Yes albums ranked, plus Howe picks his favorite songs

Stereogum featured an exhaustive worst-to-best ranking of Yes albums, including their extensive live output (which muddied the waters a bit, IMO--Yessongs and Yesshows are essential, of course, but does 9012Live really rank ahead of Tormato?). Here's the list and the link:

http://www.stereogum.com/1802728/yes-albums-from-worst-to-best/franchises/counting-down/

33. Heaven & Earth
32. Open Your Eyes
31. In the Present: Live from Lyon
30. Fly from Here
29. Like It Is: Yes at the Bristol Hippodrome
28. Union
27. Union Live
26. Tormato
25. The Ladder
24. Symphonic Live
23. 9012Live: The Solos
22. The Word Is Live
21. Something's Coming: The BBC Recordings
20. Big Generator
19. House of Yes: Live from House of Blues
18. Keys to Ascension 1 & 2
17. Live at Montreaux 2003
16. Yesshows
15. Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe
14. Drama
13. Time and a Word
12. Talk
11. 90125
10. Magnification
9. YES
8. Progeny: Seven Shows from '72
7. Fragile
6. Tales from Topographic Oceans
5. Going for the One
4. The Yes Album
3. Relayer
2. Close to the Edge
1. Yessongs

I'm a bit surprised by the relatively low ranking for Fragile here, which easily beats out Tales and Going For The One in my book. So what are your top ten Yes albums?

 

Here's another article where Steve Howe discusses his five favorite Yes tracks. It's interesting to see him forgo some of the old standards in favor of more "deep cuts".

http://prog.teamrock.com/features/2015-05-21/steve-howe-chooses-his-favourite-yes-music

 

In the 90's Howe mentioned "To Be Over" as his favorite in one Yes book so I'm surprised it doesn't make his list in that article.

 

Here's my ranking:

10. Tales
9. Drama
8. Going For The One
7. Relayer
6. Beyond & Before
5. Yesshows
4. Yessongs
3, Fragile
2. Yes Album
1. Close to the Edge

For my money, Yesshows delivers stronger versions of "Ritual" and "Gates of Delirium" than the corresponding studio albums, while Beyond and Before provides an invigorating snapshot of their earlier years. We'll see if the newly unearthed concert tapes from '72 eventually supplant Yessongs. . .

 

1) going for the one 2) CTTE, 3) fragile 4) The Yes Album 5) Relayer

 

Tormato - their worst album of the 70's? Yes. Worse than 25 other Yes albums including the likes of 9012Live: The Solos? Doubt it.

 

As usual Tormato gets an undeserved pasting. And I think at least Keys 1 & 2 should be up way higher.

 

I really like 'Time and a Word' a lot, that one usually doesn't seem to get a lot of love. Other than that, I guess I like all the classic 70s albums best, except for 'Tormato'.

 

I'm the world's biggest Big Generator defendor, but how in the hell isthat ahead of The Ladder?

 

Hmm... my list is probably fairly typical (but I'm leaving out live albums)

STUDIO ALBUMS

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

 

It's nice to see the debut in the top 10, definitely one of my favorites. If I made this list, I guarantee that 90125, Big Generator, and Tormato would be in the top 5. But that's just me.

 

Whelp, I agree with the top 3 albums, not necessarily in that order though. It's also kinda weird that they included live albums...whatever. I'm usually averse to this kind of thing, honestly, but anything that recognizes Relayer as a top-shelf album gets a from me.

 

LIVE ALBUMS

1. Progeny: Seven Shows From Seventy-Two
2. Live In Montreux 2003
3. Songs From Tsongas
4. Yessongs
5. An Evening Of Yes Music Plus
6. Yesshows
7. Union Live
8. House Of Yes
9. Like It Is
10. Yessymphonic
11. Keys To Ascension (live)
12. In The Present
13. 9012 Live

 

I love that Tempus Fugit makes his list! I thought Yes married to the Buggles was the perfect boost to move the band forward into the 80s.

I've only seen them live on the '79 tour, but wish I'd attended the '80 tour to experience the Drama line-up with Trevor Horn and Geoff Downes.

 

Welp, here's my list of the studio albums. This is not based on my enjoyment (as I love EVERY album), but rather their artistic and/or historical significance.

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

 

Definitely share Steve's fondness for Turn of the Century

Insightful comments, thanks for sharing

Funny he doesn't consider post 70s and likes the boyhood wonder then

Guess the business took over

 

There is no Yes album worse that Union.

 

I'd put Yessongs in the #5 slot, but otherwise, exactly my top four, in that order! I've never seen anyone do that before!

I was also thrilled to see my top 2 Yes songs be the same ones that Steve Howe chose for his top 2, "Turn of the Century" and "Siberian Khatru." I even agree with Steve that "Close to the Edge" might have been a better choice for #2.

 

1 Yes Album
2 Close To The Edge
3 Tales
4 Fragile
5 Going For The One
6 Yessongs
7 Relayer
8 90125
9 Keys to Ascension 1 and 2
10 Drama

I get the feeling that Progeny is going to crack the top ten fairly quickly.

 

1. The Yes Album
2. Close to the Edge
3. Fragile
4. Relayer
5. Going For the One
6. Drama
7. Tales From Topographic Oceans
8. Yessongs
9. Yes (1st album)
10. Time and a Word

 

Regarding Tormato

I didn't know that it was Wakeman who initially disapproved of the album's original cover art.
Is it a coincidence that the music inspired many theoretical tomatoes to be thrown at it as well?
I'd thought that perceived reactions by the fans to the music were the choice for the cover art. Like, "Oh well, they're not going to like this much at first, so call it Tormato." Not Wakeman's reaction. But the description on the website does make some sense. Maybe it's just irony that fans seemed to feel the same way as Rick did, but not just about the cover, but the music.

And your own kid playing the part of a deceased child? A little cool, a lot creepy.

The criticism I remember was that Rick was fascinated with this new keyboard - which sounded like the Casio keyboards being sold at the local malls that year (and maybe it was the same) - and garnered the backlash against "Rick's playing with his new toy." It was that new keyboard that really turned people off in my high school experience. False information?

Anyone seen the original cover art?

 

Regarding tomatoes, the story I heard was FROM Wakeman relating that the cover artist disliked the Tormato photo so much that THEY tossed the cliched vegetable at it. (Like it matters; I'm still judging the aim and velocity of mine...) Another thing I read was that the sunglasses were superimposed because everyone was looking in different directions. (How appropriate.)

For the rankings, if I had to start my Yes collection over, here are the first five I'd get:

Close to the Edge
Fragile
The Yes Album
Relayer
Time and a Word

Going for the One and Drama would soon follow.

----
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www.frequency-boost.org

 

1. Fragile
2. The Yes Album
3. Close to The Edge
4. Tales
5. Going For The One
6. Relayer
7. The rest of them

 

Fragile being so low seems insane...

 

STUDIO ALBUMS

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