Distant Light casts a curiously introspective aesthetic mood over an unusual, but somehow organic, intersection between medieval revisionism and the conceit of early 70’s look at me, I’m down the rabbit hole trip-taking. Speaking of trips – and the daydreams they inspire- they’re writ large over the album artwork, where a moving feast of historic fantasy tropes co-mingle in the organic Eden of the fairytale forest. Nostalgia for centuries past tints the scene with a charmingly homespun tenor.
Medieval apologists abounded in the early 70’s, didn’t they? Nothing like a spirited reimagining of the historic record to act as an entry point into the whimsical and delightful idiosyncrasies of the times. While medieval themes figured prominently within certain strands of the progressive rock music, breeding the subgenre of medieval rock, The Hollies themselves were decidedly not a progressive rock act. Nonetheless, they found a degree of spiritual solace and cultural sustenance within the thematic trajectory of the trend, allowing it to infuse their silhouette with the symbolism of medieval-kitsch. Critics have also brought to light that much of what we consider medieval influence is in fact a naive pastiche, a romantic revision of a history, and a musical form, that never existed. By citing medieval influences what we are really referencing is our own cultural grab-bag of tales, legends, and fairy stories that elevate the concept of the past while obscuring its true nature.
And then there’s the matter of the lake, which serves as a veritable portal, a rabbit hole, to a bizarre Wonderland. There is a curious blend of exclusionary and inclusionary tendencies in that class of creatives who attempt the mental descent down the proverbial rabbit hole. There are the Allen Ginsberg types who obscure the boundaries of lived experiences through the medium of free form verse, such as in Howl. They create a veil of mystique around the concept of the trip, inviting participation and then foreclosing upon the possibility of a collaborative hallucinatory experience. This foments a delightfully exclusive symbolic register, reimagining the trip as something to covet and crave.
And then there’s the inclusive camp, among them The Hollies, who invite us all to share in a collective meditative journey through the medium of song. The lyrical adventurism and playful references to a shared human experience allow us to share in the burden of the trip down the rabbit hole. “What does it all mean?” is no longer a question confined to our moments of solitude but is instead recast as a musing to be shared and savored in our moments of collaboration.
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Selected Tracks
To Do With Love Long Dark Road Pull Down the Blinds What a Life I've Led Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
