ARTIST: Dream Theater
ALBUM: Images and Words
GENRE: Progressive Metal, Progressive Rock, Fusion
YEAR: 1992
Rating: A-
Suggested Tracks: Take the Time, Metropolis Pt. I: The Miracle and the Sleeper
Images and Words was the first album that brought critical and popular attention to the Long Island-based progressive metal band Dream Theater, although to simply label their music as Progressive Metal is disingenuous to say the least. Dream Theater’s work runs the gamut from virtuosic instrumental jams to gentle piano ballads, and nearly everything in between. The band’s many influences are always in the forefront of the music on Images and Words.
In the progressive rock tradition, Images and Words appears to have less music than actually is present. There are only 8 songs, which might lead one to believe that it is lacking. But out of these 8 songs, half are over 8 minutes long, which shows just how serious these guys are about their songwriting. The record is littered with extended instrumental breaks and solos on every instrument. For a listener who isn’t already accustomed to the constant key and time signature changes in progressive metal, this album might be a little disconcerting, especially on cuts like “Metropolis Pt. I”, where numerous polyrhythmic shifts leave even the most jaded prog fan dazed.
It is clear that Dream Theater delivered on the “progressive” end, but it is less clear whether or not they fulfilled their requirements in the “metal” department as well. Images and Words has an unabashedly “smooth jazz” feel throughout, which initially seems out of place in a metal album, but which the listener soon begins to appreciate and integrate into their definition of the genre. The chorusy steel-string guitar on the first verse section of “Take the Time” and the soprano sax solo on “Another Day” reek of Spyro Gyra, but this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. In fact, it is kind of refreshing to see a metal band absorb influences from other genres. This record was the first to feature now-customary “inspirational songs” by the band. Their unique ability to pen anthems for empathy and self-esteem make them stand out in the genre. Many consider them wimps, but I think that their softer side gives them a dimension that is hard to find in the modern metal landscape. And despite all of the softer songs on the record, one must not overlook the rockers. “Under a Glass Moon”, with its heavy guitar riffs and double-kick action drumming, seems to loom over the rest of the album like an ominous thundercloud. And while songs like “Take the Time” and “Pull me Under” may not feel like the typical hard-rock that you’d expect from an early 90’s metal release, they still have an unignorable drive and energy.
Thematically, Images and Words is inconsistent, to say the least. Most of the tracks’ lyrics make little or no sense, and come off as vague attempts to generate some sort of mood by using poetic lyrics and utilizing the polyphonic potential of Kevin Moore’s state-of-the-art synth pads (see “Under a Glass Moon” and “Surrounded”). Although the single from the album, Pull Me Under, is considered the most lyrically consistent by most rock critics, I personally have gravitated towards the more political tracks on the album. At a time when even the most hard-edge punk bands were diluting their values for the sake of record sales, it is nice to see a band such as Dream Theater attempt to tackle such issues. They don’t come off so much as firebrand activists as they do frustrated citizens (see “Take the Time” and “Learning to Live”), and although they really don’t offer any real solutions or seem to fully understand the issues that they are shedding light on, there’s still some real sincerity there that cannot be overlooked.
This is the first album on which James LaBrie sang vocals, and his performance is outstanding. Another high tenor in the prog world might warrant some eye-rolling from the wider rock critic community, but I find his voice to be especially conducive to the content on this record. I am, by no means, a James LaBrie fan; his vocal phrasing pales in comparison to many other rock singers. Yet I think he really pulled it off on this record, with stunning accuracy and perfect tone. The high notes on songs such as “Take the Time” and “Metropolis Pt. I” are hauntingly impeccable, and thanks to the factored-in instrumental breaks, one never feels he oversings.
There are many aspects of this record that I find very irritating. My primary qualm is with the production. The heavy reverb on all of the instruments, the extremely loud guitar tone and Portnoy’s triggered snare drum are all highly irritating to me as a listener. At times, these aspects almost make the record feel fake and inhuman. The main problem with this production trend is that it leads to musically-perfect but otherwise sterile recordings. Then again though, Dream Theater as a band isn’t all that energetic, even live. Another thing that I find maddening is the band’s love affair with instrumental unisons. One of the reasons I became intrigued by earlier prog bands such as Rush, Yes and King Crimson were their ability to write countermelodies and jam in a synergic way. I see much less of this in modern progressive metal, and I feel that Dream Theater is, in a way, the antithesis of the Jam Band, which is sad because had there not been jam bands, prog wouldn’t have come to be. Maybe I’m just ranting here, but I find it odd that the pinnacle of progressive music is making something as simple as a 3-instrument unison the cornerstone of their musical riff breaks.
Overall though, Images and Words is a very worthwhile listen. It’s musical complexity and performance are hard to rival, and the songwriting, although shoddy at parts, is quite unique and has its own flair that DT fans have come to love over the years. Listen to this record, especially if you are a musician. You won’t be disappointed.
