Dream Theater's Images & Words 25 YEARS ANNIVERSARY

Due this masterpiece album, Prog was recovered in the early 90s and got back its lost glow.
What you think? discuss.







Favourite track: Take the Time

 

One of my favorite albums! Brilliant writing and playing.

 

Good stuff!

John Petrucci is an exceptional guitarist. Going to see him on the G3 tour.

Though also a fan of keyboardist Jordan Rudess. So later material (like Metropolis) is enjoyable as well!

 

a true masterpiece in my opinion. Love every song

 

Great album, tracks like Pull Me Under, Metropolis, and Learning To Live still easily hold up for me today. Clearly this album and Scenes From A Memory (which I dislike) have provided enormous waves of momentum for the band that they still ride on to this day. That being said, I just caught them live last night at the Beacon Theater in NYC for the I & W anniversary tour and James was not good at all to my ears. He cannot hit any of the high notes live from this album anymore and to be fair, he doesn't try either. But that drastically alters the songs for me and their impact so the celebration of the album was just flat for me. Probably will be my last go-around with them live, just too boring live even though I enjoy the songs mostly. Saw Portnoy's Shattered Fortress in NYC in September and the energy level was vastly different. Still Images and Words will always be an amazing album in my eyes.

Setlist for the anniversary show:

Dream Theater Setlist at Beacon Theatre, New York

 

I was on their show in Padova this year, as a part of European leg of the anniversary tour. An amazing concert indeed.

 

Ora che ho perso la vista, ci vedo di più.

 

Seeing them in NY on Tuesday and they are playing this and Change of Seasons in their entirety. Cannot wait!!

 

I’m going to the Asbury Park show tonight. Anyone else going?

 

I was afraid someone was gonna say that about James. Still I scored free tix for tonight’s show so I’m psyched to see this album played in full. A Change Of Seasons also, that’s a hell of a bonus!

 

The drum sound renders the album unlistenable.

 

This. The "Pull Me Under" remix is a bit better IMO.

 

One of my all-time favorite albums (and my 3rd favorite by Dream Theater). Every song is amazing and each one still kicks my ass every time I listen. A tremendous achievement, and really one of the most important prog albums post-70s.

The triggered snare is part of the charm of the album, IMO.

 

I am!

 

Very odd to me that the previous album (1st release), which almost every DT fan dislikes more than this one got the hi-res treatment and this one didn't.

 

Agree, often wondered why this was regarded as the first album whereas WDADU is superior for me. Anything to do with Charlie Dominici I wonder.

 

If they were to re-record that one with a capable vocalist, it would be a good album.

 

I remember reading a review on this album upon its release in July of '92 in a local Toronto metal magazine called M.E.A.T. and calling all my local HMV's to see who had it in stock because I was extremely intrigued. I found a store that had it and headed over immediately to pick it up. Once I got home I promptly put the disc in my Sony Discman and hit play. I was blown away by what I was hearing. Everything struck a nerve... and in a good way. The melodies, the vocals, the playing... everything left me speechless. It was the best thing my ears have heard musically in a long time. I couldn't believe humans were playing this stuff. It sounded too precise. Then I saw them live later that year and had every doubt put to rest.
Images & Words is my 2nd favourite album of all time. Right behind The White Album.
And to think that A Change Of Seasons was originally planned to be a part of it!

 

I like When Dream and Day Unite for what it is, warts and all. I wasn't a fan of the Reunite live show because Rudess overplayed too many of Moore's original keyboard parts.

The skills of all four players in 1989 at such a young age was pretty amazing.

True, although I was glad A Change of Seasons was saved till later, since the 1995 version was simply perfect.

 

I still love this album (and Awake) for its spontaneity - its ''live'' feel. Their recent albums - although excellent - seem too contrived and edited, making them sound colder as if they're just focusing on the technical aspects. My opinion, of course.

 

The Afterlife may be my favorite song by DT.

But thinking more about I&W - and this is coming from someone who saw them all the time on LI during the 90s - while I cannot deny the album’s importance, it MAY be a bit overrated, or at least it doesn’t hold up as well I would have originally presumed.

 

I crack up when i look at the back pic of the album. Petrucci and especially Portnoy look like they’re almost in a glam metal band. Their hair is are perfect LoL

It was 1992 so bands still had that sort of look going on...

 

One of my favorite albums along with Awake. I first heard of DT when a Concrete Foundations promo CD came to my college radio station with a song from an unknown band called Majesty. Then came the WDADU press kit and CD. Then a press release saying the band was looking for a new singer. After graduating, I heard "Pull Me Under" on WDHA in NJ and I went right out and bought the CD and loved it.

I agree about the triggered drum sound and the production is so similar to the producer's effort on the first Firehouse album. Still, I think the overall sound has a lot of depth and the material is excellent.

After years of listening to my US pressings of this album and Awake, I finally bought first Japan pressings of each about five years ago at fairly reasonable prices and the sound is even better. Both remain on my top albums list.

 

Just saw 'em live last Tuesday.

GREAT SHOW!!!

 

Yes but that "dream" scene with hellenic sculptures, arches and white clouds behind them is pretty "proggy" that could be behind any of the 70s prog bands at the back side of album art