Yours is No Disgrace The opening notes of this nine-minute (ordinarily I would say epic here but we're talking Yes, so...) tune signify to the listener what a departure TYA is going to be from the previous two albums. Instrumental intro, then the vocals appear over swirling organ chords. The lyrics are what make the song so great. Even "Caesar's Palace" which seems kind of thrown in. The music is tremendous of course, but it's the lyrics that make it a song. Then a little guitar solo that I was OBSESSED with when I was a small child. Ok, a sophomore. No, wait, same thing. I just liked how it passes between the left and right channels, which I have to admit is a pretty cool effect. In this whole instumental section, the band's jazz influences are especially evident. Whenever I practiced my chromatic scale for All-State auditions, I always thought of the end of YIND. The only other thing I have to say about this song is that I heard it was in support of the soldiers in Vietnam. Like the "I'm for the soldiers but I'm against the war" mentality.
Clap no, not "The" Clap, despite what the album says.
First off, even in the turbulent world of sex-drugs-rock'n'roll, why
would you call a song that? Plus, the dang thing is even introduced on
the album by it's proper title; that is,
without the definite article. Ok, now I've spent my whole time complaining
and the song's over...
All right here we go. This is a great little solo. And it's probably
impossible to play - sounds like it anyway. A nice chance for the new guy
(just because he was on the cover of T&AW doesn't mean he actually played
on it) to show off his guitar
wizardry. Just like that was a chance for me to use the word "wizardry."
And since it's live, at the end, everyone *Claps*.
Starship Trooper Distinguished by the fact that a guy I know
thought they would use the song in the movie Starship Troopers. You know,
the one with Nazi overtones and giant bugs. Anyway, I really like the
beginning of this song. It's huge, it's sweeping, it draws you in.
I also enjoy the "lonliness is a power that we posess" part that leads
into "follow...." Well let's just say I love the words in general.
Speak to me of summer! And the first of the great water/daughter rhymes
in rock history, the second being in Gordon Lightfoot's "Wreck of the
Edmund Fitzgerald" which we have in our store music at Hy-Vee.
The Würm section is very cool too, if only for allowing me the
opportunity to format a ü. Very laid back but still rockin'. Again
utlilzing the right and left channels for the guitar.
Well, we've come to the end of Side One (yes, I did the review from the vinyl) and it needs to be said that there's no way you could say which is better out of YIND and ST. They're both over 9 minutes, both on Classic Yes, and both stay fresh even after listening muchas veces. So don't ask me to compare the two. Now on to Side Two.
I've Seen All Good People
Chances are if you're hearing Yes on
commercial radio (aka "Kiss my ass, Clear Channel), it's either Roundabout,
OoaLH, or this. Not that I'm complaining.....wait,
of course I'm complaining! KGGO, how about a "20 song
nonstop block of classic rock" that actually means something?
Put on RSoG and go grab a pizza. Or Triple-Shot-Thursday on the
Fort Dodge station with the entire CTTE album! My theory for radio
is, if they can play "Do You Feel Like We Do" then they can play Gates.
I don't ask for much, really.
Ok, once again I've written for the entire song on a pointless
tangent and I have to go repeat the song. This song is pretty nice,
still. The chess imagery is very unique. You could do a theme set
with this and "One Night in Bangkok" and.....actually that's about
it.
Once again, the great debate, is it Instant Karma or Instant
Comment? Karma is probably cooler but people would cry "ripoff!" and
run away, referring to the Lennon song about how Instant Karma's gonna
get you. So I don't really know. Oh, and the line "Don't surround
yourself with yourself" takes on a new meaning in
this excerpt from the alt.music.yes quote file. It made me laugh.
A Venture Never heard this song until I got TYA. It's good because of the piano, the fact that "hideaway" sounds like "Hadaway" and the line "He controlled the horses with a handclap or a whisper." The iambic pentameter or whatever the heck it is is very effective as well. I don't really know what this song is about, but it is still enjoyable, and the piano solo reminds me of my days in jazz band and getting conned into doing a solo at the last concert. "Getting conned" in the sense that I volunteered for it. Oops....guess I can't complain too much. Anyway, thank goodness Kaye's solo is much better than mine was. I bet his hands didn't shake once! And yet he still left the band after TYA. Why? According to the box set, he "departed" to be in another band called, really, Badger, and then returned to Yes in the 80's.
Perpetual Change
This is an extremely cool song and very underrated. The intro is sort
of simple but effective. The sudden tempo change is neat, perhaps even more
so when you know it is coming. THen the total stop, basically, and some
pure Anderson vocals. (yeah, I should probably mention the singer sometime
in this rev......) After that, back to the style of the intro, and the
call & answer bit. "And there you are"
"Making it up but you're sure that it is a start." etc. A technique
not often utilized by the group so it's special.
The song has the
recurring themes that makes me think schoolchildren should have to analyze it:
ABCABD or whatever. Everybody notice how cool the piano sounds. The "jam
session with some guy fading all the sound into one channel" feel is nice.
Then just when you think it's all over, more call & answer. Again with the
chess theme "pawns of their game." Then when it does finally fade out and
end, you're left with a happy good feeling. Overall, I would have to say
it's the tempo changes and the musical variety in general of this song that
does it for me.
Like its final song, TYA is pretty underrated.
When people speak of favorite albums, it's not often mentioned.
While it may not *be* CTTE, it does have the precursors (or babies
if you will) that made that work possible. Definitely an album
worth getting even if you already have Yessongs and don't think you
need it.
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