Download

MP3

Because of the complexity of the work and its tight connection with the lyrics and the plot, I recommend that you listen to the audio while reading the text. The audio portion has been prepared based on this approach.

Welcome to the 7th edition of “Classic’s Choice”. Today we bring you “Passion Play – Part 1”.

In my opinion, Passion Play is one of the most underrated albums in the history of classic progressive rock. The first thing that we must keep in mind is that, more than a concept album, Passion Play is a musicalized stage play. One of the reasons why many people dismiss the album is because the lyrics are “too dense”. However, even though some images may be difficult to assimilate in the context of the play, the overall plot can be followed without too much effort.

The way in which the music portrays the events of the play is rarely matched in the history of progressive rock. And in this particular case, this achievement is even more remarkable if we take into account the fact that part of the work is based on ideas recovered from the “Château D’Isaster” sessions. Whole fragments were used, that were finished works with different lyrics. Despite this, Passion Play did not become the Frankenstein that one would have expected. On the contrary, the work is tight and very coherent.

Since this is music to a stage play, we must analyze the work, from a musical point of view, based on motives (leitmotifs) and the evolution of the plot, rather than trying to find an overarching form to the overall structure of the piece.

Therefore, we must start by understanding the plot.

In summary, the play describes what happens between death and birth: the journey of Ronnie Pilgrim through his afterlife. Quoting Tim Smolko from his book “Thick as a Brick and A Passion Play – Inside Two Long Songs” (page 124):

Interviewed by Bryan Matthew on “Jethro Tull Story, Part 3”, Ian Anderson says:

In order to follow the plot I will use Neil Thomason’s excellent analysis which can be found in his Ministry of Information website.

The play is structured in four acts:

• Overture
• Act One, Scene One: Ronnie Pilgrim’s funeral
• Act One, Scene Two: Wandering in limbo
• Act Two, Scene One: The memory bank
• Act Three, Scene One: Heaven
• Act Three, Scene Two: Hell
• Act Four, Scene One: Where now?
• Act Four, Scene Two: The Ferry.

Before analyzing each section, I would like to point out the use of several motives used throughout the piece that are key to the coherence of the piece as a whole. Tim Smolko identifies 6 main motives:

Motive 1 is the rhythmic pattern of the heart beat:

Motive 2 is probably the easiest to distinguish:

This is Motive 3

This is Motive 4

This is Motive 5

The last motif is the phrase “Passion Play” repeated along the entire work.

So, let’s get on with the Overture and its music.

Overture

Neil Thomason gives a good description of how the Play started during live performances in 1973:

This is the original movie played at those concerts:

As mentioned already, the piece is cyclical and starts and ends with a heartbeat. The Overture, also begins and ends with a heartbeat and introduces two of the principal motifs that will be used throughout the piece. Notice that soon after the heartbeat (that is, Motive 1) is easily heard, a soprano saxophone introduces Motive 2:

After the initial effects, we find the first stroke of genius in the piece: instead of a dark ominous atmosphere to depict the death of Ronnie Pilgrim, what we find is a lively gigue in 9/8. It is a macabre dance of death in baroque style!!:

Remember again the rhythm of motive 1:

This rhythmic motive, linked to the heartbeat, is the basis for the Overture’s main theme:

The rest of the gigue is also based on a development of motive 1.

After the gigue, at the end of the Overture, we hear the heartbeat slowing down and decreasing in pitch until a door bang clearly indicates the end of Ronnie’s transit on earth:

By the way, no other Tull’s album features Anderson’s abilities as a sax player more extensively than in Passion Play.

Act One, Scene One: Ronnie Pilgrim’s funeral

Scene: A winter’s morning in the cemetery. A group of mourners stand around a grave. As the curtain rises, RONNIE, a ghost, rises from the grave and joins the congregation, listening to his own eulogy.

Instead of a line-by-line analysis of the lyrics, I will just highlight those that are particularly relevant for the understanding of the section. For a detailed lyrics analysis I refer you again to Neil Thomason’s article.

The wonderful phrase: “The silver cord lies on the ground” summarizes perfectly the lyrics of this section.

The form of this scene is:

A-A’-brief interlude- B (free form with recalls of Motive 2)

Sections A are a description of the funeral scene as seen by Ronnie.

Section B shows Ronnie’s reflection of the life that just ended – his achievements, mistakes, disappointments, etc.

Section B has a very important verse:

Thomason’s interpretation is quite accurate:

Note the clever modulation to support the phrase: “crowding in a different key”. Does it sound familiar?

It’s the Neapolitan cadence over the dominant chord. He uses it to move from D flat Major to A major, and then again to modulate to F, the tonality of Act One, Scene Two.

The last verses in all the stanzas in sections A and B are based on Motive 2.

A

“Do you still see me even here?”
(The silver cord lies on the ground.)

{ “And so I’m dead”, the young man said
over the hill (not a wish away). } Motive 2

A’

My friends (as one) all stand aligned
although their taxis came too late.

{ There was / a rush along the Fulham Road.
There was / a hush* in the Passion Play. } Motive 2 (* notice the effect that supports the word hush)

Brief Interlude

B

Such a sense of glowing in the aftermath
ripe with rich attainments all imagined
sad misdeeds in disarray
the sore thumb screams aloud,
{ echoing out of the Passion Play. } Second part of Motive 2

All the old familiar choruses come crowding in a different key:
Melodies decaying in sweet dissonance.

{ There was a rush along the Fulham Road
into the Ever-passion Play. } Motive 2

With all these elements in mind, let’s listen to Act One, Scene One:

Instrumental 1

This instrumental section serves as an interlude between both scenes of Act One.

Tim Smolko divides the piece into 6 climax cycles. We will be referring to them as we progress in the piece. The first climax cycle goes from the beginning of the vocals in Act One, Scene One, to the end of this instrumental section. 3 dry beats in the snare drum’s rim provide the cue for a section that, like the Overture’s gigue, start in 9/8. However, notice how in 00:24 they suddenly move to an 11/8 beat until the end of the section. Again, this is one of the few passages in Tull’s discography where you will appreciate Anderson’s ability as a sax player.

This instrumental section describes the moment when Ronnie finally moves away from the physical realm and assumes his new state. The acute change in rhythm and the intensity of the passage are excellent ways to depict Ronnie’s despair as he starts to wander in this strange new environment. He finally reaches limbo.

Act One, Scene Two: Wandering in limbo

Scene: The empty desert of Limbo. RONNIE wanders aimlessly, until an ANGEL arrives to guide him on to the next stage of the afterlife.

An angel escorts Ronnie, and although he didn’t believe in gods or angels, she is compassionate. According to Thomason, the verse:

Represent the words of the prophets in the Bible. I believe that thinking about “illuminated words” contained in a leather bound book is more fitting because it could apply to any creed or religion. At any rate, the importance of this phrase is that this gift triggers Ronnie’s reflection on who he is – about good and evil and his acts while on Earth. The wonderful phrase:

Indicates that Ronnie, who’s life on Earth was not remarkable, starts to understand that he is important and that he must pursue the understanding of who he really is.

The form of this scene is a simple strophe:

Intro-A-B-A’-B’

Notice that sections B are based on motive 2:

You will see that the brief piano introduction is also used at the end of part I. This piano phrase is superimposed with motive 2 on “ever-smile” and again, modified, on “to be found”.

Brief piano introduction

A

And who comes here to wish me well?
A sweetly-scented angel fell.

B

{She laid her head upon my disbelief
and bathed me with her ever-smile.} Motive 2

A’

And with a howl across the sand
I go escorted by a band

B’

{of gentlemen in leather bound
NO-ONE (but someone to be found).} Motive 2

Let’s listen to it:

Instrumental 2

This short instrumental interlude is based (like much on the Second Act) on material from the Château D’Isaster sessions. Ronnie’s desire to understand who he really is, propels him to ACT TWO – The Memory bank. This section has 2 contrasting parts, the first more intense (diabolic?) the second one based on acoustic guitar more gentle (celestial?). A musical representation of the duality that Ronnie will experience during his transit in the afterlife.

We reach Act II – The Memory Bank.

Act Two, Scene One: The Memory Bank

Scene: a small but comfortable theatre with a cinema screen – the next morning.

From this moment until the end of the piece, what happens in Passion Play bears a striking resemblance with Max Heindel’s “Rosicrucian Cosmo-Conception”. This book was the basis for my piece Mysticae Visiones; although the musical languages are very different, the conceptual framework is the same. According to Max Heindel, after death we see all our past life. More than seeing, we re-experience all our life and get to feel what other felt as a consequence of our actions (good or bad deeds). According to Heindel, since we are not limited by the sensations of our physical body, we experience the joy or pain we caused but multiplied by a thousand-fold. He believes this is what Christians call “purgatory”.

Ronnie enters a cinema room where several judges force him to revisit his life. Peter Dejour (the duty receptionist of the afterlife) presents Ronnie’s life to the panel of judges.

A lot of the music and lyrics in this act were taken from Critique Oblique (The Château D’Hérouville Sessions – more commonly known as Château D’Isaster Tapes). Looking at the lyrics from a general standpoint, we see that they portray the process of the judges asking Ronnie to revisit his life, forcing him to look closely at the darkest and most intimate episodes. Ronnie is assessed as an ordinary middle-class Englishman with more lights than shadows.

What I just described is enough for our analysis purposes. Again, if you want a detailed line-by-line analysis, click here.

From a musical point of view, let’s break down this long act in major segments:

PART 1 – Instrumental Development – PART 2 – PART 3 – INSTRUMENTAL CODA

Part 1

The form of Part 1 is:

Intro – A – Motive 3 – A’ – Motive 3 – B – Motive 3 – A’’ – Motive 3 – B’

Notice that Motive 3 appears between every vocal section.

Intro

A

All along the icy wastes there are faces smiling in the gloom. [The judges]

Motive 3

A’

Roll up roll down,…
… Feeling unwound?
Step into the viewing room. [Dejour asks Ronnie if he is relaxed, unstressed and ready to proceed.]

Motive 3

B

The cameras were all around.
We’ve got you taped you’re in the play. [All of your deeds have been recorded]

Here’s your I.D. (Ideal for identifying one and all.) [Interesting reference to the fact that we are part of a Whole. Direct reference to the concept of Oneness.]

Motive 3

A’’

Invest your life in the memory bank
ours the interest and we thank you. [Ronnie’s “moral solvency” is scrutinized]

Motive 3

B’’

The ice-cream lady wet her drawers,
to see you in the Passion Play. [The judges are eager to watch Ronnie’s life]

We’re now ready to listen to Part 1:

Instrumental Development (The judges enjoying the film)

This section is mostly a reinterpretation of Critique Oblique. Note that the first segment is based on Motive 3 – listen to the organ playing the motive in the background.

The second segment is based on the development of the following motive:

And the third segment is a wonderful flute (I should rather say flutes) improvisation.

Note that the entire section, until the brief drum solo, is in 11/8. The easiest way to count it is to follow the bass pattern.

According to Smolko, the second climax cycle goes from Act One, Scene Two to the end of this 11/8 section.

Part 2

The form of Part 2 is:

Intro – A – interlude – B – B’ – interlude – B’’ – B’’’ – Coda (Vocal + Instrumental)

Intro

This instrumental introduction is based on a complex rhythmic pattern based on two 12/8 bars + one 9/8. If you have not paid attention to the instruments interplay, please take a moment to do so.

Their tight playing under such a complex beat is simply amazing:

Here’s the rest of PART 2

A

Take the prize for instant pleasure,
captain of the cricket team
public speaking in all weathers,
a knighthood from a queen.

[Ronnie is a typical middle-class man, who indulged on pleasures without thinking about moral consequences, was reasonably successful in his endeavors and was happily married]

Interlude

B

All your best friends’ telephones
never cooled from the heat of your hand. [But he abused of his friends]

B’

There’s a line in a front-page story,
13 horses that also-ran. [So maybe Ronnie’s success was at the expense of others…]

Interlude

B’’

Climb in your old umbrella.
Does it have a nasty tear in the dome? [Ronnie’s self-image is challenged by the judges]

B’’’

But the rain only gets in sometimes
and the sun never leaves you alone, [but it seems that on average, his good deeds outweigh the bad ones]

Coda Vocal

you alone, you alone, you alone, you alone, you alone. [now, unshielded, he must face the scrutiny of the judges]

Coda Instrumental
The instrumental part of this coda is based on the material from the Intro, with and equally impressive interplay under the odd-rhythm. The section is extended to create a suitable conclusion for Part 2.

We are now ready to listen to the rest of Part 2:

Part 3

The form of Part 3 is very interesting. It introduces new material, which is mixed with elements from Part 1. Motive 4 is presented, and then is combined with motive 3 which belongs to Part 1. This yields to a modified reprise of section B from Part 1. So, in summary, the contrasting section of this part is not based on new material but rather on a modified version of material from Part 1. This way of combining ideas from different parts provides coherence to this long and complex act.

The form is:

Intro A (Motive 4) – A – vocal Interlude – A – instrumental development – Intro to B from Part 1 (motives 3 and 4 combined ) – B’ from Part 1 – A’ – Coda/Outro (vocal + instrumental + vocal)

Intro A

Section A from Part 3 is based on Motive 4:

A

Lover of the black and white it’s your first night.
The Passion Play, goes all the way, spoils your insight. [Ronnie’s ethical and moral views are challenged]

Tell me how the baby’s made, how the lady’s laid,
why the old dog howls in sadness. [The judges enquire about profound aspects of Ronnie’s life which he is conscious about]

Vocal Interlude:

And your little sister’s immaculate virginity
wings away on the bony shoulders
of a young horse named George who stole
surreptitiously into her geography revision.
(The examining body examined her body.) [And they show Ronnie other aspects of his life that either he didn’t know or couldn’t control]

A

Actor of the low-high Q, let’s hear your view.
Peek at the lines upon your sleeves
since your memory won’t do.
Tell me: how the baby’s graded*, how the lady’s faded, [*note how the snare drum reinforces the word “graded”]
why the old dogs howl with madness. [The scrutiny continues]

Instrumental Development (starts at 1:44 in the audio example)

Intro to B from part 1 (motives 3 and 4 combined) (starts at 2:16 in the audio example)

B’ from Part 1

All of this and some of that’s the only way to skin the cat. [The judges see that Ronnie has made a number of compromises throughout his life]

And now you’ve lost a skin or two,
you’re for us and we for you. [The dissection process has ended. Ronnie has been a witness of his own life and is now prepared to continue his journey in the afterlife.]

The dressing room is right behind,
We’ve got you taped, you’re in the play. [The judges now have a thorough understanding of Ronnie’s last incarnation.]

How does it feel to be in the play?
How does it feel to play the play?
How does it feel to be the play? [and they want to know what Ronnie learned from his recent life on earth.]

These three last verses demand a bit of reflection. The first two are rather straightforward: how does it feel to be alive, to be a part of life. The third encloses a profound mystical concept: how does it feel to BE life. Anderson puts a strong accent on the word BE and this is quite intentional. Again, the lyrics refer to being one with all creation. The concept of Oneness. Ronnie finally understands that he is not part of the play. He IS the play: “You’re for us, and we’re for you”…

A’

Man of passion rise again, we won’t cross you out:
for we do love you like a son, of that there’s no doubt. [Ronnie is invited to continue his journey. He is loved, no matter what decisions he took in life]

Again, a profound metaphysical concept is contained in this few verses:
Man of passion rise again: Our desires, passions, projects, is what propels us through physical life and triggers our need to incarnate.
We won’t cross you out: You have free will. You will continue to evolve, no matter what you do.
for we do love you like a son, of that there’s no doubt: You are loved unconditionally.
No one brings pain to Ronnie but himself, through his own decisions. His passage through the purgatory will be pleasant or painful depending only on how he exercised his free will. The purpose of this scrutiny is not to award or to punish, but to allow him to learn. To understand who he really is.
This idea is reinforced in the next verses:

Tell us: is it you who are here for our good cheer?

Coda/Outro Vocal 1

Or are we here for the glory, for the story, for the gory satisfaction
of telling you how absolutely awful you really are?

Quoting Thomason:

Coda/Outro Instrumental
According to Smolko, the third climax cycle goes from the end of the 11/8 section in Act One, Scene Two to the end of this instrumental section.

Coda/Outro Vocal 2

There was / a rush along the Fulham Road.
There was / a hush in the Passion Play. [The court adjourns, the cinema is emptied and Ronnie continues his voyage in the afterlife]

With all this information, let’s listen to Part 3:

Instrumental CODA

The first thing to note is that Motive 1, the hearbeat, returns but not the pumping sound of the physical heart but its rhythm, played by the guitar. Ronnie’s “spiritual heart” is full of life and ready to proceed with his journey. His next stop is Heaven and the music of this Coda very effectively describes his transit as he approaches Paradise.

Notice that the heartbeat motive played by the guitar serves as a harmonic pedal. For an explanation of what a harmonic pedal is, I refer you to the Starless analysis.

This ends the first part of the analysis of “A Passion Play”. We will continue the analysis of this masterpiece in the next edition of the “Classics Choice”.

Resources

This analysis would not have been possible without the solid foundation laid by Tim Smolko in his book: “Jethro Tull’s Thick as a Brick and A Passion Play. Inside Two Long Songs” 2013. Indiana University Press.

Of equal importance is the splendid, accurate and detailed lyrics analysis provided by Neil Thomason.

In this link you can download a pdf version of Max Heindel’s “Rosicrucian Cosmo-Conception”.

“A Passion Play” art cover images were taken directly from my personal 1974 vinyl copy of the album.

The background music used is:

• The pieces “Docks”, “Beached”, “Sasquatch” and “Durkik” from Camel’s live album “Coming of Age”
• The pieces “My Heart Deserves a Holiday” and “Tramontana” from the album “Random Acts of Happiness” by Bill Bruford’s Earthworks
• The piece “The Sparrow” by the Japanese band Fantasmagoria, from their album “Day and Night”

Unfortunately, since this amazing work was so poorly received by the critics, “A Passion Play” was soon removed from Tull’s live repertoire so there is very little in terms of historical documents. These are 3 videos taken from Jethro Tull’s YouTube channel:

This is “Critique Oblique” from Château D’Isaster Tapes. Very interesting to see how Anderson was able to incorporate this material into the plot of “A Passion Play”:

Download

MP3

We remind you that the audio fragments embedded in the text are to be used when reading the article without listening to the audio program. All these examples are included in the audio program.

Welcome to the sixth edition of the Classic of the Month. Tonight, “Supper’s Ready” part 2 …

Willow Farm

The absence of a promenade between “How dare I” and “Willow Farm” is intentional. As Armando Gallo describes in his book, and quoting Tony Banks:

The obvious consequence of this approach, is that any attempt to find a congruent continuity with the flow of the story is, to put it lightly, a bit dubious. I believe that the lyrics of “Willow Farm” portray the senseless and superficial existence of a middle class manipulated by the factual powers. Mass manipulation. Of course, much in line with the article The Cult to the Ephemeral and its Effect on Art. All you need is to change “Willow Farm” for “Current Society” and the lyrics speak by themselves.

The structure of “Willow Farm” is a large ternary form:

A-B-A

where:

A: aa’bb
B: cd
A’: a’’

Sections “A” are in a meter of 12/8.

The sharp contrast between parts “A” and “B” is achieved by several means:

• The music suddenly stops and a scream “ALL CHANGE” is heard with doors banging in the background
• The rhythm changes from 12/8 to a straight 4/4
• The mode changes from minor to Major
• The organ is replaced by a piano.

The change in character between parts “A” and “B” is remarkable and is a good example of Genesis ability to move effortlessly through different styles.

According to Gallo, Banks suggests including a cadence at the end of “How Dare I” and it is very effective because it defines the mood of this section. Instead of the normal cadence using the ordinary western minor mode:

He uses:

Which is a mode called Phrygian. The second tone is lowered half step. This cadence is also used to introduce the IV and last promenade, but this time it is cleverly used to modulate to G minor.

Let’s identify each section while we listen to this plateau:

a:

If you go down to Willow Farm,
to look for butterflies, flutterbyes, gutterflies
Open your eyes, it’s full of surprise, everyone lies,
like the focks on the rocks,
and the musical box. (1)
Oh, there’s Mum & Dad, and good and bad,
and everyone’s happy to be here.

 
 
(1) I think it makes reference to the following verse in the “Musical Box”: “And the nurse will tell you lies, of a Kingdom beyond the skies”

a’:

There’s Winston Churchill dressed in drag,
he used to be a British flag, plastic bag, what a drag.
The frog was a prince, the prince was a brick, the brick was an egg,
the egg was a bird.
(Fly away you sweet little thing, they’re hard on your tail)
Hadn’t you heard?
(They’re going to change you into a human being!)
Yes, we’re happy as fish and gorgeous as geese,
and wonderfully clean in the morning.

b:

We’ve got everything, we’re growing everything,
We’ve got some in
We’ve got some out
We’ve got some wild things floating about

b again:

Everyone, we’re changing everyone,
you name them all,
We’ve had them here,
And the real stars are still to appear.
ALL CHANGE!

c:

Feel your body melt;
Mum to mud to mad to dad
Dad diddley office, Dad diddley office,
You’re all full of ball.
Dad to dam to dumb to mum
Mum diddley washing, Mum diddley washing,
You’re all full of ball.

d:

Let me hear you lies, we’re living this up to the eyes.
Ooee-ooee-ooee-oowaa
Momma I want you now.

a”:

And as you listen to my voice
To look for hidden doors, tidy floors, more applause.
You’ve been here all the time,
Like it or not, like what you got,
You’re under the soil (the soil, the soil),
Yes, deep in the soil (the soil, the soil, the soil!).
So we’ll end with a whistle and end with a bang
and all of us fit in our places.

Peter Gabriel’s description, within the context of the “Supper’s Ready” story, is:

Promenade IV

This is the longest Promenade and a very appropriate one because it provides a pause before the long and complex Apocalypse in 9/8. The structure is a Theme and Variation with an introduction:

Intro-A-A’-A’’-A’’’

Intro

In contrast to the theme and its variations which are mainly acoustic, the intro is based on electronic soundscapes drawn by mellotron, electric guitar and bass. A sequence of modulations takes us from G minor to A minor. In the last chord, the mellotron is purposely out of tune, helping to create a stronger contrast between the electric and acoustic parts of the piece.

Theme and Variations

The theme is presented by the flute, with an acoustic guitar accompaniment. Each variation introduces additional instruments: A’ – organ, A’’ – Spanish guitar, A’’’ – an electric guitar.

Notice that in A’’’, the electric guitar recalls the melody of the first verse of G.E.S.M: “I know a farmer, who looks after the farm” and uses it to modulate to F# m, the tonality of “Apocalypse in 9/8”.

I will put this promenade without identifying each section. Try to do it yourself with the information I just provided:

Apocalypse in 9/8

It is very likely that the lyrics of this tableau emerged from the final verses of “Willow Farm”, from the phrase ALL CHANGE onwards. You will recall that they say:

You’re under the soil (the soil, the soil),
Yes, deep in the soil (the soil, the soil, the soil!).
So we’ll end with a whistle and end with a bang
and all of us fit in our places.

As Banks pointed out, “Willow Farm” was a separate piece, including lyrics, written earlier by Gabriel. See how Gabriel ties “Willow Farm” to “Apocalypse in 9/8”:

For those of you with music knowledge, you might want to read Mark Spice’s analysis of this plateau on his paper: Large-Scale Strategy and Compositional Design in the Early Music of Genesis. He makes a very interesting comparison between “Apocalypse in 9/8” and Stravinsky’s “Rite of Spring”.

As it name implies, the meter of this section is in 9/8 but not in 3 groups of 3, but rather follow the pattern 2+2+2+3. If you don’t have a clear understanding of what a measure is, you might want to follow the explanation given on the analysis of Close to the Edge Part / 1 (starting at minute 24).

The structure of this plateau is:

A – Instrumental (organo solo 1/interlude/organ solo 2) – B – interlude – C

Many fans struggle trying to count this section. If you want to try to count this, try not to listen to Gabriel’s melody and count like this:

One – Two – Three – one,two,three – One – Two – Three – one,two,three

Where the long One-Two-Three each occupy one of the three groups of 2 beats:

One(2)+Two(2)+Three(2), one,two,three

Let’s do it together until the beginning of the organ solo:

Now, let’s see section “A” from the point of view of Peter Gabriel. He is not counting in 9/8. He sings each verse in straight 4/4, makes a pause of two beats (2/4) and repeats this 5 times. It takes him 18 beats to complete each cycle (4×4+2), which is equivalent to two 9/8 measures. That is why the cymbal coincides with the beginning of each voice cycle. The last time, he needs to go into the two beats pause to complete the verse and even overlaps with the first beat of the instrumental section. Let’s count them together. Try not to pay attention to the instrumental accompaniment:

A:

With the guards of Magog, swarming around,
The Pied Piper takes his children underground.
Dragons coming out of the sea,
Shimmering silver head of wisdom looking at me.
He brings down the fire from the skies,
You can tell he’s doing well by the look in human eyes.
Better not compromise.
It won’t be easy.

Organ solo

This is unquestionably one of the most remarkable solos in the history of progressive rock. The way climax is built is by creating harmonic stress over a harmonic pedal (please refer to the analysis of Starless for a definition of harmonic pedals). Now in this case, the harmonic pedal is not based on a single note, but on a simple ostinato pattern based on three notes. What you just counted (2+2+2+3) is that pattern that repeats itself throughout the entire solo.

There are 2 organ solos, separated by an interlude with a complex interplay between organ chords and flute.

If you thought counting the voice was hard, wait until you see what Banks does in the organ solos. I believe he wrote the solo purposely building the phrases based on different metrics. The result is a complex mix of meters that is difficult to count. He probably uses each beat of the rhythmic session in order to guide himself through the solo. The guitar and bass, although playing in an irregular metric of 9/8, are not doing a syncopated figure. They play 9 regular straight beats in each measure. So, Banks can take each individual beat as his rhythmic cue. In other words, for him, the band is playing in 1/1. I took the solo and broke it down into phrases in order to get a better feel for how the accents of the solo are displaced with respect to the 9/8 beat.

To keep it simple, I will just refer to the number of beats in each group:

4-3-3-7-4-4-6-4-4-4-6-6-7(with chords accompaniment)-7-8-4-4-4-6-4-4-4-4(chords again)-4-4-3 and from this point on, Tony settles at 4/4 until the end of the first solo. The last 2 measures are 7/8 and then a 4 beat rest before the interlude.

I cannot count this without running out of air, so I will use two woodblocks instead. I will do this until a few bars after the solo settles on 4/4. Each time the sound of the woodblock changes, indicates a change of measure.

During the interlude, the bass and guitar stop playing the ostinato pattern. A single bass note is kept during the whole passage. A very complex interplay is done between the organ, playing chords at 4/4 and the flute with a free form of the ostinato pattern, at 9/8.

To add complexity, the drum plays a pattern that is a hybrid between 4/4 and 9/8. The only thing you can “hang on to” is a cymbal that is always played in the last beat of the 9/8. This is certainly one of the most complicated passages in the history of the band.

The second organ solo, until a couple of bars before the end, is based on 4/4. This is easier to follow because the left hand in the organ is keeping the beat while the right hand plays a syncopated pattern. Both hands start ascending, building a fabulous climax for the entry of “666”:

Let’s take a closer look at the remaining sections: B – Interlude and C

Section “B” starts with “666”. I label this section B instead of A’ because although the rhythmic pattern and voice style are the same, the melodies are different. Notice something very relevant: For the first time, the organ starts to play at 9/8, in sync with the rhythmic section, changing chords every two 9/8 measures. Section “B” ends with the phrase “a brand new tune” and we enter an interlude where the organ now plays in straight 9/8 along with the rhythmic section. At the final part of the interlude, the ostinato pattern in 9/8 stops and the metric is set at 4/4 in preparation for “C” which is really a reprise of “Lover’s Leap”.

If you recall my explanation on Close to the Edge Part / 1 it would seem that this is another example of using polyrhythmic metric displacement to build tension to represent the battle, and resolving the tension by playing all at the same meter to portray the end of a conflict. In “Close to the Edge” it was a struggle between spirit and flesh, in this case a struggle between good and evil.

Section “C” of this long plateau takes us back to “Lover’s Leap”, with a pompous arrangement that includes tubular bells, and on “Now I’m back again” a clever modulation takes us to the final plateau, based on the themes of G.E.S.M.

Let’s listen to the final part of Apocalypse in 9/8 and try to focus on how the music progressively goes in sync until, in the interlude, the whole band plays at 9/8 before changing to 4/4:

666 is no longer alone,
He’s getting out the marrow in your back bone,
And the seven trumpets blowing sweet rock and roll,
Gonna blow right down inside your soul.
Pythagoras with the looking glass reflects the full moon,
In blood, he’s writing the lyrics of a brand new tune.
And it’s hey babe, with your guardian eyes so blue,
Hey my baby, don’t you know our love is true,
I’ve been so far from here,
Far from your loving arms,
Now I’m back again, and babe it’s gonna work out fine.

As Sure as Eggs is Eggs

This last plateau shows the victory of “Good” against “Evil”.

Gabriel’s description of this tableau is:

This final plateau is a reprise of G.E.S.M. and presents an astonishing overlapping of opposing concepts and forces. On G.E.S.M. the music and the lyrics refer to the evil impostor who manipulates the masses in the name of religion. Now, the same music, rearranged, has lyrics that represent the return of Jesus Christ Himself, to “lead his children home”.

Quoting Mark Spicer:

Can’t you feel our souls ignite
Shedding ever changing colours,
in the darkness of the fading night,
Like the river joins the ocean,
as the germ in a seed grows
We have finally been freed to get back home.
There’s an angel standing in the sun,
and he’s crying with a loud voice,
“This is the supper of the mighty one”,
Lord of Lords,
King of Kings,
Has returned to lead his children home,
To take them to the new Jerusalem.

Gabriel’s note: [Jerusalem=place of peace]

Resources

This analysis would not have been possible without the solid foundation laid by Mark Spicer in his work: “Large-Scale Strategy and Compositional Design in the Early Music of Genesis”.

Paul Whitehead’s description of the artwork of Foxtrot can be found here.

Foxtrot art cover images were taken directly from my personal copies of the album.

The background music used is “Bayreuth Return” from the album “Timewind” by Klaus Schulze.

This is an excellent orchestral version with Steve Hackett, the band Todmobile and the North Iceland Symphony Orchestra. Thanks to Rob Dubrovsky for this recommendation.

This is the link to the video in YouTube

Here’s the live version of Supper’s Ready in its original format at “Live in Shepperton in 1973”:

This is the link to the video in YouTube

This is a wonderful animated version of “Supper’s Ready” created by Nathaniel Barlam:

Download

MP3

We remind you that the audio fragments embedded in the text are to be used when reading the article without listening to the audio program. All these examples are included in the audio program.

Welcome to the fifth edition of the Classic of the Month. Tonight, “Supper’s Ready”…..

There is no better way to start this analysis than by quoting Mark Spicer from his paper: Large-Scale Strategy and Compositional Design in the Early Music of Genesis:

“Supper’s Ready” is formed by 7 scenes or tableaux. I will analyze each “portrait”, discussing the music and the lyrics as they appear. In doing so, the story behind the piece will unfold, and with all the pieces of the puzzle in their place, we will be able to appreciate the greater design of the piece.

In each section, interspersed with the lyrics, I will include the program notes written by Gabriel himself in order to help fans understand the story. These notes were distributed among the audience during Genesis concerts in 1973.

There is one structural aspect of the whole piece that needs to be highlighted now. If you are familiar with Mussorgsky’s “Pictures at an Exhibition” (both the original and ELP’s version) you will know that the author was inspired by a series of paintings (by Victor Hartmann). Mussorgsky included, between some pieces, short interludes called “promenades” that illustrate the moment when the viewer is walking from one picture to the other. “Supper’s Ready” also has “promenades” between some tableaux and will be treated separately. Thus, the analysis will be done based on the following overall structure:

1. Lovers’ Leap
2. Promenade I
3. The Guaranteed Eternal Sanctuary Man
4. Promenade II
5. Ikhnaton and Itsacon and their Band of Merry Men
6. Promenade III
7. How Dare I be so Beautiful?
8. Willow Farm
9. Promenade IV
10. Apocalypse in 9/8 (co-starring the Delicious Talents of Gabble Ratchet)
11. As Sure as Eggs is Eggs (Aching Men’s Feet)

Before jumping into the music, let’s highlight some features of the art cover, done by Paul Whitehead. In the “Resources” section you will find a link to an article where Paul Whitehead himself describes the cover.

Note that in the back you can see the croquet scene depicted in ”Nursery Crime”. This was included in order to provide continuity to the aesthetics established by Whitehead in the two previous albums.

Quoting Whitehead:

There are two direct references to lyrics in the album: the four horsemen of the apocalypse and the “Six saintly shrouded men move across the lawn slowly. The seventh walks in front with a cross held high in hand.” The fox is able to escape the chase by hopping on an ice block and moving away from the shore. In the 70’s, in the US pretty women were known as “foxes”, so here we have the fox, disguised as a sexy lady. If you look closely, you will see that the first horse to the right is clearly “excited” by this sexy fox

As a final prelude before starting with “Lover’s Leap”, let me tell you a short story. Although I’m not a collector, I happen to own an autographed version of the book “Genesis, I Know What I like” by Armando Gallo published in 1980. This is an excerpt of the book (page 49) where Gabriel tells Gallo a story that lies the foundation for the piece, and helps in understanding the whole conceptual framework:

Let’s proceed with the musical analysis of “Supper’s Ready”.

Lovers’ Leap

Gabriel’s description of this section is:

The first thing to point out is that “Supper’s Ready” has no opening section – no intro. This is very unusual in long conceptual pieces. From the first beat of the first measure, Gabriel starts to sing with instrumental accompaniment. Notice that Gabriel’s voice is doubled, the second voice an octave higher. Since the lyrics have been written in first person, this effect could very well represent the split into 2 different entities that is described in the lyrics. The structure of this section is:

A-B-Interlude-A-B-Coda

Let’s identify each section while we listen to this fragment:

A:

Walking across the sitting-room, I turn the television off.
Sitting beside you, I look into your eyes.
As the sound of motor cars fades in the night time,
I swear I saw your face change, it didn’t seem quite right.
…And it’s

B:

hello babe with your guardian eyes so blue
Hey my baby don’t you know our love is true.

Brief instrumental interlude

A:

Coming closer with our eyes, a distance falls around our bodies.
Out in the garden, the moon seems very bright,
Six saintly shrouded men move across the lawn slowly.
The seventh walks in front with a cross held high in hand.
…And it’s

B:

…hey babe your supper’s waiting for you.
Hey my baby, don’t you know our love is true.

Coda:

I’ve been so far from here,
Far from your warm arms.
It’s good to feel you again,
It’s been a long long time. Hasn’t it?

Notice that the first verse is a very close description of Peter and Jill’s experience. The only major change is the setting – from the bedroom to the sitting room. Also, notice that the doubled voice separated by an octave only occur during sections “A”. It is a very effective way to describe the fact that both male and female are being affected by the same supernatural phenomena.

The reference to Supper as a religious experience (obviously The Last Supper) is reinforced from the very beginning of the song with the strong image of 7 saintly shrouded men, the front man carrying a cross. Also note there are 7 of them – the piece has 7 tableaux…

Finally, I believe that more than “the bodies of another male and female” as described by Gabriel, what we have here is a regression to a past life when these lovers had already met. Read again the lyrics of the coda with this interpretation:

I’ve been so far from here,
Far from your warm arms.
It’s good to feel you again,
It’s been a long long time. Hasn’t it?

From a musical point of view, Mark Spicer points out a clever modulation from E to B flat (a distant key) to accompany the phrase “I swear I saw your face change”.

The main function of the short instrumental interlude is to take the key back to E, in order to repeat A with the second verse.

Promenade I

There is a form used during the baroque period that perfectly describes the form of this promenade: Chaconne In essence a Chaconne is used as a vehicle for doing variations over a repeated short harmonic progression. Notice that the two acoustic guitars are always shifting between the same two arpeggios. At the beginning the guitars are played solo, to establish this harmonic progression. Try to listen only to the guitars during the entire section until the end of the flute solo. You will see that they don’t move away from these two arpeggios. This Chaconne has four variations:

1. Choral arrangements (first time alone, second with keyboard embellishments)
2. Keyboard solo
3. Guitar and bass solo
4. Flute solo

After the flute solo, the guitars modulate to G minor in preparation for the tonality of the next tableau (A minor), so this section can be regarded as the intro to the second tableau.

The Guaranteed Eternal Sanctuary Man

Gabriel’s description of this section is:

The structure of this section is:

Intro-A-B-A-B-Coda

The analysis of Starless included an explanation of a harmonic resource known as “harmonic pedal”. Notice that in the “A” sections, Rutherford keeps a bass ostinato on the note A, while the harmony moves. This is another great example of a harmonic pedal used very effectively. On the “B” sections the pedal is broken and the bass supports the ingenious harmonic changes that support the lyrics.

Let’s identify each section while we listen to this fragment:

Intro:

I know a farmer who looks after the farm.
With water clear, he cares for all his harvest.
I know a fireman who looks after the fire.

A:

You, can’t you see he’s fooled you all.
Yes, he’s here again, can’t you see he’s fooled you all.

B:

Share his peace,
Sign the lease.
He’s a supersonic scientist,
He’s the guaranteed eternal sanctuary man

A:

Look, look into my mouth he cries,
And all the children lost down many paths,
I bet my life you’ll walk inside

B:

Hand in hand,
gland in gland
With a spoonful of miracle,
He’s the guaranteed eternal sanctuary man.

Coda:

We will rock you, rock you little snake,
We will keep you snug and warm.

The short coda with the boys chorus, has a very clever harmonic construction. At the beginning, the organ plays a dissonant chord on top of which the boys sing. This chord is made up by mixing two chords simultaneously: A minor (the tonality of this tableau) and D major (the tonality of the next tableau). So, by doing this, Banks creates a tonal ambiguity that is broken when the boys choir literally spell out the D major chord. Let’s listen to it again:

Promenade II

This short instrumental fragment features a flute solo and is based on the melody of verse “A” from Lovers’ Leap.

Ikhnaton and Itsacon and their Band of Merry Men

Gabriel’s description of this section is:

As Mark Spicer correctly points out, this plateau is based on the obsessive repetition of a single chord, in this case D Major. In rock parlance, this is often described as a “one-chord” jam. This obsessive repetition, coupled with the militaristic use of the snare, provides a very effective description of the battle.

The structure of this section is:

Intro (battle preparation)-A-B-C (Instrumental) – A’

Let’s identify sections “A” and “B” while we listen to this fragment:

Introduction (battle preparation):

Wearing feelings on our faces while our faces took a rest,
We walked across the fields to see the children of the West,
But we saw a host of dark skinned warriors
standing still below the ground,
Waiting for battle.

A (one-chord jam on D major):

The fight’s begun, they’ve been released.
Killing foe for peace…bang, bang, bang. Bang, bang, bang…
And they’re giving me a wonderful potion,
’cause I cannot contain my emotion.

B (brief contrast section, on G):

And even though I’m feeling good,
Something tells me I’d better activate my prayer capsule.

C (Instrumental development):

• Guitar solo based on the one-chord jam on D Major until 0:42 (in the example)
• The one-chord jam is released. Notice the drum pattern stops abruptly, leaving a solo interplay of two guitars. This signals the end of the battle.
• The guitar pattern is now taken by the organ, as the one-chord jam pattern returns in preparation for A’

A’ (one-chord jam on D major):
I label this last section A’ because of the modification brought in by the organ pattern that carries on from the previous instrumental section. Also, notice that the drum pattern has changed from a military snare drum pattern to a syncopated rhythm based on the use of hi-hat and bass drum.

Today’s a day to celebrate, the foe have met their fate.
The order for rejoicing and dancing has come from our warlord.

In regards to the lyrics, as in GESM, these two last plateaus reflect a strong and cynical criticism to religion and their leaders. GESM describes the ascent of a religious leader, and in this plateau, we see the followers fighting against the “dark skinned warriors” who have not embraced the “real faith”. The wonderful phrase: “Wearing feelings on our faces while our faces took a rest” to me represents the hypocritical attitude of religion fanatics, that conveniently justify their radical attitudes with their personal interpretation of whatever sacred text they are supposedly following.

Promenade III

This short promenade can be considered a Coda from the previous plateau. The one-chord jam is finally abandoned while a gentle guitar solo paves the way for the mood of the next plateau. An effective crossfade is built, and serves to incorporate the first two chords of the next section.

How Dare I be so Beautiful?

Gabriel’s description of this section is:

This plateau offers a radical contrast with its predecessor. Whereas on the previous one we heard a strong rhythmic section with a typical rock harmonic structure, we are now submerged in an impressionistic landscape; a minimalistic approach based on a few dispersed chords built in such a way as to provide a sense of tonal ambiguity.

There is no structure as such, just a free flow of chords and Gabriel singing almost in a recitative style:

Wandering through the chaos the battle has left,
We climb up a mountain of human flesh,
To a plateau of green grass, and green trees full of life.
A young figure sits still by a pool,
He’s been stamped “Human Bacon” by some butchery tool.
(He is you)
Social Security took care of this lad.
We watch in reverence, as Narcissus is turned to a flower.

A flower?

And with this, we reach the end of the first part of the analysis of Supper’s Ready. In the next number – #6 / April 2017 – we will complete the analysis of this excellent masterpiece.

Resources

This analysis would not have been possible without the solid foundation laid by Mark Spicer in his work: “Large-Scale Strategy and Compositional Design in the Early Music of Genesis”.

Paul Whitehead’s description of the artwork of Foxtrot can be found here.

Foxtrot art cover images were taken directly from my personal copies of the album.

The background music used is “Bayreuth Return” from the album “Timewind” by Klaus Schulze.

Here’s the live version of Supper’s Ready in its original format at “Live in Shepperton in 1973”:

This is the link to the video in YouTube

This is a wonderful animated version of “Supper’s Ready” created by Nathaniel Barlam:

Download

MP3

We remind you that the audio fragments embedded in the text are to be used when reading the article without listening to the audio program. All these examples are included in the audio program.

Welcome to the fourth edition of the Classic of the Month. Today we will submerge in the world of “Starless” by King Crimson.

As I mentioned in last month’s article Progressive Rock – a Misleading Tag one of the most prominent characteristics of this genre is, as a neo-baroque expression, the development of thematic material aimed at building one or several climaxes throughout the piece. Other 2 characteristics of neo-baroque that represent this genre very well and are key to the construction of “Starless” are:

• the aesthetic of repetition and variation
• a desire to evoke states of transcendence

“Starless” is a perfect example of how the use of repetition and variation, as well as harmonic resources, can be used to gradually build a series of climaxes. The obsessive repetition of single notes is hypnotic and helps to create a unique environment that naturally leads to the climaxes that have made this song an all-time classic.

Starless uses a couple of harmonic resources that are very common in progressive rock (and in classical music as well): harmonic pedals and a couple of cadences known as “deceptive” and “suspended”. But before we describe how these resources are used in the piece, we need first to make a crash course in basic principles of tonality.

Tonality and “expectation” go hand in hand. In the discussion that will follow, when I talk about “attraction” and “intensity of the attraction” what I mean is what our mind has been trained to “expect” and how “strong” this expectation is.

To describe tonality without having basic notions of music theory is tricky but let’s give it a shot. In order to achieve this, let’s think of notes as magnets with different intensities, and even different polarities. In my article Tonality and the Purpose of Life I explained that the way tonality is perceived is by creating a hierarchy of notes. So, once we perceive a tonal center, notes immediately have ranks assigned. Some are heavily attracted to the tonal center, others are attracted but to a lesser degree and this allows them to be used as pivotal points to modulate to other tonalities. And others are not attracted, quite the opposite, their polarity is reversed and tend to move away from the tonic. These notes, and the chords (that is, 3 or more notes played simultaneously) built around them are used to create dissonant chords.

In that article I also argue that the reason why tonal music has been so strongly engrained in our culture is because it has been able to create a frame of reference. In other words, we have been trained to “expect” an outcome when we hear a series of chords. Even if we have no music training, if we listen to this series of chords we automatically expect the outcome:

In tonal music, a cadence is a sequence of chords that concludes a musical phrase. When we hear a series of chords and expect the next one, what is happening in the background is that one of many different cadences is in action. These cadences have been used for centuries and are at the core of this “aural conditioning” that has built the tonal frame of reference in the western culture. When we hear the chord that we are expecting, probably a cadence known as “perfect” has occurred. What I played in the previous example, was a perfect cadence.

If, on the other hand, instead of the chord that you are expecting you hear another one, then you probably heard one of several cadences known as “interrupted” or “deceptive” cadences. Some “deceptive” cadences use a chord known as “Neapolitan 6th” for this purpose. Let me give you an example. First let’s listen to a perfect cadence:

In this case, I start in F, and play a couple of chords that lead me back to F, where I started. Straightforward and predictable.

Now let’s change this perfect cadence into a “deceptive” one, using the Neapolitan 6th chord. This chord is an example of many that can be used to move the tonal center. I will play the same F chord again and the first of the two chords used in the previous example. But then, at the third chord (0:03) you will hear the Neapolitan 6th. I will use it to move the tonal center. After playing two more chords, I will finish in B flat instead of F. So, I used the Neapolitan 6th chord to build a cadence that allowed me to modulate from one tone to another.

Let’s listen to this example by Camel, who uses the “Neapolitan 6th” in their suite “Harbour of Tears”:

Before moving on, let’s go a little further in the explanation of tonality. When we define a tonal center, the chord that sits on the tonal center is called “tonic”. The other chords are assigned ranks, whose names are suggestive of how closely related they are to the tonic. It may or may not explain why humans have adopted the tonal structure that we have, but the fact is that the second most important chord, in terms of its magnetic attraction to the tonic, is called “Dominant Chord” or “V”, which happens to match the first harmonic tone that appears in the harmonic series after the fundamental tone itself (and its octave). The magnetic attraction between the dominant and tonic is evident for all westerners.

As you will see, the note B, that sits next to the tonic: C, has an irresistible temptation to move towards the tonic.

This note is very important in the dominant chord because it can determine the 2 modes used extensively in Western music: major and minor.

Other chords have different rankings depending on how strongly they lead back to the tonic. The names are:

As I said, we have been conditioned to expect how these chords relate to each other, even with no music training.

One of the most famous sequence of chords is the one defined in Pachelbel’s canon in D Major. Most of you have probably seen this video where the comedian Rob Paravonian shows how this sequence of chords have been used and abused in every music genre. For those reading the article, here it is in case you have never seen it.

Playing with these harmonic expectations is the basis for the creation of tension and distension in tonal music. There are innumerable ways to disrupt cadences and to modulate from one tonal center to another. They require a good understanding of harmony and are far beyond the scope of this simple introduction. However, there is a resource that is very easy to construct and maybe that is why it has been used so extensively in progressive rock: harmonic pedals.

A very important note in any chord is the first, or lowest, because it helps identify the tonal center. In a simple chord, here it is:

To see how important it is, let me play the same tonic – dominant chord, playing the bass at a higher volume,

Now listen to what happens if I invert the order of the bass note:

This harmonic resource is used very frequently by prog composers like Tony Banks.

A harmonic pedal is built by keeping the bass note constant while changing the harmony. Examples in progressive rock are countless. So, let me give you an example in classical music. This is how it is used by Rachmaninov in his Piano Concerto No. 2 Opus 18 in C minor. The piece starts with a harmonic pedal but not in the tonic but instead the subdominant: F. Before introducing the main theme, it moves to the dominant (G) and ends in C, the tonic, and the main theme is introduced. Listen to the first 30 seconds in this interpretation by Anna Fedorova and the North West German Philharmonic conducted by Martin Panteleev:

The coda of the second movement is one of the most beautiful passages that I have ever listened to. The harmonic pedal moves effortlessly until it is kept steady in the end. For those of you reading the article and watching the video examples, notice at 00:37 that the double bass players are playing the E note in the air. This is the lowest pitch of the instrument. Their left hand is resting in the body of the instrument. This harmonic pedal is kept until the end of the movement only interrupting the pedal for a moment, when the soloist plays the dominant (B) to finish the piece in the tonic: E.

The following is a good example of both resources – harmonic pedal and deceptive cadence, used in conjunction.

This is the coda of Triptych – Noon Mist published in issue #2 of Phaedrus. Notice that the bass keeps a constant note “A” – the harmonic pedal. It runs through three complete cycles; the third chord prepares a return to the tonic but the fourth chord breaks the cycle – a deceptive cadence. The fourth and final time, the harmony finally resolves but in “A” Major instead of “a” minor. Let’s listen to it:

Sometimes the harmonic pedal expands, forming a chord that remains static, building tension and a hypnotic atmosphere until the chord finally resolves. Pink Floyd use this resource masterfully in “Shine on You Crazy Diamond”. At the beginning of the piece, the pedal is kept for more than 2 minutes (I mean in the original piece, not this fragment) before resolving (1:11). For 30 seconds the tonal center moves, and in 2:13 another static pedal section starts, beneath the famous 4-note motif played by the guitar. Notice the very different character of these 4 notes when, at 3:18 it finally resolves:

We are now prepared to take on the analysis of Starless.

In Starless, another type of cadence called “suspended” is used very effectively. In this case, what happens is that you are not thrown off in another direction like in the case of a “deceptive” cadence but rather almost come to conclusion, but not quite. You are left suspended, very close to the real resolution, but not there yet.

Let me play for you the opening measures so you can easily identify where the suspended cadence is.

The cadence is suspended by keeping the harmonic pedal; in other words, by not moving the bass to the tonic. Even though the section is in G minor, the bass note is playing a D and keeps that note creating a harmonic pedal that doesn’t resolve as one would expect. For those with music knowledge, you will see that the D in the bass creates the second inversion of the G minor chord:

The natural cadence would be this:

Those of you who know the piece well, will have already detected what I am about to say: this cadence is not resolved until the very end of the piece. Let’s listen to all the sections where this cadence appears:

And in the end of the piece (between 00:12 and 00:13 in the example) it finally resolves:

Let’s go through the piece analyzing its structure. Eric Tamm in his article “From Crimson King to Crafty Master” states that Starless is in a loose Sonata form. I disagree because in my opinion the only aspect in common with a Sonata form is that the piece has 2 themes and a long development section. It is true, as he claims, that modern sonatas don’t follow the format following the strict classical rules; for example, in the 20th century, it is common to present the 2 themes on unrelated tonalities, however, the fundamental characteristic of a Sonata form is the development of the themes presented during the exposition. This doesn’t happen in Starless, aside from the fact that the horn briefly presents the vocal theme in the middle of the “C” development. But let’s discuss this as we move through the piece. In my opinion, the structure is:

A (twice) – B (twice with a short interlude) – A (once) – B (once) – C (instrumental – independent development with an interlude that re-exposes B) – A’

The C section leads to the recapitulation of “A” labelled A’ because, as described earlier, the cadence is finally resolved.

Section A

Under a straight 4/4 rhythm, the section presents 2 themes, the first one is based on mellotron strings and the second introduces a guitar based melody. The second time, the guitar moves up an octave when playing the second theme.

Section B

This is the only vocal section of the piece. It has a single theme, backed by embellishments provided by the saxophone. As in section A, it is also in G minor. These are the lyrics:

Sundown dazzling day
Gold through my eyes
But my eyes turned within
Only see
Starless and bible black

Ice blue silver sky
Fades into grey
To a grey hope that omens to be
Starless and bible black

Old friend charity
Cruel twisted smile
And the smile signals emptiness
For me
Starless and bible black

It would appear that these lyrics present a reflection on the fact that reality is dependent on our interpretation of what we perceive. The scene depicted can be interpreted in opposite ways.

The lyrics provide three interpretations of what is being perceived, that would likely come from a person with a profound depression:

In the middle of a “dazzling dusk” with “gold pouring through my eyes”, my eyes turn within and I only see “Starless and Bible Black”.

As dusk approaches (Ice blue silver sky, fades into grey), the shades of grey are interpreted as an omen of a dark and ominous future.

The smile of a friend is perceived as charity, the smile turns into a twisted and cruel grin. His smile transforms into emptiness within.

But, from a different perspective, the scene could have been: On a bright afternoon, oblique sunbeams project a special light, as one sees a good friend approaching us while he smiles. Soon the sun disappears giving rise to a beautiful landscape of colors that slowly turn into grey.

Of course, the music of “Starless” would not have provided a good setting for this second interpretation…

Notice that the main vocal theme is repeated twice. The first time, a deceptive cadence in the phrase “Bible Black” is used to prepare the repetition, the second time, it resolves. When the vocal theme is presented again, the deceptive cadence reappears in 0:26, moving the tonality to C (that is, modulating to C) and setting the scene for the long instrumental section.

Section C

The first thing to notice, is that C section is based on a 13/8 metric. I will put a few measures so you can try to count them. The way to know when the measure ends, is when the bass figure starts again.

In case you couldn’t identify the beats, let me count them for you:

The “C” section is in C minor, so the tonal center is around C. Let’s see how tension is built in this section.

The bass pattern presents the main resource used in Starless to create tension: After playing the tonic “C”, it sits for a while on F# before moving to G (the dominant) and then back to C through E flat. The interval between C and F# is made up of three whole tones and is usually referred to as a “Tritone”. The Tritone is traditionally known in music as the “diabolus in musica” (The Devil in music). By the way, the Tritone is used extensively in progressive rock. This single note, F#, immediately starts to build tension in this section of Starless.

The first repetitive note in the guitar is a G, which is the dominant of C and therefore builds a very stable and consonant chord.

The bass moves to F, the subdominant of C, which is a standard harmonic sequence, but keeps the same pattern, this time creating the Tritone between F and B.

While this is happening in the bass, the guitar picks a note none other than F#; that is, the same Tritone from C introduced previously by the bass. So, we are now confronted with a tonal ambiguity: Are we still in C or did we move to F? So, even if you have absolutely no training in music, as a listener, you already start to feel uneasy in your chair, just a few seconds into section C:

The guitar goes back to G, and the bass back to its pattern on C. So, everything would point back to stability if it weren’t for the stringent B, slightly out of tune moving down towards B flat, and then played an octave higher but in B flat, also a bit out of tune and moving up towards B. In the context of the tritone played by the bass, this ambiguous note that moves between B and B flat works as a catapult and throws you right into a starless void. And we’ re are only 35 seconds into section C … Remember that, in addition to this, we are still moving under a 13/8 metric.

Finally, both bass and guitar play the G note (the dominant of C), and the tension built is relaxed because we move back to C, as we are all expecting, in order to start the cycle once again. Notice that this passage is on 4/4. So, in every cycle, when we reach G, the metric changes to 4 beats and back to 13 when the next cycle begins.

On the second cycle, you hear a couple of wood blocks. They are played in 4/8 not in 13/8. Therefore, they start to shift as the cycle progresses. Try to count them. Also, the guitar, always in obsessive single note repetition, starts moving up the C scale until it reaches B. In the tonality of C, B is the note most heavily attracted to C, so when the bass moves to C, we are expecting the guitar to do the same, but instead, it stays on B. This is the beginning of the section that builds the famous Starless climax:

On the third cycle, the drums finally come into play, as the guitar continues to obsessively play B instead of C. Notice that, at the end of the previous cycle, the wood blocks play a few irregular beats and when the drum pattern settles, the wood blocks go in patterns of 3, instead of 4.

Bruford masterfully starts building tension as the guitar ascends: C, D, E flat, F, F# while gradually transforming from a clean to a distorted sound, and we reach a first climax plateau when in the fourth cycle, the guitar reaches G (1:10 in the example), but gliding back and forth between F# (the tritone) and G. In this fourth cycle, the drum is at full force, with clever percussion embellishments. The guitar again goes back to the Tritone, as in the beginning of the section, but an octave higher and keeping the distortion as opposed to the clean sound that appeared in the beginning of section C. Let’s listen to the third and fourth cycles:

We reach an interlude in 4/4, where two syncopated guitars support the lead guitar as it ascends. For those of you with more music knowledge, notice that additional tension is achieved by using a whole-tone scale as it moves up an octave from “G” to “G”.

We reach the second climax plateau when the sax improvisation starts, while the rhythm returns to 13 beats, but doubling the speed using sixteenth notes. The improvisation lasts for 2 full cycles. Notice that between the 2 cycles, the metric goes to 4/4, letting a bit of breathing space before returning to the 13/16 metric. The guitar chords signal the beginning of each measure, both 13/16 and 4/4:

Another interlude appears, based on an instrumental version of section “B” with an oboe and a cornet instead of the voice.

We finally reach the next to last climax plateau and the longest one: for two full cycles, doubling the speed of the initial section C, the guitar stays obsessively moving from G to F# (the tritone). Bass and drums at full force, and a second rhythm guitar further contributes to this sonic tsunami.

Section A’

The last cycle leads to the re-exposition of theme “A”, this time finally resolving the cadence, as we saw previously. The moment when this cadence is resolved, at 0:33, represents to me the final and most intense climax of the piece:

Resources

All “Starless” musical examples have been taken from my personal copy of Red, based on the original master published in 1974.

The Neapolitan 6th example is taken from the suite “Harbor of Tears” included in the live album double CD “Coming of Age” by Camel.

The Pink Floyd example is an extract of “Shine on you Crazy Diamond”, included in the album “Wish you were Here”.

Background music

I use a couple of songs from the album “Elixir” by “Varga Janos Project”:

• Eldorado
• Rozsak A Folyon

And also the piece “Tango” from the album “Beau Soleil” by the band “Philharmonie”.

Here’s the entire Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No. 2 Opus 18 in C minor interpreted by Anna Fedorova and the North West German Philharmonic conducted by Martin Panteleev:

There are many cover versions of this piece. My favorite is this live version by the Hungarian band “After Crying” featuring John Wetton.

There are countless versions of Starless in the web, so I chose the latest incarnation of King Crimson which, at the time of writing of this article, is the “Radical Action to Unseat the Hold of Monkey Mind” (2015/2016)

Download

MP3

We remind you that the audio fragments embedded in the text are to be used when reading the article without listening to the audio program. All these examples are included in the audio program.

Welcome to the third edition of the Classic of the Month. Today: “Tarkus” by Emerson Lake & Palmer.

When we explored the secrets of Close to the Edge, we examined a piece with is a very tight connection between music and lyrics. Jon Anderson, main composer of the music together with Steve Howe, is also the author of the lyrics. Tarkus on the other hand, was a result of merging two parallel processes. Most of the music with the exception of “Battlefield” was written by Emerson while all the lyrics were written by Greg Lake.

It is a relatively well known fact that Tarkus initially generated friction between Emerson and Lake. According to Emerson:

Lake was finally convinced to give it a shot and the music gradually grew within him, to the point that he developed some of his finest lyrics and included a piece of his own.

As a result of these independent endeavors, Tarkus is quite self-sufficient as an abstract music piece. However, a full interpretation of the conceptual framework behind the piece allows a true rediscovery of this progressive rock masterpiece.

Tarkus is a multi-movement suite, where all the movements, except ”Stones of Years” and “Mass” share common melodic material. There are also other very interesting musical considerations but I will go back to them later in the analysis. Let’s concentrate on the conceptual framework which is what will truly allow us to listen to this piece under a very different light.
There have been different interpretations of what Tarkus represents. Edward Macan, in his book “Rocking the Classics” makes an accurate summary:

More than non-exclusive, I would say that they complement each other. In fact, here’s another interpretation based on my article “The Cult to the Ephemeral and its Effect on Art”: Tarkus could represent the entertainment society that is devouring culture, transforming it into mass entertainment.

The 11 images in the album’s inner gatefold, created by William Neal, are crucial to creating a framework through which the piece’s concept is conveyed.

The first image represents the opening section “Eruption”. It depicts Tarkus emerging from an egg on the side of an active volcano:

Notice that Tarkus is really a cybernetic creature, part armadillo and part tank:

It fights, and claims victory, over different cybernetic animals:

However it is defeated, at least temporarily, by the only creature that is completely biological, the “Manticore”.

This strange figure, mixture of different animals (man, lion, scorpion, among others) is able to sting Tarkus’s left eye, forcing him to retreat.
The final panel is perfectly described by Edward Macan:

The whole suite revolves around this concept. As we will see, the lyrics reflect on the state of mankind and the struggle for human nature to prevail over the diverse forces that are slowly annihilating the sense of individuality in every human being. By the way, this struggle between man and machine is also represented in Karn Evil 9, which we will analyze in a future program.

It is no coincidence that the concepts behind “Close to the Edge” and “Tarkus” share many common views. CTTE is more spiritual and Tarkus more political, but they all point in the same direction: warning signs about where political, economic and technological forces can lead us to… Both pieces were written still under the influence of the psychedelic hippie movement; it was losing its grip on society in the early 70’s but still had a strong inertia.

Looking at the piece from a musical structure point of view, the first organizing principle is the juxtaposition of odd-numbered instrumental movements with even-numbered “song” movements. A second organizing principle has to do with the tempo. The first three instrumental sections are fast, whereas the first and third songs are slow – in line with the mournful character of the lyrics. The sharp and ironic lyrics of the second “song” are represented by a faster tempo. The final instrumental section combines a slow tempo – the funeral march – with the recapitulation of the sizzling opening theme.
From an overall perspective, Tarkus is organized following a nested structure:

Inst Fast – Song Slow – Inst Fast – Song Fast – Instr Fast- Song Slow – Instr Fast

So, starting from the middle movement – the only fast song (Mass) – the suite is symmetrical and begins and ends with the same material.

Now let’s look at each of the movements in more detail.

Eruption

The music in “Eruption” perfectly depicts the first scene. Its obsessive pattern in 5/4 gives a dynamic representation of what is going on: The rising pressure of the lava generated within the volcano, ends up spitting an egg out of which Tarkus emerges and runs down the hill to destroy everything at sight. One could claim that the lava represents the different forces – sociological, economic, technological – that have created this “entertainment society” devoid of spirit, cultural values, solidarity – who tries to find sense in life by way of a relentless mass consumption. The Tarkus.

The piece starts with a vocal effect. Lake recorded 20 different “ahhs” at different pitches, creating a volcanic mass that explodes into an ostinato figure. Fans with music knowledge frequently refer to this ostinato as a classic example of progressive rock using odd tempos, because the figure is written in 5/8. However, if you followed my explanation on music phrases in the analysis of “Close to the Edge”, you will see that the phrases that build up the melody rather suggest a 4+3+3 or a 4+6. So, this fragment of Tarkus is actually not an accurate example of a 5-beat rhythm. Let’s listen to it:

The form of “Eruption” is:

A – B – A’ – C – A” – C’ – Coda

Here are the beginnings of each section, so you can easily identify them:

The “A” sections are built with different variations of a bass ostinato. The use of ostinato bass figures became a trademark of Emerson’s music. Tarkus is an excellent example of his mastery in the use of this resource. It is introduced in “Eruption” but used in other sections of the suite. Here’s where you can find them in other movements:

Finally, it is interesting to point out that a rhythmic motif is used to relate the B and C sections.

In order to help you identify it, here’s a piano example. The bass note presents the figure and the treble note indicates the beats.

In section B, notice how it is used in the bass:

And then, by the organ, with a rhythm variation:

In section C, the pattern is used but in a compressed format:

And once again compressed, but this time adding two quarter note chords as a way to go back to the 5/4 pattern in A’’:

The Stones of Years

As Edward Macan points out, the lyrics of “The Stones of Years” can be summarized with the phrase:

“Tarkus has obliterated cultural tradition.”

“He speaks of time that has been ‘Overgrown, never known’, days that have ‘made you so unwise’”

With this insight, the lyrics are straightforward and require no interpretation:

Has the dawn ever seen your eyes?
Have the days made you so unwise
Realize, you are?

Had you talked to the winds of time,
Then you’d know how the waters rhyme,
Taste of wine,

How can you know where you’ve been?
In time you’ll see the sign
And realize your sin.

Will you know how the seed is sown?
All your time has been overgrown,
Never known.

Have you walked on the stones of years?
When you speak, is it you that hears?
Are your ears full?

You can’t hear anything at all.

The only matter left to interpretation is who are these lyrics addressed to. According to Peter Ford in his master’s thesis, the rhetorical questions in the lyrics are directed at the Tarkus. In my opinion, they are aimed at the listener.

The structure of the movement is:

A-inst-a-B-inst-A-inst-A-coda

I use the lowercase “a” because only 4 measures from “A” are used before entering section “B”. Each sung section is separated by instrumental passages that are based on the same bass pattern. It is interest to point out that this pattern is introduced in the coda of “Eruption”. Let’s listen to some fragments:

This “state of affairs” described in the lyrics is represented by a strange cybernetic artifact that seems to be a building that might very well represent mankind’s current situation:

Tarkus doesn’t seem to find much trouble in destroying it. It is very small in comparison to him, and the music doesn’t portray a sense of battle, but rather despair.

The second victim of “Tarkus” is a cybernetic pterosaur/warplane mutant called “Iconoclast”.

Iconoclast

This movement clearly shows the “Tarkus” in all its fury, as it goes about his business of destroying everything at sight. The ostinato figure presented in “Eruption” returns but in diminution (sixteenth notes) to convey the idea of a forceful and dynamic movement. Most of the movement is in 5/8 with intricate changes of tempo showing ELP’s performing abilities at its best.

The initial descending scale, in 2/2, represents the Iconoclast flying down to meet the Tarkus ….. and his defeat.

The form of “Iconoclast” falls into a large binary form. Part “A” includes the bass ostinato while “B” presents a more static bass with occasional ostinato appearing on Emerson’s right hand. Here’s my interpretation of what is going on: During part “A”, the Iconoclast is flying while fire and bullets are spit out of Tarkus’ fiery turrets. He runs at full speed to avoid the Iconoclast attack. Do you want to listen how Tarkus fires at the sky? Here it is:

And how the Iconoclast is shot and falls down to earth:

This event marks the end of part “A” and beginning of “B”. Now Tarkus runs to find where the Iconoclast has landed and stops in front of him. The iconoclast is in the ground, at his mercy. The ostinato figure stops – Tarkus moves in for the kill. The final measures with a breaking rhythm – short and long notes alternating in the bass, quite eloquently describe the final struggle before the Iconoclast is put to rest.

Mass

Although it may appear that the title refers to a Roman Catholic liturgical celebration, my interpretation of the lyrics is that Tarkus is destroying all forms of spiritual tradition. Religions turn into fanatic movements that defeat their own purpose: “The weaver in the web that he made”. Religion followers “committing every sin that they could”. The situation of the Middle East at the beginning of the 21st century is perfectly described with phrases like “minister of hate”, “messenger of fear”. Again, from this perspective, the lyrics require no further interpretation. They call forth some of Lake’s angriest and most imaginative lyrics:

The preacher said a prayer.
Save ev’ry single hair on his head.
He’s dead.

The minister of hate had just arrived too late to be spared.
Who cared?
The weaver in the web that he made!

The pilgrim wandered in,
Committing ev’ry sin that he could
So good…

The cardinal of grief was set in his belief he’d saved
From the grave
The weaver in the web that he made!

The high priest took a blade
To bless the ones that prayed,
And all obeyed.

The messenger of fear is slowly growing, nearer to the time,
A sign.
The weaver in the web that he made!

A bishops rings a bell,
A cloak of darkness fell across the ground
Without a sound!

The silent choir sing and in their silence,
Bring jaded sound, harmonic ground.
The weaver in the web that he made!

The form of Mass is very simple. There is no contrasting “B” section. All strophes use the same musical idea, with a tonal change in the last two. After the third strophe, there is a long instrumental section where tension is built gradually. It may very well represent the scene battle with the lizard/locust/missile launcher cybernetic creature depicted in the inner fold. It is also defeated by the Tarkus.

We finally reach the only fully biological creature, and the only one able to withstand the attack of the Tarkus: The Manticore.

Manticore

From a musical point of view, “Manticore” is very similar to “Iconoclast”. Themes are built around an ostinato, this time in a metric figure of 9/8. Again, strong syncopated sections seem to represent Tarkus firing at his enemy:

There is however, a significant deviation from previous instrumental movements: the rapid ostinato that represents the Tarkus, is suddenly stopped by fragments where the organ remains solo. The organ is presented under a rich sea of reverb, as if being played in an enormous cathedral. This might represent the spiritual or human aspect of the Manticore. Tarkus’ attacks are stopped by some sort of supernatural (mystic?) power. Let’s listen to the fragment with this interpretation:

The battle goes on and the drum solo in the end seems to signal the moment when Tarkus is stung in the eye and retreats. Note that the drum solo is preceded by the same syncopated sections that represent the attack, but this time it is the Manticore who is in control, whipping the Tarkus repeatedly with his tail until he hits the target – Tarkus’ only vulnerable spot: his eyes.

According to Peter Ford, the form of the Manticore is a six-part form with Coda. However, I believe it is better interpreted as a theme and variations with an interlude:

A – A’ – B – A’’ – A’’’ – A – Coda

Where A’ through A’’’ are variations on “A”. “B” is a short contrasting theme in the middle. At the end of the movement, the “A” theme is recapitulated and the coda is in the form of a drum solo.

Let’s listen to the movement and I will identify each section:

When the battle is over, the Manticore reflects on what has happened, as he watches the Tarkus flowing down the river, while blood pours from his left eye. He appears to be dead. But, is he?

Battlefield

Within the context of the suite, “Battlefield” appears to be a reflection, a sort of debriefing of the battle that has just ended. However, given the nature of the Tarkus, its annihilation should not produce the sense of bitterness portrayed in the lyrics. Lake, or rather, the Manticore, is clearly not singing to the defeated Tarkus. He would not tell him: “You talk of freedom, starving children fall”. Lake is clearly talking to the listener. Both Macan and Ford argue that “Battlefield” is a protest song related to Vietnam War. And I believe that they are correct. However, there is a phrase that is significant and links back to the conceptual framework of the piece:

Where the blades of grass and arrows rain
Then there’d be no sorrow, be no pain.

Quoting Macan:

This ties in nicely with the fact that the Manticore is the only non-cybernetic creature.

Here are the lyrics:

Clear the battlefield and let me see
All the profit from our victory.
You talk of freedom, starving children fall.
Are you deaf when you hear the season’s call?

Were you there to watch the earth be scorched?
Did you stand beside the spectral torch?
Know the leaves of sorrow turned their face,
Scattered on the ashes of disgrace.

Ev’ry blade is sharp; the arrows fly
Where the victims of your armies lie,
Where the blades of grass and arrows rain
Then there’d be no sorrow,
Be no pain.

Note:
There are different versions of the phrase “Where the blades of grass…..” posted in the Internet:

Where the blades of brass and arrows reign
Where the blades of brass and arrows rain
Where the blades of grass and arrows reign
Where the blades of grass and arrows rain

I’m using the latter in line with Edward Macan’s article. Obviously this is the only version where Macan’s interpretation makes sense.

The form of “Battlefield” is a simple strophic form, using almost identical music for each strophe:

Intro – A (verse 1) – A’ (verse 2) – instr solos (2) – A’’ (verse 3)

The harmonic structure of the solos, follow the same pattern of the verses.

The most interesting aspect from a musical point of view, is the anticipation of the “Aquatarkus” theme that appears between verses 1 and 2, before solos 1 and 2, and before verse 3.

Even though the music of “Battlefield” is credited to Lake, I strongly believe that some passages correspond to Emerson. Ford in his thesis also supports this theory. The complex harmony of the initial 7 measures carry the stylistic stamp of Emerson. Also, of course, the “Aquatarkus” theme corresponds to Emerson; not only because of stylistic reasons but also because the last movement “Aquatarkus”, is credited only to Emerson. I also invite you to listen to what the organ is doing while Lake is singing. I believe the harmonic embellishments also correspond to Emerson. So in addition to the lyrics, Lake is probably the author of the melody and the harmonic structure of each verse.

Let’s listen to the fragments that I believe correspond to Emerson:

Aquatarkus

The time signature, a simple 4/4, and the drum pattern, suggest a march. A “Funeral March” for Tarkus, who is forced to deal with the fact that he must now adapt to his new environment, a river. He becomes an “Aquatarkus”. The music effectively describes the “Aquatarkus” floating away, and like an agonic creature, he has sudden spams to try to recover its vitality:

The music starts to recede slowly, leaving only the snare drum. This depicts the Manticore watching as the “Aquatarkus” fades away in the distance. The snare drum keeps the mournful character of the piece.

We have stated all along that the Tarkus may not have been destroyed but was only temporarily disabled. The reason for this is by interpreting the last section of this movement: a straight recapitulation of “Eruption” indicates that the struggle is not over. Tarkus seems to come back but in what form? The last measures of the suite may give you a clue:

Resources

This analysis would not have been possible without the solid foundation laid by these two academic works:

“Rocking the Classics” by Edward Macan. Oxford University Press. 1997.

“The Compositional Style of Keith Emerson in Tarkus”. Master’s thesis presented to the School of Graduate Studies – Department of Music – Indiana State University. Peter T. Ford. August 1994.

If you have music theory knowledge and want to delve deeper in the harmonic, melodic, intervallic, modal and rhythmic world of Keith Emerson, I thoroughly recommend that you read Mr. Ford’s thesis.

All music examples have been taken from the Steven Wilson remix published in 2012. It is not better than the original, just different. It highlights details that were hidden or even omitted in the original mix. This box set is not easy to find at an affordable price. If you want it, drop me a line at contact@phaedrus.es and I will connect you to the right guy.

All the illustrations are taken from my personal copy of the Tarkus vinyl edition that I purchased around 1975.

Background music

The background music has been based on a selection of works by different Japanese bands:

• “Aurora” from the album “The Earth Explorer” by “The Earth Explorer“
• “Puyol” from the album “QUI” by “QUI“
• “Minamo Ni Tsuki” from the album “QUI” by “QUI“
• “Shadow Picture” from the album “Five Evolved from Nine” by “Ain Soph“

 
Here’s a link to the Tarkus score.

There is an excellent orchestral version of Tarkus. This video offers several movements of the suite:

There are several piano solo versions of Tarkus. This is my favorite, performed by Massimo Bucci:

YouTube link.

Download

MP3

Even though you can listen to the audio program independently, we suggest that you listen while you read the article in order to follow the lyrics. This is key for an adequate comprehension of this analysis.

We remind you that the audio fragments embedded in the text are to be used when reading the article without listening to the audio program. All these examples are included in the audio program.

Throughout the years there has been a lot of debate as to whether Yes lyrics mean something or not. Anderson many times has stated that he just wrote whatever came to his head, usually looking for the rhythm in the words and not so much the meaning. However, (and this is a very personal opinion, although shared by many), I believe that when artists create their work under a state of profound inspiration, they are in tune with the Superior Intelligence of the universe, and may end up acting as proficient scribes.

Sometimes, they may not be aware of the underlying wisdom that impregnates their work. For example, there are countless works by masters in music, literature or sculpture that follow the Golden Ratio with amazing precision. Some were aware of this mystical proportion and built their work around it, but many others were not. In fact, I would suspect that some had never heard about it.

I believe that the coherent analysis done, among others, by Pastor Ahyh and John Covach (just to mention 2 main sources of this program) indicate that there is much more in the lyrics than just “good sounding words” put together. In fact, Jon Anderson admits that possibility when quoted in Dan Hedges Yes Biography:

In the Resources section you will find links and references to books where Anderson lyrics are analyzed. Instead of trying to compare and reconcile so many different interpretations, I will refer to the overall directions that these lyrics tend to point to, and its relationship to the music:

The piece represents the cyclic nature of all existence by way of a very effective resource: the song begins and ends with nature sounds and the beginning and ending keys are related in such a way that you could put the repeat function in your CD player and the song could loop indefinitely in a seamless way. The lyrics reinforce this idea in numerous instances, but for our analysis, it is enough to look at what we find behind this simple phrase: I Get Up, I Get Down. This is the only phrase included in all 4 sections of the song. It is the closing phrase in the A sections and the focal point of the lyrics and music in section B. The fact that all A sections finish with this phrase is significant.

As we saw in the first part of the program, sections A present a sort of “metrical dispute”. In A, the rhythm section first dilutes the 12/8 rhythm played by the melody and sitar, in A’ a more profound metrical confusion is achieved by overlapping out of sync meters. In A’’, the bass line is trimmed on purpose in order to go in sync with the rest of the band. They finally achieve what we could call a sort of rhythmic harmony.

In my opinion, this is the musical representation of what is being expressed in the lyrics. For the sake of this argument, consider the rhythmic section to represent the physical aspect of our being, and the harmonies and melodies, the spiritual one.

Before starting section A, out of the nature sounds emerge a very chaotic musical passage. Full of dynamism and nerve. There seems to be a consensus that this introduction seems to portray the beginning of life on Earth. This chaos is suddenly interrupted three times by an “Ah”. The last “Ah” directly leads to the CTE main theme, which in turn leads to section A.

My interpretation is that the interruption of this chaos by the “Ah”, represents the first instances of men sensing the transcendent nature of their beings. That there is more to life than molecules and synapsis.

I Get Up, I Get Down represent the contrast that gives rise to life. Up/Down, Day/light, Yin/Yang, and as Pastor Ahyh rightly says, the list could go on forever. Life portrayed as a never ending and expansive cycle. By the way, this vision of life – ever expanding cycles to form an evolutionary spiral – is the central idea behind Herman Hesse’s Siddhartha.

Based on this interpretation, we can revisit the song structure, still looking at it from its original configuration of 4 parts:

1. The Solid Time of Change – Section A – Summer
   From chaos – as represented in the Introduction – Man appears in the Earth and makes its first attempts at reconciling the physical and spiritual aspects of his existence. But this is just a first attempt. Evolution still has a long way:
   After the phrase “I Get Up, I Get Down” Anderson warns: “Not right away”…..The rhythm section and the melodies in the verse are syncopated. Both aspects of our dual being – physical and spiritual – are not in harmony.
2. Total Mass Retain – Section A’ – Fall
   Man confronts the physical aspect of its existence:
   “Sad courage claimed the victims standing still for all to see
   As armored movers took approach to overlook the sea.
   There since the cord, the license or the reasons we don’t understand, will be”
   The rhythm section and melodies are out sync. Our physical and spiritual aspects are out of sync.
3. I Get Up I Get Down – Section B – Winter
   This passage represents the emergence of spiritual awareness, and looks at the state of mankind from a spiritual perspective.
4. Seasons of Man – Section A’’ – Spring
   Finally, we come to terms with our True Self. We “understand it all”. This is represented in 8 verses, packed with profound mystical content.
   The rhythm section and melodies in the verse all play, for the first time, in the same time signature. Finally, both aspects of our being are in harmony.

We can regroup these sections in 2 major evolutionary phases:

A – Initial physical manifestation and, through expanding cycles, start of the spiritual awareness
B – Spiritual Awakening and, through expanding cycles, Enlightenment.

This is way I said in Program I that a structure based in 2 parts yields a better musical representation of the lyrics. Using this structure, it is clearer to see that the instrumental interlude that precedes the Bridge (section B when using the AABA structure) is really the Introduction to the second part of the piece.

This Introduction has a very different character. Where the initial Intro depicted chaos, this Intro depicts quite the opposite – a sonic landscape that soothes and calms. Intro 1 is the noise of Ego and the material aspect of existence. Intro 2 is the spiritual realm, where Inner Peace reigns.

Based on this two-part structure, let’s look at these sections in more detail:

Initial Physical Manifestation and Start of Spiritual Awareness

The Solid Time of Change (Summer)

A seasoned witch could call you from the depths of your disgrace
And rearrange your liver to the solid mental grace

An evolved soul can help you move from your current perspective – physical manifestation – to spiritual awareness. I claim that this piece is an attempt to do just that, through music:

And achieve it all with music that came quickly from afar
Then taste the fruit of man recorded losing all against the hour.

Far from collective enlightenment, mankind’s Ego is in charge. Under its influence, manifested through greed, fear, and selfishness, we build weapons, we cheat, hate and steal.

And assessing points to nowhere leading every single one

Guided by our minds, our ego, we fall into this rat-race (what the Hindus call “Maya”) moving onwards at great speed but not really knowing where to….

A dewdrop can exalt us like the music of the sun

… and yet, if we were to stop for a minute, we could see the Truth in a simple dewdrop

and take away the plane in which we move and choose the course you’re running

And with this understanding, we could jump out of the rat-race and choose our own course. Follow our dreams. Craft our destiny.

And we are inextricably headed in the direction of illumination, but not right away…

down at the edge, round by the corner / Not right away / Not right away / Close to the edge, down by a river / Not right away / Not right away

The next verses correspond to the Bridge of section A:

Crossed a line around the changes of the summer

The first section of CTTE represents summer. The line represents the first steps taken toward the edge. The commencement of the spiritual journey begins here.

Reaching out to call the color of the sky

I reach out to look for the truth behind the reality that we see

Passed around a moment clothed in mornings faster than we see

And had a first glimpse of revelation – awareness of Eternity

Getting over all the time I had to worry

And this glimpse makes me realize that my worries are just a waste of time and energy

Leaving all the changes far from far behind

We need not worry about the past. The only reality is here and now.

We relieve the tension only to find out the Master’s name

And under the state of this glimpse of enlightenment, we sense the overwhelming presence of God…

Down at the end / Round by the corner / Close to the Edge / Just by the river

… and that, like the river that dissolves in the sea, you are One with God.

Seasons will pass you by

If we can focus our attention on the Eternal, we can see life go by from a state of profound serenity.

I Get Up, I Get Down

But before reaching that state, we must experience contrast, expanding cycles, happiness and sorrow.

Now that it’s all over and done / Now that you find, now that you’re whole

So, having this glimpse is enough? Have we already reached the end of the road? Not quite…

Total Mass Retain (Autumn)

This section represents men transit from its current state to collective spiritual enlightenment. It begins with the strongest metrical dispute, with the rhythmic section out of sync with the melody and the sitar.

My eyes convinced, eclipsed with the younger moon attained with love

For the sake of this interpretation, let’s equate sun with “Light – Enlightenment” and moon with its opposite “darkness – ego”. These moon attributes can be related to our understanding of reality through physical means – our mind and senses. We were given these cognitive and sensorial abilities with Love, as our tools to interact with the physical realm and allow God to manifest through us.
My glimpse is eclipsed by my constant interaction with the physical realm.

It changed as almost strained, amidst clear manna from above

This glimpse of enlightenment disappears under the strain of routine and mass manipulation, but we are still connected to the Whole

I crucified my hate and held the word within my hand

Blinded by ego, I bury my spirit and exalt reason. I am Nietzsche’s Superman.

There is you, the time, the logic, or the reasons we don’t understand

And as a result, all I see is my physical body, the relentless passage of time, my mind, and the mysteries for which sooner or later I will find a logical explanation.

Sad courage claimed the victims standing still for all to see.
As armored movers took approach to overlook the sea.

And this limited perception of our existence, gives rise to all the misery we see around us.

There since the cord, the license, or the reasons we don’t understand, will be

However, the license (our free will) and the mysteries, have been, are and will always be.

Down at the edge close by a river, Close to the Edge round by the corner / Close to the edge, down by the corner, down at the edge, `round by the river

We continue to move forward, no matter how lost in the maze, through ever expanding cycles, towards enlightenment.

The Bridge in A’ expands on this idea. That no matter how lost we seem to be, we, as magnificent immortal beings, are always within reach of our spiritual aspect.

Sudden call shouldn’t take away the startled memory

You can reach upwards, in spite of your misdoings in the past. You cannot deny your past experience because it is what has brought you to this point.

All in all the journey takes you all the way

No matter what you do, you will ultimately reach Realization.

As apart from any reality that you have ever seen and known

Reaching planes of existence beyond our wildest imagination.

Guessing problems only to deceive the mention

In reality, there are no problems. Problems arise as soon as we interpret the physical realm with which we interact. We create problems, deceiving the mention: The Truth of Who we Really Are..

Passing paths that climb halfway into the void

In this article I consider the idea of God creating a subset of what He is, in order to create contrast and manifest life. Thus, this physical manifestation the we call Universe, as vast as it is, is not all that God is. The Hindus refer to this idea of “God before God manifested”, as Naguna Brahmin. When we reach enlightenment, we attain the nature of God Manifested. Not the totality of Him. We climb halfway into the void. For an extended discussion on this I refer you again to Pastor Ahyh’s article

As we cross from side to side we hear the total mass retain

As we evolve, we start to perceive the totality – we go beyond the perception that we are individual isolated beings (Maya – the delusion). We understand and feel One with all physical manifestation. That the total mass in the Universe is constant, and we, as a drop in the ocean, just change states. Our essence is immutable.

Down at the edge, round by the corner, Close to the End, down by a river

We continue our Journey, finding God at every instance of the way…

Seasons will pass you by

And as immortal beings, seasons will pass us by …

I get up, I get down

… as we continue to interact with this physical realm, allowing God to manifest through us.

Spiritual Awakening and Enlightenment

I Get Up I Get Down (Winter)

The extensive analysis done by Pastor Ahyh of this section, can be synthesized this way. I will use his interpretation of the lyrics, to support this analysis.

A first group of lyrics meditate on the current state of affairs

In her white lace she could clearly see

she – Mankind – dressed in a white lace.

The lady sadly looking saying that she’d take the blame

The lady – Mother Nature

For the crucifixion of her own domain

mankind’s destruction of the planet

In the principal theme, Anderson sings:

2 million people barely satisfy

human slaughter throughout the ages is never enough

200 women watch one woman cry
Too late

a small subset of mankind is aware of what is going on and watches, in sadness, how Mother Nature has been profaned

In the secondary theme, the backing vocals sing:

Through the duty she would coil their said amazement of her story
Asking only interest could be laid upon the children of her domain

Quoting Pastor Ahyh: Mother Nature is taking the amazed interest of these small remnants, the 200, and asking that they not be so concerned with nature herself, but with nature’s children. Because, ultimately, the Earth will survive, nature will survive.

While Anderson sings the main theme and says:

The eyes of honesty can achieve

Though small in number, you remnants can guide mankind to enlightenment

How many millions do we deceive each day?

You can open the eyes of those millions of people who are being manipulated

A second group of lyrics look for an answer

In charge of who is there in charge of me
Do I look on blindly and say I see the way?

Hello, you, whoever you are, in charge of whoever is in charge of me, what is the truth?! Should I move forward blindly? What is the Truth? Why are we here?

The truth is written all along the page

This is the profound answer: Truth is staring at you from the beginning of time…

How old will I be before I come of age for you?

Through expanding cycles, you increase your awareness until you finally reach a point where Truth is comprehended – revealed

I Get Up – I Get Down

We continue our voyage through expanding cycles, experiencing contrast, exaltation and sorrow, always leading towards Realization

After a long instrumental development we finally reach Seasons of Man – Spring.

Seasons of Man (Spring)

Some of Pastor Ahyh’s interpretation are, in my humble opinion, a bit too far stretched, however, I think his interpretation of this first 4 verses, is very accurate:

Finally, man reconciles the two aspects of his being – physical and spiritual – and this is represented musically by trimming the bass figure so finally the “metric dispute” is resolved. This is simply amazing.

Let’s examine these verses in more detail:

The time between the notes relates the color to the scenes

Believe it or not, there is a direct correspondence between a scene in the movie “Matrix” and a profound metaphysical concept. Remember at the end of the movie, Neo finally sees the Matrix as what it is – just a pattern of bits – and that is when he can transcend the limitations of the program. This is equivalent to the profound revelation of seeing our reality, all physical entities, as just different patterns of vibration. The physical world is some sort of sophisticated mirage, so that we – in essence spiritual beings with no mass – can interact with other beings and evolve. As vibrating entities, we oscillate – are created and destroyed – millions of times per second. It happens so fast that we cannot perceive it – much like we cannot perceive each photogram in a movie. So, in a physical sense, we are and cease to be constantly (like notes and silences between them), creating an entity (color) that interacts with our physical environment (the scenes).

The amount of knowledge contained within this verse is astonishing …

A constant vogue of triumphs dislocates man so it seems

Unable to perceive this ultimate reality, we play our game in the Matrix – the “Maya”, and dislocate from the Truth with all our apparent constant vogue of triumphs

And space between the focus shape ascend knowledge of love

And so, we move from moments of exaltation to moments of despair, We Get Up, We Get Down, in ever expanding cycles, and as we do, our true existence comes into focus. Quoting Pastor Ahyh: