This video compares LaBrie singing the “watch the sparrows falling” part of Pull Me Under over the years. It’s pretty clear the overall trend is towards LaBrie’s voice getting worse over time, as it is for most singers, but he has aged badly compared to other singers such as Bruce Dickinson or Rob Halford.

The concept of this video was sort of ripped off from another called “LaBrie sucks,” but that one just compares the studio version of Pull Me Under with the Download Festival from 2009. Pull Me Under did not get played live in 2008, 2011, or 2015, so I had the idea of doing Metropolis rather than Pull Me Under, but Metropolis did not get played in 2002 except for the Instrumedley. I thought it was more important to represent 2002 because LaBrie’s voice and physique took a real turn for the worse that year, to the point where the band almost fired him and gave him warning to shape up instead.

This video also establishes that the food poisoning is only a minor contributor to LaBrie’s deterioration as a singer. Many of his performances from the Falling Into Infinity era were still quite good. It’s when Jordan Rudess joined that LaBrie’s real problems began, and I’ll leave people to decide for themselves whether Rudess’ induction into the band had anything to do with that.

Videos like this will inevitably lead to accusations that I’m “obsessed” with James LaBrie. Actually, what I’m obsessed with is quality. LaBrie did a good job between January 1991, when he was hired, and December 1998 - the last shows with Derek Sherinian. LaBrie’s place in Dream Theater has gotten shakier and shakier since the time when Jordan Rudess joined. It’s really baffling to me why Dream Theater would sign a new long-term record contract with LaBrie when he epically embarrassed himself on three tours in a row with Live At Wacken and the failed tribute to Chris Cornell being the biggest embarrassments. When will this pirate be made to walk the plank?

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