Dream Theater entered the studio in February v. No News is Good News

[rumborak]

And if anybody remembers the initial teaser video of BTFW, that was damn close to air guitar as well

[RaiseTheKnife]

The Answer Lies Within (has this ever actually been played live???)

Unfortunately, yes.

Never played?

RAW DOG!

SHUT YOUR WHORE MOUTH

I think Raw Dog would actually work well live. It's a high energy song and those type of songs are usually well suited for a live setting.

Truth.  So much energy, so powah!

[ResultsMayVary]

Explain.

Well, see, when you take one of those out of the rack, fret notes with your left hand, and simultaneously strike the strings with the right hand, while the instrument is plugged in, it makes cool sounds.

Hope that helps! 

Oh my God. You're saying I've been playing the guitar wrong this whole time?

[Bertielee]

I also like it when JR goes ethnic :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Z2RyLKONfI

B.Lee

[rumborak]

Oh god, that was fucking phenomenal.

Just imagine DT used that stuff to make something similar to this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1-7kCAK4Nc

[ariich]

I actually agree. I don't particularly like Enigma Machine as an album track, but live it's much more entertaining.

Same, though I'm not sure Raw Dog would be as fun.

[zecawolf]

any news about the new release?

[RoeDent]

any news about the new release?

If there was, the page count for this thread would go through the roof. You would know about it straight away.

[Setlist Scotty]

I actually agree. I don't particularly like Enigma Machine as an album track, but live it's much more entertaining.

Same, though I'm not sure Raw Dog would be as fun.

Perhaps, but let's remember how much TSF was hated here until they finally did it live. All of the sudden, a lot of people made a complete 180 and start liking the song. I wouldn't be surprised if something similar happened with Raw Dog as well.

[RodrigoAltaf]

I actually agree. I don't particularly like Enigma Machine as an album track, but live it's much more entertaining.

Same, though I'm not sure Raw Dog would be as fun.

Perhaps, but let's remember how much TSF was hated here until they finally did it live. All of the sudden, a lot of people made a complete 180 and start liking the song. I wouldn't be surprised if something similar happened with Raw Dog as well.

Guilty as charged! Them playing it live has sparked my interest in TSF big time!

[Madman Shepherd]

I actually agree. I don't particularly like Enigma Machine as an album track, but live it's much more entertaining.

Same, though I'm not sure Raw Dog would be as fun.

Perhaps, but let's remember how much TSF was hated here until they finally did it live. All of the sudden, a lot of people made a complete 180 and start liking the song. I wouldn't be surprised if something similar happened with Raw Dog as well.

Guilty as charged! Them playing it live has sparked my interest in TSF big time!

Me too although I think it translates live MUCH better than in the studio.  There are some songs that just take a live performance to change your mind about the song but with this one, I think it is definitely better served in a live setting.  I still don't really dig the studio version that much. 

For what its worth, I like Raw Dog but I could live without it. 

[gmillerdrake]

I actually agree. I don't particularly like Enigma Machine as an album track, but live it's much more entertaining.

Same, though I'm not sure Raw Dog would be as fun.

Perhaps, but let's remember how much TSF was hated here until they finally did it live. All of the sudden, a lot of people made a complete 180 and start liking the song. I wouldn't be surprised if something similar happened with Raw Dog as well.

Guilty as charged! Them playing it live has sparked my interest in TSF big time!

Me too although I think it translates live MUCH better than in the studio.  There are some songs that just take a live performance to change your mind about the song but with this one, I think it is definitely better served in a live setting.  I still don't really dig the studio version that much. 

Count me amongst the swayed as well. The studio version does little for me but that live version on the last DVD was pretty great! It's like a whole different song....different feel. Mangini owns that song and sounded awesome playing it!

[ariich]

I actually agree. I don't particularly like Enigma Machine as an album track, but live it's much more entertaining.

Same, though I'm not sure Raw Dog would be as fun.

Perhaps, but let's remember how much TSF was hated here until they finally did it live. All of the sudden, a lot of people made a complete 180 and start liking the song. I wouldn't be surprised if something similar happened with Raw Dog as well.

Well, I think any hatred of TSF was totally unreasonable and I wasn't even slightly surprised at how good it was live. It's a great song.

[Mladen]

The Shattered fortress is still one of my least favorite Dream Theater songs, but there are some great bits in it and it was worth seeing it live just for those little bits and sections. I was impressed that they decided to play it for the first time and perform it with so much power and attitude, even though I'm not too crazy about it.

[cramx3]

TSF was always good, but that BTFW version is really awesome.

[bosk1]

I actually agree. I don't particularly like Enigma Machine as an album track, but live it's much more entertaining.

Same, though I'm not sure Raw Dog would be as fun.

Perhaps, but let's remember how much TSF was hated here until they finally did it live. All of the sudden, a lot of people made a complete 180 and start liking the song. I wouldn't be surprised if something similar happened with Raw Dog as well.

Well, I think any hatred of TSF was totally unreasonable and I wasn't even slightly surprised at how good it was live. It's a great song.

This.  But I still will give Scotty's point some support by pointing out the example of SDV, which I have long held to be one of DT's absolute worst songs, but yet was one of my personal highlights of BTFW.

But to bring that back to Raw Dog, I do not expect something similar.  SDV got a revamp.  Raw Dog just isn't very good as a complete song.  I have a difficult time seeing how it could be improved on significantly in a live setting.  And I have an even more difficult time seeing the band wanting to play it.

[TAC]

If they can make Enigma Machine sound interesting live, then surely Raw Dog, which is far better to begin with, would be awesome live.

But..not expecting to see it.

[fadetoblackdude7]

The Shattered fortress is still one of my least favorite Dream Theater songs, but there are some great bits in it and it was worth seeing it live just for those little bits and sections. I was impressed that they decided to play it for the first time and perform it with so much power and attitude, even though I'm not too crazy about it.

Yeah that took me completely by surprise. I was under the impression that that track would only be played if they did the whole suite.

[BlackInk]

The Shattered Fortress might have been good live if Petrucci's guitar sound didn't butcher those low notes.

[RoeDent]

I actually agree. I don't particularly like Enigma Machine as an album track, but live it's much more entertaining.

Same, though I'm not sure Raw Dog would be as fun.

Perhaps, but let's remember how much TSF was hated here until they finally did it live. All of the sudden, a lot of people made a complete 180 and start liking the song. I wouldn't be surprised if something similar happened with Raw Dog as well.

If that's all it takes to make people like a song, then they should play Anna Lee live.

[Zook]

Raw Dog isn't that bad. The intro kinda sucks and goes on too long, but once the song gets going, it's pretty cool.

[cramx3]

I also enjoy Raw Dog, it seems a bit of a mish mash of different/cool riffs that were just pulled together to make an instrumental for a video game and if you take it like that and not as some serious song, then it can be fun and enjoyable.  Theres lots of cool riffs in that song.

[The Fatal Tragedy]

Raw Dog might not sound exactly as it was originally intended by the band. I don't quite remember what specific interview it came from, but Jordan Rudess stated that when writing Raw Dog they had originally incorporated the main melody/motif used in the soundtrack to the God of War franchise into the track but they couldn't use it due to copyright related issues.

[RaiseTheKnife]

Raw Dog isn't that bad. The intro kinda sucks and goes on too long, but once the song gets going, it's pretty cool.

The intro is the BEST part for me.  It's a great dismantling of a power chord.

[KevShmev]

I don't remember The Shattered Fortress being that hated around here.   I've always liked it, and still think it is the 3rd best song of the suite (behind Glass Prison and Repentance).  It having so many parts from the previous songs doesn't bother me that much since I almost never listen to The Root... or This Dying Soul.

[King Postwhore]

Kev, Repentance?  Man that's the worst song of the Suite.

[Sacul]

Kev, Repentance?  Man that's the best song of the Suite.

Fixed.

[KevShmev]

Kev, Repentance?  Man that's the worst song of the Suite.

No way.  It's a song with a lovely melody, and I actually like the long ending; the vibe is very nice.

[Nearmyth]

and I actually like the long ending; the vibe is very nice.

Marry me?

[BlobVanDam]

The only problem with Repentance is that it drags on about 4 minutes too long. Other than that, it's really good (I'd still put it second last, but it's still well ahead of TSF).

Raw Dog might not sound exactly as it was originally intended by the band. I don't quite remember what specific interview it came from, but Jordan Rudess stated that when writing Raw Dog they had originally incorporated the main melody/motif used in the soundtrack to the God of War franchise into the track but they couldn't use it due to copyright related issues.

I think you're thinking of the samples. I don't recall anything about a main melody, but they originally had game samples at the end of the song, which they were eventually not allowed to use.

[Voices]

Repentance has a extremely deep and beautiful melody, but the biggest problem IMO are those samples of other artists talking about their personal deceptions and stuff...the song would've been A LOT better if there was a tasteful and long moog solo, a la This Is The Life, or a freakin' lapsteel like the one from 8V into. I do like Repentance, and I have to say that I love JP's solo too...but it is my least favorite from the suite.

[hefdaddy42]

I also enjoy Raw Dog, it seems a bit of a mish mash of different/cool riffs that were just pulled together to make an instrumental for a video game and if you take it like that and not as some serious song, then it can be fun and enjoyable. 

Well, it's not "for a video game" in the sense that it is background music for the game.  It was for the release of the game - it was written to be on a companion collection of music put together to help promote the game.  None of that music is in the game.

Besides, there is no reason not to take it as a serious song.  They wrote it and released it with their name on it, so it gets judged just like all of their other songs.  I'm glad you like it, but it shouldn't get a pass for any reason.

[cramx3]

I also enjoy Raw Dog, it seems a bit of a mish mash of different/cool riffs that were just pulled together to make an instrumental for a video game and if you take it like that and not as some serious song, then it can be fun and enjoyable. 

Well, it's not "for a video game" in the sense that it is background music for the game.  It was for the release of the game - it was written to be on a companion collection of music put together to help promote the game.  None of that music is in the game.

Besides, there is no reason not to take it as a serious song.  They wrote it and released it with their name on it, so it gets judged just like all of their other songs.  I'm glad you like it, but it shouldn't get a pass for any reason.

I know it was not used in the video game, my wording was confusing, but Im not sure how to take the song seriously.  Just because the band puts their name on it does not make it automatically a serious song.  Other than having the DT name on it, what of the actual music would make someone take that song seriously?  Is the band not allowed to right a song that is just fun and not meant to be anything more than that?  Im not even sure thats the case, thats just the feeling I get from listening to the music.

[King Postwhore]

Kev, Repentance?  Man that's the best song of the Suite.

Fixed.

Without my permission.  Bant!

[hefdaddy42]

I also enjoy Raw Dog, it seems a bit of a mish mash of different/cool riffs that were just pulled together to make an instrumental for a video game and if you take it like that and not as some serious song, then it can be fun and enjoyable. 

Well, it's not "for a video game" in the sense that it is background music for the game.  It was for the release of the game - it was written to be on a companion collection of music put together to help promote the game.  None of that music is in the game.

Besides, there is no reason not to take it as a serious song.  They wrote it and released it with their name on it, so it gets judged just like all of their other songs.  I'm glad you like it, but it shouldn't get a pass for any reason.

I know it was not used in the video game, my wording was confusing, but Im not sure how to take the song seriously.  Just because the band puts their name on it does not make it automatically a serious song.  Other than having the DT name on it, what of the actual music would make someone take that song seriously?  Is the band not allowed to right a song that is just fun and not meant to be anything more than that?  Im not even sure thats the case, thats just the feeling I get from listening to the music.

They are professional musicians that were hired to provide a song for this.  It's not any different than other artists having songs on a film soundtrack.  I just don't understand in any way why the song should be judged any other way than any other song they have released.

The reason that it's hard to take seriously is that it's awful.