2112 (1976)

Occasionally I wonder why I am keeping this blog since there are so many places to read album reviews already and especially when most of the albums have been around longer than I have. I mean, I wasn't even born when Rush's 2112 was released in 1976. After wondering this question recently, I decided that what I am most interested in writing about on this blog are all the things about certain albums and musicians that most people don't know about. Quirky things, you know? Well, I think I have found some good stuff this time.

The thing about Rush's 2112 for me is that I never really listened to it until just recently. Although I generally love prog rock and certainly appreciate Rush's talented lineup and music, I have really only listened to a small sample of their music over the years. 2112 was the Canadian prog-rockers fourth studio recorded album. It's original release on vinyl featured the eponymous 7-part suite on one side and the rest of the album's non-thematically related cuts on the other side. Given that the majority of this album is a concept piece and a core classic one at that, I am amazed that I have overlooked it for so long. What really shocks me though is that the concept of "2112" is about a dystopian society, which is a genre of fiction that I most enjoy reading. Hearing this album was a good reminder for me that there is always going to be something that I will come across and be unexpectedly enthused about.

First off, the songs on this album that are not part of the "2112" suite are not particularly noteworthy with the exception of the last track "Something For Nothing." In fact, you might want to avoid them if you are not already a Rush fan. Interestingly with "Something For Nothing", drummer and lyricist, Neil Peart saw some graffiti on the wall while driving to a show in LA that said, "freedom isn't free," which inspired his lyrics for this album's closer. This song is a fine example of what should be expected lyrically and instrumentally from this trio.

That said, let's get on to the heart of this album, "2112". Clocking in at 20:37, "2112" was inspired by Ayn Rand's novella Anthem. The seven part story of "2112" tells of a man, Anonymous, whose life is controlled by the Priests of the Temple of Syrinx. We begin with an overture depicting a planetary war resulting in the ultimate galactic rule by the Federation. The second movement sets the stage for us, complete with some serious drumming by one of the greats, Neil Peart. We learn that the Federation's Priests dictate what people read, hear, and watch all in the name of the Red Star of the Federation. If you pay attention to how bassist and vocalist, Geddy Lee, sings this song, you will notice that he tells the story using his two different singing "voices". Lee can sing in an interesting, high-pitched, screechy voice that he uses to represent the voices of the Priest of the Temple of Syrinx. His other "softer" voice tells the story of the protagonist. Knowing that Lee uses these two voices to represent different tellers characters in this tale makes it easier to understand the story as it is told over the course of this song. Many a would-be fan of Rush has been turned away by Geddy Lee's unique vocal styles. Hence, Rush is one of those bands where people either become fans or decidedly not fans at all. In the third movement, our protagonist discovers an "ancient miracle" in a cave behind a waterfall. (Notice the guitar tuning and the bubbling watery sounds at the beginning of this part?) The "miracle's" strings vibrate and create beautiful sounds when strummed. Enthused by this strange device, he decides to bring this guitar to the Priests so that he can show them what new beautiful music can be made and share it with all the people. In part four, the Priest's respond to our protagonist's guitar solo in Peart's lyrics:

"Yes, we know it's nothing new
It's just a waste of time
We have no need for ancient ways
The world is doing fine

Another toy will help destroy
The elder race of man
Forget about your silly whim
It doesn't fit the plan

...

Don't annoy us further
We have our work to do
Just think about the average
What use have they for you?

Another toy will help destroy
The elder race of man
Forget about your silly whim
It doesn't fit the plan"

Guitar now smashed, our downtrodden protagonist begins to realize the extent of the wonders lost by the Federation's rule. In part five, Anonymous falls into a dream wherein he visits with an oracle who shows him the land of the elders and foretells of the them returning to defeat the Federation and crush its Temples. Upon waking from his vision, our protagonist can no longer stand life and kills himself in hopes that he might be transported to the place he visited with the oracle. Not to fret though because the final part of "2112" brings the repeating message: "Attention all planets of the solar federation...We have assumed control." (And there was much rejoicing).

Alas, that is not even the best part. While perusing the Internet, I found a site dedicated to the synchronization of "2112" with the original Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory, much like the synchronization of Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon with The Wizard of Oz. It is definitely interesting and have since watched it three times. I have included a link below to the clip from the movie that has "2112" synchronized already, but it is difficult to get an impression of this peculiar synchrony because the soundtrack from the movie overlaps "2112". My suggestion: download the "2112" file at the bottom of this entry, cue up the clip provided as per the instructions found here, and see for yourself.

My favorite parts are when Wonka is shaking hands and especially when Mike Teevee points his toy gun at Wonka. Notice what's going on when Lee says, "...and the meek shall inherit the Earth". One last note and then I will let you discover the rest on your own: make sure to turn the sound up on the videoclip when Wonka goes to play the little keyboard to unlock the door to his factory--this happens right at a movement change in the suite. Oh oh, ok last note: notice the sounds of the waterfall mentioned earlier in the third movement. That's it, see/hear for yourself. Once you have checked it out, look here.



Rush - 2112

McDonald & Giles (1971)

Back when I was in high school, my closest friends were three extremely talented musicians who played together all the time in our friend's barn. I spent many stoned hours listening to them and fantasizing about joining in, but since they were already a drummer, bassist, and guitarist, I didn't think there was anything I could contribute. Well, in part because I was a big Jethro Tull fan at the time, but also because I wanted to take up an instrument that I wouldn't have to worry about any one else playing better, I chose the flute. So, when I was looking for the second King Crimson album, In the Wake of Poseidon, at my local music store and the clerk (who happens also to be the front man in a up and coming local psychadelic band), suggested I also check out former King Crimson band members McDonald & Giles' sole album, McDonald & Giles, adding that it had really great twittering flute bits, I was sold.

There are plenty of places on the internet that can explain the lineup of King Crimson and how much it has changed over the years, so I am not going to get into that here. Suffice it to write that Ian McDonald and Michael Giles were in the band for the 1969 debut, In the Court of King Crimson. So, if you like King Crimson's first album, I highly recommend you listen to McDonald & Giles. Instrumentally, it is similar to King Crimson's first album and parts of their second album. Mood-wise though, this work is much, much lighter.

The first song, "Suite In C Including Turnham Green, Here I Am And Others" is an 11-minute sonic ride. Being a suite, there are many melodies here. Worthy of note is Steve Winwood's organ playing and piano solo.

The second track sent me looking through the soundtracks to Wes Anderson films because I was sure I had heard this track before. It has that same kind of obscure, catchy quality as so many of the songs being found on some of the more excellent independant films these days. The melody for this song, "Flight of the Ibis" was written by McDonald and the original lyrics written by Peter Sinfield. However, when McDonald and Giles left King Crimson, McDonald maintained rights to the melody of this song, but Peter Fripp kept the rights to Sinfield's lyrics. So, if you play "Flight of the Ibis" and then "Cadence & Cascade" off of King Crimson's second album, In the Wake of Poseidon, you can imagine what the original composition sounded like because that King Crimson track has the original lyrics penned by Sinfield.

The third song, "Is She Waiting?" is a quiet love song of just piano, guitar and vocal harmonies that reminds me of something the Beatles might have done.

"Tomorrow's People - The Children of Today" is a gem. This song really exemplifies what great musicians McDonald and Giles are. Michael Giles' percussion throughout this album is so completely solid. In particular, his percussion work drives this song. There is also the "twittering flute bits" in this song that perfectly exemplify why the flute is an essential element of psychedelic rock, in my humble opinion. And the horns, man, the horns here are so...this is just a great song. You can listen to it below.

The last collection of songs on this album would have composed the entire B side of the original vinyl version of this album (though I have the album on CD). There are six parts to "Birdman." This collective song takes all the melodic elements of the album's previous pieces and puts them all together in this extended opus. There are the catchier pop riffs, we have the horns, including flute courtesy Ian McDonald, hand clapping (yes!), jazz, organ, psychedelia (sounding a bit like Pink Floyd circa Atom Heart Mother), and clear, mythical lyrics. Furthermore, this song bookends beautifully with "Suite In C Including Turnham Green, Here I Am And Others."

This album should have recieved wider acknowledgement because it surely would have been appreciated had more people known about. From what I have read, aside from when it was released on vinyl, McDonald & Giles has only been relatively recently available on CD other than as a high-priced Japanese import. So, now you can get it. I fully recommend this album. It is a treat.

I have, by the way, taken up the flute again. Dreaming once more of making my way into a rock outfit, hopefully something folky and psychedelic.

Olias of Sunhillow (1976)

I think it is useful to think of bands as systems, whose sound is an emergent property of the whole. Not too sophisticated a notion, but interesting to keep in mind when listening to solo projects, such as I did when listening to Yes vocalist Jon Anderson's premier solo album, Olias of Sunhillow.

I came upon Jon Anderson's Olias of Sunhillow on a list of concept albums I found on the Internet. I am definitely a Yes fan. However, of the numerous albums that Yes band members have put out during their solo careers, this is the first solo work I have listened to. It has taken me a couple of weeks of consistent listening to really get into this album. The Auricle has had to overcome an aversion to some of the more ambient sounds here; the synthesizer work smacks too much of new-age music for this ear at times. Admittedly, it does help to know that this album came out in 1976, before (to my knowledge) that particularly awful ambient, "mystical" music decidedly developed a genre for itself. Were it not for Anderson's stellar voice and lyricism this disc would not have remained in my player long enough for me to realize that is actually overall a very fine album.

Anderson's work here sounds a lot like Yes only thinner, though not any less multi-layered than Yes' work. Really there is not much to differentiate it from something that Anderson put together alone rather than with his other band mates except that he is not as skilled as his Yes band mates at their various instruments; Anderson's mastered instrument is certainly his vox. I haven't quite found there to be similar ambient, "mystical" sounds on any of the Yes albums I listen to (1969-1977).

The narrative/concept of this album has the same quintessential mythopoetic quality that Anderson brought to Yes. The story is developed out of the concept artwork created by Roger Dean for many of Yes' album covers. According to Dean, the collected artwork created for Yes' album covers illustrates a tale about a planet that breaks apart and whose inhabitants are whisked away to safety. The architect of the glider, Moorglade, which rescues the four tribes of this destroyed planet, is one Olias of Sunhillow. The Moorglade is featured prominantly on the cover of this album but can also be seen on Yes' Fragile. Apparently, Roger Dean is trying to raise enough money to put together a full-length animated film, called Floating Islands, which will tell the Yes album covers tale complete with Yes musical accompaniment.

So, I am not saying very much about the actual sound of album here because, well, if you're already a Yes fan then you already know what it sounds like (well, plus the ambient bit). If you don't know Yes' sound then, well, hopefully it won't be long until I put together an extensive review of the Yes discography that I appreciate. Conceptually, I think the fact that Jon Anderson chose to tell the story of Roger Dean's album covers is completely awesome. I haven't heard any of Anderson's (or any other Yes members) other solo music, so I can't personally compare it to anything from his solo catalogue. However, what I have read is that Olias of Sunhillow is Anderson's best solo work. Unlike his later solo work, on this album, Anderson played all the instruments including guitar, harp, drums, and synthesizer. Clearly Anderson is an all around skilled musician, but I don't think the instrumentation here is of the same high quality as Yes'. Conceptually and lyrically, though, Jon Anderson does not disappoint at all. I definitely think it should be included in any Yes fan's catalogue with the understanding that when the part is taken from the whole, the emergent sound invariably changes.

Jon Anderson - Flight of the Moorglade