Rod Argent in Yes? |
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Steven in Atlanta
Forum Groupie Joined: January 08 2008 Status: Offline Points: 57 |
Topic: Rod Argent in Yes? Posted: October 09 2008 at 16:51 |
Reading a brief Argent bio somewhere, I noted a mention of Rod Argent being on the shortlist to join Yes in '75. Being a big fan of both, I find the proposed combination most intriguing as the differences between the two entities are actually quite profound. Imagine what Relayer might have sounded like - not that there was anything wrong with the way it did end up, of course! Anyone else's imagination captured here by this combination?
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salmacis
Forum Senior Member Content Addition Joined: April 10 2005 Status: Offline Points: 3928 |
Posted: October 09 2008 at 17:00 |
Interesting, because Argent themselves were heading into an increasingly progressive direction around that time with the 'Nexus' album. Listen to that epic 'The Coming Of Kohoutek' which is pure ELP IMHO.
Rod Argent was a player with more grounding in R & B than Rick Wakeman or Patrick Moraz due to his years in The Zombies (who did rather unconvincing versions of 'Sticks And Stones' and 'Roadrunner', bless them!), most of Argent's own albums have a few numbers in that vein. A track like 'Tragedy' is quite a convincing funk number IMHO, 'Thunder And Lightning' from 'Nexus' isn't bad either. Perhaps it might have headed more in that direction, though I think Yes had certainly been listening to a lot of jazz rock/funk albums around the time of 'Relayer' anyway if the final outcome of that album is anything to go by.
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Bitterblogger
Forum Senior Member Joined: November 04 2007 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 1719 |
Posted: October 09 2008 at 19:51 |
'I was disgusted...it was a dreadful, dreadful...dreadful record.'
Rick Wakeman on 'Union' Perhaps you've heard this other quote Wakeman had about it: "I call it the 'Onion' album because every time I hear it, it brings tears to my eyes."
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jammun
Prog Reviewer Joined: July 14 2007 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 3449 |
Posted: October 09 2008 at 20:49 |
Funny, I just picked up Argent's first two albums (exercise in nostalgia or whatever). Based on Rod Argent's playing on Lothlorien (from Ring of Hands) I think he would have made a very capable keyboard player for Yes, though perhaps a bit down-to-earth for them.
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ClassicRocker
Forum Senior Member Joined: March 02 2007 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 894 |
Posted: October 09 2008 at 21:35 |
Interesting possibility... although I am quite fine with how Relayer and Going for the One turned out.
Maybe if he did become a member, though, he would have stuck around for a while, and Yes' history may have been totally different - maybe Jon Anderson would have never left and Drama never been made! And if Tormato was still made, the cover would've been much different, as Rick wouldn't have been around to throw that infamous tomato at the artwork! In any case, the potential combo that still interests me the most is that of HELP : Hendrix, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, that is! (It was a real possibility - look it up!) |
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tszirmay
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: August 17 2006 Location: Canada Status: Offline Points: 6673 |
Posted: October 09 2008 at 22:01 |
Argent is a good choice, but how about Jobson, Van Der Linden, Greenslade, Premoli or the Nocenzi Brothers? any thoughts?
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I never post anything anywhere without doing more than basic research, often in depth.
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febus
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator / In Memoriam Joined: January 23 2007 Location: Orlando-Usa Status: Offline Points: 4312 |
Posted: October 09 2008 at 22:24 |
Whatever happened to Rod Argent anyway???
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jammun
Prog Reviewer Joined: July 14 2007 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 3449 |
Posted: October 09 2008 at 22:58 |
Livin' the easy life from royalties for She's Not There?
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soundsweird
Prog Reviewer Joined: December 08 2005 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 408 |
Posted: October 09 2008 at 23:31 |
Argent and Colin Blunstone have been touring as The Zombies in recent years.
I bought Argent's "Nexus" LP when it came out. Certainly progressive, but I don't remember liking it much.
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Easy Livin
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator / Retired Admin Joined: February 21 2004 Location: Scotland Status: Offline Points: 15585 |
Posted: October 10 2008 at 03:25 |
I believe Argent and Moraz had a similar style and approach anyway, both are much more jazz orientated than say Wakeman. Relayer would probably not have sounded too different with Argent in the band. Had either he or Moraz stayed, the course of Yes would have been very different though.
In my opinion, Argent always needed to work with a Ballard or a Blunstone like figure, someone who was able to balance his jazz leanings with rock. I think the post Ballard Argent albums showed what happened when he lost that balance.
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Steven in Atlanta
Forum Groupie Joined: January 08 2008 Status: Offline Points: 57 |
Posted: October 10 2008 at 12:51 |
That "balance," though, was beginning to be read as "schizophrenic" - particularly apparent on Nexus with Argent's proggier compositions butting heads with Ballard's verse-chorus-middle eight/traditional song structures. Not that there was anything wrong with either, they were just beginning to make for some strange bedfellows. I've always thought that Argent's two post-Ballard LPs (Circus and Counterpoints) are subsequently the most focused of that band's entire output, even though they were among the least popular. Pity, as there's much wonderful stuff on both.
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Cthulu
Forum Newbie Joined: February 29 2008 Location: USA Status: Offline Points: 37 |
Posted: October 15 2008 at 06:47 |
Rod Argent being in Yes is indeed an intriguing "what if?". I too, am a fan of both groups and I think he would have brought a heavier keyboard sound as in The Coming Of Kohoutek but also a little jazzier such as in Lothlorien.
Vangelis was also asked by Yes to join the band after Wakeman left. I think that "Relayer" would have actually sounded much the same with Vangelis, perhaps a bit more symphonic than with Patrick Moraz but with similar crashing, discordant sounds that he created on The Gates Of Delerium. |
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"The Box. You opened it. We came."
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Jim Garten
Special Collaborator Retired Admin & Razor Guru Joined: February 02 2004 Location: South England Status: Offline Points: 14693 |
Posted: October 15 2008 at 07:24 |
Agreed - the Argent/Ballard combination in particular is superbly documented on the live 'Encore' album (part of which was recorded at my favorite local venue, St Albans City Hall in 1974): ProgArchives Reviews Just a shame it was Ballard's last tour with the band. Back on thread though, it would have been interesting had Rod Argent actually joined Yes instead of Moraz; the subsequent albums would certainly have been more Hammond heavy. |
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Jon Lord 1941 - 2012 |
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tuxon
Forum Senior Member Joined: September 21 2004 Location: plugged-in Status: Offline Points: 5502 |
Posted: October 15 2008 at 13:13 |
Argent's music would fit better with Yes's earlier (69 - 71) period. would have liked to hear the result if he replaced Kaye instead of Wakeman at that time. I don't think he would have really fitted on Relayer though, too much jazz influence, and he's not bombastic enough for Yes anyway.
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