Worst DT Solos

[snapple]

I agree about Petrucci's solo. Everyone seems to hate it, but I think it's pretty awesome.

It's probably because the song is a fucking chore to listen to up to that point.

[Dacling]

I agree about Petrucci's solo. Everyone seems to hate it, but I think it's pretty awesome.

It's probably because the song is a fucking chore to listen to up to that point.

I don't even remember how the solos go off the top of my head or anything because I tune out about a quarter of a second after the song starts as every note of the song grates my ears and repeatedly stabs my will to live until 2 seconds in when I finally manage to skip to the next song in my mad panic rush to not endure anymore of it.

[chrisbDTM]

I actually don't mind the bebot solo in AROP. It's a funny moment in a rather dull song (other than JP's fucking killer solo)

jeez i mixed them up. gives away how long since ive listen to either

[wolven74]

The whole ending section of Misunderstood is just.... noise. It doesn't make sense to me.

As for ANTR: Jordan is playing a video game where he's killing cats with the zen riffer. This would have to be the worst solo.

[LCArenas]

The ending of Misunderstood is too long, and even if it wasn't that long it doesn't fit with the song at all.

I didn't like The tradeoff solo of ANTR when I first heard it-not because it was technically bad, if anything it was amazing- but because it turned me off to see yet another tradeoff solo that, by the time BC&SL was released, was getting stale. I don't know if that counts.

[The Curious Orange]

Jordan really needs to find some new keyboard tones. The guy was a real breath of fresh air when he joined DT, and he's a real genius when he tries, but on recent albums he's gotten a bit lazy. There, I said it. 

[Lolzeez]

The only DT solo I find downright awful is the Bebot solo in AROP.

This this this this.

[Sycsa]

Jordan really needs to find some new keyboard tones. The guy was a real breath of fresh air when he joined DT, and he's a real genius when he tries, but on recent albums he's gotten a bit lazy. There, I said it. 

I would agree if we were in 2010, but ADTOE redeemed Jordan with many great sounds and solos. Seeing his keyboard park for the new album, I'm sure he'll up his game even more.

[snapple]

Jordan really needs to find some new keyboard tones. The guy was a real breath of fresh air when he joined DT, and he's a real genius when he tries, but on recent albums he's gotten a bit lazy. There, I said it. 

I, and this is my opinion, think MP had a lot to do with JR's sound ToT-BC&SL. On ADTOE, JR really uses a ton of different keyboard effects and what not. Lots of clean piano as well.

[KevShmev]

Pretty much every DT album with Rudess has a fair amount of piano, but every time a new album comes out, many rave over how much piano is on it, as if it was non-existent on the last one, which was not the case.  Strange.  But I think it speaks to how hit or miss his soloing is, since when people hear the piano, the reaction is always overly positive, and it just seems like there wasn't much of it on the last album because the (not so great) solos stick out more. 

[snapple]

Pretty much every DT album with Rudess has a fair amount of piano, but every time a new album comes out, many rave over how much piano is on it, as if it was non-existent on the last one, which was not the case.  Strange.  But I think it speaks to how hit or miss his soloing is, since when people hear the piano, the reaction is always overly positive, and it just seems like there wasn't much of it on the last album because the (not so great) solos stick out more.

Do you disagree that Jordan used more clean piano in ADTOE?

[KevShmev]

More than usual?  Perhaps, although I'd have to listen to each album and listen for just piano, but my point was that there is a lot of piano on every album, yet every time a new DT album comes out, some have that "Finally some piano!" reaction, as if it was absent on the previous album.

[snapple]

More than usual?  Perhaps, although I'd have to listen to each album and listen for just piano, but my point was that there is a lot of piano on every album, yet every time a new DT album comes out, some have that "Finally some piano!" reaction, as if it was absent on the previous album.

Well, I think there was a huge contrast between ToT-BCSL to ADTOE. Like, I could actually tell when Jordan was playing. SC-BCSL had so much of him doubling the guitar and using not-so-cool effects, that it was hard to place when he was playing.

[KevShmev]

That kind of proves my point, when I alluded to the negative aspects of his playing as what people focus on (some of the soloing, the guitar doubling stuff you mentioned, etc.), and the good stuff, like the abundance of piano playing which is ALWAYS there, is sometimes overlooked.

[nicmos]

I know!  When I listen to The Glass Prison, I'm always thinking "this song would be a masterpiece, if they just took out all those piano parts!" 

[Lowdz]

Keyboard solo from A Rite Of Passage!
Worst Dream theater solo and propably the worst keyboard solo I've ever heard 

Was coming in to say there are no awful DT solos, then I remembered this. I even like the ragtime/lighthearted  piano bits JR throws in but that Bebot solo is like nails on a blackboard.

[darkshade]

the keyboard solo in The Root of All Evil.

The only problem I've had with this solo is it's not mixed loud enough on the album. Actually, I think most of JP's lead guitar is low in the mix on 8vm.

[LieLowTheWantedMan]

I've never had a problem with the Bebot section myself. Always thought it was neat.

[wolven74]

The worst has to be Jordan's solo for Take the Time on Chaos in Motion. He took one of the best solos in the catalogue and took all the tension and release out of it. It had no dynamic, no emotion. And I'm not usually on the side of criticizing Jordan like that.

See, I don't think this is that bad. It's not great, but at least JRs using the right patch. I think it'd have been better had he stayed on the keyboard and not used the zen riffer

[Lucidity]

I feel bad that 95% of the solos mentioned in this thread are Jordan's 

[Mosh]

Soloing isn't his strong point, imo. Which kinda makes sense, he comes from a more classical background, as opposed to Petrucci who is into great soloists like Morse and Al Di Meola. Also DS, who is mostly influenced by lead guitar players. JR's strong point is in composing and taking advantage of new technology.

[hefdaddy42]

I feel bad that 95% of the solos mentioned in this thread are Jordan's 

Yeah, but 90 percent of those are A Rite of Passage

[wolfking]

I know this sounds harsh, but I would love to see DT only use keyboards for benefit of the music ie. only having guitar solos.  Jordan usually steers songs too much into masterbation territory which detracts a bit from the songs.

Sort of like what Symphony X did on Paradise Lost.

[Hayden]

The whole ending section of Misunderstood is just.... noise. It doesn't make sense to me.

Given the song it appears in, I think that was kinda the point.

[?]

I feel bad that 95% of the solos mentioned in this thread are Jordan's 

You should note that he has appeared on 7 (soon 8) albums, so there's more room for not-so-good solos in his playing.

I think Jordan's experiments with different instruments and sounds are a double-edged sword: they can be really interesting and cool, but sometimes they are just awful (the Bebot solo in AROP, the horns in Beyond This Life).

[BlobVanDam]

I know this sounds harsh, but I would love to see DT only use keyboards for benefit of the music ie. only having guitar solos.  Jordan usually steers songs too much into masterbation territory which detracts a bit from the songs.

Sort of like what Symphony X did on Paradise Lost.

No. That's a terrible idea. If I wanted to not be listening to keyboard solos, I'd listen to some other band.

[hefdaddy42]

Yeah, I don't like that idea either.

[Basekick]

I think Jordan's experiments with different instruments and sounds are a double-edged sword: they can be really interesting and cool, but sometimes they are just awful (the Bebot solo in AROP, the horns in Beyond This Life).

I'm shocked it took 3 pages to mention the Beyond This Life horns solo.  I still don't understand how on earth someone hears that and goes "sweet solo!"

[Lucidity]

I think Jordan's experiments with different instruments and sounds are a double-edged sword: they can be really interesting and cool, but sometimes they are just awful (the Bebot solo in AROP, the horns in Beyond This Life).

I'm shocked it took 3 pages to mention the Beyond This Life horns solo.  I still don't understand how on earth someone hears that and goes "sweet solo!"

Jordan's solo in Beyond This Life is one of my all-time favorite DT solos 

[wolfking]

I know this sounds harsh, but I would love to see DT only use keyboards for benefit of the music ie. only having guitar solos.  Jordan usually steers songs too much into masterbation territory which detracts a bit from the songs.

Sort of like what Symphony X did on Paradise Lost.

No. That's a terrible idea. If I wanted to not be listening to keyboard solos, I'd listen to some other band.

Yeah, I don't like that idea either.

I didn't really expect anyone to embrace this anyway. 

[Elite]

I'll embrace that idea. A keyboard solo here and there is okay for me, but as soon as it starts into a wankfest of random synthesised noise, I'll dislike it straight away.

[wasteland]

I think we are a bit overestimating the size of the "wankery" delivered by JR. I mean, it was almost completely absent in the last record, it's not that he engages musically pointless duels with JP on every song they wrote since he joined the band.

[King Postwhore]

I think we are a bit overestimating the size of the "wankery" delivered by JR. I mean, it was almost completely absent in the last record, it's not that he engages musically pointless duels with JP on every song they wrote since he joined the band.

I don't.  It's the "guitar sounding" solo that are just meh for me form JR.  When he is melodic I love his solos.

[wolfking]

I'll embrace that idea. A keyboard solo here and there is okay for me, but as soon as it starts into a wankfest of random synthesised noise, I'll dislike it straight away.

Yeah.  I used to put up with it, but now it just seems like random masterbation, which I don't care for anymore. 

[BlobVanDam]

I think Jordan's experiments with different instruments and sounds are a double-edged sword: they can be really interesting and cool, but sometimes they are just awful (the Bebot solo in AROP, the horns in Beyond This Life).

I'm shocked it took 3 pages to mention the Beyond This Life horns solo.  I still don't understand how on earth someone hears that and goes "sweet solo!"

Jordan's solo in Beyond This Life is one of my all-time favorite DT solos 

Mine too. BTL is one of my favourite songs off SFAM because of that whole instrumental section. The sleazy keyboard solo is one of my all time favourites from DT (along with JP's Vegas one after that), and I love the wacky drowsy horns and carnival unison. That's the stuff I love.