TrevorR Posted April 26, 2023 Share Posted April 26, 2023 …post Squire (RIP), post Anderson but with Steve Howe and Geoff Downes still in the band with a selection of fill ins. It’s to promote their new album which is due out in mid-May. I have to admit that I was curious how it would turn out as a huge Yes fan. I have to say that even with my low expectations coming into it the song failed to live to even those. Sure Steve Howe’s guitar sounds as Howeish as ever and is about the only redeeming factor. The song seems really bland even by latter day Yes standards with little to make it stand out while it noodles along. Jon Davidson puts in a decent enough Anderson-alike performance but that is what he was to do a decade or so ago. However, the lyrics, such as they are seen to be simply a bunch of barely connected inspirational sounding non-sequitur. Basically nonesense… And that coming from someone who has spent 40 odd years listening to Jon Anderson’s convoluted, karmic bleating. However, as a long term Yes fan and as a bass player the biggest disappointment was the bass playing by Billy Sherwood. It’s not intricate and melodic while still driving the song along like Squire always was. No, it’s just busy and noodly. And delivered with a pretty uninspiring rock tone - OK it’s probably his Spector and they do have a distinctive Spector sound… but there’s nothing here which you’d grab onto in terms of tone. It was OK… and the bass in prog rock, and particularly following Chris Squire’s footsteps should never be just OK. I had always suspected that my interest in Yes, either live or in terms of new music died alongside Chris. Listening to this track does nothing to dispel that thought. Anyway, I wonder what you guys think - Yes fans and non-Yes fans alike, 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fleabag Posted April 26, 2023 Share Posted April 26, 2023 I nearly skipped this because of the title... So Yes. Who the hell are they. But, with dwindling members, they'll end up like Trigger's broom. They were awesome in their heyday though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodinblack Posted April 26, 2023 Share Posted April 26, 2023 If you were going to do one of those youtube 'how to sound like yes' videos, that is the sort of thing you would come up with. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wateroftyne Posted April 26, 2023 Share Posted April 26, 2023 They really need to jack it in. They're just dreadful, in the studio and live. In the meantime, Jon Anderson is on the road having a whale of a time with the Band Geeks, playing Yes stuff with energy and enthusiasm (and apparently Boris Johnson on drums). 7 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodinblack Posted April 26, 2023 Share Posted April 26, 2023 That sounds a lot better, and at least boris brings the hair count up a bit! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Franticsmurf Posted April 27, 2023 Share Posted April 27, 2023 Confirmed Yes fan. I found that when Jon and Chris were no longer in the band, the thing that made it 'Yes', disappeared. Before that, when Rick was out, it wasn't the same but for me Yes was always the distinctive bass (lines and sound) and the distinctive vocal. Listening to the new song/video, I find it a bit bland. Very, very competent but not interesting or exciting. It's difficult to compare it with the second video above of Jon and the Band Geeks as they are doing a cover version of a well known Yes song, but of the two Close to the Edge was the track I played in its entirety while the other one went off after about 5 minutes. To me, the current Yes is a completely different band and not one I would have listened to much as the music doesn't interest me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wateroftyne Posted April 27, 2023 Share Posted April 27, 2023 5 minutes ago, Franticsmurf said: It's difficult to compare it with the second video above of Jon and the Band Geeks as they are doing a cover version of a well known Yes song, Compare and contrast. A travesty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Posted April 27, 2023 Share Posted April 27, 2023 12 hours ago, TrevorR said: However, as a long term Yes fan and as a bass player the biggest disappointment was the bass playing by Billy Sherwood. It’s not intricate and melodic while still driving the song along like Squire always was. No, it’s just busy and noodly. And delivered with a pretty uninspiring rock tone - OK it’s probably his Spector and they do have a distinctive Spector sound… but there’s nothing here which you’d grab onto in terms of tone. It was OK… and the bass in prog rock, and particularly following Chris Squire’s footsteps should never be just OK. That bass sound is totally, utterly wrong. Ruins the whole thing for me. And I speak as a recent Spector convert. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ead Posted April 27, 2023 Share Posted April 27, 2023 Geeks, so much better. CTTE is the first LP I ever bought and it still gets a lot of play at ead towers. I still wonder how you ever go about rehearsing that song from scratch. New Yes, very lame and I'm a massive fan of the band and have lost count of how many gigs I've been to over the years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodinblack Posted April 27, 2023 Share Posted April 27, 2023 54 minutes ago, wateroftyne said: Compare and contrast. A travesty. I don't know if it is a travesty, if I was in a cover band playing some yes songs, I would be pretty happy if we had come up with that, although looking at the video I would be saying 'lets put the energy up next time'. So yes, as a cover band playing a yes song, they aren't bad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wateroftyne Posted April 27, 2023 Share Posted April 27, 2023 35 minutes ago, Woodinblack said: I don't know if it is a travesty, if I was in a cover band playing some yes songs, I would be pretty happy if we had come up with that, although looking at the video I would be saying 'lets put the energy up next time'. So yes, as a cover band playing a yes song, they aren't bad. It’s Yes though. It’s a travesty. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr4stringz Posted April 27, 2023 Share Posted April 27, 2023 My take? At the risk of the obvious, No. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ezbass Posted April 27, 2023 Share Posted April 27, 2023 2 hours ago, wateroftyne said: Compare and contrast. A travesty. The vocals are hanging back way too much there and I can't hear the bass; clank, Man, CLANK! As to the new tune, s'alright, doesn't make me want to tear my ears off to away from it, but it doesn't make me want to play it again, probably ever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cosmo Valdemar Posted April 27, 2023 Share Posted April 27, 2023 (edited) 6 hours ago, wateroftyne said: Compare and contrast. A travesty. I've no real opposition to Yes continuing without Squire and Anderson. I don't want to hear it but there are plenty who do. What upsets me is the musicians being employed to do so - Downes in particular is utterly inept, offensively inadequate. Listen to his recreation of the Moog solo at around 15:20. P***ing over their legacy. Edited April 27, 2023 by Cosmo Valdemar Geoffrey Downes-related timing error 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tauzero Posted April 27, 2023 Share Posted April 27, 2023 6 hours ago, wateroftyne said: Compare and contrast. A travesty. I'm impressed. I never realised anyone had the patience to do one of those shred videos for 20 minutes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodinblack Posted April 27, 2023 Share Posted April 27, 2023 19 minutes ago, Cosmo Valdemar said: What upsets me is the musicians being employed to do so - Downes in particular is utterly inept, offensively inadequate. Listen to his recreation of the Moog solo at around 5:20. P***ing over their legacy. Moog solo? Thats the guitar solo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asingardenof Posted April 27, 2023 Share Posted April 27, 2023 Well, that was awful. Were the lyrics written by Chat GPT? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cosmo Valdemar Posted April 27, 2023 Share Posted April 27, 2023 7 minutes ago, Woodinblack said: Moog solo? Thats the guitar solo 15:20 😁 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wateroftyne Posted April 27, 2023 Share Posted April 27, 2023 1 minute ago, Cosmo Valdemar said: 15:20 😁 Ha ha… absolute cack! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodinblack Posted April 27, 2023 Share Posted April 27, 2023 1 minute ago, Cosmo Valdemar said: 15:20 😁 Oh yes, although apart from the instrument you weren't wrong with the solo at 5:20 either! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
White Cloud Posted April 27, 2023 Share Posted April 27, 2023 Oh dear, I kind of liked it (there must be something wrong with me 🤣) Even so I generally agree with everything said here 🤔 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassTractor Posted April 27, 2023 Share Posted April 27, 2023 Didn't even manage to get through this exact song. Sound is not composition. BUT the other song they'd published a few weeks ago gave me some hope, and I was in fact ready to buy it so as to give it a chance. Don't remember its title though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rayman Posted April 28, 2023 Share Posted April 28, 2023 Are they still going??? Holy cow, I saw them decades ago with all the original members apart from the guy from the tribute band on vocals instead of Anderson who was on hiatus. My brother was the Yes fan, not me, but it was cool to see Mr Squire play, and to listen to Wakemans’ wondrous stories. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tauzero Posted April 28, 2023 Share Posted April 28, 2023 I liked most of it - not so keen on the first verse. But then I also like Coldplay, Nickelback, and U2, and dislike most Prince, so the Basschat thought police will be coming for me. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted April 28, 2023 Share Posted April 28, 2023 18 minutes ago, tauzero said: I liked most of it - not so keen on the first verse. But then I also like Coldplay, Nickelback, and U2, and dislike most Prince, so the Basschat thought police will be coming for me. 20 years to life, methinks 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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