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Sad and Scary Yes Related Thought
I just realized something about my favorite band that makes me a little scared and sad. Did you folks realize that we are currently in the longest gap ever between Yes studio albums? The longest previous gaps were four years, between 1980's Drama and 1983's 90125 and 1987's Big Generator. There was also a four year gap between Big Generator and 1991's Union, but ABWH came out in 1989 and I count that.
But Magnification came out in 2001 and it's 2006 with no signs of Yes going to the studio anytime soon. Could it be... over? 1969 Yes 1970 Time and a Word 1971 The Yes Album 1972 Fragile 1972 Close to the Edge 1974 Tales from Topographic Oceans 1974 Relayer 1977 Going for the One 1978 Tormato1980 Drama 1983 90125 1987 Big Generator 1989 ABWH 1991 Union 1994 Talk 1996 Keys to Ascension 1997 Keys to Ascension, Vol. 2 1997 Open Your Eyes 1999 The Ladder 2001 Magnification
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Feels like I'm fiddling while Rome is burning down. Think I'll lay my fiddle down, take a rifle from the ground! Last edited by Yesspaz : 02-22-2006 at 12:12 PM. |
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Re: Sad and Scary Yes Related Thought
Yes?
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ANYWAY... They are 60 or damn near it! |
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poda p.s. good to read you too Yspaz |
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I don't see that that's something that will stop them recording. I have faith that Yes will record again but if they don't then just taking a look at, and listening to, the output from these guys makes me so happy to have been around while they were doing this work. |
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Re: Sad and Scary Yes Related Thought
Yeah Poda, I think they got one or two more in them. The problem is Jon Anderson. He's mad about lack of sales, but Yes still outsells all the "big prog bands" like Tangent and stuff. The issue isn't really about sales; JA is just not in love with making music anymore. Steve and Chris and Alan would go into the studio tomorrow. Not sure about Rick, but the keyboard spot in Yes is almost like a for-hire position anyway. If Steve, Chris, Alan, and Jon went into the studio with some other keyboardist we'd never heard of, we'd be upset in a sentimental way but not be afraid to hear the music. But if it were Steve or Chris being replaced, we'd all be worried. Regardless, Jon is boycotting making more albums, so he's unofficially killed Yes.
I think the other four should hit the studio without him, making an instrumental album. See, Jon's done this before in 1983 and and 1991. If there's a Yes album being made that he's not a part of, eventually he'll hear the music, realize how good it is, and suddenly want to sing on it. The trick to getting Jon back in the studio is go into the studio without him. He'll feel left out and he'll come in. He can't do a dang thang about it anyway, because Chris owns the name.
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Feels like I'm fiddling while Rome is burning down. Think I'll lay my fiddle down, take a rifle from the ground! |
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Re: Sad and Scary Yes Related Thought
I think y'all getting a bit too sentimental about this.
I'm a Squire man..but Yes put out Union without much of him. They had Tony Levin (who hasn't)? Squire's used Sherwood, etc etc. I agree, it would be neat to see the others go in studio, but I'm not impressed with Squire in the 90's forward anyway. If it happens great. If not, I'm not pining over it. Same with my reaction to Floyd. If they're not into it, why force it? |
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Yeah, but nobody expects Floyd to record. But Yes?!! They've never really stopped. See, if Floyd or Genesis did a new album, there'd be a hoopla about "getting back together." But if Yes does a new one there won't be press about "getting back together."
Tangentially, assuming if Yes does a new album - and it won't be Howe, Squire, Anderson, White, and Wakeman - I'd like to see one album of Howe, Squire, Anderson, White, and Moraz (the Relayer group), one album of Howe, Squire, Anderson, White, and Downes (Drama with Jon), and one album of Squire, Anderson, White, Wakeman, and Rabin (Rick and Trevor always wanted to do a Yes album together). Ah, dreams...
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Feels like I'm fiddling while Rome is burning down. Think I'll lay my fiddle down, take a rifle from the ground! |
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I like Moraz with Bruford, as he was on a few projects. I saw one such incarnation in 1983. Those two were also on Squire's solo record. Put them in with Jon and Steve.... |
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....what y'all said.
poda great line-ups Yspaz! |
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there's a little more to it than Jon being upset over the lack of sales.
Magnification was jon's baby all the way, and it's rumored to have moved only a little over 20,000 units...! translation- even many of the diehard fans didn't buy it. this is also the 1st Yes cd (since the yes album) that steve appears on w/o a roger dean cover. "the ladder" by comparison, is said to have sold over 100,000 units, likely due to the "homeworld" game tie-in. the members of Yes can't survive , maintain the lifestyle they're used to at this level. they're doubtless living off royalties from previous albums, a factor that'll suffer from a few more clunkers. they're very much in the corner at this point, under pressure to produce some classic material. a recording contract is going to be difficult to obtain from anyone large enough to do a decent promo job, or mount a world tour, especially w/ nothing new and amazing to "shop". kirk
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Zenpool at SongPlanet www.cdbaby.com/zenpool available at itunes, toweronline, bestbuyonline, sony direct, rhapsody, loudeye... IOMA award winner "best producer"2004 |
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Somebody tells me that Howe is working with Wetton again on a new Asia project. If that's the case, we can forget about new Yes stuff for a couple years or so...
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actually....from stevehowe.com-
February 1, 2006 - In conjunction with Asia's 25th anniversary the four original members--Steve Howe, Geoff Downes, Carl Palmer, and John Wetton--plan on celebrating the 25th anniversary of the creation of Asia with a CD, DVD, and world tour. The original members wish to convey their heartfelt thanks for the global support, love and enthusiasm that has made this possible. Stay tuned for updates. sooo..no new Yes for awhile..at least not w/ steve. kirk
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Zenpool at SongPlanet www.cdbaby.com/zenpool available at itunes, toweronline, bestbuyonline, sony direct, rhapsody, loudeye... IOMA award winner "best producer"2004 |
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After the Ladder, they mounted a serious tour and played a lot of material on the new album. When you're not a radio band, you have to play new stuff live to get it exposed. Most people don't trust a new album by a classic band - there's always a disposition to say, "It can't be very good; they'll have to prove it to me before I spend my hard-earned." But after Magnification, the tour featured only three songs from it (Mag, Presence, Don't Go), two of which are the two weakest on the album (Mag and Don't Go). What did they do instead? They added orchestration to old songs. What they should have done is play the entire album start to finish, take an intermission, and then play a hour set of classics with or without the orchestra. Now THAT would have helped the album sell. See, when a band cuts a studio disc and then doesn't play it live, the message sent to the fans is, "we don't really believe in this music." If the band doesn't think it's a good album, why should I buy it? PS: another possibility for the Ladder's success is Bruce Fairburn. He pushed those boys the way a producer should and produced the last great Yes album, barring future greatness. As a side note, and probably having nothing to do with sales, you pointed out that Magnification was Jon's baby. In many ways, so was The Ladder. It was very verbose - lots of lyrics and little of the classic expansive instrumental sections included in all Yes classics, even as late as "The Calling," "Endless Dream" "Mind Drive," and "That, That Is." The only one on The Ladder is about a three and a half minute romp on "New Languages." Quote:
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Feels like I'm fiddling while Rome is burning down. Think I'll lay my fiddle down, take a rifle from the ground! |
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Re: Sad and Scary Yes Related Thought
I can't resist thinking considering the ages of these guys the metaphor picture of a relative who has had a stroke and lies paralysed and and can't talk or move and the doctor says to you "If I were you I wouldn't go in, you might get a shock. Why don't you just cherish the memories of when your relative was fit as a fiddle"
The same thing I feel applies to Yes - why wait perhaps for a new album that's paralysed and can't move and instead cherish the great albums we have. I hope I'm wrong but it does seem Yes has seen the light of day and now is in darkness.
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Beware of the Spanish Inquisition,coming to a town NEAR you |
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I bought it. Wish I didn't. way too La-de-Da... I want to hear Rockin' bass and drums... Keys from Wakeman would be fine if someone lights a fire under him too. I want to hear Steve "do that voodoo that you do so well!" (Ricks solo stuff started to get a bit lazy until he teamed up with his son, Adam, who... racheted it all up a notch.) Maybe a good starting point would be to have Wakeman and White get together to flush out some ideas. We'd tell Alan to rock it up and keep wakeman off his toes... That would make Rick smile... and rise to the chalange to keep up... Add Chris at this point. (send some tapes to Steve and Jon so thy can hear whats bein' built and think about adding their parts. That is what "Produced by PeterG" Yes wwould sound like. PeterG Last edited by PeterG : 01-21-2007 at 09:57 AM. |
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I was searching for ABWH DVD reviews, and came across this thread. Funny how I was a HUGE Yes fan, but now I'm more interested in these new (to me) prog bands that I've been hearing on AM, like Sylvan, Kino, Rak, After Crying, etc. It was a long time since Yes gave us anything that sounded incredibly fresh and modern, I remember staring at the NYC skyline at night and hearing "I woud have waited for ever" in 1991 ... but Yes has gone milky and Jon has lost his hard edge, and of course, they're 60 years old. I've really been loving The Flower Kings, and I think Adam and Eve had that modern prog sound, while Paradox Hotel is great too. With the FloKis's, and Porcupine Tree and Spock's Beard, these guys are kind of like the next BIG 3 of prog. However, there is no band that could blow the roof off the house and into the stratosphere thru 4 dimensions like Yes could. The last time I saw them was at Madison Square Garden in 2004 and they blew everyone away, standing O's throughout, kicking everyone's ass and knowing it. If that's my last memory, that's more than ok with me.
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Re: Sad and Scary Yes Related Thought
I'd probably go Alan and Chris 1st...it's best to start w/ the
low frequencies, get those under control. Then i'd have Rick come in, due to the wide range of synths and piano, then add Steve in as icing. Depending on if the tune was vocal based, written by Jon, i'd have him do a scratch voc, or some "La las" to hold the placement. Under no circumstances, would I allow him to use the word "river" ever again LOL! Of course, the way the guys sometimes do a "call and response" style, writing in the studio requires building layers of takes. Believe it or not, Chris is actually a fairly accomplished keyboardist, writes at the piano. Scottie (Squire) mentioned she and Chris play Beethoven, Bach into the wee hours. Personally, I wish Chris would take on more of the lyric writing chores. "The more we live (Let Go)", is a highlight of the past few years , and virtually saved Union (IMO, of course). P e a c e Kirk
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