Going for the One: Yes
Printed From: Progarchives.com
Category: Progressive Music Lounges
Forum Name: Prog Recommendations/Featured albums
Forum Description: Make or seek recommendations and discuss specific prog albums
URL: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=101193
Printed Date: May 31 2024 at 21:54
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Topic: Going for the One: Yes
Posted By: SteveG
Subject: Going for the One: Yes
Date Posted: February 03 2015 at 13:55
| GFTO is the last Yes album that truly thrills me, even after all these years later. I can't describe why it does as I feel that other Yes albums have more groundbreaking songs, arrangements and more impressive playing. How do you feel about GFTO? |
Replies:
Posted By: Michael678
Date Posted: February 03 2015 at 13:58
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to me, it's definitely not. it is one of their best for sure, though!! favorites are TotC and Awaken. ------------- Progrockdude |
Posted By: Moogtron III
Date Posted: February 03 2015 at 14:21
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It's probably my favorite album of any artist anytime. It's the crowning achievement of Yes for me.
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Posted By: Imperial Zeppelin
Date Posted: February 03 2015 at 14:24
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Awaken is one of the best things ever. ------------- "Hey there, Dog Man, now I drink from your bowl." |
Posted By: Blacksword
Date Posted: February 03 2015 at 14:47
Certainly one of their finest works! Awaken is a prog rock masterpiece. GFTO overall is an excellent album. I prefer it to Relayer and Tales. ------------- Ultimately bored by endless ecstasy! |
Imperial Zeppelin wrote:Posted By: The Dark Elf
Date Posted: February 03 2015 at 14:51
It is because Yes went to hell after that album. I liken it to Tull's Stormwatch, a very good album, at times even great, but the last in a line and not their most creative or inspired release; however, looking at what came after, it was obviously the end of an era. ------------- ...a vigorous circular motion hitherto unknown to the people of this area, but destined to take the place of the mud shark in your mythology... |
Posted By: Cristi
Date Posted: February 03 2015 at 14:52
Great album, maybe the last GREAT one.  |
Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: February 03 2015 at 14:52
| Its a very 'clean' album production wise. I love Turn Of The Century and Parallels. Wonderous Stories is a nice 'pop song'. Awaken starts off with intent and then seems to fizzle out. I do like the version on Keys with the lovely images. The title track is weird though. It feels like there is fight going on and no one is winning. Is that the idea??! Overall for me it lacks a good beginning and end but most of the middle is superb. |
Posted By: SteveG
Date Posted: February 03 2015 at 14:53
------------- This message was brought to you by a proud supporter of the Deep State. |
Posted By: Dellinger
Date Posted: February 03 2015 at 22:43
| The only Yes albums I really love from beginning to end are Fragile and CttE, though I do find some gems I love on most other albums. From this one I love Turn of the Century and Awaken (though I like much better the version of Awaken on Keys to Ascension). |
Posted By: cstack3
Date Posted: February 03 2015 at 23:39
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Great post! I love GFTO, beginning to end....very high energy and great composition! "Wondrous Stories" remains a favorite of mine, and "Awaken" is an amazing epic! I was fortunate to see this in concert in Chicago, the band was on fire, from the first notes of "Parallels" which opened the show!!
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Posted By: Svetonio
Date Posted: February 03 2015 at 23:55
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I bought my vinyl copy of Going for the One when it was released and I fall in love with that album promptly. Only thing what I never liked is that Anti-Roger Dean album artwork; it could be a great album cover for e.g. 10cc, but not for Yes. I'll will be so glad if Mr Steve Wilson do his great remastering work on GftO and that Mr Roger Dean to make a new artowork for that evantually re-release. My favourite song from the album back then and now is still to be http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9Dz4isf2EU" rel="nofollow - Wonderous Stories
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Posted By: fudgenuts64
Date Posted: February 03 2015 at 23:59
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I remember loving this one when I first discovered the band, except Awaken. Was too overwhelmed by the extended pieces at the time so this one wasn't on my priority list. Lately I think it's a very good album. Turn of the Century is such a unique track, and I still like the title track, Wonderous Stories, Parallels is iffy, and now love Awaken. ------------- 
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Posted By: Svetonio
Date Posted: February 04 2015 at 00:01
I disagree that Going for the One is "the last great one". The last great Yes' album in 70s was Tormato, but again with an Anti-Roger Dean album cover.
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Posted By: Cristi
Date Posted: February 04 2015 at 00:07
please tell me what's so great about Tormato because it did little for me. Except for the album opener, which is great, the rest was rather weak, uninteresting to me. |
Posted By: Svetonio
Date Posted: February 04 2015 at 00:22
As I already said, Tormato is the last Yes' great album in 70s and I can add only that Tormato is a great album in its entirety although that greatness of the album is sadly hidden behind that Anti-Roger Dean album cover ( I always thought of Mr Roger Dean as a "member of the band"). So I'd like to hear from you what is the most "weak" moment at Tormato for you? I'm very curious about that.
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Posted By: Cristi
Date Posted: February 04 2015 at 00:48
well, Circus of Heaven, Madrigal, Arriving UFO and Onward are the weakest moments; at least Release, Release and On the Silent Wings of Freedom have some energy I'll give them that. Don't Kill the Whale is ok but nothing special. |
Posted By: Svetonio
Date Posted: February 04 2015 at 01:06
 Maybe it's a "weak" song because it's just two minutes long? Give me a break. |
Posted By: Cristi
Date Posted: February 04 2015 at 01:11
no, it's weak because I got bored with it. Really fast. |
Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: February 04 2015 at 01:14
| Tormato is interesting to me because it has some aggression that is oft lacking in Yes. Alan White was having a blast on that album. I only really dislike Circus Of Heaven and Madrigal but the rest is fine. There is a wonderful version of Onward on the Keys To Ascension album. Most underrated Yes song imo. |
Posted By: Svetonio
Date Posted: February 04 2015 at 01:20
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Posted By: Cristi
Date Posted: February 04 2015 at 01:23
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[/QUOTE] Maybe it's a "weak" song because it's just two minutes long? Give me a break. [/QUOTE] no, it's weak because I got bored with it. Really fast. [/QUOTE] Maybe you got bored due to that lack of drums? [/QUOTE]no |
Posted By: Svetonio
Date Posted: February 04 2015 at 01:27
Maybe it's a "weak" song because it's just two minutes long? Give me a break. [/QUOTE] no, it's weak because I got bored with it. Really fast. [/QUOTE] Maybe you got bored due to that lack of drums? [/QUOTE]no [/QUOTE] Hey, must be some reason why you get bored of Madrigal, isn't? Maybe due to Mr Wakeman's keys (harpsichord) playing?
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Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: February 04 2015 at 01:28
 (both of you)
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Posted By: Komandant Shamal
Date Posted: February 04 2015 at 02:56
| GftO is an amazing album without a shade of doubt. |
Posted By: Komandant Shamal
Date Posted: February 04 2015 at 03:08
no, it's weak because I got bored with it. Really fast. [/QUOTE] Maybe you got bored due to that lack of drums? [/QUOTE]no [/QUOTE] Hey, must be some reason why you get bored of Madrigal, isn't?
Maybe due to Mr Wakeman's keys (harpsichord) playing? [/QUOTE] That Rick's harpsichord is awesome! I can't understand that it could be bored for a prog fan 
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Posted By: Cristi
Date Posted: February 04 2015 at 03:18
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[/QUOTE] Maybe you got bored due to that lack of drums? [/QUOTE] no [/QUOTE] Hey, must be some reason why you get bored of Madrigal, isn't?
Maybe due to Mr Wakeman's keys (harpsichord) playing? [/QUOTE] That Rick's harpsichord is awesome! I can't understand that it could be bored for a prog fan [/QUOTE]I just don't like the song anymore. I bought the remaster a while ago because there were bonus tracks demos that I (naively) thought would be nice to hear, but I was disappointed. I like half the album, as i said - the album opener, Release, release, OTSWOF and Don't Kill the Whale. Now, back on topic, it was my mistake to encourage the discussion on Tormato, I'm done doing that. |
Posted By: Tom Ozric
Date Posted: February 04 2015 at 05:30
I like how GFTO topic morphed into the discussion on Tormato !! Nice one  Yes, GFTO is a great album - not a dull moment throughout. Us usual, Awaken is beyond superb. .....and Tormato is pretty decent, too. |
Posted By: irrelevant
Date Posted: February 04 2015 at 06:26
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Top quality Yes marred a bit by sh*tty arena rock production. Shout out to the often underrated title track. ------------- https://gabebuller.bandcamp.com/" rel="nofollow - New album! http://www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=7385" rel="nofollow - http://www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=7385 |
Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: February 04 2015 at 15:28
yep I agree about the production. A lot of us are hoping that Steven Wilson will sort it out (although there are very different opinions about what he achieved with Relayer)
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Posted By: SteveG
Date Posted: February 04 2015 at 15:30
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^Agree again, but I'm cautious now. ------------- This message was brought to you by a proud supporter of the Deep State. |
Posted By: akamaisondufromage
Date Posted: February 04 2015 at 15:53
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Love the album, love the title track which often gets a bad rap round these parts - and I have no idea why! ? It could possibly be my favourite Yes album. ta da! ------------- Help me I'm falling! |
Posted By: SteveG
Date Posted: February 04 2015 at 15:58
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^Bad rap on the title track? All of my Yes fan friends love it!
I must admit that the production is crap, though. ------------- This message was brought to you by a proud supporter of the Deep State. |
Posted By: Rednight
Date Posted: February 04 2015 at 16:42
| "Notice me, everyone. Notice ME!" |
Posted By: verslibre
Date Posted: February 04 2015 at 16:47
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GTFO is awesome. "Parallels" and "Awaken" are two of the best things Yes has ever done. I also enjoy Tormato and Drama a great deal, too. Anyone who thinks Yes dropped off the map around or after GTFO ought to get their ears checked. ;) ------------- https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_ipg=50&_sop=1&_rdc=1&_ssn=musicosm" rel="nofollow - eBay |
Posted By: SteveG
Date Posted: February 04 2015 at 16:52
------------- This message was brought to you by a proud supporter of the Deep State. |
Posted By: SquonkHunter
Date Posted: February 04 2015 at 18:42
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When I first heard Wondrous Stories on the radio, I thought to myself "They're back!" Excellent song on a pretty good overall album. Best of all, they were back with a decent album after 3 years absence. ------------- "You never had the things you thought you should have had and you'll not get them now..." |
Posted By: Dellinger
Date Posted: February 04 2015 at 22:37
Yeah, Onward is a very beautiful song (the only one I like here, along with Don't Kill the Whale... and perhaps I should give Madrigal another listen), and that Keys to Ascension version just enhanced it with that beautiful guitar intro. |
Posted By: Prog Snob
Date Posted: February 04 2015 at 22:55
I love the title track. It starts the album off in a big way. |
Posted By: Epignosis
Date Posted: February 04 2015 at 23:05
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This is one of the greatest Yes covers I've ever heard: ------------- https://epignosis.bandcamp.com/album/a-month-of-sundays" rel="nofollow - https://epignosis.bandcamp.com/album/a-month-of-sundays |
Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: February 05 2015 at 01:38
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Just me who doesn't care for the title track then Its very original admittedly and weirdly was a minor radio hit in the UK.
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Posted By: Tom Ozric
Date Posted: February 05 2015 at 02:20
| I thought that the title song was a bit cacophonous - a true Prog-Rocker - it's still somewhat complex. And everything alse on the album was totally acceptable...... |
Posted By: Chris S
Date Posted: February 05 2015 at 02:28
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^ Yes one of the most complicated melodies I have ever heard by the band ------------- ...As I venture through the slipstream, between the viaducts in your dreams...[/COLOR] |
Posted By: Moogtron III
Date Posted: February 05 2015 at 02:37
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Complicated? I thought it was simple. Simple but energetic and beautiful. For me Turn Of The Century is complicated. But again: quite beautiful.
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Posted By: Tom Ozric
Date Posted: February 05 2015 at 02:43
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^ Seriously - try playing along to it with any given instrument....... .......taking into account - the playing of many 'Arena' bands is technically proficient.......... It all boils down to the musicians' ego....... |
Posted By: Blacksword
Date Posted: February 05 2015 at 03:24
It used to really get on my nerves, but I can cope with it these days. I like the chaotic quirkiness of it. ------------- Ultimately bored by endless ecstasy! |
Posted By: Moogtron III
Date Posted: February 05 2015 at 04:07
Yes, I see what you mean. It's one of those tracks that sound simple at first hearing, but are complex nevertheless. Clever guys, those Yes guys
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Posted By: Tom Ozric
Date Posted: February 05 2015 at 05:35
| Aside from Prog, some AOR bands can truly play some intricate stuff..........(Styx, Journey etc) Yes & Genesis are no different.......) |
Posted By: someone_else
Date Posted: February 05 2015 at 06:20
Count me in. I have never been fond of the title track either, but the rest of le album is great stuff. ------------- 
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Posted By: Dellinger
Date Posted: February 05 2015 at 22:47
No, I don't really like the title track either. Actually, it's one of those songs I could actually say I dislike... perhaps even hate. I guess I would have to listen to it again to make sure on which level of dislike it remains... but I'm not sure that I want to. |
Posted By: bhikkhu
Date Posted: February 06 2015 at 22:03
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Not a big fan of this one. I get bored very quickly. ------------- a.k.a. H.T. http://riekels.wordpress.com" rel="nofollow - http://riekels.wordpress.com |
Posted By: Raff
Date Posted: February 07 2015 at 06:12
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GFTO has always been one of my favourite Yes albums, mainly because of its well-balanced eclecticism and somewhat harder edge. Though it is not as subtle and sophisticated as CTTE, or potentially ground-breaking as Relayer, I have always felt it was the last truly great Yes album. |
Posted By: Mascodagama
Date Posted: February 07 2015 at 11:43
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Not a fan of this record at all. Dislike: 1. Tasteless production job that cheapens the whole thing. 2. Pretty much all of the lyrics (I prefer Jon in "cryptic pretentious guff" mode to "clearly intelligible sick-making rubbish" mode). Some of the rhyming is laughably trite - "higher / fire", "hour / tower / power", really? And that's all from one song. 3. Some very nasty synth textures. Evidently Rick had a bunch of new toys to play with but it hasn't aged very well. 4. Some boring arena rock type drumming - where you get any drumming at all, which is too infrequently! And where the hell is Chris Squire's bass? There's just not enough rhythmic interest on most of this album. 5. Steve on the title track. Downhome rock'n'roll-stylee that I find unconvincing and a bit condescending. Doesn't really gel with the rest of the song. 6. Overall, too much "prettiness" to the composition and playing, not enough ingenuity and guts. Awaken is pretty good - except for the obligatory horrible synth moments and some twee twinkly chime contributions from Alan. And Parallels has some nice instrumental passages. That's about it. Please note that I do write as a Yes fan! I like the first two albums a lot, love albums three to five unconditionally, and find much of interest - even fascination - on numbers six and seven. But for me GFTO is where Yes jumped the shark. The first time they sounded like a knockoff band doing Yes-by-numbers.
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Posted By: Star_Song_Age_Less
Date Posted: February 08 2015 at 01:15
It occurs to me that my screen name rather gives away my opinion on this one...  Awaken gentle mass touch!------------- https://www.facebook.com/JamieKernMusic |
Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: February 08 2015 at 03:22
Yes had stopped being 'progressive' and the point where Moraz left the band and Anderson then grovelled to Wakeman to get him back was that point. Yes self parody was beginning to kick in and I totally agree with the very last comment. It's still at a high musical level though. The excellent use of cathedral organ and Howe's playing on TOTC rescue it to some extent for me although its still a very 'cold' album for the most part thanks to that horrible production.
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Posted By: Svetonio
Date Posted: February 08 2015 at 03:25
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Posted By: Argonaught
Date Posted: February 08 2015 at 06:03
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Could never tune into GFTO. Couldn't say why exactly; perhaps by that time Anderson's voice had become too shrieky. There is something wrong with the cover art as well, at least it looks that way from where I sit :) Also, I keep confusing GFTO with GTFO, or was it the other way around? ------------- Thank you, Fripp, for our daily Prog (Red 39:54) |
Posted By: Meltdowner
Date Posted: February 08 2015 at 06:07
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^ I always laugh when I see this album's abbreviation |
Posted By: Mascodagama
Date Posted: February 08 2015 at 06:35
Indeed - I'd call this vintage of Yes the best Yes knockoff band around.
To be fair there are lots of bits of playing from Steve on the record that, in isolation, I think are really good. Which makes the resulting mess all the more disappointing! In my alternate-world daydream: after Moraz leaves the band decide to continue as a quartet without keyboards (gasp! choke!) and release a double album of esoteric jazz-rock in the vein of the gnarliest parts of Relayer, with Steve and Chris using a shed load of effects pedals to compensate for the lack of synths. Fripp and McLaughlin contribute guest solos. Lyrics sung by Jon entirely in Tibetan so I don't have to be irrirated by them. |
Posted By: Argonaught
Date Posted: February 08 2015 at 07:12
------------- Thank you, Fripp, for our daily Prog (Red 39:54) |
Posted By: Star_Song_Age_Less
Date Posted: February 08 2015 at 12:42
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^I never had this problem with Anderson's lyrics like others did. There's something freeing about the use of words more for their sound than their meaning. I find it relaxing and uplifting. I much prefer that to lyrics that actually do have meaning but are cliche or childish. And when Anderson does actually write lyrics that are personally meaningful (Magnification) they hit home for me. GFTO doesn't sound like a Yes knockoff to me. But Open Your Eyes and Fly From Here do. GTFO is certainly very different from what came before, but all groups evolve, and that's fine. I wouldn't want them just to re-do something they'd done before. ------------- https://www.facebook.com/JamieKernMusic |
Posted By: Moogtron III
Date Posted: February 08 2015 at 14:05
Yes, you just have to be aware that he uses words that way. Once I knew he did that, it became a refreshing idea to me as well.
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Posted By: condor
Date Posted: August 20 2015 at 10:58
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It makes me feel ecstatic |
Posted By: dr wu23
Date Posted: August 20 2015 at 13:06
It's the last one I bought....a good effort. But Relayer is probably the last one that 'thrilled' me if that's the right term. ------------- One does nothing yet nothing is left undone. Haquin |