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APRIL 28, 2001
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Source: Gnosis
http://gnosis2000.net/reviews/yesinfo.htm
YES Info: From Yes to Drama
By Paul Hightower
Yes - "Yes" (Atlantic 82680-2, 1969, CD)
In 1968, Yes came quickly to the attention of the London rock press through
their inventive rearrangements of other artist's material along with a
tight and powerful delivery that earned them comparisons to Vanilla Fudge
and the Fifth Dimension.
Their 1969 debut for Atlantic Records shows a band full of promise and
vision, though limited by their own lack of experience, along with a
producer who was unsure how to handle the band's innovative sound. However,
all of the trademarks that the band still carries with it today are in full
evidence on this album: the interest in complex vocal and instrumental work
and a willingness to go beyond standard pop-rock structures. Then there's
the band itself. Bassist Chris Squire kicks off the album's opener, "Beyond
and Before," with a solo bass riff that in many ways announces his and Yes'
arrival on the musical landscape. The ever-distinctive Jon Anderson sounds
more raw and unpolished on Yes than on later releases, although his voice
cuts through and demands attention as always . The third new talent of note
is drummer Bill Bruford. Particularly when paired with Squire, he controls
his position with an uncanny combination of finesse and power that would
quickly gain the attention of his peers. Guitarist Peter Banks and
organist/pianist Tony Kaye also deliver the goods though with less
distinction.
The material on Yes verges on the pop side of progressive rock, ranging
from the delicate piano and voice ballad "Yesterday and Today" to the
thunderous overhauling of the Beatles' "Every Little Thing." A jazz
temperament shows up in Stephen Stills' "I See You," while the progressive
closer "Survival" gives an indication of the shape of things to come. It's
clear that the compositions and arrangements were given much care and
consideration, a hallmark of the band that has been both a benefit as well
as a burden throughout their existence.
Considering the times, the production job is clean and well-balanced
although the band complained that they were unable to give the album the
care it deserved. Nonetheless, the quality of the material and the
performance, particularly from the rhythm section, are praise-worthy. While
not a commercial success, Yes served as a valuable proving ground that
allowed Anderson and Squire to hone their vision for the future.
Yes - "Time And A Word" (Atlantic 82681-2, 1970, CD)
For their second album, Yes (Jon Anderson in particular), decided that
instrumental augmentation was needed in order to give the songs the depth
they deserved. There was obvious frustration that the band's debut, Yes,
hadn't come off as grand as envisioned, or garnered the public attention
they were hoping for. The answer was to hire an orchestra, perhaps a
knee-jerk reaction, although very much a musical fad of the day as
evidenced by groups such as Deep Purple and The Nice.
Although Time And A Word is comprised largely of original compositions
(Anderson contributing to all), Yes's penchant for reworking others'
material hadn't been entirely exhausted as demonstrated by the opener,
Ritchie Havens' "No Opportunity Necessary, No Experience Needed." When
wedded to the Big Country opening strings, the track becomes a group
showcase and best exemplifies the direction they had taken with this album.
The late-60's R&B/post-psychedelic vibe hasn't been shaken off, although
the group appears to be reaching for something more. The rhythmic attack of
Squire and Bruford is also still going strong, although Chris Squire has
since claimed that the hotly recorded bass tracks had more to do with bad
headphones for the engineer than any conscious attempt on his part.
Overall these songs reveal a greater confidence as seen on the rocking
"Sweet Dreams" and the progressively styled "The Prophet." The album has
its clunkers, noticeably Anderson's hoarse attempt at a Paul McCartney
style voice-with-strings-ballad on "Clear Days," although these are
mitigated by the excellent prog-rock of "Astral Traveler" which includes a
delicious instrumental fugue that's almost worth the price of the album alone.
Regrettably, Peter Banks's guitar is a shadow of its former self, squeezed
out by the strings in most cases although still lacking any real
inspiration. On "Time And A Word," he's opening the door and inviting
himself out of the band. Tony Kaye continues the level of skill seen on the
band's debut but clearly at least Anderson was wishing for more.
Time And A Word shows Yes coming to grips with life as a professional
working band at a crossroads creatively. The next album would settle the
score with regards to their ultimate fate.
Yes - "The Yes Album" (Atlantic 82665-2, 1971, CD)
With The Yes Album, a new chapter in progressive rock was written. Along
with King Crimson, Yes were truly charting new territory in rock music.
Following the disappointment of Time And A Word, clearly a move had to be
made. And as with all organizations grappling with uncertainty a shakeup
helped to release the heavy baggage of their early days and reveal a
promising road ahead. The first casualty of the bands ever revolving lineup
was guitarist Peter Banks.
His replacement was a Londoner named Steve Howe who, previous to joining
Yes, had been kicking around various groups and as a sideman, steadily
making a name for himself as a hot-shot guitar ace. Howe probably seemed a
solid replacement at the time, having both rock and jazz styles as part of
his repertoire. What was probably not known then was the versatility he
would eventually display, particularly when it came to acoustic playing.
Witness the live recording of his solo acoustic ragtime workout "The Clap"
which appears on The Yes Album and it's easy to see why he was quickly
given a feature spot in all Yes live performances. Howe also managed to
quickly insinuate himself into the deepest musical fabric of the group, as
demonstrated on the album's opener, the classic Yours Is No Disgrace. Here
he effortlessly glides between rock, jazz, and some tasty acoustic
flatpicking across the nine plus minutes of the track, and with him on
board, Yes is given new life.
Moreover, a confidence bordering on arrogance led Yes to challenge all of
the assumptions about what it meant to play rock music. Song lengths, meter
changes, instrumental colors and textures all seemed to be up for grabs and
on this album Yes seems to revel in the possibilities. Even
producer/engineer Eddie Offord (who at the time was also working with
Emerson, Lake and Palmer) seemed at a loss to capture the leaps of
creativity, although a better matching of the recording skill to Yes'
musical imagination would come with the next release.
Whether coincidentally or as a response to Howe's presence, Anderson and
Squire also raised the bar on The Yes Album. Anderson appears to be
discovering his muse full force both compositionally as well as lyrically,
while Squire's maturity as a bassist and arranger for instrument and voice
have a profound impact on the material. The wordplay of songs like "I've
Seen All Good People" and "Perpetual Change" demonstrate Anderson's
trademark ability to craft "lyrics as musical notes" that still manage to
have deep evocative meaning. For Squire, his bass lines often contain a
killer-instinct and power which have often left more than one fan in
dumbstruck awe.
As for the rest of the group, drummer Bill Bruford maintains his standard
level of excellence throughout the album, although organist Tony Kaye is
often left in the dust by the others and seems to struggle to keep up. This
was no doubt recognized by Anderson who must have been making moves quickly
to mend that situation.
The Yes Album presents the band on the launching pad of progressive rock
stardom, allowing them to make a complete break from their late-60's post
psychedelic/R&B roots. It also represents the first of a three-album cycle
that, along with Fragile and Close To The Edge, is often referred to as the
"main cycle" or period when the group was at its creative height.
NOTE: For those wishing a deeper insight into this album, the renditions of
the songs that appear on the 1973 live album Yessongs are often considered
the penultimate versions with "Yours Is No Disgrace" ranking with many as
one of the best live rock performance of all time.
Yes - "Fragile" (Atlantic 82667-2, 1972, CD)
Buoyed by the success of The Yes Album, Yes quickly embarked upon putting
together their fourth album in three years. Also, seeing how fruitful the
replacement of original guitarist Peter Banks with Steve Howe was, they
decided that a further shakeup couldn't hurt. Exit Tony Kaye and enter Rick
Wakeman. Kaye had been receding into the wallpaper and Anderson and Squire
were interested in a musician who could provide a palette of sounds and
textures rivaling an orchestra, though without any of the negative baggage
as experienced on Time And A Word.
Wakeman was a busy studio player at the time having just recently left the
Strawbs and having worked on recordings for artists such as Cat Stevens and
David Bowie. A sour group experience with the Strawbs would mean that some
extra heavy duty arm twisting was required to get him to even show up for a
try-out with Anderson, Squire, Howe, and Bruford. However, once the lineup
began work on new material, the chemistry quickly gelled and all left the
initial sessions exhilarated.
As an album, Fragile is an interesting experiment. The tracks are a mixture
of group pieces ("Roundabout," "South Side of the Sky," "Long Distance
Runaround," and "Heart of the Sunrise") and solo compositions from each of
the five band members, apparently Bill Bruford's idea. What the resulting
output gave them were a top-ten radio hit (Roundabout), future concert
staples, as well as stock live solo pieces that would live on up to the
present day.
Musically, the experiments and ideas explored on The Yes Album are refined
and clarified on Fragile, including Anderson's quirky wordplay, the
multi-segmented extended compositions, and the intricate instrumental
interplay and layering. "Heart of the Sunrise" probably represents this
methodology at its extreme while "Roundabout" condenses it into an
ear-friendly package (though savagely edited down for radio play).
Typical of the effortless creativity found on this album are the pairing of
Jon Anderson's "We Have Heaven" with the group piece "South Side of the
Sky." The former, an anthemic multi-layered vocal track, segues via an
interesting bridge of receding footsteps, a door slamming, and a cascade of
wind, into "South Side." One of Yes' all time fiercest rockers, South Side
features blistering guitar work from Steve Howe plus a relentlessly
pounding rhythmic drive which is then juxtaposed in stark contrast against
an elegantly rich middle section featuring piano, percussion, and
stupendous three-part harmony. It's an example of the sort of composition
and arranging that was quickly leaving Yes' peers in the dust. Credit
should also goes to Eddie Offord whose maturity as a producer and engineer
gives Fragile the sonic depth and sophistication it deserves.
Following its release, Fragile quickly went Gold and deservedly occupied a
place in FM radio programmers' libraries for years to come.
Yes - "Close To The Edge" (Atlantic 82666-2, 1972, CD)
Close To The Edge arguably stands up as Yes' grand masterwerk, the pinnacle
of their creative heyday and the yardstick by which the rest of their
output and that of other progressive rock bands is measured. Indeed, this
album is often named as the end of the "main cycle" of creative excellence
for Yes that began with The Yes Album 18 months before. It is telling that
drummer Bill Bruford, never one to rest upon success, saw the completion of
Close To The Edge as the perfect time to make his exit for King Crimson. As
he later put it, "After that all I could see us making was "Son of Close To
The Edge.""
What is it about this album, unable to clock in at even 20 minutes a side,
that has earned it such a revered spot in hearts and minds of progressive
rock fans and critics? It must be seen as the culmination and perfect
expression of the five dynamic creative forces within the band at the time,
all of whom still had something to prove.
The first side of the LP is comprised entirely of the title track, loosely
based upon Hermann Hesse's Siddhartha and credited almost entirely to Jon
Anderson and Steve Howe. Musically, "Close To the Edge" takes up where
"Heart Of The Sunrise" (from Fragile) left off. It encompasses several
stirring melodic and lyrical themes and is one of the best examples of
progressive rock arranging for long format recording ever witnessed. So
much so that several exhaustive critical analyses have been written about
this piece and the reader is urged to search them out if interested in a
truly in-depth look at this masterpiece. Suffice to say, "Close To The
Edge" is an aural whirlwind that reminds one of why headphone listening was
once so popular.
Side two comprises the live staple "And You And I" as well as the rocker
"Siberian Khatru." The former was once described by keyboardist Rick
Wakeman as a "mini quintet sonata". Certainly the primary musical themes in
"And You And I" earn comparisons with the great melodic inventions of the
classical age and its pastoral elegance and charm have made it an almost
universal favorite among Yes fans. Steve Howe's spirited 12-string acoustic
playing shimmers against Anderson's melodic leaps while Chris Squire and
Bill Bruford maintain a relatively low, though firmly rooted, profile. Rick
Wakeman demonstrates his skills on piano and Moog synthesizer, although
fans of the Mellotron, the infamous keyboard which became a fixture among
progressive rock bands of the early 70s, in particular, will find much to
enjoy with his playing on this soaring piece of work.
"Siberian Khatru," however, immediately dispenses with the airy, angelic
strains of "And You And I" with some of Steve Howe's nastiest rock guitar
playing seen anywhere. Bill Bruford once commented that he enjoys "Siberian
Khatru"'s innate logic and sense of flow, and it certainly stands up as a
masterpiece of rock arranging. Seemingly every member of the band receives
equal standing throughout the piece, lending contributions that never
clamor for the spotlight and yet which provide the perfect input to either
propel the song along or change its course. Like its two brethren, this
track has long been effective live and never seems to age.
Certainly all of Close To The Edge conveys a sense of timelessness and is
likely to sound as inventive and engaging 50 years from now as it does
today. This album is truly a progressive rock masterpiece and undoubtedly
ranks as the creative hallmark of Yes' career.
Yes - "Yessongs" (Atlantic 82682-2, 1973, CD)
Originally released as a triple LP in a gatefold sleeve bedecked in a
series of Roger Dean paintings, Yessongs captures Yes live primarily during
the 1973 tour for "Close To The Edge." Original drummer Bill Bruford, who
had departed for King Crimson upon the eve of the tour, was quickly
replaced by Alan White who had the unenviable job of learning the daunting
material in a mere matter of days. For Bruford fans, consolation can be
found in the two recordings taken from the 1972 Fragile tour ("Long
Distance Runaround/The Fish" and "Perpetual Change" (which includes
Bruford's only recorded drum solo for Yes)) that are included here.
For the rest of the package, however, Alan White's kit drives the band
along. White is arguably a better drummer for Yes in the larger concert
venues they were to visit throughout the rest of their career, his style
being overall harder and broader. Ultimately, what Yes misses from Bruford,
his finesse and jazz delicacy, they gain from White's firmer sense of
attack and drive.
The tradeoff works on Yessongs, especially since recording engineer Eddie
Offord recorded the band pretty hot on all the tracks and Steve Howe and
Chris Squire in particular are literally shredding paint throughout. The
only sonic deficit is with Rick Wakeman's Hammond and piano. The former is
regrettably thin and reedy, lacking any of the muscle of his studio work on
songs like "Roundabout" while the piano is a victim of poor recording
equipment of the era.
Otherwise, the band is red hot and displays such sure conviction and
confidence that they must have been leaving audiences stunned in their
wake. Witness the blistering attack of "Siberian Khatru," the bass heroics
of "The Fish," and what is probably one of the most intense live rock
recordings ever, "Yours Is No Disgrace."
Unfortunately, Eddie Offord must not have had time to properly set up his
equipment on all nights and the package suffers from a lack of consistency
in its aural dynamics. Some tracks enjoy an even balance and instrumental
presence while others sound as if the mikes were positioned at the rear of
the hall, the recording suffused with a cavernous, booming echo.
Nonetheless, the rawness of the recording lends a certain visceral quality
to Yessongs that enhances the "live-ness" of the collection.
Certainly, Yessongs captures Yes at a crucial phase in their history, and
represents what for many was their first experience with the band. After a
listen, it's easy to understand where such intense fan loyalty comes from.
Yes - "Tales From Topographic Oceans" (Atlantic 82683-2, 1973, CD)
Tales From Topographic Oceans is one of Yes' most, if not the most,
controversial recordings. While successful in many ways, it nonetheless
demonstrates the potential hazards of the Close To The Edge model of
composing and recording. In essence, Tales takes the same idea as Close To
The Edge (the song) and replicates it across four album sides. Inspired
(lyrically, anyway) by Jon Anderson's readings of Shastric religious
philosophies, Tales stands as Yes' most ambitious undertaking to date and
it is unlikely they will ever attempt it something on its scale again.
Musically, there are tons of great ideas and playing on Tales, particularly
from guitarist Steve Howe, who co-wrote most of the material with Anderson.
Howe shines forth throughout the material, enjoying several solo spotlight
moments, most notably the evocative Spanish guitar work on side three ("The
Ancient"). Overall, though, Tales lacks the consistency of quality of Close
To The Edge or even Fragile. Some of the ideas seem oddly cut short while
others are given more space than they merit. The collection also appears to
suffer from some confusion in the editing and mixing stages, the overall
result lacking clarity or polish.
This release marks the introduction (in the studio anyway) of new drummer
Alan White. White's style contrasts noticeably to former drummer Bill
Bruford's more jazz-centric sensibilities, although his playing and
contributions to Tales can not be faulted. Chris Squire, however, is
disappointingly distant to the overall melieu, his main contributions
coming on side four ("Ritual") in the form of a rocked-up solo that is
given a much larger and satisfying treatment on stage. Overall, one senses
that he was simply not very interested in the whole Tales concept.
Tales would also bring to a head the growing dissatisfaction of Rick
Wakeman with the musical direction Anderson and Howe were pushing. This
plus his own burgeoning solo success led him to publicly question the value
of the project and finally, to quit the band at the end of the tour in
early 1974. Listening to the four sides, one must agree to some extent with
Wakeman's criticisms, at least with regards to the keyboards. Again, there
are several isolated moments of inspiration to be seen, although many times
the keys merely serve to prop up the primary melodic lines or to provide
filler to bridge two ideas. In fact, not until Wakeman's reunion with Yes
in 1977 for the Going For The One LP would the integral role of keys seen
on Close To The Edge and Fragile return to the band.
For the fans, Tales appeared to be a bit too much to swallow. Pre-sales
assured instant Gold status, although forcing audiences to sit through all
four sides in succession proved to be asking too much and shortly into the
tour sides two and three were dropped in favor of past favorites. That
said, recent live performances of both "The Revealing Science of God" (side
1) and "Ritual" (side 4) have validated these pieces, at least in a live
context.
Yes - "Relayer" (Atlantic 82683-2, 1974, CD)
Relayer is a difficult album on many levels. It is arguably the last
recording to come from Yes's most fertile period and their last album of
pure progressive rock. With it, they close a chapter in their musical history.
Following the confusion and acrimony of the Tales from Topographic Oceans
period, Yes elected to retrench a bit. For one thing, their star keyboard
player, Rick Wakeman, had left in a huff to pursue a solo career and the
replacement search ultimately yielded Swiss player Patrick Moraz,
previously seen in the Nice/ELP modeled outfit, Refugee. Moraz could
undoubtedly deliver the goods and even expanded upon Wakeman's stylistic
palette, bringing an almost Jan Hammer-like jazz-fusion slant to his playing.
Secondly, the group retreated to the comfort zone of the Close to the Edge
format. Relayer is similarly comprised of a side long multi-part epic
backed up by two mini-opuses.
Jon Anderson, no doubt feeling somewhat stung by the criticism leveled his
way following the Tales debacle, retaliated with his new epic, The Gates of
Delirium, based loosely on Tolstoi's War and Peace. Though not considered
by many to be of the same caliber as Close to the Edge, Gates nonetheless
succeeds in many of the same ways. It contains genuinely stirring melodic
themes and structural ideas wedded to some fierce playing. The piece breaks
down into three main parts: the opening third comprising a call to arms,
the middle instrumental portraying the charge and assault of battle, and
the final denouement, Anderson's elegiac Soon. Its an extremely challenging
composition and band arrangement, as witnessed in recent live performances,
but, when it works, it is a piece which can leave both audiences and
musicians totally drained in its aftermath.
Side two opens with Sound Chaser, at one time pushed by the band for
consideration as a single (though Atlantic Records had other ideas and
released an edited Soon instead). This piece is more or less an
instrumental workout for Squire, Howe, White, and Moraz with Anderson
contributing some incidental vocals and percussive chanting.
Finally, the album closes with the more pastoral To Be Over, somewhat akin
to And You And I though lacking its melodic brilliance and grandeur.
The musicianship on Relayer is first rate throughout. In fact, many fans
consider it Alan White's best album, demonstrating that he was not the
two-dimensional rock player some Bill Bruford fans would claim. Chris
Squire also turns in some breakneck playing and effortless riffing, further
establishing him as among the cream of rock bassists. Steve Howe fans may
notice a new timbre to his guitars throughout Relayer, most noticeable on
Soundchaser. For the entire album Howe put away the warmer sounding, large
body Gibsons he had favored heretofore, opting instead for the much more
brittle sounding Fender Telecaster. As a result, much of his playing on
this record has a curiously metallic sheen and bite. Some of this quality
may also be attributed to the fact that the entire album was recorded
"hot," pushing the higher frequencies nearly into distortion in certain areas.
It seems with Relayer that Yes is making a statement. There's tacit
acknowledgement that the whole Tales concept was a bit overblown though the
band doesnt seem willing to concede total failure. Anderson especially
seems out to reaffirm the bands raison d'etre, while the other four seem
more or less happy to spread their instrumental wings and jam.
Interestingly, interviews with Chris Squire at the time had him repeatedly
referring to the album's "funkiness," obviously an overt attempt to garner
some mainstream notice since nothing on Relayer will remind the listener of
P Funk or James Brown!
As with Close to the Edge and Tales, Relayer is a classic album of
unadulterated mid-70s progressive rock. Its relative merit seems to depend
mostly upon whom you ask since it has the curious ability to be different
things to different people. It certainly marked the last time Yes would
attempt a recording of its ilk and in this way it holds a special place for
many fans.
Yes - "Yesterdays" (Atlantic 19134-2, 1975, CD)
Following the Relayer world tour of 1975, Yes were exhausted and in need of
a battery recharge in order to establish a clearer sense and vision of the
future. Each band member went off to record solo albums and Atlantic
Records, ever on the clock, opted to release this compilation for the 1975
holiday season. Rather than a greatest hits package, the label instead
decided to cash in on the bands popularity by exposing the fan base to what
most had never heard: music from the first two albums, prior to Steve
Howe's joining the group. This hopefully would in turn trigger renewed
sales of both Yes and Time And A Word. Finally, as an added inducement,
both the full-length version of "America" (previously only available as a
B-side) as well as "Dear Father," the B-side to "Sweet Dreams," were
included. A new Roger Dean cover was slapped on the package (his last for
the band until 1980!) and voila!, a new Yes album for the faithful.
The track selection well represented the offerings from the first two LPs
and no doubt sales of both albums saw a boost as a result. The real gem of
the collection, however, is Yes's remake of Paul Simon's classic "America."
This was the last of Yes's gargantuan covers that helped establish them in
London in 1968 to begin with and is still a marvelously energetic and
inventive piece of arranging today. Work on the track was actually begun
during Tony Kayes tenure with the band though it wasn't until Rick Wakeman
joined the fold that the song, already played extensively live, found its
way onto tape. "America" is one of those quintessential Fragile-era pieces
that shows off all five band members without any sense of individual
grandstanding. That said, if anyone shines the brightest, though, it has to
be Steve Howe who turns in what is arguably one of his finest recorded
performances ever. In interviews Howe has claimed that his virtuoso soloing
on "America" was a deliberate attempt to appeal to the American market,
much as the Beatles did with "Bad Boy" in 1965. Regardless, it's a stirring
performance and a real treat in a live setting as demonstrated in recent
tours.
Yesterdays is a great sampler for those curious about the first two albums
though, to be honest, is worth the purchase price for the full-length
"America" alone.
Yes - "Going For The One" (Atlantic 82670-2, 1977, CD)
A lot can happen to a band in two years, especially a progressive rock band
in the mid 70s. The times they were a changing and Yes, though not ready to
make any radical moves, were not immune to the push and pull going on
around them.
Following the 1976 world tour and cycle of solo albums, the band decided to
part ways with Swiss keyboardist Patrick Moraz who never seemed to quite
gel with the rest of the group. Ironically, writing and rehearsals for the
new album were begun in Switzerland at Mountain Studios in Montreaux.
Through a series of exchanges with manager Brian Lane as the conduit, it
turned out that the timing was right for a return to the fold of Rick
Wakeman. He and Jon Anderson buried the hatchet over the Tales From
Topographic Ocean fracas and he quickly rejoined the band and went to work.
Going For The One is one of those records that seems to capture the entire
band at some kind of peak, particularly Jon Anderson whose composing and
vocal work throughout is nothing less than inspired. His guiding hand
shines across much of the album, including the elegantly restrained
"Wonderous Stories," the narratively gorgeous "Turn of the Century," as
well as the dynamically charged magnum opus, "Awaken." Chris Squire
contributes the pounding rocker, "Parallels," a holdover from his Fish Out
Of Water solo record, as well as some characteristically super-star bass
work. Steve Howe, perhaps taking a back seat compositionally (probably
mined by his solo record, Beginnings), nonetheless turns in some excellent
playing throughout, including his speediest to date as well as the
jaw-dropping slide guitar soloing on the title track. Wakeman's return was
evidently as important for the band behind the scenes as it was on record.
Clearly he was an important part of the overall band chemistry, providing
the wit and levity so necessary to counteract Anderson and Howe's serious
and workmanlike demeanors, much in the same way that Phil Collins did with
early Genesis.
With Wakeman back on board, Yes were clearly re-energized and found the
strength and confidence necessary to tackle a world just beginning to come
to grips with the onslaught of disco and punk rock. Going For The One
carried them through 1977 though bigger challenges were yet to come.
Yes - "Tormato" (Atlantic 7 82277-2, 1978, CD)
Yes's 8th album caught them at a time when the entire musical and cultural
climate was changing. Perhaps perched too lofty for their own good, the
band was unaware of the shaky ground upon which they actually stood. Out of
this came a record typically rated among the poorest of Yes's 70s output.
Jon Anderson has stated that he sensed growing resistance to his efforts to
steer the band's musical direction so with Tormato he deliberately took a
hands-off approach and let things develop more organically. Unfortunately,
the other four members of the band, either through lack of influence or
sheer laziness, failed to pull together to create a unified and cohesive
statement, one of Yes hallmark strengths. As a result, Tormato can most
generously be described as "uneven."
The album kicks off energetically enough with "Future Times/Rejoice,"
primarily an Anderson effort that marches purposefully along while refusing
to plumb the depths of complexity seen in the past. This is followed by
Chris Squire's "Don't Kill the Whale," a foreshadowing of Anderson's
growing New-Age philosophical bent and Squire's willingness to move toward
the shallower end of the musical gene pool in order to score radio play and
sales. The next piece, "Madrigal," is an abrupt departure into
quasi-baroque, Spanish guitar and harpsichord noodling that, despite the
instrumental chops, fails to impress. Following the adage of "always leave
them guessing," the next tune, "Release Release," is about as straight a
flat-out rocker as Yes has ever written, including an in-studio drum solo
from Alan White.
Side two of the record continues the pattern of irregularity, moving from
the prog-rock of "Arriving UFO" (forever lambasted for its suspect lyrics)
to the daffy, summer carnival atmospherics of "Circus of Heaven" to the
plodding romanticism of "Onward," one of Yes's only true love songs. For
those despairing for anything to remind them of the Yes of old, the album
closes with Chris Squire's "On The Silent Wings of Freedom," an old-style
Big Song that features one of his more memorable bass riffs and recaptures
some of the power and excitement of days gone by.
Still, as a package Tormato fails to work. While Squire and White seem
squarely rooted to their respective places in the picture, Howe and Wakeman
continually vie for alpha-male position in the "how many notes can YOU play
in a bar?" stakes, causing the songs to often become instrumentally
cluttered. Meanwhile, Anderson seems to be off in space, content to let the
others worry about matters temporal while he expounds on candy floss, UFOs,
and cetaceans. The die-hard fan will still find plenty to like about the
album since with Yes even the worst tracks typically have something going
for them. But for the public at large, by now turning its attention to
bands like Elvis Costello and The Talking Heads, Yes were quickly becoming
an anachronism, joining other prog-rock giants like Genesis and ELP in the
land of mass confusion.
Yes - "Yesshows" (Atlantic 82686-2, 1979, CD)
Faced with some down time as a result of the confusion following the
departures of Jon Anderson and Rick Wakeman in 1979, Chris Squire agreed to
take charge of the production of Yes's second live package and the last to
chronicle the group's 70s heyday.
As opposed to 1973's Yessongs, which was essentially a document of the
Close to the Edge tour, Yesshows plumbs a variety of tours to fill out its
two discs (originally issued as a double LP in a Roger Dean sleeve), mostly
with Rick Wakeman on the keys though Patrick Moraz makes an appearance.
There's also no attempt to present the material chronologically, either.
Side one, for instance, begins with "Parallels" from 1977's Going for the
One tour, followed by "Time and a Word" from the 10th anniversary tour of
1979 which then segues abruptly into "Going for the One" from 1977 again.
The standouts are the two sidelong pieces, "Gates of Delirium" from Relayer
and "Ritual" from Tales From Topographic Oceans. The former is simply a
stunning live effort, especially considering the sheer challenge of pulling
the piece off on stage at all. The latter proves that what can sometimes
lack cohesion and conviction in the studio can suddenly find focus and life
on stage. Yes has always been a band that somehow transcended their already
impressive studio work on stage and these two pieces, and this collection
in general, prove this without a doubt.
Yes - "Drama" (Atlantic 16019-2, 1980, CD)
Here again was one of those major milestones in Yes life. The year before,
following frustrated efforts to record a follow-up to 1978's Tormato,
founder Jon Anderson and star keyboard player Rick Wakeman left the band to
pursue solo careers. The remaining trio of Squire, Howe, and White
soldiered on, working on new material and hammering out arrangements as a
guitar/bass/drum combo, expecting the vocal and keys spot to sort itself
out in time. (Interested readers should track down bootleg recordings from
these sessions.)
By coincidence, working in a nearby studio (and under the same management)
were the duo phenomenon, The Buggles, flush with a #1 single in Europe,
"Video Killed the Radio Star." The group was composed of keyboard player
Geoff Downes and singer/bassist Trevor Horn and Squire must have quickly
taken note of the possibilities. As the story goes, the two "just happened
to stop by" and were invited to jam with the other three. Having passed
some sort of audition, Squire formally invited Horn and Downes to join
which they did, awed by the thought of joining with their musical heroes.
Atlantic Records, again ever on a schedule, immediately began pushing for
an album with a world tour to follow. Taking the existing material along
with a couple of Downes/Horn pieces, the new record, dubbed Drama, began to
take shape. Being great fans of Yes main cycle albums, Downes and Horn
urged the others to return to a more classic-Yes approach and sound and the
other three agreed, though the current musical climate was not to be
ignored. Roger Dean was even hired for the visual packaging, though even he
opted not to simply regurgitate his prior work.
The album includes two longer tracks, "Machine Messiah" (arguably
influenced by Pink Floyd's "In the Flesh") and "Into the Lens," a re-worked
Buggles track. The former is a true progressive rock romp, including
brilliant playing by Howe and Squire while the latter is more pastoral
though not without energy or verve. Sandwiched between the side end pieces
are the very brief "Man in a White Car," another Buggles holdover, and
Squires "Run Through the Light," a piece Yes had been working on since the
post-Tormato sessions with Anderson and Wakeman.
Perhaps the album's best tracks are the side end pieces, "Does It Really
Happen?" and "Tempus Fugit," both serious rockers. The former is a
whirlwind of action, similar in some respects to Squires "Parallels" and
also featuring brilliant bass work including a full solo at the close. If
the album needed a hit, then "Tempus Fugit" filled the role, gaining
regular radio play on FM rock stations. Again based on a Squire bass riff,
the song jumps along at a heady pace, spurred on by fiery runs and blasts
from Steve Howes Stratocaster.
Squire and Howe both turn in performance of heroic proportions on Drama
with Squire emerging as the star of the record. Alan White keeps the whole
affair on the ground and Downes and Horn seem content to just keep up. Horn
in fact has few solo vocal moments, more often dueting with Squire. Squire
is a much better singer in the studio and on tour Horn was left much more
to his own devices, more so of course on the legacy material where his lack
of range and power was laid bare for criticism. Still, the band managed to
sell out stadiums and arenas throughout America based on past reputation
though this eroded quickly over the course of the tour. In England, in
fact, the public and the press both gave the band and the new album the
cold shoulder. It became apparent that the experiment was not going to
survive the one album and tour and at its end the band dissolved.
Yes fans are often contentious about the relative merits of Drama. While
many bemoan Anderson's absence, many nonetheless are hard pressed to find
fault with the album musically. The final critique more often than not
tends to be, "great prog rock album, though not really a Yes album." For
this writer, I suppose that depends upon how you define a legitimate Yes
album. True, Anderson is missing from the fold, though for instrumental
heroics from Squire (also a founding member by the way) and Howe, Drama has
few peers.
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