Recorded live at Le Bataclan, Paris, France on June 25, 1998.
Dream Theater finally released their first official live album, the double-disc Once in a Livetime (recorded June 1998 in Paris). Granted, the 1995 release A Change of Seasons contained a wealth of live material, but they were all cover songs, and 1994's Live at the Marquee was only available as a European import. With material spanning their entire career, the many die-hard Dream Theater fans will love Once in a Livetime, but it won't win over disbelievers to their highly technical, sometimes cold style. There's no denying that the band's musicianship is top-notch, but the songs often get repetitious and start sounding similar. But Once in a Livetime may be a breath of fresh air if you've had it with smug alterna-wannabes who can hardly play, or if you long for the glory days of Yes or ELP (in other words, the music punk rock tried to annihilate). Highlights include their instrumental tour de force "Ytse Jam," as well as the fan favorites "Pull Me Under," "Lie," "Metropolis," and certain portions of their lengthy "A Change of Seasons" composition. Also released in conjunction with Once in a Livetime was the home video Five Years in a Livetime. ~ Greg Prato
Dream Theater: James LaBrie (vocals, percussion); John Petrucci (guitar, vocals); Derek Sherinian (keyboards); John Myung (bass); Mike Portnoy (drums, percussion, vocals).
Additional personnel: Jay Beckenstein (alto saxophone).
Oh my god! Oh my god!! This album is amazing. I've never seen them live but when I listen to this album I'm mad on myself I've never seen them live! I hear many complains about James Labrie's voice live but I think it's very good! I must listen very well to hear really hearable flaws. Dream Theater Rocks!!! Submitted by minnaertje_1989 (Lembeke, O-Vl, Belgium) Was This Review Helpful? YesNo
REASON FOR LABRIE'S VOICE Hey there just wanted to let everyone know that there is a MAJOR reason to James Labrie's bad live voice... he had a food poisoning in Cuba back in 1994 and while burfing, he had a vocal chord rupture...well that's it DT ROCKS Submitted by Simon (Laval, QC, Canada) Was This Review Helpful? YesNo
unbelievable I've had this double C D stolen twice from my collection. It's live, no overdubs that I know of, It rocks! Crank it for maximum effectiveness! Submitted by robert j walters (cashton wi) Was This Review Helpful? YesNo
Could be better, but what teh hell it's DT Probably the worst live album they have, but its not real bad, get budokan too. Jordan Rudess> Derek Sh*tian Submitted by paul () Was This Review Helpful? YesNo
loyal fans voice, what i have to say is what a true fan has to say about this album,
i love anything and everything these guys do, i have seen them twice in concert and they never disappoint.
they are flawless in the studio and on the stage, and for anyone who wants to complain about james labries vocals on this album you can piss off, i want to see you try and front the band,
it is my opinion as a fan of the band that they will continue to prove for years to come that they are the best band on the planet, and have been since they first hit the scene,
love you guys. Submitted by septimiuszoso316 (Globe, Az, USA) Was This Review Helpful? YesNo