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Dream Theater

Live At Budokan DVD

Review by Greg Olma

Dream Theater have always made a point of only releasing quality product. Whether you like it or not, you always have to admit that the recordings and videos were done in the best possible way. This DVD captures the band on their Train Of Thought tour in Japan (at the Budokan as the title suggests). The band is in top form but really, would you expect anything less? The set list touches on most of their albums even including “War Inside My Head” from their often forgotten Six Degrees Of Inner Turbulence CD. They even play “Pull Me Under," their only hit. There is definitely something for everyone in the set list. The filming is exceptional; making sure that all of the action on stage is captured without doing quick cut-away shots. I wish all DVD shoots were this good.

Never being content with just a normal concert video release, Dream Theater add a second disc of extras. You get a Japanese tour documentary that follows the guys through the streets and during the show set up. For all you gear heads out there, you also get 2 sections (one from John Petrucci and one from Jordan Rudess) where they explain their equipment. One of the more fun parts of the bonus DVD is Mike Portnoy’s drum solo where he invites fans up on stage to play a little drums. It’s this connection with the audience that I feel has made Dream Theater successful. To round things off, they throw in the tour intro video (this was shown before they hit the stage) and a multiangle version of “Instrumedley." I have never been let down by a Dream Theater product and Live At Budokan keeps that streak going.

This review is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: 2008  Volume 3 at lulu.com/strangesound.
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