Where do you rate I&W in the band's discography?

[KevShmev]

Inspired by a discussion in another thread, we have this poll.

I&W and Scenes are usually neck-and-neck for me for 2nd best DT album, but I usually give I&W the slight edge because of it's astonishing consistency and the fact that it was a life-changing album in my development as a music fan.

[bl5150]

a clear #1 for me

[Dublagent66]

1st option.  It sits at #2 in my top 3.

SDOIT
I&W
SFAM

[TAC]

a clear #1 for me

[Sir Walrus Cauliflower]

If I take into consideration what it did for the band, how revolutionary it was, etc., I would vote for 1st or 2nd best. But I decided to just take into account how much I personally enjoy it (which is how I rank things) and voted 3rd or 4th best.
My rankings change a lot though, as I don't have a specific rating system I use. I need to change that.

[emtee]

1A)Awake
1B) I&W


It will always get the nostalgia vote and it's the album that opened the door to a whole new musical experience but I like Awake
better...slightly.

[CharlesPL]

1.IAW
2.SFAM
3.Awake

[krands85]

a clear #1 for me

Took a while for it to get there for me - when I first started listening to the band ToT was my favourite album and the only song that really grabbed me from I&W was Metropolis. But now it's way out in front of everything else as my favourite album, by either DT or anyone else.

[Dark Castle]

I&W is dead last for me, I can't even find a copy where 'Pull Me Under' ISN'T messed up in some way and doesn't end so abruptly. I guess I'll never get to hear the siqq outro you all are always talking about   

[jakepriest]

5th or lower. I just don't enjoy the album that much compared to the more modern ones.

[Sir Walrus Cauliflower]

a clear #1 for me

Took a while for it to get there for me - when I first started listening to the band ToT was my favourite album and the only song that really grabbed me from I&W was Metropolis. But now it's way out in front of everything else as my favourite album, by either DT or anyone else.

Same for me, in the sense that I wasn't a huge I&W fan at first (Even though I enjoyed ADTOE... I don't understand either). But for whatever reason, of all the songs, it took the longest for me to enjoy Metropolis.

[mikemangioy]

5th or lowest. I love it, don't get me wrong, but there are some other albums that I enjoy more.

[mikeyd23]

I voted 3rd or 4th best, as it usually falls into my rankings as number three.  Behind SDOIT and SFAM.

[bosk1]

This is a tough one.  Images & Words is either #4 or #5 for me.  If I am voting based on the way I feel about the album today, I give it the #5 spot.  I still like it just as much as I did.  I just think the band has surpassed it.  My top 3 are:

1.  Six Degrees
2.  SFAM
3.  ADTOE

Right now, after having just seen DT on tour, I am sorely tempted to put D12 in the #4 spot.  I am just loving that album right now.  But once the excitement wears off, will I drop it down to #5 or 6?  Possible.  And Barry summed up well part of how I feel about I&W:

Now that I think about it more, I think nostalgia is a big factor in my opinion of these two pairs of discs. 

"Images & Words" is literally the album that introduced me to progressive metal.  Oh sure, I had dabbled a bit prior to that (Deep Purple, Fates Warning, Queensryche, etc) but I never thought of myself as a "prog fan"

But when I&W finally clicked, my entire concept of music shifted gears in a big way. 

For purposes of this poll, I will give it the benefit of the doubt and pick the second option.  But it is probably either my #4 or #5 on any given day.  A true classic album.  But also not nearly as consistent or solid all the way through as some of their later releases.

[ThatOneGuy2112]

I&W has always sat at #2 for me because SFAM exists. It's phenomenal though, a definite top 10 album for sure.

[wasteland]

a clear #1 for me

[Cool Chris]

#1 or #2. Nostalgia bumps it up to a clear #1. but even aside from that, it alternates with Awake for #1/#2.

[hefdaddy42]

1 or 2, depending on the day.

[DebraKadabra]

I&W has always sat at #2 for me because SFAM exists. It's phenomenal though, a definite top 10 album for sure.

While I understand that logic, there would honestly be no Scenes if there were no Images.


That was completely unintentional.

Anyhoo - Images and Words, no nostalgia factor necessary.  It is simply their best (IMO).

[King Postwhore]

For me it's 3rd and they are all close but it goes,

1.  6DOIT
2.  SFAM
3.  I&W

[ThatOneGuy2112]

I&W has always sat at #2 for me because SFAM exists. It's phenomenal though, a definite top 10 album for sure.

While I understand that logic, there would honestly be no Scenes if there were no Images.


That was completely unintentional.

[DebraKadabra]

 

[Orbert]

Images and Words used to be #1, but then Scenes from a Memory came out, so now Images and Words is #2.

[son_ov_hades]

I&W has always sat at #2 for me because SFAM exists. It's phenomenal though, a definite top 10 album for sure.

This.

Ever since Scenes From A Memory came out Images And Words has been number 2.

[Sacul]

6DOIT
Awake
TOT
I&W

[TheGreatPretender]

I&W has always sat at #2 for me because SFAM exists. It's phenomenal though, a definite top 10 album for sure.

This.

Ever since Scenes From A Memory came out Images And Words has been number 2.

Same for me.

Although what's interesting is that even though there would be no Scenes if it wasn't for Images, it's BECAUSE of Scenes, and the recurring themes in Metropolis, that I love Metropolis Pt. 1 so much. And because I love Metropolis so much, it boosts I&W album to a solid #2 for me. Otherwise, it might be 3 or 4. So if it wasn't for Scenes, Images wouldn't be my #2.

[wolfking]

Around 3rd of 4th.

[Rodni Demental]

Well, it might be my 5th favourite? Which is still well in the upper half of DT albums so that doesn't really say anything bad about it, even if it was the lowest option in this poll. I do think the album took longer to grow on me though, but then, so did Awake, WDADU, FII and 6D. Other albums have been slightly easier to appreciate and I have to rank the albums that got me into DT before I&W.

[PwnsomeWin]

I ranked it 9. 

[CrimsonSunrise]

Depending on my mood..it's either 1 or 2, constantly battling with Awake for the #1 spot.

[kneepel]

3 for me.

1. Awake
2. WDADU
3. IAW

[Tom Bombadil]

#2, behind only Awake.

[Daso]

1. IAW
2. Awake
3. DT12

And IAW is also my third favorite album of all time.

[BlobVanDam]

For me it's 3rd and they are all close but it goes,

1.  6DOIT
2.  SFAM
3.  I&W

Exactly that for me too. IaW is a near perfect album, but SDOIT and SFAM are just a bit more near perfect. They're all fairly close albums for me, but that order doesn't change.

[GPedrosa]

1. Awake
2. I&W
3. SFAM or BC&SL