Dream Theater - Awake
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Free Music Notes for Awake
Free Music Review: Sheer power, energy, emotion, and masterful perfection
Hit: 5 Stars
It totally baffles me how much this album is overlooked when it comes to true DT fans. If you were to talk to a DT fan, the first words that are likely to come out are "Images and Words" or "Scenes from a Memory". If you were to talk to me, however, you would likely hear me rave first about how incredible of an album "Awake" is.
Yes, "Images and Words" is the album that brought them into the prog-rock limelight. Yes, "Scenes from a Memory" is supposed to be their most outstanding, most virtuoso rock-opera concept album performance. And while "Awake" simply falls under the category of most DT fans as "just another album", not being their most famous or their most "progressive", it is, in my opinion, quite possibly their greatest work, and that's a bold statement to make. It's tough to say which is better for me, "Images and Words" or this, but first let me state the differences between the albums.
When I think of I&W compared to this, I think of an optimistic, happy album with all-out prog bombast and fanfare. However, I think the production on the album took away some of the potential power and energy it had (for example, listen to "Learning to Live" on I&W, then listen to the sheer power it has on "Live Scenes from New York"...big difference!). "Awake", however, is very different. It's dark. It's ominous. It's quite pessimistic. It's full of feeling and emotion. And, strangely enough, despite being so different from their "masterpiece", it's just as good, dare I say even better? The production is INCREDIBLE, and every song blasts through the speakers with power that I&W can't even hold a candle to. LaBrie, in my opinion, sings with more power and emotion on this album than any of DT's other albums. Some reviewers have likened his singing to a Hetfield-like growl at times, and they are right. Take that however you like. To me, it only adds to the dark feeling and emotion of the songs. And even if you are not too keen on the idea of an angry, growling James, when he is not snarling into the mic, he's belting out all his notes in top form. As for his bandmates, what really needs to be said? Mike is on top of his game for this album, as others have said. Petrucci, while not showing off the most virtuoso of his performances, falls in line with the others in the band, trading in his incredible, long-winded (which is not a bad thing at all) solos for brilliant musicianship that meshes perfectly with the others in the band. Some may hate that, but though I love what he can do, I'm not about to go hating an album just because he's not showing off his supreme chops. Kevin, this being his last album, is in good form--he's not as virtuoso or pretentious as Jordan Rudess, but many claim that he has much better musicianship and adds more to the songs than Jordan ever will. John Myung is, as always, pushed too far back in the mix once again, and he yet again remains an inconspicuous, mysterious shadow in the band, and unfortunately so, since he's such a great bass player. Make your own judgment. I've made mine, and I couldn't be happier.
"6:00" - 10/10
How is this song not praised more than it is? I LOVE THIS SONG!!! My personal fav from this album. From the stunning intro with a memorable, identifying drum beat from Mike to Petrucci's driving guitar through the verses to the catchy, phenominal chorus with a remarkable vocal performance from James, this song is pure perfection. It begins with some haunting, ominous lyrics, and closes on a dark note, setting the tone for the entire album. So why is it not praised so much? Because at a mere five and a half minutes, it's the third-shortest song on the album, that's why. Doesn't matter to me. Everything is perfect on this song; the only thing that would make it better is if it was even longer.
"Caught in a Web" - 9.5/10
Another criminally-overlooked song from this phenominal album. It took second, third, or fourth listen for me to really appreciate this song, since I found Kevin's playing in the opening of the song to be a little awkward, but once that passes, the song is perfect. Portnoy is again great on this song, but his performance pales in comparison to the incredible show that Moore and Petrucci put on together through the verses. More dark lyrics run through this one, and the highlight is the haunting and strangely catchy chorus, which is driven by Mike, Kevin, and James. This whole song has been flowing through my head for days. There's even a short solo towards the end from Petrucci, but it won't be enough to satisfy the DT Nazis. Regardless, this song is incredible, yet again too short, at 5:25, even shorter than "6:00".
"Innocence Faded" - 9.5/10
This one could possibly be classified as a power ballad with its cheery sound and radio-friendly hooks. It has some of the more optimistic yet mysterious lyrics on the album, but also some of the best. Mike shows off another wonderful performance (one of his best, even?) behind Petrucci and Moore, who trade off the spotlight throughout the song behind LaBrie's vocals. The song closes out with an outstanding instrumental part highlighted by (who else?) Petrucci and Moore. This song really grew on me.
"Erotomania" - 10/10
Part 1 of the "A Mind Beside Itself" trilogy, "Erotomania" is a seven-minute instrumental piece that many hold to be DT's best. It might just be their most flashy and complex (except for the incredible "Instrumedley" from "Live in Budokan"), though it's tough for me to say that it's their best. I've got a real thing for (and DT purists will KILL me for saying this) "Stream of Consciousness" and "Hell's Kitchen". But this one is awesome nonetheless. Taking instrumental parts from other songs on the album as well as adding its own sound, the highlight of this song is the very moving middle section, from 2:00 to 5:00 (yeah, that's a big portion, but that's just how good this song is). You can feel the emotion being poured into this song.
"Voices" - 9/10
Part 2 of the "AMBI" trilogy. This song appears to be a real favorite amongst a lot of DT fans, but I haven't been able to get into it nearly as much as the other songs on this album. That isn't to say it's not good. Actually, it's quite good. If it were on, say, "Train of Thought" (besides being really out of place), it would be the second-best on that album. It's ten minutes long, putting it dangerously close to the "epic" monicker that DT's songs earn at times, but it doesn't have enough variety, in my opinion, to be called that. Very dark, schizophrenic lyrics are the driving force behind this song, and LeBrie puts all his emotion into his singing, but except for exceptional drumming and a short guitar solo towards the end, the instruments aren't beyond DT average (which is, by all other standards, still some of the best).
"The Silent Man" - 9/10
Part 3 of "AMBI". The shortest song on the album, at less than four minutes. It's a short, beautiful acoustic number that remains one of the band's best ballads. And I'm not really a fan of the band's ballads on other albums. That shows you how good "The Silent Man" and "Innocence Faded" are. More emotional singing by LeBrie and an (unfortunately) short solo by Petrucci that is poignant enough to bring some to tears. Though the lyrics are beautiful, they are not optimistic, nor are they dark. They are simply mysterious, raising the question (in my interpretation) of "where is God in man's worst suffering?" A tough question to think about.
"The Mirror" - 8.5/10
Following the beauty of "The Silent Man" is this heavy, brooding number with an awesome intro that builds this song up to be an incredible, fast, energy-driven song. However, it's a bit of a disappointment that the rest of the song doesn't live up to the intro. It's a little too slow and repetitive, with Petrucci playing the same riff over and over for most of the song. Its mainstream sound is belied only by its seven-minute length. It's got some good instrumental parts, but even its good lyrics aren't enough to catch my attention for its entire duration as much as the other songs on the album. Still, it's a great song.
"Lie" - 8/10
The second-worst song on the album. It was released as a single, and it's easy to see why. It's not too short (about 6:30), but it's got a bland, mainstream sound. It's got more dark, introspective lyrics, but it's also got one of James' less impressive performances on the album. I don't hit skip on this song--it's not bad, really--it's just not up to par with the rest of this masterpiece album.
"Lifting Shadows Off a Dream" - 8.5/10
This one has always been tough for me to classify. It begins very hauntingly, but despite James' soft, emotional singing and euphoric chorus, it somehow doesn't feel like much of a ballad to me. It's in its own classification, I suppose. Petrucci's playing is rather subdued for much of this song, yet it's very interesting to listen to.
"Scarred" - 10/10
The epic of the album, clocking in at just below 11 minutes, this song is the second-best on the album IMHO (just behind "6:00"). It's not as complex as their other epics, with most of the instruments taking a back seat to James, but it remains one of their best songs. James limits his growling to only a couple parts, and he gives one of his best performances of the album. It's got a cool solo at about the 7:00 mark, but the real highlight is James and the captivating lyrics. The echo of the vocals and guitar that is prevalent through much of the song was a cool touch that adds atmosphere.
"Space-Dye Vest" - 8/10
Keeping in form with the rest of the album, the closer is a creepy song that Kevin wrote, and one that the band refuses to play live since he is no longer with the band. Full of TV and movie samples and some pretty cool keyboard effects, it is the most haunting and ominous song on the album. However, it remains one that I have never been able to get into. Yes, it follows form with the rest of the album, but it's not the powerful, energetic closer I'm used to hearing from DT. It's not as energetic as "Learning to Live" or "Only a Matter of Time". It's not as epic as "Octavarium" or even "Trial of Tears". Some people love this song. Maybe I've got to hear it a few more times, but I still have yet to get into it. Make your own decision, since you should own this album anyway.
I think this is the perfect album for some new fans of DT to pick up. It may not be as defining as "Images and Words", as mainstream-sounding as "Falling into Infinity", or as epic as "Scenes from a Memory", but it just oozes pure emotion that most music fans should love to death. Is it their best? Maybe not. But it's one that every human being should listen to. If anything, the lyrics will give you something to think about. But if you're like me, it should be something more than that. It should take you on a stunning emotional journey that is not so easily forgotten.
5 Stars.
Free Music Review: One of DT's best.
Hit: 5 Stars
After the hugely successful Images & Words, DT tried something completely new. They mixed their sound with more heavy elements, resulting in Awake. However, as heavy as it is, this is also possibly Dream Theater's most emotional album to date. Just listen to The Silent Man, Scarred, and Space-Dye Vest. Don't get me wrong, DT has always put emotion in their music, but this one seems to take it to a new level.
As all of us DT fans heard on I&W, James Labrie has a very high-pitched wail that sounds like Bruce Dickinson or Geoff Tate (without ripping off either of the aforementioned singers). On Awake, his vocals are more raspy and snarly, especially on 6:00 and Lie. However, he still sings in the Iron Maiden/Queensryche-esque vocal style that he's so well known for on the majority of the songs, such as Innocence Faded, The Silent Man, and Space-Dye Vest. John Petrucci's guitar playing is no less complex than his work on the previous album.... or the album after that and so on. He's seriously my new favorite guitarist, and his solos on Awake are amazing and have almost a voice to them. John Myung's bass is very heavy and rumbling, and while at times he's hard to hear, he's very impressive when you hear him. Kevin More plays more piano and organs on this album than on DT's other albums, but it suits the album perfectly. I won't lie, though: I personally prefer Jordan Rudess' keyboard playing over Kevin's, which seems to be in constrast to most DT fan's opinions. Still, he's very good, and he's better suited for this album than Jordan Ruddess' style. Mike Portony's drumming seems a little toned down compared to other albums, but it's still very fast and complex, just a little slower. And while this album is considerably darker than I&W, it's still very catchy and infectious.
6:00 seems to deal with tales of religion, death, and how people always take what they have for granted ("nobody knows what they want, 'til they finally let it all go"), and is a great way to start off the album. Caught In A Web is a lot catchier, and one of my favorites off the album. It's about feelings of isolation and insanity culminating from that loneliness. It's also a very good example of how Dream Theater can make a song consisting of bleak lyrics a hit by giving it catchy hooks. Innocence Faded is in the same vein as the previous song, but more melodic. James Labrie whispers the first several lines of the songs, right up until the chorus. The instrumental Erotomania (which has an almost industrial sound to it) kicks off the trilogy of songs that makes up the suite called A Mind Beside Itself. This suite includes the next 2 sings, Voices and The Silent Man. Voices is 10 minutes long and is the second longest song off the album (the first being Scarred, 11 minutes long). It's about a schizophrenic who believes angels and demons are talking to him, and he starts to wonder if he should give up his sex life or his religious devotion. The Silent Man is the exact opposite of Voices - that is, it's much lighter and softer. It's basically James singing over John's acoustic guitar playing. I think it's about how the schizophrenic could have avoided his disorders if he never lost faith in God. Mirror has themes of betrayal and temptation in it. It sounds like it's about these sorts of things happening to someone. Every time a voice in the background mutters something (like "temptation" or "hypocrite"), the lyrics are something you would say as a reaction to the word. The next song, Lie, could have a connection to the previous song; it also has similar themes. It's about trusting someone to help you with your problems but then they do the opposite and do something to hurt you more. Lifting Shadows off A Dream has a much more relaxing flow through it. It's about your dreams being shattered, but carrying on because it's not the end of the world. The lyrics are condsiderably more uplifting than the others before it. Scarred is about someone who is hurt or "scarred" by his/her lover, but not in a cheesy sort of way. It's the longest song off the album (11 minutes), and probably my favorite as well. The lyrics are very deep and personal, and the musicianship is the best off Awake. Space-Dye Vest is a very relaxing piano song, written by Kevin Moore. It's the one song that Dream Theater doesn't play live. This is because they feel it's "Kevin's song," as Mike says, and they feel they shouldn't play it without him. The song is musically simple, but lyrically deep. Space-Dye Vest's lyrics are very depressing, and you can feel what Kevin was getting at.
While Awake isn't the best way to sart of a DT collection (the best choice is I&w, even though SFAM is my favorite by them), it's still a very crucial part to their catalogue, and undoubtedly one of their best albums. So buy it, along with the rest of the DT catalogue, and forget all the pursits who can't accept the fact that DT isn't afraid to do something new, and not in the same vein as I&W.
Long live Dream Theater!
Free Music Review: More great stuff from Dream Theater.
Hit: 5 Stars
When I got this cd about 2 months back, I wasn't really sure what to make of it. I still liked it, but I was a bit disappointed, because it wasn't quite on the level of their last 2 albums. However, I've enjoyed this cd more and more each time I've listened to it, and now I'd say it's the second best of the 4 DT albums I own.(It's not as good as SFAM, and better then 6DOIT and I&E, IMO)I think the basis of my disappointment came from everyone on this site talking about how heavy this disc is when compared to their other stuff. This got me pretty excited about getting this, cause I'd always wanted for DT to be a bit heavier. In the end, while, yeah, it is their heaviest, it isn't really much heavier than their other stuff.(I think long-time DT fans over-stated the difference, cause this album followed I&W, which is lighter than their last 2 albums.) The real difference is that it is a lot darker and more somber sounding than their other material, which I do like. It also lacks a song which goes overboard on the on the wimpiness scale, a la Through Her Eyes or Solitary Shell, which makes this their most consistent work. Still, even now that I'm over my initial disappointment, I think this album should have been a bit heavier. The main cause of this problem is the mediocre production. The guitars are significantly bassier and more distorted than those on their other albums, but they aren't given that much more prominence in the mix. The drums are also a bit weak, with the prominence of the bass drums fluctuating wildly and inexplicably. I guess the real issue isn't that this album isn't heavier enough, it's that it is trying to be heavier than the production allows it to be. So, the band ends up sacrificing some melodicism with out having as significant of an increase in power and aggression as they seemed to want. In the end, this isn't actually that much of a problem, but it's about the only specific problem this piece has, so I feel I needed to address it. I should also point out that I don't think most DT fans will care about the production complaints I have, as many seem to think it is too heavy, and no one else seems to think it isn't heavy enough. This is probably because most DT fans seem to be primarily prog-rock fans, who listen to prog-metal as an extension of it. I, however, am primarily a metal fan who listens to prog-metal as an extension of metal.(though I still am interested in prog-rock too) So, I should say that if you are a metal fan who is interested in getting in to DT, this is probably the best place to start, whereas if you are a prog-rock fan you'd probably be better off with SFAM or I&W.
But, all that aside, this is an excellent work. Few 75 minutes cds can be fully compelling from beginning to end. This one leaves me wishing it were longer. The musicianship needs no further praise. It is simply astouding, as always. This also has the best lyrics they've written, though this isn't much of a prize, as the lyrics on their last two albums have ranged from mediocre to [bad], and the ones I&W were pretty good, if not spectacular.(However, they still have a few painful lines here and there.) On an album as solid as this, it is hard to pick out stand-out tracks. The songwriting is a bit more mature than on I&W which was occasionally underfocused and disjointed, though it still isn't quite as fluid and natural as it would become. Space-Dye Vest is probably my favorite. The samples are a little jarring at first, but the relatively simple piano work its eerie, distortion ridden support is surprisingly powerful. Labrie also gives his best vocal performance on the album, as he deftly portrays the barely contained sorrow and rage of the lyrics.(Sadly, Labrie's vocals in general are more uneven than usual. He lets out some initially unbearable shrieks from time to time, and oversings otherwise fairly often. Still, he is often very good, as on this track, so just give him some time and his strengths will become more apparent and his weaknesses less.) Caught In a Web is another strong track, with good riffing. The Mirror and Lie are compelling pair, which at first came across as an epic composition, as they are back to back, and are the 2 darkest, heaviest pieces on the album.(I believe they are performed with a 7-string guitar) Scarred and Voices also standout, as the 2 espcially epic tracks. Unlike most people, I prefer Voices. It isn't as progressive, though it is more complex than most people think, and is never boring. It's got a great pairing of slow and sorrowful keyboard driven sections combined with some of the heaviest guitar work on the album.(It has another outstanding solo). It's also simply one of the more emotionally powerful songs found here. Scarred is still very strong, though it is a little bit disjointed at times, and has a few lyrical problems. It's got probably the single best guitar solo on the album, which precedes the final vocal section of the track.
So, what does this all come done to? Buy this album.
Free Music Review: A strong, dark and mesmerizing album.
Hit: 5 Stars
Back in 1992, the local rock radio station, 96.5 WCMF, started to play an amazing song called "Pull Me Under." I had no idea who played the song the first few times I heard it, as the DJ would not mention the band's name. I came to find out that it was Dream Theater. I had never heard of them before, but was interested to find out more about them. I saw their album, "Images And Words," at a local record store, but I was hesitant at first to buy it. What if the rest of the album [was bad]? I knew nothing about this band. Luckily, a good friend of mine had the guts to buy the CD, and he let me borrow it. WOW!!! I was completely blown away by the entire CD, and I immediately picked up my own copy. A few years later, I heard about Dream Theater releasing another album. I was excited, but still a bit cautious: what if "Images And Words" was just a fluke? (At the time, I was unaware of Dream Theater's existence and experience prior to IAW) I bought the album, and was once again floored, not only by the continued show of musicianship, but also by the sheer mass of music on the disc, over 75 minutes worth!
The album is full of titillating musical moments. "6:00," the opening song, starts off with a fantastic drum fill cascading down the length of Mike Portnoy's toms,follwed by a frantic beat before the keyboard enters with an awesome, disjointed arpeggio pattern. The song paints a chilling picture of a lonely rogue. James LaBrie's voice is very strong on this song. Many have criticized his voice for being too clean for Dream Theater. I think James' forte is his ability to leap from one vocal quality to another almost effortlessly, and this song is a prime example of his voice on the edge. His voice can be clean or filthy, depending on what the song requires. This was the same quality that made Freddie Mercury a great singer. The coda of this song ("So don't cut your losses too soon...") is a great change of gears, and makes for a memorable ending. "Caught In A Web" continues the pace started by "6:00," with a fantastic, laboring intro. Kevin Moore plays a sliding keyboard melody over the rest of the band riffing down and dirty. The chorus features some great harmony from James and himself, but the song still does okay live. The instrumental middle section features some stunning bass work from John Myung, playing note for note with John Petrucci, then breaking off to let the keys and guitar duel for a bit, before joining again for the triplet sixteenths finale. "Innocence Faded" features some masterful guitar work throughout, the keyboards also shine here. The coda of this song is probably the real gem of it. "Erotomania" is a phenomenal instrumental. I often show the opening guitar riff to my guitar students as a good reason to work towards four-finger dexterity. This is also a great song to introduce people to the band, there's something about it, the same way the "YYZ" is a good tune to introduce Rush. The guitar solo towards the end of the middle section is a true clinic. "Voices" is a dark and moody piece. The opening bass line really sets the tone, with atmospheric keyboards and riffing guitar over the top. The guitar solo in this song is again amazing. I have made little mention to this point about Mike Portnoy. The guy is a rock, and when you see him live, he rarely plays something exactly the same way as he did in the studio or previously, but he makes it work; he is astounding! "The Silent Man" is a nice change of pace. "The Mirror" is a great song with solid shifts in time and mood. "Lie" features a straight-up riff, and is probably the most radio-friendly piece of the bunch. "Lifting Shadows Off A Dream" has a fantastic harmonic-based bass intro. Myung wrote the lyrics as well, you can tell this is his tune. It is a great piece and again a nice change of pace. "Scarred" opens up with a cool two-hand tapping riff from Myung. It features a solid keyboard solo from Kevin Moore. The last song, "Space-Dye Vest," is very cool and moody, but I can't say I adore is as much as some other reviewers here.
The entire album is a tour-de-force. Fantastic musicianship and songwriting abound. The band has an amazing talent for painting musical images that few bands today can. Many people complain about the lyrics of DT. I would gladly sacrifice lyric quality for music quality any day. I also agree that Kevin Moore's lyrics were the most interesting of the group, though they were more personalized and hard to understand at times (as in "Lie": "You can tell your step-father I said so") Many people say that progressive rock is an oxymoron, and that there is no place for brains in rock and roll. That is just ... nonsense! This is not rock and roll. Elvis Presley is rock and roll. Dream Theater is progressive rock. Love or leave it. But respect it.
Free Music Review: 10 Years of Awake (Masterpiece) !
Hit: 5 Stars
Originally released in October 1994, I picked this album up because I was fed up with how the grunge scene had taken over the days of 80's Metal bands. Awake not only proved to be a much needed breath of fresh air, but it was also the first Dream Theater record I ever bought and made me genuinely more interested in Progressive Metal which they so successfully pioneered in the early 90's. Dream Theater paved the way for hundreds of other bands -- and they did it when the Prog Metal genre was no where near popular as it is today! -- and Awake is without doubt one of their most amazing, profound and timeless masterpieces ever.
The album clocks in at exactly 75 minutes featuring a total of eleven tracks all of which add to the unity and cohesiveness of this ageless record. There are certain recurring themes to be found here, on separate tracks, which serve the purpose of giving Awake its ultimate character. Be it the keyboard melody in "The Mirror" (depicting Mike Portnoy's bold fight with his alcohol problems) played in a lush manner by Kevin Moore during the mid-section; the main riff introduced after the frenzied guitar work on the instrumental track "Erotomania"; or the album-closer "Space-Dye Vest", this recurring theme eerily glues the whole album together even though it's not a concept album per se. That said, Awake is a dark, dangerously heavy, and musically complex creation which, unlike the band's other two magnum opuses, I&W and SFAM, to this day, remains unrivaled and perfect.
I am literally struggling as I try to do justice to this record reviewing it after having listened to it for ten long years. That is because Awake works on a variety of levels; lyrically, musically and even production-wise. Each song on this CD relates to a (dark) feeling and internal conflict and therefore guides us through each member's inner world (even John Myung wrote the lyrics for a song) as we pay attention to the lyrics. Kevin Moore wrote words for the album opener "6:00", "Lie" and "Space-Dye Vest". His lyrics are introspective in nature and challenging to sing as they demand different vocal harmonies. Petrucci's lyrical work is more abstract yet eerily easy to identify with: he explores religious conflicts along side personal problems, while Mike Portnoy proves to be a stunning lyricist leaving plenty of room for vocalist James Labrie to thoroughly shine through, especially in the chorus of "The Mirror". The absence of mainstream elements and the band refusing to compromise on any level further strenghten this piece elevating it even higher.
The whole record has a lucid layer of atmosphere around it built by none other than Kevin Moore whose opaque minimalism delicately blankets each song as the rest of the band members seamlessly blend their musical instrumentation. Moore's contribution to Awake is immense! His songwriting is creepy, bordering on uncomfortable. His agile melodies never cease to hop in and out of the focus of each track. After listening to Awake, I can see why he left the band to pursue his solo project Chroma Key. I think Chroma Key is amazing, as unique as anything else he's touched, but Awake and his work on Fates Warning's A Pleasant Shade of Gray are in my opinion his most amazing works ever. James Labrie sings incredibly well; he is articulate, deep and powerful in the truest sense of the word. Be it the aggressive singing on "Lie", the catchy chorus on "Caught in a Web" or the high scream on "Innocence Faded", he does a phenomenal job. John Myung perhaps plays his most mesmerizing bass lines and what's more is his tone is very subtle in the mix. He generates inherently intelligent musical ideas in each composition while always creating a nice wall of sound tapestry that complements John Petrucci's somewhat quirky guitar work ("Voices"), delicately surreal acoustics ("The Silent Man") or melody-strong instrumental ("Erotomania"). Petruicci's guitar work burns with passion and fire: just check out the tapping on "Lie" and the shuddering main riff on "Scarred". As Mike Portnoy does an awesome cymbal work, the song dissolves into a busy interplay where each member performs their parts brilliantly. The ballad "Lifting Shadows Off A Dream" juxtaposes light electronics with subtle bass and guitar work hidden under multi-layers of atmosphere. Awake is not my favourite Dream Theater record, but it's certainly their most unique, most expressive and most varied album. My highest recommendation.