The Ladder?

[progdirjim(Admin)]

Originally Posted by kirk

Jim's older than spaz, but his mindset is such that he has
a hard time w/ Awaken, Echoes, where my group holds them in high reverence...

I should clarify that I LIKE Awaken and Echoes, I just get confused when people list them as favorite prog songs ever or favorites from Yes/Floyd. Those songs feel like "obligations" to me. And to emphasize (I think) Kirk's point, even as an old timer (I remember when Relayer and Trilogy and Trick of the Tail were released), I really like a lot of the new music coming out; take a look at the music we're adding to the moon every month - the majority of it is new stuff, released within the last 5 years. The spirit of progressive is NEWNESS, to me...

[kirk]

Originally Posted by progdirjim

The spirit of progressive is NEWNESS, to me...

Exactly! That's the hairsplit, the difference between progressive the act,
or verb, i.e.- Radiohead, and the genre we've come to know as "prog",
which is sometimes anything other than progressive, bands that play
in the style of the 70's, AKA "Neoprog".

I'd have to say I lean toward Progressive bands, or bands that were
progressive in their time. CTTE was progressive in it's day, The
Ladder I'd have to say, isn't. A few nice tunes, but nothing groundbreaking
or advancing the genre.

Yes in some ways, is now forced into a box of having to duplicate their
former sound, not to alienate the following.
I doubt they could get away w/ something as leftfield as Relayer these days.


K

[Yesspaz]

Originally Posted by kirk

I doubt they could get away w/ something as leftfield as Relayer these days.

Whew! I have to disagree. That's EXACTLY what Yes would benefit most from and get away with is something left field. Keys to Ascension was just that. Those sessions were in the style of Yes but sounded like nothing they'd done before. They need some newness too. What's always kept Yes fresh was fresh blood. The Ladder was something great and new because of Igor and Billy - electronics and such (see "Face to Face").

Originally Posted by Jim

...Awaken and Echoes, I just get confused when people list them as favorite prog songs ever or favorites from Yes/Floyd. Those songs feel like "obligations" to me.

While I disagree, I can see what you mean. To me, the "obligatory" Yes song is "Heart of the Sunrise." Everybody seems to think it's sooooooooo great, but it's probably my least favorite 10+ Yes song. I just don't get the popularity of that song. When they play it live people go crazy, and I'm like, "eh, wish they'd played 'Sound Chaser' instead."

Which gives me an idea for a thread: What are the prog rock classics that you just can't see why they are?

[kirk]

Originally Posted by Yesspaz

That's EXACTLY what Yes would benefit most from and get away with is something left field.

Spaz- you don't know how badly I wish they would do something that
groundbreaking. After the More Drama/Syn fiasco, I get the feeling
they're having a hard time just staying afloat financially.
Chances of them sticking their necks out on what may be the swan song
seems unlikely.

If you're not up on the Syn thing, Nardinelli was making posts at Yesfans,
AGP under assumed names as well as his own, claiming the Syn were in the studio
working on the next album. Chris and his girlfriend Scottie, a longtime Yesfan,
gave that a huge WTF!?!, a flame war between them ensued for all to see.
As a result, it became so nasty Scottie was banned from AGP.
Michelle from Yesservices ( who has since passed away) was placed in the
middle, as was the Syn's publicist.

Chris stated he's now in the studio, working on a followup to his
1st album, "Fish...". Nardinelli is planning to continue w/ the Syn,
sans Chris, which should go over like a dental floss booth at a
Willie Nelson concert.
Jon and Rick are on tour together, reportedly coming to the U.S.

K

[Rick and Roll]

As usual, I tried to make a point and ended up getting too wordy, then lost my original premise trying to couch it in a oversimplification.

Thanks for straightening me out about the age thing. Kirk and Jim, you're exactly right. let me try it again...

I think the favorite (or most special personally) record by an artist is more likely to be the one that is listened to as you become musically "of age". This of course is not a absolute truth, just an idea.

[claycorn]

my first yes show was the ladder tour and my ex gal pal got me the cd,the cd is wonderful and i enjoy it everytime i put it on ^_^

[progdirjim(Admin)]

Originally Posted by kirk

which should go over like a dental floss booth at a
Willie Nelson concert.

Funniest post ever...

[Lemur]

Well, I should make a not about my generation:

When I was a child, I was musically lost. My parents never listened to popular music around me, so I was oblivious to everything. I grew up hearing a collection of children's songs and rare snippets of Eric Johnson.

Sometime in elementary school, music courses began exposing me to "oldies"--hits from the 50's. I was oblivious to most music, really, and I was lost in and endless sea of genres and stuff. One day I was channel surfing on a wooden handmade radio that my dad gave to me as a toy (we're not talking a fancy radio or anything like that...just a circuit pinned on a plain old board), I happened across an oldies station. I recognized one of the songs and kept listening. I was then mesmerized by Simon and Garfunkel, and then after having a taste of that I began to devote a lot more time listening to music.

I'd sit and listen to the radio for hours, I guess (I don't remember). I stayed with oldies for several years until I had heard most of the genre. One day I heard my dad listening to a classic rock station, and I was ready for something new, so I made the switch. Now I was enveloped in the 60's and 70's--it was all I knew. I also got exposed to a select few 80's and 90's bands that way.

Slowly I worked my way up through the decades, and by the time I made my journey to contemporary music, prog was the only clear choice here. While I listen to much popular and recent prog, you must understand that my roots go way back.

However, it is true that I've had to go back and rediscover certain bands like Yes. While I was exposed to quite a few Yes songs back in the classic rock days, I only got to hear the neatest tunes that were radio friendly. It wasn't until much later that I discovered the beauty and depth of artists like Yes. Before you get all up against radio, though, it was thanks to a classic rock station that I truly grew to love Yes, because I heard one of their albums played in entirety during a special program. I can even remember writing an e-mail to my uncle (a long time Yes fan) telling him that I just realized how great they were.

[PFD]

The Ladder is OK, I find there's a fair bit of filler on it, though. I prefer Magnification actually.

I really like the studio stuff they did on KTA and am disappointed they never seem to attempt something like That, That Is live...a modern day Yes classic.

Talk, IMO, is the best of the Rabin period Yes. Endless Dream is great, although some of the noisy parts in the beginning annoy me.

We won't talk about Open Your Eyes. I listened to it once, i think. Wasn't their a song on that, IIRC, that was ripped off one of Jon Anderson's solo albums?

I love Heart of the Sunrise. I agree it may be time to ditch it from the live set, cause they've been doing it all the time, it seems, since 1972. However, to me, Heart of the Sunrise is the quintessential progressive rock song. Just the way it is structured, and how perfect it all comes together; whenever somebody asks me to define progressive rock, I make them play that song. And You and I is almost the same.

Relayer is one of my least favourite Yes albums. Everynow and then I try to listen to Gates, which is OK, but the other two songs drive me insane. Something about them I just can't put my finger on..sort of like Yes' G-spot.

Tales From Topagraphic Oceans is hit or miss. I can never listen to the whole thing anymore, but from time to time I get in the mood for Revealing Science or Rituals.

If I had to rate my top Yes albums....in no particular order I would pick:
Fragile, Close To The Edge; Going For The One; KTA 1; Drama.