Dream Theater!

Talk about how awesome the new _______ album is.

What's your favorite Dream Theater CD?

Octavarium
0
No votes
Train of Thought
0
No votes
Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence
2
20%
Scenes from a Memory
3
30%
Falling into Infinity
0
No votes
A Change of Seasons
0
No votes
Awake
2
20%
Images and Words
3
30%
When Dream and Day Unite
0
No votes
Other
0
No votes
 
Total votes: 10
Project-D
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Post by Project-D »

Jolly Roger, I am a fan of Genesis (with Gabriel), Lamb Lies Down on Broadway is one of my favorites. I also like Yes, and some of the older prog rock. My old college roommate used to be a big Dream Theatre fan. I was really into jazz in college, and listened to a ton of it mostly because I was analyzing because I played bass in a jazz combo. Eventually I realized that a lot of it (mostly bebop) was self absorbed noodling. I started to get into the big band stuff and leave the bebop behind.

Anyway, I thought I should like bebop more because that was what the "serious" jazzers liked. So I studied, analyzed etc etc. Then I finally gave up and said to myself "I'm tired of working to like something, I'll give everything a chance, if it grabs me, it grabs me, if it doesn't I'll give it a few more chances but it shouldn't be work." I stopped trying to analyze why I like something. So I don't have anything against prog-rock, I probably didn't make that clear, but a lot of it just doesn't grab me. Rush does, and I don't know why, it doesn't matter anymore, I likes what I likes. They stopped grabbing me after "Hold Your Fire", and I don't know why either. I don't analyze it anymore and my life is simpler.
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Post by frankie big face »

jolly roger wrote:
frankie big face wrote:It might surprise you to know that some drummers actually care about the songs and don't view the other members of the band as melodic support for their drum solos. Some drummers use only one bass drum and some don't even know what crotales are. Some drummers even get Ringo Starr.
To be honest, I'm a huge Beatles fan, and really look up to Ringo in how he added to the great music being made. I'll also have you know that Mike Portnoy is a big fan of all kinds of classic rock and has been part of multiple projects covering the music of the Beatles, The Who, Led Zeppelin. He knows how to play in the way you speak of - which is a great way of playing - but he also likes to challenge himself with Dream Theater, although he sits back and plays in the context of the music in his other side projects. Also - crotales are cool. :wink:
That's fine. I wasn't taking issue with Mike Portney--I was takling issue with you! :shock: (well, your statement anyway)
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Post by obscurity »

jolly roger wrote:Mike Portnoy would not approve.
Maybe, but he probably wouldn't complain about it :)
obscurity.

"Only the great masters of style ever succeed in being obscure." - Oscar Wilde.
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Post by Reist »

frankie big face wrote:That's fine. I wasn't taking issue with Mike Portney--I was takling issue with you! :shock: (well, your statement anyway)
But what is the issue? I know that there are drummers who are content to sit back and be a third person in the entire musical process, just there for dynamic chances and 'the beat' - and I do this quite often, to be honest - I just really enjoy drummers who are creative within the context of a song. I think it's funny that in your earlier post you said something like - 'Some drummers only use one bass drum' like that makes them a better drummer. What is the problem with someone using two in order to tackle the style that they play? Not everyone plays folk or classic rock. There is nothing wrong with those genres, but not everyone is going to want to play or listen to them, just as not everyone is going to want to play or listen to prog metal.
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Post by Caravan Ray »

jolly roger wrote:Project D - I think you should listen to Genesis
Wow!!! Project D must have really pissed you off to curse him with that! That's just cruel! :shock:
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Post by frankie big face »

jolly roger wrote:
frankie big face wrote:That's fine. I wasn't taking issue with Mike Portney--I was takling issue with you! :shock: (well, your statement anyway)
But what is the issue? I know that there are drummers who are content to sit back and be a third person in the entire musical process, just there for dynamic chances and 'the beat' - and I do this quite often, to be honest - I just really enjoy drummers who are creative within the context of a song. I think it's funny that in your earlier post you said something like - 'Some drummers only use one bass drum' like that makes them a better drummer. What is the problem with someone using two in order to tackle the style that they play? Not everyone plays folk or classic rock. There is nothing wrong with those genres, but not everyone is going to want to play or listen to them, just as not everyone is going to want to play or listen to prog metal.
Ooh, I think I upset you. Relax, dude. You assumed Justin would like Dream Theater because he is a drummer, which I think is kind of ridiculous. (I bet there are a million bass players who hate Rush.) That was the "issue" and nothing else. The rest of my comments were just for fun and you seemed to be taking all this razzing in good spirits, so I thought it would be okay. I never said drummers who use one bass drum are "better drummers"--I was just making a cute list of things that go against the prog rock mindset. It was just a joke. I'll stop picking on you, because apparently I do it wrong and people get upset.
Last edited by frankie big face on Sun May 20, 2007 4:10 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by Adam! »

jolly roger wrote:
frankie big face wrote:That's fine. I wasn't taking issue with Mike Portney--I was takling issue with you! :shock: (well, your statement anyway)
But what is the issue? I know that there are drummers who are content to sit back and be a third person in the entire musical process, just there for dynamic chances and 'the beat' - and I do this quite often, to be honest - I just really enjoy drummers who are creative within the context of a song.
OH MY GOD JR WHY ARE YOU FREAKING OUT? You sound like you're screaming mad right now, ready round-house kick someone right in the face. Settle down, man. Chill, dude. Why you gotta be hatin'?
[size=0]I am silly.[/size]
Now, back to the topic at hand: I have no opinion on Dream Theater.
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Post by GlennCase »

frankie big face wrote:You assumed Justin would like Dream Theater because he is a drummer, which I think is kind of ridiculous. (I bet there are a million bass players who hate Rush.)
Bass is probably the instrument I am the most comfortable with, and while I can appreciate that Geddy knows how to play the instrument well, I am not big on Rush at all. Don, my brother-in-law (and bass player for the Half Racks) idolizes him. Different strokes.

Dream Theater is a set of musicians that know how to play their instruments REALLY well. They can play music that is ridiculously complicated.

I don't tend to judge songs by how difficult they are to play. I can appreciate the technical skill that it took to pull a complicated song off, but that isn't going to make it my favorite song ever. In fact, many of my favorite songs aren't difficult at all.

I do like 'some' Dream Theater songs, and I am glad that I bought "Images and Words" and "Awake". When I'm in the mood to hear musicians play a difficult song, those CDs are there for me to listen to.

Thing is, I have zero desire to go out and buy another Dream Theater CD that is just more of the same.

That's my take on it.

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Post by frankie big face »

GlennCase wrote: Bass is probably the instrument I am the most comfortable with, and while I can appreciate that Geddy knows how to play the instrument well, I am not big on Rush at all. Don, my brother-in-law (and bass player for the Half Racks) idolizes him. Different strokes.
Yeah, but you're not even who I'm talking about because you still like prog rock (I mean, you own two Dream Theater albums, so you're still pretty entrenched in it as far as I can tell). I'm talking about bass players who love The Kinks. Or bass players who love Sonic Youth. Or bass players who love Wilco. There are lots of them who could care less about Geddy Lee or Rush. So I gotta figured there are tons of drummers who aren't remotely interested in Mike Portnoy or Dream Theater. Or Buddy Rich or Neil Peart or John Bonham or [insert your favorite drummer here]. Not everyone defines who they are or what they like based on the instrument they play.
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Post by himynameisntmark »

I play guitar and hate Dragonforce. My friend Maggie (plays bass in her band) doesn't like Rush, but instead prefers Blink 182. Mark Hoppus is certainly not the greatest bass player in the world and Blink 182 didn't make the most technically complicated music. Everyone has their own style. Just like not every guitarist idolizes Herman Li.
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Post by Adam! »

usetheforce wrote:I play guitar and hate Dragonforce.
This thread is now about Dragonforce.

I liked Inhuman Rampage more than Sonic Firestorm (haven't listened to their first album, though). The glossy production really works well with this type of music. My favorite songs would have to be Body Breakdown, Storming the Burning Fields, and Through the Fire and Flames. But the unfortunate fact about the Extreme Power Metal genre is that literally all the songs sound the same.
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Post by himynameisntmark »

To me, every Dragonforce song is all about sweeping and if there are any, there aren't many simple but effective riffs. Like Puce said, all the songs sound the same.
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Post by pegor »

sorry to derail the thread, to talk about dream theater..... but..

many many moons ago my big bro saved me from a life of REO speed wagon and 38 special by introducing me to Genesis, Yes, and ELP (we called it Art Rock in those days ). So JRs enthusiasm intrigued me. Today I bought my first Dream Theater album, Images and Words. It is what I love with the exception of the '80s hair band vocals! Is there a CD where they dont have stuck pig wanna be Pavarotti singing?

BTW, Thanks for the tip JR
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Post by thehipcola »

Pegor, uh...sadly, no. :)

The double CD 6 Degrees has somewhat more tame-ish vocal stylings, however...particularly the unmetal-ish 2nd disc....but alas, James LaBrie has a sound, and it's on every album. I find the vocals grating at times too. But I have to hand it to him, not many singers could find a spot in amongst all that music.
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Post by GlennCase »

pegor wrote:Today I bought my first Dream Theater album, Images and Words. It is what I love with the exception of the '80s hair band vocals! Is there a CD where they dont have stuck pig wanna be Pavarotti singing?
There is one album that was put out before Images and Words, it is called "When Dream and Day Unite". They had a different lead vocalist for that album, and I don't recommend it.

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Post by Reist »

frankie big face wrote:I'll stop picking on you, because apparently I do it wrong and people get upset.
Don't worry - I wasn't upset - just trying to say that there are different types of drummers, and not everyone's going to want to sit back and play Ringo - it's kind of hard to convey emotions on the internet ... :roll:
thehipcola wrote:The double CD 6 Degrees has somewhat more tame-ish vocal stylings, however...particularly the unmetal-ish 2nd disc....but alas, James LaBrie has a sound, and it's on every album. I find the vocals grating at times too. But I have to hand it to him, not many singers could find a spot in amongst all that music.
I'm definitely a fan of 6DOIT - I've listened to it a lot in the last few days, particularily disc 1 - I'd say that's their best songwriting since Awake.
GlennCase wrote:There is one album that was put out before Images and Words, it is called "When Dream and Day Unite". They had a different lead vocalist for that album, and I don't recommend it.
Ah, Charlie Dominici. He just recently put out a cd, which actually isn't too bad from what I've heard. I probably won't buy it though, even though I'm a huge DT junkie. DT has also have released a disc under the name of 'The Majesty Demos', with a guy named Chris Collins on vocals. Collins makes Dominici and LaBrie sound like a chorus of angels.
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