Starship Trooper (song)
Encyclopedia
"Starship Trooper" is the third track and closing of Side A of progressive rock
group Yes
's 1971 album, The Yes Album
. It is presented in three parts: "Life Seeker", "Disillusion" and "Würm" and is credited to Anderson/Squire/Howe sequentially.
is the title of a 1959 science fiction
novel by Robert A. Heinlein
.
on his radio show Nights with Alice Cooper
, Anderson claimed to have written the first two movements of "Starship Trooper" alone, though the "Disillusion" movement is credited to Chris Squire
. "Disillusion" evolved from an earlier song, "For Everyone", which can be heard on Something's Coming: The BBC Recordings 1969–1970 (disc 2, track 5) and The Word Is Live
(disc 1, track 2). In both cases, the original song is credited to Anderson/Squire.
The "Würm" section of "Starship Trooper" is a continuous cadenza
of chords (|G-Eb|C|) played by ensemble and repeated adlib: first accompaniment: electric guitar on the right stereo channel, then acoustic guitar, bass pedals, and drums from middle channel, then organ and bass guitar with tremolo and distortion from left channel, then starts the guitar solo, that swaps from side to side. The whole piece lasts about three and a half minutes. "Würm" originally evolved from a song called "Nether Street" by Steve Howe
's earlier group, Bodast
.
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...
group 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...
's 1971 album, The Yes Album
The Yes Album
The Yes Album is the third studio album from the English progressive rock band Yes, released on Atlantic Records. It is the last record to feature keyboardist Tony Kaye until 1983, and the first to feature guitarist Steve Howe, who replaced Peter Banks in 1970...
. It is presented in three parts: "Life Seeker", "Disillusion" and "Würm" and is credited to Anderson/Squire/Howe sequentially.
Origin of title
Starship TroopersStarship Troopers
Starship Troopers is a military science fiction novel by Robert A. Heinlein, first published as a serial in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction and published hardcover in December, 1959.The first-person narrative is about a young soldier from the Philippines named Juan "Johnnie" Rico and his...
is the title of a 1959 science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
novel by Robert A. Heinlein
Robert A. Heinlein
Robert Anson Heinlein was an American science fiction writer. Often called the "dean of science fiction writers", he was one of the most influential and controversial authors of the genre. He set a standard for science and engineering plausibility and helped to raise the genre's standards of...
.
Composition
According to Alice CooperAlice Cooper
Alice Cooper is an American rock singer, songwriter and musician whose career spans more than four decades...
on his radio show Nights with Alice Cooper
Nights with Alice Cooper
Nights with Alice Cooper is a radio show hosted by rock and roll artist and shock rock pioneer Alice Cooper. It is syndicated by United Stations Radio Networks and broadcast on over 100 radio stations in the US, seven in Canada, and is also available in the UK , Germany , Ireland, Australia ,...
, Anderson claimed to have written the first two movements of "Starship Trooper" alone, though the "Disillusion" movement is credited to 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:...
. "Disillusion" evolved from an earlier song, "For Everyone", which can be heard on Something's Coming: The BBC Recordings 1969–1970 (disc 2, track 5) and The Word Is Live
The Word is Live
The Word Is Live is a live box set by progressive rock band Yes and was released in 2005 through Rhino Records.Considered the live companion to 2002's studio In a Word: Yes box set, The Word is Live serves to document the band's live story from early BBC recordings in 1970 with Peter Banks to 1988...
(disc 1, track 2). In both cases, the original song is credited to Anderson/Squire.
The "Würm" section of "Starship Trooper" is a continuous cadenza
Cadenza
In music, a cadenza is, generically, an improvised or written-out ornamental passage played or sung by a soloist or soloists, usually in a "free" rhythmic style, and often allowing for virtuosic display....
of chords (|G-Eb|C|) played by ensemble and repeated adlib: first accompaniment: electric guitar on the right stereo channel, then acoustic guitar, bass pedals, and drums from middle channel, then organ and bass guitar with tremolo and distortion from left channel, then starts the guitar solo, that swaps from side to side. The whole piece lasts about three and a half minutes. "Würm" originally evolved from a song called "Nether Street" by Steve Howe
Steve Howe
Steve Howe is the name of:*Steve Howe , progressive rock guitarist*Steve Howe , former major league pitcher...
's earlier group, Bodast
Bodast
Bodast were a late 1960s rock group from London. Its most famous member was Steve Howe, later to join Yes.The group recorded an album in 1968. Their label Tetragrammaton Records had success in the United States with Deep Purple, but went out of business just before scheduling a release date for...
.