Are Dream Theater Over Rated?

Except for much of Octavarium, everything since the addition of Rudess to the line-up is utter w**kery. DT started out strong, but fell flat. They are so contrived they have become virtually unlistenable. The metal sound of Systematic Chaos is a slap in the face to that genre. One word for them on SC...posers.

Visitor13 wrote: Right, so the answer to "Are Dream Theater overated?" is complex. Judging from the last time I saw an up-to-date photo of them, I'd say that: LaBrie is overated; Portnoy is somewhat overated; Myung is underated; Rudess is severely underated; Petrucci is ated just about right.

The T wrote: debrewguy wrote: well, if you compare how necessary they are to life vs things like "air" , "food", lodgings", then they are over-rated. If you compare them to other musical acts, then all that can be said is that they make music that some people love, some people like, some people pass on, some people dislike, some people hate. Then there's the ones who abhor the actual concept without having heard the music. So ask a fan - "do you love them too much" ? Ask an Anti-DT person - "do you really hate them that much" ? Then gfo back to the important things in life ...   A little bit of reason.... It never hurts...   What I love is that even if DT is so hated by many here, they all come running to post in these threads about the band... ALL of them, including some particular members....   It's like the person who hates somebody so much he can't stop thinking about that person....   Get a musical life and grow up please....

It is all too common for people to lack perspective.

I'm not a DT fan or hater, but I am attracted to "overrated" threads -- though such topics have been overdone.  I'm with those who think that bands are overrated by some and underrated by others.  It shouldn't be about whether someone loves a band too much (no point in arguing taste) or too little, it should be about whether a band is assessed or valued too highly or lowly within certain parameters.  A problem I have with overrated/ underrated discussions is that there are too many generalisations made, because one can always find someone who makes excessive claims to greatness (overrates) and those who do the opposite (underrate), because they're useless if one accepts that art generally is underrated by some and overrated by others in terms of claims stated in an objective manner, and because too often it boils down to people's taste (if they -- meaning some people -- don't like something they claim it's overrated and if they like something other's underrate it -- ridiculous).

I might love a band yet still overrate it in some ways (my claims to excellence may be unfounded due to lack of knowledge). For instance, much as I like Vander, I know that it would ridiculous for me to say that he is the greatest musician or the most innovative.  That would be overrating.  But if I said that I loved him best (which wouldn't be true anyway), I'm merely saying something about my taste/ preference.

Not being a music academic, I know my limitations.  I'm a  total amateur when it comes to music theory.  We're all critics, but many of us lack the expertise/ knowledge, and research skills. to back up certain assertions ina reasonably valid manner.


Edited by Logan - April 07 2009 at 15:12

Negoba wrote: You know who'd sound really good with DT?   That guy from OSI

NotSoKoolAid wrote: Negoba wrote: You know who'd sound really good with DT?   That guy from OSI     ^That is quite possibly the most genius thing said in this thread yet.

Yes, but only because i don't like them.

Visitor13 wrote: StyLaZyn wrote: Visitor13 wrote: Right, so the answer to "Are Dream Theater overated?" is complex. Judging from the last time I saw an up-to-date photo of them, I'd say that: LaBrie is overated; Portnoy is somewhat overated; Myung is underated; Rudess is severely underated; Petrucci is ated just about right. LaCheese is not rated. Portnoy is overrated. Myung is underrated. JP is overrated and underrated.   Rudess is heavily overrated. The way he KILLED PT's Lazarus in that YouTube video by overplaying speaks volumes to that. He is so self-absorbed. Any great musician knows that keeping things simple is sometimes the most effective way to play a certain song, or songs. Hmm... either I'm missing your point or you're missing mine...

^Exactly.

That designation as genius is overrated.

I thought that I was the one that had the fixation on your mom.