ANDERSON / STOLT — Invention of Knowledge (2016) Two Version | FLAC (image+.tracks+.cue), lossless

In 2014, former Yes vocalist Jon Anderson and Flower Kings/Transatlantic guitarist Roine Stolt began a musical dialogue initiated by Inside Out Music boss Thomas Waber. Invention of Knowledge is their result. Co-produced by the artists, it features a prog dream team: Stolt's brother Michael and Jonas Reingold on basses, keyboardists Lalle Larsson and Tom Brislin, drummer Felix Lehrmann, and a five-voice chorus that includes Daniel Gildenlöw. Waber wanted them to extend the range of "Yes music." That happens, but there's way more to it. Anderson can still create in the mold of his former band, but he also brings his solo experience that explored a vast range of musical traditions. Stolt was deeply influenced by Yes, but he's a rugged individualist. His composing, playing, and modern production ideas are informed by jazz, fusion, electronic, rock, and world musics. He refracts everything through a third-wave prog prism.
The set commences with the "Invention" suite (also comprising "We Are Truth" and "Knowledge"). It is realized through the combination of shimmering folk (English and Swedish), sophisticated pop, jazz fusion, Indian modalism, rockist dynamics, and symphonic strings. Challenging guitar, percussion, and keyboard interplay create a frame for Anderson's contrapuntal vocals. His mytho-poetic lyrics continue to juxtapose physical and metaphysical realms, deep psychology, scientific investigation, and spiritual affirmation. His wide-eyed optimism is undiminished by time (neither is his voice). Second suite "Knowing"/"Chase and Harmony" weaves gorgeous piano and guitar counterpoint into spiraling musical feats. Anderson's melodic invention anchors this engaging mix and encourages flight. Stolt's weave of modern electronic soundscapes, instrumental savvy, and stacked backing vocals adds new colors and textures such as fat R&B horns, stinging bluesy guitar fills, processional percussion, and rhythmic string syncopations. The "Everybody Heals" suite embodies the segments "Better by Far" and "Golden Light." While Stolt's mercurial guitar playing and Reingold's roiling bassline are the instrumental hallmarks throughout, the work's harmonic architecture was erected on a chamber string progression. The interlocking pieces are brightly orchestrated and lushly illustrated with keyboards and choral vocals. Anderson's expressive delivery moves through labyrinthine pop, trad-inspired folk-rock, and elegant jazz, and even touches on Brit soul.
The gorgeous 11-minute closer, "Know," is a stand-alone track. Despite its length and changes in musical direction, it's a beautifully written, nearly hummable song. Its structure employs electric piano, organ, and vibes in jazzy, samba-tinged frames during the first third. Single-line synths (think Rick Wakeman), knotty guitars, and majestic drums append the second and uncover its third-wave prog persona, before a final section carries it out on a breezy wave of Caribbean rhythms and tender singing. On an already emotionally and spiritually affirmative album, this resonant finale is nearly transcendent. Invention of Knowledge displays the individualism of both men. They pursue grandeur, but leave out excess. They add to the depth, dimension, and legacy Yes established, but also make plain that the result is forward-thinking 21st century prog, free of overwrought nostalgia or self-indulgence.  
-> This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa' <-
Invention Of Knowledge    
1.        Invention     9:41
2.        We Are Truth    6:41
3.        Knowledge    6:30
Knowing    
4.        Knowing    10:31
5.        Chase And Harmony    7:17
Everybody Heals    
6.        Everybody Heals    7:36
7.        Better By Far    2:03
8.        Golden Light    3:30
Know ...    
9.        Know ...    11:13
Credits :
Artwork – Silas Toball
Artwork [Assisted By] – Eva Toball
Backing Vocals – Anja Obermayer, Daniel Gildenlöw, Kristina Westas, Maria Rerych, Nad Sylvan
Bass, Backing Vocals – Jonas Reingold
Bass, Synthesizer [Moog Bass] – Michael Stolt
Drums – Felix Lehrmann
Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar [Acoustic Guitars], Dobro, Portuguese Guitar, Lap Steel Guitar [Lap Steel], Keyboards, Percussion, Backing Vocals – Roine Stolt
Grand Piano [Yamaha C 7 Grand Piano], Electric Piano [Fender Rhodes Piano], Electric Organ [Hammond B 3 Organ], Synthesizer [Synthesizers] – Tom Brislin
Grand Piano, Synthesizer – Lalle Larsson
Lead Vocals, Backing Vocals, Synth, Percussion, Co-producer [Co Produced By],  Lyrics By [All Lyrics By] – Jon Anderson  

ANDERSON · BRUFORD · WAKEMAN · HOWE — Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe (1989-2010) 2CD | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

File under "Yes." When this version of the band couldn't obtain rights to the name, they put their album out under their combined names, but it's still Yes by any other name. Jon Anderson's tenor wails through spacy lyrics, Rick Wakeman constructs cathedrals of synthesized sound, Steve Howe rips high-pitched guitar leads, and Bill Bruford makes his drums sound like timpani. For all that, it's a pedestrian effort for these veterans, not as bombastic as some of their stuff, not as inspired as others, but it definitely has the "Yes" sound. "She Gives Me Love" even refers to "Long Distance Runaround." by William Ruhlmann

ANDERSON · BRUFORD · WAKEMAN · HOWE — Brother of Mine (1989) Single | FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

ANDERSON · BRUFORD · WAKEMAN · HOWE — An Evening of Yes Music Plus (1993) 2CD | APE (image+.cue), lossless

Recorded live on the final night of the 1989 Anderson/Bruford/Wakeman/Howe tour, this two-CD set offers both oldies and improvements upon their new material. You'll probably find yourself listening only to the second CD, as the first CD largely consists of shaky solo medleys. Howe fares the best with delicate renditions of "Mood for a Day" and "The Clap." Anderson's guitar and vocal turn comes off like a coffeehouse gig -- not bad, especially when he samples "Teakbois," but not riveting. Wakeman's "Merlin" and "Catherine Parr" solo trades speed for precision, and the crowd is unaccountably thrilled when he wrenches unimpressive blow-bottle sounds out of a keyboard. Bruford blows his solo yet again, just as in Yessongs; infatuated with electronic percussion, he produces a grating assortment of clanks and conks. Once past the solos, though, this set picks up steam. The ABWH album was a soulless-sounding production; songs like "Soul Warrior" and "Brother of Mine" are both warmer in sound and more lively in rhythm when performed on-stage. Fans may also appreciate Bruford's unprecedented live appearance on "Close to the Edge"; though he played on the 1972 studio album, he had left the band before ever getting to play it live. Paul Collins 

JON ANDERSON — Olias of Sunhillow (1976-2014) RM | SACD, Hybrid | Two Version | FLAC (image+.tracks+.cue), lossless

Inspired by the artwork of Roger Dean and the writings of Ver Stanley Alder, Jon Anderson developed an entire story around the idea of an interstellar exodus from Sunhillow, writing this album around the narrative (named for the spaceship's architect, Olias). The idea may seem overly ambitious, but Anderson fills the record with enough magical moments to delight fans of Yes' mystic side. The music is written and performed almost entirely by Anderson, who dubs vocals, plays guitar and harp, and adds percussion and the occasional synthesizer to flesh out his ideas so that at no point does the music lose its spellbinding effect for lack of sonic detail. Olias of Sunhillow is faithful to the spirit of Yes, though decidedly more airy than that band's visceral style -- its closest comparison would be Fragile's "We Have Heaven" or Going for the One's "Wonderous Stories" (which was clearly influenced by this record) on the vocal tracks, and Greek progressive electronic composer (and future Anderson collaborator) Vangelis on the instrumental tracks. Although the album is effective in its entirety, "Sound Out the Galleon," "Olias (To Build the Moorglade)," and "Solid Space" are some of the more memorable excerpts. The arrangements incorporate elements of the four tribes of Sunhillow, the most noticeable being Oriental elements that prefigure Vangelis' own China (especially on the opening "Ocean Song"). While there are several songs that could have easily fit in Yes' own catalog, and the lyrics continue to mine the mystical musings that Yes fans had come to enjoy, Olias of Sunhillow is not the missing Yes album some might hope it to be, though it does prefigure the later Jon & Vangelis collaborations of the '80s. If possible, pick up the LP version of this release, since the packaging is stunning and features terrific artwork by Dave Roe. Dave Connolly  

Tracklist :
1.    Ocean Song    3:04
2.    Meeting (Garden Of Geda) / Sound Out The Galleon    3:34
3.    Dance Of Ranyart / Olias (To Build The Moorglade)    4:19
4.    Qoquaq Ën Transic / Naon / Transic Tö    7:08
5.    Flight Of The Moorglade    3:24
6.    Solid Space    5:20
7.    Moon Ra / Chords / Song Of Search    12:48
8.    To The Runner    4:29
Credits :
Electronics – Brian Gaylor
Performer, Written-By, Music By, Words By, Other [Story] – Jon Anderson

JON ANDERSON - Change We Must (1976) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Jon Anderson joins conductor Nigel Warren-Green and his London Chamber Academy for orchestral arrangements of new material and old favorites on Change We Must (and that sound you hear in the distance is the small army of Anderson's detractors crying "This time he's really gone too far"). But far from being the exercise in self-indulgence that some would charge, Change We Must proves to be a lovely setting for Anderson's compositions. Expertly produced by the vocalist and Tim Handley, the disc finds Anderson's voice in harmonic balance with a wonderful landscape of orchestral sounds. The combined effect is, in a word, lovely. Beginning with the Jon & Vangelis chestnut "State of Independence," the singer and orchestra achieve a natural beauty that the previous pairing aimed at but rarely captured. Likewise, "Hurry Home" and "Under the Sun" -- both of which originally appeared on In the City of Angels (the latter as "It's on Fire") -- are given a second life with Celtic and Third World arrangements, respectively. Some of the new material -- such as the "Chagall Duet," with soprano Sandrine Piau, or "Candle Song," with daughter Jade -- offer a double dose of sweetness, while other songs (notably John Adams' adaptation "Shaker Loops") are intentionally edgy. Anderson even steps out of the spotlight for a trio of piano-led instrumentals co-written with David Tolley and featuring pianist Gwendolyn Mok. These serve as a spirited interlude between songs and represent a unique departure from Anderson's often-elusive arrangements. For nostalgists, who might regard the lack of anything from Olias of Sunhillow as a missed opportunity, the Yes song "Hearts" is given a faithful but welcome reading. The title track serves as a fitting finale, with flawless production and otherwordly arrangements transporting the listener to Anderson's own plane of consciousness. Dedicated to spiritualist Nana Veary, Change We Must speaks in a multitude of musical tongues -- classical, rock, Third World, choral -- with beauty as its common thread. by Dave Connolly  

JON ANDERSON — Deseo (1994) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Jon Anderson's voice immersed in South American music might seem an unlikely match, but the rich and vibrant tones of Deseo provide a strikingly fresh setting for the singer. Augmented by well-known artists from across South and Latin America, the Yes vocalist seems content to recede into the background on many of the tracks, retaining a native flavor with stellar cameos from Maria Conchita Alonso, Boca Livre, Milton Nascimento, and many others. The songs, which generally clock in around three-and-a-half minutes, are warm and upbeat, mixing English, Portuguese, and Spanish vocals with propulsive percussion, acoustic guitars, bass, and synthesizers. The melodies are lovely and atmospheric, uncomplicated but evocative. The best tracks don't necessarily feature Anderson in a starring role: "A-DE-O," "Bridges," "Danca Do Ouro," and "Café" feature the vocalist in a supporting role, but listeners may find themselves too entranced by the beautiful harmonies to notice his absence. While the singer does take center stage on a number of songs with pleasant results -- "This Child," "Floresta," and especially "Bless This" (with Deborah Anderson) -- a few tracks leave Anderson exposed, notably the lightweight "Latino" and the ill-advised posturing of the opening "Amor Real." However, these occasional missteps are easily overlooked in lieu of the disc's innumerable charms. The artist had experimented with world sounds on earlier albums with his Yes mates -- "Teakbois" from Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe and "Angkor Wat" from Union come to mind -- but Deseo marks a genuine willingness to step outside of his own idiom. Thus, the connection between Jon Anderson and the music on Deseo isn't always clear, but the singer wisely shares his sense of discovery with the listener, allowing the music (and not the musician) to shine. Dave Connolly  

JON ANDERSON — Angels Embrace (1995) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

While many Jon Anderson fans knew he had it in him to do something very light and airy and perhaps even without vocals (Olias of Sunhillow essentially led the way), the fact that it's something this light and airy is likely to come as a bit of a shock. Anderson presents the listener with a soundscape made up of long, sustained notes and drifting chords, a construction in which the few melodies present take minutes to work through -- there's far more in common with the Hearts of Space catalog here than with much of Anderson's prior work, though the Vangelis influence is to be felt, too (especially on the quarter-hour "New Eire Land"). Another surprise is the mainly instrumental nature of the album -- Anderson takes very few vocals. Daughters Deborah and Jade pitch in along the way without much incident. On the whole, Angels Embrace sounds something like a lost Jon & Vangelis album, or Brian Eno in a frothy mood, and just like good background music for meditation, spiritual navel-gazing, and general situations where the alpha waves need a decent boost. Steven McDonald

JON ANDERSON — Toltec (1996) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

A concept album, Anderson's Toltec is made up of 13 cuts divided into three parts. It tells the tale of the Toltec, a Native American concept of a group of people who have been all over the Earth, existing within different cultures throughout the centuries. They are described in the liner as "Creators of the circles of power, color, perfume, and music healing domes." Musically, this one is arguably Anderson's most ambitious solo effort. It is set in a style that is definitely progressive rock, but focuses less on the rock and more on other elements. Among those elements are new age (no surprise as the CD was released on the Windham Hill label), world music, electronic, and even jazz. Anderson not only provided the expected vocals, but also wrote, arranged, and produced the disc. The result is an album that should appeal not just to fans of the singer, but to those into progressive rock in general as well. It definitely isn't Yes (although it does share some elements with their work), but it is certainly an intriguing and entertaining work. Gary Hill

JON ANDERSON — EarthMotherEarth (1997) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Anyone with a passing knowledge of the band Yes will be familiar with Anderson's high-pitched vocals and starry-eyed lyric sensibility. This disc features perhaps the most unabashed flowering of his cosmic muse. The acoustic instrumentation is set against a background of bird chirps and bug noises, and the songs generally concern love, magic and more love. While it is clear that Anderson means what he sings, anyone with an ounce of cynicism will occasionally laugh out loud. But if you are willing to swallow your pride, this disc offers a pleasant escape. Tim Sheridan

ANDERSON / WAKEMAN — The Living Tree (2010) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

It's remarkable how progressive rock pillars Yes managed to consistently create top-quality music through the decades (with exceptions here and there) despite near-constant ego clashes, management problems, and other inner turmoil that resulted in frequent personnel changes. Vocalist Jon Anderson and keyboardist Rick Wakeman had left the Yes fold once again before the old friends joined forces in 2010 as Anderson/Wakeman to record a new studio album, The Living Tree. Serious health problems have plagued both men; Anderson's life-threatening respiratory ailments in particular led to his 2008 Yes departure. Anderson and Wakeman were in their sixties during the recording of The Living Tree, therefore spirituality, mortality, faith, and the afterlife are important themes on the album, especially in the songs "Morning Star," "House of Freedom," "Anyway and Always," and "Just One Man." Anderson's angelic voice, which was previously as clear as a bell, is startlingly rougher and raspier on this album, especially on the opening track, "Living Tree, Pt. 1." This song, along with "Living Tree, Pt. 2" and "Garden," reflect Anderson's joyful respect for the power of nature. "23/24/11" is a biting critique of war inspired by the fighting in Afghanistan; the title refers to a soldier counting down the time left in his tour of duty. Musically, The Living Tree is spare and stripped down to just Anderson's vocals and Wakeman's piano and tasteful layers of other keyboard textures and fills. Considering the complexity of Yes' music, at times the songs on The Living Tree seem like elaborate demos, and it's worth noting that Anderson and Wakeman e-mailed audio files back and forth to make this album. Listeners used to the grandly cosmic, new age flavor of many Yes songs may be surprised to find that the songs on The Living Tree are more intimate and grounded in reality. Bret Adams  

YES — Yes (1969-2009) RM | SHM-CD | FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Yes' debut album is surprisingly strong, given the inexperience of all those involved at the time. In an era when psychedelic meanderings were the order of the day, Yes delivered a surprisingly focused and exciting record that covered lots of bases (perhaps too many) in presenting their sound. The album opens boldly, with the fervor of a metal band of the era playing full tilt on "Beyond and Before," but it is with the second number, a cover of the Byrds' "I See You," that they show some of their real range. The song is highlighted by an extraordinary jazz workout from lead guitarist Peter Banks and drummer Bill Bruford that runs circles around the original by Roger McGuinn and company. "Harold Land" was the first song on which Chris Squire's bass playing could be heard in anything resembling the prominence it would eventually assume in their sound and anticipates in its structure the multi-part suites the group would later record, with its extended introduction and its myriad shifts in texture, timbre, and volume. And then there is "Every Little Thing," the most daring Beatles cover ever to appear on an English record, with an apocalyptic introduction and extraordinary shifts in tempo and dynamics, Banks' guitar and Bruford's drums so animated that they seem to be playing several songs at once. This song also hosts an astonishingly charismatic performance by Jon Anderson. There were numerous problems in recording this album, owing to the inexperience of the group, the producer, and the engineer, in addition to the unusual nature of their sound. Many of the numbers give unusual prominence to the guitar and drums, thus making it the most uncharacteristic of all the group's albums. Bruce Eder  

Tracklist :

1.     Beyond And Before (Squire / Bailey) (4:56)

2.     I See You (McGuinn / Crosby) (6:53)

3.     Yesterday And Today (Anderson) (2:52)

4.     Looking Around (Anderson / Squire) (4:20)

5.     Harold Land (Anderson / Squire / Bruford) (5:47)

6.     Every Little Thing (Lennon / McCartney) (5:47)

7.     Sweetness (Anderson / Squire / Bailey) (4:35)

8.     Survival (Anderson) (6:23)
– BONUS TRACKS –

9.     Everydays (Single Version) (Stills) (6:24)

10.     Dear Father (Early Version #2) (Anderson / Squire) (5:52)

11.     Something's Coming (Bernstein / Sondheim) (7:10)

12.     Everydays (Early Version) (Stills) (5:19)

13.     Dear Father (Early Version #1) (Anderson / Squire) (5:32)

14.     Something's Coming (Early Version) (Bernstein / Sondheim) (8:03)

Musicians :

Jon Anderson - Vocals, Percussion

Chris Squire - Bass, Vocals

Bill Bruford - Drums, Vibraphone

Peter Banks - Guitar, Vocals

Tony Kaye - Organ, Piano 

YES — Time And A Word (1970-2009) RM | SHM-CD | FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Yes' second (and least successful) album was a transitional effort; the group trying for a more produced and sophisticated sound through the use of an orchestra. Even so, the results weren't conventional, because the group didn't tone down or turn down its sound. Much of Time and a Word relies on bold, highly animated performances by Bill Bruford, Chris Squire, and Tony Kaye. Additionally, by this time the group was developing a much tauter ensemble than was evident on their first LP, so there's no lack of visceral excitement. "No Opportunity Necessary, No Experience Needed" was a bold opening, a highly amplified, frenzied adaptation of the Richie Havens song, melded with Jerome Moross's title music from the movie The Big Country. Somewhat more successful musically is "Then," which keeps the orchestral accompaniment to a minimum and allows Kaye and Banks to stretch out on organ and guitar. "Everydays" is highlighted by Anderson's ethereal vocals and Kaye's dueting with the orchestra. A surprising amount of the material here seems rather tuneless, but the group was solidifying its sound and, in the process, forcing Banks out of the lineup, despite some beautiful moments for him (and Tony Kaye) on the prettiest parts of "The Prophet," a piece that also contains fragments of music that anticipate Yes' work right up through Tales from Topographic Oceans. "Astral Traveller," as a title, anticipates the themes of future group work, though they still don't have the dexterity to pull off the tempo changes they're trying for. By the time the record was completed, Banks was out of the band, which is why Steve Howe, his successor, ended up pictured on the cover of most editions. Bruce Eder  

Tracklist :

1.     No Opportunity Necessary, No Experience Needed (Havens) (4:53)

2.     Then (Anderson) (5:50)

3.     Everydays (Stills) (6:12)

4.     Sweet Dreams (Anderson / Foster) (3:52)

5.     The Prophet (Anderson / Squire) (6:39)

6.     Clear Days (Anderson) (2:09)

7.     Astral Traveller (Anderson) (5:57)

8.     Time And A Word (Anderson / Foster) (4:40)
– BONUS TRACKS –

9.     Dear Father (Anderson / Squire) (4:15)

10.     No Opportunity Necessary, No Experience Needed (Original Mix) (Havens) (4:46)

11.     Sweet Dreams (Original Mix) (Anderson / Foster) (4:21)

12.     The Prophet (Single Version) (Anderson / Squire) (6:36)

Musicians :

Jon Anderson - Vocals, Percussion

Chris Squire - Bass, Vocals

Peter Banks - Electric and Acoustic Guitars, Vocal

Tony Kaye - Piano, Organ

Bill Bruford - Drums, Percussion

YES — The Yes Album (1971-2009) RM | SHM-CD | FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

On Yes' first two albums, Yes (1969) and Time and a Word (1970), the quintet was mostly searching for a sound on which they could build, losing one of their original members – guitarist Peter Banks – in the process. Their third time out proved the charm – The Yes Album constituted a de facto second debut, introducing the sound that would carry them forward across the next decade or more. Gone are any covers of outside material, the group now working off of its own music from the ground up. A lot of the new material was actually simpler – in linear structure, at least – than some of what had appeared on their previous albums, but the internal dynamics of their playing had also altered radically, and much of the empty space that had been present in their earlier recordings was also filled up here – suddenly, between new member Steve Howe's odd mix of country- and folk-based progressive guitar and the suddenly liberated bass work and drumming of Chris Squire and Bill Bruford, respectively, the group's music became extremely busy. And lead singer Jon Anderson, supported by Squire and Howe, filled whatever was left almost to overflowing. Anderson's soaring falsetto and the accompanying harmonies, attached to haunting melodies drawn from folk tunes as often as rock, applied to words seemingly derived from science fiction, and all delivered with the bravura of an operatic performance – by the band as well as the singer – proved a compelling mix. What's more, despite the busy-ness of their new sound, the group wasn't afraid to prove that less could sometimes be more: three of the high points were the acoustic-driven "Your Move" and "The Clap" (a superb showcase for Howe on solo acoustic guitar), and the relatively low-key "A Venture" (oddly enough, the latter was the one cut here that didn't last in the group's repertory; most of the rest, despite the competition from their subsequent work, remained in their concert set for years to come). The Yes Album did what it had to do, outselling the group's first two long-players and making the group an established presence in America where, for the first time, they began getting regular exposure on FM radio. Sad to say, the only aspect of The Yes Album that didn't last much longer was Tony Kaye on keyboards: his Hammond organ holds its own in the group's newly energized sound, and is augmented by piano and other instruments when needed, but he resisted the idea of adding the Moog synthesizer, that hot instrument of the moment, to his repertory. The band was looking for a bolder sound than the Hammond could generate, and after some initial rehearsals of material that ended up on their next album, he was dropped from the lineup, to be replaced by Rick Wakeman. Bruce Eder  

Tracklist :

1.     Yours Is No Disgrace (Anderson-Squire-Howe-Kaye-Bruford) 9:41

2.     Clap (Howe) 3:17

3.     Starship Trooper (Music: Anderson-Squire-Howe; Lyrics: Anderson-Squire) 9:29

    a) Life Seeker (Anderson)

    b) Disillusion (Squire)

    c) Wurm (Howe)

4.     I've Seen All Good People 6:57

    a) Your Move (Anderson)

    b) All Good People (Squire)

5.     A Venture (Anderson) 3:19

6.     Perpetual Change (Anderson-Squire) 8:58
– BONUS TRACKS –

7.     Your Move (single version) (Anderson) 2:59

8.     Starship Trooper: Life Seeker (single version) (Anderson) 3:28

9.     Clap (studio version) (Howe) 4:02

Musicians :

Jon Anderson - Vocals, Percussion

Chris Squire - Bass Guitars, Vocals

Steve Howe - Electric & Acoustic Guitars, Vachalia, Vocals

Tony Kaye - Piano, Organ, Moog

Bill Bruford - Drums, Percussion

YES — Fragile (1971-2019) UHQCD | FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Fragile was Yes' breakthrough album, propelling them in a matter of weeks from a cult act to an international phenomenon; not coincidentally, it also marked the point where all of the elements of the music (and more) that would define their success for more than a decade fell into place fully formed. The science-fiction and fantasy elements that had driven the more successful songs on their preceding record, The Yes Album, were pushed much harder here, and not just in the music but in the packaging of the album: the Roger Dean-designed cover was itself a fascinating creation that seemed to relate to the music and drew the purchaser's attention in a manner that few records since the heyday of the psychedelic era could match. Having thrown original keyboard player Tony Kaye overboard early in the sessions -- principally over his refusal to accept the need for the Moog synthesizer in lieu of his preferred Hammond organ -- the band welcomed Rick Wakeman into its ranks. His use of the Moog, among other instruments, coupled with an overall bolder and more aggressive style of playing, opened the way for a harder, hotter sound by the group as a whole; bassist Chris Squire sounds like he's got his amp turned up to "12," and Steve Howe's electric guitars are not far behind, although the group also displayed subtlety where it was needed. The opening minute of "Roundabout," the album opener -- and the basis for the edited single that would reach number 13 on the Billboard charts and get the group onto AM radio in a way that most other prog rock outfits could only look upon with envy -- was dominated by Howe's acoustic guitar and Bill Bruford's drums, and only in the middle section did the band show some of what they could do with serious amperage. Elsewhere on the record, as on "South Side of the Sky," they would sound as though they were ready to leave the ground (and the planet), between the volume and intensity of their playing. "Long Distance Runaround," which also served as the B-side of the single, was probably the most accessible track here apart from "Roundabout," but they were both ambitious enough to carry most listeners on to the heavier sides at the core of this long-player. The solo tracks by the members were actually a necessity: they needed to get Fragile out in a hurry to cover the cost of the keyboards that Wakeman had added to the group's sonic arsenal. But they ended up being more than filler. Each member, in effect, took a "bow" in mostly fairly serious settings, and Squire's "The Fish" and Howe's "Mood for a Day" pointed directly to future, more substantial projects as well as taking on a life of their own on-stage. If not exactly their peak, Fragile was as perfect a rQ2ecord as the group would ever make, and just as flawless in its timing as its content. Bruce Eder  

Tracklist :

1.     Roundabout (Anderson-Howe) 8:36

2.   Cans And Brahms (Extracts From Brahms' 4th Symphony in E minor Third Movement) (Brahms, arr. Wakeman) 1:43

3.     We Have Heaven (Anderson) 1:40

4.     South Side of the Sky (Anderson-Squire) (7:58

5.     Five Per Cent for Nothing (Bruford) 0:38

6.     Long Distance Runaround (Anderson) 3:30

7.     The fish (Schindleria Praematurus) (Squire) 2:42

8.     Mood For A Day (Howe) 3:03

9.     Heart Of The Sunrise (Anderson-Squire-Bruford) 11:27

Musicians :

Jon Anderson - Vocals

Bill Bruford - Drums, Percussion

Steve Howe - Electric and Acoustic Guitars, Vocals

Chris Squire - Bass Guitars, Vocals

Rick Wakeman - Organ, Grand Piano (Electric Piano and Harpsichord), Mellotron, Synthesizer

YES — Close To The Edge (1972-2019) UHQCD | FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

With 1971's Fragile having left Yes poised quivering on the brink of what friend and foe acknowledged was the peak of the band's achievement, Close to the Edge was never going to be an easy album to make. Drummer Bill Bruford was already shifting restlessly against Jon Anderson's increasingly mystic/mystifying lyricism, while contemporary reports of the recording sessions depicted bandmate Rick Wakeman, too, as little more than an observer to the vast tapestry that Anderson, Steve Howe, and Chris Squire were creating. For it was vast. Close to the Edge comprised just three tracks, the epic "And You and I" and "Siberian Khatru," plus a side-long title track that represented the musical, lyrical, and sonic culmination of all that Yes had worked toward over the past five years. Close to the Edge would make the Top Five on both sides of the Atlantic, dispatch Yes on the longest tour of its career so far and, if hindsight be the guide, launch the band on a downward swing that only disintegration, rebuilding, and a savage change of direction would cure. The latter, however, was still to come. In 1972, Close to the Edge was a flawless masterpiece. Dave Thompson 

Tracklist :

1.     Close To The Edge (Anderson / Howe) (18:43)
     1.I The Solid Time Of Change
     1.II Total Mass Retain
     1.III I Get Up I Get Down
     1.IV Seasons Of Man
2.    And You And I (10:12)
    2.I Cord Of Life
    2.II Eclipse
    2.III The Preacher The Teacher
    2.IV Apocalypse
3.     Siberian Khatru 8:56

    I. The Solid Time Of Change

    II. Total Mass Retain

    III. I Get Up I Get Down

    IV. Seasons Of Man

Musicians :

Jon Anderson - Vocals

Bill Bruford - Drums, Percussion

Steve Howe - Guitars, Vocals

Chris Squire - Bass, Vocals

Rick Wakeman - Keyboards
+ Série: – The Steven Wilson Remixes

YES — Yessongs (1973-2009) RM | 2CD | SHM-CD | FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

In many ways, the extravagance of this package equates the profligacy of the prog rock combo themselves. After all, how else but on a triple-LP collection could one hope to re-create (and/or contain) an adequate sampling of Yes' live presentation? Especially since their tunes typically clocked in in excess of ten minutes. Although they had turned in five studio long-players, the vast majority of Yessongs (1973) is drawn from their three most recent endeavors The Yes Album (1970), Fragile (1971), and Close to the Edge (1972). There are two exceptions, the first being the "Opening (Excerpt from "Firebird Suite")" – which comes from the 1969 Boston Symphony Orchestra's recording, conducted by Seiji Ozawa. The other is Rick Wakeman's keyboard solo "Excerpts from 'The Six Wives Of Henry VIII'." Yes had just undergone a personnel change shortly after concluding work on Close to the Edge as Bill Bruford (percussion) left to join King Crimson in July of 1972. Bruford can be heard on "Perpetual Change," as well as the medley of "Long Distance Runaround" and "The Fish (Schindleria Praematurus)." Enthusiasts keen on various and arguably irrelevant minutia should note the spelling of "praimaturus" as credited on Yessongs. It is slightly different from Fragile, which is denoted as "praematurus." That bit of trivia aside, the new lineup finds Alan White (drums), quite ably filling Bruford's shoes, alongside Jon Anderson (vocals), Steve Howe (guitars), Chris Squire (bass/vocals), and Rick Wakeman (keyboards).

One of their trademarks has always been an ability to re-create their often densely layered sound in concert. They effortlessly pull off the tricky chord progressions and changes in time signatures of "Siberian Khatru" and a sublime "Heart of the Sunrise," which unquestionably bests the dexterity of its carefully crafted studio counterpart. Both Howe and Squire's respective solos during "The Fish (Schindleria Praematurus)" are highlights as they give the entire unit an opportunity to show off their capacity for dramatic dynamics. The remainder of Yessongs is similarly strong, particularly the note-perfect "Close to the Edge," and the inspired concluding instrumental jam during "Starship Trooper." However, one criticism that can be leveled at the entire Yessongs release is the less than optimal audio quality throughout. The sound is generally muddy with no real fidelity to speak of and an even less precise stereoscape. But until someone goes back to the multi-tracks and remixes them for 21st century ears, this is as good as it gets when documenting Yes during this seminal transition period. Lindsay Planer

Tracklist 1:

1.     Opening (excerpt from 'Firebird Suite') (3:46)

2.     Siberian Khatru (8:53)

3.     Heart Of The Sunrise (11:20)

4.     Perpetual Change (14:14)

5.   And You And I: 5.1. Cord Of Life; 5.2. Eclipse; 5.3. The Preacher The Teacher; 5.4. Apocalypse (9:39)

6.     Mood For A Day (2:52)

7.     Excerpts from 'The Six Wives of Henry VIII' (6:34)

8.     Roundabout (8:39)

Tracklist 2 :

1.     I've Seen All Good People: 1.1. Your Move; 1.2. All Good People (7:06)

2.     Long Distance Runaround / The Fish (Shindleria Praematurus) (13:32)

3.     Close To The Edge: 3.1. The Solid Time Of Change; 3.2. Total Mass Retain; 3.3. I Get Up I Get Down; 3.4. Seasons Of Man (18:10)

4.     Yours Is No Disgrace (14:16)

5.     Starship Trooper (5.1. Life Seeker; 5.2. Disillusion; 5.3. Wurm) (10:13)

Musicians :

Jon Anderson - Vocals

Chris Squire - Bass and Vocals

Steve Howe - Guitars and Vocals

Rick Wakeman - Keyboards

Bill Bruford - Drums (CD 1 track 4, CD 2 track 2)

Alan White - Drums (everything else) 

YES — Tales from Topographic Oceans (1973-2019) 2CD | UHQCD | FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Four decades after its release, this is still the most controversial record in Yes' output. Tales from Topographic Oceans was the place where Yes either fulfilled all of the promise shown on their previous five albums or slid off the rails in a fit of artistic hubris, especially on the part of lead singer Jon Anderson and guitarist Steve Howe, who dominated the composition credits here. Actually, the group probably did a bit of both here across 80 minutes of music on a fully packed double-LP set; the group's musical ambitions were obvious on its face, as it consisted of four long songs (really suites) each taking up a side of an album, and each longer than the previous album's side-long "Close to the Edge." And Tales had a jumping-off point that was as far advanced in complexity and density as Close to the Edge had been out in front of its predecessor, Fragile, – and all of it made The Yes Album seem like basic rock & roll. Anderson, by virtue of his voice and lyrics, is the dominant personality on Tales, and his fascination with Eastern religion is fully manifest, as never before (or since). Confronted by song titles such as "The Revealing Science of God," and a concept derived from the Buddhist Shastric scriptures, the casual listener might have felt in need of both a running start and a sheet of footnotes: Yes keyboard player Rick Wakeman clearly felt something along those lines, as it was while making this record that he decided to exit the group. And, yet, Tales contains some of the most sublimely beautiful musical passages ever to come from the group, and develops a major chunk of that music in depth and degrees in ways that one can only marvel at, though there's a big leap from marvel to enjoy. If one can grab onto it, Tales is a long, sometimes glorious musical ride across landscapes strange and wonderful, thick with enticing musical textures; it offers the Yes fan the chance to be a true "astral traveler." Apart from one percussion break by Alan White that doesn't come off (if there had to be a Yes album with a percussion solo, why couldn't it have come along when Bill Bruford was in the band?), the music never falls flat, and it's a pity that Wakeman couldn't appreciate the richness and vitality he brought to the album. And Anderson and Howe get to work in an extraordinarily wide range of musical voices. In another reality, perhaps the gorgeous, folk-like passages on Tales would have spawned songs of four or five minutes, but here they are, woven into these long-form pieces, and if one can take the plunge into these particular sonic oceans, and comfortably stay under long enough, it's a journey that will reward. But it's not a trip for everyone – or even every Yes fan – to take, especially not too soon after discovering the album. Bruce Eder

Tracklist 1:

1.     The Revealing Science Of God / Dance Of The Dawn (20:19)

2.     The Remembering / High The Memory (20:31)

Tracklist 2:

1.     The Ancient Giants Under The Sun (18:42)

2.     Ritual (Nous Sommes Du Soleil) (21:42)

Musicians :

Jon Anderson - Vocals

Chris Squire - Bass and Vocals

Rick Wakeman - Keyboards

Alan White - Drums

Steve Howe - Guitars and Vocals
+ Série: – The Steven Wilson Remixes

YES — Relayer (1974-2019) UHQCD | FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Yes had fallen out of critical favor with Tales from Topographic Oceans, a two-record set of four songs that reviewers found indulgent. But they had not fallen out of the Top Ten, and so they had little incentive to curb their musical ambitiousness. Relayer, released 11 months after Tales, was a single-disc, three-song album, its music organized into suites that alternated abrasive, rhythmically dense instrumental sections featuring solos for the various instruments with delicate vocal and choral sections featuring poetic lyrics devoted to spiritual imagery. Such compositions seemed intended to provide an interesting musical landscape over which the listener might travel, and enough Yes fans did that to make Relayer a Top Ten, gold-selling hit, though critics continued to complain about the lack of concise, coherent song structures. William Ruhlmann

Tracklist :

1.     The Gates Of Delirium (Anderson-Howe-Squire-White-Moraz) 21:57

2.     Sound Chaser (Anderson-Howe-Squire-White-Moraz) 9:27

3.     To Be Over (Anderson-Howe-Squire-White-Moraz) 9:20

Musicians :

Jon Anderson - Vocals

Steve Howe - Guitars, Vocals

Patrick Moraz - Keyboards

Chris Squire - Bass, Vocals

Alan White - Drums, Percussion
+ Série: – The Steven Wilson Remixes

YES — Going for the One (1977-2009) RM | SHM-CD | FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Going for the One is perhaps the most overlooked item in the Yes catalog. It marked Rick Wakeman's return to the band after a three-year absence, and also a return to shorter song forms after the experimentalism of Close to the Edge, Tales from Topographic Oceans, and Relayer. In many ways, this disc could be seen as the follow-up to Fragile. Its five tracks still retain mystical, abstract lyrical images, and the music is grand and melodic, the vocal harmonies perfectly balanced by the stinging guitar work of Steve Howe, Wakeman's keyboards, and the solid rhythms of Alan White and Chris Squire. The title track features Howe on steel guitar (he's the only prog rocker who bothers with the instrument). "Turn of the Century" and the album's single, "Wonderous Stories," are lovely ballads the way only Yes can do them. "Parallels" is the album's big, pompous song, so well done that in later years the band opened concerts with it. Wakeman's stately church organ, recorded at St. Martin's Church, Vevey, Switzerland, sets the tone for this "Roundabout"-ish track. The concluding "Awaken" is the album's nod to the extended suite. Again, the lyrics are spacy in the extreme, but Jon Anderson and Squire are dead-on vocally, and the addition of Anderson's harp and White's tuned percussion round out this evocative track. Ross Boissoneau  

Tracklist :

1.     Going For The One (Anderson) 5:33

2.     Turn Of The Century (Anderson-Howe-White) 7:56

3.     Parallels (Squire) 5:58

4.     Wonderous Stories (Anderson) 3:50

5.     Awaken (Anderson-Howe) 15:38
– BONUS TRACK –

6.     Montreux's Theme (Howe-Squire-Anderson-White) 2:38

7.     Vevey (Revisted) (Anderson- Wakeman) 4:47

8.     Amazing Grace (Traditional, Arranged by Chris Squire) 2:36

9.     Going For The One (Rehearsal) (Anderson) 5:11

10.     Parallels (Rehearsal) (Squire) 6:21

11.     Turn Of The Century (Rehearsal) (Anderson-Howe-White) 6:59

12.     Eastern Numbers (Early Version of 'Awaken') (Anderson-Howe) 12:17

Musicians :

Jon Anderson - Vocals, Percussion, Harp

Chris Squire - Bass guitar, Vocals

Steve Howe - Electric and Acoustic Guitars, Portuguese 12 String (incorrectly listed as a vachalia at the time), Lap Steel Guitar, Vocal

Rick Wakeman - Piano, Organ, Polymoog and Minimoog Synthesizers, Pipe Organ

Alan White - Drums, Percussion