Discovering "Awake"

[Joshin U]

Okay let's do this:

1. Space-Dye Vest
2. The Mirror
3. 6:00
4. Scarred
5. The Silent Man
6. Innocence Faded
7. Caught In A Web
8. Lifting Shadows Off A Dream
9. Lie
10. Erotomania
11. Voices

FUCK THIS WHORE

[aprilethereal]

I know

[Rattlehead]

My rankings for Awake would be...

1. The Mirror
2. Voices
3. Caught In A Web
4. Scarred
5. 6:00
6. The Silent Man
7. Innocence Faded
8. Erotomania
9. Space Dye Vest
10. Lie
11. Lifting Shadows Off A Dream

[kirksnosehair]

Every time this album comes up as a topic I tell this story...


My first exposure to Dream Theater was "Images & Words" around 1992-ish


That album just completely blew my mind.  I listened to it over and over for months and months.


When "Awake" came out, I bought it and HATED it!  I wanted "Images & Words II"   "Awake" was such a different sounding album.  I just never took the time to get to know it.  Fast forward a few years and one day I'm looking through the CDs at the record store and I see "Metropolis Part II: Scenes From a Memory" and I was THRILLED!!     


For the next several months, the only thing in my CD player was SFAM.  I had not even bothered to purchase "Falling Into Infinity"


Around the time that they released "Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence" I saw them in concert for the first time and it was "An Evening With Dream Theater" and they did a few tunes from "Awake" including "Erotomania" "Voices" and an epic version of "The Silent Man" and I was blown dafuq outta my seat           


For the next three months the only disc I listened to was "Awake" and pretty soon it was in my top 3 where it is today. 

[TAC]

Awesome, Kirk!

[nikostheater]

Awesome story Kirk!
It was a "difficult" album for me also.
I was blown away as Kirk with Images And Words, after that I was blown away with ACOS and my third purchase was Awake.. I was baffled!
I was trying to appreciate it but I found it a strange difficult album and one day it just clicked!!
It's still in my holy trinity of DT albums to this day.
A masterpiece beyond belief!

[kirksnosehair]

I really think "Awake" is the definition of a "creeper" album.    

[PixelDream]

I think 'Voices' might be my favorite JP solo ever (within a song that is, not something like 'Goodnight Kiss' which almost centers around is and is otherworldly amazing). In that 'Voices' solo I almost get a bluesy vibe..'I'm feelin' ya bro!'.

[Hanz Gruber]

Awake is what got me into Dream Theater.

Back when it came out I heard "Lie" on the radio and thought it sounded neat.  The DJ didn't announce the name of the band so I didn't know who it was until I heard it again and they finally said the name.  (this was before the internet)

I went to the local CD and bought it.  It was pretty amazing.  My dad was a big Yes fan and he walked in during Scarred and thought it was awesome.  I bought all of their albums on release day since.

(Side note - I ordered Images and Words through Columbia House and liked it a lot too.  I found out that they had another CD before that and finally tracked down an Import of "When Dream and Day Unite" and paid good money for it.  I had no idea that the singer was different until I heard his voice.  I remember being very disappointed that James wasn't singing and thought Charlie sounded like a Steve Perry wannabe. hahaha.  I liked the songs but never could get into Charlie's voice.)

[Lark the Starless]

My favorite DT album 

1. Voices (A+)
2. Erotomania (A)
3. The Mirror (A)
4. The Silent Man (as you can see, the A Mind Beside Itself trilogy is highly regarded  ) (A)
5. Innocence Faded (B+)
6. Lifting Shadows Off a Dream (B+)
7. Scarred (B)
8. Space-Dye Vest (B)
9. Lie (B)
10. Caught in a Web (B-)
11. 6:00 (B-)

[Mebert78]

Happy 22nd anniversary to Awake!  An incredible album from start to finish with a closing track that still gives me chills even after all these years. 

[Bertielee]

Happy 22nd anniversary to my all-time DT fave!

B.Lee

[hefdaddy42]

Spider-Man is so awesome.

[Art]

Happy Birthday Awake

Top 3 or top 2 DT album for me.

[energythief]

I love Awake, but I don't understand how it can be considered a definitive album, a good starting point, or the band's best album.  It produced a couple "classic" DT songs and a handful of good ones (like most DT albums do) but it was not their "Golden Age."  For every great moment on Awake, there's another that sounds completely awkward and forced. I think people's attachment toward Kevin may have had more to do with all the Awake luvin that goes on than anything else.

I can't agree. I love Awake, and it wasn't until SFAM that I even paid attention to the names of the band members, so I certainly wasn't pining for the "old school".

[hefdaddy42]

Well, it's a comment from 6 years ago.

[Zook]

"I don't know about you, but I'm feelin' 22." - Awake

[DragonAttack]

Became a fan after seeing the band in 2003.  Bought 'Six Degrees', fell in love with Disc 2, and then purchased I&W and 'Awake'.  I rank it high up, it has its weak points (to me), but 'Erotomania' is easily a Top 15 favorite DT track.  My version for the past six years or so, and still give it a spin 2-4 times a year, is

6:00
Caught in a Web 
To Live Forever
Erotomania 
Voices 
The Silent Man
Lie  (45 edit)
Lifting Shadows Off a Dream 
Scarred 

[goo-goo]

Scarred is probably my all time favorite Dream Theater song. Love everything about it. 

[MirrorMask]

I have nothing but unconditional love and unmitigated praise for Awake, it will always rank along with SFAM and the obvious I&W at the top of my favoritr DT albums 

Awake contains the song that made me go "Hey, these guys aren't actually bad" - The Mirror. My cousin had tastes more developed by me at the end of the previous millennium and he sneaked DT songs to fill up cassette tapes he was doing for me, and The Mirror, 4 months after I thought it was a bad song, finally clicked and started the avalanche effect of me discovering DT.

The whole album is great from start to finish, I'm absolutely taken by every side of this record: the songs, the sound, James being a badass kickass singer with his raspy vocals  , EVERYTHING.

Voices also is one of my all time DT favorite songs, right there with Metropolis. I couldn't even offer a proper ranking 'cause I think all the songs are equally awesome, and I would never get tired of this album.

Hail and praise Awake! 

[Bertielee]

I have nothing but unconditional love and unmitigated praise for Awake, it will always rank along with SFAM and the obvious I&W at the top of my favoritr DT albums 

Awake contains the song that made me go "Hey, these guys aren't actually bad" - The Mirror. My cousin had tastes more developed by me at the end of the previous millennium and he sneaked DT songs to fill up cassette tapes he was doing for me, and The Mirror, 4 months after I thought it was a bad song, finally clicked and started the avalanche effect of me discovering DT.

The whole album is great from start to finish, I'm absolutely taken by every side of this record: the songs, the sound, James being a badass kickass singer with his raspy vocals  , EVERYTHING.

Voices also is one of my all time DT favorite songs, right there with Metropolis. I couldn't even offer a proper ranking 'cause I think all the songs are equally awesome, and I would never get tired of this album.

Hail and praise Awake! 

That sums it up for me! 

B.Lee

[Pragmaticcircus]

Awake is the only DT album I honestly go back to annually, everything else is way more rarer for me nowadays.