Before the notion was rightly dismissed by the others, Jon Anderson was said to have expressed a wish to record Tales from Topographic Oceans in the middle of a forest at nighttime. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Steve Howe‘s guitarwork is light and almost certainly classically influenced; the acoustic motif is mysterious, and as it’s played again, the listener is begged to wonder where the band is planning on ultimately going with it. Clearly, the honeymoon period brought on by Trevor Rabin was over by this point; Tony Kaye and Trevor Horn had been at each other’s throats, and Jon Anderson was expressing doubt around the direction the band was taking. Yet, there isn’t a single thing about the album that stirs or excites me. The disastrous collaboration of the old and new band incarnations on Union was a severe misstep, but nothing on that album was as mind-numbing and lifeless as some of the songs here. …well, maybe they are right, but Tales from Topographic Oceans‘ opaque self-awareness and bombast don’t stop it from being one of the most incredible albums ever made in progressive rock, and quite possibly even Yes‘ finest hour. But, before you know it, the acoustic guitar has picked up the pace and ushers in a tight rhythm from Bruford and one of the most immortal grooves Chris Squire ever dictated with the bass guitar. Or £8.99 to buy MP3 album. Many of the title piece’s instrumental sections sound like they could have been spawned from a miraculously devised improvisation; each instrument fills their side of the sound with a groove and rhythm of its own. The instrumentation feels more lively and balanced than before, Chris Squire‘s bass guitar in particular has finally been given a well-deserved showcase in the mix. See the list below, and let us know how do you rank them in the comments. This high regard was sharp contrast to the hideously sell-outish album art, which may very well be one of the least appealing covers I’ve ever seen. Going for the One is the eighth studio album by English progressive rock band Yes, released on 15 July 1977 by Atlantic Records. by Yes 4.5 out of 5 stars 408. Like a well-balanced meal, there’s plenty to keep a listener busy and occupied; somehow tired of the brilliant guitar and key leads? Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. Thanks in large part to Patrick Moraz‘s recent addition to the band as keyboardist (Wakeman had grown tired of the band’s direction on Tales from Topographic Oceans and made like a tree), there is a strong jazz fusion kick to the music, in a space that would have usually Wakeman‘s high classical influence. There had been personal differences arising in the band since Tales from Topographic Oceans, and combined with their conflicts of artistic vision and a greater level of alcohol consumption than should normally be attributed to a progressive rock act, suffice to say there was a steady foundation for things to fall apart. The Wakeman-orchestrated “Cans and Brahms” is a fine nod to Western classical tradition. I hear that seeing King Crimson perform compelled Yes to brush up their skills and push the envelope; whatever the case, it worked to their benefit. The group bounced back in 2001 with the release of Magnification, but it didn’t last for so long. Writing a set of catchy, concise and effective tunes is potentially just as much a challenge as penning a grandiose epic; it just requires a separate set of skills. 90125 was, undeniably, a fully cheesy pop affair, though one which found itself on the good side of ’80s pop. Whether they’re attempting to bring out the proggy side of their sound or opting for lighter fluid pop anthems, the music sounds like it was out of a compromise. The Keys to Ascension duology gave some strong hopes that Y… It’s not enough to earn a recommendation, but its enough to deserve some sort of defence against some of the “worst album ever” comments made against it. The band, founded in 1968, overcame a generational shift in its audience and the departure of its most visible members at key points in its history to reach the end of the century as the definitive progressive rock band. Like the album’s title, Tormato is itself an awkward portmanteau, pairing Yes‘ flashy progressive style with the then-nascent ‘80s pop kitsch they would deliver in the decade that followed. I’m sure the album was a well-intentioned effort to bring progressive rock back into the fold, but it completely lacks the energy and sense of adventure that would have made it work. These songs could have existed well enough on their own, but the symphonic arrangements make them come alive. The good intention is admittedly better than the execution itself, but it’s nonetheless impressive to hear such a young band trying to work a true-to-life symphonic layer into their music. Albums by Yes Main Releases Play The Royal Affair Tour (Live in Las Vegas) Yes Play Canciones para Cuarentena Después de Cuarentena Yes Play Yes 50 Live Yes Play Live at Glastonbury Festival 2003 Yes Play Live At The Apollo Yes Play The Steven Wilson Remixes Yes Play When the band brings the chaos down to earth a couple of minutes in and goes for a more typical sort of focus, the melodies and symphonic warmth are refreshing, thanks in large part to the jarring contrast. The logical choice, of course, would be for Yes to fall back on their proud history with prog. It’s a slice of near-perfection, and still sounds monumental over forty years since its recording. 90125, blasted off by its big hit single “Owner of a Lonely Heart,” was an enormous success, and not just commercially. This followed the departures of Jon Anderson and Rick Wakeman after numerous attempts to record a new album in Paris and London had failed. We use cookies and similar tools to enhance your shopping experience, to provide our services, understand how customers use our services so we can make improvements, and display ads. All rights reserved. I can’t rightly decide whether Union was a good idea in concept or not. In its wake, the second half of Relayer feels like an addendum to the main attraction; “Sound Chaser” and “To Be Over” are nowhere near as powerful or perfect in their writing or execution. I mean, I don’t think I’ve ever heard a song that’s so unrepentantly rose-tinted about human nature as “I’ve Seen All Good People”. The idea of teaming up the “classic” Yes with the fashionably poppish ’80s Yes is about as high concept as you can get in prog without spiralling into bombastic operatic narrative. As was the case on The Ladder, the strong epic tracks may not be quite enough to excuse the inconsistent pop songwriting, but Yes truly sell their 17th album on account of the passion they’ve put into arranging and executing it. In the context of Yes‘ career as a whole, Time and a Word is a transition piece, elevating the band from the psychedelic organ rock of the self-titled into something more ambitious and nuanced—Time and a Word would start a streak of ambitious symphonic prog that would last a decade. Although progressive rock has been marching onward for what is now close to half a century, the genre had already reached an outstanding maturity and familiarity by 1972. Whether it would have fared better with a different band is up for half-hearted debate, although I’m guessing things wouldn’t change. As is the case with every less-favoured Yes record, there are a few worthy gems, but it’s not enough to compensate for Union‘s lack of focus and appalling inconsistency. Time and a Word is, in many ways, typical for a band’s second album. The Yes Album Lyrics Yours Is No Disgrace Yesterday a morning came, a smile upon your face. I think it would be unfair to call Heaven and Earth a “terrible” album—it’s melodic, appropriately performed and doesn’t turn its back on the band’s prog rock history like the worst of their discography did. Even so, the album’s greatest strength is blatantly obvious, and while I would normally condemn an album for being so one-sided in my love for it, Relayer continues to challenge and provoke me a listener. The most obvious strength in Fly From Here‘s favour is the twenty minute title suite. 90125 pleasantly evades the stereotype of the pop album as being shallow or inconsistent; from a point of songwriting it was the most consistent record they had produced since Going for the One or even before that. Yes (or whatever you’d like to call ‘em nowadays) have created merely a shadow of progressive rock, one with all of the toys and trinkets of the genre, but none of the sophistication we would normally look for in it. No. The Yes Album (Expanded) by Yes | 2003. My first impression to consider the shorter pieces as interludes was sorely mistaken in any case; they may be short, but each track makes a clear statement of its own. Without that stress on the composition’s back, new territories are more capably explored. Somewhat in the vein of what Pink Floyd did with Ummagumma (albeit far more successfully), Fragile features a piece built specifically around each musician. Some rose-tinted listeners went as far to say it ranked up there with the band’s classic material. Something's Coming: The BBC Recordings 1969–1970, Like It Is: Yes at the Bristol Hippodrome, The Ultimate Yes: 35th Anniversary Collection, "australian-charts.com – Discography Yes", "Yes – 9012 Live – The Solos – austriancharts.at", https://www.allmusic.com/artist/p5891/charts-awards, Recording Industry Association of America, https://www.allmusic.com/artist/p5891/charts-awards/billboard-singles, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Yes_discography&oldid=997649010, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, "No Opportunity Necessary, No Experience Needed" (1970), This page was last edited on 1 January 2021, at 15:55. Progressive band could give in to commercial pressure and albums by yes make an album a... And gentle, but the debut certainly deserves more recognition than its.... But the symphonic arrangements make them come alive all time, including `` Owner of a Lonely Heart '' ``... Hippie movement was not sent - check Your email addresses to name at... 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