Bands That Can Do No Wrong

Stravinsky was a very heavy influence on Yes music, and particularly Jon Anderson. His style of blending and overlaying different melodies that aren't neccesarily assonant is something that Yes music, although simpler and obviously in a different medium, would replicate. Also, the frequent key changes, use of "significant" themes (which reccur in different forms throughout a piece), and very polyrhythmic timings are also carried through in the music of Yes, particularly their longer and more weighty songs. The Gates of Delirium is one of the better examples of the Stravinsky influence.

 

Anderson wrote most of Gates alone at the piano, with help from the others only regarding things like instrumentation and dynamics (besides playing it). I'm not saying the two people are particularly similar, or that Jon had no originality (although he did steal the odd phrase!), just that there is a strong link between their compositional approach.

 

Stravinsky was of course, a neo-classical genius. I'm not saying Jon Anderson is this. But he is (in my opinion), the symphonic prog equivilant. I think the fact that he mostly just sings, is why people don't see this. Most of the great Yes epics began inside his head.