this DVD show Dream Theater (DT) live at the historical japanese avenue, the Budokan, at their finest. i think DT have taken their music at another highest after having Rudess on keys, he is much more than just a keyboardist, combining speed, technique, musicality, together with Petrucci, Portnoy and Myung, they expanded their musical level to somewhere that no one had done before. and this DVD show what the best the fivesome can probably do (not the last one, Metropolis 2000, though that feature Rudess as well but the whole DVD is badly produced).

the concert footage consist of 18 songs, 5 from the lastest ablum "Train of Thought" (As I Am, This Dying Soul, Endless Sacrifice, Stream of Consciousness and In the Name of God), and some old stuff, also a new "Instrumedley", a combination of some their highly technically instrumental medley from their old songs, neck-breaking solo, breathe-taking unison, head-turning drum works, what else can i say about this... i really can't find one second from the performance that's not satisfying, their performance is no doubt at their finest.

and on disc 2, you'll be amazed that they are much more that a player/musician, they have so much knowledge on their instrument, Rudess's "turnable" keyboard setup is mind blowing, he even considered about the emergency power supply, and Petrucci's guitar setup is just as stunning, he take care of his instrument to a very subtle detail, not to mention Portnoy monster drumkit and his drum solo......

DT is no doubt one of the most influential band nowadays, not only because their superb music and musicianship, but also on their devotion on their instruments, fans and the business as well... this DVD will become one of the classic live DVD of all time, don't miss it!!

This DVD tops them all for a live concert release. I am a huge DT fan and this DVD truly blew me away. It is light years ahead of their previous DVD releases. The technical ability of the band just never stops getting more and more ridiculous. All five of the band members display on this concert that they are at the top of their respective musical classes. The song selection is excellent. The video quality is superb along with the sound quality. I have noticed that in the last year or two, James Labrie's voice has gotten much better. He seemed to get tired on the last few concert dvds and started missing a lot of high notes about half-way through the concert. At Budokan, his voice is actually better live than on some of the studio recordings! Very passionate singing, great range, and knows when not to overdo it. If you are even a quasi Dream Theater fan, you MUST get this DVD. I promise, it will blow you away. DT is at its zenith.

My rating is for the show... for the 5 great guys in the band... but not the greedy record company and the worst DVD production team.

The production is crap regarding 5.1 surround sound. The half of show after "New Millenium" is unbearable. It seems that the DVD mess up with the 5.1 channels. How come there is major sound problem for a concert DVD? Did the production team really see/listen the DVD sample before mass production?

I just wonder why it is still selling and not recalled. I really warn you not to buy this crap before record company fix the problem. BTW, I suggest to mail back the flewed disc to record company after u get the new version.... hope it will go stright to the responsible person....

I am a rather new Dream Theater fan, so I can't comment knowledgeably on song selection. However, I do watch a lot of concert video, and I can assure you this is among the best. Not only is the musical performance superb, but the video direction and editing are outstanding. There are plenty of shots of all these great musicians, displaying their splendid technique in detail. There are no distracting visual effects, voiceovers, or intercut interviews that have ruined so many other concert videos. You're basically watching a live concert, just as you would in real life, except you get a much better view (and a crisper audio mix) than you could in the auditorium.

The Dolby Digital sound is top-notch. The only shortcoming is that John Myung's intricate bass work is too far down in the mix, often inaudible beneath Mike Portnoy's thundering dual kick drum. I found that turning down the subwoofer a bit was helpful in attentuating that kick drum and bringing out Myung's bass. I will give the director and editor credit for giving us many lengthy shots of Myung's playing; typically, bass players are given the short shrift on screen time.

Dream Theater is a band for discriminating musicians, and this live concert DVD will not disappoint even that picky audience.

I bought this dvd expecting just to add to my dt collection. I saw them about a month before they filmed this concert, and i was excited to add the Train of Thought songs on video to my collection. THIS EXCEDED every expectation I had. The cinamatorgraphy and editing are absolutely beautiful. The music is recorded perfectly.

Not only do you see these guys playing songs from their new album, but you get to see them play songs from all their albums. The "instramedly" is BEYOND WORDS, and the extended solo section in "Beyond This Life" is stunning.

The bonus footage is fantastic. It takes you behind the scenes of DT's Japan tour and gives you an inside look at the technical aspects of putting their music together. The documentary has some insanely funny parts too.

If you're a music fan of any genera, BUY THIS. It is worth well beyond the 20-something bucks you end up paying for it.