Queensryche (original band only) appreciation thread

[King Postwhore]

bosk1, I feel that with some fans of bands, they don't like when a band changes it's sound or style by a small fraction.  I've said it before and you said it in your response, most bands with longevity are influnced by the times.  It's is essentially them but some fans are hardcore with certain styles.

I remember the outcry for Led Zep making D'yer Mak'er or Rush adding Keyboards.

I've no problem with a band enhancing it's sound but how can you go with a band when it changes it's sound into somethinf that you just don't like? It wasn't the "sound" I had a problem with it was the lack of songs. Everything just lacked life and a spark. The contrast between the clean and heavy guitars went and everything became a dirge.

Are we talking about HITNF or after that?

[Lowdz]

bosk1, I feel that with some fans of bands, they don't like when a band changes it's sound or style by a small fraction.  I've said it before and you said it in your response, most bands with longevity are influnced by the times.  It's is essentially them but some fans are hardcore with certain styles.

I remember the outcry for Led Zep making D'yer Mak'er or Rush adding Keyboards.

I've no problem with a band enhancing it's sound but how can you go with a band when it changes it's sound into somethinf that you just don't like? It wasn't the "sound" I had a problem with it was the lack of songs. Everything just lacked life and a spark. The contrast between the clean and heavy guitars went and everything became a dirge.

Are we talking about HITNF or after that?

mainly after. HITNF was ok but did sound flat and te songs weren't strong. It was better than what was to follow though. Gave Tribe another listen a couple of weeks ago and it hasn't got better with time. My problem with the last 15 years or so is that it just doesn't sound like QR.

[wolfking]

Tribe is a fantastic album.  Easily the best of the HITNF ----> American Soldiar albums.

[King Postwhore]

Lowdz, anything after HITNF except Tribe is very dissapointing to me.  I remember being so down when Q2K came out.

[Samsara]

Tribe (minus Losing Myshit, which wasn't written by the original lineup) very MUCH sounded like Queensryche. If you listen to Art of Life, Falling Behind, Open, they have the classic Queensryche harmonies. Tribe is a natural progression from where the original band was at during HITNF.

And to those talking about albums after Chris left...this thread isn't about them.

This thread is about the original lineup.

EP
The Warning
Rage
Mindcrime
Empire
PL
HITNF
Tribe

>>>>The non-original lineup stuff isn't what was being appreciated in this thread.

[TAC]

Gee Sam, that's for clearing that up..

I'm going to listen to Tribe on the treadmill tonight because of this thread. I will say that Sacred Ground did NOT get put on my iPod. Yucky!

[bosk1]

The problem with Tribe is that it had some incredibly strong songs mixed with some incredibly weak ones.  Open, The Art Of Life, and Desert Dance are really the only songs I would consider outstanding (from a band who had, previously with the original lineup, put out albums where at least half and as many as all but one or two songs per album were outstanding).  The Great Divide and Doing Fine are okay, but I rarely go out of my way to listen to them, and one listen can tide me over for literally YEARS on those songs.  The rest of the album is pretty much completely unlistenable to me.  I'm not sure what it is:  After Chris left, the dynamic was so broken that they just couldn't completley recapture it when he was back for the Tribe sessions?  He wasn't involved long enough to get really "finished" projects?  There wasn't enough input from the other members that Chris could really work with and take to the next level as he had done in the past?  Something else?  I don't know.

Tribe came closer than any other album of capturing the "classic" QR sound and vibe, but still fell short, IMO. 

[abydos]

Rhythm of Hope, Open and The Art of Life are the only songs worth listening for me.
That original tracklist for The Warning looks much better, I've always felt there was something wrong with the official order on the album.

[Samsara]

bosky - you can't forget that DeGarmo left Tribe probably when it was 2/3 done, which means there was a LOT of work left to do. They were cutting vocals when he left, so there were guitar overdubs and lyrics to write (for Justified), and lots of other final work. Tribe had a ton of potential and in my opinion would have been a great record, had the stars aligned so that the original band all were united and happy. Didn't happen.

And as for gems on Tribe, don't forget about "Falling Behind." At first, it doesn't strike you as anything special. But the lyrics are great, and if you listen to the music, the song builds up and is really dynamic.

[Perpetual Change]

While Promised Land finally clicked with me, I find the drum sound annoying. The snare sounds sooo compressed.

[KevShmev]

Sir, I give you Dis-con-nected. A sign of the utter shite that was to come.

Sir, you need to stop doing drugs.  That song is amazing.

Damn right.  As is every song on Promised Land.

I get the impression you're not joking... ok, each to their own, but it's truly awful, hardly even a song. And I've never touched drugs. Maybe that's the "problem".

Neither have I the hundreds of times I've listened to PL over the years. 

And why would I be joking?

And how is "Disconnected" hardly even a song?

[bosk1]

bosky - you can't forget that DeGarmo left Tribe probably when it was 2/3 done, which means there was a LOT of work left to do. They were cutting vocals when he left, so there were guitar overdubs and lyrics to write (for Justified), and lots of other final work. Tribe had a ton of potential and in my opinion would have been a great record, had the stars aligned so that the original band all were united and happy. Didn't happen.

Oh, I'm completely aware of that.  And that, to me, is perhaps the album's biggest downfall--the fact that it had so much potential that was ultimately unrealized.  Your points are great, and I'm glad you posted them because most people here probably don't really know all that.  But you don't need to post them to pursuade me.  As you know, I already know all that and have formed my opinion on the album with that information already in mind.

And as for gems on Tribe, don't forget about "Falling Behind." At first, it doesn't strike you as anything special. But the lyrics are great, and if you listen to the music, the song builds up and is really dynamic.

I don't like it one bit.  Second worst song on the album, fairing only slightly better than Blood (yes, that's right; I rank Losing Myself ahead of it).

[Mebert78]

I always thought that QR could have improved the Tribe album is they expanded the title track into a 8-10 minute song, similar to what the song "Promised Land" does on that album.  You know, take the song's theme and flush it out with sound effects, loud and soft parts, chants, etc.  Take me on more of a journey within a song.  The song lengths on Tribe are all pretty much in the 4-5 minute range, and I always felt there was the need for a more meaty longer song to sink my teeth into and make the album complete.  That song is really unique and had the most potential to make into a longer epic, if you ask me.

[Lowdz]

Sir, I give you Dis-con-nected. A sign of the utter shite that was to come.

Sir, you need to stop doing drugs.  That song is amazing.

Damn right.  As is every song on Promised Land.

I get the impression you're not joking... ok, each to their own, but it's truly awful, hardly even a song. And I've never touched drugs. Maybe that's the "problem".

Neither have I the hundreds of times I've listened to PL over the years. 

And why would I be joking?

And how is "Disconnected" hardly even a song?

A one-note riff, virtually no melody, drones on and on. Some people like it, I don't. I can live with that. My favourite band changed and didn't take me along with them. Rush managed it three times but left me behind with TFE. It happens in a long career. DT came along just as I was looking for a new "favourite band". Bands are entitled to change and grow of course, but fans have the same entitlement to not like it.

[wolfking]

Tribe (the song) is one of the best songs Queensryche ever did.

[jjrock88]

"Operation Mindcrime" is my favorite cd of all time, without a doubt.  I can listen to it over and over again without getting tired of it.  The original line up of Queensryche released some of the most amazing cd's of any metal/rock band.  From the EP to Promised Land, their sound was unmatched and off the charts good.  It's unfortunate what has happened to the sound of the band since that time.  With that being said, I still enjoy everything post PL.  I find there are great songs off every cd since PL; but there are clunkers and disapointments also.  I still haven't given up hope that they will redeem themselves at some point, but I'm not holding my breath.

[RG93]

*appreciates*
Decided to check out Operation:Mindcrime since I enjoy power and prog metal. I'm only at "I Don't Believe In Love" and yet I have a few favourites already ("Revolution Calling", "The Mission" etc)

[Gadough]

The Mission is the best song on Operation Mindcrime.

[The King in Crimson]

The Mission is the best song on Operation Mindcrime.

That's a weird way to spell "Suite Sister Mary."

[Gadough]

Heh.

[Lowdz]

Suite Sister Mary is a masterpiece. It's QR's Mozart's Requiem (and yes I know there is a track called Requiem on MC but you know what I mean).

[TAC]

The Mission is the best song on Operation Mindcrime.

I love The Mission.

[jsem]

I just listened through Operation: Mindcrime while reading the lyrics and a description of them. All I have to say is: WOW. What a truly epic album. I'm gonna compare shortly SFAM & Mindcrime for a school assignment. 

[jjrock88]

I haven't read your report yet, but I give you an A++

[jsem]

Huh. I might actually just do this full on - as a large paper (not for school though - just for fun academic interest).

[Zydar]

Remember to post it here for us when you're done

[jsem]

Yeah. The similarities were greater than I had expected.

[Samsara]

Dream Theater isn't stupid. They know how great Mindcrime is, and they were all big fans of it. Not surprising that they borrowed from it when creating their own concept record.

[jjrock88]

I would love to hear Dream Theater play "Operation Mindcrime" live; just like they did "Number of the Beast", "Master of Puppets" and "Dark Side of the Moon".  I think that would be very very cool

[jsem]

Yeh. Queensryche has 2 guitarists though... so will JR handle it on the keyboards in some masterful way... or he could eve step up on the guitar, he's good enough

[bosk1]

I would love to hear Dream Theater play "Operation Mindcrime" live; just like they did "Number of the Beast", "Master of Puppets" and "Dark Side of the Moon".  I think that would be very very cool

There was a time when that might have been a possibility, but I think that ship sailed years ago.  Not likely to happen.

And as far as the double guitar, I doubt that would have been an issue.  Remember, they handled Maiden.

[Nick]

I think Operation: Mindcrime is a no brainer for them to cover and I'd love to see it. Now while the possibility exists I doubt JR would step up on guitar. Not that he couldn't, but JP has always preferred he keeps to his keyboard.

[Samsara]

Mindcrime has been played to death thanks to Tateryche. Frankly, I'd prefer Dream Theater covered Empire (also played to death, but less so).

But if they covered anything from QR, it would probably be The Warning, Rage, or Mindcrime. I can't see them covering anything from the 1990s.

[bosk1]

Again, I can't see them covering Queensryche at all, ever.  If they did, I would think it would be Rage or Mindcrime, but I just don't see it happening.  I mean, the personal animosity is probably more or less a moot point at this stage since Portnoy is no longer in DT and Stone is no longer in QR.  But I think that no matter who the fingers get pointed at, the events circa 2003 left a sufficiently bad taste in people's mouths that DT probably wouldn't go near a QR album.  Plus, I think JP & Co. are savvy enough to recognize the tarnishing of the QR legacy in recent years and not want to associate their name with QR, even if it with classic-era QR. 

[Samsara]

Plus, I think JP & Co. are savvy enough to recognize the tarnishing of the QR legacy in recent years and not want to associate their name with QR, even if it with classic-era QR. 

I don't see them covering anything either.

That said, however, they did play WITH QR on PN for that one-off. And while I know the reasons were business-oriented, they were quick to jump in with them that time. So while I know they should be savvy enough not to associate with QR in its current form, they did as little as two years ago, so that fails to hold water.