University of Kentucky UKnowledge Theses and Dissertations--Music Music 2019 EXPOSING CORRUPTION IN PROGRESSIVE ROCK: A SEMIOTIC ANALYSIS OF GENTLE GIANT’S THE POWER AND THE GLORY Robert Jacob Sivy University of Kentucky, [email protected] Digital Object Identifier: https://doi.org/10.13023/etd.2019.459 Right click to open a feedback form in a new tab to let us know how this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation Sivy, Robert Jacob, "EXPOSING CORRUPTION IN PROGRESSIVE ROCK: A SEMIOTIC ANALYSIS OF GENTLE GIANT’S THE POWER AND THE GLORY" (2019). Theses and Dissertations--Music. 149. https://uknowledge.uky.edu/music_etds/149 This Doctoral Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Music at UKnowledge. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations--Music by an authorized administrator of UKnowledge. For more information, please contact [email protected]. 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Robert Jacob Sivy, Student Dr. Kevin Holm-Hudson, Major Professor Dr. Lance Brunner, Director of Graduate Studies EXPOSING CORRUPTION IN PROGRESSIVE ROCK: A SEMIOTIC ANALYSIS OF GENTLE GIANT’S THE POWER AND THE GLORY ________________________________________ DISSERTATION ________________________________________ A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the College of Fine Arts at the University of Kentucky By Robert Jacob Sivy Lexington, Kentucky Director: Dr. Kevin Holm-Hudson, Professor of Music Theory Lexington, Kentucky 2019 Copyright © Robert Jacob Sivy 2019 ABSTRACT OF DISSERTATION EXPOSING CORRUPTION IN PROGRESSIVE ROCK: A SEMIOTIC ANALYSIS OF GENTLE GIANT’S THE POWER AND THE GLORY English progressive rock band Gentle Giant is catalogued under the progressive (or “prog”) rock genre for a variety reasons, including unique instrumentation, virtuosity, and interesting/unconventional musical attributes. The complexity of their music is often warranted by the sophisticated concepts behind their albums and the deep messages of their songs. The Power and the Glory (TPatG), Gentle Giant’s sixth studio album, is a concept album that emphasizes the rise and corruption of power. What makes their music, especially TPatG, worthy of scholarly attention beyond the simple examination of the compositional techniques employed is the way in which the message of their compositions is conveyed, and how that message is interpreted. In this project, I investigate the elements that contribute to this album’s theme via semiotic analysis. I begin by exploring the discipline of semiotics as a method for analysis. Largely applied to language and literature, semiotic analysis has been recently adapted and applied to music study. Jean Molino’s method proposes a tripartite model for the analysis of music: analyses at poietic, neutral, and esthesic levels. A poietic level analysis examines the circumstances of the music’s creation, including origination, composition, production, and performance. Situating Gentle Giant among their contemporaries and TPatG among the band’s discography by outlining their history (both personal and professional) illuminates the conditions under which the album was generated and produced. An analysis of the neutral level defines the musical “trace,” or those quantifiable elements of the music (i.e., objective elements such as pitch, rhythm, etc.). These structures are explained in light of their usage throughout history and their impact on the album’s overarching theme of the corruption of power. An esthesic analysis describes the reception and interpretation of the music. I examine the socio-cultural impact the album has made and the influence it has had on musicians throughout the years. Molino’s tripartite method of analysis supports a comprehensive understanding of Gentle Giant’s TPatG, not solely musically by examining its structures, but socio-culturally as a part of the progressive-rock culture and, indeed, the broader music industry of the 1970s. KEYWORDS: progressive rock, Gentle Giant, semiotics, Jean Molino, popular music Robert Jacob Sivy 11/26/2019 EXPOSING CORRUPTION IN PROGRESSIVE ROCK: A SEMIOTIC ANALYSIS OF GENTLE GIANT’S THE POWER AND THE GLORY By Robert Jacob Sivy Dr. Kevin Holm-Hudson Director of Dissertation Dr. Lance Brunner Director of Graduate Studies 11/26/2019 To my parents ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to express my deepest appreciation for Dr. Kevin Holm-Hudson and his encouragement and commitment throughout the research and writing process. His extensive knowledgeable and thoughtful insight exponentially enhanced my work. In addition, without Dr. Holm-Hudson’s progressive rock seminar, I would remain oblivious to the amazing scholarly opportunities surrounding this genre; his seminar paved the way for successful conference presentations, a publication, and a fulfilling dissertation topic. I’m extremely grateful to the UK Theory faculty: to Dr. Michael Baker who is exceptionally informative, a great pedagogue, willing to carve out time to discuss any topic, and always ready to provide great examples for any musical concept; to Dr. Karen Bottge for her thought-provoking seminar concerning music and metaphor, which will continually help to shape my philosophy of music, and her excellently detailed editorial remarks on my dissertation; and to Dr. Rob Shultz, who, in the brief time we had together, inspired and encouraged perseverance. Many thanks to Dr. C. Ben Arnold for his excellent lectures concerning symphonic literature—a little-known passion of mine—and insightful editorial comments. I also thank Dr. James Griffioen, who regularly encouraged me to finish, and Dr. Alan DeSantis, who came in at the last moment to serve on my committee and provided profound insight during my defense. I want to thank my colleagues at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, for encouraging me through the final stages of dissertation writing. It has been a great privilege to lecture at UTK during this time. Gentle Giant members John Weathers and Derek Shulman provided invaluable comments on their music and compositional process. Their reflections on The Power and the Glory were both insightful and validating. I am grateful for the time and care these gentlemen took in responding to my e-mails. I also extend my thanks to the members of the Gentle Giant fan e-mail list “On Reflection” for taking time to complete my survey. Without their comments, my study would be severely lacking. I want to thank my parents, Robert and Leslie, who had the privilege of being teenagers at the height of rock in the 70s. Having great taste in music, they exposed me to an eclectic mix of music and musicians including Queen, Michael Jackson, Prince, Black Sabbath, Elton John, Guns N’ Roses, and many others; and though I “rebelled” against their music by learning violin and listening to “classical” music in my teen years, I am glad they laid in me a musical foundation in rock. I have fond memories of my mother blasting music on a regular basis during my childhood. My sincere thanks extend to my in-laws, Steve and Jane, for their steadfast support and belief in my scholarly pursuits. I especially thank them for their time in iii proofreading and editing my dissertation. I also thank my good friend Jonathan Crosmer for his encouragement through the last few months of writing and editing. Even at the end there were times in which I had a strong desire to quit. Thanks, Jonathan, for pushing me. Most of all, I extend a heartfelt thanks to my wife, Kate, who has supported me through both toil and success. Throughout the research and writing process she served at times proofreader and editor, colleague and collaborator, and psychologist and emotional support therapist. An all-around super woman, she maintained our family through much of my studies taking care of our three boys so often without me. Along with Kate, I want to acknowledge my sons, Michael, William, and Eli, who prayed nightly for “Daddy to finish his dissertation.” They never knew a time when their father wasn’t a student.