| Track: | Rating: | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. My White Bicycle | | | | | |
| 2. Colonel Brown | | | | | |
| 3. Real Life Permanent Dream | | | | | |
| 4. Shy Boy | | | | ||
| 5. Claremount Lake | | | | | |
| 6. Revolution | | | | | |
| 7. The Incredible Journey Of Timothy Chase | | | | | |
| 8. Auntie Mary's Dress Shop | | | | ||
| 9. Strawberry Fields Forever | | | | | |
| 10. Three Jolly Little Dwarfs | | | | | |
| 11. Now Your Time Has Come | | | | | |
| 12. Hallucinations | | | | | |
Although generally forgotten outside of the circle of hardcore Yes fans, Tomorrow were actually a fairly interesting project set firmly within the musical landscape of pre-Progressive British psychedelic rock. For a time, their live performances (often involving mime acts and ritual masks) were said to have been among the more notable features of the British underground -- there is little doubt that this group could have risen to the success enjoyed by the early Pink Floyd had certain matters worked out differently.
To most modern observers, however, Tomorrow are generally remembered only for featuring the first appearance of a Yes member (Steve Howe) as a band member on a full-length album. Although Howe's playing is almost unquestionably the high point of the album, the fact that the other aspects of the album are usually forgotten is somewhat of a shame. Keith West, the lead singer, was a promising talent as well; his virtual departure from the music world after the "Grocer Jack" fiasco and Tomorrow's breakup took a potentially strong personality away from the emerging progressive movement.
It is impossible to say how Howe's legacy would have differed if Tomorrow had lasted, though it is probable that he and West would have led the group in a more progressive direction during the 1970s in any event. Such speculation, however, is of little use in this review.
Although Tomorrow may now be regarded as a very good (if somewhat short of excellent) endeavour in the psychedelic rock sphere, a few problems should also be noted. I am certainly not the first critic to note the fact that the album seems to be rather derivative of its various contemporary sources. The thematic link between "My White Bicycle" and Pink Floyd's "Bike" seems a bit difficult to ignore; similarly, much of the album sounds quite akin to PF's singles from the post-Barrett period. John Platt has argued that the album was released a few months too late to be considered entirely relevant to the psychedelic scene, and there is a certain element of truth to this claim.
Nevertheless, there are certain albums that sound better on their own merits when considered in the blur of history, and Tomorrow is one of these.
The semi-legendary "My White Bicycle" begins the album on a powerful note. Longtime Tentative Reviews fans will note that I originally only gave this track a
"Colonel Brown" is quite similar to the poppier side of post-Barrett Floyd, and the reviewer cannot help but marvel at the appearance of this track in the same year as the similarly-titled "Corporal Clegg". Tomorrow's track differs from that of the Floyd in that the title character is given considerably more sympathy, however, and the music too is generally of a less snide nature. The first part of the track consists of a fairly light psych-pop description of the veteran's tragic life; some interesting bass and guitar work appears in the chorus. At a certain point, however, the music suddenly shifts in a direction which might be categorized as "early progressive", with a very interesting guitar melody emerging; it is primarily for this that the track receives its high rating.
In another reminder of the age in which it was created, "Real Life Permanent Dream" sees Howe performing on a sitar. This instrument is the most interesting aspect of this track, another semi-poppy number with lyrics which focus on romantic asceticism of a sort; although a catchy and worthwhile number on its own merits, it would seem considerably less significant without the addition of the additional instrument.
"Shy Boy" is somewhat of a lull, consisting of more consistently pop-oriented music without notable supplementation. The lyrics are fairly banal, concerning a rather unengaging story of workplace obsession; the music, moreover, isn't quite as interesting (a keyboard line excepted, of course). A few interesting things happen here, but not terribly much.
"Claremount Lake" is, for its time, a fairly progressive track, in spite of its reliance on more overtly rock-oriented elements. The lyrics are once again slightly more mysterious; whether West is singing of a peaceful beachside community, or of a haven for "underground" activities is never entirely clarified (perhaps it refers to both). Howe's guitar solo begins in a fairly underdeveloped manner (simply repeating the primary motif with a few special effects added), but quickly transforms into something quite interesting.
"Revolution" is clearly a project of its time, beginning with whispered, distorted vocals defining the nature of "revolution" over a maelstrom of swirling guitars/bass/drums lines. The silliness of this introduction, in fact, is the primary reason why this track doesn't receive a five-star rating; some of the lyrics come off as overly naive as well, though this is somewhat easier to overlook in the context of the age. On the brighter side, however, this track features a rather complex arrangement, allowing Howe to play a diverse number of styles throughout the work; the overtly psychedelic moments of the first section's instrumental reprise, the darker tones of the "careful where you walk" section, and the acoustic performance in the alternate chorus are all excellent, and suggest the direction that his skills were heading in. Howe fans might also wish to know that Steve also handles a few prominent backing vocals on this one as well. By virtue of its rapid shifting of themes, this may be the best track on the album from an instrumental standpoint.
The second half of the album begins on a less promising note. "The Incredible Journey Of Timothy Chase" is a rather unfocused, with the band performing a psychedelic development without seeming to know where they're going. The best part of the track is the guitar/bass development at its end; other than this, there aren't too many moments which specifically captivate the listener.
"Auntie Mary's Dress Shop" is a novelty track which doesn't really belong on the album; although the theme of a small retail figure being called upon to serve the royal family might strike some listeners as either quaint or drolly amusing, there really isn't terribly much else to speak of here. One matter which is of some importance as regards future developments, however, is that Howe's better moments seem to ignore everything else happening around him; perhaps this track played a role in his tendency to soloing around more predictable parts from other band members.
"Strawberry Fields Forever" improves things quite substantially. Although not quite as good as the original (which is this reviewers favourite Beatles number), this relatively straight cover nevertheless comes fairly close. This particular remake doesn't really add terribly much in the way of different interpretations until the concluding section, in which Howe contributes a guitar solo capable of matching that of the original song -- this is a reinterpretation, rather than simply a mindless jam. Listeners might also note that Twink's drumming generally outdoes that of the original.
"Three Jolly Little Dwarfs" (later to be a preferred track on John Peel's radio program) is the successful novelty track of the album, a tale of a trio of dwarves who eventually see their house destroyed by a giant. To the band's credit, they don't even attempt to make this appear as anything other than the absurd storytale which it is; from a musical standpoint, the melodic development is actually fairly good, and Howe's guitar "stabs" make for decent accompaniment as well. This is hardly the sort of thing to base an entire career on, but it's good enough for what it is.
"Now Your Time Has Come" begins in a rather tedious manner, with its uneventful verses and choruses heralding 1970s rock in a rather uncomfortable manner. Then, halfway through the track, the music suddenly shifts to an entirely separate instrumental section, in which everyone (but especially Howe) gets a few good moments in. Seemingly buoyed by this improvement, the reprise of the initial section at the end of the track is a marked improvement over the first section, with Townshend-esque signing from West. With a bit of editing, this could have been something truly interesting.
The album ends with "Hallucinations", which may be the most successful track in terms of combining vocal and instrumental passages. The manner in which the track is mixed is nothing short of excellent (for its time); the drums and guitar appear in a very clear manner, and West's vocal melodies and gently cryptic lyrics create a very successful mood. Howe's guitar section is quite appropriate to the piece; it probably would have undergone even further development in the live performances of the day.
This album, then, is a notable psychedelic release which is enjoyable on its own terms, and should be of particular interest to those seeking knowledge of Yes's early history. For Howe fans, this is a necessary purchase (although it should be noted that half of the album appears on Howe's Mothballs).
For comparative purposes, by the way, one might note that this album produced one bonafide "standard" -- "My White Bicycle", which is admittedly more famous in cover versions than in the Tomorrow original -- whereas the first Yes album (released one year later) produced none.
(review originally posted to alt.music.yes on 22 September 1997)