YES

Without the vitality of the incomparable and inspired "Yessongs", their inevitable and hateful closest reference, "Yesshows" (1980) is an interesting look at the troubled Yes of those times, suffering from the doubts of their uncertain future (at the time of its release, Jon Anderson and Rick Wakeman were no longer part of the band... momentarily...), and whose setlist comes from different performances in Europe and the United States between 1976 and 1978.

A setlist that shows touches of their four releases after "Yessongs" (except for the sweet "Time and a Word" from the album of the same name), and it is this all-encompassing attempt that ends up undermining the sense of fluidity and cohesion of the album, with the aggravating factor that some of the songs included are not necessarily the most attractive for live performance, such as the ecological "Don't Kill the Whale" or the gentle "Wonderous Stories", instead it would have been preferable to include the more representative "Awaken", for example.

All in all, "Yesshows" is not a bad album, the quality of its virtuosic members ensures a solvent performance, as evidenced by the splendid keyboards of Rick Wakeman in "Parallels", the beautiful final section 'Soon' of "The Gates of Delirium" sung britishly by Jon Anderson over the delicate layer of Steve Howe's slide guitar, and the interesting and rejuvenated sound that Patrick Moraz gives with his sci-fi keyboards to "Ritual (Nous sommes du Soleil)", a piece further extended by the jazzy interplay between Alan White's percussion and Chris Squire's bass.

Good, but it could have been even better.

3/3.5 stars

With the departure of keyboardist Rick Wakeman after Tales from Topographic Oceans, Yes had big shoes to fill. Luckily, the guy they found had big feet (sorry). He was Swiss musician Patrick Moraz. Relayer is stylistically similar to its predecessor, however it is not a double album, and features just one side-long track, the opening song "The Gates of Delirium". The song is loosely based upon Leo Tolstoy's Peace and War, as well as the then ongoing Vietnam War. Upon starting the song, you are immediately taken to another world. Moraz's droning synth, paired with guitarist Steve Howe's gentle harmonics and runs, creates an ethereal atmosphere. This intro leads into a triumphant middle section, where Moraz supports the music with optimistic leads. This slowly devolves into sounds of battle, until we reach the outro section "Soon", which is one of the saddest and most beautiful compositions Yes has ever created. "Sound Chaser" is initially jarring, and very King Crimson-like. The greatest part of this song is Moraz's jazzy solo, which adds a new and unexpected dimension to Yes's music. The final song is the peaceful and triumphant "To Be Over", which ends the album on a victorious note. The long and ambitious soundscapes of Relayer and Tales from Topographic from Oceans would not be revisited by the band for a long time, for better or worse. Going for the One was the exact opposite of this album, although it is amazing in its own right. The themes of Relayer have made it timeless, and I consider this album to be in the upper echelon of Yes's discography.

Although I do consider Yes to be my all time favorite band, I haven't been very pleased with the albums they have released following Jon Anderson's departure in 2008. And it's not because I am against the idea of Yes without Anderson (I gave "Drama" a 5 Star rating), I just don't think the songs have been as strong since "Magnification" in 2001 (The last full studio album with Anderson). I did say, however, in my first review of this album, that I thought that this is the finest one since then, and called it "good but not great." So, let me give it another deep listen, and see if my opinion has changed.

The lineup of Yes on this album is:

Steve Howe- Guitars/Vocals/Album Producer Jon Davison- Lead Vocals/Acoustic Guitars Geoff Downes- Keyboards Billy Sherwood - Bass/Vocals Jay Schellen-Drums (His first album as official drummer after Alan White's passing in 2022)

Track 1 - Cut From the Stars

This was the lead-off single from the album, and I remember having a cautiously good impression of it when I first heard it. Cautiously, because I was impressed with "The Ice Bridge" from the previous album, "The Quest" in 2021, but then being let down by much of the rest of the album.

The song begins with what I'll describe as a solo synth string sound from Downes, then Schellen hits a snare fill and the band kicks in, with Sherwood laying down a nice bass line. Vocals kick in at 24 seconds. I like the instrumental accents between phrases. At 46 seconds the beat is suspended after Davison sings the title of the song. Various instrument and processed vocal sounds kind of float around then the next vocal section begins, this part has more of a call & response between the voice and instruments. Following that, there is a verse similar to the opening one. Next up is a slightly funky riff starting around 1:50 with a new vocal melody. There is a quieter section at around 2:25, then the music picks back up again. There is a Howe-led instrumental break that Downes harmonizes on keyboards. There is a bridge following at around 3:15. They get funky again following that. Howe and Downes trade riffs starting around 4:30, but it doesn't seem very inspired. This leads to the close of the song. It has its moments, but it's missing the energy I am wanting.

Track 2 - All Connected A keyboard riff starts this one off, then the band comes in at a moderately slow tempo. Howe takes the melody on his steel guitar. The rhythm changes around around 1:20 with vocal parts and staccato guitar & keys. A syncopated rhythm starts off the first verse. There is a turnaround around the 2 minute mark. Nice drumming from Schellen around 2:35. They sing "harmony" in-harmony, of course. Then there is a nice bridge section in a half-time feel. Davison sings a cappella at around 3:30, leading into a new rhythmic section. Howe is really enjoying his flanger pedal on this one. Sherwood & Schellen have a nice rhythm going here. Davison hits some high notes and Howe plays a guitar solo. At around 4:40, Howe sings a few lines with heavy effects on it, then Davison answers with the song title. They go into a 6-8 rhythm here with acoustic strumming. Howe returns to steel guitar next at 5:08, with accents from the others. The tempo slows back down following that. They sing harmony ahhs, then the tempo picks back up. Syncopated rhythms return and there is a bit more energy, but it's still not giving me the "thrust" I'm looking for. The feel changes again around 7:37. Then around 8 minutes, it slows back down with another Howe steel-solo, interspersed with licks on a six-string to close out the track. Again, it's not bad, but some of the slower parts had me fighting sleep.

Track 3 - Luminosity

As this one begins, the keyboards play an arpeggiated pattern while Howe takes the lead and Schellen plays big drum fills. I'll call the meter, once it becomes steady, a slow 6-4. At around 1 minute though, Howe plays some eighth note chords, then the beat goes into 4-4. At around 1:30, the beat changes again and they sing harmony Ahhs with the music. I like the Howe fill at 1:45. They are locking into a groove here, with a slight crescendo. The beat changes again around 2:15, then the vocals enter with Davison singing a very light, high-pitched, classical style melody. Davison does have a nice voice, indeed, but he lacks some of the fullness & grit that Anderson has. The beat kicks back just before the 3 minute mark. Excellent harmonies around 4 minutes. Davison sings the melody again, with Howe (I believe) doubling him an octave lower, and Sherwood (I think) singing a counter-melody somewhat distantly. The vocal arranging is well done here. The instrumental parts are light and airy with Downes hitting some electric piano chords here and there. Nice chord change at 5:46! But things get softer again and keyboards sustain chords while Howe plays steel guitar over it. The beat returns at 7 minutes, while Howe keeps soloing on the steel guitar. This is feeling slightly like the closing section of "Ritual" from "Tales from Topographic Oceans," but with less "oomph". The synth sounds are very much like an actual string section. It's like orchestral music with a rock drumbeat. My favorite track so far. It doesn't rock very hard, but it was musically interesting.

Track 4 - Living Out Their Dream

A shorter track at 4:47, this one starts out with an upbeat, rock riff, with nice turnarounds. It has kind of a 60s rock feel, not too heavy. The vocals are in a lower register, and this one indicates that it's a vocal duet with Howe in the credits, but I believe it's Davison's voice primarily. This one is giving me a head-bob. Nice guitar runs from Howe around 2:15. OK, that's Howe's voice following that. Howe takes a solo around 3:10. Downes plays some cool keyboard bits here and there, but I'd love a big-fat Hammond solo on this groove; it's screaming for it. The beat changes just after 4 minutes to an almost drunken 6-8 groove that closes out the track. Fun song. Again, I wish that Downes had been given an organ solo and that they kept up the groove a bit longer.

Track 5 - Mirror to the Sky

The title track is also the epic of the album at just under 14 minutes. Howe's solo opening riff has a bit of Neil Young "Ohio" feel to my ears. Piano parts join in then the band kicks in big-time at just before the 1 minute mark. NOW THIS IS MORE LIKE IT! Schellen and Sherwood get a smokin' groove going here. Howe keeps the spotlight, and there are cool proggy things happening. For the first time on the album, I feel like Schellen and Sherwood are channeling Alan White and Chris Squire energy! As every Yes fan knows, Squire was a big mentor to Sherwood for many years, and I knew he had it in him. Bravo! Now let's see if it carries into the rest of the song. This groove is giving me stink-face (yes, that's a good thing) while Howe is playing his most inspired solo on the album, thus far. Then they made me go "whoah!" at around 2:25 when Schellen gets a brief drum solo. The descending run at around 2:44 reminds me of "Mind Drive" from "Keys to Ascension." That was a GREAT Yes intro. An acoustic guitar riff takes us into the next section of the epic. Howe takes lead vocals then Davison joins in with him. The synth begins doubling the guitar melody between vocal phrases. The rhythm section kicks back in at just before 4 minutes. Howe takes another solo between verses, then Davison takes over on vocals. At around 5:20 Davison goes sky high. I believe that he is finding his OWN way of being a Yes-singer here. While his voice has a similar range to Anderson's which is helpful when singing classic Yes material live, he is finding ways to make his lighter tone work in a Yes setting. He has sung on 2 previous Yes albums and it never quite worked for me until now. The instrumental break at around 5:50 is interesting, I can't quite tell if it's all keyboards, or if there is acoustic guitar mixed in. Howe solos over the top and there are acoustic guitars in the background with the rhythm section. Nice drum fill just before 7:00 Davison returns on vocals at around 7:10 with an effect on his voice. There is a dramatic bridge when that happens. Then guitar reminiscent of the opening returns at 7:55, with the others playing various intertwining parts. Excellent harmonized vocals follow that. Howe has a nice guitar bit at 8:just before 8:30, and there are cool synth accents between. The beat slows way down at around 9:30 and Downes takes over with some synth lines with some interesting background bits. Some of this album, and this track in particular feel like what "Tales from Topographic Oceans" might have sounded like with modern technology. The acoustic melody returns at around 11:50, and the synth-string sounds join in. CORRECTION! There is actual orchestration on this. I thought the strings sounded too real to be synths. The orchestra takes over for a minute or so, then the band kicks back in at 12:45, with a middle eastern flavor. At 13:20 they start heading for a big finish! They do the "Mind Drive" style descending riff again, then there is a final big major chord to close things out. FANTASTIC TRACK! The orchestration makes me think of "Magnification," and it's on par with the songs there. I would almost hold that song up to some of the 70s classics. Best Yes track in years.

Track 6 - Circles of Time

This song closes out the main part of the album, with 3 "bonus tracks" following. Davison sings a catchy phrase: "Time circles in circles of ti-ime" a Capella to start this on out. Howe plays mellow guitar to echo the phrase, and Davison begins the verse with acoustic accompaniment. This one is kind of mellow and folky. It has a nice melody with good harmonies. It's a good song but not much for me to write about.

NOTE: The three final songs are on a separate disc in the CD version, and are called bonus tracks. Howe has explained that they are called that because they somehow didn't fit with the vibe of the rest of the album, but thought they were still worthy of release. So, even though I don't normally include "bonus tracks," in my reviews, they are truly a part of the album to begin with, so here we go.

Track 7 - Unknown Place

This one begins with a cool acoustic riff that reminds me of something Greg Lake might have played on an ELP album. They then sing wordless vocal sounds with an instrumental accent between phrases; almost like a tribal chant. At around 40 seconds they put the chant and guitar part together with a nice groove. Howe and Davison sing in duet as the first verse unfolds. The tribal groove thing happens again between verses. Howe takes the lead vocal a bit here, but he has never been the world's greatest singer (although in his prime, he might have been the world's greatest guitar player). At around 3:20, there was a taste of the Hammond organ I wanted on track 4! The tribal groove returns, but this time, Downes plays an organ countermelody over the top, before playing some nice Hammond licks. He and Howe trade off a bit, but then? COWBELL! Howe plays a very cool syncopated riff over the cowbell. The band actually stretches out instrumentally and they improv a bit; it's nice! At 5:27 though, they slow the beat down and sing some 'doot do doo" things with instrumentation in between. At 6 minutes, Howe gives a masterclass in classical guitar. The band comes in with a groove along with it and build up some instrumental parts. At 6:50 Downes plays some pipe organ. By 7:15 we are in 6-8 for a vocal section. The song ends on a sustained chord. Nice PROG!

Track 8 - One Second Is Enough

This one begins with organ parts, and then the band comes in with an upbeat groove. Howe and Davison sing in octaves again. At 1:05 there is a transitional bit, then they hit the chorus. Another verse follows. This one seems like it was meant to be a single aimed at radio play. At around 2:40, Howe plays harmonized guitar parts reminiscent of Brian May. At around 3:20, following another chorus, Howe plays a guitar solo, leading up to a closing segment. A pretty good song, but far from my favorite on the album.

Track 9 - Magic Potion

The album closer begins with a clean-electric strummed guitar pattern. The rhythm section johns in after a few seconds then Howe lays down clean lead lines that he adds harmonies to as they go along. The vocals come in using the octave thing that Howe and Davison seem to be into on this album. The rhythm section is grooving underneath while the vocals and guitar do a call and response. After an ascending vocal line, there is an instrumental bit that reminds me of the type of thing they played on "Fly From Here" in 2011. (Although only Howe and Downes remain from that line-up, as Squire and White both passed on and Benoit David was the first singer on that one, then they were re-recorded by Trevor Horn for an alternate version of the album). Howe plays a catchy lick here. This one is almost 80s style jazzy pop, with some prog touches. I like the harmonies and synth swells around 2:50. Then at just after 3:00, the beat stops and Howe plays harmony guitar parts with sustained keyboard backing. The beat returns at 3:35 with a half-time feel before the song winds-down to a close. A fun track.

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS:

I was a bit concerned on the first few tracks that I wasn't liking it as much as I remembered. They seemed to lack energy, and felt very much like the majority of tracks on "Heaven and Earth," and "The Quest"; just too mellow and easy going to be what I want from Yes. But then, things pick-up. Track 3 is still kind of mellow, but gets more interesting, musically, for me. Track 4 rocked up a bit. But it was track 5, the title track, BLEW ME AWAY! I don't remember liking it this much the first time around. They showed me what this lineup is capable of! Track six was nice and folky, but track 7 pulled me back in. 8 was OK, but I enjoyed #9. A bit of a mixed bag, but when it's good, it's great! I'll give it a 4 out of 5 Stars!

So onto THE ALBUM. Not only is it #1 on the Prog Magazine countdown, it is my personal #1 as well. You could say that my wife, Allison Rich. and I live in a "house divided" as her personal favorite was #4 in the countdown? Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon. Both are definitely all time greats! But, Close to the Edge, to me, is the best album ever recorded. It amazes me as to how good it is from start to finish. All three tracks are among my top 10 Yes songs, with the title track being #1 (albeit tied with Awaken, from Going for the One?See that review, it was #26 in the countdown.), And You and I in at #2 and Siberian Khatru Probably at around #5 or 6. OK enough buildup, onto my review.

Track 1 - Close to the Edge

This track has 4 sections, as follows:

- i. The Solid Time of Change

- ii. Total Mass Retain

- iii. I Get Up I Get Down

- iv. Seasons of Man

Yes' first "sidelong" begins with a slow fade-in of nature sounds: running water, birds chirping, etc. Then synth sounds begin to crescendo until BANG! At 55 seconds into the track the band launches into controlled chaos. It sounds like they are all just going wild, but they are not! They know exactly what they are doing, because after about a minute of musical cacophony they stop on a dime and sing a harmonized, a cappella "ahh". Then jump back into the craziness for a few more seconds and do another "ahhh", this one a little longer, with a melodic contour. A bit more craziness follows. Bruford is almost going off the rails on the drums. However at 2:50, he plays a drumroll that signals the end of part one (The Solid Time of Change). The singers sing some more "ahhhs" then we transition into a 6-8 meter, led by a drum fill and Steve Howe's melodic guitar theme. This is the beginning of part 2. (Total Mass Retain) Squire's bass and Bruford's drumming lay down a solid foundation for Howe to play over with Wakeman's keyboards sustaining chords. At 3:52, Bruford taps a few tom-toms and we have a new odd-metered musical theme. Howe switches to Coral Electric Sitar, and the first lyrics enter at 4:00, led by Jon Anderson and supported by Chris Squire and Steve Howe. I absolutely LOVE the opening lines: "A seasoned witch could call you from the depths of your disgrace, and rearrange your liver to the solid mental grace." What does it mean exactly? No telling, but it really doesn't matter. It just IS. They hit the first refrain of "Close to the Edge, round by the corner?" at around 4:35. Then Howe plays a brief solo interlude, bringing us to the second verse which has a completely different feel than the first verse. Squire's bass lines cannot be ignored. He was the master of prog bass. Another refrain hits at around 5:40. At about 5:55, they sing "Seasons will pass you by. I get UUUUUUUP! I get Do-ow-ow-ow-ow-own" (but we haven't gone to section 3 of that name yet.) Verse 3 finds Squire and Bruford with yet another feel change. The bass tone is absolutely fierce. At around 6:30, Wakeman is really featured for the first time in the song with a nice mellotron and synth interlude between lines of the song. At 6:45, there is another instant change of meter and instrumental melodies, with Wakeman featured again. This leads to a bridge of sorts with alternating instrument and vocal parts. Anderson returns with another verse at 7:09. Every verse has different backing, it's absolute musical brilliance. This is a total COMPOSITION, not just a standard rock tune (nothing wrong with standard rock songs, I love lots of them, but this is a different thing). That, to me, is what makes the best prog songs so great. And I believe the very best ones, like this one, could stand up with great classical pieces throughout history. These songs were built to last; but I digress?soap box put away, for now. Another refrain follows with another "I get uuup! I get dowwwn?"part. This leads us into what I call the "squiggly bit". It's a bit of a layered part, with Howe on the electric sitar, being matched by Squire's bass, while Wakeman plays counter-melodies on the organ, and Bruford subtly keeps time underneath. Then at 8:30, the music gets all dreamy and part 3 (I Get Up, I Get Down) begins. Sustained echo-ey keyboard & guitar sounds create the soundscape as we cross the halfway point of the song. At around 9:49 staccato organ chords begin to establish a 4-4 rhythm. Soft harmonized vocals emerge, sung by Squire & Howe singing the narrative ("In her white lace?."), while Anderson alternates with lines of "I get up, I get down." Then Anderson continues the narrative ("Two million people barely satisfy?") Then Squire and Howe's vocal lines overlap with Anderson's. At around 12:15, Wakeman takes over on GLORIOUS pipe organ. This part always gives me chills. At around 12:50 Anderson returns to "I get up, I get down," again before another round of the amazing pipe organ from Wakeman. At 13:53, Wakeman adds fat synths on top of the organ with an accelerating tune that leads us into part 4 (Seasons of Man), heralded by 3 sharp organ chords. The Bruford & Squire back in at full force around 14:12 along with Wakeman's synths. A beautiful transitional section, led by Wakeman, happens between 14:50 and 14:59. Then the rhythm from section 2 returns with Bruford & Squire playing a tight rhythm under Wakeman's Hammond organ solo. Howe is back (maybe he smoked a joint?) on electric sitar. Another verse returns at around 15:52. Part 4 is essentially a re-working of part 2. There is a cool marching beat at 16:10. After the line "knowing all about the place," at 16:30, there are some staccato notes from the band and we begin the song's massive climax!

On the hill we viewed the silence of the valley,

Called to witness cycles only of the past

And we reach all this with movements in between the said remark

Close to the edge, down by the river

Down at the end, round by the corner

Seasons will pass you by,

Now that it's all over and done,

Called to the seed, right to the sun

Now that you find, now that you're WHOOOOOOLE!

Seasons will pass you by,

I get up! I get down!

Beautiful instrumental fills?

I get up! I get down!

Beautiful instrumental fills?

I get up! I get down??..

And instruments fade into the natural sounds from the opening, completing a cycle.

To me, this moment is one of, if not THE finest moments in all of prog. It never lets me down. There is so much energy and expression. It's almost breath-taking. That song is 18 minutes and 50 seconds of total musical bliss! That alone is worth the price of admission. But NO, we aren't done yet! This was only side 1. Two more glorious songs to go!

Track 2 - And You and I.

This one is also in four sections:

- i. Cord of Life

- ii. Eclipse

- iii. The Preacher, the Teacher

- iv. Apocalypse

And now my second favorite Yes-song after the unbreakable tie at the top. We begin with "captured" studio sound of Howe tuning his 12-String acoustic with harmonics. And a bit of studio chatter. Then Howe begins the song- proper with some 12 string melodies at 30 seconds in (Part 1, Cord of Life). Squire and Bruford enter at around 1:15 with a rhythmic pattern followed by either a triangle or finger cymbals (I've seen them use both on various live versions). Then Howe plays a nice folky, simple strumming pattern that establishes the theme of the verse Bruford and Squire keep playing their rhythm pattern behind Howe, then Wakeman joins with a lovely-synth lead-in to Jon's ethereal vocals, which begin at 1:38. Verse 2 starts around 2:15, with Howe adding subtle electric guitar tones to the mix. The rhythm changes to a more standard beat at 2:53 for what might be considered a pre-chorus ("coins and crosses?") There are layered vocals here as well, as there were in the title track. The backing vocals are a little hard to discern as there is an effect on them. Here is what a lyric site shows us:

Coins and crosses

(Turn round tailor, assaulting)

Never know their fruitless worth

(all the mornings of the interest shown,

presenting one another to the cord)

Cords are broken

(All left dying, rediscovered

Of the door that turned round)

Locked inside the mother Earth

(To close the cover, all the

interest shown)

They won't hide, hold, they won't tell you

(To turn one another, to the

sign at the time float your climb)

Watching the world, watching all of the world

Watching us go by

The wistful chorus comes in at 3:22 and leads us to part 2 (Eclipse). This portion begins with a dramatic, and cinematic instrumental section. Featuring Wakeman's synths and mellotrons beginning at 3:47. Howe's lap steel slide guitar cascades in the background before taking the spotlight at 4:10. The effect is massive yet beautiful. Howe switches to a standard guitar at around 4:40 with a rotary effect on it. Anderson returns with soaring sustained vocals at 4:56 ("Coming quickly to terms with all expression laid?") The high note at 5:20 is mesmerizing. The big instrumentation continues until 5:44, when Howe plays a descending pattern on his electric guitar, before returning to the opening melody on the 12-string guitar. This leads us into Part 3 (The Preacher and the Teacher). This begins with Howe playing a "cowboy chord" rhythm on the 12-string at 6:15. Wakeman spices things up with a synth bit on the top to lead-in Anderson's vocals. Incidentally, the line "There'll be no mutant enemy?" inspired tv and film director Joss Weedon to name his production company "Mutant Enemy Productions." At 7:03 the strumming pattern changes and Howe overdubs a bit of electric guitar as Bruford and Squire return to the mix. The acoustic drops out in favor of electric. At around 7:45 Wakeman plays a synth solo. At 8:15, the 3 vocalists sing a verse in harmony that leads to this song's climax. The vocals peak on the lines: "A clearer future, morning, evening, nights with YOUUUUUUUUUUU!!!" Following that is part 4 of the song (Apocalypse). This is a primarily instrumental section along the lines of section 2, but possibly even MORE dramatic. There is a massive crescendo that peaks at 9:15 or so (the instrumental peak of the song) and Wakeman plays a chromatic descending pattern on the piano while the other instruments echo. I love the final low note on the piano at 9:22. Then Howe accompanies Anderson on the 12-string for the final lines of the song:

And you and I climb, crossing the shapes of the morning

And you and I reach over the sun for the river

And you and I climb, clearer towards the movement

And you and I called over valleys of endless seas

It is truly a beautiful, emotional song throughout its 10 minutes and 9 seconds. Just breathtaking.

Track 3 - Siberian Khatru

This is the "short" song on the album at just under 9 minutes. It is also the most rockin'. It would move from album closer to concert opener on the Close to the Edge tour and several others (Following excerpts from Stravinsky's "Firebird Suite", of course) Howe starts us off with a guitar riff with lots of hammer-on guitar chords at a very brisk tempo. At 11 seconds the band establishes a rhythm of 3 bars of 4-4 followed by one bar of 3-4 (15-4?). Wakeman plays a mellotron melody while Howe plays a guitar solo pattern on top of Squire and Bruford's down and dirty rhythm section work. At 53 seconds they launch into the main 4-4 riff for the verses. Vocals enter in 3 part harmony around 1:05. The chorus hits at 1:30 with Howe playing a similar chord style to his intro backing the vocals while the rhythm section hits accents behind. The second part of the chorus has a smoother backing with a bit of mellotron from Wakeman. The beat pauses for the singers to sing "river running right over my head?" after a little syncopated variation, the main riff returns for the second verse. One of the great things about Yes and other great prog bands is, they never do a section exactly the same twice. It is always full of variations to keep things interesting. No exception here. Squire in particular was a master of varying his bass lines to great effect. Another chorus follows, but this time it repeats as a variation. Then there are some wordless vocalizations leading to an instrumental break at just after 3 minutes. The electric sitar returns from the title track to be featured first. Then at 3:15, Wakeman dazzles us on the harpsichord. Squire's bass lines underneath are impeccable. Then at 3:30 Howe takes back over, this time on lap steel slide guitar. Next he goes to standard electric guitar around 3:50. The intro riff follows at around 4 minutes in this time with accents from the rhythm section. At 4:14 we hit the bridge which has forever left prog fans questioning "what is a Khatru?" At 4:49, the main riff returns and we have another verse. Following that, we come to one of my favorite Yes moments with the fantastic word-play in the two word couplets, with Bruford playing marching-style snare rolls along with other instrumental parts. Up next we get the extended outro which echoes the 4-4, 4-4, 4-4, 3-4 pattern near the beginning. At around 7 minutes there is a staccato part which is highly syncopated while Howe plays an ostinato (repeating) pattern. During this part, the singers sing wordless syllables in a pattern that is very difficult to replicate correctly. Then the mixed meter part comes back with a spectacular Steve Howe guitar solo. Then the song gradually fades out. And the song, album, and the challenge are all now concluded!

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS:

It sucked?.lol?.jk. Again, it is my favorite album of all time. It is Yes' ultimate masterpiece. Absolutely perfect from start to finish. I want to give credit to engineer/co-producer Eddy Offord for his brilliant editing of the various bits and pieces that he put together to make a cohesive title track. He was definitely the 6th member of Yes in the studio in those days. This, to me, is what all prog albums are measured against. An easy 5 out 5 stars.

I am very definitely a level 4 going into this. Fragile is the fourth album by Yes and one of their most popular and enduring. Many of the songs are concert staples to this day. This is the first Yes album to feature Rick Wakeman on Keyboards, and his presence gives us what many call the classic Yes line-up of Jon Anderson, Chris Squire, Bill Bruford, Steve Howe and Rick Wakeman. They decided to have, in addition to the four main full band songs, a piece that features each individual member.

Let's get to it!

Track 1 - Roundabout

Beginning with a reverse piano chord leading into Steve Howe's famous classical guitar intro. Bill & Chris join in at :45. The bass line is one of the most famous bass lines ever recorded. What a groove! Jon begins singing just before 1 minute Wakeman enters with organ arpeggios, followed by a synth flourish at 1:22. The chorus is so catchy, and the harmonies are spot-on. Each verse adds different variations in the accompaniment. At around 3:15 after they hold the words "I'll be there with you," There is a little organ transition into the bridge which features a percussion jam and harmonies. Wakeman and Howe add a countermelody to the main riff as we go along. Just before 5 minutes they hold the words "out and out?" and then Howe comes back to the intro guitar part, with a swirling organ part beneath it. Following that, Jon sings the chorus, slowly, solo at first, joined shortly by Howe & Squire's harmonies. Up next is Wakeman's absolutely exhilarating organ solo. Bruford & Squire lay down a nasty groove underneath and it's just great. Next, Howe jumps in with some leads before Wakeman takes back over. By 7 minutes, Howe is playing guitar trills to bring back in the next verse & chorus. The final chorus has some twiddly instrumental bits interjected. Then we get back to "I'll be there with you?" which leads to a coda section with building harmonies and countermelodies in the vocals. Before Howe plays a bit from the intro on the acoustic, but this time, he ends on a E major chord (as opposed to the E minor chord he's been playing throughout), which makes the ending what is known as a "Picardy Third." I have heard this song countless times, but it never gets old. I was bouncing to the bass groove throughout.

Track 2 - Cans & Brahms

This is the first of the "solo" pieces on the album, this one featuring newcomer Rick Wakeman. Wakeman was signed to A&M records as a solo artist, so, although they allowed him to record with Yes on Atlantic records, he was not permitted to contribute a solo composition. Therefore, he plays this arrangement of excerpts from Brahms 4th symphony. While it is done well, it sort of seems to drag the album down slightly as does one of the other solo pieces.

Track 3 - We Have Heaven

Here is Jon Anderson's solo bit. However, this one, to me, is brilliant. Jon's layered vocal parts with a simple accompaniment is a lot of fun. It ends with the sound of a door slamming and footsteps running away.

Track 4 - South Side of the Sky

The footsteps lead into wind sound effects from the synth. Bruford plays a drum fill, and the band and Jon's vocals come in together. Not as well known outside of Yes-fan circles as the other 3 main songs on the album, it is a fan favorite, nonetheless. Howe & Squire groove together nicely on this with Howe interjecting nice guitar fills along the way. Just after 2 minutes, the groove stops, and Wakeman plays a transitional piano part that leads into an amazing classical style piano solo. Bill & Chris make a nice groove, and the 3 vocalists sing harmonies on "la's" that go along with the piano part. My description does not do the beauty of this instrumental segment justice. It is breathtaking. At around 5:40 the wind returns, and the verse grooves return. The song fades while Howe solos.

Track 5 - Five Per Cent for Nothing

This is Bruford's featured piece. It's a short bit of jazz fusion based on a drumbeat he plays. Not my favorite track, but it's ok. The title is a shot at their former manager, whom they just fired.

Track 6 - Long Distance Runaround

Here is another well-known song that has received much airplay on classic rock radio, usually paired with the following track. I love the harmony lines that Howe & Wakeman play together, joined by Squire's counterpoint bass line and Bruford's jazzy drumming. The rhythm changes at around :45 when Jon begins singing. The beat is constantly turning around and is quite tricky. Bruford & Wakeman play steadily while Howe & Squire play accents. I love the bass note sliding down around 2:07. The intro part returns between verses. They do another verse with Squire adding vocal harmonies. Squire is rightly thrown as one of the greatest bassists of all time, but he was a great singer as well. He and Anderson's voices always blended so well. At around 3:20, Howe plays scale runs with a delay effect that leads into?

Track 7 - The Fish (Schindleria Praematurus)

Squire's solo bit is the best one on the album in my opinion. Bruford keeps a nice groove in 7, while Chris lays down layer after layer of tasty bass parts. Towards the end of the song, they sing Schindleria Praematurus in harmony over the bass parts as the song fades out. Prog brilliance.

Track 8 - Mood For a Day

Howe's solo, is unsurprisingly, a classical guitar composition. It is, along with Clap from The Yes Album, often featured as Howe's solo spotlight in Yes concerts. It's a good piece, but not my favorite. (Even though I learned to play it as a music major in college, by the way.)

Track 9 - Heart of the Sunrise

One of my favorite Yes songs ever. Probably top 5 for me. The speedy opening riff was inspired by King Crimson's "21st Century Schizoid Man". Wakeman plays spacy organ parts between the riffs. At around 30 seconds in, Squire & Bruford begin a building instrumental section, to be joined by Wakeman on mellotron. Bruford's drum fills are brilliant. At around 1:40 Howe joins back in playing the intro part on guitar over the part they'd been playing, before they all return to the intro. The mixed meters and fast tempo combine for some of prog's most heart pounding moments. At around 3:25, they bring it down and Howe plays a clean, arpeggiated guitar part, in 6-8, and Anderson joins softly on vocals. The bass, drums & keys join on the second verse. Following that there is an organ feature, then mellotron before the next verse begins. At 5:41 The instruments pause and Jon sings "sharp?distance!" with a chord being played in between in a dramatic fashion. That sequence repeats, then we lead into an instrumental turnaround by Howe & Wakeman playing more twiddly bits. Another partial verse follows, with still more twiddly bits, to lead us into an instrumental break, based on the intro. There are lots of little parts between the intro lines. At around 7:50 they bring things back down, leading to piano from Wakeman, and a vocal bridge. They never do anything exactly the same twice. Every section has variations that make it interesting. At around 9:25, we get to the final, dramatic verse with a big crescendo building throughout. There is a return of the intro riff to conclude the song. Following the end of the song proper. A door opens and we have a short reprise of We Have Heaven from earlier in the album which fades out and closes out the album

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS:

This is my third favorite Yes album after Close to the Edge (still to come?) and The Yes Album (reviewed previously). The only things that bring it down to me are Cans & Brahms, Five Per Cent for nothing and, to a lesser extent, Mood for a Day. The main band pieces, We Have Heaven and The Fish are absolutely amazing, quintessential Yes pieces. I get what they're going for, but it has mixed results. I have to deduct just a bit because of that and give it 4.75 out of 5 Stars.

Clicking 5, but really 4.75, 4 is too low.

I am definitely a level 4 on this one, even though this is probably the last of the 70s classic period Yes albums I got to know well. In other words, it took me a long time to get into this one. Now I really enjoy it, although not as much as some of the ones before and after it. I know of many Yes fans who consider it their favorite, I'm not one of those, but it's certainly a top 10 Yes album. This one uses the same type of format as Close to the Edge: a sidelong on side one, and 2 approximately 10-minute tracks on side 2. Additionally, it is the first and only studio album with Patrick Moraz on Keyboards, following Wakeman's departure after the Tales tour. Wakeman would return later on the next studio album Going for the One. Let's take a deep dive.

Track 1 - The Gates of Delirium

This is the longest official Yes studio track at 21:55. It is an epic song based on an epic book?War & Peace. The song begins with dreamy keyboard parts & Howe playing a tune with harmonics on the guitar. Alan & Chris play occasional accent notes together. At 150 the four instrumentalists play a tune in unison. Jon begins singing at 2:10 initially accompanied by acoustic guitar, to be joined by the other instruments. Squire joins in on harmony vocals with Jon. At 3:20 there are some guitar flourishes between verses. At 4 minutes the beat gets stronger as though a storm is building. Chris' bass lines are fierce in the interlude between vocal sections. Howe plays a melodic lead line. At 5:40 There is a quieter harmony vocal section. At around 6:20 Chris and Alan give more rhythm to the section. Afterwards the beat gets steadier with Howe taking the lead. Things get more intense around 7:30. At approximately 8:00 the major instrumental section of the song begins, AKA the Battle Sequence. The music becomes fast & furious. Howe's guitar tones are much sharper on this album than on previous Yes albums, due to him favoring a Fender Telecaster instead of the more jazz toned Gibson hollow-body guitars he was known for favoring. Pat Moraz is fully featured for the first time at around 8:40, showing why he was chosen for the Keyboard seat. At around 9 minutes in, Squire's bass parts are absolutely insane! At around 9:24 a band member can be heard shouting something in the background. This is generally thought to be Alan White in his excitement over the challenging rhythms. The sound at 9:40 is immense! Squire's bass riffs are featured at around 10:20. By 11 minutes Howe is adding dissonant guitar parts. The band comes together on a riff at around 11:20 Meanwhile, throughout the segment, there are cacophonous noises implying the sounds of battle. The section continues to get more and more chaotic as it goes. Squire's bass parts throughout the section are incredible. By 12:47, the band comes together and Moraz is featured in the part known as the Victory March. At 13:45 Howe inherits the melody on slide guitar. Fantastic Alan White fills are all through this part. Things begin to calm down as we approach 15:00. A long- sustained chord is held for approximately a minute, then at around 16:10 Howe plays a gentle tune on the slide guitar. This begins the part called Soon. At 17:05 Jon returns on vocals with the song of that name which is a call for peace & healing following the war. The band is providing a pastoral backdrop for Jon's beautiful vocals. Moraz is making nice string-like tones on his arsenal of keyboards and Howe plays the lead melody again. Vocals come back at around 20:00 for a final verse. Howe is once again featured as the band provides a lush accompaniment as the song gradually winds to a close. The song is- simply put- brilliant.

Track 2 - Sound Chaser.

As I was getting my head around this album some years ago, Sound Chaser was the one I had the hardest time with. While the battle section of Gates took some time for me to latch onto, I still sometimes don't quite vibe with this one, despite being so guitar oriented. There are parts I do rather enjoy, but others sound a bit out of control to me. It begins with a spate of jazzy electric piano chords from Moraz. White plays drums rhythms with Moraz while Squire fills in with complex bass parts. Alan takes over with dazzling drum fills while Moraz keeps tinkling away. The riff when the band comes in at around the 1-minute mark is where they feel like they are barely holding it together, like it could go off the rails at any time, but it doesn't. Vocals come in with harmonies at 1:15. Moraz plays nice keyboard fills. The runaway train riff keeps returning with variations. Squire plays fast bass lines around 2:20. Howe is featured then the 2 of them join together at a frenetic pace. At 3:00 Howe takes a solo cadenza that seems all over the place to me. It calms down around at points with Moraz playing subtle backing chords. Howe is my favorite guitarist of all time, but he gets a bit out of hand and slightly sloppy to my ears on some of it. The sound is very dramatic at 5:10. Jon returns on very quiet vocals at around 5:30, accompanied by Howe. At around 6:10 the intro is echoed. The band locks into a slide riff at around 6:30, that goes through various tempos. At 7:35 there is the infamous Cha Cha Cha, Cha Cha part before Moraz plays a blistering fusion synth solo. His solo may be my favorite part of the song. But by 8:40 the runaway train riff returns, and it is more chaotic than ever. Then there are some more Cha Chas and a quick ending by the band. I don't know why it just doesn't work for me as a whole. I like bits & pieces, but most of the song is just out of control for me.

Track 3 - To Be Over

This is probably my favorite track on Relayer. It harkens back to "And You and I" as a beautifully epic piece, although not quite as good to me. The song fades in with a Howe guitar melody. Moraz takes over on Organ while Howe plays sustained notes over the top. There are some Coral Electric Sitar parts in between phrases, The vocals come in in harmony at around 1:50. The music matches the lyrics "we go sailing down the calming steam?" Howe plays a nice guitar part at around 3 minutes. His soloing is much better here than on Sound Chaser to me. The sound is lush and beautiful at the 5:00 point. The vocals return in harmony at around 5:30. Moraz plays a wonderful solo at around 6:40. The vocals return around 7:20 before the spectacular closing section that follows. The closing section to this song is my favorite part of the album, with the cascading instruments and vocal countermelody on the chant:

Nous somme du lay

Sah du rah

Sah du lay

Tu sah rah

Du sah du lay

Sah du rah

Tey tu sante

(If anyone has a translation, please feel free, as Google was of no help.)

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS:

As I stated, this is not my favorite album from the classic 70s era. Much of it is just too off the wall for my tastes. There are many parts I really do like, but Sound Chaser for me is just not my cup of tea, I at least understand what they were going for on Gates of Delirium, with the Battle Sequence painting an audio picture of the chaos of battle. The Victory March is great, and Soon is sublime. To Be Over is absolutely beautiful, particularly the closing portion. I'll give the album an overall score of 4.25 out of 5 as I like it about as much as I like Tales.

Clicking 4, but really a 4.25!

Yes' Tales from Topographic Oceans is perhaps the most INFAMOUS prog album of all time. It is the album where critics and even many prog fans say that the genre has gone too far?it was bloated and pretentious. On the other hand, some people say that this is the pinnacle, the finest prog album ever. Rick Wakeman left Yes after the associated tour (where he famously ate Curry onstage as a protest), because he was not a fan of the album, but as we know, he'd return before too long. He said, and I paraphrase, "Topographic Oceans is either an album that you love or hate and I didn't love it." For me, I think I'm a bit more in between. I am a level 4, of course, having heard it many times. As I'm sure you probably know, this album is a double album with 4 side-long epics. While I have opinions going into this, I am going to give it a fresh listen and take a deep dive.

Track 1 ? The Revealing Science of God (Dance of the Dawn)

The album is based on a footnote that Jon read in a book called the Autobiography of a Yogi, that describes the four Shastras (sacred texts) of Hindu Spirituality. This song is based on the first one, which is called "Shruti" which are scriptures that are "directly heard" or "revealed". The track begins with Jon chanting with some sparse instrumental backing, and it builds as more harmony parts enter. The way the parts are built represent the texts being "revealed" one by one. At around 1:30, the chanting ends and Wakeman's keyboards lead the way for the band to enter with a steady rhythm. Howe then plays a bit of lead guitar and then the keys do a bit more. The verse begins at around 3 minutes in. The chorus hits at around 4:25 with nice harmonies ("What happened, to this song, we once knew so well?.") Another verse and chorus cycles through, though with different lyrics. I love how they overlap the harmonies on the word "moment". The rhythm changes at around 7 minutes. By around 7:45 things get quiet and an ascending riff begins to develop (the riff had been hinted at earlier in the song as well). First Howe plays the ascending tune on the guitar, and then Wakeman takes over on keys while Howe does a bit of laid-back soloing over it. Jon begins singing again at around 9:45 ("They move fast?") Shortly afterward the "Getting over overhanging trees" section begins. Wakeman & Howe play intertwining fills as we proceed. Just after the 11-minute point, the tempo increases. Wakeman plays a piano fill that reminds me of a melody in Heart of the Sunrise, a couple of albums back. Just before 12 minutes the rhythm shifts again and Howe takes over on guitar. Squire has some nice bass rhythms here along with Alan White's drumming (this is his debut Yes studio album, but he also played on the live classic Yessongs prior to this one.) At the 13-minute point, the music gets quiet and drops down to some Howe guitar arpeggios. Wakeman takes over on synth at around 13:45, before Jon starts singing again ("And through the river?") At around 15:15, they begin building the ascending riff from earlier again, this time though they build a crescendo which peaks at 16:35. Then, despite his criticism, Wakeman plays one of his greatest solos in a Yes song. After the solo they return to the "They move fast," and the "Getting over?" themes. The song reaches a climax at around 19 minutes returning to the "Whaaaat Happened?" theme. The song concludes with chanting similar to the intro. One of the 2 strongest sides of the album in my opinion.

Track 2 ? The Remembering (High the Memory)

This movement is based on the "Smriti"?That which is remembered. Howe & Wakeman create a dreamy vibe on their instruments at the start of this one. Harmony vocals emerge at around 40 seconds. The rhythm shifts at around 2:30. By 4:40 the music takes a more dramatic mystical turn. Wakeman, Squire and Alan White create a bit of a veil then the vocals return. At 5:50, though, the vocals become a bit stronger and the tone is a bit brighter. Just before the 7-minute point, Jon sings "Staaaand, on fields of long forgotten yesterdays" then they begin a rhythmic vocal section. The veil comes back up just before the 8-minute mark, then Wakeman plays a mellow solo. At 9:10 Howe plays acoustic instruments and starts a folky, upbeat, major key section. That section ends at the lyric "other Skylines" at around the 10-minute mark. Squire has some nice bass parts here. At 10:37 the more rockin', odd- metered "Relayer" (which would become the title of the next album) section begins. But a minute later, they go back behind the veil again. The folky part returns at just before 12 minutes. We begin rockin' again just after the 13- minute mark. Wakeman takes a solo at around 13:45. Excellent bass again from Squire at around 14:30 before Jon, once again, "Stands on fields of long forgotten yesterdays." The veil comes back up at 15:45. This time it stays up for nearly 2 minutes before the rhythm returns for the closing vocal sections of the song. There is some nice mellotron behind Howe's solo at 19:30. The veil returns to close out the tune.

Wakeman has said he felt like some parts of the album were "padded" to make them longer; I feel like he is referring to this side in particular. I read that at one point in the recording process, the album was too long for a single album, yet too short for a double album. They were given the tracks to make it a single or extend some to make it a double. Obviously, they chose to extend. It is very apparent to me on this track. I like a lot of things in this song but it gets a bit dull and repetitive at times.

Track 3 ? The Ancient (Giants Under the Sun)

This movement is based on the "Puranas" which means "Of ancient times". We begin with some cymbal crashes. Then they go into a percussive rhythm over which Steve meanders on slide guitar and regular electric. Occasionally they pause as an accent. Mellotron comes in at around 3:15 and things settle down for a moment. Then Alan & Chris play accents while Steve has sustained notes. Vocals start in harmony around 4:15. Rick and Steve play overlapping melodies. At around 5:10 Steve plays a fill reminiscent of Siberian Khatru from the previous album. The rhythm shifts at around 6:05. Steve plays melodic lines which are interrupted with vocals saying translations of the word sun in varying languages. At around 7:00 Howe plays a quirky riff and Alan & Chris create a bit of a marching rhythm behind it. At around 7:30 it returns to the "sun" section. At around 8 minutes Wakeman can be heard playing a variation of the ascending melody in the Revealing Science of God underneath the cacophony that the rest of the band is creating. At 8:20 things settle down again with sustained keyboards with a steady beat on instruments I can't determine underneath. Just after 9 minutes, Alan begins playing a rhythm that matches Steve's quirky one from earlier while Steve plays solos on top. Squire's bass has a cool effect on it at around 10 minutes. I hear keyboard swells in the left channel I've never noticed before during this section. Nice drum fill from White around 11:55. There are accents in the rhythm section that we will hear again later. At around 12:30, the cacophony comes to a close and Steve switches to classical guitar while harmony vocals begin. This is the most enjoyable part of the track to me. Howe plays a beautiful classical guitar solo that can stand on its own. At around 14:40 Jon begins to sing the "Leaves of Green" section. Squire and Howe join on vocal harmonies. I really like the harmonies at 16 minutes. Wakeman joins with some mellotron in the background. Howe goes back to soloing at around 17 minutes. At around 17:40 he begins playing a steel guitar melody then the accents that we'll hear later bring us to the closing which has swirling delays and echoes.

Honestly, I'm not crazy about the first ⅔ of the track. I appreciate it more now than I used to, but I rarely pull up The Ancient on its own, as I might do with RSOG or the upcoming Ritual. I really only listen to it if I'm playing the album as a whole, or if it comes up randomly on a shuffled playlist as I often do. The closing classical section is absolutely beautiful. I like a bit of chaos here and there in Yes music (as in the opening of Close to the Edge), but 12:30 of it is a bit much for me.

Track 4 - Ritual (Nu Sommes du Soleil)

This movement relates to the "tantras" or rituals. This begins with a Squire bass solo and accents from the band. By 20 seconds in the band is playing a moderate rhythm and Howe plays a solo over the top. There is a brief interlude then the solo resumes. After another interlude, one of the main themes begins, with Jon doubling the instrumental melodies with wordless vocals. Alan & Chris lay down a tight-odd meter rhythm. At 3 minutes Howe has some nice strident guitar chords then the rhythm resumes. Squire gets a fuzz bass feature, then the music calms down with a dreamy section. Howe plays a tune at around 4:20 that is reminiscent of Close to the Edge. At 5:23 Howe plays some chords that take us into the main vocal section. I love Jon's vocals here on "Nu sommes du soliel, we love when we play." Rick's mellotron here adds a nice touch to the sound. I love the harmonies at around 7:15 where they sustain the notes. This happens again around 8 minutes in. The rhythm changes around 8:30. Dramatic vocals bring us back in ("Maybe I'll just stand a while?") I love the reference back to "Close to the Edge" when they sing "our music's total retain." I also enjoy the build up at around 10:30 ("at all?) Just after 11 minutes the rhythm drops out and Squire is featured on bass with some dreamy accompaniment. Then we start rockin' just after the 12 minute point. We lock into a 5-8 groove and Squire keeps soloing until around 12:45. This section has some of my favorite Yes proggy moments. Things begin building at around 13:30 while Howe takes a great solo. Then a pause at 14:10, a few seconds of cacophony follow, then the percussion feature begins at 14:20. Alan White gets to show why he was hired with a great short drum solo, before beginning a tribal beat. At around 15:15 Wakeman starts building a mellotron sound into the picture. Then percussion takes over again that builds up to a mighty climax at 16:54 with a Howe cadenza following. He then starts playing a beautiful arpeggiated guitar part with Squire playing a nice countermelody and Wakeman adding some nice piano. Jon joins in with sublime vocals at 17:35. The interplay between Howe, Wakeman & Squire is simply gorgeous. The music weaves through Jon's vocals splendidly. Just before the 20-minute point, Alan comes back on drums and the band plays a gentle rhythm for Howe to solo over which keeps increasing in intensity until the 21-minute point which has some gentle sounds on which the song concludes. This is definitely the showcase track of the album for me. One of Yes' finest epics.

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS:

While I am not as disparaging as Rick Wakeman is when it comes to this album, I do feel he has a point about padding, especially in tracks 2 & 3. Track 1 is strong and track 4 is incredible. That said tracks 2 & 3 have their good moments. If this album had been recorded in the age of CDs, it might have clocked in at around an hour and, in my opinion, would have been better for it. I know that this is sacrilege to some, but that's what I think. So, If I rank track 1 at a 4.5, track 2 at 3.75, track 3 at 3, and track 4 at a 5, it averages to. Just over 4 stars. I'll be kind and bump it up to 4.25 out of 5 for sheer ambition.

Clicking 4, but really 4.25.

This is a definite level 4 for me, as it is a top 5 Yes Album in my book. I even have an autographed copy on LP that my lovely wife got for me many years ago. So, yeah, an excuse to listen to one of my all-time favorite albums? Absolutely! Let's go!

Track 1 - Going for the One

Steve Howe's slide guitar kicks us off on this rocker. I love how Jon comes in on the high note. Chris Squire's countermelody vocals are a favorite touch of mine. Howe keeps sliding through the whole thing. Wakeman (who had just returned to the band) plays some nice rock piano underneath. Alan White and Chris Squire show why they are always going to be regarded as one of the greatest rhythm sections in prog (may they both RIP). I love the way they keep adding harmony vocal lines as the song reaches a climax on "Talk about sending love?." Great energetic track.

Track 2 - Turn of the Century

From a rocking opener to an almost classical song in Turn of the Century. It tells the story of a sculptor named Roan, whose wife passes away in the winter. In his grief he carves a statue of her, and it returns to life. Alan White was instrumental in writing the melody of this one on piano. Anderson wrote the lyrics based on ideas from both the opera La Boheme and the classical Greek story of Pygmalion. How helped to refine White's initial chord progression. Howe begins the song on classical guitar, to be joined by Anderson's vocals. Wakeman enters on keys at around 1 minute with subtle string-like chords. Harmony vocal "ahhs" begin around 3 minutes before Squire begins harmonizing the lyrics with Anderson. The music turns more dramatic at around 4 minutes with Wakeman's beautiful piano parts, and Howe switching to electric lead guitar lines. A build-up begins around the 5-minute point and reaches a climax at around 5:15. Howe's guitar lines are triumphant along with the vocals. He returns to classical guitar for the closing part of the song just before the 7-minute mark. This song is pure art.

Track 3 - Parallels

We begin with Wakeman on a pipe organ, while Squire's bass brings the rhythm section in along with lead guitar from Howe. The vocals begin in harmony at 50 seconds. This song was written by Squire for Fish out of Water, but didn't make the cut for his solo album. He played it for the band, and they loved it. There is a really cool bass & drum fill at around 1:55. Squire's bass line drives the song throughout. There is a nice solo from How just before the 3-minute mark, and brilliant fills follow along. I love the instrumental organ feature that starts around 3:30. Jon's vocals at 4:13 are amazing, as are the harmonies that follow. Someone, Howe I believe, is singing a countermelody in my left speaker I never noticed before in all of the times I have listened to this song! Amazing that I still hear new things on a song that I've heard countless times. The band really jams out the final minute of the song with Howe's glorious guitar leads.

Track 4 - Wondrous Stories

Time for Howe to bring back the Portuguese guitar from I've Seen All Good People, recorded 6 years earlier. This one, as Wakeman put it on the Yesyears video, is from Jon's "renaissance" period. Jon's beautiful vocals with Squire's harmonies are brilliant. Wakeman's keys are equally so. I love how Anderson & Squire do the call and response vocals on the following verse after the keyboard solo, then come together on "So cautiously at first and then so hiiiiiigh!. Howe's lead guitar work is the icing on the cake at the ending section. Brilliant song!

Track 5 - Awaken

This is tied with Close to the Edge for being my favorite Yes song. They are both so incredible, I can't put one over the other. It begins with Wakeman's virtuoso piano playing. He hits the low note and then he and Howe create a dreamy backdrop for Anderson's ethereal vocals. Squier joins on a harmony countermelody. The band then creates a whirling dervish of sound with sustained harmony vocals over the top. Howe's guitar part is very hard to reproduce correctly. Not to mention his brilliant lead lines between verses. I love how the band accents behind him at around 3:25. Anyone who thinks Steve Howe can't shred, needs to listen to this. It isn't shredding in the metal sense, but it is shredding, nonetheless. The band brings things down a bit at around 4:30, then just before the 5-minute mark, Wakeman, Squire, and Howe play the melody in turns on their respective instruments, fantastic! By 5:10 however there is a transition to a 6-8 rhythm and a new melody. Wakeman's organ is fantastical. Jon comes back in with "Workings of man?" I don't know of any other band who could come up with this song and pull it off. Then things wind down to a halt at 6:30. Alan White brings things back with a tuned percussion part on a bell-like instrument. Wakeman and Howe play little bits along with Jon playing a harp. By a little after 8 minutes the rhythm is fully established, and Wakeman begins playing amazing melodies on the organ with Squire and Howe maintaining a backing underneath. Then? the boys choir comes in?I know, right! Howe plays some nice lead lines around the 10-minute mark, and we build up to my favorite part. The "Master of Images" section. As if everything before this wasn't enough, when Jon starts singing that line at around 10:35 until the end with the boys' choir behind him and Squire joining on harmonies is absolutely otherworldly. The band keeps slowly building up, Howe gives a masterclass in playing guitar, and then the organ break at 12:15, exquisite. But the crescendo that follows is spine tingling. First at around 12:49, then when you think they just can't get any more powerful, they do at 13:00 when the choir gets prominent. Wow! But even the calm after the storm is still a thing of beauty. The wash of guitar and keyboards in a sea of reverb with Squire and White giving a bit of thunder underneath. Then Howe's final guitar tag is the punctuation that closes this masterpiece.

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS:

The fact that this album sits at around #4 in my Yes album rankings says a lot about how great Yes were in the 70s in particular. Awaken, of course, by itself ranks at the top, only equaled in quality by the (song) Close to the Edge. The other songs are strong indeed, definitely classics, but maybe not as strong as the main songs on The Yes Album, Fragile & Close to the Edge (album). I am still giving it a 5 out of 5 stars, but as I have said before, my favorite Yes albums are only a few atoms away from each other in my book. Highly recommended album of brilliance.

I am a 4+ on this one. It is my second favorite Yes album, just behind Close to the Edge. I could probably listen to the whole thing in my mind. But an excuse to listen to one of my favorite albums of all time, sure, twist my arm. This is the band's 3rd album after 2 underrated albums with Peter Banks on guitar. Steve Howe's arrival, however, takes them to the upper echelon of prog bands.

Track 1 - Yours Is no Disgrace

Yes shows that they have fully arrived on this one. The big Bonanza style riff kicks off the album in style! Kaye's organ adds a nice touch. But when Howe starts playing his lead riffs, you know you're in for something special. Those scale runs at around 1:10 are fast yet smooth. They add a layer of excitement to the track. There is a taste of synth as the intro ends. Then Kay sustains the organ on low notes for the brilliant harmony vocals to take over. The second verse finds Squire and Bruford swinging away to establish the rhythm. Kaye would depart the band after this album as he didn't want to get into playing more synths, which his successor would fully embrace. However, he does a nice job with the parts he plays here. We reach the quiet harmony vocal section with Squire's walking bass line under the voices of Anderson, Howe and Squire himself. Their blend of voices proved to be a winning combination for the rest of the decade. Squire's slightly distorted bass riff is nasty in the best possible way. Howe's panning wah-wah break brings us into an extended instrumental break. There is a brief acoustic part, before Howe begins playing sustained notes. That is followed by a jazzy guitar solo section. Kaye plays pastoral organ coming out of the solo. Squire starts the walking bass part again while Howe strums an acoustic to set the stage for Anderson's pristine tenor vocals. Bruford is just providing accents in a subtle manner. Squire joins Anderson with harmonies on the second part of the vocals in this section. The wah guitar part serves as a wakeup call for the band to start grooving again. Hove plays the triplet pattern he played in the intro and the song concludes with an ascending synth. Yes' first true masterpiece of a song (and there are more on this album alone).

Track 2 - The Clap

It should have just been called "Clap" but received the unfortunate "The" from a misinterpretation of Anderson's introduction on this live recording. While this piece may be one of Howe's most overplayed acoustic solos in concert (the other being "Mood for a Day" from the next album, Fragile), there is no denying its brilliance. Howe's ragtime fingerpicking is beyond difficult to replicate. NO-ONE else was playing like this in a rock band in that era. Howe showed himself as a force to be reckoned with. The notes just cascade beautifully as the piece develops. The ending is absolutely superb.

Track 3 - Starship Trooper

Ready for another masterpiece of prog? Here you go! Howe's phasey guitar arpeggios and Squire's masterful bass playing, along with Bruford's clean drumming and Kaye's subtle organ sets the stage for Anderson's angelic vocals. This opening section is called Life Seeker. The tremolo effect on Squire's bass really sets his tone apart from other bassists. At around 3:20 Howe's dazzling fingerpicking acoustic skills accompany Anderson & Squire's fantastic harmony vocals. This is the beginning of the Disillusion section of the piece. The cascading vocal harmonies at around 4:35 are a stroke of brilliance. Kaye's organ begins to build subtly beneath the surface as we approach the end of the Disillusion section of the song and head into Wurm. This instrumental closing section is based on a 3- chord riff Howe brought with him from his previous band, Bodast. Those three chords provide an amazing platform for the band to build upon for some incredible playing and a slow-build crescendo. The bass drums and keys along with guitar overdubs fade in on my right side as the original riff continues on my left. Squire's bass lines are expertly building tension. Kaye's creeping organ and Bruford's drumming take us to the release of tension at 8:23 with Howe's guitar solo. He is playing short phrases that are panned from side to side, effectively creating a guitar duel with himself. The song is a masterclass in composition and arranging. An all-time classic.

Track 4 - I've Seen All Good People

While many Yes fans will complain that this song has gotten worn out over the years, I am always taken by the fresh, bright sound of the vocal harmonies and Howe's brilliant use of a "Portuguese 12-String Guitar" (AKA Vachalia). The a Capella harmony introduction starts us off in style, followed by the bright sounding Portuguese 12- String. This opening section of the song is called Your Move, as the lyrics use chess playing metaphors in the lyrics. Bruford and Squire accent the "1" of each measure, and guest musician Colin Goldring (from more obscure British proggers Gnidrolog) provides overdubbed recorder harmonies. The vocal arrangement here is nothing short of amazing. I love the subtle backing harmony vocals quoting John Lennon's "Give Peace a Chance". Kaye's organ swells (that sounds dirty but isn't meant to be) as we approach the end of the Your Move section and head toward part 2, the rocking "All Good People" section. While the main riff is a variation on a standard bluesy type of riff, the guitar fills that Howe plays are mind blowing. Bruford and Squire's rhythm section playing is so tight, you couldn't slip a dime between them. Yes, the harmony vocals are repetitive, but it works as a sort of mantra for me. I just noticed that when looking at the time codes, that the two sections of the song are exactly half of the song. Kay plays some nice boogie piano riffs in here. Howe's guitar at 4:40 is simply amazing. The organ swells again and provides backing for the vocal harmonies that close the song that modulate to a lower key on each repeat as the song fades out.

Track 5 - A Venture

This underrated song kind of gets dwarfed by the bigger pieces around it, but there is a lot to enjoy in its relatively brief 3:19. The song fades in with brilliant piano from the underrated Kaye, and nice jazzy guitar riffs from Howe. Squire provides the rhythm in the bass as the vocals join in. Bruford's drumming is very subtle, as Anderson hits a brilliant high note after the 1-minute mark. I like the acapella vocals (with some instrumental accents) at 1:20. Howe plays great guitar fills throughout. I have seen some speculation that Banks is actually playing guitar on here, but it seems pure Howe to me. Kaye plays some nice piano parts as the song fades.

Track 6 - Perpetual Change

And yet another Yes masterpiece. There is a brilliant intro section that leads to the first verse which is pretty quiet. Howe's tremolo guitar and Kaye's piano sit nicely atop Bruford & Squire's rhythm section. I love the call & response type vocals in the chorus. One of the great things that Yes does here is that each verse and chorus is a slight variation of the one before it. It's never the exact same thing. Howe plays a solo at around 4 minutes that morphs into a Wes Montgomery jazz style lead. However, the most brilliant section starts at around 5:09. A 7-8 section gets panned to the right while a completely different part fades in on the left. Then Howe and Kaye layer parts on top of that. That high synth sound brings us back to the vocal parts. The verse at around 7 minutes has a completely different groove than the ones before. The outro of this song is amazing. Bruford & Squire keep things cookin' with little accent parts at the end of each segment, and more parts layer themselves in each time. We fade out on this part.

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS:

This is the beginning of Yes' classic period. They really found their way on this album. As I mentioned earlier, I think the 2 albums with Banks are quite good, but they crossed into greatness with this one. This is the first of what I consider to be a golden trio of Yes Albums. I always say that I like this one better than Fragile, but the distance between them is miniscule. This is a definite 5 out of 5 for me, and I can't believe it's only at number 33 on the list (Prog Magazine's 100 Greatest Prog Albums of all time).

The grunge explosion in the early nineties that followed the pop and new wave trends of the eighties added a challenge for the survival of the progressive heroes who were forced to reinvent themselves once again to face this hostile scenario. And a worn out Yes, with constant entrances and exits of their most representative members, make a stop to their differences to reunite and develop under the conciliatory and opportunistic name "Union" (1991), the thirteenth album of the band.

Harmonizing so many personalities and particular egos was already a complicated task, and in spite of that an endless and incomprehensible list of session musicians was added, according to producer Jonathan Elias due to the apathy and lack of involvement of the musicians and especially of Rick Wakeman and Steve Howe whose parts were replaced almost entirely by sonorities that work more in accordance with the demands of the market... And it is in this context that "Union" fails to consolidate itself as a fluid organic entity, weighed down by the lack of communication and commitment of the musicians.

Tracks like the 80's "I Would Have Waited Forever", "Shock to the System" that could be part of "90125" or "Big Generator", or the very AOR "Lif Me Up", navigate without much gravitation by common places, even the promising instrumental beginning of "Miracle of Life" is diluted in the lightness of some insipid choruses, the cosmic and boring "Angkor Wat" fails to take off and directly "Dangerous (Look in the Light of What You're Searching For)" and "Holding On" do not add more value to the work.

But even in the midst of its irregularity and lack of cohesion, there are a handful of passages that can be rescued, such as the excellent instrumental "Masquerade", an acoustic gem of the most classic Howe, the beginning of "Without Hope You Cannot Start the Day", the second half of "Silent Talking" with a splendid Jon Anderson on vocals and some delay choruses accompanied by acoustic guitar riffs, or the dramatic atmosphere of "The More We Live - Let Go". Moments that help to save the album from the fire.

"Union", which tried to revitalize Yes' career, ended up being one of the most disunited works, in an irony of fate.

It could have been better.

2.5 stars