First Lines: Lifting Shadows

Wait, didn’t I do this one before? Well, yes. I did. Sorta. You see, after the success of the first-strictly-limited-fancy-deluxe Original Box Set Edition, there seemed to be a demand for a cheaper edition. So an updated and expanded second edition was released. And being the geek I am, I had to get that one too. Of course.

The most noticeable additions are the chapter on Dream Theater’s latest album Black Clouds & Silver Linings, and the appendix covering the side-projects of the current band members. I’m sure there are new bits and pieces here and there, but apart from the most obvious one—the first few paragraphs of the first chapter are relocated from the 2006 Radio City Hall gig to the 2009 Download festival, but the tone remains the same—I didn’t notice them.

So, did I learn any shocking new facts? Well, no. Maybe they’ve should have waited a few more years with this update. But on the other hand, when there’s a demand for a product, you’d be crazy not to deliver. It’s still a damn fine book about one of my favorite bands, so I got no complaints.

Rich Wilson — Lifting Shadows: The Authorized Biography of Dream Theater (second, revised edition)
Backstage, there’s a bizarrely serene scene that’s in pointed contrast to the expansive fields a few metres away which are crammed with 93,000 fans josteling to secure the best vantage point of the stage.