Contemporary Works (72), Stomu Yamashta and His Red Buddha Theatre (73), Freedom Is Frightening (73), Takemitsu Ishli (73), Raindog (75), Go (76), Go Live From Paris (??), Go Too (77), Floating Music (7?), Sea and Sky (83), One by One (??)

Stomu Yamashta has had a varied career, beginning with his electronic excursions such as Red Buddha, recording with the supergroup Go, and, most recently, a few releases that are very much in the "space music" category. Sea and Sky, released in 1983, falls into this new category, and is a blend of very ethereal synth music and grandiose, symphonic passages, akin, perhaps, to the sound of artists such as Deuter, Kitaro, and the like, but with sections that sound almost orchestral, comparable to Constance Demby, etc. Stomu Yamashta put together Go in the mid-seventies, and recorded the Go, and the well-received Go Live From Paris. Go Too was their third and final release. For those unfamiliar with the band, it included Al DiMeola, Klaus Schulze, and Michael Shrieve, among others, the result of which was an effective mixture of rock, electronics, fusion and soul! Of the three, this is probably their weakest work, influenced as it was by the disco and soul movement. However, the underlying instrumentation gives evidence of a strong guitar/rhythm section, with Mr. Schulze announcing his presence with an occasional, well-placed "whoosh." Seriously, if you are at all curious to check out this star line-up, this might be worth your while. And, if you do enjoy the jazz/soul-inflected fusion genre, you could do much worse than this.

Freedom is Frightening is also by Stomu Yamashta's East Wind. Freedom is Frightening and One by One are quite nice. Both have some nice violin parts.

I have Go Live which features many "name brand" players. In fact, Stomu Yamashta is one of the least recognized names. Other players include Al Di Meola on guitar, Klaus Schulze on synthesizers, Michael Shrieve on drums and Steve Winwood on vocals and piano. As you might imagine, the music is quite varied in style, incorporating elements of space, fusion and Traffic. This amalgam of vastly different styles works surprisingly well most of the time though there are occasional moments of lackluster performance. Al Di Meola's trademark licks are there as is Klaus Schulze deft touch with the synthesizer. Of course, when Winwood sings, the Traffic comparisons are more than valid but even the song structures are similar to the extended works of Traffic. Overall, it's a fairly decent but not outstanding album. I enjoy particularly for Schulze but the music is varied enough that different people will like it for different reasons. Certainly, a blending of musical ideas like Yamashta's is not heard very often in progressive rock.

[See Di Meola, Al | Schulze, Klaus | Traffic]

Hiro Yanagida (71)

Hiro Yanagida was the keyboardist for two early Japanese psych bands such, Foodbrain and Love Live Life + One. His eponymous solo album from 1971 is typical of the early Japanese psych bands though sometimes showing a bit of progressive influence (such as hints of the Nice/Emerson between jams). Driving, energetic blues based hard rock/psych jams with Yanagida's swirling Hammond trading licks with Kimio Mizutani's blistering guitar leads. Of particular note is the eight minute "The Murder in the Midnight" with Yanagida turning in some fine Hammond work. Flute and sax make appearances on a few cuts. One or two songs, such as "My Dear Mary" (which feature's Speed, Glue and Shinki's Joey Smith on vocals) are in the pop vein, much of this album is raw blues/psych but it comes off as a mixed bag. The blues/psych tunes are great stuff if you're into that sort of thing. -- Mike Taylor

[See Foodbrain | Love Live Life + One]

A Meditation Mass (72)

A Meditation Mass is a re-issue of the German classic from The Laser's Edge, with a reproduction of the original die-cut cover, this release pretty much sums up the psychedelia-drenched style exemplified by German bands of the early seventies (krautrock). The music is a long, spacy, almost improvisational piece in four parts, consisting of guitars, keyboards and flute, with passages that vary from tranquil to aggressive. Influences from Popol Vuh and some others of that ilk are perceptible, but, overall, this is a unique blend of a variety of influences, in one flowing continuum of music.

The title of A Meditation Mass sums up the atmosphere these guys create. Yatha Sidhra create a very mesmerizing, dreamy and hypnotic space music, using moog, guitar, a variety of percussion instruments and flutes. The music consists of four parts that flow together. The original LP, of course, had to break for the side but the reissue combined together all four tracks for 40 minutes of continuous cosmic ebb and flow. The first part (nearly 18 minutes long) begins with ephemeral flute and percussion against a dreamy guitar backdrop. Soon, the moog begins a sinuous dance with the other instruments. The band is in no hurry (and neither are you), taking their time, slowly picking up the pace and intensity. After a time, ethereal voices join in and the flute begins to hint at some of the energy to come. Finally, the vibes, then electric piano signal the pending arrival of the brief second part. The pace picks up a notch for a flute/electric piano duet before the arrival of the 12 minute third part. As the music nears its climax the guitar fights with the flute before coming to the fore, developing into a bluesy, spacy guitar jam necessary for all good German space music. Finally, the main theme returns and we are gently carried back to earth. Yatha Sidhra's brand of cosmic music is not as "wigged out" as Amon Düül II improvisations circa Yeti, or even Ash Ra Tempel's excellent first release, which might make it more accessible for those of you just beginning to explore this type of music. Highly recommended to all would-be cosmonauts! -- Mike Taylor

[See Dreamworld]

Alienation (86, EP Collection-Japanese title), Starship (88), others

This Japanese band plays a very grating industrial type rock, I can't think of anything to compare it to right off, very harsh and tortured, like their 12 minute version of "Scarborough Fair" that's barely recognizable. They are original, though! There are three CDs I know of: The oldest is Alienation, then theres a CD collection of EP's that has a Japanese flag on the cover. A newer disc, titled Starship is far less harsh than the early stuff, and shows the band still in top form. Lotsa Japanese vocals.

Yes (69), Time and a Word (70), The Yes Album (71), Fragile (71), Close to the Edge (72), Yessongs (73), Tales from Topographic Oceans (73), Relayer (74), Yesterdays (75), Going for the One (76), Tormato (78), Yesshows (80), Drama (80), Classic Yes (81), 90125 (83), 9012Live (85), Big Generator (87), Union (91), Yesyears (91, box set), Yesstory (92), Highlights: The Very Best of Yes (93) Talk (94), The Keys to Ascension (96)

Yes formed in 1968 with Jon Anderson (vocals), Chris Squire (bass, vocals), Peter Banks (guitar, vocals), Tony Kaye (keyboards), and Bill Bruford (drums). Anderson and Squire had met while both were in other bands and got an idea to play music with "vocal harmony backed by strong instrumentation." Yes were soon formed and in 1969 released their self-titled debut. Featuring strong original work and covers of songs by the Byrds and the Beatles, the album was a musical and critical success. This was followed in 1970 by Time and a Word, which made use of orchestral backing. This was objectionable toBanks, who was replaced on guitar by Steve Howe for the breakthrough The Yes Album (1971). This album finally solidified the classic Yes sound. Tensions between Kaye and Howe led to Kaye's departure and the arrival of Rick Wakeman (of the Strawbs) as Kaye's keyboard replacement. Wakeman's flashy stage presence became a symbol of the showiness (or show-offiness) of progressive rock in the '70s. Nevertheless, two classic albums came out of this lineup: Fragile (1971) and Close to the Edge (1972). These albums featured beautiful harmonies and strong, occasionally heavy playing. These are arguably the band's best albums. Some consider Close to the Edge to be a masterpiece of progressive rock, and others consider it to be a prime example of the disasters of the genre. Either way, this album probably made the strongest impact of any of the band's early albums. Also, Fragile contained the popular hit song "Roundabout."
The band embarked on a major tour after Close to the Edge, but major change came soon as Bill Bruford left in late 1972 to join a newly reformed King Crimson. He was replaced by Alan White, whose loose and free drum style was a major contrast to the almost too-tight drumming of Bruford. White at first could not adapt to the styles of the tracks recorded with Bruford, but he eventually came into his own. The three-LP live Yessongs was released in 1973 and was a popular success. This was followed by the controversial double-LP Tales from Topographic Oceans, which was released in the first week of 1974. There were only four pieces on this album, one on each side, and the album marked a change from the carefully rehearsed style of Close to the Edge to a more open, experimental sound. Wakeman was put off by this whole experience and left to pursue a solo career. His replacement was the Swiss keyboardist Patrick Moraz, who stayed with the band long enough to record Relayer in 1974 and to tour in 1976 after the band took a year's hiatus. During this time, a compilation of work from the first two albums, plus a 10-minute cover of Simon and Garfunkel's "America" was released, 1975's Yesterdays. Perhaps the most curious thing about this album was Roger Dean's cover art. The front included a nude green woman (based on the original English cover of Time and a Word). The back showed two blue naked children, one of whom is urinating.
As mentioned, once the band reunited, it embarked on a major tour in 1976 before going on to produce its next album, Going for the One, in Switzerland. Interestingly, Moraz left the band before the album was begun. Rick Wakeman was hired to play on the album as a session musician, but was soon back in the band. This album showed Yes moving in new directions, affected by New Wave, but still with its own unique style. Going for the One was followed by Tormato (1978), which was critically and popularly unsuccessful. The band seemed to be pulling apart, and efforts to produce another album were unsuccessful, although demos from these sessions have recently appeared on bootleg CDs. It was at this time that Anderson and Wakeman left the band. Howe, Squire, and White continued on their own, and were soon joined by the Buggles (Geoff Downes, keyboards, and Trevor Horn, vocals), who were famous for their "Video Killed the Radio Star" (which happened to also be the first video played when MTV made its debut in August 1981). This new lineup recorded Drama (1980), which was rejected by the critics as garbage and by many fans as not being a true Yes album. The band then broke up, with Downes and Howe forming Asia, Horn going into producing, and Squire and White working together. In 1981 the compilation Classic Yes was released, featuring mostly work from the 1971-1972 period.
Squire and White then met Trevor Rabin, a South African guitarist. The three began working together on new material. Shortly thereafter, Tony Kaye came back into the picture, and later, Jon Anderson as well. In 1983 this quintet released 90125, the most popular Yes album ever, which featured the #1 hit "Owner of a Lonely Heart." A tour album and video followed: 9012Live (1985). The process of making the next album was difficult, and Big Generator wasn't released until 1987. It should be noted that this '80s period of the group is not universally appreciated by die-hard prog fans. In 1988, Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman, and Howe joined forces to record and release Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe. As the nineties began, ABWH were working on a new album, as were the remaining four Yes members. In 1991 all were (ostensibly) gloriously reunited for Union and a major eight-man tour. Of course, this lineup disintegrated quickly.
In 1994 a new Yes album was released, Talk. The lineup for this session returned to the configuration of 90125 (Anderson, White, Squire, Rabin, and Kaye). Most of the songs were co-written by Anderson and Rabin, with some writing assistance by Roger Hodgson, formerly of Supertramp. This album is notable mainly in that it was produced by Rabin and recorded and mixed entirely on a Macintosh computer. The release was not well-promoted, however, and the album fell into obscurity almost more rapidly than Union (despite arguably superior music).
Shortly after Talk disappeared from most people's memories, rumors, which eventually turned out to be true, began to circulate that Rabin was out (along with Kaye) and that Howe and Wakeman had rejoined the band. In March 1996 this vision of "classic Yes" reborn came to fruition with three nights of sold out concerts near Jon's home in San Luis Obispo, California. The group played rousing versions of many classic tunes, recording the concerts for the October double-disc release, Keys to Ascension. The album featured a Roger Dean cover, several exciting live versions of Yes classics, and two new pieces in an updated version of the "classic Yes" style. While the Yes of the '70s may never be reborn, this album's two new tracks, with running times of 9 and 19 minutes and multi-segmented forms, brought new hope.
The album also featured a live version of the Simon and Garfunkel tune "America," first heard in a studio version in 1972 on an Atlantic sampler and on Yes's own 1975 release Yesterdays. An edit of this live version was released as a single, and the band made a few unique media appearances in the last few months of 1996, including the Howard Stern Show, Fox After Breakfast, and a special concert at a Tower Records in Hollywood. Plans for the future included more studio time in November 1996 to lay down a few new tracks for Keys to Ascension 2 (an album that is planned to follow a similar format to the first), which is due for Spring 1997 release. -- Scott Anderson

Yes was the quintessential '70s progressive rock band. All the necessary ingredients were there: the long songs, the concept albums, the spacy lyrics, the synthesizer solos, the symphonic adaptations, the dry ice, the light shows, the fantastic album covers, everything. All of these things tended to obscure one fact: Yes was first and foremost a fine rock 'n' roll band, with roots in Chuck Berry and the Beatles as well as in Sibelius and Heinlein. Like their prog rock peers King Crimson and ELP, Yes returned in the '80s with revamped sound. By the time the '90s rolled around, the Yes story had grown as complex as the band's own music...so this history of the band is necessarily somewhat "Roundabout." Yes made its vinyl debut in June 1969 with "Sweetness," written, according to legend, the very night that Squire and Anderson first met. By way of a B-side, an extended version of "Something's Coming" from West Side Story (including snatches of other songs from that musical) was recorded. This was a prime example of the early Yes approach (far better than the slightly syrupy A-side), with its explosive opening, heroic bass and organ work, and Anderson's dewy-eyed choirboy voice piping Leonard Bernstein's sophisticated melody. "Something's Coming" was not issued on the U.S. release, Atlantic's American branch opting instead for another cover version for the B-side: the Beatles' "Every Little Thing," taken from the band's first LP, Yes. Most of the six original songs on Yes were relatively concise (at least when compared to the band's later output), while more chances were taken with the two cover versions. "Every Little Thing" acquired a brash, elongated introduction and a nod to "Day Tripper." The Byrds' "I See You" (the album's longest track) also came in for the Yes treatment, with extended instrumental noodling and a dash of Bach thrown in for good measure. Although the British and American versions of the album sported different covers, both gave Anderson's first name as "John"; he would henceforth be Jon. Time And A Word followed the pattern of Yes insofar as it contained six original compositions (all written or co-written by Anderson) and two covers, drawn this time from the Richie Havens and Buffalo Springfield songbooks. The sound, however, was vastly stronger and more confident, free of the slight awkwardness that had affected the debut. Anderson is credited with the idea of using strings and brass on many tracks, an experiment that would not be repeated until Tormato in 1978. By the time Time And A Word was released,Peter Banks had been given the boot, He was replaced by Steve Howe, who in fact appeared on the cover of the American edition of the album (which again differed from the U.K. cover) despite not having played a note on it. Although self-taught, the guitarist had a love of classical music (citing Vivaldi and John Bowland in particular) that would serve him well in Yes. His guitar style also showed the influences of flamenco, bluegrass and '40s jazz, but he never forgot how to rock, as his Chuck Berry-meets-Flash Gordon intro to "Siberian Khatru," to name just one example, makes abundantly clear. Howe's debut with Yes was the March 1971 release The Yes Album. Promoted with a support slot on Jethro Tull's 1971 American tour, The Yes Album proved to be a turning point for Yes. The title emphasized that it was a new beginning for the band, marking a vast increase in musical sophistication. The album consisted of four lengthy, carefully structured pieces, each pair of epics separated by a short, lighter piece (of these, Howe's guitar solo "The Clap" is the more famous, but Anderson's cryptic little song A Venture' is the real gem). The Yes Album's gatefold cover was a large photo of Tony Kaye, with smaller pictures of the other band members arrayed around him. Possibly this was a salute to Kaye's exemplary keyboard work throughout the album, from the breezy piano on "A Venture" to the innovative use of Moog synthesizer on "Perpetual Change." Ironically, however, this would be Kaye's last album with Yes for over a decade. Kaye went on to work withPeter Banks' Flash before forming his own group, Badger, with the Warriors' David Foster. Badger's debut album was a live set co-produced by Jon Anderson and recorded during the same concerts that would result in the Yessongs movie. Advance word on the fourth Yes album raved about the band's new whiz-kid keyboardist, Rick Wakeman. "Insiders say he's better than Emerson!" crowed one ad, and indeed, the relative merits of Wakeman and Keith Emerson were debated in those technique-happy times just as fans a few years earlier had argued whether Clapton, Hendrix or Beck was most deserving of guitar godhood. Wakeman, another Londoner, had been in the folky Strawbs, whose Just A Collection Of Antiques And Curios he graced with some fiery playing. His piano showcase from this album, "Temperament of Mind," would serve as the blueprint for a similar featured spot with Yes. Wakeman was also a seasoned studio player, notably David Bowie and Cat Stevens (The mellotron break on "Space Oddity" is his as well as the piano solo in "Morning Has broken"). Even after joining Yes, Wakeman continued to do sessions, including Lou Reed's first solo LP, on which Howe also guested. Wakeman's first album with Yes was Fragile, which hit #4 in Billboard and spawned the band's signature tune, "Roundabout" (which itself climbed to #13 on the singles chart). Fragile also contained a solo piece by each band member, including Wakeman's adaptation of a movement from Brahms' Fourth Symphony. (Wakeman had originally prepared a composition of his own for his solo spot, but it was not used for contractual reasons. This piece eventually became "Catherine of Aragon" on his first solo album in 1973.) The solo pieces were all brief, none reaching the three-minute mark and Bruford's bizarre "Five Percent For Nothing" lasting little more than half a minute. This left room for three epics: "Roundabout," "South Side of the Sky" and the stunning "Heart of the Sunrise." A fifth Yes album appeared in September 1972, just eight months after the release of Fragile. Close To The Edge consisted of just three lengthy songs. The side-long title track ranged in mood from a fiendishly complicated intro to a hushed, serene middle section and furiously rocking organ solo. The other tracks were the expansive, pastoral "And You And I" and the "Roundabout"-styled rocker "Siberian Khatru." It is astonishing that such intricate music could have been assembled in such a short time, but Close To The Edge stands today as the definitive Yes album. The sound, lush and otherworldly one moment and hard and pure as cut diamond the next, was enhanced by Eddie Offord's sparkling production. Dean's cover art featured the first appearance of the famous Yes logo. Obviously not afraid to provide too much of a good thing, Yes reprised the entire Close To The Edge LP, along with most of the previous two, on the live triple LP Yessongs. It is interesting to note that the album included two snatches of music by Stravinsky (the pre-concert tape of The Firebird and the opening bars of The Rite Of Spring hummed by Anderson), reflecting the influence this composer had on the band's music. Bill Bruford, who had quit upon the completion of Close To The Edge in favor of joining the more improvisation-oriented King Crimson, appeared on only three of Yessongs' tracks. The rest featured new drummer Alan White, who had joined in July 1972. Like Anderson, White was a northerner, hailing from Pelton in County Durham. Prior to joining Yes, White had been a busy session drummer, playing with superstars such as John Lennon, George Harrison and Joe Cocker, as well as such lesser-known acts as Happy Magazine and Balls (with Denny Laine). Each of the instrumentalists had a solo spot on Yessongs, but the one that drew the most attention was Wakeman's: a medley based on themes from his new solo LP, The Six Wives Of Henry VIII. The charismatic Wakeman was considered by many to be the star of Yes, and when a movie--also titled Yessongs--was made of the band's December 1972 performances at London's Rainbow Theatre, Wakeman was featured prominently (receiving top billing in the ads). In contrast, White is hardly seen at all! Much was made at the time of the contrast between the outgoing, booze loving Wakeman and a band supposedly otherwise made up of ascetic vegetarians. Although this schism was greatly exaggerated, Wakeman soon followed Bruford into the ever-expanding ranks of former Yes members. Wakeman did stick around long enough to play on the late 1973 release Tales From Topographic Oceans, a double LP consisting of four side-long tracks based loosely on some scraps of Hindu philosophy gleaned from a footnote (!) in Paramahansa Yogananda's Autobiography of a Yogi. The esoteric nature of the album's inspiration. the length at which it was expounded, and most of all the waning vogue for art-rock conspired to make this album universally hated among the critics. Although it was another Top 10 success for the band (reaching #1 in the U.K.), it is generally remembered as a pretentious mess, which is a shame as it is actually full of engaging melodies and well crafted playing, even if it is a little light on rock 'n' roll. Wakeman, however, agreed with the album's critics, and Yes soon set about searching for a replacement for its star attraction. Though widely tipped to replace Wakeman, Greek keyboardist Vangelis (full name Evangalos O. Papathanassiou) didn't work out. Howe had recently acquired a prototype guitar version of the Moog synthesizer, and the band briefly considered doing without a keyboardist. In the end, however, it settled on Patrick Moraz, a native of Morges, Switzerland. In addition to recording albums with Refugee (which consisted of the rhythm section from The Nice with Moraz taking Keith Emerson's place) and Mainhorse, Moraz had over two dozen film scores to his credit. But despite his keyboard virtuosity and a unique style that owed nothing to Wakeman or Kaye, Moraz never really got a chance to contribute much to Yes. He played on only one studio album, Relayer the material for which had been substantially worked out before he joined. Relayer was something of a companion album to Close To The Edge, again consisting of three long tracks. But where Close To The Edge glittered like jewels in firelight, Relayer had more of the gleam of polished chrome and magnesium flares. The centerpiece of the album was "The Gates of Delirium," which depicted the history of war with the sound of clashing swords, machine gun fire and terrifying explosions. "Sound Chaser" was frantic and ominous by turns, with Anderson injecting a brief note of sweetness among Howe's menacing guitar arabesques. Only the quasi-Oriental "To Be Over" was consistently peaceful. The closing minutes of "The Gates of Delirium" appeared as a single under the title "Soon." Relayer would be the last album of new material from Yes for two-and-a-half years. By the time Going For The One appeared, Moraz was out of the band, having been replaced by none other than Rick Wakeman. (Moraz went on to make a further couple of solo albums before teaming up with the Moody Blues, from which he is now departed.) Going For The One marked a return to shorter songs, with only one real epic: the 15:38 "Awaken," which featured Anderson's harp and a church organ played by Wakeman via telephone lines. Aside from the gorgeous "Turn of the Century" (inspired by Puccini's La Boheme), the remaining songs were short, and the title track was the hardest rocking thing Yes had ever recorded. The trend toward shorter songs continued on the following year's Tormato, which managed to squeeze an unprecedented nine songs on a single disc. The hard-rocking "Don't Kill The Whale" was lifted as a single (backed in England with the non-LP track "Abeline"), eliciting more derision for its title than chart action. The next news the public heard was unbelievable. The memories of those involved differ as to the sequence of events, but when the smoke cleared both Anderson and Wakeman had been replaced by Trevor Horn and Geoff Downes--alias the Buggles, a new wave duo whose "Video Killed The Radio Star" was the first video ever aired on MTV. Yes without Anderson seemed impossible enough, but the advent of these two techno-popsters threw the fans for a loop. Horn and Downes were themselves caught unaware, as they had only approached the band in hopes of selling a song. (Ironically, the song they were hawking, "We Can Fly From Here," was not recorded by Yes, although it was performed live.) Horn did his best to sound like Jon Anderson on the 1980 album Drama, but Yes without its original singer just wasn't well received by fans. In its defense, Drama found Yes a tight band with several great songs, including the rocking "Tempus Fugit." The Buggles' second LP would feature a guest appearance by Squire and a remake of "Into The Lens" from Drama (retitled "I Am A Camera"). The live album, Yesshows, was finally released at the end of 1980 and included material from the 1976 tour with Moraz as well as later recordings with Wakeman. The double LP Yesshows did not duplicate any of the songs from the previous live set, but this was a mixed blessing, as it ruled out so much of the band's material. Yes dissolved--or perhaps just went into hibernation--in 1981, with Howe and Downes going on to form Asia. Squire and White attempted to join with the three surviving members of the recently bereaved Led Zeppelin as XYZ (for Ex-Yes and Zeppelin). Alan White has stated he has tapes of these sessions. However, the union did not last and Squire and White moved on to collaborate on a single, the "Run With The Fox," but a promised album by the duo failed to materialize. In 1983, Squire and White began working with South African guitarist Trevor Rabin (ex-Rabbitt) on a band project to be called Cinema. Rabin had been invited to join Asia with Steve Howe but he declined to work with Squire. Eventually, Anderson was called in and Yes was reborn. After a bit of musical chairs with the keyboard slot, during which prog-rock veteran Eddie Jobson popped in and out of the reconstituted band, Tony Kaye was back to stay. The resulting album, titled 90125, after its catalog number, gave Yes its first chart-topping single, "Owner Of A Lonely Heart." Yes had entered the modern world of MTV, 12-inch remixes and corporate sponsorship. Despite its personnel, this band bore even less resemblance to the Yes of old than the Drama lineup had. Even Squire's distinctive bass sound seemed to have lost its bite. Two complementary live projects emerged from the band's 1984 tour. 9012Live was a concert video in which the band was dwarfed by surrealistic special effects. 9012Live: The Solos was a curious LP containing two songs by the full band (drawn from the video soundtrack) plus each member's solo spot from the concert set. Despite rumors that 1987's Big Generator would return to the classic Yes sound and include a side-long track, when the album appeared it was similar in style to 90125. (In fact, the "side-long track" would have been nothing more than the four tracks on side two resequenced and segued together). As with 90125, singles drawn from Big Generator appeared in assorted dance remixes. After five years with the same personnel, it was inevitable that Yes would see some changes soon, but what actually happened took the public by surprise once again. Anderson quit the band and teamed up with Wakeman, Bruford and Howe, effectively creating a rival version of Yes! Because Squire, as the only individual to have appeared on every Yes project, retained legal rights to the name Yes, the new band simply called itself Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe. Bruford's old King Crimson partner Tony Levin played bass. The ensuing album, on Arista and imaginatively titled Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe, featured a Roger Dean cover, several long songs broken up into "movements," and a reasonable compromise between the classic Yes sound and modern, commercialized sensibilities. Meanwhile, little was heard of the "real" Yes (which by this time was based in Los Angeles). Rumor had it that an album had been completed and rejected by Atco. Certainly no new releases were forthcoming, other than a solo LP from Trevor Rabin, Can't Look Away. Finally, in February of 1991, yet another Yes bombshell dropped: the four remaining Yes members, throwing legal differences to the wind, had joined ABWH en masse, uniting the two "rival" bands. Wisely choosing to call itself Yes (rather than Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe Squire Rabin White Kaye), the newly aligned octet released Union on Arista in April. Union had originally been recorded as a second ABWH album with the working title Dialogue. To this project were added four songs recorded by the "Yes West" faction, one of them recorded with singer Billy Sherwood of Yes-soundalikes World Trade, who had been considered as Anderson's replacement along with Steve Walsh or Kansas fame. Anderson's voice was dubbed onto the Yes West material, Squire's harmonies were added to some of the ABWH tracks, and voíla -- the new Yes. The album suffered from a serious case of too many cooks, as a glimpse at the credits shows: seven producers, three separate management companies and a veritable army of supplemental musicians on the ABWH tracks (including no fewer than 11 synthesizer players, not counting Wakeman and Kaye!) all stick their two cents' worth in. While there was plenty of inspiring and excellent music there was little cohesion or band feel. There were rumors of a live release from the Union tour but the only thing to surface were numerous bootleg discs that featured a stunning eight piece version of "Awaken." Also of note was the version of "Long Distance Runaround" played by the Fragile members. Shortly after the Union tour Atco unveiled a four-CD set of remastered Yes recordings titled Yesyears. About a third of the 46 tracks were rarities of one sort or another, including the B-sides "Something's Coming" and "Abeline," Squire and White's "Run With The Fox," the original Cinema version of "It Can Happen" with Squire taking the lead vocal, and a live performance of "I'm Down." Also included were several completely unreleased songs, such as the 1977 instrumental "Montreux's Theme," "Money," "Make It Easy" (another track from the Cinema sessions) and the Union outtake "Love Conquers All."

[See Asia | Banks, Peter | Bruford, Bill | Flash | King Crimson | Mainhorse | Refugee | Strawbs, The | Wakeman, Rick]

Boris (75), Sacred Baboon (76)

Mostly Gentle Giant and Yes influences, as I recall. They were pretty decent instrumentally, but the lyrics are bombastic garbage, and the vocalist, while sporting a very impressive, Jon Anderson-ish range, has an annoying tendency to sing out of tune. Had they been well produced, they might've made some good records. As it is, I'd say they were only fair. (Less than amazing singers have killed quite a few bands, eh?) I preferred Babylon.

Musically, the closest parallel is with Gentle Giant, in terms of the harmonies, and complex time-signatures and structures of the compositions, with additional bite. Judging by the "stream of consciousness" lyrics, it seems as if Yezda Urfa use vocals as an additional instrument. For example, "kickback with a plastic brickbat one fine day went to heal undue redress brown or black mess no charge for porcelain meal" (!) Someone (made anonymous for the purposes of this survey) remarked that this was like "Gentle Giant on overdrive," and that aptly sums it up.

Yezda Urfa is evidence of the excellent progressive music produced in the United States in the seventies, and also evidence of the neglect of the genre by major labels once the disco and punk waves hit. Boris was independently released and distributed by the band, and the followup album sat in the vaults for well over a decade until rescued by Syn-Phonic in '89. Their sound is a brilliant and intelligent blend of high energy complex rock with lots of changes, witty lyrics, great vocal harmonies, and sense of purpose. Justifiable comparisons might be made with Yes (although Yezda Urfa has a less lofty approach) or Gentle Giant (but Yezda Urfa puts the Gentle Giant style into overdrive), even some of Frank Zappa's more accessible moments. In general, their playing is much harder than these other bands, they don't let up for a minute. Baboon was recently re-released on CD, and boris is scheduled.

My original description of Yezda Urfa, after hearing their track on the Past, Present, Future compilation was, "Yes develops a sense of humor, drops acid, and tries to sound like Gentle Giant." Naturally, I was looking forward to hearing an entire album by the band. Sacred Baboon was recently re-issued by Syn-Phonic, and is pretty much what I expected: an elaborate, chaotic, whimsical tour de force of the mid-seventies sympho style. Their compositions match the complexity level of 72-73 Gentle Giant, and use that band's knack for two and three part vocal harmony. However, the sound of the individual instruments reminds me of Yes, especially the lead vocals and rhythm section. With song titles like "Give 'em Some Rawhide Chewies," "Flow Guides Aren't My Bag," and "(My Doc Told Me I Had) Doggie Head," Yezda Urfa shows that they don't necessarily take themselves too seriously. The lyrics are stream of conciousness nonsense rattled off at high speed. Maybe they actually mean something, but only the band-members would know. Reading the liner notes can be impressive, confusing and hysterical all at the same time. If you like music that changes styles and time sigs often and checking out Yezda Urfa should be on your list of things to do. While not as powerful as Syn-Phonic's earlier release of Mirthrandir's For You the Old Women, Sacred Baboon ranks number two of all the CDs put out by this up and coming label. The only disappointment I can muster is that this release doesn't contain the chaos and utter complexity of the Yezda Urfa track on Past, Present, Future.

Combine equal parts Gentle Giant and Yes. Add major portions of humor. That sums up Sacred Baboon by Yezda Urfa. A great album, full of inventive instrumentation and interplay played by five guys who don't take it too seriously. Song titles like "(My Doc Told Me I Had) Doggie Head" and "Give 'em Some Rawhide Chewies" indicated the humorous slant evident throughout the music. But there's nothing humorous about the music. These guys can play with the best of the classic progressive bands including fantastic Gentle Giant-like interplay with instruments and vocals. The lead singer is reminiscent of Jon Anderson and there is a general Yes-like quality to many of the songs. Mixing the styles of these two well-known bands provides a fresh musical outlook on these musical paradigms. One of the best bands from mid-'70s USA and well worth a listen.

The music a band or record producer chooses as the opening track on an album sometimes baffles me. Given the choice, I would select the strongest piece to hook the listener in to listening to the whole album. It shouldn't be the weakest example, otherwise you run the risk of the listener punching the eject button without hearing the rest of the disk. Such is the case with Yezda Urfa's reissued second album Sacred Baboon. If you only heard the opening song "Give 'em Some Rawhide Chewies," you would dismiss them as just another Styx or Kansas clone not worthy of further attention. HOW WRONG YOU WOULD BE! My advice is to buy this CD, program your player to always skip track one, and then sit back and enjoy some great progressive music combining elements of Gentle Giant, Gryphon, and King Crimson with a unique US perspective. Yezda Urfa was an obscure US progressive band hailing from Illinois in the mid 70s. They played a wide variety of instruments: Brad Christoff (drums, percussion, metalophone, glockenspiel, and cough), Rick Rodenbaugh (lead vocals, air guitar, and cough), Mark Tippins (guitars, backing vocals, and cough), Marc Miller (bass, marimba, cello, vibraphone, backing vocals, and cough), and Phil Kimbrough (keyboards, recorders, flute, accordion, mandolin, backing vocals, and cough). Their interwoven poly-rhythmic vocals and melodies created a musical Persian carpet. Caught in this musical warp and woof are beautiful interludes like the acoustic guitar - cello duet on 3, almost 4, 6, Yea. Their fantasy lyrics, off-the-wall titles (e.g., "Cancer of the Band," and "To-Ta in the Moya"), and inventive instrumentation makes Sacred Baboon a must-buy CD.

Pao (78), Neo-n (79)

Seminal Japanese prog/psych.

Timecode (82), Electric Day (??), Wonders From The Genetic Factory (8?)

Electronic music. -- Mike Ohman

You and I (95)

In concert, they cover Yes (surprised?), Enya, Frank Zappa and traditional Hungarian folk songs. The album shows clear influences of Yes, classical music, modern poetry and ancient metaphysics. Some songs not Prog.

Blomerpistolen (68), Volume 2 (69), Quiet Days In Clichy (69)

Instrumental experimental music. -- Mike Ohman

Live Sciences (80)

Synthesizers.