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Tried listening to Yes today.....


Beedster

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Big Rush and Genesis fan here, since my teens.

I could never get into Yes. Anderson’s voice, the flowery lyrics, skittish tunes, and dodgy clothes put me off for decades.

Then... something clicked about three years ago. No idea what, but that was it. I love ‘em now.

Maybe start with Drama (controversial maybe). By the time you’re at one with Awaken, you’ll realise it was all worth the effort.

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2 hours ago, Beedster said:

Felt a bit like Rush but without the active ingredient, kinda like alcohol free beer? 

You see, I'm the other way round. I ought to love Rush but don't - not enough decent songs and too many pointless time changes. I'm not a fan of Geddy's voice either (but then again, I could say the same about Jon Anderson). At least Yes have loads of great tunes amongst the pomp and circumstance... 

Edited by peteb
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5 minutes ago, wateroftyne said:

Big Rush and Genesis fan here, since my teens.

I could never get into Yes. Anderson’s voice, the flowery lyrics, skittish tunes, and dodgy clothes put me off for decades.

I've been trying to "get" Yes for many years. Even went so far as buying one of the "Best Of" compilation albums. 

Still don't get them for the above reasons (though to be fair, I couldn't give a flying flip about the dodgy clothes). Great musicians, obviously, but it's a "No" from me.

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I'm not a fan either. 

About twenty years ago I worked with a chap who was really into Yes and Rush, when he found out I played bass he couldn't believe I was into them. I borrowed a few of his albums and listened to them all the way through a couple of times, but nothing, just didn't like it. He couldn't understand why. 

I've now stopped trying to like stuff that I feel I should like.

I've tried to like Stanley Clarke and the usual suspects talked about on here but I just don't like them. 

I like a very varied mix of styles but there's a few that do nothing for me so I've stopped feeling guilty for not liking it and just enjoy what I do like. 

Prog is still way above jazz-fusion in the pecking order though. 😉

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So team... Yes, Genesis... all electric hymns basically. Chris Squire is a walking cathedral. Forget any syncopation. And yes they use odd meters but by and large it's a carpet of harmony with Howe/Wakeman/Banks/Hackett providing the melody. Glorious! 

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I love Rush, like Genesis and Matillion,  and really don’t ‘get’ Yes.

that said, I also listen to Tool, Karnivool etc... so I suppose I like the heavier end of the prog continuum...

Edited by paul_5
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32 minutes ago, NoRhino said:

Wir fahren fahren fahren auf der Autobahn makes more sense.  

Teacher 😀

Yes,  but I did like understanding it in "Norwegian": Faen Faen Faen auf der Autobahn.
(in Norse, Faen is the devil, and it's pronounced "fahn")

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52 minutes ago, BassTractor said:

Yes,  but I did like understanding it in "Norwegian": Faen Faen Faen auf der Autobahn.
(in Norse, Faen is the devil, and it's pronounced "fahn")

Now I'm confused. :/ Are we still discussing 'Yesterday', or is it now 'Norwegian Wood'..? :scratch_one-s_head:

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5 hours ago, wateroftyne said:

Big Rush and Genesis fan here, since my teens.

I could never get into Yes. Anderson’s voice, the flowery lyrics, skittish tunes, and dodgy clothes put me off for decades.

Then... something clicked about three years ago. No idea what, but that was it. I love ‘em now.

Maybe start with Drama (controversial maybe). By the time you’re at one with Awaken, you’ll realise it was all worth the effort.

Awaken is, for me, the greatest piece of music I’ve ever heard. 

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45 minutes ago, 4000 said:

Awaken is, for me, the greatest piece of music I’ve ever heard. 

Just given it a listen; it's a worthy piece, certainly. Just a bit over-produced for me (swirling everywhere, voice buried in the reverb...), but this is just niggling. I'll listen now to the 'live', symphonic, and see what I think of that. Dense, though; very dense. (not impressed by the harp, but, whatever...).

Edit : A very creditable 'live' rendering. Rich, like a Christmas pudding with brandy butter, jelly, ice cream and trifle, and fudge sauce. So: rich. I'll take a moment to digest. The pudding was nice; maybe a bit too much jelly, though. It's all a matter of taste, innit..? B|

Edited by Dad3353
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13 hours ago, 4000 said:

Yes (if you’ll excuse the pun), that’s what I said. 

Jazz is seen as being a Marmite thing too you know.  You have illustrated my point for me.  I have nothing more to say about it.

I have tried to unfollow this thread three times now.  Please don't quote me again.

Edited by SpondonBassed
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If you've given it a decent shot and it's not for you then fine, move on. I stopped trying to turn people on to stuff I liked at least 25 years ago.

Don't fall for the 'well if you like X you must like Z' either. I had a number of people pointing me at Radiohead and Muse back when they broke and I remain indifferent to either of them to this day.

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For me the thing about prog, and Yes especially, is it sounds like a bunch of strangers doing their own thing in different studios and then a producer stuffs it all together into a few tracks. Sounds like they were trying a bit too hard too shut out any blues vibe and crowbar in as much jaaaazz and classical influences as poss. The cooking equivalent is making a pie and mixing up bits of cod, pork, sprouts, jam, raspberries and parsnips for the filling

Edited by Barking Spiders
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