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Yes - Fragile - 1971 - Hemel Hempstead


Happy Jack
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Really excellent BBC documentary on Yes playing Hemel in 1971.

The band were (IMHO) hitting their peak, with (IMHO) their best line-up and (IMHO) their best album.

I was a 15-year-old living in Guernsey, so gigs were something that happened to other people. I was desperately looking for someone to "replace the Beatles" (yes, I know, I know) and then along came Fragile.

The rest is progrock.

http://youtu.be/YuEZUG1ci1M

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[quote name='hiram.k.hackenbacker' timestamp='1412785030' post='2572042']
"Chicks knowing about different types of strings" - whatever next?
If Jon knew what music was going to be like in fifteen years from then, he would have had a coronary!
[/quote]

Yep, those are the very two points at which I raised an eyebrow... [b]Even [/b]chicks!

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Never liked Yes, but I do like their views on Chicks and strings. Always thought Jon Anderson sounded like a girl, but when he speaks he sounds like a proper bloke, so he's all right now in my book.

Yes were the band that my big brother and his swotty 6th form mates liked. They were far too twiddly-diddly-warbly-warbly for me. Alas time has not mellowed my view


Rush, however...

Edited by Billy Apple
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[quote name='Billy Apple' timestamp='1412787163' post='2572075']
Always thought Jon Anderson sounded like a girl, but when he speaks he sounds like a proper bloke, so he's all right now in my book.

[/quote]

To my ears, he sounds just like Sean Bean. :D

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[quote name='KiOgon' timestamp='1412777061' post='2571924']
Fond memories of the time - especially Crystal Palace garden parties, Pink Floyd in 71 & Yes in 72, going back even further the Hyde Park free concerts :gas:
[/quote]
Lucky you. I never saw them til well after Fragile/Close To The Edge. Never liked their later stuff so much.

This is worth a punt:

[url="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Best-Yes-Bass-Recorded-Versions/dp/1476816743/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1412791949&sr=8-1&keywords=yes+bass"]http://www.amazon.co...ywords=yes+bass[/url]

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It's 1971 and Yes are playing at Kingston Polytechnic. In between all the 'peace, love and happiness' the singer decides to tell the audience in an already packed hall that it would be 'really cool' for everyone to sit down while they played. Everyone towards the front who can still see that stage while seated sit down and as sitting down takes twice the room as standing this causes a very uncomfortable crush towards the back of the hall. Some people are not happy and hurl abuse at the singer. Not too worry, let's retreat to the students union bar happily in the knowledge that we are going to see a group that's really going rock next week and look forward to seeing Juicy Lucy. To this day i still don't like Yes.

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[quote name='ead' timestamp='1412802513' post='2572320']
Thanks for the link. My personal fav is CTTE, first LP I ever bought.
[/quote]
That book first came out around '72 called 'yessongs' it roughly covered the songs on the triple live vinyl of the same name. Seems to be an accurate transcript of the studio tracks (chords, lyrics, treble and bass clef), unusual for rock , perhaps Wakeman did it? Also had photos of the band and crew from the Crystal Palace gig. Searched high and low for my old copy (used to play some of Chris Squire's melodic bass stuff on a keyboard/synth I was building at the time - I was an electronics nut!). so pleased to find the more recent version in the link, it seems to be the same book with the addition of bass tab but no photos.

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[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1412789403' post='2572108']
To my ears, he sounds just like Sean Bean. :D
[/quote]

Completey opposite sides of the pennines. Anderson's is a classic Lanacashire burr whilst Bean's a Sheffield lad. Chalk and cheese. Bloody southerner ;)

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[quote name='KevB' timestamp='1412843533' post='2572510']
Completey opposite sides of the pennines. Anderson's is a classic Lanacashire burr whilst Bean's a Sheffield lad. Chalk and cheese. Bloody southerner ;)
[/quote]

Ah, so they're both Geordies then?

:P

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[quote name='KevB' timestamp='1412865381' post='2572798']
For those in the mood, more old yes here. Some of it even pre dates Steve Howe!

[url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SszeZhF9Xq4"]https://www.youtube....h?v=SszeZhF9Xq4[/url]
[/quote]

Really enjoying this, thanks!

EDIT: what's Squire playing on Time and a Word?

Edited by ras52
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Though I think the T&aW footage is mimed, he's 'using' a telecaster bass with an added pickup. I think there was a bit of a story about it. It either got stolen or disappeared for years but he got it back a few years back.

Edited by KevB
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