this has become one of my favorite records in recent years
― ciderpress, Monday, 5 November 2018 20:27 (five years ago) link
an answer to YES
― princess of hell (BradNelson), Monday, 5 November 2018 20:28 (five years ago) link
honestly can't choose. "run through the light" is the most underrated, "machine messiah" is a mindblowing epic, "does it really happen" is one of their all-time most swaggery jams, and "into the lens" works even better as a YES song than a BUGGLES song. going with "tempus fugit" because RIP CHRIS SQUIRE
― reggie (qualmsley), Monday, 5 November 2018 20:31 (five years ago) link
If the 90125 reboot hadn't happened and this really had turned out to be the final Yes album, I feel they would have went out on a high. I don't really miss Anderson's presence on what is - to me - a seriously great and underrated record.
― Le Baton Rose (Turrican), Monday, 5 November 2018 20:45 (five years ago) link
Got this narrowed down to 'Machine Messiah', 'Tempus Fugit' and 'Does It Really Happen?' ... but then 'Into the Lens' ... Arrrgh!
I'm interested in how this album came together, actually. Aren't there a couple of things on this record that began life as part of the eventually aborted Tormato follow-up that was supposed to have Jon and Rick on it? I know that The Buggles contributed a couple of things that went through the Yes blender ('Into the Lens' most obviously) and there may have been some bits that Howe, Squire and White jammed out in between Jon and Rick leaving and The Buggles joining.
― Le Baton Rose (Turrican), Tuesday, 6 November 2018 00:40 (five years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rz1Bmz7rY_M
― reggie (qualmsley), Tuesday, 6 November 2018 01:20 (five years ago) link
Does It Really Happen for me though i love this entire crazy record.
― An Uphill Battle For Legumes (Capitaine Jay Vee), Tuesday, 6 November 2018 01:55 (five years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVIWSmZqE4I
― An Uphill Battle For Legumes (Capitaine Jay Vee), Tuesday, 6 November 2018 01:59 (five years ago) link
Lots of talk here: DRAMA by Yes: Lost Classic or Justified Dud?
― Elvis Telecom, Tuesday, 6 November 2018 02:11 (five years ago) link
There is, but over half of that thread at this point focuses on Fly From Here insteas of Drama, whereas I'd like to just focus on this album.
It'a funny to me that Rick Wakeman is considered to be the Yes keyboardist by many, yet the three albums I most listen to (The Yes Album, Relayer and this) are not only each made by quite different line-ups, but Wakeman isn't on any of 'em!
― Le Baton Rose (Turrican), Tuesday, 6 November 2018 18:36 (five years ago) link
Doesn't change the fact that...ahhhh, I'm not gettin' into this.
― An Uphill Battle For Legumes (Capitaine Jay Vee), Tuesday, 6 November 2018 19:28 (five years ago) link
Listened to Tormato and this back to back today and they sound so revitalised on this compared with the previous album. They never did any of this material live with Jon, did they? I seem to remember Jon saying in an interview that he would have been happy to play some of the songs but the band didn't want to - of course the band said the opposite.
― Le Baton Rose (Turrican), Wednesday, 7 November 2018 18:34 (five years ago) link
They played about 90 seconds of "Tempus Fugit" on the 90125 tour and even then it was only in the middle of Squire's bass solo. Jon didn't sing.
― Elvis Telecom, Wednesday, 7 November 2018 19:54 (five years ago) link
Ah, well at least some of it got played, even if it was just a little bit. It's a shame, because I think Jon would have sounded great on Drama - I know there was some sort of division in the band where Jon and Rick wanted to have a softer direction and the rest of the band wanted a harder direction, but listening to Drama it's difficult for me not to reach the conclusion that Howe, Squire and White had a point and that Jon and Rick would have been superb on it.
― Le Baton Rose (Turrican), Wednesday, 7 November 2018 20:02 (five years ago) link
i think it's perfect as is. chris squire was like miles davis. he created all the space and the framework for everyone else to occupy. compared to him the rest -- even anderson -- are incidental
― reggie (qualmsley), Wednesday, 7 November 2018 22:31 (five years ago) link
jon and rick wouldn't have been superb on this because it would never have sounded like this or been written if they were still in the band, horn and downes brought a lot of that album with them I think.
― akm, Thursday, 8 November 2018 13:25 (five years ago) link
^^^this
And I LOVE Jon and Rick
― An Uphill Battle For Legumes (Capitaine Jay Vee), Thursday, 8 November 2018 15:44 (five years ago) link
Of course this album wouldn't have turned out exactly the same if Jon and Rick had been involved, I'm more saying that if the band hadn't fractured and and Jon and Rick had been able to suck it up and be all like "okay, let's run with your direction and see what happens" (and Drama is the type of LP the rest of the band wanted to make) then they would have been fabulous on it.
As for Drama as it eventually appeared - I've no doubt that Horn and Downes contributed material ('Into the Lens' most obviously), but the end result is more in keeping with previous Yes music than Buggles music, and Howe, Squire & White were very much running the show.
― Le Baton Rose (Turrican), Thursday, 8 November 2018 19:32 (five years ago) link
maybe. dunno. the leaked stuff post Tormato wasn't very promising though. I think the change of blood helped shake things up. That shake up lasted for two great records (Drama and 90125) before it got stale again and they started the never-ending lineup reshuffle that churned out mediocre album after mediocre album that continues to this day.
― akm, Thursday, 8 November 2018 20:59 (five years ago) link
I agree that this and 90125 were/are their last great, truly essential albums. I love both for different reasons, but I feel they're both high quality releases. It's funny that 90125 was meant to be a "new beginning" for Yes - and in a way, it was - but it's also the last Yes album I'll go anywhere near.
― Le Baton Rose (Turrican), Thursday, 8 November 2018 21:54 (five years ago) link
I still would like to know what happened in that alternate universe 1980 where XYZ (Squire, White, and Jimmy Page) actually happened.
― Elvis Telecom, Thursday, 8 November 2018 22:01 (five years ago) link
Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.
― System, Sunday, 11 November 2018 00:01 (five years ago) link
Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.
― System, Monday, 12 November 2018 00:01 (five years ago) link
― Elvis Telecom
able archer went "hot" and 90% of humanity was annihilated in nuclear fire in 1983
they're still doing better than us
― dub pilates (rushomancy), Monday, 12 November 2018 00:52 (five years ago) link
omg will you look at the poll results
― imago, Monday, 12 November 2018 11:19 (five years ago) link
crazy
― akm, Monday, 12 November 2018 17:38 (five years ago) link
Album brought to you by Yes, poll results brought to you by Manfred Mann!
A worthy winner, though.
― Le Baton Rose (Turrican), Monday, 12 November 2018 17:50 (five years ago) link