Classical Composer Reacts to The Gates of Delirium (Yes) | The Daily Doug (Episode 159)
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- Опубликовано: 10 июн 2021
- #Yes #GatesOfDelirium #YesReaction
In this episode of #TheDailyDoug, I'm reacting to The Gates of Delirium by Yes. This 1974 track is as relevant and fresh now as it was almost 50 years ago. I especially loved the ending section. So wonderful!
Reference Track: • Yes - The Gates of Del... 
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My father was a WWII vet and very anti-war. I played this song for him and he listened and he wept. He said "there is hope" at the end. God I miss him, and I miss Chris Squire. Yes would not have been nearly as special without him. His influence was profound. While he always stood out with his sound, he knew how to lay back and be subtle.
...and I wept reading your comment on your dad's reaction...Peace be with him...
Thank you for your comment--it really landed home.
"There is hope". Indeed, sir. Rest in peace.
This is so beautiful. Respect to you and your father.
To me Chris Squire always was the heart and soul of yes
Gates of Delirium is one of the best progrock songs ever written.
I have a brief story about Yes and it's such an unlikely tale. A Polish barmaid in my local pub once told me that she used to play with a symphony orchestra and she went on tour with Yes in 2001. Imagine my surprise when she told me that. I had no idea. Being a fan of Yes I asked her what it was like and she loved the experience and all of the band members. I remember looking on RUclips the next day to see if any video of that concert was on there and sure enough it was. I also spotted the barmaid a few times and during the 'Soon' section she was on camera a lot. I always think of her when I hear this piece.
British orchestra conductor Peter G. Fletcher (1936-1996) in my apartment in Halifax NS, 1975, hearing this piece out of my stereo: "My god! This is wild! Utterly astonishing."
When the "Soon" section comes after all the battle / aggressive construction they built before is truly magical. Jon's voice is so pure
That's exactly the right word to describe Soon. Spot on my friend.
I love most stuff by Yes, but 'Soon' is the only thing they do that can bring a tear to my eye. Beautiful.
Despite what Jon said, "Soon" is clearly an Advent hymn. Think about it...
Soon was released as a single.
@@nancymjohnson Yes, but the last minute was cut off... hated that!
I was aware of Yes: growing up in England in the late 70s/80s, we were aware of the great music, even though the radio insisted on playing rubbish. I was 18 and we were camping in Northumberland and visiting Scotland, I was absolutely entranced by the beauty of those places. Steve Walsh was driving my best friends dads car, a huge Granada estate and said, "have you heard this, Its Yes, from the relayer album ?" We all said no. We had just reached Loch Lomond, on the west side and he started to play this music, ...To be over. It was a fine clear day in late Summer, it was warm and it was beautiful, and we skirted the loch edge on that road, and I dont think that i had ever heard such a beautiful heart wrenching melody, and I remember that day, as clear as water, 40 years ago. I can still see him putting the tape in to the player. Joy.
Isn't it amazing how hearing a loved piece of music can trigger such vivid visual memories?
Great memory made greater by music that takes it to another, better, realm.
Doug no band puts that look of pure astonishment and joy on your face like YES does
Let's not overlook Alan White's drumming on this song, amazing how he holds it all together.
Alan White was UNFLAPPABLE
Alan & Chris were EASILY one of the best rhythm sections that ever existed!!
Alan pretty much cemented himself as a legit force on the kit here. Frankly, the guy who did this, never really did show up like this again, but it did happen here. He's got some monstrous parts and tremendous energy here. RIP to Alan.
@@Galahad-hk4bb Alan&Chris best in prog along with Geddy&Neil (a close one is Phil&Mike in Trick of the Tail
Perfect replacement for Bill.
My husband wants the section 'Soon' to be played at his funeral as the coffin is brought into the crematorium. It is so hauntingly beautiful that I agree with him on his choice. Love this band seen them several times always a great experience. RIP Chris S you are sadly missed.
When I was a teenager, I had a band that we used to write heavy rock with (around 1978) and I remember one of the guys bought Relayer... We listened to it in the dark, lying on the floor, and when the Soon part (The Gates of Delirium), we opened the window and the light illuminated our faces...crying... Keep in mind, this was in Uruguay, where rock news hardly reached, except for a single rock radio program that it was called "Youth Meridian", one hour a day.
Months after this, the arrival in our country of the album "Going for the one" was announced. I bought it without having heard anything about it, and we repeated the operation: listening to it in the dark in my room with the guys from the band.
When we finished listening to "Awaken", all shocked by what we heard, we came to the conclusion that this was the pinnacle of symphonic rock progression. We weren't wrong, because the 80's arrived and everything was already below this level reached both in composition and execution of the instruments. Steve Howe is one of the most underrated guitarists in rock history, ranking above many who are supposedly famous.
THANK YOU Y E S, for having allowed me to make contact with my inner self when I was very young... Sometimes I feel sorry for all these teenagers who believe that rock began with them...
Buena pibe , desde el yes álbum hasta el going for the one la mejor banda de prog junto a génesis .
I have to listen to the deeper songs by Yes with a box of tissues nearby. Nice memory man, thanks for sharing
I was a 17 year old stoner when this came out. I was enthralled by it's complexity and beauty. Sitting here, 49 years later, I'm still as impressed by this piece as I was back in the 70's.
Steve Howe really showed on this album that he could produce and incorporate so many different sounds from so many different stringed instruments. Master of the fret.......
Yes, he is outstanding here (they're ALL in top form though!) :) The sound palette of this album is so special, different from any other album by the band. The production is astonishing too - this must have been a very tough project to record, mix and give proper balance, it could so easily have come out like a big dull rumble of sound without enough clarity (and with over-compressed vocals), but Eddie and the band achieved a wonderful production here. And to think that most of it was acrually taped in Squire's basement??! :D
The clarity and depth of sound on To Be Over are amazing, to just single that one out. Squire's bass moving from a deep, mellow funk beat to those outbursts of thunder - and yet he never loses that depth or his control of multiple rhythms weaved together!
One thing that always suprised me about the packaging of the album (the LP, first off) is the total lack of a credit for the recording/sound engineers. Whoever engineered and recorded this put in some Olympian work, and the same goes for the mix. The sonic image never loses focus, it's constantly rich and deep, vibrant, exact and alive - and boy, if this must have been one difficult recording project! I suppose Eddie Offord did a major bit of the sound engineering work, but the only credit apart from that is an obscure "tapes by Genaro Rippo", a guy I had never heard about from ANY other records until I looked him up at Discogs last year. :))
I'm wondering if the band wanted to hide the fact that 90% of the recording work took place at Squire's basement studio, underneath his house.
I think Eddie Offord was huge in how this piece reaches for the starts.@@louise_rose
I've never heard anyone else use the pedal steel in the way Howe uses it. In addition to the "Soon" section, he also uses the pedal steel when he takes the theme that follows the battle scene over from Patrick Moraz after Moraz has played it three times or so.
hard to believe this is closing in on 50 years old....really astounding
Hard to believe I remember queuing up to buy the album, the day it was released! Seriously scary!
@@adriangoodrich4306 I remember after buying this record that it would be the end of a era for rock music and that anything that came after it would fall a little short. I felt the same way about Quadrophenia a year earlier. Things did change after that Winter of 74. 1975 saw bar bands, punk bands and rappers coming into their own. But for a brief season there was Camelot.
This song is the greatest prog song of all time. Plus the greatest rock song ever composed by human beings.
To the latter, I thought "Let It Bleed" might fit that bill. Honky Tonk Women maybe close 2nd. But I'm willing to listen to this like 6 or 8 times before rendering anything solid. I think I liked "Bleed" almost as much as sex, 1st time, either/or, but I found that under influence of cocaine took it past the primordial river Styx, or something like that. We all need someone we can bleed on. But I liked "Idiot Wind" a lot as well. And Canned Heat Boogie #2. I'd be surprised if I ever reacted as strongly to this as CTTE. Or Siddhartha. It seems a little busy, or something.
Right there with Awaken.
@@susandavidson3344 Stones are banal ramblings compared to any Progressive music out there. Pulease.
I too feel that this is the most powerful and beautiful electric piece ever composed and recorded. I've always felt like a freak for believing that (and occasionally saying it aloud, but not often), so it means the world to hear from someone else who experiences it that way. Thank you so much for saying it.
This album just makes me cry with the beauty of the sounds...thank you YES for being in my life !!
From the Intro to the last chord, there is SOOOO MUCH going on from everyone...this is amazing tapestry of magic and musical barriers broken beyond comprehension. How do you even THINK of this, then WRITE it, then REHEARSE this--finding all parts that 'fit'--and then record this amazing sound track. Prog rock / art / at it's finest.
Probably their best song. It's a serious endurance test to play on bass - that battle section! Chris Squire was truly one of the most gifted musicians in rock history.
Yup. I agree with every word of that.
Right on double time !!!!!!!!!!!@
I agree,,, YES has some beyond awesome songs; but this is their best
The "Soon" section always brings tears to my eyes.
RIP Alan White. This is his one of his best.
Steve used a Telecaster on this album, unusual for him. Some have criticized his tone as "brittle" but I would describe it as "piercing" and I think it fits the song perfectly.
It sounds like ice. I love it.
Looking back on Gates, my critique is with the length of the battle sequence, not the playing on it and especially not Steve's sound. I an hard pressed to think of Any Yes where Steve's playing isn't foundational
Never has a Telecaster sounded better. Steve managed to coax the loveliness out of it.
Even though I played in a funk rock band, if I had owned a Telecaster, I would record with it, but never play one live!
I've always thought of his tone as "shrill" but "brittle" works as well. That has always been the reason I do not consider "Close to the Edge" the masterpiece everyone else seems to think it is. This, however, is the one piece where it fits perfectly.
Close to the Edge leads to topographic oceans which leads to gates of delirium which leads to Awaken, arguably the best piece of prog rock music ever recorded.
I know Jon liked Awaken the best but personally, I think his best work was CTTE and GOD.
Gates of Delirium is a true masterpiece. Back in the day, Relayer was not available in my country (Holland, Europe), and I remember driving all the way to Valenciennes, France, to buy the album. It felt like having found the Holy Grail. :) My other two favorites are Awaken and Ritual: pure magic.
I'm from Holland too, and back then, I was 7 years old and my parents just divorced, my mother got a way younger boyfriend that brought us Genesis' Tresspass (The Knife is a great piece of war-music too Doug!) and Yes' Gates of Delirium. I was overwelmed by the latter (I remember a state of mind which I can only describe by not describing it apart from some environmental details as 70's black and orange colored room walls and a multicolored 'dripping candle' in a bottle next to my bed) but went on with exploring the former, only rediscovering Yes almost 45 years later! Shameful, but it is never too late I guess.
Strange, I am Dutch too and bought the album the day it was released... But maybe it was not available in your record store. By the way, this is not my favourite Yes albums, that are The Yes Album and Close To The Edge. The music now and then reminds me of Frank Zappa (really). Steve Howe is one of the best guitarists ever, he is very underrated..
Heart of the Sunrise, and Awaken are my two favorites.
@@dutchcub Steve is indeed one of the best (allround) guitar players, but certainly not underrated.
@@dutchcub how tf can you describe Howe as one of the best guitar players ever and then also say he’s underrated lol?! He is definitely NOT underrated.
Gates...as powerful as any classical piece I've ever heard. Incredible that five musicians can sound so powerful, run the gamut from pastoral to absolute mayhem and back again yet keep a grounded thread through every phase. God I love this era of Yes above all else in the rock genre.
My father was also a WWII vet and particularly loved the ending of The Gates. To be honest, I saw it live in Philly in 1975 and I too, was crying at it's conclusion.
Steve Howe's guitar during Soon sounds like tears.
Mozart was a master at composing tears into his music, especially the violin parts. You can just feel them dripping down your cheek. Yes, I love Steve Howe's emotional guitar effects. It just transcends the instrument.
@@angelea2184 Thanks God.....someone talking Howe 👌
Steve Howe and Alex Lifeson are both underrated. People privilege a ripping guitar solo over tonality.
@@angelea2184 Steve uses a pedal steel guitar for "Soon" and it just cries with emotion and soulfulness.
There was a technique used by guitarists at that time emulating a steelguitar sound, using the volume knob on the guitar. With the pinky finger one rotated the volume knob all the way down, So when string are strummed (or picked) there is no sound. Then the volumeknob was quickly turned all the way up with the pinky finger so only the sustained sound of the guitar is audible (WITHOUT the attack, which is the most recognizable part of a sound). This had to be repeated for every single note. Thus sounding a bit like a steelguitar.
The entire Relayer album is amazing…such unique soundscapes. Pat Moraz’s jazz experience is really felt throughout. “To be Over,” in my opinion, is one of the most beautiful pieces of Yes music ever made; definitely worth a listen.
Agree completely.
I always felt, since 1974, that Moraz made all the difference here. Organized madness! I highly recommend you search RUclips for a concert done in the early 2000's with a Dutch orchestra - "Yes Symphonic". INCREDIBLE rendition of Gates of Delirium in there!
Love to be over 'arrh heavenly'!!!
Yes, you are correct, To Be Over is right up there with Awaken. Gates of Delirium I've never liked.
@@waltcorey5115 wow
How beautiful, poignant and heart wrenching is that transition from the chaos and delirium of battle to the peace and calm?
I could cry when the song ends.
Every player on this album shines strongly. No one could ever achieve the heights that Yes ascended to. NO ONE. Long live Yes! They are forever in my heart and soul
Patrick Moraz is sadly underrated
Love the Refugee album!
Agree. Tony Kaye was the keyboardist on first three albums, not Wakeman as Doug implies.
I had his Story Of I album late 70s, tangible.
@@rossluckham-bulmer7217 Was Refugee with Moraz oh wow, I loved my Refugee album, I always remember that deeply phased epiano section.
Yes, he is.
"Soon" brings tears to my eyes every time I listen to it, which I've been doing for some 35 years now (was too young before. The progression (especially the downward key change), the mood, the texture, Jon's godly voice, and the very end that recalls Phantom of the Opera's Music of the Night. A miracle!
Great call on the Music of the Night reference, even the the orchestration with the vocal being
Static yet changes by the flow of harmony underneath.
Absolutely true. The difference here is that I start long ago since the LP appear in the record shop and I get a copy ….. past 1974 ….. sad that RW had left …. could not accept until listen to this jewel …. lucky we are.
“Soon” may very well be the greatest thing Jon ever sang.
We're not supposed to confess that are we?
All true except Phantom recalls Yes' Soon
Doug, just in case no one has mentioned it yet, and as far as I know, Chris Squire's approach to his parts on bass within the band's music was as relevant as what would traditionally be considered the lead instruments in rock music. He wasn't ever just the guy who played the bass line in a song; as you've heard, he played counter melodies, harmonies and more. And that distinctive sound that you've fallen in love with... Rickenbacker.
I had a little different take on Chris' style. I played bass in high school (Give the tuba to the fat kid.) much of his style comes, actually, from military marches where the bass lines were often called 'counter melody.' A good example is Colonel Bogey by Kenneth Alford. If it does not sound familiar, you will probably recognize it instantly on hearing it. Listen to the bass line. John Phillip Sousa wrote similarly for bass. Really. No shit.😁
As I heard it is not alone the Rickenbacker but also the amplifying with use of both a bass amplifier and a guitar amplifier. Billy Sheehan does it similar (bass with two outputs for the pickups, one goes to bass amp, the other to a guitar amp)
It's more than just the Rickenbacker Dee, because many people play a Rick bass and don't get nearly the same tonality. It's part of it-for sure, but also his levels, amp, how it's recorded, and also the manner in which he strikes the strings which all lead to his overall sound sound envelope and tonality.
The person and his instrument that was my inspiration to take up the bass. Bought a gloss black 4001 in 1979
Geddy Lee played Also THE same base!
I was at a party in my senior year of high school with various musician friends, many of them Yes-heads. One kid announced that he just picked up the new Yes album and we all gathered 'round the stereo. Before long we were all sitting there with our jaws on the floor while the girlfriends all cowered in the kitchen! I was fortunate to see that tour, unforgettable!
...girlfriends all cowering in the kitchen...hmmmmm, that song should have been on Side 2 !! Lol
Why were they cowering? Did it scare them?
@@nativeofnc - Yes.
I am a broken record to those who know me but Jon Anderson has the voice of an angel.
The first time I saw Yes live they were touring with Relayer. I enjoyed Patrick Moraz on keyboards, but I felt disappointed that I missed seeing them with Rick Wakeman. Then of course Rick later rejoined the band and I saw that line-up several times. Now I feel really fortunate that I saw them with Moraz.
Jon Anderson's " Olias of Sunhillow" is also pretty cool!
Despite Anderson going on to a great solo career Olias remains his crowning glory imho, his Gold Standard...
Sorry, I don't speak english...my name Is Fabio from Argentina...soy un fanático de YES desde que era muy pequeño, cuando editaron Relayer me pareció algo distinto y superior a todo lo que existía en aquellos años!!....tengo el recuerdo bien preciso de la primera vez que lo escuché y....más aún de la segunda escucha: creí que era otro disco!!!!...no podía entender que fuese el mismo!!....tanta es la complejidad armónica que cada vez uno descubre algo nuevo!!! Absolutamente extraordinario. Gracias por tu reacción, y gracias a los tantos comentarios sobre ésta obra de arte.
Tengo unas trescientas veces de escuchar esta obra, y sigo descubriendo algo nuevo cada vez. No existe nada parecido.
A special mention should also go to the engineers on this album, the genius of Eddie Offord etc. These albums are real gems when you also consider the gear available in the 70s. There is so much going on in this track it’s incredible how the whole track is balanced perfectly. Anyone who knows anything about recording and engineering will understand my point.
Eddie Offord is genius.
Absolutely. Every single aspect is perfect. The blending, and...all of those incredible, delicious, poignant tones.
Genius
I would also recommend Heart of the Sunrise. Another great Yes track
After the studio version I would strongly recommend the live version on Yessongs. If you think their studio albums are great the Yessongs versions are mostly in orbit!
I've always considered Heart of the Sunrise their 'signature' piece.
That might be my favorite song from Yes and as Kevin said, the live version is incredible
my favorite Yes song, Chris and Bill were amazing together, along with everyone else
The Gates of Delirium features a grungy, dirty sound which is quite unlike other Yes standards. It fits the theme of war and violence to a tee. I love it.
Gates of delirium made me a Yes fan. I was weaned on it and never found another song that surpassed it. It is similar to old classical compositions with full orchestras. I never tire of it.
That ending 30-ish seconds of "Soon" never fails to generate goosebumps & a shiver on the final resolving chord! ... and the "Soon" section as a whole certainly makes phenomenal use of Jon's voice (plus Howe's steel guitar initially defining the melody)!
The first section of the piece as a whole is Steve's - with Squire and Moraz alternately supporting or counterpointing underneath the theme Steve develops. The second section begins with the percussive crash and Alan White's drums, but then becomes a perfect melding of Chris' refusal to ignore the melodic (or counter-melodic) possibilities of the bass with Patrick's jazz-derived sense of chordal structure and tonal palette! This finishes off with Jon & "Soon" - leading to what I consider one of the most perfect musical compositions in the rock world.
I wonder if anyone will think I like this song??? :-P
I agree
Yes!
I've been listening to Soon since I was 10yrs old(I'm nearly 57) and it never, ever fails to move me.Jon Anderson's voice has always given me goosebumps as it's so pure and emotional.Also, Chris Squire was always in a league of his own.
Yes, the climb of the final notes ends and fades off just before we would have reached the tonic, so the feel is that the music is not quite coming to a rest. I always felt that in the entire final five minutes or so, you can hear the long-term shadow of grief and loss cast by a gruelling war, even for the victors and their children and grandchildren, The mood is affirming and solemn in a way, like a soft sunrise, but you still feel the anguish and grief hanging behind the music, to the very end.
How different my experience: from the first time I heard the track back in the '70's, I did not like the last time 'Soon...' was set in, I always wanted that to disappear. Today still so.
Thank you for getting back to Yes. There really is nothing else like this, you just have to lay back and let it happen to you, 'Soon' always leaves me in tears. I agree with others below. 'Awaken' is utterly transcendent with a fabulous organ solo. I'd love to hear what you make of Topographic Oceans, all four movements, that would keep you happy for a while. Y'all have great taste in music
2nd the suggestion to take a listen to Tales from Topographic Oceans!!
@@rwjacks2 3rd 👍
Agree Sian, Awaken and TFTO, all four 💙
I suspect “Soon” also leaves the Bergmans and Marty Hamlisch in tears, as they await royalties from melodic lines stolen from “The Way We Were”...
Yes I hope he does all of Tales From Topographic Oceans. For me, Yes is like no other band I've ever heard of. They have ascended what it means to be a musical group.
The ending is so dreamy, so fresh even after all of these years. A master class in composing
Thank you for this. I saw the Relayer tour. I was a young teenager that would go on to get a degree in Piano Performance, would compose my own works, and perform many contemporary works by others. But sometimes in the back of my mind I'd be thinking, "Wouldn't it be great to be in a band like Yes." This truly is great music!!
Chris Squire cut a solo album at bout the same time as Gates of Delirium, "Fish out of Water." It is brilliant. Every track is wonderful. In '75 he did a few songs live on "The Old Grey Whistle."
"Lucky Seven" is my favorite Squire solo track, with "Hold Out Your Hand" a close second. RIP: ruclips.net/video/WS29bnX45H0/видео.html
Absolutely, my favourite of all the proggers' solo efforts.
Relayer and Chris' Fish Out of Water were both mostly done at Chris' home studio.
@@ChromeDestiny There is a short YT video, where Chris goes back to New Pipers, his old house in Virginia Water. You see the front doorstep which is where he sat for the inner sleeve photo for FOOW. It is without doubt a timeless album of sheer brilliance. A man so sorely missed.
I'm a guitarist and this song made me want to play bass. Chris is unreal here.. You should check out "Silently Falling" from his solo album, Fish out of Water if you like this bass feel
"Silently Falling" is my favorite from CS's solo album! Brilliant chord progressions, not to mention bass playing...
Chris was unreal… all the times ;)
Every track on FOOW is amazing
I don't play any instruments, but Chris Squire is my favorite bassist of all time, he was simply amazing, no wonder his solo album is my favorite from any of the musicians.
Silently Falling is also my favorite.
Thanks for going here Doug! Your breakdown of the effect of so many half steps is so spot on! I've headphoned this album side so many times, and never put that together in my mind, although it is so effective and intentional it's just about impossible not to be SERIOUSLY moved by it! After so many years I was graced beyond measure to see them perform GATES on their Masterworks tour in 2000... as the last sounds came out of the system at the Meadows in Hartford, CT, I turned to my wife and said 'now I can die!", because artistically I seriously doubt I'll ever surpass the experience of being immersed in that work by those masters ... of course I was being silly, but I'm sure I wasn't the only one there who felt they had experienced something of indescribable beauty, depth and richness in that 22 minutes!
In the early seventies my favourite bands were Yes, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Deep Purple and Black Sabbath. All bands at their peak. I feel privileged to have lived through those times.
I 'liked' this.
E...L...P...
This song is such a masterpiece! The final part is one of the most beautiful pieces I've heard in my entire life. Relayer is a timeless classic and has an amazing Roger Dean artwork (as usual). The original vinyl came in a cool gatefold. RIP Chris Squire!
I'll second every word of that! I still have the original vinyl, bought 1974!
Play side B first...you can thank me later. 😉
Sound Chaser is also one of my favourites, with its blistering angry guitar section
That middle section is one of the most beautiful pieces of electric guitar work I've ever heard. I wish Yes had played more jazz like this, it fit them well.
The sound of Steve Howe's pedal steel guitar on The Gates Of Delirium always gives me goosebumps.
Incredible piece of music.
As a fan of yes for 30 years, and as a professional composer for 25 years, AWAKEN is probably the best composed, execute, and produced. Considering it was 1977, I am still blown away with the sonic landscape they were able to create.
That's CTTE, superior content and flow. Awaken has a serious amount of competition for lead parts going on and it gets kind of silly by the end, when everyone is trying to get the last lick in.
Agreed. It is/was the zenith of their composing and playing. It was a cohesive and well constructed piece from beginning to end where CTTE seemed contrived at points and maybe could have used some editing.
Absolutely
Brother, you are SPOT ON about the bass. Between Chris Squire's ideas/sound and the way he was produced by Eddy Offord, it is just a thing of beauty.
Chris Squire. Timeless. Always loved and respected. Never, ever forgotten.
If you like Chris's bass playing within Yes, you should give Fish out of Water (1975), his first solo album a listen.
My Musical master
So funny 😂 So many people say the same thing...I wish it could last longer!!! It’s amazing how this 20 minute masterpiece goes by so quickly!!! RIP Chris…We miss you 😢
This YES album, Relayer, has been my #1 album not just with YES but for my entire listening experience, for 47 years running. Coincidentally, the USA Release was on December 5, 1974, my 19th birthday. I am on my 6th copy!
9 days later, on Dec 14,1974 I saw YES for the first time, at the Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania ... that was quite a December!
Relayer is the most experimental Yes album. Another song that is mandatory to hear from this album is Sound Chaser.
Sound chaser was tough for me to get into but extremely interesting.
Steve Howe' s guitar solo in Sound Chaser is truly amazing, when I first heard it in 1975 I thought he had opened the door to a new world. With hindsight I think he stayed on the threshold... Even if he still wrote a lot of really wonderful music, in my opinion he never went beyond those few magic seconds...
Indeed. Another vote for Sound Chaser. There's nothing else like it in Yes' recorded output.
"Gates" and "Sound Chaser" are well-known masterpieces : but IMHO, the final track on this record, "To Be Over", is a bit underated. Less spectacular than the two others, maybe, but a really strong, beautiful and subtle piece.
Absolutely, posted that above before I read these comments. Would also have liked to know how Doug would relate to the pieces he listens to being performed by a symphony orchestra and what sort of standing they would have in the world of orchestral music.
Jon Anderson also played substantial percussion on this. He wanted the sound of destruction, metal clashing, so he and Alan White went to a junk yard and picked up some junk to bang on - the results of which can be heard in this recording. Apart from having heard bits of "Fragile" on FM radio before, seeing them perform "Relayer" live in Cleveland Stadium on the tour for the album was my initial introduction to Yes. When Anderson sang, "Soon, oh soon the light," it felt like the entire City of Cleveland was being lifted up by a rising stream of transcendent beauty
This show, in Pittsburgh, was the first concert that I ever attended. It was also the premier of this record. At 14 years old I was awe struck.
They opened with Sound Chaser. There was about 30 seconds of stunned silence when they finished the piece then the place erupted with some of the wildest cheering I've ever heard.
From what I was told, this Steven Wilson version cut out the war sounds entirely. I never bought it because of that.
@@SunFellow941 I never heard that! It's somewhat surprising considering the lengths that Anderson and White went to: going to a junk yard to find things to ah... bang on trying to simulate the sounds of a war. I believe Steven has an healthy respect for the original content and the efforts made to realize this idea. I'll have to go back and listen to his remaster again.
Matt, I was at that Yes Concert at the Richfield Coliseum also!! Sat almost full length opposite from the stage. It was our first Yes concert as well, because after Tales Wakeman left and the band "officially" split. Relayer was such a relief that YES was back. The tour was early in its release and we hadn't gotten to know the music well enough before seeing that concert...
@@kjdarch1 I was at the Richfield show, as well, but my first time was at Cleveland Stadium. I saw them many times over the next 5 years in Cleveland, Cincinnati, and Pittsburgh
Yes were giants in their field. I love them so much. Saw them twice in the late 70's. This is a masterpiece, a journey through lands of wonder.
A song I have listened to for over 40 years....listening again with a new found sense appreciation. Your videos are truly excellent. To get a professional musicians perspective is awesome . 👍
Thank you Doug!
This is the most powerful song on Yes with the most powerful message.
You can't take your eyes off the music at any point, but especially from 07:57 (12:00 in this video)in the song, a raging ensemble of superb techniques begins. The exchanges between the talented musicians are as powerful as a battle.
After the chaos reaches its peak, the song "Soon" is so beautiful that you can't help but be moved to tears. I can't find any other words to describe this song than "masterpiece.
This yes song along with Close to the edge and many others by YES, will be studied 100 years from now like we study Bach and Mozart today!!!!! Simply Breath taking and Amazing!!!! !
"Can't take your eyes off the music." Yes. Very nearly achieving synesthesia.
Doug, This is something that needs to be listened to at least 10 times before a person can appreciate the piece and be able to follow along, anticipating and understanding the flow from one section to another.
I've been listening to this for 45 years.
So true, very well put… I’m at that early stage of getting to know Bitches Brew. I’ve been listening to Relayer for 40 years, and now I’m off to put on the Sennheisers and listen again.
100% AGREED!!
I was thinking the same in the beginning, which is really like an overture, as Steve Howe's guitar is stating themes that will come back throughout the piece. It's interesting to see Doug's initial reactions to the music but it would be cool to have follow up videos after 10 more close listenings and some serious analysis.
@@paulannable3734 You should also check out live versions of some of those Miles Davis tunes from about '68 to '74. It's clear that the composition is only the barest of sketches and Miles expected his musicians to collectively and spontaneously invent the rest on each performance.
Also listen very closely to the Bitches Brew or In a Silent Way albums, in particular, and you'll hear how Teo Macero invented some of the compositional structures by looping some sections. The bass clarinet theme when the steady rhythm first starts in "Bitches Brew" for instance, or the way the entire 4-minute intro section of "In a Silent Way" is just repeated at the end.
@@room34 thanks for the recommendations… I’m very familiar with In A Silent Way, been listening since the early 90s but last year a friend turned me on to John McLoughlin/Mahavishnu and this has led me to BB, Live/Evil, On The Corner, Pangaea, Agharta and Dark Magus. I love it, and it’s rekindled my early love of prime period Yes (anything up to but not including Tormato). Music so good that only the best musicians can play it. Listening to Miles has also made me appreciate fantastic drummers in a way that I’ve never done before.
Relayer, and this song in particular, are my favorites of all of Yes's career, from all eras. It is impossible to capture in a first listen all the richness that this masterpiece contains. I congratulate and thank Doug for reacting to this music.
Some curiosities:
- the synth riff that Patrick Moraz plays at 12:07 (and repeats throughout that section) is vaguely reminiscent of Handel's "Alla hornpipe".
- the section that begins at 15:17, is in 11/8 metric (subdivided 6 + 5).
- the melody at 17:46 somewhat resembles to the verse of "She loves you" by The Beatles.
Lastly, I want to comment that the Steven Wilson remix is excellent and sounds really amazing, but I don't understand what happened to the bass at the end of "Soon", specifically at 27:58. It's definitely wrong: the bass notes in that measure, from the original version, are not those (it makes a much nicer melodic rise, by the way). I guess Steven Wilson inadvertently (or for some mysterious reason) used another bass take there, which is a real shame because as we all know (and it's clear from Doug's review) bass is pretty the most important thing on Yes.
I agree about Relayer being Yes' best album, but saying that "bass is the most important thing on Yes" misses the mark by a million miles. Howe's guitar work is second to none in all of music, while Jon's voice is an instrument of perfection, Alan White's percussion is awesome, and Moraz added a new dimension to the band. Their collaboration of great talent is what makes Yes so phenomenal. Yet, if one is to break it down, Steve & Jon take precedence IMHO.
Wow, great points! It does sound like She Loves You haha
Wilson botched all the YES remixes. Hate them. Eddie Offord is the greatest recording engineer of all time. To take his mix and change is insulting. Remaster sure improve the Sonics but to remix something already perfect huge no!
@@Bunbunfunfun Well, I wouldn't go so far as to say that, I haven't really listened to all of his remixes, but it's true that he ruined "Soon" by inexplicably altering the bass take.
@@PabloGindel on the Yes mixes he brought up the backing vocals too much you can hear each individual voice. It’s supposed to be a chorus of voices. He did some weird frequency changes to all the bass parts. He boosted the low frequencies and ended up taking away some grittiness , but that’s the way Squire sets his sound and it ruins his tracks. I could keep going . Try a side by side listen if you have both mixes. Wilson mixes are “ modern” sounding all individual instruments are very sharp and clear. Some of the impact is lost. It would be like a modern artist instead of restoring the Mona Lisa and basically repainting it to look like it was painted last week.
Only Yes could but a full scale battle into a piece of music and make it melodic!
"We got all the way to the end. I didn't even know we were getting close to the end. Are you kidding me?"
That sums up getting to the end of all of Yes's especially epic compositions!
Watching your reaction with the knowledge of music theory, I have truly come to appreciate Yes even more than I did before! I do not think I will ever find a band as truly unique and special in the annals of history such as Yes.
hahaha he missed the chance to say "close to the edge."
Finally it happens, the waiting is over. Love the reaction about Chris, hold him as one of the best bassplayer of all time. And Relayer is their masterpiece. But the Gates needs to be listen to m any times before its greatness resolves.
I love that he sees the classical influences. Anderson and Howe were huge fans of classical composers, especially Sibelius and Stravinsky, and their music wasn’t constructed like blues-based rock or jazz, usually. They knew how to put together an arrangement and make it work. And he’s right, if Chris Squire had a contemporary, it was Jaco, but they were so different
Yes was my first 'favorite' band. In fact, my first real concert was Yes in Gaelic Park, age 13, in 1973. Living in Manhattan, I saw the Relayer tour in Jersey City, blowing off my spanish regents to go the night before with a group of friends. A dear friend and huge Yes fan, who passed away recently, started the now famous garbage fight prior to the concert. Long story I'll leave out, lol. Needless to say, the show was spectacular. 'Gates' was the highlight, for sure, with a laser light show to end all.
Awaken is going to be “your” Yes piece.
agreed!
Absolutely, yes! awaken is another great piece.
if Doug liked the organ on Close to the Edge, the final crescendo of Awaken may do him in.
Absolutely agree!! 👍👍👍
Awaken... if you are not moved by Awaken you may not be human! No song moves me the same way!!!
Doug: "I didn't think we are even close to the end. Are the 22 minutes over already?"
Yes, unfortunately there was no more space on the record. ;-)
Close to the End, Doug by a River...
@@ydoesgooglesuck1960 😂😂
Ahhh! The limitations of vinyl!
I like Wakeman, but I would have liked Patrick Moraz to have done another Yes album.
Totally agree.
Supposedly Morax did not fit very well with the group when they were trying to compose new music. Jon Anderson had to keep instructing Moraz as to what he should play. To be fair to Moraz to follow “One Take Wakeman” was an absolutely impossible task.
Agree. The what this line up would have done next haunts me.
I agree with you. However, I don't think GFTO would be as nice with Moraz. That HAD to be with Wakeman, as the universe would have it. Also, listening to Moraz trying to play other Yes songs that he had not originally recorded, we quickly learn that Moraz did not nail Wakeman's parts well at all, and often, in fact, ruined them, didn't play them well/accurate at all, and that's fine, if you're going to IMPROVE upon them...which Moraz never did. And I love Moraz as a keyboardist.
SOY FAN DE "YES" DESDE FINALES DE LOS 70s YES ES UNA BANDA DE "OTRA GALAXIA" ♥️♥️♥️♥️✨✨✨💖💖💖
De los mejores!! Yo nací un viernes y al viernes siguiente, Yes publicó Fragile 😂😂 los llevo en la sangre. ❤
It's amazing that this could be successfully played live. I saw them do it twice at the Apollo Glasgow in 74 and at the 75 Reading Festival.
I'm a 17 yo violinist and guitarist, i've been on it for ten years now. This is my favourite song, the complexity of every minute of it is mind-blowing. Thanks for giving us your reaction, greetings from Spain!
Yo! I'm also a violinist who's into prog rock! It's awesome finding someone who also plays violin and is into Yes :)
@@tenebr1sm You're insanely cool then, nice to meet you
As a drummer, I'm always listening to bass players and their note selection and Chris was simply one of the best. So creative, playing the higher frequencies, but never getting in the way with ALL else that was going on. Musically, he was a genius and even his harmonic singing - influenced by church choir singing as a boy - was also so individual off of the beaten path.
I remember thinking Yes was just so WEIRD when I first heard them, but there were melodies in this piece that drew me in and I listened to it a number of times until that weirdness just didn't matter any more and in fact became something interesting about their music to me.
Being a classically trained composer, it might interest you to know that Patrick Moraz studied briefly with the great Nadia Boulanger who is considered to be one of the great classical composition teachers of the 20th century. Moraz is quite accomplished as a classical/jazz pianist. Check out his Resonance and ESP(etudes, sonatas, preludes) albums; some fantastic piano music for sure. Great review!
It’s so thrilling to watch someone hear “Gates" for the first time. It made me look at the piece with fresh eyes and ears. Next, try “Awaken”.
I've said it before and I'll say it again: the live version man. No effects, just the five of them. Raw, ferocious, frantic and divine.
I agree! The track off of yes shows is definitely one of my all-time favorite yes tunes. You get so much more of the feel of what the song means when it's done live. Just utterly phenomenal!
Relayer is greatest piece of contemporary music of all time. Unquestionably.
Yes!!!
THE MASTERPIECE OF ALL MASTERPIECES! Love Yes!
It is great. But Close to the Edge is greater. ;-)
I agree, this is close to perfection.
@@chrismatthews8717 Yes, Close to the Edge should be called Close to Perfection, I always say. 🥰
@@Nikioko I never tire of listening to both albums.
Awaken! That is an awesome song.
Hopefully soon, soon, oh soon the light, eh?
I think Awaken is the epitome of Yes's work. I hope Doug looks at it.
YES!❤
I personally like your reactions very much since i grew up with Yes, without having a clue about a minor, c flat and 7/8 etcetera etc.... I was 14 years old when the album Relayer was released. I was amazed by the skills, tempo changes, beauty, and the expression of feelings Jon and the rest did express on this album. (and many to come). Fun fact: My music teacher borrowed my vinyls of Yes, ELP and RoxyMusic with great pleasure.
"They're hopeful." The band was called Yes for a reason. :-) But thanks for covering this one. It's one of those pieces that put Yes way ahead of their contemporaries. Anderson was *deeply* immersed in his classical influences during this period, and there's interviews where he describes coming to the band with the middle instrumental section, banging away on a piano and the rest looking on totally baffled!
The entire band plays their ass off all over this entire album, with Alan White turning in what most consider his best performance on record with Yes. And don't discount Moraz's contributions. He had a deep classical background and probably put forward some key harmonic suggestions, like Rick had done before him.
But it's gratifying for us mega-Squire fans that you single him out so much, when he was a band mate to a guy who won the Guitar Player Magazine Readers' Poll five years in a row! Howe's slide guitar on this track is absolutely unworldly.
Doug, the next obvious Yes pick is "Awaken." It's only 15+ minutes long. :-D
I can only describe this sublime music as an eargasm.
RIP Alan White....what a monster drummer as exemplified in this piece
I've been fortunate in my life, grew up in the LA area in the late 70's-80's working for a ticket agency. I've been a musician since I was 10 playing five instruments and have seen over 600 live show, Yes five times. They are one of my favorite bands ever and first concert I ever attended . (at the Long Beach, Ca Arena it think it was 1975, I was 15 and high as a kite. I remember driving in a Ford Econoline van with Crager wheels driving down the 405 to the 710 south smoking a big bong!) GOOD TIMES!!!!
I'm going to jump in with the requests that you do Awaken from Going for the One. You are going to absolutely love what is known as "The Moment" in that song. However...
I am going to beg and plead that you consider doing the entire B side of Going for the One, i.e., "Wondrous Stories/Awaken"together. I don't think the band has ever said so, but for me the two together tell one story.
Wondrous Stories is about finding one's Spiritual Guide/Teacher/Master, who guides and instructs the subject on attaining nirvana. Awaken is the subject attaining nirvana, and coming in to the presence of The All/Source.
Hand in hand. Together.
Please...
As far as I am aware, no other reactor has done the two together.
I bought GftO the day it was released and have listened to it 100's of times. And seen them play it in concert several times. And I have no idea what "The Moment" is. That's not A Thing that is "known." Huge YES fanatic for 44 years.
@@atlasking6110
In Awaken think build, build, build, rest, chord. I don't want to say too much, as I truly want Dr. Doug to experience it for himself.
Ad "Turn of the Century " to that.
When my son put his recording studio in, he let me christen it with a song of choice. I picked, "Awaken" by Yes. So, you have my vote.
@@frepi That song makes me cry. Gets me every time. Doug, if you do that song, have a box of tissues.
Chris Squire, not surprisingly, is one of Steve Harris' favorite bassists
And John Deacon's, from what I've read. ;)
My favourite also.
If it comes to his sound - it is Rickenbacker brand bass. Pretty rare instruments, they dont have big manufactures.
@@ExcaliburPaladin But very influential, on both sides of the pond, thanks to The Beatles, Chris Squire, Tom Petty, Roger McGuinn, etc.
@@anguitenens These are influential in early years cause it is one od those early brands. Rare today because Fender and Gibson have big companies.
I always consider Wakeman THE Keyboard man of YES.Patrick just blew me away on this masterpiece.I love Doug's reaction to Chris's interplay with Jon & his own vocals.Thanks Doug for playing these classics for us.GOD bless y'all.
Chris Squire was *the* Beethoven of the bass guitar. Rotosound Swing Bass strings. I think he might have his 4001's body ligthened. Alan White and Chris Squire were a formidable rhythm section. Alan White was a great live drummer. His playing ⅛ notes on his ride cymbal gave that track a certain phrenetic feel to it. Steve Howe was every bit of that track too.
A friend of mine was in Israel for his bah mitzvah in '73 during the Yom Kippur war. He said that F-4s were constantly in the airspace and flew at low altitudes. I saw Yes again at Roosevelt Stadium in '76. 65,000W of outdoor power. When Howe dragged that note down the fretboard during the battle, I almost hit the deck. I was absolutely, bone-chillingly terrified and I was reminded of my friend's experience in Israel.
I'd love to hear Mr Helvering's opinion of the battle.
I saw 'Relayer' performed at MSG, Oct '74, as good live as it was studio
Really good review, Doug. Close To The Edge, Gates of Delirium and Awaken are the top three Yes songs, IMO. Fans will argue back and forth about which is the best of the three, but the choice ends up subjective and to my mind unnecessary. All three are great. You'll find that with every additional listen, you'll hear more from this track. It was very avant garde for its time. Enjoy your G&T.
I would add turn of the Century to that list.
Revealing Science of God, IMO, should be up there too. But "Gates" is my top. It just keeps on giving with every listen....
Agree. Turn of the Century is probably the only other piece that rises to the level of those three as Rogério mentions below. They all take more than one listen. I feel like Turn and Awaken are the most cohesive compositions they ever produced.
I have been fortunate to presence Close To The Edge, Gates, awaken and ritual in the same concert only if they had played mind Drive would have completed my favorite epics live. I also seen all of tales in concert that was mind boggling
The crescendo outtro on Turn of the Century was pretty special.
Imagine what Sound Chaser would do to him (and other new YES listeners)? That's a wild mouse ride in an audio kaleidoscope .
And who are the 7 (20 now) tone-deaf bridge trolls who thumbed down? Sad for their loss.
Truly, Delirium will just get better and better with every listen as you start to memorize it all. I envy you your near-future music pleasures to come.
Aw, never mind the trolls. They have an appointment with Big Billy Goat Gruff.
I bought Relayer when first released (on cassette!). Since then I’ve owned various vinyl pressings, the CD and now streaming, including the Steve Wilson remix. The whole album is a colossal piece of work that I’ve listened to countless thousands of times and it still fills me joy every single time.
I guess he's listening to the Wilson's remix
Patrick Moraz is a super brilliant player and composer himself. His album The Story of I. is really unique and I myself love it. But getting back to this epic song, Yes as usual out does itself each time!
Being a classical composer and your enjoyment of the church organ in CTTE, you'll really enjoy Awaken, off the Going for the One album. Wakeman and the church organ are back in a big way. Awaken is a return to the CTTE orchestral sound. Another long track, so set aside a Friday and grab a pina colada.
Greatest guitarist ever.
Yes was a complete package, their music was amazing, their live shows were stunning, and even their album covers with the Roger Dean artwork have been imitated by innumerable bands. Certainly one of the best progressive rock bands from the golden age.
The next epic from Yes must be "Awaken". I might be in the minority, but I also wouldn't mind seeing what Doug thinks about all four epics which make up the Tales from Topographic Oceans album. We also need Doug's heart and mind to react to "The Cinema Show" by Genesis.
Awaken definitely. That's the ultimate Yes epic song.
Tales...not so much (I agree with Rick Wakeman about this album - some great stuff on it, but an awful lot of padding and wandering).
Absolutely agree. Awaken is a magical piece of classic music. While Tales (in my opinion) is the pinnacle of Yes production.
Yes, yes x4, & yes....all of the above.
Awaken: yes! 🤣
Completely agree. Relayer is fabulous all through. And yes, Awaken is splendid and so are all 4 sides of Tales from Topographic Oceans.