The Tower (by Legendary Pink Dots)

Rex <richwill@xsite.net>

"Coma White(WK)" <chameleon@owl-online.de>

My first Version of it was the PIAS Vinyl release; I think I bought it back
in 1987. It begins with the dark and straight Black Zone, which I allready
knew from Stone Circles Anathology. This is that what I call a typical dots
song from the mid 80s. Dark keyboards, strange sounds, and also dark vocals
dealing often with the end of World/Civilisation! I think these songs are
largely responsible for bringing the LPDs into the new wave/gothic
classification.

Break Day works again with a waltzy-like rhythm made of strange
keyboard tunes that sound distorted but make a native melody so far. The
song is interuppted by some "industrial" sounds. The song seems to be a
perfect description of us, the civilization, thats gone totally mad and
moving near its end, knowing the end is near but covering up the evidence
with lies, lies, lies!

Tower One begins with some drum-machine sounds, interspersed with these
charming fast keyboards. The Voice is very clear. I never was really sure
about what the song is, but the most likly interpretation for me is that the
masters of the world, who rule with an iron hand in the style of perhaps
Brave New World, or 1984, all like to keep the art, wisdom, and beauty of
the ages hidden behind thick castle walls, because they fear that their
control over the masses of the people would slip if they found out how
people once lived, with the human individualist spirit running very strong
through the ages. Near the end of the song, all these names are sung out
loud, with voices sounding like kids; I think that Ed tries to refer a bit
to the power of fantasy in the kids. I may be totally wrong, but feel good
with this sense of it.

We drive then into Vigil-Anti, a very great song. The drum machine and
keyboards built a great ground for the Voice and the Violin. The song is
straight, espacilly when the drums changed to this "militarry style". The
song refers to a "rebel" person, punished in life and fullfilled by
thoughts of revenge... who starts a big rebellion against the state
(tower).

A Lust for powder has one of the nicest programmed drums I know. The
keyboard sounds fit perfectly to it. Here I think the "rebel" feels watched
and controlled by the state (tower) and looks for an escape from all, and
find it in drugs. "Powder for feeling nothing at all." I think this is
another song inspired by Brave New World. The song runs directly into one of
my alltime faves "Poppy Day". Oh, boy, have I cried to this one. It is so
dark, but bittersweet. The violins sound so lost, and sometimes like someone
crying. The keyboard repeats always the same melody that remarks the
bitterness totally. It is a totally sad song, referring to all the mementos
lost, as if you cry for someone telling you which way to turn, but noone
knows the answer.

Tower Two refers to a totally controlled civilasation. Everyone is
controlled and still a function, but replaceble piece... but no thinking
individual. Musically it is made of some noises lead by this "funky"
keyboard sound. At the end it changes into a waltz rythmn again, and we are
told about how the state sometimes throws us a bone so we can feel "Great
again".

Astrid has those floating keyboardsounds I love so much. The female Voice
asks for someone who forgot about all the nice and even sad things of the
past. Connectable to A Lust for powder/Poppy day I think Astrid mourns about
the fact that her lover, George (The Rebel) has devoted his life to a fight
against the system, and has been changed by all the voilence in his life,
so much that he has drifted away from her.

Tower Three starts the fight - the fight against the State(Tower),
should free all the people from the Control, but beside that it opens all
doors for legalized Violence and Crime all around. A big Chaos grows
instead the wanted free world! The song has those straight drum programs,
again these nice keyboards that soon turn into fast harmonies. Yes, it has a
militarry rythmn; it is hidden but it is there. It ends up in all those
distorted noises with the female voice speaking all over it (Tower-Control
again?)

Tower Four has a nearly similar rhythm, this time the guitars are sharper,
the violin sounds more frightend. This one seemed to me like a list of
Losts. The fight brought nothing, only people dead, people lost her kids or
their minds! George surely will fight on until the bloody end, but there
will be no winners, only losers, always walking in a crossfire, to be caught
one day!

Musically and also the production of this sounds very good, best of the hall
CD.

Tower five still is the sequel to all, just Ed says that he also has no
answers for the survivors of the world, but he warns against waiting or
beliving in any heroes.... they will be the leaders to the end!

Sing While you may! Well, this is a very good LP by the Dots, a real
concept album. As I asked Ed about this one some time ago, he agreed with me
as I said that The Tower and Island of Jewels are a belonging together, and
also that they both are a bit like LPD's "The Wall"! The Tower, especially,
has a lot of similarities, mostly in the words and the meanings, partly also
in the music to the Pink Floyd "The Wall" Album. May this might be the
reason for why this Album is one of the most listened by my ears!