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Pick of the Week: James LaBrieBy Keith Hannaleck - June 29, 2008
iBerkshires Columnist
Prime Cuts
Most folks who have any familiarity with the name James LaBrie, connect him to the incredible band he sings for, Dream Theater (since 1992).
The listeners who know progressive rock and progressive metal are aware that there is a vast catalog of recordings from LaBrie as a solo performer, and of his contributions to compilations for his band Mullmuzzler and for the first "Frameshift" album. He has been the guest on a score of different albums and now Magna Carta has released the "Prime Cuts" album to honor all his work with the label.
LaBrie's voice is probably the most recognizable in progressive metal/rock today thanks to the impressive resume of work he has accumulated over the years. There are 10 tracks on this "Prime Cuts," featuring his best work and special mixes for the radio and one extended version of the lead-off track "Afterlife" from the "Mullmuzzler 2" album, which is a classic slice of LaBrie and the band at its fiery best.
Keith 'Muzikman' Hannaleck
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I remember all the tributes that came out years ago from Magna Carta and this recalls the excellent interpretation of the Rush track "Red Barchetta" from "Working Man (A Tribute to Rush)." LaBrie was a big fan of Rush, and his mates in Dream Theater are as well, so it came as no surprise that he did such a great job with the song.
I also recall with pleasure the following tributes and compilations - "Encores," "Legends & Paradox (A Tribute to ELP)," "Leonardo: The Absolute Man," and the "Explorers Club." All of these recordings were exceptional, pairing the renowned vocalist with people like Terry Bozzio, John Petrucci, Billy Sheehan, Kerry Livgren, John Myung, Steve Morse, a literal who's who list of great musicians in the world of progressive rock who have recorded for the highly regarding Magna Carta label.
Tracks
| 01. |
Afterlife (long version) |
06. |
This Time This Way |
| 02. |
Red Barchetta |
07 |
His Voice |
| 03. |
Shores of Avalon (radio mix) |
08. |
As A Man Thinks |
| 04. |
Vertebrates (FM Edit) |
09. |
A Simple Man |
| 05. |
A Time And A Place |
10. |
No Returning (Back Again - An Edit) |
There are 10 very strong and diverse tracks on this CD. It can be difficult to pull out the most deserving tracks with such a large body of work. However, the label does a nice job giving each listener a taste of the variety of the LaBrie cache outside of Dream Theater. This CD also points very strongly to just how diverse a vocalist LaBrie is. "Prime Cuts" is a fitting tribute to all the work the artist has compiled over the years on the label.
It takes a special talent like LaBrie to make music consistently exciting and timeless and this is only a taste of his capabilities and work outside of Dream Theater. This CD is a highly recommended adventure you should take.
Now I have to go find my Mullmuzzler and tribute CDs to remember how excited I was to hear all this music when it all came out and how those feelings and energy still hold true today because of how great all this music is.
Keith "MuzikMan" Hannaleck of Adams offers up his best-listening bets as a regular contributor to iBerkshires. For more reviews, www.muzikreviews.com.
Label: Magna Carta
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