Musical Interlude: May Edition I

This month, we are treating you to two guest contributors. The first is Shyju Varkey- the guy known to take over Bangalore's stages with his incomparable acting and singing talent. I'm sure you'll love his selections.

There are a million and a half bands. Then, there’s Rush.

Like most things transcendental, it’s a tough act to comprehend but once you do, there’s no getting out.

There’re two aspects of music that most of us get attracted to – the evocativeness of the music per se, and the lyrical quality.  The former works at a subliminal level;the latter boils down to the quality of storytelling. I've chosen two pieces that reflect one of each.

Of these, the first was what drew me inexorably to Rush and the second, when I got incurably addicted to the magic of Messrs Neil Peart, Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson. The year was 1992. Twenty three years later, I still go weak-kneed when I hear these tracks. It could also be the onset of arthritis, but I chose to think otherwise.

Red Sector A

Back in the days of analog, I used to play a tape before hitting the sack. I didn’t like counting sheep. Instead, I’d conjure up images of the songs that were playing, trying to make a video in my head.  I’d usually drift into la-la land by the end of the first song. There was this one time, however, when just as I felt myself drifting off into slumber, I woke up in cold sweat.

In my soporific state, I had distinct images running through my head. Try it yourself. Click on ‘play’, close your eyes and make your own images to this song. Then watch the video. I promise you a tingle running down your spine.

Anagram

Really, has there been a cleverer song than this? 20 years on, I still discover a nuance every time I hear it. It’s a lyrical masterpiece. The video here has been put together by some random person in a way that made sense to him. You’ll find the lyrics relevant in different ways for you.

And, to amuse yourself, try to locate the anagrams in each line.

For those who aren't familiar with cryptic clues, here’s an example:

In the first line, ‘There’s a snake coming out of darkness’ – the letters in red make up s-n-a-k-e. Sorry for the spoon-feeding. I just thought it was important enough that no one misses it. Now, go forth and figure out the rest of the song! 

P.S. Check out their 'No One at the Bridge' and 'Trees' too, for evocativeness and lyrical genius.