Yes albums ranked, plus Howe picks his favorite songs

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Tristero, May 25, 2015.

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  1. John54

    John54 Senior Member

    Location:
    Burlington, ON
    : top of the line
    Close to the Edge
    Going For the One

    : fine
    The Yes Album
    Yes

    : good
    Tales From Topographic Oceans
    Fragile
    Yessongs

    : so-so
    Time and a Word
    Relayer
    Tormato

    ... but even here, all three have excellent tracks: Time and a Word, Soon (both wonderful), and Future Times (very good).

    I have Drama too, but haven't listened to it in ages.
     
  2. supersquonk

    supersquonk Forum Resident

    The OP's article has some strange choices! YesSongs is notoriously muddy, and Tales better than Fragile??

    I would rank them... (stopping at Union - haven't heard anything later than that)

    1) Yes Album
    2) Fragile
    3) Close to the Edge
    4) Going for the One
    5) Yes
    6) Time and a Word
    7) Drama
    8) Tormato
    9) 90125
    10) Relayer
    11) Union
    12) Big Generator
    13) Tales
     
  3. head_unit

    head_unit Senior Member

    Location:
    Los Angeles CA USA
    Me too! Love it!

    OK, we agree on #1! I return to this album again and again, and have grown to deeply respect and enjoy cuts that didn't jump out at me immediately. So maybe my list is
    Going For The One
    Tales From Topographic Oceans
    (on long road trips, all in one long shot)
    Drama ("Machine Messiah" is really cool and the test interesting and so dark).
    ahhhh….
    Ya know, I really couldn't rank their albums, aside from my first two picks. I liked Fly From Here, liked 90125, really most all of their output to one extent or another. Fragile has great songs but something about the sound or production or pacing holds me back from really loving it as recorded and mixed. I do like Close To The Edge.
    And basically anything Jon Anderson ever did-I hope I can see him live sometime.
    And an honorary "sounds most like it should be a Yes album though it's not" mention for One Live Badger
     
  4. NorthNY Mark

    NorthNY Mark Forum Resident

    Location:
    Canton, NY, USA
    Hmmm...

    1. Fragile
    2. Relayer
    3. Drama
    4. Going For the One
    5. Close to the Edge
    6. The Yes Album
    7. Yes
    8. Tormato
    9. Magnification
    10. Fly From Here
    11. Tales From Topographic Oceans
    12. ABWH
    13. 90125
    14. Open Your Eyes
    15. Big Generator
    16. The Ladder
    17. Heaven and Earth
    18. Talk
    19. Union

    The top 5 are basically tied.
     
  5. warewolf95

    warewolf95 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Greenville, SC
    Agreed. I love Lift Me Up and Miracle Of Life and, dare I say it, Saving My Heart.

    Aside from that, it's a shame of an album when you know everything that went into making it. I'm not surprised Wakeman chucked it out his car window!
     
  6. Agent57

    Agent57 Marshall will buoy, but Fender control

    Location:
    PA
    1. Close to the Edge
    2. Going for the One
    3. The Yes Album
    4. Fragile
    5. Relayer
    6. Drama
    7. Time and a Word
    8. Tales
    9. Yes
    10. 90125
     
  7. Vaughan

    Vaughan Forum Resident

    Location:
    Essex, UK
    1. Yes
    2. Time & the Word
    3. Yes Album
    4. Fragile
    5. Close To The Edge
    6. Going For The One
    7. 90125
    8. Fly From Here
     
  8. rstamberg

    rstamberg Senior Member

    Location:
    Riverside, CT
    C'mon: ranking Yes albums is sooo subjective.
     
  9. DiabloG

    DiabloG City Pop, Rock, and anything 80s til I die

    Location:
    United States
    Screw it, here's my list:

    1. 90125
    2. Big Generator
    3. Yes (s/t)
    4. Tormato
    5. Drama
    6. Time and a Word
    7. Close to the Edge
    8. Relayer
    9. The Yes Album
    10. Fragile
     
    GodShifter likes this.
  10. ledsox

    ledsox Senior Member

    Location:
    San Diego, CA
    My Rankings...

    We Have Heaven Tier-
    Close the Edge, Fragile, Yes Album, Yessongs

    Roundabout The Top Tier-
    Going for the One, Drama, Tales side 1+4, Relayer, Yes (s/t), Yesshows

    Mood For An Album Tier-
    90125, Time and a Word, Magnification, Tormato, Keys to Ascension,

    Theirs Is No Disgrace Tier-
    Heaven and Earth, Big Generator, Tales side 2+3

    South Side of the List Tier-
    Union, Open Your Eyes, Fly From Here,

    I Would Have Waited To Listen (or Leave It) Tier-
    Talk

    Could It Really Happen? Yes! Tier
    Progeny
     
    jonathan likes this.
  11. Olias of Sunhill

    Olias of Sunhill Forum Resident

    Location:
    Jim Creek, CO, USA
    I think this is my list of studio releases. What did I miss?

    1. Close to the Edge
    2. Going For the One
    3. Relayer
    4. The Yes Album
    5. Drama
    6. Fragile
    7. Tales From Topographic Oceans
    8. Tormato
    9. Yes
    10. ABWH
    11. Time and a Word
    12. Fly From Here
    13. Heaven and Earth
    14. Talk
    15. Keystudio
    16. 90125
    17. Big Generator
    18. Union
    19. Magnification
    20. The Ladder
    21. Open Your Eyes
     
  12. Say

    Say Forum Resident

    My Top Ten Albums

    1) CLOSE TO THE EDGE
    There'll be no mutant enemy we shall certify

    2) THE YES ALBUM
    Yesterday a morning came, a smile upon your face
    Caesars Palace, morning glory, silly human race

    3) FRAGILE
    Sharp-distance
    How can the wind with its arms all around me

    4) TALES FROM TOPOGRAPHIC OCEANS
    Dawn of light lying between a silence and sold sources,
    Chased amid fusions of wonder, in moments hardly seen forgotten

    5) GOING FOR THE ONE
    Taken so high
    To touch, to move
    Listen to life
    Touching, touch time
    Travel, twilight
    Taken so high
    Taking your time

    6) RELAYER
    Soon, oh soon the light
    Pass within and soothe this endless night
    And wait here for you
    Our reason to be here

    7) YESSONGS
    Speak to me of summer
    Long winters longer than time can remember
    The setting up of other roads
    To travel on in old accustomed ways

    8) YESTERDAYS
    It took me four days
    To hitch-hike from Saginaw.
    "I've come to look for America."

    9) TORMATO
    You're first I'm last
    You're thirst I'm asked to justify
    Killing our last heaven beast
    Don't hunt the whale

    10) TIME AND A WORD
    Astral traveller
    Leaving without her
    Wandering where lights go
    Leave out the body load

    good albums that missed the cut - Yes, Union, Drama, Magnification, the Ladder and 90125
     
    Last edited: May 26, 2015
  13. 24voltsdc

    24voltsdc Forum Resident

    Location:
    Indianapolis, IN
    Fly From Here is WAY better than Union.
     
    Olias of Sunhill likes this.
  14. Say

    Say Forum Resident

    glad you like it.
     
  15. gramfan

    gramfan Forum Resident

    Location:
    gainesville,ga,usa
    1.Tales
    2.Time and Word
    3.Yes
    4.Relayer
    5.Fragile
     
  16. DLeet

    DLeet Forum Resident

    Location:
    Chernigov, Ukraine
    No lives in my top ten

    1. Tales from Topographic Oceans
    2. Close to the Edge
    3. Relayer
    4. Going for the One
    5. The Yes Album
    6. Fragile
    7. Tormato
    8. 90125
    9. Magnification
    10. Big Generator.
     
  17. 24voltsdc

    24voltsdc Forum Resident

    Location:
    Indianapolis, IN
    You don't?
     
  18. Say

    Say Forum Resident

    I do like it but for some reason I like UNION better.
    The more we live, the more we learn, the more we know
     
  19. Zack

    Zack Senior Member

    Location:
    Easton, MD
    IMHO:

    Super:
    Close To The Edge
    The Yes Album
    Fragile

    Good:
    Going For The One
    Relayer
    Tales

    Listenable:
    901025
    Drama

    Too much for me:
    Pretty much the rest. I admit I don't know the pre-Howe albums much.

    Live:
    Yessongs is great.
     
  20. The Great:
    1. Close to the Edge
    2. Going For the One
    3. Relayer
    4. The Yes Album
    5. Tales From Topographic Oceans
    6. Fragile

    The Good:
    7. Yesterdays (mrs than a comp to me 'cause it includes America and Dear Father, their first appearance on a Yes LP)
    8. Tormato
    9. Keystudio
    10. Magnification
    11. Drama

    The "O.K.":
    12. Yes
    13. Time and a Word
    14: 90125
    15. The Ladder

    The Dregs:
    16. Union
    17. Big Generator
    18. Fly From Here
    19. Open Your Eyes
    20. Talk
    21. Heaven and Earth
    note: Even the albums in the "Dregs" category have at least 1 or 2 songs I like and are worth cherry picking the best bits for a comp.

    Live Albums: (not including Progeny and Highlights (because I have not heard them)
    1. Yesshows
    2. Yessongs
    3. In a Word Live
    4. Songs From Tsongas
    5. Yes Symphonic
    6. A Night of Yes Music Plus (those electronic drums ruin this for me)
     
    Last edited: May 26, 2015
  21. 24voltsdc

    24voltsdc Forum Resident

    Location:
    Indianapolis, IN
    Yeah...I'm not saying that Union is horrible (although it's not one of my favorites) but Fly From Here totally took me by surprise at how good it was. Of course a lot of that is because of Trevor Horns production and direction. But Union has it's moments but you're really not sure who's playing what. I didn't like hearing all those studio musicians were used. But I'm a sucker for all things Yes so there's always something to like about all their records. :)
     
  22. 24voltsdc

    24voltsdc Forum Resident

    Location:
    Indianapolis, IN
    Wow! Just read where Chris Squire has leukemia. Hope he recovers from that.
     
    ARK likes this.
  23. INSW

    INSW Senior Member

    Location:
    Georgia
    Good for you and to each his own and all that, but that is one weird list.
     
  24. Tristero

    Tristero In possession of the future tense Thread Starter

    Location:
    MI
    It's not often that we see "the Big 3" get edged out by the likes of Big Generator and Tormato, but hey, it takes all kinds. . .
     
  25. Aggie87

    Aggie87 Gig 'Em!

    Location:
    Carefree, AZ
    24voltsdc likes this.
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