56. Constant MotionTunnel vision at blinding speed
Controlling my thoughts, obsessing me
Images:This is, of course, an unapologetically energetic heavy metal song. John Petrucci takes the lead with some very memorable riffs, namely that intro riff. My favorite riff, though, is the prechorus riff. I cannot describe very clearly in words my reaction to this riff, but it is just such a brilliant, fist-pumping part that leads perfectly into "Traveling through both space and time..." The solo section is a fun bit, particularly the guitar solo. The keyboard solo is a bit chaotic and hard to follow sometimes, but it fits well into the song.
One of the major elements of this song, and one that I think causes so many to dislike it, is the prominent role of Mike Portnoy's vocals and resulting reduced role for James. I can understand this, but I strongly disagree. I think Mike's voice gives the song some interesting vocal melodies that are of a unique variety in Dream Theater's discography, and he compliments James quite well in this song. The chorus, particularly, is so damn catchy because of the tradeoffs. I also love the second verse section, again because of Mike and James trading off lines, culminating in "Insane random thoughts of neat disorder" and then back into a section of vocal unison. How fun! Which is what this song really is, as a whole: a lot of fun. Dream Theater certainly has better songs, but few that are simply more fun.
Words:Okay, so these are not Dream Theater's best lyrics ever. I'm not really even sure what "Forevermore, into the night, blistering" is supposed to mean. But, honestly, they're not bad. Mike's intended message about the obsessive nature of his personality is clear, well chosen to fit the music, and phrased quite well at parts. I don't have obsessive compulsive disorder, but I do have an obsessive personality and can empathize with these lyrics, since at times I do have "tunnel vision at blinding speed," and it is sometimes true that "no matter what I've found, I can never get enough." So while these aren't the best lyrics throughout the entire song, I like them and give them a pass for any rough patches because they are relatable to me personally.
55. The Shattered FortressI am responsible
When anyone, anywhere reaches out for help
Images:The final song in the Twelve-Step Suite has always gotten a lot of flak, too much in my opinion, for being something of a medley. Yes, it reuses riffs, but they serve a purpose in concluding the suite, there are new lyrics and new melodies, and it really is its own song, and quite a good one at that—it's my third favorite in the Suite.
The introduction is simply killer. That riff builds slowly from Wither or Repentance, whichever way you're coming from, and then goes into a reprise of a number of melodies from the suite. It's quite an epic intro, and the song doesn't let up, carrying the listener right into the tradeoffs at the beginning. INVENTORY! Really, the whole Restraint section is exceedingly epic. The music does seem to me to suggest the image of a "fateful assent from darkest fires." James, by the way, sounds very sharp on this track, as he does on all of
Black Clouds & Silver Linings.
The Receive section, after the solos, is probably the weakest part of the song. I'm rather ambivalent about the deep-voiced Portnoy voiceovers, and I somewhat agree with those who say that the transition out of that section is a bit sudden, though not jarringly so.
In any case, from there, we just race ahead to the epic finish. The riffing and soloing right before the vocals just builds things up so beautifully to that big release in James's final lines in the suite. Then, of course, this being Portnoy, we had to have the outro reprising earlier themes from the suite and ending in static. It's well done, though perhaps a bit too predictable (before hearing the song I did have at least an inkling that it would end in static).
On the whole, this song concludes the suite well and I don't have an issue with the reprises. This song is certainly worthy of belonging to the same composition as the other four parts.
Words:I'm not overly familiar with the Twelve Steps, so I can't judge how well Mike presented the subject matter, but I do very much like the way he rewrote lyrics from earlier in the suite to reflect the positive outcome, like "fateful ascent" or "keep all of me." And the lyrics definitely read like they are describing the conclusion of an epic journey, so that's a good thing in my book.
54. WitherI drown in hesitation
My words come crashing down
Images:A gorgeous yet dark ballad that serves as a breather in
Black Clouds & Silver Linings. Beautiful vocal melodies and great use of both clean and distorted guitar throughout the song, climaxing on the very good (if short) solo. John's backing vocals on the chorus are also a nice touch. This is a John song all the way, but Jordan's subtle contributions also add to the music. On the titular EP, we get to hear different versions of the song, too, which is fun. The piano version definitely has a different vibe, and though I think I'll take the album version, this one is good too. The version where John sings the lead is an interesting change, and I like that they included it, but it's obvious that the song is out of his natural range from the pitch correction and therefore it's certainly no comparison for the James version. Overall, this song is quite good but isn't expansive or deep enough to be one of my very favorites.
Words:Wither has lyrics that are among my favorites of John's later output. I generally think he's a strong enough lyricist, but is the basic workhorse of lyric writing—he doesn't do anything spectacular most of the time, but all of his lyrics are at minimum, fairly good. My main gripes with his writing are that does tend to fall into some of his own tropes some of the time (water's edge), and that he sometimes writes words that are somewhat impersonal and devoid of emotion. Wither falls victim to neither, and is a brilliant description of the emotional impacts of writer's block. Absolutely dripping with powerful emotional imagery, as in the above quote.
53. The Looking GlassRather be stripped of all your pride
Than watch your dreams be cast aside
Images:Before anything else: Yes, it sounds like Rush. Yes, the opening riff sounds like Limelight. But this is not a Rush ripoff. The song is still distinctly Dream Theater.
It is one of the songs on the self-titled where they do sound at times like a power trio + James, and Jordan certainly does take a back seat to Mike and the Johns (Myung is super audible and he sounds awesome!), but Jordan's subtle contributions in the back of the mix are nice (the piano bit after the intro and the stuff under the second verse section). What's really great about this song is that it really is a very concise rock song that has a catchy chorus (well sung by James) but does have some of the complexity and virtuoisity that we've come to expect and love from Dream Theater. John P's solo is a good one and well-placed as a transition into the last chorus. I will register this complaint, which I have about all of DT12: James really just sounds too processed, too layered, too doubled at times. I would like to hear them play most of the album, but this song particularly, live without too many triggered parts so we could get a more natural vocal.
Words:The negative effects of fame is a topic that has been done before, namely by Rush in Limelight, which is an obvious inspiration for this song, but this is the first time we really hear John's take. I find John's perspective on this to be more relatable personally than Neil Peart's, because unlike Neil, I don't entirely shy away from attention. John seems to understand the initial motives of the fame seeker in these lyrics while at the same time criticizing the action of getting carried away with it and giving away yourself and your pride in the process. Not elite among Dream Theater lyrics, but they fit well in the song (particular with the Rushiness of it all) and are interesting enough.
52. Raise the KnifeTortured artist bears his soul
Seems the pressure took its toll
Images:Just to clarify, this is the only song from the 1996-97 sessions not on the
Falling Into Infinity album that was even under consideration for this list. The reason is simply that the sound quality on the FII Demos is too low for me to really enjoy the songs that are on there, so I can't tell if I like them or not. Raise the Knife has the
Score version, so I'm able to tell that I really like it.
This is a trademark 10-15 minute DT prog rock song. It is perhaps not as top-of-the-line and memorable throughout to reach the level of DT's best songs of this variety, but it still is a musical adventure without a dull moment. The variety of moods through which it travels seems ready-made for the emotional roller-coaster of Mike Portnoy's lyrics. The instrumental section of the song is perhaps not the typical DT instrumental, but I quite like it, particularly as a buildup to that last chorus.
The centerpiece of this song is honestly the chorus. One thing I'll mention often throughout this list that I think DT doesn't get enough credit for is writing brilliant and catchy choruses. This is one of those. I don't recall exactly who sings on the studio demo, but James and Mike trade lines very well on the
Score version to really make it a memorable section. Speaking of James, he does well on the live performance, bringing the needed anger to sections like "Self-serving abortion" and the sadness to parts like "Until I turned my back on you my friend." Very well done.
Words:I'm going to say this right now because it's going to come up a lot in this list: I really like Mike Portnoy and find that I think in a similar way to him from what I've seen. Raise the Knife is no exception, though I do want to clarify that I do not have anything personally against Kevin Moore—I do not know him and I will not take Mike Portnoy's description of his personality at face value. I do think Kevin is a great musician. Nevertheless, I empathize a lot with some of the words of Raise the Knife. I know exactly the type of person that Mike claims (rightly or wrongly) that Kevin Moore is in the section about him, and I tend to share Mike's perspective about that kind of person. Additionally, I recently came back to this song and it improved in my estimation because of a split I had with a friend who in some respects fit into the "tortured artist" description, and I do feel like I was making a significant life change—raising the knife to a picture of a life I once knew.
This song, more than any other, I think, has the potential to grow tremendously to my ear the more I listen to and relate to it. I'm already doubting this spot as I listen to it for this write-up, but I do know that there are a lot of songs that I just flat-out like better. However, it is a testament to how much I love all these songs.
51. Panic AttackI am paralyzed
So afraid to die
Images:One of those DT songs that's just a relentless all-out assault. As a result, it does showcase their ability to make stuff that is pretty fast, very heavy and quite melodic. I mean, this song hits hard, but it's entirely hummable and never seems inaccessibly harsh. Perhaps it's John's riff-writing ability, perhaps it's James nailing those melodies, perhaps it's Jordan's regular presence throughout the track, but the song is just so delightfully melodic and almost romantic even while being very heavy.
Vocally, this is perhaps the best James has sounded on a heavy song, certainly the best since
Awake. The darker tinted backing vocals probably help, but unlike on songs like The Glass Prison or Constant Motion, the lead mic is James's all the way. I've said that
Octavarium is his best album post-accident and perhaps best ever, and you can call me crazy all you want, but does he not elevate this track? Those chorus falsettos. Damn.
Words:Another in a long line of Dream Theater songs written about mental health disorders. It's pretty descriptive, and obviously fit well to the music. But other than that, it doesn't stand out among this genre of JP lyrics, especially compared to stuff like About to Crash, Losing Time or Misunderstood.
Topic: 425's Top 50 Dream Theater Songs v. Singularities (Read 30209 times)
