Images And Words Cambridge MA

Images And Words

Dream Theater

Atco Records, 1992

REVIEW BY: Christopher Thelen

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: 11/06/1999

Every so often, I tend to infuriate the legions of progressiverock by saying something that isn't totally positive about a groupor a specific album. It's not that I'm looking for a fight, or thatI particularly like getting hate mail on a regular basis. It's justthat, for some reason, I'm not able to see that cosmic oneness orsome other hare-brained stuff that others claim is so obviouslyvisible.

I'm in that kind of a situation today, as I sit here with Images And Words, the 1992 release from modern-day prog-rockgods Dream Theater, staring at me from the desk, just minutes aftermy third complete listen to the album in two days. Fire up thee-mail forms, and get ready to sling abuse at me, 'cause here comesmy damning comment: Images And Words is a decent album, but it's boring.

This album marked the debut of lead singer James LaBrie in thefold, as well as the group's first major-label release. Butsomewhere in between the recording of their debut album When Dream And Day Unite and the writing/recording of thisdisc, something got lost in the shuffle - and that wasspontaneousness. It's one thing to put five virtuosos together --and "virtuoso" is the right word to describe LaBrie, guitarist JohnPetrucci, bassist John Myung, keyboardist Kevin Moore and drummerMike Portnoy. But it's another to make music that doesn't soundlike virtuosos demonstrating their superior abilities - and that'ssomething that can't be forced. Just one album previous, the groupwas writing songs like "The YTSE Jam" and "Light Fuse And GetAway". 'Nuff said.

Images And Words has the closest thing to a "hit single"that Dream Theater has in their repertoire: "Pull Me Under," atrack that does successfully capture the talent and power of thisband. It is a wonderful track for LaBrie to get settled in with,and is rightfully still a track that thrills audiences at liveshows. I still remember the reaction the band got when I saw themperform this song in 1998 in concert -- and even though I wasn'ttotally familiar with it, I loved it from the start. My onecomplaint: I don't like the way the track ends suddenly, as if thetape machine ran out during recording.