Originally Posted by Sean
Yeah, I would say "A Time and a Word.""Yesterday And Today" & "Sweetness" from the first album must be its "grandparents" then.
Yeah, I would say "A Time and a Word.""Yesterday And Today" & "Sweetness" from the first album must be its "grandparents" then.
"The White Zone is for loading and unloading only. If you got to load or unload go to the White Zone!"
I'd agree with you, though the very early band had touches.....on the first album, even, and on Time and a Word, too.
That's it for me in a nutshell. Jon Anderson has been an inspiration in many ways in my life, and what he contributed to Yes' classic albums just added to a magical aura that will never be replicated. I admire his creativity and love his voice, and yeah, it would be great to still see him in Yes. But he isn't, and I suspect the reasons why aren't as simple as some people want to make them out to be. Relationships can be complicated things, and sometimes they fall apart. If the guys who are in the band now can all get along and make music together, touring and recording on a schedule that makes them all reasonably happy, I'll take that over an arrangement where everyone feels miserable because they feel forced to work together and can't agree on a game plan.
The bottom line is that in 2014, we pretty much have the option of Yes with a different singer, or (most likely) no Yes at all.
Olias still stands out as one of Prog's true archetypes. Nothing like it before or since. The definite epic of it's age.
Too bad Jon hasn't come anywhere close to it since. Maybe waiting another 30 yrs for Zamram will be worth it.....
Music isn't about chops, or even about talent - it's about sound and the way that sound communicates to people. Mike Keneally
Ultimately it is a new album by a band that includes musicians who have made some great music in their time. There's that no matter where one stands on the whole Yes (Not Yes) business, Jon Anderson etc.. I prefer to try and take in the new music on its own merits.
"It was a cruel song, but fair."-Roger Waters
Wow. That's an excellent way to look at it, Frumious. I'm impressed.
Music isn't about chops, or even about talent - it's about sound and the way that sound communicates to people. Mike Keneally
In many ways, I think this will be interesting. Obviously, the other four were satisfied with what Davison brought to the table. It reminds me of the situation the band found itself in prior to 90125. This time it's a singer not a guitar player who is bringing the fresh perspective to the band. Of course, I can't say anything about what the new album will or will not sound like since I've yet to hear a single note. I don't want a sample or even a full track to color my impression of the album as a whole.
As to the Anderson business, I have said this many times, I would love for Jon to be there. He has done much to secure Yes' place in history and contributed fine music to the band and has done some very good solo work from time to time. However, he is not there for whatever reason. Yes is a much happier band without him, it would seem. Much like Deep Purple without Blackmore, Yes has found a way to move forward without an important cog in the wheel. I like Davison in Glass Hammer and think he is the right guy for Yes at this point in time. Anderson has to many issues on several levels to function within Yes in a way that will work within the bands plan for touring and recording. Anderson even said he didn't want to record a new album again with Yes. They went how many years between Magnification and Fly From Here? 10? Way to long. I'm happy that they are still a working, functioning band.
Bill
She'll be standing on the bar soon
With a fish head and a harpoon
and a fake beard plastered on her brow.
^ Agreed on every point, including not listening to any of the samples! I want the first time I hear any of the album to be when I put the CD in the player. The opinions of the music that people are sharing are giving me an idea of what to expect, but I still don't want to spoil the experience for myself. Glad to hear I'm not the only one.
I don't doubt it. I've read comments from people who think Peter Cetera is still in Chicago, just as one of many examples. We're probably in a minority among music fans who actually pay attention to lineups, so while it's a big deal to many of us that Jon Anderson isn't in Yes, I imagine most concertgoers have no clue and just want to hear "Roundabout" and "I've Seen All Good People," drink a few beers with their friends, and go home.
I'll agree with you on every point as well, Adrian except playing the CD...give me the vinyl! In fact, I just found out today that the Montreux show from 2003 is now available as a 3 LP set. I actually broke my rule of not playing sample and tracks before hand for the new Bob Dylan album. I've actually listened to the lead track from that. The idea of him covering Sinatra was more than I could deal with, so I had a listen. Quite good, too. But back to Yes, I think the devaluation of music has contributed greatly to the idea of going to a show, having a beer, hearing the two or three big songs that get played on the radio over and over again as a night out is far more frequent than it used to be. I think back in the 70's the music was more important to more people. We didn't have everything at our fingertips: DVDs, Video games, 800 channels on the TV, or the Internet. Music was more special to more people then. It still is for many of us but most people just don't care. If they can get a selfie to post on Facebook, they are happy. Kinda sad.
Bill
She'll be standing on the bar soon
With a fish head and a harpoon
and a fake beard plastered on her brow.
I agree with all of this. I miss Jon's presence on stage, and, while Davison can nail everything in-tune with power, I do miss the special quality Jon A brought to the music. Nobody could sing "And You And I" with that kind of feeling. Jon A is not in shape to tour with Yes, however, and his voice is not nearly as strong as it was even in '04 (The guy will be 70 this year, folks).
As earlier posters have said, we don't know the story behind all the fractured relationships, but we do know that Jon tried to get Steve booted from the band after the SLO shows in '96, but Rabin turned them down, so , knowing that they needed each other, they got on with things. I don't know about you, but I would have a hard time playing music night after night with someone who tried to get rid of me, much less trying to CREATE new music with that person.
As for the new music, it's too soon to tell, for me. Davison may have written the melodies, etc, but so far I hear a more distinctive Yes stamp on this music than much of the Rabin stuff, for example, where he came in with completely finished demos and didn't really leave much room for the Yes touch of arrangement and orchestration. On the contrary, in this music (so far) I hear plenty of Downes' influence in the sound. I'd like to hear more of Steve, but I also haven't heard enough of the new music to be able to say that about the whole album. Chris' sound is also very recognizable to me in the music I have heard thus far.
Judging from "The Ladder" and some of "Magnification", I think it's safe to say that there would be as much "adult contemporary" influence with Jon A there. People who have been doing this as long as these guys have might just be interested in writing solid songs rather than stringing together half-baked song fragments with polymetric padding and solos to create an "epic". "Close to the Edge" was created almost by accident. Nobody knew how long it was going to be or how it was going to end when they started. It was born out of a lot of spontaneous creativity in the studio by young guys on fire with music. Other longer pieces were mainly driven by the Anderson/Howe writing team, which was obviously functioning on a high and prolific level in those days. The falling out between them must have been really bad, because they haven't written any strong material together for a long time. The other guys in Yes want to get out there and play shows and write new music. Jon A doesn't seem to be interested in doing this, at least in a band setting. Steve Howe mentioned a couple of years ago in an interview that Jon A was bringing ideas to the band before he left that were, according to Howe, "not ready for prime time". Add this to the fact that the guy tried to kick him out of the band, his aging voice, health issues, etc, and it's no wonder Yes went on without him. I did NOT care for Benoit (although I like FFH) and never thought he was really up to the job, from what I heard on live recordings. Jon D, however, seems to be the real deal in many ways. I'm enjoying what has come out from Heaven and Earth thus far and am hoping the rest of the album will be enjoyable.
Last edited by progfan1; 06-21-2014 at 01:23 AM.
Clearly, the Facebook comments have been intergalactically inspirational to someone.
http://www.stereo.net.au/forums/inde...ion/?p=1128667
http://www.stereo.net.au/forums/inde...ion/?p=1131879
Does anyone remember when Yes and specifically Jon were teasing us with a double cd ala Tales From Topographic Oceans around the end of the Masterworks 2000 Tour? I sure do. So,then no more talk of a huge epic prog album,they asked us if we would like to hear Yes with an orchestra? And the answer was to give us Magnification without a designated keyboard player. After hearing Open and reading what Zamran is supposed to be about, I think that is the same music that may have been used in whole or in parts on this never to be prog epic album for the 70's fans. Magnification and the Symphonic Yes Tours were great with Tom Brislin and a year later with Rick Wakeman minus the orchestra. But after that tour Jon would agree to touring the hits through 2004 and then Yes was in some sort of hibernation and we would read that the other guys wanted to write a new album and tour but Jon just wouldn't board the ship. Then he broke his back around Christmas I forget what year and that sidelined him badly with a pretty long recovery and it has been stated by Jon himself, that he thinks that is when the respiratory problems started and of course we all felt bad for him. He surely didn't ask for this but it was what it was and Yes was tired of waiting to move on with their career. I don't see how anyone could blame them for carrying on without Jon. So,in 2010 I saw the Jon Anderson Experience if you will,and he was great,but nowhere near the capability imho to be touring 2-3 years with Yes. He has lost a lot of power and some of his range. It's not by accident that he has lowered almost every Yessong he sings down one whole step. He has to do this to hit the high notes people. I really enjoyed watching Jon play the guitar and piano and sing his lovely heart out,but he is struggling there is no doubt about it. Check out his vocals prior to his accident and then after. It is a sad realization there is no way he could come back into Yes other than record with them or maybe do a guest spot on a few tunes,but all that is moot these days as Jon Davison is their guy and I think he is absolutely the perfect singer for Yes now. Sometimes I think the No Jon,No Yes crowd forgot he didn't sing on Drama. That is a fantastic high energy prog album and Trevor Horn gets it done. I wish nothing but the best for Jon Anderson I truly mean that. He will always be my spiritual musical adviser. But let Jon Davison blossom in Yes and see what he has inside of him too. I don't care if anyone is not planning on buying Heaven & Earth nor will I try to convince them that they should,but to judge aka eliminate any possibility of not buying it after hearing 1 full song and less than 2 minutes of another seems really close minded and I find that strange considering what Yes has done for over 4 decades. Looking forward to hearing Step Beyond.
That's the epic they couldn't complete in time to go on the record.
"It was a cruel song, but fair."-Roger Waters
Credits: Thank you to Vangelis and Patrick Moraz for the use of their keyboards or close to that effect.
I think of Jon as a natural born explorer and I would almost bet that the sounds on Olias were created by the composer. Synths are an amazing instrument. The search for what you are looking for can take minutes or hours depending on what you desire and how long it takes to nail it. I know, I have owned many over 3 decades. The patches Jon chose for the album are not that obscure. He chose more of the well known and easy to find sounds. He really doesn't use that much Synth on it. More chordal type sounds,like Harpsichord,Piano,Strings and some Mellotron or Orchestron if Patrick lent him that beast. There is a lot of Classical guitar on Olias. Unless you're a guitarist you may not have noticed. Regardless,the album is his triumphant masterpiece of his entire career as a solo artist. Nothing since has ever come close. Isn't it odd that Jon hasn't been able to top it on his numerous albums,and neither has Chris,but only because when he does try to put one out it gets absconded with by somebody else.
Here's the complete list of instruments used on "Olias" :
Minimoog, Mini Korgs Mark 1 and 2, Farfisa Rhodes 66, double-manual Mellotron, Beaconsfield Church organ, Baldwin baby grand piano, Ken Freeman string machine, marimba, glockenspeil, children's toy saxophone, large brass band drum, two brass band snare drums, Caribbean long drums, assorted Navaho Indian drums, African skin drums, Indian tablas, Chinese bells, African cowbells, Tibetan bells, Ludwig wood blocks, thumb piano, custom-built cymbal tree, tambourine, triangle, assorted cymbals and gongs, Irish harp, Hofner violin bass, sitar, tampuri, Greek bouzouki, Turkish Kes, Martin acoustic guitar, Gibson acoustic guitar, Gibson Melody Maker guitar, Gibson Mandicello and assorted African wooden flutes.
Calyx (Canterbury Scene) - http://www.calyx-canterbury.fr
Legends In Their Own Lunchtime (blog) - https://canterburyscene.wordpress.com/
My latest books : "Yes" (2017) - https://lemotetlereste.com/musiques/yes/ + "L'Ecole de Canterbury" (2016) - http://lemotetlereste.com/musiques/lecoledecanterbury/ + "King Crimson" (2012/updated 2018) - http://lemotetlereste.com/musiques/kingcrimson/
Canterbury & prog interviews - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdf...IUPxUMA/videos
First time I've heard of that; can you elaborate? I know Squire was almost replaced for the Talk tour.
I believe it was actually after the KTA2 sessions a year after that. The band was more or less falling apart, and when Sherwood and Squire started working on OYE in Los Angeles, Anderson tried to convince Rabin to rejoin instead of Howe. Rabin, being relatively sane, turned them down.
I was standing in line at a Nektar gig a year or so ago, not long after Yes with Benoit David had played in the area. The guy next to me clearly didn't know that it was Geoff Downes and not Wakeman in the band.
"The White Zone is for loading and unloading only. If you got to load or unload go to the White Zone!"
Looks like it's Andreas Prestmo. Jon Davison is the guy from Glass Hammer. Prestmo will be his replacement.
That's all we need, another Jon Davison clone.
"The White Zone is for loading and unloading only. If you got to load or unload go to the White Zone!"
He's done solo material these past years that could have been better than anything on FFH, with more of a classic Yes sound and lyrics. But it would have needed Anderson and the rest of Yes.Right. Exactly. This is evidenced by the stellar output of Anderson over these last so-many years. Everything he touches is better than the last, and he's kept that adventurous, edgy Yes sound alive. With songs like "If Only You Knew" and albums like The Living Tree, it's a wonder anyone even pays any attention to Yes at all these days.
Give me a break.
Posting Permissions
Bookmarks