your thoughts on the introducing instrumental section to octavarium

[ResultsMayVary]

I love it. I think it transitions very well and lends to the build up over the whole track up to the beautiful solo at the end. One of my favorite tracks.

[brodgers]

The Score version is appallingly bad.

I guess the album one's ok though, but it does tend to drag

[Zook]

It's very erie, and I love it. I don't think it drags on at all.

[setrataeso]

This song is such a constant buildup that it feels wrong to skip out on the opening, which sets the whole mood.

[m0hawk]

This song is such a constant buildup that it feels wrong to skip out on the opening, which sets the whole mood.

+ 3

It's quite magical.

[LTE]

Seeing as I enjoy ambient music, I love it.

[Gadough]

Used to think it was too long, but the more I listen to it I've convinced myself that it's the perfect length.

[Rafael Guerra]

Like it, but skip sometimes. I mean, its a 24 minute song...sometimes i go just to hear the medicate section and some others the Intervals 
Most times though, i will just listen to the whole thing.

[cygnusx1jg]

I'd be happier if it was half as long.

[Portrucci]

I think it's brilliant and one of the best parts of the song to be honest.

[Jamariquay]

The introduction to Octavarium on Score, however, is wanky, over-the-top, boring, arbitrarily drawn out, frequently amelodic, and basically just a big waste of space. I'm just glad iTunes has a feature where you can choose the start time (I find a little over five minutes in to work just fine), because seriously, what the fuck.

I was easily angered a year ago, apparently.

[Mladen]

I like it, but skip over it often. The rest is nothing but pure brilliance, so the song still manages to be in my top 5. 

[yeshaberto]

I love the tension it builds

[moffatt]

I never skip it. It is truly amazing and builds up the song perfectly.

[Shadow2222]

The introduction to Octavarium on Score, however, is wanky, over-the-top, boring, arbitrarily drawn out, frequently amelodic, and basically just a big waste of space. I'm just glad iTunes has a feature where you can choose the start time (I find a little over five minutes in to work just fine), because seriously, what the fuck.

I was easily angered a year ago, apparently.

You were easily wrong as well 

[BRGM]

It's so atmospheric, I love it, it's amazing and cool, I don't see what's boring about it

[DarkLord_Lalinc]

Even though the supporting melody is pretty much lifted from Floyd's "Shine On...," I think the whole intro is pretty bad ass.  It is probably the coolest and best thing Rudess has ever done with Dream Theater (talking about the studio version, not the live one, where he goes overboard with it). 

That's probably Portnoy's doing. I can't see Rudess telling the guys "hay guys I think it would be really cool to do a long-ass intro to Octavarium when we play it live!" The 7+ miinutes Rudess plays the whole intro probably serve the purpose of letting the whole band rest for a while and get back on stage refreshed and ready to play the beast.

[zmazar]

It made it kind of difficult to originally listen to the song.  It took quite a few attempts of listening through the album before I could listen to the whole song.  I think I had to sit down one day and just listen to the song first.  Once I listened to it though, I can't really see the song without it.

[dedSurroun]

But the version on Score (with Jordan using it as his party piece) is too long.

I was going to say this. Waaaay too long on Score. I usually skip ahead.

On the album, yeah, it would've been better if it was shorter.

[BRGM]

The Score version s better imo. Don't see any reason to skip this...it's the same as if u would skip a long Keyboard solo in the middle of the song, or like the ending guitar solos on The ministry of lost souls and Best of Times

[Jamesman42]

I love it, especially how most of the other songs have tie-ins to each other musically, whereas this song just fades in and goes beautifully on its path to be the best song ever.

[RandalGraves]

I love the intro.  Completely sets the mood.

I know I'm in the minority too, but I love the Score version as well.

[Plasmastrike]

I love the intro.  Completely sets the mood.

I know I'm in the minority too, but I love the Score version as well.

Exxxxxactlyyy!

[perfectchaos180]

It is awesome on the studio album but from the live videos I have seen it drags on wayyyyy too long

[hefdaddy42]

I understand why people say the live version intro is too long.  But I prefer the live version of the song to the studio version, so I don't listen to the studio version much anymore.  When I do, it sounds weird.

[Quadrochosis]

I never skip anything, especially the intro to Octavarium. For me, it's much more mentally-fulfilling and invigorating to listen something in its entirety. The way it's meant to sound, so to speak.

I chose choice number one. 

[AwakeFromOctavarium]

I don't hate it. When this part plays, I usually do other stuffs, probably surfing internet or just... doing something else. When the band kicks in, that's the time I really give attention to this song. So the intro is more like, preparation?

But to be frank, I find it a bit unnecessary. I voted for the third option.

[Xanthul]

Skip it? Hell if anything I sometimes go back to the start to listen to it again before listening to Medicate and the rest of the song.

[ariich]

I think it's brilliant and one of the best parts of the song to be honest.

Pretty much this. I love it, really sets the mood of the song nicely. Bit of a Pink Floyd rip-off, but then the whole album deliberately wore the band's influences on it's sleeve (as it were), and they pulled it off excellently in this song.

[Jamesman42]

I understand why people say the live version intro is too long.  But I prefer the live version of the song to the studio version, so I don't listen to the studio version much anymore.  When I do, it sounds weird.

That's because you saw it live yourself, you jerk.

[hefdaddy42]

I understand why people say the live version intro is too long.  But I prefer the live version of the song to the studio version, so I don't listen to the studio version much anymore.  When I do, it sounds weird.

That's because you saw it live yourself, you jerk.

I don't think that's why.

[Jamesman42]

Well, I do, and that's that.

[antigoon]

I think it's brilliant and one of the best parts of the song to be honest.

Pretty much this. I love it, really sets the mood of the song nicely. Bit of a Pink Floyd rip-off, but then the whole album deliberately wore the band's influences on it's sleeve (as it were), and they pulled it off excellently in this song.

Agreed. Best use of the Continuum to date.

[darkshade]

why do you guys skip over PARTS of one track? 

how can you honestly say you're a prog rock/metal fan, but say that you skip over large portions of a bands epic? 

[Ben_Jamin]

I have to listen to the intro. It makes the song complete. But if you really want the full experience then listening to the album from start to finish and then listen the first song again to get the full circle experience