Disco de Dream Theater: “A Change of Seasons [EP]”

"A Change of Seasons" contains every quality of Dream Theater's music, compacted into a 23-minute song. It is a thrilling ride of stunning melodies, and exciting instrumentation. A while back, I went through this stage where I considered DT to be the be-all, end-all of music itself, largely because I was so obsessed with technical ability at this time. Well, I've now gotten to the point where pure technical prowess doesn't wow me like it used to (once you've heard all of the fastest and most technical music, it's really not that big of a deal anymore, and you just want excellent songwriting), and as a result, a lot of DT's material (particularly the newer stuff) doesn't hold the same thrill that it once did.

However, this song is still as excellent to my ears as it was on the first listen. Here, you've got the dazzling complexity, but more importantly, you've got great songwriting and melody to balance it out. There's really no point in this song where it sounds like they're just playing for the hell of it, which is impressive considering it's over 20 minutes long. The songs on "Train of Thought" are each no more than half the length of this one, and none of them go by nearly as fast. This is top-notch musicality that's sorely lacking from a lot of their music today. John's solos are melodic and imaginative, and even in the faster parts, never cross into wank territory. Mike's drumming is more compelling, and not as showy and repetitious as it often is today, and Derek's keyboard and piano melodies are just superb. The only really bad thing about this song is the drum sound, which is kind of weak and hollow. It sounds like Mike is hitting tin cans, or something. They need to remaster it, to get a beefier drum sound.

But anyway, this is a fantastic epic, full of twists, turns, and great music. Musically, the band have never sounded better. The covers on this CD are mostly pretty forgettable, and I pretty much never listen to them (except for the Deep Purple cover, which is pretty sweet). The title track is the main thing, and even if you end up hating the covers, this is the important reason you buy the CD. If you like great musicianship, combined with great songwriting, this is a must-have.

We can thank the bootleg The Dance of Eternity for this fantastic release. The Dance of Eternity was recorded during the I&W tour, and at that show they played "A Change of Seasons" in its entirety. As the bootleg was distributed, demand grew for an official recording of the band's magnum opus. The band finally conceded and released the song a few years later with some bonus live material.

This 23-minute track encapsulates Dream Theater's greatness. Emotionally powerful, often heavy, sometimes beautiful, audacious, and technically challenging music. The production here is very good, perhaps Dream Theater's best studio recording from that perspective. More importantly, the band understands how the write a captivating epic that never seems boring...in fact, it's so enthralling that you barely realize it's over. Written in seven movements, the seasons parallel an semi-autobiographical story about growing up and coming to terms with mortality. It is very touching at times, especially with the heart-wrenching licks of Petrucci's solo on "V. Another World." The virtuosity also makes an impression, especially the lightning fast solo on "IV. The Darkest of Winters." LaBrie's vocals never miss their mark, and he further establishes himself as one of progressive rock/metal's most emotive singer. What you have here is perhaps the best song by progressive metal's greatest band.

The bonus live material is great. It's very cool hearing an Elton John song (of all things) that gets Dream Theater's magic treatment. I'm no Elton John fan, but the cover is incredible! "Perfect Strangers," (Deep Purple) is a perfectly fitting song for DT to play, while the Led Zeppelin covers and the "Big Medley" are also great stuff. They had a bunch of room left on the disc, so I'm disappointed that they didn't include more songs from this show. I would have liked to see Metallica's "Damage Inc." and Tori Amos' "Winter" included here, and maybe the excerpts from Yes' "Starship Trooper" and "Siberian Khatru." Ah well...there's always the bootleg...

(Ignore people griping about the covers. Like them or not, it's just bonus material...concentrate on the actual song from which the EP draws its name. It's inappropriate to judge an album based on bonus material.)

Quite simply, you cannot qualify as a Dream Theater fan until you add this disc to your collection.

I have a confession to make.

I originally bought this disc because it contained a cover of Elton John's "Funeral For A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding." Now, mind you, I love Dream Theater on their own merits, but this is my favorite Elton John track. The album it appears on (Goodbye Yellow Brick Road) is the only one of Sir Elton's albums I own. I wanted to see how such a great song would turn out in the hands of such a capable act as Dream Theater.

Well, as it turns out, perhaps DT isn't the most imaginitive cover band in the world. Nearly all of the live cover versions on the second half of this disc are played pretty close to the original; the only real departure is on "Perfect Strangers" where they drop another fourth (maybe DP didn't do this because Fender doesn't make a 7-string Stratocaster?). And, frankly, as much as I love his singing, James LaBrie's wailing over the outro is rather irritating.

But a great original track more than atones for all the sins on the live half. "A Change of Seasons" is probably the best long track the guys have done, and despite some amazing instrumental breaks I never got the feeling that they were soloing simply for the hell of it. It is still one of my favorite Dream Theater songs to this day.

Dream Theater. The word is almost identical with Technical Quality and musical perfection.

And what a wonderful way to show this with "Change of Seasons", a record with only 5 tracks, but when the shortest one is 5:33 and the longest is a grand 23:06 it isnt really a short record anyway.

So the king of the record, the majestic and grandiose "A Change of Seasons". A Superb example of how to become a mark in the history of Rock. The song changes mood between each stages, an is divided into 7 of them. Some stages are better than others, but they fit together pefectly. It goes from brooding dark guitars, to experimental rock which is a showcase for the band to the best part in the middle, a powerful Ballad which is so incredibly raw and strong, its hard not to rewind a bit to hear it again.

ABSOLUTELY FINEST.

Usually I try to avoid reviewing cds immmediately after purchasing them, in case my initial period of (extreme) enthusiasm clouds my judgement. Im certain that in this case, there is no need. How were Dream theater to follow the stunning 'Awake' set? Heres how. This song was first written in 1989, and underwent many revampings until being finally released here. Clocking in at 23 minutes, its a lengthy ride, and a series of cover songs from an 'Uncovered' gig make up the rest of the cds running time. Yet it should be 'A change of seasons' we concern ourseleves with. Although it flashes by as a seamless whole, it is segemented in seven sections, and the entire thing functions as a kind of cycle, penned as it is in the ususal Dream Theater story telling style. The sound is extremely varied, with some very heavy sections reminiscent of 'Awake', and lengthy instrumental interludes. The musicianship is stunning throughout, which practically goes without saying. The rest of this review I feel should be deicated solely to praise, for this really is a very special song. Put simply it is utterly incredible, like taking the best features of Dream Theater, refining them and amalgamting them into one single symphony which showcases every single facet of their talent. All the players are on fine form, and James la Brie's vocals have never sounded stronger. The final moment of 'The Crimson Sunset', the songs final section, is possibly the most moving, emotive musical entity Ive ever had contact with.

I really cannot recommend this enough. Id hesitate to say its the best song Ive ever heard, yet I find it hard to think of anything Ive encountered thus far that can match this stunning piece of work. I can think of no reason why anyone should not buy this. It is well, well worth whatever you pay, and even the running time, which could alienate some fades in significance when one sits down to listen to the songs and finds 23 minutes flashing by without you having even noticed.

A contender for the best Dream Theater song, and heavyweight contender for my favourite song.

You really cannot afford not to own this.

A galaxy of stars.