Images & Words was the first album released by the band under the name Dream Theater. It was also the first album to feature the current Canadian vocalist James LaBrie. It was also the album with which they became a mojor item in the music industry. Not only this, it became a very important factor for the return of Progressive rock into the mainstream music world.
This is my favorite album from the band as it is the album I came to associate them with the most. It still has that classic rock sound in a way but the style of music is undoubtedly ’metal’ based. What made me like the band in the first place is the unpredictable nature of the music- weird chord and time changes and a level of musicianship from each player that would never let you get bored. Even to this day, after almost a decade, the album never failes to make a big impression each time I listen to it.
Another important thing is that personally I think this is the album where Kevin Moore (keyboardist at the time) played at his best and also contibuted most to the band. As a result the overall sound was very balanced between all the instruments. A big part of the album consist of instrumental sections. But can expect more of interplay between the different intruments rather than individual solos at length. But the few solos that you find are of the finest quality.
But if you are new to this style of music (or music as a whole), don’t expect to get blown away at the first listening. You will have a better picture once you have the tunes and passages in your head and try to recreate them in your mind or with an instrument. It’s not something that’s ’nice’, ’beautiful’ or any of the things that pop music is. The beauty of it is beyond the music, beyond lyrics and creeps into the spiritual side of you. Sorry I’m runnig out of words folks.
Let me stop at that, I know you are getting bored.