What are your FOUR favorite Dream Theater studio albums?

[gzarruk]

the “ahhhs”

This is something that Portnoy likes to include in pretty much every album he does nowadays and it bothers me a lot
Every time I listen to one of his new releases, specially post-DT, there's the obligatory "ahhhs" in there and I'm like "seriously, again? "

I would bet it stems from his Beatles obsession actually. They DO seem to do it ALOT in NMB and Flying Colors- it’s almost becoming a trope of the Portnoy brand of prog. I don’t mind it but it doesn’t seem to fit in DT.

SOA also has it, and I'm not sure about TWD since I haven't listened to them in years and don't plan to do it again
I think it works in certain songs, but doing it over and over again in every album you make is overkill.

[The Letter M]

IAW
Awake
SFAM
SDOIT

Forever and always my Top 4 DT albums, with Octavarium probably rounding out the top 5. I guess I'm with the majority of DT fans when it comes to these four being my favorites, but I suppose that's a bit expected since they're typically universally praised as four of their best by fans and critics alike.

Funny enough, each back-to-back pair of albums features a new band member (LaBrie on IAW, Rudess on SFAM), and the follow-up with that new member. Sad to see that ADTOE & DT12 aren't as well-received as these other two pairs.

-Marc.

[jayvee3]

1. Scenes: Brilliant. From start to finish, it’s just a prog tour de force and every member of the band is just slaying it.

2. Awake: Not far behind. Dark, more mature yet cohesive, this one just hits all the right notes for me. Not a concept album as such, but with a mind beside itself, as well as the riff in the mirror/Lie tying in with space Dye Vest, it’s just a particularly satisfying album for me.

3. FII: This is just criminally underrated. I adore this album and think it has got some absolute gems. Sonically has a great sound and feel (always makes me think of the beach and ocean for some reason)… New Millennium starts a little average, but really picks up some steam and has me rocking by the end. Peruvian Skies, Hollow years (if the Budokan solo was added to the studio version, this would be incredible), Hell’s Kitchen, TAMP, Anna Lee and Trial of tears are all strong, haunting and at times beautiful. And that’s without yet mentioning one of my all time faves LITS. Always loved it. And JLMB is a pretty fun, high energy track when included in live shows. Even with a couple of weaker tracks (which I could say about EVERY album), that is 8 worthy tracks that I love. Far better in my mind than something like 8V, or BCASL which had a great epic track, a couple of nice moments and a bunch of filler. It also produced some gems at the time such as “speak to me”. I remember the day I bought this on it’s release and I have loved it ever since.

4.I&W (Probably): This one could interchange for me with some more recent albums like ADTOE or DoT. Images was what got me into the band all those years ago. I loved it then, I love some of it now, while some of it hasn’t aged as well for me and I rarely revisit except for UAGM, WFS and LTL. But I still always will love it, Metropolis pt1 was just out of this world when I first heard it, and from it spawned one of my favourite albums of all time. So happy to leave this guy right here 😊.

[SwedishGoose]

The Astonishing
Scenes from a Memory
Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence
Images & Words

[jsbru]

3. FII: This is just criminally underrated. I adore this album and think it has got some absolute gems. Sonically has a great sound and feel (always makes me think of the beach and ocean for some reason)… New Millennium starts a little average, but really picks up some steam and has me rocking by the end. Peruvian Skies, Hollow years (if the Budokan solo was added to the studio version, this would be incredible), Hell’s Kitchen, TAMP, Anna Lee and Trial of tears are all strong, haunting and at times beautiful. And that’s without yet mentioning one of my all time faves LITS. Always loved it. And JLMB is a pretty fun, high energy track when included in live shows. Even with a couple of weaker tracks (which I could say about EVERY album), that is 8 worthy tracks that I love. Far better in my mind than something like 8V, or BCASL which had a great epic track, a couple of nice moments and a bunch of filler. It also produced some gems at the time such as “speak to me”. I remember the day I bought this on it’s release and I have loved it ever since.

Agree.  This album is #5 for me, so I didn't vote for it.  But it ages well.  Burning My Soul --> Hell's Kitchen --> Lines in the Sand may be the best 21 consecutive minutes on any DT album ever, and Trial of Tears is in my top 5 DT songs of all time (along with LITS).

The only reason I don't rate it higher is that it's the first DT album to have some, IMO, real stinkers on it.  Just Let Me Breathe should have wound up on the cutting room floor, and You Not Me should not have been reworked as much (the original You or Me was arguably better).  New Millenium and Peruvian Skies are sort of bland and mediocre.  Hollow Years and Anna Lee are pretty good ballads, though.

The ones I did vote for:

• Awake
• Images & Words
• The Astonishing
• A Dramatic Turn of Events

[GasparXR]

*snip*

Agree.  This album is #5 for me, so I didn't vote for it.  But it ages well.  Burning My Soul --> Hell's Kitchen --> Lines in the Sand may be the best 21 consecutive minutes on any DT album ever, and Trial of Tears is in my top 5 DT songs of all time (along with LITS).

The only reason I don't rate it higher is that it's the first DT album to have some, IMO, real stinkers on it.  Just Let Me Breathe should have wound up on the cutting room floor, and You Not Me should not have been reworked as much (the original You or Me was arguably better).  New Millenium and Peruvian Skies are sort of bland and mediocre.  Hollow Years and Anna Lee are pretty good ballads, though.

The ones I did vote for:

• Awake
• Images & Words
• The Astonishing
• A Dramatic Turn of Events

Imo, the only way FII could have really improved was if they replace YNM with Cover My Eyes, but I don't even really dislike YNM that much. I do agree that YOM is a bit better though. I don't think the album would have been better as a double album though, even though I like all the cut songs. It would have been awesome if they released those for a separate EP.

I really love New Millennium and Peruvian Skies, and JLMB is really good too. If I had to pick my least favourite songs from FII, JLMB probably still makes that list though, along with BMS and YNM.

[DTwwbwMP]

1. Scenes
2. Images
3. Awake
4. Train

Hello Stadler!!!!!

[CDrice]

1. Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence: I rarely listen to the title track, at least in full, but the first 5 songs are just so good that even if the album was just those songs it would still be my favorite.

2. Images and Words: Everyone is on fire on this one

3.Scenes from a Memory: Just a great album and the one I think where the band found their sound, or at least the sound I think of when I think of Dream Theater. I imagine it has quite a bit to do with Jordan joining.

4. Distance Over Time: This one could maybe be switched with Train of Thought, but wow am I amazed that they managed to make an album I enjoy this much so late in their career! It's not quite classic level like the other 3, but I find it so consistenly good throughout.

[robbob]

1. Scenes From a Memory - Perfect album IMO, everytime I listen to it, it confirms that it's my favorite and their best. Whole band is on Fire, great mix of prog, metal and "lighter" stuff like TSCO and One Last Time. No lows at all.

2. Six Degrees - Great follow up to Scenes. Different album but equally as great, lots of diversity, just in the first disc alone, then add the second disk!!! Same as above - no lows at all.

3. A Dramatic Turn of Events - Underrated IMO. A couple of songs that are good but most are great. The quintet of mini epic tracks LnF, BiTS, Outcry and BaI are awesome. All different but equally as great. Love On the Backs of Angels and even BMUBMD. Don't understand why some feel this album is boring or phoned in, totally the opposite for me.

4. Awake - Love the dark feel of this album, the mix of Moore and Petrucci tracks are great.

[IDontNotDoThings]

Images & Words
Scenes From A Memory
Six Degrees Of Inner Turbulence
Black Clouds & Silver Linings

[The Curious Orange]

I&W, Awake, FII and SFAM. Yes, I voted for FII, get over it.

[Beedle]

Hi everyone!  I'm a long time lurker and decided to jump in the fun.  Figured this would be a good place to do my first post.  I'm going to do these in the order in which I heard/discovered them:

1:  Images and Words.  In my early teens, I had been hearing a lot about this band and how impressive the guitar playing was.  In turn, I received this album for my 14th birthday in September 2002 and it dominated my world.  A particularly fond memory is that when I got this CD the power was out in my house for a few days due to a passing storm.  As a result, I had a lot of time to dedicate to this CD with headphones and no distractions.  I couldn't have asked for a better introduction to the band, and looking back now, this CD has the particular combination of sounds/influences that make this band so special.

2:  Scenes from a Memory.  I began to gobble up everything else that was available.  Blown away by the new level of playing (courtesy of Jordan's entry) combined with well thought out songwriting and composition.

3:  Awake.  We're now entering Christmas of 2002.  To this day I love the particular production and atmosphere of this album, definitely of its time (in a good way).  At the time I found this a little less accessible than Images and Words, but repeated listens made me love it and all the different moods it has.

4:  The Astonishing.  Fast forward 14 years!  On release day I find myself with this puppy and the house to myself.  So, in a similar manner to my first listen to Images and Words, I engage in my practice reserved for my special bands and listen to the CD with my headphones (without having heard any of it prior to release).  I love everything about this release.  I know (and understand) a lot of the criticisms about this one, but at the end of the day I find the songwriting/compositions to be overflowing with melody and dynamics, which is one of the most prominent things I can resonate with in music.  I listened to this first disc several times before moving onto disc 2, and seeing them on this tour was one of the best shows in my life.   

Honorable mention:  The second disc of Six Degrees.  If this album was just the second disc, it would probably replace Scenes.  But I'm a little lukewarm on some aspects of the first disc.  As with Images and the Astonishing, everything about the second disc exemplifies the particular combination of playing and songwriting that makes this band untouchable when they're going this route.

[CharlesPL]

Images
SFAM
Awake
WDaDU

[Dream Team]

Kind of surprised at how well Awake has held up as a favorite. I don't believe it is a favorite amongst the legions of younger/newer fans but I guess there are plenty of old-timers still around.

[Dublagent66]

On I&W, I actively dislike Another Day.  Surrounded and Take the Time are just so-so songs that I could take or leave, and UAGM has its moments, but isn't much better to me overall.  (the other four songs on the album, however, are stellar)

On Awake, I actively dislike Space Dye Vest.  No interest in Lifting Shadows are Innocence Faded.  Caught in a Web is just "okay." 

Still VERY good albums overall, and as I think I said above, they would be my #5 and #6.  But they are both uneven and not nearly as consistently strong as ADTOE or DT12, despite higher peaks.

I actively dislike this post.

Agreed.  I actively like all those songs but just not as much as the others.  Meaning, I like all the songs on I&W and Awake to some degree.  Don't actively like all songs on ADTOE, but it does have the best song on it from the MM era (BAI).  DT12 doesn't even show up on my top 10 radar.  So many things wrong with that album I can't count em all.  Not sure how anyone could have that in their top 4, but whatever.

I&W, Awake, FII and SFAM. Yes, I voted for FII, get over it.

I wouldn't fault anyone for picking FII.  That's DT's sleeper album.  I mean, it doesn't have a whole bunch of stellar songs, but I don't dislike any of them.  That tour was the first time I saw DT live, so it has some significant sentimental value.

Kind of surprised at how well Awake has held up as a favorite. I don't believe it is a favorite amongst the legions of younger/newer fans but I guess there are plenty of old-timers still around.

Not really surprised at all.  I've been a fan for nearly 30 years and Awake has always ranked high amongst most fans to my recollection.

[BeatriceNB]

1) The Astonishing: to me, this album is simply perfect. The melodies, the harmony, the arrangements, Rudess piano playing, Mangini's perfect orchestration throughout the whole album (all notes feel placed with all possible care and intention). If there's a DT album I know I can go back to and love it, is The Astonishing.

2a) A Dramatic Turn Of Events: technical, heavy, melodic, catchy, emotional... listening to it as a whole feels like an adventure. Lost Not Forgotten, Outcry and Breaking All Illusions have unmatched god tier instrumental passages. And Breaking All Illusions is their best song, imo.

2b) Dream Theater: like ADTOE, it is an adventure, but a more positive one. Similar to WDADU, it has lots of catchy moments and Rush-y vibe which I love. The Bigger Picture is easily one of their best songs to me (with very relatable lyrics). All of it is concise, tight and doesn't try to be anything it isn't. Can't decide between it and ADTOE, so they're tied for 2nd place.

3) When Dream And Day Unite: the lost Rush album, and damn it is really good. Despite the usual negative opinion on the album's production, it's my favourite DT album sonically. The songs are all catchy and amazing, and very focused (compared to most of their 2000s work, in my opinion), lyrics are some of the best, if you ask me. Dominici does a very good job too.

[Wim Kruithof]

So interesting to see that every once in a while all albums will reach the top 4. Unbelievable how much variety there is in their music. I voted for Black Clouds, Train of Thought, Six Degrees and A Dramatic Turn, but ask me a month from now and it could be different. Mostly, the more I give an album the change of listening to, the more it'll raise in my ranking. There is so much to enjoy and discover.

This all except Falling into Infinity. No matter how hard I'll try, New Millennium, You Not Me and Burning My Soul is too much filth to conquer. I can't get past these, even though there are some pearls as well on the album, Peruvian Skies, Hollow Years, Hell's Kitchen, Lines in the Sand and Trial of Tears. The whole package incl the terrible artwork, is just keeping me off track and make me feel un-Dream Theatered.

[pg1067]

Up to this point, with 145 votes, the "standings" are as follows:

1. SFAM - 113 votes
2. I&W - 102 votes
3. Awake - 89 votes
4. SDOIT - 87

5T. 8VM - 35 votes
5T. ADTOE - 35 votes
7. TOT - 24 votes
8. FII - 20 votes
9. TA - 19 votes
10. DOT - 18 votes
11. DT12 - 12 votes
12. BC&SL - 11 votes
13. WDADU - 8 votes
14. SC - 5 votes

The top four (by a WIDE margin) mimic the top four in the recently completed DT league (in which far fewer than 145 people participated).

Conversely, the "standings" in the "4 least favorite" DT album thread, after 158 votes, are as follows:

14. WDADU - 108 votes
13. SC - 95 votes
12. TA - 83 votes
11. BC&SL - 80 votes
10. DT12 - 69 votes
9. FII - 56 votes
8. DOT - 26 votes
6T. TOT - 24 votes
6T. ADTOE - 24 votes
5. 8VM - 21 votes
4. Awake - 13 votes
2T. SDOIT - 5 votes
2T. I&W - 5 votes
1. SFAM - 2 votes

The biggest surprise here (for me at least) is that TA is in the middle tier in terms of folks who regard it as a top-4 album but near the bottom in terms of folks who regard it as a bottom-4 album.  I think the conclusion is that most folks don't like it much, but those who do really love it.

I think the other clear conclusion is that the clear consensus top-4 are SFAM, I&W, Awake and SDOIT (no surprises there).

[energythief]

In order: SFAM, I&W, Awake, FII

[GasparXR]

In order: SFAM, I&W, Awake, FII

I'm glad some people share my love of FII. Also damn, four albums in a row.

[Glasser]

I&W
ADTOE
Awake
Dream Theater

[WildRanger]

1. I&W
2. SFAM
3. TOT
4. Awake

[WildRanger]

A Dramatic Turn of Events has more votes than Train of Thought? Really surprising.

[TAC]

A Dramatic Turn of Events has more votes than Train of Thought? Really surprising.

I don’t find that surprising at all.

[Volante99]

Up to this point, with 145 votes, the "standings" are as follows:

1. SFAM - 113 votes
2. I&W - 102 votes
3. Awake - 89 votes
4. SDOIT - 87

5T. 8VM - 35 votes
5T. ADTOE - 35 votes
7. TOT - 24 votes
8. FII - 20 votes
9. TA - 19 votes
10. DOT - 18 votes
11. DT12 - 12 votes
12. BC&SL - 11 votes
13. WDADU - 8 votes
14. SC - 5 votes

Funny, I actually think this ranking is near perfect. The general consensus is pretty spot on for me.

The only album I feel like is underrated is BC&SL, I would put that at 9 in front of TA, maaaaybe even in front of FII. Black Clouds is a fun album- Nightmare to Remember and Count of Tuscany alone give it some respectability. Shattered Fortress was actually a highlight of the 2014 tour (got a HUGE crowd pop at the end). Best of Times deserves a lil love too. I get why some people don’t like it and I definitely get why it rarely shows up in anyone’s top 4, but I’ll defend Black Clouds until the bitter end.

[WildRanger]

A Dramatic Turn of Events has more votes than Train of Thought? Really surprising.

I don’t find that surprising at all.

So I will make a VS poll now.

[TAC]

Of course you will!

[Dellers]

Quite easy to pick four. I&W, Scenes, Six Degrees and ADTOE.

[erwinrafael]

Distance Over Time
Awake
Dream Theater
The Astonishing

I was introduced to Dream Theater through Images and Words, I think in 1996. I was blown away! But as kid who had his musical awakening in the 1990s (I am 42 now), Awake has always been the album that resonated with my musical taste. Dream Theater "lost" me during the Octavarium era, as their music felt more and more bloated which I already felt when I bought and listened to my cassette tape of Train of Thought. Then I came back in big way when they brought in my favorite drummer, Mangini, and I immediately fell in love with Breaking All Illusions, which to this day is my favorite DT song. It's the three albums after ADTOE that really captured me, not just because of Mangini, but because these albums felt like Dream Theater prioritizing songwriting over virtuosity. I hope this continues in the coming album.

[ReaperKK]

Six Degrees (newest DT album when I discovered them)
Train of Thought
Systematic Chaos
Distance Over Time

[JMaekelae]

Quite an easy task. The fifth would be more problematic.

My picks:

Images
Awake
Scenes
Events

Bottom 4 would be:

Train of Thought
Systematic Chaos
The Astonishing
Distance Over Time

[Glasser]

I think it’s great how some people’s least favorites can be another’s top 4. That is the true beauty of Dream Theater’s music.

[TAC]

I think it’s great how some people’s least favorites can be another’s top 4. That is the true beauty of Dream Theater’s music.

Yeah I agree.

[marillionaire]

For me, it's:

- Scenes From a Memory

- Images & Words;

- Awake

- A Dramatic Turn of Events

In that order. For me, Scenes is/was the band's pinnacle.

[Volante99]

For me, it's:

- Scenes From a Memory

- Images & Words;

- Awake

- A Dramatic Turn of Events

In that order. For me, Scenes is/was the band's pinnacle.

Swap Scenes with Awake and you have my answer, although my ranking of the top 3 really changes depending on my mood.

I do feel like the band hit its creative peak during Awake, though- and it edges the Scenes and Images partially because of its stellar production making it, probably, the best presentation of the band (SOMEbody spent some money making that album and you can hear it IMO).