GREATEST HIT (...AND 21 OTHER PRETTY COOL SONGS)

Why this compilation was released is makes me scratch my head in confusion and frustration. Before you ask, yes I am a fan of the band indeed, but can I give this compilation a good rating? No, not even close to a good rating.

Before any self respecting Dream Theater fan even gives this a whirl, I would think they would see some obvious flaws in the execution of this compilation. First off, there is a not a single song, yes not a SINGLE SONG from When Dream and Day Unite. This is the point where you realize this wasn't really aimed at fans of Dream Theater who really know the band, because so many fans love Ytse Jam yet it's notably absent from this album. A big reason why is that the song selection is taken from 1991 to 2005, which also means songs from Systematic Chaos are not included here, and given SC has some serious fan favorites like In The Presence Of Enemies, things are only looking worse this this compilation.

It is divided into a two disc compilation, disc one called One (The Dark Side), which contains the more metal and heavy songs from Dream Theater and Two (The Light Side) which as you might guess contains the softer and generally more melodic songs. We have 3 songs from Images and Words, an album which I love to bits, but the lack of Metropolis Pt.1: The Miracle and the Sleeper is just cringe worthy and means that new comers the band buying this album wont be hearing one of the best DT songs, which is a shame.

From Awake we have Lie, Lifting Shadows Off A Dream and The Silent Man, great songs, but for a compilation album not the best picks to be honest, I think Space Dye Vest and Erotomania would have been better picks.

For the Falling into Infinity tracks, I think in their place Trial Of Tears and Hell's Kitchen would have been better fits

Scenes From A Memory on any non live album, has no place in having no less than all it's songs present. Songs from SFAM should just have been left off the album

The tracks Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence could have been left off and in it's place all that was needed is big time fan favorite The Glass Prison.

Root of All Evil and Sacrified Song were the only songs needed to be honest from Octavarium, I think the other songs are not great representations of Dream Theater, although perhaps for some fans.

What else do I think is wrong with it? Even if they didn't remove any tracks off the album, there is still space for the amazing A Change Of Seasons. 2007 songs should have made it to the compilation as I noted before, particularly IPOE. Now for the various edits/remixes you say. The Pull Me Under, Take the Time and Another Day remixes are nothing short of atrocious. When I listen to the clean guitar parts of Pull Me Under, compared to the original which has great dynamics, the dynamics get washed out and makes Petrucci's playing sound almost amateurish and the compression in general is just mind numbingly awful. The various single/radio edits on here, not needed here at all. Either the full song, or nothing IMO.

Dream Theater only had one hit song as such, which to my mind makes this compilation even more useless. If you want to know what Dream Theater's greatest hit/s are, here's what I think: the studio album you buy and fall in love with, will be your personal Dream Theater greatest hits. A prog metal band really don't have hit songs, they just have songs the fans absolutely adore which should be enough for most bands. Whether you're a fan of the band or not Just go out and buy their studio albums, there is zero need for this compilation at all.