Yes

[Jeremy Bender]

YesNY, that's a good point there from Rick. I think that if they'd have let the songs be as long as they needed to be without the vinyl constraints, some of the "noodling" (see related thread) would have been cut out. I still wish Jon would get around to doing the "50-minute Tales" that he's talked about for years. Cut out the noodling, keep all the good stuff and see how it flows.

BTW, the album that recently won the Grammy for album of the year is Outkast's Speakerboxxx/The Love Below. I have it and it got some great stuff on it but man! talk about filler. The album is 2:15 long (it's a double CD), roughly the equivalent of FOUR LP's! Oh what Jon and Steve could have done with that! Hahaha!

Re: Rick and his reaction. This section from the Hedges book might be a clue:
Or, as Chris Squire explains in more graphic detail, Steve and Jon stemed in with their cassette outline of their Epic Concept for Yes's seventh album and "Rick walked out of the room"
In other words, I think Rick may have objected to having two members of the band--a band that prided itself on being a collective thing--try to push their ideas on the whole group. Obviously Jon and Steve were the musical "leaders" but I think that maybe Rick that they were taking that a bit too far.

Oh, and Fosters is great. Is there a beer thread on this board?

[bender]

"I still wish Jon would get around to doing the "50-minute Tales" that he's talked about for years."


I just spent the last month doing exactly that, just to see how it sounds.

My "Tales" ended up around 58 minutes long and for the most part, it flows very well.

I'm not saying Tales NEEDS editing, but I can't listen to ALL of it ALL the time. My edited version is more "listenable" to my ears, but I still play the original when I get the chance.

[Ryan]

It is kind of hard to sit down and listen to all 80 minutes of it. I get restless.

[squealy]

"I'm not saying Tales NEEDS editing, but I can't listen to ALL of it ALL the time. My edited version is more "listenable" to my ears, but I still play the original when I get the chance."

What parts did you take out? I've tried editing Tales before but I can never quite get it to work - I know which parts I'd like to omit, but when I take them out, the music before and after doesn't fit together (e.g. the percussion section of Ritual). For an album that is routinely described as "too long" and "full of filler," it's surprising how difficult it is to trim it when you really analyze it.

Unless of course you just leave out "The Ancient."

[tommc]

You can leave out the beginning of The Ancient but the Leaves of Green section is a keeper.

[PO]

90210 has short songs.

[squealy]

90210 has short songs.

There are songs on 90125 I'd like to edit too! Both "Hold On" and "It Can Happen" feel like they go on too long to me.

Like bender, I don't really think Tales NEEDS editing, I just wanted to try it to see if you could make it shorter without wrecking it. And discovered that actually you can't. At least I think that's true of sides 1, 2 and 4. "The Ancient" I'm happy to just lose apart from the "Leaves of Green" part.

[PO]

Too bad you're not getting The Ancient.

The section where the different words for "sun" are sung:
Sol, Dhoop
Sun
Ilios
Naytheet
Ah Kin
Saule
Tonatiuh
Qurax
Gunes, Grian
Surje
Ir
Samse

That is some of the most unique and brilliant voicing, orchestration, and chord progressions Yes, or any band, has ever done.

Oh, well. Let them eat cake at chez nous.

[Mike Watkins]

Here's an interesting article from a while ago. I don't agree with everything, but not bad......

http://www.bostonphoenix.com/boston/music/other_stories/documents/03195467.asp

[Timmo]

Too bad you're not getting The Ancient.

The section where the different words for "sun" are sung:
Sol, Dhoop
Sun
Ilios
Naytheet
Ah Kin
Saule
Tonatiuh
Qurax
Gunes, Grian
Surje
Ir
Samse

That is some of the most unique and brilliant voicing, orchestration, and chord progressions Yes, or any band, has ever done.

Oh, well. Let them eat cake at chez nous.

Agreed, plus Steve's solo is amazing.

I love "Leaves of Green," but if I had to cut part of "The Ancient," it would be "Leaves."

TIM
Venice, CA

[gathernear]

Too many notes, eh?


Larry

[Timmo]

Too many notes, eh?


LarryNah, just not as interesting as the first part of "The Ancient." Leaves of Green is kind of pretty but almost in a twee way.

I'm more into Steve's howling, growling, dischordant guitar solo at the beginning of the Ancient.

If you're a Stevie Ray fan, I bet you do, too! Man, that dude could play guitar.

TIM
Venice, CA