verse?? Hell yes. The rhythms over the guitar solo are crazy complex, and I love the way Frank (I think…) lays back with the solo. Ray delivers a ridiculously good vocal performance, with lyrics that really resonated with me at the time. Also, listen to the outro while panning between the left and right channels. Harmonic perfection.
23 Wish (FWX – 3)
Appeared on 13 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 1
Highest Ranking: 7 (Awaken)
I am almost completely unfamiliar with this song…even though they played it when I saw them on the DIADL tour. Listening to it as I type this…halfway through and I’m bored to tears. Oh…there’s a nice little guitar solo over the same rhythm that has been playing incessantly throughout this song. This epitomizes what I think of Disconnected and FWX.
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It’s been a crazy couple of days and I’ve fallen behind. Let me deal with the new stuff first and then I’ll do another post with my catch-up stuff.
I LOVE Part of the Machine! I had it at #12 and it’s still only my 3rd favorite from Perfect Symmetry. (The other two are 10 and 11 but…spoilers) Everything that pg said is spot on. The cold intro, the way the main riff finally kicks in, the time changes, the lyrics…just a fantastic song. Sometimes it fights with my other two favorites from this album.
Wish was #92 on my first list, and wasn’t included in subsequent rankings. Don’t get it.
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I'm hopelessly behind on this and still on vacation, but I just need to comment on Wish. I don't remember exactly where this fell in my ranking, but this is such an amazing moody and atmospheric song. I love it.
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I'm hopelessly behind on this and still on vacation, but I just need to comment on Wish. I don't remember exactly where this fell in my ranking, but this is such an amazing moody and atmospheric song. I love it.
#11 for me, and I completely agree with you. They didn't play it at any of the shows I've seen, but I'd really love to see it live some day.
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I LOVE Part of the Machine! I had it at #12 and it’s still only my 3rd favorite from Perfect Symmetry. (The other two are 10 and 11 but…spoilers)
It's my #1 from PS, but #2 and #3 are also in my top 10 (but one of those isn't even on the consensus top 50 >:( ).
I'm hopelessly behind on this and still on vacation, but I just need to comment on Wish. I don't remember exactly where this fell in my ranking, but this is such an amazing moody and atmospheric song. I love it.
It was your #27 song.
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Part of the Machine - My rank: #10
So, Part of the Machine is literally the first FW song I heard. As I was getting into prog metal, after being blown away by DT with Images & Words, I was reading up as much as I could about other "classics" in the genre (precursors, if you will). There was this pretty thorough article in a magazine tracing the origins of what would be known as "progressive metal" and of course FW were mentioned (this was 1993 I believe). Anyway, Perfect Symmetry was highlighted and when I saw it at the record store, I snatched the CD. The first impact wasn't the easiest - this certainly wasn't the sound of I&W ;) The off-kilter melodies, the more "bare bones" production...not an straightforward listen. Sure enough, though, the album kept drawing me back in. Part of the Machine is a whole microcosm for this process. A difficult song to wrap your head around, but when it started making sense...well, it was just wonderful. Couldn't agree more with pg...the bass lead in the second verse! Crazy, but it just works. And THAT riff when the songs changes up, around 3:15. So, so cool. The song really gets "metal" after that, but the cold, thin sound of the guitars makes the whole thing so different (I know from reading Wagner's book that the band is not happy about the way the guitars sound...for me, though, it really is part of what makes this album so special)
Bottom line - top 10 song for me (I guess I was that second highest ranker!) Great stuff.
Wish - Not Ranked
Wow, I'm kinda surprised this ranked so high. Actually, it looks like FWX is doing better than expected in the aggregate list (purely based on previous anecdotal evidence, even here at DTF, that there isn't a ton of appreciation for the album). Regardless, this is a pretty good song, just missing my top 50...another example of the fact that the moody tunes on FWX tend to work better than the rockers...
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POTM - 43. Solid song.
Wish - 32. Really great song on an underrated album.
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(https://i.imgur.com/8hBGPVz.gif)
24 Part of the Machine (Perfect Symmetry – 2)
Appeared on 13 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 2
Highest Ranking: 5 (pg1067)
23 Wish (FWX – 3)
Appeared on 13 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 1
Highest Ranking: 7 (Awaken)
Part of the Machine - unranked. This song is all over the place but I can see how it could really appeal, however didn't make the cut for me.
Wish - unranked. Really wasn't expecting to see this one, especially this high in the countdown.
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24 Part of the Machine (Perfect Symmetry – 2)
Appeared on 13 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 2
Highest Ranking: 5 (pg1067)
23 Wish (FWX – 3)
Appeared on 13 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 1
Highest Ranking: 7 (Awaken)
I ranked neither. I find Part Of the machine kind of robotic and a bit sharp around the edges.
Wish..I couldn't tell you the first thing about it.
50 NR
49 Handful Of Doubt
48 APSOG IX (Stayed Up Late One Night) Chasing Time
47 APSOG III
46 APSOG VIII (Instrumental) White Flag
45 APSOG IV
44 Firefly
43 The Destination Onward
42 Left Here
41 The Road Goes On Forever
40 Outside Looking In Island In The Stream
39 The Longest Shadow Of The Day APSOG V (Murder In Munich)
38 Face The Fear Part Of The Machine
37 Wish
36 Another Perfect Day
35 The Apparition
34
33
32 Silent Cries
31 Don't Follow Me
30
29
28
27
26
25
24
23
22 APSOG XI (Do You Think That I)
21
20
19
18
17 Exodus
16
15
14
13 The Strand
12
11
10 Shelter Me
9
8
7
6 Down To The Wire
5
4 Something For Nothing
3 We Only Say Goodbye
2
1
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Just a quick heads up that I'll be driving to Boston and flying home tomorrow, so I likely will not be posting anything tomorrow (Monday) (although I have a 2+ hour layover in Chicago, so maybe).
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Just a quick heads up that I'll be driving to Boston and flying home tomorrow, so I likely will not be posting anything tomorrow (Monday) (although I have a 2+ hour layover in Chicago, so maybe).
More time for some Armored Saint!!!! :metal
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(https://i.imgur.com/8hBGPVz.gif)
24 Part of the Machine (Perfect Symmetry – 2)
Appeared on 13 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 2
Highest Ranking: 5 (pg1067)
Well…as high ranker, I obviously love this song. The second high rank was 10, and it also pulled an 11. However, I really thought it would rank in the top 20. I had never heard anything like this when I first hear it in the summer of 1989. I thought there was something wrong with my stereo at first, but then the actual song kicked in. Odd times galore, and a BASS SOLO during the second verse?? Hell yes. The rhythms over the guitar solo are crazy complex, and I love the way Frank (I think…) lays back with the solo. Ray delivers a ridiculously good vocal performance, with lyrics that really resonated with me at the time. Also, listen to the outro while panning between the left and right channels. Harmonic perfection.
23 Wish (FWX – 3)
Appeared on 13 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 1
Highest Ranking: 7 (Awaken)
I am almost completely unfamiliar with this song…even though they played it when I saw them on the DIADL tour. Listening to it as I type this…halfway through and I’m bored to tears. Oh…there’s a nice little guitar solo over the same rhythm that has been playing incessantly throughout this song. This epitomizes what I think of Disconnected and FWX.
Part of the Machine was #16 on my list and Wish made it all the way to #8 for me. LOVE both songs, but I tend to listen to Wish more often... albeit the shorter version in Live Over Europe. The studio version isn't bad at all IMO, but I do think the shortened time works in the song's favor in the live version. I'm not currently a parent (which I assume the song was originally written to be from the POV of), but the lyrics to Wish are crazy relatable to me as a general 'wish' towards others I care about and thoughts that I tend to struggle with on my own.
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Wish #17
Love it and feel it's one of the better moody Fates numbers. Those keys/piano have a cool late 80's feel about them too.
Part Of The Machine NR
Realm described this as all over the place and I tend to agree. Dug the album but this was never a song that drew me back however will be playing it again shortly see if anything more clicks ;)
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(https://i.imgur.com/8hBGPVz.gif)
24 Part of the Machine (Perfect Symmetry – 2)
Appeared on 13 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 2
Highest Ranking: 5 (pg1067)
Well…as high ranker, I obviously love this song. The second high rank was 10, and it also pulled an 11. However, I really thought it would rank in the top 20. I had never heard anything like this when I first hear it in the summer of 1989. I thought there was something wrong with my stereo at first, but then the actual song kicked in. Odd times galore, and a BASS SOLO during the second verse?? Hell yes. The rhythms over the guitar solo are crazy complex, and I love the way Frank (I think…) lays back with the solo. Ray delivers a ridiculously good vocal performance, with lyrics that really resonated with me at the time. Also, listen to the outro while panning between the left and right channels. Harmonic perfection.
23 Wish (FWX – 3)
Appeared on 13 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 1
Highest Ranking: 7 (Awaken)
I am almost completely unfamiliar with this song…even though they played it when I saw them on the DIADL tour. Listening to it as I type this…halfway through and I’m bored to tears. Oh…there’s a nice little guitar solo over the same rhythm that has been playing incessantly throughout this song. This epitomizes what I think of Disconnected and FWX.
Part of the Machine was #16 on my list and Wish made it all the way to #8 for me. LOVE both songs, but I tend to listen to Wish more often... albeit the shorter version in Live Over Europe. The studio version isn't bad at all IMO, but I do think the shortened time works in the song's favor in the live version. I'm not currently a parent (which I assume the song was originally written to be from the POV of), but the lyrics to Wish are crazy relatable to me as a general 'wish' towards others I care about and thoughts that I tend to struggle with on my own.
Wish was the first song I felt such a deep connection to, lyrically and melodically, that I still feel like it was written just for me (for lack of a better way to say it). I share the sentiment above, that it's written from the point of view of a new parent with an overwhelming sense of responsibility that no one ever prepares you for. I have no idea if that's accurate, and I don't really care, but that's my personal take.
I was still expecting my first child (my daughter) when FWX was released, and I was kind of strapped for cash so it wasn't a release day purchase. My then wife surprised me with the CD for Christmas, and by then I had only been a parent for about 6 weeks. When I heard Wish for the first time I could not believe what I was hearing. All of the words seemed to be from my thoughts for the past 6 weeks, down to sitting in her dark room for hours watching her sleep, just hoping beyond hope I could get out of my own way and be a great father to this new human who needed me for everything. Hearing this song, even now, brings me right back to her darkened nursery and the feelings are sometimes overwhelming. Literal chills every time I hear it.
Sorry for the long winded explanation - this song gets me every time.
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No. Ranked Songs Not Ranked Songs
50 Face the Fear
49 Left Here Don't Follow Me
48 Exodus
47 Another Perfect Day Handful of Doubt
46 Down to the Wire
45 Chasing Time
44 White Flag
43 The Destination Onward
42 Something from Nothing
41 We Only Say Goodbye
40 The Apparition
39 Wish
38
37 The Strand
36 Outside Looking In
35
34
33 The Longest Shadow of the Day
32 Part of the Machine
31
30 Silent Cries
29 Firefly
28
27
26 APSOG III
25
24
23
22 APSOG V
21
20
19
18
17 The Road Goes on Forever
16
15 Don’t Follow Me
14 Island in the Stream
13 APSOG VIII
12 APSOG IX
11
10 APSOG X/XI
9
8
7
6 Shelter Me/Circles
5
4
3
2
1
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Wish (#25 for me) - I always loved this song, it has a really great OSI vibe and Awaken's post make it even better, since I also can totally relate to his thoughts.
Part of the Machine (#42 for me) - It opens PS in a great fashion, but the album just goes better from here.
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I had Part of the Machine at #19 and Wish at #23.
Awaken, it was nice to read about your connection to Wish and how meaningful it is to you.
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I wasn't paying attention much, but Zoom's comment made me go back to see what Awaken had written.
Wish was the first song I felt such a deep connection to, lyrically and melodically, that I still feel like it was written just for me (for lack of a better way to say it). I share the sentiment above, that it's written from the point of view of a new parent with an overwhelming sense of responsibility that no one ever prepares you for. I have no idea if that's accurate, and I don't really care, but that's my personal take.
I was still expecting my first child (my daughter) when FWX was released, and I was kind of strapped for cash so it wasn't a release day purchase. My then wife surprised me with the CD for Christmas, and by then I had only been a parent for about 6 weeks. When I heard Wish for the first time I could not believe what I was hearing. All of the words seemed to be from my thoughts for the past 6 weeks, down to sitting in her dark room for hours watching her sleep, just hoping beyond hope I could get out of my own way and be a great father to this new human who needed me for everything. Hearing this song, even now, brings me right back to her darkened nursery and the feelings are sometimes overwhelming. Literal chills every time I hear it.
You just made me listen to it and I totally get it. Glad you have such a connection to it and brings back those awesome memories. No greater bond than with a child.
The Lovely Mrs TAC once surprised me with a CD after I received some tough news, and I am still amazed by it.
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I wasn't paying attention much, but Zoom's comment made me go back to see what Awaken had written.
Wish was the first song I felt such a deep connection to, lyrically and melodically, that I still feel like it was written just for me (for lack of a better way to say it). I share the sentiment above, that it's written from the point of view of a new parent with an overwhelming sense of responsibility that no one ever prepares you for. I have no idea if that's accurate, and I don't really care, but that's my personal take.
I was still expecting my first child (my daughter) when FWX was released, and I was kind of strapped for cash so it wasn't a release day purchase. My then wife surprised me with the CD for Christmas, and by then I had only been a parent for about 6 weeks. When I heard Wish for the first time I could not believe what I was hearing. All of the words seemed to be from my thoughts for the past 6 weeks, down to sitting in her dark room for hours watching her sleep, just hoping beyond hope I could get out of my own way and be a great father to this new human who needed me for everything. Hearing this song, even now, brings me right back to her darkened nursery and the feelings are sometimes overwhelming. Literal chills every time I hear it.
You just made me listen to it and I totally get it. Glad you have such a connection to it and brings back those awesome memories. No greater bond than with a child.
The Lovely Mrs TAC once surprised me with a CD after I received some tough news, and I am still amazed by it.
Yeah thanks for sharing Awaken that was great and exactly what I like to read in these types threads...
TAC, which CD it was it if you don't mind me asking?
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Alright…back to it!
21T Pale Fire (Inside Out – 7)
Appeared on 14 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 2
Highest Ranking: 4 (WardySI)
Another excellent song from Inside Out. Love the main riff and the chorus in particular. I ranked this song at #24, just behind Face the Fear and Shelter Me, which means I had five songs from IO in my top 25.
21T A Pleasant Shade of Gray VII (Stare from the Darkness/Let Nothing Bleed into Nothing Reprise) (APSOG – 7)
Appeared on 13 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 2
Highest Ranking: 7 (SoundscapeMN)
One of the more interesting things about running this countdown was seeing where all of the parts of APSOG ranked. I had VII as my #46 song. However, I love the piano introduction and the rest of the intro section before the vocals start. However, the vocal section is just ok – primarily because much of it is a reprise of V.
A few random bits of information before we start the top 20:
-One list included all 11 parts of APSOG, while three lists only included two parts.
-Three lists included nothing from Long Day Good Night.
-As previously mentioned, seven lists included at least one song from every album.
-Six albums are represented by the top 10.
-Seven albums are represented by songs 11-20.
-NINE albums are represented by the top 20, which means….
-Four albums will not be heard from in the top 20.
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Album rankings through the first 30:
1. A Pleasant Shade of Gray (7 songs, 126 points): VIII (47T), III (43), IV (40), X/XI (28), V (27), IX (25), VII (21T)
2. Inside Out (7 songs, 123 points): Face the Fear (49T), Down to the Wire (45T), The Strand (34), Island in the Stream (30), Shelter Me/Circles (29), Outside Looking In (26), Pale Fire (21T)
3. FWX (4 songs, 76 points): Handful of Doubt (47T), Left Here (37), Another Perfect Day (31), Wish (23)
4. Parallels (3 songs, 35 points): Don't Follow Me (49T), The Road Goes on Forever (36), We Only Say Goodbye (33)
5. Perfect Symmetry (2 songs, 34 points): Chasing Time (44), Part of the Machine (24)
6T. Long Day Good Night (2 songs, 19 points): The Longest Shadow of the Day (45T), The Destination Onward (38)
6T. The Spectre Within (1 song, 19 points): The Apparition (32)
8. Disconnected (1 song, 16 points): Something from Nothing (35)
9. Darkness in a Different Light (1 song, 12 points): Firefly (39)
10. No Exit (1 song, 10 points): Silent Cries (41)
11. Theories of Flight (1 song, 9 points): White Flag (42)
12. Awaken the Guardian (1 song, 2 points): Exodus (49T)
13. Night on Brocken (0 songs)
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Pale Fire - My rank: #21
In line with aggregate ranking. Yep, another wonderful song from IO. Nothing too complex here, but once again it's the little details that elevate the whole thing. The chorus is great and, at the cost of sounding like a broken record, the interplay between the guitars is a thing of beauty. Especially with the last few repetitions of the chorus, instrumentally it's like a mini-orchestra. Barely missing my top 20, it could have well been part of it.
APSOG VII - My rank: #27
Agreed that the opening piano motif is great. Yes, the chorus is a reprise, but I love what they do with it. Zonder's drumming, in particular, is brilliant (what's new?)
Interesting stats, by the way...I have 5 albums represented in my top 10 and 6 in the top 20 (as well as in the 11-20 songs). Wondering about the 4 albums not represented in the top 20. I think I have a pretty good idea about 2 out of 4 (you might have said as much about one of those, can't recall for sure now), but there's definitely some uncertainty left there.
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No. Ranked Songs Not Ranked Songs
50 Face the Fear
49 Left Here Don't Follow Me
48 Exodus
47 Another Perfect Day Handful of Doubt
46 Down to the Wire
45 Chasing Time
44 White Flag
43 The Destination Onward
42 Something from Nothing
41 We Only Say Goodbye
40 The Apparition
39 Wish
38
37 The Strand
36 Outside Looking In
35 Pale Fire
34
33 The Longest Shadow of the Day
32 Part of the Machine
31
30 Silent Cries
29 Firefly
28
27
26 APSOG III
25
24
23 APSOG VII
22 APSOG V
21
20
19
18
17 The Road Goes on Forever
16
15 Don’t Follow Me
14 Island in the Stream
13 APSOG VIII
12 APSOG IX
11
10 APSOG X/XI
9
8
7
6 Shelter Me/Circles
5
4
3
2
1
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Interesting stats, by the way...I have 5 albums represented in my top 10 and 6 in the top 20 (as well as in the 11-20 songs). Wondering about the 4 albums not represented in the top 20. I think I have a pretty good idea about 2 out of 4 (you might have said as much about one of those, can't recall for sure now), but there's definitely some uncertainty left there.
I don't think I have explicitly said anything about specific albums (although I do recall dropping a pretty obvious hint about one of them). Hard for me to say since I know, but I feel like 2 of the 4 should be fairly obvious, and there's probably debate as to which of 3-4 other albums are also done.
Another little bit of information: the next seven songs (16-20 plus two songs tied at 14) come from six different albums, and once those songs are revealed, I'm going to briefly interrupt the main countdown for a mini countdown.
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I’m on the road right now, so I will do my full write up later. But I find it interesting that you have been referring to Part VII as the reprise.
We might just be splitting hairs here, but I always viewed Part V as the “teaser” and then Part VII as the full actual song realization of that earlier idea.
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Just a quick heads up that I'll be driving to Boston and flying home tomorrow, so I likely will not be posting anything tomorrow (Monday) (although I have a 2+ hour layover in Chicago, so maybe).
More time for some Armored Saint!!!! :metal
Yeah...about that....
My outbound flight was direct from LAX to Boston, so I had a good long time to listen. I downloaded the first four albums (along with a bunch of episodes of The Good Place and most of Iliza Schlesinger's Netflix specials). I listened to all of March of the Saint and about half of Delirious Nomad.
I feel like if I had listened to these albums in '84-'85, I'd have loved them. However, once I got past the excerpt from Pictures at an Exhibition in the song March of the Saint, it was pretty basic stuff. The singer was a bit screamy on March, but he seemed to have toned that down on Nomad. All in all, it reminded me a lot of Dio, which isn't a bad thing, but I don't go back to Dio all that much anymore because it sort of feels like metal for beginners. I'll work through the rest of the albums at some point.
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Holy cow, I am way behind! To catch up in one burst:
35. Something From Nothing (15). I love, LOVE, the vibe on this song. Mark Zonder turns in some fantastic drumming, and Ray sounds so good on this. This song takes you on a journey, and I for one love the ride.
34. The Strand (24). Again, the overall mood is really great here. Feels kinda slinky and bluesy, in a way. The chorus is a killer.
33. We Only Say Goodbye (NR). Cool song, but kind of a weaker point on Parallels for me.
32. The Apparition (44). My favorite from The Spectre Within.
31. Another Perfect Day (34). Close to the consensus on this one.
30. Island In The Stream (NR). I think this one just missed my top 50.
29. Shelter Me/Circles (NR). Shelter Me is the superior version, but Inside Out feels like it has too many songs at the same tempo.
28. APSOG X/XI (NR). Man, looking back at my list, I'm sad this didn't make my cut, because this is a great song. If I were to redo the list today, it would be on there.
27. APSOG V (17). Highest ranker from that album for me. I love Mark's drumming under the "I won't apologize, I won't soliloquize," section. That pattern is really fun to play, and very challenging!
26. Outside Looking In (20). Man, if this song had better production, like Theories of Flight production, it would be an absolute banger. Still, one of my favorites from Inside Out.
25. APSOG IX (NR). Again, if I redid my list, this would end up making it. Great ballad.
24. Part of the Machine (11). Just missed my top 10. Again, a great song to play along with on drums. I love all of the shifting time changes and how all of the verses are completely different.
23. Wish (36). Great atmospheric album closer.
21T. APSOG VII (26). I think this is a clever reprise of the Let Nothing Bleed Into Nothing chorus. Love the almost industrial feel to this one.
21T. Pale Fire (25). This song benefited immensely from showing up on their recent live album, where it felt meatier and overall had more weight to it.
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21T Pale Fire (Inside Out – 7)
Appeared on 14 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 2
Highest Ranking: 4 (WardySI)
21T A Pleasant Shade of Gray VII (Stare from the Darkness/Let Nothing Bleed into Nothing Reprise) (APSOG – 7)
Appeared on 13 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 2
Highest Ranking: 7 (SoundscapeMN)
I had Pale Fire at #42. Inside Out is such a great album.
I had APSOG VII as Not Rated.
50 NR
49 Handful Of Doubt
48 APSOG IX (Stayed Up Late One Night) Chasing Time
47 APSOG III
46 APSOG VIII (Instrumental) White Flag
45 APSOG IV
44 Firefly
43 The Destination Onward
42 Pale Fire Left Here
41 The Road Goes On Forever
40 Outside Looking In Island In The Stream
39 The Longest Shadow Of The Day APSOG V (Murder In Munich)
38 Face The Fear Part Of The Machine
37 Wish
36 Another Perfect Day APSOG VII
35 The Apparition
34
33
32 Silent Cries
31 Don't Follow Me
30
29
28
27
26
25
24
23
22 APSOG XI (Do You Think That I)
21
20
19
18
17 Exodus
16
15
14
13 The Strand
12
11
10 Shelter Me
9
8
7
6 Down To The Wire
5
4 Something For Nothing
3 We Only Say Goodbye
2
1
-
Just a quick heads up that I'll be driving to Boston and flying home tomorrow, so I likely will not be posting anything tomorrow (Monday) (although I have a 2+ hour layover in Chicago, so maybe).
More time for some Armored Saint!!!! :metal
Yeah...about that....
My outbound flight was direct from LAX to Boston, so I had a good long time to listen. I downloaded the first four albums (along with a bunch of episodes of The Good Place and most of Iliza Schlesinger's Netflix specials). I listened to all of March of the Saint and about half of Delirious Nomad.
I feel like if I had listened to these albums in '84-'85, I'd have loved them. However, once I got past the excerpt from Pictures at an Exhibition in the song March of the Saint, it was pretty basic stuff. The singer was a bit screamy on March, but he seemed to have toned that down on Nomad. All in all, it reminded me a lot of Dio, which isn't a bad thing, but I don't go back to Dio all that much anymore because it sort of feels like metal for beginners. I'll work through the rest of the albums at some point.
I believe you were told to start with Symbol Of Salvation and Raising Fear.
(https://previews.123rf.com/images/creatista/creatista1002/creatista100200035/6402745-funny-nun-carrying-wooden-ruler-as-a-weapon.jpg)
March Of The Saint and Delirious Nomad aren't going to convince you of anything, objectively speaking, and I love Armored Saint.
The Lovely Mrs TAC once surprised me with a CD after I received some tough news, and I am still amazed by it.
TAC, which CD it was it if you don't mind me asking?
I was diagnosed with Diabetes when I was 30. (I'm 54 now). We had a local record store in the next town over, and my wife wanted to get me something to cheer me up. So she went there having no clue. She talked to the guy working there and he asked her what I liked, having no idea what I already owned. She mentioned that I liked UFO, and thankfully the guy was well versed in UFO. He mentioned that Michael Schenker had just released a new album and recommended it, so she got it.
To say I was shocked when I got home....my wife.. talk about a blind squirrel finding a nut.
I had no idea it even existed.
The album was.. Michael Schenker-Adventures Of The Imagination.
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21T Pale Fire (Inside Out – 7)
Appeared on 14 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 2
Highest Ranking: 4 (WardySI)
21T A Pleasant Shade of Gray VII (Stare from the Darkness/Let Nothing Bleed into Nothing Reprise) (APSOG – 7)
Appeared on 13 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 2
Highest Ranking: 7 (SoundscapeMN)
Pale Fire - my number 25. This is is my top rated song from Inside Out, always liked this one.
APSOG VII - my number 16.
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I believe you were told to start with Symbol Of Salvation and Raising Fear.
(https://previews.123rf.com/images/creatista/creatista1002/creatista100200035/6402745-funny-nun-carrying-wooden-ruler-as-a-weapon.jpg)
March Of The Saint and Delirious Nomad aren't going to convince you of anything, objectively speaking, and I love Armored Saint.
I remember you saying that Symbol was the best of the four, but I also recall Glasser saying that the first four are where it's at, so I figured I'd start at the beginning. I guess that means I have something more than a slog to look forward to.
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Don't listen to Glasser. ;D
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Don't listen to Glasser. ;D
LOL.
Symbol of Salvation should always be the starting point with Armored Saint, IMO.
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Had Pale Fire at 12. Wonderful track. I love Aresti's guitar playing.
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Alright…back to it!
21T Pale Fire (Inside Out – 7)
Appeared on 14 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 2
Highest Ranking: 4 (WardySI)
Another excellent song from Inside Out. Love the main riff and the chorus in particular. I ranked this song at #24, just behind Face the Fear and Shelter Me, which means I had five songs from IO in my top 25.
21T A Pleasant Shade of Gray VII (Stare from the Darkness/Let Nothing Bleed into Nothing Reprise) (APSOG – 7)
Appeared on 13 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 2
Highest Ranking: 7 (SoundscapeMN)
One of the more interesting things about running this countdown was seeing where all of the parts of APSOG ranked. I had VII as my #46 song. However, I love the piano introduction and the rest of the intro section before the vocals start. However, the vocal section is just ok – primarily because much of it is a reprise of V.
A few random bits of information before we start the top 20:
-One list included all 11 parts of APSOG, while three lists only included two parts.
-Three lists included nothing from Long Day Good Night.
-As previously mentioned, seven lists included at least one song from every album.
-Six albums are represented by the top 10.
-Seven albums are represented by songs 11-20.
-NINE albums are represented by the top 20, which means….
-Four albums will not be heard from in the top 20.
God, I love Pale Fire. It was #9 for me. One of the band's finest "short" songs ever. The drumming on that song is ridiculously good.
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I didn't have Pale Fire ranked but it's a great song.
#8 for APSOG VII. I kind of agree with jammin that it's more than just a reprise.
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Don't listen to Glasser. ;D
LOL.
Symbol of Salvation should always be the starting point with Armored Saint, IMO.
Yes, SoS is their 4th album as I said to start with all 4 (excluding the '83 ep) so trust the process. Hearing these albums as they were released is the way to go. SoS is great but Raising Fear is my fave. Trying to get into them from scratch in 2022 might be tough. If you give MotS a chance and its not doing it for you at all I doubt any of them are going to blow you away. But I have no clue what I'm talking about. :biggrin:
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Pale Fire just missed my list at #54. It is one of my favorites from IO.
APSOG VII just cracked my top 20 at the 20 spot. I think it is the true centerpiece of the concept. And no….it’s not a “reprise”. This is the actual song. The full embodiment of what was only hinted at in part V. If anything, that part should have been labeled “Let Nothing Bleed Into Nothing (Leitmotif)” (it’s a classical term for a short, reoccurring musical phrase) and then Part VII is that theme fully realized and fleshed out.
Anyway…amazing song…er, part of the song. ;D
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I didn't rank Pale Fire. I have APSOG VII at #23.
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So with only 20 songs to go I can't remember seeing anyones, or maybe just one persons number 1 song be revealed so far? Just wondering as I really have no idea what is going to be the consensus number 1 in this countdown. In all the other countdowns, I had a fair idea of what it could be.
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So with only 20 songs to go I can't remember seeing anyones, or maybe just one persons number 1 song be revealed so far? Just wondering as I really have no idea what is going to be the consensus number 1 in this countdown. In all the other countdowns, I had a fair idea of what it could be.
I had 3 pegged as #1 candidates but as the countdown has gone am already doubting my picks 😂
The Lovely Mrs TAC once surprised me with a CD after I received some tough news, and I am still amazed by it.
TAC, which CD it was it if you don't mind me asking?
I was diagnosed with Diabetes when I was 30. (I'm 54 now). We had a local record store in the next town over, and my wife wanted to get me something to cheer me up. So she went there having no clue. She talked to the guy working there and he asked her what I liked, having no idea what I already owned. She mentioned that I liked UFO, and thankfully the guy was well versed in UFO. He mentioned that Michael Schenker had just released a new album and recommended it, so she got it.
To say I was shocked when I got home....my wife.. talk about a blind squirrel finding a nut.
I had no idea it even existed.
The album was.. Michael Schenker-Adventures Of The Imagination.
Nice one mate very cool story cheers ;)
Pale Fire #4
So yes love this song nothing particularly out of the box or complicated but the chorus is so addictive it's sublime and Ray sounds phenomenal.
APSOG VII NR
And was shocked honestly thought I had that in there as it's another fave from the Grey album but nope I missed it. A bit disappointed with myself to say the least great song fully on board with all your comments above!
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Top 20!
(https://media2.giphy.com/media/NTTz63N3bTEVl83tN8/200.gif)
20 And Yet It Moves (Darkness in a Different Light – 2)
Appeared on 14 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 4
Highest Ranking: 3 (pg1067)
As far as I’m concerned, this is the best thing Fates did in the last 30 years of their career and caps off the criminally underrated Darkness in a Different Light in fine fashion. It has everything that makes Fates great. Classical themed double acoustic guitar and bass intro. Heavy, odd-time riffs that absolutely crush. Shifting moods. Great vocals. Excellent chorus. Not for a second do I think this 14-minute behemoth is too long.
19 Seven Stars (Theories of Flight – 2)
Appeared on 15 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 2
Highest Ranking: 2 (WardySI)
Seven Stars sits nicely among four songs that start off Theories of Flight with a bang (although I think it’s the least of the four). Great double guitar work and some great vocals from Ray. It’s really quite amazing how, deep into his career, Ray’s vocal performances got stronger and stronger.
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So with only 20 songs to go I can't remember seeing anyones, or maybe just one persons number 1 song be revealed so far? Just wondering as I really have no idea what is going to be the consensus number 1 in this countdown. In all the other countdowns, I had a fair idea of what it could be.
We have seen one person's #1 song revealed so far: Zoom E had Silent Cries ranked as her #1 song (it was #41 on the overall countdown). I don't think it's too much to reveal that the 19 first-place votes were distributed as follows:
Song A - 2
Song B - 2
Song C - 1
Song D - 1
Song E - 6
Song F - 2
Song G - 1
Song H - 3
Silent Cries - 1
Interestingly, Song E is not in the top 3 and was not mentioned on every list.
We'll see another person's #1 song in a couple days, and the rest are in the top 10.
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No. Ranked Songs Not Ranked Songs
50 Face the Fear
49 Left Here Don't Follow Me
48 Exodus
47 Another Perfect Day Handful of Doubt
46 Down to the Wire
45 Chasing Time
44 White Flag
43 The Destination Onward
42 Something from Nothing
41 We Only Say Goodbye
40 The Apparition
39 Wish
38
37 The Strand
36 Outside Looking In
35 Pale Fire
34
33 The Longest Shadow of the Day
32 Part of the Machine
31
30 Silent Cries
29 Firefly
28
27
26 APSOG III
25
24
23 APSOG VII
22 APSOG V
21
20 And Yet It Moves
19
18
17 The Road Goes on Forever
16 Seven Stars
15 Don’t Follow Me
14 Island in the Stream
13 APSOG VIII
12 APSOG IX
11
10 APSOG X/XI
9
8
7
6 Shelter Me/Circles
5
4
3
2
1
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36 Seven Stars
24 And Yet It Moves
I could have sworn And Yet It Moves was higher on my list. Maybe it will be next time I attempt to make one. I think both of these songs are excellent.
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20. And Yet It Moves (8). This feels like a companion piece to Still Remains. Similar structure, and just about as good. Bobby Jarzombek's drumming is outstanding on this tune, as it feels like this is where he channels his inner Mark Zonder to great effect. Jim and Frank's guitar work shines as well, and Joey Vera does such a great job holding everything down. Ray sounds really good on here as well. So much to love about this track.
19. Seven Stars (14). Just a solid late FW track. As you said, Ray's vocals are in top form here, and really the whole band is in great form.
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And Yet It Moves - My rank: #43
And here it is, the one song from Darkness...that made my list. Note that it's not by default because it's the longest so "it has to be good". If anything, when this came out and the album was falling a bit flat on my first listen, I was wary of the length of And Yet It Moves. Well, as it turns out, there's a lot of cool stuff going on, and the melodies are among the very best on the record. My favorite on DIADL by some margin.
Seven Stars - My rank: #22
Great song, punchy and melodic. It's a good example of why I like ToF so much more than DIADL - stylistically, it's not a huge departure from the more immediate, hard-hitting songs off DIADL, but the guitar work is more "colorful", the production pops and and the vocal melodies are way more compelling. Alder sounds fantastic.
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And Yet it Moves - I had this at #37. It's probably a tick underrated by me. Probably should have been in my top-30 for sure. I don't enjoy the intro. It's not that I hate it, it's quirky and for some reason it just takes something away from the tune for me. Once the song kicks in, I like it a lot.
Cool story - so on the U.S. tour preceding the European swing where Fates would record its Live Over Europe album, I did a bit of a roadtrip with a friend and we took in shows in San Diego and Los Angeles. During the San Diego soundcheck on January 13, 2018, they played "And Yet it Moves" for one of the first times in the "public" eye. (it was not really public, and it may not have been the absolute first, I'm not sure.) The funny thing was while it sounded great, it was awesome to see Ray having to pull out his phone to get a refresher on the lyrics. When I asked him later about it, he said that they are running a few things through soundcheck on the tour in prep for European tour.
Anyway, I recorded it, and you can check it out here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=203YJniZDXY
Seven Stars - this has always been a favorite of mine off Theories of Flight. It came in at #16 for me. Loved it from the moment I heard it. Passionate vocals by Ray.
Here's a video I took from the January 13, 2018 gig in San Diego:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFjgs8SFdps
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So with only 20 songs to go I can't remember seeing anyones, or maybe just one persons number 1 song be revealed so far? Just wondering as I really have no idea what is going to be the consensus number 1 in this countdown. In all the other countdowns, I had a fair idea of what it could be.
We have seen one person's #1 song revealed so far: Zoom E had Silent Cries ranked as her #1 song (it was #41 on the overall countdown). I don't think it's too much to reveal that the 19 first-place votes were distributed as follows:
Song A - 2
Song B - 2
Song C - 1
Song D - 1
Song E - 6
Song F - 2
Song G - 1
Song H - 3
Silent Cries - 1
Interestingly, Song E is not in the top 3 and was not mentioned on every list.
We'll see another person's #1 song in a couple days, and the rest are in the top 10.
Wow! That is really interesting. Really looking forward to the top 10 reveals,
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20 And Yet It Moves (Darkness in a Different Light – 2)
Appeared on 14 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 4
Highest Ranking: 3 (pg1067)
19 Seven Stars (Theories of Flight – 2)
Appeared on 15 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 2
Highest Ranking: 2 (WardySI)
And Yet it Moves - ok so I was going back over my list just yesterday and listening to some random Fates songs and then And Yet It Moves came on and I am like - oh no I have somehow left this out of my top 50.....this is a big miss for me as I love this song. Unfortunately unranked.
Seven Stars - my number 4. Surprised I am not the high ranker (well done Wardy). Just love this song, just a great heavy upbeat tune, love that main guitar melody, simple but really engaging and the chorus of this song always has me singing along.
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20 And Yet It Moves (Darkness in a Different Light – 2)
Appeared on 14 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 4
Highest Ranking: 3 (pg1067)
19 Seven Stars (Theories of Flight – 2)
Appeared on 15 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 2
Highest Ranking: 2 (WardySI)
I had And Yet It Moves at #24. I think this is an excellent song, and I bet if I spent more time with it, it could go even higher. As good as it is, I still feel like I've under-listened to it.
I had Seven Stars as Not Rated. It's good, probably a little underrated on my part, but I generally feel like their last three albums all blend together for me, and this just doesn't stand out enough like As Yet It Moves to me.
50 NR
49 Handful Of Doubt
48 APSOG IX (Stayed Up Late One Night) Chasing Time
47 APSOG III
46 APSOG VIII (Instrumental) White Flag
45 APSOG IV
44 Firefly
43 The Destination Onward
42 Pale Fire Left Here
41 The Road Goes On Forever
40 Outside Looking In Island In The Stream
39 The Longest Shadow Of The Day APSOG V (Murder In Munich)
38 Face The Fear Part Of The Machine
37 Wish
36 Another Perfect Day APSOG VII
35 The Apparition Seven Stars
34 Eye To Eye
33
32 Silent Cries
31 Don't Follow Me
30
29
28
27
26
25
24 And Yet It Moves
23
22 APSOG XI (Do You Think That I)
21
20
19
18
17 Exodus
16
15
14
13 The Strand
12
11
10 Shelter Me
9
8
7
6 Down To The Wire
5
4 Something For Nothing
3 We Only Say Goodbye
2
1
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AYIM came in at number 18 for me. What an amazing track so late in their career. Love the different sections and especially the lovely shift in the last few minutes. An appearance from Mr Aresti is always an added bonus too.
Seven Stars came in at 16. What an amazing catchy, solid track. Never gets old.
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Seven Stars came in at 16. What an amazing catchy, solid track. Never gets old.
It's not old. :lol
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Seven Stars came in at 16. What an amazing catchy, solid track. Never gets old.
It's not old. :lol
Ummm....hence why it never gets old. ;D
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(https://c.tenor.com/MydullanN4gAAAAd/johannah-newmarch-projectmc2.gif)
A bonus track for today!
18 Eye to Eye (Parallels – 4)
Appeared on 15 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 4
Highest Ranking: 4 (Dublagent66)
Here we have the second of FW’s two “Eye” songs, both of which I assume were written with the specific purpose of writing a “hit single.” I guess timing is everything. Had this song been on Perfect Symmetry, instead of Parallels, it might have gotten some traction. However, while I recall it getting some play on MTV, it came along just as grunge was breaking, and I’m not sure I ever heard the song on the radio. Lyrically, the song is one of at least two on Parallels to discuss the perceived divide between Jim Matheos and fans of Fates Warning. In this regard, it’s quite reminiscent of Rush’s Limelight, which I suspect Jim could relate to quite well. Amazing performance by Ray. I had it at #38 on my list, and I’m a bit surprised it made the top 20.
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Gotta love bonus tracks. This one came in at 33 for me. It's a fine song and works perfectly in the album. I much prefer the other 'eye' song though.
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As much as I love Parallels, Eye To Eye didn't rank.
Also, the explanation of a performer on a stage, even if true, makes no sense to me. maybe I've heard it for so long with an assumed meaning in the context of Parallels, but it just reeks of a relationship song.
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Eye to Eye didn't make my top 50 either. I do like it, and enjoyed it when they played it live.
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Eye to Eye (#45) - It’s an amazing and capitvating song, except the chorus, that is really bland.
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My rankings:
And Yet It Moves - 34
Seven Stars - 33
Eye II Eye - 5
I was really surprised when I checked my list and saw that I had Eye II Eye so high.
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Ooooh, a bonus...nice ;D
Eye to Eye - My rank: #16
With any of the songs I have in my top 20, it's obviously Fates Warning "rarefied air" for me. This is no exception and it's wonderful. That opening, it's just beautiful. And when they reprise it for the solo, it elevates the song even more. Yes, the chorus is clearly meant to be radio-friendly...but even the main riff, which starts so "basic", resolves in such a cool way, with the guitars dancing around Zonder's drums.
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Top 20!
20 And Yet It Moves (Darkness in a Different Light – 2)
As far as I’m concerned, this is the best thing Fates did in the last 30 years of their career and caps off the criminally underrated Darkness in a Different Light in fine fashion [...]
I agree 99% with this, just because AYIM is "only" their second best thing in the last 30 years ;) (#7 to me)
Seven Stars (#44 to me) - great riffs and solos. I wish Kings of Mercia had reached more this level in its songs.
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And Yet It Moves #37
Great minds Samsara although I love the intro and the acoustic changeup about the 9min mark too ;) I gave out a quiet "Hell yes" when I saw this at #20 as I too thought I had this a little higher and think I mentioned already this one carries some nostalgic value having my then 13yrs old son pick it out as a favorite during a long road trip back when. Anyway agree with all the kudos already given by you folks above, love it!
Seven Stars #2
But then a gave a little "Boo" when saw this didn't sneak into the top10 like I had hoped :laugh: Man the second this track dropped I loved it and it's rare I am won over by videos but its footage was perfect. It's no secret I rate those last few Fates Warning records as good as any Fates and without meaning to sound weird, I cannot get myself enough of modern Ray. Everthing from Fates to his solo album thru A-Z (see what I did there?) he's singing as good as ever in my books and Seven Stars is hands down a winner on all counts for both Ray and the band.
Oh and of course it made my song of the year and am off to spin it again right now! :metal
And Yet it Moves - I had this at #37. It's probably a tick underrated by me. Probably should have been in my top-30 for sure. I don't enjoy the intro. It's not that I hate it, it's quirky and for some reason it just takes something away from the tune for me. Once the song kicks in, I like it a lot.
Cool story - so on the U.S. tour preceding the European swing where Fates would record its Live Over Europe album, I did a bit of a roadtrip with a friend and we took in shows in San Diego and Los Angeles. During the San Diego soundcheck on January 13, 2018, they played "And Yet it Moves" for one of the first times in the "public" eye. (it was not really public, and it may not have been the absolute first, I'm not sure.) The funny thing was while it sounded great, it was awesome to see Ray having to pull out his phone to get a refresher on the lyrics. When I asked him later about it, he said that they are running a few things through soundcheck on the tour in prep for European tour.
Anyway, I recorded it, and you can check it out here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=203YJniZDXY
Seven Stars - this has always been a favorite of mine off Theories of Flight. It came in at #16 for me. Loved it from the moment I heard it. Passionate vocals by Ray.
Here's a video I took from the January 13, 2018 gig in San Diego:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFjgs8SFdps
Awesome story and hadn't seen those vids Cheers!
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18 Eye to Eye (Parallels – 4)
Appeared on 15 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 4
Highest Ranking: 4 (Dublagent66)
Eye to Eye - 18 for me, so nailed it! Just a great song, great vocals and melodies.
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(https://c.tenor.com/MydullanN4gAAAAd/johannah-newmarch-projectmc2.gif)
A bonus track for today!
18 Eye to Eye (Parallels – 4)
Appeared on 15 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 4
Highest Ranking: 4 (Dublagent66)
Here we have the second of FW’s two “Eye” songs, both of which I assume were written with the specific purpose of writing a “hit single.” I guess timing is everything. Had this song been on Perfect Symmetry, instead of Parallels, it might have gotten some traction. However, while I recall it getting some play on MTV, it came along just as grunge was breaking, and I’m not sure I ever heard the song on the radio. Lyrically, the song is one of at least two on Parallels to discuss the perceived divide between Jim Matheos and fans of Fates Warning. In this regard, it’s quite reminiscent of Rush’s Limelight, which I suspect Jim could relate to quite well. Amazing performance by Ray. I had it at #38 on my list, and I’m a bit surprised it made the top 20.
Eye To Eye #27
Surprised had it this high actually but feel I dismissed it a little being the obvious single back when but has grown over the years and when listened back before doing the ranker I was again quite taken by it again l.
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18. Eye to Eye (NR). Missed my top 50, but this is a solid song. It wouldn't have been out of place on Queensryche's Empire, maybe sitting in place of Another Rainy Night? Similar structure, similar dynamics, and I wonder how Geoff would've handled the middle section vocally. Any way, Ray is the real MVP on this one, especially on said middle section. I thought he got shrieky at times on Perfect Symmetry when going into the stratosphere, but here, he shows great control.
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I had "Eye to Eye" at #21. Great single, fun song live. Sure, it's a bit poppy, but I don't mind it here and there. All my favorite bands have songs like this (Queensryche - Jet City Woman, Alter Bridge - My Champion, etc.). Always enjoy seeing it live. Speaking of which...from the San Diego show on January 13, 2018:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CfgzHaF0h2c
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I've got lots to say about today's songs....
17 At Fates Hands/Fingers (Perfect Symmetry – 3)
Appeared on 13 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 5
Highest Ranking: 3 (Zoom E)
When we discussed Part of the Machine, I mentioned that I’d never heard anything like it. Well, POTM only scratched the surface! Located halfway through Perfect Symmetry, if this song isn’t the blueprint for The Dance of Eternity, I don’t know what is. After opening with an acoustic guitar/piano/violin etude, the song features a two-verse, very restrained vocal from Ray. At about the halfway point, the song kicks in with some of the most amazing, but tasteful instrumental music I’ve ever heard. TDOE certainly has more time changes, but this song might have more changes per minute. The band moves effortlessly through sevens and fives and nines and elevens and 6-5-5-6 patterns, all the while utilizing two-guitar harmonies, as well as both keyboard and violin features, courtesy of Kevin Moore and Faith Fraioli. This song finished at #9 on my list. I was a bit disappointed it didn’t make it onto more lists, but it (along with today’s other song and one of tomorrow’s songs) had the most top 10 finishes of any song that didn’t make the overall top 10.
A quick note about At Fates Fingers: Like Circles, AFF appeared on the Chasing Time compilation. I’m not sure of the story, but it’s got some extra guitar overdubs that the song really didn’t need (and the vocal section is edited out). It’s an interesting listen, but the album track is far superior IMO.
16 A Pleasant Shade of Gray XII (This Pleasant Shade of Gray) (APSOG – 8)
Appeared on 12 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 5
Highest Ranking: 3 (jammindude)
This was my #11 song and my #2 ranked song on APSOG. It also garnered the most top 10 finishes of any of the APSOG tracks. I can’t overstate how cool this piece is. After the frenzy of XI, XII starts with a simple, two-note guitar pattern, which is quickly joined by some very peaceful synth chord and lyrics beautifully sung by Ray, which I interpret as being about that fleeting moment when you’re awakening from a dream and remember everything. The song quickly changes focus with a syncopated 5/4 pattern over four bars that forms the basis for most of the rest of piece. Initially, it’s just bass and drums, but the guitar quickly joins with its own syncopated pattern. Ray adds vocals of growing intensity, while the guitar figure subtly expands, adding, initially, a single contrasting chord, and then a second such chord to fill the empty space in the syncopated pattern. Figuring out the rhythms in this pattern took me years. The song builds to its climax around the 5:30 mark and then returns to the initial two-note guitar pattern with synth and a final, hopeful vocal from Ray. And, if you let the song play through a good minute of silence, you’re woken by the jarring sound of an alarm clock. It’s the perfect cap to APSOG.
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No. Ranked Songs Not Ranked Songs
50 Face the Fear
49 Left Here Don't Follow Me
48 Exodus
47 Another Perfect Day Handful of Doubt
46 Down to the Wire
45 Chasing Time
44 White Flag
43 The Destination Onward
42 Something from Nothing
41 We Only Say Goodbye
40 The Apparition
39 Wish
38 At Fates Hands/Fingers
37 The Strand
36 Outside Looking In
35 Pale Fire
34
33 The Longest Shadow of the Day
32 Part of the Machine
31
30 Silent Cries
29 Firefly
28
27
26 APSOG III
25
24
23 APSOG VII
22 APSOG V
21
20 And Yet It Moves
19
18
17 The Road Goes on Forever
16 Seven Stars
15 Don’t Follow Me
14 Island in the Stream
13 APSOG VIII
12 APSOG IX
11
10 APSOG X/XI
9 APSOG XII
8
7
6 Shelter Me/Circles
5
4 Eye to Eye
3
2
1
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I had At Fates Hands at 48. I might like it even better with modern Ray vocals, but the original is a great song.
APSOG XII at #5. Pg1067 has a great write up about this song, so I'll just add that I absolutely love it. It finishes their best album in a beautiful and intense way.
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I’ve always liked Eye to Eye. Kind of saw it as the FW equivalent of Another Day. I like those kind of tracks in general.
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I had At Fates Hand at #3, and it’s not even my highest ranked song from Perfect Symmetry.
I didn't rank APSOG XII. That’s probably an oversight on my part.
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17 At Fates Hands/Fingers (Perfect Symmetry – 3)
Appeared on 13 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 5
Highest Ranking: 3 (Zoom E)
16 A Pleasant Shade of Gray XII (This Pleasant Shade of Gray) (APSOG – 8)
Appeared on 12 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 5
Highest Ranking: 3 (jammindude)
I ranked neither....
Right now, I'm 50/50.
18 songs ranked
18 songs UNranked
50 NR
49 Handful Of Doubt
48 APSOG IX (Stayed Up Late One Night) Chasing Time
47 APSOG III
46 APSOG VIII (Instrumental) White Flag
45 APSOG IV
44 Firefly
43 The Destination Onward
42 Pale Fire Left Here
41 The Road Goes On Forever
40 Outside Looking In Island In The Stream
39 The Longest Shadow Of The Day APSOG V (Murder In Munich)
38 Face The Fear Part Of The Machine
37 Wish
36 Another Perfect Day APSOG VII
35 The Apparition Seven Stars
34 Eye To Eye
33 At Fates Hands
32 Silent Cries APSOG XII
31 Don't Follow Me
30
29
28
27
26
25
24 And Yet It Moves
23
22 APSOG XI (Do You Think That I)
21
20
19
18
17 Exodus
16
15
14
13 The Strand
12
11
10 Shelter Me
9
8
7
6 Down To The Wire
5
4 Something For Nothing
3 We Only Say Goodbye
2
1
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Tim is such a unique dude.
:rollin
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And here I am thinking how awesome my list is.. :lol
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And here I am thinking how awesome my list is.. :lol
:-*
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!7. At Fate's Hands/Fingers (9). Absolutely a top ten Fates song for me. The instrumental section is so fun to play on drums, as Zonder does a lot of really cool things that not many other drummers pull off. When I first got my trigger module, I had my triggers set up on some extra drums so I could do the timpani part during the vocal section. Such a cool tune.
16. APSOG XII (29). A really nice way to close out the album. I love the slow build throughout the tune, and I love how Jim works that guitar motif into the song in all sorts of different ways.
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At Fates Hands is a very cool track, and Fingers is a nice alternate instrumental version.
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17 At Fates Hands/Fingers (Perfect Symmetry – 3)
Appeared on 13 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 5
Highest Ranking: 3 (Zoom E)
16 A Pleasant Shade of Gray XII (This Pleasant Shade of Gray) (APSOG – 8)
Appeared on 12 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 5
Highest Ranking: 3 (jammindude)
I'm going to sympathise with TAC today, I also didn't rank either of these songs and I have 16 unranked in total so far not too dissimilar to his 18.
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Ketchup time!!!
And Yet It Moves - I had it at #46. I like the parts, but IMO it feels like two completely different songs stuck together.
Seven Stars - honestly one of their best all time straight ahead rockers. I had it at #29
Eye to Eye - I grew quite fond of this one. And I suppose it is one of Jim’s better attempts at a “single”. I like it better when things are a bit more layered, but this is still really good. I had it at #45.
At Fates Hands/Fingers - I had this at #11. Everything that pg said about these next to is pure SPOT ON. Not sure I could add anything. Totally agree about the time shifts which are more subtle on this song than DOE, and because of that I think they are more emotionally effective.
APSOG XII - Really happy to be the high roller on this one at #3. Again, pg’s write up is perfect. I will add that it’s not just a great musical climax to the album. It’s the perfect emotional climax of the theme. The final of the 3 “where do we begin” motifs comes to its full emotional impact in this piece. It’s one of those near perfect musical moments.
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At Fates Hands - My rank: #17
Fantastic write-up from pg, I don't have much to add. I will say, while I get the (future) reference to The Dance of Eternity because of the swirl of time signature changes, in this case I find the less in-your-face technicality here much more appealing.
APSOG Part XII - My rank: #39
Again, pg pretty much said it all. I might rank this lower as a stand-alone piece, but what a way to close the album. It's all about subtlety, the way the song builds and builds. Amazing stuff.
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Right now, I'm 50/50.
18 songs ranked
18 songs UNranked
Impressively (based on a rather quick and dirty count), one ranker managed to get 44 of the 50 songs (3 more than anyone else). The lowest number is 28.
Also, no one ever PM'd me to guess about the three songs included on all 19 lists.
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So I had 28? :lol
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And Yet it Moves - I had this at #37. It's probably a tick underrated by me. Probably should have been in my top-30 for sure. I don't enjoy the intro. It's not that I hate it, it's quirky and for some reason it just takes something away from the tune for me. Once the song kicks in, I like it a lot.
Cool story - so on the U.S. tour preceding the European swing where Fates would record its Live Over Europe album, I did a bit of a roadtrip with a friend and we took in shows in San Diego and Los Angeles. During the San Diego soundcheck on January 13, 2018, they played "And Yet it Moves" for one of the first times in the "public" eye. (it was not really public, and it may not have been the absolute first, I'm not sure.) The funny thing was while it sounded great, it was awesome to see Ray having to pull out his phone to get a refresher on the lyrics. When I asked him later about it, he said that they are running a few things through soundcheck on the tour in prep for European tour.
Anyway, I recorded it, and you can check it out here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=203YJniZDXY
I didn't comment on it - how cool is it that you got to witness this?
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At Fates Hands NR
Good piece but I initially struggled a little with this as Ray's vocal harmony sounded too close to Chasing Time (which I heard first). Probably just me or intended that way but anyway for that and reasons unknown, I never invested in this one aside from playing it through during album spins. Sacrilege perhaps and clearly missing the boat here so will def need revisit...
APSOG XII #13
A stunning piece of music, this song was for a very long time head and shoulders above anything else on APSOG fer my ears. The album wasn't an instant win fer me and took a long time to open up and to some degree I find I am still exploring and discovering more to love with it. One thing I hoped for from this countdown was to be schooled on the album a little more, and so far that is indeed proving to be the case thanks folks ;D
That said, I still remember on first listen the final track VII was instant, and the albums big ear worm fer me and had me going back for more. Honestly surprised it was only at 13 as thought it had made my own top10.
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So I had 28? :lol
My ranked/not ranked breakdown is currently at 29/7, so I'm already past that :biggrin:
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So I had 28? :lol
Nope.
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Today we get two songs that are the last from their respective albums.
14T A Pleasant Shade of Gray VI (Turn Back All the Years) (APSOG – 9)
Appeared on 13 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 4
Highest Ranking: 1 (SoundscapeMN)
I have to admit that I was surprised to see VI turn up as the highest ranked piece from APSOG (which means that I and II are the only parts not to make it) since it’s smack in the middle of where APSOG often loses folks. It’s a slow building song, with not much happening for the first couple minutes other than some repeating bass and guitar figures. It really picks up in the second half of its 7 1/2 minute run time. A great “chorus,” a tasty guitar solo, and a reprise of the opening chapter of the album make for a nice climax to the first half of the album.
14T Guardian (Awaken the Guardian – 2)
Appeared on 14 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 5
Highest Ranking: 2 (Mister Gold, Puppies_on_Acid)
Well…here we are. We started the countdown with Exodus from Awaken the Guardian, and we’re back…with what will be, unfortunately, the last of the three Arch era songs in the countdown. Guardian is a wonderful song – a full-blown epic in a 7 1/2-minute package. It starts with twin acoustic guitars and then a soaring instrumental figure before settling into its main groove and one of the best choruses in the band’s catalog. I remember at my first Fates show, a bunch of us were in the parking lot to talk with the band, and someone asked Frank why they didn’t play Guardian. His answer was something along the lines of: "I don't know; we just didn't." I wasn’t yet familiar with the song, but I put that in my pocket and soon found and bought ATG. I had it at #18 on my list, and it was my third-highest Arch era song. For those not familiar with the Arch albums, this is your starting point. One question, though…who the hell is Karen?
So…now that we’ve seen the last of the Arch era songs, I’m going to interrupt the main countdown briefly. Over the weekend, instead of continuing with the main countdown, I’m going to give you the rest of the top 15 Arch era songs (we know that the top 3 are Guardian (14T), The Apparition (32) and Exodus (49T)).
There were two Arch songs in the 51-60 group, and we had four lists that included no Arch songs, so I wondered what it would do to the overall countdown to eliminate those four lists. Interestingly, while it bumped the two songs from the 51-60 group into the 41-50 group, it did not result in any other songs moving into the top 50. It did bump Guardian into the top 10 and the Apparition into the top 20. However, it did not impact the top 3 at all and (other than bumping Guardian), it did not otherwise significantly impact the top 10.
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One question, though…who the hell is Karen?
According to google: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karen_Ann_Quinlan
Guardian has a new meaning to me after reading the new Fates Warning book that came out this year and understanding John Arch's lyrics. That song just blew me away knowing what it's truly about.
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I didn't comment on it - how cool is it that you got to witness this?
It was really special. That whole roadtrip tour with my buddy, and the access we had those two shows was awesome. On the 2019 tour, I saw them three more times. Twice opening for QR, and the best one was a one-off headline appearance. It was at a bar in Redding, Calif., called "The Dip." I showed up way early at like 4 p.m., had a couple of beers with friends (who drove from UTAH), stayed for soundcheck. They could only fit half of the drum kit on the "stage" in the corner of the bar. During soundcheck, my friend took a picture of me, standing in front of the band playing. It was like our own personal Fates show. I have that photo, and the cool venue poster the bar had up, framed to my right here at my office. Signed by the band. It was really, really cool.
Once the show itself started, the place filled up much more. I was right in front of Jim and Ray for that. Check out a couple vids I took. It was actually too close to film, so it's a little bouncy:
One - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omkBdAZJ790
Another Perfect Day - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hks2ogtcPVw
I just took two. The band doesn't mind people taking a couple, but they were...displeased to see some guy literally standing in the back filming the entire performance. So after those two songs, I put my phone away. But check out the vantage point of Jim's solo in Another Perfect Day. Literally right up against me. So killer.
Those five shows are some of my favorite memories of shows (2018 and 2019). Really hope I get to see Fates again some day.
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One question, though…who the hell is Karen?
According to google: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karen_Ann_Quinlan
Guardian has a new meaning to me after reading the new Fates Warning book that came out this year and understanding John Arch's lyrics. That song just blew me away knowing what it's truly about.
I could only find a 20+ year old, anonymous message board post that made that connection. While plausible, that's hardly definitive. Does the book (which I bought but haven't read yet) corroborate this?
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APSOG VI was #10 for me and I didn't rank Guardian.
Most of APSOG was in my top 15 so I'm sad none of them made it a little higher in the rankings.
Looking forward to the rest of the countdown though.
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I didn’t rank APSOG VI, and Guardian just barely made my list at #49. I enjoy the songs on the Spectre Within more than Awaken the Guardian.
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I have a lot of catch up to do, since I went on vacation immediately after this started and just now got back.
A Handful of Doubt - This one landed at #19 on my list and is one of many songs I love on FWX. This album is full of atmospheric songs that have amazing build ups and this song is a prime example. That spot at the 3 minute mark where the song explodes with those long held out chords is sublime.
APSOG VIII - This is one of those tracks that just loses me on APSOG. I had it at #112 and that might have been too generous :lol. The piano intro is beyond annoying to me and the song does little to improve throughout its runtime.
The Longest Shadow of the Day - This just missed my list at #56. I love the jazzy intro for the first few minutes of the song before going full Prog Metal. The rest of the song goes through multiple interesting change ups which holds my attention well.
Down to the Wire - This was at #91 on my list and probably should have been much higher. Probably a misclick when doing the ranking engine. Just glancing at my list it should have landed somewhere in the high 50s. Good song with great sing-along vocal melodies. And Mark Zonder is a beast as usual. Kind of sounds like a lost Queensryche song in spots.
Chasing Time - I had this at #60. It's a nice mellow song, but nothing to write home about. Good vocals from Ray is the highlight here and the only thing that saves it from dropping way down in my rankings.
APSOG III - Another APSOG song that I have no idea how it made the top 50....I had it at #103. This whole album seems to be predicated on finding annoying melodies or grooves and doubling down on them hard. This song is no exception. This whole exercise has shown me that APSOG is really meant to be taken as a whole, but also this album has not aged well for me at all. I think the only FW albums I like less as a whole are NoB and DiaDL.
White Flag - Good late era FW. This came in at #67 and probably should have been a few spots higher, if I'm being honest. Then again there are much better songs on ToF.
Silent Cries - I really struggled with where to rank this. It ultimately landed at #45, but could have been much higher. Ray really shows off his vocal range here and is fun to (try to) sing-along to.
APSOG IV - One of the few APSOG tracks to make my list, coming in at #35, which thinking about now, might be about 10 spots too high, but there is something about the combo of Ray's vocal melodies and the fretless bass that just really makes this track. Then the second half with Mark showing off why he is the best FW drummer.
Firefly - Didn't make my top 50, landing at #66. Pretty good straight ahead rocker, from a mediocre late era FW album.
The Destination Onward - My #75. I love the build up here, even though it goes on a little longer than it needs to. The meat of the song is also really good, but again just too drawn out for what it is. Could trim a couple minutes from this song and you might have a proper top 50 FW track.
Left Here - FWX song doing what FWX songs do best. Atmosphere, build up, climax, mood. This only landed at #42, but it's such a good opening track for the most underrated FW album. Perhaps a little too long, but not by much.
The Road Goes on Forever - Landed at #21 for me. This hits just about all the aspects of what makes a great FW song. Great build, atmospheric and moody, and still proggy. Some great emotionally driven guitar leads and Mark Zonder kills it here with all the subtle percussion too.
Something from Nothing - Could pretty much repeat what I wrote about The Road Goes On Forever, only better. This was at #15 for me. What makes this better is the atmosphere in the build up and then when this song finally does climax it is soooo satisfying.
The Strand - Just barely missed my top 50 at #51. The chorus here really ties the whole thing together and makes for a great song.
We Only Say Goodbye - Classic FW song, that landed at #30 on my list. Great combo of verses and chorus wrapped in great proggy metal.
The Apparition - Glad to see this song make the top 50. I had it at #24. Fantastic Arch era song. John Arch shows off his vocal chops in this one. The second half of the song is absolutely brilliant.
Another Perfect Day - A song that absolutely should have been a radio hit, if they played actual good music on the radio....but I digress. I had this at #10 and it deserves every bit of that ranking. Great melodies throughout and an underlying atmosphere that is both subtle and is what absolutely makes this song. Plus Jim Matheos shows he can write and play a great catchy guitar solo with the best of them.
Island in the Stream - Here we go with another classic FW atmospheric song. I had this at #48. It suffers a bit from the production of Inside Out and the fact it isn't quite as good as other songs they've done in the same vein. It feels like a precursor to a style they would perfect on Disconnected and FWX.
Shelter Me - Just missed my list at #53. Another great song that probably would have been much greater with better production. The chorus is extremely catchy and wonderfully written.
APSOG X/XI - Landed at #94 on my list. Part X is just annoying and adds nothing to the album. Part XI is actually OK, but suffers a bit from what I mentioned before about hammering on one really annoying melody over and over. I actually really like Ray's vocals here though.
APSOG V - Now we're talking! This came in at #28. Perfect combo of great vocal melodies, great drums, and atmosphere.
Outside Looking In - Just squeaked onto my list at #48. Good vocals by Ray with another catchy chorus. More great drums from Zonder (I mean, when is he not good?)
APSOG IX - Just missed my list at #55. One of the less annoying tracks on APSOG. Great vocal melodies, especially in the intro and it has one of the better guitar leads on the album, even though it's short and sweet.
Part of the Machine - I had this at #33 and it probably could have been higher. Just an amazing Prog metal masterpiece that to me really paved the way for Dream Theater. The bass really stands out on this song to me. Plus Ray is amazing here.
Wish - My #27 and the second of the 2 moody masterpieces on FWX along with A Handful of Doubt. That repeated guitar melody throughout the song is just so emotive. Then the lyrics and vocals are just perfect. And Zonder's drumming elevates in to another level. I probably should have ranked this higher....Just too many good songs.
Pale Fire - Another one of those songs I consider a FW classic. It landed at #37 on my list. I absolutely love the vocals here and makes me always want to sing-along.
APSOG VII - Once again I am astounded at how high some of these APSOG tracks are in the aggregate top 50. This was at #108 on my list and kind of epitomizes everything wrong with this album in one track. That annoying piano melody is here in the intro and then the verses have a disgustingly bad rhythm and I don't like the chorus.
And Yet it Moves - This was just outside my top 50, coming in at #54. It's a great song, but it's far too long for what it is. However there are a lot of cool things happening throughout its runtime. Cut down to a 10 minutes song it might have made my top 40.
Seven Stars - One of the less interesting songs on ToF. Only made it to #90 on my list.
Eye to Eye - Another of the classic FW songs. I had this at #16 and deservedly so. A great vocal performance and wonderful guitar melodies. Also Zonder sure knows how to pull back and let a song breathe on the drums. Brilliant drumming, once again...I mean are we surprised at this point?
At Fates Hand - This landed at #29 on my list. Interesting track with a good build up with vocals only in the first half. It's almost like 2 separate songs. The band fires on all cylinders in the second half. It's another of those songs that I think Dream Theater owes a lot to. Fates Warning, along with Queensryche, really laid the groundwork for Prog Metal to come.
APSOG XII - For an album that is mostly full of annoying stuff, this song stands out in a big way. I had this at #9. This could have almost been on Disconnected or FWX with the way the song builds with atmosphere. And even though the song doesn't exactly climax, it just keeps building upon itself until it comes to a crest and resolves and then cools down into a brilliant ending to a troubled album. We can also ignore the last minute and a half of the song.
APSOG VI - How this ranked above APSOG XII I will never understand. While I only had it at #62, it isn't a bad song. It actually has a brilliant climax, but the song goes on for a bit too long in the intro and then the ending. Plus the start of that awful piano melody....kill me now!
Guardian - Alright! Highest ranker at #2. Just an absolute monster of a song. The intro with that brilliant guitar solo. The fantastic acoustic guitars flowing into the meat and potatoes of the song. John Arch at arguably his best. It is without a doubt the best Arch era FW song and there are a lot of fantastic Arch era songs. Sad that this is the last Arch era song in the top 50...
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No. Ranked Songs Not Ranked Songs
50 Face the Fear
49 Left Here Don't Follow Me
48 Exodus
47 Another Perfect Day Handful of Doubt
46 Down to the Wire
45 Chasing Time
44 White Flag
43 The Destination Onward
42 Something from Nothing
41 We Only Say Goodbye
40 The Apparition
39 Wish
38 Guardian
37 The Strand
36 Outside Looking In
35 Pale Fire
34
33 The Longest Shadow of the Day
32 Part of the Machine
31
30 Silent Cries
29 Firefly
28
27
26 APSOG III
25
24 APSOG VI
23 APSOG VII
22 APSOG V
21
20 And Yet It Moves
19
18
17 The Road Goes on Forever
16 Seven Stars
15 Don’t Follow Me
14 Island in the Stream
13 APSOG VIII
12 APSOG IX
11
10 APSOG X/XI
9
8
7
6 Shelter Me/Circles
5
4 Eye to Eye
3
2
1
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I could only find a 20+ year old, anonymous message board post that made that connection. While plausible, that's hardly definitive. Does the book (which I bought but haven't read yet) corroborate this?
Yep, it does...
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Most of APSOG was in my top 15 so I'm sad none of them made it a little higher in the rankings.
So...just looking at all the lists, rankers had the following # of APSOG songs on their countdowns:
A. 10/11
B. 4
C. 6
D. 11 (ranked in spots 1-11)
E. 4
F. 9
G. 6
H. 2
I. 8
J. 8
K. 4
L. 6
M. 2
N. 4
O. 7
P. 10
Q. 2
R. 8
By the way, regarding the two APSOG tracks that didn't make the countdown, "I" made it onto only two lists and finished tied for 87th place (with Scars and Begin again). "II" came VERY close at #53 (only 5 points behind the three songs that tied for 49th).
I could only find a 20+ year old, anonymous message board post that made that connection. While plausible, that's hardly definitive. Does the book (which I bought but haven't read yet) corroborate this?
Yep, it does...
Grazie.
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I didn't comment on it - how cool is it that you got to witness this?
It was really special. That whole roadtrip tour with my buddy, and the access we had those two shows was awesome. On the 2019 tour, I saw them three more times. Twice opening for QR, and the best one was a one-off headline appearance. It was at a bar in Redding, Calif., called "The Dip." I showed up way early at like 4 p.m., had a couple of beers with friends (who drove from UTAH), stayed for soundcheck. They could only fit half of the drum kit on the "stage" in the corner of the bar. During soundcheck, my friend took a picture of me, standing in front of the band playing. It was like our own personal Fates show. I have that photo, and the cool venue poster the bar had up, framed to my right here at my office. Signed by the band. It was really, really cool.
Once the show itself started, the place filled up much more. I was right in front of Jim and Ray for that. Check out a couple vids I took. It was actually too close to film, so it's a little bouncy:
One - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omkBdAZJ790
Another Perfect Day - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hks2ogtcPVw
I just took two. The band doesn't mind people taking a couple, but they were...displeased to see some guy literally standing in the back filming the entire performance. So after those two songs, I put my phone away. But check out the vantage point of Jim's solo in Another Perfect Day. Literally right up against me. So killer.
Those five shows are some of my favorite memories of shows (2018 and 2019). Really hope I get to see Fates again some day.
Absolutely love this stuff. Oh, and your "background vocals" on One are pretty awesome ;D
There were two Arch songs in the 51-60 group, and we had four lists that included no Arch songs, so I wondered what it would do to the overall countdown to eliminate those four lists. Interestingly, while it bumped the two songs from the 51-60 group into the 41-50 group, it did not result in any other songs moving into the top 50. It did bump Guardian into the top 10 and the Apparition into the top 20. However, it did not impact the top 3 at all and (other than bumping Guardian), it did not otherwise significantly impact the top 10.
Cool info nuggets here...I was actually surprised I ended up having more Arch songs in my top 50 than the aggregate consensus. I've said it before, as I was revisiting the whole catalog before we started the countdown - the one Arch album that benefitted the most from re-listening was Awaken the Guardian, for sure. My favorite "version" of Fates Warning will always have Ray Alder fronting it, but I've upped my appreciation for AtG, and I'm thankful this countdown made me do it.
I could only find a 20+ year old, anonymous message board post that made that connection. While plausible, that's hardly definitive. Does the book (which I bought but haven't read yet) corroborate this?
Yep, it does...
Grazie.
:tup :tup
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I'll be honest, I have one of the lists with no Arch era songs.
While I am familiar with the Arch era, it's almost like a completely different band in comparison to the Alder era. In my view, they ARE two distinct bands. So I wasn't going to go through a three-record mini catalog that I don't enjoy as much to find a handful of tracks that may make the 40-50 range in my rankings. Seemed pointless. Even the best Arch era songs to me (Guardian, The Apparition), while cool...I'd rather listen to Ray. Any day. So it was just dumb for me to even try to make a case for an Arch song being in my top-50. They wouldn't be.
I thought about not submitting a list because of that, not wanting to skew results. But then giving it some further thought, I was being honest with how I felt, so I submitted it anyway. It's the truth, for my tastes, so it's accurate.
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I had neither of these ranked too.
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APSOG Part VI - My rank: #29
Agree with pg that this is a great mid-album piece. It takes its time to build up, but when Vera's bass comes in, and is joined by that clean guitar fade-in...that's beautiful stuff right there. Even more so when it's reprised with Kevin Moore's haunting keyboards in the background, after the verse and before the first chorus. That chorus, by the way...just a great payoff - simple and melodic, but very powerful. Short and emotional solo by Matheos too.
Guardian - My rank: #35
My highest-ranked song of the Arch-era. It has all of that early FW "magic" in a package that is epic and accessible at the same time. Part of this is Arch's vocal melodies are easier to wrap your head around than his usual standards :) The chorus really is a thing of beauty.
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14T A Pleasant Shade of Gray VI (Turn Back All the Years) (APSOG – 9)
Appeared on 13 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 4
Highest Ranking: 1 (SoundscapeMN)
14T Guardian (Awaken the Guardian – 2)
Appeared on 14 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 5
Highest Ranking: 2 (Mister Gold, Puppies_on_Acid)
I had APSOG VI (Turn Back All The Years) at #11. This is a great tune full of emotion. Has a great solo too.
I had Guardian at #9. Seems to be the signature song of the Arch Era.
So…now that we’ve seen the last of the Arch era songs, I’m going to interrupt the main countdown briefly. Over the weekend, instead of continuing with the main countdown, I’m going to give you the rest of the top 15 Arch era songs (we know that the top 3 are Guardian (14T), The Apparition (32) and Exodus (49T)).
Oh, OK. I'll add them to my list as you do it then. I had a total of 16 Arch Era songs on my list.
50 NR
49 Handful Of Doubt
48 APSOG IX (Stayed Up Late One Night) Chasing Time
47 APSOG III
46 APSOG VIII (Instrumental) White Flag
45 APSOG IV
44 Firefly
43 The Destination Onward
42 Pale Fire Left Here
41 The Road Goes On Forever
40 Outside Looking In Island In The Stream
39 The Longest Shadow Of The Day APSOG V (Murder In Munich)
38 Face The Fear Part Of The Machine
37 Wish
36 Another Perfect Day APSOG VII
35 The Apparition Seven Stars
34 Eye To Eye
33 At Fates Hands
32 Silent Cries APSOG XII
31 Don't Follow Me
30
29
28
27
26
25
24 And Yet It Moves
23
22 APSOG XI (Do You Think That I)
21
20
19
18
17 Exodus
16
15
14
13 The Strand
12
11 APSOG VI (Turn Back All The Years)
10 Shelter Me
9 Guardian
8
7
6 Down To The Wire
5
4 Something For Nothing
3 We Only Say Goodbye
2
1
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There were two Arch songs in the 51-60 group, and we had four lists that included no Arch songs, so I wondered what it would do to the overall countdown to eliminate those four lists. Interestingly, while it bumped the two songs from the 51-60 group into the 41-50 group, it did not result in any other songs moving into the top 50. It did bump Guardian into the top 10 and the Apparition into the top 20. However, it did not impact the top 3 at all and (other than bumping Guardian), it did not otherwise significantly impact the top 10.
Cool info nuggets here...I was actually surprised I ended up having more Arch songs in my top 50 than the aggregate consensus. I've said it before, as I was revisiting the whole catalog before we started the countdown - the one Arch album that benefitted the most from re-listening was Awaken the Guardian, for sure. My favorite "version" of Fates Warning will always have Ray Alder fronting it, but I've upped my appreciation for AtG, and I'm thankful this countdown made me do it.
So...just because I like numbers: The average list had 6.05 Arch era songs. If you only count the 15 lists that had Arch era songs, the number jumps to 7.67 (with 4 of the 15 lists having 7 songs). TAC had the most Arch songs (16), and 3 others (jammindude, Puppies and Realm) had more than 10 songs. Nine lists had at least one song from Brocken, while five lists had more than one Brocken song.
I'll be honest, I have one of the lists with no Arch era songs.
....
I thought about not submitting a list because of that, not wanting to skew results. But then giving it some further thought, I was being honest with how I felt, so I submitted it anyway. It's the truth, for my tastes, so it's accurate.
I'm glad you still submitted. As I mentioned only 7 of the 19 lists had at least one song from every album, which means 12 lists had no songs from at least one album, and 8 of those 12 lists omitted albums other than Arch albums. My own list had no songs from two albums. The point being that not being familiar with or not liking a small portion of the catalog (less than 25%) shouldn't be a deterrent to participating.
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14T A Pleasant Shade of Gray VI (Turn Back All the Years) (APSOG – 9)
Appeared on 13 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 4
Highest Ranking: 1 (SoundscapeMN)
14T Guardian (Awaken the Guardian – 2)
Appeared on 14 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 5
Highest Ranking: 2 (Mister Gold, Puppies_on_Acid)
APSOG VI - my number 3. I just love this track and it is a great centre piece of the album. It builds nicely and the vocals are full of emotion.
Guardian - 13 on my list. I ranked 12 Arch songs on my list (so 9 didn't make it....) this was my highest ranking one. I agree wth TAC that this probably is the signature song of the Arch Era. I know Arch's vocals don't work for everyone but there is a more mythical/magical quality about them on this track and along with some fantastic music it all comes together to create a really epic track that I never get tired of hearing.
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I did rank one Arch Era track ahead of Guardian. Let's see if it makes this weekend's list.
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I did rank one Arch Era track ahead of Guardian. Let's see if it makes this weekend's list.
The Sorceress!!!!!
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I did rank one Arch Era track ahead of Guardian. Let's see if it makes this weekend's list.
The Sorceress!!!!!
Nope..
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I did rank one Arch Era track ahead of Guardian. Let's see if it makes this weekend's list.
The Sorceress!!!!!
Won't find a sorceress at the edge of a river....
Too obscure or too obvious?
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I see what you did there. :tup
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Yep, only included 3 Arch era songs in my own list (Apparition my #9) and while do dig plenty of it can appreciate those not including any. My intro was Parallels and agree with Sam they really can come over like two different bands. Generally speaking the Alder era will always be superior for me but to each our own all good!
Sidenote, I own and love the two Arch Matheos records, in fact Winter Ethereal made my Top5 albums of 2019 and still blast that one regularly. Can't express enough how great that album is Arch kills it and it's well up there with the last few Fates records IMO, essential stuff! :metal
Anyway can't be sure but this might be my first at least only second time having 2 non-rankers at once as had neither APSOG VI or Guardian ranked. Guardian is a fine song just not high on my Arch faves and VI isfar from my preferred APSOG tracks and tbh like Puppies_ am surprised it rated higher overall than XII but there ya go ;)
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I just arrived in Florida and I’ve been traveling all day and I’m exhausted. I’m not gonna do an update tonight, but I just wanted to stop in to say how shocked I am.….deeply jaw on the floor stunned…that Prelude to Ruin is not going to make the list.
The reason they performed that song with Ray probably longer than any other Arch era song is because it was widely regarded as a fan favorite…commonly mentioned in the same breath as Guardian itself. Similar in structure and placement in album order as Apparition, but usually regarded as being superior (if that’s even possible…they are both amazing). I thought for sure that when Exodus made it, there was no way we weren’t going to see Prelude. This just doesn’t compute at all.
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I did rank one Arch Era track ahead of Guardian. Let's see if it makes this weekend's list.
The Sorceress!!!!!
Won't find a sorceress at the edge of a river....
Too obscure or too obvious?
Another song for Kade to write. :lol
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Hey all - I promise I will not spam every thread, but wanted to invite everyone to join LithoJazzoSphere and I in our Katatonia discussion thread. I mention it here because I think there could be some fan overlap. And Samsara's soundcheck experience reminded me of my own - I had a meet and greet with Fates Warning that included soundcheck, and I was wearing a Katatonia shirt. Jim Matheos noticed and said that Katatonia was his favorite band (probably an exaggeration or maybe just his favorite current band) and chatted with me about them for a bit. Ray said "Katatonia - great band," Bobby started asking me about how far back I go and he had gone back to The Great Cold Distance, and Joey was wearing a Katatonia shirt. :)
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Alright...sorry for the late post.
We already know the top 3 Arch era song, which are the only ones that made the countdown. Here's the first half of the rest of the top 15 Arch songs:
14T. Guardian (408 points) (my rank - 18)
32. The Apparition (309 points) (my rank - 14)
49T. Exodus (220 points) (my rank - 26)
x.
x.
x.
x.
x.
x.
74. Fata Morgana (104 points) (my rank - 30) - I absolutely love this song. They opened with this song the first time I saw Fates live (after a tape intro of At Fates Hands.
82. Kyrie Eleison (65 points) (my rank - NR)
83. Pirates of the Underground (64 points) (my rank - NR)
84. The Sorceress (58 points) (my rank - NR)
85T. Buried Alive (55 points) (my rank - NR)
90. Orphan Gypsy (46 points) (my rank - NR)
Other than Fata Morgana, I'm not overly fond of any of these songs, but I don't dislike any of them either.
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I just arrived in Florida and I’ve been traveling all day and I’m exhausted. I’m not gonna do an update tonight, but I just wanted to stop in to say how shocked I am.….deeply jaw on the floor stunned…that Prelude to Ruin is not going to make the list.
The reason they performed that song with Ray probably longer than any other Arch era song is because it was widely regarded as a fan favorite…commonly mentioned in the same breath as Guardian itself. Similar in structure and placement in album order as Apparition, but usually regarded as being superior (if that’s even possible…they are both amazing). I thought for sure that when Exodus made it, there was no way we weren’t going to see Prelude. This just doesn’t compute at all.
They never played Prelude with Ray until the APSOG tour, and it was only played at 12 shows. Exodus and The Apparition were played at several No Exit and Perfect Symmetry shows. Fata Morgana and Damnation were the big holdovers from the Arch era, both sticking around through the Parallels tour.
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Added the Arch songs so far...
50 NR
49 Handful Of Doubt
48 APSOG IX (Stayed Up Late One Night) Chasing Time
47 APSOG III
46 APSOG VIII (Instrumental) White Flag
45 APSOG IV
44 Firefly
43 The Destination Onward
42 Pale Fire Left Here
41 The Road Goes On Forever
40 Outside Looking In Island In The Stream
39 The Longest Shadow Of The Day APSOG V (Murder In Munich)
38 Face The Fear Part Of The Machine
37 Wish
36 Another Perfect Day APSOG VII
35 The Apparition Seven Stars
34 Eye To Eye
33 Buried Alive At Fates Hands
32 Silent Cries APSOG XII
31 Don't Follow Me
30
29
28
27
26
25
24 And Yet It Moves
23
22 APSOG XI (Do You Think That I)
21
20 Pirates Of The Underground
19
18
17 Exodus
16
15
14
13 The Strand
12
11 APSOG VI (Turn Back All The Years)
10 Shelter Me
9 Guardian
8 Kyrie Eleison
7
6 Down To The Wire
5
4 Something For Nothing
3 We Only Say Goodbye
2
1
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I'll be honest, I have one of the lists with no Arch era songs.
While I am familiar with the Arch era, it's almost like a completely different band in comparison to the Alder era. In my view, they ARE two distinct bands. So I wasn't going to go through a three-record mini catalog that I don't enjoy as much to find a handful of tracks that may make the 40-50 range in my rankings. Seemed pointless. Even the best Arch era songs to me (Guardian, The Apparition), while cool...I'd rather listen to Ray. Any day. So it was just dumb for me to even try to make a case for an Arch song being in my top-50. They wouldn't be.
I thought about not submitting a list because of that, not wanting to skew results. But then giving it some further thought, I was being honest with how I felt, so I submitted it anyway. It's the truth, for my tastes, so it's accurate.
I also didn't include any Arch songs, but it's not for lack of giving them a chance. I own the albums and saw Awaken love. So I didn't really feel guilty. I just greatly prefer Ray. I actually don't think I included any No Exit songs either.
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I'll be honest, I have one of the lists with no Arch era songs.
While I am familiar with the Arch era, it's almost like a completely different band in comparison to the Alder era. In my view, they ARE two distinct bands. So I wasn't going to go through a three-record mini catalog that I don't enjoy as much to find a handful of tracks that may make the 40-50 range in my rankings. Seemed pointless. Even the best Arch era songs to me (Guardian, The Apparition), while cool...I'd rather listen to Ray. Any day. So it was just dumb for me to even try to make a case for an Arch song being in my top-50. They wouldn't be.
I thought about not submitting a list because of that, not wanting to skew results. But then giving it some further thought, I was being honest with how I felt, so I submitted it anyway. It's the truth, for my tastes, so it's accurate.
I also didn't include any Arch songs, but it's not for lack of giving them a chance. I own the albums and saw Awaken love. So I didn't really feel guilty. I just greatly prefer Ray. I actually don't think I included any No Exit songs either.
:facepalm: :facepalm: :facepalm:
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Alright...sorry for the late post.
We already know the top 3 Arch era song, which are the only ones that made the countdown. Here's the first half of the rest of the top 15 Arch songs:
14T. Guardian (408 points) (my rank - 18)
32. The Apparition (309 points) (my rank - 14)
49T. Exodus (220 points) (my rank - 26)
x.
x.
x.
x.
x.
x.
74. Fata Morgana (104 points) (my rank - 30) - I absolutely love this song. They opened with this song the first time I saw Fates live (after a tape intro of At Fates Hands.
82. Kyrie Eleison (65 points) (my rank - NR)
83. Pirates of the Underground (64 points) (my rank - NR)
84. The Sorceress (58 points) (my rank - NR)
85T. Buried Alive (55 points) (my rank - NR)
90. Orphan Gypsy (46 points) (my rank - NR)
Other than Fata Morgana, I'm not overly fond of any of these songs, but I don't dislike any of them either.
Surprisingly had 2 of the 3 voted in, Exodus at #38 and Apparition #9, and now reviewing my Ranker list properly realize I had in fact 5 Arch-era songs in my 50 not 3 like I had assumed ::)
Anyway so also had Damnation at #36, Valley Of The Dolls at #39, and Buried Alive at #41...
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Alright...sorry for the late post.
We already know the top 3 Arch era song, which are the only ones that made the countdown. Here's the first half of the rest of the top 15 Arch songs:
14T. Guardian (408 points) (my rank - 18)
32. The Apparition (309 points) (my rank - 14)
49T. Exodus (220 points) (my rank - 26)
x.
x.
x.
x.
x.
x.
74. Fata Morgana (104 points) (my rank - 30) - I absolutely love this song. They opened with this song the first time I saw Fates live (after a tape intro of At Fates Hands.
82. Kyrie Eleison (65 points) (my rank - NR)
83. Pirates of the Underground (64 points) (my rank - NR)
84. The Sorceress (58 points) (my rank - NR)
85T. Buried Alive (55 points) (my rank - NR)
90. Orphan Gypsy (46 points) (my rank - NR)
Other than Fata Morgana, I'm not overly fond of any of these songs, but I don't dislike any of them either.
:jawdrop:
Where did Prelude end up at?
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Alright...sorry for the late post.
We already know the top 3 Arch era song, which are the only ones that made the countdown. Here's the first half of the rest of the top 15 Arch songs:
14T. Guardian (408 points) (my rank - 18)
32. The Apparition (309 points) (my rank - 14)
49T. Exodus (220 points) (my rank - 26)
x.
x.
x.
x.
x.
x.
74. Fata Morgana (104 points) (my rank - 30) - I absolutely love this song. They opened with this song the first time I saw Fates live (after a tape intro of At Fates Hands.
82. Kyrie Eleison (65 points) (my rank - NR)
83. Pirates of the Underground (64 points) (my rank - NR)
84. The Sorceress (58 points) (my rank - NR)
85T. Buried Alive (55 points) (my rank - NR)
90. Orphan Gypsy (46 points) (my rank - NR)
Other than Fata Morgana, I'm not overly fond of any of these songs, but I don't dislike any of them either.
:jawdrop:
Where did Prelude end up at?
Prelude To Ruin is a top 5 Fates tune for me!!!!!
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My fave Arch era tune is The Sorceress.
My fave Ray tune is Shades Of Heavenly Death. When I first heard No Exit I thought to myself that this is what Tony Harnell would sound like doing prog metal.
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:jawdrop:
Where did Prelude end up at?
Maybe one of those remaining spots?
Good song but is clearly another I need reinvest in...
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I had neither of these ranked too.
Must have missed something here. I had Guardian ranked at number 8. Best Arch song for me.
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I had neither of these ranked too.
Must have missed something here. I had Guardian ranked at number 8. Best Arch song for me.
Yeah, I was surprised to read you hadn't ranked it (only because I thought I remembered you mentioned how much you liked the song)
As I mentioned before, I had 5 Arch-era songs in my top 50. I had the three that made the aggregate top 50, plus Valley of the Dolls and Prelude to Ruin. Here are my rankings for those:
50 Exodus
49 Valley of the Dolls
48 The Apparition
42 Prelude to Ruin
35 Guardian
I was quite surprised too not to see Prelude to Ruin rank...
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Alright, ranking the Arch Era stuff :metal
Orphan Gypsy - I had this at #25 and am quite sad to not see it in the overall top 50. That opening guitar lead is awesome with the underlying riffs. Then that chorus is amazingly sing-along worthy.
Buried Alive - This was my #87, so close to the consensus. I never really connected with NoB nearly as much as TSW or AtG. This is, however, a really good attempt at some early '80s power metal.
The Sorceress - Landing at #22 and shame on the rest of you for not rating this masterpiece of an album opener higher. Great Arch vocal melodies here and the music shows how much the band had grown in the year since TSW. The second half of the song kind of goes more doomy for a time, showing some similarities to the early Candlemass records.
Pirates of the Underground - This was at #39 for me. What an intro! Some of the vocal melodies and phrasing are a little awkward here, but that doesn't really detract from how good the song is as a whole. The last couple of minutes are also really good.
Kyrie Eleison - Gotta love that opening and even though the song as a whole isn't the best of songs from TSW, I had it at #44, this song still goes hard. That continuous double bass throughout gives the song a very heavy and thrashy feel. Metallica wishes they were this good......I kid, mostly. In hindsight I probably rated this about 10 spots too low.
Fata Morgana - So my #6 song didn't make the list.....Sad times....and shame on the rest of you! This is another one of those classic FW songs. Those opening riffs, the power metal screams from Arch to open the song, more double bass. This takes the formula explored on Kyrie Eleison and perfected it. Everything about this song is great! Metallica wishes they were this good back in '86.......and this time I'm not kidding :corn
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Where did Prelude end up at?
Excellent question!
The rest of the top 15 Arch era songs:
14T. Guardian (408 points) (my rank - 18)
32. The Apparition (309 points) (my rank - 14)
49T. Exodus (220 points) (my rank - 26)
56. Epitaph (188 points) (my rank - 45) - My opinion about this song and Exodus is the opposite of that of jammindude. I heard Epitaph first and really like it, but I feel like Exodus was an improvement on the existing model.
57. Traveler in Time (186 points) (my rank - 15) - This was the first Arch song I ever heard. It remains my all time favorite Arch song, and I was the high ranker (it was on 8 lists). I was very disappointed that it didn't make the top 50.
62. Prelude to Ruin (161 points) (my rank - somewhere in the 51-60 range) - Here you go, Ben! Prelude was included on 9 lists and had one top 10 finish. It's a solid song, but I think it's eclipsed by at least four other songs on ATG.
63. Giant's Lore (Heart of Winter) (160 points) (my rank - 27) - This is another really great song from ATG and might be my favorite Arch lyric. I feel like it may have been inspired by To Kill a Mockingbird.
70T. Damnation (115 points) (my rank - just missed the top 50) - They played this song the first time I saw them live, and I remember asking people about it and being very excited to find and buy Night on Brocken. Best song on the debut by a LONG shot.
73. Valley of the Dolls (112 points) (my rank - NR) - Solid song, but probably my least favorite on ATG.
74. Fata Morgana (104 points) (my rank - 30) - I absolutely love this song. They opened with this song the first time I saw Fates live (after a tape intro of At Fates Hands.
82. Kyrie Eleison (65 points) (my rank - NR)
83. Pirates of the Underground (64 points) (my rank - NR)
84. The Sorceress (58 points) (my rank - NR)
85T. Buried Alive (55 points) (my rank - NR)
90. Orphan Gypsy (46 points) (my rank - NR)
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Added the rest of the Arch songs...
50 Prelude To Ruin NR
49 Damnation Handful Of Doubt
48 APSOG IX (Stayed Up Late One Night) Chasing Time
47 APSOG III
46 APSOG VIII (Instrumental) White Flag
45 APSOG IV
44 Traveller In Time Firefly
43 The Destination Onward
42 Pale Fire Left Here
41 The Road Goes On Forever
40 Outside Looking In Island In The Stream
39 The Longest Shadow Of The Day APSOG V (Murder In Munich)
38 Face The Fear Part Of The Machine
37 Wish
36 Another Perfect Day APSOG VII
35 The Apparition Seven Stars
34 Eye To Eye
33 Buried Alive At Fates Hands
32 Silent Cries APSOG XII
31 Don't Follow Me
30 Giant's Lore
29
28
27
26
25 Valley Of The Dolls
24 And Yet It Moves
23
22 APSOG XI (Do You Think That I)
21
20 Pirates Of The Underground
19
18
17 Exodus
16 Epitaph
15
14
13 The Strand
12
11 APSOG VI (Turn Back All The Years)
10 Shelter Me
9 Guardian
8 Kyrie Eleison
7
6 Down To The Wire
5
4 Something For Nothing
3 We Only Say Goodbye
2
1
I had 12 of the 15 Arch Era tracks listed. I ranked 16 overall.
Of the list Paul listed, I didn't rank The Soceress, Fata Morgana, or Ophan Gypsey.
But I did rank Kiss Of Death, Night On Brocken, Shadowfax, and Misfit.
I ranked Epitaph just one space better then Exodus. Yeah, Exodus is a bit cleaner, but I like the vibe of Epitaph. They're pretty much even though.
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But I did rank Kiss Of Death, Night On Brocken, Shadowfax, and Misfit.
For the record, you were the only person to rank Misfit and Shadowfax and the high ranker on the other two.
NOB songs got a total of 18 mentions, 8 of which went to Damnation.
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I ranked 12 Arch era songs. Here are my rankings:
13 Guardian (14 overall)
19 Traveler in Time
23 Prelude to Ruin
24 Giant’s Lore (Heart of Winter)
28 The Apparition (32 overall)
32 Exodus (49 overall)
33 Epitaph
37 Orphan Gypsy
40 Kiss of Death
41 Kyrie Eleison
44 Buried Alive
47 The Sorceress
Personally, I feel there is lots of great stuff in the Arch era but I know Arch's vocals can be very polarising.
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I hope those of you familiar with the Arch era enjoyed the mini countdown and that those not familiar with it will give it a chance based on some of the comments. And now we’re back to the main countdown.
13 Through Different Eyes (Perfect Symmetry – 4)
Appeared on 15 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 3
Highest Ranking: 3 (wolfking)
Gotta admit that I was VERY surprised to see this song so high in the countdown. TDE finished at #53 on my countdown, and I think it is the lesser of the two “Eyes” songs that seem to have been written in an attempt to write a “hit single.” The odd rhythms in the verses are the sort thing that usually appeals to me, but in this case it just doesn’t wok all that well.
12 One (Disconnected – 2)
Appeared on 18 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 3
Highest Ranking: 2 (Samsara, The Realm)
Also surprised with this one. I had it at #47, and it’s another from Disconnected that I connected with after hearing it done live. It's a solid, concise song.
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Through Different Eyes was 38 for me. But I don't really have issues with it being higher.
One was #13. I think this is an incredible song and live it has so much energy. I would have ranked it even higher if I could have ranked APSOG as one song. :)
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Through Different Eyes - I had this one at #18, so not too far off the forum's consensus. I really love this direction they took. It was the precursor to Parallels, and was a very cool turn for the band.
One - As everyone sees, I had this as my #2. This song is the one that hooked me on Fates. I've told this story before, but I never checked out FW in the late-80s and early-90s because I thought they were some death metal band with harsh vocals. Remember, I didn't have MTV, and when I did see MTV, they were never on. In 1997, I decided to take the plunge on the whole Columbia House thing and got APSOG. And I thought it sucked back then (I changed my mind, obviously).
So fast forward again another six years to 2003. Mrs. Samsara was like: How can you be this massive Queensryche and Dream Theater fan and not like Fates Warning? It doesn't make sense! So I listened to Parallels and loved it. Then we saw Fates with QR/DT twice that summer. Absolutely blew me away, and the song that made me run out and get the whole catalog was "One." Just the energy, mood, and riffing. Struck a chord in me. To this day, that song NEVER gets old. So yes, my #2 FW tune.
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One - As everyone sees, I had this as my #2. This song is the one that hooked me on Fates. I've told this story before, but I never checked out FW in the late-80s and early-90s because I thought they were some death metal band with harsh vocals. Remember, I didn't have MTV, and when I did see MTV, they were never on. In 1997, I decided to take the plunge on the whole Columbia House thing and got APSOG. And I thought it sucked back then (I changed my mind, obviously).
:lol
I love looking back at stuff like this and laughing at myself.
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Samsara, I was already a Fates Warning fan before that tour (though not for all that long), but had never seen them live and their set definitely took my fandom up a few notches. They were so energetic and One was phenomenal. No matter how many times they play it, I'll never get tired of it either.
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Through Different Eyes - My rank: #20
Fantastic song, just making my top 20. To me, it always worked great on the album, following the craziness of Part of the Machine. Good way to catch your breath, if you will. No doubt this is FW trying their hand at a more accessible kind of tune, but even here they can't help themselves with odd stuff ;) I'm thinking about DiBiase's wonderful work in tandem with Zonder during the verses. The vocals and the guitars are so good in the chorus.
One - My rank: #23
One of my favorites out of the more "modern-sounding" Fates Warning tunes. Love the way it starts, with the guitar being joined by the bass and then the drums. Such a strong pre-chorus and chorus. Great song.
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No. Ranked Songs Not Ranked Songs
50 One Face the Fear
49 Left Here Don't Follow Me
48 Exodus
47 Another Perfect Day Handful of Doubt
46 Down to the Wire
45 Chasing Time
44 White Flag
43 The Destination Onward
42 Something from Nothing
41 We Only Say Goodbye
40 The Apparition
39 Wish
38 Guardian
37 The Strand
36 Outside Looking In
35 Pale Fire
34
33 The Longest Shadow of the Day
32 Part of the Machine
31
30 Silent Cries
29 Firefly
28
27 Through Different Eyes
26 APSOG III
25
24 APSOG VI
23 APSOG VII
22 APSOG V
21
20 And Yet It Moves
19
18
17 The Road Goes on Forever
16 Seven Stars
15 Don’t Follow Me
14 Island in the Stream
13 APSOG VIII
12 APSOG IX
11
10 APSOG X/XI
9
8
7
6 Shelter Me/Circles
5
4 Eye to Eye
3
2
1
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13 Through Different Eyes (Perfect Symmetry – 4)
Appeared on 15 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 3
Highest Ranking: 3 (wolfking)
12 One (Disconnected – 2)
Appeared on 18 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 3
Highest Ranking: 2 (Samsara, The Realm)
Through Different Eyes - I had this at 45. Really good song.
One - my number 2. If I had to guess the 3 songs on everyone's list (I have no idea so that is why I haven't) I would have put One as one of the three. I guess it just missed out on being the case. The main riff in this song is huge, my favourite version is on Live Over Europe. I love that live album and that really helped elevate this song to my number 2.
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13 Through Different Eyes (Perfect Symmetry – 4)
Appeared on 15 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 3
Highest Ranking: 3 (wolfking)
12 One (Disconnected – 2)
Appeared on 18 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 3
Highest Ranking: 2 (Samsara, The Realm)
I had Through Different Eyes at #47. Yeah, I'm also very surprised this is this high. It's a decent song for sure though.
I had One at #21. It's a strong song. Gets Disconnected off to a nice start. Short and focused.
50 Prelude To Ruin NR
49 Damnation Handful Of Doubt
48 APSOG IX (Stayed Up Late One Night) Chasing Time
47 Through Different Eyes APSOG III
46 APSOG VIII (Instrumental) White Flag
45 APSOG IV
44 Traveller In Time Firefly
43 The Destination Onward
42 Pale Fire Left Here
41 The Road Goes On Forever
40 Outside Looking In Island In The Stream
39 The Longest Shadow Of The Day APSOG V (Murder In Munich)
38 Face The Fear Part Of The Machine
37 Wish
36 Another Perfect Day APSOG VII
35 The Apparition Seven Stars
34 Eye To Eye
33 Buried Alive At Fates Hands
32 Silent Cries APSOG XII
31 Don't Follow Me
30 Giant's Lore
29
28
27
26
25 Valley Of The Dolls
24 And Yet It Moves
23
22 APSOG XI (Do You Think That I)
21 One
20 Pirates Of The Underground
19
18
17 Exodus
16 Epitaph
15
14
13 The Strand
12
11 APSOG VI (Turn Back All The Years)
10 Shelter Me
9 Guardian
8 Kyrie Eleison
7
6 Down To The Wire
5
4 Something For Nothing
3 We Only Say Goodbye
2
1
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One - my number 2. If I had to guess the 3 songs on everyone's list (I have no idea so that is why I haven't) I would have put One as one of the three. I guess it just missed out on being the case. The main riff in this song is huge, my favourite version is on Live Over Europe. I love that live album and that really helped elevate this song to my number 2.
Yup. As previously mentioned, only three songs appeared on every list. Two songs (including One) appeared on 18/19 lists, and two others appeared on 17/19 lists. One song in the top 10 appeared on "only" 15/19 lists.
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To me, Through Different Eyes is just a perfect melodic rock song with those prog tinges, it's just near perfect. Love the dual leads with the harmonies at the end too.
I had One at 14. What a simple, damn good riff. The same with the excellent chorus too. Wonderful atmosphere.
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To me, Through Different Eyes is just a perfect melodic rock song with those prog tinges, it's just near perfect. Love the dual leads with the harmonies at the end too.
I had One at 14. What a simple, damn good riff. The same with the excellent chorus too. Wonderful atmosphere.
Absolutely! 100% :tup :metal
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I have Through Different Eyes at #17.
I guess I’m the one person who didn’t rank One. I’ll have to give it another listen to see what I’m missing. The Disconnected album has never resonated with me.
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I guess I’m the one person who didn’t rank One. I’ll have to give it another listen to see what I’m missing. The Disconnected album has never resonated with me.
So you're the....One? :neverusethis:
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Also, no one ever PM'd me to guess about the three songs included on all 19 lists.
Forgot about this...alright, just sent my guesses...
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Also, no one ever PM'd me to guess about the three songs included on all 19 lists.
Forgot about this...alright, just sent my guesses...
As did I.
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Also, no one ever PM'd me to guess about the three songs included on all 19 lists.
Forgot about this...alright, just sent my guesses...
As did I.
Yours and one other have been received.
-
Also, no one ever PM'd me to guess about the three songs included on all 19 lists.
Forgot about this...alright, just sent my guesses...
PM sent also :tup
Through Different Eyes #8
Pretty much what Wolf already said sums this one up nicely, love it!
One #12
While Disconnected is well down my list of preferred Fates loved this track on first listen. I would often hang with a mate afterhours who worked a music store and we played this one over and over for a few weeks such a great song. That said had even greater appreciation for it when watched the Live In Athens DVD too, great energy!
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Also, no one ever PM'd me to guess about the three songs included on all 19 lists.
Forgot about this...alright, just sent my guesses...
As did I.
Yours and one other have been received.
PM sent.
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(https://media.tenor.com/G14TSBu9gcMAAAAC/this-is-spinal-tap-this-goes-to11.gif)
11 From the Rooftops (Theories of Flight – 3)
Appeared on 16 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 4
Highest Ranking: 5 (romdrums)
I was late to the party with Theories of Flight. I heard whichever song got the pre-album release and thought it sounded cool but never really returned to it. I then bought the album when it was released, but it did not initially click with me. Not really sure what happened, but I put it on one day and was completely blown away by From the Rooftops. The build-up section is just the right length before that massive 5-6-7 riff hits you like a ton of bricks. The chorus and the bridge are absolutely phenomenal. This is my highest ranked TOF song and my #6 overall.
P.S. The gap between song #12 (One) and song #11 (Rooftops) was 67 points, which is pretty huge. In fact, it is, BY FAR, the biggest gap between any two consecutive songs up to this point. By way of comparison, the gap between song #41 and the three songs that tied at #49 was only 29 points. The gap between #31 and #40 was 61 points; the gap between #21 and #30 was 60 points; and the gap between #12 and #20 was 28 points. And...spoiler alert...the gap between song #3 and #4 was 110 points!
Also, none of the six guesses I received about the three songs on ever list were correct. A couple came close. One was an 0-fer. You can still send them in, but it will obviously get easier as we start to progress through the top 10.
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From the Rooftops came in at #13 for me, so pretty close to the forum's consensus. I just love how the song builds. Great opener for Theories of Flight and the tour.
Unreal, I can't believe I didn't get the three songs on every list right. Then again, I forget that TAC took part, and that throws everything apart. :lol
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Woot! High score!
From the Rooftops slapped my face before melting it the first time I heard it, especially once that riff kicks in. Bobby Jarzombek's drumming is both tasteful and relentless in this song, and Ray crushes this vocally. I love the edge on his voice here. Opening Theories of Flight with this song let me know that they weren't fucking around. Killer tune! :metal
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#15 for me. What a great opening track to a great album.
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Unreal, I can't believe I didn't get the three songs on every list right. Then again, I forget that TAC took part, and that throws everything apart. :lol
You can't blame Tim for this one! :lol
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Unreal, I can't believe I didn't get the three songs on every list right. Then again, I forget that TAC took part, and that throws everything apart. :lol
You can't blame Tim for this one! :lol
:lol :lol :lol
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Unreal, I can't believe I didn't get the three songs on every list right. Then again, I forget that TAC took part, and that throws everything apart. :lol
You can't blame Tim for this one! :lol
Yes. Yes, I can. :lol :heart
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11 From the Rooftops (Theories of Flight – 3)
Appeared on 16 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 4
Highest Ranking: 5 (romdrums)
From The Rooftops - my number 21. Great song on a great album.
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11 From the Rooftops (Theories of Flight – 3)
Appeared on 16 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 4
Highest Ranking: 5 (romdrums)
I had From The Rooftops as Not Rated. It did, however, get nominated so it would've landed in the 50's somewhere. It's a good song. Feels like it takes a bit to get going.
50 Prelude To Ruin NR
49 Damnation Handful Of Doubt
48 APSOG IX (Stayed Up Late One Night) Chasing Time
47 Through Different Eyes APSOG III
46 APSOG VIII (Instrumental) White Flag
45 APSOG IV
44 Traveller In Time Firefly
43 The Destination Onward
42 Pale Fire Left Here
41 The Road Goes On Forever
40 Outside Looking In Island In The Stream
39 The Longest Shadow Of The Day APSOG V (Murder In Munich)
38 Face The Fear Part Of The Machine
37 Wish
36 Another Perfect Day APSOG VII
35 The Apparition Seven Stars
34 Eye To Eye
33 Buried Alive At Fates Hands
32 Silent Cries APSOG XII
31 Don't Follow Me From The Rooftops
30 Giant's Lore
29
28
27
26
25 Valley Of The Dolls
24 And Yet It Moves
23
22 APSOG XI (Do You Think That I)
21 One
20 Pirates Of The Underground
19
18
17 Exodus
16 Epitaph
15
14
13 The Strand
12
11 APSOG VI (Turn Back All The Years)
10 Shelter Me
9 Guardian
8 Kyrie Eleison
7
6 Down To The Wire
5
4 Something For Nothing
3 We Only Say Goodbye
2
1
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Unreal, I can't believe I didn't get the three songs on every list right. Then again, I forget that TAC took part, and that throws everything apart. :lol
You can't blame Tim for this one! :lol
Yes. Yes, I can. :lol :heart
(https://y.yarn.co/28d3be82-15e8-4ee9-ba56-5f0605a44d70_text.gif)
From the Rooftops slapped my face before melting it the first time I heard it, especially once that riff kicks in. Bobby Jarzombek's drumming is both tasteful and relentless in this song, and Ray crushes this vocally. I love the edge on his voice here. Opening Theories of Flight with this song let me know that they weren't fucking around. Killer tune! :metal
Could not agree more with every bit of this.
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Also, none of the six guesses I received about the three songs on ever list were correct. A couple came close. One was an 0-fer. You can still send them in, but it will obviously get easier as we start to progress through the top 10.
Am I the 0-fer? :biggrin:
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From the Rooftops - My rank: #26
Wow, didn't expect this to almost make the top 10. I mean, I think it's a wonderful song, it's just the ranking itself that's very high. When I first listened to Theories of Flight, and this song got going, I remember thinking how much stronger Ray sounded compared to DIADL. Love the "There's nothing that time can't end" part in the chorus.
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Through Different Eyes just missed my list at #52. This and The Arena are my least faves from PS, and the only two that didn’t rank. I just never cared for most of the times Jim went for the “single” approach. But it’s good.
One came in at #33 - great straight ahead rocker, and a nice offset to the more patient approach to the rest of the album.
From the Rooftops is at #40 for me. Excellent way to start off one of their best albums!
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I have From the Rooftops at #27. My second highest ranked song from TOF.
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Updating the album rankings as we head into the top 10:
1. A Pleasant Shade of Gray (9 songs, 198 points): VIII (47T), III (43), IV (40), X/XI (28), V (27), IX (25), VII (21T), XII (16), VI (14T)
2. Inside Out (7 songs, 123 points): Face the Fear (49T), Down to the Wire (45T), The Strand (34), Island in the Stream (30), Shelter Me/Circles (29), Outside Looking In (26), Pale Fire (21T)
3. Perfect Symmetry (4 songs, 106 points): Chasing Time (44), Part of the Machine (24), At Fates Hands/Fingers (17), Through Different Eyes (13)
4. Theories of Flight (3 songs, 81 points): White Flag (42), Seven Stars (19), From the Rooftops (11)
5. FWX (4 songs, 76 points): Handful of Doubt (47T), Left Here (37), Another Perfect Day (31), Wish (23)
6. Parallels (4 songs, 68 points): Don't Follow Me (49T), The Road Goes on Forever (36), We Only Say Goodbye (33), Eye to Eye (18)
7. Disconnected (2 songs, 55 points): Something from Nothing (35), One (12)
8. Darkness in a Different Light (2 songs, 43 points): Firefly (39), And Yet It Moves (20)
9. Awaken the Guardian (2 songs, 39 points): Exodus (49T), Guardian (14T)
10T. Long Day Good Night (2 songs, 19 points): The Longest Shadow of the Day (45T), The Destination Onward (38)
10T. The Spectre Within (1 song, 19 points): The Apparition (32)
12. No Exit (1 song, 10 points): Silent Cries (41)
13. Night on Brocken (0 songs)
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Wow, high ranking for this one. It just missed my list. Good song with another great Aresti solo but just not all that memorable compared to other tracks for me.
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Night On Brocken got robbed.
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I'm genuinely surprised APSOG is rated so highly amongst the masses.
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Yeah, me too. I did vote for 4 songs though.
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Yeah, me too. I did vote for 4 songs though.
Only 2 for me.
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Had 2 also but since digging back through APSOG based on votes and comments during this countdown I'd happily vote at least another song in (VII) if we were to do the countdown again and tbh there'd be chance of a fourth too 😉
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I'm genuinely surprised APSOG is rated so highly amongst the masses.
It's their best album my friend. :tup :hefdaddy
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I'm genuinely surprised APSOG is rated so highly amongst the masses.
It's their best album my friend. :tup :hefdaddy
That is apparently the consensus. Personally, I can't get on board with it though.
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APSOG sitting so high isn't surprising. This is a Dream Theater - prog - message board. Many of the more straight ahead prog fans think that is FW's finest work. So to see some of the songs be consistent among us all isn't a shock. It will drop down after this top-10 though. Parallels will rise with Life in Still Water and Point of View being high.
The surprising thing for me is Inside Out. You KNOW Monument is going to appear in the top-10, so the sheer volume of songs from that record has me chuckling. I didn't think folks thought of that record as highly as they apparently do. Which is cool, because it's a good record and often overlooked.
My guess when this is all said and done:
APSOG
Parallels
Inside Out
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I'm genuinely surprised APSOG is rated so highly amongst the masses.
It's their best album my friend. :tup :hefdaddy
That is apparently the consensus. Personally, I can't get on board with it though.
Agreed. I think it is the most difficult Fates record to listen to from the Alder era. It grew on me and I know enjoy it. But it has to be a mood thing. I never reach to it to listen to some Fates Warning. I really enjoy it, but it requires active listening. I think the whole melancholy progressive hard rock vein was captured better by Queensryche with Promised Land in 1994 (another one you can't get into, Tim - I am seeing a pattern). PL was much more accessible with better melodies and hooks, despite it being melancholy.
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I'm genuinely surprised APSOG is rated so highly amongst the masses.
It's their best album my friend. :tup :hefdaddy
That is apparently the consensus. Personally, I can't get on board with it though.
I wasn't on board with it at first (much like SDOIT) but it grew on me bigtime. :eek :hat
I don't listen to it often, but it's definitely a treat when I do and it's most effective if you have an hour to listen beginning to end. Much like you would with SFAM.
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I'm genuinely surprised APSOG is rated so highly amongst the masses.
It's their best album my friend. :tup :hefdaddy
That is apparently the consensus. Personally, I can't get on board with it though.
Agreed. I think it is the most difficult Fates record to listen to from the Alder era. It grew on me and I know enjoy it. But it has to be a mood thing. I never reach to it to listen to some Fates Warning. I really enjoy it, but it requires active listening. I think the whole melancholy progressive hard rock vein was captured better by Queensryche with Promised Land in 1994 (another one you can't get into, Tim - I am seeing a pattern). PL was much more accessible with better melodies and hooks, despite it being melancholy.
Good comparison to PL. I wasn't on board with that album at first either. Active listening is the key, like you said.
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Agreed. I think it is the most difficult Fates record to listen to from the Alder era. It grew on me and I know enjoy it. But it has to be a mood thing. I never reach to it to listen to some Fates Warning. I really enjoy it, but it requires active listening. I think the whole melancholy progressive hard rock vein was captured better by Queensryche with Promised Land in 1994 (another one you can't get into, Tim - I am seeing a pattern). PL was much more accessible with better melodies and hooks, despite it being melancholy.
Promised Land is definitely more accessible than APSOG. I don't find Promised Land melancholic at all. The title track....maybe...
My issue with Promised Land lies with the vast amount of weak songs.
My issue with APSOG is that I ultimately don't like the recurring motif. I don't find it a pleasurable line. Perhaps that's its intention, but to me it's a constant reminder of how much of a struggle it is to get through it. Again, probably its intention.
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12 One (Disconnected – 2)
Appeared on 18 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 3
Highest Ranking: 2 (Samsara, The Realm)
Also surprised with this one. I had it at #47, and it’s another from Disconnected that I connected with after hearing it done live. It's a solid, concise song.
I recently became a fan of Fates Warning, because of this song.
I was listening to some "older" prog bands like QR to try to get what all the fuss was about (spoiler: I just don´t get QR), and then spotify started playing the suggestions and this song came on. The moment the chorus came in I was sold and immediately grabbed my phone to see what band it was. From then on I went forward and then backwards on their catalog. I love a lot of the band but it was just to recent of a favorite to be able to send my top 50.
Im glad to see a simple straight forward rock song made it all the way to almost the top ten. This speaks volumes of the quality of the song, and specially that chorus.
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From the other side of the aisle, I think APSOG ranking as high as it did in the album rankings (which aren't done) is a function of splitting it up. My GUESS is that, if we had counted it as a single song, it would have ended up in the top 5. However, that would've resulted in the album finishing in the bottom third because it's only one song. Also, one voter ranked the 11 parts of APSOG as his number 1-11 songs - probably because, had we counted it as one song, it would've been his #1 song. That voter was the only one to rank all 11 parts. Two voters ranked all but one part, and (without doing the math), I'd say that the average was 6 parts.
Anyway...
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If it was one song, it would not have made my list.
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Onto the top 10!
(https://i.ytimg.com/vi/kfKug1Dbwv0/maxresdefault.jpg)
10 The Ghosts of Home (Theories of Flight – 4)
Appeared on 18 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 4
Highest Ranking: 3 (sfam2112)
Obviously, this song just missed appearing on every list, and it wasn't until the last third of the rankings submitted that I got a list without it. I have to be honest that I was a bit surprised that, not only did this song rank on almost every list, it was in the top half on most of them. I ranked it at #34 myself (and 5th of the 6 TOF songs on my rankings). The first minute is a bit much, but once the actual song kicks in, it's really strong. That first heavy riff after the intro is absolutely killer, and the interplay of the two guitars is really clever. And I don't think I've mentioned how much I enjoy Joey's bass tone (and he changes tone from song to song, all to great effect).
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Onto the top 10!
(https://i.ytimg.com/vi/kfKug1Dbwv0/maxresdefault.jpg)
10 The Ghosts of Home (Theories of Flight – 4)
Appeared on 18 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 4
Highest Ranking: 3 (sfam2112)
Obviously, this song just missed appearing on every list, and it wasn't until the last third of the rankings submitted that I got a list without it. I have to be honest that I was a bit surprised that, not only did this song rank on almost every list, it was in the top half on most of them. I ranked it at #34 myself (and 5th of the 6 TOF songs on my rankings). The first minute is a bit much, but once the actual song kicks in, it's really strong. That first heavy riff after the intro is absolutely killer, and the interplay of the two guitars is really clever. And I don't think I've mentioned how much I enjoy Joey's bass tone (and he changes tone from song to song, all to great effect).
My #5 - loved this one from the first spin, and it's not even my favorite from ToF. Strong 'Them' vibes from that cover - I'd never seen it before, but now I kinda want to spin some old King Diamond
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No. Ranked Songs Not Ranked Songs
50 One Face the Fear
49 Left Here Don't Follow Me
48 Exodus
47 Another Perfect Day Handful of Doubt
46 Down to the Wire
45 Chasing Time
44 White Flag
43 The Destination Onward
42 Something from Nothing
41 We Only Say Goodbye
40 The Apparition
39 Wish
38 Guardian
37 The Strand
36 Outside Looking In
35 Pale Fire
34
33 The Longest Shadow of the Day
32 Part of the Machine
31
30 Silent Cries
29 Firefly
28 The Ghosts of Home
27 Through Different Eyes
26 APSOG III
25
24 APSOG VI
23 APSOG VII
22 APSOG V
21
20 And Yet It Moves
19
18 From the Rooftops
17 The Road Goes on Forever
16 Seven Stars
15 Don’t Follow Me
14 Island in the Stream
13 APSOG VIII
12 APSOG IX
11
10 APSOG X/XI
9
8
7
6 Shelter Me/Circles
5
4 Eye to Eye
3
2
1
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Strong 'Them' vibes from that cover - I'd never seen it before, but now I kinda want to spin some old King Diamond
I'd never seen it either. I was looking for something to post and that came up. Quite the literal interpretation of the song title!
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10. The Ghosts of Home (10). Nailed it in my ranking. This is a fantastic song. Again, Bobby Jarzombek's drumming is outstanding, as it is throughout Theories of Flight, but he really propels this song along.
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I had The Ghosts of Home at #41 and it easily could have been in the top-25 for me. I understand the song completely, and lived my childhood exactly how the song described. I probably didn't rank it as high as I could have, because I have to honestly be in a bit of a mood to really want to listen to the song. When I have the record on, I tend to start thinking about old times when that song kicks in. It's awesome, don't get me wrong, but it ends up being distracting for me personally, because I can identify with Jim 100 percent.
Great work, forum, putting it this high. :metal
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10 The Ghosts of Home (Theories of Flight – 4)
Appeared on 18 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 4
Highest Ranking: 3 (sfam2112)
I had The Ghosts Of Home at #19. Definitely an awesome tune and I had it in my Top 20.
This was one of the three songs I PM'd to Paul as being on every list. I assume I got 2 out of 3.
Whoever left it off needs to own up to it! ;D
50 Prelude To Ruin NR
49 Damnation Handful Of Doubt
48 APSOG IX (Stayed Up Late One Night) Chasing Time
47 Through Different Eyes APSOG III
46 APSOG VIII (Instrumental) White Flag
45 APSOG IV
44 Traveller In Time Firefly
43 The Destination Onward
42 Pale Fire Left Here
41 The Road Goes On Forever
40 Outside Looking In Island In The Stream
39 The Longest Shadow Of The Day APSOG V (Murder In Munich)
38 Face The Fear Part Of The Machine
37 Wish
36 Another Perfect Day APSOG VII
35 The Apparition Seven Stars
34 Eye To Eye
33 Buried Alive At Fates Hands
32 Silent Cries APSOG XII
31 Don't Follow Me From The Rooftops
30 Giant's Lore
29
28
27
26
25 Valley Of The Dolls
24 And Yet It Moves
23
22 APSOG XI (Do You Think That I)
21 One
20 Pirates Of The Underground
19 The Ghosts Of Home
18
17 Exodus
16 Epitaph
15
14
13 The Strand
12
11 APSOG VI (Turn Back All The Years)
10 Shelter Me
9 Guardian
8 Kyrie Eleison
7
6 Down To The Wire
5
4 Something For Nothing
3 We Only Say Goodbye
2
1
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#16 for me. Great song.
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pg described this great song perfectly. That first minute kind of reminds me of Sacrificed Sons. #21 for me.
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I had Ghosts at #27. Mostly because it is greatly overshadowed by the other epic on the album.
Re: APSOG. I think it might be one of the greatest progressive metal songs in history. But you certainly have to be a patient listener. This is not an “instant gratification” album. This album is like slooooooooooooooow sex.
Re: the top 3. I sent in my guess and I didn’t hear back…so I’m wondering if that means I nailed it.
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I sent in my guess and I didn’t hear back…so I’m wondering if that means I nailed it.
None of us heard back, but Paul posted the other day that nobody got it right.
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I sent in my guess and I didn’t hear back…so I’m wondering if that means I nailed it.
None of us heard back, but Paul posted the other day that nobody got it right.
I remember that I sent in my guess after he had already said that, but it’s good to know that he’s maintaining radio silence across the board.
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It's still a swing and a miss on anyone getting 3 for 3. Three people got 2 songs correct. Three people got 1 song correct. One person got 0.
Interestingly, one song showed up on every list but was only mentioned in two of the 7 guesses I received.
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I had an alternate for my third, but I’m not sure it would have made a difference.
I feel fairly confident that I know what two of them are, but the third could be almost anything.
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I ranked The Ghosts of Home at #29. I couldn’t remember if I’d ranked it, so I was glad when I checked my list and saw it was there, as I didn't want to be the outlier again. :biggrin:
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10 The Ghosts of Home (Theories of Flight – 4)
Appeared on 18 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 4
Highest Ranking: 3 (sfam2112)
The Ghosts of Home - unranked by me, so I guess I am the person who didn't rank it. Kind of a bit surprised everyone else did, sure it is a great song but to me there are lots of better ones that seem to be only making 10/12 lists. I love the Theories of Flight album, I did rank 6 songs from the album, including 2 in my top 10 all of which I obviously like more than The Ghosts of Home. I could have also ranked it but it fell off in the end. I'd like to think that me not ranking The Ghosts of Home is way less controversial than one person not ranking Eyes of a Stranger in the Queensryche countdown.
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I'd like to think that me not ranking The Ghosts of Home is way less controversial than one person not ranking Eyes of a Stranger in the Queensryche countdown.
It is but it doesn't make it right. :lol
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Number 7 for me. That heavy AF riff around the 4 minute mark is one of the bands coolest moments.
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The Ghosts of Home - My rank: #14
My second-highest ranked song from ToF, I obviously love it. The song kinda feels like a great combination of mid-career and more "modern" Fates Warning. The verse sounds so cool, with the fast tempo and the clean guitars driving it. The section starting around 7:30 is melancholic Fates Warning at their best, and one of my top moments in the album overall.
Incidentally (not sure if this was mentioned here, already), the album was originally going to be called "The Ghosts of Home"...maybe that cover art pg found is related to that...?
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That is indeed fantastic cover art!
The Ghosts Of Home #47
It was never in doubt but yes that's way too low not quite sure how that happened will blame the ranker but regardless this is essential modern Fates. I did have a couple higher votes for Theories (clearly with Seven Stars making my #2) so there's another to still come am sure ;)
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Is that cover art legit? I've never seen it before either.
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Love the Arch era logo.
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Love the Arch era logo.
Its their best logo hands down. After No Exit they ditched it unfortunately. I wasn't a fan of the original NoB logo.
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Love the Arch era logo.
It's strange how Arch era like the cover is. Surely fake?
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Is that cover art legit? I've never seen it before either.
Not sure how reliable this site is, but it seems that a 2-CD compilation album was released in Japan in 2018: https://www.metal-tracker.com/torrents/230109.html
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(https://i.discogs.com/aTdTZfLsweS4yF0y1lrkFltb1qP9kbq0XTqTH5OhTXE/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:457/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTEyODY5/MzcyLTE1NDM1MTk2/MjAtNjY2NS5qcGVn.jpeg)
9 Nothing Left to Say (Perfect Symmetry – 5)
Appeared on 15 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 8
Highest Ranking: 1 (sfam2112)
Today we bid adieu to Perfect Symmetry. When I showed up at my first FW show, Part of the Machine was my clear favorite, so I was a little surprised that Nothing Left to Say was the fan favorite right out of the box. It's a killer song, starting with an ominous riff based around a tritone with strong guitar solos, followed by a pensive instrumental section before the vocals kick in and the song builds from there. By the time Ray screams, "there's a child screaming with nothing left to say," the band has taken us through an emotional wringer. It ranked as my #21 song.
Host's privilege: It was, perhaps, the biggest disappointment of this countdown seeing Static Acts not make the top 50. Static Acts was my #2 song on PS and my #10 song overall. It came close, finishing at #54. However, it only made 8 lists. Props to Zoom E for having it at #2.
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9. Nothing Left to Say (6). Such a great song, and really fun to play on drums. The band is really firing on all cylinders here. The fact that it didn't make all 19 lists is a bit of a surprise. To me, this is a fantastic closer for what is a fantastic album.
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I had Nothing Left to Say at #47. This is one of the first Fates Warning songs that I heard. I can't say it's the best song to use to introduce someone to FW. I thought it was a beautiful song but had to hear some more stuff to really dig in.
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9. Nothing Left to Say (6). Such a great song, and really fun to play on drums. The band is really firing on all cylinders here. The fact that it didn't make all 19 lists is a bit of a surprise. To me, this is a fantastic closer for what is a fantastic album.
It was on the first 9 lists I received and then missing on 3 straight lists (and 4 of 5).
Interestingly, though, none of the guesses about the three songs on every list mentioned NLTS. FWIW, if I were on the other side of this, I'm almost positive I would not have correctly predicted the three songs on every list.
I'm now wondering if everyone feels confident about what the remaining 8 songs are.
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(https://i.discogs.com/aTdTZfLsweS4yF0y1lrkFltb1qP9kbq0XTqTH5OhTXE/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:457/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTEyODY5/MzcyLTE1NDM1MTk2/MjAtNjY2NS5qcGVn.jpeg)
9 Nothing Left to Say (Perfect Symmetry – 5)
Appeared on 15 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 8
Highest Ranking: 1 (sfam2112)
I had Nothing Left To Say at #2!!! Geez, I thought I'd be the high ranker on it.
What a great song and Ray crushes the epic climax.
50 Prelude To Ruin NR
49 Damnation Handful Of Doubt
48 APSOG IX (Stayed Up Late One Night) Chasing Time
47 Through Different Eyes APSOG III
46 APSOG VIII (Instrumental) White Flag
45 APSOG IV
44 Traveller In Time Firefly
43 The Destination Onward
42 Pale Fire Left Here
41 The Road Goes On Forever
40 Outside Looking In Island In The Stream
39 The Longest Shadow Of The Day APSOG V (Murder In Munich)
38 Face The Fear Part Of The Machine
37 Wish
36 Another Perfect Day APSOG VII
35 The Apparition Seven Stars
34 Eye To Eye
33 Buried Alive At Fates Hands
32 Silent Cries APSOG XII
31 Don't Follow Me From The Rooftops
30 Giant's Lore
29
28
27
26
25 Valley Of The Dolls
24 And Yet It Moves
23
22 APSOG XI (Do You Think That I)
21 One
20 Pirates Of The Underground
19 The Ghosts Of Home
18
17 Exodus
16 Epitaph
15
14
13 The Strand
12
11 APSOG VI (Turn Back All The Years)
10 Shelter Me
9 Guardian
8 Kyrie Eleison
7
6 Down To The Wire
5
4 Something For Nothing
3 We Only Say Goodbye
2 Nothing Left To Say
1
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9. Nothing Left to Say (6). Such a great song, and really fun to play on drums. The band is really firing on all cylinders here. The fact that it didn't make all 19 lists is a bit of a surprise. To me, this is a fantastic closer for what is a fantastic album.
It was on the first 9 lists I received and then missing on 3 straight lists (and 4 of 5).
Interestingly, though, none of the guesses about the three songs on every list mentioned NLTS. FWIW, if I were on the other side of this, I'm almost positive I would not have correctly predicted the three songs on every list.
I'm now wondering if everyone feels confident about what the remaining 8 songs are.
I think I am. It largely depends on the order. But, I'd be shocked, SHOCKED!, if my number one and number two aren't in there.
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I have no idea.
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Fun fact: 2 of the 19 lists had two songs in the top 10 that didn't make the countdown; 7 other lists had one top 10 song that didn't make it.
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I’m 99% positive about 1&2…the rest I’m not sure about.
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Fun fact: 2 of the 19 lists had two songs in the top 10 that didn't make the countdown; 7 other lists had one top 10 song that didn't make it.
I’m one of the 7 for sure. I had Prelude to Ruin at #9 and I’m still reeling from the fact that it didn’t make the cut. Of my remaining 9, 5 are already in and the other 4 would be even bigger shocks if they weren’t coming.
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9 Nothing Left to Say (Perfect Symmetry – 5)
Appeared on 15 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 8
Highest Ranking: 1 (sfam2112)
Nothing Left To Say - another top 10 song revealed and another one I didn't rank. This song was never in the running to be in my top 50, and while it is a good song I am just not a big fan of this album overall.
As far as what songs are left, I have no idea. I have 5 of my own top 10 still to be revealed, the other 5 revealed all made it so it looks like 3 of my remaining top 10 will make it at least. Phew!
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I have no idea.
This. Haven't put much thought into it but could guess a few of them I suppose.
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I had NLTS at 36. I don't know, it's a great song but I guess I never really understood the high amount of praise it gets.
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Nothing Left to Say is one of only two songs from Perfect Symmetry that didn't make my top 50.
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Nothing Left To Say - My rank: #6
I absolutely love the initial riff. I remember the (only!) time I saw FW live in 1995 as support for Dream Theater, they opened their show with that riff (they didn't play the song, unfortunately). It sounded positively ferocious. A lot happening in a (relatively) short time, it's practically a three/four part suite. Fantastic song and, um, perfect closer for Perfect Symmetry.
Speaking of which...
Today we bid adieu to Perfect Symmetry.
Ha! And...
It was, perhaps, the biggest disappointment of this countdown seeing Static Acts not make the top 50.
Oh no :-[
I had it at #15, and I could've ranked higher, really. Sad (and very surprised) not to see it in the top 50. Such a killer song.
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Fun fact: 2 of the 19 lists had two songs in the top 10 that didn't make the countdown; 7 other lists had one top 10 song that didn't make it.
Well, there are 8 songs left, and I have 7 in my top 10 that haven't been revealed. I think, let's see, 5 of those are almost surely going to make it, and 2 are very possibly going to make it, but not so sure. Now that we know Static Acts didn't make it, there's one remaining song in my 20-11 that hasn't been revealed yet and might be one of the remaining eight. Very curious to see...
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Fun fact: 2 of the 19 lists had two songs in the top 10 that didn't make the countdown; 7 other lists had one top 10 song that didn't make it.
Well, there are 8 songs left, and I have 7 in my top 10 that haven't been revealed. I think, let's see, 5 of those are almost surely going to make it, and 2 are very possibly going to make it, but not so sure. Now that we know Static Acts didn't make it, there's one remaining song in my 20-11 that hasn't been revealed yet and might be one of the remaining eight. Very curious to see...
Really? Just, wow.
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I revisited newer FW. I just can't get into anything after Disconnected. I do like Another Perfect Day from FWX but that's it. It bums me out honestly.
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I revisited newer FW. I just can't get into anything after Disconnected. I do like Another Perfect Day from FWX but that's it. It bums me out honestly.
I always thought FWX was very uneven. DIADL was a home run for me initially…but didn’t age very well. TOF on the other hand… :jawdrop:
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Need to play a bit of catch up again.
Valley of the Dolls - Had this at #23. Love that opening riff! Then the vocal melodies and phrasing is spot on for me :metal
Damnation - Had this at #72. It's a decent song with some really cool sections and a lot of good ideas. It just never feels like those ideas were molded together well enough.
Giant's Lore (Heart of Winter) - I was surprised this didn't make the top 50. I had it at #12. Just a giant of a song (see what I did there? :neverusethis:). Love the the way the drums weave throughout the song and the almost doomy nature of the song. Then there's the masterful guitar solo in the middle that perfectly bridges the two halves of the song.
Prelude to Ruin - I had this at #31 and I probably could have rated it higher, but the goofy spoken word part always brings me out of the song. The rest of it is top notch Arch era goodness.
Traveler in Time - This was my #26. Again, I'm a little surprised it didn't make the top 50. This was a pretty big statement by the band, the first song after NoB and what an improvement!
Epitaph - Yes, Exodus is better, but this is still a masterpiece. I had it at #14. This shifts through so many moods and awesome melodies and riffs throughout its 11 minutes. Just a tour de force.
Through Different Eyes - My #17 song and another of what I call "Classic Fates Warning" songs. How could you not like this song. Great driving drums, fantastic melodies, and Ray doing what Ray does best. That opening guitar line is iconic in my opinion too.
One - This was at #41 on my list. Great driving riffs here and some cool vocal harmonizations. Nothing amazing though.
From the Rooftops - Just barely missed my top 50, coming in at #52. It's a good song, nothing more. ToF is an album that is better than the sum of its parts.
The Ghosts of Home - Just barely made my top 50 at #50. Not quite the best song on ToF, but close. The intro takes too long before the song really starts going and it isn't even a satisfying buildup. They seemed to have lost that ability after FWX. The rest of the song is pretty great though. Sidenote: the part starting at about 2:15 sounds a little bit like In the Presence of Enemies.....maybe it's just me...
Nothing Left to Say - Man I thought for sure I'd be the highest ranker on this song. I had it at #7. Just an amazing Prog classic and epic album closer. For the most part Fates Warning sure knows how to write an album closer :corn
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I revisited newer FW. I just can't get into anything after Disconnected. I do like Another Perfect Day from FWX but that's it. It bums me out honestly.
Not even Theories of Flight?
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I revisited newer FW. I just can't get into anything after Disconnected. I do like Another Perfect Day from FWX but that's it. It bums me out honestly.
Not even Theories of Flight?
It didn't stick with me. I'm still spinning a few just to see if anything clicks.
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NR for me either good song but playing it now while reading comments and Chasing Time follows and is a way better song IMO...
I am confident all my Top10 will have featured in the countdown only about 4 so far that haven't (holds breath)...
I revisited newer FW. I just can't get into anything after Disconnected. I do like Another Perfect Day from FWX but that's it. It bums me out honestly.
Not even Theories of Flight?
Theories would be my first suggestion too. So far as this Countdown has gone have been drawn back into discovering some Arch and APSOG but while preparing for the Countdown, as much a fan as I already was if their last album LDGN was I was surprised at just 'how' good it was.
An incredibly strong album :metal
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Nothing Left to Say was #32 for me. I love it, but perhaps I haven't given it enough love. I'll have to revisit.
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I revisited newer FW. I just can't get into anything after Disconnected. I do like Another Perfect Day from FWX but that's it. It bums me out honestly.
I always thought FWX was very uneven. DIADL was a home run for me initially…but didn’t age very well. TOF on the other hand… :jawdrop:
Glasser, I totally get your feelings about FWX. I feel almost the same about Disconnected. Glad to hear that you're not giving up on Darkness and Theories. Darkness clicked with me right away. I feel it underperformed in the countdown, but I ranked five of its songs in my personal top 50. Theories took quite a while to click with me, but it had six songs in my top 50.
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"If you skate, you would be great if you could make a figure eight."
8 Leave the Past Behind (Parallels – 5)
(https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/D1QAAOSw~mFiDoTK/s-l500.jpg)
Appeared on 16 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 5
Highest Ranking: 2 (devieira73)
I’m really surprised this song made the top 10. I had it at #31 on my countdown, so I think it’s a really good song, but it’s only my #4 song from Parallels. Coming off Perfect Symmetry, I wondered what Fates would do to follow up. I LOVE the way this song starts (with the line being reprised in The Road Goes on Forever). The song starts with an alternating 5-6 pattern, which invoked fond memories of the adroit time signature usage on the prior album. It certainly more accessible than most songs from Symmetry, though. Solid chorus (although I’m not a fan of the bass line in the chorus). Solid guitar solos, with the second one (Frank’s, I think) being particularly strong.
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I had Leave the Past Behind at #10.
Really great opening track and a good anthem. To me, Parallels will always be the band's crowing achievement. Taking their complex sound, making it more accessible, but not losing any of their integrity or dumbing down their sound. It's very akin to Queensrÿche's Empire in that way.
Anyway, great song and one of my favorites from the band.
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8 Leave the Past Behind (Parallels – 5)
Appeared on 16 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 5
Highest Ranking: 2 (devieira73)
I had Leave The Past Behind at #45. It is the 6th of 6 songs from parallels I ranked. I can't believe it's this high, honestly.
50 Prelude To Ruin NR
49 Damnation Handful Of Doubt
48 APSOG IX (Stayed Up Late One Night) Chasing Time
47 Through Different Eyes APSOG III
46 APSOG VIII (Instrumental) White Flag
45 Leave The Past Behind APSOG IV
44 Traveller In Time Firefly
43 The Destination Onward
42 Pale Fire Left Here
41 The Road Goes On Forever
40 Outside Looking In Island In The Stream
39 The Longest Shadow Of The Day APSOG V (Murder In Munich)
38 Face The Fear Part Of The Machine
37 Wish
36 Another Perfect Day APSOG VII
35 The Apparition Seven Stars
34 Eye To Eye
33 Buried Alive At Fates Hands
32 Silent Cries APSOG XII
31 Don't Follow Me From The Rooftops
30 Giant's Lore
29
28
27
26
25 Valley Of The Dolls
24 And Yet It Moves
23
22 APSOG XI (Do You Think That I)
21 One
20 Pirates Of The Underground
19 The Ghosts Of Home
18
17 Exodus
16 Epitaph
15
14
13 The Strand
12
11 APSOG VI (Turn Back All The Years)
10 Shelter Me
9 Guardian
8 Kyrie Eleison
7
6 Down To The Wire
5
4 Something For Nothing
3 We Only Say Goodbye
2 Nothing Left To Say
1
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I didn't have this one ranked. Nice song, just not one of my favorties from Fates.
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Leave the Past Behind really is a great album opener.
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Leave the Past Behind - My rank: #4
Gosh, I love this song. Thought I might be the highest ranker on this one, but guess not...devieira beat me to it :)
Sets the tone for the album so well...first tip-toeing its way in with the soft beginning and then going all-in, showing everyone's amazing playing and songwriting skills. I mean, those guitars (including the bass!)...and the drumming! What more can be said? The verses are super-lush and the pre-chorus is one of my absolute favorite FW moments. As is the outro to the song. The clean arpeggiated guitars and the bass lines have a bit of a Marillion vibe to them...thinking Seasons End or whereabouts. Just masterful.
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8. Leave the Past Behind (4). Parallels was my first FW purchase back in 1992. I had seen the video for Point of View on Headbangers Ball one night, and I had read about Mark Zonder in a drum magazine from around that time, so when I saw the video, I knew I had to get the record. This song might just be my favorite album opener of all time. I love the moody intro, and the build into the first verse is near perfection. Zonder's drumming is fantastic throughout. His linear drumming style at the time was really uncommon in metal drumming. He was taking a lot from guys like Dave Weckl and Vinnie Colaiuta and applying those types of concepts to a Neil Peart like approach to building his drum parts and making "songs within songs" as he said in a later Modern Drummer interview. And doing it all with traditional grip? Fucking baller! This song is such a great example of his overall drumming approach. Frank and Jim do an outstanding job of orchestrating their guitar parts on this song as well. In fact, they stand out throughout Parallels, as I think this is the best example of their complimentary styles. They instantly became my second favorite guitar duo behind DeGarmo and Wilton. I think this is some of their best work, honestly.
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re: Zonder
It's funny. When I was younger, I never paid a lot of attention to the drums. As I got older, I realized just how incredible some of drummers from my favorite bands really were. Rockenfield, Zonder, etc. Zonder's playing was absolutely perfect for his era of Fates Warning. I miss it. SO much nuance and complexity that sounds simple but isn't. Great groove too.
Not being a drummer, I'm sure I'm not doing him justice. But count me as someone who holds Zonder's work, in particular on Parallels, in incredibly high regard. Listening to the album now, as a matter of fact...
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Yeah, he is amazing. I really like him on Inside Out. His playing is so musical.
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8 Leave the Past Behind (Parallels – 5)
Appeared on 16 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 5
Highest Ranking: 2 (devieira73)
This song just missed my top 10 at #11. My top 10 mostly consists of songs from Parallels and APSOG.
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Nothing Left to Say was #10 for me. Just a brilliant climax to a near perfect album. Ending the song on the a cappella “…a prison” is just chilling.
Leave the Past Behind made #71 on my first list and wasn’t included on my 2nd and 3rd. Although I admit that seems a bit low now. There was a time when I was breaking away from a very dead end lifestyle when this became a bit of an anthem for me, so I feel bad now for not getting it up a bit higher.
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By the way, since someone asked about this, here's what y'all know so far:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8. Leave the Past Behind
9. Nothing Left to Say
10. The Ghosts of Home
11. From the Rooftops
12. One
13. Through Different Eyes
14T. APSOG VI
14T. Guardian
16. APSOG XII
17. At Fates Hands/Fingers
18. Eye to Eye
19. Seven Stars
20. And Yet It Moves
21T. APSOG VII
21T. Pale Fire
23. Wish
24. Part of the Machine
25. APSOG IX
26. Outside Looking In
27. APSOG V
28. APSOG X/XI
29. Shelter Me/Circles
30. Island in the Stream
31. Another Perfect Day
32. The Apparition
33. We Only Say Goodbye
34. The Strand
35. Something from Nothing
36. The Road Goes on Forever
37. Left Here
38. The Destination Onward
39. Firefly
40. APSOG IV
41. Silent Cries
42. White Flag
43. APSOG III
44. Chasing Time
45T. The Longest Shadow of the Day
45T. Down to the Wire
47T. Handful of Doubt
47T. APSOG VIII
49T. Face the Fear
49T. Don’t Follow Me
49T. Exodus
xxxxx
52.
53.
54. Static Acts
55.
56. Epitaph
57. Traveler in Time
58.
59.
60.
61.
62. Prelude to Ruin
63. Giant’s Lore (Heart of Winter)
64.
65.
66.
67T.
67T..
69.
70T.
70T. Damnation
72.
73. Valley of the Dolls
74. Fata Morgana
75.
76.
77.
78.
79.
80.
81.
82. Kyrie Eleison
83. Pirates of the Underground
84. The Sorceress
85T.
85T. Buried Alive
87T.
87T.
87T.
90. Orphan Gypsy
91.
92.
93. Kiss of Death
94.
95.
96.
97. Night on Brocken
98.
99. Without a Trace
100.
101. Shadowfax
102.
103.
104. Misfit
105.
106T. The Calling
106T. S.E.K.
106T. Soldier Boy
106T. Time Long Past
106T. No Exit
106T. Inward Bound
106T. Sequence #7
106T. Desire
106T. Liar
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I have Leave the Past Behind at #32. Surprised this was a top 10 finisher.
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8 Leave the Past Behind (Parallels – 5)
Appeared on 16 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 5
Highest Ranking: 2 (devieira73)
Leave The Past Behind - number 11 on my list. A really great track on a great album.
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Am I just not seeing it or did Still Remains not rank.... Yet?
**** listening to live over europe. Ray sounds good but in Silent Cries during "Time blindly races on....!!" I was hoping he could have reached back and sang it high like the old days! He still sounds good, love his tone!
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I hope you're right about the "yet" Glasser :)
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Am I just not seeing it or did Still Remains not rank.... Yet?
**** listening to live over europe. Ray sounds good but in Silent Cries during "Time blindly races on....!!" I was hoping he could have reached back and sang it high like the old days! He still sounds good, love his tone!
Quit being paranoid. :P Don’t get ahead of things. We all know there are a least a couple of songs that are certain to be top five. It’s just considered bad form to start mentioning them out loud too early.
We’ll get there in good time.
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Am I just not seeing it or did Still Remains not rank.... Yet?
Nope. It still remains. :neverusethis:
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The first FW's song that I heard and immediately made quite an impression! I still love when FW hits that perfect spot between acessibility, heaviness and prog, like here. All its parts are perfectly written and so inspired and the drumming alone was something totally different from my musical knowledge at the time. And Mark is still amazing and very unique! His drumming is plenty of details and complexity, but still has plenty of room for the music to breathe.
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Here are my favorite FW albums:
Ray:
1) No Exit
2) APSOG
3) Parallels
4) Perfect Symmetry
5) Inside Out
6) Disconnected
Arch:
1) ATG
2) Spectre...
3) NoB
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NR for me and not sure why wonderful opener to my favourite Fates but no real reason for it expect it would've been damn close also surprised to see this one so high nice one \m/
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Ranked at number 5 for me. Just easily one of their best songs.
In relation to the solo too, the whole thing is Frank.
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NR for me and not sure why wonderful opener to my favourite Fates but no real reason for it expect it would've been damn close also surprised to see this one so high nice one \m/
Did you forget punctuation existed mate? :lol
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7 Point of View (Parallels – 6)
(https://i.ytimg.com/vi/89N92j1KG0A/maxresdefault.jpg)
Appeared on 17 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 5
Highest Ranking: 3 (Dublagent66)
Well…I was surprised yesterday, but having Point of View rank this high is truly a shock to me. I liked the song just fine, but I’m one of the two who didn’t have it in the top 50. That being said, it’s one of the few songs whose lyrics had a significant impact on my life.
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7 Point of View (Parallels – 6)
Appeared on 17 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 5
Highest Ranking: 3 (Dublagent66)
Point of View - number 7 for me so nailed it! Love this song. This was one of my picks to be on all 19 lists so I obviously failed with that choice.
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Ya…this is a good song, but it’s not top 10 good. That makes two songs from the top 10 that go unranked by me.
Starting to become a pretty shocking list.
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7 Point of View (Parallels – 6)
Appeared on 17 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 5
Highest Ranking: 3 (Dublagent66)
I had Point Of View at #27. It's an excellent song but #6?? Wow!
50 Prelude To Ruin NR
49 Damnation Handful Of Doubt
48 APSOG IX (Stayed Up Late One Night) Chasing Time
47 Through Different Eyes APSOG III
46 APSOG VIII (Instrumental) White Flag
45 Leave The Past Behind APSOG IV
44 Traveller In Time Firefly
43 The Destination Onward
42 Pale Fire Left Here
41 The Road Goes On Forever
40 Outside Looking In Island In The Stream
39 The Longest Shadow Of The Day APSOG V (Murder In Munich)
38 Face The Fear Part Of The Machine
37 Wish
36 Another Perfect Day APSOG VII
35 The Apparition Seven Stars
34 Eye To Eye
33 Buried Alive At Fates Hands
32 Silent Cries APSOG XII
31 Don't Follow Me From The Rooftops
30 Giant's Lore
29
28
27 Point Of View
26
25 Valley Of The Dolls
24 And Yet It Moves
23
22 APSOG XI (Do You Think That I)
21 One
20 Pirates Of The Underground
19 The Ghosts Of Home
18
17 Exodus
16 Epitaph
15
14
13 The Strand
12
11 APSOG VI (Turn Back All The Years)
10 Shelter Me
9 Guardian
8 Kyrie Eleison
7
6 Down To The Wire
5
4 Something For Nothing
3 We Only Say Goodbye
2 Nothing Left To Say
1
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Love Point of View, super catchy and it has a rare infinite replay value, but it was "just" #12 for me.
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Number 30 for me. Great song but number 6!? Wow.
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#34 for me. I'm with Wolfking on this one.
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I had Point Of View at #27. It's an excellent song but #6?? Wow!
Number 30 for me. Great song but number 6!? Wow.
It's the 6th song from Parallels to make the countdown, but it's song #7, not #6.
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Oh, well that explains why I couldn't believe it was #6! :lol
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NR for me and not sure why wonderful opener to my favourite Fates but no real reason for it expect it would've been damn close also surprised to see this one so high nice one \m/
Did you forget punctuation existed mate? :lol
In my 50's now mate, I forget a lot of things :laugh:
Point Of View #19
Excellent song. But I was surprised I had it that high let alone it making #7 overall :o
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7. Point of View (3). As I said in my post about Leave the Past Behind, seeing the video for this song on Headbanger’s Ball one night was the reason I got into Fates Warning. It was Queensryche with Neil Peart on drums and shreddier guitars, and I was ready for it. Point of View will always be one of my favorite Fates tracks, and I’m stoked to see it in the top 10.
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I always had the impression that Point of View was kind of the FW equivalent of Pull Me Under (though I don't know that it had any real commercial success. More that it was one of the band's trademark songs).
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I always had the impression that Point of View was kind of the FW equivalent of Pull Me Under (though I don't know that it had any real commercial success. More that it was one of the band's trademark songs).
Fair comparison. POV was two years earlier. I don't remember ever hearing it on the radio, but the video got a bit of play on MTV (as did Eye to Eye). Much like PMU, POV's video had little relevance to the song's subject matter. If someone has a logical explanation why PMU hit big while songs like ETE and POV didn't, I'd love to hear it.
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(https://www.azquotes.com/picture-quotes/quote-friend-many-and-many-a-dream-is-mere-confusion-a-cobweb-of-no-consequence-at-all-two-homer-69-61-24.jpg)
6 The Ivory Gate of Dreams (No Exit – 2)
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81cqVFhhDmL._SS500_.jpg)
Appeared on 16 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 9
Highest Ranking: 1 (pg1067, Dublagent66)
No surprise that THIS song is in the top 10 (although a bit of disappointment that it wasn't higher). No Exit was the first Fates album I bought. Knowing me, it's reasonably likely that, when I first played it, I started with TIGOD after seeing that it was a 20 minute long 8-part song. This piece is just incredible. It's 2112 on steroids. The acoustic "Innocence" is a nice intro to Ray's incredible performance on "Cold Daze" and the pounding bass drum of "Daylight Dreamers." The piece really hits its stride with the incredible harmony guitars of "Quietus," followed by the seemless time shifting of "Ivory Tower." The whole band slows it down and Ray displays his range on "Whispers on the Wind." The climax of "Acquiescence" features one of my favorite melodies ever, and we close it out with the bookend acoustic piece "Retrospect." Just an incredible climax to he album that announced Ray Alder as a seriously heavyweight vocalist.
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The Ivory Gate of Dreams I hoped would be number 1. I guess I need to take my old school ass and just STFU.
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Didn't rank for me. Could never take to it. I always thought it was an incoherent mess with just random pieces stuck together.
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6 The Ivory Gate of Dreams (No Exit – 2)
Appeared on 16 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 9
Highest Ranking: 1 (pg1067, Dublagent66)
I had The Ivory Gate Of Dreams at #4. :metal :metal
No Exit was the first FW album I bought. I only bought it after I knew they changed their singer. Kerrang! had a floppy 45 of Anarchy Divine, which I thought was cool, so I bought the album. Ivory gate blew me away. Still love it..
I'm honestly shocked it's this high though. I had given up hope that we'd see it.
50 Prelude To Ruin NR
49 Damnation Handful Of Doubt
48 APSOG IX (Stayed Up Late One Night) Chasing Time
47 Through Different Eyes APSOG III
46 APSOG VIII (Instrumental) White Flag
45 Leave The Past Behind APSOG IV
44 Traveller In Time Firefly
43 The Destination Onward
42 Pale Fire Left Here
41 The Road Goes On Forever
40 Outside Looking In Island In The Stream
39 The Longest Shadow Of The Day APSOG V (Murder In Munich)
38 Face The Fear Part Of The Machine
37 Wish
36 Another Perfect Day APSOG VII
35 The Apparition Seven Stars
34 Eye To Eye
33 Buried Alive At Fates Hands
32 Silent Cries APSOG XII
31 Don't Follow Me From The Rooftops
30 Giant's Lore
29
28
27 Point Of View
26
25 Valley Of The Dolls
24 And Yet It Moves
23
22 APSOG XI (Do You Think That I)
21 One
20 Pirates Of The Underground
19 The Ghosts Of Home
18
17 Exodus
16 Epitaph
15
14
13 The Strand
12
11 APSOG VI (Turn Back All The Years)
10 Shelter Me
9 Guardian
8 Kyrie Eleison
7
6 Down To The Wire
5 Something For Nothing
4 The Ivory Gate Of Dreams
3 We Only Say Goodbye
2 Nothing Left To Say
1
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6 The Ivory Gate of Dreams (No Exit – 2)
Appeared on 16 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 9
Highest Ranking: 1 (pg1067, Dublagent66)
The Ivory Gate of Dreams - number 26 for me. Never been a favourite of mine but it is still great.
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My #1 is still alive!!
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My #1 is still alive!!
I know your number 1!
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Just hoping at this point that my #1 made it into the list at this point. I'm not too worried of it being neglected, but still I hadn't expected the song to make it all the way into the Top 5. I'd figured it'd be Top 10-ish at most.
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I have no idea what songs are going to be in the top 5. I have realised that I am pretty out of touch with the consensus in this countdown. I am more of a 'love the Arch era and the newer Alder era and not so much the older Alder era with the exception of one album' guy. (hope that makes sense). The consensus is more: love the older Alder era and that is pretty much it.
To me, both Theories of Flight and Long Day Goodnight are awesome albums but both look like they will be very underrepresented overall and we already know how the Arch era ended up.
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I think I know what the Top 5 songs are.
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I have had a guess at what I think the top 5 will be but I am not that confident in my picks. I believe one of the songs left is going to be unranked by me but only because it somehow dropped off my list and then I missed it in my final check before submission.
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I think I know what the Top 5 songs are.
I’m about 99% sure I know the top 5 as well. There’s one that I think is a bit high, so I hope it’s next. The rest I’m very happy with as a top 4.
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The Ivory Gate Of Dreams #6
Little surprised seeing this one either NR or so low on some lists always felt it was like the template of early Alder Fates love it and another shout for the Alive In Athens show where this one soars! :metal
At this stage I've only 3 songs that need come for my Top10 to have featured in the overall countdown. Will come down to whether Realm is on the money or not as one of my remaining 3 are a late era Alder track (of which plenty of my 50 choices were tbh love all eras)...
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Well Wardy I still think a newer Fates song could be one of the top 5, I am more lamenting the fact that many other great songs won't make it at all....
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I had Point of View at #7 and The Ivory Gate of Dreams at #21.
I initially had the Ivory Gate of Dreams in my top 10, but it kept dropping in my list as I tweaked it. Some sections of this song are amazing but some are just okay, and this dragged the song down in my ranking..
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I had Ivory Gate at #8. I haven’t heard it in forever, but I absolutely remember every note. By the time we get to the final riffage in Acquiescence, I am taken back to full blown Wayne’s World mode.
By the way, if the rest of my top five is correct, that means another major player from No Exit is going to be missing and that would really blow my mind.
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I don't expect to see anything in the Top 5 from No Exit.
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I don't expect to see anything in the Top 5 from No Exit.
At this point, I agree. But if that were the case, Anarchy Divine didn’t make the list at all, which would be lame.
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I don't expect to see anything in the Top 5 from No Exit.
At this point, I agree. But if that were the case, Anarchy Divine didn’t make the list at all, which would be lame.
It made my list but definitely not this high. Not even close.
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Well Wardy I still think a newer Fates song could be one of the top 5, I am more lamenting the fact that many other great songs won't make it at all....
Couldn't agree more. So much to love about later-day Fates...
My Theory (too obvious? ;D) is your earlier post 'To me, both Theories of Flight and Long Day Goodnight are awesome albums but both look like they will be very underrepresented overall and we already know how the Arch era ended up...' while spot on, may well be given a slight elbow and wink by a certain late-era Alder track, at least I do hope so ;)
While working through the albums in the leadup to this Countdown I was amazed by a few things, but mostly how much more of Long Day Good Night impacted on me even moreso than when released! So much so I was moved to finally get it on LP :metal
(https://i.imgur.com/RkvbXHv.jpg)
Sorry for the edits could not get this loaded properly without loss of quality!?
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There's one song from TOF I think will make the top 5.
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If I were on the other side of this and had all of the information I've revealed, I would be REALLY puzzled about the top 5. I'd definitely have the top 3, but the other two would be REALLY surprising to me.
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Yeah, one song from TOF to come but I had another from that album in my top 10 that won't make it at all and I had 3 songs from Long Day Goodnight in my top 20 that also won't make it at all. That is why I feel those albums will be underrepresented but the voters have spoken!
My guess is that the top 5 is coming from 4 different albums.
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There's one song from TOF I think will make the top 5.
As it should, seeing as it's the best song the band ever wro- But perhaps I've said too much. :lol
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I had Point of View at 8 and Ivory Gate of Dreams at 6, both great in their own right for different reasons. PoV is definitely the most accessible of FW's catalogue and I've always thought of it as FW's 'Pull me Under' too. I don't get why that song didn't launch this band, but whatever. Ivory Gate of Dreams is a great epic, and barely missed the top 5 (it was top 5 in a couple of rankings). Looking forward to the top 5!
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6. The Ivory Gate of Dreams (7). Kinda figured this would make the Top 5 when I submitted, but I'm still glad it made the Top 10. One of my favorite epics, and a great way to close the Steve Zimmerman era on drums.
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Point of View - I had this at #12. Great tune, great single, and the introduction to FW to many people (not me). I always enjoy the energy of this song, and while it is not one of Fates' most complicated songs, it's a perfect cut to represent that early 90s era of Fates.
Ivory Gate of Dreams - This is my #3 song from them. To be honest, I'm not sure how any hardcore fan of FW doesn't have this in their top-5.
As for songs from newer records making top-5...The Light and Shade of Things will be. Book it.
My guess for the top-5:
The Light and Shade of Things - 5
Monument - 4
Life in Still Water - 3
The Eleventh Hour - 2
Still Remains - 1
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I was thinking the same, Sam.
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(https://cdn.oaks.delivery/wp-content/uploads/Life-Still-Water.jpg)
5 Life in Still Water (Parallels – 7)
Appeared on 17 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 9
Highest Ranking: 1 (Tomislav95, The Realm, WardySI)
So…I know Parallels is a universally loved album among Fates fans, but I would never have guessed that all three of Leave the Past Behind, Point of View and Life in Still Water would turn up in the top 10. It’s my favorite of those three songs, and I had it at #17. There’s a very particular chord in this song that I think sounds super cool. After Ray sings, “It’s a narrow path,” the guitar plays two eighth notes followed by two dotted quarter notes and then lands on a chord that is held under the next line (“that we walk”). I don’t know what the chord is, but it’s so dang tasty. Anyway…solid song, but top 5 material???
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Also, you guys are going to be awfully surprised when Lighthouse and The Arena take the top two spots!
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Also, you guys are going to be awfully surprised when Lighthouse and The Arena take the top two spots!
:lol
I had Life in Still Water at #5. So exactly on par with the forum. Not much to say other than it never gets old. It's one of those songs that no matter how many times I listen to it, I can't get enough.
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5. Life in Still Water (30). I had this quite a bit lower, and I don't think it made my top 50 on the initial run through. I think it's kind of overrated. I wonder if it would rank as high if James Labrie wasn't on the track? Anyway, Frank's solo is pretty sweet, and Zonder's drumming again is on point. This song is definitely the anti-Arch. Where Arch often tried to cram as many words as possible into his lyrics and vocal melodies, this song is the complete opposite of that. It seems like Ray takes forever to sing some of these lyrics.
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5. Life in Still Water (30). I had this quite a bit lower, and I don't think it made my top 50 on the initial run through. I think it's kind of overrated. I wonder if it would rank as high if James Labrie wasn't on the track? Anyway, Frank's solo is pretty sweet, and Zonder's drumming again is on point. This song is definitely the anti-Arch. Where Arch often tried to cram as many words as possible into his lyrics and vocal melodies, this song is the complete opposite of that. It seems like Ray takes forever to sing some of these lyrics.
I'd be surprised if it was a factor. While you can hear a second vocal track, it's very much in the background and, if JLB weren't credited, I doubt anyone would be able to tell it's him.
I don't know if I've told this story before, but my band back in '89 or '90 got a new singer by the name of Andy (the rest of us eventually called him Spasity Andy behind his back). He had great range but was very raw. He was also often unemployed, and I had to pick him up for practices and gigs. The other problem with him is that tried to re-write vocal melodies for existing songs. He'd take words that were supposed to fit into, e.g., 10 seconds and sing them in an Arch-lie, rapid fire fashion in about 4 seconds, leaving a bunch of awkward empty space. During his time in the band, I turned him onto Fates Warning, and he became a BIG Ray Alder fan. After we kicked him out, he moved to Arizona. He called me once and mentioned that he had met Ray. We then lost touch with him. Fast forward to 1994 and Inside Out comes out and I'm going through the CD booklet and I see, "RAY would like to thank . . . Andy Gowin. . . ." Mother fucker!
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5. Life in Still Water (30). I had this quite a bit lower, and I don't think it made my top 50 on the initial run through. I think it's kind of overrated. I wonder if it would rank as high if James Labrie wasn't on the track? Anyway, Frank's solo is pretty sweet, and Zonder's drumming again is on point. This song is definitely the anti-Arch. Where Arch often tried to cram as many words as possible into his lyrics and vocal melodies, this song is the complete opposite of that. It seems like Ray takes forever to sing some of these lyrics.
I'd be surprised if it was a factor. While you can hear a second vocal track, it's very much in the background and, if JLB weren't credited, I doubt anyone would be able to tell it's him.
I don't know if I've told this story before, but my band back in '89 or '90 got a new singer by the name of Andy (the rest of us eventually called him Spasity Andy behind his back). He had great range but was very raw. He was also often unemployed, and I had to pick him up for practices and gigs. The other problem with him is that tried to re-write vocal melodies for existing songs. He'd take words that were supposed to fit into, e.g., 10 seconds and sing them in an Arch-lie, rapid fire fashion in about 4 seconds, leaving a bunch of awkward empty space. During his time in the band, I turned him onto Fates Warning, and he became a BIG Ray Alder fan. After we kicked him out, he moved to Arizona. He called me once and mentioned that he had met Ray. We then lost touch with him. Fast forward to 1994 and Inside Out comes out and I'm going through the CD booklet and I see, "RAY would like to thank . . . Andy Gowin. . . ." Mother fucker!
Wow! Great story! But yeah, that sounds about right. :lol
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I knew this was coming. I actually thought it might be a bit higher. I had it at #14, and it was my 2nd highest rated Parallels track, and one of only 2 Parallels tracks to make my top 40. By far the strongest of any of the songs that felt like singles, which makes it that much more puzzling that I don’t think it ever was.
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5 Life in Still Water (Parallels – 7)
Appeared on 17 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 9
Highest Ranking: 1 (Tomislav95, The Realm, WardySI)
I had Life In Still Water at #12. I love this song and Ray kills on it.
And my #1 is still alive!
50 Prelude To Ruin NR
49 Damnation Handful Of Doubt
48 APSOG IX (Stayed Up Late One Night) Chasing Time
47 Through Different Eyes APSOG III
46 APSOG VIII (Instrumental) White Flag
45 Leave The Past Behind APSOG IV
44 Traveller In Time Firefly
43 The Destination Onward
42 Pale Fire Left Here
41 The Road Goes On Forever
40 Outside Looking In Island In The Stream
39 The Longest Shadow Of The Day APSOG V (Murder In Munich)
38 Face The Fear Part Of The Machine
37 Wish
36 Another Perfect Day APSOG VII
35 The Apparition Seven Stars
34 Eye To Eye
33 Buried Alive At Fates Hands
32 Silent Cries APSOG XII
31 Don't Follow Me From The Rooftops
30 Giant's Lore
29
28
27 Point Of View
26
25 Valley Of The Dolls
24 And Yet It Moves
23
22 APSOG XI (Do You Think That I)
21 One
20 Pirates Of The Underground
19 The Ghosts Of Home
18
17 Exodus
16 Epitaph
15
14
13 The Strand
12 Life In Still Water
11 APSOG VI (Turn Back All The Years)
10 Shelter Me
9 Guardian
8 Kyrie Eleison
7
6 Down To The Wire
5 Something For Nothing
4 The Ivory Gate Of Dreams
3 We Only Say Goodbye
2 Nothing Left To Say
1
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I have Life in Still Water at #6. It seems to be a rarity that I’m in sync with the general consensus in this countdown, but it would be hard to go wrong with this one :biggrin:
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I'm remastering No Exit from my original cd. The 25th Anniversary version has Ivory Gate broken into separate tracks and it bothers me. I'm just going to warm it up a bit, nothing too extreme.
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I had this song at number 2. One of the first songs I heard and that really stuck with me. Just a perfect track. Franks solo is one of the trickiest out there to get right, so many different technical elements going on.
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5 Life in Still Water (Parallels – 7)
Appeared on 17 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 9
Highest Ranking: 1 (Tomislav95, The Realm, WardySI)
Life in Still Water - yes this is my number 1. Just a great song. I didn't have a definitive number 1 Fate's song before doing this is countdown but this is how it came out in the end. I also thought this song was a certainty to be on all 19 lists, once again I got that wrong...
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I also thought this song was a certainty to be on all 19 lists, once again I got that wrong...
Well...no one guessed all three, and some folks are going to be awfully surprised after tomorrow's reveal.
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Life In Still Water, the Oklahoma State University theme song. It’s a good one though.
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Point of View - I had this at #12. Great tune, great single, and the introduction to FW to many people (not me). I always enjoy the energy of this song, and while it is not one of Fates' most complicated songs, it's a perfect cut to represent that early 90s era of Fates.
Ivory Gate of Dreams - This is my #3 song from them. To be honest, I'm not sure how any hardcore fan of FW doesn't have this in their top-5.
As for songs from newer records making top-5...The Light and Shade of Things will be. Book it.
My guess for the top-5:
The Light and Shade of Things - 5
Monument - 4
Life in Still Water - 3
The Eleventh Hour - 2
Still Remains - 1
I'd wager if anything, Still Remains and The Light and Shade of Things will be duking it out for the #4 and #3 spots, while The Eleventh Hour and Monument take the Top 2 spots.
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Point of View - I had this at #12. Great tune, great single, and the introduction to FW to many people (not me). I always enjoy the energy of this song, and while it is not one of Fates' most complicated songs, it's a perfect cut to represent that early 90s era of Fates.
Ivory Gate of Dreams - This is my #3 song from them. To be honest, I'm not sure how any hardcore fan of FW doesn't have this in their top-5.
As for songs from newer records making top-5...The Light and Shade of Things will be. Book it.
My guess for the top-5:
The Light and Shade of Things - 5
Monument - 4
Life in Still Water - 3
The Eleventh Hour - 2
Still Remains - 1
I'd wager if anything, Still Remains and The Light and Shade of Things will be duking it out for the #4 and #3 spots, while The Eleventh Hour and Monument take the Top 2 spots.
Monument is excellent… but NO WAY is that a top 2 song.
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Point of View - I had this at #12. Great tune, great single, and the introduction to FW to many people (not me). I always enjoy the energy of this song, and while it is not one of Fates' most complicated songs, it's a perfect cut to represent that early 90s era of Fates.
Ivory Gate of Dreams - This is my #3 song from them. To be honest, I'm not sure how any hardcore fan of FW doesn't have this in their top-5.
As for songs from newer records making top-5...The Light and Shade of Things will be. Book it.
My guess for the top-5:
The Light and Shade of Things - 5
Monument - 4
Life in Still Water - 3
The Eleventh Hour - 2
Still Remains - 1
I'd wager if anything, Still Remains and The Light and Shade of Things will be duking it out for the #4 and #3 spots, while The Eleventh Hour and Monument take the Top 2 spots.
Monument is excellent… but NO WAY is that a top 2 song.
I'd be inclined to personally agree! It's just a personal guess of mine of where this poll is going.
If I'm being honest though, my Top 2 is definitely a bit out of the ordinary for most fans.
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Life In Still Water #1
Yep, even before using the ranker knew this was my first just perfect in every way IMO \m/
Reading through the assumptions above, I didn't foresee Still Life making it this high tbh so very interested see how this all turns out!?
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Life In Still Water, the Oklahoma State University theme song. It’s a good one though.
I see what you did there. ;)
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P needs to get his ass in the office and post today's song. :lol
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P needs to get his ass in the office and post today's song. :lol
It's raining...it's raining...on the streets of southern California...which means everyone drives like an idiot and delays my commute exponentially!
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4 Still Remains (Disconnected – 3)
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/2/27/Fates_Warning_-_2000_-_Disconnected_%28European_edition%29.jpg/220px-Fates_Warning_-_2000_-_Disconnected_%28European_edition%29.jpg)
Appeared on 16 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 9
Highest Ranking: 1 (romdrums, Lethean, jammindude, Samsara, Puppies_on_Acid, wolfking)
This one never had a chance of being on every list because it’s not on mine. I will confess, though that, when it started showing up as the #1 song on so many lists, I had to do a double take. I think Still Remains is a pretty good 8-10 minute song. Unfortunately, it’s a 16 minute song.
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I am very surprised this track didn't finish in the top-3. To me, it epitomizes Fates Warning as a band. proggy, heavy, atmospheric.
Anyway, #4 is no slouch, but man.
And PG - I hear ya. It was a slog up here too. I almost worked at home today, anticipating the idiots on the road. But I leave so early, it was actually a decent drive, just 10 mph less than usual.
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Absolutely FW’s crowning achievement. Goosebumps achievement unlocked. Just a brilliantly executed slab of pure emotion.
The day after my dad died, I went for a drive, sang along at the top of my lungs, and bawled my eyes out.
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Absolutely FW’s crowning achievement. Goosebumps achievement unlocked. Just a brilliantly executed slab of pure emotion.
Agreed. Brilliantly constructed, and hits right in the feels. This is my favorite Ray performance, and for me, Joey Vera and Kevin Moore are the other MVPs on this song. This is Fates Warning's artistic high point for me, and apparently quite a few others! Kinda surprised this didn't make top 3, but hey, it is what it is.
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Absolutely FW’s crowning achievement. Goosebumps achievement unlocked. Just a brilliantly executed slab of pure emotion.
Agreed. Brilliantly constructed, and hits right in the feels. This is my favorite Ray performance, and for me, Joey Vera and Kevin Moore are the other MVPs on this song. This is Fates Warning's artistic high point for me, and apparently quite a few others! Kinda surprised this didn't make top 3, but hey, it is what it is.
Well...not appearing on three lists didn't help, despite having twice as many first-place votes as any other song.
The point totals for the top 10 songs are interesting:
1. 798 points
2. 769 points
3. 751 points
4. 641 points (Still Remains)
5. 630 points (Life in Still Water)
6. 590 points (The Ivory Gate of Dreams)
7. 581 points (Point of View)
8. 526 points (Leave the Past Behind)
9. 507 points (Nothing Left to Say)
10. 489 points (The Ghosts of Home)
The 110 point gap between song #3 and Still remains is HUGE. It's bigger than the gap between any group of TEN songs (other than the top 10). The next biggest gap is 67 points, between From the Rooftops at #12 (484 points) and One at #13 (417 points).
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Agree with both of you. Ray's finest all around singing performance, IMO.
Cool live story - I got to see this performed with Frank Aresti (instead of Mike Abdow) at the DNA Lounge in San Francisco on the Darkness in a Different Light tour. Met him for the first time that night. Really great guy (as is Mike Abdow). That performance solidified my already lofty opinion of the song and my #1 ranking in their catalog. I'll never forget it.
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Away for a few days this week, so I’ll comment more when I’m back…
Given my own rankings, I have no issues with this top 10 :)
So, unless I missed something, the top 3 songs will also be the only ones that appeared on all lists, uh?
Which (likely) means I only guessed one right…
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So, unless I missed something, the top 3 songs will also be the only ones that appeared on all lists, uh?
Yup.
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Still Remains was one of my favs from that album, but compared to the rest of my list, it came in at #21.
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4 Still Remains (Disconnected – 3)
Appeared on 16 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 9
Highest Ranking: 1 (romdrums, Lethean, jammindude, Samsara, Puppies_on_Acid, wolfking)
Still Remains - unranked. This song was a total miss for me, I am not sure what happened as I believe I had it ranked in the teens somewhere and then it somehow dropped off my list. I was thinking I was going to be the only person to not rank this so I guess I can breathe a sigh of relief....I do agree with pg though that it is a little long for me but there are some amazing moments.
Also, looks like I only guessed one of the three songs that appeared on everyone's list.
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romdrums, jammindude, Samsara, Puppies_on_Acid, and wolfking - glad to be joining you in choosing Still Remains as their best song.
The lyrics might be a little too much for me to listen to this song today, or maybe I'll save it for tonight.
Everything about this song is perfect.
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Absolutely FW’s crowning achievement. Goosebumps achievement unlocked. Just a brilliantly executed slab of pure emotion.
The day after my dad died, I went for a drive, sang along at the top of my lungs, and bawled my eyes out.
I have major goosebumps. I feel EXACTLY the same! I'm literally crying as I type this. Losing my father shattered me and this song has the same meaning. :heart
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4 Still Remains (Disconnected – 3)
Appeared on 16 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 9
Highest Ranking: 1 (romdrums, Lethean, jammindude, Samsara, Puppies_on_Acid, wolfking)
I had Still Remains at #15. I so agree with Paul in that this needed to be 8 minutes and not 16. I have an edited version on my iPod. Something For Nothing, which I like more and had at #5 suffers the same, but it's not nearly as bad.
Can't say I've ever even considered the lyrics.
And my #1 um..still remains!
50 Prelude To Ruin NR
49 Damnation Handful Of Doubt
48 APSOG IX (Stayed Up Late One Night) Chasing Time
47 Through Different Eyes APSOG III
46 APSOG VIII (Instrumental) White Flag
45 Leave The Past Behind APSOG IV
44 Traveller In Time Firefly
43 The Destination Onward
42 Pale Fire Left Here
41 The Road Goes On Forever
40 Outside Looking In Island In The Stream
39 The Longest Shadow Of The Day APSOG V (Murder In Munich)
38 Face The Fear Part Of The Machine
37 Wish
36 Another Perfect Day APSOG VII
35 The Apparition Seven Stars
34 Eye To Eye
33 Buried Alive At Fates Hands
32 Silent Cries APSOG XII
31 Don't Follow Me From The Rooftops
30 Giant's Lore
29
28
27 Point Of View
26
25 Valley Of The Dolls
24 And Yet It Moves
23
22 APSOG XI (Do You Think That I)
21 One
20 Pirates Of The Underground
19 The Ghosts Of Home
18
17 Exodus
16 Epitaph
15 Still Remains
14
13 The Strand
12 Life In Still Water
11 APSOG VI (Turn Back All The Years)
10 Shelter Me
9 Guardian
8 Kyrie Eleison
7
6 Down To The Wire
5 Something For Nothing
4 The Ivory Gate Of Dreams
3 We Only Say Goodbye
2 Nothing Left To Say
1
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Absolutely FW’s crowning achievement. Goosebumps achievement unlocked. Just a brilliantly executed slab of pure emotion.
The day after my dad died, I went for a drive, sang along at the top of my lungs, and bawled my eyes out.
I have major goosebumps. I feel EXACTLY the same! I'm literally crying as I type this. Losing my father shattered me and this song has the same meaning. :heart
You guys were lucky to have such awesome dads.
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Number 4 is too low.
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Number 4 is too low.
Totally agreed. The fact that Monument (while still being a great song) is going to beat this by such a large margin is almost disturbing.
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Number 4 is too low.
+1
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I have Still Remains at #46. I’ll have to give it another listen. but there is really nothing on Disconnected that impresses me.
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Number 4 is too low.
Totally agreed. The fact that Monument (while still being a great song) is going to beat this by such a large margin is almost disturbing.
Just want to say that I called it. ;)
At this rate, I'm assuming #1 will be The Eleventh Hour, while Monument and The Light & Shade of Things duke it out between the #2 and 3 spots.
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Damn, well done all but I did not see this making it so high. Sure its second half is great but count me in finding this one unnecessarily long and it never honestly connected (pun intended) with me like some here.
I'm going spin this a few times now and really dig into those lyrics some more.
\m/
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The length of the song is perfect IMO. To me, it flies by.
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The length of the song is perfect IMO. To me, it flies by.
Agreed re: the length, it doesn't feel like 16 mins to me at all.
Still Remains was my #4 and never beat out any one of my top 3 in the other rankings I completed. It's one of their best, though - the top 5 is just really splitting hairs for me with FW. They have so much to love.
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Yeah I know it's weird as I have no issue with long songs and a few included in my own 50. But other than being a great part of the Disconnected finale, this one just felt too long.
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3 Monument (Inside Out – 8)
(https://i.ytimg.com/vi/gbRQyJ2uuNw/maxresdefault.jpg)
Appeared on 19 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 11
Highest Ranking: 1 (devieira73, nick_z)
So…we’ve finally made it to the first of three songs that appeared on everyone’s list. Not only was it on everyone’s list, with more than half of the rankers having it in their top 10, it was in the top half on all but two lists. This song deserves every bit of the praise it got. It’s a prog masterpiece in a concise, six-and-a-half-minute package. Epic 7/8 bass riff as the basis of the song? Check. Guitar solo over an alternating 5/4, 6/4 bed? Check. Second guitar solo done on a nylon string acoustic over a 4/4/, 6/4 bed? Check. The only negative about this song is the horribly edited version used for the official video. My #4 song.
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My take on the difference between the studio version and the live version:
https://youtu.be/TJdQfjaRAG0
Basically, the studio version is way too thin and lacks the intended punch. No way this song belongs in the top 5…or even top 10.
I had it at 23.
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I didn’t do a list, but I imagine this would have been in my top 10. It’s just a really cool song with some amazing guitar work and great playing by the whole band really.
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Live version or not, it's easily a top 5 FW song. It came in right at #5 on my list.
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(https://louisvilleleopards.org/wp-content/uploads//2014/05/Screen-Shot-2014-05-07-at-6.59.48-PM.png)
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#14 for me, but I have no issues with it being ranked higher. It's a great song.
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3 Monument (Inside Out – 8)
Appeared on 19 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 11
Highest Ranking: 1 (devieira73, nick_z)
I had Monument at #14. This song is as most of Inside Out, a very good song. But it's that instrumental part that really makes it. Without it, I'd probably have it around 30.
I expect my #1 to be posted at #2.
50 Prelude To Ruin NR
49 Damnation Handful Of Doubt
48 APSOG IX (Stayed Up Late One Night) Chasing Time
47 Through Different Eyes APSOG III
46 APSOG VIII (Instrumental) White Flag
45 Leave The Past Behind APSOG IV
44 Traveller In Time Firefly
43 The Destination Onward
42 Pale Fire Left Here
41 The Road Goes On Forever
40 Outside Looking In Island In The Stream
39 The Longest Shadow Of The Day APSOG V (Murder In Munich)
38 Face The Fear Part Of The Machine
37 Wish
36 Another Perfect Day APSOG VII
35 The Apparition Seven Stars
34 Eye To Eye
33 Buried Alive At Fates Hands
32 Silent Cries APSOG XII
31 Don't Follow Me From The Rooftops
30 Giant's Lore
29
28
27 Point Of View
26
25 Valley Of The Dolls
24 And Yet It Moves
23
22 APSOG XI (Do You Think That I)
21 One
20 Pirates Of The Underground
19 The Ghosts Of Home
18
17 Exodus
16 Epitaph
15 Still Remains
14 Monument
13 The Strand
12 Life In Still Water
11 APSOG VI (Turn Back All The Years)
10 Shelter Me
9 Guardian
8 Kyrie Eleison
7
6 Down To The Wire
5 Something For Nothing
4 The Ivory Gate Of Dreams
3 We Only Say Goodbye
2 Nothing Left To Say
1
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Monument - My fave FW's song from my fave FW's album. Amazing in every way (even in its title!), almost perfect, just because of the thin Inside Out production.
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I have Monument at #13. My favourite song from Inside Out.
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3. Monument (2). Far and away the best song on Inside Out. Perfect prog metal in a 6 minute plus package. If Monument had been on Parallels, Parallels would be a perfect album.
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3 Monument (Inside Out – 8)
Appeared on 19 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 11
Highest Ranking: 1 (devieira73, nick_z)
Monument - not at all surprised this song finished so high but for me this was only 46. I just find it really hard to get into the Inside Out album and I think because of that I have probably underrated this track over time but I do acknowledge it's greatness, especially musically but some much better production would help.
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Monument #7
What most everyone has already said, an excellent Fates song and am not surprised at all it placed so high \m/
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I'm pleasantly surprised that The Light & Shade of Things and The Eleventh Hour will be duking it out for the Top 2! Thought for sure that Monument would land the #2 spot.
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Just for fun, let's fill in some gaps at the bottom of the countdown. The songs in bold had not previously been revealed.
91. The Arena (appeared on two lists, in the #11 and #46 spots)
92. Stranger (with a Familiar Face) (appeared on three lists, with the highest being #33)
93. Kiss of Death (appeared on two lists in the #23 and #40 spots)
94. Lighthouse (appeared on one list in the #19 spot)
95. Glass Houses (appeared on three lists, with the highest being #31)
96. Disconnected Pt. 1 & 2 (appeared on two lists, both in the #36 spot)
97. Night on Brocken (appeared on two lists in the #26 and #48 spots)
98. Crawl (appeared on two lists, in the #28 and #50 spots)
99. Without a Trace (appeared on one list in the #32 spot)
100. Kneel and Obey (appeared on three lists, with the highest being #43)
101. Shadowfax (appeared on one list in the #34 spot)
102. The Last Song (appeared on two lists in the #41 and #50 spots)
103. When Snow Falls (appeared on one list in the #43 spot)
104. Misfit (appeared on one list in the #43 spot)
105. Theories of Flight (appeared on one list in the #45 spot)
106T. The Calling
106T. S.E.K.
106T. Soldier Boy
106T. Time Long Past
106T. No Exit
106T. Inward Bound
106T. Sequence #7
106T. Desire
106T. Liar
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I'm pleasantly surprised that The Light & Shade of Things and The Eleventh Hour will be duking it out for the Top 2! Thought for sure that Monument would land the #2 spot.
Kev would have banned you a long time ago mate with these posts.
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Number 6 for me. That solo section is too tasty. Love what Frank is doing at the start of his solo, so damn creative.
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Yes, this thread is spotlight city! If Kev was running this thread nearly everyone would be banned and the countdown over. I do think it does spoil it a bit to talk about unrevealed songs before they turn up even when it is obvious what they are, which is why I haven't commented on any of the 'early reveals'. It just makes it feel like there is no point in waiting anymore, apart from the order I guess.
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Y'all waited until we were into the final 5, so I didn't really mind. :tup
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Ah, my apologies everyone!
Since I’ve been away from DTF for so long, I haven’t actually participated in this sort of Top 50 countdown before, so I hadn’t realized there was an unspoken rule on avoiding talking about unrevealed entries! Used to just be we’d all individually list our personal lists and comment on each update and speculate a bit on what was coming next.
EDIT: Again, I'm really sorry if I've been ruining this for everyone. I should have been more mindful about this and paid closer attention to how everyone was approaching discussion on the song rankings.
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I had Monument at #4 on my list. Just a phenomenal song. Not much more to add that hasn't been said already. An iconic classic from Fates.
And yes, the edited version is annoying.
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2 The Light and Shade of Things (Theories of Flight – 5)
(https://i.ytimg.com/vi/sVXSZbCiD70/hqdefault.jpg)
Appeared on 19 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 13
Highest Ranking: 1 (Mister Gold)
If Jim Matheos were a Dungeons & Dragons character, there is NO question that he would be a true neutral, and the lyrics to this song (and others on TOF) make it clear. This song is awesome. Nice clean electric build up with a great vocal from Ray. They kick it up to another gear around the 3:00 mark and the song doesn’t let up. Along with From the Rooftops, this is another one of the best choruses in Fates’s catalog. I had this song at #8 – two spots behind Rooftops for my #1 song from Theories. And I’m a little surprised that only one person had it in the #1 spot.
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TLASOT came in at #7 on my list.
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So much great emotion in this song. PG summed it up well. I had The Light and Shade of Things at #8 - same as PG.
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My #2. Interesting that it only got one #1 vote. How many 2s? 3s?
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My #2. Interesting that it only got one #1 vote. How many 2s? 3s?
#1 x1
#2 x3
#3 x2
#6 x1
#7 x2
#8 x3
#10 x1
#12 x1
#14 x2
#19 x1
#25 x1
#48 x1
And Monument's votes were as follows:
#1 x2
#2 x1
#3 x1
#4 x3
#5 x1
#6 x2
#7 x1
#11 x1
#13 x1
#14 x2
#18 x1
#23 x 1
#36 x1
#46 x1
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So far, the top 4 have been identical to my list (pending the results for #1). Thanks again for running this, pg1067! It's been a great excuse to revisit the entirety of this amazing catalogue of music and discuss such varied preferences from the forum fanbase!
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I had the Light and Shade of Things at #14. In retrospect, it definitely could have been higher. Love this song.
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2 The Light and Shade of Things (Theories of Flight – 5)
Appeared on 19 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 13
Highest Ranking: 1 (Mister Gold)
The Light and Shade of Things - number 6 for me. Great to see this song so high, as I said in an earlier post I do feel Theories of Flight is underrepresented overall in the countdown so at least this is some redemption. Interesting this song made every list as I think we have one person in the countdown who doesn't like this album at all? Like most of this album, there is just some amazing guitar work on this song and a great vocal by Ray.
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2 The Light and Shade of Things (Theories of Flight – 5)
Appeared on 19 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 13
Highest Ranking: 1 (Mister Gold)
I had The Light And Shade Of Things at #7. This is easily one of their best songs, and I am shocked that this was not the #1 song. I definitely thought it would be.
Which now signals that I have won the Fates Warning Countdown Thread!!! :lol
And with that, I'll fill in the rest of my list.
50 Prelude To Ruin NR
49 Damnation Handful Of Doubt
48 APSOG IX (Stayed Up Late One Night) Chasing Time
47 Through Different Eyes APSOG III
46 APSOG VIII (Instrumental) White Flag
45 Leave The Past Behind APSOG IV
44 Traveller In Time Firefly
43 Misfit The Destination Onward
42 Pale Fire Left Here
41 Anarchy Divine The Road Goes On Forever
40 Outside Looking In Island In The Stream
39 The Longest Shadow Of The Day APSOG V (Murder In Munich)
38 Face The Fear Part Of The Machine
37 SOS Wish
36 Another Perfect Day APSOG VII
35 The Apparition Seven Stars
34 Shadowfax Eye To Eye
33 Buried Alive At Fates Hands
32 Silent Cries APSOG XII
31 Don't Follow Me From The Rooftops
30 Giant's Lore
29 Under The Sun
28 Shuttered World
27 Point Of View
26 Night On Brocken
25 Valley Of The Dolls
24 And Yet It Moves
23 Kiss Of Death
22 APSOG XI (Do You Think That I)
21 One
20 Pirates Of The Underground
19 The Ghosts Of Home
18 Shades Of Heavenly Death
17 Exodus
16 Epitaph
15 Still Remains
14 Monument
13 The Strand
12 Life In Still Water
11 APSOG VI (Turn Back All The Years)
10 Shelter Me
9 Guardian
8 Kyrie Eleison
7 The Light And Shade Of Things
6 Down To The Wire
5 Something For Nothing
4 The Ivory Gate Of Dreams
3 We Only Say Goodbye
2 Nothing Left To Say
1
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I had it at 25. It's a wonderful song, but no way I can get on board with a second place ranking.
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Which now signals that I have won the Fates Warning Countdown Thread!!! :lol
(https://media.tenor.com/tmfZmEJR3D8AAAAC/star-wars-luke-skywalker.gif)
Just throwing some shades of heavenly death....
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2 The Light and Shade of Things (Theories of Flight – 5)
Appeared on 19 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 13
Highest Ranking: 1 (Mister Gold)
I had The Light And Shade Of Things at #7. This is easily one of their best songs, and I am shocked that this was not the #1 song. I definitely thought it would be.
Which now signals that I have won the Fates Warning Countdown Thread!!! :lol
And with that, I'll fill in the rest of my list.
50 Prelude To Ruin NR
49 Damnation Handful Of Doubt
48 APSOG IX (Stayed Up Late One Night) Chasing Time
47 Through Different Eyes APSOG III
46 APSOG VIII (Instrumental) White Flag
45 Leave The Past Behind APSOG IV
44 Traveller In Time Firefly
43 Misfit The Destination Onward
42 Pale Fire Left Here
41 Anarchy Divine The Road Goes On Forever
40 Outside Looking In Island In The Stream
39 The Longest Shadow Of The Day APSOG V (Murder In Munich)
38 Face The Fear Part Of The Machine
37 SOS Wish
36 Another Perfect Day APSOG VII
35 The Apparition Seven Stars
34 Shadowfax Eye To Eye
33 Buried Alive At Fates Hands
32 Silent Cries APSOG XII
31 Don't Follow Me From The Rooftops
30 Giant's Lore
29 Under The Sun
28 Shuttered World
27 Point Of View
26 Night On Brocken
25 Valley Of The Dolls
24 And Yet It Moves
23 Kiss Of Death
22 APSOG XI (Do You Think That I)
21 One
20 Pirates Of The Underground
19 The Ghosts Of Home
18 Shades Of Heavenly Death
17 Exodus
16 Epitaph
15 Still Remains
14 Monument
13 The Strand
12 Life In Still Water
11 APSOG VI (Turn Back All The Years)
10 Shelter Me
9 Guardian
8 Kyrie Eleison
7 The Light And Shade Of Things
6 Down To The Wire
5 Something For Nothing
4 The Ivory Gate Of Dreams
3 We Only Say Goodbye
2 Nothing Left To Say
1
What exactly did you win? I'm hoping a private FW concert where they play your list in order. :metal :lol
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What exactly did you win? I'm hoping a private FW concert where they play your list in order. :metal :lol
You know that feeling when you leave work for the day knowing you did a great job, and nobody cares, not even my boss who doesn't notice, or my wife who could give a shit. Well, it's like that. :lol
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What exactly did you win? I'm hoping a private FW concert where they play your list in order. :metal :lol
You know that feeling when you leave work for the day knowing you did a great job, and nobody cares, not even my boss who doesn't notice, or my wife who could give a shit. Well, it's like that. :lol
:rollin
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What exactly did you win? I'm hoping a private FW concert where they play your list in order. :metal :lol
You know that feeling when you leave work for the day knowing you did a great job, and nobody cares, not even my boss who doesn't notice, or my wife who could give a shit. Well, it's like that. :lol
Well Tim, I care my brother! :metal :heart
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I think all of us can relate, Tim. Now go do as Mrs. TAC commands! :lol
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What exactly did you win? I'm hoping a private FW concert where they play your list in order. :metal :lol
You know that feeling when you leave work for the day knowing you did a great job, and nobody cares, not even my boss who doesn't notice, or my wife who could give a shit. Well, it's like that. :lol
Makes you want to rain anarchy divine down on some folks and make them send out an SOS.
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Someone or someones need to answer for SOS not making the top 50....
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2 The Light and Shade of Things (Theories of Flight – 5)
(https://i.ytimg.com/vi/sVXSZbCiD70/hqdefault.jpg)
Appeared on 19 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 13
Highest Ranking: 1 (Mister Gold)
If Jim Matheos were a Dungeons & Dragons character, there is NO question that he would be a true neutral, and the lyrics to this song (and others on TOF) make it clear. This song is awesome. Nice clean electric build up with a great vocal from Ray. They kick it up to another gear around the 3:00 mark and the song doesn’t let up. Along with From the Rooftops, this is another one of the best choruses in Fates’s catalog. I had this song at #8 – two spots behind Rooftops for my #1 song from Theories. And I’m a little surprised that only one person had it in the #1 spot.
As the one guy who ranks this song as Fates Warning's finest work, I'm actually pleasantly shocked that The Light & Shade of Things even made it this far! I knew that it was a modern favorite for fans of the band and I'd expected it would at least make the Top 5 or 10, but I truly had no expectations of it outranking long time favorites in the band's discography like Still Remains or Monument.
When I started from the top of my list at #1 and went down all the way to #50, both of the Top 2 songs in my list were immediately obvious to me. #2 was Guardian and #1 is TL&SOT. Which is something I always look back on a bit amusingly, since I remember being very skeptical of this song in the lead-up to Theories of Flight coming out. Two months or so before the album hit, the band released an extended preview of the whole album and included segments from each song- and I didn't vibe with the segment of Light & Shade that was included at all.
And then the reviews started coming out and hailing that particular track as "the best song the band's written since Parallels." And I refused to believe it, until I finally heard it for myself the first time one summer morning at around 4:00 am. For my money, the back half of this song's chorus ("You're nowhere now...") is the single finest vocal melody Ray Alder has ever thought up for the band. Which is crazy for me to think about, since he's largely sticking to his midrange on the song, but the way the notes all flow back and forth feel like the perfect marriage of his time with the band and even the old John Arch era.
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Some catching up to do, just before the #1 reveal!
Point of View - My rank: #9
The Ivory Gate of Dreams - My rank: #19
Life in Still Water -My rank: #5
Still Remains - My rank: #3
Monument - My rank: #1
The Light and Shade of Things - My rank: #9
I'm certainly surprised The Light and Shade of Things beat Monument to #2...I mean, I clearly love The Light (it's in my top 10!), but I didn't think it was SO universally loved in the FW catalog for it to end so high. It's pretty impressive. As is the fact that one album so late in their career has not one but two songs in the aggregate top 10. I can't think of many examples of bands with long histories where that would happen. Granted, this really is more of a "cult" band, but still. It sure is a testament to the amazing quality of ToF, and given how much I love that album, I'm happy to see that...
As for Still Remains at #4: very close to my own ranking...it's obviously one of my favorite FW songs, and I enjoy every one of its 16+ minutes :) The reason why two songs had the edge over it in my book is just because I just happen to prefer FW's proggy deliciousness served in smaller, bite-size (more or less) portions. My #1, Monument, embodies that idea perfectly. Pg greatly summarized the song. It's catchy, it's technical in the most creative way and everyone is at the top of their game. Inside Out is a fantastic album, and Monument simply is its pinnacle.
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Someone or someones need to answer for SOS not making the top 50....
Hasn't made it...yet....
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Someone or someones need to answer for SOS not making the top 50....
Hasn't made it...yet....
Cool as these results usually get posted at a time I see them of a morning and after replies by time I get to it I will jump in early and say I had SOS at #28
A fine song and def in the top half of Theories, pleased to see it take the top spot well done everyone \m/
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Well...apparently I faked out one person. Sorry. ;D
1 The Eleventh Hour (Parallels – 8)
(https://i.etsystatic.com/9946487/r/il/84f01f/2780931616/il_fullxfull.2780931616_bd79.jpg)
Appeared on 19 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 14
Highest Ranking: 1 (TAC, Awaken)
Well...here we are. We all knew it was coming. The Eleventh Hour is just an amazing song, from its opening swells, to that first crash, to that iconic riff, to the amazing chorus to Ray's last "I need to explain" to the ending electric guitar swell. THIS is the song that should have been what Pull Me Under was. Almost exactly the same length and even more radio friendly. And there's not even a guitar solo! If setlist.fm is accurate (and it might not be with a band like FW), this is their most played song live and for good reasons. Aside from being a fan favorite, it's got great sing-along parts that aren't annoying (looking at you, Iron Maiden). It was my #2 song. In addition to the numbers above, this song finished in the top 20 on 18 of 19 lists, with the lowest ranking being 37.
Congrats to Awaken for nailing the top 4 songs in order! Thanks to all of you for participating. This has been a lot of fun, and hopefully it will serve as a basis for more people to listen or listen more to what I think is the most criminally underappreciated band out there. I'll be posting some additional statistics and information throughout the day today (since I expect things to be really slow on Vets' Day).
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FINAL ALBUM RANKINGS
1. Parallels (8 songs, 251 points): Don't Follow Me (49T), The Road Goes on Forever (36), We Only Say Goodbye (33), Eye to Eye (18), Leave the Past Behind (8), Point of View (7), Life in Still Water (5), The Eleventh Hour (1)
2. A Pleasant Shade of Gray (9 songs, 198 points): VIII (47T), III (43), IV (40), X/XI (28), V (27), IX (25), VII (21T), XII (16), VI (14T)
3T. Inside Out (8 songs, 171 points): Face the Fear (49T), Down to the Wire (45T), The Strand (34), Island in the Stream (30), Shelter Me/Circles (29), Outside Looking In (26), Pale Fire (21T), Monument (3)
3T. Theories of Flight (5 songs, 171 points): White Flag (42), Seven Stars (19), From the Rooftops (11), The Ghosts of Home (10), The Light and Shade of Things (2)
5. Perfect Symmetry (5 songs, 148 points): Chasing Time (44), Part of the Machine (24), At Fates Hands/Fingers (17), Through Different Eyes (13), Nothing Left to Say (9)
6. Disconnected (3 songs, 102 points): Something from Nothing (35), One (12), Still Remains (4)
7. FWX (4 songs, 76 points): Handful of Doubt (47T), Left Here (37), Another Perfect Day (31), Wish (23)
8. No Exit (2 songs, 55 points): Silent Cries (41), The Ivory Gate of Dreams (6)
9. Darkness in a Different Light (2 songs, 43 points): Firefly (39), And Yet It Moves (20)
10. Awaken the Guardian (2 songs, 39 points): Exodus (49T), Guardian (14T)
11T. The Spectre Within (1 song, 19 points): The Apparition (32)
11T. Long Day Good Night (2 songs, 19 points): The Longest Shadow of the Day (45T), The Destination Onward (38)
13. Night on Brocken (0 songs)
If you factor in all 114 songs (114 points for the #1 song, and so on, and with 0 points for the songs that got 0 votes), things switch up a bit:
1. APSOG
2. Parallels
3. Inside Out
4. Theories
5. Symmetry
6. FWX
7. LGDN
8. DIADL
9. Disconnected
10. Guardian
11. No Exit
12. Spectre
13. Brocken
However, the above results in a boost to albums with more songs and a hit to those with fewer. Therefore, when you take the average points per song, the album rankings come out like this:
1. Parallels
2. APSOG
3. Theories
4. Symmetry
5. Inside Out
6. Disonnected
7. No Exit
8. FWX
9. Guardian
10. DIADL
11. Spectre
12. LDGN
13. Brocken
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COMPLETE SONG RANKINGS
(Songs not previously revealed are bolded)
1. The Eleventh Hour (798 points)
2. The Light and Shade of Things (769)
3. Monument (751)
4. Still Remains (641)
5. Life in Still Water (630)
6. The Ivory Gate of Dreams (590)
7. Point of View (581)
8. Leave the Past Behind (526)
9. Nothing Left to Say (507)
10. The Ghosts of Home (489)
11. From the Rooftops (484)
12. One (417)
13. Through Different Eyes (414)
14T. APSOG VI (407)
14T. Guardian (407)
16. APSOG XII (401)
17. At Fates Hands/Fingers (400)
18. Eye to Eye (395)
19. Seven Stars (394)
20. And Yet It Moves (389)
21T. APSOG VII (375)
21T. Pale Fire (375)
23. Wish (360)
24. Part of the Machine (354)
25. APSOG IX (343)
26. Outside Looking In (337)
27. APSOG V (335)
28. APSOG X/XI (334)
29. Shelter Me/Circles (330)
30. Island in the Stream (315)
31. Another Perfect Day (313)
32. The Apparition (309)
33. We Only Say Goodbye (307)
34. The Strand (297)
35. Something from Nothing (283)
36. The Road Goes on Forever (279)
37. Left Here (272)
38. The Destination Onward (271)
39. Firefly (258)
40. APSOG IV (252)
41. Silent Cries (249)
42. White Flag (243)
43. APSOG III (236)
44. Chasing Time (232)
45T. The Longest Shadow of the Day (226)
45T. Down to the Wire (226)
47T. Handful of Doubt (223)
47T. APSOG VIII (223)
49T. Face the Fear (220)
49T. Don’t Follow Me (220)
49T. Exodus (220)
xxxxx
52. One Thousand Fires (216)
53. APSOG II (215)
54. Static Acts (202)
55. Heal Me (193)
56. Epitaph (188)
57. Traveler in Time (186)
58. SOS (183)
59. Anarchy Divine (181)
60. Into the Black (176)
61. Like Stars Our Eyes Have Seen (175)
62. Prelude to Ruin
63. Giant’s Lore (Heart of Winter)
64. Pieces of Me (143)
65. River Wide Ocean Deep (135)
66. The Way Home (124)
67T. Alone We Walk (117)
67T. Falling/Falling Further (117)
69. Shuttered World (116)
70T. I Am (115)
70T. Damnation (115)
72. Shades of Heavenly Death (129)
73. Valley of the Dolls (112)
74. Fata Morgana (104)
75. O Chloroform (98)
76. So (93)
77. Under the Sun (92)
78. A World Apart (85)
79. In a Word (81)
80. Simple Human (77)
81. Now Comes the Rain (75)
82. Kyrie Eleison (65)
83. Pirates of the Underground (64)
84. The Sorceress (58)
85T. Afterglow (55)
85T. Buried Alive (55)
87T. Scars (51)
87T. Begin Again (51)
87T. APSOG I (51)
90. Orphan Gypsy (46)
91. The Arena (45)
92. Stranger (with a Familiar Face) (42)
93. Kiss of Death (39)
94. Lighthouse (32)
95. Glass Houses (31)
96. Disconnected Pt. 1 & 2 (30)
97. Night on Brocken (28)
98. Crawl (24)
99. Without a Trace (19)
100. Kneel and Obey (18)
101. Shadowfax (17)
102. The Last Song (11)
103T. When Snow Falls (8)
103T. Misfit (8)
105. Theories of Flight (6)
106T. The Calling
106T. S.E.K.
106T. Soldier Boy
106T. Time Long Past
106T. No Exit
106T. Inward Bound
106T. Sequence #7
106T. Desire
106T. Liar
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The Eleventh Hour at #1 is no surprise whatsoever. Outstanding song. It would've been my #1 if not for TIGOD. I've been a fan since the Perfect Symmetry album. This probably isn't my ideal list due to time constraints. I had to pair down my list of 50 songs by selecting favorites from each included album instead of throwing them all into the ranker. I'm sure the list would've turned out a little differently had I done the latter. Still, these are my top 50 Fates Warning songs. Excellent job running this pg1067. :tup
50 One
49 Left Here
48 Glass Houses
47 Another Perfect Day
46 Pieces of Me
45 Theories of Flight
44 Shuttered World
43 Kneel and Obey
42 In a Word
41 Now Comes the Rain
40 One Thousand Fires
39 Nothing Left to Say
38 At Fates Hands/At Fates Fingers
37 The Strand
36 Outside Looking In
35 Pale Fire
34 Static Acts
33 The Longest Shadow of the Day
32 Part of the Machine
31 Anarchy Divine
30 Silent Cries
29 Firefly
28 The Ghosts of Home
27 Through Different Eyes
26 APSOG III
25 APSOG II
24 APSOG VI
23 APSOG VII
22 APSOG V
21 Still Remains
20 And Yet It Moves
19 Lighthouse
18 From the Rooftops
17 The Road Goes on Forever
16 Seven Stars
15 Don’t Follow Me
14 Island in the Stream
13 APSOG VIII
12 APSOG IX
11 Leave the Past Behind
10 APSOG X/XI
9 APSOG XII
8 APSOG IV
7 The Light and Shade of Things
6 Shelter Me/Circles
5 Monument
4 Eye to Eye
3 Point of View
2 The Eleventh Hour
1 The Ivory Gate of Dreams
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My top 50:
1. Still Remains
2. The Light and Shade of Things
3. APSOG XII (This Pleasant Shade of Gray)
4. Something from Nothing
5. The Eleventh Hour
6. APSOG VI (Turn Back All the Years)
7. Guardian
8. The Ivory Gate of Dreams
9. Prelude to Ruin
10. Nothing Left to Say
11. At Fates Hands/At Fates Fingers
12. Part of the Machine
13. Left Here
14. Life in Still Water
15. Damnation
16. Traveler in Time
17. The Apparition
18. The Way Home
19. Heal Me
20. APSOG VII (Stare from the Darkness/Let Nothing Bleed into Nothing Reprise)
21. APSOG II (Drifting in and Out)
22. Giant’s Lore (Heart of Winter)
23. Monument
24. Valley of the Dolls
25. Chasing Time
26. Epitaph
27. The Ghosts of Home
28. Shuttered World
29. Seven Stars
30. Pirates of the Underground
31. Shades of Heavenly Death
32. Static Acts
33. One
34. Silent Cries
35. APSOG IX (Stayed up Late Last Night)
36. So
37. Into the Black
38. Like Stars Our Eyes Have Seen
39. APSOG III (Rain Falling Hours Crawling)
40. From the Rooftops
41. APSOG V Murdered in Munich
42. Anarchy Divine
43. A World Apart
44. The Sorceress
45. Eye to Eye
46. And Yet It Moves
47. APSOG X/XI (Instrumental/Do You Think That I Remember)
48. Kyrie Eleison
49. One Thousand Fires
50. Fata Morgana
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I had the Eleventh Hour at #10.
Kudos to TAC and Awaken for having the #1 song at #1 on their lists. Is there a prize for that? :biggrin:
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I had the Eleventh Hour at #10.
Kudos to TAC and Awaken for having the #1 song at #1 on their lists. Is there a prize for that? :biggrin:
TAC gets 11 internet points. Since Awaken got the first 4 songs, he gets 11 x 4 internet points. :biggrin:
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The Eleventh Hour - My rank: #2
This and Monument are more like #1a and #1b for me. Either could have taken my top spot, really.
What else is there to say about The Eleventh Hour? An absolute masterpiece of a song. The part starting around the 3-minute mark, after being "teased" a few times, is one of my favorite music moments ever, prog-metal or otherwise...and then what happens after "Nothing's easy anymore" somehow manages to elevate it even further. Amazing, amazing stuff. All the while, Zonder provides an absolute masterclass in drumming. I mean, how incredible are those parts? It's a composition within a composition, with DiBiase complementing them in the most perfect way. Overall, a song that manages to be melodic, sophisticated, complex and catchy, all at the same time. As I said in my yesterday's comment too, this and Monument perfectly encapsulate all I love about Fates Warning. What a band.
Looking at my list vs. the aggregate:
- If I'm counting right, 44 songs in my list were also in the aggregate. How did I do there? ;D
- The highest-ranked song in the aggregate that I did not rank was Wish (#23)
- The songs in my top 50 that didn't rank:
Valley of the Dolls (had it at #49)
In a Word (#47)
Shades of Heavenly Death (#45)
Prelude to Ruin (#42)
Anarchy Divine (#37)
Static Acts (#15)
- 8 songs in my top 10 were also in the aggregate top 10. The two that weren't:
Part of the Machine (#10 vs. #24 in the aggregate)
Face the Fear (#7 vs. #49 in the aggregate)
Looking at the aggregate album rankings based on the songs' scores, I guess the one record that fared worse than I expected is No Exit. I wonder if it suffers a bit from being a "transitional" step within the FW discography.
Anyway - Thanks pg for the super-fun ride! I never need an excuse to revisit some FW, but doing a deeper dive for the countdown reminded me once again why I like them so much.
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submitted my list.
I really didn't want to spend hours or days trying to (over) think this, especially since I listened to all 13 albums
(or 16 incl the other Arch-related records) over the last 2 months for my YouTube channel.
I also plan to make 2 other lists, 1 including APSOG as 1 song, and the other that includes those other Arch tracks, just per those seem to be more proper, personal lists for me.
I still don't follow/agree with having APSOG as 11 separate songs. It's 1 song, period. Based on that, then we should have separated the movements of The Ivory Gates of Dreams, lol.
I also still roll my eyes at all the hate Disconnected and even FWX get. I did my review series on YouTube and then a ranking Video recently and Disconnected finished #2. That album is a stone cold bloody masterpiece as far as I'm concerned. And when it was released in 2000 and 2001, the fanbase I interacted with, namely on mp.com and some of the dt.net groups felt pretty similarly about it. But time hasn't been as kind to it I guess? ..i dunno, I find it still holds up rather well.
FWX much the same. A song like "Heal Me" is still among my favorites and I consider the best track on FWX. But that album only has a couple of songs I don't care for; Stranger (With a Familiar Face) and Crawl. The rest of that record totally works for me (including Sequence #7).
Epitaph not being on this list is a pretty massive facepalm for me. It's the crowning achievement with John Arch, and maybe sans for the Arch EP, John Arch's greatest musical work ever as far as I'm concerned.
That all being said, this is a sample size of 19 people? lol..I'd wager if the same kind of cumulative ranking list was made among some of the Facebook Groups, the results would vary more (and I suspect the majority would consider APSOG 1 song, not 11 or 12), and maybe more importantly, would be a larger sample size to really know.
But anyway, here's my LISTS...
My Voted List
50. Life in Still Water
49. At Fates Hands/At Fates Fingers
48. SOS
47. Falling/Falling Further
46. Shelter Me/Circles
45. River Wide Ocean Deep
44. Silent Cries
43. A Handful of Doubt
42. Shades of Heavenly Death
41. Guardian
40. Eye to Eye
39. Left Here
38. Seven Stars
37. Simple Human
36. One
35. Monument
34. The Road Goes on Forever
33. Through Different Eyes
32. Prelude to Ruin
31. Leave the Past Behind
30. Damnation
29. Wish
28. So
27. Fata Morgana
26. Chasing Time
25. Traveler in Time
24. From the Rooftops
23. Another Perfect Day
22. Point of View
21. Pieces of Me
20. The Ghosts of Home
19. The Apparition
18. Heal Me
18. The Eleventh Hour
17. Nothing Left to Say
16. Epitaph
15. Something from Nothing
14. The Light and Shade of Things
13. The Ivory Gate of Dreams
12. Still Remains
11. APSOG IV (Listen)
10. APSOG I (So Where Do We Begin)
9. APSOG V (Murdered in Munich/Let Nothing Bleed into Nothing)
8. APSOG IX (Stayed up Late Last Night)
7. APSOG VII (Stare from the Darkness/Let Nothing Bleed into Nothing Reprise)
6. APSOG II (Drifting in and Out)
5. APSOG VIII (Instrumental)
4. APSOG XII (This Pleasant Shade of Gray)
3. APSOG III (Rain Falling Hours Crawling)
2. APSOG X/XI (Instrumental/Do You Think That I Remember)
1. APSOG VI (Turn Back All the Years)
Top 50 Fates Warning only songs w/ APSOG as 1 song.
50. The Arena
49. White Flag
48. Don't Follow Me
47. The Destination Onward
46. Exodus
45. Static Acts
44. Falling/Falling Further
43. Like Stars Our Eyes Have Seen
42. Anarchy Divine
41. Life in Still Water
40. At Fates Hands/At Fates Fingers
39. SOS
38. Falling/Falling Further
37. Shelter Me/Circles
36. River Wide Ocean Deep
35. Silent Cries
34. A Handful of Doubt
33. Shades of Heavenly Death
32. Guardian
31. Eye to Eye
30. Left Here
29. Seven Stars
28. Simple Human
27. One
26. Monument
25. The Road Goes on Forever
24. Through Different Eyes
23. Prelude to Ruin
22. Leave the Past Behind
21. Damnation
20. Wish
19. So
18. Fata Morgana
17. Chasing Time
16. Traveler in Time
15. From the Rooftops
14. Another Perfect Day
13. Point of View
12. Pieces of Me
11. The Ghosts of Home
10. The Apparition
9. Heal Me
8. The Eleventh Hour
7. Nothing Left to Say
6. Epitaph
5. Something from Nothing
4. The Light and Shade of Things
3. The Ivory Gate of Dreams
2. Still Remains
1. A Pleasant Shade of Gray
Top 50 Fates Warning + John Arch/Arch Matheos songs w/ APSOG as 1 song
50. Midnight Serenade
49. Wanderlust
48. Falling/Falling Further
47. Like Stars Our Eyes Have Seen
46. Anarchy Divine
45. Life in Still Water
44. At Fates Hands/At Fates Fingers
43. SOS
42. Falling/Falling Further
41. Shelter Me/Circles
40. River Wide Ocean Deep
39. Silent Cries
38. A Handful of Doubt
37. Straight and Narrow
36. Shades of Heavenly Death
35. Guardian
34. Eye to Eye
33. Left Here
32. Seven Stars
31. Tethered
30. Simple Human
29. One
28. Monument
27. The Road Goes on Forever
26. Through Different Eyes
25. Prelude to Ruin
24. Leave the Past Behind
23. Damnation
22. Wish
21. So
20. Fata Morgana
19. Chasing Time
18. Traveler in Time
17. From the Rooftops
16. Another Perfect Day
15. Point of View
14. Pieces of Me
13. The Ghosts of Home
12. The Apparition
11. Heal Me
10. The Eleventh Hour
9. Nothing Left to Say
8. Epitaph
7. Something from Nothing
6. The Light and Shade of Things
5. Cheyenne
4. The Ivory Gate of Dreams
3. Relentless
2. Still Remains
1. A Pleasant Shade of Gray
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Always liked The Eleventh Hour, definitely worthy of the top ranking.
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- If I'm counting right, 44 songs in my list were also in the aggregate. How did I do there? ;D
There's a good question. Here's how many songs on everyone's lists made the top 50:
1. nick_z.....................44/50
2. Tomislav95..............41
3T. devieira73..............40
3T. Awaken..................40
5. Dublagent66............38
6. pg1067....................36
7T. SoundscapeMN........35
7T. Lethean..................35
7T. Samsara.................35
7T. wolfking..................35
11. WardySI..................34
12T. romdrums..............33
12T. Mister Gold.............33
12T. Puppies_on_Acid......33
12T. Zoom E...................33
16T. TAC........................32
16T. sfam2112................32
18. The Realm................31
19. jammindude..............28
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Not surprised The Eleventh Hour came in at number 1. I had it at 21. Really good song, though.
Here's my top 50:
50. The Destination Onward
49. Kyrie Eleison
48. Prelude to Ruin
47. One Thousand Fires
46. Kneel And Obey
45. Like Stars Our Eyes Have Seen
44. The Apparition
43. Scars
42. Heal Me
41. The Way Home
40. One
39. Simple Human
38. Don’t Follow Me
37. Into the Black
36. Wish
35. Silent Cries
34. Another Perfect Day
33. APSOG II (Drifting in and Out)
32. Afterglow
31. Glass Houses
30. Life in Still Water
29. APSOG XII (This Pleasant Shade of Gray)
28. Shades of Heavenly Death
27. Chasing Time
26. APSOG VII (Stare from the Darkness/Let Nothing Bleed Into Nothing Reprise)
25. Pale Fire
24. The Strand
23. O Chloroform
22. I Am
21. The Eleventh Hour
20. Outside Looking In
19. Anarchy Divine
18. A Handful of Doubt
17. APSOG V (Murdered in Munich/Let Nothing Bleed Into Nothing)
16. Guardian
15. Something From Nothing
14. Seven Stars
13. White Flag
12. The Light and Shade of Things
11. Part of the Machine
10. The Ghosts of Home
9. At Fates Hands/At Fates Fingers
8. And Yet It Moves
7. The Ivory Gate of Dreams
6. Nothing Left to Say
5. From the Rooftops
4. Leave the Past Behind
3. Point of View
2. Monument
1. Still Remains
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- If I'm counting right, 44 songs in my list were also in the aggregate. How did I do there? ;D
There's a good question. Here's how many songs on everyone's lists made the top 50:
1. nick_z.....................44/50
Ha! And how many internet points do I get for THAT? :biggrin:
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What else is there to say about The Eleventh Hour?
One thing I thought about when listening to the song on the way into the office this morning was how well Fates uses the two-guitar lineup. Jim and Frank almost never played the same thing, and The Eleventh Hour really epitomizes that. Such a great bit of songwriting.
Looking at the aggregate album rankings based on the songs' scores, I guess the one record that fared worse than I expected is No Exit. I wonder if it suffers a bit from being a "transitional" step within the FW discography.
That's why I gave the full rankings and also the average song rankings. No Exit has the fewest songs of any FW album (although, for purposes of this countdown, Disconnected only had 6 since I combined the two parts of "Disconnected"), and one of those is the 42-second title track that was almost certain to receive no votes. If you do the average song rankings and count No Exit as a 5-song album, then its average jumps up quite a bit, but it still comes up just short of passing Disconnected for 6th place. I was surprised Anarchy Divine didn't make the top 50 (although I only had it at 42). It actually turned up on 12 lists, which is several more than some songs in the 41-50 range, but three of those lists had it at #50, and the average ranking for the 12 lists was only 36th. Couple that with 7 goose eggs, and it could only muster 59th place. In a Word and Shades of Heavenly Death only appeared on 6 and 7 lists respectively.
I still don't follow/agree with having APSOG as 11 separate songs. It's 1 song, period. Based on that, then we should have separated the movements of The Ivory Gates of Dreams, lol.
. . .
That all being said, this is a sample size of 19 people? lol..I'd wager if the same kind of cumulative ranking list was made among some of the Facebook Groups, the results would vary more (and I suspect the majority would consider APSOG 1 song, not 11 or 12), and maybe more importantly, would be a larger sample size to really know.
You know...I actually thought of posting on the FW page on FB and the FW subreddit to direct folks to the countdown. As for APSOG being one song v. several, if Fates were on the same level of popularity as DT, we'd have had endless discussion about it. FWIW, I've never thought of it as a single song (much like I don't think of Six Degrees as a single song, despite what the band says). It'd be interesting to see how APSOG would've fared if we'd counted it as one song, but when the issue was raised and discussed before the countdown started, there wasn't a lot of objection to counting it as one.
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- If I'm counting right, 44 songs in my list were also in the aggregate. How did I do there? ;D
There's a good question. Here's how many songs on everyone's lists made the top 50:
1. nick_z.....................44/50
Ha! And how many internet points do I get for THAT? :biggrin:
(https://media.tenor.com/Qnv-mFETWIcAAAAM/youll-gonna-get-all-of-them-all-of-them.gif)
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What else is there to say about The Eleventh Hour?
One thing I thought about when listening to the song on the way into the office this morning was how well Fates uses the two-guitar lineup. Jim and Frank almost never played the same thing, and The Eleventh Hour really epitomizes that. Such a great bit of songwriting.
Absolutely, yes. Parallels as whole, really, has some of my absolute favorite two-guitar interplay...be it distorted vs. clean, or different chord voicings, or just different parts that fit together like the most satisfying jigsaw puzzle. The songwriting truly is stellar.
(https://media.tenor.com/Qnv-mFETWIcAAAAM/youll-gonna-get-all-of-them-all-of-them.gif)
:lol
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1 The Eleventh Hour (Parallels – 8)
Appeared on 19 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 14
Highest Ranking: 1 (TAC, Awaken)
The Eleventh Hour - my number 5. Can't really add anymore than has already been said but this is a deserving number 1. A great song.
Well done pg on running the countdown.
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Nice job on the countdown, Paul. I can't believe that DTF actually got this one right. ;D
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Well...apparently I faked out one person.
Sorry. ;D
:lol
The Eleventh Hour #14
Already well explained by others above and listening through the song again now I gotta say I'm not sure why Eleventh Hour didn't make my own Top10. It's an absolute gem and deserving of the #1 spot. No argument from me well done folks!
I gotta say am really going miss this countdown, each reveal had become a bit of a routine with the morning coffee :)
Fates have been a favourite band of mine for a long time but going into this still expected (and hoped) to get schooled on more of their material I hadn't warmed to like others and that has definitely proven to be the case cheers!
Thanks for running this one pg a commendable job you've done and grateful to have been a part of it. Looking forward to digging through some of the stats you've already posted above too \m/
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I gotta say am really going miss this countdown, each reveal had become a bit of a routine with the morning coffee :)
Or my after lunch routine. :lol
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I fully anticipated that The Eleventh Hour would win the crown from the moment I saw the thread open up for submissions. And rightly so.
While it took me a bit to really fall head over heels with the song myself, I think that all things considered The Eleventh Hour is to Fates Warning what Hallowed Be Thy Name or War Pigs are to Iron Maiden and Black Sabbath. It's the band's quintessential song. I may never personally consider Parallels to be the band's finest album, but there is no denying that it is the most prominent and beloved entry of the Ray Alder era and with it, The Eleventh Hour stands atop the hill. When I think of classic Fates Warning, I think of The Eleventh Hour first and foremost. It absolutely deserves this ranking! :metal
For my tastes, the song is only really overcome by Guardian and The Light and Shade of Things. While I'd put The Eleventh Hour and Guardian on equal footing, the fact of the matter is that I became a Fates Warning fan through the John Arch material- with Guardian as the chief song that won my heart over to this band. It didn't take me long to also fall in love with the evolution that the band had overtime after Arch's departure.
Meanwhile I find that TLaSoT is something of a marriage and celebration of the entire career of Fates Warning from the Arch days all into the late Alder era. Its structure is classic Alder era, the guitar work is more akin to the atmospheric material from the Pleasant Shade of Gray/Disconnected era, the heavier aggression is modern Fates to a T and Ray Alder's vocal melodies on Light & Shade feel like the final culmination of Alder's long road of adjusting his range through forced limitations with time and becoming a more emotionally expressive singer through that- all while creating one of his more unusual and utterly inspired melody phrasing with the back half of that chorus feeling right at home with something John Arch would concoct.
I'm fairly sure that if I took the time to sit down and really go over the list more critically, the following list would be a bit different in the back-half of lowered ranked songs. But it's the list I was able to think up with the time available to me and it still rings true, especially from the Top 25 onwards.
Mister Gold's Top 50 Fates Warning Songs List
50. Down to the Wire
49. We Only Say Goodbye
48. So
47. Something from Nothing
46. Eye to Eye
45. Chasing Time
44. Point of View
43. Pieces of Me
42. Firefly
41. Fata Morgana
40. One
39. SOS
38. Into the Black
37. Leave the Past Behind
36. Shades of Heavenly Death
35. Giant's Lore (Heart of Winter)
34. Valley of the Dolls
33. The Sorceress
32. Traveler in Time
31. Epitaph
30. Damnation
29. Like Stars Our Eyes Have Seen
28. The Longest Shadow of the Day
27. Falling Further
26. One Thousand Fires
25. At Fate's Hands
24. A Pleasant Shade of Gray, Part IX
23. A Pleasant Shade of Gray, Part XII
22. Prelude to Ruin
21. Another Perfect Day
20. A World Apart
19. And Yet It Moves
18. Exodus
17. White Flag
16. Part of the Machine
15. The Ivory Gate of Dreams
14. The Ghosts of Home
13. The Road Goes On Forever
12. Still Remains
11. Monument
10. Through Different Eyes
9. Pale Fire
8. Wish
7. Life in Still Water
6. From the Rooftops
5. The Destination Onward
4. Nothing Left to Say
3. The Eleventh Hour
2. Guardian
1. The Light and Shade of Things
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I just looked back and saw that the first reveal was on October 10, which means today is the first day in over a month where I haven't gotten up and tried to think of something clever to write about that day's song(s). It's been a lot of fun being on this side of things, but I envy everyone on the other side. I'd have had a lot of fun being on the other side.
Thanks to everyone for participating and, if he's lurking, thanks again to KevShmev for letting me have the baton for a month.
My hope is that we'll all (myself included) check out some songs we hadn't listened to much and that anyone following the thread who hasn't gotten into the band will do so.
And with that...
(https://media0.giphy.com/media/RX9oagYBRvd4s/200w.gif?cid=82a1493b0c4l1ndysjw7lg8qd9n0boxgwiwf7n9cikth8bqi&rid=200w.gif&ct=g)
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Cheers for running Paul, amazing job.
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This was a lot of fun to participate in.
The Light and Shade of Things was #2 for me, and The Eleventh Hour #20.
Fates Warning is one of my favorite bands and they have so many great songs and great albums and I enjoyed giving the entire catalog another listen during all this.
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Paul,
Thanks for doing this one. It was a lot of fun. Your humor was absolutely appreciated as well.
Good times!
B
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- If I'm counting right, 44 songs in my list were also in the aggregate. How did I do there? ;D
There's a good question. Here's how many songs on everyone's lists made the top 50:
1. nick_z.....................44/50
2. Tomislav95..............41
3T. devieira73..............40
3T. Awaken..................40
5. Dublagent66............38
6. pg1067....................36
7T. SoundscapeMN........35
7T. Lethean..................35
7T. Samsara.................35
7T. wolfking..................35
11. WardySI..................34
12T. romdrums..............33
12T. Mister Gold.............33
12T. Puppies_on_Acid......33
12T. Zoom E...................33
16T. TAC........................32
16T. sfam2112................32
18. The Realm................31
19. jammindude..............28
Top 5! Nice! :tup
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Nice job on the countdown, Paul. I can't believe that DTF actually got this one right. ;D
Where’s your ice cream truck?😃
I’ve been following this, even though I think I’ve only heard two FW songs prior to this. On my bucket list to go through the Top Twenty next year (the same goes for Iron Maiden).
Kudos pg1067 for your work on this 👍 And, to those commenting throughout. Very educational
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Since when is it called Shelter Me/Circles?
Ha! Yeah good question. I was just writing it like that as everyone else is. It is just Shelter Me (to me).
Pg explained that in the OP
On the off chance that someone isn't familiar with this.
This is Shelter Me (from Inside Out): https://youtu.be/kHliWCJWhvw
This is Circles (from the Chasing Time compilation album, which was released almost exactly a year after IO): https://youtu.be/2c7XD_As4hM
They're different versions of the same song which (as explained in the original post) I counted as a single song for purposes of this countdown. I've never read anything about this, but Circles appears to be the original version. It's in a different key, at a slower tempo, and with mostly different lyrics. There's a also an interlude that eventually found its way into the song Outside Looking In.
I finally figured this out (although I got it mostly right in my earlier post). From the liner notes of the Chasing Time compilation: "'Circles' is one of the few songs we've recorded that never saw the light of day. If parts of this demo from 1993 sound familiar, there's a good reason. The bridge section wound up becoming the bridge for 'Outside Looking In,' and the other sections except for the chorus were used in what became 'Shelter Me.' We pushed up the tempo and changed the key, as well as re-writing the lyrics. Looking back now it's hard to remember why we scrapped this one." Joe Dibiase
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I still prefer Circles to Shelter Me.