Images and Words

Images and Words
Studio album by Dream Theater
Released	July 7, 1992
Recorded	October 14–December, 1991 BearTracks Studios, New York (additional recordings at The Hit Factory, NY)
Genre	Progressive metal
Length	57:05
Label	Atco
Producer	David Prater
Dream Theater chronology
When Dream and Day Unite (1989) Images and Words (1992) Awake (1994)
Singles from Images and Words
"Pull Me Under" Released: 1992 "Take the Time" Released: 1993 "Another Day" Released: 1993

Images and Words is the second studio album by American progressive metal band Dream Theater, released in 1992. It was recorded in late 1991 at BearTracks Studios in Suffern, New York. The album is the first Dream Theater release to feature James LaBrie on vocals. The album maintains its position as the band's most commercially successful studio album to date, and the song "Pull Me Under"'s status as the only Top 10 (radio or otherwise) hit the band has ever had. This particular song has also had more recent success as it has appeared in the video game Guitar Hero World Tour. On release the album was met with universal acclaim and many critics and fans cite this album as a landmark release for the progressive metal genre. Although there is no title track on this album, the phrase images and words appears in the song "Wait for Sleep".

History

After Charlie Dominici's departure from the band, the band auditioned nearly 200 people across the nation before James LaBrie sent the band an audition tape. LaBrie was formerly in the Canadian glam metal band Winter Rose, but saw potential in the band, and thus decided to audition. After a short jam session, the band chose him as their lead singer, and he has been the band's lead singer ever since.

With LaBrie on board, the band was signed to a seven album contract by Atco Records, and shortly after began recording their new album. The lead single, "Pull Me Under", gained the band considerable commercial success with its airplay on MTV and radio, garnering them a Top 10 hit on the radio charts. When the album was released, it sold at a steady pace, helped by their relentless touring across the world.

Images and Words was played in its entirety, on several occasions, during the European leg of the "Chaos in Motion" tour, in celebration of its 15th anniversary.^[1]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[2]
The Dwarf	(Positive) [3]
Metal Storm	[4]
Metally	[5]
Revelationz	[6]
Sea of Tranquility	[7]

Images and Words is currently ranked #2 on Digital Dream Door's list of the top 100 progressive metal albums of all time.^[8] Music critic Piero Scaruffi includes the album at number 8, just after Fear Factory's Demanufacture and before Sepultura's Roots, in his classification of the best metal albums of all time.^[9] The song "Under a Glass Moon" was awarded the 98th best guitar solo by Guitar World magazine.^[10] In October 2011, Images and Words was ranked number 7 on Guitar World magazine's top ten list of guitar albums of 1992.^[11] Sea of Tranquility reviewer Murat Batmaz praised the album for the influence it has exerted on the progressive metal genre describing it as a "cornerstone."^[12]

Trivia

• Before the players take the field before the start of every Kansas City Royals home game in 2011, the song Metropolis, Pt. 1: The Miracle and the Sleeper is played.

Track listing

No.	Title	Lyrics	Music	Length
1.	"Pull Me Under"	Kevin Moore	Dream Theater	8:11
2.	"Another Day"	John Petrucci	Dream Theater	4:24
3.	"Take the Time"	Dream Theater	Dream Theater	8:21
4.	"Surrounded"	Kevin Moore	Dream Theater	5:30
5.	"Metropolis, Pt. 1: The Miracle and the Sleeper"	John Petrucci	Dream Theater	9:32
6.	"Under a Glass Moon"	John Petrucci	Dream Theater	7:04
7.	"Wait for Sleep"	Kevin Moore	Kevin Moore	2:32
8.	"Learning to Live"	John Myung	Dream Theater	11:31

Personnel

Dream Theater

• James LaBrie – vocals
• John Petrucci – guitars and backing vocals
• John Myung – bass
• Kevin Moore – keyboards
• Mike Portnoy – drums, percussion and backing vocals

Additional musician

• Jay Beckenstein – Soprano saxophone on "Another Day"

Production

• Produced by David Prater
• Recorded and engineered by Doug Oberkircher; assistant engineer: Steve Regina
• Mixed by Doug Oberkircher and David Prater
• Mastered by Ted Jensen

RIAA certifications

These statistics were compiled from the RIAA certification online database.^[13]

• Gold – February 2, 1995

Chart performance

Singles

Year	Single	Mainstream Rock Tracks
1992	"Pull Me Under"	10
	"Another Day"	29
1993	"Take the Time"	22

Billboard 200:

• Images and Words – #61^{[citation needed]}

Top Heatseekers:

• Images and Words – #2^{[citation needed]}

References

1. ^ Dream Theater kick off 2007/2008 World Tour with I&W anniversary performance
2. ^ Images and Words at Allmusic
3. ^ The Dwarf review
4. ^ Metal Storm Review
5. ^ Metally review
6. ^ Revelationz review
7. ^ http://www.seaoftranquility.org/reviews.php?op=showcontent&id=3593
8. ^ Digitaldreamdoor.com
9. ^ Scaruffi, Piero. "Best heavy-metal albums of all time". http://www.scaruffi.com/music/metal.html. Retrieved March 20th, 2011. 
10. ^ 100 Greatest Guitar Solos
11. ^ Grassi, Tony. "Photo Gallery: The Top 10 Guitar Albums of 1992". GuitarWorld.com. http://www.guitarworld.com/photo-gallery-top-10-guitar-albums-1992. Retrieved 2011-10-24. 
12. ^ http://www.seaoftranquility.org/reviews.php?op=showcontent&id=3593
13. ^ "Gold and Platinum database". Recording Industry Association of America. http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?table=SEARCH. Retrieved 2008-01-31.