Greatest Hit (...And 21 Other Pretty Cool Songs)
Greatest Hit (...And 21 Other Pretty Cool Songs) | ||||
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![]() Cover art byHugh Syme | ||||
Greatest hits albumby | ||||
Released | March 29, 2008 | |||
Recorded | October 14, 1991 – February 25, 2005 at various studios | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 138:16 | |||
Label | Rhino | |||
Producer | John Petrucci,Mike Portnoy,David Prater, Duane Baron,John Purdell,Kevin Shirley | |||
Dream Theaterchronology | ||||
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Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
Allmusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Sputnikmusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Greatest Hit (...And 21 Other Pretty Cool Songs)is acompilation albumby Americanprogressive metalbandDream Theaterreleased in Australia on March 29, 2008, and byRhino Recordsin the United States on April 1.[3]The title alludes to their only top 10 radio hit, "Pull Me Under".It features three songs from their breakthrough albumImages and Wordsremixed byKevin Shirley:"Pull Me Under","Take the Time ", and"Another Day".It also features the song" To Live Forever ", anAwake-era re-recording of the song from theImages and Wordssessions (featured as aB-sideof thesingle"Lie" ), which was previously unreleased on a full-length album. Several single edits of popular Dream Theater songs are also featured on this compilation.
The songs have been divided in two discs: the first one, dubbed "The Dark Side", features heavy, metal-influenced songs, while the second one, entitled "The Light Side", spotlights the band's melodic side. The set spans the years from 1991 to 2005, therefore it doesn't include any songs from Dream Theater's debut album,When Dream and Day Unite,theirA Change of SeasonsEP(although it was released in 1995) or their 2007 releaseSystematic Chaos.
Then-drummerMike Portnoyexplained in the album's booklet that the selection of songs were carefully made to appeal both to new listeners and already existing fans by offering different versions of songs on other albums to "make the newcomer want to buy the albums from whence they came" and to "give different versions of songs already on other albums" to the current fan. He also suggests that a third disc should have been included called "The Epic Side".
Track listing[edit]
Disc one ( "The Dark Side" )[edit]
No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Original album | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Pull Me Under"(2007remix) | Kevin Moore | Dream Theater | Images and Words,1992 | 8:13 |
2. | "Take the Time" (2007 remix) | Dream Theater | Dream Theater | Images and Words | 8:22 |
3. | "Lie" (Single edit) | Moore | Dream Theater | Awake,1994 | 5:02 |
4. | "Peruvian Skies" | John Petrucci | Dream Theater | Falling into Infinity,1997 | 6:42 |
5. | "Home" (Single edit) | Mike Portnoy | Dream Theater | Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory,1999 | 5:38 |
6. | "Misunderstood" (Single edit) | Petrucci | Petrucci,John Myung,Jordan Rudess,Portnoy | Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence,2002 | 5:14 |
7. | "The Test That Stumped Them All"(Single edit) | Portnoy | Petrucci, Myung, Rudess, Portnoy | Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence | 5:00 |
8. | "As I Am" (Cleansingle edit) | Petrucci | Petrucci, Myung, Rudess, Portnoy | Train of Thought,2003 | 7:14 |
9. | "Endless Sacrifice" | Petrucci | Petrucci, Myung, Rudess, Portnoy | Train of Thought | 11:23 |
10. | "The Root of All Evil"(Edited version) | Portnoy | Dream Theater | Octavarium,2005 | 7:16 |
11. | "Sacrificed Sons" (Edited version) | James LaBrie | Dream Theater | Octavarium | 9:41 |
Disc two ( "The Light Side" )[edit]
No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Original album | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Another Day"(2007 remix) | Petrucci | Dream Theater | Images and Words | 4:25 |
2. | "To Live Forever" | Petrucci, Moore | Dream Theater | B-sideto the "Lie"single,1994 | 4:56 |
3. | "Lifting Shadows off a Dream" | Myung | Dream Theater | Awake | 6:09 |
4. | "The Silent Man" | Petrucci | Petrucci | Awake | 3:47 |
5. | "Hollow Years" | Petrucci | Dream Theater | Falling into Infinity | 5:55 |
6. | "Through Her Eyes" (Alternate albummix) | Petrucci | Dream Theater | Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory | 6:03 |
7. | "The Spirit Carries On" | Petrucci | Dream Theater | Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory | 6:40 |
8. | "Solitary Shell"(Single edit) | Petrucci | Petrucci, Myung, Rudess, Portnoy | Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence | 4:10 |
9. | "I Walk Beside You" | Petrucci | Dream Theater | Octavarium | 4:28 |
10. | "The Answer Lies Within" (Edited version) | Petrucci | Dream Theater | Octavarium | 5:15 |
11. | "Disappear" | LaBrie | Petrucci, Myung, Rudess, Portnoy | Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence | 6:45 |
Personnel[edit]
- James LaBrie–lead vocals
- John Petrucci–guitar,backing vocals
- John Myung–bass
- Mike Portnoy–drums,backing vocals
- Jordan Rudess–keyboards(tracks 5–11 on disc one and tracks 6–11 on disc two)
- Kevin Moore– keyboards (tracks 1–3 on disc one and tracks 1-4 on disc two)
- Derek Sherinian– keyboards, backing vocals on "Peruvian Skies" and "Hollow Years"
- Jay Beckenstein–saxophoneon "Another Day" and "Through Her Eyes"
- Theresa Thomason– additional vocals on "Through Her Eyes" and "The Spirit Carries On"
Song notes[edit]
- The versions of "As I Am" and the four songs originally released onOctavariumdiffer slightly from the original versions, although the album credits do not state this. "As I Am" omits the opening orchestral chord and the use of profanity, while the songs fromOctavariumomit the sound effects that served as interludes between songs on the original album, for instance, the opening F note played on keyboard and one minute intro to "The Root of All Evil" is omitted and starts at exactly 1:00 into the song.
- On the album cover, the "s" in "Greatest" and "hit" in "Hit" are printed in a subtle shade of red, making the word "shit", as a remark on the band's known frustrations with the status of "Pull Me Under". The album artwork continues this theme, with the stain of seagull feces on an armchair printed with the Dream Theater logo.
Chart positions[edit]
Chart (2008) | Peak position |
---|---|
Belgian Albums (UltratopFlanders)[4] | 74 |
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[5] | 52 |
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[4] | 77 |
Hungarian Albums (MAHASZ)[6] | 38 |
Italian Albums (FIMI)[7] | 37 |
Japanese Albums(Oricon)[8] | 28 |
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[9] | 12 |
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[10] | 46 |
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[11] | 62 |
UK Albums(OCC)[12] | 113 |
USBillboard200[13] | 122 |
References[edit]
- ^Jurek, Thom (2011)."Greatest Hit (....And 21 Other Pretty Cool Songs) - Dream Theater | AllMusic".allmusic.com.RetrievedAugust 3,2011.
- ^"Dream Theater - Greatest Hit (... and 21 Other...) (staff review) | Sputnikmusic".sputnikmusic.com.2011. Archived fromthe originalon June 1, 2011.RetrievedAugust 3,2011.
- ^"DREAM THEATER'S GreateSt HIT (...and 21 other pretty cool songs) - due April 1st".Dream Theater/Mark Bredius. Archived fromthe originalon February 13, 2009.RetrievedFebruary 5,2008.
- ^ab"Ultratop.be – Dream Theater – Greatest Hit (... And 21 Other Pretty Cool Songs)"(in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
- ^"Dutchcharts.nl – Dream Theater – Greatest Hit (... And 21 Other Pretty Cool Songs)"(in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
- ^"Album Top 40 slágerlista – 2008. 14. hét"(in Hungarian).MAHASZ.Retrieved November 27, 2021.
- ^"Italiancharts.com – Dream Theater – Greatest Hit (... And 21 Other Pretty Cool Songs)".Hung Medien. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
- ^グレイテスト・ヒット+21ソングス ドリーム・シアター[Greatest Hit (...And 21 Other Pretty Cool Songs) - Dream Theater] (in Japanese).Oricon.RetrievedSeptember 14,2016.
- ^"Norwegiancharts.com – Dream Theater – Greatest Hit (... And 21 Other Pretty Cool Songs)".Hung Medien. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
- ^"Swedishcharts.com – Dream Theater – Greatest Hit (... And 21 Other Pretty Cool Songs)".Hung Medien. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
- ^"Swisscharts.com – Dream Theater – Greatest Hit (... And 21 Other Pretty Cool Songs)".Hung Medien. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
- ^"Chart Log UK".Archived fromthe originalon October 19, 2015.RetrievedJuly 21,2012.
- ^"Dream Theater".Billboard.RetrievedNovember 18,2021.