In the twenty-three or so years since it was released (wow, time flies), I have learned that my opinion of FII being one of DT's best three albums is definitely in the minority. I would go so far as to say a proper double disk release would have propelled it number one for me as the material is easily the part of the catalog I revisit the most. "Trial of Tears" and "Lines in the Sand" are the cornerstones of what I consider to be some of their best work to date.
Exactly this. While Distance Over Time has overtaken FII for me as a record (FII is now #4 after I&W, Awake, and DoT), I find the whole catalog of FII material to be some of the band's best because they were experimenting a ton with how to marry their sound with a more mainstream vibe and still maintain who they are. I think it was a wonderful exercise that at the time frustrated MP, but for me, it was what I had wanted them to do.
There's no denying there are some tracks that don't connect with me fully, but the diversity of the FII era is one that will always appeal. And frankly, has appealed more as time has gone on. A lot of really underappreciated content there.
But Trial of Tears and Lines in the Sand...yeah, that's the top end of FII for me. Still epic, but there's an emotional chord for me (particularly with Trial of Tears) that really stands out. I remember when I bought FII at The Wiz (any Long Islanders remember them) when it came out. Day of release. Got it home (car didn't have a CD player at the time) put it on, and Trial of Tears was just a magnificent closer and immediately became one of my top-5 DT songs of all time, and still is.