zet's cd hauls

Images And Words - Dream Theater

(1992, Progressive Metal, 57:04, 7567-92184-2)

I have always been a huge prog fan, but it wasn't until recently I picked up on Dream Theater. Admittedly I am much less familiar with prog metal, but I feel like I should've picked up on them earlier, given how much I love Symphony X.

Regardless, I grabbed this one one the same day I got Fragile, so I won't rehash the story here. Despite its really weird album cover, the music is, of course, insane. James LaBrie's vocal work is insane. Metal bands tend to cycle members at the same rate that you're supposed to change your car's oil, so the fact that the lineup is almost the same as the one currently together today is really good. It definitely hurt to lose Kevin Moore, and the use of samples on Take the Time were very much his idea (as well as an example of how Zappa follows me no matter where I go) if Chroma Key tells us anything, but Jordan Rudess did go on to prove himself as being just as amazing.

The musical chops of everyone involved can not be overstated, they are all amazing, and they turn in some insane work. It's hard to think about the fact that these guys are actually human, and not constructs designed to churn out some of the most difficult to play music ever written. I've recently picked up playing bass, so it might just be me at the bottom of the dunning kruger slope, but each time I listen to it I am more impressed by what they can do.

It's hard to pick a favorite track on this album, but honestly I am a huge fan of Surrounded. I think it's one of the most beautiful tracks on this album, and that is an accomplishment, this album has Metropolis Part I, and Learning to Live. The Piano that acts as a bookend for both sides of the track is (comparatively) simple but very effective in my humble opinion.

I don't have much to say about Metropolis for now, I am hunting for a copy of Metropolis Part II, and when I find it, I will talk about it, and hopefully be able to understand what is going on lyrically instead of gawking at how insane it all is. I will definitely sit down with the lyrics one of these days, along with the rest of Metropolis.

Learning to Live is beautiful, in every way, each instrument works together to paint a picture, and combined with the lyrics, it's amazing. Each track on this album is amazing, but this one is the reason I wanted to talk about this album as a whole. The Piano from Wait for Sleep returns, and both tracks can be seen as a pair, despite the fact that the latter isn't really connected in any other way. The tracks are somewhat thematically similar, you wouldn't guess that right away with the synths that Learning to live opens with. It's hard to put yourself into the perspective of someone with HIV 30 years ago. Even after the death of Ryan White, it was still heavily stigmatized for years. It's less explicit than something like News From the Front, but it is still an amazing song.

It's hard to recommend prog music to people, but if you are even slightly interested, give it a listen, I think it is one of the best in the genre.