The Yes Discography: Mirror to the Sky (2023)

[Orbert]

I think "Dreamtime" is my favorite.  During my listens, it was the one that made me grab my iPod and check the name of the song the most times.

[Jaq]

This album, more than any other Yes album, is the one that falls most firmly into being background music for me. It really doesn't do a whole hell of a lot that's exciting, although there's nothing wrong with it; it just doesn't excite me. It's well written and well performed...it's just kind of there. Better than the other non-Rabin albums after 1980, but for me that's not saying much.

[FreezingPoint]

This is my #2 Yes album. I said it. Does it have some faults? Sure. But it is so great otherwise. The first couple of tracks are not the best on the album, and I admit that I skip over those occasionally. The main strength of Magnification is not just the orchestra, it is the ability to use the orchestra as an intricate and dynamic part of the songs, just as any other instrument and able to fill gaps and be in the background or be at the forefront with ease. I have heard no other rock album that uses the orchestra as effectively as Magnification. It does not feel as an afterthought and it feels like it was supposed to be there from the beginning.

What I also love about this album is that for me, it has a mysterious and contemplative atmosphere about it. For whatever reason, the album reminds me of the Myst series of games, and of that kind of world. Perhaps the songs are not the best Yes had ever written, but they are executed so well. My favorites on the album are Dreamtime, Give Love Each Day, We Agree, and In The Presence Of. I would have been fine if this were Yes' last studio album, going out of a high point IMO. I especially love the last song, which gives me a 70s Yes vibe.

[Perpetual Change]

What I also love about this album is that for me, it has a mysterious and contemplative atmosphere about it.

Yes, this exactly. It is the perfect album for long night drives.

[KevShmev]

I think "Dreamtime" is my favorite.  During my listens, it was the one that made me grab my iPod and check the name of the song the most times.

I forgot about this one.  But after reading your post, I gave it a whirl, and it is a pretty cool song.

[ytserush]

I've got the House of Blues CDs, but not the DVD. I like it. Sounds great to me.

I like Magnification too, though I don't find occasion to listen to it as much as some of the other Yes albums from that time period.

[Orbert]

Symphonic Live (2003)



Jon Anderson - Vocals, Acoustic Guitar
Steve Howe - Guitars, Vocals
Chris Squire - Bass, Vocals
Alan White - Drums, Percussion, Vocals

with

Tom Brislin - Keyboards
The European Festival Orchestra, Wilhelm Keitel Conductor


Overture
Close to the Edge
Long Distance Runaround
Don't Go
In the Presence Of
The Gates of Delerium
Steve Howe Guitar Solo
Starship Trooper
Magnification
And You And I
Ritual
I've Seen All Good People
Owner of a Lonely Heart
Roundabout

----------

I don't have this double CD, but I do have the DVD which is the same concert, and I've watched it many times.  It's amazing.  The double CD is from the same concert, so unless they screwed something up with the sound, it too is presumably amazing.  The Magnification material is even better than on the album, and much of the older material takes on a new dimension with the addition of the orchestra.  Rick Wakeman was asked to play on the short tour from which this recording was made, but he had scheduling conflicts.  As with the album Magnification, the idea was to mostly replace the keyboards with the orchestra, but the climactic Hammond solo in "Close to the Edge" is an exception, and key parts in the epics "The Gates of Delerium" and "Ritual" pretty much had to be there as well, and Tom Brislin does a great job covering those parts.

There are times when it's downright breathtaking what they've done with the orchestra.  Those Mellotron lines in "And You And I" sound simply glorious when played by actual strings and horns.  "The Gates of Delerium" with a full orchestra participating in the insanity of the "war" and also in the serenity of the "peace" is terrific.  There are also times when they've more or less added things for the orchestra to do, as Yes music is often quite dense anyway.  But they've actually managed to embellish "Close to the Edge" and other classic Yessongs.  The songs of course have stood alone for decades previously, but at least the orchestra doesn't sound superfluous.  They're not just doubling the existing lines; they're actually adding to the song and to the sound.

The orchestra gets a few breaks during this very long concert (nearly three hours), but I found some of the choices a bit odd.  "Owner of a Lonely Heart" made big waves in the 80's with the sampled orchestral hits, and I was looking forward to hearing those parts played by a real orchestra, but "Owner" is one of the those played without the orchestra.  It seemed like an obvious place to actually make the substitution.

Anyway, this is another one essentially included for completeness, since I don't have the CD, but as I said, if it's as good as the DVD, it's definitely worth checking out.

[The Letter M]

This is probably one of my favorite live CD/DVD sets released by Yes, and the Orchestra does a stupendous job of adding to the older songs while bringing the newer ones to life.

I mean, where else can you get CTTE, TGOD and Ritual all in the same place?! Those three songs alone are worth the price of admission!

-Marc.

[Perpetual Change]

The Orchestra is great, when they're mixed loud enough to be audible. The tour was notoriously filled with orchestra and band screw-ups, and performances that sounded like both spending the evening trying to play catch-up with one another.  In this release, there's definitely been some creative mastering going on, and you kinda have to wonder what that show really sounded like.

Still a nice DVD with a good setlist. If you can only get one Yes DVD, this is probably the one to go for.

[Nel]

I've never heard it myself, but this is usually the most recommended live album of theirs to me.

[ytserush]

Symphonic Live (2003)



Jon Anderson - Vocals, Acoustic Guitar
Steve Howe - Guitars, Vocals
Chris Squire - Bass, Vocals
Alan White - Drums, Percussion, Vocals

with

Tom Brislin - Keyboards
The European Festival Orchestra, Wilhelm Keitel Conductor


Overture
Close to the Edge
Long Distance Runaround
Don't Go
In the Presence Of
The Gates of Delerium
Steve Howe Guitar Solo
Starship Trooper
Magnification
And You And I
Ritual
I've Seen All Good People
Owner of a Lonely Heart
Roundabout

----------

I don't have this double CD, but I do have the DVD which is the same concert, and I've watched it many times.  It's amazing.  The double CD is from the same concert, so unless they screwed something up with the sound, it too is presumably amazing.  The Magnification material is even better than on the album, and much of the older material takes on a new dimension with the addition of the orchestra.  Rick Wakeman was asked to play on the short tour from which this recording was made, but he had scheduling conflicts.  As with the album Magnification, the idea was to mostly replace the keyboards with the orchestra, but the climactic Hammond solo in "Close to the Edge" is an exception, and key parts in the epics "The Gates of Delerium" and "Ritual" pretty much had to be there as well, and Tom Brislin does a great job covering those parts.

There are times when it's downright breathtaking what they've done with the orchestra.  Those Mellotron lines in "And You And I" sound simply glorious when played by actual strings and horns.  "The Gates of Delerium" with a full orchestra participating in the insanity of the "war" and also in the serenity of the "peace" is terrific.  There are also times when they've more or less added things for the orchestra to do, as Yes music is often quite dense anyway.  But they've actually managed to embellish "Close to the Edge" and other classic Yessongs.  The songs of course have stood alone for decades previously, but at least the orchestra doesn't sound superfluous.  They're not just doubling the existing lines; they're actually adding to the song and to the sound.

The orchestra gets a few breaks during this very long concert (nearly three hours), but I found some of the choices a bit odd.  "Owner of a Lonely Heart" made big waves in the 80's with the sampled orchestral hits, and I was looking forward to hearing those parts played by a real orchestra, but "Owner" is one of the those played without the orchestra.  It seemed like an obvious place to actually make the substitution.

Anyway, this is another one essentially included for completeness, since I don't have the CD, but as I said, if it's as good as the DVD, it's definitely worth checking out.

I don't have this.

But I want it.

[The Letter M]

Orbert - Will you be including any of the following?
In a Word: Yes (1969 - ) (2002)
The Ultimate Yes: 35th Anniversary Collection    (2003)
Yes Remixes (2003)
Yesspeak (2004)
Yes Acoustic: Guaranteed No Hiss (2004)
Songs from Tsongas (2005)
The Word Is Live (2005)
Live at Montreux 2003 (2007)

I'd really like to discuss Songs From Tsongas and maybe The Word Is Live

-Marc.

[Orbert]

Songs from Tsongas (2004)



Jon Anderson - Vocals, MIDI Guitar, Percussion, Keyboards
Steve Howe - Guitars, Vocals
Chris Squire - Bass, Harmonica, Vocals
Rick Wakeman - Keyboards
Alan White - Drums, Percussion


Firebird Suite
Going for the One
Sweet Dreams
I've Seen All Good People
Mind Drive (Parts 1 & 2)
South Side of the Sky
Turn of The Century
My Eyes (excerpt from "Foot Prints")
Mind Drive (Part 3)
Yours Is No Disgrace

Acoustic Set

The Meeting Room (Rick Wakeman solo)
The Meeting
Long Distance Runaround
Wonderous Stories
Time Is Time
Roundabout
Show Me
Owner of a Lonely Heart
Second Initial (Steve Howe solo)

Rhythm of Love
And You and I
Ritual - Nous Sommes Du Soleil
Every Little Thing
Starship Trooper

----------

The 2004 tour was the 35th Anniversary Tour, and it was also the last tour with either Jon Anderson or Rick Wakeman.  Well, if you're going to go out, try to go out on a high note, and this is a pretty high note.  The set list includes songs from each period of Yes history, hitting almost every album from the self-titled debut to Magnification.  There's also an acoustic set in the middle featuring some stripped-down versions which are pretty much what you might expect, and a few surprises, most notably an acoustic blues-shuffle version of "Roundabout".

It's an impressive set.  Even though they've split up "Mind Drive", it's cool to hear this one, my personal favorite from the Keys to Ascension period.  I also prefer the version of "Turn of the Century" here to the one on Keys to Ascension.  It seems like they tried to mix things up a bit, aware that a lot of these songs have previously been released on at least one live album, but between the rarities, the new ones, the acoustic set, and the fire with which they attack most everything, this collection is definitely worth checking out.

----------

Yes has had personnel issues and health issues in the past decade or so, and amidst a dearth of new studio material, we've seen a lot of concert DVDs and live CDs and even a set of interviews (Yesspeak), and to be honest, I consider it to be bordering on overkill.  Take a look at Marc's list and you'll see what I mean. 

In a Word: Yes (1969 - ) (2002)
The Ultimate Yes: 35th Anniversary Collection    (2003)
Yes Remixes (2003)
Yesspeak (2004)
Yes Acoustic: Guaranteed No Hiss (2004)
Songs from Tsongas (2005)
The Word Is Live (2005)
Live at Montreux 2003 (2007)

At least they've tried to vary things a bit.  Each of these recent releases has its own focus, its own character, but I can't help but feel that fans are being exploited a bit.  Most of these recent releases are beautiful packages, not just "another live album", but they're also expensive, really for collectors only.

Yes is my favorite band, but I'm just not one of those who feels the need to collect literally everything they release.  Marc, do you actually have all of those?

[The Letter M]

I've got all of those except the 35th Anniversary cd set, although. I've been meaning to get the 3cd set someday lol

I've also been compelled to have a complete collection, so I own a lot of the stuff released over the last 10 years.

Also, since as of today, Yes hasn't released a CD version of Songs From Tsongas, I took it upon my self over 6 years ago to make my own CD version of the album, and it's as follows:

Songs From Tsongas
3-Disc CD Set (171:27)

Disc 1 - 69:34
1. Intro/Firebird Suite
2. Going For The One
3. Sweet Dreams
4. Your Move/I’ve Seen All Good People
5. Mind Drive Parts 1 and 2
6. South Side Of The Sky
7. Turn Of The Century
8. My Eyes/Mind Drive Part 3
9. Yours Is No Disgrace

Disc 2 - 42:26
1. The Meeting Room/The Meeting
2. Long Distance Runaround
3. Wonderous Stories
4. Time Is Time
5. Rounabout
6. Show Me
7. Owner Of A Lonely Heart
8. Second Initial
9. Rhythm Of Love

Disc 3 - 59:27
1. And You And I
2. Ritual
3. Every Little Thing
4. Starship Trooper

I love the set list, and the version of "Ritual" on this set is amazing! I also enjoy "And You And I" and of course, "Mind Drive". Great songs, and it's really does cover most of the career of the band, which was a great move.

-Marc.

[Orbert]

I had originally intended to do Songs from Tsongas next, but then I realized that that would have been two Discography entries in a row which are soundtracks from concert DVDs.  Symphonic Live was the previous entry.  I don't have all of these later collections on CD; the ones I have are downloaded off the net, so I didn't even realize that Songs from Tsongas was a DVD rip.  I guess I should've figured it out when I couldn't find a square version of the cover art.  So I had decided to skip it, because my intention from the start has been to focus on audio releases, and to include studio albums but not necessarily all of the live collections they've released lately.

I was finishing up my obligatory second listen through The Word is Live last night, while trying to find a suitable cover picture and starting to write things up in my head, when you specifically asked to include Songs from Tsongas.  I was going to work in a comment or two about all of these recent boxes and DVDs, and I tried to work in a section about that, then finally cut it all out, which is partly why the writeup is so short.

It is a great set.  The guys had been slowing things down noticeably, and I don't know if that's in an attempt to make things "heavier" or what, but there don't appear to be any tempo issues here.  The guys are on fire.  The playing is inspired and creative, and I like what they've done with the arrangements in the acoustic set.  At first, "Roundabout" threw me for a loop, and I didn't really like it.  They played it on the radio around here for a while when it first came out, and eventually I got to liking it a little bit.  Now, years later, I'm removed enough from it to appreciate it for what it is; a way for them to update the song without just adding extra frills.

[El Barto]

Excellent show.  Going for the One is a great opener, and the jam at the end of SSotS is wonderful. 

[Orbert]

the jam at the end of SSotS is wonderful. 

Yeah, they really tear it up.  I seem to recall that this was one that they hadn't played live in a while, and specifically pulled this one out and worked it up for the 35th anniversary tour.  "Heart of the Sunrise", "Long Distance Runaround" and of course "Roundabout" from Fragile get all the love, but I've also thought "South Side of the Sky" was right up there as well.  They really nailed it on this tour.

[Mladen]

I have this DVD, and whenever I watch it, it reminds me why I love this band. It's brilliant. 

[Orbert]

The Word is Live (2005)



The Word is Live is a three-disc collection of live Yes recordings from various periods throughout the band's history, from the original lineup in 1970 to the Big Generator tour in 1988.  It specifically avoids duplicating material from Yessongs, Yesshows, and other official live releases, instead focusing on songs and lineups that are not as well documented.  Hundreds of hours of collected bootlegs, BBC tapes, and soundboard recordings were reviewed, and the final choices emphasize performance quality.  Still, the sound is mostly very good.  The definitive recording of the early classic period, Yessongs, has notoriously poor sound quality and is still highly regarded because of the performances contained therein, and the sound here is better than on Yessongs.

The Word is Live is mostly chronological (with a few exceptions so that tracks fit properly onto discs), and presents a nearly four-hour journey through the history of Yes on stage.  If you can find a copy, and can afford it, I highly recommend it. 

----------

BBC 1970 (Anderson, Banks, Bruford, Kaye, Squire)
Then (5:25)
For Everyone (4:44)

"Ladies and gentlemen... Yes."

This performance of "Then" is tight and highly energetic, but I suspect that it was chosen mostly because the first thing you hear is the BBC announcer introducing the band, which is a great way to start off any live album.  The real gem here is "For Everyone", which never made it onto an album.  Its bridge contains an early version of the "Disillusion" section of "Starship Trooper".


Gothenburg 1971 (Anderson, Bruford, Howe, Kaye, Squire)
Astral Traveller (7:24)
Everydays (11:01)

London 1971
Yours Is No Disgrace (11:45)
I've Seen All Good People (7:52)
America (16:21)
It's Love (11:07)

The 1971 band was in some ways the one that really pushed Yes forward the most, although a strong argument can also be made for the following lineup with Rick Wakeman.  Yes was still performing some covers, but they were never content to merely cover a song; they took it to new, unimagined heights.  Their covers of Stephen Stills' "Everydays", and Simon & Garfunkel's "America" are simply amazing.  Yes did not simply add five-minute solos to these songs, but composed entire instrumental sections to bridge the verses.  Many Yesfans were surprised to learn that the ten-minute version of "America", itself a major "proggification" of a simple three-minute song, was actually the short version of what Yes played back then.  Here we get the full 16-minute version, with all of the verses and changes.  Yes' version of The Young Rascals' "It's Love" is... interesting.  I can't say I'm a fan of the song itself, but it's certainly impressive what they've done with it.


Detroit 1976 (Anderson, Howe, Moraz, Squire, White)
Apocalypse (3:08)
Siberian Khatru (10:10)
Sound Chaser (11:17)

As mentioned earlier, the early 70's period which is well documented on Yessongs has been skipped, and the next lineup we hear from is the Relayer lineup with Patrick Moraz on keyboards.  Notable here are what he does with "Siberian Khatru", including the keyboard solo.  Patrick prefers the jazzier sound of the Rhodes to Rick's baroque harpsichord sound, and it gives the break a different feel.  Also notable is pretty much everything in "Sound Chaser".  This version really smokes.


London 1975 (Anderson, Howe, Squire, Wakeman, White)
Sweet Dreams (6:22)

Oakland 1978
Future Times/Rejoice (6:59)
Circus of Heaven (4:52)

Inglewood 1978
The Big Medley (25:53)
  Time And A Word
  Long Distance Runaround
  Survival
  The Fish (Schindleria Praematurus)
  Perpetual Change
  Soon

Chicago 1979
Hello Chicago (2:11)
Roundabout (8:42)

Oakland 1978
Heart Of The Sunrise (10:56)

Chicago 1979
Awaken (17:53)

No collection would be complete without the classic lineup, but the focus here is on the later 70's, with most of the material coming from the Going for the One and Tormato tours.  The version of "Awaken" here is my favorite live version of the song.  Yesmusic is sometimes about how perfect and balanced everything is, and sometimes it's about capturing the emotion of the song itself; what we get here is the best of both.  Similarly, "Roundabout" and "Heart of the Sunrise" really shine here.  I'm not a big fan of medleys, and Yes doesn't actually do them very often, but "The Big Medley" here is really something.  Rather than simply jump from one song to the next, there are actual transitions, and the result is a very long, very nicely arranged piece of music.


New York 1980 (Horn, Howe, Downes, Squire, White)
Go Through This (4:21)
We Can Fly From Here (6:46)
Tempus Fugit (5:53)

The Drama tour was, sadly, not very successful.  While most Yesfans have come to regard the album itself rather highly (at least those who aren't in the "it's not Yes without Jon" camp), Trevor Horn simply could not "be" Jon Anderson every night on stage.  The songs were at the very top of his range and, by most accounts, his versions of classic songs were inconsistent at best.  Here, we get songs that that band did well.  "Go Through This" and "We Can Fly From Here" were both omitted from the Drama album but played regularly in concert, and it's nice to hear some more music from this lineup.  The latter was ultimately reworked into the title suite from the most recent Yes album, Fly From Here.  "Tempus Fugit" was obviously included because they hit this one out of the park.

There are some sound quality issues here, but the performances themselves outshine any imperfections in sound.


Houston 1988 (Anderson, Kaye, Rabin, Squire, White)
Rhythm Of Love (6:42)
Hold On (7:24)
Shoot High, Aim Low (8:27)
Make It Easy/Owner Of A Lonely Heart (6:09)

The only official live document of the 90125 band, 9012Live - The Solos is a strange animal and, IMO, does not do justice to the band.  Here, we get to really hear what they could do.  This was a band that could rock heavier than other Yes lineups, but also had a prog side which is often overlooked by its detractors.  "Shoot High, Aim Low" is the gem here, but the extended arrangements of the other popular songs from this period are also quite good.

Tony Kaye was both the first and fourth Yes keyboard player, and the 90125 lineup marked his return.  It's interesting that he appears in both the first and last lineup in this collection.

[Jaq]

Got this set for my birthday when I was going through my huge Yes boom of CD purchases a few years ago, and I love it. As a bootleg listener, I have zero problem with the sound quality here, and agree that it's better than Yessongs. Those versions of America, Awaken, and the big medley are worth the price alone, but the Drama and 90125 era recordings seal the deal. This is a great box set, one of my favorites ever.

[Orbert]

Fly From Here (2011)


(Click for full painting)

Benoit David - Lead Vocals
Geoff Downes - Keyboards
Steve Howe - Guitars, Vocals
Chris Squire - Bass, Vocals
Alan White - Drums


Fly From Here
  Overture
  Part 1: We Can Fly
  Part 2: Sad Night at the Airfield
  Part 3: Madman at the Screens
  Part 4: Bumpy Ride
  Part 5: We Can Fly Reprise
The Man You Always Wanted Me to Be
Life on a Film Set
Hour of Need
Solitaire
Into the Storm

----------

There are many accounts of what happened next in Yes history and why ten years passed between studio albums, but here's a somewhat simplified version: After the 35th Anniversary Tour in 2004, Yes decided to take another break.  After the band had been on hiatus for a while, Jon Anderson became very ill with a respiratory infection, so getting back together to work on a new album was not possible.  The others occupied themselves with various projects, as was now the norm between Yes albums.  Rick Wakeman, always the wild card, would participate if his schedule allowed (though the odds always seemed better if Jon Anderson was also available).  After a few more years and a few more projects behind them, Steve, Chris, and Alan decided that they should at least do a tour.  After all, the last tour was not in support of an album and went quite well.  They attempted to contact Jon, and learned that he was busy; Jon had put together a solo tour to support his new album.  He had also been quoted in interviews saying that Yes was over, it was in the past.

Steve, Chris, and Alan decided to carry on as Yes, without Jon.  They bought out his share of the band name, and began the process of finding a new lead singer.  At this point, a new album was not yet in the picture, only a tour, but they would still need a singer.  They reviewed YouTube videos of various Yes cover bands, and eventually decided upon Benoit David of the Yes tribute band Close to the Edge.  They asked him if he would like to front a tour, and he accepted.  Rick was not interested, but in an interesting turn of events, his son Oliver was, and so the new band would have a Wakeman on keyboards after all.  The 2008 tour started off billed as "Steve Howe, Chris Squire, and Alan White of Yes" but at some point, they just decided to call the band Yes.  Oliver Wakeman was reportedly a pretty good keyboard player, but not in same league as his father, although in fairness, few are.  Benoit David received mixed reviews.  Some nights, he seemed confident and strong, other nights he struggled.  It seemed to depend quite a bit upon what night you happened to catch.  Cynics pointed out that there is a huge difference between pretending to be Jon Anderson every night and actually being Jon Anderson.  Supporters asked what that difference might be; Benoit had made a career of sounding and acting like Jon Anderson and many thought he did it quite well.

But Benoit does not have Jon's creative side.  After the tour, they began writing songs for what they hoped would become the next Yes album, but had some trouble coming up with material.  Former Yesman Geoff Downes was rumored to be working with the band again, at least helping write.  Eventually it was announced that recording had begun and that Trevor Horn was on board to produce the new album.  Then in a surprise twist, or perhaps not so surprising, we learned that Oliver Wakeman was out and Geoff Downes was in as the keyboard player.  Geoff of course was the other half of The Buggles with Trevor, and had played keyboards on Drama, which featured both Trevor and Geoff.  Also, Steve and Geoff had recently worked together when the original Asia lineup had reformed in 2007 for their album Phoenix.  This almost made it a Drama reunion (the album which in some ways had led to the formation of Asia), although Trevor adamantly refused to sing on the album; Benoit would remain on as the lead singer.

Fly From Here has been unofficially dubbed "Drama II" by many Yesfans, some meaning as a compliment, others perhaps not.  Benoit's voice is truly more similar to Trevor Horn's than to Jon Anderson's, and with much of the album actually written by Trevor and Geoff, including the six-part title suite which is actually a reworking of a song left over from the Drama sessions, a lot of the music hearkens back to Drama as well.

The album doesn't really have the fire and heaviness that Drama does, but it has some fine songwriting and excellent production.  The title suite is good but feels a bit fragmented, with actual breaks rather than smooth segues between some parts.  You never get over the feeling that it's a number of shorter pieces put together; it's definitely a suite and not a true epic.  The remaining songs range from not-bad to pretty good.  Most are in straight 4/4 time, with not a lot of tempo or key changes, but there are some "proggy" moments in most of the songs.  The weak point is probably Chris' "The Man You Always Wanted Me to Be", but once you get past that, things pick up and never look back.

If you can, try to find a Japanese import copy of the album, which has an extended version of Steve's "Hour of Need".  The longer version has instrumentals both before and after the main song, doubling its length and transforming it into a real showcase piece for Steve.  It also shifts the balance of "side two" of the album from "mostly not prog" to "mostly prog".  Steve's acoustic solo "Solitaire" is great, definitely one of his better acoustic solos to grace a Yes album and one of his best overall.  The album finishes strongly with "Into The Storm", featuring some of the most intricate playing on the album.  Also, with its alternating bars of odd meters, it is the most prog.

I know, being more prog does not automatically make it better, but this is Yes we're talking about, and that's one of the first things people want to know.  How proggy is it?  The answer is: A bit, but not a lot.  But don't let that stop you.  Open Your Eyes has no prog at all, and I think it's a fine album, a great collection of well-written and well-produced songs.  Fly From Here is definitely a step or two up from that, something like Drama's little brother.

[Nel]

The Fly From Here suite is fantastic until "Bumpy Ride". Fitting name, it almost ruins the whole thing with how all over the place it is. But "We Can Fly", "Sad Night At The Airfield", and "Madman At The Screens"? Fantastic. All three would probably go into my Yes top 20. The rest of the album, I can't really get into as much. The songs at this point just sound like either a very poor imitation of the music from Drama, or just aren't interesting at all. The exception is "Into The Storm". While most of that song sounds a bit too on the goofy side for me (that said, I've grown to love the "bouncy" sections as well), the real winner here is that awesome chorus. Great closer. Drama is my favorite Yes record. So obviously, when I heard how this one was being described, I got my hopes up. The four tracks I praised, I do indeed love as much as the Drama stuff. The rest, though? Doesn't hold a candle to it.

As for Benoit David, I had already been a fan of the band Mystery beforehand, so I didn't mind hearing him on this at all. I already like the guy's other work, so why not. That said, I don't really like how they dumped him, but it's Yes, so what can you do?

Same with the new new guy, actually. I already knew him from the past few Glass Hammer albums, and while I don't like those albums very much (except the song "Nothing Box" which is amazing), I can say the guy is a better fit. Curious to see if they'll make a new album with him. And then dump him in the same manner. 

EDIT: Oh, yeah, thanks for doing these, Orbert. It's been fun! Is this the end or is In The Present - Live From Lyon up next? I haven't heard that but I've heard very mixed reviews on it.

[Mladen]

I loved the album when it came out, and I still think it's pretty sweet. The epic has some incredible moments, and I also really like The Man You Always Wanted Me to Be, some incredible work by Steve Howe on here. A cool album overall, I wouldn't mind another Yes album like this.

[The Letter M]

Fly From Here held my attention and gave me quite some excitement being Yes's first new album in over 10 years. When news of the Drama-era band was working on it, I got even MORE excited. When news that the first half of the album was a side-length suite/epic, I nearly lost it. When I got the album, I was over-joyed. The epic was everything I could imagine the modern Yes producing, and it was great to hear that Drama-esque sound again.

Even though the album has the epic indexed into its 6 parts, I went ahead and made a track with all 6 parts combined (just to play a track with the length of 23:52). As a whole, it's pretty good, but I'll agree with Nel in that "Bumpy Ride" is a bit off, but I enjoy nonetheless. I suppose things are bound to sound different when you have different people contributing to a larger, single piece of work.

The rest of the album is good-to-great. "The Man You Always Wanted Me to Be" is a great mid-tempo piece, which is tinged with prog-ideas (mostly from the random odd-meter bars here and there); "Life On A Film Set" is a bit more unusual, and makes one think it should have been called "Riding A Tiger" considering how often that phrase is repeated; "Hour of Need" is great, but the full-length version is AMAZING and definitely worth hearing; "Solitaire" is a sweet little Steve Howe acoustic solo bit, ya know, just to cement the fact that this IS indeed a Yes album (as if we needed convincing, but it is indeed no "Clap" or "Mood For A Day"); and finally "Into The Storm", probably one of my favorite tracks on the album, it is a great closer and probably a Top 20 Yessong!

Over-all, FFH is a great album with some great ideas, despite some of them not getting off the ground entirely, but the stellar production by Trevor Horn and the return of Geoff Downes marks this pretty high for me, considering I *love* Drama.

-Marc.

[Perpetual Change]

Terrible album, terrible tour, and as few would have thought possible, an actual step-down from 90's-early 00's Yes.

[The Letter M]

Terrible album, terrible tour, and as few would have thought possible, an actual step-down from 90's-early 00's Yes.

I guess Troopers couldn't really be Panthers too, eh?

-Marc.

[Orbert]

As for Benoit David, I had already been a fan of the band Mystery beforehand, so I didn't mind hearing him on this at all. I already like the guy's other work, so why not. That said, I don't really like how they dumped him, but it's Yes, so what can you do?

Crap!  I was thinking I would forget to mention that, and I did.  I actually have One Among the Living by Mystery, and it's a good album, proggy stuff.  I didn't realize until after I'd read it on the Yesfans boards that the singer for Mystery is Benoit David.  I just didn't make the connection because it'd been a while since I listened to it.  But yes, Benoit was known for more than just being the lead singer of a Yes tribute band; he's also a lead singer of a successful prog band, or at least as successful as unknown prog bands can be these days.  One Among the Living is their seventh album, so they're doing something right.

Oh, yeah, thanks for doing these, Orbert. It's been fun! Is this the end or is In The Present - Live From Lyon up next? I haven't heard that but I've heard very mixed reviews on it.

You're welcome!  It's been fun.

Nope, this is it.  I tried to work a mention of In The Present - Live from Lyon into the paragraph about the tour with Oliver on keyboards, but it got really awkward, as the album actually came out after Fly From Here, and I already knew that I wouldn't be writing it up because I don't have it and have never heard it.

Interesting the support for "The Man You Always Wanted Me to Be".  I find the song a bit on the dull side, rather pedestrian at best.  Maybe it's just because it comes after the title suite and I'm only half paying attention or something.  I've given this disc plenty of spins, since it only came out last year, including three in the past week, but I'll give it another go.

----------

FINAL THOUGHTS

This has been fun.  Yes is my favorite band, and as most of you know by now, I'm an egotistical bastard who loves showing off his knowledge of old-school prog.  But as a former teacher, I really do love sharing that knowledge, and I also know that teaching something is the best way to learn more about something, because you have to research it, you have to get it right, and you have to be ready to field questions.

I re-listened to all of my Yes while doing this, and found a new appreciation for some of the ones that I'd more or less written off before.  Yes has changed a lot over their 40+ years, but in the bigger picture, it's actually pretty impressive how much their sound has stayed consistent over that time.  Each Yes album has its own sound and personality, but every one of them still sounds like Yes.

[Jaq]

Don't have much to say about the album, as I wasn't very impressed with it. The thread, though, has been awesome good fun, and I hate to see it done. Good job Orbert!

[Nel]

Orbert, if you enjoy One Among The Living, definitely check out their 2007 album Beneath The Veil Of Winter's Face. IMO it's an even stronger album. Haven't heard the one that just came out this year though. I should look into that.

[Orbert]

Thanks for the recommendation!

[KevShmev]

Terrible album, terrible tour, and as few would have thought possible, an actual step-down from 90's-early 00's Yes.

I wouldn't call the album terrible, but it is not very memorable.  A few of the songs are nice, but the bulk of it is wholly forgettable.  Definitely a bottom 3 Yes album (along with Union and Tormato).

[Perpetual Change]

Been rocking Yessongs in the car for a few days. I am loving it. No matter how much I might like some of the other records, that period is still definitely what I consider the best.

[Mladen]

Thanks for doing this, Orbert. This thread proved it was possible to have fun and learn a lot at the same time. 

[Orbert]

Orbert, if you enjoy One Among The Living, definitely check out their 2007 album Beneath The Veil Of Winter's Face. IMO it's an even stronger album. Haven't heard the one that just came out this year though. I should look into that.

Listened to this last night.  Wow, good stuff!

Lots of nice proggy goodness, but man, the one that sticks in my head is the relatively straightforward The Third Dream.  I love the line "Won't you please stop crying?  I want you to leave right now."  Harsh.  I love a good break-up song, and this one slams.

Heh heh, the first song on the album is "As I Am".  Four years later.  Just sayin'.

[Nel]

Indeed! I love the whole thing, especially carrying that leitmotif through the whole album. Still have no idea what the album's about though. XD

I think that's the first album with David as the singer, though. The first three albums from that band are all from the 90s, and I know nothing about the quality of the music or anything. It'd be interesting to seek them out though.

I'll, um... try to not derail the thread any further.