Where did the 80's fans go?

[1yesfan]

Its prettyu clear that todays Yes followers are more often then not are TROPER fans and from way back. Where did all the 80's fans go too. That era was rather popular for them and there were a ---- load of huge sold out shows. I ask you, where did the fans from then go too? Why are they not still supporting the band? Did they leave cause the trooper fans are so pro OLDER YES? Did they leave cause the bands face kept changing?

[Jackaranda]

First, they had to wait 4 years for Big Generator. Then they got Union in 1991.

Enough said.


Really though, it's too bad because all those fans they lost would have loved Talk.

[JaneEyre]

What he said.

[Sunrise68]

I got into Yes in my early teens just after Drama - at the time I thought Yes were no more.

When 90125 was announced I was thrilled - Yes was back! Although I loved Fragile and CTTE, I was very happy with 90125.

After that I was so eager for any new Yes product I could get my hands on that I bought the 9012Live EP the day it came out - I felt so ripped off that I cooled on Yes.

By the time Big Generator came out in 1997 I was too "cool" for a band as cheesy as Yes - I never even bought the album.

I think if Yes had followed up 90125 with a proper album, say by 1995, they may have been able to keep the interest of their newer younger fans. As it stood the delay between albums lost them a lot of momentum.

I didn't get intersted again until the Rhino reissues. I bought CTTE and was reminded of how much I loved yes, so I bought the rest of the albums.

John

[gitsy]

I think that a lot of what Yes produced in the 80’s, whilst good, was disposable pop/rock. It wasn’t the stuff that grabs you and changes they way you here music. In the 70’s and indeed now (when they do produce music) I think they have a unique sound. Having said that it may just be what’s already been stated i.e. changing personnel and lack of product.

[jfuruno]

A lot of people who were into Yes in the 80's were into any kind of touring group. Yes was pop. They like pop. They liked Yes. Now Yes is not pop, and those people don't get out much anymore anyway.

[Faceintheplace]

I'm a bit different, I became a fan right after Big Generator and right before ABWH and like stuff off every Yes album. Admittedly I lean more towards the 70s stuff and the stuff from the 90s on and Steve Howe is my favorite Yes guitarist but I can respect most of the Yeswest stuff too.

[new_sum_do_solve_ay]

I think Trevor needs to make a return and get them to take another dip into the mainstream. Just 'because they can.' I'm an 80s kid and that stuff was great. Cinema, Leave It, It Can Happen, I'm Running, Almost Like Love, hold me back!! Talk about feeding the athlete in all of us. I love riding a bike and I get pumped up with my iPod listening to that during peak performance. Gives you that adrenalin surge.

I was on the edge of my seat for ABWH, which was very different but also very special (minus Squire). Ditto for Union. I think something about Union's touring scheme lost people's attention. The feeling of 'one band' got lost. I didn't go to the tour because they didn't come to my city, but also I didn't want to drive there like I did for the Greatful Dead in Vegas '91 because I really didn't know who was in and who was out. It was like I needed to take a college course in sociology just to appreciate who is in the band.

Trevor needs to come back. Yes needs to fly again. After listening to Spectrum I'm wondering why Steve is reserving some of his best experiments for his band Remedy. Why can't Yes use that kind of creativity?

[Silent_wings]

Many drifted away they went on to the next thing that came along
But some of us are still here.

I was introduced to Yes in the 80's
I am a child of the Generator
I've always loved Talk it's a killer album

But I also love the rest of Yes's catolog.
Being a Yes whole is a good thing.

[steve4001]

they had to wait 4 years for Big Generator. Then they got Union in 1991...it's too bad because all those fans they lost would have loved Talk.a very sound analysis, methinks

[BrianD]

I think its the basic issue of 'the test of time'. 70s Yesmusic is timeless - it will attract listeners - not necessarily hordes in the mainstream - but curious listeners, a bit like jazz, for years to come.

80s Yesmusic was very high quality mainstream pop - very much rooted to the times - it screams out at you 'I am from the 80s'. Hordes were attracted to that in the 80s but moved on largely to other mainstream pop - those 80s Yesfans that remain got a lot more out of the 70s music than those that left.

I doubt whether having Rabin back in the band could attract much - the Talk tour was a case in point.

[luckeydoug1]

I am a huge fan of the 80s Yes. There appears to be quite a few of us here! The YesWest lineup rocks.

I also enjoy quite a bit of Yes from the 90s, but I am not a big fan of the 70s for the most part.

[cinderella]

I lost interest for awhile when Trevor left.
Sorry it just hurt.

[gitsy]

I lost interest for awhile when Trevor left.
Sorry it just hurt.
I think Trever Horn was wise to leave :-)

[Earl Grey]

Horn should produce something for the band though.

My fave darkhorse YES album: Drama!

All Hail The 80s. Miss those skinny ties.

:ele:

[gitsy]

I agree production on Tomatoe and Drama are like chalk and cheese.

[Steve St Thomas]

I would've left around UNION honestly. That whole thing just looked so fraudulent, but when I was 24 I had all this ''idealism'' about those in the music industry and what not. So I just saw it as ''strange'' but I still bought it.

Years later I think its the worst mistake they ever made. It totally screwed them up for years, fans who came in during the 90125 years didn't know what band they were buying anymore, and why their had to be 8 people in it, or why there were 8, now there are 5, no wait there are 5 but this is the ''correct'' Yes. It just sent out all the wrong messages. It said ''we're not sure what we're doing here, so we can't promise you the results will be what you wanted''.

And it's true about Howe. He is saving his best material for his own albums. And Squire is saving his own best stuff for solo projects. I'll have to hear White. Just to see if a pattern is developing. But with my ''rose coloured glasses removed'', I swear they screwed themselves back in 1989 - 1991.

[gitsy]

This maybe slightly off topic but I wouldn’t think any group member holds good material back but that it is rejected. Isn’t this part of the problem each member has a vision and the others won’t share and be involved. It seems we are back at the Paris sessions except this time there are no sessions even.

[Steve St Thomas]

This maybe slightly off topic but I wouldn’t think any group member holds good material back but that it is rejected. Isn’t this part of the problem each member has a vision and the others won’t share and be involved. It seems we are back at the Paris sessions except this time there are no sessions even.

Nah, not off topic at all! Maybe it is rejected? Who knows. I mentioned it awhile ago in another thread about Steve Howe. I heard about a dozen tracks from his solo albums, and I was shocked actually. I hadn't picked up a solo album by him since The Steve Howe Album. And his work with Yes since 1996 I haven't really been interested in (I'm sticking around mainly for Squire & White). But then I heard his solo material, and I'm just sitting there wondering why this isn't being used by Yes!!!!! Literally shocked. But I felt that way about The Unknown as well (even though Sherwood's out by that point). Hearing New World was a revelation.

[new_sum_do_solve_ay]

...fans who came in during the 90125 years didn't know what band they were buying anymore, and why their had to be 8 people in it, or why there were 8, now there are 5, no wait there are 5 but this is the ''correct'' Yes. It just sent out all the wrong messages...

That was me. I couldn't identify with the relationships. I didn't identify with it at the time. That's wasn't 'me' so I kind of turned away...

And it's true about Howe. He is saving his best material for his own albums. And Squire is saving his own best stuff for solo projects. I'll have to hear White. Just to see if a pattern is developing.

Yea I'm glad someone else sees this who's more knowledgeable. Just think what the rest of Yes might have done with Spectrum if they had collaborated! After reading Rick's comments in this forum it just seems like they see less and less of each other and they have to rely on their own strengths.

[Hugh Shiebler]

But with my ''rose coloured glasses removed'', I swear they screwed themselves back in 1989 - 1991.

They've screwed themselves over more times than I can count. It's almost like, how many times can they recover?

[soul warrior]

Where did all the 80's fans go too.

they're all listening to Usher now....just kidding. I'm a fan of bothe eras :-))

[gathernear]

they're all listening to Usher now....just kidding. I'm a fan of bothe eras :-))


LOL, I was going to say Tim McGraw. I have met several people that were fans back then and have no idea that the band still exists. They just moved on to the next thing, probably some MTV band that had a boss video.


Larry