A Change of Seasons
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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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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),<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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.<ref name="Dream Theater Olympics Spot">YouTube.com</ref>
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."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Track listing
Credits
Dream Theater
- James LaBrie – lead vocals, production
- John Myung – bass, production
- John Petrucci – guitar, production
- Mike Portnoy – drums, cover concept, production
- Derek Sherinian – keyboards, production
Production
- 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
Chart performance
| Chart (1995) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)<ref name="NLD"/> | 50 |
| US Billboard 200<ref name=allmusicawards>"A Change of Seasons – Dream Theater | Awards". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved November 25, 2013.</ref> | 58 |