Themes, An Attack on Rabin?

[mattquarterstein]

Listening to Themes, I can't help but get the feeling that the song is a bit of an attack on Trevor Rabin. The lyrics seem to be about Jon's frustrations with YesWest and Trevor's pop-rock vision for the band, and how Jon couldn't write or sing about the things that meant a lot to him.

Be gone you ever piercing
Power Play machine
Cutting our musical solidarity
For those who would break the windows
Of our true reflections
And perceptions of the world
'For I am out of thee with a vengeance'

Do not play me
You will never hear this
You will never hear this
Only feel it

For too long I have danced
To your destiny
No longer fill my head
With empty dreams

Of reality and gold
Your reality
For I am away this side away to the second attention

I can never ever play it or sing it
For it can never be shouted down
Or played every stronger
As I feel this never ending
Pattern of nature

I don't believe in Devils
I don't believe in Demons
I only believe in you

[Orbert]

Interesting interpretation. I never gave it much thought before, but they do seem to fit, don't they?

Lots of bands use their lyrics to stab out at the record company, or the business in general, or I suppose anything else that's been bugging them lately, so why not? And they do fit really well.

Orbert

[yarstruly]

Wow...great possibility there....hmmmm..anybody else have a take on this?

[ANTIOCH]

I always felt the lyrics were directed at the Industry, not a former YES-man.

[tecladista]

Me too. From the beginning, I thought it was about the "industry", the music "biz" and how they try to control everything related to the business of music...

[mood for today]

i don't think it's directed at rabin.

what i find odd about abwh is that the opening medley they did live included acoustic owner!! a song BWH had nothing to do with and that jon was given when he rejoined white and squire.

[cinderella]

I always felt the lyrics were directed at the Industry, not a former YES-man.

I certainly hope not! They're not that bitter.......are they?

[ANTIOCH]

I certainly hope not! They're not that bitter.......are they?

I honestly do not believe any of the YES men would be so upset with a former member that they'd actually do a Lennon/McCartney song writing feud.

[michael]

Trevor, a "piercing power play machine", no man, forget it.

[Andersonic]

it was directed at the LA music scene, being focused on quick bucks and 1 hit artists and bands...Jon wanted to make real music again, stayed on the Greek Isle of Hydra and felt it was time to call some guys from the good old days...and then ABWH was born...thank God

[mattquarterstein]

Don't get me wrong, I like Trevor Rabin. I just was wondering...

[Original_Shifty]

Don't get me wrong, I like Trevor Rabin. I just was wondering...

No, no, it was a good question. This is what this place is for. Great for discussion.

[SonicDeath10]

it is an interesting interpetation. i like the idea that it's about teh music industry: i could see jon dissing something like that, but not a real in life person.

[rememberer]

I think it's about the music industry in general. There are some remarks about the opening line in that context that Bill Bruford made in an interview that sound to me that way. It's either in Tim Morse's book or Chris Welch's, about the short-lived but admirable spirit Jon was in.

Ah, here 'tis. Tim Morse, page 87: "...But just for a second there was a strong drive from Jon. You know, 'begone you everlasting power play machine' or whatever it is. He didn't want to be in the record industry anymore, by God he was going to do what he wanted. Well, that was a little window of opportunity that lasted ten minutes before it slammed shut." (Tim Morse interview, 1984).

[SonicDeath10]

i just picked up welch's book recently (along with the book about the making of pet sounds and the razzie awards book: also a double disc of 10CC material) and i'm reading it and enjoying it immensly.

jon as a milk man. a MYSTIC milk man.

[pianozach]

I remember listening to ABWH for the first time. I thought that he was singing to the "new" Yes at the time. It very much sounded to me like the beginning of a Lennon/McCartney type songwriting feud. I LIKED it too.

I liked 90125 a lot as well (although BG didn't impress me for about 10 or so years). I was just so happy to have TWO Yesses producing music. And then there was Talk. Impressive. And another ABWH album, this time LIVE. Wow. And then Union! Or maybe it was the other way around? And then OYE and Ladder at the same time - again - two different sounded Yesses. Well whaddaya gonna do?

[Dr Yes]

I always felt the lyrics were directed at the Industry, not a former YES-man.


What he said! Mind you given the timing of the release - it's an interesting notion.

[onslo]

hmm...

i don't think Jon, Steve, Rick and Bruford would really be like that to someone.

[ELLIS]

IF it was a jibe at TR, then why the Union tour? And then Talk? Also, jon's so full of love stuff wouldn't it be hypocritical to lash out like this? IF he had resentment he'd keep it to himself. but the record industry does have a stranglehold on some artists creativity. So I think THAT'S who Jon's jibing at.

[vtchatman]

how do the members feel about rabin especially howe?

[Deliriumyes]

I'm not a big fan of Rabin. When I saw him come out on stage in leather pants in 1984, I was thinking to myself, "The Van Halen show is next week." I'm sorry to all of the Rabin fans out there, but I have been listening to Yes music for 35 years, and I just don't think he belongs in this particular band. He has talent, for sure, but not for Yes. I am grateful, however, that his arrival sparked a new interest in yes by the rest of the world. If it weren't for 90210, I'm not sure there would be a Yes today.

[vtchatman]

I'm not a big fan of Rabin. When I saw him come out on stage in leather pants in 1984, I was thinking to myself, "The Van Halen show is next week." I'm sorry to all of the Rabin fans out there, but I have been listening to Yes music for 35 years, and I just don't think he belongs in this particular band. He has talent, for sure, but not for Yes. I am grateful, however, that his arrival sparked a new interest in yes by the rest of the world. If it weren't for 90210, I'm not sure there would be a Yes today.
ha can tell you are no fan of his period, wasnt 90210 that 90s cheesy teenie yuppie show?

[Orbert]

ha can tell you are no fan of his period, wasnt 90210 that 90s cheesy teenie yuppie show?
Ha ha, I didn't enough notice that it said 90210 and not 90125! Actually, now that I think about it, that's kinda sad.

Yes, it was a cheesy teenie yuppie show, but Jennie Garth and Shannen Doherty made it worth the trouble.

[Deliriumyes]

ha can tell you are no fan of his period, wasnt 90210 that 90s cheesy teenie yuppie show?


Whooops! My Bad! Well, I guess that must have been some Freudian slip or something. I never listened to that album or watched that show!

[SonicDeath10]

Ha ha, I didn't enough notice that it said 90210 and not 90125! Actually, now that I think about it, that's kinda sad.

Yes, it was a cheesy teenie yuppie show, but Jennie Garth and Shannen Doherty made it worth the trouble.
are you insinuating that shannon doherty is an attractive woman? :wazzup:

[vtchatman]

are you insinuating that shannon doherty is an attractive woman? :wazzup:
she is no less attractive than squire in rabin period videos.

[Jackaranda]

I'm sorry to all of the Rabin fans out there, but I have been listening to Yes music for 35 years, and I just don't think he belongs in this particular band.


We need to talk.

[SonicDeath10]

she is no less attractive than squire in rabin period videos.
:lmao:

[A Student of YES]

Interesting interpretation! I am quite sure there was some personal grivances that these guy's have toward each other from all the years working together.
Bending to the wills of one musician or another. But I am quite sure this song is generated toward the recording CEO's. BY the way " Which ones Pink" ?
At their worst I could not imagine YES writting a song about a previous band member.
And Trevor was a real money maker and did write some great music during those times. No doubt about it.

[ycantibu]

Not to mention this idea that Anderson is this sainted man that doesn't care about being successful is a load of BS. Come on, Anderson & Squire wanted success as much as the next band member!


Interesting interpretation! I am quite sure there was some personal grivances that these guy's have toward each other from all the years working together.
Bending to the wills of one musician or another. But I am quite sure this song is generated toward the recording CEO's. BY the way " Which ones Pink" ?
At their worst I could not imagine YES writting a song about a previous band member.
And Trevor was a real money maker and did write some great music during those times. No doubt about it.

[marklovesyes]

it was directed at the LA music scene, being focused on quick bucks and 1 hit artists and bands...Jon wanted to make real music again, stayed on the Greek Isle of Hydra and felt it was time to call some guys from the good old days...and then ABWH was born...thank God
I can confirm this. It is documented in an interview some where with Jon. I cannot remember what interview it was. Perhaps the Union tour Rockline.
Anyway, he mentioned that he had recorded 2 albums there (which were "3 Ships" and "In The City of Angels" - isn't that what Los Angeles means?) and in general did not care for the scene.
If I can find the quote in all of my material, I will pass it along.
-mly

[jimmygtr]

ha can tell you are no fan of his period, wasnt 90210 that 90s cheesy teenie yuppie show?

Be gone you ever piercing dairy powered gratter cheese machine....

[rememberer]

Some Rockline interviews with Jon and others at the Yes Museum website. I downloaded and burned some lately but haven't listened to it all yet, can't quite place the reference. A Nightbird show in there with a great Squire interview at the time FOOW came out. That was a wonderful suprise.

But I am quite sure this song is generated toward the recording CEO's. BY the way " Which ones Pink" ?

Exactly. Or "Five Percent For Nothing," the title anyway. But oh, man. Looks like a day without Yesfans did get me all bent funny weird... "Which one's White," you mean? :-)

Just goes downhill from there... "Who's on guitar?" "Howe." "No, not how, who..." "Howe." "You're not going to tell me who plays guitar then?" "No, Howe..."

Help! :-)

[crotale2112]

When jon sings the line " be gone you ever piercing power play machine" I think he is talking about the blender steve howe was using in the control room to make his ultra organic fruit shake that day.I get tantalizing images of steve howe in a studio........nut's and seed's everwhere.:worm:

[gt76yesman]

No, I do not think it is an attach on TR. They had more tours together. It is a beautiful piece of music. Wakeman and Bruford are awesome on it, especially live!

[Jackaranda]

I never considered it directed at Trevor, more as it was to the industry in general. I always thought it was 'Order of the Universe' that was directed at Rabin.