Dream Theater

[Avedas]

The Dance of Eternity, which is constructed in a coherent way

I always thought the last two minutes of that song are pointless and drag out too long. I love the rest of it though.

 

[Furtive Glance]

I always thought the last two minutes of that song are pointless and drag out too long.

Definitely agree on that point.

 

[wankerness]

I always thought the last two minutes of that song are pointless and drag out too long. I love the rest of it though.

I sort of like the outro until the carnival f'in keyboard comes in and starts doing unison with the chunky guitar/bass thing.

 

[HeHasTheJazzHands]

I sort of like [...] until the carnival f'in keyboard comes in...

Jordan Rudess in DT in a nutshell.

 

[Lukhas]

Jordan Rudess in DT in a nutshell.

Much like LaBrie, I prefer his solo work as far as the last decade goes; even though I love Octavarium.

I think I've said this before in this thread, but Along For The Ride has to be my least favourite DT song; mostly because of that solo. The sappiness and cheesiness doesn't help either...

 

[r33per]

Much like LaBrie, I prefer his solo work as far as the last decade goes; even though I love Octavarium.

I think I've said this before in this thread, but Along For The Ride has to be my least favourite DT song; mostly because of that solo. The sappiness and cheesiness doesn't help either...

Couldn't remember that one so went back to listen to it. Wish i hadn't.

 

[Lukhas]

Couldn't remember that one so went back to listen to it. Wish i hadn't.

I hereby solemnly apologize for the inconvenience. I didn't expect anyone to actually go and listen to it.

 

[r33per]

I hereby solemnly apologize for the inconvenience. I didn't expect anyone to actually go and listen to it.

Oooh - suckered!

 

[Avedas]

I don't actually mind Jordan's Peruvian panflute simulator that much. Sawtooth shredding at 200 bpm is far worse. Any time he stops all that bullshit and just plays piano is excellent though.

 

[Captain Butterscotch]

I like the carnival sounds

 

[A-Branger]

the thing with SFAM album is that they kept the whole concept trough, not only a linear story/lyrics but on music aswell. If you have played most of the songs like I have or at least pay little attention you would notice the similarities of that whole album with Metropolis pt1, and then in that album the Overture, its an actual Overture, it includes everything that would come next, a little highlight of whats to come, and every song has some music connection to the other songs, either by melodies of chord progressions.

they did a similar thing with the Overture in 6degrees (my favourite album, and song after Octavarium), although the rest of the songs kinda took their own path for most of it until the gran finale.

which is something they failed to accomplish with the Antonishing.... or if they did I havent notice as I can only deal with 3/4 songs in the whole 2 cds.... Same with other bands like Periphery with their "rock opera" double album thing (love that band except that album tho).... everything gets lost, and theres no conection between sogns... there is, but its hard to grasp. And like Antoshinig (or whatever way to write it)... it woud have been an amazing album if they took the best out of the two CDs into jsut one

 

[Lukhas]

the thing with SFAM album is that they kept the whole concept trough, not only a linear story/lyrics but on music aswell. If you have played most of the songs like I have or at least pay little attention you would notice the similarities of that whole album with Metropolis pt1, and then in that album the Overture, its an actual Overture, it includes everything that would come next, a little highlight of whats to come, and every song has some music connection to the other songs, either by melodies of chord progressions.

they did a similar thing with the Overture in 6degrees (my favourite album, and song after Octavarium), although the rest of the songs kinda took their own path for most of it until the gran finale.

which is something they failed to accomplish with the Antonishing.... or if they did I havent notice as I can only deal with 3/4 songs in the whole 2 cds.... Same with other bands like Periphery with their "rock opera" double album thing (love that band except that album tho).... everything gets lost, and theres no conection between sogns... there is, but its hard to grasp. And like Antoshinig (or whatever way to write it)... it woud have been an amazing album if they took the best out of the two CDs into jsut one

I'm studying music in college (or failing to study music in college to be more accurate)... and it's often like that in big music pieces: a main theme gets composed, and then it gets re-used in very different fashions. It also works for music movie scores: for example, the theme for Gilderoy Lockart is essentially a variation on the main theme for the Harry Potter movie series. It's hard enough to write one good theme or leitmotif, nevermind writing several ones for a single piece, movie or album. And if you can re-use it in different movies series, all the better.. It allows some nice Easter Egg content for those who actually pay attention to the variations and quotations... Like this one. The cool thing is that it can easily be more interpreted as depth rather than just "recycling because you're out of ideas".



As for Dream Theater SFAM, 6DOIT, Octavarium, are albums where most songs have a connection through a main theme. I won't say too much about whether the Astonishing has that or not since I remember too little about the whole album...

 

[Exchanger]

The cool thing is that it can easily be more interpreted as depth rather than just "recycling because you're out of ideas".

The difference is in the ability to re-use the line in a different context and not just copy paste the whole passage. John Williams is a good example and the excerpt above makes it really obvious. It's clearly the motive from the Imperial March but in a very peaceful gentle resolution. It's the same ntoes but over different chords that give a completely different emotion to it. That's the real skill there.

If you like musically coherent concept albums, I'd recommend Haken's Aquarius.

 

[Lukhas]

If you like musically coherent concept albums, I'd recommend Haken's Aquarius.

The Haken hype train has long left the station... and I'm already on it, albeit in the last wagon. I didn't enjoy Affinity as much as I would've wanted to, but I still have a high opinion of the rest of the discography and of the band itself of course.

 

[wat]

the thing with SFAM album is that they kept the whole concept trough, not only a linear story/lyrics but on music aswell. If you have played most of the songs like I have or at least pay little attention you would notice the similarities of that whole album with Metropolis pt1, and then in that album the Overture, its an actual Overture, it includes everything that would come next, a little highlight of whats to come, and every song has some music connection to the other songs, either by melodies of chord progressions.

they did a similar thing with the Overture in 6degrees (my favourite album, and song after Octavarium), although the rest of the songs kinda took their own path for most of it until the gran finale.

which is something they failed to accomplish with the Antonishing.... or if they did I havent notice as I can only deal with 3/4 songs in the whole 2 cds.... Same with other bands like Periphery with their "rock opera" double album thing (love that band except that album tho).... everything gets lost, and theres no conection between sogns... there is, but its hard to grasp. And like Antoshinig (or whatever way to write it)... it woud have been an amazing album if they took the best out of the two CDs into jsut one

One really awesome but subtle example of them doing that is in this little hi-hat groove in the song "Home" at 2:32


It's the same pattern as the staccato thing that fades in at the beginning of Overture 1928, which of course is also one the verse riffs of Metropolis Pt. 1

 

[Exchanger]

The Haken hype train has long left the station... and I'm already on it, albeit in the last wagon. I didn't enjoy Affinity as much as I would've wanted to, but I still have a high opinion of the rest of the discography and of the band itself of course.

Well I was already a fan in 2010 and I'm gonna sound like an old asshole but fuck it, some of the newer fans in the community really get under my skin, so the hype train can suck it. I just think Aquarius is a very good example of musical coherence through an album (the other full lengths also have it but it's less prominent). Affinity is also the one I like the least (still a very good album nonetheless) and I then tend to recommend the earlier material.

 

[wankerness]

I'm studying music in college (or failing to study music in college to be more accurate)... and it's often like that in big music pieces: a main theme gets composed, and then it gets re-used in very different fashions. It also works for music movie scores: for example, the theme for Gilderoy Lockart is essentially a variation on the main theme for the Harry Potter movie series. It's hard enough to write one good theme or leitmotif, nevermind writing several ones for a single piece, movie or album. And if you can re-use it in different movies series, all the better.. It allows some nice Easter Egg content for those who actually pay attention to the variations and quotations... Like this one. The cool thing is that it can easily be more interpreted as depth rather than just "recycling because you're out of ideas".



As for Dream Theater SFAM, 6DOIT, Octavarium, are albums where most songs have a connection through a main theme. I won't say too much about whether the Astonishing has that or not since I remember too little about the whole album...

IMO keep anything related to the Star Wars prequels out of academic work, we don't want to legitimize them!!!

When I saw "Imperial March" in this thread, I immediately thought of the intro to War Inside My Head. I love the second disc of SDOIT, but man...that track, especially the intro with the laughable brass patch, is embarrassing.

 

[Lukhas]

IMO keep anything related to the Star Wars prequels out of academic work, we don't want to legitimize them!!!

I ain't like that, I can sort out the good from the, well, "you-know-what". And the score is good at the very least, or at least some pieces of it... Just like you did with the War Inside My Head when compared to the rest of the title track.

 

[wankerness]

I was mostly kidding. But, what else in the scores to the prequels was good? I can recall only blips of it. I mean, at least the romance theme in Attack of the Clones was pretty good compared to the movie (and "REY'S THEME" from Episode VII). And everyone likes to jizz all over Duel of the Fates for some reason. But I can't remember anything else from those three movies?

ROTJ is one of my favorite scores ever

 

[scrub]

Man, I love "Home"