MUSIC TIP OF THE MONTH
YES: “The Revealing Science of God”
The art-rock group YES released their “Tales from Topographic Oceans” album in 1975; a richly textured world of words and music composed of four separate movements, inspired by a four-part Hindu text translated as the “Shastric Scriptures”. The opening piece (titled “The Revealing Science of God”, and sub-titled “Dance of the Dawn”) is 20-plus minutes of complex poetry and evocative music which serves as high-density food for thought.
In the words of the song’s co-author, Jon Anderson, “The Revealing Science of God can be seen as an ever-opening flower in which simple truths emerge [from] examining the complexities and magic of the past and how we should not forget the song that has been left to us to hear. The knowledge of god is a search constant and clear.”
A sampling verses from the song furthers the intrigue: “Getting over overhanging trees / Let them rape the forests / They might stand and leave them / Clearly to be home / Getting over wars we do not mean / We charm / The movement suffers / Call out all our memories / Clearly to be home / We’ve moved fast / We need love / A part we offer is our only freedom / What happened to this song we once knew so well? / Signed promise for moments caught within the spell / We must have waited all our lives for this moment / Moment”.
This gift is a rose of eternal beauty.
