I tried to listen to this as if I've never heard it before to see if I could separate the history I have with PF, this album, and this song from the reality of it as a piece of work. I have to say, either I didn't do a good job or this song really does stand on its own.
I often think that some of the ratings on R.P. include a sort of "confirmation bias" from our collective pasts. I've heard that what you think is good music is what you listened to in high school no matter who you are or what music means to you today. It's tough to separate fact from perception (with perception being the biased reaction we have to the music of our youth).
I try to set that aside and find the music that really works - could be classic rock, could be rap, could be (dare I say it) Madonna. everything has its merits and only one of those should be how it makes today or made you feel in some long ago life (for us from the 60's and the 70's at least, usually under the fog of some substance).
Very insightful comments, pdemeester. I concur with your feelings for the most part: however I personally believe that "what you think is good music is what you listened to in high school no matter who you are or what music means to you today" applies most to those whose high school days happened to be in the '60s, '70s or possibly early '80s. (Mine were in the '70s.) I have spoken to many people who were not so fortunate as to grow up in the glorious years but have become converted to music from that era, including my very own brother (10 years my junior).
Seems like a lot of listeners feel the same as I do about Yes: brings back terrific memories of my youth, hanging out with friends and getting drunk (among other things...).
I think RP should play more Yes precisely because it can afford itself the luxury: most commercial stations won't touch them because of the daunting length of their songs; it interferes with the commercials. But RP has no commercials... so more Yessongs, Relayer, Topographic Oceans please!!!
Although they seem to have borrowed elements from several of the classic rock sounds of the '60s and '70s (does anyone else keep getting sudden flashbacks to BOC songs while listening to WS?), the resultant mix is, I find, pleasing and quite refreshing. The band becomes all the more intriguing when one becomes aware that it consists of a total of two members: some young English dude and his younger sister, who plays the DRUMS, of all things! Now is that original or what??
I often think that some of the ratings on R.P. include a sort of "confirmation bias" from our collective pasts. I've heard that what you think is good music is what you listened to in high school no matter who you are or what music means to you today. It's tough to separate fact from perception (with perception being the biased reaction we have to the music of our youth).
I try to set that aside and find the music that really works - could be classic rock, could be rap, could be (dare I say it) Madonna. everything has its merits and only one of those should be how it makes today or made you feel in some long ago life (for us from the 60's and the 70's at least, usually under the fog of some substance).
Very insightful comments, pdemeester. I concur with your feelings for the most part: however I personally believe that "what you think is good music is what you listened to in high school no matter who you are or what music means to you today" applies most to those whose high school days happened to be in the '60s, '70s or possibly early '80s. (Mine were in the '70s.) I have spoken to many people who were not so fortunate as to grow up in the glorious years but have become converted to music from that era, including my very own brother (10 years my junior).