Yessongs

[BarryL]

Boy, I remember wearing out a few copies of this 3 record set through my teen years. I've been listening to an older non-remastered version on CD for the past week, and forgot how great this album is. I even discovered that the Bruf plays on a couple of tracks.

This band was HOT back in 1973. I didn't see them until 1975 on the Relayer tour with Moraz on keyboards. There was nothing like this in music prior to Yes, and very little since then. I can imagine nothing more mind-blowing than sitting through a concert of this quality and intensity for two hours, but I don't think you could find that today.

Steve Howe is absolutely ripping, and Alan White does a great job on drums replacing Bruford.

The sound quality reflects the times with a softer, less clean sound than you would hear today in a digital recording, but it's none the worse for that.

If you haven't played this one in 20 years, then it's time to crank it up and feel the excitement! No wonder I always thought that as much as I loved ELP, this band up to about 1976 ripped the balls off everyone. Unfortunatly, I saw them in the round on the Tormato tour with Wakeman, and the thrill was gone. Yeah, they were good - a Yes concert is always that - but the drive wasn't there.

[Troy]

I never connected with this live album.

It was always SO expensive as a teenager, I always opted for something else at the record store.

When I finally heard it in about 1980, I was very disappointed by the recording quality. Many 70s live albums sound much better than this.

I've always thought that Yes has released far too many live albums.

[Dusty Chalk]

I've always thought that Yes has released far too many live albums.

Although I agree with this assessment now (can you say "DVD glut"?), I thought this was the only live album to come out until YesShows...?

[Troy]

Although I agree with this assessment now (can you say "DVD glut"?), I thought this was the only live album to come out until YesShows...?

I think you're right, but note that my comment was really directed at the entire Yes catalogue as it sits today, not the 70s.

[BarryL]

I've always thought that Yes has released far too many live albums.

Yes puts out a live album a month, at least. ELP has started to do the same. You should see how many live King Crimson and Gentle Giant albums there are. I wish some other bands would put out some live stuff! I want to hear a live Triumvirat.

These progressive bands don't have a growing audience base, so they need product for their die-hard fans, who will buy anything. Now you get a live DVD and corresponding CD for every tour, by all major bands. I think of them as souvenirs. I'm sure this will last for a couple of years, now that these can be recorded on the cheap and made to look highly professional. Then people like me will ask: do I really need another Dream Theater DVD?

For live DVDs in my collection, Yes leads the pack hands down. Second is probably Joni Mitchell if you count two documentaries, or Dream Theater and Pat Metheney with three each. I may also have three ELP.

[Dave_G]

This album has horrible sonics.

I have it but never play it and I havent bothered buying the rererereremasters.

The Yesshows set is way better.

In my opinion, of course!

Dave

[BarryL]

This album has horrible sonics.

I have it but never play it and I havent bothered buying the rererereremasters.

The Yesshows set is way better.

In my opinion, of course!

Dave

Some people think that there is no way to assess which album has better sonics because some like one and some like another. Yeah, the sound quality is inferior, but the band rocks on this one in a way that made progressive rock truly exciting.

[MasterCylinder]

"Steve Howe is absolutely ripping, and Alan White does a great job on drums replacing Bruford"................

Agreed.............I absolutely loved FRAGILE and CTTE.........Bruford had the drum set talking a new language with those two releases.
Then we get the live album you discuss here............all very nice with Bruford and then................ White taking over the job.
TOPOGRAPHIC was still very nice............although a bit tougher to digest that previous stuff..............due to some Anderson religion-based fluff inserted to fill a double.

RELAYER was then the bomb........was not sure how life would be without Wakeman but Moraz stepped up to the plate and offered us something new and different.

Alan White went nuts and played his ass off in SOUND CHASER........incredible !!!
(In 5/8 meter no less !)

Ever since that song, he has been an average drummer to me........ very disappointing.

I saw Dream Theater open for Yes last month in Albuquerque..........after watching Portnoy for an hour, Alan White seemed like Charlie Watts.

[BarryL]

Alan White went nuts and played his ass off in SOUND CHASER........incredible !!!
(In 5/8 meter no less !)

Ever since that song, he has been an average drummer to me........ very disappointing.

I saw Dream Theater open for Yes last month in Albuquerque..........after watching Portnoy for an hour, Alan White seemed like Charlie Watts.

You could just feel it after the Tormato album. The band went into coast mode. They were on top of the world for about four years, and fashion shifted. They were the Wal-Mart and McDonalds of music in the sense that the biggest and best become the target for everything the music press thought was bad about music. I'm sure you'll recall that the music industry started to become disenchanted with rock'n'roll because the musical standards had been raised too high with progressive bands and classically trained musicians from art colleges leading the charge. Then along came the deconstruction through punk. This nihilism didn't amount to much in terms of music sales, and it mutated into new age, which sparked the techno-pop trend of the '80s.

It wasn't until Rabin joined the band that some of that spark was returned.

Anyway, we've had this conversation about White before. The man can't get past 4/4 time anymore. He's the weakest link.

[MasterCylinder]

Hey Barry.................

check out disc #2 of the new Dream Theater DVD (so-called Bonus Materials).
During all the interview stuff (on the Train of Thought) Portnoy makes a statement about the history of prog that echoes waht you said in your reply.

[Dave_G]

Alan is different from Mike in many ways, but I still think he is a fine musician and is a pleasant and mature individual.

Dave

[Dusty Chalk]

I think you're right, but note that my comment was really directed at the entire Yes catalogue as it sits today, not the 70s.

It's just that when you said, "...I always thought...", I thought you meant so even back then, so hence my confusion. I stand (well, sit) corrected.

[BarryL]

Hey Barry.................

check out disc #2 of the new Dream Theater DVD (so-called Bonus Materials).
During all the interview stuff (on the Train of Thought) Portnoy makes a statement about the history of prog that echoes waht you said in your reply.

I watched about half of disk one last weekend. What an awesome band, huh?

Maybe I'll start on disk 2 this weekend.

I like the documentary stuff they include with the disks. Neal Morse started this with his hand-held home movies on the Making of V Spock's Beard DVD. There's about an hour of stuff on the Testimony tour. It gives good insight into the behind the scenes life and business of musicians and touring. It can be brutal. (having someone videoing all the time, I mean.) At one point on the tour bus, there's one guy videoing Neal Morse, and about four of the other band members are videoing the same thing at the same time!

[madmax1]

I was just clicking around this site like i do everyday and wow heres someone talking about YES. I havent had these albums out in along time. So sometime it just takes the inspire of someone else to make you remember the good old music! I get caught up with all the new music these days at work and home(with the kids) that i forgot the older albums i have around. So just wanted to say thx for opening my eyes once again! Bringing out the J tull,Queen,Rolling Stones,The Animals..............the list could go on and on!!! Thanks!

[BarryL]

I was just clicking around this site like i do everyday and wow heres someone talking about YES. I havent had these albums out in along time. So sometime it just takes the inspire of someone else to make you remember the good old music! I get caught up with all the new music these days at work and home(with the kids) that i forgot the older albums i have around. So just wanted to say thx for opening my eyes once again! Bringing out the J tull,Queen,Rolling Stones,The Animals..............the list could go on and on!!! Thanks!

I have a selection of prog tunes that I play in the car and have convinced my kids to like them. They LOVE Seven Voices off The Ladder. They also love stuff from Jethro Tull (The Mouse Police), Spock's Beard (The Good Don't Last), Illusion (A Face of Yesterday), Genesis (A Trick of the Tale), The Flower Kings (Stardust We Are), Renaissance (Ocean Gypsy), etc. The thing is to find those songs with strong melodies and story lyrics that the kids can relate to.