Phanto
Alalalalalalalala.
it's funny how you go from talking about music arrangements into discussing story and lyrics, only to be wrong about it too.
Symphony X Song Tournament: Vote for the Best
- Thread starter Halberd
- Start date
it's funny how you go from talking about music arrangements into discussing story and lyrics, only to be wrong about it too.
Even if that's true (and it may well be), you're missing the point that "metalness" and "progness" are not all there is to music.
To me The Accolade achieves something The Odyssey with all its epicness doesn't.
If that's how shallowly you wanna view this beautiful song then it's no wonder you think so lowly of it.
I'll say it again: Both of these songs are great in different ways and there is nothing wrong or crazy about preferring one over the other imo.
Prismatic Sphere
We Carouse
Baroque does make one silly comment after another; but for all his foibles(and there are many), he did vote for Pharaoh to the end.
Prismatic Sphere
We Carouse
Detective Clarence Beauregard
Dehumanized
Odyssey
Divine Wings
The Accolade is a solid tune, but I think it's getting far too much praise here. The song's theme has a lot of heart, but to me it's still a dorky medieval tale at the end of the day. It has that amazing polymetric part near the end, but everything else about it doesn't stand a chance against The Odyssey. Also, Accolade II > Accolade. Honestly, the original Accolade probably isn't even in my top ten Symphony X tunes. It's definitely not in my top five.
Voting against Rediscovery was tough, even if it's a song I truly didn't appreciate for about ten years (for some reason the song just clicked with me sometime in 2011). But Divine Wings, to me, is the band's crowning achievement as a song. If it comes down to Divine Wings and The Odyssey, it should get interesting.
Divine Wings
The Accolade is a solid tune, but I think it's getting far too much praise here. The song's theme has a lot of heart, but to me it's still a dorky medieval tale at the end of the day. It has that amazing polymetric part near the end, but everything else about it doesn't stand a chance against The Odyssey. Also, Accolade II > Accolade. Honestly, the original Accolade probably isn't even in my top ten Symphony X tunes. It's definitely not in my top five.
Voting against Rediscovery was tough, even if it's a song I truly didn't appreciate for about ten years (for some reason the song just clicked with me sometime in 2011). But Divine Wings, to me, is the band's crowning achievement as a song. If it comes down to Divine Wings and The Odyssey, it should get interesting.
Prismatic Sphere
We Carouse
I wish you people would stop focusing on the lyrics and instead focus on the MUSIC.
Fuck, the band's lyrical output quality contrasted Pre-Odyssey and Post-Odyssey, should really make the lyrical significance moot or near moot here.
Fuck, the band's lyrical output quality contrasted Pre-Odyssey and Post-Odyssey, should really make the lyrical significance moot or near moot here.
Detective Clarence Beauregard
Dehumanized
Music always matters far more to me than lyrics. Accolade's music is fantastic, but there's some parts that just drone on (the solos), whereas The Odyssey has far more musical depth. Accolade's intro and polymetric layered section are incredible, though.
Musically, these last five songs (including Looking Glass) are amongst their best. I'd throw Communion, Accolade II, Awakenings, Candlelight, and Edge in there, too.
I think it's simply a more well-written song. Parts of the original drag on, whereas the sequel never loses its quality. I think the "heart of gold..." section works a lot better in the second song, too.
Islandstone
Member
First, I have to say I'm a bit sad to see Looking Glass go out, as it's probably a top 5 song for me. The Accolade should been the song to go imo. Oh well.
My votes on this round go to.....
The Odyssey
It surprises me to see The Accolade giving The Odyssey such a strong fight. Don't get me wrong, I love The Accolade, it's definitely in my top 10, but top 4? Not for me.
The Odyssey is longer, has an awesome orchestral intro, lots of great vocal melodies, and really takes the listener on a journey. Top 3 material. The only part I've never been that fond of is Part V - Sirens.
The Divine Wings of Tragedy
It's actually not that long ago since Rediscovery was lurking around/below my top 10 list, but it's definitely in my top 10 now. Epic ending to the best album made in mankind. The polyrhytms, the incredibly smooth mood changes, Russ' vocals....Rediscovery is simply a piece of pure art.
But, coming up against Divine Wings, I'm afraid it stands little chance. It's just such a beast of a song. As previously said, I often imagine an epic battle between Evil and Good when listening through this masterpiece. Dante would be proud....
There's just so many unbelievable great parts in this song. The opening staccato rhytm with the evil-sounding keyboard, Russ' amazing performance on the "Looking down from a blue sky"-part, with the following ending, and everything in between.
I must give special praise to the "main theme" (if you could call it that) - that sweet melody line in alternating 7/4-15/8 that Romeo starts playing at 2:34 (in the live version, I'm always listening to that version), with Pinnella "answering", then building up with bass and then drums before the verse kicks in. Love it!!
I also absolutely adore the piano melody starting at 15:30 (again, talking about the live version). So beautiful, like a spring of hope after that mourning guitar in advance.
Now that Communion is out, Divine must be the winner.
My votes on this round go to.....
The Odyssey
It surprises me to see The Accolade giving The Odyssey such a strong fight. Don't get me wrong, I love The Accolade, it's definitely in my top 10, but top 4? Not for me.
The Odyssey is longer, has an awesome orchestral intro, lots of great vocal melodies, and really takes the listener on a journey. Top 3 material. The only part I've never been that fond of is Part V - Sirens.
The Divine Wings of Tragedy
It's actually not that long ago since Rediscovery was lurking around/below my top 10 list, but it's definitely in my top 10 now. Epic ending to the best album made in mankind. The polyrhytms, the incredibly smooth mood changes, Russ' vocals....Rediscovery is simply a piece of pure art.
But, coming up against Divine Wings, I'm afraid it stands little chance. It's just such a beast of a song. As previously said, I often imagine an epic battle between Evil and Good when listening through this masterpiece. Dante would be proud....
There's just so many unbelievable great parts in this song. The opening staccato rhytm with the evil-sounding keyboard, Russ' amazing performance on the "Looking down from a blue sky"-part, with the following ending, and everything in between.
I must give special praise to the "main theme" (if you could call it that) - that sweet melody line in alternating 7/4-15/8 that Romeo starts playing at 2:34 (in the live version, I'm always listening to that version), with Pinnella "answering", then building up with bass and then drums before the verse kicks in. Love it!!
I also absolutely adore the piano melody starting at 15:30 (again, talking about the live version). So beautiful, like a spring of hope after that mourning guitar in advance.
Now that Communion is out, Divine must be the winner.
Postulate
Have a nice day! :)
- Jul 17, 2008
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Well, of course the Odyssey is a fantastic story, but it's not theirs, and the general structure of a prog metal epic can be used to fit any sort of large epic, so it's pretty immaterial that they even chose the Odyssey rather than, say, the Divine Comedy (which seems like another thing SX might choose).
The Accolade's just really cool. I love that section in the beginning where it settles into the rhythm and the drums just pop (~2 minutes in), Russ' vocal section with the organ behind him is awesome, and the thole thing feels like one road full of twists and turns. Reminds me of the way Genesis used to write melodic prog, with some touches of Kansas (reminds me a bit of Journey from Mariabronn, The Pinnacle, and the like). The Odyssey is good, but it's the sort of song that you might expect from other prog metal acts - it's comparable to Dream Theater's Octavarium, which is also quite a solid suite-style epic. Whereas I really don't think other prog metal bands could have written the Accolade.
Just listen at around 7:30 in the Accolade, where you have the chimes, then the keyboard, then the "violin," then the piano, then the acoustic guitar, then the drums, and finally the bass ties the whole thing together. How can you not love that? It's like how Gentle Giant would write, with tons very short interweaving melodic phrases (with delicious polymeter!), but with a totally different sense of melody (and it makes use of melodic themes previously introduced). It all just fits together so nice.
Russ' section with the organ is my favorite in the song. I don't know how he thought of doing it but it's one of the most magical and artistic moments in his career. Next is the instrumental section you guys mentioned. Great stuff, very SX. Nothing on the sequel (which is great) is as authentic as this stuff. I'm not sure how the lyrics are dorkier than most SX/metal lyrics. Maybe I'm missing something. They sound nicer than a lot of the stuff being written these days anyway.
Different tastes I guess.
Different tastes I guess.
I vote for Rediscovery II for sure. Great posts by everyone who explained how awsome the song is. I agree completely, and I love the song regardless of being listened to just on its own or after the whole album.
The other choice is much harder since I like both songs roughly the same but I guess I will choose The Odyssey.
The other choice is much harder since I like both songs roughly the same but I guess I will choose The Odyssey.
It's really simple. The Accolade is my favourite Symphony X song (second favourite is Church of the Machine, by the way). Sure, The Odyssey, the epic poem, is a much more significant and complex story than the story that the Symphony X guys wrote for The Accolade (silly comparison, really!), but that is not significant in the least. We are comparing songs here, and as a song The Accolade is just so good. There is not a single part in The Accolade that I don't like. I even find the horrible synth violin endearing!
Length is a completely irrelevant matter to me. Some of my favourite songs of all time are 20 minutes long, others 2 minutes. If anything, a longer song is just more likely to have parts that don't work as well whereas a shorter song is more likely to have everything "just right".
Obviously a matter of taste, what is "just right" is also a matter of taste. All four songs in the competition are great songs, I'm sure everyone here agrees, so it's not like we are shitting on The Odyssey if we say that we prefer The Accolade.
Edit: Unfortunately, The Odyssey appears to be leading the battle 11-9.
Come on guys! One of you can still change the vote!
Length is a completely irrelevant matter to me. Some of my favourite songs of all time are 20 minutes long, others 2 minutes. If anything, a longer song is just more likely to have parts that don't work as well whereas a shorter song is more likely to have everything "just right".
Obviously a matter of taste, what is "just right" is also a matter of taste. All four songs in the competition are great songs, I'm sure everyone here agrees, so it's not like we are shitting on The Odyssey if we say that we prefer The Accolade.
Edit: Unfortunately, The Odyssey appears to be leading the battle 11-9.
Come on guys! One of you can still change the vote!
Phanto
Alalalalalalalala.
Liampie
Member
- Jan 10, 2009
- 189
- 0
- 16
The Odyssey's unique selling point compared to The Accolade, in my opinion, is that the whole song actually feels like a long, desperate journey. When the song ends I feel like I made the journey. Accolade is a wonderful song but it's not an adventure. The magic does not last after the song.
Prismatic Sphere
We Carouse
They are both journeys, both adventures. The Odyssey is an epic harrowing one, while The Accolade is a miniature masterpiece of gold. The Accolade's best moments are unbeatable by anything on The Odyssey; that is why it should win.
Too bad it looks like it won't.
Too bad it looks like it won't.
Detective Clarence Beauregard
Dehumanized
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