yes (union)
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=120043
Printed Date: June 08 2025 at 17:26
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Topic: yes (union)
Posted By: grantman
Subject: yes (union)
Date Posted: May 04 2019 at 13:54
| This not a review,but an opinion of a truly devoted yes fan from 1977 onward i listened to every yes album included big generator but ,i am really perplexed ,when comes to this album seems like a yes record but some ways not.There are the traditional hooks ,and obscure lyrics by jon he seems to use the words like SILENT ,LIGHT and QUESTION many times ,not that i mind but on this record it,s almost like over 40 musicians played on this record ,i guess that,s why it,s called union . Now what i felt were the best songs were the opening track I would have waited forever ,dangerous,give and take lift me up,the more we live-let go a charming song.The other songs i can take or leave them . This was the first yes album ,i found unbearably long especially considering most albums by yes are usually under 50 mins, any other opinions ,i look forward to reading them,once again thank you for taking time to read. grant |
Replies:
Posted By: AFlowerKingCrimson
Date Posted: May 04 2019 at 15:27
| I think a lot of long time fans gave up on them after this album and never returned. The reason I say that is because this was their last album to go gold in the US(500,000 copies). No Yes album after that sold more than about 100,000 copies(in the US). That all aside I actually like it for what it is. Yes, it's a bit of a hodge podge but I think there is some good material on it despite the criticism it gets. I would take this over open your eyes any day. "I would have waited forever" is one of my favorites from it also. |
Posted By: Dellinger
Date Posted: May 04 2019 at 21:14
| I do like it. I mean, at least as much as any album after Going for the One. It's got some wonderful songs, and many other that just don't do much for me. I particularly love Shock to the System and The More we Live. I would have waited forever is great too. And perhaps it feels like there were over 40 musicians because actually they (or the record company) were supposed to have used many session musicians to complete the songs... why I just don't understand, there must have been some frictions within the members, som lack of interest, or whatever. As far as I understand, particularly with the ABWH songs. The album from the Union tour is also a very good option to get and listen to, though it has just about nothing from this studio album, it does feature the members of both line-ups together. |
Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: May 06 2019 at 16:09
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I remember playing it a lot and then just shelving it. It's actually okay but is just not essential and hardly something you are going to reach for when you own 1000+ albums. ELP's Black Moon occupies a very similar sort of place in my mind. Neither are particularly inspired but they are 'serviceable' at least. After Drama (which is one my favourite Yes albums) I would place it above most things they did accept Keystudio , Magnification and Talk. Yes were pretty solid with their output right up to Heaven and Earth which I don't mind at all but I'm aware was not popular at all!
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Posted By: grantman
Date Posted: May 06 2019 at 17:11
thanks richard one of the few like myself, that enjoys heaven and earth, not a bad album, not as great as drama but good. 
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Posted By: Tom Ozric
Date Posted: May 06 2019 at 22:17
| A decent enough album, though it’s a shame it took 117 folks to create the final product - something the core Yes members could’ve done with their hands tied behind their backs. |
Posted By: Barbu
Date Posted: May 07 2019 at 00:51
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I got rid of it, of course. ------------- |
Posted By: Blacksword
Date Posted: May 07 2019 at 02:21
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A few reasonable songs, but overall a forgettable effort IMO. The live performances on the supporting tour were apparently excellent though. ------------- Ultimately bored by endless ecstasy! |
Posted By: Tom Ozric
Date Posted: May 07 2019 at 02:52
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Blacksword wrote:Posted By: chopper
Date Posted: May 07 2019 at 06:11
| It's a decent album but the circumstances around its recording were not good as the producer Jonathan Elias brought in some of his mates to rerecord a lot of the guitar and keyboard parts (hence Rick Wakeman refers to the album as "Onion" because it makes him cry). There's more detail about it in last month's Prog magazine, apparently Elias blames Wakeman and Howe (the latter for being too stoned). |
Posted By: Argo2112
Date Posted: May 07 2019 at 08:48
| I like some of the songs on Union, I thought it had some good moments but it suffered from being the product of a fragmented band & being butchered in production. |
Posted By: grantman
Date Posted: May 07 2019 at 10:38
| Being a guitar player ,i enjoyed masquerade. |
Posted By: Chaser
Date Posted: May 07 2019 at 10:52
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I always view Union as a collection of songs rather than as an album. There are some good songs, but the album is far too long and, for an album called "union", it lacks cohesion between the different tracks. The album title almost seems ironic. ------------- Songs cast a light on you |
Posted By: lazland
Date Posted: May 07 2019 at 12:50
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It was simply a mishmash of an album, designed to bring together an Anderson dream of a unified Yes. Some of it is very good, and, ironically, I think the Yes West Rabin stuff stands out a wee bit better in the course of time. Elias does not come out of it too well, and I have seen the interview. No matter the truth about the problems, and Howe, especially, being so stoned as to be out of it, the production is, in the main, shocking. I still, though, love the opening track and Silent Talking is superb, although would be even better with a bit of reworking on the production front. Of the Rabin tracks, Miracle of Life is still a great listen. This could have been an awesome album. All in all, it was and remains a disappointment. ------------- Enhance your life. Get down to www.lazland.org Now also broadcasting on www.progzilla.com Every Saturday, 4.00 p.m. UK time! |
Posted By: miamiscot
Date Posted: May 23 2019 at 08:18
| Miracle Of Life is great. Man, the rest of Union sucks!!! |
Posted By: Jaketejas
Date Posted: May 25 2019 at 08:38
| What is extremely sad is that there was the opportunity for 2 incredibly talented guitarists with different styles to work together and make something truly memorable and they didn't. It is out of the fire of conflict that truly great music is often forged. We always refer to this album as "Onion". |
Posted By: ProfPanglos
Date Posted: June 01 2019 at 12:46
Yeah, I saw the Union show in Seattle, it was very very good. It was also extremely LOUD, one of the loudest rock concerts I've ever seen. But despite the decibel level, the sound was clear, and the performance was tight. I haven't listened to Union for years, I should dust that one off and see how it sounds to me now. I always sort of placed Union, Turbulence, and the ABWH album in the same basket, they all sort of reminded me of each other.
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Posted By: patrickq
Date Posted: June 06 2019 at 04:02
Well put. The concert tour was pretty awesome, btw. |
Posted By: Argo2112
Date Posted: June 06 2019 at 10:56
| ^ Yes, The tour was cool. It was nice to see all of them on stage together. |
Posted By: Rednight
Date Posted: June 06 2019 at 14:25
------------- "It just has none of the qualities of your work that I find interesting. Abandon [?] it." - Eno |