Dream Theatre - any recommendations

Snow Dog wrote: Manunkind wrote: Ed_The_Dead wrote: Manunkind wrote: King of Loss wrote: norbert88 wrote: These are the 3 DT albums I would recommend: *** Images and Words *** *** Awake *** *** Scenes From A Memory *** norbert88  Perfect and throw in A Change of Seasons Replace "Scenes..." with "Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence" naaaaaaaaaah!!!!!! Its perfect!!! It's got some of DT's best work, but also some of its worst. Very, very inconsistent. Are you saying that "Scenes" is inconsistant? You're kidding right?

Nope. Let's take a look at it song by song:

1. Regression - 1 star (it gets the one star because it sounds like a bonfire song to me and makes me want to roast a sausage or two, yum!)

2. Overture 1928 - 5 stars (scr*w originality, this song rules!!!)

3. Strange Deja Vu - 3,5 stars (missing something badly...)

4. Through My Words - 3 stars (the melodies could've been better)

5. Fatal Tragedy - 5 stars  (I'd give it 10 stars if I could)

6. Beyond This Life - 2,75 stars (VERY inconsistent, average sections, alternating with brilliant and awful ones, kind of like the album in a nutshell)

7. Through Her Eyes - 0 stars (leaves me irritated and it's not like I don't like peaceful songs, I LOVE the warmth of "Wait For Sleep", for example, but this one is everything "Wait For Sleep" isn't)

8. Home - 5 stars (woohooo!!!!!)

9. The Dance of Eternity - 5 stars

10. One Last Time - 5 stars  (beautiful)

11. The Spirit Carries On - 2 stars (solely for Petrucci's awesome solo)

12. Finally Free - 5 stars  (a really haunting song)

Overall, I find the album is very inconsistent and badly paced, especially the first half. "SDoIT", while not flawless, is IMO much better. 

Miaugion wrote: MikeEnRegalia wrote: and - at the appropriate occasions - quite emotionally. But what do we know ... Of course, I know which occasions you refer to. E.g. the solo in "Lines in the Sand" sounds quite atmospheric. It could almost be on a Floyd album. Almost. But it wouldn't be played by Gilmour but by Renwick (not the best example!) or some other technically skilled but faceless sidekick who knows the ins and outs of his instrument and knows how to simulate emotional phrases. They have the skills to do that. Such sections are part of their technical repertoire, and they can retrieve them whenever they like, just like the 'emotions' good and bad actors can retrieve anytime they're needed. But just like actors such technical guitarists are rarely carried away by their own playing. And one can hear that. Sorry, don't want to sound stubborn but ... I'd just feel like a Martian if I added Petrucci (of all guys ... ) to the list of 'emotional' players. The world would be turned upside down.

I didn't say that he's an emotional player (my words were "he's not overtly emotional"). Emotionality is not his foremost quality.

But he is not EMOTIONLESS. That's why I suggested that you watch (and listen to ... it seems that I have to spell this one out for you) the DVD and look at his face while he improvises on songs like Hollow Years, Trial Of Tears ...

Miaugion wrote: The way he plays it: yes, of course. There's no depth at all. And that's fine if you ask me.

Being a guitarist myself, I - naturally - disagree again. In fact, I remember my guitar teacher, who plays in a very successful local BLUES band, introduced me to Dream Theater and particularly liked about Petrucci that he plays flawlessly and - at the appropriate occasions - quite emotionally. But what do we know ...

Let's agree to disagree!

Miaugion wrote: MikeEnRegalia wrote: His playing isn't emotionless. It isn't overtly emotional, but watch the DVDs ... tons of emotional solos. Aha ... uhm, I have to watch him to see that he's an 'emotional' player? No, thanx. I'd rather listen to Rothery and Gilmour. They make me hear it! As I've said: I like most of Petrucci's playing very much. There's nothing wrong with sounding emotionless, technical and shallow as long as it fits to the songs and the overall concept. And there were a lot of wonderful songs: "6.00", "Under a Glass Moon", "The Mirror", "Take the Time", "Learning to live", "Scarred", "Lines in the Sand", "Light Fuse and Get Away", "A Change of Seasons" ... yummy, yummy.

So you would say that the blues solo in the intro of Scarred is emotionless? 

Miaugion wrote: MikeEnRegalia wrote: Only people with no musical background would call Petrucci an emotionless scale rider. But to appreciate his playing, you would have to listen to him without prejudice, which seems ... unlikely. ROFL. Unbelievable. Please read posts without prejudice! I appreciate most of Petrucci's playing very much. Nevertheless it's emotionless (as well as the band's playing in general), and I appreciate it because it is emotionless and technical since the musical results can be some of the best Prog Metal tracks one can think of.

ROFLSM. His playing isn't emotionless. It isn't overtly emotional, but watch the DVDs ... tons of emotional solos. The same applies to Steve Vai ... many people know that he plays some very advanced stuff and sometimes really fast solos, and they automatically assume that he's an emotionless "technician". But when you watch the DVD, you realize from the first minute on that he is dripping with emotion.

Miaugion wrote: MikeEnRegalia wrote: Sorry, but if you're referring to the parts where Petrucci is strumming an acoustic guitar, with some synth voices in the background ... that could be ANYTHING. Maybe these unimaginative compositions could be anything, but for me the analogy to Waters is obvious. Waters often uses such simplicity and sweetness that could be anything so that the music doesn't distract the listener from the lyrical cynicism and the (great, effective) shaky vocals.

Ok ... but we just found out two posts ago that the lyrics and vocals (obviously) don't remind of Waters. So we just have the generic strumming.

=> Your initial statement "sounds like Waters" is wrong. Case closed.

Miaugion wrote: And Waters's cynicism is the only thing that makes such moronic compositions bearable for these progweatherbeaten ears.

Feel free to bash Waters anytime, I don't mind.

Miaugion wrote: To 'King of Loss': Sorry, I give up. Pointless discussion. It's a well-known opinion that DT sound like emotionless scale riders and music school graduates rather than like emotional musicians. As I've said: I give up. Sorry.

That opinion may be well known ... to be false. Only people with no musical background would call Petrucci an emotionless scale rider. But to appreciate his playing, you would have to listen to him without prejudice, which seems ... unlikely.

Miaugion wrote: MikeEnRegalia wrote: Whatever ... please give me an example. Regression, The Spirit carries on King of Loss wrote: Metalheads? How is Jordan Rudess a metalhead? How are JP, MP and JM metalheads? I don't know if Rudess is into Metal, too. But the others are, obviously. Their roots can be found in Metal, they've shown their massive appreciation for Metal by covering "The Number of the Beast", "Master of Puppets", parts of "Reign in Blood" and so on, and they are/were capable of writing some of the most impressive Prog Metal songs. Consequently, I guess most members of their fanbase are Metal fans and Prog Metal fans whereas lots of classic Prog fans do not take DT seriously at all. That's why I think it would be best if they stuck to their roots. In Prog they cannot hold a candle to the greats because they lack true emotion, subtlety and depth and the will to be innovative. However, in Prog Metal they're one of the very best bands.

Lack True emotion? After listening to Yes and King Crimson and then DT, I don't see much a difference, except that Dream Theater is just heavier. Dream Theater has a lot of emotions in their playing, except its a different type of emotions as compared to Progressive Rock. Heck, at parts John Petrucci sounds miles more musical than a lot of these Progressive Rock greats.

Miaugion wrote: MikeEnRegalia wrote: Come on ... would Roger Waters sing about a murder mystery reincarnation story? Err ... who's talking about textual references? Well, I'm not.

Whatever ... please give me an example.