[Beer Can]

The special edition is worth it just to hear how much less the band would suck if James LaBrie would shut up.

i.e. they become awesome instead of annoying.

It's a step up from Systematic Chaos, to be sure, but not quite at the level of their earlier albums (up to Scenes From A Memory).

I like Ruddess's keyboard work, and it seems that Portnoy is being a bit more careful about his drum wank (which is a good thing). Petrucci's just being himself, which is a mixed blessing as usual. LaBrie, however, remains one of the worst vocalists in a band signed to a major label. He simply does not know how to sing.

Of course, if you're getting the album for the instrumental mixes, you may as well pick up the Liquid Tension Experiment albums while you're at it, too. Those are pretty fantastic.