The Official Yes Thread

[Quadrochosis]

Yep, Magnification is a masterpiece.

[The Letter M]

So I've been on a HUGE Yes-kick lately, and have come across listening to Fragile, and wondered "what if they had released "America" on the album instead of on other releases/compilations/singles?" and tried to find a way to fit it on the album as if it were still on vinyl and came up with the following:
Side 1 - 25:59
"Roundabout" – 8:36
"Five Per Cent For Nothing" – 0:38
"Long Distance Runaround" – 3:30
"The Fish (Schindleria Praematurus)" – 2:42
"America" – 10:33

Side 2 - 25:57
"We Have Heaven" - 1:40
"South Side Of The Sky" – 7:58
"Cans And Brahms" – 1:43
"Mood For A Day" – 3:03
"Heart Of The Sunrise" – 11:33

It's a good flow, and there's still some of the original track list left - FPCFN/LDR/Fish still run together, as does WHH/SSOTS and the final two tracks, MFAD/HOTS. "Roundabout" still opens the album", and each side has two "epics" on it (songs 8 minutes or longer), with the longest of each side closing. Also, side 2 opens and closes with "We Have Heaven" (if you regard the "hidden track" at the end of HOTS, then it's a bookended effect).

Anyways, just another album for me to mess around with the track list using B-Sides recorded at the time. Not sure what it is, but I've just been on Yes-overdrive lately. In the last week or so, I think I've listened to every album except the first two, 90125, Big Generator, and the last three (OYE/TL/MAG)...although, I'll probably listen to the first two and last two sometime in the next few days.

-Marc.

[Perpetual Change]

I always liked the single version of American better. Chopped down, sure, but I didn't think it lost much and the 10 minute version I always felt was kinda long. Anyway, new top-10 rankings based on the kick I've been on lately.

Close to the Edge
Going for the One
The Yes Album
Relayer
Fragile
90125
Drama
Tales from Topographic Oceans
Magnification
Union


Coming soon to my home---> The Ladder, Big Generator
After that I suppose I'll get---> Tormato, Time and a Word

Or other suggestions?

I don't see how it could effect anything in the top 5, though. That's really, really solid.

[The Letter M]

I always liked the single version of American better. Chopped down, sure, but I didn't think it lost much and the 10 minute version I always felt was kinda long. Anyway, new top-10 rankings based on the kick I've been on lately.

Close to the Edge
Going for the One
The Yes Album
Relayer
Fragile
90125
Drama
Tales from Topographic Oceans
Magnification
Union


Coming soon to my home---> The Ladder, Big Generator
After that I suppose I'll get---> Tormato, Time and a Word

Or other suggestions?

I don't see how it could effect anything in the top 5, though. That's really, really solid.

Do you not have the debut album, or Talk? I would get those over BG and TL, to be honest...then again, I just really like Talk for some reason. Also, get Keystudio unless you already have the studio tracks from both KTA releases (even though "Children Of Light" has a different opening with contributions from Wakeman and is a bit longer).

-Marc.

[Perpetual Change]

I don't have the debut or Talk. The Debut I've been wanting for sometime but Talk I've always heard is garbage. Of course, I want to get them all eventually...

Oddly I've been into yes for like 5 years now. And I bought most of the Yes I listen to within the first year. After I had Yes Album->Going for the One I figured everything else was unimportant. But I like the band and Anderson's voice enough to realize that even a mediocre Yes release is still something I'll enjoying listening to.

[The Letter M]

I don't have the debut or Talk. The Debut I've been wanting for sometime but Talk I've always heard is garbage. Of course, I want to get them all eventually...

Oddly I've been into yes for like 5 years now. And I bought most of the Yes I listen to within the first year. After I had Yes Album->Going for the One I figured everything else was unimportant. But I like the band and Anderson's voice enough to realize that even a mediocre Yes release is still something I'll enjoying listening to.

When I first discovered Yes (much like Genesis, KC, and PF), I sought out to get their entire discography, and luckily for me, the Rhino re-issues weren't too expensive at the time, so I got every album. I think the first two albums, while not as progressive as what was to come with Howe and Wakeman in the band, they definitely show off their penchant for complex and full arrangements and some very skillful playing (mostly from Squire and Bruford). You have to get the Rhino versions of these albums so you can get the non-album tracks, especially "Something's Coming", which shows off some great drumming by Bruford. The first two albums are pretty good if you take them for what they are, and not compare them to The Yes Album or Fragile.

As for Talk, I'd rank it above BG, but just a BIT below 90125. The 3-part closing epic is pretty stellar, and the first couple tracks are about as good as anything they've done with Rabin in the band. I would rank Talk over Union and Big Generator (and of course Open Your Eyes, but I don't know anyone who would rank that album anything BUT last, or even second-to-last).

You were right in getting TYA->GFTO though, definitely the cream of the crop and the essential Yes albums to get.

-Marc.

[Perpetual Change]

In The Presence Of... just clicked. Oh my lord. What a fantastic song. Really just as good as any Yes song... beautiful work there  


Also, what would you guys recommend me do first?

1.) Buy up the remaining Yes albums I have? (Talk, Debut, TaaW, Keys, Tormato)
2.) Finally check out some solo stuff (Including AWBH, JA/RW/pretty much everything)

[The Letter M]

In The Presence Of... just clicked. Oh my lord. What a fantastic song. Really just as good as any Yes song... beautiful work there  


Also, what would you guys recommend me do first?

1.) Buy up the remaining Yes albums I have? (Talk, Debut, TaaW, Keys, Tormato)
2.) Finally check out some solo stuff (Including AWBH, JA/RW/pretty much everything)

Definitely Option 1 - there's som great music on those 5 albums that you're missing out on that are all definitive YES songs.

If you get any solo stuff, at least get the three I have - JA's Olias of Sunhillow, CS's Fish Out Of Water, and RW's Six Wives Of Henry VIII. All pretty good solo albums!

-Marc.

[King Postwhore]

PC.  Get both Keys CD's and then Talk.

[Orbert]

In The Presence Of... just clicked. Oh my lord. What a fantastic song. Really just as good as any Yes song... beautiful work there  


Also, what would you guys recommend me do first?

1.) Buy up the remaining Yes albums I have? (Talk, Debut, TaaW, Keys, Tormato)
2.) Finally check out some solo stuff (Including AWBH, JA/RW/pretty much everything)

Definitely Option 1 - there's som great music on those 5 albums that you're missing out on that are all definitive YES songs.

If you get any solo stuff, at least get the three I have - JA's Olias of Sunhillow, CS's Fish Out Of Water, and RW's Six Wives Of Henry VIII. All pretty good solo albums!

Marc and kingshmegland are both correct.  Finish the Yes catalog, then get ABWH (which is as close as any non-Yes project can be to Yes), then the solo and side projects.  I would suggest, in this order:

Keys to Ascension
Keys to Ascension 2
Tormato
Yes
Time and a Word
ABWH
Fish out of Water
Olias of Sunhillow
The Six Wives of Henry VIII
The Living Tree
Other Jon Anderson stuff, including Jon and Vanegelis. Start with Animation
Steve Howe solo stuff. Start with Beginnings
Other Rick Wakeman solo stuff. Start with Criminal Record.

[The Letter M]

Speaking of The Living Tree, how is it? I've been thinking of getting it but haven't heard much about it... is there much on it as far as instrumentation, or is it basically piano/keys, vocals and some acoustic guitar?

-Marc.

[Perpetual Change]

Would I be missing out just by getting Keystudio? I remember hearing that Wakeman was kind of pissed that new Yes had been divided up the way it was.

I'm also interesting in Living Tree. Especially the lyrics. Anderson's beliefs are so bizarre and seem to only be getting moreso, so I'd love to hear it.

[Orbert]

Keystudio is fine if all you want is the newer studio stuff, the last from the classic lineup.  I noticed that the run time totals 74 minutes, the length of a CD in those days, and I don't think that's a coincidence.  But the suits also wanted to get the new live stuff out there, and there's merit in that.  Where they dropped the ball was in mixing the two up.  They should have been separate releases, a single studio CD and a double live.


I forgot to come back and finish my review of The Living Tree.

It is basically songs performed by voice and piano.  Rick mixes things up a little bit with various electric piano sounds from time to time, but the songs themselves are much simpler than Yes and really sound fine the way they are.  He does add strings and horns and other orchestral color, all done on synths, so the arrangements aren't completely stripped down, but clearly the idea was to go with something simpler, and I think it's fine.  Think "Madrigal" from Tormato or "The Meeting" from ABWH.  Perfectly fine songs that don't need any embellishment.

I've been on a bit of an Elton John kick lately, after getting Honky Chateau and Madman Across the Water remixes for Christmas, and I've been digging through his early catalog.  In a way, The Living Tree reminds me of early Elton, or even Billy Joel.  You can really do a lot with just voice and piano.

[Perpetual Change]

Ah, cool.

Odd, though. I was always under the impression that Keys was the way it was because they wanted to get new music out there, but figured they'd have to give people a live album to do it.

[The Letter M]

Keystudio is fine if all you want is the newer studio stuff, the last from the classic lineup.  I noticed that the run time totals 74 minutes, the length of a CD in those days, and I don't think that's a coincidence.  But the suits also wanted to get the new live stuff out there, and there's merit in that.  Where they dropped the ball was in mixing the two up.  They should have been separate releases, a single studio CD and a double live.

Luckily, this is what I did. I took the live tracks from both KTA albums and remixed them into the concert song order:
Disc 1 (74:34)
1. Siberian Khatru (10:14)
2. Close To The Edge (19:34)
3. I've Seen All Good People (7:06)
4. Time And A Word (6:26)
5. And You And I (10:38)
6. The Revealing Science of God (20:26)

Disc 2 (69:14)
1. Going For The One (5:06)
2. Turn Of The Century (7:58)
3. America (10:26)
4. Onward (5:39)
5. Awaken (18:25)
6. Roundabout (8:26)
7. Starship Trooper (13:04)

They're really great live tracks, but that's likely because of the amount of studio overdubs that were done on the album after the fact. However, you get some real treats (like the GFTO tracks, as well as "America", all of CTTE, "Onward", "Awaken" and "The Revealing Science of God"), despite the studio-fixes that were done.

It was my hope that, with the recent KTA re-release, that they would take the opportunity to make the live tracks as a 2CD and put the studio tracks on a single CD, but instead they just repacked both 2CD KTA albums with the KTA Concert DVD... Lame! At least I have *my* 2CD version of the live album, in concert order, which is a really nice, complete concert too.

-Marc.

[Perpetual Change]

Just realized that I don't have Open Your Eyes either. Honestly didn't even remember that Yes had an album called that.

Anyway, all this Yes talk lately has me seriously bummed that Anderson and Wakeman aren't going to be a part of whatever new album they come out with this year. They're such an important part of the band, and given that it's been 10 years since the last Yes album it could very well be that the this upcoming album without Anderson and Wakeman will be the final one.

And actually, it's the Anderson bit that bothers me. Oliver Wakeman is there, so at least on that front it's more like a passing of the torch kind of thing.

[KevShmev]

Yep, Magnification is a masterpiece.

Compared to what, Union?

but Talk I've always heard is garbage. 

You heard wrong. Talk is easily the best Yes CD of the last 25 years.  Easily.

[Perpetual Change]

Yep, Magnification is a masterpiece.

Compared to what, Union?

but Talk I've always heard is garbage. 

You heard wrong. Talk is easily the best Yes CD of the last 25 years.  Easily.

What's wrong with Magnification?

[Quadrochosis]

Yep, Magnification is a masterpiece.

Compared to what, Union?

but Talk I've always heard is garbage. 

You heard wrong. Talk is easily the best Yes CD of the last 25 years.  Easily.

What's wrong with Magnification?

Absolutely nothing, I'll never understand why people hate on it. It's the perfect blend of old and new Yes, plus added orchestration which makes it just an overall beautiful record.

[The Letter M]

It's fitting that Magnification will most likely be the band's second-to-last album because, like the band's second album, it features an orchestra as part of the band, more or less. It's a fitting mirror-effect.

-Marc.

[LieLowTheWantedMan]

Time and a Word is so underrated.

[Quadrochosis]

It's fitting that Magnification will most likely be the band's second-to-last album because, like the band's second album, it features an orchestra as part of the band, more or less. It's a fitting mirror-effect.

-Marc.

That's the only thing that mirrors though, especially considering how badly Fragile through Going for the One rape, stomp on and overall just vehemently destroy 90125 through Open Your Eyes as far as quality goes.

(I'd say The Yes Album and Drama are about equal)

[Quadrochosis]

When I was just looking at their discography on Wikipedia I noticed that Union charted 7th, making it the only album to go above 15 since Drama came out in 1980.

What the hell? How did 90125 not go as high as it?

[The Letter M]

When I was just looking at their discography on Wikipedia I noticed that Union charted 7th, making it the only album to go above 15 since Drama came out in 1980.

What the hell? How did 90125 not go as high as it?

Who knows... it did well here in the US, coming in at 5, the last Top 10 album Yes made, with BG and Union coming in at 15 each. After that, all down hill from there.

-Marc.

[Quadrochosis]

When I was just looking at their discography on Wikipedia I noticed that Union charted 7th, making it the only album to go above 15 since Drama came out in 1980.

What the hell? How did 90125 not go as high as it?

Who knows... it did well here in the US, coming in at 5, the last Top 10 album Yes made, with BG and Union coming in at 15 each. After that, all down hill from there.

-Marc.

Ah, I didn't think of that. I tend to only look at a band's native country's charts when I'm going over stuff like this. Then I assumed that Owner was as big in the UK as it was here.

[ytserush]

I like An Evening of Yes Music Plus except for Bruford's electronic snare.  That thing really bugs the shit out of me and he bangs on it incessantly on that album.  Also Tony Levin got really sick and couldn't play that show, the one night they had all the recording equipment set up and everything.  Jeff Berlin jumped in at the last minute, and did a great job for having like two days to learn everything, but damn, with Levin it would have been so much tighter.

That snare annoys the hell out of me too.   

As much as I like Tony Levin, Jeff Berlin is no slouch on bass either (Actually he's a pretty sick bass player). I'd be willing to guess that Levin might have been the better fit with regard to chemistry.




After the recent discussion about 90124, I serendipidously stumbled on a copy of 90124 over the weekend. Listened to a little in the car. It does sound different, but the passion really comes through alot more on what I heard than the final product. (I was also unaware there are demos for Big Generator and Talk on there too which is cool.)

There was another Rabin solo album that I didn't have there too, but I had to make some tough choices. I can't remember what it was called other than I noticed it was reissued on One Way Records.

Can't Look Away was also there, but I've got that one already, though I barely listen to it.

[Orbert]

Oh yeah, Jeff Berlin is awesome.  He's on a bunch of the Bruford albums I have, and I'm sure it was Bruford who brought him in when Levin got sick.  It's just that Levin was the bassist for ABWH and knew the tunes.  I've heard from people who saw other shows in the tour that it was really tight and amazing, and I believe it.  But despite a fair amount of "name draw" it wasn't a big-budget tour by any means, and they'd arranged for a particular night to be recorded.  Levin got sick, so the one night they could record, they had Berlin filling in.  He did great, considering, just not as tight as it would have been with their regular bassist.

[LudwigVan]

I've been getting into Reunion-era Yes with The Ladder, Keystudio and Magnification.   For the most part, it's solid stuff, especially Magnification. 

As far as this era is concerned, the one weakness for me is Anderson's syrupy "save the green earth" lyrics.   I much prefer the cryptic (almost nonsensical) lyrics that Jon Anderson wrote for early Yes.  The wild imagery that he created on Fragile/CTE/Relayer with that lyrical style was near-perfect. 

[The Letter M]

I've been getting into Reunion-era Yes with The Ladder, Keystudio and Magnification.   For the most part, it's solid stuff, especially Magnification. 

As far as this era is concerned, the one weakness for me is Anderson's syrupy "save the green earth" lyrics.   I much prefer the cryptic (almost nonsensical) lyrics that Jon Anderson wrote for early Yes.  The wild imagery that he created on Fragile/CTE/Relayer with that lyrical style was near-perfect. 

Those three albums are definitely great, and it's a shame that Open Your Eyes ended up being so mediocre, sandwiched between the Keys material and The Ladder. I've been listening to about an album a day, absorbing them one day/night at a time, and over the last two nights, it's been the first two albums, so today/tonight it'll be TYA.

The first two albums have some REALLY underrated stuff on them, especially the complex jazzy compositions that Yes made, or added to their covers. The upfront and in-your-face rhythm section of Bruford and Squire really shines more than anything else, especially over the keys and guitars, although Tony Kaye really hammers out the Hammond and provides some tasty chord progressions.

-Marc.

[ZBomber]

Just listened to Going for the One off Yesshows. People weren't lying when they said the mixing/production was horrible.

[ZBomber]

Also, CTTE>TFTO>Relayer is one of the greatest 3 album runs of all time. OF ALL TIME!

[Mladen]

Well, if you add The Yes Album and Fragile, you've got a great 5 album run. Although Tales is slightly lower class for me, yet still a cool record.

[Perpetual Change]

I can't figure out why GFTO isn't considered as good as TYE-->Relayer by so many people.

[Orbert]

Maybe it's the production.  Going for the One has a very "light and airy" sound to it, lots of high end, no bass at all, plus the music itself has a lot of cymbals, bell trees, and high harmonies.  Add to that Jon Anderson's voice and Steve Howe's Telecaster on the opening title track, and the first thing that hits you is a lot of what really bothers many people about Yesmusic.  Much of GFTO is Yes at the "airy-fairy" (not my term) best.

It's a valid criticism, to be honest.  I don't agree with it; Going for the One my favorite, on days when Close to the Edge is not.

[Perpetual Change]

But airy-fairy is awesome. lol.

Anyway, Big Generator finally arrived.

Meh.

It's like 90125 without the parts that assure you that there's still something deeper than just pop going on.