The Jon Anderson / Rick Wakeman composition “Madrigal” from 1978’s Tormato initially seems to be an oddity among oddities.
Musically, the song is built on a synth-like turn on harpsichord by Wakeman. Anderson’s lyrics are mystical, yet combine noticeable outer space themes. Steve Howe provides a solid foundation with his always-tasteful electric and acoustic guitar, but it’s Wakeman who moves the song along.
Just when the song builds, however, it’s over. “Madrigal” may be the only track by the world’s greatest progressive rock band on Tormato which ends too soon.
Preston Frazier is a bass-playing lawyer living in Atlanta. He hosts the music podcast Slang of Ages and regularly writes about his favorite music on slangofages.com. He can be reached at [email protected]; follow him on Twitter: @slangofages. Contact Something Else! at [email protected].
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