HE LOVES IT! AWAKEN! A Literalist Reaction to Awaken by Yes & Dave's Birthday
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 29 ส.ค. 2024
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Dave (the 36-year-old with the impressive beard) was raised almost completely sheltered from pop culture by his strict military family. He was homeschooled his entire life until he entered college. He legitimately has very little knowledge of music and bands from before 2000.
John (the guy in the dark on the right) has been a MUSIC LOVER since he was born in the 1960's. Problem is, he rarely knows or fully grasps the lyrics. Dave (on the left), on the other hand, has never heard or rarely overheard the music John chooses to play for him, but tends to take lyrics literally, sometimes to unexpected ends.
John remains in the dark both as a wry play on the situation but also because of legal issues causing his attorney to recommend maintaining a low profile.
We did not write nor do we own the Copyright for the song used in this Educational Video. This is a real, honest reaction to a song Dave have never consciously heard before and/or listened to with intent. Any "facts" offered by John "Doh" are based more on his remembrances than on any actual research. Please feel free to correct him. He loves it.
Fair use principles under Section 107 of the Copyright Act allow the unlicensed use of copyrighted materials for fair use purposes, such as commentary, criticism, teaching, and news reporting.
One of the great masterpieces of music, full stop.
I saw Yes on the Union tour in 1990 in Munich, Germany. Front row! Awaken was clearly the pinnacle of the concert. I was just inches from Steve Howe when he played the descending riff into the section where Jon sings “Master of light”. Eternal goosebumps.
"Awaken" is about revelation. Jon Anderson had read a book by Calvin Miller called "The Singer", which is a Christ-allegory, and he stated that this was heavily influenced by that book.
Howe and Anderson wrote it and they brilliantly employ the circle of 5ths chord progression, which is what gives it that climbing sensation. Very fitting if you're trying to evoke the concept of revelation from a higher source.
Anyway, my favorite piece of music of all time. Can be very emotional with that huge climax after the 'Masters' and the closing phrase.
By the way, another famous prog song that utilizes the circle of 5ths is Genesis "Firth Of Fifth", which song title is a clear play on words for that chord progression.
This song. This song is my all time favorite piece of music of any genre, any time. It's as close to a spiritual experience as I've ever had. And this time around, as often happens when I watch someone hearing it for the first time, I found myself tearing up. It's just beautiful. For me, it's the perfect song.
I saw this in 1977 in Philly.
After the song ended there was a sec or two of silence as the audience digested what they just saw and heard.
Then the smoke filled Philly crowd let out their roar of approval.
Goosebumps.
I was there every night, I believe it was a 3 nighter...😊❤❤❤
I saw ABWH in Philly in '97. When they opened CTTE, the place went completely APESH!*. When it concluded, same reaction where the crowd digested what they just heard, and then erupted again. Philly was a YES and RUSH town.
There is no BAND LIKE YES, 100 Years from now, they'll still be listening ❤❤❤ETHREAL
Agreed! - JD
Been hooked on YES since 1971, am still hooked.
I am of the opinion that their music will still be being played a hundred years from now.
There is only one YES.
I live in Phoenix. I never knew Chris lived here until he had already passed. Miss him him so much.
This is one of my favorite songs by them - by them i mean the best Progrock band in history.
The apex of Yes’ entire catalogue, imho… and that’s saying a lot. Thanks for this reaction!
When George Harrison wrote Taxman with the lyric “one for me and nineteen for you” , he was complaining about a 95% tax rate imposed by the British government on some of their most successful pop musicians. The method to avoid this rate was to establish residency outside of the UK for at least six month of the year. That’s why Yes recorded GFTO in Switzerland. At some point Wakeman fell for the pipe organ in Vevey Cathedral. That organ also makes its presence felt in the song Parallels on GFTO. I would love to make a pilgrimage to Vevey to play that pipe organ with all of the stops pulled out. Thanks to the Swiss telecom company for enabling such clean transmissions of the organ sounds from the cathedral to the studio.
Like John and others in this Comments section, this is my favorite piece of music of all time. I like Dave’s recognition of the constant upward trajectory of the music. Jon Anderson was always looking to establish peaks in his music. I think that was achieved here by stepping through the circle of fifths in sequence. I could be wrong about that though. Finally, John, you missed an opportunity to show Dave the triple-neck bass guitar that Squire used to play this song live. When the roadie handed that instrument to Chris, everyone knew that the highlight of the concert was about to be played.
Magnificent piece of music.
Saw Jon & the Band Geeks play this last Friday. Sounded great. They played near 3 hours!
Jon sounds great at 78! Great reaction! Best to All Good People!
Epic Yes.
Happy belated B-Day Dave!
If you enjoyed this, then you have to watch the live version of Awaken with Jon Anderson and Todmobile. One of the greatest live music videos ever recorded. Awe inspiring.
I agree! - JD
Same here!
Rick Wakeman played the organ parts on massive pipe organ in a church in Switzerland (the album was recorded in Montreux) . Those parts were recorded inside the church and mixed with the album. Listen again, that is not your typical organ. A good example begins at 16min 30sec and again at 20min 38secs and forward, but you can hear it throughout the song.
I came across your first reaction vid of Yes' masterpiece Awaken. The last third of the piece takes me places I can't describe, and often brings me to tears! That is the power and emotion Rick brings to his playing. The whole band is on point. I kind of enjoy Jon's lyrics! I try not to take them so literally (sorry Dave), but try to understand the spiritual or magical aspect of the song. I'm with you John. Awaken is my all time favourite piece of Yes music!
This song uses the circle of fifths which cycles through every key to arrive back at the beginning so continually climbs.
Patrick Moraz claims to have presented this to the group before wakeman rejoined.
Saw them from the 3rd row on this tour in New Haven 8/9/77. Opened the show with Parallels. Jon Anderson walked forward to the mic stand to start singing and knocked the stand over, grabbing it before it hit the floor.
Great memory, great show!
Happy Birthday Dave! 🎂
Best Yes song ever. Yes, ever better than Close to the Edge. Just beautiful. Probably my favorite piece of music from any band.
Agreed, and Jon has said this is his favorite. I like to play the one before this together, “Wondrous Stories,” a beautiful “little” piece.
I think Turn of the Century is mine.
It's my favorite piece of YES' entire catalog. A masterpiece, in my opinion. 👏👏
Such a wonderful track. Perhaps the best ever. Fascinating.
This track like much of Yes's music is still way ahead of its time......
my fav song always takes me to deifferent places every listen..
Best YES reaction ever! I love that you get it. Thanks for speaking of all the background information too. How is it that in a TH-cam world filled with reactors you don't have 10million subscribers? We need to change that. Thank you
1977 went to the Going For the One live concert at the Empire Pool, Wembley, London. Not only was the music as here so spot on, the Roger Dean stage set itself was also equally incredible. From rain storm of downward lasers, to basically the Moon slowly rotating in the sky in the background then slowly speeding up tipping forward turning into a man cartwheeling across the sky. The whole thing was just amazing. Can remember the Album Cover billboards here in the UK were shown as the album. Don't know if all over or parts, but in the USA shorts/ underpants were added to hide the nudity which did find amusing.
Happy (belated) Birthday Dave!
Hey guys! I recently stumbled upon your channel. I’ve only seen two or three videos? Awaken made me subscribe. I’m 61 and was at the record store to buy this album before they opened. I did that with a few bands. Pink Floyd. Genesis Led Zeppelin, etc.. I saw Yes countless times. Every time I hear this song and the gates of delirium, I cry. I don’t cry easy! I saw how much you liked it. You’ll like it more next time.✌️❤
Thanks and welcome to the Fellow Humans club. What region are you from?
@@LiteralistReactions I’m in New Jersey on the New York border. 30 minutes from New York City. By the way, you’ll start to like the wacky beginning of close to the edge. It’s an acquired taste! I Look forward to more cosmic music.
So many of our subscribers are in the mid-Atlantic region. Maybe a meet-up is in the cards, someday. - JD
Unreal tune. Still sits behind Close to the Edge for me. But Awaken and Relayer run neck and neck for second among the epics. Then "The Revealing..."
time to bring in The Gates of Delirium from Relayer.
And sound chaser!
Can you imagined in 1977 we had no information about this song.....there was no explanations...nothing and people who heard this song this entire album came up with their own meaning of this entire album, particularly this song! And we knew for the album "Fragile" that this was a Cosmic journey of the soul going through an Awakening for the wonders of the Universe!!! It was WILD!!!!
I had won free tickets for the show in Rotterdam, November 1977. A great experience, never to forget.
The most complex progressive rock composition ever written.
14:00 There are twelve tones in the standard western scale. What you guys are feeling with the "lift" is a blatant upward use of the "circle of fifths," which is a reversal of the "plagal," or "church cadence" (IV/I) which denotes "finality." (Think "Aaaah, men!" at the end of a boring church song. Reverse it on the circle, and it has the opposite effect.) If you really want to fry your harmonic mind, react to John Coltrane's "Giant Steps," where he just takes the Circle of Fifths, and subverted 400 years of music theory in a way that completely made sense.Just a recommendation.
Will do! - JD
Happy Birthday, Dave 🍩🌄
From the talk about going on a trip in an airship I wonder what the reaction to Olias of Sunhillow would be?
Yes, try Olias!
Dave is right on the money, right on spot. Glad you enjoyed it. Ever one of my favorites. Was fortunate enough to experience it live twice. Good reaction.
11/8 for most of part one. Some 6/8 but against a 3/4 for the beginning of part 2. 4/4 for a lot of the rest of part 2.
And it seems to keep climbing because of the way they use the circle of fifths as the chord progression for those parts (which has actually been credited to Patrick Moraz, who Rick Wakeman replaced during recording).
Thanks, Ian. - JD
Organ was recorded in church in switzerland
Happy Birthday Dave and Chris Lots of love
I think the line 'Ask the sun to stand still' means to stop for a moment in our hasty life, and is reflected by the moments of pause Dave discovered in this composition. I think Rick Wakeman happened to visit a little church there in Switzerland with a great sound. I love also the song Parallels on that album, because of that church organ. Maybe 'Literalist Dave' should be renamed 'Weird Bob'.
This is such a beautiful piece that it always brings a tear to my eye and it feels like my soul wants to explode...
I believe on this song, they actually directly sent the pipe organ to the recording studio, they say, over the phone lines, although, I'm not sure I believe that, honestly.
One thing I always like about Yes music is that it's always ultimately uplifting. Even the Gates of Delirium ends on a hopeful note after all the chaos earlier in the song... A lot of that is due to Jon Anderson's vision plus his voice, which is perfect for the music of Yes...
Agreed. I believe Wakeman was recorded in the church as he monitored the rest of the band over the phone.
They did the live via phone thing for Parallels, but for Awaken, Rick took the near-completed studio tracks to the church and recorded his playing and the choir on separate channels.
Dave and John, could you please give Quartet by (ABWH)Yes. th-cam.com/video/-thazivcnCw/w-d-xo.html
I like ABWH. I went to the show. Ultimately, it is Bruford's electronic drums that prevent me from returning to this record on a regular basis. We will hit some of it, eventually, I feel. - JD
After this tour I always looked for the harp the next 34 times I saw Chris. It's a blessing to the divine. 🙏🍁
great video boys!
thanky! - JD
Its up there with the very best that they ever produced. For an additional dimension check out the live version by Jon Anderson and the Icelandic group Todmobile. Simply sublime.
Toddmobile is the best live recording of this masterpiece, agreed. - JD
I found that live recording on TH-cam and listened to it with my ear ins….I had a few beers, was calm in my mind and just enjoyed it. When the choir comes in, where RW uses his Melotroe, I just broke in pieces and started crying. It was so beautiful. My partner asked, what are you doing? I cried even more, could hardly speak. I’ve never ever experienced such a musical “orgasm”….great song! My partner and listened to it together once more. Lovely! 😊
I have had the same reaction, over and over again, to that song in various forms including live. Enjoy! - JD
Wakeman's best work, imho.
Hi! First visit here…YES draws me to your reactions!
The more times you listen to their songs…the More you’ll hear! It takes quite a few listens to catch Chris’s Bass, Steve’s riffs, etc…
I hope you continue to explore the Incredible Library!! ❤
Welcome to the channel! If you dig around, you'll find that YES is visited often 'roundabout this way! - JD
It's about a spiritual awakening. About what you'd expect from Jon Anderson.
That sense of climbing you feel probably comes from the circle of fifths progression the band uses. They go all the way around the circle, something you almost never hear in a piece of music.
Pro tip on figuring out time signatures: Just note how many beats you feel until the pattern repeats. The bottom number, without getting too deep into music theory, just tells you what gets one beat: 4 means a quarter note, 8 is an eighth note, and so on. So 11/4 means 11 quarter-note beats per measure.
Now you need to move on to Topographic Oceans!
I saw them do this during their In The Round tour in 1990 in Boston, Massachusetts. Jon Anderson, Steve Howe, Trevor Rabin, Rick Wakeman, Tony Kaye, Chris Squire, Bill Bruford and Alan White, all sharing the same stage. It was amazing, to say the least. As a musician myself, I've always been big into what inspires artists to write songs and lyrics, and what those lyrics mean. Jon was great at writing deep, complex lyrics, but also wrote lyrics just because the words sounded good together without actually meaning anything. Happy belated, Dave!
Edit: I'm writing this after watching the entire video. Dave, I really like how you totally analyze the song and express the images you get when you hear it. I have a habit of doing the same, but that's what music and art is about in general, isn't it? I'm not a religious person, but during the end section after the "Master of.." bit, they really hit you. Very powerful. The bad thing about being "sheltered" is that you missed out on a LOT of music growing up. On the other hand, the GOOD thing about being "sheltered" is now, all of this great music is just waiting for you to listen to it. I remember first getting into Yes as a teenager and getting that feeling of "Wow!" You're getting that now, and I'm happy you're able to experience all of that. On top of all that, you guys are hilarious and I'm looking forward to seeing what else in your catalog.
The constant climbing feel is a consequence of the employment of the Circle of Fifths. Chord changes repeat the same interval over and over, i.e. the fifth, which is seven semitones higher or five semitones lower. So, starting on E, for example, it goes E B F± C± G± D± A± F C G D A E. Every note covered and back to where you started. Repeat ad infinitum if desired.
I’ve been waiting for this. And I was pretty sure Dave would love it too.
Like John, this is my all time favourite Yes song. Ever since I bought the Album in 1977.
Pure Genius for me. Goosebumps every time. As well as the Title track, I remember you listening to ‘Turn Of The Century’ too from this Album and having a very interesting discussion about that.
I thought Dave may enjoy these two Classic Live performances of ‘Awaken’, for his own private enjoyment.
Yes at the ‘Montreux Jazz Festival’. 2003.
th-cam.com/video/nDXccU0xgNo/w-d-xo.html
And this one, Jon Anderson performs ‘Awaken’, with Todmobile in 2013.
Todmobile, being the Icelandic pop/rock band. Absolutely incredible.
th-cam.com/video/d_Va3e_52TE/w-d-xo.html
Definitely worth a watch, to see ‘The Masters’ at work. Just my own opinion, of course.
Enjoy. 🎶❤️🎶
Toddmobile verson is probably the best recorded live version I've ever heard of Awaken. The 3 times I heard it live in person top it, though. - JD
@@LiteralistReactions Yes, the Jon & Todmobile performance is sensational isn’t it. I was only lucky enough to catch Awaken Live once. Awaken is such a glorious Masterpiece. Speaking of long pieces of music, my other favourite piece of Jon Anderson music, is ‘Horizon’, from the ‘Jon & Vangelis’ Album, ‘Private Collection’, (1983). As you’ll know, this track took up the whole side of Side 2 on the Vinyl Album. A mere 23 minutes long. But what a gloriously beautiful piece of music. I wonder how Dave would find Jon & Vangelis, John? Private Collection is my favourite of their 4 Albums.
Going back to Yes, as someone else has mentioned on here, ‘Tales From Topographic Oceans’ is worth exploring too. It’s another masterpiece, in my view. I know this Album isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but it holds a special place in my heart. I hope you eventually get to listen to the the 4 pieces that make up that beautiful ‘Double Album’. Again, just my own personal feelings. We were so blessed to have been around for that era of music. My Son always reminds me of this. He says he wishes he was here much earlier.
🎶❤️🎶
My favorite Jon and Vangelis is Short Stories with Friends of Mr. Cairo runnin a close 2nd. But Olias beats them both! - JD
@@LiteralistReactions Yes, I’m with you John. I adore ‘The Friends Of Mr Cairo’, the Title track itself. Another ‘Genius Composition’ from J & V. It’s a sensational piece of music, so beautiful. As beautiful in parts as ‘Horizon’. And ‘Olias Of Sunhillow’ is my favourite Jon Anderson Solo Album. I hope you get to give Dave a listen to all of these glorious masterpieces, eventually.
Olias’ follow up, ‘Zamran’, is due anytime now, as you’ll most likely know. Thank you. 🎶❤️🎶
By far my favorite Yes album. In opinion it's some of their best work!
steve howe never gets a mention in top guitarist mags . when hes way up with the best even surpasses most.
He is as one-of-a-kind as Jeff Beck, in my humble opinion. - JD
Criminally underrated
In the 70's he was constantly being featured. He was voted #1 in the Guitar Player poll so many times they had to disqualify him so someone else could win.
BTW, I played guitar w/ the son of the inventor of the Polymoog for Bob Moog. His name is Dave Luce and his son is Ben. TH-cam has a docu-video on both
Also, 30:11 Chris Squier had a majorly important, forward part on his triple-neck, during the breakdown. (Coming in at 16:00 in your video).
The line about stopping the sun reminds of "time stand still" by RUSH
Geddy once said if YES didn't exist, there would be no Rush. 😊
Apart from Rick Wakeman's piano introduction at the start, this song begins for me when it goes quiet and Jon starts playing his harp (I do not like that part in between and skip it every time).
Rick Wakeman makes this song. The organ played at the church in Vevey, in the Canton of Vaud, in Switzerland, makes this part of the song such a fabulous piece of music.
The very best part begins at 20:43 in your video, when Rick plays that church organ like a piano. And it culminates when Rick plays that thunderous organ at ( 21:19 in this video), sends goose-bumps up my back and brings tears to my eyes every time.
But Close to the Edge is my all-time favourite Yes track and always has been since I first heard it in late 1972 as a 16-year old.
If you want to fly without engines, you will probably love Jon Anderson's solo album "Olias of Sunhillow". No need to react to it. Just listen.
OK guys, i think that it's time to cover the Relayer album. John, i'm surprised you haven't gotten to this yet - maybe you're not keen on it? - i'm really curious to hear your take on this album. Contrary to most other Yes fans and music commentators, i feel that this is their peek in creative expression, even tho it suffers from not so great production. Each song takes one on it's own distinct and wonderful journey. Where in Awaken, as you said, they hold back on notes (to great effect), on Relayer is mostly a polar opposite approach - also to great effect. Anyway, i hope to see Dave's reaction to this gem in musical history.
Relayer is an acquired taste. I'm in no hurry to rush Dave headlong into it until he becomes more tuned in to discordance. The jazz influences are strong on this album. Also, you're right to say it suffers from not great production value. So, again, when the time is right, I'll bring it in. Patience, Grasshopper. - JD
Happy Birthday Dave RIP Chris, This is certainly a Masterpiece, luckily as a teenager when all this came out without internet, and boring TV, getting to g purchase, come home
and listen to this on my brothers killer stereo, well there have only been a few musical moments as grand. JD You looked like You were floating on a Cloud Of Eider Down.
All of Relayer Next. If the note amount on the top of the signature bar is 11, or 7, with a 4, or 8, just means that many notes played on top, in the 1 2 3 4 beat pattern, so too
many notes to fit, they have to extend over multiple 1 2 3 4 patterns, until they find a convergence point. So an extended multi pattern
Just watched your Top Ten greatest songs from Rolling Stone magazine and I rant along with you. Now that I’m watching your review of Awaken by Yes, this song is far superior to any of their songs on their list and belongs to the top ten.
Its a real pipe organ😢
Circle of fifths
The Singer, is a book Billy Graham would speak about in his prime at Crusades. There's no doubt NO DOUBT! Christ be praised 🙏
Sitar?😮
The music is transcendent, Jon’s lyrics are music. Nobody has ever figured out what they actually mean though.😅
Seems like only yesterday Dave answered his calling as the gumdrop sheriff snail sniper of turnip town. Our lil' gnome on the range turned disheveled vagabond vagrant.
Camp like the wind!
Nobody ever in history: Wow, I just heard the most amazing song!
Deductive Reasoning: I suppose you are going to immediately sample the band's entire musical catalog now?
Nobody ever in history: Nah, I'll just wait for the random chance I might hear them again.
Are you questioning the process? - JD
@@LiteralistReactions At least the viewers offer some meaningful details about the songs, leaving you guys looking like a couple of chimps trying to figure out how to screw a football.
I aint gonna pay Dave to be dumb. Maybe the motherland will pay him some rubles to stay out of the country?
@@BlueJazzKeys Unusually harsh without that comedic edge I'm so used to. Are you ok?
@@LiteralistReactions Need a hankey? I think Dave's fragility is infecting your brain like a throbbing red parasite.
Friends don't let friends be a commie.
Noted. - JD
The youths seem to find songs with any degree of length to be strange. Can’t understand why….
dem dang yutes! - JD
Thith tranthendth thpathe and time. Thientific fact.
Indeed.
Thuffering Thuckatath!
@@Yesquire0 That'th not nithe. I lotht both handth in a freak vathaline ackthident, and my voithe recognithion thoftware ith thuper-thenthative.
Glath houtheth, Thir. Glath houtheth.
Glath Houtheth? I think I dated her in 10th grade. Kinda short? Carried a glock? - JD
@@LiteralistReactions I thee you guyth gave up?
By now, I don't know how much convincing you still need to realize this I was a 70's band directly blessed by the Ultimate Forces governing the Cosmos but if not converted to that fact then there is no hope! AGAIN though !!!FK RUSH!!!! LOL!!! comparing the two, artistically, in the same breath is BLASPHEMY! ...sorry not a FAN at all. Whereas YS are so rich! lush! delicious! tasty! bold, adventurous, unbelievably imaginative, unexpected! non-commercial! Rush is jus the opposite! They're like having a fake meat burger had no condiments whatsoever! SMH. The closest thing to YES yet wonderfully different are GENESIS, GENTLE GIANT, (Italian) PFM or KING CRIMSON!
Both groupth are rethpectable in their own wayth. Yeth ithn't prethithely famouth for their lyrickth, for inthtanth.
Like comparing perthimmonth to bananath.
and the witty rapport flows like Shakespeare.. you're a fresh waterfall on a hot summer day! - JD
"Literal" and Jon Anderson lyrics don't really have much in common.
The working name of this song was "Eastern Number"
Sorry to reply vs edit, opera sucks at some stuff.
Its rude to call Bob weird
Only eight notes ?1?!🤐............please google the chromatic scale.
1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 = Infinity