Are there any major fan favorites that you think are good, but not great?

[Mladen]

This probably occurs with every band for me. Are there any Dream Theater songs that majority of fans absolutely adore and rank very high, but you just "like" them?  I'm picking the following tracks:

Lines in the sand
Six degrees of inner turbulence
Endless sacrifice
In the name of God
At wit's end

How about you?

[pg1067]

Lines in the Sand is "absolutely adored" by a "majority of fans"?  If it is, then I definitely agree with you.


The first thing that came to my mind is Pull me Under.  Also Under a Glass Moon.

Also ITPOE and The Mirror, but I don't really even "like" those songs and actively dislike The Mirror.

[The Walrus]

Pretty much anything on SFAM. Good album, not 'great' imo. Spirit Carries On specifically...

[cramx3]

SDOIT, has some great tracks, but the song as a whole really isn't that great.

[Lonk]

Barstool Warrior - It is one of the most liked songs (if not the most) from the new album. Even though it has grown on me a little, I still think is not that great of a song.

[Madman Shepherd]

Pretty much anything on SFAM. Good album, not 'great' imo. Spirit Carries On specifically...

I agree with you on Spirit and half of the album. The other half is excellent. As a whole though, yeah, I guess I would consider the album "good" not "great"

[zappafrank2112]

The entire Octavarium album

It's bottom tier for me, for sure.

[romdrums]

Pretty much anything on SFAM. Good album, not 'great' imo. Spirit Carries On specifically...

I agree with you on Spirit and half of the album. The other half is excellent. As a whole though, yeah, I guess I would consider the album "good" not "great"

Same here.

[Volante99]

The entire D/T - nothing really offensively bad but it's all just kinda meh to me.

Pale Blue Dot, specifically. Listened to this song numerous times including live and I'm still not exactly sure what it sounds like. Just completely devoid of any sort of hook or anything memorable.


Hollow Years- SUPER cheesy ballad only partially redeemed live by the great Petrucci solo

Along for the Ride- not necessarily a fan favorite but, again, cheesy to the max. And not a good cheese. Moldy, stinky, kraft single that's been sitting in a fridge for 2 years kind of cheese.

[Setlist Scotty]

Spirit Carries On

Not sure whether I would include this song or not - hard to say. But I certainly am tired of hearing it live. Same with AIA and PMU.

Barstool Warrior - It is one of the most liked songs (if not the most) from the new album. Even though it has grown on me a little, I still think is not that great of a song.

Definitely this! Good song, but I prefer more than half the other songs on d/t over this one.

Also Our New World - don't get the adoring praise for this song. And Metropolis - good song, but for me, not great.

[ThatOneGuy2112]

Pale Blue Dot, specifically. Listened to this song numerous times including live and I'm still not exactly sure what it sounds like. Just completely devoid of any sort of hook or anything memorable.

Agreed. I can definitely see why BW and AWE have become modern DT "classics" so to speak, but PBD just doesn't do it for me.

[krands85]

Barstool Warrior - It is one of the most liked songs (if not the most) from the new album. Even though it has grown on me a little, I still think is not that great of a song.

This one for me too, along with S2N on the latest album. Not sure if they're major fan favourites yet, but either way, I don't like them as much as a lot of the other tracks on the album. I agree with Scotty about Our New World too - there are lots of things I like about The Astonishing, but ONW isn't one of them. I'm also with those who mention 6DOIT, for some reason I've never fallen in love with the song, or the album itself.

Looking at the current standings of the DT league, not much else sticks out that much, except maybe Erotomania with a 19-2 record so far. Again, not sure if it's a major fan favourite, but I prefer most of the bands other instrumentals.

[KevShmev]

I might now put The Glass Prison in this category.  I loved it like crazy at first and considered it easily the best song from 6DOIT, but now it is one of my least-listened-to tracks from the entire album.  I still like it quite a bit, but not sure I love it any more. At one point, it was a top 20 DT song in my eyes, but now would likely be merely top 50 (which still makes it very good).

[DTA]

I might now put The Glass Prison in this category.  I loved it like crazy at first and considered it easily the best song from 6DOIT, but now it is one of my least-listened-to tracks from the entire album.  I still like it quite a bit, but not sure I love it any more. At one point, it was a top 20 DT song in my eyes, but now would likely be merely top 50 (which still makes it very good).

Definitely TGP. The whole song is pretty cool up until the "Run fast from the wreckage of the past" part which goes on FOREVERRRRRRRR. If that part was edited or just removed, I think TGP would be a much better track. Unfortunately, the lyrics probably dictated the length and extending music to accommodate excess lyrics is never a good idea.

[Setlist Scotty]

Unfortunately, the lyrics probably dictated the length and extending music to accommodate excess lyrics is never a good idea.

Doubtful - the music is always written first and the lyrics come later. Of course, there could've been some editing done later (which I think was the case for a measure or two in TDS, and I know a 20 second drum solo at the end of TGP was removed), but I don't think that was probably the case here.

[DTA]

Unfortunately, the lyrics probably dictated the length and extending music to accommodate excess lyrics is never a good idea.

Doubtful - the music is always written first and the lyrics come later. Of course, there could've been some editing done later (which I think was the case for a measure or two in TDS, and I know a 20 second drum solo at the end of TGP was removed), but I don't think that was probably the case here.

Of course they write the music first, but in order to dedicate adequate time to each Step of the 12-Steps, I'm sure allowances had to be made to accommodate more lyrics otherwise the concept would not seem fully realized. Unfortunately it's a problem that plagues every 12-Step Song, they're all overly repetitive and drawn out.

[The Walrus]

Man I love that 'run fast from the wreckage of the past' part. It's got groove. Shit slaps.

[EPIC Outro]

Trial of Tears. Nothing wrong with the song, but I don't dig it as much as some others.

Learning to Live - Beautiful song, but I prefer Scarred.

Dance of Eternity - I'm sure it is musically impressive, and I appreciate it more now than I used to, but not a favorite.

Panic Attack - Don't care for this tune.

[Herrick]

The Count of Tuscany...but I don't know if that's a fan favorite.

[TheCountOfNYC]

The Glass Prison. It's good but bloated.

[425]

Just judging by its reception on this forum, I'd agree with Our New World. The more time goes on, the more positive I am about The Astonishing in general, but I still don't see Our New World as the sort of smash-hit, anthemic single that-would-be-on-the-radio-in-a-better-time. It's a song with a role to play on the album and in the story, and it does so well, but I don't know that I would rank it above the middle of the album.

[MirrorMask]

Just judging by its reception on this forum, I'd agree with Our New World. The more time goes on, the more positive I am about The Astonishing in general, but I still don't see Our New World as the sort of smash-hit, anthemic single that-would-be-on-the-radio-in-a-better-time. It's a song with a role to play on the album and in the story, and it does so well, but I don't know that I would rank it above the middle of the album.

Since day 1 I've always considered Our New World an average, repetitive song and Astonishing an awesome and heartfelt climax to the album.

[Zydar]

Octavarium

[425]

Since day 1 I've always considered Our New World an average, repetitive song and Astonishing an awesome and heartfelt climax to the album.

I agree with this and have always been confused that DTF consensus has seemed to be the opposite.

[emtee]

TSCo,  8V and PMU. PMU was life changing for me but JLB
struggles with it greatly nowadays and that detracts from the
songs impact.

[The Walrus]

Since day 1 I've always considered Our New World an average, repetitive song and Astonishing an awesome and heartfelt climax to the album.

I agree with this and have always been confused that DTF consensus has seemed to be the opposite.

Part of the reason I like ONW so much is that the riff is fun, probably the only one like it since About To Crash. It's just got this looser, catchy rock vibe that Dream Theater honestly doesn't do that often. It's refreshing to hear to me, but I get why some don't like it

[Volante99]

Since day 1 I've always considered Our New World an average, repetitive song and Astonishing an awesome and heartfelt climax to the album.

I agree with this and have always been confused that DTF consensus has seemed to be the opposite.

Part of the reason I like ONW so much is that the riff is fun, probably the only one like it since About To Crash. It's just got this looser, catchy rock vibe that Dream Theater honestly doesn't do that often. It's refreshing to hear to me, but I get why some don't like it

Our New World is great, and I dislike the Astonishing as a whole. I think the intro is the best rock guitar riff Petrucci has created since Root of All Evil.

[JLa]

Pull me under!

[Max Kuehnau]

The entire D/T album (apart from PBD and Out Of Reach) and quite a few other albums (most notably Met2 and I/W, you know why I think so)

[geeeemo]

Erotomania - just not it at all
The Dance of Eternity - it's ok, but  it great for me.

The Gift of Music and Our New World.
I really like The Astonishing and both those songs are important for the story and good songs, but I just dont understand them being more popular than other songs on the record. I even saw ONW with Lzzy and it wasnt better for me.

[bosk1]

Man I love that 'run fast from the wreckage of the past' part. It's got groove. Shit slaps.

I love pretty much the whole thing (with the exception of maybe the last :30-:45 of the instrumental section toward the end of the song where it starts to feel overly repetitive). 

I don't really get the inclusion of Our New World.  I wouldn't really call it a "fan favorite" at all, and don't remember it getting a ton of praise.  And especially now that there is a newer album, it seems all but forgotten.  That said, I've always loved it and felt like, if anything, it should have gotten MORE praise than it did.

[cramx3]

I didn't quit get the love for ONW on release, I loved all of TA but I thought that song got a lot of love that I didn't get... until I did.  It's a solid song and really fun end of set song.  I think maybe I enjoy it more now is because that's the song that got everyone out of their seat live.  What a great moment to finally stand, at the end of their set.

[Chino]

Awake

[Volante99]

I'll throw another one out there;

Viper King - Yiiikes. I'll (usually) defend LaBrie but his vocals just do NOT sound good with that type of song.

[SystematicThought]

I'll throw another one out there;

Viper King - Yiiikes. I'll (usually) defend LaBrie but his vocals just do NOT sound good with that type of song.

I just don't know why he decided to come out of the gate with the high pitched vocals. As soon as I heard that, I lost all interest in the song.