Yes-Fly From Here
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Category: Progressive Music Lounges
Forum Name: Prog Recommendations/Featured albums
Forum Description: Make or seek recommendations and discuss specific prog albums
URL: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=78513
Printed Date: November 23 2024 at 07:03
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Topic: Yes-Fly From Here
Posted By: thehallway
Subject: Yes-Fly From Here
Date Posted: May 23 2011 at 15:27
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So............ what do we think? ------------- http://www.thefreshfilmblog.com/" rel="nofollow"> 
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Replies:
Posted By: cstack3
Date Posted: May 23 2011 at 16:04
Can't say that I care for it, myself....huge letdown from Dean's catalog of past work!!  |
Posted By: Epignosis
Date Posted: May 23 2011 at 16:09
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It's nice, but I've never been into Dean's tropical work. But maybe it matches the music well. ------------- https://epignosis.bandcamp.com/album/a-month-of-sundays" rel="nofollow - https://epignosis.bandcamp.com/album/a-month-of-sundays |
Posted By: thehallway
Date Posted: May 23 2011 at 16:13
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To me it looks a little "Close-to-the-edge-y".......... not that that determines anything about the music within! I'm curious about the fish scales in the logo though. ------------- http://www.thefreshfilmblog.com/" rel="nofollow">
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Posted By: Prog Geo
Date Posted: May 23 2011 at 16:26
I like it. This amazonian jungle looks nice!
------------- Sonorous Meal show every Sunday at 20:00 (greek time) on http://www.justincaseradio.com |
Posted By: TheProgtologist
Date Posted: May 23 2011 at 17:07
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Not really impressed,kind of disappointed.Dean has done much.much better work. -------------  |
Posted By: The_Jester
Date Posted: May 23 2011 at 17:22
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It's not ugly I think. It's not the most beautiful album but not the worst I've seen. ------------- La victoire est éphémère mais la gloire est éternelle! - Napoléon Bonaparte |
Posted By: cstack3
Date Posted: May 23 2011 at 17:47
Yeah, and the red stuff as well. Blood? Or red ink?
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thehallway wrote:Posted By: SaltyJon
Date Posted: May 23 2011 at 18:06
I doubt he used blood to draw it.  ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/Salty_Jon" rel="nofollow"> 
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Posted By: cstack3
Date Posted: May 23 2011 at 18:34
Tongue in cheek! Red ink referring to the upcoming tour with Styx and Toy (an indie rock band who don't belong on the bill).
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Posted By: Slaughternalia
Date Posted: May 23 2011 at 22:17
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Looks pretty awesome. Does anyone have a high res one?  |
Posted By: cstack3
Date Posted: May 23 2011 at 23:05
Oh, okay, that's the actual cover! Yeah, I like this one quite a bit! Still not sure about the logo, but it's an update from the old CTTE model.
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Posted By: cstack3
Date Posted: May 23 2011 at 23:47
Here's the high res version, brought to you via Poland!! Looks really nice!  |
Posted By: American Khatru
Date Posted: May 24 2011 at 06:35
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Maybe I'm saying something everyone else already knows the reason for, but the black cats a reference to the Horn/Downes era and the song "We Can Fly From Here"?
-------------  Why must my spell-checker continually underline the word "prog"? |
Posted By: AtomicCrimsonRush
Date Posted: May 24 2011 at 07:10
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That album cover is amazing! Old school artwork and looks good alongside other Yes albums - a real blast from the past.
Lets hope the songs are as good a quality
And the tracklisting: 1. Fly From Here - Overture, 2. Fly From Here - Pt I - We Can Fly, 3. Fly From Here - Pt II - Sad Night At The Airfield, 4. Fly From Here - Pt III - Madman At The Screens, 5. Fly From Here - Pt IV - Bumpy Ride, 6. Fly From Here - Pt V - We Can Fly Reprise, 7. The Man You Always Wanted Me To Be, 8. Life On A Film Set, 9. Hour Of Need, 10. Solitaire, 11. Into The Storm ------------- 
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Posted By: AtomicCrimsonRush
Date Posted: May 24 2011 at 07:53
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Roger Dean Moments with big birds
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/ba/NeverTurnYourBackonaFriend.jpg" rel="nofollow">
 http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/e6/1983-alpha.jpg" rel="nofollow">
 http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/a4/1990-thennow.jpg" rel="nofollow">
 http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/2d/AnEcstacyOfFumbling.jpg" rel="nofollow">
 http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/2f/Phoenix_cover_asia.jpg" rel="nofollow">
 http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/f6/Fly_from_Here.jpg" rel="nofollow">  -------------
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Posted By: thehallway
Date Posted: May 24 2011 at 09:26
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Didn't notice the silhouette of the panther until I saw the big version!
------------- http://www.thefreshfilmblog.com/" rel="nofollow">
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Posted By: Snow Dog
Date Posted: May 24 2011 at 10:03
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Great cover. Maybe a little cluttered but I still love it. ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/Snow_Dog" rel="nofollow"> 
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Posted By: chopper
Date Posted: May 24 2011 at 13:08
| I like it, it's a vast improvement on the cover he did a few years ago for Glass Hammer. |
Posted By: cstack3
Date Posted: May 24 2011 at 13:50
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The blue logo, which some thought were "fish scales" (Squire perhaps?) seem to be blue parrot feathers with blood upon them! I guess that implies a less-than-happy ending for Polly!
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Posted By: Vibrationbaby
Date Posted: May 24 2011 at 14:05
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If it weren't for Yes Dean wouldn'd be in business. I'm not too crazy about anything he did since Drama but I think that the artwork had something to do with it. I love the album but at the time ( 1979 ) i feared that they were going to go the direction Genesis was heading. But then again I'm still sitting on the funny farm.
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Posted By: Slaughternalia
Date Posted: May 24 2011 at 18:54
| I like it. I love the scaly Yes logo. I just hope (but doubt) that the music will be as good. |
Posted By: cstack3
Date Posted: May 24 2011 at 23:29
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From the Italian
website of the label: Tracklisting: (side A): Fly From Here - Overture; Fly From Here - pt I - We Can Fly; Fly From Here - pt II - Sad Night At The Airfield; Fly From Here - pt III - Madman At The Screens; Fly From Here - pt IV - Bumpy Ride; Fly From Here - pt V - We Can Fly; (Side B): The Man You Always Wanted Me To Be; Life On A Film Set; Hour Of Need; Solitaire; Into The Storm. DVD: Includes 25 mins. Documentary “Making of” the album – “We Can Fly” videoclip. Grammy Award winners YES, one of the most influential and ground-breaking progressive rock ‘n’ roll bands ever, are back with their first all original new album in 10 years. As a dominant force for more than four decades, YES has sold more than 33 million albums worldwide. Their symphonic use of sound and innovative musical style has made each of the
group’s players virtuosos in their own right.
"Fly From Here"
encompasses YES’ signature brand of mysticism and grand-scale compositions.
Maintaining a complex, symphonic sound that features the beautiful harmonies
and strong heavy riffs they are known for.
"Fly From Here" sees YES
teaming up again with legendary, 2-time Grammy Award winning producer, Trevor
Horn (Buggles, Tina Turner, Pet Shop Boys, Paul MCCartney, Simple Minds etc).
Horn also collaborated with the songwriting and brought in the sessions his
former Buggles and Yes partner Geoff Downes (of Asia) on keyboards, thus
recreating the creative environment of the “Drama” album. The legendary
designed Roger Dean painted once again the cover art.
YES’ powerful
compositions influenced a generation of musicians with a hugely successful and
indelible catalogue of music with hit albums such as DRAMA, FRAGILE, CLOSE TO
THE EDGE and 90125. Classics such as “Roundabout,” a seminal hit which
consistently appears on “the best songs of all-time” lists, and the group’s #1
hit “Owner of a Lonely Heart,” which Horn is responsible for. Taken from the
YES album 90125, this single would form part of a unique double, which would
see YES and Horn top both the UK and US charts simultaneously.
YES:
Benoit
David: vocals
Steve Howe: guitar
Chris Squire: bass
Alan White: drums
Geoff
Downes: keyboards
Produced by Trevor Horn http://www.frontiers.it/album/4894/" rel="nofollow - http://www.frontiers.it/album/4894/ |
Posted By: ProgressiveAttic
Date Posted: May 24 2011 at 23:43
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I can't think of one 20 min epic by Yes (any lineup) that isn't at least good... ------------- Michael's Sonic Kaleidoscope Mondays 5:00pm EST(re-runs Thursdays 3:00pm) @ Delicious Agony Progressive Rock Radio(http://www.deliciousagony.com) 
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Posted By: cstack3
Date Posted: May 25 2011 at 23:45
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Here's the latest from Notes from the Edge on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NotesFromtheEdge" rel="nofollow - Notes From the Edge Yes: Release dates for "Fly From Here" announced at YesWorld: Japan on June 22, in the EU on July 1, and in the US on July 12. |
Posted By: Grimalkin
Date Posted: June 02 2011 at 03:52
You are right, t'was my suggestion to Roger. The band loved the idea! Horn/Downes: there's not only ONE cat chasing the bird. :) -Giulio C.-
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Posted By: JS19
Date Posted: June 02 2011 at 04:41
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It's a bit green. I found myself having to peer at things to see what they actually were because everything is the same colour. Is that a waterfall in the background? If it is, stupid green haze obscures what could have been brilliant. Oh well, it's a Roger Dean, so was it really going to be a bad album cover? ------------- 
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Posted By: American Khatru
Date Posted: June 02 2011 at 05:28
------------- Why must my spell-checker continually underline the word "prog"? |
Posted By: chopper
Date Posted: June 02 2011 at 07:12
Hmm, it's probably fair to say he is best known for his Yes covers, but he did do a lot of other work as well.
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Posted By: American Khatru
Date Posted: June 02 2011 at 09:08
  ------------- Why must my spell-checker continually underline the word "prog"? |
Posted By: Grimalkin
Date Posted: June 03 2011 at 06:58
Well, Roger Dean's not only a great artist, he's a wonderful person!! :D I also created and designed with him a nice box set (CD+DVD+LP gatefold) full of memorabilia. I hope you'll like it! G http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/217/yesimg0351.jpg/" rel="nofollow">
 Uploaded with http://imageshack.us" rel="nofollow - ImageShack.us " border=""> |
Posted By: jean-marie
Date Posted: June 03 2011 at 07:20
Still haven't got the album but the cover is beautiful, sure it's classic Dean, maybe the logo kind of remembers me the Asia dragon, I remember an old Dean interview ( late sixties ) he was asked about Yes music and answered: don't like it, prefer the Rolling Stones  Honest but a bit stupid, i've read from him that today he regrets about that answer
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Posted By: leonalvarado
Date Posted: July 07 2011 at 08:13
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Many people expects for the new Yes album to be something like "Drama". I'm not too sure about that. I wrote a post on my blog about my first impressions. Feel free to read it and comment on this thread. I would like to know your thoughts on the subject. http://leonblogaswords.blogspot.com/2011/07/fly-from-here-first-impressions.html" rel="nofollow - http://leonblogaswords.blogspot.com/2011/07/fly-from-here-first-impressions.html
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Posted By: Grimalkin
Date Posted: July 07 2011 at 14:06
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Hi Leon, I find your first impressions very deep, but, as you know, this is not a first impression record, like all Yes albums are indeed. In these fast n' frenzy music days, something that deserves a longer time to "land on your soul" is a pure gem! Stylewise this is definitely not a "typical" Yes album. But this is quite what Yes are: they're a continuous evolution made by its band members changes, keeping BTW the same NDA cohesion with Chris, Steve and Alan. I understand you are disappointed by a lack of keyboards that you were used to enjoy on previous albums, and I think this is because Yes are considered THE symphonic rock band, and with Magnification they had achieved that in full. But this record is different. Trevor Horn is a patient, meticoulous mastermind with a clean minimal style. He "paints" his sound like a cathedral in a crystal ball. He's unique! He is able to let you feel the power of an entire invisible symphonic orchestra just by the use of 3 snare drum hits in the overture, (like he did with "White Car" on "Drama") Yes are here after 40plus years career delivering something new.. and different.. Because they are progressive. And I mean progressive in the vein of the "real original concept,": experimenting sounds, compositions, ideas, even changing formation, and always mixing the ingredients to a Yes recipe that we'll keep on singing for 40plus years more. The more you listen to this record, the more you'll discover new landscapes, like Roger Dean's the perfect visual expression for this music.
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Posted By: lazland
Date Posted: July 07 2011 at 14:08
What an excellent and thoughtful post  ------------- 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: Conor Fynes
Date Posted: July 07 2011 at 14:32
| Looking forward for it to be realsed in North America, although the one song I heard from it didnt feel as if it had all too much depth to it. All the same, the seems like good pop Yes, and the vocalist really impressed me. |
Posted By: Garden of Dreams
Date Posted: July 07 2011 at 16:08
I'm excited to hear the album now; Excellent post. White Car is actually one of my favorites of Drama. My first impression of the classic Yes was that it was really weird but continued listens made realize their brilliance. I hope the same will occur with Fly From Here. The most important thing is to not compare the Fly From Here to previous albums but judge it by the music. It can be hard to that, though. ------------- Just give it all an hour by the concrete lake. |
Posted By: colorofmoney91
Date Posted: July 07 2011 at 16:53
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I thought the album was okay. It's no better or worse than Magnification, in my opinion. It's definitely better than most of their '90s work, which is definitely positive. ------------- http://hanashukketsu.bandcamp.com" rel="nofollow - Hanashukketsu |
Posted By: leonalvarado
Date Posted: July 07 2011 at 21:53
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I listen to the whole album and wrote my first impression here: http://leonblogaswords.blogspot.com/2011/07/fly-from-here-first-impressions.html" rel="nofollow - http://leonblogaswords.blogspot.com/2011/07/fly-from-here-first-impressions.html The blog's posting has more details than what I'm copying here. There are also more postings regarding the band. Feel free to check it out. Below is a copy of some of my comments from the blog. I posted this earlier on another thread but apparently it got taken away. I don't understand some times what is allowed and what's not allowed on this website. 1. Overture
The most "classical" music oriented piece. Perhaps Downes highlight in the album. It does bring memories from "Drama". 2. We can fly Vocally the song sounds more akin to Trevor's style than Jon's. Perhaps a deliberate attempt from the band to set Benoit's style. The melody is very unlike anything I ever heard from Yes however, the band manages to keep their core sound intact. I suspect the song will grow better with more listens. 3. Sad Night at the Airfield Howe's guitar never lets down on this one. I can't help but to think how this song would sound with Jon at the vocals. Not that Benoit does a bad job at it. It just seems to lack energy making it sound a bit "generic" at times. This could be the song that makes the biggest difference between the Yes of old and the new incarnation of it. The ending is nice though. 4. Madman at the screen Following the thematic of "Fly From Here" this song starts a bit more up-tempo and basically adds lyrics over the overture tracks with some edited additions. 5. Bumpy Ride In parts reminiscent of something out of their "Drama" album. It keeps closely with the theme but introduces some off-tempo riffs. 6. We can Fly (reprise) An anthem version of the first "We can Fly". Grander in instrumentation but otherwise it is what it says in the name (reprise). 7. The Man You Always Wanted Me To Be On this song, the main vocalist is Squire instead of Benoit. The song, in a way, is pretty much a combination of all of Yes incarnations. It is a modern ballad of sorts. Many people will love this song, specially those who's favourite Yes incarnation was the one with Trevor Rabin as the lead composer. My personal jury still out on this one. There are passages I like but there are also many things that remind me of bands like Kansas and Toto (two bands I was never too keen on). 8. Life on a Film Set This song sounds interesting and I'm not sure I know why. Some pieces of it sound like a Broadway musical but as an overall piece it has something nice about it. There is a little of "I Like to Live In America" in there. Again, I have to listen to it several times to see if it will grab me as much as I think it might. 9. Hour of Need Not going to lie about this one. I liked this one the second I heard it. To me is the most Yes-like song of the bunch. And the keyboards have a lot to do with it. They sound great as subtle as they are which tells me that Oliver Wakeman is a much better fit for the band regardless of what Trevor Horn thinks. 10. Solitaire Another very Yes song like only Howe can bring. This one's a keeper for sure. 11. Into The storm The very beginning of this song goes amazingly all the way back to the very first incarnation of the band. Then suddenly seems to go through all permutations of the band within a few bars. By the time the vocals start, the song takes a style of composition that recalls the days when my friend Billy Sherwood was in the band. The overall sound is nice and fits with the album. I will have to listen to it several more times before making a more concise conclusion. The production values are extremely high (not bad having it all done using ProTools). No doubt that Horn's production style is very polished. The overall vocals are good and clean and if anything, they are a bit removed from Jon's which gives Benoit more credit than just being a "tribute" singer. On a quick listen, I wish he would have added more inflection on the vocals just to energise the overall sound a bit. The music is undeniably Yes but sounds a bit calculated and salvo for Howe and Squire's signature sounds, it is perhaps a bit "too clean" sort of speak. I will write more about it as I get to listen to it some more. So far, I would say that this album sounds more cohesive than some of the last few albums before it. In other words, this album as a whole may be better than let's say The Ladder. However, The Ladder has a gem of a song with "Homeworld" and this album doesn't seem to have anything as good as that on it. Some of it, in my opinion, is because the keyboards are weak. Without Jon or one of the Wakemans (because Oliver's style can perfectly match that one of his dad), the band needs to make a bold statement in the right direction. They did it once with "Drama" but I'm not too sure they have done it again with "Fly From Here". I'll give it a bit more time before writing a proper review. |
Posted By: leonalvarado
Date Posted: July 07 2011 at 21:54
| Hopefully my posting will stay this time around. |
Posted By: Blacksword
Date Posted: July 08 2011 at 07:35
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Not one of his best, although I like the logo.
Alpha by Asia is one of my favorite Dean covers. Shame the album is mostly pants. ------------- Ultimately bored by endless ecstasy! |
Posted By: ghost_of_morphy
Date Posted: July 09 2011 at 10:18
------------- 
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Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: July 09 2011 at 10:51
| Downloaded it today for £3.99 from a certain online retailer. I like it and would put it on a par with Talk (4 star). Solid effort and the vocals don't put me off ,if anything they are a strength. |
Posted By: chopper
Date Posted: July 11 2011 at 07:06
| Bought it on Saturday and have played it 4 or 5 times since. I reckon it's probably their best since Drama (not a massive surprise as it's pretty much Drama 2). Really liking it, but what's happened to Alan White? |
Posted By: criticdrummer94
Date Posted: July 11 2011 at 10:10
I think that might be a reference to Chris Squire who's nickname is The Fish
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Posted By: GypsyJoker
Date Posted: July 11 2011 at 13:56
It reminds me of the ship from Fragile, with the long wing-like structures (which appear in the upper edge of the logo).
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Posted By: GypsyJoker
Date Posted: July 11 2011 at 13:57
Which might also be the "Fly" reference in the title: the flying ship.
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Posted By: Mushroom Sword
Date Posted: July 11 2011 at 14:21
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I really like it. It's nice. The epic is great, I've been missing those vocal rhythms you don't get in any other band, reminds me of "Yours is no disgrace". ------------- 
"I gazed into the eyes of the madman and I saw, and I saw,and I saw myself. |
Posted By: ghost_of_morphy
Date Posted: July 13 2011 at 19:54
The Ladder and the Keys material was much better, and Magnification is on a par with this. The epic is nice, although not what you would expect from Yes. -------------
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Posted By: verslibre
Date Posted: July 13 2011 at 20:42
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I just listened to KTA Vol. 1 & 2 again and yes, that music is much, much better than Fly From Here, especially "Foot Prints" and "That, That Is"! Wakeman takes many great solos on the KTA stuff, and Steve Howe's playing is what you'd expect...awesome! ------------- https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_ipg=50&_sop=1&_rdc=1&_ssn=musicosm" rel="nofollow - eBay |
Posted By: Anthony H.
Date Posted: July 13 2011 at 23:50
I absolutely 100 percent agree. -------------  |
Posted By: Anthony
Date Posted: July 14 2011 at 01:06
Most awful album since "Open your eyes" I thought Yes was a progband, and Steve Howe promised 'fresh music'. Instead we get all pop, and instead of fresh music, the majority of it is just re-workings of 30-years-old Buggles material.------------- Future prosperity lies in the way you heal the world with love (Introitus - The hand that feeds you) |
Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: July 14 2011 at 01:23
Would have been nice if they could have redefined the whole progressive rock genre I suppose but many of us are realistic and were hoping for just something listenable and this certainly is. I would put it on a par (quality and style wise) with Asia's Phoenix album which also featured Howe and Downes.Good solid efforts just not 'progressive'.
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Posted By: chopper
Date Posted: July 14 2011 at 04:12
I agree, Fly From Here is much better than I expected. Yes, it's not massively progressive but is much more melodic that most of the Keys material.
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Posted By: cannon
Date Posted: July 14 2011 at 15:19
Totally agree. The studio tracks on both Keys(Also contained on Keystudio) are excellent and IMO the best music the band has released since Going For The One.
I'm not at all impressed with Fly From Here. 2 1/2 stars.
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Posted By: rdtprog
Date Posted: July 14 2011 at 15:28
Strange how people compare Asia with this release... To me there's a wide margin just for the emotion that you feel listening to the Yes's cd, it's a lot more symphonic than all the stuff Asia have done. If you want something that redefined the progressive genre, don't look to those big old bands from the 70's but check some of the band that plays a different style of progressive. |
Posted By: akaBona
Date Posted: July 14 2011 at 18:45
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didn't like it much. too easy for me, nothing special here. some people praise the production, but it don't hide the weak compositions. Benoit quite ok, mainly because there's no Jon's versions of songs as comparison. but it's good to hear he has a style of his own ... dull, lame, easy listening radio pop. 1,5 stars. |
Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: July 15 2011 at 02:47
Don't think Fly From Here is symphonic at all. But its okay which I what I am saying if you view it more as AOR type stuff. People are only getting their nickers in a twist becuause they seem to think there is some in built promise. If you want a Yes sounding band doing symhonic stuff then Glass Hammer 'If' is a better choice although I actually prefer Fly From Here.It has stronger material imo. |
Posted By: ghost_of_morphy
Date Posted: July 15 2011 at 12:54
-------------
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Posted By: chopper
Date Posted: July 15 2011 at 13:06
Ah, but which is the Yes we know and love? The Kaye era Yes? The "classic" era? The Moraz Yes? The Rabin Yes? The Drama Yes? To me this is another great album in their history and we should be grateful they're still making music this good after 43 years. |
Posted By: Moogtron III
Date Posted: July 16 2011 at 06:46
| Haven't heard the album yet but I love Dean's cover art. |
Posted By: Chris S
Date Posted: July 16 2011 at 14:55
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2 listens so far.....very enjoyable.....i mean if this is the level of prog these guys are bringing out in their retirement days, very few bands can match it. It has trevor horn's success formula all over it.....Kudos to one of the all time producers. It has a very restraine yet polished quality. i am standing corrected!! ------------- ...As I venture through the slipstream, between the viaducts in your dreams...[/COLOR] |
Posted By: cstack3
Date Posted: July 17 2011 at 00:46
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Photos of Yes at their show in Atlanta the other night: http://www.musicnewsnashville.com/archives/photos/2011/yes/" rel="nofollow - http://www.musicnewsnashville.com/archives/photos/2011/yes/ Based on their earliest tour reviews, I hope this band is tightening up the show! Also, I presume they will do another tour of FFH material? That's not being played much from what I can tell in reviews.
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Posted By: Slartibartfast
Date Posted: July 17 2011 at 06:04
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I've been reading all the naysayers comments regarding this album. I was initially uninterested in trying it, but I found streaming of the whole album and am giving it a try. So far it sounds like the criticizers are full of it. http://totallyfuzzy.blogspot.com/2011/07/yes-fly-from-here-album-stream.html" rel="nofollow - http://totallyfuzzy.blogspot.com/2011/07/yes-fly-from-here-album-stream.html Interesting background information about the album at this site. ------------- Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened... 
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Posted By: Passionist
Date Posted: July 17 2011 at 06:26
| I dunno, this seems a bit simply and out of new ideas. It's all melodic and nice, but nothing mind-rocking. So not really anything new, I could say I'm a bit disappointed, but I didn't expect much. |
Posted By: Evolver
Date Posted: July 17 2011 at 06:47
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It has some moments, but on the whole it's disappointing. The worst part is Downes' keyboards. He mostly stays in the background. Yes keyboards are supposed to soar. Next is Benoit David's vocals. No emotion. Steve Howe saves the album. ------------- Trust me. I know what I'm doing. |
Posted By: Chris S
Date Posted: July 17 2011 at 09:02
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I saw a YT clip, similar to Heart of the Sunrise clip Rob put up and and this was of the new material. Again Benoit David's vocals are cracking all over the place on " Fly From Here".... I wonder what is going on? They may even have to let him go after this tour unless he has a serious cold and they could not cancel the gigs. Will be interesting to see if his vocals improve with their touring schedule... I am confused to say the least that a vocalist can fail so blatantly hitting several notes. I do like the studio album though, mainstream as someone said and yes Howe and Squire deliver. " solitaire" is a great Howe piece. ------------- ...As I venture through the slipstream, between the viaducts in your dreams...[/COLOR] |
Posted By: cstack3
Date Posted: July 17 2011 at 23:21
Thanks for the link! Gave it a good, solid listening with headphones & I agree, it is much better than I was expecting. Benoit David does a great job on vocals and the overall production is sound. However, I agree with much of what Lazland said in his review (below). Downe's keyboards are so subdued that they are nearly invisible, and he isn't up to past standards in Yes. Also, I find the lyrics to be insipid by past Yes standards. Like Lazland, I give it a 6 out of 10 stars. Considering all the negative vibes that Yes stirred up with their treatment of bandmates Anderson and Ollie Wakeman, I really don't think this is a masterpiece that justifies the trauma inflicted upon one of the most dedicated fan-bases in rock history. It's a decent effort, but if this is the coda for Yes, I find it to be a sorry ending. http://www.progarchives.com/review.asp?id=480386" rel="nofollow - http://www.progarchives.com/review.asp?id=480386 |
Posted By: akaBona
Date Posted: July 18 2011 at 02:44
Maybe they are little bit tightenig, even Downes shows some rockin' attitude in those pictures. Squire looks just like my grandmother (r.i.p.) and it's good the photogallery didn't include David dance pictures ... |
Posted By: Slartibartfast
Date Posted: July 18 2011 at 07:07
It's quite possible that this album benefits in my ears from no expectations. If any Andersons or Wakemans were harmed in the making of this album I won't be rushing out to get it. Bands more often go out with a whimper more than a bang anyway. I see that they came by my neck of the woods. I wasn't paying attention so I didn't find out about it until after the fact. I wouldn't have gone anyway due to out of the way venue and having seen them live a couple of times before. DVDs are much less trouble. ------------- Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened...
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Posted By: wilmon91
Date Posted: July 18 2011 at 20:08
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I have heard it 2-3 times, so here are my impressions..
The singer is extremely similar to Jon Anderson in both character and expression. The drums are very straight, basic and supportive, it could have stood out more I think! Mood-wise the album feels quite bright, comfortable and "safe", not much minor key harmonies.
1. Fly From Here – Overture (1:54)
Introduces a few themes that will recur later. A 5/8 theme. Nice sounds. Not a very solid piece, more a foretaste of whats to come.
2. Fly From Here - Pt I - We Can Fly (6:01)
The vocal sections are not nice, the ”Fly from here” chorus is very bland pop. But I like the instrumental stuff. The piano and strings is really nice . That remind me of the intro to ”Bangin on the Door” by Simple Minds (also a piano and strings thing) ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AN_xklo9ruA" rel="nofollow - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AN_xklo9ruA )
3. Fly From Here - Pt II - Sad Night At The Airfield(6:41)
Picking guitar intro. Highly mixed singing, but why auto tune? ? The two chords in the main theme are not interesting enough. Nothing wrong with simplicity, though. But those chords make me sleepy. 4. Fly From Here - Pt III - Madman At The Screens(5:16)
The 5/8 theme introduced in the beginning plays over a 4/4 beat. It's repeated too many times in this song, for me it isn't intriguing enough to endure that many repetitions. I like the "sailor beware" part. But it's two different themes playing alternatively, not satisfyingly integrated into one unity. 5. Fly From Here - Pt IV - Bumpy Ride (2:15) Playful instrumental part that plays in different keys. The "sailor beware" part comes in a again ,in a kind of misplaced way, then back to the playful part. Not good.
6. Fly From Here - Pt V - We Can Fly (reprise)(1:45)
"We can fly " chorus again which I really didn't like. The piano and strings section rounds it off with guitar on top. A mediocre ending I have to say. 7. The Man You Always Wanted Me To Be (5:08) Soft harmonic rock. Good sound. Nice. But the processed singing sounds synth-like, it lacks personality. The chorus sounded a bit like "This World" by hackett. But those chords are also in "Your Move" (Yes) when I think about it. Parts of the verse remind me of "Fundamentals of Brainwashing" by Hackett. Well, a pretty nice song, but most is familiar, no new chord progressions. 8. Life On A Film (5:01) Acoustic guitar intro, playing two familiar chords. Very nice chorus (”riding a tiger) . When the drums come in it feels a bit "pink floyd". Then comes parts of 5/8 + 6/8 in a bit similar way as in "Does it really happen?", quite okay for a while but is worn out after a while.
9. Hour Of Need (3:07) Good soft pop/rock song. Nice guitars. I like it apart from the way it ends..
10. Solitaire (3:30) Howe-piece. Goes through varying passages. It's ok - could grow with more listens..
11. Into The Storm (6:54) Starts in instrumental straight rock. I think the use of many vocal parts in the verse takes away a defined personal expression in the singing. Not very interesting. The 7/8 part is pretty nice and the guitar solo in the 12/8 part is nice although some harmonies there aren't very exciting.
------------- http://www.lastfm.se/user/wilmon91" rel="nofollow - last.fm |
Posted By: wilmon91
Date Posted: July 18 2011 at 20:25
I also thought of Toto. Specifically a section in Toto's "Mr Friendly", the "He's standing in your way" part , that was similar to a section in the Yes song.. ------------- http://www.lastfm.se/user/wilmon91" rel="nofollow - last.fm |
Posted By: brainstormer
Date Posted: July 18 2011 at 21:34
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What do you guys think about the lyrics compared to other Yes albums? ------------- -- Robert Pearson Regenerative Music http://www.regenerativemusic.net Telical Books http://www.telicalbooks.com ParaMind Brainstorming Software http://www.paramind.net |
Posted By: m2thek
Date Posted: July 18 2011 at 22:41
| I think they're equally meaningless |
Posted By: cstack3
Date Posted: July 19 2011 at 00:31
Equally meaningless, perhaps, but at least Anderson's mystical mumbo-jumbo kept you guessing! I find nothing redeeming about FFH's lyrics at all.
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Posted By: chopper
Date Posted: July 19 2011 at 07:29
Auto Tune? Are you sure, can't say I've noticed it?
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Posted By: AtomicCrimsonRush
Date Posted: July 19 2011 at 07:50
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I wont go track by track at this stage but it is growing on me - the album as a whole is uplifting and definitely better than Open Your Eyes. It is good to hear them after so many years and there is that definitive Yes sound. I need to hear it a few more times before a review but its great esp the title track magnum opus epic. I wish it was more prog though and not mainstream, but it will grow on me. -------------
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Posted By: lazland
Date Posted: July 19 2011 at 11:38
It would have to have been pretty appalling to have been worse than that album. ------------- 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: leonalvarado
Date Posted: July 19 2011 at 14:15
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http://leonblogaswords.blogspot.com/2011/07/fly-from-here-full-review.html" rel="nofollow - http://leonblogaswords.blogspot.com/2011/07/fly-from-here-full-review.html
The links takes you to my full review of the album. I think you'll find it interesting enough.
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Posted By: rdtprog
Date Posted: July 19 2011 at 14:43
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Ususally a album doesn't grow on me with many listenings, and this case is no exception. The more and more i listen to it, the less i enjoy it. But i don't say it's a bad album . I am pretty sure it's not going to have the same impact on me in the future like CTE and Going For The One did. I think it's difficult to compare this one with any ohter cd's, it's more on the quiet side, but the melody are strong and the guitar playing of Howe is still amazing. |
Posted By: wilmon91
Date Posted: July 19 2011 at 18:12
I'm quite convinced, because some notes he sings are just too straight. When he sings "There's no one sleeping" for example, it sounds funny... Or when he sings "that last intake of air"...Especially "of" is clearly not natural. ------------- http://www.lastfm.se/user/wilmon91" rel="nofollow - last.fm |
Posted By: cstack3
Date Posted: July 19 2011 at 23:48
EXCELLENT point! Also, I wonder if some of the singing isn't being done by Trevor Horn? There's quite a resemblance in style & vocal range. Nothing would surprise me with this album, I guess some of Ollie Wakeman's parts were kept, although he was given the boot. I need to listen to this one a bit more. They don't play much of this on the present tour, do they? Does that mean yet another Yes tour is forthcoming? They might be surprised at how few fans will turn out for that. Time to start booking the county fairs.
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Posted By: ghost_of_morphy
Date Posted: July 22 2011 at 18:44
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Posted By: ghost_of_morphy
Date Posted: July 22 2011 at 18:46
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Posted By: topographicbroadways
Date Posted: July 22 2011 at 19:19
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YES. Should FLY FROM HERE. Because the current tour really sucks. It REALLY sucks. I've not been at a show, and can vouch for the fact it's always better in the venue than it is on a Camera vid. But honestly. The new album was TRY HARD Neo Prog. And was no better than Magnification. It was a good album without doubt. But tried Too hard to cater to the 50+ generation who bought Close To The Edge in 1972. Is this really the stage our Symphonic Prog legends find themselves at ASIA are still going strong. Lets put Yes on hiatus and let ASIA do their thing because OMEGA was a good album. Pheonix was a fantastic album. Symphonic Prog itself needs a hiatus. The Neal Morse's and Flower King influences have dominated this scene for too long and turned it into a genre that sounds all the same. I have loved and still love Real symphonic Progressive music for a long time and would like Real life to come once again into the scene. Christ what a self indulgent rant that was. I may as well but HI, at the beginning -------------  
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Posted By: Garden of Dreams
Date Posted: July 23 2011 at 21:56
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I was actually quite surprised on the first listen. I wasn't expecting too much from Fly From Here but I enjoyed it. A couple songs were mediocre, but overall it had a lot of high moments and the low moments were not that low. I also want to mention Life On A Film Set for being the best track off the album. The album, I feel, was played down to much. Fly From Here should not be compared to any of their classics. View it as its on entity. That helped me to view the album properly. Again, this is only after one listen to the album as a whole but I've listened to Life On A Film Set 3 times now. ------------- Just give it all an hour by the concrete lake. |
Posted By: Chris S
Date Posted: July 23 2011 at 22:02
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The thing is YES do not need to prove anything to anyone and the majority of fans will enjoy the experience of seeing them live. What I find odd is how poor Benoit David sounds live, and the fact so few people have mentioned it??? Perhaps it's just me :- ) ------------- ...As I venture through the slipstream, between the viaducts in your dreams...[/COLOR] |
Posted By: Ivan_Melgar_M
Date Posted: July 23 2011 at 23:16
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In my opinion "Fly From Here" is the best album Yes released since DRAMA, and this are strong words, because I consider Drama superior to GFTO and of course Tormato. I love to see the band approaching the end of their careers with new music instead of playing the same set of songs they been playing for 4 decades at least 10 years more...No matter how good they are. Strong release. Iván ------------- 
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Posted By: The T
Date Posted: July 23 2011 at 23:31
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I bought it today. As much as I dislike Anderson's lyrics, his voice is really necessary in Yes and I will probably miss him, but reading many of the comments here I'm more optimistic. I like Drama a lot after all. ------------- 
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Posted By: Slartibartfast
Date Posted: July 24 2011 at 11:17
This coming from someone who is admittedly not a Yes/Jon Anderson fan. I listened to it once, I liked it. I'm in no hurry to buy a copy. ------------- Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened...
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Posted By: cstack3
Date Posted: July 24 2011 at 11:51
Benoit's vocal shortcomings have been discussed on several threads on PA, if you search around the threads you'll see them. His studio voice isn't bad, and I think composing the songs into an easier voice range (tenor vs. contra-tenor) brings out David's natural strengths. However, he's clearly struggling onstage. Part of this is probably because he's an amateur vocalist. Singing in a tribute band is loads of fun, but trib bands usually don't go on cross-country tours, playing night after night! Anderson has been doing that for over 40 years, so he knows how to protect his vocal chords & pace himself. Even more annoying than his vocal shortcomings have been his stage demeanor! I haven't seen this group live & am not so motivated, but B. David could certainly use some professional training on how to comport himself in front of a large audience that has paid up to $100 or more per ticket. Twirling around, acting like a town fool etc. onstage is not really within the classic Yes stage paradigm. |
Posted By: rdtprog
Date Posted: July 24 2011 at 11:56
Who is to blame here for the choice of this inexperienced vocalist? Squire, Yes, the manager... Or maybe they don't care... Can we blame the guy who want be part of this great band. |
Posted By: jean-marie
Date Posted: July 24 2011 at 12:47
| Prefer GFTO to Drama by far |
Posted By: lazland
Date Posted: July 24 2011 at 13:31
Squire, who has admitted such in quite a few interviews. It's not David's fault - who can blame him for taking part? It is the cavalier and nasty way that Anderson was "dispensed" with, when ill, and the fact that none of them, Wakeman &White aside, even bothered to contact him during his illness, that leaves a very sour taste in the mouth as far as I'm concerned. ------------- 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: lazland
Date Posted: July 24 2011 at 13:32
Absolutely. Comparing GFTO to Drama is like comparing Shakespeare to Sid Snot. ------------- 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: ghost_of_morphy
Date Posted: July 24 2011 at 15:23
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Posted By: Ivan_Melgar_M
Date Posted: July 24 2011 at 16:50
No, comparing GFTO to Drama is just taste. I don't like Jon Anderson at all, the sound of the birotron that Wakeman used in GFTO is horrendous, for me the album is weak. But it's my opinion, this doesn't make me abnormal or a person with a wrong taste. Iván -------------
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Posted By: cstack3
Date Posted: July 24 2011 at 18:28
Great point! Hell, if they asked ME to take over vocal duties for Anderson, I would have done it in a heartbeat (even though I have come to resemble a somewhat less portly Squire, and my vocal range is rather awful, worse than Benoit David's). Now, taking over for Squire on bass.....hmmmm....that has some potential... |
Posted By: jean-marie
Date Posted: July 24 2011 at 22:44
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Posted By: Ivan_Melgar_M
Date Posted: July 24 2011 at 22:55
After the words of Ghost_of_Morphy:
I had to mention the normality issue. Iván -------------
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