Yes' "Relayer" underappreciated?

fuyuakiworld wrote: Do you think it is, cause I do. Post your thoughts.

Aussie-Byrd-Brother wrote: `Relayer' at first comes across as a metallic, noisy, tuneless, clanking mess! Repeated plays show that's it's a very different, challenging and experimental work from the band. It's even a shock how dark some the lyrics from Anderson are. It's a shame Patrick Moraz never got to record another album with the band, he played some very interesting stuff on it. I find, much like `Topographic Oceans' that, after you've listened to the over-familiar `Fragile', `Close To The Edge', `The Yes Album' etc a hundred times, `Relayer' (and `Topographic') provides endless new and fascinating moments to discover.

Currently, it is the third most highly rated Yes album on the ProgArchives, and number 30 overall, which is no mean feat. I don't think that counts as underappreciated, although as my favorite Yes album it rates much higher to me personally.  Nor do I particularly care that much where it falls in any top list.  Those numbers just represent common denominators.  As others have said, it is not an album that one can get into easily or quickly, but it is one whose dimensions reveal themselves on repeated listens.  I suspect some detractors may not have the patience it requires to fully appreciate, but who knows?  We don't all have to 'get it' nor do we all have to enjoy the same things to the same degree.  The only thing that matters, as I frequently say, is how much you appreciate it when you listen to it.

I definitely agree! It's my favorite yes album, one of my favorite albums altogether... I have the cover art on my door.

When I first listened the Gates of Delirium, I kinda enjoyed it, but not nearly as much as I did after constant listens. At first it seems like a jumbled mess, but that's because it's a long piece. Therefore, to understand the theme and shape of the song, it needs quite a few listens. The fact is, it's not a simple piece. It's very complicated and very emotional. Once you have listened to it enough times, it can be quite magical. For me, as my favorite song, every time I listen to the Gates of Delirium it puts some sort of magical energy through me that just leaves me moved at the end. It's ever changing, there's variations in everything... I can't imagine how they could memorize a piece like that. But more than anything it's the beauty and emotion in the piece.

I love Sound Chaser and To be Over as well... they contain some beautiful music with lots of emotion as well.

I think Relayer's definitely underrated in terms of Yes - it's far more complex than Close to the Edge (and Tales from Topographic Oceans, which to me was just an attempt at making a ton of music without actually getting deep in any particular song). People should give it more chance (;


Edited by purplesnake - December 11 2011 at 23:14

I grew tired of Gates pretty quickly, but side 2 never ceases to amaze me

It's personally my favorite album EVER. no biggie.

It has a classic status around here and gets plenty of coverage. Personally, it's my least favorite post-Time, pre-Tormato album. Still very good though.