Yes: America and Bruford

[WytchCrypt]

So I was listening to Yesterdays last night and America is one of my all time fave Yes songs, I love the arrangement and how they took the original and gave it "the Yes treatment". It got me wondering, was recording America the last band related thing Bruford did before leaving for Crimso? Was it recorded after the CTTE tour and before Yessongs was put together or was it done earlier than that? I've seen a clip of the band in the studio working on it and they all seemed to be having so much fun, it must have been quite the shock when Bruford announced his exit.

[Scrotum Scissor]

It got me wondering, was recording America the last band related thing Bruford did before leaving for Crimso? Was it recorded after the CTTE tour and before Yessongs was put together or was it done earlier than that?

IIRC, it was made in the aftermath of their success with the "Roundabout" single - i.e. before CttE.

"America" as interpreted by Yes is one of my fave doings of theirs; that jammy-like, lengthy mid-section remains one of their absolute 'thinking man's rock&roll'-statements and alibis. Fabulous recording.

If Howe's playing is what attracts you to this, you should also hear his work with Bodast (1969-70 recordings) and the earlier Tomorrow.

[Paulrus]

IIRC, it was made in the aftermath of their success with the "Roundabout" single - i.e. before CttE.

"America" as interpreted by Yes is one of my fave doings of theirs; that jammy-like, lengthy mid-section remains one of their absolute 'thinking man's rock&roll'-statements and alibis. Fabulous recording.

If Howe's playing is what attracts you to this, you should also hear his work with Bodast (1969-70 recordings) and the earlier Tomorrow.

The song was originally used on The New Age of Atlantic sampler LP, which came out in November, 1972 -- after Close to the Edge (September). But if I had to guess it was probably recorded following touring for Fragile, maybe before the band started working on Close to the Edge proper. The band in that studio footage have more of the Fragile-era look to my eye.

And the song was part of their live repertoire going back to the Tony Kaye days so it's not like they would have had to work on it for a long time. But it sure is a tasty piece of rock music -- one of my faves by Yes for sure.

And a second rec for the Bodast album. I'm glad Steve made it into Yes, but it was a shame such a good group and album never received the attention they were due.

[GuitarGeek]

And a second rec for the Bodast album. I'm glad Steve made it into Yes, but it was a shame such a good group and album never received the attention they were due.

If I'm not mistaken, the Bodast album wasn't even released until years later. I gather that was one of those things where they recorded the album, but either couldn't get a record deal or something went wonky with the negotiations or whatever, and so the group broke up.

I've only heard the Bodast and Tomorrow tracks that were used on the Mothballs compilation, but there are indeed some good tracks in there. I suppose it's common knowledge by now that the last section of Starship Trooper was actually derived from a Bodast track called Nether Street. Not just the chord progression, but also at least some of the guitar solo was already there on Nether Street. And I'm sure I heard the intro from One Step Closer (from the first Asia album) on one of the other tracks from either Tomorrow or Bodast.

[Trane]

"America" as interpreted by Yes is one of my fave doings of theirs; that jammy-like, lengthy mid-section remains one of their absolute 'thinking man's rock&roll'-statements and alibis. Fabulous recording.

Yup, this might have been a most brilliabnt bonus track on fragile... or even more so on Yes album... Even if it is Wakeman onKB, this track is more in line with TYA than F, IMHO

[trurl]

Pretty sure it was recorded around the time of Fragile- it was included on the Fragile DVD-A.

[bRETT]

The song was originally used on The New Age of Atlantic sampler LP, which came out in November, 1972 -- after Close to the Edge (September).

The US single came out in summer 72, with the edit of "Total Mass Retain" on the back.

[Paulrus]

If I'm not mistaken, the Bodast album wasn't even released until years later. I gather that was one of those things where they recorded the album, but either couldn't get a record deal or something went wonky with the negotiations or whatever, and so the group broke up.

From Wikipedia:

The group recorded an album in 1968. Their label Tetragrammaton Records had success in the United States with Deep Purple, but went out of business just before scheduling a release date for the Bodast album. A portion of a song from the album titled "Nether Street" eventually became the third segment of the Yes song "Starship Trooper" from The Yes Album entitled "Würm". The 1968 recordings were eventually released in 1981, and most recently by RPM Records in 2000.

For me, perhaps even more surprising than hearing "Wurm" in "Nether Street" was hearing the little descending classical motif that precedes the "In her white lace..." part of "Close to the Edge" in the song "Black Leather Gloves". It's at 1:52...

[calyx]

"America" was recorded in early February 1972. "Close To The Edge", April to June.

[the winter tree]

I read that Bruford played the mellotron at the end of AMERICA.

[Rufus]

Yup, this might have been a most brilliabnt bonus track on fragile... or even more so on Yes album... Even if it is Wakeman onKB, this track is more in line with TYA than F, IMHO

They played it live when Kaye was still in the band & Wakeman didn't play it any different, so yeah, it must have been constructed during the Yes album sessions!

[2steves]

I think the Yes sound at this time was so extraordinary and original that when I hear people compare yes west with what these guys were doing it is like comparing ordinary with extraordinary---and don't get why they don't get it.

[Baribrotzer]

I think the Yes sound at this time was so extraordinary and original

It's music that shouldn't have worked - way too busy, everyone off at tangents to everybody else, completely incompatible styles all played at once. And yet it did work.

[Adm.Kirk]

Speaking of Tomorrow, I loved their version of Strawberry Fields Forever. Brilliant!

Bill

[Trane]

I think the Yes sound at this time was so extraordinary and original that when I hear people compare yes west with what these guys were doing it is like comparing ordinary with extraordinary---and don't get why they don't get it.

the thing is that with TYA, Yes was still not developping a full-blown prog sound... TYA (and the cover of America) still has a feel of UK proto-prog, IMHO Wakeman's artrival in the fold drastically changed things (not necessarily for the better, since TYA is still my fave album of theirs, partly because Kaye used much organ rather than synths)

[Rand Kelly]

I read that Bruford played the mellotron at the end of AMERICA.

I have read that too,but in Yesstories by Tim Morse,which I am currently reading Bill said he "played Conga Drums through Chris Squire's Wah-Wah Pedal."

[bondegezou]

At one point, Fragile was to be a double LP with a live disc covering "America" and "It's Love".

Henry

[JKL2000]

Bodast? Oh, you mean Canto.

[Vic2012]

My favorite Steve Howe guitar solo is on America. Hell of a song. I just happened upon a used copy of Yesterdays several years ago. I think I bought because I knew I didn't want to get Yes' first couple of albums and I thought a compilation of some of those early tracks would be enough. Well, "America" just blew my doors off. I think I like one or two other tracks (Astral Traveler) but I mostly find it ok to mediocre. It's not the YES of Fragile, CTTE, TYA, etc. It's worth having for America. The first time I saw YES in 2002 they played America.

[the winter tree]

My favorite Steve Howe guitar solo is on America. Hell of a song. I just happened upon a used copy of Yesterdays several years ago. I think I bought because I knew I didn't want to get Yes' first couple of albums and I thought a compilation of some of those early tracks would be enough. Well, "America" just blew my doors off. I think I like one or two other tracks (Astral Traveler) but I mostly find it ok to mediocre. It's not the YES of Fragile, CTTE, TYA, etc. It's worth having for America. The first time I saw YES in 2002 they played America.

It's strange, most of the tracks from the first 2 albums on YESTERDAYS sound like they were mixed through a phase shifter. By the time it gets to ASTRAL TRAVELLER and SURVIVAL it's completely phasing in and out and weird/thin sounding(not in a good way!). The original albums, YES and TIME AND A WORD, sound fine. This was not corrected on any of the CD reissues/remasters. It's always baffled me why this is.

AMERICA sounds great on all versions though.

Has anyone else ever noticed this? I've never read anyone comment on it.

[Firth]

Pretty sure it was recorded around the time of Fragile- it was included on the Fragile DVD-A.

The Fragile DVD A version of America is awesome and it's on that recording for a reason, it belongs to that period.

[trurl]

The Fragile DVD A version of America is awesome and it's on that recording for a reason, it belongs to that period.

Right, that's my point.

[Paulrus]

My favorite Steve Howe guitar solo is on America. Hell of a song. I just happened upon a used copy of Yesterdays several years ago. I think I bought because I knew I didn't want to get Yes' first couple of albums and I thought a compilation of some of those early tracks would be enough. Well, "America" just blew my doors off. I think I like one or two other tracks (Astral Traveler) but I mostly find it ok to mediocre. It's not the YES of Fragile, CTTE, TYA, etc. It's worth having for America. The first time I saw YES in 2002 they played America.

The first two Yes albums are better than almost everything they've done since Drama, IMO.

Yesterdays covers some good stuff, but doesn't include other amazing songs, including "Harold Land", "Every Little Thing", or "The Prophet" (or "Something's Coming", which is on the current CD reissue). IMO Squire and Bruford are so insanely great as a rhythm section both albums are worth getting just for them alone.

[Firth]

The first two Yes albums are better than almost everything they've done since Drama, IMO.

Yesterdays covers some good stuff, but doesn't include other amazing songs, including "Harold Land", "Every Little Thing", or "The Prophet" (or "Something's Coming", which is on the current CD reissue). IMO Squire and Bruford are so insanely great as a rhythm section both albums are worth getting just for them alone.

I say get the remasters with bonus tracks for Yes 69 and Time and a Word. The only reason for buying Yesterdays is that America is on it. Now if I could rip my DVD-A of Fragile with America to my IPod.

[Adrian]

My favorite Steve Howe guitar solo is on America.

Same here. That middle instrumental section is one of my favorite Yes moments, bar none.

It's strange, most of the tracks from the first 2 albums on YESTERDAYS sound like they were mixed through a phase shifter. By the time it gets to ASTRAL TRAVELLER and SURVIVAL it's completely phasing in and out and weird/thin sounding(not in a good way!). The original albums, YES and TIME AND A WORD, sound fine. This was not corrected on any of the CD reissues/remasters. It's always baffled me why this is.

AMERICA sounds great on all versions though.

Has anyone else ever noticed this? I've never read anyone comment on it.

I've always noticed and it wondered why they did that on Yesterdays.

I think the Yes sound at this time was so extraordinary and original that when I hear people compare yes west with what these guys were doing it is like comparing ordinary with extraordinary---and don't get why they don't get it.

There's nothing to get. Both eras were great in their own way.