Dream Theater – A Change of Seasons (East West)

2 stars out of 5

This album is a double-edged sword. Purportedly a response to perennial demand for a live version of the band’s demi-operatic rock opus A Change of Seasons, it does seem to capture them at their best. The problem is that at their best, their greatest accomplishment is providing a stunning example of why progressive rock was such an ill-fated genre.

“Seasons” is a prog-metal epic in all its glory, full of bells and whistles, bongos, pianos and endless blistering guitar runs. The stylized emotions run high, and James La Brie soars along in vocal overdrive. The grinding guitar squalls are broken up by spells of rococo swaggering, a minstrel interlude that begs for a Spinal Tap-ian drove of dancing dwarves and, finally, a fiery recapitulation before a dramatic close. There’s barely enough time to catch your breath before “Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding” ensues, followed by “Perfect Strangers,” both of which come off like some hyperbolic combination of Journey, Elton John and Styx channeling “Layla.” The Led Zeppelin medly that follows is actually refreshing, thanks to focused songwriting that keeps the chops-o-rama in check. All of this is more or less a prelude for the aptly named “Big Medley,” which combines Pink Floyd’s “In the Flesh,” Kansas’ “Carry On My Wayward Son,” Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody,” Journey’s “Lovin’ Touchin’ Squeezin’,” Dixie Dregs’ “Cruise Control” and Genesis’ “Turn it on Again.” Dream Theater adeptly replicate each song segment... but something’s still missing.

It’s not that Dream Theater don’t have feeling. There’s plenty of zesty rock-n-roll spirit behind the music, they just never inject it into the music. As with the vast majority of progressive rock, when it’s all blustered past, you’re left wondering what the fuss was about.

—Sandy Masuo