Dream Theater – Images And Words

Recovering from losing their previous frontman, Charlie Dominici, Dream Theater have decided to step it up a notch with new vocalist James LaBrie, who fits the band like a glove. "Images and Words" turns out to be one of Dream Theater's strongest efforts, and definitely helped bring progressive metal out as a whole to the mainstream.

1. Pull Me Under - Fantastic for an opening track. This song turned out to be a major sleeper hit. The song is moderately paced, starting off with a clean guitar intro slowly accompanied by more instruments such as keyboard, bass, and drums. The intro continously builds up into whats turns out to be the majority of the song; heavy, distorted guitar with strong keyboard leads and soaring vocals. For a popular single, 8+ minutes is usually unheard of, but this song really has a lot going for it. The strong keyboards, guitar, and lyrics make this song stand out. 4/5

2. Another Day - A ballad, and what was predicted to be the album's lead single, as it certainly had potential. Although it attracted some attention, it never reached the status of "Pull Me Under". This is definitely one of the softer songs on the album, dominated mainly by clean guitar and piano with occasional saxophone. John Petrucci's guitar work, Jay Beckenstein's contribution on the saxophone, and LaBrie's vocals are this song's strong points. Dream Theater really does know when to tone it down, as the band doesn't make the song sound virtuosic. It's lyrics are sincere, and LaBrie's approach on the song really does it justice, making this ballad feel heartfelt and genuine, instead of trite and pretentious. 4/5

3. Take the Time - Definitely one of the album's heaviest songs. Sporadic time signatures and rapid notation dominate this song. Petrucci really changes it up on this song, with plenty of clean guitar as well as distortion, accompanied by harmonics, complicated chords, and even a dive bomb or two. John Myung and Mike Portnoy are just as amazing, with a constant barrage on bass guitar and drums, respectively. Kevin Moore definitely gives an interesting take on keyboards, with the occasional solo but mainly changing the sound of his instrument for many different background accompaniments. Voice samples are used in the song, and tend to be used a bit on this album and others by Dream Theater, although they fit perfectly virtually every time they are used, especially on this song. 5/5

4. Surrounded - A bit of a slow start, but builds up into a very majestic song, with beautiful lyrics, surreal keyboard work, and a great guitar solo. It isn't the most technical song, nor one of the longer ones on the album, but it makes up for it being an interesting quasi-ballad. 4/5

5. Metropolis, Pt 1.: The Miracle and the Sleeper - One of the longest and most technical songs on the album, "Metropolis" definitely shows what the band is capable of in terms of technical prowess and has some of the best lyrics of the band to date. It start's off with lots of keyboard work, with guitar, drums, and bass slowly crawling into the song as it turns into a ferociously heavy break leading into a strong but more moderate verse. The song goes back and forth between heavy and soft which prevents it from being repetitious. Later, the song goes into a long instrumental section that is extremely varied, showcasing the instrumental abilities of the band, as well as their sense of melody. 5/5

6. Under a Glass Moon - One of the album's heavier offerings. It starts off a bit barren, but rapidly picks up in terms of aggressiveness. The phrasing seems to be more like a standard song, such as "Pull Me Under", but, as with most Dream Theater songs, it inevitably veers off on it's own with instrumental sections and an incredible guitar solo. 4.5/5

7. Wait for Sleep - A short but sweet ballad. Mainly driven by piano and vocals, it's a vastly different than anything else on the album, offering a change of pace and a nife refrain from the progressive metal sound dominant on this album. 4/5

8. Learning to Live - The epic closing song. The lyrics, written by Myung, are borderline free-verse, which certainly fits with the band's progressive style of rapidly changing time signatures and atmosphere. This song borrows elements (and even a riff) from previous songs on the album; the heaviness, the progressive-ness, melody, technical prowess, and extended length. The instrumental breakdown on this song is different than the ones before it, with solos focusing more on sound and melody than sheer skill. Moore, Peturcci, and LaBrie are definitely the stars of this song, demonstrating not only their talent at technicality but how varied they are and how well they suit the band and this song with outstanding performances. 5/5

This album shows the best of Dream Theater's traits; their heaviness, technical prowess, and sense of melody. It is seen by many as Dream Theater's best album, and even one of the best progressive metal albums of all time. It is, without a doubt, one of their best albums to date. Even with age, this album stands on it's own well enough without a reputation as a Dream Theater album that was "too heavy" or "too progressive". It has all the elements that Dream Theater has showcased without ever overstepping any boundaries.

Talking about this album today is absurd, just remembering that it is one of the reference recordings in the progressive metal genre on which countless bands have been watched since then. Making a copy of the original vinyl that was released in 1992 was always mission impossible for me, but now, thanks to the Dutch label Music on Vynil, which is reissuing much of the Warner Bros. label catalog in that format, as well as releasing for the first time on LP albums that were never released on this medium, I can hold it in my hands! At first it's shocking that the almost 60 minutes of the work were included on a single disc, but the MOV editions are of such quality that this detail is irrelevant. I have many double LP's, with 13 or 15 minutes of music per side, that don't even sound with the strength and clarity with which this image and words does it. The cover is not open either and only includes an insert with the lyrics of the songs and its classic image of the heart on fire. What seems clear, then, is that this reissue is very similar to the one that would be published in 1992, which in my - opinion- It gives more charm to the launch. In addition, there is a charming detail that is almost forgotten today, which is to print the covers of the albums with gloss, not with the already tired matte ones that detract from the spectacularity of the art of the LP. Even the cookie on the album has the logo of the ATCO label with the list of songs and their composers, let's go as was done on the albums of about 20 years ago.
In short, we have the definitive format for one of the albums that, in the end, has the most important impact on the evolution of contemporary metal P.D.
from Dream Theater's album Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence, also released by MOV, on double vinyl and with all the details to make it an essential release for lovers of good music

2022 Repress Please! Clap... Clap.... clap.clap.clap words words words words

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.