... It was going to be tough for Dream Theater to make something of such quality as Images and Words, but they have pulled it off really well with the release of Awake.
The album kicks off with the unforgettable drum intro of 6:00 and the chanting '6 o'clock on a christmas morning'. This is ... Read review
Some rock & roll purists consider the term "progressive rock" an oxymoron. After all, rock ... more
& roll is supposed to be about feeling, not thinking. Prog rock bands miss the point by taking the soul out of a musical form that's purposely crass and anti-int...
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Some rock&roll purists consider the term "progressive rock" an oxymoron. After all, ... more
rock&roll is supposed to be about feeling, not thinking. Prog rock bands miss the point by taking the soul out of a musical form that's purposely crass and anti-intelle...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Advantages: A wonderful mix of heavy-progressive, acoustic and ballad songs Disadvantages: Innocence Faded
This is Dream Theater's 3rd studio album, released 2 years after the groundbreaking Images and Words. It was going to be tough for Dream Theater to make something of such quality as Images and Words, but they have pulled it off really well with the release of Awake.
The album kicks off with the unforgettable drum intro of 6:00 and the chanting '6 o'clock on a christmas morning'. This is a more straight-forward rock piece with some ... ...the album started with.
then things get more pro-metal with Caught In A Web. This is a pretty heavy track, but you either love it or you don't like it as much as the rest. I used to not like it too much, but it gets better with every listen.
Innoncence Faded is one of Dream Theater's less good songs, but they make up for it with the awesome outro of this song. Some people love it though.
This is Dream Theater's 3rd studio album, released 2 years after the groundbreaking Images and Words. It was going to be tough for Dream Theater to make something of such quality as Images and Words, but they have pulled it off really well with the release of Awake.
The album kicks off with the unforgettable drum intro of 6:00 and the chanting '6 o'clock on a christmas morning'. This is a more straight-forward rock piece with some incredible drum and guitar work. A brilliant track to get the album started with.
then things get more pro-metal with Caught In A Web. This is a pretty heavy track, but you either love it or you don't like it as much as the rest. I used to not like it too much, but it gets better with every listen.
Innoncence Faded is one of Dream Theater's less good songs, but they make up for it with the awesome outro of this song. Some people love it though.
Erotomania is the start of A Mind Beside Itself (Erotomania, Voices and The Silent Man). This is an excellent instrumental, full of phenomenal solos and key + tempo changes. One of the best on the album.
Then it's Voices, which is also one of the best on the album. A 9-minute epic piece with some incredible vocal work. This album is definately singer James LaBrie's best album vocal-wise.
The Silent Man concludes A Mind Beside Itself and is a beautiful short acoustic piece, which is also one of the best on the album. This song was released as a single as well, but surprisingly didn't make it very far.
Just after the finishing chord of The SIlent Man, The Mirror kicks in. This is the heaviest piece on the album and it's right after the softest. This couldn't have been put in the album in a better place.
The outro of The Mirror leads perfectly well into Lie, which was also released as a single. This is another heavy track, and is a bit more mainstream than the others, although it features one of John Petrucci's best solos.
Lifting Shadows Off A Dream is a lovely ballad with beautiful lyrics written by John Myung and outstanding vocal harmonies at the end.
Scarred is the longest track on the album, clocking in at just under 11 minutes. This is the 'masterpiece' of the album. It took a while to grow on me, as some of the tempo changes seem a bit thrown together at first, but that's when I was new to prog metal so it sounds really good now. The outro is so epic and incredible, it's a shame they faded it out, because I think it would sound better if it went on for longer.
The final track, Space-Dye Vest is probably my favourite track on the album. This was written entirely by keyboardist Kevin Moore. Shortly after the release of Awake, Kevin left the band, and as it was written entirely by Kevin, Dream Theater decided they would never play this live, and they haven't which is a real shame. This is the most emotional piece on the album. It's just vocals and piano for about 4 minutes, then for the last 3 minutes drums kick in, but not too heavy. This is one of the best rock ballads ever, but it's fairly upbeat as well. An excellent way to finish the album.
Quite a lot of Dream Theater fans think this is their best album. I think this album is incredible, but I think there are a few better Dream Theater albums. Don't let this put you off though, because every Dream Theater album is a masterpiece, and this is a great album to start off with if you are new to Dream Theater.
EDIT: It's really hard to compare Dream Theater to any other bands cause no-one really sounds like them. If I had to compare them to bands I'd have to list loads. They're kind of like a heavier version of Rush/Yes but with more tempo changes but even that doesn't sum really up Dream Theater at all.
Advantages: Mind Bashing, Briliant, Intense Disadvantages: Not quiet as good as Images and Words
Awake really does pick up where Image and Words left off. Awake is the 3rd Studio album from the "without doubt" daddy's of progressive rock / metal. Dream Theater's early years, "when dream and day unite", "images and words", and this, "Awake" manage to d something that I have never heard form a bands before. They not only please, but can convert people. It has a draw to metal heads, yet also to people who are more attached to Clapton and Extreme. ... ...instrumentals. It's all brilliant
Awake has alot more of a seasoned, intense emotion than that shown in Images and Words. The heavy melody musician ship and inginious lyrics are blasted through in the form of Lie, 6 O Clock (6:00) and Mirror with some more bouncy tunes that envoke serious rocking such as Caught in a Web, Innocence Faded, Scarred and Voices. There is, possibly the most famous and loved of all Dream Theater instruMENTAL located at ...
SenCee 17.12.2004
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Awake - Dream Theater
Advantages: Great album for not just rock music fans Disadvantages: Haven't found none yet
So....have you heard of these guys before? I didn't until last year sometime when I was recommended to them by a friend who thought I would enjoy their music because of my music background of once being a drummer.
He was not wrong, the album starts of with a classic track, showing off Dream Theater's ability to the max. They have the ability to fool your ears, and switch tempos at random, hard to get your head around, but superb. First you think ... ...like, "what the hell is goin on??" :)
This isn't all just clever choreographed rock, it does have some great ballads, "Silent Man" is one. I throughly enjoyed this album, and STILL do. I fall asleep to it many nites and the song at the end ("Space Dye Vest", what is a Space Dye Vest??? :) rounds of what I think is a great album.
If you are a fan of rock...take a look at these guys, this album got me into their kind of music and I continue to expand ...
njwoody 24.05.2002
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Awake - Dream Theater
Advantages: The amazing band..... Disadvantages: this band so hard...
In 1994 the band had been together for ten years! What an effort.. and boy does it show. This is probably my personal favourite album - slightly less commercial songs (mainly less catchy chorus's) and some fantastic solos, this album has lots of really moody and dark pieces. Warning! I actually owned this album for over a year without really getting into it! A high school friend of mine first lent me this album.. and I didn't enjoy it! The songs ... ...didn't grasp it. It took me about a year to realise that you have to listen to each song about three times (in a row) before you can get the hang of them. And then you will start cheering. "Caught in a Web" and "6:00" are my favourite tracks, with some great keyboard melodies. "Lie" is also another killer song with a great chorus. This was the first album to feature Petrucci doing a lot of 7 string guitar. (Wake up Korn - DT did it first and about ...
hunter11 14.09.2009
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Awake - Dream Theater
Advantages: Emotion Disadvantages: Lack of consistency in the tracks
I own this album. So it seems with Dream Theater is that they change their style with each album they come out with, this album is very varied, the tracks don't really stay consistent throughout, although they all have that Dream Theater classic emotion behind them, enough to make even a robot cry.
Especially 'Space - Dye Vest' which is surely the best track on the album.
I wouldn't say this is the best album from DT, I prefer the Images & Words ... ...darker & heavier sound than what you'd expect from Images & Words, which would leave some shocked, especially 'Another Day.'
The lyrics seem to be centred around loss, anger and dispair, also packed with emotion.
Great value for money with this album, you won't be dissapointed with it, as always Dream Theater stay like Pink Floyd in the sense of their originality.
This album is consistent to be amazing, just like every other Dream Theater album, ...
beckerjackson 13.08.2008
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Awake - Dream Theater
Advantages: Techically advanced, great melodies and harmonies - powerful music Disadvantages: Complex melodies not appreciated enough
An earlier release from progressive metal band Dream Theater. I technically complex, yet melodic album - typical of the band. The guitar solo's are fantastic, the ryhthms advanced, and the vocals powerful.
Jordan Rudess shows his stuff on Keyboard - John Petrucci following with interleaving melodies and harmonies. This is a vintage Dream Theater album - that must be owned by any serious fan.
For those who are not so sure about Progressive rock/metal, ...
johnny12345 21.06.2007
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: somewhat helpful Review of Awake - Dream Theater
Originality
Lyrics
Quality and consistency...
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Value for Money
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Reviews which might be of interest for "Awake - Dream Theater"
Advantages: Classic Dream Theater, but with a new twist Disadvantages: More of a "poppy" style that Dream Theater's other work
This is a great album, because whilst still retaining the progressive nature which has been valuable to DreamTheater fans since the 1980's and the heavier style introduced on Train of Thought, Octavarium still manages to be a different album, with its own individual style.
The range of different song styles on this album is staggering, with the poppy U2esque style of I Walk Beside You, compared to teh PInk Floyd style of parts of the title track Octavarium. Possibly the only thing I would change about this album would be more focus on the progressive style of DreamTheater's earlier albums, such as Awake and Images and Words, and/or the heaviness which is found on Train of Thought, and later on Systematic Chaos. ...
Advantages: Great first track, a refreshing change from prog Disadvantages: Can get slow and boring, mainly covers.
- Guitar and Backing Vocals
Jordan Rudess - Keyboards and Synthesizers
Overall, a good quality album, but the only track really worth listening to is the title track. It's available in most good music stores from £10.99, but can be found in Martian Records for around £8 and the same sort of price on the internet.
The lyrics for the first track are in the inlay, but no other lyrics are included, just recording details. This is because all the other tracks are cover off other artists so dreamtheater aren't allowed to print their lyrics.
Other albums: I would highly recommend Awake, Falling Into Infinity and Metropolis Part Two: Scenes From A Memory. The best album to buy first is Awake, as it will enable you to get used to DreamTheater's diverse sound (from prog metal to power ballads). Once you're sure you like their music, then I ...
Advantages: Improved live versions of 'Train of Thought' material. Disadvantages: A confusingly unsatisfying mix of old and new.
favourites,' the distinctly retro sound makes them stand out against the more modern, heavier material, and the contrast would have been more effective and less jarring if some of the more experimental and notable songs from those early albums had been chosen instead (but of course, there's the issue of the rotating set-list!)
The next stage of evolution that is charted is rather oddly the black sheep of DreamTheater releases, 1997's 'Falling into Infinity.' Rather than focusing on its excellent
predecessor 'Awake,' which arguably perfected the fusion between classic heavy metal and prog, this album was produced under the scrutiny of a record label that wanted something more radio-friendly, so it's quite a surprise to see three songs ('Hollow Years,' 'Trial of Tears' and 'New Millennium') celebrated here. If the purpose is to contrast starkly ...
Dream Theater: James LaBrie (vocals), John Petrucci (guitar), Kevin Moore (keyboards), John Myung (bass), Mike Portnoy (drums, percussion). Recorded at One On One Studios and Devonshire Studios, North Hollywood, California between May & July 1994. Dream Theater's web of metal and progressive elements comes roaring out of the speakers at full throttle like some manic coupling of Frank Zappa, Guns & Roses and Yes, a garish torrent of virtuoso chopsmanship, classical flourishes and good old fashioned nosebleed metal. With his snaking, syncopated lines, complicated rhythmic variations and crunching tone, Dream Theater's John Petrucci is a guitar hero for the '90s, and string slingers who admire the likes of Alan Holdsworth and Steve Vai will find much to admire in his unhinged extended flights on "Voices" and "Erotomania." And singer James LaBrie possesses the kind of classic tenor pipes that distinguish singers like Robert Plant, Steve Perry, Geddy Lee and Axl Rose from the rest of the pack: the kind of powerhouse squawk that can push through the guitars and keyboards--hey, you can hear him in Antarctica. The songs on AWAKE constitute a richly orchestrated suite of moods, and tend towards the kind of mystic parables and epic gestures that used to so fascinate Jimmy Page. It's a nightmare world of spiritual crisis, lost innocence, fractured identity, fatal temptation and stifling paranoia. The music reflects this tension in its grand gestures and intricate ensemble passages, to particular effect when the lyrics tend more towards personal rites of passage, as on "Scarred" and "The Silent Man."
Album Reviews
Q (12/94, p.130) - 3 Stars - Good - "...melodramatic New Jersey outfit who marry metal with what used to be called progressive rock. All the trademarks of the latter are here: the cryptic voiceovers...the epic scale...and, amid madly frenetic melodies, mellow, reflective passages..."
Titles on disc 1
1.
Lie
2.
6.00
3.
Erotomania
4.
Silent Man
5.
Lifting Shadows Off A Dream
6.
Scarred
7.
Innocence Faded
8.
Mirror
9.
Voices
10.
Caught In A Web
11.
Space Dye Vest
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