Yes- Sound Chaser (First Listen)
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- Опубліковано 12 кві 2020
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Song Link: • Sound Chaser (2003 Rem...
When I've lost my phone charger I often find myself unconsciously singing CHAR, CHAR, CHAR, CHARGER while I look for it.
Paul that is hilarious
Brilliant 😂😂😂
@@JustJP JustJP can i suggest you some gems from italian 70' prog? Impressioni di Settembre (live...live..live..live....not the one in the album....live) by PFM.....Io vagabondo by Nomadi....Gioco di bimba by Orme.....Profondo rosso (soundtrak) by Goblin
LOL
I think the Relayer album (and the following tour from 1974 to 1976) is Yes at their most progressive and forward looking. Rick Wakeman coming back in late 76 for the Going For The One album (as good as it is) to replace the underrated Patrick Moraz, was the first time Yes looked back instead of forward. In some ways, Relayer is the ultimate Yes album as it shows a band taking its influences from all over the musical, literature and cultural map and melding them into a thing of contrived/confused/ugly/beautiful/angry/serene musical majesty and innovation. For me, it completes an amazingly creative and innovative five album musical period starting from 71's The Yes Album and ending with 74's Relayer.
The highlight of the Relayer album is The Gates of Delirium. It is an astonishing piece of music which I have been a huge fan of since I first heard it as a 15 year old in 1983 ('What is this? This is nuts'). Like a lot of early/mid 70s Yes it can be quite an earful the first few listens, but it is music that grows with you as you grow older. You find new things. You hear parts you somehow missed before. There are a few bands that have succeeded in creating a kind of organic music - a music that seems to breathe and develop over time. Yes is one of those bands. Even then they only managed to capture it a few times.
I don't even know if I like Yes music. But every time I hear their classic early 70s songs something in me keeps saying I love it. Something inside me has been saying that now for nearly 40 years. Where did all the time go?
Thanks for giving this a listen, Justin. All the best.
If you make a listen of " gates of délirium", prepare you to a shock, prepare your mind, I think, it's very difficult to understand this music but, at the end of the tunnel, the light of a certain art of music ( hello from France )
I'm ready!
@@JustJP Even better - find a Live version. For me, the 2000 American tour was the best live version of it.
@@yw1971 the studio version is better.
@@PedroBonna we'll beg to differ
Yesshows version of the Gates of delirium is the best!!!!!... for sure and by far!!!!!!...
For sure Yes at the peak of their progressiveness - for this reason some fans don't dig this album but it's a marvel and my favourite album - I'm sitting back watching a band create music for their own pleasure and for art. No prisoners! Such a strong album and Moraz brought a wonderful set of textures and sounds to the band.
Definitely my favourite Yes album (it has been since I first heard it)
"for this reason some fans don't dig this album"
Really?
Maybe fans who got on board with YES in the 80s or 90s, but for those of us who grew up with YES in the 70s Relayer is a classic.
From The Yes Album through to Going For The One are THE YES albums.
Sound Chaser is a sonic challenge and acquired taste - the more you listen the more you “get it”. It’s now one of my listening favorites..😊
Ty Tarkus!
Are you even able to enjoy that "cha cha cha cha cha" part and the end with the tempo changes? lol.
"Relayer" is our favorite album of Yes. It is definitely their most experimental one. "Gates of Delirium" will be an experience. The middle section of it (the battle section) is even more aggressive than "Sound Chaser". "To be Over" is soft compared to the other songs. Oh, and "A Plague of Lighthouse Keepers" by Van der Graaf Generator is in its aggressive sections even more aggressive than "Gates of Delirium".
That's my favorite Van Der Graaf Generator album. One of the masterpieces of prog.
In Gates of Delirium, after the drum roll when they go into 11/4 time...if it ever got better than that in this life, enlighten me.
This album will never, ever be dated. It's always been my favorite.
This song is stunning. One of their best pieces for sure, so inventive and dynamic.
the best yes song with the gates of delirium, THIS is music !!!!!
Oh my gosh, the syncing of the background light with the start of the ‘takatakatakatakataka’ bit at 8:59 is perfect
There's not a person alive who could hear that song for the first time and not be surprised at least 20 times. Yet the song's pretty comprehensible once you get over the shock... which might take quite a few listens. That five note figure, with the same interval as D-F-D rising to C-B, but repeating many times in many keys, is the anchor of the song and a key to listening. I have no idea what the lyrics mean, but I'll note that Jon Anderson a number of times has used the word "sound" as a synonym for "spirit".
I find it easy to imagine the song as the soundtrack for a video of a sports car, revving the engine at the start, racing along curvy Scottish roads, gently moving along a valley during the middle of the song, coming to a brief stop, then changing gears repeatedly as it climbs back through the twists and curves, and disappears over the crest of a hill at the end.
This album is amazing
i love how they alter their pitch according to the speed in this song. as if you speed up and slow down a record. my 2nd fav YES album.
Although most of my friends did'nt care for this iteration of Yes, I loved it! Steve Howe really took the reigns melodicaly in the departure of Wakeman,Being a guitar player I dug it!Saw them live outdoors the year they released this, incredible show,with 3 giant snakeheads above stage shooting laser beams into the sky amazing!! Peace-ferretfret in Ct.
This was a different Yes, they were always evolving. If you think this messes with your mind, wait until you listen to Gates of Delirium. I can't wait to see that one. lol. Go easy on yourself Justin, everyone felt like this the first time we heard it.
Haha ty Steph. I've listened to it a few more times and I'm still baffled
@@JustJP Justin, to one query here of yours,... to "What is this Cha-Cha [moment] about !?!?!"..I am betting to that, it's a regurgitation to and of what John and Steve had explored to the making of their previous Album, 'Tales from a Topographic Ocean'. 'Tails' was an inspirational Launching-Point...."when in Japan, during Yes' 'Close to the Edge Tour',
Yes frontman Jon Anderson devised the concept album during the band's 1973 Japanese tour when he read a footnote in Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda that describes four bodies of Hindu texts about a specific field of knowledge, collectively named shastras: the shruti, smriti, puranas, and tantras." [WIKI].....the above Album, was of a Hindu Cosmography, a rendering, a description of this Cosmos. Now to the "Cha-Cha Entrance", the following is of a Balinese Hindu Exorcising Chant (letting go of 'The Before'), called 'The Monkey Chant', John and Band, WOULD have been privy to. ua-cam.com/video/pCUdEnGvYFk/v-deo.html
@@michaelhernandez6446 Great find. I totally see where they got it now!
"Alan is just treating this drum set like it owes him money right now." That's a quote i like to see on a t shirt!
And I love it when you read Anderson's lyrics.
And though Wakeman is a monster on the keyboards, I do like me some Moraz.
Great reaction video!
Haha thank you VA!
This song has one of my favorite openings of all time. Alan White's drumming is spectacular here. He really proved himself as a solid replacement for Bill Bruford. I love this song and it's probably the edgiest and "out there" thing Yes has ever done. I wouldn't consider it the best song on the album though, that award goes to Gates of Delirium, which is arguably the best song Yes has ever made (although CTTE, Awaken and Ritual are also contenders). I am definitely looking forward to seeing your reaction to that. Relayer may be my favorite Yes album overall, although sometimes my opinion changes as every album they released between 1971 and 1977 is gold. Their career parallels Genesis in a lot ways. Their best stuff was in the early to mid 70s. They started to redefine themselves in the late 70s when prog was losing its popularity and emerged with a more accessible pop sound in the 80s that had some great moments, but wasn't as good as their 70s prog stuff. The one big difference is that Yes was a lot more prolific in the 90s and beyond. Genesis only had two albums in the 90s and then they stopped making new music. Yes put out several more albums in the 90s and beyond. Unfortunately they were kind of hit and miss during this later period, but there are a few diamonds in the rough. A lot of bands from that era followed a similar pattern. Chicago comes to mind.
When people say guitar solo......... now this is pretty solo. One of my fave albums. I also LOVE the cover art. The other two tracks I prefer, but I came to love this song, starting with the guitar and slowly growing outward from that. To Be Over is a remarkably pretty song and I think most people who are prepared to listen to a long song would enjoy it. Gate of Delirium has it's avante guarde parts but the end(almost a song in it's own right) Soon... is, like To Be Over, very melodic and easy to like.
According to Jon Anderson they were inspired by Mahavishnu Orchestra at the time. And Patrick Moraz was a perfect fit for the keyboards.
and Return To Forever.
Makes perfect sense
Steve Hackett mentioned when they recorded Selling England by the Pound, they, also were inspired by those bands.
The opening section of close to the edge is apparently their version of mahavishnu orchestra
Oh no, not another JP Yes reaction. Now I’m gonna have to spend an hour on trying to write an intelligent-sounding comment again. Well, I guess the burst water pipe in the bathroom won’t mind waiting another hour.
And continuing on the watery theme, this song... , well it isn’t really a song... this track, this collection of sounds and moods, is definitely the deepest end of the pool that is Yes music.
It’s weird, avante garde, out-there and incomprehensible. It’s also very technical. Howes telecaster is on fire. The perfect song to play to a girl on the first date.
It’s in some ways a continuation, and refinement of some of the types of sounds they were exploring on Tales’ side 3, albeit more refined and concise. Unlike Tales it’s not boring or plodding and it keeps you interested.
You asked about gates, and Gates is definitely a better track. It’s a story with a beginning middle and end, that takes you through the stages of the war process, ie A) Initial tensions, followed by B) political rhetoric in support of war, followed by C) Battle, D) victory march, and finally E) regret and reflection.
Section A is just instrumental. It portrays a directionless bubbling soundscape, intermittently jolted by sudden interruptions that cause the soundscape to pause and then restart again. It is as if the bubbling soundscape is the activity of everyday life in a society, and the interruptions are smaller confrontations with an enemy society that interrupts daily life. The interruptions (confrontations) become more and more frequent, more loud, and more intense until section B starts with the line “stand and fight”. The lobbying for war begins.
Section B is lyrically interesting because of how the political rhetoric gradually escalates. The listener hears the rhetoric gradually changing from ‘the society wanting to defend against evil of The Others’ to ‘the society embracing the thought of doing evil unto The Others’. It starts with suggesting that “we should consider fighting to defend ourselves”, escalates to ’“attack/slay them” and ends with “burn their children”.
The war then begins. The instrumental battle scene (C) is amazing. You can see the battle in front of you. Through Howe’s guitar you hear the running footsteps of the army charging their opposition, and you hear the sword slashes.
The victory march (D), also instrumental, is bombastically triumphant, but in an ugly way. It suggests that we, the victorious, have become the evil force, cheerfully pillaging, destroying, raping.
And the final section “soon”, we reflect on what happened and feel regret, hoping that humanity will ‘soon’ see the light. This is the most beautiful music yes ever wrote.
To Be Over, is a gentle song, very nice in places,. It’s the song that gave me my UA-cam User Name. See if you can catch it when you listen to it. I’ll look out for it.
Well, that only took 30 minutes this time. Gotta go. Bye.
Thanks for writing that out SD, I always enjoy reading your comments. Now back to the pipe; it's not gonna fix itself!
Hehe - another that writes LONG comments like I do :P.
EXCELLENT points on Gates of Delirium, and couldn't have described it better. How can you NOT do a reaction to it JP after all that ;)? WE KNOW you'll love it. Gates, Close to the Edge and "Drama" are always in a battle for my number 1 Yes album (I know, I know . . . "Sacrilege!!!")
@@JustJPRelayer is, in my opinion, the greatest concept album ever created. All 3 tracks has a great deal of info about (and in the case of Sound Chaser, to) The Relayer. See this album from that perspective and all the lyrics make a lot of sense. For instance, "And to know that tempo will continue lost in trance of dances, as rhythm takes another turn, as is my want. I only reach to look in your eyes." Is not the cha cha a dance?
The deep dive into the Yes pool! Amazing album! I'm so glad you started this album with Sound Chaser because now you will be more amazed at Gates of Delirium! And of course the beautiful To be Over! Justin just sit back and enjoy!
Ty Marc, I will!
To Be Over is a beautiful song. My favorite song on the album. Vangelis left his keyboards at Chris's house where they recorded this album, but Vangelis didn't join the band. Patrick came on board as on the keys, and used the leftover keyboards of Vangelis. Patrick is a fantastic keyboard player.
I love watching people react to this, my all-time favorite Yes album and the one that I consider to be the pinnacle of their progressive creativity. Everything after "Relayer" was a step back, especially with the return of stodgy, beer-addled Rick "Look at me, I'm progressive because I'm playing rock music on a church organ" Wakeman. "To Be Over" is Yes at their gentlest and most spiritual (it's about the wondrous journey of passing over into the afterlife), and "The Gates of Delirium" may be their masterpiece. "Sound Chaser", of course, is Yes showing us not only what great virtuosos they are but also what a keen sense of humor they have, especially influenced by the wildly-innovative Moraz.
Critics and many fans descended upon "Relayer" after its release, saying Yes had gone too far, too spacey, too esoteric, etc. As a reaction to this, Yes followed it with "Going For The One" which was rockier and, in my opinion, much less creative and progressive in that it was an attempt to recapture and rehash what everyone had liked about them before. (Making the return of Rick Wakeman, who had hated Yes' new direction, all the more fitting.) And thus, it was the point where they stopped evolving and began to stagnate, leading to their worst album to that point, "Tormato." Yes would never again achieve the heights they reached with "Relayer."
The first time I heard this album was when I saw them perform it live about two weeks before the album came out. They opened the concert with this song. It was a crazy amazing trip, the whole show. As for your "getting it" after only one listening, I always thought that I didn't appreciate new Yes music until the third listening. The first listening blew me away and I struggled to understand what I was hearing. With the second listening, I got more familiar with the themes and a little more comfortable with where the band was going with the music. With the third listening, i began to "get it". This will especially be true for you with Gates. Enjoy.
It occurred to me today that Sound Chaser is like a beer "chaser". Like a strong drink of sound!
It is definitely flamenco guitar played on a Telecaster. Alan's drumming and Chris's bass playing are out of this world! Tempo changes, meter changes, chanting...Sound Chaser has it all!!
This was definitely their foray into jazz fusion. They were huge fusion fans and Patrick Moraz had just joined the band. That intro was actually recorded as part of his audition for the band. They asked him to come up with something and he thought that up on the stop and that is what ended up on the record. Anyway, Moraz was a fusion player. Lots driving that direction of the band.
And don't forget the song is called "Sound Chaser" when considering all the tempo changes and frenetic playing.
This is the most jazz fusion they ever were. Patrick had some Corea tones and licks. Very kick-ass song
Hi Justin ! Imagine ... in 74, I am 16 years old and I discovered YES with this album !
The cover immediately fascinates me !
I listen to it with headphones and there is absolute diving !!
From then on, I rush to the precedents.
Today, they remain for me the Great Masters of Vibratory Music !
I recall reading that when Moraz went to audition for the group, they were rehearsing Sound Chaser when he showed up, and he felt really intimidated. Howe, Squire, and White were some of the best in the business, and they were in full flight in this song. Moraz's playing on this album was transcendent. Aside from his work in Sound Chaser, which you've heard, his playing in Gates is phenomenal, and his playing/ solo after Howe's solo in To Be Over is just beautiful. He definitely has his own style that I feel didn't always translate well onto the live performances of the Wakeman tracks, with one exception being Ritual. The biggest strike against Moraz, from the view of a lot of Yes fans, is that he isn't Wakeman. Not really a fair criticism considering Wake is no Moraz, either, and Relayer would have beena very different animal if Wakeman had stayed.
I'm one of those crazies whom prefers Moraz over Wakeman, when Yes is concerned.
To me it's Best album from yes
Man your analyze of yes song are so good, so rich, so thoughtfull that i wouldnt mind to see a video of Just Jp second listen. Seriously, you're that good.
Ty!
The live version on the Jersey City broadcast is simply awesome, a real tour de force. Squire's bass during the Moraz solo is something to behold!
Love this song. Alan played his ass off. The song swings between 4/4, 5/4 and 6/4. Complex at times. That’s why it’s phenomenal
the analysis of the solo was spot on. It goes from hard rock to flamenco to classical.
This was the concert opener for the album tour. The Roger Dean designed stage was legendary. Gates of Delirium live was incredible!
"Sound Chaser" has always been a hard one to chew on. It's a no-holds barred, "balls to the wall" workout and can take many, many listens to sink in. But it's the one track on Relayer where Moraz really shines. There are many who are skeptical that Geoff Downes will be able to pull this off when Yes tours the album in 2022 (assuming Covid lets it happen).
I'm guessing the vocals at the start are so dense because Squire mainly wrote that part, and he and Jon are essentially "co-leads" on it. Jon has his moment later in the "From the moment time reached out to hold, I felt a sound" part.
Funny seeing you discovering sound chaser a bit the same way I did. It took me some times before I was sure to like it too. But nearly 40 years after, it still on my top list.
And as you notice, the tcha tcha tcha is very important. Its the key of this piece and the whole univers :-)
If you enjoyed this, you will enjoy "gates of Delirium" whichy - musically and lyrically - is very loosely based on "War and peace" by Tolstoy. :-)
Great analysis! I first head this song on Nov 20, 1974, as a high school senior sitting in the green seats at Madison Square Garden, when Yes opened its concert with this "unknown" song from the as-of-yet unreleased Relayer album. I don't think I could have described all the complexities and nuances as you did. It has taken me 46 years to fully understand this song! But everything that everyone has said, especially about the unique nature of Sound Chaser is 100% correct.
It is a cacophony of sound and time signatures but it has always been one of favorite Yes songs. Very Jazzy. If you are driving and falling asleep, here's your antidote!
Hey Justin, you have the knack for finding all the best Yes tracks that really were the highlight of my teens.
Thank you for that - I follow all your Yes and Genesis videos !!!
Ty Jacques😄
Well, summarise that. "Talking about music is like dancing about architecture" - Zappa
I thought that was Laurie Anderson, no...?
Thank you for "A Flower?" I never had this idea in all those years but it does not seem unnatural. This is my favourite album of theirs and "Gates of Delirium" is my No. 1. It maybe because of Patrick Moraz but not only. As much a good musician Wakeman is, he never had the wildness Moraz brings in here. On the other hand it is Steve Howe's guitar playing that has a little bit of his rawness in "Yours Is No Disgrace" combined with his technical skills. For me the drums on this album are Alan White's best work with Yes. Chris Squire is just Chris Squire. Jon Anderson is normally not the best choice when it comes to rough parts like they are included here. But I love his "Chachachaaachacha". I would not only say that they pushed boundaries. They broke them into pieces. It is difficult to find a piece of music like this.
Stunning track. You'll really learn to love it through multiple listens. It's almost as if they looked at other rival prog groups, and said "Oh yeah? Check this out..."
In remember the first time I heard Relayer, (late 70’s) I thought it was a labyrinthine mess of random noises and sounds. It quickly became my most sublime favorite. It is amazing, isn’t it.
This whole album is awesome! Gates of Delirium is probably my favorite Yes song, looking forward to the day you listen to it!
Hey JP. Great reaction to the song. 👍🏻 I guess this song is Jazz meets a train wreck, but in a good way! 😁 The description you gave of the musicians playing as if the instruments owed them money is perhaps the best description I’ve ever heard - SO funny.
“The Gates of Delirium” is an absolute classic, but may I recommend you react to “To Be Over” first. It is a wonderfully beautiful song. Let’s say it’s like the calm before the ‘gates of delirium’ storm. 😎
Thx Omar!
When I first heard this song I liked it alot. My friends and I would talk about that Cha Cha song. I must have listened to the song 20 times within a week and picked out something in the song I did not pick up before. So many Tempo changes but they make it work. To sit down and compose a song like this is amazing. I imagine they all had a real good time throwing ideas back and forth. It soon became my favorite Yes song from a great album.
Yes, this song is nuts... Completely bonkers....and yet....and yet...amazingly good. Moraz's keyboard solo at the end is one of my biggest "OH HELL YEAH" moments in music. Great stuff. And your video sums it up nicely!
NIce...My birthday today; Thanks for the gift! I was hoping you'd get around to this someday...I hope that one dude suggest "Mama" again so I can break his stones...:)...You catch on quick so I'm sure you're appreciating Chris and Howe...Patrick Moraz is a great keyboardist too...
8:00 I'm smiling cause I know what's coming...forgetabouit!
"Sound Chaser" should ALWAYS be followed immediately by "To Be Over". They compliment each other, and you need the latter to bring you back to Earth after the chaos of "Chaser".
Note that this is one of the tracks that confuses at first, but gets better and better the more you listen to it.
"As rhythm takes another turn," this track takes a series of head-jarring turns, each bursting with creativity, harmonic invention and extreme contrasts of tempo, mood and texture. It feels like a movie of one's life played at 100x speed, "from the moment I reached out to hold," (I imagine a baby's grasp of a parent's finger) to our ultimate reconnection with our Creator, "to look in Your eyes." From the cradle to the grave ("as we accelerate our days"), always seeking that meaningful connection. I'm not saying this is the meaning of the song, I am just saying this is how the song plays tricks with my imagination, or how my imagination processes the tricks in the song.
"Gates of Delirium" is my favorite YES song. This is decent but Gates of Delirium just blows it away.
First album for Steve with all Fenders.
That 1953 tele sounds so sweet.
This is my favorite era of Yes. Patrick's influence was immediate... the intro to this song was written on the spot in the first session, which was his audition. Patrick's improv was recorded that day and used on the album. They already had most of the rest of it worked out before he got there. Patrick was using Vangelis' rig, which was still there after Vangelis didn't gel with the band. Yes are slated to to this live on the next tour for the first time since 76. Gates is still the best piece overall, but this one is the most intense workout in their catalog. To Be Over is a lovely closer, and the most accessible piece. The cover painting is Roger Dean's most popular...a combination of pencil, pen and watercolor. The original is wall-sized, and worth over a million. Now you see what I meant about Yes pulling back for Gong for the One. That's almost new wave compared to this one. This crazy record was top 10, and by 1976, Yes were the biggest live act in the world, playing stadiums. They wouldn't see audiences that big again until they went to Rio in the 90's.
Hi Justin. I think Sound Chaser is the most challenging and „out there“ piece of music they had ever done. I think after decades of listens I still find it challenging because of the high energy. To Be Over is the complete opposite, a rather calm and beautiful hymn. Gates on the orher hand is to me their most exciting epic. Soul Dreamer described it perfectly. During that time YES really explored the bounderies of rock music. They created sounds that really moves you on an emotional and intellectual level. I first heard Gates Of Delerium on the Yesshows live album, which is still my version to go. You should really listen to this version on your own after reacting to the studio version. It is utter mindblowing how the band pulling this of on stage. The Yesshows version is building up more naturally and you can really hear and feel that they are really „in the zone“ while playing the battle sequence. It‘s a real steamy performance and the end section is heart wrenchingl beautiful. The studio version is nevertheless a total jaw dropper. You will never hear anything like that again😉
Thanks for this. This is my fav yes album. Killer tempo changes in this song , killer start ,so complex love love love this song.
An astonishing brilliance to this ever changing time signature and free thought stream
I love this. There really is a lot to talk about in this one and I loved how inspired you were to talk through it. I agree that this is better live.
Ty!
7 different keys, 14 time signatures, and multiple tempo changes. What can you say? It was blistering! The song is all about chasing the sound, and feeling it. I used to play the lead from Sound Chaser in Led Zeppelin Heartbreaker, because all the other bands in town were doing it the same way. We were different, and they would break back into Heartbreaker before it got mellow.
I first heard this when I was 16 and I'm sure it overwhelmed me, along with the middle instrumentals of Gates of Delirium, just so frenetic and insane! I couldn't get enough though and with repeated listens the structures are actually very memorable and fun. The album is so emotionally charged, it's become one of my favourites.
It is strangely addicting isnt it?
It's always great to see other people discover my favorite music. This album floored me. I was already a big fan but I don't think they ever rocked harder than this. Add the wild jazz keys of Patrick Moraz and it's practically its own genre.
For sure Babaziba! Moraz really adds a LOT to this!
Hard to get at first listen! They're throwing so many things in one track! Insane! The album Relayer is bringing back the template of Close to the Edge (One epic + 2 tracks). ''Gates of Delirium'' is war and total chaos closing with Soon section looking at the aftermath of the fight. ''Sound Chaser'' is YES going jazz fusion and I love it (Drum solo, guitar solo, keyboard solo). There is so many good sections in the track to enjoy and they're having fun! ''To Be Over'' is nice melodic, choral song with nice vocal harmonies. A good way close the album. I still come back to it.
It's the third album I bought in my life (with my hard earned money passing flyers). First album : Études de Chopin, Second : Yes - Topographic Oceans, Third : Yes - Relayer.
I have a real love/shrug relationship with Yes and this song has plenty of both. There are aspects that really entice and it becomes so indulgent that I feel like I'm speeding on a raceway without a steering wheel.
Gates of Delirium is an exceptional album from YES, one of the best I think.
I recommend to listen to this album more often as a whole and I promise it will get better every time.
Thank you very much for taking a serious look at this kind of music.
Best regards
Peter
Ty Mikro!
Alan treats the drums like they owe him money. What a comment! The first time I saw them was the Relayer tour with Moraz. OMG. They opened with Sound Chaser. Never been the same since.
I'm impressed! It's quite amazing what you were able to say about it after just one listen. I really like the album, especially this song and Gates Of Delirium. I think it's the best and most interesting work of Yes together with Close to the Edge.
Patrick Moraz was very essential at this point in the history of Yes. I appreciate the keyboard work and some of the synthesizer sounds Moraz was using. Some of the keyboards were these very limited, but polyphonic, synthesizers that are often called as "string machines". I really like their sound and I own a few of those instruments. Moraz and Wakeman are both excellent in what they do. They have their own personality. Just like they are, you are also "the best version of you". I love the uniqueness of this music and also all of us with our different opinions. I really enjoy watching these videos and reading these comments. Take care everyone. I wish all the best to you.
As much as I love CTTE, this was probably their best work. Cruised right into jazz fusion, and really well. Vastly underrated.
Congrats to 4K subs. Should be 396K more but slowly we go
Ty! We'll see, we have plenty of time🙃
It's amazing, isn't it? My brother is a drummer and met Alan White at NAMM one year at a drummer event, and took a moment to ask him about Sound Chaser. According to my brother, Alan White laughed and said, "Oh man! That song is *so hard to play*!" It somehow made my brother's day, knowing that even the amazing Alan White struggles with this track. Oh, and Chris Squire? I just saw an interview where he says he usually uses it as his WARM UP SONG. Show off! Also, are folks aware of Steve Howe's "muting" technique? He would turn down the volume button on the attack and turn it back up on the strum. Truly incredible, and impossible to get that kind of sound any other way. He also had a volume pedal that he used for other things, but that muting effect is so unique and compelling...you can see him doing it live and it's jaw dropping. EDIT: The liner notes state that this album was recorded on a portable 8-track machine. Now, it would have been a studio-quality machine, but the point is that this wasn't on a huge board in a standard studio setting, like is usually done by large acts these days. But! Only 8 tracks! That means they had to do something called "bumping down", which is when you mix a few tracks together and record those onto an unused track (or record over one). You lose quality when you do this and introduce the faintest hiss after the first take, so you want to try and only do this on a pure track. Sorry for the wall of text comment. I'm a bit of a Stan and a musician (my Channel is Auryaun's Place and this is not a plug, it's because I have no content for this account.)
Ty! That's awesome
The Gates of Delirium is definitely the crown jewel on this album. This was the "other" epic that stands a close second to Close to the Edge.
On of my favourite tracks.
A request: Starship Trooper by Yes. It’s a very approachable prog song. The build-up at the end is epic!
I'll say it for you: Awesome. Experimental. Musicianship at its finest. Out of the box fun. Saw it live in '76 after only having heard Roundabout on the radio. My brain hasn't been the same since.
Hi Justin. Thanks for getting back to Yes! Like you said - a lot to digest. But that's what makes their music so interesting and enduring. So yes, please go for Gates of Delirium. Even though it gets a little wilder in sections, I think compositionally it's a little more coherent than Sound Chaser, with flow that's a little less jarring. As you mentioned Steve brings elements of different genres to his playing but one that's always present in small bits that is often overlooked is the influence country music has on his playing. He has said one of his early guitar heroes was the legendary country picker Chet Atkins, and that was apparent on his solo piece 'The Clap' from The Yes Album. His choice of switching to a 1950's Fender Tele on Relayer (instead of his classic Gibson hollow body ES-175D) which is a popular guitar in country music and his use of pedal steel guitars are also borrowed from country.
Stay safe and be well
Peace from SF
Thanks so much Bud!
Now imagine how we felt when we heard this in 1974 at the age of 16! I wondered what happened when I listened to it first. But I liked it immediately. For me the best Yes album.
Love the shelf with toilet paper and hand sanitizer...nice pandemic decor!
Haha ty!
Saw this tour 3 times Unblieveable how they could cruise at light speed and stop on a dime.
That was a pretty cool musical mash and does the song title justice. Every instrument had a chance to shine. Abstract as the music was, it was quite enjoyable. Instead of trying to figure out where the music will take me, I was more into the wonder and just enjoy the ride. Loved the song and reaction.
And what a ride it is!
Estrum - All I Want
Klone - Immersion
Katatonia - Second
Howe is playing the guitar with a violin bow....on certain parts of this song....I have seen him do it in concert. Fascinating to watch!!!!
Gates of Delirium is even more out there. To Be Over is more straight forward.
Gotta say I love Yes being experimental, because they express intense emotions so clearly and so melodically. I have NO IDEA why Tales from Topographic Oceans is maligned as "out there" but this album is not. This shit is super freaking OUT THERE, and in an excellent way. "Cha-Cha-Cha... CHA! CHA!"
the drum solo in the beginning is incredible and the guitar solo is SO inspred
I love Steve Howe's slide guitar playing. This was Steve's Fender Telecaster album.
Wakeman had left Tales was totally bashed (the fans loved it) and they felt like they had something to prove. Mission accomplished!
I agree, the first time I heard this, I was surprised by the Cha Cha business, but what's interesting is the rhythm after the first set of the forementioned Cha Cha . This song does grow on you, especially when listened together with To Be Over. To me, those songs are a set. As for Gates of Delirium, that is something else. I saw Yes on the tour for this album a long time ago and the live performance blew my mind.
Every time I need a pick me up I enjoy this song with Justin. This song embodies a philosophy set forth on an earlier recording that you haven't gotten around to yet. Jon promises Perpetual Change on the Yes Album and I'd say he and the band have lived up to that over the many incarnations of Yes. Thanks again Justin.
Happy to Panoptese, thank you so much
One of my fave art pieces from Roger Dean :). I actually have a shirt of it from their 35th Anniversary Tour, that Dream Theater opened for on their "Train of Thought Tour" (where they played an excellent instrumental version of "Machine Messiah", from the also excellent YES "Drama" album). The album cover is the back print, with the cool Dean font of the 35th anni & YES logo as a pocket print, on a grey long sleeve :).
You are completely right on ALL points of "Sound Chaser", but it is one of my fave Yes tracks _because_ its soo Jazz/Fusion, and different for them. Alan White is awesome on the track, and Squire really workin' that Bass.
Haha, the "ChaCHAcha" part, I used to do this weird edit of repeating it multiple times having it pan left to right as a weird effect on my old "Concept Tapes (Cassettes)", mish-mashed with other odd sounds from various band albums, just to trip out the listener on headphones.
So some Yes recommends:
1. of course; "Gates of Delirium". A track that will take you on a ride of emotions, and Jon's thoughts on "War". It's really amazing, moving and gorgeous. I think its just as astounding as the track Close to the Edge.
2. "Machine Messiah". The "Drama" album, in my opinion is their most _heaviest_ album, but without Jon Anderson. "Trevor Horn" (Video Killed the Radio Star) does an excellent job of channeling Jon (and later produces their No 1 album "90125"). The "tone" of Howe's guitars never sounded so heavy (close, would be the debut Asia album and "GTR").
3. The Trevor Rabin era track; "Endless Dream" from the VERY underrated album "Talk". This is personally, one of THEE best Epic tracks I have ever heard (from any band). It's just about perfect, with its multilayers of sounds. Its up there with the many classic YES epics too.
Also . . .
That track reminds me of the neo-Progressive Rock band from England; "Frost*", and their debut album "Milliontown", which is a MUST for you to hear, if you haven't already. One of the few albums I have said that is "perfect" IMHO. Again, multi-layers of sound and musicianship off the charts. Hopefully you can turn more people on to them by doing a reaction of various tracks ("No Me No You", "The Other Me", "Hyperventilate", "Blacklight Machine", "Milliontown").
- Another great reaction JP, I'm sure you'll get into it with more listens (think "UK").
LOVE Yes
I was 15 years old in 1977 when I first heard Relayer and I've always loved it and consider it the best Yes album. I can't imagine what it must be like hearing it for the first time.
Really enjoy all the prog records you're listening to. I was 16 in 74 when this came out, and it blew me away. You'll really dig Gates, I think. Keep up the good work.
Appreciate it Stephen!
Loved the reaction - this one is difficult to digest at first but can be rewarding with multiple listens as you continue to pick more and more up each time.
And good move doing this and To Be Over before Gates, these will warm you up as Gates can also get chaotic but can also be peaceful like To Be Over. Its basically a good balance between the two that I think you'll really enjoy and I'm definitely looking forward to it!!
Ty jtrem! I'm excited for it
Close to the Edge may be my favorite Yes album for it's message, but Relayer is my favorite for the sheer audacity of the music. Just holyy crap.....
"Sound Chaser" is one of my personal stand-out favorites. I've listened to "Relayer" almost as often as the Yes "Talk" album-- which is at least 6 times a year (I have a lot of music) [Bow to Henry Rollins record collection]. Everything you've said about this song is why I enjoy it. Great commentary. I'm glad you gave the lyrics a chance to shine and understood them.
Ty John!
Alan White had a really great single-stroke roll in those days. And Howe playing a Telecaster... too cool.
wow, not heard this in years..! this is a manic album, mostly.. but some beautiful moments.. 'to be over' & 'soon'..
This more aggressive sound all comes together on "Gates of Delerium", which is much more coherent than "Sound Chaser and also has moments of pure beauty. It is my favorite Yes track.
Their inspiration for some of the vocals was the Ramayana monkey chant. Artist for most of their album covers was Roger Dean. Check them both out.
I bought this album after owning Close to the Edge, Fragile, The Yes Album and Yessongs and I wasn't prepared for this song on first listen! This tune opens up side 2 (yeah, I'm an old school hippie chick) and after The Gates of Delirium, I wasn't ready!! And whoever leaves Alan White off the list of great rock drummers doesn't get him! Yes is in a class all their own!! 💚💚💚💚💚
please , unfold completely the cover ; the Roger Dean work is so good ( " they choose the path where no one goes " ) -
It was hard to discover " Relayer " 45 years ago ; as " Tales From Topographic Oceans " was such an evolution from " Close to the Edge " one year before ; Relayer = so rough for me at first , it had taken time to appreciate this album ( the same with Chick Corea's Elektric Band , years later )