The TAC Roulette V.5...DTF Faves..WTF Am I Missing?? MastoDONE!

[Elite]

Stadler
Men Of Wood
Trains

What the fuck??? How the hell did I miss this?

And I missed it too

[Elite]

I think it's better to send songs I like than to send songs I think might be in line with Tim's taste.

That's why I sent Gravity Eyelids because I think it's one of PTs best.

Why can't it be both though? I sent songs that I like that I think might be in Line with Tim's taste. I'm completely with you that Gravity Eyelids is one of their best songs.

The most surprising things about these submissions to me are;
- Anesthetize being sent a lot; the song has good parts for sure, but it really doesn't justify it's 17 minute runtime
- nobody sent Way Out of Here
- I might have thought someone would send The Blind House, but the final section kind of drags that one down
- Trains is overrated
- Luminol is probably the 'safest' choice from SW's solo discography, but I'm a little surprised nobody tries something like Harmony Korine. My Book of Regrets might do well too.
- I'm not confident at all that my early PT picks will score well, but people saying Dislocated Day is bad..

[wolfking]

I never really rated Anesthetize either, but I'm only a casual PT fan.

[Kwyjibo]

I think it's better to send songs I like than to send songs I think might be in line with Tim's taste.

That's why I sent Gravity Eyelids because I think it's one of PTs best.

Why can't it be both though? I sent songs that I like that I think might be in Line with Tim's taste. I'm completely with you that Gravity Eyelids is one of their best songs.

The most surprising things about these submissions to me are;
- Anesthetize being sent a lot; the song has good parts for sure, but it really doesn't justify it's 17 minute runtime
- nobody sent Way Out of Here
- I might have thought someone would send The Blind House, but the final section kind of drags that one down
- Trains is overrated
- Luminol is probably the 'safest' choice from SW's solo discography, but I'm a little surprised nobody tries something like Harmony Korine. My Book of Regrets might do well too.
- I'm not confident at all that my early PT picks will score well, but people saying Dislocated Day is bad..

Sure it can be both.

And Anesthesize is overrated and it's really three songs that are somehow connected. And although it has a Lifeson solo, it's only an okay solo imo. Didn't need Lifeson to play it.

I'm surprised nobody sent Drive Home, back then everyone was raving about it.

And Dislocated Day is a good song, but we'll see if it's good enough. 

[425]

I find Heartattack in a Layby kind of dull and My Ashes pretty interesting and dynamic, but that might just be a matter of personal preference.

I find you kind of dull, but that might just be a matter of personal preference.

No, I'm objectively dull. Ask WildRanger.

[romdrums]

I find Heartattack in a Layby kind of dull and My Ashes pretty interesting and dynamic, but that might just be a matter of personal preference.

I find you kind of dull, but that might just be a matter of personal preference.

No, I'm objectively dull. Ask WildRanger.

[TAC]

Second listens complete!

Lots to chew on. Surprisingly, these songs aren't very complex. I guess I was expecting something a bit more progressive, and a lot less straight forward.

[Crow]

both PT and SW's solo stuff have a habit of starting off more prog and getting more pop and accessible as the discographies go on, so 

[TAC]

It's not even so much that it's poppy. It's just...straight. And kind of jammy.

I'll also say that I've pretty much enjoyed most of what I've heard. yes, there's a few times where I want to punch Steven Wilson in the face, but mostly, it's been more than fine.

[KevShmev]

Anesthetize is awesome from start to finish.  Very cohesive song.   

[TAC]

Anesthetize is awesome from start to finish.  Very cohesive song.   

Maybe from the start to the finish of the second section...

[KevShmev]

Anesthetize is awesome from start to finish.  Very cohesive song.   

Maybe from the start to the finish of the second section...

Nah, it's all great. That song does a great job of featuring the climax about 2/3 of the way through and then featuring a final section that is like the calm aftermath.  Kind of like the grandchild of The Gates of Delirium by Yes, although the two songs are pretty different overall.

[TAC]

Never heard that Yes song. 

[KevShmev]

Shocking. 

[Buddyhunter1]

The final section of Anesthetize is wonderful. One of the most depressing sections in PT's catalog.

In a good way.

[TAC]

The final section of Anesthetize is wonderful.

Buddy
Strip The Soul
Anesthetize

[TAC]

I feel like they should've switched the second and third sections of Anesthetize.

[King Postwhore]

BTW Tim, do you know which solo is Alex Lifeson on Anesthetize?

[Buddyhunter1]

The final section of Anesthetize is wonderful.

Buddy
Strip The Soul
Anesthetize

I sent it for a reason, genius.

[King Postwhore]

 

[Stadler]

Stadler
Men Of Wood
Trains

What the fuck??? How the hell did I miss this?

Wow, how did I miss this as well!?! Man, if Tim hated the guitar tone at the beginning of Gravity's Union, he's going to flip a table and punch a wall with this one... 

I guess if I had know people would be sending the more obscure PT stuff, I would have sent Hokey Cokey or maybe Nun's Cleavage...

I could just as easily as Tim run this roulette, because other than Neal Morse and... I forget the other [Ed.: Devin Townsend], I have no real love for any of these artists.  Add to that the fact that while we like a LOT of the same bands, if you took "Tim's Top Ten" of any band it's usually my "Bottom Top Ten" and vice versa, I'm just looking for interesting material to send.  I sell Trains for a living (sort of; I'm not a salesman) so there's that, and I thought the other was funny.   

(And all this is meant to HAVE fun; I'm hoping people get a laugh while we talk music.)

Oh, and by the way, I agree with this 100%:

-Steven Wilson's vocals are really awful in spots. They feel so patronizing. He definitely suffers from The Guy Who Thinks He's The Smartest Guy In The Room Syndrome.

and this:

Yeah, one interesting part of this roulette has been TAC's comparisons to other artists. It seems like every round he makes a comparison that I've never read before and would never have thought of on my own, but that makes sense when I think about it.

[LudwigVan]

Second listens complete!

Lots to chew on. Surprisingly, these songs aren't very complex. I guess I was expecting something a bit more progressive, and a lot less straight forward.

Yeah, Opeth are a lot more traditionally proggy than PT.

Steven Wilson actually spurns the 'complex' prog tradition of bands like Yes and ELP, instead going for the ambient, atmospheric Pink Floyd-ian prog style. At one time, he publicly scoffed at Dream Theater's brand of prog, for which he apparently apologized for in Repentance on Systematic Chaos.

[TAC]

Second listens complete!

Lots to chew on. Surprisingly, these songs aren't very complex. I guess I was expecting something a bit more progressive, and a lot less straight forward.

Yeah, Opeth are a lot more traditionally proggy than PT.

Steven Wilson actually spurns the 'complex' prog tradition of bands like Yes and ELP, instead going for the ambient, atmospheric Pink Floyd-ian prog style. At one time, he publicly scoffed at Dream Theater's brand of prog, for which he apparently apologized for in Repentance on Systematic Chaos.

Gord, were you at the show where Ackerfeldt came out and sang a verse?

[LudwigVan]

Second listens complete!

Lots to chew on. Surprisingly, these songs aren't very complex. I guess I was expecting something a bit more progressive, and a lot less straight forward.

Yeah, Opeth are a lot more traditionally proggy than PT.

Steven Wilson actually spurns the 'complex' prog tradition of bands like Yes and ELP, instead going for the ambient, atmospheric Pink Floyd-ian prog style. At one time, he publicly scoffed at Dream Theater's brand of prog, for which he apparently apologized for in Repentance on Systematic Chaos.

Gord, were you at the show where Ackerfeldt came out and sang a verse?

Yes, I was. If I recall, it got messed up a little because when it came time for him to speak, the microphone failed on him, and they had to improvise/backtrack a bit to make it happen.

Also, "publicly scoff" is probably too strong a phrase, but I'm pretty sure SW has said that he didn't care for DT's style of music.

[TAC]

I have always thought that it would've been cooler if he read some of the spoken word parts instead of simply singing a verse.

[Kwyjibo]

Also, "publicly scoff" is probably too strong a phrase, but I'm pretty sure SW has said that he didn't care for DT's style of music.

Yes, DT is one of the many bands and "traditional" prog is one of the many directions SW doesn't care for. You could fill books with the bands/artists he doesn't like/don't care for/don't find relevant. And while that is his decision, because it's his taste, makes you wonder why he has to tell everyone about it.

Kinda like a vegan. 

[Puppies_On_Acid]

Also, "publicly scoff" is probably too strong a phrase, but I'm pretty sure SW has said that he didn't care for DT's style of music.

Yes, DT is one of the many bands and "traditional" prog is one of the many directions SW doesn't care for. You could fill books with the bands/artists he doesn't like/don't care for/don't find relevant. And while that is his decision, because it's his taste, makes you wonder why he has to tell everyone about it.

Kinda like a vegan. 

Or people who do crossfit. 

[TAC]

Update.. moving right along. I think I have 7 writeups done. Hoping for Thursday. We'll see.

I also want to mention again that the lead guitar playing is outstanding. Is SW his own lead guitarist?
If so, what is his guitar of choice?

[425]

SW is the lead guitarist on the Porcupine Tree material, but not on the solo material. That's Guthrie Govan on the solo albums you got stuff from.

[KevShmev]

Update.. moving right along. I think I have 7 writeups done. Hoping for Thursday. We'll see.

I also want to mention again that the lead guitar playing is outstanding. Is SW his own lead guitarist?
If so, what is his guitar of choice?

In Porcupine Tree, yes, Wilson is always the lead guitarist in the studio (and usually live as well).

In his solo career, it has been more varied.  I believe he was the lead guitarist on the first two solo albums, but Govan joined and became the lead guitarist for The Raven and Hand Cannot Erase (his 3rd and 4th solo albums).  And then he went back to being the lead guitarist most of the time on his last two studio albums.

[ProfessorPeart]

If so, what is his guitar of choice?

I believe he is mainly a PRS guy. Seems to be what I have seen him most with, at least in the PT days.

[TAC]

Cool. Thank you, all.

Not familiar with PRS.

[Lonk]

To me, PRS>>>>Fender>>Gibson.

[ProfessorPeart]

Lifeson went hard into PRS in the 90's. Watch any video from Rush from then on he is mostly playing a PRS. He is still endorsed by them to this day.

[TAC]

Cool. Never heard of them, but I'm not a guitarist. But I was interested after hearing the lead tones.

To me, PRS>>>>Fender>>Gibson.

I don't know. Gary Moore played a Gibson Les Paul, and it's the best I've ever heard a guitar sound.