Awake

Dream Theater | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 4, 1994)
• Original Release Date: October 4, 1994
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Atlantic
• ASIN: B000002JKA
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (225 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,234 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #38 in Music > Hard Rock & Metal > Progressive Metal

Editorial Reviews

DREAM THEATER AWAKE

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

44 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A dark, overlooked MASTERPIECE., December 9, 2003

By 

Barry Dejasu "the_otherness" (Rehoboth, Massachusetts) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Awake (Audio CD)

This Dream Theater album was my first from them, and it was enough to get me hooked. As time progressed, however, I realized that this was not exactly the right album for a beginner such as myself to get into this fabulous band. It is far darker and heavier than most of their other albums (except for SIX DEGREES OF INNER TURBULENCE and TRAIN OF THOUGHT, which are exceptionally heavy). James LaBrie's voice is a rather vicious snarl on many of the songs (namely "6:00," "Caught in a Web," and "The Mirror" and "Lie"), and while he frequently has sung this tone before, it is not his usual, marvelous singing that has become his trademark. John Petrucci's guitars chug with a well-performed metal sense, and holy COW, Mike Portnoy's drumming is insanely complex, but with frequent bouts of crashing and booming like thunder. John Myung's bass keeps a steady rumble throughout, and Kevin Moore (on his last DT recording) has rather icy (but frequently warm and beautiful) keyboarding.

Songs such as the aforementioned four are especially heavy, and somewhat short by DT's standards. As well, the first song in the A Mind Beside Itself trilogy, "Erotomania," makes an extremely heavy prologue to the other two songs, the far quieter "Voices," and the acoustic "The Silent Man." Other songs, such as "Innocence Faded" and "Space-Dye Vest" have more of a "traditional" DT sound (but there really can't be such a thing, because this IS progressive music, after all), and this makes for a very eclectic, but well-organized, album.

Lyrically, some of the songs are almost frightening in their contrast to Dream Theater's normally more mystical (but not exactly "cheerful") writing. Take, for instance, the lyrics to "6:00": "So many ways to drown a man/ So many ways to drag him down/ Some of them are fast and others take years and years." Wow. This is definitely Dream Theater's heavier pinnacle in their earlier years that established them as progressive METAL.

Then there are the lighter songs, such as "Innocence Faded." This song is especially marvelous. It is highly melodic, and carries the listener on a gentle stellar breeze. Just listen to the keyboard-laden pre-chorus and be taken away. And just LISTEN to James LaBrie sing those higher notes in the second verse...what notes he hits! And John Petrucci's outro picking is just fabulous. Marvelous song. As well, "Voices" is epic, sweeping, and yes, fairly heavy. Definitely one of my favorite DT songs.

As I said before, this is not a Dream Theater album for beginners, because of how heavy it is, but even if it is a first, you may might like it in the end. It was, after all, my first, and now they're one of my favorite bands. Regardless, this is a must for any Dream Theater fan. A dark, overlooked masterpiece.

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars No middle ground., July 8, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Awake (Audio CD)

If you're new to Dream Theater and reading these reviews, you're probably getting more than a little confused by the rankings and comments they receive. From my experience, a person's reaction to Dream Theater can be easily predicted based on their other musical interests. 1) Pop rock fans: You won't like DT unless you tend towards complex melodies and harmonies. DT are not terribly accessible. The only truly accessible song on this album is "Space-Dye Vest", written by then keyboardist Kevin Moore. Other than that, you might find the whole album incomprehensible. This isn't the album to start with, however. Try Images and Words or Falling into Infinity first. 2) MetalHeads: You may like DT if you don't mind keyboards with your metal. DT has all the elements of a good metal band, but for purists, the keyboards ruin it all. If you're not a purist, and you aren't into the predictable three-chord school, DT is right up your alley, and this is the album you should start with. 3) Fans of Rush, and progressive bands: If you think Metallica is decent but too repetitive, give DT a listen. If you think Metallica are the antichrist, don't bother. Start with a different album, however. Either you'll love this group, or you'll hate them. There isn't a whole lot of middle ground, but they're worth a shot. You might just wind up with a new favorite band. I did.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dark and Powerful, June 27, 2002

By 

The Wickerman (Austin, TX) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Awake (Audio CD)

Sorry, I've had to keep re-reviewing this album. It's a bit hard to pin down, it would seem. This album did not grab me as quickly as "Images and Words" or "Scenes from a Memory", but I've stuck with it, and though I still prefer those two albums (and I think the "sellout" album, "Falling into Infinity", may be a bit better as well), this is an excellent piece of music.

There is generally a much darker theme about this album. Lyrics deal with addiction, betrayal, love, hate, a veritable collage of human emotions. This album has some of their heaviest riffs, and some of their most beautiful melodies. "6:00", while not their best song, is one of their most aggressive, and indeed a great way to start off an album like this. "The Mirror" and "Lie" are a great one-two punch of crunchy riffs, and great lyrics and vocals. "Voices" is, I think, somewhat overrated, in that it doesn't hold a great deal of variety for such a long song, but the great lyrics make up for it. John Petrucci is undoubtedly one of the top songwriters. I think my favorite has to be "Lifting Shadows off a Dream". Amazing ballad, with a lot of atmosphere, and a slight U2 vibe (in a good way). "The Silent Man" is a great acoustic song, and "Space Dye Vest" is a delightfully creepy closer (BTW, Houston is definitely not a dry heat, believe you me:).

All in all, this is an excellent album. My only real complaint (other than that it's a bit harder to get into than the rest) is that Mike's drumming doesn't stand out as much as on other albums, but that's a minor complaint for sure. If you like Dream Theater, buy this, it's a thing of beauty.