The Official Yes Thread

[KevShmev]

I am very fond of The Ladder; I think it is definitely their best record of the post-Rabin years.  It lags a bit in the middle - "If Only You Knew" is dreadful - but the first five and last three songs are all keepers.

[Seventh Son]

Magnification > The Ladder imo

The Ladder sounds more like Yes trying to regain their sound, while Magnification sounds like they finally nailed it again.

[Orbert]

I like some of The Ladder, but there are some misfires there.  Magnification is also very good, but I wouldn't say they regained their classic sound.  They were trying something new (orchestra instead of keyboards) and IMO succeeded, but it will always stand out in the catalog.  That's okay; Yes has plenty of one-offs in their catalog, for various reasons.

[Seventh Son]

I like some of The Ladder, but there are some misfires there.  Magnification is also very good, but I wouldn't say they regained their classic sound.  They were trying something new (orchestra instead of keyboards) and IMO succeeded, but it will always stand out in the catalog.  That's okay; Yes has plenty of one-offs in their catalog, for various reasons.

Well, by "Their sound" I didn't necessarily mean their classic sound. Just a sound that resembled Yes. I enjoy the pop albums too, but as you said it feels like an entirely different band.

[KevShmev]

Magnification as a whole has never done it for me.  It has a few songs I like - most notably, "Spirit of Survival" and the first half of "In the Presence Of" - but I think much of it is pretty average fare, especially by Yes standards.

Open Your Eyes is one of their more interesting one-offs, to borrow Orbert's term.  There is no other Yes album that sounds like it.  In some ways, it is very unique, but it just has a very strange feel to it.  The overall songwriting is pretty good, but it is one of those Yes albums that I am never able to quite put my finger on as to how good it really is. 

[Quadrochosis]

See, Magnification is probably my favorite post-Drama Yes album. I really liked the direction they took on the record.

[Seventh Son]

This topic needs to be active again. Let's do this with some album rankings

1. Close to the Edge (BIG SURPRISE HUH GUYS)
2. Going For The One
3. Tales From Topographic Oceans
4. Magnification (I fucking love this record)
5. 90125 (I'm sure this being in my top 5 albums will be very controversial )
6. Fragile
7. Drama
8. The Yes Album
9. Relayer (I like this album, but its kind of overrated)
10. Big Generator
11. The Ladder
12. Keystudio (I'm counting this as an album)
13. S/t
14. Talk
15. Time and a Word
16. Tormato
17. Open Your Eyes
18. Union

[jsem]

90125 at #5 = fail

[Seventh Son]

90125 at #5 = fail

Because not prog = bad

[Orbert]

Not necessarily.  90125 is better than some of the other Yes albums, but I wouldn't put it above Fragile, Drama, The Yes Album, or Relayer.

[ZBomber]

1. Tales from Topographic Oceans
2. Close to the Edge
3. Going For The One
4. Fragile
5. Relayer
6. The Yes Album
7. 90125
8. Big Generator
9. Drama
10. Yes
11. Time and A Word
12. Tormato

Havent heard the rest/not familiar enough with Magnification to rank it.

[skydivingninja]

Not necessarily.  90125 is better than some of the other Yes albums, but I wouldn't put it above Fragile, Drama, The Yes Album, or Relayer.

This. 

Don't have all of their albums, but out of what I do have...

1. The Yes Album
2. Close to the Edge
3. Going for the One
4. Fragile
5. Drama
6. Relayer
7. 90125

[KevShmev]

I'll take a stab at this (knowing that I might have posted a slightly different order earlier in the thread, but hey, opinions can change ):

1. Close to the Edge
2. Fragile
3. The Yes Album
4. Talk
5. 90125
6. Relayer
7. Tales from Topographic Oceans
8. Big Generator
9. Going for the One
10. The Ladder
11. Drama
12. Time and a Word
13. Open Your Eyes
14. Keystudio
15. s/t
16. Magnification
17. Union
18. Tormato

[True Death of Life]

I was just thinking today that Fragile is  actually a perfect album...there are no lulls and everything is flawless. God I love that album to death.

Top of what I own/have listened to:

1. Fragile
2. Close to the Edge
3. The Yes Album
4. Relayer
5. 90125 (I'm with you for once, Seventh Son)
6. Drama

[The Letter M]

My ranking - spaces denote varying tiers of Yes albums. The top two switch around all the time, but they're definitely my favorites.
(10/10)
1. Relayer
2. Close To The Edge

(9/10) - These four may move around a lot, but they're all definitely great albums, but I prefer Fragile & GFTO slightly more than TFTO and Drama)
3. Fragile
4. Going For The One
5. Tales From Topographic Oceans
6. Drama

(8/10)
7. Keystudio (At no. 7?! I know, but it's one of my most listened to albums by Yes, I wish they stuck to this and developed it further)
8. 90125
9. The Ladder

(7/10)
10. The Yes Album
11. Talk (Highly underrated Rabin-era album!)
12. Magnification
13. Tormato (Revisited this a few weeks ago - a LOT better than I remembered)

(6/10 and under, in order from most to least favored)
14. Time And A Word
15. Yes
16. Big Generator (Just never really got into this one - a Remaster would be nice, though).
17. Union
18. Open Your Eyes (I don't think I've listened to this album more than twice)

-Marc.

[Seventh Son]

Not necessarily.  90125 is better than some of the other Yes albums, but I wouldn't put it above Fragile, Drama, The Yes Album, or Relayer.

90125 is very solid, not a single song I'd call bad. Which is odd since its a pop album but hey I'm not complaining  

There are parts of Relayer I don't care for too much. Its still great, but not consistent enough for me.
I have to admit, I haven't really given TYA a lot of attention so I guess a revisit to the album is in order
Fragile has the interludes that kill the flow of the album for me. The main songs themselves are some of the best things Yes has ever written, but the interludes annoy me.
Drama again is great and fantastic, but I like the consistency of 90125 just a bit more.

[Quadrochosis]

1. Tales From Topographic Oceans
2. Relayer
3. Close to the Edge
4. Going for the One
5. Fragile
6. The Yes Album
7. Drama
8. Magnification
9. Time and a Word
10. Union
11. Yes
12. 90125
13. Tormato

I don't really know BG, Talk or OYE well enough to rank them. Also, albums 1-12 are all pretty much flawless in my opinion, so there's not a big difference in my eyes.

[Orbert]

Not necessarily.  90125 is better than some of the other Yes albums, but I wouldn't put it above Fragile, Drama, The Yes Album, or Relayer.

90125 is very solid, not a single song I'd call bad. Which is odd since its a pop album but hey I'm not complaining 

There are parts of Relayer I don't care for too much. Its still great, but not consistent enough for me.
I have to admit, I haven't really given TYA a lot of attention so I guess a revisit to the album is in order
Fragile has the interludes that kill the flow of the album for me. The main songs themselves are some of the best things Yes has ever written, but the interludes annoy me.
Drama again is great and fantastic, but I like the consistency of 90125 just a bit more.

Fair enough.  I know the five individual pieces on Fragile don't work for some people.  Fragile was my first Yes album, so the fact that it was a bit experimental and unusual to do that meant nothing to me, and those pieces are every bit a part of the album as the four group works.  To me, they're part of the flow.  Relayer has never completely clicked for me, not 100% like some people, so I hear what you're saying about parts of it not working for you.  But you do need to check out The Yes Album some more, and you're just wrong about Drama. 

[Seventh Son]

Drama is just underneath 90125, only losing by a hair.

If it means anything, Machine Messiah is a top 10 Yes song for me.

[Zook]

So I listened to Close To The Edge for the first time in my life. Twice actually. Now, I wasn't in a quiet area where I could just concentrate on the music, I was at work listening on my Ipod. I don't think it makes a difference. The intro to CTTE sounds like a bunch of kids who got ahold of their dad's instruments and started fucking around. The rest of the song is pretty boring with nothing that really grabbed me. I also listened to a couple songs off Fragile (the long ones). Those were meh too. I guess 70s prog isn't my thing. I don't really like the way it all sounds. I wont write them off, but I don't get what all the fuss is about.

[Seventh Son]

So I listened to Close To The Edge for the first time in my life. Twice actually. Now, I wasn't in a quiet area where I could just concentrate on the music, I was at work listening on my Ipod. I don't think it makes a difference. The intro to CTTE sounds like a bunch of kids who got ahold of their dad's instruments and started fucking around. The rest of the song is pretty boring with nothing that really grabbed me. I also listened to a couple songs off Fragile (the long ones). Those were meh too. I guess 70s prog isn't my thing. I don't really like the way it all sounds. I wont write them off, but I don't get what all the fuss is about.

My reaction to this post:






I don't actually report people for anything, it was a joke.

[Zook]

It's ok. I can't see your reaction anyway.

[glaurung]

So I listened to Close To The Edge for the first time in my life. Twice actually. Now, I wasn't in a quiet area where I could just concentrate on the music, I was at work listening on my Ipod. I don't think it makes a difference. The intro to CTTE sounds like a bunch of kids who got ahold of their dad's instruments and started fucking around. The rest of the song is pretty boring with nothing that really grabbed me. I also listened to a couple songs off Fragile (the long ones). Those were meh too. I guess 70s prog isn't my thing. I don't really like the way it all sounds. I wont write them off, but I don't get what all the fuss is about.

Try something different, like Pink Floyd or King Crimson.

[Orbert]

Yeah, 70's prog, as with prog in general, was all over the place.  Yes, Pink Floyd, and King Crimson all get lumped into "prog" but they're very, very different bands.

[Zook]

I like Pink Floyd, atleast the more popular albums. I own DSOTM, WYWH, Animals and The Wall. Granted I don't listen to them much, but I enjoy them still.

[Seventh Son]

I can't decide between Close to the Edge, The Revealing Science of God or Awaken as Yes' best song. I'm not the world's biggest fan of The Gates of Delirium (There are sections that just drag on out for too long to me).

[glaurung]

The correct answer is Close to the Edge.

[Seventh Son]

I'm inclined to think that as well, but I'm listening to Awaken right now and I still think its right alongside CTTE.

[Orbert]

Those are the two that always fight it out for me, too.  I love Awaken for its unabashed scope.  Pipe organ, choir, harp, and bells, none of which are common in rock music and are even rare in prog, all have prominent roles, and they work.  That alone amazes me.

I find that I listen to Close to the Edge more often, but that's most because it's more accessible.  "Regular" rock instrumentation and more basic song structure.  I tend to put on Awaken when I really, really want to get blown away.

[ZBomber]

The Revealing Science of God

This is my favorite Yes song, but the other two you listed would also make my top 5... maybe even my top 3.

[Seventh Son]

Those are the two that always fight it out for me, too.  I love Awaken for its unabashed scope.  Pipe organ, choir, harp, and bells, none of which are common in rock music and are even rare in prog, all have prominent roles, and they work.  That alone amazes me.

I find that I listen to Close to the Edge more often, but that's most because it's more accessible.  "Regular" rock instrumentation and more basic song structure.  I tend to put on Awaken when I really, really want to get blown away.

You pretty much summed up why I love Awaken as well. Songs that just throw all that shit in there but still retain "their" sound (Whatever that band's sound may be) are awesome.

[Mladen]

The Revealing Science of God

This is my favorite Yes song, but the other two you listed would also make my top 5... maybe even my top 3.

Same here. And you and I would also find its place in my top 5, along with Machine messiah.

[KevShmev]

I like "Awaken" a lot, but it would have a hard time cracking my Yes top 20.  I have just never thought it was the bee's knees like most Yes fans seem to.

And any discussion on best Yes song must include "Starship Trooper." 

[ZBomber]

I like "Awaken" a lot, but it would have a hard time cracking my Yes top 20.  I have just never thought it was the bee's knees like most Yes fans seem to.

And any discussion on best Yes song must include "Starship Trooper." 

I overlook The Yes Album so much. It was the album that got me into the band, and once I got the rest of their discography I just kind of ignored it. I'm gonna give it another spin today, has some absolutely brilliant songs. 

[Seventh Son]

I like "Awaken" a lot, but it would have a hard time cracking my Yes top 20.  I have just never thought it was the bee's knees like most Yes fans seem to.

And any discussion on best Yes song must include "Starship Trooper." 

Starship Trooper is to me what Awaken is to you.

Its a damned good song but I wouldn't put it near Yes' very best. I don't know why, I just never felt that strongly about it. Honestly I like I've Seen All Good People more than I like Starship Trooper.