Dream Theater returns rock to epic melodies

Any music fan who grew up in the heyday of mid-70s rock will have little trouble recognizing the role models for Dream Theater. On the band’s “Images and Words” CD, one can hear the imprint of progressive rock groups such as Rush, Yes, King Crimson and Pink Floyd, as the quintet winds through this epic 60-minute album with eight extended-play tracks.

Though bands that today show such art-rock tendencies often are criticized for musical overindulgence, Dream Theater’s bassist John Myung isn’t about to apologize for his progressive rock influences.

“We all are very much into what was happening in music in the ‘70s,” Myung said. “It was a great period in music. And it’s (the comparisons) a compliment, because at one point there were ... a lot of musicians in the ‘70s who were like real role models for me as far as becoming a player.”

Apparently more than a few rock fans have been waiting for a band like Dream Theater that could return rock to the days of 10-minute songs that featured epic melodies and intricate, extended instrumental solos. The band’s second album, “Images and Words,” has topped 400,000 in sales and has prompted the group to embark on a third tour of America, this time headlining theaters.

But it wasn’t that long ago when the members of Dream Theater – Myung, guitarist John Petrucci, keyboardist Kevin Moore, drummer Mike Portnoy and singer James LaBrie – had to wonder if they ever would get their careers out of neutral.

Formed in 1985 by Long Island natives Myung, Petrucci and Portnoy while they were students at Boston’s Berklee School of Music the group earned a record deal with Mechanic Records on the strength of some early demo tapes.

The promising start turned sour when band members grew dissatisfied with three major facets of their careers – the quality of their 1989 Mechanic debut, “When Dream and Day Unite,” the level of support from the record label and the style of their singer at the time, Charlie Dominici.

“That album is sort of a fly-by-night recording for us,” Myung said. “We had a very limited budget and we hired an independent producer, Terry Date, whose job it was to record this thing as quickly as possible.

“He was specialized in dealing with bands and getting them in and out of the studio with a very limited budget ... I think the playing was there, but I don’t think the production was,” he said. “And production is a whole other aspect to making what you do sound good. That’s where the album is lacking. We all hate the production on the album.”

Compounding Dream Theater’s frustration with the album was the inability of Mechanic to provide the financial backing needed for touring.

So the group decided to opt out of the record deal. Then Dream Theater also opted for a change in lead vocalists.

“Our first singer was more from the old school,” Myung said. “He was more pop oriented rather than progressively oriented. So it kind of didn’t really fit the bill as well as James (LaBrie). James is like the ultimate for us.”

Ironically, the band almost never found LaBrie. Having listened to some 200 audition tapes over a two-year period, the band was ready to bring Chris Cintron on board.

“We seriously were considering Chris,” Myung said. “He had met with our manager and we had recorded demos with him and it was pretty much all systems go. And I think just before the signing night, James’ tape flew in. So we listened to it. And it was really different.

“It was a band called Winter Rose that James was in,” Myung said. “And it consisted of some studio and live tracks. James was amazing. At one point it got to a section of the tape where it was live stuff, and we couldn’t believe how good he was singing live. So it was like, wow, we’ve got to get this guy. And we got him.”

Though the search for a new singer had grown frustrating – the band, in fact, briefly considered becoming an instrumental quartet – Dream Theater finally found a reason for optimism about six months before LaBrie’s audition tape arrived.

Derek Oliver, a one-time music critic who had given “When Dream and Day Unite” a sparkling review in Kerrang magazine, had moved on to a position as a talent scout for Atco Records. Oliver signed the band to the major label.

“He was very much into what we were doing,” Myung said. “He didn’t want to change a thing. He wanted to leave us just the way we were. And that’s the way it was.”

With the sales performance of “Images and Words,” it appears Oliver’s instincts about Dream Theater were right.

“It’s been amazing what’s happened,” Myung said. “In September of ’92, I mean, we were out with a U-haul and a van, taking driving shifts. And now we have a tour bus that we can go to sleep on. And it builds up our confidence, too, because pretty much we sell out everywhere we go, and that’s a great feeling. You need that sort of feedback.”