The recording of Big Generator

[fiendish thingy]

I've heard a lot of different things about how and where this album was recorded. I read somewhere that it was recorded in Italy and London, and other places I've heard it was done in LA. Does anyone know for sure where the album was recorded and the circumstances surrounding it? (If you don't know for sure, guesses will work! :) ) Has anyone heard any ancedotes about making the album? I haven't heard the guys talk about it at all on any interviews!

[Dr.Bass]

There are snippets of info out there; Chris Welch's biography, and both Yesyears and the recent EA classic artists series DVD have various members talking about the album.

Recording/producing/writing took place in LA, Italy London (Horn's studio) and back in LA again.

Big Generator is one of those albums that suffers from a lack of cohesion (much like Tormato) and could have been truly great.

As the follow up to 90125, expectations were high and no doubt the pressure of keeping up the commercial success would have put a strain on things. With both Jon and Trevor (Rabin) being on board form the start of the album it seems likely that they clashed over various ideas and styles of writing/production, although they worked well together on Talk later on.

Recording in Italy was allegedly Trevor Rabin's idea, to make use of the acoustic affects of recording in a castle. According to Chris it was cold and far from ideal. Chris also states a number of times that he and Alan recorded the drums nearly two years before the album was finished.

Trevor Horn wanted to record in the comfort of his own London studio, where 90125 was put together, clearly unhappy about being stuck between various waring factions he quit as producer. He's quoted as saying "one piece of s*** is no different from the other" in Welch's Close to the edge.

At some point Paul de Villiers became involved as producer and shares a credit on the album, but would appear the Trevor Rabin finished off the job.

Unlike many of the Yes albums there is little in the way of specifics regarding the making of Big Generator in any of the books or DVDs, merely passing refernces to things not working out and it taking too long (near 2 years) to finish.

If you track down the Alternate Generator you can hear some of the tracks in an ealier form. It's rumoured that the demos (though they are high quality if that's what they are) on the 'Alternate Generator' are what Trevor Horn had produced before leaving the project.

Big Generator's reputation is further maligned by the bad quality of the CD album avaliable, which even has the stereo flipped in places. Oh, and the tour didn't last long, with alot of the then new Big G material being dropped from the set early on.

If it's been said once, it's been a thousand times; it is a crime the Rhino have not issued an expanded & remasterd edition of Big Generator, as of all the albums it is clearly the one that would benefit the most from the process.

Despite all this Big G is one of my favourite albums.

[fiendish thingy]

Wow! Thanks! That's just what I was looking for. (Big Generator is one of my favorite albums, too! :D )

[fiendish thingy]

Oh, one more thing, did they all live in the castle or just record in it? (I know it's kinda silly, but I was curious :D )

[happytheman]

Oh, and the tour didn't last long, with alot of the then new Big G material being dropped from the set early on.

I guess I caught that tour early on, coz the majority of the album was played when I saw them. Only thing I remember missing was I'm Running.

[Enlighten]

I guess I caught that tour early on, coz the majority of the album was played when I saw them. Only thing I remember missing was I'm Running.

I saw them early on as well and was disappointed that they omitted "I'm Running" which I always felt was the best piece of music that they produced during the Rabin years.

[Dr.Bass]

Looking back through the various set lists on Forgotten Yesterdays you'll see that I'm Running and Final Eyes were dropped pretty soon, withing the first 6 shows of the tour! So if you got to see it live you were very lucky indeed!

[Write a punch line]

The band was coked up. Trevor is on record as saying it was a big drug time, although he wouldn't disclose who was doing what. It's in Trevor's NFTE conversation. It reflects in the bad styling of the album, the lack of cohesion on the less pop oriented tracks. One of the weirdest Yes albums. I really enjoy 90125 and Talk, but for the most part BG makes my skin crawl.

[Yes.2]

I feel more informed about BG now after reading this thread. Thanks for the facts and what'not.

[YESOLA]

.

Big Generator is one of those albums that suffers from a lack of cohesion (much like Tormato) and could have been truly great..

Despite all this Big G is one of my favourite albums.

I agree with this pretty much. Big G is my favorite Yes west album, combine that with the Yes west stuff on Union and its a fine set.

The album "could of been great" as you say because it was all "disjointed but with too many purposes." he four producers credited on the album speaks to this.

Trevor says in Yesyears, that " he couldn't pin Jon down." To many directions and too much stubbornness on each side hurt the collection as a whole, but most of the tracks on the album stand up as pretty strong ideas in and of themselves.

[kirklott]

Trevor says in Yesyears, that " he couldn't pin Jon down."

The point of that quote is that Rabin is a control freak, rather than that any lack of direction harmed the album. Rabin was unable to collaborate or synergize, which was the whole problem with YesWest.

Why in the world would anyone want to pin down a creative genius like Jon?

[cinderella]

Just read Trevor's interview in Notes From The Edge. There's a few paragraphs where he talks about Big Generator and also about the Union and Talk albums.


http://nfte.org/interviews/TR270.html

[crotale2112]

http://cdn.edu-search.com/uploads/cocainedrops.jpg

[Jackaranda]

They fought the whole time...what a waste, it should have been a great album.

[cinderella]

From what Trevor says in the interview, I guess the wives didn't get along either.

[Jackaranda]

From what Trevor says in the interview, I guess the wives didn't get along either.

You can sort of see that in the 9012Live DVD, the backstage stuff they filmed.

[yes372]

I saw them early on as well and was disappointed that they omitted "I'm Running" which I always felt was the best piece of music that they produced during the Rabin years.

The show I saw from that tour led off with "Almost Like Love" (Nov 87) which I only remember because I thought it was a strange choice for a leadoff song.

[YesHut]

Cin, thanks for the link. It was a good read.

[90125yes]

this album took ages to record

it was the begigging of the end for YESWEST and i could certainly see why Jon got ABWH together


in really did surprise me that TALK happened later ... much to do about management rather than YES music

[bjlevine]

One of the problems with Big Generator was industry expectations. For the first time in the bands history, they were expected to produce another #1 hit, rather than focus on what they do best, cohesive complex musical odysseys.

[YESOLA]

From what Trevor says in the interview, I guess the wives didn't get along either.

hahaha ....man , Yes, for all of it's peace and love lyrics are a social mess sometimes (or a lot of the time) aren't they?

eh but we love em just the same.

[YESOLA]

The point of that quote is that Rabin is a control freak, rather than that any lack of direction harmed the album. Rabin was unable to collaborate or synergize, which was the whole problem with YesWest.

Why in the world would anyone want to pin down a creative genius like Jon?

Well yeah but when you have four directors , it kind of harms the direction or vibe. You can hear it. "Disjointed" is an accurate assessment. 90125 was much more cohesive.

All of the great Yes albums has a certain "vibe " or fell that was a bit cohesive. I would include 90125 in that lot.

Not that it guarantees a better album though. Talk definatley had more of a focused direction, but I like Big G better.

[ham]

Sae they lost it doon the dealers and the hair dressers then???

[crotale2112]

Cin, thanks for the link. It was a good read.
I still find it hard to believe that trevor would say that ouside for a few of HIS tunes (union) the album is not worth listening to. As a yes fan, to me this makes no sense expecially when I find his few tunes not as enjoyable as some of the others on the album. Hey.. I'm the listener... i'm the fan.. trevor..

He compares Shock to the system to City of love.. for the record i find shock to the system a better listen.. trevor..


when it comes to the Big G.. ther one song trevor seems to dislike is my #1 tune on the album.. final eyes... trevor..

Over the years I hope trevor has changed his mind a little about union, much like I wish rick wakeman would give Tales from topographic oceans a little love now and then. After all its my #1 yes album of all time... rick..

[YESOLA]

I still find it hard to believe that trevor would say that ouside for a few of HIS tunes (union) the album is not worth listening to. As a yes fan, to me this makes no sense expecially when I find his few tunes not as enjoyable as some of the others on the album. Hey.. I'm the listener... i'm the fan.. trevor..

He compares Shock to the system to City of love.. for the record i find shock to the system a better listen.. trevor..


when it comes to the Big G.. ther one song trevor seems to dislike is my #1 tune on the album.. final eyes... trevor..

Over the years I hope trevor has changed his mind a little about union, much like I wish rick wakeman would give Tales from topographic oceans a little love now and then. After all its my #1 yes album of all time... rick..


I can't find what he said about that, but it may just be that the non-Yeswest tracks on the Album were so messed with by Ellias (because the band was not in a good state apparently and it needed it) that that's what they all thought of those tunes.

It's funny - Union gets roundly smashed by fans and band members alike, but critically it gets a decent review. I always thought the ideas for the tracks were pretty decent.

Love it or hate it, it was the last Yes record to get as high as 15 on the US album charts. After this, record sales would go way down.

[somissound]

Sounds like Chris and Alan were done pretty quick and the rest of them sat around and argued for years...

One of the keys to 90125's success was the boys got in the studio and wrote some great songs then had Jon come in after and lay down his great vocals and re-work some of the lyrics... Hearts is one of my all time favorites, beautiful!

Studio strategies and formulas are very important. imo...

BG was my first Yes album! All because I heard Shoot High Aim Low on KLOS... A very interesting song...

[luckeydoug1]

I still find it hard to believe that trevor would say that ouside for a few of HIS tunes (union) the album is not worth listening to. As a yes fan, to me this makes no sense expecially when I find his few tunes not as enjoyable as some of the others on the album. Hey.. I'm the listener... i'm the fan.. trevor..

He compares Shock to the system to City of love.. for the record i find shock to the system a better listen.. trevor..


when it comes to the Big G.. ther one song trevor seems to dislike is my #1 tune on the album.. final eyes... trevor..

Over the years I hope trevor has changed his mind a little about union, much like I wish rick wakeman would give Tales from topographic oceans a little love now and then. After all its my #1 yes album of all time... rick..
I find my thoughts to be about 180 degrees from these. Keep in mind that things weren't looking up for ABWH II, and Trevor was contacted to see if he had any songs that could be added to help the album. And, thus, we got Union, complete with Jimmy Haun being called upon to fix the recorded guitar parts. Trevor ended up submitting three songs, with the anticipation that one would be used and the others returned to him. The only one of his that I do not care for is Saving My Heart. I have read that he didn't want that one released, but was released due to the insistence of Jon.

The only songs on Union that I do like are Miracle, Lift Me Up and The More We Live, but then again I really don't much care for ABWH, either.

I Love Big Generator from start to the finish of I'm Running (I can do with out Holy Lamb. In fact, I'm Running is probably my favorite of all Yes songs, especially the version on Alternate Generator with the extra verse.

[cinderella]

The show I saw from that tour led off with "Almost Like Love" (Nov 87) which I only remember because I thought it was a strange choice for a leadoff song.

Speaking of Almost Like Love....


In the book Yes Stories, Trevor talks about how he didn't like the song.


Trevor Rabin: That song didn't work for me. I didn't like the idea of putting horns on it. It was Chris's baby, but to me horns on a Yes album was like us doing "Sussudio" or something. I saw Yes as being orchestral rather than being Soul Train....

I don't think it should have gone on the album. It was this riff that Chris came up with and he was determined that it would go onto the record. It was like Chris was polishing the vase while the building was falling down. He'd say, "But this riff...." and I'd say, "Yeah, but Chris, the song around it sucks!"

[wolfhound]

Wow. It's been a long time since I've listened to that song.

It sort of has a hook or two, but, all in all, I agree with Trevor.

[pianozach]

I still find it hard to believe that trevor would say that ouside for a few of HIS tunes (union) the album is not worth listening to. As a yes fan, to me this makes no sense expecially when I find his few tunes not as enjoyable as some of the others on the album. Hey.. I'm the listener... i'm the fan.. trevor..

He compares Shock to the system to City of love.. for the record i find shock to the system a better listen.. trevor..


when it comes to the Big G.. ther one song trevor seems to dislike is my #1 tune on the album.. final eyes... trevor..

Over the years I hope trevor has changed his mind a little about union, much like I wish rick wakeman would give Tales from topographic oceans a little love now and then. After all its my #1 yes album of all time... rick..

I can't find what he said about that, but it may just be that the non-Yeswest tracks on the Album were so messed with by Ellias (because the band was not in a good state apparently and it needed it) that that's what they all thought of those tunes.

It's funny - Union gets roundly smashed by fans and band members alike, but critically it gets a decent review. I always thought the ideas for the tracks were pretty decent.

Love it or hate it, it was the last Yes record to get as high as 15 on the US album charts. After this, record sales would go way down.

Sounds like Chris and Alan were done pretty quick and the rest of them sat around and argued for years...

One of the keys to 90125's success was the boys got in the studio and wrote some great songs then had Jon come in after and lay down his great vocals and re-work some of the lyrics... Hearts is one of my all time favorites, beautiful!

Studio strategies and formulas are very important. imo...

BG was my first Yes album! All because I heard Shoot High Aim Low on KLOS... A very interesting song...

I'm definitely in the minority here, but I love 90125, Talk, ABWH and Union.

I know, I know . . . Union was tampered with, it was an ABWH collection rescued by Trevor, Jimmy Haun yadda yadda . . .

. . . but I love most of the tracks on it - the guitar parts sound great.

On Union there IS something that bugs me a bit - Jon's vocal tracks on the YesWest cuts are considerably different sounding than his vocals on the ABWH cuts - he's not only singing in different ranges, but the EQ and effects are completely different as well.

Frankly, I can find other Yes albums more deserving of the blindsided clubbing that Union gets . . . .

I think I'll go listen to Union right NOW . . . La-:headset: la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la I can't HE-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-EA-R you bitching about one of my favorite albums nyah nyah nyah!

[Albedo]

I'm definitely in the minority here, but I love 90125, Talk, ABWH and Union.

I know, I know . . . Union was tampered with, it was an ABWH collection rescued by Trevor, Jimmy Haun yadda yadda . . .

. . . but I love most of the tracks on it - the guitar parts sound great.

On Union there IS something that bugs me a bit - Jon's vocal tracks on the YesWest cuts are considerably different sounding than his vocals on the ABWH cuts - he's not only singing in different ranges, but the EQ and effects are completely different as well.

Frankly, I can find other Yes albums more deserving of the blindsided clubbing that Union gets . . . .

I think I'll go listen to Union right NOW . . . La-:headset: la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la I can't HE-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-EA-R you bitching about one of my favorite albums nyah nyah nyah!


I like a lot of the songs on Union, more than I like on Big Generator at least. ABWH isn't bad either. I like Talk but the sound quality of the CD really grates on my ears.

[luckeydoug1]

On Union there IS something that bugs me a bit - Jon's vocal tracks on the YesWest cuts are considerably different sounding than his vocals on the ABWH cuts - he's not only singing in different ranges, but the EQ and effects are completely different as well.
I don't know much about how the non-Yeswest cuts were recorded, but I am sure that Jon's vocals were over dubbed much later on the YW stuff. In particular, on The More We Live, Billy's original vocals were removed and Jon redid the vocals for that song. I am quite sure that Jon's vocals on Miracle of Life were added much later to exiting tracks.

[bodhranic]

90125 was exciting because something of Yes was back. I really didn't like it. Big Generator was better though not as successful. Talk was a great Rabin solo album with some Yes members occasionally helping out, the tour was very dodgy. Talk followed ABWH and Union, it was doomed to fail, but the players picked up the advance cash. Regardless, it's good music, and Endless Dream is fun. Regardless, by then, Yesfans were confused and AOR station on the radio were dying. What should "Yes" as a company have done instead? After Union they took the cash like they were swinging at some piñata rather than the music of Yes.It didn't seem to matter that ABWH were the glue between Big G and Union, Wakeman, Bruford and Howere were out on their ear though Wakeman was given an offer to record on 3 tracks and tour at the last minute to make it look more Yes-like. Yep, this was a messy period, but listening to Talk today is enjoyable, and it's always great to hear Jon sing. I can't say that about this period now.

[pianozach]

9. . . After Union they took the cash like they were swinging at some piñata rather than the music of Yes . . .


That is so picturesque!

[bjlevine]

Speaking of Almost Like Love....


In the book Yes Stories, Trevor talks about how he didn't like the song.


Trevor Rabin: That song didn't work for me. I didn't like the idea of putting horns on it. It was Chris's baby, but to me horns on a Yes album was like us doing "Sussudio" or something. I saw Yes as being orchestral rather than being Soul Train....

I don't think it should have gone on the album. It was this riff that Chris came up with and he was determined that it would go onto the record. It was like Chris was polishing the vase while the building was falling down. He'd say, "But this riff...." and I'd say, "Yeah, but Chris, the song around it sucks!"
Interesting quote. I'm not sure what riff Trevor's referring to (other than maybe the 1-5-1 walkup), but I don't see this as a big departure from YesWest material of the day. But its too fast to make a decent dance track (though it would've been an awesome backing track for Burnout or Need for Speed).

[90125yes]

Wow. It's been a long time since I've listened to that song.

It sort of has a hook or two, but, all in all, I agree with Trevor.

----

agreed


very un YES like and a million miles away from the brilliance of 90125

[luna65]

The point of that quote is that Rabin is a control freak, rather than that any lack of direction harmed the album. Rabin was unable to collaborate or synergize, which was the whole problem with YesWest.

Why in the world would anyone want to pin down a creative genius like Jon?

That's one interpretation, but another may be that when you're trying to get an album done, everyone requires focus, and no one was particularly focused but Trevor had to be by default. He stated (in 1989) that the only reason he did have so much control in the recording process was because of Jon and Chris' constant fighting, which created a vacuum he had to inhabit in order to keep things going...which in large part then led to Jon's departure in regards to ABWH.

I'm not denying Trevor is very deterministic in terms of his own vision, but if he truly did inherit the mantle of dictator, it's because Jon and Chris were too distracted to otherwise prevent it.

[KPatrick]

Important to note that this was the first album that Jon and Trevor were both involved in the creative process from day 1. Trevor seems like more of a "song" guy -- let me sit down and write something with a verse, chorus, bridge -- where Jon seems like more of a "bits" guy -- this is great, let's save it and find someplace to put it, or let's just jam and see what happens.

They both have reps as control freaks. For one reason or another, seems like Jon didn't fight too hard on BG.

Plus, as Trevor mentioned, drugs were available. It's not ours to guess who or how much, but it doesn't matter either. If all 5 guys aren't pulling their weight, it doesn't happen.

[Dantalion Rides Again]

Almost Like Love has really grown on me. Trevor's wrong; song's awesome. :D

[Write a punch line]

Almost Like Love has really grown on me. Trevor's wrong; song's awesome. :D

Alan's snare drum is god awful, that makes a bland song bad.

Most of Union is boring, most of Big Generator is kinda bland, it feels like it's direct competition with Amy Grant or something bad and late 80's.

Talk is good but missing Chris and a keyboard player.

Yeswest was a very odd thing to try and follow indeed. God a Chris's mullet...

[90125yes]

Alan's snare drum is god awful, that makes a bland song bad.

Most of Union is boring, most of Big Generator is kinda bland, it feels like it's direct competition with Amy Grant or something bad and late 80's.

Talk is good but missing Chris and a keyboard player.

Yeswest was a very odd thing to try and follow indeed. God a Chris's mullet...

---
agreed - after 90125 a lot of the magic went

that is why YES had to go back to the classic line up to rediscover the true YES spirit

[Frumious B]

I still say Big Generator is ridiculously underrated. I like it a lot and I mean a lot. I think the album benefits from the fact that it was made collectively as a band with everyone bringing their ideas to the table and no one or two members dominating the process. It is a very balanced sounding affair to me and that shows in the songwriting too, which retains some of the pop edge of 90125, but with a bit more of the classic Yes ethos reasserting itself as well.

[Dantalion Rides Again]

I'm with you on that. For me, Big Generator is the only 'YesWest' album that I'm really a fan of. "Of which I am a fan" - excuse me. :D

Well stated, I think you really hit the nail on the head ... it feels real, because it was truly collaborative, and Jon Anderson's stamp is more prominent on this album. I especially love his lyrics and melodies on Big Generator.

[Frumious B]

BG is also the first Yes album I ever owned or heard so I tend to be defensive of it.

[Olorin]

Recording in Italy was allegedly Trevor Rabin's idea, to make use of the acoustic affects of recording in a castle. According to Chris it was cold and far from ideal. Chris also states a number of times that he and Alan recorded the drums nearly two years before the album was finished.

So the British Isles are covered with castles, and yet they have to go to Italy to record in one? Of course, as Trevor mentions in the interview, the guys were living all over the world, and reading between the lines, Italy may have served as neutral ground, because none of them lived there.

Just read Trevor's interview in Notes From The Edge. There's a few paragraphs where he talks about Big Generator and also about the Union and Talk albums.

Great interview, I'm glad I read it! Trevor sounds very level-headed. I suspect most of the reason why YesWest hung together as long as it did instead of collapsing was because that Trevor tried to keep it focused and moving. Also interesting to hear that Tony played a bigger role than he is often given credit for.

A person could say that all this is just Trevor putting his spin on things, that he's biased, yadda yadda yadda, but he's complimentary almost to a fault about the other guys, so I wouldn't buy that. Even with Steve, he could have said something hateful, but he just said, we never got on, and let it go at that.

I think really, BG is sort of YesWest's version of Tormato. They had had a successful album just before it, the money was flowing, they were partying and fighting, and fighting and partying, and it's amazing an album came out of it at all, let alone one with tracks as good as BG's.

And yes, it's a crime that there has been no remastered/expanded edition of BG.

[luna65]

So the British Isles are covered with castles, and yet they have to go to Italy to record in one? Of course, as Trevor mentions in the interview, the guys were living all over the world, and reading between the lines, Italy may have served as neutral ground, because none of them lived there.

Trevor knows the person who owned/operated the recording studio in the Castello di Caramate (it's now a hotel), so that's primarily why he chose that particular location, but also to record somewhere with interesting acoustics and in a different environment to inspire them.

[the greenman]

Trevor knows the person who owned/operated the recording studio in the Castello di Caramate (it's now a hotel), so that's primarily why he chose that particular location, but also to record somewhere with interesting acoustics and in a different environment to inspire them.

Yes, there are castles in Britain, but you know what our climate is like. & hey this is in Italy, near Lake Como - what's not to like?!!

http://www.castellodicarimate.com/photogallery/photogallery.htm

[KPatrick]

I think really, BG is sort of YesWest's version of Tormato. They had had a successful album just before it, the money was flowing, they were partying and fighting, and fighting and partying, and it's amazing an album came out of it at all, let alone one with tracks as good as BG's.

I think this is very true. I've always wondered which of Yes' missed opportunities was the biggest. This was a big one, with the momentum they had coming off 90125.

to the extent that you feel Tormato did not suffer from all the extraneous BS associated with its making, I disagree. I think if you took all the extra tracks on the Tormato release, and made that the album -- saving "Whale" and "Silent Wings" from the original -- you'd have a good album, and that those songs got left on the floor indicates tension to me somehow. BG is in the 2nd tier of my favorite 6 Yes albums. Imagine if they could have gotten it together -- it might have outdone 90125 in all respects.

[Olorin]

I think this is very true. I've always wondered which of Yes' missed opportunities was the biggest. This was a big one, with the momentum they had coming off 90125.

to the extent that you feel Tormato did not suffer from all the extraneous BS associated with its making, I disagree. I think if you took all the extra tracks on the Tormato release, and made that the album -- saving "Whale" and "Silent Wings" from the original -- you'd have a good album, and that those songs got left on the floor indicates tension to me somehow. BG is in the 2nd tier of my favorite 6 Yes albums. Imagine if they could have gotten it together -- it might have outdone 90125 in all respects.

I haven't heard the extra stuff from Tormato; the only extended editions I've bought thus far have been Tales, and oddly enough, 90125. I was sort of holding off for the next great reissue, I suppose, and when I had either an SACD or DVD-A player, but those formats have essentially died, at least in the US, so I may get some more of the reissues. It will be the 4th time I bought them, including the original LPs.

[Frumious B]

I haven't heard the extra stuff from Tormato; the only extended editions I've bought thus far have been Tales, and oddly enough, 90125.

If you buy absolutely nothing else from the Rhino Yes reissues then make sure that you get both Tormato and Drama because there is enough unreleased material on the two of those to put together your own "lost" Yes album.

[Olorin]

If you buy absolutely nothing else from the Rhino Yes reissues then make sure that you get both Tormato and Drama because there is enough unreleased material on the two of those to put together your own "lost" Yes album.

OK, I'm convinced. Thanks for the good suggestion! :headset:

[Roadkill]

Trouble with those remasters of Tormato and Drama, though, is that you've got to listen to the album tracks too!

Really enjoyed reading that interview with Trevor. It certainly debunked some of my preconceptions about the man and the albums he helped create. Pleased to hear that he hates Union too! And yes, Shock To The System does rip off City Of Love - although I do love both tunes.

[KPatrick]

Are there leftovers from the BG sessions like there are from Tormato? I've heard that there are demos, and variations on the songs that appear on the final product. But with Tormato, you could make a whole 'nother album out of the extra songs -- maybe a double if you throw in the extra tracks from In A Word and Drama's extras. (I wouldn't, personally, but that's another thread.)

Seems like they had to draw blood from a stone to get as much as they got on BG.

[Roadkill]

More isn't necessarily better though, is it? Look at the ill-fated Calling All Stations album by Genesis. Loads of B-sides there. Are they any good, though? Nope, but then again neither was the album. A Trick Of The Tail, by comparison, is faultless and had but one B-side.

I think Big Generator is a pretty solid album. I've only recently got hold of a copy and it's much better than I ever thought it would be.

[crotale2112]

Although the recording in the castle thing didn't go well, i still think its a cool idea.

Maybe with a few more space heaters and NO wives it still can be done.
http://img.diytrade.com/cdimg/929680/9154766/0/1243345195/BIG_GENERATOR.jpg

[John Khatru]

I myself just finally bought this on CD for the first time a few weeks ago.. under $7...can't beat that

I had first bought it on cassette...(got it just before Xmas 87)..

going back to that time in 1987.. I was a fan of 90125.. but at the time of BG's release, I was primarily listening to the also recently released Pink Floyd album AMLOR and U2's The Joshua Tree...

upon first listening to Big Generator.. it failed to make any real impact on me.... aside from a few songs, it just never grabbed me.

upon listening to it again in the last few weeks... not much has changed... Shoot High Aim Low, I'm Running and Love Will Find A Way are still the highlights for me. the other songs do little for me.. and I still find the title track grating...

I don't think it's terrible, but it's far from great

of the three "YesWest" albums.. Big Generator rates a distant third for me