Alright, let's see if I can get the rest of the way caught up.
Before I get started, I'll also comment on Chosen, which Ben_Jamin and Dragon Attack both mentioned. That's one of my favorites on
The Astonishing, and I had it at #50, behind only A Life Left Behind. I suspect it suffers due to the perception that there are a lot of ballads on the album, but I think it deserves more recognition than it gets.
70. S2NMy ranking: Unranked (approximately #142)
Near rock bottom for me. It's not a bad song, it just doesn't really do a whole lot for me, like a significant chunk of
Distance over Time. There are some cool riffs, and I like the outro, but the melodies are really bland to me, especially the chorus. Cool that some people get a lot out of it, though!
69. Hollow YearsMy ranking: #32
This song comes across as a pretty simple ballad, but it just grew and grew on me over time. There's a lot of powerful atmosphere and emotion to it. To me, the Budokan version is the definitive version, because the solos are just so good. But the studio version would still make my top 50.
68. A New BeginningMy ranking: #72
Not my personal choice for top song on
The Astonishing, but I wouldn't argue too strongly with it—it's definitely a highlight on the album, and was so even more when I saw it live. The reason, of course, is the solo, which absolutely deserves it. What holds the song a little bit back for me is that I don't think the vocal melodies are all that special. The best ones are Arabelle's bridge and Nafaryus's "This man's a fraud and a hoax."
I also don't like how quickly Nafaryus's turn comes in the run of the song. It feels like he has no reaction to this revelation about his past and Faythe's besides basically saying "ok fine I'll meet him," which he says right after Faythe's revelation with barely enough time for James to take a breath between. That said, the instrumental side of the song makes up for these shortcomings.
67. Beneath the SurfaceMy ranking: #88
I think this is a pretty ballad, and an interesting way to close ADTOE after the majesty of Breaking All Illusions. It's on the lower end of my list mainly because it feels a little long for what it is, which isn't a huge deal, but it matters when splitting hairs. I've always liked the entry into the keyboard solo.
66. The Ministry of Lost SoulsMy ranking: #35
Detractors of this song complain that it's the epitome of Dream Theater's tendency to write really long during this era, and I understand why people feel that way. But I think this song makes really good use of every second of its 14:57. TMOLS is just full of beautiful, grand, emotional melodies, starting with the main theme, but including a number of others as well. And it's a masterful buildup. I know some complain about the instrumental section, and I get it, but I really like what Mike does to bring the song into that section from "I gave you life" through that big melodic transition.
And then there's that solo. Going through this list has really cemented to me the extent to which Petrucci is the core of Dream Theater. Not that others don't contribute a lot, but he's easily the one I've mentioned the most, and deservedly so.
My sense is that the popular opinion on this song has improved considerably since I become a DT fan, which is nice to see. Listening to it now, I think #35 might be a somewhat conservative ranking for this one. I could easily see it creeping up into the 20s.
65. One Last TimeMy ranking: #39
I love One Last Time. It's awesome to see some love for it from others besides me, even though it fell too low on the list at the end of the day. I think this is the
Scenes track where music and storytelling are most in sync. And, narratively speaking, it's the climax of the album ("I'm finally shown what I have always known / Coincidence I can't believe / As my childhood dreams slowly come true / Are these her memories awakened through my eyes?"), so I vehemently oppose the idea that it's a "transitional song" (also, thinking of a nearly four minute song a "transition" is a very prog fan thing to do
). That final vocal section, "Here I am inside his home" to the end, is also one of the most evocative and emotional parts of the album, to me.
64. Behind the VeilMy ranking: Unranked (approximately #123)
This song falls down there in my "good song, doesn't stand out enough" section. I think this song has a lot of good ideas and good parts, but doesn't fully come together. The chorus is the weak link, in my opinion. The verses and the solo are quite good, but the chorus just doesn't quite bring the point home.
63. Caught in a WebMy ranking: #34
I love this song. Excellent grooves, excellent heavy riffs, awesome atmospheric keyboards, and low key one of JLB's best-ever studio performances. Just a lot to love. I feel like it's been underappreciated by the band and the fans over the years. It is to me what The Mirror seems to be to others. It's the song I think of when I think of
Awake.
62. The Shattered FortressMy ranking: #81
I think #81 is an under-rank on this one. When thinking about it, it's easy to think of it as "the one with all the reprises," but it's a good song in its own right. The first and last sections are really good, and the middle section isn't a big let down or anything. Right now I'd say it probably does belong in the 60s. Inventory!
61. Peruvian SkiesMy ranking: Unranked (approximately #120)
Kev, I'll admit to being one of the guilty parties on this one! This song is in my "good but doesn't stand out" section. It's a nice song, I enjoy listening to it, but it doesn't have as much impact as at least 100 other songs.
59. LieMy ranking: Unranked (approximately #119)
Yeah, it's in the same territory. It's fun to listen to and sing along to, but it's just not at the level of the top 100 for me.
59. Lost Not ForgottenMy ranking: #89
I slept on this one for a while, but it's a really solid song. I stand by putting it in the high 80s/low 90s range because I think it's a tiny bit long for what it is, but there are some awesome riffs here, and I really like the "An epic novel no one's read... "The ghosts of yesterday" part.
58. Surrender to ReasonMy ranking: #73
This is a really good song. Just a lot of strong melodies and good moments all over it. I feel like it's one I overlook when I'm just thinking about Dream Theater songs, but when I listen to it, I remember what makes it so good (thus, it might be a tiny bit low, although it's hard to say what I'd push down for it). This really deserves a good live version. Did they ever play it?
57. Innocence FadedMy ranking: #59
Another really good one off
Awake, and a moment here where I'm almost completely in line with the consensus. I really like how we get this softer song that still has a lot of energy and fits in with the atmosphere of the album. And some amazing JLB moments here, of course, along with a great guitar solo. It may be controversial, but to me, the best three song run on
Awake is the first three.
56. The Enemy InsideMy ranking: Unranked (approximately #104)
I was impressed with how liked this song was, as it appeared in almost every list.
Well, this is awkward...
It's near the top of that "good but doesn't stand out" territory, which is the fate of a disproportionate number of songs on DT12. There's absolutely nothing wrong with it, I like the intro a lot, and the verses are pretty good. It just doesn't quite have enough going for it to break my top 100.
55. A Nightmare to RememberMy ranking: #29
For my first two or three years of listening to Dream Theater, this song was one of my favorites. It's fallen off a bit, mainly owing to a second half that I will freely admit is not as good as the first half. But it's still one I enjoy a lot. The intro is massive, and I love the work the song does establishing motifs that it will return to, even if it revisits some of them one time too many. Also, Mike does some awesome drumming, particularly in the first half of the song. Blast beat notwithstanding.
I'm pro-Day-After-Day, although these days I'd rather Mike had done the full growl instead of the tough guy. And in general, I like the backing vocals on this song. I know some just simply don't enjoy them, and I respect that, but I like the blend of multiple voices they had going in the 00s.
Whew. Finally caught up. Unless Kev has made a second post while I was typing this.
Topic: Top 100 Dream Theater songs countdown (Top 2 revealed!!) (Read 53346 times)
