OK, here we go.  Worst Yes album ever?

Yes, welcome

I'm finding problems with Flash actually, sometimes in the music writing but mainly in the vocals and lyrics.  The first song keeps exploiting the words "in the morning when you start your day...", and it gets tediously tawdry, sounding like a coffee jingle or something.  But I don't know, it doesn't really leave me disappointed in my purchase; it's a nice piece of vinyl, I still get some kicks out of it, and it's interesting to a big Yes fan like me.  Anyway I only know this first Flash album.  After this one Kaye left and things went more guitar based; I'll definitely be interested in checking that out when I find it.  But I'm certainly not looking for or expecting anything like the level of Yes from this stuff. 

I will say that I do like Banks' solo record (Two Sides of Peter Banks) far, far better.  It has a beautifully serious tone to it most times; great guitar playing by both Banks and Akkerman; a roughly-executed, boldly-edited aspect that keeps things fresh and muscular; a unique record that I think I'll always treasure.

So when it comes to these solo records, Joel, I'd say if your dad is a big Yes fan - and this is increased if maybe he didn't know about Banks' solo record or Ramshackled or whatever - how could you go wrong in getting him a gift of one of these?  It doesn't have to end up his favorite disc in the world.  He'll probably just think, wow, look what my cool son gave me, and he's bound to find interest in it.  I know I'd think that.

Edited by American Khatru - September 16 2009 at 07:52

You can have Flash. Bank's solo record was much better. And I'll also stick up for Ramshackled. Loosely arranged,  reggae/white r&b/jazz rock-inflected (with an out-of-place ballad with Anderson and Howe). Most were musicians in White's peer group, until he hit the big time with Yes.

Ramshackled.  You know, that's one of those ones that just got away from me - no real reason, except maybe that I'm a big Bruford guy so I guess it wasn't tough for me to forget White.  Anyone know it?

By the way, just picked up the first Flash album at the same store yesterday (uh oh, it'$ beginning).  Probably a completist's type of thing from what I can tell so far; interesting to a Yes fan certainly because you go, ah, so Banks and or Kaye brought that kind of thing to Yes, and that kind of thing...  But the vocals kind of stink.

Where are we in this convo?

^  Here's the deal right off the back of the album.

Peter Banks: el & ac gtr, ARP, mini-Moog, Fender Piano; Jan Akkerman: el gtr (left channel) 1,4,6,8,9, ac gtr 7; Ray Bennett: bass 3,4,5; Phil Collins: drums 4,5,8,9; Steve Hackett: el gtr 5; Mike Hough: drums 3; John Whetton: bass 5. 8,9 are spontaneous jams.

side A
1. Vision of the King
2. The White House Vale
3. Knights
4. Battles
5. Knights (Reprise)
6. Last Eclipse
side B
7. Beyond the Loneliest Sea
8. Stop That!
9. Get Out of My Fridge

I haven't listened to this enough times yet to determine for myself just how much "overshadowing" there is - not a priority of mine anyway (just something other reviewers said).  The left-channel thing helps, though the transfer from vinyl that I made yesterday (Logic -> Waveburner for CD -> iTunes) used a "stereo spreader" effect which seems to have played with channel placement.  I'm going to have to go back and do that again. 

Collins does take on some very up-front responsibilities.  The other famous two, Hackett and Whetton, do very little indeed; Hackett is probably doing the quite idiomatic mandolining thing, which I like, don't get me wrong; with Whetton there's no immense stand out to the bass, or maybe he did half the track only (lots of editing) - he dropped by?  (Anyway that whole area of the record rocks regardless.)  The bass duties largely fall to the able Ray Bennett, who, along with Mike Hough, was in Peter Banks and Tony Kaye's group Flash.   

I found out about that CD some time ago, but haven't tried to get it yet. I was interested in the lineup though, however I don't remember everyone who was suposed to be included, yet it sounded like an all-star lineup. I wouldn't be surprised that Akkerman overshadowed Peter Banks, at least in parts of the album.

I buy it too.  In an of course much smaller situation, I've seen this not-so-rare personality conflict some years ago.  A band "leader" with good basic ideas but flawed in some ways (little if any working knowledge of theory, idiomatic writing, etc.), I take the parts and improve them, and this the leader is excited and appreciative of it... at first, that is until they began to despise me for it.  And in my little situation I wasn't even gunning for any kind of credit.

American Khatru wrote: ^ Dellinger.  I hope more people chime in on the Banks thing (how he left), I don't know myself.

I think I've read Peter Banks himself saying even he didn't know why he'd been kicked out of Yes, and I've got the impression by other comentaries from him that he really took it very hard. In the site Notes from the Edge (nfte.org) are many interview with Yes member ex-members, etc, including Peter Banks.