Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe (1989)

AFlowerKingCrimson wrote: 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.

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.

Dellinger wrote: 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).

Birthright - absolutely. Love side 1 for sure, but the 2nd side I can live without.
Union, on the other hand, I really like most of it, except Saving Your Love, which is hideous.

^ 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.

Cristi wrote: Psychedelic Paul wrote:   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. 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...

chopper wrote: Psychedelic Paul wrote: That's the first time I've ever heard Yes perform a Reggae song.   It's not as bad as their attempt on Caribbean music on the awful "Teakbois".

Tom Ozric wrote: ......Heaven and Earth is better than Union, and I like Union, I just ignore the fact that 197 people tampered with the recording / mix......

verslibre wrote: Psychedelic Paul wrote: 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. 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!

Psychedelic Paul wrote: verslibre wrote: Psychedelic Paul wrote: 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. 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! 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.

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.