どれも甲乙付け難いのですが、 DREAM THEATER の、 お気に入りの５曲を選んでみました！ まずは２ｎｄアルバム。 ２ｎｄからは「Metropolis Pt. 1」も捨て難いですが、 １枚通しで聴き終えた時に長らく余韻が残るのが最後の「Learning to Live」です。 この曲は、「Wait for Sleep」とセットで１曲ですよね！ さらに言えば、 元々は、この後に「A Change of Seasons」へと続いて演奏される曲だったところ、 時間の都合でＣＤに収録できず、「A Change of Seasons」はミニアルバムへと。 だから、 「Wait for Sleep」～「Learning to Live」～「A Change of Seasons」 と続けて聴くと、味わい深く楽しめますね（＾ー＾）

Wait for Sleep – Learning to Live (1/2)

後半につづく

Wait for Sleep – Learning to Live (2/2)

次は、『Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence』から。 １曲目の「Glass Prison」も DISC 2 も好きですが、それよりも好きなのがこれ。

The Great Debate

冒頭では、ベースとキーボードをバックに、 ブッシュ大統領の幹細胞研究に関する見解表明演説に対する議論がなされており、 ここも好きな場面です。 ＳＥを含めた歌詞は、以下の通り。

4. The Great Debate

[also known as "Conflict At Ground Zero"] [music by Myung, Petrucci, Portnoy, Rudess] [lyrics by John Petrucci] A gallop snapshot poll taken immediately after President Bush’s speach on funding embryonic stem cell research last night shows that half of Americans approve of his decision, 25% do not, and still another 25% are not sure what to think. Most people don’t even know what stem cells are. Who is going to scream the loudest? Will it be the right-to-lifers or will it be the scientists? And now what is going to happen is there will be a tremendous amount of lobbying in Washington, D.C.: scientists, entertainers, people who want to see this research – will be coming forth. These developing human beings that you are talking about, these embryos, were produced in an artificial, scientific environment. In vitro fertilization is not God’s will. We are on a road where we really don’t know where we are going as far as what’s next. We are talking about harvesting embryos. We are talking about this, we are talking about that, but what is the cost? How could we possibly abandon the research? That is right. That is the old question? If you think the research is good then you may not have a problem with it. It is only if you think the research is questionable that you get defensive about it. (You do have time to research these embryos later if we choose to do so. While people are suffering, we are not truly certain that this will provide a cure.) And there was a great outrage in the conservative churches… You cannot use developing humans… At that point in time they turn into humans. I feel that abandoning this research could be a mistake. Researching this may allow us to save other lives or at least to improve the quality of lives. We do not have the answers, yet. We need to put the money where we will get those answers in the future. Listen, we are out of time. What if someone said Promise lies ahead Hopes are high in certain scientific circles Life won’t have to end You could walk again Humankind has reached a turning point Poised for conflict at ground zero Ready for a war Do we look to our unearthly guide Or to white coat heroes Searching for a cure Turn to the light Don’t be frightened of the shadows it creates Turn to the light Turning away would be a terrible mistake Anarchistic moral vision Industries of death Facing violent opposition Unmolested breathe Ethic inquisitions breed Antagonistic views Right wing sound bite premonitions In a labyrinth of rules Are you justified Are you justified Are you justified Justified in taking Life to save life Life to save life Taking life to save life This embryonic clay Wrapped in fierce debate Would be thrown away Or otherwise discarded Some of us believe It may hold the key To treatment of disease And secrets highly guarded Are you justified Are you justified Are you justified Justified in taking Life to save life Life to save life Life to save life Human kind has reached a turning point Poised for conflict at ground zero Ready for a war Do we look to our unearthly guide Or to white coat heroes Searching for a cure Turn to the light Don’t be frightened of the shadows it creates Turn to the light Turning away would be a terrible mistake We’re reaching But have we gone too far Harvesting existence Only to destroy Carelessly together We are sliding Someone else’s future Four days frozen still Someone else’s fate We are deciding Miracle potential Sanctity of life Faced against each other We’re divided Should we push the boundaries Or should we condemn Moral guilt and science Have collided Turn to the light We defy our own mortality these days Turn to the light Pay attention to the questions we have raised The research is a scientific advancement. I know we are going down a road that we may not know where we end, but that is exactly what science is all about. I am very sorry, but I do feel sympathy for those whose spines have been severed… There is a possibility that we might cure them. I am concerned about a cure for juvenile diabetes and if these types of scientific advancement can cure these diseases, then quite candidly I think there ought to be at least what President Bush has proposed: some limited research. I have a 28-year old son who is paraplegic. And if there is a small chance that my son can be able to have feeling and be able to walk then I am all for it.

曲のテーマは「モラル対科学」、

Are you Justified Are you Justified Are you Justified Justified in taking Life to save life Life to save life Life to asve life

のくだりが印象的です。 人の命を救うために命を奪う、という矛盾に対する問題提起です。 元々は「Conflict at Grind Zero」というタイトルでしたが Sep.11 以降にタイトルが変更となりました。 思わずループしたくなるほどこの曲は好きですねぇ（＾ー＾） そして、

Honor Thy Father

『Train of Thought』アルバムは、最初は少し戸惑いましたが、 徐々に好きになり、一旦好きになったら抜け出せない魅力があります。 中でもこの「Honor Thy Father」は特にお気に入りです。 前半も好きですが、 圧巻はリズムチェンジ後、上の動画では 5’03 以降ですね。 マイアングのベース、ジョーダンのキーボードが近未来感を醸し出し、ＳＥも非常に良いです。 また、６→５→６→６というパターンの変拍子も緊張感を倍増させていますね。

Only a Matter of Time

これは、DREAM THEATER との出会いの曲です。 初めてラジオでこの曲を聴いたとき、 きらびやかなキーボードと、複雑なドラムに肝を抜かしました。 とてつもなく凄いことをやっているようで、聴きやすい。 それが第一印象でした。 ヴォーカルのチャーリー･ドミニシもこの難曲でかなり奮闘していますね。 「Majesty」という言葉から受ける印象そのものが、この曲からは感じられます。

Another Won

「MAJESTY」時代の曲。 原曲は、 に収録されていますが、２０年後のライヴ映像は何度観たか分かりません。 もう一度、ボーナストラックでよいので正規のスタジオアルバムに再録して欲しいです。 動画の最後の方のコメントで初めて知ったのですが、 マイキーのよくやるしぐさは、時計を見ていたんですね（笑）

関連記事かも？

1. DREAM THEATER / My Favorite Solos (Top 5)
2. DREAM THEATER / Learning To Live (Demo Version)
3. DREAM THEATER / Images and Words
4. DREAM THEATER / A Rite of Passage
5. DREAM THEATER / Live at Budokan

関連記事は無いと思います。