Poll

How has the album aged for you?

Even better than when I first listened!
25 (12.7%)
Pretty well
85 (43.1%)
Good
44 (22.3%)
Bad
21 (10.7%)
Terribly
4 (2%)
Meh
18 (9.1%)

Total Members Voted: 192

Author Topic: BCSL: One Year Later  (Read 37025 times)

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Offline j

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Re: BCSL: One Year Later
« Reply #70 on: June 23, 2010, 01:31:08 AM »
If I recall, my initial feelings were mixed.  I liked ANTR, AROP, and Wither pretty well from the outset.  I really didn't like TSF at all at first, and TBOT was (and remains) a very big letdown for me.  By the time I reached TCoT, I was more or less satisfied, but not really excited about much of anything on the album.  However, hearing The Count of Tuscany for the first time was indescribable.  I was very, very pleased with this song and ending the album on such a high note considerably inflated my opinion of it as a whole for a while, I think.

Now, I rank the album near the middle of DT's discography.  ANTR drags during the solo sections.  AROP and Wither are decent, but not that interesting after several listens.  TSF's second guitar solo is awesome, but that's the only thing I really take away from it.  TBOT is all right musically, but I cannot get past the lyrics, which is rare for me.  It's too bad it had to happen with this song, given its obvious importance to Portnoy.  I maintain that TCoT is a great song overall, definitely in my DT top 20.  But the verses and chorus are the weakest part of the track IMO, and while they were fun at first, haven't aged as well as the rest.

Still a solid album, even though I just got done listing all of my gripes with it.  I expect that DT's future releases will be around the same level of quality.

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Offline tri.ad

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Re: BCSL: One Year Later
« Reply #71 on: June 23, 2010, 02:05:19 AM »
TCOT has aged well for me, it's still one of my favourite DT songs. Same for Wither, it's still my second favourite song on the album. TSF and ANTR remained on their positions as well, and I still feel meh about AROP. TBOT has gone from "good" to "disappointing"; the first few minutes are very good, but then it goes down, and JP's solo can't really save it. It's kinda impressive, but it doesn't touch me the way LTL's and Voices's guitar solos do.
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Offline setrataeso

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Re: BCSL: One Year Later
« Reply #72 on: June 25, 2010, 10:31:07 PM »
There seems to be no "okay" or "fine" on the poll, so I went with "meh".
I still like the album, but it has not improved over time. It hasn't gone down that much in how much I like it, it just sort of stays in the middle, which is how I felt about it from the beginning.
The Count still hasn't clicked for me on the level that it has for everyone else, and I've grown a bit more tired of A Nightmare to Remember, but it sill remains my favourite off the album. TSF is still great, AROP and Wither are still good, and TBOT is still not very interesting.
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Offline PlaysLikeMyung

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Re: BCSL: One Year Later
« Reply #73 on: June 25, 2010, 10:36:38 PM »
I played the album on Wednesday because it was one year to the day since it was released

I still find it :metal , with the exception of Wither, which honestly just bores me

Offline Jamesman42

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Re: BCSL: One Year Later
« Reply #74 on: June 25, 2010, 10:39:28 PM »
It has aged pretty good with me. It's definitely many notches above SC and a step in the right direction.

I love all of the songs musically and hope to see some lyrical improvement. Imagine TCOT with great lyrics. It would be top 3 song material.

Offline darkshade

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Re: BCSL: One Year Later
« Reply #75 on: June 27, 2010, 10:34:04 AM »
it has aged just fine for me. i enjoy every track just as much as i did before.  :tup

i hope Portnoy will take some influence from working with Transatlantic and maybe DT will do a more concept album again, with multiple themes, riffs and melodies reprised and such. Maybe an album that is actually UNDER 70 minutes. we'll see... :corn

Offline PlaysLikeMyung

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Re: BCSL: One Year Later
« Reply #76 on: June 27, 2010, 10:53:45 AM »
it has aged just fine for me. i enjoy every track just as much as i did before.  :tup

i hope Portnoy will take some influence from working with Transatlantic and maybe DT will do a more concept album again, with multiple themes, riffs and melodies reprised and such. Maybe an album that is actually UNDER 70 minutes. we'll see... :corn

I want them to still use the 80 minute CD potential, but just make shorter songs.

Why would you want less than 70 minutes?

Offline darkshade

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Re: BCSL: One Year Later
« Reply #77 on: June 27, 2010, 11:59:55 AM »
it has aged just fine for me. i enjoy every track just as much as i did before.  :tup

i hope Portnoy will take some influence from working with Transatlantic and maybe DT will do a more concept album again, with multiple themes, riffs and melodies reprised and such. Maybe an album that is actually UNDER 70 minutes. we'll see... :corn

I want them to still use the 80 minute CD potential, but just make shorter songs.

Why would you want less than 70 minutes?

well, imagine BC&SL without AROP or Wither

i like both songs, but i dont quite listen to 'em every time

it'd be a modern-day Tales From Topographic Oceans (whether good or bad...)

point is, if they werent so worried about filling the whole 80 minutes, we'd be getting more masterpieces, than 'almost masterpieces'

cause they get sooo close every time

Offline orcus116

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Re: BCSL: One Year Later
« Reply #78 on: June 27, 2010, 01:46:41 PM »
it has aged just fine for me. i enjoy every track just as much as i did before.  :tup

i hope Portnoy will take some influence from working with Transatlantic and maybe DT will do a more concept album again, with multiple themes, riffs and melodies reprised and such. Maybe an album that is actually UNDER 70 minutes. we'll see... :corn

I want them to still use the 80 minute CD potential, but just make shorter songs.

Why would you want less than 70 minutes?

Because anything over an hour or so almost always leads to filler material. I've rarely heard an album that actually warrants that length, especially newer DT.

Offline Zeltar

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Re: BCSL: One Year Later
« Reply #79 on: June 27, 2010, 01:58:32 PM »
It's aged alright. I still have a problem with the lyrics and their cheesiness though. It's still a good listen though. My song rankings would be something like

Wither
The Count Of Tuscany
A Rite of Passage
A Nightmare To Remember
The Shattered Fortress
The Best of Times

Offline Darkes7

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Re: BCSL: One Year Later
« Reply #80 on: June 27, 2010, 03:05:30 PM »
Wow, interesting ranking, never seen anyone say something similar.

Offline PlaysLikeMyung

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Re: BCSL: One Year Later
« Reply #81 on: June 27, 2010, 04:10:27 PM »
fail ranking is fail :P

Offline jcmistat

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Re: BCSL: One Year Later
« Reply #82 on: June 27, 2010, 09:14:34 PM »
I'm going with good. I like half of the album ANTR, Wither, TSF while ARoP, TBoT and TCoT are meh.

Likes

ANTR - Immediately liked on first listen and its stayed that way. I admit it can be cut shorter but I don't mind it anymore.

Wither - great vocals and fits really well on the album because all the songs are really long. One of the best of DT's short songs.

TSF - has really grown on me I didn't like it initially because of the recycled parts from old songs. I wanted new material. I love the guitar on the song especially the solo its a great final song to end the suite.

Dislikes

ARoP - Never enjoyed this song from the beginning, the guitar riff is boring to me and I have no interest in the lyrics

TBoT - The guitar solo is great but the whole tribute thing is weird to crank up on the stereo on a regular basis. Its really sad and it feels out of place to me.

TCoT - The song doesn't flow for me and it needs to do that because its one of the "epic" long songs. I'm probably one of the few people who dislike this song. Its very similar to Octavarium which I don't care for either.


Offline DJR5150

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Re: BCSL: One Year Later
« Reply #83 on: June 28, 2010, 11:16:21 PM »
I liked it when it first came out but it's gotten better for me in the last year. TCOT is my favorite; I'm obsessed with that song. I also love Nightmare, just an amazing song. I'm a bit tired of AROP because I listened to it the most when it was released. The rest of the songs are ok, but I'm not crazy about them.

Offline fsh3702

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Re: BCSL: One Year Later
« Reply #84 on: June 29, 2010, 12:58:10 AM »
everything will be better when you've appreciated for one year.
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Offline orcus116

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Re: BCSL: One Year Later
« Reply #85 on: June 29, 2010, 02:07:26 AM »
Except corpses.

Offline Adami

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Re: BCSL: One Year Later
« Reply #86 on: June 29, 2010, 02:09:47 AM »
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Offline ZBomber

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Re: BCSL: One Year Later
« Reply #87 on: June 30, 2010, 03:17:29 PM »
I just have to say that I am listening to BCSL right now in honor of the one year anniversary (I know, a little late), and I have to say TCOT is one of the best songs in their latter catalog, and I'm really glad I got to see it live last year.  :metal

Offline Fluffy Lothario

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Re: BCSL: One Year Later
« Reply #88 on: July 01, 2010, 08:46:03 PM »
Hasn't changed much at all.

Wither remains an excellent song.

TCOT and A Rite of Passage remain very good songs.

Shattered Fortress was a very good song, but is now a pretty good song.

Best of Times and A Nightmare to Remember, I've possibly listened to five times between them.

Offline Plasmastrike

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Re: BCSL: One Year Later
« Reply #89 on: July 01, 2010, 09:52:13 PM »
One word describes a lot of DT's recent material: potential. That aside, BC&SL has aged fairly well. I believe it sits about sixth or so on my rankings-ish.

ANTR - I love blaring this song. It's a song full of wonderful ideas, but gets really brought down by some sections unfortunately.

AROP - Hypnotizing guitar work thrown around this song (chorus, second verse, solo). Otherwise, pretty mediocre.

Wither - Beautifully constructed. Very tasteful.

TSF - Potential. I love "Responsible" and TGP Reprise, but damn, this song just didn't live up to what it could have been.

TBOT - Potential. Contains one of JP's best guitar solos. *eargasm*

TCOT - A true gem! I don't have much beef with this song honestly. Lyrics are without a doubt below par, but for me it still remains a top-tier DT song. :hefdaddy
« Last Edit: July 01, 2010, 11:41:04 PM by Plasmastrike »

Offline nightmare_cinema

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Re: BCSL: One Year Later
« Reply #90 on: July 03, 2010, 09:18:37 AM »
It has aged brilliantly for me, the first couple of weeks I liked it but felt really let down, then it grew on me. Now I would rate TSF and TCOS amongst my top DT songs, ANTR is utterly bloody awesome, Wither I still could take or leave (but the live video made me like it a little more by linking it with all the brilliant gig experiences I've had seeing DT). TBOT is pretty good with a fantastically good guitar solo and while AROP is okay, it has probably aged the worst, I still find it really obvious and contrived and stilted in parts and feel zero emotional connection.

In general I'd rate it as a really, really great album.
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Offline ariich

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Re: BCSL: One Year Later
« Reply #91 on: July 03, 2010, 09:20:17 AM »

Ariich is a freak, or somehow has more hours in the day than everyone else.
I be am boner inducing.

Offline The Letter M

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Re: BCSL: One Year Later
« Reply #92 on: July 03, 2010, 09:33:37 AM »
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Offline Orbert

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Re: BCSL: One Year Later
« Reply #93 on: July 03, 2010, 09:37:59 AM »
Oh you guys

Offline DarkLord_Lalinc

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Re: BCSL: One Year Later
« Reply #94 on: July 03, 2010, 10:45:32 AM »
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Offline hefdaddy42

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Offline Dr. SeaWolf

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Re: BCSL: One Year Later
« Reply #96 on: July 04, 2010, 06:38:55 AM »
I think the album has aged quite well.  I listened to it a few days ago and I still found myself very much enjoying it.

SC, by way of contrast, aged terribly, in my opinion.

Offline Ben_Jamin

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Re: BCSL: One Year Later
« Reply #97 on: July 07, 2010, 05:40:06 PM »
The Mike portnoy growl part really isn't that bad. It Could've been way better had the delivery or rhythm of it had been different.
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Offline setrataeso

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Re: BCSL: One Year Later
« Reply #98 on: July 07, 2010, 06:42:20 PM »
The Mike portnoy growl part really isn't that bad. It Could've been way better had the delivery or rhythm of it had been different.

Not a growl, though...
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Re: BCSL: One Year Later
« Reply #99 on: July 08, 2010, 01:55:45 PM »
Just listened to BC&SL for the first time in awhile.  I listened to all the DT albums in order in preperation for seeing them Sunday.  WHen I first got BC&SL I really liked it.  It easily became my third favorite album behind I&W and Awake.  I still to this day think it is up there.  I said it got better, but it really stayed the same as it was always high on my list of DT albums.

Offline Adami

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Re: BCSL: One Year Later
« Reply #100 on: July 08, 2010, 10:03:01 PM »
The "growl"y part would have been better if the lyrics weren't so uplifiting. "Everything turned out fine" isn't heavy enough to yell. The song should have ended on a real downer.

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Offline Seventh Son

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Re: BCSL: One Year Later
« Reply #101 on: July 08, 2010, 11:24:36 PM »
Every time someone brings up "Never Enough", the terrorists win.

Offline contest_sanity

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Re: BCSL: One Year Later
« Reply #102 on: July 09, 2010, 08:53:07 AM »
"By the grace of god above, everyone got aids....RAHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!"
What kind of hospital were they at?

Offline Dr. SeaWolf

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Re: BCSL: One Year Later
« Reply #103 on: July 09, 2010, 11:12:39 AM »
Man, even when I haven't heard it for a while, the opening guitar melody from The Best Of Times still pops into my head occasionally.  So awesome.

Offline OperantChamber

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Re: BCSL: One Year Later
« Reply #104 on: July 09, 2010, 12:56:04 PM »
The "growl"y part would have been better if the lyrics weren't so uplifiting. "Everything turned out fine" isn't heavy enough to yell. The song should have ended on a real downer.

"By the grace of god above, everyone got aids....RAHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!"

 :rollin

I also hate the growled "a spaceman, that's what they say I am" by BTBAM.