It's tough trying to comment on this release. If you're a Dream Theater fan, chances are you either have it already or have most of the songs on the original CDs. You may even have Once in a Livetime already and wonder if it's worth shelling out more hard-earned cash for another massive live album. On that count, I can reasonably say that you should sell the copy of OiaL (or pass it off to an unconverted friend) and RUN, not walk, to get this one. If you're just starting with DT, well.. you should be looking for Images & Words to start with. But I digress.

Set 1 is their mammoth rock/metal opera Scenes from a Memory, in all its glory and fine-tuned from almost a year on the road. It's given new life here, complete with a live gospel choir on a "Spirit Carries On" that's nothing short of astounding. Theresa T (who appeared on the original release) is given a bigger role and absolutely shines. Her spot with Petrucci and solo during "TSCO" is almost enough to bring me to tears, topped only by James LaBrie's soul-wrenching turn on "Through Her Eyes." The solos top the original versions, if that's even possible, and the mix gives the perfect 'live' atmosphere. The only problem with the performance (for non-fans) is the sheer complexity of Scenes from a Memory itself. Though James still varies the voicings from character to character, you'll need a lyric sheet to keep up if you're not familiar with the story and the words to begin with. The somewhat confusing ending of the original recording isn't here either; instead there's a short musical recap/finale that ends "Finally Free" with a bang instead of a whisper. Supposely there was a short video during the show's intermission that cleared up the story; maybe it's on the DVD. I'm still wondering.

Set 2 is a step above all previous live material as well, from the finest "Metropolis 1" on record (despite James's forgettable crowd banter) to Jordan's inhuman keyboard solo to an "Acid Rain" that'll blow your head apart. "Voices" is more heavy, creepy and haunting than ever and the electrified "Silent Man" squashes the original like a melon. Disappointed about "Change of Seasons" being chopped up and incomplete on OiaL? The whole thing is played here. They get a little silly in the middle section (tossing in a "Simpsons" theme quote among others), but the rest of it can wring out your emotions like a rag. The whole experience is nothing short of magnificent, from the tick-tock of "Regression"'s opening to the time James says goodnight with a quick "sorry about the short set."

It's not often even a double live album can stay consistently strong and powerful throughout, but DT has pulled it off for a triple - practically unheard of. This is a blazing snapshot of the group on an evening when everything was touched by magic: a wonderful overview of their past albums which still doesn't make buying any of their previous releases redundant. If only all live albums were this well-done. Buy it and hear what you've been missing.

Is this triple CD live album worth five stars and, more importantly, worth buying? Hmmm. Let's see:

1. Four of the most talented musicians in the world (plus one singer who tries hard not to be too irritating) at the peak of their craft, playing their butts off in a dizzying display of virtuosity.

2. Crystal-clear production by two of the four musicians (Mike Portnoy and John Petrucci).

3. A new keyboard player (Jordan Rudess) who's given the band a huge shot in the arm.

4. Every note of Scenes From a Memory (their absolutely astounding previous album) played live -- not to mention a smattering of their very best songs.

5. An obviously appreciative audience.

6. An energy so palpable that you'd swear you were there watching this performed.

I dunno. What do you think?

The last triple live album I purchased was Emerson Lake & Palmer's "Welcome Back My Friends..." back in the early '70s. Although I enjoyed ELP immensely, even I thought three albums worth of material was a bit of a challenge. (One review at the time described ELP's bombastic performance as "everything but the kitchen sink.")

However, this three CD set from Dream Theater -- which, because of today's recording technology, is easily TWICE as long as ELP's triple live album -- seems to end much too quickly. So captivating is the performance that you just don't want it to end. ("Home," from Scenes From a Memory, is a monster of a song played live!)

DT seems to be upping the ante every time they release a live album. Their first (Live At the Marquee, 1993) was a single. Their second, (Once In a Live Time, 1998) was a double. Now this: Live Scenes From New York, a brazen THREE CDs of material from arguably one of the best bands in the world. At this rate, I can't wait to see their fourth live album!

Anyway, the entire Scenes From a Memory album is played flawlessly. And with great energy. The first CD and a half is devoted to this concept album, and it's quite a ride let me tell you.

Other standout tracks include, well, just about everything else.

If you're a fan of Dream Theater, this is a must-have release. Even though I don't usually recommend live albums to first-time listeners, in this case I'll make an exception. Live Scenes From New York is a superb intro to the heady world of Dream Theater. Enjoy!

Live Scenes from New York is a must have for true Dream Theater fans. I have always been impressed by these guys in studio and in concert, and the things they do with this album are astounding. Three CDs is a lot of music, making this an extremely good value. This extended concert has the entire "Metropolis part 2" as well as some additions from other albums and a touch of Liquid Tension Experiment. I can also get a good sense of the superb musicianship of Jordan Rudess from his solo and there are a lot of live "additions" from Mike and John. Mike Portnoy is the rock drummer to listen to now for anyone missing Neil Peart during the extended departure of Rush. If you enjoy progressive rock than anything by Dream Theater is a must have, but I believe this to be their best live album.

If anyone still had any doubts that Dream Theater is the greatest live band in the world, then this new live album has surely erased them. This huge, sprawling, monumental 3-disc, 3+ hours performance captured here for our enjoyment is quite simply progressive rock music at its best. Dream Theater is a technically adept band, and they play their songs onstage with skill and precision, but they also manage to avoid the shortcoming that a lot of bands don't, which is to say that they do not sound cold and sterile, overly technical, as they constantly jam and improvise on their songs, and include bits from other artists songs as they go along. This makes for a very lively performance. This album is simply a must for the DT fan. It includes all three of their extended suites: their last album, the magnum opus Scenes From A Memory, amazingly much improved (not to mention Metropolis Part I), A Change of Seasons (which incorporates The Simpsons Theme, among others), and the three-part "A Mind Beside Itself" from Awake. There is more than a handful of other material as well. All of it is immaculately performed, and inherently listenable. This is an excellent way for the band to close out this portion of their career, as the millennium has ended, and they have delivered their masterpiece (Scenes From A Memory), and this serves as a sort of capstone, a copendium of all that they have accomplished up to this point. It contains most of their best songs, and shows their strengths as a live band. It also shows that they are a band who cares about their fans, as it includes three full discs of music at the price of a normal double-disc set. This is not to be missed.

I bought Scenes from New York three days after it came out, and I must say that the original cover is much better. I know it offended some people (some of my friends included), but if you look into why DT uses that imagery, it's actually very fitting.

On to the album itself. I don't want to gush about the music; we all know that it's excellent. And Dream Theater remains one of the best live bands around. This is a better live offering than Livetime, though, mostly because it isn't so full of songs from Falling into Infinity (Livetime had been recorded on that tour.) Also, Labrie seems to have ironed out his tone at extreme pitches. It is easy to make out the words to every song, unlike before. Jordan Rudess is much, much better than Sherinian (listen to the solo at the end of Disc 2, and compare it to Sherinian's on Livetime.) The guest performers also really add quality.

Basically, everything about this album is good, even the [amount] that I paid for it. Put simply, you should buy it.