I actually saw Santa earlier this evening riding his bike. What a great sight!!!
Thanks for stopping by and Merry Christmas!
Friday, December 24, 2010
Merry Christmas!!!
First and foremost I would like to wish all of my friends and family a Merry Christmas. With a 32 month old running around in my house, we are anxiously awaiting for Santa to come by and bring some gifts. As it is getting later and later I looking forward to Noel going to sleep and then allowing the magic to happen. Although Christmas is a little tighter this year with the loss of my job, we are doing everything we can to make this a memorable event for my girl. I would like to thank both my family and friends that have really gone out of their way to help my family out this year.
I actually saw Santa earlier this evening riding his bike. What a great sight!!!
Thanks for stopping by and Merry Christmas!
I actually saw Santa earlier this evening riding his bike. What a great sight!!!
Thanks for stopping by and Merry Christmas!
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Dream Theater 25 Years of Great Music
Dream Theater
Those two words remind me of a time when I was a lot younger and walking into a Record Bar in the Tanglewood Mall in Roanoke VA back in the Fall of 1994. It was the day that I was formally introduced to Dream Theater and also the beginning of a lifetime of love for everything that is Dream Theater. The album was Awake
. I had heard of Dream Theater prior to this but I was in a stage in my life that I hadn't explored what would become, in my opinion, the greatest progressive metal band in the world. This was their 3rd album, the second released under Atlantic Records. Their first album on Atlantic from Dream Theater was Images & Words
. Prior to that Dream Theater released the less than popular debut album When Dream and Day Unite
. Until I had experienced Awake, I had never given DT a chance. As a guitarist I was aware of who John Petrucci was at that time. After one listen to Awake, I knew who John Petrucci was. Guitarist extraordinaire! Among the talent around him, Petrucci was a true master of the 6 string and long before the likes of Korn, he was in line with Steve Vai with the use of a 7 string. Before this blog starts to sound like Petrucci worship I must go on and discuss the rest of the "core". Now former drummer Mike Portnoy and bassist John Myung rounded out this masterful band of elite artists. This trio met and started together at the Berklee School of Music in Massachusetts. That was where the magic began. The rest of band is currently made up of vocalist James Labrie and Keyboardist Jordan Rudess. With the exception of Rudess, this is the lineup that made incredible music for over 25 years. I will admit that back on September 8th, 2010 when Mike Portnoy stepped away from DT and announced that he had quit, it was a sad day in my life. I mean Portnoy was part of the core of Dream Theater and master drummer. As of today, the replacement drummer has yet to be named, but with the history of DT the new drummer will be absolutely phenomenal. He better be, as he has huge shoes to fill. Now on to the music and a warning: this blog is a review of studio albums only, no live or bootleg recordings have been included.
Yes, there is an album that came out in 1989 called When Day and Dream Unite. Although the music is good, this release was not one of my favorites. This album contained Charlie Dominici as vocalist and I will admit, this is why I was initially turned off by DT. Then in January 1991, DT announced new vocalist James Labrie. This change created the monster that is Dream Theater. This is where it begins. Released in 1992, Images and Words is an excellent album and produced the song Pull Me Under (one of my favorites to this day) and Metropolis Part 1.
That song is massive. The last show I saw them play, Pull Me Under was the closer. Epic!
On to Metropolis pt 1:
That was a great live version that is available on the Dream Theater - Score: 20th Anniversary World Tour Live with the Octavarium Orchestra
DVD. Fantastic show.
Next up is Awake, 1994, an album that I still consider my favorite to this day followed closely by Black Clouds and Silver Linings (their most recent). My favorite song on this album is not even the heaviest tune, it's one of the slower ones called Innocence Faded
.
My second favorite tune on this album is Erotomania
. Great instrumental and a pleasure to hear live.
Next "studio" album up is A Change Of Seasons
. Released a year later, 1995. The album was what I feel a toss out to the fans. A "Thank You" for the people that had become believers of what DT was doing. Although this album only has 5 songs. 3 of these are over 10 minutes in length and 2 of these are medleys of classic songs by Zeppelin (track 4 medley of 3 classic songs, live), Kansas, Pink Floyd, Genesis, Queen and Journey. These songs are epic and this album is a fun listen.
My favorite song on the album is A Change of Seasons and this track is 23 minutes long. It is quite a journey. I am also a Zeppelin fan and here is the Zeppelin Medley:
Next in line is Falling Into Infinity
. Released in the fall of 1997. Although the music is good, this is not one of my favorite albums. I prefer the heavier element and this album seemed to be more of a commercial push than the previous efforts. Good music throughout and great moments in music, just not my favorite. Do I totally skip this album? Absolutely not. This is the cd I choose to mellow out to if I'm feeling the need to sit back and relax. Favorite track on this one you ask??? Burning My Soul (LP Version)
, this is the heaviest song with dark overtones that truly drive this album and is a song that DT still plays live on occasion.
Live version of Burning My Soul taken from the DVD 5 years in a Livetime.
The next studio release is what many Dream Theater fans call their swansong, Metropolis Part 2: Scenes from a Memory
. Released in October 1999, it's an excellent recording. Strange Deja Vu [Scene Two]
is my favorite song. I like the way it flows and in my opinion is a very rocking song. My next favorite on this release is the song that precedes it on the album, Overture 1928 [Scene Two]
. These two songs flow well together and when played live, the crowd usually goes wild. Here is the live video of both songs performed in order from the DVD Dream Theater - Metropolis 2000: Scenes From New York
.
The next album Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence
was released in 2002. This album was a monster. It was released as a two-disc set. The first disc containing 5 songs and second disc containing one song, divided up into 8 movements at just over 42 minutes. Massive can only start to describe this recording. Another of my favorite DT tracks is on this album. The Glass Prison
is a killer guitar driven, keyboard filled tune that is yet another fan favorite.
My next selection from this great album is The Test That Stumped Them All
. This song is killer and has every element that Dream Theater is famous for. Great Keyboard, Guitar, Bass and Drumming. Excellent...
Next up is an incredible album that really shook fans worldwide when it was released because it was their heaviest album to date. November 2003 saw the release of Train of Thought
. Although this cd only has 7 tracks, this is an audio experience for any fan of heavy music. Here are my favorite two tracks from the disc. First up is the cd opener As I Am (Album Version)
.
My second selection is Endless Sacrifice (Album Version)
. I remember when I first heard this I was blown away. Almost like being pounded by a sonic wave. Such a great song.
2005 brought on the release of Octavarium
. Studio album #9 and the end of their run on Atlantic records. Although in my circle of metal head friends the feeling was that Dream Theater had once again softened up, I still enjoyed the way this album flowed. It produced The Root Of All Evil
, an excellent opening song, and my second favorite from the album, Panic Attack
.
Now for Panic Attack:
Now that was an incredible song. Talk about being under-rated....
The next, and incredible, release was Systematic Chaos
. The first release on the heavier label Roadrunner, marked the beginning of a new era, in my opinion. The CD was released in June 2007 and it blew almost every DT fan away. Heavy, pounding, melodic...that is how the majority of the reviews sounded from both fans and critics alike. What can I say? I love the heavier stuff and this is an absolutely great progressive metal album. My two favorite tracks from this record????
First up is Forsaken
. Watch and listen, this song is great.
Next up is Constant Motion
. Incredible guitar work on this one and probably why I like it so much.
Now to the grand finale. My favorite Dream Theater Album to date and also their most recent. Black Clouds & Silver Linings
. I feel that this is their heaviest release to date and although there are only six songs on this recording, four of those are over 12 minutes in length. Picking two from this CD was not an easy task, every song is fantastic in my opinion, so here are my choices for your audio experience:
First up is A Rite Of Passage
. Certainly my favorite on this album.
My second choice is the album opener A Nightmare To Remember
. What a way to draw a listener in...
As you can tell, this is an incredible band that can truly overwhelm your audible senses and drive any listener to wanting more. If you are already a fan, remember that this is my opinion of 25 years of Dream Theater and here is the list of my favorite studio albums, favorite to least (a very difficult task, by the way). Thanks for checking this blog out.
1. Black Clouds and Silver Linings
2. Awake
3. Systematic Chaos
4. Train of Thought
5. Images and Words
6. Metropolis Part 2
7. Octavarium
8. A Change of Seasons
9. Falling Into Infinity
10. When Day and Dream Unite
Now playing on the iPod:
Dream Theater
A Rite of Passage
Those two words remind me of a time when I was a lot younger and walking into a Record Bar in the Tanglewood Mall in Roanoke VA back in the Fall of 1994. It was the day that I was formally introduced to Dream Theater and also the beginning of a lifetime of love for everything that is Dream Theater. The album was Awake
. I had heard of Dream Theater prior to this but I was in a stage in my life that I hadn't explored what would become, in my opinion, the greatest progressive metal band in the world. This was their 3rd album, the second released under Atlantic Records. Their first album on Atlantic from Dream Theater was Images & Words. Prior to that Dream Theater released the less than popular debut album When Dream and Day Unite. Until I had experienced Awake, I had never given DT a chance. As a guitarist I was aware of who John Petrucci was at that time. After one listen to Awake, I knew who John Petrucci was. Guitarist extraordinaire! Among the talent around him, Petrucci was a true master of the 6 string and long before the likes of Korn, he was in line with Steve Vai with the use of a 7 string. Before this blog starts to sound like Petrucci worship I must go on and discuss the rest of the "core". Now former drummer Mike Portnoy and bassist John Myung rounded out this masterful band of elite artists. This trio met and started together at the Berklee School of Music in Massachusetts. That was where the magic began. The rest of band is currently made up of vocalist James Labrie and Keyboardist Jordan Rudess. With the exception of Rudess, this is the lineup that made incredible music for over 25 years. I will admit that back on September 8th, 2010 when Mike Portnoy stepped away from DT and announced that he had quit, it was a sad day in my life. I mean Portnoy was part of the core of Dream Theater and master drummer. As of today, the replacement drummer has yet to be named, but with the history of DT the new drummer will be absolutely phenomenal. He better be, as he has huge shoes to fill. Now on to the music and a warning: this blog is a review of studio albums only, no live or bootleg recordings have been included.Yes, there is an album that came out in 1989 called When Day and Dream Unite. Although the music is good, this release was not one of my favorites. This album contained Charlie Dominici as vocalist and I will admit, this is why I was initially turned off by DT. Then in January 1991, DT announced new vocalist James Labrie. This change created the monster that is Dream Theater. This is where it begins. Released in 1992, Images and Words is an excellent album and produced the song Pull Me Under (one of my favorites to this day) and Metropolis Part 1.
That song is massive. The last show I saw them play, Pull Me Under was the closer. Epic!
On to Metropolis pt 1:
That was a great live version that is available on the Dream Theater - Score: 20th Anniversary World Tour Live with the Octavarium Orchestra
DVD. Fantastic show.Next up is Awake
, 1994, an album that I still consider my favorite to this day followed closely by Black Clouds and Silver Linings (their most recent). My favorite song on this album is not even the heaviest tune, it's one of the slower ones called Innocence Faded.My second favorite tune on this album is Erotomania
. Great instrumental and a pleasure to hear live.Next "studio" album up is A Change Of Seasons
. Released a year later, 1995. The album was what I feel a toss out to the fans. A "Thank You" for the people that had become believers of what DT was doing. Although this album only has 5 songs. 3 of these are over 10 minutes in length and 2 of these are medleys of classic songs by Zeppelin (track 4 medley of 3 classic songs, live), Kansas, Pink Floyd, Genesis, Queen and Journey. These songs are epic and this album is a fun listen.My favorite song on the album is A Change of Seasons and this track is 23 minutes long. It is quite a journey. I am also a Zeppelin fan and here is the Zeppelin Medley:
Next in line is Falling Into Infinity
. Released in the fall of 1997. Although the music is good, this is not one of my favorite albums. I prefer the heavier element and this album seemed to be more of a commercial push than the previous efforts. Good music throughout and great moments in music, just not my favorite. Do I totally skip this album? Absolutely not. This is the cd I choose to mellow out to if I'm feeling the need to sit back and relax. Favorite track on this one you ask??? Burning My Soul (LP Version), this is the heaviest song with dark overtones that truly drive this album and is a song that DT still plays live on occasion. Live version of Burning My Soul taken from the DVD 5 years in a Livetime.
The next studio release is what many Dream Theater fans call their swansong, Metropolis Part 2: Scenes from a Memory
. Released in October 1999, it's an excellent recording. Strange Deja Vu [Scene Two] is my favorite song. I like the way it flows and in my opinion is a very rocking song. My next favorite on this release is the song that precedes it on the album, Overture 1928 [Scene Two]. These two songs flow well together and when played live, the crowd usually goes wild. Here is the live video of both songs performed in order from the DVD Dream Theater - Metropolis 2000: Scenes From New York.The next album Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence
was released in 2002. This album was a monster. It was released as a two-disc set. The first disc containing 5 songs and second disc containing one song, divided up into 8 movements at just over 42 minutes. Massive can only start to describe this recording. Another of my favorite DT tracks is on this album. The Glass Prison is a killer guitar driven, keyboard filled tune that is yet another fan favorite. My next selection from this great album is The Test That Stumped Them All
. This song is killer and has every element that Dream Theater is famous for. Great Keyboard, Guitar, Bass and Drumming. Excellent...Next up is an incredible album that really shook fans worldwide when it was released because it was their heaviest album to date. November 2003 saw the release of Train of Thought
. Although this cd only has 7 tracks, this is an audio experience for any fan of heavy music. Here are my favorite two tracks from the disc. First up is the cd opener As I Am (Album Version). My second selection is Endless Sacrifice (Album Version)
. I remember when I first heard this I was blown away. Almost like being pounded by a sonic wave. Such a great song.2005 brought on the release of Octavarium
. Studio album #9 and the end of their run on Atlantic records. Although in my circle of metal head friends the feeling was that Dream Theater had once again softened up, I still enjoyed the way this album flowed. It produced The Root Of All Evil, an excellent opening song, and my second favorite from the album, Panic Attack. Now for Panic Attack:
Now that was an incredible song. Talk about being under-rated....
The next, and incredible, release was Systematic Chaos
. The first release on the heavier label Roadrunner, marked the beginning of a new era, in my opinion. The CD was released in June 2007 and it blew almost every DT fan away. Heavy, pounding, melodic...that is how the majority of the reviews sounded from both fans and critics alike. What can I say? I love the heavier stuff and this is an absolutely great progressive metal album. My two favorite tracks from this record????First up is Forsaken
. Watch and listen, this song is great.Next up is Constant Motion
. Incredible guitar work on this one and probably why I like it so much.Now to the grand finale. My favorite Dream Theater Album to date and also their most recent. Black Clouds & Silver Linings
. I feel that this is their heaviest release to date and although there are only six songs on this recording, four of those are over 12 minutes in length. Picking two from this CD was not an easy task, every song is fantastic in my opinion, so here are my choices for your audio experience:First up is A Rite Of Passage
. Certainly my favorite on this album. My second choice is the album opener A Nightmare To Remember
. What a way to draw a listener in...As you can tell, this is an incredible band that can truly overwhelm your audible senses and drive any listener to wanting more. If you are already a fan, remember that this is my opinion of 25 years of Dream Theater and here is the list of my favorite studio albums, favorite to least (a very difficult task, by the way). Thanks for checking this blog out.
1. Black Clouds and Silver Linings
2. Awake
3. Systematic Chaos
4. Train of Thought
5. Images and Words
6. Metropolis Part 2
7. Octavarium
8. A Change of Seasons
9. Falling Into Infinity
10. When Day and Dream Unite
Now playing on the iPod:
Dream Theater
A Rite of Passage
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