Dream Theater Album: “Images and Words: Live in Tokyo/5 Years in a Livetime”

This is a must especialy for a Australian fan whom up until now have not had the chance to see these guys in concert. Do not buy this collection expecting to see and hear top notch production as these film where taken from video tape particularly the Live in Tokyo the volume is quite low. However what the production value lacks the Band makes up for in shear brilliance.

My favorite out of the set is the second coming in just on 2 hours we see the later 90's version of Dream Theater in 6 or 7 different concerts with tour video in between. In fact it will make you wish that they would put out the Rotterdam show and the Paris show (last) on their own.

I guess this is for the die hard fan but you don't by Dream Theater on a whim, enjoy.

This DVD set covers Dream Theater through the recording of I&W thru the Falling into Infinity tour. Obviously, if you are a die-hard DT fan, you already have this.

But if you are like me, you probably discovered this brilliant band only a few years ago. I got into this band when they released 6DOIT. Awesome album, by the way. But If you are just getting into this band, this DVD set is an excellent place to start. You'll learn a lot of things about this band's history throughout the 90's, like lineup changes, the rigors of touring, and such. Both discs have commentary by the band, which gives further insight into the footage.

A MUST HAVE FOR ANY DT FANATIC!!!

I managed to get my hands on Live in Tokyo back in 1995, and the move to capture the content on DVD was a good one. Images and Words was the defining album for Dream Theater, and seeing the performance highlights exactly why. While the band has continued to grow and their style has evolved, its amazing to return back to the roots of this amazing band and really appreciate just how talented these guys are. I'm amazed when I reflect back and realize that I enjoy the music and live shows as much now as I did then. While I believe Jordan has added a musical element that DT was lacking, there's something to be said for looking back 10 years to see where the band has come from.

While perhaps not quite as strong, 5 Years in a Live Time is really a good watch and a good addition to the music DVD collection. And for this price, it can't be beat.

Of course, any DT fan won't need convincing to purchase this DVD set; you probably already have it. But for the casual fan who has a sincere respect for amazing progressive rock music played to perfection by some of the most amazing, talented musicians still active, this set is definitely worth the relatively minimal investment for what you receive.

You won't regret it.

This DVD set is really wonderful. If you're a recent dream theater fan (i.e. Scenes from a Memory and beyond) and would like to know about the band's works during the early 1990's, this is the DVD for you! While it's true that the video editing is not at its best (although quality is amazing), you will still be amazed by the live performances... these guys can really pull a show.

2 DVD's for such a cheap price and beautiful content... Every progressive fan should get it.

This double DVD is awesome and you should absolutely pick it up. James is awesome across both disks. About 4/5. Also about 4/5 for the band. But the phenomenal 1995 tour is missing.

That said, what do you get? A format I love where documentary is spliced into the song material. The Tokyo show is excellent. I love the stage lighting on that tour. The gullible will love this show for all the things they think James doesn't do anymore.

Given that, Disk 2 is equally impressive, but takes cuts from several shows. A best of a few years packed into 2 hours. I love what's provided here, but ultimately, it's why I give this compilation 4/5 instead of 5/5 as well. I recognize there are time restrictions, and label personnel restrictions from this era, but I still feel that this DVD hides from 1995. And that year was absolutely phenomenal across the board. All those great moments from james firing several notes higher than the usual F# in January to the Limelight topping Mercy **** A Change of Seasons in December.

In place of this are some of the unplugged tracks from 1998. I love the tracks included. They are some of my favorites, but this 2nd disk needs that extra hour dealing with 1995-1996.

Hopefully Portnoy, having more freedom with the contract holders than he used to, and with the internet much wider in nature today, will give us a DVD of that era.