Sure was, then Rick Wakeman, then Alan White, then Patrick Moraz. What a band from 1970 - 1980. ( Drama wasn't too shabby either without Anderson & Wakeman).
It was different back then Sifa, most bands from that era started in night clubs and bars, they played original music and got noticed. Record companies were looking for talent then. Once signed, if there was at least a cult following, they would let the artist experiment even if the first few albums weren't terribly successful. And long songs were just a thing of the era. FM radio was more underground back then and they would play all the long arty songs on college radio stations which were big back then...
But unfortunately, a company the size of Atlantic records wasn't going to put up with 'too much' exploration or the novelty of a cult following for very long. By 1973, only two years after this release, the music press, record companies and even many fans were beginning to turn away from the pomp of progressive rock, the virtuosos,the sprawling compositions, and looking to the more primal urban edges of punk and glam . The mid-seventies would prove to be a critical shift for bands like YES ,Genesis, and King Crimson. 1975 could conceivably be called "The year that 70s prog-rock died..almost"
@@markjohnson4217 1973? I'd say 72-73 were the golden prog years. Fans weren't turning away from it: many were only just discovering the treasure trove produced in the previous 3-4 years. (For rock critics to turn away from it, would mean they had embraced it at some point. They never did.) Atlantic put out Going For The One in 77, it went to the top of the charts, and still featured full-on prog longer pieces like Awaken. Tull's albums of the period (Songs From The Wood, Heavy Horses) did well and featured a lot of prog stuff. Genesis had its biggest success with A Trick of the Tail (76). I remember ELP and Pink Floyd playing to a sold out Montreal Olympic Stadium in 77. I'd say the real turning point was 79-80-81. That's when many bands disbanded or adapted to more pop sensibilities. To your point though, R. Fripp once said that for him, prog creatively petered out by the end of 74. He himself disbanded Crimson that year, feeling it had (temporarily) nothing more to say.
@@benoitdesmarais2948 It is true 1973 was still a great year for epic Rock, in fact, it was Pink Floyd's finest hour. But the tide WAS beginning to turn as the newer mid-seventies bands and artists were either part of the"Coffee-table rock" wave; soft contemporary M.O.R. like The Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, Abba, etc.) or they were with the 'ziggy iggy Lou camp of punk and glam which would redefine the next two decades. YES did continue with their ingenious epics. And their sales were always great in the UK because Atlantic were doing pre-order purchases before the official release dates for those 'higher risk' investments, Lol!!
@@markjohnson4217 Well I moved to the USA in 1973 and learned about prog rock, so it was pretty well booming in my area. I didn’t start going to concerts until 1976, and the arenas were packed. At my mid-West HS, the kids were all into Yes, Pink Floyd, Boston, Beatles, Queen, ELP and Kansas. Some of us were also into King Crimson, Renaissance, Return To Forever and Frank Zappa. We listened to everything thru the punk and grunge eras and beyond, but prog is always a mainstay. I just got the latest Yes cd, “The Quest”, released 10-1-2021, and I really enjoy it even though it doesn’t have the creativity of songs like “Yours Is No Disgrace”.
Try Starship Trooper on side 6 of Yessongs. That live version is absolutely fantastic. Even after nearly 50 years I have to play it twice every time because one is not enough for that song.
July 24, 1971. I'm in the Yale Bowl waiting for Grand Funk Railroad to come on. The opening act comes on with no announcement, by the middle of the first song we were straining to see the name on the drum kit. It was yes I went out the next day looking for that album. Great reaction, there are plenty more songs just as amazing. Prog rock at it's best.✌️❤️😃
How about that dirty Rickenbacker bass? If there's one bass player that's considered one of the best, it's Chris Squire (RIP) Anyway, thanks for a great eaction.
“One thing that did happen in the 60s,” he says, “was some music of an unusual and experimental nature did get recorded, did get released.” The executives of the day were “cigar-chomping old guys who looked at the product and said, ‘I don’t know. Who knows what it is? Record it, stick it out. If it sells, alright!’” “We were better off with those guys,” says Zappa, “than we are with the hip, young executives,” making decisions about what people should hear. The hippies are more conservative than the conservative “old guys” ever were. This Zappa of 1987 recommends getting back to the “who knows?” approach, “that entrepreneurial spirit” of the grand old industry barons of the 60s. ....
unforgettable track from the early 70s. my gen x friend is a yes fan and a couple of years ago i remembered this song in my subconscious. With a lttle searching we found it on the internet. It was a pleasure to hear it again and again and again..... my fav💛💚💙
Acts in the 60's and 70's used to get signed by A and R men who used to go and see the bands live. The music press and more underground radio stations used to create a bit of a buzz over up and coming bands, and if the record company reps liked them live they got signed. Great choice of track tonight, I thought you'd like Yes a bit better with something from this album!!
I was 13 when this album came out and the entire album is a masterpiece as are the following 2 albums after that, Fragile and Close to the Edge, the holy trinity of Yes and they released those 3 albums in less than a 2 year period, Chris Squire turned that bass into an other worldly instrument, he played it like a lead guitar and the band itself had 100 lineup changes and you'll not see a band go through so many people but Chris Squire is the only constant through out it's history right up to his death. I've seen them 3 times, 1979, 1984 and 2004 and they are true musicians because live they're even better, gotta tell you it was a glorious time to be alive the 70's and as I am sure you realize why my generation laments today's music because there's nothing, NOTHING today that can touch this, nothing.
Yes YES. Hardly any reactors have done South Side of the Sky. It's heavier and harder than most Yes songs but great nonetheless. And I once called a radio station to compare Heart of the Sunrise from the same album to a Classical piece of music with all the movements on it tied together some how . So my taste goes that way more than heavy hard. Yes really doesn't have any unlistenable songs.
@@SightAfterDark I recommend doing the short "We Have Heaven" first as it proceeds and blends with South Side in a very cool way, and is really like a warmup song to it. Best to experience both together and they are found on the 'Fragile' album. Like most of Yes's, and other progressive bands, they made 'concept albums' best experienced beginning to end, because of a lot of song blending and theme! ✌️😎
From their genius period (albums 1-5 plus the live one). Bassist Squire (RIP) used to tell the story that no one in London wanted anything to do with his playing until auditioning for Yes. Go figure. Thanks!
Chris Squire did not audition for Yes, he formed the band with Jon Anderson. Also, rather than not having anyone to play, with he was in a band called Mabel Greer's Toyshop when he met Jon Anderson.
@@bazeye Get as prissy as you want about the language--fine. It's Mabel Greer's Toyshop--LATER TO MORPH INTO YES--who were interested in his playing when other bands at the time were telling him: "Thanks. NEXT!" Separating MGT from Yes is something of a distinction without a difference, so you've got that going for you. Well done.
Trust Me, the Live Yessongs version of this song is JAW DROPPING. It takes the pristine recording, and blows up everything. Yessongs is My desert island compilation.
Have always loved Chris Squire's chunky bass, which, like John Entwistle, he played like a lead instrument. Bill Bruford's complex, jazz inspired, drumming and Steve Howe's fluid guitar playing and the ethereal harmonies. Nice
Yeah Close to the Edge is interesting music, but this particular song has always been my Yes favorite. So many musical treats built into this song. Very much ignored the conventional structure of songs at the time, and yet so well composed it holds together with perfect coherence. Every musician shines through in this song. The bass play is outstanding , and Steve Howe's guitar work on this is so fluid and organic and sublime.
He was the motor of Yes. I went to see them twice as late as 2002 in Brussels in a ball-shaped concert hall with amazing acoustics. I could feel that bass in my stomach all the time. I was afraid that at that time they would sound more adjusted to then current musical tastes, but they sounded amazing. It was Anderson, Howe, Squire, Wakeman and White. So glad they didn't play Owner Of A Lonely Heart.
It was so different in the 70s. You didn’t send parts of a song. Record companies saw you play, signed you. Today’s music is not anything like it was back then. YES is #1 period! ☮️💜
Yes was one of favorites when i was ~16, my high school music teacher who loved classical music and jazz used to play Yes for us but most of us students was already fans. I now rediscover YES through a lot of reactions and I have realized that in back then I was not really aware of the power of the bass guitar and the drums that made all songs of YES great.
Within seconds it's huge and an explosive polyrhythmic psychedelic whirlwind. This is their first album with Steve Howe on guitar that had YES blowing the lid off the Prog scene. Coolest guitar, bass, vocal, harmonies, drumming, atmospheres and changes who pull you inside a hypnotic vortex of sounds. LOVE 70s YES. The most imaginative, versatile, intricate, uplifting virtuosic Progband ever! On the next LP, ROUNDABOUT became YES's first huge Hit bc the company edited the song for airplay but YES and many other Prog bands were not concerned with radio singles. Albums were the big thing in early 70s.
My 8 track player ate my beloved copy of The Yes Album.......I drove straight to the local head shop (yes, I'm that old!) and immediately bought another one! No small feat for a poor hippie kid barely able to drive! That's how important that album was/is to me!
I love the fact that Sight After Dark takes the time to read through listener's comments. The band Yes was one of the great '70's band and as a teen, I owned and listened to all of their albums.
Back in the day labels had people going out to the clubs where bands played. If the club was crowded night after night and people were into the music, the band would be signed for a one record deal. Back in the 60's and 70's... people went out to night clubs to dance and drink. I guess the equivalent to it these days is people swiping right on their phones.
Greetings to my favorite reactors because you guys don't talk over the song I so appreciate that. Yes is a great band Starship Trooper yours is no disgrace off there yes songs album as a pair as the greatest side of an album almost ever. I'm glad you got to hear it. Now I have to tell you I just watched your reaction to Wishbone Ash it excites me that you know nothing of this band which I consider myself well-versed this ban was The Originators of the twin guitar sound even before the Allman Brothers copied by many bands after in the 70s they have over 35 albums to their credit inner still touring today putting out an album just last year called coat of arms they still Rock it will probably take me too long to tell you about all their different albums and songs but I will leave you with a couple try F u b b off the Same album you just listen to. They're biggest album being Argus. They literally have so many songs it's hard to pick one but my favorite for you would be to tales of the wise live from Ducker 1A and Almighty Blues live and lastly live way of the world. Who the f*** is Wishbone Ash you say welcome to finding out as you hit on a very well-known band had lined in front of Aerosmith and Bruce Springsteen
The thing to remember about "back then", is that the rock culture was all about albums. Sure, there were singles that hit the radio, but us college kids bought ALBUMS, and the record execs knew that and tried to fill that need.
The record industry was still trying to label the music (which killed it by narrowing the ability to express the sense of exploration just so they could market it), so they listened to established groups recommending who to sign. For example Richie Blackmore (Deep Purple) recommended Wishbone Ash, after a sound check that Andy Powell was matching note for note what Richie was playing then adding lines that Richie matched then added more lines in the classic call & response. Richie was impressed and called his label and told them they should sign them. There are many stories of this kind of endorsement in rock at that time. Chas Chandler (bassist for The Animals) asked Brian Auger (Trinity) to let Jimi Hendrix sit in with them so he would get exposure in England. Led Zepplin's (Peter Grant) agent procured amazing unheard of deals through his intimidating size, weight and confrontational manner. He is credited with rock musicians getting better deals from record companies and venues.
To me, "Close to the Edge" is an intermediate level Yes song. You need the shorter, "A" side stuff on Fragile to begin to appreciate Yes. Advanced Yes is arguably an album like Tales from Topographic Oceans. For that album, put on the headphones, break out the good weed, and prepare to go on a mind-bending journey.
Yeah, starting Yes with CttE is like starting classical music with full symphonies. Drowning! The two earlier albums had a lot of radio play with songs that get you into what they were playing.
Yes recorded for Warner/ Atlantic, a few years earlier another Warner label, Atco had a massive selling album, one of their most successful during the late 60's, Iron Butterfly's Inna Godda Da Vida that had a sidelong track so indeed they figured at that time that long rock songs = financial success.
Yes are genius..... hope you look into them further.... Yes are personalised and meant to experience in your own space..... BTW YES were massive n the 70's
Sifa is right. In the late sixties, record execs didn’t decide off a sound bite, and there wasn’t so much trepidation about what the higher-ups would think. Interesting to follow Zappa’s trajectory taking control of A&R because you can see the difference over time as the bean counters take more power. If you read his autobiography you see the fights he had to get into and how he loses respect for the business. He was able to take over the entire supply chain eventually.
The Symphonic live version of the Ritual: Nous sommes du soleil, by Yes, may be the greatest live performance by anybody at anytime. Yes is one group that is infinitely better live than they are in the studio, and the version I mentioned above, they are backed by a symphony orchestra.
I believe you've begun by the end of the road. Yes fans of my age,(63) heard rhis album, one year later we were blessed with Fragile and one year more we had another dawn with Close..Each album had nothing to do with the other. Put in perspective there's a clear evolution in a few years between this song till Awaken. Enjoy the way!!!
To me this song is all about positivity. The tune just fills space with an optimistic bent and its hard not to get sucked in, overlooking its 'weirdness' (for ex Squire rarely plays a traditional bass line). And it holds up over time. Its been close to 50 yrs since I first heard it and still holds my interest. Loved it!
To answer your question regarding how music of a more experimental nature was signed, here's a quote from Uncle Frank: “One thing that did happen in the 60s was some music of an unusual and experimental nature did get recorded, did get released. The executives of the day were cigar-chomping old guys who looked at the product and said, ‘I don’t know. Who knows what it is? Record it, stick it out. If it sells, alright!’” “We were better off with those guys than we are with the hip, young executives making decisions about what people should hear. The hippies are more conservative than the conservative “old guys” ever were." Frank Zappa 1987
On vinyl, we did skip around. A good turntable would have a lever at the base of the tone arm, so you could just lift it up, nudge that arm a tad, and set it back down. I had friends who had favorite parts they'd skip to. It was a bit of trial and error. But besides that, to learn a song, that lever got a lot of use, too.
I believe it was a message to the soldiers returning from Vietnam. As you may know, the MI Lya massacre was in the news and soldiers were spit on as they returned to the States. Most, of course, were just draftees who were doing a dirty job. Sad. Also, Anderson's Dad may have been what we now call a disabled vet.
Close to the Edge, while it's a masterpiece, I wouldn't choose it as an introductory piece to a new listener--- I could see it being overwhelming, and too dissonant initially. Glad this song was redeeming for you, Yes has a truly amazing catalogue of sonic gems. They're kinda like the Indian food of music---- many layers of complexities and flavors, both subtle, and brazen...
I would never recommend listening to CTTE to a newbie. Baby steps first. Start with Fragile and the Yes Album. Likewise, Zappa is another artist where jumping into the deep end too soon is unwise.
@@kevinhodgson2990 good call on the Zappa, fortunately my first experience with him was Joe's Garage, and Apostrophe . Otherwise, I may have run screaming into the night, holding my ears..😜
Although I have loved Yes since 1970, I didn't think you HAD to love Close To The Edge like I did on first listen... I just thought you needed to lay down in a darkened room while tripping, and listen to it again; ha! Maybe someday you will?
You should understand that YES built _a hell of a lot of complexity_ into their music. A first listen will almost never do justice to their longer pieces. The audience they sought to satisfy, 1st & foremost, was _other musicians._ Indeed, most of their biggest fans were/are other musicians who were amazed at what they were able to pack into a song. But their 2nd target audience was the mainstream pop music audience, thus their emphasis on melody and vocal harmonies. They arrived at a time that was receptive to their experimental approach to music. Their early sound was dominated by Chris Squire's Industrial-Melodic bass playing, which when combined with jazz drummer Bill Bruford's experimental approach created The Best "Rhythm Section" if you can call it that within the Progressive Rock genre. Later, they added a virtuoso guitarist and a virtuoso keyboard player and it led to unbelievably creative and majestic musical creations. By the way, friends, if you listen to Close To The Edge a second and then a third time, you'll be far more impressed with what they put together than you were on the first listen... ;)
Good stuff right here. They also did a live version of this on Yessongs live three album set in which Steve Howe plays one fantastic guitar solo 😎🎸🎶 take a listen.
I feel sorry for all the stoners who didn't get to experience this album as their first entry into getting high and listening to music. Starship Trooper is THE song though. But if you're into rock history, Roundabout is the song. We're talking fairly heavy airplay on mainstream radio in 1971 and on a lot of the compilation albums for 70's hits. It's the song that brought progressive rock into the mainstream.
" The hook" for this album is "I've seen all good people" Everything else is a bonus. And if I'm a record executive, Chris Squire's bass playing would suck me in. He's the only guy I've ever heard who plays it like a lead instrument. Great album 👍
Back in the 1960's, record executives were throwing spaghetti at the walls, just to see what sticks. In the 1970's the artists started making demands, and by the 1980's, the execs decided they were smarter than everybody else, and music became the same bland everybody doing the same thing we know and loath today.
I’m pretty sure Yes started out making singles and demos of potential single and I think they got signed based on that and then they started with the long psychedelic songs and it sold so Yes got to do what they wanted.
They would get you on Round About or And You And I And sneak this one in afterward? They were one of the earliest Progressive rock bands that certain executives understood the long term possibilities and followers who would buy albums back in the day!
It was a relatively short period of time (from about the mid-60s to mid-70s) when more experimental acts could actually manage to get records made without proving they would make money. But it wasn't always easy - a 16 year old Kate Bush sent a tape of "40 to 50" songs to EMI and they just sat on it - didn't know what to do with them. It wasn't until the tape got passed to Pink Floyd's David Gilmour that she got recognized for what she was: a prodigy. Gilmour became producer and set up the initial recording of, I think, 4 songs that he liked best. But without an artist recognizing another artist's talents, nothing would likely have happened for a couple of years at least. The history of the music business going back to the 1920s was all about commercialism and getting artists to stick with accepted norms of what a song should sound like and how they could acceptably be performed. The only thing approximating an 'underground' music scene in the 1920s and 30s would be the 'race records' being made by the jazz and blues communities. And jazz and blues were not appreciated by the White establishment for a long while.
As a Huge YES fan I do not understand why people suggest reactioners dive in deep for their first listen to Yes!? How about their most classic radio plays: Roundabout, Starship Trooper, I’ve Seen All good people, Yours is No Disgrace etc.. not Close to the Edge, Awaken, the Tales Album, or Relayer. Don’t forget Yes’ first albums were not the longer songs they grew into experiencing with more progressive epics!❤️ you want shorter listen to earlier Yes😉 after establishing themselves record companies just sent these types of bands(70’s) off to do an album…come back and there it is! As fans we loved whatever 70’s bands were putting out! Great era to grow up in!🤘❤️🎸🎼
Chris Squire(RIP)is prog's best bassist... the number one reason I enjoy Yes... The question about how bands/artists were signed to recording contracts in those days: record companies would send talent scouts out to hear artists performing live, and would sometimes sign them immediately upon hearing them. Artists would also send demo tapes to the record companies too.
The title refers to American soldiers being drafted to Viet Nam and Yes is telling them it’s not your fault you had to kill people to survive your’s is no disgrace. 1971.
@@SightAfterDark I was in the Air Force stationed in Las Vegas when I discovered Yes. In 1971 I thought this was their first album. It would take me 4 years to learn about the first 2 albums when I bought Yesterdays(1975))
Don't sweat it, Dan. I consider myself a huge Yes fan, but I also don't like "Close to the Edge" that much. I mean, it's OK, but it's just a little too weird. This Yes song, though, is right up my alley, and they have many more like this that I love. From this album, you have got to hear "Starship Trooper", and the greatest masterpiece from the "Fragile" album IMO is "Roundabout".
It's only the beginning to CTTE that I find a bit weird. But I'm use to it now. But I know people who stopped listening to it during the beginning when they first heard it. This is a better album anyway. 5 songs from this lp were played almost regularly for decades in concert by them
Well actually wrote a reaction that was too long I had to had it some of it I didn't know there was limitations on it apparently there is anyhow what I edited out was yeah good on you kids keeping this magical transformational music alive
Ahmet Ertegun of Atlantic Records signed Yes. He saw them live and he could see the amazing talent. He told Yes to make as good music as they could, and he would sell it. No pressure about radiofriendly or single hits og anything. He trusted musical talent. They don't come like this any more in the music business.
Sometimes you forget how tight this band was. Even in concert they would blow you away. The critics always set them aside but I never listen to them music critics, or movie critics for that matter.
The album that introduced the world to the guitar greatness of Steve Howe.
Yep and for 50 years he’s still my favorite guitar player.
and the mighty Chris Squire
Sure was, then Rick Wakeman, then Alan White, then Patrick Moraz. What a band from 1970 - 1980. ( Drama wasn't too shabby either without Anderson & Wakeman).
Chris Squire wields his bass like a weapon, a sonic weapon that just kills me every time.
Love that!
Chris Squire is one of the most melodic bass players there ever was.
@@neilphelan145 And one of the most powerful too :-D
"Battleships confide in me and tell me where you are".
Chris Squire taking that Rickenbacker bass for a walk around the block, a trip up the mountain, a dip into the valley, and a blast into outer space.
Great description.
It was different back then Sifa, most bands from that era started in night clubs and bars, they played original music and got noticed. Record companies were looking for talent then. Once signed, if there was at least a cult following, they would let the artist experiment even if the first few albums weren't terribly successful. And long songs were just a thing of the era. FM radio was more underground back then and they would play all the long arty songs on college radio stations which were big back then...
Ahh simpler times
But unfortunately, a company the size of Atlantic records wasn't going to put up with 'too much' exploration or the novelty of a cult following for very long. By 1973, only two years after this release, the music press, record companies and even many fans were beginning to turn away from the pomp of progressive rock, the virtuosos,the sprawling compositions, and looking to the more primal urban edges of punk and glam . The mid-seventies would prove to be a critical shift for bands like YES ,Genesis, and King Crimson. 1975 could conceivably be called "The year that 70s prog-rock died..almost"
@@markjohnson4217 1973? I'd say 72-73 were the golden prog years. Fans weren't turning away from it: many were only just discovering the treasure trove produced in the previous 3-4 years. (For rock critics to turn away from it, would mean they had embraced it at some point. They never did.) Atlantic put out Going For The One in 77, it went to the top of the charts, and still featured full-on prog longer pieces like Awaken. Tull's albums of the period (Songs From The Wood, Heavy Horses) did well and featured a lot of prog stuff. Genesis had its biggest success with A Trick of the Tail (76). I remember ELP and Pink Floyd playing to a sold out Montreal Olympic Stadium in 77. I'd say the real turning point was 79-80-81. That's when many bands disbanded or adapted to more pop sensibilities. To your point though, R. Fripp once said that for him, prog creatively petered out by the end of 74. He himself disbanded Crimson that year, feeling it had (temporarily) nothing more to say.
@@benoitdesmarais2948 It is true 1973 was still a great year for epic Rock, in fact, it was Pink Floyd's finest hour. But the tide WAS beginning to turn as the newer mid-seventies bands and artists were either part of the"Coffee-table rock" wave; soft contemporary M.O.R. like The Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, Abba, etc.) or they were with the 'ziggy iggy Lou camp of punk and glam which would redefine the next two decades. YES did continue with their ingenious epics. And their sales were always great in the UK because Atlantic were doing pre-order purchases before the official release dates for those 'higher risk' investments, Lol!!
@@markjohnson4217 Well I moved to the USA in 1973 and learned about prog rock, so it was pretty well booming in my area. I didn’t start going to concerts until 1976, and the arenas were packed. At my mid-West HS, the kids were all into Yes, Pink Floyd, Boston, Beatles, Queen, ELP and Kansas. Some of us were also into King Crimson, Renaissance, Return To Forever and Frank Zappa. We listened to everything thru the punk and grunge eras and beyond, but prog is always a mainstay. I just got the latest Yes cd, “The Quest”, released 10-1-2021, and I really enjoy it even though it doesn’t have the creativity of songs like “Yours Is No Disgrace”.
This whole album is a masterpiece. Try "Starship Trooper" :)
Thanks Kathy!
@@SightAfterDark Starship Trooper without fail!
Starship Troopers and the Clap are two must hear Yes tunes.
I second Starship Trooper
Try Starship Trooper on side 6 of Yessongs. That live version is absolutely fantastic. Even after nearly 50 years I have to play it twice every time because one is not enough for that song.
Yes! 🙂❤
July 24, 1971. I'm in the Yale Bowl waiting for Grand Funk Railroad to come on. The opening act comes on with no announcement, by the middle of the first song we were straining to see the name on the drum kit. It was yes I went out the next day looking for that album. Great reaction, there are plenty more songs just as amazing. Prog rock at it's best.✌️❤️😃
Love it! Thanks for watching!
How about that dirty Rickenbacker bass? If there's one bass player that's considered one of the best, it's Chris Squire (RIP)
Anyway, thanks for a great eaction.
Thanks for watching!
Great pick Steve!
How much does a Patron need to be donating in order to get requests through?
What a SUPER group....some times we forget................
“One thing that did happen in the 60s,” he says, “was some music of an unusual and experimental nature did get recorded, did get released.” The executives of the day were “cigar-chomping old guys who looked at the product and said, ‘I don’t know. Who knows what it is? Record it, stick it out. If it sells, alright!’”
“We were better off with those guys,” says Zappa, “than we are with the hip, young executives,” making decisions about what people should hear. The hippies are more conservative than the conservative “old guys” ever were. This Zappa of 1987 recommends getting back to the “who knows?” approach, “that entrepreneurial spirit” of the grand old industry barons of the 60s. ....
Love it
I love that quote - here's the actual Zappa interview th-cam.com/video/KZazEM8cgt0/w-d-xo.html
unforgettable track from the early 70s. my gen x friend is a yes fan and a couple of years ago i remembered this song in my subconscious. With a lttle searching we found it on the internet. It was a pleasure to hear it again and again and again..... my fav💛💚💙
Perpetual Change (live) off Yessongs it's incredible.
Thanks!
Acts in the 60's and 70's used to get signed by A and R men who used to go and see the bands live. The music press and more underground radio stations used to create a bit of a buzz over up and coming bands, and if the record company reps liked them live they got signed.
Great choice of track tonight, I thought you'd like Yes a bit better with something from this album!!
Makes sense! Thanks Andrew!
I was 13 when this album came out and the entire album is a masterpiece as are the following 2 albums after that, Fragile and Close to the Edge, the holy trinity of Yes and they released those 3 albums in less than a 2 year period, Chris Squire turned that bass into an other worldly instrument, he played it like a lead guitar and the band itself had 100 lineup changes and you'll not see a band go through so many people but Chris Squire is the only constant through out it's history right up to his death. I've seen them 3 times, 1979, 1984 and 2004 and they are true musicians because live they're even better, gotta tell you it was a glorious time to be alive the 70's and as I am sure you realize why my generation laments today's music because there's nothing, NOTHING today that can touch this, nothing.
That bass though.... RIP Chris Squire. Thank you.
RIP
The Yes Album, their third and the next album by Yes, Fragile, pretty much define the term Prog Rock.
Classic Yes! I have tickets to see Rick Wakeman in concert... can't wait!!
Nice!
That will be great! He's not only one of the great keyboardists of all time, but he's a hilarious personality on stage. Could have been a comedian.
Saw them back in 1975 in OKC and the concert was awesome! Rick was the best in those days too!
You guys are on a roll, what a great week of music. Another great album. You have the best patrons.
Our patrons have never lead us wrong!
"The Yes Album" was truly the album that introduced the whole world to "The Yes Album."
The drum and the bass in the beginning !
Glad you liked this one better. Yes was one of the best bands ever to grace the planet. Try “South Side Of The Sky” next.
Thanks Mark!
Yes YES. Hardly any reactors have done South Side of the Sky. It's heavier and harder than most Yes songs but great nonetheless. And I once called a radio station to compare Heart of the Sunrise from the same album to a Classical piece of music with all the movements on it tied together some how . So my taste goes that way more than heavy hard. Yes really doesn't have any unlistenable songs.
@@SightAfterDark I recommend doing the short "We Have Heaven" first as it proceeds and blends with South Side in a very cool way, and is really like a warmup song to it. Best to experience both together and they are found on the 'Fragile' album. Like most of Yes's, and other progressive bands, they made 'concept albums' best experienced beginning to end, because of a lot of song blending and theme! ✌️😎
From their genius period (albums 1-5 plus the live one). Bassist Squire (RIP) used to tell the story that no one in London wanted anything to do with his playing until auditioning for Yes. Go figure. Thanks!
RIP
Chris Squire did not audition for Yes, he formed the band with Jon Anderson.
Also, rather than not having anyone to play, with he was in a band called Mabel Greer's Toyshop when he met Jon Anderson.
@@bazeye Get as prissy as you want about the language--fine. It's Mabel Greer's Toyshop--LATER TO MORPH INTO YES--who were interested in his playing when other bands at the time were telling him: "Thanks. NEXT!" Separating MGT from Yes is something of a distinction without a difference, so you've got that going for you. Well done.
@@dantean I guess you're one of those people that don't like being corrected.
My husband said find a review with this song. Listening to it is the same painstaking vibes I got from it 30 years ago, no its renewed
This is a great example of Yes entering their prime. A loaded lineup that really put it all together here.
Ladies and gentlemen Chris Squire and Yes the greatest show on earth. Been listening to this album for 50yrs, gets better with each listen.
Trust Me, the Live Yessongs version of this song is JAW DROPPING. It takes the pristine recording, and blows up everything. Yessongs is My desert island compilation.
Thanks!
Have always loved Chris Squire's chunky bass, which, like John Entwistle, he played like a lead instrument. Bill Bruford's complex, jazz inspired, drumming and Steve Howe's fluid guitar playing and the ethereal harmonies. Nice
Amazing stuff all around
Chris Squire and Geddy Lee must have benn brothers in another life... Geez these guys knew how to lay down bass lines!
Yeah Close to the Edge is interesting music, but this particular song has always been my Yes favorite. So many musical treats built into this song. Very much ignored the conventional structure of songs at the time, and yet so well composed it holds together with perfect coherence. Every musician shines through in this song. The bass play is outstanding , and Steve Howe's guitar work on this is so fluid and organic and sublime.
Great stuff all around
It was Chris Squire's bass on Roundabout that hooked me on Yes. Grab that Rick, turn the treble all the way up and use a pick - unforgettable!
He was the motor of Yes. I went to see them twice as late as 2002 in Brussels in a ball-shaped concert hall with amazing acoustics. I could feel that bass in my stomach all the time. I was afraid that at that time they would sound more adjusted to then current musical tastes, but they sounded amazing. It was Anderson, Howe, Squire, Wakeman and White. So glad they didn't play Owner Of A Lonely Heart.
The organ at 2:09 is the most unique and original part of this song, really makes you think about life when you hear it
I love your laugh dear...This is right up there with the best of the YES material...That bass ties it all together...
Thanks for watching David!
It was so different in the 70s. You didn’t send parts of a song. Record companies saw you play, signed you. Today’s music is not anything like it was back then. YES is #1 period! ☮️💜
Yes was one of favorites when i was ~16, my high school music teacher who loved classical music and jazz used to play Yes for us but most of us students was already fans. I now rediscover YES through a lot of reactions and I have realized that in back then I was not really aware of the power of the bass guitar and the drums that made all songs of YES great.
There’s info out in the googles that answers your questions about how the “music business” was run. It’s a fascinating story. I recommend studying it.
Thanks for watching Mackey, we love to Google, but we also love to hear from the humans.
Every musician at their finest ability, spells Yes.
Great groove provided by Mr. Bill Bruford.
Within seconds it's huge and an explosive polyrhythmic psychedelic whirlwind. This is their first album with Steve Howe on guitar that had YES blowing the lid off the Prog scene. Coolest guitar, bass, vocal, harmonies, drumming, atmospheres and changes who pull you inside a hypnotic vortex of sounds. LOVE 70s YES. The most imaginative, versatile, intricate, uplifting virtuosic Progband ever! On the next LP, ROUNDABOUT became YES's first huge Hit bc the company edited the song for airplay but YES and many other Prog bands were not concerned with radio singles. Albums were the big thing in early 70s.
Gotta love it
Heart of the Sunrise
My 8 track player ate my beloved copy of The Yes Album.......I drove straight to the local head shop (yes, I'm that old!) and immediately bought another one! No small feat for a poor hippie kid barely able to drive! That's how important that album was/is to me!
I love the fact that Sight After Dark takes the time to read through listener's comments. The band Yes was one of the great '70's band and as a teen, I owned and listened to all of their albums.
Thanks Ronald!
Check out Starship Trooper by Yes from the Yes album. I've seen Yes Live from 1976 to 2015 Chis Squire's passing!
Thanks!
The " Yessongs" version is awesome. Actually the whole album is impressive.
Prog lyrics are like Impressionist paintings in many cases?🗿🌴
College 73, Marantz stereo and we’re all tuned up laying on the apartment floor, only light was the lava lamp and this album of course!
Nice!
Great album to start the Yes Journey with. A classic.
My first YES vinyl...........awesome.......................................not a bad cut on the entire album
Back in the day labels had people going out to the clubs where bands played. If the club was crowded night after night and people were into the music, the band would be signed for a one record deal. Back in the 60's and 70's... people went out to night clubs to dance and drink. I guess the equivalent to it these days is people swiping right on their phones.
Makes sense! Thanks Nick!
That’s a good description of how it was back then 3rd Eye.
@@davetothebeard When two eyes aren't enough
Greetings to my favorite reactors because you guys don't talk over the song I so appreciate that. Yes is a great band Starship Trooper yours is no disgrace off there yes songs album as a pair as the greatest side of an album almost ever. I'm glad you got to hear it. Now I have to tell you I just watched your reaction to Wishbone Ash it excites me that you know nothing of this band which I consider myself well-versed this ban was The Originators of the twin guitar sound even before the Allman Brothers copied by many bands after in the 70s they have over 35 albums to their credit inner still touring today putting out an album just last year called coat of arms they still Rock it will probably take me too long to tell you about all their different albums and songs but I will leave you with a couple try F u b b off the Same album you just listen to. They're biggest album being Argus. They literally have so many songs it's hard to pick one but my favorite for you would be to tales of the wise live from Ducker 1A and Almighty Blues live and lastly live way of the world. Who the f*** is Wishbone Ash you say welcome to finding out as you hit on a very well-known band had lined in front of Aerosmith and Bruce Springsteen
Thanks Terry!
The thing to remember about "back then", is that the rock culture was all about albums. Sure, there were singles that hit the radio, but us college kids bought ALBUMS, and the record execs knew that and tried to fill that need.
Shoutout to LPs!
Listen to the live version from yessongs
Perhaps unusually, my favourite Yes album is Relayer. Closely followed by this one.
The record industry was still trying to label the music (which killed it by narrowing the ability to express the sense of exploration just so they could market it), so they listened to established groups recommending who to sign. For example Richie Blackmore (Deep Purple) recommended Wishbone Ash, after a sound check that Andy Powell was matching note for note what Richie was playing then adding lines that Richie matched then added more lines in the classic call & response. Richie was impressed and called his label and told them they should sign them. There are many stories of this kind of endorsement in rock at that time. Chas Chandler (bassist for The Animals) asked Brian Auger (Trinity) to let Jimi Hendrix sit in with them so he would get exposure in England. Led Zepplin's (Peter Grant) agent procured amazing unheard of deals through his intimidating size, weight and confrontational manner. He is credited with rock musicians getting better deals from record companies and venues.
Thanks for the info Larry!
This was from their 3rd album, release in 1971....their first hit single "I've Seen All Good People" came from it.
One of the great bands.
Indeed
To me, "Close to the Edge" is an intermediate level Yes song. You need the shorter, "A" side stuff on Fragile to begin to appreciate Yes. Advanced Yes is arguably an album like Tales from Topographic Oceans. For that album, put on the headphones, break out the good weed, and prepare to go on a mind-bending journey.
Makes sense to us! Thanks!
Music so good that you need to kill brain cells to enjoy it. Makes sense.
Yeah, starting Yes with CttE is like starting classical music with full symphonies. Drowning! The two earlier albums had a lot of radio play with songs that get you into what they were playing.
Yes recorded for Warner/ Atlantic, a few years earlier another Warner label, Atco had a massive selling album, one of their most successful during the late 60's, Iron Butterfly's Inna Godda Da Vida that had a sidelong track so indeed they figured at that time that long rock songs = financial success.
Yes are genius..... hope you look into them further.... Yes are personalised and meant to experience in your own space..... BTW YES were massive n the 70's
Sifa is right. In the late sixties, record execs didn’t decide off a sound bite, and there wasn’t so much trepidation about what the higher-ups would think. Interesting to follow Zappa’s trajectory taking control of A&R because you can see the difference over time as the bean counters take more power. If you read his autobiography you see the fights he had to get into and how he loses respect for the business. He was able to take over the entire supply chain eventually.
The Symphonic live version of the Ritual: Nous sommes du soleil, by Yes, may be the greatest live performance by anybody at anytime. Yes is one group that is infinitely better live than they are in the studio, and the version I mentioned above, they are backed by a symphony orchestra.
I believe you've begun by the end of the road. Yes fans of my age,(63) heard rhis album, one year later we were blessed with Fragile and one year more we had another dawn with Close..Each album had nothing to do with the other. Put in perspective there's a clear evolution in a few years between this song till Awaken. Enjoy the way!!!
To me this song is all about positivity. The tune just fills space with an optimistic bent and its hard not to get sucked in, overlooking its 'weirdness' (for ex Squire rarely plays a traditional bass line). And it holds up over time. Its been close to 50 yrs since I first heard it and still holds my interest. Loved it!
Love it!!! YES is FIRE🔥🔥🔥
Yes
Yes, yes, yes! I'll be shocked if you don't love it.
To answer your question regarding how music of a more experimental nature was signed, here's a quote from Uncle Frank: “One thing that did happen in the 60s was some music of an unusual and experimental nature did get recorded, did get released. The executives of the day were cigar-chomping old guys who looked at the product and said, ‘I don’t know. Who knows what it is? Record it, stick it out. If it sells, alright!’”
“We were better off with those guys than we are with the hip, young executives making decisions about what people should hear. The hippies are more conservative than the conservative “old guys” ever were." Frank Zappa 1987
CTTE is a masterpiece that needs to be listened to many times to absorb the genius of the music.
Don't give up on it, you'll see.
We won’t give up!
I like all of the Yes albums but this one is my all time favorite one! 👍
On vinyl, we did skip around. A good turntable would have a lever at the base of the tone arm, so you could just lift it up, nudge that arm a tad, and set it back down. I had friends who had favorite parts they'd skip to. It was a bit of trial and error. But besides that, to learn a song, that lever got a lot of use, too.
Cool info, thanks GJ!
Chris Squire was the first to make the Bass a lead, listen sweet dreams from the Album time and word 1970.
Thanks for watching!
I believe it was a message to the soldiers returning from Vietnam. As you may know, the MI Lya massacre was in the news and soldiers were spit on as they returned to the States. Most, of course, were just draftees who were doing a dirty job. Sad. Also, Anderson's Dad may have been what we now call a disabled vet.
Great choice.
Thanks Farber2!
You can find the audio of their whole set on. TH-cam. Just ask for Yes at the Yale Bowl. It was a great show 👍😃😃
Close to the Edge, while it's a masterpiece, I wouldn't choose it as an introductory piece to a new listener--- I could see it being overwhelming, and too dissonant initially.
Glad this song was redeeming for you, Yes has a truly amazing catalogue of sonic gems.
They're kinda like the Indian food of music---- many layers of complexities and flavors, both subtle, and brazen...
I would never recommend listening to CTTE to a newbie. Baby steps first. Start with Fragile and the Yes Album. Likewise, Zappa is another artist where jumping into the deep end too soon is unwise.
@@kevinhodgson2990 good call on the Zappa, fortunately my first experience with him was Joe's Garage, and Apostrophe .
Otherwise, I may have run screaming into the night, holding my ears..😜
Love it!
Although I have loved Yes since 1970, I didn't think you HAD to love Close To The Edge like I did on first listen...
I just thought you needed to lay down in a darkened room while tripping, and listen to it again; ha! Maybe someday you will?
You should understand that YES built _a hell of a lot of complexity_ into their music. A first listen will almost never do justice to their longer pieces. The audience they sought to satisfy, 1st & foremost, was _other musicians._ Indeed, most of their biggest fans were/are other musicians who were amazed at what they were able to pack into a song. But their 2nd target audience was the mainstream pop music audience, thus their emphasis on melody and vocal harmonies. They arrived at a time that was receptive to their experimental approach to music. Their early sound was dominated by Chris Squire's Industrial-Melodic bass playing, which when combined with jazz drummer Bill Bruford's experimental approach created The Best "Rhythm Section" if you can call it that within the Progressive Rock genre. Later, they added a virtuoso guitarist and a virtuoso keyboard player and it led to unbelievably creative and majestic musical creations.
By the way, friends, if you listen to Close To The Edge a second and then a third time, you'll be far more impressed with what they put together than you were on the first listen... ;)
In 1971, record execs. did not know what the kids wanted to groove to, so they signed up many artists for few bucks and hoped one would hit.
Something’s gotta stick!
Good stuff right here. They also did a live version of this on Yessongs live three album set in which Steve Howe plays one fantastic guitar solo 😎🎸🎶 take a listen.
Thanks!
@@SightAfterDark he's not kidding.
The live version on Yessongs will knock your socks off.
Probably the best live guitar solo of all time.
I feel sorry for all the stoners who didn't get to experience this album as their first entry into getting high and listening to music.
Starship Trooper is THE song though. But if you're into rock history, Roundabout is the song. We're talking fairly heavy airplay on mainstream radio in 1971 and on a lot of the compilation albums for 70's hits. It's the song that brought progressive rock into the mainstream.
Thanks for watching Randy!
This song and Starship Trooper are excellent from that album. Amazingly, the live versions on Yessongs are even better!
" The hook" for this album is "I've seen all good people" Everything else is a bonus.
And if I'm a record executive, Chris Squire's bass playing would suck me in. He's the only guy I've ever heard who plays it like a lead instrument. Great album 👍
Awesome
also John Entwhistle
Back in the 1960's, record executives were throwing spaghetti at the walls, just to see what sticks. In the 1970's the artists started making demands, and by the 1980's, the execs decided they were smarter than everybody else, and music became the same bland everybody doing the same thing we know and loath today.
I’m pretty sure Yes started out making singles and demos of potential single and I think they got signed based on that and then they started with the long psychedelic songs and it sold so Yes got to do what they wanted.
Hell yeah
They would get you on Round About or And You And I And sneak this one in afterward? They were one of the earliest Progressive rock bands that certain executives understood the long term possibilities and followers who would buy albums back in the day!
Record executives use to go to the clubs and find these bands.
Makes sense
my head is still off from 71
It was a relatively short period of time (from about the mid-60s to mid-70s) when more experimental acts could actually manage to get records made without proving they would make money. But it wasn't always easy - a 16 year old Kate Bush sent a tape of "40 to 50" songs to EMI and they just sat on it - didn't know what to do with them. It wasn't until the tape got passed to Pink Floyd's David Gilmour that she got recognized for what she was: a prodigy. Gilmour became producer and set up the initial recording of, I think, 4 songs that he liked best. But without an artist recognizing another artist's talents, nothing would likely have happened for a couple of years at least.
The history of the music business going back to the 1920s was all about commercialism and getting artists to stick with accepted norms of what a song should sound like and how they could acceptably be performed. The only thing approximating an 'underground' music scene in the 1920s and 30s would be the 'race records' being made by the jazz and blues communities. And jazz and blues were not appreciated by the White establishment for a long while.
Ah how things change
As a Huge YES fan I do not understand why people suggest reactioners dive in deep for their first listen to Yes!? How about their most classic radio plays: Roundabout, Starship Trooper, I’ve Seen All good people, Yours is No Disgrace etc.. not Close to the Edge, Awaken, the Tales Album, or Relayer.
Don’t forget Yes’ first albums were not the longer songs they grew into experiencing with more progressive epics!❤️ you want shorter listen to earlier Yes😉 after establishing themselves record companies just sent these types of bands(70’s) off to do an album…come back and there it is! As fans we loved whatever 70’s bands were putting out! Great era to grow up in!🤘❤️🎸🎼
Chris Squire(RIP)is prog's best bassist... the number one reason I enjoy Yes...
The question about how bands/artists were signed to recording contracts in those days: record companies would send talent scouts out to hear artists performing live, and would sometimes sign them immediately upon hearing them. Artists would also send demo tapes to the record companies too.
RIP
The title refers to American soldiers being drafted to Viet Nam and Yes is telling them it’s not your fault you had to kill people to survive your’s is no disgrace. 1971.
Oh shit
@@SightAfterDark I was in the Air Force stationed in Las Vegas when I discovered Yes. In 1971 I thought this was their first album. It would take me 4 years to learn about the first 2 albums when I bought Yesterdays(1975))
Space Shuttle take off, Sci Fi like main theme....Gives me a ''To the Stars and Beyond!' kinda vibe.
Can definitely see that!
Don't sweat it, Dan. I consider myself a huge Yes fan, but I also don't like "Close to the Edge" that much. I mean, it's OK, but it's just a little too weird. This Yes song, though, is right up my alley, and they have many more like this that I love. From this album, you have got to hear "Starship Trooper", and the greatest masterpiece from the "Fragile" album IMO is "Roundabout".
Hell yeah! Thanks Tony!
It's only the beginning to CTTE that I find a bit weird. But I'm use to it now. But I know people who stopped listening to it during the beginning when they first heard it. This is a better album anyway. 5 songs from this lp were played almost regularly for decades in concert by them
Yeah Roundabout is genius!
Well actually wrote a reaction that was too long I had to had it some of it I didn't know there was limitations on it apparently there is anyhow what I edited out was yeah good on you kids keeping this magical transformational music alive
Lol we didn’t know that either. Thanks Bryan!
Medieval jazz from some parallel universes' alternate timeline.
Niceeee
When you're more musically experienced you'll LOVE Close to the Edge.. but I admit.. it takes quite a few listens :) Cheers, love the content.
From the same album Starship Trooper.
Ahmet Ertegun of Atlantic Records signed Yes. He saw them live and he could see the amazing talent. He told Yes to make as good music as they could, and he would sell it. No pressure about radiofriendly or single hits og anything. He trusted musical talent. They don't come like this any more in the music business.
Love that
Nice I like video o& you guys rocking out in the begging. Love yes too
Thanks for watching!
Back then record companies were interested in the music Nowadays it's "will it make us money"
Lol pretty sure the record companies always just wanted money. The difference is what are the people willing to pay for 🤔
Sometimes you forget how tight this band was. Even in concert they would blow you away.
The critics always set them aside but I never listen to them music critics, or movie critics for that matter.