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Posts tagged ‘Electric Light Orchestra’

Gentle Giant: Power and the Glory, Hawkwind, ELO; Fifty Year Friday: September 1974

Gentle Giant: Power and the Glory

In late 1973, I had purchased Gentle Giant’s Octopus based on falling in love with “Knots, the most stunningly unique track on a two LP sample set issued by Columbia in 1973 and included as one of several albums my sister purchased for a total of ninety-nine cents to start a membership in the Columbia record club. I had not yet heard of Gentle Giant’s import-only album, “In a Glass House” when I first spotted The Power and the Glory the week of its release at the record store near the college I was attending. Having bought their second and third albums, at this point, I was expecting something similar, and when I brought the album home and put it on, I was a bit mystified of how different it was stylistically than the previous Gentle Giant albums I had listened to.

I did not find it immediately appealing, and was a bit disappointed in the high occurrence of repetitive musical phrases and lack of imitative counterpoint and vocal acrobatics which had made me fall in love with “Knots”, and which gave me hope there might be one selection that would approach “Knots” in terms of inventiveness and artistry. Nonetheless, there was still something appealing about the music, and I played the album a second time the next day, finding that it was already growing on me. By the third or fourth listen, I was embracing this new stylistic direction, particularly enamored by the band’s clever use of repetition of strongly angular and syncopated musical phrases.

Musically, this is another masterwork by Gentle Giant. Besides the group’s deft handling of intriguing, atomic musical components (those concise, angular, cleverly repeated melodic phrases previously mentioned), there are moments of lyrical beauty enhancing and contrasting with the abundant rhythmic vitality . Gentle Giant again uses melodic diminution (repeated musical ideas that get shorter in time by dropping out notes and/or shortening the length of notes) in some of the melodic material in the first and last tracks, “Proclamation” and “Valedictory” with the relationship between these two pieces reminiscent of classical-era exposition, development and recapitulation. The remastered released of this album also contains the initially unreleased studio track “Power and the Glory” recorded as late as June 1974, two months before Richard Nixon resigned his presidency.

The Power and Glory album, itself, is a concept album around political power and its abuse, something quite topical for 1974 with the Watergate hearings having just wrapped up in June of 1974 six months after the recording of the album in later 1973 and January 1974 — and three months before the release of the album into record stores. Readers of this blog, all three of them, may recall that I rarely discuss lyrics, but the topicality of these lyrics are extremely relevant to today’s political chaos in the United States. Here are some excerpts.

(“Proclamation”: The equivocation of political yammering with content scarily reminiscent of recent political speech)

You may not have all you want or you need
all that you have has been due to my hand,
it can change, it can stay the same,
who can say, who can make their claim

The situation we are in at this time
neither a good one, nor is it so unblest
it can change, it can stay the same,
I can say, I can make my claim.

Hail … Hail … Hail

Unity’s strength and all must be as one,
confidence in you hope will reflect in me
I think everyone not as my nation for
you are my people and there must be no change
It can change, it can stay the same
I can say, I can make my claim

(“So Sincere”)

Hear, he’ll do it all for you, you will see it,
wise and knowing what to do, what to be
and every word is …

Lies, he only tells the truth, for he means it,
means, not anything he says, eyes unseen,
but everything is …

So sin–cere, so sin–cere, so sin–cere, so sin…
Yes, that is to say no, understanding
wrong, he makes his promise right, with your hand
you’ll never know why

… So, sincere his thoughts so full, always empty
Good, or maybe things are bad, so sincere,
and every word is …
So sin–cere, so …

(“Aspirations”)
As our faith, maybe aimless blind,
Hope our ideals and
Our thoughts are yours
And believing the promises,
Please make your claims
Really so sincere.

Be our guide, our light and our way of life
And let the world see the way we lead our way.
Hopes, dreams, hopes dreaming that all our
Sorrows gone.
In your hands, holding everyone’s
Future and fate
It is all in you,
Make us strong build our unity,
All men as one
It is all in you.

(“Playing the Game”)
… I can view the power of my position and my
eyes can see more than anyone in any place,
I’ll play the game and never ever lose.

I will steer the helm of all the nation
as the captain
take my rewards for all the good I’m doing now,
and no words that I’m the knave will alter my
philosophy for if any are heard, the games started
again I’ll never ever lose.

(“Cogs in Cogs”)

Empty promise broken the path has
Not been paved any way.
Cogs in cogs the machine
Is being left where it lay.
Anger and the rising murmur breaks
The old circle, the wheel slowly turns around.

All words saying nothing
The air is sour with discontent.
No returns have been tasted
Or are they ever sent.
Slowly burning is the fire, rising murmur breaks
The old circle, the wheel slowly turns around.

(“No God’s a Man”)

Now the words and claims are seen as always
The way they’ll always be, way they’ll always be
Truth is halfway true, the man is only a man
Who fails to know,
The people shouting for him have turned now
Telling him to go

(“The Face”)

Choose your way, realizing our mission,
Figures lay, pulling strings for position.
Take your bows, hear the people are calling.
Play the game, Take the blame as you’re falling.
Time to confess, clean up the mess,
Stand in the white, step in the light.

Use the time, show the face that is sorry…

(“Valedictory”)

And though the hard times,
Are really due to me, it is still in me,
To wave all this unrest.
Things must stay,
There must be no change,
Anyway, time to rearrange.

You must believe, that there’s
Been no betrayal all that I’ve done,
I’ve really done for you.

(“Power and the Glory”)

Run, run, the shotgun has got you in its range.
Turn, turn away, when it’s time to make a change.
Look where you’re going. try not to lose your way.
What good is knowing you have to go away?

Go, you make go, never know, never know.
Time’s run away, so have to go, have to go.
Put back the ace black, you never made it good.
Go while you can go. Go while the going’s good.

And the power and the glory is over, so I’ll take it.
The power and the glory is over, so I’ll make it.
The power and the glory is over, and I’ll break it.
The power and the glory is over….

Face up to reason, you know it’s up to you.
Do what you can do, all that you have to do.
Move over now, and I’ll try to take your place.
Time to remember that I have won the race.
Go, you make go, never know, never know.
Time’s run away, so have to go, have to go.
Pick up the pieces, to you I’ll have to stand.
Break up the power, the glory’s at the end.

And the power and the glory is over, so I’ll take it.
The power and the glory is over, so I’ll make it.
The power and the glory is over, and I’ll break it.
The power and the glory is over….

If you have not heard this album, a youtube link is provided below.

Electric Light Orchestra: Eldorado

This is my favorite ELO album, of those I have heard — I admit I haven’t listened to some of their later albums. I love the orchestration, the overall cohesion of the album, and its simple, melodic appeal. I consider this such a nice combination of musical quality and musical accessibility, I purchased multiple copies of this to give to some of my piano-lesson pupils for Christmas of 1978.

Hawkwind: Hall of the Mountain Grill

Just a quick mention of Hawkwind’s fourth studio album, released on September 6, 1974, with its title an amalgamation of the title of the famous Grieg orchestral composition and the name of a local dining hangout frequented by Hawkwind and other musicians in West London — the Mountain Grill.

The album is mostly Hawkwind-style space rock, with “Web Weaver”, a track played often on one of my local FM radio deep-album cuts stations, the instrumental title track, and two live selections, “You’d Better Believe It” and “Paradox.”

Category:

Fifty Year Friday, Music, Progressive Rock

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Fifty Year Friday: December 1971

David Bowie: Hunky Dory

Bowie’s fourth studio album, released Dec. 17, 1971, is a bit of a hodge-podge collection of generally strong tracks, some of which harken back to his English Music Hall influences, and one (“Queen Bitch”) near the end of side two, that foreshadows his Ziggy Stardust album, personna, and musical styles.

The album is peppered with optimism and several upbeat numbers, leading off with Bowie’s invigorating “Changes” with Rick Wakeman on piano, Bowie’s artful handling of tempo contrasts and meter changes, and a reflective Bowie sax solo that wraps up his finest song to date. This is followed by another expertly arranged, well-crafted song, deftly executed with appropriate vocal expression by Bowie with verses and chorus particularly well matched. Other fine songs include “Life on Mars”, “Kooks”, “Fill Your Heart”, “Andy Warhol” and “Queen Bitch.” The combination of Bowie’s expressive and varied vocals, the high quality of music, and the excellent arrangements and performances, make this a particularly notable leap forward in Bowie’s soon-to-be explosive career.

George Harrison & Friends: Concert for Bangladesh

There is so much to like about this important document of music and charity, released on December 20, 1971, consolidated from two concerts, one afternoon, one evening, at Madison Square Garden on August 1, 1971. Not only a laudable effort to raise money for the horrific situation in Bangladesh at that time, but it notably provided the inspiration and motivation for other charity concerts that would follow.

The six-sided LP album (with the last side being relatively short) not only contains eight compositions and performances showcasing George Harrison, with support from Eric Clapton, a horn section and a number of other talented performers, but also a side of performances from Bob Dylan, as well as single performances from Billy Preston, Ringo Starr (on Ringo’s George Harrison aided composition, “It Don’t Come Easy”) and Leon Russell. Also, importantly, side one contains a partial performance of a beautifully performed dhun by Ravi Shankar on sitar, Ali Akbar on sarod, Kamala Chakravarty on tambura, and Alla Rakha on tabla. For many of us, this was our first exposure to Hindustani classical music, and helped provide a surge of interest in Ravi Shankar and Hindustani music, at a time when world music was achieving more and more exposure and popularity.

Carole King: Music

In December 1971, Carole King followed up her incredibly successful Tapestry with another fine album. She brings back artists like James Taylor on guitar (also providing magical mix on vocals with King on “Some Kind of Wonderful”) and Curtis Amy on tenor sax with additional artists added like Ernie Watts and Buddy Collette. All songs are classic Carole King with “It’s Going to Take Some Time” being especially notable, as well as Amy’s solo on the title track, “Music.”

King Crimson: Islands

Recorded in October of 1971 and released on December 3, 1971, I first saw Islands in the first Orange County Warehouse record store a couple of weeks prior to Christmas. Rather than the more intriguing cover provided for the UK market (shown above), it was a simple cover, mostly white with representations of islands — the cover based on a painting by King Crimson lyricist Pete Sinfield. I purchased this with some classical music on the Supraphon label, all at a nice price, and anxiously awaited being able to listen to it at home later that day.

My initial reaction to the album was deep disappointment. I had expectations based on their previous albums, one of which, their second album, I had to special order just to get a copy, one damaged in transit, but which I never thought of not purchasing when it came in, despite the superficial cover damage, as I couldn’t wait to hear the music. And I couldn’t wait to hear the music of this, their fourth studio album, but when played, from the first few minutes, it was clear that there was little in common with their previous albums.

My money was not easily obtained, my source for it hourly wages during early morning and lunch hours at our high school cafeteria, a job I enjoyed, serving soft drinks to an endless supply of the many beautiful young ladies at our high school, and able to comfortably socialize with fellow students, many of whom I otherwise would have been strangers with. So I didn’t put the album away and move on to something else. I played it repeatedly, and not only due to the money involved (which was only $2.99, and so not a major setback), but because I sensed an excellence throughout the album. No, it wasn’t the driving progressive music of prior King Crimson albums –it was more cerebral, reflective and ambient, but it still had a coherence and attractiveness, and after about five more listenings, I embraced the album, still the least favorite of my first four King Crimson albums, and an album that wouldn’t hold up to the next three Crimson studio albums to follow, but one I considered well worth the money and then some.

Electric Light Orchestra: Electric Light Orchestra

Recorded around the same time that the core ELO personnel, Roy Wood, Jeff Lynne and Bev Bevan, were recording the last Move album, Message From the Country (covered in October’s Fifty Year Friday) this first ELO album was released in the UK in December of 1971 but not released in the US until for months later, in March of 1972. Soon the first track, the incredible and irresistable “10538 Overture” got FM airplay, followed with its release as a single in the UK. I don’t believe it ever got any airplay in the U.S. on AM, but other music on the album continued to get FM exposure. Whereas their last Move album was mostly traditional rock (if any rock in 1971 can truly be labelled as such), this first ELO is more orchestral and progressive in nature, with a definite upbeat popular slant.

America: America

Many know America from the single from this album, the incredibly monotonous “Horse With No Name” (not inappropriately, though, as the music supports the lyrics effectively. Overall, this first album, released at the end of 1971 in the UK and then in 1972 in the U.S., is quite good, with a wealth of acoustic guitar, with musical similarities that would appeal to Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young fans, and with several good tracks, including “Rainy Day” and the Badfinger-like ballad “I Need You.”

Badfinger: Straight Up

For those in December 1971 and early 1972 that were not exactly thrilled with the content of Paul McCartney’s December 1971 release, Wild Life, they might possibly have found comfort in Harrison’s Bangladesh Concert album, ELO’s late-Beatle’s influenced first album, or even in Badfinger’s borderline Beatlesque Straight Up, which includes a number of good tracks, the best of which is “Day After Day” which hearkens back to the era of the Beatle’s Revolver album.

Category:

Country Folk Rock, Fifty Year Friday, Folk Rock, Hard Rock, Music, Progressive Rock, Rock

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