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Dream Theater > Dark Side of the Moon > Reviews
Dream Theater - Dark Side of the Moon

FANTASTIC! - 95%

dismind, August 10th, 2007

Easily the best album of their official bootleg cover series. The band seamlessly and almost effortlessly transition from track to track as if they had written the album themselves, and in a live setting no less. The second disc contains bonus Floyd songs performed throughout their career including the song, 'Echoes' in its entirety (one of my personal favorite Floyd songs), 'Hey You,' and an awesome simultaneous performance of 'Comfortably Numb' with Queensryche.

Starting with CD 1; this truly showcases the bands appreciation and admiration for such a classic album by not foiling with the solos, tempos, or intricacies that made this album what it is. Even though you know Petrucci is itching to bust out and shred, or that Portnoy wishes he could use some double bass, the band restrains and plays the album virtually note for note, fill for fill, tempo for tempo.

The slide guitar parts in 'Speak to me/Breathe,' are provided by Jordan Rudess (on what looked like a lap-steel guitar mounted on his keyboard on teh DVD) and maintain their original luster. His solos in 'Any Colour You Like' are also phenomenal. The vocal solo for 'The Great Gig in the Sky' (as well as backing vocal parts for other songs) was done by non other than 'Scenes from a Memory' alum, Theresa Thomason. Her stunning replication of this powerful aria will send shivers down your spine, as will the crowds response to her (she received, literally, the loudest ovation on the entire cd). On saxophone for 'Money' (and others) and adding a bit of nostalgia to the mix is Norbert Stachel formerly of the Roger Waters Band, who sounded right at home diving into the sax solos.

Labrie does a surprisingly stellar job. The vocal lines seem to be perfect for his range, but his little bit of feminism manages to creep its way into some of the parts making it sound a little weird. Labries performance ultimately is what keeps this from being a perfect 100%. Although, it's only sub-par enough to warrant a measly 5 point deduction, as his overall performance is one of his best I've ever heard.

The second CD is a compilation of Floyd songs recorded from several different live shows and sound checks over the course of their career. DT has a real knack for covering Pink Floyd songs as they again play through the songs without error. The finale of the second CD is a cool rendition of Comfortable Numb in which the band plays simultaneously with Queensryche (2 drummers, 2 bassists, 3 guitarists, and 2 vocalists trading off the vocal lines). Petrucci does a fine job of not mucking up the two solos that make this song so great by playing both of them note for note (although, he goes shred crazy at the very end, but who can blame him), and the two drummers are in synch the whole way.

Overall, this album is a must for any fan of DT and Floyd. Get it anywhere you can find it!