"Marks" (1972), their first release, is mostly instrumental with a highly jazzy feel. Quite versatile, it features snippets of calypso, circus music, Dixieland and (of all things!) country music. Their best progressive effort, however, is their second album "Mountain Queen" (1973) which features long instrumental passages with prominent lead guitar, whirling Hammond organ, dual saxophones, electric violin and catchy choruses in a slightly Canterbury style. With the release of "Nobody Can Wait Forever" (1975) and "Best Kept Secret" (1976), however, the band went for a more hard rock sound with shorter, more accessible tunes. Two live albums as well as six compilation cd's of their material were subsequently released by Polydor and various other record labels.With the band's cameback in 2003 they released "Blue Planet" (2005) and "Sailors & Sinners" (2009).
The symphonic style of "Mountain Queen" should appeal to progsters; "Nobody Can Wait Forever" is recommended if you like a more bluesy/funky approach.
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www.progarchives.com
Revolution's Eve
Alquin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Nobody’s gonna wait for me
You gotta step up to the porches of heaven
If you wanna set your country free
What happened to that raging sea
These chancing winds they’re bothering me
What made me leave my island
Sails and sun
Golden dawn
Ooh, they looked so fine
Was it a dream
Yes, it seems so
After this long long time
Like a child
Free and wild
I’ll remember you
My land of no desire
Tonight the soldier lights his fire
He’s tomorrow’s ashes in the street
While on the highway to the golden kingdom
Weґll dance along, my corps and me
What happened to that raging sea
You know, these chancing winds they’re bothering me
What made me leave my island
Sails and sun
Golden dawn
Ooh, they looked so fine
Was it a dream
Yes, it seems so
After this long long time
Like a child
Free and wild
I’ll remember you
The song "Revolution's Eve" by Alquin seems to be about someone who is reflecting on their past experiences and questioning their decision to leave their home country for a better life. The lyrics suggest an underlying theme of revolution, with the singer recognizing that change only happens when people take action and step up. The repetition of the lines "What happened to that raging sea, these chancing winds they’re bothering me" creates a sense of longing for something that was lost or left behind. The singer acknowledges the risks of inaction, with the soldier lighting his fire and becoming tomorrow's ashes in the street, while they themselves choose to pursue a brighter future on the highway to the golden kingdom.
The references to "sails and sun, golden dawn" and "my land of no desire" indicate that the singer left their home country, possibly as an immigrant, seeking a better life. However, they are now questioning whether this decision was worth it, as they look back fondly on memories of their homeland. The chorus "was it a dream, yes, it seems so, after this long long time, like a child, free and wild, I'll remember you" seems to suggest that the singer has come to the realization that their homeland and memories of it are becoming more distant and dream-like as time goes on, but they still hold onto those memories as something pure and freeing.
Overall, "Revolution's Eve" is a reflective and poignant song that touches on themes of revolution, immigration, and the human pursuit of a better life.
Line by Line Meaning
Nobody can wait forever
One cannot delay things for too long
Nobody’s gonna wait for me
Others won't wait for me to take charge
You gotta step up to the porches of heaven
One must take bold steps to achieve greatness
If you wanna set your country free
To attain freedom for oneself and the nation requires effort
What happened to that raging sea
What became of the passionate struggles?
These chancing winds they’re bothering me
The unpredictable changes are frustrating
What made me leave my island
What was the reason for my departure from my homeland?
Sails and sun
Hope and a bright future
Golden dawn
A new beginning
Ooh, they looked so fine
The future seemed promising
Was it a dream
Was it all just an illusion?
Yes, it seems so
It appears that it was not real
After this long long time
Even after all this time has passed
Like a child
Innocent and carefree
Free and wild
Unrestrained and unbounded
I’ll remember you
I will always cherish the memories of my homeland
My land of no desire
My previous home where I lacked motivation
Tonight the soldier lights his fire
A soldier prepares for battle
He’s tomorrow’s ashes in the street
A soldier's fate is uncertain and often ends in death
While on the highway to the golden kingdom
On the journey to achieving success
We'll dance along, my corps and me
Together, we will celebrate our success
Contributed by Mia O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Ger Raymakers
In mijn jeugd helemaal grijs gedraaid. Een van mijn favoriete bands uit Delft/Nederland. Gelukkig de kans gehad om ze heel vaak live te zien. Dit juweeltje zit nog steeds in mijn platen collectie
lrh1966
Thanks for giving it a listen and have a great day from Lloyd.
Michèl Hille
Great Band. Hear Them the First time in my life.The dance is awesome. I Wish i could also
Greetings from Germany
🎸🎹🎤🥁👍
lrh1966
Thanks for giving it a listen and have a great day from Lloyd.
Martin Bouwman
Het blijft het beste album ooit gemaakt door een Nederlandse band!
lrh1966
Thanks Martin for listening to this Alquin song from 1974.
Henk Uitslag
Martin Bouwman helemaal mee eens. En dit is een juweeltje.
Tom Tieben
Masterpiece!!!
lrh1966
Thanks Tom for listening to this Alquin track from 1974 vinyl and it is sad that classic rock radio does not play this group very much these days.
Vera Leering
Ik ben het helemaal met je eens. De beste Nederlandse band EVER