The first 2 albums are genuinely great albums, I wish they weren‘t so overlooked

Hey guys, I wanted to share an experience with you. On Sunday, I bought a used copy of the 1972 album *Close to the Edge*. I knew the album, but I’d never really given it a proper listen. When I got home, after listening to Side A, I cried. I never would have imagined that a prog suite could stir up these kinds of emotions in me. Every part of it is perfect: the intro, the instrumental sections, the verses, the chorus, the interlude, and especially the finale. It’s definitely among my top three favorite songs right now. Then Side B started, and that’s incredible too. It’s become one of my favorite albums.

https://youtu.be/bTWTPXeT2mQ?si=N7VvxBj0mBB_7RMD

This is kinda random but I though some folks here might enjoy. I'm learning video editing and my first project was to take three songs from the band Yes and edit clips of spaceships to the songs to create a Movie Mixtape.

I came up with the idea for this art project two years ago and the idea started with syncing the ship from Event Horizon to the intro of Shoot High Aim Low and it grew from there. I hope some of you enjoy!

His music will live on forever for generations to come.

82 years young today. Photo by yours truly.

First time listening. Know there is a lot of debate re: this album: Masterpiece or failure...I am enjoying it and the musicianship is great as per usual.

In celebration of Jon's birthday today, I'd like to share a very special recording we did of his solo masterpiece, "Song of Seven."

🎬 Watch on YouTube

🎧 Listen on Spotify

Hi everyone. I purchased a ticket for a 360 spacial playback session for Close To The Edge this evening in London, but have fallen ill. The ticket is non refundable and I would hate to see it go to waste.
The playback is 9:00 tonight at Polygon Portal on Dean Street.
Please send me a message if you’re interested!

Growing up, ive been a yes fan since I was a little dude listening to their albums my dad would play, always enamored by their sound and energy. Into my late teens and early twenties I rediscovered them and started going down their discography, i was raised and currently living/working in savannah, georgia, while i was starting my work life and listening to their albums at work, the album that enamored me the most was tales from topographic oceans, their was something special about the album i couldn't quite pin down, as long and dense as it can be, it felt like a journey with musical peaks and dips that kept me coming back, so many moments in a song that always felt like their was something new to take away from and reinterpret. On the off chance, I did some digging on the albums creation and bts, little did I know, Jon and steve were inspired to write the outline of what would become tales from topographic oceans IN savannah georgia! That blew my mind! I dont wanna sound chessy here (I already am) but life can be a strange and serendipitous thing, that only confirmed why I think tales is pure magic. not a super special story, just wanted to share my love for it✌️

"we must have waited all our lives for this moment"

Got this shirt about a week ago!

What strikes me the most while watching this video is that the members of Yes were all younger than I am now. Jon turned 60 in 2004. Chris was 56, Steve 57, and Rick and Alan were both 55. They sound so good together for what would be the last time.

Jon talks about 2004 as a year of hope, after decades of apartheid and "a wall in Berlin." Unfortunately, 2026 has seen authoritariarism rise again.

"And You and I" is a song I'm not terribly familiar with. (In another video from the same concert, they perform "Your Move"/"All Good People," which I find transcendent.) But I enjoy getting lost in it and the spirit of optimism. Whatever the personal relationships of the musicians, they created something that feels spiritual and whole in a world that desperately needs both.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kIMG91QuuE&list=RD3kIMG91QuuE&start_radio=1

So I’ve heard all 4 versions of Awaken and I think the Union one is my favourite. 2003 live version is a close 2nd!

Out of the 4 versions from the album original, the 1977 live version, the 1991 Union live version and the 2003 live version, I’m just really into the Union one for a few reasons:

1. Bill’s extra drums especially when he turns around to bang the extras in the back on stage. Really love that shot

2. Trevor Rabin performing those gentle strums on the final verse as Jon Anderson closes out the lyrics is creative!

3. All 8 musicians letting loose on the large epic parts is very awesome to say the least.

Btw any dream mashups of musicians you’d like to see take a crack at another 8 member version of Awaken live?

Is it just me, or did the in the round stage on the Union Tour look like a giant Simmons SDX pad? I always thought the stage not only was the same color as one, but also has those "pointy edges" like the SDX hexagons Bruford used on that very tour. Pretty fitting. But you know what's not very fitting? Bruford's Simmons going out RIGHT DURING THE DRUM DUET during the tour's only show at MSG.

'lo all!! I'm a Vtuber video essayist that makes music history deep dives and a fan of Yes for a big part of my life. I've spent the past few months conducting research into Yes' Union era (plus some ABWH) with the end goal of making a definitive look into the shitshow that was that project's industry politics as well as how it fed into the nostalgiafication of older rock bands. It'll be premiering tonight in about an hour on Youtube, if you're interested in checking it out!

Do you think there's a meaning behind the blue yellow and magenta colour in the design of the cover? I'm a new listener and I didn't find anything about it

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1N4HvppigXE

Stumbled across this one from Q104.3 back in July — Jon Anderson and Richie Castellano in the studio together, talking Beatles, classic Yes, and where rock goes from here. It's a longer sit-down than most of the tour interviews, and Jon's in great form — there's a really good bit on why the great songs never die. Worth it for the Beatles talk alone, honestly.

These kids are killin' it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kU9cTz8V1YQ&list=RDkU9cTz8V1YQ&start_radio=1

Saw that singer John Anderson passed away. Gave me a quick scare. I occasionally landed on his news when looking for updates on our guy. Apparently had some hits and was well respected in his genre.

I'm not very familiar with Mr John Anderson's work, but may the Lord bless and keep him and prayers to his family.

May the Singer of Olias continue for some time to come.

Nous Sommes Du Soleil.

I think it is really worth asking the question: Why is it that when Steve is ill, Yes goes on hiatus, but when Jon was ill, he was ingloriously replaced?

Chris was clearly the bona fide owner of Yes as the years passed. He was a founding member and the only one who had never quit.

Now is the time for the mantle of Yes to be passed back to Jon.

He’s a founding member, and he’s alive and vibrant.

Let him decide who is in the band.

When Steve is better, hopefully he will come and play along. That would be beautiful.

Now this might sound crazy but I find that Howe and Anderson past collaborations of Yes reminds me a lot of Sting and Stewart Copeland in The Police.

In that the 2 teamed up fine a lot of the time despite the occasional disagreements. Despite that, they got on more than Sting and Stewart since those 2 escalated to actual fistfights on musical choices. At most, Jon and Steve engaged in intense talks on musical direction? At least from many fan comments.

For their relationship now? I bring up Stewart Copeland saying that he, Sting and Andy Summers get along much better once they’re not collaborating for music as a trio again.

Jon and Steve can probably view their relationship more improved that way. If they avoid trying to make more music together since the booting of Jon in 2008, it stays healthier. Unless it’s Steve that thinks more that manner?

My 22 year ood (EDIT: old) daughter graduated college in May and started a job in June. Last week they had a junk day at the office where people cleaned out their offices. My daughter and another new hire became little scavengers and collected “treasure.”

My daughter acquired a desktop cd player. To her, CDs are like vinyl to me. What does this have to do with Yes?

She came home this weekend and raided my old CD collection. And what disks dud she take?

Yes. Only Yes. She played the Yes Album on repeat for two hours.

The next generation knows what‘s good.