Yes- Starship Trooper (First Listen)
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- čas přidán 16. 07. 2020
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The end solo is, to me, one of the most satisfying resolution to any of their songs. It builds and builds and the guitar brings it all the way home. As for "take what I say in a different way and it's easy to say that this is all confusion", I tend to think that this addresses some people at that time saying that Yes lyrics were nonsensical.
Sounds right. They use some pretty fluffy language, but their lyrics have a real message I think if you kind of intuitively role with it.
Think the Yessongs version on the finale is a better balance.
The ending to the title track of CTTE does it for me. Brings tears
YUP!🎯 EXACTLY where it needs to happen and the EXACT notes. So much genius about this song... when you think about the collossal genius of ALL these players together, Anderson, Squire, Bruford, Howe, etc... it's a miracle they found each other.
Ah, listening to Yes is such a great way to start the day. Has there ever been a more appropriately named band? Such positive energy.
Agreed Trev!
Are you daring me to say, "No"?
Fantastic song from the Great YES☝️ thanks for the reaction ☝️
I really enjoy the part that begins with "speak to me of summers..." but right before that part, after they sing "I can also show if you and you mayyyyyy....followww", those subsequent background vocals in what sounds like counterpoint as they go up the scale, are magnificent . Just absolutely love that part. It's so ethereal yet coupled with an earthy polyrhythm that has elements of latin rumba, and somehow they manage to pull it all off!
Whenever I hear this, I am transported back to 7th grade. That is when I discovered The Yes Album. Still my all-time favorite album of any band. Perfection.
lol weird, this song does the exact same thing for me, more than other Yes songs. I think I was in the 8th grade.
Looks like me and you are pretty much the same age, give or take one or two. It was this album, and in particular the song "Yours Is No Disgrace," that, back in 1972, started me on my musical "career," so to speak. My brother was three years older than I was, so everything he listened to I listened to also. I had a little radio set with two speakers, so for my 12th birthday my parents got for me a little record player, and $5 (five WHOLE dollars!) to buy any album I wanted. This is the album I bought. And the rest, as the poets say, is history.
Lately I've been on a Wakeman binge, consuming everything of his I can find. I gotta tell ya, some of his unplugged stuff is just downright magical. Just him and a piano, at one.
Its weird, I discovered this album just last year, but this song gives me heavy feelings of nostalgia. It feels great
An absolute monster song when performed live; Würm is a fantastic jam session in concert, and (before he so sadly passed) a true showcase for Chris Squire’s bass playing abilities. Try the live version on Yessongs at maximum volume for an idea of how it sounded live “back in the day”!
Definitely agree about the live version on Yessongs!
I was going to reply about that Yessongs version too. It's even better, with a lot of little subtle things added throughout, and a spectacular Rick Wakeman solo on Wurm before Steve Howe absolutely kills at the end.
Yup, But 6/19/79 Boston Garden - In The Round - Wurm is the best ever.
Check out the performance from Symphonic Yes (2001, Amsterdam), available on CZcams. Wurm is incredible. The whole concert DVD is worth having - what a show. Gates of Delirium and Ritual, And You and I, this one.
Starship Trooper was the very first YES song I heard on the college radio station I was listening to (I was a senior in high school). I'm sure the first time I heard it I didn't know what I was listening to, it was so different, but you could remember parts that you really liked. After the second listen I was beginning to believe it might be the best 'rock' song I had ever heard. By the third listen I had to go out and buy the album and was blown away, decided to go see them in concert where I heard Close To The Edge for the first time, picked up that album on the way home. After that I would tell anyone who'd listen over the next couple of decades that YES was my favorite band.
I was in high school when this came out. Yes was my first ever concert. Had never heard anything so loud...except fuel dragsters! When the silver-caped Wakeman played his Hallelujah solo, I was actually a little scared the building would collapse. Seems silly now, but i was holding on to my seat thinking OMG! But normally my close friends and I all went to an older guy's house with his kick-ass stereo. We brought our favorite albums and would rotate every three or so songs. We never talked during music. Most of Yes songs were way over my head lyrically. Like Zappa, vocals were often just layers of sounds. What did the words mean? Who cares, listen to that bass line and sorry, I need the lighter...it went out again.
Always figured you have to be on acid to understand Jon's lyrics since he was probably on it when he wrote them. I tried it for Tales From Topographic Oceans and pretty much "got it" 😜 !!
I don't think is silly. I always testing new Hi-Fi on this track (and Los Endos, and of course My Favorite Things), and this must not be listened to quietly because it is a profanation.
@@thomascanfield9165 Someone once asked Rick Wakeman about Jon Anderson. Rick replied, "Jon Anderson is the only man trying to save this planet...who's not actually *from* this planet."
This is, and always will be, my favorite Yes song. It has such beautiful moments. Life Seeker (written by Jon) is lovely. Jon’s voice is ethereal and I love the lyrics here. Disillusion ( written by Chris) is a terrific folksy romp. I love the vocals and guitar and the lyrics are incredible. Ans that is Chris harmonizing with Jon. I always found it interesting that Chris wrote that section with no bass line. Wurm (written by Howe) is a spectacular ending. It has Steve, Chris and Bill building to an explosive crescendo. And the guitar solo is masterful. The transition from Disillusion into Wurm always gives me goosebumps. It has also been known to bring me to tears. This is just a brilliant song from start to finish. It is also one of my top five favorite songs of all time.
This is my all-time favorite Yes song. The live version from the 90125 tour was incredible and one of the best performance videos of this song.
Just another reminder that when it comes to gorgeous melody, no one brings it to the forefront quite like Yes. When you do your re listen Justin, take note of Jon's beautiful vocal lines.Its like he has a knack for matching melodic composition to the sound of his voice.Its a huge part of what makes Yes one of the greatest bands of all time, IMO. Cheers from Canada!!!
Will do Steve, ty!
Re Yes and Rush - see the Yes R & R H. of Fame induction by Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson, and then the performance of "Roundabout" with Geddy Lee playing bass.
Proud to sayI attended that event!
Geddy's glee at playing with Yes is absolutely palpable. Try as he might to be cool, his inner teenager is running around that stage screaming with delight... or am I just projecting?
Yup I've seen that! Great performance!
Alex Lifeson has mentioned this song (Starship Trooper) as being a big influence on him, as a young guitarist
@@droopyofthenorthwestmounted Love the bit at the start where Geddy does air-keyboards along with Rick Wakeman!
Almost 50 yrs since I saw these blokes live as a youngster of 15- still enjoying the life affirming vibes!!
Bill Bruford just can’t seem to count to four and leave it alone! I have had to learn drums on some Yes songs and, gee, how hard could it be??? Bruford mentioned that there are 26 drum rudiments and of course 26 letters in the alphabet. I think he uses them all in most songs, what a genius!!!! Great song, great reaction!!!
You have to wonder what Bruford’s doctor hears through the stethoscope. “Palpitations and an arrhythmia Mr. Bruford. So, you’re as healthy as you’ve ever been.”
Ooh nice. I was just saying how this song had a special influence on my drumming early in high school.
There is very good rock drummer, and there is Mr Bill Bruford. For me is genius of rock music, the best drummer in rock music.
This is a song that must be listened to several times in order to fully appreciate all of the layers contained in this transcendent piece of music.
Dude, I've been waiting for you to listen to this. It's one of my favorite Yes songs. In fact, it has my favorite line from any Yes song "Loneliness is a power that we possess to give or take away forever." (edit) I took this a bit differently from you. To me, this is saying we have the power to make someone lonely, or more importantly, end someone's loneliness... What we do with it is up to us.
This is another song which I enjoy playing while riding... it makes me happy and enhances the view of the coastline. Whereas I understand how you could say the sound is similar to some of Rush, I honestly don't think I would enjoy a Rush take on this. Rush music isn't known to make you happy. Yes does. I think Rush would ruin it, honestly.
With YES the more you listen to it the more you like YES songs!
Justin this is a top 5 yes songs to me, I've seen Yes over 20 times from the 70's to 2011 my last show with Chris squire enjoy great early YES !
I never got to see them, but I've loved them since I discovered them in the 1980s. Agreed that this is one of their best ever. 3 parts and all 3 are terrific in their own way, and they're brought together so adroitly by these 5 musical wizards. Brilliance!
probably my favorite Yes song
With this and Roundabout, 1971 is definitely my favorite year for Yes.
Probably the Yessiest song too. Don't get more Yesser than that.
@@nickj5451 Would say Close To The Edge is an even Yesier song. lol
@@MusicLover-wo7ig Hmm, I don't know. I like CttE even more, but I think in terms of how Yessy they are, CttE is like 6,199 Yes units (that's extremely Yessy), but Starship Trooper is way up there at like 7,012 Yes units. But I'm still waiting for others to replicate my methods. Who knows, it might not be as objective as I hoped.
Without going on forever , this is a condensed version of the bigger themes they tackled later . The vocals are real strong , Chris Squires great skill - all of them .
Oh I so love Fridays! And I love this song. The Yes Album is where Yes became Yes. The first two records, Yes, and Time and a Word, were elementary in comparison. Even at their best Astral Traveler and Survival for example, these songs pale in comparison. The difference is Howe and his guitar and, maybe even more importantly, his writing. While the band previously struggled to come up with one strong idea to base a song on, in Starship Trooper, Your Move, Yours is no Disgrace, there are several great ideas strung together to form the whole that defines Yes. Now we can hear the virtuosity of each member come through, until Howe joined the band I don't think anyone heard the virtuosity of Bruford and Squire, so obvious now. And how about those vocal arrangements, gorgeous stuff!
It was their "make or break" album for sure. If it failed, the label would have dropped them. It was conditional. Howe widened the range of the band by a huge margin, playing on multiple instruments and in many styles. Banks was great, but still a 2-dimensional guitar player. One of Howe's strength is also in arrangements. That's why his contribution to the band helped the others to shine a lot more, by bringing depth to the ensemble.
I love The Yes Album so much
One of my favorite songs, it's just perfection.
With ‘Yes’ get ready for a journey.
Sit back and relax.
From what I've read, this is the song that got Atlantic Record's American agent excited about Yes. He booked them for a U.S. tour (supporting Tull and Grand Funk Railroad) and the rest is history.
"I'm gonna need to listen to this again..." Oh, yeah. And again and again. Chris Squire's bass tone and composition choices on this song is out of control. Love the tremolo and reverb. How can he make such a relatively clean tone sound so filthy? I still don't get it. And I'd say Bruford maybe just makes the drums *sound* simple. Anyway, I've been listening to this for over forty years, including live in '78, and I still absolutely love it.
Really glad you enjoyed this song! Starship Trooper is my favorite Yes song by far. It's the perfect complete package and personifies everything that I love and find magical about the band. The song seems to get passed on to every musician in the bands history so that they may put their own spin on it. It's a generational journey. That is a truly beautiful thing!
Great song! Can’t wait until all good people
So many great moments on this song! All pieces finally uniting at the end, where the build up is so teasing... until Howe’s solo dramatically releases that built up tension! Phenomenal!
Thank you sir,I'm a hard one to earn a subscription from, but you got me.
Although I love MOST yes albums, there is the predictable 'big 4'..yes album, fragile, relayer, close to the edge. They stand the test of time so well, and after 100s...or thousands of listens, they still pull on my soul strings. All 4 would make my list of about 20 or so rock albums that I would want to send to another planet as the example of the best of earth. And this song is 1 of the best, just so good from the beginning, and then culminates into what I would best describe as... sheer jubilation.
Thank you so much Zamfir, I'm enjoying the journey quite a bit!
The second (acoustic) part was originally part of a song called For Everyone that was written while Peter Banks was in the band. There’s a live version on the BBC sessions collection. Wurm was also part of an earlier song called Nether Street that Steve Howe recorded with his previous band Bodast. In fact Steve raided the Bodast cupboard again for one of the riffs in Close To the Edge 👍
50 years old....and it rocks better than anything out there today!
the best. The bass guitar sounds like a dolphin playing cello. The drumming is so crisp and light... a gentle bounce. And the guitar solo... it's a duet played by one person. My favorite Yes song. Also... harmony singing in the middle section, lovely.
My favorite Yes, especially live when they stretch it out.
One of my favorite YES songs. I heard this first on YESSONGS album . I was 12 and blown away by this and the whole album. It changed my musical experience!
YES, off the YES ALBUM THE DEFINITION OF ALBUM ROCK. With STARSHIP TROOPER ... I'M GOING TO KEEP PUTTING DOWN, "AIM HIGH, SHOOT LOW"... FOR A REACTION.... NICELY DONE JASON...🤩✌By the way Rush was was Influenced by YES...
For me, this will always be the perfect sound of 'impenetrable youth', along with their song "We Have Heaven".
Definitely one of my favorite Yes songs! This song is awesome live! They really jam out the end of the song a lot longer than the studio version! You should definitely check out their live album Yessongs! Great review again Justin! Now on to the rest of the album!
Will do! Ty Marc
Glad you finally got around to it. I'll keep quiet for awhile now. Perpetual Change is very much like Starship Trooper and Yours Is No Disgrace but for some reason ST just "did it" for me. The Yes Album, Fragile and Close To The Edge. How can one band produce three albums in a row like these. I bet they influenced more musicians then anybody knows, or will admit to. And in 60 years of living I've never said this to ANYONE before but yes, turn your hat around! The "%^%$#@"* with those other two guys! *This is a family orientated channel.
The “Yes Album” in its entirety jerked me by the scalp and said “come with us”...and pulled me into prog. Yes and the Moody Blues and Tull. But mainly Yes.
Just found your channel young man ,if what you have played is a taste of what's to come , fabulous .count me and my British countrymen in .👍👍👍👍🇬🇧🇬🇧💎💎💎💎
Thank you so so much Duncan!
Hope you're still set on doing Tales some day. Intersted in your take on it, since it's kind of divided among Yes fans. Personally I love it. Of course appreciate any Yes on this channel. :)
Lifeson2112, I agree with you that Tales is a hugely underrated album. It contains a lot of very beautiful music. I'd still put it in the Yes top 3. x
When "Wurm" kicked in, starting with Steve Howe's brilliantly badass guitar start in the final segment of the song, I saw your eyes closed, meditating. I thought: yeah, he gets it. Thats how Yes is to be heard. Let them take you into inner space. YOU are the Starship Trooper, the listener. The audience. Welcome aboard.
Great analysis JP - a great groundbreaking song from Yes' big departure album with their new guitarist Howe. "Disillusion" could be the title of the art installation shown on the back cover of the album. It shows a head (or mind) suspended in a room, separated from the chair below, and the light above, as if to emphasize loneliness and lack of understanding (as if the light bulb is an idea, but it's separated far from the head below). The group is pictured on the front cover with the art installation, perhaps as a way to suggest that they are confronting mankind's disillusion. I recently learned the group owes their name "Yes" to John Lennon's story about attending Yoko Ono's art show, which had an installation of a ladder leading to the ceiling, where there was a suspended magnifying glass and a small label. John climbed the ladder and used the magnifier to read the small label, which said "Yes".
By right-time, right-place good fortune, I happened to see Yes' first North American. They were the opener on a triple bill with YES, Alice Cooper, and Black Sabbath. The Yes Album had only appeared in stores the week before, so few knew anything about it. Alice were also unknown, but their catchy, classic single, Eighteen was out. Yes, against all odds, as an unknown opening act for major artists, won the crowd over in a big way. And it was this song, and its potent ending that blew the audience away, because they fucking NAILED it. They got a standing ovation and were compelled to do an encore. A rare feat for an opening act.
Awesome! This one's up there too, in my top 5 favorites of Yes. There are various fabulous live versions of Starship Trooper that always end up in huge jams for the last section. A particular one with a stunning keyboard solo by Tom Brislin. And as usual, Squire makes a big show off hitting that thundering lower G.
Fun fact: look up "Bodast Nether Street" and hear the origins of "Wûrm" (not the meaning though, can't help with that!). The intro to Nether Street has the same riff and guitar solo. In another song (Black Leather Gloves) there's another riff that Howe brought into "Close to the Edge".
Steely Dan, and early Yes ... I really like your taste in music. Hoping for some RTF, Headhunters, Pat Metheny, or Oregon in the future ... but happy with what I'm hearing so far. That guitar buildup and release, along with the title of the song really evokes the image of a rocket building up thrust for take off. Loved Heinlein back in the day. Still remember a paraphrase from one of his quotes ... 'Man is not so much a rational beast, as a rationalizing one.' - Cheers from Japan!
Oregon and Metheny! Nice. A man after my own tastes. Nice to hear!!
@@operating I think he would like Pat Metheny Group- He likes progressive rock stuff. Pat Metheny is kind of like the progressive rock version of Jazz -
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Yes, the hat definitely looks better with peak at back!!!! 😁
Kind of interesting you're just listening to Starship Trooper this late into your Yes experiences! This song goes back to the beginning for me when I was 13. This song especially somehow brings me back to how it felt to first encounter Yes. They played and wrote music so differently and they were all philosophical and stuff--I felt like they were these otherworldly, mythological creatures who just spontaneously appear and write beautiful music. Bruford's drums here had a big influence on me here too, how he plays so thoughtfully. I think a song of theirs with a similar lovely otherworldly-yet-earthiness is Survival, from their first album actually.
I like this tune. I've listened to Yes for years. Some of the best cover art that's ever been.
Haven’t watched your reaction yet so i hope you loved it. That build up in Wurm 😍 some pieces of music put indelible images into your mind and with Wurm i always picture a torchlit parade of trolls madly dancing up a mountain path until they disappear into the mouth of a huge cave 🤔
Awesome
Yes totally evokes those kinds of images. I love it.
What an Awesome song by Yes.....I'm partial to the ending myself (Wurm)....but the whole song is an Absolute Musical Masterpiece. ...Everyone comes together very nicely...The vocals.. (Anderson/Squire)...The bass..(Squire).....The drums.. (Bruford )....The guitar... (Howe)....and of course The organ parts... (Kaye)...were all subtle but Amazingly joined together ....Love your reaction and dissection/conversation on the song....This is Awesomeness.
I follow my JESUS, but loved this song as a teen and even now, I'm 62!!!!!
Don't leave this album before hearing "I've Seen All Good People" !
All we are saying...
And "Clap" and "Yours Is No Disgrace" and, and, and........It's just strong from start to finish for me!
@@tommathews3964 I believe Justin has done a first listen to both Clap and Your's is No Disgrace already.
Perpetual change is my favorite on this album.
Yup!
Chris Squire might be the most underrated bass player of all time. I only say that because if you are not a prog fan or a bass player, you probably have never heard of him. If you are are prog fan or bass player you definitely know who he is. Geddy Lee played a Rickenbacker bass because Chris Squire played one. He was also the perfect backing vocalist for Jon Anderson. I totally get the need to revisit Yes songs. For most of Yes's best songs, I really did not appreciate them until I had listened to them multiple times. Chris Squire was the primary backing vocalist, then Steve Howe.
One of my all-time favorites from Yes. Starship Trooper is a suite: 1 Life Seeker 2 Disillusion 3 Wurm. Wurm is a tributary in Germany and also a town where Martin Luther (a religious reformist in the 16th century) had a trial due to him famously tacking his 95 thesis on the Wittenberg church door. Though he was found innocent of heresy, Martin Luther was excommunicated from the Catholic church which now offered no protection from those that wanted to harm or even kill him. Martin Luther started another church named after him.
I've loved this song since I was a small child in the 70s. Loved seeing your smile at the changes.
There is only one Steve Howe..."Wurm" may be an illusion to the earth serpent Ouroborous who swallows its tale, as the song seems to chase itself around with that guitar part
I like this idea. A lot!
Wow! Gettin Jungian there!
It is "Würm" and refers to an ice age in Germany. "Wurm" would be German for "Worm".
Such drama and emotional content in one song, plus voice of an angel.
Definitely one of Yes' best songs. Fantastic interplay of bass and lead guitar for the dramatic finale. It is like Howe and Squire were alternating lead to build the climax.
This is probably my all time favorite yes Song Thank you For reviewing this awesome song brings back so many memories of my youth I grew up in northern Michigan A Special friend Of mine Her parents had a cabin on a Lake we go there on weekend put this on The turntable crank it go out and lay on the dock and look at the stars what a great great memory I cherish it thank you for refreshing My memory.!!
Thats awesome, ty Ron🌠
This song was the first song that influenced me to follow yes back in my teenage years back in 1976 and still listening to it 31st October 2020
Somehow I knew today was going to be a Yes day. You always seem to start the weekend off on a high note! Thank JP, the long awaited Starship has arrived.
Haha I'm becoming too predictable😅
I LOOOOVE the tremolo effect on the bass. It feels like a song written from some other epoch or dimension... it's a song I can listen to over and over... it's like it's own entire ep. LOVE Bill Bruford's (drummer) use of empty space, and that ending guitar solo just comes in PERFECTLY where it needs to... Top 5 favorite songs of all time... or should I say 4 songs... or song in 4 chapters. I mean, like who even ARE the people he's singing about... like, super-ancient, super-advanced civilization or something? SO cool.
This song was a 20 minute jam session when I saw them back in 1983. Such a treat.
Someone may have already pointed this out, but the spelling of wurm, may suggest that it realtes to ohrwurm (earworm) which is a German term for a catchy piece of music that you cannot get out of your head. This term gained currency on the 1960's and this album was released in 1971. I guess we really need one of the band to have explained the meaning at the time of the album's release. More importanly, I bought this album in 1971 and it is great that the modern generation is finding it so enjoyable. Keep up the good work JP, I enjoy your channel.
just wanted to say that ive never heard anyone else play or sing like each member of Yes. they are truly unique, no matter what band they are in.
Your hat, your channel, your way....Glad to see this reaction to a very fine song from a very fine album! Chris Squire is one helluva bass player! One of the first to really open my eyes to the bass guitar and all of it's possibilities, besides just a basic rhythm instrument. First album for Steve Howe, last album for Tony Kaye. Every song is solid! The album is near 50 years old now, I swear I can still see the pink 8 track in my box in the car right now.......
Great rif/hook at the end. Totally off the subject.
Bangles, Hazy shade of winter. 80's, all girl band, good song. This one has your name on it.
Great album, great song.
All this stuff must be heard many times to fully appreciate it...One must break down each instrument then blend them one by one...By the time I was 20 (1980) I heard this album about 300 times...It's just as great today...
Hi Justin ; thank you for that very good moment ;
main song of my life ;
( as a youngster ) I was seeking life ; then came the "Disillusion" ( jan - 9 - 1973 ) ;
and until now : " Würm " ( ... " Follow " ... )........... a place mainly made for Music
In that song Chris showed what he brought to Rickenbaker-bass-sound .
When Tony Kaye ( I like him a lot ) made the band " Flash " with Tony Banks , in 71, I was a little upset it was not so good as the " Yes Album " - time . I had the first album of the band "Badger " very long time ago .
Now , time to listen again " Sahara " from Camel
Have a good day ,
from Finistère
Justin, Chris Squire was Jon’s primary “harmonizer”, in Yes. Before he passed, he did some stuff with Steve Hackett, with the 2 of them on vocals (google: Squakett”).
Absolute masterpiece ❤️ it's beautiful, Jon's vocal are stunning imo.. That bass!!! ♥️
Oh and Tony's organ.. 😊
Awesome sound.
And, the one and only Mr Howe.. Electric or acoustic par excellence.. Genius
This song gets inside your soul.. And makes you feel so good imho. ❤️
Uplifting.. Inspired... Prog at its best Justin.
Once again a great review butty. It's a pleasure watching your channel Justin 😊 😊 😊
This song rips my soul apart, too the 4 winds. I was 8 when this came out. Sorry I am out of the room with this one. Superb
Memories of my days in college....thanks.
The Yes Album, Fragile and Close To The Edge. IMO, one of the best triumvirate of album releases ever. Would make for a great discussion topic, don’t you think? Another great analysis by you Justin. Definitely give it a few more listens. It grows on you. 😃
Def keep the hat on backwards JP, that’s more you! Trooper becomes a part of your life after years of taking it in. It’s a song that never gets old and seeing it played live is always a crazy good performance, whether it’s due to Squire doing his slide stepping as he goes “ham”, Howe’s delivering that release on his solo or the way they end the song (spoiler alert - it’s NOT a fade out). More digestible than some Yes it probably got more radio airplay than anything other than Roundabout and Owner of a Mini-Mart which isn’t really our beloved proggy Yes.
I find that the live version from the album YesSongs is even better. Wakemen’s keyboard solo sends it into the stratosphere
I think every song on Yessongs is 10% better than the studio version. A little more punch where it is needed.
Yessongs is the best version, although there are other fantastic life versions. Nothing beats Yessongs.
Your mentioning of Rush covering this brought me back 30 years debating with my friends which songs would be on each album: Rush covering Yes songs and Yes covering Rush songs. RIP Neil!
That's the most fun type of debate!
In a book by Rick Wakeman (I know that he’s not on this album) he said of Steve Howe: here’s finally a guitarist that doesn’t want to be Eric Clapton.
This song always puts me in a great mood. It has such an uplifting and powerful vibe to it and really takes you on a journey. It's definitely in my top 5 favorite Yes songs. It actually is a mashup of 3 different songs. The first section, Life Seeker, is an Anderson composition that lays the groundwork. The second section, Disillusion, was originally a section of an older song Chris Squire had written called "For Everyone". It was never released on a studio album, but Yes played it live several times in 1969-70 and has been released on various live compilations, and yes that's Chris Squire singing harmony with Jon. The last section, Wurm, was written by Steve Howe and closes out the song perfectly.
As for the lyrics, Yes always leaves a lot of room for interpretation. I like to think of this album as the first of a series of concept albums that told the story of the people of Sunhillow and how they escaped their doomed planet. This story was told first through Roger Dean's artwork on Fragile, Close to the Edge, Yessongs, Tales from Topographic Oceans and Relayer. Jon Anderson then released "Olias of Sunhillow" which more explicitly told the story through his lyrics. Olias was a man who knew his planet, Sunhillow, was doomed and built the Moorglade Mover (a fish shaped airship) to escape the planet, and guide the fragments together on a new ocean covered world (likely Earth) from which several new human societies spread and sometimes warred with each other, but there was always a longing for their spiritual unity with the planet and nature.
I like to think of this song as the part of the story where Olias warns the people of Sunhillow that their planet is fragile and will soon break into fragments, and that they must build an arc, or airship, to flee the planet and guide the fragments back together on a new world. Wurm is the first launch of the airship, flying like a dragon (or wurm) through the heavens on its maiden voyage. It's unlikely this is what the band intended when they wrote the song, but it's a fun way to interpret the lyrics and I wouldn't be surprised if Roger Dean pictured something similar as he was listening to Yes music while painting the artwork.
That is a nice way to picture Würm. Thank you.
Yes, It's Squire harmonising with Jon on vocals on the Disillusion section. I think that section was originally written by Squire and was part of a song from a previous band. Wurm was written by Howe and was also part of a song from a previous band...
Your comparisons are great to watch.
One of my all time favourite Yes songs, learned the guitar outro from a friend , still my party piece on guitar, even though most have never heard it awesome song from a brilliant album
When you listen to this again, listen to the live version from "YesSongs". It's considerably better than the original which you played.
By the time the live version was recorded, the guys had been playing it for nearly a decade to audiences around the world and they've got it in their hip pockets.
Hmm, not quite a decade. More like a couple years. The version on Yessongs (which is the same as the film), was actually the first ever live performance of "Starship Trooper". It was never a part of the setlists for The Yes Album or Fragile tours, and didn't appear in the CTTE tour setlist until after the American tour. They obviously decided to add it and rehearsed it before the winter '72 tour began in London.
Another great breakdown of a great song. Couldn’t ask for more.
Make sure you listen to it again with big woofers. Lots of classic rock music has a lot to say in the low end of the audio spectrum. Lots of this low end experience is lost on headphones or, tiny little bass drivers.
Thanks for the fun !
This song has always been one of my favorites by Yes. There are so many great moments, it's like candy to my ears. I'm beginning to see the Chet Atkins influence on Howe. That transition to the bluegrass style picking was a fun moment, very Atkins like. Instrumentally everybody shines in this song. Nice choice and reaction.
Justin you're still working on the J&V "Friends of Mr Cairo" album? Also look forward to your next Rush installment.
Incredible song, one of my all time favorites. Came out when I was in high school. Maybe my first experience with prog rock.
A Yes classic. Pretty timeless song, never get tired of a great jam. Nice review as well. Cheers. I just love Chris Squire and his bass playing. He is one of the special ones who plays like a lead guitar and when he has to fill, he can FILL!
Justin, You do a great job in breaking down all the songs you review on your channel. Yes is my favorite band, started listening to them in 1975 and have seen them live around 30 times. Great live band!!!! Wondering if you may consider reacting to some of their live performances. Also looking forward to you finishing up the Yes Album and well as other studio albums such as Tales, Tormato, Yes (their first Album), Time and Word, Drama. Then there's the 80's and 90's stuff, with different line ups.. A lot of material. Glad to see you get this band and what they've brought to the table in the history of rock. Thanks
Ty so much Doug!
Agreed with most of the comments, you must listen to live versions of this song in yes songs. But thanks for bring me back to this song, I didn't listen it for quite a long time.
This is the slickest Yes track for me. Those vocal harmonies are absolutely beautiful. Don't worry about the lyrics JP, Jon often ventures into the metaphysical. You might have to take up transcendental meditation to understand them. Just a couple of notes. That uplifting feeling your talking about is known as the Yes lift and is often a trademark in their compositions. Makes it feel they're trying to push you into a different dimension. Yes is an early influence for Rush and Geddy often cites Chris Squire as an important influence on the Bass. If anyone can match Steve Howe Chris Squire and Bill Bruford in musicianship it's going to be Geddy, Alex and Neil. Keep listening Justin you're in for a beautiful contrast next song :)
Thanks Gerald!
When I got into Yes it was these songs I heard and, listening to them with lyrics and headphones, I always had to listen to them a few times to feel that I got it. That’s true prog.
The bass lines in this song are the reason I consider Chris Squire the greatest bass player of all time. No one else comes close. I was stunned when he passed away a few years ago without any public warning ahead of time. Such a loss.
Captivating, that's right JP.
After 50 years it still sounds fresh. I still hear something new each time. Today for example it was the 3 part vocal harmonies with the la-la-la chord progressions. Quite intricate. Wurm extended and live was a thrill I am lucky to have witnessed at least 10 times. For me Yes is the gold standard of Progressive rock and Squire was the best in the genre. As I get older I appreciate Jon's cryptic lyrics more than ever, less for their meaning than for their mood. this song is a great example of that. Thank you Justin!
The guitar solo is actually two different takes on different guitars. During mixing they found that it worked perfectly to use alternating phrases from each take. That's why each phrase is panned to the opposite side of the stereo mix. It's like call and response. One of Howe's many inspired and iconic moments.
I love the stereo imaging of this short period in music production, still quite naive but with improving tools.
I enjoyed that after a particularly gruelling session of "home working". Great to wind down with you and YES and to hear your thoughts.
Ty Mark, hope you had a good day at work!