Ah, yes -- it begins with that synth trumpet line, so very iconic, with un-Steve Howe-ish guitar riffing and one very deliberate cowbell.
Enter some very soft, very
seventies Rhodes comping and that rich, smoky John Wetton tenor, singing about some walking out the door mumbo-jumbo with a heartbroken "to find that you PLANNED it all along..." hiccup. Then...
THEN...
"NOW/SURE AS THE SUN WILL CROSS THE SKY/THE LIE IS OVER/LOST/LIKE THE TEARS THAT USED/TO TIDE/ME OVER (OVER) (OVER) (OVER)..."
Friends, this has all the elements of being patently AWFUL. It almost is. The lyrics are utter shit. The aesthetic is 1000% MOR. But somehow--some
way--it transcends all that. It's not only NOT awful -- it's by and large gorgeous and outstrips "Heat of the Moment" by a mile.
Why? There's the vocals as they sing "NOW!!" -- arresting, commanding, but followed by a melancholy chord progression (on "sure as the SUN") that undermines any pomposity itching to break through. Then, the stacked vocal following "LOST!!" and crescendos on "TIDE" before the vocals stagger the chorus to its conclusion.
I dunno. Four guys, already with an excess of stardom, just DYING for a hit single that signified...
acceptance. It wouldn't be with this song. Yet still...it just might be brilliant.
― Naive Teen Idol, Friday, 18 May 2007 03:37 (nineteen years ago)
unlike quite a few fans, i think wetton's krimson era vocals are often quite beautiful, and his bass playing was HEAVY in the best sense of the word, but he really lost a lot of that by the time of asia. i do like this song tho.
― gershy, Friday, 18 May 2007 03:46 (nineteen years ago)
My high school best friend
used to blast this shit so loud
in his white Bronco
― Dimension 5ive, Friday, 18 May 2007 03:51 (nineteen years ago)
I'm a pretty huge Wetton admirer when it comes to his Crimson contributions.
My bassist friend Mike once commented, immortally, that on Red it sounds as if Wetton is plucking his bass "with a duck's foot".
― Jon Lewis, Friday, 18 May 2007 14:47 (nineteen years ago)
Problem is, because of Van Hagar I can't remember for the life of me how this song goes.
― Jon Lewis, Friday, 18 May 2007 15:25 (nineteen years ago)
Wasn't there a thread here where folks each posted a line of the lyrics? Where is that thread now?
"You're Leaving Now..."
"It comes so clear"
"Your insincerity..."
Where is that thread? Be damned if I want to look for it. I'll be it's impossible to find anyway...
― Bimble, Saturday, 19 May 2007 05:47 (nineteen years ago)
Oh my god the html worked without me trying! I love you ILX PROGRAMMERS!!! I love you!
― Bimble, Saturday, 19 May 2007 05:56 (nineteen years ago)
five years pass...