What Makes This Song Great? "Roundabout" YES
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- Опубліковано 4 чер 2024
- In this episode of "What Makes This Song Great?" we explore the music of YES.
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Conclusion: There is more musical content and creativity embed in one single Yes song than in the whole production of many far more famous today's musicians
I was thinking the same. I was working and this video was on in the background, and I thought, “My god, such intricate music. It’s been a long time since I’ve heard this.”
Correct
I mean as far as complexity they even put most of their contemporaries to shame. Led Zeppelin seems like child's play compared to this.
And "Roundabout" is one of their simpler songs. From the same album one could look at "Heart of the Sunrise " or "South side of the sky" as more complex compositions. "Long Distance Runaround" is about on a par with "Roundabout."
Worth noting that those four songs make this album tied for the most important record in Prog (with King Crimson's "Court.") The next Yes record, "Close to the Edge," is their masterpiece. But this record is the one that established the template for what the ultimate Prog sound could be in composition, execution and production.
Yes could never make Igor though
when he started rattling off all the hits of '71 it made me realize what a gem of a year it was for the music industry!
'64 '69 '71 '77 '80 and '91 where in my opinion great years for rock song releases.
And I got to 20 that year. And sad to think I didn't get to go see that band. Bummer!
Oh yeah good time to be 15 years old, I left school at 16 and started buying records, by the time I was 18 there just wasn't enough money to buy all that I loved, there was too many! Record sales were simply awesome and I'd come home sometimes with up to 60 records at a time.... plus at the time I got into the green, so it put a dent in my buying! Never did buy a house, just equipment and records hmmmm still got it all (but sold my psychedelic projector and light boxes) LOL
agreed, the great music of the "60's" really goes from 1963 about in to 1971...so much creativity, new sounds, blending, fusing, expanding...culminating in a superb year for music.
Same, simply unbelievable. But hey, Ariana Grande has a hit this year... 😭
I almost went to jail trying to steal this album in Brazil 😆 Penniless hippie but I HAD to have it! The store cop, instead of calling police, sat me down and had each record store employee come and give me an honesty speech... it worked... never stole anything ever again... Eventually I managed to afford the album and see them live, also in Brazil. Thanks Rick for such masterful, and joyful unpacking of this masterpiece ❤️
Great story! If that doesn’t dissuade people from shoplifting,nothing will!
You should have played the album and they would have let you go and given you then album too.🤣
What a great story!
Three cheers for that store cop. God bless him.
Great story which album was that
What Rick Wakeman did with a keyboard is out of this world but the bass is absolutely killer.
I still listen to Journey To The Center Of Earth with my kids. Rick Wakeman is a legend.
Wakeman is amazing. The guy he replaced was pretty solid as well (Tony Kaye).
@Steven Young
Rick is the man. His fingers are magic. Seeing him play
has always been extremely extraordinary. He is the wizard of the keyboards. I had the pleasure of meeting Rick at an after show event. Extremely nice man. Carried on about a 10-minute conversation. I spotted Chris. I had to go chat Chris. I had the pleasure of having a cup of wine. A night I'll never forget. After seeing Yes about twenty times. It my first time meeting them. I also met Alan and Jon. Steve never came out. My friend who got me the aftershow passes told me Steve didn't like shaking hands. Lol
I suspected some of this mixed instrument tracking when I was just a kid hearing it for the first time or twenty.
Wakeman's skills are heard with many musicians, including the piano on David Bowie's "Life on Mars".
When Geddy Lee was interviewed before YES' introduction to the RRHOF, he said they didn't play any YES songs because they were too hard.
When Geddy Lee and RUSH say that, it is high praise indeed.
He did a damn good job on this one
Part of that is because Geddy Lee was the keyboardist and vocalist as well as the bassist. He had triple duty, and with pedals, he would be doing all three at the same time. Yes’ songs are hard, for sure. There’s no question. But load on triple duty to the bassist and give him something that Chris Squire played, I doubt very many alive could do that, if any. I think the legendary Chris Squire himself would be hard-pressed to do that.
I'm 51 and grew up hearing this song, its a classic rock staple, but it seems like I always heard it on some POS portable radio on a construction site. I listened to it tonite on some great sounding stereo speakers and I was left slack-jawed. This song is a heavy caliber machine gun of awesomeness. There isn't one second or note of this song where some amazing demonstration of musical mastery isn't happening. Its perfect.
When you listen to almost any good music on a really good system, you realize how much you never heard before. It's phenomenal, and so was YES!
I've had HD600s for 16 years now, and it still blows me away EVERY SINGLE TIME I listen to a song I know well on them. And, it isn't even like I have good hearing any more! I'd have hearing aids if they weren't $5000! Really good headphones are worth 10x in aural pleasure what you pay in cash.
I’m 60 and I was going into high school and to be into Yes was COOL LOL
True. And it was rumored in those days that these guys had knock down drag out fights at times and in spite of it, they realized how great what they were creating was, which helped keep them together, at least for a while. Such is life in the world of rock and roll, at least how it used to be anyway.
Oz Chambers Yeah. I was in High school and made my own speakers from sound reinforcement components. Then I would buy the special cutting records which were as good as CDs. You could hear foot tapping and such on the recordings.
Chris Squire was a genius. He is missed by so many. YES will never be the same again.
For a bass player I agree totally. I happened to catch him play two tunes at the NAMM show in the Hilton lobby. Round About and All Good People. Chris went into the light a month or so later.
What a contrast though...for as serious as he was about his craft, he was fucking hilarious in interviews...as good as any professional comedian but he was just being himself
I'll never forget the time my High School Band teacher told that at a previous school, he'd arranged Roundabout for marching band. Said the tuba section wanted to kill him.
🤣
Trying to play Yes bass lines, that's a good one.
Lol
😂😂
I feel like I've been wasting my time watching and commenting on political commentary and newsfeeds, when music on UA-cam is just so much more fun, entertaining, and overall just better! I'm just getting into Rick Beato's "What Makes This Song Great" series and I'm very impressed by the way he breaks the songs down to their individual parts, recreates them on his guitar and keyboard, and then plays certain parts together to show how everything just fits together so perfectly.
I have been a Yes fan for at least 30 years. Fragile is one of the first Yes albums I bought, which got me hooked on Yes for the rest of my life! The songs on this album showcase the individual talents of each of the band members, but Roundabout brings them all together. I've heard Fragile, and Roundabout in particular, hundreds of times, I'm not kidding. And yet, listening to Jon Anderson's vocals when Rick separated them out, I was able to hear how much power he had in his voice. It sent tingles of delicious pleasure down my spine, like I was listening to Roundabout for the very first time!.
Thank you Rick, for this amazing series, and for your awesome breakdown of this incredible, iconic song!
I SO hear you--I couldn't agree more. :-)
Best comment on the Internet.
I agree completely. I had been spending considerable amounts of time and energy on political philosophy and debate, and ending up exhausted and angry. While originally the step back was prompted by negative events and the desire to be prudent, it provided the opportunity to see what else was out there. I stumbled across Adam Neely, leading to Nahre Sol, Jacob Collier, and most recently the persistent joy and inspiration that is Rick Beato.
Thanks for articulating your experience and sharing the impact that a master teacher has had on you.
When we take politics and religion out of it, life gets fun...
@@greyhairedguy music my first true love. Good music that is. Who wouldn't like good music?
Chris Squires bass was nothing short of a masterpiece in this song.
Yes, the whole song is a Masterpiece. And Jack Black was right to assign it as homework in School Of Rock.
I saw Chris many times in the 80's, but sadly the last time I saw Yes about 2 years ago he was already gone. He is sorely missed.
@@biropa04 Ah, look.. You have the same first name as him.
I got to see Yes in '09, sadly Jon was on hiatus at the time, but Trevor Horn filled in in vocals and was great, along with Squire, Howe, Wakeman, and White.
No brainer
Rick I doubt you'll ever see this comment, but I just wanted to take the time to thank you for the deep dive of one of my absolute favourite songs. Spectacular stuff.
AMEN
Yes, I'm a COMPLETE musical ignoramus. Only know what I LIKE. Roundabout is definitely a favorite. But since I was born in 1958, I have at minimum a couple of hundred faves. Rick's videos help me understand why I love a song. Still have no musicality clue, but gain a higher respect for those who do!
Rick. Every time I went to the beach 'Your Move' was on the speaker. I loved it then and still do. One great memory for a 66 yo boomer. Never quite came to grips at that stage with the rest of their songs - just the hits. My tastes have changed.
@@rankedpsiguy1 Roundabout was a very
Colorful song a great song, the 70s were
Fantastic music from Zeppelin, yes, The
Doobie Brothers, Bad company, Almond Brothers, Lynard Skinnerd , James gang,
HENDRIX, Van Halen, Beatles, Poco Harem, Rush, Fleetwood Mac , Uriah Heap, the list just is endless of
Raw ,Fantastic talent. So happy to have
Lived in this era. I got one year older on ya , 1957- 6-11. Joe Montana's birthday.
@@rankedpsiguy1 I am right there with you. I couldn't tell you what note is what and I am in awe at how Rick just separates and explains it to us music idiots. Especially when he does it for music that I grew up with and loved, Chicago, Rush, Yes and so on.
Almost crying out of joy and emotion.
I'm 62, and I grew with YES, GENESIS, THE WHO, JETHRO TULL, VAN DER GRAFF, KING CRIMSON, GENTLE GIANT, PINK FLOYD...etc.
Roundabout + the whole Close to the Edge are my YES picks.
Thx for helping me understand it better
All those bands are great, I love all, but can easily do without The Who!!
Me, too! (We might even have been at the same gigs - back then!)
What makes Yes great is the musicianship of each member. Each one is at the top of their craft. It's like making the finest meal out of the best ingredients you can find.
Correct. The only other 3 bands I can think of as "peers" are Kansas, ELP and Rush come to mind
@@richardmitchell8213 there's a few others, King Crimson and Genesis most namely, that really don't deserve to be overlooked
I knew they were great musicians and then saw them on their Masterworks tour. I was in awe of their artistry and musicianship. Blown away for two hours.
I would argue their SENSE OF ADVENTURE AND INNOVATION are their TOP quality (as there are zillions of superbly skilled musicians out there who make cliche musics in all genres) over their chops.
THE BAND WAS INTENTIONALLY TRYING TO AVOID ALL CLICHES (which is super-rare in music, which has always been a copycat form) which is why you didn't have super-fuzz on Howe and instead he's throwing in country and rockabilly licks!
When I heard Chris Squire while I was 13 years old, it spoke to me maybe more than any other musician ever, i don't know why. I was like "THAT'S THE MOTHERFUCKER RIGHT THERE!! If i Had to listen to only ONE musician for the rest of my life!! THAT DUDE!! THAT is how a bass should sound! PUNCH ME IN THE FACE!" (Steve Howe is maybe my fave guitarist as well, but SQUIRE reinvented the instrument more than Howe did.)
ELP were also intentionally trying to SMASH / IGNORE all cliches.
RUSH, by contrast, wanted to JOIN THE CLUB, rather than lead it.
GENESIS, as well, always (and still do) had the "baby brother" syndrome for being younger than YES / KC and not as cutting edge.
My fave Rush stuff is when they started intentionally aping The Police, like Permanent Waves!
I like bands that sound like nothing i've heard before like some of the new stoner-prog bands in the murican underground, like Jerusalem Witch, or Dick Flaccid & The Viagra-nauts.
OH: FANTASTIC NEW PSYCHEDELIC METAL BANDS out there!
ORANSSI PAZUZU (sp?) from finland!
UNICORN HOLOCAUST from americxa!
@@freethekingfisher6032 camel, brand x PFM
1971 sounds like an outstanding year to be a music fan.
Who’s Next!
@@mudstone6497 And a sad year for doors fans
It was.
YES "FRAGILE" THE WHO "WHO'S NEXT" DEEP PURPLE "MACHINE HEAD" JETHRO TULL "AQUALUNG" LED ZEPPELIN IV BLACK SABBATH " MASTER OF REALITY" and the list continues but for these albums alone there wasn't a more powerfully significant year in music history than 1971
This song was my introduction to YES. It has elements of rock, pop, classical, and fusion. I bought the album FRAGILE, and playing the LP at home with my dad listening to it and he complimented my taste in music. I then borrowed from a friend ELP’s TARKUS of which my dad gave me the money to go and by are own copy. Soon after my record collection grew with THE YES LP, ELP first LP, and TRIOGY, along TUll’s AQUA LUNG of which my dad was intrigued with Anderson’s lyrics. This music help foster a common interest between my dad and I with my dad being classically trained amateur cellist and my playing guitar. If it wasn’t for the song ROUNDABOUT this relationship between my dad and I would had never happened.
Chris Squire is an insanely good bassist.
Love the bass here!
Chris Squire telling his story on You Tube of meeting Jimi Hendrix is quite humorous.
@@toucantango1 love the part where Chris wants to take the bass away from Noel Redding cause it’s a 1-4-5 change melody and Noel is playing it wrong.
@@t.seank.529 Ditto that and his comment "ahh, desert."
Was. He passed away from acute leukemia one month after being diagnosed in 2015.
This is an incredibly beautiful musical masterpiece. Thanks, Rick Beato, for giving me a much fuller appreciation of it. Being 70 years old, I've loved it for nearly half a century, but now it's even better.
Me too although less time cos I'm younger
I've loved it since the Fall of 1971, when I was in the fourth grade. By Spring of 1971, I was in love with YES, and still am.
Have you seen Jojo bizarres adventure though?
@David Roberts My favourite Yes song is their 18min opus Close to the Edge from the same album. And You and I is also up there with one of the best songs they've ever done too. 34 years myself and I've remember discovering Yes when I was 21. At the time I was a bit into mind-altering substances (the infamy of youth innit?) and decided to spin Close to the Edge and was absolutely floored by how good it is. I couldn't believe how musically intricate and complex a record from the early 70s was since I'd mainly listened to Led Zeppelin from that era and it completely changed my outlook on early rock music. Been a massive fan ever since!
@David Roberts they're definitely not needed agreed although I must admit they made the listening experience a lot more intense haha. In any case those days are long gone. Led and PF are also fantastic. Also dabbled in some Rush, Camel, Genesis etc. Much prog that is amazing! Have you checked out some more modern prog?
RIP, Chis Squire.
One of the greatest of them all on the bass.
Came here for the anime, but stayed for the song. Such a wonderful beautiful brilliant song.
Rest in peace Chris Squire. You were truly a wizard.
It's that bass line baby!! RIP Chris
Basil indeed
"This is one of the coolest bass parts in any YES tune"
In ANY tune. So slick.
It changed my life as a bassist, I can assure you!
It's what made me want to pick up a bass the very first time!
Chris was voted best bassist for several years in a row after Fragile was released.
I'm voting foe his bass work in Ritual...
I’ll equal with “Parallels”
I especially liked when YES played this song at their induction to the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, when Geddy Lee of RUSH stepped up to play bass in the absence of YES's bass player Chris Squire who passed away almost a year earlier. I REALLY would have loved to hear Jon Anderson join singing forces with Geddy Lee.
Something I noticed when the vocals are isolated, the breathing is audible. This is not some perfected, artificial track, these are human beings.
In artificial tracks, sometimes breathing sounds are added
It sounds beautifully organic
My Guess is July 2027 Before the Aliens reveal themselves ! ( heh heh ) .. LOL
Check out 20:00: "isolating" the organ still picks up the bass and drums. You're listening to Yes play live with a mic on a real organ.
@@Hastur876 nice observation cheers 🤙🤙🤙
The intro to a YES song is more interesting and musically satisfying than most others 3 minute pop... Ah the magick of that time .
It has little to do with "that time" and more to do with the approach of the music.
Rick dissects a 50 year old song, now I know why I've always loved this track, thanks Rick!
_50_ _years?!_ Come on, it's only been 30... wow... I'm 31. 😭
You can see on Rick's face that he is a huge Yes fan.
Yes it is all I ever needed to know about the track. Perfect.
This why I love Prog Rock. Such rich and diverse sound. Real musicians back then. Not the predictable processed Pop crap.
I dont think I've ever heard anything like 21st Century Schizoid Man by King Crimson, and that was released in 1969
Being a producer myself, and a prog/fusion aficionado, I still have to say that it's not cool to generalize an entire genre and dismiss it as there being no real musicianship in it. Pop just means popular. Actually, it is on pop records that you find some of the best musicianship ever, including today. The level of musicianship found in Yes and similar bands wasn't the standard, even in the early 70s.
There is some great modern pop music out there, and while it has become much easier to "fake" good playing/singing, that doesn't mean there isn't a lot of great playing that goes into some of the pop stuff, as much as there were incredibly cheesy songs in the 70s, with bad playing and horrible sounds. Yes, the arrival of digital recording has changed a lot, and not necessarily for the better, but just dismissing everything going on today, makes you loose out on some incredible stuff. 😊
Can you please appreciate a music without shitting on another ?
@@mathys2686Thank you, that was a Prog snob.
60's & 70's prog was great, I loved the contrast between the complex musical arrangements and the warm old school valve amps and analog recording process.
Again, loved this song before, but watching Rick break down and appreciate every single element of the song makes me love the song even more
Yes. I didn't know that was a mellotron, I always thought it was a recorder.
Happiest I've seen Rick when analyzing a song.
My thoughts exactly! Made me happy too!
He knows a killer groove when he hears one.
Hmm check out Dance on a Volcano (Genesis) analysis. Maybe I am biased but he really seemed have a blast getting into that one. Oops your comment was 8 months ago....
That smile when he isolates the different instruments' parts!!
@@muziekfeestje8635 keen observations!!... it does sound smooth!!
I love how Rick's able to get his hands on either the multitrack tapes or the files to be able to solo and otherwise dissect the tracks really makes it Uber interesting !! Great job Rick!!...
I mean the only other way you'd be able to do that is if you were at Studio that recorded these Bands!, and they gave you access to the multi-tracks... Still so damn cool very educational very enlightening I love it !
I think this “What Makes this Song so Great?” episode has Rick at his most animated and happy. Love this song so I can’t blame him.
This one and the Plini video. He gets really happy on that one.
I loved near the end where he's not commenting much. He's just playing the song and bouncing to it, and me -- well, I've had a few by that time -- got out my drumsticks and was beating the desk, lamp, and filing cabinet like a chimp on meth. What a fuckin' happy moment.
@@BillPeschel "Like a chimp on meth", that's rich! Love it!
"I like hearing mistakes in my music because it seems to me that people are trying and that risks are being run." -Bill Bruford, 1971
I have just become re-obsessed with yes specifically this song and starship trooper. Chris squire just creates the most amazing vibe it’s like magic
Anderson's vocals weren't just vocals, they were actually another instrument in the overall melody.
The concert from 2018 is AMAZING, Jon is so on form
Abso-freaking-lutely. That’s the power of a god-tier vocalist, a power held also by other vocalists such as Jim Morrison and Robert Plant.
Totally! The nonsense lyrics bear this out.
it was his northen accent that added to his unique talent.
As all should be.
Breaking the song into the primary elements gives me even more respect for all the thought and effort that went into making this incredible song. Thank you for showing us this!
How does a producer think to reverse the piano on the into?
@@bellavia5 beats me, they were really creative!
I think Rick nails it with sounding off the hits from 71. It was a time period where something in music broke through a barrier. Also remember Hendrix died in 70 and The Beatles broke up too, so I think the industry was ignited by this incredible sense of loss / inspiration.
@@urabadperson That's a really good observation. From the surface things just happen. When you look deeper you see all the things that contributed to it.
@@bellavia5 Then follow up with a reversed guitar solo? Talk about a magnum opus of chords, harmonies, and talent.
Chris Squire really was one hell of a bass player.
An absolute masterpiece. I have heard this song since I was a 12 year old boy... It always amazes me.
Hearing Rick get so passionate when he's talking about old school analog recording made me smile
Nobody writes songs about Mountains coming out of the sky, or Alligator Lizards in the air any more.
Different times, different drugs.
But seriously, I refuse not to hear "Marmots come out of the sky". The image of 20 fat squirrels "in and around the lake" falling before his love is just too good to give up.
Hahaha Man I laughed so hard, its so true man. I want to hear about people on magical dragons.
Good point we should address that! Somehow
@@hal2098 ;)
Or shining flying purple wolfhounds
I love this song, and as a bass player of 43 years, I'm STILL excited by Chris' beautiful bass playing and tone, AND singing backgrounds too! He's probably playing Taurus pedals as well, because he can. I heard YES live, and when Chris hit one note on the pedals and the entire venue shook, I HAD to have that! Thank you, YES for the inspiration and beauty, and Rick for explaining their mastery of progressive and wonderful rock.
An all-you-can-eat sonic buffet woven tightly together into a perfectly crafted pop song extraordinaire. This is an instance where superlatives like 'amazing' truly apply. This also marks the arrival of Rick Wakeman who nailed that awesome Hammond solo in one take. My, what talent and creativity this band Yes manifested. The British were here and defining Rock.
Best Yes line-up ever Steve Howe, Rick Wakeman, Jon Anderson, Bill Bruford and Chris Squire. That was a time when you only worried if you liked the Floyd, Crimson, Genesis or Yes better, and anyway you would buy all of these guys' LP.
Hmmm maybe but it was a shame they didn't stick with Patrick Moraz I think he brought something else to YES where they could have progressed in a different direction instead they went back to rick for more of the same ?
@@richardsanders3567 When Patrick joined Yes, Bill was gone to Crimson for two years already and had been replaced by Alan White, if I remember well. For me Bill was the best match to Chris Squire in the rhythm section. Anyway Yes remained a great band after the departure of Bill and King Crimson became a better one.
Alan White was still a great drummer, but far more direct than Bruford. Both were awesome.
@@thewal1ofsleep Agreed. White is more of a rock drummer when Bruford has a jazzy approach of drumming. In the 70's, there were so many good musicians, it's would be preposterous to make a ranking,
When that first note of Echoes crossed my ears listening to CHOM FM from Montreal, I was a hardcore Floyd instantly. I was selective with both Yes and ELP because they were a little Avante Garde for my likes. The same for Rush until Moving Pictures.( I saw Rush in I think 74) I would see Pink Floyd in 74, 77, 87(x2) , and 94. ELP also in 77, I saw Rick Wakeman Journey to the center of the earth in 73 or 74. .
Squire and Bruford are the most perfect rhythm section you can possibly imagine in prog
Beckfuzz don't you mean backbeat?
The only rival I'd say is maybe Geddy and Neil from Rush
That's a fitting rival for them too. It seems like cheating but Tony Levin and Bruford are also incredibly solid. Any of the rhythm sections during the Larks era of King Crimson also are phenomenal
Anyone who thinks keyboards can’t be part of great rock music needs to listen to this to hear the wizard that is Rick Wakeman! Thank you for sharing the individual aspects of this great song!
Seve Howe was a brilliant guitarist, Chris Squire is a legend, Jon Anderson is very underrated,
Early Yes was/is historical!
Fragile was the first album that Rick Wakeman played on for YES. He was brilliant as well.
And too many people neglect or underrate the sheer awesomeness of Bruford.
Don’t forgot Br00f
Jon Anderson underrated ????….. What planet are you on. ?????
@@johndunlop8081 -- Not me. I always thought his drum parts gave YES a buoyancy that made their music sparkle.
You are the Anthony Bourdain of Rock Music! You bring a whole new level of appreciation to songs we have heard a thousand times!
Judson Moore and a doppelgänger too..
I didn't think anyone else noticed the Anthony Bourdain similarity
I knew that he reminded me of somebody..... Thanks, mystery solved!!
Just hearing Rick read off the songs that were topping the charts in 1971 puts it into perspective. I pretty much live in that era as far as my eardrums are concerned anyway, but I can’t imagine turning on the radio and have it just be impossible to hear bad music.
Yeah, there's good music coming out but that list of songs Rick reads off is fucking insane. I don't think the mainstream radio will ever be like that again
I could never tolerate Bruce Springsteen for some reason.
Yes, but most of us only had AM radio with shortened songs and a DJ that talked half way in to the beginning of the track. It was cool at night though, when we could pick up WLS out to Chicago or WOR out of NYC. Can still hear Blood Sweat and Tears and Al Kooper sing I'll Love You More than You'll ever Know. Should only be played at night!!
It was awesome, even pop radio back then
@@daleeasternbrat816 It's that goddamn abused Hammond organ, on EVERYTHING...
I grew up and still live in Southern California and in the 70’s and 80’s going to concerts was one of the primary things you did. There was no internet or video games (thank God) and in LA every band came through town. My best friend was an entrepreneurial ticket scalper back then and I had access to tickets for all the great shows. Once a bunch of us had excess tickets to sell for Frank Sinatra at the Universal Amphitheater and as young 20’s something’s we dressed ourselves in blazers and went to sell the tickets and it was incredible. We ended up going into the show. My first concert was America at the Anaheim Convention Center. At 15 I saw Led Zeppelin at the forum and then went on to see 150-200 shows. I can remember seeing 2-3 shows a week at the Greek, The Forum, the Troubadour and so many other great venues. It was an amazing time and looking back on it I realize how grateful I am for so many incredible experiences.
I can come back to this video, time and time again. It never gets boring. Keeps you wondering that "the masses" always name "Owner of a Lonely Heart" when talking Yes. This is a so much "richer" song. This was Yes at its best.
If Rick Wakeman never played another note that solo would put him amongst the keyboard greats of all time. What a wicked keyboardist
@@gettyshiloh I have a huge collection of Wakeman stuff!
Or Awakened with his church organ playing.
@@davidgroll-cook7125 absolutely!!!
some of the sections in Tales From Topographic are stellar..and Rick Hated that album
Yes Sir. Still love his music. The old git. Same as me.
I grew up with all 70's. The progressive sound of Yes was very technical deep and brilliant. Those vocal parts were unique. Thxs God for let me be there at that time
5 of the greatest musicians of their generation who when they brought in Wakeman, set off on an incredible journey. I always wonder how things would have been different had, the phenomenon that is, Bill Bruford remained with the band.
Never tired of watching Squire play this at many Yes gigs... possibly the greatest bassist ever.
I’m here after your interview with Jon Anderson to listen to this again. What a great job you have, Rick.
me too🙋
Love this song, as a bass player this song has the best Rick sound I’ve heard. You forget how great this song is. It’s great to hear it broke down like this.
Yes! SquIre had that Rickenbacker on fire. The tone is just killer!
I never get bored when you decompose a song, thnx for your channel. One can see and hear the the passionate and educated musician you are. Thumbs up.
I don't think he'll ever stop. Even after he's dead and buried, he'll carry on decomposing.
I remember seeing "Yes" live at the LA Forum back in 1974? What blew me away is the jam on the stage, sounded exactly like the Fragile album. I was 16. I remember they told people to wear long flowing robes to the show. Trippy hippie people, and they all got seats way up front. i was always impressed by Steve Howe's guitar playing. Just say yes. lol
Chris Squire: perfect bass sound, perfect playing
I was 9 years old when this song came out, but lucky for me I had an 18-year-old guitar-playing brother. He played this album until it was practically transparent. Now that I have headphones and the benefit of listening to 50 years of the decline and fall of great music, I can truly appreciate it!
One of my favorite bands growing up and being a amateur musician myself marveled at the complexities of Roundabout even then how that kind of music resonated with me. Other bands of the time like Emerson Lake and Palmer had that same affect on me so far off the beaten path of the Billboard top 40 hits. Those were the albums I bought ! Other mentionable artist and bands would be Jethro Tull ,Steely Dan, Kansas, Deep Purple ...
We can ask ourselves a simple question. How in the hell did the UK produce so many incredible musicians writing complex songs early in their lives? In Roundabout, Yes put it all together with five incredible musicians playing their asses off blowing our ear drums off. Superb job Rick of dissecting this classic & thanks for your work!!
Right and they're a much smaller country than the U S.!
But you had Jim Morrison and The Doors
Jon Anderson said when they heard King Crimson, they new they had to up their game. So competition was a factor.
Being 62 and having played bass for 50 years now I've obviously lived through loads of different eras of music HOWEVER the period 69' to 74 was JUST THE BEST - so many classics and this song and Chris' playing/sound, along with Macca's melodic lines are the reason I wanted to play bass. Everyone thinks their period of youth was the best BUT MINE WAS!!!
Saw Yes 3 times in different venues in Chicago '70s! I was (as a guitar nut) of course a fan of Howe, but Chris, to me, stole the show every time with his "Rick"! His solos were unique in that with 4 strings he was his "own band"! Btw, you're 1 yr. younger than me but I think you still kick butt slappin' that bass as well as you ever have! Peace
The people that came after you revered Les Claypool, but I doubt he would've ever existed without this song
You SCORED in those years Jon K. You left out John Entwhistle as a bass god. For me - 1971 is the greatest year for singles, but 1973, 1970 & 1975 are the three greatest years for albums - in that order.
Jonathan Kirkpatrick:::: Chris was the Thunder God on Bass..
Jonathan Kirkpatrick amen brother
I've been waiting to write something to Rick because I don't know anything about music, other than growing up on Rock and Roll. I've just been watching video after video that Rick has on UA-cam and digging them more and more. What do I love about your videos, Rick ? I love the fact that you know everything about music, and even though I only have the narrowest knowledge base, I can follow your teaching and I have learned so much about the music that I grew up on and I know why this is the best music that has ever been. Your enthusiasm is intoxicating, your scholarship is inspiring, your delivery is exhilarating. Rick, you are a super cool dude. Having people like you in this world makes me want to go forward and do my part in making the world a better place.
This was awesome. Everything I feel in words.
Freakin-A!
Exfuckingactly
I feel the same as you. I have no musical background except two torturous years in a choir,but,Rick makes music more interesting!
WOW! This was simply the best dissection and explanation of Roundabout's mechanism I have ever seen! Congratulations mr. Beato.
My life back in the day... Gives me chills and helps me realize what a wonderful time I had growing up with all that incredible music. Kids today? I feel sorry for them. Interesting though.. My stepson (rarely 30's), knows ALL the great tunes from the late 60's and 70's.
I feel smarter and dumber at the same time.
Smarter because now I know more.
Dumber because I keep learning how little I know about music.
Yes = awesome
Rick B = awesomeness
Yes + Rick B = superawesomeness.
That's the secret for success!
THAT made me laugh & i needed a laugh today. Thanks!
^^ me after every one of Rick's videos
My surprise, being both a music major (a long time ago) AND a fan of this track, is once again having it confirmed: very often Less is More. A lot of the complex-sounding passages are actually built from layers of (relatively) simple, interlocking, riffs among the instruments. Case in point: Squire's bass is a simpler riff than I always imagined it to be, surprise! Great track, great reveal of how it was put together.
That's what learning is always like. The more you learn, the more you realise you don't know, and will know. It can really mess people up when they go to university, and realise that doing well in high school doesn't mean much because there's a shocking amount of stuff to learn you never even knew about. It's quite humbling
That bassline is top tier, even if ur not a fan of rock you can listen to how good it sounds
Pentatonics at their best! Who says that scale is boring..?
Yes in all its iterations, has to be the best collection of the most talented musicians in all of Rock and Roll. Roundabout gives me chills every time I hear it.
This band is very underrated. One of the best bands ever, and my favorite of all time. Chris Squire was epic. Thank you for taking on this band, and this song.
I just discovered your videos. Looking forward to more!
300 years from now they'll still be playing Roundabout somewhere.
.....on a Mars colony...or interstellar travel 🚀
To be continued...
And they'll still be playing it in the year 2525.
@@tombirol1693 If man is still alive.
If woman can survive.
YES.. Jon Anderson started writing this song in the early hours of the morning when the band was driving between gigs in Scotland on the way to Glasgow, Jon says they felt as if it seemed they where going around roundabouts forever and not getting to their final destination..Jon calls it their Scottish song. He loves telling his Scottish audience's this story.
You can picture Jon, in their bus, going around round bouts and thinking bloody hell, this is just like life. Then Greg Lake from ELP called him and he wrote the song. Yes, it could have happened.
Bands back then wrote music when they were touring, they didn't have much else to do. If that drive between gigs happened nowadays the result would be some Instagram searches and a few Candy Crush Saga games being played instead of one of the best songs ever.
Guillermo Llamas Torío FACTS BRO!!!!!
...in and around the loch...
that's funny - I will always think of that story going forward because on my first trip to Ireland, driving out of Dublin airport took eight roundabouts to the M4. It was my first time driving on the left side of the road and entering a roundabout on the left using a standard transmission, I stalled twice at the first one - i was so turned around but never failed a roundabout again. I sang Roundabout as I approached every roundabout after the initial eight. By the time i got to my father-in-law's farm I was so tense it took many whiskies to chill down, then he asks, Lets go to Ella's house for dinner - you drive and threw me the keys to an old Ford 150. LMAO! love the Irish. Thanks for the story👍
Fun fact: Yes actually fired their previous keyboardist before working on this album because he refused to experiment with different instruments, tones, etc. that we hear so prevalently in this album.
Was Wakeman full time at Yes. He played on many songs as a session player in 71.....Morning has Broken, Life on Mars
I believe Wakeman was full time after Tony Kaye left the band. Not sure if he quit or was fired though.
Now I know why I was hooked on Yes in the 70's and still regularly take a trip with Yes today, but Yes you do need GOOD sound! Thank you Rick...
I sailed the great sea of youtube before I found the island of Rick Beato with all of it treasures.
That guy kicks ass. Music for life.
Ahoy there, Fritz. It says on my sea chart: HERE BE DRAGONS! (Also: loads of talent.)
I've Been staying on Rick's Island for a long time now. Wanna stay forever.
But have you sailed the sea's of cheese?
I would argue "great" sea,..vast maybe, but not great...lol. But 100% on the money with the value of Rick Beato and his knowledge/appreciation of music. Treasure is a great description! Wish UA-cam had more content of this caliber.
I love how you can actually play everything that you're breaking down with this song.
It does make it more effective that he can show us what he's talking about.
Chris Squire's bass is the boat that carries the band across the musical sea. He is the head cornerstone.
In more ways than one. Over the years, various band members had left and then later re-joined, but Chris Squire is (was) the only member to be on every single Yes album; an unbroken streak. For this reason he is known as "The Keeper of The Flame."
@@jefff3886 It was his band.
I loved hearing the various parts isolated.
I was 17 years old when Fragile was released. I first heard the entire album at a house party and couldn't do anything else but listen intently until the album was over. The next day I went out and bought the album, playing it until I wore it out (along with Aqualung). When Fragile was released on CD, I bought a copy. Much, much later (several years ago) it became available as a remaster in 24/96, which I have also purchased. Looking back over 40 years, I have such a deep appreciation for the group and the individual players of Yes and other Prog groups. It is great to see this track back up on UA-cam, after it had been taken down. Without these "What Makes This Song Great" videos by Rick Beato, I'm sure there would be many younger generation players that would miss out on music we took for granted.
Yes is the first band that made me really listen to the drums. I met Bill Bruford last year after he gave a talk at Eastman. Great guy, also an absolute genius.
The music of Yes is really creative beyond anything we'll ever see again, and they introduced me to progressive music.
Steve Fleth in Taiwan amen, I almost tear up for kids these days, seriously! The musicians today are garbage compared to our days. A friend of mine bought their kid a guitar and his kid asked him where the video game console was to play it, when he told me the story I almost lost my mind. I had to beg my parents for months for my first guitar.
If I could have played back separate parts like this in the 70's, I would have never graduated high school. There would've been no time for homework - Your analysis is so cool. Keep 'em coming.
How cool what a cool thing to say i agree 1000% with you.
Wow I never thought of that... so true I was buried in music anyway, if I could have broken down each song like this I would have been a 15 year old hermit.
If someone suddenly opened up a library of music and we could listen to the individual tracks of any and every classic rock song I would never again be seen in the light of day.
No doubt!
yes are the life blood, heart, soul and everything great about great, professional, unreal music. i shook chris squires hand once and was transported into bass heaven. thankyou yes for making my life so bearable and making my ears ring with joy!...
We also have to give Chris Squire credit to backing vocals apart from his amazing bass contributions on Yes records. His solo records really demonstrate how even his voice was a huge part of Yes. He's got a beautiful voice.
Such a great song. Even after hearing it >1000 times, the isolated tracks revealed new details. The samba percussion jam, the double-tracked Minimoog and organ parts and of course the vocals were all revealing and helped me appreciate it even more. It kindled a compulsion to buy a Rickenbacker bass, plane the body thinner, and play it with a pick. More immediately it provoked me to put a reversed piano chord in something.
It really is so cool to hear the music broken down this way.
So many little easter eggs to find in here. Can't overstate how funky Bruford is here along with Squire.
You could literally do this with every song by Yes. It is unbelievable.
I did something similar to the reversed piano opening a while back - recorded a guitar chord going thru a Leslie simulator and switched the Leslie from fast to slow as I strummed. Then reversed it all - giving an accelerating crescendo. Probably the only good bit of my song
It’s like a mini symphony. Yes were sort of like symphonic rock. Hear stuff everywhere unlike previous listens.
This is the best single that was ever made in rock history. Every musician does a world class performance.
When I was 3 years old, my favorite song was "Sixteen Tons" by Tennessee Ernie Ford. And I really enjoyed the instrumentals they played on the radio like "The Poor People of Paris" by Les Baxter and "Lisbon Antigua" by Nelson Riddle. So 15 years later when my musical taste got more sophisticated, it was no wonder that I started listening to Yes and I haven't stopped since. Mr Beato, you do an amazing job on breaking down these songs. Backwards piano, my gosh, who got credit for playing that part?
Your deconstruction of Yes' Roundabout is just as amazing & revelatory as the song itself.
All the slight imperfections make this song perfect.
That is the magic of analog recording, don't have to edit the imperfections ... love it
You summed up my long-winded rant earlier on another thread...with eight words. Well done. I'm sure we could go through the Roundabout tracks one by one and find literally hundreds, or at least tens of mistakes or imperfections. I wish modern producers would wake up and smell this rose. The more human something is, THE BETTER! The technocracy wants to assimilate all of us in as many ways as possible: easier to predict, easier to control. Resistance is not useless but necessary if we are to retain our humanity and NOT go the way of the BORG. The Smart world is the ultimate de-humanized concept. Yikes, ok, I'll shutup...for now.
Thanks Rick,had the pleasure of meeting Yes in Lincoln Nebraska. Told security I had a bass for Mr. Squire to look at. (Gibson reverse Thunderbird,2 pickup,original) Security let me in,and I got to meet Chris Squire and Jon Anderson. I'm like 17 yrs old. Wow! Chris named Stravinsky as an influence. Road case filled with Ricks. I got to see the show for free and took my T Bird home. Nice folks they were.
70s I think,Patrick Moraz was in on kybds,no Wakeman.
Luka Meah
Luke! Obi Wan has taught you well! Funny, someone tried to teach me the 'main'
bass riff. They were right on the notes,but without hearing the song......well?
Mind blowing,thanks.
Masterclass Mr. Beato? Ha!
Luka Meah.
Sorry Luka....
Its late and I did 5 miles of rugged trail today in 94 degree heat
totally engrossing! the yes album was my first, and still moves me so much all these years later. you really enhance my appreciation and I really thank you for that.
This is so complex, but Yes performs this song live to this very day and they kill it now, as they did 50 years ago this summer. I reversed the reverse guitar solo at 21:00 (6:50 on the record) to hear what he was playing forwards to make it sound so perfect backwards, and it's just In-fregin'-credible!! And Jon's vocals are the icing on the cake. I graduated from high school in 1971 and this is one of my favorites from one of the most incredible years in music.
My nephew asked me last week what my favorite song is, without any thought I blurted out roundabout, he said "that's what they call that circle instead of a 4 way Stop and I said "Yes". I started laughing and he was puzzled. Amazing song, and break down video. Keep'em coming
Yes! :D
The song is so great he took 20min to talk about.
Amazing series, Rick. Its nice to listen to details track by track...
Fausto Faria yea but most of his videos are in the 30 minute range and more on songs I think this one was a little to much didn't see him play much he usually plays through the hole song not here though
Haha... if he did, there is so much in that song, he would have taken an hour!
YES has always been my favorite prog rock band ever. Thank you so much, Rick.
Wow, a lot of great music came out of 1971!
The lack of digital perfection is what makes so much this era in music so incredible.
Not to mention the creativity. Bands weren't concerned just about money. It was a music first, money second, mentality.
It's a little more complicated than that. The difference is that there was an AUDIENCE for music that was made by these types of people. It was a very short period of time, and created by an unusual combination of youth rebellion and serious drug intake. For those few short years, there was a real audience out there for this kind of music.
You can be about the music and not the money, but when there's no money it's a lot harder to be about the music. When there's a lot of money it's a lot easier to make this kind of music (and it's expensive to make music like this, which is why it's not done so much anymore.) With everyone basically just stealing it, or getting it from sites like this or streaming sites that pay squat to the artists, the money just isn't there. And, if it was, I don't think the market is remotely there for this kind of music these days.
@@deanroddey2881 Yeah, thank you Sean Parker you little asswipe.
My thought is that it's mostly the record companies who want to over-control bands now, according to computer algorithms and focus groups etc. In the 70's they let the bands do their own thing and promoted them.
@@deanroddey2881 True. One problem today is that here is so little money in recordings that it hard for record companies to invest in new acts and for independents to turn there effort into enough revenues to live on in a way they can have the time to keep on creating.
@@HeyMykee That's because there was money being made. When you have money to risk, you can take more risk. When you don't, you don't. The record business' rule of thumb is that one of out ten acts will make back the money you invest in them. And that's just make back the investment, not make a lot more back. That model, which is highly risky, requires that those that do well bring in a lot money to cover the other 10+ investments that failed. When the profit mostly went out of music after the late 90s because music became essentially free, the amount of risk companies are willing to take dropped dramatically.
And the stupid thing is, everyone basically ripping off the artists creates the conditions where the least experimental, least risky artists are far more likely to get what investment is available. So, what goes around comes around, as they say.
Seems a though they put more thought/talent into this one song than most people put into complete albums these days. IMHO
And this one is the low end of their catalog. Best band ever!
They put more thought in this whole song than most of these idiots considered musicians today put in their whole careers!
Seems?
they did.
cool. i do that.
Couldn't beleive it when I first heard it in 1971, introduced to us by a disc jockey at an FM station. He said it blew his mind, and he was right. All I can say is 'Woooow" every time I hear that music. An iconic memories of the 70's.
I’ve loved this song for fifty years, (backwards guitar solo! - Mellotron - so cool) Thanks Rick, been watching you for over 5 years, can’t believe I missed this one. And the band were awesome live, back in the day.
WOW BEATO !! Having been born in 1956, I've been listening to this since it came out. With your astute analysis, it makes me love it that much more. GOOD WORK, MAN !! Thanks so much !!!
1955 baby here, are we not a supremely lucky to have lived through this era?
I'm a product of 1956 as well. We got to live through the greatest explosion of music of all time.
@@barrykeller6671 1958 here, and this album is one of my all time favorites. I learned all of the guitar parts and never got tired of playing it. Imagine these guys putting this kind of song together, still blows me away!!!
This wasn't just one of the greatest Progressive rock songs of all time, it was one of the greatest ROCK songs in the history of ever!
Bruford's percussive style affected my drumming from then on!
I'm a drummer, too, Ron...when I listen to this song, I hear this "boing" undertone in Bruford's snare - almost a hint of a turned-off snare sound...it sounds "offish", but I consider it as a signature production aspect of the song...
@@davidseres3030 That riff that Bruford plays from 12:28 to 12:44 when Rick highlights squire and Bruford's playing... THAT caught me the first time I heard the song. From then on I was fascinated with learning the entire song. And what amazed me was when Alan White took over after Bruford left (for King Crimson), he (White ) NEVER played those signature Brufrd riffs. He always played a dummied-down version.
I was so disappointed with white.
@@sfcgragg Ron, I have respect for both White and Bruford...with this said, for Roundabout, I also prefer Bruford's playing style...in addition, (at concerts) I prefer Howe's acoustic guitar (or style) picking in the intro rather than his use of electric guitar...lastly, concert versions of Roundabout have more often sounded rushed to me (this can be my complaint for concert versions in general)...I also somewhat prefer Bruford's style for Perpetual Change...I think one sound factor/difference is that Bruford's drums seemed more prominent in the studio mix - and a percentage of concert goers may prefer a high degree of similarity to studio version aspects anyway...
I'd go so far as to say this is among some of the greatest music of _any_ genre of our time.
@@mattagnew206 I totally agree... But I'm pretty biased, as that was the era I grew up.
Rick and I are apparently very close in age and our musical taste and our appreciation of the music primarily of the 70’s is very closely aligned. Unlike Rick I have no background in music or in his case advanced music theory and it still amazes me how compelling his videos are when I literally don’t really know what the hell he is talking about. I think it comes down to his very relatable style which evokes the music of that time. Whatever it is it works and I only wish I had caught the musical learning bug like Rick did. Hats off to you Rick and while I know that You Tube was never a goal and that you put in a lot of work as a student, teacher, engineer and producer it’s great to see you get the recognition you deserve and maybe the YT$ that can enable you to now do what you really love and reach so many more people. Even the truly ignorant, but real music lovers like me just the same.
I’m 65 and this song is tied to a memory that has a significant meaning for me
No wonder I was so skinny back in the '70's! Rocking out to that music, there were a lot of parts to keep up with! Damn we had good music back then!!
It was astonishingly good. No autotune, no drum machines, no computers. Just individuals and instruments and raw talent.