A Change of Seasons

[TAC]

I wouldn't say JLB owns the LSFNY version..though I thik it's a very good performance...but he tires during The Crimson Sunrise...not that I'm holding that against him.

The studio version features a perfect performance by James.

I really love both versions., The studio version is tattooeed on my music soul, but I like what Jordan does with it live. He gives it a proggier feel. The goofy solos..I have no problem with. It's what makes DT's great live personality. But on LSFNY, I do not like how they slowed it down around the 19 minute mark right before The Crimson Sunrise. At regular speed, it's really one of my favorite parts of the song.

[Mebert78]

Hey, guys.  I was curious if there's a studio version of "A Change of Seasons" featuring Kevin Moore?  I ask because Dream Theater recently posted that I&W 25th anniversary interview with Petrucci in which he said the band had planned to include ACOS on I&W, but the record label overruled them feeling the album would be too long.  So, does that mean a studio version was recorded with Moore but never saw the light of day? 

[Madman Shepherd]

I'm almost 100% sure there is not unless you consider the demo version a studio version. 

I think the inclusion of A Change of Seasons on Images & Words was nixed before they recorded anything. 

[pg1067]

Hey, guys.  I was curious if there's a studio version of "A Change of Seasons" featuring Kevin Moore?  I ask because Dream Theater recently posted that I&W 25th anniversary interview with Petrucci in which he said the band had planned to include ACOS on I&W, but the record label overruled them.  So, does that mean a studio version was recorded with Moore but never saw the light of day?

There's a demo version on the Images and Words Demos 1989-1991 that you could buy from the Ytse Jam Records online store (except that it's presently listed as out of stock).  You can listen to it here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Arx3NbQnug  It's pretty similar to the live version that's on the March 1993 NYC show bootleg.

[Mebert78]

Thanks, dudes!

[Dave_Manchester]

btw i always wondered why they didnt do the entire song for Once in A Livetime, or the YtseJam release Old Bridge, NJ 12/14/1996 show. i know theyre both from the same time period, but the EP had recently come out back then, why wouldnt they play the whole thing?

They did play it. And you can hear it live with Derek on this release - https://ytsejamrecords.com/ProductCart/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=15

Quoting a 7-year-old post here, but I wanted to ask a quick question - what is the song 'Lost Without You' on the 2nd CD of that bootleg? Is it a cover, or some unreleased track? If a cover, of which band?

[JayOctavarium]

btw i always wondered why they didnt do the entire song for Once in A Livetime, or the YtseJam release Old Bridge, NJ 12/14/1996 show. i know theyre both from the same time period, but the EP had recently come out back then, why wouldnt they play the whole thing?

They did play it. And you can hear it live with Derek on this release - https://ytsejamrecords.com/ProductCart/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=15

Quoting a 7-year-old post here, but I wanted to ask a quick question - what is the song 'Lost Without You' on the 2nd CD of that bootleg? Is it a cover, or some unreleased track? If a cover, of which band?

I'm probably wrong on details but I think Lost Without You is a Guitar Solo that later evolved into a song on Petrucci's solo album.

[PetFish]

If there were a third vote option here with the live Kevin Moore version I'd vote for that.  The unisons at 15:30 are pure chocolate cake.

[don_waka]

Definitely studio version/EP. Can't stand those stupid notes Rudess introduced in LSFNY 

[JediKnight1969]

i wanted to start a new thread that isn't Portnoy related

MP wrote ACOS for his mother.

https://www.blabbermouth.net/news/mike-portnoy-has-no-desire-or-interest-to-play-with-dream-theater-again/

[Orbert]

Ha, I never noticed that.

I mean, it's pretty well known what the lyrics to ACOS are about, but I've always just thought of the song as the song, not specifically "MP's song" even though he considers it very personal, so the irony is amusing.

[Herrick]

The studio version is the best version for me but the Live Scenes performances is the best live version I've heard so far.

I really dislike Ruddess's stupid silly piano part and the Simpsons theme is kind of inappropriate for a serious song like A Change of Seasons.

[Evai]

Maybe MP's mom used to watch the Simpsons together with MP?

[Madman Shepherd]

Maybe MP's mom used to watch the Simpsons together with MP?

I think his mom died in the mid 80s before the Simpsons was ever on.

[SjundeInseglet]

Maybe MP's mom used to watch the Simpsons together with MP?

I think his mom died in the mid 80s before the Simpsons was ever on.

"The Simpsons" first aired (as its own series) on December 17, 1989. Portnoy's mother died on November 16, 1984 (according to MP himself: https://twitter.com/mikeportnoy/status/798981573152542724).

[PetFish]

Let's also realize that if it were a "problem" or "insensitive" or "whatever" then I'm sure MP would not have wanted these alterations in the live version so as far as I'm concerned it's all good.

[Herrick]

Let's also realize that if it were a "problem" or "insensitive" or "whatever" then I'm sure MP would not have wanted these alterations in the live version so as far as I'm concerned it's all good.

True.

[Drinktheater]

The studio version is the best version for me but the Live Scenes performances is the best live version I've heard so far.

I really dislike Ruddess's stupid silly piano part and the Simpsons theme is kind of inappropriate for a serious song like A Change of Seasons.

Yup it kinda ruins the emotional content of the song and just turns into another Prog exhibitionism "Hey look we are so good we can suddenly inject different feel here".


I hope they stop doing that with epics.

[pg1067]

i wanted to start a new thread that isn't Portnoy related

MP wrote ACOS for his mother.

https://www.blabbermouth.net/news/mike-portnoy-has-no-desire-or-interest-to-play-with-dream-theater-again/

That's an interesting comment given that, at the "mp.faq" section at MP's web site (https://www.mikeportnoy.com/aboutmike/faq/answers/30.aspx), he wrote (or someone wrote on his behalf), "[ACOS is] about the cycle of life.  Basically, I took a lot of personal incidents, like losing my mother and a couple of things that happened in my life, and I wrote them into the lyrics.  Like, on a smaller scale, I wouldn't try to compare it with this, but when I listen to Pink Floyd's the Wall, there are a lot of emotions there- just a lot of frustrations and anger.  He goes full circle, the character.  He has a child and just as he's about to pass on and die, now his son is going to have to live the life he did and go through those same experiences."  Saying he wrote it for his mother seems to be quite an oversimplification, but it obviously wasn't the specific focus of the interview.

[pg1067]

The studio version is the best version for me but the Live Scenes performances is the best live version I've heard so far.

I really dislike Ruddess's stupid silly piano part and the Simpsons theme is kind of inappropriate for a serious song like A Change of Seasons.

Yup it kinda ruins the emotional content of the song and just turns into another Prog exhibitionism "Hey look we are so good we can suddenly inject different feel here".


I hope they stop doing that with epics.

JM changed his solo part to a baseball cheer (da-da-da-daaa-da-daaaaa...charge!), Petrucci changed his to the Simpsons excerpt, and Jordan has stuck with the "western" feel thing, rather than duplicate what DS did on the album (which, in turn, was different from what KM played int he same spot.  My only complaint is that I really like the three solo spots on the EP (particularly DS's somewhat jazzy piece), so I'd prefer they play what's on the album (which, IMO, is itself "Prog exhibitionism"), which is what JM and JP have been doing recently.

[Setlist Scotty]

If there were a third vote option here with the live Kevin Moore version I'd vote for that.  The unisons at 15:30 are pure chocolate cake.

Agreed, altho I'd say the whole instrumental section from 13:38 to 16:35 is just killer.

The studio version is the best version for me but the Live Scenes performances is the best live version I've heard so far.

I really dislike Ruddess's stupid silly piano part and the Simpsons theme is kind of inappropriate for a serious song like A Change of Seasons.

Yup it kinda ruins the emotional content of the song and just turns into another Prog exhibitionism "Hey look we are so good we can suddenly inject different feel here".

There are many people that would say the whole song is another example Prog exhibitionism. I think there's nothing wrong with having a little fun with those brief solo sections, because that's what it is - having fun, and you do want the guys to have fun while they're performing, don't you? It's not as if they've redone the whole song in some sort of wacky way.

[Dreammajesty]

I like these kind of things  when they do that it shows they are humorous, at least i think it's funny.

On a sidenote does anyone has a clue why this baby still isn't released on vinyl

[Herrick]

If there were a third vote option here with the live Kevin Moore version I'd vote for that.  The unisons at 15:30 are pure chocolate cake.

Agreed, altho I'd say the whole instrumental section from 13:38 to 16:35 is just killer.

The studio version is the best version for me but the Live Scenes performances is the best live version I've heard so far.

I really dislike Ruddess's stupid silly piano part and the Simpsons theme is kind of inappropriate for a serious song like A Change of Seasons.

Yup it kinda ruins the emotional content of the song and just turns into another Prog exhibitionism "Hey look we are so good we can suddenly inject different feel here".

There are many people that would say the whole song is another example Prog exhibitionism. I think there's nothing wrong with having a little fun with those brief solo sections, because that's what it is - having fun, and you do want the guys to have fun while they're performing, don't you? It's not as if they've redone the whole song in some sort of wacky way.

Yeah it's not a huge deal. It's kind of like the people who break out the pitch forks when a great movie is remade/rebooted. "Chill Jules. This shit happens". The Original is still there for us to love and cherish.

Kind of off topic butt as a selfish fan who doesn't go to concerts very often, saw DT for the first time on this Images & Words Anniversary tour & loves A Change of Seasons more than any other DT song, Herrick would've preferred if Ruddess played the studio part. Who knows if they'll ever play it again live?  

[Anxiety35]

Of the 2 choices, I prefer the studio version.

ACoS is my favorite DT song. To me, it encompasses everything I love about prog rock. It's an epic. Could be the "perfect" song, although it's a subjective statement.

[RaiseTheKnife]

Derek's piano solo in the trade-off section is not only a highlight of the song, but a highlight of his contributions to the Dream Theater catalog.  It is sorely missed when Jordan plays the song live.

[don_waka]

The studio version is the best version for me but the Live Scenes performances is the best live version I've heard so far.

I really dislike Ruddess's stupid silly piano part and the Simpsons theme is kind of inappropriate for a serious song like A Change of Seasons.

Yup it kinda ruins the emotional content of the song and just turns into another Prog exhibitionism "Hey look we are so good we can suddenly inject different feel here".


I hope they stop doing that with epics.

This.

[SoundscapeMN]

Vinyl

https://www.bullmoose.com/p/26760788/dream-theater-a-change-of-seasons-blue-white-mixed-vinyl-2-lp-180-gram-blue-white-vinyl-ltd-to-2500?utm_source=twv&utm_campaign=notmetal

[CharlesPL]

Link doesn't work

[pg1067]

Vinyl

https://www.bullmoose.com/p/26760788/dream-theater-a-change-of-seasons-blue-white-mixed-vinyl-2-lp-180-gram-blue-white-vinyl-ltd-to-2500?utm_source=twv&utm_campaign=notmetal

Let me know when they release it on 8-track.

[TAC]

Vinyl

https://www.bullmoose.com/p/26760788/dream-theater-a-change-of-seasons-blue-white-mixed-vinyl-2-lp-180-gram-blue-white-vinyl-ltd-to-2500?utm_source=twv&utm_campaign=notmetal

Let me know when they release it on 8-track.

[Dreammajesty]

Vinyl

https://www.bullmoose.com/p/26760788/dream-theater-a-change-of-seasons-blue-white-mixed-vinyl-2-lp-180-gram-blue-white-vinyl-ltd-to-2500?utm_source=twv&utm_campaign=notmetal

Thank you !!

[gabeh1018]

JP is my favorite guitar player... but is it just me or is his performance not the best on this  show...
and don't get me started on his guitar tone... horrendous!

[The Letter M]

Happy 27th Birthday to the A Change Of Seasons EP!

I'm still holding out hope for a LFNA release of the full Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club show!

-Marc.

[Cool Chris]

My introduction to this song was the Live Scenes DVD, and then seeing it live on the ToT tour. I have a hunch I had seen the EP in record stores, but passed on it based on the set list. One new song and a bunch of covers? Pass. I vividly recall asking my friend download the the song for me - I guess I knew that was a thing but hadn't figured out how to dp it yet. She was all "wtf this is a long song!" Her favorite album was Operation: Mindcrime so thinking back is it a little surprising she wasn't familiar with DT. The file I have to this day is the one my friend downloaded for me all those years ago.

[Stadler]

Happy 27th Birthday to the A Change Of Seasons EP!

I'm still holding out hope for a LFNA release of the full Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club show!

-Marc.

You and me both; fingers crossed!