NOTES ON A DREAM

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The new Jordan Rudess album Notes On A Dream is a like the beacon far off in the distance that will lead us all back from whence we came. In spirit, that light brings him home where he belongs.

This correlation also applies to the artist getting back to his roots and giving the nod to the classical underpinnings of his music. The 70s prog-rock influences of such bands as Gentle Giant and Genesis are sited as well. These bands helped to launch a fabulous career and give Dream Theater a partner in making some of the most exciting and progressive music over the last 20 some years.

In a word the 12 tracks on this recording are Dream Theater favorites that Rudess decided to interpret in their most simplest and elegant form through the acoustic piano.

The seed was planted by Jordan's wife Danielle, then it eventually germinated after much thought and a process that the artist explains as difficult at first. The hard work paid off as it all resulted in a beautiful flower blooming showing off all its colors. I know this hardly sounds like an introduction to Dream Theater songs- the powerful progressive metal all fans of the band know so well. So where are all the churning and swirling keyboards that Jordan so expertly provides for the band here? Think of a man taking the dark and powerful and revealing the lighter gentler side of the music by peeling off all the layers and revealing one stand alone level as statement to the true essence of how these compositions came together from one band member's perspective. Let us not forget the improvisational aspects of what is accomplished through this admittedly risqué and complex process. Some songs are instantly recognizable and others may take a bit longer to sink in at first. This is all dependent on your knowledge of the Dream Theater music and how personally in touch you may be and what level of intensity that relationship is.

The hard core rockers that love the Dream Theater sound may be totally taken aback and not able to see the forest through the trees and others will be able to hear and feel what the new meanings this talented artist has brought to each track.

Listening to "Another Day" which is flawless and brilliant, cries out for James LaBrie to accompany Jordan through the journey yet it is so powerful and convincing that I could hear James singing all the words as Jordan tickled the ivories and coaxed every note to sing along in the place of the lead singer. This is a very convincing and beautiful interpretation of one of Dream Theater's most memorable tracks.

After a few listens you realize that all 12 tracks are exceptional and find a new appreciation for the music of Dream Theater and how one member can take these complex progressive metal rock tracks and turn them inside out and make them all new, like a new coat of glossy paint.

My respect for the artist, his band and Classical music made this an easy transition and with each listen I began to fall in love with this album. Jordan Rudess really does make this experience Notes On A Dream.

""[b]Jordan Rudess biography[/b] Jordan Rudess is a classically trained keyboardist""

States his bio. I'm sure you would nod to this fact after listening this album. I saw him on Score dvd. His fingers are quick like running spider's legs. It reminds me John Myung's style. I mean style, because he's not much to be heard. Here, no one is to be heard, except piano. First I though that I'll give this five stars, because I though this is how masterpiece should look like (well, sounds like). Maybe it is, someone may see perfection in this. I can appreciate it, but not so much. Perhaps later, when I'll be older.

To put it short, if you like piano and Dream Theater's music, you'll love this too. Jordan is piano/keyboard virtuoso, his skill with keys (those keys) is undoubtable (try last section of "The Spirit Carries On", I think he made all these sounds at once => he played with his both hands, not one after another). I even found myself singing (not so strange, I know DT for quite a long time) and, you know, DT without LaBrie gains something new (and loses something, but that's the price).

This album is Dream Theater songs acoustic taken to another level. Give away all rock instruments, leave just piano and play these sounds stripped to the bone. When you consider that this is just piano (played by master) and this music could be composed easily few hundreds years ago, it's kinda weird. "The Answer Lies Within" sounds similar to normal version. Guess why. In fact after listening this, I realised how is DT's music imbued by piano sound.

Four stars for good acoustic DT. Bad because I lack rock instruments, good because of his skills. But this bad is just little bad, so more like worse good.

Albums of this nature are difficult to rate and review; this album from keyboard master Jordan Rudess is a collection of Dream Theater songs reworked for one man and his piano. That means it is an album of covers, and it is only piano music, which quite naturally would pique the interest of anyone who appreciates Dream Theater or classical piano, but at the same time, might lack appeal to any other audience. Rudess is, it goes without saying, a dedicated and masterful musician, and because of that, I tend to think that he overdoes it, strangling the most delicate pieces with highly proficient runs and arpeggios, many of which don't even work within the context of the music. That said, this is some really amazing work by one of progressive metal's most talented keyboardists, although I am constrained to review it on its own flaws and merits (rather than compare it to other albums in Crossover). Therefore my rating comes with a humongous disclaimer: If you are fond of virtuosic piano music, this is highly recommended, even though I myself find several of the versions here needlessly flashy.

"Through Her Eyes" Many tender flourishes pop in between each line (some of them blues scales), which can make such a warm piece seem far busier than it should. The original itself is such a simple track in terms of chord progressions, that it would seem necessary to add such frequent runs throughout, but that is not so- a simpler, kinder treatment would have allowed the melody to breathe on its own.

"Lifting Shadows Off A Dream" Rudess works the expanse of the keyboard on this rendition, using arpeggios to underscore the simplistic melody.

"Perpetuum Mobile" This is one of two pieces that are not from Dream Theater. As one can figure out by the name, this is a brief, rapid, and complex piece of music.

"The Silent Man" Similar to the opener, this version takes a relatively undemanding piece of music and packs it full of runs.

"Another Day" Varied in volume and involvedness in the beginning, it's gorgeous to hear that familiar melody eventually ring through- well done.

"Hollow Years" One of my favorite Dream Theater songs, I was eager to hear what Rudess would do with such a wonderful and powerful melody. He treats the piece with care, keeping the embellishments at a respectable level, for once allowing them to complement the flow rather than dominate it.

"The Grand Escapement" This extremely busy piece hurts my fingers just listening to it! It is chock full of bluesy soloing and low riffs.

"The Spirit Carries On" Although this song comes from my favorite Dream Theater album, I've always maintained that this is one of the band's more banal moments (there were more from that album, and I still regard it as my most cherished), so taking that and stripping it down makes for some really uninteresting listening. I much rather would have heard his take on something more ambitious, like "Overture 1928" or "Strange Déjà Vu."

"Speak To Me" This covers a track from the official bootlegs for Falling Into Infinity, and is a beautiful, poignant bit of music with some stirring chord work.

"The Answer Lies Within" Once again, here is a gentler piece almost ruined with, dare I say it, goofy bluesy runs and out-of-context flourishes.

"Collision Point" Barely passing the minute mark, this is a very brief yet completely original piece, demonstrating the man's mastery over eighty-eight keys.

"Vacant" This cut from Train of Thought is given a dreary makeover, with excellent ornamental playing to fill out the sound.