The Lies That I Believe

Musically Lies, fits the very classic rock format, opening with a very Pink Floydian, Goodbye Blue Sky-like acoustic segueing into into the thundering dirge of say Dazed and Confused. Structurally the song owes more to Floyd than Zep though. In a different production environment, say like ILMO's it would sound like it was a long lost 70's masterpiece. Perhaps with that twin tracked guitar both high and low and a fuller bottom. Then again, perhaps that's what doomed the Wreck. I think on Come Again, one of the most disturbing things to us old Ian fans is that Ian's "roots" are hidden. Almost none of the "roots" guitar tones, the Bonham level drum sounds, and the bluesy riffing handled in a classic way are in evidence. This is at once a strength since the new audience cringes at the "oldness' of the classic guitar sounds (like I used to cringe at the sound of the clarinet back in the sixties as the guitar moved from a background rhythm instrument to a lead) and a detriment to us oldsters that love the warmth of that 70's production. In any case, the riff is monstrous and at 120 db emusifying the foundation of my house it's enough to warm your bones. I am jealous of all you that have seen this performed live!

Lies has such plodding heavy riff that I can't see it as a radio hit in todays' market, but I LOVE IT! As Ian begins the verse the sinuous wah-wah slithers around his words.

Around it comes and round it goes Around it swims around my head All of us are lonely souls and all of us get left for dead

As Mike Patton once asked, "What is IT?" Predictably, I view things through my spiritual grid.

Genisis: Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?"

The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, 'You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.' "

"You will not surely die," the serpent said to the woman. "For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."

"You will surely not die" The first lie! The serpent's ways swim around in our head all the time. This is only my interpretation, and I certainly have no insight into Ian's head, but the hopelessness of "All of us are lonely souls and all of us get left for dead" is our modern version of what the Serpent chirps in our heads. Who's "lies" do you believe? God calls Satan the "father of lies", and Satan in his first interaction with mankind undermines the unity that man and woman enjoyed by getting Eve alone and calls GOD a LIAR.

Then the verification in your own self destructive nature kicks in:

How come i always try to cross even though i know the bridge is burning?

Why after a night of carousing debauchery, unthoughtful hurtful emotional outburst at a boss or loved one, having lit the bridge that we cherished for our survival, do we reach out to make amends, knowing full well that unrepentant, we will light it up again tomorrow? Why do we maintain the connection to life in the face of self destruction?

How come i take it when i know that you'll fake it? I tell myself i'm learning

We try to justify bad relationships with the hope that we'll learn how to unlock the key to harmony. Deep in our hearts we know that the key lies within the person's self. We take it because we hope. In what do we hope?

Revelation comes in the chorus. How Ian's vocals are multiplied in this first verse, just avalanches me. Sometimes it's overwhelming. The "father of lies" says to me, "You don't believe that shit about God, do you?" I say to him as follows:

The lies that i believe are simple The lies that i believe are true The lies that i believe are so beautiful The lies that i believe are true

I am filled with hope in the midst of despair! God speaks to my heart and I KNOW, confessing His Truth. This first chorus is so warm, full; downright immense! The way the vocals and the guitar blend sonically and the passionate lilt in Ian's voice is heart wrenching. Since hearing that the guys really dig the last Silverchair CD, I've been listening to it. Without You is a particularly emotional vocal and I think Ian hits a similar mark. I see why he likes it.

The song changes gears again to our accusing inner wake up.

All the flings and the flaws Let me cling to someones claws

All of our acts of selfishness and self-limitations act to crush our self image. I love the way he says "cling to someones claws". A rabbit struggles for RELEASE in the eagle's claws, knowing instinctually that it's end is near, while we much more advanced humans stay in unhealthy relationships, in the grip of an abuser, CLINGING to the talons of torture because somehow we find comfort in the pain we know, over the joy that is unknown.

All of us are lonely souls and all of us mend broken laws

We're all in this together. We've all done wrong. We all try to change the way we do things, once a mistake is made. Learn from our mistakes; mend broken laws. We say, "I'll never do that again! I'll do it better next time!" Only to fall back into a familiar pattern. The vocals go distorted and distant now.

How come i always try to cross even though i know the bridge is burning? How come i take it when i know that you'll fake it?

The soothing chorus like the balm on a wounded heart comforts me to the point of elation. The chorus gets more powerful with each iteration. This is almost like an opera. A epic sonic battle between good and evil.

Ian as evil itself, in an almost demonic voice intones:

Everyone uses, everyone abuses Nobody take the blame Everyone uses, everyone abuses Ain't it such a shame

He appeals to your sense of unfair worldly justice. Feel sorry for yourself! Do what is you know is wrong to others. They get away with it! Why shouldn't you. It's so unfair! Ain't it!

Ominously the music builds. The battle lines are drawn. It's the battle of Helm's Deep . The outcome looks grim, when over the hill rides a saviour bathed in white. Up steps our guitar slinging hero, ripping through two Gilmore style phrases, before mortally wounding evil with a Hendrix flourish, Sekou frantically rolling our the body blows. The Lies that I Believe are True!!!!

The next time you listen, just let this chorus wash over you. Ian's got a real connection!

The lies that i believe are useful The lies that i believe are true The lies that i believe are so beautiful The lies that i believe are true

Ian always changes up the verse slightly. Just a little nuance. You can USE this tool next time!

The lies that i believe are so beautiful oh-wo-wo. (I get chills!) The lies that i believe are true-oooooooooooooooooooo and it goes on forever! This is the single most passionate vocal that Ian delivers on this CD! AND IT's BURIED BEHIND THE BEGINNING OF THE TRIUMPHAL SOLO!!!!!! Ian wails like on, Wild Ox Moan, nearly rivaling Myles on Summer Girl. And he has the balls to bury it and fade up the guitar solo of a lifetime! How Ian channeled Gilmore through Slash and still remains wholly Ian is beyond me. He tumbles down then turns it upward sweeping your spirit higher. By this time I'm usually weeping like the girly-man I am. Up and up it swirls, over and over and then fades out leaving us wanting more. And the day continues, a battle won, a war ahead, filled with the Hope. Hope that comes through finally understanding what you believe.