Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe (1989)
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Forum Name: Prog Recommendations/Featured albums
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Printed Date: November 26 2024 at 10:08
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Topic: Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe (1989)
Posted By: Psychedelic Paul
Subject: Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe (1989)
Date Posted: August 11 2020 at 05:44
ANDERSON BRUFORD WAKEMAN HOWE: THE YES ALBUM that never was, although it's generally regarded as a YES album in all but name amongst fans. Interestingly, the album has the Arista catalogue number 90126, indicating in a subtle way that the ANDERSON BRUFORD WAKEMAN HOWE album was a follow up to the commercially successful 90125 YES album. In the sometimes FRAGILE relationship between band members, TIME AND A WORD has it that there was a MAGNIFICATION of tensions within the band and Jon Anderson wasn't happy with the musical direction YES was taking with Trevor Rabin's strong influence in the band. There was even TALK of Anderson being CLOSE TO THE EDGE of leaving the YES line-up altogether. In the ensuing DRAMA, Jon Anderson regrouped with sometime YES members Steve Howe, Rick Wakeman and Bill Bruford. Unable to use the YES name for legal reasons, and maybe lacking inspiration for a new band-name, this new YES line-up found themselves GOING FOR THE ONE most obvious band-name of all and named the band after themselves. And so, in something of a YES re-UNION in the constant RELAYER race of YES line-ups, the four erstwhile band members set off for London, Paris & Montserrat to record the album. Upon the album's release in the summer of 1989, it may not have moved HEAVEN & EARTH, but it was a BIG GENERATOR of album sales and ANDERSON BRUFORD WAKEMAN HOWE climbed THE LADDER of success to reach No. 14 in the U.K albums chart. The album also went on to sell over 500,000 copies in the USA alone, equalling sales of the legendary TALES FROM TOPOGRAPHIC OCEANS album in the first year of its release in the USA. The future for YES was glowing as brightly as a bright red TORMATO and the stage was now set for a full re-UNION of eight YES members in their following album in 1991. And so, it's time now to gather the KEYS TO ASCENSION and OPEN YOUR EYES and ears to this rather splendid album we have here. There are nine YESSONGS on the ANDERSON BRUFORD WAKEMAN HOWE album and I'll post the videos below before I FLY FROM HERE.  All YES albums in BLOCK CAPITAL highlights
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Replies:
Posted By: Psychedelic Paul
Date Posted: August 11 2020 at 05:56
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1. Themes 2. Fist of Fire 3. Brother of Mine 4. Birthright 5. The Meeting 6. Quartet 7. Teakbois 8. Order of the Universe 9. Let's Pretend |
Posted By: Cristi
Date Posted: August 11 2020 at 05:57
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ABWH was not released as a Yes album because no Squire, no Yes. This album never did much for me and I've tried.
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Posted By: Psychedelic Paul
Date Posted: August 11 2020 at 06:11
I'm hearing the ABWH album for the very first time today and it was an instant hit with me, despite lacking the distinctive sound of Chris Squire's thunderous bass lines.
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Cristi wrote:Posted By: Tom Ozric
Date Posted: August 11 2020 at 06:21
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We get Tony Levin instead of Chris Squire. Side 1 of ABWH is a winner. Side 2 not so much. |
Posted By: Grumpyprogfan
Date Posted: August 11 2020 at 06:31
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I think it's a solid album. 3.5 stars. The DVD - Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe An Evening of Yes Music Plus, if you can find it, is superb. Something all Yes fans should own. |
Posted By: Psychedelic Paul
Date Posted: August 11 2020 at 06:39
I have it right here. |
Posted By: Ghost Whistler
Date Posted: August 11 2020 at 07:44
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A wonderful album. In that DVD you can see Geoff Downes working on the record as well. Funny, Union gets stick for being a studio mess where session musicians were used over the band. Yet ABWH isn't that different.
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Posted By: chopper
Date Posted: August 11 2020 at 07:55
| It's a good album, slightly marred for me now by the outdated drum sounds. Probably 3.5 stars. |
Posted By: suitkees
Date Posted: August 11 2020 at 08:17
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Yes, a decent 3-3,5 star album. Saw them on tour in Rotterdam back then and that was a great performance they delivered there. With the absolutely fantastic Tony Levin on bass (not Jeff Berlin who is in the vid above), and I still remember very well the drum/bass duet between Bruford and Levin where at some point Bruford was drumming on the strings of Levins' bass... Great moment! But I must say that I'm not that much fan either of the electronic drum sounds at times. ------------- The razamataz is a pain in the bum |
Posted By: Argo2112
Date Posted: August 11 2020 at 08:21
| I actually took this one out of mothballs recently. Not my favorite but there is some good stuff on it. |
Posted By: Grumpyprogfan
Date Posted: August 11 2020 at 08:28
| I'm okay with the electronic drums. Bill was first in line to use new technology and experiment. He used it on his first few Earthworks albums. |
Posted By: lazland
Date Posted: August 11 2020 at 09:24
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Superb album, and it was hearing Bruford’s drum sound that convinced Anderson he should be part of the project. It is a real shame that Union marked the end of this collaboration, because this album showed huge potential. As usual, the egos got in the way. ------------- Enhance your life. Get down to www.lazland.org Now also broadcasting on www.progzilla.com Every Saturday, 4.00 p.m. UK time! |
Posted By: Psychedelic Paul
Date Posted: August 11 2020 at 09:30
I've yet to hear the Union album, but I really enjoyed seeing the eight-member Yes Union tour recently, so I hope the album lives up to the promise of the tour.
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Posted By: Cristi
Date Posted: August 11 2020 at 09:32
spoiler alert!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! it does not...
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Posted By: Psychedelic Paul
Date Posted: August 11 2020 at 09:43
Awww. You burst my bubble now, when I was so much looking forward to hearing Rick Wakeman's self-proclaimed "Onion" album for the first time.
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Posted By: Cristi
Date Posted: August 11 2020 at 09:47
like you didn't know the album has a bad reputation. It's got a few good songs on it, I think you'll enjoy it more than I do.
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Posted By: Psychedelic Paul
Date Posted: August 11 2020 at 10:32
^ Well, the "Onion" album has a bad reputation with Rick Wakeman, that's for sure.  I'm easy to please, so I think you're probably right when you say I'll enjoy the album more than you do.
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Posted By: Rednight
Date Posted: August 11 2020 at 13:27
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Too many lightweight moments (the concert with Jeff Berlin was excellent though). ------------- "It just has none of the qualities of your work that I find interesting. Abandon [?] it." - Eno |
Posted By: Psychedelic Paul
Date Posted: August 11 2020 at 14:19
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Posted By: AFlowerKingCrimson
Date Posted: August 11 2020 at 14:38
| Big fan of the album. I think if I were to rate it I'd give it a 4 out of 5 80's production and all. I agree it hasn't aged well as far as the drum sound but I still couldn't give it less than four stars. Brother of mine alone is one of the best Yes or Yes related things they have done. |
Posted By: Psychedelic Paul
Date Posted: August 11 2020 at 14:46
I gave the ABWH album four stars too and Brother of Mine is also one of my favourite Yessongs, even though my real-life brother prefers Britney Spears to Yes.
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Posted By: Dellinger
Date Posted: August 11 2020 at 22:34
| For me, it's mostly Birthright that I love. Brother of mine is also wonderful... for the first half of the song. And Fist of Fire is enjoyable enough. Too bad to learn that the session musicians use started on this album, and not only Union... but I guess I can just listen to the versions on An Evening of Yes Music (though that means no Tony Levin... though then I could listen to Live at the NEC, but that means lesser sound quality). |
Posted By: Jaketejas
Date Posted: August 11 2020 at 23:24
| I bought the cassette back in the late 80s but I didn’t like it back then. I remember having to shell out for it, too, and then being rather disappointed. I imagine I was probably expecting something like Asia or GTR. However, I really need to go back and listen to it again, as my tastes have changed quite a bit since those days. I came to appreciate the more organic nature of the early Yes sound after my little band covered a couple of their tunes back in the early 90s. It’s funny. I don’t really recall the songs off of this album with great clarity, but I imagine that the album is probably a throwback to their earlier sound. Since so many people have posted great things about it here, I’ll have to give it another listen ... after probably 30 years. |
Posted By: Frenetic Zetetic
Date Posted: August 12 2020 at 00:25
Correct! Also, same  .------------- "I am so prog, I listen to concept albums on shuffle." -KMac2021 |
Posted By: Tom Ozric
Date Posted: August 12 2020 at 02:52
Union, on the other hand, I really like most of it, except Saving Your Love, which is hideous. |
Posted By: Psychedelic Paul
Date Posted: August 12 2020 at 03:12
You realise I just HAVE to listen to the song now. I couldn't find the "Saving Your Love" song on YouTube until I realised it's actually calling "Saving My Heart"  That's the first time I've ever heard Yes perform a Reggae song. Ultimate Classic Rock ranked Union worst in its list of Yes albums, so that doesn't bode well for the album when I eventually get around to listening to it for the first time.
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Posted By: Tom Ozric
Date Posted: August 12 2020 at 03:28
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^ Just goes to show how much attention I pay to that song - and I’m usually a stickler for details (except when posting via ipod). Teakbois is equally hideous, though I guess they had fun with it whilst recording in Montserrat. |
Posted By: Cristi
Date Posted: August 12 2020 at 03:49
you know UCR are just as subjective as anyone else, just listen to the album and figure things out for yourself. I can think of 4 Yes albums I find less interesting than Union, so there you go... |
Posted By: Psychedelic Paul
Date Posted: August 12 2020 at 04:19
You're right. I'll try not to be unduly influenced by Ultimate Classic Rock's Yes album rankings, although I may be unduly influenced by what you said about the "Onion" album earlier in this thread.
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Posted By: chopper
Date Posted: August 12 2020 at 05:04
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Posted By: Psychedelic Paul
Date Posted: August 12 2020 at 05:18
Yes, "Teakbois" does sound like it could have been a Kid Creole & the Coconuts song, although I must admit, I did quite enjoy its happy Caribbean vibe. I think Yes were deliberately sending themselves up with that choice of song, because "Teakbois" contains the lyrics "Cool Running", which was also the name of the comedy movie about the Jamaican bobsleigh team.
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Posted By: Tom Ozric
Date Posted: August 12 2020 at 05:29
| ......Heaven and Earth is better than Union, and I like Union, I just ignore the fact that 197 people tampered with the recording / mix...... |
Posted By: Psychedelic Paul
Date Posted: August 12 2020 at 06:57
Heaven & Earth was a much better album than I was expecting when I heard it for the first time last week. I just hope the Union album turns out to better than expected too.
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Posted By: JD
Date Posted: August 12 2020 at 08:34
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I may as well chime in here...I don't love or hate ABWH album, I find it enjoyable. Some tunes, as mentioned (Teakbois) don't live up the level of song writing I'd hoped for. But then again I really like the Big Generator album, although I realize it's a completely different band then ABWH. As for the 80's drum sound comments, I guess you need to put it in context. It was the sound being utilized by lots of bands. New technologies, new engineers/producers. It defined the era in many ways. But Bruford certainly took them to a level beyond the pop association. I saw them in concert in Toronto and his drum solo was absolutely sublime. He did for 'Electronic Drums' what Carl Palmer did for 'Synthesized Drums'. ------------- Thank you for supporting independently produced music |
Posted By: Psychedelic Paul
Date Posted: August 12 2020 at 09:35
Yes, it's surprising that it took me 31 years to finally get around to listening to the ABWH album for the first time and I've still yet to hear the Union and Keys to Ascension albums.
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Posted By: verslibre
Date Posted: August 12 2020 at 09:37
Really? Interesting. I got the album when it was new, and it was pretty exciting at the time. I still like it a lot. It's good "B+" album. The concert was outstanding! They opened with solos in lieu of group, and I got to experience Rick Wakeman's keyboard wizardry "live without a net" for the first time ever. The night I saw them, Tony Levin was ill. Jeff Berlin stood in! ------------- https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_ipg=50&_sop=1&_rdc=1&_ssn=musicosm" rel="nofollow - eBay |
Posted By: verslibre
Date Posted: August 12 2020 at 09:39
Wow! Not sure what you'll think of Union (some good songs, but it's inconsistent), while the KTA material is primo! ------------- https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_ipg=50&_sop=1&_rdc=1&_ssn=musicosm" rel="nofollow - eBay |
Posted By: Psychedelic Paul
Date Posted: August 12 2020 at 09:42
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^ In that case, I'll probably make Keys to Ascension my next featured Yes album.
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Posted By: AFlowerKingCrimson
Date Posted: August 12 2020 at 09:53
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Saving my heart never bothered me. It's no heart of the sunrise but it's not a horrible song that makes me want to vomit either. Yes did different things. They stretched themselves and sometimes they went beyond the comfort zone of their fans. Good for them for putting their own musical explorations first. Yes, they did prog and that was their bread and butter but like Genesis it wasn't all they did.
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Posted By: Psychedelic Paul
Date Posted: August 12 2020 at 09:59
And the wonderful thing is, Yes still remained a post-1970's Progressive Rock band at heart, unlike Genesis.
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Posted By: Argo2112
Date Posted: August 12 2020 at 10:45
I actually like some of the songs on Union. Apparently (one) of the big problems is that no one was steering the ship. With two versions of Yes & several producers involved the album was butchered in production. I remember listening to it the first time & thinking " where is Wakeman?" It does have some good moment though.
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Posted By: Psychedelic Paul
Date Posted: August 12 2020 at 10:51
^ Strangely, I didn't hear much of the distinctive Rick Wakeman keyboard sound on the ABWH album either. 
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Posted By: Argo2112
Date Posted: August 12 2020 at 10:52
Me too, If your in Southern California we may have been at the same show. It was either Pacific Amphitheater or Irving Meadows, I can't remember. |
Posted By: verslibre
Date Posted: August 12 2020 at 12:48
Greek Theatre! You were there, too, right? The show opened suddenly with Jon singing on the floor (surrounded by security, of course) as he walked toward the stage. ------------- https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_ipg=50&_sop=1&_rdc=1&_ssn=musicosm" rel="nofollow - eBay |
Posted By: verslibre
Date Posted: August 12 2020 at 12:49
Have another go at "Fist of Fire"! ------------- https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_ipg=50&_sop=1&_rdc=1&_ssn=musicosm" rel="nofollow - eBay |
Posted By: Psychedelic Paul
Date Posted: August 12 2020 at 13:41
Okay, will do, just as soon as I've finished watching An Evening with Yes, where Rick Wakeman is just about to perform a dazzling solo.
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Posted By: Argo2112
Date Posted: August 12 2020 at 13:48
I was at the Pacific Amphitheater show in Costa Mesa , it may have been the night before the Greek theater show.
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Posted By: Dellinger
Date Posted: August 12 2020 at 22:12
Yeah, Union has the problem of too many people tampering with it, but Heaven and Earth doesn't have anything that I enjoy remotely as much as Shock to the System, I Would Have Waited Forever, or The More We Live. |
Posted By: Dellinger
Date Posted: August 12 2020 at 22:15
Oh yes, but it's two albums. Yeah yeah, it could be just Keystudio, but I think Keys to Ascension is more worth it because of the live stuff... best versions of Awaken and Starship Trooper for me... and Time and a Word as well. Be the One is wonderful too, though, as well as (about half of) Mind Drive. |
Posted By: Psychedelic Paul
Date Posted: August 12 2020 at 23:27
When PA members have mentioned the Keystudio album before, I wondered which Yes album they were referring to. Now I know.
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Posted By: chopper
Date Posted: August 13 2020 at 02:23
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Posted By: Psychedelic Paul
Date Posted: August 13 2020 at 03:01
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^ That does sound promising. I really like the Heaven & Earth album, so if the Union album is even better, I should be in for a treat, hopefully.
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Posted By: Tom Ozric
Date Posted: August 13 2020 at 03:09
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You will like it, Paul. No doubt about it. It’s actually one of my sister’s faves from the Yes clan. Lot’s to enjoy. And for what it’s worth, it’s ‘Proggier’ than Genesis’ We Can’t Dance release. |
Posted By: Psychedelic Paul
Date Posted: August 13 2020 at 03:24
Cristi gave the Union album a big thumbs down earlier in this thread, so I'll just have to Open My Eyes and ears and judge the album for myself. At least the Union album's been a Big Generator of Talk on this thread. I don't know whether Union will come Close to the Edge of bettering the Heaven & Earth album though.
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Posted By: chopper
Date Posted: August 13 2020 at 03:39
I think you should do Yes Remixes. |
Posted By: Psychedelic Paul
Date Posted: August 13 2020 at 04:33
From what I've heard of some of the other dreadful techno remixes so far, I don't think that would be a good idea.
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Posted By: Cristi
Date Posted: August 13 2020 at 04:44
Big thumbs down?! I did say it's got a few good songs (so it's an uneven album). I also said there are albums I liked even less than Union. |
Posted By: Psychedelic Paul
Date Posted: August 13 2020 at 04:52
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^ Okay, so I exaggerated a little.
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Posted By: Tom Ozric
Date Posted: August 13 2020 at 05:19
| I don’t know why I like Heaven and Earth as much as I do - maybe it’s the beautiful Dean artwork, maybe the Turquoise vinyl it’s pressed on, or Geoff Downes’ keyboards ?? Perhaps it is a light change of pace from what we all expect from Yes. |
Posted By: Psychedelic Paul
Date Posted: August 13 2020 at 05:22
I was very impressed with Jon Davison on the Heaven & Earth album too, especially considering I'd never heard of him before.
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Posted By: Tom Ozric
Date Posted: August 13 2020 at 05:27
| ^ You need to listen to his tenure in Glass Hammer. What Yes should be more like. |
Posted By: Ghost Whistler
Date Posted: August 13 2020 at 07:15
Singing OWNER OF A LONELY HEART! It's on Youtube
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Posted By: Psychedelic Paul
Date Posted: January 20 2024 at 05:23
Finally, over four years later..... ABWH - An Evening of YES Music Plus |
Posted By: Octopus II
Date Posted: January 20 2024 at 06:08
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A very decent album, I was at the gig at Whitley Bay Ice Rink (near Newcastle) in October 89 when they toured.
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Posted By: omphaloskepsis
Date Posted: January 20 2024 at 11:31
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ABW&H and The Big Generator are my fifth and sixth favorite YES albums. These are the two YES albums that my husband and I bond over. We listen to these two albums several times a year...often back-to-back. We played ABW&H's Quartet at our Wedding Reception. We danced. It's our song. Wakeman's keyboards on ABW&H may be my favorite EVER! Incredibly majestic. Bruford's drumming leaves me slack-jawed. Howe is on fire. The melodies throughout are incredible. You go...Jon! And YES...I love Teakbois. This summer you couldn't get it...some of you get it. Get it? got it...good.  |
Posted By: Tapfret
Date Posted: January 22 2024 at 11:15
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I don't really enjoy the album, but next to Big Generator its luminant. And like Union, the concert was fantastic compared to the album. Especially Wakeman's solo. ------------- https://www.last.fm/user/Tapfret" rel="nofollow">  https://bandcamp.com/tapfret" rel="nofollow - Bandcamp |
Posted By: mellotronwave
Date Posted: January 22 2024 at 15:35
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A more than decent album issued during the" dark ages of prog rock"... don't forget it Much better than subsequent Yes's production during the 1990ies |
Posted By: Hrychu
Date Posted: January 22 2024 at 16:13
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I personally could never get why people were saying that the ABWH album sounded like Yes. In my opinion it had absolutely no sonic connection to the Yes sound. It sounded more like an arena synth pop kinda album to my ear. And evern for '89 there were formations that did the prog thing better like Pazzo Fanfano Di Musica for instance. ------------- “On the day of my creation, I fell in love with education. And overcoming all frustration, a teacher I became.” — Ernest Vong |
Posted By: mellotronwave
Date Posted: January 22 2024 at 17:47
an arena synth pop 
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Posted By: Jaketejas
Date Posted: January 22 2024 at 17:49
| If you need a law firm, you could do worse than ABWH. |
Posted By: Tapfret
Date Posted: January 22 2024 at 17:59
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^ ------------- https://www.last.fm/user/Tapfret" rel="nofollow"> https://bandcamp.com/tapfret" rel="nofollow - Bandcamp |
Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: January 22 2024 at 21:54
^ the last ever episode. Loved that show back in the day and still laugh at the early morning repeats on CH4 in the UK. BTW I totally misremembered that scene thinking it was Shelley Long's character that delivered the line not Kirstie Alley. 
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Posted By: Jaketejas
Date Posted: January 22 2024 at 22:04
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^ Perfect!
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Posted By: Tapfret
Date Posted: January 23 2024 at 00:08
Ha! When I was searching for it I was sure it was Sam that said it. This is why you never open a 30 year-old cold case strictly on eyewitness accounts. ------------- https://www.last.fm/user/Tapfret" rel="nofollow"> https://bandcamp.com/tapfret" rel="nofollow - Bandcamp |
Posted By: Steve Wyzard
Date Posted: November 05 2024 at 13:42
| I went a LONG time without playing this but have recently been listening to it again. It's certainly not a masterpiece and it's "very much of its time", but it will always have a place in my heart. "Themes", "Fist of Fire", "Birthright", and "Let's Pretend" are my favorites. I've always considered "The Meeting", while beautiful, to be filler, and I really wish "Vultures in the City" had taken its place. |