Yes - Relayer
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Free Music Notes for Relayer
Free Music Review: Swings wildly from chaos to serenity - simply brilliant stuff
Hit: 5 Stars
Released in 1974, this would be the last studio album from Yes for at least three years until the debut of their triumphant 1977 album Going for the One. Structurally, Relayer duplicates the format of Close to the Edge (1972) and as such is comprised of three pieces including the 21'55 epic The Gates of Delirium (it was Tolstoy's tome "War and Peace" that inspired vocalist Jon Anderson to put this epic together), in addition to the comparatively shorter pieces Sound Chaser (9'25") and To be Over (9'08"). In contrast with Tales from Topographic Oceans (1973), the energy levels are completely over the top on Relayer and may reflect the enthusiasm of new (Swiss) keyboardist Patrick Moraz. I think its worth noting that Moraz was a first chair player and his contributions to Relayer are consistently brilliant throughout - as an exceptional talent with a unique playing style, it is unfortunate he was not with Yes for a longer period of time.
Although the frenetic pace of Sound Chaser is exhilarating and the comparatively dreamy To be Over is a wonderful piece (Steve Howe's favorite apparently), The Gates of Delirium is my own personal favorite. Would I be way off the mark to say that The Gates of Delirium is the most well constructed large-scale composition in all of progressive rock? Being a huge Yes fan, it would be impossible to remain objective, but then again I have listened to a lot of prog and this composition really stands out. Over a period of 15 minutes or so, this multi-movement suite gradually develops into a wildly churning sonic maelstrom, with the sounds of shattering glass and the clangorous racket of metal on metal (they collected parts from the junkyard to create this effect) swirling around and fighting with violent and white-hot synthesizer lines, Squires thundering bass parts, and Steve Howe's absolutely manic guitar playing. Just when it appears that the CD player might actually erupt in flames (or wrench itself loose from its moorings), the chaos gradually dissipates into soft, muted textures, which then give way to the beautiful and gentle closing movement "Soon". Soon is a deeply emotional piece of music and Trevor Horn (he provided vocals on the Drama album 1980) has been quoted as saying that it "brought him to tears". This piece was eventually abstracted from the larger composition and issued as a single, which has been included on this remastered disc along with a studio run-through of The Gates of Delirium and a single edit of Sound Chaser. As somebody who once owned this on vinyl, the bonus tracks do not really enhance my enjoyment of the album although they are OK.
The musicianship on this album is mind-numbingly virtuosic and as I have mentioned, Patrick Moraz is outstanding. Even Alan White (Bill Bruford once condescendingly referred to him as a good "rock" drummer) provides some great drumming on Relayer, especially on Sound Chaser and it is probably his best recorded performance. Chris Squire once again demonstrates what it means to be a world class bassist and presents bass parts that range from the subtle to the impossibly difficult, while Steve Howe plays like a man possessed, with scalar runs played at breakneck speeds. OK I need to slow down - just thinking about this album makes me completely hyper.
The remastering on Relayer is wonderful and the CD package comes with a great set of detailed liner notes and color photos - the information may be "old hat" for hardcore Yes fans but should ultimately prove of interest to most. This is the real McCoy folks - progressive rock in all of its splendor. Highly recommended along with all Yes albums released between 1971 (The Yes Album) and 1977 (Going for the One).
Free Music Review: This is perhaps one of their best albums
Hit: 5 Stars
It's no secret Rick Wakeman was disillusioned with Tales From Topographic Oceans. The album was not exactly the darling of rock critics, and even the fans are divided. Prog rock detractors were obviously famous for using that album as to why punk rock happened. Rick Wakeman left, so that left the band in search of a new keyboardist. Vangelis, who was basically then known as a former member of the Greek band Aphrodite's Child (but would quickily became an important figure in electronic music) tried to audition, but didn't get the part, mainly because he wasn't all that keen on Yes' music, but he did end up being friends with Jon Anderson (that's how Anderson appeared on "So Long Ago, So Clear" on Vangelis' Heaven & Hell album from 1975, and there were those string of Jon & Vangelis albums in the 1980s). Since having Vangelis in Yes didn't work, they found a Swiss-born keyboardist by the name of Patrick Moraz to fill in. He was previously in two previous bands (at least that recorded and released albums), Refugee (with two ex-Nice members, Lee Jackson and Brian Davidson, Emerson couldn't be present thanks to the success of ELP) and the far lesser-known Mainhorse (who released a self-entitled album in 1971 on Polydor). Like Wakeman before him, Moraz used lots of different keyboard. Moraz used a Mini Moog, Mellotrons, an Orchestron (which was a professional-grade version of Mattell's Optigan, which was basically something like a Mellotron that runs on optical discs), Hammond organ, a string synth of some sort, and much more. The resulting album, Relayer, released at the end of 1974 was a much more aggressive, intense and rocking album than their previous offering, probably as a reaction towards that album (Tales from Topographic Oceans tended to be rather soft). There are only three cuts, just like Close to the Edge. The album opens up with the incredible "Gates of Delirium". The songs goes through many different changes and many exciting passages. There are many passages where the intensity just doesn't stop, especially with Chris Squire's bass and Steve Howe's guitar work. There are lots of strange sound effects provided by Moraz (including the sound of shattering glass, for some reason he enjoys doing, like he did on the Refugee and even Mainhorse album). The closing section (often referred to as "Soon" even if the album makes no mention of it) really mellows out. "Sound Chaser" is a real interesting piece, again going through many different changes. Perhaps the least structured song on the whole album, I love how the music goes at a fast pace, then slows down a bit, then picks up again. It's a really unpredictable piece, you don't know what's going to come next. Somewhere Moraz gives us one of his trademark Moog solos. Listening to this, you wonder why he gave us such generic keyboard work when he joined the Moody Blues in the 1980s. "To Be Over" is the more mellow piece, complete with Steve Howe's sitar guitar. To me, I think this is a nice way to close the album after the rest of the album, which was quite intense and aggressive. Certainly at this point, the rock critics turned their backs on Yes, and not just that, the whole prog rock genre in general (it was unfortunate that just two albums, Tales From Topographic Oceans, and Jethro Tull's A Passion Play that caused such a backlash with the rock critics, and of course those two albums separated the fans from the casual listeners as well, and even the fans were divided over those two albums). Regardless, I always thought Relayer was one of their best albums, and that Roger Dean album cover can't be beat!Free Music Review: This one could be my favorite
Hit: 5 Stars
Relayer is an all-out war. Moments of relative calm give way to explosive torrents of ridiculous musicianship. For me, this album represents a high-water mark of a high water period, consisting of 5 Yes studio LPs from The Yes Album to Relayer. In my opinion, it's also the last great Yes album.
All of the elements that make Yes so good are here on Relayer. There are really long, classical-styled compositions with definable structures and complex changes. The rhythms are constantly changing, throwing the listener off balance, and the musicianship is absolutely stunning. "Gates of Delirium" is an instant Yes epic classic--from the dreamy opening to the explosion of dissonance and wicked electric guitar runs provided by Steve Howe that lead up to the grinding groove at 12:50. The band really outdid themselves this time, with a song that goes so many different places but is still, very obviously, meticulously thought-out and perfectly executed.
"Sound Chaser" is another of the band's most daring compositions, verging on free jazz with an insanely fast doubled guitar/bass line combined with dissonant keys and wild percussion. The song also boasts a wicked moog solo and one of Jon Anderson's most daring vocals, a fiendish wordless chant that caught me completely by surprise on first listen. The song also includes one new element that really makes this album classic for me: Steve Howe's use of pedal steel. The song's final section really rips it up with a cutting steel guitar riff that grinds along with a typically funky beat from Squire and White that's ingeniously the song's opening riff, only slowed down. The album closes with "To Be Over," a cooling denouement for a truly boundary-pushing album. Steve Howe provides some more, atmospheric steel guitar as well as some acoustic (and sitar) playing that lends the track a certain multinational folk feel.
Throughout, Alan White impresses with his complex, indefatigable drumming, Chris Squire lays down that heavy, lively bass that he always uses to keep up with Steve Howe's guitar wizardry, and Jon Anderson continues to sing beautifully, giving the music a wonderful vocal texture despite his oblique, aesthetically pleasing but sometimes shallow lyrics. Moraz gets kudos for filling in for Rick Wakeman, providing less classically-inspired keys that still add to the group's sound and texture without changing it too much.
All in all, Relayer represents what everyone came to expect out of a good Yes record. It's more of a relative to Close to the Edge than anything, since it combines longer structures with some medium-sized songs, but is more focused than Tales from Topographic Oceans. As much as critics lambasted albums made up of epic, complex tracks, the music still proves today that is is and always was compelling and accessible to fans despite its complexity and technical flair. Just because Yes chose to write long, challenging songs instead of lowest-common-denominator 2-minute pop songs doesn't really justify the sobbery with which their music was treated by hipster punk and indie cliques. I'm content to live in a world where I can enjoy both types of music (progressive, and simpler folk/pop/punk) without having to be too cool for any genre.
Free Music Review: relayer
Hit: 5 Stars
El que escuche por 1era ves este disco se dara cuenta que se trata de un albun distinto a los anteriores a pesar que tiene un formato similar al Close to the Edge. Este debe ser una de las canciones que sencillamente me encantan y en esta se conjugan los coros de Anderson, los bajos escalofriantes de Squire, una percusion fenomenal (que por raos hace olvidar que no esta Bruford), los sintetizadores de Moraz y los destellos de Howe, llenos de imaginacion, creatividad ensoñacion y lo que se te ocurra. Tanto es asi que no creo q nadie puede dejar de escuchar esta cancion sin sentirse abrumado por tanta belleza y a la ves potencia arrasadora, (algo q es muy propio del rock progresivo de los 70) y que en algun momento se sintetizo como el tirunfo de la vida sobre la muerte.
Anderson con su voz fuerte y a la ves aguda nos demuestra tanto en estudio como en vivo que es la voz inalcansable de este estilo de musica, alcanzando en conjunto un caracter epico nunca antes tan desarrollado por Yes. Los coros son muy dramaticos, visto sobre todo en pasajes en los que se quedan solos. La guitarra de Howe y los teclados de Moraz refuerzan los pasajes solistas cuando no esta Anderson, casi a modo de concerto grosso.
Apartir del minuto 8, la cancion alcanza dimensiones epicas inabarcables, con un ritmo dinamico se superponen la guitarra y los teclados casi en una batalla campal en donde el bajo y la bateria tan poco se quedan atras, llegando nuevamente a sentir que es un duelo de titanes y a la vez muy armonico. A partir del minuto 10, el ritmo cambia, aunque no el tiempo, dandole un caracter aun mas grave en donde los efectos de todos los instrumentos se mezclan con el rapido ritmo de bateria acabando en un caos de sonidos, muy parecido a una conflagracion musical.
A partir del minuto 12, la tension instrumental, alcanza una especie de pseudo-muerte lenta enunciada con el teclado y asi se logra bajar el nivel del pasaje anterior para llegar a un medio tiempo en donde el "feeling" se deja ver en los instrumentos solistas, sobre todo en la guitarra que es la que mas sobresale.
En el minuto 15 donde, y luego de todo ese "Caos", se entra en unos acordes de sintetizador que daran paso a una secuencia de acordes de Howe que luego repetira Anderson en donde despues de la tempestad vuelve la calma. Un rayo de optimismo esperanzador parece asomar en los ultimos 8 minutos que son sencillamente indescriptibles, con tada la sensibilidad de Howe y su guitarra, llevando la batuta en momentos de una manera admirable.
Jon Anderson dijo "Se trata de una cancion sobre la guerra, la escena de una batalla. Pero nuestra intencion no era denunciar la guerra, ni tratar de explicarla, sino que se trataba de una descripcion emocional; que termina con una expresion de resignacion, con un dejo, como diciendo: 'Siempre tendremos que pasar por todo esto?'. Yo compuse la melodia pensando en la guerra y se la toque al resto del grupo en un piano. Por eso mientras hacia: 'tanan - tanan - tanantanan - tanantanannnn', todos me miraban como si estuviera loco..." La musica, en si, describe una humanidad al borde del caos, pero finaliza con la calma, con el triunfo de la vida sobre la muerte, con Jon cantando la bella "Soon" (editada como simple).
Free Music Review: An underratted Cohesive Gem
Hit: 5 Stars
Many people were turned off of Yes after the Double Album Monstrosity of Tales from Topographic Oceans. If Close to the Edge really was close to the edge of reason in Yes' music, Tales really went over the edge. It was HUGE in every way, and mostly fantastic. Well Relayer really shows Yes realizing that they did kind of go over the edge...or they were at "The Gates of Delirium" dare I say.
What really separates this album from other Yes albums of this magnitude (such as Close to the Edge and Tales) is the fact that is sooo Cohesive. Everything seems to have a unified effect, and it definitely has a unique Yes sound (which is already unique). The Album opens with the Side 1 occupying "The Gates of Delirium", an epic loosely based on Tolstoy's War and Peace. The lyrics definitely reflect the idea of an impending war followed by a massive instrumental battle (drums and keyboards dueling) and ending with Jon Anderson (Vocals) and Patrick Moraz's (Keyboards) duet of hope entitled "Soon". This is, in my opinion, Yes' best epic...slightly..EVER so slightly beating Close to the Edge (but maybe not, it really depends on what day it is, you know).
Following Gates, is Sound Chaser, a jazz-fusion-y-Rocker. This is really accented with the sheer power of the music; it's chaotic, yet at the same time controlled. This is analogous with Steve Howe's savage guitar solo in the middle of the song (separating the two halves). Following Sound Chaser is To Be Over. This song may easily be skipped due to the fact that you are simply out of breath from the first two tracks. However, when you take the time to study this song, it is phenomenal. It is so delicate yet so powerful; it shows Yes' amazing subtleties and powerful songwriting.
This album is most easily comparable to Close to the Edge, due to the fact that it is very similar in structure. It's almost a yes cook book: 1 part Epic, 1 part Rocker, 1 part Softer song, and poof, you have a Yes Masterpiece. The best way to really look at Relayer compared to Close to the Edge is that it is just harder in every way. It is significantly more intense, and complex. Perfect example: Compare the A-capella parts out of Siberian Khatru to Sound Chaser. In Siberian Khatru, its a slow, Da...Da...Da Da Da....Da... DA....da da da...da da da..da .da dada...etc... In Sound Chaser it's an abrasive multi-layerd Da da da DA DA!! Da da da DA DA!!!. No space what-so-ever. Just all power. There is a microcosm for Close to the Edge compared to Relayer It isn't necessarily better than Close to the Edge, its just yes in a heavier light. It may be more appealing to the...say Dream Theater and Mars Volta fan, while Close to the Edge is more appealing to the OSI, Porcupine Tree crowd.
For the musicians out there, this is an impressive work. Chris Squier's Basslines are just as funky and powerful as ever. Steve Howe's guitar work is unbelieveable (noteably on Sound Chaser). Alan White's underrated playing is more developed, confident, and powerful than on Tales, and has a more fusion trend than Bill Bruford's (a jazz guy).
In any way you look at it, Relayer is one of Yes' most cohesive, structured, astonishing works, easily comparable to Close to the Edge and Tales from Topographic Oceans. Essential Yes.