Which DT album has the best guitar work?

[tiagodon]

I feel like this is kind of an unpredictable poll...
I see JP at his best in Black Clouds & Silver Linings!

[puppyonacid]

I'm saying Awake. Not my fave album but nowhere near my least fave. I think on Awake he had an excellent all round sound and tone. But after touring I&W extensively I think he was right on top of his technique but he still had the ability to reign it in with his solos where need be.

Stand outs are the solos from Voices, Scarred and Innocence Faded. I think his rhythm work on this album and chord selection is really top notch as well. Just all round his best performance although I can't think of an album where I haven't been blown away by his playing.

[rumborak]

Agree on Awake. Great tone, and excellent solos the whole album through. That album was the heyday of his "bluesy chromatic shredding" style.

[BlobVanDam]

I could just as easy choose any between SDOIT, SFAM, FII or IaW (incidentally my top 4). I think they have the best variety, and the best blend of technicality and style.

[The Stray Seed]

Can't choose. There's too many great albums guitar-wise.

[Elite]

Awake without even having to think.

[nikatapi]

I&W for me. I think he hasn't been so diverse ever since (controversial opinion)

[devieira73]

FII IMO. More diversity in styles and in melodic solos. For riffs, I would go with Awake.

[Invisible]

FII IMO. More diversity in styles and in melodic solos. For riffs, I would go with Awake.

100% agree, I'm torn between those two, a lot of subtle work he hasn't really pulled off since, except on SDOIT. Lines In The Sand, Lifting Shadows, Voices and Blind Faith are great examples of him playing a background role and jumping at the right moment for a great dramatic, I haven't really seen him pull that kind of stuff since except maybe in Octavarium and Repentance.

But all DT catalogue is awesome guitar wise, it's almost impossible to praise one over another.

[Podaar]

FII IMO. More diversity in styles and in melodic solos. For riffs, I would go with Awake.

100% agree, I'm torn between those two, a lot of subtle work he hasn't really pulled off since, except on SDOIT. Lines In The Sand, Lifting Shadows, Voices and Blind Faith are great examples of him playing a background role and jumping at the right moment for a great dramatic, I haven't really seen him pull that kind of stuff since except maybe in Octavarium and Repentance.

But all DT catalogue is awesome guitar wise, it's almost impossible to praise one over another.

Yeah, I voted for Falling Into Infinity as well. Although it's not my favorite DT album, I really appreciate what JP did on this album in terms of versatility and showing off his amazing range of skills. It was quite difficult not to choose Awake though...the tone!

[TheGreatPretender]

I'm saying Awake. Not my fave album but nowhere near my least fave. I think on Awake he had an excellent all round sound and tone. But after touring I&W extensively I think he was right on top of his technique but he still had the ability to reign it in with his solos where need be.

Stand outs are the solos from Voices, Scarred and Innocence Faded. I think his rhythm work on this album and chord selection is really top notch as well. Just all round his best performance although I can't think of an album where I haven't been blown away by his playing.

While I think John's performance on Awake was phenomenal, I think the sound and tone that was used on the album was the worst in DT history, aside from maybe WDADU (being the lack of production quality). It worked on some, more chugging riffs like The Mirror, but I think some of the best songs on Awake, like CIAW, Voices and Scarred really suffer from the guitar tone.


My vote went to ToT. It was definitely the most Petrucci gratifying album. Being a Metal driven album, I think that album put DT on the map for a lot of the more purist Metal fans who weren't into DT prior to that. And it could not have been done without some amazing work from Petrucci.

[mikeyd23]

I voted ToT. But it was tough picking, if there is one thing that, IMO, has always consistently been great across pretty much all DT albums, it would be JP's guitar work.

ToT just strikes me as that guitar - heavy record that John really tears it up on.  SFAM and/or SDOIT and/or I&W were all in the hunt for my vote though.

[ReaPsTA]

I voted Awake, but it was really really close.

[Tom Bombadil]

Awake without even having to think.

[The Holy Tune]

I once read that Petrucci said he used almost all his techniques on 6DOIT. And I love whatever he plays on that album. So that's my pick. Sad to see it has only 2 votes so far

[?]

I usually vote for Awake in every "which DT album has the best x" poll, but I gotta go with Six Degrees here. Stylistically, JP shows all his different sides on that album and there's a lot of cool stuff he rarely, if ever, tried on other albums, like the baritone on Blind Faith, the reversed solo in Misunderstood, the Ebow on Disappear and the 12-strings and the acoustic solo in Solitary Shell.

[Crow]

Just from what I've looked at on tabs, I&W easily. I just love how diverse every song is, it's kind of crazy in a way. I&W in under an hour probably has more cohesive ideas than any other album the band's put out, and a good chunk of that is on Petrucci (though really, all four of the instrument-players contribute to the diversity of composition, so.)

[wolfking]

I'd say either TOT or SFAM.

[BlobVanDam]

I once read that Petrucci said he used almost all his techniques on 6DOIT. And I love whatever he plays on that album. So that's my pick. Sad to see it has only 2 votes so far

I'd believe that uses more techniques than any other DT album, and the result isn't self indulgent or overly flashy either, it's used fully to the benefit of the album.
Everything from strumming chords on an acoustic, and an excellent acoustic style solo, to bone crushing metal riffage and shredding out arpeggios like there's no tomorrow, and everything in between.

[aprilethereal]

Pretty difficult, but I chose TOT. It's basically amazing riff after amazing riff for the nearly the whole runtime and technically, he hit his peak as well.

[kiwiclapton]

Very hard to nail just one. I'm going with the latest record .

[Outcrier]

I voted Scenes but anything from Images to Six Degrees fits the bill.

[Invisible]

I once read that Petrucci said he used almost all his techniques on 6DOIT. And I love whatever he plays on that album. So that's my pick. Sad to see it has only 2 votes so far

Six Degrees is a serious contender to FII, probably better if we judge more objectively, but since we're only allowed one vote I had to choose FII since I love his playing there, but 6DOIT is definetely one of his best guitar work without question.

[Polarbear]

I should post here more often... it has been awhile since the last time. Anyway my choice would be SDOIT.

[hefdaddy42]

I agree that 6DOIT displays him doing the most things.

But the things that he does best are best done on Awake.

[ZKX-2099]

Voted Black Clouds. When it comes to solos that is JP's best album.

[Tis BOOLsheet]

What do you mean by "guitar work" exactly? Technically, John has gotten better and better of the years. But his songs aren't necessarily linear too.

[tiagodon]

Guitar work = technique, inspiration, criativity, versatility, feeling, maturity, agility... Everything related to good guitar playing.

[Dublagent66]

SDOIT no question.

[DTFan0789]

I think that what makes SDOIT the best guitar album for me is the fact there is just SO much playing on it. JP really gets to show off everything from his musical repertoire, from heavy/thrashy 7-string riffage, to intense shredding, to sweet, melodic solos to crystal clean rhythms. There is really something for every guitar enthusiast on there.

[Lucidity]

Six Degrees. So many memorable melodies and such a clear tone.

[erwinrafael]

Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence

Metal riffs in The Glass Prison
Rhythm gutar in Blind Faith
Reverse guitar solo in Misunderstood
Heavy riff in War Inside My Head and The Test That Stumped Them All
Amazing acoustic guitar solo in Solitary Shell
"Happy" rock and roll riff in About To Crash (reprise)

[Rattlehead]

I also went with SDOIT, and I'm going to be lazy and say that I couldn't have explained it better why I chose it than how the last 3 posters did 

[tiagodon]

Very technical guitar players of this Forum are picking: Awake and Six Degrees.
Not so very technical but heart-guitar players of this Forum are picking: Images and Scenes From a Memory.
Fans over 35 are picking: Black Clouds and Dream Theater.
Fans under 30 are picking: Train of Thought.

 

[Shadow Ninja 2.0]

Not entirely sure how you came to those conclusions.