Favourite Yes Album
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URL: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=121210
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Topic: Favourite Yes Album
Posted By: Psychedelic Paul
Subject: Favourite Yes Album
Date Posted: October 17 2019 at 04:36
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I'm still undecided over my favourite Yes album, but I might go with "Fly From Here" (2011). My least favourite Yes album is "Relayer" (1974). I remember Rick Wakeman saying he called the "Union" album the "Onion" album because it made him cry every time he recalled the difficult time they had in recording the album.
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Replies:
Posted By: dougmcauliffe
Date Posted: October 17 2019 at 04:40
| Tales From Topographic Oceans is the one I most frequently revisit these days... so that one for sure! |
Posted By: Psychedelic Paul
Date Posted: October 17 2019 at 04:47
I had a feeling that album might pick up a few votes seeing as it's been much talked about in the forums recently.
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dougmcauliffe wrote:Posted By: friso
Date Posted: October 17 2019 at 04:51
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The Yes Album is the only one I listen to ------------- I'm guitarist and songwriter for the prog-related band Mother Bass. Find us at http://www.motherbass.com. I also enter stages throughout the Netherlands performing my poetry. |
Posted By: Psychedelic Paul
Date Posted: October 17 2019 at 04:53
The Yes Album is in my CD collection, so I'll have to give that album another listen before I decide on my vote.
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Posted By: Grumpyprogfan
Date Posted: October 17 2019 at 05:15
| CTTE |
Posted By: Cristi
Date Posted: October 17 2019 at 05:18
I love their debut, it won't get voted much. so there goes my vote  |
Posted By: Fischman
Date Posted: October 17 2019 at 05:42
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Yes Album/Fragile/CTTE/TFTO/Relayer. Cant vote against any of them. |
Posted By: deafmoon
Date Posted: October 17 2019 at 05:43
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The Yes Album was my first exposure to the band back in '71 so I am partial to it as my favorite. Every album through Going for the One has great stuff on it though and Keys To Ascension has the reunited band in TOP form. Close To The Edge on that album may be the best version I've heard! ------------- Deafmoon |
Posted By: Mormegil
Date Posted: October 17 2019 at 06:05
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The Yes Album. It gets the most play on my turntable. ------------- Welcome to the middle of the film. |
Posted By: Psychedelic Paul
Date Posted: October 17 2019 at 06:30
I've yet to hear the debut album from Yes, but I'll give it a play on YouTube before I cast my vote.
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Posted By: thief
Date Posted: October 17 2019 at 06:43
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I probably admire Going for the One a wee bit more than earlier heavyweights just for the fact nobody was doing it so well in 1977 (well, almost nobody). I find Awaken the best Yes song, what a shame they couldn't continue in that fashion. |
Posted By: DarkTower
Date Posted: October 17 2019 at 07:29
| Close To the Edge is the best Yes album |
Posted By: TCat
Date Posted: October 17 2019 at 07:50
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I love most of their albums, but I have to go with CTTE ------------- https://ibb.co/8x0xjR0" rel="nofollow">  |
Posted By: Finnforest
Date Posted: October 17 2019 at 08:04
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Tales is the great audio adventure I still love returning to time and again. It's the one with the surprises. It's the only one I can't simply hear the whole thing in my head before even bothering to put it on. ------------- ...that moment you realize you like "Mob Rules" better than "Heaven and Hell" |
Posted By: Psychedelic Paul
Date Posted: October 17 2019 at 08:12
"Awaken" is my favourite Yessong too, so I may be "Going for the One" album which features that song. |
Posted By: chopper
Date Posted: October 17 2019 at 08:29
| We know which one is going to win this. |
Posted By: twosteves
Date Posted: October 17 2019 at 08:48
| certainly CTTE is their most perfect album and still listen to it a lot but --I listen to this Fragile---Tales--Relayer---Awaken--Mind Drive--Magnification--ITPO---some of Fly from here---and ABWH |
Posted By: miamiscot
Date Posted: October 17 2019 at 09:16
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From The Yes Album to Relayer, Yes was perfection. Tales From Topographic Oceans gets my vote.
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Posted By: chopper
Date Posted: October 17 2019 at 09:16
| everything from The Yes Album through to GFTO is 5 star prog for me, hard to decide which is best. |
Posted By: Psychedelic Paul
Date Posted: October 17 2019 at 09:21
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I should have included the Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman, Howe album in my poll, because that was a Yes album in all but name.
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Posted By: Lewian
Date Posted: October 17 2019 at 09:29
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This one has certainly been done many times and the winner should be clear, however I'd have expected a stronger showing of Relayer, which is my favourite, and I thought I'm not alone with that. Following are GFTO and CTTE. |
Posted By: tamijo_II
Date Posted: October 17 2019 at 10:19
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Fragile ------------- Same person as this profile: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/member_profile.asp?PF=22524" rel="nofollow - Tamijo |
Posted By: thief
Date Posted: October 17 2019 at 10:26
Relayer is definitely up-up-up there, its audacity contests even the CTTE's perfection on a good day. I'm also surprised it's not No. 2 at the moment.
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Posted By: AFlowerKingCrimson
Date Posted: October 17 2019 at 10:34
Come on. We all know which album is going to win.  |
Posted By: AFlowerKingCrimson
Date Posted: October 17 2019 at 10:37
I kind of sort of agree but not entirely. If you took out tales I would agree. I like it and think it's great but to me if you kept tales in the list of their best album run you would have to extend it to Going for the One which I think is as good if not better than tales. Of course we all have our own opinions though.
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Posted By: Argo2112
Date Posted: October 17 2019 at 11:27
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It's almost a toss for me between The Yes Album & Close to the Edge. Went with TYA.
Top 5 1. The Yes Album 2. Close to the Edge 3. Going for the One 4. Fragile 5. Drama
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Posted By: Manuel
Date Posted: October 17 2019 at 11:37
| Fragile, CTTE, TFTO, Relayer. |
Posted By: I prophesy disaster
Date Posted: October 17 2019 at 12:33
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Close to the Edge ------------- No, I know how to behave in the restaurant now, I don't tear at the meat with my hands. If I've become a man of the world somehow, that's not necessarily to say I'm a worldly man. |
Posted By: Logan
Date Posted: October 17 2019 at 12:36
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I'm not big on Yes, but Time and a Word. I appreciate pre-Close to the Edge Yes the most. ------------- "Questions are a burden to others; answers a prison for oneself" (The Prisoner, 1967). |
Posted By: tboyd1802
Date Posted: October 17 2019 at 14:59
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Fragile... ------------- He neither drank, smoked, nor rode a bicycle. Living frugally, saving his money, he died early, surrounded by greedy relatives. It was a great lesson to me -- John Barrymore |
Posted By: omphaloskepsis
Date Posted: October 17 2019 at 15:05
| Love Yes. The Yes album. |
Posted By: Psychedelic Paul
Date Posted: October 17 2019 at 15:13
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One YES album currently has a "Fragile" lead and it's now "Close to the Edge" as to whether "The Yes Album" will eventually win the poll.
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Posted By: YESESIS
Date Posted: October 17 2019 at 16:31
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I gave some love to 90125, the album that started it all for me. But there's several I could have picked, this band just has so much good stuff. |
Posted By: Psychedelic Paul
Date Posted: October 17 2019 at 16:38
I feel the same way too. It's not easy to pick out a favourite album when YES have so many consistently good albums.
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Posted By: AFlowerKingCrimson
Date Posted: October 17 2019 at 17:19
| I'm curious who on here voted for 90125 and BG. No, you don't have to return your prog card or anything just wondering. I can't imagine anyone who was a fan in the 70's preferring those(not that they are bad or anything) but I suppose it's possible. |
Posted By: Psychedelic Paul
Date Posted: October 17 2019 at 17:22
I like the "90215" album but I'm surprised anyone voted for the "Big Generator" album.
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Posted By: AFlowerKingCrimson
Date Posted: October 17 2019 at 17:26
I'm surprised "relayer" is your least favorite. |
Posted By: Psychedelic Paul
Date Posted: October 17 2019 at 17:48
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Posted By: AFlowerKingCrimson
Date Posted: October 17 2019 at 18:47
As much as I like it I don't think playing it again for the 100th time when you didn't enjoy it the first 99 times will change your mind. I have a cousin who is a big Yes fan also and hates relayer. Go figure. If you think of it as a wild crazy prog album with some jazzy and fusion influences and not a typical Yes album maybe that might make a difference not sure. I had to think of Gentle Giant's octopus and King Crimson's larks tongues in aspic as crazy albums before I could start to enjoy them.
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Posted By: YESESIS
Date Posted: October 17 2019 at 18:59
That could work for a few GG albums lol. And yeah I could see it also for Relayer, but I would say just listen to it a couple times and you'll be hooked!
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Posted By: The Dark Elf
Date Posted: October 17 2019 at 19:00
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The Yes Album Close to the Edge Fragile Going for the One ...All the rest. ------------- ...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: BrufordFreak
Date Posted: October 17 2019 at 19:16
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Like others above, I don't listen to Yes very often (usually when some controversy is piqued her on PA), but, for me, it's: Relayer > Fragile > Close to the Edge > Going for the One > The Yes Album "Gates of Delirium" still blows me away to this day--I seem to discover something(s) new in it every time I listen to it. And I LOVE "Sound Chaser"! ------------- Drew Fisher https://progisaliveandwell.blogspot.com/ |
Posted By: patrickq
Date Posted: October 17 2019 at 20:28
<snip>
Amen! Amazing that it’s sans Bruford. He was QC in the early days, I think.
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Posted By: twosteves
Date Posted: October 17 2019 at 21:52
| u can like 90125 and Big G but they are just not in the prog mystical magical brilliant stratosphere as Fragile to GFTO....golden age of Yes. |
Posted By: AFlowerKingCrimson
Date Posted: October 17 2019 at 22:01
I would actually toss the Yes album in that list too. In fact, in the Yes fan world they refer to the albums from TYA to GFTO as "the main sequence." No other prog band that I'm aware of has a cute little nickname for select albums like that.
 However, I suppose you could borrow the term and delineate a Genesis main sequence from Trespass to W&W. |
Posted By: Psychedelic Paul
Date Posted: October 17 2019 at 22:20
I've only listened to "Relayer" twice, so I still have another 98 listens to go to make it to a hundred.
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Posted By: Psychedelic Paul
Date Posted: October 17 2019 at 22:27
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I just want to be the "Relayer" of the information that there are now four albums "Close To The Edge" of being "The Yes Album" favourite, with one album currently holding a "Fragile" lead.
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Posted By: YESESIS
Date Posted: October 17 2019 at 22:53
Good grief, I just checked and those are even the albums lol. Nice
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Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: October 17 2019 at 23:09
The Big Generator
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Posted By: YESESIS
Date Posted: October 17 2019 at 23:13
If that doesn't win then I will NEVER post on here again.
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Posted By: Psychedelic Paul
Date Posted: October 17 2019 at 23:15
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Posted By: thief
Date Posted: October 18 2019 at 00:17
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Relayer slowly takes its #2 place, balance restored. I'm surprised The Yes Album still beats Fragile. It's full on prog with 3 all time classics (and fan favorites), but it lacks the airy, magical feel of later albums, I feel. In my opinion Fragile is a bit uneven, but "South Side of the Sky" and "Heart of the Sunrise" make up for any shortcomings... and I happen to like the shorter tracks too, save for 5%. "The Fish" is outstanding, for that matter.
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Posted By: Man With Hat
Date Posted: October 18 2019 at 01:55
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relayer ------------- Dig me...But don't...Bury me I'm running still, I shall until, one day, I hope that I'll arrive Warning: Listening to jazz excessively can cause a laxative effect. |
Posted By: Psychedelic Paul
Date Posted: October 18 2019 at 03:13
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I might just be "Going for the One" album that's "Close to the Edge" of catching up with "The Yes Album" in a "Fragile" lead in the "Relayer" race.
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Posted By: Blacksword
Date Posted: October 18 2019 at 04:15
Fly from Here is a surprising choice as a favourite (or potential favourite) but I do think it's an 'underrated' album. It's a really good collection of songs, better than a lot of their post 90125 stuff IMO. My favourite probably is Relayer Although that changes over time and flits between Fragile, Going for the One, Relayer and believe it or not, 90125, which I think is a classic album, and definitely always in my top 5 Yes albums. ------------- Ultimately bored by endless ecstasy! |
Posted By: AFlowerKingCrimson
Date Posted: October 18 2019 at 05:46
QC? Quality Control? If so I don't understand it in this context.
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Posted By: twosteves
Date Posted: October 18 2019 at 08:16
Love Genesis but the band didn't really soar until Hackett and Collins were in place--Yes in the golden years always replaced members with grade A --first rate players --Rick, Alan, Patrick--who changed the sound just enough and brought new energy to the albums that worked so well for the band.
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Posted By: patrickq
Date Posted: October 18 2019 at 10:48
imho every Yes album was better than its predecessor until Bruford left. I’m totally guessing that he reined in Anderson (and probably the others) just enough. Once Bruford left, no one tempered or balanced Anderson/Howe or Anderson/Wakeman. This worked OK in some cases, but not in others. However, this theory doesn’t explain ABWH, on which Anderson run a bit amok, I’m afraid...
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Posted By: AlanB
Date Posted: October 18 2019 at 12:12
| The Yes Album. It's accessible, if someone asked me to introduce them to prog I'd get them to listen to it ahead of something like Close To The Edge. |
Posted By: AFlowerKingCrimson
Date Posted: October 18 2019 at 14:24
Interesting theory. I don't think Jon Anderson is the kind of person you could reign in to be honest. I think maybe Bruford's drumming and the rhythm section that included him had something to do with a tighter sound maybe and less chaotic but not sure. I think Yes was what they needed to be at the time. I do prefer Bruford over White but White added something to the band too and really wasn't a bad drummer at all. Should they have replaced Bill with someone more similar to his style? I guess we all have to answer that question for ourselves. I don't necessarily think Alan was right for Yes on all levels but you really can't blame them for chasing after a guy who played with George Harrison and John Lennon.
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Posted By: Psychedelic Paul
Date Posted: October 18 2019 at 14:55
The surprising thing about "Fly from Here" is it doesn't feature Jon Anderson on vocals, although the replacement singer Benoit David does sound remarkably similar to him. It's still a "Close to the Edge" decision though whether I vote for "The Yes Album" with a "Fragile" lead in the "Relayer" race or whether I'll be "Going for the One" album that's lagging behind, before I "Fly from Here" and post another poll. "Time and a Word" will tell in the continuing "Drama" of "Yes" album votes. I wonder which album will gain "The Keys to Ascension" and climb up "The Ladder" of success to be the Big Generator" of the most votes? And which album will win the squashed "Tormato" award for the worst YES album of all? Call "90125" to "Talk" to the operator and find out....
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Posted By: AFlowerKingCrimson
Date Posted: October 18 2019 at 16:24
| CTTE ahead of TYA? Wow! It's good and even great but comon no Wakeman. |
Posted By: Psychedelic Paul
Date Posted: October 18 2019 at 16:28
Who knows? I still haven't cast my vote yet and the votes are still coming in.
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Posted By: AFlowerKingCrimson
Date Posted: October 18 2019 at 16:28
I haven't voted yet either.
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Posted By: Clepsydra
Date Posted: October 18 2019 at 18:41
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Going For The One - Turn Of The Century and the Masterpiece - AWAKEN! Awaken (imo) is their best song! (and Jon agrees, I read
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Posted By: Psychedelic Paul
Date Posted: October 19 2019 at 01:04
I agree with you and Jon. "Awaken" is my favourite YESSONG too.
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Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: October 19 2019 at 01:11
| Awaken is very unique epic track definitely . It's funny in way that all the tracks on that album are brilliant and very different but as whole it just doesn't gel imo ( and that horrid trebley production). |
Posted By: I prophesy disaster
Date Posted: October 19 2019 at 01:24
I think that for such a long track, it lacks the epic quality of tracks such as Close To The Edge or Gates Of Delirium. If it were a Van der Graaf Generator track, it would be Meurglys III, The Songwriter's Guild, not A Plague of Lighthouse Keepers. ------------- No, I know how to behave in the restaurant now, I don't tear at the meat with my hands. If I've become a man of the world somehow, that's not necessarily to say I'm a worldly man. |
Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: October 19 2019 at 01:41
I don't hear anything lacking at all. I love the addition of choir and pipe organ especially which doesn't feature that strongly in prog rock normally. Epics can be a series of 'events' such as Suppers Ready , A Plague Of Lighthouse Keepers , Tarkus and Close To The Edge or something that feels more cohesive such as Awaken and Gates. I'm not sure what the rules are for epic quality apart from the general feeling you get. Awaken feels massive and that will do for me! |
Posted By: I prophesy disaster
Date Posted: October 19 2019 at 02:23
I'm not saying it isn't a great track. That track gives me goosebumps. But I don't see it as an epic like Close To The Edge or Gates Of Delirium. It's hard to explain precisely what makes an epic but I hoped the comparison between Meurglys III, The Songwriter's Guild and A Plague of Lighthouse Keepers. would provide some indication. ------------- No, I know how to behave in the restaurant now, I don't tear at the meat with my hands. If I've become a man of the world somehow, that's not necessarily to say I'm a worldly man. |
Posted By: Frenetic Zetetic
Date Posted: October 19 2019 at 02:42
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CTTE. ------------- "I am so prog, I listen to concept albums on shuffle." -KMac2021 |
Posted By: wiz_d_kidd
Date Posted: October 19 2019 at 09:19
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I'm torn between CTTE and Relayer. I like CTTE overall, but damn, Gates of Delirium is one of the single best compositions of all time, so I voted for Relayer. |
Posted By: Psychedelic Paul
Date Posted: October 19 2019 at 16:01
I'm Close to the Edge of selecting The Yes Album of my choice now and I've narrowed it down to two albums.
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Posted By: AFlowerKingCrimson
Date Posted: October 19 2019 at 16:23
| Just voted for relayer. Historically it has always been my favorite. |
Posted By: King of Loss
Date Posted: October 19 2019 at 18:29
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Close to the Edge!
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Posted By: Modrigue
Date Posted: October 21 2019 at 01:31
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Relayer for me, followed by CTTE and Going for the One ------------- https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqf2srRfppHAslEmHBn8QP6d_eoanh0eW" rel="nofollow - My compositions |
Posted By: progaardvark
Date Posted: October 21 2019 at 05:45
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Relayer for me. ------------- ---------- i'm shopping for a new oil-cured sinus bag that's a happy bag of lettuce this car smells like cartilage nothing beats a good video about fractions |
Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: October 22 2019 at 00:12
sorry not into VDGG as much as you would appear although I love Plague Of Lighthouse Keepers certainly. I suppose you are talking about epics as a sense of a journey? I'm an ELP fan so maybe these are epics Tarkus Karn Evil 9 but these are not? Trilogy Pirates otherwise I'm lost! |
Posted By: Psychedelic Paul
Date Posted: October 22 2019 at 01:07
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I'm torn between voting for "The Yes Album" or "Close to the Edge" and the poll is so close now that my vote could decide the winner. I'll listen to both albums again one more time before I cast my vote.
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Posted By: Blacksword
Date Posted: October 22 2019 at 01:46
I always regarded an epic as just being a track over...say 12 mins in length, with a sense of 'majesty' about it. The 'rules' are somewhat vague, I guess. Whatever, I agree with you about Awaken. It is a 'mega' track, and certainly epic. Most days of the week I would prefer it to CTTE, and to be honest I've never really got my head around Plague. ------------- Ultimately bored by endless ecstasy! |
Posted By: I prophesy disaster
Date Posted: October 23 2019 at 03:44
Yes. A journey is a good way to regard an epic. I also tend to think that an epic is more than the sum of its parts.
These are epics.
These are not epics. ------------- No, I know how to behave in the restaurant now, I don't tear at the meat with my hands. If I've become a man of the world somehow, that's not necessarily to say I'm a worldly man. |
Posted By: Stool Man
Date Posted: October 23 2019 at 05:01
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Currently my favourite is Relayer, previously it was Tales. I've never been a fan of CTTE, it's ok but that's all ------------- rotten hound of the burnie crew |
Posted By: Psychedelic Paul
Date Posted: October 23 2019 at 08:24
| The "Relayer" album is right up there with the leaders in the poll now, after getting off to a slow start. |
Posted By: chopper
Date Posted: October 23 2019 at 08:25
| OK, who voted for Big Generator? |
Posted By: Cristi
Date Posted: October 23 2019 at 08:34
either someone trolling or someone with unique preferences. it would take guts to post something like "BG is my favorite Yes album."
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Posted By: Psychedelic Paul
Date Posted: October 23 2019 at 09:00
It sounds about as likely as "The Single Factor" being someone's favourite Camel album.
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Posted By: chopper
Date Posted: October 24 2019 at 05:25
Well I actually like BG and it doesn't deserve the flack it gets, but it's nowhere near being their best.
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Posted By: Psychedelic Paul
Date Posted: October 24 2019 at 05:48
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I listened to the "Time and a Word" album again today for only the second time ever and realised what a great album it is, especially the title track. It's now on my must-have albums list.
It appears that The Yes Album that's been Close to the Edge of taking the lead in the 3-album Relayer race has now stormed out in front.
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Posted By: Barbu
Date Posted: October 25 2019 at 10:55
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TYA ------------- |
Posted By: dr wu23
Date Posted: October 25 2019 at 11:22
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The Yes album is probably my favorite, but I think CTTE might be their best....... ------------- One does nothing yet nothing is left undone. Haquin |
Posted By: digdug
Date Posted: October 25 2019 at 12:16
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Fragile for me .... mostly because thats the one I got to know first ------------- Prog On! |
Posted By: Psychedelic Paul
Date Posted: October 25 2019 at 12:27
My introduction to YES was the "Classic YES" album below.  
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Posted By: Upbeat Tango Monday
Date Posted: October 27 2019 at 11:29
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Tales > Yes Album > CttE ------------- Two random guys agreed to shake hands. Just Because. They felt like it, you know. It was an agreement of sorts...a random agreement. |
Posted By: Magnum Vaeltaja
Date Posted: November 02 2019 at 19:07
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^ Yep. Then toss in some Fragile and then Drama and Relayer to round it out. ------------- when i was a kid a doller was worth ten dollers - now a doller couldnt even buy you fifty cents |
Posted By: AFlowerKingCrimson
Date Posted: November 02 2019 at 19:51
| Although I voted for relayer I never had a problem with fragile one bit and in fact it's easily in my top four or five if not top three. The short bits on fragile which apparently is why it doesn't have as many votes are actually what make the album interesting to me. |
Posted By: geekfreak
Date Posted: April 14 2020 at 09:15
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Tales ------------- Friedrich Nietzsche: "Without music, life would be a mistake." Music Is Live Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. Keep Calm And Listen To The Music… < |
Posted By: Tom Ozric
Date Posted: April 14 2020 at 12:29
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Heaven and Earth of course ! Nah, Topographic really. |
Posted By: Squonk19
Date Posted: April 14 2020 at 17:18
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CTTE - Siberian Khatru swung it for me! ------------- “Living in their pools, they soon forget about the sea.” |