When Dream and Day Unite Appreciation Thread

[ElliottTamer]

So, unlike most people who make appreciation threads, I don't really like WD&DU...
I've listened to it over five times in the last few weeks, trying to see why I didn't like any of its songs whereas I like most other DT songs. It seems to me that the singing is really what bothers me the most, so I bought When Dream and Day Reunite to see if LaBrie's performance changes my opinion. I'm listening to it right now and it's not really working.
So, does anybody really like this album or some (any?) of its songs? If so, please tell me what I'm doing wrong...

[KevShmev]

I like this album a lot.  It's not as good as anything they did in the 90s, but I'll take it over everything they did in the 00s except for 6DOIT and maybe BC&SL.

I can get why some don't like the singing and/or production, but most of the songs are gems (Status Seeker being the obvious exception).  If nothing else, Myung's bass lines are rad as shit.

[Infinite Cactus]

It is my third favorite DT album. I love it and everything about it. In my opinion, every song is pure gold. I especially love LFAGA and TOWHTSTS.

[Vajra]

I think it's an amazing album. There's not a single bad song on it.

If the production was good, and JLB was on vocals, it would be like this...

A Fortune In Lies - 9/10
Status Seeker - 8/10
Yste Jam - 8/10
The Killing Hand - 9.5/10
Light Fuse and Get Away 9/10
Afterlife - 9/10
The Ones Who Help To Set the Sun - 9/10
Only A Matter of Time - 9.5/10

It's such a shame that the production is poor on the original album and that JLB isn't on it. If this album was to be released today, it would probably be my second favorite album alongside a few others. And unfortunately I can't stand JLB's vocals on When Dream and Day Reunite. He sounds great live when you see them in person, but when he's recorded, he just doesn't sound good imo.

[chaotic_ripper]

I love this album.  I'm also one of the few who really likes Status Seeker.  The production and Charlie bugged me when if first listened to it ( at that time I only knew TKH and AFIL from Live at the Marquee, and Ytsejam from Once in a Livetime) but I got over that quickly.  I even prefer the old footage on WDADRU to the 2004 show.  It really gives you that feeling of the band at that time and helps you appreciate that music even more. 

[Infinite Cactus]

I also really enjoy Status Seeker. When I first got into DT all I had was WDADU and I&W. Status Seeker was in my top 3 songs after Metropolis and Pull Me Under.

[SystematicThought]

Status Seeker was my first song I heard off of WDADU. I'll always love it

[Fran521]

Status Seeker is great.

[Bill Carson]

To the OP:
Just do what I did & create your own reality........erase this album from your official DT catalogue and place Images & Words as the debut album.
Ignore all other opinions and treat this as an early demo recording. 

[?]

I like Status Seeker and WDADU in general too! I'd place it 6th or 7th in my ranking. The only song I don't really like on it is Light Fuse and Get Away. Songs like The Killing Hand, Afterlife and The Ones Who Help to Set the Sun are hidden gems in the DT catalogue.

[Gadough]

Change of opinyaaaawwwwwnnnnn

[The Silent Cody]

WDADU was not the first DT album that I've heard so it isn't my favourite, and it wasn't for very long time. But, that album grows still for me, with every time I'm listening it. Great compositions, especially A Fortune In Lies in which we could find one of my favourite of all DT moments (the beginning and the "crazy riff"). For those who not heard, and are DT fans, WDADU is a must!!!

[Zydar]

Status Seeker and Afterlife are great, but the other songs doesn't do that much to me. The Killing Hand and Ytse Jam are pretty good too.

But the album is still on the last place whenever I rank the albums.

[jsem]

Killing Hand and Ytse Jam are excellent. The rest is meh.

[FretMuppet]

Afterlife is amazing 

[Pols Voice]

A Fortune in Lies, Afterlife, and Only a Matter of Time are very cool. This album has a certain vibe that doesn't really show up much on later albums. Charlie's okay, but the production is pretty terrible. I do like the album, though.

[ZirconBlue]

I can deal with Charlie's vocals, but the production is what prevents me from listening to it more often.  The songs are absolutely killer, though, and I love hearing them pop up in live shows/recordings.

[Mladen]

Some great songs on the album, but overall my 2nd least favorite Dream Theater album...

[stryker]

I really enjoy this album and I love hearing the songs live.  I agree with JLB's vocals on the Reunite cd being pretty bad, but I love hearing the songs played live when I see them.  I don't rank this album as low as I've seen others rank it.  It's probably about 6th for me, even with the shitty production.  

[Dream Team]

Yeah, this album is great. Can't understand people who rank albums like OV and SC above it.

[j]

I like this album a lot.  It's not as good as anything they did in the 90s, but I'll take it over everything they did in the 00s except for 6DOIT and maybe BC&SL.

-J

[BanksD]

I really only like A Fortune In Lies, Status Seeker, Afterlife, and The Ones Who Help To Set The Sun. The rest are good, but i hardly ever listen to them.


and I love Charlie's vocals

[snapple]

I think JMX is at his best on WDADU. I loved it when they let him play like that.

[Lowdz]

This was my first DT album so I don't come at it having heard their other stuff and being disappointed by the sound etc. It was new and fresh and sounded like nothing I'd ever heard before. I was a big Rush fan so the vocals didn't put me off, though I didn't love them either. The production wasn't great but of course I&W didn't exist yet.

I still listen to it alot. Sure, it's now got a huge dollop of nostalgia attached to it but I still love it as an album. The bass is everywhere, the keyboards sound like keyboards and JP shreds. What's not to love.

[The Silent Cody]

I think JMX is at his best on WDADU. I loved it when they let him play like that.

Yeah, totally this. His bass tracks are so crazy on WDADU, cannot be unhearable. 

[ResultsMayVary]

Sad bass lines ftw.

[The Silent Cody]

Sad bass lines ftw.

Sad bass lines GOOD 

[ResultsMayVary]

Sad bass lines ftw.

Sad bass lines GOOD 

"Was everything all right back then?"

[tgstk2]

awesome album, yes even the vocals...

the afterlife  WOW..i think can only be sang by Charlie to have that certain feel.
and than you have FIL, ....that was metal back than, that's metal now! and than that solo...WOWWWW!!!
ytsejam..damn need i say more? (dont reply with please shut up already please  )

so yes, appreciated...

[Nekov]

I love it all (except LFAGA). There are some people that just can't get past the bad quality sound but that's not a problem for me. Great tracks

[YtseBitsySpider]

this album is and will always be a top 3 DT for me.

I LOVE the singing.....it's one of Portnoy's best albums..the raw unpolishness of his drumming is what brought me to DT in the first place.

The production deficiencies do not bother me.

[Dr. DTVT]

awesome album, yes even the vocals...

the afterlife  WOW..i think can only be sang by Charlie to have that certain feel.

Well, it is Charlie's song as we wrote the lyrics; but I agree, he nailed that song.

I like WDADU.  It's not as bad as people think.  It's not I&W, Awake, or 6DoIT...but its still good.