The Official Yes Thread

[jammindude]

NUH UHH!!!!   I just bought the thing and blasted it in the car!   They are TOTALLY there!  They are much more balanced in the mix so that they don't drown out the music (I feel the original mix suffered from that), but they are NOT "removed"

[Orbert]

Interesting.  I'll be honest, I found myself liking "Gates of Delirium" a lot more, and wasn't exactly sure why, other than that I thought it sounded fantastic.  I saw some comments about the sound effects being removed, and realized that I didn't remember hearing them, and certainly didn't miss them.

Gonna have to listen to it again.

[KevShmev]

Even though the Rock and Roll HOF sucks, it's cool to see that Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson will be the ones inducting Yes.

[Orbert]

I hadn't heard that.  Very cool indeed! 

[Mladen]

For me, the biggie is that SW omitted the war noises and sound effects during the "battle scene" in "The Gates of Delirium".  I know what they were originally going for, how war is loud and confusing and stuff, but I always thought it was a bit too much and for me it detracted from the song.  I'd rather hear what the guys are playing.  SW apparently felt the same way.

Wow. I haven't heard Steven's remastered versions, but if I hadn't known this and listened to it for the first time, I would have been very disappointed not to hear the noises. I love those bits.

[Orbert]

Well, The Dude says they're still there, just mixed a bit lower so they're not so distracting.  I listened again yesterday, and again was not distracted by them.  That is, I again don't remember hearing them.  But it's also possible that I'm so used to hearing them that I just don't notice any more.

[jammindude]

One of the other things I liked is that Howe's solo after the war section doesn't hurt any more.

Playing high shouldn't "shriek" like nails on a chalkboard. The old version always hurt my ears. SW must have slightly tweaked the EQ's, because it didn't hurt any more. ...or maybe I'm just getting numb. LOL

[Orbert]

Yeah, that's what I meant about Howe's Telecaster sound.  Still harsh and brash, as he intended it to be, but not painfully so.  It cuts through, but doesn't make me go "damn, Steve!"

[KevShmev]

That is my beef with his tone in Going for the One (the song) and the first part of The Ancient; it's like nails on the chalkboard in both cases.  I never listen to either song for that very reason (not that I think either song is that good anyway).

[Mosh]

As much as I like Yes and Howe's playing, I've never cared for any of his guitar tones.

[Architeuthis]

As much as I like Yes and Howe's playing, I've never cared for any of his guitar tones.

Agreed, his acoustic stuff sounds great, but he's a bit too much of a traditionalist on his electric tones.
 I like Trevor Rabin"s tone and style on the electric alot more..

[Orbert]

Howe is definitely different, and is definitely challenging sometimes.  I think that's on purpose.  He's throwing some pretty crazy shit out there, and I think it's amazing, but I can see how some people might not dig it, dig it.

[Fritzinger]

Steve Howe is an INSANE guitarist!! He has his own voice on the guitar, Rabin is just one of thousands of shredders. Howes playing on Relayer and Tales (Ancient!!!) is unbelievable. Relayer is one of my 3 favorite albums of all time.

I am very happy that this band is being introduced into the RRHOF, especially that Geddy and Alex do. it.

Another thing: I have seen various albums by YES on "new" vinyls. But they were mostly albums that no one needs anymore on vinyl tbh.. Union, Open your Eyes... are there any plans for a remastered RELAYER vinyl release? I only know the original master from my Vinyl and the remastered CD from the 90s or so. I would love Stevens master on vinyl.

[KevShmev]

I think it does a disservice to Rabin to refer to him as "just one of thousands of shredders"; how many of those other shredders have Rabin's songwriting skills?

That said, Howe's style is definitely much more awesome and far more unique.  Even though he has had those moments where his tone does make me want to cover my ears, when he nails it, he crushes it out of the park.  I can't think of any rock guitarist I would rather hear play an acoustic.

Anyone else a big fan of his solo album, Turbulence? I started a thread about it a while back, but got almost no feedback, which really surprised me.

[King Postwhore]

Not once have I ever thought of Rabin as a shredder.

[Lepprador]

Rabin is just one of thousands of shredders.

No way, good sir, you just can't put it this way. Rabin can shred, but he also can create harmonies, melodies and riffs 99% of the guitar playing earth dwellers can only dream of.

[Fritzinger]

I said that because we were talking about Howe and Rabin as instrumentalists. Although I don't really like most Yes stuff after 1980, I know that he has great songwriting skills and wrote a lot of good film music. But when you watch the Union Live DVD, for example Yours Is No Disgrace, I think it's very clear to see that Howe is convincing with his tone and unique way of playing, while Rabin.., well, shreds.

[erwinrafael]

To assess Rabin's guitar playing, you have to use the songs in which he played the studio version and composed the guitar parts. He did not shred in the Rabin-era epic Endless Dream, or in the 1990s Rabin-era hit, Lift Me Up, or in songs in his solo album I Can't Look Away.

[KevShmev]

Yours Is No Disgrace is a Howe song.  Flip that around and watch Howe try to play Owner of a Lonely Heart; he butchers it every single time.  And why?  Because his style is not really suited for that song, just like Rabin's style isn't really suited for a lot of the classic 70s Yes material.

[Architeuthis]

Yours Is No Disgrace is a Howe song.  Flip that around and watch Howe try to play Owner of a Lonely Heart; he butchers it every single time.  And why?  Because his style is not really suited for that song, just like Rabin's style isn't really suited for a lot of the classic 70s Yes material.

This!

[Mosh]

Howe and Rabin are polar opposites. Even as a casual Yes fan I could tell Owner of a Lonely Heart wasn't him.

[Architeuthis]

I have always really liked Howe and Rabin both! Two different styles that both compliment Yes' music very well. While I'm personally more of a Rabin fan, it doesn't mean Howe is less talented. Both are up there with my favorite guitar players of all time, from one of the best bands bands of all time! 

[Stadler]

Steve Howe is an INSANE guitarist!! He has his own voice on the guitar, Rabin is just one of thousands of shredders. Howes playing on Relayer and Tales (Ancient!!!) is unbelievable. Relayer is one of my 3 favorite albums of all time.

I can't get behind this at all.  Steve Howe is one of a few talents on the instrument - virtuoso in every sense of the word, but in my humble opinion - except for lyrics, what Rabin lacks in stylists variations, he more than makes up for in compositional skills.   If anyone doubts Rabin's instrumental proficiency (or dismisses him as "one of thousands of shredders") you HAVE to hear  his solo album, Jacaranda.   Blew me away like very little of Howe's solo work ever did. 

[Lepprador]

Jacaranda is so damn bloody good. It showed how Rabin matured without cheap hit ambitions.
In an interview Rabin said, no one liked Jacuranda. That's sad, because everybody I introduced to the album was really impressed.

I have always really liked Howe and Rabin both! Two different styles that both compliment Yes' music very well. While I'm personally more of a Rabin fan, it doesn't mean Howe is less talented. Both are up there with my favorite guitar players of all time, from one of the best bands bands of all time! 

Agreed, but if I had to choose 3 Yes albums for the island, I'd still take the 3 Rabin ones.

[Architeuthis]

Jacaranda is so damn bloody good. It showed how Rabin matured without cheap hit ambitions.
In an interview Rabin said, no one liked Jacuranda. That's sad, because everybody I introduced to the album was really impressed.

I have always really liked Howe and Rabin both! Two different styles that both compliment Yes' music very well. While I'm personally more of a Rabin fan, it doesn't mean Howe is less talented. Both are up there with my favorite guitar players of all time, from one of the best bands bands of all time! 

Agreed, but if I had to choose 3 Yes albums for the island, I'd still take the 3 Rabin ones.

Me too!

[ytserush]

Jacaranda is so damn bloody good. It showed how Rabin matured without cheap hit ambitions.
In an interview Rabin said, no one liked Jacuranda. That's sad, because everybody I introduced to the album was really impressed.

Nobody liked it?  That album is my favorite Rabin solo album hands down. (Although 90124 is approaching the neighborhood.)

[Orbert]

I've never heard anything bad about that album by anyone who has heard it.

I think what Trevor must have meant is that it didn't sell very well, not that "nobody liked it".  Big difference.  And it's not surprising that it didn't sell well, unfortunately.  Trevor is not exactly a household name anymore, and even those who know the name won't necessarily rush to pick up his latest release.

[Mosh]

I've never heard anything bad about that album by anyone who has heard it.

Is it fair to say that a lot of hard core Yes fans wrote it off, hence "nobody likes it"?

[Orbert]

I don't know, but I would think not.  In the past, Rabin has been vocal about distancing himself from Yes, insisting that that period of his career was fun and challenging, but is definitely over.  (Then last year, he finally got a chance to work with Anderson and Wakeman in AWR, which we now know is basically a Yes tribute band that happens to feature some significant former members of Yes, but it wasn't originally supposed to be that way.)  My point is that I don't think he was worried about what hard core Yes fans thought of it over 20 years after leaving Yes.

It also depends upon your definition of "hard core Yes fans".  I haunt the Yesfans boards as well as here, and when Jacaranda first came out, people weren't sure what to think, but everyone who actually picked it up and listened to it liked it a lot.  I would consider some folks there to be hardcore fans, but hardcore fans can also be the most closed-minded.  "If Jon Anderson didn't sing on it, it's not real Yes."  "It wasn't really Yes until Howe and Wakeman joined."   And so on.

I have my preferences when it comes to Yes, but I don't write off 80's Yes, and Trevor Rabin has done some killer movie soundtracks and is overall an excellent composer and musician.  If he put out an instrumental album, I'm sure it's great.  He wouldn't release it otherwise.

I haven't heard it, but my impression is that there just isn't an audience for such an album.  Folks who like Rabin's 80's Yes aren't going to jump on an instrumental album he makes 30 years later.  Neither are the ones who dig his movie soundtracks.  Maybe a higher percentage of them, but there are fewer of them to start with.  Who does that leave?  The handful of people willing to take a chance on some new music from a guy they otherwise haven't heard much from in a long time.  Thus the relatively poor sales, and Rabin left with the impression that no one likes it.

[Architeuthis]

I've never heard or heard of Jacuranda, I gotta order this if it is still in print. I do have Can't Look Away, and I love it!

[Orbert]

A buddy of mine had Can't Look Away, and let me borrow it.  It was great.  There's the one song (I can't remember the name of) which got some radio play back when I lived in Lansing, MI, so when I recognized it years later while living in Maryland, it was pretty trippy.

[erwinrafael]

It's most likely the song Something To Hold On To.

[Lepprador]

I've never heard or heard of Jacuranda, I gotta order this if it is still in print. I do have Can't Look Away, and I love it!

Can't Look Away is great, but Jacuranda is very different. It like a compilation of Rabin-Yes instrumental sections. A lot of fusion and jazzy elements and therefor it lacks the arena rock / big chorus qualities. But as a Rabin fan, I think, you can't go wrong with it.

Yeah, Something To Hold On To (great, great song)  was the only hit from CLA.


I basically agree with Orbert. As a platinum act Rabin was used to different sale figures. In his perception  nobody liked it.   
That's why before joining ARW, he was working (about halfway done) on a rock/song/vocal album. The thing I've been waiting for ages.

It was a bummer to come to know, ARW will not be releasing an album, but several EPs. I hope, someday, Trevor finishes this solo album he put on hold, because I also like his voice very much (and his bass and keyboard/piano playing).

AWR, which we now know is basically a Yes tribute band

I have to disagree here. It's the official Yes band that became the Steve Howe band.
Without Chris Squire and Alan White (who knows when and if he's returning) Steve is the only original member left. For me the Yes heart beats at ARW.

[Kwyjibo]

And then comes the smart-ass (such as me) and points out that Steve Howe isn't an original member of Yes. But nonetheless an iconic one. But to me all these incarnations are more or less Yes cover bands nowadays.

[Lepprador]

You're right. I completley forgot about Peter Banks.