Looks like I need to catch up on a couple...
Dream Theater - I ranked it at #7
Love this one, it's my favorite of the Mangini-era. From my reading of prior discussions on this forum I did get the sense this wasn't super highly-regarded within DT's discography, so I can't say I'm surprised the overall ranking is quite low. I think the songs are great. Maybe not the best sounding album, but the production doesn't seriously affect my enjoyment of the music here.
Enigma Machine is not particularly exciting, but other than that (and perhaps the instrumental intro) it's all good. The nods to Rush (The Looking Glass, the beginning of Surrender to Reason) are super-tasty, The Enemy Inside is a great "metal" DT song, and generally the songwriting is concise and top-notch. My favorite might be The Bigger Picture, but the quality is high throughout. Also agree with the overall comments on IT - it's a fun ride, with plenty of great riffs...the middle section I could probably do without but it doesn't spoil my enjoyment...and the ending is fine, although I'm not a huge fan of that "grand finale" type of approach...
Falling Into Infinity - I ranked it at #4
And, after WDADU, here is my other idiosyncratic pick, I guess...Although I'm pleasantly surprised by its overall ranking, I actually thought it'd be lower.
As Kev noted, yes, this was a drop-off from I&W and Awake. It was bound to happen. It is undeniably a flawed album and, knowing the story behind it, I suppose one can feel the pressure/forces pulling in different directions. Yet, for me, the highs here are so high that they more than compensate for some of the stumbles. It's a time in DT's history (again, for me) when you still weren't sure what to expect and what you were going to hear. So many great songwriting ideas in here, and goosebump-worthy moments (Hell's Kitchen, Lines in the Sand, Trial of Tears!).
In the perennial discussion about the album vs. the demo versions, my view is for the most part I like the album versions better - the only exception being Take Away my Pain (I had heard it the first time in concert in its pre-release version, and it just sounded more "powerful" than what ended up on the record) and the brief instrumental section in You or Me (I like You Not Me better, actually, but I would have kept that part...). However, in terms of songs that were left off - some of them would've made the album better, imo. In particular, Raise the Knife is such a cool mix of the proggy DT and the new sound, and Speak to Me is beautiful - DT-meets-The Cure-meets-U2. Love The Way It Used to Be too. Would love to hear those with the album production.