- " The Astonishing " - One Year -- er, SEVEN YEARS On.

[TheHoveringSojourn808]

one of the funniest things about the Astonishing is knowing DT named it that so that the acronym would be TA, which would confuse people with the MP-adjacent project, Transatlantic.

How do we know that?

I asked JP once after a gig in Denver

Was he actually being serious?

i chose to believe it. when i asked he smiled/laughed and said yes, so who could say

[TAC]

He was pulling your leg.

[Wim Kruithof]

I can really understand all the criticism this album has come across and it surely isn't one of my favorites. But I love the album because it's such an unique one in their catalogue, with stands completely on his own.

I dove into the Orullian book many times and his several hours reactionvideo on Youtube as well. (Funny detail, there's a strong lady in the storyline who's named Rena, after Petrucci's wife). Petrucci and Rudess dropped a couple of Inside The Astonishing video's, which gave a very interesting view on the themes and riffs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HSOba4cERE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shgl6gssyWw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hBWgTps_ug&t=931s

Those are all parts of the total experience which is to me, at least once a year, a very enjoyable ride. Vinylbox, map and lyrics in hand and then just being caried away on the storyline.

And A Savior In the Square has that very rare and gorgious intro which reminds me of The Killing Hand. Pure magic.

[EPIC Outro]

It will be interesting to see Portnoy's take on songs from The Astonishing live.

[ReaperKK]

I would be surprised if Portnoy plays a single measure from TA

[Trav86]

Yeah…they haven’t touched any of that in six years, I don’t see MP coming back as impetus to play that. They know it isn’t popular.

[gzarruk]

Just give me TA live from the LNFA and I'll be happy.

[Lax]

the gift of music will be played as a live opener, and portnoy will arrive dressed as the angel gabriel.. 

[SwedishGoose]

Just give me TA live from the LNFA and I'll be happy.

Oh yes.... I would love that

A BR with the video from the screens if nothing else is available

[Kocak]

Gave this album 3 spins this week. My verdict is that I cannot stand the MIDI drums and while I love the album musically, I actually think that this album needs a remix. Kevin Shirley is my candidate for the job.

[Trav86]

Gave this album 3 spins this week. My verdict is that I cannot stand the MIDI drums and while I love the album musically, I actually think that this album needs a remix. Kevin Shirley is my candidate for the job.

Yeah the drums have no life to them and it’s all bass drums in the mix. They’re more distracting as the Images and Words snare.

[WilliamMunny]

I know I'm probably the ONLY person in the world who thinks this, but my favorite drum sound (and overall production) for the Mangini era is ADTOE.

[Kocak]

Gave this album 3 spins this week. My verdict is that I cannot stand the MIDI drums and while I love the album musically, I actually think that this album needs a remix. Kevin Shirley is my candidate for the job.

Yeah the drums have no life to them and it’s all bass drums in the mix. They’re more distracting as the Images and Words snare.

I don't understand how a DT-level band does not hear this, honestly...

[gzarruk]

Gave this album 3 spins this week. My verdict is that I cannot stand the MIDI drums and while I love the album musically, I actually think that this album needs a remix. Kevin Shirley is my candidate for the job.

Yeah the drums have no life to them and it’s all bass drums in the mix. They’re more distracting as the Images and Words snare.

I don't understand how a DT-level band does not hear this, honestly...

Not that I necessarily agree with the sound descriptions posted here but those production choices were 100% JP's responsibility. Now that MP is back, I expect him to influence the album production for the better.

[Trav86]

Gave this album 3 spins this week. My verdict is that I cannot stand the MIDI drums and while I love the album musically, I actually think that this album needs a remix. Kevin Shirley is my candidate for the job.

Yeah the drums have no life to them and it’s all bass drums in the mix. They’re more distracting as the Images and Words snare.

I don't understand how a DT-level band does not hear this, honestly...

Not that I necessarily agree with the sound descriptions posted here but those production choices were 100% JP's responsibility. Now that MP is back, I expect him to influence the album production for the better.

Of all the recordings MP has done (and I’ve heard most) I can say that he always gets a great drum sound.

[gzarruk]

Gave this album 3 spins this week. My verdict is that I cannot stand the MIDI drums and while I love the album musically, I actually think that this album needs a remix. Kevin Shirley is my candidate for the job.

Yeah the drums have no life to them and it’s all bass drums in the mix. They’re more distracting as the Images and Words snare.

I don't understand how a DT-level band does not hear this, honestly...

Not that I necessarily agree with the sound descriptions posted here but those production choices were 100% JP's responsibility. Now that MP is back, I expect him to influence the album production for the better.

Of all the recordings MP has done (and I’ve heard most) I can say that he always gets a great drum sound.

For sure! Except for  WDADU and IAW (not his fault at all).

[Kocak]

Gave this album 3 spins this week. My verdict is that I cannot stand the MIDI drums and while I love the album musically, I actually think that this album needs a remix. Kevin Shirley is my candidate for the job.

Yeah the drums have no life to them and it’s all bass drums in the mix. They’re more distracting as the Images and Words snare.

I don't understand how a DT-level band does not hear this, honestly...

Not that I necessarily agree with the sound descriptions posted here but those production choices were 100% JP's responsibility. Now that MP is back, I expect him to influence the album production for the better.

As we have other MM recordings to compare them to, I reckon the descriptions are pretty accurate. MM never had the best drum sound but his DT sounds never did him justice IMO. I have had this opinion since The Enemy Inside Zildjian performance.

[lightningbolt]

My opinion on TA has been pretty consistent over the years, I mostly enjoy the first 10-12 tracks (excluding the NOMAC tracks, ugh, wasn't one more than enough?).  After that point, it mostly runs together, with a few exceptions.  That was reiterated when I saw DT perform it live..., at some point, after song 10-12, I lost track of what song they were on / where they were in the plot.  At least until they'd get to a "highlight" song or moment, then I'd again quickly get lost.  I recall that the concert felt like a chore to get through from that point onwards.  That was in spite of the fact that I saw the slightly truncated version where they nixed a few from TA and added a few "best of" DT tracks to the end of the show. 

IMO, they didn't have the songs or story/concept to support an album with 34 tracks and intended to be like a Broadway musical.  I really wish they had focused on narrowing this down to one disc like Scenes.  That seemingly would have allowed the cream to rise to the top.  I guarantee they could have told pretty much the same story in one disc. 

That being said, I wish the storyline underlying the project had been better or at least more unique.  I've described it as asinine ever since the album was released and time has done it no favors.  I couldn't make myself care one iota about the plight of the various characters, knowing full well that music was going to win in the end. 

This may just be funny to me, but during the live show when the characters are sobbing over the death of Faythe, one of my buddies looked at me and said, "Smells like someone died", quoting the movie "Tombstone."  I think we cracked up for a good chunk of the remainder of the show.

Overall, I still appreciate that they were willing to try something different and ambitious, even if it didn't totally work for me.  Also, I still legitimately enjoy some of the album. 

[TAC]

I really wish they had focused on narrowing this down to one disc like Scenes.  That seemingly would have allowed the cream to rise to the top.  I guarantee they could have told pretty much the same story in one disc. 

I can get on board with this. I've made my own Astonishing Abridged and it's a great playlist.

That being said, I wish the storyline underlying the project had been better or at least more unique.  I've described it as asinine ever since the album was released and time has done it no favors.  I couldn't make myself care one iota about the plight of the various characters, knowing full well that music was going to win in the end. 

Asinine is a bit harsh.

Overall, I still appreciate that they were willing to try something different and ambitious, ...  Also, I still legitimately enjoy some of the album. 

Definitely.

[TheOutlawXanadu]

I've been listening to a lot of SFAM lately, and one of the many things that is so impressive about that album is how so many songs are genuinely powerful in their own right, even completely out of context from the rest of the album. I don't think TA nails that quite as well. Don't get me wrong, there are awesome individual songs, but in comparison to SFAM, I think most tracks on TA are a little more beholden to the overall listening experience of the album (or at least being in a decent playlist). This isn't inherently a bad thing, but I do think it narrows the audience down a bit.

[gborland]

I agree that around 8 of the 34 tracks on The Astonishing are decent songs in their own right.

[Trav86]

I've been listening to a lot of SFAM lately, and one of the many things that is so impressive about that album is how so many songs are genuinely powerful in their own right, even completely out of context from the rest of the album. I don't think TA nails that quite as well. Don't get me wrong, there are awesome individual songs, but in comparison to SFAM, I think most tracks on TA are a little more beholden to the overall listening experience of the album (or at least being in a decent playlist). This isn't inherently a bad thing, but I do think it narrows the audience down a bit.

This is my biggest gripe with The Astonishing.

[Dedalus]

I've been listening to a lot of SFAM lately, and one of the many things that is so impressive about that album is how so many songs are genuinely powerful in their own right, even completely out of context from the rest of the album. I don't think TA nails that quite as well. Don't get me wrong, there are awesome individual songs, but in comparison to SFAM, I think most tracks on TA are a little more beholden to the overall listening experience of the album (or at least being in a decent playlist). This isn't inherently a bad thing, but I do think it narrows the audience down a bit.

Despite being conceptual albums by the same band, which aim to tell a story, they have a different nature.

TA is more like The Wall or Quadrophenia, in the sense that these works have A LOT of songs that practically have no life of their own outside the context of their albums. Although some songs work out of context, not the majority and these works were designed with unity.

SFAM is a conceptual album that seems to have sought both things at the same time: forming a unit as a conceptual work and letting each song (or most of them) function as an individual piece.

[energythief]

The brtual pitch bend on James's voice in The Gift of Music bothers me so much I can't even do a proper playthrough from the beginning. I like a couple of songs on Disc 1. i've still not gotten far enough to hear Disc 2, I just am bored by it.

[porcacultor]

The story is not in my wheelhouse -- they definitely went for a fantasy musical angle that is new for them (and me).

That said... I think this might be my favorite release with MM? There's a lot in it that pleases me. Some of it I have to be in the mood for, but Three Days, Tempting Offer, Ravenskill, Moment of Betrayal, Heaven's Cove, Walking Shadow... hoo! Fun bops.

[Lax]

The more I think about the astonishing, the more I regret JP didn't wonder why other guys succeed...
-The story isn't that clear (especially for foreigners like me)
-There are many caracters and I prefer the Ayreon way to do it (several singers)
-The cheese is saturated, too cheesy
-Too many ballads and fillers, they would fit a movie version, but as a CD it just drains the energy
-Not DT enough, there are maybe 15 minutes of DT genius (and some pretty soulful JP solos) over two disks. We expect to recognize our favorite band and it's work.

Maybe it should have been a JP solo album.

After the first listens, everyone began to do shorter edits of the album, and nowadays, I think I'd be ashamed to listen to it in public.

[crystalstars17]

That said... I think this might be my favorite release with MM? There's a lot in it that pleases me.

Thank you for saying this! I wonder sometimes what a "write a positive review of The Astonishing" challenge thread would look like. There's so much blind hate for this album out there (disclaimer: not talking about here) that I think some are unwilling to admit they even like it. A challenge might be a fun way to encourage a look past the things that make people cringe to the hidden gems within.

Some of it I have to be in the mood for, but Three Days, Tempting Offer, Ravenskill, Moment of Betrayal, Heaven's Cove, Walking Shadow... hoo! Fun bops.

Moment of Betrayal is my favorite song on the album. In my opinion it stands alone, also, and I don't see why it wouldn't be a good choice (eventually) to include live as a nod to this era.

[porcacultor]

That said... I think this might be my favorite release with MM? There's a lot in it that pleases me.

Thank you for saying this! I wonder sometimes what a "write a positive review of The Astonishing" challenge thread would look like. There's so much blind hate for this album out there (disclaimer: not talking about here) that I think some are unwilling to admit they even like it. A challenge might be a fun way to encourage a look past the things that make people cringe to the hidden gems within.

Some of it I have to be in the mood for, but Three Days, Tempting Offer, Ravenskill, Moment of Betrayal, Heaven's Cove, Walking Shadow... hoo! Fun bops.

Moment of Betrayal is my favorite song on the album. In my opinion it stands alone, also, and I don't see why it wouldn't be a good choice (eventually) to include live as a nod to this era.

I absolutely agree that Moment of Betrayal would be a great choice to represent the album in a setlist. It might be the song that best meshes the "serving the story" and the "standing on its own" aspects. In a parallel reality where material from the Astonishing formed a single album (fully conceptual, slightly conceptual or not at all), I could definitely see it being a track 1 or 2 "hard-hitter" in the vein of Enemy Inside or OTBOA – not that it would've been better like that (I much rather prefer a world with The Astonishing as it is), this just got me thinking about the genealogy of the song's writing.

[gzarruk]

I still like this album a lot, I just don't care about the NOMAC tracks at all, and it's still a bit hard to get through all of it on one full listen when my quiet/alone music listening times are so reduced lately.

Was really hoping for a TA live album from the LNFA, but now that things have changed, I don't really know what to expect in terms of new releases with the MM lineup.

[hefdaddy42]

I like the NOMAC tracks 

Some of the other songs, however, I always skip.

[gzarruk]

I like the NOMAC tracks

Some of the other songs, however, I always skip.

That's got to be the most controversial take on The Astonishing I've ever read

[hefdaddy42]

*shrugs*

[Trav86]

I like the NOMAC tracks 

Some of the other songs, however, I always skip.

That says A LOT about those songs! 

[blackmetal666]

I’ve been a fan of DT since before Pull me Under hit MTV.
Bought Images and Words from Tower records knowing nothing about the band.
Just wanted something “power metal”

I haven’t really loved any album since Scenes…

And Astonishing blew my mind. Never thought DT could release another great album again.
But they did.  Freaking love Astonishing. 
It’s the only great album they’ve done since Scenes.

[Madman Shepherd]

Slightly off topic but anybody know what a good asking price is for an autographed Astonishing poster?