Dream Theater

Completely forgot about that Hollow Years solo on the Budakon disc, that one is outstanding too

Hard question indeed! but I'll list mine

Hollow Years (Budokan version)
Razor's Edge
Trial Of Tears
The Shattered Fortress
The Ministry Of Lost Souls (outro)
Fatal Tragedy

All i got to say is wow new album is amazing and new drummer has not at all failed to impress mike portnoy had his own style going on at times it takes a new drummer or such to give a band a fresh start to give them ideas

=ScarredOne said: I personally think some of the earlier solos need to be mentioned, such as, Bombay Vindaloo from Live at the Marquee and Scarred from Awake. Both showcase a lot of versatility in his playing however I, like many of you, just love to listen to him play. Another one worthy to mention is on the Live in Japan DVD and takes place at the end of To Live Forever. He also does some great playing on The Explorer's Club CD entitled Age of Impact. I'll stop now before I continue to list every song on every album....

Like a couple of you already mentioned my first vote would probably be the Spirit Carries On solo, I love it.
If i'm in the mood for some blisteringly fast shredding though I think the only real contenders come from nearly every song on TOT, with main props going to SOC and Endless Sacrifice. If I feel like getting pumped up, thats what goes on.

Some of JP's great melody-driven ones are Lines in the Sand, Breaking All Illusions, Count of Tuscany's beginning and end...there are just so many. I don't understand those folks that say he's just a shredmaster and has no soul or emotion in his playing. They ought to go see him live Or I guess, that's what youtube is for!

Despite heavy praise on the above, however, there is one solo that resonates with me more than any other. It is definitely my favorite solo of all time, by any artist. Shattered Fortress. It simply tells a story, and takes you on a ride.

This 1:20 beast runs on a backing melody of one of DT's best metal riffs (Root of All Evil) and starts out very weird sounding and atonal, as if to paint a picture of someone's life in a bleak and directionless time. The melody starts to even out and gain harmony, which motions to the character understanding his mistakes and starting on a journey. The next bit runs through a series of standard mind-blowing 'trucci-shred sequences backed with a single-note muted riff and then reprising the RoAE melody, giving the impression of facing one's demons and fighting the temptation to go back to a more comfortable and diseased way of life. Then the last rhythm kicks in (the riff that carries through after the solo) and the solo ends on a triumphant note, but without a fanfare cliche, giving it a powerful and clear upbeat forward-moving melody; it speaks of winning only the power of understanding and being truthful to oneself, and (as the lyrics say afterward) the responsibility to share your wisdom with the world so you can leave it a better place than you found it.

Basically the whole damn thing is roller coaster that yanks on your emotions in different directions in a seamless and beautifully crafted manner. I wish someday you guys would play Shattered Fortress live. I know it might be impossible now that MP's gone, but hey, maybe one day he'll be in the audience and you could play the whole suite for him. As a tribute, to put aside any hard feelings that may or may not (damn the media) exist between you.

Just a thought. :D

=Stupiful said:I wish someday you guys would play Shattered Fortress live. I know it might be impossible now that MP's gone, but hey, maybe one day he'll be in the audience and you could play the whole suite for him. As a tribute, to put aside any hard feelings that may or may not (damn the media) exist between you.

Just a thought. :D

I think my favorite is Take the Time (Live in Tokyo)'s ending is my favorite.

Petrucci's got so many great solos! One of my personal favorites has got to be the bluesy one on "Breaking All Illusions." It's got a weird Pink-Floyd-meets-Joe-Satriani sound to it, and it's melodically superb. As far as shred-oriented solos go, however, some of my favorites are on "As I Am" and "Fatal Tragedy." Those two both have a great melody that carries throughout while simultaneously cramming in an insane amount of notes.

HOW MANY WORDS MAY I WRITE????
I'LL TRY:
1) THE FINAL SOLOS OF OCTAVARIUM(live score)
2) THE END OF IN THE NAME OF GOD
3) BEYOUND THIS LIFE (live Budokan)
4) LINES IN THE SAND
5) BREAKING ALL ILLUSIONS (I MEAN THE PART FROM 0:00 TO 12:42) ha ha ha ha
6)LOST NOT FORGOTTEN 1st & 2nd solo
7) WISHFUL THINKING( FROM SUSPENDED ANIMATION: the final part )
8) REPEANTANCE (do you forget??????)
9) THE BEST OF TIMES (final solo)
10)UNDER A GLASS MOON
11) AFTERLIFE
12) IN THE PRESENCE OF ENEMIES (pt.1)
13) all AGE OF IMPACT -EXPLORERS CLUB solos
14) every solos of JESUS JOHN PETRUCCI