Yes, an open discussion-how not to do it!

eugene wrote: Judging from Certif1ied's description of Yes music one could bet he's blatant Marillion's fan

 

I don't see how you get that from my description of Yes' music...

Edited by Certif1ed

Yes is very indeed a band, which is like a chameleon, you don't know what they do next. They are the ultimate progressive band! No doubt about it. They are also the only band beside King Crimson, which is still around and go on stage from the most important prog bands, which exist since the late 60's (not counting VDGG, because they are were split-up since 1977). YES are PROG DINOSAURS, and that is well deserved. Specially because of their albums through The Yes Album - Tormato (criminally underrated gem).

 

anderson's vocals dont do much for me, but i can certainly recognize the talent of steve howe and rick wakeman.

 

I was lucky enough to see Yes on the Fragile tour in '71 when I was 14. It was only my 2nd concert, the 1st being Grand Funk Railroad. A friend of mine turned me on to The Yes Album and said they were coming to town and his older brother would take us. Humble Pie opened for them with Frampton still at the lead guitar helm and they were great.

Funny thing is Fragile was a couple months away from being released if memory serves me. But yet they played most of the album and I remember Jon Anderson introducing their new keyboard player where Rick took off and did a little solo spot. Pretty amazing. Being a drummer myself Bruford just knocked me out. I distinctly remember them doing the same "Shave and a Haircut" intro to Perpetual Change that you hear on Yessongs. Must've been a standard opening for that cut.

Anyway, I was pretty hooked enough to see them 4 more times after that. My dream linup for Yes would be:

Jon Anderson
Chris Squire
Steve Howe
Bill Bruford
Patrick Moraz*

* Rick is no doubt incredible, but I think he's just too stuck on classical. Patrick leans more to jazz which is why I like him a little more.

Anybody here with a dream Yes lineup?

I love yes. They are(probably) my favorite band, which is saying something, because I hold a ton of bands in  extremely high regard.

I have everything from the first album to 90125, as well as both the Keys To Ascension albums. I also of Crish Squire's Fish Out Of Water album, as well as Steve Howe's debut solo album, Beginnings(both on vinyl).

As far as I'm concerned, every album from The Yes album to GFTO is an absolute classic.

I

Jon Anderson has a counter tenor voice with warm tonal qualities. His voice sets yes apart from the mainstream of Rock and Prog. One of my big gripes about the canon of prog is that while most bands have exceptional musicians very few have great singers.Recently i saw Thom Yorke embarrass himself live, well thats what i thought , but the masses do not ask questions anymore. It is noticeable when Jon sings live he really concentrates to get things right. See Yessymphonic where Jon is determined to get AYAI just right, and he does. Sometimes Anderson can pitch too high to begin as in Tormato but blemishes are few and far between.

The rest of the band well we could go on for hours. To me there is Rock in all its forms including prog and then there is Yes music. Glorious Yes music see them live and believe!

 

Yes is one of those bands I just cannot get into. Only two of thier albums do it for me, and that's just sometimes. Fragile and Relayer. I love Jon's voice, but god, can't he just once put some good lyrics to go along with that fantastic singing.

I can't get into CTTE because the songs are so meticulous and focus on such fine details it must have got them distracted from the big picture and each song in the end seems boring. The title track seems to have no main melody, and the parts that are uplifting to me are few and end to soon. Wakeman can play a super fast solo, so what? I get nothing out of it. And You and I is my favorite on the album, they did a great job on that one. The final song on the album, Siberian Khatru, is nice but just seems to fast and again to meticulous for me to enjoy, just sounds messy like the title track.

That's my opinion of their most hyped album that I feel does not deserve all the hype, but that is only my opinion, I won't critisize those that express their's.

The Yes album is better than CTTE I think, very good in fact.

I just started checking out TFTO and am trying to get into that, but it is very difficult, The Remembering is my favorite so far. This is a tuff one and I can see why so many people don't like it.

I like Relayer since "Gates" focusses more on melody than CTTE and is not messy, but still is meticulous. Lyrics are good even great for once. Wish Brufford was on it though, he is my favorite drummer. Sound Chaser is nice, it's growing on me more and more. To Be Over is very good and is a much better way to close an album as opposed to Siberian Khatru, nice and easy, not messy at all. I love the melodies on this one the most.

Yes are nice, I give them an 8.5 overall since I am still getting into them, and haven't checked all their stuff out yet. As I understand they aged preety bad like most prog bands. Just another reason why I like Pink Floyd more, they don't have one bad album that I wish wasn't playing, and their are to many times during a Yes album that I wish it was over.

I've become a huge fan of To Be Over from Relayer.  We go sailing down the calming streams...

I'm also hoping to pick up CTTE on CD (The one with the bonus tracks, because they have a cover of S and G's America and an alternative version of my favourite Yes song, And You And I [The version from Yessongs isn't that good]).

I currently have Close to the Edge and Yessongs on vinyl, and Relayer on CD.  I've also borrowed Tales on vinyl and listened to each side once or twice.

salmacis wrote: Actually I was playing their debut last week and was struck by how fresh and innovative it sounded; it's a lot more focussed and developed than Genesis' debut. As for 'Topographic...', it's a true masterpiece to me now. I didn't like much from it bar 'Revealing Science Of God; but now I love every song equally. The tribal style climax to 'Ritual' is mindblowing.

 

Rutherford, Collins, Gabriel, and Hackett were still in High school when they released Genesis to Revelation.  Classic Yes lineup were in their early-mid twenties. 

 

Geneis sounded mature and suprsingly introspective considering their youth

^ Best songs were the covers? They wrote Harold Land and Survival! Two classic Yes tracks!