Your Favorite Version of Every DT Song

[Laughingplace56]

Quick catch-up:

WDADU: Love Afterlife from Score, OaMoT from Budokan, Ytse Jam from OiaL, and A Fortune in Lies from the Marquee (though I wish there were a live version where they played it slightly faster). Don’t listen to the others much.

Images and Words:

Pull Me Under: I’ve probably played the Budokan version the most. Good energy and love the way Portnoy developed the drums over the years.

Another Day: Studio. Rarely listen to it, but if I do it’s this version.

Take the Time: Once in a Livetime. Love the energy and the jam at the end.

Surrounded: Studio. I listen to the Luna Park version the most, but JP’s solo sounds the best on the studio version.

Metropolis: Score. Unique and it just sounds so great with the orchestra. Really feels like the best epic ending they could’ve done for that show.

Under a Glass Moon: Clearly Score. Phenomenal performance and the reworked drums at the beginning of the instrumental section is one of my favorite drum pieces to play of all time.

Wait For Sleep: Luna Park

Learning to Live: studio version.

Awake:

6:00: I mean the real answer is when I saw them play it on this past tour, but since that’s not on a recording I’ll go with the studio version lol

Caught in a Web: Once in a Livetime. I know they’ve played it a bit faster sometimes throughout the years, but I wish one of those times were for one of the official live albums. Those riffs sound so good slightly sped up.

Innocence Faded: Score for sure. Obviously James sounds best on all the studio versions of Awake, but for there to only be one official live recording of this song, I think they nailed it.

A Mind Beside Itself: definitely Live Scenes From NY. Excellent rendition and I love the reimagined Silent Man. Voices on Once in a Livetime and Silent Man from Luna Park get honorable mentions as well.

The Mirror/Lie/Lifting Shadows/Scarred/Space Dye Vest: Breaking the Fourth Wall. My first DT show was this tour so that’s a large reason, but there’s certainly not a better live version of any of these songs on any other live recording, especially Lifting Shadows and Space Dye Vest; those came off beautifully live, and I love what Mangini did with all 5 of those songs.

[Dream Team]

So we've arrived at Falling into Infinity, my least favorite DT album but fairly highly regarded around here it seems. This is an album that DOES benefit greatly from live/demo/reworked versions.

New Millenium - an easy call, Budokan version is great for headphones or DVD watching

You Not Me - I prefer the demo version You or Me

Peruvian Skies - studio version is probably still the best but there are no shortage of live versions to choose from, including ones with tacked-on Metallica bits. The Santiago show is a really good video version

Hollow Years - boring as hell song on the album but (again) Budokan kicks it up a notch. Great JP solo even if it gets a tad too shreddy

Burning My Soul - another song I don't care for but I do like some of the alternate versions. Live at Wacken or especially Live in Bucharest in particular.

Hell's Kitchen - album version is the standard

Lines in the Sand - some great options here. I don't care for Pinnick's vocals so studio version is out for me. I'll take the demo version or Live in Bucharest once again.

Take Away My Pain - Once in a Livetime version is the easy choice here. I like that stripped-down arrangement better.

Just Let Me Breathe - don't care

Anna Lee - don't care

Trial of Tears - you can go with Budokan or Breaking the Fourth Wall here, and my choice is easily the latter due to better vocals and Mangini's killer drumming

B-Sides/Demos/Unreleased
Another Won and Raise the Knife from Score are well ahead of the pack and slay hard on this concert, and not many of the other B-Sides have live performances except for . . .

To Live Forever has gotten a fair share of love from the band over the years, even creeping into the Mangini era. Live in Tokyo version kills the others easily.

[pg1067]

I've only ever heard the studio version of most of these songs - mostly because I only like a handful of them.

You Not Me - YNM >>> YOM.  Are there any live versions?

Hollow Years - Studio version.  The live version that everyone seems to like ruins the vibe of the song, IMO.

Hell's Kitchen - I can't recall any live versions except as part of Instrumedley.

Lines in the Sand - I always say that this would probably be a top 3 song on this album but for the lousy guest vocals.  But I honestly can't recall any live versions.

Anna Lee - This is a fantastic, underrated song.  Is there a live version?

Trial of Tears - The default best song on the album, but I don't really ever find myself looking to listen to it.

Not including most of the reject songs.  RTK is the only one worth my time.  The Score version is solid.

[hefdaddy42]

The best versions of all of these songs are the studio album recordings, IMO.

Anna Lee - This is a fantastic, underrated song.  Is there a live version?

There is a live performance on Five Years in a LIVEtime.

[Max Kuehnau]

I've only ever heard the studio version of most of these songs - mostly because I only like a handful of them.

You Not Me - YNM >>> YOM.  Are there any live versions?

Hollow Years - Studio version.  The live version that everyone seems to like ruins the vibe of the song, IMO.

Hell's Kitchen - I can't recall any live versions except as part of Instrumedley.

Lines in the Sand - I always say that this would probably be a top 3 song on this album but for the lousy guest vocals.  But I honestly can't recall any live versions.

Anna Lee - This is a fantastic, underrated song.  Is there a live version?

Trial of Tears - The default best song on the album, but I don't really ever find myself looking to listen to it.

Not including most of the reject songs.  RTK is the only one worth my time.  The Score version is solid.

There is a live version of Hell's Kitchen on the first third of their Budokan show in 2017. It's precise and clean.

[Laughingplace56]

New Millenium - I don’t love this song, but if I were to ever listen to it, it would be the Budokan version (or Caught in a New Millennium from LSNY)

You Not Me - Studio, but another I don’t often choose to listen to

Peruvian Skies - Once in a Livetime. Love the Have a Cigar/Enter Sandman snippets, solo sounds world class on this performance, and the energy gives life to a song I didn’t really care for on the studio version.

Hollow Years - This is a pretty song that I’d probably listen to more if the lyrics/chorus weren’t so bad, but if I were to listen to it, it’s usually the Budokan version

Burning My Soul - I find this song to be a lot more fun than most seemingly do, and I enjoy the Wacken version of this song (especially if it’s sped up a bit)

Hell's Kitchen - Studio version. I think MP was right on this not being great in the live setting

Lines in the Sand - Love this song. I hope they release the Bucharest show through LNF so I can stream it with higher quality, because that’s probably my favorite version. But Once in a Livetime is excellent as well

Take Away My Pain - Once in a Livetime 100%. Never listen to other versions, that one nailed it

Just Let Me Breathe - LSNY. Another song I’m surprised gets so much hate, I think it’s such a fun vibe, and that performance is awesome

Anna Lee - Don’t know if any version other than the studio version

Trial of Tears - Breaking the Fourth Wall, everyone sounds amazing on it and Mangini did an excellent job integrating his own style into it

[gzarruk]

Hell's Kitchen - Studio version. I think MP was right on this not being great in the live setting

But he played it live a bunch of times with PSMS and a couple with SOA

[Trav86]

The best versions of all of these songs are the studio album recordings, IMO.

Agreed.

[Dream Team]

So we've arrived at Metropolis Pt II: Scenes From a Memory, really the last DT album where there are many live versions available both for audio and video/DVD. Going forward I'll cover at least 2 albums with each post.

For SFAM, I like the production but don't love it so there are definitely live versions that are my go-to.

Overture 1928: the studio version is among my favorite DT songs but it gets an extra push of energy on Live Scenes (hindered slightly by MP's intrusion of visuals)

Strange Deja-Vu: I love the version on Breaking the Fourth Wall

Through My Words & Through Her Eyes: studio recordings pretty clearly

Fatal Tragedy: lots of good recordings of this classic. Album version is outstanding but I really love the recording on A Dramatic Tour of Events. Also the Bucharest version is another great DVD recording.

Beyond This Life: generally prefer the album version but if you love the Zappa jam then Budokan is a great alternative

Home: so many awesome renditions of this fan fave. Have to go with the album version for audio because of the awesome vocal harmonies during the chorus (one of their greatest choruses) which are sometimes lacking in live versions. Live Scenes is awesome though and so is the one on Distant Memories. Distant Memories by the way has generally excellent versions of all these songs BUT . . . . James. Bucharest also has a killer rendition of Home.

The Dance of Eternity: again hard to beat Live Scenes but I'll go with Breaking the Fourth Wall for the superior production values

One Last Time: absolutely love this performance on Live Scenes

The Spirit Carries On: Score version all the way and twice on Sundays. Perfect performance with a great JP intro

Finally Free: Live Scenes again, has the best outro due to MP's performance.

 

[JeopardousRaven]

New Millenium - Budokan

You Not Me - You Or Me but I could honestly be fine with either, never understood the hate YNM gets

Peruvian Skies - Never could get too into this one, studio rocks pretty hard

Hollow Years - Budokan but I still really enjoy the studio cut of this one, really nice ballad

Burning My Soul - I am in the minority that I really enjoy this song with HK included so I will go with the Old Bridge version. I still prefer HK to be its own song but if they were to bring this song back, I would prefer it with HK vs without HK if that makes sense. I believe they played the demo version on the SDOIT Tour.

Hell's Kitchen - Album

Lines in the Sand - Budokan. Trooch goes crazy and I believe it features the final vocal section present on the demo which I enjoy.

Take Away My Pain - Demo

Just Let Me Breathe - LSFNY. JLB is insane on this version. I love the "Will flush your mind right down the-the-the-the-the-the-the-the drain" part he add on

Anna Lee - This is a great ballad, i'll take the studio cut

Trial of Tears - I love this song but i can't really say that i have one particular version I love, i'll take the OIALT version with derek

[Jamesman42]

So we've arrived at Metropolis Pt II: Scenes From a Memory, really the last DT album where there are many live versions available both for audio and video/DVD. Going forward I'll cover at least 2 albums with each post.

I mostly don't care for SFAM besides some parts here or there. But Instrumedley from Budokan constantly going back to TDOE is just amazing.