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ForeverAutumn
01-15-2008, 10:37 AM
Nice collection of songs, but I wouldn't have put Peruvian Skies on the "dark side". I'd love to see the tour with Opeth and 3. I hope they play here when they come back to North America.

DREAM THEATER COLLECT THEIR GREATEST HIT

(...& 21 other pretty cool songs)

The Acclaimed Band’s First-Ever Best-Of Compilation Spans 14 Years of Progressive Hard Rock and Includes Rare Edits and B-Sides

Features Three New Remixes by Kevin Shirley of

“Pull Me Under,” “Take The Time” and “Another Day”

Two-Disc Set Available April 1 from Rhino


LOS ANGELES - After recently celebrating the band’s 20-year anniversary, Dream Theater returns with its first-ever best-of collection. Spanning 1991-2005, the two-disc set contains rare single edits, B-sides and a trio of new remixes that spotlight that band’s nonpareil musicianship, complex arrangements and amazing songwriting. Dream Theater’s GREATEST HIT (...& 21 other pretty cool songs) will be available from Rhino on April 1 at all physical retail outlets and www.rhino.com for a suggested retail price of $19.98 and at all digital retail outlets for a suggested retail price of $12.99.

Referring to Dream Theater’s first and only major radio hit, “Pull Me Under,” the compilation’s tongue-in-cheek title is a testament not only to the band’s sense of humor but also highlights the acclaimed New York-based quintet’s ability to make music and cultivate a legion of fans on its own terms, without help from radio or MTV. The collection features more than two hours of progressive hard rock from James LaBrie (vocals), John Myung (bass), John Petrucci (guitar/vocals), Mike Portnoy (drums/vocals) and Jordan Rudess (keyboards).

The collection contains three newly remixed versions of tracks from Dream Theater’s breakout 1992 album, Images And Words: the aforementioned “Pull Me Under” as well as “Take The Time” and “Another Day.” Portnoy says this album presented the perfect opportunity to give the songs a bit of a facelift. “The original mixes always sounded a bit ’80s’ to me, so we had our good friend and longtime mixer Kevin Shirley give the tracks a bit of an update to sound more like the rest of the Dream Theater catalog. The songs remain the same (no pun intended-Kevin just mixed that album as well), but there are little nuances in the tracks that I forgot were originally there, and it’s very cool to hear them again.”

The collection’s 22 songs are split evenly between two discs, which are divided into “The Dark Side” (the metallic) and “The Light Side” (the melodic). Filled with some of the band’s most sinister sounds, the first disc lives up to the billing of “The Dark Side.” Longtime fans will appreciate the abundance of alternative versions of classic tracks, including single edits of “Lie,” “Home,” and “Misunderstood.” Disc One concludes with two tracks from the band’s 2005 album Octavarium: “The Root Of All Evil” and “Sacrificed Sons.”

The second disc, “The Light Side,” spotlights the band’s melodic side and features an alternate mix of “Through Her Eyes,” a single edit of “Solitary Shell” and “To Live Forever,” a 1994 B-side from the U.K.-only single of “Lie.”

A grassroots phenomenon for 20 years, Dream Theater continues to record studio albums acclaimed for award-winning musicianship as well as artistic vision. To meet the demands of a demanding global fan base, the band also maintains an active touring schedule that regularly includes sold-out performances around the world.

Dream Theater has currently been on the road since June 2007, traveling the globe in support of their latest studio album Systematic Chaos. Their world tour will conclude with a final run throughout North America in May as they premiere their “Progressive Nation” package tour with Opeth, Between The Buried And Me, and 3 supporting.

DREAM THEATER’S GREATEST HIT

(...& 21 other pretty cool songs)

Track Listing

Disc 1: (The Dark Side)

“Pull Me Under” (2007 Remix)
“Take The Time” (2007 Remix)
“Lie” (Single Edit)
“Peruvian Skies”
“Home” (Single Edit)
“Misunderstood” (Single Edit)
“The Test That Stumped Them All”
“As I Am”
“Endless Sacrifice”
“The Root Of All Evil”
“Sacrificed Sons”
Disc 2: (The Light Side)

“Another Day” (2007 Remix)
“To Live Forever”
“Lifting Shadows Off A Dream”
“The Silent Man”
“Hollow Years”
“Through Her Eyes” (Alternate Album Mix)
“The Spirit Carries On”
“Solitary Shell” (Single Edit)
“I Walk Beside You”
“The Answer Lies Within”
“Disappear”

Finch Platte
01-15-2008, 01:13 PM
The only way I'd touch this is if they were all instrumentals.

I mean, really. Would someone listen to their latest disc and tell me how many times LaCheese, err 'skuse me, LaBrie, uses the word "I"? I'll bet it's near a hunnert. :nonod:

What a big bag of wind.

fp

And then, there's this. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ywPuWyh-gCU&NR=1) :cornut:

kexodusc
01-15-2008, 01:31 PM
Definitely the best act going today IMO...and possibly my favorite band.

Not sure I'm going to pick this one up though just to here a few remixes?

What's FP complaining about? LaBrie doesn't write the lyrics, he just sings'em most awesomely :D

3-LockBox
01-15-2008, 05:31 PM
There's a reason why bands like this don't normally put out compilations - its because they write so many epics and theme albums. Most of their fanbase already has the albums that this comp covers.

I never knew they had a radio hit. And as I look it up...man, that was a long time ago. I haven't even got their last release yet. I should prolly pick it up.

ForeverAutumn
01-15-2008, 05:42 PM
The only way I'd touch this is if they were all instrumentals.

I mean, really. Would someone listen to their latest disc and tell me how many times LaCheese, err 'skuse me, LaBrie, uses the word "I"? I'll bet it's near a hunnert. :nonod:

What a big bag of wind.

fp

And then, there's this. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ywPuWyh-gCU&NR=1) :cornut:

I like this one. Who needs security?!

<object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/BzsSZly1FZU&rel=1"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/BzsSZly1FZU&rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>

Mr Peabody
01-15-2008, 09:36 PM
I've got the CD with Pull Me Under. I scanned a couple other titles which escape me now at a used music store and they didn't do anything for me. I recently ordered Train of Thought after hearing some samples. But I have yet to understand why they are on a pedestal except they are one of the pioneers of Prog-Metal. Kex maybe you can give me a rec.

Since most of you Prog/Metal members are here, you might want to take a listen to a band from Italy called Pathosray. I have it ordered. If it's really good I'll try to post something. I thought their samples were good.

3-LockBox
01-16-2008, 12:26 AM
I have yet to understand why they are on a pedestal except they are one of the pioneers of Prog-Metal.

For one thing, I don't know if I'd call them a pioneer. But they have stayed the course for a long time and played the music they way they want to, and they have cultivated a pretty big following. They still play arenas and not night clubs like a bunch of hairy metal '80s bands do. Most everyone I know (that listens to metal of some form or another) knows who DT is, when they still don't know who Porcupine Tree, Threshold or Pain Of Salvation is. DT is considered 'a thinking man's metal' or at least, the artsier side of metal. From what I've seen, they put on a hell of a show and never cheat the paying customers (see Van Halen). Their DVDs kick much butt.

kexodusc
01-16-2008, 05:04 AM
Kex maybe you can give me a rec.


Hard to do, every fan it seems has a different personal fav and a lot of their albums are quite different in approach.
Metropolis 2: Scenes From a Memory is arguably their most popular album. I can't really pick a personal fav - Train of Thought is up there - but that album was a deliberate, pedal-to-the-metal one-speed effort. Most of their other works are more diverse.

I wouldn't worry too much about it - some people get them, some don't. But they have a passionate fanbase that is borderline fanatic and they've continued to endure at the forefront of prog-rock/prog-metal for 15 + years now. That's pretty amazing, most bands in that genre might have a 3-5 year span where they get hot, but then they fade into the background. I only learned about bands like Porcupine Tree and Pain of Salvation because they opened for them. Some of these bands at times even sound like them, which is a great tribute I think.

ForeverAutumn
01-16-2008, 06:25 AM
I've got the CD with Pull Me Under. I scanned a couple other titles which escape me now at a used music store and they didn't do anything for me. I recently ordered Train of Thought after hearing some samples. But I have yet to understand why they are on a pedestal except they are one of the pioneers of Prog-Metal. Kex maybe you can give me a rec.

Since most of you Prog/Metal members are here, you might want to take a listen to a band from Italy called Pathosray. I have it ordered. If it's really good I'll try to post something. I thought their samples were good.

Well, I'm not Kex but I'll jump in since I resemble Kex's remark about borderline fanatics.

One of the great things about DT is that each album is different. They range from the concept rock album that is Scenes From a Memory, to the radio friendly hair band album that is Falling Into Infinity, to the hard core metal that is Train of Thought. Whatever they do, they do it well with a commitment to strong song writing (with occasionally cheesy lyrics) and outstanding musicianship. You're going to be hard pressed to find another group of such accomplished musicians sharing a stage. Each member of the band is, in his own right, considered one of the best on his instrument, with the possible exception of James LaBrie who many criticize as being DT's one weak link.

I agree with Kex that it's hard to give a recommendation since each album is so different. Personally, I would recommend Scenes From a Memory which is considered by most fans to be their best, or Octavarium which is my personal favourite. Their last disk, Systematic Chaos was also very good. Train of Thought is probably my least favourite.

You certainly don't have to like them, but I'd be surprised if there wasn't something in their catalogue for you to love. Maybe your best best is to wait until April and pick up the Best Of collection. Overall, I think that the track list is a pretty good one.

Mr Peabody
01-16-2008, 06:31 PM
Thanks for the input. I'll have to pay more attention to titles as I scan and try to make my way through the catalog.