[music] YES - Fragile

[dot_fennel]

I thought I had given Yes a try at some point-- a favorite musician of mine, Scott Miller, stood up for them years ago, before trends in post-rock made it even slightly fashionable to talk about liking prog. My memory of trying Yes, though, is that I expected them to be kind of like this and was disappointed that they weren't. Even though, clearly, they are!

So, okay, "Cans And Brahms" I can live without. There's one other wholly-instro track ("Mood For A Day") that I kept expecting not to like, as I have no special interest in monochrome acostic-guitar noodling, but didn't mind hearing. The rest is nice! I like the changes, and while some of the individual instruments are VERY cheesy, in combination the novelty totally outweighs the cheese. What lyrics I made out seemed inoffensively stupid (something about an eagle); my impression from hearing people talk is that, if anything, the other lyrics get less sensible while still throwing around new-age tropes, which works for me.

The glosses I saw on prog for years were, "Sure, if you want to hear an 11/8 guitar solo, a synthesized flute, and lyrics about Mars, you could listen to prog." And the arid excess that implied-- look, Ma, my music is hard to play and requires a lot of exegesis!-- had little appeal to me, particularly with the 90s undergrounders who leaned in the direction of 8-minute songs and odd time signatures being so hard to take already.

But this is catchy and elaborate at the same time. It's entirely possible I wouldn't like more DIFFICULT prog. Who knows? As with Zappa, I miss vocals if they're entirely gone but a long song with only little bits of singing at the beginning and end is fine; I actually like the tension that creates.

I'll be thrilled if this leads to my enjoying all those Yes albums that are $2 online or $9 for the remastered version in the discount bin at the record store. I will be less thrilled if I find myself liking "Owner Of A Lonely Heart" at all; that would be the point where the joy of liking something unexpectedly shades into fear that I've just kind of lost my bearings.

Comments

[lyonesse.livejournal.com]

*cracks up*

yeah, fragile is a terrific album. given what you've said here, i suspect you'll still prefer "early yes" [the yes album, close to the edge, yessongs (which is a gigundous collection); possibly tales from topographic oceans and relayer] than anything later (1977 onwards). my two-bit recommendation is to avoid any yes that in any way involves anybody named "trevor".

if you haven't already, i'd also recommend you try (early) genesis [trick of the tail, foxtrot, selling england by the pound] or perhaps king crimson [three of a perfect pair].

[dot_fennel]

I heard some 70s King Crimson that I enjoyed, but after two uninspiring listens to the compilation that I bought (Sleepless: The Concise King Crimson) the disc acquired a Somebody Else's Problem field and in fact I think it may still be gathering dust on top of the tertiary stereo. Genesis and early Yes, I will investigate. Thanks!

[lyonesse.livejournal.com]

i'd recommend "a young person's guide to king crimson" or "three of a perfect pair" rather than "the concise".

then again, i'm the sort who can love a song with the refrain, "CAT FOOD, CAT FOOD, CAT FOOD -- AGAIN!"

I wonder if Tangerine Dream is considered prog?

[bluepapercup]

I'm thrilled you like this. I am totally a Yes fan. There is certainly other Yes stuff that's worth a listen, I wonder if you might like Tales from Topographic Oceans which has my favorite Yes song on it, "Ritual(Nous Sommes Du Soleil)", a song I think is very beautiful and haunting, and happens to to be a meditative 24 minutes long. "Owner of a Lonely Heart" is, admittedly, cheesy in the extreme, but we'll all look away quietly if you like it. I liked it when I first heard it, at 14, but now it just grates on me.

Re: I wonder if Tangerine Dream is considered prog?

[dot_fennel]

Tangerine Dream certainly get mentioned when people are talking about prog, though not knowing the stuff myself, I'm never sure what's sort of core prog, and what's just something that people on mailing lists like which fits into discussions of unfashionable 70s bands.

I may bug you to lend me things. Bug bug.

Re: I wonder if Tangerine Dream is considered prog?

[bluepapercup]

buzz buzz. by all means.

Re: I wonder if Tangerine Dream is considered prog?

[lyonesse.livejournal.com]

i'm a fairly devout yes-head and i generally don't think i like "owner of a lonely heart". however, i did once hear it very late at night on the radio, and admit i was impressed by its level of fugue-like thematic structure. the lyrics are dreck, but given that the rest of the radio show was *all* dreck, there was a certain musicality that really stuck out.

tangerine dream is indeed considered prog by those who feel they enjoy their music the most when it is properly pigeonholed.

Re: I wonder if Tangerine Dream is considered prog?

[bluepapercup]

tangerine dream is indeed considered prog by those who feel they enjoy their music the most when it is properly pigeonholed.

heh heh. Point taken :)

[rednikki.livejournal.com]

Owner of a Lonely Heart is a favorite song of mine. Maybe this just means I have no taste...

[dot_fennel]

Hey, I give my opinion a lot less credence when I dislike something than when I like it; if you like "Owner", I have no problem with that. I would just be suspicious if my own response to it changed.

I did call something "objectively horrible" recently, but I can't remember what, and when I said it I was conscious of the fact that even when I feel pissy I wouldn't apply that label to more than a few things.

[rieux.livejournal.com]

"owner" doesn't sound like yes, anyway, except maybe the drumming. i still like it.

The Skinny

[dominika-kretek.livejournal.com]

Yes has several periods:

1. The "We Love the Beatles; we're the next Pink Floyd" period (Yes, and Time & a Word)
2. Guitar Rock with a Classical Sensibility (Yes Album, Fragile, Close to the Edge)
3. Tales from Topographic Oceans (TFTO, Relayer)
4. Shipwrecked on Topographic Oceans (Going for the One, Tormato)
5. Trevor Horn merges Yes with the Buggles and breaks up the band (Drama)
6. Trevor Horn decides that just producing would be okay (90125, Big Generator)
7. Aftermath (Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe, Union, Talk, etc)

I like period two the best, and I have a very special soft spot for Tormato. I could live without the rest. 90125 is kind of when they rolled Yahtzee, coming up with something idiosyncratic and supremely accessible at the same time, but it's very produced-sounding. Nevertheless, romantic me always liked "Hearts" oodles.

I am a little scared that I still know the chronology so well.

Re: The Skinny

[dot_fennel]

Trevor Horn? Jesus.

On the one hand, I liked his production for ABC. And Belle & Sebastian, I guess. But the Buggles creep me out.