Yes - The Ladder

[Paulrus]

I'm one of the minority that thinks Don't Go is terrific- much better than anything on The Ladder (besides Homeworld).

I'm actually in the same minority. To me that song harkens back to Jon's early 80s solo stuff, which I love. That said, I get why a lot of people don't like it. I guess I just enjoy it when they do anything that deviates from the "trying to sound like classic Yes all the time" mode.

[Mikhael]

I'm actually in the same minority. To me that song harkens back to Jon's early 80s solo stuff, which I love. That said, I get why a lot of people don't like it. I guess I just enjoy it when they do anything that deviates from the "trying to sound like classic Yes all the time" mode.

They've pretty much deviated from THAT ever since Drama...

[Progatron]

I'm one of the minority that thinks Don't Go is terrific- much better than anything on The Ladder (besides Homeworld).

Yep, you are! It's the only track from that album I skip.

I'm actually in the same minority.

Shit. Okay, there are two of you!

[Scott Bails]

They've pretty much deviated from THAT ever since Drama...

No, not at all. I find the KTA stuff to be lacking because it's so obvious that they were trying to "re-kindle the 70s."

[notallwhowander]

Every time this album crops up, I go to YouTube to preview tracks off the album. Nothing grabs me.

[ThomasKDye]

I'm in agreement that "Homeworld" and "New Language" are good, but I also quite like "Finally." One of Sherwood's better contributions (to ANYTHING) and the coda is sweetly evocative of the calmer parts of "Topographic Oceans."

[mozo-pg]

6.25 out of 10. A pretty decent effort with some bright moments and some real duds. I like the album artwork and saw their tour at Massey Hall in the big city of Toronto.

[IMWeasel]

It was a huge step up from Open Your Eyes, Talk, and Union, thats for sure...hell, Big Generator, even. I dont mean this as a put down, but when I want to listen to "Yes-Lite", this is one of the albums I go to. I'm not always in the mood to swim in topographic oceans, or get close to the edge, but I'd still like to hear something interesting from some of my favorite musicians. The tour was pretty awesome too, though too bad "Hearts' never made it on the official live DVD/CD release (nor did Close to the Edge ).

[JIF]

I actually had this, but sold it to downsize my CD collection. It's not that I didn't like it. I was thinking of buying it again if I saw it cheap on Amazon, but this thread has changed my mind. I did like that Igor used the classic keyboard sounds. I love FFH, and still get the pleasure out of listening to that.

[iguana]

The tour was pretty awesome too, though too bad "Hearts' never made it on the official live DVD/CD release (nor did Close to the Edge ).

i have said many times here how much i adore this album for what it is. and i'll gladly go on the record to say that this was probably the best latter-day YES tour of them all. it was certainly the best concert by them that i ever saw. why so? the new album was very intensely featured, besides this the classics didn’t go amiss – the re-introduction of “perpetual change” totally shook the foundations, “hearts” was a welcome and surprising prodigal son’s return, the stalwarts were there, as were some new faces and “cinema”, w/ billy, igor, alan & chris was fun. too bad this band and mindset didn’t last. this was the last tour with YES not yet in nostalgia circuit mode. it is that feature alone, that makes “the ladder” valuable beyond belief.

[happytheman]

i have said many times here how much i adore this album for what it is. and i'll gladly go on the record to say that this was probably the best latter-day YES tour of them all. it was certainly the best concert by them that i ever saw. why so? the new album was very intensely featured, besides this the classics didn’t go amiss – the re-introduction of “perpetual change” totally shook the foundations, “hearts” was a welcome and surprising prodigal son’s return, the stalwarts were there, as were some new faces and “cinema”, w/ billy, igor, alan & chris was fun. too bad this band and mindset didn’t last. this was the last tour with YES not yet in nostalgia circuit mode. it is that feature alone, that makes “the ladder” valuable beyond belief.

Yeah, I've often thought of all the "missed" opportunities from this lineup... The addition of Igor was such a good idea... he was (assuming still is) brilliant.. Granted Steve felt the stage was too crowded with Billy but like you the set list was such a welcomed sight. Not since the Keys set list did it get such a injection of blast from the past in a good way.. What a second album from this lineup would have sounded like is anybodies guess.. Not Magnification that's for sure..

[Yodelgoat]

I need to mention that I thought the Vocals on this album are what I really like. They seem to have a power that I didn't know could come from Yes (without Rabin making them sing their parts in tune, that is) Jon actually "belts" on occasion.

[rushfan]

Always liked the Ladder and loved the tour - opened with Homeworld and also included Face to Face and Nine Voices. Even though Nine Voices sounds like Your Move part 2 I always love hearing it - would love to try and mix the two together. I wish it made the cut on the House of Blues DVD.

[Scott Bails]

I need to mention that I thought the Vocals on this album are what I really like. They seem to have a power that I didn't know could come from Yes (without Rabin making them sing their parts in tune, that is) Jon actually "belts" on occasion.

Yeah, great observation. I really think Fairbairn pushed them pretty far on this one. Really a shame that this was his last work.

[bondegezou]

^^^^^^^^
You kind of have to figure if he's really got that kind of personality it wasn't just one isolated freakout either. That was just the high profile one that broke the camel's back, more than likely...

Absolutely. The others had been unhappy about his behaviour before this event.

Henry

[bondegezou]

I also quite like "Finally." One of Sherwood's better contributions (to ANYTHING) and the coda is sweetly evocative of the calmer parts of "Topographic Oceans."

While the main song is from Sherwood, the coda is by Howe, thus the similarities to Tales....

Henry

[Frumious B]

I don't think he really fit in personality-wise. Whatever might have been brewing there might have been dealt with though but that incident really did him in...

Taken on its own terms I think "Don't Go" is a perfectly serviceable and enjoyable power pop type song. It'd be even better if they'd gone full bore and jangled it up a bit. Has Steve Howe ever done jangly?

[IMWeasel]

i have said many times here how much i adore this album for what it is. and i'll gladly go on the record to say that this was probably the best latter-day YES tour of them all. it was certainly the best concert by them that i ever saw. why so? the new album was very intensely featured, besides this the classics didn’t go amiss – the re-introduction of “perpetual change” totally shook the foundations, “hearts” was a welcome and surprising prodigal son’s return, the stalwarts were there, as were some new faces and “cinema”, w/ billy, igor, alan & chris was fun. too bad this band and mindset didn’t last. this was the last tour with YES not yet in nostalgia circuit mode. it is that feature alone, that makes “the ladder” valuable beyond belief.

Hearing "Awaken" was pretty awesome too, and yes admittedly I am a Rabin fan, so hearing Cinema paired with Owner was a really nice too. And oh yeah, totally forgot about Perpetual Change, what a great tune! This was a really solid lineup; the 1998 tour was the first time I'd ever seen Yes actually (though the newest album at the time was "open your eyes"), so it was pretty cool for me to see a band so heavily favor their new release like they did. Too bad it didn't last (though the masterworks tour was pretty amazing).

[Scott Bails]

it was pretty cool for me to see a band so heavily favor their new release like they did. Too bad it didn't last

Haven't they been playing over half of FfH on recent tours?

[expresso]

One great song (Homeworld of course) and nothing else as far as I'm concerned. I prefer Magnification by far...

My thoughts exactly.

[bill g]

Well, though not nearly as good obviously as CTTE and Tales, I thought 'The Ladder' was at least a step in the right direction after the Rabin albums, and I liked Magnification slightly better, and the studio side of Keys 2, slightly more even.

[Mikhael]

Boy, we're all over the map here, aren't we? I think _Talk_ was better than anything they've done since, and other than "Mind Drive" (which I thought was a bit weak), I didn't care for the new KTA songs. Then there was _Magnification_, which I thought was compositionally weak (Howe was disgruntled because Jon wouldn't let him "Yessize" the songs, and I think it shows), and FFH which was pleasant, but not engaging as Yes can be.

_The Ladder_ was, for me, the best thing they've done since _Talk_.

[bRETT]

Boy, we're all over the map here, aren't we? I think _Talk_ was better than anything they've done since, and other than "Mind Drive" (which I thought was a bit weak), I didn't care for the new KTA songs. Then there was _Magnification_, which I thought was compositionally weak (Howe was disgruntled because Jon wouldn't let him "Yessize" the songs, and I think it shows), and FFH which was pleasant, but not engaging as Yes can be.

_The Ladder_ was, for me, the best thing they've done since _Talk_.

I like Open Your Eyes better than any of the above.

(Not really...Just thought that was the one opinion that would NOT get said!)

[trurl]

THE ONE THING THAT'S CLEAR IS THAT THERE IS NO CONSENSUS AMONGST --jeezuz, capslock, sorry- amongst Yes fans when it comes to The Ladder, Magnification and (to a lesser degree) Talk. They seem to divide fans pretty evenly...

[Gerhard]

I think "It Will Be a Good Day (The River)" is a fine song, definitely the most memorable of the album, for me. Very catchy and upbeat, but still with plenty of nice Howe parts throughout.