Puppies On Acid (Live 1993 Rocky Point Palladium Warwick) - bootleg or official?

[ProgressiveIce]

https://www.amazon.it/Puppies-Acid-Rocky-Point-Palladium/dp/B00UW4G8Q4/

Does anyone know more about this release? The quality appears to be abysmal according to comments around the web, and my guess is that it's a (poor) bootleg based on a radio broadcast recording. However, someone pointed out that it's also sold by (allegedly) reputable sellers such as Concert Live. Then again, it would seem strange that DT would release a 22 year old live recording, and even if they did, I'd have expected some sort of official announcement.

Any other opinions?

[bosk1]

This is NOT an official release.  It is a bootleg.  Others who are more involved in the bootleg community can likely give more info, but this is not a Dream Theater release. 

[Setlist Scotty]

Bosk is right to an extent - it isn't an official band sanctioned release. But, (I believe) it is a legal release, unlike the old factory-pressed CD bootlegs of old. There's another thread that already is discussing this release here:
https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=43622.msg1950327#msg1950327

[bosk1]

I figured the cavalry would be along eventually. 

[King Postwhore]

And it was my first DT concert.

[rumborak]

You know, I have never completely understood why people keep referring to it as Puppies on Acid. While it may have had that temporary name back in the day, in the end it's just the beginning of The Mirror.

[TAC]

I think calling the Bootleg The Beginning Of The Mirror  is a bit too long.

[Setlist Scotty]

I think calling the Bootleg The Beginning Of The Mirror  is a bit too long.

LOL! I think rumby was referring to the name of the song, not the bootleg.   

But to answer your question rumby, I think it actually is thanx to the band and/or MP, since they were the ones to continue referring to it as Puppies on Acid, instead of part of The Mirror. If you look at OiaL or the LA official bootleg (1998/05/18), you'll notice that it's referred to as Puppies on Acid on both of those releases; even when MP was giving me the setlists for each show, it was always listed as Puppies on Acid. So it stands to reason that the fans merely followed suit.

[ProgressiveIce]

Wonderful, thanks a lot bosk and Scotty!

[JayOctavarium]

I always thought, that when they played Puppies On Acid, that the "Puppies On Acid" melody differed from the melody ultimately played on The Mirror?

[RaiseTheKnife]

It was originally faster in its 1993 debut, and JP played it on a 6 string.  They slowed it down for Awake and brought on the 7 string.  Oh, and it had joke lyrics in its early days. 

[Setlist Scotty]

Oh, and it had joke lyrics in its early days.

Huh? This is the first I've heard about this. Where are said lyrics to fit into that 1.5 minutes? And at what show were these lyrics sung?

[hefdaddy42]

There were no real lyrics, just joke lyrics to explain the melody.

"Puppies on Acid, such a pretty sight"

Or something like that. 

[TAC]

I don't think I've ever heard lyrics over this.

[seasonsinthesky]

So "A Crack in the Mirror" refers to the jam of the end riff of the song? I was always so confused when I'd see it on setlists.

[hefdaddy42]

I don't think I've ever heard lyrics over this.

It wasn't anything to actually be sung, and it was never performed with lyrics.  It was just something that MP and JP did. 

They talked about in on one of the DVDs, either in behind the scenes stuff or maybe one of the commentaries.  They sang it then, but it was just joke stuff, nothing serious.

[OpenYourEyes311]

They talked about in on one of the DVDs, either in behind the scenes stuff or maybe one of the commentaries.  They sang it then, but it was just joke stuff, nothing serious.

Yes, the Live in Tokyo Commentary, I believe.

[Setlist Scotty]

So "A Crack in the Mirror" refers to the jam of the end riff of the song? I was always so confused when I'd see it on setlists.

No. It was a new intro added to the beginning of The Mirror/Puppies on Acid, as played on the Waking Up the World and Touring Into Infinity tours. The first 1:13 of this video is A Crack in the Mirror:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nNN6ovZbQA
 
 

They talked about in on one of the DVDs, either in behind the scenes stuff or maybe one of the commentaries.  They sang it then, but it was just joke stuff, nothing serious.

Yes, the Live in Tokyo Commentary, I believe.

Ah OK - now that you guys mention it, it sounds vaguely familiar. Been several years since I've watched the video, let alone with the commentary, so that's why I don't remember it. Gonna have to watch it again one of these days...

[BlobVanDam]

There were no real lyrics, just joke lyrics to explain the melody.

"Puppies on Acid, such a pretty sight"

Or something like that. 

I recall something like "Puppies on acid, aren't they such a tasty treat?".

Yes, the Live in Tokyo Commentary, I believe.

It was definitely LiT.

[seasonsinthesky]

So "A Crack in the Mirror" refers to the jam of the end riff of the song? I was always so confused when I'd see it on setlists.

No. It was a new intro added to the beginning of The Mirror/Puppies on Acid, as played on the Waking Up the World and Touring Into Infinity tours. The first 1:13 of this video is A Crack in the Mirror:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nNN6ovZbQA

Right, but it's just the riff from the end of the song, plus some random other metal riff, and keyboard noodles. So Puppies on Acid is the intro and A Crack in the Mirror is the ending, inexplicably put at the beginning for a minute.

I know the origin of POA but ACITM is just such a weird and arbitrary thing. They could have just jammed on that riff when it actually occurs in the song, when they were playing it. Actually, it makes more sense that it had the specific name in '97-'98 when they WEREN'T playing the full song!