The Great Deceiver is a great album but it's a 4CD set with a huge amount of overlap. Some songs are featured two or three times, because the same songs were played at multiple shows.
Yeah I don't think live albums are generally a good way of getting into KC, even though they are generally an insanely great live band.
As I said, I recommend going through their real catalog chronologically, then when you really get a feel for their sound throughout the years, pop into some of the stellar live releases like TGD and Absent Lovers, and they'll have much more impact.
I'm seeing Steven Wilson tonight and I'm really excited about it. The PT concert I saw in 2010 is still easily the best concert (best live performance of anything) I've ever seen and so I've got high expectations.
I'm seeing him tomorrow, and I'm excited as hell! The last SW concert was amazing. The PT concerts have all been amazing, too. I was actually at the filming of Arriving Somewhere and Octane Twisted.
I wish he was doing a signing or something, though. I want to get some more of my deluxe editions signed! Might bring Raven down with me just in case. (Already got the deluxes for The Incident and Grace for Drowning signed)
Regarding Dream Theater, I actually really like James LaBrie's voice (but I do admit it is very niche).
Systematic Chaos was okay, and Black Clouds was only alright, but I really enjoyed A Dramatic Turn of Events.
If I had to rank the albums, it would go:
1. Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence
2. Scenes from a Memory
3. Images and Words
4. A Dramatic Turn of Events
5. Octavarium
6. Awake
7. Black Clouds and Silver Linings
8. Train of Thought
9. Falling Into Infinity
10. Systematic Chaos
11. When Dream and Day Unite
Don't get me wrong though, I generally love almost everything they put out. I am a true die-hard fan. I've done meet and greets with the new lineup and back when Portnoy was still in the band, and I have signed items from all current and former members.
I don't get the LaBrie voice hate. He's not stellar or anything, but I can't imagine many different singers fitting with the music. It works well, and he's light years better than a lot of the DT-esque copy cat type bands that have popped up over the years.
My rankings would probably be similar:
1. Scenes from a Memory
2. Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence
3. Images and Words
4. A Dramatic Turn of Events
5. Train of Thought
6. Octavarium
7. Systematic Chaos
8. Falling Into Infinity
9. Black Clouds and Silver Linings
10. Awake
11. When Dream and Day Unite
