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phil lesh was the least of their problems as a band. he's easy to ignore. those two clodhoppers on drums though, not so easy to ignore. i have no beef with any of their mediocre dead keyboard players though.

― scott seward (scott seward), Friday, 16 December 2005 14:31 (eighteen years ago) link

Phil Lesh is a great bass player! After reading a review that described his bass lines as something like "a hot giant desert sandworm" snaking its way through the songs, I heard it in a whole different light. I get a perfect vision of a the giant sandworm and it looks/sounds amazing. I'd say his bass style is just as unique as Jerry's playing style.

― NO!!!!!, Friday, 16 December 2005 15:04 (eighteen years ago) link

Multi x-post - Speaking of unlikely sonic comparisons, I bought the reissued Fragile a year ago and realized that if you erased Wakeman's organ, "Five Percent For Nothing" would sound just like Punch Line-era Minutemen! ('specially considering its 0:35 length.)

― Myonga Von Bontee (Myonga Von Bontee), Friday, 16 December 2005 15:25 (eighteen years ago) link

I agree with the Pitchfork comparison's to Flaming Lips and Polyphonic Spree, too. At times Flaming Lips sounds like a direct rip, not just "influenced by". Compare "This Here Giraffe" and "Christmas at the Zoo" to "Close to the Edge". I guess that song must've reminded Wayne Coyne of animals or something. But also: The Yes Album. So many seeming direct rips! I wonder if it is possible they weren't influenced by Yes?!

― NO!!!!, Friday, 16 December 2005 16:05 (eighteen years ago) link

No, they said in a Magnet story five years back that on the Clouds Taste Metallic tour they'd each been separately and secretly listening to Yes. For some reason they individually decided to come out of the prog-rock closet to each other--this was in the 90s when prog was still super stigmatized--only to find the other ones had the same confession to make. They credit their healthier attitude to Yes as one of the factors in conceiving of the sonic expansiveness and meticulous production of The Soft Bulletin.

― prince rupert, Friday, 16 December 2005 16:45 (eighteen years ago) link

I used to like half of Big Generator when I was a kid.

As did I. The title track is so uncontrollably overstuffed it's fantastic. There's a serious battle on that album going on between the Trevors — with Rabin's slick arena rock moves intermittently interrupted by Horn's choral arrangements, jumpy-ass panning and orchestra blasts.

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Friday, 16 December 2005 17:08 (eighteen years ago) link

Prince Rupert, thanks for that bit of knowledge. Very interesting! (And weird.)

xpost- Big Generator? You guys must be shittin' me. I thought that was the major fall of just horrid and dated 80s rock. I think someone described it as "Def Leppard meets Queen by way of Foreigner," which sounds very bad to me!

― NO!!!!!!!, Friday, 16 December 2005 17:27 (eighteen years ago) link

I remember Jon Anderson and Trevor Rabin going on MTV to promote Big Generator's release, and Mark Goodman(maybe?) asked Trevor what it was like to have worked with Trevor Horn. Anderson reached over and covered Rabin's mouth in a 'Censored!' gesture, and Rabin ran with it, raising his voice in exaggerated, angry wordless gurgles. I guess they made up, though, when Rabin played on the Seal album.

My favorite part of Big Generator is the climax/end of "I'm Running"
("There in the heart of millions etc..."). I think that just might be the best that Rabin-era Yes ever pulled off musically.

― Joe (Joe), Saturday, 17 December 2005 03:35 (eighteen years ago) link

I would largely concur -- except for that part where it breaks out into a Broadway chorus.

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Saturday, 17 December 2005 06:30 (eighteen years ago) link

So Big Generator is good, then? I suppose that is not hard to believe. It seems that none of the albums are as bad as someone somewhere would have me believe. The Buggles shit is really cool.

― NO!!!!!, Saturday, 17 December 2005 18:03 (eighteen years ago) link

Well, I wouldn't say "good" exactly -- in some places (say, "Almost Like Love") it's pretty bad. But whether it's the "Rhythm of Love" intro, the title track's wackiness, or just some of the production flashes, it has its moments. Worth a download...

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Saturday, 17 December 2005 18:18 (eighteen years ago) link

Yes: 90125 / Big Generator
XTC: Skylarking / Oranges and Lemons

Both groups came up with perfect albums toward the end of the career, and then tried to build on the formula, but stumbled with key collaborators (Trevor Horn, Todd Rundgren).

Oranges is probaly better than Big Generator, but only marginally.

― Mitya (mitya), Saturday, 17 December 2005 18:25 (eighteen years ago) link

Speaking of the end of their career, Is Keys To Ascension any good? What about part 2? I still never picked up a live Yes album and probably shouldn't start with one from the end of the line, but some things I've read get me curious about Keys 1 and 2.

― NO!!!!, Saturday, 17 December 2005 18:32 (eighteen years ago) link

i love big generator. but i always felt like i was seriously in the minority.

― scott seward (scott seward), Saturday, 17 December 2005 20:34 (eighteen years ago) link

I'd never thought to compare Yes to the Police but listening to Drama, Trevor Horn does sound very Sting-ish on "Into the Lens", probably more than he sounds like Anderson. The whole track does have a Police-like quality to it.

― Sundar (sundar), Saturday, 17 December 2005 21:24 (eighteen years ago) link

Keys to Ascension sucks. Both volumes are really bad, chores to listen to. If you're really curious about late-era Yes, the one I'd go with is The Ladder, where some of the energy from way back resurfaces. Both the ten minute plus songs are pretty trippy, and though there's adult contemporary stuff fluffy enough to make a non-fan cringe, there's also energetic prog-pop up to Drama/90125 standards. And to make use of that XTC analogy--The Ladder would be Apple Venus, Vol. 1.

― prince rupert, Saturday, 17 December 2005 22:34 (eighteen years ago) link

two weeks pass...

Honestly, it's not quite my thang (though I've listened to the new reissue and it's mighty fun) but I thought you New York Yessed out types might wanna come see these folks at Joe's Pub. Don't hate me for spammin'.

THE SYN (WITH CHRIS SQUIRE AND ALAN WHITE OF YES) WITH STEVE NARDELLI
Sunday January 8
7:00 PM
http://www.synmusic.net
Before there was YES, there was The Syn. Their New York Debut concert, this promises to be a very special CD release party for their new album, Syndestructible. According to Scope Magazine, former Virgin Records U.K. head Jon Webster describes Syndestructible as "the album that will bring people rushing back to prog-rock. Brilliant!" Effectively describing themselves as Prog Modernists, The Syn in their new incarnation are comprised of original members Chris Squire on bass and Stephen Nardelli on vocals, the band is rounded out by classically trained keyboardist Gerard Johnson and twin brothers Paul Stacey (Oasis) and Jeremy Stacey (Sheryl Crow, the Finn Brothers) on guitar and drums, respectively. Coming together after 40 years, and bringing their unique alt-rock, prog-rock sound and plenty of new material to New York for the very first time (indeed this is the band’s first North American performance), this is a show that can’t be missed!

― Forksclovetofu (Forksclovetofu), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 05:13 (eighteen years ago) link

Gerard Johnson has also been playing with Saint Etienne for the last five or so years. Probably not the right street cred for the prog audience.

― Mitya (mitya), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 05:24 (eighteen years ago) link

According to Scope Magazine, former Virgin Records U.K. head Jon Webster describes Syndestructible as "the album that will bring people rushing back to prog-rock. Brilliant!"

Apparently, Richard Branson isn't totally insane.

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 14:46 (eighteen years ago) link

If you're at all curious, they hooked us up with THREE singles for download that were JUST recorded; give em a listen.

― Forksclovetofu (Forksclovetofu), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 17:24 (eighteen years ago) link

But Peter Banks (ex-Syn/Yes guitarist) does not approve...

http://www.peterbanks.net/

― Joe (Joe), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 17:32 (eighteen years ago) link

has anyone heard the new syn album? ritchie unterberger's amg review makes it sound not so great

― prince rupert, Wednesday, 4 January 2006 23:56 (eighteen years ago) link

eleven years pass...

RIP Virgil Howe :(

― reggie (qualmsley), Wednesday, 13 September 2017 14:32 (six years ago) link

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