IMAGES AND WORDS

One of those albums that I can see what attracts others, but for whatever reason Images and Words has yet to take hold of me personally. In my heart, this is a 3 star album, but given the historical contexts (a pretty unique sound for 1992), the bright spots (Metropolis, of course, among others), and...well...let's say the cool flaming heart on the cover, I'll round Images and Words up to 4 stars.

Highlights: Pull Me Under, Metropolis, Under a Glass Moon. These songs probably rock the hardest, have the minimum of LaBrie stylings, and fit together nicely as coherent songs (unlike, for example, Take the Time or Learning to Live).

Lowlights: Just because LaBrie was capable of singing higher way back when doesn't mean he should have been doing so, and that's clearly the case here in certain spots (i.e., the end of Metropolis). Also, Petrucci's crunching feels so light at times that it really makes the music feel cheesier in places, although they would address this in later albums (the same could also be said for Portnoy's sound).

Anytime an album gives me at least a couple songs that I regularly come back to, I consider it a worthy investment. Sure, I always hope for a bit more, but that just makes finding those special albums (i.e., Scenes from a Memory) all the more special.