Dream Theater – Images And Words

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Dream Theater's "Images and Words" was produced under fraught circumstances, namely the loss of their record deal and original vocalist. Undetered, the band soldiered on, signing a new deal with Atco Records and recruiting James LaBrie to replace Charlie Dominici. Narrowly avoiding both obscurity and the sophomore album curse, Dream Theater assiduously overcame the odds to contrive their magnum opus; beset with convolution, majesty and tension, it established and defined them as a musical unit.

Remarkably versatile, "Images and Words" both consolidates and reworks genre conventions. From "Pull Me Under," "Another Day," to "Take the Time" the band showcase their range, incorporating elements of New-Age balladry, arena-ready anthems and classic rock into their metal stylings. With full intent, the elaborate, processed-sounding and sample-heavy mix defiantly rejected the rawness of the grunge movement, favouring the dramatic effect of LaBrie's operatic croon synergising with John Petrucci's frenetic fretwork. In the wake of Nirvana's popularity, such boldness could have led to a monumental failure, but the immediacy, strong melodic base and instrumental balancing of "Pull Me Under", which gained unexpected MTV airplay, propelled the album to commercial glory. Between the hard-rocking fatuous epic "Metropolis-Part I: The Miracle and the Sleeper" and guitar heroism of "Under a Glass Moon", the progressive rudiments of the band's signature sound were also flexed, with the urgency and power of Kevin Moore's keyboard flourishes compensating for a noticeable lack of drive in the rhythm section, which, in the case of prog rock, was usually given equal billing to the guitars and keyboards. Perhaps this lack of syncopation and heaviness can be attributed to the problematic production process, with percussionist Mike Portnoy obliged to use triggered snare and bass sounds, invoking a synthetic bent to his drumming.

Even though it implemented new styles and demonstrated the band's instrumental deftness, the potential ferocity of "Images and Words" is impeded by its glossy, agreeable production and the introspective, heartfelt lyricism. This may have been to the annoyance of some, but for many, it is the reason for its greatness. Undeniably, the album was a definite improvement on their debut, receiving mainstream attention despite very little promotion, with many hearing the band for the first time as a result of "Pull Me Under" suddenly emerging as a radio hit. No matter what your opinion of it is, "Images and Words" remains essential listening for any self-respecting music fan. One of the few accessible yet sophisticated and sombre prog-metal albums of the '90s, there is no better introduction to Dream Theater's wonderfully cracked musical personality than this symphonic classic.

Rating: 4/5

I have heard that this CD contains a bass solo on a song called Metropolis where John Myung does a bass solo.

The sensation we feel entering for the first time the castle of Dream Theater music is the same we feel touching a splendid ivory sculpture: motionless and icy, brilliant and lucid, formally perfect but with no life in it. Indeed, it hides an ardent soul. Despite the images continuously changing, as marbles running through a spiral staircase, the warmth generated by the melodies is immediately enveloping. Delicate melancholy and hope inflame the heart and give dreamy visions, both in wonderful music and in poetic and surrealistic lyrics, dedicated to our capacity to love and to found hope, also in our relationship with solitude and death. The intensity of the new singer - James La Brie - is perfect for the emotive atmospheres and the luminous and epic energy of a great masterpiece that will be fundamental to innovate progressive rock philosophy.