THE STORY OF I

The Story of I is the first solo-outing of ex-Yes keyboardist Patrick Moraz, and it's a shameful album, really. This album tries to be Fusion-like, but all it sounds like is a cheap copy of Fusion-Yes, which is not a happy listen. Every instrument here has an effect on it in some part, be it the drum cymbals, tom toms, or Moraz' organ, it just isn't good. The vocals on this album are just, sad, they sound like a copy of Jon Anderson circa 1977-78, with a little Moraz-y touch.

This album has a more than fair use of traditional Brazilian instruments, and guess what, keyboards, but minimal use of guitars, basses, and drum kits. I don't know where Moraz was going with this album, but I certainly hope this isn't his direction. The direct thefts from Yes are certainly not cool, and by that I mean, the man didn't even give Jon Anderson credit for writing the story with him! What a shame...

All these interludes are just weird, and unncessary, and non-imaginative, but seriously, they are just leftovers. Is there a reason why this is called world music by many? Yes. Is it good that it is called that? No. Buying this album I expected real progressive rock, not world music with a Hammond organ. Even on tracks like Indoors with electric guitar solos, the guitar is barely audible and the organ quickly takes over.

As for the concept and lyrics of the album, I could say, nothing can be stupider. There is a tower called "I", in which all of your wildest dreams can come true, but there is one rule, and the rule says that you can't fall in love while in the tower. One day, a man and a woman fall in love while inside the tower and decide to escape, otherwise they will be trapped in their won dreams. Is this a children's book, or what? "The writing is lame, the action is tame", in the words of Steven Wilson, and boy was he right.

There are chants, and bongos, and Brazilian percussion instruments, and even Brazilian chants, what the hell was he thinking? I know I've said this a million times, and you're probably already sick of it, but Patrick Moraz' debut just isn't good! You can try and say that there are good musicians, and that you like the style of music, and that this was innovative, but to me, a fact will always be a fact, a never-ending always-lasting fact.

I have to say, there is one song, that, despite the barely audible guitar solo with the insane keyboard overdubs, has caught my ear, and that track is "Indoors". The opening piano line just had my ear around the bend, and I was amazed! It was only this one track though, and adly, I have no special feelings toward the others.

Every song on this album except for Descent is written by a certain John McBurnie, which I do not know anything about, and I didn't find anything about him no matter where I looked. Some tracks are composed good, but a lot of them are mediocre, and some are even bad, so this McBurnie guy gets an average rating from me, a plain C.

Like a Child in Disguise is a horrible, horrible, horrible song, featuring everything a song needs to earn the definition of "pop". "That" drum beat, "those" piano parts, "that" keyboard solo at the end, and "those" annoying falsetto vocals.

Rise and Fall is the only "progressive" track on this album, in terms of progressive rock. Synchronized triplets and off-beats, and the usual Hammond organ, everywhere, but again, still not a good song, still very poppy.

The final track on the album is Symphony in the Spac, which is mainly a keyboard track, with a sort of Walt Disney cartoon-soundtrack feel to it. The 3-minute bookender is actually okay, and really, not bad at all, so I'm not gonna criticize it.

Remember that this album was made during a time when pop was king and everything had to have pop influences to have an even slight chance of success. Moraz took the "pop kingdom" definition a bit too far and made an actual, "progressive pop" album, and in my opinion, one of the first ever. So yeah, I give this album a 1/5, which is my first 1/5 actually, but I think it is justified, and fair, because this is Moraz' taste, and if he likes it, he can enjoy it, but it's not my taste.

1/5, end.

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