Dream Theater "A Change Of Seasons (EP, Canada, EastWest Records America, CD 61842)"

A Change of Seasons is the first EP by American progressive metal band Dream Theater, first released on September 19, 1995, through East West Records. It comprises the 23-minute title track and a collection of live cover songs performed at a fan club concert on January 31, 1995, at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club in London.

The title track was recorded at BearTracks Studios in New York and was originally slated to be released on the 1992 album Images and Words, but was instead re-recorded and released as an EP. Although the song includes audio samples from the 1989 film Dead Poets Society (as well as quotes from the 1648 Robert Herrick poem, To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time), the lyrics, written by drummer Mike Portnoy, were not inspired by the film. Instead, "it's 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." The back cover has a calendar displaying the date November 16, the date Portnoy's mother died. A Change of Seasons was also the first Dream Theater release featuring Derek Sherinian on keyboards.

Excerpts from the title track were used by NBC in a segment on downhill skiing during the 2002 Winter Olympics.

Although the record is labeled as an EP, its running time of 57:30 makes it significantly longer than a standard EP, and even many LPs, including Dream Theater's first two albums. According to Portnoy, "It was important for us and the label for it not to be perceived as the latest studio record. That's why we tagged it an EP."

Tracklist:

1. A Change of Seasons 23:09   
2. Funeral for a Friend / Love Lies Bleeding (Elton John covers) (live) 10:49   
3. Perfect Strangers (Deep Purple cover) (live) 05:33   
4. The Rover / Achilles Last Stand / The Song Remains the Same (Led Zeppelin covers) (live) 07:29   
5. The Big Medley (live) 10:33   

Time:  57:33  

A Change of Seasons has seven parts, this song was written before "Images & Words" recording during the years 1990 and 1991:

I) The Crimson Sunrise

II) Innocence

III) Carpe Diem

IV) The Darkest of Winters

V) Another World

VI) The Inevitable Summer

VII) The Crimson Sunset

The Big Medley:

In the Flesh? (Pink Floyd)

Carry On Wayward Son (Kansas)

Bohemian Rhapsody (Queen)

Lovin' Touchin' Squeezin' (Journey)

Cruise Control (Dixie Dregs)

Turn It On Again (Genesis)

Recording information:

Pre-Production at Star Trak Studios, Fairfield, NJ.

Recorded and mixed at Bear Track Studio, Suffern, NY, May 1995.

Mastered at Sterling Sound, NYC.

David Prater – producer, mixing

Doug Oberkircher – engineer (track 1), mixing

Andy Scarth – engineer (tracks 2–5)

Robert Siciliano – assistant engineer

Ted Jensen – mastering at Sterling Sound, NYC

Larry Freemantle – art direction

Joseph Cultice – photography

"Uncovered" (tracks 2 to 5) recorded live at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club, London, England, January 31st, 1995 with the A&D Mobile Recording Unit.