Official DT Top 50 Thread Mark II (bss4life15 up now - starting page 79)

[hefdaddy42]

Original thread here (it was getting unwieldy): https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=13491.0

MOD EDIT:

So that we don't end up with loads of Top 50 threads, this is the official one. hefdaddy42 will finish his off, and once he does, other people can take turns. The list will be as follows:

- hefdaddy42
- wasteland - gave up his spot for now, may come back to finish later
- Fran521 - not ready right now, will go later
- BanksD - gave up his spot
-Jaffa-Jamesman - banned
-alirocker08
-TheGreatPretender
-Elite
-FlyingBIZKIT
-IdoSC
- Ben_Jamin
- Panic Attacker - AWOL
- MasterShakezula
- jonny108
- BlackInk
- theseoafs
- bss4life15
- senecadawg2
- Pols Voice
- Jirpo
- iamtheeviltwin
- Ħ
- Scorpion
- kareemo
- Lolzeez
- Nekov
- MoraWintersoul
- ?
- Onno
- duncan3dc
- SomeoneLikeHim
- Unlegit
- DestinyofChaos
- darkshade
- Dacling
- Jarlaxle
- Ruba
- Naikon
- Glass Moonlight
- JayOctavarium

[hefdaddy42]

And away we go!

50.  Wait For Sleep

I love the sparseness of the song.  Nothing more than KM's tasteful piano playing and JLB's soulful singing.  But a ton of emotion and impact is drawn from the song with only those two elements.  And they do that all in a short piece that is just as effective as many of their more sprawling songs.  Tasteful, tasty, and good.

49.  Ytse Jam

Pretty much the exact opposite of my first choice lol.  This was the first instrumental track I ever heard from the band, and it struck me how it was almost classical in its construction.  The different melodic instruments each got a their own time in the sun with the main theme repeating throughout.  And excellent showcase for their musicianship and songwriting, and for me easily the standout track on When Dream And Day Unite.

48.  Overture 1928

It is difficult to describe how pleased I was with Scenes From A Memory after the disappointment of Falling Into Infinity.  This song was the first piece of real music on the album, and I was immersed in the band I had loved from Images & Words and Awake.  They were BACK, baby!  This song serves as an excellent overview of the themes of that album, and is a great tune in its own right.  All killer, no filler.

47.  As I Am

A great album and concert opener, this song is high energy from start to finish, with a nice dash of attitude thrown in for good measure.  I also love JP's solo.  Just an all-around piece of yummy.

46.  Beneath The Surface

The first of their new material to appear on my list (although not the last), this song has some of the saddest lyrics in DT's entire catalogue, paired up with some of their happiest music, even its stripped-down nature.  The juxtaposition rings true for, showing a longing for happy times remembered combined with the stark reality of a relationship lost.  I really relate to this song.  One of the most interesting pieces that DT has ever produced, and I was glad to hear them try something like this on their new album.

[FlyingBIZKIT]

Looking forward to the rest!

[BlackInk]

Nice to see this started again. Beneath the Surface is really great indeed.

[Jirpo]

I would have Beneath the Surface way higher! WFS would be higher too. nice picks otherwise!

[Mladen]

Finally! 

All good choices, hef. I would have BTS and Overture 1928 much higher, though. 

[King Postwhore]

Every time I here Overture 1928, I get all charged up.  I remember rushing over to Best Buy to get the CD and lost my mind driving home when Overture started.

Wait For Sleep is a fantastic way to end an album.  I can here myself in my car singing the oooohhhs at the end of the song.  It seems DT and me riding in my car is where I get most of my listening in these days.

As I Am is a balls out rocker that I love.  Great metal groove.

[Pols Voice]

Finally! 

All good choices, hef. I would have BTS and Overture 1928 much higher, though. 

[obscure]

Looking forward to the rest!

[Riceball]

Great stuff! Pretty much exactly where I have each song (except Wait for Sleep, tad higher).

You've got a pretty good list to be following on from, btw. The guy who went last in the previous thread is pretty awesome.

[LieLowTheWantedMan]

Love seeing Ytse Jam on peoples lists. Great song.

[mazegeek999]

"As I Am" has awesome riffs and an insane solo. I think it should have been in the Top 20 or so.
But I'm excited to see the rest!

[hefdaddy42]

45.  These Walls

I have loved this song ever since it came out, one of the few high spots for me from Octavarium.  JP's baritone guitar really lends a unique sound to the song, and it also features some of MP's more tasteful playing IMHO, making what is (for them) a simple song a really tasty treat.

44.  The Root of All Evil

Coincidentally one of the other few high spots from Octavarium, this is one of my favorites from the Twelve Steps Suite.  It seems to me more hard-rockish than full on metal like most of the other entries in the suite, and I think it benefits from being shorter than, say, This Dying Soul or The Glass Prison.  Fantastic riff, andJP's solo is, once again, tasteful and spot-on.  Also a great live song.

43.  Finally Free

Well, hey, it's the finale from Scenes From A Memory.  The conclusion of the story, great themes throughout, and the outro is just stupendous.  Not my favorite from that album, but a really fun and fulfilling way to end it.  BTW, I think it comes across a little better live than on the album.

42.  Lie

Hey, I know some people don't like this song, or think it has bad lyrics.  But I don't care, I love the energy of this song, and it is just bad ass.  I've loved it ever since the release of Awake in 1994.  The pairing of this with The Mirror is on my wish list of songs I hope to see live one day, I just love the one-two punch of those tracks.  Fantastic solo (again) by JP here, and the song remains notable as well for its music video, which features a 4-member version of DT.  I still remember watching that video on MTV's Headbanger's Ball.

41.  The Dance of Eternity

I remember listening to this for the first time and saying "WTF is this?"  There were so many changes that I found it difficult to follow at first, and I know it gets a lot of heat, but I still love this song for its complexity while retaining a melodic sense, and for the way that the band challenged itself with this song.  Admirable to me, and inspiring as well.  I got an even bigger appreciation for it seeing MP talk about it on his DVD (I forget which one it was on, I think In Constant Motion) and going over all the time sig changes.  Just crazy.

[BlackInk]

Nice ones. More or less agree with everything here, except I would have put Finally Free way higher.

[Jirpo]

Most of these would be a bit lower for me, besides Finally Free. Good songs nonetheless!

[hefdaddy42]

Nice ones. More or less agree with everything here, except I would have put Finally Free way higher.

Yeah, I think most people probably like Finally Free a little more than I do.

[Mladen]

The Dance of eternity would be much higher on my list, the others wouldn't be on my list. Very interesting so far. 

[Jirpo]

Can I have a spot on the list hef?

[hefdaddy42]

Can I have a spot on the list hef?

[Pols Voice]

I totally love Lie. It has a lot of attitude, and JLB's vocals in the beginning section are friggin cool. He never really sang like that again.

[Elite]

And finally he starts! and a nice start it is.

[lonestar]

Wait a second, if Hef does one of these, doesn't that make every one else's wrong and pointless?

[hefdaddy42]

Wait a second, if Hef does one of these, doesn't that make every one else's wrong and pointless?

[obscure]

Wait a second, if Hef does one of these, doesn't that make every one else's wrong and pointless?

Yes.

[iamtheeviltwin]

Would like to be added to the list of contributors

[hefdaddy42]

Would like to be added to the list of contributors

[Elite]

Would like to be added to the list of contributors

Do an update

[hefdaddy42]

OK.

40.  Wither

I know some think this is kind of cheesy, but I think it is a well-crafted rock ballad with lyrics that really capture the subject matter.  I have had occasions where I was working on writing a song and it was like pulling teeth, so I can really relate to this one.  Also, I love the breakdown where it is just piano and JLB's octave-lower breathy voice, and then it rips back in with a wonderfully melodic and juicy JP guitar solo.  Fantastic song wrapped in a small bite-size morsel.

39.  Outcry

Not sure how much I need to say about this one, since it is sort of new and is fresh on everyone's mind.  I love the chorus, and I kind of like how the last chorus is in a lower key than the first two.  That seems to reflect how revolution gets harder to maintain the longer it lasts, after the first bursts of excitement wear off.  Also, the infamous tickle section is neat, and the instrumental is phenomenal and awesome.

38.  Beyond This Life

A lot of people dislike this song, but I think it is really interesting with some fascinating instrumental passages.  It also totally rocks live.

37.  In The Name of God

Most of you probably have this listed higher than I do, I know.  I think it's really good, with interesting subject matter and lyrics.  But it seems a little long to me.  If it were tightened up a little, I would probably like it a little more.  But I think this is another one that is better live than on the album.

36.  New Millenium

After looking at my rankings a little, I should probably have this one a little higher, but I'm not changing now.  It was definitely a grower for me; when I first heard it, I was a little apprehensive.  But I eventually warmed up, and it is definitely one of the better songs on Falling Into Infinity.  I love JM's stick work, along with some great drumming by MP, and IMHO the song also features some of MP's best lyrics.  Also, the version on Live At Budokan is fantastic.

[Mladen]

39.  Outcry
I love the chorus, and I kind of like how the last chorus is in a lower key than the first two.  That seems to reflect how revolution gets harder to maintain the longer it lasts, after the first bursts of excitement wear off. 

A very interesting observation right here. By the way, there's a tickle section in Outcry? I know there's one in Lost not forgotten.

Also, always great to see appreciation for Beyond this life. 

[obscure]

36.  New Millenium

After looking at my rankings a little, I should probably have this one a little higher, but I'm not changing now.  It was definitely a grower for me; when I first heard it, I was a little apprehensive.  But I eventually warmed up, and it is definitely one of the better songs on Falling Into Infinity.  I love JM's stick work, along with some great drumming by MP, and IMHO the song also features some of MP's best lyrics.  Also, the version on Live At Budokan is fantastic.

I'm glad to see this listed... always loved that song 

[theseoafs]

39.  Outcry
I love the chorus, and I kind of like how the last chorus is in a lower key than the first two.  That seems to reflect how revolution gets harder to maintain the longer it lasts, after the first bursts of excitement wear off. 

A very interesting observation right here. By the way, there's a tickle section in Outcry? I know there's one in Lost not forgotten.

Also, always great to see appreciation for Beyond this life. 

Yes, "the infamous tickle section" is in fact in LNF.

[hefdaddy42]

lol

Well, I'm tickled.

[BlackInk]

Nice, I would probably put New Millenium lower though...

But still, love Outcry and In the Name of God.

[Jamesman42]

40.  Wither
Fantastic song wrapped in a small bite-size morsel.

And it's still pretty long by radio standards.

I love JM's stick work,

I bet you do.

[FlyingBIZKIT]

Great list so far!