Poll

What Are Your Thoughts On "The Gift of Music?"

I absolutely love it. This album's going to be the next Scenes from a memory!!!
68 (17.8%)
I really like it and can't wait to hear the rest of the album.
207 (54.2%)
It's not the best song in the world, but I like it.
65 (17%)
It's okay, I'll still be interested in the album, just hoping other songs are better
35 (9.2%)
This is really a disappointment. I hope the other songs are way better . . .
7 (1.8%)

Total Members Voted: 374

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Offline Sycsa

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Re: What Are Your Thoughts On "The Gift of Music?"
« Reply #245 on: December 05, 2015, 08:57:00 AM »
Been listening a lot to it in the last couple of days, I'm very impressed. It's a refined, confident and mature effort, really sounds like an inspired veteran band. Tasteful melodies, very pleasant mix, no wankery, no excess. Jordan's got some really nifty and fresh sounds (that solo duel at the end is amazing), the drums are huge and dynamic (I wish the snare was a bit more organic, but the kick sound is great. The cymbals also sound a lot better than on the last 2 studio albums, I especially like the huge snare + china hits, it was one of my favorite aspects of MM's playing live, glad they finally captured that in the studio). Listening to the song is an exciting, fresh and unexpected journey in and of itself, I can't wait to experience the album in its entirety.
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Offline lucasembarbosa

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Re: What Are Your Thoughts On "The Gift of Music?"
« Reply #246 on: December 05, 2015, 09:33:29 AM »
HELP ME

MY REPLAY BUTTON GOT STUCK SINCE TGOM'S RELEASE

Can't stop listening to it... Very nice improvement on the sounds! The nice approach to the story allied to the amazing music we've got makes me think we'll have a new SFaM soon. Voted on first option, high hopes are really HIGH

btw, for the past days I've listened only to this song. Will do it until it bores me (what I seriously doubt)...
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Offline Randaran

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Re: What Are Your Thoughts On "The Gift of Music?"
« Reply #247 on: December 05, 2015, 09:48:09 AM »
Quote from: lucasembarbosa on December 05, 2015, 09:33:29 AM
HELP ME

MY REPLAY BUTTON GOT STUCK SINCE TGOM'S RELEASE

Put the video in a private playlist with no other videos, and set it to autoplay. Now, you no longer need to press 'replay'! :neverusethis:
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Quote from: BlobVanDam on March 27, 2015, 01:21:42 AM
Only a prog fan would try to measure how much they enjoy a song by an equation. :lol
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Offline Darkstarshades

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Re: What Are Your Thoughts On "The Gift of Music?"
« Reply #248 on: December 05, 2015, 10:36:11 AM »
Could you please put the "official" current lyrics in the main post?
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Offline Darkstarshades

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Re: What Are Your Thoughts On "The Gift of Music?"
« Reply #249 on: December 05, 2015, 10:39:00 AM »
Nvm, Spotify, lol, sry.
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Offline chwik

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Re: What Are Your Thoughts On "The Gift of Music?"
« Reply #250 on: December 05, 2015, 10:41:15 AM »
Quote from: Sycsa on December 05, 2015, 08:57:00 AM
Been listening a lot to it in the last couple of days, I'm very impressed. It's a refined, confident and mature effort, really sounds like an inspired veteran band. Tasteful melodies, very pleasant mix, no wankery, no excess. Jordan's got some really nifty and fresh sounds (that solo duel at the end is amazing), the drums are huge and dynamic (I wish the snare was a bit more organic, but the kick sound is great. The cymbals also sound a lot better than on the last 2 studio albums, I especially like the huge snare + china hits, it was one of my favorite aspects of MM's playing live, glad they finally captured that in the studio). Listening to the song is an exciting, fresh and unexpected journey in and of itself, I can't wait to experience the album in its entirety.

Share your sentiments. Might I also add that Mr. Myung has some nifty bass work in this song.

JP in the Rolling Stone article:

"there's kind of a juxtaposition throughout the album of this sort of noise music, this music made by the Noise Machines, this artificial intelligence, and how that compares to the music that Dream Theater is playing as our musical score, which has real piano, real organ, real orchestra, real choir, real instruments."

I think the part from 2:44 - 3:15 in The Gift of Music is an example of jutxaposition that JP is refering to. There is clearly some atonal "noise" on top (juxtaposed) of various string instruments + rest of band. Numerous fractal sonic battles like this throught the album is ace in my book.     
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Offline Prog Snob

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Re: What Are Your Thoughts On "The Gift of Music?"
« Reply #251 on: December 05, 2015, 10:47:58 AM »
Quote from: TAC on December 04, 2015, 06:16:49 PM
I think if I were given 4 minutes to explain what Dream theater was about, I'd play The Gift Of Music.

I concur. There really is a bit of everything in that song. The clean intro, the heavy riffing, choir singing, James' brilliant vocals, unsyncopated and syncopated melodies, intriguing lyrics. It's concise and to the point but leaves you wanting to know more about what's going on.
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Offline Darkstarshades

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Re: What Are Your Thoughts On "The Gift of Music?"
« Reply #252 on: December 05, 2015, 10:52:58 AM »
Out of all the songs that end in an instrumental, The Gift of Music is probably better than Fatal Tragedy.
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Offline RaasMah

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Re: What Are Your Thoughts On "The Gift of Music?"
« Reply #253 on: December 05, 2015, 11:18:06 AM »
Quote from: Darkstarshades on December 05, 2015, 10:52:58 AM
Out of all the songs that end in an instrumental, The Gift of Music is probably better than Fatal Tragedy.

First half I agree, and I might even like this JP solo a bit more, but FT instrumental is just soooo good. Especially the ending, One of my favorite DT moments.
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Offline MrBoom_shack-a-lack

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Re: What Are Your Thoughts On "The Gift of Music?"
« Reply #254 on: December 05, 2015, 11:48:31 AM »
The muffled little dual thingy between JR and JP at the end is really cool.
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Offline phospheneSOI

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Re: What Are Your Thoughts On "The Gift of Music?"
« Reply #255 on: December 05, 2015, 01:19:51 PM »
Theory

The weird vocal effect when JLB sings "time" - is an NOMAC causing that? Sorta like a post-modern thing where the NOMACS "attack" the album?

Bit of a stretch, but it's so odd they've added the effect it makes me want to believe there's a reason behind it. Petrucci's Rolling Stones interview where he talks about the NOMACS making electronic music and it contrasting against the music of DT adds a little weight.



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Offline Dream Team

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Re: What Are Your Thoughts On "The Gift of Music?"
« Reply #256 on: December 05, 2015, 01:22:53 PM »
Reminds me too much of The Looking Glass.

How hard is it to get an organic drum sound?
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Offline Tomislav95

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Re: What Are Your Thoughts On "The Gift of Music?"
« Reply #257 on: December 05, 2015, 01:24:56 PM »
Quote from: Dream Team on December 05, 2015, 01:22:53 PM
Reminds me too much of The Looking Glass.

How hard is it to get an organic drum sound?
It's not how hard it is, it's what Mike/band likes.
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Offline Nomaniac

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Re: What Are Your Thoughts On "The Gift of Music?"
« Reply #258 on: December 05, 2015, 01:29:20 PM »
Quote from: phospheneSOI on December 05, 2015, 01:19:51 PM
Theory

The weird vocal effect when JLB sings "time" - is an NOMAC causing that? Sorta like a post-modern thing where the NOMACS "attack" the album?

Bit of a stretch, but it's so odd they've added the effect it makes me want to believe there's a reason behind it. Petrucci's Rolling Stones interview where he talks about the NOMACS making electronic music and it contrasting against the music of DT adds a little weight.

 :lol :rollin Maybe so! I think you might of figured out the debate ;)

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Offline Agalsed

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Re: What Are Your Thoughts On "The Gift of Music?"
« Reply #259 on: December 05, 2015, 01:30:04 PM »
After listening to it several times (the itunes version) I am floored. I think this album is going to be incredible. The "my brother Gabriel" part is incredible! I can't wait to hear the rest. (Voted option #1 btw.)
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Offline Nomaniac

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Re: What Are Your Thoughts On "The Gift of Music?"
« Reply #260 on: December 05, 2015, 01:31:02 PM »
I know!!! I am super excited :biggrin:
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Offline chwik

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Re: What Are Your Thoughts On "The Gift of Music?"
« Reply #261 on: December 05, 2015, 01:41:54 PM »
Quote from: Dream Team on December 05, 2015, 01:22:53 PM
Reminds me too much of The Looking Glass.

How hard is it to get an organic drum sound?

Could you elaborate what you mean by organic? I see this word thrown around alot, without it beeing further specified...
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Offline Runei

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Re: What Are Your Thoughts On "The Gift of Music?"
« Reply #262 on: December 05, 2015, 01:49:34 PM »
Calling it now, the ending section that starts at 3:23 is the most beautiful thing they've ever written. I hope it is a recurring theme, maybe even the main theme of the album.

I just noticed there's actually a full orchestra backing the band, it's a bit low in the mix but you can notice some brass that are quite tasty.
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Offline Nomaniac

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Re: What Are Your Thoughts On "The Gift of Music?"
« Reply #263 on: December 05, 2015, 01:57:45 PM »
Quote from: Runei on December 05, 2015, 01:49:34 PM
Calling it now, the ending section that starts at 3:23 is the most beautiful thing they've ever written. I hope it is a recurring theme, maybe even the main theme of the album.

I just noticed there's actually a full orchestra backing the band, it's a bit low in the mix but you can notice some brass that are quite tasty.

Very much reminds me of Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence . . . the riff in the instrumental section of Blind Faith and the Keyboard Section in The Great Debate come to mind for me. Indeed a very beautiful part!!! :)
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Offline Öxölklöfför

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Re: What Are Your Thoughts On "The Gift of Music?"
« Reply #264 on: December 05, 2015, 02:20:18 PM »
Quote from: Tomislav95 on December 05, 2015, 01:24:56 PM
Quote from: Dream Team on December 05, 2015, 01:22:53 PM
Reminds me too much of The Looking Glass.

How hard is it to get an organic drum sound?
It's not how hard it is, it's what Mike/band likes.

This. The drum sound is very similar to the one on I&W, which seems to be a preference for the band (and especially for JP, I really think that he prefer A "Images and words'y" drum sound). If I were to be a bit conspiratorial I would think that the absence of MP "finally" made it possible to use that kind of drum sound.

I like it a lot, and I think it works especially well with the futuristic theme of The Astonishing.
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Offline Runei

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Re: What Are Your Thoughts On "The Gift of Music?"
« Reply #265 on: December 05, 2015, 02:42:27 PM »
It just occurred to me that 'solo battle' at the end probably represents the conflict at the heart of the album, the artificial sounds of the NOMACs as the keyboards on the left channel, and the music of Gabriel as the guitar on the right channel.
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Offline Darkstarshades

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Re: What Are Your Thoughts On "The Gift of Music?"
« Reply #266 on: December 05, 2015, 02:51:38 PM »
So JR is the bad guy...
He's leaving DT, confirmed.
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Jatruccyundessgini

Offline Nomaniac

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Re: What Are Your Thoughts On "The Gift of Music?"
« Reply #267 on: December 05, 2015, 02:54:37 PM »
Yeah, JR is the bald-headed evil genius that designed the NOMACS for Nafaryus :lol

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Offline SystematicThought

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Re: What Are Your Thoughts On "The Gift of Music?"
« Reply #268 on: December 05, 2015, 02:58:26 PM »
I really like the name Ravenskill, after hearing JLB sing: "Shepherd of Ravenskill"
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Offline Destiny Of Chaos

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Re: What Are Your Thoughts On "The Gift of Music?"
« Reply #269 on: December 05, 2015, 04:51:59 PM »
Absolutely love the song!
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Offline BlobVanDam

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Re: What Are Your Thoughts On "The Gift of Music?"
« Reply #270 on: December 05, 2015, 06:03:31 PM »
Quote from: chwik on December 05, 2015, 01:41:54 PM
Quote from: Dream Team on December 05, 2015, 01:22:53 PM
Reminds me too much of The Looking Glass.

How hard is it to get an organic drum sound?

Could you elaborate what you mean by organic? I see this word thrown around alot, without it beeing further specified...

Less processed (ie. less studio tweaking) with more dynamics.
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Offline Prog Snob

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Re: What Are Your Thoughts On "The Gift of Music?"
« Reply #271 on: December 05, 2015, 07:14:06 PM »
Quote from: chwik on December 05, 2015, 01:41:54 PM
Quote from: Dream Team on December 05, 2015, 01:22:53 PM
Reminds me too much of The Looking Glass.

How hard is it to get an organic drum sound?

Could you elaborate what you mean by organic? I see this word thrown around alot, without it beeing further specified...

It means the music was made pesticide free with minimal GMOs (Genetically Melodyned Orchestrations) and they allowed John Myung a few acres of space to run around before locking him back up for the day.
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Offline Nomaniac

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Re: What Are Your Thoughts On "The Gift of Music?"
« Reply #272 on: December 05, 2015, 07:27:35 PM »
Quote from: Prog Snob on December 05, 2015, 07:14:06 PM
Quote from: chwik on December 05, 2015, 01:41:54 PM
Quote from: Dream Team on December 05, 2015, 01:22:53 PM
Reminds me too much of The Looking Glass.

How hard is it to get an organic drum sound?

Could you elaborate what you mean by organic? I see this word thrown around alot, without it beeing further specified...

It means the music was made pesticide free with minimal GMOs (Genetically Melodyned Orchestrations) and they allowed John Myung a few acres of space to run around before locking him back up for the day.

 :lol
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Offline CDrice

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Re: What Are Your Thoughts On "The Gift of Music?"
« Reply #273 on: December 05, 2015, 07:31:47 PM »
Quote from: Prog Snob on December 05, 2015, 07:14:06 PM
Quote from: chwik on December 05, 2015, 01:41:54 PM
Quote from: Dream Team on December 05, 2015, 01:22:53 PM
Reminds me too much of The Looking Glass.

How hard is it to get an organic drum sound?

Could you elaborate what you mean by organic? I see this word thrown around alot, without it beeing further specified...

It means the music was made pesticide free with minimal GMOs (Genetically Melodyned Orchestrations) and they allowed John Myung a few acres of space to run around before locking him back up for the day.

:rollin

However I must admit that took me a second to understand what you were talking about.
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Offline nicmos

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Re: What Are Your Thoughts On "The Gift of Music?"
« Reply #274 on: December 05, 2015, 07:39:23 PM »
Quote from: Prog Snob on December 05, 2015, 07:14:06 PM


It means the music was made pesticide free with minimal GMOs (Genetically Melodyned Orchestrations) and they allowed John Myung a few acres of space to run around before locking him back up for the day.

I don't think Myung will ever feel like he has enough range, even after he adds the 9th string to his bass...
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Offline erwinrafael

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Re: What Are Your Thoughts On "The Gift of Music?"
« Reply #275 on: December 05, 2015, 09:42:09 PM »
Love the positive feedback for the song, which makes me wonder why a lot do not like TLG as much even if it has the same vibe. Is it the instrumental?
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Offline chwik

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Re: What Are Your Thoughts On "The Gift of Music?"
« Reply #276 on: December 06, 2015, 02:55:44 AM »
Quote from: Prog Snob on December 05, 2015, 07:14:06 PM
Quote from: chwik on December 05, 2015, 01:41:54 PM
Quote from: Dream Team on December 05, 2015, 01:22:53 PM
Reminds me too much of The Looking Glass.

How hard is it to get an organic drum sound?

Could you elaborate what you mean by organic? I see this word thrown around alot, without it beeing further specified...

It means the music was made pesticide free with minimal GMOs (Genetically Melodyned Orchestrations) and they allowed John Myung a few acres of space to run around before locking him back up for the day
Eco-friendly and renewable then; sustainable and no growth music covered in cowshit
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Offline thosava

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Re: What Are Your Thoughts On "The Gift of Music?"
« Reply #277 on: December 06, 2015, 03:05:56 AM »
Quote from: erwinrafael on December 05, 2015, 09:42:09 PM
Love the positive feedback for the song, which makes me wonder why a lot do not like TLG as much even if it has the same vibe. Is it the instrumental?

For me, the Looking Glass feels much more safe. There is an energy and playfullness in The Gift of Music that i don't find in The Looking Glass. I also love the way TGOM builds from the very first verse, all the way untill the solo, where TLG feels much more like a typical verse-chorus song. I'm not saying that i don't like TLG but TGOM is much better.
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Offline Tomislav95

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Re: What Are Your Thoughts On "The Gift of Music?"
« Reply #278 on: December 06, 2015, 03:23:52 AM »
Quote from: thosava on December 06, 2015, 03:05:56 AM
Quote from: erwinrafael on December 05, 2015, 09:42:09 PM
Love the positive feedback for the song, which makes me wonder why a lot do not like TLG as much even if it has the same vibe. Is it the instrumental?

For me, the Looking Glass feels much more safe. There is an energy and playfullness in The Gift of Music that i don't find in The Looking Glass. I also love the way TGOM builds from the very first verse, all the way untill the solo, where TLG feels much more like a typical verse-chorus song. I'm not saying that i don't like TLG but TGOM is much better.
This and also, TLG reminded us all of Limelight by Rush while TGoM is more Dream Theater than anything else.
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Offline ariich

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Re: What Are Your Thoughts On "The Gift of Music?"
« Reply #279 on: December 06, 2015, 03:40:49 AM »
Quote from: erwinrafael on December 05, 2015, 09:42:09 PM
Love the positive feedback for the song, which makes me wonder why a lot do not like TLG as much even if it has the same vibe. Is it the instrumental?
Certainly not - if anything, out of context from the rest of the album the instruemental feels a little out of place.

The Looking Glass is just not a very interesting song (in my opinion). Having a similar vibe/style does not mean being of similar quality.
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