Classical Composer reacts to DREAM THEATER: OCTAVARIUM (live in NYC) | The Daily Doug (Ep. 626)
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- čas přidán 27. 07. 2023
- #dreamtheater #octavarium
In this edition of #thedailydoug, I'm returning to one of my all-time favorite episodes on the Daily Doug. I first heard Octavarium by Dream Theater a little over two years ago. And, I've been wanting to return to it in a live setting. This concert at Radio City Music Hall in NYC is just epic, and I just loved experiencing this piece again. I hope you enjoy as much as I did!
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![Dream Theater - Illumination Theory with Lyrics [Breaking The Fourth Wall] The Wolf HunterZ Reaction](/img/n.gif)
I've heard this song probably 100 times, and I am still tearing up watching this. For my personal taste, this is the peak of music. THANK YOU DOUG!
For my personal taste, this captures the essence of human existence, perfectly. I love it.
I cry EVERY FKG TIME!!!!! This song give me chills since the first time! Represent what my heart understand for living! Absolute masterpiece!
@@Ian-zj1bu Well said, agreed!
@@felipeleao7562 Yes, it is incredible! I suspect in another 20 years, this song will be looked back upon like we view Pink Floyd epics today.
Yeah they REALLY slayed on this one.
The horn player at the end has practiced and dreamed his ENTIRE LIFE for that moment and nailed it
Horn was invented centuries ago JUST FOR THESE FINISHING BARS, nobody knew but that's the truth
Who doesn't love more Dream Theater reactions from Doug?
*We need Awake!*
Wish he did a full reaction for Liquid Tension Experiment live in L.A
@@epnlvr9790 Thought Doug did LTE. Anyway the chats were humorous.
I'm waiting for a proper reaction to "Space Dye Vest" for aeons 😁🙏
@@Aquila81 I think a full listen of Awake would be amazing.
I don't understand why he doesn't do Awake reactions… 🤷🏻♂️
Dream Theater was just magical in this era
Saw them 3 times in the early 2000s :D
Indeed. Pure epic-ness!
not really, Labrie sounds like an asshole that is trying to emulate prog power metal singing but fails on all levels.
Indeed sir
@@oplikowhat tours?
SCORE is, to this day, the best Dream Theater concert of all time, imho. Setlist is impeccable, boys are at the top of their game, orchestra is flawlessly on top and pristine execution, too. There is no live experience like this one.
Absolutely agree. The fan favorite still seems to be Budoken (which I do love), but the levels/panning on that show ruin much of it for me. Score is the show where they got EVERYTHING right as you mentioned - setlist, performance, sound design and the visuals are great as well.
Except Rush, they were the best live band.
Fair take. For me it's Budokan, mostly because of how high the bass is in the mix *chef's kiss*
@@thejonasvanbaelenpodcast Yeah and the setlist was pretty dope in Live At Budokan!
The orchestra is not "on top", it is pathetically bad, as is the orchestration
No one can ever dissuade me from believing the end solo is the greatest solo ever on the record, let alone this live version where Petrucci milks that final note to utter perfection. You can't end an epic in any better form that this. God tier.
You HAVE TO do six degrees of inner turbulance live from score, it’s just breathtaking
Yes !
Hell yeah !!
YEEEES!!!!!!!!
Oh yes you have to!!!🤘
Definitely a perfect future Friday choice!!
Talk about full-circle, I'm sure you're aware Portnoy has just re-joined the band. Some of the best and most unexpected news I've heard in a while.
Mike Portnoy is back in Dream Theater! :D
Mike Portnoy coming back to Dream Theater has to be one of my most favorite things that happened in this 2023/2024 season in terms of music. I hope they can release another Grand Opus like Octavarium and The Count of Tuscany, and I believe Portnoy is key in this happening. Rudess is also more skilled than he used to be. Literally with Petrucci and all of them making up with him, even LaBrie, the future of Dream Theater is finally a hopeful one!
That ending solo always brings me to tears. WOW
Octavarium is my all-time favorite song from any band. Usually, I want more riffy music, but this song is the most unique, interesting, and climactic song Ive heard. Its perfect.
Words cannot express what the ending with the horn section does to my mind, body and soul. Incredible ending to a phenomenal live performance.
Live performance of In The Presence Of Enemies part 1 & 2 is a must!
How epic is that ending??? And Petrucci's face just nails it
Those people know how lucky they were to watch this live omg. I would be crying for sure
Yes we do. Score was The best concert I’ve ever been to and I’ve been to well over
200 concerts in my lifetime.
Doug being nostalgic about seeing Portnoy behind the kit, even tho he got into the band after his departure, makes me very nostalgic about seeing Portnoy behind the kit with them . 🥺
well... now that can happen again :)
This concert was life-changing for me. My best friend, when we used to be bandmates, lend me the DVD and I watched it with my dad, including the documentary of the 20th anniversary, back in 2008. Since that day I fell "in awe" with the band.
A dream of mine is to hear this song live. Can't wait to see them live in October for the 40th Anniversary and who knows, maybe that dream comes true.
Man, this takes me back to being in the 5th row for this!!!! Still get cold chills. Best show I've ever been to ♥️🙏♥️🤘
Like, this one exactly? Omg
@@bernardodc9631 Yes. I bought VIP tix and drove up from NC to be there. It was a night I'll never forget!
@@JollyBrandon Dude OMG.
Out of all the reactions I've seen from Doug, Octavarium seemed to be one of the songs that impressed him most so I'm really looking forward to this.
One of the most amazing shows I've ever been to. Traveled from Peoria to NYC to see it, and was worth every penny.
"Sacrificed Sons" played very well with the orchestra also, off the same DVD if you're interested.
It's here on the channel😊
Yes! Agree on point where u stated Sacrificed Sons !
Oh yes! Been waiting for him to do the Score version. Incredible performance of a masterpiece!
Every single section of this track showcases a different aspect of DT at their very best. It's amazing how a track that is essentially an album of different parts stitched together is so cohesive and masterful. This track is, to me, DTs magnum opus.
John’s solo at the end is the definition of precision and feeling …. The best to ever do it period.
I have seen a couple reactions to this (my favorite for 20 years) song, and I think that yours is by far my favorite. Thx Doug for being so enthusiastic and respectful for this (for me) formidable experience that is Octavarium.
You and Elizabeth Zharoff (The Charismatic Voice)should have coffee and discuss the wonders of Dream Theater.
There are times when Score is my favourite DT album. The track selection was brilliant and the performances of Six Degrees and Octavarium are deeply moving. Loved your analysis of the studio version.
The emotion Portnoy puts on every single beat, the flawless performance by Myung, Petrucci and Jordan and the highest note ever reached by James make this one of the best DT songs of all time. Every time I press the play button on this tune, I cannot stop before it ends. Hope to listen to it again as Mike rejoined the band.
I was actually at this show and some context here is that no one knew going in that there would be an orchestra. They only revealed that after the intermission and immediately went into the full Six Degrees. The screens behind them also showed all the references during Full Circle, including a picture of Owen Wilson
Oh man... You gotta listen the whole Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence from the Score... Epic, is the only thing I can say 🙌
This, for me, will always be the greatest song of all time. I love so many genres, so many artists, so many bands....But nothing will ever top this song. It needs to rest in the hall of fame, in a museum.
They play all of the Six Degrees with the orchestra at this same show. You must check that out too!
Unbelievable musicianship. I’ve never seen this live version! Absolutely epic playing from monster players
This is probably hands down my favorite Dream Theater song - for all of the reasons you mentioned & that it just plain ole kicks *ss 🎯😎
Crazy Dream Theater fact: They released an album called 'Live Scenes from New York', release date:9/11/2001. The cover art of the album? NY in flames.. Crazy coincidence! The albums barely hit the shelves before it was quickly recalled because of the events, so they could change the cover art
And around 150 to 200 copies were sold on those two or three hours the album was on the shelves. They can go up to $200 bucks on eBay now as collector items. And Doug also reacted to Sacrificed Sons, the song they made about that same event. It was the second most powerful song of this concert, and knowing they had played the entire Six Degrees suite just two songs before... Yeah. One of the classiest musical tributes to a tragedy ever.
28:08 - 28:40 Only Mike can bring in such feels and the epicness this song demands in a live concert.
Chills. Even after 18 years. God, I love this band.
Oh this is wicked cool 🎶🎸🎶🎸
I am PRAYING that they play Octavarium on their 40th Anniversary tour this year 🤩 To me it would be perfectly fitting to bring back 'full circle' to the 20 years since Octavarium album was likely recorded and imagined (most likely began in 2004). I have a ticket to see them in London, being the only UK date, and if I get to witness this live I'm honestly going to cry through the intense emotion and raw admiration of these hyper talented musicians 🥺
The problem is that LaBrie will butcher it live, he can't even hit the notes anymore. He doesn't sound that good in this live recording either, and nowadays he's a sad shell of his former self.
@@AD-oe7gt therefore my question back to you is why don't DT change the tuning of their instruments down so that LaBrie can hit the vocal notes to accompany the key of the music? They're arguably some of the most talented musicians on earth and I've seen other bands perform live in flat tuning (half step down) or even one whole octave down (compared to the original studio recording), in order for the singer to be able to sound half decent. Surely DT could do that as well?
Octavarium, the song DT gives honor to music and everyone influencing their music. And the song is greatness distilled.
“Great to see Mike with them”.
And now ❤
I went to the Dreamsonic show in Cleveland and the guy next to me was at this show at radio city music hall. Showed me pictures from it. I instantly felt equal parts jealous and happy for that guy. He was at a show that will live on as one of the greatest shows in rock music history. Dream Theater deserves to be in the Rock Hall.
I was humming the 4 opening notes to Shine along with the intro seconds before you made the comparison. Nice observation!
My closed captioning used to say "Daily Dog".
Now your new intro translates to "Daily Duck" per my CC.
HILARIOUS 😂
Great channel, Doug !
I remember very well when Octavarium came out- I actually sat in my basement with the highest quality headphones I owned at 12:01AM taking this record in and, upon listening to the title track, thinking "Did they just top A Change of Seasons?!?"
The answer was, without question, abso-freaking-lutely! The best!
I like that Dream Theater likes to put "Lyrics by John Myung" on their instrumentals
In this one in particular, I love, LOVE the flute little solo. Its so lively!
Watching Dream Theater perform that must be one of the most stunning live experiences of all time, it's a masterpiece that absolutely tears into and goes rushing down the shivering spine
Let's go! This is my favorite concert from them. It was the first time that i ever heard of these guys when my dad showed this concert to me. Good stuff!
Great dad!
@bernardodc9631 right? Haha hearing Dream Theater and seeing Petrucci play changed my direction as a musician for sure 😁
@@TedAnthony just out of curiosity, how old is your dad? i've been inflicting that on my kid as well haha
@bernardodc9631 haha he's in his 50s. And I don't blame you. I'll be forcefully sharing music with my kids when the day comes 🤣
Same here! I had recently been introduced to them from Guitar Hero World Tour (Pull Me Under was on there), and I wanted to find out more about them, and I found the performance of Metropolis from this concert, and I fell in love.
I was there, such an awesome day! Drove from Canada and you even see me in the making of segment!
Anytime however I'm not sure what you're referring to when you say above.😮
Thanks Doug for reminding me just how absolutely amazing this band is. Tears in my eyes at the end, again.
4:07 - don't forget the third meaning: the absolute SCORE! of getting to play Radio City Music Hall. 😁
I remember that I hit the subscribe button thanks to Octavarium. It was great to watch it again. Keep on rocking, Mr. Daily Doug. :)
This song makes me feel feelings I can't even explain.
I've always had a deep connection with this song across many stages of my life. Even more so when I was sectioned with Psychosis several years ago. I'd listen to this a lot in the psych ward and it would give me joy and peace in my daily madness and prevent me from causing unintentional harm to myself or others. The instrumental section would be like a reflection of my insanity and it'd turn the whole situation into a fun time with nothing to worry about. I've come a long way in my recovery since and I haven't listened to Dream Theater for a while. But everytime I do, it's like greeting an old friend, accepting my past self and just being filled with peace and a sense of oneness. It's meditative at this point. Dream Theater music just hits different bro.
I love how Jordan always seems to be having a blast
12:45 "It's great to see Mike with them"
Yes, Doug. Yes.
Up to this day, the SCORE live album is DT's best live version.
It's the whole package, and this was back in 2006.
That was the very first time that I had the privilege to see them play live, in my own country Venezuela in December 2005.
The Octavarium world tour will always be in my heart.
Each member on this album was at their prime and the combination of lyrics and melodies is just something quite phenomenal.
A huge hug from Buenos Aires 🔥🤘🏼
Another thing I love is that the original recording is exactly 24 minutes long representing the hours in a day, and also 24 is a multiple of 8!
Live version has amazing rhythm control making the sounding mesmerizing. Dough has great sense on the rhythm too. Always love to see him do air drum. You got the progressive rhythm, Dough.
High F❤ is also the highest note standard electric guitar can get with extra bend string
This song is epic. A masterpiece. Even after listening to it for 20 odd years it still gets me on another level. Totally totally awesome
I say the same as @tradamek. I think it's almost 200 times that I've heard this tremendous song. Progressive metal at its best.
Octavarium makes use of Rudess's peculiar instrument, the continuum, popularized by himself in the intro of this song. “Floydian” atmospheres flood it. A flute draws a melody of great beauty. Changes of rhythm, diverse textures, epic solos. It has everything.Awesome!
One those rare times when a guitarist can shred but also have feel. This song is definitely the definition of epic.
Octavarium is the paragon of music.
Doug. Watch this entire show live. This is THE best live show anyone has ever done. Best live CD ever: best live DVD ever. Best anything. "Score" is the best🥰
This is undoubtedly their magnum opus, I still get goose bumps hearing it come full circle at the finale. Their 2nd greatest epic composition is "A Change of Seasons".
Octavarium is better done live and this version is the best. It's always a joy to see your reaction to DT's songs.
It's a masterpiece, it gives me chills every time.
Thank you for doing this. The next DT epic to enjoy is In the Presence of Enemies off their next album!
I don't intend to downplay their later works but I think this song is their crowning musical achievement. It just covers so much ground and touches all the bases that made DT great.
I simply love the fact that Portnoy swapped his jersey for a bow tie t-shirt when the orchestra came in haha!
If anyone is curious about how Jordan changes keys on the synth while he's playing the steel guitar in the intro, he's actually not. On the Dark Side of the Moon cover album DVD, they revealed it was actually James Labrie who was playing it every night for Jordan once he was done the Continuum part and started the steel guitar, which needs two hands.
You van can see James standing behind Jordan playing the chords. Look closely
Yeah I know he's there. I mentioned it the way I did so that I can actually say with authority that they confirmed it was James playing it on another DVD. If you just point it out, you tend to get people who go "aRe YoU sUrE?" and I can't stand that.
Spot on! I saw them in Santiago, Chile in 2005 for this tour. I clearly remember seeing James take the synth for that section of the intro in Octavarium. It was really cool to see him interact with the band by playing an instrument, which is very rare for the usual DT show.
But are you sure?
@@KevinBX Yes. That time described in Chile, there is a recording of the full song. And James was indeed playing keyboards while Jordan did the Continuum and lap steel solos. Not like they were the most complex parts but it was nice to allow him to do something other than vocals or a tambourine
This song makes me tear up every single time. This is my favorite song ever written, and I love that I have had the opportunity to see you experience it twice now!
Oh HELL yeah! This was my favorite thing to play on the drums back when I could still play. This live version is so damned beautiful!
No matter what circumstances I listen to this song, it always makes me cry.
I was at this show, absolutely amazing. My face was in the DVD for a few seconds so I very slightly live in DT lore for all eternity 😅
One of my favorite DT songs, and such an epic live version! Wish I could have seen it live, but they didn't play it on the tours I was able to go. An amazing arrangement of an awesome song! Thank you Doug for reacting to this!
My favorite band ever!!!!!! Dreamsonic was absolutely amazing, never miss when Dream Theater comes around.
Great reaction Doug! Had a fantastic time at Dreamsonic 2023 in Phoenix on this past Weds. Was great to see the boys again, along with Devi and Animals as Leaders!
We have indeed come "full circle" since his first reaction to the album version
Love it Doug! This live version, in my opinion, goes down as the greatest rock/metal epic ever recorded live!
I Was at this radio city show with my dad and brother back when I was 18! One of my fondest memories and best concert Ive ever been to! The sound the performance the whole night was magical
Attended this show, it was fantastic. Great review and analysis Doug, congrats!
Once again this live recording made me cry multiple times. One of the best of all time, thanks for giving it a watch. :)
This is the pièce de résistance of this version of the song! 🤌🏻
Such a great feeling to get to watch Doug becoming a true DT fan along all these years ❤🤘
Jordan Rudess has another-world talent. I’m ambivalent at best about Dream Theater. Their composition focus on pure difficulty leaves me cold, but Jordan’s playing is simply a wonder to behold.
Totally agreeing with you. Jordan is probably the very best keyboard player the world has seen in a very long time. Not just in DT, but all of his work is absolutely astounding. His technique is beyond this world.
Funny you said that because i see Jordan as the main driver in this "pure technical" direction, which i don't like much when happens.
@@alexandreavelar9696 The parts he plays are beautifully thought out, musical inventions. Complexity doesn’t bother me one bit when it results in finely rendered musicality. Or in other words, Jordan is NOT a shredder. He is as near to a classical soloist as I’ve seen in a rock band.
Most fans of rock music don’t realize that an average classical musician leaves their faves in the dust when it comes to difficulty. The difference is that classical music that we hear today is the best of the best from centuries of brilliance, even genius. That is, of course, why it remains so special many generations after the composer dies.
Jordan has those kind of chops plus the fine musical sense to use them constructively, as a composer would. He stands out in a band full of mere shredders, pointlessly showing us how fast they can play, completely ignoring the point which is the music itself.
@@artysanmobile i respectfully disagree with your assessment of John Petrucci as "merely a shredder".
@@artysanmobile "mere shredder, pointlessly showing us how fast they can play" interesting take after the piece they just played and the outro solo which is mostly just long sustained notes
I love the analysis you do at the end of the songs!
Best live album by the band by far. I must have watched the DVD more than 100 times at this point
The whole song is just one gigantic easter egg and listening to the studio version is 🤌🤌
You're finally doing the version you should have the first time. Excellent
I went to this show, it was something special
It is FUN to be a fan!! They’re definitely one of the HARDEST working bands in show biz! And underrated in terms of being a hardworking band.
Hey Doug, never saw this show. But I was fortunate enough to see the Scenes From a Memory live, which eventually became Scenes from New York. This was recorded back in 2000 and was put out as a live album. However the album came out around 9/11 and had to be retracted as the cover showed the world trade towers burning. That was a great show featuring an actor playing the psychiatrist. That was an amazing show. Will look forward to seeing them again now that Mike Portnoy has rejoined the band. Cheers
It is great to be a fan indeed!! This was my favorite era of DT and Score is my favorite all time live performance from any band.
Real King Crimson vibe when the flute came in
hi from Ukraine! I love that song soo much. Thanks for checking it one more time)
I was at that show, thanks for the nostalgia.
Every time I listen to this songs tears come out and I discover a new detail that makes me appreciate it more, even though I've been listening to it for like 10 years, this is by far my favorite song of all time and I cant describe how happy it makes me to watch your reactions and analysis to it, you're great Doug
You certainly deserve my like even before the analysis begin.
Every video I'm more and more impressed with your musical feelings and knowledge.
Thanks for sharing this piece of art.