Mood-boosting Monday Music: your move with serpentine fire or Music for the sophisticated

It probably always seems like I am dunking on someone with each of these posts. I have decided that, that person’s narcissistic judgment, controlling nature, and closed mindset was the universe’s way to set me up to better appreciate, experience more deeply, and broaden understanding. That person had odd preconceptions and biases against everything from ethnic foods (Mexican/ Italian food /seafood /spicy food) hard workers such as farmers / blue collar / people in trades and so much more. Growing up, I thought she was being overly protected but…nah, this person was just judgmental and controlling.  Anyways, we know from the previous posts that I have a thing for music, as it was an escape and something that developed into a thought and comping mechanism. I really paid attention to nuance, arrangement, sound placement, and always wondered (and researched) why songs were produced the way that they were. Example is in the Beatles song “It won’t be long”, why at the very end did the chorus change in pitch and an extra word?

Then I learned about music frission and realized….that was me!  Music Frisson is a phenomenon that occurs in response to music, visual art, or other emotional stimuli. It is a sudden, intense surge of emotion that can be accompanied by goosebumps, a tingling sensation spreading down the spine, and sometimes a lump in the throat. It's a complex emotional and physiological response to unexpected musical harmony, a sudden change in volume, or the entrance of an emotional instrument (like a soaring vocal or instrument solo).  Frisson involves the brain's reward system and is linked to the emotional processing centers.  Those of us who experience auras, though for different reasons (an electrical storm in the brain) have similar experiences depending on what area of the brain is being stimulated. The aura involves sensory changes, intense emotions, or memory disturbances. Of course, unlike frisson, an aura is unpleasant. **Note, I want to be perfectly clear: I am in no way minimizing auras or implying they are welcomed. I only mention the connection because our highly sensitive brains are prone to these intense experiences, whether the source is a neurological event or a powerful song. Frisson= pleasurable, intense joy, awe, or sadness.  Aura= fear, dread, panic, or intense disconnection, awe, sadness.

Living in the sheltered community up on a mountain top with that one very bad no good radio station and pre-internet, music was hard to come by. That changed when I started commuting to college and then commuting to tech school. One day while driving to school with a friend of mine, we decided to change things up a bit. The album Physical Graffiti by Led Zeppelin  (50 years old this year by the way) was the perfect commute album as the first album of the set was long enough to play from my friend’s house to the college if I circled the parking lot twice, and the 2^(nd) album was long enough to play on the way back home with a few minutes to spare. So we decided to turn off the tape partway during our commute. And that is when it happened!  Flutes, acoustic layers, harmony, lyrics jumping out. Even through my econobox’s cheap speakers, I felt the music notes were on different planes. Some of them were level with my head, some floating 3 feet in the air in the right, some 10 ft above me on the left, vocals dead center in front, and some sounds up in the clouds. The hair on the back of my neck started standing, goosebumps on my arms, I started sweating, and was having blurry vision. My friend kinda demanded I pulled over and…that was a good idea. The song then changed from one type of music to a rock song!  WOW WOW WOW.  What was this sorcery?  We both had NO idea what song it was or the artist. I called the radio station a bunch of times (because that’s how we did it in those days), and wouldn’t you know it, they didn’t have a record of what songs were played that morning. AHHHHH!!!.  My dad decided to be home for once later that week, and I figured, I should ask him. I told him the song had flute, acoustic, rock, part of some John Lennon songs in the background (mentioning Instant Karma, and lyrics from “Give Peace a Chance”). I told him it wasn’t Jethro Tull. He thought for a moment and pulled out The Yes Album. I started listening to it and that person from the start of this post came by “oh, that’s the crap your father listens to” along with sniveling “you don’t actually like that do you?”.  I think I listened to the entire album 20 times that week, so yes…I did like it. And thus started my musical journey of diving into one of the most pivotal moments in progressive rock history.

The Yes Album (1971) was the commercial and creative breakthrough for the band Yes, establishing a template for epic, intricate sound that many have followed, which was their 3^(rd) album, released in 1971. It was the first album to feature Steve Howe, whose work incorporated folk, jazz, classical, and rock styles.  Similar to how Led Zeppelin stayed at a Welsh cottage for down time and inspiration, Yes retreated in a farmhouse in Devon which allowed them to develop the music and work on the extended, collaborative arrangements. The album showcased three-part vocal harmony (Jon Anderson, Chris Squire, and Steve Howe) along with Chris Squire's melodic bass. This album further broadened the band's instrumentation to include jazz piano, funk, acoustic pieces, and more complex structures.

The band's name was intended to be temporary but ultimately stuck due to its positive tone. A member of the band suggested the name because it was short, positive, direct, and memorable.  Before settling on Yes, they had been considering names like "Life" and "World," but Yes prevailed. The band’s name is often misattributed to the John Lennon and Yoko Ono story. That encounter happened at and art gallery in London. John Lennon visited the gallery before it officially opened. A piece that caught his attention was called "Ceiling Painting" or "Ladder Piece." The installation consisted of a ladder that invited the viewer to climb it. Once the viewer climbed to the top, they were given a magnifying glass hanging by a chain from the ceiling. Using the magnifying glass, the viewer could read a tiny word printed on a stamp-sized piece of paper stuck to the ceiling: "YES."  Lennon was known for his cynicism and this piece won him over.  When he saw the word "YES," he was deeply moved. Lennon stated “…most avant-garde art at the time was often negative, rebellious, or destructive. Seeing the simple, positive message of "YES" was a profound and unexpected relief”.  Lennon was introduced to Yoko Ono, the artist, shortly after this encounter, and was captivated by her work and her positive approach to art and life.

The Song "Your Move / I've Seen All Good People". This is a 2-part suite, divided into two parts. Part 1: "Your Move"and Part 2: "All Good People".  The track opens with an accappella three-part harmony (Anderson, Squire, and Howe) before a solo acoustic riff and a laúd (a Spanish lute). The lyrics blend personal spirituality with social commentary. The lyrics of "Your Move" heavily rely on the imagery of a chess game as a metaphor for navigating spiritual challenges and human relationships.  Anderson has stated that the central line, "'cause it's time, it's time in time with your time," was his attempt to convey the idea that he would "do anything that is required of me to reach God" or to be "in tune and in time with God." The song contains clear references to recent work of John Lennon, who was a major influence (and why people associate the band name with the Yes art story). The line "send an instant karma to me" is a nod to Lennon's 1970 single, "Instant Karma! (We All Shine On)."  A backing vocal chorus at the end of the "Your Move" section sings the refrain from Lennon's anti-war anthem, "Give Peace a Chance."  The closing section, "All Good People," repeatedly chants the main chorus ("I've seen all good people turn their heads each day / So satisfied, I'm on my way") over a driving rhythm before fading out as the harmony repeats in descending whole steps.

While Shrek is quoted as “LAYERS! Onions have layers. Ogres have layers! Onions have layers. You get it? We both have layers".  Well, music has layers!  And I am a sucker for layers (Your move, right?).  A favorite band of mine is known for and revered for their complex layers of instrumentation and rhythm.  I am talking about Earth, Wind, & Fire! They are well regarded for combining symphonic funk, soul, R&B, disco, and jazz through multi-layered horn lines, percussion, funk guitar, and falsetto harmonies.  My Music Appreciation professor in college would refer to them as having an intricate sonic tapestry. THIS…gives the band’s sound the well-earned reputation as being a musically imaginative and galvanizing group.

Earth, Wind & Fire's sound contains rich (and I would say lush) arrangements, a notable brass section, intricate percussion, and of course…funky guitar work. The band's sound features high falsetto choruses and layered vocal harmonies.  Dare I say, this band is …symphonic?  Actually… I do dare say it. The music is built on complex foundations where the band incorporates elements from Brazilian, Cuban, African, and Caribbean musical traditions…with the addition of disco-stylized bass. Complex interplay of these elements…right up my alley!  We have unique, multi-dimensional sound. The band drew from jazz, progressive funk and progressive rock, and thus created danceable grooves with sophisticated musicality. The band often featured woodwind, percussion, and strings.  Some examples of the complex layering include:

"Fantasy":  noted for its complexity and balance, where each instrument and nuance is clearly heard.  Layered sound mastered for…perfection.

"Love Is Life": showcases layered choral harmonies.

"All 'N All": THIS entire album is impressive work, incorporating stylish, melodic compositions and jazz-inflected layers.  And it just so happens that the focused song coming up is on this album.

“Serpentine Fire” was released in 1977. Rolling Stone magazine acknowledged "Serpentine Fire, a song about the spinal life-center philosophy of many Eastern religions, is a simple tango spiced by a subtle funk base and the incessant clanging of a cowbell." Let’s see…philosophy, layered sound, gets you pumped up and moving…checks all the right boxes for me, even before we get into having more cowbell.

The band itself, is one of the most successful, innovative, and influential bands of the 1970s and it is easy to know why (and not just because they played at the location where I had my honeymoon). These craftsmen are known for blending sophisticated musicianship with spiritual themes and spectacular stage presence.  I am glad they changed their original name. They formed in 1969 as the Salty Peppers. Maurice White changed the name to Earth, Wind & Fire in 1970, due to inspiration from his astrological sign, Sagittarius (primary elemental quality of Fire and seasonal qualities of Earth and Air).  In my opinion, the name holds more weight.

Hope you enjoyed this trip to frission city… and how it encompasses different genres of music.  Also, different genres of music contain complex layering where you can hear lutes, acoustic, bass, driving funk, mid tempo changes, Latin percussion, and of course, more cowbell.

I've Seen All Good People: a. Your Move, b. All Good People yes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfgPEh2J9aI

serpentine fire earth wind fire: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFbo8I2KkR8

Lyrics: Yes: https://genius.com/Yes-ive-seen-all-good-people-lyrics

lyrics: EWF: https://genius.com/Earth-wind-and-fire-serpentine-fire-lyrics