CIRCA's newest album was released today. Here's the title track.
CIRCA's newest album was released today. Here's the title track.
Damn Billy Sherwood confuses the Hell out me. Never thought he added much to Yes during his first tenure in the band but then again they were in death throes then so I could hardly blame him. I loved the first Circa album but the subsequent records seemd to suffer from the same problem Billy's ensuing solo records did. They just started going in one ear and then out another as he seemingly became way too prolific. From there it was another step down as he fell in with Cleopatra Records making those awful "guest artist" tribute records and producing William Shatner. His "vocal" mix on "Heaven and Earth" was as lame as the album itself. When he joined Yes after Squire's passing I merely shrugged.
I was bored today and had an hour to fill so just for sh*ts and giggles I pulled this album up on TIDAL and imagine my surprise when it turned out to be spectacular! If this was the new Yes album I would be jumping up and down and doing handstands.
Color me impressed
Do you mean that it sounds like Yes?Originally Posted by progmeister
All four tracks are up on youtube, officially, I think... Good stuff. May well be Sherwood's best since the Circa debut. Definitely worth a purchase to explore further.
I took a break from trying to make up my mind what I thought about Anderson/Stolt to listen to this one, and I was shocked by how much I liked this. It's kind of to Yes-circa-The-Yes-Album what Anderson/Stolt is to Yes-circa-Topographic-Oceans. Maybe what the Ladder might have been if the whole album were in the vein of "New Language"? I agree completely that if this material had been the basis for a new Yes album, it would completely restore faith in the parent band. I was particularly impressed by the keyboard work. Maybe Yes needs to rehire Tony Kaye?
There's certainly Sherwoodisms in the production and overly processed vocals, but these bothered me less than in other stuff I've heard from him.
Well, this is great! Thanks for posting. I find Billy to be confusing too. He spends all this time making bland music...but there is potential. How the guy makes money off this stuff is baffling. This album, however, is inspiring me to, yet again, explore his back catalog and all the projects he's been in (except the tribute records..who buys that stuff?).
It's a step up from some of Sherwood's recent work, some very good stuff, although I wouldn't put it on a par with Invention of Knowledge myself. Oddly, the title track is the weakest to my ears. If you're trying this out on some streaming platform, try the first or final piece instead.
Henry
Where Are They Now? Yes news: http://www.bondegezou.co.uk/wh_now.htm
Blogdegezou, the accompanying blog: http://bondegezou.blogspot.com/
Silent Resolve rocks for sure.. only track I've heard.. Maybe there is hope on the horizon for Yes fans.. Anderson / Stolt, Anderson Wakeman and Rabin, and now this..
There have, I'm going to boldly claim, always been great Yes-related albums. If the "magic" hasn't always come together on actual Yes albums, there's still been moments of greatness elsewhere among the solo albums and spin-off projects.
Henry
Where Are They Now? Yes news: http://www.bondegezou.co.uk/wh_now.htm
Blogdegezou, the accompanying blog: http://bondegezou.blogspot.com/
I've been kind of hoping Yes (Steve Howe, I'm looking at you!) would get over the disappointment that H&E was for all concerned and give it another try now that Billy is on board. I actually found more to like in Billy's recent Divided By One than I thought I would. But yeah, imagine "Valley of the Windmill" with JD on lead vocal and Steve Howe on guitar.
I'm holding out for the Wilson-mixed 5.1 super-duper walletbuster special anniversary extra adjectives edition.
I like it. Good track. Catchy. The vocals remind me a bit of Ray Wilson at times. Maybe a touch overly processed (more than just the vocals) in the production but a lot of stuff is nowadays. The Sherwoodisms were mentioned already and one of them is that there are those moments when I believe he thinks he's Trevor Rabin. However, as stated, I like it.
Mongrel dog soils actor's feet
Sherwood has ruined Yes and added nothing to it's history in the past and will add nothing to in the future--I know local prog bands that have more talent---but Yes is no more so it doesn't matter. SHerwood makes bad derivative music and the world barely needs another Rabin lol. And Howe should avoid making a Yes record with this line up---He needs to work with better talent like Hackett does and now so does Anderson ---or throw in the towel. There is just no quality control in Yes anymore.
Really liked this tune yesterday. Not too much today. There is a song on the last Prog Collective album Epilogue that is a total Yes ripoff with Howe and Squire. Not to bad.
I adore this album!
You don't like Trevor Rabin?
"Why is it when these great Prog guys get together, they always want to make a Journey album?"
- fiberman, 7/5/2015
I gave this a spin today and I really enjoyed it. It is typical Billy fare, but he upped his game a notch. Nice melodies. Kaye's organ is all over it (). Someone earlier mentioned imagining Howe and Davison on this- that would not be bad Yes.
Music isn't about chops, or even about talent - it's about sound and the way that sound communicates to people. Mike Keneally
After listening to this one a few times I'd have to agree that this is Billy's best effort since the original Circa album (with the possible exception of John Wetton's "Raised In Captivity"). I am starting to get tired of Billy's over processed vocals though. If he's not confident enough with his vocal abilities to lose the processing I really wish he'd find someone else to take over the vocal duties. Other than that it's nice to hear Billy on guitar for a change and Kaye's keys much more prominent. I'll definitely be playing this one many more times.
I'd be curious to see what an album from the current Yes lineup would sound like. I'm not a fan of "Heaven and Earth" but I am of "Fly From Here" (and, oddly enough, "Open Your Eyes") so I'd be interested in seeing what would come of a Downes/Sherwood collaboration (maybe even pull Horn back in to the mix).
this sounds absolutely nothing like Yes---geez come on---it's standard stuff----there is soooo much great music in the world---with only so many hours in the day to listen to it. I don't know what standard people use to judge great music/prog anymore. I could post an original local prog bands video and it would be in the same caliber as this. I'm not trying to be mean but the lyrics are banal and the music just isn't that great.
So....you didn't like it?
Music isn't about chops, or even about talent - it's about sound and the way that sound communicates to people. Mike Keneally
I can't say for sure but, yeah, I don't think he liked it. I am, however, curious about these "local prog bands" he keeps mentioning... I'm also somewhat curious as to why he keeps wasting his time posting is a thread about an album from an artist he has no respect for and is clearly beneath his far superior taste in music. "With only so many hours in the day" you'd think he find better ways to spend his time. Oh well, I think I'll give this one another spin...
Seems mostly positive reviews in this thread. I think Billy can handle a few that aren't when the rest are this positive....
Except it's not a few, just one irritant banging the same drum in every thread, it's becoming dreadfully boring.
I haven't heard this myself and it's probably not going to be something I would gravitate to, but having seen Billy handling the Chris Squire bass lines on the recent tour, he deserves more than this lone voice prattling on and adding "lol" like we all concur with the negativity.
The worlds a pretty messed up place right now, and less of this would make this forum a brighter place to visit. You don't need to love everything, you just need to respond in a courteous way or keep out completely.
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I think Sherwood releases far too many mediocre projects (and Raised in Captivity was terrible!). Citizen, his last high profile release, had its moments, but didn't give me much hope for what Sherwood can contribute to a new Yes album. However, this year I've been much more impressed with Sherwood's output: he's on the second Rome Pro(G)ject album, which is pretty good, and now I'm enjoying Valley of the Windmill. I've only listened to it twice, but, yes, could be his best since the debut Circa: album. And some of the credit for that must go to Kaye, a long underestimated composer and performer.
Howe has made it very clear that he sees Heaven and Earth as a mistake and Fly from Here as a success. I take that as a good sign. Davison and Sherwood seem raring to go when it comes to a new studio album, but Howe's in charge and he's taking it very slowly. However, we know the band and Horn have been contact and they're keen to bring Horn back. I take that as a good sign too.
As always, I think Yes have the potential to do something great, and the potential to do something terrible! If you could mix the right elements from "Subway Walls", Fly from Here, Suburban Ghosts, Valley of the Windmill, Made in Basing Street, Time, If and Levin Torn White, you could have yourselves a great album. If you mixed "Step Beyond", Citizen and Gravitas, you'd have a more select audience...
Henry
Where Are They Now? Yes news: http://www.bondegezou.co.uk/wh_now.htm
Blogdegezou, the accompanying blog: http://bondegezou.blogspot.com/
I stopped buying Sherwood's other projects a few years ago because there were so many of the damned things and his quality control seemed lacking, but I still pick up the Circa: albums when they drop because I thought the first two were really solid. I wouldn't say Valley Of The Windmill is a good as the debut or HQ, but it's definitely a step up from And So On. Kaye really makes his presence known at some key points throughout this one. The band lineup is kinda weird now as Sherwood is playing guitar instead of bass and IMHO he is a much stronger bassist than guitarist so that choice is puzzling. Of course with a Sherwood led album he could easily be playing everything except Kaye's Hammond and we wouldn't necessarily know any different. Overall, it's a decent, very listenable album.
As for Yes, while I like some of Sherwood's music and can hear how it might benefit enormously from a superstar guitar presence like Howe, I also fear that a writing combination of Sherwood with Davison could be a potentially toxic brew that might even make Heaven & Earth seem "Like, really deep, man."
"It was a cruel song, but fair."-Roger Waters
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