From: josh@viewlogic.com (Josh Marantz)
Subject: Re: Help for a Yes newbie
Organization: Viewlogic Systems, Inc.
Date: Fri, 20 Nov 1992 02:16:56 GMT

>chyde@pecos.ads.com (Clinton Hyde) writes:

I was afraid I'd get into this, being one of the all-time most loyal
Yes fans, and knowing every note of most of their songs.

>
>[re: fragile]
>>i'm curious--which ones do you consider weak?
>
>In fact most of the tracks don't really turn me on. _Cans and Brahms_ and
>_We have Heaven_ are the worst IMO. _Five per cent.._: no opinion.
>_Roundabout_, _South side of the sky_ and _Long distance runaround_ all show
>what they will be able to achieve one day (= 'relayer' and 'close tt edge' :),

One of the many things that, IMHO, sets Yes apart from other excellent
bands in this era and others is how rewarding it is to learn the
subtler aspects and sounds of many of their songs.  South Side of the
Sky is a good example of this, especially the piano/drum counterpoint
in the middle section of the song, and the melodic repeating piano
figure dissolving into the blistering guitar.  I never figured out
why they never did that song live (at least on my bootlegs, or my
concert experience beginning in '83).

>but these pieces have (IMO of course) still something 'immature'. E.g.
>listen to the part 'in and around the lake mountains come out of the sky...'
>in _Roundabout_. This beat-and-all really doesn't get me excited. (hey!
>it's just an *example*, remember? :).
>This is not to say it's all bad - it's just (IMO IMO) not 100% YES yet (pun
>intended :).

Yes has so many great qualities (catchy melodies, amazing
instrumentation, intricate counterpoints, textures and rhythms, and
mostly in a hard-rock context that keeps everything moving) that it's
difficult to wrap them all up, and put them in a package, and call a
song 100% Yes.  While it's true that they progressed in further
albums, it was not always as successful as The Yes Album or Fragile
were, even in their more limited scope.

>The last 3 tracks, _the fish_, _Mood for a day_ and _Heart of the sunrise_ are
>just plain OK. Esp. the last one is (pff... IMO again) the first 100% YES
>track. Very well thought-over, carefully composed... how do you call that.
>Note the (nearly) last note of the vocals (the last time 'I feel lost in
>the citYYY' - the highest note in the 'YYY' is one of the most beautiful
>notes I've heard - once you know it, you can hear the complete piece build
>up a tension that's (finally) released in this last note... OK, I let myself
>be dragged away once more... :)

I gotta agree, HOTS may be the single best Yes track ever, but I
thought the high note and tension-release was not on "citYYY", but
right before, on the synthesizer right after "the wind with its arms
all around me".  (Note the very classically-inspired synth repetition
of that synthesizer line with the song's main bass themes -- it feels
classical to me because of the way it ties the song together).

>As I said, the list isn't complete. I typed it off the top of my head...
>Never cared to buy Yessongs - sometimes I borrow it from a friend and
>everytime I play it 2 or 3 times I decide not to buy it... Probably
>the 'sloppy' recording quality... ??? IMO it all sounds a bit chaotic.

The sound isn't great, but I think the performance and energy on Close
to the Edge, Siberian Khatru, and Yours is no Disgrace are so much
better than the studio versions, that it's worth it.

By the way, even with weak title track, I think that Going For The One
should be ranked up there with the top 3.  Awaken, in particular, ranks
with Heart of the Sunrise and Close to the Edge.

>>i haven't listened to Relayer for a while, not sure where i'd place
>>that. guess I need to go home and play it...
>
>Shame on you! Yes, go home and play it immediately! :) _Gates_ is my favourite
>symphonic piece of all times... really, incredible... But it took me about
>10 year to really 'get' it. (I know, I'm slow - althoug I *did* like it during 
>those 10 years).

Strange about Relayer -- I always enjoy it when I listen to it, but I
never seem to be inspired to put it on.  It doesn't have the hooks to
drag you back for repeated listenings.  Same with *Tales*, which has
the hooks (e.g. guitar solo on side 3), but it has so much fuzz in
between (e.g. guitar noise on side 3) that it's harder to put it back
on.

I have to share another poster's opinion that Drama is highly
underrated, although the lyrics are really horrible, except on Tempus
Fugit, which is yet another one where I don't know what the hell the
lyrics are saying, but it sounds great, and it paints an image that
goes really well with the music.

I think that 90125 and Big Generator each contributed one worthwhile
tune: Leave It and I'm Running, which evokes images to me of the first
two albums: Yes and Time and a Word.  Which brings me to my other
recommendation: Yesterdays.  It is a collection of some of the better
songs from Yes, Time And A Word, plus two one of which is A kick-ass
version of Paul Simon's "America".
-- 
Joshua Marantz                          You make my life and times
Viewlogic Systems,                        a book of bluesy Saturdays
josh@viewlogic.com                      And I have to choose...
Newsgroups: alt.music.progressive