What Are Your Thoughts On "The Gift of Music?"

[Train of Naught]

Everyone just loves it, he fucking loves it.

[bosk1]

Oh, good point. 

[Plasmastrike]

Kinda blown away. Great melodies and what an instrumental section. Soaring song. Only downside for me is the drum tone, but damn can't wait for the album

[?]

Option 3

Not a particularly astonishing song and most likely sounds better in the album context, but I like the upbeat vibe, and the production sounds like a huge improvement over DT12.

[Voices]

Option2 only because I think this album will not compare to any of their previous. I'm really hyped and hopeful.

[Art]

Option 2, i really liked the song as a stand alone piece, but i think in the context of the album it will be even better. Love the SDOIT/SFAM vibe, and that the single is not another "metal" song.

As for the production, based on the You Tube video, i already like it a lot more than the recent stuff, especially the drums. That, for me, was the major concern with the album, and i think they improved a lot.

I am super hyped for this record!

[hefdaddy42]

Option 2.

[Nekov]

I like it until the solo, after that it just seems to be their doing prog just for the sake of it. Maybe in the context of the album it will get better.

[YtseJohn]

Option 6:

[matthewmatt]

Option 4. There's nothing wrong about it, but I'm not enamoured. However, every time I've heard any DT song released before the album, I didn't like it. Some I learned to appreciate, some not that much, but I'm definitely still hyped and excited about the album!

[FiberglassMoon]

Is there a general consensus about the mix/production for this song?  In full disclosure, I haven't actually listened to the song.  I'm taking a different approach for this album and holding off on listening to anything until the release date. Scrolling through the thread there seems to be a mixed reaction to the production - some people saying it's an improvement over DT12, some saying it's more of the same.

With 130 minutes of music I think it's really important, more so than on any other album, that the mix is on point.  I felt that DT12 would have been an easier listen if each instrument had more room to breathe.  I got Devin Townsend-esque wall-of-sound vibes from the mix.  By the end of the album I was sonically exhausted.  With an additional 60 minutes of material on TA I really hope they return to the SFAM or SDOIT style so I can enjoy the whole thing straight through.

[energythief]

Musically, amazing. Lyrically, it's well... Better than TCOT. How's that for a nice way to say it?


I voted "OK".

[As I Am]

Good song....nothing special....may be better in the context of the whole album.

[Nomaniac]

Is there a general consensus about the mix/production for this song?  In full disclosure, I haven't actually listened to the song.  I'm taking a different approach for this album and holding off on listening to anything until the release date. Scrolling through the thread there seems to be a mixed reaction to the production - some people saying it's an improvement over DT12, some saying it's more of the same.

With 130 minutes of music I think it's really important, more so than on any other album, that the mix is on point.  I felt that DT12 would have been an easier listen if each instrument had more room to breathe.  I got Devin Townsend-esque wall-of-sound vibes from the mix.  By the end of the album I was sonically exhausted.  With an additional 60 minutes of material on TA I really hope they return to the SFAM or SDOIT style so I can enjoy the whole thing straight through.

That's a good question! Maybe we should start a new poll on that

[Nomaniac]

I'm apparently alone in this opinion, but I fucking loved it!

Since that is clearly the majority opinion, I'm not sure how you are "alone." 

I think he means he picked the first option while most picked the second. Yeah, not the best wording by me . . . obviously there are people who love it a bunch but still won't compare it to SFAM. I probably won't change it because so many people already voted but just know people you can fucking love it and still be option number 2, and can still like it and be option number 4

[Nomaniac]

Man, just bought it on Itunes (only cuz I had computer issues last night) and it's unbelievable!!! CANNOT STOP LISTENING

[Train of Naught]

That's a good question! Maybe we should start a new poll on that

I think you'll love the Polls/Survivors subforum 

[Nomaniac]

  Then I'll have to check that out!

[wolven74]

I love the song for what it is, but it definitely feels incomplete to me. The fastest 4 minutes ever. I've listened to all the versions available, and I'm glad that the ITunes version is crisper. I can clearly hear the choir, and the piano and orchestration are smooth. I still think the snare is a little too out front, but one thing DT has done on every album is change the drum sound. Every release has taken more than one spin to get used to the new sound. I'm excited to hear other tracks. Context is king in a Rock Opera. 

[DragonAttack]

108,000 views on the official ytube version as of 1pm Eastern Standard Time (for the benefit of the clock guy).  I've helped with five listens. 

[Kix]

The more I listen to it, the more things I notice/pick up on each time. It's fair to say I have played it a lot. 

[The Presence of Frenemies]

Listened to it on Spotify, my fourth or fifth listen overall. The sound definitely seems to coalesce better there than it did in the original YouTube upload.

[Kotowboy]

Listened to it on Spotify, my fourth or fifth listen overall. The sound definitely seems to coalesce better there than it did in the original YouTube upload.

Well yes. Youtube audio is compressed to all hell.

My bro did an experiment once. He uploaded an audio file which was several GB then he downloaded the file again from YouTube and it was only a few hundred MB.

Spotify audio is around 256kbps.

[FsF]

Hope it turns out those robot guys hid everyone's intruments behind a waterfall.

[mike099]

Cannot decide if I want to hold off and not listen until the release date. 

Is the song grammy worthy?  If not there is probably a boat load of others that could be released.

I thought they should have won last year, but realizing that it is just a popularity contest. 

[jsbru]

Is the song grammy worthy?  If not there is probably a boat load of others that could be released.

It's not the type of composition that's going to win grammys.  DT deserves to be nominated, and I think OTBOA probably deserved to win.  But in order to win, I think you need more of a combination of prog/pop.  I don't want DT to go commercial or anything, but I don't think it would kill them to write one still pretty proggy song with a couple of addicting hooks and melody lines.  Yes managed to do it without selling out.  Megadeth did it on a number of songs on Countdown to Extinction without sounding sappy.  Even King Crimson managed to churn out some radio hits that were unique, interesting, and catchy all at the same time.

I hope they don't feel required to put a proggy, polyrhythmic, chromatic jam in every song just because.

[Train of Naught]

Yea I have no clue what makes a song grammy worthy, White Limo winning over OTBOA was comprehendable, as OTBOA isn't the most mainstream stuff you've ever heard, but I think this one falls into that category a bit better.

[rumborak]

No, not Grammy worthy, not by a long shot.

[lonestar]

It's a good track, but with this album it's gonna be all about context. Just waiting for the full product to really pass judgement.



On a side note, I had a friend on FB say that the lyrics were cheesy as hell, to which I responded "It's a sci fi themed concept album from DT, what'd you expect, Fish era Marillion?" .... sigh...

[ResultsMayVary]

I love it for the 4 minutes out of 130 minutes of music that it is. I'm very interested to see how it meshes with the rest of the album.

[CharlesPL]

I decided not to listen to any pre released material.

[Prog Snob]

Listened to it on Spotify, my fourth or fifth listen overall. The sound definitely seems to coalesce better there than it did in the original YouTube upload.

Well yes. Youtube audio is compressed to all hell.

My bro did an experiment once. He uploaded an audio file which was several GB then he downloaded the file again from YouTube and it was only a few hundred MB.

Spotify audio is around 256kbps.

Extreme quality is 320kbps, High Quality is 160kbps, Normal Quality is 96kbps.

[bosk1]

Is the song grammy worthy?  If not there is probably a boat load of others that could be released.

It's not the type of composition that's going to win grammys.  DT deserves to be nominated, and I think OTBOA probably deserved to win.  But in order to win, I think you need more of a combination of prog/pop.  I don't want DT to go commercial or anything, but I don't think it would kill them to write one still pretty proggy song with a couple of addicting hooks and melody lines. 

There is one song in particular that I have heard that is perhaps the biggest ear worm DT have ever written.  Once it got inside my head, it would not let go, and I found myself involuntarily humming/singing it nonstop.  Major hooks in that one.  Not saying it is a grammy winner, because you never know--so much of that is also just luck.  But it definitely has the addicting hooks and melody that you mention.

[Nomaniac]

Man Bosk you are killing me here!!!

Can't wait!!!

[Prog Snob]

Is the song grammy worthy?  If not there is probably a boat load of others that could be released.

It's not the type of composition that's going to win grammys.  DT deserves to be nominated, and I think OTBOA probably deserved to win.  But in order to win, I think you need more of a combination of prog/pop.  I don't want DT to go commercial or anything, but I don't think it would kill them to write one still pretty proggy song with a couple of addicting hooks and melody lines. 

There is one song in particular that I have heard that is perhaps the biggest ear worm DT have ever written.  Once it got inside my head, it would not let go, and I found myself involuntarily humming/singing it nonstop.  Major hooks in that one.  Not saying it is a grammy winner, because you never know--so much of that is also just luck.  But it definitely has the addicting hooks and melody that you mention.

That tease is the equivalent of a girl taking one breast out and telling me the milk is in the other one.