I completely understand the push back the album received from fans, particularly in light of MP's public complaints about it. I know everyone says they aren't influenced by MP's comments, but I think a lot of that is horseshit, honestly. The moment MP slagged it a ton of people just jumped on that "hate on FII" bandwagon. It is what it is. We're all guilty of doing that for something here and there. But in this case, I think it really damaged the perception of the album.
Hard to say. I know for me, I hadn't heard MP's comments at all when I first formed my opinion of the album. When I heard BMS on the radio after the album dropped, I hated it. I hadn't heard anything from the album since then until I bought it in 2001 (I had Images and Words, but hadn't followed the band actively at all until SFAM came out). I got it and Awake at the same time. I instantly liked Awake and instantly hated FII. It just didn't sound like the same band. In hindsight, with so many albums behind them, and now knowing the happenings at the time they worked on that album, it makes sense and fits into their discography. But at the time, it was jarring, and I didn't like it. But it wasn't until a couple of years after that that I had even the slightest idea that MP had slagged the album and didn't like it. None.
For me, the problem with it is and was simply that it contains some of my least favorite DT songs of all time. I warmed up to some songs quite a bit. But I still rank it toward the bottom of the DT discography because, although it has some really stellar songs, it also has its share of middle-of-the-road songs, as well as songs I still do not like and rank at the bottom of the discography.
Here is my rough song ranking now:
Songs I love:
-Lines in the Sand
-Take Away My Pain
-Trial of Tears
Songs I like a lot:
-Peruvian Skies
-New Millenium
Okay songs (I like them, but wouldn't go out of my way to listen, ever):
-Just Let Me Breathe
-Anna Lee
Songs I REALLY dislike:
-Burning My Soul
-Hollow Years
-Hell's Kitchen
-You Not Me
4 songs out of 11 that I really dislike. And another 2 that are not bad, but I am largely indifferent to. Mike Portnoy has nothing to do with that. But the other 5 are really quite good. And I'd still really like to see BMS live, because even though I don't love it, it feels like it would be a great live song.