re: drastic turn
It's really interesting that you guys feel differently. I guess the perspective I come at it from is this:
To me, most bands who have maintained their core writing team have this songwriting evolution that follows a logical path. TAC mentioned Queensryche. All of Queensryche's stuff really went (in hindsight) in a predictable arc from the EP through HITNF, when that original band was together. For Dream Theater, given that Kev Mo, then Derek, then Jordan, were JP's musical writing partners, they don't necessarily follow that same path. Only really starting with Scenes from a Memory and moving onward. And from that point, if you take Scenes as DT's "debut," I don't see any hints in their material that show some sort of move toward a Broadway-inspired album.
That's the way I was coming at it. However, in reading your replies, I started to think a little more about it, and I guess False Awakening Suite hints at it. Damn, you all just talked me out of it.
I guess the hints were there, looking back at DT self-titled (admittedly, I don't go back to that record enough).
In any event, I guess for me, on a personal level, that's sorta why I checked out of DT for awhile. They just haven't been going places that have really resonated with me, with The Astonishing being way out in left-field. I am an admirer of Broadway stuff. And that sort of lengthy store put to music. But the TA record and story just don't excite me at all.
So