Tom Bombadil's Top 50 DT Songs- COMPLETED!

[Tom Bombadil]

Has she really? It's been so long since I've read it.

Shit nevermind I was wrong anyway. Its hard to keep all the information straight.

[bosk1]

Glad I could completely derail the actual music discussion. 

[Tom Bombadil]

Glad I could completely derail the actual music discussion. 

It was necessary

[Tom Bombadil]

Ok lets get back on track with the list:

17. Endless Sacrifice- This is a song that really has it all. It starts out very slow and melodic, and it sounds very dark. JLB and Jordan are excellent here and help create this really cool atmosphere. Once you think this is a mellow song, however, it explodes into this really heavy chorus, with excellent guitar work from JP. I especially love those little bleeps he puts in the chorus (No idea what to actually call those. Then it mellows out again with the 2nd verse, but you can still hear a more metal guitar in the background, which gives it a rather menacing vibe. After another awesome chorus, JP lays out this sweet riff, which becomes the focal point of this very long instrumental section. Just like the chorus was to the verse, this part is extremely different from the rest of the song, as it's very upbeat and fast, as oppose to the beginning. The solo tradeoff section is really nice, although I must say that Jordan's 20 second interlude of funny noises really irritates me. Don't see any purpose for it being in the song, all it does is disrupt the flow. Oh well, its only 20 seconds or so and afterwards you get to listen to some great solos from JP and JR. One of the best parts of the song is the vocals in the bridge leading up to the final chorus. It's got a really nice feel to it. There's one last chorus just to rock your socks off again, and a perfect ending, which includes some crazy fills from MP. This would be a great introduction song for a newcomer to DT. It has mellow parts, heavy parts, fast parts, chugging riffs, atmospheric keyboards, and great vocals. Fantastic song.

16. Breaking All Illusions- ADTOE was the first real DT album that I had the pleasure of waiting until release date (I was only a small fan when BC&SL came out). I remember the great anticipation, and the high expectations, not only for the album, but particularly for this song, being the first song with JM lyrics in a long time. Well I am glad to say it has met all of them. From the very beginning, you know it's going to be quite the proggy tune. This is a truly great all around effort from the band. Everyone seems to be in sync, especially the new guy, MM. He really helps put the thing together. JP and JR are excellent, they don't play too many notes, nor too few. JLB is excellent as always. And the added bonus is a clearly audible JM, especially in the beginning 7/4, 6/4, 5/4, 7/4 section (which is awesome by the way). JM is a really excellent bassist, and its really a shame that he gets buried in a lot of songs. Luckily, this is not one of those tunes, and his contributions really enhance the final product. High points of the song would have to be the chorus and JP's wonderful guitar solo. The whole instrumental section is amazing, without even a second of unnecessary wankery.  But my favorite part comes in around 10:20, where JP lays out this beautiful soaring guitar line that leads perfectly back into the chorus. Gives me chills every time. ADTOE may have been a very safe album for the most part, but this song really shows what DT is capable of- high quality music at affordable prices.

15. Home- I've said earlier that I don't think DT is a really riff based band. They're so progressive that they rarely come back to a riff for long. Well, that absolutely does not apply to this song. Without a doubt the best Dream Theater riff of all time is in this song. In fact, there are two riffs I would place in my top 10 DT riffs (ah, there's a fun idea for another list  ). I prefer the one that comes in at 1:44, with some awesome guitar distortion, which rarely seems to work in other DT songs, but is perfect here. The other riff at 2:27 is also incredible. So in just 2 and half minutes, you have to digest two of the most mind blowing riffs ever, and then there's 10 more excellent minutes that follow. That's a lot to have in one song. I love how long and drawn out the vocals are, it's something that rarely happens in DT songs, and if you haven't already noticed, I like the unique things in DT songs the most. Speaking of unique, there's these weird sound effects in the background during mind-blowing riff #2 that really add to the experience. And just like in BAI, Myung is very audible in this song (he's usually playing mind-blowing riff #1 in the background, which is awesome).

Now there are a few points in this song where it kind of looses its excellence. First part is probably pretty obvious- those random orgasm noises in the middle section. Seems pretty unnecessary to me. It's pretty obvious to tell from the lyrics what's going on in the story, and I don't think that was needed. The only other point for me is the ending. Not even really sure why, but it's never done anything for me. I feel like the song would seem more cohesive if it ended before that part. The great thing is that the rest of the song is so awesome that these little flaws are barely noticeable. I forget to mention the chorus in all this. It's incredible. One of DT's absolute bests. I especially love the backing vocals, they really help complement James' voice. All in all, this song has some of the all time greatest DT moments. Just take out the two things I mentioned above, and it would be an easy top 10 song. 

[Prog Snob]

I'm really curious about something, but not sure how to ask.

Go ahead man.

Well...why doesn't the ring have any effect on you?

I may be wrong here but I think it's because I have a strong enough will that I can wear the ring without Sauron having any control over me. They always are talking about someone who could use the ring themselves and not be influened by it. And I do beleive somewhere in the council of elrond they mention that I could control the ring if I wanted to, but that I'd really have no such interest in theose matters.

It took me a little while to realize what you were talking about

I'm pretty sure there's never been a proven reason as to why, but I think what I said above is as close to being correct as it gets.

I always wondered this myself. After Frodo destroys the ring and everyone is headed home, Gandalf mentions that he has to go speak with Tom Bombadil to keep him updated on the events that had transpired. I always wondered why he needed to do that.  What kind of importance did Tom Bombadil hold that warranted Gandalf's immediate attention?  I used to think that Tom Bombadil was the human embodiment of Eru or one of the other spirits.

Oh, great list so far!   

[JoeG]

Three good picks. Home is on the tail end of my top 10, it has so many unorthodox sounds to it. Endless Sacrifice and Breaking all Illusions are great ones too. The BAI guitar solo can never get enough praise.

[Ruba]

The BAI guitar solo can never get enough praise.

My favourite moment on the entire ADTOE. 

[iamtheeviltwin]

BiTS and TSCO are each about 19 places too low.     Great picks and nice write-ups.

[Tom Bombadil]

We are really starting to get down there. Here comes 14, 13, and 12!

14. Hell's Kitchen- Probably coming as a surprise here, Hell's Kitchen is far and away my favorite DT instrumental. The atmosphere on this tune is incredible, and is the main reason it's ranked so high. JP is most definitely the centerpiece of this song, and yet he doesn't even have one second that sounds like showing off. His solo in the beginning has such an uplifting, soaring tone. It almost makes you feel like you're flying. MP has some really complex parts, which make the song stay interesting the whole way through. What sets this song apart from a lot of DT pieces, and especially their instrumentals, is that it is very slow moving. Most DT songs have a wide array of sounds and ideas that keep progressing very quickly, but Hell's Kitchen doesn't have that.  Now that is not to say that it stays stagnant, but it essentially focuses on one idea and then continues to build and develop it. Sometimes, this has a tendency to make a song boring, but that is not the case here. It knows exactly when to progress in order to keep things interesting. And just when it seems that this idea can't be developed any more, it segues right into LITS perfectly. It's a great example of a masterfully crafted song. There's no extra length added, and it's not cut short at any point. It's just perfect exactly the way it is.



13. Blind Faith- I'm really not sure why, but this song took a long time for me to get in to. And then there's that one day where it just clicks, and you get it. Love when that happens. Blind Faith starts out with some weird sounding fade in noises, which is probably a big reason it took me so long to get this song. Now I think it sounds really cool. And then JOHN FREAKIN MYUNG has this wonderful shining moment, which is the opening for this wonderful atmospheric section which might be my favorite part of the song. Portnoy's drums are so tasteful in this section, and actually in the whole song. The guitar doesn't even come in until about 30 seconds in, which I find pretty unique. JLB is incredible especially in the beginning and the chorus. Well, after this awesome melancholy beginning, there's a nice build up with the pre-chorus, which all comes to a climax at the chorus, which is excellent. Then DT does one of their signature moves by having the 2nd verse MUCH heavier than the first. This strategy works pretty much every time in my book, and it does here too.

Well, over the course of this top 50 you've heard me say quite a few times that some of DT's instrumental sections tend to drag on a bit, and can sometimes disrupt the rhythm of the song (Beyond This Lide, TMOLS, etc.) Well now you can be thankful that you won't hear any of that in this particular write-up. Because the instrumental section in Blind Faith is perfect. It fits perfectly with the song, doesn't disrupt anything, and is the perfect length. Yes, there are lightning fast melodies by JP and JR, and some really insane drum fills (that are REALLY fun to play) but they don't sound like showing off. In fact, they are exactly what's needed to bring this song to incredible heights.  The solos are all very good, although I wouldn't rank them as my favorite, there's certainly nothing wrong with them, and Jordan's piano interlude sounds great, which is something I rarely say. And then the best part about it is that it flows perfectly back into the pre-chorus, with no obvious places where they were like "time to get back to the song". It all feels like part of the same song. Then it ends with the same wonderful atmospheric section as it began, with the weird noises coming back in to put the finishing touches on this masterpiece of music.



12. Take the Time- Ahhh, that keyboard solo. Need I say more? Probably not, but I will anyway . This is one of the crown jewels of I&W, my 2nd favorite DT album to date. The intro is fabulous, with KM providing excellent background and atmosphere as always, and JP laying out that simple riff to open the song. And then BAM! It takes off with that absolutely amazing keyboard solo by KM. I really can't emphasize enough just how awesome it is. Then the first verse is a very experimental, with JM taking a leading role, JP playing some jazzy sounding chords/notes, and JLB doing very abnormal, yet tasteful things (CHAAAAAAAAANGE!). Then it has more of a typical I&W feel, which is definitely not a bad thing. The chorus is excellent, and very catchy. But then something happens that requires a whole new paragraph:

That 2nd verse. Holy mother of god. Everybody in the band is just playing at their %100 best. MP's drumming is amazing, and JP and KM being their usual selves. But then theres James "Holy Shit" Labrie. Like WOW! He starts off amazing with the "unbroken spirits" line, but somehow manages to go up from there. I can't even find the words to describe how awesome "If there's a PENSIVE FEAR" is. I've been listening to it so many times over the last 5 years, and my god, it still blows me away to this date. In fact, I'm listening to it right now and I'm speechless (but I can still write a lot apparently ). That short little 30 second thing is so good that it really deserves 2 paragraphs, but that would probably get pretty boring.

Well, you pass that part and guess what? You've still got about 4 and a half minutes of greatness to listen to. Now just like with Blind Faith, the instrumental section here is flawless. There's really not a weak point in it. And also like Blind Faith, it leads back to the chorus perfectly, without an obvious separation point. After one excellent final chorus, there's a very cool ending that perfectly wraps up this excellent song. My only gripe is they faded out the guitar solo, which I admit sounds cool, but after seeing the Live at the Marquee version, it's like "why on earth did they fade that?" Certainly not a big enough problem to push this song out of the top 12. Oh, and did I mention JLB's incredible second verse. Yea? Ok, but how could I end a write-up on this song and not bring it up one last time.


Any guesses on the Top 10 (well, 11 really)

[Ruba]

 

 



Could you please give us a recap? It would be easier to make guesses for top 11.

[JoeG]

Three good ones! You need to stop posting songs right before I put them in my list 10 or so places higher! 

Blind Faith  . Near the top of my list for "songs that need to be brought back live immediately."

[Tom Bombadil]

Alright. here's the recap up to this point:

50. A fortune in lies
49. Caught in a web
48. The ministry of lost souls
47. Where are you now?
46. Pull me under
45. Ytse Jam
44. Finally Free
43. Peruvian skies
42. Beneath the surface
41. The Great Debate
40. Erotomania
39. Lifting shadows off a dream
38. Another day
37. Don't look past me
36. This is the life
35. To live forever
34. As I Am
33. Honor Thy Father
32. The Glass Prison
31. One Last Time
30. Surrounded
29. Outcry
28. Trial of Tears
27. Innocence Faded
26. Overture 1928
25. The Root of All Evil
24. Beyond This Life
23. Under a Glass Moon
22. 6:00
21. The Silent Man
20. Bridges in the Sky
19. The Spirit Carries On
18. Disappear
17. Endless Sacrifice
16. Breaking All Illusions
15. Home
14. Hell's Kitchen
13. Blind Faith
12. Take The Time
11-1. ?

And remember, Metropolis, SDOIT, and ITPOE didn't make the list.
Some should be pretty obvious. Others, not so much.

[Ruba]

Alright, I'm guessing:

These Walls
A Change of Seasons
Fatal Tragedy
Lines in the Sand
Stream of Consciousness

[JoeG]

My predictions, based on very little other than notable songs missing, general vibe of your list, and a few comments you've made in my thread:

11. Fatal Tragety
10. The Count of Tuscanny
9. Blind Faith*
8. The Glass Prison*
7. Learning to Live
6. Eve
5. Stream of Consciousness
4. The Great Debate*
3. Octavarium
2. Lines in the Sand
1. A Change of Seasons


* = I forefit these predictions on account of user induced Control-F failure.

[Tom Bombadil]

My predictions, based on very little other than notable songs missing, general vibe of your list, and a few comments you've made in my thread:


9. Blind Faith
8. The Glass Prison
4. The Great Debate

I can safely reveal that these three will not be in the top 11, seeing as blind faith is 13, TGP is 32, and TGD is 41.   

[JoeG]

My predictions, based on very little other than notable songs missing, general vibe of your list, and a few comments you've made in my thread:


9. Blind Faith
8. The Glass Prison
4. The Great Debate

I can safely reveal that these three will not be in the top 11, seeing as blind faith is 13, TGP is 32, and TGD is 41.   

 

Ctrl-F, why have you forsaken me?

[Tom Bombadil]

Lets trim it down to an even 10 today shall we?

11. A Change of Seasons- Coming as a surprise to absolutely no one is DT's first real "epic". So much has already been said about this song, so I'll try to just focus on the parts that particularly grabbed my attention. First would definitely be the first big riff of the song, starting at 1:19. Such a powerful riff, it totally makes you want to crank it up and . Then there's MP's playing from his first note all the way up to carpe diem. It's very intricate and complex, yet it sounds simple, exactly the kind of drumming I like the most, although the snare does sound a bit strange. It's really not bad, though, just different. Anyway, the next high point for me is that first chorus during the innocence section. It's very catchy and sounds like a great "arena rock" chorus (to steal one of JP's lines). Then we've got carpe diem, which features some really nice guitar work by JP and JLB being JLB. The Darkest of Winter's is the only real section of the song that I find is not quite up to par. It certainly isn't a bad instrumental section, but it seems to drag out a bit long. It just makes the next section that much sweeter when it finally arrives.

As I'm sure most of you guessed, Another World is easily my favorite section of the song. It's %100 flawless. James is once again absolutely brilliant. It actually takes quite a bit of willpower to not sing along. And not only are the vocals perfect, but the lyrics are also incredible. It seems like such a paradox, but there's so much going on in this section, yet so little. Allow me to try and explain. There's a lot going on in the background here, especially with JP and JM. Still, it almost has that minimalistic feel to it. Ok, that probably makes no sense, so I'll move on. JP's solo that follows is just amazing. It couldn't possibly be any better. This segues nicely into the final instrumental section, which I also find just a tiny bit underwhelming, but less so than the previous. The crimson sunset is the perfect ending. It brings back melodies from the beginning, yet also manages to add to them slightly to make things more interesting. And then it ends the same way it begins, repeating that endless cycle that is the changing of the seasons .

[Tom Bombadil]

10. In the Name of God- Train of Thought's masterpiece comes in at #10 on the list. Talk about a diverse song. It starts out with JP playing a very mysterious melody. And then BAM! Awesome sweet heavy as shit riff coming. Then JP drops out and its JLB singing over a very deep bass from JM. Then it's Jordan's time as he comes in with some excellent piano chords. All this, and we're like 1:30 into the song, and we've already covered that much ground! Wow... Shortly after this we are introduced to the lovely chorus. It's hard to describe the sort of emotion James is singing with in the chorus, it's like he's angry, and feels helpless at the same time. Either way, it sounds really good. Shortly after the first chorus comes one of my favorite moments of the song, or any song really. "Straight is the path leading to your salvation". Now this is good stuff. So much energy in Labrie's voice, and JP's riffs are super heavy, yet crisp and clear (it's pretty amazing how he can do both at the same time). After a second chorus, there's another one of my favorite parts. It's centered around JM, which is really cool, because JM is usually lost in a lot of the heavy, metal-ish tracks. Not here. He is right in the forefront, and his deep bass sets the tone for the whole song. When JP comes in with that really heavy two note riff, it's like "whoa". And right after that comes my favorite part of the whole song. There's this really cool sounding electronic breakdown, and then what might just be the single heaviest moment in DT's history. James singing "JUSTIFYING VIOLENCE!" with those black metal vocals in the background gives me the chills every time. It's so forceful and big and loud and whatever you wanna call it, it's just awesome.

Unfortunately, after that part is my least favorite part of the song, the crazy instrumental section. The beginning part is really cool, with JP staying really heavy, with that one lightning fast section, which sounds great (it's the riff at 7:35 if that didn't explain well enough). But then it changes pace and it's time for the "how many notes can we fit into 1 minute" section. It sounds like quite a show-off fest to me. However, there is a silver lining in this black cloud, and that's JM. He's got this awesome, and clearly audible, background riff that I really focus on during this part, because I certainly prefer it to the massive barrage of notes. To be clear, I don't think this is a bad instrumental section, but compared to the rest of the song, it doesn't stand up. It does nicely segue back into the main riff, though, which is nice. And from there on out it is all good all the time. JLB has another chorus, followed by this incredible vocal section "RELIGIOUS BELIEFS..." It's probably JLB's highest moment of the entire album (although I have to admit it is pretty hard to understand what he's saying). All of this is complemented by some of my favorite accompanying Jordan chords, which eventually become the solitary entity in the outro. It's a really fantastic way to end such a killer song, and for all the times I've called Jordan out for overplaying, this makes up for all of those occasions combined, and more. While all of these parts and sections are excellent, what really makes the song incredible is just the overall vibe that saturates the whole song. I can't even describe exactly what that vibe is, but it's something special, and it sets this song apart from most, which makes it the #10 DT song of all time (well, up to this point anyway).

(If nobody comments on my BC&SL pun, I will be very very sad )

[Ruba]

10. In the Name of God-

However, there is a silver lining in this black cloud

Don't worry, be happy!

This is one of the songs which majority of the fanbase seems to love, but I just don't get it.

[Prog Snob]

I love this song, love the lyrics, and especially love the solos!

[aXygnus]

It's funny how no one ever mentions that godly anthem on the background of the outro and meanwhile Portnoy is doing some fucking tasty drum fills everywhere. It's one of my favorite DT moments, and it even beats the Budokan version.

[Prog Snob]

It's funny how no one ever mentions that godly anthem on the background of the outro and meanwhile Portnoy is doing some fucking tasty drum fills everywhere. It's one of my favorite DT moments, and it even beats the Budokan version.

It took a few listens before I realized that there was something playing in the background during outro.

[iamtheeviltwin]

ITNOG is a great song.   

[Shadow Ninja 2.0]

This is probably my least favorite DT song. I almost never listen to it. But, people seem to dig it, so good choice.

[Tom Bombadil]

here's the next one:

9. Misunderstood- Ok, I know exactly what the first 4 or 5 responses will say: "this is a great song, but that ending is terrible!!!!" Well I shall try my best to get you people to see otherwise, and realize that this song, from beginning to end, including every weird guitar noise, is incredible. The opening is so beautiful and mellow, and James' vocals give the feeling of being, well, misunderstood. That's what I think makes this song truly special. It conveys the message of the song more-so through the tone of the music than the words. The beginning has this confused feel, like "why doesn't anyone seem to get what I'm saying?" kind of feel. Then there's that awesome guitar shriek and suddenly you get into the chorus where it's more of an angry tone. This all makes perfect sense to me.  In a situation where you are misunderstood, I would think that most people's first reaction is to be confused, and then to get angry. The song just seems to fit together in just the perfect way that it all seems so coherent to me. But now let's talk more about the music itself. This too, is awesome. JP is his usual awesome self, and MP's drumming is fantastic. He keeps it simple when he has to be, and then he explodes right before the 3rd chorus with a lightning fast fill that always makes pumps me up. I absolutely love the small instrumental section after the first chorus. It's so mysterious and it's got that feeling that something big is about to happen. JP's solo is excellent, once again he does a great job of conveying the tone of the song. Then the vocal section that follows ("playing a lion being led to a cage") is one of my favorite parts of the song. It has an excellent build up, and leads perfectly back into the chorus. Oh, and the lyrics to this song are fantastic as well.

Now there's this little something called the ending. It seems to be a rather controversial topic around here, and I have to admit I agreed with the majority at first. I thought it was way too crazy and just random noise. It was actually my brother who taught me otherwise. He basically said "listen to it in the context of the song" and he was totally right. Is it my favorite part of the song? No, but I really do think it actually fits perfectly and is an integral part of this piece. If you think about it, that's what being misunderstood would sound like if it could be converted to music. There's so much confusion, chaos, anger, pain, suffocation, the list just goes on and on. Whenever I listen to this song, I tend to think of a point in time where I was misunderstood by another, and it's like "holy shit, this is exactly what it felt like". I encourage you to try that sometime, I think you'll gain a lot more respect for the ending and for the song as a whole.

So there you have it. This is why I feel this song was brilliantly composed and highly thought out. Not a single section is weak IMO, and the ranges of this song are amazing. It's got great soft parts, great loud parts, and crazy stuff to go along with it. Such a great song.

[Ruba]

At first I hated this song, but over time I have begun to love it  . And the outro is awesome.

[GentlemanofDread]

What a great pick for number 9! Love Misunderstood.

[hefdaddy42]

I wouldn't have Misunderstood that high, but your list is unfolding nicely.

[Tom Bombadil]

I wouldn't have Misunderstood that high, but your list is unfolding nicely.

I have a feeling you won't be saying that for long.

[JoeG]

"this is a great song, but that ending is terrible!!!!"

 

Believe me, I've given it quite a few chances, on the basis of the main part being so great. But the ending just devolves into noise for me. I can think of plenty of songs that convey confusion, chaos, anger, pain and suffocation that are also easy on the ears.

Still, if you can see past that outro, I can see why you'd put it up at #9. Very interesting pick 

[ResultsMayVary]

You have some pretty interesting decisions on this list. 

[Tom Bombadil]

8. Lines in the Sand- There have been so many songs on this list (and in DT songs in general), where it takes multiple listens before you "get" it. Well, this song is not one of them. From the very first time I heard it, I was like "wow, this is good stuff". It was one of the first Dream Theater songs I had ever heard, and it definitely helped me get into the band. It's also pretty amazing that this song would have been in my top 10 5 years ago, and it still is today. It's truly a testament to the longevity and just the overall excellence of the song. Now about the music itself. It's got a very experimental feel to it. A lot of it is pretty outside-the-box stuff from DT. The intro has some really nice keyboard work from Derek, and it's a great example of what he brought to the table in DT. Something I find really weird (but really awesome) is that the intro works great when it is played after Hell's Kitchen, and yet at the same time it works great by itself. I find that pretty amazing, but I digress. Anyway, once the while band comes in the song really takes off. Portnoy is playing some truly great patterns on those drums of his, and my man JM is so clear and audible, like most of FII. Myung's bass lines are just straight up tasty in this song (if music were food, that is). Then there's JP, whose playing a very interesting, almost jazzy, style of guitar. As I've said so many times in the course of this list, I really enjoy when DT goes out and does something experimental and different from the normal (well, most of the time ). JLB does what JLB does- he fits the song and does exactly what's required of him. The chorus is one of the most unique ones, with the background vocalist echoing JLB's lines, although it's not exactly an echo since it is louder than the original, but again I digress. The chorus is a big turn-off for a lot of people because of that very reason, but I personally find it great.

Well then, let's talk about this guitar solo. Like "wow" it's pretty frikin incredible. Just about everything about it is perfect. Just like in the earlier sections, it's got a bit of a jazzy feel to it, so it fits right in. The vocal melody that follows is stunning "enlist the den of thieves...". It's one of my favorite parts. Now, there's been a lot of talk recently about the cohesiveness of DT songs. There certainly shouldn't be any argument about that in this song. It's 12 minutes long, but it still feels like one idea that was built created and augmented and built upon. The different sections in the middle like the guitar solo and the vocal part I was talking about work perfectly within the song. There's nothing that really feels out of place, like it was just thrown in at the end. Now usually when doing something like that in a 12 minute song, it starts to feel stretched and boring, but once again, not this song. It honestly feels like 7 minutes or so, and I definitely attribute that to time flying when you're having fun. Cause this is a fun tune, from start to finish, and it stays so good that you almost wish it was longer.

[mike099]

LITS is a great song.  FII is one of my favorite cds by DT.  One reason is the sound.  You can hear the instruments so clearly.  And yes, that guitar solo

[Viking of the Sagas]

obvious fanboy is too obvious but nice picks.

[Tom Bombadil]

obvious fanboy is too obvious but nice picks.

What exactly does that mean?