Awake
Awake is the third studio album by American progressive metal band Dream Theater, released on 4 October 1994 through EastWest Records America. It followed Images and Words from 1992, and the label was keen for a similar success, complete with a follow-up to "Pull Me Under". It also wanted a heavier, more metal-minded record that would be easier to market. Most of the material came together in writing sessions between February and April 1994, with John Purdell and Duane Baron producing, engineering and mixing.
It arrived at the height of grunge and drew mixed reviews at first, though it has since come to be counted among the band's finest work. It reached number 32 on the US Billboard 200, and "Lie" and "The Silent Man" were issued as singles. It is also the last album with original keyboardist Kevin Moore, who announced his departure during the mixing. Larry Freemantle's cover art is full of nods to the lyrics, which gives you plenty to look at while you listen.
Awake: tracklist, credits and charts
11 tracks · 1:15:03Tracklist
- 16:00Dream Theater and Kevin Moore5:32
- 2Caught in a WebTheater, LaBrie, Petrucci5:28
- 3Innocence FadedDream Theater and John Petrucci5:43
- 4ErotomaniaDream Theater6:45
- 5VoicesDream Theater and John Petrucci9:54
- 6The Silent ManJohn Petrucci3:48
- 7The MirrorDream Theater and Mike Portnoy6:45
- 8LieDream Theater and Kevin Moore6:34
- 9Lifting Shadows Off a DreamDream Theater and John Myung6:05
- 10ScarredDream Theater and John Petrucci10:59
- 11Space‐Dye VestKevin Moore7:30
- Produced by
- Duane Baron, John Purdell
- Recorded at
- Devonshire Studios, One on One Studios, One on One and Devonshire Sound, North Hollywood
- Recorded
- May–July 1994
- Mixed by
- Duane Baron, John Purdell
- Mixed at
- Larrabee Sound Studios, Unique Recording Studios
- Engineered by
- Duane Baron, John Purdell
- Labels
- EastWest Records America, East West
- Length
- 1:15:03
Line-up
- Kevin Moore · keyboard
- John Myung · electric bass guitar
- John Petrucci · electric guitar, acoustic guitar, guitar
- Mike Portnoy · percussion, drums (drum set)
- James LaBrie · lead vocals
- Prix-Mo · spoken vocals · guest
Singles
- “Lie” · 5 December 1994
- “The Silent Man” · 20 January 1995
Peak chart positions
| Chart | Peak |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 · 1994 | 32 |
| UK Albums Chart · 1994 | 65 |
| UK Rock & Metal Albums · 1994 | 4 |
| Swedish Albums · 1994 | 5 |
| Japanese Albums (Oricon) · 1994 | 7 |
| Swiss Albums · 1994 | 12 |
| German Albums · 1994 | 15 |
| Dutch Albums · 1994 | 33 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification |
|---|---|
| Japan · 1995 | Gold |
From MusicBrainz, Wikipedia and Wikidata. Only what the sources record is shown.
Released the same week
Also released on 4 October
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More on EastWest Records America
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Releases and pressings
How we know the release date wikipedia + musicbrainz
| Source | Date | Note |
|---|---|---|
| MusicBrainz | 4 October 1994 | |
| Wikipedia infobox | 4 October 1994 | |
| Wikidata | October 1994 | |
| US release | 4 October 1994 | earliest US date |
| UK / Europe release | 4 October 1994 | earliest UK or European date |
10 editions
| Date | Country | Label | Barcode | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | AR | EastWest Records America | 075679012623 | other |
| — | XW | Atlantic | 075679012661 | other |
| 1994 | AU | EastWest Records America | 075679012623 | other |
| 1994 | DE | EastWest Records America | 075679012616 | other |
| 4 October 1994 | JP | EastWest Japan | 4988029075048 | original |
| 4 October 1994 | XE | EastWest Records America | 075679012623 | original |
| 4 October 1994 | US | EastWest Records America | 075679012623 | original |
| 24 June 2009 | JP | Atlantic | 4943674090655 | other |
| 2014 | US | EastWest | 850372002344 | other |
| 17 November 2014 | XE | EastWest | 8718469537341 | other |
Cover art sources
coverartarchive · upscaled: minor: best source 1425x1425, upscaled to 1500 (x1.05)
| Source | Size | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| coverartarchive ✓ | 1425×1425 | upscaled: minor: best source 1425x1425, upscaled to 1500 (x1.05) |
| deezer | 1200×1200 | upscaled |
| fanarttv | 1000×1000 | upscaled |