Larrok

I am curious to hear the answer.

Listen Lux, just because Easycure has started to criticize Opeth doesn’t mean you have to downplay them too... this is a great album, plain and simple, full of ideas, emotions, and played to perfection. And it can’t be categorized into genres.

My goal is certainly not to upset your opinions; I just challenged your way of considering Scaruffi, which I believe is a bit mistaken. While you may completely disagree with something he says, you must at least acknowledge that if an expert of his level (whom I consider among the best and who has introduced me to a lot of artists) rates an album with an 8 (not a 6, 6.5, or 7 - for instance, he gave a maximum of 7 to Genesis), then this album should be regarded as something more than just garbage, don't you think?

Lux, I only considered the albums from the best periods of each band. Otherwise, Genesis or Yes would have an average below zero with the crap they produced from the '80s onward...

And anyway, for the record, the average score of the Ramones' discography according to Scaruffi is 5.7 (with 6 albums rated insufficient), while for Dream Theater it is 6.4 (only one insufficient rating), not bad considering that bands like the Rolling Stones reach 6.8, Yes up to Relayer 6.9, Genesis up to The Lamb 6.5, King Crimson up to Red 6.9, Led Zeppelin up to Presence 6.5, and Pink Floyd up to The Wall 7. Among other things, I obviously consider these artists to be far superior to DT, but only a couple of their albums have received a higher rating than I&W. This means that, although DT has settled at lower levels afterwards, I&W remains a work to be respected, even though it's perfectly legitimate for many, including you, not to like it. For example, I can't bring myself to enjoy "Trout Mask Replica" by Captain Beefheart, but I recognize its value and undeniable historical importance.

I’m well aware of your stance regarding Scaruffi, but since you brought up the discussion about rankings, asserting (perhaps provocatively...) that even in that aspect the DT weren’t given much consideration by him, I pointed out that that’s not the case. Once again, you show little respect towards me by labeling me as an obtuse fan of the Dream without knowing me. If you did know me, you would understand that for me, the DT are a group that makes good music, but I certainly don’t paint them with that aura of "non-plus ultra"; on the contrary… I really don’t understand what you mean when you use the term YOU; why do you use the plural? Should I belong to a specific category? Lastly, you have no idea how many albums I’ve listened to and loved throughout the history of rock, so don’t bother recommending that I educate myself on Scaruffi’s website, as I assure you I’m already quite clear on my views. If Scaruffi gave an 8 to "Rocket to Russia", it means that probably, more or less, that’s its value and I acknowledge that, even though I don’t love the genre; on the other hand, when you read the rating of I&W, what do you think?

Check out the list "Greatest rock bands of all times" by Scaruffi and you'll see the DT mentioned once again. Portnoy is on the page "Greatest rock drummers of all times," Petrucci is in the "Greatest rock guitarists of all times." Could they all be wrong?

Easy, take a look at Scaruffi's ranking of "Best progressive-rock albums of all times"; it consists of 118 records and guess what, "Images&Words" is at 23rd place, also the third from the '90s... Clearly, Scaruffi is an expert only when it suits him... Personally, I believe that if someone is considered an expert, when they express a judgment, it means they at least have grasped the value, whether low or high, of a particular work. Of course, they might make minor mistakes in their assessments, but they can't rate a record as a 4 and another as an 8, or vice versa; otherwise, I wouldn't really consider them an expert.

A special album by a special band. Supper's Ready is the pinnacle of prog.

Having composed this album in the autumn of 1970, I believe they were quite innovative for their time, considering that the masterpieces of the Canterbury scene (with a few exceptions) started to emerge from 1971 onwards...