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Savatage - Streets: A Rock Opera
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8.5 | 361 votes |
Release date: 4 October 1991
Style: Progressive heavy metal

Owners:
425 have it
29 want it


Original LP Release
01. Streets
02. Jesus Saves
03. Tonight He Grins Again
04. Strange Reality
05. A Little Too Far
06. You're Alive
07. Sammy And Tex
08. Can You Hear Me Now
09. New York City Don't Mean Nothing
10. Ghost In The Ruins
11. Agony And Ecstasy
12. Heal My Soul
13. Somewhere In Time
14. Believe

Original CD Release
01. Streets
02. Jesus Saves
03. Tonight He Grins Again
04. Strange Reality
05. A Little Too Far
06. You're Alive
07. Sammy And Tex
08. St. Patrick's
09. Can You Hear Me Now
10. New York City Don't Mean Nothing
11. Ghost In The Ruins
12. If I Go Away
13. Agony And Ecstasy
14. Heal My Soul
15. Somewhere In Time
16. Believe
17. Desiree [1997 Edel Music CD reissue bonus]

2002 SPV CD Reissue
01. Streets
02. Jesus Saves
03. Tonight He Grins Again/Strange Reality
04. A Little Too Far
05. You're Alive/Sammy And Tex
06. St. Patrick's
07. Can You Hear Me Now
08. New York City Don't Mean Nothing
09. Ghost In The Ruins
10. If I Go Away
11. Agony And Ecstasy/Heal My Soul
12. Somewhere In Time/Believe
13. Ghost In The Ruins
14. Jesus Saves [short version]
15. This Isn't What We Meant [acoustic version] [2011 EarMusic CD reissue bonus]
16. Morning Sun [acoustic version] [2011 EarMusic CD reissue bonus]

2013 Narrated Version
Disc I
01. Streets
02. Narration To Jesus
03. Jesus Saves
04. Narration To Tonight He Grins Again
05. Tonight He Grins Again
06. Narration To Strange Reality
07. Strange Reality
08. Narration To A Little Too Far
09. A Little Too Far
10. Narration To You're Alive
11. You're Alive
12. Narration To Sammy And Tex
13. Sammy And Tex
14. Narration To St. Patrick's
15. St. Patrick's
16. Narration To Can You Hear Me Now
17. Can You Hear Me Now
18. Narration ´To New York City Don't Mean Nothing
19. New York City Don't Mean Nothing
20. Narration To Ghost In The Ruins
21. Ghost In The Ruins
22. Narration to If I Go Away
23. If I Go Away
24. Narration To Agony And Ecstasy
25. Agony And Ecstasy
26. Narration To Heal My Soul
27. Heal My Soul
28. Narration To Somewhere In Time
29. Somewhere In Time
30. Believe
31. Larry Elbows [previously unreleased] [bonus]

Disc II [DVD The Video Collection]
01. Hall Of The Mountain King
02. 24 Hrs. Ago
03. Gutter Ballet
04. When The Crowds Are Gone
05. Jesus Saves
06. Edge Of Thorns
07. Sleep
08. Handful Of Rain
09. One Child
10. Sleep [piano version] [audio tracks bonus]
11. Stare Into The Sun [Live in Japan] [audio tracks bonus]
12. Conversation Piece [Live in Japan [audio tracks bonus]
13. Voyage [Al Pitrelli acoustic instrumental] [audio tracks bonus]
14. Shotgun Innocence [audio tracks bonus]
15. Forever After [audio tracks bonus]

Top 20 albums of 1991: 13
Lyrics (17)

Additional info
Released via Atlantic.
Recorded January - July, 1991 ta 321 Studios, New York.

Produced by Paul O'Neill.
Child Background Intro On "Streets": Mozart's Magic Flute
Director Of Children's Choir: Elena Doria.
Children's Choir Conductor: Bob Kinkel.

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Comments

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Comments: 14   [ 1 ignored ]   Visited by: 473 users
27.03.2012 - 23:13
Rating: 8
Paradox0
Unasuming Madnes
Really not digging this (or most of Savatage for that matter). Pretty repetitive, tame and I always get the sense that the songs are building up to something in them but either drag on for to long to build up to an under whelming piece or just ends up sounding like the filler of a different band's album. Although much like other Savatage albums, there's on or two diamonds amongst the ruff which end up defining the album and turning it into a classic, if not for the sake that its a home for some decent songs. Sammy and Tex is about as untamed as the album gets and although its no metal masterpiece like Hall of the Mountain King, it does break the monotony of slow paced forgettable riffs with a mid paced generic riff. The other song is the closer "Believe" which even for the most titanium chromed metal head, can be appreciated for the emotional performance put into the song. Sure its the melodramatic power ballad, but the performance is genuine enough that it doesn't feel like a cash in but a genuine message Oliva intends towards someone.
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28.03.2012 - 21:49
JohnDoe
Account deleted
An album I listened to too much back in the 90s, I lost interest; weird thing though because I never got bored or lost interest in listening to Gutter Ballet and Edge of Thorns.
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10.04.2017 - 23:48
Rating: 9
Redel
Moderator
...[I never wanted to know
Never wanted to see
I wasted my time
Till time wasted me]...

...[So what can I tell you
If life's the length of this play
Perhaps God gave the answers
To those with nothing to say]...

And I could cite a lot more beautiful passages from this excellent album.
Songwriting and lyrics are close to masterpiece for a large part of this opus.
One of the most Important albums of my youth.
Only reason this isnt a 10 for me (anymore): overplayed this heavily back in the nineties.
Highlights: A little too far, If I go away, and of couse the outstanding Believe.
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29.11.2017 - 18:25
Rating: 10
GreenCarnation
After all these decades of listening to metal I have to say that Savatage is the most underrated band and this album is the greatest masterpiece that I have found in metal music.
Not just because of music, but also because of message it sends.
Long live D.T!
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31.05.2019 - 16:35
Rating: 8
nonZero
Not my favourite of theirs, but still an enjoyable listen. A very different atmosphere to their other albums - not sincerely a bad thing, I just prefer the sound of Gutter Ballet and Hall of The Mountain King
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31.05.2019 - 16:50
nikarg
Staff
Written by Redel on 10.04.2017 at 23:48

Songwriting and lyrics are close to masterpiece for a large part of this opus.
One of the most Important albums of my youth.

Same here
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31.05.2019 - 17:51
JoHn Doe
Written by nonZero on 31.05.2019 at 16:35

Not my favourite of theirs, but still an enjoyable listen. A very different atmosphere to their other albums - not sincerely a bad thing, I just prefer the sound of Gutter Ballad and Hall of The Mountain King

it's called Gutter Ballet and I prefer it to Streets as well. I also enjoy Edge of Thorns more.
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I thought the two primary purposes for the internet were cat memes and overreactions.
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31.05.2019 - 18:13
Rating: 8
Starvynth
i c deaf people
Staff
Written by nikarg on 31.05.2019 at 16:50

Written by Redel on 10.04.2017 at 23:48

Songwriting and lyrics are close to masterpiece for a large part of this opus.
One of the most Important albums of my youth.

Same here

Sorry for being so tedious, but: same here.
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signatures = SPAM
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31.05.2019 - 20:05
Rating: 8
nonZero
Written by JoHn Doe on 31.05.2019 at 17:51

Written by nonZero on 31.05.2019 at 16:35

Not my favourite of theirs, but still an enjoyable listen. A very different atmosphere to their other albums - not sincerely a bad thing, I just prefer the sound of Gutter Ballad and Hall of The Mountain King

it's called Gutter Ballet and I prefer it to Streets as well. I also enjoy Edge of Thorns more.

My bad! Corrected.
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Top 500 Albums (ordered & rated)
Top 200 Overlooked Albums (with genres)
So I Heard You Like Wintersun... (Time II find new bands)
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25.03.2020 - 12:46
Rating: 9
majormalfunction
Excellent record! Some of the songs here gets better each year and at times it truly is Savatage at their best, however there are some songs that I never really got me hooked (Strange Reality, Ghost in the Ruins, A Little Too Far for example) and the sound mix should have been better balanced (the rhytm section is a bit too anonymous and I don't fancy the guitar tone)... but yeah, still one of the best rock operas out there still to this day.
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Everything's twice as bright with money in your hands
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07.04.2020 - 17:24
Rating: 10
miky222
My absolute favorite album of all times. Words cannot describe what this album means to me in the world of music. I will be forever thankful to Mr. Jon Oliva for crafting this masterpiece. Out of this world...
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11.07.2020 - 22:30
Rating: 5
JOPE OF STEELE
Steelemeister
Most of the album is simply NOT anything amazing and it's impossible to say that the album keeps me interested for the whole of it. I can still find some good moments, almost from every song in fact, but whole good songs are rare. Tonight He Grins Again and Believe stand out as best songs, and are even included in my Savatage favorites. The overall impression of the album to me is rather weak, and while I'm not 100% sure about the rating, I wouldn't put this over a 6, not even on a good day.
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My vision is augmented
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13.08.2021 - 19:52
Rating: 7
GrimReaper85
I wanted to agree with GreenCarnation. But on this album really only Tonight He Grins Again stands out, like Jope of Steele staid. It also has a catchy melody like in Gutter Ballet.
I'll also make a Savatage Best of compilation, but I think there should be at least 20 songs. That's not that much though, most AAA band come easy to 100+.
So I don't know about the band being underrated anymore. I also thought that at first as some songs like Hall of the Mountain King really stand out. But this band could never be as popular as Iron Maiden or Metallica, they're simply an AA band and nothing more. 169th place on Metal Storm is not that bad afterall, so they aren't really underground, but also not that known that every metalhead would know them.
I'm still glad I got to know them, only after 20 years, but better than never.
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13.08.2021 - 23:16
Rating: 5
JOPE OF STEELE
Steelemeister
Written by GrimReaper85 on 13.08.2021 at 19:52

I wanted to agree with GreenCarnation. But on this album really only Tonight He Grins Again stands out, like Jope of Steele staid. It also has a catchy melody like in Gutter Ballet.
I'll also make a Savatage Best of compilation, but I think there should be at least 20 songs. That's not that much though, most AAA band come easy to 100+.
So I don't know about the band being underrated anymore. I also thought that at first as some songs like Hall of the Mountain King really stand out. But this band could never be as popular as Iron Maiden or Metallica, they're simply an AA band and nothing more. 169th place on Metal Storm is not that bad afterall, so they aren't really underground, but also not that known that every metalhead would know them.
I'm still glad I got to know them, only after 20 years, but better than never.

Don't forget "Believe" if you're into ballads.
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My vision is augmented
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