 | |
List Price: $18.98 | | Label: Atlantic / Wea
Salesrank: 8512
Released: October 26, 1999 |
| Our Price: $7.79 |
| Used Price: $4.08 |
|
| Media: Audio CD |
|
Metropolis Part 2: Scenes from a Memory Track Listing:
1. Scene One: Regression
2. Scene Two: Overture 1928
3. Strange Deja Vu
4. Scene Three: Through My Words
5. Fatal Tragedy
6. Scene Four: Beyond This Life
7. Scene Five: Through Her Eyes
8. Scene Six: Home
9. Scene Seven: The Dance of Eternity
10. One Last Time
11. Scene Eight: The Spirit Carries On
12. Scene Nine: Finally Free
Editorial Review:
No Description Available.
Genre: Popular Music
Media Format: Compact Disk
Rating:
Release Date: 26-OCT-1999
Description of Metropolis Part 2: Scenes from a Memory:
Progressive rock has long been the most devalued currency in popular music, perhaps due to the culture's dumbing down, too many conceptually knotted triple-albums, or merely a Greek chorus of critics parroting the emperor from Amadeus: "Too many notes!" Maybe that's what makes Dream Theater's Scenes such an audacious rush (no pun intended). Here we have a two-act murder mystery examined from a hypnotic dream state and parlayed by "The Orchestra," as the band refers to itself here. Andrew Lloyd Webber hasn't written anything as focused--or musically audacious--in decades. And if the band attacks feverish shift meters and plows through enough structural modes and, yes, notes, to make the aforementioned emperor's head spin, they manage to keep things concise, focused, and largely effective. The addition of keyboardist Jordan Rudess has freshened the band's tack, infused now with the odd, playful ragtime piano quote and sitar sample. Vocalist James Labrie, meanwhile, amply proves that Queensryche's Geoff Tate isn't the only drama queen in prog metal. --Jerry McCulley
Metropolis Part 2: Scenes from a Memory Reviews:
'...I used to think death was the end. But that was before...' 
2009-12-24 - This is the favorite Dream Theatre album for many lovers of this excellent inspiring band. Their music is heavy but ambitious and perfectly well executed which brought them to the forefront of a style of progressive metal rock which they dominate. There are plenty of reviews here and elsewhere devoted to and explaining really well the excellence of this concept and recording. I would like to offer a supposition concerning the genesis of this concept album. Only John Petrucci could confirm or deny the validity of my assumption, based solely on the intuitional feeling I am getting when I listen to this music. So, here is my theory. The concept for this album came after the fact and was designed to be able to share the fact with the broader audience in a way accessible to us. The fact itself is described by John in song number 11: The Spirit Carries On in his words 'I used to be frightened of dying, I used to think death was the end. But that was before, I'm not scared anymore, I know that my soul will transcend. I may never find all the answers, I may never understand why. I may never prove what I know to be true, but I know that I still have to try'. So, once again, my theory says that either John or someone whom he totally trusts had experienced the fact, which caused John to write the above words first, possibly this song, and later on to develop the rest of the plot for the story. The band ended up transforming John's experience of the fact into an unique concept for a progressive rock album titled appropriately Scenes From The Memory. So, what is the fact? It could be life after death experience so many of us went through. I went through it too, by drowning in the river at the age of 6. Someone had jumped after me and picked me up from the bottom. I will never forget that experience because when you go through something so life-changing you think about it first every minute, in the following days and weeks every hour, after a while once a day, and 40 years later probably no more but still at least once a week. However, when you go through the tunnel of death, although again there is no space for any doubt, there is a certain amount of haziness involved. You loose your fear of dying, you know there is no death, but still, all of the records of those facts do not sound and feel exactly the same as these lyrics make me feel. I had spent my teenage years researching those facts and often coming back to these records, and I don't think that we are talking about the experience of life after death.
I think that we are dealing with the situation experienced by people during their waking hours when all of a sudden their universe opens up and they are finding themselves still exactly where they were in physical terms, inside of their room or in their hospital bed, wherever, but their consciousness transcends and becomes the superconciousness for a moment. Sometimes there are more people together and all are allowed into that cosmic field of superconciousness and in other times a person standing within your reach has no clue what, besides him, you are seeing and experiencing, and you have no doubt that your reality is real. The person next to you (most often there is no one there) exists in 3 dimensions whereas you found yourself within 4 of them. And that 4th dimension most likely would be undetectable by our scientific means, because it has more to do with the state of our mind and emotion and it is even much more subtle than that. It is a state of our soul. Our science doesn't even believe in the existence of soul and takes it for some derivative of an accumulated over our lifetime a brain function and product.
The experience is hardly ever characterized or explained in terms of superconciousness, so don't look for this term. Nevertheless, that is exactly what happens. Our awareness and understanding is 1000 fold greater. All of the sudden, within a second we can experience memories and feelings, and analyze our situation in a way we would need minutes or hours for in our normal condition. That state is so different from moments when our reality is altered by psychedelic or other drugs when the reality becomes shifted, but definitely not escalated on beyond of the laws of our earthly universe. You can find out more about that spiritual kingdom by going through records of life after death. There is a moment when you evaluate your life, go backwards through it, and feel what you had caused by your actions and thoughts, but the feelings you are experiencing are not your own, and they do not arise in a manner of how you would have felt if you were in their position, either. You simply experience the feelings of other people affected by you. You are in superconciousness then, but again, coming back from life after death involves crossing thresholds completely absent in the experience (I think) I am reviewing. What I find so fascinating when I listen to The Spirit Carries On is that overwhelming burst of euphoria or optimism coming out of the experience of the fact. Those coming back from the thresholds of death usually do not react in such way, because first, they had always expected that state of life, or at least knew it could have existed and must have given it some thoughts in the past. Second, the experience of death although quite incredible will be extremely challenging for most of us. No reason to jump for joy. On the other hand, to experience superconciousness during your everyday is to start living inside of the magical labyrinth from then on. At that moment your system of beliefs in the spiritual world out there which you expected to be surrounded by after your bodily death gets shattered. All of a sudden you realize that the spiritual universe out there is and must have always been within and right next to you. The realization of that proximity is shocking but in the greatest possible way (well, that really depends on your yesterdays, I guess). You feel safe (or exposed but even than you feel loved, I bet) and the realization that it only took one monumental thought (often in your moment of doubt) to let the kingdom come...overwhelms you. I think that either John or someone he knows really well had experienced that stage of superconciousness. This is my theory.
Perhaps you will say, dude who gives a fact? I like Mike's drums, the bass, John's guitar lines, the keys and the way James sings, and you have just wasted my time. Well, I am sorry for that. However, if you have any interest in the subject I am on, you could research it further.... First you could download a song called Shine by Depeche Mode, and then another one called Suffer Well. Next, you could turn to chapter 5 of a book called Edgar Cayce's Predictions For The 21st Century (and by the way, do not dismiss his real time experiences just because some of his sleep induced predictions are wrong or late. Timing often is completely off in such situations anyway) by Mark Thurston, Ph.D. After that reach for Rudolf Steiner for the best explanation. By now you will know exactly what to search for and you will find it in a title of his book. Plenty of additional materials on the subject. Why bother? Well, don't. This review is only meant for people who sense and are searching for more than they can see... Perhaps because they are curious as to who they really are...
Muscially Amazing 
2009-12-12 - I know some die hard DT fans will hate this, but I have to write this review. Having listened and played music for over 30 years musically there just is no equal; DT is simply at the top of their game. The musicianship is like a group of surgical technicians each with phenomenal prowess of their specific instrument.
Unfortunately, I cannot listen to the album, just when I'm rocking along and totally into the groove completely consumed by the incredible rich musical tapestry I am pulled out, like a breach birth with the unmelodic, forced, and contrived vocals of James Labrie--I just can't explain it; I know it's me--but I just cannot deal with his voice. It doesn't work for me no matter how hard I try. It's a thin, shallow, un-melodic vocal contraption that immediately disrupts and destroys the instrumental architecture. I have tried repeatedly to get over this, but I cannot.
Album wise: Musically the album is 5 stars. Lyrics is 3 stars and Vocals is one star.
Momentous, Ingenious, Passionate, Euphoric.
2009-10-22 - The title really says it all, and the abounding positive reviews do the rest. One of DT's best, if not their altogether best. Not a weak moment on the entire record, which is exactly what anybody should expect from a concept album, much more a DT concept album.
Thanks for reading.
Really good 
2009-09-25 - This album is an artistic masterpiece. Lyrically interesting, and well put together. Musically, it is engaing from beginning to end. And in general, the quality is consistent throughout, quite a feat for a 77 minute rock drama.
It's only weakness is that in a couple of sections, LaBrie's singing really lacks any musical melody, "catch", or creativity. It just kind of plugs along, as if LaBrie couldn't come up with any creative ways to get the lyrics out, and just forces them into the song. This is minimal, but noticible in a few sections (like the second half of track 6, which is too bad because the first half of track 6 is one of the best parts of the whole album).
Otherwise, there is nothing else negative to say about the whole work. Nothing stands out as a "single", and nothing fades to the back as "filler". If you're looking for highlights, the two instrumental sections are amazing (Overture 1928 & Dance of Eternity). Also outstanding are the driving "Deja Vu" and the mellow "Through Her Eyes". But again, this album is consistent from beginning to end.
Finally, I enjoyed the hints of musical connections to "Metropolis, Part 1" (from Images & Words) here and there. Nonetheless, this piece stands up musically as new, fresh, and engaging on its own merits.
4 1/2 stars overall.
My favorite album. Ever.
2009-09-14 - Hello. This album changed my musical life forever. Throughout high school I listened mainly to classic heavy metal bands, like Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Metallica, etc. Then one day while listening to this album while shingling my brother's roof, my life changed. Everything about this new band Dream Theater seemed out of this world. The variety of sounds on SFAM just blew me away. The opening track gives a brief glimpse into what is to come in a very well put together and organized sort of way. The Strange Deja Vu hits you in a very heavy way. Through My Words Comes next and brings the mood down and very briefly shows a lighter side to the band. Fatal Tragedy is a very heavy yet touching song with a great solo section with interplay between Petrucci and Rudess. The next two tracks are on the lighter side with great melodies throughout. Home hits very hard. It will make you want to just bang your head, and put your dio fingers into the air. Enjoy the Phrygian Dominant! The Dance of Eternity is instrumental and will make you jaw drop. The Spirit Carries On is Dream Theaters greatest ballad in my opinion and is their arm sway, put your lighter/cell phone up song. The album ends with finally free and leaves the listener feeling completely blown away. If you're looking to get into the progressive metal genre, start here. It is for me and many others Dream Theater's best album. Some may not like Labries vocal style (I don't know where this album or band would be without him), but if you can get past that, the songwriting and unbelievable playing will leave you begging for more.
