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List Price: $11.98 | | Label: Elektra / Wea
Salesrank: 746690
Released: September 23, 1997 |
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| Used Price: $92.44 |
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| Media: Audio Cassette |
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Falling Into Infinity Track Listing:
1. New Millennium
2. You Not Me
3. Peruvian Skies
4. Hollow Years
5. Burning My Soul
6. Hell's Kitchen
7. Lines in the Sand
8. Take Away My Pain
9. Just Let Me Breathe
10. Anna Lee
11. Trial of Tears: It's Raining/Deep in Heaven/The Wasteland
Editorial Review:
Japanese only SHM Pressing. The SHM-CD [Super High Material CD] format features enhanced audio quality through the use of a special polycarbonate plastic. Using a process developed by JVC and Universal Music Japan discovered through the joint companies' research into LCD display manufacturing SHM-CDs feature improved transparency on the data side of the disc allowing for more accurate reading of CD data by the CD player laser head. SHM-CD format CDs are fully compatible with standard CD players. Warner. 2009.
Falling Into Infinity Reviews:
Haters Can Shut Up 
2009-07-02 - I own everything in the DT catalog and I really enjoyed Falling Into Infinity. There's something on every one of their albums to discover, to enjoy or simply to marvel at. I appreciate how good these guys are individually and how amazing they are as a unit. Few people outside the music business understand the constant conflict between the artist seeking creative autonomy and the record label seeking commercial success (e.g. revenue.) In fact, no-one should blame DT for seeking that balance within their own catalog (as evidenced by Falling Into Infinity.) This is their livelihood after all. It's easy for others to dismiss this album as a "sellout." It's not. It's different. Open your ears, appreciate the talent and find something to like. DT has never been a band to troll out garbage. So give them a break.
Really not as bad as people make it out to be.
2009-06-30 - There are a few duds on this album, Dream Theater's 4th studio effort. This is arguably probably their most ballad-y offering in their repertoire. But I feel the bright spots completely outshine the hazy ones. So, since Falling Into Infinity is a solid and good album, we'll start with the positives:
Lines in the Sand and Trial of Tears. You can't have a Dream Theater album without a couple of epics right? Well, these don't disappoint. Lines in the Sand is, however, a bit difficult to get into initially, but after a few listens, it turns into quite an amazing song. The guitar solo about 2/3 of the way through is particularly awesome, and is vintage Petrucci shredding. Portnoy's drum work and Sherinian's keyboard work are both great throughout. LaBrie sounds great as well. Trial of Tears is a bit more ala Learning to Live. I wouldn't put it on par with it, but, Trial of Tears is great in its own right. I don't think John Myung even thought he could outdo himself. Divided into three parts, with a mixture of ethereal sounds and catchiness, it's a very different but good epic song by the Theater. The ballads, at least most of them, are actually incredible. Hollow Years, Take Away My Pain, and Anna Lee are all excellent. Great singing by James LaBrie, catchy harmonies. It certainly isn't something that Dream Theater is famous for, but, alas, it's a nice change. You don't need progressive insanity all the time. And the last positive is the awesomeness of the songs Peruvian Skies and New Millenium. At first I wasn't a fan of the synth work on New Millenium, as it was a bit too Depeche Mode on amphetamines, but I've always said that DT was an acquired taste. And Peruvian Skies will remain one of my favorite songs by the band. There is a great crescendo effect that goes on throughout the entire six-minute track, and the Metallica-esque riffage at the end with a heavier and much more uptempo chorus outro definitely does not disappoint.
That said, this album is full of negatives. First off, I always look forward to Dream Theater instrumentals, but Hell's Kitchen, which I believe was initially part of the end of Burning My Soul, is uninteresting. It's not bad by any means really, but when you listen to Erotomania, or Ytse Jam, it's simply not on par. Burning My Soul is lyrically stupid. It's heavy, sure, and heavy Dream Theater is obviously very good typically, but, in this case, it was contrived and forced, to this listener. You Not Me, was just a nightmare. Desmond Child should stick to Aerosmith, and not try to write a substandard song with a band as technically brilliant as Dream Theater. Just Let Me Breathe is quite possibly my least favorite song by the band since LaBrie came in, and that includes all the albums after this one.
Seven great songs, four poor ones... And the seven songs that are great are definitely worth the purchase. So don't believe the pundits who put down this album as a commercial sellout. Despite the drama that ensued with Falling Into Infinity's production, they managed to release a very solid album, and it should be noticed as such. If you're looking for a redux version of Images and Words, or a raw feel like Awake, you're pecking in the wrong place. It's different, soft, but visceral still at times. Take it for what it is, and enjoy the seven great offerings from it.
Underrated 
2009-03-22 - Hey It's pretty much my least favorite DT album but I still enjoy almost everything on it. Give it a chance...But I Highly suggest this one to the HC DT Fans Only.
trust me, we're better off with this slick major label version of the album
2009-03-20 - So here's the great controversial Dream Theater album that all the band members hate because the record company leaned on them to go more commercial and brought in all sorts of outside producers and even writers.
The result is a weird version Dream Theater that we never heard before or since.. lots of pop songs.. lots of piano.. still - despite the turmoil the band went through during the recording of this album, they managed to crank out a few Dream Theater classics.
I LOVE "New Millenium"! What a freaking great song! Really! I know the mix is way overcompressed and by the end of it your ears are holding up white flags, but I love it. Get LIVE AT BUDOKAN on DVD and watch them perform the entire song live.. it really gives the song some breathing room and the mix is far more forgiving on your ears than the studio version.
Other standouts:
"Hell's Kithen/Lines In The Sand"
where the band really creates this amazing sound that is driven by Derek S on keys. Don't get me wrong, I love the band that they've become with Rudess on keys but Sherinian is all over this album. It's interesting to hear so much keyboard driven material on this album. Also super interesting to me is how Mike Portnoy plays on this album. It sounds like the suits made him play less like a goofy heavy metal drummer and use some taste. I like it. Listen to "Lines In The Sand" .. Portnoy never sounded classier.
"Trail Of Tears"
Although the intro apes Rush's Xanadu so blatantly, the song that follows (yeah all three parts) is again very keyboard-driven prog lite, and DT pull it off like old session pros.
"You Not Me"
Yes I said it. As a huge DT fan I find it endlessly fascinating to hear the band with all these big time producers and writers guiding them.. it's a different sound, but still the song is freaking great, I mean.. so heavy! and the vocal harmonies are completely tasty!
Have you heard the demos for this album (available completely legit through dream theater's own website)?? you can listen to the original version of the song (even alternately titled "You Or Me") and see how it was a horrid mess before the studio suit dream team called in Desmond Child to chew up and rewrite the whole song. He made the save, bigtime.
Now on to the bad news - the other 6 songs on this album are the worst 6 songs Dream Theater's ever ventured to attach their name to. Yes, even your beloved "Peruvian Skies" is a horribly embarrasing and boring song "poor poor Vanessa" ?? really??
I honestly think that if FII were the double album they originally planned with the crappy "Raise The Knife" and that lame early version of "Metropolis Part 2" .. Dream Theater might not even have a career at this point. The band was in turmoil, and I think it's super obvious when you compare the demos for the double album to this ultra-polished single CD, that enlisting the aid of outside writers and producers was necessary.
Aging well to become now, my favorite DT album. 
2008-09-15 - It's clear that this album was mixed terribly, but if you are aware of DT LIVE, then you will hopefully understand why this is now my favorite album. The songs have an incredible beauty to them, and honestly, Derek Sherinian is a big part of that. What a talented musician. Far better than Kevin Moore ever was. Anna Lee, Take away my pain, Hells kitchen, Burning my soul, Just let me Breath, Lines in the sand, and the B-sides, Speak to me, Raise the Knife, and maybe my VERY FAVORITE DT SONG, Where are you now. DAMN.
