The Most Underappreciated Yes Man [Archive]

04-15-2002, 11:05 AM

In the spirit of YesNY's interesting Most Underrated Album Thread, I am hoping to start a poll/discussion of the Most Underappreciated Yes musician.

On this site, that should be a spirited discussion!

Q

My Own Vote

... goes to Trevor Horn. And it was a close one. Alternates were Rabin and Banks. The latter established Yes's name, Yes's modus operandi and structure (and has not received due credit), and of course Rabin takes daily black eyes for crimes committed not by him but by his Yes brethren.

However, it's hard to feel sorry for Rabin, who simultaneously stands out as the Most Successful Yes Man (most successful Yes songwriter, architect of the best-selling albums, etc, etc) - and Banks has taken little heat for his actual musical contributions, which were significant.

But if anyone deserves praise for a job well done and were denied, it's Trevor Horn. He shares credit with Rabin for the band's incredible comeback, and this in the face of horrific fan abuse - punished for who he wasn't, rather than appreciated for who he was. It is a mark of shame in Yes fandom. Horn's earnest and all-out effort on the wonderful Drama album is worthy of equally earnest and all-out praise. Whether one likes the style of the album or not, its musicality is easily defended, the skill with which it was performed is on a par with anything Yes has done, and it is simply unfair to beat a man up who was doing his all-out and credible best just because he wasn't somebody else.

Trevor Horn - thanks for all you gave to Yes!!!

Q

Alysoun

04-15-2002, 11:11 AM

Hi All:

Drummers are underappreciated in general (and get a bad rap even)
but Alan White is very underappreciated for the man who has been
the glue keeping everyone in time and together for almost 30 years.

Allison

04-15-2002, 11:23 AM

I said elsewhere that diversity is what makes Yes valuable in musical history - and I said that there are hundreds of more skillful players, so it's not really about that.

However, for the sake of clarity, I should specify that what I meant by that was there are hundreds of players in different genres - specifically, jazz and classical - who are more skillful by virtue of the greater demands of those genres.

And Yes has among its alumni two supremely skillful jazzmen who had relatively brief tenures: Bruford and Moraz.

Since there is no lack of adoration for the former, I wish to praise the latter. Patrick Moraz is a virtuoso in both jazz and classical forms and had actually managed to hybridize them like no other musician in modern times. He will probably never be first among Yes keyboardists - Wakeman will reign as the most successful in breadth and volume, and he is certainly the best all-around stage performer and entertainer among Yes keyboardists.

But Patrick Moraz is the most technically skillful musician who ever played with Yes, by a huge margin.

Q

YesNY

04-15-2002, 12:38 PM

Tony Kaye appeared on about as many albums as Rick Wakeman. His organ playing was a big part of the group's sound in the early days. And it is worth reminding ourselves that it is Tony Kaye playing keys on the classic "The Yes Album". Therfore I cast my vote for most underappreciated to Tony Kaye.

04-15-2002, 02:42 PM

The keyboards on The Yes Album are as rich and interesting and complimentary as any you could find on any album by any group from the early 70s!

Jackaranda

04-15-2002, 02:57 PM

I voted for Rabin, although close would be Kaye, Moraz and White.

Joedude

04-15-2002, 08:40 PM

I agree with Alysoun that drummers are underappreciated. I think Alan White is one of the most "musical" drummers around but I almost never hear anything about him or his contributions. He got my vote!!

:drummer:

04-15-2002, 09:49 PM

Mine too Joedude! Alan is so cool. I hope he never leaves us.

Neverthirst

04-16-2002, 08:36 AM

I was going to vote for Rabin as Most Underappreciated ... but since he clearly already holds Most Condemned .... it just didn't seem fair.

I voted for Chris ..... What!? Chris!?

Yes, Chris ...

We all talk nice about Chris when Chris comes up. Everybody loves Chris. How could you not love Chris!? ... And he gets his kudos and occasional accolades.

I suspect that our dear Chris does far more than we already give him credit for. I think he's responsible for much more of the continuation and success of the band than we could ever realize. But Chris would not be one to brag about holding the band together, nor would he be one to brag about his accomplishments, nor hoard credit for his creativity.

Not only is our beloved Chris arguably the greatest Bassist in the history of time and God ... he is also the rarely recognized heart and soul of the band of musicians that have stood the test of time more than any other.

One need not be the most complained about to be the Most Underappreciated. I think Chris is loved by all, but taken for granted. Perhaps because he isn't controversial ... who knows ...

I know that I am guilty of taking Chris for granted. I forget to acknowledge him ... I never question that he'll be there, his work be outstanding ...

So Chris Squire ... for all of the love and admiration the we all have for you ... May I take this opportunity to wish it for you tenfold.

04-16-2002, 09:20 AM

Now that is an interesting point of view, NT ... would never have occurred to me.

As I review your points one by one, I find myself agreeing in every case.

Way to go, Chris!

RobAdams

04-16-2002, 02:25 PM

Chris Squire was certainly an unexpected choice for underrated Yes man...Neverthirst makes a few excellent points we are all a bit guilty of at times. On the other hand I pay a lot of attention to Chris whenever I listen to YES - how could I not? He is the cental core of the RHYTHM OF YES. I'm one of those few who can't quite call the two ABWH albums YES albums, just because Chris isn't there. And Chris didn't want them to be called YES albums either. I must follow this technicality and also say these are not true YES albums. Not YES, but an incredible simulation. ABWH was a very good YES cover band (ha ha).

Trevor Rabin is indeed underrated. I'm guilty of this too. I prefer my YES with Steve Howe, but the Trevor Rabin era wasn't as bad as many of us Yes fans say it was. It is a matter of personal preference and taste I suppose. I was just happy in 1983 when we had a return of YES. Without the 1980's incarnations of YES, I suppose there would be less of a chance that we'd have them now. To me this makes Mr.Rabin somewhat of a valuable link in the YES chain. And have a listen to SOLLY'S BEARD. I think it's very cool.

Alan was almost my choice...I'm sure people have been cramming Bruford down his throat for decades now. I like them both. And I see lots of us defending Alan in here as well, so no vote for Alan.
He's appreciated.

I voted for Peter Banks. His guitar work on the first two albums is outstanding, but how often do we praise his work?

Neverthirst

04-17-2002, 04:45 AM

Peter Banks is a nice choice, i-and-i.

Yes Oz

04-17-2002, 08:07 AM

and it really hurts me deeply that I have seen some pretty awful remarks about Alan, particularly on the thread that someone started "White v Burford".

For me Alan's work with Yes since 73 is as good if not better than Bills in the previous 4 yrs. Must admit some of the "jazzier" numbers on the first two albums have some fantastic work by Bill, but in the long run Alans the man. he also seems to be such a gentleman and is totally committed to Yes music. I haven't heard one bad experience from fans who have been lucky enough to meet the members of the group. After all the thread is titled the "most underappreciatted member " of the group and I believe (IMO) that covers all aspect of the groups profile.

04-17-2002, 09:33 AM

Alan definitely tops Bill in the Attitude category ...

BredYes

04-18-2002, 03:49 AM

I voted for Alan White, because the discussion about "who is better Bruford or White?" irritates me. Alan is in the band for almost 30 years man! He is much more commited to Yes music than Bill Bruford, who is sometimes too cynical about his Yes period. OK, Bruford played very well on especially Fragile and Close to the Edge, but Alan played very well on for example Relayer. But I think Bruford developped a style which is not as suitable for Yesmusic as Alan's style is today. I prefer the more rock style of Alan instead of the electronic drums Bruford uses on ABWH-albums. I think Bruford fits better in King Crimson.

Yes Oz

04-18-2002, 06:54 AM

Bredyes.............couldn't agree more.

Plastic Man

04-18-2002, 02:54 PM

wakeman.

04-18-2002, 02:59 PM

I'd love to see who JON ANDERSON would vote for!!!

Ahkin

04-18-2002, 03:36 PM

I think Yes is an underrated band in general, especially press have mocked these guys so much that i'd give a vote to every one of them. But I can only choose one in this poll, so I go for Alan. What a grat chap.

Keith Perks

04-19-2002, 02:42 PM

The backbone of YES.

charl8e

04-19-2002, 10:05 PM

Gates of Delirium. Sound Chaser. To Be Over.
The guy didn't put a foot (finger?) wrong.
In just one album he redefined what YES could be.
Had they continued in that vein there would be no Awaken (although PM claims to have had a role in the composition of that track) but we might have discovered what YES would have sounded like if they had gone BEYOND the gates of delirium...
PM it must be...

04-19-2002, 10:48 PM

RobAdams

04-19-2002, 11:57 PM

Today I finally got to hear the BBC recordings...I continue to proclaim Peter Banks as the most often forgotten about and under appreciated Yes member. Lately I've been especially interested in the original line-up. These BBC recordings don't sound especially great, but the performances certainly make up for that. Considering the music scene around 1969-70, how exciting it must have been to see a new band breaking new ground like they did.

yesskater

04-23-2002, 10:48 PM

I'm not even going to get into the whole Bruford vs. White thing. They're both amazingly talented drummers. White always seems like a class act on and off the stage, and in entering year 30 of loyal service

Yes, Bruford can come off as a bit pretentious or arrogant. And he has crummed on YES from time to time. But he is also the dude that did some stunning metronomic work for what is considered by many to be YES' finest period. I think that along with Anderson, Bruford was a driving force both musically and personally in the band's early development.

RobAdams

04-24-2002, 02:59 AM

I love Bruford...I don't see him as under appreciated. If he were I'd have voted for him. Considering the small percentage of the Yes albums Bill Bruford has played on, he seems to be looked upon quite favorably all over this forum. I respect him, and I respect Alan White. Can't knock Alan for his dedication to the group. This year marks a Yes career Thirty True Summers long for Mr. White.

04-24-2002, 11:46 AM

It's my fault for leaving him off the list in the poll - but why not a tip of the hat to Eddie Offord? Without his willingness to do ANYTHING to get a desired result in the studio, Fragile and CTTE wouldn't have happened. And isn't Yessongs the most brilliantly engineered live album of the 70s? He's taken some knocks from the band since his years with them, but I for one am inclined to say, thanks, Eddie, for all you brought to Yes!!!

Q

Alysoun

05-03-2002, 04:06 PM

Originally posted by Quantum
It's my fault for leaving him off the list in the poll - but why not a tip of the hat to Eddie Offord? Without his willingness to do ANYTHING to get a desired result in the studio, Fragile and CTTE wouldn't have happened. And isn't Yessongs the most brilliantly engineered live album of the 70s? He's taken some knocks from the band since his years with them, but I for one am inclined to say, thanks, Eddie, for all you brought to Yes!!!
Q

Absolutely, Quantum, Eddie Orford deserves a lot of credit -- sound engineers are amazing people anyway, to take someone's abstract idea of how it should sound and then make it become reality. The man who did the sound engineering for Hendrix was the same way.

He would deserve credit for one thing in the very least, for patching, splicing, generally cleaning up and *rescuing* the bridsong intro from CTTE!!

Good point and cheers for the sound engineers,

Allison

mrgone3

05-04-2002, 01:50 PM

Originally posted by Ahkin
I think Yes is an underrated band in general, especially press have mocked these guys so much that i'd give a vote to every one of them. But I can only choose one in this poll, so I go for Alan. What a grat chap. WE HAVE HEAVEN!I agree that this band has been overlooked.Especially by the R&R Hell of Lame.And I like Bill a great deal.But Alan is the greatest YES fan of any of us! LONG LIVE YES .JOE

05-05-2002, 12:09 PM

Critics often get a bad rap. Agreed that much of the rock press has written off prog rock in general and Yes in particular, and hung only with the one prog rock band that really doesn't possess virtuosity (Floyd) and thus is more digestible - but critics are required to have moderately deep knowledge across a wide range of the pop/rock spectrum; it is simply not practical for most critics to match the investment we have made in Yes, and thus match our level of appreciation.

Come clean - did ANY of us "casually" fall in love with Yes? No, we invested incredible resources in our knowledge, love and appreciation of Yes. It is unrealistic to expect the rock press to do the same.

It was different 30 years ago. There was less than half as much pop-rock history as there is now, as rock had existed less than 20 years then. There was less Yes music - CTTE was only album #5 (album #3 if you don't count the albums nobody heard). It was easier for critics to be on board.

My suggestion: ignore the critics - they aren't writing for you, you are not their intended audience - and accept that Yes will be underappreciated - and that you are in a way special, for seeing clearly something that requires magical eyes ...

Love to all,
Q

ycantibu

05-23-2002, 09:57 AM

Quantum, I'm afraid I must disagree. I "casually" fell in love with Yes. I am a heretic, but please be gentle with me. BTW, I voted for Rabin. I figure at the very least, he's probably the most hated member by hardcore fans.

Martin Riley

05-23-2002, 11:43 AM

How about Geoff Downes. At least DRAMA had a full bodied and wide ranging keyboard sound after RW's whining,whinging,squeaky synth dominated efforts on Tormato.Geoff Downes may not be as good as Rick Wakeman overall but at least that album got Yes sounding like a band with a full set of keyboards and not just the latest toy technology.

illusion

05-23-2002, 02:25 PM

Alan!

Alan is the "glue of Yes", as I heard someone say above. And he co-wrote Turn Of The Century. So I voted for Alan.

And it took me AGES to get into Yes. I wanted to broaden my taste in music, so my dad gave me a tape of this band called "Yes".

Come clean - did ANY of us "casually" fall in love with Yes?

Paralells, Onward, Starship Trooper (all live), Our Song, Love Will Find A Way, I Am Waiting, Owner, Saving My Heart, Rejoice/Future Times, Soon, Open Your Eyes and Brother Of Mine. I think thats the lot. I liked it, but didn't love it. Even when I heard the albums I only liked it. Gradually, the epics started to grow on me, first it was "Gates". "Revealing" was the next one to work. "Close To The Edge" finally caught me around February this year (I listened to them March/April 2001) after 20-30 listens. Awaken (FINALLY!) grew on me in March. It just clicked. Still waiting for "Ritual" and "The Remembering", listening to them loads, but I still only "like" them.

PeterCologne

05-25-2002, 08:27 PM

... to me are the most underrated Yes-men. I voted for Billy Sherwood.
Because he seems to be a very talented musician, but never got the credit he deserves. Maybe he is no Trevor Rabin, but maybe he would have come close. He is not the man, who could have been the main factor in designing a new Yes that is still Yes. But his work on the underrated Open Your Eyes and his great solo album The Big Peace shows, that he could have been a Yes-Kick-In-The-Ass-Yes-Man like Trevor was. Not as dominating as Rabin, more as a part of the collective.

But he never had a chance, as a guitar-player at the side of Steve. That's ok, but, IMO, they should have taken him as the keyboard player. He is marvellous at the keys. Listen to Open Your Eyes. He has a unique style, that is very technical and warm in once, futuristic and and folkloristic in once. Very colourful, never cheap. His sounds are very deep, like a piece of gras, that at the first view is more or less one-dimensional, but at further looks reveals a universe of different colours and life, little creatures and so on, in it. He is not as forefront as Rick, but very sensitive, like a master in creating his bits to a big puzzle. His sounds fit in logically, a little bit like Tony Kayes hot and always full of variety organ, but different.

And listen to his background singing on The Ladder. The harmony-vocals are always a pleasure in Yes, but on The Ladder they are better than ever. For example on the great It Will Be A Good Day.

Number two is Trevor Horn. He just was the singer - and some creative composer, arranger too - on a Yes-album in the absence of one Jon Anderson - and it worked. Drama is such a great album. You know, how can you replace Jon? Trevor could, he gave us a real Yes-feeling, but still was Trevor, something new, and we always want something new from Yes. Don't we? He really had soul in Yes, the Yes-Soul. His vocals are a little bit more concrete then Jon's, but still have the mystical quality. I really wonder, what a second album with him - and Geoff Downes, some other underrated Yes-man - would have sounded. Like ABC meets Close To the Edge? Wow.

Number 3 is Peter Banks. He just was/is a great guitar-player, every band should be proud of. He helped very much to establish the high quality of guitar-playing in this band. If there would have been no Steve Howe and no Trevor Rabin, Yes would still have had a guitar-player, that is miles ahead from the average finger picking. Listen to Then or Everydays or everything else he did. He is the most tragic character in Yes.

And yes, I believe, that even Steve listened to Peter. Steves style is like the perfection of Banks. I wonder, how Yes would have sounded, if Peter had had the chance, to perfectionize it by himself.

A Bravo to Billy, Trevor and Peter

Greetings
Peter

05-26-2002, 10:01 AM

Well said, PC. A great post! It's especially good to see someone speaking up for Trevor Horn, who of all Yes Men endured what was probably the toughest situation, and did so with grace!

Q

PeterCologne

05-26-2002, 07:36 PM

... it was tough, and both, Trevor H. and Geoff Downes did it so well. And this whole band had such a joy to play. They really rocked. Maybe it was a cure for them after Tormato. And I think, the ever fresh Drama was the basis for the things, that would come, with the other Trevor.

I recently was listening again to a bootleg of the Drama-Tour, recorded in New York. The music has so much power, but the arrangements are still subtile. And Trevor is just charming and charismatic. Machine Messiah for example, Steve is so fantastic, some rock 'n' roll here, some funk there, or some jazzy moments. And Geoff does everything right, his organ has much soul (some of his solo-albums are quite good). Chris played an extra powerful and rumbling Bass.

I would love to hear Does it really Happen some day or Into the Lense. OK, chances are not so high for that. But, I won't mind, if the great Jon A. takes a break some day, if something like Drama, in a new way, could be created again, with Trevor H.

Greetings
Peter

Devotee

06-11-2002, 04:45 PM

I voted for Alan (has anyone noticed that Jon has no votes?). While I appreciate the contribution of Mr. Bruford, I beleive that Alan has helped Yes in so many ways. His musicianship is second only to his tempo - and ya can't really be a good drummer without a good sense of rythm. Example : Yessongs - LDR vs. Siberian Khatru. Look on the liner notes, Bill is the one who speeds up and slows down too much. Alan is spot on! I have also heard in interviews that he (Bill) often didn't play the same thing twice, and that's hard for a band to follow. Slam me if you will, but time tells this story as well.

R'tanys

07-25-2002, 04:52 AM

As I scrolled down the prevoius page, I began to wonder when Eddie Offord's name would come up. I have no idea why or how he parted ways with the band, but I have tosay that producers aren't given nearly enough credit for the success of a band or album. Well done, Eddie. What is he up to now?

Devotee

07-25-2002, 03:17 PM

One of the cool things about having kids is that it's easier to keep up with the current music scene. Apparently Eddie is still producing - worked with 311 according to Tanbar. Indeed CTTE would not have worked without Eddie, or at least not as well.

yessongs72

07-26-2002, 12:07 AM

Super Moderator, I think you need to take some Nyquil and try again tomorrow,lol.Moraz?? You have got to be kidding. But if not you have the right to think that way,but please reconsider and try the Nyquil, and the outlook will be better at the Heart of The Sunrise! Oh, by the way I pick Alan White, I was always a Bruford fan, but hell Alan hung in there and had contributed alot,especially in Ritual. I really don;t think Bill would have fit in and on Tormato, that is a Alan White album, then after his contribution on IN The Presence Of,he proved his talent.

leqin

07-24-2003, 05:31 PM

The one who isn't in the poll :rolleyes:

gathernear

12-04-2003, 03:39 PM

Alan White. Without a doubt. He gets no respect. It's all Steve this, Trevor that. But who has stuck around the most? Besides Chris, it's Alan. Being a great musician is a given for this band.

yarstruly

12-04-2003, 03:44 PM

Who is that leqin?

My vote was for Peter Banks...He such an underrated guitarist! But I think the arguments presented on this thread are so valid, that I could have easily picked several others...

Starship Trooper

12-11-2003, 02:34 PM

I picked Alan with Rabin a close second. Rabin's 90125 material resurrected Yes in 1983, but we continue to take it for granted that Alan will happily be behind his kit as usual at every show. Most either forget or don't know that way back in 1972 it all could have been over for Yes as a group.

Without Alan heroically stepping in at the last minute to cover Bruford's vacancy for the CTTE tour and subsequently joining the band, we probably wouldn't be having fun engaging in this debate right now.

Also, most people don't realize how much Alan contributes to the music in ways that have nothing to do with the drums. After decades of anonymously contributing to melodies and parts played by other instruments, he's finally getting the chance to show more of that talent off in songs such as In The Presence Of where we see him playing the piano.

I practically wept in 1990 when I heard that Chris Squire joined ABWH only to find out that Alan was also coming (along with Rabin and Kaye) for the Union Tour. But since that time I've studied Alan White (and Rabin) more closely. Now I am ashamed and think I was completely ignorant for feeling that way.

Stever

09-20-2004, 11:38 AM

There are several folks who've been in and out of Yes, and almost all of them have at least some faction of people who sing their praises. I'm on board with all of them to some degree. I find very little written, however, about Geoff Downes. The guy is a monster keyboardist imho. And should be discussed in serious terms right along side of Rick, Pat and Igor. It was just one album, and a controversial one at that, but his playing on it was incredible, and did anyone else go to that tour? While the vocals were a little off, the keyboard work was right up there with the best tours I've ever seen. I also saw him with Asia ('82?) in E. Rutherford, NJ, and though I'm not a huge Asia fan, Geoff and Steve made that show a spectacular event and memory for me.

Nut

09-20-2004, 12:04 PM

Believe it or not, I had 3rd row tickets for that show and it was canceled, due to lack of interest. The same tour which broke the Led Zeppelin record for most consecutive sell out performances at Madison Square Garden. That's AZ for you, so sadly I have not seen Mr. Downs perform live. I love Drama though. I also own two Buggle albums. And So It Goes.

mattquarterstein

09-21-2004, 05:09 AM

Gabriel

09-23-2004, 07:17 AM

I agree with alot of you on Alan White being unappreciated; hes kept with the band for 30 years and has probably saved alot of arguments too. Hes the driving force behind the Yes machine and is a fantastic drummer; just as good as Bill IMO.

Trevor would be a second choice since he always gets alot of stick; hes responsible for Yes' reincarnation in the 80's and has made some fantastic stuff with the band.

CARLO VAJAO

09-23-2004, 07:42 AM

trevor horn!!he did an incredible work on drama and put his magic fingers on 90125 as producer and the result........Yes entered in the 80´s as winners and gained many new fans!

Soul Dreamer

09-23-2004, 02:51 PM

Trevor Horn gets my vote. He not only saved the band by taking over lead vocals, he produced their only number one hit!

What did he get for it? He was booed! That's underappreciated all right.

Alan White doesn't get enough credit, sure, but he's never been booed!

I agree !
Tony is the obvious choice because of the tremendous shadow cast by the wizard (Rick Wakeman), and Billy gets little credit for his enormous contributions; but Trevor Horn - Ouch !

Bill Mocarsky

09-24-2004, 12:08 AM

Alan has been in the band for nearly 10 times as long as Bill Bruford. But on any given night, they probably play more material originally recorded with Bill.

Hill St.

01-04-2005, 02:27 AM

I voted for Peter Banks.For one reason Steve Howe's praise of him for helping to "Create The Yes Sound".

ELLIS

01-04-2005, 04:59 AM

Alan White, then Peter Banks.

crotale2112

01-04-2005, 11:59 AM

thank god for alan white. bill has little or no emotion in his style. when i saw a b w h live i think cloce to the edge sucked..........no emotion. when chris and alan work together its like jelly on toast......warm and fuzzzzzy. with bill on drums NO yessong can make me cry. ....sorry bill

cinderella

01-04-2005, 12:14 PM

Trevor Rabin is the most underappreciated member of Yes.

Like him or not he breathed life back into Yes. If you think his music was not "Yesish" enough well remember he didn't join Yes, he joined Cinema. He gave them his material and they used it. (Still are.) He did a lot in helping get Yes back in the public eye in the 80's, and win a lot of new fans that they may not have had otherwise, and he's never been given any credit.
Only by his true followers.

*sniff*

He's a brilliant musician, singer, songwriter, producer, engineer and most of all a true gentleman.

crotale2112

01-04-2005, 01:21 PM

hey cinderella,i feel the same way.trevor worked out well in the 80's. he did give the band new life and new look as well . the days of bell bottoms and platform shoes were over and it was time for tight leather....you know the black ones trevor had. maybe in the future we will see trevor with tight leather pants and funky platform shoes all at once .

cinderella

01-04-2005, 01:23 PM

you know the black ones trevor had. maybe in the future we will see trevor with tight leather pants and funky platform shoes all at once .

:valintine Oh yeah I've seen him in his tight leather pants. He filled them out very well. I wouldn't mind seeing him in them again....let's just forget the platform shoes though. :lmao:

I loved this quote from an interview he did back in 1993.

"I try to use the guitar for coloring rather than just to stand up on the podium and play a solo, you know, with my tight leather pants on." :D

crotale2112

01-04-2005, 01:36 PM

nice to talk to you again.chris had some crazy platform shoes on the tales tour....i think. maybe thats why i love kiss ,it must be them shoes. bootsy collins has some bad ass shoes as well. i would love to see jon anderson in huge platform shoes. about 14 inches high....wow.

crotale2112

01-04-2005, 01:39 PM

it has always been a dream to see kiss play gates of delirium as a cover tune.wow -o-wow what a show that would be.

cinderella

01-04-2005, 02:21 PM

i would love to see jon anderson in huge platform shoes. about 14 inches high....wow.

Goodness - 14 inches high!!! That's about 1/4 of how tall I am! (5ft.) :lmao:

I'd kill myself in those things!

That's almost worse than these glass slippers I'm wearing.;)

Sorry I'm off topic again! :offtopic:

DW Duke

03-28-2005, 08:25 PM

Al Gore. He was Clinton's YES man. He invented the internet, had his mother singing the union song to him before it was even written, was VP when the Soviet Empire collapsed and was elected president by the popular vote but despite all of these accomplishments didn't get to be president. LOL

The second most under appreciated YES man would be Banks.

bassist73

04-11-2005, 09:26 PM

I choose Chris Squire for obvious reseaons. The bass player is all always underappreciated. Everyone is fasinated by the lead guitar player.

Thanks for the poll. Keep them coming

DaveJB

04-11-2005, 11:25 PM

I voted for Alan White because he's sort of hidden behind the group, and he just does his thing, he's not overly flashy, just very, very good at keeping things moving!

Skyward

04-12-2005, 12:04 AM

But Patrick Moraz is the most technically skillful musician who ever played with Yes, by a huge margin.

Q

In your opinion, that is.

If perhaps you are thinking that Chris Squire is underappreciated, then I would ask you to really learn more about YES. Squire has set a standard in bass playing that is truly eclipsed by no one, at least, IMHO. While there are a host of bassists that are extremely notable, Squire's name is often synonymous with low-frequency. For example, just this past Saturday ( April 9th ), I was talking to an older fellow I chanced upon while our wives were engaged in small talk at a local convenience store. He happened to take notice of my "N2YES" license plates and inquired as to what that meant exactly. Halfway through my description, he suddenly recalled an integral piece of what by now is surely musical history and blurts out, "Oh yeah, there the ones with that phenomenal bass player. What's his name....Squire? I've never heard bass playing like that before or since!"

He's not by himself. The name Chris Squire is fairly reknown throughout the world of music. Even if his name isn't on the lips of the populace as a whole, his subterranean playing certainly is. He is by no means underrated or underappreciated for that matter.

04-12-2005, 01:44 AM

I think these days it's Peter Banks.

MrPhil

04-12-2005, 03:46 AM

My vote went to Trevor Rabin.
I haven't seen any musician that has got so much beating from a fanbase - well, maybe Trevor Horn - but Rabin was also very responsible for the great comeback, which without I think Yes would have been no more [wow, I start to speak like Yoda...?].
Jon Anderson has also struck me as being a very creative force in Yes, and behind his very timid and humble image - which I believe is totally honest - I can see a strong willed musician full of ideas.

Scooty

04-12-2005, 04:21 AM

I think these days it's Peter Banks.

If he wasn't such a ninny...maybe people would back off.

He's a great guitar player, but if he keeps crying the way he is.. my respect level decreases as each miserable, uncalled for post pops up. its simply childish...

allpurechance

04-12-2005, 05:12 AM

Every member of Yes from the beginning to the present have been underrated!

Earl Grey

04-12-2005, 05:34 AM

Every member of Yes from the beginning to the present have been underrated!

Amen and Amen Sir Frank!

...My choice would be David Foster, who co-wrote Time And A Word and Sweet Dreams with Jon. What do we really know about David Foster?

#1 in my book.

I have a book?! Where the hell are my royalties? No book, so-far. ;)

:ele:

04-12-2005, 01:59 PM

My point has been proven, unfortunatley. I'm not sure why the personal attacks are on this site. We should be supportive of all of the players.

Shatterwolf

04-12-2005, 03:31 PM

wolfhound

04-12-2005, 04:25 PM

04-12-2005, 07:58 PM

I voted for Patrick Moraz. He should be one of prog's most revered musicians IMHO.

I see that Alan is getting the most votes. I just have a hard time wrapping my head around the concept of anyone questioning Alan's greatness.

cinderella

04-12-2005, 11:47 PM

True Believer

04-13-2005, 12:46 AM

Yeah I'm still stickin' with Trevor.
Bet you'd like to be stuck to Trevor!

DW Duke

04-13-2005, 01:47 AM

The guy who should be in the band but has never been invited. LOL

cinderella

04-13-2005, 01:56 AM

Bet you'd like to be stuck to Trevor!

LOL!! Yeah so tight he'd have to peel me off. :lmao:

raz

04-13-2005, 02:31 AM

i picked pat poraz this time.

i like relayer a lot right now.

Scaramouche

04-13-2005, 05:40 AM

I chose Geoff Downes, as he is a wonderful keyboard player, who was never really given a fair crack of the whip, in his Yes career.

Before Igor, came into the picture, Steve actually suggested bringing Downes back into the fold, which was an idea backed by the rest of the band, but it was Mr. Anderson, who vetoed it.

To Jon, Geoff signified a Yes without him, and therefore a Yes without merit, but in this instance he couldn't be more wrong.

His work on Drama was faultless, and he is therefore my second favourite Yes keyboard player after Wakeman.

I would love to see him make a return to Yes one day, if Wakeman ever decides to quit again.

Scaramouche xx

allpurechance

04-13-2005, 09:12 AM

Though while Yes as a whole was never fully recognized, I must say, my vote goes to Jon Anderson. (I was going to vote for a Mr. White...) Though all the musicians of Yes brought talent and power, Jon's lyrics changed the way many people think. People many times over-look Jon's words for a crazy guitar solo, etc (even though my favorite player is Howe... and even though Jon himself plays the guitar). When you think about it, what's more important in a concept album? The words- the actual story of the songs, or the musical part of it?

And I know many people dissagree with me...

Anyone who writes the lyric:"Are there many more in comfort understanding?Is the movement in the head?"(a lyric I have just recently REdiscovered!And wonderfully so...!)is just plain a poet to this feebleminded sumgun!...It is SO remarkable that these lyrical "moments" can come back and strike one square in the head,the heart,and the soul,simultaneously...after such a period of time has elapsed...!...

Yet each of these wonderful musicians have shown themselves capable of doing so,repeatedly...It is why we are here,extolling their virtues...it is why we love them all so...

(Thus I will not vote,lol---they are ALL so severely underrated!)

Shatterwolf

04-13-2005, 03:43 PM

^ The Ancient, eh? Many people I know think that is the one of Yes' worst songs. I happen to love it.

allgoodyes

04-17-2005, 10:57 PM

I agree with those who say that every member of Yes is underrated. However, if it is necessary to choose one of them, then Alan White is the most underrated member in the history of Yes. He has been the principal drummer/percussionist on at least eighty percent of the songs in the Yes catalogue and he has performed all of the Yes songs with power, precision and creativity.

Steve St Thomas

04-18-2005, 10:17 PM

My vote went to Rabin. Not only is he underappreciated, he's also reviled in certain quarters. Which isn't cool.

Alternate choices would be Trevor Horn, Tony Kaye and Peter Banks.

Warhorse

07-15-2005, 05:23 PM

I think Alan White is the humblest member of Yes and worthy of more attention, but I voted for Rabin because he too often gets unfairly maligned.

neilius

07-15-2005, 05:25 PM

Peter Banks.
he's constantly been shat on over the years.

Yes2Yes

07-15-2005, 06:51 PM

I voted for Moraz. Those were some pretty big shoes he had to fill and I must say Relayer is one of my favorite albums.

Charles Matejic

07-16-2005, 10:21 AM

I voted for Tony Kaye.The Yes Album was/is their finest work despite how much I love the other stuff. The sound they had then was in large measure due to Kaye but most forget him after Wakemans wizardry

shortexchanges

07-16-2005, 11:01 AM

the two Trevors. Horn filled in the toughest assignment ever, the only other lead singer and helped create the hardest rocking Yes album to date.

Without Rabin reforming cinema there would have been no Yes at all. I admit without shame that there are Rabin tunes I like, leave it, hold on, Rythum of Love, Final eyes that do deserve to be in the catalog. Owner produced by horn got many many people to listen to the entire catalog and increase the fan base.

Both are under appreacited. I owuld go so far to say that all the yesmen not on the close to the edge album are underappreciated. Yes is yesness because of the personell changes..