Official top 50 Fates Warning countdown thread!! - #1 Song Revealed!

[TAC]

My #1 is still alive!!

[Glasser]

My #1 is still alive!!

I know your number 1!

[Mister Gold]

Just hoping at this point that my #1 made it into the list at this point. I'm not too worried of it being neglected, but still I hadn't expected the song to make it all the way into the Top 5. I'd figured it'd be Top 10-ish at most.

[The Realm]

I have no idea what songs are going to be in the top 5. I have realised that I am pretty out of touch with the consensus in this countdown. I am more of a 'love the Arch era and the newer Alder era and not so much the older Alder era with the exception of one album' guy. (hope that makes sense). The consensus is more: love the older Alder era and that is pretty much it.

To me, both Theories of Flight and Long Day Goodnight are awesome albums but both look like they will be very underrepresented overall and we already know how the Arch era ended up.

[TAC]

I think I know what the Top 5 songs are.

[The Realm]

I have had a guess at what I think the top 5 will be but I am not that confident in my picks. I believe one of the songs left is going to be unranked by me but only because it somehow dropped off my list and then I missed it in my final check before submission.

[jammindude]

I think I know what the Top 5 songs are.

I’m about 99% sure I know the top 5 as well. There’s one that I think is a bit high, so I hope it’s next. The rest I’m very happy with as a top 4.

[WardySI]

The Ivory Gate Of Dreams #6
Little surprised seeing this one either NR or so low on some lists always felt it was like the template of early Alder Fates love it and another shout for the Alive In Athens show where this one soars!

At this stage I've only 3 songs that need come for my Top10 to have featured in the overall countdown. Will come down to whether Realm is on the money or not as one of my remaining 3 are a late era Alder track (of which plenty of my 50 choices were tbh love all eras)...

[The Realm]

Well Wardy I still think a newer Fates song could be one of the top 5, I am more lamenting the fact that many other great songs won't make it at all....

[Zoom E]

I had Point of View at #7 and The Ivory Gate of Dreams at #21.

I initially had the Ivory Gate of Dreams in my top 10, but it kept dropping in my list as I tweaked it. Some sections of this song are amazing but some are just okay, and this dragged the song down in my ranking..

[jammindude]

I had Ivory Gate at #8. I haven’t heard it in forever, but I absolutely remember every note. By the time we get to the final riffage in Acquiescence, I am taken back to full blown Wayne’s World mode.

By the way, if the rest of my top five is correct, that means another major player from  No Exit is going to be missing and that would really blow my mind.

[TAC]

I don't expect to see anything in the Top 5 from No Exit.

[jammindude]

I don't expect to see anything in the Top 5 from No Exit.

At this point, I agree. But if that were the case, Anarchy Divine didn’t make the list at all, which would be lame.

[TAC]

I don't expect to see anything in the Top 5 from No Exit.

At this point, I agree. But if that were the case, Anarchy Divine didn’t make the list at all, which would be lame.

It made my list but definitely not this high. Not even close.

[WardySI]

Well Wardy I still think a newer Fates song could be one of the top 5, I am more lamenting the fact that many other great songs won't make it at all....

Couldn't agree more.  So much to love about later-day Fates...

My Theory (too obvious? ) is your earlier post 'To me, both Theories of Flight and Long Day Goodnight are awesome albums but both look like they will be very underrepresented overall and we already know how the Arch era ended up...' while spot on, may well be given a slight elbow and wink by a certain late-era Alder track, at least I do hope so 

While working through the albums in the leadup to this Countdown I was amazed by a few things, but mostly how much more of Long Day Good Night impacted on me even moreso than when released!  So much so I was moved to finally get it on LP 



Sorry for the edits could not get this loaded properly without loss of quality!?

[wolfking]

There's one song from TOF I think will make the top 5.

[pg1067]

If I were on the other side of this and had all of the information I've revealed, I would be REALLY puzzled about the top 5.  I'd definitely have the top 3, but the other two would be REALLY surprising to me.

[The Realm]

Yeah, one song from TOF to come but I had another from that album in my top 10 that won't make it at all and I had 3 songs from Long Day Goodnight in my top 20 that also won't make it at all. That is why I feel those albums will be underrepresented but the voters have spoken!

My guess is that the top 5 is coming from 4 different albums.

[Mister Gold]

There's one song from TOF I think will make the top 5.

As it should, seeing as it's the best song the band ever wro- But perhaps I've said too much.

[Awaken]

I had Point of View at 8 and Ivory Gate of Dreams at 6, both great in their own right for different reasons.  PoV is definitely the most accessible of FW's catalogue and I've always thought of it as FW's 'Pull me Under' too.  I don't get why that song didn't launch this band, but whatever.  Ivory Gate of Dreams is a great epic, and barely missed the top 5 (it was top 5 in a couple of rankings).  Looking forward to the top 5!

[romdrums]

6. The Ivory Gate of Dreams (7). Kinda figured this would make the Top 5 when I submitted, but I'm still glad it made the Top 10.  One of my favorite epics, and a great way to close the Steve Zimmerman era on drums.

[Samsara]

Point of View - I had this at #12. Great tune, great single, and the introduction to FW to many people (not me). I always enjoy the energy of this song, and while it is not one of Fates' most complicated songs, it's a perfect cut to represent that early 90s era of Fates.

Ivory Gate of Dreams - This is my #3 song from them. To be honest, I'm not sure how any hardcore fan of FW doesn't have this in their top-5.

As for songs from newer records making top-5...The Light and Shade of Things will be. Book it.

My guess for the top-5:

The Light and Shade of Things - 5
Monument - 4
Life in Still Water - 3
The Eleventh Hour - 2
Still Remains - 1

[TAC]

I was thinking the same, Sam.

[pg1067]

5 Life in Still Water (Parallels – 7)

Appeared on 17 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 9
Highest Ranking: 1 (Tomislav95, The Realm, WardySI)

So…I know Parallels is a universally loved album among Fates fans, but I would never have guessed that all three of Leave the Past Behind, Point of View and Life in Still Water would turn up in the top 10.  It’s my favorite of those three songs, and I had it at #17.  There’s a very particular chord in this song that I think sounds super cool.  After Ray sings, “It’s a narrow path,” the guitar plays two eighth notes followed by two dotted quarter notes and then lands on a chord that is held under the next line (“that we walk”).  I don’t know what the chord is, but it’s so dang tasty.  Anyway…solid song, but top 5 material???

[pg1067]

Also, you guys are going to be awfully surprised when Lighthouse and The Arena take the top two spots!

[Samsara]

Also, you guys are going to be awfully surprised when Lighthouse and The Arena take the top two spots!

 

I had Life in Still Water at #5. So exactly on par with the forum. Not much to say other than it never gets old. It's one of those songs that no matter how many times I listen to it, I can't get enough.

[romdrums]

5. Life in Still Water (30).  I had this quite a bit lower, and I don't think it made my top 50 on the initial run through.  I think it's kind of overrated.  I wonder if it would rank as high if James Labrie wasn't on the track?  Anyway, Frank's solo is pretty sweet, and Zonder's drumming again is on point.  This song is definitely the anti-Arch.  Where Arch often tried to cram as many words as possible into his lyrics and vocal melodies, this song is the complete opposite of that.  It seems like Ray takes forever to sing some of these lyrics. 

[pg1067]

5. Life in Still Water (30).  I had this quite a bit lower, and I don't think it made my top 50 on the initial run through.  I think it's kind of overrated.  I wonder if it would rank as high if James Labrie wasn't on the track?  Anyway, Frank's solo is pretty sweet, and Zonder's drumming again is on point.  This song is definitely the anti-Arch.  Where Arch often tried to cram as many words as possible into his lyrics and vocal melodies, this song is the complete opposite of that.  It seems like Ray takes forever to sing some of these lyrics.

I'd be surprised if it was a factor.  While you can hear a second vocal track, it's very much in the background and, if JLB weren't credited, I doubt anyone would be able to tell it's him.


I don't know if I've told this story before, but my band back in '89 or '90 got a new singer by the name of Andy (the rest of us eventually called him Spasity Andy behind his back).  He had great range but was very raw.  He was also often unemployed, and I had to pick him up for practices and gigs.  The other problem with him is that tried to re-write vocal melodies for existing songs.  He'd take words that were supposed to fit into, e.g., 10 seconds and sing them in an Arch-lie, rapid fire fashion in about 4 seconds, leaving a bunch of awkward empty space.  During his time in the band, I turned him onto Fates Warning, and he became a BIG Ray Alder fan.  After we kicked him out, he moved to Arizona.  He called me once and mentioned that he had met Ray.  We then lost touch with him.  Fast forward to 1994 and Inside Out comes out and I'm going through the CD booklet and I see, "RAY would like to thank . . . Andy Gowin. . . ."  Mother fucker!

[Glasser]

5. Life in Still Water (30).  I had this quite a bit lower, and I don't think it made my top 50 on the initial run through.  I think it's kind of overrated.  I wonder if it would rank as high if James Labrie wasn't on the track?  Anyway, Frank's solo is pretty sweet, and Zonder's drumming again is on point.  This song is definitely the anti-Arch.  Where Arch often tried to cram as many words as possible into his lyrics and vocal melodies, this song is the complete opposite of that.  It seems like Ray takes forever to sing some of these lyrics.

I'd be surprised if it was a factor.  While you can hear a second vocal track, it's very much in the background and, if JLB weren't credited, I doubt anyone would be able to tell it's him.


I don't know if I've told this story before, but my band back in '89 or '90 got a new singer by the name of Andy (the rest of us eventually called him Spasity Andy behind his back).  He had great range but was very raw.  He was also often unemployed, and I had to pick him up for practices and gigs.  The other problem with him is that tried to re-write vocal melodies for existing songs.  He'd take words that were supposed to fit into, e.g., 10 seconds and sing them in an Arch-lie, rapid fire fashion in about 4 seconds, leaving a bunch of awkward empty space.  During his time in the band, I turned him onto Fates Warning, and he became a BIG Ray Alder fan.  After we kicked him out, he moved to Arizona.  He called me once and mentioned that he had met Ray.  We then lost touch with him.  Fast forward to 1994 and Inside Out comes out and I'm going through the CD booklet and I see, "RAY would like to thank . . . Andy Gowin. . . ."  Mother fucker!

Wow! Great story! But yeah, that sounds about right. 

[jammindude]

I knew this was coming. I actually thought it might be a bit higher. I had it at #14, and it was my 2nd highest rated Parallels track, and one of only 2 Parallels tracks to make my top 40. By far the strongest of any of the songs that felt like singles, which makes it that much more puzzling that I don’t think it ever was.

[TAC]

5 Life in Still Water (Parallels – 7)

Appeared on 17 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 9
Highest Ranking: 1 (Tomislav95, The Realm, WardySI)

I had Life In Still Water at #12. I love this song and Ray kills on it.

And my #1 is still alive!


50  Prelude To Ruin                                          NR
49  Damnation                                                            Handful Of Doubt
48  APSOG IX (Stayed Up Late One Night)                     Chasing Time
47  Through Different Eyes                                           APSOG III
46  APSOG VIII (Instrumental)                                     White Flag
45  Leave The Past Behind                                            APSOG IV
44  Traveller In Time                                                    Firefly
43                                                                              The Destination Onward
42  Pale Fire                                                                Left Here
41                                                                              The Road Goes On Forever
40  Outside Looking In                                                 Island In The Stream
39  The Longest Shadow Of The Day                             APSOG V (Murder In Munich)
38  Face The Fear                                                        Part Of The Machine
37                                                                              Wish
36  Another Perfect Day                                               APSOG VII
35  The Apparition                                                       Seven Stars
34                                                                              Eye To Eye
33  Buried Alive                                                           At Fates Hands
32  Silent Cries                                                            APSOG XII
31  Don't Follow Me                                                     From The Rooftops
30  Giant's Lore
29
28
27  Point Of View
26
25  Valley Of The Dolls
24  And Yet It Moves
23
22  APSOG XI (Do You Think That I)
21  One
20  Pirates Of The Underground
19  The Ghosts Of Home
18
17  Exodus
16  Epitaph
15
14
13  The Strand
12  Life In Still Water
11  APSOG VI (Turn Back All The Years)
10  Shelter Me
9  Guardian
8  Kyrie Eleison
7
6  Down To The Wire
5  Something For Nothing
4  The Ivory Gate Of Dreams
3  We Only Say Goodbye
2  Nothing Left To Say
1

[Zoom E]

I have Life in Still Water at #6. It seems to be a rarity that I’m in sync with the general consensus in this countdown, but it would be hard to go wrong with this one

[Glasser]

I'm remastering No Exit from my original cd. The 25th Anniversary version has Ivory Gate broken into separate tracks and it bothers me. I'm just going to warm it up a bit, nothing too extreme.

[wolfking]

I had this song at number 2.  One of the first songs I heard and that really stuck with me.  Just a perfect track.  Franks solo is one of the trickiest out there to get right, so many different technical elements going on.

[The Realm]

5 Life in Still Water (Parallels – 7)

Appeared on 17 of 19 entries
Top 10 finishes: 9
Highest Ranking: 1 (Tomislav95, The Realm, WardySI)

Life in Still Water - yes this is my number 1. Just a great song. I didn't have a definitive number 1 Fate's song before doing this is countdown but this is how it came out in the end. I also thought this song was a certainty to be on all 19 lists, once again I got that wrong...