Your Controversial Opinions on DT

[Trav86]

The BTFW version of The Shattered Fortress, is better than the studio one. By a lot.

[Max Kuehnau]

The BTFW version of The Shattered Fortress, is better than the studio one. By a lot.

Of course. Everything played by MM is.

[Volante99]

Of course. Everything played by MM is.

https://youtu.be/_uHBFiAnpZs

[Max Kuehnau]

Of course. Everything played by MM is.

https://youtu.be/_uHBFiAnpZs

Was that Jerry Seinfeld btw? Funny suit he wears. Oh and another two for you: 1. I actually like James' versions of WDADU pieces on Reunite. 2) This also goes for any funny bits by Jordan (during ACOS, Sacrifice and The Dance Of Eternity and anything I forgot to mention now)

[Herrick]

Of course. Everything played by MM is.

https://youtu.be/_uHBFiAnpZs

Was that Jerry Seinfeld btw? Funny suit he wears. Oh and another two for you: 1. I actually like James' versions of WDADU pieces on Reunite. 2) This also goes for any funny bits by Jordan (during ACOS, Sacrifice and The Dance Of Eternity and anything I forgot to mention now)

Agreed about Ruddess' silly parts when playing A Change of Seasons. BlASSphemy! Have they ever played it live without Ruddess playing those parts?

[bill1971]

The BTFW version of The Shattered Fortress, is better than the studio one. By a lot.

Of course. Everything played by MM is.

I agree. He's such a monster drummer. Portnoy is phenomenal but Mangini is just at another level.

[Volante99]

Haha the last thing I want to do is start another Portnoy vs Mangini debate, but I feel like ever since the new record, everyone on this forum has switched to team-Mangini and it’s starting to get a bit lonely here on team-Portnoy.

[ReaperKK]

Don't really know why it matters, Portnoy is gone, Mangini is here. You can like the current line-up or not. The whole portnoy vs. mangini thing is super old now.

[KevShmev]

Haha the last thing I want to do is start another Portnoy vs Mangini debate, but I feel like ever since the new record, everyone on this forum has switched to team-Mangini and it’s starting to get a bit lonely here on team-Portnoy.

Eh, I think most of us are team-Dream Theater.   

[Dream Team]

The BTFW version of The Shattered Fortress, is better than the studio one. By a lot.

Oh man Mangini CRUUUSHED that song. I mean he destroyed it.

[TheGreatPretender]

Haha the last thing I want to do is start another Portnoy vs Mangini debate, but I feel like ever since the new record, everyone on this forum has switched to team-Mangini and it’s starting to get a bit lonely here on team-Portnoy.

Eh, I think most of us are team-Dream Theater.   

I second this. I'm pretty sure everyone who has embraced Mangini hasn't forgotten how much Portnoy did for the band during his tenure, and all the amazing music he helped create. Of course, there are those sad little human beings who somehow spun an idea in their heads that Portnoy was this tyrant who held the whole band under his thumb and was solely responsible for every single complaint that they have about the band. But I think most of us, who live in the real world, have simply accepted and embraced the reality of the situation, and if it seems like "team Mangini" then it's probably simply because we really like the music that the band has made recently and we're happy with the present.

[Volante99]

Eh, I think most of us are team-Dream Theater.   

That’s nice. But you DO understand that people clearly have strong opinions and preferences though, right? And that it’s possible to embrace DT in its entirety but still have preferences. I was simply making an observation that I’ve seen many more comments like “Portnoy was good, but Mangini is GREAT” or literally “everything that DT has ever played MM plays better” or even “I never liked that Portnoy-guy” comments since the new album.

[Herrick]

Eh, I think most of us are team-Dream Theater.   

That’s nice. But you DO understand that people clearly have strong opinions and preferences though, right? And that it’s possible to embrace DT in its entirety but still have preferences. I was simply making an observation that I’ve seen many more comments like “Portnoy was good, but Mangini is GREAT” or literally “everything that DT has ever played MM plays better” or even “I never liked that Portnoy-guy” comments since the new album.

I doubt the amount of Portnoy fans has decreased since Distance Over Time came out.

[Dream Team]

Eh, I think most of us are team-Dream Theater.   

That’s nice. But you DO understand that people clearly have strong opinions and preferences though, right? And that it’s possible to embrace DT in its entirety but still have preferences. I was simply making an observation that I’ve seen many more comments like “Portnoy was good, but Mangini is GREAT” or literally “everything that DT has ever played MM plays better” or even “I never liked that Portnoy-guy” comments since the new album.

As that icy blond once said, LET IT GO.

[KevShmev]

Eh, I think most of us are team-Dream Theater.   

That’s nice. But you DO understand that people clearly have strong opinions and preferences though, right? And that it’s possible to embrace DT in its entirety but still have preferences. I was simply making an observation that I’ve seen many more comments like “Portnoy was good, but Mangini is GREAT” or literally “everything that DT has ever played MM plays better” or even “I never liked that Portnoy-guy” comments since the new album.

BFD.  If that kind of stuff bothers you that much, maybe the internet is not for you

[Volante99]

Eh, I think most of us are team-Dream Theater.   

That’s nice. But you DO understand that people clearly have strong opinions and preferences though, right? And that it’s possible to embrace DT in its entirety but still have preferences. I was simply making an observation that I’ve seen many more comments like “Portnoy was good, but Mangini is GREAT” or literally “everything that DT has ever played MM plays better” or even “I never liked that Portnoy-guy” comments since the new album.

BFD.  If that kind of stuff bothers you that much, maybe the internet is not for you

Says the guy who was bothered by the notion of a “team-Portnoy/team-Mangini”

Lol Clearly I’M the one who is sensitive about this issue.

[Volante99]

Don't really know why it matters, Portnoy is gone, Mangini is here. You can like the current line-up or not. The whole portnoy vs. mangini thing is super old now.

Which is exactly why I said in my post I didn’t want to start a Mangini vs Portnoy “thing”...

I love the current lineup as well. It was simply a general comment towards the above posts that were ALREADY comparing Mangini to Portnoy. To be fair,  I should have just said “I strongly disagree with the notion that MM plays all DT songs better than MP because of XYZ” but I didn’t really want to go there because as you said, it is old news. Instead I was just making an observation that my preference towards Portnoy’s playing on live DT recordings is becoming more and more of a minority opinion.

[KevShmev]

Clearly I’M the one who is sensitive about this issue.

It is clear that you are.

[abydos]

The BTFW version of The Shattered Fortress, is better than the studio one. By a lot.

Oh man Mangini CRUUUSHED that song. I mean he destroyed it.

Just curious, what does Mangini do while playing this song that it makes it better than what Portnoy does in your opinion?

[Dream Team]

Well, because of the metal nature of that song, to my ears Mangini’s super tight and accurate playing elevates it. Visually great too.

[Volante99]

Well, because of the metal nature of that song, to my ears Mangini’s super tight and accurate playing elevates it. Visually great too.

I will say I distinctly remember that song, specifically, getting a huge crowd pop at the end at the show I was attended on that tour. People were definitely in awe.

[IDontNotDoThings]

Despite DT having a lot of bloated songs in the past, I honestly kind of miss the longer song structures. Logically I know why they don't write like that anymore, but I can't deny it was always something that made the band feel more special to me.

[PreHilbert]

Barstool Warrior has the best Petrucci solo work since Scenes from a Memory (Fatal Tragedy, Spirit, BTL).

[Max Kuehnau]

Barstool Warrior has the best Petrucci solo work since Scenes from a Memory (Fatal Tragedy, Spirit, BTL).

Not IMHO. The first 3 MM-era albums do.  (and I don't consider Scenes to ever featuring good JP solos, just his usual fare, nothing more, if anything)

[Dublagent66]

Barstool Warrior has the best Petrucci solo work since Scenes from a Memory (Fatal Tragedy, Spirit, BTL).

Not IMHO. The first 3 MM-era albums do.  (and I don't consider Scenes to ever featuring good JP solos, just his usual fare, nothing more, if anything)

   JP's usual fare (as you put it) is usually good, at least.

[Setlist Scotty]

Barstool Warrior has the best Petrucci solo work since Scenes from a Memory (Fatal Tragedy, Spirit, BTL).

Not IMHO. The first 3 MM-era albums do.  (and I don't consider Scenes to ever featuring good JP solos, just his usual fare, nothing more, if anything)

  JP's usual fare (as you put it) is usually good, at least.

I know, right? It's amazing that Max somehow was a DT fan before MM even joined the band, with his hatred for MP and his downplaying of DT's older catalog. 

[TheCountOfNYC]

Barstool Warrior has the best Petrucci solo work since Scenes from a Memory (Fatal Tragedy, Spirit, BTL).

Not IMHO. The first 3 MM-era albums do.  (and I don't consider Scenes to ever featuring good JP solos, just his usual fare, nothing more, if anything)

The Spirit Carries On would like a word...

[Max Kuehnau]

This is not a controversial opinion in and of itself, rather something I always asked myself anytime I listened to Awake: Why didn't they a) keep the producers for Awake for future albums like FII up until any point in their history and b) why didn't they go back to the same studio they recorded Awake in? (because I liked the room sound for Awake) Maybe Scotty knows.

[TheGreatPretender]

This is not a controversial opinion in and of itself, rather something I always asked myself anytime I listened to Awake: Why didn't they a) keep the producers for Awake for future albums like FII up until any point in their history and b) why didn't they go back to the same studio they recorded Awake in? (because I liked the room sound for Awake) Maybe Scotty knows.

All right, well, I may as well follow up with a controversial opinion then. I don't really like the production of Awake, and I'm glad that their other albums don't sound like it.

[MirrorMask]

To me it sounds crystal clear and powerful. Check the intro for The Mirror, that's pure and sheer badassery 

[Volante99]

Awake is probably, sonically, their best sounding record, IMO.

A bit dated, but less so than I&W, and in the context of 1994, I can’t find much at fault in it.

[Architeuthis]

I was just listening to TOT last night, and I haven't listened to it in years. I really like the sound, it seems very dry as compared to d/t.  That's not a bad thing, I like the dry organic approach which makes it sound heavier.  I also like the nice rich sound of d/t with the top notch production.  Not really trying to compare the two albums, they are just two different beasts soundwise.. 

[pg1067]

This is not a controversial opinion in and of itself, rather something I always asked myself anytime I listened to Awake: Why didn't they a) keep the producers for Awake for future albums like FII up until any point in their history and b) why didn't they go back to the same studio they recorded Awake in? (because I liked the room sound for Awake) Maybe Scotty knows.

This begs a question:  who are "they"?  I wouldn't think the band members had a ton of say in the matter for FII, and I think everyone's pretty clear on what precipitated the initial decision to self-produce.

[Max Kuehnau]

This is not a controversial opinion in and of itself, rather something I always asked myself anytime I listened to Awake: Why didn't they a) keep the producers for Awake for future albums like FII up until any point in their history and b) why didn't they go back to the same studio they recorded Awake in? (because I liked the room sound for Awake) Maybe Scotty knows.

This begs a question:  who are "they"?  I wouldn't think the band members had a ton of say in the matter for FII, and I think everyone's pretty clear on what precipitated the initial decision to self-produce.

Sure. "They" are DT. And I'm aware of their history. I just imagined that, had the events leading to FII not happened, then they might have kept the producers and all that (which I would have liked because I like the general production on Awake). I know it didn't happen the way I was always imagining it.

[pg1067]

This is not a controversial opinion in and of itself, rather something I always asked myself anytime I listened to Awake: Why didn't they a) keep the producers for Awake for future albums like FII up until any point in their history and b) why didn't they go back to the same studio they recorded Awake in? (because I liked the room sound for Awake) Maybe Scotty knows.

This begs a question:  who are "they"?  I wouldn't think the band members had a ton of say in the matter for FII, and I think everyone's pretty clear on what precipitated the initial decision to self-produce.

Sure. "They" are DT. And I'm aware of their history. I just imagined that, had the events leading to FII not happened, then they might have kept the producers and all that (which I would have liked because I like the general production on Awake). I know it didn't happen the way I was always imagining it.

I think the production on FII is fine; it's the songs that drag it down.