Prog Semi Final #1 - Yes v. Pink Floyd

Walton Street wrote: micky wrote: Walton Street wrote: I think for a lot of people - Yes is a little like Rush - musically it's great but the high pitched vocals get to you after a while.   I may be speaking for just my self ... I don't think so at all...  speaking for yourself... it does seem to a large turnoff for some. Musically you can't touch them.. but if one is really to NOT get into them.. I think it mainly has to do with Jon Anderson. His singing as well as the throw sh*t at the wall lyrics he is famous for.. this word sound good..even better this meaningless string of words... let me put them in the lyrics.  I have zero problem with it, even prog lyrics that do make sense.. make no sense to me.. or less impression. Obviously most don't have a problem with him, but if one does.. that is likely the only real fault one can find with them.  They have a string of classics no one really can touch, that is why they are generally considered THE definative prog band. They covered all the bases and did so at such a high level for many many years. i can enjoy it in small doses .. i have a lot of the old vinyl... i like a lot of the Jon and Vangelis too - especially The title track of The Friends of Mr Cairo ....  but i rarely make it past that track

probably why I know that album... have it.. or had it.. and couldn't tell you now if I still do.  It hasn't seen the inside of my CD player (no hipster vinyl fetish  here ) in years and years.  Jon was a integral part of what made Yes great, but I have zero interest or any real like of his material outside Yes.


Edited by micky - January 14 2015 at 16:55

Walton Street wrote: I think for a lot of people - Yes is a little like Rush - musically it's great but the high pitched vocals get to you after a while.   I may be speaking for just my self ...

To be honest it's not Andersons voice that's the main problem for me, though to be sure I'm not a great fan of his voice, and it's not entirely his ridiculous lyrics that put me off either. It's the clash of ego's that is so apparant in the music at times whilst at others it feels like they're not really paying attention to each other, leaving a rather unfocused mess of half developed ideas that could have been really interesting if they'd tried to do something with them.

I don't think Yes music is unimpeachable (leaving aside the vocals).  Or maybe you mean technically.  When I mentioned emotions in the first comment on this thread, it was quickly interpreted as referring to lyrics.  But it's not just lyrics.  There's a whole plethora of so called 'negative' emotions that are very difficult to find in Yes.  If you take a track like Don't Leave Me Now, the re-iterated piano alone is spine chilling, even before Waters' unhinged delivery checks in.  The point that is being missed here is Floyd were masters of atmosphere and the symph prog rock bands seem to have blindsided to it.  Even Genesis, it was finally Eno who added that layer to their sound on Lamb Lies...but they soon ditched Gabriel and began their glorious descent to full fledged pop.  In many Yes tracks, I just hear some brilliant organ or guitar playing going on without knowing what it is supposed to evoke.  They did achieve that on South Side of the Sky which is why that is my favourite Yes track and I like it more than even CTTE.  

I guess it's about what drugs you like to mix--LSD and coke or LSD and heroin.

A bit difficult, since this two are perhaps my very favourite bands, but in the end I must go with Floyd... even if Yes is perhaps the quintessential prog band.

Dellinger wrote: I believe Dave and Rick did have their problems with drugs at some point. I believe that's a good part of the problems Roger had with Rick during the time of The Wall.

Rick had a coke habit during the late '70s. Dave, Nick & Roger were beer 'n weed guys but only when they felt like indulging.

^ Just checked via Wikipedia, they did.

micky wrote: right thread... oh come on now..as if Glimour over Howe wasn't bad enough.. Howe could (and did) play circles around Gilmour... but now this..  A 'great' vocalist. jesus luis...  since when did being a great vocalist become merely being a good vocalist in a popular band.

micky wrote: sleeper wrote:   a rather unfocused mess of half developed ideas that could have been really interesting if they'd tried to do something with them. critics.. gotta love them ... I've read those exact words before..  you must have cut and pasted that. However where from.. hmmm...from a Rolling Stone Review... nah..they wouldn't bother to acknowledge the group hmmm ahhhh. perhaps it was Punk Magazine.  Nah.. too many big words.. and no way you would ever find the word 'developed' printed in a punk rock magazine. Arrgggg Damnit Andy...  I won't rest until I guess where you cut and pasted those interesting thoughts on a legend of prog.. with so many stone cold classic albums. Perhaps they confused them with Genesis.. now that would make sense.

Yes...They may not be as wonderful as they'd have considered themselves to be (LOL) but I trip far better on them than on the valiant and well inspired but rather lymphatic Floyd.

Edited by jayem - January 15 2015 at 11:18