Your Controversial Opinions on DT

[mikeyd23]

The Bigger Picture and Behind The Veil.

Man, I would love to see both of those songs played live. I think both would kill!

[jakepriest]

I think any DT12 song would work better live than TLG. No idea why they chose that one.

[Volante99]

I thought they'd swap out some of the new songs but it looks like that won't happen;

You know they HAVE to play Enemy Inside and Illumination Theory. Looks like Enigma Machine isn't going anywhere with that nice video they play with the song. And The Looking Glass appears to be a fan favorite, at one point it was ranking higher than Enemy Inside on spotify.

[mikeyd23]

I think any DT12 song would work better live than TLG. No idea why they chose that one.

Well I believe it was the second single they released off of the album.  So they are playing live because they want to promote since it was chosen as a single.

So I guess, if you don't like the song, the question would be why did they choose it as a single.

[KevShmev]

I think any DT12 song would work better live than TLG. No idea why they chose that one.

There seems to be a lot of obvious things DT-related that you have no idea about.

[jammindude]

TLG is a great song.   Would I prefer TBP?  Sure.   But I can see fully why they would want to play that song.  It's the 2nd single and an EXCELLENT track in its own right.

[theseoafs]

TLG is fantastic, the best single they've had in ages, and I'm incredibly confident it will (and already has) come off well in a live environment.  No idea what this guy is on about.

[jakepriest]

TLG is fantastic, the best single they've had in ages, and I'm incredibly confident it will (and already has) come off well in a live environment.  No idea what this guy is on about.

That it's the worst song on DT12.

[Volante99]

TLG is fantastic, the best single they've had in ages, and I'm incredibly confident it will (and already has) come off well in a live environment.  No idea what this guy is on about.

That it's the worst song on DT12.

Wrong. "Along for the Ride" is the worst song on DT12. Maybe the top 5 worst songs they've ever done.

Definitely the most paint by numbers, generic, dad-rock song in the DT catalog. Man, I love DT but that song is such a dud. It's, like, seriously Rebecca Black bad.

[ThatOneGuy2112]

TLG is fantastic, the best single they've had in ages, and I'm incredibly confident it will (and already has) come off well in a live environment.  No idea what this guy is on about.

That it's the worst song on DT12.

Wrong. "Along for the Ride" is the worst song on DT12. Maybe the top 5 worst songs they've ever done.

Definitely the most paint by numbers, generic, dad-rock song in the DT catalog. Man, I love DT but that song is such a dud. It's, like, seriously Rebecca Black bad.

Don't get me wrong, the song's not outstandingly amazing or anything, but that last statement is definitely a stretch.

[Rodni Demental]

Along for the Ride is probably my second favourite song on DT12 just after IT. And before I clicked with IT I might have even said something like AFTR > IT. Call it generic or simple but I think it does exactly what it's supposed to and wouldn't expect anything more from the song. It's great the way it is.

Fair enough, I'm sure they're keeping the 'essence' of the setlist, but somehow I still wouldn't be surprised if some of the new album's songs get flipped around I mean come on, it's the new stuff, they're not gonna ignore it for the WHOLE tour are they??? Are they.. 

The tour is not over in April. There's a second EU leg coming!

Ah.. this is reassuring! 

Although I expected we'd get TLG live, I still think BTV/STR/TBP > TLG. So hopefully we get treated (again) on this second leg.

[BlobVanDam]

TLG is fantastic, the best single they've had in ages, and I'm incredibly confident it will (and already has) come off well in a live environment.  No idea what this guy is on about.

That it's the worst song on DT12.

Wrong. "Along for the Ride" is the worst song on DT12. Maybe the top 5 worst songs they've ever done.

Definitely the most paint by numbers, generic, dad-rock song in the DT catalog. Man, I love DT but that song is such a dud. It's, like, seriously Rebecca Black bad.

Whatever you think "dad rock" is, AFTR isn't close.

[Bolsters]

"Along for the Ride" is the worst song on DT12. Maybe the top 5 worst songs they've ever done.
Definitely the most paint by numbers, generic, dad-rock song in the DT catalog. Man, I love DT but that song is such a dud. It's, like, seriously Rebecca Black bad.

[Shadow Ninja 2.0]

epic picture

[Tom Bombadil]

I think AFTR is one of the best tracks on DT12. Probably my 2nd favorite after TBP and in my opinion one of the few bright spots on the album.

[?]

Wrong. "Along for the Ride" is the worst song on DT12. Maybe the top 5 worst songs they've ever done.

Are you sure you're not talking about Enigma Machine?

[Dreamer]

My controversial opinion is that some of DT's music is tuneless and completely lacking in vocal melody. But only some!

[robwebster]

Fair enough, I'm sure they're keeping the 'essence' of the setlist, but somehow I still wouldn't be surprised if some of the new album's songs get flipped around I mean come on, it's the new stuff, they're not gonna ignore it for the WHOLE tour are they??? Are they.. 

The tour is not over in April. There's a second EU leg coming!

Ah.. this is reassuring! 

Although I expected we'd get TLG live, I still think BTV/STR/TBP > TLG. So hopefully we get treated (again) on this second leg.

I'm sure we will. John was saying, amidst the pre-release hype, that he saw The Bigger Picture as this incredible live closer. I don't disagree with him, and I think it's the most glaring omission from the first leg.

They'll have already filmed the DVD by the second European leg, so I'd think they'll be changing it up a bit. Probably retain some mainstays - I don't think False Awakening Suite and The Enemy Inside are going anywhere any time soon - but just as The Bigger Picture was practically written to close a set, Behind the Veil would be an incredible way to open set two. Energetic, with a lush intro tape, and while it's one of the more typical Dream Theater songs, it's notable as it has them firing on all cylinders at the same time. It's not the heavy one, or the soft rock one, or the anthemic one, or the melodic one, or the technical one, or the quirky one - but it's all of those, cohesively, in seven minutes. That's very DT12, and one hell of a way to kick back into action.

I can't see them leaving Surrender to Reason alone for too long, either. Like Prophets of War, it might not appear until the next tour along, but that dirty, raw guitar-and-bass break is going to be incredible live. They won't want to lose the essence of the set, they've worked hard on it, but I suspect they'll trim things here and there. Especially as it'll merge with the festival tour, so the set will need to be looser by definition - I probably wouldn't repeat Illumination Theory in cities they've played it before, only play Backs of Angels at festival dates, trim the Awake and SfaM cuts down to the twofers in the US and EU. I'd probably keep Enigma Machine for the festivals, too.

[TheGreatPretender]

My controversial opinion is that some of DT's music is tuneless and completely lacking in vocal melody. But only some!

Not sure I agree with you completely, but I have found a few of their recent songs having some fairly uninteresting vocal melodies. As I mentioned earlier, I'd really like to see JR write the vocal melodies next time around.

[hefdaddy42]

I agree that TLG is the least of the songs on DT12.

[robwebster]

My controversial opinion is that some of DT's music is tuneless and completely lacking in vocal melody. But only some!

Not sure I agree with you completely, but I have found a few of their recent songs having some fairly uninteresting vocal melodies. As I mentioned earlier, I'd really like to see JR write the vocal melodies next time around.

I don't think the melodies are boring, but I would like to hear what JR could do with them. I'm conscious that, the way the band operate, that would mean JR writing the lyrics.

However! I think that's an incredibly good idea. Jordan's written lyrics before, I used to love Rhythm of Time, and while he's not some lyrical genius, he's at least good enough to keep up with the other guys --

Beyond Tomorrow

I remember only yesterday
Seems like not so long ago
Moving sideways on a shifting stage
Don't know where time seems to go.

I watch myself turn away
All in a memory
Rewinding just a single page
Now it's all coming back to me...

There's a young man in an endless dream
Projecting through a world of sound
Fingers fly and then a silent scream
Always high above the ground

I'm living - this moment
Through all the years
Illusion - in my mind
Washing out the fears

One day I'll be far from here
A star beyond tomorrow
And distance beyond this sphere
Will lead me on!

It's not Wordsworth, but it's pleasant, it fits the music very well, and it's a new voice! JR's spoken about how he loves that the band's more democractic since MP left,* how everyone's got a voice rather than the narrative being dominated by a single leader, and I think that bears out in the music. The lyrics are pretty much the only place they've gone backwards, rather than forwards. They've not technically lost any lyricists since John Myung returned to the fold, but JM never really aimed to fill Mike Portnoy's boots, and James LaBrie's been so busy with his solo albums that he sat DT12 out completely. He's written one short song in the last seven years or so! JP's grand, but he wrote most of DT11 and practically all of DT12, as he almost certainly helped out with Surrender to Reason. More voices are always welcome, and I think JR's plenty good enough to contribute in that department.



*"I think what happened is that Mike Portnoy, whom I have a lot of respect for to this day - he's a wonderful musician, he's creative, he did great things for Dream Theater - when he left everybody else was able to offer their full energy to the project. You're talking about five guys who are extremely capable, who can make and produce their own albums, who just know how to do this, and we kind of allowed Mike to take over a lot of stuff. When we got to the point where he was no longer there we were excited about having that extra space. We suddenly had an organization that could be fully democratic and we could put ourselves behind it and figure out the best way to make it work."
- Brave Words and Bloody Knuckles, "Dream Theater - Along for the Ride: Prepare to be Illuminated"

[Fisi]

Jordan himself has said many times that he's not interested in writing lyrics for Dream Theater, he's happy with his current role in the band. It wouldn't be a good idea to force him to do that either, so I think it's unlikely that it'll ever happen.

[XB0BX]

Jordan wouldn't like DT's music if he wasn't in the band, and he's only in the band for the money. Although Jordan surely loves his bandmates like brothers, he doesn't like the songs he plays on, and hasn't had too much of an actual music contribution until after MP left. Even after MP left, Jordan can't give any of the musical ideas that he truly loves because he knows JP would turn them down.

[wasteland]

Jordan wouldn't like DT's music if he wasn't in the band, and he's only in the band for the money. Although Jordan surely loves his bandmates like brothers, he doesn't like the songs he plays on, and hasn't had too much of an actual music contribution until after MP left. Even after MP left, Jordan can't give any of the musical ideas that he truly loves because he knows JP would turn them down.

Sorry, I don't do this often at all, but unless you are Jordan's confessional priest or intimate friend (in which case shame on you on revealing things he wouldn't obviously want to be know to the public), what you say is completely incorrect and disproved by circumstantial evidence, point by point.

[Shadow Ninja 2.0]

i don't even like dt but i had keyboard and an ipad so what the fuck

[KevShmev]

Jordan wouldn't like DT's music if he wasn't in the band, and he's only in the band for the money. Although Jordan surely loves his bandmates like brothers, he doesn't like the songs he plays on, and hasn't had too much of an actual music contribution until after MP left. Even after MP left, Jordan can't give any of the musical ideas that he truly loves because he knows JP would turn them down.

Haha, you made a funny joke.

Wait, what's that? You were serious?

In that case...

[XB0BX]

Jordan doesn't like metal. DT is becoming increasingly more metal and less proggy. The 70s prog that Jordan loves so much is beginning to sound nothing like Jordan's band.

[robwebster]

Jordan wouldn't like DT's music if he wasn't in the band, and he's only in the band for the money.

Have you listened to his solo albums? Dream Theater music is practically his default setting! DT's a little heavier than his usual bag, he doesn't come from as much of a metal background, but Rhythm of Time sounds more like Dream Theater than any of James LaBrie's extra-curricular stuff, or Derek Sherinian's, or Mike Portnoy's since he left.

ETA:

Jordan doesn't like metal. DT is becoming increasingly more metal and less proggy. The 70s prog that Jordan loves so much is beginning to sound nothing like Jordan's band.

Yeah, they've gone from The Glass Prison and As I Am right the way to Bridges in the Sky and Beneath the Veil.

I'm not even skewing the sample, Bridges in the Sky is the heaviest track on the disc - the last two albums are way, way more seventies than anything he produced with Mike Portnoy, save perhaps the title track off Octavarium? His influence has increased.

[XB0BX]

Jordan made his solo albums sound like DT to capitalize on DT fans and make a lot of money.

[robwebster]

Jordan made his solo albums sound like DT to capitalize on DT fans and make a lot of money.

On the Magna Carta label.

[KevShmev]

Jordan made his solo albums sound like DT to capitalize on DT fans and make a lot of money.

And the "I'm really not kidding" jokes just keep on coming.

[BlobVanDam]

I don't know what's happening right now.

[GasparXR]

I don't know what's happening right now.

I see what you did there!

[Tis BOOLsheet]

Jordan wouldn't like DT's music if he wasn't in the band, and he's only in the band for the money. Although Jordan surely loves his bandmates like brothers, he doesn't like the songs he plays on, and hasn't had too much of an actual music contribution until after MP left. Even after MP left, Jordan can't give any of the musical ideas that he truly loves because he knows JP would turn them down.

He's a Muslim too

[King Postwhore]

I don't know what's happening right now.

Sheldon, your sarcasm meter is still off.