IMAGES AND WORDS - 15TH ANNIVERSARY PERFORMANCE (FAN CLUB CD 2007)

On one side, I would like to give a 4-star rating to this album, for it is beatufully played, and it constitutes a further celebration of the longevity of this band and its capability to create an album, Images and Words, which, in my humble opinion, deserves a place among fundamental prog albums like Selling England by the Pound, Moving Pictures, etc.

On the other side, listening to this album makes little sense if you haven't still listened to all of dream theater's studio and official live albums - it's not anything really new - to make it explicit.

This album is the typical must-have ... for the DT fan. Therefore for now on I will assume the reader actually belongs to this category.

Those who know DT well enough know one of their biggest merits is to be able to make EVERY live show somewhat unique. This album is the n-th demonstration of this capability. This album is not only DT performing all of I&W songs in continuity. They (in particular Jordan Rudess) tried in someway to revive the album. There are 3-4 tracks worthwile mentioning.

Surrounded: the band plays the song in the 2007 version. Therefore, for those of you who like me could not attend the Chaos in Motion world Tour and could not hear the latest version of the song, here is the occasion to. The song is extended to an astonishing 13 minutes, and showcasts a fresh-new introduction, instrumental break (with JR joining JP with its Zen Riffer - its new tech toy - for an incredible combined solo) and new lyrics.

Take the Time: played with notable verve - great solo by JR

Wait for Sleep: features a virtuoso piano introduction by JR (which may well come, for those who have heard of it, from his unplugged album) - James laBrie's comes here finally to exploit all its voice's expressive potential.

Also worth noting yet another new solo by JR, closing Another Day.

The rest of the album is just played with the usual perfectionism and intensity.