Solo Yes better off as Yes albums?

Idle speculation time I suppose but what the hell. I've a CD (free) from Jon Anderson containing selections from his solo album outtakes. Did anyone ever get that box set? To me it was blindingly obvious that his fine songs and workman like backing were crying out for the instrumental splendour of Yes to bring them into fruition.

Anyway. What I wondered and based on the ideas sketched out on his outtake CD is what solo Yes member albums would have been better off as Yes albums? Do they have that potential? The sum being the greater than the parts and all that. Any solo album or even parallel career albums e.g Richard Wakeman's material  which may have been (even) better as a Yes album. Of course these might be very long albums...

This "idea" was aided by reading (Master Group's debut thread) how certain primo type guitarists (Latimer) may not be entirely the best, or even a good singer. But while that is sadly true, at least he never sank to the worst level of prog vocal (Steve Howe singing "Australia" on Beginnings. Yikes). However, would Beginnings have been made a better Yes album? Olias? How about Ramshackled? Not heard that in such a long time and recall being somewhat appalled at the content. Still some like it and I am prepared to be mistaken and corrected. I like Squire's album and even shelled out for the remaster though I still think JA would have been the (my) first choice of singer. Really good singers are few.

So... Yes albums that could've been? Or not. Heaven knows there may be Yes albums that should not be (just the last one for me anyway).

I suppose this might stimulate ideas for fictional rearrangements. It's all talk.

omphaloskepsis wrote: "It's all talk"  I see what you did there. I prefer the sterling musicianship of classic YES.  But without Jon the threadbare YES lacks compositional skills.

So it would seem. A lot falls on Steve Howe's poor old shoulders. ARW seem to have an abundance of writing skills. Time for a union. Eventually.

The sterling musician ship is what might have elevated some solo albums from the doldrums...

Classic Yes was great because it was a collaboration---sum of it's parts. Yes solo stuff is overall not great---of course there are a few moments here and there---other than Bruford who had a long stellar career. 

omphaloskepsis wrote: "It's all talk"  I see what you did there. I prefer the sterling musicianship of classic YES.  But without Jon the threadbare YES lacks compositional skills.

Edited by moshkito - July 30 2016 at 08:39

"Olias of Sunhilliow" is the only Jon Anderson album I like, but that one is a 5 star album

uduwudu wrote: I like Squire's album and even shelled out for the remaster though I still think JA would have been the (my) first choice of singer. Really good singers are few.

hmm..considering one of the few problems that any prog fans have in general with Yes.. usually begins and ends with Jon...and considering Chris was as good a vocalist as Jon and perhaps being ..umm.. less irrating. Would it not be safe to say. or least debate that since FooW is musically as good as anything Yes did.. that with as good a vocalist and one perhaps less prone to irratate people that FooW could be considered not only the no-briainer as a choice for being better off as a Yes album... but could say if was as good start to finish. Composition to orchestration to instumental genius to vocally as any Yes album?

Could be an interesting question to be asked...

I like Steve Howe's solo work. The singing, not so much, although the main problem with his singing is he would always try to sing outside of his range and that made his voice sound strained and thin. But I do enjoy the instrumental stuff very much, and it's hard to see how Time or Natural Timbre would have been improved by adding other Yes members to the mix.

BaldJean wrote: "Olias of Sunhilliow" is the only Jon Anderson album I like, but that one is a 5 star album

Yea, all the Yes members are very talented in their own right but nothing I've heard within the various members solo careers ever reaches the height of Yes classic material. Sure, there are some very good moments here and there but the collaboration between all the members is what made Yes so special. The only solo album that was ever truly great to my ears was Bruford's One of a Kind, which obviously benefited from Allan Holdsworth presence.

uduwudu wrote: But the idea of Yes future being all instrumental... now that would be progressive, bordering on real classical rock. (Picture any audience singing all the words for Close To The Edge).

I really don't like the idea of them continuing as Yes without Chris Squire.  It would be like continuing King Crimson without Robert Fripp.  Squire was the anchor and the thread that connects all of the various versions of the group.