What makes Yes music so good?

Many aspects of Yes led to a special sound.

rogerthat wrote:  I must part ways on the view that their lack of negative emotions is a great attribute.  I don't believe in the cliche of tragic = great art but at the same time confronting difficult emotions in music can be incredibly cathartic.  I never really got to hear that side of Yes; they don't even try. Everything is bright and there's no contrast.  Does beat bands that just sound generally grim and dark without being particularly soulful or touching, yes.

The total commitment and expertise in creating pieces that worked so well. Some were / are a bit odd but all part of the canon e.g. some of the solo moments on Fragile. Or the cha cha moment in Sound Chaser.

As noted above they, especially Anderson were very good song writers. The Revealing Science Of God is a song that instead of fitting into five minutes does so in 20 but doesn't have a stretched out feel - everything happens in it's good time.

They had the virtuosity to make complex music, the intelligence to make it cohesive and the sensibility to make it to an audience.

Not only did they have the ability to make songs but the technique to make classical music - e.g. the exquisitely timed and crafted masterpiece And You And I, brought to a climax  - before going into the heavens... a pop song would repeat or redevelop this idea but this does not happen much in classical music. Yes exemplify the best in progressive rock because they brought the art ind intelligence of classical and fused it with the personal approach of the good popular song. The also have, usually, the energy of a top flight rock band, the chops of jazz (Howe) and the always pretty good (heh!) Richard Wakeman.

Chris Squire's talent for teaming up with others and bringing new aspects to the multifaceted gem that is the catalogue is , I think, the key factor in initiating the creative spark within Yes. Whether it's the Trevors, Jons or the myriad of others who've appeared and disappeared he gets them to usually bring the best in them, right out. Usually. He and Wakeman are the ideal collaborators in Yes.

Of course having classical, country, jazz, rock guitars aplenty with Steve Howe helps things ever so much.

There are a lot of aspects to Yes and how they do what they did and the above is just a few examples.

Dellinger wrote: DDPascalDD wrote: Lewian wrote: Another thing that distinguishes them from many prog and other bands is that overall the mood of their music feels more positive. It's not that being sad, angry, grumpy or depressive is beyond their range but many other music that is emotionally deep tends to be more on the negative pessimistic side overall in one way or another.  That's it exactly for me too, there is so much complexity and feeling for (the) music but at the same time it's so happy and gives so much positive energy. It doesn't sound like a contradiction of any kind but that part does it for me. Another point I have really loved from the band for so long.

Agreed. Their music always has an uplifting effect on me. Jon's vocals soar to the heavens and carry me along for the ride. And what a ride!

They also mannage to contrast the shimmer with rage aka Squires Rickenbacher and Howes guitar runs, brings the certain edge to not make them so shimmering they dissolve in the vaccum of astral dissonance.

Edited by Icarium - May 13 2016 at 17:42

Pastmaster wrote: siLLy puPPy wrote: Because they didn't name the band NO This comment deserves an award.

Yes

This is a question that is not easy to answer. It seems that everything was in the right place in 70s Yes (what came later was still good but no longer outstanding in the same way). Jon Anderson's unique and beautiful voice; Chris Squire's less outstanding but still very good voice; the instrumental skills of the musicians; the refined arrangements; the way they perfectly played together; the deeply mindful lyrics; and especially the spirituality that guided it all. The result was perhaps some of the greatest music of the 20th century. It seems as if the music was not from this world but came straight from a place like Rivendell or Lothlórien. Roger Dean of course did not contribute to the music of Yes, but provided it with an adequate packaging.



Edited by WeepingElf - May 13 2016 at 09:47

Lewian wrote: Another thing that distinguishes them from many prog and other bands is that overall the mood of their music feels more positive. It's not that being sad, angry, grumpy or depressive is beyond their range but many other music that is emotionally deep tends to be more on the negative pessimistic side overall in one way or another.

"Mixture of power and melody" - that's well put. Apart from their skills and competence, they express quite an emotional range, meditative, pastoral, romantic, happy, sad, at times ambiguous between the two, but then also very powerful and energetic, and at times mysterious, tension, threat and relief. And they can switch from one to the other very suddenly but with musicality and taste. It feels natural when they do that, at least in their best moments. They have both the skill and the feeling to pull it off.

Another thing that distinguishes them from many prog and other bands is that overall the mood of their music feels more positive. It's not that being sad, angry, grumpy or depressive is beyond their range but many other music that is emotionally deep tends to be more on the negative pessimistic side overall in one way or another. 

The vocal harmonies are ear candy!  Anderson and Squire were partially inspired by great vocal bands such as The Association from the USA (Anderson did a single of theirs, "Never My Love," which is fantastic!