030 (feat. Shivam Bhatt): Dream Theater - Metropolis Part 2: Scenes From a Memory (1999)
“We were coming off of a really difficult period for the band, and that album was like do or die. We felt like we had a lot to prove and if we didn’t prove it, then it would’ve been the end.”
—Mike Portnoy
Progessive metal titans Dream Theater are one of those “love them or hate them” bands that everybody seems to have an opinion on. Phil firmly falls into the “love them” category. On this episode, he and the crew take on one of Dream Theater’s most well-known albums, 1999’s “Metropolis Pt. 2 - Scenes From A Memory”, and get into the nitty gritty about what they like about it and what they don’t like about it. There’s a lot more discord on this episode of Discord And Rhyme than average, as the crew ranges from lovers (Phil) to the more skeptical (everyone else).
Miscellany
The full 8-bit style cover of this album that we mentioned in the episode is available here.
The “what English sounds like to people who don’t speak English” video that John mentioned in the episode is available here.
The original demo version of Metropolis Part 2, featuring Derek Sherinian on keyboards from the Falling Into Infinity sessions, isn’t on Spotify, but is available on YouTube here. Derek Sherinian actually left a comment on it!
Rich mentioned how metal bands would seem more likely to be inspired by stuff like The Shining as opposed to Dead Again. Black Sabbath *did*, in fact, record a song inspired by The Shining on their somewhat underrated 1987 LP “The Eternal Idol”.
Dan made a comment about a “hidden guitar solo” on the (non-existent) 8-track version of this album after mentioning “Pigs On The Wing” by Pink Floyd. There is indeed a guitar solo on this track that only exists on the 8-track release of Animals.
It’s not on Spotify, but the “It’s A Mad Mad Mad Mad World” overture that Rich mentions is available here.
Rich’s reference to how the Famicom version of the music from Castlevania 3 sounds better is due to a specialized chip in the Famicom release of the game that was not present in the American version, resulting in much richer music being available on the Famicom version.
Rich was correct - Dream Theater did, in fact, record a ten-plus-minute song about stem cell research. It’s called “The Great Debate” and it can be found on the “Six Degrees Of Inner Turbulence” LP.
Other links
YtseJam Records, where you can buy tons of live recordings, demos, covers from Dream Theater. Beware: Shipping is very slow.
The Wikipedia article For When Dream And Day Unite, featuring the wonderfully terrible album cover mentioned in the episode
The Wikipedia article for Live Scenes From New York, featuring the incredibly unfortunate cover featuring an image of the World Trade Center engulfed in flames that was released on September 11th, 2001
Discord & Rhyme’s Dream Theater playlist (Spotify)
Discord & Rhyme Roll Call
Phil Maddox (host)
Rich Bunnell (moderator)
John McFerrin
Dan Watkins
Shivam Bhatt (special guest)
Metropolis Part 2: Scenes From a Memory tracklist
Scene One: Regression
Scene Two: I. Overture 1928
Scene Two: II. Strange Deja Vu
Scene Three: I. Through My Words
Scene Three: II. Fatal Tragedy
Scene Four: Beyond This Life
Scene Five: Through Her Eyes
Scene Six: Home
Scene Seven: I. The Dance of Eternity
Scene Seven: II. One Last Time
Scene Eight: The Spirit Carries On
Scene Nine: Finally Free
Other clips used
Dream Theater:
“Ytse Jam”
“Pull Me Under”
“Metropolis - Part I: The Miracle and the Sleeper”
“The Count Of Tuscany”
“A Nightmare To Remember”
Others:
The Moody Blues - “Lunch Break: Peak Hour”
Castlevania 3 - “Clockwork” (Famicom version)
Keith Mansfield - “Funky Fanfare”
Symphony X - “The Odyssey”
Songs we mentioned but didn’t clip
Dream Theater:
“Another Day”
“A Change Of Seasons”
“Metropolis Part 2” (original demo version from the Falling Into Infinity sessions)
“The Glass Prison”
“Through Her Eyes” (from Live Scenes From New York)
“Six Degrees Of Inner Turbulence”
“The Great Debate”
Others:
Rush - “YYZ”
Aerosmith - “I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing”
Aerosmith - “Dude Looks Like A Lady”
Pink Floyd - “Pigs On The Wing 1”
Pink Floyd - “Pigs On The Wing 2”
Mack David and Ernest Gold - Overture to “It’s A Mad Mad Mad Mad World”
Cream - “Strange Brew”
Pantera - “Cowboys From Hell”
Yes - “I’ve Seen All Good People”
Stevie Wonder - “Contusion”
Frank Zappa - “Fifty-Fifty”
Black Sabbath - “Neon Knights”
Train - “Drops Of Jupiter”
Tool - “Forty Six & 2”
XTC - “Making Plans For Nigel”
Led Zeppelin - “Kashmir”
Yes - “Changes”
Daft Punk - “One More Time”
Pink Floyd - “Brain Damage/Eclipse”
Mystery Science Theater 3000 - “Mighty Science Theater” (AKA the end credits theme from Mystery Science Theater 3000)
Jethro Tull - “Thick As A Brick”
Band/album personnel
John Petrucci - guitar
James LaBrie - vocals
John Myung - bass
Jordan Rudess - keyboards
Mike Portnoy - drums
With:
Theresa Thomason - additional vocals on “Through Her Eyes” and “The Spirit Carries On”
Credits
“Discord & Rhyme (theme),” composed by the Other Leading Brand, contains elements of:
Amon Düül II - Dehypnotized Toothpaste
The Dukes of Stratosphear - What in the World?? ...
Faith No More - Midlife Crisis
Herbie Hancock - Hornets
Kraftwerk - Autobahn
Talking Heads - Seen and Not Seen
Dream Theater - Overture 1928 (this episode only)
You can buy or stream Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes From A Memory and other albums by Dream Theater at the usual suspects such as Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, and Amazon [affiliate link]. Follow Discord & Rhyme on Twitter @DiscordPod for news, updates, and other random stuff. Follow Phil @pamaddox, Rich @zonetrope, John @tarkus1980, Dan @DanSWatkins, and Shivam @elektrotal. Special thanks to our own Mike DeFabio, the Other Leading Brand, for production and editing. See you next album, and be ever wonderful.