Epics Of Dream Theater

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 Sacred 22 wrote:

 TheLamb wrote:

 sbrushfan wrote:

I'm a musician (drums-17 years, keys-14 years, percussion-17 years, guitar-3 years, vocals-most of my life) as well as a songwriter for 11 years.  When approaching a Dream Theater critique, IMO, one should have an understanding of their music or an understanding of music (and theory) IN GENERAL.  No offense to anyone here who's not a musician (I'm sorry if I offend anyone) but, if you don't have an understanding of music as musicians hear it, you don't know what to look for, and moreover, what you're hearing. 
The same could be said for a band like, say, Rush.  Alex Lifeson, in a 2002 interview with Guitar World, said more or less that "bands like us and Dream Theater are music for musicians.  If you don't play at least one instrument, you won't get it."
I tend to think he's right. 
Now, I shall run away as fast as my little drummer legs carry me.  I daresay that some sh*t might be stirred up and I don't want to be caught in the crossfire. 
Wow, Alex Lifeson really said that? 
I mean... He is 100% right, but thats not something I would expect to hear from him...

I agree with sbrushfan completly.

I think it's true though not only about DT and Rush, it's true about all music. 
The reason people like commercial pop such as Britney Spears is because they have no musical knowledge (theory or experience). They can't understand how simple and lacking of artistic depth her music is (I would tend to say it "sucks" but that is a matter of taste...).

The vast majority of musicians, or people who have some knowledge of music don't like commercial pop. And the small precentage of musical savants that do enjoy commercial pop would probably not deny that it is very simple, commercial, and lacking of emotional depth.

In the same sense, people with no musical knowledge are likely to not be able to fully appreciate music that is complex, full of emotional and artistic depth. At least not in the same way that people with musical knowledge do. 

I have never heard so much BS in my life. Well, maybe that is a bit harsh. There are a couple of guys named Bush and Blair that are right up there as well. 
For one thing I am no musician and I can safely say that I certainly appreciate music. If what you say is true, then how is it that all the creative musicians that make the music we love here make a living if only the musicians are appreciative and buying??? I don't what to say too much here, but I think you should think about what you are saying. I listen to classical music which I love and jazz as well as progressive rock. If I was forced to listen to pop music based on the assumption that you make I would go mad. I can just see it now. People flocking to the nearest music school to become "enlightened" so they would not have to endure Britney anymore. I'm sure a trained musician understands the technical structure of any music to a greater degree, but so what? Music was developed as a means of expression and entertaining.  

I think you guys are missing the point. I think when he's saying "you guys who aren't musicians can't appreciate music" he isn't saying you can't like or dislike any type of music properply.  He's saying you can't appreciate the finer points that we know as a musical science.  When it comes to the amount of pain staking practice and rehearsel to make albums such as Dream Theater's, or the parts of counterpoint harmonic theory, the structure of rythymns, the structure of chords, and all that stuff that non-musicians have no need to understand.

Poll Question: Your favorite epic of DT is:
Poll Choice	Votes	Poll Statistics
A Change Of Seasons	77	[35.00%]
A Mind Behind Itself	33	[15.00%]
Six Degrees Of Inner Turbulence	71	[32.27%]
Octavarium	39	[17.73%]
This topic is closed, no new votes accepted