Dream Theater - Live Scenes From New York

Year of Release: 2001
Label: Warner Bros/Elektra
Catalog Number: 62661
Format: CD
Total Time: 187:28:00

300 words is not a lot of room to cover a 186 minute live triple CD. Especially when that band is the forerunner of progressive metal - Dream Theater.

Of course, Live Scenes... features the complete Metropolis Part II: Scenes From A Memory and a smile beckons as hypnotherapist (Kent Broadhurst) counts down the start to what is an amazing 3 hour extravaganza. All throughout this disc are moments that put a smile to your face - like it did mine - and the acoustic guitars that begin "Regression" is only one of many things awaiting DT fans. The complete Metropolis II is outstanding and I envy those that saw it live. Aside from Metropolis II, other songs that grace the third live disc from DT include some very long tracks namely the complete "A Change Of Seasons," "A Mind Beside Itself" (from Awake including "Erotomania," "Voices," and an extended "The Silent Man." "Learning To Live," "Metropolis Part 1," and a mixture of "Caught In A Web" and "New Millennium" called "Caught In A New Millennium." "Just Let Me Breathe" is surprisingly good live and I'm glad that they didn't include perennial favourites "Pull Me Under" (which has been heard live before on both previous live discs). "Acid Rain" is also one piece of work!

The performances? James voice stands up fairly well across the night. It does fade and waver - but not until near the end - and he does a good job of ad-libbing between tracks (although this occurs after the seriousness of Metropolis II). Jordan Rudess has got to be the recruit of the last few years - flawless! John Petrucci nails everything on guitars - everything! The rhythm section of John Myung and Mike Portnoy is also incredible (check out "Finally Free" as just one tiny example). Excellent performances from the extras on deck from the Hypnotherapist, Gospel choirs, Theresa Thompson on "Through Her Eyes" and "The Spirit Carries On," and saxophonist Jay Beckenstein. All outstanding.

Two "minor" (and I stress the word minor) downsides. One of those is the no-show of any material from When Dream And Day Unite. 3 hours is a long concert but it would have been great to have heard "The Killing Hand," "Afterlife," or "Status Seeker." Secondly, Mike's "talking" vocals do not come through that well on a couple of tracks. But these don't detract from what is arguably a wonderfully complete live disc. Just think, they started off with one incredible live disc Live At Tthe Marquee, followed that up with a somewhat lacking Once In A Livetime and then they just pull out all stops and deliver one of the best live metal discs on record (so to speak).

Ok, so I've gone over 300 words. Who cares. This is phenomenal and you would be remiss if you didn"t purchase what will become a classic live CD.

[This review originally appeared November 2002 at the ProgPower Online review site -ed.]
Tracklisting:
Disc 1: Regression (2:46) / Overture 1928 (3:32) / Strange D?ja Vu (5:02) / Through My Words (1:42) / Fatal Tragedy (6:21) / Beyond This Life (11:16) / John & Theresa Solo Spot (3:17) / Through Her Eyes (6:17) / Home (13:21) / The Dance Of Eternity (6:24)

Disc 2: One Last Time (4:11) / The Spirit Carries On (7:40) / Finally Free (10:59) / Metropolis Pt. 1 (10:36) / The Mirror (8:15) / Just Let Me Breathe (4:02) / Acid Rain (2:34) / Caught In A New Millennium (6:21) / Another Day (5:31) / Jordan:s Keyboard Solo (6:40)

Disc 3: A Mind Beside Itself : Erotomania (7:22) / Voices (9:44) / Silent Man (5:09) / Learning To Live (14:01) / A Change Of Season (24:33)

Musicians:
James LaBrie - vocals
John Petrucci - guitars
John Myung - bass
Mike Portnoy - drums
Jordan Rudess - keyboards
Theresa Thomason - vocals

Discography:
When Dreams and Day Unite (1989)
Images and Words (1992)
Live At The Marquee (1993)
Dream Out Loud (1994)
Awake (1994)
A Change in Season (1995)
Falling Into Infinity (1997)
Once In A Livetime (1998)
Scenes From A Memory (1999)
Cleaning Out The Closet (Xmas CD 1999) (1999)
Scenes From A World Tour - Christmas CD 2000 (2001)
Live Scenes From New York (2001)
Six Degrees Of Inner Turbulence (2002)
Train Of Thought (2003)
Live At Budokan (2004)
Octavarium (2005)
Score (3CD) (2006)
Systematic Chaos (2007)
Greatest Hit (...And 21 Other Pretty Cool Songs) (2008)
Black Clouds & Silver Linings (2009)
A Dramatic Turn Of Events (2011)
Dream Theater (2013)
Live At Luna Park (2013)
Breaking The Fourth Wall - Live From The Boston Opera House (2014)
The Astonishing (2016)
Distance Over Time (2019)

Metropolis 2000: Scenes From New York (DVD) (2001)
Live At Budokan (DVD) (2004)
Score (DVD) (2006)
Chaos In Motion (DVD) (2008)

Genre: Progressive-Power Metal

Origin US

Added: December 11th 2004
Reviewer: Gary Carson
Score:
Artist website: www.dreamtheaater.net
Hits: 2453
Language: english