Yes' Union or Talk

Todd wrote: Dellinger wrote: As a matter of fact, you might just as well give a try to the albums after Big Generator, they all have at least something worth listening to.   Actually the one I have the hardest time with is "Open Your Eyes"--apart from the song "Universal Garden" I find little of merit.  It's amazing that they could write some really good songs for the "Keys" sessions just before this one, then write some pretty good ones for the following album, "The Ladder."  "Open Your Eyes" just seems so much less than either of those albums.  But perhaps I need to give it another chance . . .

  Open Your Eyes can be rough. It's actually more of a Billy Sherwood solo album with minor arrangement details offered by the rest of the band. The only one who really wrote much for this besides Billy was Chris: Billy and Chris were trying to start a group at the time. The album is, as a result, very rushed. It has some good moments, I believe, but it's kind of like Onion in that it wasn't exactly an ideal situation.

Talk, I can find nothing complimentary to say about Union.

johnobvious wrote: I listened to Union...... once.  It was on loan from my sister and I didn't bother to give it a 2nd go.  Haven't heard Talk either.  I love Yes and am far from a 70's snob, but the latest album I have from them is Big Generator (and I actually like it).Big Generator was also the very first CD (as opposed to vinyl, cassette) I ever bought.

Well, if you liked Big Genearator, then perhaps you really should give Talk a chance. It's just about as good, but it's got Endless Dream, which is a really high quality epic. As a matter of fact, you might just as well give a try to the albums after Big Generator, they all have at least something worth listening to.

I listened to Union...... once.  It was on loan from my sister and I didn't bother to give it a 2nd go.  Haven't heard Talk either.  I love Yes and am far from a 70's snob, but the latest album I have from them is Big Generator (and I actually like it).

Big Generator was also the very first CD (as opposed to vinyl, cassette) I ever bought.

Both are alright, but TALK takes the cake.

Talk definitely.

Slartibartfast wrote: tdfloyd wrote: Union is not as bad as it is made out to be.  Not a big fan but its better than Talk.  I'll have to go back and dig it out, I recently did that with Calling All Stations and now find it to be satisfactory. I keep my stuff in rotation even if something wasn't a big hit with me.  Did you have to chase away a lot ofspiders and blow a lot of dust off of it?

Yes is my favorite group and has been for decades.  This is a battle of two of the lower rated Yes albums but for me TALK is the worst album they ever did.  Way over produced.  The harmonies sound like 500 voices together.  I want to hear Chris and Jon's voices in there but I can't.  It is the only studion album by Yes that I never play anymore.

Union lacks cohesion overall, but where it's good it's very good.  Talk works very well overall, and I agree with others that it's the best of Yes West.  I thought Union needed a little more pull here.

tdfloyd wrote: Union is not as bad as it is made out to be.  Not a big fan but its better than Talk.  I'll have to go back and dig it out, I recently did that with Calling All Stations and now find it to be satisfactory.

I keep my stuff in rotation even if something wasn't a big hit with me.  Did you have to chase away a lot of spiders and blow a lot of dust off of it?

I recently ordered a Face Value CD and after putting it in I'm left to wonder why I bothered with it again other than it being cheap.  It does have a few good bits, but the pop moments really drag it down for me.

Stack it up against some of the stuff I've been trying out recently and zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz..............zzzzzzzzz............zzzzzzzzz.......snork snork zzzzzzzzzzz.........
awww crap! I just drooled all over myself


Edited by Slartibartfast - September 14 2009 at 17:39