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Music Reviews:

The String Quartet – Tribute To Dream Theater

Vitamin Records – 2007

I love this CD.  I can't help but laugh at this disc every time I listen to it because I'm not use to hearing my favorite band's instrumentation delivered with by violins, cello and contrabass.  It's funny hearing these softer instruments vs. John Petrucci's ripping guitar, Mike Portnoy's pounding drums, John Myung's intergalactic bass or the keys by Jordan Rudess, Kevin Moore or Derek Sherinian.

The String Quartet features four brilliant performers who interpret Dream Theater's music amazingly.  Mike Portnoy hand selected the tunes performed and his selection covers the band over the course of their discography.  

"Overture 1928" kicks of the disc with multi-layers of violins building up to the main rhythm of the song and we are off the musical races with these guy's rendition of the main musical themes found on DT's concept masterpiece Scenes From A Memory.

"Pull Me Under" receives a cool performance from The String Quartet.  The energy of this hard rocking tune is captured with the strings replacing Petrucci's driving rhythm guitar parts and even the percussion is represented by strings.  You've got to hear this one for sure.  One of the highlights of this CD for sure.

The beginning of "As I Am" is pretty intense.  The violins really kick things into gear one minute and fifteen seconds in.  After that point in the song, they had me hooked and rocking to the swaying violins.  The main rhythm of this track is another thing that makes me chuckle because in the original song the pattern is done by John Petrucci's monster guitar.

"YTSE Jam" fits really well as a straight classical piece.  The part just over two and half minutes where things speed up is fun and The String Quartet nails it.

The beginning of "Lifting Shadows Off A Dream" is kind of creepy with picking strings before the main melody flows in which is absolutely beautiful.  

I like the Quartet's take on "Peruvian Skies."  The main melody is sensational and full of emotion.  It's amazing these instruments, without distortion or any kind of recording effect can give off the same power that the Dream Theater created.  To me, that's a testament of Dream Theater's amazing musical composition and the String Quartet's talent to capture that with their instrumentation and playing ability.

I'd make it a point to get this CD.

www.vitaminrecords.com