Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Time Travel in Music: Broken Bride, by Ludo

Time travel is a very popular topic of science fiction novels, but what about music?  Although a quick Google search yields a few quirky videos, I was able to find something much more epic for you all.

The little known rock band Ludo, which specializes in songs laced with heaping doses of geek humor, has released a five-song "mini album" about time travel.  In the rock opera, entitled Broken Bride, a nameless time traveler invents a machine and flies through time in order to save his deceased wife from a fatal accident.

Each song has a different feel to it, which reinforces the feeling of traveling through time.  From up-beat pop to more heavy rock and roll, Broken Bride spans multiple genres and generations.  I have embedded a player with the songs below.  The album is less than 30 minutes long, so if you love time travel, you should definitely give it a listen!  A quick summary of the songs will follow.


Part I:  Broken Bride.     A song sung to the Traveler's lost love.  In it, he describes how she died, and what he has done to try to save her.  It appears he has overshot his destination and crash landed in a world filled with dinosaurs, tar pits, and glaciers.  This song really has an epic feel, and its fast pace gives the listener a sense of urgency similar to what the Traveler must be feeling

Interlude:  Save Our City.     This time, we are treated to a glimpse into the future.  There is a conflict between the mayor of the City, the king he has aligned himself to, and a mysterious "tyrant god".  Zombies wander the streets and devour the helpless citizens.  One young boy travels to the mayor to plead for him to help.  The Traveler doesn't actually appear in this song.

Part II:  Tonight's The Night.     This peppy song returns us to the Traveler's plight, as he once again recounts the loss of his wife.  The up-beat lyrics and music of this song makes it clear that Part II actually takes place BEFORE Part I.  The optimistic Traveler lays out his plans to save his wife.  Little does he know the hardships he will face in trying to get back to her.

Part III:  The Lamb And The Dragon.  The Traveler has done it this time...  It seems he has flown to the future - one many years after the events of Save Our City.  It is clear now that the conflict has escalated, and the Apocalypse is almost upon humanity.  A band of rebellious humans has conspired to release a dragon, to fight the "tyrant god" who is now trying to destroy the world.  At the end of the song, the Traveler's machine is destroyed.  He speaks to what appear to be angels, and asks for a miracle to see his wife just once more...

Part IV:  Morning In May.  The Traveler wakes up in his bed, only to find his living, breathing wife laying next to him.  In this bitter sweet conclusion, the Traveler learns that he was never able to change the past, and that this morning in May really will be the last time he sees his love...

2 comments:

  1. I have a slightly different interpretation of Morning in May.
    It seems to me that the first time around, she drove away, leaving him behind. The second time around, he gets into the car with her.
    Whether they crash or not, I get the feeling that the traveller is ready to accept whatever happens this time, as long as he gets to be with her.

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  2. Also slightly different interp of the Lamb and the Dragon. The dragon he sent by the King, the anti-Christ if you will, to rain down destruction. When the Traveller arrives, he sees what is occurring and decides to bring the pterodactyl from the past through his machine "I've got dragons of my own." to destroy the dragon, but also destroying his chances of returning to the past to save his wife. The Angels come to him, knowing he has saved the world by sacrificing his machine and allow him a wish. His wish is to return to "that morning in May" in Morning in May where he goes with his wife that day so they can be together.

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