Dream Theater
Dark Side Of The Dream

Terrible review. Vulgar, devoid of musical content, full of unfounded anger... full of hatred without reason... simply the outburst of a poor man who hates them.

Whoever writes a public review should at least have the good taste not to descend into vulgarity. There is no respect in the review; there is no respect for the artists nor for the millions of fans around the world, among whom there are not only enthusiasts but also many normal people (musicians and non-musicians, men and women, younger and older) who adore them. I would be ashamed to have written this review.

Dream Theater did not invent progressive rock, just as Led Zeppelin did not invent rock 'n roll or blues, and Metallica did not invent hard rock. Dream Theater had the great merit of giving the old progressive rock of the '70s (put away by everyone after the rise of punk) a new possible guise, a new interpretation, a different approach: guitar-focused, while the key aspect of '70s progressive was the spotlight on synths, hammonds, moogs, etc... there aren't any '70s progressive groups with pieces entirely based on guitar; in addition to the new more guitar-centric approach, Dream Theater was able to skillfully blend the baroque prog with heavy metal (thrash), and that's why the critics have acclaimed them.

Progressive rock, since the '70s, has always divided listeners by its very essence: if the rock 'n roll of the '50s was music for the body, and the rock of the '60s was music to free the body through the mind, the progressive, born at the end of the '60s thanks to King Crimson, Genesis, Gentle Giant, Yes, etc... was primarily music for the mind: for the first time in history, rock became cultured and broke free from the chains of traditional schemes in a whirlwind of ideas and contaminations: rock merged with classical music, folk, psychedelia, the lyrics became sophisticated, engaging, the songs began to last up to 20 minutes or more... the 45 rpm was no longer enough and this allowed the spread of the 33 rpm... album covers were no longer just the classic photo of the band posing, but became artworks themselves.
Since the birth of progressive rock, rock and music in general have never been the same, and genres began to blend... it was one of the most incredible and productive artistic and cultural revolutions of contemporary history. There doesn't exist a progressive band the same as another, precisely because the panorama of ideas and atmospheres to draw from became an almost infinite space. Progressive has sometimes delved into self-celebration, and in this, ELP (Emerson Lake and Palmer) were masters, but they themselves placed the technical aspect at the center of their artistic philosophy, which one may not appreciate or agree with, but which must be respected, also because it was presented without the aim of selling and making money, but only to follow their own artistic path, which indeed also led them to disband.

Dream Theater are artistically children and product of the fertility of that era, that ferment; being great musicians and performers (like thousands around the world) was for them only a means and not an end... but when the idea is complex, "arduous" and "daring" means are needed... Dante's genius idea couldn't have been put on paper without his great skill in using words, the greatest works of Caravaggio or Michelangelo couldn't express a complex idea without resorting to mastery in using the brush and tools... progressive suffers precisely from this: when elaborated arrangements are required, long harmonic progressions and diversions through multiple themes and atmospheres, right there, it relies on technical skill, without which there would undoubtedly emerge a poverty of language that would die in front of the inability to express the idea.

In all this, there is NO ultimate goal to demonstrate skill in using the means, but the necessity to boldly use the tools themselves to weave intricate patterns. Progressive is this, and it can be loved as much as it can be unappreciated, but it must be respected for the historical importance it has had for the development of all Rock music over the last 30 years; Dream Theater, also for the very sober and simple manner with which they have always presented themselves to the public and the press (unlike, for example, not having a character like Y.J. Malmsteen), deserve this respect, and in any case, have already received all the recognition and appreciation from music critics around the world... they don't need anything else.
Dream Theater, aware of being children or grandchildren of the masters of the past, show the world they have this awareness and pay tribute in their own way and with a simple live performance (which, therefore, doesn't make them money) to the masters. They do it in their own way because it's how they know how to express themselves: everyone in language uses their own tools and makes them available for expression, just like when a poem is read and interpreted or when a theater play is performed: each interpreter uses to the best the tools that nature and ideas grant them; this is art.

To redo faithfully is mannerism... yet it would remain a respectful tribute. Paying tribute to a master has always been a noble idea, which contains within it the humility of someone who recognizes they have learned from someone else, of someone who says: "without them, I wouldn't exist", and this is the message they want to convey: it is a rightful, as much as a due acknowledgment, like when Francesco Renga presents in duet with the piano "Impressioni di Settembre" by PFM: the masterpiece of our leading progressive group (try listening to the song "Generale"): he presents it because he says: "they are a group that Italian music cannot do without..." it's his rightful due tribute and it is not intended to demonstrate he can sing better than Franco Mussida; like when Steve Ray Vaughan presented Hendrix's Little Wing... no one has ever gone against them, because it would have been unjust and out of place to do so.
Personal antipathies are allowed, but keep them out of judgments and never lose sight of RESPECT. I conclude by saying that choosing to celebrate this album is a spot-on choice: I will not be the first nor the last to say that it was undoubtedly one of the greatest masterpieces of Rock, a concept album that ferries Pink Floyd from psychedelia to progressive rock: one of the most famous concept albums in history... it certainly deserves all the applause and appreciation of anyone who loves music; moreover, it does not allow the show of virtuosity and baroque flourishes.

Dream Theater loves music... they entertain and enjoy themselves... and they did well to share this emotion with their fans. Regards to all.