I'm impressed how much you get from a single first listen. You often notice things I haven't listening to them for decades. This song really shows Jon's sweet spirit in the lyrics and his delivery. A favorite of mine. BTW the wife and I traveled to Montreux mostly because of the musical connections (Queen's studio, Smoke on the Water, Going for the One) and I agree it looks like a wonderful place to live. I'll pile on and say Awaken is an amazing song. Jon has called it the ultimate Yes song. The version on their Keys to Ascension live album is incredible.
JustJP - The Keys to Ascension version is amazing. Although based on a live recording Keys to Ascension versions many clean-ups and overdubs, so I look at them as re-attempted studio versions, rather than live versions. Many of the late 70s songs were somewhat lacking in production so the Keys versions are these songs as they should have been, had they had a producer. If you ever want to attempt reacting to Awaken, do yourself a favor and go for the Keys version.
The way this song flows, pure gold, as beautiful as it can gets, no need of explosive building ups, the voice and guitar dialogue is the backbone of this absolutely beauty, I love it since the first listening back then...
It's an emotional love story about how love endures and transcends even death and our material world. IMHO, the most beautiful Yes song of all time. Incredible guitar work.
Absolute masterpiece! Well done for taking the time to listen to this heart wrenching story that I have loved for 40 years. Welcome to the British Alternative Progressive Music, with impeccable guitar work from Steve Howe and Chris Squire (RIP) Key Boards Rick Wakeman, Vocals Jon Anderson (& basically any other instruments needed) Drums Alan White. My favourite Band along with Genesis. Rock on British Music 🎶🎼🎵🎶🎵🎼
Turn of the Century is a continuum of virtuoso performances. The lead parts are supported by sublime harmonies/accompaniments from supportive players. Many of Steve's beautiful guitar pieces are supported by Rick's keyboards without distracting from the Steve's precision. Also, whilst many performers overplay and destroy the "whole", Yes never forget that they are telling stories to evoke emotion. A perfect composition.
I don't even call this a song..its a "piece"...and its beauty is staggering...I think I can explain the lack of "thunderous build up" that left you wanting there Justin...the piece is predominantly built around Howe's classical guitar lines...in classical guitar music, you wouldn't typically have bass and drums exploding in the crescendos...you will notice though the keys and guitar are kicked up a notch for the final verse..as for that combination of beauty and power...your viewers are right...Awaken will deliver in spades...as will Gates of Delirium..and of course..the one Ive been bugging you for..."Close to the Edge"
You are 100% correct; the climaxes are different than what I expected, but they're there. Thank you, I've not forgotten about Close. I just want to familiarize myself a bit more with them before jumping into their epics :)
Interestingly, it was drummer Alan White who wrote the basic guitar chords that Jon sang over, then Steve took the guitar part to the next 3 or 4 levels as they developed the song.
One of the most mourneful and profoundly beautiful songs ever produced by YES, or any band before or since. A tale of love, loss, creation, and renewal.. one which draws the heart to the lowest and highest points a person can know.
Ha, so you did it - Turn of the Century. I liked this video even before I watched it. I know the song for almost 30 years now and it still touches me everytime I hear it. I´m so glad you liked it.
It really is such a beautiful song..."...All aglow was his room, dazed in this light...He would touch her...He would hold her...Laughing as they danced, Highest colors touching others"...:)...If that doesn't move you, check your pulse!
Wakeman's keys were so subtle toward the end, but made the mood. Just floating along! This is such a beautiful song, and a sad song. Being married for 33 years makes me wonder how my life would be without her . . .
AWAKEN AWAKEN AWAKEN😍 (and thanks for your comment on turn of the century, first time I listen to analyzing this song, great job 👍 a song I've known since 1981)
Songs like this remind me why I have loved Yes since 1974! Such a pretty tune and there is only one word to describe Jon Anderson's voice: angelic!! Truly a gift from God! I named my son after him. Yes is my second favorite band. And I would be remiss if I didn't mention the genius of Steve Howe (guitar) and Rick Wakeman (keyboards and piano). Yes is legendary!!! 💙💙💙
It's a complex song, it's the lead ups that make you fall in love with it...When you've heard a bunch of times and you know what's coming it's sublime...But; We can say the same for Gates of Delirium. The Ritual, The Revealing Science of God, Close to the Edge, The Ancient, Starship Trooper, and so many others...:)...A lifetime with YES. Is a life well spent! When I saw Steve do those Arpeggios from heaven so perfectly to the album It took my breath away...I was watching his fingering with binoculars...One of the concert highlights of my life! Not that Wakeman and Chris weren't doing their jobs like the virtuosos they were or are.
Awaken is one of their best. But I think Close to the Edge and Gates of Delirium are better. Ritual is also a really good side long epic, but not as good as Awaken.
Been listening to this for years, my eyes well up every damn time... I saw Steve Howe solo live twice. At the TLA in Philly & some yatch club in Belmar, NJ.
All those many years ago. 40 + yrs ago and it is still a wonderful piece of music. Not a hit so much but us YES fans know. We can feel it in our bones.
Great reaction! I always appreciate your lyrics analyses. They’re so insightful. I won’t say too much here except this is a lovely piece of music. I’ve seen Yes live a number of times over the years and this song always came off extremely well live, as do most of their epic length songs. The emotion and euphoric feeling like you’re getting carried away somewhere always got kicked up several notches in concert and made a huge difference compared to the recordings. (That’s when Jon Anderson was singing.)
JustJP With any luck, Jon Anderson will team up again with Rick Wakeman and Trevor Rabin for another ARW/Yes tour. The rifts between JA and Steve Howe and other former members of Yes must be too wide to mend for them to tour again together, but they did reunite to play for their Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame induction in 2017. Yes with Jon Davison perform the classics admirably but for me it’s never been as powerful without Jon Anderson. Steve Hackett’s band’s Genesis songs are euphoria inducing in concert too. I think we need to take up a collection so you can get to the concert. Seriously ... I know how tight money is. I’m broke myself but I’ll bite. If enough of us pitched in, would you go? You can’t just get all your musical memories through headphones. It’s the closest to classic Genesis you can still get. He’s not playing Supper’s Ready on this tour but he just added Watcher and The Musical Box back in. I guarantee it will be a mind blowing experience.
@@justintime42000 I can't imagine Jon coming back after what they did to him. I saw Dave Anderson with the band A couple of years ago and I was prepared to be very disappointed as I have seen them countless times since 76 but he was actually fabulous!
One of my favorite songs from Yes! Thanks, Mark! Great reaction, too, JP, you nailed it on so many levels! Guitars and vocals - amazing! Rick Wakeman on keys - phenomenal. The reason why Parallels made you feel like you were in church is because it was recorded in a church - St. Martin's in Vevey, Switzerland. ...the rest of the album is fantastic!
Thank you Justin. You have had us Yes fans waiting for this return.... keep going with the whole of this album. Don’t be scared of the organ intro on parallels 😂
I used to have this song on my mellow playlist. Friends who heard it would ridicule me that it was far from mellow. But there few songs that transport me the way this one does. Still love it 43 years later. Thanks, JP.
Thank you for that number . I've enjoyed it ! " remember , all those many years ago " : for me , it was ( a wonderous story ) live in Antwerps Sportpaleis ( Belgium ) january or february 1978 …... " his lady she could dance and sing " : the lady was dancing in the falling snow in the film performed behind the scene ! giving the time there , a great special emotion ; .... unforgetable ! those , like me , born in the fifties had the very chance to live that performance as a " life-concert " Yes is a major band for me , as I have the same voice-range as Jon Anderson ; and singing is what I prefer in music ( still enjoying singing that high at 65 ) ! R.I.P. Chris Squire see you in other day with : " awaken "
Justin Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!! I am so glad you enjoyed this song! You made my day! And to be honest without Jon Anderson there is no Yes! This song is just one of many great songs. Awaken is majestic as is Close to the Edge and Wonderous Stories and plenty more! I am looking forward to you do more Yes in the future! Thanks again and keep up the fantastic work!
@@JustJP my pleasure!I've loved that song since 77 when I was a Jr in high school! I know you have a ton of songs to react too so in the near future I will recommend some more Yes!
The most important aspect of Yes music is emotion. Alot of prog gets unfairly criticized with excess. But with Yes, I never felt that way. Great review!
I always find it cool that the drummer Alan White wrote most of this song(besides the lyrics) He brought the chord structure to the band on piano and Jon came up with the lyrics and so on
I saw and listened to them during the tour to this album with three other guys. And the thousands in the hall of course. Unbelievable music. But even more unbelievable was when Jon Anderson said: "You are fantastic." We were very impressed that he was paying enough attention to the audience to detect the fantastic four among the crowd. That concert reminds me some other point I already wanted to mention before but forgot it. Yes was supported by Donovan who had been well known in the 60ies. And Donovan brings me to Vanilla Fudge. Don't know if you ever heard of them. They cultivated the fine art of covering songs (if cultivating is the correct expression in the context of destroying something into pieces and putting these together as completely new). Their 1st album only contains covers, two of them Beatles covers. George Harrison loved it. Deep Purple Mark I began to cover songs because they were so much impressed and wanted to sound like that, John Bonham learned from listening to Vanilla Fudge's drummer, Carmine Appice. Jeff Beck wanted the rhythm section to build a group with him because they were known as the hottest rhythm section in the business. Legend says that Keith Moon was the rolemodel for The Muppets' one and only Animal. I'm not quite sure. I prefer to believe that it was Carmine Appice instead because Keith Moon was a little bit too tamed in comparison to Carmine Appice. Back to Donovan. They made an 8 minute cover out of one of his 3 minute songs:"Season of the Witch." That's why I remembered this now. The keyboarder once told the story how they got the idea to slow down songs. If you ever heard what happens when you change the speed a vinyl lp from 33rpm to 45 rpm you can imagine. The keyboarder and the bass player sat in a car before a disco in New York smoking a cigarette with special taste. Out of the disco they heard The Supremes "Keep me hanging on". The keyboarder said that it sounded to him as if the record player was played in the wrong tempo and that they should play a cover slowing it down to the correct pitch. And the bass player said "ok". They were one of the few groups who made something really new creating a style of their own and had a great influence. Should you ever listen to them I would highly recommend to listen to the original version before and then to the Vanilla Fudge cover. About this song: so much beauty and it was fun to watch your reaction. And this is just a warm up to "Awaken".
It is so beautiful. Have you got a tear rate gauge in your percentage system yet Justin? Your comments are inspiring! This channel’s community can sometimes disagree misunderstand misquote misinterpret And sulk with each other But we can always turn a new leaf daily and say “it’s just differing musical taste man!” & Wow that was beautiful ! Life is Beautiful. This song though is something else. It continues to enthrall because it’s the one that would be last one picked on the Soccer pitch yet in it’s sublte power , deft touch and intelligence, it works perfectly with the others and turns out to be The One. The Messi of Yessi. Now try Steve Hackett’s “Icarus Ascending”🔆
Steve Howe did this with Renaissance's singer Annie Haslam for the Yes tribute album "Tales From Yesterday". To me this song brings Edgar Allan Poe short story Ligeia to mind.
Dude! I saw that and It choked me up...Annie Lives close to me...I've loved her voice for decades and when I saw that a few years ago on youtube, it really moved me...She's such an angel and it's a song I'll remember her by...I've loved Steve for much longer than Annie too...:)...Two master artist...It's enough to make you swoon!
@@godbluffvdgg Do you live in Philadelphia ? I loved the City. I almost lived there, in 2010. An Ex from College, lives there since 93'. She was the Head Archivist at Philadelphia Museum of Art, until recently.
@@michaelhernandez6446 Well I did for 50 years but, I moved real close by...Delco...But; I do projects there and still have friends I visit weekly...I'm from 19142...SWP... Philly is a great city and if you know someone here and get introduced we greet you like a friend...I lived a bunch of places when I was in the service ( USAF) Mostly No Cal...But home is where the heart is...I love the Art Museum...I know it very well...I used to take girls there...Where do you live now?
@@godbluffvdgg I live now in San Francisco. I moved to Berkeley, Ca., for the then Summer of 82', right after University. I've lived in Berkeley, Oakland, Emeryville and now San Francisco. There are oodles of allures of why I live and continue to live here. - It's extremely Magical Here, to its Lands, Peoples and Enlivenments.
Another one of my favorite bands- with Genesis. This song is so expansive and promising. My favorite part of watching your channel is listening to some of my most precious music with you and watching your expressions and excitement while taking it all in. You notice those moments in the song that are intangibly moving and your analysis and perspective of the dynamics, instruments etc is interesting. What are you referencing in the computer re: background in the song? Examining the lyrics has me interest too. Music is so multisensory. I barely know any Yes son lyrics ( or Genesis) through yet I experience the music as a whole. Keep up the good work! Great idea.
This is one of the few Yes songs that actually has lyrics that make sense. Great song. I always considered this and Genesis' Ripples (which came out only a year earlier) to be both bands at their most beautiful. Interestingly enough Annie Haslam of Renaissance covered both of those songs on the Yes/Genesis tribute albums that came out in 1994. On this one she sang it with Steve Howe playing classical guitar.
I'm shocked that this video only has 5.989 views. People just don't know about this amazing piece of music. This should be as popular as any of their other music.
Very Beautiful Song and I’m Glad You actually did a Review of this Song and I’ve watched several reviews you have done on the music of YES and would love for you to continue your journey with your reviews of More of the YES Music in the future please 🙏
I’ve been a fan of Yes since the late seventies but I first heard the song roundabout in 1971 when I was a kid and didn’t really get into the kind of music I listen too nowadays as I got older. I was turned on to the ABWH CD in 1990 by a coworker and I was Addicted to it ever since then as well as for the Union CD when that came out. Like most of us growing up in the era I did of music my favorite band was Led Zeppelin but I had Changed my mind and made it Yes as well as for my other musical tastes. It was great to grow up in the seventies with all the great music that came out of it as well as the late sixties era. Ozzy Osbourne sang it Best ( You Can’t Kill Rock n Roll ) it’s here to Stay !
@@JustJP Yes and Queen have a history going back to when Queen were fans of the very early Yes, and Freddie had once worked in the same place as Tony Kaye. They were situated right next to each other while recording Going for The One and News of the World in Montreax in '76. Steve and Rick became good friends with them at that time, and 14 years later Steve guested on that one track during a visit, as Brian wanted some really hot flamenco guitar. Innuendo was their last stab at prog styles. There's even a version of Starship Trooper on youtube that features Brian May sitting in with Rick Wakeman's band.
Good review... you got it spot on.. it always seems like tender mood music before the powerful Parallels kicks in and gives a good flow to the album. Parallels was often used to open their concerts.give it a spin
So dramatic. Unique song to me.. I love it so much! You "barely reacted" to this.. you seemed to be lost in the music. Magical indeed. Thx for doing this piece of sadness!
It's not often that you hear classical guitar and bass perfectly counterpoint each other, but Steve and Chris do it beautifully. And again later on electric guitar and bass. The keyboards and vocals just take this song to another level. This song gives me chills every time I hear it, and when the sculpter's lady is returned to him, it's quite an emotional revelation, both in the lyrics and in the music.
In the 1970s and 1980s, Guitar Player magazine used to have annual polls that subscribers could vote for the best guitarists in every genre. There was also a best bass player, and a "best overall guitar player." Steve won the "Best Overall Guitar Player" 5 years in a row. Because of him (to give others a chance to win,) they came up with "The Gallery of Greats," where once you've been inducted, you're no longer eligible to win an award. Steve was the first person inducted, and the only one ever to win 5 years in a row. Other guitarists added to the gallery were (as I recall,) Roy Clark and Al Dimeola.
Great reaction. This piece is quite a beautiful arrangement of music. That album is a great album that many forget for some reason, but it's strengths are examples of elements in this song. Depth, dynamics, dramatic musical passages. You have to also understand in the context of the time it was done as well. Prog Rock in '77 was on its last breath as the punksters and Glam bands started to rebel against long pieces of music, and went back to bar chords and back beats, so bands like Yes, ELP, Genesis, King Crimson, Pink Floyd and Jethro Tull were fighting in a world of growing "Non musicianship" as I call it. Along with Howe's amazing work, and Anderson's vocal's, Chris Squire is laying down beautiful melodic lines that make mood within this song as you pointed out. I guess this is a pretty good intro into this album, as like you showed, it's a rest in between two ferocious juggernaut songs. I'm very fond of this album and it's where Rick Wakeman came back on keys as the previous album had Patrick Moraz(Which Relayer is an excellent album as well). I think you'll dig the other songs on the album much better after being introduced to this one first. Peace!
Rodin did sculpt his muse but Pygmalion sculpted Galatea, a sculpture he fell in love with. Redone by HG Wells, and also loosely translated into a musical My Fair Lady and Pretty Woman
To me I find it to be a metaphor for spirit in the big picture. At times we feel we missed what was important - such as life and lives around us. But if we can humble ourselves, rather than thinking life is about us, to striving for perception and understanding, then it is never too late to restore a connection. His strength transformed him, his gift as a sculptor - a metaphor for the potential we can realize in ourselves. At the moment he expresses his love, through his clay, she is contacted, and he experiences her and the realization she is ever present. (Also he solves a riddle of existence - when we're young love lingers so - as autumn calls we both remember - the future connecting with the past and love transcending a physical barrier of time and space).
Another excellent choice and reaction. Please try "Soon" off of the Relayer album, along with those from Renaissance, Yes, Tull and ELP I mentioned in a a comment on one of your previous posts. Keep it up and thank you. ps I am using the song "Soon" to be played at the service when I leave this world.
"Soon" is not a single song. You can hear it without the part before but it is just the end of a song. And the context has a reason. Or better a lot of reasons that are getting lost when you hear the end without the beginning.
@@maraboo72 True. It is the end of side one of the Relayer album called The Gates of Delirium which was written about war(specifically the Russian revolution I believe). and then later released as a single song. Great catch.
@@maraboo72 That is correct. I could not pull it off from memory. Ty. On a similar note, Renaissance' Mother Russia is about alexander solzhenitsyn. Thanks for your help with my memory. It is not what it used to be when I was younger
Forgot to add....Going for the one followed by Parallels and then culminating in Awaken, if you let them, will take you to the higher source within us all. Out of control Chakras !!
Great analysis once again! For me the title track works best because it was a solid statement turning back to Fragile-like songwriting after the massive 2-3 albums with 15 to 30 min epics. There is another title track that you should try: Trilogy by ELP. For me it's perhaps their best song ever! Romantic classical, fantastic hammond jazz and heavy moog soloing all mixed together.
Thank you John! I'll try to work my way towards ELP, I just didn't want to "over-expose" myself to too many different prog bands at once; I wanna savor a few before going deeper lol.
Great review and reaction. I'm impressed by your maturity toward this masterpiece. I did not fully appreciate it until well into my 20s and 30s. Also interesting are your comments about the temporary letdown with no big drum based ending at the climax, as Yes drummer Alan White was the principal songwriter of this piece. Alan White is also a very good pianist and has written some great Yes moments. He was responsible for the chord progression and much of the melody. Steve Howe then took it from there and Jon Anderson added those great lyrics and contributed also to some of the melodies.
I enjoyed your commentary. I purchased this album when it was first released. The only area you left me wondering about was your thoughts on the crescendo of this piece of music. Second to none in my viewpoint.
This song is a masterpiece. You mentioned the song letting off the gas ( my words). It was a first listen but if you listen again read the lyrics, as they direct the trajectory of the music. The lyrics recount Anderson's own pygmalion type story of an obsessed sculptor. The waning, " like leaves we touched, and," we both remember those many years ago." If there is a catagory, art rock, this is it.
Oh, what a joy would have been to have you living in my street when I was a teenager! You must hear Relayer, The Gates of Delirium is an epic lasting almost 22 minutes, it has a masterful bass, and the all thing is like riding on a roller coaster until you reach heavenly spaces with Soon oh Soon (the final part is so good it made a single!). I would like to see you reviewing To be Over - and i know you will, sooner or later. Welcome to the ProgRock world!
Thanks Justin for getting to the last great Yes album with the classic lineup. This tour was the first time I had seen Yes in concert and they were phenomenal. Please do the rest of the album!!!
I had sort of given up on Yes after Tales from Topographic Oceans but a casual hearing of this song brought me back into the fold. Absolutely mesmorising on many levels, and a tour de force from Steve Howe and Ian Anderson. You did not get the pay off on the first listen, perhaps because of some expectations, but more likely a volume thing. You just have to be on your own with the volume high, the build up is slow allowing the guitars and piano to really shine. I think of the peak (vocals over electrical guitar) as the release, with a beautiful coda acoustic section to set you back into the real world. Not to forget this is a powerful love song that could easily have been ruined. It is a real journey piece, and more you take that journey the more you will see how perfect it is. BTW, I always love just catching the beautiful voice of Chris Squire near the end as well, gone but not forgotten.
Good mellow acoustic song. Same naked guy as on Rush’s “Hemispheres”? Rush’s album is 1978. Is there a copyright on butts? Steve Howe. Top ten greatest guitar player ever. ✌️🐾
One of the things I really like about music reaction videos is that it always sparks thoughts of other similar (feelings-wise) songs come to mind. A couple of them are the song "White Bird" by the band It's A Beautiful Day and "You Set The Scene" by the band Love. Please give one, or both, a try.
The 2nd song on my funeral playlist (Great Gig in the Sky by Pink Floyd is the 1st). This is so beautifully constructed & sublimely played. Loosly based on the story of Pygmalion & his eternal love for 1 woman. Sad & emotional, but the idea of a love that lasts beyond death is a gorgeous concept.
This song gives me goosebumps every time, one of most beautiful songs ever
I have to agree!
I'm impressed how much you get from a single first listen. You often notice things I haven't listening to them for decades.
This song really shows Jon's sweet spirit in the lyrics and his delivery. A favorite of mine.
BTW the wife and I traveled to Montreux mostly because of the musical connections (Queen's studio, Smoke on the Water, Going for the One) and I agree it looks like a wonderful place to live.
I'll pile on and say Awaken is an amazing song. Jon has called it the ultimate Yes song. The version on their Keys to Ascension live album is incredible.
Thank you so much Frank, that means a lot.
JustJP - The Keys to Ascension version is amazing. Although based on a live recording Keys to Ascension versions many clean-ups and overdubs, so I look at them as re-attempted studio versions, rather than live versions. Many of the late 70s songs were somewhat lacking in production so the Keys versions are these songs as they should have been, had they had a producer. If you ever want to attempt reacting to Awaken, do yourself a favor and go for the Keys version.
The way this song flows, pure gold, as beautiful as it can gets, no need of explosive building ups, the voice and guitar dialogue is the backbone of this absolutely beauty, I love it since the first listening back then...
It's an emotional love story about how love endures and transcends even death and our material world. IMHO, the most beautiful Yes song of all time. Incredible guitar work.
Absolute masterpiece! Well done for taking the time to listen to this heart wrenching story that I have loved for 40 years. Welcome to the British Alternative Progressive Music, with impeccable guitar work from Steve Howe and Chris Squire (RIP) Key Boards Rick Wakeman, Vocals Jon Anderson (& basically any other instruments needed) Drums Alan White. My favourite Band along with Genesis. Rock on British Music 🎶🎼🎵🎶🎵🎼
Omg. Yes and Genesis are my top two favorite bands too!! Fell in love with both at first “sight.”
Turn of the Century is a continuum of virtuoso performances. The lead parts are supported by sublime harmonies/accompaniments from supportive players. Many of Steve's beautiful guitar pieces are supported by Rick's keyboards without distracting from the Steve's precision. Also, whilst many performers overplay and destroy the "whole", Yes never forget that they are telling stories to evoke emotion.
A perfect composition.
I don't even call this a song..its a "piece"...and its beauty is staggering...I think I can explain the lack of "thunderous build up" that left you wanting there Justin...the piece is predominantly built around Howe's classical guitar lines...in classical guitar music, you wouldn't typically have bass and drums exploding in the crescendos...you will notice though the keys and guitar are kicked up a notch for the final verse..as for that combination of beauty and power...your viewers are right...Awaken will deliver in spades...as will Gates of Delirium..and of course..the one Ive been bugging you for..."Close to the Edge"
You are 100% correct; the climaxes are different than what I expected, but they're there. Thank you, I've not forgotten about Close. I just want to familiarize myself a bit more with them before jumping into their epics :)
Interestingly, it was drummer Alan White who wrote the basic guitar chords that Jon sang over, then Steve took the guitar part to the next 3 or 4 levels as they developed the song.
Gates of Delirium and Close to the Edge!! Yes to Yes! :)
One of the most mourneful and profoundly beautiful songs ever produced by YES, or any band before or since. A tale of love, loss, creation, and renewal.. one which draws the heart to the lowest and highest points a person can know.
Agreed Champions
Ha, so you did it - Turn of the Century. I liked this video even before I watched it. I know the song for almost 30 years now and it still touches me everytime I hear it. I´m so glad you liked it.
Thank you😁
It really is such a beautiful song..."...All aglow was his room, dazed in this light...He would touch her...He would hold her...Laughing as they danced, Highest colors touching others"...:)...If that doesn't move you, check your pulse!
Wakeman's keys were so subtle toward the end, but made the mood. Just floating along! This is such a beautiful song, and a sad song. Being married for 33 years makes me wonder how my life would be without her . . .
AWAKEN AWAKEN AWAKEN😍 (and thanks for your comment on turn of the century, first time I listen to analyzing this song, great job 👍 a song I've known since 1981)
Thanks Marcel!
One of Yes's best songs and also one of the best albums! ❤️🎶🎧
Songs like this remind me why I have loved Yes since 1974! Such a pretty tune and there is only one word to describe Jon Anderson's voice: angelic!! Truly a gift from God! I named my son after him. Yes is my second favorite band. And I would be remiss if I didn't mention the genius of Steve Howe (guitar) and Rick Wakeman (keyboards and piano). Yes is legendary!!! 💙💙💙
I am curious. What is your first favorite band? I wonder if it’s the same as mine.
A giant build up..a giant release ?? Wait until you hear Awaken. It is their greatest achievement ..IMHO
So I'm hearing!
It's a complex song, it's the lead ups that make you fall in love with it...When you've heard a bunch of times and you know what's coming it's sublime...But; We can say the same for Gates of Delirium. The Ritual, The Revealing Science of God, Close to the Edge, The Ancient, Starship Trooper, and so many others...:)...A lifetime with YES. Is a life well spent!
When I saw Steve do those Arpeggios from heaven so perfectly to the album It took my breath away...I was watching his fingering with binoculars...One of the concert highlights of my life!
Not that Wakeman and Chris weren't doing their jobs like the virtuosos they were or are.
Awaken is one of their best. But I think Close to the Edge and Gates of Delirium are better. Ritual is also a really good side long epic, but not as good as Awaken.
'Awaken' is the closest thing to the Deity that anyone will ever hear.
Been listening to this for years, my eyes well up every damn time... I saw Steve Howe solo live twice. At the TLA in Philly & some yatch club in Belmar, NJ.
Quite possibly my favourite ever Yes song, sheer perfection
Totally agree.
All those many years ago. 40 + yrs ago and it is still a wonderful piece of music. Not a hit so much but us YES fans know. We can feel it in our bones.
Great reaction! I always appreciate your lyrics analyses. They’re so insightful. I won’t say too much here except this is a lovely piece of music. I’ve seen Yes live a number of times over the years and this song always came off extremely well live, as do most of their epic length songs. The emotion and euphoric feeling like you’re getting carried away somewhere always got kicked up several notches in concert and made a huge difference compared to the recordings. (That’s when Jon Anderson was singing.)
Thank you Cathy! Oh man, I can imagine hearing live, it'd be HUGE
JustJP With any luck, Jon Anderson will team up again with Rick Wakeman and Trevor Rabin for another ARW/Yes tour. The rifts between JA and Steve Howe and other former members of Yes must be too wide to mend for them to tour again together, but they did reunite to play for their Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame induction in 2017. Yes with Jon Davison perform the classics admirably but for me it’s never been as powerful without Jon Anderson.
Steve Hackett’s band’s Genesis songs are euphoria inducing in concert too. I think we need to take up a collection so you can get to the concert. Seriously ... I know how tight money is. I’m broke myself but I’ll bite. If enough of us pitched in, would you go? You can’t just get all your musical memories through headphones. It’s the closest to classic Genesis you can still get. He’s not playing Supper’s Ready on this tour but he just added Watcher and The Musical Box back in. I guarantee it will be a mind blowing experience.
@@justintime42000 I can't imagine Jon coming back after what they did to him. I saw Dave Anderson with the band A couple of years ago and I was prepared to be very disappointed as I have seen them countless times since 76 but he was actually fabulous!
One of my favorite songs from Yes! Thanks, Mark! Great reaction, too, JP, you nailed it on so many levels! Guitars and vocals - amazing! Rick Wakeman on keys - phenomenal. The reason why Parallels made you feel like you were in church is because it was recorded in a church - St. Martin's in Vevey, Switzerland. ...the rest of the album is fantastic!
Makes sense! Ty Jay :)
Thank you Justin. You have had us Yes fans waiting for this return.... keep going with the whole of this album. Don’t be scared of the organ intro on parallels 😂
Haha, thank you Iona (for watching and waiting for the video :D )
I used to have this song on my mellow playlist. Friends who heard it would ridicule me that it was far from mellow. But there few songs that transport me the way this one does. Still love it 43 years later. Thanks, JP.
Thank you David😁
Beautifully melodic song.
Been listening to this song for many years.
Yet not to weep.
A masterpiece.
Thank you for that number . I've enjoyed it !
" remember , all those many years ago " : for me , it was ( a wonderous story ) live in Antwerps Sportpaleis ( Belgium ) january or february 1978 …... " his lady she could dance and sing " : the lady was dancing in the falling snow in the film performed behind the scene ! giving the time there , a great special emotion ; .... unforgetable !
those , like me , born in the fifties had the very chance to live that performance as a " life-concert "
Yes is a major band for me , as I have the same voice-range as Jon Anderson ; and singing is what I prefer in music ( still enjoying singing that high at 65 ) !
R.I.P. Chris Squire
see you in other day with : " awaken "
Beautiful! Ty for sharing that Eric
Eric Dupont I was there too in Antwerp! 😊
Just remember playing this song at a party for the turn of the century 1999 / 2000. Magical. So emotionally charged! Keep them coming.
Oooo that'd be a good time to do it!
The Dynamics in this song are Exquisite.
Yes they really are😁
Justin Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!! I am so glad you enjoyed this song! You made my day! And to be honest without Jon Anderson there is no Yes! This song is just one of many great songs. Awaken is majestic as is Close to the Edge and Wonderous Stories and plenty more! I am looking forward to you do more Yes in the future! Thanks again and keep up the fantastic work!
No no no, thank YOU! This was a great recommendation (just listened to it again today actually, lol). Appreciate it
@@JustJP my pleasure!I've loved that song since 77 when I was a Jr in high school! I know you have a ton of songs to react too so in the near future I will recommend some more Yes!
"Like leaves we touch..." A lyric that never fails to bring tears to my eyes. The story comes from the myth of Pygmalion and Galatea.
Arguably Yes’ greatest achievement, and that’s saying a lot. Oh wait, there’s still Awaken. Great reaction mate!
Ty Jim!
Wonderful song from a wonderful album! ...and... Awaken is among my top five prog epics of all time. This coming from a Genesis fan😊
The most Beautiful track off Going For The One...Deffo.
The most important aspect of Yes music is emotion. Alot of prog gets unfairly criticized with excess. But with Yes, I never felt that way. Great review!
One of my favorite Yes songs (my all time favorite band!!!)
I always find it cool that the drummer Alan White wrote most of this song(besides the lyrics) He brought the chord structure to the band on piano and Jon came up with the lyrics and so on
One of the most beautiful songs ever written! You are extremely observant my friend!
Thank you Bob!
This is an incredible album!! OMG!!
Great first listen, just one word now . . . . . Awaken
I saw and listened to them during the tour to this album with three other guys. And the thousands in the hall of course. Unbelievable music. But even more unbelievable was when Jon Anderson said: "You are fantastic." We were very impressed that he was paying enough attention to the audience to detect the fantastic four among the crowd.
That concert reminds me some other point I already wanted to mention before but forgot it. Yes was supported by Donovan who had been well known in the 60ies. And Donovan brings me to Vanilla Fudge. Don't know if you ever heard of them. They cultivated the fine art of covering songs (if cultivating is the correct expression in the context of destroying something into pieces and putting these together as completely new). Their 1st album only contains covers, two of them Beatles covers. George Harrison loved it. Deep Purple Mark I began to cover songs because they were so much impressed and wanted to sound like that, John Bonham learned from listening to Vanilla Fudge's drummer, Carmine Appice. Jeff Beck wanted the rhythm section to build a group with him because they were known as the hottest rhythm section in the business. Legend says that Keith Moon was the rolemodel for The Muppets' one and only Animal. I'm not quite sure. I prefer to believe that it was Carmine Appice instead because Keith Moon was a little bit too tamed in comparison to Carmine Appice. Back to Donovan. They made an 8 minute cover out of one of his 3 minute songs:"Season of the Witch." That's why I remembered this now. The keyboarder once told the story how they got the idea to slow down songs. If you ever heard what happens when you change the speed a vinyl lp from 33rpm to 45 rpm you can imagine. The keyboarder and the bass player sat in a car before a disco in New York smoking a cigarette with special taste. Out of the disco they heard The Supremes "Keep me hanging on". The keyboarder said that it sounded to him as if the record player was played in the wrong tempo and that they should play a cover slowing it down to the correct pitch. And the bass player said "ok". They were one of the few groups who made something really new creating a style of their own and had a great influence. Should you ever listen to them I would highly recommend to listen to the original version before and then to the Vanilla Fudge cover.
About this song: so much beauty and it was fun to watch your reaction. And this is just a warm up to "Awaken".
One their best tunes. Much more mellow than most of their other songs
Jons singing is incredible, I love the smokey sound. They sing perfect harmonies too. Great stuff, JB.
It is so beautiful. Have you got a tear rate gauge in your percentage system yet Justin? Your comments are inspiring! This channel’s community can sometimes
disagree
misunderstand
misquote
misinterpret
And sulk
with each other
But we can always turn a new leaf daily and say “it’s just differing musical taste man!” &
Wow that was beautiful !
Life is Beautiful.
This song though is something else. It continues to enthrall because it’s the one that would be last one picked on the
Soccer pitch
yet in it’s sublte power , deft touch and intelligence, it works perfectly with the others and turns out to be
The One.
The Messi of Yessi.
Now try
Steve Hackett’s
“Icarus Ascending”🔆
Haha, I have no tear rate gauge yet! Maybe a heart monitor next time??? :D
Beautiful. Ethereal. Pure.
Great tune. My favourite Yes album ... all great tunes on "Going for The One" ... especially the title track which is the best IMHO. Great reaction :)
Steve Howe did this with Renaissance's singer Annie Haslam for the Yes tribute album "Tales From Yesterday". To me this song brings Edgar Allan Poe short story Ligeia to mind.
Dude! I saw that and It choked me up...Annie Lives close to me...I've loved her voice for decades and when I saw that a few years ago on youtube, it really moved me...She's such an angel and it's a song I'll remember her by...I've loved Steve for much longer than Annie too...:)...Two master artist...It's enough to make you swoon!
@@godbluffvdgg Do you live in Philadelphia ? I loved the City. I almost lived there, in 2010. An Ex from College, lives there since 93'. She was the Head Archivist at Philadelphia Museum of Art, until recently.
@@michaelhernandez6446 Well I did for 50 years but, I moved real close by...Delco...But; I do projects there and still have friends I visit weekly...I'm from 19142...SWP... Philly is a great city and if you know someone here and get introduced we greet you like a friend...I lived a bunch of places when I was in the service ( USAF) Mostly No Cal...But home is where the heart is...I love the Art Museum...I know it very well...I used to take girls there...Where do you live now?
Ooo nice! I've been meaning to get back to Renaissance actually
@@godbluffvdgg I live now in San Francisco. I moved to Berkeley, Ca., for the then Summer of 82', right after University. I've lived in Berkeley, Oakland, Emeryville and now San Francisco. There are oodles of allures of why I live and continue to live here. - It's extremely Magical Here, to its Lands, Peoples and Enlivenments.
Another one of my favorite bands- with Genesis. This song is so expansive and promising. My favorite part of watching your channel is listening to some of my most precious music with you and watching your expressions and excitement while taking it all in. You notice those moments in the song that are intangibly moving and your analysis and perspective of the dynamics, instruments etc is interesting. What are you referencing in the computer re: background in the song? Examining the lyrics has me interest too. Music is so multisensory. I barely know any Yes son lyrics ( or Genesis) through yet I experience the music as a whole. Keep up the good work! Great idea.
Saw the Parallels live tour at the Spectrum in Philadelphia....hearing it now brought back some long forgotten memories. Thanks.
Stunning song from start to finish.
one of the most moving guitar vocal bass sounds ever recorded a masterpeice of art
This is one of the few Yes songs that actually has lyrics that make sense. Great song. I always considered this and Genesis' Ripples (which came out only a year earlier) to be both bands at their most beautiful. Interestingly enough Annie Haslam of Renaissance covered both of those songs on the Yes/Genesis tribute albums that came out in 1994. On this one she sang it with Steve Howe playing classical guitar.
Story of love transcending space and time It is all we can know for sure Beautiful job boys
Another absolutely great song!
I'm shocked that this video only has 5.989 views. People just don't know about this amazing piece of music. This should be as popular as any of their other music.
Love this song... forgot about it all together. Thanks for doing it!!
Very Beautiful Song and I’m Glad You actually did a Review of this Song and I’ve watched several reviews you have done on the music of YES and would love for you to continue your journey with your reviews of More of the YES Music in the future please 🙏
Thank you so much Robert!
I’ve been a fan of Yes since the late seventies but I first heard the song roundabout in 1971 when I was a kid and didn’t really get into the kind of music I listen too nowadays as I got older. I was turned on to the ABWH CD in 1990 by a coworker and I was Addicted to it ever since then as well as for the Union CD when that came out. Like most of us growing up in the era I did of music my favorite band was Led Zeppelin but I had Changed my mind and made it Yes as well as for my other musical tastes. It was great to grow up in the seventies with all the great music that came out of it as well as the late sixties era. Ozzy Osbourne sang it Best ( You Can’t Kill Rock n Roll ) it’s here to Stay !
Another great piece of music to listen to is Steve Howe playing Spanish guitar on Queens track Innuendo.
Ooo really? Had no idea he played with Queen
@@JustJP Yes and Queen have a history going back to when Queen were fans of the very early Yes, and Freddie had once worked in the same place as Tony Kaye. They were situated right next to each other while recording Going for The One and News of the World in Montreax in '76. Steve and Rick became good friends with them at that time, and 14 years later Steve guested on that one track during a visit, as Brian wanted some really hot flamenco guitar. Innuendo was their last stab at prog styles. There's even a version of Starship Trooper on youtube that features Brian May sitting in with Rick Wakeman's band.
Good review... you got it spot on.. it always seems like tender mood music before the powerful Parallels kicks in and gives a good flow to the album. Parallels was often used to open their concerts.give it a spin
Great review of the song. I’m learning again after all these years. Thanks 🙏.
So so pretty. I so do love this song. The acoustics are amazing.
So dramatic. Unique song to me.. I love it so much! You "barely reacted" to this.. you seemed to be lost in the music. Magical indeed. Thx for doing this piece of sadness!
Ty Vin! Yup, sometimes I'm just lost in the music😃
Every band member got to show-case their talent in this song. :)
It's not often that you hear classical guitar and bass perfectly counterpoint each other, but Steve and Chris do it beautifully. And again later on electric guitar and bass. The keyboards and vocals just take this song to another level. This song gives me chills every time I hear it, and when the sculpter's lady is returned to him, it's quite an emotional revelation, both in the lyrics and in the music.
Exactly! I absolutely love it
In the 1970s and 1980s, Guitar Player magazine used to have annual polls that subscribers could vote for the best guitarists in every genre. There was also a best bass player, and a "best overall guitar player." Steve won the "Best Overall Guitar Player" 5 years in a row. Because of him (to give others a chance to win,) they came up with "The Gallery of Greats," where once you've been inducted, you're no longer eligible to win an award. Steve was the first person inducted, and the only one ever to win 5 years in a row. Other guitarists added to the gallery were (as I recall,) Roy Clark and Al Dimeola.
The relief is parallels! That’s the point for me. Great album!
Thanks for that, Justin! Sometimes it takes someone else's reaction to remind me to play an album I actually own!
If this video made you revisit the album, that makes me really happy :)
My fav Yes track. I totally understand why it was requested!
Great reaction. This piece is quite a beautiful arrangement of music. That album is a great album that many forget for some reason, but it's strengths are examples of elements in this song. Depth, dynamics, dramatic musical passages. You have to also understand in the context of the time it was done as well. Prog Rock in '77 was on its last breath as the punksters and Glam bands started to rebel against long pieces of music, and went back to bar chords and back beats, so bands like Yes, ELP, Genesis, King Crimson, Pink Floyd and Jethro Tull were fighting in a world of growing "Non musicianship" as I call it. Along with Howe's amazing work, and Anderson's vocal's, Chris Squire is laying down beautiful melodic lines that make mood within this song as you pointed out. I guess this is a pretty good intro into this album, as like you showed, it's a rest in between two ferocious juggernaut songs. I'm very fond of this album and it's where Rick Wakeman came back on keys as the previous album had Patrick Moraz(Which Relayer is an excellent album as well). I think you'll dig the other songs on the album much better after being introduced to this one first. Peace!
Rohan was a famous sculptor who made “The Thinker”. Yes - he pores his life force into his work as his misses and grieves his lost love.
I think it was Rodin?
Rodin did sculpt his muse but Pygmalion sculpted Galatea, a sculpture he fell in love with.
Redone by HG Wells, and also loosely translated into a musical My Fair Lady and Pretty Woman
Glad you like it so much. I think it's a beautiful piece of music.
Yes it is! Ty Mark
Love this song and album. Thanks.
Of course! Thank YOU
Awaken!
To me I find it to be a metaphor for spirit in the big picture. At times we feel we missed what was important - such as life and lives around us. But if we can humble ourselves, rather than thinking life is about us, to striving for perception and understanding, then it is never too late to restore a connection. His strength transformed him, his gift as a sculptor - a metaphor for the potential we can realize in ourselves. At the moment he expresses his love, through his clay, she is contacted, and he experiences her and the realization she is ever present. (Also he solves a riddle of existence - when we're young love lingers so - as autumn calls we both remember - the future connecting with the past and love transcending a physical barrier of time and space).
Another excellent choice and reaction. Please try "Soon" off of the Relayer album, along with those from Renaissance, Yes, Tull and ELP I mentioned in a a comment on one of your previous posts. Keep it up and thank you.
ps I am using the song "Soon" to be played at the service when I leave this world.
"Soon" is not a single song. You can hear it without the part before but it is just the end of a song. And the context has a reason. Or better a lot of reasons that are getting lost when you hear the end without the beginning.
@@maraboo72 True. It is the end of side one of the Relayer album called The Gates of Delirium which was written about war(specifically the Russian revolution I believe). and then later released as a single song. Great catch.
@@stephaniethurmer5370 Not inspired by the revolution but by Tolstoj' s "War and Peace".
@@maraboo72 That is correct. I could not pull it off from memory. Ty. On a similar note, Renaissance' Mother Russia is about alexander solzhenitsyn. Thanks for your help with my memory. It is not what it used to be when I was younger
Ty Steph :)
An amazing song, from a very underrated album in their discography!
I cry every time I hear this and I first heard it when it was originally released.
Justin one of the best acoustic guitar parts ever ! Jon and Steve are awesome on this record Awaken is magnificent as well
The acoustic guitar part on the song "The Herald" by Comus is, to me, equally as magnificent.
Yes it is!
Jon sang this at Alan Whites tribute concert last year. Alan is also has a writing credit for this. Even though there is very little percussion.
Forgot to add....Going for the one followed by Parallels and then culminating in Awaken, if you let them, will take you to the higher source within us all. Out of control Chakras !!
Parallels is a great song, too. Great bass and keyboards - good energy
YES stepped out of their time and created these epics for the ages. I love watching the reactions that these masterpieces elicit every time😀
Thanks David!
Great analysis once again! For me the title track works best because it was a solid statement turning back to Fragile-like songwriting after the massive 2-3 albums with 15 to 30 min epics.
There is another title track that you should try: Trilogy by ELP. For me it's perhaps their best song ever! Romantic classical, fantastic hammond jazz and heavy moog soloing all mixed together.
Thank you John! I'll try to work my way towards ELP, I just didn't want to "over-expose" myself to too many different prog bands at once; I wanna savor a few before going deeper lol.
For my money, The Endless Enigma, all three parts, is the best thing on Trilogy but it’s a matter of degree.
Here's a fantastic hommage to Emersons music:
ua-cam.com/video/jP1Ppob93dQ/v-deo.html
@@JustJP Ok, that's a good tip! I'll start suggesting excellent but not-so-known non-prog songs from now on 🙂.
Great review and reaction. I'm impressed by your maturity toward this masterpiece. I did not fully appreciate it until well into my 20s and 30s.
Also interesting are your comments about the temporary letdown with no big drum based ending at the climax, as Yes drummer Alan White was the principal songwriter of this piece. Alan White is also a very good pianist and has written some great Yes moments. He was responsible for the chord progression and much of the melody. Steve Howe then took it from there and Jon Anderson added those great lyrics and contributed also to some of the melodies.
Thanks so much Mark!
Great! Thanks much.
Thank YOU ;)
Good choice -- this track is one of my favourite on that album.
I enjoyed your commentary. I purchased this album when it was first released. The only area you left me wondering about was your thoughts on the crescendo of this piece of music. Second to none in my viewpoint.
This song is a masterpiece.
You mentioned the song letting off the gas ( my words). It was a first listen but if you listen again read the lyrics, as they direct the trajectory of the music.
The lyrics recount Anderson's own pygmalion type story of an obsessed sculptor. The waning, " like leaves we touched, and," we both remember those many years ago."
If there is a catagory, art rock, this is it.
Oh, what a joy would have been to have you living in my street when I was a teenager!
You must hear Relayer, The Gates of Delirium is an epic lasting almost 22 minutes, it has a masterful bass, and the all thing is like riding on a roller coaster until you reach heavenly spaces with Soon oh Soon (the final part is so good it made a single!).
I would like to see you reviewing To be Over - and i know you will, sooner or later.
Welcome to the ProgRock world!
Haha thank you Paulo! I'll definitely be having more Yes on
Thanks Justin for getting to the last great Yes album with the classic lineup. This tour was the first time I had seen Yes in concert and they were phenomenal. Please do the rest of the album!!!
Close to the Edge is the last album with the "classic lineup", unless you mean something else.
This song p[roves that Jon's voice is truly special. Howe is amazing as are the rest of the band Wakeman returned on this album and rocked!!!
Beautiful and if anything sentimental.
Nice job. This is a great song. Like most Yes songs it takes a few more listens to really appreciate. You are right - Steve was awesome on this one.
Ty Biofilmz!
I absolutely love this album and this track is beautiful though all of it is great imo . Great choice.
I had sort of given up on Yes after Tales from Topographic Oceans but a casual hearing of this song brought me back into the fold. Absolutely mesmorising on many levels, and a tour de force from Steve Howe and Ian Anderson. You did not get the pay off on the first listen, perhaps because of some expectations, but more likely a volume thing. You just have to be on your own with the volume high, the build up is slow allowing the guitars and piano to really shine. I think of the peak (vocals over electrical guitar) as the release, with a beautiful coda acoustic section to set you back into the real world. Not to forget this is a powerful love song that could easily have been ruined. It is a real journey piece, and more you take that journey the more you will see how perfect it is. BTW, I always love just catching the beautiful voice of Chris Squire near the end as well, gone but not forgotten.
Thank you Earl :) This one brings up, then slowly and gently lays you down
No flute playing in this rendition, though it does have passion.
Good mellow acoustic song. Same naked guy as on Rush’s “Hemispheres”? Rush’s album is 1978.
Is there a copyright on butts?
Steve Howe. Top ten greatest guitar player ever.
✌️🐾
I think its a different butt, but related.
BlueForA Change : WOW, impressive two butt abutment.
😅
Rick Wakeman called it Going For The Bum.
Definitely not the same guy. GFtO guy has a much nicer ass.
A monster Steve Howe Jam...The album is one of Yes's most profound...The liner notes are so cool...They recorded in a Swiss Church...
One of the things I really like about music reaction videos is that it always sparks thoughts of other similar (feelings-wise) songs come to mind. A couple of them are the song "White Bird" by the band It's A Beautiful Day and "You Set The Scene" by the band Love. Please give one, or both, a try.
Thanks for the recs Rob :)
I'll have to listen to your take on it.
Hope you enjoy!
I was majoring in Art and Advertising in college when this song came out. I wore it OUT!
The 2nd song on my funeral playlist (Great Gig in the Sky by Pink Floyd is the 1st). This is so beautifully constructed & sublimely played. Loosly based on the story of Pygmalion & his eternal love for 1 woman. Sad & emotional, but the idea of a love that lasts beyond death is a gorgeous concept.
A beautiful song for a farewell
love this song!!1!
This is one of my favorite Yes moments. So beautiful. Hey man, not Yes but have you done A Passion Play??