The vocal/guitar intro at the beginning of the piece shows George's mastery of the guitar. He quite probably improvised the intro, singing a melody, which he copied immediately on the guitar neck. Only by knowing the guitar inside out is it possible to have such a feel for finding notes this quickly. The sparse piano adds a nice sparkling texture and helps to add definition to the key.

As the drums kick in the vocal/guitar duet continues and the mood is set. The solo continues for a short while before the verse commences.

The first verse places all the emphasis on the vocals. The music behind the verse is un-obtrusive and soft, allowing the lyrics to be both heard and understood. The string section adds melodic movement whilst the drums help to keep the whole band together. Because of the amount of melodic movement from the strings and piano the rhythm played on the drums is very simple, acting almost as a metronome. The main lyrical hook line (we're lost in a masquerade) comes at the end of each verse. For this reason we don't have a chorus.

The bridge changes to a lighter mood with a new chord sequence.The piano adds twisting melody lines between each line of singing. Because there is no chorus it is important that the bridge changes the mood sufficiently to add definition to the various parts of the song and keep the listener's attention. In a song like this however, it is also important for the change not to be too drastic as the serine mood will be broken. One of the arts of jazz is subtlety and here the band makes a perfect transition without breaking the spell or putting us to sleep.

Returning to another verse we can hear a new rhythmic element has been added. The high-pitched bells being played in a samba rhythm add a sparkle that freshens up another verse and helps us to feel that the song is in motion.

The next solo is longer and begins again with the tandem vocal/guitar theme. The emphasis is obviously on melody here. In the early 80's synths we're used to blend many different sounds, creating new unique 'virtual instruments'. Here, George is doing much the same thing with his guitar and voice. (Try this yourself to get an idea of how hard it really is.)

As the solo progresses and becomes more complicated, George stops accompanying with his voice and makes use of the whole of the guitar neck moving between many techniques such as fast alternate picking, sliding notes, hammer-on's and pull-off's, and the use of triads. His phrasing is varied and always tasteful. He is careful to play within the mood of the song and leaves plenty of space for the listener to 'digest' his playing.

When the guitar has been used to full effect the piano takes centre stage. Playing mostly on off beats, the piano adds variation to both the rhythm and tone of the long instrumental solo section. This use of several instruments in a solo section creates a great sense of inter-band communication with guitar and piano working off each other's playing, inspiring each other to new heights.

Another bridge returns us to the song and the following verse repeats the hook line several times to reinforce itself.

A short 'outro' solo returns to the vocal/guitar duet, and we leave the song as we started.

What can we learn?

• Vocal/guitar duet intro creates a unique sound. The intro section's long instrumental nature helps to reinforce George's ability and stature as a player and helps us to focus on his playing throughout the rest of the song.
• Verse music is unobtrusive allowing the vocals to take precedence. second verse introduces samba rhythm played on high pitched bells for rhythmic and tonal variation within the style and theme of the song.
• Bridge diversifies enough to add variation but without breaking the spell of the song.
• Solo makes full use of the guitar neck and uses many techniques. Melody and choice phrasing help the listener to follow what's going on and keep the solo within the mood and context of the song.
• Piano finishes the solo adding tonal and rhythmic variation.
• Song ends as it began giving us the impression we have been picked up, taken on a musical journey, and then returned home again.