Track Listing

1. Regression
2. Overture 1928
3. Strange Deja Vu
4. Through My Words
5. Fatal Tragedy
6. Beyond This Life
7. Through Her Eyes
8. Home
9. Dance Of Eternity
10. One Last Time
11. Spirit Carries On
12. Finally Free

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #16582 in Music
• Released on: 1999-10-25
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .22 pounds

Amazon.co.uk Review
There's always been an element of slightly camp theatricality about progressive rock--witness Peter Gabriel dressing up as a giant hogweed--so the idea of a progressive musical isn't too much of a stretch. Dream Theater's Metropolis Pt 2: Scenes from a Memory takes the progressive rock staple of a concept album in a stagy new direction. You know they're up to something when the booklet divides the album into "Act One" and "Act Two", the lyrics are told from the point of view of a cast of characters, and the band credit themselves as "The Orchestra". In the hands of almost anyone else this would seem risibly pretentious, but Dream Theater somehow manage to carry it off (just) by virtue of their uniquely heavy metal slant on the old progressive format. Their blistering, even-louder-than-Metallica riffing takes the dainty edge off the proceedings (most of the time) as the story of dying and "learning to live" unfolds.

Both their fans and the band seem to agree that 1992's Images and Words is their finest work to date, so it's only fitting that the plot here is an extension of the track "Metropolis, Part 1" from that album. The extraordinary virtuoso musicianship of the band is, of course, abundantly on display again (amateurs can only shake their heads in despair when players this good let rip), and James LaBrie sings all the "roles" with real gusto. With a new keyboard player to fill the talent gap left by the departure of Kevin Moore, and studio production that rightly gives all the individual instruments their due, Dream Theater seem finally to have found their musical feet again. --Mark Walker

CD Description
"Metropolis Part I", a track featured on Dream Theater's breakthrough, IMAGES AND WORDS, left many progressive rock enthusiasts with what seemed like another unfinished chapter ina story never to be completed. Seven years and five albums later, Dream Theater returned to its majestic beginnings with METROPOLIS PART II--SCENES FROM A MEMORY. Keyboard virtuoso Jordan Rudess, who was a logical replacement for Derek Sherinian, revitalised the band's sound. Rudess's collaborationwith guitarist John Petrucci and drummer Mike Portnoy stolethe attention of Dream Theater fans in the instrumental project, LIQUID TENSION EXPERIMENT.
METROPOLIS PART II is anepic concept album that makes a powerful artistic statement. The band is impressive in its ability to weave a suite of pieces together that share a common thread of recurring musical and lyrical themes similar to those first presented in "Metropolis I". The heart of the tale is revealed in "Fatal Tragedy", which centres on a murder mystery. The main character, Victoria Page, sees the man she once loved turning evil and in refusing his affections, she pays with her life. The lyrical point of view shifts from character to character, bringing about powerful results.

Customer Reviews

An Amalgamation Of Perfection
Metropolis Part 2: Scenes From A Memory is, simply put, a contender for the greatest album of all time. Not even Dream Theater's other much-lauded album, Images And Words, can touch it in my opinion. However, upon entering this site to see what other reviewers had made of this incredible work of art, I was disappointed to see that, for the most part, they seemed to be wrangling about the fact that Dream Theater had dared to put out a concept album, instead of on whether or not the music itself was any good. So basically, I've decided to give a track-by-track analysis.

Regression - An unusual start to the album, focused more on the plot than the music. However, once the hypnotist stops talking, the almost singer-songwriter, acoustic feel to the song is immediately good, leaving you hooked on the album instantaneously.
Overture 1928 & Strange Deja Vu - Overture is the instrumental part of this opening 'Scene', Strange Deja Vu is the lyrical part. Both are brilliant, solid guitar-based efforts, well-developed, and introduce you both to the story and the album well.
Through My Words & Fatal Tragedy - Through My Words acts as little more than a beautiful albeit forgettable interlude for Fatal Tragedy, the beating heart of the album. It feels slightly clunky at times, the pace feeling unnatural, but is nonetheless a great piece of musicianship that pretty much tells the story by itself.
Beyond This Life - Solid effort. It lacks something vocally for the first half of the song, but the instrumental perfection of the second half, particularly the astoundingly good guitar, more than make up for it. On any other album, it would be a highlight.
Through Her Eyes - Most beautiful song on the album. The first part of the song is tranquil, branching into almost gospel-like serenity before the steady, calming drum beat kicks in, and James LaBrie proves what a truly excellent vocalist he is. Truly astounding, and somehow manages to be the highlight out of an album literally full of contenders. I cannot say enough good things about this song.
Home - A great descension into chaos, following on from Through Her Eyes superbly, and at times even surpassing it. The chorus is particularly strong, and like so much of this album manages to add to the story yet still stand on its own as a song.
Dance Of Eternity - I'm not so keen on this instrumental as others seem to be, as it feels more like pointless showmanship than a well constructed piece of music. It is certainly impressive to listen to, if nothing else.
One Last Time - Falls into an unusual trap, simply because the length of the song is out of place. With Dream Theater, you get 3 types of songs - short ones that are mere interludes more than anything else; 6 minute songs; and 8 minute + epics. At an unusually normal 4:30 (roughly), it's out of place, as it feels more like a transition than a full song, but is too long to be one. However, this is unimportant, due to THAT piano. The opening to this song is one of the greatest piano solos you'll ever have the pleasure of hearing.
The Spirit Carries On - A beautifully developed, emotional song that is an undoubted highlight. It has an album-ender feel to it, and as such makes the next song even more standalone.
Finally Free - An absolute gem of a song. It is perhaps the most tied to the concept (with the exception of Regression), due to the break in the middle of the song for another 'Scene' - although it's not really a break, because awesome guitar work is in the background - yet it is still very standalone. It has an excellent, peaceful beginning, which is developed well (primarily by the vocals and drums) into a sprawling epic. I particularly love John Petrucci's unusually atmospheric here, and it at times carries this song. My only gripe is the ending, which is a bit of a "...wait, what?" moment. That is minor though, considering the overall fantastic nature of the song, and it is a fitting closer for a superb album.

The strongest attribute the album has is its flexibility - for the most part, you can listen to the songs by themselves and be wowed by them, as individually they are almost without exception fantastic. However, the true wonder is when you listen to the album completely, as the tracks flow together majestically, creating a soaring, epic tale that is so well-told in such an emotional - yet still hard - manner that it is almost frightening at times. It could have been a pretentious flop, and instead it is a genuine contender for the oft-thrown around "best album of all time" moniker. I would strongly recommend "Metropolis Part 2: Scenes From A Memory" to anyone who is a fan of excellent instrumental ability, solid story-telling and having their emotions stretched to the limits - you know, MUSIC.

challenging and rewarding
dream theaters fifth album released in 1999 is a concept album if ever you hear one,in fact this album can be viewed as an opera,there are characters inmvolved and the album tells a complex enough story about a guy named nicholas who under hypnotherapy finds out about a woman called victoria and the tortured life she led and indeed is there a connection,each character gets a chance to tell their side of events through the singing voice of john labrie,it all ties into together.
The album is an extension of metropolis part one which was on the classic album images and words and each song includes a segment from that one song,yes this is a classy album thought through with devout detail.
Dream Theater are a prog band so the songs can be very twisty and very detailed and this of course wont suit all,they play heavy music but also rely on strong ballads with lush instruments and female serenading.
The album is broken into two parts much like a play and is packed with truly epic wonderful songs,if im going to throw a stone at this album it would be directed at the fact that the odd song rattles on for a minute or two longer than it should but thats prog for you ladies and gentlemen,there are some stunning catchy moments here that will haunt your memory,all in all this is a challenging album,77 minutes of album in fact but its an album that can be served in one sitting or broken down although for full effect its best to listen to it in one go due to the subject matter,yes this is a great album.

THIS IS MUSIC
Im lost for words when it comes to describing this album. Alongside Images and Words, it represents the pinnacle of Progressive Metal (or whatever you want to call it) and I find it hard to believe anybody will ever better this. Its an absolutely incredible blend of storytelling, songwriting brilliance and instrumental virtuosity, from what I believe to be the best and most skilled musicians on the planet. Do yourself a favour and buy this. I find it sad that NINA from Moscow decided to write a completely ridiculous and vitriolic review of one of the greatest albums ever made. It was almost as if she was auditioning for a job at the NME. Well Im sure I speak for everyone else who has given this album glowing reviews when I say you can keep your Jeff Buckley, Joni Mitchell and whatever other insipid, boring and bland music you listen to because its "cool" to like it. We'd much rather listen to the inspiring, exciting, incredible Dream Theater.