Opinions of When Dream and Day Unite

[Sebiriver]

This is their first album and I would like to know your opinions about it also in what aspects have they changed over the years, the change from WDADU to Images and Words, whats the meaning of the title, whats the album about. Thanks.

[CharlesPL]

Love this album,my top 5-6 DT albums.

[Zydar]

It's an okay album, although I'd rank it very low in the DT album ranking. The biggest flaw for me is the sound quality and that Charlie is singing on it. Not a bad singer but not a good fit for DT. The actual songs are good to very good (Ytse Jam, Afterlife, Only A Matter Of Time, A Fortune In Lies). I even like Status Seeker, which many seem to dislike.

The album title comes from a lyric line in Only A Matter Of Time.

[bl5150]

I can't say I listen to it often but...............

Love this album,my top 5-6 DT albums.

I prefer it to most of the output post Awake , pre ADTOE

[Lolzeez]

It's okay,couple incredibly cheesy moments but there are also some really fun songs like Afterlife.

[hefdaddy42]

I rank it very low.  The production isn't very good, and Charlie's voice grates on my ears.  Also, while there are some bright spots, a lot of the songwriting is amateurish and derivative, and many of the lyrics are laughable.  A lot of the songs come off much better in a live setting with JLB singing, but not all of them.

The band made a quantum leap from this album to I&W.

[ChuckSteak]

I never listen to it. I dislike Dominici's vocals and the production. When Dream And Day Reunite is much better.

[JLa]

I like it. I don't listen to it very often, mostly because of the poor production. Also, while I prefer James over Charlie, Charlie isn't a bad vocalist. I think he does a pretty good job.

[son_ov_hades]

I absolutely love this album! I rank it as #4 in the discography. Some of Dream Theater's best moments are on this album.

[Laughingplace56]

I've started to like it a great deal more than I used to. I don't love the production quality or Charlie in DT, but some songs are great. OAMoT is an excellent song and is in my top 50. Great music and amazing lyrics. Ytse Jam, LFAGA, and AFiL are all great as well. It still ranks in the bottom 3 of their albums for me, but only because they have so many great albums.

[?]

I absolutely love this album! I rank it as #4 in the discography. Some of Dream Theater's best moments are on this album.

All of this.

[bosk1]

I rank it very low.  The production isn't very good, and Charlie's voice grates on my ears.  Also, while there are some bright spots, a lot of the songwriting is amateurish and derivative, and many of the lyrics are laughable.  A lot of the songs come off much better in a live setting with JLB singing, but not all of them.

The band made a quantum leap from this album to I&W.

This about sum it up for me.  But a few additional comments:

Regarding Charlie, I do not like his voice on this album at all.  To this day, I have a hard time separating out how much of it is simply the fact that his voice is not a good match for these songs and how much of it is just not liking his general singing voice at that point in time.  I think it is a little of both.  When he came out with the band on the WDADRU show, I was actually impressed with how full and warm his voice sounded.  I think he actually sounded pretty good on To Live Forever.  He sounded less good on Metropolis, but he added an interesting dimension to it.  And I think his voice actually sounded very good on his solo O3 trilogy that he released afterward.  So far of it, IMO, is his voice maturing and him learning to do some different things with his voice.  But a HUGE part of it, and I think the main part, is that the songs on WDADU were not written to his strengths as a singer.  Even if they were to re-record those songs with him today, I do not think he would sound much better on them.  Again, contrast that with the songs on his solo albums, where I think his voice fits very well and he is able to sound very good.

The production issues are what they are, unfortunately.  The album sounds flat as a result, and there isn't much to be done about that.

I am really glad the band decided to do WDADRU.  Although it is not a perfect performance, James isn't bad, and the songs just sound so much better with the live energy and better sound overall.  Before this performance, I had heard WDADU, but did not like it and had written it off.  WDADRU got me to actually listen to the songs again, reevaluate, and find a lot in many of them that I actually like.  I still almost never listen to the original album, but I really enjoy live versions of many of the songs now. 

[OpenYourEyes311]

I absolutely love this album! I rank it as #4 in the discography. Some of Dream Theater's best moments are on this album.

This exactly. One of their best in my opinion. Every song is at least good, but most are great. Rated the best after Six Degrees, Octavarium, and Images.

[Phoenix87x]

Its my favorite DT album behind I&W and scenes. I've always loved it and and will always love it.

[Randaran]

Ranked at #6, WDADU barely misses my top 5. I do not mind the production or Charlie's voice. Some of JP's best solos are on the album, and I love the Malmsteenian feel of his playing.

[Zook]

So the production sucks and Charlie isn't a great singer. This album is still awesome, and as an album is better than SC, BCSL and ADTOE. Not a bad song on the debut.

[BlobVanDam]

You know the phrase "a face only a mother could love"? WDADU is the musical equivalent of that.

[Scorpion]

Well, I agree that the cover isn't beautiful, but what does that have to do with the music?

[krands85]

It's not too bad for a debut effort, there are some songs that range from decent to really good - A Fortune in Lies, Afterlife, The Killing Hand, Ytse Jam & Only a Matter of Time. Then there are 3 duds that I very rarely listen to in Status Seeker, Light Fuse and Get Away & The Ones Who Help to Set the Sun.

Like a lot of people though, I just can't really get over the production and the vocals -  I have similar thoughts to what bosk said there.  I've got nothing against Charlie and I really like his voice on his solo albums and WDADRU. A re-recorded version of the album from the early 90s with JLB at his peak would have been great and ranked higher, but as it is, the album sits at the bottom for me. WDADRU is cool I suppose, but James doesn't sound that good IMO.

[TAC]

I am really glad the band decided to do WDADRU.  Although it is not a perfect performance, James isn't bad, and the songs just sound so much better with the live energy and better sound overall.  Before this performance, I had heard WDADU, but did not like it and had written it off.  WDADRU got me to actually listen to the songs again, reevaluate, and find a lot in many of them that I actually like.  I still almost never listen to the original album, but I really enjoy live versions of many of the songs now.

Same here. In fact while I never listen to WDADU, I rank WDADRu in my Top 5. I love the songs.

[Mosh]

I never listen to this album. It has some cool songs and is an important piece of DT history, but it's so far removed from everything else they've done, I have a hard time comparing it to any other album. Honestly I forget about its existence more often than not. I don't think it's bad, there are some really fun songs, but it isn't really the sorta thing that I listen to DT for. Much like the first Symphony X or Judas Priest albums.

[Dani Helios]

A good album, not my favourite, but it's something that anyone within a mile radius can hear blasting out of my HiFi at least once a month 

[Madman Shepherd]

Great album.  I rank it above BC&SL but probably below everything else. 

The production indeed blows but when I put it on a few weeks ago it wasnt nearly as bad as I remember...still not good. 

Charlie's voice isn't nearly as bad as everyone makes it out to be.  Its unique and fits some of the songs well...still, glad they got James for the rest of their career. 


The song Status Seeker sucks though

[Dani Helios]

The song Status Seeker sucks though

I don't think that is true. It's not the best on the album, but it's not terrible.

[bosk1]

The song Status Seeker sucks though

No, it doesn't.

[TAC]

The song Status Seeker sucks though

No, it doesn't.

It IS the worst song on the album though. By a large margin.

[bosk1]

No, it isn't.

[TheGreatPretender]

The album, as is standard affair with DT, has some really mind blowing moments, and I would imagine listening to it in the late 80s, it would open my world to a whole new realm of music. But for every great moment, it has its flaws, and it's very evident that it's an experimental effort by a group that doesn't have that much songwriting experience. It has a very raw and amateur sound to it. It's kind of baffling just how much they grew as songwriters between WDADU and I&W, but the difference is truly tremendous.

[King Postwhore]

I rank it very low.  The production isn't very good, and Charlie's voice grates on my ears.  Also, while there are some bright spots, a lot of the songwriting is amateurish and derivative, and many of the lyrics are laughable.  A lot of the songs come off much better in a live setting with JLB singing, but not all of them.

The band made a quantum leap from this album to I&W.

100% dead on for me.

[King Postwhore]

No, it isn't.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JkzjBfTDH20

[TheGreatPretender]

 

[Shadow Ninja 2.0]

Great album.

[TAC]

No, it isn't.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JkzjBfTDH20

I swear my wife and I had that same conversation last night!

[bosk1]

No you didn't.

Wait...

[King Postwhore]