LIVE IN TOKYO/5 YEARS IN A LIVETIME

This is the early moment for Dream Theater did a show which was shot for the video (it has become the tradition for Dream Theater to launch many videos and live albums nowadays. The first DVD contained with their show in Tokyo, Japan in 1993 from "Music In Progress World Tour" including some of their traditional songs such as, "Under A Glass Moon", "Ytse Jam", and "A Fortune In Lies".

Also you can find three video clips from the "Images & Words" album, "Pull Me Under", "Take The Time", and "Another Day". (You will also find the live version for "Pull Me Under" and "Take The Time". For "Another Day", you can find it in their latest DVD, "Score: 20th Anniversary World Tour 2006" as a bonus live tracks). Especially "Pull Me Under", it was the video clip that changed DT's life and raised DT's popularity. For "Another Day", I've seen the video clip on MTV a few years ago before I had this DVD.

The second DVD titled with the name "5 Years In A LiveTime", was the collection of definitive moments from five years in DT's life (1994-1998). May be you think that this DVD contained the same tracks with "Once In A LiveTime" album (the same cover, and the same released year). Those of you who think like that surely were incorrect.

The DVD was filled with the songs such as, "Burning My Soul", "Metropolis Pt. 1", "Peruvian Skies", and "Learning To Live" from "Waking Up The World Tour", "Unplugged", and "Touring Into Infinity". DT also covered some tracks such as, "Heart Of The Sunrise" (Yes), "Easter" (Marillion), and "Perfect Strangers" (Deep Purple) from the "Uncovered" show. Also appeared in the "Uncovered" show were Steve Howe (Yes), Steve Rothery (Marillion), and Steve Hogarth (Marillion).

For "Perfect Strangers", you can see Bruce Dickinson (Iron Maiden) in the intro and continued with DT's unique performance. This time, Mike Portnoy played bass guitar. Derek Sherinian played guitars. John Myung played keyboards (it's no problem for him because he has ever learned piano in his childhood). John Petrucci played drum (actually, his performance was so funny, I just laughed at him when I saw the video). However, it was a good entertainment by them.

Uups, this time you'll find three more video clips from "Awake" and "Falling Into Infinity" album ("Lie", "The Silent Man", and "Hollow Years").

Personally, I prefer the second DVD as a better one. Finally, if you're interested to try these videos, I'm sure you won't regret at all, especially for DT fans. I believe you're surely happy because everybody must be happy if their idols released as many albums or videos as possible, no matter it was just a video or live album, aren't you? Those of you who don't agree with me and dislike your idols who released many live albums and videos, definitely was a poor guy.

Fernandi Gunawan