Rod in Toronto Posted July 21, 2011 Share Posted July 21, 2011 I know I'm a bit late, but I've just rediscovered this album. I gave it a second chance this week, and all of a sudden it clicked. It's not innovative or groundbreaking, but every song is flawless here! Petrucci is on fire from beginning to end, there's a perfect balance between prog and metal elements, the final chapter of the "tequila saga" is a proper closure for the whole thing, The Best of Times a very emmotional tale of the loss of Portnoy's father, A Rite of Passage has a catchy chorus that works perfectly live,a nd Count of Tuscany an absolute MASTERPIECE!!! For those of you (like me) who dismissed this album as uninspired and dull two years ago, give it another spin ASAP. I'm telling you, it's totally worth it. P.S.: Bonus points if you can listen to the bonus disc with covers from Queen, Iron Maiden, Kig Crimson, Dixie Drags, Rainbow...the Queen cover rocks!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Good,bad,andrush Posted July 21, 2011 Share Posted July 21, 2011 QUOTE (RodrigoAltaf @ Jul 21 2011, 10:02 AM) I know I'm a bit late, but I've just rediscovered this album. I gave it a second chance this week, and all of a sudden it clicked. It's not innovative or groundbreaking, but every song is flawless here! Petrucci is on fire from beginning to end, there's a perfect balance between prog and metal elements, the final chapter of the "tequila saga" is a proper closure for the whole thing, The Best of Times a very emmotional tale of the loss of Portnoy's father, A Rite of Passage has a catchy chorus that works perfectly live,a nd Count of Tuscany an absolute MASTERPIECE!!! For those of you (like me) who dismissed this album as uninspired and dull two years ago, give it another spin ASAP. I'm telling you, it's totally worth it. P.S.: Bonus points if you can listen to the bonus disc with covers from Queen, Iron Maiden, Kig Crimson, Dixie Drags, Rainbow...the Queen cover rocks!!!! I like this album, even though everyone hates it. Wither is great. Count of Tuscany is one of my favorite DT pieces. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
metaldad Posted July 21, 2011 Share Posted July 21, 2011 Nightmare is prob my fav opening song on a d.t album. I like the cover songs but I think it falls a little flat. I think the lyrics from tuscany are piss poor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Del_Duio Posted July 21, 2011 Share Posted July 21, 2011 QUOTE (RodrigoAltaf @ Jul 21 2011, 10:02 AM) I know I'm a bit late, but I've just rediscovered this album. I gave it a second chance this week, and all of a sudden it clicked. It's not innovative or groundbreaking, but every song is flawless here! Petrucci is on fire from beginning to end, there's a perfect balance between prog and metal elements, the final chapter of the "tequila saga" is a proper closure for the whole thing, The Best of Times a very emmotional tale of the loss of Portnoy's father, A Rite of Passage has a catchy chorus that works perfectly live,a nd Count of Tuscany an absolute MASTERPIECE!!! For those of you (like me) who dismissed this album as uninspired and dull two years ago, give it another spin ASAP. I'm telling you, it's totally worth it. P.S.: Bonus points if you can listen to the bonus disc with covers from Queen, Iron Maiden, Kig Crimson, Dixie Drags, Rainbow...the Queen cover rocks!!!! Do you really think so? There's so much to it that's not original at all, borrowing from every other song way too much IMO. I love the AA Suite but the end piece is disappointing overall. I wonder if DT with Mangini will play the whole 5-piece thing or ignore it, thinking it too personally connects with Portnoy a-la Space Dye Vest and Kevin Moore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rod in Toronto Posted July 21, 2011 Author Share Posted July 21, 2011 QUOTE (Del_Duio @ Jul 21 2011, 10:51 AM) QUOTE (RodrigoAltaf @ Jul 21 2011, 10:02 AM) I know I'm a bit late, but I've just rediscovered this album. I gave it a second chance this week, and all of a sudden it clicked. It's not innovative or groundbreaking, but every song is flawless here! Petrucci is on fire from beginning to end, there's a perfect balance between prog and metal elements, the final chapter of the "tequila saga" is a proper closure for the whole thing, The Best of Times a very emmotional tale of the loss of Portnoy's father, A Rite of Passage has a catchy chorus that works perfectly live,a nd Count of Tuscany an absolute MASTERPIECE!!! For those of you (like me) who dismissed this album as uninspired and dull two years ago, give it another spin ASAP. I'm telling you, it's totally worth it. P.S.: Bonus points if you can listen to the bonus disc with covers from Queen, Iron Maiden, Kig Crimson, Dixie Drags, Rainbow...the Queen cover rocks!!!! Do you really think so? There's so much to it that's not original at all, borrowing from every other song way too much IMO. I love the AA Suite but the end piece is disappointing overall. I wonder if DT with Mangini will play the whole 5-piece thing or ignore it, thinking it too personally connects with Portnoy a-la Space Dye Vest and Kevin Moore. I don't think they'll be playing the "booze suite". If you look closely, their current setlist doesn't have a singel song written by Portnoy...it's a shame really, I'd really like to see this live - all 5 songs in a row. That must be quite a buzz. Hell, I'll try to listen to them in one of my morning runs and let you know how it feels. On the Count of Tuscany lyrics - YES, they're cheesy and kind of disappointing to say the least. But the music kind of overshadows the whole "Poor me, I took a ride and something strange happended" nonsense. As I said, there's nothing really innovative in this album, I just think the songs are overall catchy, tight and awesome. Jordan kind of takes a backseat on doing his faster-than-the-speed-of-light keyboard solos on the record, but still sets the mood for Petrucci to fly. Mike is awesome as always, LaBrie does not disappoint. The only one I'd like to see shining a little more is John Myung, whose bass lines are quite busy, but extremely low in the mix. I don't know if you've seen them live the previous tour - I was lucky enough to catch them in Perth and Rio - but live the songs from BCSL are ass-kicking! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J2112YYZ Posted July 21, 2011 Share Posted July 21, 2011 Very good album. I don't care much for TBOT but other than that I enjoy the rest of it. The only other complaint is that I think TCOT was dragged on a bit too long. There's a few parts in that song I would've cut out. Most notable being the soft middle part where they're trying for the upteenth time to copy the intro of Xanadu. It's still a kick ass tune though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tick Posted July 21, 2011 Share Posted July 21, 2011 QUOTE (Good,bad,andrush @ Jul 21 2011, 11:33 AM) I like this album, even though everyone hates it. Who is everyone? I think most Dream Theater fans from the DT board like it a lot. I thinks its pretty good. Not in my top 5 but still a good listen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treeduck Posted July 21, 2011 Share Posted July 21, 2011 QUOTE (metaldad @ Jul 21 2011, 10:34 AM) I like the cover songs but I think it falls a little flat. I bought the single disc version only... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColdFireYYZ Posted July 21, 2011 Share Posted July 21, 2011 I think its a great album. When I first listened to it last year I didn't care for it, but I gave it a second chance and loved it. The Best of Times and The Count of Tuscany are my favorites. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fledgehog Posted July 21, 2011 Share Posted July 21, 2011 (edited) aside from half of A Nightmare to Remember, all of A Rite of Passage, the form and construction of The Shattered Fortress, and The Count of Tuscany's lyrics, it's a great album. A huge improvement over Shitstematic Chaos, I might add as well. The slow middle section of Nightmare... is the best thing the band has done since 2002 (shame it had to be surrounded by the rest of that song), Wither is one of my favorite Dream Theater ballads, and despite the amount of hate it seems to get, The Best of Times is a great song IMO. I'm still hoping for and expecting a huge step up with A Dramatic Turn of Events, however. Here's an alternate version of Wither that I recently discovered. Really cool, shows that Rudess is actually tasteful when he's not jacking off all over his bebot app and his ipad; and that James is one of the most sensitive singers ever in his lower range: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kl75k8ncXOo Edited July 21, 2011 by fledgehog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nappy2112 Posted July 21, 2011 Share Posted July 21, 2011 That is my favorite cover disc by anyone ever ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steel Rat Posted July 21, 2011 Share Posted July 21, 2011 (edited) Referring to Count of Tuscany, I like how at 3:00, it's virtually the "Entre Nous" riff. It's a cool song. I just think that everything from Dream Theater after "Images and Words" has been ham-fisted. Edited July 21, 2011 by Steel Rat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treeduck Posted July 21, 2011 Share Posted July 21, 2011 QUOTE (Steel Rat @ Jul 21 2011, 01:39 PM) I like how at 3:00, it's virtually the "Entre Nous" riff. It's a cool song. I just think that everything from Dream Theater after "Images and Words" has been ham-fisted. Wow this thread is really taking off, even Steel Rat has deemed it worthy to post in! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony R Posted July 21, 2011 Share Posted July 21, 2011 QUOTE (metaldad @ Jul 21 2011, 04:34 PM) Nightmare is prob my fav opening song on a d.t album. I like the cover songs but I think it falls a little flat. I think the lyrics from tuscany are piss poor Cringeworthy would be my description. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HemispheresserehpsimeH Posted July 21, 2011 Share Posted July 21, 2011 Love the album. My first DT album, but then I discovered I&W later on and it's my favourite for sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rod in Toronto Posted July 21, 2011 Author Share Posted July 21, 2011 QUOTE (fledgehog @ Jul 21 2011, 01:09 PM) aside from half of A Nightmare to Remember, all of A Rite of Passage, the form and construction of The Shattered Fortress, and The Count of Tuscany's lyrics, it's a great album. A huge improvement over Shitstematic Chaos, I might add as well. The slow middle section of Nightmare... is the best thing the band has done since 2002 (shame it had to be surrounded by the rest of that song), Wither is one of my favorite Dream Theater ballads, and despite the amount of hate it seems to get, The Best of Times is a great song IMO. I'm still hoping for and expecting a huge step up with A Dramatic Turn of Events, however. Here's an alternate version of Wither that I recently discovered. Really cool, shows that Rudess is actually tasteful when he's not jacking off all over his bebot app and his ipad; and that James is one of the most sensitive singers ever in his lower range: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kl75k8ncXOo Wow, I didn't know this version!!! Thanks for sharing!!! The chorus on A Rite of Passage kicks ass live...I would have kept it on the setlist for the new tour. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Albone2112 Posted July 21, 2011 Share Posted July 21, 2011 Best album since 'Six Degrees' IMHO. This one grabbed me from the beginning, where the albums in between took a while for me to fully get into. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tick Posted July 22, 2011 Share Posted July 22, 2011 QUOTE (treeduck @ Jul 21 2011, 01:45 PM) QUOTE (metaldad @ Jul 21 2011, 10:34 AM) I like the cover songs but I think it falls a little flat. I bought the single disc version only... Too bad for you. The covers are truly awesome and worth having big time, imo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KenJennings Posted July 22, 2011 Share Posted July 22, 2011 (edited) BC&SL is one of my favorite Dream Theater albums. The Shattered Fortress ties together all the aspects of the AA saga perfectly, leaving with a proggy, powerful ending. The Best of Times is my favorite Dream Theater song since Octavarium, easily top-5 ever. They tie shades of Rush into a really nice uptempo tribute to Portnoy's father. Just a perfect blend of tasteful composition, prog technicality, and pure raw emotion. You don't find many songs ANYWHERE better than The Best of Times. The Count of Tuscany is a fun ride, telling an interesting story, and tying it into some really heavy metal riffs with some cool prog elements. The last couple minutes of this song are just exceptional. The covers disc included, as I've stated before, is worth the paying price alone. The Tenement Funster/Flick of the Wrist/Lily of the Valley cover is just fantastic, and James' vocals on Lily of the Valley are incredibly Mercury-esq. Odyssey is also killer, and singlehandedly got me into the Dixie Dregs. Such a fun album. After I&W and SFAM, it's probably my 3rd favorite DT album... Edited July 22, 2011 by KenJennings Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rod in Toronto Posted July 22, 2011 Author Share Posted July 22, 2011 QUOTE (KenJennings @ Jul 21 2011, 10:43 PM) The Tenement Funster/Flick of the Wrist/Lily of the Valley cover is just fantastic, and James' vocals on Lily of the Valley are incredibly Mercury-esq. Odyssey is also killer, and singlehandedly got me into the Dixie Dregs. I fully agree!! The Queen cover is fantastic...Petrucci's solo here, and pretty much everywhere else on the album, are brilliant. And LaBrie's voice is awesome here as well. He has a great voice, even when he's not on the "stratospheric high pitch" mode. About The Count of Tuscany - all DT epics could easily do without 3 or 4 minutes (apart from A Change of Seasons, which is ass-kicking from beginning to end), and this one is no exception. But the length and the grandiloquence is what makes these epics so awesome! Octavarium, In the Name Of God, Six Degrees...all have their excesses, but the overall result pays off. And Tuscany has two Rush quotes at least: from Entre Nous and A Farewell to Kings. And that ending!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steel Rat Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 Wither is the worst song I've ever heard. If you actually like that song, you've got to ask yourself - "Am I a fanboy?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J2112YYZ Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 QUOTE (Steel Rat @ Jul 23 2011, 10:12 AM) Wither is the worst song I've ever heard. If you actually like that song, you've got to ask yourself - "Am I a fanboy?" I guess i'm a fan boy then Wither is hardly the worst Dream Theater song let alone the worst song ever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rod in Toronto Posted July 23, 2011 Author Share Posted July 23, 2011 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
metaldad Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steel Rat Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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