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SFAM = Old DT, or New DT?

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98 (56%)
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77 (44%)

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Author Topic: Scenes From a Memory: Do you consider it "Old" or "New" DT?  (Read 8548 times)

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Online Dream Team

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Re: Scenes From a Memory: Do you consider it "Old" or "New" DT?
« Reply #70 on: August 01, 2011, 08:16:55 AM »
Even though it's the first album with JR, I have to consider it "old" in that it was the last album with their old, "classic" sound. Beginning with 6DOIT, many elements were added that would move them away from their roots.
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Offline Elaitch

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Re: Scenes From a Memory: Do you consider it "Old" or "New" DT?
« Reply #71 on: August 01, 2011, 08:38:06 AM »
Quote from: Phantasmatron on July 31, 2011, 03:26:05 AM
Yet another approach!

Early Dream Theater
When Dream and Day Unite - Awake
This is the first period in Dream Theater's music which in which the music leans more toward prog than metal, the compositions are tighter and more concise, and (purely coincidentally!) there is a presence of a certain Kevin Moore.

Purgatorial Dream Theater
A Change of Seasons - Falling Into Infinity
This period is my least favorite.  The music is still great, but not quite as timeless.  In the history of the band, these were very uncertain times, and I think it shows a little in the music.  It's just not as good, and I'm not trying to blame Derek for any of that. 

Strong Album Dream Theater
Scenes From a Memory - Train of Thought
Scenes, Six Degrees and Train of Thought are very different from each other, but they have one important thing in common:  they all feel like solid, unified albums.  To me, each of these has a specific feel, tone, or atmosphere that holds throughout the duration of the disc.  Sure, Train of Thought's tone is BALLS AND CHUNK (save for Vacant, which still fits as the moody breather) but it still feels like a single experience to sit down and listen to those albums.  Not so for a few others, and I'd argue that the band hasn't had three consecutive albums like this at any other time in their career.

We Love Epics! Dream Theater
Octavarium - Black Clouds & Silver Linings
This is where the band falls into a bit of a rut.  I still love the music from this era, but I'm getting a bit tired of the formula.  Each of these records has an insanely long epic (8VM, ITPOE, TCOT), a mellow song that DTF seems to dislike (TALW, Repentance, Wither), another AA Saga installment (TROAE, Repentance, TSF), and things that DTF likes to point to as signs that the band has sold out (IWBY=U2, NE and POW=Muse, Forsaken=Evanescence, blastbeats in ANTR, etc) as well as greater involvement of Mike Portnoy's vocals.  Each of these records also has at least one secondary (less than 20 minutes long) epic or otherwise long song (SS, TMOLS, ANTR/TBOT). 


+1 for this approach.

But yeah, since I usually simply consider the addition of Jordan as the break between "old" and "new" DT, with Liquid Tension Experiment as a transition, I'd vote for "new" in this case.
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Offline welshexile1963

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Re: Scenes From a Memory: Do you consider it "Old" or "New" DT?
« Reply #72 on: August 03, 2011, 06:11:47 AM »
Quote from: Aniland on July 29, 2011, 07:22:18 PM
In all honesty? I'd say it straddles the threshold of old DT and new DT.

I think you are spot on with that conclusion. It's also an awesome album!!  :metal
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Offline RuRoRul

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Re: Scenes From a Memory: Do you consider it "Old" or "New" DT?
« Reply #73 on: August 03, 2011, 08:13:30 AM »
Considering how long ago it was, you can hardly describe it as being new.

 But considering "eras" of DT, new, with new being the Jordan era. If not that, then some "middle" era going from SFAM to ToT or maybe Octavarium. Either way, if you're going to consider different "eras", there's no reason to not include it in the Jordan era. Also it sounds a lot more like later stuff than the older stuff. They "found their sound" with that album. Not that the stuff before was bad, but it's a different sound to the band today. If someone had only heard Black Clouds and Silver Linings and you played them something from SFAM, they probably would say it sounds like DT. If you played them something from I&W, they might be surprised at how different they sound.
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Offline Bone_Daddy

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Re: Scenes From a Memory: Do you consider it "Old" or "New" DT?
« Reply #74 on: August 03, 2011, 10:49:10 AM »
Quote from: robwebster on July 29, 2011, 08:13:59 PM

1. Dream and Day
2. Images and Words
3. Awake
4. Falling Into Infinity

5. Scenes from a Memory
6. Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence
7. Train of Thought

8. Octavarium
9. Systematic Chaos
10. Black Clouds & Silver Linings

11. A Dramatic Turn of Events

I can't say there music/sound is new or old DT. I can honestly say that DT is progressive. The breakdown listed here adds weight to the statement.
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Offline Super Dude

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Re: Scenes From a Memory: Do you consider it "Old" or "New" DT?
« Reply #75 on: August 03, 2011, 11:19:13 AM »
New if only for the addition of JR.  Otherwise, stylistically it's definitely older DT.
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Offline chknptpie

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Re: Scenes From a Memory: Do you consider it "Old" or "New" DT?
« Reply #76 on: August 03, 2011, 11:59:12 AM »
I picked old because of how many albums and years since, but really its kind of in the middle as a bridge.
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Offline Ħ

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Re: Scenes From a Memory: Do you consider it "Old" or "New" DT?
« Reply #77 on: August 03, 2011, 01:07:56 PM »
In my opinion, it's the transition album.  FII is old, SDOIT is new.  SFAM is just the bridge.
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Offline TheGreatPretender

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Re: Scenes From a Memory: Do you consider it "Old" or "New" DT?
« Reply #78 on: August 05, 2011, 11:02:19 PM »
Well, it was the first album with Rudess. And considering that after FII, DT almost fell apart... I'd say Scenes is like the genesis of new DT. It's like them opening the door into the world of new DT. Like most people said, it's kind of a bridge, but I'd still call it new just in terms of that it was a new beginning for them anyway.
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Offline ResultsMayVary

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Re: Scenes From a Memory: Do you consider it "Old" or "New" DT?
« Reply #79 on: August 05, 2011, 11:04:05 PM »
I consider it new, along with other JR-era albums (SFAM-ADTOE).
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Offline TheGreatPretender

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Re: Scenes From a Memory: Do you consider it "Old" or "New" DT?
« Reply #80 on: August 05, 2011, 11:11:13 PM »
I'd actually consider SC an even newer era. WDADU - FII = Generation 1. SFAM - 8V = Generation 2. SC - BCSL= Generation 3. Umm... And yeah, I might even say that this new one is Generation 4, which makes Generation 3 pretty short lived, but it was a little heavier than their previous ones, and it was a new label and all.
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Offline CrimsonSunrise

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Re: Scenes From a Memory: Do you consider it "Old" or "New" DT?
« Reply #81 on: August 06, 2011, 05:20:53 AM »
I'd say New.... JR adds his own flair and style to the band, which is evident on this album.  His sound is what I equate to New DT.
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Offline Ħ

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Re: Scenes From a Memory: Do you consider it "Old" or "New" DT?
« Reply #82 on: August 07, 2011, 01:00:44 AM »
Quote from: TheGreatPretender on August 05, 2011, 11:11:13 PM
I'd actually consider SC an even newer era. WDADU - FII = Generation 1. SFAM - 8V = Generation 2. SC - BCSL= Generation 3. Umm... And yeah, I might even say that this new one is Generation 4, which makes Generation 3 pretty short lived, but it was a little heavier than their previous ones, and it was a new label and all.
I can see that.
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"All great works are prepared in the desert, including the redemption of the world. The precursors, the followers, the Master Himself, all obeyed or have to obey one and the same law. Prophets, apostles, preachers, martyrs, pioneers of knowledge, inspired artists in every art, ordinary men and the Man-God, all pay tribute to loneliness, to the life of silence, to the night." - A. G. Sertillanges

Offline EuropaEndlos

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Re: Scenes From a Memory: Do you consider it "Old" or "New" DT?
« Reply #83 on: August 08, 2011, 03:09:00 PM »
Hope I don't get hate for this post...

Really enjoyed I&W, SFAM more than anything else, with Awake at a close third...  I enjoy about half of FII as much as I enjoy the high points on the first three mentioned albums...  Part of FII is a little weak though...  For me it was always like this:

Phase I
WDADU
I&W
Awake
FII
SFAM

Phase II
6DOIT
ToT
8VM

Phase III
SC
BC&SL

with Phase I being my favorite, Phase II being somewhat enjoyable, and Phase III I started getting out of DT a bit...

Brings me back to this Portnoy interview I read yesterday where he mentions that Metallica and Queensryche, who had great albums in the 80's that he LOVED, should have called it quits in the 90s after all those awful albums... 

As far as Metallica goes, I mean even the Black Album is cringeworthy to me...  Nothing beats their first four albums...

With DT, nothing beats the Awake, I&W, and SFAM albums, and if they had called it quits after Octavarium I'd say it was a damned good career...

Not to say it's bad, but just look at these bands Portnoy referred to...  Look at the Rolling Stones who came out with some great albums and then a ton of garbage in the 80's, 90's, 00's... 

The Beatles career was short lived and they were remembered as bigger legends...  Hendrix, the Doors, same kind of deal...  Stones, stick around for many decades, and get a ton of crap because they didn't put out awesome album after awesome album...

Have to do what a band like Operation Ivy does... Come out with 27 awesome songs, some of the most memorable stuff in the Punk/Ska scene (I know wrong place for this reference) and then disband...

That being said, I'd love to see DT live, and I'd love to be the one to make the setlists as to please myself  :biggrin:

Sorry for the Rant!
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Offline Super Dude

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Re: Scenes From a Memory: Do you consider it "Old" or "New" DT?
« Reply #84 on: August 08, 2011, 03:10:03 PM »
Commentary aside, I like that model.  I never thought to separate SC and BC&SL as a separate "era."
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