Oliver Wakeman comments

I thought I’d have a listen to an album which I played over and over (and over!) again back in the 90’s.

This is Dream Theater’s Images and Words. I can’t remember how I got hold of this promo copy, but probably from when I worked in radio.

Anyway, I thought this album was a superb work of art!

I managed to get tickets to go and see them at the London Astoria back in ‘93. It was great to see so many fans all knowing the odd time signatures and tapping along perfectly!

I met them all over the years on various YES (official) tours and became friends with Jordan Rudess and Mike Portnoy.

This album featured one of Jordons predecessors though, keyboards handled by Kevin Moore – who wrote some great lyrics and also created some beautiful parts on this album. I remember learning and playing ‘Wait for Sleep’ many times on my old T1!

I also seem to remember being in a short lived band and we played Pull Me Under as well. Great fun to play!

Anyone else have this album?

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As I posted about Dream Theater the other day with my memories about the Images & Words record, I thought I’d follow up this evening with the record that came straight after.

This is ‘Awake’.

I remember counting down the days until this was released and one day, at the radio station I worked at, the promo CD of Lie turned up and I played it an awful lot.

Then I went to pick up the album from the record shop and took it home really looking forward to hearing it. Oddly enough, this one is the promo copy so I must have two versions.

Anyway, I put it on and though 6.00am was a great opener and enjoyed the whole record, although I do remember thinking that it had lost a little bit of the delicacy of the Image and Words Album. Particularly in the way James LaBrie was singing.

I know that a lot of Dream Theater fans think it is a bit misplaced but I really did love Space-Dye Vest.

Odd to think back to those days when I was a fan and since then I’ve met them all at YES (official) shows, hung out with Mike P and Jordan R as well as appearing on an album with James LaBrie.

Strange how life works out sometimes!

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I thought I’d post about this record tonight as it’s currently playing in my music room.

After thinking how great Images and Word and Awake were by Dream Theater I was so pleased to find that they’d released this gem.

This was A Change of Season which i think was originally planned for the Images and Words album but was too long to fit on and so was recorded as a separate album with some live tracks.

This track definitely has the feel of the Images and Words period of the band.

Anyone else a fan of this record?

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I recently posted about the trilogy of Dream Theater records which had a big impact on my – Images and Words, Awake and A Change of Seasons. But I forgot to mention this one – I did see this tour but I wasn’t at this particular show which was the one they recorded.

A great album and it brings back happy memories of a time in my life when I was a touch directionless – these albums – and a lot of the music I post about – really helped me focus on what was important in my life.

I think this is one of the reasons (besides being great music) that they still resonate so much with me now.

Did anyone else see this tour?