Dream Theater

Depth_Charge · #1 08-09-2007, 03:09 AM

Freaking rock!

I'd heard about them on TB before but never checked them out until my bass teacher mentioned them...

So I checked them out. "As I Am" is currently my favourite song. I watched a live video of it on Youtube and I like how Myungs hands fly off the fretboard, coz I do that a lot and thought it was bad

So yeah, DT rock. First band I've been truly impressed by in a long while, great musicianship IMHO.

I'm just sharing the love!

73jbass · #2 08-09-2007, 03:11 AM

Get some of the earlier work,especially Awake,and Change of Seasons. Great stuff.

Spector_Ray · #3 08-09-2007, 05:17 AM

Then go out and buy "5 Years in a Livetime" DVD. You won't be disappointed.

Musiclogic · #4 08-09-2007, 11:25 AM

Images and Words, Awake, Train of Thought, Octovarium, and Falling into Infinity should be mandatory listening for any serious rock player. Myung actually does a lot of his recording on a 4 string spector.

Yngwie 4String · #5 08-09-2007, 12:12 PM

Ive listened to dream theatre a lot, and I own Constant Motion. They are an OK band worth having in your collection, but I have a few problems with them:

1-Myung is buried almost all the time
2-They could trim there songs down by at least 5 minutes
3-I think Petrucci is horribly overated
4-The music is so technical that they have no feeling to them. Its gets a little stale.
5-I watched them in concert on TV, petrucci played the whole set sitting down, and the singer seems to be the only guy that is really into the performance
6-The vocalist seams very out of place

Musiclogic · #6 08-09-2007, 12:30 PM

Go see DT live.....the MTV thing was not even close to a true representation of their live shows. They are quite amusing and extremely active on stage, a lot of interplay between John and John, mike and Jordan, and James messes with everyone.

Petrucci is not even close to overrated, he is an incredible player both for feel and technicality

When a group of classically trained musicians get together, these kinds of critiques always seem to surface, generally from the ignorance, and lack of training of the critic.

Invest your time, and listen to "Learning to Live" or "Surrounded" off images and words...."The Silent Man", "Lifting Shadows off a Dream", or "Space Dyed Vest"; off Awake......"Through Her Eyes" off Metropolis part 2....."Burning My Soul", "Peruvian Skies", or "Hollow Years" off Falling into infinity....if you can't feel the emotional interplay of the vocals and music, you are lost in oblivion, or the complexities of the scope of everything is too much for your mind to process.

Myung burried in the mix.......Quit listening to MP3's and start listening to the discs on a decent stereo system.....Myung is definately not burried.

Jeff Martinez · #7 08-09-2007, 12:38 PM

I've been a fan for 15 years and finally saw them live last week. It was a great show. Myung was definitely too low in the mix and they didn't give him a chance to stand out at all. that was disappointing. Petrucci was far more of an entertainer than James Labrie.

All in all, they are a great band, with the exception of James Labrie. He has one of the worst voices I've heard.

Best DT albums:

Images and Words
Awake

lefty007 · #8 08-09-2007, 12:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 4StringFury

. . . I have a few problems with them:

1-Myung is buried almost all the time
2-They could trim there songs down by at least 5 minutes
3-I think Petrucci is horribly overated
4-The music is so technical that they have no feeling to them. Its gets a little stale.
5-I watched them in concert on TV, petrucci played the whole set sitting down, and the singer seems to be the only guy that is really into the performance
6-The vocalist seams very out of place

+1.

Saw them live twice. Same observations. Not for me. I particularly dislike the vocalist, but there is no denial there is a lot of technical greatness in the music.

**WillPlay4Food** · #9 08-09-2007, 01:39 PM

I'll be seeing them live for the first time ever in just under 2 weeks. Pretty stoked about that, especially considering the tickets were free.

Baryonyx · #10 08-09-2007, 03:17 PM

Check out the tract "Take The Time".

steve21 · #11 08-09-2007, 05:19 PM

Ever since I saw 'em live (for the second time) a few weeks ago the song "Surrounded" has been CONSTANTLY in play.

Not a heavy song really, but absolutely beautiful.

Musiclogic · #12 08-10-2007, 02:11 PM

Surrounded is a great tune......that, "wait for Sleep" and Learning to Live quickly became my favorites off Images and Words

Baryonyx · #13 08-10-2007, 02:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lefty007

+1.

Saw them live twice. Same observations. Not for me. I particularly dislike the vocalist, but there is no denial there is a lot of technical greatness in the music.

Everyone always says James is out of place as a singer, but I think his campy, over-the-top behaviour stops DT taking themselves too seriously. I mean, have you heard Mike Portnoy trying to sing? Yuck!

IconBasser · #14 08-11-2007, 09:29 PM

meh, the new album pwns all others. Same with the new Symphony X album. Best one yet.

SirCanealot · #15 08-12-2007, 07:37 AM

If you listen to DT enough you realise DT wouldn't really work without James. I mean, and he does have an amazing voice (and a lot of bad nights). Check him out on the early albums and on score. Remember his voice has been messed up for like 15 years and it's only been the last 3-4 years he's started to get it back... He's on fire now, though he does still have that "odd" voices.

Gah, I hate mac keyboards *stops typing*

blizzard · #16 08-12-2007, 07:55 AM

I really really like Dream Theater. Although while I think James is talented I don't like his voice, I think it would be better with someone who was a bit dirtier sounding.

I recommend anyone who hasn't heard the song Octavarium to do so. I love the intro so much.

Ps. I hope they tour Australia finally.

tycobb73 · #17 08-12-2007, 08:29 AM

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here we go, another wanker in the making.

steve21 · #18 08-12-2007, 02:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blizzard

I really really like Dream Theater. Although while I think James is talented I don't like his voice, I think it would be better with someone who was a bit dirtier sounding.

I recommend anyone who hasn't heard the song Octavarium to do so. I love the intro so much.

Ps. I hope they tour Australia finally.

They're doing an Evening With in Australia this year.

And when I saw DT in '05, LaBrie was okay... he hit notes mostly right, but it was pretty strained.

When I saw 'em in '07, LaBrie was amazing. Didn't miss a note all night, and only messed up on one lyric on a song they haven't played in years and just busted out for the first time that night.

Yngwie 4String · #19 08-13-2007, 10:35 AM

Quote:

Myung burried in the mix.......Quit listening to MP3's and start listening to the discs on a decent stereo system.....Myung is definately not burried.

I listen to it in a my car and the system I have is is the absolute best you can put in a car the size of mine.

Quote:

When a group of classically trained musicians get together, these kinds of critiques always seem to surface, generally from the ignorance, and lack of training of the critic.

dude I dont need training to know what good music is. If it sounds good then it is good, if it sounds crappy then its crap. and if you knew anything at all about me you wouldnt call me ignorant in the field rock and roll.

ROGI · #20 08-13-2007, 03:58 PM

i think that people should spend less time bashing DT and actualy spend some time trying to play few DT songs. try to get the feel, try to play things correct with band. THEN i'll sit down and respect their (basher's) opinion on DT, "without feeling" or similar arguments are not realistic. event the softest DT songs (that seem to be easiest to play) are extreme chalenge. the details, the arangements, the interpetation and how text incorporates with music is simply amazing. also any "they are great cos they can eat anyone tech wise" is also nowhere near real state of things. - it's very sad because DT has been misunderstood on two leves by DT haters that preach "it's just tech without soul" and DT blindmen that say "it's amazing tech that kills all living thigs , eat you heart out malmsteen". DT is majestic ( talk about playing with words) on so many levels that for true insight into what DT should be, you need to truly evolve in many musical styles and many years of hard work and music enjoyment. even as i play DT still many things are out of my reach in terms of understanding what are they saying with music in some moments. but as i spend much time with this great music i slowly uncover the pieces. (gosh, this sounds like progressive epic hahaha) i'm 100% against wearing horses blindfolds and look at the music form a small perspecitve, as i have said in order to understand and even more, in order to play DT you can NOT listen to DT only. as much as they are beeing thrown into boxes of "metal" "rock" "prog" they have soooo much elements from tremendous ammount of very diferent music styles. and i'm not talking about jazz-clasic-rock-metal only. truly they have lots of POP, funk (yes yes, myung does sometimes lay very funky lines that are pain in the ass to play if you are not into real funk), folk, alternative ... etc

i've been playing DT for many years, but last 11moths were in DT tribute band. you would be amazed by the amount and level of details when playing DT (not to mention when playing in a band) how each instrument reacts with another etc. sorry but listening DT is one thing, playing it with band is to qoute my bandmate "like trying to learing to play all over again"

did not mean to insult anyone it's just that 99% people that bash DT have not ever played DT in a band enviroment. it's just a call to try to look at thing for a diferent perspective, not so that i can say " i was right, na na na na na na!" but just so that you can experience the delight of music.

and yes, check out my sig if you the have time and the will to do so. thnx.