RELAYER by British
prog-rock legends YES.
Their 7th LP (double one)
Released: 28 November 1974
No 4 in the UK / No 5 in the US
Artwork designed by the band’s all-time artist/collaborator Roger Dean (aged 78 now).
His idea was to depict “a giant gothic cave, a sort of fortified city for military monks”.
It was/is his fav YES album artwork.
Front
Back
ALBUM STREAM
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YES: All Albums – Facebook
Great concert posters from the past
Band: Prog-rock icons YES
Where/when: Ludwigshafen, Germany, 1974
YES: Bio – Discography
20 February 2023
Former legendary keyboardist Rick Wakeman
introduces Uncut latest Deluxe Ultimate Music Guide
made for all YES fans, then and now.
He also had a far-reaching conversation which covers his session musician work, praise
for the material which Yes made after he left, and how his solo successes once led to him being greeted by a brass band on an airport runway, to the dismay of the other members of Yes – though it ultimately led to them all being offered solo album contracts too.
As you’ll learn from the features and in-depth reviews in this deluxe Ultimate Music
Guide, the band’s journey – with Rick and without him – has been an incredible one. From orchestral psyche-pop to pastoral prog drama. Out the other side to encounter jazz fusion, and synth-pop. The band have evolved to meet the times, and are now retrenching in the ecological mode of their classic era albums to the delight of a new generation of listeners.
You can purchase a copy and let it be sent to your home. Info HERE.
A perfect occasion to play their 1974 classic opus RELAYER again.
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YES: Bio – Discography
Daily electricity to load your batteries
Daily electricity to load your batteries
21 February 2023
(Photo credit: Derek Bremner)
Band: SHELF LIVES
Who: Raw electro-punk duo from London. They pair hardcore punk’s brief blasts of energy with electroclash’s minimal and sleazy sonics. Their music feels chaotic, tense, and wired; raising themes of societal collapse and hyper-consumerism with a warped smile.
Track: BITE
It follows their smashing debut album
Yes, Offence released last year.
TUTV: This synth-punk salvo starts with some sharp-cutting sneering
and spiting and then, one minute in, when the siren-like chorus erupts
through your tormented speakers, this maddening missile sounds like
if The Prodigy fly a starfighter with Amyl Taylor from the heated Aussies
Amyl And The Sniffers in the front seat.
You’ll experience a supersonic rush
through your veins. Wow! Double wow!
Yessss, this is really heavy stuff, people. Karma or not, no rest for the wicked.
In a normal world, this crack hammer uppercut should top the UK’s Indie Charts.
Don’t miss them, they’re electro-tastic. Hells bells!
Ay ay ay ay ay ay
Well you said you like karma
You say you like freedom
You’re better than me
So you said you are calmness
Better off stealing, rather than cheap
I will never bite what you say
Didn’t want to find out anyway
I will never bite what you say
Didn’t want to find out anyway.
Alert your neighbours
before you release the bats.
Press play.
SHELF LIVES: Instagram
Back in time
13 September 2022
Band: YES
Who: British prog rock titans who scored their greatest
triumphs when sublime voice Jon Anderson fronted the band.
Active: 1968–1981, 1983–2004, 2008–present / 22 albums (so far)
with last year’s The Quest as the most recent one.
Anniversary LP: CLOSE TO THE EDGE – their 4th
Released: 13 September 1972 – 50 years ago today
AllMusic wrote: “With 1971’s Fragile having left Yes poised quivering on the brink
of what friend and foe acknowledged was the peak of the band’s achievement, Close
to the Edge comprised just three tracks, the epic “And You and I” and “Siberian Khatru,”
plus a side-long title track that represented the musical, lyrical, and sonic culmination
of all that Yes had worked toward over the past five years. Close to the Edge would make
the Top Five on both sides of the Atlantic. Close to the Edge was a flawless masterpiece.”
Score: 5/5.
TUTV: Big one, but Relayer (1974)
still is the ultimate YES LP to my ears.
Stream full album here.
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YES: Bio – Discography
Daily electricity to load your batteries
7 July 2022
Band: SUPER AMERICAN EAGLE
Who: Melbourne’s super group comprising The Dandy Warhols’ drummer Brent DeBoer, Courtney Barnett‘s long-time drummer Dave Mudie aka solo artist L.A. Mood (on bass), and singer/guitarist Bob Harrow, who has previously played with both Brent and Dave (and for
a while Courtney Barnett) in the wonderful psych-country folk-rockers Immigrant Union.
Debut single: YES
Bob Harrow (guitarist) : “From memory ‘YES’ was truly written by all 3 of us. You know
how like U2 and Coldplay credit the entire band as writing the songs together? I reckon
that’s bullshit sometimes… The guitar riff / bass line and the drums came together and simultaneously the vocal melody and lyrics… then a few weeks later we tracked it and
had Sean Latino mix and master it…It would be sick if everything in life was that simple.
It probably can be.”
Score: All burners on, all cylinders on, no brakes, no breaks. These super eagles go supersonic on their debut blast like a blustery bolide going everywhere fast. A jagged juggernaut speeding up your adrenalin stream. with its ruthless kamikaze guitars and
its merciless drum/bass frenzy going through the roof. At first, I thought Iron Maiden‘s loudmouth Bruce Dickinson had joined the party. Crazed screams, indeed. Red-smoking-hot stuff is what get.
If you’re down, just say YES to SAE.
Kick out the jams, motherfuckers!
Buy/stream here…
26 November 2021
Band: YES
Who: Legendary British prog-rockers who started in 1968 with
nightingale voice Jon Anderson, and masterly musicians Chris
Squire (bass), Peter Banks (guitarist), Tony Kaye (keyboardist)
and Bill Bruford (drummer).
Active: 1968–1981, 1983–2004, 2008–present / 22 studio albums
so far, with this year’s The Quest as the most recent one.
Anniversary album: FRAGILE
Released: 26 November 1971 – 50 years ago today
Pitchfork said: “‘Fragile’ introduced Yes’ highest-powered line-up, as
the silver-cape wearing, 12-keyboard-hauling Rick Wakeman replaced
Tony Kaye. But the question is, what was “fragile?” Their egos? The battle
between the perfectly balanced arrangements– as on classic rock radio
staples “Roundabout” and “Long Distance Runaround”, and each virtuoso’s
need to grandstand, vented through five solo interludes (most memorably
Steve Howe’s “Mood for a Day”)? All that firepower could have ruined the
band, yet on Fragile, they put songcraft firmly over indulgence.” Score: 8/10.
Turn Up The Volume: The Kings of prog-rock symphonies 6th LP.
1974’s Relayer still is my Yes favorite, but Fragile comes in second.
Key single: Roundabout…
Stream full LP here…
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YES: All Albums – History – Facebook
Band: YES
Artwork: From the veteran prog rockers’ 22nd album,
titled The Quest, out this Frisday, 1 October.
Again, as with most of the Yes LPs the artwork
is designed by celebrated artist Roger Dean.
Key single…
YES: Facebook
20 February 2021
Band: YES
Who: British prog rock icons
Active: 1968–1981, 1983–2004, 2008–present
Album: THE YES ALBUM – third LP
Released: 19 February 1971 – 50 years ago
AllMusic/Bruce Eder: “On Yes’ first two albums, Yes (1969) and Time and a Word (1970),
the quintet was mostly searching for a sound on which they could build… Their third time out proved the charm, The Yes Album constituted a de facto second debut, introducing the sound that would carry them forward across the next decade or more. Gone are any covers of outside material, the group now working off of its own music from the ground up The Yes Album did what it had to do, outselling the group’s first two long-players and making the group an established presence in America where, for the first time, they began getting regular exposure on FM radio.” Score: 4/5.
Turn Up The Volume: Best prog-rock band ever to my ears. Why?
Brilliant musicians, sound-exploring albums and Jon Anderson‘s
heavenly voice.
Key tracks: Yours Is No Disgrace / I’ve Seen All Good People
– YOURS IS NO DISGRACE –
– I’VE SEEN ALL GOOD PEOPLE –
Full album…
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YES: Facebook
Reveries for the laziest day of the week…
After five years of silence, since his 2015 album Rattle That Rock,
DAVID GILMOUR shared a new track called YES, I HAVE GHOSTS.
The song is inspired by the audiobook version of his wife and author
Polly Samson’s A Theatre Of Dreams.
Gilmour said in a press statement: “Polly’s vivid and poetic writing, coupled with her very natural narration voice, made joining forces to produce the audio version of ‘A Theatre for Dreamers’ a fantastic and fulfilling experience. The audiobook format has so much untapped potential, and I am surprised more musicians have not creatively collaborated with authors, narrators and audiobook producers in this way before. The two worlds seem to seamlessly
link, and music can really help to bring audiobooks to life in unexpected new ways.”
Yes, I Have Ghosts also features vocals and harp by their daughter Romany.
Enjoy the graceful ballad here…
DAVID GILMOUR: Facebook
