This wouldn’t fit into the “playlist” format per se, but Blind Guardian has an album called Nightfall in Middle Earth—it’s a themed power metal album about events and characters from the Silmarillion, and thus is stupidly good. Worth a listen/review!
"Black Balloon" is my favorite Dolls song. Back in the olden days before streaming, I would just hum this song over and over again when it wasn't playing on the radio. If I were to pick a song off "Images and Words" for a Very Cultured Playlist™, I'd personally have to go with "Take the Time."
Also unrelated but since you're a Dream Theater fan as well, funny story if you don't know it:
"Pull Me Under" was obviously their most successful single (I think they play it at some basketball games iirc) and so they put out a Best Of album featuring it called "Greatest Hit (...And 21 Other Pretty Cool Songs)". Love the ability to laugh at themselves.
My man. Agreed on Black Balloon, although I love all of Dizzy up the Girl.
I also love all of Images and Words. It's their magnum opus and weirdly LaBrie is less affected on it haha. He gets more badly theatrical as they go on but I will always a have a Dream Theater soft spot, and I really like the heavier album with the black cover, the name of which escapes me right now. And yeah "Take the Time" and "Metropolis Pt. 1" would vie for second place for me, but I just really dig the sax and guitar on the one I picked.
Yeah, "Images and Words" is my favorite DT album, for sure. I like all of their albums up until "Octavarium," which is mediocre, at best. I hate "Systematic Chaos" with a passion, and "Black Clouds and Silver Linings" is good (for the most part), but I've pretty much ignored every album of theirs since then.
I didn’t even know the names of those latter two records so def sounds like we’re on the same page hahah. I saw them play all of Six Degrees live and while not a favorite record it was a seriously good show. I was a bass player primarily at the time and Myung blew my mind in person.
This wouldn’t fit into the “playlist” format per se, but Blind Guardian has an album called Nightfall in Middle Earth—it’s a themed power metal album about events and characters from the Silmarillion, and thus is stupidly good. Worth a listen/review!
A total classic. You are a man of taste.
"Black Balloon" is my favorite Dolls song. Back in the olden days before streaming, I would just hum this song over and over again when it wasn't playing on the radio. If I were to pick a song off "Images and Words" for a Very Cultured Playlist™, I'd personally have to go with "Take the Time."
Also unrelated but since you're a Dream Theater fan as well, funny story if you don't know it:
"Pull Me Under" was obviously their most successful single (I think they play it at some basketball games iirc) and so they put out a Best Of album featuring it called "Greatest Hit (...And 21 Other Pretty Cool Songs)". Love the ability to laugh at themselves.
My man. Agreed on Black Balloon, although I love all of Dizzy up the Girl.
I also love all of Images and Words. It's their magnum opus and weirdly LaBrie is less affected on it haha. He gets more badly theatrical as they go on but I will always a have a Dream Theater soft spot, and I really like the heavier album with the black cover, the name of which escapes me right now. And yeah "Take the Time" and "Metropolis Pt. 1" would vie for second place for me, but I just really dig the sax and guitar on the one I picked.
Yeah, "Images and Words" is my favorite DT album, for sure. I like all of their albums up until "Octavarium," which is mediocre, at best. I hate "Systematic Chaos" with a passion, and "Black Clouds and Silver Linings" is good (for the most part), but I've pretty much ignored every album of theirs since then.
I didn’t even know the names of those latter two records so def sounds like we’re on the same page hahah. I saw them play all of Six Degrees live and while not a favorite record it was a seriously good show. I was a bass player primarily at the time and Myung blew my mind in person.
Apropos of nothing, I am now going to binge (good) DT for the rest of the day 😎
I like the cut of your jib, sir.