Food For Thought: Pain of Salvation - The Perfect Element II with an ORCHESTRA?

New video..likely the last for awhile for obvious reasons. 

Pain of Salvation - Top 10-40 Songs (Better than IN THE PASSING LIGHT OF DAY)

I am going to post this, and likely won't do a ton of editing later, but this is a list of Favorite Songs from Pain of Salvation, in a vaguely ranked order (the top 5-10 are more solid, 11-40  could probably be interchanged, plus I'm likely forgetting some songs I do love, but have not listened to in over a decade).

But this was inspired largely from some discussion on the dreamtheaterforums and also more or less since In the Passing Light of Day was released in 2017 and the reverence and praise for the 15-minute closing track that I fail to hear the genius behind, especially just comparing it to so many other songs they (Daniel Gildenlow) has written and recorded.

The below list is both a Favorite Tracks list and I don't think it's a stretch to say every single one of these songs are better, or in some cases  A LOT BETTER AND MORE MEMORABLE OR GOOSE-BUMP WORTHY (or at least include moments that are), than the title track to In the Passing Light of Day).

Is In the Passing Light of Day a bad song? no. It has a decent chorus. The lyrics I can follow the sympathy and and relate-ability to. But for me, and many others, how much I love a song can come down to is how much I enjoy it MUSICALLY.

ItPLoD DRAGS to me and fails to have any HUGE MAGICAL MOMENT that so many of the tunes below have. Even just the chorus, while not bad, is done at such a slow tempo, it doesn't include as strong of an ear worm as many of the below tracks have.

I would say, unless hearing it more and changing my take, the title track may be the most overrated song Pain of Salvation's fans have ever put onto a high pedestal.

King of Loss for example, back in the day was, and I'll admit I initially only thought it was okay, but I had kind of a Led Zeppelin-Bring it on Home moment with it a year or 2 after buying The Perfect Element I, and realize how incredible it was. The Strings and climax just blew me away.

Plus I kind of feel the lyrics get too dreary and bleak, the music doesn't include enough of a contrast with beauty (melancholy) that allows me to enjoy them. Sure, it's about the hard/harsh reality Daniel was going through with the I'm sure what seemed like never ending mincing-pain from the effects of Flesh Eating Bacteria eating away at his body. But from an ART standpoint, the music and words didn't bring me the "oh my god " moments that many other songs and sections of songs do.

It's just dreary, bleak, etc. Kind of like going to a Hospital and seeing a loved one suffer. There's no enjoyment or even comic relief often. It's only something you want to do and get over with.

It reminds me of Doom or Drone Metal. There's not enough sound in it to grab onto. The best part is when it's over, etc.

40. Fandango
39. The Taming of a Beast
38. Water
37. Winning a War
36. Disco Queen
35. Ending Theme
34. Dea Pecuniae
33. To the Shoreline
32. Rope Ends
31. Idioglossia
30. Sisters
29. Used
28. Mrs. Modern Mother Mary
27. Stress
26. Meaningless
25. Lilium Cruentus
24. Imago
23. This Heart of Mine (I Pledge)
22. The Physics of Gridlock
21. Chainsling
20. On a Tuesday
19. Inside
18. Martius / Nauticus II
17. ! (Forward)
16. Home
15. Nightmist
14. Enter Rain
13. Reconciliation
12. Undertow
11. Flame to the Moth
10. Her Voices
9. Inside Out
8. Plains of Dawn
7. A Trace of Blood
6. King of Loss
5. Iter Impius
4. In the Flesh
3. People Passing By
2. Beyond the Pale
1. The Perfect Element

Meaningful Songs: The Monkees - A Better World (PETER TORK)

The Monkees - A Better World

Ever since learning of Peter Tork's death the other day I and maybe even moreso my wife thought of him and THIS SONG.

See, my Monkees-lifer wife felt that THIS song "A Better World" was actually the best or her favorite track from the much praised Good Times! from 2016.

And it seems to receive very little to no love or attention!

It's really wonderful. The string arrangement, the sort of sad, cynical and in some way optimistic way it sounds and the lyrics specifically.

And so in thinking about Peter, this tune does not seem to leave my head. 


IT WASN'T EVEN ON THE STANDARD GOOD TIMES! BUT ONLY A BLEEPING BONUS TRACK!

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I dunno, I love a lot of Good Times!

Birth of an Accidental Hipster, You Bring the Summer, She Makes Me Laugh, Me and Magdalena and some others...

but I may be siding with my wife now.

This is such a haunting, sad, beautiful tune.

And Peter never performed it live, I don't think. Not with The Monkees anyway, maybe at 1 of those solo shows he did in 2016 or 2017? I'd have to look it up.

It is kind of haunting me now..like his or his brother Nick's feeling about food and Global Food supplies. Why are people starving when there's more than enough food to go around.

It reminds me of "Earth Song" from Michael Jackson or a conversation I had with Johan Hallgren of Pain of Salvation in 2002 or 2004 at ProgPower USA.

In this song, it seems we are in a "Better World" and like Star Trek alludes to, starvation and famine are gone. A thing of the distant past, etc.

"Joytown" from Kevin Gilbert also comes to mind. Sort of a dream/fantasy utopia in some ways.

Rest in Peace Peter. Hopefully this song will reach even just more Monkees fans now posthumously.
I'm sure now you are living in this "Better World."

Maybe your brother Nick will at least be around to see that.


Bonus track from The Monkees' 2016 album GOOD TIMES
Credits Written by Nick Thorkelson
Peter Tork – Vocals, Guitars and Percussion
Micky Dolenz and Coco Dolenz – Backing Vocals
Joe Boyle – Lead Guitar, Bass and Backing Vocals
Sturgis Cunningham – Drums, Percussion and Backing Vocals
Katlin Wolfberg, Corinne Olsen, Emily Elkins and Eliza James – String Quartet


A Better World"

A better world is needed
I believe anyone can see it
A better world is coming
If we live as we believe
A better world is started
No need to be broken-hearted
No need for longing
We can have all we need

There’s more than enough
To feed all the hungry
To mend every broken heart
We can bring this about
If we mean it
It’s not gonna be easy
So start, so start, so start

The way we live is funny
Anyone can see it’s gonna
Take more than money
It’s gonna take all we got
The way we live is tragic
Anyone can tell it’s gonna
Take more than magic
But believe it or not

There’s more than enough
To feed all the hungry
With enough heart and soul
And if we don’t tire
We can bring this about
It’s not just my imagination
It’s not just you and me
And it’s not just two or three
It’s the whole wide world
On fire

You’ll get your money back
Your heart’s desire

A better world is needed
I believe anyone can see it
A better world is coming
If we live as we believe
A better world is started
No need to be broken hearted
No need for longing
We can have all we need

There’s more than enough (There’s more than enough)
To feed all the hungry
To mend every broken heart
We can bring this about
If we mean it
It’s not gonna be easy
So start, so start

Whole wide world
On fire
Whole wide world
On fire

Meaningful Songs: Pain of Salvation - Karachay: Inside Out

Pain of Salvation - Karachay: Inside Out

This has always been a favorite track from One Hour by the Concrete Lake, but I don't often see it mentioned by fans. Why? I have no clue to be honest, other than the fact the whole record is sort of looked down upon a little bit per both the production and maybe more so the albums before and after it are so fucking good.

But the inspiration by singling this one out mostly from 1 of the most recent episodes of the Pain of Salvation documentary series from 2007-2011? included it and reminded me how much I loved it. It's a track I have not listened to in many years sadly, but I'm glad I did.

Musically, it always was a bit like Pain of Salvation doing a progressive Power Metal tune. A little like the Andre Matos-Angra from the 90's, with the fast keys and energetic guitar riff and drum work. And the dynamics work really well, and close out One Hour by the Concrete Lake with a big climax.

One other note, it actually has the "Karachay" prefix/subname as One Hour is a concept album about a lake and environmental concerns; and the lake, refers to Lake Karachay. I honestly never realized this, at least in song titles.  The final 4 tracks (Suite?) all refer to Lake Karachay, just as the "Spirit of Man" and "Part of the Machine" refer to 2 other "suites" of sorts on the album as well.

893 Essential Songs (89.3 The Current) TOP 10

Well my prediction was correct

But one other thing that crossed my mind about this, in thinking about the likely, pretty eye-rolling list that I anticipate, is that in 2016 it was 893 albums, 2017 893 Artists, so in 2018 it might be 893 songs, if they haven't already done one for Songs (I somehow think they did, but maybe it wasn't in this so called voting process? I can't remember).

https://cloud.connect.mpr.org/essential_songs

893 Essential Songs

Submit your Top 10 Essential Songs — your favorite songs of all time!

Use this form to submit your 10 essential songs and enter the 893 Essential Songs giveaway between Tuesday, April 3 at 2 p.m. CDT and 11:59 p.m. CDT Monday, April 16, 2018.

One (1) winner will receive one (1) gift certificate redeemable at Amazon.com for $893.00. Winner must provide a signed prize acceptance and a W-9 before receiving prize. Three (3) back up names will be drawn.

Items with a red asteristk (*) are required.

Same deal as last year; per I don't pay attention nor listen to 89.3 for obvious reasons, I didn't realize they were doing another 1 of these for these dates, although per last year it began on April 4th, I suppose that would have been something to remember/plan.

So for 2019, it'll probably be April 1st or April 8th 2019 which are both Mondays. But Albums, Artists, Songs. 2019???? Career Discographies? Live Albums? although Career Discographies is basically the same thing as Artists.

I still think the thing to do is my idea posted last year. 89 minutes and 30 seconds for people who win a contest. Hell, even just 1 listener, although that doesn't occupy more than 1 day and just an isolated amount of time for that matter. If it were like 10 winners or more, than it could at least be done for those 90 minutes once-a-day. It would give reason to tune in then. Their issue would be, 24 hours in the day, and only 1.5 for the special reason to tune-in. Which might suggest more than once-per-day. Say like 10 times per day, and like 100 winners or something, lol.

Maybe that sounds far-fetched, but I know i would be interested in those playlists.

I suppose though if they are doing the Pledge Drive, the winner might get 89 minutes of music or even time for their own, per they would have to talk and beg for money they do during the Pledge Drive. Although I dunno if they could do it where the winners would have their 89 minutes AFTER THE PLEDGE DRIVE IS OVER, etc.

Anyway, that all being said, like the previous submissions, none of my songs or artists likely will end up in their 893 list. Well, not sure, but the only ones would be the obvious classic rock names, but the songs I picked, there's next to no chance for, other than maybe Zeppelin and Queen.

Link for MY list (below)

0. Judy Garland - Somewhere Over the Rainbow 

1. Rush - Cygnus X-1: Book Two: Hemispheres
2. Yes - The Gates of Delirium
3. Jethro Tull - Thick as a Brick
4. Marillion - Grendel
5. Genesis - The Cinema Show
6. Dream Theater - Scarred
7. Fates Warning - Still Remains
8. Pain of Salvation - The Perfect Element
9. Queen - The Prophet's Song
10. Led Zeppelin - Achilles Last Stand


11. Toy Matinee - Last Plane Out
12. Ours - The Worst Things Beautiful
13. dredg - The Canyon Behind Her
14. The Dear Hunter - His Hands Matched His Tongue
15. Oceansize - The Frame
16. Pink Floyd - Dogs

edit: Gonna publish this now and then Edit in more later I think per time right now.

edit 2:
So I suppose 1 idea as a Reaction-To the list of 893 Songs that I'm sure less than 30% will be
a) Songs I like
b) Artists I even think are okay or like

So what I may do is come up with I dunno, 500 SONGS let's say, with the interest to never repeat an Artist Twice. Although I suppose if I struggle to find 500 Artists with 1 song, which now thinking about it, shouldn't be all that hard, just time-consuming of course, I may consider more than 1 song per artist.

I kind of suspect 89.3 will do more than 1 song per artist, especially if they truly use the Voting results, which I'm pretty sure they do not 100%.

But as far as my vote, honestly I just threw it together to not invest hours upon days on it up until the deadline next week. Are those 10 or 15 songs above MY DEFINITIVE TOP 10 OR 15 SONGS??? HELL TO THE NO. But they certainly are 10 or 15 songs I love, and if I ever really made as close to a definitive Favorite Songs List, all of them would be very high.

Somewhere Over the Rainbow has been and likely always will remain my favorite song of all-time, largely pure childhood sentimentality and nostalgia. But I didn't vote for it per it probably will get more than enough votes to make it anyway. And it kind of goes into a different category for me, more like most cherished childhood song, etc.

The others though, and the rankings?..meh, I just threw them down and the numbers don't really mean a lot. Hemispheres over Gates of Delirium? lol..why maybe if I ever make a close-to definitive list, it'll just be UNRANKED or tiered or something. Will the React-To be THAT close-to-definitive list? Unlikely.

I suppose maybe 2 lists, if somehow time permits it. 1 being the 500+ Songs with only 1 artist? and the other is just honestly? taking as many favorite artists and puting 5-25 songs in a hat and see where the number goes. And then the whole issue of artist who have 1 amazing song, or 2 amazing songs, etc like Under the Influence of Giants or Aviatic or whatever.

The Year 1998 Albums Calendar and Rankings

 The year 1998 was a year I was in the thick of Dream Theater fandom I suppose, as I got to see them live for the 2nd time with ELP and Deep Purple.

And of course their new side project Liquid Tension Experiment came out on the heals of Falling Into Infinity, a polarizing record for many. LTE though most loved, and I will admit I did enjoy then, but probably more now as I wasn't as into instrumental rock music up until that point.

But looking at the rankings and calendar, 1998 was quite a deep year, compared to some other years. But at the same time, there doesn't seem to be any all-time favorites.

dredg's Leitmotif is a great debut album, quite original and does not overstay its welcome. And I came to learn about its cool concept/story after enjoying it for awhile. I suppose by default, and my love of dredg, it is my favorite album from 1998. But it's interesting scanning the list, many of the other albums I could easily rank higher than it, as many are albums that are my favorites from said artists (Superior, Jeff Buckley, Chroma Key, VAST, Mansun, Platypus, Pushmonkey).

But it's splitting hairs I guess. I look at this year and calendar as having many (20-25 or more) very good, 3.5-4 star albums. With a few at least bordering on 4.5.

In other words, not Top Heavy, but DEEP and in a matter of speaking.

1. dredg - Leitmotif
2. Liquid Tension Experiment - Liquid Tension Experiment
3. Superior - Younique
4. Pain of Salvation - One Hour by the Concrete Lake
5. Jeff Buckley - Sketches (For My Sweetheart the Drunk)
6. Marillion - Radiation
7. Shadow Gallery - Tyranny
8. Enchant - Break
9. Angra - Fireworks
10. Chroma Key - Dead Air for Radios
11. Mansun - Six
12. Fates Warning - Still Life
13. Galactic Cowboys - At the End of the Day
14. VAST - Visual Audio Sensory Theater
15. Spock's Beard - The Kindness of Strangers
16. Poncho Sanchez - Afro Cuban Fantasy
17. Platypus - When Pus Comes to Shove
18. King's X - Tape Head
19. Valinor's Tree - Kingdom of Sadness
20. Pushmonkey - Pushmonkey
21. Sculptured - The Spear of the Lily Is Aureoled
22. The Gathering - How to Measure a Planet?
23. Refused - The Shape of Punk to Come
24. Ty Tabor - Moonflower Lane
25. Marillion and the Positive Light - Tales from the Engine Room
26. Steve Hackett - The Tokyo Tapes
27. Soundscape - Man and Machine [EP]
28. Rush - Different Stages
29, Opeth - My Arms, Your Hearse
30. White Willow - Ex Tenebris
31. Without Warning - Step Beyond
32. Power of Omens - Eyes of the Oracle
33. OHO - Ecce OHO
34. Vincent Gallo - Buffalo '66 Soundtrack
35. Imogen Heap - I Megaphone
36. Al Di Meola - The Infinite Desire
37, Gorguts - Obscura
38. Wondermints - Bali
39. System of a Down - System of a Down
40. sElf - Brunch [EP]

41. The Rubinoos - Paleophonic

42. Poundhound - Massive Grooves from the Electric Church of Psychofunkadelic Grungelism Rock Music
43. Dream Theater - Once in a Livetime
44. At the Drive-In - In/Casino/Out
45. New Radicals - Maybe You've Been Brainwashed Too
46. Metropolis - Shadows of the Past
47. Lenny Kravitz - 5
48. Lorde of All Desires - The Scent of Malevolence
49. Van Halen - Van Halen III



Poncho Sanchez - Afro Cuban Fantasy
rel January 1, 1998


Thinking Plague - In Extremis
rel January 1, 1998


Shpongle - Are You Shpongled?
\rel January 25, 1998


Freak Kitchen - Freak Kitchen
rel January 26, 1998


Dixie Chicks - Wide Open Spaces
rel January 27, 1998


Marillion and the Positive Light - Tales from the Engine Room
rel January 1998


Madonna - Ray of Light
rel February 22, 1998


Ty Tabor - Moonflower Lane
rel February 24, 1998


Liquid Tension Experiment - Liquid Tension Experiment
rel March 10, 1998


Van Halen - Van Halen III
rel March 17, 1998


Malice Mizer - Merveilles
rel March 18, 1998


Sculptured - The Spear of the Lily Is Aureoled
rel March 1998


Arena - The Visitor
rel April 20, 1998


Jimmy Page and Robert Plant - Walking Into Clarksdale
rel April 21, 1998


Steve Hackett - The Tokyo Tapes
rel April 27, 1998


Blind Guardian - Nightfall in Middle-Earth
rel April 28, 1998


Josh Rouse - Dressed Up Like Nebraska
rel April 28, 1998


VAST - Visual Audio Sensory Theater
rel April 28, 1998


Julian Lennon - Photograph Smile
rel May 4, 1998


Lenny Kravitz - 5
rel May 12, 1998


Spock's Beard - Kindness of Strangers
rel May 19, 1998


Jeff Buckley - Sketches (For My Sweetheart the Drunk)
rel May 26, 1998


Sloan - Navy Blues
rel May 26, 1998


dredg - Leitmotif
rel May 30, 1998


Superior - Younique
rel May 1998


Bela Fleck and the Flecktones - Left of Cool
rel June 9, 1998


Vital Tech Tones - Vital Tech Tones
rel June 9, 1998


Imogen Heap - I Megaphone
rel June 16, 1998


Anathema - Alternative 4
rel June 22, 1998


Gorguts - Obscura
rel June 23, 1998


The Rubinoos - Paleophonic
rel June 26, 1998


System of a Down - System of a Down
rel June 30, 1998


Power of Omens - Eyes of the Oracle
rel June 1998


Vincent Gallo - Buffalo '66 Soundtrack
rel July 7, 1998


Angra - Fireworks
rel July 14, 1998


Pain of Salvation - One Hour by the Concrete Lake
rel July 21, 1998


Explorer's Club - Age of Impact
rel July 28, 1998


The Appleseed Cast - The End of the Ring Wars
rel August 11, 1998


Poundhound - Massive Grooves from the Electric Church of Psychofunkadelic Grungelism Rock Music
rel August 11, 1998


At the Drive-In - In/Casino/Out
rel August 18, 1998


Al Di Meola - The Infinite Desire
rel August 18, 1998


Opeth - My Arms, Your Hearse
rel August 18, 1998


Enchant - Break
rel August 25, 1998


Platypus - When Pus Comes to Shove
rel August 25, 1998


Mansun - Six
rel September 7, 1998


The Church - Hologram of Baal
rel September 8, 1998


Death - The Sound of Perseverance
rel September 15, 1998


Pushmonkey - Pushmonkey
rel September 15, 1998


Trans Siberian Orchestra - The Christmas Attic
rel September 15, 1998


Marillion - Radiation
rel September 21, 1998


Mastermind - Excelsior!
rel September 21, 1998


Galactic Cowboys - At the End of the Day
rel September 22, 1998


Shadow Gallery - Tyranny
rel September 22, 1998


Fates Warning - Still Life
rel October 6, 1998


New Radicals - Maybe You've Been Brainwashed Too
rel October 16, 1998


Five Fifteen - Six Dimensions of the Electric Camembert
rel October 18, 1998


King's X - Tape Head
rel October 20, 1998


Devin Townsend - Infinity
rel October 21, 1998


Cobweb Strange - Sound from the Gathering
rel October 23, 1998


Dream Theater - Once in a LIVEtime
rel October 27, 1998


Refused - The Shape of Punk to Come
rel October 27, 1998


Ayreon - Into the Electric Castle - A Space Opera
rel October 31, 1998


The Gathering - How to Measure a Planet?
rel November 9, 1998


Rush - Different Stages
rel November 10, 1998


Metallica - Garage Inc.
rel November 23, 1998


D.C. Cooper - D.C. Cooper
rel December 9, 1998


Ulver - Themes from William Blake's The Marriage of Heaven and Hell
rel December 17, 1998


Chroma Key - Dead Air for Radios
rel December 16, 1998


Blue Canoe - II
rel 1998


Bruford Levin Upper Extremities - Bruford Levin Upper Extremities
rel 1998


Deus Ex Machina - Equilibrismo da insofferenza
rel 1998


Lorde of All Desires - The Scent of Malevolence
rel 1998


Metropolis - Shadows of the Past
rel 1998


Mostly Autumn - For All We Shared...
rel 1998


OHO - Ecce OHO
rel 1998


Steve Smith, Tom Coster and Larry Coryell - Cause and Effect
rel 1998


Soundscape - Man and Machine [EP]
rel 1998


Valinor's Tree - Kingdom of Sadness
rel 1998


White Willow - Ex Tenebris
rel 1998


Without Warning - Step Beyond
rel 1998


Wondermints - Bali
rel 1998


So that does it for the 1980's and 1990's Albums Calendars. I'll add something in a bit about the plans coming up. But in here, it does give me a sense of accomplishment to finish off 2 more decades worth of these and seeing the light finally at the end of the tunnel.