The most sustained piece of percussion creativity in pop music history. It's almost every drum technique, fills left right and centre - and yet never gets in the way of the song. It's not just how he plays: it's that he invented this drum part in his head, and then put it into practice. I'm in awe, and always have been. Bought this album when it was released - what a rush.
BTW, a good way to see that is to watch one of the drum covers on TH-cam. Like this one: th-cam.com/video/QkZie6WkNI4/w-d-xo.html This is not ordinary rock drumming, it's Marks and Spencers drumming...
Yep, 40 years on and still blows my mind. I can listen to the song or 1 of many different instruments, when you focus on the drums it's like they are talking.
I had the same kind of experience. Except mine was Thanksgiving 1971 at the New York Academy of Music show. My first date. I was 14 years old. ᎩᏋᎦ opened. The other two bands were ISLANDS King Crimson, and Procul Harum as the headliner. All were great, but I actually felt sorry for Procul Harum to have to follow first, ᎩᏋᎦ, and then King Crimson! It was anticlimactic. But I had never heard ᎩᏋᎦ before. And I remember being so moved. We were running a bit late and they were playing “Long Distance Runaround” as we walked down the aisle to our seats. I remember the feeling. I think I had tears in my eyes. I know I had the chills and goosebumps. They also performed “Heart of the Sunrise” (and of course, “Roundabout”). One of the greatest heights of my entire live music experiences of my entire 67 year life. Along with seeing Pink Floyd’s debut of THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON midnight show at Radio City Music Hall the following year. And almost every Weather Report show I saw and a handful of other shows throughout my life. Thank you for this reaction. It was a pleasure sharing this with you.
The Fragile album in its entirety was my first obsession with music, I was 11. I would listen to my older brother’s records while he was away at college. Uriah Heep, Iron Butterfly, Traffic etc, and of course Yes.
This is definitely one of their most beautiful songs. Anderson's voice is incredible. Howe and Squire playing those arpeggios, sometimes in sync and sometimes in opposition and somehow perfectly coordinated.
This song in particular displays the sheer brilliance of Bill Bruford...particularly how he keeps the rhythm throughout the myriad transitions and time signature changes. Without him behind the drum kit, this is just all utter chaos.
I love the Yessongs live version (from one of the first concerts Alan White played with them on the US tour), it has a huge.cosmic sense of passion and Jon Anderson once again sounds amazing. I have no problems with White's drumming, but it's true that he makes it subtly different than Bruford's jazzy stylings.
They were both such talented drummers. Bill’s cerebral approach and technical precision, that unique approach to rhythm. Alan’s passion and power, somehow conveying his steadfastness through his playing. No wonder Yes were so great. Two of the best ever to play.
@@jameshannagan4256 Have you heard the sly funky vibe Alan White and Chris Squire brought to some sections midway through "Ritual" a year later? Or the mixture of heavyweight power, bounce and swing (along with incredible fills) White displays on the Relayer album? :) I love the work of both of these guys, and I've heard Bruford in many other contexts (including with his own bands of course). :)
@@louise_rose I love Alan White he's a monster but a totally different type of drummer. If I want power and a more bombastic and lively drummer Alan's the guy (I love Relayer) but Bruford is my favorite I just like how much he swings and how funky he can be. They're both great Yes didn't skip a beat when he came aboard and he added a lot to the band in a slightly different way that's all.
It's people like me who bought this record as 15 year olds when it was first released who should be thanking you. Those of us who 'got' this kind of music knew at once that it would be as timeless as the works of any of the great composers, and although we were laughed at for saying so channels such as yours have given our opinions a validation we could never have dreamed of back then.
So thankful I grew up as a teenager in the 70's got to listen and see in concert so many amazing bands such as YES we took for granted thought it was normal everyday life not like it is now we were blessed to experience it all.
Oh hell yes! I had a professor in college tell me that rock was worthless cow dung compared to the classical music from prior centuries. That was in 1975. I asked him if he had ever heard of YES. He had not... I loaned him a cassette of this album, plus another one of *Close to the Edge.* He was embarrassed to see me the next time. "Okay, you win that one..." is all he said, handing me the tapes.
@@rogerk55 I say the same thing. Barring the utter demise of western civilization, Yes music will be heard across millennia. 3024 and the great is Tales classic or baloney debate will still be waged.❤️😆
Bill was twice the percussionist; the skill levels between the two weren't even debatable. That's no disrespect to Alan at all; there are only a scant few drummers that have ever breathed the rarefied air in Bruford's stratosphere. Bill existed to be challenged, the next musical leap of expansion and experimentation, he had to be a part of it and became bored easily when he wasn't. His percussive knowledge is unfathomable. That being said, Alan was actually there come Hell or high-water, totally reliable and always on-point with YES for 50 years. I consider them both to be icons.
Thanks, fredwds5178! I wanted to write this here, too. I'm glad you think like me! Doesn't that just sound like a greeting? Or a blessing? I just want to give that line to people. One of my favorite lines by Jon. "Dreamer easy in the chair that really fits you" to you, too! Hey, Nick and Lex: Dreamer easy in the chair that really fits you! The music that goes along with it is excellent, too.
When Jon Anderson sings it's like a soft and sweet breeze in the leaves in October, and suddenly he turns up the voice and clears the snow. I've never heard such a talented voice.
I’ve said it before- it’s not a matter of competition. Bill Bruford’s technical precision, syncopation , jazz-leaning sensibility and wide ranging flexibility were an integral part of the Yes sound that brought them the audience and success that they first enjoyed with The Yes Album, Fragile and Close…Bruford’s sound is unmistakable and by the time he left to join King Crimson Yes’s star was already fixed in the firmament. He and Chris Squire were a melodically rhythmic force of nature as rhythm sections go. I’m not forgetting that Alan White played on such amazing albums as Relayer, Going for the One or Drama or that Bruford was only on their first five albums. Still, for me this is the classic lineup.
Brilliant song, a groundbreaking and emotionally very powerful hymn which seems to relate both to human love and themes of encounter with the divine, with a spiritual level. And the live version on Yessongs is just as great, even more majestic and overwhelming
This is one of my favorites songs by yes. The trouble is they have soooo many amazing songs, but this one has a special place in my heart ( no pun intended).
The very first sung lines are so beautiful, both Jon's voice and the tender lyrics. Even more powerful and poignant in the Yessongs live album version. Jon's beaming, potent voice in that one, at the climax of the song reaches a truly operatic quality: we encounter a "heroic tenor" projecting his full vocal power across the wide hall.
The live version from Yessongs is a MUST listen! The power of Jon's vocals throughout is stunning. The whole band just crushes it. The entire album is a must listen.
One of the _special_ things about this studio version that you didn't get with the live recordings is *Bill Bruford* on drums. Not saying Alan White wasn't a great drummer, but the Squire-Bruford "Rhythm Section" (if you can call it that, lol) was special. Bruford's contribution to HOTS was amazing (as was his drumming on the studio version of *South Side Of The Sky,* which I'm not sure Lex has heard).
Exactly right, and a shout out to Eddie Offord’s engineering which somehow gives breathing room to some very densely packed instrumental sections on The Yes Album, Fragile and Close to the Edge.
This has to be the peak of prog rock for me. I dread to think how many times I've listened to this and it never fails. The drumming and the bass are awe inspiring. Anderson unsurpassed
Imagine being 12 or 13 and the impact of hearing this and being in love. This lp and Dark Side of the Moon were so impactful to me childhood and still effect me over 50 years later.
I saw YES in 1972 when they were on their Close to the Edge tour. I was a senior in high school and had gone to visit my brother at the University of Alabama. The concert was an hour late because the Eagles (the original lineup) were having barbecue in Birmingham and had forgotten the time! I knew and loved YES from hearing them played in our band room, but I had never heard of the Eagles before. It was an amazing night. Thanks for your always thoughtful reactions.
The most brilliant and beautiful YESsong, on their greatest album. Each time I listen to it, it's just like that first time, 53 years ago now. Each note, phrase, riff, chord, harmony, beat and syllable is sublime. It was superbly recorded and produced by the great Eddie Offord. It's wonderful to see you beautiful young people loving this, just as I have been doing since I was 14.
This is one of my favourite Yes songs (but don't get me wrong, "Close to the Edge" is still the very finest Yes song and my favourite for the last 52 years), and is exception for it's progression. How do you compose such excellence, quite apart from play it so well? Jon's voice is exceptional here.
If you do South Side of the Sky, make sure you also listen to We Have Heaven, as it rolls into South Side. They kind of go together. I recommend you just listen to the rest of the album, as it features each individual performer. We Have Heaven is Jon's solo.
Bruford approached this with a very jazz and fusion oriented style. When I approach triplet oriented stuff I use those same fills based on 6 Stroke rolls broken up between the hi-hat/ride cymbal, snare and also bass drum; very cool. I probably picked it up from Bill, he’s such a jazz player at his core I think.
3:05 Yes Nick, 'this' was the classic lineup, that was to stay together for many years, but Bruford left after their next album, 'Close to the Edge', and White was their drummer from that point forward, though Bruford came back for the Union tour.
Hola chicos! el 11 es mi "vuelta al sol" N° 65, este disco me lo sé de memoria! Lo gasté, como decimos en Argentina. Aunque les cueste creerlo, les cuento algo: la mayoría de las tapas de discos que tienen allí, muchos argentinos las tenemos o las tuvimos... y las reacciones a las bandas que hacen de música de los 70 y 80 nosotros, los argentinos, las conocemos casi todas!!! Por suerte tuvimos acceso a la música extranjera y creo que fueron una gran inspiración al talento y buen gusto de los músicos argentinos.. Gracias por mostrar al mundo a estos genios! a Yes los fui a ver 2 veces a estadios de Buenos Aires, una vez fue con mi hijo mayor.. una alegría compartir con él esa experiencia! Un abrazo desde la ciudad de Buenos Aires!
Been waiting so long for you to get to the studio version (because I know you'll love it). Sublime and worth the wait. Hope this is the Steven Wilson version. This is my favorite track of theirs. I hope one day you get to their song "Survival" from their first album. That is a great track too.
The A section is basically heavy metal before it was a thing. King Crimson and Black Sabbath were more into the doom of it all, Yes only took a little doomy flavor in short passages. But that heavy rapid pounding bass line and matching guitar was metal AF! Then comes the yes paradox -- straight melodic passages, with strange avant-garde multivariant time signatures and strange contrapunctal interlocking melodies, pulling you in multiple directions at once, yes somehow moving the narrative in a unified direction. Just like the breaks in Roundabout, Rick is hitting the keys in an impossible off-beat melody that is perfectly 'in between" everybody else. Then Rick was perfectly content to go into the back seat and provide atmospheric environmental sounds to widen it all out, he was cool like that. The percussion on this song is so tight and yes subtle so as never to stomp on the instruments and Jon's soaring vocals. Again like Roundabout they repeat the passages and recur the themes so many times it becomes like starting over the song 8 times without stopping, even though they are totally conscious of each repeated section having its variation barreling towards the finale. Rick Wakeman introduced this idea called "recapitulation theory" to the band, and they took to it like nobody else -- roundabout is like the ultimate recapitulation song, but so is heart of the sunrise, repeating the intro, the second part, the third, many times, and finally blasting out the first part for a finale. Instead of a chorus, why not just do the whole movement over, and mix it up while we're at it.?
You know I am here for Yes anytime. Can’t believe this is still left undone but happy to catch it! This song is a major highlight from a great album. Great reaction from you both. They can move you to tears because this music just speaks to your soul. And Nick, your thoughts about that break where Chris is just bringing the bass perfection and the moog or mellotron is adding expansive space and Steve is coming in low with that exquisite riff. Just a masterclass and so satisfying to hear! Love you guys!
I just came across your channel this September 7, 2024 and I want to thank you both for your absolute respect for music I grew up on. There are tons of great music buried under the weight of algorithms in today's FM radio market. At one time FM stations would play Yes songs such as this in full (as well as from many other groups). New sub. Thanks!
I like the no-pause method. Like back in the day, friends listening to a record for the first time in their parents basement on the record player. Talking over the record live is just fine and natural.
There's an isolated drum track for this song on TH-cam. You can hear the other instruments faintly in the background, so it's not just the drums. I don't think Bruford repeats anything. His interplay with Squire in the beginning is my absolute favorite Bruford playing.
One of my favorite bands. I saw them live 8 times. Always FANTASTIC no matter the lineup. First time was in 1976 and the last in 2019. Yes, I'm getting old.
Love that Bruford Squire intro playing off of each other. Pure fire. Classic pick from classic album. Looks like you had a blast. That Jon Anderson show will be awesome. He still sounds amazing👍PS You should react to Race With the Devil on a Spanish Highway. That would be fantastic as well even though you know it.
This was the song that got me stuck on Yes. After hearing "Your Move/All Good People" on Melbourne radio around 1971, I purchased the album "Yes Album" and loved all the songs. Soon after that, Fragile was released and immediately put in on the turntable to be absolutely blown away listening to "Heart of the Sunrise". 'Couldn't believe music could be so good and played it endlessly until at last their latest album came out a year later - which was "Close To The Edge". After listening to the title track, I was further blown away. I couldn't get to the 2nd side as I had to listen to Close to the Edge over again. Then when I turned over the album, I got "And You and I". 'Couldn't believe how good this band was/is and couldn't listen to anything else as all I could talk about when discussing music - was Yes. I had to wait until 1974 for their next release, which was "Tales From Topographic Oceans". That sent me on a journey I'll never forget and couldn't believe how all the world wasn't listening to Yes. "Tales From Topographic Oceans" became my favourite album of all time and still is, closely followed by "Close To The Edge". This period of Yes, from Heart of the Sunrise through to the Relayer album, was the best period of music in the history of time. Amazingly, along came "Going For The One" which was also a classic with "Awaken". But it all started with Heart of the Sunrise.
Back in my high school days, I bought “Fragile” and liked it. A friend recommended “Close to the Edge,” which I just couldn't get into on first listen. He said you had to be a “head” to get it; I replied you had to be “on the head” to like it, which in my school at that time was an insult. (Too long to explain.) He was right, I was stupid. Both albums are awesome. I’m almost 70, and I still can’t hear Jon Anderson’s voice on some songs without choking up, including this one.
...one of their best... I've listened to this one countless times, and yet it does feel fresh every time... 70s Yes held a unique niche, where no one else could really compete with them, and so did Genesis and Pink Floyd (and quite a few more)... we were, and still are, so blessed by how they took contemporary music further after the Beatles... 💖
So much fun to see you guys listening and reacting as we did... over 50 years ago! Went to many YES concerts over many years. The most memorable for me was in the early 2000's when I got to meet the band! Worked at a Philadelphia radio station and got to meet them all before a show. I HAD A TEN MINUTE CONVERSATON WITH JON! Even Jon's speaking voice was lyrical. Every band member as I always hoped they would be. I can hear and see it as if it as if it were yesterday.
So glad to hear you guys acknowledge the existence of YES' cover of Paul Simon's *America.* Did you know that what you heard at the end of this recording was the beginning of *America?* Starting with the The Yes Album Tour, they'd play this cover as an encore tune they could jam to. (There's a version of it on TH-cam featuring Tony Kaye on the keyboards) As they developed their America jam, they finally got around to recording it, but it was only released by Atlantic Records on a promo album with other bands. YES did finally put it on their first compilation album, *Yesterdays,* a few years later. The recorded version we all love features Rick Wakeman on the keys What they ended up recording was chock full of Squire/Bruford ear candy, as well as Steve Howe impressing. By the time they got done "Yessifying" Simon's ballad it only barely resembled the original, but it's glorious in its own right. It featured a lot of the "hard rocking" edge that YES had during this period. It's an absolute Must Listen. You won't be disappointed...
There is something special about Squire's Bass playing when Bruford was in the band.....so it was no surprise on his one and only solo album that he called Bruford in on drum. He brought out the best in him. As he said in an interview at that time: he was my guy.
Your intro always cracks me up. Studio is better, I think. This album deserves a lot of love. I like the way the pieces of this song variegate and fit together, how the instruments compliment one another, and the vocals excel. And the line "Dreamer very easy in the chair that really fits you". That's a good one. The 70s were the best. That Dimeola album was a real good one too, Elegant Gypsy. More sensational 70s.
This was the first song I heard from '70s Yes after I'd discovered them at age 12 with 90125. I can still remember dropping the needle on my cheap little record player and being utterly blown away. Forty years later, and I still marvel at just how amazing this song is. It's a perfect culmination of everything that made Yes such an amazing band.
It always seems amazing how Anderson can sing so smoothly and quietly one moment, in this song, and the next moment his voice just takes off and SOARS in other parts effortlessly! An amazing singer!!!
Nick did South Side of The Sky by himself which was a crime :🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 The Lovely Alexia should hear South of the Sky with you. Some great piano and great three part harmony from Jon, Chris AND Steve.
You still have more Yes first listens? Lovely. This is many fans’ favorite ❤ For me, studio always triumphs for Yes. You’re seeing JA? Jealous! Don’t think he is touring in his native UK 😢
Hearing this first time after Steve Howe's acoustic piece "Mood For The Day" fading, then this bursted in, it was quite an experience back then. Slightly off topic, you can hear this line-up without Anderson on Rick Wakeman's "Catherine Of Aragon" from his solo album "The Six Wives Of Henry VIII".
Regarding America, Simon and Garfunkel's America is like 3 minutes long, and is brilliant. YES took that it and turned it into a 10 minute crazy piece. Enjoy.
Never. Gets. Old. Those early '70s Yes albums kept me sane in college. Thanks for re-visiting this classic. Now go listen to the latest from The Warning! They're killing it.
Nobody sounds like Jon, there are other people with high voices, but nobody can replace him. And his lyrics, completely unique also, except for people who try to imitate that style of lyrics, but nobody that I know of has the gravitas to make them work so well.
whats astonshing is this is from 1971, go back just 10 years and what was music like in 1961, no disrespect, the leap forward in 10 years is amazing, Jon said the song that changed music for him was Tomorrow Never Knows by The Beatles in 1966, that was a turning point that broke the rules and set many musicians free to explore.....
Like nothing heard before or since. Hard to believe there was ever this much innovation and experimentation in songs that were so accessible. Never again.
Long ago, when "security questions" first started showing up on internet accounts, I chose this song as the answer to "What is your favorite song". I was torn between this, Close to the Edge and Suppers Ready. Karn Evil 9 was also considered.
"Straight light moving and removing sharpness of the colour, sun shine Straight light searching all the meanings of the song Long last treatment of the telling that relates to all the words sung Dreamer easy in the chair that really fits you" ❣😊
I get to vicariously reminisce what it once was to hear these songs for the first time! LOL! They often take me to a specific time girlfriend and moments of my YES youth. WOW, it was quite the era. We were so spoiled and bombarded musically from all sides. Thanks! btw Jon sings so passionately & varied here. He takes you there!
Lex, if you really want to learn the bass for this, first break it up into small manageable chunks at a time. Chris primarily uses a pick. If you can pull this off, this will be one of most fun pieces that you’ll ever have with a bass… that is a guarantee !!!😀😀😀 This epic is a BASS MASTERCLASS. Good Luck !!!🍀 But most all, have fun with it !!! ❤❤❤
Yes in all their glory! This track encapsulates everything that is wonderful about them. I just love that both of you are listening in awe, just as I was in 1971. Great music is timeless.
Thanks for bringing classic prog to a young, new crowd! These guys with The Beatles, Floyd, ELP, Genesis, Rush etc. Were the soundtrack of my youth. I have to interject though. Later I discovered fussion jazz. I know you guys appreciate Jaco Pastorius so I thought you might like to react to a tune most fans consider his best work. 'Havona' from the 'Heavy Weather' album was written by Jaco, many consider his writing skills as impressive as his playing. . He’s melodic and fast, tasteful and powerful all on this tune while never overpowering the composition. Many even consider it one of the top Weather Report tunes. You won't regret reacting to it!
The amazing thing is they can (or, at least could when Squire was still here and before they basically split into two bands) reproduce pretty much their entire catalog of songs on stage.
Every time I heard this masterpiece...I cry.....Every time I see Yes perform this song I'm AMAZED!!! ....and tears flow from my eyes!!! When I heard this song on the original album in 1971......I cried!!! And I got excited and had my friends listen to it with me....we knew the meaning of the song and we cried.....it was like we were being lifted into "Heaven." and when we heard.....the lyrics.....and we looked at each other speechless with tears in our eyes.... btw Great reactions. I love you guys!!! And I am soooooooo happy you guys saw Yes today with the new band members, It maybe the last time we see the band..so it is an important experience to be apart of that music history!!! I know you guys had fun!!!!
This is an advanced class in prog drumming by BillBruford
Totally agree
I was about to type the exact same thing.
The most sustained piece of percussion creativity in pop music history. It's almost every drum technique, fills left right and centre - and yet never gets in the way of the song. It's not just how he plays: it's that he invented this drum part in his head, and then put it into practice. I'm in awe, and always have been. Bought this album when it was released - what a rush.
BTW, a good way to see that is to watch one of the drum covers on TH-cam. Like this one: th-cam.com/video/QkZie6WkNI4/w-d-xo.html This is not ordinary rock drumming, it's Marks and Spencers drumming...
Yep, 40 years on and still blows my mind. I can listen to the song or 1 of many different instruments, when you focus on the drums it's like they are talking.
YES was the first band that I got obsessed with. It was back in 1973. Thanks for 50 years of life enriching music.
Tales 💕🎶
yup
I had the same kind of experience. Except mine was Thanksgiving 1971 at the New York Academy of Music show. My first date. I was 14 years old. ᎩᏋᎦ opened. The other two bands were ISLANDS King Crimson, and Procul Harum as the headliner. All were great, but I actually felt sorry for Procul Harum to have to follow first, ᎩᏋᎦ, and then King Crimson! It was anticlimactic.
But I had never heard ᎩᏋᎦ before. And I remember being so moved. We were running a bit late and they were playing “Long Distance Runaround” as we walked down the aisle to our seats. I remember the feeling. I think I had tears in my eyes. I know I had the chills and goosebumps.
They also performed “Heart of the Sunrise” (and of course, “Roundabout”). One of the greatest heights of my entire live music experiences of my entire 67 year life. Along with seeing Pink Floyd’s debut of THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON midnight show at Radio City Music Hall the following year. And almost every Weather Report show I saw and a handful of other shows throughout my life.
Thank you for this reaction. It was a pleasure sharing this with you.
The Fragile album in its entirety was my first obsession with music, I was 11. I would listen to my older brother’s records while he was away at college. Uriah Heep, Iron Butterfly, Traffic etc, and of course Yes.
This is definitely one of their most beautiful songs. Anderson's voice is incredible. Howe and Squire playing those arpeggios, sometimes in sync and sometimes in opposition and somehow perfectly coordinated.
And Buford’s fractional syncopation
This song in particular displays the sheer brilliance of Bill Bruford...particularly how he keeps the rhythm throughout the myriad transitions and time signature changes. Without him behind the drum kit, this is just all utter chaos.
I love the Yessongs live version (from one of the first concerts Alan White played with them on the US tour), it has a huge.cosmic sense of passion and Jon Anderson once again sounds amazing. I have no problems with White's drumming, but it's true that he makes it subtly different than Bruford's jazzy stylings.
They were both such talented drummers. Bill’s cerebral approach and technical precision, that unique approach to rhythm. Alan’s passion and power, somehow conveying his steadfastness through his playing. No wonder Yes were so great. Two of the best ever to play.
@@louise_rose White is a great drummer but you lose all that swing and they are even funky at times and that's all Bruford the guy is incredible.
@@jameshannagan4256 Have you heard the sly funky vibe Alan White and Chris Squire brought to some sections midway through "Ritual" a year later? Or the mixture of heavyweight power, bounce and swing (along with incredible fills) White displays on the Relayer album? :)
I love the work of both of these guys, and I've heard Bruford in many other contexts (including with his own bands of course). :)
@@louise_rose I love Alan White he's a monster but a totally different type of drummer. If I want power and a more bombastic and lively drummer Alan's the guy (I love Relayer) but Bruford is my favorite I just like how much he swings and how funky he can be. They're both great Yes didn't skip a beat when he came aboard and he added a lot to the band in a slightly different way that's all.
It's people like me who bought this record as 15 year olds when it was first released who should be thanking you. Those of us who 'got' this kind of music knew at once that it would be as timeless as the works of any of the great composers, and although we were laughed at for saying so channels such as yours have given our opinions a validation we could never have dreamed of back then.
So thankful I grew up as a teenager in the 70's got to listen and see in concert so many amazing bands such as YES we took for granted thought it was normal everyday life not like it is now we were blessed to experience it all.
Oh hell yes! I had a professor in college tell me that rock was worthless cow dung compared to the classical music from prior centuries. That was in 1975. I asked him if he had ever heard of YES. He had not... I loaned him a cassette of this album, plus another one of *Close to the Edge.* He was embarrassed to see me the next time. "Okay, you win that one..." is all he said, handing me the tapes.
@@williamburkholder769
I love this story! ❤
Yes music will be played and appreciated hundreds of years from now, if our society survives.
@@rogerk55
I say the same thing.
Barring the utter demise of western civilization, Yes music will be heard across millennia.
3024 and the great is Tales classic or baloney debate will still be waged.❤️😆
This song in the Top 5 (there are so many) of Yes compositions that boggle the mind, and bring goosebumps every time.
As much as I like alan white, bruford's drumming can't be beat. He was perfect for yes.
That syncopation! 😍
At last someone said this at loud
His jazz style was just right for Yes.
Bill was twice the percussionist; the skill levels between the two weren't even debatable. That's no disrespect to Alan at all; there are only a scant few drummers that have ever breathed the rarefied air in Bruford's stratosphere. Bill existed to be challenged, the next musical leap of expansion and experimentation, he had to be a part of it and became bored easily when he wasn't. His percussive knowledge is unfathomable. That being said, Alan was actually there come Hell or high-water, totally reliable and always on-point with YES for 50 years. I consider them both to be icons.
He is one of my fav drummers so underrated
They all are surfing on the wave of Bill Bruford's drumming. IMO, he never got enough love for that.
The musicianship of this band is world class. You two are looking good!
No one did it like Yes.....and no one ever will.
Unique and singular. Nobody ever sounded like them, and they sounded like no one else.
Possibly the most talented band of the age.❤
“Dreamer easy in the chair that really fits you!” ❤️
Thanks, fredwds5178! I wanted to write this here, too. I'm glad you think like me! Doesn't that just sound like a greeting? Or a blessing? I just want to give that line to people. One of my favorite lines by Jon. "Dreamer easy in the chair that really fits you" to you, too! Hey, Nick and Lex: Dreamer easy in the chair that really fits you! The music that goes along with it is excellent, too.
Heart of the Sunrise is a Masterpiece!
When Jon Anderson sings it's like a soft and sweet breeze in the leaves in October, and suddenly he turns up the voice and clears the snow. I've never heard such a talented voice.
I’ve said it before- it’s not a matter of competition. Bill Bruford’s technical precision, syncopation , jazz-leaning sensibility and wide ranging flexibility were an integral part of the Yes sound that brought them the audience and success that they first enjoyed with The Yes Album, Fragile and Close…Bruford’s sound is unmistakable and by the time he left to join King Crimson Yes’s star was already fixed in the firmament. He and Chris Squire were a melodically rhythmic force of nature as rhythm sections go. I’m not forgetting that Alan White played on such amazing albums as Relayer, Going for the One or Drama or that Bruford was only on their first five albums. Still, for me this is the classic lineup.
“He’s the voice of Prog”.
EXTREMELY WELL SAID 👏
To think this was recorded way back in 1971......Still as fresh as the day it was released....Timeless classic 👏👏....prog at its finest.
Brilliant song, a groundbreaking and emotionally very powerful hymn which seems to relate both to human love and themes of encounter with the divine, with a spiritual level. And the live version on Yessongs is just as great, even more majestic and overwhelming
For me there were 4 voices of prog rock in the '70's......Jon Anderson, Peter Gabriel, John Wetton and Greg Lake.
I would add Geddy Lee and Steve Walsh👍
Ian Anderson
I have said for decades that Jon has the voice of an angel. I was 10 when I first heard YES back in 1972 and was blown away.
Ladies and gentlemen YES the greatest show on earth ✨️🎶✨️
This is one of my favorites songs by yes. The trouble is they have soooo many amazing songs, but this one has a special place in my heart ( no pun intended).
How can the wind with its arms all around me....gets me every time.
The very first sung lines are so beautiful, both Jon's voice and the tender lyrics. Even more powerful and poignant in the Yessongs live album version. Jon's beaming, potent voice in that one, at the climax of the song reaches a truly operatic quality: we encounter a "heroic tenor" projecting his full vocal power across the wide hall.
The live version from Yessongs is a MUST listen! The power of Jon's vocals throughout is stunning. The whole band just crushes it. The entire album is a must listen.
Bruford and Squire ...the Master class in a rhythm section here.
After 50 years it still gives me goosebumps.
Wow , oh , Wow , can't believe your first listen to this... seriously just how good are this band !!! Absolute Legends !!!
Many thanks Nick n Lex. 😍🎵
I am so glad you circled back to this definitive version. It is supremely transcendent...
With "Soon" the most beautiful song of Yes . The beauty of this song grow with the repetition . You have to hear it again and again .
From Gates of Delirium
First Yes song I ever heard. Changed my life.
One of the _special_ things about this studio version that you didn't get with the live recordings is *Bill Bruford* on drums. Not saying Alan White wasn't a great drummer, but the Squire-Bruford "Rhythm Section" (if you can call it that, lol) was special. Bruford's contribution to HOTS was amazing (as was his drumming on the studio version of *South Side Of The Sky,* which I'm not sure Lex has heard).
Exactly right, and a shout out to Eddie Offord’s engineering which somehow gives breathing room to some very densely packed instrumental sections on The Yes Album, Fragile and Close to the Edge.
This has to be the peak of prog rock for me. I dread to think how many times I've listened to this and it never fails. The drumming and the bass are awe inspiring. Anderson unsurpassed
Imagine being 12 or 13 and the impact of hearing this and being in love. This lp and Dark Side of the Moon were so impactful to me childhood and still effect me over 50 years later.
I saw YES in 1972 when they were on their Close to the Edge tour. I was a senior in high school and had gone to visit my brother at the University of Alabama. The concert was an hour late because the Eagles (the original lineup) were having barbecue in Birmingham and had forgotten the time! I knew and loved YES from hearing them played in our band room, but I had never heard of the Eagles before. It was an amazing night.
Thanks for your always thoughtful reactions.
Saw them on the same tour at GA Tech.
Saw the same tour. Eagles sucked. Yes slay them. Had seen Yes on Fragile and Yes Album tour.
The most brilliant and beautiful YESsong, on their greatest album. Each time I listen to it, it's just like that first time, 53 years ago now. Each note, phrase, riff, chord, harmony, beat and syllable is sublime. It was superbly recorded and produced by the great Eddie Offord. It's wonderful to see you beautiful young people loving this, just as I have been doing since I was 14.
Such a profound classic. And the entire album fits together in a way that can’t be surpassed.
This is one of my favourite Yes songs (but don't get me wrong, "Close to the Edge" is still the very finest Yes song and my favourite for the last 52 years), and is exception for it's progression. How do you compose such excellence, quite apart from play it so well? Jon's voice is exceptional here.
If you do South Side of the Sky, make sure you also listen to We Have Heaven, as it rolls into South Side. They kind of go together. I recommend you just listen to the rest of the album, as it features each individual performer. We Have Heaven is Jon's solo.
Nick did SSOTS by himself in a marathon.
@@bmac1205
I know he did the 35th anniversary live version of South Side of the Sky, but I am not sure he listened to the studio version.
Bruford approached this with a very jazz and fusion oriented style. When I approach triplet oriented stuff I use those same fills based on 6 Stroke rolls broken up between the hi-hat/ride cymbal, snare and also bass drum; very cool. I probably picked it up from Bill, he’s such a jazz player at his core I think.
Thx guys! My favorite rhythm 🥁 section Bruford and Squire! It’s such a pleasure to listen to them on this album. Great reaction!
3:05 Yes Nick, 'this' was the classic lineup, that was to stay together for many years, but Bruford left after their next album, 'Close to the Edge', and White was their drummer from that point forward, though Bruford came back for the Union tour.
God bless you Nick and Alexis, for bringing to the attention of new music listeners to the music of Yes.
Masters of dynamic sound from gentle melodies to intense hard rock jams in the same song seamlessly and majestically.
Hola chicos! el 11 es mi "vuelta al sol" N° 65, este disco me lo sé de memoria! Lo gasté, como decimos en Argentina. Aunque les cueste creerlo, les cuento algo: la mayoría de las tapas de discos que tienen allí, muchos argentinos las tenemos o las tuvimos... y las reacciones a las bandas que hacen de música de los 70 y 80 nosotros, los argentinos, las conocemos casi todas!!! Por suerte tuvimos acceso a la música extranjera y creo que fueron una gran inspiración al talento y buen gusto de los músicos argentinos.. Gracias por mostrar al mundo a estos genios! a Yes los fui a ver 2 veces a estadios de Buenos Aires, una vez fue con mi hijo mayor.. una alegría compartir con él esa experiencia! Un abrazo desde la ciudad de Buenos Aires!
Been waiting so long for you to get to the studio version (because I know you'll love it). Sublime and worth the wait. Hope this is the Steven Wilson version. This is my favorite track of theirs. I hope one day you get to their song "Survival" from their first album. That is a great track too.
The A section is basically heavy metal before it was a thing. King Crimson and Black Sabbath were more into the doom of it all, Yes only took a little doomy flavor in short passages. But that heavy rapid pounding bass line and matching guitar was metal AF! Then comes the yes paradox -- straight melodic passages, with strange avant-garde multivariant time signatures and strange contrapunctal interlocking melodies, pulling you in multiple directions at once, yes somehow moving the narrative in a unified direction. Just like the breaks in Roundabout, Rick is hitting the keys in an impossible off-beat melody that is perfectly 'in between" everybody else. Then Rick was perfectly content to go into the back seat and provide atmospheric environmental sounds to widen it all out, he was cool like that. The percussion on this song is so tight and yes subtle so as never to stomp on the instruments and Jon's soaring vocals. Again like Roundabout they repeat the passages and recur the themes so many times it becomes like starting over the song 8 times without stopping, even though they are totally conscious of each repeated section having its variation barreling towards the finale. Rick Wakeman introduced this idea called "recapitulation theory" to the band, and they took to it like nobody else -- roundabout is like the ultimate recapitulation song, but so is heart of the sunrise, repeating the intro, the second part, the third, many times, and finally blasting out the first part for a finale. Instead of a chorus, why not just do the whole movement over, and mix it up while we're at it.?
Awesome writing! Yes has made my favorite music and I don't know how to describe it like you do here. Thank you! Fascinating!
You know I am here for Yes anytime. Can’t believe this is still left undone but happy to catch it! This song is a major highlight from a great album.
Great reaction from you both. They can move you to tears because this music just speaks to your soul. And Nick, your thoughts about that break where Chris is just bringing the bass perfection and the moog or mellotron is adding expansive space and Steve is coming in low with that exquisite riff. Just a masterclass and so satisfying to hear! Love you guys!
I just came across your channel this September 7, 2024 and I want to thank you both for your absolute respect for music I grew up on. There are tons of great music buried under the weight of algorithms in today's FM radio market. At one time FM stations would play Yes songs such as this in full (as well as from many other groups). New sub. Thanks!
Much appreciated! Thank you for your kind words!!!
I like the no-pause method. Like back in the day, friends listening to a record for the first time in their parents basement on the record player. Talking over the record live is just fine and natural.
I now describe Jon's voice as *"The Most **_fragile-sounding_** Lead Singer voice in all of Prog Rock."* Seems to capture it rather well...
There's an isolated drum track for this song on TH-cam. You can hear the other instruments faintly in the background, so it's not just the drums. I don't think Bruford repeats anything. His interplay with Squire in the beginning is my absolute favorite Bruford playing.
One of my favorite bands. I saw them live 8 times. Always FANTASTIC no matter the lineup. First time was in 1976 and the last in 2019. Yes, I'm getting old.
I saw them first on the Topographic Oceans tour when I was 13 and Yes I am old too. 😁😁😁
They were so great on stage.
When they hit that groove, when they reached their zone…
Incomparable. ❤
this song was the result of the audition for Rick Wakeman, and they never told him he passed the audition, everybody new he was in the band with this.
Love that Bruford Squire intro playing off of each other. Pure fire. Classic pick from classic album. Looks like you had a blast. That Jon Anderson show will be awesome. He still sounds amazing👍PS You should react to Race With the Devil on a Spanish Highway. That would be fantastic as well even though you know it.
This was the song that got me stuck on Yes. After hearing "Your Move/All Good People" on Melbourne radio around 1971, I purchased the album "Yes Album" and loved all the songs. Soon after that, Fragile was released and immediately put in on the turntable to be absolutely blown away listening to "Heart of the Sunrise". 'Couldn't believe music could be so good and played it endlessly until at last their latest album came out a year later - which was "Close To The Edge". After listening to the title track, I was further blown away. I couldn't get to the 2nd side as I had to listen to Close to the Edge over again. Then when I turned over the album, I got "And You and I". 'Couldn't believe how good this band was/is and couldn't listen to anything else as all I could talk about when discussing music - was Yes. I had to wait until 1974 for their next release, which was "Tales From Topographic Oceans". That sent me on a journey I'll never forget and couldn't believe how all the world wasn't listening to Yes. "Tales From Topographic Oceans" became my favourite album of all time and still is, closely followed by "Close To The Edge". This period of Yes, from Heart of the Sunrise through to the Relayer album, was the best period of music in the history of time. Amazingly, along came "Going For The One" which was also a classic with "Awaken". But it all started with Heart of the Sunrise.
Back in my high school days, I bought “Fragile” and liked it. A friend recommended “Close to the Edge,” which I just couldn't get into on first listen. He said you had to be a “head” to get it; I replied you had to be “on the head” to like it, which in my school at that time was an insult. (Too long to explain.) He was right, I was stupid. Both albums are awesome. I’m almost 70, and I still can’t hear Jon Anderson’s voice on some songs without choking up, including this one.
...one of their best... I've listened to this one countless times, and yet it does feel fresh every time... 70s Yes held a unique niche, where no one else could really compete with them, and so did Genesis and Pink Floyd (and quite a few more)... we were, and still are, so blessed by how they took contemporary music further after the Beatles... 💖
A personal favorite of mine. I choose it quite often to begin my bike rides through the canyon.
So much fun to see you guys listening and reacting as we did... over 50 years ago! Went to many YES concerts over many years. The most memorable for me was in the early 2000's when I got to meet the band! Worked at a Philadelphia radio station and got to meet them all before a show. I HAD A TEN MINUTE CONVERSATON WITH JON! Even Jon's speaking voice was lyrical. Every band member as I always hoped they would be. I can hear and see it as if it as if it were yesterday.
Jon and Rick are lovely souls, for sure (the only members that I have met).
So glad to hear you guys acknowledge the existence of YES' cover of Paul Simon's *America.* Did you know that what you heard at the end of this recording was the beginning of *America?* Starting with the The Yes Album Tour, they'd play this cover as an encore tune they could jam to. (There's a version of it on TH-cam featuring Tony Kaye on the keyboards) As they developed their America jam, they finally got around to recording it, but it was only released by Atlantic Records on a promo album with other bands. YES did finally put it on their first compilation album, *Yesterdays,* a few years later. The recorded version we all love features Rick Wakeman on the keys
What they ended up recording was chock full of Squire/Bruford ear candy, as well as Steve Howe impressing. By the time they got done "Yessifying" Simon's ballad it only barely resembled the original, but it's glorious in its own right. It featured a lot of the "hard rocking" edge that YES had during this period. It's an absolute Must Listen. You won't be disappointed...
I believe that the compilation album that "America" was on was called "The Age of Atlantic". I might even still have a copy somewhere........
@@marcanglin7127The New Age of Atlantic, I think(?)👍
There is something special about Squire's Bass playing when Bruford was in the band.....so it was no surprise on his one and only solo album that he called Bruford in on drum. He brought out the best in him. As he said in an interview at that time: he was my guy.
Your intro always cracks me up. Studio is better, I think. This album deserves a lot of love. I like the way the pieces of this song variegate and fit together, how the instruments compliment one another, and the vocals excel. And the line "Dreamer very easy in the chair that really fits you". That's a good one. The 70s were the best. That Dimeola album was a real good one too, Elegant Gypsy. More sensational 70s.
This was the first song I heard from '70s Yes after I'd discovered them at age 12 with 90125. I can still remember dropping the needle on my cheap little record player and being utterly blown away. Forty years later, and I still marvel at just how amazing this song is. It's a perfect culmination of everything that made Yes such an amazing band.
It always seems amazing how Anderson can sing so smoothly and quietly one moment, in this song, and the next moment his voice just takes off and SOARS in other parts effortlessly! An amazing singer!!!
Nick did South Side of The Sky by himself which was a crime :🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
The Lovely Alexia should hear South of the Sky with you. Some great piano and great three part harmony from Jon, Chris AND Steve.
You still have more Yes first listens? Lovely. This is many fans’ favorite ❤
For me, studio always triumphs for Yes. You’re seeing JA? Jealous! Don’t think he is touring in his native UK 😢
South Side is one of their greatest.
I saw them on their 90125 tour back in 84. I have seen a lot of shows in my 60 years. Yes was on of the best
For a little guy Jon Anderson has such great power in his voice!
My YES obsession these days is “Sound Chaser” off The album Relayer!
All of Relayer. Stunning.❤
Hearing this first time after Steve Howe's acoustic piece "Mood For The Day" fading, then this bursted in, it was quite an experience back then.
Slightly off topic, you can hear this line-up without Anderson on Rick Wakeman's "Catherine Of Aragon" from his solo album "The Six Wives Of Henry VIII".
Regarding America, Simon and Garfunkel's America is like 3 minutes long, and is brilliant. YES took that it and turned it into a 10 minute crazy piece. Enjoy.
It sucks
@@Barbaste I think it's great
Never. Gets. Old. Those early '70s Yes albums kept me sane in college. Thanks for re-visiting this classic. Now go listen to the latest from The Warning! They're killing it.
Nobody sounds like Jon, there are other people with high voices, but nobody can replace him. And his lyrics, completely unique also, except for people who try to imitate that style of lyrics, but nobody that I know of has the gravitas to make them work so well.
whats astonshing is this is from 1971, go back just 10 years and what was music like in 1961, no disrespect, the leap forward in 10 years is amazing, Jon said the song that changed music for him was Tomorrow Never Knows by The Beatles in 1966, that was a turning point that broke the rules and set many musicians free to explore.....
The live version on "Yessongs" is even better !
Like nothing heard before or since. Hard to believe there was ever this much innovation and experimentation in songs that were so accessible. Never again.
Agree but Radiohead, Tool and Tame Impala do justice
Jon’s voice is so pure in this song! 💛💚❤️🧡💙❤️🔥
Thanks guys. "Dreamer easy in the chair that really fits you."
My favorite song ever. Play this at my funeral!!! ❤️❤️❤️Thanks, guys!!!❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️👍👍👍👍👍
Long ago, when "security questions" first started showing up on internet accounts, I chose this song as the answer to "What is your favorite song". I was torn between this, Close to the Edge and Suppers Ready. Karn Evil 9 was also considered.
I'm 74 years old,and I just bought my 180g. Copy of fragile. Still just as fresh as when it first came out!
Best band ever, Period.
Amazing incredible but old genesis better
love this ..that opening is so epic,,,,much love my Rocky Mtn friends,,so great to see such love of music...Kent
One of best bruford's performances
"Straight light moving and removing sharpness of the colour, sun shine
Straight light searching all the meanings of the song
Long last treatment of the telling that relates to all the words sung
Dreamer easy in the chair that really fits you" ❣😊
We like Jon for his voice, but not even the FBI can decipher these lyrics!
I get to vicariously reminisce what it once was to hear these songs for the first time! LOL! They often take me to a specific time girlfriend and moments of my YES youth. WOW, it was quite the era. We were so spoiled and bombarded musically from all sides. Thanks! btw Jon sings so passionately & varied here. He takes you there!
I'm on board with you, Lex. Close To The Edge is my favorite and this one too, as you say, has a lot of what I like.
I saw them live on there first American tour in the seventies they were absolutely amazing.
I saw Jon Anderson with The Band Geeks last year and it was absolutely incredible.
You MUST listen to the original Simon and Garfunkel version of America before reviewing Yes' cover version of said song...doubly mind-blowing!
Yes opened the doors to the wonders of great music back in the 70. I'm forever greatful for that gift. Great reaction. Thank you.👍👍🎉
Lex, if you really want to learn the bass for this, first break it up into small manageable chunks at a time. Chris primarily uses a pick.
If you can pull this off, this will be one of most fun pieces that you’ll ever have with a bass… that is a guarantee !!!😀😀😀
This epic is a BASS MASTERCLASS.
Good Luck !!!🍀
But most all, have fun with it !!! ❤❤❤
I went to see them in 94 and this song was stuck in my mind for days
Yes in all their glory!
This track encapsulates everything that is wonderful about them. I just love that both of you are listening in awe, just as I was in 1971. Great music is timeless.
Thanks for bringing classic prog to a young, new crowd! These guys with The Beatles, Floyd, ELP, Genesis, Rush etc. Were the soundtrack of my youth. I have to interject though. Later I discovered fussion jazz. I know you guys appreciate Jaco Pastorius so I thought you might like to react to a tune most fans consider his best work. 'Havona' from the 'Heavy Weather' album was written by Jaco, many consider his writing skills as impressive as his playing. . He’s melodic and fast, tasteful and powerful all on this tune while never overpowering the composition. Many even consider it one of the top Weather Report tunes. You won't regret reacting to it!
Guys you should look at the Rush induction of yes at Rock and Roll hall of fame with Geddy playing in place
Of departed Chris on Roundabout
I believe they saw it, and may have reacted to it (?).
Come on peeps....SUBSCRIBE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
South Side of the Sky (live from Tsongas) esp. for the back and forth with Steve Howe and Rick Wakeman ...
The amazing thing is they can (or, at least could when Squire was still here and before they basically split into two bands) reproduce pretty much their entire catalog of songs on stage.
that Al Di Meola tune is super epic much like Heart of the Sunrise.
2 all-time favorite tracks, I can see the parallels.
Those arpeggiated chords on the bass - killer!
One of my favorite Yes songs. Actually reminds me a little of King Crimson.
Every time I heard this masterpiece...I cry.....Every time I see Yes perform this song I'm AMAZED!!! ....and tears flow from my eyes!!! When I heard this song on the original album in 1971......I cried!!! And I got excited and had my friends listen to it with me....we knew the meaning of the song and we cried.....it was like we were being lifted into "Heaven." and when we heard.....the lyrics.....and we looked at each other speechless with tears in our eyes.... btw Great reactions. I love you guys!!! And I am soooooooo happy you guys saw Yes today with the new band members, It maybe the last time we see the band..so it is an important experience to be apart of that music history!!! I know you guys had fun!!!!