Jazz singer reacts to Dream Theater A Change of Seasons 

It's about the drummer Mike Portnoys mum who was killed in a plane crash and one of his teachers who was telling his class about seizing the day before it happened, he has 'carpe diem' tattooed on his left arm to remember it. And about the life cycle of man compared to different seasons.

Labrie was a fucking beast. Those early years were magnificent, the guy was untouchable. He's old now and a lot of people hate on him, but we often forget what he did for the band and for the progressive rock scene. He also sings with his heart, like on 6:15. This section always gives me chills, how he moves from his lower register to the end of the section, on a high, nasal voice. Labrie is incredible.

Probably the most musically talented band... ever. Every single one of them is at the top of their craft.

This is definitely something that has to be listened to several times to really unpack. I lost my mom when I was 19, so the barrage of emotions and sudden loss is portraid here exactly how I felt and went through. Different seasons of grief, anger, hope, and strength. Now I'm in my 40s, this song still effects me, and reminds me of how sudden it can all be taken away.

IM SICK OF ALL YOU HYPOCRITES HOLDING ME AT BAY AND I DONT NEED YOUR SYMPATHY TO GET ME THROUGH THE DAY SEASONS CHANGE AND SO CAN I HOLD ON BOY NO TIME TO CRY UNTIE THESE STRINGS IM CLIMBING DOWN I WONT LET THEM PUSH ME AWAY dear god I cried so hard when I first consciously heard that part. The whole part is so fantastically written, highly emotional, and labrie is showing why he is part in the worlds greatest band. He may have lost some of his magic throughout the years and is not as good as a live singer as he has been (which is kind of understandable after what he’s been through) but don’t let forget the tears, joy, emotions and goosebumps he brought us on all these tracks. He will go down as one of the greatest - if not the greatest - singer in all prog metal history

The greatest song ever made. Peace.

Dream Theater makes the most complex music, they're INCREDIBLY talented, and yes, they're 5

The one about mental illness was Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence, the mammoth of a 42 minute song. A Change of Season is the progression from the innocence of childhood to the twilight years of old age. It talks about everything learned and taking opportunities while they're still there. It is based on Mike Portnoy's life up to that point, all materialized in one recording. Listen to this again with this mindset and you'll feel more of the music

James LaBrie on vocals, John Myung on bass, the legendary John Petrucci on guitar, the one and only Mike Portnoy on drums, and Derek Sherinian on keyboards. There were two changes in the band since this was made. First, the keyboards with the introduction of Jordan Rudess, one of the most awesome keyboard composers in prog metal and rock, and later with a split with Portnoy, who was replaced by a different Mike, funnily enough. Mike Mangini. A technical genius who could teach a metronome a thing or two about keeping rhythm. Overall, five members. Five geniuses who have few rivals in their respective fields.

A Change of Seasons ends as it begins, just as seasons continue in an endless cycle; life... death... rebirth.

the Octavarium from Dream Theater! you will not regret it ! is amazing

Octavarium Please! You will not regret!!!thanks for this reaction!

I love this song! It’s a masterpiece! Dream Theater is a 5 person band: vocal, drummer, bassist, one guitarist and one keyboard. They do all that with 4 instrumentalists, it’s incredible. You should definitely check the live version, recorded for their DVD Live Scenes from a Memory. It’s a must see. Keep up the good work!! Cheers

In the future when people look back at classic prog metal, the same way we look back at 60's rock now, this will be one of the most important masterpieces and will inspire so many. Prog metal came to prominence in the 90's and this was among the first epics of its kind. Still one of the best - just a masterfully written song

i hear this band since my childhood! AMAZING EVER TIME!

I. The Crimson Sunrise II. Innocence I remember a time My frail, virgin mind Watched the crimson sunrise Imagined what it might find Life was filled with wonder I felt the warm wind blow I must explore the boundaries Transcend the depth of winter's snow Innocence caressing me I never felt so young before There was so much life in me Still I longed to search for more But those days are gone now Changed like a leaf on a tree Blown away forever Into the cool autumn breeze The snow has now fallen And my sun's not so bright I struggle to hold on With the last of my might In my den of inequity Viciousness and subtlety Struggle to ease the pain Struggle to find the sane Ignorance surrounding me I've never been so filled with fear All my life's been drained from me The end is drawing near... III. Carpe Diem 'Carpe diem, seize the day' I'll always remember The chill of November The news of the fall The sounds in the hall The clock on the wall ticking away 'Seize the Day' I heard him say Life will not always be this way Look around Hear the sounds Cherish your life while you're still around "Gather ye rosebuds while ye may Old Time is still a-flying And this same flower that smiles today Tomorrow will be dying." We can learn from the past But those days are gone We can hope for the future But there may not be one The words stuck in my mind Alive from what I've learned I have to seize the day To home I returned Preparing for her flight I held with all my might Fearing my deepest fright She walked into the night She turned for one last look She looked me in the eye I said, 'I Love You... Goodbye' "It's the most awful thing you'll Ever hear." "If you're lying to me..." "Oh, you dearly love her." "... Just have to leave... all our lives." "Seize the day!" "Something happened." "Gather ye rosebuds while ye may." "She was killed." IV. The Darkest of Winters V. Another World So far or so it seems All is lost with nothing fulfilled Off the pages and the TV screen Another world where nothing's true Tripping through the life fantastic Lose a step and never get up Left alone with a cold blank stare I feel like giving up I was blinded by a paradise Utopia high in the sky A dream that only drowned me Deep in sorrow, wondering why Oh come let us adore him Abuse and then ignore him No matter what, don't let him be Let's feed upon his misery Then string him up for all the world to see I'm sick of all you hypocrites Holding me at bay And I don't need your sympathy To get me through the day Seasons change and so can I Hold on Boy, no time to cry Untie these strings, I'm climbing down I won't let them push me away Oh come let us adore him Abuse and then ignore him No matter what, don't let him be Let's feed upon his misery Now it's time for them to deal with me VI. The Inevitable Summer VII. The Crimson Sunset I'm much wiser now A lifetime of memories Run through my head They taught me how For better or worse, alive or dead I realize there's no turning back Life goes on the offbeaten track I sit down with my son Set to see the Crimson Sunset (Gather ye rosebuds while ye may) Many years have come and gone I've lived my life, but now must move on (Gather ye rosebuds while ye may) He's my only one Now that my time has come Now that my life is done We look into the sun 'Seize the day and don't you cry Now it's time to say goodbye Even though I'll be gone I will live on, live on.'

Dream theater is a mother of the music

Dream theater - the best of times, seriously

Welcome Brother! There's no going back now!

Dream Theater is not for everyone, priding themselves on doing the unexpected and pushing their talents beyond any expectation. Their Superior Musicianship Is undeniable, I have been a fan for a very long time, continually amazed at what they are capable of recording and then watching in disbelief as they perform the material flawlessly. I recommend you react to “the Count of Tuscany” or “the Glass Prison” Great Reaction!

Seize the Day is one of the main themes here. “Gather ye rosebuds while ye may, Old Time is still a-flying; And this same flower that smiles today, Tomorrow will be dying.” is taken from the Dead Poets Society film.

It is a miracle, how familiar it all sounds after 25 years. Wonderful wonderful piece of music! Edit: Although I watched this video just to hear again the music, your comments definitely made me reconsider what it was about. Still, from a singer I expect You to comment on the vocalist. Could be much fun to discuss this guy, James LaBrie, and his voice.

"I´ll see ya soon" *23 mins later*

i strongly and highly suggest liquid tension experiment. its basically the same members without a singer and a different bassist. i suggest when the water breaks, paradigm shift, kindred spirits, and universal mind.

give octavarium (the song from the album of the same name), a nightmare to remember, the ministry of lost souls, sacrificed sons or the dark eternal night a listen, all by dream theater. they're all amazing songs.

Also, you talked about the constant change in time signatures. The band literally makes charts when composing.

Thanks for playing this song and your thoughts about it. During this time in life it evokes so much emotion. The line " I sit down with my son. Set to see the Crimson Sunset (Gather ye rosebuds while ye may) Many years have come and gone I've lived my life, but now must move on." I have two young sons right now and I can feel the change of seasons happening. I need to seize the day and not let this time go to waste by not spending enough time with them. This song is pure life and emotion.

I liked so much this reaction man. Hope you can do more Dream Theater, Six Degrees is good one to start, it's long but really are 8 songs tied together into a super epic one.

To me this song depicts life in general...not a sickness

Time to listen to Symphony X's The Odyssey. :)

a change of seasons is the self titled 7 section "epic" song from the EP A change of seasons originally meant to be a part of their gold album "Images and Words" was removed because of the record label. The song was originally based on the death of Mike Portnoy's (Drummer) mom but because of the extra time given the song became longer and incorparated the life of Mike portnoy from beginning to present. The sections: "crimson sunrise(instrumental)" "innocence" " carpe diem" "the darkest of winters(instrumental) " "another world" "the inevitible summer(instrumental)" "the crimson sunset"

14:11 That smile. Yeah, he gets it.

5 piece band - Drums, Bass, Guitar, Keyboard and Vocals. Sometimes it sounds like 50 not 5...

You talked about how many time signitures this has? Lissen to dream theater the dance of eternity

Absolutely fantastic song but the live version from scenes in New York is personally my favorite.

I've played this song at least 100 times on synths and keyboards... beautiful memories of many years ago

so..........you've listened to one of the MOST full on packed with everything you can do musically loaded songs .....more like an experience..........yea..........this is DT my friend

Agh! Good bumps every time I hear this song, knowing the story behind it. Glad you are enjoying the DT. I already have your videos for Metropolis Part 2 queued up :-)

Wow, that was a damned good reaction. Spot on

What you've just heard is something that transcends the current state of music. And it was done about 25 years ago. Time to rethink what you call good music.

If you really want to take a journey, listen to the entirety of the "Octavarium" album for one of your live streams.

Their best achievement to me.

Dream Theater = Perfection

Amazing.

Real masterpiece, just long lol, sometimes I question if that's the best approach for new comers.

Octavarium ! A night to remember ! AT wits end!

Yes, if you consider 'living' to be the fatal illness.

Spent my life searching for the sand bucket like the one on the cover....still haven't found it.

life is the time signature of the song my friend........the young boy unto old man..............

you really should check out their song The best of times , it's about the guitarist losing his father

The ending is Rush

Hey Tommy, would love to see you give some Japanese stuff a spin. Preferably "DIR EN GREY - Macabre Live Tabula Rasa 2013", it is a 16min journey to say the least, well worth it if you love performance and good musicianship.

I don’t know this song nor the album. It’s an EP I see. I’ve got the albums before and after this one. As always very complicated, which I like, with excellent performance by all the band members. I always prefer live performances and I can’t find a live version on one of the live ones I have. Doesn’t mind, this one is good. Try the live album Breaking the fourth wall. It’s on RU-vid in separate songs (and maybe even as a whole concert). Other complex music bands are Gentle Giant and King Crimson. Ayreon can also be quite complex.

ok.....so the verse when he says "oh..come let us adore HIM".....is a reference to CHRIST my dear friend....also note that when he says "untie these strings.......!!! I'm climbin' down!! so powerful....

Since you like harmony, try Pentatonix. Especially Sound of Silence, Bohemian Rhapsody or Hallelujah

Fun Fact: This is NOT the original recording. The one you listened to was one that was able to be released. In 1992, Dream Theater wanted this song to release on Images and Words (The album that got them attention)...it didn't. Look for the "Two Kevins" Demo (done with ORIGINAL Keyboardist, Kevin Moore. The Two Kevins are Kevin Moore and James LaBrie...oh wait...KEVIN James LaBrie).

I always feel bad that among my favorite DT tracks, this is not one of them. I don't know why but everyone lauds and applauds this song, but I just think other stuff they have done is way way better. It just never grabbed me. It almost makes me feel as though I am missing something.

Hey, if it´s the best band ever, it might as well be said and it´s alright. No one, and I say NO ONE, comes close to them in musicianship. All virtuosos at their craft (well, except LaBrie)

I feel like spring represents birth, and winter death.

Yeah that's the face hahaha

do you see how at the end of his life he's there with his SON???epic

DT massively influenced by Rush and they have no hesitation telling you so.

5

Got you off the 666th like ;)

I wish the producer of images and words would have the let the band include this song but instead chose two other songs kevin moore is better keyboard player also i hate that picolo snare his drum sound on images was great

Since when is Bjorn Strid a Jazz Singer

Eh they're ok not a big fan but they're alright.

Always loved Dream Theater but never was too fond of LaBrie's voice. Too thin. Too wailing at times. Always found DT needed someone with more powerful vocals. Cheerio.

Stop the reacts, it's stupid!