The Count Of Tuscany |
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Queen By-Tor
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: September 13 2006 Location: Xanadu Status: Offline Points: 16111 |
Topic: The Count Of Tuscany Posted: June 28 2009 at 13:35 |
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Oh please.
I must say that I'm really enjoying Black Clouds & Silver Linings, but this song really brings down the whole album for me, especially since it's about a 5th of the overall length of the album! There's nothing that I really like about the song - it's too long, the tone barely fits with the rest of the album and while it's impressive technically it goes on for far too long without any parts that can really reel you in. And the LYRICS!? The bloody lyrics have got to be the cheesiest things I've ever heard in my entire life, and I'm someone who normally enjoys a good amount of cheese. Anyone who has actually read the lyrics must know what I'm talking about. :: Spoiler alert :: Come on. Right off the bat we're into cheese where a dude meets a count and goes for a ride in his car and remembers rumors about the count's brother being a cannibal. Dude meets brother, gets all freaked out, thinks he's going to die, they show him where they pray and apparently he gets even more freaked out because he heard rumors of soldiers coming to this temple. Then they offer him wine and he's all like "OMGZ! The soldiers died next to barrels of wine!!" So he hides in the basement and the count comes to find him and is all like, "what's up mang?" and he's like, "OH GOD DON'T HURT ME!" and the count's just like, "Oh, those are all just rumors, you can leave if you want" - so he does. Doesn't anyone else think that that just sounds like a bad Family Guy skit set to Dream Theater's music? I mean... COME ON! I enjoyed Dark Eternal Night more than most people, but even I think that this is just too much. If Dream Theater wanted this to be taken seriously they should have at least made the Count super evil and the main character just not know it - but having the count be this super nice (somewhat homo-erotic - I mean come on, who just randomly takes someone home with them that they meet on the streets if not to sleep with them) dude who's just 'misunderstood'. GAAAAAH - and the worst part is that everyone that I talk to seems to think this is the best song on the album! Justify this for me! Discussion = yes. |
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rpe9p
Forum Senior Member Joined: December 31 2008 Location: Charlottesville Status: Offline Points: 485 |
Posted: June 28 2009 at 13:38 | |
It seems like DT really didnt care about the lyrics on the entire album. People like the song for the music, not the lyrics.
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Queen By-Tor
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: September 13 2006 Location: Xanadu Status: Offline Points: 16111 |
Posted: June 28 2009 at 13:56 | |
yeah, but the music is completely inappreciable if the lyrics are laughable! I can get past a song if the lyrics are at least okay, but then they're that bad... ew.
and like I said - the music wasn't good enough to justify it for me. NEXT! |
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Mr ProgFreak
Forum Senior Member Joined: November 08 2008 Location: Sweden Status: Offline Points: 5195 |
Posted: June 28 2009 at 14:44 | |
Did you know that the song is based on a real life experience of John Petrucci?
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Queen By-Tor
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: September 13 2006 Location: Xanadu Status: Offline Points: 16111 |
Posted: June 28 2009 at 14:46 | |
well, that makes it a lot easier to relate to, but it doesn't really help it's cheese factor.
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Raff
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: July 29 2005 Location: None Status: Offline Points: 24391 |
Posted: June 28 2009 at 14:49 | |
What kind of experience? I'm curious, and have been ever since I saw the title... As far as I can remember, there have never been counts of Tuscany as a whole, but rather Grand Dukes. Is this Count of Tuscany supposed to be a bit like Count Dracula?
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Roland113
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: March 30 2008 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Status: Offline Points: 3841 |
Posted: June 28 2009 at 14:59 | |
Real life or not, I kind of agree with king By-Tor regarding the lyrics. I like the song itself, but I really think they could spent a bit more time on the lyrics. Sub-par examples include:
"Get into my car, Let's go for a drive," seriously, I think I used that word play on songs I wrote in high school. "Give me one more chance, Let me please explain, it's all been circumstance, I'll tell you once again." Please don't tell us again, you've already used four lines to try and tell us there's been a great misunderstanding, the horse is already tenderized. I appreciate that this was based on a real life experience and frankly, I think it's actually a somewhat compelling story, I just think that the lyrical translation of the story is somewhat weak. Part of the reason this bothers me is that Dream Theater throws so many different nuggets and hyper intelligent Easter eggs in their albums. They're obviously very smart and past albums have shown that they have the ability to write rather complex lyrics. The lyrics on this song, and the lyrics on the album in general are weak and frankly this is a shame because other wise, this is a very strong album. The lyrics is what is going to drop this down to a four star rating when I get around to it. In my opinion, James LaBrie sounds better on this album then he has in a while, it's a shame that he's being overshadowed by the words that he has to sing. It's still a four star album, but yes, I agree with King By-Tor on the lyrics. Edited by Roland113 - June 28 2009 at 15:00 |
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-------someone please tell him to delete this line, he looks like a noob-------
I don't have an unnatural obsession with Disney Princesses, I have a fourteen year old daughter and coping mechanisms. |
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LiquidEternity
Prog Reviewer Joined: December 07 2007 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 900 |
Posted: June 28 2009 at 15:05 | |
I like its classic feel and its sense of humor. Truthfully, when DT are not doing metal these days is when they sound the best. The Count of Tuscany, Wither, and The Best of Times are by far the stronger half of the new album. Which is sad for a metal band, but these things happen.
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rpe9p
Forum Senior Member Joined: December 31 2008 Location: Charlottesville Status: Offline Points: 485 |
Posted: June 28 2009 at 15:32 | |
so true |
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LiquidEternity
Prog Reviewer Joined: December 07 2007 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 900 |
Posted: June 28 2009 at 15:35 | |
And the vocal melodies are a lot blander here than they used to be, I must say. At least on the first two songs, for sure.
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Queen By-Tor
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: September 13 2006 Location: Xanadu Status: Offline Points: 16111 |
Posted: June 28 2009 at 15:41 | |
True. Whatever happened to the vocal fireworks on songs like Take The Time or Innocence Faded?
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stonebeard
Forum Senior Member Joined: May 27 2005 Location: NE Indiana Status: Offline Points: 28057 |
Posted: June 28 2009 at 16:04 | |
Power Metal vocals seemed to go out of style. Those are really good/extended typical rock songs, by the way--great structure for good vocals and lyrics. |
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Queen By-Tor
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: September 13 2006 Location: Xanadu Status: Offline Points: 16111 |
Posted: June 28 2009 at 16:09 | |
yes - but they were good at that.
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The Quiet One
Prog Reviewer Joined: January 16 2008 Location: Argentina Status: Offline Points: 15745 |
Posted: June 28 2009 at 18:12 | |
One of the reasons I don't like Rudess-era. Maybe it's true that James now sings *objectively* better, but I find his voice in those albums tasteless, and by no means enjoyable. Yeah, it may have been Power-Metal-esque vocals, still they suited magnificent. And btw, in the album Falling Into Infinity he does a fantastic balance, which for me is his finest moment. |
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The T
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: October 16 2006 Location: FL, USA Status: Offline Points: 17493 |
Posted: June 28 2009 at 21:34 | |
I love the song but not my favorite. the best of the album has to be A Nightmare to remember.
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horsewithteeth11
Prog Reviewer Joined: January 09 2008 Location: Kentucky Status: Offline Points: 24598 |
Posted: June 28 2009 at 22:06 | |
There's not much to justify, Mike. The majority of what you say is mostly based on your opinion of the song. I on the other hand think The Count of Tuscany is the best song on the album and don't care too much about cheesy lyrics unless the music isn't that good (but I think it is). But really we could go in circles about this and never get anywhere.
Just wanted to throw my 2 cents in there. Now back to bashing the DT song! |
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Henry Plainview
Forum Senior Member Joined: May 26 2008 Location: Declined Status: Offline Points: 16715 |
Posted: June 28 2009 at 22:08 | |
I haven't heard the song, but that is a hilarious thing to happen to Petrucci.
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if you own a sodastream i hate you
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Moatilliatta
Prog Reviewer Joined: December 01 2005 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 3083 |
Posted: June 29 2009 at 02:13 | |
It would be REALLY hilarious if it were exactly what happened to him. This is merely a story.
So here's my critique. Obviously the lyrics are awful and what not, but here are the main problems: first, the band is trying too hard to make the song legitmate. The lyrics are stupid and they put such serious music to it that it brings out the stupidity of those lyrics. LiquidEternity says it brings about a sense of humor and playfulness or whatever, but I completely disagree. The music does not sound humorous or playful at all. It sounds like they were trying to make this a serious epic song of sorts. There were no musical bits that were chuckle-eliciting or even remotely related to the lyrics. It doesn't sound playful, it just sounds funny (in the bad way) and sad considering who these guys are/were.
Then, I'm reading some talk about LaBrie's vocal work and let's face it, the guy is a great singer with many capabilities who can belt out all kinds of vocal glory and has in the past, but here he just sounds so dull and lifeless. However, what no one seems to have mentioned here is that the problem has nothing to do with LaBrie, it has to do with Portnoy and Petrucci and their awful lyrics. We've discussed the band's lack of inspiration in the other thread, and I would say that this is one of the most obvious signs of it. Mike and John are writing pure drivel and handing it over to LaBrie to sing, and that guy can't get into it. There's nothing for LaBrie to see, hear, feel, or whatever when he reads those lyrics and listens to their accompaniment. He has no personal connection and he can't even imagine one to make it seem like he does. When you listen to him singing back in the early 90s, his voice was wild with feeling. The band was overflowing with inspiration and LaBrie could really make a connection there and was most likely had a large part in writing the vocals. Even up through Octavarium, the man has put down some solid work that does not sound forced. But now, Mike and John just hand him the lyrics and they tell him more or less how they think it should be sung (you can see it in the Systematic Chaos bonus disc). LaBrie talks about trying to see the lyrics from the writer's perspective, but honestly, what can a man do with lyrics like those on the last couple of albums? He can sing whatever they want him to sing, but it's not coming from his "heart."
Dang, I always end up writing a lot.
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www.last.fm/user/ThisCenotaph
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camilleanne
Forum Senior Member Joined: June 29 2009 Location: Philippines Status: Offline Points: 403 |
Posted: July 11 2009 at 00:52 | |
The Count of Tuscany is one of the best songs in the album. The first thing that I liked in this song is the last part..Yeah and it's really funny if that really happened to him..
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The planet is fine the people are f**ked.
-George Carlin- |
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Mr ProgFreak
Forum Senior Member Joined: November 08 2008 Location: Sweden Status: Offline Points: 5195 |
Posted: July 11 2009 at 03:20 | |
http://www.songmeanings.net/songs/view/3530822107858777118/ I've also read an interview in a magazine which confirms that. |
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