is Operation Mindcrime overated ?

I like The original mindcrime so before  start thinking I`m out to make trouble forget it , I just don`t think the original mindcrime is as good as its made out to be, listen to great concept Cd`s like Shadow Gallery`s "Tyranny" or Eternity X "The Edge" and you will notice a marked improvement in the musicallity and over all level of mind blowing progressive execution. To me Mindcrime wasn`t any where near the perfection that it gets credited for when compared to other "lesser" but more skilled artists , honestly I can`t see what all the fuss is about , and to make matters worse Mindcrime was a flat sounding production that almost sounds B grade compared to other artists around at that time.     

Edited by Masque

I never really understood what was so great about it.It's not a bad album,but I don't think it is the masterpiece a lot of people claim it to be.

I don't even really consider them prog metal.

MikeEnRegalia wrote: ^ I was REALLY into the album when it was released ... I also bought the Operation: Livecrime VHS+CD set. I must have listened to (and watched) it more than 50 times. I really think that it's a masterpiece because it really all makes sense, outstanding musicianship throughout, great dynamics and variability. It's just not very progressive, that's all.

I was into it too , I still listen to it now and again its a great concept metal CD but not what I would call progressive to the true sense of the word 

Masque wrote: I like The original mindcrime so before  start thinking I`m out to make trouble forget it , I just don`t think the original mindcrime is as good as its made out to be, listen to great concept Cd`s like Shadow Gallery`s "Tyranny" or Eternity X "The Edge" and you will notice a marked improvement in the musicallity and over all level of mind blowing progressive execution. To me Mindcrime wasn`t any where near the perfection that it gets credited for when compared to other "lesser" but more skilled artists , honestly I can`t see what all the fuss is about , and to make matters worse Mindcrime was a flat sounding recording that almost sounds B grade compared to other artists around at that time.

Which other albums of that time (in the same genre) have better production?

MikeEnRegalia wrote: Masque wrote: I like The original mindcrime so before  start thinking I`m out to make trouble forget it , I just don`t think the original mindcrime is as good as its made out to be, listen to great concept Cd`s like Shadow Gallery`s "Tyranny" or Eternity X "The Edge" and you will notice a marked improvement in the musicallity and over all level of mind blowing progressive execution. To me Mindcrime wasn`t any where near the perfection that it gets credited for when compared to other "lesser" but more skilled artists , honestly I can`t see what all the fuss is about , and to make matters worse Mindcrime was a flat sounding recording that almost sounds B grade compared to other artists around at that time.      Which other albums of that time (in the same genre) have better production?

  Funny you should ask   I was just listening to Kansas "in the spirit of things"  and its such a good production  so much better than operation Operation Mindcrime`s production. Yes Big Generator is a better production (by far) and its about 4 years older . Marillion "Seasons End" also blows Mindcrime out the water as far as production goes , Rush hold your fire does as well ...In fact Operation Mindcrime is below average in production compared to MANY bands around that time. Part of the problem is  the original volume levels were set were far too low I doubt the original master tape would have  peaked at 0 db  which makes the audio , flat and lack dynamic range,and by what I hear with the new remasterd version its cooked, they  bumped the signal up so high it is clipping and over compressed (thats worse)   But honestly you can go back to the 70`s with productions like Rush "Hemispheres" (who are defined as metal BTW)  and find better produced CD`s than Mindcrime  .. no joking  

Edited by Masque

MikeEnRegalia wrote: I don't know ... those aren't metal albums, and the metal albums around that time (1986-1989) all have that thin, compressed sound which I don't like. But in comparison the Mindcrime sound doesn't seem particularly bad to me.

Fates Warning "Perfect Symmetry" has a great production and around that time , I`d be using a CD like that to compare what I`m talking about  

Edited by Masque

It was 1988, and that was the going sound at the time.  I was 12 when this album came out.  I first heard Eyes of a Stranger on MTV, and I just thought it was the greatest thing since ice cream.

For a fictional story, I felt they did a better job of convincing you than DT did with Scenes as far as the characters went.  "Then I heard of Dr. X, the man with the cure.  Just watch the television, there you'll see there's somethign going on..."  It just grabs you.  The album has a great flow, doesn't repeat itself, and doesn't get lost in lengthy filler material. 

Perhaps being 13 had something to do with it as well.  The reason I like OM2 as much as I do is because they were able to recapture that vibe.  It's as if they had several ideas back in the day.

I think for it's time and it's genre, it's a masterpiece of progressive hardrock/metal.  I feel the whole storyline puts it into masterpiece territory.  If it was just being based on music alone, no it's not a masterpiece and no it's not very progressive, but I feel the story/lyrics and the relative early period in progressive metal history elevates it into masterpiece status and qualifies it as being progressive.  This was really one of the first progmetal concept pieces and a great one at that.  This release along with Fates Warning's No Exit and Perfect Symmetry influenced a lot of metal bands.  I don't feel it's overrated either.  This release deserves all the acollades it recieves.  Yes, a masterpiece of progressive hardrock/metal indeed.  Are their better releases in the progmetal genre.  Of course.  The genre has come a long way since the 80's and so have production values, but for it's time OMC is a masterpiece!!!!    

Paulieg wrote: I think for it's time and it's genre, it's a masterpiece of progressive hardrock/metal.  I feel the whole storyline puts it into masterpiece territory.  If it was just being based on music alone, no it's not a masterpiece and no it's not very progressive, but I feel the story/lyrics and the relative early period in progressive metal history elevates it into masterpiece status and qualifies it as being progressive.  This was really one of the first progmetal concept pieces and a great one at that.  This release along with Fates Warning's No Exit and Perfect Symmetry influenced a lot of metal bands.  I don't feel it's overrated either.  This release deserves all the acollades it recieves.  Yes, a masterpiece of progressive hardrock/metal indeed.  Are their better releases in the progmetal genre.  Of course.  The genre has come a long way since the 80's and so have production values, but for it's time OMC is a masterpiece!!!!

I don't think that the concept alone can make something progressive.