Yes: Heaven & Earth (2014)

HEAVEN & EARTH: THE YES ALBUM to end all YES albums. HEAVEN & EARTH is the 21st YES studio album (if you don't include the ANDERSON BRUFORD WAKEMAN HOWE album) and is quite possibly the final YES album, after bassist Chris Squire gained the KEYS TO ASCENSION and sadly ascended THE LADDER to prog heaven back in 2015. There is now an asteroid in the heavens officially named 90125 in honour of Chris Squire's memory. The final HEAVEN & EARTH album has been the BIG GENERATOR of almost as much TALK and controversy over the years as the now legendary TALES FROM TOPOGRAPHIC OCEANS album. In the constant RELAYER race of YES line-ups, HEAVEN & EARTH was the only album to feature Jon Davison on vocals, with a not dissimilar name and voice to Jon Anderson.  The regular YES line-up for this album consisted of a re-UNION of Chris Squire on bass, Steve Howe on guitar, Geoff Downes on keyboards and Alan White on drums. The recording of HEAVEN & EARTH was relatively trouble-free without the DRAMA surrounding earlier YES album recording sessions where FRAGILE egos were at stake and a MAGNIFICATION of  tensions were often CLOSE TO THE EDGE of boiling over. Although HEAVEN & EARTH might be regarded as something of a rotten TORMATO by a small minority of die-hard YES fans, TIME & A WORD has it that the album is really rather good if you OPEN YOUR EYES and ears and actually listen to it. HEAVEN & EARTH may not have been aimed at GOING FOR THE ONE spot at the top of the charts, but it still managed to reach No. 20 in the U.K albums chart. There are eight YESSONGS featured on the HEAVEN & EARTH album and I'll post the full album and individual song videos below before I FLY FROM HERE.

Edited by Psychedelic Paul - August 24 2020 at 08:44

I know it has been not the most well received Yes album, but it is a nice, mild, feel good album for when you are in that mood.  I'm ok with it....sometimes 

Edited by AEProgman - July 30 2020 at 07:57

AEProgman wrote: I know it has been not the most well received Yes album, but it is a nice, mild, feel good album for when you are in that mood.  I'm ok with it....sometimes

Chaser wrote: The best thing about it is the cover art (one of Roger Dean's best) Not so sure about the music. It left me very underwhelmed.

Edited by Psychedelic Paul - July 30 2020 at 08:33

This is the only Yes studio album I've never bought and never heard. I've heard a track here and there but not the whole thing. Maybe I'll get it eventually but it's not a high priority(especially since it has such a lukewarm reputation).

Edited by AFlowerKingCrimson - July 30 2020 at 09:11

dougmcauliffe wrote: Heaven and Earth? Well according to the fan reception that album belongs in neither of those places

Psychedelic Paul, you've really outdone yourself,
Weaving a tale about Heaven and Earth, Yes's 21st studio album. Chris Squire may be in Prog heaven, but the band Yes will live forever in the memory of its fans. Of which I am one. The three songs I like best, are number 5, World of Our Own, number 8, Subway Walls, and number 6, Light of the Ages. When I watch the videos Psychedelic Paul posted here, these were the thoughts I had when I watch them, using some of the lyrics from the songs. My using the lyrics in this way, is a mini tribute to Psychedelic Paul, and the way he uses album titles to weave a story about bands we all know and love. World of our Own is A NEW REVOLUTION in music. Bands today are under SO MUCH PRESSURE to come up with music that everyone loves. But the beautiful melody from World of our Own, creates a CRAZY WHIRLWIND of musical Joy in my ears. And when the music video is over I was HEADED FOR HEARTBREAK.
But then I was listening to Subway Walls. And seeing all that colorful graffiti, I knew this beautiful song and the enjoyment I was feeling listening to it was ALL A STATE OF MIND. And the band members from Yes, HOLD THE SECRET OF IT ALL when they wrote this song. The next song I listened to was Light of the Ages. A FAITHFUL POST-STAR to Prog Rock. When it said that SORROWS A DREAM, it was A BEACON SHINING into my heart. Because it IGNITES THE PATHWAY FOR US, to all the other wonderful songs from Yes. I WILL FOLLOW THE ALL KNOWING Prog Archives, because it holds the POWER TO TRANSCEND our listening experience, even though TRIALS ABOUND, we can HEED THE PRIMAL SOUND
A Prog Rock. (Parts of lyrics from the songs mentioned in block caps). Thank you Psychedelic Paul for enlightening us about music and giving us wonderful magically worded reviews about great prog albums. Your number one fan, FloydianPinkRose.

Very well done introduction as usual! Bravo! 

Psychedelic Paul wrote: Well, I'm a Yes fan and the album's received a good reception from me, especially bearing in mind I'd never heard the Heaven & Earth album before today.

Never heard the album. Have tons of current music on the agenda. When I finish them I may give this a listen. I have to say Paul, only you can create a thread about something you are unfamiliar with and get responses. Rock on, man.

Psychedelic Paul wrote: AFlowerKingCrimson wrote: This is the only Yes studio album I've never bought and never heard. I've heard a track here and there but not the whole thing. Maybe I'll get it eventually but it's not a high priority(especially since it has such a lukewarm reputation).   I'm hoping to improve Heaven & Earth's lukewarm reputation amongst Yes fans  by posting this thread.