Petrucci influence on MarkIIC+ etc....

[Platypus]

just listen to DT already :lol:

 

[Elpelotero]

once you hear John Petrucci play, you will then know why everyone makes such a big fuss about the C+. It's the player that makes the amp famous, the amp doesn't make the player. (although I wish it did or I'd be shredding with the rest of 'em).

Those guys with C+'s that aren't famous are not famous because they probably aren't that great next to a John Petrucci or James Hetfield.

 

[visualrocker69]

*Ahem*

Would you like me to upload stuff for you? 8)

 

[phyrexia]

I bet you'll like the earlier stuff more than the new stuff. JP is a monster any way you look at it, though.

 

[Anonymous]

Listen to Awake first. It's their best CD (I don't care what anyone says, it IS their best) and it will allow you to catch on to them the fastest. It's also the best produced CD that I own. :lol:

 

[Rampage]

Listen to Awake first. It's their best CD (I don't care what anyone says, it IS their best) and it will allow you to catch on to them the fastest. It's also the best produced CD that I own. :lol:

Agreed. I would say Awake and Images and Words are my favorite. A lot of power in that work.

 

[trem]

I have to agree on the comments about "Awake" being DT's best album. It's just not about the compositions, arrangements and technicalities, it's also about the whole soundscape. I don't know, it sounds "fresh" and "light", albeit the metal content. You can listen to it over and over again without overloading your brain.

~trem

PS: Unlike others, I like Derek Sherinian better than Jordan Rudess.

 

[alexcrex]

I think their best album is Metropolis Part2: Scenes From a Memory.

Isn't this one the more Mark-ish also?

So i think it's a good one to start: great composition and produvtion, and Mark's all around!



Alexandre

 

[Antoine]

+ 1 for Awake, best album they've made :wink:

 

[Random Hero]

Dream Theater rule. Just listen to them!

And yes, JP gets fabulous tones with the IIC+, but he also does with every amp he's ever used.

 

[ytse_jam]

Regardless of how good or appreciated Dream Theater are, the fact is that John Petrucci is a guitarist who really pays attention to his tone.
I agree with Kiss my Axe when he says Awake is their best album, but I don't think DT's best tones are there. Scenes from a Memory is a great step up concerning guitar tones. I think also the best bridge-pickup-solo-tone ever by Petrucci is still on Images & Words.

 

[reo73]

+1 on Awake...my favorite album of theirs for sure. It has a certain quality that they have not captured since in the songwriting structure. It's heavy and proggy but at the same time very easy to digest.

If you want to hear Petrucci but not in a DT context check out the Liquid Tension Experiment albums. They are all instrumental pieces and includes Portnoy & Petrucci with Rudess prior to being a part of DT. Also, to understand DT in full context I think you need to see them live...rent the Live at Budokan DVD. It's a very well produced concert DVD from a few years back (won't include songs thfrom their last two studio releases).

 

[visualrocker69]

If you want to hear Petrucci but not in a DT context check out the Liquid Tension Experiment albums. They are all instrumental pieces and includes Portnoy & Petrucci with Rudess prior to being a part of DT.

I wouldn't draw such a line between DT and LTE... The writing chemistry between Petrucci, Rudess, and Portnoy is apparent in both projects. At least to me, Tony Levin doesn't make a substantial impact, either stylstically of conceptually. To me, LTE is an extention of one element of Dream Theater. Same goes for Petrucci's solo album.

 

[reo73]

If you want to hear Petrucci but not in a DT context check out the Liquid Tension Experiment albums. They are all instrumental pieces and includes Portnoy & Petrucci with Rudess prior to being a part of DT.

I wouldn't draw such a line between DT and LTE... The writing chemistry between Petrucci, Rudess, and Portnoy is apparent in both projects. At least to me, Tony Levin doesn't make a substantial impact, either stylstically of conceptually. To me, LTE is an extention of one element of Dream Theater. Same goes for Petrucci's solo album.

True BUT the songs are written without vocals in mind and so they are arranged somewhat different and tend to be more fusion prog where DT is more metal prog. Also, a lot of people do not like DT because of LaBrie's voice or their lyrical stylings. I think it is fair to say that you can enjoy LTE for reasons that differ from DT.

 

[Antoine]

+1000 for LTE, both albums are gems...
About DT, i think Kevin Moore was their Best keyboardist, (don't get me wrong, i like very much Jordan Rudess, he's surely their better player technically, but i think Kevin Moore was very talented for compositions)
For me, their best songs are on the I&W and Awake, these albums are far away the others in terms of melody and i think it's due to the presence of Kevin Moore as a real melody genius (Wait For Sleep, Learning To Live, Surrounded, Take The Time, Another day, Pull Me Under... 6:00, Voices, The Silent Man, Erotomania, Lifting Shadows Of The Dream, Space-Dye Vest...)
These are songs like Dt don't do anymore and since a long time (since the album after Kevin Moore left)

 

[Octavarius]

Am I the only one who constantly enjoys Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence? :shock:

I agree, Images and Words and Awake are great pieces. But to me, Dream Theater has a much wider musical range than just that. Those two albums doesn't really represent everything that DT music is in my opinion. And I wasn't really able to really judge any album or decide which I like better until I heard all of them. They have changed through the years, and they're constantly showing up with new stuff, and each album is very different, so it's really a matter of taste which one you prefer. My point is, don't judge them by just hearing one album.

Another thing I noticed is, how the music you don't like at first, grows on you after some time. When I first heard Six Degrees, I didn't like it at all, but after I listened to it over and over again, I noticed more and more details and the whole thing just... grew on me eventually. The first prog I heard (Metropolis Pt. 1) was overwhelming and unbearable, but after a while I started to understand the compositions and get used to the odd-times etc. Now it's all I listen to.

But I really think that you should check out something of their early stuff, as already mentioned, and perhaps some of the later stuff. You'll notice it's completely different and see what you prefer.

I'd recommend Awake or I&W and Scenes From A Memory or Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence.

 

[ytse_jam]

Another thing I noticed is, how the music you don't like at first, grows on you after some time. When I first heard Six Degrees, I didn't like it at all, but after I listened to it over and over again, I noticed more and more details and the whole thing just... grew on me eventually. The first prog I heard (Metropolis Pt. 1) was overwhelming and unbearable, but after a while I started to understand the compositions and get used to the odd-times etc. Now it's all I listen to.

I think exactly that too. Before listening to DT I really hated keyboards on heavy songs and when I first listened to DT I wasn't able to like them. But then things have changed as you can see from my nickname

 

[Random Hero]

Am I the only one who constantly enjoys Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence? :shock:

I agree, Images and Words and Awake are great pieces. But to me, Dream Theater has a much wider musical range than just that. Those two albums doesn't really represent everything that DT music is in my opinion. And I wasn't really able to really judge any album or decide which I like better until I heard all of them. They have changed through the years, and they're constantly showing up with new stuff, and each album is very different, so it's really a matter of taste which one you prefer. My point is, don't judge them by just hearing one album.

Another thing I noticed is, how the music you don't like at first, grows on you after some time. When I first heard Six Degrees, I didn't like it at all, but after I listened to it over and over again, I noticed more and more details and the whole thing just... grew on me eventually. The first prog I heard (Metropolis Pt. 1) was overwhelming and unbearable, but after a while I started to understand the compositions and get used to the odd-times etc. Now it's all I listen to.

But I really think that you should check out something of their early stuff, as already mentioned, and perhaps some of the later stuff. You'll notice it's completely different and see what you prefer.

I'd recommend Awake or I&W and Scenes From A Memory or Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence.

Yeah I agree on most of this. The only album I don't really like too much is Octavarium, apart from the title track and The Root of All Evil. It took me some time to "get" DT initially but since then, I've loved almost everything they've done.

Fantastic band. I'm seeing them on Oct 13 and Nov 10 and I can't wait. Both other times I've seen them, they've been incredible.