Zarathustra

Musically and in terms of lyrics, I really like it a lot.

DaveJonGilmour: I mean the plot, I find it quite bizarre... I can't explain it better, it's a matter of taste, it doesn't claim to be a critical observation.

Among the rock works I enjoy, I would add Berlin by Lou Reed: a perfect portrait of the singer-guitarist.

@bjork68: Of course you are right, even The Lamb, Quadrophenia, Tommy, Operation: Mindcrime, etc. (I won't start making a grocery list now..) are technically rock operas, at least in the intentions of their creators; however, I believe that none of these, for one reason or another, has managed to achieve the perfect combination of music, lyrics, plot, interpretation, and expressive ability/power (which I think are essential characteristics in rock music) that, in my opinion, is required by the genre. None except The Wall. For example, I think (of course this is just my opinion) that The Lamb is too long and convoluted, making it hard to understand, and ultimately it tires me out to listen to it. The same goes for Quadrophenia. I like Tommy a bit more, but I believe that the second half of the album musically does not match the first. Operation: Mindcrime is musically splendid, but the story told is a bit too extravagant in my opinion... The Wall, on the other hand, is perfect: there is no real external story, everything takes place and remains confined within Pink's microcosm; it's a psychological-autobiographical work in the truest sense of the term because it truly explores the alienation of the rock star, then extending the discourse to a multitude of general reflections on the man of the twentieth century. There's no need to dwell on the poetry of the lyrics, the beauty of the songs, the great expressive power. In that regard, I believe everything is perfect. Of course, we could talk for hours about The Wall, as it is so rich in keys to reading and musical and poetic reflections, but evidently, that is not the case... :-) I hope I've made myself clear. Basically, it’s a personal point of view.

Lethe, you are right about LaBrie in general; the levels of Images And Words are far, let's say very far. However, the excessive perfection you refer to stems from the obsessive production aimed at maximizing the sounds and therefore also the voice. If you look at the live rendition of the album, you will see that in terms of interpretation LaBrie does an excellent job, immersing himself well into the various characters and the narrator (in Beyond This Life). Here, I still sense a certain emotional participation along with professionalism: from Six Degrees onward he will progressively tend to become a mere performer, as you rightly say, "cold." I fully agree on the superiority of I&W and Awake, but those are albums that remain unreachable from every standpoint (music, lyrics, voice (!!!), production), as well as being conceptually different from this Scenes From A Memory. Not to mention that those albums were played with Moore on keyboards, which is certainly not a small detail... I still gave it a 5 because as a rock opera it is very well made, but it certainly does not reach the excellence of the other two.

Okay, the story may not be the height of originality, but at least it isn't as extravagant (in a negative sense) as many concepts have historically been (like Operation Mindcrime, for example). In my opinion, this story, while not pushing originality too far, is well developed. I find the technique of memory flashes very interesting. Also, the idea of someone going to a hypnotherapist and eventually discovering they are the reincarnation of the soul that haunts their dreams is really beautiful. Then we can debate whether the very idea of a rock opera is appropriate or not: honestly, I would gladly do without it (except for THE WALL, the only true rock opera). I much prefer concepts instead.

Well, what can I say, the album is truly well-crafted, excellent in every respect: production, music, lyrics, story development, LaBrie's interpretation, everything is at historical highs and ultimately I believe this is the peak reached by DT, excluding the two super masterpieces Images And Words and Awake which stand on their own (also because the lineup was different). The basic idea of telling the story through Nicholas's flashes is wonderful: piece by piece the story becomes clearer like a puzzle. All of this leads up to the final twist, which really makes up half the story!!! There's no denying it, truly an excellent record. One small flaw: the instrumental part of Home in my opinion is too lengthy and too heavy. The review is a bit chaotic, especially in discussing the plot.

Certo! Inviami il testo che desideri tradurre e provvederò a farlo.

I agree with DaveJonGilmour: the release of Pulse on DVD is an event, not just the usual commercial operation (even if everyone will inevitably profit from it): 35 years was really too long. As for the special features (which I would say are a must), I won't comment because, unfortunately, I still haven't bought the DVD.

In my opinion, Allen's voice is one of the most versatile in the metal scene. To be honest, I can't think of a singer capable of effortlessly moving between the aggressive and angry tones typical of the metal genre and the more melodic aspects of progressive. Moreover, he has the great merit of never overdoing it in the higher parts; instead, by consistently staying in more human tones, it makes the high notes extremely appreciated and valued (instead of going unnoticed, as often happens with people like Geoff Tate and James LaBrie, who can become quite annoying to the listener, especially if they’re not having a good night). I think the same applies to Romeo when it comes to guitar; Allen is the quintessential prog-metal singer. As for the rest, from the discussions on this page, I haven't clearly understood what it means to be a great singer: certainly, technique is not as indispensable as interpretative skills and personality (a prime example being Jim Morrison). The fact remains that Nico was not a great singer; she was an incredibly original interpreter.