And You and I
Encyclopedia
"And You and I" is the second track from the album Close to the Edge by the progressive rock
band Yes
. The song is just over ten minutes in length and consists of four sections. The second part of the song, "Eclipse", was released as a single and reached #42 on the Billboard Hot 100
.
TV producer and writer Joss Whedon
allegedly named his production company Mutant Enemy Productions
after the line in this song.
The song was released as a 45 in the US with the track split between both sides of the record.
The song is featured in the 2011 horror film Apollo 18
.
which quickly forms into a simple chord progression
over distant organ chords. Then, the Moog comes, sounding like a child's instrument, for a simple solo, which presents us the main theme of the next part, but in a completely different arrangement. After that, the vocals begin at about 1:40. The line "All Complete in the sight of seeds of life with you" is spoken, which is repeated throughout the song.
At about 2:50, there's an utter change: Anderson sings a sharper melody, accompanied by a second vocal track by Anderson harmonizing with himself, plus Chris Squire and Steve Howe providing a counter-melody and alternate lyrics, with their voices fed through a Leslie Speaker
.
and Minimoog
synthesizer. The lyrics are all from the first stanza of "The Cord of Life", but are sung in a different melody, which is also epic and slightly sad. In this section, the song cycles from the key of D to the key of A, E, and finally B, in which it remains for the duration of the song. Finally ending with the 12-string acoustic guitar leading into "The Preacher, The Teacher".
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
band Yes
Yes (band)
Yes are an English rock band who achieved worldwide success with their progressive, art, and symphonic style of rock music. Regarded as one of the pioneers of the progressive genre, Yes are known for their lengthy songs, mystical lyrics, elaborate album art, and live stage sets...
. The song is just over ten minutes in length and consists of four sections. The second part of the song, "Eclipse", was released as a single and reached #42 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
.
TV producer and writer Joss Whedon
Joss Whedon
Joseph Hill "Joss" Whedon is an American screenwriter, executive producer, director, comic book writer, occasional composer and actor, founder of Mutant Enemy Productions and co-creator of Bellwether Pictures...
allegedly named his production company Mutant Enemy Productions
Mutant Enemy Productions
Mutant Enemy Productions is the production company created in 1997 by Joss Whedon to produce Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The company also produced the Buffy spin-off, Angel, and his two short-lived science fiction series, the space western Firefly and his high-concept Dollhouse, produced by 20th...
after the line in this song.
The song was released as a 45 in the US with the track split between both sides of the record.
The song is featured in the 2011 horror film Apollo 18
Apollo 18
Apollo 18 may refer to:* One of the canceled Apollo missions of the American Apollo lunar program* The officially unnumbered Apollo spacecraft used in the Apollo–Soyuz Test Project* Apollo 18 , a 1992 album by They Might Be Giants...
.
Parts
| Part | Start Time | Length |
|---|---|---|
| Cord of Life | 0:00 | 3:47 |
| Eclipse | 3:47 | 2:29 |
| The Preacher, the Teacher | 6:16 | 3:10 |
| Apocalypse | 9:26 | 0:42 |
I. Cord of Life
The song opens with Steve Howe tuning his guitar, and his voice can be heard at the beginning of the track, then playing mostly natural harmonics, played around what will become the central melody, using a 12-string acoustic guitarAcoustic guitar
An acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound...
which quickly forms into a simple chord progression
Chord progression
A chord progression is a series of musical chords, or chord changes that "aims for a definite goal" of establishing a tonality founded on a key, root or tonic chord. In other words, the succession of root relationships...
over distant organ chords. Then, the Moog comes, sounding like a child's instrument, for a simple solo, which presents us the main theme of the next part, but in a completely different arrangement. After that, the vocals begin at about 1:40. The line "All Complete in the sight of seeds of life with you" is spoken, which is repeated throughout the song.
At about 2:50, there's an utter change: Anderson sings a sharper melody, accompanied by a second vocal track by Anderson harmonizing with himself, plus Chris Squire and Steve Howe providing a counter-melody and alternate lyrics, with their voices fed through a Leslie Speaker
Leslie speaker
The Leslie speaker is a specially constructed amplifier/loudspeaker used to create special audio effects using the Doppler effect. Named after its inventor, Donald Leslie, it is particularly associated with the Hammond organ but is used with a variety of instruments as well as vocals. The...
.
II. Eclipse
"Eclipse" is the slowest part of the song based on a measured and deliberate melody reminiscent of Sibelius. It is led by Rick Wakeman's epic MellotronMellotron
The Mellotron is an electro-mechanical, polyphonic tape replay keyboard originally developed and built in Birmingham, England in the early 1960s. It superseded the Chamberlin Music Master, which was the world's first sample-playback keyboard intended for music...
and Minimoog
Minimoog
The Minimoog is a monophonic analog synthesizer, invented by Bill Hemsath and Robert Moog. It was released in 1970 by R.A. Moog Inc. , and production was stopped in 1981. It was re-designed by Robert Moog in 2002 and released as Minimoog Voyager.The Minimoog was designed in response to the use of...
synthesizer. The lyrics are all from the first stanza of "The Cord of Life", but are sung in a different melody, which is also epic and slightly sad. In this section, the song cycles from the key of D to the key of A, E, and finally B, in which it remains for the duration of the song. Finally ending with the 12-string acoustic guitar leading into "The Preacher, The Teacher".
III. The Preacher, The Teacher
The melody and lyrical structure is very similar (for the most part) to that of "The Cord of Life", with some variations. The exception is that "The Preacher, The Teacher" has a fast synthesizer solo by Rick Wakeman at one point during the song. The last stanza again consists of lines from "The Cord of Life", now sung in a different order and a completely different mood. At 8:34 there is a reprise of the previous section "Eclipse", which lasts until 9:12. The section ends with a cadenza-like orchestral statement, on Mellotron and Moog, reminiscent of neo-Wagnerian compositions from Strauss or Bruckner.IV. Apocalypse
"Apocalypse" is the shortest piece of the song, only about 40 seconds long, it consists only of four lines, accompanied only by Howe's guitars. The lyrics are taken from "Cord of Life", but are sung in the key of B, making them more upbeat:And you and I climb, crossing the shapes of the morning.
And you and I reach over the sun for the river.
And you and I climb, clearer, towards the movement.
And you and I called over valleys of endless seas.