View Full Version : Fish Out of Water
MasterCylinder
02-23-2009, 06:30 AM
Listening to the classic Chris Squire on the way into town this morning............nice piece of work still to this day. When all the YES members did their solo thing, Squire put the others in their place.............Wakeman wasn't bad either.
Listening to the classic Chris Squire on the way into town this morning............nice piece of work still to this day. When all the YES members did their solo thing, Squire put the others in their place.............Wakeman wasn't bad either.
Another timeless piece of music. I started playing bass (a Rick) due to Squire.
It's all about "Hold Out Your Hand" and "Lucky 7" for me. That's about it for me though.
3-LockBox
02-23-2009, 04:17 PM
Love the song Lucky Seven. I like the rest of the album, but yer right MC, the others' work are spotty.
There are things to like about all of them, 'cept maybe Jon's. Man, that guy, as "obtuse" as his Yes lyrics are, he gets down right airy fairy on his solo stuff. I know a lot of people who like Olias Of Sunhillow, and I might have thought it was OK, but the thing was terribly mixed with way too many over-dubs...its 10 gallons of **** in a 5 gallon bucket. The rest of his solo stuff makes his worst Yes moments sound great in comparison.
Bruford's works were good, if not a tad redundant from album to album. The guy was a great jazz drummer though. Steve Howe and Rick Wakeman have some killer stuff spread out over their solo albums, but never a flat-out great album. I never heard any of the 'other members' solo stuff, unless you wanna count Billy Sherwood's stuff (I don't).
Proof positive that they're better together, or were, actually. Now Squire is in the hospitol, and down on his back a while, so whatever the hell they called their tour with the young dude replacing Anderson is cancelled (Wakeman's son was touring in Rick's place). Rick said they shouldn't do it; said they were all too old to tour and play gigs every other night and now both Jon and Chris are in the hospitol. Rick retired from touring almost altogether, Bill Bruford says he's retired from touring and soon, music altogether.
Gee, I wonder how the Stones keep going and they're older! Just kidding - I know why the Stones are still going.;)
BradH
02-23-2009, 06:47 PM
When all the YES members did their solo thing, Squire put the others in their place...
For my money, Fish Out Of Water is the best prog album ever made. I've met numerous older Yes fans over the years who consider it better than anything the band did. One hard ass record retailer told me he remembered crying the first time he heard it. Another friend told me he seriously considered selling his bass guitar and never playing again. I remember those years very well. It took about 10 months for those solo lp's to roll out. Anderson & Moraz took forever with all their overdubs but Squire and Howe were first out of the box at the same time. I've basically been transfixed by Squire's record from the moment I heard it. It was stunning to hear his vocals out front like that, sort of a deju vu experience after hearing it in the harmonies so much. And Bruford and Squire, together again for the first time since Close To The Edge. And Bruford with Moraz, two Yes members who'd never played together before...and those songs, holy crap. Yeah, this is all subjective but one statement I'll really stand behind is this: it's the best use of orchestral instruments in a rock context that ever happened. Beautifully recorded too. Do I like it much? Yeah, I'll say. It's stood the test of time in an amazing way. I've got the long out-of-print Japanese/Atlantic import cd that Squire described as sounding better than the master. I haven't heard the newly remastered version.
There's a particular sound quality and style you get when Squire and Bruford are in the room together that you just can't get anywhere else. The BBC caught it on the Union tour when the Fragile lineup did "Heart of the Sunrise" at Wembley. After all those years apart, boom, there it was again. Imo, all those guys were lucky to have found each other back in the day.
jonnyhambone
02-23-2009, 06:49 PM
Silently Falling, Lucky 7, Hold Out Your Hand...three great songs for sure. I'll usually put on Yes first but a couple songs from this album are up there for me. 'Course the Stones are basically walking dead...alive thru copius ingestion of 'embalming fluid'.
MasterCylinder
02-24-2009, 04:56 AM
WOW -- good replies and discussion...........and I can't disagree with any of it.
Troy : those are the standouts, for sure. I listen to this LP as two songs, front and back.............its all good. BTW, whats doing with the value of that N. California real estate ?
3Lock : What's with the hopitalizations ? I didn't know that. I agree that the YES synergy is a true force............better together.
Brad : Very well said..........didn't know about a remastered version........I'm listening to the original CD issue. Can't agree more on the Squire / Bruford chemistry.
MC, they say we're back to 2003 prices. Still too expensive for pretty much anybody, even if they could get a loan. Frankly, I'm desperately underemployed and my wife is down to part time. We're really struggling to make ends meet.
I have that same Japanese CD as Brad. I just don't think I like it quite as much . . . It does sound great, tho.
It's sad to see the band just kinda falling apart and I wish them well with the health problems, but I don't mind them not touring, even if they're healthy. I'm no fan of these classic era rock bands made up of septuagenarians. I just find it depressing to watch these old bags of bones bands "rocking out." It's kinda pathetic.
I really dislike the rest of the Yes members solo work. Anderson did a few good songs with Vangelis, but Olias kinda makes me throw up in my mouth a little. Nauseating. Bruford has some cool songs too, but his albums really do drone on to me. Wakey? Bloated and embarrassing. I hear that stuff and think "No wonder so many people hate progrock." I liked Sherwood's "The Big Peace", but think I might be the only one . . .
MasterCylinder
02-24-2009, 09:35 AM
Troy...........I can totally appreciate your status. My wife has been unemployed for 15 months and my daughter is killing me with out-of-state tuition...........we just try to live day to day right now.
And I can agree that wheelchair rock does get old.............one exception is the Ringo's All-Stars concept............I find those enjoyable.
I also agree that Sherwood can produce solo work better than most of the Yes members.
Wakeman had sonme commercial successes............Anderson, Howe and White made me puke............I do like some of the Moraz stuff. You once sent me a comp disc with some Big Peace on it..........I like it.
BradH
02-24-2009, 11:29 AM
I have that same Japanese CD as Brad.
I think that's the original release. It was the only way you could get it for years.
It's sad to see the band just kinda falling apart and I wish them well with the health problems, but I don't mind them not touring, even if they're healthy.
I passed up the chance to see them this time. I'm sure they would be good, they always are, but at some point it's over. Squire will be back in about a month but Anderson's out and they have a stand-in singer to mostly do the same old track list while most of the back catalogue never gets touched. I'd rather see them go into the studio and come up with something new.
Re: the '75/'76 solo albums. I like Olias of Sunhillow second best of them all and better than any other Anderson solo. His follow up, Song of Seven, was butt-wipingly bad. Howe's Beginnings was an up & down wreck with horrible vocals. I couldn't believe how many Yes fans were drooling over it like it was the second coming, my friends included. Moraz's album I liked but it's hard listening to those vocals anymore. Tons of Brazilian/Caribbean rhythms on there, that was new for me - plus the first time I heard Jeff Berlin. Unfortunately, Berlin was buried in the mix but I remember hearing him and going WOW!! Moraz's 2nd and 3rd albums were better, I think.
Can't agree more on the Squire / Bruford chemistry.
I've got boots from the '76 tour where the whole band is doing the first two cuts from Fish. There's definitely a difference. White and Bruford are about as different as you can get.
Anyway, Squire is talking about a follow up to Fish but I wouldn't hold my breath without a lifetime supply of scuba tanks. Looking forward to his album with Hackett.
3-LockBox
02-24-2009, 11:51 AM
Its hard for a lot of these retro-rockers to make any money off album sales, and so the need to tour, but in order to make that lucrative, they need to tour like a buncha 20somethings, and they just can't do it. Some acts like Genesis, The Stones, etc, are getting 5 and 10 times the ticket price per person for their concerts, and are selling out because they have way better promoting, so they don't have to play but once a week.
Mr MidFi
02-24-2009, 01:06 PM
I really dislike the rest of the Yes members solo work. Anderson did a few good songs with Vangelis, but Olias kinda makes me throw up in my mouth a little. Nauseating. Bruford has some cool songs too, but his albums really do drone on to me. Wakey? Bloated and embarrassing. I hear that stuff and think "No wonder so many people hate progrock."
I agree completely...with the sole exception of Six Wives. There's some good stuff on that one.
BradH
02-24-2009, 03:54 PM
Its hard for a lot of these retro-rockers to make any money off album sales...
Especially when they have to split the money four or five ways. That's a huge factor. Notice how many artists from that generation are still making solo albums.
Dave_G
03-01-2009, 12:44 PM
Ya and now Chris has health issues. Wonder if we will ever see/hear Yes again...
But this album I have never been able to dig, like some of those old JA releases - a few nice spots here and there but overall weak as heck.
Dave
Auricauricle
03-01-2009, 01:15 PM
Either o' you listen to Wakeman on Strawbs' Just a Collection of Antiques and Curios? Mighty fine playin' before Yes snatched him up....
Troy: I agree with your assessment of the Anderson-Vangelis works. Some good, a lot of it, just garish. So Long, So Clear: eeesh. It's too bad, really, since they're both very talented and capable. Ever get the feeling that Anderson got the notion that he was Heaven-sent?
BradH
03-02-2009, 09:42 AM
Either o' you listen to Wakeman on Strawbs' Just a Collection of Antiques and Curios? Mighty fine playin' before Yes snatched him up....
He's also on the Strawb's From The Witchwood if you want to check it out. I've got those on vinyl but they're stashed away and it's been years since I heard them. My favorite Strawbs is Hero and Heroine.
Auricauricle
03-02-2009, 09:56 AM
I have Witchwood, Hero and Heroine, Ghosts, Collection of Antiques and Curios and Grave New World on vinyl*...Unfortunately my TT is in storage...Glad to hear I'm not the only fool around here who ever heard o' these boys....
richmon
03-02-2009, 10:56 AM
I agree completely...with the sole exception of Six Wives. There's some good stuff on that one.
Six Wives has Bruford, Howe, Squire, Alan White also which help to flesh out the album. All songs are 3 - 8 minutes which keeps it bloat free. Much much better than the subsequent albums, Journey, Arthur etc, you really need to try it Troy if you haven't already.
I saw the current Yes tour in B'more before it blew up, tho it's was like watching your grandparents jam, I enjoyed it thoroughly, it was only 50 bucks or so.
Dave_G
03-02-2009, 11:05 AM
Dude, that Yes gig was one of the best shows I ever saw, I was stunned and was grinning from ear to ear the whole time, mucho excellento. Everyone in the place was getting into it big time, esp. hearing DRAMA songs live.
Dave
BarryL
03-04-2009, 07:08 AM
Listening to the classic Chris Squire on the way into town this morning............nice piece of work still to this day. When all the YES members did their solo thing, Squire put the others in their place.............Wakeman wasn't bad either.
I remember the Yes solo coming out. Olias had the best artwork, but only one good tune, the last one on side 1.
Squire's album was great. Hold Out Your Hand was the stand out track, and I don't recall that I listened to side 2 too often. But now on CD, I love the whole thing. It's an acquired taste.
I still love Moraz's i CD. I always thought his choice of vocalists was poor on his solo stuff. Give me Refugee, any day. Man, that brings back memories, sitting in my bedroom blasting Refugee on the stereo. I think I went through three copies of vinyl.
I was a big fan of Wakeman's Six Wives and Journey, but he lost me after King Arthur (on ice). I have been picking up some of the old Wakeman on CD, and there's some great stuff there. His recent RETRO 2 CD is really good, all done on vintage keyboards.
Steve Howe's Beginnings also had a great Roger Dean cover. I loved the instrumental stuff on that, especially the orchestrated pieces, but why did he insist on singing himself? Should have got Squire to sing.
I never did pick up White's Ramshackled at the time. I bought it recently on CD, and have concluded I made the right choice back then. Mostly throw away.
MasterCylinder
03-04-2009, 09:41 AM
Hey Barry............long time, no see.
I completely forgot about Moraz's i..............some good stuff on that one.
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