Yes (Official Thread)

[LG]

^^How about "Relayer"...?

I just picked up a new vinyl copy of Topographic Oceans a few weeks ago, sounds excellent. But I've never forgotten Rick's distaste for that record, he thought they had become indulgent to the point of the absurd and quit after the support tour ended. Glad he came back eventually even though I didn't have anything against Moraz taking his place for one album.

 

[Big Ears]

Relayer isn't my favourite Yes album, although I like the Soon section. Moraz left the excellent Refugee for Yes and should have returned to them. Rick Wakeman said the Topographic Oceans album had too much padding, which is true. With editing it could have been as good as Fragile and Close to the Edge. The band reworked various parts for live shows/albums and should really have done so, with all four tracks, for the Keys to Ascension CDs.

 

[LG]

^^It was so long since I listened to Topographic Oceans when I played my new vinyl records I was really impressed. Sounds much better than the CD.(I know folk are getting tired of me saying that but it's the truth. )

Relayer was the hardest Yes album for me to get into, but I do play it once in a while.

 

[Big Ears]

The Topographic Oceans CD is pretty good and the studio run-throughs of Dance of the Dawn and Giants Under the Sun, on the remastered version, are different/interesting enough to make it worth having.

One of the problems with Topographic Oceans and Relayer is that Bill Bruford was no longer involved. Alan White is okay, but Bruford was exceptional. You wouldn't have got all those expanded percussive sections on various albums from Bruford.

 

[Khor1255]

I love Tormato. I really don't see what all the nay saying is about. On the Silent Wings of Freedom is a masterpiece.

 

[LG]

^^I agree Khor that is a great song.

The Topographic Oceans CD is pretty good and the studio run-throughs of Dance of the Dawn and Giants Under the Sun, on the remastered version, are different/interesting enough to make it worth having.

One of the problems with Topographic Oceans and Relayer is that Bill Bruford was no longer involved. Alan White is okay, but Bruford was exceptional. You wouldn't have got all those expanded percussive sections on various albums from Bruford.

I have the remastered CD's Martin...I'll have to do an A/B comparison one of these days, but that's a Topographic marathon so I'd have to be a particular mood to do it.

I always liked Alan White, but concur Bruford was a more gifted drummer, or let's say was a natural fit with Yes.

 

[Big Ears]

Silent Wings of Freedom is certainly the best track, but there is just too much happening on Tor-mato; for example Don't Kill the Whale and Release, Release would be good tracks if they didn't have so many overdubs. Arriving UFO and Circus of Heaven are far too cluttered and twee. Chris Squire relies on the harmonic bass throughout, whereas he should be driving the material with his usual fast multi-tracked Rickenbacker. Once again, the only reliable musician is Rick Wakeman, who is drowned out under all the clutter, and there is no Bruford to keep it all together. Chris Squire said in an interview they tried to make Tor-mato 'punky' as a sign of the times. Who wants a 'punky' Yes? Not me!

 

[LG]

I've never considered Tormato punky on any level...surprised Chris said that. I saw them on the Tormato tour and loved the concert.

You have mentioned what puts the 'purists' off Tormato but me, I LOVE the sound of Squire's bass guitar on that album, I tend to concentrate on it more than anything else when I listen to the record.

 

[Big Ears]

Squire is never bad, nor is White. Yes Tor-mato had shorter quicker tracks, hence the punk influence, wheareas Yes after the first couple of albums tended to expand ideas. An early epic was Yours is No Disgrace, improved with Wakeman on Yessongs, and they had drifted from this style by Yes Tor-mato. One of the things that bugged me about punk rock was that everytihng had to be short two-minute songs, and I didn't want them. One of the great things about Yes's Keys to Ascenson was that they went back to long tracks. Thankfully, Dream Theater and Transatlantic are continuing the tradition.

 

[Khor1255]

Personally, I think the dissatisfaction with Tormato can be summed up by one observation:

It followed Going for the One.

I mean, how were you going to match/top that? It also kind of embodies some of the conflict in the band at times being all over the place but on it's own terms Tormato is a fantastic album. I think maybe the weakest track is Don't Kill the Whale but even this isn't a bad song it's just not a particularly good Yes song.

Circus of Heaven is another one that falls far short of the obviously lofty vision it strives for. It seems to reach for something that it never achieves.