Change: World in Changes

 

purchase [Alone Together]

My life is going through some major changes, but that's not where this ostensibly expired theme came from. Those life changes, however, are why this post is squeezing in after the expiration date of the theme: as I wrap up what was my initial draft, I see that I set "pen to paper" on this on May 1st. Good intentions.

Having just returned from a second trip to the US in a month and on my way to pick up our dog from the kennel, what to my wondering ears should "appear" from the car entertainment system - but 3 tracks from Dave Mason's <Alone Together>. Now that's a coincidental guilty reminder to finish what I started if I ever "saw" one.

So, here I am in the car listening to the song I was going to post almost 3 weeks back, and I am listening to it with different ears.

The cue list on the car system is ostensibly random. In fact, alphabetical. So, here comes Traffic's Glad. (Dave Mason cues up after the letter T because the recording was downloaded from YouTube using a site that appends "yts" to all file names.) So, the order is Traffic, some Dave Mason, followed by Clapton 461 Ocean. 

Now, by the time Traffic came out with JohnBarleycorn, Mason had moved on to his first solo album. At about the same time that Clapton had also moved on to solo work. The year is 1970.

As I listen to the tracks I have saved - noting the guitar playing in particular, I find myself questioning if  that isn't Clapton's guitar I am hearing on Alone Together. It's not, but there's an awful lot that's similar: tone and riffs. When I check the list of musicians, I remind myself that there is in fact a fair amount of cross-over with Clapton associates of that era: Bonnie Bramlett, Rita Cooldige, Jim Gordon, Leon Russell, Carl Radle .. And of course, there's Clapton's later work with Traffic-man Steve Winwood.

And I note that while Mason's vocals are plenty fair enough on World in Changes - and his guitar work fairly comparable to Clapton's, I see that Alone Together is rock that's just Good Enough rocking.

So, here's a more recent variation on the 1970 original:

When I posted about Alone Together back in 2020, I included 3 songs from the album,, but not this one:

CHANGE: CHANGES

 Well, there's a thing, there I am, trying to see if I have it in me to squeeze out a second post, appreciating the wire is close. So, as per my usual, in goes CHANGE to my i-tunes search, and, bloomin' heck, there's another one. Another one? Well, my last post was very much affirmative related, never realising for a second that there was also the later song.

And despite my mardy earlier remarks, it's OK. So, it's not great but it bears a listen, and, apropos their post punk M.O', it is quite catchy and could cut some rugs. Changes, it is called, By now the band, for it is 1993, and, thus, recent days, consists of, as you can tell, as he doesn't sing lead, Jon Anderson and Chris Squire. Tony Kaye (yay) is back on keyboards, with Alan White on drums, turning out to be their longest sitter on the drum stool. Trevor Rabin is on guitar, as Steve Howe was probably in a huff. The production, obvious in hindsight, is from Trevor Horn, himself an alumnus of the earlier band. Rabin, previously of South African band Rabitt, had a 13 year membership with Yes, and then, with Howe back in his place, with various counter-Yes spin-offs. (No's?) It is basically his song, with additional credits taken by White and Anderson, for later audio fripperies ahead of the album being made. For what it is worth, Rabin later put out versions that "removed" their additions.

And then again, here's Yes featuring Anderson, Rabin, Wakeman, in 2017. Which was as opposed to Yes, the band, which didn't........

Anyone got any other short changes for Yes?

Changes.