Yes: Difference between revisions

[[File:yes.jpg|frame|Yes' first "classic" lineup, circa 1971 (l-r: Chris Squire, Steve Howe, Tony Kaye, Bill Bruford, Jon Anderson.]]

 

 

Members:

* Rick Wakeman - keyboards (1971-1974, 1976-1980, 1995-1997, 2002-2004)

* Alan White - drums (1972-present)

* Geoff Downes - keyboards (1980-1981, 2011-present)

* Trevor Horn - vocals (1980), [[Record Producer|production]] (1983-1987, 2011)

Despite their first two albums suffering from a mixed reception and [[Early Installment Weirdness]] ([[Cover Version|Cover Versions]], overproduction, orchestras that overpowered everything, Peter Banks on guitar), the band's "classic lineup" (Anderson-Howe-Squire-Wakeman-Bruford) and distinctive [[Progressive Rock]] sound and look (the latter supplied by Roger Dean's [[Design Student's Orgasm]] artwork) coalesced at the beginning of [[The Seventies]], resulting in the critically acclaimed trilogy of albums ''The Yes Album'', ''Fragile'' and ''Close to the Edge'', the latter considered their masterpiece. But it did not last, as Yes crashed back to earth with the widely-reviled double album ''Tales from Topographic Oceans'', roundly panned for its self-indulgent instrumental wankery and lack of memorable melodies (although it got to the top of the charts at the time). Notably, Rick Wakeman was so [[Creator Backlash|displeased with the album that he left soon afterwards]]. However, the band soldiered on, managing to make two more reasonably well-received albums influenced by jazz fusion (with the latter, ''Going For The One'' getting to number one at the height of punk's popularity) and bringing back Wakeman before once again sabotaging their career with the horribly-received ''Tormato''.

 

 

The band's former rhythm section of Chris Squire and Alan White soon joined up with South African guitarist Trevor Rabin and formed a new band called Cinema. Squire also brought back Yes' old keyboard player Tony Kaye and got Trevor Horn to produce the album. During a chance encounter between Anderson and Squire, the former heard Cinema's demos and was so impressed he joined right away, re-singing all the previously recorded vocals and re-writing the lyrics. The resulting album, ''90125'' was released under the "Yes" moniker and showcased a departure from the band's previous formula, being made up of catchy, accessible poppy hard-rock tunes that still preserved enough of the band's former weirdness like incomprehensible lyrics, complex production, abrupt time changes and multitracked vocal harmonies. The [[They Changed It, Now It Sucks|predictable whining from older fans]] couldn't drown out the critical acclaim, and ''90125'' became the band's highest-selling album and spawned their biggest-selling single, "Owner of a Lonely Heart".

 

 

[[Mutant Enemy]] is named after a line from their song "And You and I".

 

 

* ''Yes'' (1969) - "Beyond And Before", "Every Little Thing (Beatles cover)", "Harold Land", "Survival"

* ''Time and a Word'' (1970) - "No Opportunity Necessary, No Experience Needed (Richie Havens cover)", "Everydays (Buffalo Springfield cover)", "Sweet Dreams", "Time And A Word"

 

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* [[Album Filler]]: The "solo" pieces on ''Fragile'', recorded to get the album out the door quickly to pay the bank loan on Rick Wakeman's instruments. Their "filler" is still pretty good, with Steve Howe's acoustic piece "Mood for a Day" considered one of his best. That's how awesome they are.

* [[All There in the Manual]]: The liner notes to ''Fragile'' explain the "solo" pieces mentioned above.

* [[Ascended Fanboy]]: Benoît David was lead vocalist for Yes tribute band Close to the Edge before becoming the lead vocalist of Yes. Similarly, Jon Davison has also been involved in a Yes tribute band before his hiring. (see [[Ironic Echo]])

* [[The Band Minus the Face]]: ''Drama'', made without Rick Wakeman and Jon Anderson. There's also the current incarnation with Benoît David due to Anderson's fragile health.

* [[Common Time]]: Averted. ''You'' try playing in 13/8 time.

** Also, VERY little of ''Tales from Topographic Oceans'' is in anything close to common time.

* [[Lyrical Dissonance]]: ''South Side Of The Sky'', a relatively hard rock song about a group of explorers freezing to death. Also "The Gates of Delirium", whose first section features excited, even triumphant music alongside lyrics about preparing for a battle, with such unnerving lines as "Slay them, burn their children's laughter".

* [[Lyrical Shoehorn]]: ''Love Will Find A Way'', as Trevor Rabin hadn't finished the lyrics:

[[Lyrical Shoehorn|I eat at Chez Nous]]''. }}

* [[Miniscule Rocking]]: The ridiculously small "Five Per Cent For Nothing", which comes right after an [[Epic Rocking|8-minute epic]].

* [[Sampling]]: "Owner of a Lonely Heart" was one of the first rock songs to use the technique. In turn, its drum break has been a favourite sampling choice of hip-hop and dance artists ever since.

* [[Self-Backing Vocalist]]: A favourite technique of Jon Anderson.

* [[Suspiciously Similar Substitute]]: Benoit David has a similar vocal range to Jon Anderson, wears similar stage costumes, and even looks a little like him. Considering he was [[Ascended Fanboy|previously a member of Yes tribute band Close to the Edge]], this probably isn't surprising.

* [[Title-Only Chorus]]: "Leave It".