LIVE AT THE MARQUEE

Dream Theater's first attempt at a live album would also prove to be their weakest in my opinon, as their song repetoir was limited to solely the Images & Words and the When Dream and Day Unite material, which in my opinion weren't their best albums at all. That said, though, they do seem to pick some of the better songs from Images & Words and When Dream and Day Unite, although the absence of Learning to Live really is a downer to say the least. This would also be the only live album to feature Kevin Moore in the band (not counting the Live in Tokyo video) and I don't really think it's a comprehensive look at Dream Theater with Kevin Moore in the band at all, but it's a good album for what it is. Still, though, if you're looking for early Dream Theater live material, this is essentially the only source you have (unless you decide to uncover the extensive amount of bootlegs that exist throughout the world).

The album opens with Metropolis Part 1, which in my opinion was the second best song off of I&W along with the absent Learning to Live. It's a pretty good rendition, but they've done better (Live Scenes from New York). A Fortune In Lies is benefited from much improved sound quality on this release, and I've always liked the live versions of the song better than the studio version (which suffered from atrocious audio quality). Bombay Vindaloo is essentially the improvisational piece of the album, and though Kevin Moore was never a big fan of improvs he is present on this song. The whole band get into an infectious groove and they really come into their own and it's actually one of the reasons you may want to get this album. It's followed by Surrounded, one of my least favorite songs off of I&W as it's a tad too overblown and pretentious in my opinion. Still, though, Portnoy is pretty good on the percussion here. Another Hand / The Killing Hand is essentially an extended version of The Killing Hand, which was another pretty good track from WDaDU. I'm quite fond of Moore's symphonic keyboards when they're coupled with the precision shredding of Petrucci. The album closes with the breakthrough song for Dream Theater Pull Me Under. Of all the versions of the song I've heard, this is probably one of the weaker ones in terms of sound quality and overall performance, but it's still a pretty solid and trying version for the band that would perfect their live sound within the next few years.

Overall, Live at the Marquee is my least favorite Dream Theater live album. While the others had spectacular song selections and a more whole feel. this one is broken up into segments and feels more like a live compilation album than a concert. Still, though, there are pretty good renditions of classic songs like Metropolis and The Killing Hand, so that should please any Dream Theater fan. Bombay Vindaloo is also a pretty killer song, so you may want to pick up this album if you're a fan of the group and like improvisational pieces. Me? Well, I'm in the middle. 3/5.