The Story of I

Overview

After the success of Relayer, the band Yes made a decision that next, each member would make a solo album. The Story of I is the first solo album by Patrick Moraz. By the time the album was released, Moraz was still touring with Yes but he was let go by the band in late 1976 after Rick Wakeman was booked on a session musician basis during the Going for the One recording sessions in Switzerland.

The title The Story of I did not appear on the original release. The "I" (or "i") is really Moraz's personal logo, a triangle-like shape standing on its tip and a sphere resting above it; this sign, interpreted by Moraz as "Star Peace", is how the album was identified both on the spine of the LP cover and in magazines and release material at the time. For reasons of convenience it has come to be referred to as The Story of I although the explanatory story that serves as a unifying link of the pieces on the album is not reprinted on most modern CD releases (on the original LP it was printed on the left side of the inner gatefold cover). Many people at the time assumed the title to be "i" or self-titled ("Patrick Moraz").

The album is based around a romantic story of a massive tower in the middle of a jungle. The tower lures people from all over the world to go inside it. Inside the tower, people are able to experience their wildest desires and fantasies. The only rule is that the people inside the tower may not fall in love with each other. However two people inside do so and decide to escape since the tower acts also as a prison which inhabitants are slaves of their own desires.

The album consists of fourteen tracks related to the story. The album, particularly the percussion section, is strongly influenced by Brazilian music. Much of the Latin percussion was recorded in Rio de Janeiro over two days in August 1975 and dubbed on to the tracks. The album uses pitch-bend controls on the synth/organ notes. The Story of I was chosen as the album of the year by Keyboard Magazine.

Reception

Allmusic's retrospective review praised the album's blending of styles, finding in the various tracks "hints of funk and marimba, Caribbean and South American styles, and even flamenco, all guided by Moraz's whirlwind keyboard playing." They also made special note of Andy Newmark's drumming and the strong variety of instruments, and concluded, "The Story of I is a refreshing twist from this progressive craftsman and can sincerely be appreciated by all audiences."

Track listing

All songs written by Patrick Moraz & John McBurnie (McBurnie's input is mostly limited to the lyrics in English). The tracks are joined into each other except at the point between tracks 7 and 8, where the LP went from side A to side B, but keyboard figures at the end of (7) and the beginning of (8) mimic how a seamless passage would have been made at the time if it had been possible to do without a break.

1. "Impact" (3:31)
2. "Warmer Hands" (3:31)
3. "The Storm" (0:52)
4. "Cachaça (Baião)" (4:07)
5. "Intermezzo" (2:49)
6. "Indoors" (3:44)
7. "Best Years of Our Lives" (3:59)
8. "Descent" (1:43)
9. "Incantation (Procession)" (1:51) (includes a brief piece of a field recording of Amazon Indian music)
10. "Dancing Now" (4:38)
11. "Impressions (The Dream)" (2:49)
12. "Like a Child in Disguise" (4:05)
13. "Rise and Fall" (5:34)
14. "Symphony in the Space" (2:56)

Personnel

Production

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