Current Line-up:
Robert John Godfrey - Keyboards
Jason Ducker - Guitar
Max Read - Vocals/Guitar/Keyboards
Dave Storey - Drums
Dominic Tofield - Percussion
Joe Payne - Vocals/Keyboards
The Enid's membership has undergone several changes, always with Godfrey firmly at the helm, and its creativity seems to come in fits and starts. Godfrey has diabetes, and has also described bouts of depression associated with periods of writer's block.
Godfrey also has a tendency to dismiss some of his ideas, such as a brief flirtation with dance music in the early 1990s, as juvenile or misguided, a view that is not always shared by the band's fans. Now more than 30 years old, the band is still recording sporadically and recently released a brand new album, Journey's End.
The Enid began recording at about the same time as punk rock burst upon the scene. Godfrey has said that he always regarded The Enid's ironic takes on classical music as being just as anarchic as anything by the Sex Pistols, but this did not translate into either musical or commercial recognition, despite their work being played frequently by Tommy Vance on BBC Radio One's Friday Rock Show. In 1981, the band played most of the music for Kim Wilde's self-titled debut album. After some unpleasant experiences with major record labels, which initially welcomed the band with open arms and then dumped them after failing to promote their records, the band relied on self-publishing and promotion, which was helped by the fact that their settlement with one of the labels included some recording equipment. The band used this equipment to establish The Lodge Recording Studio, hiring its facilities to other bands in between their own projects.
It may be worth noting that unlike many current rock and pop releases on CD and download, The Enid's music is not processed with dynamic range compression to artificially enhance loudness.
Robert John Godfrey has said that he does not regard The Enid as a progressive rock band and would rather not be associated with the term, but that has not stopped prog rock fanzines and websites from promoting the band. He has also been quite scathing in his criticism of "neo-progressive" bands like Marillion and Pendragon, accusing them of lacking charm, talent and originality.
In 2010 the band released a studio album, Journey's End, to critical acclaim which they premièred at Birmingham Town Hall. The following year they performed this in its entirety along some old classics, including Fand, with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra.
In 2012 they recruited talented vocalist Joe Payne, who has brought an exciting new dimension to the band and he has already established himself by re-working some of the older material. In 2015, the band set out to perform an ambitious stage show entitled "The Bridge", cited to be the most ambitious project the band has undertook since 1986's "Salome".
Members;
Robert John Godfrey
Jason Ducker
Dave Storey
Max Read
Dominic Tofield
Joe Payne
Former members;
Francis Lickerish
Steve Stewart
David Williams
Glenn Tollet
Robbie Dobson
Jeremy Tranter
Nick Magnus
Charlie Elston
Terry Pack
William Gilmour
Tony Freer
Martin Russell
Nick May
Steve Hughes
Alex Tsentides
Grant Jamieson
Nic Willes
www.theenid.co.uk
http://www.facebook.com/TheEnid
Terra Firma
The Enid Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Layering life, layering life-forms
The deep realm of energy
Becoming itself
Behaving itself
Boring through the earth
A reflection of sound hits
Exploring through the earth
Fell it, fell it, feel it,
As you start to fall
We kill it, we drilled it
Like the atmosphere
Getting hot in here
It's our world
It's a shame we killed it dead
Boring through the earth
Despite the fact that it's
Just made of stone
Exploring through the earth
Now they're sucking the heart of it
And you're picking the bones
We drill it, we kill it...
...In the name of the people
In the name of the people all over the world
For the sake of the people
For the sake of the people's name
In te name of the whole wide world
In te face of the whole wide world
In the place of the face of the grape and grain
In the case of fame
In the place of people's name
On the tracks of a fast and dangerous train
Everything is exactly the same
The planet is turning round
For the sake of fame
For the sake of the people
The Enid's song Terra Firma explores the relationship between humanity and the earth we inhabit. The opening lines, "The rocks speak a history, Layering life, layering life-forms," suggest that the earth is not just a static environment but a living, dynamic entity that has evolved over millions of years. The song encourages us to appreciate the depth and complexity of the natural world, and to recognize our place within it.
However, the lyrics take a darker turn, reflecting on the damage that humans have inflicted upon the earth in the pursuit of progress and prosperity. The lines "We kill it, we drilled it, Like the atmosphere, Getting hot in here," convey a sense of urgency and desperation as we realize the harm that we are causing to the planet. Despite our wisdom and technological prowess, we are ultimately responsible for the destruction of our own home.
Overall, Terra Firma is a plea for us to recognize the value of our natural world and to take responsibility for its preservation. By exploring the depths of the earth and the beauty of its landscapes, we can gain a deeper understanding of our place in the world and work to protect the environment for future generations.
Line by Line Meaning
The rocks speak a history
The layers of rock give evidence of the progression of life throughout history
Layering life, layering life-forms
Each layer of rock represents a different stage in the evolution of life
The deep realm of energy
The Earth's core is a powerful source of energy
Becoming itself
The Earth is constantly changing and adapting to its own forces
Behaving itself
The Earth has a natural order and pattern that it follows
Boring through the earth
Drilling into the Earth's surface for resources
A reflection of sound hits
Sonic waves are used to explore underground structures
The rocks and stones
The Earth's surface is composed of rocks and stones
Exploring through the earth
Continuing to search for resources within the Earth's core
Fell it, fell it, feel it,
Experience the sensation of falling as the Earth's resources run out
As you start to fall
A warning about the consequences of exploiting the Earth's resources
We kill it, we drilled it
Human activity is causing irreparable damage to the Earth's environment
Like the atmosphere
The same way we are polluting the air, we are also harming the Earth
Getting hot in here
The Earth is experiencing the effects of climate change due to human activity
It's our world
Humans have a responsibility to take care of the Earth
It's a shame we killed it dead
Regret for the damage we have done to the Earth and its resources
Despite the fact that it's
Despite the Earth being made of solid rock
Just made of stone
The Earth is a valuable source of resources but it is also a delicate ecosystem
Now they're sucking the heart of it
Humans are extracting the most valuable resources from the Earth without regard for the long-term impact
And you're picking the bones
Continuing to extract resources even after the most valuable ones have been depleted
In the name of the people
These destructive actions are sometimes justified as being for the greater good
In the name of the people all over the world
The problems caused by resource depletion and environmental damage affect everyone on a global scale
For the sake of the people
The justification for harming the Earth's resources and ecosystem is often to benefit humanity
For the sake of the people's name
The reputation and legacy of humanity is often a justification for exploiting the Earth
In te name of the whole wide world
Humanity's relationship with the Earth has an impact on the entire planet
In te face of the whole wide world
The negative consequences of resource depletion and environmental damage are becoming more and more obvious
In the place of the face of the grape and grain
The health and well-being of the Earth's resources are being sacrificed for short-term gain
In the case of fame
Desire for recognition and power can drive destructive human behavior
In the place of people's name
People's lives and livelihoods are often the sacrifices made for resource extraction
On the tracks of a fast and dangerous train
Humanity is moving quickly toward the depletion of the Earth's resources and the degradation of the environment
Everything is exactly the same
Continuing down this path will lead to irreversible damage and loss
The planet is turning round
The Earth is constantly revolving, but human activity is leaving a permanent impact
For the sake of fame
The desire for recognition and power is still driving destructive human behavior
For the sake of the people
A reminder that the health and well-being of the natural world should be our top priority
Contributed by Adalyn Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Meg Grimes
on Villain of Science
I've only very recently discovered this band. I purchased this album and am stunned. Their musicianship is excellent, their compositions are superb and their production quality top notch.
The only good thing about not knowing about their music for the past 40 years is that now I have all that music to discover as new. I count myself very blessed.