The Monkman track "The Dawn of an Era" on that library music site has the exact opening lines from "The Ice Bridge."
I'm guessing that since it's a site specifically for library music, then it's fine for other musicians to use this music in their own compositions though I imagine you have to buy it first (?) Still seems more than a little disingenuous to claim compositional credit for something that you didn't actually write yourself.
Last edited by Koreabruce; 07-23-2021 at 11:18 PM.
Davison is a challenging listen. I appreciate his unique melodic takes, but sometimes they don't work. If you listen to his work on Glass Hammer's "Cor Coridium" or "Perilous" you can hear where he knocks it out of the park. On this track, it doesn't quite hook me. He needs a better backing band, to be frank.
To me, the only thing keeping this new Yes song awake is Billy's bass and my brain trying to chase Davison's melodies. The key change and keyboard tone at 1:33 is quite nice as well where Jon sings "all eyes to the East". Really nice moment there.
In short, the interesting stuff is being done by the younger members. Steve's guitar playing - especially in the outro - is just not interesting. His re-occurring riff reminds me of "Bumpy Ride", which isn't good. The intro horn and string patches Geoff is using are incredibly outdated sounding.
It doesn't suck. But it's the band's past that compels me to listen to it again, not their present.
Last edited by julioscissors; 07-23-2021 at 11:24 PM.
From brief research, it seems like this music was used a lot on British television in the 70s and/or 80's, so the official line is going to be it was an intentional homage to a piece of music that everyone grew up with and obviously that was the intention of course right?
There are basically three ages of Yes studio recordings
1970 to 1980 = classic Yes
1982 to 1994 = YesWest
1995 to 2021 = YesLite (also includes ABWH & Union)
It seems to me that The Ice Bridge fits that description perfectly along with all the other latter day works from the Keys studio tracks to HnE.
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When I first listened, I quite enjoyed the Downes parts especially, little knowing it was a subliminal response to long buried moosic I heard on 70’s tv. The mind boggles.
The bass lines are good, and Howe sounds like latter day Howe.
I really do not like the vocals, though. I do not like the way that Davidson seems to deliberately want to work against the melody when he sings (some pretty daft lines). It is grating and almost unlistenable to me.
If you're actually reading this then chances are you already have my last album but if NOT and you're curious:
https://battema.bandcamp.com/
Also, Ephemeral Sun: it's a thing and we like making things that might be your thing: https://ephemeralsun.bandcamp.com
Well, I can't think of any other group that would have me plugging away at a track I initially didn't care for but here we are. I've had this on a number of times now and it's probably reached the level of 'wouldn't skip' if I had the album on. There are things I like; the production sounds lovely through headphones, the bass, and the keyboards (although I can't imagine a passing resemblance to a '70s library track is anything more than pure coincidence) and there are things I don't like (particularly, as many have noted, the vocals). Looking forward to hearing the rest.
I went on a mini Yes binge last evening. I played some random tracks on YT.
Subway Walls
Footprints
Homeworld
Love Will Find A Way
Rhythm of Love
........a few more. All great songs. The albums aren't great Yes albums (the exception being Keys 2 studio. I love that record. Sue me....), but I like all these tracks. Surprised at how good Subway Walls is. I'd heard it years ago and liked it.
I wish this band all the best, and I'd be glad if the new album proved to be a good one, but it feels strange to discover the first new Yes music in years and to learn that the main theme has probably been lifted off an old music library.
yeah, like it would be one thing to somehow accidentally stumble upon that same intro riff and go with it. sure, fine, but then the way the chord progression after it is also the same, and then it has that change to the 'epic string' part... like it's possible to stumble upon one similar sounding section and pass it off, but it would be near infinitely improbable for ALL these sections together to just come to you the exact same as this other song from the 70s. that doesn't happen, not this many similarities. definitely intentional in some way. I would be fine with it if it was credited tbh.
Regarding the similarities to a piece of library music - the comparisons are too close for me to think it's some bizarre coincidence. Either it's subconscious remembrance of it, licensed without credit (which I'm not sure would be allowed but I'd have to see usage rules), or it's knowing plagiarism. Sorry, but it's too similar.
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The second single has dropped with another ice themed motif and a more melodic vocal approach: https://youtu.be/tidOSuNxm8I
"It was a cruel song, but fair."-Roger Waters
It's library music. Musicians create pieces and put them on these sites so other musicians can license them for use in their own projects. The thing is, the piece that underpins The Ice Bridge is pretty well known in the UK and Australia, apparently having been used on various TV shows. The game show on the previous page is one example.
Soundcloud page: Richard Hermans, musical meanderings https://soundcloud.com/precipice YouTube: [https://www.youtube.com/@richardhermans4457
Library music is typically used in video productions. I've never heard of it being used in commercial record releases. Not saying it couldn't be done, just that people looking for writing assistance usually work directly with individual songwriters and not with library music administrators.
This is so weird and just so quintessentially latter-day Yes.
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