[Tomorrow][1] sometimes seems like a week away. Anyway, this time Rich and I are exchanging “Ready Lets Go/Music Is Math,” by the **Boards of Canada**, and “Starship Trooper,” by **Yes**.
Rich offered this bit for me before I listened to BoC:
> Artist: Boards of Canada
> Album: [Geogaddi][3]
> Tracks: Ready Lets Go / Music Is Math
> Label: Warp Records
> Released: 2002
>
> Within the first few minutes of listening to this album, Boards of Canada had established themselves, without question, as one of my top 5 favorite bands.
>
> Quite simply, the music is audio psychedelia–rich in sonic depth and texture, and emotionally evocative. It is completely electronic, and yet altogether human.
>
> I don’t want to spoil the experience with too much hype, so relax, sit back, close your eyes and take the ride.
And this is how I introduced “Starship Trooper”:
> Okay, rich(e)rich, my next song is “Starship Trooper,” by Yes. This came out in 1970 off *The Yes Album*, which contains the wildly overplayed “I’ve Seen All Good People.” If I had to choose a favorite Yes album, it would tough to decide between this one and *Close to the Edge*.
>
> I like prog rock. What can I say? Yes is one of those divisive bands–most of my friends really don’t like them, or, worse, confuse them with **Rush**. My parents, who, in all honesty, shaped my musical tastes from an early age, don’t like Yes, since bands like them and **ELP** represent the [downfall of album format rock-and-roll][2]. I dug Yes before **Pink Floyd**, before **Led Zeppelin**. It’s just one of those things that appealed to me as a kid, and still does.
>
> Now, why “Starship Trooper”? Well, your [first song][1] was 8 minutes long, so I figured that all time restraints were off. ;) Next, this song has what I consider to be a perfect build. Starting at about 5:36, there’s just a guitar playing a lick, it’s subtly joined in by organ and drum, then bass, and it just builds from this one riff. It grips me every time I hear it. It goes on *forevah!*, but it holds me for every second. There’s a false crescendo two minutes in, and it still goes on. There’s this wall of sound that just grows and grows. When it finally does peak, at about 8:25, I get all wobbly. Seriously. That’s what music does to me. If I’m listening through headphones, I’ll tear up when that peak hits from the release of the tension.
>
> I’m not expecting the same visceral reaction from you, of course.
After we listen to the tracks, I’ll post our reactions and set up next week’s exchange.
[2]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prog_rock#Rise_and_fall
[1]: http://www.macphoenix.com/creative/blog/archives/2007/04/tmx_reactions_to_pretzel_logic_v_cowgirl.html
[3]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geogaddi
Categories