RELAYER

I remember, long time ago, before knowing what Progressive music really stand for, and knowing only Genesis, Supertramp and Harmonium, I saw the cover of Relayer in a record shop. The first thing I said to myself... "Wow ! What a beatiful cover, it must be cool to like this band, because if the music is as good as the cover for it, than it must be very, very good!!"

10 years passed and I was discovering Yes. Everybody that I knew how like Progressive music, where telling me that Yes is a major band and if I liked Genesis, ELP and King Crimson, there was no reason for me to dislike Yes. They were wrong, even trough i'd own Yessong, Fragile and The Yes Album, i could not really understand why people like this band so mutch ?!? But, after my first Yes concert, witch was Union, I was hook ;) After that I started to buy everything from the band including Relayer witch, I didn't like at first but, after a couple of listen, it was good but not essential.

7 years after that, I got the chance to see the 1975 live a Queen's park concert on VHS... INCREDIBLE !!!!! I was now hook on Relayer big time :) The version of "Gates of Delirium" on the Queen's park concert is so good, even if the sond is very bad at time, that I could't stop watching it. So, when I got back to the album, everything that I didn't like about the album, was now the opposit :)

Relayer starts with the 21 min long "Gates of Delirium" witch, IMO may be the most perfect track ever recorded on a album. The song starts very softly with a strong melody that you will ear a lots during the 21min. Acoustic guitar, bass and keyboards enters with Anderson singing "Stand and fight we do consider, Reminded of an inner pact between us, That's seen as we go..." The first part of the song, was something I didn't like at first. I trough that the melody sang by Anderson was too wierd, rhythmic wise. But when you finally understand it, it puts the song in a total new perspective, the build-up before the battle section. And when that starts... your in for one of the best ride, music wise, of your life ;) Everything appens here, Anderson and White goes crazy with all sorts of percussive sound to highlight the superb riff that Squire and Howe are doing. The highlight for me starts right after the cacophonic part... Moraz solo that transform into Howe Lap Steel works... AMAZING, INCREDIBLE, OUTSTANDING !!!!! The song end with "Soon" that for me, send me into heaven, Anderson singing is perfect... WOW!!! Paradise does exsist ;) 11/10

"Sound Chaser" is a very energetic song. Squire and Howe shine in this one. Just listen to the guitar solo in the meddle part of the song, if Steve Howe is not one of the greatest guitarist of all time then, guitar is not a musical intrument, just a piece of wood with strings attach on it. Althrough "Sound Chaser" is my least favorite track of the album, it still deserve a 10/10

"To Be Over" is after "Gates...", my 2nd favorite Yes song. The best guitar parts i've ever had the chance to ear in my life are in that song. Howe, i repeat, is one of the GREATEST GUITARIST of all time !!!!! The Lap Steel parts on this song are the best i've eard in my life, nothing can beat Howe and is Lap Steel. Again, Anderson singing is perfect and the song end the album in a heavenly way... 10/10

So, in conclusion, the maths are easy to do here, 11+10+10= 5 Stars, Essential: a masterpiece of progressive music and music altogether!!!

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