Yes's Version of Works I and II

[cavgator]

Everyone else seems to start a Yes thread. I'll play.

folks know that Yes released several solo albums from 1975 through 1979, while ELP chose to do a two-record (or is it three?) set of solo and combined works. Being that many of fellow Yes members are on each other's records, I thought I would build the Lost Yes Album, using Howe's, Squire's, Wakeman's and Anderson's efforts (I do not have White's Ramshackle or Moraz's i handy). Let's build an 80-minute Yes Album:

Track------------------------------Performer--------------Time

Flight Of The Moorglade.................Anderson................ ...3:24
Solid Space.................................Anderson.... ...............5:21
Qoquac En transic, etc...................Anderson...................7 :09
Pleasure Stole The Night................Howe........................2 :55
Break Away From It All..................Howe........................4 :16
All's A Chord................................Howe......... ...............4:57
Hold Out Your Hand.......................Squire................. .....4:14
You By My Side............................Squire............ ...........5:00
Silently Falling.............................Squire........ .............11:27
Lucky Seven................................Squire....... ...............6:56
Safe (Canon Song).......................Squire................ .....13:52
Catherine of Aragon......................Wakeman............... ..3:47
Anne Boleyn................................Wakeman..... ............6:37

Total time.............................................. ..................80:55

Now imagine that the players are Yesmen with Anderson taking the lead vocals. How would this album rank? Cut and paste your own.

[JKL2000]

IMO these albums would work better of the tunes were addled around, and not all in blocks of Anderson, Howe, etc. except maybe tightly linked material lol from Sunhillow. Nice thread idea though - interested to hear responses.

[yeselpkrimson]

folks know that Yes released several solo albums from 1975 through 1979, while ELP chose to do a two-record (or is it three?) set of solo and combined works. Being that many of fellow Yes members are on each other's records, I thought I would build the Lost Yes Album, using Howe's, Squire's, Wakeman's and Anderson's efforts (I do not have White's Ramshackle or Moraz's i handy) (...) Now imagine that the players are Yesmen with Anderson taking the lead vocals.

The main omission from that era that I would cite is "Spring: Song Of Innocence" from White's Ramshackled (which you admitted you did not have handy) since it featured White, Anderson & Howe together, and was the only track that was "close-to-Yes-like" on White's solo album (IMO). Also, Wakeman's Criminal Record from 1977 has several tracks with Squire & White that would fit as well as those tracks from Six Wives. Going a bit outside your time frame would also yield "Hymn" from Wakeman's 1984 which featured Anderson on lead vocal. (I didn't time these to see how they would fit on an 80 minute CD though.)

There was a label in the 90's that compiled something similar to what you suggested, but went further to include tracks from Badger (Tony Kaye), Trevor Rabin solo, Bruford, Jon & Vangelis, and Peter Banks. It was called Affirmative: The Yes Solo Family Album:

Attachment 3706

P.S. ELP's Works Vol. 1 was a double vinyl with a ~20 minute solo side for each member and a 4th side for the combined group. Works Vol. 2 added two more sides of vinyl with a more general mix of solo and combined group tracks. So 3 LP's total if you combine both volumes into one.

[cavgator]

The main omission from that era that I would cite is "Spring: Song Of Innocence" from White's Ramshackled (which you admitted you did not have handy) since it featured White, Anderson & Howe together, and was the only track that was "close-to-Yes-like" on White's solo album (IMO). Also, Wakeman's Criminal Record from 1977 has several tracks with Squire & White that would fit as well as those tracks from Six Wives. Going a bit outside your time frame would also yield "Hymn" from Wakeman's 1984 which featured Anderson on lead vocal. (I didn't time these to see how they would fit on an 80 minute CD though.)

There was a label in the 90's that compiled something similar to what you suggested, but went further to include tracks from Badger (Tony Kaye), Trevor Rabin solo, Bruford, Jon & Vangelis, and Peter Banks. It was called Affirmative: The Yes Solo Family Album:

Attachment 3706

P.S. ELP's Works Vol. 1 was a double vinyl with a ~20 minute solo side for each member and a 4th side for the combined group. Works Vol. 2 added two more sides of vinyl with a more general mix of solo and combined group tracks. So 3 LP's total if you combine both volumes into one.

I am very admittedly Bruford-centric and built the album around the core of Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman, Howe and Squire, but it is as easy to make a Lost Yes album with Alan as the drummer.

[profusion]

The material from side one of Criminal Record would work a lot better than the Six Wives stuff, I think. Moraz's i is probably my favorite of all the Yes solo albums, but the material flows together and probably wouldn't work as extracts. The same might be said of Olias. I'd have no problem with Beginnings if Anderson or Squire sang the leads on it on a putative Yes "Works".

[dpt3]

Isn't Fragile already kind of Yes's version of Works?

[cavgator]

Isn't Fragile already kind of Yes's version of Works?

Good point! But I think when most prog fans think of Fragile, they aren't thinking about Cans and Brahms, 5% for Nothing, or We Have Heaven, and believe Fish is a part of Long Distance Runaround...

Indeed, omit the three obvious solo pieces, add Fish to Long Distance Runarond, and insert America, and you have an album of:

Roundabout (8:35)
Long Distance Runaround/Fish (6:13)
South Side Of The Sky (7:57)
Heart Of The Sunrise (11:24)
America (10:31)

TOTAL TIME: 44:40

That album may be their best ever.

[Mister Triscuits]

Indeed, omit the three obvious solo pieces, add Fish to Long Distance Runarond, and insert America, and you have an album of:

Roundabout (8:35)
Long Distance Runaround/Fish (6:13)
South Side Of The Sky (7:57)
Heart Of The Sunrise (11:24)
America (10:31)

TOTAL TIME: 44:40

That album may be their best ever.

People like to speak of "America" as if it were an outtake left off of Fragile, but it wasn't recorded until 1972, after Fragile had already been released.

[cavgator]

People like to speak of "America" as if it were an outtake left off of Fragile, but it wasn't recorded until 1972, after Fragile had already been released.

Well, Fragile was released in 1972 (in the US). Wiki said it was recorded in 1971 (not sure if accurate, of course). We aren't talking about a lot of time here.

[Rufus]

Well, Fragile was released in 1972 (in the US). Wiki said it was recorded in 1971 (not sure if accurate, of course). We aren't talking about a lot of time here.

They played America when Kaye was still in the band so I agree!

[cavgator]

They played America when Kaye was still in the band so I agree!

The recorded version is with Wakeman, however. if it was with Kaye, I'd put that with The Yes Album...

[dpt3]

Regardless of when America was recorded, I definitely dig that track listing!

[dpt3]

I think I'd put America before HotS though!

[yeselpkrimson]

Well, Fragile was released in 1972 (in the US). Wiki said it was recorded in 1971 (not sure if accurate, of course). We aren't talking about a lot of time here.

Sessions for Fragile were completed in September 1971, "America" was recorded in February 1972, and Bruford left the band in July 1972 after CTTE sessions were finished. Rhino included "America" with the expanded Fragile CD & DVD-A, while Steven Wilson & Panegyric added it to last year's CTTE packages. It fits with either package really; as you said, it was all within a relatively short time frame.

[happytheman]

The recorded version is with Wakeman, however. if it was with Kaye, I'd put that with The Yes Album...

I've read where Bruford provided keyboards to this recording.. not sure where I read that..

[yeselpkrimson]

I've read where Bruford provided keyboards to this recording.. not sure where I read that..

It was just a mellotron overdub toward the end of the track. Wakeman had left the sessions (bored, reportedly) and they didn't want to wait for him to come back. The rest of the keys are Wakeman.

[happytheman]

It was just a mellotron overdub toward the end of the track. Wakeman had left the sessions (bored, reportedly) and they didn't want to wait for him to come back. The rest of the keys are Wakeman.

I thought I read where Wakeman was bored early on and left thus he never wanted to ever play the song again.. thus the surprise when they did it for KTA live.. and he played it plenty of times during the last tour Yes did with him..

[refugee]

I thought I'd have ago at this, interesting notion. Using the same format as ELP let's pretend it was a triple Yes album released in late 1976, and I'm assuming it was conceived whilst Moraz was still in the band. Followed up by volume 2 in early 1977.

Yes - Works Vol1

Side One - Jon's Side
1. Ocean Song 3.05
2. Meeting (Garden of Geda)/Sound out the Galleon 3.36
3. Dance of Ranyart/Olias 4.19
4. Qoquaq en Transic 7.09
5. Flight of the Moorglade 3.36

Side Two - Chris' Side
1. Hold out your Hand 4.14
2. You by my Side 5.00
3. Safe (Canon Song) 14.58

Side Three - Steve's Side
1. Doors of Sleep 4.10
2. Australia 4.15
3. Lost Symphony 4.42
4. Beginnings 7.34

Side Four - Alan's Side
1. Oooh Baby (Goin to Pieces) 5.34
2. One Way Rag 4.27
3. Spring (Song of Innocence) 5.02
4. Darkness Pts 1-3 5.34

Side Five - Patrick's Side
1. Impact 3.26
2. Warmer Hands 3.33
3. The Storm 0.52
4. Cachaca 4.07
5. Intermezzo 2.46
6. Indoors 3.33

Side Six - Yes
1. Turn of the Century 7.53
2. Awaken 15.38


Works Vol 2

Side One
1. Going for the One 5.58
2. To the Runner 4.31
3. Lucky Seven 6.55
4. The Nature of the Sea 3.58

Side Two
1. Wondrous Stories 3.58
2. Impressions (The Dream) 2.56
3. Marching into a Bottle 2.00
4. Solid Space 5.52
5. Ram 1.54
6. Parallels 5.54