Can't find any chat with this band but YES is a common used word so setting this chat up cos this band deserves all praise.
"Roundabout" has to be one of the best songs ever written and that bass line is beyond amazing.

New album "Mirror in the Sky" has been making a lot of plays in my car, they've kept it on board for sure.

I got heavy into prog via krautrock, though it took me a decade of being into krautrock to get there, and I've never been able to get into Yes. Not to come here to be negative. A lot of people I know are into Yes, and I've tried several times, thinking it was finally time for the relationship to begin. I still trust that someday it'll work out.

Before people come in here and moan about the “legitimacy” of the current lineup*, I think this band is excellent overall. The new album is pretty great, as was the previous album The Quest.

Close To The Edge and Fragile are masterpiece prog records, and this does account for the somewhat goofy solo tracks on Fragile.

I unironically like 90125 and think Fly From Here is an underrated record.

There is a lot to like on just about any record.

In my view, the only album I don’t enjoy is Heaven And Earth, it was a chore for me to get through. Union was a little rough around the edges as well, but neither record is completely horrible.

Saw them in 2016, and despite the advanced age, it was a spirited and highly enjoyable performance.

*I don’t question the legitimacy of the current lineup at all. This was Chris Squire’s band until his death, and Billy Sherwood was said to be Squire’s hand chosen successor. Plus Steve Howe and Alan White (until his recent passing), no question in my mind the current version of Yes is legit. And the last two records since Squire’s passing carry the torch for that legacy with aplomb. Would I like Jon Anderson in the band? Yeah, for sure. But Jon Davison does an excellent job fronting the band.

hmm have you tried the "Drama" album maybe?

I envy you've seen them live.
What did you think of Relayer and Drama?
Agree with your statement on "Fly From Here" and yeah "Heaven & Earth" is a bit too stuck on melodic atsmophere. I have "Union" and need to listen to that more to have a ligitimate opinion on it. You get around to listening to "Mirror in the Sky" much?

I saw them live last year where they played the Close to the Edge album in full, which was nice to see. Just recently I'm realising how much of a banger 'Changes' (off the 90125 album) is.

They've always been a favorite of mine. Some excellent, mind blowingly great stuff over the years. I, too, liked the Trevor Rabin era even if it was more "pop" sounding, because Chris Squier's bass lines and Alan White and Tony Kaye really made those songs stand out with their interplay- and there wasn't a song on that "90125" album I didn't like. But yeah, stuff like "Starship Trooper," "Roundabout" and "Yours is no Disgrace" are just exquisitely outstanding. I even liked "Drama" because two of it's tracks, "Machine Messiah" and "Time Flies" happen to be among my favorite Yes songs ever (though a couple of the tracks, like the one where "Mr Buggles" is singing about how he is a camera, are admittedly a bit to oddball for my taste.)

I just saw the name of this thread and instantly the roundabout bass line popped up in my mind. Fragile has been in frequent rotation in my house for years.

Relayer is my favorite from them, mostly because Gates of Delirium is possibly my favorite prog rock song.

Will respond to each of you but I did want to ask - the intro to "Machine Messiah" is very metal sounding, anyone else wanna see Yes do a prog metal album? I think their artwork would also look killer with a darker tinge to it too.

I enjoy Fragile and Close to the Edge from time to time but they aren't my favourite 70s band. A bit too cheesy, even though I tend to like their excesses.

One of my fav prog bands; their 70s output (including 'Drama' from '80) is mostly flawless.

90125 is my favorite album by Yes.

You can find some real rage at that album on the internet. I remember reading something from some dude who must've been frothing from his fingertips at "Owner of a Trevor Rabin Heart".

Haha gold.

I mean yeah it's 80s as fuck and not on the same level as the earlier material but it's still an interesting album. Way better than Big Generator or Talk

I appreciate this band a great deal. Other pioneers such as Genesis, King Crimson and Pink Floyd might have a better record here and there but Yes has always been the most consistent group in terms of quality and releases. I saw them in concert at National Arts Centre in Ottawa back in 2014 when they played Close to the Edge, Going for the One and The Yes Album from start to finish plus ''Roundabout'' as an encore and it has been one of the greatest shows I have ever attended. This band deserves much recognition and respect and I would attend another show in a heartbeat.

Goddamn, that sounds incredible!
2014, so you saw Chris Squire before he passed?

Damn yah! That's a great track.

Yes, I did and it was awesome!

big generator is actually a very good album on its own merits. it's not as overt as 90125. it's all about minimalism, repetition, and a certain cold atmosphere, but all its songs are cohesive and some of the songs are kind of odd and fun

That's a huge win mate. Gutted I never got to seem him as a lot of the old guard are succumbing to the inevitable end.
I am stoked to say I've seen John Cleese in person, trying to to least see/meet David Attenborough & Rowan Atkinson before time takes them.

One of my favourite bands but the last 20+ years weren't my cup of tea.

I'm another one of those who've seen them live in a better era. It was the tour promoting "The Ladder", their last truly gr… no, it wasn't really great… their last truly good album. One concert from that tour was released as "House of Yes – Live from House of Blues". The strange thing is: I can't remember anything about the gig. I guess I prefer listening to the music without any visual distractions on legs…

Listening advice: People should switch off their phones, lock themselves up with a beverage of their choice and a vegan sausage and listen to…

"The Yes Album",
"Fragile",
"Close to the Edge",
"Tales from Topographic Oceans",
and the track "The Gates of Delirium"

…in a row. When the band reach the final section, "Soon", the listener will have entered another dimension located somewhere above and beyond some medium-sized Tibetan mountain where cause and effect don't exist and Anderson's lyrics are on the brink of making sense. Gods, when Yes were great they really were out of this world, like far advanced artists from a different planet.

Union is a 7/10 listen. I have the 24bit version, and 2 other versions on cd. You just have to work with it a bit as it's really half demo half finished music. Talk is also underrated, and has a lot to offer. I just wanted to campaign for those 2 albums and big generator.

big generator is a great headphones album.

actually feck it, I like Tormato too!

Hell yes!
Their classic era is shockingly awesome. Indeed, it should have a lot of appeal to metalheads...particularly those who enjoy anything remotely prog-related. Yes was heavy in its own way.

Tried Close to the Edge last night, lovely stuff

Yup, this is some of the best listening advice out there.

I'll have to go back in and listen to them all. "Union" has great art too, Roger Dean has made some gorgeous pieces of art.
Will also try "Talk" fuck that art sucks but haha

Talk is a good to very good record. The cover art was designed to specifically break away from roger deans style. I like the freshness of it. Talk is also interesting because it's one of the first albums completely recorded to computer, in rabin's shed. apparently he had an 8ft tall stack of drives...

I love those stories.
Kinda interesting too because Yes have been a band since the 60's so they would have seen so much change over that time.

I fully agree with you; it's the small stories you pick up from comments or magazine articles that help to situate an album, and all of a sudden something merely ok becomes a notch more vibrant. Yes fans tend to underrate Rabin's era but he dragged that band into the future in the 80s and 90s. Jon Anderson was 50 when Talk was released and the other guys were older than I am now, writing the material.

if I make it to 50, there's no way I could causally drop a 7.5/10 album, and have it sound fresh, and even further ahead of the curve...

"Close to the edge" is definitely in my top 10 prog rock records of all time.
I was not too excited with their new album, but I guess it's okay, considering they are in the game for 50+ years...

What, really? I thought it was the best thing they've done in the last decade if not couple of decades.
Different strokes I guess

I gave "Talk" a few more spins since this chat and I guess it still doesn't resonate with me as it did you. Has a very 90's vibe to it and a lot less prog-centred which is what I usually go to Yes for. Still not a weak album but just a less interesting one for a band whom are usually very interesting.

"Big Generator" has a massive AOR vibe to it, not bad at all if a bit 80's rock centred.
"Union" from I've looked into, the band hates it. I think it's pretty decent if not mid compared to their greater materail. Artwork is also great.
Just recently got my hands on "The Ladder" and that's a really enjoyable album (bought it with the Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe album). Reccomended if you haven't heard it yet.

Also you mentioned your love for "Tormanto", I love the bass playing on that album but the songs themselves don't make as much an impression compared to other releases. Different blokes with strokes I guess.

Now to get myself acquainted to "Open Your Eyes".