h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Isn't it funny how people are really quick to pick up on mistakes?

I'm new to h2g2 and thought I'd check out "Yes" related stuff. I noticed that "John" should read "Jon" ... but others have got there before me I see.

Good to see I'm not the only one in the galaxy who likes Yes. Even if they did do 'Open Your Eyes' ... 'The Ladder' is a great album.

Sister Bluebird

Welcome Sister Bluebird - Keeper (Designate) of Progresive Rock.

Hope you enjoy your time here in our little conversation.

Why don't you start the ball rolling with a bit about your:
- likes
- dislikes
- favourite stupid Yes costume
- silliest Jon Anderson quote
- best/worst albums
- concerts I have loved
- concerts I was too young to see but always wished I had been to

or whatever takes your fancy.

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Sister Bluebird flying high above,
Shine your wings forward to the sun.
Hide the myst'ries of life on your way.
Though you've seen them, please don't say a word.
What you don't know, I have never heard.

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Makes sense to me.

Welcome, Sister B.

Dear .

May I be the first to congratulate you on your elevation to the (now official) post of 'Keeper of Progresive Rock'

We all bow down before you.

Yours,
DJP.

Thank you for the welcome everybody.

I have made my official acceptance of the title 'Keeper of Progressive Rock Music' - a very demanding role I'm sure you will agree. I have promised to do my utmost and of course to trust in the universe. Be reasured by the fact that as Sister Bluebird, what I don't know you have never heard.

Sister Bluebird

Btw

Eddie Jobson played either violin or keyboards depending on whether he was with Curved Air, Procol Harum, Roxy Music, Zappa, Yes(?), UK, Jethro Tull...........

I heard an ugly rumour that UK had reformed in the original Jobson, Houldsworth, Wetton, Bruford line-up; fact or fiction ?

Wilf

News to me, but the concept frightens the pants off me.

I never had a big liking for UK, but Danger Money was OK(ish).

Wettons best work was either KC or Asia (depending on the decade). His solo stuff recently never grabbed me, and I noticed with interest over the weekend that his best of release is marked up with a label (in England at least) that says 'Featuring Alan White (of Yes)'.

If this is the best thing that they can think to say about it then he's in trouble...

KC for me, DJP whatever the decade

A previous posting asked about likes / dislikes. So here's some of mine.

Favourite albums
"Going for the One" was the first Yes album I had (actually it was my older brother's) so has to be on my list of favourites. I know everyone else will probably hate it. However, "The Yes Album" and "Close to the Edge" are right there at the top of my list - classic stuff! I also think "The Ladder" is the best thing that Yes have done in recent times.

Embarrassing albums
"Big Generator", "Union", "Open Your Eyes" and "Tales from Topographic Oceans" (although I will own up to liking side 1 and the artwork). In a moment of madness I bought "The More You Know", a solo effort from Jon Anderson. Played it once and cringed.

Don't know any Jon Anderson quotes ... but has anyone checked out his website? He's trying to sell his paintings (please don't tell me someone has bought one)! My husband thinks he's a bit of a loony, especially after I showed him the website, so any memorable quotes would make both of us chuckle.

Sister Bluebird

Au contraire, I love "Going for the One" - "Wonderous Stories" was the first Yessong I ever heard, and "Awaken" is simply brilliant. Also, when I went to Switzerland I saw that tree in Lake Geneva that figures on the sleeve.

I have to say, though, that "Tales from Topographic Oceans" is my absolute favourite. When I first heard it, I didn't like it - I suppose I wasn't used to listening to pieces of music of that length. However, the more I listened to it, the more I liked it. There is a lot of very beautiful music in there. It is best listened to when you have the time to devote to listening to the whole thing - perhaps late at night through headphones - or as I used to do, on long train journeys. Sometimes an album immediately hits you with it's brilliance (as "Close to the Edge" did for me). Other times, it has to be allowed to grow on you. I'm not sure that would ever work with "Open Your Eyes" though!

At the moment I am enjoying "Tormato" at regular intervals. When I first got it on vinyl, the sound was crap. Now I have the digitally re-mastered CD, and it's like listening to a different album - you can hear everything and the musicianship is amazing.

I have to take issue with you on some of the others as well - don't like some of the more "poppy " songs on "Big Generator", but things like "Final Eyes" and "I'm Running" were pretty good songs of the old Yes mode, for me. I also thought "Union" had three or four very good songs on it.

I can't think of any Jon quotes for the moment, however any sleeve notes written by him are always good for a cringe.

Likes

Relayer : all of it

Yeah - I'm not too keen on "Sound Chaser", but "Gates of Delirium" is fantastic, and "To Be Over" simply gorgeous.

Oh dear ... this isn't so easy is it all this business of likes and dislikes. Just realised I've listed my favourite albums that I'm currently listening to. Forgot about Gates of Delirium, To Be Over and the whole Tormato album for that matter.

Topographic Oceans - I've only got a vinyl LP copy of this that I've played on an old turntable stereo system. Maybe I need to buy it on CD to appreciate it a bit more fully.

As for the other albums I felt embarrassed about - I have to agree that some of the songs are quite good. I suppose I felt they didn't really gel together as a good *album*. I was particularly disappointed with Union at the time because I felt it was so bitty. But there is good stuff on all these records

Sister Bluebird

I found that all of the original releases on CD were "cleaner" than the A+ quality LP's that I previously had, but seemed "flatter" too.

At the time I had a very cheap CD player - and a VERY expensive deck, so I was assuming that the problem was with the hardware not the software.

I have now got a better CD player and the old CD's are still not perfect.

The digital remasters however are better.

The amount I like a given recording is a function of my mood and activity.

I suppose that for all round general favourite I would have to choose one of the early recordings.

When I used to put everything onto cassette I constantly played a tape with GftO/Tormato either side, and another with TYA/Fragile.

Now that I go everywhere in a car with a CD player I find myself listening to Yessongs often.

Least favourite without doubt is clearly OYE.

Question for the group:

What is the best LIVE recording (legitimate or bootleg)?

It's a hard one.

Hmm, the only bootleg I have is a real one - taped at a concert by an American pen-pal from the Big Generator days. My favourite is YesShows (though I have it on vinyl, and "Ritual" is split on two sides) - and the live versions of "Roundabout" and "I've Seen All Good People" on "Classic Yes" are quite superb (were they slotted for YesShows but left out?).

I've always rather fancied a live version of the whole of "Topographic Oceans" - is there a bootleg about?

Actually, I no longer have a functional turntable, so I must get YesShows on CD - I think I need CD's of "Time and a Word" and "Yesterdays" as well (though I'm not sure if the latter is worth bothering with).

The remastered CD issue of YesShows is good. Ritual is still split into 2 tracks, but without the fade-out.

The whole set is on 2CD's, which is a bit of a cheek, because it's not quite 80min long, so could have been one CD...

The Classic Yes versions were recorded from the same series of concerts, so they could well have been intended for use on a longer YesShows LP, but given the track listing used at the time, there would have needed to be an extra LP, and there weren't enough songs that didn't already exist on YesSongs - this was back in the days that each Live LP had a different track listing!

Yesterdays is OK, but as it's only got a couple of bits of unique stuff I'd suggest shopping about second hand for a copy of the YesYears boxed set. It has more unique material, remastered versions of everything (not the same remasers asa are sold in the remastered CD's, and including remastered material from the 90125 - BigGen period that has not been done yet).

It's expensive, but it's an interesting package if you can find it pre-owned/discounted. Just don't confuse it with the 2 CD YesYears compilation that came out at the same time. It has no material on it that isn't on the regular CD's.

I already have the 4-CD YesYears set. Huzzah!

I really like "Something's Coming".

By the way, DJP, since our chats began I have been relentlessly listening to Yes. I notice this am I had brought several CD'S in, they happened to be all the studio albums from "Close to the Edge" through to "Drama". My copy of "Close to the Edge" is a bit owrn now - is it worth me getting the re-mastered version? I have re-mastered versions of Tormato, Drama, and "Tales"

Sorry, that was an anagram of "worn"!

I bought my replacements over the course of several months (one per payday), but as (in the UK) they are budget priced (around GBP 10.50 each) it wasn't too painfull. Also I sold most of my replaced unremastered CD's to a friend at work who only had LP's of much material, but didn't want to pay full whack to upgrade - in the end the solution was good for both of us.

I maintain that with a good stereo you can hear an improvement, but other people I've spoken to say not much. The remastered CD's do come with much fuller liner notes, and full lyrics - but if you're reading h2g2 you're on the web, and so can get all the detail from the NFTE/YesWorld sites if you want to.

There is also an element of "New Gadget Syndrome". I'm a total sucker for "toys", so I found myself looking at CD's I already had each time I went into a record shop, but now I could get shiny new remastered versions!

I have yet to shell out for the remastered Pink Floyd back catalogue, because they are still being put out at full price, and whilst I'll pay GBP10.50, I feel cheated at paying GBP15(each) for a dozen CD's I have already.

At the end of the day you've got to go with your heart/bank balance.

If you can afford to splash the cash, do it - but don't expect it to change your life...

Hi, looks like I've found the place to ask this question...

Any of you guys know anything about 'We Make Believe'? I downloaded some of those naughty MP3 thingys and came across this set of what sound like session recordings. Wakeman and Anderson are very much in evidence, so my guess is they are ABWH demos.

The tracks I've got are

Axis of love
Watching the flags that fly
Tall building
Take the Water to the Mountain (which I guess makes this pre- Union)
Make believe

Anyone know when these were recorded and if there are any other tracks

Cheers