('roundabout' being played at last night's hockey game was not, but it doesn't take much)
― mookieproof, Friday, 18 October 2019 04:45 (four years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ospDSOyjuC4
― pplains, Friday, 18 October 2019 14:02 (four years ago) link
Sister bluebird, flying high above
― calstars, Friday, 18 October 2019 15:55 (four years ago) link
Big Generator: title track is fun and "Rhythm Of Love" is pretty good. "Final Eyes" has a lot of nice things going on but doesn't quite make it. "I'm Running" is the obvious highlight for me, hope they have more stuff like this, Yes or solo Jon doing some kind of world/tropical thing makes a lot of sense to me.Really should have cut "Love Will Find A Way". I liked some of Rabin's songs on previous album's bonus tracks but this is just rote pop. The rest is "meh" to okay.
― Robert Adam Gilmour, Friday, 18 October 2019 19:05 (four years ago) link
cold-blooded to drop this on jon anderson's 75th birthday
https://www.blabbermouth.net/news/yes-reveals-four-previously-unreleased-2010-recordings-on-the-new-from-a-page-mini-box-set/
― reggie (qualmsley), Friday, 25 October 2019 23:44 (four years ago) link
Wore this last week
― calstars, Saturday, 26 October 2019 01:00 (four years ago) link
I read about Jon's new album, I think 1000 people are on it, tons of guest stars, some of the recordings date back to the 90s.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1000_Hands:_Chapter_One
― Robert Adam Gilmour, Saturday, 26 October 2019 12:37 (four years ago) link
Totally new to me that Anderson was the godfather of Ari Up.
― Robert Adam Gilmour, Saturday, 26 October 2019 13:16 (four years ago) link
wow, Larry Coryell *sheds tear*
― the public eating of beans (Sparkle Motion), Saturday, 26 October 2019 16:41 (four years ago) link
How was he involved?
― Robert Adam Gilmour, Saturday, 26 October 2019 16:51 (four years ago) link
Heard a number of people say it’s his best solo effort since Olais but idk if that’s a compliment
I think it’s pretty nice, more modern sounding than I was expecting and way better than the “Make me Happy” single implied it would be
― frogbs, Saturday, 26 October 2019 16:56 (four years ago) link
all i know can be shown by your acceptance of the facts there shown before you
― mookieproof, Sunday, 27 October 2019 00:34 (four years ago) link
Haven't heard this new one yet but the album he did with Roine Stolt in 2016, Invention of Knowledge, was pretty great.
― shared unit of analysis (unperson), Sunday, 27 October 2019 00:55 (four years ago) link
JA's 1,000 Hands has my favorite new "yes" music since fly from here
this sounds way better than heaven & earth but still pretty shitty of them to surprise-release this "new" stuff on JA's 75th birthday
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKUK_frQEsQ
― reggie (qualmsley), Sunday, 27 October 2019 17:33 (four years ago) link
Invention of Knowledge is pretty good but idk if it's a true solo album. I kinda assumed Stolt wrote most of the music there
this new EP (?) looks pretty decent, Benoit David sounds a lot better than I remember him
lol that they're packaging this with a pretty lame live set, cmon guys
― frogbs, Monday, 28 October 2019 19:48 (four years ago) link
the level of commitment here to post-anderson yes deserves a characterization stronger than "yessed out"
― Guayaquil (eephus!), Monday, 28 October 2019 19:51 (four years ago) link
like maybe "yessed af" or "hyperyessed"
or "yessgottabekiddin'!"
― SQUIRREL MEAT!! (Capitaine Jay Vee), Monday, 28 October 2019 20:24 (four years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMMpdxAxDjw
― reggie (qualmsley), Tuesday, 5 November 2019 19:57 (four years ago) link
https://www.altpress.com/features/battles-juice-b-crypts-interview/
― Robert Adam Gilmour, Friday, 8 November 2019 18:13 (four years ago) link
Just a bit of backstory on it.
political ends as sad remains will die
― mookieproof, Thursday, 19 December 2019 04:56 (four years ago) link
I spun 'Animation' the other day- definitely not Yes but it had its moments.
― the public eating of beans (Sparkle Motion), Friday, 20 December 2019 04:32 (four years ago) link
they move fastthey tell mebut i just can't believethat i can feeeeeeel iiiiiiiit
― clouds, Saturday, 21 December 2019 14:33 (four years ago) link
ok the 4-song EP with Benoit David is actually pretty nice
― frogbs, Monday, 30 December 2019 14:32 (four years ago) link
Sharp distancing
― Robert Adam Gilmour, Thursday, 26 March 2020 18:34 (four years ago) link
i feel lost in the cityyyyyyyy
― ooga booga-ing for the bourgeoisie (voodoo chili), Thursday, 26 March 2020 18:36 (four years ago) link
awaken gentle mass DON'T touch
― reggie (qualmsley), Thursday, 26 March 2020 18:44 (four years ago) link
lol reggie
― doug watson, Thursday, 26 March 2020 22:15 (four years ago) link
yessed out rn in fact
― j., Friday, 27 March 2020 21:24 (four years ago) link
Has this been linked before?
http://yessongs.nl/
A dizzying amount of live recordings and studio outtakes from all eras, endless amounts of stuff and no hoops to jump through.
― Maresn3st, Sunday, 12 April 2020 18:40 (four years ago) link
And there you areSaying we have the moonSo now the stars
― jmm, Sunday, 12 April 2020 19:09 (four years ago) link
yesterday, a morning came. a smile upon your face!
― reggie (qualmsley), Wednesday, 29 April 2020 01:57 (four years ago) link
love it when late at night does qualmsley get yessed out
― j., Wednesday, 29 April 2020 04:14 (four years ago) link
Silly human race
― Mario Meatwagon (Moodles), Wednesday, 29 April 2020 04:27 (four years ago) link
I’m listening to the Anderson Bruford wakeman howe album from 89. I know it’s the 80s but that gated snare just kills Howe’s feel. Tons of synthy bleep bloops. Anderson going on about deserts and religions.
― calstars, Saturday, 23 May 2020 20:47 (three years ago) link
a lot of the best deserts started in religions
― budo jeru, Sunday, 24 May 2020 00:21 (three years ago) link
was that a typo for "deserets"
― Kate (rushomancy), Sunday, 24 May 2020 00:25 (three years ago) link
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness and tales from topographic oceans.
― budo jeru, Sunday, 24 May 2020 00:47 (three years ago) link
I was going to ask in the Rough Guide requests thread, but it hasn't been opened in 14 years.
Could any kind soul please provide a map to the good stuff from their output from 90125 to present day?
I have heard some things from that period but I don't feel up to a qualitative audit and am sure there must be some worthy tunes hiding in there.
― Maresn3st, Thursday, 28 May 2020 14:27 (three years ago) link
i like pretty much everything on 90125. "city of love" is my least favorite, though the chorus is HUGE, and i think its moodiness sets up the finale, "hearts", really well
never been able to get into big generator
songs i listen to on union -- "masquerade", "lift me up", "without hope you cannot start the day", "silent talking", "holding on", and "take the water to the mountain"
the only song on talk i'd say is a keeper is "real love", though if you can find a version of "endless dream" that's one track, that's worth a listen
i go back and forth with keystudio -- give the first song, "footprints", a listen, and if that does it for you, keep going. otherwise, skip it
open your eyes -- skip it
the ladder rules. "homeworld", "it will be a good day", "lightning strikes"/"can i?"/"face to face", "to be alive", "new language", and "nine voices" all feature classic yes spirit in part or all the way through
never been able to get into magnification
fly from here rules, both versions (david's vocals and trevor's vocals, a few years later). "sad night at the airfield", "madman at the screens", "life on a film set", "hour of need", and "into the storm" are all worth your time
if open your eyes isn't the worst yes album, then heaven & earth is
some solo stuff you might want to check out
trevor rabin -- jacaranda. this is the best stuff i've heard from him since 90125
jon anderson -- his most recent album, 1000 hands, has some decent jams on it, as does the album he recorded with jean-luc ponty. i keep giving the one he recorded with roine stolt a chance, but nothing ever sticks
skyscraper souls (geoff downes and chris braide) is the most underrated recentish solo project i've heard. andy partridge is on half the songs, kate pierson sings backing vocals on the 18-minute epic, and marc almond sings on one of the other songs
― reggie (qualmsley), Thursday, 28 May 2020 15:16 (three years ago) link
Big Generator - pretty decent if you like 90125, kinda sounds to me like what The Police would've become had they not split in '86. The title track single is pretty bad but I like most of the rest.
Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe - all I can remember from this one is fucking "Teikbois" but it's kinda okay, its got a whole lotta Jon on it though
Union - as bad as everyone says it is. only the solo Howe instrumental is worth saving.
Talk - fairly decent, has their first bona fide epic in forever and a lot of it is pretty if kinda New Ageish. despite being sort of a trilogy with 90125 and BG I don't think it really sounds like those albums.
Keys to Ascension - half studio and half live, I guess this is okay if you wanna hear the classic Yes lineup operating at 80% capacity. some of the new tunes are pretty good but mostly they're just long. It does have that "classic Yes" feel to it in spots.
Open Your Eyes - roundly derided by most of their fans, I actually feel it's a pretty decent pop album, just don't expect classic Yes
The Ladder - the title track here is absolutely a return to their classic glory, IMO the best thing they've done since Drama. unfortunately the rest of the album is kinda lightweight and gimmicky, but they do some interesting things like embrace a bit of electronica and sample their old records. could've been the start of a legit comeback but it was not to be.
Magnification - recorded with an orchestra as they'd sacked their keyboard player for getting too handsy with a security guard. Actually quite good, just not as hooky as they usually are.
Fly From Here - the sequel to Drama that nobody really asked for, with Downes and Horn back on board. some of the material dates back to 1980 but I think that element is sort of overstated, most of the music is new. As you might expect it's not quite as good as Drama but it's actually pretty close, clearly one of their best efforts since 90125. The final track "Into the Storm" is particularly good. For some reason they re-made this album in 2018, replacing one-time singer Benoit David with Horn - the new version is probably the better one but I feel bad for the dude.
Heaven & Earth - their most recent and famously a total dud. some of the songs are actually kinda catchy but it's ridiculously lethargic, especially coming after FFH which was sort of a shot in the arm. almost falls into "so bad it's good" territory, it's one of those albums you enjoy a bit despite yourself
― frogbs, Thursday, 28 May 2020 15:18 (three years ago) link
agree with these assessments. 90125, the Ladder, and FFH (either version) are the only really strong albums in this batch, and Talk, Open Your Eyes, and Heaven and Earth are absolutely terrible.
They recently released a few more old tracks with Benoit David on the 'From a Page' box, and those songs are pretty good but not super memorable. certainly better than anything on H&E though.
― akm, Thursday, 28 May 2020 15:26 (three years ago) link
I never liked Big Generator, it loses all the interesting subtlety that was on 90125 and becomes a bombastic mess; Talk is even worse in this regard.
― akm, Thursday, 28 May 2020 15:27 (three years ago) link
yea at best a lot of these albums are guilty pleasures, I have a lot of goodwill towards Yes so I probably overrate a lot of it as "really not that bad". if it wasn't Yes I'd probably only listen to Fly From Here and "The Ladder"
"That, That Is" from KTA has a pretty gnarly riff on it though, sucks that it's buried in a 20 minute epic. Tales-esque really
― frogbs, Thursday, 28 May 2020 15:33 (three years ago) link
Thanks folks!
So it seems like a general paucity of good music considering the amount of records they'e made since '83, kinda amazing really.
― Maresn3st, Thursday, 28 May 2020 15:36 (three years ago) link
the degree to which these guys fucking hated each other after 1977 is not to be understated
― frogbs, Thursday, 28 May 2020 20:47 (three years ago) link
I'm quite a fan of Magnification and there's at least 2 or 3 songs I really liked on Big Generator.
― Robert Adam Gilmour, Thursday, 28 May 2020 20:49 (three years ago) link
i really want to like magnification -- yes with an orchestra for the first time since time and a word! but i don't know, maybe they slowed the tempos a bit too much to accommodate that orchestra? maybe they were missing igor, who'd brought so much energy to the ladder? i've never found a way in; if you have any song suggestions, i'd appreciate it!
― reggie (qualmsley), Thursday, 28 May 2020 23:48 (three years ago) link
I wrote a big ranking of their albums for Stereogum almost exactly 5 years ago. I liked Talk and Magnification better than some others above.
― but also fuck you (unperson), Friday, 29 May 2020 00:02 (three years ago) link