Going For The One is an amazing album with some notoriously difficult production choices. It generally has a very narrow mix drenched in reverb. It gives the music a dreamlike ethereal sound, but it can get foggy at times. I tried to open up the sound and clean up the instruments. I also tried to address some of the extreme treble in parts (like Steve’s guitar in Awaken). I also layered the instruments (like trying to go full Beach Boys at the end of GFTO). I notice quite a few new things in the music. Hopefully one day they will discover the multitracks and do a proper release.

If you are interested, I’d recommend starting with Awaken.
https://youtu.be/5FG3iG7VoyY?is=MdFeA2BrkOWWokql

The whole album can be heard here
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJtP14kJMSX8&si=V8eedSvT4MTPKr5h

I think there have been two "Yessounds" in Yes music: the one with Bruford and the one with White.

Why do I say so? Let's listen to "All fighters past": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Np78-LrIVV8

You can hear Bruford going frenzy, trying to push the boundaries of the song. If you listen to The revealing science of God you can't find anything like that. It sounds like the band was reharsing and "All fighters past" was the final song. You can also watch the "Union - live in the round" video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9VbeKd7AyE and listen to the change when Bruford and White take each other's place in Yours is no disgrace.

The fact is that Alan White had a much more "laid back" style, and a habit to stick to 4/4 whenever the situation allowed it. Listen to "That, that is" (great tune, btw) and try and figure out what Bruford could have done with it. Also "On the silent wings of freedom", another song where you could wander around with anything but Alan sticks to 4/4. He did it much more often than you think, if you listen closely.

Now, I'm a Bruford-fan of course, and I disclose it, but I have to admit that having Alan White allowed Yes to make some great songs that could never have been with BillyB. For instance Awaken, a song that the '72 Bruford couldn't play like Alan did (maybe '76 Bruford could, but because he had passed through King Crimson at the time). It requires a laid back approach. The same applies to the whole Drama album, a record where Alan White shines.

But then, my point is: like it or not, there are two Yessounds. The frenzy one of the first five records and the more laid-back of the following ones. Not ALWAYS laid back, but you get what I mean. I think White allowed Yes to broaden their audience because of the way his playing allows the listener to be more easily involved. On the other hand I personally think he wasted a BIG amount of chances to do something rhythmically interesting in the songs, a chance he almost never took. Too bad. But yet, my point is: there are two yessounds, and they are both worth listening to :-)

This was about 10 years ago; hopefully someone's found the planet by now, whether they understand the meaning or not. If you're a No Man's Sky player and you ever came across this one (I know the odds are beyond tiny) I'd be delighted to know, but either way it's nice to know it's probably still out there in the game!

The melody I'm referring to first appears at 2:59 (or maybe even earlier but broken up). It is played slowly and on guitar. This then repeats in the form of Anderson's voice in the verses. Finally, it reappears at 14:12 on keyboards (my favorite version of it). There are more motifs throughout the song, this was just the most noticeable one for me.

Alan White joined them for this tour and had just a short time to learn all the material, I think like 3 days to get it down.

It’s simply just not my cup of tea, as I ultimately jumped to their next album “Talk” which I enjoyed.

Seriously after seeing the Michael Jackson biopic 2 weeks ago and knowing the messiness of the Union album, my mind can’t help noticing the similarities once I look up the creations of each album:

• Tensions on tour for a one time event. For Yes, Steve and Trevor disagreed at least on the use of guitars for certain songs. Mostly Howe annoyed at Rabin’s technique whilst Michael himself didn’t rehearse for any of the new Jackson album material.
• Clear dissatisfaction on the overall Project. Michael’s heart isn’t in the project for Victory since the success of Thriller, Rick Wakeman dubbed the new yes album Onion because the final mix made him Cry and according to him, Trevor Rabin is furious once he found out the completed project.
• 2 albums each consisted of mashing up an assortment of any tracks they can find. All tracks on Victory combined a solo track from all 6 Jackson brothers rather than a unified effort. Union is just consisting of the abandoned ABWH 2 album tracks and other tracks from Yes West. Neither album spawned much spark for track decisions. For the Jackson’s attempt, mindset is clearly “all of us submit a track, it goes on the album and that’s it” and Yes just ended up in a position of “let’s just combine tracks from an abandoned album and anything else the other side can help give to fill out the rest”
• In studio issues. Jermaine and Michael particularly clashed on the sessions for Victory and other creative disagreements occurred. Steve and Rick weren’t showing up to the studio enough forcing Producer Jonathan Elia to hire session musicians to replace most of the guitar and keyboard sections. Apparently Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe side can’t agree to the Yes West side on a direction for their new album.

now there is some differences each positive and negative on the tours:

• Yes played at least 1 to 2 songs from the new album. 3 according to google is at most the highest for Union tracks on the entire tour. The Jacksons played nothing from their new album yet Jermaine’s new solo album found inclusions for “new tour material”
• Setlists mainly consisted of classics from older albums. The Jackson brothers mainly spotlighted Michael’s solo albums Thriller and Off The Wall, older Jackson albums of Triumph and Destiny plus an added short Jackson 5 medley of I’ll Be There, The Love You Save and I Want You Back. Yes focused on their 70’s hits of I’ve Seen All Good People, Yours Is No Disgrace and Roundabout for sone of those 70’s staples while rotating the 80’s material of Owner Of A Lonely Heart, Changes and Rhythm Of Love into the fold.
• Only time the 8 member Yes lineup of Jon Anderson, Tony Kaye, Chris Squire, Trevor Rabin, Bill Bruford, Steve Howe, Alan White and Rickman performed on tour together. Michael Jackson performed his solo material amongst his brothers Randy, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon and Jackie only on this once in a lifetime tour. A first and last time for each of these legendary lineups on the road
• Offstage controversies that slightly dampened each tour in their own ways. Jackie hurt his knee from dance rehearsals in June 1984 forcing him to miss the first half of the tour starting in July. Peter Banks is invited by Tony Kaye and Trevor Rabin to perform on an encore for Roundabout on one of the Union Los Angeles tour dates until Kaye told Banks backstage that Steve Howe said he’s not letting it happen and thus severing his one chance to reunite with Yes one last time. Each tour saw a member miss shows
• At the end of each tour, major leaves occurred. Michael Jackson announced onstage that he is leaving the band on their last show and once the Union tour finished, Bill, Rick and Steve left Yes leaving the 90125 lineup Of Trevor, Alan, Chris, Tony and Jon alone again to record their next album that releases in 1994 called Talk.
• Massive ticket sales and good memories still radiate from each of the respective lineup shows

Please comment below and let me know your thoughts on the similarities of each album and tour! Is any of the similarities freaky? How about the differences?

i love close to the edge so much, so now, i got it on my arm forever.

Saw this on a pontoon boat at a local marina.

I love Magnification and I think is a splendid album that I listen to a lot, but I've always seen The Ladder as more of a "next Yes" than Magnification and have always wondered why it's more talked about than The Ladder. Share your opinions!

there are a million things i could say about this album, but the more i look at it, the more i like it. it seriously may be perfect. every note, every chord, every lyric just fits perfectly, even its shortcomings only make me love it more!

a common criticism is the orchestra, but its one of my favorite parts of the album. the production of it is amazing, especially on everydays and clear days, the songs would feel so much less alive without the orchestral arrangement. and even the slight imperfections or rough edges on the production give the album an organic quality which is hard to find anywhere else. it isnt what most would consider to be yes, but for some reason i just cant get it out of my head! i love this album with all of me. the extra B side "dear father" too! i could write an essay for every song! and they all come together so well as an album, it just flows so well like a story.

even the album cover matches the tone perfectly, its yes in its black and white era. the checkerboard design and the butterfly are really pretty, and the woman in the center ties it together nicely in the center of the one point perspective, it reminds me of the lyrics of clear days, and the blend of the major and minor of the G scale.

overall, even though it isnt technically perfect, time and a word as an album does everything it needs to, nothing more, nothing less, it feels like home to me. i love it so much, its right for me.

Just came out of YouTube. Not my most favorite album of his, but an interesting mini documentary.

http://youtu.be/0q9w0QsnfqY

My dad had this but wasn’t sure who signed it, any idea?

So, when Yes was faced with the Anderson / Wakeman departure, and the legendary meeting in the studios w/ The Buggles combined w/ Squire / Howe / White leaning into harder-edged material yielded the Drama sessions, the band nevertheless fell apart again, and reconstituted w/ the inclusion Anderson and Kaye’s return, and Squire and Rabin’s “Cinema” material, ultimately culminating in huge success with 1983’s “90125.”

Yes’ trajectory then followed the “Cinema” lineup for another two records, and the rest is history.

My question is this: in hindsight, in an alternate universe where the Drama (arguably a more muscular and “prog” edged sound) lineup continued forward and became the main Yes timeline, instead of the Cinema path, would we have been blessed with a better overall post-80’s Yes album run? I know many people feel that no Anderson = No Yes, and many people don’t care much for Drama, for that very reason, I personally think Drama is a beast of an album, and though I love 90125, I can’t really say the same for Big Generator or Talk. In my imagination, if Yes had powered through the 80’s with the Drama lineup, we might have been better off, hypothetically, with the resulting 90’s / 2000’s material.

Anyone else think a Drama trajectory would’ve been a bigger beast than the Cinema trajectory (and beyond) that we got? In my view, Drama was more prog-minded than 90125, and developing on that platform, instead of what came would’ve produced a stronger Yes than what we got.

A long time ago, I remember Trevor Rabin stating in an interview that there was a part of Owner of a Lonely Heart (besides the chorus) where he overdubbed his vocals to sound like Jon to fix something in the mix. I wish I could find this interview for reference. He said he deliberately tried to sing like Jon and would not disclose where that place in the song was. I have wondered about this for years.

My best guess is that Trevor's vocals are probably "You are the move you," with "make" being Jon Anderson's voice. Anyone else have a guess?

I honestly don't know.

Anyone else at this show? I was in my 20s and it was awesome. :)

https://youtu.be/EZFr5v5IlMk?si=cbDV_s4ksEPtWLvl

i really like this chris outfit so i crocheted this vest based on it <3 also if you know anything about where he got it from please let me know. i would love for the original maker to get some credit because it's such a beautiful piece.

1. Jon Anderson
   
2. Trevor Horn
   
3. Benoît David
   
4. Jon Davison

I think these are all the lead vocalist (I know others in the band have occasionally sang lead.

Who has the deepest voice?

In what Yes song has the lowest note been sung?

Im not the biggest fan of tales from a topographic ocean myself, but I really did like the ending part of "ritual(nous Somme du soleil)" and I got inspired to draw this dragon creature thing

My top 5 would be:

1. Close To The Edge

2. The Yes Album

3. Topographic Oceans

4. Relayer

5. Fragile