Official Dream Theater studio albums countdown thread! (number 1 revealed!)

[TAC]

-None of the albums in the top 5 had a single last place finish.

One of them almost had a last place finish...#13 to be exact.

[KevShmev]

-None of the albums in the top 5 had a single last place finish.

One of them almost had a last place finish...#13 to be exact.

Amazingly, two people ranked that one 14th on their list.  Fools.

[TAC]

-None of the albums in the top 5 had a single last place finish.

One of them almost had a last place finish...#13 to be exact.

Amazingly, two people ranked that one 14th on their list.  Fools.

I admire them and their fine tastes.

[Cool Chris]

It's just important to understanding that Surrounded '07 is not necessarily "nonsense". It's very similar to what DT did with Peruvian Skies (infusing elements of Have a Cigar and Enter Sandman)

Well that bit with Peruvian Skies was nonsense too. 

[wolfking]

-None of the albums in the top 5 had a single last place finish.

One of them almost had a last place finish...#13 to be exact.

Amazingly, two people ranked that one 14th on their list.  Fools.

I am one and I cannot believe it's in the top 5.

[TAC]

It's just important to understanding that Surrounded '07 is not necessarily "nonsense". It's very similar to what DT did with Peruvian Skies (infusing elements of Have a Cigar and Enter Sandman)

Well that bit with Peruvian Skies was nonsense too. 

Exactly!

[KevShmev]

-None of the albums in the top 5 had a single last place finish.

One of them almost had a last place finish...#13 to be exact.

Amazingly, two people ranked that one 14th on their list.  Fools.

I am one and I cannot believe it's in the top 5.

You and Tim are not talking about the same album.

[pg1067]

Just listened to Sugar Mice.  It was fine.  The guy's got a nice voice.  I always meant to get into Marillion back when they opened for Rush, but I think the generally low quality of Rush's opening bands may have discouraged me.  As far as TSCO goes, it's my lowest ranked of the "real" songs on SFAM (i.e., excluding Regression and Through My Words).

It's just important to understanding that Surrounded '07 is not necessarily "nonsense". It's very similar to what DT did with Peruvian Skies (infusing elements of Have a Cigar and Enter Sandman)

Not sure whom you're quoting here, but I've never heard Peruvian Skies live and I don't know what Have a Cigar is (and I generally think Sandman sucks).

[jammindude]

Just listened to Sugar Mice.  It was fine.  The guy's got a nice voice.  I always meant to get into Marillion back when they opened for Rush, but I think the generally low quality of Rush's opening bands may have discouraged me.  As far as TSCO goes, it's my lowest ranked of the "real" songs on SFAM (i.e., excluding Regression and Through My Words).

It's just important to understanding that Surrounded '07 is not necessarily "nonsense". It's very similar to what DT did with Peruvian Skies (infusing elements of Have a Cigar and Enter Sandman)

Not sure whom you're quoting here, but I've never heard Peruvian Skies live and I don't know what Have a Cigar is (and I generally think Sandman sucks).

The live version from Once in a Livetime contains a brief nod to Have a Cigar by Pink Floyd (you've seriously never heard that???) and ends by morphing that ending heavy riff into Enter Sandman.

Personally, I like that version better than the studio version, and that track is one of the few saving graces on an otherwise very underwhelming live album.

[TAC]

I did like the Freebird references in..is it Take The Time. I never listen to it. James is way too shot.

[wolfking]

-None of the albums in the top 5 had a single last place finish.

One of them almost had a last place finish...#13 to be exact.

Amazingly, two people ranked that one 14th on their list.  Fools.

I am one and I cannot believe it's in the top 5.

You and Tim are not talking about the same album.

Hmmm.....yeah okay, I know what album Tim is on about.

[TAC]

Yup, the most overrated album in the catalog.

[wolfking]

Yup, the most overrated album in the catalog.

Hmmmm....I don't fully agree, but I don't really have an issue with your statement either.

[Deadeye21]

You dudes aren't talking about a cycle starter, are you?

[TAC]

A cycle starter?

[wolfking]

You dudes aren't talking about a cycle starter, are you?

Picturing a guy on a push bike right now, but somehow don't think that's quite right.

[TAC]

You dudes aren't talking about a cycle starter, are you?

Picturing a guy on a push bike right now, but somehow don't think that's quite right.

[wolfking]

You dudes aren't talking about a cycle starter, are you?

Picturing a guy on a push bike right now, but somehow don't think that's quite right.

    Outstanding! 

[Wim Kruithof]

Looking at my own ranking I'm quite an average Dream Theater fan. As in... the top 5 is filled by the same albums. But heck, I do feel that so many places are interchangable. The more I dive in an album, the higher it turns out to be. It is very interesting to see everyone else's choices and how they / you reflect on your opinions. As always I feel very much for Ben_Jamins view, especially on Octavarium. The concept of that album with the octave is so unique and every aspect I enjoy. Besides, Octavarium itself is the number 1. track of their entire discography, for me.

15) Falling Into Infinity
14) When Dream and Day Unite
13) Distance Over Time
12) The Astonishing
11) Systematic Chaos
10) Dream Theater
09) Black Clouds and Silver Linings
08) Octavarium
07) A View from the Top of the World
06) Train of Thought
05)
04)
03)
02)
01)

[KevShmev]

05. A Dramatic Turn of Events

Number 1 finishes: 1
Last place finishes: 0
Average finish: 7.1

I ranked this 12th, which seems wrong on my part since the songwriting is mostly excellent, but I dinged it for being the worst-sounding album of their career. The muddy mix makes it a difficult listen, and I find that I never listen to it anymore, with the mix being the reason.  It's maddening.  It finishing 5th here means it is aging well for many, so there ya go, but I just have a hard time with it because of the production and the mix.  If this album had the same mix and sound as A View..., I might very well have ranked it 5th or 6th.

My top 5 songs from the album:
1. Bridges in the Sky
2. Breaking All Illusions
3. This Is the Life
4. Far from Heaven
5. Beneath the Surface

[Deadeye21]

Images and Words Part 2! But, I'm the same vein that I've come to see The Force Awakens for Star Wars, I see the rehash here being a great starting point for the Mangini era. This is a great album, Breaking All Illusions is still one of the best songs imo and I think the album kinda deserves this spot for as much as I love Octavarium.

A Dramatic Turn of Events
My rank: 7th of 15

Too 5
Breaking All Illusions
Bridges in the Sky
Lost Not Forgotten
On the Backs of Angels
Build Me Up, Break Me Down

My current standing
1.
2.
3.
4. Falling Into Infinity
5. Octavarium
6.
7. A Dramatic Turn of Events
8. Distance Over Time
9. Black Clouds and Silver Linings
10. A View From the Top of the World
11. Systematic Chaos
12. Train of Thought
13. When Dream And Day Unite
14. Dream Theater
15. The Astonishing

[Podaar]

Great album! Love it. Ranked six for me.

15   When Dream and Day Unite
14   Dream Theater
13   Black Clouds and Silver Linings
12   The Astonishing
11   Systematic Chaos
10   A View from the Top of the World
9   Distance Over Time
8   Falling Into Infinity
7   
6    A Dramatic Turn of Events
5    Train of Thought
4    Octavarium
3   
2   
1   

[Lonk]

15. Black Clouds and Silver Lining
14. Dream Theater
13. When Dream and Day Unite
12. Systematic Chaos
11. Train of Thought
10. Falling Into Infinity
9. A View From the Top of the World
8. The Astonishing
7. Octavarium
6. Distance Over Time
5. A Dramatic Turn of Events
4. ??
3. ??
2. ??
1. ??

Octavarium #7: Great album, great set of songs ( I like Never Enough a lot more than most people here, it seems).

ADTOE #5: It took me a while for this album to click with me, but the song quality is great here.

[SwedishGoose]

ADTOE ended up at 10th place for me.

I guess that is where it is supposed to be.

I find it much better than the last two albums with Portnoy but not nearly as good as their better albums.

15. Distance Over Time
14. Black Clouds and Silver Linings
13. When Dream and Day Unite
12. Systematic Chaos
11. Dream Theater
10.  A Dramatic Turn of Events
9. Falling Into Infinity
8.Train of Thought
7. A View From the Top Of the World
6. Octavarium
5.
4.
3.
2.
1. The Astonishing

[Wim Kruithof]

Ranked A Dramatic Turn of Events at #5 as well. Beautiful written and with Beneath the Surface I think they made the best ballad of their carreer. The one-two-punch Bridges in the Sky and Outcry is the very best since The Mirror and Lie on Awake. Fantastic and Live at Luna Park made this album grew even more on me. Myung delivered a masterpiece with Breaking All Illusions.

So yeah, this album is amongst there very best.

[devieira73]

5.   A Dramatic Turn of Events (#8); grade (8.5/10)

Top 3 songs: Bridges In The Sky, Lost Not Forgotten and Breaking All Illusions   

It's a great album, no doubt. At the time, it was so cool to see DT returning for its more keyboard oriented style. Indeed, the awful drum mix and recording are the biggest problems of the album, but the resemblance with I&W is something that tarnish a bit this album for me. I know it was expressly denied by JP (of course), but I'm convinced that DT did so on purpose and I totally understand the reasons behind it - mainly, to make sure (as possible) the album would be a success after MP leaving. And it was and still is!
Let's hope for an anniversary edition with a great remix and re-recorded drums sometime in the future!

[ReaperKK]

A Dramatic Turn Of Events didn't really hit me the way I thought it would. I was really hyped for this album and hyped myself into thinking there was going to be a big (or maybe even medium sized) change to the sound or style. It just sounded like more DT which makes sense. I don't have much else, there are some good ideas here but the album is largely forgettable.



1. Systematic Chaos
2. Distance Over Time
3.
4. Train of Thought
5.
6.
7. A View From The Top Of The World
8. Falling Into Infinity
9.
10. Black Clouds And Silver Linings
11. Oceanarium
12. A Dramatic Turn Of Events
13. Dream Theater
14. When Dream And Day Unite
15. The Astonishing

[jammindude]

Very spotty album. The follow up was a HUGE improvement. I had this one at #10.

I hardly ever listen to it anymore. The blatant PMU rip off to start the album kind of kills it for me. But to be fair, I think most of the other IAW similarities on the album are a bit more of a stretch. But OTBOA is just not a great way to start the album. Bridges is excellent and Beneath the Surface might be their best ballad of all time. The rest is just pretty good. As Soundgarden once said, it's not great but it's "ultramega OK"

[Adami]

1.
2.
3.
4.
5. Octavarium
6. Falling Into Infinity
7. A Dramatic Turn of Events
8. Train of Thought
9. Black Clouds and Silver Linings
10. The Astonishing
11. Systematic Chaos
12. When Dream and Day Unite
13. Dream Theater
14. Distance Over Time
15. A View From the Top of the World

As everyone else has said or will say, the production really drags this one, but I try to look past it. I mostly really dig this album. BMUBMD would have been better with some heavy modern production, but it sounds so limp the way it is. And Outcry is a song I can barely listen to because of the lyrics. Other than that, good album. I think. Let me check the track list. Oh yea, This is the Life is an awful song.

Back of Angels is pretty good, Lost Not Forgotten is great, Bridges is fantastic, Far From Heaven is fine, Breaking All Illusions is an amazing song minus some of the lyrics, and I really like Beneath the Surface. Might have placed it a bit too high, but overall I dig the album. My favorite of the MM era by far, and the follow up was  HUGE step down (See what i did there Jammin?  )

[Mladen]

15. Falling into infinity
14. A View from the top of the world
13. When Dream and Day Unite
12. Dream Theater
11. Distance over time
10. Octavarium
9. Train of thought
8. Black clouds & silver linings
7. Systematic Chaos
6.
5. The Astonishing
4. A Dramatic turn of events
3.
2.
1.

I loved it from the day one. I do think the production is a bit muddy, but still, the songs are amazing.

[Stadler]

I'm generally a BIG fan of "inspiration corner".  There's enough unique in the Dream Theater catalogue, and I'm a big enough music fan, so that when there are references and allusions in the music, I dig that.  The live "Surrounded" from CiM is perfect for that; DT? Marillion? Pink Floyd? WINNER!  (I've long thought the "Marillion/Genesis" connection wasn't actually as strong as the "Marillion/Pink Floyd" connection). 

This album is the flip side of that.  I love love love Iron Maiden, and dig Metallica, but the other, heavier metal influences on Dream Theater - Opeth, et al - are lost on me.  They do nothing for me, frankly, and this is the album that most (imo) reflects that. I like the album when I listen to it, but it's not an album that I go back to often, since there are others that are so much better (this is not in that middle pack that can be interchanged).

I hear what you're saying. I don't mind the intro to Surrounded '07, but the whole Daddy took a raincheck can go fuck itself. OK, that's a bit strong.

Huh?

Also, I don't get the love for "Surrounded '07."  They basically took a near perfect, concise song and turned it into a pointlessly extended wankfest with some weird lyrics at the end.

Yeah, I don't understand this; "weird lyrics"?  They are quoting probably the second-most famous song from the Fish-era of Marillion.  The solo is intriguing too, since they started with the Pink Floyd song "Mother", and the "weird lyrics" only serve to highlight that the solo in Sugar Mice is very clearly an homage to "Mother".   I love how DT was able to tie all that together in one nice little package.  That's very much my favorite song from that entire set.

[Stadler]

Also, I don't get the love for "Surrounded '07."  They basically took a near perfect, concise song and turned it into a pointlessly extended wankfest with some weird lyrics at the end.

This is Sugar Mice by Marillion.

WTF is a sugar mouse?

A "sugar mouse" is a confection - I think we call them "peeps" here in the States - that are popular in the UK especially around the holidays. 

"We're just sugar mice in the rain..."

[Lethean]

As everyone else has said or will say, the production really drags this one, but I try to look past it. I song.

Everyone else except apparently me. 

I love the album and ranked it at #8.  I really didn't know what to expect from the first album without MP but I thought it was fantastic.  Like many others, Breaking All illusions is my favorite track but I like them all. 

[Stadler]

Oh yea, This is the Life is an awful song.

That's the only Mangini-era song that would make my DT Top 20.  You're just saying that to hurt me, I know. 

[Stadler]

Baffling to me that ADTOE is higher than 8V.   But it is what it is.  I love 8V; that's the side of Dream Theater I like most, and that was like a breath mint for the soul after the hard, metallic ToT.  I thought that was a the perfect return to form.  As for ADTOE, not a bad album, but not one that truly sticks with me, other than "This Is The Life" which is one of their best songs ever.   I'm on record with my views of the Mangini contribution, and so nothing more needs to be said, but while the recent albums are very good, none of them reach the heights of DT at their finest, IMO. 



1.
2.
3.
4.
5. Octavarium
6. Dream Theater
7. Systematic Chaos
8. Distance Over Time
9. A View From The Top Of The World
10. Falling Into Infinity
11. A Dramatic Turn Of Events
12. Black Clouds and Silver Linings
13. Train Of Thought
14. The Astonishing
15. When Dream And Day Unite