Why Were Yes Great? - Progressive Rock Music Forum

Author

Message

Topic Search

Topic Options

PROGMAN

Forum Senior Member

VIP Member

Joined: February 03 2004
Location: Wales
Status: Offline
Points: 2664

Posted: June 24 2005 at 06:39

always a great listen YES.

CYMRU AM BYTH

Yurkspb

Forum Senior Member

Joined: May 06 2005
Location: Russian Federation
Status: Offline
Points: 132

Posted: June 24 2005 at 06:32

"Why were Yes great?"
The question is not correct - it should be "Why are Yes great?".

And Yes are great because they have created a huge amount of unique top-class prog albums. And it seems to me they are the first band to have so many epics.

barbs

Forum Senior Member

Joined: June 04 2005
Location: Australia
Status: Offline
Points: 562

Posted: June 24 2005 at 06:05

IMO Yes were part of the template for what prog would come to represent. Lighter than KC, who have obviously influenced the heavier side, they offered both an alternative to people looking for 'challenging' music, and a gateway into prog by producing a few 'radio friendly' type songs, not to heavy but invested with musicological variety rarely if ever heard up to that point in time. All the musicians I believe, apart from Jon A were extremely accomplished musicians which was also extremely rare for a band. Jon A in fact is probably the most accomplished at producing the 'radio friendly' composition for the very reason that he is accomplished but not at the level of the other members (so they can probably thank him the most for their bankability)

They weren't pandering to anyone. They made you work alot harder to understand their music and they didn't short change you once you made the effort.

I also think they were truly inspired and also inspiring. They had that intangiable ability to pick a melody and take it to places we had never heard before so therefore opened up the frontiers of this genre of music. They weren't concerned obviously with constructing music for a market. My first thoughts about Yes were that they were able to take the symphonic elements of music which was originally assumed to be the forte of the musical elite and build it into a 'rock' type base and include some jazz influences and make it accessible to both lovers of classical and rock music who were up to the challenge.

Eternity

The Hemulen View Drop Down

Special Collaborator

Honorary Collaborator

Joined: July 31 2004
Location: UK
Status: Offline
Points: 5964

Posted: June 24 2005 at 05:57

Sure! Just adding a little perspective.

I own the majority of their albums on CD and LP and two DVDs so I must like them a fair amount. Really, if you want to know why Yes were great then just listen to Close to the Edge. Simple answer, but it works:

"Why were Yes great?"

"Close to the Edge"

"Oh yes... How right you are!"

AfanSpur

Forum Senior Member

Joined: June 03 2005
Location: United Kingdom
Status: Offline
Points: 204

Posted: June 24 2005 at 05:53

Keep it positive trouserpress! Start a new thread on why yes were bad and we can discuss it there but for now lets glory in the magical moments

There stands Olias to outward to build a ship
Holding within all we hope to retain
The frame will be so built to challenge the universe
Clasped with the skins of the fish of the plain

The Hemulen View Drop Down

Special Collaborator

Honorary Collaborator

Joined: July 31 2004
Location: UK
Status: Offline
Points: 5964

Posted: June 24 2005 at 05:51

When Yes were good they were basically untouchable. Alas, there are also many times when they were bad... really very bad...

AfanSpur

Forum Senior Member

Joined: June 03 2005
Location: United Kingdom
Status: Offline
Points: 204

Posted: June 24 2005 at 05:48

The first time i heard yes my brother brought three albums home from a friend. 1st was kiss alive my head never turned and frankly i wished that he'd take it off. Next came fee waybill and the Tubes. I remember white punks on dope which awed me along with the huge platform shoes and alfoil jockstrap! This was interesting. At the time i liked Queen (1976) then the third record was put on the turn table....The Yes Album....all at once the room chnged colour and there was a velvety softness that wrapped me in a blanket. I will never forget the opening bars of steve which gave way to that wonderful smooth sound of Tony Kaye the next thing i remember was the bell cymbal half way through. The feeling was wonderful, it was the feeling that got me in. a year later when i heard awaken i thought i had gone to heave without the fear and pain of dying. Punk Rock came and went and did nothing for me at the time as i was gone solid gone in love with a sound that can still move me to tears all these years later.

There stands Olias to outward to build a ship
Holding within all we hope to retain
The frame will be so built to challenge the universe
Clasped with the skins of the fish of the plain

goose

Forum Senior Member

Joined: June 20 2004
Location: United Kingdom
Status: Offline
Points: 4097

Posted: June 24 2005 at 05:38

I'm constantly surprised by people I know who like Yes who I totally wouldn't expect to... metalheads, stoners, even this guy who's into hip-hop and stuff. Yes would be the last band I'd suggest to metalheads to get them into prog, but there must be something special in their music I guess.

JesusBetancourt View Drop Down

Forum Senior Member

Joined: June 15 2005
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 262

Posted: June 24 2005 at 04:54

If Yes is great to me now( A 22 year old sourounded by so called Neo "prog" and "Prog" metal that bring true prog a bad name imo) then it must have been great then....

"He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water"
John 7:38

JesusBetancourt View Drop Down

Forum Senior Member

Joined: June 15 2005
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 262

Posted: June 24 2005 at 04:49

To ask why I like Yes is like asking me why I love Prog

"He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water"
John 7:38

JesusBetancourt View Drop Down

Forum Senior Member

Joined: June 15 2005
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 262

Posted: June 24 2005 at 04:48

These are also the reasons why I love Gentle Giant, Genesis, King Crimson, Emerson, Lake, & Palmer, Pink Floyd, Anglaguard, Happy Family, Pink Floyd, Vander Graff Generater, White Willow, Rennisance, Hostyed, Opeth, Gong, Tangerene Dream, etc, etc, etc...........

"He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water"
John 7:38

JesusBetancourt View Drop Down

Forum Senior Member

Joined: June 15 2005
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 262

Posted: June 24 2005 at 04:43

Well....ive never seen them play live.

I have to admit that the first time I heard Yes I thought I would not like them (There sound was a little to "light" or "happy" for my taste at the time). However after two years since that day( which was my first intro to prog) I have listened to many great prog bands and I finally understood what prog was all about. After finding the Yes disk again I gave it a spin, I was utterly amazed by the creativity and musicianship that was before me, how could I have not noticed it before? teh disk I had contained (in the following order) Close to The Edge, The Reavealing Science of God, The Gates of Delerium, and Giants under thhe Sun. I have learned in my time as a lover of prog that one should aprouch all works of prog with an open mind and not judge them by the first and second listen. This holds true for all works of prog. What sounded bad and weird to me once now takes my breath away.

So what do I like about Yes?

There creativity, Genius, Virtuasity, Musicianship, there use of aesthetics, Origianality, Inovations.........

"He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water"
John 7:38

richardh

Prog Reviewer

Joined: February 18 2004
Location: United Kingdom
Status: Offline
Points: 27956

Posted: June 24 2005 at 04:38

Between 1971 and 1974 they were a highly creative band that kept a stream of top notch prog epics constantly on the flow.Wakeman and Howe gave them an edge that was needed when bands needed to be 'heavy' in the rock sense as well as clever (Gentle Giant had the latter but not the former).And they backed it up with fantastic live shows.Close To The Edge could almost be a progressive rock blueprint.

AfanSpur

Forum Senior Member

Joined: June 03 2005
Location: United Kingdom
Status: Offline
Points: 204

Posted: June 24 2005 at 04:15

So Asia it seems were rubbish (see other thread) but lets be positive. Why were Yes great? In concert they still are too. Was it the songs , the singer, the sound, the energy, the musicianship, the creativity? Was it none of these and they were also rubbish. Go on reveal all you know you want to

There stands Olias to outward to build a ship
Holding within all we hope to retain
The frame will be so built to challenge the universe
Clasped with the skins of the fish of the plain

Author	Message Topic Search Topic Options Post Reply Create New Topic Printable Version Translate Topic
PROGMAN Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member VIP Member Joined: February 03 2004 Location: Wales Status: Offline Points: 2664	Posted: June 24 2005 at 06:39
	always a great listen YES.
	CYMRU AM BYTH

Yurkspb Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member Joined: May 06 2005 Location: Russian Federation Status: Offline Points: 132	Posted: June 24 2005 at 06:32
	"Why were Yes great?" The question is not correct - it should be "Why are Yes great?". And Yes are great because they have created a huge amount of unique top-class prog albums. And it seems to me they are the first band to have so many epics.

barbs Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member Joined: June 04 2005 Location: Australia Status: Offline Points: 562	Posted: June 24 2005 at 06:05
	IMO Yes were part of the template for what prog would come to represent. Lighter than KC, who have obviously influenced the heavier side, they offered both an alternative to people looking for 'challenging' music, and a gateway into prog by producing a few 'radio friendly' type songs, not to heavy but invested with musicological variety rarely if ever heard up to that point in time. All the musicians I believe, apart from Jon A were extremely accomplished musicians which was also extremely rare for a band. Jon A in fact is probably the most accomplished at producing the 'radio friendly' composition for the very reason that he is accomplished but not at the level of the other members (so they can probably thank him the most for their bankability) They weren't pandering to anyone. They made you work alot harder to understand their music and they didn't short change you once you made the effort. I also think they were truly inspired and also inspiring. They had that intangiable ability to pick a melody and take it to places we had never heard before so therefore opened up the frontiers of this genre of music. They weren't concerned obviously with constructing music for a market. My first thoughts about Yes were that they were able to take the symphonic elements of music which was originally assumed to be the forte of the musical elite and build it into a 'rock' type base and include some jazz influences and make it accessible to both lovers of classical and rock music who were up to the challenge.
	Eternity

The Hemulen Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: July 31 2004 Location: UK Status: Offline Points: 5964	Posted: June 24 2005 at 05:57
	Sure! Just adding a little perspective. I own the majority of their albums on CD and LP and two DVDs so I must like them a fair amount. Really, if you want to know why Yes were great then just listen to Close to the Edge. Simple answer, but it works: "Why were Yes great?" "Close to the Edge" "Oh yes... How right you are!"

AfanSpur Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member Joined: June 03 2005 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 204	Posted: June 24 2005 at 05:53
	Keep it positive trouserpress! Start a new thread on why yes were bad and we can discuss it there but for now lets glory in the magical moments
	There stands Olias to outward to build a ship Holding within all we hope to retain The frame will be so built to challenge the universe Clasped with the skins of the fish of the plain

The Hemulen Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: July 31 2004 Location: UK Status: Offline Points: 5964	Posted: June 24 2005 at 05:51
	When Yes were good they were basically untouchable. Alas, there are also many times when they were bad... really very bad...

AfanSpur Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member Joined: June 03 2005 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 204	Posted: June 24 2005 at 05:48
	The first time i heard yes my brother brought three albums home from a friend. 1st was kiss alive my head never turned and frankly i wished that he'd take it off. Next came fee waybill and the Tubes. I remember white punks on dope which awed me along with the huge platform shoes and alfoil jockstrap! This was interesting. At the time i liked Queen (1976) then the third record was put on the turn table....The Yes Album....all at once the room chnged colour and there was a velvety softness that wrapped me in a blanket. I will never forget the opening bars of steve which gave way to that wonderful smooth sound of Tony Kaye the next thing i remember was the bell cymbal half way through. The feeling was wonderful, it was the feeling that got me in. a year later when i heard awaken i thought i had gone to heave without the fear and pain of dying. Punk Rock came and went and did nothing for me at the time as i was gone solid gone in love with a sound that can still move me to tears all these years later.
	There stands Olias to outward to build a ship Holding within all we hope to retain The frame will be so built to challenge the universe Clasped with the skins of the fish of the plain

goose Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member Joined: June 20 2004 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 4097	Posted: June 24 2005 at 05:38
	I'm constantly surprised by people I know who like Yes who I totally wouldn't expect to... metalheads, stoners, even this guy who's into hip-hop and stuff. Yes would be the last band I'd suggest to metalheads to get them into prog, but there must be something special in their music I guess.

JesusBetancourt Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member Joined: June 15 2005 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 262	Posted: June 24 2005 at 04:54
	If Yes is great to me now( A 22 year old sourounded by so called Neo "prog" and "Prog" metal that bring true prog a bad name imo) then it must have been great then....
	"He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water" John 7:38

JesusBetancourt Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member Joined: June 15 2005 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 262	Posted: June 24 2005 at 04:49
	To ask why I like Yes is like asking me why I love Prog
	"He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water" John 7:38

JesusBetancourt Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member Joined: June 15 2005 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 262	Posted: June 24 2005 at 04:48
	These are also the reasons why I love Gentle Giant, Genesis, King Crimson, Emerson, Lake, & Palmer, Pink Floyd, Anglaguard, Happy Family, Pink Floyd, Vander Graff Generater, White Willow, Rennisance, Hostyed, Opeth, Gong, Tangerene Dream, etc, etc, etc...........
	"He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water" John 7:38

JesusBetancourt Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member Joined: June 15 2005 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 262	Posted: June 24 2005 at 04:43
	Well....ive never seen them play live. I have to admit that the first time I heard Yes I thought I would not like them (There sound was a little to "light" or "happy" for my taste at the time). However after two years since that day( which was my first intro to prog) I have listened to many great prog bands and I finally understood what prog was all about. After finding the Yes disk again I gave it a spin, I was utterly amazed by the creativity and musicianship that was before me, how could I have not noticed it before? teh disk I had contained (in the following order) Close to The Edge, The Reavealing Science of God, The Gates of Delerium, and Giants under thhe Sun. I have learned in my time as a lover of prog that one should aprouch all works of prog with an open mind and not judge them by the first and second listen. This holds true for all works of prog. What sounded bad and weird to me once now takes my breath away. So what do I like about Yes? There creativity, Genius, Virtuasity, Musicianship, there use of aesthetics, Origianality, Inovations.........
	"He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water" John 7:38

richardh Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Prog Reviewer Joined: February 18 2004 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 27956	Posted: June 24 2005 at 04:38
	Between 1971 and 1974 they were a highly creative band that kept a stream of top notch prog epics constantly on the flow.Wakeman and Howe gave them an edge that was needed when bands needed to be 'heavy' in the rock sense as well as clever (Gentle Giant had the latter but not the former).And they backed it up with fantastic live shows.Close To The Edge could almost be a progressive rock blueprint.

AfanSpur Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member Joined: June 03 2005 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 204	Posted: June 24 2005 at 04:15
	So Asia it seems were rubbish (see other thread) but lets be positive. Why were Yes great? In concert they still are too. Was it the songs , the singer, the sound, the energy, the musicianship, the creativity? Was it none of these and they were also rubbish. Go on reveal all you know you want to
	There stands Olias to outward to build a ship Holding within all we hope to retain The frame will be so built to challenge the universe Clasped with the skins of the fish of the plain