Leaked Tool single - Vicarious in full

Nick · Post by **Nick** » April 15, 2006, 2:54 pm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMF-228pBIo

(holy fucking shit tool ftw)

Midnyte_Ragebringer · Post by **Midnyte_Ragebringer** » April 15, 2006, 8:58 pm

FUCK YEAH!!!!

I can't wait till May 2nd.

Nick · Post by **Nick** » April 15, 2006, 9:41 pm

Possibly best stuff yet, hahaha we are lucky fucks for having them !

Sartori · Post by **Sartori** » April 15, 2006, 10:51 pm

Wow very nice, I can't wait to see them again

Post by **Sylvus** » April 17, 2006, 12:21 am

Bah, pulled.

Okay, I'm having bad luck lately!

Aslanna · Post by **Aslanna** » April 17, 2006, 3:23 am

It was recently posted in Usenet groups too. I'd imagine one will see the full release there before May 2nd as well. But make sure to buy it if you like it!

Nick · Post by **Nick** » April 17, 2006, 3:44 pm

I'm more than happy to give Tool 15 pounds of my money when they make music for me to listen to that's this good.

Tool

Winnow · Post by **Winnow** » April 17, 2006, 5:39 pm

Nick wrote:I'm more than happy to give Tool 15 pounds of my money when they make music for me to listen to that's this good.

Tool

15 pounds? Are you going to pay for it with a wheelbarrow of pennies?

Nick · Post by **Nick** » April 17, 2006, 6:46 pm

Pounds sterling noob.

Xyun · Post by **Xyun** » April 17, 2006, 7:57 pm

Tool has put on the best concert I've ever been to, and that includes a list of very good bands. Can't wait for this new album.

Markulas · Post by **Markulas** » April 18, 2006, 2:10 pm

good single.

Drinsic Darkwood · Post by **Drinsic Darkwood** » April 18, 2006, 11:10 pm

There are links of the full album flying all over various music forums, and there's a link to one or two on fohguild.org.

Just finished listening to the album all the way through - Much to my satisfaction, there are only two filler tracks. Vicarious is definitely one of the better tracks, and while I wish it was a little heavier as a whole, it's a good album that I'll be picking up come May 2nd. Jambi, 10,000 Days, The Pot, Rosetta Stoned, and Right In Two are all excellent songs.

Nick · Post by **Nick** » April 19, 2006, 12:40 am

So far the album is fucking awesome. Only at track 5, but 10,000 is one of the best songs Tool has ever made.

Canelek · Post by **Canelek** » April 19, 2006, 12:48 am

Link that shit up! I want to hear some now.

And yeah, all good bands get the cash for CD/MP3 download from me...they deserve the

but I just like to get the early listen is all.

Fairweather Pure · Post by **Fairweather Pure** » April 19, 2006, 10:01 am

This will be the first album I will pay money for since I can remember. It's been at least 3-4 years...

Post by **Sylvus** » April 19, 2006, 2:09 pm

I finally looked around and got the whole album last night, and I'd go so far as to say that it's pretty much a perfect album. I know some people gave Lateralus some shit for whatever reason, and while I love the album I did think they went a little more mellow than they needed. 10,000 Days has a much better mixture.

They're playing Detroit on May 15, I can't wait. A Tool concert is like a religious experience, I think I saw them 4 different times on the Lateralus tour.

Drinsic Darkwood · Post by **Drinsic Darkwood** » April 19, 2006, 2:11 pm

Sadly, they're not coming anywhere near Tennessee.

Nick · Post by **Nick** » April 19, 2006, 3:04 pm

and I'd go so far as to say that it's pretty much a perfect album

Yep

Dregor Thule · Post by **Dregor Thule** » April 23, 2006, 8:43 pm

Album is fantastic. Can't stop listening to it atm.

Something I didn't know about Maynard; he sang the backup vocal "Not by the hair of my chiny-chin-chin!" for "Three Little Pigs" by Green Jello. Veird!

Post by **Sylvus** » April 24, 2006, 12:18 am

My favorite keeps switching every few hours, but the title track is amazing. It nearly moves me to tears. Then "The Pot" kicks in... Man, I cannot say enough good things about this album.

I'm not sure if any of you have seen the ridiculous "fake album" nonsense on the tool boards, but there is a sizable group of people who think that tool recorded this album and leaked it on purpose as a decoy for the "real album" that comes out on May 2nd. It's pretty asinine.

Leonaerd · Post by **Leonaerd** » April 24, 2006, 1:17 am

Gah, all you fanbois are making it so I want to buy this album. I've never listened to Tool before.

Nick · Post by **Nick** » April 24, 2006, 1:33 am

There are too many good songs to choose a favourite yet, gimme a year or so and I'll get back to you

Yeah, any non fanbois would do well to sort their heads out and become "fanbois" of tool asap.

Dregor Thule · Post by **Dregor Thule** » April 24, 2006, 3:20 am

Sylvus wrote:My favorite keeps switching every few hours, but the title track is amazing. It nearly moves me to tears. Then "The Pot" kicks in... Man, I cannot say enough good things about this album.

I'm not sure if any of you have seen the ridiculous "fake album" nonsense on the tool boards, but there is a sizable group of people who think that tool recorded this album and leaked it on purpose as a decoy for the "real album" that comes out on May 2nd. It's pretty asinine.

I for one hope that the idiots are right.. if this is the fake album, imagine the real one!

Leonaerd · Post by **Leonaerd** » April 24, 2006, 11:14 am

On another good note, the new Goo Goo Dolls CD comes out tomorrow!!

I will be buying that as soon as stores open!

Post by **Sylvus** » April 24, 2006, 2:30 pm

Here's a fanboy warning, if you're not a tool fan feel free to just skip on to the next thread.

Some of my favorite lyrics so far, in no particular order. (my interpretation, anyway)

10,000 Days wrote:Listen to the tales and romanticize
How we follow the path of the hero
Boast about the day when the rivers overrun
How we rise to the height of our halo

Listen to the tales as we all rationalize
Our way into the arms of the savior
Fading all the trials and the tribulations
None of us have actually been there
Not like you

Ignorant fibbers in the congregation
Gather round spewing sympathy
Spare me
None of them could even hold a candle up to you
Blinded by choices hypocrites won't see
But enough about the collective Judas
Who could deny you were the one who illuminated
Your little piece of the divine.

This little light of mine the gift you passed on to me
I'll let it shine to guide you safely on your way
Your way home

What they gonna do when the lights go down
Without you to guide them all to Zion.
What they gonna do when the rivers overrun
Other than tremble incessantly

High is the way
But our lives are upon the ground
You are the light and the way
They will only read about

I only pray
Heaven knows when to lift you out
10,000 days in the fire is long enough
You're going home

You're the only one who can hold your head up high
Shake your fist at the gates saying
"I have come home now
Fetch me the spirit, the son and the father
Tell them their pillar of faith has ascended
It's time now
My time now
Give me my
Give me my wings"

You are the light, the way that they will only read about

Set as I am in my ways and my arrogance
Burden of proof tossed upon the believers
You were my witness, my eyes, my evidence
Judith Marie, unconditional one

Daylight dims leaving cold flourescence
Difficult to see you in this light
Please forgive this bold suggestion
Should you see your maker's face tonight
Look him in the eye, Look him in the eye and tell him
"I never lived a lie, never took a life, but surely saved one
Hallelujah, it's time for you to bring me home"

I can't get over this song. If you didn't already know, 10,000 days (~27 years) refers to how long MJK's mom (Judith Marie Garrison) was paralyzed after a stroke until her eventual death in 2003. This tribute just totally blows me away.

Right in Two wrote:Angels on the sideline
Puzzled and amused.
Why did Father give these humans free will?
Now they’re all confused

Don’t these talking monkeys know that Eden has enough to go around?
Plenty in this holy garden, silly monkeys
Where there's one you're bound to divide it
Right in Two

Rosetta Stoned wrote:Overwhelmed as one would be,
Placed in my position.
Such a heavy burden now
To be the one.
Born to bear and read to all
The details of our ending
To write it down for all the world to see.
But I forgot my pen.
Shit the bed again.
Typical

I guess I'll stop now before I just write out all the lyrics to every song.

I'm pretty certain that this has already become my favorite album of all time.

Drinsic Darkwood · Post by **Drinsic Darkwood** » April 24, 2006, 3:12 pm

I've been listening to this album all the way through more times than I can count since I first downloaded it, all the while cycling through the other albums in between. I'll start off by saying that I think it is a very good album. I would not go so far as to say that it is a perfect album, nor would I consider it their best.

Vicarious is an excellent track - I'd consider it one of my favorite Tool songs. It was a great choice for their first single. Jambi is also a good follow up for it.

Wings for Marie (both parts) is excellent. Lyrically, it is a fantastic and emotional tribute to Maynard's mother, and instrumentally, it's probably the best of Tool's 'mellow' or 'slower' songs.

Aside from the Maroon 5 guest vocals that fuck up the intro, I love the Pot. Instrumentally it reminds me of something from Undertow. The vocals sound much better as the song progresses.

Lipan Conjuring... bullshit filler track. Rarely have a cared for these, and this isn't one of the special ones. (Intermission fit perfectly with Jimmy and was fun to listen to, and Die Eier von Satan was also fun/frightening to listen to, especially before you knew what the lyrics meant) Some claim tracks like this immerse you in the album, but to me it takes away and breaks the continuity of the music. Some of the other 'interludes' I didn't care for were Useless Idiot, Cesaro Summability, (-) Ions, and Mantra to a lesser extent.

I don't really pay much attention to Lost Keys as a separate track, but Rosetta Stoned is another good one. It's one of the heavier tracks of the album, much like Vicarious, and has rather interesting lyrics.

I don't care much one way or the other for Intension. I won't go out of my way to listen to it, but when I have the whole album playing I won't skip it like I often do the less appealing interludes, such as the ones I mentioned before (most of which are from Ænima).

Right in Two serves as a great closing song that is lyrically, vocally, and instrumentally wonderful to listen to. My only complaint is that the ending seems to leave me thinking there should be more to the song that just isn't there. To elaborate, after the first chorus, the song slowly builds instrumentally for over three fucking minutes until it reaches the climax. I get there expecting an epic sounding closure to the song - don't get me wrong, what's there is great, but it's just so short. What I would compare it to is Lateralus (the song, not the album). Lateralus had an amazing ending, and I wish Right in Two had something comparable to that.

Virginti Tres... another filler. Supposedly it's a recording of someone simply saying "Virginti Tres" stretched over five minutes in reverse. Cool. Ok. At least it's effectively after the album, instead of breaking the mood between songs.

In comparison to their other albums, I think it stands up very well. I just don't think it's their best - I feel it could have been better. Lyrically, I'd put Ænima on top by far - Eulogy, Forty-six and Two, Pushit, Ænema, and especially Hooker with a Penis had lyrics that were just fucking great. I'd place this album right behind it with Undertow. Lateralus was the least appealing lyrically to me - the lyrics were just way far out there. It was kind of fun to connect the dots in Lateralus (the song), and Ticks and Leeches wasn't very complicated, but as a whole I don't think it stands above the rest.

Vocally and instrumentally, however, Lateralus was my favorite album. A lot of people seem to trash Lateralus for whatever reason, but I loved that album. The Grudge, the Patient, Schism (yes even Schism), Parabol/Parabola, Ticks and Leeches, Lateralus, Reflection, and Triad had such an amazing sound to them. The track Lateralus is one of my absolute favorite songs by Tool. I really wish I could have seen them in concert during their touring after Lateralus was released.

This was a lot longer than I planned, but those are my thoughts thus far on the album. All in all, it's good, and worthy of being a Tool album. I just think it could have been better, especially considering the time it's been since they put Lateralus out.

Dregor Thule · Post by **Dregor Thule** » April 25, 2006, 9:29 am

Ok, I've come to my top three songs for this album as of right now. It'll probably change many times, but here it is (I know you're all waiting with bated breath):

1. Rosetta Stoned
2. 10,000 Days
3. Vicarious

Nick · Post by **Nick** » April 25, 2006, 12:25 pm

I pretty mcuh agree except I'd add Jambi to that list.

They all rock though

Leonaerd · Post by **Leonaerd** » April 25, 2006, 2:01 pm

Dregor's avatar wins this thread.

Post by **Sylvus** » April 25, 2006, 6:38 pm

Drinsic Darkwood wrote:Aside from the Maroon 5 guest vocals that fuck up the intro, I love the Pot. Instrumentally it reminds me of something from Undertow. The vocals sound much better as the song progresses.

I can definitely understand how someone wouldn't like Maroon 5, but I actually dig that divergence from what you would normally expect from Tool. The opening acapella bit where you get to hear Maynard's voice by itself sounds pretty good to me.

Lipan Conjuring... bullshit filler track. Rarely have a cared for these, and this isn't one of the special ones. (Intermission fit perfectly with Jimmy and was fun to listen to, and Die Eier von Satan was also fun/frightening to listen to, especially before you knew what the lyrics meant) Some claim tracks like this immerse you in the album, but to me it takes away and breaks the continuity of the music. Some of the other 'interludes' I didn't care for were Useless Idiot, Cesaro Summability, (-) Ions, and Mantra to a lesser extent.

I don't really pay much attention to Lost Keys as a separate track, but Rosetta Stoned is another good one. It's one of the heavier tracks of the album, much like Vicarious, and has rather interesting lyrics.

I am usually not a big fan of the segues, but the way I've been interpreting the album I think Lipan Conjuring fits in the overall context. Bear in mind that these are just my thoughts, your experience is quite likely entirely different, we're both right.

I haven't yet found the common thread between Vicarious and Jambi, but I feel like from Jambi on all the songs connect to each other.

In Jambi, he talks about how he has everything that he wants and would get rid of all of it in order to have more time with a loved one, my current (and the most obvious) thought being his mother.

Moving into Wings pt. 1, where it seems like he's saying goodbye to his mother as she's dying (I actually read someone's belief that the first minute or so of the song with the gong or whatever up until about 1:05 is representative of the EKG or whatever of her heartbeat - it was an interesting thought to listen to it with that in mind).

10,000 Days feels like both a tribute to his mother who has passed and (getting back to one of the common threads tool always touches on) a bit of a fuck you to "religious" people, either because they aren't as pious as his mother was or because she was tested more than the people who just go through the motions or any of a number of things.

The Pot is about hypocrisy, my thoughts on exactly who he's talking to keeps changing. I almost feel like he's singing about himself being a hypocrite after seeming pretty anti-Christianity/Organized religion throughout his career and then singing the previous couple songs about his mother going to heaven... and he's pissed that people might question his right to be a hypocrite. It's almost like he's singing from two points-of-view, with one accusing him ("eyeball deep in muddy water" referencing the whole Undertow album, perhaps Third Eye as well) and the other responding to the accusers ("You piss all over my black kettle).

The next three I kind of think of as a trilogy, and I have a slight disconnect on how they transition from The Pot, but taken as a whole I can see how they fit together.

I think of Lipan Conjuring as a Native American religious ceremony (that's not stretching too deep), which brings with it several possibilities: the "patient" in the trilogy was at this ceremony that was probably in the desert (which is where a lot of UFO sightings/abductions happen), could have involved a mind-altering substance (as Native American religious ceremonies can) and may have communed with spirits.

Allowing for any of the previous possibilites, Lost Keys finds our guy in a hospital where he just woke up and is pretty confused. He is either tripping balls, was abducted by aliens, or communicated with some sort of a higher power.

Continuing that on to Rosetta Stoned, we hear his story... I don't know, that seemed like the most straightforward (ha!) of possibilities when I think about it covering a lot of the major themes of tool's music. There's probably more to the song/trilogy but it hasn't occurred to me yet. I'm sure somewhere in my next million listens to the album I'll have a thousand different ideas.

I've been writing for way too long now, so I'll end it there. My thoughts on the next few songs aren't as concrete as the previous ones.

Yeah, I'm big into Tool.

Zamtuk · Post by **Zamtuk** » April 26, 2006, 12:19 am

Sylvus wrote:Yeah, I'm a big ~~into~~ Tool.

fixed

Vaemas · Post by **Vaemas** » April 26, 2006, 9:19 am

10,000 Days wrote: I only pray
Heaven knows when to lift you out
10,000 days in the fire is long enough
You're going home

You're the only one who can hold your head up high
Shake your fist at the gates saying
"I have come home now
Fetch me the spirit, the son and the father
Tell them their pillar of faith has ascended
It's time now
My time now
Give me my
Give me my wings"

This part gives me goosebumps when I hear it. Damn good music.

Nick · Post by **Nick** » April 26, 2006, 9:34 am

That's exactly the part I'm at as I write this sentence.

<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3

Kilmoll the Sexy · Post by **Kilmoll the Sexy** » April 26, 2006, 1:08 pm

Pretty good overall album. I still think my favorite song from them across all their albums is still Aenema though....Stinkfist rating a close second.

Sartori · Post by **Sartori** » April 29, 2006, 3:52 am

Favorite songs - Jerk Off and Prison Sex

I'm glad they got back to the heavier bass sound. I love Aenima and Lateralus, but the bottom end had so much more presence on Opiate and Undertow with whoever their last bassist was.

Oh yeh, if you are going to Tool at the Paramount in Seattle May 2nd - I hate you. While I was at work my roommate had 2 tickets locked in on ticketmaster.com last Saturday morning, but it kept asking for a resubmit and it timed out. !!!!!

Midnyte_Ragebringer · Post by **Midnyte_Ragebringer** » May 1, 2006, 11:06 pm

O picked up my copy tonight. I stopped by the store to ask if they were going to have a Midnyte sale, and the said he'd sell one to me now. I'm enjoying it so far. Vicarious is still my faorite at this point. But, it will take a while for me to really listen to the whole album.

Midnyte_Ragebringer · Post by **Midnyte_Ragebringer** » May 2, 2006, 6:44 pm

Okay. I'm not so stoked about Tool's new album, 10,000 Days, at all. Save your money.

Instead go to http://www.myspace.com/rogerjosephmanningjr

and buy his new solo album "Solid State Warrior". In this day and age of nothing but shitty rap music and cookie cutter "alternative" rock....true music still lives in this creator of The Jellyfish.

Winnow · Post by **Winnow** » May 2, 2006, 7:10 pm

I have no idea who Tool is really but since you people seem so mushy over it I'll check 10K nights out.

Vaemas · Post by **Vaemas** » May 2, 2006, 9:57 pm

Midnyte_Ragebringer wrote:Okay. I'm not so stoked about Tool's new album, 10,000 Days, at all. Save your money.

Instead go to http://www.myspace.com/rogerjosephmanningjr

and buy his new solo album "Solid State Warrior". In this day and age of nothing but shitty rap music and cookie cutter "alternative" rock....true music still lives in this creator of The Jellyfish.

So what made you change your mind? Or do I want to know. Mine shows up tomorrow and I've been listening to the MP3s for two weeks now.

Midnyte_Ragebringer · Post by **Midnyte_Ragebringer** » May 2, 2006, 11:11 pm

Vaemas wrote:
Midnyte_Ragebringer wrote:Okay. I'm not so stoked about Tool's new album, 10,000 Days, at all. Save your money.

Instead go to http://www.myspace.com/rogerjosephmanningjr

and buy his new solo album "Solid State Warrior". In this day and age of nothing but shitty rap music and cookie cutter "alternative" rock....true music still lives in this creator of The Jellyfish.
So what made you change your mind? Or do I want to know. Mine shows up tomorrow and I've been listening to the MP3s for two weeks now.

I listened to the whole album about 5 times over. I kept wanting to pass songs over. That is not something that has ever happened with a TOOL album. It's downright boring. I'm so disgusted right now. I have looked forward to this album more than any, ever. Maybe EFIL4ZAGGIN I anticipated more. I was but a young dumb wigga back then. *sigh*....memories. I will continue to try and find a connection, but I don't have high expectations right now of finding them. Vicarious was TOOL. The other songs are a departure from the old TOOL into a very boring band.

Truant · Post by **Truant** » May 2, 2006, 11:24 pm

Winnow wrote:I have no idea who Tool is really but since you people seem so mushy over it I'll check 10K nights out.

Tool is a prog band that is acceptable to like at a time when liking any other prog band makes you an elititist/snob/nerd/geek/loser/fag.

If you've had FM radio on in the last 5 or 6 years, chances are you heard a Tool song, you just didn't know it.

Fairweather Pure · Post by **Fairweather Pure** » May 3, 2006, 1:07 pm

Midnyte_Ragebringer wrote:
Vaemas wrote:
Midnyte_Ragebringer wrote:Okay. I'm not so stoked about Tool's new album, 10,000 Days, at all. Save your money.

Instead go to http://www.myspace.com/rogerjosephmanningjr

and buy his new solo album "Solid State Warrior". In this day and age of nothing but shitty rap music and cookie cutter "alternative" rock....true music still lives in this creator of The Jellyfish.
So what made you change your mind? Or do I want to know. Mine shows up tomorrow and I've been listening to the MP3s for two weeks now.
I listened to the whole album about 5 times over. I kept wanting to pass songs over. That is not something that has ever happened with a TOOL album. It's downright boring. I'm so disgusted right now. I have looked forward to this album more than any, ever. Maybe EFIL4ZAGGIN I anticipated more. I was but a young dumb wigga back then. *sigh*....memories. I will continue to try and find a connection, but I don't have high expectations right now of finding them. Vicarious was TOOL. The other songs are a departure from the old TOOL into a very boring band.

I understand and respect your opinion, but you are truely in the minority.

Post by **Sylvus** » May 3, 2006, 1:38 pm

Midnyte_Ragebringer wrote:I listened to the whole album about 5 times over. I kept wanting to pass songs over. That is not something that has ever happened with a TOOL album. It's downright boring. I'm so disgusted right now. I have looked forward to this album more than any, ever. Maybe EFIL4ZAGGIN I anticipated more. I was but a young dumb wigga back then. *sigh*....memories. I will continue to try and find a connection, but I don't have high expectations right now of finding them. Vicarious was TOOL. The other songs are a departure from the old TOOL into a very boring band.

That's more like it! For a minute there I was beginning to think that you weren't bizarro me after all.

For anyone else who hasn't given it a listen yet, I still highly recommend it. Sure, if you were looking for the 4th iteration of Undertow you might be disappointed, but I dig the evolution the band has gone through. I love all of their albums, all of them are different than the last, and it's all part of the ride.

Midnyte_Ragebringer · Post by **Midnyte_Ragebringer** » May 3, 2006, 1:40 pm

Sylvus wrote:
Midnyte_Ragebringer wrote:I listened to the whole album about 5 times over. I kept wanting to pass songs over. That is not something that has ever happened with a TOOL album. It's downright boring. I'm so disgusted right now. I have looked forward to this album more than any, ever. Maybe EFIL4ZAGGIN I anticipated more. I was but a young dumb wigga back then. *sigh*....memories. I will continue to try and find a connection, but I don't have high expectations right now of finding them. Vicarious was TOOL. The other songs are a departure from the old TOOL into a very boring band.
That's more like it! For a minute there I was beginning to think that you weren't bizarro me after all.

For anyone else who hasn't given it a listen yet, I still highly recommend it. Sure, if you were looking for the 4th iteration of Undertow you might be disappointed, but I dig the evolution the band has gone through. I love all of their albums, all of them are different than the last, and it's all part of the ride.

Nods. You're prolly right.

masteen · Post by **masteen** » May 3, 2006, 7:18 pm

Sylvus wrote:Yeah, I'm big into tool.

I KNEW IT! YOU LOVE THE COCK!

Vaemas · Post by **Vaemas** » May 3, 2006, 7:41 pm

Midnyte_Ragebringer wrote:I listened to the whole album about 5 times over. I kept wanting to pass songs over. That is not something that has ever happened with a TOOL album. It's downright boring. I'm so disgusted right now. I have looked forward to this album more than any, ever. Maybe EFIL4ZAGGIN I anticipated more. I was but a young dumb wigga back then. *sigh*....memories. I will continue to try and find a connection, but I don't have high expectations right now of finding them. Vicarious was TOOL. The other songs are a departure from the old TOOL into a very boring band.

I have favorites from the album and I have songs that I do skip...well, ok, I primarily skip Viginti Tres. Rosetta Stoned isn't a favorite, but if it hits me in the right mood, I listen to it. Otherwise, I have zero complaints for my $13.98.

Vicarious and Jambi are kickass. While I understand that some folks aren't too fond of The Pot, they're entitled to their opinion. When you survey the entire TOOL catalog, 10,000 days is a great addition.

Drinsic Darkwood · Post by **Drinsic Darkwood** » May 4, 2006, 2:47 am

Truant wrote:Tool is a prog band that is acceptable to like at a time when liking any other prog band makes you an elititist/snob/nerd/geek/loser/fag.

I happen to still enjoy quite a bit of Dream Theater. If that makes me a fag, I don't want to be straight!

Post by **Sylvus** » May 4, 2006, 10:41 am

What's the best Dream Theater album? I've only listened to one, Scenes from a Memory or something (I think), and I believe I heard some review that it was one of their weaker efforts. The music sounded pretty good but I wasn't a big fan of the singer.

Truant · Post by **Truant** » May 4, 2006, 12:59 pm

Drinsic Darkwood wrote:
Truant wrote:Tool is a prog band that is acceptable to like at a time when liking any other prog band makes you an elititist/snob/nerd/geek/loser/fag.
I happen to still enjoy quite a bit of Dream Theater. If that makes me a fag, I don't want to be straight!

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy a lot of aspects of prog. I was more generalizing the mainstream view of prog and people who listen to prog.

Drinsic Darkwood · Post by **Drinsic Darkwood** » May 5, 2006, 4:16 pm

Sylvus wrote:What's the best Dream Theater album? I've only listened to one, Scenes from a Memory or something (I think), and I believe I heard some review that it was one of their weaker efforts. The music sounded pretty good but I wasn't a big fan of the singer.

First of all, I wouldn't consider myself the most knowledgeable Dream Theater listener, as I haven't heard absolutely everything they've put out (live albums, When Dream and Day Unite, and Falling into Infinity - which tend to be regarded as lower quality DT music anyway). I know at least one person on this board was a big Dream Theater fan - Damiarch I think?

Anyway, I would be hard pressed to choose a "best" Dream Theater album, much in the same way I would very hard pressed to choose a single Tool album if someone asked me what their best was. The difference of course is that Tool only has four full length albums, and all four of them are excellent in rather different ways.

As for the better albums though, I'd suggest Images and Words, Awake, Scenes from a Memory, Train of Thought, and Octavarium.

Images and Words was their first album with James LaBrie, their vocalist. I generally just regard it as their first real album, since I've never listened to When Dream and Day Unite. I personally love the album a lot, but a lot seem to hate it. It came out in 92, but it's strange. It sounds like this weird mix of more modern metal and then older progressive stuff. In fact, a lot of Dream Theater reminds me of Rush with a slightly less feminine vocalist. Pull Me Under is the first track on Images and Words and it's certainly one of my favorite DT songs. Take the Time is great barring this goofy ass intro ("Hold it now! Wait a minute! Come on! Whew, just let me catch my breath" for those that may have heard this). Metropolis Pt. 1, and Learning to Live are great as well.

Awake followed Images and Words, it took a somewhat heavier and darker sound than Images and Words. A friend of mine considers it their best, but I'm still an Images and Words fan.

You've already heard Scenes from a Memory. It's a concept album, based on the track Metropolis Pt. 1 from Images and Words. Home is another one of DT's "best" songs.

Train of Thought took a more "heavy metal" approach than a lot of their previous stuff. A lot hated it, a lot loved it. I loved it, but did have some beef with it. Instead of meshing melody into his solos of old, Petrucci seemed to just shred it up. It was as if he was simply showing his skill moreso than his ability to play enjoyable music. In the Name of God is the best example of this. It's an excellent song, but there's this fucking ~3 minute 'solo' that's more annoying to me than anything.

Their most recent album, Octavarium, is another good addition to their music. Other than The Answer Lies Within and I Walk Beside You, I enjoy pretty much everything on this album. The real gem though is the title track, Octavarium. It's a 24 minute epic that is easily another one of my favorites. With an orchestra backing the band, the ending is phenomenal. I'm sure I sound like some sort of fan-boy here, but I just fucking love the way this song closes.

Those are what I would suggest giving a listen to first. Some other key shit you would want to look into if you like most of the aforementioned material would be A Change of Seasons and Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence. Change of Seasons is another 24 minute epic that a lot consider to be the 'definitive' Dream Theater song. It's just awesome. There's only four other tracks on the album, and they're all cover-combination tracks.

Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence was a double disc album. One disc is the 40-something minute title song divided over 8 tracks. The other disc was a collection of tracks, none of which I thought were very spectacular except for The Glass Prison.

I think LaBrie's voice is probably the most unappealing aspect of DT's music. I've never really been that enthusiastic about his singing, but over time I guess I've just gotten used to it. Still, I can't help but wonder how levels of asskickery they could be with a better vocalist.

Yeah, so this too was a little long. Perhaps I should've just said "listen to Images and Words, Train of Thought, and maybe Octavarium". Whatever.