IT'S THE YES EPICS POLL

Damn, I meant to add comedy to the title, oh well.

― Autumn Almanac, Monday, 26 November 2007 23:12 (2 years ago) Permalink

for some people the idea of a 15-minute prog suite is comical enough even BEFORE you make a whole poll of them!

― Just got offed, Monday, 26 November 2007 23:16 (2 years ago) Permalink

Awaken or Gates of Delirium... I'm going with the former.

― Joe, Monday, 26 November 2007 23:18 (2 years ago) Permalink

The endings of both are among the two most spine-tingling I can think of in the genre.

― Joe, Monday, 26 November 2007 23:19 (2 years ago) Permalink

See, I played Gates of Delirium again yesterday and I still don't get it.

If there are no epics polls for Genesis, King Crimson etc. we should get cracking in the ensuing months.

― Autumn Almanac, Monday, 26 November 2007 23:20 (2 years ago) Permalink

It's all about the final C major chord. Like the "Liebestod" of prog rock.

― Joe, Monday, 26 November 2007 23:21 (2 years ago) Permalink

I'm going with GoD! I haven't heard a good three-quarters of these (everything that isn't on TYA, Fragile, CTTE, Relayer and GFTO) but I'm convinced it can't be topped.

Autumn Almanac, I actually once sent a friend instructions on how to listen to GoD in order to get it. They were very complicated, but I think if you listen to that MOMENT 13:43 into the song, where Yes WIN MUSIC, you might be on your way.

Joe's right about the end too btw. Awe-inspiring.

― Just got offed, Monday, 26 November 2007 23:22 (2 years ago) Permalink

if you listen to that MOMENT 13:43 into the song

The Relayer version or a live one?

― Autumn Almanac, Monday, 26 November 2007 23:25 (2 years ago) Permalink

for some people the idea of a 15-minute prog suite is comical enough even BEFORE you make a whole poll of them!

-- Just got offed, Monday, November 26, 2007 6:16 PM (7 minutes ago) Bookmark Link

When you get over your sense of embarrassment at liking these is the point at which life begins.

― Hurting 2, Monday, 26 November 2007 23:25 (2 years ago) Permalink

Quite, Hurting. AA, I speak of the Relayer version. Find and gawp. Carry on listening for 20 seconds and the guitar soars a couple of octaves for the ABSOLUTE win.

― Just got offed, Monday, 26 November 2007 23:26 (2 years ago) Permalink

This is hard, I have it down to 4 and I haven't heard any of the post 1980 ones. I think I'll go either "Starship Trooper" or "Awaken" but "And You and I" and "Gates" are still in there too.

― Noodle Vague, Monday, 26 November 2007 23:28 (2 years ago) Permalink

^^^^^^the four that NV has picked are CORRECT (give or take 'Awaken' which I need to hear again).

― Just got offed, Monday, 26 November 2007 23:30 (2 years ago) Permalink

starship trooper, go sailing on by
Touch my soul, catch the very light

― calstars, Monday, 26 November 2007 23:31 (2 years ago) Permalink

Okay JGO, give me 13 mionutes and 43 seconds.

― Autumn Almanac, Monday, 26 November 2007 23:32 (2 years ago) Permalink

"Awaken" is a big grower for sure. It regularly used to place as the highest Yes song on the Friday Rock Show birthday polls.

The Part B riff of "Starship Trooper" is some monolithic business, meanwhile.

― Noodle Vague, Monday, 26 November 2007 23:32 (2 years ago) Permalink

xxxxxp As good as those others are, Awaken is the only one that knocks me on my arse so I'll probably go with that.

― Autumn Almanac, Monday, 26 November 2007 23:33 (2 years ago) Permalink

RSOG

― chaki, Monday, 26 November 2007 23:34 (2 years ago) Permalink

Which one inspired Wakeman to eat korma?

― Autumn Almanac, Monday, 26 November 2007 23:35 (2 years ago) Permalink

jesus i need to get GFTO, i've only heard 'Awaken' ONCE, and it was pretty good, but these things improve with every listen.

Starship Trooper is monolithic all the way through, but THAT ORGAN BUILD-UP, THAT GUITAR SOLO, OMG

― Just got offed, Monday, 26 November 2007 23:35 (2 years ago) Permalink

Get GTFO. Get Tormato too, because Release Release is sublime for all the wrong reasons.

― Autumn Almanac, Monday, 26 November 2007 23:39 (2 years ago) Permalink

shall do. tell me when you reach the Bit Of Orgasm btw.

― Just got offed, Monday, 26 November 2007 23:41 (2 years ago) Permalink

9:31

― Autumn Almanac, Monday, 26 November 2007 23:41 (2 years ago) Permalink

12:38

― Autumn Almanac, Monday, 26 November 2007 23:44 (2 years ago) Permalink

13:21

― Autumn Almanac, Monday, 26 November 2007 23:45 (2 years ago) Permalink

13:37

― Autumn Almanac, Monday, 26 November 2007 23:45 (2 years ago) Permalink

hmm

― Autumn Almanac, Monday, 26 November 2007 23:46 (2 years ago) Permalink

okay I feel like I missed something.

― Autumn Almanac, Monday, 26 November 2007 23:47 (2 years ago) Permalink

DUDE THE GUITAR TEXTURE MAKES A QUANTUM LEAP INTO THE UTTERLY INMAZINGABLE

― Just got offed, Monday, 26 November 2007 23:49 (2 years ago) Permalink

I got loads more out of the song as a whole this time, but nothing seemed to happen at 13:43. When it finishes I'll go back.

― Autumn Almanac, Monday, 26 November 2007 23:50 (2 years ago) Permalink

Nothing again. Perhaps it needs time.

― Autumn Almanac, Tuesday, 27 November 2007 00:01 (2 years ago) Permalink

took me a few listens.

― Just got offed, Tuesday, 27 November 2007 00:04 (2 years ago) Permalink

Looking close at what was included, where are the following? "Yours Is No Disgrace", "Perpetual Change", "South Side of the Sky", "Siberian Khatru", "Sound Chaser", "To Be Over", "Turn of the Century"?

Not sure of their exact times, but surely these in spirit deserve to be on here too (especially since they would give some serious competition, relative to non-entry entrys like "That, That Is").

― Joe, Tuesday, 27 November 2007 01:39 (2 years ago) Permalink

Also, to be comprehensive the ABWH stuff probably should be on here too (not that any of it would win).

― Joe, Tuesday, 27 November 2007 01:40 (2 years ago) Permalink

Oh man I was so thinking about doing a Rush epics poll. Maybe I will! Anyway, Starship Trooper. Shouldn't the Tales sides be considered as ONE VAST EPIC? I'm guessing everything post awaken sucks.

― Matt #2, Tuesday, 27 November 2007 01:44 (2 years ago) Permalink

Joe, it came down to using length as the arbitrator. The original list I had was enormous, and included most of what you mentioned; someone else said it should only be the seven or eight 15+ minute epics. We had to draw the line somewhere.

I genuinely forgot the ABWH stuff though.

― Autumn Almanac, Tuesday, 27 November 2007 01:54 (2 years ago) Permalink

Matt #2: Tales is one big epic in my head too, but a lot of people do like only parts of that album.

Not everything post-Awaken sucks, if you ignore everything between Big Generator and Open Your Eyes (but not Keystudio).

― Autumn Almanac, Tuesday, 27 November 2007 01:55 (2 years ago) Permalink

You should all be ritualistically slain for not realizing the eye-socket-felching brilliance that is "Tempus Fugit."

― Alex in NYC, Tuesday, 27 November 2007 02:42 (2 years ago) Permalink

Sigh. Awaken it is for orgasm factor. So bloody hard though.

― Autumn Almanac, Wednesday, 28 November 2007 01:10 (2 years ago) Permalink

Alex in NYC should be gently slapped around the chops for suggesting that a 5-minute song belongs on the ILX YES EPICS POLL.

― Just got offed, Wednesday, 28 November 2007 01:25 (2 years ago) Permalink

"tempus fugit" is eye-socket-felching brilliant, but at what? 5 minutes? it's no epic. joe totally otm though about "Yours Is No Disgrace", "Perpetual Change", "South Side of the Sky", "Siberian Khatru", "Sound Chaser", "To Be Over", "Turn of the Century." someone should do a best-epic-producing-band poll if it hasn't been done yet. can should be on there, and tangerine dream, and well i guess a lot of others. i chose "close to the edge" by the way. it holds together better than "gates of delirium" -- "soon" could really be its own song

― kamerad, Wednesday, 28 November 2007 01:27 (2 years ago) Permalink

This one seems so much easier than the crimson and genesis epics poll.
I'm picking The Revealing Science of God. -"what happened to this song, we used to know so well...I must have waited all my life for this moment moment MO-MENT!"

― CaptainLorax, Wednesday, 28 November 2007 01:37 (2 years ago) Permalink

OTM- Looking close at what was included, where are the following? "Yours Is No Disgrace", "Perpetual Change", "South Side of the Sky", "Siberian Khatru", "Sound Chaser", "To Be Over", "Turn of the Century"?

good god those are some good songs. Sound Chaser and Siberian Khatru.. how could those 2 be forgotten! and well, turn of the century might not be an epic but it is awesome.

― CaptainLorax, Wednesday, 28 November 2007 01:40 (2 years ago) Permalink

It was all about length, honestly. I mean Release Release is about the most densely complex and srsly fucked-up thing the band ever did (and I would probably have voted for it), but where do you draw the line?

This was destined to be controversial.

― Autumn Almanac, Wednesday, 28 November 2007 01:44 (2 years ago) Permalink

well Soung Chaser and Siberian Khatru are long.

― CaptainLorax, Wednesday, 28 November 2007 01:53 (2 years ago) Permalink

I drew the line at nine minutes to avoid this, but I guess it was always going to be unavoidable. We had a massive debate about it here, if you want to see how we arrived at this conclusion.

Khatru's arguably just one long song though, rather than being epic. IMO of course.

― Autumn Almanac, Wednesday, 28 November 2007 01:56 (2 years ago) Permalink

I mean Release Release is about the most densely complex and srsly fucked-up thing the band ever did

even more so than CTTE 1:21 - 2:57? i can't imagine it.

― Just got offed, Wednesday, 28 November 2007 01:58 (2 years ago) Permalink

I wouldn't call CTTE fucked up though :)

― Autumn Almanac, Wednesday, 28 November 2007 01:58 (2 years ago) Permalink

Anything longer than 5 mins and with multiple sections. "South Side of the Sky" size/scope up, probably.

-- Autumn Almanac, Monday, 26 November 2007 12:00 (2 days ago) Bookmark Link

So you'd do "Siberian Khatru", probably, but not "Arriving UFO." For example.

-- Autumn Almanac, Monday, 26 November 2007 12:00 (2 days ago) Bookmark Link

Bahahahaha. You can see how many times the criterion changed.

― Autumn Almanac, Wednesday, 28 November 2007 01:59 (2 years ago) Permalink

"Awaken/Gentle Mass/Touch-ing!" --- I voted for this.

― Capitaine Jay Vee, Wednesday, 28 November 2007 02:08 (2 years ago) Permalink

Today my choice is Close To The Edge, tomorrow it could be something different.

I may well have voted differently if South Side of the Sky or Siberian Katru were on the list.

― Moodles, Wednesday, 28 November 2007 02:56 (2 years ago) Permalink

eye-socket-felching

I'm really disturbed by this turn of phrase. Torn between "Starship Trooper" and CTTE.

― Sundar, Wednesday, 28 November 2007 02:59 (2 years ago) Permalink

As music goes CTTE is just about perfect. There's no point at which you think, "oh I would have done that bit differently."

― Autumn Almanac, Wednesday, 28 November 2007 03:01 (2 years ago) Permalink

Yah CTTE gets overlooked alot because its so popular but an what a track.

― chaki, Wednesday, 28 November 2007 03:07 (2 years ago) Permalink

*man

― chaki, Wednesday, 28 November 2007 03:14 (2 years ago) Permalink

I am SO glad to not be forced to choose between "Yours Is No Disgrace" or "South Side" or "Roundabout". (Anyways, the last two are mere pop songs compared to the later real Yes epics.) Haven't heard the live version in years, but the orig "Starship Trooper" is one peak after teh next. That transition into the fingerpicked "Loneliness is a power..." - a whole 'nother song tucked away in there, like a beloved pet that has a pet of its own.

― Myonga Vön Bontee, Wednesday, 28 November 2007 04:27 (2 years ago) Permalink

who the fuck overlooks "close to the edge"? i wish i knew somewhere people were all like, yeah, "close to the edge," i've heard that shit too much, it's like "stairway to heaven." i'm probably just some rube

― kamerad, Wednesday, 28 November 2007 06:40 (2 years ago) Permalink

best three album run ever, the yes album - close to the edge

― kamerad, Wednesday, 28 November 2007 07:21 (2 years ago) Permalink

the best three album
run ever, the yes album
through close to the edge

― kamerad, Wednesday, 28 November 2007 07:33 (2 years ago) Permalink

Voted "Awaken". "Close To The Edge" is a better album, but "Awaken" is their single most beautiful moment overall. Those harps and church organs: Wonderful!

― Geir Hongro, Wednesday, 28 November 2007 10:34 (2 years ago) Permalink

Yeah, he right.

― Noodle Vague, Wednesday, 28 November 2007 10:42 (2 years ago) Permalink

I voted for "Gates of Delirium". Heavy & intense, great payoff at the end. It was a hard choice though, all of the seventies Yes tracks listed are great to me.

― Pashmina, Wednesday, 28 November 2007 11:12 (2 years ago) Permalink

Alex in NYC should be gently slapped around the chops for suggesting that a 5-minute song belongs on the ILX YES EPICS POLL.

Yeah, that was a bit of an oversight. Lashings of apologies.

― Alex in NYC, Wednesday, 28 November 2007 13:17 (2 years ago) Permalink

"And You and I" barely over "Heart of the Sunrise"

― nicky lo-fi, Thursday, 29 November 2007 08:18 (2 years ago) Permalink

This is the hardest of these EPIC polls. I'll go with Gates of Delirium, but am glad I don't have to choose for real.

I love their version of America. I've actually never heard the original, nor do I really care too

― Bill Magill, Thursday, 29 November 2007 17:06 (2 years ago) Permalink

Okay, after about 15 listens Gates of Delirium is indeed mental. The 13:43 moment isn't working for me, but the entire battle sequence is jaw-dropping. I can see why people dig on it so much.

― Autumn Almanac, Thursday, 29 November 2007 23:44 (2 years ago) Permalink

The 13:43 moment isn't working for me

play. it. louder.

― Just got offed, Thursday, 29 November 2007 23:48 (2 years ago) Permalink

I don't quite get "Gates Of Delirium" as a whole, but parts of it is great. And the finishing "Soon" section is among their most beautiful moments ever.

I miss those Wakeman keyboards lot there though. Moraz' "bubbling" improvised style just cannot replace it. Geoff Downes IMO is the best Yes keyboardist ever other than Wakeman - he managed to sound like that typical prog synth player even though his background was more new wave/new romantics.

― Geir Hongro, Thursday, 29 November 2007 23:50 (2 years ago) Permalink

Yeah, no Wakeman hurts, definitely.

Mind Drive has Wakeman's part cut in later, but it still feels right because he's driving the keyboards. It's astounding how much difference his presence makes.

― Autumn Almanac, Friday, 30 November 2007 00:05 (2 years ago) Permalink

You know, I don't recall any dexterous wizardry on Tales, the likes of which make Relayer and CTTE stand out. I'm going to listen to the whole fraking thing again right now and try to find some.

― Autumn Almanac, Friday, 30 November 2007 00:16 (2 years ago) Permalink

(by that I mean combined dexterous wizardry, not solo noodling)

― Autumn Almanac, Friday, 30 November 2007 00:17 (2 years ago) Permalink

The answer would be no.

― Autumn Almanac, Friday, 30 November 2007 02:32 (2 years ago) Permalink

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

― ILX System, Tuesday, 4 December 2007 00:01 (2 years ago) Permalink

Never voted, but a fair result.

― Lostandfound, Tuesday, 4 December 2007 08:15 (2 years ago) Permalink

what happened.. to this song... we once knew so well?

― chaki, Tuesday, 4 December 2007 08:38 (2 years ago) Permalink

The Top 6 is all great.

― Geir Hongro, Tuesday, 4 December 2007 08:51 (2 years ago) Permalink

that song you once knew so well, made top 7, which is pretty good I think (hey I voted for it to)

― CaptainLorax, Tuesday, 4 December 2007 09:15 (2 years ago) Permalink

Played Gates of Delirium in the city at lunch hour yesterday. Fair took my head off, it did. Claustrophobia set in at the 8 min mark and from there it was complete mindfuck territory.

― Autumn Almanac, Thursday, 6 December 2007 09:50 (2 years ago) Permalink

That song is a legitimate mind-melting experience

― Bill Magill, Thursday, 6 December 2007 15:45 (2 years ago) Permalink

Glad to see you coming round, AA!

― Just got offed, Thursday, 6 December 2007 15:49 (2 years ago) Permalink

One of my favorite moments in "Gates" is Howe's opening guitar note for "Soon", where there's this 'ripples in a pool' echo in the background--very subtle and maybe even an unintended studio effect that snuck in there, but it definitely adds to the mystical quality of the last section.

― Joe, Thursday, 6 December 2007 16:32 (2 years ago) Permalink

This morning is officially the first time I've ever had a 21/8 time signature stuck in my head. LOOK WHAT YOU HAS DONE TO ME

― Autumn Almanac, Thursday, 6 December 2007 22:06 (2 years ago) Permalink

Sound Chaser had that wicked guitar solo at the beginning and wacky time signatures at the end that I love.

And Gates has that lyric I love - something like "send your children off to hell"

― CaptainLorax, Thursday, 6 December 2007 22:39 (2 years ago) Permalink

And then it goes all CHA-CHA-CHA-etc.

― Autumn Almanac, Thursday, 6 December 2007 22:47 (2 years ago) Permalink

no votes but "America" is really good!

― Dominique, Friday, 7 December 2007 03:10 (2 years ago) Permalink

This thread sold me on the virtues of Drama when nothing else could.

― Autumn Almanac, Monday, 10 December 2007 06:14 (2 years ago) Permalink

no votes but "America" is really good!

Agreed.

― Lostandfound, Monday, 10 December 2007 06:52 (2 years ago) Permalink

Mind Drive is a mad assault. So many climaxes it's exhausting.

― Autumn Almanac, Saturday, 12 January 2008 02:23 (2 years ago) Permalink

Wanna rep for "To Be Over". One of the most overlooked songs in their catalogue IMO.

― Just got offed, Sunday, 27 July 2008 11:17 (2 years ago) Permalink

The right answer was still "Awaken". Sheesh.

― Noodle Vague, Sunday, 27 July 2008 11:38 (2 years ago) Permalink

^

― Autumn Almanac, Monday, 28 July 2008 03:20 (2 years ago) Permalink

That bit about 6 minutes into Awaken practically invents Cardiacs....I just wish it went on for about 5 mins longer

rest of the song is pretty great mind

― taddletail (country matters), Monday, 13 April 2009 18:06 (1 year ago) Permalink

This is hard, I have it down to 4 and I haven't heard any of the post 1980 ones. I think I'll go either "Starship Trooper" or "Awaken" but "And You and I" and "Gates" are still in there too.

― Noodle Vague, Monday, 26 November 2007 23:28 (1 year ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

^^^^^^the four that NV has picked are CORRECT (give or take 'Awaken' which I need to hear again).

― Just got offed, Monday, 26 November 2007 23:30 (1 year ago) Bookmark

fiiiiixed

― sorry for british (country matters), Sunday, 10 May 2009 01:25 (1 year ago) Permalink

I listened to some of fragile today and Heart of The Sunrise really is that good

― Mulvaney, Sunday, 10 May 2009 01:50 (1 year ago) Permalink

yeah, that's what i voted for. Chris Squire owns all over that track.

― languid samuel l. jackson (jim), Sunday, 10 May 2009 01:52 (1 year ago) Permalink

The Revealing Science of God gets my hippie vote. It's such a feel good song

― Mulvaney, Sunday, 10 May 2009 01:55 (1 year ago) Permalink

i for one am glad lorax has rehabilitated so smoothly :)

― sorry for british (country matters), Sunday, 10 May 2009 01:56 (1 year ago) Permalink

"heart of the sunrise" otm

― kamerad, Sunday, 10 May 2009 07:12 (1 year ago) Permalink