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Dream Theater (Metropolis Part 1 & 2) - Extended Play Lounge (Ep. 1) (Patreon)

Published:
2021-08-02 18:50:48
Edited:
2023-05-25 16:34:54
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Vimeo Link: https://vimeo.com/582167342/1842fe6fdf

For the inaugural edition of the Extended Play Lounge, we're going all out with a 100-minute reaction to the entire Metropolis saga from Dream Theater.  This video is currently hosted via private Vimeo link. 

DO NOT SHARE THIS LINK ON SOCIAL MEDIA OR OUTSIDE OF THIS PATREON. YOU'VE PAID FOR THIS SPECIAL ACCESS. PLEASE HELP US KEEP THESE PERKS SPECIAL.  

(This is a re-post after the unlisted version on YouTube was blocked.)  

Enjoy!

Files

Dream Theater (Metropolis Part 1 & 2) - Extended Play Lounge (Ep. 1)

For the inaugural edition of the Extended Play Lounge, we're going all out with a 100-minute reaction to the entire Metropolis saga from Dream Theater. This video is currently hosted via private Vimeo link. DO NOT SHARE THIS LINK ON SOCIAL MEDIA OR OUTSIDE OF THIS PATREON. YOU'VE PAID FOR THIS SPECIAL ACCESS. PLEASE HELP US KEEP THESE PERKS SPECIAL. (This is a re-post after the unlisted version on YouTube was blocked.) Enjoy!

Comments

Luke Swift

Awesome! Cheers Doug

Dennis Rees

Hearing some King Crimson in here - ~ Starless and Bible Black and ~ Red

Alejandro Angulo Troncoso

Btw, the static at the end continues on the next album, Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence.

Arne Martin Aurlien

Images and Words is still one of my favorite albums, and Dream Theaters best in my opinion. It might just be Stockholm syndrome but I even love the 90s synths and the triggered snare, I think that stuff has aged a lot better than the circus music bullshit on Scenes from a Memory. Still love Scenes though, I remember coming home with the CD, sitting down to listen to it with the booklet in hand, and then listening through the whole thing twice before even taking a bathroom break.

Ben Allen

This was probably addressed in the original thread, and I haven't really dug into the background of this album since my college days, but here's my understanding of the story: The story in the past involves two brothers who both love the same woman, Victoria. The younger brother, the Sleeper, is a bit of a dreamer and a bit of a fuckup, involved in drugs and gambling. The older brother, the Miracle, is the golden boy. He's got his shit together and is in a successful political career. Victoria loves The Sleeper, but ends up with The Miracle when The Sleeper falls into his bad habits. But The Sleeper eventually gets his shit together and is reunited with Victoria. They secretly resume their romance, knowing that The Miracle would be furious if he found out. And indeed, he does find out and follows them to a rendezvous at a park, shoots The Sleeper dead and then kills Victoria, making it look like The Sleeper killed Victoria in a fit of passion. The Sleeper is then reincarnated as Nicholas, who is troubled for most of his life by memories of his past life. Nicholas, now an old man, seeks out a hypnotherapist to try to make sense of his memories and is put into sleep hypnosis where he rediscovers his past. Unfortunately, the hypnotherapist is the reincarnation of his brother, The Miracle, whose own memories are jogged while helping Nicholas. Since The Sleeper died back in the 20s, while the Miracle didn't die until much later, Nicholas is much older than the therapist. The therapist follows Nicholas home, and while a piece taken from A Clockwork Orange plays on an old record player, kills Nicholas for a second time. Nicholas is The Sleeper for a number of ways. In his prior life he was a "dreamer", he has hidden memories in his subconscious, and he literally is asleep (sort of) in his hypnosis. (Sorry, I forgot the brothers' names until I got to the end)

Ben Allen
>>64982790

Also, putting The Dance of Eternity makes it make more sense musically. That fun and fanciful old timey piano break makes sense because the bulk of the story takes place in the 20s.

Ben Allen
>>64982790

Also, The Dance of Eternity has a cool base solo as a call back to the original Metropolis pt. 1, which also had a cool bass solo and generally isn't super common in DT's catalog.

Ben Allen
>>64982790

Sorry if this is annoying, Doug, I'm just kind of live streaming my responses while watching. I can see your take about The Dance of Eternity feeling sort of disconnected, but to me the idea is that it is a tension/ugly kind of song, compared to many of the rest of the album, and that's supposed to represent Edward's more or less forceful courtship of Victoria. She doesn't really want to get involved with him, but Julian is just too messed up to be with and Edward has his life together. It's not happy, but then the song resolves at the end as she makes her choice to go along with it.

matt

you should listen to Dream theater hells kitchen/ lines in the sand, if you like petrucci melodic stuff plus its more jazz oriented oppose to shredding.

Timen Kraak

Thank you for this, well worth the wait! This is one of my favoriete DT albums. Can't wait for the next Extended Episode!

Ben Allen
>>64982790

Also, there are tons throughout, but both Home and One Last Time both have a bunch of musical callbacks to Metropolis pt. 1, notably "An open door I walk on through into his bedroom".

Matt Glisson

I've got my Twizzlers and Cherry Coke Big Gulp. Let's do this.

Ben Allen
>>64982790

I absolutely love Theresa Thompson's vocals as Victoria backing up James as Nicholas in The Spirit Carries On. Musically and thematically beautiful.

JORDI SALES

This brought me back to my very first time listening to the album. It felt, at the end, like I had just resurfaced from a deep sea dive.

Ben Allen
>>64982790

Yep, The Spirit Carries On is supposed to sound like an ending because at the time Nicholas thinks that it is the end. He's figured out his prior life and Julian and his relationship with Victoria, even if it had a tragic ending. But there's more to the story that he doesn't realize until he's leaving the therapist's office.

Luke Swift

Thanks for this Doug! The bit that made me laugh was the seductive ragtime LOL. Also you mentioned how they play without dots, I know John Petrucci has a great musical memory, I mean they obviously all do, but I know Jordans preference is to write everything down on blank stave paper and then he transfers it to his 'music pad pro' which is quite an expensive device for editing and creating scores on the fly, he also uses this live, you'll see his custom music stand attached to his keyboard spaceship stand that is controlled remotely by hydraulics haha so yes, Jordan loves the notation, and also reminds him when to change sounds and where voices are mapped on his board. Hope that helps

Ben Allen
>>64982790

In Finally Free there's a sound of breaking glass, which is a recurring theme in DT's songs.

Ben Allen
>>64982790

When Nicholas says that a "familiar voice comes shining through", it's because he's finally had the memory of dying as Julian and recognizes the therapist's voice in Edward.

Ben Allen
>>64982790

I love how the outro to "Finally Free" becomes the diagetic radio in Nicholas' car. The news report is from JFK Jr's death. Doug: "How's he gonna let people know?" About that...Yeah, Nicholas doesn't make it out of this one.

Ben Allen
>>64982790

Ugh, annoying. I realized that I've been saying that Nicholas is Julian, but no, he's Victoria. My dumb mistake.

Arne Martin Aurlien

I'd say someone like Stravinsky is a lot more prog rock than the baroque guys, the time signature changes in Rite of Spring are legendary

Mikko Björkman

I made it to the end of Home so a little past 1h, getting late over here and need to be fresh at work tomorrow since my vacation is finally over 😭😅. Amazing band and awesome musical landscapes, but... I kinda agree with you Doug that prog can get a bit fragmented at times and specially at the cost of emotion. Despite their virtuos skills no chills for me so far 😕. Sometimes I was thinking that are they playing stuff just because they can 😬. I've come to know DT via Liquid Tension and I do like some of the songs a great deal, but obviously in lesser quantity. Nevertheless, hoping to come back to this and listen it to the end to see where it might take me. Hopefully not taking away from anyones enjoyment with my comments, just my taste 😊🤘🏻, but I do think that these longer videos are an interesting way to get to know an artist/band a little better 👌🏻

Arne Martin Aurlien

We played The Spirit Carries On at my mother's funeral. Can't hear it without crying. Also, best and most tasteful Petrucci solo by far.

John Nguyen

"I think we'll get the Dance of Eternity in the next piece" "Yes...yes, you will"

John Nguyen

Also...for 500K subs...how about you do the live version of Metropolis part II? They've done the album in it's entirety on two tours only (1999 and 2019). Both were recorded on video/BluRay. While I have my favorite...you couldn't go wrong with either one.

Ben Allen
>>64985649

There are influences all over. The use of musical form or programaticism could be a link to baroque composers or guys like Weber. The complex time signatures someone like Stravinsky or a bunch of jazz people. The focus on high skill instrumentalism in guys like Liszt and other Romantics.

Ben Allen
>>64986101

I agree, though the live versions of The Silent Man and Hollow Years, from Live In New York and Live At Budokan are both really great too.

Roy Torset

I have probably been hearing this piece for the 100th time,it changed my musical perspective alltogheter🙂.very nice to share this piece with you all🙂.

Dave Klein

Thanks for taking the journey, Doug!

Tim Nagle

Well done - the plot twist is a nod to queensryche’s Operation Mindcrime, the great prog/metal “concept album” of the previous decade. Not that I’m suggesting anything… or am I? …no…. Yes.

Familia Gallegos Iturriaga

I saw the complete stuff, and I suggest you to keep listening the album to catch those slight references between Part I and II, that are amazing. PS: You better start to like double kick drum, because metal

Tom Riccoboni

The hypnotherapist is actually Edward not Julian! The lines of "open your eyes, Victoria" stem from the killer (Edward) and is mimicked from the hypnotherapist through the whole piece "Open your eyes, Nicholas."

Aidan McDonald

Fantastic, really. My favorite album. It was awesome seeing your unique appreciation of it as well! It's heavy stuff, not just speaking musically in the literal sense, but heavy also lyrically and in subject matter. I've yet to find an album that delves into these concepts as fruitfully as SFAM is able to (The Wall comes close, and I pray for an Extended Play Lounge of THAT someday!). Thanks as always for listening to your subscribers and what they want, Doug! Stay awesome!

Diego Pinos

This was awesome! Thanks Doug

Diego Pinos

Doug! Thanks again. I can recommend my favorites concept albums with this kind of style that the narrative and the music really makes sense and connects through out the entire album: Hand Cannot Erase by Steven Wilson! This one is so powerful! Tommy by The Who The Wall by Pink Floyd. Although this last one is very cliché, it has actually amazing storytelling and the experience is very intense and eye opening if you go along with lyrics and story. Actually, that is exactly the way we should listen to albums! Other great experiences are Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence by Dream Theater, Dark Side of The Moon, by Pink Floyd and Remedy Lane or In the Passing Light of Day by Pain of Salvation. Both are Amazing, innovative, unique albums with great storytelling And of course…Lateralus by Tool, although is no so much a concept album.

Glenn Wo
>>65005874

Complaining about double kick drum in metal is like complaining about distortion guitars in metal. Both are an integral part of the genre. Imagine power chord riffs with clean electric guitars xD And then imagine baroque music without pedal notes.

Blinky

My favorite part about the twist at the end is that it challenges Nicholas's revelation. It's almost a "put up or shut up" moment for both him and the listener, triumphantly accepting his revelation. "Are you really okay with death? All right, here you go."

Dag Blix

As Ive said in previous discussions I anticipated that Doug wouldn't be overwhelmed by this album musically. Its a rock opera of sorts and therefore doesn't have as much musical manoeuvrability as a conventional album. It is however slightly in the metal world and the double kick is a feature that we enjoy, it adds drama and agitation. It should also be considered that this album was done in 5 minutes compared to how a composer weaves a piece over months and years. This is comparatively simple structurally, therefore it needed the musical interludes of "shred" to be the DT we love. My argument is still that if we want to pop Dougs cap we need to get him to listen to Six degrees of inner turbulence where the Jordan factor is much more prominent. I dont think jordannhad much say in mpt2 at all as a new addition to the band. Thise two albums are the pinnacle of DT. After the music police aka Mike Portnoy left it becam the John Petrucci band to me. Mike was the catalyst that drove them to find new ways, its missing that now. Its all very predictable these days. Even with an 8 string coming in. Still loved the reaction video, its like watching a movie with a good friend that likes the same stuff as me. Btw Ive seen this album live 3 times, it was incredible.

Kenneth Bernard

I bought this album as a 13 year old on a vacation with a friend's family. I only bought it because it had an interesting cover, had never heard of them and had no concept of prog at the time. To say this album changed my life would be an understatement. It was a must listen almost every day for about the next year! Thanks for the long listen and bringing back many of those memories.

Guilherme Cruz
>>65014040

And here it is the link for sdoit live with orchestra from the Score album: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBoJPQDcVLQ

Neil Slater

Looking forward to giving this a watch/listen later. I've just given the album a listen whilst in work as a refresher, as it's been years since I last listened to it. I don't think it holds up for me half as well as I'd hoped. But it was definitely one of those defining albums for me at a very impressionable age. I still remember the day I bought the album - going to Manchester when there were 3 HMV's within a 5 minute walk of each other, and each of them seemed to price things differently. One of them selling it half the price of the others and feeling smug that I'd got both the album I wanted and a good deal. I remember getting home listening to it, reading into the story etc. I got proper obsessed even setting the artwork as my myspace background (showing my age a bit now.) So whilst I probably won't listen to it again for a long time, I have a lot of memories and nostalgia tied up in it and am definitely looking forward to hearing Doug's thoughts when I get the time.

Juan Ignacio Quesada

For full album series Ayreon's "Into the Electric Castle" and Arena's "The Unquiet Sky" would be great. The latter starts with a very good real orchestra

Rick Hite

GREAT JOB DOUG

Rick Hite

TAKE A LISTEN TO SIX DEGREES OF INNER TURBULENCE OR IN THE NAME OF GOD

Vei Hei

This sure was a journey to go through. Even tho already had this ablum back in 1999. And its kinda Ironic that i named my daughter Viktoria ( born january '99) and then got this album later on that year. So it kinda brought a lot of thought to my mind when i went through the booklet. But im not sure if u managed to catch up Metropolis part 1 part in the song Home? Thats also how that song and the album Pt:2 connects, And you also mentioned about: How is this even possible to play live without notes. Well the thing is that there is a live version of this album (metropolis Pt:2) entire one on youtube. I got it on DVD tho. So you should check that out as well and u have some of the characters there as well.

Mark Oliver

Not sure if its been said already, but the voice of the Hypnotherapist is Terry Brown, producer of Rush's first dozen or so albums.

Glenn Wo
>>65036796

name of god is pretty straight forward song (in DT standards)

Arrow2theACL

The Spirit Carries On is such a great song that tucks on the heart strings. Doug, you said you like this side of DT, I recommend Breaking All Illusions and my favorite underrated song The Best of Times (which IMO has John's best solo by far). Such emotional pieces.

Neil Slater

Apologies if it's been covered in earlier comments, but the static at the end is what starts the next album. In fact I'm pretty sure every album thereafter up to Octovarium picks up where the last one left off.

Steven Biggs
>>64982790

I was gonna correct you myself but I saw that you acknowledged it. Dude was resurrected like a lady! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nf0oXY4nDxE

Steven Biggs

You should react to The Astonishing by Dream Theater. It's their best album easily to me with Scenes being 3rd. Which one is second? The one you should react to first as a primer, Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence(90-95 minutes long). You will then be prepared for The Astonishing as it is a rock opera and over 2 hours long. 34 songs in total.

Shawn Hegarty

Your original video review for The Dance of Eternity was the reason I discovered you in the first place.

Glenn Wo
>>65065173

The Astonishing is embarrassing. A bloated boring mess.

Hans Salosensaari

Damn Doug I thought I might never join Patreon and pay for videos because the internet is full of great content to watch, but you managed to advertise this new page so well that I had no options. Like come on, full Scenes from a Memory, shut up and take my money! :D Really wanted to hear your comments about this masterpiece and though I have heard this album so so many times (like all the DT fans I guess) it was still so entertaining to watch you listen to it. Btw you made a joke about those romantic sounds by Dream Theater during The Dance of Eternity. When I was a teenager (maybe 17 I think) I had discovered Dream Theater a year before and was listening to them all the time and practicing their songs on guitar and I was having a phase when shredding was the greatest thing ever and the more notes the better. Of course this song was maybe the greatest thing I had ever heard and once I tried to impress a girl by playing this to her (this album version, not trying to play this on guitar myself lol). Well, even before Jordans solo she got a massive headache and wanted to stop listening. I didnt have to try to impress her ever again. :D

doughelvering

Fun story. Thanks. Glad you’re here.

Nick Helvey

Awesome job reacting Doug! The Miracle and The Sleeper are introduced as brothers, Edward and Julian, who both love the same woman, Victoria, who represents Metropolis. Victoria loves Julian but breaks up with him due to a drinking problem to go be with Edward. Nickolas is led to believe that Julian killed her cause he was jealous and then killed him self, but actually Victoria realized she still loves Julian and goes back to him. Edward gets mad and kills them both planting the fake suicide note on julians body. Nicholas dreams about a young woman named Victoria Page, who died in 1928. It is revealed throughout the story that Nicholas was Victoria in his past life, and much of the story deals with her. Nickolas finally gets peach through hypnotherapy and goes home, where the hypnotherapist follows him and kills him. The hypnotherapist is actually Edwards reincarnate, like Nickolas is with Victoria.

Alexander Leimbeck (edited)

Comment edits

2021-12-25 23:49:51 lol speaking of falling asleep Mr Doug... Images & Words was my first DT album back in 2006~ and for several years I would fall asleep with it on repeat on car rides down to Oklahoma to see my grandpa. Something incredibly soothing about the sound of that album to me. It probably helped I was taking Dramamine. XD lol Cheers for this, been waiting for this reaction for months!
2021-08-05 00:44:42 lol speaking of falling asleep Mr Doug... Images & Words was my first DT album back in 2006~ and for several years I would fall asleep with it on repeat on car rides down to Oklahoma to see my grandpa. Something incredibly soothing about the sound of that album to me. It probably helped I was taking Dramamine. XD lol Cheers for this, been waiting for this reaction for months!

lol speaking of falling asleep Mr Doug... Images & Words was my first DT album back in 2006~ and for several years I would fall asleep with it on repeat on car rides down to Oklahoma to see my grandpa. Something incredibly soothing about the sound of that album to me. It probably helped I was taking Dramamine. XD lol Cheers for this, been waiting for this reaction for months!

Alexander Leimbeck

Ugh, yes, I totally understand what you mean about fragmented stuff. Where 'Octavarium' never felt fragmented to me or random crap in there "because we can!" 'Illumination Theory' felt so disjointed and fragmented it took what could have been a truly extraordinary song and made it just good at best. 'Breaking All Illusions' I think you'll find is a far superior, albeit a bit shorter, Mangini-era epic. Definitely the best long song in the Mangini era, that much I'll take to my grave, we'll see how their new album is.

Alexander Leimbeck

This was a wonderful listen with you! Nicholas - Victoria Hypnotherapist - Edward (killer) Old man (easily missed, he's in all of one song) - Julian

Leo Sconzo

LEARNING TO LIVE IS NEXT!!!!

Steven Biggs
>>65065173

Just because you don't like it doesn't mean that it's a bloated boring mess. I happen to think it's fantastic and I'm willing to bet that a classical composer would like a classical rock opera by Dream Theater.

Tempest Meridian
>>65065173

Astonishing is my favorite of their albums of well. Would love to see that on here.

Toby

Wow, that was great, Doug! One of my alltime favorite albums and listened to it many many times. Only to discover the story behind it all just now! Thanx for exploring and giving your take on the whole thing. To quote the great Doug Helvering: great stuff! :-)

Toby

By the way, Doug, I got to recommend two great story/concept albums that you will surely like: Pain of Salvation - Be and Ayreon - The Human Equation. Arjen Lucassen put together a theater setting for The Human Equation back in 2015, called 'The Theater Equation'. Featuring James LaBrie. That's an experience I will never forget!

Paul Humphrey

Question. One thing I don't understand about this story is part of the lyrics from Scene III Fatal Tragedy. Nicholas travels to another home and meets an older man. This older man seems to know everything but doesn't tell it all to Nicholas. Only leaving him at the end by saying "you'll know the truth as your future days unfold" Who is this person supposed to be? Is it meant to be someone from the story?

Paul Humphrey

As I've done on Youtube Doug, I'm requesting here extended plays/reactions for Queensryche Operation Mindcrime (the whole album) and Rush Cygnus X-1 Book 1 and 2. Thank you!!!

Michaela Batchelor

This is by FAR my favourite DT album, by a long shot. The story, the music, it's got everything. Even James had decent vocals on this album haha. But nah, thanks for this reaction.

Tristan Winchester
>>65273560

Some people speculate it’s Julien from the present, but it could just be an old man who is an exposition tool.

Paul Humphrey
>>65273560

I suppose depending on one's beliefs, it could be god... or the Oracle from the Matrix heh.

John Sawyer

This was very interesting. Does anyone else hear hints of Pink Floyd's the Wall on the quieter interludes?

Danique Westerveld

Thank you Doug. It's really nice to hear your thoughts on my second favourite concept album. The look on your face during (what I call) the Zappa section of the instrumental break in 'Beyond this Life' really cracked me up. Fun fact: John Petrucci listened to regression tapes whilst driving to the studio as research for this album. Now there's a scary thought for sure. I hope that in the future you might react to my favourite concept album of all time: Into the Electric Castle by Ayreon.

Geir Vassli

Excellent. Thank you!

Paul Humphrey

Here's another Idea (as if you didn't have enough suggestions...). How about when Iron Maiden's new album Senjutsu is released (Sept 3rd, it's a FRIDAY!), you react to it that same day!? That way the Maiden fans who joined your channel can partake in a group reaction with a first listen to the new album, all on the same day!??!?! That would be some event!

Jordan Hyland (edited)

Comment edits

2021-12-25 23:49:50 Im so glad he finally got to this! Became a patron after this hit youtube. I think all he has left for dream theaters long format songs is In The Presence Of Enemies I&II. Saving the best for last, obviously.
2021-08-12 01:58:35 Im so glad he finally got to this! Became a patron after this hit youtube. I think all he has left for dream theaters long format songs is In The Presence Of Enemies I&II. Saving the best for last, obviously.

Im so glad he finally got to this! Became a patron after this hit youtube. I think all he has left for dream theaters long format songs is In The Presence Of Enemies I&II. Saving the best for last, obviously.

Paul Humphrey
>>65596659

Absolutely. It's a must see to his must react, particularly part 2. From that same album (Systematic Chaos), if Doug revisits the war theme listens... "Prophets of War" is really something different from the band and a track I really like, I can't believe it's only 6 minutes long.

Glenn Wo
>>65585045

new Dream Theater album this fall too. Crazy good year music wise!

Glenn Wo
>>65596659

In The Presence Of Enemies is their magnum opus imo

Arpeggio Blues (edited)

Comment edits

2021-12-25 23:49:50 Triumvirat : "SPARTACUS" is one of the best sleeper albums ever.. it's one of the best studio recordings (Barry Palmer producer).. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPNIgJXU_2s&ab_channel=leedle
2021-08-30 15:11:25 Triumvirat : "SPARTACUS" is one of the best sleeper albums ever.. it's one of the best studio recordings (Barry Palmer producer).. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPNIgJXU_2s&ab_channel=leedle

Triumvirat : "SPARTACUS" is one of the best sleeper albums ever.. it's one of the best studio recordings (Barry Palmer producer).. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPNIgJXU_2s&ab_channel=leedle

B Mac

Spartacus and Illusions on a Double Dimple. Definitely worth checking out! Jurgen Fritz, who played al keyboards, was the Producer on the Spartacus album (I just checked my original vinyl copy) Barry Palmer was vocalist starting on the 'Old Loves Die Hard' album which Jurgen Fritz also produced.