Dream Theater Part 2

And, so, Dream Theater went on and on, becoming more and more ambitious, more and more serious, and, some would say, more and more unbearable (as I said before there are many who HATE this band)......for my money, the next release, the double disc "Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence" (2002) is pretty good, quite complex in it's concepts (look it up, I'm not going into it all here), quite varied and textured musically, and, at least, the first disc, easilly ranks among their better work......"The Glass Prison" may be my favorite effort.

The following year they would release "Train of Thought", which, (imo) to there credit is a good, more hard rocking, less "Rush-like" effort. I do know that some of the band's hardcore following (and they certainly do have one) dislike this one for just these reasons, but, to me, criticism of AnYONE for being harder rocking AND less like Rush can ONLY be a positive. "This Dying Soul" and "In the Name of God" stand out.

"Octavarium" is up next, NOW we are back towards "Rush-ville"....a tremendously complicated effort musically, maybe too much so, as it kind of falls flat for me......still, there is a lot going on here, some love it, I don't question a bit. "The Root of All Evil" stands as my personal favorite.

The trend toward the ultra-mega seriousness continues on "Systematic Chaos" (not that these boys were exactly the Ramones to begin with).....it's trying to tell some damn grand story, I couldn't begin to explain it if I desired to (I don't). The multi part, multi segmented "In the Presence of Enemies" takes up about half the disc, and if you are a fan of that kind of thing, think Rush's "2112" without the humor (!), this will be for you, I assume......Dream Theater had pretty much lost me by now, as often happens right when they were picking up a much more massive audience.

Because, in 2009, they released the sprawling three disc "Black Clouds and Silver Linings"....I think I've only listened to it once, but it was memorable enough for me that I named it the worst album of 2009, for whatever that is worth. The album (disc 1), itself, wouldn't be as bad as all that, really, were it not for the unlistenable covers collection (disc 2) (shit from Queen? Uh, no....) and the THIRD disc which features (not making this up) INSTRUMENTAL VERSIONS OF THE SONGS ON DISC 1.......someone probably thinks this is a good idea. I have not met him yet.


" A Dramatic Turn of Events" is notable for the departure of drummer/primary songwriter  founding memeber Mike Portnoy, replaced by Mike Mangini. Actually, perhaps due to being shot in the arm by the shake-up, I kind of like it a bit......complex as ever, deliberately progressive as ever, "On the backs of Angles" is pretty damn good, and the rest is not unlistenable.

So the most recent effort that I have is the imaginatively titled "Dream Theater". Again, being fair, it's not as bad as I'd really like to SAY it is, there are, to their credit, a bunch of songs shorter than 10 minutes (exception, of course, being the 20 minute "Illumination Theory".......however, "The Enemy Inside" and "The Bigger Picture" don't sound too bad......

Yes, I know they have also released a metric shit ton of live stuff. I don't have any, if you do and you want it
posted, you know what to do......I also know they've released an album this year, but, what with some of the shit I've been going through, I haven't QUITE yet found time for the all-important new Dream Theater disc......again, haven't heard it, maybe never will, whatever.

An interesting, eventful, and productive career, none could argue that, bit at times a tiny bit on the pretentious side, be hard to argue that, as well.

SIX DEGREES OF INNER TURBULENCE DISC 1-01 The Glass Prison (I. Reflection II. Restoration III. Revelation)/02 Blind Faith/03 Misunderstood/04 The Great Debate/05 Disappear


SIX DEGREES OF INNER TURBULENCE DISC 2-01 Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence (I. Overture II. About to Crash III. War Inside My Head IV. The Test That Stumped Them All V. Goodnight Kiss VI. Solitary Shell VII. About to Crash (reprise) VIII. Losing Time/Grand Finale

TRAIN OF THOUGHT-01 As I Am/02 This Dying Soul ( IV. Reflections of Reality (revisited) V. Release)/03 Endless Sacrifice/04 Honor Thy Father/05 Vacant/06 Stream of Conciousness/07 In the Name of God

OCTAVARIUM-01 The Root of All Evil/02 Nature Sounds/03 The Answer Lies Within/04 Pitch Bend/05 These Walls/06 Wind-Heartbeat-Chimes/07 I Walk Beside You/08 Panic Attack/09 Synth Solo/10 Never Enough/11 Voices Begin/12 Sacrificed Sons/13 Octavarium

SYSTEMATIC CHAOS-01 In the Presence of Enemies Part I (I Prelude II Resurrection)/02 Forsakaen/03
Constant Motion/04 The Dark Eternal Night/05 Repentance (VIII Regret IX Restitution)/06 Prophets of War/07 The Ministry of Lost Souls/08 In the Preence of Enemies Part II (III Heretic IV The Slaughter of the Damned V The Reckoning/VI Salvation)

BLACK CLOUDS AND SILVER LININGS DISC 1-01 A Nightmare to Remember/02 A Rite of
Passage/03 Wither/04 The Shattered Fortress (X Restraint XI Receive  XII Responsible)/05 The Best of Times/06 The Count of Tuscany

BLACK CLOUDS AND SLIVER LININGS DISC 2-01 Stargazer/02 Tenement Funster-Flick of the Wrist-Lily of the Valley/03 Odyssey/04 Take Your Finger From My Hair/05 Lark's Tongues in Aspic, Part Two/06 To Tame a Land

BLACK CLOUDS AND SILVER LININGS DISC 3-01 A Nightmare to Remember/02 A Rite of Passage/03 Wither/04 The Shattered Fortress/05 The Best of Times/06 The Count of Tuscany

A DRAMATIC TURN OF EVENTS-01 On the Backs of Angels/02 Build Me Up Break Me Down/03 Lost Not Forgotten/04 This Is the Life/05 Bridges in the Sky/06 Outcry/07 Far From Heaven/08 Breaking All Illusions/09 Beneath the Surface

DREAM THEATER-01 False Awakening Suite (I. Sleep Paralysis  II. Night Terrors  III. Lucid Dreams)/02 The Enemy Inside/03 The Looking Glass/04 Enigma Machine/05 The Bigger Picture/06 Behind the Veil/07 Surrender to Reason/08 Along for the Ride/09 Illumination Theory (I. Paradoxe de la Lumiere Noire  II. Live Die Kill  III. The Embracing Circle  IV. The Pursuit of Truth  V/ Surrender, Trust & Passion