Chris Squire's (RIP) vocal harmonizing is often overlooked because of all the other virtuosity. His contribution to the vocals is immense. He was a choir boy in his youth.
Steve Howe won best all round guitar player in Guitar magazine 5 years in a row in the 70's. He's a freaking genius, super creative and unique. They all are. The inspiration for lyrics came from an article which claims that "sleep is death's little sister", and the lyrics expand on the idea that death could be beautiful. The mountain referenced in the lyrics is a goal humanity struggles to attain, after which there is death, a set of transitions leading to "eternal sleep or the next life span". In the liner notes of the remastered edition of Fragile, it is said that this song is about a tragic polar expedition that ends in death, as evidenced by lyrics such as "A river, a mountain to be crossed/ the sunshine, in mountains sometimes lost/ around the south side, so cold that we cried" and "The moments, seem lost in all the noise/ a snow storm, a stimulating voice".[5] In the second half of the song, the references to the cold switch to lyrics that seem to reflect hypothermia, such as "Of warmth of the sky/ of warmth when you die" and "Were we ever warmer on that day". In the introduction to this song in Yes' 2003 concert at the Montreux Jazz Festival, Jon Anderson said, "This is a song about climbing mountains... It's dangerous, but we all must climb mountains every day."
They took him off the list and declared him a hall of fame member. He would of won more. I think they wanted hair metal guitar players at time to match their magizines content. He doesn't even make the top 100 best guitarist lists today.
@@RandallMorelli Those lists are beyond silly, just clickbait, I ignore them. I didnt know they took him off the list. Steve doesn't have that "cool" factor like Jimmy page or whatever, though people who appreciate good music shouldnt really care.
Best...band...ever. Thanks for reacting to YES. If you figure out the meaning of the lyrics, you'll probably be the first to do so, they are providing a MUSICAL buffet. Eat up.😁
I saw an interview with Jon Anderson about his lyrics. His method is just the opposite of say someone like Leonard Cohen who labours over each line for weeks, and every verse is deeply considered with profound meaning. Jon said that he just sits in a chair, smokes a big bowl and the words just come. In other words, it's just stream of consciousness. Nothing wrong with that though. The meanings are inadvertent; there is meaning, but it's the meaning that the listener brings to it. By the way, to this reactor here, I really dig how you appreciate Steve Howe. He is one of the most accomplished and unique guitarists on the planet. This is because he is an elf.
These guys are aliens from another planet. Their musicianship and songwriting skills are off the charts. The albums to focus on a The Yes Album, Fragile, and Close to the Edge. I've been listening to them for 50 years and never tire. Over the years, most bands I've stopped listening to, but Yes writes such beautiful, complex, dynamically charged and emotionally moving music, it's the music that just keep giving. Nothing like them.
One part relates to dying at altitude, the chorus: "were we ever colder on that day" But then later in the song it goes "were we ever warmer on that day" Thus relating, when dying from hypothermia, the phenomena of the feeling of warmth when near the end of freezing to death. Victims of hypothermia will sometimes start sheding off their cold weather gear because of this false feeling of warmth, thus hastening their death, not on purpose.
no one’s mad at you because we can’t understand the lyrics either. 😂 i just take it as another instrument. the drummer is Alan White but on these early studio albums, the drummer was Bill Bruford… another genius
The synthesizer is a Mini-Moog, developed by the late Robert Moog in the mid-sixties to give keyboardists an affordable, portable lead instrument. They are still being manufactured today.
Those guys are all virtuosos - Yes is the very definition of mastery. Every one of them here, the classic lineup. Steve Howe is easily one of my top 3 favorite guitarists, maybe the best - you've only got the tip of the iceberg so far. Maybe you'll graduate to one of the epics soon, Close to the Edge (the song), Awaken, Gates of Delirium, Ritual, for starters - they've done quite a few. No one plays bass like Squire, he revolutionized the instrument, and influenced generations. This keyboardist/synth player, Rick Wakeman, he's in a class by himself (OK, maybe Keith Emerson) - he's the real guy. The fellow you saw in the symphonic concert, he's a hired musician - a really good one, and he played Wakeman's parts well enough, but maybe you can feel the difference with Rick. Mastery. About the lyrics (and Jon Anderson is the real creative genius behind Yes - they're all musical geniuses, but Jon's the heart and soul), well first, just look up the lyrics dude! Google'll give them to you in a second - they're worth it. And you really have to hear the studio versions to hear them all, let alone the technical perfection of those performances and production - go back for those on your own time, they reward. But second, they're highly impressionistic - some say cosmic gobbledigook, but that's unfair. They're profound, but rarely straightforward. You should know what he's saying, but really you have to FEEL them more than think about them (though both can be rewarding). They speak to you like dreams. He's casting spells of images that touch the listener deeply and uniquely, sometimes like a Rorschach test. They're always a spiritual journey. Make of them what you will, compare notes with others, but they WILL move you. Dive into the epics, I think you're ready. You can only glimpse what Yes is really communicating before that. Enjoy your discoveries!
That's Steve Howe on the guitar. Rick Wakman on keyboards. Both are excellent. Don't worry about the lyrics. Many of the lyrics are put there just because they sound good so some of the songs don't have a meaning other than what you feel inside and imagine. I suggest you do "Awaken" next. It takes you on an uplifting spiritual journey. Here's a great live version: czcams.com/video/nDXccU0xgNo/video.html or the studio version. But it's amazing how close the live version is to the studio version.
Now do yourself & listen to the studio album version, which I love more than this live version. Also, no slight to Alan White who was a great drummer, but the studio version features exceptional contributions from Bruford on the drums...
In every Yes video in which you comment on how you are digging the guitarist, the guitarist is Steve Howe. So I guess you really do dig his style. And so does every Yes fan.
That's the one and only Steve Howe riffing on that there old gueetar. And Mr. Rick Wakeman on all 27 keyboards. So Yes have had many members over the years but this here from 2003 was the real core members back together after some time apart. Jon Anderson, Steve Howe, Rick Wakeman, Chris Squire and Alan White. The one and only Real YES in many old fans opinions. The BEST Yes line-up you could hope for, and the line-up on most of the best works over the decades. My fave bunch for sure.
In his prime Steve Howe, the guitar player, was voted 5 years in a row the best overall guitar player by the readers of Guitar Player magazine. He is incredibly versatile, and he is particularly fabulous on acoustic and classical guitar. When he joined the band in 1972 Alan White, the drummer has just 2-3 days to learn the band’s repertoire of very complex songs before his first show!
Steve Howe was voted "Best Overall Guitarist" in Guitar Player magazine five years in a row (1977-1981) and in 1981 was the first rock guitar player inducted into the Guitar Player Hall of Fame. The only other two guitarists to win the "Best Overall Guitarist" category for the "Gallery of Greats" are Steve Morse and Eric Johnson.
Hi! Stopped by to watch your reaction to my Fav Band! I’ve been fortunate to have Seen them live 50+ times😊 Yes is the #1 Progressive Rock Band! Steve Howe(guitar), Chris Squire(Bass), & Rick Wakeman(keyboards) all voted Best in the World! Jon Anderson uses his voice as his instrument & his lyrics are ethereal and literal and not literal, or used if they just sounded good in that place!😉 So interpretation of Jon’s lyrics …there have been College courses made to discuss and determine their meaning😮😊 Jon was born in England and has a Scottish Father, and Irish/French Mom. You hear his accent in his unique use of his vocals. Jon & Chris’s harmonies are Incredible ❤ If you go on may I suggest: Starship Trooper Yours is No Disgrace Long Distance Run Around Heart of the Sunrise And you and I Wondrous Stories Machine Messiah Siberian Khatru **Then you would Appreciate: Close to the Edge Awaken Gates of Delirium So much more!
Guitarist Steve Howe playing in the high register notes is always sharp and clear and never screachy and harsh on the ear. I agree with your observation on that. The other thing is it's always harmonious and going somewhere afterwards, it doesn't just screach to a dramatic halt and then a total re-boot like you hear so often in rock. Everything Steve does is musically exactly what is required and deliberate.
Steve Howe is the lead gutar player. One of the best ever in my opinion. And Rick Wakeman on keybords. Alan White on drums, sadly Alan passed away about a year a go.
YES! 😊 This is one of my favorites from early YES. Thanks for reviewing this particular live version. The jam at the end reminds me of how much fun it was to see them perform live!
despite the awesome jam at the end of the live versions, the studio version is my favorite. As a bass player, you really need to hear Chris on this track, as well as Bill on the drums. Thanks for the reaction brother!
Silicon Valley reference! Also, the stank face is always ready when Steve Howe fires up his licks. Never over-distorted and always with a satisfying midrange tone that fills the gaps in the frequency range nicely. People calling to react to studio versions have a good point: the versions of the songs that were deemed the best foot forward are definitely the reference point for most fans. But a good live version really highlights each member's contributions, puts faces to performances. If you want a treat, Yes was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with Geddy Lee from Rush on bass for a great performance of Roundabout. For a bonus, also check out the speech Rick Wakeman (blonde keyboardist) gave at that same night 😂
Keith Levene, one of the founder members of the Flowers of Romance, The Clash and Public Image Ltd cited Howe as one of his main influences and "the greatest f**king guitarist in the world", and progressive rock as a genre he particularly liked.
This song is about dying on a mountain and looking back upon it. It's part of the concept of the album about going on a trip and dying and looking back from above on the events. All the major songs on the album follows this storyline in some way. At least that's what I remember from 40+ years ago.
Extended solos and slower than the original but a GOOD ONE on your 70's YES journey. DO NOT get twisted into a knot over YES LYRICS! Jon writes for the sonics of the words and then forms his metaphoric abstract poetics around the music. He is well-known for this stylistic attribute which intertwines with the unpredictable nature of the music perfectly. This is a mistake many YES novices make. It takes practice like understanding Shakespeare, Picasso or Einstein! LOL. This one is using the mountain climbing as a metaphor for overcoming life's difficult journeys. And no, the singing is just the great voice of Chris, lower voiced Steve & Jon. Rick's keys are matching the vocals. And don't be lured away from Reacting to non 70's YES music because there are many more gems from their classic 70's era to go! "LOOKING FOR THE SUNSHINE)))))))))))))" 🌟
First, congratulations and welcome to the Yes rabbit hole. Second, don’t worry about the lyrics. Jon Anderson wrote stream of consciousness lyrics that hand over the meaning-making to the listener. Total trust. Third, please do a search on both keyboardist Rick Wakeman and Drummer Alan White to discover who they recorded with before joining Yes… holy cow… And we wish you endless joy with future Yes realisations. I won’t even get into the brilliance of Steve Howe on guitar and the GOAT Chris Squire on Bass. Next recommendation: Gates of Delirium , or Sound Chaser, from the album Relayer… the only album featuring jazz fusion keyboardist Patrick Moraz. The studio album versions hit harder. Enjoying your reactions from here in Australia
Drums: ALan White (RIP) he was George Harrison, John Lennon, and Joe Cocker's Drumer before Joining Yes in 1972 to Replace the great Bill Bruford. Bass: Chris Squire (RIP). Guitar: Steve Howe before Joining Yes he was the most desired Guitar player in London he was in a group called Tomorrow, He Co-wrote a lot of songs with Jon Anderson the singer who is the founding menber with Chris Squire. Keyboards is no other than Rick Wakeman, He played Mellotron for David Bowie, and Piano for Cat Steves as well as being a member of the Stwabs until Joining Yes in 1970. He was recentrly Named Commander of the order of Bristish Empire by Queen Elizabeth right before she passed away. That is one step below Knighthood, he received it for his contributions to music in the UK.
Vocals are Jon Anderson, with BGVs by bassist Chris Squire and guitarist Steve Howe. Jon and Chris in particular have voices in very similar ranges and timbre - there are times it is hard to separate Jon's melody from Chris's harmony! For a better illustration of Chris's voice, give his excellent solo album "Fish Out of Water" a listen - you can really tell how much Chris contributed to the sound of Yes over the years (vocally, compositionally, and instrumentally). Another point worth mentioning - this video is from the early 2000s, but the song was originally composed and first recorded in the early 1970s!
like i said in other reactions on yes guitar player his guitar idol was chet atkins the country picking lighting fast style guitar playing and the synth is call a moog which was prevalent in rock in the 70s and jazz fusion in the 80s !
It's just the three of them singing. Jon on lead vocals and Steve Howe and Chris Squire on back up vocals. Chris sang in the church choir when he was younger.
The lyrics are very poetic and somewhat abstract so not easy to predict on a live recording unless you know them already. Plus Jon has a very particular northern British accent, which probably makes it harder for you. This song is one of his slightly more accessible lyrics about mountain climbers dying of cold in the snows and starting to feel strangely warm as death approaches. This becomes a metaphor for persevering through life's challenges and heartaches and eventually breaking through to a place where you die to ego and self-preservation and no longer fear the pains and struggles of existence.The words are an impressionistic series of thoughts and images rather than a straightforward linear narrative, but that's the kind of 'message' he's driving at .
Hey just discovered your channel and and subscribed. Don’t feel about not knowing the lyrics. John writes the lyrics. He says it not about what the lyrics mean, but how they sound. I love a musicians take. Very good reaction.
On stage I think you're getting the voices of Jon Anderson and bassist Chris Squire -- the two guys who started the band -- and maybe sometimes guitarist Steve Howe.
Another great reaction. Love the Yes live versions. Keep going with your Yes reactions and you will keep being amazed. The lyrics and messages are more atmospheric in nature rather than specific in meaning.
Its a good idea to pull up the lyrics and have them handy in case you need them. The band consists of: Jon Anderson - vocals Steve Howe (pronounced HOW, the e is silent) - lead guitar Chris Squire - bass Rick Wakeman - keys Alan White - drums
Lyrics are hard to make out and more symbolic than literal. Ethereal and spiritual for sure. I believe Jon Anderson is a Christian. All of these men were/are genius. And you have a very high musical intelligence. Great reaction. 'Tales from Topographic Oceans' is epic. Particularly 'The Revealing Science of God'. Nothing like this music on the horizon today.
Your Yes journey is growing but you don't know what awaits you once you get through The Yes album then Fragile then you'll hit Close to the Edge Then you'll understand why they are the greatest band that this planet has experienced. Love your reaction.Little suggestion just bring up the lyrics same time as you're listening. As to the harmonies it's Jon, Chris and Steve.
Watch the video again with a printout of the lyrics in front of you. This is considered the "Classic" line up of Yes. To me, the best lineup they ever had. All superb musicians and just simply fun to watch. In this version of the song the lyrics are clearer and easier to understand
YES, the greatest show on earth. Squire, Howe, and Anderson are self-taught. As for YES lyrics, Squire said that Anderson doesn't know what he means. Though the words used are chosen more for their percussive and rhythmic contributions. The meanings well ask Anderson, he turns 80 this year and he will respond to you ✨️🎶🙏🎶✨️
Great reaction to an awesome song. Your musical knowledge helps a lot. One that was one of the least played live songs for many years until the early 2000’s. And I got to see them do this live. But I have to agree with many others in the comments: a much better and easier to hear version of this is the original studio version. Especially, Steven Wilson’s recent remastering of it. The lyrics on this song, was one of Jon’s least abstract set of lyrics ever. This was about an expedition to Mount Everest (I think) and everyone died from cold exposure. They got lost, I think. Jon was watching a PBS special about it, stoned, and wrote this out. You’ll understand them better on the studio version on FRAGILE. It’s all done from the POV of the last man standing. I think he might have kept a diary. The vocals are Jon Anderson on lead, Chris Squire on 2nd harmony (and bass) and Steve Howe on third voice (and guitars). Alan White the drummer might also sing on this. I think he sometimes did. Rick Wakeman on keys never sang to my knowledge. They have had other keyboard players who did. They may have used tapes on this live, because one of the reasons they never performed this live before, from 1971 onwards, was it was very hard to perform live. And it might have been because of the vocal arrangements (usually done by Chris Squire). Oh, and as far the synths are concerned: you are half right: analog synths such as the classic Moog (rhymes with vogue) Mini-Moog Rick played here *did* indeed got out of style and people stopped playing them for a long time, as the digital synths and samplers became more popular. So, people were literally throwing them away and you could often pick them up in garage sales and for $10. But the analog synths have come back! Now, those vintage 70’s synths often go for thousands of dollars. And many companies including Moog, now sell newer versions of them, also going for thousands (the newer ones use some digital tech, so often stay in tune better, plus the circuits including the oscillators, which is the sound producing circuit, are way more stable now. I went down the analog and modular rabbit hole for awhile. Sold all my expensive ones, but kept a few cheaper little ones. And still like to play around with them.
Please listen to the studio versions before these modern live versions as the studio versions have more vitality and fire due to their younger age, this version of SSOTS plods along compared to the studio version.
Don't worry too much about about lyrics. Yes there is an underlying meaning to the songs, BUT, Anderson chose words for their sound over their meaning. His lyrics are more like poetry and he is more like a 'vocal musician' rather than a vocalist. As for the harmonies, it's ALL done by Anderson, Howe (guitarist) and Squire (bassist). You would get a better / clearer experience from their studio recordings (also in the studio version the masterful drummer Bill Bruford - who's not in the video - is a wonder to hear). Also, you are hearing/watching them in their 60s so they are not quite at their peak performance. As someone already mentioned, Steve Howe had won the category of Best Overall Guitarist 5 years straight in Guitar Player magazine. That category capped the individual categories of Rock, Metal, Blues, Jazz and Classical.
Love your videos! A word of advice. Don't fret over the lyrics. Even when you know what the words are you'll spend years trying to understand what they mean. I bought Close to the Edge the day it was released over 50 years ago, I still don't understand.
I have always ignored lyrics if they were not clear and just let them fall into the pool of instruments, after all the voice itself is a musical instrument with or without intelligible lyrics. Listen to Pink Floyd's "Great Gig in the Sky". A beautiful voice with not a single word.
Pronounced "Moag" Jon's lyrics are ethereal and free association. Only Jon knows the meaning, and he's not sharing anytime soon. Everyone interprets music differently, and as much as people tout King Crimson to be the benchmark of Progressive Rock, I think Yes are right there in that conversation. I hope you can do a reaction to King Crimson, so you can hear the comparison of each band's style accordingly. I would suggest "21st Century Schizoid Man" from King Crimson's debut album in 1969...
If you attend church regularly, Yes music will expand your spiritual perception. Jons lyrics are abstract and can be difficult to understand. But when you start to "get it", your deeper sense of understanding what doesn't seem to make sense will cause you to be able to understand difficult biblical passages. And you will find things in the Bible that explains some Yes lyrics. For example, read the lyrics to Roundabout, then read Revelation chapter 4. After a few more simpler Yes songs like Starship Trooper, or Perpetual Change, or maybe Heart Of The Sunrise, you will be ready for the hardcore inspired Yes masterpieces like The Revealing Science Of God (Dance Of The Dawn), and The Gates Of Delirium. And those two are just the beginning of your journey into very serious Yes statements. As for Rush, you are already prepared for their extreme seriousness in their music. Neil Peart is nicknamed Professor not just for being the greatest musician in all music history, but for his encyclopedic mind where those amazing lyrics come from. I think you should start the next Rush chapter with BU2B live. At the concert, Geddy introduced that song as "Brought Up To Believe", but they changed the title to BU2B. Get it? Be You To Be.
Another great reaction! Jon Andersons vocals are difficult to make out for all of us. It's not you. I've followed along with lyric sheets from the albums all my life to understand the lyrics.
Almost always more recent live versions are superior. Better playing because they're better, and technology takes those old crusty versions to new levels. Lyrics often mean absolutely nothing, and they are my favorite. Dont care what anyone, including myself has to say, music stands on its own. Thats what books are for.
Okay, it is now finally time for you to set aside 18 minutes and listen to the studio version of the track "Close To The Edge". You will appreciate Chris Squire on a deeper level, as well as marvel at all the other players. If most of these tracks have sections you call "fire", buckle in for a supernova.
Jon Anderson doesn't write lyrics in the traditional way. The words are not necessarily intended to convey a message, but are rather chosen because they fit in with the melody or rhythm. It's a form of musical Dadaism. Steve Howe (the guitar player) is one of the most-underrated rock guitarists of all times. He's right up there with Jimi, Stevie Ray and Clapton. The drummer is Alan White, one of my idols.
Chris Squire's (RIP) vocal harmonizing is often overlooked because of all the other virtuosity. His contribution to the vocals is immense. He was a choir boy in his youth.
Yeah man.. he was incredible on bass and vocals. Such a key piece of their success and sound.
Self-taught bassist, so was Howe and Anderson self-taught.
@@stratcat3216 and bass pedals and harmonica
Steve Howe won best all round guitar player in Guitar magazine 5 years in a row in the 70's. He's a freaking genius, super creative and unique. They all are. The inspiration for lyrics came from an article which claims that "sleep is death's little sister", and the lyrics expand on the idea that death could be beautiful. The mountain referenced in the lyrics is a goal humanity struggles to attain, after which there is death, a set of transitions leading to "eternal sleep or the next life span". In the liner notes of the remastered edition of Fragile, it is said that this song is about a tragic polar expedition that ends in death, as evidenced by lyrics such as "A river, a mountain to be crossed/ the sunshine, in mountains sometimes lost/ around the south side, so cold that we cried" and "The moments, seem lost in all the noise/ a snow storm, a stimulating voice".[5] In the second half of the song, the references to the cold switch to lyrics that seem to reflect hypothermia, such as "Of warmth of the sky/ of warmth when you die" and "Were we ever warmer on that day". In the introduction to this song in Yes' 2003 concert at the Montreux Jazz Festival, Jon Anderson said, "This is a song about climbing mountains... It's dangerous, but we all must climb mountains every day."
These lyrics are less abstract than most Yes songs. Great under-appreciated song.
And Chris Squire won best bassist 7 times
They took him off the list and declared him a hall of fame member. He would of won more. I think they wanted hair metal guitar players at time to match their magizines content.
He doesn't even make the top 100 best guitarist lists today.
@@RandallMorelli Those lists are beyond silly, just clickbait, I ignore them. I didnt know they took him off the list. Steve doesn't have that "cool" factor like Jimmy page or whatever, though people who appreciate good music shouldnt really care.
riffinout is Steve Howe. band full of geniuses. all complement each other so well
Vocal harmonies provided in both the studio albums and what we often see in live concert videos online were from the band members.
Jon & Chris with Steve coming in at times with the original line-ups.
Best...band...ever. Thanks for reacting to YES. If you figure out the meaning of the lyrics, you'll probably be the first to do so, they are providing a MUSICAL buffet. Eat up.😁
I usually comment, trying to decipher Anderson lyrics will melt your brain.
I saw an interview with Jon Anderson about his lyrics. His method is just the opposite of say someone like Leonard Cohen who labours over each line for weeks, and every verse is deeply considered with profound meaning. Jon said that he just sits in a chair, smokes a big bowl and the words just come. In other words, it's just stream of consciousness. Nothing wrong with that though. The meanings are inadvertent; there is meaning, but it's the meaning that the listener brings to it. By the way, to this reactor here, I really dig how you appreciate Steve Howe. He is one of the most accomplished and unique guitarists on the planet. This is because he is an elf.
@@user-th3ll8rl7i An elf?? That's interesting. 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Steve Howe, the greatest guitar player there ever was with the greatest band there ever was or will ever be!🤩
Agree 1000% not 100.
These guys are aliens from another planet. Their musicianship and songwriting skills are off the charts. The albums to focus on a The Yes Album, Fragile, and Close to the Edge. I've been listening to them for 50 years and never tire. Over the years, most bands I've stopped listening to, but Yes writes such beautiful, complex, dynamically charged and emotionally moving music, it's the music that just keep giving. Nothing like them.
One part relates to dying at altitude, the chorus: "were we ever colder on that day" But then later in the song it goes "were we ever warmer on that day"
Thus relating, when dying from hypothermia, the phenomena of the feeling of warmth when near the end of freezing to death.
Victims of hypothermia will sometimes start sheding off their cold weather gear because of this false feeling of warmth, thus hastening their death, not on purpose.
no one’s mad at you because we can’t understand the lyrics either. 😂 i just take it as another instrument. the drummer is Alan White but on these early studio albums, the drummer was Bill Bruford… another genius
Please listen to the STUDIO versions. Please.
Steve Howe on guitar. Unique in style and very fleet of finger.
The one and only Mr. Steve Howe!🔥
Alan White on drums. Great drummer passed away a couple years ago. RIP
The synthesizer is a Mini-Moog, developed by the late Robert Moog in the mid-sixties to give keyboardists an affordable, portable lead instrument. They are still being manufactured today.
Those guys are all virtuosos - Yes is the very definition of mastery. Every one of them here, the classic lineup. Steve Howe is easily one of my top 3 favorite guitarists, maybe the best - you've only got the tip of the iceberg so far. Maybe you'll graduate to one of the epics soon, Close to the Edge (the song), Awaken, Gates of Delirium, Ritual, for starters - they've done quite a few. No one plays bass like Squire, he revolutionized the instrument, and influenced generations. This keyboardist/synth player, Rick Wakeman, he's in a class by himself (OK, maybe Keith Emerson) - he's the real guy. The fellow you saw in the symphonic concert, he's a hired musician - a really good one, and he played Wakeman's parts well enough, but maybe you can feel the difference with Rick. Mastery. About the lyrics (and Jon Anderson is the real creative genius behind Yes - they're all musical geniuses, but Jon's the heart and soul), well first, just look up the lyrics dude! Google'll give them to you in a second - they're worth it. And you really have to hear the studio versions to hear them all, let alone the technical perfection of those performances and production - go back for those on your own time, they reward. But second, they're highly impressionistic - some say cosmic gobbledigook, but that's unfair. They're profound, but rarely straightforward. You should know what he's saying, but really you have to FEEL them more than think about them (though both can be rewarding). They speak to you like dreams. He's casting spells of images that touch the listener deeply and uniquely, sometimes like a Rorschach test. They're always a spiritual journey. Make of them what you will, compare notes with others, but they WILL move you. Dive into the epics, I think you're ready. You can only glimpse what Yes is really communicating before that. Enjoy your discoveries!
Yes is an experience. Yes is a journey. Spiritual. I love them. I also love Genesis.
Yes greatest ptog band
That's Steve Howe on the guitar. Rick Wakman on keyboards. Both are excellent. Don't worry about the lyrics. Many of the lyrics are put there just because they sound good so some of the songs don't have a meaning other than what you feel inside and imagine. I suggest you do "Awaken" next. It takes you on an uplifting spiritual journey. Here's a great live version: czcams.com/video/nDXccU0xgNo/video.html or the studio version. But it's amazing how close the live version is to the studio version.
Awaken . I second that suggestion
Now do yourself & listen to the studio album version, which I love more than this live version. Also, no slight to Alan White who was a great drummer, but the studio version features exceptional contributions from Bruford on the drums...
In every Yes video in which you comment on how you are digging the guitarist, the guitarist is Steve Howe. So I guess you really do dig his style. And so does every Yes fan.
When i meet someone who doesn't like yes, i tell them to listen to just the bass. Chris will impress anyone.
Those three are harmonizing, Jon Anderson, Chris Squire and Steve Howe.
In Europe, I think they pronounce the synthesizer MOWG, as in mow the lawn.
Love seeing you dig the call n response (during last part of the song) between Steve and Rick
That's the one and only Steve Howe riffing on that there old gueetar. And Mr. Rick Wakeman on all 27 keyboards. So Yes have had many members over the years but this here from 2003 was the real core members back together after some time apart. Jon Anderson, Steve Howe, Rick Wakeman, Chris Squire and Alan White. The one and only Real YES in many old fans opinions. The BEST Yes line-up you could hope for, and the line-up on most of the best works over the decades. My fave bunch for sure.
In his prime Steve Howe, the guitar player, was voted 5 years in a row the best overall guitar player by the readers of Guitar Player magazine. He is incredibly versatile, and he is particularly fabulous on acoustic and classical guitar. When he joined the band in 1972 Alan White, the drummer has just 2-3 days to learn the band’s repertoire of very complex songs before his first show!
Steve Howe was voted "Best Overall Guitarist" in Guitar Player magazine five years in a row (1977-1981) and in 1981 was the first rock guitar player inducted into the Guitar Player Hall of Fame. The only other two guitarists to win the "Best Overall Guitarist" category for the "Gallery of Greats" are Steve Morse and Eric Johnson.
Hi! Stopped by to watch your reaction to my Fav Band!
I’ve been fortunate to have Seen them live 50+ times😊
Yes is the #1 Progressive Rock Band!
Steve Howe(guitar), Chris Squire(Bass), & Rick Wakeman(keyboards) all voted Best in the World!
Jon Anderson uses his voice as his instrument & his lyrics are ethereal and literal and not literal, or used if they just sounded good in that place!😉 So interpretation of Jon’s lyrics …there have been College courses made to discuss and determine their meaning😮😊
Jon was born in England and has a Scottish Father, and Irish/French Mom. You hear his accent in his unique use of his vocals.
Jon & Chris’s harmonies are Incredible ❤
If you go on may I suggest:
Starship Trooper
Yours is No Disgrace
Long Distance Run Around
Heart of the Sunrise
And you and I
Wondrous Stories
Machine Messiah
Siberian Khatru
**Then you would Appreciate:
Close to the Edge
Awaken
Gates of Delirium
So much more!
So happy that you like Yes, and Rush too
I like your facial expressions during the song
Guitarist Steve Howe playing in the high register notes is always sharp and clear and never screachy and harsh on the ear. I agree with your observation on that. The other thing is it's always harmonious and going somewhere afterwards, it doesn't just screach to a dramatic halt and then a total re-boot like you hear so often in rock. Everything Steve does is musically exactly what is required and deliberate.
Steve Howe is the lead gutar player. One of the best ever in my opinion. And Rick Wakeman on keybords. Alan White on drums, sadly Alan passed away about a year a go.
YES! 😊 This is one of my favorites from early YES. Thanks for reviewing this particular live version. The jam at the end reminds me of how much fun it was to see them perform live!
underrated song
This one is using the experience of mountain climbing as a metaphor for overcoming life's difficult journeys.
despite the awesome jam at the end of the live versions, the studio version is my favorite. As a bass player, you really need to hear Chris on this track, as well as Bill on the drums. Thanks for the reaction brother!
Jon basically describes the song at the beginning stuckl in a blizzard doing their best to keep warm
Silicon Valley reference!
Also, the stank face is always ready when Steve Howe fires up his licks. Never over-distorted and always with a satisfying midrange tone that fills the gaps in the frequency range nicely.
People calling to react to studio versions have a good point: the versions of the songs that were deemed the best foot forward are definitely the reference point for most fans. But a good live version really highlights each member's contributions, puts faces to performances.
If you want a treat, Yes was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with Geddy Lee from Rush on bass for a great performance of Roundabout. For a bonus, also check out the speech Rick Wakeman (blonde keyboardist) gave at that same night 😂
Thanks for reaction sir! Love these guys.
Keith Levene, one of the founder members of the Flowers of Romance, The Clash and Public Image Ltd cited Howe as one of his main influences and "the greatest f**king guitarist in the world", and progressive rock as a genre he particularly liked.
Mr. Rick Wakeman on keyboards.
This song is about dying on a mountain and looking back upon it.
It's part of the concept of the album about going on a trip and dying and looking back from above on the events. All the major songs on the album follows this storyline in some way. At least that's what I remember from 40+ years ago.
Extended solos and slower than the original but a GOOD ONE on your 70's YES journey. DO NOT get twisted into a knot over YES LYRICS! Jon writes for the sonics of the words and then forms his metaphoric abstract poetics around the music. He is well-known for this stylistic attribute which intertwines with the unpredictable nature of the music perfectly. This is a mistake many YES novices make. It takes practice like understanding Shakespeare, Picasso or Einstein! LOL. This one is using the mountain climbing as a metaphor for overcoming life's difficult journeys. And no, the singing is just the great voice of Chris, lower voiced Steve & Jon. Rick's keys are matching the vocals. And don't be lured away from Reacting to non 70's YES music because there are many more gems from their classic 70's era to go! "LOOKING FOR THE SUNSHINE)))))))))))))" 🌟
Hahaa 😂 Gilfoyle (from HBO’s Silicon Valley) … I never realized that, and now I can’t unsee it! (Steve Howe’s somewhat doppelgänger)
Lead guitar player: Steve Howe
Well done noticing the ghost notes on snare drum
Hey I love you doing yes dude but please try to keep your comments till the end of the song😊😊
First, congratulations and welcome to the Yes rabbit hole.
Second, don’t worry about the lyrics. Jon Anderson wrote stream of consciousness lyrics that hand over the meaning-making to the listener. Total trust.
Third, please do a search on both keyboardist Rick Wakeman and Drummer Alan White to discover who they recorded with before joining Yes… holy cow…
And we wish you endless joy with future Yes realisations.
I won’t even get into the brilliance of Steve Howe on guitar and the GOAT Chris Squire on Bass.
Next recommendation: Gates of Delirium , or Sound Chaser, from the album Relayer… the only album featuring jazz fusion keyboardist Patrick Moraz. The studio album versions hit harder.
Enjoying your reactions from here in Australia
Steve Howe is the guitarist's name, and he is my all time favorite.
Drums: ALan White (RIP) he was George Harrison, John Lennon, and Joe Cocker's Drumer before Joining Yes in 1972 to Replace the great Bill Bruford. Bass: Chris Squire (RIP). Guitar: Steve Howe before Joining Yes he was the most desired Guitar player in London he was in a group called Tomorrow, He Co-wrote a lot of songs with Jon Anderson the singer who is the founding menber with Chris Squire. Keyboards is no other than Rick Wakeman, He played Mellotron for David Bowie, and Piano for Cat Steves as well as being a member of the Stwabs until Joining Yes in 1970. He was recentrly Named Commander of the order of Bristish Empire by Queen Elizabeth right before she passed away. That is one step below Knighthood, he received it for his contributions to music in the UK.
Vocals are Jon Anderson, with BGVs by bassist Chris Squire and guitarist Steve Howe. Jon and Chris in particular have voices in very similar ranges and timbre - there are times it is hard to separate Jon's melody from Chris's harmony! For a better illustration of Chris's voice, give his excellent solo album "Fish Out of Water" a listen - you can really tell how much Chris contributed to the sound of Yes over the years (vocally, compositionally, and instrumentally).
Another point worth mentioning - this video is from the early 2000s, but the song was originally composed and first recorded in the early 1970s!
like i said in other reactions on yes guitar player his guitar idol was chet atkins the country picking lighting fast style guitar playing and the synth is call a moog which was prevalent in rock in the 70s and jazz fusion in the 80s !
It's just the three of them singing. Jon on lead vocals and Steve Howe and Chris Squire on back up vocals. Chris sang in the church choir when he was younger.
Yes, most of the lyrics in Yes are cryptic. Even when you can understand them, you often still can't understand them.
Great reaction!! You need to hear Heart of the Sunrise, but studio version please!!
Everything you hear will now be compared to YES and nothing will compete..
Steve Howe has mad chips, he's my favorite guitarist ever for sureee
The lyrics are very poetic and somewhat abstract so not easy to predict on a live recording unless you know them already. Plus Jon has a very particular northern British accent, which probably makes it harder for you. This song is one of his slightly more accessible lyrics about mountain climbers dying of cold in the snows and starting to feel strangely warm as death approaches. This becomes a metaphor for persevering through life's challenges and heartaches and eventually breaking through to a place where you die to ego and self-preservation and no longer fear the pains and struggles of existence.The words are an impressionistic series of thoughts and images rather than a straightforward linear narrative, but that's the kind of 'message' he's driving at .
Great choice for a Yes reaction
Steve Howe is awesome on guitar. You can also hear him in the early Asia albums
Studio version is better. Live always excellent with YES, just doesn’t quite have the sonic depth for my ears.
Yes, the studio version is a great deal better, imo.
Hey just discovered your channel and and subscribed. Don’t feel about not knowing the lyrics. John writes the lyrics. He says it not about what the lyrics mean, but how they sound. I love a musicians take. Very good reaction.
On stage I think you're getting the voices of Jon Anderson and bassist Chris Squire -- the two guys who started the band -- and maybe sometimes guitarist Steve Howe.
The other vocals are actually Rick Wakeman on the voice synth
Listen to anything from yessongs
you're in for a ride bro !
Another great reaction. Love the Yes live versions. Keep going with your Yes reactions and you will keep being amazed. The lyrics and messages are more atmospheric in nature rather than specific in meaning.
Its a good idea to pull up the lyrics and have them handy in case you need them. The band consists of:
Jon Anderson - vocals
Steve Howe (pronounced HOW, the e is silent) - lead guitar
Chris Squire - bass
Rick Wakeman - keys
Alan White - drums
Lyrics are hard to make out and more symbolic than literal. Ethereal and spiritual for sure. I believe Jon Anderson is a Christian. All of these men were/are genius. And you have a very high musical intelligence. Great reaction. 'Tales from Topographic Oceans' is epic. Particularly 'The Revealing Science of God'. Nothing like this music on the horizon today.
Your Yes journey is growing but you don't know what awaits you once you get through The Yes album then Fragile then you'll hit Close to the Edge Then you'll understand why they are the greatest band that this planet has experienced. Love your reaction.Little suggestion just bring up the lyrics same time as you're listening. As to the harmonies it's Jon, Chris and Steve.
Watch the video again with a printout of the lyrics in front of you. This is considered the "Classic" line up of Yes. To me, the best lineup they ever had. All superb musicians and just simply fun to watch. In this version of the song the lyrics are clearer and easier to understand
The studeo verson is even more fire.
Love it when you do the live versions...thank you!
Rick Wakeman was playing an old Mini Moog. Nothing quite sounds the same.
try long distance runaround ! same album
With Yes you don't need to worry about the lyrics too much, just let yourself be taken away.....
Love Ya Church Boy! Check out That That Is. It will make you cry ❤️🔥
Bro , this one Hits ...
Tremendous inventory , this Group .
Steve Howe is the guitarist. Also back up vocals.
Glad you didn't make the mistake a lot of reactors do and try Close to the Edge too soon. Being a musician you're about ready for it.
Finally!¡! A decent pick🎉
You should listen to the album version. After they have played this song for the ten thousanth time, it loses its freshness.
Yes lyrics are incomprensible, don't knock yourself out.
YES, the greatest show on earth. Squire, Howe, and Anderson are self-taught. As for YES lyrics, Squire said that Anderson doesn't know what he means. Though the words used are chosen more for their percussive and rhythmic contributions. The meanings well ask Anderson, he turns 80 this year and he will respond to you
✨️🎶🙏🎶✨️
Great reaction to an awesome song. Your musical knowledge helps a lot. One that was one of the least played live songs for many years until the early 2000’s. And I got to see them do this live.
But I have to agree with many others in the comments: a much better and easier to hear version of this is the original studio version. Especially, Steven Wilson’s recent remastering of it.
The lyrics on this song, was one of Jon’s least abstract set of lyrics ever. This was about an expedition to Mount Everest (I think) and everyone died from cold exposure. They got lost, I think. Jon was watching a PBS special about it, stoned, and wrote this out. You’ll understand them better on the studio version on FRAGILE.
It’s all done from the POV of the last man standing. I think he might have kept a diary.
The vocals are Jon Anderson on lead, Chris Squire on 2nd harmony (and bass) and Steve Howe on third voice (and guitars). Alan White the drummer might also sing on this. I think he sometimes did. Rick Wakeman on keys never sang to my knowledge. They have had other keyboard players who did.
They may have used tapes on this live, because one of the reasons they never performed this live before, from 1971 onwards, was it was very hard to perform live. And it might have been because of the vocal arrangements (usually done by Chris Squire).
Oh, and as far the synths are concerned: you are half right: analog synths such as the classic Moog (rhymes with vogue) Mini-Moog Rick played here *did* indeed got out of style and people stopped playing them for a long time, as the digital synths and samplers became more popular.
So, people were literally throwing them away and you could often pick them up in garage sales and for $10.
But the analog synths have come back! Now, those vintage 70’s synths often go for thousands of dollars. And many companies including Moog, now sell newer versions of them, also going for thousands (the newer ones use some digital tech, so often stay in tune better, plus the circuits including the oscillators, which is the sound producing circuit, are way more stable now.
I went down the analog and modular rabbit hole for awhile. Sold all my expensive ones, but kept a few cheaper little ones. And still like to play around with them.
Please listen to the studio versions before these modern live versions as the studio versions have more vitality and fire due to their younger age, this version of SSOTS plods along compared to the studio version.
Don't worry too much about about lyrics. Yes there is an underlying meaning to the songs, BUT, Anderson chose words for their sound over their meaning. His lyrics are more like poetry and he is more like a 'vocal musician' rather than a vocalist. As for the harmonies, it's ALL done by Anderson, Howe (guitarist) and Squire (bassist). You would get a better / clearer experience from their studio recordings (also in the studio version the masterful drummer Bill Bruford - who's not in the video - is a wonder to hear). Also, you are hearing/watching them in their 60s so they are not quite at their peak performance. As someone already mentioned, Steve Howe had won the category of Best Overall Guitarist 5 years straight in Guitar Player magazine. That category capped the individual categories of Rock, Metal, Blues, Jazz and Classical.
Love your videos! A word of advice. Don't fret over the lyrics. Even when you know what the words are you'll spend years trying to understand what they mean. I bought Close to the Edge the day it was released over 50 years ago, I still don't understand.
You might have some hearing loss. I do and have trouble understanding some words also.
Great band tho. Loved the solos by Steve and Rick at the end.
I have always ignored lyrics if they were not clear and just let them fall into the pool of instruments, after all the voice itself is a musical instrument with or without intelligible lyrics. Listen to Pink Floyd's "Great Gig in the Sky". A beautiful voice with not a single word.
Pronounced "Moag" Jon's lyrics are ethereal and free association. Only Jon knows the meaning, and he's not sharing anytime soon. Everyone interprets music differently, and as much as people tout King Crimson to be the benchmark of Progressive Rock, I think Yes are right there in that conversation. I hope you can do a reaction to King Crimson, so you can hear the comparison of each band's style accordingly. I would suggest "21st Century Schizoid Man" from King Crimson's debut album in 1969...
If you attend church regularly, Yes music will expand your spiritual perception. Jons lyrics are abstract and can be difficult to understand. But when you start to "get it", your deeper sense of understanding what doesn't seem to make sense will cause you to be able to understand difficult biblical passages. And you will find things in the Bible that explains some Yes lyrics. For example, read the lyrics to Roundabout, then read Revelation chapter 4. After a few more simpler Yes songs like Starship Trooper, or Perpetual Change, or maybe Heart Of The Sunrise, you will be ready for the hardcore inspired Yes masterpieces like The Revealing Science Of God (Dance Of The Dawn), and The Gates Of Delirium. And those two are just the beginning of your journey into very serious Yes statements.
As for Rush, you are already prepared for their extreme seriousness in their music. Neil Peart is nicknamed Professor not just for being the greatest musician in all music history, but for his encyclopedic mind where those amazing lyrics come from. I think you should start the next Rush chapter with BU2B live. At the concert, Geddy introduced that song as "Brought Up To Believe", but they changed the title to BU2B. Get it? Be You To Be.
IMHO, the videographers did *not* do Steve Howe justice here ... so many incredible licks that should’ve been filmed and included.
Yes, that’s what happens when you hire people who aren’t even familiar with the music they are supposed to be filming.
You need to check out the album version of Siberian Khatru! Wowza!
Another great reaction! Jon Andersons vocals are difficult to make out for all of us. It's not you. I've followed along with lyric sheets from the albums all my life to understand the lyrics.
Album version is better! Fragile album. Thanks for tuning to this great band!
Refusal to play superior studio baffles
Almost always more recent live versions are superior. Better playing because they're better, and technology takes those old crusty versions to new levels.
Lyrics often mean absolutely nothing, and they are my favorite. Dont care what anyone, including myself has to say, music stands on its own. Thats what books are for.
@@evankeal opposite of true. Youre a menace
@@user-qb2ze8pn9c ah, name-calling. Good luck.
BTW that perm is all natural. I have hair like that.
Mini-moog
shoulda listened to the studio version
Okay, it is now finally time for you to set aside 18 minutes and listen to the studio version of the track "Close To The Edge". You will appreciate Chris Squire on a deeper level, as well as marvel at all the other players. If most of these tracks have sections you call "fire", buckle in for a supernova.
Jon Anderson doesn't write lyrics in the traditional way. The words are not necessarily intended to convey a message, but are rather chosen because they fit in with the melody or rhythm. It's a form of musical Dadaism.
Steve Howe (the guitar player) is one of the most-underrated rock guitarists of all times. He's right up there with Jimi, Stevie Ray and Clapton.
The drummer is Alan White, one of my idols.
Watch "Yours is no disgrace ". Steve Howe is at his best. Watch the Yessongs version. Live from 1972.
Gibson makes a Steve Howe model of his Gibson ES 175 guitar
Its a mini moog.