I had to wait for the weekend to do these, because a certain someone is 42 minutes long.
Also, something interesting I noticed while listening: #12-10 are all last tracks on parts of the meta-album, so their endings flow into the beginning of the next album. Should've been Octavarium at #9 to keep it going!
12. Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence
My ranking: #19
I know that even the very structure of this song is controversial here (some would even dispute my use of the word "song" in this sentence). I'm a huge fan of the ambition. And I think it hangs together as well as a lot of other well-liked prog epics, thanks especially to some recurring themes. I don't think it's any less cohesive than, say, 2112. It's just a lot longer.
I'm convinced that this works a lot better as a whole piece rather than a bunch of separate parts. And I never regret the 42 minutes I dedicate to listened to the whole thing—it's an excellent experience that exceeds the sum of its parts. I do think a few of those parts are a bit weaker than the others—particularly the back-to-back duo of War Inside My Head and The Test That Stumped Them All. These aren't bad at all, but there's a dip in quality there, which is why it falls to #19.
Goodnight Kiss through the end, on the other hand, is excellent. The transition into About to Crash (Reprise) is a song highlight, and I'm a big fan of Losing Time/Grand Finale as a finisher. Really caps off the quasi-symphonic feeling of a lot of the piece.
Also, with all the people expressing surprise about how high or low this one is, I'll just say that this is exactly where I expected it to finish. Beloved enough by some to get a lot of high votes, held in high enough regard by most to have a lot of middle-high votes, but disliked by enough to keep it out of the top 10.
11. In the Name of God
My ranking: #11 (exactly the same as the consensus)
There are approximately 12 songs that feel like top 10 songs to me, and this is one of the odd two out (the other is Only a Matter of Time, my #12).
In the Name of God just has almost everything I like in Dream Theater all in one song. It's melodic and epic, yet heavy. It has a technical section that adds intensity. Its lyrics deal pretty well with a serious issue. It's a wonderful piece of music. I love the methodical, crushing riffs, the abundance of piano, the mid-song drop and build-up ("Hundreds of believers..."), the blistering unison, the grandiose ending with the Battle Hymn of the Republic... It's all awesome. Great song.
10. Finally Free
My ranking: #13
This is just barely outside of that tip-top echelon of songs, which still means I like it very, very much. This song is a masterful conclusion to one of their best albums in terms of music, in terms of storytelling, and in terms of the integration of the two. It goes through a lot of different sections, each one logically connected musically and storywise, and each one fitting the events that are being described.
My favorite is how the chilling first verse, with the line "Friday evening, the blood still on my hands" over the piano is made even more tragic by the fact that the next verse begins "Feeling good this Friday afternoon." I think that was an absolutely brilliant bit of lyricism by Mike, and the happier-sounding music on this part makes it highly effective.
But really, this whole song is fantastic. There are so many emotional moments on it if you're at all invested in the story, in particular, of course, the One Last Time reprise. Though I think the next verse ("As their bodies lie still and the ending draws near / Spirits rise through the air / All their fears disappear, it all becomes clear") is also really powerful.
I could go on and on, but this is simply one of the best songs they ever wrote and a perfect ending to one of their best albums.
9. Scarred
My ranking: #7
I love this song very, very much, and I'm glad to see it in the top 10. Scarred is just brimming with excellent moments, and it all comes together into an astounding piece with a lot of power and a clearly defined emotional arc. Petrucci is absolutely incredible here, from the obvious parts like the jazzy intro and the heavy riffs to some of the subtler touches, like the playing under the first verse. I've said before and I'll say again that I love Kevin Moore's approach on Awake to adding melody over the heavier parts, and he also makes the moments where the heaviness pulls back lovely ("What if the rest of the world").
And then there's James LaBrie. This has got to be a top five JLB song, at least. He adapts so well to all the different moods and textures at play on this song. The same guy is singing "I never bared my emotion, my passion always strong" and "Do you feel you don't me anymore" in the same song. And he carries that gorgeous "Do you feel" part from that soft, breathy beginning to "My soul exposed, it calms me to know that I won't."
This is just one of the songs that I never get tired of hearing. It really has it all. And... I have six songs above it.