It has been quoted frequently, but a quote from Rick Wakeman (Yes’s long-time keyboardist) describing Jon Anderson (the vocalist) says: He’s the only guy I know trying to save this planet whilst living on another one.
Yeah I have to agree, but imagine if Brian Wilson or George Martin had access to these things they would have been pushing technology as far as they could push it. That being said something magical can happen when you record analog, because you have to commit to the fact that you can't do anything else that's the best I can do.
@@petermay3861 Absolutely. Sir George's innovation would create new applications with today's technology. And I love the fact that, like a great painting, Tomorrow Never Knows with his tape loops can never be reproduced, even with the same musicians, studio, etc. Flaws = empathy, and keep us coming back for more.
My senior year in high school, we moved from the suburbs to the heart of Berkeley, Ca. I Immediately fell in with a group of Prog hippies (mainly for the girls at first). When the Fragile album was released, you couldn’t imagine a more stereotypical early 70s listening party. Shag carpet, beanbag chairs, large pillows, and candles, and incense burning. Add to that it was in the basement of some girls house, whose hippie parents were teachers at the University, and you have the perfect setting. To say that one afternoon was life-changing would probably be an understatement. Musically, it was probably the most important experience of my life.
Great story. I was at Kent State when I saw them in 73 and one of the house mates played that album all the time on a great system. Guys and girls about 10 of us. @@sirajaxl
On October 3, 1978 I and a fellow police officer worked band security in Las Cruces, New Mexico at the Yes concert. I had become friends with Nigel Luby the Sound Engineer. The performance was memorable to say the least. A great guy as was his close friend Chris Squire. Neither are with us any longer. I am 75 years old now and still enjoy some of the greatest rock of all time. Thanks A&A.
Chris Squire is my favorite bass player of all time and Long Distance Runaround/The Fish (Schindleria Praematurus) is one of my favorite songs to play!!! It’s so crazy to think he was only 23 when he recorded these basslines, what a legend. RIP to the GOAT Chris Squire.
Chris Squire, master of the Rickenbacker bass bar none. Most of the riffs in The Fish were mostly by Squire sans the percussion, and they needed 8 syllables to match the song and a fish species, hence Schindleria Praematurus. Also Bill Bruford throwing you off the snare!
I love his drumming on King Crimson in discipline. It's like a triplet slow five but at various points he's superimposes a straight time signature over it with the snare.
Great suggestion. Andy & Alex: when you do South Side of the Sky, you really ought to start off with the preceding track "We Have Heaven". The segue from that into South Side is really cool...very Floydian! And also, it showcases Jon's voice.
@@dhfenske - Perfect suggestion! It's really hard to pick, but South Side might be my all-time-favorite Yes song! It is just so freaking fire, it will levitate you off the ground. It might be Steve's best work, IMO, not to mention how the entire band comes together on that one! To me, this is the HEAVIEST Yes song! Gives me chills just thinking about it!!!!
This was amazing live. Look for any YES concert videos to see Chris Squire take over and show his amazing and genius bass skills during live versions of this song. And as for Geddy Lee, he was very influenced by Jon Anderson's singing voice, and enormously influenced by Chris Squire's bass playing. You need more YES!
I've seen videos on TH-cam of Chris squire playing a song off of his solo album Fish Out of Water. I believe it was a UK video, and it's pretty good quality
One of the BEST examples of "empty space" being effective in song writing. Every instrument has a PURPOSE in the verses. Back when music made sense....good Lord. Love you guys!
This and Starship Trooper/Wurm are absolute "S". I was 10 or 11 back in 1973/74 when I was introduced to Yes and it changed my music choices for years.
I'm right there with you, also being introduced to Yes at about 9 by my much older brother. The first album I ever bought was Close to the Edge. I was 14 and rode my bicycle 2 miles to the record store and bought the 8-track (I didn't have a record player at the time, just an 8-track player). While other kids in middle school were listening to whatever pop crap was on the radio, I was doing my homework to Yes going non-stop over and over.
"I think my brain broke." - Alex Haha! This album did that to a lot of us, dude. YES "Fragile" is always the answer when I get the question, "What album had the most impact on you when you were young?" This album changed how I view what was possible in music. So glad you guys did both LDR/The Fish together. It's really the only way to do it. Growing up my local radio stations always played them together. Live they would do these together and Chris Squire's bass solo was always epic. Most of the time it was a duet with drummer, Alan White. You guys still need to finish out the 'Close To The Edge' album with "And You And I". And by the way, Geddy Lee said in a recent interview that Jon Anderson is his favorite singer!
@@AgingDrummerBoy-ly1js I agree, though these days gold is worth almost twice as much as gold. We might have to update our definitions! Maybe it should be gold and then palladium to top it.
Chris Squire was without a doubt one of the most influential bass players in rock, he inspired so many bass players. This song and Roundabout are two songs than can never fail to put me in a good mood when I am feeling down.
Great dance tune 😂 Really, during the verses Bruford is playing in 5/8 while the rest of the band is in 4/4. He's the master of making odd time signatures sound natural.
I saw YES four times, and every time was unique. They put on insane concerts! So glad y'all are going back and experiencing just a little bit of their mastery.
Yes is unreal for their time!! Bill Bruford incredible, as well as every musician in the band! To see them live is better than studio, they are so intense!!❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
I saw this band three times before my 16th birthday! The Yes Album, Fragile and Close to the Edge! All 3 times at Cobo Hall in Detroit! Had a shoebox full of ticket stubs by the time I was 21! Still go to Rock Concerts at age 67!
These guys are icons. Lots of weed, headphones and listening to this on the old hi fi back in the day. Saw Jon Anderson a couple of years ago, solo, and it was one of the best shows I have ever seen. Still has the pipes.
My favorite Yes tune. Extremely surprised you guys didn't know this one. It was really mesmerizing seeing them play this live...didn't miss a beat. Thanks A & A. ❤😊
I absolutely understand your rating. I feel like Yes was too potent for me to handle as a teenager in the 70's (same with most Emerson, Lake and Palmer), and until this very video I didn't question that impression. For that reason I haven't listened to that song in 45 years and was surprised to find that I could track (hence enjoy) it a lot better now. My hat is/was off to those who could handle it at a younger age-- it showed me that I wasn't always the best musician in the room, and that my musical understanding was shaped/limited by my classical training. I think I'll give this song a trial in my Spotify playlist and see if I can actually ENJOY it now, as opposed to merely respecting it. Thanks for reviewing it-- you've expanded my world!
This song really gives me a childhood vibe - out of 7 kids, only one of my older sisters was a prog rock fan, and I "borrowed" this album from her so many times. I like very few whole albums by any band, but this one was so amazing.
Eargasm! Glad for classic Yes!! I am so thankful that I got to see them(and bassist Chris Squire) in 2001 in Kettering Ohio. Enjoy.. this one is timeless!!
@@bookhouseboy280I will have to check that out; it sounds interesting. Considering how ethereal it is, I can imagine it very difficult to find and maintain one's footing.
The snare is in 5, by the way, until the end of the verse where it moves to 4 then a couple 3's. Bruford also pulls this trick, albeit in slow-motion, in the middle section of "Starless" on King Crimson's _Red_ album, another song just waiting to blow your heads off if it hasn't already... Also, the intro theme was apparently stolen from some American Western tv commercial Howe and Anderson were watching...
That is a BAND! Jon Anderson vocals, Steve Howe on that whirling dervish of a guitar, Squire on Bass, Bruford on Drums and Wakeman on keyboards (I believe)...
I was literally thinking yesterday, and wondering to myself, if you guys just forgot about YES. They have so many pieces of music that I know you'll love, so I'm glad you finally got back to them, but I'm assuming that you both "now realize" that 'Close to the Edge' is a magical piece of music, and a true masterpiece. Sure hope you've come to realize that. Now I'm going to watch your reaction here. Hoping you'll greatly enjoy this cool piece of music.
Have you watched Rick Beato’s recent interview with Andy Summers yet? AS talks about how Sting could effortlessly play a complicated bass line while simultaneously singing a completely different melody.
8:20 Don't bother trying to count time while listening to Bill Bruford. No one but Bill knows what he's doing, which is why he has always been my favorite drummer. When Bruford played in King Crimson with John Wetton, Robert Fripp referred to them as 'A Flying Brick Wall'. The most accurate description I've ever heard.
I had this as my ringtone for a long time. A lady I worked with (who had no clue who YES was) told me to let the phone ring until it repeated, she was fascinated by a few seconds long clip - that, my friends, is the power of this song!
Some nice prog rock. You need to hit an instrumental by Emerson, Lake, and Palmer called Tank. I used it to test all my speakers and headphones. You will thank me.
Putting this on the turntable on a Saturday morning, Cuban coffee in hand, cleaning my little house with so much joy and energy. Playing it again while doing the laundry, then one more time while making a wonderful, fragrant meal for my husband when he came home from his Saturday shift. We were so fulfilled with YES at home, at parties, running errands in the car while playing YES on cassette. Everyday life filled with ethereal music for two young people in love! We knew we were more than lucky! It wasn’t only YES, there were so many great prog rock bands!
In the late 70s and early 80s, my friends and I would hit the park with some beer and throw the frisbee around. ONLY Yes would be blasting from our boombox, since the music was so joyously atmospheric and ephemeral.
The first version of this album I owned was on 8-track, and it just never gets old. Chris Squire is still my favorite bassist. So glad you're getting back to Yes. "I feel like my rain broke" is the correct response to a good Yes song.
The first concert I ever went to was Yes in Seattle in 75 when I was 15. I even named my daughter after the person who took me ! And yes, Chris Squire was the greatest modern bass player that I've ever heard for sure. ✌️❤️🤘🥁
I am so fortunate to have heard Yes play the 'Fragile' songs on tour back in 1971. One of my all time favorite bands. This album has some of the best Chris Squire bass licks!! RIP 'fish'.
It's like the old days of A&A - hitting classic Yes and being blown away. Those two songs were always played together. For some more prog, I'd love to see your reaction to anything off of Genesis "Selling England By the Pound" album. You did hit Firth Of Fifth already. Or better yet, hit the whole album. It's a prog dream ride down a river of sauce.
Haven't heard this passage in every bit of a decade. 60 years old now, and you guys just put me back onto my teenager bed, headphones on, lights out, taking a swim in the THC. Thanks!
One of my all time favorite songs, and the first song I remember having memorized all of the lyrics...when I was very young. This is the benchmark of "S Tier" for me, and yeah I adore Roundabout, but THIS song really, really, changed the way I thought of music. The "I Think My Brain Broke" comment is SO F-ING TRUE!!! I always say that it's my early love and appreciation for YES that made me such a fan of TOOL when they started releasing music. Thanks for sharing!
From the Fragile liner notes: Five tracks on this album are the individual ideas, personally arranged and organized, by the five members of the band. "Cans and Brahms" is an adaptation by Rick Wakeman on which he plays electric piano taking the part of the strings, grand piano taking the part of the woodwind, organ taking the brass, electric harpsichord taking reeds, and synthesizer taking contra bassoon. "We Have Heaven" is a personal idea by Jon Anderson in which he sings all the vocal parts. "Five per cent for Nothing" is a sixteen bar tune by Bill Bruford, played twice by the group, and taken directly from the percussion line. In Chris Squire's "The Fish", each riff, rhythm, and melody is produced by using the different sounds of the bass guitar. Steve Howe concludes with a solo guitar piece, "Mood for a Day".
Wow, that would be so cool. I'm old enough to be part of the Grand funk railroad generation. And also sorry yes live in the mid-1970s. Never got to see Grand Funk though. 🙁
Great suggestion. Andy & Alex: when you do South Side of the Sky, you really ought to start off with the preceding track "We Have Heaven". The segue from that into South Side is really cool...very Floydian! And also, it showcases Jon's voice.
One of their many classic prog. Rock tunes going perfectly into Chris’s masterpiece named in honor of him. Fish was Chris’s nickname besides him being a pieces he used to take very long baths hence the nickname fish!What Jon was singing in the Fish was the scientific name for a type of fish that never fully matured as an adult fish!Now react to either Perpetual Change or Southside of The Sky!
It's hella A+ listenable while driving. I don't get Andy's not going as high with Yes as he goes with Pink Floyd, when this is the same quality-style thing. How about some solo Jon Anderson next? His collaborations with classical film soundtrack composer Vangelis is really something. The title track of their album The Friends of Mr. Cairo is worthy, but my favorite track from it, "State of Independence" is just stunning and very Yes-like in rhythm complexity, etc.
"My local radio station ( out here in the cornfields of Southern Illinois) played "I'll Find My Way Back Home" on a semi-heavy rotation...5 or 6 times a day. For the last 20 years, or so, they returned to what now passes as a "Country Music" format.
Bruford sounds simple... until you try to count along. The Fish was ALL Chris on bass, plus some percussion and Jon helping on duet vocals with Chris. On Fragile, each of the members did a solo song, except technically Rick, who's A&M contract for his solo career prevented him from adding a personal composition so he arranged a Brahms piece for his solo song - Cans and Brahms. Hit the last group song "South Side of the Sky" it rocks and is a sweet composition. It has constantly risen over the years of listening until now it is one of my favorites of Yes, almost equal with Roundabout, but not quite Close to the Edge. Check it out. Everybody has some very tasty bits on it. Cheers Peace from SF
Alex: "That just broke my brain." To a prog-lover, that is the highest praise you can give music. A great prog band promises "we will break your brain." A prog-lover says "bring it!" It's like a contest between band and listener, and the listener *wants* to lose. Yes works harder than any other band to break your brain. You simply *can't* follow everything. You can listen 100 times and not follow everything. They break your brain every time. That's why they're the best.
It never fails to amaze me how Chris could put so many bass tracks/parts together that sound so amazing you dont even miss any of the other instruments. Just bass and drums and it sounds so rich. Wow….
Love both your facial expressions during this whole song. I was a junior in High School when this came out. Boy we were lucky, the greatest music period ever!
You need to do "Perpetual Change" off of the "YESSONGS" album. The whole song is great, esp Rick Wakemans Mellotron playing. Bill Bruford's drum solo is beyond belief!
I think you guys would enjoy earlier, more proto-prog Yes tunes, from when they were like a gonzo psychedelic band. Check out Beyond and Before, Looking Around, and Astral Traveller. The gritty, funky bass playing on those is just insane.
I love the stuff they do on this song with syncopation and time signatures. Before you go too much further in your Yes journey do hit "I've Seen All Good People"
Four of the greatest Master instrumentalists you'll ever hear and add Jon's brilliant vocalizations.... pure Prog Heaven. I've been to 32 YES shows since my first one which was Edge in '72. I've seen the best and worst lineups; this one is classic. Listen to the entire Yessongs album on a half-speed master!
The late Chris Squire was unparalleled on bass 🔊. Simply the best 👌.
And vocal harmonies
Yep. Big Squire fan. But Steve Howe is great in his own right on guitar.
The Fish.
He definitely was one of the best!
Love Squire!
Steve Howe's first break?!🤯
2nd?!
It has been quoted frequently, but a quote from Rick Wakeman (Yes’s long-time keyboardist) describing Jon Anderson (the vocalist) says: He’s the only guy I know trying to save this planet whilst living on another one.
Rick Waksman I say was the best keyboardist of the 70s. He did some awesome work after leaving yes.
That's so cool... 🗺
@@Edward-tm1dmtrue! Journey to the Centre of the Earth is a tremendously underrated album.
Wakeman is the funniest man in show business
@@Edward-tm1dm Top 5 for sure...Keith Emerson too?
No grid. No sampling, patch downloads, AI, autotune or dozen producers. Just talent.
ANALOG , Brother ….
3M three inch tape decks .
…. why do we need digital … ?
Semper Fi
Yeah I have to agree, but imagine if Brian Wilson or George Martin had access to these things they would have been pushing technology as far as they could push it. That being said something magical can happen when you record analog, because you have to commit to the fact that you can't do anything else that's the best I can do.
@@petermay3861 Absolutely. Sir George's innovation would create new applications with today's technology. And I love the fact that, like a great painting, Tomorrow Never Knows with his tape loops can never be reproduced, even with the same musicians, studio, etc. Flaws = empathy, and keep us coming back for more.
They did have Eddie Offord, their 6th member and secret weapon.
@@michaelhogan6770 Absolutely. People miss that the Yes sound on these records is impeccable. Great tone from the instruments.
Just the first notes make me break out in goosebumps. One of my favorite albums of all time. ❤ This album should've been done in its entirety!
My senior year in high school, we moved from the suburbs to the heart of Berkeley, Ca. I Immediately fell in with a group of Prog hippies (mainly for the girls at first). When the Fragile album was released, you couldn’t imagine a more stereotypical early 70s listening party. Shag carpet, beanbag chairs, large pillows, and candles, and incense burning. Add to that it was in the basement of some girls house, whose hippie parents were teachers at the University, and you have the perfect setting. To say that one afternoon was life-changing would probably be an understatement. Musically, it was probably the most important experience of my life.
Great story. I was at Kent State when I saw them in 73 and one of the house mates played that album all the time on a great system. Guys and girls about 10 of us. @@sirajaxl
Does it to me every time...eyes water,goosbumps the lot.
On October 3, 1978 I and a fellow police officer worked band security in Las Cruces, New Mexico at the Yes concert. I had become friends with Nigel Luby the Sound Engineer. The performance was memorable to say the least. A great guy as was his close friend Chris Squire. Neither are with us any longer. I am 75 years old now and still enjoy some of the greatest rock of all time. Thanks A&A.
Chris Squire is my favorite bass player of all time and Long Distance Runaround/The Fish (Schindleria Praematurus) is one of my favorite songs to play!!! It’s so crazy to think he was only 23 when he recorded these basslines, what a legend. RIP to the GOAT Chris Squire.
"South Side Of The Sky" is such a banger! My favorite on the record.
Chris Squire, master of the Rickenbacker bass bar none. Most of the riffs in The Fish were mostly by Squire sans the percussion, and they needed 8 syllables to match the song and a fish species, hence Schindleria Praematurus. Also Bill Bruford throwing you off the snare!
His 2-3 pattern is rough to get used to since you're expecting 2-2 or 3-3.
Shout out to Bill Bruford! ✌️❤️🤘🥁
also one heck of a backing vocalist.
I love his drumming on King Crimson in discipline. It's like a triplet slow five but at various points he's superimposes a straight time signature over it with the snare.
This album helped turn so many kids like me onto classical music, along with Emerson, Lake, and Palmer (Pictures at an Exhibition!)
❤ Thank you guys. Thank you, thank you thank you. South side of the sky is the next cut off that album that you simply must hear.❤
Great suggestion. Andy & Alex: when you do South Side of the Sky, you really ought to start off with the preceding track "We Have Heaven". The segue from that into South Side is really cool...very Floydian! And also, it showcases Jon's voice.
@@dhfenske - Perfect suggestion! It's really hard to pick, but South Side might be my all-time-favorite Yes song! It is just so freaking fire, it will levitate you off the ground. It might be Steve's best work, IMO, not to mention how the entire band comes together on that one! To me, this is the HEAVIEST Yes song! Gives me chills just thinking about it!!!!
Great suggestion. Totally agree.
The piano Interlude about halfway through this song is one of my favorite moments in one of my favorite songs
Good call. It's my favorite Rick Wakeman performance with Yes.
What gets me about these early 70s prog bands is how they were able to compose this
complicated music, at such a "very young" age.
Jon Anderson is still performing. He is 79 and sounds like an angle
That shows you what a good early musical education used to do!
@scottboswell6406 Anderson Squire and Howe are all self-taught, pretty cool, eh 👑
How were they able to compose this at such a young age? LSD in copious amounts.
@@oboogie2Nope, pure talent and hard work. 😊
This was amazing live. Look for any YES concert videos to see Chris Squire take over and show his amazing and genius bass skills during live versions of this song. And as for Geddy Lee, he was very influenced by Jon Anderson's singing voice, and enormously influenced by Chris Squire's bass playing. You need more YES!
100%
❤
I've seen videos on TH-cam of Chris squire playing a song off of his solo album Fish Out of Water. I believe it was a UK video, and it's pretty good quality
Yes!
My flashbacks & goosebumps are still there!
Jon’s voice is still ethereal!✌️❤️
...yep, and the kicker is his voice is STILL ethereal.
The tempo changes in this song alone is enough to make me drool. Such GREAT musicianship all around.
You can definitely hear the influence they had on Rush in this song. Great band.
Even funnier is that Geddy Lee just said in a recent interview that Jon Anderson is his favorite rock singer of all time.
Minstrel in the Gallery by Jethro Tull
Heavy Horses by Jethro Tull
Songs From the Wood by Jethro Tull
You will love every one of them.
Love Tull!
One of the BEST examples of "empty space" being effective in song writing. Every instrument has a PURPOSE in the verses. Back when music made sense....good Lord. Love you guys!
This and Starship Trooper/Wurm are absolute "S".
I was 10 or 11 back in 1973/74 when I was introduced to Yes and it changed my music choices for years.
I'm right there with you, also being introduced to Yes at about 9 by my much older brother. The first album I ever bought was Close to the Edge. I was 14 and rode my bicycle 2 miles to the record store and bought the 8-track (I didn't have a record player at the time, just an 8-track player). While other kids in middle school were listening to whatever pop crap was on the radio, I was doing my homework to Yes going non-stop over and over.
Ditto, I was about 13 and it's had an effect on my music ever since.
Once you hear Yes, your musical paradigms are shattered and rebuilt again. And then again. And then again.
"I think my brain broke." - Alex
Haha! This album did that to a lot of us, dude. YES "Fragile" is always the answer when I get the question, "What album had the most impact on you when you were young?" This album changed how I view what was possible in music.
So glad you guys did both LDR/The Fish together. It's really the only way to do it. Growing up my local radio stations always played them together. Live they would do these together and Chris Squire's bass solo was always epic. Most of the time it was a duet with drummer, Alan White.
You guys still need to finish out the 'Close To The Edge' album with "And You And I".
And by the way, Geddy Lee said in a recent interview that Jon Anderson is his favorite singer!
In the end, it's Yes. Grand. Complex. Sweeping. Timeless. Probably my favorite band of all time.
Geddy Lee modeled his bass playing on Chris Squire. Squire is the gold standard.
Platinum
@@AgingDrummerBoy-ly1js I agree, though these days gold is worth almost twice as much as gold. We might have to update our definitions! Maybe it should be gold and then palladium to top it.
Rickenbacker!
Insane rating. This has been an S-tier song for over half a century now.
Chris Squire was without a doubt one of the most influential bass players in rock, he inspired so many bass players. This song and Roundabout are two songs than can never fail to put me in a good mood when I am feeling down.
Great dance tune 😂 Really, during the verses Bruford is playing in 5/8 while the rest of the band is in 4/4. He's the master of making odd time signatures sound natural.
Chris Squire + bass = heaven.
The live version from Yessongs which includes Chris’ greatest solo of The Fish. Play those but wear seatbelts.
Southside of the Sky & Heart of the Sunrise are both epic. Chris Squire's Fish Out of Water album is also fantastic!
Yes, great suggestion. “Silently Falling”? “Lucky Seven”?
The first track, Hold Out Your Hand is my favorite. I sounds like an old Yes cut.
This is S tier. You guys are crazy. You will listen to this song again in the future and regret your words... and letters!
I saw YES four times, and every time was unique. They put on insane concerts! So glad y'all are going back and experiencing just a little bit of their mastery.
I love the band, they are all so talented. All their songs are good you can't go wrong with Yes.
Yes is unreal for their time!! Bill Bruford incredible, as well as every musician in the band! To see them live is better than studio, they are so intense!!❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
I saw this band three times before my 16th birthday! The Yes Album, Fragile and Close to the Edge! All 3 times at Cobo Hall in Detroit! Had a shoebox full of ticket stubs by the time I was 21! Still go to Rock Concerts at age 67!
YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS HIS VOICE IS ANOTHER INSTRUMENT I LOVE THIS BAND LOL!!!! S TEIR SONG
These guys are icons. Lots of weed, headphones and listening to this on the old hi fi back in the day. Saw Jon Anderson a couple of years ago, solo, and it was one of the best shows I have ever seen. Still has the pipes.
great seeing you guys enjoying Yes. i can never play just one song they all run together, contiguous and continuous
dont know if you've covered it yet or not....but "Going For The One" is a song of theirs I always liked....
“And You And I” off the Close To The Edge album needs to be next. It’s candy prog with a great hook.
My favorite!🤩
My favorite YES song!
Every now and then a song comes along. This is one such song.
My first concert in Germany in 1974 and it was fantastic!! We were fairly close to the stage.
Down by the river??😂
I see what you did there.
Were you close to the edge of the stage?
Saw them in concert simply fantastic!!!!!!!!!’
Squire is possessed on this little masterpiece. Then Howe’s harmonic sweeps on The Fish is just pure genius.
My favorite Yes tune. Extremely surprised you guys didn't know this one. It was really mesmerizing seeing them play this live...didn't miss a beat. Thanks A & A. ❤😊
I absolutely understand your rating. I feel like Yes was too potent for me to handle as a teenager in the 70's (same with most Emerson, Lake and Palmer), and until this very video I didn't question that impression. For that reason I haven't listened to that song in 45 years and was surprised to find that I could track (hence enjoy) it a lot better now. My hat is/was off to those who could handle it at a younger age-- it showed me that I wasn't always the best musician in the room, and that my musical understanding was shaped/limited by my classical training. I think I'll give this song a trial in my Spotify playlist and see if I can actually ENJOY it now, as opposed to merely respecting it. Thanks for reviewing it-- you've expanded my world!
Can't expect more than that!✌️❤️🤘🥁
Welcome to the A&A experience!!!
Some mushrooms would’ve helped a whole lot !!
I could listen to this any day, any time, multiple times -- and have, for fifty years.
Thanks to two older brothers, I heard Yes for the first time, at the age of 12. I've loved them ever since. So glad you enjoyed.
I was fortunate enough to experience Yes, three times back in the 70's. And it was more of an experience than just a concert. Great, great stuff!
Thank you for doing The Fish at the end! Chris Squire is an inspiration. Not only a ground-breaking, killer bass player, but an amazing singer.
Goosebumps! Love YES! ❤️
This song really gives me a childhood vibe - out of 7 kids, only one of my older sisters was a prog rock fan, and I "borrowed" this album from her so many times. I like very few whole albums by any band, but this one was so amazing.
The greatest musicians Ever! Combined into YES to create the best Band ever! They don't "need" a studio, they sound just as amazing Live!
Eargasm! Glad for classic Yes!!
I am so thankful that I got to see them(and bassist Chris Squire) in 2001 in Kettering Ohio. Enjoy.. this one is timeless!!
This was our listening music in the 70's. Best music ever in 60's and 70's. Pity today's drivel. RIP JIM LADD.
Love when you guys cover Yes. I hope you check out The Revealing Science of God and Perpetual Change. They are both thick, hearty sauce
Medication recommended
Mike Portnoy has quite the story concerning the challenge of learning to play The Revealing.
@@bookhouseboy280I will have to check that out; it sounds interesting. Considering how ethereal it is, I can imagine it very difficult to find and maintain one's footing.
The snare is in 5, by the way, until the end of the verse where it moves to 4 then a couple 3's. Bruford also pulls this trick, albeit in slow-motion, in the middle section of "Starless" on King Crimson's _Red_ album, another song just waiting to blow your heads off if it hasn't already... Also, the intro theme was apparently stolen from some American Western tv commercial Howe and Anderson were watching...
Yes, The RED album is dope. I saw them on that tour, my favorite version of King Crimson.
I think you are thinking of the intro to Yours is No Disgrace which they have often said was inspired by the them song for the TV show Bonanza
@@darrinwilson8484 Somebody must be misremembering something -- the Bonanza theme doesn't sound anything like any part of Yours is No Disgrace!
That is a BAND! Jon Anderson vocals, Steve Howe on that whirling dervish of a guitar, Squire on Bass, Bruford on Drums and Wakeman on keyboards (I believe)...
Yup. That was the lineup for Fragile and CttE. Peak Yes.
I was literally thinking yesterday, and wondering to myself, if you guys just forgot about YES. They have so many pieces of music that I know you'll love, so I'm glad you finally got back to them, but I'm assuming that you both "now realize" that 'Close to the Edge' is a magical piece of music, and a true masterpiece. Sure hope you've come to realize that. Now I'm going to watch your reaction here. Hoping you'll greatly enjoy this cool piece of music.
That’s what a Rickenbacker bass is supposed to sound like. Played masterfully by Chris Squire and singing perfect harmony parts at the same time
Have you watched Rick Beato’s recent interview with Andy Summers yet? AS talks about how Sting could effortlessly play a complicated bass line while simultaneously singing a completely different melody.
8:20 Don't bother trying to count time while listening to Bill Bruford. No one but Bill knows what he's doing, which is why he has always been my favorite drummer. When Bruford played in King Crimson with John Wetton, Robert Fripp referred to them as 'A Flying Brick Wall'. The most accurate description I've ever heard.
if you get it, you get it , and it's phenomenal ❤❤❤ that you are both so conflicted like I rarely seen before speaks to how great this really is
I had this as my ringtone for a long time. A lady I worked with (who had no clue who YES was) told me to let the phone ring until it repeated, she was fascinated by a few seconds long clip - that, my friends, is the power of this song!
Some nice prog rock. You need to hit an instrumental by Emerson, Lake, and Palmer called Tank. I used it to test all my speakers and headphones. You will thank me.
Putting this on the turntable on a Saturday morning, Cuban coffee in hand, cleaning my little house with so much joy and energy. Playing it again while doing the laundry, then one more time while making a wonderful, fragrant meal for my husband when he came home from his Saturday shift. We were so fulfilled with YES at home, at parties, running errands in the car while playing YES on cassette. Everyday life filled with ethereal music for two young people in love! We knew we were more than lucky! It wasn’t only YES, there were so many great prog rock bands!
There was nothin like listenin to tunes on the radio back in the day and a Yes tune would come on....
In the late 70s and early 80s, my friends and I would hit the park with some beer and throw the frisbee around. ONLY Yes would be blasting from our boombox, since the music was so joyously atmospheric and ephemeral.
We did the same thing! Great memories!
Absolutely the same 🙏🍁
Good times!🤘😁
The first version of this album I owned was on 8-track, and it just never gets old. Chris Squire is still my favorite bassist. So glad you're getting back to Yes. "I feel like my rain broke" is the correct response to a good Yes song.
The first concert I ever went to was Yes in Seattle in 75 when I was 15. I even named my daughter after the person who took me ! And yes, Chris Squire was the greatest modern bass player that I've ever heard for sure. ✌️❤️🤘🥁
I am so fortunate to have heard Yes play the 'Fragile' songs on tour back in 1971. One of my all time favorite bands. This album has some of the best Chris Squire bass licks!! RIP 'fish'.
It's like the old days of A&A - hitting classic Yes and being blown away. Those two songs were always played together.
For some more prog, I'd love to see your reaction to anything off of Genesis "Selling England By the Pound" album. You did hit Firth Of Fifth already. Or better yet, hit the whole album. It's a prog dream ride down a river of sauce.
Haven't heard this passage in every bit of a decade. 60 years old now, and you guys just put me back onto my teenager bed, headphones on, lights out, taking a swim in the THC. Thanks!
I recommend their song 'Changes'. Phenomenal musicianship and extremely catchy.
One of my all time favorite songs, and the first song I remember having memorized all of the lyrics...when I was very young. This is the benchmark of "S Tier" for me, and yeah I adore Roundabout, but THIS song really, really, changed the way I thought of music. The "I Think My Brain Broke" comment is SO F-ING TRUE!!! I always say that it's my early love and appreciation for YES that made me such a fan of TOOL when they started releasing music. Thanks for sharing!
From the Fragile liner notes:
Five tracks on this album are the individual ideas, personally arranged and organized, by the five members of the band. "Cans and Brahms" is an adaptation by Rick Wakeman on which he plays electric piano taking the part of the strings, grand piano taking the part of the woodwind, organ taking the brass, electric harpsichord taking reeds, and synthesizer taking contra bassoon. "We Have Heaven" is a personal idea by Jon Anderson in which he sings all the vocal parts. "Five per cent for Nothing" is a sixteen bar tune by Bill Bruford, played twice by the group, and taken directly from the percussion line. In Chris Squire's "The Fish", each riff, rhythm, and melody is produced by using the different sounds of the bass guitar. Steve Howe concludes with a solo guitar piece, "Mood for a Day".
This was made 50 years ago. YES is from the future ! Love it.
Saw them open for Grand Funk at the Yale Bowl in Connecticut and was hooked ever since!
Wow, that would be so cool. I'm old enough to be part of the Grand funk railroad generation. And also sorry yes live in the mid-1970s. Never got to see Grand Funk though. 🙁
I saw Squire and White 36 times starting with the Relayer tour until just before Chris passed
If you want exquisite YES do And You and I or South Side of the Sky - S tier songs 💯
Great suggestion. Andy & Alex: when you do South Side of the Sky, you really ought to start off with the preceding track "We Have Heaven". The segue from that into South Side is really cool...very Floydian! And also, it showcases Jon's voice.
One of their many classic prog. Rock tunes going perfectly into Chris’s masterpiece named in honor of him. Fish was Chris’s nickname besides him being a pieces he used to take very long baths hence the nickname fish!What Jon was singing in the Fish was the scientific name for a type of fish that never fully matured as an adult fish!Now react to either Perpetual Change or Southside of The Sky!
South Side Of The Sky - talk about some punching bass!
Excellent re-visit , guys. You can't go wrong with any of their material. senior from Canada
It's hella A+ listenable while driving. I don't get Andy's not going as high with Yes as he goes with Pink Floyd, when this is the same quality-style thing. How about some solo Jon Anderson next? His collaborations with classical film soundtrack composer Vangelis is really something. The title track of their album The Friends of Mr. Cairo is worthy, but my favorite track from it, "State of Independence" is just stunning and very Yes-like in rhythm complexity, etc.
"My local radio station ( out here in the cornfields of Southern Illinois) played "I'll Find My Way Back Home" on a semi-heavy rotation...5 or 6 times a day.
For the last 20 years, or so, they returned to what now passes as a "Country Music" format.
When it changes, it goes into a 7/8 time signature. Fun.
Bruford sounds simple... until you try to count along. The Fish was ALL Chris on bass, plus some percussion and Jon helping on duet vocals with Chris. On Fragile, each of the members did a solo song, except technically Rick, who's A&M contract for his solo career prevented him from adding a personal composition so he arranged a Brahms piece for his solo song - Cans and Brahms. Hit the last group song "South Side of the Sky" it rocks and is a sweet composition. It has constantly risen over the years of listening until now it is one of my favorites of Yes, almost equal with Roundabout, but not quite Close to the Edge. Check it out. Everybody has some very tasty bits on it. Cheers
Peace from SF
Say what?
I'm so happy to see so many Chris Squire fans on here! ✌️❤️🤘🥁
Alex: "That just broke my brain." To a prog-lover, that is the highest praise you can give music. A great prog band promises "we will break your brain." A prog-lover says "bring it!" It's like a contest between band and listener, and the listener *wants* to lose. Yes works harder than any other band to break your brain. You simply *can't* follow everything. You can listen 100 times and not follow everything. They break your brain every time. That's why they're the best.
Clássic music meets rock music.
Yes means that to me.
You finally hit the Rabbit Hole which is one of the greatest progressive rock band 🎸 of all time.
It never fails to amaze me how Chris could put so many bass tracks/parts together that sound so amazing you dont even miss any of the other instruments. Just bass and drums and it sounds so rich. Wow….
Concert in the round. Phenomenal to say the least. Such a night. April 1979. Fifth row. No bad chairs. Jon A in his prime.
Steve Howe can double harmonize guitars like a virtuoso. Chris Squire bass is so crunchy milk couldn't soften it. Great song!
This was the B side of Roundabout on the 45. I’ll never forget listening to this more than the A side. S tier, for sure!
thank you soooo much
...you are the only review to notice the snare punch strange time on Long Distance. ❤
That bass!!! What incredible musicians. 😉
Geddy loved Chris Squire and Jon Anderson’s voice still sounds the same today. Very clear and no loss of range. Definitely cosmic!
Love both your facial expressions during this whole song. I was a junior in High School when this came out. Boy we were lucky, the greatest music period ever!
“He sounds like Geddy Lee’s professor”. Yes is one of Geddy’s favourite bands and influences and Chris Squire one of the reasons Geddy plays bass.
That whole album is pure excellence!
You need to do "Perpetual Change" off of the "YESSONGS" album. The whole song is great, esp Rick Wakemans Mellotron playing.
Bill Bruford's drum solo is beyond belief!
I think you guys would enjoy earlier, more proto-prog Yes tunes, from when they were like a gonzo psychedelic band. Check out Beyond and Before, Looking Around, and Astral Traveller. The gritty, funky bass playing on those is just insane.
I love the stuff they do on this song with syncopation and time signatures. Before you go too much further in your Yes journey do hit "I've Seen All Good People"
Just joined with you guys as you were playing to me the greatest band that has ever graced this planet. Like your exchanges
Four of the greatest Master instrumentalists you'll ever hear and add Jon's brilliant vocalizations.... pure Prog Heaven. I've been to 32 YES shows since my first one which was Edge in '72. I've seen the best and worst lineups; this one is classic. Listen to the entire Yessongs album on a half-speed master!
Great Band!