Tribute To YES Band: Pre Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame

Tribute To YES Band: Pre Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame

By: Michael D. Tobin

March 12, 2017

YES in London 1972 getty images  WSJ article 031217

  I just read about YES being inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame a couple days ago, but just saw another article today from, strange as it sounds, The Wall Street Journal. On April 7, 2017, YES will be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. So a whole cacophony of thoughts began scattering throughout my brain, some re-occurring, and some fresh, such as, "what is the WSJ doing writing about YES?" And, "Hey! Wouldn't it be cool to see YES with GooGoo Dolls!" And then there is, "WOW man. I've always been fascinated by inspirations behind crazy, brilliant and profound music." And even this thought, that I've often had for at least the past 10 years since It actually occurred to me. And that is, "You know? YES is the only band I know of who hasn't had to resort to 'throwing' out a song to fill album space. Or maybe to fulfill production contracts. Or for ANY reason! EVERY SINGLE SONG is a masterpiece!" And YES, all these exclamation points are in my head too. Don't ask.
  But onward. So I then came to my concluding descriptive to myself on just how brilliant YES's career has been, I thought to myself: "Hey, Mike, I can't think of anybody else who seems to have that going on. Is it purposeful? Or are they just touched by God, and have no other choice? I don't know but I'd bet they have a great sense of work ethics, and wouldn't have it any other way. PLUS they have to be inspired by God. Not even the devil is that good. But as far back as I could really think of, who for some odd reason, also never had anything other than a masterpiece, was Bethoven. And Bach. And others in their day. Wow, Mike. I wonder if anyone else has noticed these things about YES." 
  ANYWAY! I've always been a fan of YES because there was something there I couldn't fathom, but someday I'd figure it out. And no it wasn't witchcraft, magic or any other mindless examples to explain what some despise as a result of themselves being unable to reach out of their prison boxes. At the time, innovative artists relied on what electronics was capable of. And now being in the E-digital age, I now know that Yes, Weather Report and Rush, mainly, and even Frank Zappa, have stumbled upon what computer experts today may not even be clued as to just what is even more possible than the average Joe could ever imagine. Basically, if you listen to live versions, and LP versions of the productions of the 70's and prior, you'll see they weren't able to match the studio version while live. But now with digital recording/loop tech in keyboards/drums and other instruments, with a little more work and effort, both can be the same. One thing I've always known as I listened to the mentioned groups in the past, is that I could see and was and still are, thrilled at all the cards they seem(ed) to have up their sleeves, as they strove to go beyond the typical skills and talent. Words can barely briefly explain my take on YES, so just check out this quote from the article Wall Street Journal, then listen to both live and LP versions. I forgot to listen for the 3 Blind Mice though. HAHA. (BTW: KUDOS to The Wall Street Journal, because I also find it intriguing for this publication to have tapped into some talent of what their publication has always been about in the first place. Music is a real market-mover. And on that note, I have to mention the band, GooGoo Dolls. I saw them a few years ago, and besides their genuine rock & roll skills and top notch show they put on live, what stood out to me at the time is that all the guitars they bring to the show, and how every band member played each others instruments some time during the line up. And the strange thought occurred to me, "you know, Mike? These guys see their band as a company! They are invested in it and are even all 'cross-trained! WOW. What a concept!") So my parting thought/comment before handing you over to WSJ and these two vids, YES, if you are reading or hearing my broadcast, consider touring with GooGoo Dolls! You will be amazed. 

For full article, select this following title link:
The Inspiration Behind ‘Roundabout,’ the 1972 Hit Song by Yes Yes singer Jon Anderson recalls writing the lyrics to ‘Roundabout’ in a van traveling through Scotland

From the article:

"Mr. Howe: "My opening acoustic guitar part was played on my 1953 Martin 00-18. But we felt the song needed something more dramatic to start. We found it with a backward piano note. When you strike a single piano note and hold it down, the sound starts loud and then fades away. We wanted this to happen in reverse."..."

I retrieved this LP version, but you may find the 1972 LIVE version through the WSJ article link.