More than with any other band, I am a Yes fan. This is not the same as saying as I think Yes is the best band I'm familiar
with; they never made an album that I'd give a perfect score, and while they made many that I'd rate highly, the fact that I
can name so many albums that I like more than my favorite Yes albums has to mean something. If "fan" is taken in its meaning
of the term "fanatic," though, there'd really be no contest. It's one thing to own all of a band's studio albums; it's
another to seek out all of its live albums, and bootlegs from as many tours as possible (and often multiple bootlegs from
the same tour), and multiple concert DVD's, and a good chunk of solo material from the various members, even when I expect
it to stink. Yup, I've been an obsessive fan since 1998, and even as my music collection has continued to expand and
diversify, the band's hold on my mind has remained, and I find it hard to see a scenario in which that would change.
For many readers, this will ring familiar: the title has often been given to "quirky" groups such as They Might be Giants or
even fellow prog-rockers like Rush, but I would argue that Yes is the #1 cult group of the rock era. Those who love them
worship at their feet, almost regardless of who is actually in the band, while those who dislike them (i.e. The Rolling
Stone Album Guide) dislike them with a passion. I think they're amazing, not only for the quality of their best work (the
albums from their "golden period" of 1971 to 1977 are all essentials in the collection of any true fan of progressive rock),
but for their Rasputin-like ability to survive changes (internal and external alike) that should have killed them several
times over. I love the amount of thought they put into what they wrote while still remaining, at heart, a pop group. I love how they managed to pile on new layers of complexity and invention from album to album without sacrificing entertainment value, and yet almost never engaged in complexity for its own sake. I love how they challenged notions of what pop music was "allowed" to do and showed that the violation of various dogmatic "truths" of rock could still in fact allow for good music. I love how their members tended to be superb instrumentalists, not just in raw technical ability but in terms of style and flair. They were one of the most
accessible "weird" bands ever and one of the least accessible "normal" bands ever, and that is a state of being I can really
dig.
My opinion (as well as the opinions of the group's often ravenous fans)
aside, though, Yes really gets a lot of hateful press. Much of
this, of course, stems from a bad attitude towards the progressive genre
in general. More than any other group around, Yes was the symbol of prog
taken to its ultimate height, and they pretty much defined all of the
'wretched excesses' that so many critics love to beat to death. With songs
that regularly eclipse 7 minutes in length, often taking up entire sides
of albums (especially on Tales, with four side-longs, of all
things), it certainly takes a bizarre and hearty soul to give them a shot
in the first place, much less enjoy them. But even their stellar chops, a
definite asset, often gained them intense criticism for creating a type of
'musical elitism' that prevented an average garage band from being able to
emulate themselves after Yes (or other prog bands, for that matter). After
all, not every bassist can successfully pull off "Roundabout," not every
guitarist can do the lightning solos in "Awaken," not every drummer can pull
off "Close to the Edge" or "Siberian Khatru" ... you get the idea. Not only
had the band constructed music that was far beyond the tolerance of the
average listener, but their playing talents had created an almost
untouchable fraternity that only a very select few could ever hope to
enter.
The main problem that most have with Yes, though, starts and ends with
vocalist/lyricist Jon Anderson. To put it mildly, his lyrics are usually,
um, intimidating. Almost all of the time, it honestly seems like
he's spouting complete and total jibberish. Now, to be fair, in several
cases, that statement is probably correct (particularly on TYA),
but I do feel it would be unfair to categorize Jon Anderson as a complete
lunatic throwing out the first lines that come into his head. In
particular, his epics on CTTE, Tales, and Relayer,
believe it or not, really do have meaning and tell actual stories.
It takes a few readings to realize it, but after a while, something clicks
in your mind and you actually begin to get it, whatever "it" is. Also,
one must keep in mind that much of, if not most of the time, regardless of
how strange the lyrics seems to us, they almost always mean a lot
to Anderson. He honestly cared about his seasoned witches and dreamers
easy in the chair that really fits you. And he treasured and still
treasures Tales. Remember that.
Lyrics aside though, there is also the issue of Jon's voice. Best as I can
tell, there are those who love his voice, and those who categorically
cannot stand it, with few in between. See, while he's technically a
contra-tenor, he seemingly often strays dangerously close to soprano in his range.
Even more frightening than that is that he is not using a falsetto;
you have to hear him speak to believe it, but that's his actual
voice. And that in itself often turns people away; maybe it's a form
of homophobia or something, but there are many who want their male singers
to sound like, well, real men, and hearing anything else makes them
cringe. Of course, the same argument is often used against Led Zeppelin
and Rush, so I don't worry too much about it.
More and more, though, the main complaint about Anderson is turning to a
different aspect of his singing style. The main problem is that more often
than not, he will take a 'zero-tone' approach to his singing, i.e. that he will seemingly not vary the expression of his voice one iota throughout the song. Because
of this, in my travels of the internet, I have seen Anderson referred to
as a computer, a robot, and generally as a soulless singing machine. The
thing is, though ... I dunno, I guess technically I will agree that he
makes no attempt at making a song come alive using only his vocal chords,
a la Greg Lake or Peter Gabriel. On the other hand, though, I honestly
believe that it is a mistake to demand Anderson to sing like vocalists of
other bands, simply because Yes was not like other bands.
Anderson's job, let's face it, was to provide a counterpoint to the
exquisite keyboard, guitar, and bass arrangements, and to contribute a
pretty, 'flowery' covering with the vocal harmonies that only he and the
guitarists could provide. And from that viewpoint, he succeeded
marvelously. Whatever you may say, I insist that the man was a
terrific writer of vocal melodies. They were by no means designed
to be the 'hook' of the song (though one would have to be totally deaf to deny that quite often the vocal melodies were hooky as hell, intended or not), but as a counter to the instrumental melodies, they could not be
topped. And besides, it's not as if the man's singing couldn't hypnotize a
man with its beauty; listen to his reverbed voice soaring over the
mellotron in "Revealing Science" in the "getting over overhanging trees"
part, or his moving lament in "Turn of the Century," and tell me you aren't
moved to tears.
Whatever the case may be, I honestly believe this is one of the greatest
bands of all time. They may not have been the most 'complex' or
intimidating band out there (like King Crimson or The Mahavishnu Orchestra, both of which used to terrify me but don't anymore), and there have probably been bands with
greater collective chops. But no band has ever taken lengthy and
self-indulgent epic jamming and made it sound more like beautiful music
than Yes. Granted, you have to be prepared for the journey it wants to
take you on, but if you are willing, their music can take you places you never thought could exist.
PS: This page, in addition to reviewing basically every major and minor Yes studio/live/whatever album, also touches upon a great deal of solo material by various members of the band. These reviews have been broken out into a separate page and can be accessed through the links above.
Ben Greenstein (bgreenstein.nctimes.net)
Yes, a cult group? Let alone the cult group of the century? I don't
think so. See, pretty much EVERY "classic rock" fan (roughly 1/4 of the
population, I guess) is either a Yes nut or at least has some of their
albums. Rush aren't a cult group either, and TMBG are almost popular
enough to be mainstream (I still consider them sorta cultish, though,
because they've never taken their place on classic rock radio like, say,
YES or RUSH!!!) A real cult group is one that most people not in the
band's following haven't heard of - like Mike Keneally or Gentle Giant
or so on. EVERYONE has head Yes - god knows, I've heard much more than
I'm able to stomach.
Oh, yeah. I hate Yes. I don't even mind the guy's voice, and it's not
them being "overblown" (because I like ELP and Genesis). No, they just
bore me. I haven't heard one Yes song which has really blown me away as
a composition. And "All Good People" is really dreadful - I still
insist that it sounds like Hall and Oates or something. They suck!
That is all...
(author's note): About the cult group thing - I know a ton, a
ton of classic rock buffs who don't know a thing about Yes. Also,
my defintion of a cult group is not necessarily an 'underground' or
'hidden' band. Rather, I consider it a group with (a) a relatively small,
as well as viciously loyal fandom and (b) an overall style that, in
general, appeals to pretty much only this small group of people. In this
way, Yes is certainly a cult group. Rush is a cult group (yeah, stuff like
Free Will and Closer to the Heart get played ad nauseum, but how many
people do you know that enjoy the title track of Hemispheres?).
TMBG .. ehn, it's close. I do admit that I don't know much
about the band beyond stuff like Particle Man and that annoying
Istanbul/Constantinople song, so they are probably a better band
than I'm giving them credit for. But as long as I keep hearing them
side-by-side with Dr. Demento, there is no way I can think of them
otherwise. Same goes for Weird Al (whom I actually somewhat still enjoy,
but only on occasion - of course, One More Minute will be one of my
all-time favorite songs until the day my soul ignites).
Also, how many songs by Yes actually get played on the radio (not counting
90125 cuts)? I count three - Roundabout, Long Distance Runaround,
and I've Seen All Good People. Not exactly a playlist flooder, if you ask
me.
In any case, the 'of the century' part comes from the fact that I feel
they are the best group to fall under said category.
PS - I'm sorry that this response was so hostile. Again, I'm sure that
TMBG is a better band than what I've heard, and if I offended their fans,
I'm sorry. Just know that at the time of this commentary, I was in a
really pissy mood, due to various circumstances of my life. I apologize.
PPS: This response re: TMBG was written back in 1999, so cut me some slack.
Rich Bunnell (richbunnell.home.com)
I know you wrote that TMBG commentary thingie in a pissy mood, but for
the record, "Istanbul" is a cover, and "Particle Man" is on my personal
list of the top five worst songs ever written. And they're my
second-favorite band!
Laurent MASSE (masse.geocean.u-bordeaux.fr)
Very strange how people can complain about Jon's voice. He probably is the
highest pop singer ever (hitting Eb in "Going For The One" as far as I
know), so what? If anybody is looking for a raucous blues singer, better
go elsewhere! I suppose anybody not being a native english speaking
doesn't care about what the lyrics say or not, so OK with me. And for him
singing like a robot, I'm a little bit confused. Well, listen to those
Drama vocals! Apart from "Into the Lens", obviously designed for
Horn's voice, now isn't that robot singing all along? Honestly, Jon would
have put some life in there, whereas the other sing absolutely fine, but
completely soulless. Well, I suppose tastes are tastes. The part I cannot
stand in YES music myself is Chris's bass. I'm a bass player since almost
20 years, and sorry folks, but I don't see the point in all of these
fast-as-lightning/aggressive/demonstrative fireworks. If you try to play
these (and I insist they're not that difficult at all with a little
chops), you'll realise they're by no means original, just impressively
played but very basic geometrics on the fretboard, usually ascending or
descending scales. Where's the music, where's the emotion in there?
There's so much more this man could do with his Rick instead of always
trying to assault, to impress. I personnaly rate a musician according to
his ability to (1) make a single chosen, purposeful note vibrate and (2)
serve a song by underplaying whenever necessary. No need to say Chris is
very low on both scales. Face it folks, whenever he stops his trebly
aggressive pyrotechnics, he sounds like a very mean, unoriginal bass
player as there are loads around. But honestly, I recognize Chris is an
integral part of Yes Music, so I deal with him (hey, I don't like mussels
but I like paella!)
Jeff Blehar (jblehar.Maxinter.Net)
If you (and by "you" I mean "me") had told me a year ago today that
Yes was a great rock group, I would have laughed snottily and probably
done my darndest treat you like musical idiot. Yes? That stupid-arsed,
pretentious PROG group? Screw that bilious crap, and pass me some
Beatles, buddy! Of course, all I'd ever heard by them was "I've Seen All
Good People" (which I liked) and "Owner Of A Lonely Heart" (which - wait
a second - I ALSO liked...). But no, Yes HAD to be dismissed. It was a
matter of principle, you understand? They were one of those atrocious
prog-rock groups which puked out triple-live albums and 20 minute songs
without thinking, and they committed the cardinal sin of infusing
elements of classical music into rock 'n' f--kin' roll, which of course
should ALWAYS remain as simplistic as possible to avoid losing its
impact. Or so goes the Rolling Stone magzine party line. You see, I
admit (sheepishly) that I bought into the BS spewed by the hip
congnoscenti about Prog, downing it without even giving it a chance. But
then I borrowed my friend's yes boxed set on a lark, just to SEE, you
know...could it REALLY be THAT bad? I mean, heck that "All Good People"
song, that was a keeper, wasn't it? Thus began my first exposure to
Yes.
I'm enjoying the taste of this humble pie quite a bit, thank you very
much.
I guess this is my lesson learned: NEVER dismiss anything out of
hand. It turns out that the hip consensus was full of it, and that
despite some SERIOUS flaws (e.g. Jon Anderson's apparent inability to
correct for what sounds like the effects of Wernicke's aphasia - an
affliction whereby the victim babbles fluently and endlessly in nonsense
words) this band can kick my ass and anyone else's six ways from Sunday.
Oh, they went over the top more times than I'd care to mention, and they
pretty much stopped making worthwhile music after 1977, but I'll go to
bat for a LOT of their albums, something that I never would have
considered doing a year ago. Funny how things change, eh?
(author's note): Ha ha, success!!
Semiramis2.aol.com
Damn it you got me riled up about Yes, my favorite band at this current
moment. Keeping with what I said about "writing about music", I'll write
something about Relayer.
The title track rocks! The bass is totally awesome! The compositions
are excellent! The bass is so heavy and it goes with the heavy drums!
Alan White is God! It's a great song but I like it the best because it's
great! It deserves a 12 because it's great but not perfect. It gets such
a high score because Howe's solo is terrific and Anderson's epic about the
necessity of war is great! The lyrics are wonderful. That section after
the drums at the end is great! It should be made into its own song.
That review gives no insight to the imagery or feeling or
subjectiveness of songs. Possibly if reviews were given as intense
image-ridden poetry or as an analytical painting, then maybe they could do
justice to the songs they're describing. (I've bought albums solely based
on the album cover painting. If the cover art was created in the same
vein as the music, then isn't it a much better "review" of the song?
Capable of capturing the emotion that is impossible with words.) But what
does "Steve Howe's solo is terrific" tell you anything about the song?
Even a very deep analysis of a song really is useless.
(author's note): On the other hand, there are plenty of people in
this world who would take the exact opposite standpoint. Many people
couldn't possibly care less about any emotional or spiritual impact that
music could have - they only care about the notes. I know people like
this, and I fully expect to get comments in that exact vein (I've seen
them on other sites as well). Do I agree with that line of thinking? Of
course not. Does that mean it's wrong? Absolutely not. Within their line
of thinking, they are 100% correct.
Look at this next
statement.
"The song "Going for the One" is a strikeback by Jon Anderson against
the attacks of music critics who claim his music is too fantastic, the
lyrics too nebulous and spacey. Steve Howe showcases his flair for
different kinds of guitar styles and once again bleeds with
virtuosity."
What the hell does that tell you about anything? You know those
reviews on the amazon.com pages? Can you believe people buy music based
on word recommendations? I say you should put paintings/poetry/music
samples as accurate "reviews" of the music.
(author's note): Ah, so you're one of those "mankind regressed when
they went from using pictures to communicate to words" freaks. I never
agreed with that philosophy in high school, and I definitely don't agree
with it now.
You should post this
pic
as my review for Tales From Topographic Oceans. How else would you
describe the cascading synth part in the beginning of "The Revealing
Science of God" that comes in just after the initial vocals? Or that
little tiny sharp whistle that plays during the interludes of that song?
With words? Only this pictoral depiction of the world that the song
creates can even start to attempt to describe the song. (Yeah, I know the
original TFTO has a very relevant and fitting album cover but
everyone's
seen that one already). Pictures are better than words for describing
music but still useless. So describing music in any form is still
useless!! hahahaH!H!H!HHR!
Haha I can't believe you posted my last comment. Let's see if you post
this pic.
Philip Maddox (slurmsmckenzie.hotmail.com)
You know, my experience of getting into Yes was much like your experience
getting into the Beatles - for the absolute longest time, I thought that I
LOATHED the band. This was based primarily on my parents, my dad in
particular - he never missed an opportunity to describe Yes as the biggest
problem that rock music ever faced and, due to saturation to this since I
was about 5 years old, I believed it for a long time. I didn't have any
reason not to, considering that I'd never even heard anything by the band
except for Owner Of A Lonely Heart, which I didn't really have an opinion
on.
Finally, though, one day about a year and a half ago, I was cruising down
the road with my sister and I heard "I've Seen All Good People" on the
classic rock station (I never listened to the classic rock station, so I'd
never heard the song before) and I was absolutely floored. I asked my sister
who it was, and was surprised to hear her say "Yes". Fighting my inborn
instinct to hate the band, I went out and forked over 12 bucks for The Yes
Album. It blew me away. Fantastic music. Every last song was a winner. It
was one of the best album's I'd heard in years. So, after that, I got
Fragile, and recognized Roundabout and Long Distance Runaround (though I
never knew they were Yes). Both of those songs, of course, ruled, as did
everything else there. I ended up picking up just about every Yes album in
sight, though I still have some gaps (the biggest being their first 2
albums, Tales, Tormato, and Drama), I pretty much love all of their music
(except Union, but that goes without saying, and I even like a few tunes off
of that one). Yes is one of my favorite bands now, even some of their later
stuff like Talk.
But yeah, Yes is a great band, and I'm glad you like them more than George
Starostin does. My favorite is probably The Yes Album, but they're all at
least pretty good (at least out of the 11 or so I've heard). They're songs
are big, long, and pretentious, but they're also usually quite exciting and
often beautiful. I even like the Rabin stuff - some people hate him, but
it's hard to deny that he has an ear for a good hard rock song. And, the
biggest poijnt of controversy for many, is that I unabashedly love Jon
Anderson's voice - it's tone never changes much, and he never adds any
asides, but it's oh-so-beautiful and adds a perfect counterbalance to the
band's racket. A quick listen to Soon at the end of The Gates Of Delirium
proves his vocal talent once and for all. His lyrics aren't bad, either -
some of it is dumb, of course (Yours Is No Disgace, anyone?), but the lyrics
to tunes like Close To The Edge, The Gates Of Delirium, and especially And
You And I fit perfectly. I don't even know what it is about the lyrics to
And You And I, but they bring a tear to my eye, combined with that gorgeous
melody.
You're right about them being such a huge cult group - I don't know if
they're THE biggest cult group (Jethro Tull's got just as much of a devoted
fan following while selling next to no records, despite some early success),
they're certainly at least tied for that top position. Everybody with little
exception either loves them or hates them. And I absolutely love them.
Rich Bunnell (richbunnell.home.com)
To Semiramis2.aol.com: Just because YOU don't get anything out of
descriptions of songs doesn't mean that other people don't. But if all
you're going to do is bash people who run personal review sites that
aren't written for the sake of profit, I'd advise you simply not to read
the sites at all and to go back and bask in the glory of Roger Dean's
artwork. And I'd be hard-pressed to find anyone who actually follows the
"user recommendations" on amazon.com, because the average score is
always 4.5 to 5 stars, and the reviews all consist of 90% fanboys giving
the album 5 stars, and 10% naysayers who either don't like the band or
think the album is overrated.
Kccwashu.aol.com
Anyone who doesn't like Yes can obviously suck it. Yes owns you and they are
your God.
joaquim dos santos (jdossantos3.home.com)
The Spanish Inquisition, after much debate and research, has concluded that
everything related to the group known as Yes produced after 1981 should be
destroyed and removed from the collective memory of humanity.
Everything before 1981 however, should automaticaly be issued to every man,
woman and child at birth. (except of course, those dreadful Paris session
demos, which may be the best evidence of Napster being a tool capable of
doing more harm than good!)
Trying one's hardest to like the output of Yes
from the last twenty years is a waste of time. The drive is gone. Modern
production techniques can not bring back to life something which began to
die in 1978.
Let us however revel in their time,..that time when regardless of words,
notes or sound quality, a listener could automaticaly FEEL what Yes were
trying their hardest to do.........create and show you anather world.
We the fans may not always agree on the level of sucsses they acheived
creatively at different times, but things like Open Your Eyes are an insult.
The works from the first twelve years make Yes one of the most interesting,
stimulating, important and beautiful bands of all time,.....everything after
is a very dark stain on that legacy. I know you fans hate hearing this kind
of stuff but I failed a math class because I would stay home with headphones
and listen to the brilliance of jon anderson's wit on tracks like "Going For
The One" . Is there any greater joy than driving through the Cantabrian
mountains of northern Spain and listening to "Tales From Topographic Oceans"
durring a sunset? Believe me , that album makes perfect sense then.
much more sense than "The Ladder" will ever make.
By the way, great site! It is fun learning what other peaple think about
this great band.
Robert Grazer (xeernoflax.juno.com)
Here's a listing of all of the major Yes studio albums with my personal
15-point scale score next to them.
Yes - 12
Brian Sittinger
Getting into Yes was my introduction to progressive rock. I must the biggest
barricade is Jon Anderson's HIGH voice. Scared me out of my wits at first.
(My first encounter with Jon's voice: Kitaro's Dream. [NOTE: Don't ask me
where my parents found that record!] "He sounded like a wuss," I thought at
the time.) Yet, in retrospect, it's hard to imagine Yes without Jon's voice
(face it: even on Drama, Trevor Horn often tried to sound like Jon. God pity
his soul...) I have grown to tolerate, and at times actually enjoy his
voice, as it sounds angleic now!
It's the music that really does it for me (until 1980 or so). Very well
thought-out compositions. Creative. And from album to album, it could be
hard to guess where Yes would go next. Hence, they demanded your attention.
(of course King Crimson, too!) Ther's always something to keep your
attention during the songs (stretches of Tales from Topographic Oceans tests
this last assertion admittedly). It is a shame that material between Fragile
and 90210 (err, 90125; okay what an old joke!) does not garner more
attention from the masses. On the most part, Yes had the talent to back up
their bombast, though they can be accused of going over the edge. But,
that's part of their charm; they had the guts to do so and did it remarkably
well.
One of these, perhaps through bargain bins, I will pick up bits and pieces
of their post-80 output, but not anytime soon. Never quite the same after
1980! Still, Yes and Genesis are my favorite Prog groups as we speak. I'm
glad I overlooked the popular consensus of progressive rock in general!
Stephen B Marseille (sbm82.columbia.edu) (7/21/01)
I am SURE you've heard many, many defenses of They Might Be Giants since you
wrote your initial rant and rebuttal on the "cult" thing with Yes. If all
you knew when you wrote it was indeed Particle Man and Istanbul, I can't
blame you. I'm sure many people have since pushed TMBG on you. While I
intend to do the same, I would like, in some way (if possible), to separate
myself from the others. How?
Well, it seems I am not a typical TMBG fan, if polls and such are the judge
of such things. While I, like many others, own all their output, I find
much of their material of variable quality - from stupendous highs to
embarrassing lows. And IMO, many of what I consider embarrassing lows are
fan favorites.
Here's what I would recommend (as a Beatles, Yes, Genesis, Zep, and ELP
fan): get the first three albums, decide... then venture further. That is,
pick up "They Might Be Giants," "Lincoln," and "Misc. T" - these are three
of my favorite albums. Surely VERY different from other favs like Foxtrot,
Close To The Edge, etc, but classics all the same.
See, TMBG was once a group of two guys. To play live and to make "full
sounding" albums, they had to be creative to fill out their sounds. With
greater success, however, they added "band" members. The result is while
they still write pop-riddled music, they sound much more ... TYPICAL (a
damning criticism).
I promise you that their first two albums in particular are fantastic - from
the sweet, sublime "She's an Angel" to the quirky "put your hand inside the
puppet head." These Brooklyn-ites are more than a novelty group. After the
first albums, see Misc. T for "Hey Mr. DJ I Thought You Said We Had A Deal"
(a far more interesting industry song than Have a Cigar!) and Flood for
"Whistling in the Dark". And if you want and epic, check out the 17 part
"Fingertips" from Apollo 18.
Fair warning however - I do not recommend "John Henry," "Factory Showroom,"
or other recent releases... while they have their share of gems (Nyquil
Driver springs to mind), they don't hold a candle to the past... where their
desperation fuelled some truly creative brilliance. Hear the harmonies on
their eponymous release and deny its brilliance.
Since I don't expect you to start a TMBG section on your site, I am simply
writing this for your personal benefit - I promise you that you will not be
disappointed. Let me know what you think, or come to me for files, or
anything.
dazsmith (dazsmith.ntlworld.com) (8/15/01)
I remember large sections of the audience booing (including me) when the
Buggles line-up attempted And You And I........Tormato is the last Yes
LP, everything after is guilty of the criticisms levelled at the band
generally. Drama is fucking hopeless. I saw Anderson's New Life Band
within a fortnight of Yes/Buggles, and they quite simply pissed all over
that particular Yes perfomance. How crap does the Fairlight sound with
the passing of time??? Its hard to think of many 80s records that can
still last more than 5 seconds on my turntable to be honest - it is the
decade which conned its way into the twentieth century. The nineties
probably rescued the late 20th C from complete embarrassment! Even then
only just....Nirvana! Asia were shit aswell.
I've been into 'rock' for years and years and the great Yes LPs sit quite
happily in my collection alongside some very extreme punk and hardcore,
soul, jazz, etc - I personally see no great difference between musics of
supposedly different styles, if its good its good.
If anything pisses me off about Yes its the twee middle class English
redbrick universityesque pomposity..........but then again Rush's extreme
pomposity has nothing to do with that. Rush, by the way, really are
utter shyte.
Tales From Topographic Oceans is way more 'radical' than the punk rock
which followed so closely after, and possibly the best progrock (at least
British) LP made, Relayer is more anarchic than any punk record (and I've
made a few!!). And Going For The One is surprisingly fresh for the time
it came out.
People who diss bands like Yes are really telling us about themselves,
their machismo, their stubborness, their inability to accept what they
perceive as 'soft' or feminine.
Matti Alakulju (matti.alakulju.peterstar.ru) (10/27/01)
I'm not a big expert of Yes, but I'd like to add one point concerning Jon
Anderson lyrics. I vaguely remember reading his interview sometime in the
nineties. I can't remember his actual statement, but roughly he confessed
that his lyrics weren't even designed to make sense as words or story or
meaning. His lyrics were merely sounds out of his throat and designed to
work as the fifth instrument in the group. In this respect, I think, he
has succeeded great. But what a nerve he had: For decades millions of
Yesheads were trying to figure out what he wants to say with his
cryptics, and this was the answer. Does anybody else remember this
interview?
"Poschmann, Steve" (Steve.Poschmann.fmr.com) (11/25/01)
Other random questions/concerns (I apologize if you addressed these in your
prolific reviews):
- I read that Steve Howe is a part-owner of the new boxed-in Yes logo and
that it only appears on albums he plays on. Can you confirm that? Or did
you know that?
- I picked up on a dig of yours against the group Asia. While I would
never attempt to put Asia up against Yes in a battle of artistic merit,
Asia's debut album is a finely-crafted, melodic, well-produced piece of
work. It contained a nice balance between the prevailing FM radio rock of
its time and it tips a hat to the art-rock roots of the members. My musical
tastes are wide enough to include much "corporate" rock, and some "art" rock
(among many others) and can accommodate for in between. Now, I am not all
that familiar with Asia's second album, but some of the stuff they put out
post-Steve Howe sounds very generic. I don't know if it is the lack of Howe
or the lackluster production or both, but it really pales. You may know
that Howe came back to Asia in the 90s lay down a few tracks here and there
(I have read...but have never heard the tracks) but it looks like all
business and no pleasure for these guys at this point. FYI: By all
appearances Downes seems to own the Asia name.
Vandermeer (bkvander.telus.net) (6/23/03)
I got into Yes about 12 years ago (1991) when my friend played me his copy of
Classic Yes. The music immediately hit me as very unique and melodious
(particularly Wonderous Stories, Starship Trooper, and And You and I). After
learning of the notorious history of members coming and going and the upcoming
Union album, I was really intrigued, and after purchasing and enjoying Union (you heard correct I enjoyed Union) I bought their entire back catalogue (except
for the debut, which I could not locate). I was amazed and how good almost
every album was, and how they managed maintain this quality regardless of who
was in the band.
Fast forward to last summer (2002) when a co-worker was selling off some CDs for
a dollar, one of which was Union. I bought it from him (my previous copy was on
cassette) and after listening to it realized I hadn't been listening to Yes much
lately, and should see if they were still around. After finding out that they
were indeed still going, and changing members faster than ever, I bought their
entire studio catalogue on CD. After hearing Talk for the first time I was
moved to tears by several songs and have been really hooked on Yes for the
second time in my life. I was really intrigued after reading many reviews how
different my list of favourites is from everyone else. Even though they have
not been mainstream for a long time now, I think they continue to produce high
quality music into their 50s (almost in their 60s now!). Talk and The Ladder
are as good, and in many cases better, albums as many of their earliest
successes. Here's hoping they can keep it up indefinitely.
For the record here is how I would rate each of the albums I have, using the
John McFerrin scale:
Best Album: Talk
Worst Album: Open Your Eyes
Underrated: Tormato and Union
Overrated: Fragile
Yes: 9(13)
Time and a Word: 7(10)
The Yes Album: 9(15)
Fragile: 7(10)
Close to the Edge: 9(13)
Tales from the Topographic Oceans: 5(8)
Relayer: 7(10)
Going for the One: 9(14)
Tormato: 8(12)
Drama: 9(12)
90125: 8(11)
Big Generator: 6(9)
ABWH: 6(9)
Union: 8(11)
Talk: 10(15)
Keystudio: 5(8)
Open Your Eyes: 4(7)
The Ladder: 8(11)
Magnification: 5(8)
Raghavan RANGANATHAN (S3046624.student.rmit.edu.au) (8/10/03)
Hello John
Its me again. Man, your Yes reviews are fantastic!. I figure that is mainly
beacuse of the incorporation of historical titbits ( regarding lineup changes
and all that) in the reviews that help me appreciate the circumstances
surrounding the recordings... As of now, i only posses the 3 highly regarderd
classics ( Yes Album, Fragile, Close to the Edge) and The Ladder but i must say
that you have impressed upon me to acquire more of their albums.
Aside: I looked at your tentative list for the new pages. Cmon John, push The
Kinks and Bowie higher in the list. I am eager to read your reviews of these
artists!. Do it, boy
Meldrain.aol.com (9/30/03)
Writing off TMBG in response to a cover and a novelty song (though to be
honest I actually like both) wouldn't be a very prudent idea. They're
actually an excellent group, featuring consistently incredible melodies
and often hilarious lyrics. I strongly urge you to give them a chance; I
was skeptical at first, but as soon as I picked up Apollo 18 I instantly
had to get all their other albums (except Severe Tire Damage cause it's
live) and they all rule (to varying degrees, of course). Give them a
chance, you won't regret it.
Meldrain.aol.com (12/23/03)
OK, with that out of the way let's get to Yes. For me Yes embody all that
is prog; that's not to say they're my favorite prog group. They don't
even make my top three (Genesis, King Crimson and Jethro Tull, three of
the best groups period). But somehow Yes seem like the quintessential
prog group, as if they represent prog in its most concentrated, undiluted
form; every note they play screams 'this is what prog is.'
But that has nothing to do with quality. So are they good? No, they're
great. I own 8 albums by them and would give them all at least a 12
(except The Ladder, which rules but is too flawed to get higher than an
11), usually higher. The Yes Album, Fragile and Close To The Edge are
amongst the best the genre has to offer; I was actually just listening to
the Yes Album and it's just as wonderful a listen as it was when I first
bought it several years ago.
The amazing thing is that after all these years they still rule.
Magnification blew me away; how could they still be so good at this stage
in their career? Like Tull, Yes have made a marvelous comeback, and I
can't wait to hear what they do next (though avoid the new Steve Howe's
Remedy album; it ain't that hot. As far as prog guitarist solo albums in
2003 you'd be better off with the new Barre or Hackett, which are both
pretty damn good).
Hope you give H To He Who Am The Only One its due, it's an incredible
album, and Killer is one of the greatest songs ever, and one of the most
fun to sing aloud to freak people out. After that you'll have reviewed
pretty much all my favorite prog groups, except the awesome Caravan,
Curved Air and a few others. I hate that prog is looked upon with disdain
and contempt; it contains some of the greatest music ever. Sure, when
it's taken to excess (sacrificing melody for complexity) it gets out of
hand, but the best prog groups find a balance between the two. And for me
loving prog doesn't prohibit me from liking punk; I do, quite a bit. For
me every genre of rock has something to offer (I just haven't gotten into
rap or hip hop or conventional country). Dismissing prog is utterly
absured, and I doubt anyone who came in with an open mind could do so.
fabian (afl1.free.fr) (4/07/04)
I know Squire is NOT at all Jeff Berlin,but he's 100% YES SOUND
I love Yes and I love stravinsky or Darius Milhaud,but as a bass player,I
like Squire style
and sound! ( I own 2 rickenbackers here..1 Chris squire limited Edition +
a 4002 stereo)
a very special instrument.
Fabien
Jerry Gourley (jerrygourley.msn.com) (4/29/04)
Simply put: they are the greatest.
I just saw their April 20, 2004 concert at the Arrowhead Pond in Anaheim,
Ca., and was amazed at how really good some of their new stuff is. In
fact that concert left me feeling that they haven't hit their peak yet.
They played a medley-like number that Jon Anderson said they hadn't
ever played live before. It blew me away.
Yes is still getting better. Yes is very alive. Most groups level off
very early on but Yes' 35th Anniversary tour evidenced very much that
they are still ascending their already very-large mountain. A mountain
that is still coming out of the sky.
All Yes Fans MUST see them.
Michael
Jay Williams (res6u0mq.verizon.net) (5/12/04)
I like some of their music, but much of it is overlaps in terms of their
sound. JAs voice starts to wear away on my rock ears about after any 3rd
or 4th song on any given record. I found much of the great could be
guitar parts are missing from most all their records. The best route to
go is purchase the 35th collection and be done with it. Jay
rscott.sco.ca.gov (6/16/04)
i want to first congradulate you for your excellent yes web page. i have
been a yes fan since 1971 when i first purchased fragile many many years
ago. i have seen yes for almost every tour since tales and to really
experience yes you have to see them live. my favorite two albums, close to
the edge and relayer, i found unlistenable when i first purchased them
because i was overwhelmed by the intensity of the playing. gradually, after
many months i started to warm up to these albums and find it remarkable that
you also consider these albums among their best as well! for me, my
favorite tour was the second relayer tour during the hiatas. they opened
the show with sound chaser into siberia khatru into heart of the sunrise and
i was completely blown away. gates was incredible and ritual was the show
closer...amazing! anderson did something from sunhillow with green lazer
lights as well. the worst tour i saw was the union tour. they opened with
yours is no disgrace and in the middle of howe's intense guitar solo they
stopped and started playing some rabin crap and i literally flipped them off
and it ruined the show for me! the last time i saw yes was about five years
ago and they performed revealing science of god with some russian guy on
keyboards and it was a thrill to actually get to see them do it again after
all these years. i like that you gave tales a good review. it you really
like yes, it is a must have. yes was/is a really great live band and their
live albums really demonstrate that these guys can improvise on stage and
bring new life to their songs. i notice that you also think turn of the
century is one of their best songs. they did not perform it on the going
tour and i never got to hear them play it live until the keys2 came out. i
get the same feelings you describe, an absolute classic. i tend to agree
with your review of tormato except that silent wings performed live, when
squire did his bass solo, was a highlight of that tour. even without
anderson, drama still sounded like yes, and horn/downes added to the group.
after that, i find of faded on yes with all the pop stuff when rabin joined
the band and although i went to the shows, my enthusiasm for yes dropped
considerably. i have not looked at your page on their current stuff, but i
would guess you like mind drive and maybe not care for that, that is? i
actually like a lot of the new stuff on keys and when i get a chance, i will
check out what you think. got to go...thanks for taking the time to write
thoughtful reviews of my favorite music.
Brian White (brian_white.4tni.com) (12/09/04)
Yes was an instrumental band of the time. I am listening to old Yes,
25+ years later from the time of my teenage years of the 70s , and yes
they still sound good.
Would todays crowd like them. Probably not. But YES with Wakeman,
Anderson , and Squire had a sound that was original in its time.
Will todays youth understand it. Probably not. I did like 90125, but
until this reading, I was not aware of the staff changes.
thanks for the info
Pedro Andino (pedroandino.msn.com) (2/23/05)
since I am a prog nut like myself I still yes to be the best out of all
the bands george watchamacalit has that we never heard of! yes has got
more member changes than anything! man! do not be confused! the debut is
like the music of abbey road to me, the follow up time in a word is like
the first taste in art rock. album 3 the yes album is the first time the
people saw a prog band come alive. fragile is more commercial but
commercial is not a bad word! I got so sick of runaround I go into one of
the best yes epics I owned! CLOSE TO THEEDGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
PROG EPIC! YESONGS IS LONG! 3 LPS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! BUT THE MOST
CONTROVERSIAL ALBUM IS............ TALES FORM THE TOPOGRAPHIC OCEANS!
GOD THE FUCKER IS LONG!!!!!!!! BUT I DO NOT HAVE IT! STOP! I DID NOT OWN
IT! SORRY! DO NOT FLAME ME! RELAYER IS AWSOME! CLOSE TO THE EDGE 2: NOISE
PROG EPIC! GOING FOR THE ONE IS THE BEST! FUCK MACAA AND MULL OF
KRYPTONITE! WONDEROUS STORIES IS PRETTY BUT HEY I FORGOT ABOUT WAKEMAN!
THANKS FOR THE WAKEMAN REVIEWS! SIX WIVES AND CENTER OF THE EARTH ARE THE
PINNACLE OF PROG BUT THE MOST DARING PROG EPIC YET KING ARTHUR! BUT SADLY
A&M WITH THAT BITCH WORE CUNT SHYERYL CROW DROPPED HIM AND HIS MATERIAL
IS OUT OF PRINT! FUCK SAY MR.CANTO, YOU SEEM LIKE A PROG FAN TOO GET THE
WAKEMAN ALBUMS CUZ LITZOMANIA IS OUT OF PRINT! DAMN! 1978 IS NOT A GOOD
YEAR FOR PROG! PUNK WON! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGRR! OOO JONNY ROTTEN
SPITS ANDERSON IN DA FACE OOOOO MAN FUCK PUNK UP IT'S GAY ASS! TORMATO IS
BAD BUT I LOVE IT! HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA
HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA! DRAMA IS COOL BUT HEY IT
IS THE LAST GREAT CUZ 90125 SUCKED! YES FUCKERS! I FUCKING HATE
MAINSTREAM SHIT! I CANNOT STAND OWNER OR LEAVE IT! UNIONON! UGH! SUCKED
LATER YES SUCKED BUT HEY TO RND THIS I STILL LIKED YES FORM THE GOLDEN
ERA!
Anthony Hansen (lumpy_monkey.hotmail.com) (05/25/05)
Your Yes page is the best on the web. Seriously, it works as:
A) a concise band biography.
B) a thoughtful, in-depth analysis of their work.
C) A generally good read.
Nice work!
"Peterson, Joel - GCP" (joel.peterson.gracobaby.com) (07/21/05)
I just wanted to tell you that I thoroughly enjoyed your reviews on
the Saga Continues website. In fact, I've read scores of reviews
about the various Yes albums both in publications and on NFTE, and
yours are by far the best that I have read. I enjoyed the objective
view you took when writing the reviews, and it was obvious to me that
you took great pleasure in crafting your reviews. I also enjoyed the
humor that you injected at timely spots. That was a very nice touch.
Your reviews have caused me to go back and listen to these songs with
new interest, and a new perspective. I've found that I agree with you
on some points, and disagree with you on some points. I'm currently
listening to Hearts on mp3 player, and I have always thought that
this was one of their very best. I love the Rabin crunchy guitar, the
Kaye grinding organ and Anderson's angelic voice. What an incredible
song.
Nikus 80 (nikus80.hotmail.com) (11/15/05)
I've been really into Yes lately. My fav of their records is The Yes Album,
the songs are even better than the songs in fragile (which kicks ass)!
Except for Perpetual Change, which is good but not great, and Würm, and this
will will offend many people, doesn't works for me. Starless, I Want You, I
love those crescendos, but not Würm, although the solos that Howe play at
the end are friggin amazin'!!
Side A of Close To The Edge is one of the best sides of music I've ever
heard, Side B sucks. Ok, Eclipse and Apocalypse rule, but the intonations of
Jon Anderson on the verses of AYAI really irritate me. And Siberian Khatru
loses me after the opening riff.
But the point of this mail (if any) is: I disagree on your thesis of
Anderson voice being a counterpoint. I really think that most of the time he
carries the main melody and the main hook. The prime example I can think is
Yours Is No Disgrace (which fucking owns), he really carries the melody on
that one when he's singing, only on the bassy jazzy groovy part Squire gets
the spot at the same time Jon sings. That's just an example, but the same
applies to Roundabout, Heart Of The Sunrise, many parts of Tales (all but
The Ancient), etc... This does not happen on Close To The Edge (the song),
except maybe on I get Up I get down.
And he has a beautiful voice. I don't get the accusations of his singing
being souless or intonation-less. I get the emocion he belts, he can be
passionate like on Heart Of The Sunrise (or I get up I get down or Your
Move... you get my point), he can sound pissed like on Long Distance
Rounaround, he can rock with his voice, even when he's at his highest (Going
For The One). He rules, basically.
Felipe Maldonado (maldonado14.cox.net) (02/11/06)
The best underground group ever!!!!!!!!!!!
Charles Daigle (charles.outlookdesign.com) (01/19/08)
I just visited your website, in particular, your writings about Yes.
I do not believe I've ever read reviews that were so accurate and
described my opinion of Yes as well as you have. One thing in
particular was the meaning of Yes lyrics. Since I began listening to
them in 1972 I have fought with myself to understand the meanings.
Being a bass player, the meanings of the words never much mattered,
as I always found myself buried in the melodies and rhythms, not
attempting to put the words together into coherent subject matter.
It wasn't till after I turned 50 that I began to realize the stories
that Jon tells, and how it is sort of a continuing story, so
esoteric, that it is now apparent that it is meant to only make sense
when one is ready to hear it. After hearing of Jon's continuing
obsession (for lack of a better word) with the 4th dimension, that I
started revisiting the lyrics and have begun to better hear the
meanings of these epic pieces.
Even with Keys to Ascension, which I first thought was a throw
together, does Jon's enlightenment become apparent.
As a younger man, I would listen to his interviews with Jim Ladd and
others and found how strange it was when Jon were asked about the
meanings of the songs, would he say it was just "sound painting", and
not wanting to admit to the deeper meanings of these works.
So, thank you for spending the time to put together such eloquent
thoughts concerning the wonderous world of Yes.
Mark Nieuweboer (ismaninb.teacher.com) (02/13/10)
The opinion of the average Yesgeek on his favourite band can be summarized like
this: highly complex music for musical intellectuals. Boy, is he wrong. It never is
a she, women are too prudent for nonsense like this. The Yesgeek does not know the
difference between virtuosity and complexity and thus disqualifies himself as a
musical intellectual. Yes at its best made straightforward hardrock, performed by
four extraordinarily skilled musicians. It never took me more than one listen to get
a Yes-composition, with two exceptions.
Neither was Yes influenced by Classical Music. In the entire catalogue there is no
trace of Sonata, Rondo, Fugue or Variations on a Theme, the latter like Lady in
Black or the vocal part of Child in Time. Neither did Yes ever turn a theme from a
classical composer into rock, like Knife Edge.
All this does not disqualify Yes, not at all. The neutral unbiased music enthusiast
just needs to strip off Yes of all the myths before appreciating what the band stood
for. Note that most of these myths stem from the fans, not from the band itself. Not
that the members contradicted them too often. Why wake up your fans? It takes the
attitude of Ritchie Blackmore to do that. Yes was way to friendly to do such a nasty
thing.
Yes has two obvious flaws. The first one is Jon Anderson. When McFerrin writes that
somehow his expressionless voice fits to the music I cannot help chuckling. As if
Yes shares the musical values of Stravinsky! Wait, do I hear someone whispering
Firebird? Gotcha, Firebird is a fine example of late romanticism, which has
expression as its highest value. Stravinsky composed it when still under the
influence of Rimsky-Korsakov. When he wrote "notes express nothing but themselves"
he was thinking of stuff like The Soldier's Story, which has nothing to do with the
entire output of Yes.
The ultimate proof though can be found in the chorus of Heart of the Sunrise,
version Yessongs. While Anderson does his impersonation of the musical equivalent of
a zombie Howe answers with a passionate lick. The contrast is too big to be ignored,
even by the worst Yesfanatic.
The second weak point is form. Quite a few epics, especially after Yessongs, don't
have head nor tail, begin randomly somewhere and don't go anywhere. The compositions
lack inner necessity. It's laudible when band abandons the stereotypal verse-chorus
scheme. What Yes all too often forgets is that that scheme needs to be replaced by
something else. It's exactly in this department that Uriah Heep beats Yes. From Wake
Up (1970) until Beautiful Dream (1975) Uriah Heep always kept firm control of form,
hardly ever allowing the excesses so typical for Yes.
Yes also has two strong trumps. The band showed up with a whole string of brilliant
riffs, as hard hitting as everything Page, Iommi and Blackmore created. The other
trump is virtuosity. That's not a virtue in itself - I refer to the compositions of
Paganini, which are very dull - but allows the artist to explore territories that
remain closed for others. It's here that Yes beats Uriah Heep.
In my opinion Yes at its best - mainly the early 70's - stays as close to the values
of Deep Purple and Uriah Heep as possible, making full use of the masterly technique
of the bandmembers. It took me a while to learn to endure Anderson's limited (both
in volume and range) and shrill vocals, but it was worth the effort.
awaller.camden.rutgers.edu (03/13/10)
I've given you my thoughts about Close To The Edge and Relayer, so I
might as well give you my thoughts about the band as a whole.
Anyway, if I'm going by your system then I have to consider Yes to be
a five star band. The string of six albums they released in the early
to mid 70s was, IMO, the single greatest streak of albums ever put
out. I think it was even better than The Beatles (who are also in my
Top 5 bands along with Queen, Yes, Pink Floyd, and Coheed And
Cambria). Need proof?
Rubber Soul vs. The Yes Album - this is a wash, I can't pick one
Revolver vs. Fragile - slight edge to the Fabs here
Sgt. Pepper's vs. Close To The Edge - well, CTTE is the greatest album
ever made... so there
Magical Mystery Tour vs. Relayer - The Gates Of Delirium contains the
best 13 minutes of music put to tape! 18 if you want to include the
first half of Sound Chaser. Advantage: Yes.
Abbey Road vs. Going For The One - okay, this one isn't even close. Beatles.
The double albums; The White Album vs. Tales From Topographic Oceans -
umm.... yea... I'm gonna go with Tales, it's less tedious. (I'm NOT
kidding, crucify me if you like).
So; Yes gets 3, Beatles get 2, one's a wash. Yea, at their peaks,
Yes were just as good as the Beatles (in my mind, better
actually,because the Beatles get my foot tapping but don't blow me
away as many times as Yes does). Of course, the early/late Beatles
beats the crap out of garbage like Tormato and Union, and Yes never
put out anything like A Hard Day's Night; but whatever.
Yes are *****, and I think you should reconsider your grade for them
and move them up a notch as well. Yes got 13,14,14,13,14, and 13 for
those six albums from you (what other band has dont that on your
site?), and it certainly seems you like them more than other 4 star
prog bands Genesis, Floyd, and Crimson.
"Kevin Brown" (kev.tulsa.yahoo.com) (06/13/11)
My intoduction to Yes came with an AM program called "Beaker Street" broadcast
from KAAY in, of all places, Little Rock AR. I still have fond memories of
nights under the stars, listening to what was called "underground rock" for
whatever reason, and the monotonous yet entrancing voice of Clyde Clifford.
That was 1972...and Starship Trooper was more or less what we waited up all
night to hear.
Forty years later, seasons have passed me by. But now, even as a professional,
I get up and get down....
It's etched into my mind and I love every note of it.
Kevin
EC (ec1776.msn.com) (04/13/13)
YES is magnificant!
Yes!
Steven Highams (rawdon.lilly.gmail.com) (07/13/13)
I was trying not to comment on this band beyond Going for the One, but I love them too much to leave it at that. Close To the Edge is my favourite and I would love to add some new insight to it, but I think it's all been said. And I'm too scared to comment on Tales from Topographic Oceans, but the best review for that record is right here on this page; plenty of new insight and none of the usual mock, mock, mock - great review! Love the four elements theory. Ladies and gentlemen: follow that…
I prefer The Yes Album to Fragile, which is pretty fragile due to all those little individual pieces (as nice as they are). It's a pretty interesting theory about Yes being a pop band at heart, though not a very flattering one because it sends shivers down the spine of the inner snob that lurks within anyone who likes progressive rock (mea culpa). Yes are very melodic, more so than Genesis, who, paradoxically, seemed slightly more accessible. This record is crammed full of melody, even in the instrumental passages (love that question-and-answer style bass and guitar in the 'Starship Trooper' intro). I can only hear extreme repetition on 'I've Seen All Good People', but it's a good hook. For anyone who doesn't like tracks going over four or five minutes, that track listing would look far more daunting than it actually is. If you only ever try one Yes album, it should be this one, maybe slightly ahead of even Going for the One, but these two bookend the band's classic period. Even Close, Tales and Relayer have plenty of melody within their grooves. Venture and fear not…
It's wonderful to see so much appreciation for the prog bands from younger people. I never understood why prog always got bashed to the degree it did; I appreciate that it's not to everyone's taste, but I think it's really narrow-minded to just dismiss it out of hand without giving it a go. I don't think it is especially pretentious. Be bold, I say! If you want it all stripped down and routinely simple and yeah-yeah-yeah, maybe you should just stick with Please Please Me or something. I think those who knock it are inverted snobs who lack a decent attention span, like those who hate their neighbour for having a nicer garden but can't be bothered to put in the time and effort themselves. I've probably put a noose around my own neck now… oh, well.
Gary (tasia42.comcast.net) (08/13/15)
Saw them last night in Atlantic City. It will be my last Yes concert. They were terrible. Lead singer holds the band together. Alan White is probably as bad as bad can be. Lackluster drummer to say the least. Steve Howe is cooked. His leads were really bad. It was a struggle for him to get through anything. Set was short they they took a bow like they were tired or something great. Compared to other touring bands today they totally need to sail off into the sunset and live off of all those yes fans that buy their merch and redo after redo of the same songs on different media. Very disappointing!!
Timothy Raniere (traniere77.gmail.com) (12/13/15)
we love jon RIP chris the fish
marc white (marcwhite29.icloud.com) (12/13/15)
I haven't heard the entire YES catalog but I feel your analysis is spot on based on what I've heard (I don't own bootlegs).
I wouldn't have given fragile an E. I really like that album, but I feel it's overrated. I think your review of Tormato is spot on.
Theo Duncan (theoduncan01@icloud.com) (02/13/18)
This sounds strange, but I enjoy reading your Yes page the same way I enjoy reading epic literature and stories like Watership Down, The Wheel Of Time series, Heart Of Darkness, etc. Your enthusiasm and unwillingness to leave out any important details makes this page so fun to read.
Best song: Looking Around
In the beginning...
Yes started out as a conversation between Anderson and self-taught bassist
Chris Squire at a bar where Anderson was essentially the janitor. Both had
been in various bands previously, but with little or no success. Anyway,
the two discovered that they had similar music interests; both loved rich
vocal harmonies, but more than that, both were interested in the idea of
fusing rock, pop, jazz, and folk with classical music (well, with their relatively simplistic understanding of classical music, anyway), of all things. The
two hit it off well enough that they decided to get together and, sure
enough, form a band.
After a bit of scouring, the two of them came up with the following cast
to round out the ensemble; keyboardist Tony Kaye, who had a solid, if
somewhat boring, organ and keyboard style (he wasn't really big on
the tinkly piano and keyboard parts that would pop up a lot in Yes'
later work); Peter Banks, a terrific lead guitarist with a good
tone and a feel for jazz (actually, there wasn't much scouring involved here, as Banks and Squire had been together in a band called The Syn previously); and drummer Bill Bruford, who had,
surprise surprise, a wonderful familiarity with jazz technique to go
with traditional rock drumming.
Now, given that Yes has gone down in history as the quintessential prog rock group, you'd expect the debut to be a genre-defining album along the lines of In the Court of the Crimson King, right? Well, you might expect that, but you'd be wrong. Elements of their future style can certainly be found, primarily in the extended introductions before a number of the songs, but Close to the Edge this is certainly not. But that doesn't make it bad!! After all, who ever said that "conventional" music was automatically inferior to complex pieces? For one thing, the two short ballads, "Yesterday and Today" and "Sweetness," are simply beautiful. Anderson takes a much more traditional approach to singing on these songs than he would again for many years, which puts off several fans, but it's entirely possible that even if you hate Anderson's voice, you'll get a kick out of his singing on these songs. Heck, on the BBC Sessions, you can even hear the announcer say before "Sweetness," "This man has a lot of soul in his voice"! And, of course, the melodies are very pretty.
Another distinguishing feature of this from the "classic" albums is the presence of cover tunes, both of which rule. "I See You" is a jazzy version of the Byrds song of the same name, with some great guitar noodling and lots of energy accompanying a wonderful melody. Even better is the total demolition that the group does to the Beatles' "Every Little Thing," from Beatles For Sale. Originally, it was a cute pop song with nice vocal harmonies and a good melody - here, the introduction is a blood-thirsty prog-jazz monster, giving absolutely no hint of the actual nature of the song itself (in fact, one might even be thrown off by the quotes of "Day Tripper" here and there). And fortunately for all, the vocal harmonies are able to do some justice to the original ones, so even if the beginning scares you, solace can be taken in the main part of the song.
The other four songs are forces to be reckoned with as well. My favorite, as you can tell from the bold letters above, is side-one closer "Looking Around." The organ riff is superb, the guitar groove is firmly set in place, and Anderson does a fabulous job with the non-trivial vocal melody. The best part of the song for me, though, is certainly the middle-section, with Jon belting over the descending organ line and creating the illusion that his part is descending too although it isn't.
The other three are nearly as good, though. The opening "Beyond and Before" has a booming opening riff courtesy of Squire's bass (his work on this album is typically phenomenal, and certainly was a giant factor in the Melody Maker declaring Yes to be one of two groups "most likely to make it" based on this album, the other group being Led Zeppelin), eerie three-part harmonies, and a mild dose of the deconstructionistic tendences that would dominate their later work. Same goes for the closing "Survival," the closest thing to a progressive composition to be found on this album. I for one consider the introduction to the piece terrific - the bassline is eerie, and the rest of the intro, while not incredibly complex, is untrivial while remainging interesting. And the main body, while meandering a bit at times, picks up steam and focus near the end of each verse leading into the chorus.
Finally, there's also the slightly-inferior-but-still-quite-good "Harold Land," the story of a young man scarred inside by the ravages of war. The strangest feature of it, overall, is the vast dynamic between the bouncy and happy introduction and the sad, ominous main melody, but it's not like the song only has novelty value. Anderson isn't able to do a great job in making us feel for Harold, but his vocals are certainly pasable on the track, and the lyrics aren't bad either.
All in all, this is certainly an album, worth having, especially since it can be found easily for less than $10. Besides, even if you hate progressive rock, it would be a shame not to own something by these guys, and since Yes was a fully professional and exciting group from the very beginning, this may as well be it.
Laurent MASSE (masse.geocean.u-bordeaux.fr)
One point I would like to add is that, in the beginning, there was an
emphasis on actual songwriting, in the traditional sense, that would soon
disappear after "Time And A Word", only to return with Rabin in the
80's. And on this album, it shows that Anderson really knows how to pen a
song, i.e. come up with memorable melodies (not too artificial) on simple
(or not so simple) chord sequences. The high points here are "Yesterday
And Today" and "Sweetness", even if they sound naive and dated by today's
standards. I mean, a song is a song when you can figure the chord sequence
and play it with just an acoustic guitar or a piano and your voice, and it
doesn't get boring. And these two in particular work very well. Moreover,
I think the song selection was carefully thought out on that one, with the
two covers "I See You" and "Every Little Thing" where they get to showcase
their musical versatility, the two straightforward pop-rockers "Looking
Around" and "Beyond And Before" to draw attention onto them, and the two
more complex "Harold Land" and "Survival" showing where they were headed,
although I'm sure without clearly knowing themselves.
Jeff Blehar (jblehar.Maxinter.Net)
So this is Yes as they began. And goddammit, it's Yes as I wish they
would have stayed! If this album isn't as catchy and fun as a swimmin'
frig, then I don't know what criterion everyone is using. The songs are
almost all good-to-great (only the two slightly dippy ballads -
"Yesterday And Today" and "Sweetness" - and the ridiculously overrated
warning sign of things to come "Survival" slow the album), and Peter
Banks sure can play guitar. In fact, one of the reasons I like this disc
so much is probably out of sympathy to Mr. B; there's nothing so pitiful
as listening to Yessnobs pour buckets of slime all over his head in
retrospect just because he couldn't write "The Clap." Kaye's organ is
weaker (my keyboardist's ears hear a surprising amount of audible flubs
from him - surprising inasmuch as you think they would've corrected them
before putting them on vinyl) but I really do like his crunchy 60's
vibe. Aside from the obvious standouts like "Looking Around" and "Beyond
And Before," I find "Harold Land" to be a real shocker coming from Yes:
lyrics that not only make perfect sense, but manage to move me a bit. As
far as preachy anti-war songs go, this one has a very nicely observed
lyric, something which you'll unfortunately never hear in a Yessong
again.
And what was once heresy has now become blasphemy: "Every Little
Thing" is not only the best song on the album, but an self-mockingly
good-natured improvement on The Beatles' version, and my favorite Beatles
cover of all time, period.
Steven St.Thomas (sst.scrump9.freeserve.co.uk)
Sorry I have to disagree with you on your points about Tony Kaye. I think
his playing is very underrated, though it is hard during his return to YES
years later what his actual contributions are. Especially on TALK
where he is regulated to Hammond Organ, but I do think his short solo on
The Calling is one of the best things he has done and is very reminiscent
of things he did on Time and A Word. Sure, Tony is primarily an
organ and piano player, but he does some nice inflections of jazz and
rockin his playing. He may not have the flourish of Wakeman, Downes or
Moraz, but he does have strength in his playing. Keyboards he has provided
have always been very strong and sometimes moody. There are some great
things he does on Time And A Word, which I personally rate higher
than YES, the 1st album. He is no Cans and Brahms. He is more a
Jimmy Smith type player, concise, jazzy type lead organ, that embellishes
rather than dominates the music. I like Tony, he's alright.
Daniel and Corine Bosch (dcbosch.optusnet.com.au) (5/29/02)
A nice debut, although it certainly gives little indication of what was
to come! My favourite track - "Every Little Thing" - I normally HATE
Beatles covers as I am an extreme Beatles fan, but this one is cool.
Least favourite - "Sweetness" - the sweetness is laid on a little too
thick methinks! Peter Banks guitar is underrated - jazzy and reminds me
of Robert Fripp's very early playing (listen to "The Cheerful Insanity Of
Giles, Giles and Fripp" - a lost classic if ever there was one!!!) and
Fripp is my all-time fave guitarist (just pips Steve).
bsitting.mail.math.ucsb.edu (8/27/02)
What a debut! While not sounding anywhere close to what they'd become later, this
album wallops quite a punch. And, yes, the jazz vibe is way up! Peter Banks is
quite the competent player (in a good way), and even Bruford gets a chance to
bash the drums very hard (quite different from his trademark sound)! "Looking
Around" is my favorite off this album, as well as the acidified Beatles cover.
Yes sure knew how to rearrange songs! Finally, "Survival" has a great intro.
Too bad it didn't develop any further... A high 8 out of 10.
Vandermeer (bkvander.telus.net) (6/23/03)
I'm mostly in agreement with you here. An incredible debut! When I heard this
for the first time about 8 months ago I was underwhelmed, but every time I
listen to it I like it more. All 8 songs are really good and some are just
fantastic. The closing Survival is the best-I'd consider it one of my top 10
Yes songs. The verses and chorus get stuck in my head all the time. Yesterday
and Today has a beautiful simple melody sung wonderfully by Anderson and played
with great beauty by all, especially Kaye. Beyond and Before, Looking Around,
and Harold Land are all quite catchy with great energy (I'm still trying to
figure out who sings lead on BaB-is it a 3 part harmony of Anderson, Squire, and
Banks?). The other original, Sweetness, is probably the worst song on the
album, but it's still good-it's grown on me more with repeated listens. Finally
the two covers I See You and Every Little Thing are both done with such energy
and are good showcases for the talents of Bruford and Banks. I give this one a
9(13).
I suppose for the direction the band was going, it's understandable that they
replaced Banks and Kaye, but for the type of music they started out with,
everyone was perfect. Squire's trebly bass, Kaye's crunchy organ, Banks' and
Bruford's jazzy sounds, and Anderson's quiet vocal delivery are the defining
sounds of early Yes as far as I'm concerned. As much I love most of the later
albums, it's too bad they didn't try a few more albums like this one (or for
that matter even play some of the songs from this album in their live sets).
majora27.gmail.com (03/13/13)
RIP Peter Banks
trfesok.aol.com (07/13/18)
I hadn’t really listened to this whole thing in quite some time. I think an “A” is a bit high, but I understand why you like it so much. I can appreciate it more if I don’t compare it too much with what came later and take it on its own terms.
Even so, it’s already apparent that Kaye and Banks were the (relatively) weak links in the band. They’re good, but there’s nothing unique about their sound. Members of any old British post-psychedelic band could have substituted for them. Kaye has a pretty typical sub-Emerson Hammond organ style that dominates the album a bit too much. It’s actually nice to hear the rare acoustic piano drop in, like on “Yesterday and Today”. As for Banks – well, it’s obvious that “I See You” was intended as a showcase for him. But his playing isn’t nearly as cool as Roger McGuinn’s was on the original.
That’s the weakest track on the set, but everything else is really good. The melodies are stronger than I had remembered. Their own take on psychedelia, “Beyond and Before” (Time travel? How 60’s!) is much better. Cool harmonies. “Survival” seems to be the most popular song here, but it fails at what Yes would get much better at – combining disparate pieces of music into a coherent song. As is, the intro/outro seems tacked only as an attempt to make the track sound more hip. “Harold Land” does much better in that regard. It sounds sort like a very early Genesis track, and I also really like the lyrics (post-war PTSD, before the term had been coined) and the vocals.
The ballads are gorgeous, I agree, even if the lyrics of “Sweetness” get to be a bit much (Bruford hated it). They conjure a very nice 60’s pastoral setting, similar to a few Pink Floyd songs from around this time. I first heard “Every Little Thing” on the radio the day after John Lennon died. They were playing covers of the Beatles as a tribute. Yes managed to dig up a filler track on one of the Beatles weaker albums and turned it into something mind-boggling. Bruford and Squire (as they are elsewhere) are all over the place here. I wonder if John ever heard it..
The remastered version contains two versions each of three outtakes. “Something’s Coming” has a preliminary version from when they were still working out the arrangement and the final B-side. It amusing that they toss in quotes from two other songs from the musical, “America” (just as they would on the S&G cover) and “Tonight”. There are also versions of two tracks that would get strings during the sessions for the next album. “Everydays” comes in an unreleased take and another that was also a B-side, which is better than the album track. There are also two “Dear Father”s, one in mono (maybe because they were thinking about it as a single?) and a second that is, again, the best version of this tune. Yet more confirmation that the orchestra was just about unnecessary on Time and a Word. It would be an interesting experiment to mix it out on that album to prove the point. Of course, no one would care besides a few Yesgeeks like, but it’d be fun.
Best song: No Opportunity Necessary, No Experience Required
What do you do when you've decided that your band's calling is not as an interesting jazz-rock ensemble, but as an art-rock band? And what do you do if your compositions aren't quite of the necessary caliber or style to make said jump? Why, you grab your friendly neighborhood orchestra and ask them to contribute arrangments over your songs, whether they fit or not!
Essentially, all of the problems with this album are summed up in that opening blurb there. Commercially saavy as the band was, somebody in the band realized the imminent surge of popularity and acceptance of progressive rock, and my guess is they wanted to stake their claim ASAP. But honestly, they jumped the gun - the songs may be less accessible than those on the debut, but they're still centered around more-or-less conventional jazz-rock motifs and normal pop-stylings. In other words, there's really not that much to betray what the band would become in just a year's time.
Meanwhile, the orchestral arrangements, which ostensibly were intended to 'lift up' the seriousness of the album, only manage to (a) annoy the listener with their inappropriateness (with a couple of exceptions) and (b) obfuscate the actual band performances. In particular, poor Pete Banks is absolutely smothered on this album - it was enough for him to compete with Chris' bass, which increasingly moves to the forefront of the mix, and the addition of various strings and brass instruments makes Pete very difficult to hear in many cases.
But even with these weaknesses, the album could still be great if the songs were consistently great. Alas, half of the album is very good, while the other half ... isn't. The worst offender of all, of course, has to be "The Prophet." The lengthy introduction (which has nothing to do with the rest of the song), is an irritating puttering by Tony on his organ, as he seemingly steals elements of Genesis' "The Knife" (though after looking at the release dates that's probably impossible, unless Yes had gone to some of Genesis' early live shows) and diddles around in a minor key for a full two-and-a-half minutes. And the main song ... guh, it sounds like a minor-key version of the theme to Sesame Street!!!! I mean, come on, it's one thing to steal your inspiration from various rock artists or whatever. But the theme to Sesame Street??!!!
Three of the other songs are also irritating for various reasons. The orchestral arrangements for Then positively do not work - the actual song is an ok minor-key groove, but the orchestra muddies things up to such an extent that it gives me a headache. Astral Traveller does have a slightly more entertaining minor-key groove, not to mention some decent enough guitar from Pete, but I never have a good feeling about the song as a whole when it ends. Maybe it's the watery vocals and awkward chorus, who knows. And "Clear Days," an all-orchestral ballad, completely passes me by each time.
So that leaves four songs which, fortunately for all, are REALLY good. Oddly, two of them are covers, but whatever - the performances rule. The highlight, of course, is their cover of an obscure Richie Haven's number called "No Opportunity Necessary, No Experience Required." If you've ever wanted a solid musical definition of 'over-the-top', this should be where you head. An opening organ blast, like the band turning the ignition for the song, and then strings all over the place! Then, of course, Anderson starts preachin' it while Squire pounds out a bassline at an insanely fast clip, and then the strings break into "The Big Country" (not the theme to "How The West Was Won," as I thought for forever; thanks to the person who corrected me). It's corny as hell, but it's well-arranged and well-played corn, so how can I not love it?
The other cover, a Steven Stills number called "Everydays," doesn't disappoint either. The strings actually sound in place (in fact, it's hard to imagine this version without them - live versions sans strings, while very cool, sound really strange), and the middle jam is a neat free-jazz type explosion with Pete and Chris each going nuts (with Pete throwing in some random classical quotations as well). It's not quite as concise as "No Opportunity," but it's still plenty enjoyable.
And, of course, there are two wonderful pop songs, the likes of which we wouldn't hear from the band again for years without end. "Sweet Dreams" drops the strings, thank goodness, and the band comes through with an extremely compact, extremely catchy pop number with understandable lyrics. The title track also shines through - it may seem like a typical lightweight hippie anthem, but man, Jon Anderson was and is a lightweight hippie. The lyrics are simplistic, but so unbelievably catchy and idealistic that they can't help but bring a smile to your face. Well, ok, unless you think they're really dumb. In any case, though, the melody is also extremely catchy and non-trivial, so what more do you want?
So there you go - a band in a state of confusion, not knowing where to go, trying to expand towards the future but only succeeding with what had worked in the past. So, of course, the band did the only logical thing - they fired Pete Banks so quickly that he didn't even get to pose for the cover photo. After all, somebody had to take the fall, so why not the guitarist who had been smothered by a producer and a hyperactive bassist?
Fortunately, the band found a pretty decent replacement for old Pete, but not before performing some live gigs of this and the previous albums' material ...
Laurent MASSE (masse.geocean.u-bordeaux.fr)
I'm sure the purpose of this album was primarily to consolidate their
sound, so they hadn't made the leap yet. Instead, they decided to rely on
basic repertoire they had not released on the first. That's the typical
second album syndrome: usually, the best bits make it onto the first, so
the second may eventually sound as a collection of outtakes. This is not
actually the case here, as there are really strong cuts. The emphasis is
clearly on traditional songwriting with two towering achievements in the
wonderfully catchy "Sweet Dreams" and the hippie-sounding yet incredibly
efficient "Time And A Word" (the test of acoustic guitar once again -
there
are much more chord changes and melodic twists in this one than on any of
the following albums!), along with more versatility on the two covers
"Everydays" and "No Opportunity Necessary". But the rest is really lacking
something, as in "The Prophet" or "Clear Days", clearly sounding as
filler.
The overall direction is unclear, as shown by the complex yet apparently
random arrangements of the otherwise pleasant "Then" and "Astral
Traveller", whose function still escapes me, while the mini-epics of the
first have temporarily disappeared. The orchestra may or may not work,
depending on your mood, the real problem being it's an artificial trick
tackled onto the group tracks and not properly integrated. I mean, the
orchestra looks from the outside, adding not always needed colour, instead
of really providing the backbone of the songs. The only notable exception
is "Clear Days", but this track lacks true melodic hooks to work in this
context.
Jeff Blehar (jdb3.jhu.edu)
Hey, who spilled orchestra all over my early Yes?
So apparently somebody in the Yes camp decided that the band just wasn't
substantive enough as a self-contained unit, and that what it needed to
take off with the folks at home was a generous slathering of strings,
to...geez, I dunno, certainly not to bring out the rockin' side of the
band. After all, everybody knows that what rock 'n' roll really needs
to become an artistically valid musical form is classical music, right?
(And then Emerson, Lake & Palmer came up with the even MORE brilliant
postulate that what classical music really needed to make it respectable
was rock 'n' roll. Boobs.)
And well...the result is weepy twaddle like the all-orchestral "Clear
Days" or fruity arrangements of decent songs like "Then" which have all
the subtlety of a nail-studded plank to the forehead. (Even worse, the
orchestral call-and-response figure on the verses of "Then" is out of
synch with the band by a few milliseconds, something which is ^×trust
me^× quite noticeable and extremely grating). On the other hand, I will
grant that the orchestrations, for all of their utter garishness (in
fact, because of them) work on "No Opportunity Necessary, No Experience
Needed." Although I;m not familiar with the original, I'll eat my watch
if it's 1/10 as exciting as this version, which in the grand tradition
of Yes's "Every Little Thing" is splendidly overwrought, and one awesome
way to open the album up. Tony Kaye fires up that great crusty
late-Sixties' organ sound, and then, like nothing you^Òre
expecting...the STRINGS! My GOD, they're EVERYWHERE! And just when "How
The West Was Won" threatens to break out at any second, it does. No,
seriously, it does. All of a sudden it's Western Movie night at the prog
cinema in another one of those early Yes moments that they just plain
ol' forgot how to do later in their career.
As for "Everydays," does anyone else notice that so far Yes has done
songs by 2/3 of Crosby, Stills & Nash? I guess now they ought to do "King
Midas In Reverse" to complete the cycle.
I also dig the puppy-eyed and charming "Sweet Dreams" and the Peter Banks
how-do-ya-do of "Astral Traveller," but quite frankly, Time And A
Word
suffers noticeably in comparison to either its predecessor or what would
follow. There's simply too much tripe like "Clear Days" and "The
Prophet," to say nothing of the thoroughly childish title track, which
ruins a decent melody (and a winner of a bass line) with moron-simple
lyrics and orchestration that fails to do anything except accentuate
their emptiness. After this album was recorded, the band got tetchy and
dropped ol' Pete. To quote a man who went very crazy around this time in
1970 while fronting Fleetwood Mac, "oh well."
Richard Savill (dreklind.btinternet.com)
When CDs came out, my collection of records and tapes began to gather
dust. This YES album was one of the ones that got very dusty. Not that I
didn't like the album, but I bought the record at a flea market ages ago,
and my enjoyment of it suffered a 'tick-tick-tick' during parts of the
'The Prophet' and 'pops' in other various places. Ah well, no big deal,
no one listened to this album in the whole wide world except me it
seemed. Around that time my brother was really into 'Diamond Dogs' by
Bowie, and I got sucked into that album's strange morphs and left that
YES album to create the wear ring around the cover.
Not until well into the 90s (again at a flea market) did I finally get it
on CD. I thought I knew the album, but a fresh listen after such a long
time made me appreciate it a bit more. I like the syrupy sweet
lullaby which is the title track - as much as I do the opener.
Orchestralphobia? Not me. As long as it stays appropriate and not too
dominant. Here the orchestra sounds are not always tamed, but 'Days of
Future Passed' by the Moodies is quite safely ahead - or behind.
Depending on your point of view.
Still though, I have to agree with you. The album seems less
energetic and scattery past after 'No Opportunity'. Thus Time and a
Word remains a stepping stone to the true YES idiom. In a way it reminds
me of the Pink Floyd step (ala 'Interstellar Overdrive') towards their
maturity.
The material is dated by the keyboard sounds of its day, but there are
hints of YES's future here and there. Oddly though, The Yes Album seems
like night and day in a straight up comparison. You can certainly tell
what a difference production makes to a band. A good producer can find a
group's sound and mould the genius of an artist to great height (Who was
Tony Colton anyway?). Kit Lambert of The Who lore is testament to this.
And Alan Parsons, well he made a folksy Al Stewart proggyish - and the
result? - a million seller album! YES did it their way from this point
(more or less), and it paid off.
So you give it a 7 huh? Hmmm... you are very kind. A 6 by me, but a 6 or
a 7 seems in the ballpark. Depends on your mood at the time with this one
doesn't it?
Daniel and Corine Bosch (dcbosch.optusnet.com.au) (5/29/02)
The strings do kinda get in the way, cos they are obviously tacked on as
a afterthought, and are frankly unneccesary. "No Opportunity" and "Time
And A Word" tie for best for mine. Instrumentally Tony Kaye seems to
dominate strangely enough. I can see why Peter left - he hated the
strings and is overshadowed on this album.
bsitting.mail.math.ucsb.edu (8/27/02)
This time out, the songs aren't as solid overall. Then, there's that unnecessary
orchestration! "Time and a Word" is still decent despite that (to be redone
later in concert- thanks Rick!). "Sweet Dreams" is my favorite off this
collection. I like how it gradually builds up through the songs (through the
harmonies). 7 out of 10.
Vandermeer (bkvander.telus.net) (6/29/03)
A step down from the debut, but still a decent listen. Unlike the debut, this
one has some throwaways on it. Clear Days is ok while it's on but I never think
about it much afterwards. I've never heard the original Everydays, but I can't
seem to get into this version. Too slow and plodding, although some of the
instrumentation towards the end is kind of neat. Then and Astral Traveller are
both good, but kind of samey. I don't know much about musical theory, but
Anderson must have used some kind of similar base melody in writing these two
tunes, because I often get them mixed up. I used to not care much for Sweet
Dreams, but I've started to like it more with repeated listens. It has got that
distinctive Kaye organ sound that's so omnipresent on these first three albums.
I also really like The Prophet. The intro is really cool and the main
melody-well maybe it is similar to Sesame Street like you say, but I get a kick
out of it (maybe I watched too much Sesame Street as a kid).
Finally the best two songs are the opener and closer. No Opportunity Necessary
No Experience Needed has a killer intro, and a very rocking main melody I can't
get enough of. I've made a promise to myself to hear the original someday, just
to hear exactly what Yes did to this song. And of course we have the closing
title song, which I feel is the best on the album. It has one of those
infectiously catchy Jon Anderson melodies and vocal lines, that you can't help
but sing along. Overall I would give this album a 7(10).
As for the orchestration, I don't really notice it except on NONNEN, but I will
reserve judgement on it until after I get the BBC sessions album without the
orchestration (which I hope to do soon).
trfesok.aol.com (10/13/14)
I don't know whose idea this was (Anderson? The producer? The manager?), but the orchestra just clutters up the sound, for the most
part. The BBC versions of these songs prove that the band did not need a full blown orchestra -- and it wasn't like they could bring one
on tour -- they sound just fine live. "Clear Days" actually has some piano from Kaye in the mix, but it's almost totally obscured by the
strings. It would have been nicer as just a solo piano and vocal. And there are some other bad production decisions -- the distorted
vocal on "Astral Traveller" was, I would venture, supposed to make Anderson sound like an alien (as if he needed in help in doing that).
But it just makes him sound annoying and screws up one of the better songs on the album. "Everydays" is one of the most boring songs
Buffalo Springfield ever did, and Yes (unlike their other 3 early covers) adds nothing to it - and this was their THIRD attempt at it.
My favorites are the same as you - -the orchestra adds a lot of excitement to "No Opportunity..", (even though this was another one they
had no trouble doing on stage); and the coda of the title track soars, again, thanks to the strings.
As for "The Prophet" -- well, "Sesame Street" didn't come on air until the end of 1969, so I doubt that it had made it to the UK by
mid-1970. And Trespass was being recorded at the time this album was released, so it's not a Genesis cop, either. It might be more
accurate to say that both Tonys might have been ripping off the Nice...
Beyond And Before - The BBC Recordings - 1997
Best song: No Opportunity Necessary, No Experience Required
If you're a big fan of the Peter Banks era and even prefer that
to the later, progressive stuff (Jeff Blehar, I'm talking to you!), this
is a must for you. It is a compilation of the band's various BBC sessions
from 1969 and 1970, and shows that even at that early stage, this was a
damn good band, and it also serves to restore my faith in the quality of
Time and a Word.
Not that it's perfect, of course. For one thing, the sound quality is
pretty poor throughout, often sounding like a mediocre bootleg. Plus, I've
never really liked Then, and as such I'm not thrilled to see it twice on
the album. In fact, duplication is a pretty big problem - all told, there
are only 12 songs on here, with half of them done twice.
But what the heck, most of these tracks are great! The highlight is "No
Opporunity ...," where it's awesome to hear them keeping the instrumental
virtuosity of the 'original' as well as successfully imitating the
orchestral parts, with a guitar firestorm in the beginning and Kaye
going nuts in the middle part. The rest, though, is no slouch. Both
"Everydays" are as solid as before, and both versions of "Every Little Thing"
are better than ever, and it's groovy to hear Banks throw in lines from
"Norwegian Wood" into the middle. Even better, the second sounds almost
nothing like the original (er, like the original cover, I mean -
it goes without saying that it sounds nothing like the Beatles For
Sale rendition), so it's absolutely essential. "Looking
Around" rocks like always, both renditions of "Sweetness" are gorgeous, and
both "Sweet Dreams" are catchy as ever. And they're kind enough to throw on
"Beyond and Before" as a bonus track, and it's great!
Hey, there are even a couple of surprises. There are a couple of cover
versions of a number off of West-side Story called "Something's Coming," and
it's hilariously great. There's a decent rendition of a B-side called "Dear
Father," but the most suprising thing comes from the obscure "For Everyone."
See, though the melody is different, a portion of the lyrics in the middle
would become the "Dillusion" section of Starship Trooper, and it's really
amusing to hear them in this context.
All in all, a very, very worthwhile purchase for someone interested in the
roots of Yes. And you get to read Peter Banks' bitter liner notes too!
Now those are funny.
Laurent MASSE (masse.geocean.u-bordeaux.fr)
Sure it's a bootleg. The fact several complete or edited versions have
surfaced under various labels (mine is called "Something's Coming",
and I know of a single CD version titled "Astral Traveller") shows
it's not protected at all, almost public domain. It's nevertheless funny,
especially for the five live tracks on disc 2. The pity is that Peter
Banks apparently just wanted to make himself remembered and did not
actually care to search the archives and improve the sound. Just to get an
idea of how it could have sounded like with a little love and care, throw
an ear on King Crimson's '69 BBC takes on "Epitaph" and "The Court Of The
Crimson King" on 1997's "Epitaph". Now these were remastered from
available original tapes, and the difference is huge. They actually sound
better than the album versions, even if they are in mono!
Jeff Blehar (jdb3.jhu.edu)
What's that I read? You're talking to ME? Well John McFerrin, I'm
talkin' to YOU! You're even more dead on than you think: believe it or
not, THIS was the first Yes album I ever bought. It's true! Before I
ever heard a single Yes studio album I went and got Beyond And
Before. I had listened to the boxed set, and like the man says above,
the early stuff really appealed to me, so I figured that a BBC sessions
disc from this era should be great, right? I mean, ALL BBC sessions discs
are great, right?
Wrong.
This is REAL disappointment, and I'm glad I didn't stop right here with my
Yes purchases. It's not so much the playing or performances that are bad
- they're actually really tight and well-done - it's the ABYSMAL sound
quality. I mean, just flat-out forkin' terrible. Now perhaps I'm
over-sensitive to such things (I'm progressively losing my hearing, and as
a result I'm a REAL audiophile stickler for things like production and
fidelity), but the sound of most of these tracks is bad as to totally ruin
the listening experience for me. I just don't understand why these
weren't remastered or at least produced from the original sources tapes -
almost all of this sounds as if was taped off the radio from a jittery
reel-to-reel. I won't buy that the masters are gone, either, since at
least one of these cuts, a great performance of "Then" without the silly
strings, is on the Yesyears boxed set. And it sounds perfectly
fine there. But here the same performance sounds much, much muddier.
Are these public domain performances? Is this only a semi-legal release?
Because this material, on its own merits, is good enough that this should
have been done right. As it is, I really can't recommend this to anyone
but the hardest of hardcore fans, even to people like me who really like
the early Pete Banks years of Yes. It could have been done so much
better...
trfesok.aol.com (07/13/18)
It is indeed a shame that the sound quality is so lousy. The 1970 stuff, particularly the tracks recorded in front of a live audience, actually sounds worse than the 1969 material. Nonetheless, for hardcore fans, this provides really good evidence of how strong a group of musicians the original band was. This doesn’t always come across on the studio albums. With the exception of “No Opportunity..” (far less dramatic live without the strings), this is yet more evidence that the orchestration on TaaW was absolutely unnecessary.
Useless, but fun trivia:
The first version of “Then” included here is the same as the one on Yesyears. However, the version of “Everydays” there is actually a third version, broadcast the same day as “Looking Around”. So, this ends up being the Yes recording with the most studio and live versions combined (six in total) . I wish it was a better song.
In the second version of “Something’s Coming”, Peter Banks throws in a riff from Prokofiev’s “Troika”. That ended being used in “I Believe in Father Christmas” some years later.
About 3 ½ weeks after recording this version of “For Everyone”, the group recorded another version for the BBC that’s twice as long. At the point where the first version tapers off, the second drifts off into a spacy, meditative section before returning to the main theme again. By far the proggiest thing the original band attempted, it shows what a third album with Banks might have sounded like. Unfortunately, the sound quality on this version is SO bad, it makes everything else sound like high fidelity. It couldn’t have possibly been included on the album.
On the other hand, the Lost Broadcast DVD has German black and white TV footage from the end of 1969 of the group doing three songs – “No Opportunity.. (before the album had been recorded), “Looking Around” and “Survival”. The latter , apparently, never been recorded for the BBC. The sound is better than anything on the album. Worth a look.
Best song: Starship Trooper
Peter Banks was a great guitarist, don't get me wrong, but his presence put a cap on Yes' ceiling as a band, and his style of guitar playing, as thick and as satisfying
as it was, just wasn't compatible with the direction the band was about to
take. So Yes did the smart thing, and brought in one Steve Howe, who
proved from the get-go that he was the perfect choice for the group, both
in artistic vision and in sheer talent. Take Exhibit A: "(The) Clap." This is
a live track (which, by the way, explains why this album will
sometimes be mislabeled as a live album in some professional review
guides) with Howe playing this silly, but thoroughly impressive acoustic
melody while the rest of the band get beers and drain their lizards. But
it's not just this lone track, not by a long shot. All throughout the
album, he adds a touch of color here, a solo here, a riff there, all sorts
of little things (in all sorts of little ways) that Banks never really tried. More than anything,
though, even when he's relatively subdued, he is still able to
successfully serve as a guide and conductor through the, as is mentioned
in a second, increasingly complex material.
Indeed, the addition of Howe, as important as that was, is not the biggest
change from the previous two albums. At last, the songwriting of the band
has reached a point where Anderson and Squire's ambitions could
be justified. For the first time, they stretch out and begin writing
"epics," with 3 of the songs going over 9 minutes and another going almost
7. And they're catchy too! "I've Seen All Good People" might seem a bit
monotonous at first, but then you realize that the mantra they keep
repeating is one of the coolest lines of gibberish ever written. "I've
seen all good people turn their heads each day so satisfied I'm on my
way." Yay! And how about the bassline on "Yours is No Disgrace?" Or, for
that matter, the guitar in that song (in particular, the introduction, though the middle jam with the wah-wah's jarring from speaker to speaker is really cool too)? To me, the intro of that song
just reeks of fantasy, science fiction, whatever. It calls up adventure,
bravery, and all of that rot that belongs in good fiction. And that is
really the key to this album. The tracks are legitimate songs, to be sure,
with hooks everywhere, but more than that, they are essentially aural
paintings to be interpreted by the listener however he wants.
Plus,
just as important as the purely musical hooks, are the 'epic hooks.'
Stuff like the opening jam of "Yours is No Disgrace," for instance, or the
ending harmonies of "Perpetual Change." You hear them, and you have no
idea what they mean, but somehow you feel inspired, even if you don't
know for what. And that is key - just as there are "hooks" within a melodic context, an aspect that is able to grab and hold your attention from a musical perspective, so are there hooks from an imagery standpoint. Lots of tracks attempt to set up a bombastic and epic feel, but not all pull it off - the same way plenty of bands try to create catchy melodies but fail because they lack the necessary hooks. Hopefully the concept is clear, then.
Oh, and yeah, the lyrics
are becoming obscure, but there is still enough substance in them
where you can grab hold and ride them to lands and times and other places
in your mind. If you want to escape reality for a while, this is a good
album to turn to. Of course, one may argue that such abstraction of thought is merely a product of individual fantastic tendencies, and one would indeed have a point - on the other hand, I fully believe that virtually all people have the capability within them to let go of their "grip on tangible reality" for lack of a better term, and if Yes is able to so easily entice the listener into that inherent state, why should we hold it against them?
Either way, there's far more to this album than the trippy mental landscapes that
it can create. For the first time, it becomes obvious just how
smart this band is musically. This is best demonstrated, in my
opinion, by the centerpiece of the album, good ol' "Starship Trooper." There
are just so many good ideas in this song! The opening chords, for
instance, are a fantastic showcase for their understanding of hard-soft
dynamics, with that quiet guitar part following those "buh-DUM buh-DUM"
and then starting again. And later, when Anderson hits the "speak to me of
summer..." part, I'm absolutely enraptured. Throw in the silly clap-along
"Dillusion" ditty in the middle and the closing "Würm" jam, with Steve
playing the same chord sequence over and over again while the rest of the
band builds the tension before jamming, and you've got yourself one heck
of an epic.
Oh yeah, and the playing is mind-blowing. Besides Squire and Howe doing
their stuff as well as they ever would, Bruford finally begins to truly
come into his own, and even Tony Kaye gets into the act, stretching his
sorta-dull playing style as far as it could go and maybe even further.
"YIND" is wonderfully performed (which successfully masks the fact that the song structure is a bit too stretched out), but you also have to remember the
'boogie-jam' at the end of "All Good People," and ESPECIALLY that part near
the end of "Perpetual Change" where everybody is playing this ridiculously
difficult part at the same time so tightly that you could never believe
that it wasn't just done by a computer - but sure enough, they actually
could (as evidenced by live performances on the Yes
Album, Fragile and later Ladder and Yessymphonic tours). All in all,
simply delectable.
The album does have a flaw, however, one which keeps it from a higher grade (and also helps explain why it's hard to give too long of a description of the pieces). The musical themes found within the various extended pieces of this album are exquisite, to be sure ... but they are repeated again and again and again until it's possible your brain will get annoyed and sick of them. That's part of the point, of course - on the one hand, this is the first instance of the band taking the idea of a pop song (a single musical motive repeated several times) and stretching it into an almost satirical take on the concept, and on the other hand, the way they are repeated in different combinations from different channels serves to almost hypnotize the listener. Basically, the band takes what could be a weakness and turns it into a strength, but like it or not it's still a weakness, and as such hurts the album a smidge.
Still, a great album. Fortunately, although The Yes Album was by almost all accounts a
success, what with its great playing and phenomenal songwriting, the band
still wanted to get better. And so, alas, they cut what they perceived to
be a weak link; Tony Kaye. Which does make some sense; although he had
played really well on the album, he knew and the band knew that he could
not play any better, and this did not gel with Anderson's wish to
continually improve in every way. So in his place, they brought in somebody who would allow them to continue to improve ...
Rich Bunnell (taosterman.yahoo.com)
I like this album a lot more than Yes's other
recordings because for once, the songs are FOCUSED.
Don't get me wrong-- I love a lot of their albums, but
this one's my favorite (though I give their other
albums higher ratings on other review pages-- I've
changed my mind since then) chiefly because the
bandmembers don't see fit to include loads of dull,
meandering prog jams. "Yours Is No Disgrace,"
"Perpetual Change," "Starship Trooper," and "I've Seen
All Good People" are all nice, complex-yet-poppy slabs
of prog rock and some of the best of the genre. I
still can't bring myself to like "The Clap" no matter
how many other people like it, though-- Wow, Steve
Howe's playing an acoustic guitar. He does it well, of
course, but my question is who cares? Still, I give
this album a very high 9/10.
Eduardo Zelada (zelada_eduardo.hotmail.com)
Im writting you from LIMA PERU SOUTH AMERICA,,,,,im a fan of YES since
1979,,(18 years old) the first time i heared YES music happened in 1979
whe my old brother brought THE YES ALBUM USA version,,,look,,,in my
place
(PERU),,no one LP of YES were NOT edited in peruvian version these eyes
because is not a commercial music to sell it,,,,but when i heared THE
YES
ALBUM for the first time,,,wowhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!i was shocked with
music,,,,(i am a devoted music lover) it waS SOMETHING DIFFERENT TO
ME,,their magic accords,,,the fresh guitar from STEVE HOWE,,,but since i
heared the first theme Yours is no Disgrace (TA,TA, TA,TA,,,,,TA TA TA
TA,,,TA TA TA,TATATA,,PAWNNNNNNNNNNNNNN),,it was a delirium to
me,,,musically speaking,,the hammond organ of Tony Kaye,,,,was perfect in
achords an d tones,,,,,the magical sharp voice of Jon Anderson looks like
a female singer,,,,when one hear him for the first time,,,,,look ,, i love
to play guitar,,,a had a rock band,,an iam singer,,,but when i heared THE
CLAP,,,woww,,i never heared to play a guitar man so rapid and
talentous,,,he plays without get crazy,,,without nerve and he has a
security in his fingers just to put the right achords in guitar,,,,,,,so
incredible,,,,and not to mention STARSHIP TROOPER,,,when i heared it for
the first time,,,,I imagined to be in space (i don´t smoke,,by the way,,)
to travel through the stars,,,,for me THIS IS THE BEST SONG OF THE
ALBUM,,,although i like ALL SONGS,,,but this one is the favourite to me
WHY???? simply because the differents melodies and relative tones form the
instruments pefectly done and the magical voice of Anderson,,,,,,.
Even now here in Peru that LP never edited here,,,i could get it in
CD,,but the LP WAS LEND to my brother for a couple days but those days
were enough to m e,,to be in love of YEs Music,,,since 1979 i love Yes
Music,, i have almost all LPS but little by little i can get th elps,,,
most of YES ALBUMS never were edited in peruvian edition as I said
you,,,but here in Peru they edited 90125,,,and BIG GENERATOR
( for me the
worst albums from them,,,) th ebeest albums for me are from the golden era
(FRAGILE,,,YES ALBUM CLOSE TO THE
EDGE,,,RELAYER
AND GOING FOR THE
ONE),,,BUT the best ALBUM FOR ME IS THE YES ALBUM,,,,,
Laurent MASSE (masse.geocean.u-bordeaux.fr)
The big leap! The whole picture comes together, especially soundwise.
Crisp, clear, transparent, a lot of presence. I actually think it's their
best sounding album to date. The overall mood is light, uplifting, easy to
get into. As for the music, things are still a bit unclear. As good as
"(The) Clap"is, I always felt it was a distracting inclusion, and I don't
think there is anything original in "Your Move/All Good People". I like
the first part, hate the second, but I insist it's not original, neither
in the form nor in the musical content. The other cuts still rely on
traditional songwriting, not disguised at all in "A Venture", with
interlude and an instrumental coda added in "Starship Trooper", or with
vneverending and mostly pointless instrumental tricks in "Perpetual
Change", which definitely should have been kept shorter given it is not a
particularly catchy song in the first place. To me, this one is just R&D
for what was to come. But these three songs wouldn't have sounded out of
place stripped to the bone on the first two. Where the real novelty lies
is in "Yours Is No Disgrace". The track can be described as variations on
two or three simple instrumental and vocal themes. There is no obvious
overall structure to the piece, it meanders for quite long yet is highly
pleasant. But the vocal theme is particularly interesting as it is a
harmonized phrase over a single chord, shifting up and down. Nothing in
common with a traditional song (impossible to reproduce acoustically
without being boring). Moreover, isolating one part of the harmony removes
a lot of its charm: the harmony itself is the hook. This kind of
harmonized melody concept, which to me is Yes' major contribution to pop
writing (much more than extended pieces and instrumental prowess!), would
be developed to the full extent of its possibilities with "Roundabout",
"Close To The Edge" and "Siberian Khatru", before disappearing seemingly
forever. It would only come back as a prominent cliche with unconvincing
results at two low points, when they strongly needed everybody to believe
they still were YES ("Drama") or to make up for short inspiration
("Open
Your Eyes").
Jeff Blehar (jdb3.jhu.edu)
I give up, okay? I can't deny it. It's a freakin' great album, what
else do you want from me? MY SOUL? ISN'T THAT ENOUGH FOR YOU??
I used to pretend that this album was overrated junk, with painful
lyrics and pointlessly long arrangements, but that was just me talkin'
out my ass, as usual. I still find "Yours Is No Disgrace" to a real
grind to sit through, one of the few cases where the lyrics really
detract from the music, which wouldn't be so much of a problem if not for
the fact that the music just keeps on repeating...and repeating...and
repeating. Just variations on one musical idea, which isn't good enough
to beat on for 9 minutes.
But aw hell, who cares next to everything else? "The Clap?"
Awesome! It's NOT just some dorky showcase for chops (although man,
that's my goal with acoustic guitar. Once I can play THAT, look out
Moscow!), it's an actual song, with its own development and a real sense
of rising and falling action, all with a cool climax. And all in three
minutes. Score! And I for one love jump-cut segues like the way "The
Clap" goes into "Starship Trooper." As for THAT piece, well I ALWAYs
liked it, even when I had convinced myself that I hated Yes, so it's only
gotten better. Actually, the one part of the three I don't really love
all THAT much is the "Wurm" section. Eh. Just a really well-done
climax. It the OPENING part that's so amazing. How anyone could call
that boring is completely beyond me - the chord progression is so - for
lack of a better word - "noble," twisting and jumping up to a suspended
plateau from which Anderson can babble. The instant I heard the open
crash-boom-bang of this song, I knew this band had something I'd
underestimated before. To say one last thing about it, what I like so
much about "Starship Trooper" is the way it's underlined by Kaye's
background organ: here's where he proved that his non-showy style could
be central to a Yessong; he MAKES this piece for me, and it's because you
never notice how important he is to the sound until you imagine what it
would be like without him there. Good show.)
As for the other tracks, well "I've Seen All Good People" is "I've
Seen All Good People": some might be sick of it, but I always liked it
and I shamelessly enjoy Jon Anderson's singing voice. "A Venture" is
weak, though - just seems to go nowhere. And "Perpetual Change" is a
whole lot of the former and too little of the latter, essentially the
same concept as "Yours Is No Disgrace." This time they pull it off,
though, because the arrangement is excellent (what a neat opening: WHANG!
WHANG! WHANG! WHANG! WA-WA-WA-WA-WHANG!) and because I find the basic
jazzy idea much more fun than "Disgrace." So it's not a 10 for me, maybe
a high 8 or a low 9, but either way, it's impossible to deny the pure
energy and fun of this album. You win.
Paul Walker (seraphim7s.yahoo.com)
Man, I feel a bit of an outsider criticising Yes on a
page which is choc full of Yes lovers. Don't get me
wrong, I freakin' love these fellas, but since there's
so much love for them on this site, I feel I've got to
redress the balance. If this was George's site, it
would be a different picture.
Whereas Steve Howe shines on this album, Kaye flat out
sucks. Yup, he goes up and down on the veiny shaft of
Satan himself. He freakin' makes Tony Banks look good,
no, he makes him look like Emerson! He mainly sticks
to organ and he always makes it sound like it's in
some boring ol' church, like some funereal dirge. My
personal favourite keyboard players are Manzarek and
Wakeman because they combine technical excellence with
an actual ear for the main melody. Something Kaye
couldn't dream of doing.
Also, Bruford's contribution is not as good as you
make out. Take, for instance, that Wurm part. Great
chords, but Bruford just doesn't mirror Howe's playing
in it's urgency. It's meant to be a crescendo for
Christ's sake! Why doesn't someone wake Bruford up?
Very dissappointing. He definitely did his finest work
with King Crimson.
Apart from that I freakin' like this album! Especially
the middle part of 'Starship Trooper', superlative
acoustic work, and the bounciness of that part is the
peak of the album! My rating: 11/15 or 12/15 on a good
day.
"Hamden Eye Associates, PC" (hea.call.net)
There's a fading instrumental jam at the end of Venture. Boy would I
like to hear that continue on for another...let's say...hour.
"Sittinger, Brian D" (brian.d.sittinger.lmco.com)
This is the first record I bought of Yes, and of progressive rock. (A first
step in getting over Jon's high voice, which I must say is an acquired
taste, unless we're talking about Geddy Lee!) This album is superb!! Sure
the lyrics are convoluted, but other than that slight annoyance, hear the
music! Steve Howe is amazing ("The Clap", "Yours is No Disgrace" (I believe
the "synth" type solo in the middle of his clearly more electric parts is
guitar - as he definitely plays that part in Yessongs.), and Wurm.) Chris
Squire plays his part as a second lead instrument. Bill Bruford, even at
this stage, keeps the rhthm nontrivially. Finally, Tony Kaye does not offend
me one bit.
One great, imaginative song after another (my first taste at long songs,
outside of the Doors). "Venture" works for me; too bad it's underrated.
It's a shame that only "All Good People" is played on classic rock stations
from this record (If I'm right, "All Good People" is quite long too! Who
knows...). ( An exception: The classic rock station played the entire Yes
Album at midnight one time, as well as Fragile!
What about Going for the One? This record is supposed to be more
"radio-friendly"...)
10 out of 10
Daniel and Corine Bosch (dcbosch.optusnet.com.au) (5/29/02)
This is where it all takes off for the band. Steve Howe joins and
immediately takes over musically. Tony Kaye couldn't hope to compete!
Best song? Hard one - if pressed I would say "Perpetual Change" cos I
think it is a window to where the band were about to go with the next
couple of albums. The vocal interplay on "Yours Is No Disgrace" puts it a
very close second.
Vandermeer (bkvander.telus.net) (6/29/03)
This is just a friggin' great album. I have nothing against Peter Banks, but
the addition of Steve Howe seems to have vaulted the band on to even greater
heights, musically speaking (but not as much as some people say-the first two
albums were still very good). When I first heard Yours Is No Disgrace about
twelve years ago on Classic Yes, I considered it a bit overlong and boring, but
now I can't believe I once thought that. It now seems too short at 9 minutes,
and I sometimes feel like listening to it again when it's over. Some are
bothered by the silly lyrics, but I've never concerned myself with lyrics when
the music is this good. We follow this up with The Clap which I just love.
Someone told me that it was Steve Howe's audition performance to get into the
band, and it seems plausible, but I've never read anything that confirms that.
Starship Trooper is another one of my favourites. I used to get a bit bored
with the Wurm jam at the end, but now I just love the whole thing. The best
song on the album comes next with I've Seen All Good People. No matter how much
this gets played on the radio, I never tire of hearing it. The Your Move
section is just one of the most beautiful passages I've ever heard, and I often
find myself starting the track over at the 3 minute mark just to hear it again.
These first four tracks would probably all get on my top 25 Yes songs. The
closing two tracks can't help but be a little weaker in comparison, but they're
still good. A Venture is a nice little piano driven tune that is quite catchy.
Perpetual Change is also good, but maybe slightly overlong marking the only weak
point on the whole album as far as I'm concerned. I'll give it a 9 (15)-for the
longest time, I rated this as my favourite but I now consider Talk to be just
slightly better.
It's interesting that Tony Kaye gets a large front and center picture in the CD
booklet (compared to the other four who get just smaller side shots-does anyone
know if it was the same on the original vinyl album?) considering he would be
sacked shortly thereafter. Personally, I find his playing on here to be just
perfect for the album. His simple organ sound is a big highlight for me on YIND
and ST. I can't imagine what these songs would sound like with Wakeman's bag of
tricks (although maybe I'll find out once I start buying some of the live
albums). I find the sound change from TYA to Fragile bigger than that from TaaW
to TYA due to the loss of Kaye. Yes would never sound like this again-not even
with Kaye's return in the 80s and 90s where he obviously had less influence on
the sound.
trfesok.aol.com (04/13/10)
I once got into a discussion with a friend of mine over why he didn't like this
album as much as CttE - "it's too rocky." But that's why this is my favorite (even
if it isn't technically the "best") by them. The songs are well-written, catchy, and
played exuberantly; the vocal harmonies are superb (listen to the layers of voices
on "Your Move" through headphones -- mind-blowing!); and the production is as clear
as day, even when there are are sorts of things going on (like in the middle of
"Perpetual Change"). As more as I hate to agree with the egotistical Howe (he
considers anything Rabin did with the band to be "not Yes"), his arrival defines the
band sound, even more so than Squire. He actually provides an anchor for the rhythm
section to go off on tangents when they want, when it's usually vice versa (Drama is
another album when this relationship is especially prominent). As for Kaye, his
limited ability is finally put to good use. On the first two albums, he spent too
much time trying to solo, which he just wasn't all that great at. Here, he just
plays tight, repetitive rhythm parts, which suits the songs much better, and his
occasional Moog parts are sort of neat. Of course, this means that Howe and Squire
had to do all the heavy lifting. As much as I like his work here, I guess he had to
go. It's hard to imagine him playing "Roundabout" or "Close to the Edge" like this.
Anyway, I don't think this album was ever bettered in terms of songwriting and sheer
rocking fun, even if the playing got better subsequently. The four epics are
fantastic (even if "Starship Trooper" consists of three obviously unfinished songs,
and the "All Good People" section is just a Squire fragment), and "Clap" is a fun
little diversion, played really well. The universally agreed-upon clunker is the
somewhat clumsy "A Venture", which you didn't even bother to mention. Probably the
most obscure song from the "classic" period. Despite this, I actually remember that,
sometime in the 80's, an Albany radio station did one of those "500 Greatest Songs
of All Time" polls (yeah, right, whatever). "A Venture" actually came in around
number 500! Which only proves that there must have been a LOT of Yesheads in Albany
at the time..
The remastered version contains three bonus tracks, two of which are pretty useless
(single mixes of "Your Move" and "Life Seeker"). However, the real find is the
studio version of "Clap". What's interesting about this version is that there is
piece in middle section that Howe removed and expanded into "Mood for A Day". Maybe
the live version was substituted for this reason?
Aaron Levin (alevin1169.hotmail.com) (12/13/16)
What a huge step forward for the band, especially since the first two albums were fairly forgettable. "Starship Trooper" is definitely the best here, and one of the 3 or 4 best songs Yes ever did...not just the amazing ending but also the middle break ("loneliness is a power that we possess..."). "All Good People" is simple but great, "Perpetual Change" has that incredible part in the middle where they overlap the fast 7/8 with the slow 7/4, "Clap" is a catchy fun time, and "A Venture" is wonderfully mysterious (and good piano too!). The only one I'm not crazy about the opening "Yours is No Disgrace", which starts out fabulous but has a stretch of 3-4 minutes in the middle which is REALLY boring. The song itself is excellent, but this is one of the rare cases where Yes could have condensed 10 minutes into 5 with a much better result. Still, the album is fantastic overall. 14/16.
Best song: South Side Of The Sky
Mr. Rick Wakeman, known as the best session keyboardist in England and who had been recently proclaimed as "Music's Next Superstar," came onboard and shot Yes' credibility through the roof. Although he is usually kept a little deep in the mix, the few times when he is turned loose show that Yes now had a powerful trump card in their hands. Not only did he have about a million times more skill than Kaye, he also had a much larger assortment of toys to play with (Kaye used a total of three keyboards, whereas Wakeman would use up to a dozen implements at once; Mellotrons, pianos, organs, synths, harpsichords, the whole shebang), and Yes could now
add sounds and ambience that Anderson could only dream about before.
The one negative thing about Wakeman having so much stuff, though, was that Yes had to get an album out as fast as possible to cover the costs for all of it, and so there are only 4 regular group pieces on this album. But Yes, being the smart men that they were, used this to their advantage. It was decided that now was the time for each of the members to get to showcase their individual skills, and so this album has 5 additional solo tracks, one for each member. Now, interestingly enough, there are people for whom these solo pieces are actually a negative - many claim that because of them, this album is terribly disjointed and has virtually no flow. The thing is, I take the exact opposite viewpoint - continuing the vein of The Yes Album, placing a shorter track in the middle of two other epics on each side, these solo numbers allow the listener to catch his breath so that he might better be able to appreciate the more complex numbers. Besides, this was a common trick among a number of prog groups - a large reason that Peter Gabriel's Genesis was and is so enjoyable is that for every "Return of the Giant Hogweed" or "Firth of Fifth," you get a funny number like "Harold the Barrel" or "I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)." Heck, even ELP, the supposedly pretentious-beyond-all-measure group (though certainly no more so than Yes, and possibly several degrees lower), always stuck numbers like "Benny the Bouncer" or "Are You Ready Eddy?" on their albums (heck, they even put out an entire album of 'funny' and 'lightweight' tracks - a good one at that). In other words, this is not unheard of.
But back to the pieces themselves. Bruford, who was more interested in being one of the greatest drummers of all time (his percussion on this album is amazing), didn't really take his assignment seriously, merely writing a 35 second blurch of noise (well, it's actually a 16 bar piece repeated once, but whatever) but the rest of the contributions rule. Wakeman plays a short Brahms excerpt on his keyboards, Anderson spends a minute and a half harmonizing with himself in the gorgeous "We Have Heaven," and Howe gives us his sequel to "Clap" in "Mood For a Day." And Squire's piece ... well, I'll mention that later.
But even without the solo pieces, this album is wonderful on lots of levels. First of all, the songwriting has actually improved from The Yes Album, as hard as that might be to believe. Also, the band added an edge and crispness to its sound that had been slightly lacking on TYA simply by allowing the compositions to take on darker, less bouncy characteristics. As a result, the four group compositions on the album are incredible beyond words (even though many fans don't give them much credit due to the fact that they aren't 20 minutes long). "Roundabout" may have received more airplay than any other Yes song through the years, but face it, it really deserves it. Never before and never again would Yes come up with such a PERFECT combination of pop accessibility, hard rock bass riffs and experimental song structure as they did on this track. If the bass riff doesn't grab you, then the vocal melody will, and that's a fact. And the song has all sorts of neat keyboard tricks within, from the backwards piano chord that opens it to Wakeman's first fancy solo with the group to all sorts of neat key riffs.
Even better, though, is the "lost favorite," "South Side of the Sky." For whatever reason, the band never (with VERY few exceptions, until 2002 that is) made this track a part of its stage set, and as such the song gained a sort of mythical quality with fans. Never mind that, though - even if it were as heavily played as "Roundabout," I think people would still adore this song. The lyrics are some of the darkest that Anderson would ever pen (they're about freezing to death), and the music matches oh so well. The main riff (apparently stolen from a Howe composition with a previous band) is menacing as hell, the vocal melody RULES, and Wakeman gets an extended piano solo in the middle that positively MAKES the song, whilst the band members contribute some eerie harmonies here and there. Of course, I've been told that Kaye wrote many parts of the album, including this solo, but even if that is true, I still kinda doubt that he could have played them with so much verve. But I digress - one mustn't also forget the incredible way the song begins, with a door SLAMMING on Anderson's joyous harmonies while somebody runs away before the howling wind comes up.
The side-two group numbers don't fall short of the standard, fortunately. "Long Distance Runaround" is the last "pop" song that the band would do for several years, but even though it shows no indication of where Yes was headed, it rules nonetheless. The vocal melody is as catchy as the one on "Roundabout," the musical themes are compact yet complex, and the instrumental deconstruction is intense as hell, with Squire providing a textbook demonstration on how to hammer-on.
Concluding the album, then, is the immortal classic "Heart of the Sunrise." The three-minute introduction can best be described as a musical duel between a bass and an organ, with Steve's guitar helping the cause at times and Bruford building the tension exquisitely with his drums. The main riff isn't particularly complex, of course (as a reader points out below), and it does bear more than a slight resemblence to the "Mirrors" chunk of "21st Century Schizoid Man," but whatever. For all its 'simplicity', it sucks me in like mad, and that's all I really need. Of course, there's more to the song than just the intro - the main melody doesn't have too much to do with the introduction (except in the rare cases where reprises from it pop up in the song), but that hardly makes it any worse. Anderson's lyrics are as weird as usual (apparently they're about soul travel), but somehow he manages to sing them with a passion (yes, PASSION) that only he could muster up for such an odd subject, not to mention that the vocal melodies are pretty as ever. And how can one forget the ending, where the duel ends in a stalemate, only to have Anderson's "We Have Heaven" vocals pop back in and become the victors by default??
You must buy this album as soon as you have 13 bucks lying around. You see, even if you aren't really a fan of progressive rock, this album is essential if you like the bass guitar. Seriously, this album can make a legitimate claim to being the greatest bass guitar album of all time (well, if you discount anything with the least amount of funk, that is), right up there with Led Zeppelin II and Quadrophenia (well, those are my favorites, anyway). In addition to Squire practically owning
"Roundabout," "Long Distance Runaround," and "Heart of the Sunrise," there is also his bass solo, coming out the ending of "LDR." Now, on the surface, "The Fish" might not seem all together impressive - after all, it's just six layers of bass guitar, who cares? Well, you should care; it's not everyday that one finds a piece with layer upon layer of bass parts (which are plenty interesting and complex on their own) added in such a way that the number actually seems like a real song, not just "fun in the studio." In my mind and the minds of most, it positively rules. Just like this album. Prog rock that rocks; who else would have thunk of that?
Nick Karn (glassmoondt.yahoo.com)
Yup... I totally agree with your review for this album
enthusastically. Along with Dream Theater's Images
And Words and Rush's Moving Pictures, this is one of
my favorite prog albums ever. My favorites are
actually the last four tracks, starting with "Long
Distance Runaround", which I always loved since I
first heard it on the radio. And the solo
contributions from Chris Squire (AKA Bass God) and
Steve Howe (the master of acoustic guitar) just
completely blow me away. "Heart Of The Sunrise",
unbelievably, does so even more... I cannot put into
words how much I love the mood on that one, and I
think here is where I throw any minor criticisms
concerning Jon Anderson's voice out the window. There
is NO other singer who could have pulled off that song
better. None. And boy, does the album start off with
a total bang beginning with "Roundabout" - I can see
why people might get bugged being burnt out on it from
the radio, but to me it's the way a great progressive
song should be constructed.
The rest of the album (well except for Bruford's
barely noticeable drum thing) is great too - "We Have
Heaven" took a bit of getting used to for me because I
thought Anderson's harmonies were a little annoying at
first, but I find it amusing, charming and even
beautiful now, "South Side Of The Sky" is
fascinatingly dark, and Rick Wakeman's "Cans And
Brahms" piece is nice. An easy 10 for this one.
Laurent MASSE (masse.geocean.u-bordeaux.fr)
Never more than on this album (and Tormato) do I get to hate
Squire's
playing, to the point that this is the only YES album I cannot listen to
in
its entirety (well, "Open Your Eyes" as well). I almost fell
laughing on
the floor the first time I heard the opening riff of "Heart Of The
Sunrise": how can a supposedly talented bass player come up with such a
generic, non musical, speedy, ever ascending and descending octave (pure
geometrics/acrobatics on the fretboard!). Designed to impress, but what
else? At least, in this version, the riff is saved by Bruford's incredibly
intelligent punctuation. The rest of the "song" is not helped at all by
the
fact that there are a zillion themes interwoven during ten minutes, and I
cannot get neither to see the point of any of them individually, nor to
get
a sense of the overall picture. And the vocal melodies? All sound too
contorted to really hook me. You probably know by now that this is my most
hated Yessong ever (still hesitant with "On The Silent Wings Of Freedom"
though). For the rest, I find the solo spots lame and uninventive, except
for "Mood For A Day" (BRILLIANCE) and "Five Percent For Nothing" (HUMOUR).
But "Cans And Brahms" and "We Have Heaven" are really ridiculous. And "The
Fish"? Well, I never understood how people can find this astounding. There
is a theme developing. OK. And after that? The piece is over 1 mn too
long.
Give a home studio, a wah-wah pedal and a pick to any bass player and
he'll
come up with something like this. But not all is negative. In fact, the
other three songs are ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE. Definitely one of their high
points. "Roundabout" is an incredible improvement on "Yours Is No
Disgrace". A real song, punchy, catchy, with that harmonized vocal
approach
making the melody line slippery and oblique yet memorable, and an overall
structure actually making sense. The piece goes somewhere without ever
losing sight of where it started, which is a rare occurrence among Yes'
extended pieces. "South Side of the Sky" is a brilliant, modern-sounding
rock song, although the instrumental middle is distracting as it destroys
the heavy, dark atmosphere of the piece. And "Long Distance Runaround"? A
catchy little pop song deconstructed all along by extremely vicious and
oblique instrumental surgery. The micro-scale approach they didn't dig any
further. Needless to say I have reduced Fragile to a killer 15 mn
EP. This
way I can appreciate how groundbreaking it is.
Jeff Blehar (jdb3.jhu.edu)
Well I always thought this album was good, but I'd like to add that
my favorite section is easily the whole "We Have Heaven"/"South Side Of
The Sky" sequence. I don't understand why everyone loves to hate "We
Have Heaven." Maybe it comes down to Anderson's voice, which I just
really like for whatever reason. Anyway, it's a spectacular arrangement
of voices, with all those different parts eventually subsumed by a great,
skyward-rising "weeeee....haaaaave....HEAAAAAAAVEEEN!" As a singer, I
guess I really admire stuff like that, and damned if I don't sing right
along. And then the way the door slams shut on it (SOMEbody's a critic,
eh?) as footsteps run away to the "South Side Of The Sky"...great musique
concrete. And I think that "South Side" is the best track on the album,
tell ya the truth. I hear it and I think of a big craggy castle on a
dark and stormy night (and it's not as cliche-ridden as that description
would make you think). Pure mood, but mood that ROCKS and has a great
melody. No real need to comment on the rest of the album, except to say
that "Heart Of The Sunrise," still continues to elude me, although I like
it more than before. Too repetitive! Couldn't they just have cut out a
couple minutes of it?
"Sittinger, Brian D" (brian.d.sittinger.lmco.com)
The second Yes album (or rather album by Yes for less ambiguity) that I
listened to. This album already shows a contrast from the previous one.
You nailed it, in that you mentioned the gloomy atmosphere among many of
the (collaborated) songs.
No matter how many times the radio play "Roundabout" and "Long Distance
Runaround/Fish into the ground, one can not deny their construction:
catchy yet complex! However, "South Side of the Sky" and "Heart of the
Sunrise" just might be better (due to no airplay? Who knows!). The
former is so dark (menacing guitars, the quiet piano section in the
middle, and even the la la la's), it is almost scary.
"Heart of the Sunrise" is undeniably complex song structure. Certainly
the intro riff is simple sounding (albeit fast), but it is done so
convincingly well I tend to overlook this detail. As for the rest of the
song, the atmospheric section after playing the speedy riff for the
first time (Rick Wakeman's Mellotrons(?), Chris Squire's steady base
rhythm, Bill Bruford's gradual addition in the drums in his clever way,
and finally Steve Howe's gradual guitar buildup before booming into the
group speedfest again is gorgeous beyond words. I feel like I'm
traveling accross some long isolated territory when I hear that section.
The "calmer" part of the song is great, too, with great (!) vocals from
Jon Anderson. (Not being the biggest Jon fan, this is saying something-
this section truly would not be the same sung by anyone else!)
Regarding the solo spots, well, for me, it's a mixed bag! Wakeman's "Can
and Brahms" is okay (filler?). I never heard from where it was lifted.
Then, I may have a different opinion. "We Have Heaven" has a bit too
much Jon for my taste; nevertheless an interesting idea. Bruford's "Five
Percent for Nothing" is okay, but clearly a "throwaway". I must say
that there is no denying the wonder in "The Fish"; the parts he put
together
gel very well - awesome. Finally, Howe plays a pretty flamenco-
influenced piece "Mood for a Day"- very relaxing.
This record is a bit overrated (duh! I'm not saying anything new!), but
still excellent. A VERY solid 9 out of 10.(some solo spots drag it down
a bit!)
john sieber (oneofakind151.hotmail.com) (7/17/01)
John,
First off, let me say, nice name! Us John's gotta stick together. And a
fellow Midwesterner too... but why don't you like Kansas?
Anyway, I want to put in my 2 cents worth about Fragile. Well, I've been
listening to it alot lately and I have some splurges of thought to share
with you, and incidentally, the rest of the viewing community. First:
Fragile is Yes' most SUCCESSFUL work, because of it's accessibility.
Period. It's still puffed-up good old prog, but like you said, it's "prog
rock that rocks". There ya go. Second: There was friggin' EMOTION in
these guys' playing (and singing). Shit, listen to Jon on "Heart of the
Sunrise". Wow. Oh, I also figured out the whole heyboard thing. I'm
willing to bet Kaye wrote the keyboard parts to the songs, which is why you
can't hear 'em very much. I mean, hey, even the most impressive bit of key
work (the piano solo in "South Side of the Sky") ain't all that... it's a
repeated figure in the middle while it is diminished rhythmically above and
below (basically, played faster and slower). I mean, I could play it! But
it's still pretty. Anyway. That's about it. I do agree, though, Fragile
is one of their best (along with the several that fall just short of the
glory of Close to the Edge). Now we just gotta get you to like Kansas...
Richard C Dickison (dickison.sbcglobal.net) (4/15/02)
Your comment about 'Fragile' being Essential is correct especially for this
Yes album.
'Fragile' and 'The Yes Album' are truly Yes at it's solid best, buy them
now, it does not get better!
The songs are classic and even, well hey! they are exactly the length they
should be and not overly embellished or pompous.
The problems you do find on these albums, namely Anderson's voice and
various filler and fluff will only get much worse in the following albums.
I do not recommend acquainting yourself with the group or buying the next
few albums except maybe 'Going For The One'.
This is because I really hated buying 'Close To The Edge' or 'Tales' and
having at most maybe less than an albums worth of enjoyable material on
either recording.
That's really the essential problem I have with this group, the bloat we see
growing like a big ole tumor on the records coming up.
Symphonic rock music, hippy dippy junk, with Jon (The Robot) Anderson, high
pitched wailing, for all his might trying to sell nirvana in the most
obscure pile o crap way possible.
Then we hit TortureMato and wham that's it, it's all over.
Sorry for venting, I mean, it's just that they influenced Rush, and Super
Tramp, I mean ICK!
You will notice allot of people defending those groups while talking about
Yes.
I really started exploring Genesis around 'The Lamb' and like most Prog fans
coming from Peter Gabriel or King Crimson with healthy doses of Robert Fripp
and Brian Eno, Camel, and then listening to Jon Anderson, well it makes you
cringe.
I can only try to excuse myself by saying that Yes was not the only ones
because I have a better examples of bloat in regards to Jethro Tull when it
comes to 'Passion Play' or 'Thick As A Brick'.
Daniel and Corine Bosch (dcbosch.optusnet.com.au) (5/29/02)
Then along came Rick!! Wakeman was a keyboardist who could match it (and
occasionally one-up!) with Steve, possibly the only Rock keys man ever
who could (well, there is Keith Emerson the all-time greatest, but I fear
he may even have swamped the mighty Steve Howe!!). "South Side Of The
Sky" is killer, and, yes, darker than usual (although "Gates Of Delirium"
has its dark passages), "Roundabout is musically great and lyrically
silly (mountains come out of the sky and they stand there?!!?), the solo
bits give breathing space, a nice balance all around.
"Fernando H. Canto" (sirmustapha.ig.com.br) (2/26/03)
Ooooh... Dear God, I love this one. This would be my easy pick if I had to
choose only *one* Yes album to live forever with. Roundabout... Everybody raves
about that song, and I'm no exception. And I really, really, really love it.
Probably one of my favourite songs ever. It's so exciting and so fun, yet so
complex, it really makes me want to shove it down those "I hate Prog
Rock" punks' throats and say, "This is how you make a good song".
Heh heh, I'm mean. Now, South Side Of The Sky is also a favourite of mine. For
me, it's a hard pick between it and Roundabout. But South Side really creates a
very heavy and dark mood, very cold and uninviting, and the mid section break is
beautiful beyond words. Rick Wakeman + piano, what else do I need? Oh, and that
Steve solo by the end is a highlight, too.
I also dig the shorter songs. Long Distance Runaround is catchy and fun as hell,
and that guitar line? Nothing short of genius, in my mind. Mood For A Day is
wonderful, wonderful. And 5% For Nothing is funny! I almost agree with Prindle
when he says it should have been 35 *minutes* instead, but hey... I wouldn't go
THAT far! We Have Heaven is an interesting concept, and I dig those vocal
overdubs. Possible inspiration for Queen? Who knows!! And... I do feel some
weird humour on Cans And Brahms. It's a fact that Rick *would* write a piece as
his solo spot, and would incorporate elements from his Six Wives Of Henry VIII
project, but the management guys said "no" for Copyright restrictions
or some shit. Maybe Rick did this piece to mock the guys? Who knows, I feel that
for some reason.
Not, I don't want to be picky, but I can't help but cringe when I read Laurent
Masse's comment. I mean... The Fish? He says "Give a home studio, a wah-wah
pedal and a pick to any bass player and he'll come up with something like
this." Really? I doubt it. Like John said, the big catch is that he makes
the track sound like a real song, not only experimentation. And I do believe
it's an innovative move to make all this song with just the bass guitar. Quite
impressive. And fun, too. And... Heart Of The Sunrise? The hell? I don't care if
that riff is simple or easy to play, designed to impress. But to call it
"generic" and "non musical" is a bit too much. I mean, it
sounds *awesome*, for fuck's sake! The entire passage is energetic and
inspirational, no matter how easy it might be to play - remember Wish You Were
Here: that guitar line is ridiculously easy to play (*I* can play it on a
guitar, that says a lot), and yet, it sounds beautiful! Okay, back to Yes, let's
not forget that slower part in the intro, when Squire goes with that bass line
and the band builds the tension around it like hell. And the rest of the
"song" is equally great. I agree it can get too "rushed"
sometimes, but the mellow part is beautiful, and the instrumental breaks are
cool. All in all, I just wanted to say that I don't want comments from a music
critic that analyzes music with electronic devices. For me, Fragile is a
brilliant piece of work. Still, I do agree Squire is a bit too "designed to
impress". Beyond those ultra-quick bass riffs, he doesn't do much. Just
*doooom* *boooom* *doooom* *boooom* *doooom*. He's not spontaneous enough to
make a subtle, yet interesting bass line. That's why I prefer Geddy Lee,
because, unlike Squire, he's very spontaneous, very creative, genuinely
talented, showing absolute bass mastery even when he's not in the spotlight. But
I do like the bass "pyrotechnics" here, no matter what. 10 (15).
Vandermeer (bkvander.telus.net) (6/29/03)
Almost all Yes fans rate this as the best or at least in the top 3 or 4, but
I've never considered as good as many of their other albums. Five Percent For
Nothing is an obvious throwaway. Cans and Brahms and We Have Heaven are ok, but
I never really get the urge to hear either one of them. The other two solo
pieces are much better. The Fish is a cool little riff, which I considered even
more impressive when I discovered it was all bass guitar. Mood For A Day is a
pleasant follow up for Howe to The Clap which is even richer in musical hooks.
As for the four regular songs, I find them a definite step down from those on
TYA. Long Distance Runaround is probably the best-I seem to be addicted to
these short Jon Anderson ditties. Roundabout is a great song, but I've never
found it as exceptional as most people. Maybe the overplay on the radio has
marred it somewhat in my view. After many listens, I have started to enjoy
South Side of the Sky. Finding out what the song is about, made it a lot a
better. It does a good job of giving off a cold ominous feeling. I normally
don't care spit about the lyrics but a select few Yes songs do have great lyrics
that enhance the song somewhat (I would put The Gates of Delirium and Turn of
the Century in this category as well). Finally we have Heart of the Sunrise,
which has some good hooks near the beginning and end, but I can never fully
enjoy the whole thing. The intro drags on too long, and the instrumental breaks
are just not that catchy.
Overall I can only give Fragile a 7 (10). I read that it was thrown together
quickly because the band needed an album to pay for Wakeman's expensive
equipment, and I think it shows in the quality.
Raghavan RANGANATHAN (S3046624.student.rmit.edu.au) (8/10/03)
Yeah, this album is awesome, but I don't think that this is neccesarily stronger
than "The Yes Album" or "Close to the Edge". I would place
them all on an equal footing. Still, gotta agree with you that this is much more
in the self-deflating vein that the others. That doesn't matter with me though!
Actually this was my first Yes purchase a couple years ago after hearing and
being blown away by "Heart of the sunrise". It's still my favorite
track in their catalog and the only complaint I will throw against it is that
they shouldn't have ended the "straight line moving..." section so
soon. It's beautiful
Junior (jvsjr2.ig.com.br) (11/17/03)
South Side of Sky is pretty good, but... Best Song in the Fragile Album?
Hey, Your Turntable or Cd Player doesn´t work anymore, that´s it. Swap it
to a better one. Have you listened to "Long Distance..." or even
"Roundabout" or "Heart of Sunrise"? Beautifully ones to the
top-of-the-best-and-bigger-sounds-of-that-year. No comments.
Meldrain.aol.com (12/23/03)
I've been relistening to my Yes collection since I just go two new ones
(Tales and Going For The One) and I just got to Fragile, my first and
still favorite Yes purchase. But the more I listen to it the more I see a
major flaw; there's no filler, every track is at least pretty good, but
everything on the album is overshadowed by the three epics; nothing can
compare with them. I lack classic rock radio stations' infatuation with
Long Distance Runaround (though I like it), so for me nearly all of the
album's quality is derived from the excellence of Roundabout, South Side
of the Sky and Heart of the Sunrise. This problem doesn't deter me from
rating the album extremely highly, and the lesser tracks help one not be
overwhelmed by the epics, but it would be nice if the album were a tad
more even.
"Pete Anderson" (pete.distantearlywarning.info) (02/13/10)
Count me in as one of those for whom the solo pieces are actually a negative factor
here. Well, not all of them: Steve Howe's "Mood for a Day" is a gorgeous calm
before the storm of "Heart of the Sunrise", while Chris Squire's "The Fish" is cool.
But the others...."Five Percent for Nothing" is exactly what it says on the tin,
although it's actually (mercifully) only about 1.5% of the album's running time.
"We Have Heaven" is annoying, and "Cans and Brahms" is laughable. The good news is
that the three weaker solo pieces only last 3:52 between them, and only lower my
rating to a 9(13). The group stuff is all fantastic, as usual.
trfesok.aol.com (04/13/10)
The preponderance of solo spots indicates that this version of the group hadn't
quite gelled yet, despite the excellence of the group songs. (I bet if they had had
a chance to tour before writing and recording, the album would have been more of a
group effort). Bruford's and Anderson's pieces are really just fragments. Wakeman's
arrangement of Brahms is very clever, with a different keyboard taking the various
instrumental parts of the orchestra. Still, it doesn't even hint at the amazing work
that would be coming up on his solo album. On the other hand, both "Mood for a Day"
and "The Fish" became important parts of the live set, and are the best solo ideas.
Particularly "The Fish" -- there's no way, of course, that Squire could simulate
everything that's going on with all those basses live. My latest listen to this was
through headphones -- very cool.
If the rest of this album was a good as the solo pieces, I might also give this the
top slot over the albums that bookend it. My first exposure, of course, was over AM
radio -- the single edit of "Roundabout", which is a bit of a hack job (much like
the single edit of "Won't Get Fooled Again"). Even so, it was cool at the time.
It's clear that Wakeman's carnivalesque organ part pushed it into hit territory. The
B-side was "Long Distance Runaround", which also got some airplay -- very bouncy and
catchy. "Heart of the Sunrise" has gotten a bit worn out for me (but is still
amazing), and "South Side of the Sky" is just as good. Still, the album lacks the
cohesion of the next one and isn't quite as fun as the previous one. Nonetheless,
it's, of course, essential for prog fans.
The remaster has two bonus tracks. One is the long version of "America"
(Incidentally, the single edit on Yesyears now shows up as a bonus on the remaster
of the next album). The other is an early version of "Roundabout". It pretty much
has all the pieces that went into the final version, plus some things that were
changed. However, there are also small flubs in the singing, playing and mixing that
had to be fixed, so this could never have been the final version. Still, it's very
fun for the Yesfan to hear.
"matt faris" (7headedchicken.gmail.com) (02/13/11)
I just read the comments on your site regarding the opening riff to "Heart
of the Sunrise", and I think it's ridiculous that some would hold such a
high standard to one small part of an album that is altogether so musically
impressive. Sure there have been more complicated riffs recorded in music,
but just because this falls under the progressive category, it seems to
garner tougher scrutiny - if this riff were to make an appearance on a
"regular" rock album, it would stand out like an grizzly bear dressed as an
anteater in a field of everyday cows and chickens. The ascending part of
the riff isn't just a chromatic scale, but an alternation between half-steps
and thirds, and I'm sure not just anyone could play the opening
sixteenth-triplets. The best aspect of the riff, though, isn't the riff it
self, but its role in the song, as the ominous organ chords crescendo and
increase in tremelo and envelope to the next riff. My favorite part of the
song is actually the following quiet part, with those soft bass notes and
Anderson's melody during this part - one of the best examples of how
soothing his voice could be. I like "South Side of the Sky" quite a bit,
too, and not much can compete with that first drum fill that follows the
thunder at the beginning, and the guitar solo shows how Yes was good at
incorporating psychedelia into their prog sound. "35 Per Cent For Nothing"
is nothing I would complain about either - bravo for uniqueness in art.
Aaron Levin (alevin1169.hotmail.com) (12/13/16)
This is, by a comfortable margin, my favorite prog album of all time. It may be because it's the first Yes album I heard, but I think it's more than just sentimental relevance, as most review sites seem to think it's in the top 2 or 3 Yes albums as well. I don't know what to say that hasn't been said already...as for the main pieces, "Roundabout" is an incredible 9-minute opener with all sorts of pop and prog influences; "South Side of the Sky" has the unbelievably pretty-but-dark middle section, "Long Distance Runaround" is super-catchy (with Bruford's drum pattern stealthily in 5/8!), and "Heart of the Sunrise" moves all over the place but never fails to entertain. The short pieces are great too! Cans and Brahms, We Have Heaven, and Five Percent for Nothing are all hilarious diversions, Mood For a Day is a great successor to Clap, and The Fish (the best of the 5) is some of the coolest bass music ever. There are simply no flaws here from beginning to end. 16/16.
Best song: Close To The Edge
With Fragile, Yes had firmly established itself as one of the premier prog rock groups in Britain. Alas, they had yet to fufill a necessary obligation, a rite of passage if you will, needed to associate with big shots - a sidelong composition. Sure, sure, they'd cracked the ten-minute barrier with Heart of the Sunrise, but that would hardly do the trick. After all, ELP had had "Tarkus," Genesis had had "Supper's Ready," King Crimson had had, er, "Lizard," not to mention Jethro Tull with Thick as a Brick and so on. Even groups that weren't necessarily "pure" prog rock in the strictest sense of the word, like Pink Floyd and Procol Harum, had had sidelong tracks. So Yes just had to keep up.
Thing is, though, none of these tracks had really been "20-minute songs" in the truest sense. Pretty much all of them fell into one of two categories: (a) several "conventional" pop and rock songs strung together with instrumental breaks instead of pauses, with a couple of reprises here and there to provide a proper feeling of "completion" at the end, and (b) lengthy multi-part noodles that didn't really have much connection with conventional song structure at all. Now, one may certainly argue that these two ways are the preferred way to approach a side-long track; with the former, the tracks could easily be split into different songs and listened to separately (er, if you had that capability with your listening device), and with the latter you could just lose yourself in jazzy noodly goodness (or badness, depending).
So Yes took a different route, a route that was both simpler and more complicated than what had previously been attempted. And what was that route? Well, first of all, examine the basic structure of a pop-song, as mentioned in a comment below: Intro/verse/chorus/verse/chorus/middle8/instrumental-break/verse/chorus/outro. To this point, the general idea had been to make the basic verse and chorus melodies as compact as possible, with a minimal amount of development and deconstruction. But, smart men they were, Yes realized that this structure could just as well support lengthy, intensely developed and complex verse melodies. And so they went this route, and in essence created the world's first 19-minute pop song.
Now, of course, this artistic path is fraught with peril. Lengthy tracks of the 'conventional' manner all had an important safeguard - if one of the 'themes' they wrote turned out to be unlistenable crap, this would be somewhat countered by the fact it would be short, as the band would soon move to better things. In other words, if the 'main themes' that Yes would come up for their epic piece weren't absolutely top-of-the-line, the song they were constructing would end up as aural fecal matter. In short, if the band wasn't making quantity of musical ideas their main goal, they sure as heck needed to worry about the quality.
Ah, but that's what makes the song so amazing - I can tell you, with nary a doubt in my mind, that the band pulled this feat off amazingly. First things first, the band probably realized the potential accusations of "lack of diversity" that would come their way, so they compensated by throwing all sorts of influences into the pot at one time and running with the finished product. I mean, take a step back and consider for a second all of the many musical descriptions that "CTTE" has received just in the web-reviewing community; taken all together, the song is a 19 minute free-form-electric-acid-jazzrock/ambient piece with a pop song structure, a classical "form" (well, on the surface anyway, though not really in the guts) and hints of reggae. And every one of those individual descriptions is accurate! Not to mention all of the incredible melodic and vocal hooks found throughout, or (as described below) the brilliant layering of vocal harmonies in places.
The playing deserves special mention as well, even with Yes, where virtuosity is a given. With this album (and song), Yes probably reached its peak as far as collective playing goes. The key to this, actually, was a very slight reduction in the role of Chris Squire - his parts on the album are great, don't get me wrong, but he no longer 'leads the way' for the band. And that is the key - nobody and everybody leads the way here, as one can feel the intense care taken to make sure that nothing overshadows anything else (except in rare instances like Rick's solo). Hence, whereas Chris' role was reduced a smidge, Wakeman was finally unleashed, while Bruford finally demonstrated that, without a doubt, he was the greatest drummer in the prog rock world (and arguably in rock music, but that's another topic).
We meet this "re-tooled" Yes in part one of the title track, entitled "Solid Time of Change." Atmospheric sounds of a river and chirping birds interspersed with synth tinklings greet us, becoming louder bit by bit, until we are met with a loud, strangely discordant guitar assault backed by crawling bass lines and aggressive drumming before Rick gets into the action with his synth loops. It works its way through three segments, each punctuated with emphatic "AAAAHH!!!" (or in the case of the final one, "dah! dah!") vocal outbursts before making its way into the "Close to the Edge theme." This in turn develops itself, proving to be a hummable piece if you can get past the minor key, before giving way to the main chunk of the song, called up by an echoey, quick call from Bill's drums.
And what a strange piece this "main chunk" is. Driven forward by a rising series of Howe riffing and periodic chiming in from Chris, it also features, arguably, the least immediately gratifying vocal part from Jon Anderson yet. That doesn't mean I don't like it, nor that one can't grow to love it very quickly (of course, I had no problem with it from the getgo, so whatever), but Jon has never sounded more alien than in this song portion. His vocal tone here is impossible to describe if not yet heard, not to mention that the vocal melody is *ahem* non-trivial, and the lyrics (on the first few readings, anyways) can come across as nonsensical jibberish. Of course, they're really not (the piece as a whole, actually, contains strong references to Siddartha by Herman Hesse), but if you've hated Jon's lyrics to this point, this may be the point where you swear never to give the band a chance lyrically again. In any case, though, the melody winds along before we hit a series of "vocal exclamations" (ie "Close to the edge, down by the corner, not right away! Not right away!") that in turn lead us into the, um, reggaish portion of the melody. Don't fret, though - strange as it may seem, the transition between the two disparate halves of the melody is virtually seamless.
Eventually, section one ends, and we move into part two, entitled "Total Mass Retain," which is essentially a redux of the music of the first ... or is it? The basic melody is the same, but witness all of the subtle changes from before. Chris' bass begins playing a thumping riff, Rick plays an upward cascading synth riff again and again, and Jon's ennunciation becomes slightly sharper. Most importantly, listen to the way these parts mesh - this is a VERY complex interlocking of arrangements, and as a corollary the intensity of the piece picks up even further. Even the vocal exclamations, with Jon and co. singing out the "close to the edge down by the corner down by the edge round by the river" and so on part between ominous chording from Rick are more complex than before. Of course, the reggaish part is the same as before, but this time it resolves itself in some pleasant, though still quite complex noodling led by Rick's synths.
And then, of course, we enter the centerpiece of the track, the heavenly "I Get Up I Get Down." Even putting aside for a moment the beautiful atmospherics (suggesting an oasis of some kind), or the beautiful vocal melody, this chunk is incredible because the vocal harmonies are GORGEOUS. Of course, what the lyrics exactly mean may be hard to tell (though it's fairly obvious that there allusions to the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ), but I don't really care here - the point here is to use sound, not words, to dig into the soul of the listener. And oh man oh man, they pull it off. The alternation and interplay between low (Howe and Squire) and high (Anderson) is positively astounding, not to mention the well-timed placement of Wakeman's majestic organs.
Of course, all good things come to an end, so this middle portion eventually closes out - but even in ending the "IGUIGD" sequence, the band goes all out. Words cannot begin to express the feelings I have as Rick buiilds the climax to this part, and then dissipates it all away before Howe's triple-call suddenly wrests us back into the "main chunk" This time around, Howe plays the "CTTE theme" with far more venom and distortion than before while Chris pulsates underneath, gradually pushing the band towards yet another climax with the help of Rick. And once again, Rick provides release, this time through an entertaining and impressive-yet-not-out-of-place keyboard solo (it isn't just atmospherics, it is a true counterpoint to the main theme in the literal sense).
From this comes the third instance of the main melody of the piece, yet once again things are different. For lack of a better term, the arrangements have now become a hybrid of the arrangements of parts one and two. Not to mention that, instead of heading into the reggaish part after the first chunk of the melody, the band now moves in for the kill with the grandiose finale, layering their harmonies and arrangements in a way that, honestly, should be able to move even the most hard-nosed skeptic. And, of course, the band fittingly leaves us with an incredible reprise of "I Get Up I Get Down" chantings, before fading out with the same river and such arrangements as began the piece.
Oh yeah, there's also a second side here, imagine that. Of course, neither "And You And I" nor "Siberian Khatru" quite match the sweeping grandiosity (and incredible music) of the title track, but they make a good stab at it nonetheless. On these two songs, the band mostly employs the same "quality, not quantity" ideology that ruled the first side, and once again they succeed marvelously. "And You And I," for starters, is centered around a very clever, very 'jaunty', very catchy acoustic ditty with occasional synths here and there. This theme comes around twice, in parts one and three, but of course there are significant differences between the two occurences. In particular, part three's (otherwise known as "Preacher the Teacher") verse melody is better developed melodically, whereas part one, while also developed well, is most notable for the interesting distortion effects placed on Chris' and Steve's backing vocals.
Of course, this melody, catchy as it may be, pales in comparison to the real reason everybody loves this song. Both "Eclipse" and "Apocalypse," but especially "Eclipse," contain one of the most incredibly beautiful stretches of music I've ever heard. The way the organs majestically rise up, accompanied by some of the most gorgeous use of slide guitar known to man, while Anderson's vocals contribute incredibly appropriate mystical lyrics for such an occasion, is an experience that any serious listener of the song shall not soon forget.
Following the beauty is the rockin', provided by "Siberian Khatru." Now, again, I will not deny that there aren't too many melodical ideas presented within this track ... but what's here is absolute gold. How can anybody deny the coolness of that funky opening riff in 15/4? Or the danceable (ha!) main instrumental melody, or the abundance of vocal hooks?? Or the harpsichord break??!!! I know I can't! Not only all that, but the way it is gradually built and developed positively astounds my mind. Not to mention, of course, that it contains what I've considered Bruford's single finest performance with Yes. And I'll tell you what, I love the ending complex sequence of "dah!" harmonic screams before the band fades out jamming.
So ... after all this praising comes the inevitable question: why not a perfect score? Well, see, here's the thing - I can easily understand why somebody wouldn't love this album. This is not an album that can really be judged highly from a 'conventional' point of view, seeing as it's more of a symphony (not in form, but in feel) than anything else. And as I mentioned earlier, if you don't like one of the ideas presented on this album, you'll be in trouble, because there isn't a ton of diversity in the musical ideas here (and for all the love I feel towards the album, there are a couple of moments here and there where the noodling doesn't thrill me). And finally, it doesn't get a higher grade than Fragile because, well, Fragile had a tinge more 'self-deflation' than this album. Regardless of all that, though, I happily give it an overall grade of E, to emphasize its importance in the art-rock world, and to show its greatness in the hierarchy of rock albums throughout history.
Eric J. Reber (ericr.mailbag.com)
John:
Very nice reviews of Yes. They have been my favorite music since my
alternative awareness days (read cannabis) of the early 70's. I am now
41 with two young children and don't get in much private music listening
time at all, but I can always recapture that heart-wrenching emotion by
listening to, say, Close to the Edge. Maybe I'll dust off the
19-pound
Koss headphones tonight...
Nick Karn (awake600.aol.com)
I agree with your assessment of this album almost 100%. "Close To The
Edge" is
indeed the best here, and one of the most significant prog epics ever.
The
entire thing is wonderful, especially the breathtaking 'I Get Up, I Get
Down'
section with the great soloing afterwards, moving back to the main verse
theme,
and then closing out with the birds chirping. "And You And I" is a simply
gorgeous love song with an amazing, though kinda out of place, climax, and
"Siberian Khatru" is just so incredibly catchy and intriguing. The entire
album matches that majestic picture in the liner notes almost perfectly.
Only
a few slightly unfocused moments keep this from being at Fragile
level,
but I
give it a high 9 (which amounts to a 13 on this scale).
Laurent MASSE (masse.geocean.u-bordeaux.fr)
As a relatively new converted (I discovered them with KEYS1 in
1996), I absorbed all of their back catalogue in merely three months in
early 1997. Of course I had big reservations for an album with only three
songs on in the first place. But "Close To The Edge" was a standout
from the beginning, because it flowed effortlessly from beginning to end,
was totally coherent apart from minor meanderings in "And You And I", in
one word the only one of the 70's albums in which every note, every
development seemed justified within the whole picture. There were no
obvious melodies, but it was nonetheless extremely catchy on first listen.
None of the tracks would qualify as my favourite Yessong, but the whole
made much more sense than any other album, and I felt compelled to listen
and listen again. I suppose "Yours Is No Disgrace" and "Roundabout" are an
excellent preparation before getting one's teeth into this, as this album,
and especially "Siberian Khatru", is the pinnacle of the "harmonized vocal
lines" approach, and thus arguably their most essential contribution. I
later tried to figure why "Close To The Edge" is such a coherent piece on
first listen and I realised that it's the only 15 min + piece which has an
actual song structure. Apart from the main theme repeated several times
under various disguises, roughly, "The Solid Time Of Change" is
Intro/Verse-Chorus1, "Total Mass Retain" is Verse-Chorus2, "I Get Up, I
Get Down" is nothing but a middle eight, and "Seasons Of Man" is
Solo/Verse-Chorus3/Outro. The classic pop song structure. Each part is
incredibly long, but the whole piece actually has internal dynamics,
tension/release, and makes some sense. Much more than the two shorter
ones. Plus, contrary to almost all of their other epics, the keyboard solo
is on the verse background instead of a new distracting theme. I bet they
fell on this one by pure hazard. This is not something you plan to do, and
is the likely reason why they never achieved it twice. By far my favourite
Yes album, even if such a choice is not original at all. And regarding
Bruford's drumming, he is outstanding for sure, but had not yet made his
big leap: just listen to the astounding intense rhythm he was developing
on the live improv "Starless And Bible Black" by King Crimson one
year later and you'll get an idea of why he had to leave Yes to progress
(and how quick he did it!).
Jeff Blehar (jdb3.jhu.edu)
Alright, here's where I throw down my cap and say that "Close To The
Edge" (the song, that is) is just about the greatest piece of "bloated"
prog music ever made. That's it. No one's done it better. And even
then it's not perfect. It does take some time to sink in, though not
THAT much - after about three or four listens I was getting the point.
And I don't care a whit about the lyrics. I don't even hear 'em, really;
except for the refrain "Close to the edge, just by the river/down at the
edge, 'round by the corner" and maybe the "now that's all over and done"
parts, which seem to add to the effect of the piece, the rest of the
words are just so much vocal counterpoint to the music. And that's
FINE. Get over the lyrics. Who cares? (Yeah, I know, I did with "Yours
Is No Disgrace," but that was different! The song was so repetitive that
all you could do was fixate on them!) I think it's important that you
either REALLY DIG what Jon Anderson is saying or discard them and just
hear the sounds, because the vocal melody and harmonies on "Close To The
Edge" are just spectacular, they really make the song for me.
What also makes it so great is that it's really the ONLY successful
synthesis of classical music and rock music I've ever heard. The thing is,
there are no "bits" of classical music in here, no irksome ELP-style
excerpts from 17th-century composers. It's the FORM that's classical.
It's a real symphony, a compact one, with recurring themes, endless (and
most importantly, JUSTIFIED) musical complexity, an intelligent
progression, and a recapitulation. God, it's good. It's so successful
as to boggle the mind, or at least mine, 'cause I NEVER thought I'd be
able to praise a "pretentious" piece of prog-rock to the heavens like
this. What's more, the main musical ideas are grrrreat; everyone talks
about the whole "I Get Up, I Get Down" part, which is really good yes,
but it's the main verse/chorus sequence and structure which I think is so
impressive, with the two melodies (the whole "a seasoned witch" part is
one, and then there's the "total mass retain" part which is even better)
flowing right out of each other naturally, and then right into the chorus
with its various interjections ("not right away!" "now that you're
fine!"). And the way they return to it after the interlude, with tension
building up and up and up until "SEASONS will PASS you by!" is a
masterpiece of dynamics.
So yeah, it's an okay piece. I'd still cut out a minute or two of
the "sensitive" noodling ambience after the first main "movement" ends,
and perhaps part of Wakeman's solo, but those are minor complaints.
Especially coming from a guy who's idea of musical transcendence is
"White Riot." I don't even care too much for the other two songs (the
shortest of which is a blink-and-you-missed-it 9:27) - "And You And I" is
so much puffery to me, and I think the synths are really cheesy, while
"Siberian Khatru" is awesome for 30 seconds and then falls apart - but
the title track is enough to justify loving this album. Even though half
of Close To The Edge does nothing for me, I'd still give it an
8/10. As
much as I like early Yes, this was pretty much their peak.
"Sittinger, Brian D" (brian.d.sittinger.lmco.com)
An album with only 3 songs on it? Was I ever reluctant to buy Close to
the Edge! Certainly! This album was a mind-boggling experience. It took
me at least three listens to finally figure out what the heck Yes was
trying to pull. And they sure pulled it off well! I don't have anything
to add to what you said in the review; you described the album's effect
very well. Definitely (one you get used to it!) a great album to relax
to (at a wedding? I don't know about that!), or to get lost either in
the entire music or any one instrument. Quite a feat!
This album also earns a 10 out of 10. This has to be the peak of
everything Yes (though their "descent" would not be highly noticeable
until Tormato!).
Daniel and Corine Bosch (dcbosch.optusnet.com.au) (5/29/02)
What can one say about this album? Classy all round, best track the title
track, their first and one of their best 15+min epics (for mine it's a
fight between "Close To The Edge", "The Revealing Science Of God" and
"Awaken" for that coveted title) but the other two songs are no slouches
either. Adventurous but still tuneful throughout. Hard to beat this album
for consistency.
Whaddaya mean "Lizard" annoys you?!!? It's great, it even has Jon
Anderson singing on it - and let's face it he's a much better singer than
poor ol' Gordon Haskell isn't he?!!?
Vandermeer (bkvander.telus.net) (6/29/03)
A masterful album that must have taken a lot of guts to make at the time. When
I first heard it many years ago I thought of it as the fantastic song And You
And I with a couple of long filler tracks. After many repeated listens I now
consider the whole album quite enjoyable from start to finish. Everyone seems
to heap tons of praise on the title track and I'm finally starting to see why.
It is incredible how they managed an eighteen minute track with the traditional
song structure-and made it not get boring. Everyone's playing seems to be at a
peak here with everyone contributing great musical ideas to the piece. I've
read essays on what the lyrics are supposed to mean-and I'm still very
nonplussed. I sing along anyway as Anderson's voice (as you've already
mentioned) should be treated like a fifth instrument. Who needs meaningful
lyrics when the music's this good.
I'll still have to call And You And I my favourite track from the album. The
opening guitar riff from Howe accompanied by Wakeman's synths will always be one
of my personal Yes highlights. The return of the theme slightly altered in the
third part is also breathtaking. Howe was certainly at the top of his game here
(as they all were). Finally Siberian Khatru has so many lovely changes in
melody with lots of hooks, that I can't help but enjoy it. It may be slightly
overlong but that's a minor quibble. All in all I give the album a 9 (13).
Raghavan RANGANATHAN (S3046624.student.rmit.edu.au) (8/10/03)
Hmm, I don't think that the band deliberately tried to compose a sidelong track.
I always felt that the title track was just like any other song they did
earlier, only difference being that when they finally put it together with all
the instrumental breaks it surprisingly occupied a whole side. I could be wrong
but I always get this notion. Also, I don't think that the second side pales in
comparison to the first. In my opinion it is just as awesome!
Trfesok.aol.com (12/09/04)
I personally enjoy The Yes Album more, because it's more concise
(relatively speaking, of course -- this is Yes we're talking about!) and
rocks a bit more. But this is the band's best album in terms of
musicianship, as you said -- this was indeed the best Yes lineup in a
technical sense. But despite the complexity, the band hasn't forgotten
about catchy melodies, or how to rock out. Anderson doesn't quite leave
the stratosphere just yet -- the lyrics are intriguing. "And You and I"
is my favorite here - -sweeping and gorgeous. The title track is one of
the milestones of prog. "Siberian Khatru" is a bit of a "Roundabout"
replay, but it's still very cool. Essential for any prog library.
Sergei (swamprock.mail.ru) (02/28/07)
I consider this disk as one of largest fucks of rock. And it is valid
so - "Close To The Edge" to be in a heap silly and cuntish of
albums similar "We Can't Dance" of Genesis or Floydish "Final
Cunt... er, Final Cut ". Only header thing ("Close") is good the
first 5-6 minutes, I can not listen this boredom further. Other songs
even more creepy. I could give to this disk 4 (or below). Someone can
disagree?
daniel penner (dzpenner.hotmail.com) (05/27/07)
just a minor nitpick, but ctte wasn't the first non-suite epic; Pink Floyd's
'Echoes' off the '71 album Meddle was a 23 minute song, and definitely not a
suite ala Supper's Ready, Lighthouse Keepers or Tarkus.
awaller.camden.rutgers.edu (06/13/09)
No, John. You are all wrong on this one. This is album is no 14. Not at
all. Not even close. This album is deep, deep into 15 territory. This
really might be the best rock album ever created. I don't know, maybe not,
it's certainly the most immaculate album I've ever listened to.
Close To The Edge, the song, is nothing short of brilliant. This is the
first instance of a side-long piece that is ACTUALLY a single song and truly
doesn't drag. As much as I love pieces like Echoes by the Floyd and
Supper's Ready by Genesis, they have their moments that just don't live up
to the song as a whole; and, as much as you wouldn't want to admit it, they
really are a few to several songs strung together. Yes threw this out the
window with Close To The Edge. Absolutely revolutionary. Let's just start
with that intro. That's five of the greatest ever, at their greatest all at
once. Those keyboard "loops" (cause they weren't actually loops) from
Wakeman, Bruford and Squire ripping out another incredible rhythm section,
Howe just all over the place, and those well-timed screams from Anderson
that just scare the life out of you. This part alone would make a nice
instrumental song. The main verse and chorus continue this greatness, with
fantastic instrumental passages and vocal hooks all over the place. I can
see why this was stripped out and released as a single. Yes really showing
off their pop sensibilities, even in this epic context. And, what more is
there to say about "I Get Up, I Get Down"? Had rock music ever been this
gorgeous and haunting, and has it been ever since? No. It has not. Then
that organ swell, that incredible drum section coupled with the darker, more
disturbing guitar tone for the fourth movement of the song.... ah! I could
go on about this song forever, and I won't. It's just as good as music
gets.
As furious and brilliant Close To The Edge was, these guys just keep it
going with And You And I. Another perfect song. All you prog haters, tell
me you you want this piece cut short. Along with The Revealing Science Of
God, this is one of the two most beautiful songs Yes has ever done. Does
anything top the Mellotron/slide guitar in "Eclipse"? I'd love to hear it;
I haven't yet. Some people hold this as Yes' crowning achievement, and I
can see why. When Anderson comes in with....
Coming quickly to terms of all expression laid,
...I get chills. Every time. Brilliant.
The we finish with THE song that got me into Yes, the awesome Siberian
Khatru. After all that beauty, they can still rock out. Hey, it even
sounds a bit funky. Nice change of pace. Love the way Howe shines in this
one. That solo at the end; just awesome.
Anyhoo.... this is a 15 if I've ever heard one. Can't believe you gave it a
14, you're nuts :P
Aaron Levin (alevin1169.hotmail.com) (12/13/16)
Another great album, but maybe not QUITE as great as a few of the others. I'd probably rank it 4th in the Yes catalogue. The title track is amazing, and grabs the listener's attention so consistently that it's hard to believe it is 20 minutes long. The vocal harmonies in the middle are amazing, but my favorite part is the keyboard solo that comes just after the piece returns to full tempo. "Siberian Khatru" is extremely peculiar but also quite good; it's very herky-jerky and never quite gets into a consistent groove, but it's definitely quirky in the right way. "And You and I", however, I believe to be significantly overrated. As with "Yours is No Disgrace" from TYA, the actual song is very good, but it's padded with 3-4 minutes of boring instrumentals in the middle. I do like the first 3 minutes decently though. Overall a great album but not quite perfect. 14/16.
Best song: Starship Trooper
By early 1973, Yes had firmly established themselves as one
of, if not the, greatest studio bands on earth. Great songs, great
playing, great production. Apparently, though, there was an unspoken
question in the minds of their critics and maybe even in the minds of
their fans; could these guys actually play like this? Or did they just
splice a bunch of parts together in the production booth to provide the
impression that they could play these parts? Well, Yes didn't really
like having their chops questioned (I guess), and they wanted to settle the
question once and for all. And so, they did the logical thing; they
released a live album.
Now, the main disadvantage of the album, let's face it, is the length.
As far as I know, they included every single song from their stage set on
this album, and as a result this sucker is a triple album well over
two hours in length. Also, the emphasis is clearly on the epics, and even
the songs that were originally 'short' (ie less than ten minutes) are
often expanded greatly. There's also the issue of sound quality; it
doesn't bother me as much as it once did, but there's little question that
it's on par with that of a typical bootleg.
BUT, let's face it, there is simply no getting around how good these songs
are. The playing is FEROCIOUS and tight, and possibly even better
than in the originals. Plus, there are enough changes in the songs to keep
them fresh (although the structure basically remains the same). In addition, each of the band-members gets a solo-section, which might be considered slightly tacky (if you're cynical) but are all well performed. Rick Wakeman throws in excerpts from his then-new solo career (see below), Bruford gets a decent (though not exceptional) drum solo, Squire extends "The Fish" into ten-minutes of monstrous bass-riffage, and Howe graces us with a runthrough of "Mood For A Day" (not to mention his excellent solo in "Yours is No Disgrace").
As for the songs, there's not really any point in going through all of them one at a time, since for the most part they are done fairly similarly to the originals. Well, sort of - structurally and in essence, they're mostly the same as before, but there are enough changes to keep the songs sounding fresh this time around. "And You And I" receives the most noticable change - the quiet acoustic opening is replaced with an immediate display of the gargantuan "Eclipse" section, and while I'm not thrilled with that development, the track doesn't sound worse for it. But there are other subtlties - for instance, the opening section of "CTTE" is significantly reworked, with Howe playing faster and more aggressively than ever before.
The main reason to get this album, though, is for the last two tracks. "Yours is No Disgrace" is simply a Howe extravaganza, as he plays at break-neck speed while also hardening up his guitar tone in a way not found elsewhere on the album. And of course, there's "Starship Trooper," which simply defies all description in its incredible energy and entertainment value. "Würm" boasts power and blazing solos from both Howe and Wakeman, to the extent that one could easily call this the DEFINITIVE live Yes performance. Yessongs, excessive as it may be, is necessary if only for this.
Oh, and by the way, during the tour that these performances come from,
Bill Bruford left the band to join King Crimson, a move that seemed risky
at the time but worked out pretty well for him. His replacement was one
Alan White, whose most notable previous gig was as the drummer for John
Lennon's band during the recording of Imagine. He's
a solid drummer, though based more in a rock tradition than in jazz a la
Bruford. Regardless, Bruford is still widely considered the best Yes
drummer, even many years after his departure.
Laurent MASSE (masse.geocean.u-bordeaux.fr)
Technical prowess is OK when it serves ambitious pieces of music, but when
it comes to sterile demonstration within a live set, extended solos really
bother me. The only thing it says is: "Forget the music for 15 minutes,
look how crafted I am, and worship me for that". "Crowd-pleasing", the
dumbest thing in all rock'n'roll to me. So what do we have here? All songs
are very close to their album versions, maybe with more verve, but the
sound is much worse than on the careful studio constructions, even if it's
not that bad. And the solos do not interest me at all. Bruford's solo in
"Perpetual Change" maybe the longest and less interesting of all his
recorded career, extending an already boring piece to death. Add to this
13 mn of "The Fish" (how I would wish a cat to appear on stage!) and you
have it: an album I would've thrown years ago if it was not for the funny
intro to "Yours Is No Disgrace". This may have been groundbreaking at the
time, but I suspect this one needs serious remixing and even some editing
to sound interesting by today's standards.
Jeff Blehar (jdb3.jhu.edu)
I refuse to believe there's something de rigeur about live prog
triple-LPs. All the music here is good (even "Yours Is No Disgrace" is
good! Nice toe-tapping introduction!), and the sound quality isn't nearly
as bad as everyone complains it is, but these performances are more or
less the same as the album versions. If you've got the albums, I can't
see why you'd want to sit down for two hours and listen to this - the live
performances would be great to witness in person, but on record they're
just slightly different versions of the regular tracks, the sole exception
being an unnecessarily long jam on "The Fish." And Wakeman's "Six Wives
Of Henry VIII" is pretty silly, so there goes the only non-album cut.
Still, it's a hell of lot better than ELP's Welcome Back My Friends To
The Show That Never Ends, which, as it's been said before,
mind-numbingly lives up to the title.
"Sittinger, Brian D" (brian.d.sittinger.lmco.com)
So Yes is much more than a studio creature. they mor eor less pull off
the songs very similarly to the studio albums (esp. the "Close to the
Edge" cuts)except for "The Fish" (low blow- can't expect Chris Squire to
play six parts simultaneously -do you?). However, Yes does pack more
punch on some songs ("All Good People", "Yours is No Disgrace" in
particular. "Roundabout" is electrified! The harmonies suffer a bit.
However, the bands rough edges live is what makes this album engaging.
(Just don't listen to the entire thing all in a row, unless you have a
lot of copious time!)
Verdict: 9 out of 10.
Steven Knowlton (knowstev.med.umich.edu) (10/11/01)
Hi there:
I was noticing your comments on the sound quality of "Yessongs." I've never
heard the album, but your comments got me to look up the times of the songs.
If you're listening on vinyl, I understand why the sound quality is poor. Yes
puts nearly 25 minutes of time on each side of the LPs, forcing the grooves to
be crammed together. The optimum time per side for sound quality is 18
minutes.
(author's note): Actually, I'm listening on CD. However, I suspect that when the album was transfered to CD, the studio wizards decided to preserve the "quaint" feel of the original, and that's why the sound didn't improve.
Craig Thomas (Craig.W.Thomas.btinternet.com) (10/21/03)
I've recently become a complete convert to this album after falling
completely out of love with not long after buying it in 1973 when it came
on to the scene. It was too rough for my tastes, despite a magisterial
Khatru. Age and the listening to a much wider variety of music than I did
back then seems to have changed my perspective. This album is as rough as
a bear's rear end, but is a ferocious motherfizzer which captures what I
thought I was hearing when I was at The Rainbow, Finsbury Park in
December 1972. Live albums which merely replicate the studio albums are
almost complete wastes of time (i.e., when it's your favourite band,
you'll take anything and shake some pleasure out of it). So this'll do
me. It makes the Keys stuff sound merely 'sweet' by comparison and makes
it sound limp and only worth having to appreciate how wonderful modern
technology is. And as for Yesshows, well, let's not go there.
This is the shit, man, right here, Yessongs, and I'm totally shocked to
be saying it, having written it off not years but decades ago. True, we
have the remastering process to thank, but that only serves to have
highlighted a punk Yes, when the guys, amazing it seems now, were only in
their twenties. No wonder it sounds loud and ready to jump out of the
speakers and eat your face.
Best track: Khatru, of course, followed by Perpetual Change (who is the
guy who dissed it? when are you going to get serious about your music,
dude?). Dud? Heart Of The Sunrise. Wrecked by the Yes-inexperience of
Alan White, but I'll let him off as he was new. He did a great job
elsewhere, so.
Kolby Kramer (gkkramer.gmail.com) (06/07/07)
Just to add my 2 cents to a comment made by Laurent "MASSE":
To label you "stupid" would be a bit too harsh on my part, so I will
interpret you as being unaware.
"'Crowd-pleasing', the dumbest thing in all rock'n'roll to me."
You're entitled to your opinion, but you make such an accusation
about crowd pleasing on a live album??? Are you mad? A concert's
goal first and foremost is to please a crowd, no matter WHAT genre of
music it is, sir. What you said doesn't even make any sense! This
isn't a studio album, and if they stuck to the same format of their
studio material to a tee, what would be the incentive to purchase it
over their studio work?
Trfesok.aol.com (02/16/08)
Pretty much in agreement. It's a rough listen on the original vinyl,
with the rough sound quality, but the amazing musicianship comes
through anyway. It's at least interesting to hear in their early
prime, live, when they would do more than try and exactly replicate
the studio versions. I'm not sure I like the more electric textures
on "And You and I" and "Roundabout" (probably due to limitations at
the time in the amplification of acoustic instruments), but the
versions are good anyway. "The Fish" goes a bit overboard, but the
new arrangement does involves the whole group, so that's cool. The
most interesting things are Rick's elaborations on material from The
Yes Album, especially "Starship Trooper". I can see why you picked it
as best track. All in all, a good primer on classic Yes.
Tauwat.aol.com (10/05/08)
A friend of mine had Yessongs, and now Yes is one of my favorite
bands. This, along with Relayer, is really almost all the Yes you
need. I've never really noticed the horrid sound quality that
everyone talks about, and most of the songs here are, IMO, definitive
versions. I don't just say that because of extended solos or anything
though, I say that because of the energy. Siberian Khatru,
Roundabout, and especially Yours Is no Disgrace were all fine songs
on their respective albums, but here they really seem to come alive.
After hearing these electric renditions, the originals seemed a
little bit feeble in comparison. The extended solos, such as on
Starship Trooper, are phenomenal as well. My only complaint is the
awful Fish rendition, inexplicably regarded as a highlight. I don't
care how good Chris Squire is (he's phenomenal), no bassist is worth
listening to noodling, barely audibly, for eight minutes.
The tracklist is excellent, needless to say, but the problem is
that if you own the albums from Yes's peak, The Yes Album, Fragile,
and Close to the Edge, this album becomes somewhat obselete.
Inversely, if you own this, it is pointless to get any of the
aforementioned three albums, bar maybe Fragile. So newcomers to Yes,
you would do well to make this your first purchase. Listening to it
all the way through is a daunting task, but once you get used to the
songs and let them grow on you, it seems like much less than two and
a half hours.
Mark Nieuweboer (ismaninb.teacher.com) (02/13/10)
It's typical for Yes that the band tries to reproduce the originals on stage as
close as possible. That's a huge difference with Deep Purple and Led Zeppelin. It's
not criticism in itself, but there is a serious consequence.
On my shelve there are two recordings of Tsjaikovsky's 6th, one conducted by
Mravinsky and the other by Ashkenazy. The latter has remained untouched for more
than a decade. For the same reason I only need one version of any good Yes
composition. That simply rules out all the bootlegs and all the late live recordings
McFerrin is so fond of. The question boils down to: Yessongs or the three classic
studio albums? That's a matter of taste in the end.
For me it always has been Yessongs. Yes was as keen on perfection in the studio as
Led Zeppelin and way too often sterility was the result. On stage the band does not
interact with the public (which is a plus), but still has to interplay. So what's
lost on sound quality is more than compensated by expression. I always prefer the
latter. I own live recordings by Prokofjev and Shostakovitch playing their own
music. The first one is from the 30's, the latter from a living room recording. If I
can enjoy that I certainly don't have any problem with Yessongs, especially as the
performances are flawless.
Moreover the band is really kind: all the early classics are there. My absolute
bandfavourites are Heart of the Sunrise, Perpetual Chance and Roundabout. The first
one pushes riffing to its very limit: the first riff is repeated for more than three
minutes without getting tedious. Sometimes Howe goes an octave up only to return
quickly. Its as jawdropping as Blackmore's solo's on Made in Japan. The second
theme, during the vocal part, is less virtuoso but even more beautiful. Perpetual
Change is similar - hard hitting introducing riff and a mellow one for the verses -
but works equally well. The form of Roundabout is a bit messy, but the three
variations of the main riff hold everything together.
There is nothing wrong with CD-2. I've seen all good People is very corny. Just at
the moment - it works every time I listen to it - that I get irritated the song
turns into a straightforward boogie-stomper, the kind that would bring Status Quo
success (Roll over lay Down). According to Starostin Uriah Heep has taken the idea
for the coda of July Morning from Starship Trooper. That is probably correct. What
Starostin forgets is that this idea in a rudimentary form already can be found on
UH's song High Priestess. This is just another proof that Yes in 1973 was pretty
close to hardrock. Someone calls Close to the Edge (the song) a symphony. It is not,
see my introduction. It has nothing to do with the sonata form. CttE expands the
traditional verse-chorus scheme to its very extreme. The vocal melodies are very
simple. There is an introduction, a solo part and a coda. It's just long and it can
be hard to keep attention, but form is simple. I don't mean its bad though. But I
must say that CD-2 somehow does not grab me like the three favourites. That's my
fault, the performances are excellent.
Still Yessongs is far from perfect. I have three major objections and I mean major.
Who in the world needs a rerecorded tape version of Firebird? As I have the suite on
CD Yes offers me a complete waste of almost four minutes! It's fun - and nothing
more - if Rainbow uses The Wizard of Oz (We must be over the rainbow), but that
lasts a few seconds. Four frigging minutes! And they don't even play it themselves.
Only rabid fans can enjoy that, which means that they have no clue about
Stravinsky's work. The next let-down is Mood for a Day. It fails for exactly the
same reasons (two themes repeated way too often) as Page's Black Mountain Side and
lasts longer. Finally there is Wakeman's navel-gazing. Why do we need this if
Händel's Messiah is available? What's more, the gap between Henry VIII and Händel is
more than 200 years. Who in his right mind would use Schubert for a Gulf War movie?
Wakeman does something like that. If it weren't for these serious failures I would
have given Yessongs 10/10, even if CD-2 is not always my cup of tea. Now it's only
8/10.
Edward J Gorski (egorski13.mail.bw.edu) (08/13/17)
In almost every case, Yes takes their studio creations and crafts them into something better for the live stage. This album may be long (two plus hours), but not a second feels unwarranted.
There are a lot of positives here. First off, say what you will about missing Bill Bruford, but I feel like Alan White's style of drumming, at least in this case, makes for a less precise but more powerful and emotionally invested style of drumming (I don't think Bruford was truly at his best until after Larks' Tongues in Aspic) which can be immediately heard on the first album's best track, Heart of the Sunrise. While I don't think Perpetual Change needed to be 14 minutes, it's still very good, and thankfully Steve Howe's amazing pedal steel work negates the fact that I miss the acoustic intro to And You And I.
On album two, the solo tracks are all excellent, but that album's true highlight is I've Seen All Good People. It is approximately 100,000x better than The Yes Album version, since the Your Move section is still as good as ever, and the All Good People section is vastly improved from the album version's monotony.
On the final album, I know I should think Starship Trooper is the best, but goddamn is that version of Close To The Edge amazing. It is way more aggressive live, with the exception of the beautiful I Get Up, I Get Down section. But its true highlight is the segue from IGUIGD to the Seasons of Man section, which bowls me over every time. And of course, YIND and Starship Trooper are amazing finales as well.
Best song: The Revealing Science Of God
This is, almost without question, the most widely-criticized musical work (rock or otherwise) of the second half of the 20th century; even Yes fans are divided as to whether it's a good album or not. Although it hit the top 10 on both the U.S. and U.K. album charts, it also made the top 10 in a published list of the 50 worst albums in history. It was generally regarded by the punk movement as one of the main reasons that the creation of punk rock was necessary. The Christian Right loathed it, and used the album as a frontpiece in their statements that it was the duty of every good Christian to burn "rock" records. The album even threatened to blow the group itself limb from limb. And yet, despite all this, there are still a select few (there might be 1000 in the world; nah, there might be more than that) who not only are fond of this album, but consider this one of their best
works, and in some cases one of the best rock albums ever.
This album, as you've probably heard, is a double album. No, wait, that doesn't properly explain things: it's a double album with 4 tracks on it (coming out to one track per side). No, wait, that's still not the worst of it, if you listen to the naysayers. Nah, the worst of it comes from the subject matter of the album. You
see, (by the way, this info is all taken from the liner notes of the album)
Anderson had been looking for a theme for a grand scale rock symphony, if
you will, for quite some time, and one night during the CTTE tour,
when the band was in Tokyo, he was flipping through Paramhansa Yoganada's
"Autobiography of a Yogi," when he came across a lengthy footnote on page
83. This footnote described the four part Shastric scriptures, texts which
not only take care of religion and social life, but also of medicine,
music, art, architecture. Well, a normal man would have put down the book,
forgotten about it, and just done his show, but this is Jon Anderson we're
talking about here. No, he decided that the proper thing to do here was to
base an 80 minute album around a set of writings with which virtually
nobody in the Western world had familiarity. Putting it mildly, this is
kinda risky.
How do I feel about it? I'm giving it a D. Call me a
pretentious jerk, but I love this album. No matter how many times I listen
to it, I never fail to be struck by how beautiful and how powerful this
piece is (by the way, although TFTO is listed as having 4 tracks, the
reality is that these are merely movements in an epic "symphony." And yes, I'm aware that it doesn't follow the symphonic form - I'm pretty familiar with classical music, thank you - but the fact that I'm forced to explicitly state something so obvious yet so inconsequential to the overall effect of the album makes me fear that my eyes will never get unstuck from the back of my head). Even if
it is nonsense, and don't get me wrong, it seems it a lot of the time, it has made more and more sense to me with every listen over the years. Plus, I can't help but love it when a band shows ambition (which this album
has in spades) as well as a desire to do something that nobody has ever
done before, and then actually lives up to that ambition (I know a lot of people would disagree with me on that notion for this album). Within in the context of pop and rock, this completely
blew away a lot of traditional "boundaries," certainly exceeding most albums that had been recorded to that point. It's not every day, after all, that you come across a rock album with four extended pieces containing interlocking musical and conceptual themes (apparently the double-album/four-song routine had actually been done in a couple of previous instances, but in those cases each piece was a completely separate piece and not a fundamental part of a whole). Yes thumbed their noses at the notion that song ideas have to be placed into concise, immediately recognizable structures (and that was an interesting step for Yes, given that they *were* at heart a trumped-up pop group), and showed (at least in my mind) that fading in and out of song ideas over a lengthy period of time, as if in a strange hallucination, is not something that should necessarily be a failure. But I ramble, and a return to the topic at hand, Tales From Topographic
Oceans, is necessary. To assist in my elementary exposition
of what you are exposed to in each of the "movements," I will be using the
final four paragraphs of Anderson's liner notes. They can better explain
what is going on than I possibly could on my own.
1st Movement: Shrutis. "The Revealing Science of God" can be seen as an
ever-opening flower in which simple truths emerge examining the
complexities and magic of the past and how we should not forget the song
that has been left to us to hear. The knowledge of God is a search,
constant and clear. This track, my favorite on the album and my second
favorite in their catalogue, begins with a chanted invocation by Anderson
and eventually with the others, summoning the listener to the dawn of
light, thought, our power, and of love. In other words, to the creation
and beginning all of the good things which bring happiness to our lives.
He seems to lament that these wonderful forces seem to have been lost by
the human race through their own negligence, resulting in all sorts of
unwanted calamaties, and that only through love can the others (light
etc.) be returned to their proper station. Or something like that.
Fortunately, even if the lyrics lose you, the music is simply gorgeous, filled to the brim with ecstatically beautiful melodies.
Although Alan White is seemingly able to provide little more than a steady
background beat and a plodding drum sound (the jazzy lines left with Bruford), the others more than cover for
him. Squire keeps things going with soothing bass lines, and Howe's guitar
work, when he's mixed high, is terrific, but the real star of the show is
Wakeman. You see, although there are a ton of great ideas being
contributed by the others, there are admittedly a lot of places where not
a lot is happening with the guitars. And so, Rick has no choice but to
take over, and he does so admirably. Whether holding down the fort with
heavenly mellotron parts or going nuts with synthesizer solos, he
continually keeps the listener's interest, and he's arguably more crucial to the sound than ever. But back to the concept.
2nd Movement: Suritis. "The Remembering." All our thoughts,
impressions, knowledge, fears have been developing for millions of years.
What we can relate to is our own past, our own life, our own history.
Here, it is especially Rick's keyboards which bring alive the ebb and flow
and depth of our mind's eye: The Topographic Ocean. Hopefully we should
appreciate that given points in time are not so significant as the nature
of what is impressed on the mind, and how it is retained and used. Ok,
your guess is as good as mine here, I must admit. Best as I can tell, the
piece alternates between Anderson touching on various memories that we
have all had in some form, and Wakeman carrying us away from these images
and thoughts of our past to others on a trip through the peaceful recesses
of our mind via his keyboards. Sure, whatever. And although the tune itself can seem
a little dull at times (I think the faster parts are really crisp and quite interesting), if you listen to it in the right frame of mind, calm and at
peace, it is absolutely, positively gorgeous. Rick's keys set the
majestic, beautiful mood of the piece perfectly, and while most would
disagree, I wish it were longer. There are no words to express my fullness
of joy after having absorbed such a wonderfully stunning, meditiative and
beautiful song.
3rd Movement: Puranas. "The Ancient" probes still further into the
past beyond the point of remembering. Here Steve's guitar is pivotal in
sharpening reflection on the beauties and treasures of lost civilizations.
Indian, Chinese, Central American, Atlantean. These and other peoples left
an immense treasure of knowledge. I used to dislike this section, but
after further listens, I've come to realize that this is actually a pretty
cool track. The subtitle is "Giants Under the Sun" (in reference to other
civilizations long past), and so near the beginning, Anderson, quite
cleverly I must add, chants the word for sun in several different
languages. After this, there's a long, dissonant, somewhat avant-garde
solo by Howe (though, I have to be honest with you, it really begins to
bore me after a while, and is why I lowered the rating of the album just a
nudge - then again, I think the album is E-worthy otherwise, so it's not
really a big deal), before the piece settles back into a simple ballad
with Anderson spouting some more jibberish. I think he's trying to say
that all of these past peoples have all of the answers to the important
(and sometimes not so important, but hey...) questions that trouble
society today, but I could be wrong. Maybe it is just jibberish,
but I'm sorta doubting that at this point in time. Whatever may be, the melody in this acoustic section is very lovely.
4th Movement: Tantras. The "Ritual." Seven notes of freedom to learn
and to know the ritual of life. Life is a fight between sources of evil
and pure love. Alan and Chris present and relay the struggle out of
which comes a positive source. Nous sommes du soleil. We are of the sun.
We can see. Basically, when we love, we can return to the state of
goodness which we were in at the dawn of creation. This is conveyed
excellently near the beginning and end of the track with the reprisal of some of the
musical themes which had come up in the first movement. Steve's guitar
solo near the end, in particular, is breathtakingly beautiful. Oh, and did I mention that the main vocal melody is one of the catchiest and lovliest little ditties Anderson ever came up with? Or that the passage at 14:10-14:20 or so makes it sound like the world's about to come to an end (one of my favorite Yes moments, by the way)? And
there's a giant drum solo near the end, and it's interesting and even
entertaining - especially live, since the group would become a percussion
ensemble for about five minutes and you would get to see Squire on tympanis
and Anderson on some weird chime things and ... oh, stop me before I
gush some more.
This album is definitely not for people who get bored easily. Admittedly, it's very slow in some places (like in the beginning and middle of "The Remembering"), and it's a bit looser with structure than other Yes albums tend to be. And yet, I don't think the album's poor reputation is even remotely deserved; for one thing, I find the whole "padding" argument against it (pushed by Wakeman among others) to be overblown; out of the whole album, the only parts I'd really consider slicing out would be a minute or so from "The Remembering," and half of the mid-section of "The Ancient" (where the long discordant instrumental passage gets played virtually note-for-note twice). I also think that the album's poor reputation among so many, even fans of other prog fans, ends up poisoning potential listeners fairly frequently; I had no idea going into the album that I was supposed to hate it, and I was quite surprised to learn this after the fact. And most importantly, to me, it works incredibly as a catalyst for imagination, ten times as well as even Close to the Edge did. I don't consider this their best album (it does meander a little too much, and besides, Fragile and a couple of others are better), but it's one of the most treasured albums in my collection regardless.
Of course, Wakeman hated it, and the stories surrounding this are legendary. Even worse, after his masterful performance, he sealed his disgust with Anderson and his wacky lyrics by tendering his resignation from the band. Fans-of-simple-pop-music everywhere cheered; it seemed the band was about to collapse under the enormous weight of its own ambitions.
PS: Hey, do you want to hear something else I figured out with regard to this album and its imagery? Each track, in addition to addressing whatever topic in the Shastric scriptures, contains strong musical allusions to one of the four basic elements according to Aristotle. For me, and apparently some others, it can be viewed as
"The Revealing Science of God" - Air (don't you feel like you're flying from place to place during the instrumental breaks?)
"The Remembering" - Water (don't you picture yourself sailing on a calm, blue majestic sea, with sea ditties coming in from time to time?)
"The Ancient" - Earth (Hey, the track's theme is 'Giants Under the Sun', which in turn talks about ancient cultures walking the face of the Earth).
"Ritual" - Fire (Doesn't the synth-heavy drum solo remind you of ritual purification, a burning of all that is bad in order to restore true love to the world?)
PPS: The 2003 remastered version is absolutely outstanding. "The Revealing Science of God" is restored to its originally intended form with a beautiful atmospheric introduction, the drums have WAY more kick and power to them than before, and all the little intricacies of the album stand out that much better.
Laurent MASSE (masse.geocean.u-bordeaux.fr)
I'm not a hater, I'm not a lover. All the fuss about this album escapes me
a little, as I don't really see where the genius lies, especially compared
with "Close To The Edge". What struck me on first listen is that
the
melodies are very simple, even simplistic in some places, and easily
memorable and forgettable compared to the achievements of the three
preceding albums. It's a comeback to the songwriting formula of the early
days, and, as such, is far less original than the three previous albums.
The "harmonized melody line" group approach was clearly abandoned there,
and indeed, Steve and Jon came up with the meat, the others only helped to
arrange it. In other terms, this is "Yes through the eyes of Anderson and
Howe". "The Revealing Science Of God" and "Ritual" are pleasant because
the "song content" is very fine, "The Remembering" and "The Ancient"
mostly boring because the "song content" is very thin apart from "Leaves
Of Green". I listen to Tales far more often than other Yes albums
because
this stuff is not offending at all, in fact my problem is that the whole
thing sounds lethargic, immature, underproduced and clearly
underrehearsed, like a bunch of preliminary demos. Whenever I hear Jon
hitting the line "What happened..." I cannot help but laugh. Totally
unassured, like he discovers the words and melody for the first time. They
had ambition for sure, but probably did it the wrong way: this time
around, they should have rounded the pieces on stage before recording
them. The "live test" if you prefer. The most symptomatic of this is
Wakeman's keys: apart from the solos, which I don't care for, as they
clearly are included just for the sake of having a solo and adding one or
two more minutes, where is the verve, where is the humour? It shows he was
not having fun at all. I still think they had a single album of concise
and lovely lullabies had they dared to actually finish one of the zillion
song ideas thrown in there. The basic problem lies there for me: an
extended piece is OK, as long as it's not planned. What looks OK on paper
will not automatically be an achievement. And, anyway, take two fine
songs, intertwine them and add a long drum solo with strange sampled
sounds in the middle, plus an intro recycling old themes, and you have it:
a 22 mn epic impressing a lot of listeners. A little cooking analogy: an
impressive and long recipe with exotic ingredients will not automatically
make a tasty meal; it may as well become a huge multicoloured salad. Well
at least they didn't do a McDonald's album.
Jeff Blehar (jdb3.jhu.edu)
So it's not the worst thing ever released. I can admit that now, after
realizing that liking Yes doesn't necessarily damn my mortal soul to
eternal squareness. And the idea of four side-long tracks didn't
necessarily have to be a disaster, either, since "Close To The Edge" was
such a triumph. But it's so...boring. I mean, where's the energy? No
excitement. It almost seems that when they had something to prove, with
"CTTE," they did every damn thing they could to make it as varied and
exciting as possible. But now that they have 4 sides to stretch out over,
everything seems soggy and limp and padded. And the complete flakiness of
the lyrics and concept certainly doesn't help things a bit. As I said
above, the general ridiculousness of Yes lyrics can (and should) be
overlooked if the music is good enough, but when the music becomes
flaccid, all you have to hang onto are the words, which let you down big
time. It really IS a case of overblown egotism defeating a good band, and
although it's not all tripe - "Ritual" is pretty and even memorable after
a few listens, and I like the way Howe quotes from "Close To The Edge" in
his opening guitar solo - most of it is just impossible to absorb. Even
"Ritual" is about, what, TEN MINUTES too long? I guess this separates the
hard-core fans from the rest of us, and that's fine, since I already know
where I stand on the issue. A real shame after the promise of "CTTE."
"Sittinger, Brian D" (brian.d.sittinger.lmco.com)
A double album with FOUR TWENTY MINUTE SONGS!!! Plus, its mixed
reputation? I did not even try to listen to this record until after I
had bought all the albums from "The Yes Album" through "Going for the
One." I even borrowed someone's copy of this before I even dared to buy
it. And that was with a gift certificate!!
>From that, you may infer that I think this album is bad. Wrong! But,
it's not really great either (like the three previous albums). The best
part of this album is its album cover (sorry, that is why my friend
bought this album...). In truth, "The Revealing Science of God" is the
best track for me on this album. It simply has more emotional resonance
than the other three songs. The third and fourth song although quite
listenable, are too long for their content.
The complaints with this record are: (1) the "padded" nature of this
album: if it were edited, even to "Close of the Edge" style lengths,
we'd have another superb album, and (2) when I said "Close to the Edge"
is a great album to relax to, "Tales..." is at least ten times more so.
If you are traveling long distances, beware!!
So, this record (if you have the patience!) earns a low 8 out of 10.
(Who else would have had the audacity to pull this job off? Yes almost
did!)
One Year Later
Perhaps, it has to do with watching Howe do "Leaves of Green" live this summer,
but I'm growing to like "The Ancient" much more, though the first half does get
to be tedious after a few minutes. Plus, "Ritual" now seems quite compelling to
me. What a nice way to wrap up the album! So, I am finally comfortable enough
to award this album a low 9(12).
Matti Alakulju (matti.alakulju.peterstar.ru) (12/24/01)
I have a comment to make, that has nothing to do with this album, at
least not directly. You wrote about Anderson's mysticism and about "what
you know to be necessary in the eternal scheme of things". There you have
one word which is very fundamentally wrong, and it is "know". The right
word should be "believe".
I don't care about your religious inclinations, and I actually enjoy your
review site very much. But let's face it: Some people "knowing", rather
than "believing", the eternal scheme of things has caused enormous
bloodshed through the history of mankind. Especially today, since it's
Christmas, I want to say that everybody with religious inclinations
doesn't really "know". They all just "believe". But when they believe to
know better than some others, there we have a problem.
Merry Christmas to everybody, even if Christmas is maybe not included in
your eternal scheme of things.
Daniel and Corine Bosch (dcbosch.optusnet.com.au) (5/15/02)
I did hesitate buying this album 'cos of all the bad reviews. But when I did
I was glad I did - it is brilliant! Close to their best album (I don't have
a single best Yes album, depends on my mood), and yes "The Revealing Science
Of God" is the best, although "The Remembering" comes close. Most prog bands
did one or two 15 min plus epics (Genesis only did one, so did King Crimson,
ELP actually managed three, Pink Floyd did two etc) so to have a double
album with FOUR of them - wow! Still, it does have it's down moments - parts
of "The Ancient" drag.
"Thomas, Gary" (ThomasG.HorryCounty.org) (10/23/02)
Hello, I liked your review of Tales from Topographic Oceans very much!
Sometimes, as I listen to the CD, I think it might be the best album
they've ever done. I enjoyed your opinions and insights on the music and
appreciate your viewpoints on the band. Thanks, ( a Yes fan from coastal
South Carolina) Gary
Ben Kramer - Miller (bkramer2000.hotmail.com) (11/27/02)
"How do I feel about it? I'm giving it a nine. Call me a pretentious jerk,
but I love this album."
John, you are a pretentious jerk.
Vandermeer (bkvander.telus.net) (6/29/03)
This seems to be an album you either "get" or you don't. I don't get
it. Being an atheist, I don't listen toYes to get any kind of spiritual
fulfillment, I just love their music. And here I think the music took a bit of
a backseat to Anderson and Howe's desire to create this conceptual behemoth.
Not one song justifies its length.
Now having said that, there is some great melodies on here. The Revealing
Science of God has some very nice passages, even if they are repeated too often.
The Remembering drags on way too long between its catchy hooks. The Ancient
really drags at the beginning before getting to the nice Leaves are Green
section. Finally, I consider Ritual the best song here, with the tribal
drumming sounding really cool, and the closing section (Hold me my love..) being
one of the most beautiful passages in the Yes cannon which I find myself singing
all the time when the album is over. This alone is enough to make me tell
people to get the album. But overall, I can only give the album a 5 (8). They
just didn't have enough fresh ideas (or didn't have enough time to come up with
fresh ideas) to justify making it a double album.
Craig Thomas (Craig.W.Thomas.btinternet.com) (10/21/03)
re Tales From The Top, i think you've been brainwashed along with a lot
of other people. The lyrics of The Ancient aren't jibberish. Read them.
There's an apologetic tone to your praise of the record which i think is
a shame. indeed shame is something a lot of Yes fans seem to feel about
talking about the record in a positive way. perhaps you're younger than
me and not being around in the early 70s, don't find yourself comfortable
with the styles and the ethic of the times.
what truly is shameful is welch's treatment of the ancient, where he
reveals his ineptitude as a critic and his lack of professionalism as a
writer. but then, he never could write.
not only is The Ancient one of the best pieces of work the band ever
wrote and recorded, it's a landmark in rock music history. slight trouble
is, i might be in a minority of less than ten here. however, i'm on a
one-man mission to change that.
"Eden, Scott C Mr (Contractor) MONROE" (scott.eden1.us.army.mil) (4/14/03)
I must be one of the very select few, as I have always considered Tales
to be Yes' best album and the apex of their most creative period (CTTE ->
Relayer). There is something so calming and peaceful about this album,
though it definitely has its truly rocking moments. It is completely
unlike any of their other albums, though can clearly be seen as a
relative of CTTE and sound-wise (as well as feel) has much more in common
with that album than with Relayer. Tales is very colourful album and is
in many ways a very "earthy" album. The subtle aspects of this album are
best served by the studio performance. The live performances lack the
nuance of the album.
Will Hare (element.sprint.ca) (10/11/04)
I believe ambition is enough - One need not neccesarily succeed. Yes
did not hit the bullseye with this album - Indeed, Jon himself has talked
on more than one occasion of an edited version: "One of the dreams that
I've had is to really look into Topographic Oceans and reissue it on CD
as hour of music, with remixes and overdubs" - I'm sure you're familiar
with that quote from Yesstories.
Still, the sheer ambition will always yield results far more
fulfilling and fascinating than the usual pop pap we're subjected
to. Along these same lines is Deep Purple's Concerto for Group and
Orchestra. C'mon! The title itself is enough to bring a smile to your
face! The attempt is the success!!! Sure it's not great but you've got to
love Jon Lord (It must be a Jon thing) for trying!! Same deal with this
album and with Lamb Lies Down on Broadway or even Tommy - Any attempt to
push the boundaries.
Even if I never listen to the first 13 minutes of The Ancient again,
I am grateful that it is there for me to listen to.
Trfesok.aol.com (12/09/04)
This is the one that divides the Yes hard-core fans from ordinary
mortals, and I can't cross the line. Since the band was still able to
sell oodles of records, despite the complexity of the music, Atlantic
Records let them get away with anything. Even a band with such a depth
of talent as Yes has a limit to that talent. Like most major Prog groups
(Jethro Tull with A Passion Play; ELP with Pictures.. or Works I,
depending on your point of view; Pink Floyd's Atom Heart Mother; Genesis
and The Lamb..), Yes made an album where ego and ambition overran that
talent. Oddly enough, I think the format of a double album actually
constrained Yes as opposed to liberating them. "We just HAVE to have
a four song double album." The problem is that they didn't have enough
musical ideas to actually FILL a double album.
As a result, I have to agree with Rick's initial assessment as
"padded"(although I guess he's changed his tune in recent years). It
sounds like they were so desperate to fill the time that they threw
anything into the mix. This results in a lot of music lacking cohesion,
conventional melodies or the excitement that Close to the Edge generated.
"The Ancient" is by far the worst offender in this regard, although I
guess the "Leaves of Green" section is kind of nice. "The Remembering" is
a rather ironic title for a piece that is so unmemorable. "The Revealing
Science of God" is better, with a very cool descending keyboard line and
some good playing from the band, but this does set the annoying precedent
of Anderson trying to crowd too many lyrics into a bar of music
("Awaken," "Turn of the Century," "Madrigal" and "For You, For Me" are
examples of later abuses). "Ritual" is the one piece that works just
about all the way through, although that percussion jam is unnecessarily
long. By far, my favorite here.
I have no problems with the lyrics -- abstraction is usually Anderson's
stock in trade. If Yes had constrained themselves to a musical 45
minutes, or even an hour, this could have been a classic as highly
regarded as CTTE. Instead, they created a bit of a monster. Amazingly,
the reputation Yes established with the previous albums allowed them to
cruise along on for a number of years yet. I doubt seriously, though,
that anyone was converted to Yes by listening to this album first.
Mark Taylor (Mark_Taylor.cingular.suth.com) (1/17/05)
I saw this concert at cornell university in 1974 front roll....i went
with a good friend who loved chris squire so much that he had a
collection of 3 rickenbacker bass's the same model chris used.the band
was at the top of their game full of youthful energy and fire.After the
rites of spring opening music the band opened with Siberian k. after
which there played the 4 sides of tales.it was wonderful and draining and
emotional and I will never forget it . mark
Vincent Deporter (vdeporter.mac.com) (08/28/08)
Thank you so much for your wonderful insight on the albums of YES. I admit it -- I'm one of the few to truly LOVE "Tales From Topographic Oceans". The Ancient was the most difficult one to grasp at first, then quickly became my favorite movement of
the album. Like an opera, it takes some concentration to really appreciate the depths of the work.
So, once again, thank you for your hard work on the albums of my favorite band!
David Sheehan (dawningistheday.yahoo.com) (02/13/09)
You are right about the 2003 remaster--this is definitely the way to
do a reissue! Thanks, Rhino records for the incredible sound and
impeccable packaging! I wish all of my CDs looked this nice. As for
the record itself, it's probably a 12 for me, though if all four
tracks were as good as "The Revealing Science of God," this would be
a 15 all the way. Seriously, that may be my very favorite Yes
recording.
Pete Anderson (pete.distantearlywarning.info) (12/13/09)
This seems to be an album that most people either love (you) or hate (George
Starostin). Therefore, I guess my rating - a big fat 7(10) - will satisfy
nobody. However, it's not that I neither like nor dislike this album: I do
my share of both.
I agree that "The Revealing Science of God" is hands-down the best song.
However, I cannot imagine the song's magnficent intro being anywhere near as
powerful as it is without the first two minutes that I understand only
appear on the 2003 remaster - so the original album might well get a meagre
6(9) from me if I were to hear it.
However, the 2003 remaster seems to be the most widely available version
today, so a 7(10) it is.
Mark Nieuweboer (ismaninb.teacher.com) (02/13/10)
For the second time McFerrin makes me chuckle. This time he raves about all the
musical cross references on this album. Typically he does not give any example but
continues with offering the program of this "rocksymphony". That tells us exactly
zero about the music. Topographic Oceans is not a symphony - no sonata in the first
movement, no three-parted scherzo, no rondo. At best and with a lot of good will it
is a collection of four symphonic poems.
Let's do a thought experiment. We cut Topographic Oceans in 12 to 16 pieces and
paste them in some random order. It will make hardly any difference. The conclusion
is that the form of Topographic Oceans is a complete mess. What's more - mid-tempo
dominates. Still some Yesgeek tries to tell me that this music is so complicated and
demands a high musical IQ. Try Alban Berg's Violin Concerto, will you? If you
understand what that one is about you may come back and try again telling me that
Topographic Oceans is too difficult for me. It's not. It's just one not too
interesting melody (mostly vocal, sometimes instrumental) placed after another.
There are three remarkable bits. The vocal introduction works nicely, even though
the harmonies are not special. It pales compared to Good Vibration. Then The Ancient
is Yes' attempt at atonal music. Now that is special and the first time I heard it I
enjoyed it. Must have been because it's a relief after 40 minutes of boredom. When I
listened to it seperately twice I noticed how trivial and repetitive it is. Gimme
Shostakovich' Violin Sonata, please. The last interesting point is at the end of
ritual - a real crescendo! Oh, it's not a big one, don't think of Lady in Black or
Child in Time, but it's there.
Jon Anderson himself once commented that Topographic Oceans has too many pretentions
and lacks energy. I could not agree more. Yes recorded it while in their microbiotic
phase. A microbiotic diet lacks vitamins and minerals. So does Topographic Oceans.
Aaron Levin (alevin1169.hotmail.com) (12/13/16)
Ugh...whatever. I love Part 1 (The Revealing Science of God), but the other 3 parts have way too much filler for my taste. I couldn't get through the whole album more than a couple times. I'll still give it an okay grade on the basis of competence (none of it is BAD), but there's 60 minutes of very mediocre music here. 7/16.
Ed Bayley (ed_bayley.hotmail.com) (02/13/18)
I thoroughly enjoyed your reviews and comments on Yes and Yes albums. Certainly one my favorite bands.
One line of your TFTO review that gave me a chuckle:
“And there's a giant drum solo near the end, … and you would get to see Squire on tympanis and Anderson on some weird chime things and ... “
I honestly thought you were going to say “…and Wakeman on curry”!!!
Best song: Close to the Edge
A heavenly bootleg that I downloaded from a really great site that was unfortunately shut down (and now you can't even find it on E-bay). The complete Tales
performance is awe-inspiring - "The Ancient" still sags a bit, and "Ritual"
hasn't quite taken on a new life on stage as it would in later
performances (it's still friggin' great, though), but the first two
'movements' are wonderful. "The Revealing Science of God" gets a lengthy,
ultra-atmospheric intro while Jon briefly explains the concept, and "The
Remembering" is TONS more energetic in this incarnation than before. It's
still mostly a slow number, but the parts that bore some listeners the
most are speeded up just enough so that their sing-songyness shines
through, and the rest, hoo!! I'm annoyed that there is a six second gap in
the tape, just before the final, major climax begins at the 18-minute
mark, but other than that, no gripes.
But, it's entirely possible that you never liked Tales to start
with, and are looking for a reason to clog your hard-drive with this
bootleg. In that case, your best bet is the complete Close to the
Edge that the band performs to kick off the show (well, it's complete,
just backwards). We all know very well that Yes' technical superiority is
unquestioned, but let me just tell you this - you have NEVER heard Yes
play this well before. "Close to the Edge" is my favorite here, with the
dissonant introduction coming across as has never been done before. Howe
is flying all over the place, and those keyboard loops sound pissed off,
man! And White ... aye, it can sometimes be easy to somewhat dismiss
White's drumming, but he is walloping up a storm, with as much accuracy as
Bruford and tons more volume. And, of course, Squire is Squire. And
it's not just the introduction - dig that cool reverb effect they put
on Jon's vocals during "Total Mass Retain!"
"Siberian Khatru" also comes off like dynamite here, with Steve the main
attraction once again. And, of course, both "And You And I" and "Roundabout"
(which closes the show) are as mindblowing as ever. There's even a
hilarious comment by some audience member, as you can hear him say in a
really dorky voice, right before "AYAI" begins, "This is the bomb." I wasn't
aware that phrase existed in 1974, but hey, I guess I was wrong. Anyways,
if you've got a fast internet connection and some spare room on your
computer, please give this a whirl. This particular version of Yes may
have been on the verge of disintegration, but it was also an
awe-inspiring machine, and this displays that fact even better than
Yessongs.
bsitting.mail.math.ucsb.edu (9/10/02)
This bootleg feels like the logical prodecessor to "Yessongs" performance-wise
(raw energy, yet precise playing), though the sound quality on here is
significantly better! The "Close to the Edge" songs come off even stronger than
when performed on "Yessongs", and in some ways the "Tales" material comes off
even better than in the studio! In particular, the dissonant intro to "The
Ancient" comes off less ear-gratingly than before, and doesn't wear out the
listener as much. Very good concert, indeed: 9(13), at least.
"Eden, Scott C Mr (Contractor) MONROE" (scott.eden1.us.army.mil) (4/14/03)
I currently have 16 recordings from their Topographic Oceans tour and
this is still my favorite. I think it has the best combination of good
SQ, great performance, and good mix. Too many of the 1972-1974 shows
have Wakeman way too high in the mix and tends to drown out the guitar.
This recording has a relatively even mix, with possibly Howe coming
through slightly better. This is a good thing (not only because he is my
favorite member) as he is the main driving force of the Tales material,
and the whole show in general. He is all over the place on this one,
adding fills everywhere and moving the music along. I think Howe (and
Yes in general) peaked in the 1971-1974 period, and the 1974 shows
(Relayer shows included) show Howe at his most aggressive and virtuosic.
As I wrote in my comments about the Topographic Oceans album, I
personally think that the Tales material was better translated in the
studio than on stage. The live performances lack the subtle feel that is
integral to this piece of music. However, this performance has that
special warm "feel" of the LP Tales, which is often missing from the live
performances. If you are not overly thrilled with the album, then the
live performance may be more to your liking. That said, this whole show
is hot. From start to finish, the band is on fire, especially Howe. The
band blazes through each song with an all-out approach that was sadly to
end with the 1974 shows in December. As a big fan of both CTTE and
Tales, I always thought that the Tales tour had the best setlist, playing
those two albums in their entirety. The only weak song here, though not
in terms of performance, is Roundabout. This song should have been put
out to pasture long ago and is a song I regularly skip over. Be sure to
check out And You And I JUST before Howe kicks in with the peddle steel.
You can hear someone in the band say a very brief "waahh" just before the
peddle steel. I have always thought that this is Steve Howe. If you
have ever seen live footage of the band from the 1970's (the Yessongs
film is probably the best example), you will notice that Howe regularly
mouthed along with his playing, particularly the peddle steel. I think
this is him doing that here and it was picked up by the mic before his
peddle steel kicks in. I would like to hear other peoples thoughts on
this.
So, in short, if you are to only get one recording from their Tales tour,
I would recommend that you get this show (there are a couple of titles
out there, just be sure to get the complete recording). by the way, it appears
that this was the last show of the tour to include the complete
Topographic Oceans performance. The Remembering was dropped after this
show. Though Forgotten Yesterdays lists this song being played at
Cincinnati on March-3, I suspect this is incorrect. Absolutely no
support or reason is given for why this song is listed. Enjoy.
Best song: Gates Of Delirium
People thought Yes was about to collapse. People
were very wrong. To replace the departed Wakeman, Yes pulled out
minor-keyboard-deity Patrick Moraz, formerly of some band called Refugee. In a few years time, he would hook up with the Moody Blues, first helping to jump-start their career and later leading the band into self-parody with his cheezy playing, but for now Patrick was a well-respected fusion keyboardist who would add a completely new dimension to Yes' sound. Initially, I considered him far weaker than Wakeman, but I now feel that was a mistake - while I do slightly prefer Wakeman overall, as a reader below points out, the two can't really be compared straight up (since their styles are so different), and when I take into account stylistic differences, I find it very difficult to choose one over the other.
The result, Relayer, must be considered one of the absolute high points of Yes' career, even though it's a slight aberration from their normal sound. I used to consider it weaker than the last couple of
albums, but I was wrong - musically, it's very strong, and from a
trail-blazing point of view, it is practically untouchable. Besides, half
of it is amazing beyond belief - how could I give a low rating to an album
where a full side almost defines the word 'perfection'? See, although
Tales' structure had been widely criticized, Yes was not done
making 'epic' albums. Rather than doing the 4 side-long track thing,
however, they returned to the Close to the Edge setup of one
side-long and two tracks on the other. And partially because of that, the album is even stronger than Tales.
This is hardly a Close to the Edge redux, though. As mentioned earlier, Moraz was primarily a fusion keyboardist, and as such it shouldn't be surprising that Yes dabbles heavily in that aspect of music on this album. The songs are still basically prog-rock, sure, and none of the passages on the album are improvs put to tape (a la some King Crimson), but the stylistics have still changed significantly. The instrumental breaks are much more intense and fierce-sounding than anything from before, partially because Howe hardens up his guitar tone to an extent unmatched in the rest of Yes' history, and partially because the band went for all out aggression in more than a few spots on the album. The result oftentimes sounds a bit like the recently-dissolved 70's King Crimson, but as much as I love Larks and Red, I ultimately end up preferring Yes' take on the approach (ie this album) by a very slight bit. Why this is I will get to later.
The King Crimson influences are most prominent in the second track of the album, the nine-minute "Sound Chaser." I can only begin to imagine the absolute shock received by fans hearing this for the first time in pre-album touring; on the surface, it's a really cool, loud, but also messy-as-hell shredfest whose main goal seems to be to show off chops. Well .... that might be true, but I get my kicks from it anyhow. The vocal melody that pops up from time to time gets caught in my head routinely (no kidding), and the CHA CHA CHA *HROUGH* parts at the end are nothing short of hilarious, but of course it's the instrumental breaks that take the cake. All receive prominent display, even if in the case of White (whose drumming on this album improves tenfold from Tales, or at least so it seemed before Tales got its remastering job) and Squire it's relegated to providing VERY cool work underpinning the rest. Moraz gets one of the strangest keyboard solos ever to be found on a Yes album near the end, while providing ominous parts periodically in the rest, and Steve gets one of the most ferocious solos ever known to man in the first half. This solo also contains one of the few moments in the Yes canon that genuinely scares the crap out of me every time I hear it: Steve's quote of "Mood for a Day," a soothing piece if ever
there was one, that is quickly followed by a menacing *BOOOWW WOW WOW WOOOOWW*, as if to tell the listener that any expectations of relief from the onslaught during this piece should be dismissed. Sure, I wouldn't want to listen to this sort of thing every minute of my life, but it works well in the context of the album.
Fortunately, relief comes in the closing "To Be Over." It's a strange piece, not exactly a ballad or anything like that, but that doesn't make it any worse for it. It really provides an image of sailing down a stream, passing waterfalls here and there, as we emerge from the hellishness provided by the last track. At least, for the most part; Steve's guitar parts are EXTREMELY interesting on this track - not only are they mixed very clearly and placed very high, but they're very, er, "schizophrenic." He'll be playing some beautiful slide for a while, and out of nowhere he'll rip into a lick on his Telecaster that sounds straight out of the previous song. Of course, I feel there is a distinct purpose to that (which I will mention later), but never mind - the final third of the piece contains some of the most beautiful vocal harmonizing I've ever come across, and the "someday someone" etc. chanting at the end with Steve coming full circle with his slide parts does not fail to bring a tear to my eye. Again, not all the individual elements of the song are brilliant, but it works well as a whole (though I'd still take "AYAI" over this).
But of course, these two tracks are not the main reason people go gaga over this album. Nono, that would be the beast on side one. The greatest song in the Yes catalogue, the band's crowning jewel. The pinnacle and culmination of all things progressive. The track that ALL progressive rock was leading up to, which has never once been topped and will stand, many years from now, as the shining moment of the prog-rock movement when I am gone and this page lies abandoned. Yes, it is indeed the epic "Gates of Delirium" of which I speak. A 22 minute musical interpretation of War and Peace (or at least a specific section of it: I'm pretty sure this track is Anderson's musical interpretation of the Battle of Borodino in volume 3 of that novel) that tells the most evocative and tension-filled story I've ever heard (er, at least in a musical setting).
Wait, a "story" I said? Yes indeed. The song is, at the most basic level, divided into three sections - the battle prologue, the battle (which is bloody as hell), and the aftermath. So in the beginning, it's peaceful (day breaks, and there's even a "revellie" part), and yet
filled with anxiety. As the time of the confrontation approaches, the
tension rises; the warriors remind each other why they wish to fight, call
up their Gods to help them in battle, and there's even signs of deceit
and espionage within the ranks. Not to mention that the music does a good enough job of its own of raising the tension so slowly that one barely notices until it's almost too late (note especially the way Steve's guitar tone gets harder and harder throughout the intro).
As the battle is imminent, the adrenaline
starts pumping, and it's time to do or die. The final stanza before the
fighting begins is nothing short of brilliant: "The first will run, grasp
metal to gun. The spirit sings in crashing tones, we gain the battle drum.
Our cries will shrill, the air will moan and crash into the dawn. The pen
won't stay the demon's wings, the hour approaches pounding out the Devil's
sermon." Cool, huh? Then there's a whole bunch of sound effects over the
music, simulating the confrontation (which is EXTRAORDINARILY well structured, by the way, depicting waves of attacking forces and slow advances in positioning, until the forces break through and White pounds out the main rhythm of a victory march). Needless to say, the music itself is also incredible - from Moraz's initial surge and explosion with his keys to Steve's "death from above" guitar swoops to the cool bass part in a syncopated 6/4, it becomes exceptionally easy after five or six listens (and with some modicum of imagination) to see people falling left and right while the victorious force grinds its way through the enemy position. I should also mention that this instrumental section contains my single favorite Yes moment - the RIP YOUR FACE OFF harmonic and rhythmic counterpoint that occurs around 9:41, a blast of controlled chaos that boggles my mind every time I hear it. And of course, I also find it REALLY cool the way the instruments "complete each other's thoughts" on such a regular basis, but I should move on, really I should ...
After the battle fades away, the
music starts to get peaceful again - but it's an eerie, sick sort of peace. The imagery of the last part of this track is almost undeniable - one can easily envision the leader of the victorious side riding about in celebration, then slowing down as the smoke clears and the casualties of war are revealed, changing a happy celebration into something less ebulliant, more introspective and reflective. But as the survivors tend to the wounded and Jon serenades us with the "Soon" conclusion, a tinge of optimism creeps forth - although many were lost, their sacrifice was not in vain, and the future will be brighter because of them. NOW do you get an idea of why so many people worship this track??!!
Of course, I've still left unanswered the questions from before. The first: why it is that I prefer Yes' take on King Crimson (and yes, with the "hard" edge evident throughout, all three tracks can be attributed with that tinge). The answer is basically this: mid 70's King Crimson had an absolute mastery of contrast between loud and quiet, as well as an incredible sense of how to build one into another. Yes demonstrates a similar mastery of that with this album, but also taps into an aspect Crimson never could: contrast between light and dark, good and evil. Which in turn leads into the second question: why it is that Yes would allow the album to be so schizophrenic in nature. The answer to this, I fear, will not come out particularly clearly, but I'm hoping I can find the words to explain my thoughts. So here goes.
Relayer, when you get down to it, is a mood album. Yes, you read that correctly, but I mean the term in a different connotation than you might be used to. Most of the time, a mood album "sets" a mood or a vibe through peaceful repetition of quiet phrases. Relayer, on the other hand, FORCES moods upon you. Not only that, but the mood swings violently from aggression to peace; the pretty parts of the album are some of the most gorgeous known to man, while the most aggressive parts could make the most ardent metalhead suck his thumb and cry for mommy. Just look at the way the album goes: "Gates" starts off peacefully, slowly builds into the violent battle section, which in turn oozes its way into the beautiful Soon. Then from nowhere, we're launched straight back into angry aggression with "Sound Chaser," which has an occasional moment of calm, only to be swallowed up with the torrent of playing. And finally, we have "TBO," which starts out beautifully ... and then eventually goes through some "turbulence." The swings between light and dark, peace and anger, become closer and closer together, with less time to gradually swing from one to another ... until, in the end, the peaceful side wins out, giving us the beautiful guitar serenade whilst the band floats away into a beautiful sunset. Or something like that.
Yes, I am a nut. That doesn't make the album rule any less. I can't BELIEVE the lower grade I once gave this ...
Nick Karn (Awake600.aol.com)
I agree with the 12 rating (a high 8, but a lower one than The Yes
Album)
-
this is one underrated, loud, and strange album. The sidelong on this one
"The Gates Of Delirium" definitely does stand out, although personally I
prefer "Close To The Edge" more because that one seems to flow better and
seems so much shorter than its' length, and some of the melodies before
the
long jam beginning at the 8 minute mark seem kinda weak and clumsy to me,
although the lyrics definitely work. Nevertheless, it's still a classic
epic
track - that jam just rules! When I first heard it, the only way I could
describe that part was 'an aural rollercoaster of sound' - it even ends
like
a coaster stopping - and I still hold that opinion. Just wild and crazy,
and
the ending ballad section is simply beautiful.
The other two tracks IMO deserve more mention than other review sites have
given them, though... well at least "Sound Chaser" does. That song is
just
SICK, and it further convinces me that Chris Squire is not human. Steve
Howe's soloing on that one is also terrific, Alan White's drumming speaks
to
me a lot more than Bruford's does, and the 'cha cha cha' part near the end
is
hysterical... I love it!! I don't really care for "To Be Over" that much,
though - it is pretty, especially near the end, but it doesn't earn its
length like the others do, and it drags. I can't really share Geddy Lee's
opinion that this is the album he would pick if he had to save one from
his
burning house, but it's still a pretty darn good gem.
Rich Bunnell (richbunnell.home.com)
Wait.... discount my above comment on "Yes Album." My "favorite"
Yes album keeps switching from month to month, but I'm pretty sure that
this one's going to stick, because I absolutely LOVE this album. "Gates Of
Delirium," is, in my mind, the only longform prog song ever to merit its
length COMPLETELY (even "Supper's Ready" has some dull spots)-- from that
opening intense vocal melody to the extended apocalyptic jam to the
closing ballad "Soon," it is one perfect song. "Sound Chaser" is a real
treat too, but I can imagine people listening to it and thinking "What is
this crap?? Can these guys even play their instruments?" Believe it or
not, it takes a lot of focus and precision to make a song as wonderfully
random as that. And "To Be Over" is softer and less noticeable than the
other two knockouts, but an effective closer. I give it a ten and state
that Yes never rose to this height before or since (though I haven't heard
Tales yet, and thus am not sure what camp I'd fall into for that
one).
Laurent MASSE (masse.geocean.u-bordeaux.fr)
As an epic, "The Gates Of Delirium" is much more effective than anything
on TFTO, because the piece is actually constructed around a
narrative
story, not just a fluffy philosophical concept. I should be offended by
the bass in this album, but strangely not. In the battle section, Chris is
actually saying something in the whole picture instead of merely
demonstrating, and in "Sound Chaser", all this epileptic non-rhythmic
playing is meant to be funny - and succeeds (am I wrong here?). In fact
the whole album made me laugh on first listen. Not that I find it
ridiculous in any way, I actually like it a lot, but I still see it as an
exercise in style much more than music. Apart from the standout "Soon",
the "song parts" are not developed on their on but integrated in very
complex structures. And, while the first sung part of Gates is very
uninteresting on its own, the vocal melodies of "Sound Chaser" and "To Be
Over" are among their cutest ever, showing they were not at all short on
ideas, but decided to rather concentrate on the form. Very thought out and
intense indeed, but what the hell were they trying to do? I thought they
were trying to step on King Crimson's toes, who had just "ceased to exist"
at the time. The incessant stop-and-go and epileptic playing of "Sound
Chaser" strongly reminds me of King Crimson's "The Great Deceiver". I may
be wrong, still I do believe there must be some kind of parody in there,
but what?
Stephane Ouimet (seo.sympatico.ca)
First of all, you did a great job in reviewing these Yes albums. You seem
to appreciate and undrestand what the band was about in its numerous
changes. It looks as many other reviewers don't seem to get Jon
Anderson's lyrical approach: I for one, think that Jon was always in to
surrealism, and the focus is on evocation rather than litteral meaning,
mental images rather than ideas or narratives.
Anyhow, I must point out that the Relayer album was Yes' excursion
into
the domain of Jazz-Rock. Soundchaser, in its savage splendour, is very
much reminiscent of Mahavishnu Orchestra and Chick Corea's Return to
Forever. The playing on this song is the closest Yes came towards
Fusion. Many parts of Gates Of Delirium show the same frame of mind, and
I suspect that shift was influenced by Patrick Moraz.
I have to say that you're a bit harsh about Moraz. Sure, Wakeman was
classically trained, was influenced by Bach, Baroque music and even the
Romantics such as Chopin. Moraz is NOT that type of player: he is a
Jazz-rock keyboardist, he fits much more among people like Jan Hammer,
Chick Corea, Joe Zawinul and other Fusion luminaries. Furthermore,
Moraz, both with Yes and in his solo career (forget the Moodies, of
course), shows a flair for contemporary classical music (Stravinsky,
Bartok, Messian and so forth). So, it's not really a very good idea to
judge Moraz with Wakeman's standards, since both are in two opposite
schools of music. Moraz's style, I think, worked very well with Yes, it
gave them a Jazz-Rock Edge to them.... Even Bruford took notice and made
a couple of great experimental jazz albums with him.
The Gates of delirium is probably my favourite Yes piece. The "battle"
part of the song should not be dismissed as a "jam", though. Too strange
and complex for a mere "jam". It is Alan White's shining moment, although
he's no slouch in the other records as well... He is seemingly a rock
drummer, but he added very complex rythms to the songs (see The Ancient,
in TFTO), and he is a very talented, creative and OVERLOOKED
drummer, in my opinion. It's a strange thing to say, but he added swing to
the band, he made it breathe a lot freely, and should not be dismissed as
"the less talented,plodding rock-guy who replaced Bruford". I know you
didn't exactly said that, but a lot of people have....
"Sittinger, Brian D" (brian.d.sittinger.lmco.com)
I hated this record at first!! It had to be the noisy vibe! Well, time
has cured me of that; the cacaphony actually makes sense in "The Gates
of Delirium." Even its lyrics are more comprehensible!! The one
virtue(?) of Yes; one never knows what to expect from them (King
Crimson, from the little I have heard from them, are even more
unpredictable...).
Steve Howe rules throughout this record, very well demonstrated in the
first track. The "Soon" edit of the first track is so moving I can
almost see why it was extracted from the rest of "Gates of Delirium"
(as not to scare any Yes initiate or the 90125 lovers...). "Sound
Chaser" actually works for me now too, although the cha cha cha's still
grate on my nerves (like cheese? Never mind...). "To be Over" is a nice
way to close out a rowdy album. Although Moraz's keyboards get a bit
poisonous, they on the most part, work quite well on this record.
As time has shown me, this album is worthy of a 9 out of 10.
Daniel and Corine Bosch (dcbosch.optusnet.com.au) (5/15/02)
I think this is their most ambitious album, musically it is even more
ambitious than "Tales" and sometimes, it has to be said, they overreach and
end up just creating noise.Never the less a very good album
Vandermeer (bkvander.telus.net) (6/29/03)
Ten years ago I would have easily rated this as my least favourite Yes album.
The first time I heard it, I dismissed as an experimental noise fest, and I
don't think I played it again for months afterwards.
Well time has certainly improved my opinion. I now consider The Gates of
Delirium to be the best side-long piece Yes has done. I think you really need
to know the subject matter of the song and listen to the lyrics to fully
appreciate this masterpiece. Once I discovered the middle jam was depicting a
battle, my enjoyment of it rose a hundredfold. This is not a song you can have
on in the background-you really need to make a commitment to listen to it. The
musicianship is just incredible-I think Moraz's playing is just perfect for this
song, and this is probably Howe's best performance on a Yes album. I've never
been able to get into the other two songs as much. Sound Chaser rocks good at
some points, but I still think it drags a bit, not quite justifying its length.
Same with To Be Over-some nice passages to be sure, but slightly overlong.
I only give the album a 7(10) because (1) GoD takes a while to get into, and (2)
the second side tracks are not nearly as strong (like they were on CttE). I
would advise someone to get this album only after they were sure they were a big
Yes fan (i.e. get almost every other album first).
(By the way, I had Relayer on the other day and my 2-year old daughter started
grooving to the cha-cha-cha's in Sound Chaser! Maybe there's hope for the
future generation to stay away from Britney Spears and listen to real music.)
Neil Daniels (neild.cox.net) (6/16/04)
I agree that Relayer really stands the test of time, and year by year has
moved up my list ahead of CTTE, and is edging closer to my favorite, The
Yes Album. Face it, Allan White is nowhere near the drummer Bill Bruford
is, and yet he is a fine rock drummer whose style fits for the first time
on this album with it's much harder edge. Moraz complements White's
playing in the way Bruford complements Wakeman. This is the right
compositions with the right personnel, and this recording is like no
other in progressive rock. I love the tempo changes in Sound Chaser and
Gates of Delirium. I can't believe I've come to this conclusion, but
really think The Gates of Delirium, as intense and loud as it is in
passages, compares very favorably to Close to the Edge. Whereas I see
Topographic Oceans as self indulgent excess, this album has balls and a
purpose. Move aside, this might be the best of the Yes catalogue, though
no one would have thought so at the time of its release. Great web
site. Thanks Neil Daniels
Alex Mortland (alexmortland.hotmail.com) (09/05/05)
"The greatest song in the Yes catalogue, the band's crowning jewel. The
pinnacle and culmination of all things progressive. The track that ALL
progressive rock was leading up to, which has never once been topped and
will stand, many years from now, as the shining moment of the prog-rock
movement when I am gone and this page lies abandoned. Yes, it is indeed the
epic Gates of Delirium of which I speak."
Right on the money.
If you're reading this, DO NOT underestimate or talk shit about Yes until
you hear this song, all 20+ minutes of it. Jumpin' Jesus, what a track! Were
these guys telepathic, or what?
james devero (j.devero.sbcglobal.net) (10/19/05)
Steve Howe didn't ever really play the slide guitar.
He played the pedal steel guitar and he also used
a volume pedal to swell his notes and a pedal they dont
make anymore called a "slow pedal".
I'm not hear to correct anyone...but I wold point out
that its a similar effect as a "slide" guitar....but
a pedal steel ...is far easier to control the long. long
sweeping sounds...with the delay and reverb...it took
it to "outerspace"...and it was interesting because
it really wasn't being used for "rock style" music...
The pedal steel was a country guitar players favorite.
Trfesok.aol.com (11/02/05)
Unlike the last album, this one rewards with a fair amount of
relistening. I wouldn't rate it as high as CTTE, though, since it
really doesn't quite make it in terms of melodicism and accessibility
balanced against the musicianship. However, they really take the
experimentation to a new level, and I really enjoy the playing here.
Moraz, I think, was really on a par with Wakeman. It's too bad that
Bruford had left the band, since he would have been right at home
with all this jazz influence. Although White does a superb job here.
In fact, I would rate his work here the best here ever did with the
group. "Sound Chaser" is pretty freaky, I agree, but very cool. I
find it interesting that Squire's voice seems more prominent in the
vocal harmonies on that song than Anderson's. "To Be Over" is more
interesting for Howe's various stringed instruments (notice that
sitar?) than for its melody, and the vocals are mixed way too low,
but it's a nice enough song. And while I don't agree that "Gates" is
the peak track in all prog-rock ("Close to the Edge" might be a
better candidate), it's still amazing. "Soon" is very gorgeous and
moving, pretty straightforward for an Anderson composition. Still, I
would not make this a first choice for a Yes newbie -- the album is
just too weird! However, definitely the next stop after getting into
the albums from the 70-72 period.
Dan and Liz Finegan (finegans.dca.net) (06/07/07)
"Relayer" is easily my favorite Yes record, though as you mention,
it's not something that you want to listen to all the time.
On point I do want to make, and which I've never heard in regard to
this record, is that there is a very heavy Mahavishnu Orchestra
influence going on here. Mahavishnu has at its peak during this
period, and they raised the rock/prog bar quite high. Yes met the
challenge very well on "Relayer".
awaller.camden.rutgers.edu (05/13/09)
Loved your review of Relayer. True, 'The Gates Of Delirium' truly feels
like the culmination of all things progressive rock. Yes never got even
close to being this aggressive and of course it?s technically brilliant.
The only flaw? The chaotic instrumental section HAS TO END. Why? Couldn't
they just keep going? The 'Soon' section is very nice though.
'Sound Chaser' is awesome as well. The first three minutes of that song
might be the best 3 minutes of Yes music ever put to tape. That song just
rips your fucking head off. The bass/guitar bit around 2 and a half minutes
is just insane, and Howe is a frickin God the rest of the way. Incredible.
?To Be Over? is a nice calm after the storm. It?s no where near the other
two songs, it?s still good though. I don't listen to it much, but I'm not
gonna bash it or anything.
I can understand why you gave Relayer an 8(11) at a point. I had a hard
time getting into this one as well. It?s chaotic, initially 'noisy' (I
guess that would be the word), and tough to grasp. Repeated listens?. And
this is one of the most thrilling, powerful, and exciting albums I've ever
listened to. You're on the dot, 9(14) it is. I want to give this album a
10 but I feel Close To The Edge is clearly better (Siberian Khatru is much
better than To Be Over), and since I consider Yes to be a FIVE STAR band, I
can?t give this album a perfect rating, it?s damn close though.
Mark Nieuweboer (ismaninb.teacher.com) (02/13/10)
Quite a few Yesgeeks dislike Relayer - Wakeman is gone, Moraz is in and the latter
is supposed to spoil the whole thing. As if he is solely responsible for every
single note. Oh well. The two short songs are not for me. Sound Chaser is the one
and only composition by Yes I don't get, not even after repeated listenings. Only
when I realized that it's jazzfusion I understood why - jazz is just not for me. The
other short song I can't remember, not even it's title. That means it has not made
any impression on me at all. Gates of Delirium is a vast improvement on Topographic
Oceans. Sure it still lacks form, but at least it suggests progression. Tempi are
varied, there are some strong and recognizable themes. It's main assett is the
glorious last part, when Anderson begins to sing Soon oh soon. This catharsis
justifies entirely everything that happened before. Typically and predictably I
prefer the live version from Yesshows. Moraz is more modest, so there is a better
balance between the four instruments. Anderson's voice has gained power. It also
lasts a bit longer and of course the composition benefits from the interplay.
Sheehan, David (06/13/14)
Sorry to crap on your favorite song, but I really hate the production on ‘Gates’… Everything is so mushed together and trebly, it really detracts
from the song. It’s still wonderful, of course, but I can’t get behind it as Yes’s crowning achievement for this reason. I don’t know if it’s
attributable to the change in keyboardists, but listen to a few sections of ‘Gates’ followed by some of ‘Revealing Science’ and see if you notice
this. I have trouble hearing Chris Squire, which for Yes is really surprising. The second side of the album is much weaker than the second side
of Close to the Edge, but still decent. I don’t like Howe’s solo in ‘Sound Chaser’ much at all. It embodies all the annoying aspects of his
playing and tone to me. I wonder how you can criticize Tony Banks for his choppy playing and terrible tones and give Steve Howe a pass? I like
Howe a lot, but woo boy sometimes his playing annoys me. Overall I give the album a 12 (or C) mainly due to the awesome (despite my whining)
first side.
Theo Duncan (theoduncan01.icloud.com) (09/13/16)
Have you ever noticed that the very beginning of Sound Chaser sounds a lot like something from a early-mid 1970s Miles Davis album? You know, after Squire plays that incredibly fast and cool bass riff and Alan bashes everything in reach while Patrick plays his ghostly synth tones. Its those eerie synths that conjure up images of Live-Evil and Agharta in my mind. Also my favorite part of the song is about 6 and a half minutes in where the band launches into that incredibly cool mid-tempo groove.
Aaron Levin (alevin1169.hotmail.com) (12/13/16)
Wow...what a strange album. Yes goes part metal, part jazz-fusion...and actually, most of it works! I love the first 2/3 of The Gates of Delirium, particularly the middle section (and the one part in the middle that has a time signature of 20/16 -- not really 5/4, but actually a proper 20/16!!). The closing section is somewhat pretty but far too long. Still, a great overall piece. "Sound Chaser" is somewhat of a mishit for me; I like the beginning "main melody" and the jazzy reprises at the end, but I don't like the guitar meandering in the middle. "To Be Over" is a slight improvement on "And You And I" from the previous album, particularly when it settles into that beautiful 3/4 section in the middle. Still, there's nothing as good as CTTE or even Siberian Khatru here, so it's only very good, not great. 12/16.
Basswiz88 (basswiz88.aol.com) (07/13/2018)
On relayer/to be over/ at the end the repeated words although beautifully sung are nonsense as per an interview with Chris Squire.they just made up sounds.
Best song: Ritual
A bootleg of a performance in London while on the Relayer tour that features a number of interesting surprises, rearrangments - Moraz was the keyboardist on this tour, remember? - and occasionally abominable sound quality. So while the Relayer material is mostly done by the book, the elder material almost always has a few twists. Not the least of which is Anderson's singing - he sounds much less alien than at anytime before, and now just sounds like guy with a high range, which he was. And honestly, it sounds really good - there's actual emotion in his voice!
Not that the changes are always necessarily for the better - for instance, "Close to the Edge" has the intro slowed down considerably (though it speeds up a bit as time goes on). And elsewhere in the song, the lengthy keyboard solo is completely rewritten, as Moraz provides a weird jazz-fusion burst that may be interesting, but I'll be damned if it's better than before.
But most of the other changes and surprises are quite nice. "Your Move" segues into "Mood for a Day" instead of the expected "ISAGP" chanting, while an acoustic runthrough of "Long Distance Runaround" is immediately followed by a lengthy keyboard solo. But those minor surprises pale into the shocker of the setlist - they revive "Sweet Dreams", and it sounds great! It receives a terrific hard-rock arrangment during the intro and the breaks between verses, and quite frankly, the original version didn't even come close to this version. And then it's immediately followed by a terrific runthrough of "Yours is No Disgrace," which has yet another entertaining intro, this time driven by a mild dose of funk on the part of Howe, and the rest is no slouch either.
All of these, though, are merely table-setters for the two main attractions - "The Gates of Delirium" and "Ritual." On the Prindle page, one of the commentators for Yesshows stated that much better live material had existed of Tales and Relayer, and by gum he was right, because the versions on here are definitely better than the officially released ones. "The Gates of Delirium" isn't done quite as fast as on Yesshows, but that's all for the better, as the intensity of the original is preserved more closely. And "Ritual" ... wow. The cool bass solo isn't mixed quite as high, but two things really jump out. First, during the intro, Anderson teases the crowd with some lines from "The Remembering," and second, the synth-and-sequencer-onslaught-meets-tribal-drum-circle part here absolutely blows away its counterpart on Yesshows. As of this writing, I've heard five versions of "Ritual," and at this point, this is probably my favorite, which says a lot.
So yeah, this is a good bootleg. The only major problem I have with it, actually, is the aural murder that "Sound Chaser" inflicts upon my ears. I don't know what was wrong exactly, whether it was a problem with the recording equipment or with the amplifiers, but the instrumental parts are way too quiet, so you have to turn up your stereo, but then the CHA CHA CHA's are loud as hell and you go deaf. Nyarrgh. Oh, and "To Be Over" doesn't quite work as well on its own - for one thing, the gruff rhythm part is mixed far above the pretty pedal steel guitar parts (and another thing - who's playing that rhythm part anyways? I'll assume that it's not Howe, as he's ostensibly playing with his slide, unless Moraz was somehow replicating them ... hmmph, anybody want to help me here?). I dunno - I think this bootleg does a good job of showing that a large part of the reason that "SC" and "TBO" worked as well as they did on Relayer was their locations on the album.
Whatever. It's still as worthy a bootleg as I've heard in a while.
PS: In the years after this review, I obtained another bootleg from this tour, the Long Beach 1975 show. The sound quality is mostly as good as on any official live album, and this improved sound quality leaves me feeling far less exhausted from listening to that than to this. That show would get a high C, maybe bordering on a D if I'm in a good mood.
"Riley, Matt" (matt_riley.saleslink.com) (8/20/02)
The 2nd guitar in "To Be Over" is supplied by none other than Jon Anderson.
"Eden, Scott C Mr (Contractor) MONROE" (scott.eden1.us.army.mil) (4/21/04)
John McFerrin is spot on with his comments on the odd SQ on this
recording. The mix for the early songs are pretty screwed up. Whenever
Howe has a guitar part, the sound of his guitar is barely audible. The
rhythm guitar pretty much drowns it out. [ Note to John, that is Jon
Anderson on the rhythm guitar ]. This is light years beyond annoying.
After a few songs the mix balances out pretty much. Still, the damage
was done. by the way, there is a video of this show circulating that is worth
seeking out.
trfesok.aol.com (07/13/18)
This is a actually a soundtrack to a video called Live at the QPR. The sound does suck, and the editing is somewhat haphazard. But it's WELL worth watching. Anderson is very active on rhythm guitar and percussion. Chris is the REAL star, however, especially on "Ritual".
Oh, and "Sweet Dreams" isn't quite as an unusual inclusion as it first seems. The band had just released Yesterdays, a compilation of tracks on the first two albums, which were still pretty much unknown at that point.
Best song: Turn Of The Century
The music world changed substantially from 1974 to 1977, to say the least. As prog-rock groups lost their favor with critics for whatever reasons (running out of truly creative ideas, becoming more absurdly pompous all the time), groups like Yes suddenly found themselves needing to change to survive. With the Relayer tour, Yes had probably reached their "seriousness" peak - not only did lengthy epics dominate the setlist (interspersed with complex "shorter" numbers like "Sound Chaser"), but the band reached a point where its relationship to "rock" music had basically become tangential at best. Indeed, some of the earlier songs remained in their setlists, but even they were tightened up drastically with fusion interplay a la The Mahavishnu Orchestra so as to impress the hell out of the listener but not really get any blood pumping. The band had progressed light-years in a very short time, but at the cost of basically removing the spark of youthful enthusiam that had made Yessongs so contagious.
So the band adapted. After the Relayer tour, the members of the band went on to each cut solo albums, the most successful and renowned of which are Jon's and Chris'. In turn, they toured these albums as a group, not forgetting to include such (by-now) standbys as "Gates" and "Ritual." By this time, however, for whatever reason, Moraz had worn out his welcome and parted ways with the band. Fortunately, the band was able to pick up somebody who had been off busily making incredibly pompous albums of his own - good ole Rick Wakeman. And so the band got back to work.
One gets the feeling, though, that in patching up various hurt feelings, the band had sat down and had a long serious discussion about its musical direction. Oh, don't get me wrong - nobody wanted the band to give up prog rock all together. But that was just the thing - if the band wished to keep getting seriouser and seriouser, it would soon have to abandon rock all together and turn to fusion or something like that. And nobody wanted that (well, I guess some fans today lament that they didn't keep getting more complex, but sheez people, just because some seriousness and complexity is fine doesn't necessarily mean that MORE complexity and seriousness is always better. There's a fine line between something like, I dunno, Gentle Giant's Octopus, and GG's The Power and the Glory.). And so, the band gave up trying to prove how progressive they could be and did the most important thing they could possibly do - they brought the FUN back.
Indeed, the band finally remembered that at its heart it was essentially a "trumped-up pop group," taking solid riffs and strong hooks and embellishing them with exciting and moving arrangements. As a result, the band produced an album of incredible quality that they might not have been able to do otherwise. It's a slight step down from the glory of Relayer, and I suppose it's regrettable in the long run that the band gave up on endless progression in favor of just making a good album for then and there, but man what an album! All five tracks (ok, that doesn't seem like a lot of songs for most groups, but go back and count how many tracks were on the previous three albums and it'll all be placed in perspective) are absolute winners, and only a very slight feeling of "retreading" mars the album at all.
You want rock songs? Turn to the title track and the wonderful "Parallels." Of course, neither of these songs are in the least bit "normal" - this is still Yes we're talking about, after all. The title track, whose main feature is incredibly entertaining pedal steel work from Steve, also benefits from one of the weirdest chord progressions known to man - in other words, the initial "ack! This could be from Hee-Haw!" reaction will quickly be supressed by the proggy bits. And the lyrics, man, these are actually down-to-earth and even funny. Anderson sings (by the way, he blows through all sane limits of male upper vocal range in this song) self-mocking lines about the inpentetrability of his lyrics ("Now the verses I've sung don't add much weight to the story in my head, so I'm thinking I should go and write a punchline. But it's so hard to find in my cosmic mind, I think I'll take a look out of the window. When I think about you, I don't feel low!"), and it quickly becomes obvious that the band is no longer taking itself 100% seriously.
And "Parallels," oy, "Parallels." Apparently a reject from Squire's solo album, I think it finds a nice home with the band here. For one thing, it's driven forward by a friggin' CHURCH ORGAN (with a great main riff for it, by the way), and it has so much oomph in the sound that suddenly you find yourself in the Swiss church where Rick recorded the parts, groovin' away. And the guitar on this song, man. Man. I doubt there's any real invention from Howe on this part, but all I know is that the lightning-fast solos on here find a way to be jaw-dropping and entertaining simultaneously, not to mention that I REALLY like the tone he has here. VERY rich, with a healthy amount of reverb put on it to hook in your ears.
Want pop ballads? Go to "Turn of the Century" and "Wonderous Stories." The former has actually established itself as my favorite of the album (not a trivial statement, as it took me a long time to decide), and with good cause. The melody is very pretty, the lyrics are quite moving (based around the story of Pygmalion and Galatea, if my memory serves me correctly), and the middle portion ... oy. Rick's piano is beautifully rich in a way that words cannot do justice to, and its interaction with the guitars is nothing short of phenomenal. I struggle to find ways to describe the effect this mid-section (and the way it builds into the ending) holds on me; I can say, however, that if such a thing as newfound joy can be properly expressed in a musical medium, THIS is that medium. It's very difficult to not want to relive the reunion Roan has with his once-deceased beloved again and again.
As for "Wonderous Stories," brace yourself, but this is a 4-minute pop song. Yeah, it's slightly derivative of earlier efforts (ie "Your Move"), but how can I help it if the melody is so enjoyable? Plus, Anderson gives a cheery vocal performance of a type we haven't heard since, yup, "Time and a Word" - the lightweight hippie has re-entered his element, and seems perfectly happy to be back. Don't think the rest of the band just sulks around, though - Wakeman, you can tell, is having lots of fun on the track, even if he's not technically really doing anything THAT complex.
All this said, however, it would be unreasonable to expect a 70's Yes album at this point to lack a bonafide epic. "Awaken" apparently splits fans right down the middle - many fans adore it fanatically (and in fact, Anderson himself considers it the quintessential representation of what Yes is all about), while other fans deride it as a horridly derivative mess with no true sense or purpose. Guess which camp I belong to. No, I would never rate this above "Gates" or "CTTE" or "The Revealing Science of God." But it's a great epic piece nonetheless, one which I always look forward to at album's end and always listen to from start to finish.
Indeed, quite a few things jump out at me here every time. The piano introduction and first section, all very pretty. The main instrumental themes, not based in traditional tonal ideology, but insanely captivating nonetheless. The way it seems the instrumental themes are running every possible course while Anderson every so often pops up with lyrics that apparently reference back to Siddartha again (in fact, last I checked, Siddartha means "awakened one.") THE GUITAR SOLOS here - yeah, I know that they're based in basic chromatics and scales yadda-yadda, I don't friggin' care, it's the most spirit awakening guitar tone and playing I've probably ever heard. Seriously.
And then we have the quiet harp/organ probe, where everything suddenly stops and we have a slight cymbal call before it begins. This bores many to death, but every single person who dislikes this is WRONG, I TELL YOU, WRONG. I'm always a fan of slow builds of tension into release, especially when executed properly, and this is done incredibly well. It builds and builds and builds until it just EXPLODES after Anderson's "shall we now bid farewell! Farewell!" leads us into the triumphant organ climax. Oh, and you'd never know that simple high-pitched pedal steel pluckings here would move me so, but hey, we learn something new every day. And then, as following any good explosion, there is a brief denoument so as to allow us to catch our breath at album's end.
And that's your album. And to an extent, that's the end of 70's Yes as we know and love them. Indeed, from the first time I heard Anderson's "bid farewell" line, I felt it was more than just a capstone to the song or even to the album. I've always suspected that somehow, if only subconsciously, he knew that the magic and creative flame of 70's Yes was about to be lost forever. This is Yes as we knew them, going away in a whisp of ethereal smoke, saying goodbye in their own way. It brings a measure of sadness to me, sure, but it could only go on so long, I suppose.
Damn good run, though. Damn good album too. Hit #1 for two weeks, and deserved it for sure.
Geoff (bala5.ihug.co.nz)
Going for the One was the second 'Yes' album I bought after
'Classic Yes'. I bought the album from a second hand records store
and since I bought just a few weeks ago it was very cheap. (no-on wants
records anymore) In fact I am the only person in my year to have a record
player (I am 16). I found Yes through mp3s so I downloaded some of there
songs and became and instant fan. The title song 'Going for the One' is
outstanding, full of energy and has Jon Anderson brilliant singing
throughout the song. Parallels is my favorite as well. It strikes me as
being one of the best songs of all time. I was only disapointed by the
song Wonderous Stories it was the one song I disliked from the album and
my "classic yes" album. My friends did not want to listen to any
yes but I assured them they don't know what they are missing. It seems I
am the only person in my school to like 'Yes'.
Laurent MASSE (masse.geocean.u-bordeaux.fr)
This is the only Yes album I still don't know if I like or not. Part of my
trouble may be due to the blurred reverb-heavy sound with nothing cutting
through the speakers, since I'm a confirmed echo-phobic. As a result, I
find the overall soudscape cold and rigid. As for the songs, sure they
concentrated on them but with no particular overall approach that I can
figure out. On one hand, we have carefully constructed ("Wonderous
Stories") or deconstructed ("Going For The One", "Parallels") pieces, and
honestly the second category fails to do anything for me, probably due to
the mellow production not being suited at all. I always imagine how these
could have sounded like with the TYA/Fragile production
approach. Too bad. On the other hand, "Turn Of The Century" and "Awaken" I
can only describe as "sound paintings". And I like them to death. It's
very difficult to put it into words, but both seem, contrary to everything
they had done up to that point, not thought out or planned at all, just
very powerful emotional streams born out of nowhere. When first listening
to "Awaken" (on KEYS but no matter), I thought this was the
strangest thing I had ever heard. A totally esoteric mix of chantings,
atmospherics, odd-metered guitar epileptics, pompous stop-and-go
everywhere, ALL possible chords thrown in randomly with no measure at all.
What was that? Sure it's the worse of prog rock condensed in 18 mn? But,
but, that creeping feeling of ascension until everything explodes high
above in the stratosphere really made all this mess somewhat intriguing.
Sure something was happening there. I kept listening to it again and again
trying to understand, and, inevitably, I was hooked. That's probably what
draws me to a particular group: something which shouldn't work on paper,
but it does and I can't even explain why.
Nick Karn (glassmoondt.yahoo.com)
As much as I'd love to agree with you here, I really
can't. The biggest problem I have with this album is
the production - it's kinda noisy and messy like
Relayer, but unlike that album Jon Anderson's vocals
get buried often (maybe that's why George likes it -
ha!), and the rest of the instruments sometimes seem
to blend into each other a little too much. And the
second half of the album really doesn't do much for me
at all - "Wonderous Stories" just seems like a much
less interesting version of the first half of "Good
People", and the epic "Awaken" has some good dramatic
moments, and is pretty good overall, but a 15 minute
epic oughta be more than that as far as I'm concerned,
and it's nowhere near as captivating as the Yes epics
of the past - as such, I always wish it was over by
the 9th or 10th minute.
I still think it's a really good album, though,
because the first half is awesome. The title track
has an interesting song structure and intro (plus a
truly terrific ending), and "Turn Of The Century" is
quite possibly my favorite Yes song thus far -
absolutely one of the most moving songs I've probably
ever heard by anyone, and it's more complex than it
seems. "Parallels" certainly has Rick Wakeman's church
organ playing going for it, and it's kinda catchy,
although just a little too noisy. Because of the
second half and the weak production, though, I'm gonna
have to rate this a high 7 (11 on the overall scale),
a little lower than the classic Yes albums.
(author's note): Yep, strangely enough, there are a very large
number of Yes fans who consider this a step down from the group's previous
work. Personally, though, I have never even come close to getting tired of
Awaken. There's just something about that quiet organ/harp probe (I love
the idea of harps being used in any kind of rock music) that runs chills
up and down my spine, and the guitar solos in conjunction with the weird
chord progressions rock my puny little world.
As for the general 'messiness' of the album, well, I'll never really
understand that. To my ears, Relayer is much more 'messy'. Here,
the 'wall-of-sound' effect is much more clearly produced, at least to my
ears.
Steve Giali (sgiali.mieleusa.com)
I have been a fan of yes for some 24 years been to many shows, have most
of the records, even had alan white's solo record for a time. By far
there is no record in my collection that equals GFTO. The CD it is even
better because in seems to flow as one. Having read one of the yes
books, the writer spoke of most people close to Yes, saw the eras just
after this as down hill, I see this as the peak of creativity and beauty
that no other recording or band can match. The band since this time has
done very little material that I wouldn't care if you stole from my
collection, however, this one I have loved and will love till I die.
Because of this record, these guys, no matter how dim their creative bulb
gets, I still will try to see them and support them because of this
work. I was so overwhelmed with side one with GFTO, Turn of the Century
and Parallels, that I did not turn the album over for side 2 for about 10
days. When I did oh my! I had a chance to meet with R. Wakeman and ask
him why it seems the band is overwhelmed after playing Awaken, his
response was it is truly a magical experience for them, like no other.
It is for me as well. This was the end of the golden age of
creativity, and based on over 20 years of odd live outings, mixed up
members and what not, will never reoccur, oh well! If this is not one
of your favorites, then I can say only one thing, you missed the one!
"Sittinger, Brian D" (brian.d.sittinger.lmco.com)
Excellent record! This is one of my favorite Yes records. Although this
record is "commercial", this is Yes we're talking about. They sure keep
things interesting on this! Each song has its own identity on this
record.
The title track is simply awesome with great steel guitar throughout (I
must be honest; the "awkward hoedown" caught me off guard the first time
I heard it too!) "Turn of the Century", for lack of better words, is
just beautiful. I get my kicks out of "Parallels" due to Wakeman's
driving church organ riff, as well as Howe's guitar. "Wondrous Stories"
does not offend me at all, while "Awaken" is a bit bizarre (do I sense
effects of "Relayer" when Howe plays?), but brilliantly played.
Very thoughtful record. 10 out of 10.
TheRubberCow.aol.com (1/08/02)
It sure is hard to pick a best Yes album, and although I want to say this
is it, it's hard to deny the classic Fragile and Close To the Edge. But
I think I have at least decided that this album sounds the best. "Turn
of the Century" and "Wonderous Stories" are so beautiful! A lot of this
is due to Steve Howe, with his very creative lead work at the end of the
latter, always one of my favorite guitar things is the octave jumps he
does here. And the way his lush classical lays against Wakeman's soft
backdrop in "Turn" is, well ..better heard than decribed. And there is
some very creative and intriguing stuff going on in "Awaken", especially
during the AWAKENGENTLEMASSTOUCH part.
Daniel and Corine Bosch (dcbosch.optusnet.com.au) (5/29/02)
Almost a reversion to "Fragile", with the epic songs leavened with
shorter, less demanding peices - and not necessarily the worse for it
(although I am a big fan of the more adventurous Yes pieces, and music in
general - hence my love of ELP, Genesis, King Crimson, Chicago circa 1969
- 1972 [some great stuff there, don't just think of them as ballad
rubbish, go and check this period of their career out!] etc) "Awaken" is
the best, see my review of "Close To The Edge". All of these songs are
great though.
"Fernando H. Canto" (sirmustapha.ig.com.br) (2/26/03)
I just wanted to make a little remark on Awaken, because it seems there are
*lots* of people that "hated the song at first, but then it slowly grew on
them", and I'm one of them. I don't know if this was Yes's intention or
not, but this IS a song to GROW on you. At first, it will be a complete mess,
but slowly, it will make sense, and you'll grow addicted to it. It's probably
the most unusual Yes epic, because its structure is different from anything else
Yes has ever tried. The structure is... weird, I can't even explain it. And that
final section with that seemingly random chord sequence is really challenging
and engaging. The song can be very tiring at first, but it grows. What's weird
is that many people feel this way about it, too. That's quite remarkable.
Oh, yeah, all other songs are great. PARALLELS!! It rules! I agree with the 9
(13).
Adrian Rush (arush.nd.edu) (3/12/03)
Nothing to do with the _Going for the One_ album per se, but a
clarification. You say that Siddhartha means "awakened one." Actually,
that's what the word "Buddha" means. It's easy to confuse the two,
since Siddhartha was the given name of the historical Buddha
(Siddhartha Gautama of the Sakya clan) in addition to the character in
Hesse's book who himself meets the Buddha and becomes enlightened.
Great point about Jon singing "Farewell, farewell." Maybe he really did
sense the end of the glory days was near at hand. That'll make me
listen differently from now on.
Vandermeer (bkvander.telus.net) (7/06/03)
Let me start out by saying that I've never been a big fan of Awaken. It's
pretty good for the first five minutes or so, but then starts to drag in the
middle, and I often lost interest before its grand conclusion. Not a bad track,
but not great either.
Now having said that, I consider Going for the One to be one of Yes' best
albums. The fact that I don't particularly care for a song that takes up 40% of
the album should tell you something about what I think of the other four songs.
Turn of the Century is probably my favourite Yes song. Howe's beautiful
acoustic guitar, Anderson's angelic vocal delivery capped off by Wakeman's organ
during the reunion of Roan with his wife should drive any man to tears. I loved
this song before I knew what it was about, and the subject matter just added to
the beauty, making it an incredible sound painting. Wondrous Stories isn't much
worse, with Anderson coming up with yet another short perfect melody and vocal
delivery. Some say it's a rip-off of Your Move-maybe so but I love that one
too, so count me happy. Not quite as good, but still fabulous is the title
track with its more down to earth lyrics, rockabilly guitar and unearthly high
singing making it another of my favourites. Finally Parallels is a rocking
unspectacular tune that is just fine as far as I'm concerned. Overall, I give
GFTO a 9 (14). Well done boys!
Trfesok.aol.com (11/15/05)
It's enjoyable, but I don't quite worship it like a lot of Yes-fans.
It took me a long time to get into "Turn of the Century" and
"Awaken". The very unstructured melody of the former didn't really
turn me at first. It actually took hearing the gorgeous versions
performed by Renaissance singer Annie Haslam (a studio one performed
with Howe and an incredible live version where she's accompanied only
by a solo piano) for me appreciate it. And I do think the middle
section of "Awaken" doesn't have quite enough musical ideas to
justify its length. Filler this time, I'm afraid. But the three
shorter tracks are great. Anderson's mysticism is better in short
bursts like "Wonderous Stories". The chord sequence in "Parallels" is
actually very simple, but the track moves along wonderfully, sort of
a throwback to TYA. The title track is a riot, too, thanks to
Steve's steel guitar.
The main problem for me is that the album is, by previous standards,
recorded poorly. Particularly the keyboards. The church organ sounds
were transmitted via telephone to the studio, and sound like it. The
piano and especially the Polymoog are way too far back in the mix. I
suspect this is because this was their first self-produced album.
The power and warmth that Eddie Offord provided (even to the disaster
of TFTO) is missing. For this reason, I prefer the live versions of
these, the only album besides CTTE where you can get legit liver
versions of every track. However, they didn't necessarily learn from
their production experience, judging by what was to come next.
Pedro Andino (pedroandino.msn.com) (08/02/07)
what a sweet and beautiful album. sadly I say this and drama and
90125 are the last good yes albums that I will buy let me get the run
down. going for the one is a crazy tune with the pedal steel guitar
and high vocals. turn of the century is a beautiful tune. the way the
acoustic guitar sighs and swoons is just heartbreaking. I must use
this song for an animated musical but without talking. song 3 is a
loud, brash rocker worthy of an electric guitar solo. song 4 is a
gentle song about a dreamer he of fantasy drifts into space. I play
this song to my son who is just been born. awaken is a long song and
again I will use this song for an animated musical and also there are
multiple sections and everything blends into one emotion and style
from slow and quiet to fast and loud to theatrical to cosmic and
ethereal and back again. man, what a song. it's too bad they had to
destroy themselves with tomato!!. from a beautiful woman to an
immature child, eh what can you do. 13/15.
Mark Nieuweboer (ismaninb.teacher.com) (02/13/10)
Back to basics! So the Yesgeeks dislike it, especially the title song and Wonderous
Stories. They belong to the very best in Yes' catalogue. Form is simple and
effective in both cases. Yes finally has learned - from Uriah Heep? compare
Traveller in Time - to unite several melodies in one song. So verse and chorus are
not separated anymore. GftO (the song) is a hilarious interpretation of Southern
Boogie; eg Lynyrd Skynyrd. Wonderous Stories essentially is a cheesy pianobased
ballad. The arrangement is gorgeous and inventive. This is how Candle in the Wind
should have been composed. I am less impressed by Parallels and Turn of the Century
- they haven't made it to my post-Yessongs compilation - but I agree that every true
Yesfan should own them.
The big problem is Awaken, probably because it's the most pretentious one. It took
me twice to get it, once again not because it's complicated, but because form is
such a mess. A coda is meant to end a song. So what does Yes do? They place it in
the middle. Probably Awaken is meant as a three-parted symphony, but then the three
parts should have been separated more clearly. Or maybe Yes tried to compose Awaken
through, in which case the coda is completely misplaced.
The second and third part of Awaken are complete failures. We get some more Wakeman
navel-gazing. The last part tries to end several times, but then the band realizes
that it has to fill another minute and decides to plod on. It has all the problems
of Topographic Oceans condensed in a few minutes. But the first part rules - well,
almost. Wakeman needs to prove that he can paraphraze Mozart. Sure he can, his piano
introduction is beautiful. But what is it doing there? What sense does it make? You
see, after this introduction we get another introduction, this time by Anderson.
Essentially it's rework from Topographic Oceans' intro, but an improved one. For one
thing it is shorter but has not less musical ideas. It fluently transfers in the
main part, based on Howe's excellent riff. Sure, we have heard the trick octave up,
octave down before, but it works. After it we get the 3/4 bar coda and there the
band should have stopped. It is were I have cut the song. Call me a barbarian, I
don't care. What I have is a good hardrock song lasting almost 7 minutes. I have
left in Wakeman's piano introduction for two reasons: its beauty and to remind me of
Yes' serious problems with form.
All in all Going for the One is a good album, despite its flaws. It should be
mentioned that Anderson's voice has improved considerably in those three years since
Relayer. It has become more clear since Yessongs and lost its shrillness. Most
important though is that Anderson finally incorporates expression in his singing.
That makes Wonderous Stories loveable and the title song great fun. It should also
be mentioned that the album shows Howe at his very best. He has taken over
Blackmore's esthetical values, ie he makes his guitar sing. The styles have hardly
anything in common though and that is a big plus as well as it shows Howe's
independency.
Steven Highams (rawdon.lilly.gmail.com) (02/13/13)
Like most people of my age, I became aware of Yes through 'Wonderous Stories', which was big hit in England in the autumn of 1977
(same with Genesis and 'Follow You Follow Me' the following spring). I thought it was a beautiful song, beautifully played and
beautifully sung. A lot of people seem to have a problem with Jon Anderson's voice, but I don't think Yes would have been the same
without it; it's an integral part of the whole that gives them their ethereal, otherworldly vibe, which is what attracted me to
them in the first place. So while my peers were liking the Clash and Blondie, I was lapping up Yes. What to do? I caught the
progressive groups when they were in that awkward lull, that period of transition, around '77, '78, so I had the wonderful
experience of exploring the back catalogues and finding something better, though I still enjoy the stuff I knew back then.
Going For The One is a little more varied than the previous ones; variety was always there, but it was within the multi-part song
structures, epics like 'Close to the Edge' or those nine-minute pieces on The Yes Album. Here, the focus is more on actual songs.
The title track could have fit onto any previous Yes album, but the slide guitar is a completely new approach, as is the church
organ on 'Parallels'. 'Awaken' takes about three plays to appreciate, but then immediacy isn't Yes's forte, is it? I think being
of a spiritual persuasion maybe helps with this one. It's the Tales From Topographic Oceans effect; you have to become involved in
it because if you think you're going to be bored by a sixteen-minute track, then you will be.
For anyone curious about Yes, I think this, along with The Yes Album, is the best place to start because it's still a progressive
album, yet a bit more accessible than the previous four albums. They hadn't gone too commercial yet (like on Tormato or the AOR
stuff of the Trevor Rabin era). It's said that the production is a bit muddy on this record and it probably is, but that's just a
tiny complaint really.
Ross Dryer (dryerross.yahoo.com) (03/13/13)
Okay. What's the first thing you notice about this one? It's the dumb album cover. After all these gorgeous Roger Dean paintings
(Roger Dean is now one of my favorite artists), we get this. It's not THAT bad, I guess; I think it's a throwback to the "Lost in
the city" of "Heart of the Sunrise", but there is absolutely no reason we should be staring at this guy's buttocks.
Oh well. It doesn't necessarily distract from the INCREDIBLE album, though. This has been my very favorite album for a long, long
time (and that was established AFTER Yes became my favorite band), and though "Kimono My House" is exactly on the same level at the
moment (and it may go even higher), this one still puts a huge smile on my face and gives me my necessary dose of catharsis.
The title track, in particular. What is this amazing song?! Why had no one written it before?!? It's absolutely incredible.
Everything comes together PERFECTLY, especially that little tiny bit before the verse you quoted (one of my favorite Yes verses, by
the way) where the synths are cascading and the guitars are going "BOM - BOM - BOM", and it explodes into the verse. Wow. Wow. Oh,
and it makes a little reference to "Roundabout". Cheesy, huh? Just like "She Gives Me Love".
"Turn of the Century" took me about two listens to really warm up to (whereas all the others took about ONE), but I did. Everything
about the song is gorgeous, especially the AMAZING midsection, with the guitar and the pianos combining so perfectly, eventually
getting a bit chaotic, then exploding into the happy happy verse. The guitarwork is just incredible.
"Parallels"? Well, that one might be my least favorite on here, but that's not really saying anything at all. "Oy" is right. I've
never heard any song like this before... Church organ rocker? References to "The Revealing Science of God"? More jawdropping
guitarwork? Incredible catchiness? Mind-expanding sound? Awesome abrupt ending? ALL TOGETHER?
"Wonderous Stories". See, this is the song I like to turn people to to show them how great of a melody-writer Jon is. This song is
so incredibly sweet and happy and pretty that I can't resist the huge smile that comes to reside on my face.
"Awaken", then, is an absolute effing masterpiece, worthy of Holst or Tchaikovsky or someone. For a very very very long time, this
was what I would call my Very Favorite Song Ever (until "Isn't It a Pity" took its place, along with maybe a couple of Sparks
tunes). There is no one who could write anything like this besides Jon Anderson (even though Roine Stolt has really really tried to
come close numerous times). The way it starts is flipping amazing: a somewhat confusing FAST piano solo, settling down into a
BEAUTIFUL synth-driven soundscape, on top of which happens an amazing "High vibration go on...". After we kick into the main
groove, this guitar, which can't keep from crying (more George Harrison references!), goes through one of the best sequences I've
ever heard in my life, and while this part of the track is mostly this huge, wall-of-sound jam that will take a couple of tries to
get used to, once you do, you'll never go back. At about the sixth minute, the main circle-of-fifths theme SHINES through on that
organ, while Jon and company are doing everything humanly possible too...and the music grinds to a halt. At about 6:35, it starts.
WHAT A BUILDUP. The only buildup I know of that equals this is that of, well, "Isn't It a Pity", of course. Well, and "Shadow of
the Hierophant", possibly. When the church organ first comes in at about 8:30, it's mind-opening, and you've got that choir in the
background, and so many keyboards are happening, while Chris and Steve duet with a really simple theme, until that bit where Steve
emits a really heartbreaking solo. This goes on until 10:35, when the main circle-of-fifths theme starts going with Jon singing
something about being honest with yourself and how there's no doubt. More Steve solos, more giant buildup, and then at 12:12...
After the huge "Shall we now bid...farewell, farewell!" we have a gorgeous, super-tense organ solo, after which we go back into the
buildup, with more circle-of-fifths, and the most gorgeous guitar sounds I've heard in my life. Then it drops slowly, and we get a
reprise of the lovely-lovely opening...and we end with a little steel lick. B.R.I.L.L.I.A.N.T.
So, uh, there's my tied-for-first favorite album ever. Even better than I remembered! And it was one of the last Yes albums I was
able to acquire, too!
Aaron Levin (alevin1169.hotmail.com) (12/13/16)
Another very good Yes album, and they return to a more traditional pop-oriented approach here. However, there are a couple caveats. First, I absolutely cannot stand the 8-minute meandering mess "Turn of Century". There's no singable melody, it never builds anywhere, and it never gets better every time I try to convince myself to like it. Second, I'm fairly indifferent toward "Parallels", as I like a lot of the melodies but not a lot of the soloing, plus the production is horrible on the track and I can't hear the vocals very well! Despite these mishits, the other three songs are so incredible that I can't help but give the album a high grade. The title track is one of the most "pure fun" pieces Yes ever did, and the chord sequences are so bizarre that they actually work. "Wonderous Stories" is beautiful. But neither of these compare to "Awaken", Yes's best song and one of my two favorite prog pieces of all-time. The first-half is entertaining enough, but it's the second half that makes the piece...those 5 minutes of slow buildup into the beautiful climax! And I don't think I'll ever hear another piece with a melody built around the circle of fifths...what an unusual but clever idea. So this album is a mix of 60% incredible, 20% forgettable and 20% atrocious. Averages out to about a 12/16 for me.
Best song: I'm not sure, I can't hear anything
Sweet merciful crap, this bootleg's sound quality SUCKS. I mean, I know that when you're going for Recordings Of Indeterminate Origin, you have to be willing to accept a few blemishes in the sound, but this is utterly ridiculous. The instruments are distinguishable from each other, and there aren't any major problems in volume shifts, but everything is marred by an utterly maddening level of hiss and fuzziness covering everything.
The blow is made all the more fierce by the fact that, by many accounts, the GFTO tour was the best that Yes ever did, and in the few moments where the band becomes perfectly audible, this assertation is backed up severely. The band is utterly on fire throughout, combining unbelievable energy and enthusiasm levels with total crispness and technical flawlessness. The setlist is fairly by-the-numbers (all five GFTO tracks, old standards like "CTTE," "ISAGP," "AYAI" and the ever-present "Starship Trooper" and "Roundabout"), but they still find a way to make the numbers seem exceedingly fresh.
And besides, it's not as if the setlist is completely devoid of unpredictability. Between "AYAI" and "Turn of the Century," Jon serenades the audience with a short ditty called "The Colours of the Rainbow." It's hardly complex or anything like that, but that's not the point - it lightens the mood and freshens up the show, keeping the momentum of the set rolling along. And later, we get a short acoustic piece from Steve's recent solo album called "Ram," after which the band breaks into a prelude to "Awaken" that consists of some excerpts from the middle, "floating" portion of the piece (I actually seem to recall that on some shows of the tour, this was referred to as "Flight Jam").
Other than that, well, everything is what you'd expect a great Yes performance to be. It's a shame, then, that it takes maddening effort to be able to distinguish it as such, and it only fuels my desire to find a GFTO show that at least makes an EFFORT at alright sound quality.
Best song: Onward
Ok, now this is just a bit too much fun. I'm all for the band enjoying themselves in the studio, but somebody had to bother to come up with some decent songs. And I'm all for assimilation of trends, but not at the expense of good taste.
Three problems abound here. The first and most critical, of course, is Anderson's songwriting. One might have guessed with Going for the One that he hadn't lost a step in writing more normal songs, but hoo boy one would guess wrong. There's one start-to-finish good track on here, one, and Anderson did not write it. Yup, "Onward" is a beautiful Squire ballad, with nicely moving lyrics and a lovely vocal melody - only the slightly inappropriate synth part mars it in the least bit. But the rest, ALL of the rest, is significantly flawed in some way.
The second problem is the arrangements. You know, I've enjoyed Yes' virtuousity and creativity in their arrangements as much as anybody. I like Howe's active guitar lines, I like Squire's hyperactive bass, I like Wakeman's synth meanderings, and I like White's take on polyrhythms. BUT NOT ALL AT THE SAME TIME. You cannot have success with everybody trying to solo and be overactive at once without somebody somewhat holding down the fort, and that is what utterly annihilates this album. It's like the egos of every band member suddenly flared up into an unstoppable beast, with all of them constantly trying to outdo the others (well, sort of - Howe is active on the album, but there really isn't a single decent guitar solo to be found). The result is that it is rare indeed on this album for anybody to be laying a solid foundation for the other members; I understand that that's more or less how free jazz works, but at least when it occurs in that context, it isn't over banal pop tunes that sound as if they were thrown together in about ten minutes.
Along the same lines is the choices of tone by Squire and Wakeman throughout. Squire's bass tone sounds hilariously stupid throughout the album, forcing itself higher in the mix without the additional benefit of actually doing something halfway interesting (though he pretends to, of course). But what is far worse is what happens to Wakeman, who somehow loses all semblances of good taste in his keyboard pallete. The sounds he coaxes from his various kinds of synths must have sounded dated a week after the album was released - perhaps he thought this would help make the album sell better, but in retrospect they're a large part of the reason this album is their weakest of the 70's.
Finally there's the problem of production. Before the 2004 remaster fixed some things, it was HORRIBLE. It was dry and papery, and none of the instruments cut through with any sort of crispness. The lack of any sort of decent separation in the instruments, combined with the fact that they're all galumping out in a nonsensical manner, ended up creating a cacophonous mess. The 2004 remaster made the sound better, but even it couldn't solve another problem; for the first time, Anderson's voice actually comes close to annoying me, as he shows neither force nor any sort of ethereality in his singing on this album.
Ok, don't get me wrong - there are some aspects of the album that enjoy, as I haven't given it a lower grade. "Future Times," once you get used to the annoying instrumentation and production, is reasonably enjoyable (until, of course, it cuts into its second part, the dull "Rejoice"). "Madrigal" is somewhat pretty, with a nice harpsichord underpinning it. "Circus of Heaven" actually has some gorgeous vocals, the only time on the album I can say that, and the arrangements are surprisingly pretty. "Release Release" has some interestingly tricky guitar work at times, and is (in theory, at least) whacky enough to work. And the concluding "On the Silent Wings of Freedom" has a fairly interesting introductory bassline, and the rest of the intro isn't horrid either.
On the other hand, "Madrigal" has an alarmingly awkward vocal melody. "Circus of Heaven" has extremely trite lyrics and another awkward vocal melody, not to mention that I can easily understand how many would be annoyed at the chiming in of Jon's son Damian at the end. "Release Release" has horridly corny arrangements and a ridiculous "live" drum solo near the end that short circuits any enjoyability it might otherwise have. And "OTSWOF" ... eek. The lyrics are stupid beyond words, and that's only compounded by the fact that the song has COMPLETELY lost steam by the fourth minute or so. I, for one, cannot STAND those "majestic" sounding chimes in the middle of the song, as the track does absolutely nothing to justify such an attempt at majesty. And this horror lasts for eight minutes, of course.
Oh, and two of the other songs are pretty much just terrible. "Don't Kill the Whale" has more stupid lyrics (it's quite interesting that, as soon as Jon started trying to write "normal" lyrics, he suddenly couldn't think of anything decent to say), and it just sounds way too trashy and gross for my tastes. Then there's "Arriving UFO," which is slightly fun to listen when on, I guess ... until my brain kicks in in the slightest and lets me know what a dumb song I've just heard. The melody is of decent quality, and the lyrics might be funny in their own way, but then there's Wakeman. The "alien" noises are a bit of a hoot, but the rest of his keys are annoying and cheezy enough to make me want to bang my head against a wall. Where did your sense of good taste go, Wakey?
Indeed, where did your sense of good taste go, Yessy? I mean, I guess I can understand enjoying the fact that Yes is "having fun," but I want good songs. And well-constructed arrangements. And production that doesn't make my brain cramp. Not this, thank you.
Confus1997.aol.com
what are you talking about? on the silent wings of freedom is one of my
favorite yes songs!! the keyboard work, the drumming, the bass work! are
you
deaf? it is definatly the best yes song under 10 minutes by far. when you
hear jon sing "on the silent wings of freedom" you get goosebumps all
over..
wake up!!
(author's note): Unfortunately, the song has three big problems.
First of all, Anderson's lyrics, rather than hitting the mystical
etheriality that always made them work, come dangerously close to hitting
Tony Banks-ish levels of bombastic juvenilia. 'Silent Wings of Freedom'?
Please. Sounds more like Kansas to me.
Second of all, just like on the rest of the album, there are too many
notes being played. I know that sounds like a strange thing to say about a
group like Yes, but on previous albums, everybody in the group knew and
mostly embraced their roles. In other words, they recognized that while
they could still be technically impressive, somebody would still have to
'hold down the fort' in some way. However, on this song in particular, it
sounds like EVERYBODY'S TRYING TO SOLO AT ONCE. And that just doesn't
work. Really, there's virtually no cohesion in this song.
Oh, and the third problem with the song is that by the end, it has
completely run out of the steam it had in the beginning.
Nick Zales (zales.execpc.com)
'Of course, there are people who actually like this album. Whatever.
There's a name for these people, and the name is "fruitcakes." '
Yawn! The word for the day is the reviewer is BORING with his head
up
his
Chris Squire doll's ......
Cleophus63.aol.com
Clearly as reviewer you take yourself far too seriously.
(author's note): That's why I'm here. Hee. If you don't like it,
make your own site.
Your mind is
closed
and rigid.
(author's note): Perhaps, but at the same time, if one's mind is
too open, his brains can fall out.
If you read the lyrics of say "Release,Release" a great,
high
energy R + R song,you would understand in the context of the time the song
was written, the doors were being closed and the song is a wakeup for
people
enlightened in the '60's to not let the doors shut.
(author's note): You listen to Yes songs for
lyrics??? Wow ... In any case, as interesting as the lyrics
may be, it doesn't hide the fact that I just don't like the actual music
of the thing, right down to the idiotic drum solo near the end.
Release,Release, Silent Wings of Freedom and Onward are wonderful songs
that show the variety of depth that Yes has. Too bad your elitist views
can't allow you to let the artists have the freedom to roam and explore,
than conform to your almighty standard.
(author's note): Don't you people actually read my reviews? For one
thing, I praised Onward - it's the best song on the album, after all. It's
beautiful.
And elitist my ass. Have you ever met a true Yes elitist? The kind
that won't listen to anything the band did after Relayer (if that
late)? If I were an 'elitist' there is no way I would enjoy Going For
the One as much as I do, nor 90125, nor Open Your Eyes
(Yes, I like that album! Ha!)
Next caller please ....
Laurent MASSE (masse.geocean.u-bordeaux.fr)
OK, here Chris totally sucks for me. The material is not that bad, but
generally he fucks it up totally with his "cat-gone-through-a-mixer" lines
all over the place. There was a good idea at least in the ascending
triplets of "Circus Of Heaven", but what does he do with it? Oh my God,
he'd been so busy concentrating on fast riffing for all these years that
he never actually cared to make the notes speak for themselves, and the
result is a total disaster. Flat, ridiculous, any beginner would do better
with this. Ok, I'll stop with him. In fact, I must confess I listen to
this album more often than other ones. I suppose it has something to do
with the overall relaxed and humorous atmosphere making for an interesting
diversion in their discography. As for the actual songs, apart from the
unbearable (IMO) random cacophonous "On The Silent Wings Of Freedom" (gone
through a mixer, really!), none is really good, but none is really bad
either. Just plain mean. I don't have any problem with Rick's keyboards,
at least he's having more fun than on TFTO. And even if it may
sound out of place on a Yes album, "Don't Kill The Whale" is nevertheless
an interesting pop song. On the up side, I like "Release, Release",
"Future Times/Rejoice" and the first part of "Circus", on the down side,
"Madrigal" is too short to really develop its potential and "Onward"
sounds a little lifeless. And "Arriving UFO", what is this? I really feel
Jon is serious about the aliens, but Rick mocks him with his weird
arrangements. Anyone agrees?
"Anzalone, Philip" (Philip.Anzalone.viacom.com)
How can you say you are a Yes fan and not like this
album,I love every song here and would rank it right near
the top of all Yes albums. Onward was my wedding song
and I feel this is the kind of album you definitely put on and
leave on for the duration.
Terry Shea (sheaterry.earthlink.net)
I think you need to give this album another listen and don't listen to it
on an old scratched vinyl copy with cheap headphones! This is one of my
favorite Yes albums. The only thing that really makes it suffer is 2 very
weak tracks that should have been left off:Circus of Heaven and Onward(the
live version on KTA is far superior). The rest of the album is
phenomenal, and the songs all complement each other and yet provide a nice
contrast too. I love Wakeman's playing on this album. On The Silent Wings
Of Freedom may be the best track Yes has ever done! I have never heard a
bass guitar sound like this before-esepecially in the intro. I love how
the lead parts keep changing between the bass, guitar and keyboards while
still maintaining the flow of the song. The only negative on this song is
White's drumming. I'm not real crazy about it. Can you imagine if Bruford
had played on this track? The other trac! ! ks may not be quite as good,
but how could they be? What have you been listening to this on anyway? A
Close'n'Play?
"Sittinger, Brian D" (brian.d.sittinger.lmco.com)
I really waited for a while before I bought "Tormato". I now know why.
Let's start with the positive points. Some songs do work on this record.
"Future Times" actually is decent (despite poisonous synth tones...).
"Madrigal" although short, is still pretty (the harpsichord works!).
Finally, "Onward" has to be the best song on this album, although simple
in form. But, that's its charm. It has a creepy quality among it, too.
Also, most of "Release, Release" is engaging (even given a dopey drum
solo with cheers!!). "Arriving UFO" especially before the UFO takes off,
and the beginning portion of "On the Silent Wings of Freedom" contain
great passages.
Now, for the negatives. Corny synth tones (more consistently and worse
than those in "Wind and Wuthering"?). Out of place base guitar effects!
Too much soloing; they're out of place!! And some of the song
arrangements are downright bad/cheesy:"Arriving UFO" (first 2/3), latter
half of "On the Silent Wings of Freedom". Finally, some of the lyrics,
although unintelligible in the past, become downright silly "Don't Kill
the Whale" (most of the music in this I acutually don't mind)!
Very inconsistent. A high 6 out of 10. The end of the classic Yes
period. (But, I count "Drama" era as distinct from Yes-West!)
Daniel and Corine Bosch (dcbosch.optusnet.com.au) (5/29/02)
Wha'happen??? So soon after the triumph of "GFTO" came this thoroughly
unadverturous, often downright silly, album. Not their worst (only
"Union" could EVER get that dishonour!) but pretty bad. Best of a bad
bunch? "Madrigal" is nice, despite what some have said, I don't mind "On
The Silent Wings Of Freedom", at least instrumentally they are stretching
the wings a little. "Circus Of Heaven" is just irritating.
Vandermeer (bkvander.telus.net) (7/06/03)
Wow, I really disagree with you on this album. I love Tormato. I applaud the
boys for trying something different. Both the sound and lyrics are more down to
earth than any album since probably the debut. But that doesn't make it bad!
The album gets off to a tremendous start with Future Times/Rejoice, a wonderful
tune that always gets me moving my feet. White's drumming really moves this
track along nicely leading up to the beautiful Rejoice finale. I consider it
the best on the album, and one of their best of all time-why isn't this song
considered a Yes classic? Madigral is also wonderfully pretty with Wakeman's
perfect choice to use a harpsichord that add's to the beauty. Cirucs of Heaven
is some of Anderson's best singing ever, and I'll never tire of the first part
of the song (I admit the second part is weaker-although the spoken part of
Anderson's son doesn't offend me. I'm all for a bit of humour). Release
Release rocks nicely and I always enjoy hearing it. Arriving UFO has a nice
vocal melody with slightly over the top instrumentation, but I like it
nonetheless. Don't Kill the Whale is a nice short dance song and Onward is a
pretty if unmemorable ballad. Finally the one song I do agree with you is weak
is the closing On the Silent Wings of Freedom. To me, it's the only weak song
on the album for the reasons you mentioned.
Overall I give Tormato an 8 (12). It's just a great feel-good album that shows
Yes lightening up and experimenting a bit. I always look forward to putting it
on. As for your complaints, I just don't agree. Anderson came up with
beautiful melodies on almost every track here (except for maybe OTSWOF). The
arrangements are just fine, maybe going over the top a bit on Release Release
and Arriving UFO. But even there, I don't think it ruins the songs. Finally,
Anderson's voice sounds just fine, and is a highlight on FT/R, Madigral, and
COH. I think this album clearly shows the classic Yes line-up can be just as
good without side-long tracks, pretension, or mystical lyrics.
"Eden, Scott C Mr (Contractor) MONROE" (scott.eden1.us.army.mil) (4/21/04)
I have always really liked this album. Clearly it is not in the same
vein as some of their earlier works. However, when I listen to it, I'm
not comparing it to other albums. I'm listening to it as is and as such
I really like it. I would hands down take this over Yes' first two
albums. Indeed, it would feature higher in my than personal rankings
than TYA and Fragile, though each of those have some incredible songs on
them (A Venture, Perpetual Change, and South Side...). I find Tormato to
be fresher sounding than their first four albums. There is something
about the sound and feel of this album that I really like and feel at
home with. Maybe that is the important part with music. The feeling an
album gives us plays as much of a role in our appreciation of it as the
songs themselves, if that makes sense. Maybe it has to do with the time
in our lives when we first heard a piece of music and the feelings we
have about our life at that point. For me, and many others, this album
closes the book on the true Yes period. That may play a role in my
liking this album as much as I do. It was their swan song and it brought
a sense of closure that I may not have felt if they called it quits after
GFTO. Having heard the music from the Paris sessions that followed the
1979 tour, the band made the right decision to break up. If you do not
like Tormato, your opinion may change if you heard the Paris stuff.
Though I really like Tormato, I think Yes was on a downhill slide as a
live group from 1975 onward. I would take any live recording from
71-Sept through 1974 over any post 1974 period. The Tormato tour was
pretty weak, though I would say the same thing for 1975 onward -
increasingly so as the years went by.
[ Note however that I am not the typical fan. I think Starship Trooper,
I've Seen All Good People, and Roundabout are pretty lame. As such, my
opinion may differ drastically from yours. ]
Trfesok.aol.com (11/15/05)
I like about half of it. I saw the band for the first time about
three weeks before the album was released, so I have a slightly more
favorable impression. "Release, Release" was an excellent live number
and went down well with the crowd, although I do think the studio
version is somewhat contrived, with that corny crowd overdub
particularly. I do disagree about "On the Silent Wings of Freedom."
This song songs closest, to my ears, to older Yes. I actually enjoy
Chris's bass jam at the beginning. "Don't Kill the Whale" is a catchy
pop/rock song. I don't really think it sounds like disco, and Rick's
Polymoog sounds (indeed an attempt to simulate the cry of a humpback
whale) are at least appropriate in this case. "Madrigal" is lovely
musically, if quite overwordy for a 2 minute song. And "Onward" is
great, I agree, if you don't find Steve's scratchy guitar lines
annoying.
On the other hand, the other half of the album represents a new low
in Yes songwriting. "Future Times/Rejoice" is pretty monotonous,
actually. "Circus of Heaven" is incredibly childish, stupid and
embarrassing. "Arriving UFO" is equally childish, but has the added
"bonus" of being a total musical mess. These latter two are worse
than anything on Union, as far as I'm concerned.
I also agree that none of this is helped by the production. I also
find is very cold and stark, with Alan's drums in particular sounding
very flat. I don't mind Chris's bass so much, but Rick's
over-reliance on his squeaky Polymoog instead of his Hammond organ is
really annoying. You mention that all of the musicians seem out of
control. I would also add that Anderson's lyrics are also pretty
over the top, with him trying to crowd in as many lyrics into songs
like "Madrigal" and "Release, Release" as there are in "Close to the
Edge" or "The Gates of Delirium"! Howe's "Abilene," from the same
sessions, is just as unfocused as the rest of the album. I blame a
lot of this of, again, the decision to self-produce this thing. Eddie
Offord would have (maybe) gotten them to not overdo it so much and
provided a much better sound to the album. I do find it hard to
believe that the remaster solves the problem, and it certainly
doesn't repair some of the hideous songwriting.
Eric Benac (sonicdeath10.hotmail.com) (04/25/06)
Don't forget the ridiculous album art and title. This is Yes's worst album
of the 70's, and it's really hard to see why when you consider the albums
just before and after: Going for The One, their best "normal" album and
Drama their hardest, darkest, sometimes strangest album. Drama shows them
adapting to new wave quite well. Why is Tormato so weak? Lack of direction;
I've read most of the Close To The Edge book and basically nobody was really
telling anybody what to do in the band. The problem mostly lied with the
fact that Jon wasn't telling people what to do; he was called "Napoleon" by
the band in the studio for being such a task master. He decided to step back
and give the band more room to breath. Which was problematic, because
without a controlling force (and Anderson was the controling force of the
band for it's career) the band simply weren't sure what to do. Jon was the
person who not only cooked up the vocal melodies, themes, and lyrics, he
also pointed to the general direction of each album. Which is why (like you
so astutley point out) it sounds like free jazz playing over pop tunes.
Another problem was antagonism betweens Steve and Rick. Rick was always a
bit of the outcast in the group; a meat eating drinking christian in a group
of vegetarian pot head pagans. While they could usually meet musically,
Steve and Rick suddenly could make no decisions on arrangments. Rick had
recently picked up some polymoogs and they're responsible for the ridiculous
tones of the synths on this album. Rick has ALWAYS had a problem with making
his digital synths sound decent. He's better when sticking to analogue style
synths. Digital synths just drown his creativity when it comes to tones.
Steve also seemed to have lost his ability to solo; sure, he plays really
fast on this album constantly, but to what purpose? None of it is memorable.
This is the problem Steve has had for the rest of his career after this
album. So basically, Rick had his ridiculous tones and Steve was losing his
soloing ability. And for whatever reason they just could not figure out the
way to arrange these songs. Whatever Rick suggested, Steve hated and vice
versa. So it basically sounds like Alan and Chris pounded out the rhytmn
tracks (I'm not even touching the awful tone of Chris's bass; it speaks for
itself). And then Steve and Rick came in (seperately, most likely) and just
soloed over top. Then Jon came in, smiling, letting his little newly free
band do what they like, and began singing his mediocre vocal melodies over
top. During this period he lost his song writing ability for some reason. I
think he gets it back at 90125 and onwards with a few exceptions (UNION) but
here he's spotty at best.
I enjoy Future Times; it has some energy that is quite entertaining. I love
Don't Kill The Whale simply because it is so cheesy and silly. I find it
catchy, but in a dumb way, but I simply don't hate it at all. Madrigal and
Onward are the best songs; they're so simple, and so simply arranged it
would be hard to mess them up. The simple melodies shine quite well.
Release, Release is Yes trying to write a rock song, failing, but making a
lumpy sporadically entertaining mess out of it. Arriving UFO makes me laugh;
I love the band playing on that one. I know the arrangments and tones are
cheesy as hell, but the band kicks up a real true storm on the song, so I
don't mind. Sure, it's probably the dumbest song the band recorded (before
Circus of Heaven) but it's fun.
Circus Of Heaven is, to me, the flat out worst song Yes did in their career.
Worse than most of the crap on Union (which is mostly just alarmingly
mediocre; so many mediocre songs in a row is hard on the skull). Nothing
redeeming about the song at all; horrible arrangments with no melodies,
ridiculous lyrics about nothing, and a flat out stupid monologue by
Anderson's son. Yes's low point.
On The Silent Wings of Freedom has some decent energy at times, horrible
lyrics and tones, some decent melodies, but is easily the worst Yes-epic
ever recorded (does it even count as a Yes-epic?)
The remaster fixes the horrible sound of the original to the point where the
entire album is at least listenable in it's occasional dumbness. I would
have given the original 6 points and the remaster 7 simply because while I
see the horrible flaws of songs like On The Silent Wings of Freedom and
Circus of Heaven, most of it is at least listenable, and occasionally gets
my energy up. However, the fact that every Yes album before this was mind
expanding and completley brilliant almost from start to finish makes this
album a huge let down. While, at their best, Yes is transcendental, at their
best on Tormato they're "fun" which is, of course, a tragedy. Fixed by
Drama, though. Love that album.
Bret Williams (tigerguy.gmail.com) (12/02/07)
Hey there...I trolled the 'net today looking for some guitar TAB for
Release Release off of the Tormato album and found your aswesome
review page. I must admit to be in disagreement with your review of
Tormato. The opening track is fairly classic Yes as well as the
fantastic unsung gem Release, Release. But putting our differences
aside, I was wondering if you could help me locate some TAB to
Release, Release. I absolutely love that song and wondered if
anybody had transcribed it anywhere. I'll have to muddle through on
my own but I won't be able to get any of the difficult stuff figured
out on my own. Thanks again!
Mark Nieuweboer (ismaninb.teacher.com) (02/13/10)
I don't know this album entirely. Based on the comments of even the ardent fans I
think I don't need to. Most appreciated song is Onward. I think it's an overlong
remake of Wonderous Stories, ie superfluous. I quite like Don't kill the Whale
though. Sure, it's a weaker rewrite of Going for the One. Still it's good enough.
The secret is the shift of accent every first beat of the bar. Black Sabbath has
done the same with the song Never say Die and it has the same effect. Not great,
just nice.
Aaron Levin (alevin1169.hotmail.com) (12/13/16)
Ugh, who thought this was a good idea?!?!? Never have I heard another album that's so single-handedly slaughtered by poor choices of arrangement and instrumentation. Some of the "songs" are actually decent, but several (Arriving UFO, Future Times/Rejoice, Madrigal) are ruined by Wakeman's stupid synths. Release Release would be my favorite on the album if it weren't for the dumb fake crowd noise in the middle! I guess I'll pick "On the Silent Wings of Freedom" for my favorite, though it's hardly an immortal classic. What a disappointment. 6/16.
Best song: Medley
Yes may have just put out the weakest album of its career (to that point, anyway), but the ensuing tour showed that the band still had it where it counted. This bootleg (though you'd hardly think so - the sound quality is GREAT, so much so you'd think it was an official release), taken from the group's '79 Quebec City show, shows the band with unbridled energy and reckless abandon to a degree never again found on subsequent tours (certainly NOT at the SLO shows several years later). The energy and intensity level is so high, in fact, that I can almost forgive the fact that the loss of taste in arrangements shown by Squire and Wakeman on Tormato finds its way here; the stupid bass tone remains, as do the plastic-sounding synths, and they certainly have an adverse effect. On the other hand, Howe shows an insane amount of spastic energy while keeping some level of focus, and that's enough to help things as a whole.
Anyhoo, the setlist (with one major exception) is fairly standard, with the band liberally providing a good mix of new and old for their audience. The Tormato material, unfortunately, does not particularly improve in concert - "Future Times" and "Circus of Heaven" simmer at a decent level, and "Don't Kill the Whale" almost works as a diversion, but "Silent Wings" shows the band running out of creative ideas by the end at an even more alarming level than on the studio version. This is NOTHING but mindless, empty jamming, only with nothing innovative or truly creative to jump out and suck in the listener. What a drag.
The older material, on the other hand, makes good use of the band's energy and vigor, and as a result some of the versions are as good as anything in the Yes live canon. "Starship Trooper," in fact, may well be the very best rendition of this track found in any release, official or unofficial, as Howe improvises a wildass solo while even Wakeman's cheezy synths manage to come to life here. "Siberian Khatru" and "Heart of the Sunrise," which open the show, also indicate an exceptionally high level of intensity, as if the band members were getting pissed off at each other (which they probably were) and wanted to take it out on each other by whupping the others into the ground. On the one hand, this doesn't give quite as much cohesion as one might like, which causes the "SK" version to fall slightly short of the version from the Tales tour, but on the other, Howe is just THE MAN on these, so I'm not gonna complain too harshly. Add in solid renditions of "Awaken" (albeit slightly marred by the less organic-sounding keyboards) and the expected "ISAGP" and "Roundabout," and the show fills out nicely.
However, I do not recommend seeking out this or another Tormato-era bootleg because of the expected aspects. No, the reason I recommend this is the utterly brilliant 26-minute medley smack dab in the middle. See, in addition to being the Tormato tour, the band also hyped this as their 10-year anniversary tour, and the band took the opportunity to smoosh some of its more esoteric material together. So after the band runs through Time and a Word, they immediately break into "Long Distance Runaround," which in turn segues into "The Fish." But it's NOT just a showcase for Squire - instead, we essentially get a group version of "The Fish," with Howe and Wakeman chiming in some of the necessary harmonics, and the jamming commences. Amidst the jamming, however, Jon sings some lines from "Survival" (!!!!), the band throws in some bits from "Ritual," and then they break into "Perpetual Change!" Even then, though, things aren't straight-forward - Jon messes with the verses, sticking lyrics into iterations of the verse melody where they don't belong, and even though you know the song is basically being done the same as usual, you immediately sense that things aren't quite right. Finally, then, the band manages to gradually turn the PC jamming into the triumphant instrumental passage leading into "Soon" from "Gates," and we close things out with Jon serenading us like only he can.
As you can tell, then, while it does have its problems, you'll want to find a bootleg from this tour, if only for the best parts. At the very least, this is the last time you'll hear Yes showing this much invention in rebuilding its songs for live performance, and that's enough.
bsitting.mail.math.ucsb.edu (9/10/02)
It is very interesting to hear this band still emit this much energy in the
verge of their breakup, and yet the songs still come off so well. In
particular, Steve Howe is on fire throughout this concert, like on "Siberian
Khatru", "Perpetual Change" (part of the Medley), and "Starship Trooper".
Despite those synths, I can't decide if this version or the "Keys" version
represents the best "Wurm" between Howe and Wakeman I have heard up to this
point. Oh, and the Medley was a blast! Overall, the "Tormato" material didn't
change that much though Howe is much more intense on "Don't Kill the
Whale". "On the Silent Wings of Freedom" has a sightly better intro, though the
ending does sag a bit. Overall: 9(12), as a sign that "Tormato" didn't
translate into the band's 'fall' in concert!!
Best song: Tempus Fugit or Does It Really Happen?
You know how I mentioned in the introduction that Yes really
liked to replace their members? Well, even though it may seem that there
have been a lot of changes to this point, you ain't seen nothing yet.
From this point on, the proliferation of lineup changes leaves the
realm of cold
capitalism and enters comic-bookish absurdity.
Undeterred by the mediocre performance of Tormato, the gang headed
to Paris in early '79 to begin work on their new album. And it was awful,
simply awful. Anderson's songwriting had deteriorated even further, and
Wakeman was contributing the lamest synth parts that the band had ever
heard. Something had to be done, and Squire was the one to do it. He
voiced his considerable displeasure (apparently Steve and Alan also
felt this way) with both Jon and Rick, and
apparently his words were piercing enough that both Wakeman and
Anderson felt they had no choice but to leave the band. And so, the two
men who had defined the Yes sound more than anbody else had been forced
into exile.
Now, in a normal band, when the lead vocalist and primary creative force
leaves, this is considered a good time to break up. But not with Yes;
they still had a recording contract to fufill; three more albums, to be
exact. One of these would become the compilation Classic Yes;
another the double live album Yesshows. But they still needed a
regular studio album. What to do, what to do ...
The solution came like manna from heaven. There was a new-wave rock duo
under contract with Atlantic named The Buggles, consisting of
vocalist/guitarist Trevor Horn and
keyboardist Geoff Downes. I once considered them to be a one-hit wonder group, courtesy of "Video Killed the Radio Star," but that was in the days before I appreciated any New Wave music; their debut album, The Age of Plastic, will easily get a C when I review it someday, and the song "Living in the Plastic Age" is one of my favorites of all time. But I digress. One day, they asked
to meet with Chris Squire, apparently to try and sell them the rights to
a song, although Yes had not recorded a cover song for several years
(they were apparently unaware of the recent shakeup in the Yes lineup). Well,
Squire had before him a keyboardist and vocalist, which they suddenly
had a need for, and so, in what must have been one of the oddest and most
awkward meetings in history, The Buggles became part of the Yes crew.
Incredibly, this gambit worked. My initial reaction to this idea was much the same as other fans' (I've seen a comment to the effect that Yes without Anderson would be like The Experience without Jimi Hendrix) - no Anderson, no Wakeman, therefore the album must suck. But oh I was wrong. Great as both were, severe creative tension had developed between those two and the rest of the group. Anderson's songs were falling into soft, trivial folkish patterns, and basically his lyrics and just the general feel of the songs had gotten so sissifyed that the rest of the band couldn't stand it. And of course, Wakeman's incredible lapses of taste around this time were well-documented.
So Horn and Downes stepped in and filled the roles admirably. Horn's voice is different from Anderson's, sure, and even with his high voice he doesn't have quite the upper range of Jon, but he fills the void quite nicely. And as for Downes, well, he's a VERY welcome addition to the band. Purists may lament the lack of ultra-wanky keyboard solos, but "purists" won't acknowledge that ultra-wanky keyboard solos were much of what annihilated Tormato. Geoff is somewhat of a return to the "simplistic" keys of Tony Kaye (though with a suprising amount of verve and energy), but that's good - he makes no attempt to do anything other than what the songs call for, and this helps things considerably. His tones are modern but not cheezy, his solos are suitably restrained, and in short he's NOT ANNOYING. Some have gone so far that Downes was the best keyboardist the band ever had for this reason, and although I wouldn't go that far, I can sure see the reasoning behind this argument. Sure, he'd become a bit of a monstrosity once Asia got going, but that hadn't happened yet.
But the addition of the Buggles is not the only significant change from the last album. The removal of "overly intrusive" keyboards from the mix spurred the remaining "power trio" to greater heights than they'd had since Relayer, and the playing here is enough to make the album worthwhile. Howe has toughened up his guitar sound again, and while one might complain that the sound is less distinctive and slightly more generic than before (I've also seen a humorous gripe of his tone on this album being "guitar stripped of all sexuality"), it's at least novel to hear such a tone from Steve. White pounds out rhythms in an aggressive, fierce manner once more, and Squire ... Squire is a BEAST on this album, with his tone set to "HEAVY ROCK" and the lines some of the funnest to listen to in forever.
Most important of all, though, the songs are mostly good. Moreover, they're FOCUSED, making it the almost complete opposite of the dippy Tormato. One can really tell that the band wanted this new lineup to work out, and the effort and scope of the songs bears this out. They're much darker in general feel than most stuff from the Anderson era, but that only makes them stand out as a whole in the Yes catalogue from what had come before. As a whole, they make up a sort of "Dark Prog/New-Wave" collection - unique from what virtually any other band was doing, yet still retaining some traces of Yesdom.
Along that line, when listening to this album a couple of years after owning it, a realization hit me like a ton of bricks. It is INCREDIBLY obvious that, at the time of recording at least, the band had thoughts of this direction being the new permanent Yes direction, retaining elements of the Old while heralding in the New. And Drama is carefully constructed accordingly - when you examine the way it is set up, the album reveals itself as, essentially, The Yes Album Part Deux. Think about it for a second: Six tracks on the album with three on each side. Each side bookended by two "longer" songs with an "out-of-place" song in the middle of side one and a regular but shorter composition in the middle of side two. Side one starting with a lengthy epic and ending with a piece with an extended coda. Side two opening with a piece whose main selling point (for better or worse) is an almost mantra-like chorus and closing with a track that has a cool memorable opening. Trademark harmonies. A more "basic" approach in the keyboards. YOU SEE??
Now, of course, the songs don't all match up to the quality of the songs on The Yes Album. But they're mostly quite good anyway. "Into the Lens" is the most controversial for many, and it's not hard to see why. There's an annoying amount of space in the mix, especially in the first iteration of the "I am a Camera" chorus. Now, honestly, most of the times I've listened to this track, my brain has basically gone into vapor lock after that moment, not allowing me to even try to enjoy the rest of the song. That's a shame - while much of it still annoys me like few things in the world can, I've come to honestly enjoy about half of the song. Let's face it, it definitely has its positives; for instance, the introduction, as dippy as it might seem at first, does have guitar bass and keys all playing counterpoint to each other, and Steve's guitar parts here are significantly "outside the box" (er, at least his box). And many of the sung parts are nice too; I REALLY like the way Trevor sings "And you may find time will blind you, this to just remind you, all is meant to be."
The two shorter songs are often dismissed, and while they're not genius or anything, they're ok. "White Car" can't help but be somewhat pointless, given that it's less than a minute and a half long, but it's at least novel to hear something so blatantly New Wave on a Yes album. "Run Through the Light," on the other hand, is actually a rework of one of Anderson's songs from the Paris Sessions entitled "Dancing Lights," and supposedly there are actually traces of his vocals left in the mix for this songs. It also has Horn playing bass (with Squire playing piano), a cute vocal melody with Trevor's most emotional singing on the album, and a nice guitar-driven climax at the end.
The other three tracks, then, are MAJOR goodies. The opening "Machine Messiah," and I will not deviate from this claim, is the most perfect musical depiction of the atmosphere of The Matrix imaginable. The opening metallish riffing might throw the listener a bit at first, but you'll get over it when it quickly develops into an up-tempo almost dancable prog anthem. It moves through fast and slow sections with great ease, before eventually settling into a slow, hellish and moody coda that ends with, er, I guess with the machine blowing up. All throughout there's great interplay between Steve and Chris and Geoff, as they routinely complete each other's phrases just like in the good old days of Relayer. I initially hated the song, of course, but I was a fool.
"Does It Really Happen?" is even better, a dancable New-wave style rocker with an AWESOME driving bassline and Downes' best playing on the whole album. The band is incredibly tight in both playing and singing - the "You walk, the way ..." section is incredible in that it can both get your head banging and your foot tapping AND get your body and ass gyrating like nobody's business. There's even some humor - it's very difficult not to grin during the part where Trevor and Chris start singing a capella all of a sudden. And then it just stops out of nowhere, but never fear! A lengthy instrumental coda is here!
And of course there's "Tempus Fugit," the song that even haters of the album like (well, most of them - see a comment below for dissent). The opening power chords immediately get your attention, the bass riff is cool, the lyrics are mystical in the grand Yes tradition, and each chorus ends in "Yes!" There isn't one DEFINITE hook, but there are easily four or five attention grabbers in the song - don't forget the beauty of the "And the moment I see you ..." counterpoint to the main melody. In short, a classic.
Oy, such a good album. I HATED this one at first, but it grew on me an awful lot. If you can accept Yes as more than just mysticism, and just enjoy solid performances and interesting songwriting, you'll have a hoot.
Laurent MASSE (masse.geocean.u-bordeaux.fr)
My main problem with this album is that, had they tried to find their own
vocal style instead of trying very hard to stick on the Yes formula, it
would have been a killer. But Steve confessed Chris and himself wanted to
put all that made Yes on one album, and as a result, the very identifiable
vocal harmonies of TYA/Fragile/CTTE make a prominent
comeback, at the risk
of sounding cliche. And this is where the album sucks. Not being offended
at all by the "I Am A Camera" line, I really think "Into The Lens" is the
only cut where Trevor sings in his own range and style (not overly
impressive though), whereas the rigid, lifeless, robotic vocal harmonies
of
"Does It Really Happen?" and "Tempus Fugit" are really not convincing at
all. Given this and the fact that Chris is all over the place once again,
I
would probably hate this album if I didn't find "Machine Messiah" so good.
I cannot explain why, but I find this track incredibly catchy, driving,
full of life and verve from beginning to end. The production is clear and
crisp once again, and all the pieces of the puzzle seem to fit perfectly
together. "White Car" is really too short to be offending, "Into The Lens"
and "Run Through The Light" are totally acceptable if not completely
convincing, "Does It Really Happen?" works despite the annoying vocals
because of very interesting bassline and musical content. But strangely,
and we seem to disagree on a lot of songs, "Tempus Fugit" is really not
acceptable to me. While impressive on the first two or three listens, this
one has cliche vocal harmonies with no song content (can someone tell me
where the hook lies?) and is entirely built around another very prominent
acrobatic/geometric bass riff (and this one even has a wrong note in it,
oh
my God!) repeated as often as possible in four minutes. And trading the
usual Fish/Tormato "cat-through-a-mixer-wah-wah" treatment against
a
regular overdrive really doesn't help making it interesting. I always
figured this one was only designed to impress punk groups, as a way of
saying: "Look guys, I am the one who invented this style of playing, you
thought we were dead but we can do punk better than you". Well, yours is
the judgement, but I know of a zillion punk bass riffs more interesting
than this one.
Jerry Gnoza (Gerald.Gnoza.asu.edu)
Ohh, the famous "I am a camera" line... everybody's got an opinion. I
just recently got this album, along with Tormato, and it is a close race
between which one is more laughable. Of course, each has its moments,
but if you are talking about the ability to bear listening to Yes
lyrics, you have to have a high tolerance for "Into The Lens." At least
it's good for the amusement value. I often say to my friends now with a
crazed look in my eye and a robotic voice: "I-am-a-camera...
camera-camera." They look at me funny and I get enjoyment out of it.
So then I go back to the album and song thinking, "Hey, this isn't so
bad after all!" and laughing all the while.
My point? Yes is funny sometimes too, inspite of themselves, God love
'em.
Richard Savill (dreklind.btinternet.com)
If you upped the rating from a 4 to a 7, does this mean to you the album
has aged well?
I remember there being a long gap between YES albums, and Tormato I
didn't care for (in fact I never owned it and taped it off a friend), so
for me it seemed like a long time between YES albums after Going For The
One. News of YES wasn't just a click away like today and we thought YES
broke up.
Finally Drama arrived. I think we were so happy at the time that YES was
still going (touring too!) that we enjoyed the album from the beginning
to end. I wasn't as knowledgeable about the music scene in my youth as
today, and I didn't know that Trevor Horn and Geoffrey Downes were
Buggles members. Didn't care about all that. I wasn't influenced by any
stigma this may have carried to YES. I did notice that Anderson and
Wakeman were gone, but it still had the YES sound in it albeit changed or
modernized.
Today, I look on it as a curiosity. Somewhere between a YES album, a
Buggles album and an ASIA album. Still sounds good and I still play it
from time to time for nostalgia and my workouts.
I should note that I was pleased to see Wakeman replaced. I was always
frustrated with his meaningless meanderings on the keyboards when he came
to the spotlight in YES tracks. This doesn't mean he came off badly all
the time, but his work seems self-indulgent quite often. I think he was
better off doing his own projects of which some of them I enjoy (and
own).
As for the songs, the best one is probably Does It Really Happen? This is
a safe favorite.
In this and other YES sites with reviews, Into The Lens is the most hotly
debated. I find it similar to the Tales From Topographic Oceans argument,
scaled down to the song. This makes me interested in the song. I played
it to see what I thought - trying to get a fresh impression.
I don't know what the fuss is, it might be too long I guess. Overdone
with the 'I am a camera' bit I suppose. All in all, I like the song.
Again though, this is YES's album of oddity. The separator from old YES
to new YES.
I am glad this album was the bridge to the new instead of Tormato, which
I haven't listened to in years.
Could you expand on why you increased the rating for Drama? Why
the DRAMAtic increase?
(author's note): Sure. Basically, I was initially bored to death by Machine Messiah and Run Through the Light, and thought Into The Lens had no redeeming qualities. But all of these tracks got much better over time, so I figured an increase was in order.
"Sittinger, Brian D" (brian.d.sittinger.lmco.com)
This is the latest Yes record I have bought (at this point, I have no
interest in 80's+ Yes, although I have heard the entire "90125" one time
on radio (stylistically, how could anyone call this Yes?), bought
"ABWH", and "The Ladder." Someone just gave me "Union", but I am not
ready to sacrifice my free time listening to it yet!).
Eunough rambling, this record is, well, okay. The Yes sound is further
simplified. "Machine Messiah" (gasp!) and "Tempus Fugit" ar really the
only memorable tracks for me. The others, while nonoffesive to the ears,
are nonmemorable to me (blandness?). And, the "I am a camera" line is
even more silly than those on "Tormato."
An improvement over "Tormato" nevertheless. 7 out of 10.
john sieber (oneofakind151.hotmail.com) (1/08/02)
John,
Another successful review my man! Not that I've quite heard Drama yet,
though, but I think it'll be my next purchase. It is about time to pick
another Yes album.
Anyway, the reason I'm taking up your web space with this comment is the
debate over the keyboards of Yes. I've seen it on a lot of review sites,
and now it's come to yours. Here's my two cents.
Wakeman was the best keyboard player Yes would ever have. He had the
instrumental skill and (before Tormato) musical taste to keep up with the
rest of the band, and at times set the bar even higher for the rest of the
band. His instrumental breaks, IMHO, were never wanking; on the contrary,
they almost always enhanced the mood of the piece ("South Side of the Sky",
"Close to the Edge", "Awaken").
(author's note): For the record, I entirely agree. In those cases, his playing was very elaborate, but it always was to the BENEFIT of the piece. The wanking I'm referring to is virtually all contained on Tormato.
True, Kaye and Downes were more subdued and
let the rest of the band shine through more, and I will not deny the
Wakeman-less "Tempus Fugit" the honor of possibly being THE Yessong, but
what made Yes Yes (I think) was the presence of FIVE separate entities who
fused not only their good taste, but their blazing chops. With the keys
serving almost solely as "backup", the true essence of Yes could never float
all the way to the top. They almost had it with The Yes Album, but with
Fragile and Close to the Edge, the Yes cocktail was perfected. [Insert
favorite drink recipe here, substituting the ingredients with your favorite
Yesmen.]
Anyway, for everyone's information, the biggest wanker in prog-rock was, as
much as I love the guy, Keith Emerson. Let's go over the possible examples:
"Take a Pebble", "The Three Fates", half of "Tarkus", "Infinite Space", most
of "Pictures at an Exhibition", the "Endless Enigma" suite, "Trilogy"....
and I havent even gotten to Brain Salad Surgery or Works yet! I rest my
case. To quote somebody on one of these review sites, "let the flames
begin!!"
(author's note): The main difference between Keith and Rick, though, was that Keith was THE central feature of the band. Lake's playing was quite good, but never really on a flashy Squire or Howe level. Keith could afford to wank until he spooged because nobody else was really in competition with him in the process.
Daniel and Corine Bosch (dcbosch.optusnet.com.au) (5/15/02)
Underrated, this one. It must have been hard to even try to make a Yes
record without Jon, but, marvel of marvels, the boys come the goods. Trevor
Horn does a good job (I agree with others though that he tries too hard to
sound like Jon) and Geoff Downes shows that, while he may not bee as flashy
as Rick he is still a truly great keyboard player. "Machine Messiah" is
best, and "Tempus Fugit" rocks. The album's overall sound, with the benefit
of hindsight, ends up being transitional between the complexities of
traditional Yes and the more straight-forward 80s Yes.
Vandermeer (bkvander.telus.net) (7/06/03)
A change in band members and in style from Tormato, but another great album.
This album rocks harder than any other Yes album in my opinion, and I'm not sure
if that's more to do with the presence of Horn and/or Downes or the absence of
Anderson and/or Wakeman. Regardless the guys achieved another winner here.
The opening Machine Messiah has a bit of an overlong heavy-metal type intro for
my taste, but once that stops and we get Howe's acoustic guitar followed by
Downes synth bursts, I'm in heaven. The vocal interplay between Horn and Squire
is also top notch on this track. Cut out the opening minute and I call MM a
perfect nine-minute track. (By the way, whenever I hear the opening line of MM
it always makes me think of the opening line of Pink Floyd's Sheep-they're
eerily similar (the way they're sung, not the actual words)). Next up is White
Car, which is an amusing minute and a half throwaway. Does It Really Happen is
good, but I don't like it quite as much as the other three longer tracks. I
know some people hate Into the Lens, but not me. It's got some great vocal
lines, and interesting changes in tempo. Run Through the Light is also good if
not spectacular. Finally the closing Tempus Fugit is probably the best with its
hyperactive baseline and great vocal interplay.
I'll give Drama a 9 (12). A good legacy for this one time only Yes lineup. One
gripe I do have is why didn't they include at least one of the songs you
mentioned they did on the tour (Go Through This and We Can Fly From Here) on the
album? Considering Drama is less than 37 minutes, they could have squeezed
another song on there.
Craig Thomas (Craig.W.Thomas.btinternet.com) (9/02/03)
Man, you r one brave dude.
i just read your review of Drama.
i just bought this on cd actually, so i was intrigued by what you had to
say. what i love about your writing is that it's so utterly provocative.
so just a couple of things for now:
trevor horn's singing is so awful, so utterly lacking in character and
personality, not to say the minimum level of technical prowess required
of a professional singer (it's no wonder he quickly removed himself to
the production booth after this), that it renders the whole record
virtually unlistenable.
secondly, lyrically, the record is a total embarrassment. the only
possible way i can see that anyone can view Drama as an improvement on
Anderson lyrics is if they're so short on imagination and appreciation of
the abstract (which you're patently not) they can't abide his muse into
the ethereal, unknown and unreachable (actually, i can't abide anyone who
doesn't like Anderson's lyrics).
Man you really like putting your neck out to be stomped on.
respect for that,
regards,
Craig
(one week later)
Can I add to my comments about Drama thus. After a one-listen review -
never a good idea - I'm forced to accept that despite Horn's inability to
sing, the album does have some really fine passages. Someone made the
point about White-Howe-Squire making some intense noise here, and I guess
this would be their fierce determination to make a good Yes album despite
the odds: there can be no Yes without Jon Anderson. I now admire them for
trying. There are indeed some great passages of typical and typically
adept and uplifting melody-harmony writing. Shades of Topographic Oceans,
something I didn't expect after all these years. (I bought it in 1980,
played it once, was disgusted, and threw the record into the English
Channel where I was unfortunate enough to be living at the time.
Trevor Horn is, sadly, because one obviously doesn't mean the cat any ill
will, the ruination of the album. Downes does a highly creditable job.
His singing is unbearable, as already stated. The high pitched mewling
with Chris at the latter part of Machine Messiah is so embarrassing I
find myself crawling on my hands and knees under my office desk and into
a foetal ball every time I hear it. What they were thinking when they
decided to run with the frantic upward key change is beyond anyone's
guess, I think.
The album could have even better had they had the balls to forget the
punk revolution and make most of the tracks a few minutes longer.
However, the hang ups in progressive circles about all the tired dinosaur
criticism were overwhelming for bands at the time, tragedy to say
rendered this a virtual impossibility.
Lastly, I find the support here for Does It Really Happen? the most
bizarre phenomenon of website criticism. This atrocious abortion in terms
of composition is an offence against musical history, never mind Yes
history. The verse rhythm and excuse for melody jars so much on the mind
that it puts me in mind of having my teeth drilled without anesthetic.
Worse, it's inept. It doesn't work. It's horrible. Period. Was it the
drugs? The drink? Someone out there who is as offended as me by this
dumbass nonsense (listen to the chords behind the thing and their descent
into flat bad cliché that even the guys in Abba would have thrown out)
tell me what it was.
If you must score albums, give this 6/10. Good try. Note. First 7 albums
all score minimum of 10/10. Numbers 3-7 12/10 at worse, 20/10 Close To
The Edge.
Craig
Peter Ross (prog_man2.yahoo.com) (6/27/04)
The Rhino remaster of this album has four tracks from
the Paris sessions, and let me tell you--they're
HIDEOUS. Wakeman has completely chucked his sense of
good taste out the window--the tones he used on these
tracks are sickening. And the lyrics! Mother of God,
what happened here? They're silly, childish nonsense
that make the worst songs on "Tormato" sound like
"TGOD." In case you're wondering, they're called:
"Dancing Through The Light" (AWFUL keyboard sound on
this one)
But anyway--I like the album itself--"Machine Messiah"
has a terrific atmosphere, "White Car" is stupid fun,
"DIRH?" has a great chorus and rhythm, "ITL" is
overblown nonsense, "RTTL" is great nonsense, and
"Tempus Fugit" is awesome Awesome AWESOME--love those
bass runs! 9 (13) on your scale, B+/A- on mine.
Trfesok.aol.com (12/31/05)
The Yes-Buggles merger wasn't quite as happenstance as the spin
doctors would have fans believe. No, the bands didn't share a record
company, but they did share a manager, one Brian Lane. When Anderson
split (over matters financial as well as musical), it was Lane that
suggested that the Buggles write material for Yes. This was appalling
to Wakeman (who referred to this period as "Video Killed the Heart of
the Sunrise"), so he left.
But he and everyone else was wrong. Personally, I think this is the
most enjoyable, consistent album since CTTE. Although we had a higher
of musical proficiency on the albums preceding this one, they were,
to a smaller degree (Relayer) or a larger degree (Tales..)
all suffering from a lack of focus. This album is more melodic
(thanks to the Buggles, no doubt), with a still high degree of
musicianship. It's interesting that while Steve is certainly still a
big contributor, he seems to take more of a back seat to Squire and
Downes here (maybe that's because he put out an excellent solo album
after Tormato, depleting his material). Downes concentrates more on
textures than solos, which is fine. Chris is the big star here, I
have to agree. White sounds better, too. I'd bet he came up with the
very percussive intro/outro to "Into the Lens". The lyrics are
certainly interesting, devoid of Anderson's increasing
eccentricities. (What's wrong with "I am a camera", anyway? It's no
worse than rearranging your liver to a solid mental place, or
whatever). Horn does a good vocal job, too, even if he is trying too
hard to pull an Anderson on "Run Through the Light". Squire's voice
is far more prominent in the vocal mix, though, which gives off a big
clue, in retrospect.
I played this over and over when it was released. This lineup, I
thought, had a great deal of potential -- until I heard Horn sing
"Yours is No Disgrace" a few months later...
Matti.Alakulju.upm-kymmene.com (07/07/07)
I suppose that the author of this site (and the readers too) don't much
care about Dream Theater, maybe the biggest name in prog metal for the past
decade or so. But they happen to be one of my favorite bands, in fact they
are my favorite among bands still alive. They have a strange tradition of
doing lots of cover songs, including Yes, Rush, Floyd etc.
Some years ago, I think it was in 2003, they toured with Yes. During their
opening set they wanted to play a Yes cover, of course. For reasons
unknown, they chose to play Machine Messiah. A strange choice, I'd like
them to play Heart Of The Sunrise, because they could pull it off for sure.
I haven't heard any bootlegs of that tour, so I don't know what it was
like, but maybe some day...
Mark Nieuweboer (ismaninb.teacher.com) (02/13/10)
My problem with Drama is that I don't like New Wave too much. So I can't really
judge this album. I will restrict myself to Machine Messiah. It is obvious that the
two Buggles (or whatever) have teached Howe and Squire a few things about form.
Machine Messiah is the very first tight composition since Yes decided to abandon the
verse-chorus scheme. Machine Messiah consists of several themes, I haven't counted
how many exactly. They come back in a slightly altered form in the second half of
the song. Essentially Yes does what Rush tried to accomplish, usually failing. When
it comes to form Machine Messiah can be compared with Xanadu and Camera Eye. MM is
certainly not second or third to these two. So predictably many Yesgeeks dislike it.
I think it's great.
Aaron Levin (alevin1169.hotmail.com) (12/13/16)
This album holds a special place in my heart. I've always been a big Yes fan but never particularly loyal to Jon Anderson, so when I first listened to it I got the feeling I'd like it. But I had no idea just how MUCH I'd love it! I'll come out and say this is my second-favorite Yes album of all, just behind Fragile. The four main pieces are all phenomenal: "Into the Lens" is filled with tricky stops and starts and awesome vocal harmonies (and I find the "I am a camera" line amusing, not offensive!); "Machine Messiah" is the best pure-metal piece Yes ever did and has some of Downes' best solos in the middle; "Does it Really Happen" is bouncy and dance-y with a rockin' bass solo at the end, and "Tempus Fugit" is a fun, hard-rocking closer. Even "White Car" is entertaining. I'll give this 14/16, but it's awfully close to 15/16.
Best song: Nah, it's very even
A bootleg of the first Buggles+Yes concert in the US (and third
show of the tour). Drama freakers will want to hunt this down, of
course, but ... I dunno. I respect Drama, but this concert
doesn't exactly do much to stir me to the belief, held by some, that this
lineup was perhaps better than the Anderson-led Yes. Actually, this
concert strongly reminds me of Seconds Out, a late-70's Genesis
live album. Approximately half of the album is songs from the latest
incarnation of the group, while the other half is old standards with good
playing but mediocre singing.
Now, don't get me wrong - I have nothing against Horn's voice in and of
itself. The main problem here is that the band was unwilling to change the
key of the old songs in order to accomodate Trevor's range, and it shows.
He has an immense amount of difficulty in hitting some of the highest
notes in "Yours is No Disgrace," "And You And I" sounds really weird, and so
on. Later, this would lead to serious problems (as a result of repeatedly
stretching himself to the brink of his vocal range, Trevor developed a
massive throat infection during the British leg of the tour. As a result,
his singing was horrible enough that he was booed night after night, as
fans stormed ticket offices and demanded refunds. Trevor was so shaken by
the experience that he has not toured with any band since.) The other guys
make some effort to cover for him vocally, but they never quite
succeed.
Still, the performances are just as good as ever - the band really wanted
to be in top form for this tour. Steve's rendition of "Clap" might even
surpass the original, with some well-timed guitar slaps here and there.
Chris also performs a ten-minute "The Fish"/"Amazing Grace" medley, and while
I can see why some would be sick of it after all of these years, I think
it's interesting to hear it once or twice. Meanwhile, "Starship Trooper"
suffers because of the singing, of course, but Würm blows me away
just as much as ever. They even revive "Parallels," which brings me no end
of pleasure.
The remainder of the concert is, as you might guess, devoted to
Drama-related material. In addition to performing five of the six
album tracks (leaving off "Run Through the Light"), we also get a pair of
un-released numbers in "Go Through This" and "We Can Fly From Here." The first seemed a little dull to me at first, but it eventually revealed itself to me as a fine piece of New Wave rock and roll, and the second has a pretty nice melody and some decent lyrics. As for the regular material, "White Car" gets the oddest
treatment, suddenly becoming an expanded suite and a framework for a
lengthy Downes solo. Fortunately, the solo is quite good, so I'm not
complaining.
All in all, this concert is quite an historical curiousity. Unfortunately,
while it has its moments, it never really quite goes beyond that.
Best song: Gates Of Delirium
One major positive to come out of Drama was that it created a greater desire on the part of the Yes public for Anderson-era live material. Hence, Squire went into the tape room and dug up some material from the band's late 70's gigs. But while you might expect such an album to be a kind of Yessongs Part Deux, the result is surprisingly weird. And surprisingly good! Some of the material is from the Moraz era of longass complex epics, while the rest is from the "Return of Wakeman" era of rock and pop with cool arrangements. Not only that, but these songs almost uniformally showcase Anderson as what he had become; just a good singer with a really high voice, not a mystical ethereal being from the Pleiades. Unless you have an utter aversion to the concept of high-pitched male vocals, this is a good place to turn to hear Jon at his best.
Of the seven tracks here, only "Don't Kill the Whale" really disappoints me - I guess they HAD to have something from Tormato on here, but on the other hand I've been told that "Release Release" and even "Silent Wings" (sometimes) came across infinitely better live than in the studio, and I would have been happy to hear them on this album. On the other hand, though, three Going for the One tracks found their way on here, and they're a definite treat. The excitement and intensity of "Parallels" coming out of the "Firebird Suite" is something to behold, and the song rocks even harder than before (not to mention that Rick gets a cooler solo here than in the studio). The title track and "Wonderous Stories" aren't really significantly better than before, but they sure as heck aren't any worse, and it's interesting to hear Anderson attempt to hit the high notes in "GFTO" and almost fail.
Oh! And as a special surprise, we get a late 70's rendition of that old hippie standby, "Time and a Word" (taken from the very beginning of one of the band's terrific medleys, mentioned earlier)! It's no different from the original (apart from the lack of orchestration), and it certainly doesn't hold a candle to the later Keys to Ascension 2 version, but it's a nice relaxing way to come out of the energetic frenzy of "Parallels." What's oddest, though, is the way it suddenly cuts off at the end to break into a different show's "GFTO," but I guess the jarring was intended.
The main attractions of the album, of course, are the two lengthy epics. I used to actually consider this version of "Gates" better than the original, but time has helped me to realize that speeding up the battle section caused it to actually lose a bit of intensity, which knocks it down a bit in my mind. What makes this GREAT, though, is the singing from Anderson. On the original, there was a cold, distant, even more robotic tone to his voice than usual (except in "Soon," of course), which gave a definite edge to the opening section but also wasn't that overtly emotional. Here, though, the opening section is highlighted by INCREDIBLY aggressive singing (for Anderson, anyway) - note especially his performance in the "Words cause our banner" section. And, of course, the ending "Soon" is just as beautiful as ever - you can practically see the audience tending to the wounded, and they also make sure to finish out the last chord (that was inexplicably faded out too early on Relayer) to give full release to the audience's emotions.
The other big epic, as you would know if you've been paying attention to previous reviews, is "Ritual." This version isn't quite on the same level as some others (see my Electric Freedom bootleg review), but the bass solo is hella entertaining, not to mention that the Anderson "barkings" during the whole tribal drum circle section are lots of fun to listen to. BUT, I gotta tell you this - the best part of the whole album comes from the recorded leadin to the track, unfortunately buried at the end of "Don't Kill the Whale" so that I would never hear it after skipping through that track. The band starts into a very lightweight "funk jam" while Anderson gives props to the band's road crew, and at one point, I kid you not, you get to hear Anderson say something you would never expect him to say in a million years. You ready for this? I quote, "Don't put that funk in my face." GAH.
So all in all, this album, while not INCREDIBLY necessary, is still a very fun and worthwhile inclusion to the band's catalogue. And it's cheap too - it's a double album, but it's always in one of those thin 2-cd cases, and I've always seen it sold for the price of a single album. So get it!
Laurent MASSE (masse.geocean.u-bordeaux.fr)
Although it was just a contractual obligation in the first place, I find
this one far more satifying than "Yessongs". High points are it
does not
repeat it at all, and the sound picture is a vast improvement. Apart from
that, the song selection could have been much better. "Don't Kill The
Whale", the three "Going For The One" songs and "Gates" are exact copies
of
the studio cuts, making a double album a little pointless. However, the
stripped down and relaxed "Time And A Word" and the incredibly improved
"Ritual" alone make this a very interesting buy. Although the middle
section of the latter is probably a little bit stretched in places, it
grabs you much more than the TFTO version. I can even do with
Chris's bass
solo, which says a lot.
"Sittinger, Brian D" (brian.d.sittinger.lmco.com) (8/15/01)
Interesting double CD. First of all, there are NO repeats from the
Bruford-era songs found on Yessongs (concise, no?). As for the songs
themselves, the band tries to stay as faithful as possible to the
complicated song stuctures they had recorded in studio (as in Yessongs,
too). Due to this, if you don't like "Don't Kill the Whale", this version
will have no chance to convert you to liking it (I'm personally indifferent
to this song overall). "Ritual", although long already, is extended yet
another 6-8 minutes, and yet has more energy than its studio counterpart.
"Time and a Word" is the one song that is significantly reworked (no
orchestra, and Howe and Wakeman redo the background), and comes off very
well. Finally, all Tormato bass haters out there, beware of its existence in
"Wonderous Stories"(which is still quite decent, whether or not you like
these effects)! Overall, 8 out of 10 seems reasonable.
Trfesok.aol.com (11/15/05)
This was actually released out of sequence, in a way. I actually
heard the whole thing broadcast on a Philadelphia station (with
Atlantic's permission) a year before it came out! It was withdrawn
because, the band said, the release of their new album (out of the
Paris sessions which came to nothing) was immanent. Squire remixed it
after the Drama band broke up, but the LP still sounded comparatively
muddy (haven't heard the remaster, though). Even so, some of the
performances compare quite favorably with the studio version -- "Time
and a Word" gets a more intimate feel; "Soon" is very moving, yes,
indeed; the first half of "Ritual" (prior to that still annoying
percussion jam) really rocks. And "Parallels" just blows away the
studio version totally -- this is what the song should have sounded
like in the first place. I guess this wouldn't be too bad an
introduction to mid-to-late 70's Yes for newcomers, atlhough Yessongs
should probably be thoroughly digested before moving on to stuff like
"..Gates.." and "Ritual"
Time and a Word - 12
The Yes Album - 15
Fragile - 14
Close to the Edge - 15
Tales From Topographic Oceans - 13
Relayer - 15
Going for the One - 14
Tormato - 8
Drama - 13
90125 - 9
Big Generator - 7
Union - 8
The Symphonic Music of Yes - 10
Talk - 13
Open Your Eyes - 11
The Ladder - 12
See the album Close to the edge,as an example,is not just a matter of
"speed"
I'm 50 times faster than squire,but the "way" he plays and his Rick's
sound is unique.
a very special picking.with a maestro fuzz and stereo wiring..2 or 3 diff
amps...
Jon Anderson is great,always amazing.
my favourite group ...YES forever!
Sorry but I'm sick of "4x4" rock and roll,I like those 10 or 15 minutes
yes songs..
france
My favorite group since the begining (1968)
I live in San Diego Ca, and I attend their concerts every time
they're in town
Felipe.
the best!
C
(Very Good / Great)
8
(Good / Mediocre)
C
(Very Good / Great)
D
(Great / Very Good)
Send me your thoughts
E
(Great)
E
(Great)
Emotion revealed as the ocean maid,
As a movement regained and regarded both the same,
All complete in the side of seeds of life with you.
Yessongs - 1973 Atlantic
C
(Very Good / Great)
Tales From Topographic Oceans - 1973 Atlantic
D
(Great / Very Good)
Tour of the Oceans - Bootleg
D
(Great / Very Good)
Relayer - 1974 Atlantic
E
(Great)
Electric Freedom - Bootleg
A
(Very Good / Good)
Going For The One -1977 Atlantic
D
(Great / Very Good)
Listen In Time - Bootleg
8
(Good / Mediocre)
Tormato - 1978 Atlantic
6
(Mediocre)
Circus Of Heaven - Bootleg
A
(Very Good / Good)
Drama - 1980 Atlantic
A
(Very Good / Good)
"Golden Age" (forgettable pap)
"In The Tower" (failed mysticism with crap lyrics)
"Friend Of A Friend" (WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?! YUCK!)
Complete Dramatized Tour - Bootleg
8
(Good / Mediocre)
Yesshows - 1980 Atlantic
A
(Very Good / Good)