Your Controversial Opinions on DT

[Tom Bombadil]

Through My Words is awesome. One of the best on the album, although a little too short.

[Outcrier]

These days, i rather listen to one great DT song than an entire new album by them 

[bosk1]

It's #2 for me, but for that reason, I always understand when people don't regard it as highly as I do. It is definitely greater than the sum of its parts, with every song written to serve its role in the album as a whole piece, rather than meant to knock your socks off as a standalone track.
And for that reason, I never listen to tracks individually. I rarely have, and can't even remember the last time I did. It's an album that needs to be listened to and appreciated as a whole. That is the double edged sword that is the concept album, I suppose.

I agree with every word of this post.  The only quibble I might have is that I think TSCO and Home work as standalone songs if played outside the album, but I don't suspect you'd have much disagreement with that. 

[BlobVanDam]

It's #2 for me, but for that reason, I always understand when people don't regard it as highly as I do. It is definitely greater than the sum of its parts, with every song written to serve its role in the album as a whole piece, rather than meant to knock your socks off as a standalone track.
And for that reason, I never listen to tracks individually. I rarely have, and can't even remember the last time I did. It's an album that needs to be listened to and appreciated as a whole. That is the double edged sword that is the concept album, I suppose.

I agree with every word of this post.  The only quibble I might have is that I think TSCO and Home work as standalone songs if played outside the album, but I don't suspect you'd have much disagreement with that. 

None at all, if you check my post a few minutes ago on the last page. Plenty of the album works great standalone, but there's also enough of the album that doesn't that I could understand detracts from the songs for some people.
Personally, I think that whole section of the album that runs together is downright incredible.

[bosk1]

Me too.  And to underscore the position that, like you, I view it as a "sum is greater than the parts" scenario, to this day, I have a difficult time recalling the different song names, especially in that section.

[BlobVanDam]

I find that happens when I don't skip tracks on an album, because you're just listening to it whole, and not looking at song names to skip anything, or listen to a song on its own etc.

[TheGreatPretender]

A lot of people don't count Regression because it's just an intro to the album, and can't separate Overture 1928 from Strange Deja Vu because of the segue between them, and then TMW is basically a short bridge between that and Fatal Tragedy. I can't recall seeing anybody rank Regression or TMW highly, because they're so short and really designed to be part of the album.

While I kind of agree with that logic, at the same time, whenever I do give high praise to songs like Fatal Tragedy, I pretty much include through My Words as a part of that whole listening experience.
Same would go for Vacant and Stream of Consciousness. While SOC is good enough on its own, I rarely listen to Vacant unless it's a part of the latter.

But there are enough of the shorter tracks to kick off the album that I can understand why some people don't like the album as much.

Well, quite frankly, if people hate on the album because there are no stand alone songs, and can't appreciate it for the amazing listening experience that it is, I have nothing to say to them.

[Crow]

I don't even consider Through My Words a song.
It is part of Fatal Tragedy. They are the same song. I refuse to listen to them separately, since Fatal Tragedy literally never starts if it doesn't start with Through My Words.
But yeah etc. SFAM is brilliant and it's very strongly a concept album that loses something if not taken as a whole, woo.

[Ruba]

I also think the Dance of Eternity is pretty bad.  I mean, crazy times signatures and wailing and blah blah.  I'll take Enigma Machine over that any day.

I don't say TDOE is bad, but after three minutes it becomes kinda bland. I'm just like "guys, we all know you are masters of your craft, I'm already convinced. Can't you play something more melodic for a change?"

Enigma Machine is one of the best songs on DT12.

[ReaperKK]

My  controversial opinion of the day: I think James' singing held back DT from becoming big.

I understand where your coming from, but in the same token how much bigger can a prog metal become in this day and age? Since they are the biggest name in the genre you could make the case that this is as good as it can possibly get.

I see what you're saying, but look at a band like Radiohead that still got huge despite make some weird, weird-ass music. I think with a non-operatic, strong frontman (no offense to JLB, but he's not that strong a frontman), I think they could have tapped a lot more people. Not that I particularly approved of MP's bashing of James, but I totally understood where he was coming from.

I have to agree with you there. JLB has never been my cup of tea. He is good in some tracks but I moreorless just tune him out.

[TheGreatPretender]

I don't say TDOE is bad, but after three minutes it becomes kinda bland. I'm just like "guys, we all know you are masters of your craft, I'm already convinced. Can't you play something more melodic for a change?"

But we get something beautiful and melodic right afterwards. That's what I love about the arrangmenet of having TDOE right before One Last Time.

Enigma Machine is one of the best songs on DT12.

This should not be a controversial statement. Enigma Machine is DT's best instrumental since TDOE.

[rumborak]

Not sure how controversial this is, but was just listening to TSCO the other day and realized that the solo in that song might be JP's best solo. I think it masterfully merges JP's shredding skills with his Gilmore-esque approach to the solo, to a level that no other solo of his does. When I was still in that DT tribute band, I was always looking forward to playing it.

[Prog Snob]

Not sure how controversial this is, but was just listening to TSCO the other day and realized that the solo in that song might be JP's best solo. I think it masterfully merges JP's shredding skills with his Gilmore-esque approach to the solo, to a level that no other solo of his does. When I was still in that DT tribute band, I was always looking forward to playing it.

Easily one of his best solos.  Like you said, it amalgamates some of the many things that make Petrucci a brilliant guitar player. 

[King Postwhore]

It is one of his best but I just love the Razor's Edge Solo and TCOT end solo.  Emotional solos, like you pointed out, David Gilmour like, with the shredding is what I always love about his soloing.

[TheGreatPretender]

Not sure how controversial this is, but was just listening to TSCO the other day and realized that the solo in that song might be JP's best solo. I think it masterfully merges JP's shredding skills with his Gilmore-esque approach to the solo, to a level that no other solo of his does. When I was still in that DT tribute band, I was always looking forward to playing it.

I'd say it's one of his best solos of that type. But I personally think that in spite of having a lot of elements to it, it's still a completely different type of solo from, say, UAGM or As I Am. And I honestly can't even compare them to TSCO just because of the different styles.

[mikeyd23]

Not sure how controversial this is, but was just listening to TSCO the other day and realized that the solo in that song might be JP's best solo. I think it masterfully merges JP's shredding skills with his Gilmore-esque approach to the solo, to a level that no other solo of his does. When I was still in that DT tribute band, I was always looking forward to playing it.

It's certainly in my top 5 JP solos, so yeah, its pretty darn good! 

[Crow]

This should not be a controversial statement. Enigma Machine is DT's best instrumental since TDOE.

That's kind of just saying "I like EM better than SOC" y'know
Which I'd contest, but.
Also I lied, EM isn't the best song on DT12, The Bigger Picture is, though still would say it's the worst "best" song on any DT album so.

[TheGreatPretender]

That's kind of just saying "I like EM better than SOC" y'know

It is better. But SOC is still awesome.

[sneakyblueberry]

SFAM is a terrible album, full of filler and rip-off riffs with a daft concept.

[Crow]

CONTROVERSY
the story itself isn't anything special but beyond that it's a pretty damn fine album, not much filler at all I'd say

[TheGreatPretender]

SFAM is a terrible album, full of filler and rip-off riffs with a daft concept.

That is just all kinds of wrong.

[Prog Snob]

SFAM is a terrible album, full of filler and rip-off riffs with a daft concept.

That is just all kinds of wrong.

And incendiary

[sneakyblueberry]

Sorry dudes. Not even trolling. It's just incredibly cheesey to me, highly derivative and bleh. Give me Awake, SDOIT, BCSL, heck even FII, anyday.

[Zook]

Sorry dudes. Not even trolling. It's just incredibly cheesey to me, highly derivative and bleh. Give me Awake, SDOIT, BCSL, heck even FII, anyday.

Time travel/past lives is cheesy but Spider-man isn't?

[Crow]

Give me Awake, SDOIT, BCSL, heck even FII, anyday.

FII is not "even FII" since it's superior to at least BCSL out of the ones you've listed

[GasparXR]

Sorry dudes. Not even trolling. It's just incredibly cheesey to me, highly derivative and bleh. Give me Awake, SDOIT, BCSL, heck even FII, anyday.

Time travel/past lives is cheesy but Spider-man isn't?

[TheGreatPretender]

Spider-Man in the window?

[sneakyblueberry]

Give me Awake, SDOIT, BCSL, heck even FII, anyday.

FII is not "even FII" since it's superior to at least BCSL out of the ones you've listed

Well, nah. It's easily the weakest out of the bunch there. Opinions, assholes etc.

[King Postwhore]

SFAM is a terrible album, full of filler and rip-off riffs with a daft concept.

Alright, our love fest is over.

[Prog Snob]

Spider-Man in the window?

Criss Angel in the pool?

[King Postwhore]

Spider-Man in the window?

Criss Angel in the pool?

Cat's in the Cradle.

[TheGreatPretender]

Spider-Man in the window?

Criss Angel in the pool?

The old man's in the music video...

[sneakyblueberry]

SFAM is a terrible album, full of filler and rip-off riffs with a daft concept.

Alright, our love fest is over.

nooooooooooooo

[ReaperKK]

Not sure how controversial this is, but was just listening to TSCO the other day and realized that the solo in that song might be JP's best solo. I think it masterfully merges JP's shredding skills with his Gilmore-esque approach to the solo, to a level that no other solo of his does. When I was still in that DT tribute band, I was always looking forward to playing it.

Gotta agree with you, it's the only reason I listen to TSCO, other than the solo the song is pretty lame IMO.

[Prog Snob]

Spider-Man in the window?

Criss Angel in the pool?

The old man's in the music video...

the widow makes pasta fazool