Dream Theater - Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence
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Free Music Notes for Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence
Free Music Review: Strength and Beauty in a Landscape of Mental Illness
Hit: 5 Stars
Having read the "Spotlight Review" above I felt I had to add my .02 I have only been listening to DT for perhaps a year, but have gotten to listen to most of their CDs, and found them all quite lovely. This 2-CD release features a harder edged sound than previous works, but maintains the softer side that we've come to expect from DT. Disc one's "The Glass Prison" clocks in at just under 14 minutes. This has to be one of the hardest songs ever recorded by DT. This song is about overcoming life's problems, and the depths that some will feel on their quest to begin anew. The opening riff (later reprised) leaves me panting for more.
"Blind Faith" and "Misunderstood" follow with a slower change of pace.
Another almost 14 minute piece, "The Great Debate", looks at the stem cell debate, and doesn't quite decide which side its on. But perhaps it doesnt matter, John Petrucci does a fine job of presenting both the pros and cons. The band launches through a number of time changes here, each charged with a lot of energetic drive. This is probably one of the best songs on the CD.
"Disappear" ends the first CD. It is an introspective end, that i don't really find all that exciting. Perhaps someone will find it pleasing.
The 42 minute long "Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence" takes up all of the 2nd CD. This work concerns itself with various forms of mental illness, both how it is percieved by those who are suffering and those that can only watch from the outside.
The opening track "Overture" may at first seem a bit pretentious... but after a few listens it struck me as a quite beautiful little piece.
"War Inside my Head" and "The Test That Stumped Them All" provide the harder edges, and they work quite well in portraying the frantic illnesses the "speaker" faces.
"Goodnight Kiss" is a much slower, and very lovely bit of dripping sorrow. The little girl yawning "Goodnight Momma" is particularly touching. (Goodnight honey, wherever you are)
The final 3 tracks, are less frantic but no less stunning htan the rest of the CD. If anything these last 3 are the strongest and most poignant of all.
"Solitary Shell" tells us the story of someone we've all seen at least once in our lives. The completly anti-social person that barely manages life. The instrumental interlude at the end of this song is riveting and lush.
The upbeat "About to Crash" message is garbled and confused, much like its "speaker", who decides to carry on even though all is not well.
"Losing Time/Grand Finale" is gorgeous. Highly charged emotionally and more than a little evocotive of Yes in its final moments, it makes for a rousing end to this CD. Words can really fail to convey the impact of this final track...you really have to hear it.
I really cannot recommend this CD highly enough...Intellignt and Emotional this release seems to have it all.
Well done, gentlemen.
Free Music Review: Six Degrees of Greatness
Hit: 5 Stars
With each passing album, Dream Theater seems to get more and more ambitious. Scenes from a Memory, their last effort, was a masterpiece of a concept album, showing a real evolution in their style and songwriting skills while showcasing their ever amazing instrumental skills. With Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence, Dream Theater delivers a double whammy - a disc that is a 54 minute, five track "traditional" album (in that the tracks are unrelated) and a second disc that is another concept album all in itself, a forty-two minute suite consisting of eight related tracks. "Six Degrees," the album, is masterfully excessive; what other band can deliver an album consisting of 96 minutes of music that seems far too short? The opener "The Glass Prison" is a speed metal epic (14 minutes) that affirms the rumors that this album is definitely more guitar-driven than their previous efforts (DT is famously keyboard heavy, but keyboards take a definite backseat to Petrucci's crunchy distortion this time around). Blind Faith is another long track that seems short, and is a bit more radio-friendly sounding than the other songs on the album. Misunderstood is a textbook lesson in mood progression (and it's a great song, as well); it starts out serenely beautiful and ends up frenetically dissonant - it follows the excellent lyrics perfectly. They get political in The Great Debate, which gets a bit preachy at times but is worth it for the frantic apocalyptic metalfest that ensues. Disappear is a softer, brooding closer to the first half of the album and also the shortest song, clocking in at only (!) 6:46.
Then comes the disc every DT fan has been waiting for - Dream Theater's first "epic" suite since A Change of Seasons, and one that's almost twice as long, too. How does it compare? Well, that's a mixed bag - this suite is much less coherently one song than eight songs with related themes strung together with transitions. It's based on a familiar concept album concept (insanity) that has already been explored by another famous concept album (Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon), but the music is a ride - it passes through countless moods, frames of mind, time signature changes, tempo changes and virtuosity that fans have come to expect from an extended song by this band. Homages are paid to many older bands in this piece, as influences from bands such as Pink Floyd, Yes and Rush are more apparent in this song than in any other DT song I can think of, but it all comes together to form a great magnum opus and a great addition to the Dream Theater set.
If you're a fan of progressive music, metal (less so) or any of Dream Theater's influences, you'll probably like this album. It is a required addition to the Dream Theater fan's collection, as it is almost like buying two albums; each disc can function as a separate piece of work and each is superb in its own right. Dream Theater will have a tough time living up to expectations next time around...
Free Music Review: But it really deserves 4.5
Hit: 5 Stars
First of all, I love the studio work by DT as much as most reviewers here. This release has plenty to love -- at 96 minutes, it should. But with that much recording comes weakness. For one thing, how much are John Myung and James Labrie really allowed to contribute to these songs? It doesn't sound like much, even if they get some songwriting credit, and that's a shame because they both have tremendous talent. I don't hear a lot of originality from Petrucci here, either, but then after seeing them on the M2 tour, I think John needs more time off to recharge. (Remember, I really enjoy their work -- but this release feels too reiterative to me.)I know, stick to the facts. For me, that would be:
* I love the 2nd disc, the 42-minute suite of terrific work. The opening of that suite, the orchestral arrangement, was so catchy I was humming it after the first listen. How often does that happen for ANY prog-metal recording? Thanks to Mr Rudess for that gift. And the beginning of track 7 in that suite has a guitar part that sounds like Steve Vai, which is always a good thing to my ears. The entire flow of this disc is so strong that I really am surprised to hear the final fade of the Grand Finale because it seems like I just started the disc a few minutes ago!
* I enjoyed tracks 1 and 3 of the 1st disc a lot.
* Track 4 (disc 1) is too close to Kevin Moore's style of studio editing-writing for me to appreciate, and the controversial subject sounds to me like preaching -- I could be wrong, because I can't tell yet whether DT is taking a position here, but I really hate when bands mix personal, political views with their writing. Thus, this track bothers me on at least 2 levels.
* Track 5 is fine. That's it -- not incredible, certainly not awful, just "fine".
I would rate the first disc with 4 stars, mostly because overall I enjoy it and it is, as always, so much better than what the recording industry keeps foisting on us. But it's more experimental than I hoped, like the fusion-esque songs from the 2 Liquid Tension Experiment CD's, so it's not as ear-friendly. The second disc is a no-brainer 5 stars, especially with the lyrics and the great keyboard parts from Jordan. DT is certainly dominated by Portnoy and Petrucci -- not in talent, but in musical direction -- but Rudess *clearly* is helping the band, adding wonderful material to the entire release. I hope he stays with this band.
I doubt my review will change anyone's mind, but I hope that for anyone who's not sure whether to take the plunge, you walk away with this summary: Disc 1 is good, especially compared to what's on the radio, but it's a change of style for DT and a little hard to appreciate for the non-diehard fan. Disc 2 is like an album unto itself, and a great great release on its own, so it should be the disc you play a few times first before jumping into disc 1.
Now, take the plunge. And happy listening.
Free Music Review: Great in Concert too!!!
Hit: 5 Stars
Dream Theater - keeping progressive rock alive! And for those of you who cannot deal with odd time signatures, 100% of the music on the radio should meet you needs--go there and give us a break. 1,2,3,4...Anyone who does not like this CD probably buys only hip-hop albums. Nothing against hop-hop...even though I am completely hip-hopped out, as is everyone else by now-I suspect. I mean, how many more towel waving, women bashing, crotch-grabbing street thugs can we take? Hmmm...all in the name of Music.
I am so sick of the record companies selling, marketing, encouraging, and cultivating CRAP music--one-hit wonders designed to illustrate the latest in pop culture with no regard for musical talent or direction. What to wear, what body part to pierce, what tattoo to sport, how to defile women, etc...
Somewhat recently I heard the CEO of the recording industry (I think it was...at the Grammy's...paraphrasing badly here, I apologize) comment that record sales are at an all time low because the relationship between the artist and the fan is strained. He went on to indicate that this incredibly vital relationship is strained because of music "piracy" accomplished with programs like Napster (and Kazaa). I might add, a very impassioned little speech.
I contend that this man's assumption is generally correct--the relationship between the artist and the fan IS, in fact, strained. However, I believe the relationship is strained, not because of Napster/Kazaa/WinMX, but because the record industry no longer CULTIVATES talent with LONGEVITY in mind.
The record industry no longer CULTIVATES talent with LONGEVITY in mind.
The recording industry is only concerned about this year's hit makers with no regard for the future and no regard for its aging "potential" consumers. How many of you have purchased a CD with one good song on it lately? I suspect everyone has and I contend that the rate of these types of purchases is increasing-ALARMINGLY. This stems from the simple fact that the record industry no longer CARES about the relationship between the artist and the fan. In the end, we all lose-turn on the radio or MTV these days.
Bands like Dream Theater are keeping (honest) Progressive Rock alive and well much the same way their predecessors did. Bands like Rush, who deserve the highest praise for their musical integrity, may not even make into the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame. So be it...
To the recording industry:
People are living longer, better smack your marketing weenies on the head and start tapping into the "right" market...those of us with money are willing to spend, provided you give us bands that stand the test of time...bands like Dream Theater, Rush, and U2. Until then, I suspect that record sales will plummet. Why should I buy one of your one-hit-towel-waving-tattoo-on-the-eye-ring-in-the-face CD's when I can download the ONE good song for free?
Answer that Mr. CEO.
Free Music Review: A work of art to beat all their previous works of art!
Hit: 5 Stars
Can I just say...listening to this album has been the most wonderful experience since the dark side of the moon and Ok computer....A sweeping statement I know...but its true.This album has everything u would want as a conoisseur of art or even simply a leyman music listener..So let me start of with the review:
Disk 1 is good..Really good.the kind of stuff u would expect from a progressing prog metal band.The glass prison is an absolute masterpiece!...The guitar solo for starters is just mind boggling..So artistic,so beautiful and not just pettrucci wanking of on the wah or the wammy for a change!And has Pottnoy improved like a million times by any chance or is it the sleek production or say a drum machine creating an illusition of drumming from outa space to say the least!...I mean the fillins and the rolls in blind faith are just so----can barely even find the words...that its almost not even real!He does just what ever he feels like--starts of the role in the middle of a bar,extends it in the next and still manages to hold the insane time signature!..misunderstood is really nice,tho i really wish they dont make it so vague inbetween....disappear is almost a cross between karma police and exit music!..lol...fabulous song tho.
Disc Two according to me is where the real stuff lies..While Disc one portrays technique that leaves your jaws dropped...this disc showcases the simple fact that these guys can go into their zone if they want to ..where the level of thinking lies on a different plane itself.This is what separates bands like DT and radiohead from the rest...Just that once they entre their zone..its pure genius all the way...Love overture..But whats fantastic is how they manage to integrate the various sub bits of this piece in all their other pieces...Every time they do that...it just sends chills down your spine...coz its pure wonderful melody coming in from straight prog rock...The best part for me starts from good night kiss and goes all the way to the end.The lyrics from here play a BIG part.and the orchestral arrangement is just SO WONDERFUL.Nice jazz clip in solitary shell...and the last piece the grand finale is just so beautiful and sad and nice...and the theme of the album is essentially understood with the last verse...where it all makes sense...kind of like what eclipse does on dark side of the moon...
This album for me beats scenes hollow...Almost makes it look amature...(the drumming sure as hell does!)...This is where they come into their own..Once u hear this u know they cant go any higher..like OK comp for radiohead or led zep 4.hence the only way is down...As is the case in train of thought-which by the way is the most crappy piece of junk DT has written till now!!
Anyways a definite buy if ur a fan of radiohead and floyd..if u arent u will be left wondering as to what the hell is going on..