Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence (Song) Appreciation

[DarkEternalNight]

About To Crash (Reprise) has the best chorus melody ever.

[Adami]

Solitary Shell->the end is the greatest section of music ever. Whenever the intro to Solitary Shell comes on it makes me happy no matter what.

6DOIT is maybe one of the best compilation of lyrics/melodies/instrumentation that has ever been conceived

The acoustic guitar in that song does nothing for me. And the fact that its so happy irritates me, considering that movement is about a kid with autism. I'd imagine it would sound a bit less happy.

It was irony.

[bosk1]

Solitary Shell->the end is the greatest section of music ever. Whenever the intro to Solitary Shell comes on it makes me happy no matter what.

6DOIT is maybe one of the best compilation of lyrics/melodies/instrumentation that has ever been conceived

The acoustic guitar in that song does nothing for me. And the fact that its so happy irritates me, considering that movement is about a kid with autism. I'd imagine it would sound a bit less happy.

And you've already made your point several posts ago that you don't like the song.  Repeating it over and over again, especially when not even responding to discussion that invites you to further explain, and in an "appreciation thread" no less, is just trolling.  You've made your point.  Now move on.

[Seventh Son]

Solitary Shell->the end is the greatest section of music ever. Whenever the intro to Solitary Shell comes on it makes me happy no matter what.

6DOIT is maybe one of the best compilation of lyrics/melodies/instrumentation that has ever been conceived

The acoustic guitar in that song does nothing for me. And the fact that its so happy irritates me, considering that movement is about a kid with autism. I'd imagine it would sound a bit less happy.

And you've already made your point several posts ago that you don't like the song.  Repeating it over and over again, especially when not even responding to discussion that invites you to further explain, and in an "appreciation thread" no less, is just trolling.  You've made your point.  Now move on.

I don't consider it to be trolling, but whatever, I'll leave it at that. I do like the song as a whole, however.

[Dublagent66]

Solitary Shell = 

It's one of those DT passages that feels like it was written for me.  It speaks to me musically and lyrically.  I like it a lot!!

[m0hawk]

Incredible song. Chills in so many sections. If we're counting the Score version, it has to be their best live song.

[Moonchild]

When I first heard 6 degrees I thought the Overture sounded like a good Disney movie soundtrack. Also thought War inside my head and the test that stump them all and both "about to crash" be the best thing about the suite.

Nowadays, I can't stand WIMH and TTTSTA. Still like ATC and grew fond of Solitary shell and Losing Time/Grand finale.
But when someone makes a concept song and the lyrical idea is weak, everything falls apart collectively. Probably on my 50th spot on the best song list.

[Killer123™]

I personally don't think Overture drags. On the other hand, I don't enjoy The Test That Stump Them All that much.

the whole song is still always an epic for me though

[RuRoRul]

About To Crash, War Inside My Head, The Test That Stumped Them All, Solitary Shell, About To Crash (Reprise) are all pretty good.

Only thing is, this one as a whole never seemed to feel like one song the way the other comparable epics do. So it's my least favourite of them. I still love it a lot just because there is so much music and several of its parts are really good, but it doesn't have that "Whole becoming greater than the sum of its parts" that Octavarium does, for me.

[Lowdz]

Best song in the history of the world from first note to last. There's not a nnote I would change and Goodnight Kiss is a hauntingly beautiful song even though I'm not quite sure what it's about... other than a woman who's lost/had her child taken away. (and those bastard doctors are gonna pay)

[Sam]

A stunning song, my favourite part on the album version is probably About To Crash. But the Live at Budokan versions of War Inside My Head and The Test That Stumped Them All never fail to blow my mind

[LTE]

My appreciation for it has grown a lot and now I consider it my favorite Dream Theater song.

[Zantera]

Probably my favorite DT-epic, though not necessarily in my top5 DT-songs.

[kartmaze2]

Probably my favourite DT-song of all time. Mostly because of the many beautiful melodies packed in it. It has so many amazing parts in it that just come one by one through the whole piece. I especially like both of the About to Crash's, Goodnight Kiss and Loosing Time/Grand Finale, but the rest is also pretty awesome.

Would've been awesome to hear Overture played by a big, 'professional' orchestra (e.g. London Philharmonic Orchestra or equivalent) with a lot of practise. I'm not saying that the musicians in Octavarium Orchestra aren't professional, but it didn't sound very well on Score... The MIDI-programming by Jordan on the album aren't bad, and the same goes for the plug-in(s)/synth(s) he used, but it's still MIDI, and that can't be compared with a living orchestra. Well, he probably played everything, but in this context, it's almost the same as programming it...

[juice]

Amazing epic!  One of DT's best!

[yeshaberto]

all-time favorite song, though Score version may take the cake

[Ħ]

About to Crash is my favorite movement.  It reminds me of a girl I used to (kindof still) have a crush on, who was always doing things with her life.  She was ALWAYS occupied.  My favorite line is "Endless power, midnight hour, she enjoyed the raaaace..."

Dang, I'm almost 75% sure this song was written about her.

Anyway this perfect song loses to both versions of ACoS and LtL--but it sits very comfortable in my top 5.

[IdoSC]

It's probably in my top 5 DT songs. The lyrics are really make you think, the song itself is so diverse and unique. And the super long length of the track is a nice addition too

[Lowdz]

Whenever JP writes about mental illness he nails it every time. Abbout to crash really illustrates well Bi=polar disorder and the two extremes of mood which can be equally as destructive.

[Ben_Jamin]

All the sections are well written. About to Crash/Reprise have happy music but sad lyrics to convey bi-polar. WIMH sounds like your in a constant battle, which is what military vets with PTS hear. TTTSTA is frantic and mysterious in a way to portray a schizo. And the complications of knowing. GK, the best section, is beautifully sad, tells how sad these mothers with PPD really feel. SS reminds me of aboy who's still happy but can't seem to express it, still as a man he has trouble. LT/GF sounds disjointed and trying to accomplish to fit everything back in place.

[atmyne]

goodnight kiss/solitary shell are way under appreciated. Sure on face value, they seem like tracks that you may skip; but they really are freakin' fantastic songs. I reckon the test and war inside my head are the weakest parts of SDOIT.

[Jamesman42]

how fake some of the instruments sound.

Which instruments?

[Ben_Jamin]

I agree with War and Test being the weakest sections

[RG93]

Why so much hate for TTTSTA?

[Ben_Jamin]

I don't hate the song, in fact its great. It just goes by quick, being a straight up metal song

[jcmistat]

About to Crash (Reprise) is my favorite part but the song as a whole has so many variety of sounds. Everything mixes so well. I agree that it does go by quick, too many times I'm like hmm 42 minutes is long but then once Losing Time hits I'm like ALREADY?

[RG93]

About to Crash (Reprise) is my favorite part but the song as a whole has so many variety of sounds. Everything mixes so well. I agree that it does go by quick, too many times I'm like hmm 42 minutes is long but then once Losing Time hits I'm like ALREADY?

o/
This sums up what I feel about SDOIT, with one addition: the samples in Goodnight Kiss are used very well and definitely contributes to the atmosphere.

[LTE]

Probably my favourite DT-song of all time. Mostly because of the many beautiful melodies packed in it.

Exactly how I feel. All of the themes and motives develop and flow so beautifully.

[Vahvahenki]

What's struck me about SDOIT is that it's the last document of exploration on DT's side, lyric-wise. This really feels like their last effort on a 'What would be a fascinating thing to write about?'-mentality. I mean no disrespect to any of their lyrics after this album but I sense they did not feel the need to go beyond their normal capabilities anymore.

[LTE]

What's struck me about SDOIT is that it's the last document of exploration on DT's side, lyric-wise. This really feels like their last effort on a 'What would be a fascinating thing to write about?'-mentality. I mean no disrespect to any of their lyrics after this album but I sense they did not feel the need to go beyond their normal capabilities anymore.

You know I've never realized that before, you're exactly right.

[Jamariquay]

What's struck me about SDOIT is that it's the last document of exploration on DT's side, lyric-wise. This really feels like their last effort on a 'What would be a fascinating thing to write about?'-mentality. I mean no disrespect to any of their lyrics after this album but I sense they did not feel the need to go beyond their normal capabilities anymore.

Hm. From memory:

AIA - Defending artistic choices, more or less
TDS - 12SS
ES - Wanting to be with loved ones
HTF - mad at crooked step father
Vacant - loved one with head injury, or in a coma, something like that
SOC - the life of a turtle
ITNOG - the branch davidians suck
TROAE - 12SS
TALW - seize the day
TW - holding back
IWBY - god is cool
PA - I'm having a panic attack
NE - some fans suck
SS - 9/11
8V - music is cool, also i take medication.
ITPOE - i fight Dark Masters
Forsaken - also, vampires
CM - also, i do a lot of stuff, forevermore blistering
TDEN - also, evil monsters
Repentance - 12SS
POW - Iraq War sucks
TMOLS - protecting loved ones even after death
ANTR - car wreck that everyone survived, but not without getting really mad about it
AROP - copy-paste of wikipedia's article on freemasonry
Wither - writer's block
TSF - 12SS
TBOT - Mike Portnoy's father
TCOT - The Count Of Tuscany
Raw Dog - eating because im alone, and alone because i eat.

So I dunno. I like the idea behind The Ministry Of Lost Souls' lyrics quite a bit actually. There've been other glimmers of inspiration here and there too, and of course, The Count Of Tuscany. But yeah, nothing on the same level as Voices, Lines In The Sand, Scarred, and so on.

Then again, I've never really cared one way or the other about lyrics, so whatevs.

[Rina]

It's probably in my top 5 DT songs. The lyrics are really make you think, the song itself is so diverse and unique. And the super long length of the track is a nice addition too

Lyrics are really good, you're right. 

[darkshade]

ANTR - car wreck that everyone survived, but not without getting really mad about it

 

[?]

SOC - the life of a turtle
ITNOG - the branch davidians suck
IWBY - god is cool
NE - some fans suck
8V - music is cool, also i take medication.
ITPOE - i fight Dark Masters
CM - also, i do a lot of stuff, forevermore blistering
TDEN - also, evil monsters
POW - Iraq War sucks
ANTR - car wreck that everyone survived, but not without getting really mad about it
AROP - copy-paste of wikipedia's article on freemasonry
Raw Dog - eating because im alone, and alone because i eat.

[SnakeEyes]

Six Degrees is just OK, in my opinion.  Overture, About to Crash and its reprise are the best parts, to me.  The rest of it sounds contrived (lyrically) and there's something about the production that I really don't like.  I don't know if it's too compressed sounding or something, but I don't care for it at all.  The music sounds like it's trying to breathe, but can't.  I rate it a C+.