LaBrie's vocals at Budokan are a little annoying and unstable for me - compare "As I Am", "Endless Sacrifice" and "Solitary Shell" with the studio versions and you will know what I mean. I also think that "Beyond This Life" in this concert hasn't the same energy and emotion of "Live Scenes from New York" - and James is the main responsible for that. But don't misunderstand me, I really love him (you probably infered that by my profile photo and by the name of my account) and there are some songs on this presentation that he sang awesomely: take a look at "New Millenium", for exemple. Moreover, I think that his vocals were much better at Score than in this one: his tone sounded more melodic and he was much more stable. "Metropolis" was the only annoying song, but we need to consider that it was the last track of a big show. And, come on, the setlist of Score is amazing: Octavarium, Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence (full!), Innocence Faded, Afterlife and Raise the Knife (rare for live presentations, but incredible songs)...
That keyboard solo at 8:35 does not get anough recognition. Its as far away from diatonic as possible but still so well melodically built that I can sing along to it after years of not hearing it.
Recently, I gave DT a spin in my car for the first time (I figured traffic would be the perfect time to listen) of Metropolis Pt. 2. Blown away by all, of it, particularly by this song. Came to this video, expecting the album length live video, not twenty minutes. Well ok, it's 1:00 am, I'm not tired, I'll give it a whirl, whatever. But holy shit, I blinked and it was over. It was like driving to a place and forgetting how you arrived there - absolutely mesmerizing and impossible to divert attention to anything else - the music and masterful musicianship reels you in completely. Trying to figure out which album I should listen to next...
That was an amazing comment, its so sad when I hear people not giving Dream Theater a Try, I'm glad your enjoying it, Listen to Train of Thought, Train of Thought and Scenes from a Memory are my preferred álbuns from the band. Hope you likes it ^^
I generally have a pretty strong dislike for live tracks from any artist, but this is one of those truly rare gems that shines so bright despite the difference in quality from a normal studio-recorded track. I find myself coming back to it ever so often because that jam section is just so good.
This performance is just some of the most impressive live music I’ve ever heard in my life. I wish they would take more time to show off like this at newer shows. Lol
Sergio Ortiz The unison part in this song is often refered to as the "Zappa" section, also by the band. I remember Portnoy explaining in a interview that he asked Rudess to create a zappa-esque riff for that section. In this version, the semi-improvised jam leads to it and the unison starts at ~17:28. In the studio version, it starts at ~9:07.
They screwed up so bad with this latest album, I laud for them courage to try something new but it was conducted so badly. Things could have gone in such an amazing direction for them with their latest album but they screwed up.
The Astonishing was my first DT concert, and I honestly loved it. It was a little boring to watch, yes, but the music of the album I thought was fantastic, JP's tone didn't cease to blow me away once during the whole show, Labrie actually sounded REALLY great the whole show, I never once thought, oh man, there he goes again, and I got really immersed in the story of the Astonishing. Nevertheless, it didn't quite satisfy what I wanted from a DT concert, and I need to see them live again when they're not going to just play an album and that's it. I need to see a show that's something like Breaking the Fourth Wall or Score, a big mix of their career as a whole.
I do fully agree with you! Although I have somithing else to say. I have nothing against the concept of playing in different kind of venues for this tour. I do indeed think that this fits the theme of this album very well. But the sound at our concert was soooooooooo shitty. I mean it was like an indoor amphie-theatre. You can look it up, it was the ""Kuppelsaal" in Hannover, Germany. Our seats were located right at the top and we could not hear anything of the bassdrum/floor toms or the bass guitar in general. The rest of the drums were pretty inaudible too. Other than that and the points you mentioned I can just say it was a great show and I will see them again at their next tour :)
17:34 I saw what you did Mike! :P How awesome that these guys include Mr Zappa doing that dingo wingo thing his hand in that precise crazy melody. No but seriously, how beautiful that they did so in this precise tune 'beyond this life'.
Jordan certainly was at this point. I remember reading that his keyboard setup was giving him problems for the first song or so in this concert. That this came off at all was something of a major miracle. Clearly a performance for the ages!!
I love how all the different band members get their chance to show off. Even the bassist had his own little moment at 9:20 without even doing a solo. Whole performance is just incredibly magnificent!!
Not too concerned about the style per se, but the cool thing about this iteration of JP is that we could see his expressions, his emotions, his connection to the music. It's harder to see that with "Nebula Beard" Petrucci.
Sabe aquele momento em que todos os músicos...em todas sua integralidade física e espiritual estão em sintonia? Taí... momento histórico do Prog mundial!!!
This is hands down my favourite composition of all time. Nothing comes close. Every time I listen to it, I wonder how could one possibly compose such out of this world piece of music. It defied my notion of what music itself is. The guitar solo by Petrucci, the jamming between Rudess and Portnoy, and the way they get back to the song is nothing less than magic. What “magicians” do on TV is child’s play. (Myung, I love you too!) I envy the people who witnessed this live.
if I had a time machine I think the first thing I would do is see DT live at Budokan. "we have one hell of a show coming at you this evening" was a massive understatement!!!!
I would tend to agree, but it's his own fault for quitting the band (because he was burned out from playing with A7X among others) and then wanting back in.
The crazy drummer, the wizard pianist, the master guitarist, the introverted basist and the emotional singer sounds like Dream Theater to me ! :D (This is my favorite show of them)
Incrível como a música começa animada e prossegue com um show de instrumental e termina com uma melodia maravilhosa 💙 DreamTheater é surreal, sem palavras, apenas aprecie os melhores do mundo
I find the Scenes from a Memory version of Beyond This Life better than at Budokan (especially considering LaBrie's vocals), but this one is also great.
About a decade since Portnoy left and still cannot get over the idea that I never had the chance to see them live with Portnoy. I saw them twice last year with the DOT Tour and Metropolis Pt.2 XX anniversary and all 2 hours of both nights I wished Portnoy would come out during Metropolis Pt.2 to commemorate the release of that amazing album with Dream Theater. Mangini is a real good drummer, indeed he is, but the first time I saw him playing on live, which was the first date of the tour, I quiet liked him. But he wasn't good. In my opinion too technical and didn't put the feeling that many drummers put when playing. Second time I saw him I hopped he would get a little better since he had done many shows at that time, a second chance and he didn't get any better. Same techniques. It sounded the same, like a robot playing. And watching Portnoy playing it makes me sad, because of how he plays every song. He seems to enjoy it a lot.
"But he wasn't good....". I can't believe that someone dare to say that MM is not a good drummer. For fuck sakes, are you blind or deaf or something? Get over about Portnoy's departure 10 YEARS AGO! Put him behind a kit to try to play, for instance, Pale Blue Dot, and keep thinking Mangini is a bad drummer...
James LaBrie has a very beautiful voice, at least in this video. I know he had an accident with his throat but it wasn't its fault, things that happen.
at first I thought that this band was overrated for a long time! listening and watching this crazy ass song and see them suddenly play those million notes per minute so tight shows how monster talented these guys are!
i bought budokan like a year ago, not really listening to any of their live albums before, but i already knew all of their discography, anyway, i came back home after buying the cd and put it in my car, i got to beyond this life (track num 3), i love this song so the experience was very nice, i got home and parked my car exactly when the improvised section started, i didnt know about it, i looked at the time left on this 12 minute song, i had like 10 more minutes, ok. so yeah, i stayed in the car till the very end, when they got back to the song melody i smiled so wide and my heart felt open, those are the small moments in dream theater and in music generally that makes me be grateful for being able to experience music and art. it's a gift.
Dream Theater is an awesome American Progressive Metal Band formed in 1985 under the name Majesty by John Petrucci, John Myung and Mike Portnoy while attending the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. They subsequently dropped out of all their studies to form the band that would become Dream Theater. There have been numberous line-up changes, but the originals always remain together like this cool song “Beyond This Life,” from the album ‘Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory’ released 26 October 1999 on Elektra Records, produced by Mike Portnoy and John Petrucci. The Band Members of Dream Theater in 1999 were: James LaBrie- Lead Vocalist, John Petrucci- Guitarist & Background Vocals & Programming(track 7) & Production, Jordan Rudess- Keyboardist & Choir Arrangement & Conducting, John Myung- Bassist, Mike Portnoy- Drums & Background Vocals & Production, Guests: Theresa Thomason- Additional Vocals(tracks 7, 11), Production: Doug Oberkircher- Sound Engineering, Brain Quackenbush- Assistant Engineering, Michael Bates- Assitant Engineering, Terry Brown- Vocals Co-Production, Kevin Shirley- Mixing Engineering (tracks 2-8,11), Rory Romano- Mixing Engineering Assistance(tracks 2-8,11), David Bottrill- Mixing Engineering(tracks 1, 9, 10, 12), George Marino- Mastering Engineering, Eugene Nastasi- Mastering Engineering. Dream Theater has been rocking out new kinds of Progressive Metal for many years and they have been kicking everyone’s butts! They are the most talented musicians on the planet and keep on rockin’ it!! I love them! They are so ethereal! They blow my mind with every song and every performance! ROCK!🤘🏻🎸 🤘🏻❤️🎸💋-Moderator-💋🎸❤️🤘🏻
Mai Gawd, the quality of this video is something above all my eyes have ever experienced, look at that bass sound and the quality of sound, each and every note being listened so perfectly, damn it god bless you and hope he gives you lots of money and happiness in your life thank you
The part starting at 14:10 and leading into the Zappa part reminds me a lot of Toccata by ELP. I'm pretty sure the first few notes are pretty much even the same as the first few of Toccata but the rest is appreciably different. V cool that they incorporated that into this.
0:35 - this sort of single-note playing by Petrucci on this album was a revelation - suddenly a guitarist in a band isn't playing just chords, he's playing single-note riffs that outline chord changes and harmonizing vocal lines, the whole Metropolis Part 2 album is full of that style of playing, quite unique for my ears at the time.
