I actually went through a lot of different variations of the songs in the #2 - #5 spots, and came to this final flow. These songs in these spots can really be interchanged. And at the last moment, I decided The Bigger Picture would be better placed before Stream of Consciousness and I'll explain why...
This is where I ended up taking this mix:
1. Take Away My Pain (Demo for time or else it'd be the Old Bridge, NJ Ytsejam version)
2. About To Crash (Just ignore the fade in the intro and just imagine it starting quiet with piano. I guess like in Score, but that is one track and not separate or else I might have used that
)
3. Barstool Warrior
4. A Better Life
5. Metropolis Pt.1: The Miracle and The Sleeper
6. Home (In order to keep it under 80 min. I had to use the GreateSt HIT edit) (If I use the full song, it is the Making of Scenes version, as it doesn't transition into The Dance of Eternity, and ends on a fade and makes for a cool transition into TROAE piano note)
7. The Root of All Evil
8. The Bigger Picture
9. Stream of Consciousness
10. Breaking All Illusions
1:18:58 ---- With CD Limit
1:26:53 ---- Without CD Limit
Bonus/Hidden Track: The Spirit Carries On
Playlist on Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6bW51BptOgCGpHODA1m61j?si=hN9okc-ZRZaODhUiHUioIQI am actually very, very proud of this one a lot. It flows good, and has a couple of "fan favorites" like Met. and BAI. Although my choices look odd on paper (words on screen), I think they actually transition into each other pretty well, give or take a few edits that could be done, but I can imagine them without it and those minor quibbles don't bother me much.
If you look at the lyrics in a really vague way, it could be a neat story. Starting about a person dealing with the death of a loved one(Take Away My Pain), as they are in the hospital with them. They develop a harsh depression(About to Crash), and then end up becoming a Barstool Warrior (like the people the song describes), and then come to realize where they belong. Upon realizing, they vow to the deceased loved one their promise to them (A Better Life), But as things turn out, life is hard and these past troubles return (in the last verse of Metropolis Pt.1, these lyrics describe what this person has to face, which is the eternal Third and Last Dance). As the demons begin to drown the person (Home) they struggle with themselves and their habits. as they find the key to unlock the dreams from their memories that cause these obsessions, stemming from the death of the loved one in TAMP. The person then is now "ready to let it all go" (The Root Of All Evil). Upon letting go they come to a realization they have to face it alone, and can only ask for guidance (The Bigger Picture). And while drifting in deep thought (Stream of Consciousness), they come to an understanding (Breaking All Illusions) as they come to "Unlearn to Learn" to "Embrace the days" and to "Don't turn away" as "Life's true intent needs patience" and that "Karma starts the signal". You can also add in The Spirit Carries on and make the ending more epic and have the character be happy his spirit will carry on...
(And when I was reading the lyrics to Metropolis. I noticed, we did get Metropolis Pt.3 with The Astonishing, with it being a theme involving love. And according to the lyrics in Metropolis Pt.1..."It can only take place when the struggle between our (our being Arhys, Ravenskill, and Nefaryus, TGNE) children (children being Xander and Faythe) has ended" and "The Third is Love"... ) TL;DR: This is my mix, and this is why I like making mixes/playlists, which began when I got a computer and started making mix cd's.