The Official Yes Thread

[Orbert]

Do you mean the original "sudden" intro, or the somewhat ambient version they restored later?

On the original LP, it started right with the vocals "Dawn of light..."  One last edit to save some space on the record.  The original CDs were the same, but on the remaster, they restored the intro before the vocals come in.

[Perpetual Change]

Every song on Tales needed to end 10 minutes before it actually ended. Except for Ancients. That one needed to begin ten minutes after it actually began.

[ZBomber]

Every song on Tales needed to end 10 minutes before it actually ended. Except for Ancients. That one needed to begin ten minutes after it actually began.

 

[Orbert]

Every song on Tales needed to end 10 minutes before it actually ended. Except for Ancients. That one needed to begin ten minutes after it actually began.

Can't agree.  I've always loved listening to Tales all the way through, and never had a problem with it.

[Perpetual Change]

I don't know. I'd love Yes just as much without Tales in the discography at all to be completely honest. I've gotta side with Mr. Wakeman on that one.

[ZBomber]

I don't know. I'd love Yes just as much without Tales in the discography at all to be completely honest. I've gotta side with Mr. Wakeman on that one.

When did you first start listening to it? Its definitely a grower, but its easily in my top 10 albums ever.

[Perpetual Change]

I probably didn't get into Yes until about 5 years ago, but I got all their stuff pretty quickly. I think the order was something like...

Greatest Hits
The Yes Album
Close to the Edge
Fragile
Going For the One
Relayer
90125
Tales
Union
Magnification
Yessongs

that's actually still all the Yes I have

[Orbert]

I don't know. I'd love Yes just as much without Tales in the discography at all to be completely honest. I've gotta side with Mr. Wakeman on that one.

Wakeman is one of my favorite keyboard players, but he has the tendency to overplay and rely too much on theatrics, and to be honest, there aren't a lot of truly subtle, introspective moments when he's on keys.  I'm familiar with his complaints concerning Tales and they're all about how it "wanders" too much or needs to be tightened up.  He's too close to the subject and just hears a lot of messing around, which I'm sure a lot of it was.  But I like music that takes its time to develop and explore, and I know I'm not alone in loving every minute of Tales.

My personal theory is that being classically trained, Wakeman can't help but need more structure.  Even when he improvises, it's always flashy 16th-note runs with 32nd-note flourishes everywhere.  Bruford once said that Wakeman couldn't play a blue note to save his life, and he's right.  The open, almost jazzy feel of Tales doesn't work for everybody, but I can see it really torturing someone firmly rooted in the classics.

[KevShmev]

Tales definitely wanders way too much at times, but I can listen to it as a whole and still enjoy it.  A couple of those songs could have been much been singular pieces with some major trimming, especially "The Remembering."  Good record, but it can't touch the three that preceded it.

[King Postwhore]

Orbert.  My cousin had 90124 and is making a copy for me!!

[Orbert]

If you're a big fan of 90125, you'll probably find 90124 pretty interesting.

[LudwigVan]

   Ouch! 

[Orbert]

Did you bump your head or something?

[Perpetual Change]

I see what your saying about Wakeman's playing, Orbert. But when I listen to his work on "Going for the One," I can't help but disagree. His work on that album's two longer pieces is amazing.

[LieLowTheWantedMan]

Do you mean the original "sudden" intro, or the somewhat ambient version they restored later?

On the original LP, it started right with the vocals "Dawn of light..."  One last edit to save some space on the record.  The original CDs were the same, but on the remaster, they restored the intro before the vocals come in.

Yeah, I mean the ambient one. That combined with the vocal section after makes for a contender for my favourite intro ever. It always annoyed me that if I tried to show someone the song on Youtube I had trouble finding one with that ambient intro. But even without it, it's quite epic.

As for the album itself, the only track I think should've been shortened is The Remembering. The other three are .

[Orbert]

I see what your saying about Wakeman's playing, Orbert. But when I listen to his work on "Going for the One," I can't help but disagree. His work on that album's two longer pieces is amazing.

I love Going for the One, and his work on "Awaken" and "Turn of the Century" (I think that's the next longest tune, I'm not sure) does show amazing restraint and, yes, subtlety. Those are two of my favorite performances by him.  I guess I was thinking more of his recent stuff, and what happens when he plays live (he pretty much overplays everything), but just to keep things realistic, I thought about things like The Six Wives of Henry VIII and Criminal Record.  But maybe that's not fair either, as with those early solo albums, showing off his chops appeared to be the whole point.

[ytserush]

"Make It Easy" wasn't on 90124, but it would make sense that it was from the same sessions.  I don't have 90124, and only heard it once a long time ago.  As the name implies, the idea of 90124 was to provide a glimpse of the songs that eventually became 90125, and "Make It Easy" wasn't on that album.

If memory serves, "Make It Easy" was first released on that YesYears box in 1991(which is how I became familiar with it).

Incidently, "Run With The Fox" that Christmas tune which was all over the radio in 1981 is also on that box. I think that was just Squire and White, but I seem to recall Pete Sinfield (King Crimson/ELP) being involved in the writing.


I'd like to find 90124 one of these days.

[Perpetual Change]

I see what your saying about Wakeman's playing, Orbert. But when I listen to his work on "Going for the One," I can't help but disagree. His work on that album's two longer pieces is amazing.

I love Going for the One, and his work on "Awaken" and "Turn of the Century" (I think that's the next longest tune, I'm not sure) does show amazing restraint and, yes, subtlety. Those are two of my favorite performances by him.  I guess I was thinking more of his recent stuff, and what happens when he plays live (he pretty much overplays everything), but just to keep things realistic, I thought about things like The Six Wives of Henry VIII and Criminal Record.  But maybe that's not fair either, as with those early solo albums, showing off his chops appeared to be the whole point.

Yeah, true about his solo album. I only have Henry VIII.

How is Anderson/Wakeman, by the way? Have you listened to it? It's something that's definitely on my radar.

Just picked up The Ladder and Big Generator. 2 albums I guess are over due. Next, Drama and Tormato. Or the first two albums. Kinda stinks knowing that the best is over. I guess that's why I held off for so long.

[King Postwhore]

PC.  Drama will knock your socks off.

[LieLowTheWantedMan]

lolrandomsongrankings

1. The Revealing Science of God
2. Heart of the Sunrise
3. Gates of Delerium
4. Close to the Edge
5. Sound Chaser
6. Yours is no Disgrace
7. South Side of the Sky
8. The Ancient
9. Roundabout
10. Astral Traveller

[Perpetual Change]

I was going to go with drama instead, but I　wanted some sell-out 80s Yes to jam to over my lunch break 

[Orbert]

<yessnob>Yes did not sell out! Rabin started a band with Squire and White, who brought in Tony Kaye, and before they knew it, Jon Anderson showed up and the suits talked them into calling the band Yes. It didn't start out that way. They didn't sell out and Rabin didn't "replace" Howe.</yessnob>

How is Anderson/Wakeman, by the way? Have you listened to it? It's something that's definitely on my radar.

Just picked up The Ladder and Big Generator. 2 albums I guess are over due. Next, Drama and Tormato. Or the first two albums. Kinda stinks knowing that the best is over. I guess that's why I held off for so long.

I like the Anderson/Wakeman album. I've only heard the first half or so, but it's good stuff, pretty much what you'd expect an album by the two of them to sound. The only real question was how cheesy it was going to be, if at all, or maybe how "out there" either of them got. The good news is that they seem to keep each other in check, and the result is a collection of rather nice songs.

A lot of it sounds like stripped-down Yes, which isn't surprising, but at the same time, they have a bit more freedom. Wakeman uses a variety of keyboards, which surprised me. For some reason, I was thinking he'd stay mostly with piano or some kind of electric piano sound, but he brings in the the synths and all his toys.

It's not as adventurous as, say, one of the Jon and Vangelis albums, but it's kinda similar.

[KevShmev]

Yeah, Yes didn't definitely did not sell out.  IIRC, they were talked into to using the Yes name, since it was mostly comprised of guys that had been in Yes, especially once Jon Anderson came aboard.

[Perpetual Change]

I have the album Jon Anderson did with Fellowship and I think it's awesome so... I guess out-there isn't so bad

[Orbert]

Yeah, Yes didn't definitely did not sell out.  IIRC, they were talked into to using the Yes name, since it was mostly comprised of guys that had been in Yes, especially once Jon Anderson came aboard.

Correct. Rabin had had marginal success with his band Rabbit, and his solo album Can't Look Away, but he wanted to break into the American market big time. Squire and White were between gigs, Rabin knew their work with Yes, and he wanted them to be his rhythm section. Rabin plays keyboards and guitar, but at some point they brought in Tony Kaye on keys, and at that point the band was still to be called Cinema, with Rabin on vocals. But they felt that it still needed something. IIRC, Squire contacted Anderson, who agreed to provide some vocals. At this point, Rabin was the only one who wasn't former Yes, so the suits pressured Rabin into calling the band Yes. Rabin knew that Yes would sell more albums than Cinema, even if it was the same band and same album, because the suits would promote Yes. He caved eventually, and they did sell a lot of albums and gave Rabin his big break in the business, but he has said that he regrets it in a way because he sold Cinema out. How's that for irony?

[KevShmev]

All true, except Can't Look Away didn't come out till the late 80s.  I think he had a bit of success with "Now" from the Face to Face record in 1980.  I actually like his self-titled debut album quite a bit.  Somewhat raw, but a handful of really good tunes.

[Perpetual Change]

So, let me get it straight. Yes didn't sell out, just a bunch of guys in suits convinced 4 members of Yes (2 of whom where arguably the most important members from a creative and conceptual standpoint and 3 of which were in the latest version of the band) to sell out the Yes name and fake starting a "new chapter" in Yes history simply to be enhance profits?

Got it.



Sorry guys, but that is TO　ＭＥ the definition of "selling out."

Not that is matters, because 90125 is a great album and I use the word affectionately.

[Quadrochosis]

So, let me get it straight. Yes didn't sell out, just a bunch of guys in suits convinced 4 members of Yes (2 of whom where arguably the most important members from a creative and conceptual standpoint and 3 of which were in the latest version of the band) to sell out the Yes name and fake starting a "new chapter" in Yes history simply to be enhance profits?

Got it.



Sorry guys, but that is TO　ＭＥ the definition of "selling out."

Not that is matters, because 90125 is a great album and I use the word affectionately.

They didn't convince Yes members, they convinced Rabin. Rabin wasn't in Yes (yet). If anyone "sold out" it was him (prior to being in Yes)

[Mladen]

1. The Revealing Science of God

I'm not the only one. 

[King Postwhore]

I still don't care what anyone thinks. 90125 is pure gold.

[LieLowTheWantedMan]

1. The Revealing Science of God

I'm not the only one. 

[Orbert]

So, let me get it straight. Yes didn't sell out, just a bunch of guys in suits convinced 4 members of Yes (2 of whom where arguably the most important members from a creative and conceptual standpoint and 3 of which were in the latest version of the band) to sell out the Yes name and fake starting a "new chapter" in Yes history simply to be enhance profits?

Got it.



Sorry guys, but that is TO　ＭＥ the definition of "selling out."

Not that is matters, because 90125 is a great album and I use the word affectionately.

They didn't convince Yes members, they convinced Rabin. Rabin wasn't in Yes (yet). If anyone "sold out" it was him (prior to being in Yes)

Exactly. Rabin didn't sell out Yes, he sold out Cinema. It was his band, his project, and his decision to make.

You have to remember: Yes is not a band. Yes is a brand. No more than two consecutive albums have had the same lineup, there have been four lead singers, three guitarists, five keyboard players (or maybe it's six), and two drummers. Yes is whoever and whatever the suits want to make it.

[Orbert]

All true, except Can't Look Away didn't come out till the late 80s.  I think he had a bit of success with "Now" from the Face to Face record in 1980.  I actually like his self-titled debut album quite a bit.  Somewhat raw, but a handful of really good tunes.

Crap, I knew I should've looked that one up.

[ytserush]

When Anderson joined, Cinema became Yes. 

Rabin was more interesed in doing something  new and original (which 90125 was at the time and also why as I recently read he refused the invitation by infamous A&R guy John Kalodner (I know I spelled that wrong)



I often wonder whatever became of that Jimmy Page/Chris Squire (XYZ?) project from just before this period


And for the record, I love 90125 (one of the best produced albums ever in my opinion) and Drama.

[Orbert]

I like 90125, though I'm not a big fan of the other two Rabin-era albums.  And Drama is one of my favorite Yes albums.

I found some really bad quality demos online one time which were supposedly "lost" XYZ tapes. They seem legit, as one of them has the syncopated riff which became the Mind Drive riff and it sounds like Squire's bi-amped bass sound. This fits with what I've read about that riff coming out of the XYZ sessions.