Remedy Lane - It's been SEVENTEEN YEARS?!?

[Sir Exar Kun]

How is that even possible?

Had this in the mix this morning at work, and just had to stop what I was even doing and listen to the sheer brilliance and beauty of "Trace of Blood" and "Rope Ends". No doubt this is an album that has gotten more than it's fair share of love here, but dang.... I just can't get over that this is seriously 17 years old now! Time flies WAY too fast.

3500+ albums in the collection, and Dream Theater's "Awake" has been probably my favorite single album for almost 25 years, but "Remedy Lane" is a seriously close challenger. There is absolutely nothing out of place on this album, and the combination of beauty and heartache simply cannot be beat.

Carry on.

[Mark]

This was a blind buy for me in the spring of 2002. All I knew is that I had read online that they were a good band who had opened for DT on tour and this was a good album. It came out of nowhere and changed my music-listening life forever. I even found out about the existence of ProgPower because I was looking online to see if they ever played in the USA.

[LarryD]

How is that even possible?

Had this in the mix this morning at work, and just had to stop what I was even doing and listen to the sheer brilliance and beauty of "Trace of Blood" and "Rope Ends". No doubt this is an album that has gotten more than it's fair share of love here, but dang.... I just can't get over that this is seriously 17 years old now! Time flies WAY too fast.

3500+ albums in the collection, and Dream Theater's "Awake" has been probably my favorite single album for almost 25 years, but "Remedy Lane" is a seriously close challenger. There is absolutely nothing out of place on this album, and the combination of beauty and heartache simply cannot be beat.

Carry on.

**** Definitely agree - although my fav PoS is still The Perfect Element, and I wish they would re-master that bad boy as well .......but, get the re-mastered version of Remedy Lane....it's definitely worth the money, and you get the legendary PP show they did RL in it's entirety. The re-mastered version is godly.

As far as time - it is not our friend. It is when we are children, but becomes our enemy the older we get.

[introclaus]

I absolutely loved this album, but I'm having such a hard time listening to it anymore - "This Heart of Mine" was the song my ex-wife and I had our first dance to at our wedding, and even though we've now been divorced for 3+ years, and all is good between us and we've both moved on, it still hurts listening to this album. I guess this proves that we all connect music to more than just a "listening experience" ...

[LarryD]

I absolutely loved this album, but I'm having such a hard time listening to it anymore - "This Heart of Mine" was the song my ex-wife and I had our first dance to at our wedding, and even though we've now been divorced for 3+ years, and all is good between us and we've both moved on, it still hurts listening to this album. I guess this proves that we all connect music to more than just a "listening experience" ...

***Sorry to hear that bro ....... as far as Remedy Lane, there are too many fillers on the disc for me to love it -- but the songs that aren't fillers ( to me ) are awesome...... Now if they would only re-master The Perfect Element.........

[ToddS]

I absolutely loved this album, but I'm having such a hard time listening to it anymore - "This Heart of Mine" was the song my ex-wife and I had our first dance to at our wedding, and even though we've now been divorced for 3+ years, and all is good between us and we've both moved on, it still hurts listening to this album. I guess this proves that we all connect music to more than just a "listening experience" ...

***Sorry to hear that bro ....... as far as Remedy Lane, there are too many fillers on the disc for me to love it -- but the songs that aren't fillers ( to me ) are awesome...... Now if they would only re-master The Perfect Element.........

That’s understandable Claus. Sorry bro.
Too many fillers on Remedy Lane?

[Mardoch]

I absolutely loved this album, but I'm having such a hard time listening to it anymore - "This Heart of Mine" was the song my ex-wife and I had our first dance to at our wedding, and even though we've now been divorced for 3+ years, and all is good between us and we've both moved on, it still hurts listening to this album. I guess this proves that we all connect music to more than just a "listening experience" ...

***Sorry to hear that bro ....... as far as Remedy Lane, there are too many fillers on the disc for me to love it -- but the songs that aren't fillers ( to me ) are awesome...... Now if they would only re-master The Perfect Element.........

That’s understandable Claus. Sorry bro.
Too many fillers on Remedy Lane?

I echo both of Todd's thoughts.

[LarryD]

Too many fillers on Remedy Lane?

****You and I have talked about this before ...... There are 2, maybe 3 songs on Remedy Lane that I don't care for, and always hit the FF button when I play it .....there are zero fillers ( to me ) on The Perfect Element, making that my favorite PoS disc ...... I could be using the wrong word in "filler" but I feel like 2 songs just don't match up with the vibe or the greatness of the rest of the disc ......

[ToddS]

Too many fillers on Remedy Lane?

****You and I have talked about this before ...... There are 2, maybe 3 songs on Remedy Lane that I don't care for, and always hit the FF button when I play it .....there are zero fillers ( to me ) on The Perfect Element, making that my favorite PoS disc ...... I could be using the wrong word in "filler" but I feel like 2 songs just don't match up with the vibe or the greatness of the rest of the disc ......

I know, but I just never understood it. Remedy Lane is about as perfect as any record in my collection. No skippers there for me, where as I generally skip Ashes without hesitation.

Not much to complain about with those first 4 PoS records overall really. Some of my favorite music of all time. TPE included. I’m one of the oddballs that places Entropia on top, just over RL. Those 2 are like I&W and Awake or Scenes to me.

Edit to correct skip Ashes *without* hesitation.

[LarryD]

I know, but I just never understood it. Remedy Lane is about as perfect as any record in my collection. No skippers there for me, where as I generally skip Ashes with hesitation.

***Fandango just feels completely out of place on this disc ...... that disjointed feel to the music doesn't help, but the song itself sounds so much different then the rest of the vibe on the disc .......

That happy chorus on Rope Ends rubs me a little bit as well .... I like the song a lot, but that happy chorus feels way out of place on the song .......

Just little bits of songs like that keep this from being the complete disc I want it to be ...... That doesn't mean I don't like the disc, I love it ..... I just cringe when those songs come on .......

For me, The Perfect Element is as perfect as it gets with a PoS disc .... pun intended......

[Packgrog]

I absolutely loved this album, but I'm having such a hard time listening to it anymore - "This Heart of Mine" was the song my ex-wife and I had our first dance to at our wedding, and even though we've now been divorced for 3+ years, and all is good between us and we've both moved on, it still hurts listening to this album. I guess this proves that we all connect music to more than just a "listening experience" ...

Oof, sorry to hear that, Claus.

Remedy Lane always did feel a bit like Perfect Element leftovers. I have always loved it, and frankly it was the last PoS album that I loved (BE was a struggle, and they changed too much for me after that). I do like the remix/remaster, which is not often the case.

Regardless, those first four PoS albums will always hold a special place in my heart. Wonderful stuff.

[LarryD]

Remedy Lane always did feel a bit like Perfect Element leftovers. I have always loved it, and frankly it was the last PoS album that I loved (BE was a struggle, and they changed too much for me after that). I do like the remix/remaster, which is not often the case.

Regardless, those first four PoS albums will always hold a special place in my heart. Wonderful stuff.

***Yes - those PoS years were some of the finest we've had in the progressive metal world in a long time ...... every PoS disc that came out was an event, and some of the most talked about discs on the board at the time ......

Not to hijack the thread - but it turns out that BE has become one of my fav PoS discs...... it tooks me 10 months to embrace it, but once I did I was hooked ...... I love concept discs, and I love that they turned this into a show on dvd as well ....... the only song that turns me off is that bluesy / gospel song ..... I know why it's there, but the music is way out of place compared to the rest of the disc...... great stuff to me ......

[Sir Exar Kun]

That happy chorus on Rope Ends rubs me a little bit as well .... I like the song a lot, but that happy chorus feels way out of place on the song .......

And see.... To me.... This is one of the absolute highlights of the album. If I had to play a song that defined what it means to be PROGRESSIVE this song makes the short list. To have the very odd, asymmetric timing that they do building into the chorus, then to pop into that melody, that change right there is as proggy as it possibly gets. Yes, it is 100% out of place and yet fits perfectly.

[Packgrog]

RE: BE:

I have never watched the video, but I do have it. I strongly dislike the studio album version, but the live recording is pretty good. The slight changes make a difference. Something about it, though, still kind of rubs me the wrong way, much as everything else after that has as well. But that's just me.

[ToddS]

I think Fandango is absolutely fantastic! It’s quirky and part of what made PoS great imo, instead of being another follow DT band. I know you have issues with quirky so I get that. I Love Rope Ends too. I don’t see why this one bothers you honestly. Nothing out of place on this entire recording for me. A complete masterpiece!

I played these 2 back to back last night. I feel RL is taking TPE to the next level. Also TPE is quite mellow in comparison. Of course Used kicks you in the face, but then it goes quite mellow for several songs. King of Loss absolutely slays though. I adore that song! Overall this one has more laid back mellow songs than any of the first 4. Oddly enough the subject matter is quite the opposite. Anyway it’s a fantastic record, but RL is just hands down better.

I also meant to say “I skip Ashes without hesitation” I made the edit to correct this. Biggest skipper on the first 4 records for me.

[ToddS]

The are some great songs on BE, but over all way too much filler. The video is pretty cool.

[ToddS]

That happy chorus on Rope Ends rubs me a little bit as well .... I like the song a lot, but that happy chorus feels way out of place on the song .......

And see.... To me.... This is one of the absolute highlights of the album. If I had to play a song that defined what it means to be PROGRESSIVE this song makes the short list. To have the very odd, asymmetric timing that they do building into the chorus, then to pop into that melody, that change right there is as proggy as it possibly gets. Yes, it is 100% out of place and yet fits perfectly.

The layered vocal lines with the very clever real life like lyrics, paint a very clear and detailed picture. This just makes it all that much more special.