A CHANGE OF SEASONS

After discovering Dream Theater with Images in Words back in 1992 I pretty much lost touch with the band for almost five years. Since the band received virtually no airplay and little media attention they had completely fallen off my musical radar. It wasn't until 1996 when I first got connected to the Internet and a Queensryche Newsgroup that the band came on my radar again. That's because DT vs. QR was a regular topic on the newsgroup and I became aware of the (perceived) similarities between the two bands. Thus in 1997 I found myself scrounging through the used CD sections of a local music store and stumbled across A Change of Seasons. I had never heard of the disc but checked it out. The 23-minute title track kinda scared me (I imagined yet more self-indulgent, excessive solos like those found on IandW) but I was VERY interested in the live cover tunes. While I sometimes dismiss 70's arena rock the fact is I grew up on that stuff. Kansas, Styx, Journey, Queen along with other big names of the day like Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd were bands that filled my record collection. I thought it'd be interesting to see how DT's versions of their songs sounded plus the used disc was only $5 so after a five year wait I finally made my second DT purchase. It's funny how in seeking one thing you often discover something else that's more wonderful than that which you were originally seeking. ACoS is exactly that. I can remember popping that disc in my player and hearing the acoustic guitar intro and throughout my first listen of the 23-minute opus thinking "This is awesome". I absolutely knew from that first listen that this was one of the all-time great concept pieces, in a league with 2112, The Wall and Operation:Mindcrime. Not forgetting why I bought the disc in the first place, I also enjoyed the live versions of some of my teen-age favorites. But it was the title-track that had me putting the disc in my player over and over and over and over again. There's no doubt that the song I listened to the most throughout the Spring and Summer of '97 was ACoS. I was absolutely blown away by every part of the song. The incredible musicianship, time changes and transitions. The complex arrangement, building tensions and frenetic releases. The impassioned vocals, compelling story and moody tones. All wrapped in an ambitious and visionary concept that will no doubt withstand the test of time. A Change of Seasons sets a musical standard that all future "progressive" bands will be compared. Like all great epic works it's hard to single out high points. My favorite section is Another World; I love the underlying dark tones, passionate vocals and powerful lyrics. LaBrie's vocals perfectly transition into Petrucci's emotional guitar solo and back again. I also love the start-stop musical delivery while LaBrie belts out "I'm sick of all you hypocrites, holding me at bay". The way Petrucci's guitar enters when LaBrie sings "I was blinded by a paradise" is PERFECT, sounding like an auditory beam of sunshine. My second favorite section is The Darkest of Winters; simply put my favorite instrumental section of all-time. I'm not a huge fan of overly-long instrumentals but this one works perfectly. The band moves from one section to the next flawlessly, with natural transitions. Tension frequently builds and is expertly released (such as Petrucci's soaring phase-shifted guitar section). The most amazing part, however, is how each band member is absolutely tearing their instrument apart while still working within the framework of the overall piece. The superfast guitar/keyboard/bass runs near the end are the best evidence of this. Finally, one of those combos soars to conclude the piece, then perfectly transitions into Another World. An absolutely scintillating piece from beginning to end. While those are my favorite sections, I thoroughly enjoy every part of ACoS. The intro, from the opening acoustic chords to the transition into Innocence, is one of my all-time favorites (right up there with the opening from QR's Mindcrime). Innocence and Carpe Diem work perfectly together, with the samples nicely filling out some of the song's themes. Finally, the closer, The Crimson Sunset, provides a suitably draining conclusion. The buildup and sustained energy of the final passages are exactly the kind of closure an epic song of this nature demands; without a truly great ending the song could not be rated as a 10. The only (slight) area of weakness is the instrumental section "The Inevitable Summer". While it's still very good it's not quite up to the standard maintained throughout the rest of the song. The fact the band changed that section when they played it on the third leg of the SFAM tour shows they might have felt the same (or maybe they simply wanted to change it, who knows?). Having written all that it's worth noting how ACoS came to be in the first place. DT had long included the song in their live shows before the official release. In fact, it was first recorded in 1989, along with Metropolis Part I. That version, and even the live versions they played, was significantly different than the version found on the official release. The most interesting part, however, is that fan demand is the reason the song was ever released. Through live performances the song had become somewhat of a cult favorite among hardcore DT fans (are there any other kind?). An underground, Internet-based campaign eventually evolved, with fans calling for an official release of the song. The band had not intended a formal release but decided to combine the song with a few takes from their famous Uncovered fan-club show. It's kinda mind-boggling to me that my all-time favorite DT song was almost never released. I honestly think the history of DT would be significantly different without ACoS as I think a lot of DT fans consider if one of their best pieces ever. Finally, the reason I purchased ACoS in the first place, the live covers. These songs are amazing in their own right. The best of them is the Elton John combo of Funeral For a Friend and Love Lies Bleeding. A honest rendition of the song that still manages to infuse them with a hardness and energy. Petrucci's solo guitar work at the end is scintillating. The Led Zep medley is also strong, and the band is impressively tight during some challenging sections of Achilles Last Stand. Finally, the Big Medley is a wondrous piece of music. I own every one of the originals that make up the medley and it's an interesting collection of songs, spanning a who's who of 70's radio rock. The transitions between songs are especially strong. Really, ACoS is the disc that finally converted me into a true DT fan. Having so moved me with this piece I was compelled to not only revisit IandW but also purchase Awake as well as Falling Into Infinity.