Let's get this show on the road.
50. A Nightmare to Remember
The title for the opening track on Dream Theatre's Black Clouds & Silver Linings is somewhat ironic. While most certainly a decent soundtrack for a nightmare, Dream Theatre fails to deliver a whole lot of memorable material, despite its inexcusable 16 minute length. I'll say it many times over the course of this list: my favorite songs are those which take me on a journey, and for the 'epics' to even stand a chance, this is a requirement. As I look back on my journey through this Nightmare I remember the cold and calculated mood more than anything. Oh yeah, and Mike Portnoy.
Cons: The length is just unnecessary, the instrumentation is verging on wankery (with practically no emotional weight), the lyrics are a bore, and the story from whence those lyrics are derived sucks. Also, Mike Portnoy goes overboard with his attempt at 'singing' 11 some minutes into the song, and the rest of the music suffers as a result.
Degree of Dislike (1-100; where 100=hate): 94
49. This Is the Life
After opening up with one of Dream Theatre's longer songs, it seems fitting to look in on one of their shorter, and less ambitious efforts. While still coming in at nearly 7 minutes, This Is the Life feels startlingly short and light when compared to the Nightmare mentioned above. Fear not though, for this life is far from perfect.
Cons: While doing nothing majorly wrong, This Is the Life also fails to do anything excellent. Consequently, this song leaves much to be desired. The pedestrian lyrics and pedestrian vocal performance are reminiscent of Another Day, with the primary difference being that this one is a hell of a lot more boring.
DoD: 90
48. Hell's Kitchen
Speak of the devil! Another shorter track, this time an instrumental from the somewhat controversial Falling Into Infinity, Hell's Kitchen falls at number 48 on my least disliked list. To be honest, I don't have too much to say for this track, only that it's one of my least disliked Dream Theatre instrumentals...
Cons: Besides Portrucci, not much happens in this song. And as great as Portrucci is, his playing alone hardly warrants a spot higher than this.
DoD: 85
47. Scene Seven II. One Last Time
The fourth song on my list comes from my least disliked Dream Theatre album ever. One of the interesting things about SFAM is that, individually, many of its songs are just okay. The whole certainly is greater than the sum of its parts, and SFAM is the perfect example. Coming near the end of the story, One Last Time provides a decent interlude between the wanktacular Dance of Maternity and the ballad Spirit Carries On. But, disregarding this truth, and focusing on the song as a stand-alone work, as I must do, One Last Time offers very little.
Cons: As I mentioned before, taken out of the context of SFAM, this song does little more than satisfy my urge for a quicky with Rudes.
DoD: 84
46. The Glass Prison
Surely the most controversial spot on my list up to this point goes to The Glass Prison, also known as Dream Theatre's most overrated song of all time. Time and time again I see this track appear on fan boys' top 10 lists, and lets be real... it doesn't deserve that spot. It's a decent heavy song, but hardly the epitome of what Dream Theatre has to offer in that regard (as I so often see it described).
Cons: The 14 minutes which this piece approaches is unnecessary, and the result is a lot of wanky filler. Now don't get me wrong, when I'm working out I love the wanky filler. But when I sit down to listen to Dream Theatre, I'm looking for something more; something which The Glass Prison doesn't fulfill. Also, similar to The Nightmare, this song suffers from a little bit too much Mike Portnoy.
DoD: 89
I think that'll do for now...