Get Revitalized Versions of When Dream & Day Unite Instead of The Original

This version of When Dream and Day Unite should be thought of as one of Dream Theater nonessential releases.  It is most definitely a good album, but these songs have been revitalized elsewhere in Dream Theater's catalogue.  Highlights include "Status Seeker," "A Fortune in Lies," "Afterlife," "The Killing Hand," and "Only a Matter of Time."  I recommend either the Official Bootleg version of WD&DU instead and/or "Live at the Marquee."

Five Stars, 1.  Dream Theater by Dream Theater

Five Stars, 2.  Awake

Five Stars, 3.  Octavarium

Five Stars, 4.  Images and Words

Five Stars, 5.  A Dramatic Turn of Events

Five Stars, 6.  Systematic Chaos

Five Stars, 7.  Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory

Five Stars, 8.  Train of Thought

Five Stars, 9.  Falling Into Infinity

Four Stars, 10.  When Dream and Day Unite (I recommend getting either the Official Bootleg of this live with James LaBrie, or Live at the Marquee)

Four Stars, 11.  Black Clouds & Silver Linings

Four Stars, 12.  Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence (I recommend the totally awesome 4 Degrees of Radio Edits, or Score instead)

**** Listen By Jordan Rudess – Excellent, But Not Jordan’s Best

If you like Marillion, then chances are that you will like “Listen” by Jordan Rudess. My guess would be that if you have heard of and listened to Marillion before looking for this more obscure work, as it is his first album, predating his more famous work with Dream Theater, but times are a changin’, and Jordan Rudess has achieved super star popularity in the band Dream Theater, far more popularity than Marillion ever had.

If you are looking for something that reminds you of Dream Theater, while this music is still quite technical, I would have to urge you to look somewhere else. This album has hardly any resemblance to Dream Theater. If you are interested in collecting all of Dream Theater’s and their members solo projects, then this one might be a good one to own in the way that James LaBrie’s Winter Rose is worth owning (both of these pre Dream Theater efforts are really good.) I do have to admit, though the rest of the band does not remind me of Dream Theater at all, by the time Jordan produced Listen, a good deal of his technical style, which so far as I know was uniquely developed by him is possibly a result to the musical doors that had been unlocked to him through keyboard technology. Some people find this technical stuff, sounds that only could be produced by a keyboard played with what seems like high precision randomness to be annoying, others, like me, love it.

This album is not a 5 star work though. It is not an essential album in any way. It is the music of a serious young musician, someone well on the path toward being virtuoso, if not even a virtuoso by this album. I can’t quite put my finger on why this work falls short of 5 stars from a technical point of view. Dare I say that it is the song craft that makes this a 4 star album; I think so. That’s it. If you believe this is a 5 star album, I understand if you disagree with me, however.