All YES Appreciation Thread

ghost_of_morphy wrote: I don't think Wakeman is that spectacular?   *cough*  *cough*  *cough*   You cite Fragile as a favorite.  Listen to it CLOSELY.  Put on some quality headphones and turn the volume up.  Pick Wakey's parts out from the rest of the crowd when they are playing ensemble.  Do the same with CTTE and GFTO.  You'll learn, young one.  You will learn.

Edited by Mosis - August 27 2009 at 12:58

Sure, may be.  But there's something very "Moraz" about Chaser, and even Gates.

Mosis wrote: ... and though I do love Bruford's drums on Fragile, I haven't noticed much difference between him and White...

Okay, glad to see you came around, welcome to the thread, but boy do I have to stand up for Bruford.  (I know you're pretty much just setting out on the Yes ship, so I'm not angry.)  There are miles of differences between Bruford and White.  White is basically a smarter than average, great playing studio session musician (literally: he played with John Lennon, George Harrison, Donovan, lots of singles here and there).  Bruford is a great and interesting jazz-type drummer who decided to play rock, and a person with that mountainous sense of humor, and simultaneously sense of weight, in his style with both Yes and King Crimson.  On "And You and I" for instance, almost 4 minutes in and just after "call...", listen carefully.  Who would think of such a grand, spacious, orchestral approach?  Who would take such a patient and unusual approach?

Not White.  You should hear the live collection Yessongs.  Note the highly tasteful approach Bruford takes to "Heart of the Sunrise" on Fragile, then hear White play it on Yessongs.  It's a "bigger" approach in some regards I guess, you can like it all you want, but it's different because it's an arena-rock method that I think Bruford would have considered trite.  Perhaps more to the point is the difference between the studio and live "And You and I."  I already mentioned Bruford, but listen to that part of the track in the Yessongs version.  White lays a backbeat down and does rock fills!  This loses the whole point of the grandeur Bruford depicted.  And in the reprise variant at the end, the difference between the two is again plain.  I could go through many other examples, but this should suffice.

And as you go forward with the Yes catalogue (Tales, Relayer, etc.) the differences become no less apparent.  I love Tales, number 1 favorite prog album, and you can be assured if Bruford where there it would be quite different; who knows, perhaps also it wouldn't be as good somehow.

Don't get me wrong please, I like White (though of course not so much as Bruford).  Like whoever you like, but there is a difference. 

I don't think Wakeman is that spectacular?

progkidjoel wrote: ^ As I said, I haven't actually seen them live with Benoit, and I'm sure its alot to do with the atmosphere of being there. I also Love DRAMA, but I like Jon Anderson more (Way more)... I understand than Jon Anderson isn't exactly the most sane human around... But, (without trying to be rude), I don't really care! Its produced what is easily my all-time favourite music. -Joel

Definitely redeemed yourself there, because Drama is a stellar album (I'm with J-Man).  And as far as Anderson being (as I hear) loopy, well, to continue your thought, his views and ways of thinking have been integral to this astounding stuff we have been so privileged to enjoy.  Anyone wants to tell me Jon's nuts?, well then he just goes on a list with other greats.  Captain Beefheart anyone?  I just listened to Heart of the Sunrise today, probably for the ten thousandth time, and Anderson's voice and words still ring with me.

^
As I said, I haven't actually seen them live with Benoit, and I'm sure its alot to do with the atmosphere of being there. I also Love DRAMA, but I like Jon Anderson more (Way more)...

I understand than Jon Anderson isn't exactly the most sane human around... But, (without trying to be rude), I don't really care! Its produced what is easily my all-time favourite music.

-Joel

^^ Here, here.  It's an interesting phenomenon with bands being a sort of brand that can stretch credulity until is finally snaps, and there's no full agreement amongst people just where and when it snaps.  When I was a child listening to, say, Yes and Led Zeppelin records, I would from time to time wonder at the thought of a guy like Robert Plant or Jon Anderson as old men, like really old men.  And here we are entering that.  I think back to that childhood thought - I remember thinking, what would they look like?,  and other stuff like that.  But I have to say I did not imagine they'd be working, especially in rock.  I guess I pictured them as retired, doing an interview here and there, writing memoirs or maybe working at a more sedentary artistic endeavor.  So knowing that Anderson (you can throw Plant in here too, and I won't further sidetrack but of course there are others) still wants to work and especially to make new stuff, that's pretty fascinating to me, pretty great just on a human level.

Maybe but please I hope they find a singer who doesn't always remind us of Anderson without being Anderson 

I totally respect when a band finds a new voice, even if its former one is a huge part of its sound (like recently The Gathering) and sometimes, I even like the new band but with Yes, it could be interesting if they find a different voice but making an album with a singer who was known to "copy" the original singer is quite strange...

     I have mixed fealings about this. I think it would be great to hear Benoit creating and singing new stuff with Yes, created for his own voice, instead of trying to duplicate Anderson. He did a very good job at singing Anderson's songs, but he's not Anderson, and in parts of the show that was evident. I thought Benoit was at his best when singing at his own range, and creating music with him in mind should be very interesting. Besides, the new blood might give Yes a fresh sound by young and daring musicians (if Benoit and Oliver would be up to the task).
     However, Yes is suposed to be touring with Benoit and Oliver Wakeman because Jon and Rick weren't up to the tour given their health state, so, there should be no reason for them not to make a studio album with the rest of Yes, and I wouldn't like to think that the Classic lineup of Yes is finally over, even in studio.