Fates Warning Survivor or Countdown - Would You Participate?

[King Puppies and the Acid Guppies]

I'd be down for a top 50 Fates Warning countdown. In fact, I will start compiling my list now.

What are the non album tracks? I don't recall any off the top of my head...

[King Puppies and the Acid Guppies]

Also are we considering Long Day Good Night?

[jammindude]

I really hope it’s all 13.

Even though I’m not quite as familiar with LDGN as I would like to be, it’s been out plenty long enough and this is a great excuse to give it a couple more spins.

I’m curious to see how this will shake out, but I can think of at least 5 Arch-era songs that it would be criminal if they weren’t somewhere in the top 20. And I can think of 3-4 more that it will hurt to most likely not be on the list at all.

[King Puppies and the Acid Guppies]

I really hope it’s all 13.

Even though I’m not quite as familiar with LDGN as I would like to be, it’s been out plenty long enough and this is a great excuse to give it a couple more spins.

Yeah I hope so too! I only gave it a few listens shortly after it came out, so this would give me a good excuse to revisit it.

I’m curious to see how this will shake out, but I can think of at least 5 Arch-era songs that it would be criminal if they weren’t somewhere in the top 20. And I can think of 3-4 more that it will hurt to most likely not be on the list at all.

Yeah I can think of 8 that should be in the top 25, probably...

[wolfking]

Also are we considering Long Day Good Night?

Why wouldn't we?  Been almost a year.

[SoundscapeMN]

the more I think about this, voting for all the Parts of APSOG separately would throw me off.

But if the consensus is to, I guess I can't be certain I might either

a) not vote for any of the Parts of it at all

b) Depending how many songs we are voting for/ranking, I might just put all of the APSOG Parts in-a-row

[TAC]

APSOG as a whole song wouldn't make my Countdown. But I do love sections/tracks from it.

[WilliamMunny]

APSOG as a whole song wouldn't make my Countdown. But I do love sections/tracks from it.

APSOG as a song would be my number 1 by a country mile.

APSOG as 12 songs would be 10 of my top 20, and likely 5-7 of my top 10, so any way you slice it, the album is (in my opinion) their crowning achievment and my list will reflect it. 

[TAC]

That's too funny. I consider it one of the most overblown, overhyped, and overrated albums in my collection.

[WilliamMunny]

That's too funny. I consider it one of the most overblown, overhyped, and overrated albums in my collection.

To your point (and this may be colored by my age), I've always thought of it as a criminally underrated masterpiece.

The band had fallen so far in terms of popularity from their Parallels-era MTV days. I distictly remember sitting in my car one morning in the high-school parking lot listening to APSOG (remember when records came out on Tuesdays?) and realizing that I didn't know a single person who was going to care about what, to my ears, was a genunine masterpiece.

Yes, on this board, APSOG is often lauded, but my perception is that it's reach and influence has remained somewhat muted—funny indeed!

[Samsara]

I've said this before, but APSOG was difficult for me. It was actually the first FW record I owned, and I hated it from the get-go. Fast-forward to 2003, my wife tells me, "how can you be a QR and DT fan and not love FW?" I go get Parallels, love it, see the summer tour, love THAT, particularly "One," I go out and buy the discography, and finally give APSOG a fresh listen. I get it. It's absolutely in that melancholy arena ala Queensryche's Promised Land...and it's brilliant. The only difference is, APSOG has almost zero accessibility. For me, it's not a record I put on and listen to in the car. Whereas, to a degree, I can do that with Promised Land, which retains a bit of accessibility. APSOG absolutely IS brilliant, but it's a mood album for me. Not one I'd consider their best, regardless of how artistically great it is, if that makes sense.

[TAC]

I'm obviously exaggerating my feelings on APSOG. 

[Samsara]

I'm obviously exaggerating my feelings on APSOG.

Stop lying. LOL. We all know that the whole "great metal band who goes introspective and mid-tempo" is not your thing, Tim. 

[TAC]

I'm obviously exaggerating my feelings on APSOG.

Stop lying. LOL. We all know that the whole "great metal band who goes introspective and mid-tempo" is not your thing, Tim. 

Well, I didn't say that I didn't feel that way at my core, I was just exaggerating in those comments.

[Samsara]

 

[Awaken]

the more I think about this, voting for all the Parts of APSOG separately would throw me off.

But if the consensus is to, I guess I can't be certain I might either

a) not vote for any of the Parts of it at all

b) Depending how many songs we are voting for/ranking, I might just put all of the APSOG Parts in-a-row

I've been debating this as well.  Tough album for singles, but it wouldn't be right to not have it represented at all (to me).

[pg1067]

So....

1. We will absolutely include LDGN.  I can't think of any good reason not to include (it's not a new album).  Whether any songs make the top 50 or not really doesn't matter.  Nothing from Hear in the Now Frontier or Q2K made the Queensryche countdown, but they were still part of it.

2. APSOG is tough, and I think there are pros and cons to each approach.  For me, while it is ostensibly a single song, it's 54 minutes long.  How do you compare a 54 minute, multi-movement piece to the 4:22 Through Different Eyes?  I think it has to be chopped up.  I get that doing that has its own set of issues, but so be it.  If you want to mention in your message where the full piece would rank, I'll compile that and reveal it at the appropriate time.

3. Non-album tracks.  Someone mentioned a demo from the time before FW was FW.  TBH, I've never heard it and hadn't previously heard of it and, while that's not necessarily a reason not to include it, I'm guessing there's zero chance it would crack the top 50.  The other non-album tracks I know of are At Fates Fingers, Circles and Falling Further, but my thinking is that those be considered along with At Fates Hands, Shelter Me and Falling.  I don't imagine that will impact how AFH or Shelter Me would rank (since the songs are very similar - and AFF is basic a copy of AFH with extra overdubs), I suspect Falling Further will drag Falling substantially upwards.  That said, if someone feels super strongly that they should be considered separately, I'd be willing to reconsider.

4. I'll probably start the "official" thread tomorrow, so be on the lookout.

Thanks to all for the interest (and to Kev for blessing my encroachment onto his turf)!

[Samsara]

Single tracks for APSOG makes sense. Not sure any would make my list...maybe one or two. But it makes sense given the length of the whole thing.

Ivory Gate though - that mo fo is one song. 

[TAC]

Single tracks for APSOG makes sense. Not sure any would make my list...maybe one or two. But it makes sense given the length of the whole thing.

Really? I thought you loved it. Would be funny if I had more tracks in the countdown than you.

Ivory Gate though - that mo fo is one song. 

YES!

[Samsara]

Tim - I enjoy APSOG, but it's not a favorite. It's a "I have to be in the mood for it" record. It and Promised Land are similar in melancholic vibes, but Promised Land has an accessibility and warmth that make it much more listenable for me, and IMO a much superior work, even if APSOG is more technical. Where Promised Land is a standout for me, for QR, APSOG is one of my least listened to Fates records.

[TAC]

Oh OK. Gotcha. I thought you were a bigger fan of it than you are.

[pg1067]

Single tracks for APSOG makes sense. Not sure any would make my list...maybe one or two. But it makes sense given the length of the whole thing.

Ivory Gate though - that mo fo is one song. 

I think at least two APSOG tracks will make my list, and TIGOD is definitely one song (a la 2112).