REMIXES

A hatchet job

The story behind this album runs along the lines of Steve Howe's son Virgil (aka "The Verge") tinkering with his dad's band's track "Heart of the sunrise". Howe Snr. was understandably non-committal about what he heard, but suggested Virgil do some more, resulting in the is album. The chosen tracks are not necessarily Yes' most popular or best known, although the aforementioned "HOTS" plus "Awaken" and "Starship trooper" are included.

I don't have any problem with remixes as such, but I must admit I had hoped that the results would be reasonably faithful to the originals. It would for example have been interesting to hear "Siberian Khatru" set to a dance beat, or the final part of "Awaken" taken to even greater heights. The recent hit single remix of "Owner of a lonely heart" by Max Graham was a credible example of what can be achieved in this field.

What we have here though is dub type remixes of the tracks, where they are stripped of their identity, then clips from them extracted and repeated ad-nauseum. There's no flow to the music, and a dearth of inspiration in the editing.

There's no obvious logic to the tracks which were selected either. The album opens with "Tempus Fugit" from the "Drama" album, and is thus devoid of two parts of the classic Yes sound, namely Anderson's voice and Wakeman's keyboards. The most obvious aspect of the remixing here is the repetition of certain lyrics, such as "Answer to.. Answer to.. Answer to.. YES". Ear catching, but a bit irritating!

Other questionable selections are "Arriving UFO" and "Five percent for nothing", neither of which can be described as obvious choices.

"Starship Trooper" starts with the middle section(!), then jumps about picking random snippets from the song. After a drum and bass interlude, the final "Wurm" section is reasonably recognisable, with a decent synthesiser piece, which appears to be new, to close. "Awaken" starts with the end section, the bit which goes "Like the time I ran away". It too jumps about completely destroying the impact of the track, particularly the mighty build up on the original, as it moves towards the crescendo section.

The final track, "No clowns" appears to take its name from "No opportunity necessary" plus "Circus of heaven". It is something of a catch all, with extracts from a number of Yes tracks from different albums.

Astonishingly, Virgil admits in the sleeve-notes the samples used were taken from vinyl copies of the albums not the master tapes, and that he worked only with a sampler and a 16 track recorder, no PC. This presumably implies that any samples used are simply distortions of the original tracks, not extracts of say just the guitar or bass line.

In summary, while the source tracks are in the main certainly recognisable, the remixing here does nothing to enhance them. One for the curious only.

hahha... if ever in need of some prog to dance with ... this is it.

welll I'm not really sure what to say about this album. Other than to relate the effect that listening to this album MAY have. Had picked this up one day on the way home from work, was heading down the highway.. slipped it into the CD player.... and promptly nearly put my truck in a ditch. If you ever get tired of the same old Yes songs... try this. Steve Howe's son, Virgil did remixs of many beloved Yes songs.

The other reaction to listening to this may be severe nausea of course

The purist in me screams ... NO don't touch those sacred cows... while the prog fan in me.. thinks.. you know... this is really interesting. Not going to bother trying to describe the atrocities committed to the songs... you have to hear it for yourself. You might even find, like myself, that this is a fun album to just pull out occasionally. My favorites.. Soundchaser. Never figured I could dance to it... but under the sway of Master Virgil Verge and the funky Yes-crew.. I can. Several songs might actually be better.. 5 Per Cent For Nothing is great Arriving UFO from Tormato... .so much better. Interesting remix of Heart of the Sunrise as well

Anyway.. 1 star...

for eccentric Yes fans and those who are supremely open-minded. Those who are, might actually enjoy pulling this out occasionally. I do. Probably the most enjoyable 1 star album I'll ever review

Michael (aka micky)

The thought of remixes of Yes songs may intrigue you or fill you with horror. Well, I was intrigued enough to give it a listen.

This album was "constructed" by Steve Howe's son Virgil using old Yes vinyl and some modern technology and is basically Yes songs cut up and rearranged over drum and bass backing. In some cases it works well and it some it doesn't. Some of the faster songs such as "Tempus Fugit" and "Siberian Khatru" work well, particularly in the former's use of the "yes" word and the latter's use of the opening guitar riff. Other's such as "Heart of the Sunrise" and "Starship Trooper" could almost become acid house classics (if you took out the slower sections).

Others are a case of missed opportunity, "Soundchaser" makes no use of the "cha cha cha" bit and "No opportunity" omits the Big Country section. The final track "No clowns" takes it name from the dreaded "Circus of Heaven" and is a new "song" consisting of loads of different sections of Yes songs cut together. Apart from being useful for a quick game of "Spot the song" it doesn't really serve any purpose.

In summary, an interesting experiment which Yes fans will probably love or hate, so I can only really give it 2 stars. I'm tempted to deduct one for the idiot who designed the booklet with silver lettering on a translucent paper so you can only read it if you hold it at exactly the right angle. At least it's better than the awful ELP remix CD.

The meaning of the location and the work of "Remix" might have had the flow that had changed in the age. The latter half of the at least 70's might have been work that the artist had needed at the stage in the process where the part of work in Remix had made the album.

All will have been the parts that shifted from the sound source of an original tape to the work of the track down again and were done. Therefore, it existed as Version made as work to cancel the dissatisfaction with the subjacent sound source that was. The existence of Remix changed into the commercial act gradually in the music business in the shifting flow in the 80's however and it began to flood the fashion of the record by 12 inches. Trevor Horn to promote Remix in which the ZTT label that it established it after it was on the register in "Yes" in 1983 was skillful might also have existed if it enumerated it as an example. The definition of Remix indeed changes the form in the age and is recognized.

This album was produced by The Verge of the son of Steve Howe. This album might have had to be announced originally by the name of The Verge. It is in the discography of "Yes" as a result the album and there are some respects in details that allow one's name to be added. The Verge advances to musician's road as well as elder brother's Dylan Howe. The elder brother is taking an active part as a legitimate drum player. The Verge went to the route of music that followed Hip-Hop on the other hand. And, The Verge also manipulates musical instruments.

And, the existence of the son of Jon Anderson of the point that had to be paid attention in the produced process might have been also large. Naturally, the exchange of The Verge and Damion Anderson might be the points that were able to be forecast. The accurate information is not certain though Damion Anderson also actually has information said that it will participate in this album. And, it is guessed that this exchange becomes related of Steve Howe and Jon Anderson and was held the conference on this album. There might have been a story of approval by management with the band as a guess of details from which this album was added to the discography as a result. And, it is guessed that the shade of meaning of the introduction concerning the music of the band has come out strongly as an intention of this album.

In addition, there might be a point that extracts the sound source that the band announced as a point that should make a special mention from CD and the record and was produced. And, the existence of the sampler of MPC2000XL of the Akai Co. that The Verge introduced for the production of this album might be also large. The interest of the idea to draw out the performance of the idea and machine parts to its maximum completely and for a past sound source to revive newly might be deep. A past sound source is put on Dance Music and jungle Beat, etc. overall and it challenges as a completely new work. Therefore, there might be a part that has not been approved as an album of Yes. However, it is likely to be interested in the work that The Verge did for the fan of new Yes.

Obviously, you have to be a Yes fan and a drum'n'bass fan to like this. Very few people on planet Earth are both.

I can appreciate the work done (especially from only having access to vinyls; no master tapes) but I just find it a bit irritating. It's not because I'm old (I'm not old), it's more the fact that the songs aren't really RE-MIXED with overdubbing and rearranging, but simply sampled, in a rather brief way. These tracks are largely built around tiny snippets of repeated Yes music laid over some good, albeit repetitive, drum loops. They are more a demonstration of skill than a fresh construction of old songs. In places very cool (new synth solo on 'Würm', hardcore appreciation of 'HOTS') but in other areas very un-cool (6-seconds of 'Ritual' streched to 6 minutes?).

The other thing that puzzles me is the selection of tracks, which I presume is based more on "remixibility" than diversity or classic status. In other words, Virgil makes some already bad songs even worse; '5 per cent for nothing' = stupid choice. 'Arriving UFO' = already "remixed" about 10 times when Yes were making 'Tormato'. And 'No Clowns' seems to be more of a radio advert than a song, snippeting songs from across Yes's career, making an interesting but pointless 3 minutes (and yes, Damion is on it...)

Some tips for 'The Verge': Go easy on the drum machine. Get some master tapes from daddy. Learn that 'Sound Chaser' is in 5/4 time. And think about your target audience.

I could do better on my pc.

This is actually pretty good.

Of course, I didn't have very high expectations, what with the thorough trashing it has received in pretty much every review I have read. Let's set some things straight:

The arrangements are actually pretty inventive. Virgil Howe takes the source material from vinyl. You can tell he really knows the songs. There is quite a bit of imaginative EQ'ing, lots of cool pitch-shifting, etc. It is NOT just bits of the songs with beats added. The production is clear. He knows what he is doing.

But most people wouldn't really appreciate it. I'm sure he KNEW he was doing something most fans would protest; it's evident in his song choices - taking many of his samples from "Tormato." It's a bit of fun, but it's well-done fun. I find the reinterpretations refreshing.

I've always loved "Five Per Cent for Nothing" and the goofiness on "Tormato." There are some disappointments, but overall I'm glad this exists.

To be honest, it's better than many late Yes releases...

Talk about odd ducks in the music world. It really doesn't get more at odds than the fusing of techno and trance with symphonic prog rock. Well that's exactly what we get here and it's all thanks to Steve Howe's son Virgil (aka The Verge) who diligently spliced and diced and reinterpreted the 70s world of YES music and put it into a 21st century electronica context. The reaction has been fierce as many a prog fan shutters at the thought of such a blasphemous endeavor. Well, call me a traitor to the prog aesthetic if you must but I think this album is brilliantly done.

This is not merely putting a beat to pieces of YES songs as the title may suggest. Verge meticulously went through the YES catalog to find the pieces he deemed most adaptable to a techno and trance feel and then set out to splice apart the individual instrumental and vocal tracks to put them together in a new way to fit into the proper electronic beat fashion. Many of the tracks do come from the less progressive albums such as "Tormato" but Verge masters the true challenge of taking strange progressive timings like the 5/4 of "Five Percent Of Nothing" and creates an unusual yet recognizable version of the music.

This is obviously not the starting point for any newcomers to YES' music but for those who have an open mind, an insatiable appetite for the cross-pollination potential of totally disparate genres and have heard the original versions so many times that they welcome an unlikely way of reinterpreting them, then this is for you! I know i'm in a lonely room with this one but I think this is an excellent album just awaiting the day when the potentials of remixing prog with electronica will become more widely accepted in a world where the monotony needs to be broken up by such strange new ideas. I think this album embodies the true spirit of what "progressive" is all about and YES remain at the forefront of such progressive thinking by releasing such things despite what the public thinks.

'Remixes' - Yes (33/100)

What were Yes thinking when they accepted, and subsequently released these remixes by Steve Howe's son Virgil? I don't think it's simply for nepotism's sake, trying to get another Howe family member into the spotlight either. By his own merit, Virgil Howe is a capable electronic producer, but it still doesn't explain this. Remixes is possibly more singularly detested in Yes' career even than Union, and given that we all know progressive fans are a bunch of old fogies with a deep resentment for anything new and trendy, none of this reception comes as a surprise. Again, what were Yes thinking? What demographic was this album aimed at?

Beyond the shattered principle of bastardizing something as classic as Yes 70s material, I'm not opposed to the material's infusion with electronic. I'm a fan of many types of electronic music both old and new, and based on some of the more inspired chops and cuts Virgil Howe offers here, I think Remixes could (and should) have been more compelling than it is. Although every track here can be traced back to its origins easily enough, Virgil has stripped most of the songs of their initial structure, rewiring and repeating samples, often alongside programmed beats.

Yes fans and progressive lovers would probably balk at that last line. Surprisingly enough, parts of it work really well. The rhythmically reworked intro to "Starship Trooper" is particularly inspired, and Virgil takes advantage of "Awaken"'s celestial atmosphere to his own benefit; the moments here that stick to me go as far as to vindicate the idea of remixing Yes' material. I get the impression that Virgil Howe wasn't the person to take it all the way however. Whether the project was rushed or undercooked altogether, for every clever idea here, there's three or four others that are almost intolerably annoying. "Heart of the Sunrise" is a muddled mess here, without any of the gorgeous build-up that made the original so impressive. The unnecessary sample-repetition is usually taken too far; the weird first seconds of "Sound Chaser" are repeated ad nauseam, to the point where the magic and effect are lost entirely.

Remixes are far from my first choice musically, but even when they're set on dissecting classic material, there's the potential to create a new and satisfying experience. Max Graham's reworking of "Owner of a Lonely Heart" was really interesting, and some of Virgil Howe's cuts here lend credibility to something proggers would reject outright. Remixes has too many interesting moments to be horrible, but too many worthless cuts and chops to be recommended to anyone, be they fans of Yes or electronic music in general. It's an interesting novelty, but there's no substance here to keep the interest going. Check out Virgil's recuts of "Starship Trooper" and "Awaken", and leave the rest to the dogs.