Sound Chaser

[SonicDeath10]

CHA CHA CHA.

i'll tell you, that was the most bizarre moment in my Yes listening history. i did not expect to hear that in my life from ANY band let alone Yes.

also, when Steve quotes mood for a day, that's a bit odd.

[RobAdams]

At what point of Sound Chaser does Steve quote Mood For A Day? I've never heard it!

[SonicDeath10]

during his long, almost free form solo towards the middle. it's towards the end. i remember i listened to that song, and then for some reason played mood for a day, and i heard it. it's best to listen to mood for a day a couple times, then listen to it. i've read on some other sites about people noticing it. it's cool.

[doctor_how]

I just heard Sound Chaser in its entirety, and I must say that the cha-cha-chas was certainly the most jarring moment in my Yes listening experiences. That whole song doesn't really make much sense, it just lets everyone show off for 10 minutes.

[BrianD]

Apart from being very jarring, this part of Soundchaser caught my attention when Relayer was first released as it sounded like a direct copy of a TV car advertisement that had been on in Australia around that time. It was for a car called the Chrysler Valiant Charger and the ad sounded exactly like that part of Soundchaser in terms of the way it was sung with slightly different words "Cha-Cha-Cha- Charger, Cha-Cha-Cha-Charger - Hey Charger'.

Now Yes had toured Australia in the previous year (1973) and it is quite conceivable that they saw this ad on TV. So did they 'steal' this line from an ad?

PS I am certain that it wasn't the other way round as I bought Relayer on day of release and noticed it immediately.

Whatever it was, this part of the song has always annoyed me as I think it spoils it.

[Bugeyes]

...Whatever it was, this part of the song has always annoyed me as I think it spoils it.Me too Brian, at first, now I have mixed emotions again, ... just the way I like my emotions, mixed. I recently received Relayer, so I'm still getting used to it, but did stop and say WTF? and knew that's spadblavio's signature line.

[Silent_wings]

I don't know I like that part
I sounds cool live.

[Genevive]

Brian, now I am going to think the car commercial version when I hear it! Thanks. ;)

[Timmo]

I just heard Sound Chaser in its entirety, and I must say that the cha-cha-chas was certainly the most jarring moment in my Yes listening experiences. That whole song doesn't really make much sense, it just lets everyone show off for 10 minutes.

Oh ye of no faith!!!! SOUND CHASER RULES.

And I really love the "cha cha cha" part (with the heavy breath intake after), it's such a surprise but it fits. It always puts a grin on my face. Plus Yes may be a lot of things, but they're rarely WITTY, and I think the "cha cha cha" displays great wit.

Yes, Sound Chaser lets everyone show off for 10 minutes, but they do it TOGETHER and SYNCOPATED. And it's not all fast and furious, there's quite a contrast between the opening and Jon's "From the moment I reached out to hold I felt the sound..." verses.

Although it's my least favorite song from "Relayer," Soundchaser is still my 3rd favorite Yes song!

TIM
Venice, CA

[RobAdams]

SOUND CHASER is one of my favorite tracks. Could be the jazz-fusion lover in me...it's NOTHING like anything Yes has ever done.

[Jeremy Bender]

I love SC. As a bass player, the fast 5/4 riff is really fun to play. The chromatic parts aren't so much fun though, they're really tough!

It's possible that Steve's guitar solo in the middle references MFAD. It started out as an acoustic piece, after all.

Patrick's Moog solo is easily one of the best synthesizers solo ever. Worthy of Emerson, in fact, hahahaha.

It's just too bad that the sound of Relayer is so bad though. Eddie Offord was a total mess by the time it was recorded and recording it in Chris' garage with a new mixing desk wasn't probably the best idea. On SC, the drums sound awful (they're inaudible at points) and the keyboards are mixed way too low. When they come back in to the 5/4 theme after Patrick's solo, he plays a melody that should be really prominent but it's just buried.

Still one of Yes' most exciting songs.

[Gabriel]

This song really caught my attetion more than anything on the album first of all [apart from the battle sections on Gates] and I think its a pretty cool song with some nice vocals..i've always been taken to the lines 'Look in your eyes' for some reason or another. It changes mood quite alot which at first was abit offputting but I quickly got used to it and its a great tune IMO.

[Jackaranda]

I think it's one of the best things they've ever done. And I love the lyrics, even though they're sparse compared to other lyrics in the band's history, they're brilliant.

[SonicDeath10]

it is a great song. the CHA CHA CHA's crack me up: that's not the sort of thing you expect in a Yes song. and yeah it does quote mood for a day in the middle of his solo, when it gets really high. i noticed it one day, and i know that john mcferrin mentions on his website. that's a good yes page, by the way.

[altaeria]

As a child of the 80's, I began my YES fandom with the Rabin era.
I was, of course, accustomed to that "big" 80's sound and, so, I didn't really get into the band's earlier material at first.

All that changed when my girlfriend (at the time) bought me the YESYEARS box set as a gift in 1991 ... and SOUND CHASER and TEMPUS FUGIT blew me away almost immediately. It was those two songs that really prompted me to go and buy the band's "back catalog".

Being a drummer at heart, I suppose it was those tempo changes in SOUND CHASER that pulled me in.

:drummer:

[Gabriel]

Having heard Relayer again yesturday while I was working out, I can definatly say that Soundchaser is one of my favourite Yessongs; such energy with some great lyrics I think, its one of those songs where you can put images of time moving really fast before your eyes to!

I wonder how it came off when they did it live. Would anyone care to tell me how well it was done live?

[pauli]

I wonder how it came off when they did it live. Would anyone care to tell me how well it was done live?
Well, listening to a weed from the Relayer tour right now, I'd say they pulled it off very well! Almost note-perfect, in fact, and with an almost manic energy for the first 4 minutes.

It must have been pretty jarring live, as well -- on that tour Sound Chaser was the lead song. So coming out of Firebird Suite, when you're probably expecting Steve to go into Siberian Khatru, instead you get the band chanting "Cha Cha Cha, Cha-Cha!", and then launching into Sound Chaser!

[Amy]

Listening to it right now. What a great song. OMG, Steve is SO good. What a shame that I haven't been listening to this album for the past 30 years. When I listened to this album back in the '70's, the CHA CHA CHA's made me sick. Now I love them. Relayer is one album I could not do without now.

[Timmo]

Well, listening to a weed from the Relayer tour right now, I'd say they pulled it off very well! Almost note-perfect, in fact, and with an almost manic energy for the first 4 minutes.

It must have been pretty jarring live, as well -- on that tour Sound Chaser was the lead song. So coming out of Firebird Suite, when you're probably expecting Steve to go into Siberian Khatru, instead you get the band chanting "Cha Cha Cha, Cha-Cha!", and then launching into Sound Chaser!It was a surprise, but it was also PURE UNADULTERATED BLISS.

Cha cha cha, cha cha!

TIM
Venice, CA

[Ralf Eigl]

'Cha cha cha' is the most brilliant moment in Yes's musical history!

[ELLIS]

Sorry to disagree with you Ralf, but the "cha-cha" bit still doesn't excite me! But that guitar! And to think there is NO official live version of this anywhere is a crime against humanity!
But the new live album WILL put that right at long last! HOOORRAAYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[PO]

...and yeah it does quote mood for a day in the middle of his solo, when it gets really high. i noticed it one day, and i know that john mcferrin mentions on his website...

I've never heard it. It may be the arpeggio he does on the low E-string, but that's really not the same.

The one thing about Relayer, is that nothing comes from any other album they did. Everything changed. Especially Steve. He went with Fender guitars & PEDAL steel.

Moraz also used the Arp synths, Fender Rhodes piano, and string sounds that Yes had never used before. Chris used a Fender Jazz bass. Jon and Alan didn't really change, but really explored polyrhythms. Jon played guitar on almost every song during the tour, not to mention percussion and synth.

[Timmo]

I just saw Tom Brislin's band, Spiraling, cover "Sound Chaser" at CALPROG.

They had a sample of the original "cha cha cha" that they inserted.

Freakin' phenonemonal cover, btw. He mentioned that he spoke with Jon a few weeks ago and told them that they were going to cover it, and he said they were crazy.

[SonicDeath10]

i wouldn't go that far. :lmao: