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YES - Relayer (1974)
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Droxford View Drop Down
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    Posted: September 21 2024 at 11:09
I always  find debates around the 'best' album/ band/artist etc. difficult. Really dig music but I am no musician and have absolutely no idea about technical proficiency. 
Personally rate 'Relayer' very highly more for personal reasons. For decades had a 'lost weekend' where I didn't really listen to Prog but for some reason had 'Relayer' in my collection, and for literally years was the only Yes album I would play. 
Yes it would have been interesting if this Yes line up had stayed together a little longer. 
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Originally posted by JD JD wrote:

I have to admit it's closer to the bottom of my Yes list.
I gave this a spin recently (after a decde or so) and agree with your assessment, JD. Just okay for me.

Cha cha cha... cha cha.
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This is a great album and one of their best ( great compositions, outstanding musicianship, splendid artwork)... a must have.
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Points: 7264 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote cstack3 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 20 2024 at 06:03
Originally posted by kirk782 kirk782 wrote:

This album took time to grow on me unlike their Yes Album or Fragile. The instrumental section on the opening track is phenomenal even if I have trouble making sense of the vocals on that track. [Apparently, it was inspired by Tolstoy's War and Peace].

'SoundChaser' seems alright to me , though they have better songs than it in their catalogue. The final song is a contrast and even calming compared to the opening track.

Welcome to PA!  And yes, I agree that the final song is calming, and probably meant to be, after the bombast of "Gates" 
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Points: 50 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (2) Thanks(2)   Quote kirk782 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 19 2024 at 21:46
This album took time to grow on me unlike their Yes Album or Fragile. The instrumental section on the opening track is phenomenal even if I have trouble making sense of the vocals on that track. [Apparently, it was inspired by Tolstoy's War and Peace].

'SoundChaser' seems alright to me , though they have better songs than it in their catalogue. The final song is a contrast and even calming compared to the opening track.
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Points: 18446 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote JD Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 11 2024 at 17:19
I dug out my digital copy of Steve Wilson's remix version and had a listen on my new system. WAAAYYY better for being able to hear what's being played. But again, that being said, I really don't like the production that was used and Wilson's remix just reveals that even more. To each his own I guess.
Thank you for supporting independently produced music
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Originally posted by Big Sky Big Sky wrote:

Originally posted by richardh richardh wrote:

Suprisingly few comments for such a great album. It certainly has a harder darker edge compared to anything else they did. Only South Side Of The Sky comes close. Wildly creative, the band were likely also the most technically accomplished band in existence at the time. Such a shame this exact line up didn't continue. This album stands the test of time imo.


I would throw Machine Messiah in there too has having a harder, darker edge.

Not counting the Trevor Rabin stuff which had a metal sound at times.
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Big Sky View Drop Down
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Originally posted by richardh richardh wrote:

Suprisingly few comments for such a great album. It certainly has a harder darker edge compared to anything else they did. Only South Side Of The Sky comes close. Wildly creative, the band were likely also the most technically accomplished band in existence at the time. Such a shame this exact line up didn't continue. This album stands the test of time imo.


I would throw Machine Messiah in there too has having a harder, darker edge.
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Originally posted by cstack3 cstack3 wrote:

Many focus upon "Gates of Delerium," but I find the remaining tracks "Sound Chaser" and "To Be Over" to also be sublime!  I want "To Be Over" to be played at my own memorial services....when my soul has surrendered.

Don't doubt your part, be ready to be loved.....  


To be Over has one of my very favorite Steve Howe guitar solos. A top shelf song in my opinion.
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My favorite Yes album and one of my favorite albums ever.
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Points: 7264 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote cstack3 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 09 2024 at 17:01
Many focus upon "Gates of Delerium," but I find the remaining tracks "Sound Chaser" and "To Be Over" to also be sublime!  I want "To Be Over" to be played at my own memorial services....when my soul has surrendered.

Don't doubt your part, be ready to be loved.....  


Edited by cstack3 - March 09 2024 at 17:04
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A personnel fav' ... awesome stuff
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Points: 3643 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote Cosmiclawnmower Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 09 2024 at 14:09
Moraz brought that Jazz fusion element and also a touch of Latin and south American rhythms into the mix which i think changed the chemistry substantially. Its a very dense sounding lp; overly saturated in places, so much so that i think many vinyl pressings suffered in playback, particularly on hi-fi of the time. I have a pre-release (promo) pressing that sounds better than any of the other vinyl versions ive owned but i've not heard any modern, remixed/remastered versions so cant comment on whether they are any clearer or more separated out in the mix. Personally i like that density and chaos and wildness.

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Originally posted by JD JD wrote:

I have to admit it's closer to the bottom of my Yes list.
That being said, I did gain a new appreciation for it recently after I upgraded my stereo system in my office.
I added a new pair of speakers, B&M DM110i. They are what's referred to as 'Very Revealing' speakers. And the reviews were right. This hot noisy mess of an album suddenly became, at the very last, clear. I could actually define the different parts being played. I still don't love it, but at least I know what was being played now.
I have actually always liked the sound of it. Very noisy, that's true, uncivilised and wild.
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I have to admit it's closer to the bottom of my Yes list.
That being said, I did gain a new appreciation for it recently after I upgraded my stereo system in my office.
I added a new pair of speakers, B&M DM110i. They are what's referred to as 'Very Revealing' speakers. And the reviews were right. This hot noisy mess of an album suddenly became, at the very last, clear. I could actually define the different parts being played. I still don't love it, but at least I know what was being played now.
Thank you for supporting independently produced music
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Lewian View Drop Down
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Points: 14727 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote Lewian Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 09 2024 at 12:58
My favourite Yes album by some distance. I'm not the biggest Yes fan around here, but Relayer is a monster of an album that I can still enjoy like on day one.
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Originally posted by richardh richardh wrote:

Suprisingly few comments for such a great album. It certainly has a harder darker edge compared to anything else they did. Only South Side Of The Sky comes close. Wildly creative, the band were likely also the most technically accomplished band in existence at the time. Such a shame this exact line up didn't continue. This album stands the test of time imo.

Hi,

I agree that it is a shame this lineup did not continue to play together ... however 40 years later, I think that Chris might not have liked such an experimentalist on the keyboards, as it would make it more difficult for him to find new paths and ways with it ... with RW it was easier, because you just about knew what was gonna happen, and he was (AND IS!!!) ver predictable, doing the same thing on another keyboard ... this was not the case with PM, and the new, and different attack/idea to the music was OK for SH and JA, but lacking for CS as far as I can tell.

In those days, I really thought that GoD was a very strong attack on the fans that did not like TFTO and the very off-base critics of it, by creating something in the long piece that was very hard on the ears for a while, allowing SH to go all the way, so to speak. The rest of the album, I kinda thought was a bit more of what they had done, and were going to do, at least much more "melodic" in the style that fans like ... which is not exactly a word that we would use on GoD.

Even the cover, suggest a "bite" coming, and I think the album had that bite ... though we might perceive it differently. 

HOWEVER, and this is valuable, TODAY there is so much thrashing, that us looking at GoD actually find it better and more "centered" than the majority of metal, and thrashing around that shows up in the top lists.

I like the album, and as some here, I find it sad they did not keep PM, although my thoughts are that CS did not feel comfortable with someone else experimenting and going nuts along with SH, which would force his bass playing to be more conventional, and I don't think that he would stand up for that. No disco for CS!


Edited by moshkito - March 09 2024 at 06:38
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Steve Howe used a Fender Telecaster, especially to generate that distinctive agressive guitar sound on Relayer. I think that Patrick Moraz inspired Howe to scout his musical and emotional boundaries.



Edited by TenYearsAfter - March 09 2024 at 03:27
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Points: 28028 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (2) Thanks(2)   Quote richardh Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 08 2024 at 21:58
Suprisingly few comments for such a great album. It certainly has a harder darker edge compared to anything else they did. Only South Side Of The Sky comes close. Wildly creative, the band were likely also the most technically accomplished band in existence at the time. Such a shame this exact line up didn't continue. This album stands the test of time imo.
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My favorite yes album ever since its release. A masterpiece for them. Moraz really shined. Great compositions and vocals.
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