Happy for you; discovering this stuff must be awesome. I'm spoiled because I heard it since a child in the 70's but I still get excited to hear it. To see you with new ears makes me happy. Good on you for having an open mind.
Genuine reaction. Thank you. If (?) you have a friend who has not heard the sound, take them by the hand and play those songs that you have heard on your journey, listening, re-experience the joy through their eyes. Explore together those songs not yet heard. Sharing joy exceeds the joy of one.
YES, it was "mind-blowing sitting cross-leg, in front of the stereo, listening to this for the first time". Arguably the most progressive band during the 1968-1970 (when YES was developing their sound) was The Beatles. YES was "the pioneers" of "progressive rock" and remain (in my opinion) the greatest compilation of 5 musicians in history. 65 and still rockin'.
I went to Yes-Tales from topographic oceans concert back in the early 70s'. Been hooked ever since. I don't think you'll ever get a definitive answer about who started prog rock. I do know it's my favorite genre. From Emerson, Lake and Palmer to King Crimson, Genesis to Rush and Pink Floyd to Yes. Some of the greatest musicians of all time.
AHHH the YES MAGIC SPELL into the deepest depths of Sonic BLISS! 70's YES reached levels unattained by most! WELCOME to getting lost in the brilliance of their LIGHT. The gift that keeps on giving. YES LIVE back then were transcendent!!!! Take your time, lyrically. They are often very metaphoric, poetically abstract but sonically synergized to the instrumentation. You'll find that they're often about giving reference to life & in reverence of nature, the soul & the divine (as if each are One in the same). YES were NEVER mainstream from the start even when this genre (later termed) Progressive Rock (PROGROCK) originated by fusing Rock, Classical, Folk, Psychedelia, Jazz, Soundscapes, Blues & Funk with bands, mostly from England/Euro, such as King Crimson, The Moody Blues, ELP, Genesis, Gentle Giant, PFM, Curved Air, Renaissance, Focus, Caravan, Camel and many many more. All of whom were incredibly UNIQUE & avoided commercial POP ideals for more complex & adventurous challenging music. YES quickly rose to the top of that Mount Everest. PROG did slightly influence many POP bands like Styx, Kansas, Supertramp, Rush etc. but none of them ever produced such groundbreaking 'out of the box' adventurous music as the originators, to say the least, YES.
Pink Floyd is my favorite group but Yes is easily in the same galaxy!! And you and I has always been my favorite song of there's once I heard it. My first experience with Yes was buying the 8-track Fragile!! Of course I loved it but "Close to the Edge" is an album that is so ethereal you just close your eyes and float away with it as I do with the Floyd albums!! This is such a wonderful song by Yes along with Jon Anderson's very unique & beautiful voice!! I got to see them live in 1980 and it was just an awesome beautiful concert!!!
Hearing you describe how the music was changing your mood reminded me of The Gates Of Delirium, YES' 21-minute masterpiece they recorded a couple of years after this album which was their attempt to musically capture the moods/feelings of a country that gradually takes itself into a cataclysmic war, which exhilarates them at first, but which ultimately leads them to sadness & regrets. It's really quite amazingly good, one of their true masterpieces. But it is quite dense with musical contributions, so if you try to notice all of the detail on a first listen, you'll miss the emotional journey. As usual, if you follow the bass line & the lead singers vocals, all of the rest of the contributions are presented to your ears in their time. (You should probably save it for after you explore all the masterpieces that are on YES' 3rd, 4th, & 5th albums, making it a fitting culmination of their Uber-Classic Period...)
Yes is one of the few bands who sound better live than in the studio. There are some incredible live versions on UA-cam, but my favorite is Montreaux, 2003.
Very Nice! Might be my favorite by YES!!? Or; HEART OF THE SUNRISE, STARSHIP TROOPER ROUNDABOUT!? One of these. RTM! Great Reaction! Have a MERRY CHRISTMAS 🎄🎁☃️⛄❄️✨🎸☯️☮️
OK! Now check out Jon Anderson and Band Geeks live version on YT just released about 11 days ago. 80 year old Jon sounds good as ever and the band is phenominal. Possibly the best live version ever. My alltime favorite song that I saw Yes do about 40 times. Anderson/Geeks are astounding!
Roots of prpg are some of these groups...Procol Harem- Moody Blues-Beach Boys-Later Beatles-, other prog groups of this peer. Emerson Lake & Palmer, Zeppelin has prog elements. King Crimson- Zappa- Early Genesis- When Peter Gabriel was lead singer...I Know What I Like, Musical Box
This brilliant and inspiring music is timeless, now 50 years on. Tremendous musicianship and highly metaphorical lyrics wifely open to interpretation. My own take on this song is it is about communing with our higher selves through meditation. Coming quickly to terms of all expression laid As a movement regained and regarded both the same Emotion revealed as the ocean maid A clearer future, morning, evening, nights with you And you and I climb, crossing the shapes of the morning And you and I reach over the sun for the river And you and I climb, clearer towards the movement And you and I called over valleys of endless seas
If you like the symphonic-classical side of prog rock also check out Renaissance --- anything from the albums Ashes Are Burning, Turn of the Card, Scheherazade and Other Stories and Novella. More Yes? Try Awaken, Turn of the Century, Wonderous Stories - all with spine tingling melodies, harmonies, vocals, and spiritual journeying.
This heavily orchestral side of progressive rock mostly traces back to The Moody Blues as well as King Crimson's debut album. The way this particular song mixes pastoral passages with folk and rock can also be heard in early Genesis and Renaissance.
Just subscribed. If you say Yes, I'll say Yes. The next song on the album has the same quality, although more upbeat. "Siberian Khatru" personally is my fav Yes tune, "And You And I" 2nd, depends on my mood.
No other band before and no other band since could compose and execute a song like this. What I mean by that, these guys were not composing like a rock band, it's more orchestral in its arrangement. You have to go back and listen to the song multiple times and focus on one instrument each time. Each instrument only plays what's needed for the greater good. From the very beginning, underneath the acoustic guitar, there's a hint of organ, just enough to give it depth and set the atmosphere. You can look for just the keyboard parts on one listen. He does enough just to fill whatever is needed at any given moment. Then when it's time for him to come out front, it's magnificent, not overplayed. Then put the song back on, listen to just the guitar work. This is not a rock and roll approach. Again, he only plays what's needed for the greater whole. Unless you're listening for it, sometimes you can miss what he's doing. But when it's his time to come out front, it's magnificent, and not overplayed. Then go back and listen to it again. This time only listen to the bass and the drums. Again, they only play what's needed for the whole. Listen to how bruford the drummer, keeps it sparse, but constantly changing where the hits on the snare are. Chris squire on bass is following along and it's brilliant how they did it. Then go back and listen to it again. This time listen to the vocal harmonies. Constructed the same way. Only there to enhance the whole. There's a Harmony section before the keyboards take over, where they ran the harmonies through a Leslie, which is used normally with a Hammond organ. Yes music, at its best, wasn't any one instrument centric. And yes, Jon Anderson's vocals aren't meant to be listen to literally. He liked words that sounded good together, by the end of the song, there was some meaning. But his vocal was just another instrument that contributed to the overall sound. Individually they were breaking All the rules. Steve Howe on guitar said why do I need to sound like every other guitar player. Chris squire on bass, approached the bass as an important instrument that could provide Melody other than sitting in the backgound just keeping everybody's foot stopping. Bill bruford was the most adamant about not sounding like every other Rock drummer. Bruford might have been the most curious of them all. You really have to drill down and focus on bruford during some of these yes songs. He could be completely unpredictable with Ghost notes an accent notes, but he had a way of moving the songs along. Then on the song like roundabout, he knew what the song needed was a solid pocket, not too slick, which him and Chris squire provided in spades. Every one of these guys knew exactly what they were doing. With each member having so much talent and creativity, it's amazing how they kept their egos in check (for a while anyway) to create these Masterful compositions. In just about all other bands, the guitar play was the guitar player, bass player was the bass player, and so on. Yes experimented with the sounds of their instruments. None of them was locked into their prototypical role.
The title track on that album "Close to the Edge" is considered by many to be the numbr one prog rock song. YES was one of the founders of prog rock. I suggest you do "Awaken" next. It takes you on an uplifting spiritual journey. Here's a great live version: ua-cam.com/video/nDXccU0xgNo/v-deo.html or the studio version. But it's amazing how close the live version is to the studio version.
Seen Yes and the numerous versions of the band and this sing is almost an ever present in the sent list. However, amongst the improvements they made are Steve Howe being more restrained laid back with the pedal steel playing and Chris Squire playing mouth organ. This was Bill Brufords last record until AWBH and he composed the eclipse sectuon that is the standout bit for me. Check out some Bruford especially his first three solo records. Incredible musician
Yes are a genre unto themselves. They didn't follow any trends, that's what makes them timeless. Next up I highly recommend in the same vein as And You And I and yet totally different > To Be Over. Keep to the "shorter" tracks before going to their 20min epics.
Yes is, and always will be, my favorite band. Thank you for doing this!!!❤❤❤
Happy for you; discovering this stuff must be awesome. I'm spoiled because I heard it since a child in the 70's but I still get excited to hear it. To see you with new ears makes me happy. Good on you for having an open mind.
Genuine reaction. Thank you.
If (?) you have a friend who has not heard the sound, take them by the hand and play those songs that you have heard on your journey, listening, re-experience the joy through their eyes. Explore together those songs not yet heard. Sharing joy exceeds the joy of one.
YES, it was "mind-blowing sitting cross-leg, in front of the stereo, listening to this for the first time". Arguably the most progressive band during the 1968-1970 (when YES was developing their sound) was The Beatles. YES was "the pioneers" of "progressive rock" and remain (in my opinion) the greatest compilation of 5 musicians in history. 65 and still rockin'.
Yes it was... but I couldn't stay cross-legged. Yes kept me on the tip of my toes all the time!! 😄😄
Yes it was... but I couldn't stay cross-legged. Yes kept me on the tip of my toes all the time!! 😄😄
Brilliant track from a brilliant band
Just subscribed. Yes from 1970 - 1977 were the greatest band that has graced this planet.They had their peers but no equals.
Legendary tune that envelops the soul and lifts us to a higher more peaceful and happier level of mind!
I went to Yes-Tales from topographic oceans concert back in the early 70s'. Been hooked ever since.
I don't think you'll ever get a definitive answer about who started prog rock.
I do know it's my favorite genre.
From Emerson, Lake and Palmer to King Crimson, Genesis to Rush and Pink Floyd to Yes.
Some of the greatest musicians of all time.
YES. Best...band...ever. Thanks!!! for the reaction.
AHHH the YES MAGIC SPELL into the deepest depths of Sonic BLISS! 70's YES reached levels unattained by most! WELCOME to getting lost in the brilliance of their LIGHT. The gift that keeps on giving. YES LIVE back then were transcendent!!!! Take your time, lyrically. They are often very metaphoric, poetically abstract but sonically synergized to the instrumentation. You'll find that they're often about giving reference to life & in reverence of nature, the soul & the divine (as if each are One in the same). YES were NEVER mainstream from the start even when this genre (later termed) Progressive Rock (PROGROCK) originated by fusing Rock, Classical, Folk, Psychedelia, Jazz, Soundscapes, Blues & Funk with bands, mostly from England/Euro, such as King Crimson, The Moody Blues, ELP, Genesis, Gentle Giant, PFM, Curved Air, Renaissance, Focus, Caravan, Camel and many many more. All of whom were incredibly UNIQUE & avoided commercial POP ideals for more complex & adventurous challenging music. YES quickly rose to the top of that Mount Everest. PROG did slightly influence many POP bands like Styx, Kansas, Supertramp, Rush etc. but none of them ever produced such groundbreaking 'out of the box' adventurous music as the originators, to say the least, YES.
Well said! Sadly, I only got to see Squire and White 36 times over forty years.
Best band, ever. Period. Best Prog album, ever.
Pink Floyd is my favorite group but Yes is easily in the same galaxy!! And you and I has always been my favorite song of there's once I heard it. My first experience with Yes was buying the 8-track Fragile!! Of course I loved it but "Close to the Edge" is an album that is so ethereal you just close your eyes and float away with it as I do with the Floyd albums!! This is such a wonderful song by Yes along with Jon Anderson's very unique & beautiful voice!! I got to see them live in 1980 and it was just an awesome beautiful concert!!!
YES, the greatest show on earth. You might enjoy a love song next called Turn Of The Century, 35th Anniversary Tour live version is a beauty
✨️🎶👑🎶✨️
Hearing you describe how the music was changing your mood reminded me of The Gates Of Delirium, YES' 21-minute masterpiece they recorded a couple of years after this album which was their attempt to musically capture the moods/feelings of a country that gradually takes itself into a cataclysmic war, which exhilarates them at first, but which ultimately leads them to sadness & regrets. It's really quite amazingly good, one of their true masterpieces. But it is quite dense with musical contributions, so if you try to notice all of the detail on a first listen, you'll miss the emotional journey. As usual, if you follow the bass line & the lead singers vocals, all of the rest of the contributions are presented to your ears in their time. (You should probably save it for after you explore all the masterpieces that are on YES' 3rd, 4th, & 5th albums, making it a fitting culmination of their Uber-Classic Period...)
Yes is one of the few bands who sound better live than in the studio. There are some incredible live versions on UA-cam, but my favorite is Montreaux, 2003.
Very Nice! Might be my favorite by YES!!? Or;
HEART OF THE SUNRISE,
STARSHIP TROOPER
ROUNDABOUT!? One of these. RTM! Great Reaction! Have a MERRY CHRISTMAS 🎄🎁☃️⛄❄️✨🎸☯️☮️
OK! Now check out Jon Anderson and Band Geeks live version on YT just released about 11 days ago. 80 year old Jon sounds good as ever and the band is phenominal. Possibly the best live version ever. My alltime favorite song that I saw Yes do about 40 times. Anderson/Geeks are astounding!
Roots of prpg are some of these groups...Procol Harem- Moody Blues-Beach Boys-Later Beatles-, other prog groups of this peer. Emerson Lake & Palmer, Zeppelin has prog elements. King Crimson- Zappa- Early Genesis- When Peter Gabriel was lead singer...I Know What I Like, Musical Box
Saw them Boston garden in the round. Amazing
Saw them at Madison Square Garden in 1978, great concert. Great reaction
I think the Moody Blues started the idea of multilevel progression with a classical edge mixed in.
This brilliant and inspiring music is timeless, now 50 years on. Tremendous musicianship and highly metaphorical lyrics wifely open to interpretation. My own take on this song is it is about communing with our higher selves through meditation.
Coming quickly to terms of all expression laid
As a movement regained and regarded both the same
Emotion revealed as the ocean maid
A clearer future, morning, evening, nights with you
And you and I climb, crossing the shapes of the morning
And you and I reach over the sun for the river
And you and I climb, clearer towards the movement
And you and I called over valleys of endless seas
Yes Yes Yes 😊🎵🎶🔥🙏💪🐝🍀🇬🇧
If you like the symphonic-classical side of prog rock also check out Renaissance --- anything from the albums Ashes Are Burning, Turn of the Card, Scheherazade and Other Stories and Novella. More Yes? Try Awaken, Turn of the Century, Wonderous Stories - all with spine tingling melodies, harmonies, vocals, and spiritual journeying.
They do this live too. x
This heavily orchestral side of progressive rock mostly traces back to The Moody Blues as well as King Crimson's debut album. The way this particular song mixes pastoral passages with folk and rock can also be heard in early Genesis and Renaissance.
Just subscribed. If you say Yes, I'll say Yes. The next song on the album has the same quality, although more upbeat. "Siberian Khatru" personally is my fav Yes tune, "And You And I" 2nd, depends on my mood.
Eddie Offord is that his name? Awesome engineer!
No other band before and no other band since could compose and execute a song like this. What I mean by that, these guys were not composing like a rock band, it's more orchestral in its arrangement. You have to go back and listen to the song multiple times and focus on one instrument each time. Each instrument only plays what's needed for the greater good. From the very beginning, underneath the acoustic guitar, there's a hint of organ, just enough to give it depth and set the atmosphere. You can look for just the keyboard parts on one listen. He does enough just to fill whatever is needed at any given moment. Then when it's time for him to come out front, it's magnificent, not overplayed. Then put the song back on, listen to just the guitar work. This is not a rock and roll approach. Again, he only plays what's needed for the greater whole. Unless you're listening for it, sometimes you can miss what he's doing. But when it's his time to come out front, it's magnificent, and not overplayed. Then go back and listen to it again. This time only listen to the bass and the drums. Again, they only play what's needed for the whole. Listen to how bruford the drummer, keeps it sparse, but constantly changing where the hits on the snare are. Chris squire on bass is following along and it's brilliant how they did it. Then go back and listen to it again. This time listen to the vocal harmonies. Constructed the same way. Only there to enhance the whole. There's a Harmony section before the keyboards take over, where they ran the harmonies through a Leslie, which is used normally with a Hammond organ. Yes music, at its best, wasn't any one instrument centric. And yes, Jon Anderson's vocals aren't meant to be listen to literally. He liked words that sounded good together, by the end of the song, there was some meaning. But his vocal was just another instrument that contributed to the overall sound. Individually they were breaking All the rules. Steve Howe on guitar said why do I need to sound like every other guitar player. Chris squire on bass, approached the bass as an important instrument that could provide Melody other than sitting in the backgound just keeping everybody's foot stopping. Bill bruford was the most adamant about not sounding like every other Rock drummer. Bruford might have been the most curious of them all. You really have to drill down and focus on bruford during some of these yes songs. He could be completely unpredictable with Ghost notes an accent notes, but he had a way of moving the songs along. Then on the song like roundabout, he knew what the song needed was a solid pocket, not too slick, which him and Chris squire provided in spades. Every one of these guys knew exactly what they were doing. With each member having so much talent and creativity, it's amazing how they kept their egos in check (for a while anyway) to create these Masterful compositions. In just about all other bands, the guitar play was the guitar player, bass player was the bass player, and so on. Yes experimented with the sounds of their instruments. None of them was locked into their prototypical role.
Very beautifully explained. Thank you!
The title track on that album "Close to the Edge" is considered by many to be the numbr one prog rock song. YES was one of the founders of prog rock. I suggest you do "Awaken" next. It takes you on an uplifting spiritual journey. Here's a great live version: ua-cam.com/video/nDXccU0xgNo/v-deo.html or the studio version. But it's amazing how close the live version is to the studio version.
Ditto!
As much as I love the live versions, I would recommend studio versions for first listens.
The next step is, Close to the Edge. Another sonic knockout.
It could be said that King Crimson started it The Beatles White album is quite Prog
Seen Yes and the numerous versions of the band and this sing is almost an ever present in the sent list. However, amongst the improvements they made are Steve Howe being more restrained laid back with the pedal steel playing and Chris Squire playing mouth organ. This was Bill Brufords last record until AWBH and he composed the eclipse sectuon that is the standout bit for me. Check out some Bruford especially his first three solo records. Incredible musician
Yes are a genre unto themselves. They didn't follow any trends, that's what makes them timeless. Next up I highly recommend in the same vein as And You And I and yet totally different > To Be Over. Keep to the "shorter" tracks before going to their 20min epics.
❤️🙏😃
Check out Genesis too.
Emotional journey, fish out of water , spilt milk jellyfish. Kings x enjoy , river man nick drake , I could go on & on a time before suits x
Wait til you hear Heart of the Sunrise. Jon is the best vocalist.
The British came first. King Crimson, Yes, ELP, Genesis.
Styx was heavily influenced by them.
Styx was heavily influenced by Yes
Styx stole everything from Genesis, Yes , and Pink Floyd.