With this lineup, echolyn recorded a second album, Suffocating the Bloom, and a 4-song EP, ...and every blossom, and with these releases attracted the attention of Sony Music. In 1993, echolyn was signed to a multi-album deal on Sony's Epic Records label, and their major-label debut, As the World, was released in March 1995.
However, the band and the label did not agree on the band's musical direction, and the band was forced to promote As the World without the support of Sony. Disillusioned, the band split up, releasing a posthumous album of demos and live tracks in 1996 called When the Sweet Turns Sour.
Weston, Kull, and Ramsey formed a new, more straightforward rock band which was first called Still, and later renamed Always Almost. Buzby formed a jazz-influenced progressive rock band called Finneus Gauge.
Echolyn reformed, without Hyatt, in the spring of 2000, with Weston picking up bass duties and new member Jordan Perlson, a Berklee College of Music graduate and former student of Buzby, supplementing Ramsey on drums and percussion. This lineup produced the 2000 album Cowboy Poems Free, a loose concept album centering on Americana, and the 2002 album mei, which contains only a single, 50-minute-long track.
After playing as a guest with the band in 2002 and early 2003, Tom Hyatt officially rejoined echolyn later that year. The first album from the fully reformed lineup was The End Is Beautiful, released in September 2005. In July 2012, the same lineup released a second eponymous album.
echolyn's members have cited Genesis, Gentle Giant, Yes, Steely Dan, Jethro Tull, and The Beatles as influences.
While the band's style has varied over the years, those influences have been consistently reflected in their music. Intricate guitar leads, unorthodox harmonic structures influenced by modern classical music, and complex contrapuntal vocal passages have remained significant aspects of echolyn's musical sound.
The albums they recorded before their 1996 breakup sounded more like "classic" progressive rock, with layered keyboards and extended arrangements. Following their reformation, they have streamlined their style significantly, emphasizing strong, tightly constructed songwriting and more prominent rhythmic grooves, while maintaining much of the subtle sophistication that has caused their music to be labeled "progressive."
Another Day
echolyn Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Teacher said it would be nice
To listen once to her advice
But I sat there dreaming 'til her ruler cracked my knuckles
Her five foot nothing body was as aide as she was tall
She was always pulling pants down to administer her charm
Do as we say, stand up straight and use your head
My parents spent good money to give my life a better chance
I sat there, waiting for that recess bell to ring
My mind was always on something else
When it was time to crack the books
Like walking though the candy store
Or flipping cards out in the yard
Taught on the playground to fend for ourselves
Adopting strange habits you won't find at home
Disrupting dads castle and turning mom gray
These are just two of my favorite things
Sliding board and monkey bars
As far as the eye can see
The horseshow pits woke me up
In a place where I'd never grow old
All these dirty knees and broken bones
Were all a part of growing up
Dads whistle meant that it was time to eat
I live to play another day
He was not supposed to turn his head
We were not supposed to make a sound
Act like nothing ever happened
The song "Another Day" by echolyn is a reflection on the singer's experiences during their formative years in school. The lyrics describe the disconnect between the teacher's well-meaning admonitions to pay attention and the singer's tendency to daydream instead. They also touch on the tension between the expectations of authority figures and the natural impulse to rebel, with the singer noting the odd habits they picked up on the playground that "you won't find at home." Despite the challenging moments and strict rules, however, the singer ultimately relishes the simple pleasures of childhood- the slides, the monkey bars- and the freedom to focus on playing rather than studying or worrying about the future. The song thus captures a sense of nostalgia for a bygone era of innocence and carefree fun.
Line by Line Meaning
Teacher said it would be nice
The teacher advised me to pay attention to her teachings
To listen once to her advice
To heed her advice at least once
But I sat there dreaming 'til her ruler cracked my knuckles
I was daydreaming instead of paying attention, and received physical punishment as a result
Her five foot nothing body was as aide as she was tall
She was short and unimposing, but still had authority
She was always pulling pants down to administer her charm
She was always using punishment to assert her authority
Learn by example, told to respect
We were taught to learn by observing others, and to show respect to authority figures
Do as we say, stand up straight and use your head
We were expected to follow orders, maintain good posture, and think for ourselves
My parents spent good money to give my life a better chance
My parents sacrificed to give me a better life
I sat there, waiting for that recess bell to ring
I was eagerly anticipating my break from schoolwork
My mind was always on something else
I was frequently distracted
When it was time to crack the books
When it was time to study
Like walking though the candy store
Studying was difficult because of all the distractions
Or flipping cards out in the yard
Playing was much more appealing than studying
Taught on the playground to fend for ourselves
We were taught to be independent on the playground
Adopting strange habits you won't find at home
We picked up unusual behavior that we didn't learn from our families
Disrupting dads castle and turning mom gray
We caused chaos and upset our parents
These are just two of my favorite things
Despite the trouble, we enjoyed playing and being kids
Sliding board and monkey bars
Two of the playground attractions we enjoyed
As far as the eye can see
The playground seemed enormous
The horseshow pits woke me up
Playing horseshoes was especially invigorating
In a place where I'd never grow old
The playground was a place of joy and innocence
All these dirty knees and broken bones
Physical injuries were a common part of playing
Were all a part of growing up
These injuries were seen as a natural part of growing up
Dads whistle meant that it was time to eat
The sound of Dad's whistle signaled it was time to come home and eat
I live to play another day
I was eager to continue playing and enjoying life
He was not supposed to turn his head
Someone was not supposed to acknowledge something that happened
We were not supposed to make a sound
We were instructed to not make noise
Act like nothing ever happened
We were supposed to pretend that a situation never occurred
Contributed by Matthew C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Goran Cabrajic
1. Echolyn (2012)
2. Mei (2002)
3. The End Is Beautiful (2005)
4. I Heard You Listening (2015)
5. Suffocating the Bloom (1992)
6. Echolyn (1991)
7. Cowboy Poems Free (2000)
8. As the World (1995)
9. When the Sweet Turns Sour (1996)
Dave Durbz
Just ran across this and Pete, I gotta say that I disagree with your rankings. But to each his own. Here's mine and I'm not bothering with the EP or comp:
1) The End Is Beautiful
2) Echolyn (windowpane album)
3) Mei (pronounced "may")
4) As the World
5) I Heard You Listening
6) Cowboy Poems Free
7) Suffocating the Bloom
8) Echolyn (debut)
Can't believe you didn't mention "Speaking in Lampblack" from the windowpane album. Just a gorgeous song and one of their best.
Soedel Deluex
Masterpieces from a criminally underappreciated band!!
Kevin
Wonderful seeing Echolyn getting some love! My favorite album is actually “The End is Beautiful.” I listened to that album nonstop for a whole year after its release.
Chuck Karas
Make Me Sway is a killer track
Sean Schmidt
Having been into echolyn (no caps on the "e") since the beginning, this band really changed everything musically. Seeing some of their early period live shows was just magic. And again after the reformation. SONY really pissed on the band. They were supposed to open for so many prog bands (which never happened) and any chance for a break was over. Their music is timeless and I am glad to have met and know them. Go to their website and sample their stuff. There is a ton of it there for free.
Jeff Jones
Record companies fucked so many bands so blatantly and regularly that Im beginning to believe that it’s why they exist. (Ask Rick Beato about Warner Brothers). Of course the whole industry is changing. I wouldn’t have believed it if you would have told me that a pandemic would be something that I would be eternally grateful for but life is a strange thing sometimes…
Brian Baker
You don't talk about many bands that I haven't even heard of, but this is one of them. I'm going to go order some stuff, for sure. Thanks, Pete!
Seriously, how did I not know these guys?!?
Brian Baker
Almost two years later and I own nearly the whole catalog. :)
rogerdotlee
I LOVE echolyn. A must have addition to any prog fan's collection.
Mark Holmes
That was another interesting one Peter! I'm normally not a million miles away from your prog choices..but I am a little more on this one :)
Top 2:
1) Mei...epic..just epic...not an immediate... but once it sinks in. Literally an epic journey.
2) Echolyn (2012)...has for me their most beautiful epic (Speaking in) Lampblack, the catchy Headright..and the heart breaking When Sunday Spills.
I'll have to check your previous podcasts to see if you've done Pendragon, IQ, Nektar and Mike Oldfield. You mention Spock's Beard..look forward to that!!
Allan Greenson
You’re amazing with music knowledge you have Opened my eyes to Many bands and albums I would’ve never of found if not your channel. I’m listening to that new testament album you reviewed the other day. I didn’t even know they were still around LOL what a great album