Your Controversial Opinions on DT

[Sacul]

I actually prefer FII to I&W

[425]

Angels fall... All for you...



Yeah, I listened to SC today too...

[Sacul]

That's an album that, despite the cheese, doesn't deserve all the hate it receives 

[IDontNotDoThings]

BC&SL > SFAM

Glad to see it getting some love in this thread.

[Rodni Demental]

BC&SL > SFAM

Oh yeah, I would agree with this. And not just because it's deliberately controversial. I enjoy SFAM but I would say it's only as good as their other albums but BC&SL has still left a stronger impression on me. 

[425]

Those two are very close in quality. I'm not sure which one I would say is better than the other.

[matthewmatt]

I actually prefer FII to I&W

BC&SL > SFAM

Glad to see it getting some love in this thread.

Agree with both. In fact, out of the pre-6DOIT albums, SFaM is just barely edging out Falling and on some days FII actually wins.

Oh, and I strongly dislike Moore. 

[Tomislav95]

That's an album that, despite the cheese, doesn't deserve all the hate it receives 

Songs on it are great but I can't listen SC in one take, I find it very tiring to listen as a whole.

[?]

re: JLB's solo albums
I don't care much for EOP outside of a few standout tracks, but the latest 2 are awesome

Controversial opinion:

I think 92/93 James LaBrie live is overrated. Sure, his voice was very powerful, high and clear back then, but his voice cracked a whole lot during live shows. He pushed himself too far and there are lots of bootlegs which people praise vocally in which JLB's voice cracks 3-4 times per song (at least). I'm aware he had some near-perfect shows (precisely in 92, I think...maybe wasteland can help me quite a bit!) in which his performance is an A+ from beginning to end, but in most bootlegs I've listened to from that time (maybe 20-something shows) his voice is cracking and he's throwing high notes all over the place just 'cause. NOTE: I do think his high notes are amazing from time to time (like on the end of The Killing Hand), but there's some places in which I think they were totally uncalled for...but maybe that's OK because it's the early 90s and people liked such performance styles, but who knows.

I love the guy, always have and always will, but I don't think he was the live vocal God in his 92/93 era most people put think he was.

On the unofficial '93 live recording from Warwick there are some cringeworthy voice cracks, and James' voice sounds hoarse from all the screaming.

[Randaran]

BC&SL is the only DT album I consider mediocre. The only songs from it that I like from beginning to end are Wither and TCOT; the rest have at least one significant section that bring them down.

[Outcrier]

BC&SL is the only DT album I consider mediocre. The only songs from it that I like from beginning to end are Wither and TCOT; the rest have at least one significant section that bring them down.

That's not really controversial.

[TheFrozenInferno]

BC&SL is the only DT album I consider mediocre. The only songs from it that I like from beginning to end are Wither and TCOT; the rest have at least one significant section that bring them down.

BC&SL was a major low point for me as a DT fan. The album just never really clicked for me (I did like Wither though), and I didn't like the way things seemed to be heading. Then the whole MP thing happened and I wasn't sure the band could recover. I really didn't want them to go out on BC&SL.

Thankfully Mangini has worked out great and the last two albums have rejuvenated the band in a way I didn't expect. I'm fully on board again and excited for The Astonishing. BC&SL is water under the bridge for me now.

[jakepriest]

The hell. Wither is the only song dragging BC&SL down from being a top 3 album.

[hefdaddy42]

The hell. Wither is the only song dragging BC&SL down from being a top 3 album.

I think Wither is easily the best song on the album.

[OnTheBacksofAngela]

The hell. Wither is the only song dragging BC&SL down from being a top 3 album.

I think Wither is easily the best song on the album.

Close to to the top, but the main dragged imo is the shattered fortress. Ugh.

[cramx3]

The hell. Wither is the only song dragging BC&SL down from being a top 3 album.

I think Wither is easily the best song on the album.

Easily over the Count? 

[bosk1]

The hell. Wither is the only song dragging BC&SL down from being a top 3 album.

I think Wither is easily the best song on the album.

Easily over the Count? 

I could EASILY say Hef is right.  ...but since A Nightmare To Remember, The Shattered Fortress, and The Count of Tuscany (in that order) exist, I won't. 

[hefdaddy42]

The hell. Wither is the only song dragging BC&SL down from being a top 3 album.

I think Wither is easily the best song on the album.

Easily over the Count? 

Yes.  I love the intro music for Count, and from the middle "ambient" section to the end, but the lyrics are laughable, and I don't care for either the music or the delivery by JLB of the main portion of the song leading up to the ambient section.

[OnTheBacksofAngela]

Hef, this may seem silly, but over Passage?!!

[cramx3]

Hef, this may seem silly, but over Passage?!!

lol if it's over the Count, it's easily over Passage.

[Randaran]

That's not really controversial.

What about this: ANTR and AROP are both bottom 5 DT songs. The second half of Nightmare is a chore to listen to, and Passage is saved only by its second verse and chorus.

[OnTheBacksofAngela]

I mean I can understand count. AROP, what doesn't it have? Honestly it's more successful than PMU, not critic wise. I just don't understand the hate for the song.

[cramx3]

I mean I can understand count. AROP, what doesn't it have? Honestly it's more successful than PMU, not critic wise. I just don't understand the hate for the song.

Well it DOES have the bebot  , but I really like BC&SL all around including AROP.

[OnTheBacksofAngela]

I mean I can understand count. AROP, what doesn't it have? Honestly it's more successful than PMU, not critic wise. I just don't understand the hate for the song.

Well it DOES have the bebot  , but I really like BC&SL all around including AROP.

I'm glad you like it! But let's break it down. AROP had a good chorus, a catchy one at that too. Instrumental section, check. Sampling, check. Riffing, check.Rudess solo, bebop doesnt sound bad at all. Misunderstood has that kooky Petrucci thing at the end and doesn't get much hate as AROP. The verses are structured well and the lyrics aren't bad at all.

[JediKnight1969]

The fact "Whiter" can easily be blended into "Gangnam style" proves it's basic structure:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJbTyFzqZu0

The Count of Tuscany is astronomically better.

I don't give a #uck about lyrics. For me it's all about music.

[Outcrier]

I mean I can understand count. AROP, what doesn't it have? Honestly it's more successful than PMU, not critic wise. I just don't understand the hate for the song.

It's exactly the contrary of PMU. PMU is memorable, a memorable riff (an acoustic one too) and vocal melodies all round, a nice display of how good DT's songwriting used to be. AROP is pretty forgettable, plus it has a cringeworthy keyboard solo.

[bosk1]

Personally, I have no problem with AROP.  It just doesn't have much that grabs me either.  I enjoy it when listening to the album and it comes on, but I would never seek it out or listen to the album because of that song.  As I have said numerous times through the years, SC and BCSL to me both suffer from just being inconsistent.  They both have some great songs, as well as some songs that just don't do much for me.  And if I were doing a mashup of the best of both of those albums to create one single album of the best of those, it would be among the strongest in DT's catalog, but AROP would have no prayer of making that list (leaving aside for a moment the fact that songs lengths of the songs that should make the cut would make it impossible to fit them all onto one CD anyway). 

[Sacul]

AROP is the weakest song there and one of the lamest DT tracks overall. One of their few that actually makes me cringe.

[Train of Naught]

I mean I can understand count. AROP, what doesn't it have? Honestly it's more successful than PMU, not critic wise. I just don't understand the hate for the song.

Good? Alright I'll give you that, it's alright. Better than PMU? Not even close! You're in the right thread.

[pcs90]

I'm glad you like it! But let's break it down. AROP had a good chorus, a catchy one at that too. Instrumental section, check. Sampling, check. Riffing, check.Rudess solo, bebop doesnt sound bad at all. Misunderstood has that kooky Petrucci thing at the end and doesn't get much hate as AROP. The verses are structured well and the lyrics aren't bad at all.

If the sampling and Portnoy's verse vocals weren't there (the harmonies in the chorus are perfectly fine), and if the iPhone solo wasn't in there, it would be quite a bit higher for me. Having said that I agree that it's much better than PMU and I do like it.

[Sacul]

Misunderstood's outro is fantastic 

[DarkLord_Lalinc]

Misunderstood's outro is fantastic 

It is, as is the rest of that song (or the album, for that matter).

[hefdaddy42]

Hef, this may seem silly, but over Passage?!!

Nothing great about that song.  It's worse than bad; it's average.

[TheOutlawXanadu]

In my top tier of Dream Theater albums, I don't have Six Degrees. I think the album is a little tough to get through from start to finish, and I've never loved "The Great Debate".

Instead of SDOIT, I have the self-titled album rounding out my favorites, alongside Images, Awake, and Scenes.

[bosk1]

Such an unseasoned opinion.