The best section on IAW

[Ħ]

3:16 - 4:06 of Metropolis.

As a child, I thought I could live without pain, without sorrow
As a man, I've found it's all caught up with me
I'm asleep yet I'm so afraid

Somewhere, like a scene from a memory
There's a picture worth a thousand words
Eluding stares, the faces before me
It hides away, and will never be heard of again
Deceit is the second without end

There are VERY close contenders, but this is the best. IAW is gold.

[Prog Snob]

3:16 - 4:06 of Metropolis.

As a child, I thought I could live without pain, without sorrow
As a man, I've found it's all caught up with me
I'm asleep yet I'm so afraid

Somewhere, like a scene from a memory
There's a picture worth a thousand words
Eluding stares, the faces before me
It hides away, and will never be heard of again
Deceit is the second without end

There are VERY close contenders, but this is the best. IAW is gold.

JP's lyrics are completely awe inspiring in this song.  They conjure up dreams of never ending possibilities and let the mind dance around the multitude of ideas brought to light in the lyrics. 

[wasteland]

Well, that's your opinion, man! I'm positive that that section is not my #1 from IAW (the LTL outro will always beat everything, not just from IAW), but nonetheless it's confortably in the top 5, most likely. It's really a moment of pure awe, all in all.

[Ben_Jamin]

Surrounded solo - "Once Lost but I was found...I once could see but now I'm blind."

[The Stray Seed]

Chills men... I am shaking with fear and awe when I listen to that bit.

Metropolis has always been my favorite, although Surrounded now stands on the top beside it.

[Zydar]

"Through nature's inflexible grace, I'm learning to liiiiiiiiiiive" + the ending section of that song.

Chills

[Prog Snob]

"Through nature's inflexible grace, I'm learning to liiiiiiiiiiive" + the ending section of that song.

Chills

 

With so many great lyrics and musical passages, it's hard to not put this at or near the top of all prog metal releases.

[kirksnosehair]

No album -by ANY band- before or since Images and Words has hit me in such a profound way.   

[wasteland]

No album -by ANY band- before or since Images and Words has hit me in such a profound way.   

Absolutely this. I wonder how many of us are there on this website!

[Prog Snob]

No album -by ANY band- before or since Images and Words has hit me in such a profound way.   

Absolutely this. I wonder how many of us are there on this website!

I would imagine a good amount of people who were introduced to DT through that CD. 

[Daso]

I was not introduced to DT by IAW, but I feel the same way. It is still a glorious experience every time I listen to it.

[Crow]

I&W and Awake are absolutely flawless from beginning to end, in my opinion. I wouldn't know my favorite section from I&W but this is definitely up there.

[Ruba]

Both Wait for Sleep and Learning to Live in their entirety.

Must cut down, eh? LTL outro then, I guess.

[SeRoX]

The outro of LTL.

[Jaffa]

...

I don't think I can choose just one section. 

Hell, I'm having trouble narrowing it down to a top ten.

[Outcrier]

Learning To Live - 5:30

[Tom Bombadil]

3:16 - 4:06 of Metropolis.

As a child, I thought I could live without pain, without sorrow
As a man, I've found it's all caught up with me
I'm asleep yet I'm so afraid

Somewhere, like a scene from a memory
There's a picture worth a thousand words
Eluding stares, the faces before me
It hides away, and will never be heard of again
Deceit is the second without end

There are VERY close contenders, but this is the best. IAW is gold.

This is the best part of metropolis, I'll give you that. But as a whole, Metropolis is one of the weakest songs on I&W.

[425]

No album -by ANY band- before or since Images and Words has hit me in such a profound way.   

Absolutely agree. I feel completely certain in calling Images and Words my favorite album ever. It's just utterly perfect and godly from beginning to end.

That having been said, the best section on the album is, in fact, the Learning to Live outro. Other contenders are "Before the leaves have fallen...," "I was told there's a miracle..." into the section described in the OP, "Morning comes too early..." and the F#5.

[j]

Instrumental section in LtL, after LaBrie's "whoas".  Next is probably the outro of LtL.

But Metropolis has a couple of contenders as well.  Incredible album.

-J

[XB0BX]

The last portion of Metropolis. "There must be the third and last dance."

Hell, that entire song.

Hell, that entire album.

[JLa]

(the LTL outro will always beat everything, not just from IAW)

I've seen LTL live once. Man, that outro, with the audience cheering and singing along, clapping our hands ...   

[The Stray Seed]

I've always loved the UAGM bridge section, especially that part where JLB sings:

by your hand I've awakened
bear this honor in my name

[puppyonacid]

3:16 - 4:06 of Metropolis.

As a child, I thought I could live without pain, without sorrow
As a man, I've found it's all caught up with me
I'm asleep yet I'm so afraid

Somewhere, like a scene from a memory
There's a picture worth a thousand words
Eluding stares, the faces before me
It hides away, and will never be heard of again
Deceit is the second without end

There are VERY close contenders, but this is the best. IAW is gold.

This is the best part of metropolis, I'll give you that. But as a whole, Metropolis is one of the weakest songs on I&W.

I think you'll find your opinion is factually incorrect :-P

You should put that in the controversial opinions thread.

I was introduced to DT through I&W and in particular by Metropolis. The keyboard/guitar fusiony unison after the bass solo was the thing that stood out and the moment I started paying attention to DT. That was '93 and the song and that whole instrumental section is still a DT pinnacle for me. I don't think they've ever achieved such bombastic, majestic and yet concise wackiness since; and that isn't to say that much of their later work does not kick a multitude of arse.

So for me, the instrumental section is No.1 DT moment from I&W and for me, it's the No.1 moment from the bands entire catalogue.

[Sycsa]

For me, it could be the intro to Take the Time. It's my favorite Kevin melody, love the funky bass and drums, the samples are cool, JLB is so energy, powa, the lyrics are motivating; I think it's time for a CHAAAAAAANGE, then the organ cuts trough underneath it...great stuff!

Other noteworthy candidates would be the UAGM chorus and the LTL bass outro.

On a side note, the ending of Metropolis on Score is something magical, with James' expressions, Mike throwing out the drumstick. I probably watched that part hundreds of times.

[Zydar]

(the LTL outro will always beat everything, not just from IAW)

I've seen LTL live once. Man, that outro, with the audience cheering and singing along, clapping our hands ...   

I've seen DT live once and they didn't play anything from I&W then. I'll be seeing them in February so I am hoping for LtL. I would die a happy man if I got to see that song live.

[Rhayader]

Section? I would never separate it in sections. The entire album is amazing.

[MrBoom_shack-a-lack]

No album -by ANY band- before or since Images and Words has hit me in such a profound way.   

I wasn't aware of DT at that time and didn't discover IaW until years later so the impact that the album had on the music scene, I totally missed that but I can imagine it given that the decline of 80s metal and the rising of the grunge scene was very prominent at that time. So IaW must have been a very refreshing album to hear!

[wolfking]

I think the last verse and the outro of LTL is the best part of the album.

[Daybreak at the lake]

The answer is these parts of surrounded:

By a candle stands a mirror
Of his heart and soul she dances
She was dancing through the night
Above his bed.

And the "light to dark..." part

[Cable]

I think the last verse and the outro of LTL is the best part of the album.

[/thread]

JLB singing a great part of JM's lyrics, and hitting some high notes. JM basically playing alone after that, then come those wonderful natty harmonics from JP, followed by the oohs and aahs from JLB.