Dream Theater - Images And Words

Images And Words album cover
9 | 1851 votes |
Band
Dream Theater
Style
Progressive metal
Release date
7 July 1992
Owners
2633 have it
115 want it
2 trade it
Tracklist
01. Pull Me Under
02. Another Day
03. Take The Time
04. Surrounded
05. Metropolis - Part I "The Miracle And The Sleeper"
06. Under A Glass Moon
07. Wait For Sleep
08. Learning To Live
Line-up
James LaBrie - vocals
Kevin Moore - keyboards
John Petrucci - guitars, backing vocals
Mike Portnoy - drums, backing vocals
John Myung - bass

Guest musicians
Jay Beckenstein - soprano saxophone
Additional info
Produced by David Prater.
Engineerd by Doug Oberkircher.
Assistant engineer: Steve Regina.
Mixed by David Prater and Doug Oberkircher.
Recorded and mixed at Bear Tracks Studio, Suffern, NY, October-December 1991.
Additional recording at The Hit Factory, NYC.
Mastered by Ted Jensen at Sterling Sound, NYC.
Staff review by
Dream Taster
Rating:
9.6
Rating:
9.6
This is it! My first Dream Theater review! I can say that this progressive band from New York is my favorite band and will still be in ten years from now. So, back in 1992, the band released their masterpiece "Images And Words" and after that nothing was going to be the same again in the musical world. Why? Well, because this album brought something totally new to the scene, this famous progressive metal sound that would become Dream Theater's signature and it would make them famous for being one of the most influential bands ever.

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published 09.01.2004 | Comments ( 51 )
Found in 162 lists
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Comments

Comments: 46 Visited by 2440 users

Posts: 4
Permalink
28.08.2011 - 16:57

Posts: 4
I like this album a lot.
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Posts: 92


Permalink
+1
24.09.2011 - 20:28
Rating: 10

Posts: 92


This album revolutionized my perception of music. This album forever changed my music library. This album is a front-to-back album - every riff, every drum beat, every note...nothing is off; nothing needs to be changed (even the heavy, wet snare... *cough* Mike!).

Enough cannot be said of this masterpiece.
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Posts: 5
Permalink
14.11.2011 - 00:06

Posts: 5
Awesome album!
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Posts: 352


Permalink
01.03.2012 - 21:14
Rating: 10

Posts: 352


Great album! Special mention to Pull Me Under!
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Don't cry for my English
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Mountain King
K i K o

Posts: 1361


Permalink
19.03.2012 - 16:25
Rating: 9
Mountain King
K i K o

Posts: 1361


Best DT album. One of the greatest albums ever recorded. Sadly not all DT's albums are even close to this...
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Posts: 1506
Permalink
+1
05.08.2012 - 00:19
Rating: 10

Posts: 1506
Yeah, this album is something spectacular to say the least. Even the shorter, slower-paced ballads, which some may find to be so-called 'filler' material, have their own significance here. I can't really say anything else about 'Images and Words', other than the fact that it deserves to be hailed as a genre-leading album.
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Posts: 3
Permalink
+1
19.08.2012 - 13:30
Rating: 10

Posts: 3
This album has been the precursor of progressive metal and it opened a certain way to progressive style with amazing song and melody. Who don't state this or do not understand anything or speak out of envy.
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LordHypnos
Account deleted
Permalink
05.10.2012 - 03:47
LordHypnos
Account deleted
Nuff said
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LeKiwi
High Fist Prog

Posts: 4326


Permalink
+5
04.11.2012 - 20:38
Rating: 8
LeKiwi
High Fist Prog

Posts: 4326


The horribly weak vocals, much like in Nevermore's case, are the downfall of this band.
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Posts: 12
Permalink
09.11.2012 - 15:19
Rating: 10

Posts: 12
The good lyrics make up for the not so good vocals.
One of the best albums I've ever listened to
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megadeath13
Account deleted
Permalink
02.12.2012 - 14:47
megadeath13
Account deleted
Simply perfect! The first DT album i´ve listened to and its still unbelievely good.
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CobiWan1993
Secundum Filium

Posts: 1374


Permalink
28.08.2013 - 09:53
Rating: 8
CobiWan1993
Secundum Filium

Posts: 1374


By far Dream Theater's greatest masterpiece, though Awake comes sort of close. While the musicianship is top-notch as is typical with all DT albums, the songwriting is their most focused and less cluttered with needlessly technical sections that turn me off from most of their other albums really and is much more accessible for me as a result. A wonderful prog metal opus.
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Ordinary men hate solitude. But the Master makes use of it, embracing his aloneness, realizing he is one with the whole universe (Lao Tzu).
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Posts: 1443


Permalink
+1
13.09.2015 - 23:37
Rating: 10

Posts: 1443


MASTERPIECE!!! Every song (even the ballads) are majestic as themselves. And even LaBrie rocks greatly in this release
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BARDS WE ARE, BARDS WE WILL BE!
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Maco
Pvt Funderground

Posts: 3593


Permalink
14.03.2016 - 07:10
Maco
Pvt Funderground

Posts: 3593


The only DT album that lacks filler tracks and also the only one that deserves all the praise it gets.
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Crackhead Megadeth reigns supreme.
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Mountain King
K i K o

Posts: 1361


Permalink
17.08.2016 - 20:34
Rating: 9
Mountain King
K i K o

Posts: 1361


Written by Maco on 14.03.2016 at 07:10

The only DT album that lacks filler tracks and also the only one that deserves all the praise it gets.

Can't say I don't agree. For such a talented band, the other albums are not so good...
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Posts: 32


Permalink
25.11.2016 - 12:02
Rating: 10

Posts: 32


I never get tired of listening to this album
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Posts: 8
Permalink
02.07.2018 - 10:49
Rating: 10

Posts: 8
When you make something better than Metallica ever did...
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Posts: 159


Permalink
03.01.2019 - 10:20

Posts: 159


Another Blackwater Park.. aimless meandering, songs that are too long they make funeral doom sound like thrash. Weak riffs, this is the perfect recipe to make a 6 yr old happy girl hate their life as the cover aptly depicts. Do not be deceived by the liers and naysayerswho claim this is a metal masterpiece let alone a classic album. If you want genuine expression of emotions listen to Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, Luther Vandross and Mariah Carey, those are the artists Drem Theatre are trying to emulate in this snorefest. This is the physical manifestation of boring.
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You are not metal enough until you visit Kenya. The cradle of mankind, where man learnt first to work with stones and first enjoyed the sounds produced by banging stones which later influenced metal in all its sounds and genres.
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Roman Doez
Hallucigenia
Contributor

Posts: 1280


Permalink
19.09.2020 - 16:53
Rating: 8
Roman Doez
Hallucigenia
Contributor

Posts: 1280


Although overrated, this one is still an absolute masterpiece. Take out Another Day and Surrounded and you got a perfect record. Pull me under might be the most overrated song of the Dream Theater catalogue but it's still one hell of a song, and Take The Time, Metropolis Pt1, Under A Glass Moon and Learning to live are good enough reasons to give it a 9, fantastic album.
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Posts: 1672


Permalink
01.10.2020 - 08:40
Rating: 10

Posts: 1672


One of the greatest albums ever made, it's one of those records that you've listened to death to know every single note and it still amazes. If I would have to list my five favourite records this would most likely be one of them.

Also intresting how they struck gold here but rest of discography is nowhere near the greatness of this one. I do like other records by them but if I want to listen to Dream Theater it's always this one, or sometimes the debut or Scenes from a Memory (even if the production kind of sucks on that one).
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Everything's twice as bright with money in your hands
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Posts: 57


Permalink
+1
08.03.2021 - 02:52
Rating: 9

Posts: 57


"Although overrated, this one is still an absolute masterpiece." Two sentenced combined that can't make sense

Dream Theater is the only band, for me, that no matter what score I give to their albums it always feel too high and too low at the same time.
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AndyMetalFreak
A Nice Guy
Contributor

Posts: 6680


Permalink
+1
12.04.2021 - 10:43
Rating: 9
AndyMetalFreak
A Nice Guy
Contributor

Posts: 6680


This is progressive metal at it's very best! and by far the best album I've listened to from this band. I took an instant liking to it, and each time I listen to it I like it even more.

Each musician plays their part perfectly well, the music is very technical, and perfectly in time, and perfectly balanced.

My favourite songs are "Pull me Under", "Under a Glass Moon", and "Metropolis pt1", but the other songs were also great. These musicians sure new what they were doing, it's nothing short of perfection!
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Posts: 218


Permalink
+1
08.05.2021 - 00:58
Rating: 8

Posts: 218


It is a good album but overrated, in my opinion Metropolis Pt2 is better.
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F3ynman
Nocturnal Bro
Contributor

Posts: 3438


Permalink
25.02.2022 - 22:31
Rating: 8
F3ynman
Nocturnal Bro
Contributor

Posts: 3438


Written by Roman Doez on 19.09.2020 at 16:53

Take out Another Day and Surrounded and you got a perfect record. ....
Take The Time, Metropolis Pt1, Under A Glass Moon and Learning to live are good enough reasons to give it a 9, fantastic album.

I agree 100%
I got the motivation to finally sit down and listen to this because of your "Getting into Dream Theater" article. Thanks
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Posts: 5655


Permalink
+1
25.02.2022 - 22:40

Posts: 5655


Written by Roman Doez on 19.09.2020 at 16:53

Although overrated, this one is still an absolute masterpiece. Take out Another Day and Surrounded and you got a perfect record. Pull me under might be the most overrated song of the Dream Theater catalogue but it's still one hell of a song, and Take The Time, Metropolis Pt1, Under A Glass Moon and Learning to live are good enough reasons to give it a 9, fantastic album.

not overrated at all, groundbreaking when it came out, influenced a lot of other bands and musicians.
Pull Me Under overrated? Why? Just because it's got a bit of fame?

I get it Another day is a bit cheesy, but Surrounded is a great song. Both songs give the album a little bit of diversity, let the album breathe a bit.
----
I thought the two primary purposes for the internet were cat memes and overreactions.
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Roman Doez
Hallucigenia
Contributor

Posts: 1280


Permalink
25.02.2022 - 22:56
Rating: 8
Roman Doez
Hallucigenia
Contributor

Posts: 1280


Written by F3ynman on 25.02.2022 at 22:31

I agree 100%
I got the motivation to finally sit down and listen to this because of your "Getting into Dream Theater" article. Thanks

The article served its purpose then!
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Roman Doez
Hallucigenia
Contributor

Posts: 1280


Permalink
25.02.2022 - 23:00
Rating: 8
Roman Doez
Hallucigenia
Contributor

Posts: 1280


Written by John_Doe on 25.02.2022 at 22:40

not overrated at all, groundbreaking when it came out, influenced a lot of other bands and musicians.
Pull Me Under overrated? Why? Just because it's got a bit of fame?

I get it Another day is a bit cheesy, but Surrounded is a great song. Both songs give the album a little bit of diversity, let's the album breathe a bit.

Pull me under is the band's most well known song and I often see it getting praised, and although it's a good one it's far from the best stuff DT has to offer.
And I like diversity in my albums but I simply cannot get into either Surrounded or Another day, but I agree that I might have been a bit harsh towards them in my comment
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Ellrohir
Heaven Knight

Posts: 8703


Permalink
+1
01.10.2022 - 20:00
Rating: 9
Ellrohir
Heaven Knight

Posts: 8703


Everytime I listen to this album, I find some new and great. Last time it was 'Surrounded'. I was overlooking this song for years, but the second half is brilliant.
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My rest seems now calm and deep
Finally I got my dead man sleep


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Posts: 1828


Permalink
15.03.2023 - 16:54

Posts: 1828


I think my main issue with this album is that none of the songs are nearly as good as the first one.
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Need a break from headbanging? Restore your street cred by visiting my hip-hop list!

Tha Swagnum Opus: A Selection Of Hip-Hop For The Curious Metalhead
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Posts: 5655


Permalink
27.05.2023 - 23:59

Posts: 5655


Written by [user id=329624] on 27.05.2023 at 22:43

Written by A Real Mönkey on 15.03.2023 at 16:54

I think my main issue with this album is that none of the songs are nearly as good as the first one.

But it's the weakest song on the album...


I've seen people usually complain about the ballad of this album, which is still a good song.
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I thought the two primary purposes for the internet were cat memes and overreactions.
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