The "Going For The One" 1977 L.P. record is what got me into Yes first. KMET in Los Angeles played it in its entirety before it was even released to the public. In 2027 I will have been listening and listening and listening to Yes' songs for 50 years. Has been a pure pleasure. Saw them in various incarnations several times. Saw a show at the Los Angeles Forum (In-The-Round) for the 1978 'Tormato' tour.
Yes! You found it. One of my favorite Yes songs. Can't call it a song. It's a piece. A masterpiece. Jon Anderson plays harp in the middle section. Also Rick Wakeman went to a huge cathedral in Switzerland to record the massive church organ, near where they were recording the album. Steve Howe's guitar solos are just flying! Chris Squire's bass is orchestral groove. And Alan White's rhythm is otherworldly. That's a good word for the whole composition - otherworldly. And of course Jon's vocals are soaring and otherworldly.
i have that on a huge metaphorical flag which i am waving vigorously this is another song from GFTO that brings me to tears on the right day ... I thought tormato was it but i was just ear blind from listening to awaken too much chris is why i bought my first proper bass ... not a precision or jazz like everyone else ... 4001s , black , white binding ... had to trade it in , miss it every time i play rick on that organ !!!! omg!!
Actually it's quite a reasonable sized organ in the town church of Vevey in Switzerland. There is a video of it here ruclips.net/video/zOhEcvYpMe4/видео.html The recording process for this was incredible. To quote Wikipedia (I wouldn't normally): "In addition to recording at Mountain Studios, (Monteux), "Parallels" and "Awaken" features the church organ at St. Martin's in the town of Vevey, some four miles away from Montreux. The band considered using a mobile studio to record on location, but Timperley persuaded them to rent a telephone line due to their high fidelity and the ability to feed the line directly into the studio. "Parallels" was recorded with Wakeman in the church and the rest of the band in the studio; White counted the band in and they played the song through. On "Awaken", the organ is an overdub. Wakeman described the experience as "absolute magic". Wakeman changed his sound on the album with the use of a Polymoog, a polyphonic analogue synthesiser, which supplemented his traditional use of the Mellotron, Hammond organ, the RMI Electra Piano, and Minimoog synthesiser." Timperley is recording engineer John Timperley, their first since departure of Eddie Offord who had been with them since 1970 (this was recorded 1976/77). A brilliant, brilliant track by five musicians firing on all cylinders and then some.
your reaction is right on the mark. you cant put this song into words. i remember when it came it i was so blown away i wore the record out and had to buy another. I love it when young people appreciate music from this era.
It's no synth. It's Chris Squire playing a fretless bass on this section, probably with some added effects. He also played a fretted bass on other sections, and a specially built 8-string (four string pairs tuned in harmony) for the middle section. Live he played all of these on a unique triple neck bass. This is Yes at the peak of their powers.
Yep, a Wal bass Rick Wakeman had made for Roger Newell in Rick’s solo band, for the King Arthur tour. It was Rick’s idea abs he paid for it. He brought it to Yes/Chris when he rejoined for Going for the One. The upper neck was built as a guitar neck but it was modified for Chris to be a 6-string (not 8-string) bass which was three pair of strings tuned in octaves (similar to a 12-string guitar). He used an 8-string Rickenbacker during that section on the studio version (plus a fret less Rickenbacker and his regular Rickenbacker).
One of Yes’s best! Glad you got to it! The Todmobile version with Jon Anderson and a full orchestra takes it to another level but best to get the studio version with the band first. Its a 15minute song that you wish lasted an hour.
There are live versions of this, some of which I’ve seen, that defy belief. At their best they were the finest live band I’ve ever seen. Heard of. Or know about. Awaken live was potentially earth shattering and life changing. Much as I love the Todmobile version, it cannot match the nights when Yes was on their game. Love your reaction!
Love this album, but this song.... my god. It takes you on a trip. Literally. You soar, laugh with delight. You're constantly amazed at the virtuosity. I feel like I went to church.... and finally understood and the tears stream down my face as I sit here totally enraptured. Seen this show on 5 hits of acid. There are no words for what I experienced. It was like seeing the door crack just a little as the Divine peeked in and smiled. lol yeah I do love this one. 😁
I think you're ready for the song that is considered the greatest progressive song of all time! " Close to the Edge" it's a little longer than Awaken but we'll worth it!
@@kevin_g1164 I absolutely cannot wait to see him react to that entire album!!!! Although it's almost a sin to do so, it at least CAN be broken up into 3 separate songs!
One is not better then the other in my opinion, just different in different times. The Edge, The Gates and Awaken are the 3 great long ones Yes produced over time. So happy they made all 3 of them.
Awaken, in addition to being a masterpiece, represents, in my opinion, what YES is, the musical excellence of the band and the mastery of each of its members.
Definitely one of their all time masterpieces! Just amazing! You will also want to react to another great tune from the same album called Turn of The Century!I saw them at their highest level of performing live just before they broke up their classic players of White, Wakeman, Howe, Anderson and Squire on his masterful bass!. At MSG in NYC in ‘79 is still the best concert I have ever been to!Just about all of YES from the late 1960’s to 1980 they are the pinnacle of Prog. Rock, the Mt. Rushmore !
Yes. The absolute pinnacle of the very best of prog rock. 46 years later and it still blows me away every single time. This will be played at my funeral. My kids know.
The day I saw this performed live I honestly felt that if I passed on right then and there that my life would be complete. This was one of those performances that touch you so deeply that it feels as if the musicians have reached out and touched your soul. This is the magic of Yes, the power of Yes and the gift of light given freely to any who open themselves to receiving it.
One of my favorites for sure. No matter how many times I listen to it I still get the same emotional feelings. Yes songs are timeless. The Jon Anderson Todmobile live version takes this to another level which I didn't think was possible. The whole album is great.
I say this all the time but, this was marketed (along with all rock) to young people. Most of us into this kind of music were between 13 & 20. You get to hear it for the first time with an adult brain and some life experience behind you. I was 16 and when I first heard this. It's great to see a different generation appreciate Yes, Rush, ELP, Genius, Boston, Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin etc.😊👏👍
Live cuts of YES will show you just how talented this group is. Watching Steve Howe play three different guitars or seeing Rick Wakeman's arms stretched out to play two different keyboards is simply amazing to watch. Not to mention Chris Squire's bas Alan Whites drums or Jon Andersons incredible vocals. Live YES is a must see.
One of the great prog rock songs. Yes absolutely at the top of the game here. This was a comeback album as well ... just incredible. That opening guitar riff in 11/8 always gets me, it's perfect. All the band are complementing this so beautifully. The theme and variation technique employed is stunning, great songwriting and arranging. And the ending with those massive chord hits, gives me goosebumps every time. "Close to the Edge" is a must listen for you too.
Awaken is a Yes classic it is way up there and is nearly 50 years old. If you want to be blown away even more look for Jon Anderson and TodMoblie version of Awaken (I am sure it will be mentioned many times in the comments). That is done with a full orchestra and the video shows how the band puts the sounds together. What a work of art! Yes even from their early days always had an otherworldly sound and they crafted such awesome soundscapes and experiences so different. But you must see Jon and TodMobile's version. Jon Anderson was delighted with the result produced.
It was my senior year in high school when "Going for the one " dropped. Watching you listening 59 "Awaken" for the first time......reminds of my first time. Yes music changed the way I view the world, the universe, everything. And I don't mind telling you that I nearly shit myself, died and gone to heaven when I saw Yes in Concert for the Tormato tour. When Wakemans fingers hit those ivory's opening the song I couldn't believe they were doing it live !!!! But they did and it was incredible and truth be told.....it was such a truly joyous experience that I cried ! So thanks for jogging a treasured memory. .....and about that baseline....no synth.....just Chris Squire being Chris Squire....lol Side note; 40 years later my son joined me to see Yes live at Detroit's Fox Theatre and we both were blown away. It just never gets old. Be well peace
You talk about the bass but the interesting fact about is that in order to perform this piece live Chris Squire had someone built a triple neck bass guitar. I have seen him play it and it is a monster. And yes, no synth well unless you meant the really deep low rumbling bass because that could be Squire’s basspedals (basically a bass-synths played with his feet).
the culmination of a perfect album. back in the summer of '77 i listened to this song over and over. late nights with a good friend and some good smoke. the best of times.
1/3 of the great Yes epic trifecta, along with "Close to the Edge" and "The Gates of Delirium." Lead singer Jon Anderson has called "Awaken" the ultimate Yes track, and who am I to argue? 🤷♂️
So...................listening to this, I still get goose bumps listening to Jon's invocation and knowing where the song is going and how it's going to come back around. YES is one of the bands that had a tremendous influence on my own art and creativity. All of their songs take me on a journey. Get into the lyrics of some of these pieces that you're listening to. It's a total experience of sound and word
"Be honest with yourself" Ok, so now you have to ask youself "how am I going to be able to go back to listening to music made by mere mortals?" What is eqully amazing to this song is that 46 years after creating it with fellow Yes members Steve, Rick, Chris, and Alan, Jon Anderson (who is now 78 years old) is out touring with the Band Geeks (an exceptional group of musicians), playing this song every night on the tour and sounding pretty much as the way he did when he first sang it at the age of 32. To me that is very impressive.
I 'm sure someone has mentioned this but Rick Wakeman has solo albums you might like. The 6 Wives of Henry the 8th. Journey to the Center of the Earth & The Myths & Legends of King Arthur & the Knights of the Round Table
Great reaction. It's one of their greatest MASTERPIECE!!! Do listen to it again without any pauses....and then go through it and stop as often when you want to hear a certain section. Now, you are going down the Rabbit Hole of YES. LOL 😆
Look for Jon Anderson and the Band Geeks. Jon's voice now is still just as good as 50 years ago and he is still doing 90 minute shows with those guys. And the band sounds like 70's Yes. They sound better Steve's Howe's band.
No digital synths, just the Moog. This from Moog Music: "To many musicians, the original Moog modular synthesizers have never been surpassed; they are the traditional benchmark for analog synthesis." And this from Wikipedia: " On "Awaken", the organ is an overdub. Wakeman described the experience as "absolute magic". Wakeman changed his sound on the album with the use of a Polymoog, a polyphonic analogue synthesiser, which supplemented his traditional use of the Mellotron, Hammond organ, the RMI Electra Piano, and Minimoog synthesiser."
Workings of man crying out from the fire set aflame By his blindness to see that the warmth of his being Is promised for his seeing his reaching so clearly
By the Inspiration of the Classic Russian Novel, "War and Peace," and "Lord of The Rings," Jon Anderson, Squire, and Steve Howe wrote this Composition called, "The Gates of Delirium," which is considered among music critics another Masterpiece of Art music by YES!!! Many transitions or Movements in the one song which takes one 1 of the entire album called, " Relayer." It is very long so I would wouldn't pause a lot.....about 20 minutes....But NEVER boring!!! This is PURE EAR CANDY!!! I strongly recommend you react to "Gates of Delirium."
On a great music system this is the best song I have ever heard. If there is a song for entering the gates of heaven then this is it. Jon and Rick's fave Yes song
No ..that ain't no synthesizer. That is Christ Squires signature bass sound and style. He was ..incredible! Listen to the bass on Round About if you want your hair to curl and your eyes to bleed just a little.
Would love to see your reaction to YES Endless Dream off of their Talk album....I used to have these speaker cabinets that the rubber mounted speakers would practically leap up and down during the epic beginning. The only CD I ever bought that had a " warning - extreme dynamic range' on it
Please react to Jon Anderson’s “THE FRIENDS OF MR. CAIRO”. It’s a long one but well worth it. Love his voice. I really enjoy your reactions. Thanks for sharing.
Jon Anderson said Awaken is the song he considers to be Yes' masterpiece. I saw him live a few weeks ago with the Band Geeks and before he sang Awaken (which was incredible to hear with a great accompanying light show) Jon said Awaken is his favorite song.
I bought this album in 1977 with my first week’s wages, rushed into town during my lunch break to get it. I’m 63 now and never stopped loving it, thanks for giving it a listen. By the way, the little riff at the end is sometimes unliked by reactors. To me it is Yes putting you gently back on earth after soaring with gods.
Yes, I agree that little riff at the end is to bring you back to Earth. We all used to listen to this music with headphones in a darkened room and drift away.
The bass is not a synth its Chris Squire who was an amazing bass player. Watch the live performance and you will see for yourself. All the Yes musicians are/were at the top of their profession. Rick Wakeman on keyboards is surrounded by key boards when he plays and is often playing 2 at once, Steve Howe is a virtuoso guitarist. You should listen to Yes's first album simply titled Yes. The original lineup was Jon Anderson vocals, Peter Banks guitar, Tony Kaye keyboards, Bill Bruford drums and Chris Squire bass. Anderson, Squire and Bruford remained and Howe and Wakeman replaced Banks and Kaye.
Thank you for being humble and that's how I tend to be about the great ones, especially since you tend to appreciate it more after you try to do it. As I try to play the drums. But you far from have to be a music expert to really enjoy it. I can listen to music experts describe it though, which is also very cool. Yes tends to bring out all sorts of emotions and feelings in me, which I think the best music does.
I knew this one would take your breath away. Wakeman really asserted himself on returning to the lineup, and the other four were their usual sterling selves. Great choice for your return to Yes after too much time away. I highly recommend Relayer and Tales From Topographic Oceans for future reactions.
I agree completely. It;s many Yes fans favorite. I just saw Jon Anderson perform this with The Band Geeks in PA a few days ago, he's 78 and sounding as great as ever.
Rewatching some of your reviews - that bass that you were mentioning during the first part of the song is Chris Squire on bass - he does use bass pedals for the sub-bass parts, but it's him, not a keyboard or traditional synth. Pretty cool, eh?
Some years ago, Yes offered a custom live CD (you could pick various tracks from their 1999 'Ladder' tour to make your own double album) -- and one of those tracks was "Awaken." You could also custom title your CD. Mine is called 'High Vibration Go On,' because that live performance of "Awaken" was definitely THE highlight of that tour!
My label would be; "Like the time I ran away, turned around and you were standing close to me." That line is so deep. You do not have run here and there to find answers because the answers have been with you all the time. That theme reappears many times in Jon's songs in the albums from CTTE to 'Going for the One'.
4:12 Not a synth, but Chris Squire’s big, plucky fingers adding depth to that groove. The groove is a time signature of 11/8 grouped as 4 plus 4 plus 3 and repeat.
This is (one of the many reasons) why YES has been my favorite band of all time since hearing Roundabout at age 14 while getting high for the first time in 1976.
Imagine… the organ parts were played in a church 10 miles away from the studio, and recorded over the phone! The phone lines in Switzerland were so clear it sounds like it was all done in the same building.
Great reaction! YES’s longer songs are a musical journey. Rick recorded the church organ, in a church, a few miles away over a dedicated phone line. “High vibration go on” .. begin the journey.
Jon Anderson said it's the song he demanded the most from the band and has never been so proud.
Rick makes me cry, Ive been playing since I was 7, but not classically trained. What a Wizard 1977.. .❤
The "Going For The One" 1977 L.P. record is what got me into Yes first.
KMET in Los Angeles played it in its entirety before it was even released to the public.
In 2027 I will have been listening and listening and listening to Yes' songs for 50 years. Has been a pure pleasure.
Saw them in various incarnations several times. Saw a show at the Los Angeles Forum (In-The-Round) for the 1978 'Tormato' tour.
YES! 😁
Yes! You found it. One of my favorite Yes songs. Can't call it a song. It's a piece. A masterpiece. Jon Anderson plays harp in the middle section. Also Rick Wakeman went to a huge cathedral in Switzerland to record the massive church organ, near where they were recording the album. Steve Howe's guitar solos are just flying! Chris Squire's bass is orchestral groove. And Alan White's rhythm is otherworldly. That's a good word for the whole composition - otherworldly. And of course Jon's vocals are soaring and otherworldly.
couldn't have said it better
i have that on a huge metaphorical flag which i am waving vigorously
this is another song from GFTO that brings me to tears on the right day ...
I thought tormato was it but i was just ear blind from listening to awaken too much
chris is why i bought my first proper bass ... not a precision or jazz like everyone else ... 4001s , black , white binding ... had to trade it in , miss it every time i play
rick on that organ !!!! omg!!
Actually it's quite a reasonable sized organ in the town church of Vevey in Switzerland. There is a video of it here ruclips.net/video/zOhEcvYpMe4/видео.html
The recording process for this was incredible. To quote Wikipedia (I wouldn't normally): "In addition to recording at Mountain Studios, (Monteux), "Parallels" and "Awaken" features the church organ at St. Martin's in the town of Vevey, some four miles away from Montreux. The band considered using a mobile studio to record on location, but Timperley persuaded them to rent a telephone line due to their high fidelity and the ability to feed the line directly into the studio. "Parallels" was recorded with Wakeman in the church and the rest of the band in the studio; White counted the band in and they played the song through. On "Awaken", the organ is an overdub. Wakeman described the experience as "absolute magic". Wakeman changed his sound on the album with the use of a Polymoog, a polyphonic analogue synthesiser, which supplemented his traditional use of the Mellotron, Hammond organ, the RMI Electra Piano, and Minimoog synthesiser." Timperley is recording engineer John Timperley, their first since departure of Eddie Offord who had been with them since 1970 (this was recorded 1976/77).
A brilliant, brilliant track by five musicians firing on all cylinders and then some.
@@clansome still an impressive instrument
It's an invocation.........the lyrics are just beyond beyond
1977........It was a good year. I turned 20 the year this came out. I saw YES live on this tour. EPIC!!!!!!!!!!
I was 16 - and Yes GFTO was my first rock concert!
Yes, I also turned 20 and saw them in '77 in Milwaukee. It was a good year.
Yeah that tour was Magik. My favorite hands down.
your reaction is right on the mark. you cant put this song into words. i remember when it came it i was so blown away i wore the record out and had to buy another. I love it when young people appreciate music from this era.
It's no synth. It's Chris Squire playing a fretless bass on this section, probably with some added effects. He also played a fretted bass on other sections, and a specially built 8-string (four string pairs tuned in harmony) for the middle section. Live he played all of these on a unique triple neck bass. This is Yes at the peak of their powers.
I'll NEVER forget my first Yes concert, in 1997 -- Chris Squire absolutely shook the theater that night. Just an amazing player, and what a sound.
I wouldn't be surprised if Chris used the Moog Taurus bass synth to fatten up the sound here and there as he is apt to do.
Yep, a Wal bass Rick Wakeman had made for Roger Newell in Rick’s solo band, for the King Arthur tour. It was Rick’s idea abs he paid for it. He brought it to Yes/Chris when he rejoined for Going for the One.
The upper neck was built as a guitar neck but it was modified for Chris to be a 6-string (not 8-string) bass which was three pair of strings tuned in octaves (similar to a 12-string guitar). He used an 8-string Rickenbacker during that section on the studio version (plus a fret less Rickenbacker and his regular Rickenbacker).
The mighty Chris Squire. One of Geddy Lee's heroes.
One of Yes’s best! Glad you got to it! The Todmobile version with Jon Anderson and a full orchestra takes it to another level but best to get the studio version with the band first. Its a 15minute song that you wish lasted an hour.
It would be great if he listened to the Todmobile version as well. It also shows how well Jon Anderson's voice has held up after all these years.
absolutely!
There are live versions of this, some of which I’ve seen, that defy belief. At their best they were the finest live band I’ve ever seen. Heard of. Or know about.
Awaken live was potentially earth shattering and life changing. Much as I love the Todmobile version, it cannot match the nights when Yes was on their game.
Love your reaction!
Love this album, but this song.... my god. It takes you on a trip. Literally. You soar, laugh with delight. You're constantly amazed at the virtuosity. I feel like I went to church.... and finally understood and the tears stream down my face as I sit here totally enraptured. Seen this show on 5 hits of acid. There are no words for what I experienced. It was like seeing the door crack just a little as the Divine peeked in and smiled. lol yeah I do love this one. 😁
I think you're ready for the song that is considered the greatest progressive song of all time! " Close to the Edge" it's a little longer than Awaken but we'll worth it!
SalvoG has not done CTTE yet. Man he is in for real treat.
@@kevin_g1164 I absolutely cannot wait to see him react to that entire album!!!! Although it's almost a sin to do so, it at least CAN be broken up into 3 separate songs!
50 years of listening to Yes never gets old. Even their newer stuff, 👀 whoops 😳. ✌ 🕊
I think he should try Relayer. Gates Of Delerium ( G. O. D.) or Sound Chaser.
One is not better then the other in my opinion, just different in different times. The Edge, The Gates and Awaken are the 3 great long ones Yes produced over time. So happy they made all 3 of them.
Awaken, in addition to being a masterpiece, represents, in my opinion, what YES is, the musical excellence of the band and the mastery of each of its members.
Definitely one of their all time masterpieces! Just amazing! You will also want to react to another great tune from the same album called Turn of The Century!I saw them at their highest level of performing live just before they broke up their classic players of White, Wakeman, Howe, Anderson and Squire on his masterful bass!. At MSG in NYC in ‘79 is still the best concert I have ever been to!Just about all of YES from the late 1960’s to 1980 they are the pinnacle of Prog. Rock, the Mt. Rushmore !
Yes. The absolute pinnacle of the very best of prog rock. 46 years later and it still blows me away every single time. This will be played at my funeral. My kids know.
Such a spiritual masterpiece. Asked my kids to bury me to this song.
Oh my Lord Steve! I have done the same. It is in the will. Lol Play this please my dearests, have the lyrics printed for attendees. I love you.
Me too. I'm sure this is playing on loop in Heaven.
@Roger Kent whoever gets there first, put it on. Has to be sweet speakers.
Me too Steve!!
Mee too
The greatest band on the planet ever. New on here like your reaction and genuine enthusiam. Awaken, a Yes masterpiece.
The day I saw this performed live I honestly felt that if I passed on right then and there that my life would be complete. This was one of those performances that touch you so deeply that it feels as if the musicians have reached out and touched your soul. This is the magic of Yes, the power of Yes and the gift of light given freely to any who open themselves to receiving it.
That church pipe organ....by Wakeman. ...Absolutely Brilliant
Looooooove this song.
Yep, this is their ultimate masterpiece. Of course they have many.
One of my favorites for sure. No matter how many times I listen to it I still get the same emotional feelings. Yes songs are timeless. The Jon Anderson Todmobile live version takes this to another level which I didn't think was possible. The whole album is great.
Could not agree more, the Todmobile performance really honors this well. Could Jon sound better? 🤔 ❤
Mind shatteringly beautiful.
I say this all the time but, this was marketed (along with all rock) to young people. Most of us into this kind of music were between 13 & 20. You get to hear it for the first time with an adult brain and some life experience behind you. I was 16 and when I first heard this. It's great to see a different generation appreciate Yes, Rush, ELP, Genius, Boston, Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin etc.😊👏👍
YES!!! The greatest band to ever do it!🤩
I see someone do a Yes reaction...I subscribe. I've watched some of your other reactions (all brilliant, BTW) and I knew I had to be a part of this.
The beauty of Prog is we are given what traditional classical gives us with movements, suites etc but with the new age feel.
Live cuts of YES will show you just how talented this group is. Watching Steve Howe play three different guitars or seeing Rick Wakeman's arms stretched out to play two different keyboards is simply amazing to watch. Not to mention Chris Squire's bas Alan Whites drums or Jon Andersons incredible vocals. Live YES is a must see.
You mean, 'WAS" a must see. We can never see "Yes" again.
@@MissAstorDancer agree, sadly, but I was mostly referring to live videos
@@scottchapin2323
One of the great prog rock songs. Yes absolutely at the top of the game here. This was a comeback album as well ... just incredible. That opening guitar riff in 11/8 always gets me, it's perfect. All the band are complementing this so beautifully. The theme and variation technique employed is stunning, great songwriting and arranging. And the ending with those massive chord hits, gives me goosebumps every time. "Close to the Edge" is a must listen for you too.
Awaken is a Yes classic it is way up there and is nearly 50 years old. If you want to be blown away even more look for Jon Anderson and TodMoblie version of Awaken (I am sure it will be mentioned many times in the comments). That is done with a full orchestra and the video shows how the band puts the sounds together. What a work of art! Yes even from their early days always had an otherworldly sound and they crafted such awesome soundscapes and experiences so different. But you must see Jon and TodMobile's version. Jon Anderson was delighted with the result produced.
When you listen to Yes you realize you're listening to the very best in Progressive rock has to offer at any time in the history of rock music.
Salvo - be sure to check out the live version of this that Jon Anderdon performed with Todmobile. You'll be blown away again. Love your Yes reactions!
This is my fave Yes piece! So creative, with wonderous atmosphere not to mention amazing musical technique and varying moods…. ❤🎉
Always nice to be Awaken by Yes 💪👍
It was my senior year in high school when "Going for the one " dropped.
Watching you listening 59 "Awaken" for the first time......reminds of my first time.
Yes music changed the way I view the world, the universe, everything.
And I don't mind telling you that I nearly shit myself, died and gone to heaven when I saw Yes in Concert for the Tormato tour.
When Wakemans fingers hit those ivory's opening the song I couldn't believe they were doing it live !!!!
But they did and it was incredible and truth be told.....it was such a truly joyous experience that I cried !
So thanks for jogging a treasured memory.
.....and about that baseline....no synth.....just Chris Squire being Chris Squire....lol
Side note; 40 years later my son joined me to see Yes live at Detroit's Fox Theatre and we both were blown away.
It just never gets old.
Be well
peace
my fav yes song, never thought it could be done live until i seen it . blew me away
You talk about the bass but the interesting fact about is that in order to perform this piece live Chris Squire had someone built a triple neck bass guitar. I have seen him play it and it is a monster. And yes, no synth well unless you meant the really deep low rumbling bass because that could be Squire’s basspedals (basically a bass-synths played with his feet).
Absolute creative, artistic, musical perfection.
Genius!!!
Masterpiece!
the culmination of a perfect album. back in the summer of '77 i listened to this song over and over. late nights with a good friend and some good smoke. the best of times.
Check out Jon Anderson (YES) and the Todmobile Orchestra performing this... it's truly unbelievable and really doesn't get any better.
1/3 of the great Yes epic trifecta, along with "Close to the Edge" and "The Gates of Delirium." Lead singer Jon Anderson has called "Awaken" the ultimate Yes track, and who am I to argue? 🤷♂️
So...................listening to this, I still get goose bumps listening to Jon's invocation and knowing where the song is going and how it's going to come back around. YES is one of the bands that had a tremendous influence on my own art and creativity. All of their songs take me on a journey. Get into the lyrics of some of these pieces that you're listening to. It's a total experience of sound and word
Thank you for answering my request, finally. This is a MASTERPIECE!!! Very heart felt song and one of my all-time favorites from Yes.
Okay, you are now ready for "Close To The Edge", another epic 19 minute masterpiece, or even the 22 minute "Gates of Delirium"
"Be honest with yourself" Ok, so now you have to ask youself "how am I going to be able to go back to listening to music made by mere mortals?"
What is eqully amazing to this song is that 46 years after creating it with fellow Yes members Steve, Rick, Chris, and Alan, Jon Anderson (who is now 78 years old) is out touring with the Band Geeks (an exceptional group of musicians), playing this song every night on the tour and sounding pretty much as the way he did when he first sang it at the age of 32. To me that is very impressive.
Those times you laughed is exactly how I've felt listening to this piece. It's like the bliss just can't be contained.
I 'm sure someone has mentioned this but Rick Wakeman has solo albums you might like. The 6 Wives of Henry the 8th.
Journey to the Center of the Earth & The Myths & Legends of King Arthur & the Knights of the Round Table
Criminal Record, Cirque Surreal, Out There
Great reaction. It's one of their greatest MASTERPIECE!!! Do listen to it again without any pauses....and then go through it and stop as often when you want to hear a certain section. Now, you are going down the Rabbit Hole of YES. LOL 😆
Yay! I just close my eyes and listen. Jon's voice is sooooooo good!
Look for Jon Anderson and the Band Geeks. Jon's voice now is still just as good as 50 years ago and he is still doing 90 minute shows with those guys. And the band sounds like 70's Yes. They sound better Steve's Howe's band.
@@kevin_g1164 Thank you! I found a 2 1/2 hour concert to listen to, he does sound the same.
As much as I love Close to the Edge, this is probably the best song Yes ever made. Great reaction. :)
Saw them do this live November 18, 1977 in Frankfurt, Germany.
Tremendous performance.
Donovan was the opener.
you may be hearing a flute, but its actually a rank of pipes on a church organ, oddly enough named flute
Real pipe organ.yes..best band ever
i was 12 when this came out, I am now 58, 46 years of listening to Yes heaven
The great thing about FM radio in the 70's was they would play stuff like this all the time, especially at night.
The return of Rick. All was right with the world 🌍❤️
Wish the sun could stand still
❤ Chris ❤
No digital synths, just the Moog. This from Moog Music:
"To many musicians, the original Moog modular synthesizers have never been surpassed; they are the traditional benchmark for analog synthesis." And this from Wikipedia: " On "Awaken", the organ is an overdub. Wakeman described the experience as "absolute magic". Wakeman changed his sound on the album with the use of a Polymoog, a polyphonic analogue synthesiser, which supplemented his traditional use of the Mellotron, Hammond organ, the RMI Electra Piano, and Minimoog synthesiser."
This song came out in 1977, the same year Rush recorded their Prog epic "Xanadu". Grand, epic, stratospheric Prog songs were blowing up in 1977!!
How can anyone be that good?
WOW!
Workings of man crying out from the fire set aflame
By his blindness to see that the warmth of his being
Is promised for his seeing his reaching so clearly
Yes, we can hear the bass. It’s one of my favorite components of this song, he’s just so good with the bass!
By the Inspiration of the Classic Russian Novel, "War and Peace," and "Lord of The Rings," Jon Anderson, Squire, and Steve Howe wrote this Composition called, "The Gates of Delirium," which is considered among music critics another Masterpiece of Art music by YES!!! Many transitions or Movements in the one song which takes one 1 of the entire album called, " Relayer." It is very long so I would wouldn't pause a lot.....about 20 minutes....But NEVER boring!!! This is PURE EAR CANDY!!! I strongly recommend you react to "Gates of Delirium."
Great reaction my man! 👏
On a great music system this is the best song I have ever heard. If there is a song for entering the gates of heaven then this is it. Jon and Rick's fave Yes song
No ..that ain't no synthesizer. That is Christ Squires signature bass sound and style. He was ..incredible! Listen to the bass on Round About if you want your hair to curl and your eyes to bleed just a little.
Would love to see your reaction to YES Endless Dream off of their Talk album....I used to have these speaker cabinets that the rubber mounted speakers would practically leap up and down during the epic beginning. The only CD I ever bought that had a " warning - extreme dynamic range' on it
This could contend for the greatest masterpiece in the entire rock genre.
I would like to see the reaction to "Close The Edge", "The Gates of Delirium", some of the best songs of YES
Please react to Jon Anderson’s “THE FRIENDS OF MR. CAIRO”. It’s a long one but well worth it. Love his voice. I really enjoy your reactions. Thanks for sharing.
No flute mate : just a pipe organ ! Amazing musical travel
Jon Anderson said Awaken is the song he considers to be Yes' masterpiece. I saw him live a few weeks ago with the Band Geeks and before he sang Awaken (which was incredible to hear with a great accompanying light show) Jon said Awaken is his favorite song.
“Firth of Fifth” by Genesis will change your life
"The Gates of Delirium" next song Yes
What is this genius? It moves me every time.
Very happy you’ve found this! Amazing song
It doesn't get any better !!!!!
The version with Jon Anderson and Todmobile is the Holy Grail of this song
I bought this album in 1977 with my first week’s wages, rushed into town during my lunch break to get it. I’m 63 now and never stopped loving it, thanks for giving it a listen. By the way, the little riff at the end is sometimes unliked by reactors. To me it is Yes putting you gently back on earth after soaring with gods.
Yes, I agree that little riff at the end is to bring you back to Earth. We all used to listen to this music with headphones in a darkened room and drift away.
@@kevin_g1164 Every time I heard this live, the audience starts applauding before that last, tasty riff. It's the denouement. It is the awaken moment.
The bass is not a synth its Chris Squire who was an amazing bass player. Watch the live performance and you will see for yourself. All the Yes musicians are/were at the top of their profession. Rick Wakeman on keyboards is surrounded by key boards when he plays and is often playing 2 at once, Steve Howe is a virtuoso guitarist. You should listen to Yes's first album simply titled Yes. The original lineup was Jon Anderson vocals, Peter Banks guitar, Tony Kaye keyboards, Bill Bruford drums and Chris Squire bass. Anderson, Squire and Bruford remained and Howe and Wakeman replaced Banks and Kaye.
Thank you for being humble and that's how I tend to be about the great ones, especially since you tend to appreciate it more after you try to do it. As I try to play the drums. But you far from have to be a music expert to really enjoy it. I can listen to music experts describe it though, which is also very cool. Yes tends to bring out all sorts of emotions and feelings in me, which I think the best music does.
It has the quality of a bolero to it more than once.
09:34 You could call it a "flute," but it's just a part of a huge Church Organ at St. Martin's in Vevey, Switzerland.
I knew this one would take your breath away. Wakeman really asserted himself on returning to the lineup, and the other four were their usual sterling selves. Great choice for your return to Yes after too much time away. I highly recommend Relayer and Tales From Topographic Oceans for future reactions.
I agree completely. It;s many Yes fans favorite. I just saw Jon Anderson perform this with The Band Geeks in PA a few days ago, he's 78 and sounding as great as ever.
Insane😢
The unique voice....a classic
Rewatching some of your reviews - that bass that you were mentioning during the first part of the song is Chris Squire on bass - he does use bass pedals for the sub-bass parts, but it's him, not a keyboard or traditional synth. Pretty cool, eh?
Some years ago, Yes offered a custom live CD (you could pick various tracks from their 1999 'Ladder' tour to make your own double album) -- and one of those tracks was "Awaken." You could also custom title your CD. Mine is called 'High Vibration Go On,' because that live performance of "Awaken" was definitely THE highlight of that tour!
My label would be; "Like the time I ran away, turned around and you were standing close to me." That line is so deep. You do not have run here and there to find answers because the answers have been with you all the time. That theme reappears many times in Jon's songs in the albums from CTTE to 'Going for the One'.
Yep. Smoked a lot to this one back in the day.
A great grounding on how Wakeman is the keyboard Wizard.
Yep
4:12 Not a synth, but Chris Squire’s big, plucky fingers adding depth to that groove. The groove is a time signature of 11/8 grouped as 4 plus 4 plus 3 and repeat.
Sublime
This is (one of the many reasons) why YES has been my favorite band of all time since hearing Roundabout at age 14 while getting high for the first time in 1976.
Imagine… the organ parts were played in a church 10 miles away from the studio, and recorded over the phone! The phone lines in Switzerland were so clear it sounds like it was all done in the same building.
You got there in the end ❤🎉
Great reaction! YES’s longer songs are a musical journey. Rick recorded the church organ, in a church, a few miles away over a dedicated phone line. “High vibration go on” .. begin the journey.