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 Infinity Gibberings In my opinion, and it really only is my opinion, the album can be viewed as an essay of sorts. The opening track serves as an introduction and the closing tracks are more conclusive, with everything inbetween involving the dissemination of various ideas. The introduction poses a question that is discussed during the bulk of the album and is answered in a way by the ending tracks, particularly "Dynamics". Each track is important independantly, although all the tracks can definately (in my opinion etc) be seen to relate to similar themes and each other, weaving a tapestry of sorts, or telling a story. Not everyone sees this and everyone that does has vastly differing opinions on what is being told, but most will agree that the album is indeed a 'singular' entity (ie as opposed to a collection of similar songs), that progresses across some very wide terrain. Indeed, I believe my views are somewhat proven by the very fact that I am here now writing this very thing, which if I tried could be shaped into an essay itself, and I am not alone in doing this. I have read many and varied hypothesis on this same subject, all beautifully detailed in their discription. It is almost touching to think that people are getting as much out of this album that I have, and in their own special way (awwww...), same as I did. I think that this album, more than the others, has its own special cult attached to it, and that just goes to show how special it really is. Similar things could be said for the other truly progressive albums, (Ocean Machine, Terria) but I think what seperates this album here is the fact that it is so personal. If Ocean Machine is about water (or uses it as a theme in some way) and Terria is about the earth, then Infinity is about life itself, about all life, about your life. The way that this encompasses everything else I think means that no matter what kind of a person you are or what you belief (if anything), the chances are you have thoughts on life, and Infinity will touch upon that. Its just a question of whether you will hear it or not, because it definately has something to say. If a connection is made then there is a vast amount of information contained in this album, even though it isnt that long. I would say that there is almost too much information because these conclusions I have arrived at have only come with repeated listening (but you probably guessed that!). If this is a progressive album, then you really have to let it progress, let it grow on you. I dont know if other people ever felt the same way, but I hated this album at first...even though it has pretty much defined my life and changed things permenantly. The same happened with "City", simply because there is just so much information to take in and it can somewhat overload you at first, but the more you listen the more you hear. In this albums case this works to tremendous advantage because it really does have a lot to say, and you really wont hear it at first. The first thing that really struck me about this album, the thing that got me thinking, was that after I had heard it a few times and was beginning to get interested in it, I couldnt tell where one song ended and another began! This got me thinking that maybe there was some underlying principle involved here, some theme that was implied throughout - something tying it all together. It wasnt long before I started to ask questions, to try and figure out what it was that I was feeling, or what it was I was 'supposed' to be feeling, to to find these themes. I would like to add that although obviously this all sounds very anal to most people (except maybe the select die-hard Infinity fans who know *exactly* what I mean) that I couldnt help going through this process, the music is of such high quality its like its all laid out waiting for me. Listening this closely to music this good is not exactly difficult, and that is something I am definately not alone in. The first theme that stood out was that it was as if the album was trying to address life as a whole, and this was apparent both in the lyrics and the actual progression of the album itself from track to track when viewed as a whole. This 'theme' obviously brought with it several sub-headings and questions what it is to live and what purpose we can attach to that. This broad-brush approach brings together all elements of life, from the dark to the light with everything inbetween, and perhaps this is the key to it touching my life so vividly, the fact that it is taking an objective, impersonal viewpoint means that I can apply what it has to say directly and personally to myself. For me, the best way (I'm afraid) for me to convey all this, is to simply and rather bluntly just break down the album track by track. This is probably the bit where my own views seperate from other die-hard fans, because these conclusions are inevitably utterly personal and revolve around my experiences relating to and because of the album, and what I personally learnt from it. Maybe even if the overall message I see is the same as what another sees, its like reading a book - everyone has a different mental image of the characters and places involved. These are simply the images and messages I see from what I hear. Anyway, on with it... (Note in advance: Forgive me for my lack of technical terms, but hopefully you wont need to use your imagination too much). Truth: This is the opening to the book, the prelude, the introduction. This song is as much of a greeting to the landscapes ahead as it is scene-setting. The (fucking awesome) huge riff at the beginning positively demands you sit down and listen. The semi-instrumental nature of this song, with the lyrics "Hallelujah!" and "Hello!" being repeated seem to wake you up and get your attention. I see the "Hello!" as particularly relevant in reference to this being the introduction, with the instrumental-ness almost as if representing the mere fact that this is *only* the introduction and is hence more about breaking you in for what lies ahead. The song sort of says to me; "Wake up, listen, something wonderful is about to happen, you are lucky to be here to hear it you know - yeah *YOU*". The spacy military-esque tone to the end of the song, when the siren rings and Gene drums as if for a marching band is like a warning, sinister but at the same time beautiful. The siren ringing towards the end and also earlier gives a definate sense of danger, even though the song itself is quite intensely beautiful. This ambiguity is present throughout the album, where it is as if there are two sides to everything - "where there is lightness there is darkness" kind of thing. Christeen: If Truth is the opening, then this is the first chapter. Truth leads onto what is most apparent in life, what is most immediate and most important to most people, what people think of first. That is mirrored by the very immediacy of the song itself, being the most 'poppy' on the album (it was released as a single and everything). This to me is of course all about love, or more precisely the need for it, the lust for love, the desperate feeling of wanting that special somebody, or if you have somebody then it is the desperate need to be with them. More importantly this song is suggesting that perhaps enlightenment could be reached and that you could be truly happy if you knew for sure that you were loved, its begging for an answer, for 'Christeen' to let you know for sure. If this song asks a question, it is "am I loved?". If this song has an answer, then it says yes, but it doesnt put it in so many words or so definately. Again an element of fear or desperation is felt towards the end, suggesting that although maybe the answer is 'yes' that things just simply arent that simple. This sort of swings the song around from poppy innocence to something more aggressive as it leads onto the next chapter. Bad Devil: This song serves as a sort of contradiction to me. The song itself is very bouncy and happy, and has a great 'family' feel to the vocals, but the lyrics are simply perverted at times (ie not suitable for all the family), contrasting the innocence of Christeen. This to me is saying that although love is wonderful and that it is great to seek, it is easy to pervert, and that there are evil forces at work in the world who seek to do exactly that. It confirms to me that things really arent that simple. At the same time as suggesting the presence of evil, it also suggests that it is possible to deal with these things, to get on and make your own way; "Train wont stop...never gonna stop...". The "Bad Devil" of the title isnt as relevant to me exactly...although I think it perhaps does suggest that if we are all devils, it is the bad ones that you have to watch out for. I would say then that the moral of this song is that maybe there are bad things happening around you, that you have to deal with them if you want to move on. War: This song is very chaotic and totally drags you in as it starts almost predictably but then goes totally fucked towards the end. This one sounds like it is about the inescapable truth in every situation, that sometimes things go wrong, sometimes things die and that is something you have to deal with. In this case the enemy is really humanity itself, rather than individual people. This says to me that some things are just corrupt and that no amount of wanting or hoping will change that, but that doesnt mean you have to give in. Like you can be victorious by admitting defeat, the point is to keep on going because you can then go on to confront things in other ways. If you can see the sadness and fear in the world then maybe you cant stop it but you can rationalise it, you can reduce it to a number, a statistic, you can put it somewhere. That isnt going to make you happy, but thats just the point...sometimes thats the way the world goes. You cant always win outright. Also, the military/marching band kind of drums present in Truth recurr here, as if the omminus presence they suggested before was real. Soul Driven Cadillac: I see this as the conclusion to War, and they both overlap indistinguisably...almost as if each song was debating with the other. If War has one outlook on life (Shit, I am personifying songs!) then this questions it and asks what the point in that is. Its almost as if this song hears what has been said and then panics...and the panic attack is what you hear. The initial comfort of "Please dont hesitate to call", etc, breaks down into what may well be the most distorted and utterly fucked ramble to ever be put to music. I see the (barely decipherable but relevant on at least a sonic level) 'speech' as sort of saying, "ok, so this is how it is, this is the way things are, this is how it is going to be from now on", a sort of rebirth or realisation. In the end it comes back to the moving simplicity of "Dont give in/Have patience", which is almost like it is caving in to the reality brought to light in War, but is still holding on to whatever hope there is in yourself. There is confidence here when there is none logically, if you take what has been said previously, and I think that is beautiful. Like the point is...there is no point, you just have to do what you can. Ants: This one to me sort of ups the pace, like a sort of musical kick up the arse, to say "well, get on with it!". I know that if you read the lyrics it is about money, and suggests that it is about worker 'ants' working to earn a living, thats not what I hear in the context of the other songs. To me it sounds just like a racing barrage of chatter, like you have walked out into a crowd or a marathon or something. Sort of like a transition, with this song taking you up an energy level. Wild Colonial Boy: Here the importance of immaterial possesions is underlined, because thats all that really exists and anything else is a cruel fantasy. You have to hold on to the things you have because the world is a barren place and anything you do have is either a blessing or unreal. Whichever it is, it is quite possibly all that you have. This song and the one before it are linked by a sort of 'livelyness', like these two songs are more in-person than before, less of a commentary and on a more personal level. The high pitched voices at the end of this song mirror that of the song before, as if Ants exists to subconsciously prepare you for this song. Sort of in the same way you introduce your friend to your gran before they have a chat. Life Is All Dynamics: The way that the previous song leads onto this reminds me of going for a small walk, leaving your house and strolling out into your garden or away from everything else in some way. You have left the emotional rollercoaster, gone home, and are now contemplating all that has been said. To me, the whole album exists just for this song, like all the questions raised are answered here, or if they arent answered then they simply cease to be relevant after this song has said what it has to say. Its like, although maybe you have learnt alot from the previous songs, there is one underlying fact that is far more important and that you musnt, cannot forget. To me, that fact is that no matter what happens to you, or the world, or the universe, that it doesnt always have to be that way...that things dont and cant *always* swing in one direction. No matter how bad things are or how low times may be, you are bound by the very nature of the universe to have a chance for improvement. Your very existance and ability to realise this is proof enough for me that this is true, because when you hear "Living hides the dead/Flowers need to bloom" you know it, you FEEL it, and that is the most real thing you will ever experience. The fact that you can feel that justifies your own existance because right then things have improved. This happens spontaneously, without the world around you changing, because it all comes from within you, and that is where it all begins and it all ends. Its like walking out of all the chaos, walking up a mountain and taking in all that you can see and for that moment it doesnt matter what is at the bottom of the mountain, all that matters is that you are at the top. I dont care how sad this sounds or how nerd-boy-fantastic this all is, but I see this as a critical life lesson. There is something in this song that needs to be heard and now that I have heard it I cannot go back, I have learnt that in life things can go either way...but that is what makes life liveable. Unity: To put this bluntly, I just see this as the come down after you have creamed your metaphorical brain-pants in the previous song. Listening to this song following on from the previous song is like basking in that same moment, holding on to it for just a little bit longer. Its like giving your brain a massage after the fucked up time it has just had and allowing you to get to grips with what has just happened. This song mentions "home", as if it is where you have just arrived, which is also important because the album is sort of trying to find where that is, and you really feel at home in this song. Noisy Pink Bubbles: This shifts the tone back a notch, sort of like a beautiful warning....sort of saying "Dont forget, things go BOTH ways". Its dark and chilling but at the same time you have to understand that because everything you have learnt should still apply here. In a way this is where the title of the album really comes into play because its as if it puts you right back where you started (try listening to the album on repeat...) so you can go through it all again, forever and ever. It reminds you of the bittersweet tragedy of living, and the way that it takes you back to the start of the album (ie it doubles back) suggests that life is all about cycles; "..all I can say is its day after day, god I know". Take things one day at a time because things will come around soon enough. Fanboy view ---> perspective of listener, abstracted from musician. |