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Post by Rick Henry on Jun 11, 2007 22:56:19 GMT -5
 In looking up words in the dictionary I came across the word "horizon". A few definitions I read are as follows: 1. the line at which the sky and Earth appear to meet. 2. the line or circle that forms the apparent boundary between earth and sky. 3. The apparent intersection of the earth and sky as seen by an observer. it was easy for me to put one and one together and come up with the line in the song "I Can Dream Can't I" which goes as follows: As we eye The blue horizon's bend Earth and sky Appear to meet and end Obviously the album was named after this line in this spectacular song. I just wonder (and hopefully someone here will be able to add some insight) who actually came up with the name for the album. Was it Ricard? Karen? Band member? Or creative consultants? Just some thoughts to ponder... |
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Post by wisejester7 on Jun 12, 2007 7:20:32 GMT -5
And ponder I must ... for I know not the answer you seek. Yet, I'm glad you brought the idea to the fore. It makes me wonder about not just Horizon, but about the concepts for their other endeavors, too.
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Post by Rick Henry on Jun 12, 2007 9:21:35 GMT -5
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Post by GoodOldDreams on Jun 13, 2007 13:28:33 GMT -5
Hi Rick, It's interesting how you specifically made the connection between "I Can Dream, Can't I" with the title of the album. I have always considered the bookending songs "Aurora" and "Eventide," which poetically refer to the passage of time by sunrise and sunset on different horizons, as intrinsically tied to the album name "Horizon." The mood, facial expressions, lighting and soft-focus effect of the album cover all seem to relate to the lyrics of "Aurora" perfectly: Morning opens quietly
A shadow vision over me
I know you well...
Hidden by the windows pane
And all my sadness gone charade
Begins to fade...
Patterns of another day
Awaken slowly out of gray...In this concept album, many of the songs that follow seem to echo the theme of the horizon, the line defined by the intersection of sky, land/earth, sea/ocean at a distance away: You were the dawn breaking the night
The promise of morning light
Filling the world surrounding me...
No where else on earth
I really rather be...(Only Yesterday) Don't your feet get cold in the wintertime
The sky won't snow and the sun won't shine
It's hard to tell the night time from the day....
It may be rainin'
But there's a rainbow above you....(Desperado) As we eye the blue horizon's bend
Earth and sky appear to meet and end...
Although we are oceans apart...(I Can Dream, Can't I) This double life you've handed me
Is like the devil and the deep blue sea...(Goodbye and I Love You) Lying under barren skies
The light escaping from my eyes
Below the moon
Walking down the avenue
I'm followed by the afterglow
The velvet rose of evening grows...
Candles burning by the sea
Are waiting for me patiently...(Eventide) I see the songs on this bookend concept album collectively as a metaphor for a person's life marked by various events, actions, reflections and emotions over the passage of time in the course of a day, and even months or years. |
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Post by wisejester7 on Jun 13, 2007 15:27:36 GMT -5
Good interpretations. Like Dreams, the bookends of Aurora and Eventide always made me think of this concept album in terms of a day in the life, so to speak.
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Post by Rick Henry on Jun 13, 2007 21:53:12 GMT -5
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Post by YesterdayOnceMore on Jun 14, 2007 17:00:07 GMT -5
Wow, I'm going to have to think about this one a bit. Good question, Rick, followed by an excellent interpretation, Dreams. And wj7, I found myself chuckling as I read the post ye made. I, agree that bringing this to the 'fore' was quite an inspired action taken by you, sir Rick..... Too funny. Tim  |
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Post by wisejester7 on Jun 14, 2007 22:06:11 GMT -5
Wow, I'm going to have to think about this one a bit. Good question, Rick, followed by an excellent interpretation, Dreams. And wj7, I found myself chuckling as I read the post ye made. I, agree that bringing this to the 'fore' was quite an inspired action taken by you, sir Rick..... Too funny. Tim Always happy to oblige, fine sir! |
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Post by Rick Henry on Jun 14, 2007 22:10:12 GMT -5
Dreams, I didn't even make the connection of the picture you posted in your thread... This one:  The picture shows the meeting of earth and sky - or anyway ocean and sky. I also have a little more to add to the common thread and how the songs weave together to make a concept and/or theme. Just after "Aurora" (which speaks of dawn breaking) comes the song "Only Yesterday" which mentions in it's lyric; " you were the dawn breaking the night, the promise of morning light". Also in the line " free as a song, singin' forever" - I think of a bird flying free singing his/her song to the world. This is more of a conceptual thought... though again this is a connection with earth and sky as birds fly in the big blue sky. The song "Only Yesterday" in it's entirety is a song about celebrating the "new day"... the "morning light"... the "breaking sun". Can anyone elaborate on this connection between the first two songs "Aurora" and "Only Yesterday"... and can anyone make the jump from "Only Yesterday" to "Desperado" - what connects these two songs? Jumping forward to "Happy" the lyric reads... " if it's the stars, they're surely on my side" - this is just a beginning at connecting "Happy" to the common thread which I believe exists through the entire album. |
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Post by GoodOldDreams on Jun 15, 2007 0:29:34 GMT -5
Hi Rick, You got it! Looking out in the middle of the sea or ocean where there may be no land visible ahead, one might still consider the line where the sky appears to meet the water to be the horizon. In general, the horizon might be more broadly construed as where the sky appears to meet land or water at a distance. |
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Post by enigma on Jun 15, 2007 14:10:04 GMT -5
Well the whole theme of OY is the fact that love brought someone who was lonely and in pain being brought up by love its an ascention on an emotional level from a low point to a high or higher point to me that would be equivalent to a metaphoric sunrise kind og a new dawn in a persons life. Also the darkness in the autors life is turning to light not the sun in this case but love. Where we get the Horizon is the fact that in the beginning the person can't get any lower (the horizon) and there is only one way to go and that is up (the sunrise) which happened in this song. I know very interpretive and metaphoric but is my take on the connection.   |
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Post by Rick Henry on Jun 18, 2007 6:22:44 GMT -5
Dreams, I didn't even make the connection of the picture you posted in your thread... This one: The picture shows the meeting of earth and sky - or anyway ocean and sky. I also have a little more to add to the common thread and how the songs weave together to make a concept and/or theme. Just after "Aurora" (which speaks of dawn breaking) comes the song "Only Yesterday" which mentions in it's lyric; " you were the dawn breaking the night, the promise of morning light". Also in the line " free as a song, singin' forever" - I think of a bird flying free singing his/her song to the world. This is more of a conceptual thought... though again this is a connection with earth and sky as birds fly in the big blue sky. The song "Only Yesterday" in it's entirety is a song about celebrating the "new day"... the "morning light"... the "breaking sun". Can anyone elaborate on this connection between the first two songs "Aurora" and "Only Yesterday"... and can anyone make the jump from "Only Yesterday" to "Desperado" - what connects these two songs? Jumping forward to "Happy" the lyric reads... " if it's the stars, they're surely on my side" - this is just a beginning at connecting "Happy" to the common thread which I believe exists through the entire album. |
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Post by Rick Henry on Jun 27, 2007 11:04:00 GMT -5
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Dave
Ultra Emissary 
"sleeping in the arms of the cosmos..."
Posts: 1,515
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Post by Dave on Jun 30, 2007 6:08:11 GMT -5
After listening to this album (thanks to a good friend), here are my thoughts...for what they're worth.
Was it K&R's intention to create a concept album?
What was going on in Karen's life between mid-1974 and early spring of 1975?
The album starts out so happily, so optimistically, in the morning, but by the end of the day I sense that Karen is coming to grips with the collapse of yet another relationship.
When there is no communication ("Please, Mr. Postman"), our minds begin to wander, and wonder what's gone wrong. Is he being a "Desperado", out on his range alone, and is he really happier playing "Solitaire"? Hope, as expressed in "I Can Dream, Can't I?" fades with the falling sun in "Caught Between Goodbye and I Love You" as she struggles to retain a shred of hope...but the phone never rings.
"Love Me For What I Am" is a "this is your last chance, take it or leave it!" message. If you can't stand the heat...you know the rest.
By the time we get to "Eventide" we hear this...
"Weary to be home again
Among the faces
Of my friends
The day is done
Candles burning by the sea
Are waiting for me
Patiently
I wish the same
For you"
She's tired of the emotional struggle of this day, and has forced herself to fall out of love, and to let this person go out of her life, but she has no ill feelings...just wondering why.
A day that started out so full of hope and promise has turned into yet another one of despair, but it's a feeling that she's all too familiar with.
On the other hand, I could be all wrong...but the expression on her face on the album cover says it all.
From Richard himself:
"Ironically, though Karen was now suffering with anorexia nervosa, she was never in better voice."
Isn't hindsight a wonderful thing...and is it the "inverse" of "beer goggles"?
Something to ponder...
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Post by wisejester7 on Jun 30, 2007 6:35:14 GMT -5
After listening to this album (thanks to a good friend), here are my thoughts...for what they're worth. Was it K&R's intention to create a concept album? What was going on in Karen's life between mid-1974 and early spring of 1975? The album starts out so happily, so optimistically, in the morning, but by the end of the day I sense that Karen is coming to grips with the collapse of yet another relationship. When there is no communication ("Please, Mr. Postman"), our minds begin to wander, and wonder what's gone wrong. Is he being a "Desperado", out on his range alone, and is he really happier playing "Solitaire"? Hope, as expressed in "I Can Dream, Can't I?" fades with the falling sun in "Caught Between Goodbye and I Love You" as she struggles to retain a shred of hope...but the phone never rings. "Love Me For What I Am" is a "this is your last chance, take it or leave it!" message. If you can't stand the heat...you know the rest. By the time we get to "Eventide" we hear this... "Weary to be home again Among the faces Of my friends The day is done Candles burning by the sea Are waiting for me Patiently I wish the same For you" She's tired of the emotional struggle of this day, and has forced herself to fall out of love, and to let this person go out of her life, but she has no ill feelings...just wondering why. A day that started out so full of hope and promise has turned into yet another one of despair, but it's a feeling that she's all too familiar with. On the other hand, I could be all wrong...but the expression on her face on the album cover says it all. From Richard himself: "Ironically, though Karen was now suffering with anorexia nervosa, she was never in better voice." Isn't hindsight a wonderful thing...and is it the "inverse" of "beer goggles"? Something to ponder... Dave, you posed the question of whether "Horizon" is a concept album or not. We all know it has the "book end" songs of 'Aurora' and 'Eventide'. Rick, enigma, GoodOldDreams, and now you have put a lot of thought into what it all means ... how it all ties together. Reading this thread has been a delight. All of you have made strong points and given us solid examples in how the album tracks might have been chosen for their order on the album. Good insights! And, yes, I think the inverse of 'beer goggles' is spot on. I'm just trying to imagine what they would look like. |
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Dave
Ultra Emissary
"sleeping in the arms of the cosmos..."
Posts: 1,515
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Post by Dave on Jun 30, 2007 6:38:36 GMT -5
Thanks to Wikipedia...
"Beer goggles is a slang term for a phenomenon in which consumption of alcohol lowers sexual inhibitions to the point that very little or no discretion is used when approaching or choosing sexual partners. The term is often humorously applied when an individual is observed making advances towards, later regretting sexual contact with, a partner that is deemed unattractive, unacceptably scandalous, or repulsive when the prospect of sex is considered while sober. The "beer goggles" are considered to have distorted the "wearer's" vision, making unattractive people appear beautiful, or at least passably attractive. Beer goggles are also known as "Stellavision", "Beerglasses" and "The Cider Visor".[1]
A formula has, apparently, been devised to model this phenomenon.[2]
There have been a number of songs written about this, chiefly Smash Mouth's "Beer Goggles", Lagwagon's "Beer Goggles", and Neal McCoy's "Billy's Got His Beer Goggles On".
LOL!
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Post by wisejester7 on Jun 30, 2007 7:10:07 GMT -5
Thanks to Wikipedia... "Beer goggles is a slang term for a phenomenon in which consumption of alcohol lowers sexual inhibitions to the point that very little or no discretion is used when approaching or choosing sexual partners. The term is often humorously applied when an individual is observed making advances towards, later regretting sexual contact with, a partner that is deemed unattractive, unacceptably scandalous, or repulsive when the prospect of sex is considered while sober. The "beer goggles" are considered to have distorted the "wearer's" vision, making unattractive people appear beautiful, or at least passably attractive. Beer goggles are also known as "Stellavision", "Beerglasses" and "The Cider Visor".[1] A formula has, apparently, been devised to model this phenomenon.[2] There have been a number of songs written about this, chiefly Smash Mouth's "Beer Goggles", Lagwagon's "Beer Goggles", and Neal McCoy's "Billy's Got His Beer Goggles On". LOL! Yep. Just trying to imagine ... picture the scene. Good definitions, Dave! |
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Post by Rick Henry on Jun 30, 2007 11:47:25 GMT -5
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