Thank you so much for your analysis. This is one of my all time favourite prog songs. Just a fantastic compositions. I could listen to it at least 5 times every day. To have the chords now in front of me makes my happy and is your merit!
I can remember the day my brother brought the album home and we cranked the volume and lowered the needle down-music so beautiful and frightening at the same time-truly epic stuff. “Rendezvous”, “The Only Thing…”-amazing.👍👍
I SO agree... "Rendezvous 6:02" is beautiful and fascinating. The title track is fantastic... and "Carrying No Cross" is easily one of the greatest symphonic progressive rock epics - "epics", yeah; even at 12-odd minutes - ever recorded!
The Yamaha CS80 synth is an absolute beast. For a tutorial on how great for textures and solo lead sounds check out the tune "Nevermore" on the premier U.K album. Also the Hammond used some preamp substitution to hyper boost the output to the Leslie cabinet. The acrylic violin also provides a different resonance. Listening to recent performances by Eddie Jobson. I am impressed at how well he replicates vintage timbres with newer equipment (might also be my fading hearing).
Thankyou Johan, I appreciate your dedication and effort to compiling this review. Many people I have met that want to play music reject theory as boring and reluctantly approach it as a 'necessary evil'. I prefer to regard the approach as a means of establishing a vocabulary to describe what you are listening to and then using some of these findings as compositional techniques. During my studies I was introduced to a number of concepts you are touching on. Dissonance to resolution is basically fulfilling what we are conditioned to expect, where voice leading and harmonic intervals arrive at. This has been an evolutionary acceptance of what people generally accepted as 'Good Music'; (you mention 'wrong' chords). In medieval times there were stipulated rules of how music should be represented and secular music was not encouraged. However, over time what are ears have gotten accustomed to hearing have relaxed. Tension vs Fusion is using vertical structures (i.e. chords) in a manner that we are less familiar with and may be a bit more complicated to identify. Also something Jobson uses is a shifting constant structure (ie. triad notes) over a held bass note (sometimes referred to as organ point or pedal point) and following with contrary motion (oscillating through tension and fusion).
Thanks, Dale for your input! I agree music theory can be "boring" or "abstract". But, like you point out, it is a means to describe and explain what we hear.
Johan you made my day. I love this album as a whole and the intro in particular. It was a treat to look at your analyses of the chords used and the tension it provokes. It reminded me of the intro of Watcher of the Skies from Foxtrot. I'm curious whether you'd like the intro of Suite For the End of an Age from David Sancious. I'd say this intro has a lot of tension too.
I also love this album. It has meant a lot to me as a developing musician and composer. I'm so glad you liked the video. I also have two video on Watcher ...
Thanks for showing the notes that were played, always loved how prog. keyboardists play such interesting dissonant notes in the base to create tension and then release.
That little shuffle kick is pretty much just 32 nd notes in ?/4 time and 16th notes in ?/8 th time, (if that makes sense), it could have a triplet feel as well. It’s the same thing that Collins plays in Wot Gorilla, also the patterns he plays in the driving parts of Musical box and The Knife. It’s like a doubled up grace note. They are called drag ruffs in drum language, but with the foot. See here. ua-cam.com/video/okQJLBE1CtY/v-deo.html
Really enjoyed this analysis ! One thing worth mentioning. I don't know if Jobson was aware of Shepard tones at the time.. but this ending sounds very much like that effect ( ..and if that was his inspiration, he is even more of a king than I thought : ). It would be an interesting thing to do to the end of this song sometime.. just make it descend forever. Here's an example of a descending Shepard tone: ua-cam.com/video/O0ET0aMjzjQ/v-deo.html
i saw them on that album tour, opening for Jethro Tull "Heavy Horses" tour at the Montreal Forum. i remember Jobson playing a transparent electric violin, with lasers shining through it. quite the double bill! : ) i subbed, tnx for the video!
Jobson knew how to exploit the unique features and attributes of the Yamaha CS-80. This poly-synth was cutting edge in '78 when Jobson made the first IK album. This big machine weighed 220 lbs and had 160 lbs of circuitrty. It had both proessure and velocity sensitity. /A unique two-foot long pich bending ribbon controller . Coupled with the Hammond and mini-moog... Yamaha electric grand was simply the best electric piano of the era. Eddie didn't need a Mellotron. Didn't need an Arp 2600 or Arp Oddysey or Arp pro coloist. His rig made him a one-man-band. And what a great fiddler!
Agreed! I love his sense of soundscapes, how he creates his unique sounds that fit so well into what he's playing. I also love what he brought harmonically to UK, especially Danger Money.
Das zweite Album von U.K. erinnert mich immer noch an Alben von EL&P, weil die Hammond B3/4 sehr dominant ist - völlig ok! An dem Titelsong Danger Money fasziniert mich die Dramaturgie, die der Song enthält. Und das mit diesen unglaublichen Themen-, Takt- und Rhythmuswechseln .... fantastisch!
Has anyone on this thread learned how to count the middle break in Danger Money? Coming out of the 3rd chorus I have an Ab minor chord for one bar of 4/4 and then perhaps 6/8 for 35 or so bars while the synth takes the melody. I'm confused because it might be 9/8, or some combo of the two, or maybe I'm just wrong. Help!
Check out my own prog music here: ua-cam.com/play/PL_U3NccJSuComtLr-cf6lw6-tKvtBk7KC.html
Thank you so much for your analysis. This is one of my all time favourite prog songs. Just a fantastic compositions. I could listen to it at least 5 times every day. To have the chords now in front of me makes my happy and is your merit!
I'm glad you enjoyed the video! And, yes, it is a fantastic composition!
'Rendezvous 6:02' is another worthy topic of investigation, in particular contrasting the studio and live acoustic (piano and solo voice) versions.
I agree!
I can remember the day my brother brought the album home and we cranked the volume and lowered the needle down-music so beautiful and frightening at the same time-truly epic stuff. “Rendezvous”, “The Only Thing…”-amazing.👍👍
I SO agree... "Rendezvous 6:02" is beautiful and fascinating. The title track is fantastic... and "Carrying No Cross" is easily one of the greatest symphonic progressive rock epics - "epics", yeah; even at 12-odd minutes - ever recorded!
The Yamaha CS80 synth is an absolute beast. For a tutorial on how great for textures and solo lead sounds check out the tune "Nevermore" on the premier U.K album.
Also the Hammond used some preamp substitution to hyper boost the output to the Leslie cabinet. The acrylic violin also provides a different resonance. Listening to recent
performances by Eddie Jobson. I am impressed at how well he replicates vintage timbres with newer equipment (might also be my fading hearing).
I don't know much about who used what synths when and where. So, your input is greatly appreciated. Thanks!
Thankyou Johan, I appreciate your dedication and effort to compiling this review. Many people I have met that want to play music reject theory as boring and reluctantly approach it as a 'necessary evil'. I prefer to regard the approach as a means of establishing a vocabulary to describe what you are listening to and then using some of these findings as compositional techniques. During my studies I was introduced to a number of concepts you are touching on. Dissonance to resolution is basically fulfilling what we are conditioned to expect, where voice leading and harmonic intervals arrive at. This has been an evolutionary acceptance of what people generally accepted as 'Good Music'; (you mention 'wrong' chords). In medieval times there were stipulated rules of how music should be represented and secular music was not encouraged. However, over time what are ears have gotten accustomed to hearing have relaxed. Tension vs Fusion is using vertical structures (i.e. chords) in a manner that we are less familiar with and may be a bit more complicated to identify. Also something Jobson uses is a shifting constant structure (ie. triad notes) over a held bass note (sometimes referred to as organ point or pedal point) and following with contrary motion (oscillating through tension and fusion).
Thanks, Dale for your input! I agree music theory can be "boring" or "abstract". But, like you point out, it is a means to describe and explain what we hear.
I think the kick pattern variation in the intro is completely intentional, in my opinion - it's beautiful :-)
Kenny JOBSON (!), welcome to the channel! I think you are right.
Johan you made my day. I love this album as a whole and the intro in particular. It was a treat to look at your analyses of the chords used and the tension it provokes. It reminded me of the intro of Watcher of the Skies from Foxtrot. I'm curious whether you'd like the intro of Suite For the End of an Age from David Sancious. I'd say this intro has a lot of tension too.
I also love this album. It has meant a lot to me as a developing musician and composer. I'm so glad you liked the video. I also have two video on Watcher ...
Thanks for showing the notes that were played, always loved how prog. keyboardists play such interesting dissonant notes in the base to create tension and then release.
That little shuffle kick is pretty much just 32 nd notes in ?/4 time and 16th notes in ?/8 th time, (if that makes sense), it could have a triplet feel as well. It’s the same thing that Collins plays in Wot Gorilla, also the patterns he plays in the driving parts of Musical box and The Knife. It’s like a doubled up grace note. They are called drag ruffs in drum language, but with the foot.
See here. ua-cam.com/video/okQJLBE1CtY/v-deo.html
Thanks for your insight!
Really enjoyed this analysis ! One thing worth mentioning. I don't know if Jobson was aware of Shepard tones at the time.. but this ending sounds very much like that effect ( ..and if that was his inspiration, he is even more of a king than I thought : ). It would be an interesting thing to do to the end of this song sometime.. just make it descend forever. Here's an example of a descending Shepard tone: ua-cam.com/video/O0ET0aMjzjQ/v-deo.html
I have no idea either, whether Jobsen was going for Shepard tones. But I agree, it has a bit of that vibe.
i saw them on that album tour, opening for Jethro Tull "Heavy Horses" tour at the Montreal Forum.
i remember Jobson playing a transparent electric violin, with lasers shining through it.
quite the double bill! : )
i subbed, tnx for the video!
Cooool!
Fantastic analysis - well done - this album has always intrigued my son and me 🙂
(I'm no relation to Eddie - I think... 🙂)
Ha ha, I think you are related -- you just don't know it :-) (Just kidding)
Always loved this album
One of my prog favorites!
Jobson knew how to exploit the unique features and attributes of the Yamaha CS-80. This poly-synth was cutting edge in '78 when Jobson made the first IK album. This big machine weighed 220 lbs and had 160 lbs of circuitrty. It had both proessure and velocity sensitity. /A unique two-foot long pich bending ribbon controller . Coupled with the Hammond and mini-moog... Yamaha electric grand was simply the best electric piano of the era. Eddie didn't need a Mellotron. Didn't need an Arp 2600 or Arp Oddysey or Arp pro coloist. His rig made him a one-man-band. And what a great fiddler!
Agreed! I love his sense of soundscapes, how he creates his unique sounds that fit so well into what he's playing. I also love what he brought harmonically to UK, especially Danger Money.
Das zweite Album von U.K. erinnert mich immer noch an Alben von EL&P, weil die Hammond B3/4 sehr dominant ist - völlig ok! An dem Titelsong Danger Money fasziniert mich die Dramaturgie, die der Song enthält. Und das mit diesen unglaublichen Themen-, Takt- und Rhythmuswechseln .... fantastisch!
It's one of my fav prog albums! And the title track sure does not disappoint. Love the organ sound.
Has anyone on this thread learned how to count the middle break in Danger Money? Coming out of the 3rd chorus I have an Ab minor chord for one bar of 4/4 and then perhaps 6/8 for 35 or so bars while the synth takes the melody. I'm confused because it might be 9/8, or some combo of the two, or maybe I'm just wrong. Help!
I will probably look into that, although I'm buried with other work right now. Thanks for your interest!
@@johansteenslandmusic3699 No worries. My band rehearsed the song and I ended up abandoning the counting and just doing it by ear. Worked fine!
Any chance of sharing some of the midi tracks contained in your analyses videos?
Hey, Kenny! At this moment, I don't feel comfortable doing that. Perhaps at a later stage. I need to think about this. Thanks for asking, though!
I love that Jobson keaboard sound like hammond sound. This is magnificient and blow me up
Yes, it's truly unique!