"Something Ahead Of You": A Breakdown

[shoeman]

The longest track on Beautiful Friction.
And I can't get enough of it.
"Majestic" doesn't begin to describe it.

Instrumental Intro---0:34
Total Time---6:12
Out---Fade

A sweet crescendo begins at the 3:38 mark.

Danny K's bass solo takes charge at about 4:27.
And pushes the song to a triumphant ending.

Cy sings like a valiant actor in a Greek tragedy. Incredible.
His voice is piercing, reaching to abstract heights.


It's as if the band wrote this song for ShoeMan.
Lyric: "Get Out Of Your Own Way."
Wow. How life has changed since I acted on that thought.
Especially the last two years.

Anyone else get a taste of "Roger And Out" from this?
"Anyone Else"?

As I see it:
"Something Ahead Of You" is to The Fixx---
As "Smells Like Teen Spirit" is to Nirvana.

Good Night, Fixxtures. Put your best feet forward.
There is truly Something Ahead Of You.


JHT

[heimo]

It's really a great song. Remember that it was the (workin-?) title of the album for a long time. I remember Cy telling somewhere that the band thought/discussed about starting the record with that song to surprise people. I guess (without really knowing) that the bandmembers love that track too. Cheers from germany, Shoeman!

[spaceroad]

Hi Shoeman,
Glad you're enjoying this track. One of my favorites too! This track was recorded fairly early on in the album sessions. It still makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. I'm pretty sure we used most of take 3, with the odd bit flown in from other takes, that couldn't be re-created. We spent quite a bit of time getting the bass line right. It just had to groove. Cy's vocal is the from the first take. We knew we had it in one. One of his best vocal takes EVER, in my opinion. I think we may have replaced one line later on, a refinement to the lyric. Rupert and I spent a lot of time getting the arrangement right and for the keyboards to rise in a 'slow motion' type effect. Which I think gives the track a strange push and pull. The end section was something that we developed later on from the skeleton of the jam session. All in all, this and Moving Mountains are the 2 pieces I'm most proud of.
Cheers,
Nick.

[heimo]

Thank you for that insider informations, Nick!

[Robert M]

Anyone else get a taste of "Roger And Out" from this?

Very much so, good call. Both tracks are epic and yearning and represent, for me in my 40s, a restlessness and unwillingness to settle that is not commonly expressed for the mid-to middle-aged in popular culture.

Thanks also Nick for the extra info.

[shoeman]

Gentlemen, thanks so much for chiming in.

Nick: The activity in the studio that you describe is pretty much how I visioned it. Isn't that eerie? And yes, the bassline is a flat-out masterpiece, as is the entire song. A meshing of lofty teamwork and unity.

I drove on the highway Sunday, and while playing this selection, signaled forward the vehicle next to mine as if to say: "There's Something Ahead Of You." With all due caution of course.


This track supplants "Deeper And Deeper" as my FixxFave.
Never thought that would happen.

Peace out.


John

[spaceroad]

Thanks John! I've always loved the epic side of the Fixx. I think we nailed having a good 'variety' of tracks with this album. Which I think is important. We hit all sides of the coin and more. Strangely, we rarely looked back nor made many references to the past, while making the album. There were always plenty of new ideas flowing. Just Before Dawn, for me, is the track that shows a completely new side to the band. It's the track that took me by surprise the most. I love it.

[shoeman]

Yes, and "Just B4 Dawn" joins what I refer to as the "Nature Songs."
Ocean Blue, Red Skies, Fatal Shore, etc. Nice.

BTW Nick, can we YouTube "Something"?
With the lyrics included on the screen there?

This would be the best and easiest way for me to share this with others.

Which I regard as the peak of the band's creativity.


Just wondering....

[spaceroad]

I can't see why not. Specially if you do something creative on the video side with the lyrics. Creativity spawning more creativity is a powerful thing. I think every bit of social media helps. Saying that, I'd hate to see people posting the entire album up. We do need to eat at the end of the day.

[shoeman]

I don't have a YouTube Channel. Some here do.

ShoeMan is just not a techie, unless we're dealing with Footwear Technology....


Hence, I defer to others who have the skill and know-how to pull this off.


Putting this up in the next month or two would be fine.
Just a simple request. Nothing more.

[engineer]

3:34 -> 6:16 -> 3:34 -> 6:16 -> 3:34 -> 6:16 -> 3:34 -> 6:16 -> 3:34 -> 6:16 -> 3:34 -> 6:16 -> 3:34 -> 6:16 ...

I'm addicted to that loop right now

[shoeman]

Was playing this in the car whilst driving back from the doctor's office. Suddenly, appears a couple walking their dog way too far out in the street. So I took the song as a warning. Things proceeded without incident. Wow. "Something Ahead Of You," indeed.


Oh, the doctor? My podiatrist.

Gotta take care of those feet....

[Jeanne Thelen]

Kind of reflecting my life at the moment...