Listened to Awake for the first time..

[hefdaddy42]

Awake is, to me, the most awkward Dream Theater album.  As a whole it just feels incomplete, like I wanted something bigger.  Perhaps it is because it's an album with no real epic (and I don't count Scarred or A Mind Beside Itself).  However, since Awake is sort of unconventional and moody it finds a strong cult following here on DTF.

First there are the "A-rank" songs.  Erotomania, Voices, and The Silent Man are a brilliant combination, but unfortunately they are awkwardly placed in the middle of the album.  Lifting Shadows is lovely.  Space-Dye Vest is a tossup song, but I love it.  I don't think it works well as a closer though.

Then there are the "B-rank" songs.  6:00 is a great opener and totally groovy but gets old by the last minute or two.  Lie is a great rocker up there with Constant Motion, but vocally and lyrically I think it's somewhat painful.  Scarred is great in the first half, but after the "do you feel" section it is horrible.  I would much prefer an ending akin to how they did it in Once in a Livetime. 

Then there are the "C-rank" songs.  Caught in a Web has a group of people that love it, but to me it seems jumbled and muddy.  Innocence Faded is my least favorite on the album--I always felt the song was too bright and top heavy (does anyone know if it is in a major key?).  The Mirror is a weird song with a group of people that love it to death, but for me it's too one-dimensional. 

To me, there are some wonderful DT moments, but no song is truly outstanding (except for maybe Voices), and there are some really bad songs.  All this combined makes for an incredibly inconsistent album.

It used to be my fave too....but after I started analyzing it, it just isn't as mind blowing as I thought it was. 

There is a lot in this post that I don't understand or is just plain wrong.

Awake is amazing.

[atmyne]

not long after my first few hearings of awake I had bought my first 7-string guitar. true story.

[Mladen]

As I always say, Awake will take a couple of years. Don't worry, you'll love it someday. 

[Lowdz]

i was initially disappointed as it came after I&W that I played thousands of times and only ranked behind Mindcrime in my alltime top3. It certainly benefits from repeated plays and is a great DT album. I still tend to skip IF and CIAW but it's definately a favourite

[wolfking]

After hearing so much about this album I bought it and gave it a listen. For some reason i cant get into it like the other albums I have such as I&W,6DOIT,ToT and octavarium. My favorite tracks are space dye vest, lie and the mirror but even those dont give me the feelings Learning to live, these walls or glass prison gave me. Im hoping it grows on me, but i dont know. Your thoughts on this?

Welcome.

Top 3 DT album.

Keep listening.

[gabeh1018]

i first got  into dream theater in 2002 and Awake was the first full album i bought and listened which immediately got me into them and i couldnt stop listening to it. 9 years later I find myself not really listening to awake that often anymore, i am not sure why that album has fallen down the list for me. On a side note, am I the only one who thinks the drums sound pretty bad and james vocals are way too upfront in the mix?

[Zydar]

I bought Awake along with Images & Words as my first two DT albums back in 2000. I instantly loved Images but Awake didn't click with me. It still hasn't clicked, but I like a couple of the songs (Innocence Faded, Erotomania, Lifting Shadows, The Mirror). The rest is just okay but nothing mindblowing. It doesn't have the same awesomeness for me like Images have. I would rank it somewhere around 6-7 on my DT list.

Anyway, keep listening to it and maybe you will grow to like it, perhaps even love it. Who knows?

[Sir GuitarCozmo]

Put it on the shelf and come back to it in a couple months.  I bought Awake after hearing "Lie" on the radio in 1994 and didn't get into the album all that much.  Years later in 1996, I heard someone on my college hallway blasting the first three tracks to I&W over and over again, and after learning it was DT I grabbed Awake again.  Then it's greatness hit me, and my DT fanboyness gained steam.  Not sure why I didn't love Awake the first time around.  The album is orgasmically awesome.

Same thing happened to me with SFAM.  Heard it, didn't care for it, shelved it.  Years later I joined up here, saw the fuss over it, got it back out, and it was like a brand new album - I loved it.

[King Postwhore]

At first I was in love with Awake and loved the more metal sound that it had but over time I played it less which for me, makes it a lesser DT cd.  Not that it's bad but I'll choose anther cd of theirs first.

[The Letter M]

When I first listened to Awake, there were some instant favorites ("The Mirror", "Scarred", "Voices"), but most of the rest needed time for me to appreciate. It took me a couple of years after owning the CD to really get into it and understand the album as a whole, appreciate every song and sound, and now it's definitely a favorite of mine!

Then again, I tend to like almost everything DT does - I'm pretty easy to please... sometimes.

-Marc.

[ricky]

There's so much to digest in Awake, it's difficult get at first (as with any album, really). The more you listen to it, the more you'll realize that it's not so much a collection of individual songs plastered together, but rather one fluid concept, wherein each song complements eachother.

This is one of those albums that gets better the more you listen to it. You'll realize it, I'm sure. Just be patient.  

Edit - Try to listen for the overall atmosphere of Awake, it will make more sense then.

Another edit - sorry, dont know what i did there. Could a moddy please delete the above post? my bad.

[ZirconBlue]

On a side note, am I the only one who thinks the drums sound pretty bad and james vocals are way too upfront in the mix?

Yes.

[Ħ]

On a side note, am I the only one who thinks the drums sound pretty bad and james vocals are way too upfront in the mix?

Yes.

Actually no.  I think the drums sound far too bland, not crisp at all.  I disagree about JLB's vocals though.

[ZirconBlue]

On a side note, am I the only one who thinks the drums sound pretty bad and james vocals are way too upfront in the mix?

Yes.

Actually no.  I think the drums sound far too bland, not crisp at all.  I disagree about JLB's vocals though.

I'd say "bland" is a long way from "bad".  Personally, I don't usually care about drum sound, unless it's particularly egregious.  To me, the snare on ACoS is pretty distracting, and the triggered drums on I&W are noticeable, but not "bad".  Otherwise the drums  on all the other DT releases sound just fine to me.

[RoeDent]

I've really gotten into Awake in the last few months. At the moment, I still can't get into Scarred, but recently 'Voices' clicked with me. Album appreciation progress ftw! 

[Global Laziness]

Awake is definitely my favourite Dream Theater album. For a period of about five months, it was the only album of theirs that I had and it was my first experience with progressive metal (and even progressive rock). As such, it had plenty of time to grow on me. It wasn't as though I didn't like it at first, but it was just so different than the other stuff I listened to at the time (I had just recently purchased Manowar's The Triumph of Steel and was spinning that album a lot, too - yeah, I know, don't judge).

Anyway, give it time; I'm sure you'll grow to love it.

[2Timer]

I loved it instantly, but that doesn't mean everyone will. Some of their albums have been known to take some time to click with people.

[enjibenji89]

I recently got in to Dream Theater (Last year) Awake was the third album I bought, at first I listened and didn't like. Recently I have been listening to it more and more and it's definately grown on me. Still not there best in my opinion but a very very good album

[Dream Team]

It's been a little weird for me. Upon my first few listens I hated it (right after I had fallen in love with I & W). After awhile it had gradually moved up to a tenous #2 position, but over the last couple of years has sank back down below SFAM & SDoIT (if not farther). I think it's a combination of the cold production and my dislike of a lot of the keyboard sounds.

[Dublagent66]

Top 5 album, easily.

[?]

Top 1 album, easily.

Fix'd. BTW, this is my 1000th post!

[Vivace]

In my humble opinion, Awake is the finest album Dream Theater has released. 5 out 5 stars. A+. Excellent material.

[hefdaddy42]

It's hard to say this without sounding condescending, and I want everyone who will be offended by this to know that I realize that up front, but I really don't mean it that way.

Most DT albums don't have all that much depth (especially the last 4).  There are surface thrills only.  Those surface thrills are great, of course, but that's all there is to them.

Awake has a ton of depth.  Unlike most of the rest of their albums, not all of the thrill is on the surface.  So if you are only accustomed to things with all surface thrill, and no depth, I can see how Awake may not be the most exciting album for you, especially for you newer fans who have listened to things like Systematic Chaos and think that is the epitome of DT music.  But the surface thrills for Awake (and there are plenty) are only part of it.  This album greatly rewards diligent listening and thought, not background music while you surf the web.

Again, sorry if that offends anyone.  I realize that opinions vary, and the opinions of fans of Systematic Chaos are no less valuable than my opinions.  That's just the way I see it.

[KevShmev]

I couldn't agree more, hef.

As I have said before, Awake was not an instant favorite for me at all.  In fact, I was completely thrown off by how different it was from I&W, and the only songs that stuck with me at all after one listen were "6:00" and "Voices," but I kept at it, and little by little, all of the nuances, subtleties and, yes, depth became more and more apparent as time went on, and before I knew it, I couldn't get Awake out of my CD player. 

I am never surprised when someone isn't blown away by this record after listening to it once, especially if they have already heard some of the band's other material.  It is a major grower.  It can be difficult to grasp at first as a whole if you are already used to almost everything sounding "in your face" like it does on most of their other albums.  The first disc of 6DOIT is probably the closest they have come since to approaching that level of depth.

[reneranucci]

I fully understand when someone doesn't get Awake. It's the only DT album I consider bad, and contains the only songs I consider absolutely horrible (Scarred (what a piece of crap), Lie and 6:00) or completely uninteresting (CIAW, SDV, IF) . But it's not been for lack of trying, I even bought the album and tried to like it. It never worked, I threw it away and was left with a $10 CD case.

Now please don't hate me.

[Dublagent66]

Well, my PSP sure likes Scarred.  I've got my DT catalog playlist on shuffle and it went from Scarred (Awake) to Scarred (CiM).  

BTW Ren, Scarred rocks so I hate you.  


EDIT:  My PSP must also like Awake.  It went to Voices right after the CiM version of Scarred. 

 

[Global Laziness]

It's hard to say this without sounding condescending, and I want everyone who will be offended by this to know that I realize that up front, but I really don't mean it that way.

Most DT albums don't have all that much depth (especially the last 4).  There are surface thrills only.  Those surface thrills are great, of course, but that's all there is to them.

Awake has a ton of depth.  Unlike most of the rest of their albums, not all of the thrill is on the surface.  So if you are only accustomed to things with all surface thrill, and no depth, I can see how Awake may not be the most exciting album for you, especially for you newer fans who have listened to things like Systematic Chaos and think that is the epitome of DT music.  But the surface thrills for Awake (and there are plenty) are only part of it.  This album greatly rewards diligent listening and thought, not background music while you surf the web.

Again, sorry if that offends anyone.  I realize that opinions vary, and the opinions of fans of Systematic Chaos are no less valuable than my opinions.  That's just the way I see it.

Not that I disagree with you about Awake, but I'm curious...to you, what is it exactly that give Awake depth? Conversely, how is it that Dream Theater's latest four albums have only surface thrills? I'm interested to hear your thoughts in more detail.

[hefdaddy42]

It's hard to say this without sounding condescending, and I want everyone who will be offended by this to know that I realize that up front, but I really don't mean it that way.

Most DT albums don't have all that much depth (especially the last 4).  There are surface thrills only.  Those surface thrills are great, of course, but that's all there is to them.

Awake has a ton of depth.  Unlike most of the rest of their albums, not all of the thrill is on the surface.  So if you are only accustomed to things with all surface thrill, and no depth, I can see how Awake may not be the most exciting album for you, especially for you newer fans who have listened to things like Systematic Chaos and think that is the epitome of DT music.  But the surface thrills for Awake (and there are plenty) are only part of it.  This album greatly rewards diligent listening and thought, not background music while you surf the web.

Again, sorry if that offends anyone.  I realize that opinions vary, and the opinions of fans of Systematic Chaos are no less valuable than my opinions.  That's just the way I see it.

Not that I disagree with you about Awake, but I'm curious...to you, what is it exactly that give Awake depth? Conversely, how is it that Dream Theater's latest four albums have only surface thrills? I'm interested to hear your thoughts in more detail.

I don't know that it is anything concrete I can point to as far as things they did differently.  After all, they didn't spend much more time writing Awake than they did Train of Thought.  I think it was a combination of coming off a huge hit with Images & Words and wanting to produce a worthy follow-up, being at the height of they musical prowess, maturing as songwriters, and taking more effort and care in the craft of their lyrics.  For me, Awake is the total package, and it was just lightning in a bottle, as so many other bands have had in the past.

And I'm sure that some people will disagree, and that's fine.  Everyone's opinion is valid.

[2Timer]

It's hard to say this without sounding condescending, and I want everyone who will be offended by this to know that I realize that up front, but I really don't mean it that way.

Most DT albums don't have all that much depth (especially the last 4).  There are surface thrills only.  Those surface thrills are great, of course, but that's all there is to them.

Awake has a ton of depth.  Unlike most of the rest of their albums, not all of the thrill is on the surface.  So if you are only accustomed to things with all surface thrill, and no depth, I can see how Awake may not be the most exciting album for you, especially for you newer fans who have listened to things like Systematic Chaos and think that is the epitome of DT music.  But the surface thrills for Awake (and there are plenty) are only part of it.  This album greatly rewards diligent listening and thought, not background music while you surf the web.

Again, sorry if that offends anyone.  I realize that opinions vary, and the opinions of fans of Systematic Chaos are no less valuable than my opinions.  That's just the way I see it.

Not that I disagree with you about Awake, but I'm curious...to you, what is it exactly that give Awake depth? Conversely, how is it that Dream Theater's latest four albums have only surface thrills? I'm interested to hear your thoughts in more detail.

I don't know that it is anything concrete I can point to as far as things they did differently.  After all, they didn't spend much more time writing Awake than they did Train of Thought.  I think it was a combination of coming off a huge hit with Images & Words and wanting to produce a worthy follow-up, being at the height of they musical prowess, maturing as songwriters, and taking more effort and care in the craft of their lyrics.  For me, Awake is the total package, and it was just lightning in a bottle, as so many other bands have had in the past.

And I'm sure that some people will disagree, and that's fine.  Everyone's opinion is valid.

I don't disagree at all. In fact, Awake was what hooked me, even though I owned I&W first. Holy shit, I think it was worth the price of the cd just for Voices alone. The lyrics, the singing, and the guitar solo were and still are, stellar, to say the least.

[toro]

I fully understand when someone doesn't get Awake. It's the only DT album I consider bad, and contains the only songs I consider absolutely horrible (Scarred (what a piece of crap), Lie and 6:00) or completely uninteresting (CIAW, SDV, IF) . But it's not been for lack of trying, I even bought the album and tried to like it. It never worked, I threw it away and was left with a $10 CD case.

Now please don't hate me.

I hate you.

[chrisbDTM]

favorite DT album by far. come at me bro

[Dublagent66]

Awake might have a different impact on someone who became a fan later on in the catalog as opposed to someone who was awaiting its release.  Then again maybe not, I don't know but that could be a factor.  What Hef said is probably true too.  The band's earlier material just seems more rich and full.

[hefdaddy42]

Awake might have a different impact on someone who became a fan later on in the catalog as opposed to someone who was awaiting its release.  Then again maybe not, I don't know but that could be a factor.  What Hef said is probably true too.  The band's earlier material just seems more rich and full.

I know that FII has been that way with many people.  It was a huge disappointment to me when it came out, because I had already loved I&W and Awake.  But people that became fans later seem to really love it.

Of course, there are older fans who also really like it, so I don't know.  People are individuals.

[Global Laziness]

People are individuals.

Could you kindly go and post that in a couple of the P/S threads that are getting rather vicious right now?

[reneranucci]

I fully understand when someone doesn't get Awake. It's the only DT album I consider bad, and contains the only songs I consider absolutely horrible (Scarred (what a piece of crap), Lie and 6:00) or completely uninteresting (CIAW, SDV, IF) . But it's not been for lack of trying, I even bought the album and tried to like it. It never worked, I threw it away and was left with a $10 CD case.

Now please don't hate me.

I hate you.

Voices is brilliant, though. My second favorite DT song. The rest of the suite is cool, too.