The Yes Album by Album Thread

I look forward to getting a copy of that soon, I have the Steven Wilson edition of Close to the Edge.

 

Thanks for mentioning that. I really need to pick up at least his Yes Album and Close to the Edge discs!

 

I had the chance to see YES in live here in Monterrey Mexico about 10 years ago, one of the strongest moments was the band playing Yours Is No Disgrace, it was just awesome! The stage was full of inflatables coloured by lights, the set drummer was cool too! An incredible night of course!

 

I would like to clarify this. Jon does not say "The Clap" on the Yes Album. He says "here's a song calleD Clap". It sounds like he say "THE" but it's really the hard D at the end of "called" in addition to the reverb on the recording. Also, since it was titled incorrectly we all thought he was saying 'The Clap'.

How do I know this? Well, I zoomed in on the intro and actually slowed down the recording with software. I concluded there is no "the" in the introduction. Yes, a major geek moment for me but I wanted to get to the bottom of this titling error.

 

i've been spending the last couple of weeks getting reacquainted with TYA due to the recent remix. it's a solid album through and through. i like "perpetual change" for being on the cusp of being the epic yes that's about to come. "starship trooper" has some excellent playing too.

in all, this album is just comfortable. it's obviously good, but i feel that it lacks the POWER that's about to come.

 

"Your Move": inspiration for "Killer Queen", hmmmm?

 

Your story is not unlike mine: I first heard Yes when the local AM station used to play "Your Move", although the DJ had a habit of saying at the end of the song "That's Yes, It's Your Move". I thought for a long time that was the name of the song (yes, it's your move) LOL. I recorded the song back then onto a cassette by holding the mic up to my 6-transistor radio. I still have this tape today.

Not long after this, my brother (also "RIP", like yours) told me "you'll like this", stuffing the green-label "TW Productions" bootleg 8-track of Fragile into his car deck while we were out cruising around. I was immediately hooked! I must have listened to that tape 100 times in his car, I didn't have the money to buy the LP at the time. We wore that tape out, in fact, I think he got sick of it since I kept playing Roundabout over and over. Still my all-time favorite Yes song today.

My first concert experience was going to Lakeland (FL) Civic Center in Dec of '74 for my first (not to be the last) Yes concert of my life. You could have gotten a contact high in that auditorium! I was dizzy from all the pot smoke and had a great time (not a toker myself, but...wow). I believe this was the first concert held in that auditorium, it was just opened recently - and was it trashed after the concert! Great times, great memories, and although I've been to other Yes concerts over the years, nothing compares to my first "virgin" concert. Like your first love or first kiss, it's something you never forget. Long live Yes!

 

Guess this is as good a place as any to jump in, 'cuz this is where I got started with Yes.

I think.

Somebody on my Navy ship (1969-73) showed up with Japan pressings of TYA and/or Fragile while we were overseas. Either one was guaranteed to bowl us over, and they delivered. Pretty sure it was TYA first; they were only a few months apart.

After I got out I hunted down the first two, went YAAAK, and never looked back. For this thread (hey, thanks!), I'm streaming the first two again. And I'm afraid it's an effort to suppress a second YAAAK.

Yes is a band that should never, ever do covers.

Guess I'm 50-50 on Yes overall. The stuff I like I really like. The disliked stuff is reviled, even if there is always at least one worthy track on each.

My touchstones: TYA, Fragile, CTTE, Relayer, Drama. And I guess I havta add 90125 if only for the bold departure. Even if it is slathered in 80s Crapulence, there are still strong ideas and performances therein. King Crimson took a somewhat similar turn in the 80s but with much more convincing results.

But then, they are King Crimson.

 

I will get into more detail once we reach the 80's releases but I agree Yes' 80's studio work is still valid. 90125 has Changes and Hearts which I think are a continuation of the sound and feel the group had on Drama and Big Generator has I'm Running which has large sections that were written and developed during the writing and rehearsing sessions for Drama when Steve was still around.

 

sorry, YAAAK?

 

That's interesting! I can almost imagine hippie Jon jammin' out with that one.

Like others, I had the Yesterdays collection when I was a teenager but didn't give it all that much attention compared to the classic Howe period. Later on, I turned onto that double disc collection of BBC recordings and that really revealed what a smokin' little combo those guys were back then, very exciting and creative right out of the gate. Now I've gone back to the reissues of the first two albums (with all the great bonus material) with much more appreciation (particularly since I've also grown to love some of that source material like the Byrds and Buffalo Springfield). They haven't quite nailed down their classic sound, but there's something exciting about hearing them reaching for it.

 

Now that I've had a little time to think...

I assume that we'll cover Yesterdays at some point, but that was the first place I heard most of the early stuff... until Yesyears came out. I completely fell in love with most of the Yesterdays tracks, especially Astral Traveller, Survival, and Time And A Word.

However, when I finally got around to the first 2 albums in their entirety, I was bowled over by Beyond And Before. Gaaawd, what a great song!!!

 

Hey, I'm sorry too!

Yes is a great band with great musicians who have hit some unbelievable highs. Once you've got The Gates of Delirium in your brain, that first album seems pretty puny. I will say TAAW, streaming right now, is going down somewhat better.

Nobody bats 1.000

Not even King Crimson.

 

we all try to decipher where bands were career wise when albums are produced. most of the time we just guess or listen to interviews. in the case of the YES album I think it is obvious. they were a good group with ideas but Steve Howe showed them were they can go. I can't think of a more positive influence on a group. he showed them that they can do really difficult and great things musically. they needed a trained musician in the band, Bruford and Squire were self taught. then of course they realized Tony wasn't able to keep up even though I like his playing on the album.......Starship Trooper could be their greatest single song but it must be the live version where it gets lifted to new highs (my favorite version is on the ABWH live album)

 

I know this is marginally informative but here goes......
Yours Is No Disgrace from The Yes Album

The songs amazing opening riff is truly a wonder to listen to. Hard rocking as it gets. It serves as the harmonic foundation for different parts of the song. Also, the movement of the riff thru keys serves as a basis also. The opening riff is E to A and then A to D (03-:06) and back to E (I-IV-VII). The wah pedal keeps the riff very rhythmically exciting and mutes the chord tones somewhat. At :08 Chris and Steve do a little slide down from B. The above riff is repeated and the organ adds to the mix. At :28 the riff modulates to the key of G, a minor third from E. The chord pattern remains the same but is now in G. The chords are now G-C-F (I-IV-VII). At :34 the riff modulates up on more step to A and goes thru the same chord sequence but in A. The modulation of keys of E-G-A which is a Major to Minor Third to Major 4th will show up again. At :40 Bill plays a rhythmic cadence and we are off to the races with Bb..a half step up from the A. The band groove in Bb with Steve playing his distinctive pulloffs along the way. Tony plays a theme that will resonate thru the song. At 1:12 the song modulates to E and then at 1:21 to a B Minor chord. At 1:24 the song deceptively shifts to a D Major 6th chord which is very similar to a B Minor chord. The first verse enters at 1:31 and goes thru the same ascension as the modulations in the intro but starting on a different key than in the intro. 1:30 is D 6th and then to F6th/G at 1:43 and then G 6th/A at 1:50 then at 1:57 A minor 7th which is similar to the G 6th /A chord. Notice the D-F-G modulation....the same as the opening riff in ascension...Major-Minor third-Major 4th but starting out on a different key. Awesome songwriting and use of the song material. Different keys but our ear picks up that ascension. At 2:00 a rythmic variation of the intro riff re enters like a bomb and is played different rhythmically but are the same chords. The second verse enters. The same modulation ascension occurs( E-G-A) through 2:40 where we wind up back in Bb. The boys groove on the Bb again with Steve playing his cool pulloffs and Chris changing the rhythmic drive here and there. At 3:04 a shift to E and then the B Minor chord like at the beginning of the very first verse. Now however the next verse is changed chord wise. Another verse setting! This time the verse (3:21) is underpinned by Chris's bass. The implied chords are D-E-G-D and is repeated in the verse. A B minor turnaround chord at 3:57 turns us back to the main opening intro riff! Lots of changes. At 4:31 Steve rhythmically changes up the last two key modulations setting up a change and then at 4:46, Steve starts the first instrumental interlude with a bluesy chordal freakout in E. Then at 5:08 the interlude changes to D minor with some great chordal work from Steve and Tony. . At 5:22 we think what we have is a cadence to another section but it goes back to the D Minor riff at 5:30. The change returns at 5:44 (G Minor-A Minor) but now remains and is used as the basis for some great solos by Steve. Steve's first solo is a psychedelic wail and the second is a jazzy mellow pattern. At 6:35 a long cadence enters and we finally end up in the Key of D at 6:54 for another verse but surprise......it is the same chords as the verse at 3:21. This time the arrangement is a little different with Steve strumming the plaintive major chords. The next lines (7:43) Jon change changes up the melody hinting at resolution. At 8:06 Jon emphasizes the final refrain of "Yours Is No Disgrace" unaccompanied. The guitar freakout returns and then the intro pattern for the final verse. The modulations climb up until at 8:55 the song gloriously returns to Bb. Steve plays his single string pulloffs and changes them slightly and Tony adds in the organ theme. At 9:26 the key moves to E as before and then dips to a D and ascends up. Finally at 9:34, the D chord ascends into the stratosphere compliments of the tape speeding up bringing the song to a close. A masterpiece of songwriting IMO.

 

Not exactly on par structure wise with Louie Louie is it. I love Louie Louie BTW.

 

This is where I got on the Yes bus and to that extent, in my mind, this is the Debut of Yes. I was probably 10 (at the latest) when I started hearing the mainstays of this album (Yours, Starship, All Good People) via older brothers of friends and radio.

Yes is a band that I liked but did not love growing up - although I dug specific songs here and there. Was never really a big album fan of theirs. However, I have grown to love in adulthood. In the last 5 years I've listened to more Yes than in the previous 41. And interestingly (to me at least) I have a lot more appreciation for the "warhorse" staples now even though I've heard them hundreds and hundreds of times.

The new Steve Wilson remix is great and represents just another way to fall in love with The Yes Album again. It (much like every other remix I've heard of his) is like looking at your favorite house at a different time of day. It's not the same but also not different.

Also, the deeper album cuts which I used to skip over - I no longer do that and play the album start to finish.

High points for me: Probably first and foremost Jon's singing on I've Seen All Good People. I think it's one of his finest moments - I'd put it in my top 10 for him for sure. The addition of Steve Howe elevates the interplay with Chris and Bill quite a bit. Also one of my favorite Chris Squire bass records.

The dynamics on this album (I mean in the band's playing and the structure of the songs) is thrilling. Many of my favorite Yes moments are here.

 

We will cover Yesteryears for sure. Great stuff on that one.

 

Cool, it's worth talking about briefly for the inclusion of the cover America with Wakeman and Howe and the remixes of early Yes stuff Jon oversaw.

 

I can't wait for your explanation of " Close To The Edge" and Squire's bass going against the melody.

 

To me, The Yes Album felt more like a debut album of the Yes I know.

 

Table of Contents

1. Yes S/T

2.Time And A Word

3. The Yes Album

4. Yours Is No Disgrace Song Structure Breakdown

 

I will probably repost the analysis I already did on the other thread. After that, I am only going to do one more and it will be from Relayer. To be honest, it takes too much time to do them and it takes away from other info I could be posting regarding the albums.
If Yes would only have stayed in one key and played a few chords it would have been easy. That darn Steve Howe.

 

My 'Yes' debut CD is way down on the bottom of a pile of CD's. Not in the mood to move 4 big totes of CD's to get to it. I have found my CD-R of 'Time and a Word' and added it to my iPod. So I'll be listening to it tomorrow at work sometime.

When I got into music back in 1976 or 77, I didn't like Yes at all. I can't explain it but I remember hearing "Roundabout" and another Yes song back around then I didn't like them. I was more into Kiss, Deep Purple, Ted Nugent, Aerosmith, Led Zeppelin. More of the harder rocking stuff. It wasn't until I heard "Tempus Fugit" from Drama that I liked a song Yes did. I bought Drama and was surprised I liked all 6 songs on that album. Sometime later I gave earlier Yes another try (or two ... or more maybe) that I actually began to like them. "And You and I" being probably my overall favorite song of theirs. Along With "Yours Is No Disgrace", "Roundabout", "I've Seen All Good People" amongst many other great Yes songs now that I really do like a lot.