The debut performance of "A Change of Seasons", 03/04/1993

[DT05]

"Alright I'll tell you what we're gonna do. We're gonna do a new song for ya. Get comfortable. Alright? This is... A Change of Seasons. Check this out..." - James LaBrie introducing the live, twenty-minute version of ACOS, two years before the EP came out.

As a long-time Dream Theater fan, I only just now had a chance to listen to the Official Bootleg for the Live Series: containing the New York City show that they performed on 3/4/93. Being that they are only two LPs in, the entire show focuses on I&W and LaBrie-sung WDADU. Songs from Awake don't even exist yet, you get a few stragglers like "Eve" and "Another Hand", and even "To Live Forever". But what's really cool is that this 20-minute version of ACOS has a much heavier opening, not to mention the tone of the live performance almost feels more like Metropolis, pt. 1

What's your opinion on this version of the song? To many people, this was the debut of the song, though many people didn't get their hands on this performance until its official release in 2007, well after the fanbase was acquainted and in love with that song. I myself didn't know this early a version of the song existed until today and I gotta say, I like it a lot!

[DT05]

Oh, one other thing: at around 11 minutes in, the song is completely different, the "oh come let us adore him" sequence is replaced with... something else, I can't quite place the lyrics, but LaBrie sounds passionate and terrific in here.

[Schurftkut]

i think there's instrumental performances from before JLB joined, so this isn't new by the time they were playing this show. Maybe with vocals for the first time, sure

[Schurftkut]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7klcoMAAhFg

here it is

[brakkum]

I just yesterday listened to the 1990 demo with Chris Cintron from the LNF Images and Words Demos. It's very interesting, but seems really unrefined (compositionally) when compared to the end result from the EP. It's kind of like if you took ACOS and gave it a big shot of WDADU, which makes sense given the time it was recorded. I'm listening to the NYC performance right now and it sounds very similar, lots of interesting parts and differences, but pales in comparison to the end result from the EP imo.

[pg1067]

i think there's instrumental performances from before JLB joined, so this isn't new by the time they were playing this show. Maybe with vocals for the first time, sure

As far as I can tell, the song made its live debut, in instrumental form, at the June 9, 1990 show at the Sundance in Bayshore, Long Island.  They played Creep with Tonality (early version of Learning to Live), Ytse Jam, and ACOS as instrumentals.  They then brought on their then-new, and soon-to-be former, singer Steve "Scream for me Long Beach!" Stone for Met1, AFIL and TKH.  ACOS was also played as an instrumental at a November 17, 1990 show at the same venue.

As a long-time Dream Theater fan, I only just now had a chance to listen to the Official Bootleg for the Live Series: containing the New York City show that they performed on 3/4/93. Being that they are only two LPs in, the entire show focuses on I&W and LaBrie-sung WDADU. Songs from Awake don't even exist yet, you get a few stragglers like "Eve" and "Another Hand", and even "To Live Forever". But what's really cool is that this 20-minute version of ACOS has a much heavier opening, not to mention the tone of the live performance almost feels more like Metropolis, pt. 1

What's your opinion on this version of the song? To many people, this was the debut of the song, though many people didn't get their hands on this performance until its official release in 2007, well after the fanbase was acquainted and in love with that song. I myself didn't know this early a version of the song existed until today and I gotta say, I like it a lot!

I've told this story here before.  I got my first PC in June or July 1993.  The computer came with *Prodigy software and a free month, so I signed up.  I ended up on a tape trading board and found someone willing to send me a tape of the 3/4/93 Limelight show (even though I had nothing to offer in return).

By the time I received the tape, I had seen DT four times.  I had heard everything on WDADU except Afterlife, LFAGA and TOWHTSTS.  However, I hadn't yet acquired a copy of the album.  I had also heard TLF and Eve, so ACOS was the only thing on the tape I hadn't previously heard (although the Limelight version of Eve had samples, which they hadn't used at the show where I heard it).  It was pretty awesome, although very raw.

Fast forward to October 1994, and Awake comes out, and there was no sign of TLF, Eve or ACOS.  By the time, the ACOS EP was released in September 1995, I had kinda forgotten about the song.  A friend called me on the phone, said, "listen to this," and played the intro of the EP.  I didn't recognize it since it was a different intro from the Limelight version.  I immediately went out bought the EP and eventually said, "hey...this is that one song from that tape."  I eventually bought the YJR release of the Limelight show, but I still have the original cassette (although I don't think I've played it in the last 20+ years).  I also have the 1990 demo with Chris Cintron, but I've probably only listened to that once.  The Limelight version is great, but EP version is so much better.

[TAC]

I had the Limelight show on cassette, and there was even an incomplete video of the show, which I also had traded for.

[DT05]

As far as I can tell, the song made its live debut, in instrumental form, at the June 9, 1990 show at the Sundance in Bayshore, Long Island.  They played Creep with Tonality (early version of Learning to Live), Ytse Jam, and ACOS as instrumentals.  They then brought on their then-new, and soon-to-be former, singer Steve "Scream for me Long Beach!" Stone for Met1, AFIL and TKH.  ACOS was also played as an instrumental at a November 17, 1990 show at the same venue.


I've told this story here before.  I got my first PC in June or July 1993.  The computer came with *Prodigy software and a free month, so I signed up.  I ended up on a tape trading board and found someone willing to send me a tape of the 3/4/93 Limelight show (even though I had nothing to offer in return).  I still have the cassette but haven't played it in decades.

By the time I received the tape, I had seen DT four times.  I had heard everything on WDADU except Afterlife, LFAGA and TOWHTSTS.  However, I hadn't yet acquired a copy of the album.  I had also heard TLF and Eve, so ACOS was the only thing on the tape I hadn't previously heard (although the Limelight version of Eve had samples, which they hadn't used at the show where I heard it).  It was pretty awesome, although very raw.

Fast forward to October 1994, and Awake comes out, and there was no sign of TLF, Eve or ACOS.  By the time, the ACOS EP was released in September 1995, I had kinda forgotten about the song.  A friend called me on the phone, said, "listen to this," and played the intro of the EP.  I didn't recognize it since it was a different intro from the Limelight version.  I immediately went out bought the EP and eventually said, "hey...this is that one song from that tape."  I eventually bought the YJR release of the Limelight show, but I still have the original cassette (although I don't think I've played it in the last 20+ years).  I also have the 1990 demo with Chris Cintron, but I've probably only listened to that once.  The Limelight version is great, but EP version is so much better.

This is a really special story. I like how the intro difference faked you out especially. What was it like to get Cleaning Out the Closet in 1999 and finally get Eve and TLF?

[pg1067]

What was it like to get Cleaning Out the Closet in 1999 and finally get Eve and TLF?

I never got COTC and didn't become aware of the FII reject songs until probably 15ish years ago.  I don't care for any of them other than RTK.

Eve is fine as a bit of a detour in a live show.  It's not terribly interesting for anything else.

TLF always sounded to me like an unfinished song that they were playing around with in the live setting (kinda like what they did with Puppies on Acid).  I had mostly forgotten about it until probably the late 2010s.  Never liked it, and it still sounds like something that's incomplete.

[PetFish]

I can't believe they scrapped the unison at 13:27 or at least find another place for it.  I get goosebumps every time.

[Setlist Scotty]

I don't remember exactly when I picked it up, but I got the well-know "The Dance of Eternity" 2CD bootleg of the Limelight show by 1994 at the latest. I (and many others) were of the impression that it was a soundboard recording, when in reality it was just an excellent audience recording of the show. Nonetheless, it became one of my favorite DT bootlegs because of the extra tracks. I had the 1993 version of ACoS engrained in my brain, so when the EP finally came out (I just missed getting to be a part of the petition by fans on the Ytsejam Mailing List which was sent to DT's label), it wasn't a surprise regarding the release, but while I knew that it would be different from the 1993 version, it took some getting used to for me to adjust to the "official" version of the song. At this point it's hard for me to say which version I prefer, but there are some things about the 1993 version that I prefer over the official version - specifically the unison section.

[CraftyCaleb2483]

I can't believe they scrapped the unison at 13:27 or at least find another place for it.  I get goosebumps every time.

I just listened to that for the first time. Man, that unison is amazing, ACOF would rise about 5 places for me if they included that in the official release

[Herrick]

Yeah that was very cool.

The picture of Myung & Petrucci at 16:29 is great.

[ytserush]

Likely still my favorite version...

[TAC]

I don't remember exactly when I picked it up, but I got the well-know "The Dance of Eternity" 2CD bootleg of the Limelight show by 1994 at the latest. I (and many others) were of the impression that it was a soundboard recording, when in reality it was just an excellent audience recording of the show. Nonetheless, it became one of my favorite DT bootlegs because of the extra tracks. I had the 1993 version of ACoS engrained in my brain, so when the EP finally came out (I just missed getting to be a part of the petition by fans on the Ytsejam Mailing List which was sent to DT's label), it wasn't a surprise regarding the release, but while I knew that it would be different from the 1993 version, it took some getting used to for me to adjust to the "official" version of the song. At this point it's hard for me to say which version I prefer, but there are some things about the 1993 version that I prefer over the official version - specifically the unison section.

Like I said, I had a copy of the show as well. I even took ACOS and put it on each side of a 60 minute tape to make it easier, but I always had trouble wrapping my head around the whole thing. It would always lose me.

I think the changes they made for the official version really helped pull the thing together.

[Stadler]

What was it like to get Cleaning Out the Closet in 1999 and finally get Eve and TLF?

I can't speak for anyone else, but the COTC revelations weren't in Eve and TLF. I had Eve as a b-side (The Silent Man, I think) and I had TLF as part of the "Atco Demos", so...

For a long time, I considered COTC to be an "album" and one of my top three or four DT albums.  I LOVED it then, and I love it now. 

[hefdaddy42]

For a long time, I considered COTC to be an "album" and one of my top three or four DT albums.  I LOVED it then, and I love it now. 

I don't look at it quite like that, but I love, love, love that collection.

[Max Kuehnau]

yeah I can see why and I always found it very interesting too for various reasons

[Setlist Scotty]

I can't speak for anyone else, but the COTC revelations weren't in Eve and TLF. I had Eve as a b-side (The Silent Man, I think) and I had TLF as part of the "Atco Demos", so...

For a long time, I considered COTC to be an "album" and one of my top three or four DT albums.  I LOVED it then, and I love it now. 

All of this. Plus the '94 version of TLF was on the Lie single, so for many of us, that also was not new. The FII leftovers and DLPM were.

[Max Kuehnau]

I don't remember exactly when I picked it up, but I got the well-know "The Dance of Eternity" 2CD bootleg of the Limelight show by 1994 at the latest. I (and many others) were of the impression that it was a soundboard recording, when in reality it was just an excellent audience recording of the show. Nonetheless, it became one of my favorite DT bootlegs because of the extra tracks. I had the 1993 version of ACoS engrained in my brain, so when the EP finally came out (I just missed getting to be a part of the petition by fans on the Ytsejam Mailing List which was sent to DT's label), it wasn't a surprise regarding the release, but while I knew that it would be different from the 1993 version, it took some getting used to for me to adjust to the "official" version of the song. At this point it's hard for me to say which version I prefer, but there are some things about the 1993 version that I prefer over the official version - specifically the unison section.

I think the earlier version of ACOS also appears on the Taste The Memories fan club CD in 2002, in any case I'm familiar with both versions but I listened to the official version first (as it were), so I worked backwards if that makes sense. Very interesting one though IMHO.

[Setlist Scotty]

I think the earlier version of ACOS also appears on the Taste The Memories fan club CD in 2002

Correct. And actually, that particular recording is taken from The Dance of Eternity bootleg because MP wouldn't provide the soundboard recording for us to use.

[Max Kuehnau]

Correct. And actually, that particular recording is taken from The Dance of Eternity bootleg because MP wouldn't provide the soundboard recording for us to use.

aah so the proper soundboard recording is on the InsideOut archival release then? (or YtseJam Records at the time of course)

[Setlist Scotty]

aah so the proper soundboard recording is on the InsideOut archival release then? (or YtseJam Records at the time of course)

Correct again.

[Cool Chris]

What was it like to get Cleaning Out the Closet in 1999 and finally get Eve and TLF?

I remember getting active on whatever version of this forum existed in the mid-2000s and hearing about this elusive CotC. I  was frustrated this seem to be too exclusive for me to ever get my hands on. Thus the legend grew, and years later when I finally managed to hear all the songs, I thought 'that's what I've hyped up all these years?' The only song I knew going in was TLF, which I didn't care for. I thought Eve was pretty good, but the rest I could, and still do, without.

[DT05]

I'm surprised Don't Look Past Me isn't considered the magnum opus of COTC, it makes me feel the exact way I&W does