Quarters!

Artist: King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard

Released: May 2015

Length: 40m 40s

My review:

A Jazzy Prog-Rock epic, Quarters is a concept album by King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, the record is split into 4 tracks of even duration that each make up a quarter (10 minutes and 10 seconds to be specific), this theme runs into the cover design too with each song getting a square 1/4 of the full size devoted to it.

The River is the first tune on the album and probably one of the most well recognised and famous by King Gizz', often being played at their live shows it is always a crowd pleaser and is my stand out song which I talk more about below. Next up is Infinite Rise, the aptly named song begins with an effect known as a rising Shepard-Risset glissando which gives the perception of an endless and continual ascension in pitch. This is in fact an auditory illusion that uses overlapping notes that are octaves apart, these then loop back around to, with the help of some variation in volumes, create a seamless transition. I find this conundrum is best imagined as an auditory equivalent of a spinning barber shop pole, here you see a steady upward motion of a line rather than the diagonal stripe that stretches round the pole. This, coupled with the song title, form a vivid image of soaring upwards, one that is in complete juxtaposition to floating down, as we were invited to do in the previous song. The lyrics for this one read more like a poem, being almost exclusively made up of short rhyming couplets no more than a few words long, that feel loosely connected, lacking any significant meaning. In fact when being interviewed at the Paris International Festival of Psychedelic Music in 2015 Stu said 'There's no real meaning, it's just a game of "wordplay"'. On the flip side we start with God Is In The Rhythm, an upbeat offering that explores themes of nature, the cyclical quality of the seasons and our existence within this. It also contains and repeats the inventive word 'expectating' which I assume is the fusion of expecting and spectating, producing a wonderful image of inclusiveness; observing the anticipated from within, as part of the picture rather than just an onlooker. The ending is played in reverse for a while before we are met with a blunt and abrupt low hum of speaker interference that cuts in and out, this could be a metaphorical nod to humanity and the role we are playing in disrupting natures rhythm, or maybe that is a bit of a reach. Last up we have Lonely Steel Sheet Flyer, which I am confident is referencing a plane, depicted by the track title and also the image relating to this song (bottom right on the cover). It has a dreamy demeanour that through its echoey effects and abundant string bends carries you up to soar at the same altitude as the aircraft. Swooping and gliding through the 10 minute flight duration before gently touching its wheels back down on the runway, returning you safely back to earth. Here is where I like to flip the record and do it all over again, starting from the top. Over a decade later and this album more than holds up, I think the rest of the album after The River is extremely underrated as the hit single steals most of the limelight, but listen on and let the album unfold and I am sure you wont be disappointed.

King Gizz' are music making machines! On average they have released 2 brand new studio albums each year (bringing out 5 in a single year in 2017 and then again in 2022), quantity doesn't always indicate quality but with these guys it does, fulfilling both elements to the highest degree. All of this without even touching on all of their live recordings, countless globetrotting tours or even them launching their own 3 day festival held in Melbourne, Australia (Gizzfest). I fully recommend making the trip to see them live; they are always on top form and the crowd is as eclectic as their back catalogue, bringing people together across multiple genres and from different walks of life, all sharing a distinct passion for music.

I love the fact that they are actively providing the stems and master audios for people to create their own artwork and designs to go along with their music, putting their art out into the world and allowing other creatives to expand on it by adding their own artistic flair, the way I believe it should be. The best part is all they require is some of the copies to sell through their website (pdoomrecords.com) started by the members of King Gizz to put out records by them and their friends.

Stand out song: The River

Opening with those instantly recognisable and uplifting plucks of the guitar strings, this powerful piece of music meanders its way through the 10 minute plus run time, naturally rising and falling, mimicking the very nature that it draws its inspiration from. A real journey that ebbs and flows, just when you think things are rounding off we are launched back into it and treated to more, happening twice in total. A damn near perfect tune that is only elevated by the fantastic music video, do yourself a favour and follow the link below to watch and listen to this masterpiece right now!

When to listen: 

This record pairs perfectly with nature and some psychedelics (if that is your thing). I am often accompanied by this album when hiking through impressive landscapes or simply sat admiring the view and what nature has to offer us. I have never understood the idea of sitting still to meditate, I instead opt for movement to help kick start the process that involves becoming aware of, listening to and eventually reflecting on, your inner thoughts and feelings. I find this album is perfect for propelling you into that state with it's groovy drawn-out melodies and laid-back beats.

Spotify: Listen here

Vinyl:

I am a big fan of the colourful design with this one, particularly the 4 way split on the front cover and the fact that these spill onto the labels of the actual vinyl. I have seen a fair amount of negative reviews for the B side having loud pops and a lot of noise, my copy is fine but maybe I was lucky. There are plenty of represses of this album available now so it might be worth trying a different pressing, but here is a link to the one I own - Discogs link

Other useful links:

Band page for music, merch and much more - https://kinggizzardandthelizardwizard.com/

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - The River music video is well worth the watch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUZn1I6llJs&ab_channel=FlightlessRecords

For those who need a audio/visual explanation of the Shepard tone, a nice one I found is here - https://www.youtube.com/shorts/E3r9Ka6gE4s

If you like this try these:

Naxatras - Naxatras

Causa Sui - From The Source

Tame Impala - Innerspeaker