I remember buying CTTE as a 15 yo, relatively new prog rock fan in 1974! And "Siberian Khatru" was the concert opener for several years, including the first time I saw Yes in '76!
When you give this song a 2nd & 3rd listen, notice the incredible amount of _complexity_ they packed into their masterpieces. In spite of the fact that they were so very dense with inputs, it never sounded like a muddle of noise, thanks in large part to Eddy Offord, their sound engineer during this period. I think a big part of the reason for their great appetite for complexity of composition was that it was built around Chris' constant industrial-melodic inspirations. As long as you clung to that bass line (+ the vocals) all the other layers of contributions by the others are presented to you in their time. For discerning ears, YES masterpieces were packed with ear candy as you listen to how all the individual contributions were brought together to create experimental music like no one had ever heard before...
I think the keyboard sound you're thinking of is Mellotron brass tape used with a mini-moog synthesizer. The live version of Siberian Khatru on the Yessongs album live from the Close To The Edge tour in 1972 ramps up the energy of this song arguably better than this studio version. Folk tried to pin down Yes as just a studio group, but Yessongs showed Yes were and always had been an amazing live band too. Nice One, Justin 👍
One of my fav. Yes offerings. Love it when Yes goes into a trotting tempo, and S.K. has enough cohesion for my taste. The soundscapes! Great am start! Thanks Christopher!
1972... Keep in mind every guy in this band was a pioneer at their specific instrument, including the vocals. Bruford became legendary, wakeman in his legendary, squire's bass sound inspired a whole generation that followed, Steve howes versatility was second to none. John Anderson's voice was so distinctive, throw in vocal harmonies inspired by the likes of the Beach boys and Simon and Garfunkel. In most cases, having too many chefs in the kitchen is a recipe for disaster, but somehow these guys made it work. The difference between bands like yes and pop are pop usually has a single hook to create a 3-minute song. Yes' music are compositions which I wouldn't classify as a song, they take more of a classical music approach in their longer pieces. When the classically trained wakeman join the band, with his mellotron and use of the pipe organ on certain pieces, they're really started exploring the classical realm.
Hi Justin. Think told you thid before. We waiting 20 years in mexico to see yes. They opened with this. Glorious😢. Still remember that. Im in early 60s
Wow...as soon as the video ended an advert for an orchestra playing The Firebird Suite came on which is the piece which precedes Siberian Khatru on YesSongs which was their Close To The Edge Live Tour featuring Alan White who replaced Bill Bruford who left Yes for King Crimson shortly after recording Close To The Edge...how cool is that?!!
You know Justin is supposed to pick back up on the Yes journey where he left off at The Yes Album. I know it's really long but man it would almost be criminal not to include Yessongs. I wore that thing out back in the day. One of the best live albums ever. I would prefer he do Yessongs over Tales From Topographical Oceans if he felt he had to choose between the two due to time constraints. I just want him to get up through Tormato at least. He already did Going For The One for me and has done 90125...
Steve: I liked the way "Siberian Khatru" developed on stage and became a real big track to open the shows with - lots of guitar breaks and all that. That song came together with the arranging skills of the band: Jon had the rough idea of the song, and Chris, Bill, Rick, and me would collaborate on getting the riffs together - sometimes Bill would do this if he wasn’t sure how to finish a line: He’d just mouth something, like a scat singer... Bill was remarkable like that. I don’t think he realizes how much he contributed. But in the spirit of the arranging of Yes, it was the giving and taking of ideas, and we were really fluid with that.
LOL, Christopher just can't wait. JP, perhaps when you reach this in the overview you can review the live 'Yessongs' version (with the "Firebird" opening, natch). It's a pretty wild ride. Howe's ending solo is extended and the whole thing ends on a rousing note. Yes epics are often compared to onions -- many, many layers (and not because they make you cry, Rick Wakeman! 😡) They also reward repeat listenings -- many, many repeated listenings. Many of us can still remember lying on the floor with this song pumped through headphones, going "OK, cool -- that keyboard thing is repeated now with that earlier guitar line but an octave higher..." It's also interesting that you call it 'art' JP, cuz back before the term prog rock was a thing they would call music like this 'art rock'. IMO, the one thing Yes brought to the rock world during their classic period was a crazy knack for musical architecture that made them masters of long-form compositions (mostly from Rick's classical education and Jon spending hours listening to 20th century masters like Stravinsky and Sibelius). Alas, the time and work required was all a bit much for poor old Billy B, which is why he fled for the more improvisational approach of King Crimson before the tour for this album even started.
Ah! What a welcomed treat! I feared I would have to wait much longer than this to get another YES reaction! So I must thank Christopher, first of all for his choice and thank you Justin, for veering back into YES territory. And you're right. It does give you a sneak peak of the direction the group were heading after their first two albums. Good luck with the move. I don't envy you there. But I'm sure it will be well worth it once you are settled away.
The 'big' keyboard was a mellotron. Like playing samples of individual notes - each on its own tape loop inside the machine - each played by am individual key.
❤❤❤❤❤ BTW There's no reference to the meaning of "KHATRU" in Yemeni or anywhere except from the "AS YOU WISH" wives tale. I think Jon's answer simply meant " "WHATEVER YOU LIKE IT TO MEAN" and someone misunderstood, so - as you wish - became the Folklore that keeps getting repeated on Reaction Videos. LOL! One of their greatest songs EVER and most impossible to translate 😅😅😅😅 The MAIN groove is 3 overlapping rhythmically timed patterns...keys 16,, bass 8 & guitar 4, with a kickass playful drumbeat. The 2 other songs are the BOMB!
The "hook" on this song was Chris' bass line throughout & yes, it is a bit melodic, isn't it? It's what anchors this masterpiece. Even Wakeman's harpsichord solo is set against Chris' walking melodic counter. And with that pick he's pumping out sixteenth notes for added texture. Definitely one of their all-time masterpieces from YES' Uber-Classic period (The Yes Album, Fragile, Close To The Edge)...
Obviously I like the track, but always felt there was something off about it. It could be, that for me it's on the wrong album, because the two other tracks are just mind-blowing. This is proper progressive rock: ambitious, complex, brilliantly executed, lyrics impossible to decipher...all that. Good stuff, raising the bar pretty high.
I have thought that before. It was my first favorite on the album. Then CTTE took over with And You & I. Those two are purely divine but in different ways. This showcases them as a rock band, another very important side and all the sides make up the perfect Yes experience. Sort of makes sense to me! 😂❤
Pretty sure that keyboard sound you're talking about is something from a mini-MOOG. Maybe with a bad transitor (I think I read that somewhere once). But I'm not a keyboard player (certainly not a keyboard tech).
Maybe my favorite yes track right now? In all of its beautiful complexity, yet every couple years I change my mind about my favorites,,,next level stuff Thankyou!...Nirvana next? You should do that hidden track on nevermind 😅
Personally, I always felt this track let the album down. The other two tracks are mindblowing and in my top 3 Yes tracks. This one sounds unrefined and unfocused to me.
That’s funny, I always thought the exact opposite. I felt like this was the most focused of the songs on the album. It sounded like the one that was supposed to be the “Roundabout” for the album, and was a little more “planned” than the others. It was my least favorite track for a while, now I love the album as a whole and see every song as equally necessary for the experience. I’m sure 20 years from now (if I make it that far) I’ll probably have a different view. I’ll bet it will still be my favorite album ever though.
They used to open their shows with this song. Really got the crowd pumped up! Gotta love a rock song with a harpsichord solo!
The live version on the Yessongs album is better !
@@stephanechamberland8486 I concur completely.
Closing out the greatest prog album of all time, all three songs are masterpieces of prog. One of the best musician lineups of all time as well.
This has always been my favorite song by YES. It has everything you need to know about them all in this one song.
I remember buying CTTE as a 15 yo, relatively new prog rock fan in 1974! And "Siberian Khatru" was the concert opener for several years, including the first time I saw Yes in '76!
YES!! Thanks Chris....😊
Cheers for Christopher!! That was fun! Thanks Justin.
I always liked the Steve Howe guitar intro to this song
When you give this song a 2nd & 3rd listen, notice the incredible amount of _complexity_ they packed into their masterpieces. In spite of the fact that they were so very dense with inputs, it never sounded like a muddle of noise, thanks in large part to Eddy Offord, their sound engineer during this period. I think a big part of the reason for their great appetite for complexity of composition was that it was built around Chris' constant industrial-melodic inspirations. As long as you clung to that bass line (+ the vocals) all the other layers of contributions by the others are presented to you in their time. For discerning ears, YES masterpieces were packed with ear candy as you listen to how all the individual contributions were brought together to create experimental music like no one had ever heard before...
I think the keyboard sound you're thinking of is Mellotron brass tape used with a mini-moog synthesizer. The live version of Siberian Khatru on the Yessongs album live from the Close To The Edge tour in 1972 ramps up the energy of this song arguably better than this studio version. Folk tried to pin down Yes as just a studio group, but Yessongs showed Yes were and always had been an amazing live band too. Nice One, Justin 👍
That is classic prog rock that many bands later learned from [1972] As you already indicate, art.
Thank you Justin for the reaction🙏
One of my fav. Yes offerings. Love it when Yes goes into a trotting tempo, and S.K. has enough cohesion for my taste. The soundscapes! Great am start! Thanks Christopher!
The musicianship is through the roof!
1972... Keep in mind every guy in this band was a pioneer at their specific instrument, including the vocals. Bruford became legendary, wakeman in his legendary, squire's bass sound inspired a whole generation that followed, Steve howes versatility was second to none. John Anderson's voice was so distinctive, throw in vocal harmonies inspired by the likes of the Beach boys and Simon and Garfunkel. In most cases, having too many chefs in the kitchen is a recipe for disaster, but somehow these guys made it work. The difference between bands like yes and pop are pop usually has a single hook to create a 3-minute song. Yes' music are compositions which I wouldn't classify as a song, they take more of a classical music approach in their longer pieces. When the classically trained wakeman join the band, with his mellotron and use of the pipe organ on certain pieces, they're really started exploring the classical realm.
Thanks for reaction Justin.
Hi Justin. Think told you thid before. We waiting 20 years in mexico to see yes. They opened with this. Glorious😢. Still remember that. Im in early 60s
Best prog album ever
YES! 😊
Wow...as soon as the video ended an advert for an orchestra playing The Firebird Suite came on which is the piece which precedes Siberian Khatru on YesSongs which was their Close To The Edge Live Tour featuring Alan White who replaced Bill Bruford who left Yes for King Crimson shortly after recording Close To The Edge...how cool is that?!!
You know Justin is supposed to pick back up on the Yes journey where he left off at The Yes Album. I know it's really long but man it would almost be criminal not to include Yessongs. I wore that thing out back in the day. One of the best live albums ever. I would prefer he do Yessongs over Tales From Topographical Oceans if he felt he had to choose between the two due to time constraints. I just want him to get up through Tormato at least. He already did Going For The One for me and has done 90125...
Steve: I liked the way "Siberian Khatru" developed on stage and became a real big track to open the shows with - lots of guitar breaks and all that. That song came together with the arranging skills of the band: Jon had the rough idea of the song, and Chris, Bill, Rick, and me would collaborate on getting the riffs together - sometimes Bill would do this if he wasn’t sure how to finish a line: He’d just mouth something, like a scat singer... Bill was remarkable like that. I don’t think he realizes how much he contributed. But in the spirit of the arranging of Yes, it was the giving and taking of ideas, and we were really fluid with that.
LOL, Christopher just can't wait. JP, perhaps when you reach this in the overview you can review the live 'Yessongs' version (with the "Firebird" opening, natch). It's a pretty wild ride. Howe's ending solo is extended and the whole thing ends on a rousing note.
Yes epics are often compared to onions -- many, many layers (and not because they make you cry, Rick Wakeman! 😡) They also reward repeat listenings -- many, many repeated listenings. Many of us can still remember lying on the floor with this song pumped through headphones, going "OK, cool -- that keyboard thing is repeated now with that earlier guitar line but an octave higher..." It's also interesting that you call it 'art' JP, cuz back before the term prog rock was a thing they would call music like this 'art rock'. IMO, the one thing Yes brought to the rock world during their classic period was a crazy knack for musical architecture that made them masters of long-form compositions (mostly from Rick's classical education and Jon spending hours listening to 20th century masters like Stravinsky and Sibelius). Alas, the time and work required was all a bit much for poor old Billy B, which is why he fled for the more improvisational approach of King Crimson before the tour for this album even started.
Ah! What a welcomed treat! I feared I would have to wait much longer than this to get another YES reaction! So I must thank Christopher, first of all for his choice and thank you Justin, for veering back into YES territory. And you're right. It does give you a sneak peak of the direction the group were heading after their first two albums. Good luck with the move. I don't envy you there. But I'm sure it will be well worth it once you are settled away.
Howe really took double stops to a new level on this one. And notice hoe the riff changes on the last verse! These guys blow me away!
Massively edited comment:
You’ve not done the song Close to the Edge? All this time? That’s the one.
No other comment needed in this context! 😂😂😂❤
Steve Howe is impressive. Keys are really nice all the way through.
Love this song and love this album. Can’t wait till you get to the rest of the album
When one considers that this could be seen as the "throwaway" track, you can imagine how epic the other two are.
I've always loved the counterpoint between Wakeman & Squire during the harpsichord break. So well written!
When it's fading out like some drunken, chaotic spaceship rockin' off into the universe... ❤
The 'big' keyboard was a mellotron. Like playing samples of individual notes - each on its own tape loop inside the machine - each played by am individual key.
Bruford said this was his favorite song on the album.
His line in the docu was "We had a good day that day. Or a good week that week." 😄
Keep the YES music coming!
Glorious album
Hey Justin! Only have one word for CTTE...Masterpiece!!!👍😎
And much better live ✨️👑✨️
@@lesblatnyak5947 Absolutely!!!👍😎
It is!🤩
@@TigerMtnKing 👍😎
My favourite Yes album. So glad you've done this one. Cheers Squire (pun intended)
❤❤❤❤❤ BTW There's no reference to the meaning of "KHATRU" in Yemeni or anywhere except from the "AS YOU WISH" wives tale. I think Jon's answer simply meant " "WHATEVER YOU LIKE IT TO MEAN" and someone misunderstood, so - as you wish - became the Folklore that keeps getting repeated on Reaction Videos. LOL! One of their greatest songs EVER and most impossible to translate 😅😅😅😅 The MAIN groove is 3 overlapping rhythmically timed patterns...keys 16,, bass 8 & guitar 4, with a kickass playful drumbeat. The 2 other songs are the BOMB!
todays fact: the opening riff of Siberian Khatru is used as the slowed down final end riff of 'Awaken (1977)'
The "hook" on this song was Chris' bass line throughout & yes, it is a bit melodic, isn't it? It's what anchors this masterpiece. Even Wakeman's harpsichord solo is set against Chris' walking melodic counter. And with that pick he's pumping out sixteenth notes for added texture. Definitely one of their all-time masterpieces from YES' Uber-Classic period (The Yes Album, Fragile, Close To The Edge)...
Best album by anyone...ever.
Ladies and gentlemen, YES, the greatest show on earth ✨️🎶✨️
👍😎
This album is just incredible, amazing, a masterpiece... Hope you listen the other 2 songs, also Relayer, another masterpiece...
"This is not pop." Perhaps the understatement of the day 😉
Kinda Flawless ...the Live version on Yessongs is Next Level bro .
Perfection
A bit too busy at times but I do really like this one.
Obviously I like the track, but always felt there was something off about it. It could be, that for me it's on the wrong album, because the two other tracks are just mind-blowing. This is proper progressive rock: ambitious, complex, brilliantly executed, lyrics impossible to decipher...all that. Good stuff, raising the bar pretty high.
I have thought that before. It was my first favorite on the album. Then CTTE took over with And You & I. Those two are purely divine but in different ways. This showcases them as a rock band, another very important side and all the sides make up the perfect Yes experience. Sort of makes sense to me! 😂❤
Do the whole album! One of their best. Keyboard was called a Mellotron. Pre-synth.
Keep this up and you'll end up in a Yes tribute band.
I cant imagine there are many of those
Pretty sure that keyboard sound you're talking about is something from a mini-MOOG. Maybe with a bad transitor (I think I read that somewhere once). But I'm not a keyboard player (certainly not a keyboard tech).
I still LOVE to death! This a sick sick wicked song!
I thought Da Doo Dee Da Doo was the hook, haha.
Maybe my favorite yes track right now? In all of its beautiful complexity, yet every couple years I change my mind about my favorites,,,next level stuff
Thankyou!...Nirvana next? You should do that hidden track on nevermind 😅
Personally, I always felt this track let the album down. The other two tracks are mindblowing and in my top 3 Yes tracks. This one sounds unrefined and unfocused to me.
That’s funny, I always thought the exact opposite. I felt like this was the most focused of the songs on the album. It sounded like the one that was supposed to be the “Roundabout” for the album, and was a little more “planned” than the others. It was my least favorite track for a while, now I love the album as a whole and see every song as equally necessary for the experience. I’m sure 20 years from now (if I make it that far) I’ll probably have a different view. I’ll bet it will still be my favorite album ever though.