*throws train of thought at Top Tier* MY MAN Love train of thought, that's the album that got me hooked on DT too! I was also coming from being a metallica fanboy and that album blew my mind haha
Pausing the video to type this at Images and Words - I first heard DT at this time and that album blew me away in 1992 when I was 20 and it still does now over 30 years later. Top tier - every year - for me. One of the best DT shows I ever saw was their 30th-anniversary concert where they played this in full - and they did a montage of all the crap - I mean music - that was on the radio at the time. Nothing came close to it then - and practically nothing comes close to it today, for me. Okay - back to the video. Pausing again - SFAM is my favourite DT album. Nuff said. Mike drop.
A view at the bottom is crazy. There is one song on there that I falls flat, awaken the master (besides the first three minutes). The rest is pretty cool and has some unique moments. Also the title track is top five Mangini era songs.
Absolutely spot on. My experience with As I Am being the Gateway drug was exactly the same! 12-13 years old. Blown away….but then confidently gave up trying to learn the solo. I personally would’ve put FiF a bit higher, there’s some absolutely cracking songs on there that really grew on me over time. Regardless, awesome video and agree with everything you mentioned! Big fan of yours from oz xxx
Alright, so Octavarium......I never heard of Dream Theater until I played Rock Band 2 and the game introduced me to Panic Attack. Instantly fell in love with the band and had to listen to everything I could get my hands on. So I'll always have a love for that album as the gateway album. I will make an argument that Sacrificed Sons is the most slept on DT song. That duel solo/movement with Jordan and John before the 3rd verse is incredible
I love your take on this. I stopped with dream theater after their self-titled album (13). I tried but I couldnt reconcile with portnoy leaving. It was like when waters left pink floyd. BC&SL is definitely my favorite dream theater album for sure though. Last album to be engineered by paul northfield, portnoys last album, this album features the conclusion to portnoys recovery concept, a tribute to portnoys dad on this album as well, and one of the strongest (if not the strongest) closing songs on a dream theater album with the Count of Tuscany.
have to join on many of your points: Scenes from...is the epitome of DT's art, can't just listen to one song, have to get the full album in one go! Was really crushed when Portnoy left, and must say that I didn't even buy nor listened to the latest LPs, couldn't stand Mangini's cold drumming and Portnoy was not there to just say :" nope, that song is shite, that space opera concept is ridiculous, we need to work harder!". Had virtually stopped going to see them live after a dreadfullly sounding gig in Paris and stopped following them...got into more recent stuff like Plini, Arch Echo...So Portnoy coming back was one of the best news ever and I can't wait to see them live soon and listen to their new album, so stoked!😍 Eventually, the first album I bought was awake (though I discovered them thru Image owing to a good friend) and my ever favourite, still in love with the sound & production on this album, remains a DT and any band or style must for me. Secial Kuddos to Change of season too, one of the best prog song ever and even the live covers are excellent (the opening riff on Perfect stranger....MASSIVE!)
I am an older fan so I skew to the earlier albums but generally, I wouldn’t violently disagree with anything you have said. I do think there have been diminishing returns but having said that, even sub-par DT is still better than most bands’ top shelf. I will say that there were trends appearing early on and I do think after Kevin Moore left, something was missing from their song-writing and arranging (but clearly not their playing).
you're absolutely right about Kevin. He brought a lot of musicality to the songs and really added a more melancholy side to their sound, especially seen in Awake!
Interestingly you have a high threshold for putting an album into the highest tier. Like for me, Images and words would go to the top because I love Erotomania so much. But you have thought about it more objectively. I found Dream Theater when the self titled album came out so can't say I have the same connection to Portney as he had already left at that point. I would say self tilted would be my favourite but again that is probably nostalgia talking. At the time I didn't understand the fuss that was made about him leaving but as you say he was sort of the spiritual leader which I didn't consider!
Dude. You had some good takes. I would put Train of Thought lower. I would put the self titled album higher. On silver linings the songs were just way too long. and on ditance over time we can get all the good stuff shoved in there with shorter ones. OMFG! Good take though baby!
My opinion, Top Tier: Images and Words, Awake, Scenes from a Memory, Train of Thought Amazing: SDoIT, Black Clouds, Distance over Time Solid Prog: WDaDU, Falling into Infinity, Octavarium, Systematic, Dream Theater, A View Good Moments: Dramatic Don't Vibe: Astonishing
I need to listen to it again but I didn’t think there was a closing solo on SS. Octavaium however, the Razor’s Edge solo at the end will always be insane!
1. Images & Words (10/10) 2. Black Clouds & Silver Linings (9/10) 3. Awake 4. Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence 5. Train of Thought 6. Metropolis Pt. 2 7. A Dramatic Turn of Events 8. Octavarium (8/10) 9. A View From the Top of the World 10. Falling Into Infinity 11. Systematic Chaos (7/10) 12. The Astonishing 13. Dream Theater (6/10) 14. Distance Over Time 15. When Dream and Day Unite (I can't give it a score, as I need to listen to it more)
I don't understand the fuss about 6 Degrees. The first three tracks (specially Glass prison) are strong but nowhere near the epic pieces they're capable of. And that's it; cd2 sounds to me like, well, 'christmas prog'. Besides, it has got one of the worst album art covers ever. Dramatic has got waaayyyyyy better tracks, I mean epic - but how a time and time again it's undermined I'll never understand.
@@ConnorKaminski IaW, Awake, SFAM, ADTOE top tier for me followed by the new one and maybe ToT and BCSL. Have you ever heard Raise the Knife? Its one of their best intros but it never made it on an official album just the live Score album.Also i never really dug deep into DT until a few years ago even tho i loved ToT back when it came out.
*throws train of thought at Top Tier*
MY MAN
Love train of thought, that's the album that got me hooked on DT too! I was also coming from being a metallica fanboy and that album blew my mind haha
Pausing the video to type this at Images and Words - I first heard DT at this time and that album blew me away in 1992 when I was 20 and it still does now over 30 years later. Top tier - every year - for me. One of the best DT shows I ever saw was their 30th-anniversary concert where they played this in full - and they did a montage of all the crap - I mean music - that was on the radio at the time. Nothing came close to it then - and practically nothing comes close to it today, for me. Okay - back to the video.
Pausing again - SFAM is my favourite DT album. Nuff said. Mike drop.
Images and Words is a desert island album. I love every second of it.
A view at the bottom is crazy. There is one song on there that I falls flat, awaken the master (besides the first three minutes). The rest is pretty cool and has some unique moments. Also the title track is top five Mangini era songs.
Absolutely spot on. My experience with As I Am being the Gateway drug was exactly the same! 12-13 years old. Blown away….but then confidently gave up trying to learn the solo.
I personally would’ve put FiF a bit higher, there’s some absolutely cracking songs on there that really grew on me over time.
Regardless, awesome video and agree with everything you mentioned! Big fan of yours from oz xxx
Thanks man! Appreciate you!
10:09 LETS GOOOOOO That's what i'm talking about, I love Train of Thought. A lot of people sh*t on this album but it's in my top 3 DT albums.
Alright, so Octavarium......I never heard of Dream Theater until I played Rock Band 2 and the game introduced me to Panic Attack. Instantly fell in love with the band and had to listen to everything I could get my hands on. So I'll always have a love for that album as the gateway album. I will make an argument that Sacrificed Sons is the most slept on DT song. That duel solo/movement with Jordan and John before the 3rd verse is incredible
I love your take on this. I stopped with dream theater after their self-titled album (13). I tried but I couldnt reconcile with portnoy leaving. It was like when waters left pink floyd.
BC&SL is definitely my favorite dream theater album for sure though. Last album to be engineered by paul northfield, portnoys last album, this album features the conclusion to portnoys recovery concept, a tribute to portnoys dad on this album as well, and one of the strongest (if not the strongest) closing songs on a dream theater album with the Count of Tuscany.
have to join on many of your points: Scenes from...is the epitome of DT's art, can't just listen to one song, have to get the full album in one go! Was really crushed when Portnoy left, and must say that I didn't even buy nor listened to the latest LPs, couldn't stand Mangini's cold drumming and Portnoy was not there to just say :" nope, that song is shite, that space opera concept is ridiculous, we need to work harder!". Had virtually stopped going to see them live after a dreadfullly sounding gig in Paris and stopped following them...got into more recent stuff like Plini, Arch Echo...So Portnoy coming back was one of the best news ever and I can't wait to see them live soon and listen to their new album, so stoked!😍
Eventually, the first album I bought was awake (though I discovered them thru Image owing to a good friend) and my ever favourite, still in love with the sound & production on this album, remains a DT and any band or style must for me. Secial Kuddos to Change of season too, one of the best prog song ever and even the live covers are excellent (the opening riff on Perfect stranger....MASSIVE!)
I am an older fan so I skew to the earlier albums but generally, I wouldn’t violently disagree with anything you have said.
I do think there have been diminishing returns but having said that, even sub-par DT is still better than most bands’ top shelf. I will say that there were trends appearing early on and I do think after Kevin Moore left, something was missing from their song-writing and arranging (but clearly not their playing).
you're absolutely right about Kevin. He brought a lot of musicality to the songs and really added a more melancholy side to their sound, especially seen in Awake!
Solitary shell is brilliant, I agree!
Pretty spot on, except Awake. Clealry S tier.
Thank you sir! Awake has always been up and down for me. Best LaBrie performance though I should have mentioned that!
Train of thought is definelty top three for me. The songs never get old
Interestingly you have a high threshold for putting an album into the highest tier. Like for me, Images and words would go to the top because I love Erotomania so much. But you have thought about it more objectively.
I found Dream Theater when the self titled album came out so can't say I have the same connection to Portney as he had already left at that point. I would say self tilted would be my favourite but again that is probably nostalgia talking. At the time I didn't understand the fuss that was made about him leaving but as you say he was sort of the spiritual leader which I didn't consider!
I meant Awake not images and words! Always mixing the album covers up.
Dude. You had some good takes. I would put Train of Thought lower. I would put the self titled album higher. On silver linings the songs were just way too long. and on ditance over time we can get all the good stuff shoved in there with shorter ones. OMFG! Good take though baby!
thats funny, my first DT gig was last year and they closed with the count of tuscany too. incredible gig, easily my favourite DT song
My opinion,
Top Tier:
Images and Words, Awake, Scenes from a Memory, Train of Thought
Amazing:
SDoIT, Black Clouds, Distance over Time
Solid Prog:
WDaDU, Falling into Infinity, Octavarium, Systematic, Dream Theater, A View
Good Moments:
Dramatic
Don't Vibe:
Astonishing
What are your thoughts on the closing solo for Sacrificed Sons? For me I always loved that one.
I need to listen to it again but I didn’t think there was a closing solo on SS. Octavaium however, the Razor’s Edge solo at the end will always be insane!
1. Images & Words (10/10)
2. Black Clouds & Silver Linings (9/10)
3. Awake
4. Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence
5. Train of Thought
6. Metropolis Pt. 2
7. A Dramatic Turn of Events
8. Octavarium (8/10)
9. A View From the Top of the World
10. Falling Into Infinity
11. Systematic Chaos (7/10)
12. The Astonishing
13. Dream Theater (6/10)
14. Distance Over Time
15. When Dream and Day Unite (I can't give it a score, as I need to listen to it more)
Im so sad by ADTOE being so low. Its my favorite DT album ;-;
For me systematic chaos is the one album i would happily delete from their discography
I don't understand the fuss about 6 Degrees. The first three tracks (specially Glass prison) are strong but nowhere near the epic pieces they're capable of. And that's it; cd2 sounds to me like, well, 'christmas prog'. Besides, it has got one of the worst album art covers ever.
Dramatic has got waaayyyyyy better tracks, I mean epic - but how a time and time again it's undermined I'll never understand.
ADTOE is way better than some of those
I can see that man!
Big fan of your music connor but man I completely disagree with most of these placements
All good my man! That’s the beauty of music! Tell me your top DT albums
@@ConnorKaminski IaW, Awake, SFAM, ADTOE top tier for me followed by the new one and maybe ToT and BCSL. Have you ever heard Raise the Knife? Its one of their best intros but it never made it on an official album just the live Score album.Also i never really dug deep into DT until a few years ago even tho i loved ToT back when it came out.
@@xeyon yeah man love raise the knife. always spun Score a lot which is probably DT's best live album IMO