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From the diary of Sir Pibroch, September 15
I think I might take a few minutes off from working on my thesis, because it's starting to weigh on me. Outside, it's a serene late September Saturday; the sun illuminates and warms the lawn and the plants and the house and my thoughts.
My thoughts, indeed, an impressionistic painting of my soul. I'm craving an impressionistic experience, yes; I think I will now admire “Ashes Are Burning” again, a twisted and beautiful painting by the wonderful “Renaissance” in their second phase (first exhibited at “Regal Zonophone” in 1973), and then I will finally tell you what I think of it. Yes, that's exactly what I'll do.
I find myself wanting to talk about emotions once again, because such sensations are what I often and gladly seek in music. And so, between the seriousness of the great rhythmic work and the playfulness of the harmonics chasing each other, “Can You Understand” accompanies for almost ten minutes in some sort of sweet storm, where the path to follow is indicated by the lighthouse of the voice – beautiful – of Annie Haslam.
Wise piano notes now support the delicate melody of “Let It Grow” before it, protected by the clear drumming by Terence Sullivan, flares first in very high and enchanting notes and immediately after in an intense choral call of great suggestion: “excellent ballad,” would say the laconic critic not very critical and very laconic. “On The Frontier” has the beautiful Haslam duetting with a male voice counterpart strained to the limit to not lag behind; it turns into an airy song where one recognizes the factors that give immediate recognizability to the sound of the “mark II” (excuse my deep and purplish reference): the joyful piano by John Tout embeds a pulsating and effective bass along with emphatic choirs.
But it's time, finally: a few guitar chords and fleeting keyboard, spine-tingling singing; "Carpet Of The Sun" is a ballad that must be listened to, at least once. The harpsichord is a maddened top, the keyboard notes fly very high, almost shrill, the violin is a comet in the sky. Higher still, the star of Haslam's voice; wonder.
Dark notes, however, now resonate from that distressed piano, the fog rises from the ocean and the port's melancholy echoes in the twilight, hypnotic girl singing. "The Harbour" is another small gem suspended between the crisp air and the wind whipping the coast. This melancholic landscape, skeleton of history, is finally ashes still burning; “Ashes Are Burning,” indeed. Jonathan Camp's bass persists throughout the eleven minutes of the track with raging evolutions and gallops supported by the infantry marching on the drum skins; the keyboards are iridescent embers, Michael Dunford's acoustics shape shrill, slanted, effective chords. Only one place seems safe, Haslam rides swiftly toward it. The progressive castle will welcome her blonde hair once more as the night sky turns crimson.
At night, through the now desolate lands, you can still hear her sing; it’s a melodic and touching chant. Then you hear a dark and prolonged chord caring for a piercing guitar that wails in the darkness until dawn – a joyful march of drums – will return to wake the world.
So, I've written a few words, a confused impression of my mind. Enjoy them or forget them, the important thing is that they exist.
I almost forgot, the piercing guitar: legends say it belonged to Andy Powell from the County of Wishbone Ash, a guest at the progressive castle while the ashes burned.
As for me, since we're talking about stars, I can finally only express myself with stars. Five stars, like Cassiopeia or the Southern Cross. Five stars like the Hotel Fürstenhof or Sammontana's ice cream. Five stars as perhaps Sheherazade would have also deserved.
Tracklist Lyrics and Samples
01 Can You Understand? (09:52)
Dollars down the penny drain
Frozen in the clouds
Dream away the last of pain
In waterfalls of sounds
Float across the icy pools
Leaves with curl and sway
Now your mind is floating cool
And you can find the way
Can you understand, you can really understand
When the darkness comes you still shine
Open up your eyes and make the day shine sunshine now
Open up your dreams and make the way shine sunshine now
Can you understand, you understand
Can you understand, you understand
Open up your life and make your lifetime sunshine now
Open up your soul and make your lifeline sunshine now
Can you understand, you understand
Can you understand, you understand
Dancing without moving now
Growing with your soul
One with all around you now
Related to the all
Purple mist around your hair
Eyes are fading blue
Smiling into everywhere
Love is coming through
02 Let It Grow (04:17)
Taking time to find the right line Talking easy with the thoughts you want to share Leaning down, feel you knowing in my mind Stealing down, going down, feel you growing in my mind Chorus: It's got to be slow Taking love the only way It's got to just flow Making love and taking time to let it grow Finding ways to find the real you Spending days just holding hands and feeling free Play around, watch the sunshine coming through Come around, stay around, watch the loving grow with you Chorus Loving you the love you give me Living loving with the things we have to share Poetry, hear the words you say to me Stay with me, here with me, keep our loving flowing free
03 On the Frontier (04:57)
We all are standing unafraid on the frontier
We all are shadows in the shade on the frontier
When the dawn is come we will stand strong
Where we belong
The day belongs to each of us our time is getting near
The way is wrong for each of us our time is getting near
The seeds of yesterday are breaking through
To you
We're on the frontier now
We're on the frontier now
We're on the frontier now
We're on the frontier now
We're on the frontier now
So come on leave the dark behind and join the day now
It's peaceful revolution time to join the day now
Morning breaks the light will shine and find the blind
We all are standing unafraid on the frontier
We all are shadows in the shade on the frontier
04 Carpet of the Sun (03:32)
Come along with me
Down into the world of seeing
Come and you'll be free
Take the time to find the feeling
See everything on it's own
And you'll find you know the way
And you'll know the things you're shown
Owe everything to the day
See the carpet of the sun
The green grass soft and sweet
Sands upon the shores of time
Of ocean mountains deep
Part of the world that you live in
You are the part that you're giving
Come into the day
Feel the sunshine warmth around you
Sounds from far away
Music of the love that found you
The seed that you plant today
Tomorrow will be a tree
And living goes on this way
It's all part of you and me
See the carpet of the sun
The green grass soft and sweet
Sands upon the shores of time
Of ocean mountains deep
Part of the world that you live in
You are the part that you're giving (x2)
See the carpet of the sun
See the carpet of the sun
See the carpet of the sun
See the carpet of the sun
06 Ashes Are Burning (11:21)
Travel the days of freedom
Roads leading everywhere
Come with me now, and show how you care
Follow the dying embers
Cross on the paths they lay
Breath of the past, the earth's yesterday
Clear your mind, maybe you will find
That the past is still turning
Circles sway, echo yesterday
Ashes burning, ashes burning
Colours are fading starlight
Silver the way to find
Walking the shadows, there in our mind
Changing the order slowly
Leaving the mist of time
Fingers are holding, fragments of mine
Clear your mind, maybe you will find
That the past is still turning
Circles sway, echo yesterday
Ashes burning, ashes burning
Imagine the burning embers
They glow below and above
Your sins you won't remember
And all you'll find there is love
Ashes are burning brightly
The smoke can be seen from afar
So now you're seeing how far
Ashes are burning the way
Ashes are burning the way
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