Machine Messiah
Encyclopedia
"Machine Messiah" is a song written and recorded by the British progressive rock
band Yes
. It is the opening song on their tenth studio album Drama
. It was brought to the group by Trevor Horn
and Geoff Downes
, but received extensive input from the other three band members (Chris Squire
, Steve Howe
, and Alan White
). The writing credit for the song went to all five members, as it did for all songs on the album.
Yes used "Machine Messiah" to respond to many fans' fears that the new Yes would abandon longer songs; the length is 10:27, making it the longest song on the album. The lyrics are similar to Yes' usual style, even though they are by Trevor Horn; the band's regular lyricist, Jon Anderson
, was not in this line-up. The song leans towards darker imagery in many parts, in large part due to a minor-keyed heavy guitar riff, which opens and closes the track and reappears inbetween as a sort of leitmotif
.
The heavy metal
and hard rock
aspects of the song were something unusual for the band, and the song is noted among Yes fans for being one of the band's hardest rocking songs. This is due mostly to the layering of several sheets of metallic guitars, courtesy of guitarist Steve Howe. However, there is a progressive edge that runs throughout the whole song, and even without Jon Anderson's vocals, it is easily identifiable as Yes.
The song was included on the box set
compilation In a Word: Yes (1969–).
It is a common request in the Yes community to see the song performed live, but singer Jon Anderson refuses to perform any material from Drama. The song is featured in the setlist of 2008's "In the Present" tour.
The song includes a quote from the Toccata of Charles-Marie Widor
's Symphony for Organ No. 5
and Horn's lyric quotes the oft-used phrase "dark Satanic mills" from a William Blake
poem.
On Dream Theater
's album, Octavarium
, in the title track, "Machine Messiah" is referred to in a stanza that is a play on words with some of the band's influences. A cover of the track itself, recorded live at Jones Beach, NY, is included on Dream Theater's official bootleg album Uncovered 2003-2005.
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...
. It is the opening song on their tenth studio album Drama
Drama (Yes album)
Drama is the tenth studio album by British progressive rock group Yes. It is the first of two Yes albums without vocalist Jon Anderson. In early 1980, after rehearsing music for the follow-up to the tepidly-received Tormato, both Anderson and Rick Wakeman departed the band over creative and...
. It was brought to the group by Trevor Horn
Trevor Horn
Trevor Charles Horn CBE is an English pop music record producer, songwriter, musician and singer. He was born in Houghton-le-Spring in north-east England....
and Geoff Downes
Geoff Downes
Geoffrey "Geoff" Downes is an English rock keyboard player, songwriter, best known as the keyboardist for the bands The Buggles, Yes and Asia, of which he is the only consistent member. When he was a keyboardist for The Buggles, he played multiple keyboards to achieve a New Wave technopop sound...
, but received extensive input from the other three band members (Chris Squire
Chris Squire
Christopher Russell Edward "Chris" Squire , is an English musician, known as the bass guitarist and backing vocalist for the progressive rock group Yes. He is the only member of the group to appear on every album.-Before Yes:...
, Steve Howe
Steve Howe (guitarist)
Stephen James "Steve" Howe is an English guitarist, known for his work with the progressive rock group Yes...
, and Alan White
Alan White (Yes drummer)
Alan White is an English rock drummer known for his work with the progressive rock band Yes. White was also a member of the Plastic Ono Band, playing live in 1969 at the Toronto Rock and Roll Revival, which was recorded and released three months later as Live Peace in Toronto 1969...
). The writing credit for the song went to all five members, as it did for all songs on the album.
Yes used "Machine Messiah" to respond to many fans' fears that the new Yes would abandon longer songs; the length is 10:27, making it the longest song on the album. The lyrics are similar to Yes' usual style, even though they are by Trevor Horn; the band's regular lyricist, Jon Anderson
Jon Anderson
Jon Anderson is an English singer-songwriter and musician best known as the former lead vocalist in the progressive rock band Yes...
, was not in this line-up. The song leans towards darker imagery in many parts, in large part due to a minor-keyed heavy guitar riff, which opens and closes the track and reappears inbetween as a sort of leitmotif
Leitmotif
A leitmotif , sometimes written leit-motif, is a musical term , referring to a recurring theme, associated with a particular person, place, or idea. It is closely related to the musical idea of idée fixe...
.
The heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
and hard rock
Hard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
aspects of the song were something unusual for the band, and the song is noted among Yes fans for being one of the band's hardest rocking songs. This is due mostly to the layering of several sheets of metallic guitars, courtesy of guitarist Steve Howe. However, there is a progressive edge that runs throughout the whole song, and even without Jon Anderson's vocals, it is easily identifiable as Yes.
The song was included on the box set
Boxed set
A box set is a compilation of various musical recordings, films, television programs, or other collection of related items that are contained in a box.-Music box sets:...
compilation In a Word: Yes (1969–).
It is a common request in the Yes community to see the song performed live, but singer Jon Anderson refuses to perform any material from Drama. The song is featured in the setlist of 2008's "In the Present" tour.
The song includes a quote from the Toccata of Charles-Marie Widor
Charles-Marie Widor
Charles-Marie Jean Albert Widor was a French organist, composer and teacher.-Life:Widor was born in Lyon, to a family of organ builders, and initially studied music there with his father, François-Charles Widor, titular organist of Saint-François-de-Sales from 1838 to 1889...
's Symphony for Organ No. 5
Symphony for Organ No. 5 (Widor)
The Symphony for Organ No. 5 in F minor, Op. 42, No. 1, was composed by Charles-Marie Widor in 1879. It lasts for about thirty-five minutes. Its Toccata is the best known of all of Widor's compositions.-Structure:The piece has five movements:# Allegro vivace...
and Horn's lyric quotes the oft-used phrase "dark Satanic mills" from a William Blake
William Blake
William Blake was an English poet, painter, and printmaker. Largely unrecognised during his lifetime, Blake is now considered a seminal figure in the history of both the poetry and visual arts of the Romantic Age...
poem.
On Dream Theater
Dream Theater
Dream Theater is an American progressive metal band formed in 1985 under the name Majesty by John Petrucci, John Myung, and Mike Portnoy while they attended Berklee College of Music in Massachusetts. They subsequently dropped out of their studies to further concentrate on the band that would...
's album, Octavarium
Octavarium (album)
Octavarium is the eighth studio album by American progressive metal band Dream Theater. Released on June 7, 2005, it was the band's final release with Atlantic Records. Recorded between September 2004 and February 2005, the album holds the distinction of being the last album ever recorded at The...
, in the title track, "Machine Messiah" is referred to in a stanza that is a play on words with some of the band's influences. A cover of the track itself, recorded live at Jones Beach, NY, is included on Dream Theater's official bootleg album Uncovered 2003-2005.