Tony Kaye: 'End of Innocence' Review

Keyboardist Tony Kaye is best known as the founding keyboardist of the progressive rock band Yes. He was on their first three albums and returned during their "Rabin years" after working with the likes of David Bowie, Badger, and Badfinger. In the mid-1990s, he retired from music.

When the September 11 attacks happened in 2001, they affected a lot of people. Kaye came out of retirement. He has since guested on various releases, worked with Yes alumni in a band called Circa:, and guested on Yes' 50th anniversary tour in 2018. But his solo album End of Innocence has been 20 years in the making. According to the album's listing on the Cherry Red Records website:

"[Kaye] came out of retirement the week following the events of 9/11 and began to write this album, the power of its music helped Tony to process the day that became the End of Innocence. The album takes you on a journey from the peace of the night before, to the emerging hopeful looking to the future. Tony Kaye met Dani Torchia in the week following 9/11. This album has been interwoven with the growth of their relationship."

From a recent interview with MusicRadar:

“Largely, the album started out as a classical, orchestral thing. I went to the garage and started playing and there are three or four tracks that came out of that day - the day after 9/11.”

Kaye has talked publicly about End of Innocence as far back as May 2007, when he posted about it on his Myspace page. In September 2011, around the 10th anniversary of the tragic event, he posted a 46-minute YouTube video of the music set to New York news footage and such. While such footage contextualized the music, I remember thinking that actually watching all of it once was enough for me. On subsequent "views," I'd listen to the music while doing other tasks. The footage might have been a bit much for some when the video was up. But now, we have an audio-only version that has been extended to 77 minutes. And to be fair, the context of the subject matter is apparent, given the song titles.

This review will not be exact in what the differences are, but there will be mentions here and there of what I think might be new. (Anyone is free to correct me.) I will be going through each track, in a semi-stream of consciousness fashion, conveying what I think of each one and the mood each one gives off.

1. "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star"

Right away, the album begins with a new track that was not on the previously released version of End of Innocence. Perhaps the addition of this track as an opening is an attempt to make the later vocal-filled song "Sweetest Dreams" feel less out of place on this mostly instrumental album. I don't mind it at all, however. “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” is a pretty addition, complete with the soothing vocals of Dani Torchia. This is then followed by haunting lightning in what I assume is “Twilight Time.” It feels very Floyd-esque, which is interesting considering that Kaye has performed on a couple of Pink Floyd tribute albums produced by Billy Sherwood in the 2000s. “Shine on You Crazy Diamond” is the Floyd sonf that comes to mind, saxophone and all.

2. "911 Overture"

“911 Overture” is where the familiarity begins for me. The synth parts here and on other parts of the album have always reminded me a bit of the 1986 film Manhunter. The bit at 1:10 reminds me of Jon & Vangelis’ “Garden of Senses” because of the instrumentation. Kaye has actually said that he loves Vangelis' work on Blade Runner and that there may be somewhat of a Vangelis influence on this album. This really feels like good film score stuff. The music escalates, sounding like the majestic opening of a film when the title comes up. Mysteriously, it ends with storm.

3. "NYC Blues"

“NYC Blues” begins sounding New Wave-ish then goes into blues-y piano. It conveys the mood of an ordinary day, with no expectation of anything terrible happening. A weather report is included briefly toward the end, reminding listeners that this is based on a historical event. Or it might remind listeners of Pink Floyd's The Wall and how it used an answering machine and such.

4. "Battle Cry"

“Battle Cry” sounds to me like a new addition. It starts off sounding a bit enigmatic, but not too sinister. It starts to sound a bit more cinematic about two minutes in. The mood feels dark for a time before returning to the light. At about 5:10, it sounds a bit like the beginning of the “I Get Up, I Get Down” section of Yes' "Close to the Edge." Then the intense pace returns without warning.

5. "285 Fulton Street"

“285 Fulton Street” gives me a feeling like I’m in a dark hallway. But then the saxophone brings me somewhere else. Really good guitar work interlaced with what sounds like garbled noises. Very jazzy moments with a beat that doesn’t escape the mind easily. (Not that I'm complaining.)

6. "Let's Roll"

“Let’s Roll” has familiar elements, though I wonder whether it has been extended compared to how it might have been on the earlier version of End of Innocence. In any case, it has very beautiful moments, with classical piano played at a remarkable pace. About halfway through the track, the tone gets more serious. But then we get hints of a beautiful world once again. Very emotional.

7. "Tug of War"

The familiar “Tug of War” begins sounding a bit more lighthearted, though it escalates, and then the pace picks up. Is this people taking in the beauty of the day before the fateful moments, or is this people observing the coming chaos? Perhaps both are intentional.

8. "Flight 11"

“Flight 11” may have been on the original version, though reworked somewhat here on the album. It begins with intense drumming from Jay Schellen. This song actually makes me feel like I’m trying to escape a dark labyrinthine jungle. A phone rings, and this track sounds like it includes a call about Flight 11, which I imagine could feel off-putting and too close to home for some. There are haunting keys in between. The drumming is superb.

According to Kaye in an interview with Progressive Rock Journal:

“I’ve been friends with Jay Schellen from YES for a long time, and reconnected on the 50th anniversary in 2018 when I came back into the band for a little while. So, I asked him to help on this track depicting the scene inside the planes. I wanted a drum solo – Jay’s just the guy to do that – and it includes the conversations stewardesses had with the tower. It was an emotional track and Jay did great drums on it.

"I lost friends. I knew a lady who was on one of the planes. It made it personal, knowing that she was on the plane.”

9. "Towers Fall"

“Towers Fall” might be a new addition. It begins with electric sounds. In fact, I would say it sounds like there’s a voice of a machine in the distance. There is a melancholic feel, which suits the subject alluded to by the title.

10. "Sweetest Dreams"

In “Sweetest Dreams,” the words that Dani Torchia sings resonates with me: “But inside I feel like crying through the night / It's just a little thread of hope I hold onto A new beginning, a newer world." As the song continues, we hear about the gentle holding of hands, perhaps illustrating the meeting between Dani and Tony following the tragic event. A new beginning; a new world.

11. "Aftermath"

“Aftermath” starts off softly, but then has what I refer to as “swirling keys.” Then it feels like there is this “marching vibe.” A bit of a range of moods.

12. "Heroes"

I am certain that "Heroes" is a completely new addition to this version of the album. It has a very calming feel to it. Serenity with hints of melancholy. It is fascinating how fluid the "feeling" of music can be.

13. "The Battle"

At 11 minutes and 23 seconds, “The Battle” is the longest track on the album. It has mysterious-sounding vocals. There are words on some sort of radio here and there, as well as sounds of gunfire and a helicopter. As it progresses, it feels very symphonic.

14. "Hope and Triumph"

“Hope and Triumph” begins with a man speaking these words: ""all men are endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. That's why we're out here, and that's what we're out to protect." It sounds like there are marching drums set to this. Once the speaking ends, the tone shifts to an upbeat, hopeful mood. The music really fits the title and the tone it’s meant to convey. This is the light at the end of the tunnel. I remember on the original End of Innocence there were people in news footage saying "Thank you" as this music was being played. While I understand the positivity that was being conveyed, I think this song works well without that element, which could have been distracting to some. But overall, this is a very positive-sounding track.

15. "Homecoming"

“Homecoming” feels like an epilogue with very beautiful guitar notes. It gives off the vibe of someone sorting out how they feel now, a little while after the big event.

16. "Ground Zero"

“Ground Zero” is the second epilogue. Very soothing synth sounds. It gives me the same feeling that I experience when I get to the end of Jon Anderson's mostly instrumental album Angels Embrace. Maybe it’s nighttime, but there’s no frightening darkness for now.

Conclusion

This is a very impressive solo album from Tony Kaye. Even as someone who had already heard a huge chunk of what ended up on here, I cannot help but marvel at how much he was able to experiment musically. I'm so used to a certain side of Tony Kaye and have not branched out much to hear his contributions to other projects that anytime I listen to this material, it feels very new to me, even though it is familiar. Given the subject matter of End of Innocence, it may not be for everyone, but this audio version may at least be more palatable than the video version. If you're looking for something that sounds "Yes-ish," this might not be it. It sounds closer to Vangelis and Pink Floyd in places, and feels very cinematic. Give it a listen and see for yourself whether the music is to your liking. It certainly does the trick for me.