Customer Reviews

Dream Theater 'Images and Words - Live in Tokyo' [VHS]

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have always enjoyed DT and this video rocks. Not only does it contain live versions of some of their best songs from the Images and Words CD but it includes three MTV style videos and several clips of the band hanging out, having fun, shopping for condoms (no lie), recording, and basically being a rock band. I wish they had shown all of Metropolis but all things considered-WOW. Get this video if you even remotely like DT. MTV tracks- Pull Me Under, Another Day, Take The Time. Live Tracks- Metropolis (part of the live version is played during the opening credits but the whole song is not played), Under A Glass Moon, Take The Time, Wait For Sleep/Surrounded medley (WOW), Pull Me Under, Ytse Jam (WOW again), and a cool improv jam featuring parts of Fortune In Lies and some unreleased stuff from "Awake"

You will not believe how amazing this band is! The first time I heard them I was blown away. I couldn't believe how talented these guys where. John Petrucci just lights up the fretboard. He has to be the greatest guitarist ever to play. If you're into guitars and/or incredible sounding rock, then check out this video. Also, go out and buy there new video "Five Years In a Livetime". This video came out with there recent live album "Once In a Livetime". Check out the rest of there CD's too: "Images and Words", "Awake", "Change of Seasons", and "Falling Into Infinity". You won't be dissaponted!

IMAGES & WORDS: LIVE IN TOKYO is an awesome concert/video/interview tape from 1993 that captures Dream Theater in top form during their "Music in Progress" tour. The concert footage was filmed on August 26, 1993 in Tokyo, Japan, and it's intercut with band interviews, behind-the-scenes footage, and even three MTV-style music videos.

Actually, it's pretty funny watching DT do music videos, since now they've become the antithesis of a video band (a very good thing I might add). But the videos are still good and well-made. The best one out of the bunch is "Another Day." The video matches the lyrics to the song perfectly. The other two videos are for "Pull Me Under" and "Take the Time."

The behind-the-scenes footage is also well-documented. There's a hilarious part where Mike Portnoy points out the condoms for every member of Dream Theater. The funniest one is John Petrucci's condom which is called "the exaggerator." You have to see it to believe it! Also, there's some footage of the band recording the IMAGES & WORDS album which is quite stunning.

The best part about the tape is the live footage. For a band this young in their career, their live performances here are astonishing. "Under a Glass Moon" is played with even more intensity and energy than the studio original. "A Fortune in Lies" is another intense number filled with speedy riffs and a commanding vocal performance from James LaBrie. The "Wait for Sleep/Surrounded" medley is amazingly beautiful with excellent piano work from Kevin Moore and another great vocal from LaBrie. Mike gets to even do a killer drum solo in the middle of "The Ytse Jam." It's jaw-dropping to see what he does with his drum kit. The extended intro for "Take the Time" is actually a preview of "Puppies on Acid," which would eventually become the one-minute intro for "The Mirror."

Overall, this is a stunning 90-minute video. Everything is packed in and not a minute is wasted. Although I like the METROPOLIS 2000 DVD better than this because you get to see the band perform their masterpiece SFAM in its entirety, this is still one of my most-played tapes.

This video is a most excellent portrayal of a truly seemingly legendary band. This video features stunning live performances(complete with seperate instrument solos),MTV videos( of which mostly wound up not being shown on MTV),and the band hangin out being...well, a rock band. This release features Kevin Moore on keyboards (Pre Derek Sherinian and Jordan Rudess)! All band members play with super human skills which makes it BREATHTAKING to watch...however;unfortunately James Labrie's vocals on this are terrible. He screams a lot and never hits any of the notes he does in the studio. Vocals on some songs really disrupt the fluency of the effortless musicianship. Despite this flaw the playing is sooooo spectacular that this still get's the highest possible rating.

This video is chunk full of behind the scenes footage, live concert footage, and even MTV-esque music videos (complete with lip-synching). If you are a fan of the best Progressive Rock band playing today, then you MUST buy this video!

To James LaBrie - stop running across the stage! It seems that whenever the band takes an instrumental section, which, as any Dream Theater fan knows, happens quite often, the singer finds himself at a loss. Many of the high-angle shots reveal a confused-looking LaBrie jogging from one end of the stage to another, a gesture that winds up just being funny, but not so much ha-ha funny.

With that in mind, this tape comes from a time when Dream Theater, not yet sure of its niche but seeing an opening in the mainstream due to the success of Pull Me Under, was in search of rock stardom (and stage presence). Despite the sometimes laughable ways in which their hopes and youthful energies are manifested, the band is clearly fired up and puts on an excellent performance here. LaBrie's vocals are fantastic, especially taken by comparison to more recent live recordings. As for the rest of the band, what can I say? They're Dream Theater - virtuosic as always.

Aside from the live concert that it documents, Live in Tokyo also shows a few early music videos. Of these, only Pull Me Under ever made it to the air. The direction is a bit cheesy and the sets are even cheesier, but once again it shows a band that had energy and was aiming high. The scenes in Tokyo also show a side of the band that, while covered often, are well worth seeing again. Here we see 5 long-haired guys walking around joking about condoms. It's always cool to watch them just be goofy and screw around - reminds me of my own friends and humanizes a band that has such phenomenal talent that they seem godlike at times.

All told, this video offers a look at a band that deserves to be phenomenally successful at a time when it looked like they very well could be. Today, while successful amongst their market, Dream Theater no longer sees such opportunity. They came just a hair too late (pardon the pun) as 80's-style metal was pushed out by the plaid-shirted grunge crowd.

However, if you wish to see the band in a more mature form, with far more intense skill, I recommend the Metropolis 2000 DVD or tape. At least LaBrie found out what to do with himself.

Recommended for Dream Theater fans for its look at the early life of the band, with a caveat - if you don't like seeing LaBrie look a little dumb, steer clear.

The line above is about as true a "one-word review" as I could give. The band gave a fantastic live performance. Lovely video...I never tire of seeing it. These guys are musical virtuosity to the maximum. Definitely worth a loooooong look..heheh.

This video is one of the best I have ever seen on bands. They are an exceptional band. If I could I would give them a 10!

Fantastic, the greatest rock video ever. Under A Glass Moon's solo had me rewinding every time I saw it just to make sure that John Petrucci was actually playing it! Every single one of the songs is a masterpiece.

I recently got Once In A LIVEtime too and that rocks just as hard. YOU WILL LIKE THIS VIDEO.

I highly recommend this video to any DT fan! Live in Tokyo is arguably the best DT video (although I am quite fond of "Five Years in a LIVEtime). YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED!!!