The true successors of Yes

npjnpj wrote: Sorry, I've been following this thread and now I just have to butt in, enough is enough. The Flower Kings are nothing like Yes AT ALL. I feel very strongly that the TFK Appreciation Society is using this opportunity to plug their favourite band for all it's worth, regardless of content. Yes is (OK, was) a most fantastic band that not only produced wonderfully complex and at the same time melodic and (especially) rocking music, whereas no song, and i MEAN no song at all by TFK has any rocking quality or energy that could even remotely equal it. I don't doubt they're a fantastic band in their own right (already trying to rebuild bridges here), but their music is geared much more toward improvisation (which Yes never did) and endless noodling solos (which Yes never did either). Sure, some similarities are there, but only to Yes' quieter moments. Yes mainly used them as a bridge toward their next explosion of energy, but TFK seem endlessly stuck in these bridge sequences. Adfditionally I defy anyone to immediately identify any TFK song, after a short while they all sound the same. Yes' songs are immediately identifiable. Believe me, after all the hype on the appropriate forum threads I've tried to seriously get into them, but it's not long before terrible boredom sets in. If you like that sort of thing, fine. I can see the quality, although I have to be in the mood for it, but as a recommendation for someone looking for a new Yes? No way! As for recommendations: I'd probably have to go along with early Starcastle and Yezda Urfa, although both long defunct. Both these bands don't offer any continuation of the Yes style, but I consider them quite good copies. As for anyone carrying the flag to new horizons: I don't believe there is anyone.

You say "Not at ALL" and after that : "Sure some similarities are there"... I think you have made some valuable points in the difference between both, but you have made some exaggeration here saying that all songs sound the same. And i don't feel terrible boredom listening to FK's music. We are not saying that FK is equal to Yes, but try to find another band that is closer to Yes sound, and youre going to have tough time. The sound and compostions of Flower Kings are very different from Yes, but how can you hide the similarity of the guitar playing of Ronnie Stolt to Steve Howe. It's pretty obvious...

Sorry, I've been following this thread and now I just have to butt in, enough is enough.

The Flower Kings are nothing like Yes AT ALL.

I feel very strongly that the TFK Appreciation Society is using this opportunity to plug their favourite band for all it's worth, regardless of content.

Yes is (OK, was) a most fantastic band that not only produced wonderfully complex and at the same time melodic and (especially) rocking music, whereas no song, and i MEAN no song at all by TFK has any rocking quality or energy that could even remotely equal it.

I don't doubt they're a fantastic band in their own right (already trying to rebuild bridges here), but their music is geared much more toward improvisation (which Yes never did) and endless noodling solos (which Yes never did either). Sure, some similarities are there, but only to Yes' quieter moments. Yes mainly used them as a bridge toward their next explosion of energy, but TFK seem endlessly stuck in these bridge sequences. Adfditionally I defy anyone to immediately identify any TFK song, after a short while they all sound the same. Yes' songs are immediately identifiable. Believe me, after all the hype on the appropriate forum threads I've tried to seriously get into them, but it's not long before terrible boredom sets in.

If you like that sort of thing, fine. I can see the quality, although I have to be in the mood for it, but as a recommendation for someone looking for a new Yes? No way!

As for recommendations: I'd probably have to go along with early Starcastle and Yezda Urfa, although both long defunct. Both these bands don't offer any continuation of the Yes style, but I consider them quite good copies. As for anyone carrying the flag to new horizons: I don't believe there is anyone.


Edited by npjnpj - August 21 2011 at 13:48

Dear All,


first of all thnk you very much: I am surprised by the amount of replies and the explainations given together with the comments: I am excited to think how much good music I may enjoy following your suggestions!

A  few words of clarification: of course I was referring to the "Yes- spirit" (if this does mean something to you) of their golden period in order to look for successors. However I am quite inclined to like music including vocal harmonies and choral parts and I am personally fond of Jon Anderson's voice (but this is another story adn should not limitate the suggestions).

Someone mentioned that it would make more sense to look for innovators than for "reincarnations" and I agree in general, although I am quite convinced tha musically the 70's prog is still unequalled. For instance I like very much Dream Theatre, but I don't have the same "thrill" I still have when I listen to the classic Yes: am I getting too old?


Thanks again everybody and I'll keep on reading!

Roberto

I'd add to the recommendations for the Flower Kings. As a primer you could do far worse than invest in their live album 'Meet the Flower Kings' which has some of their best and most epic songs on it.

frippism wrote: ^^^^ Annnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnd dead inside

Edited by Atoms - August 21 2011 at 02:11

frippism wrote: Don't look for successor, look for innovator (ugh that felt cheesy to say...)

That would make for an awesome thrash metal chorus.

^ I can't say I saw too much of a difference- but I've never been a fan of Yes' lyrics...

I don't think there's a point looking for the true successor of Yes, or the true successor of anyone to be honest. Each band has its own thing, and if it truly doesn't- then I don't really think they should be listened to at all. But people judge different bands as clones or not clones. 

Ivan_Melgar_M wrote: yanch wrote: As a long time Yes fan too, I've noticed that there are far, far fewer bands that have sounds in the Yes vein as opposed to bands who have emulated the classic Genesis style. A tribute I think to how talented Yes were at their peak. A band has fewer clones or followers not because more talented, but because they caused a lesser impact. I'm sure that Yes is among the most respected bands in UK and USA, but in other countries Genesis is far more accepted, and don't tell me that songs like Fountain of Salmacis, Supper's Ready ( with so many different changes and moods), Can Utility and the Coastliners ,etc are easier music. In Italy and Sweden for example, Genesis had far more impact, in Germany and Japan, ELP had more followers because they caused a greater impact. Now Yes had hundreds of followers and clones like  Starcastle,  Abbhama (Indonesia),  Druid,  Welcome (Switzerland),  Atlantide (France) Saens (France) Glass Hammer Flower Kings Lift (USA) Cathedral Cherry Five Exodus (Known as the Polish Yes) Blue Shift Flash Relayer Banzai Legacy Alaska Mutantes Big Picture Just to mention a few Iván

Another vote for The Flower Kings here.  No real surprise as they have a decent following here on the Prog Archives, but in my opinion they have moments that emulate Yes, but they turn those moments into their own and take them in a new direction.