Rank these 4 Yes albums..

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  • Frumious B
    and the Spiders From Mars
    • Nov 2021
    • 1472

    #16
    1. Drama-I like some of the songs on Tormato better, but Drama just flows so well and has that muscular, Rush meets The Yes Album vibe.
    2. Tormato-Some nice stuff marred by unsympathetic overplaying from Howe and Wakeman and some questionable keyboard textures from the latter.
    3. Fly From Here-I give the nod to the Return Trip version as an unlikely, but enjoyable “thirty-plus years later” sequel to Drama
    4. The Quest-Mostly dull, uninspiring and only a slight step up from Heaven & Earth which at least had Squire backing vocals going for it.
    “Well ain’t life grand when you finally hit it?”-David Lee Roth

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    • Roundabob
      Superyesfan
      • Nov 2021
      • 239

      #17
      Originally posted by downbyariver
      Drama
      Fly From Here
      The Quest
      Tormato
      I agree with DBR. All four are decent to very good albums. Tormato is the only one of these that disappointed me when compared to the most recent album that preceded it.

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      • Yesed
        A Ten true summer Yesfan
        • Nov 2021
        • 717

        #18
        Thanks to everyone for the input so far. Interesting barometer of opinions regarding this "era" of Yes music, which admittedly skips "a few albums". I find the disparity between Tormato and Drama in ranking most interesting among those who I think I know to be classic Yesfans putting Drama on top, over Tormato. And like Ash pointed out, even more interesting, would be the distance between each of these albums as considered as favorites in ranking among these particular four. Should have done this as a poll maybe.

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        • Mr. Holland
          Yes Master
          • Nov 2021
          • 3036

          #19
          Originally posted by Yesed

          Thats a good point about Drama, standing out against the other three. But OTSWOF and the classic Yes lead vocals on Tormato puts it on top for me.
          OTSWOF is a strange song, in that for me it both shows what makes/made Yes great, as well as why Yes was falling apart at the time. The intro from Chris and Alan is brilliant, some great vocals as well and good melody, as the best Yes music. But also, certainly towards the end, a manifestation of ego's with Steve and Rick seemingly trying to outplay each other speed wise, with the rhythm section also trying to get on top, resulting in a cacophony of sound, almost as if the imploding that was about to happen was put to music.

          Drama to me feels like real team work, an effort where everyone gives each other room to shine and bring his best. It's tight, and in contrast to OTSWOF, there's not a note too much, every note counts.
          Last edited by Mr. Holland; 05-01-2022, 11:08 PM.

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          • ragtime
            Universe University
            • Nov 2021
            • 86

            #20
            Tormato Drama
            Fly From Here
            The Quest

            Tormato and Drama are almost equal for me in their very different ways. Tormato does sound like a band about to explode, but it's a fun ride and the last gasp of classic Yes, so just takes the lead. Drama is barnstorming, particularly from Chris, but a bit too Buggly in the vocals in one or too places (White Car and I Am A Camera). Then there's a big gap in the ranking down to my two least favourites (I quite like H&E sometimes, it has more of a Yes sound than much of FFH.). I generally prefer 'return trip' to FFH because the bass is more prominent, although Benoit is better on the non-Buggles material. TQ is well recorded but ultimately unengaging and lukewarm.
            Last edited by ragtime; 05-01-2022, 11:35 PM.

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            • Chris2210
              Junior, what me?
              • Nov 2021
              • 416

              #21
              Tormato. The end of the great era of Yes. Signs the band were falling apart, but there’s nothing nearly as great as OtSWoF or (musically at least) Arriving UFO on any of the other albums in the list. Even the lesser, more compromised material is enjoyable.

              FFH The suite has some good parts LoaFS is fine, the final four tracks are all good. It would have been an even better album incorporating the From a Page material rather than Horn’s work.

              Drama. A very short, thin album. OK Machine Messiah is a flawed great work and Into the Lens is a blend of the magnificent with the insufferably cheesy… that to some degree sums up the album for me. Horn’s great love of dairy comestibles, particularly at this time counterbalances the odd moment of genius. I don’t mind Man in a White Car, but I find everything else on the album inessential to say the least.

              The Quest. Again a few tracks I really like, but I’d put it just below Drama because in spite of the lower fromage content, the highs are not so high and much of the album is uninspiring proggish pop. There are far weaker Yes albums, but that’s unfortunately faint praise.

              All very subjective of course. It seems what we each look for in a Yes album is extraordinarily disparate. I’m resigned to the idea their best is passed.

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              • Sam I Am
                Superyesfan
                • Mar 2022
                • 105

                #22
                Tormato - first side pretty good
                FFH - couple of good songs





                Drama - Machine Messiah pretty OK




                The Quest - no thanks

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                • rabin105
                  Yes Master
                  • Nov 2021
                  • 979

                  #23
                  Fly From Here
                  Drama
                  The Quest
                  Tormato

                  Fly from here was such a breath of fresh air.

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                  • yamishogun
                    Yes Master
                    • Nov 2021
                    • 720

                    #24
                    Originally posted by Chris2210
                    Tormato.
                    Drama. A very short, thin album.
                    Close to the Edge is only a minute longer than Drama and Going For the One is only two minutes longer.
                    Relayer is three minutes longer than the very short Drama.

                    TFTO is a mere 44 minutes longer.

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                    • pianozach
                      Yes Master
                      • Nov 2021
                      • 1566

                      #25
                      Originally posted by yamishogun

                      Close to the Edge is only a minute longer than Drama and Going For the One is only two minutes longer.
                      Relayer is three minutes longer than the very short Drama.

                      TFTO is a mere 44 minutes longer.
                      OMG. You're right.


                      36:30 Drama
                      37:45 CttE
                      38:43 GFtO
                      39:08 TaaW
                      40:09 Relayer
                      40:56 TYA
                      40:57 Tormato

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                      • yamishogun
                        Yes Master
                        • Nov 2021
                        • 720

                        #26
                        Originally posted by pianozach

                        OMG. You're right.


                        36:30 Drama
                        37:45 CttE
                        38:43 GFtO
                        39:08 TaaW
                        40:09 Relayer
                        40:56 TYA
                        40:57 Tormato
                        Ain't time strange? heh. Until a few years ago when I looked it up, I would have said Drama is a short but great album.

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                        • rabin105
                          Yes Master
                          • Nov 2021
                          • 979

                          #27
                          now From a page is a nice short but fun album


                          It's crazy to think Aliens Credit Carnival and Second initial would of push that album above Drama's length

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                          • Chris2210
                            Junior, what me?
                            • Nov 2021
                            • 416

                            #28
                            Key here is short, thin album. MM and odd bits of ItL aside it’s pretty light fare. Tempus Fugit has never struck me as much more than thrusting pop and MiaWC aside I can’t even think what else is on it. That means it’s just really forgettable. For me of course. If others find depths I can’t hear that’s my loss I suppose. My POV is that the depth just isn't there.

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                            • yamishogun
                              Yes Master
                              • Nov 2021
                              • 720

                              #29
                              Originally posted by Chris2210
                              Key here is short, thin album. MM and odd bits of ItL aside it’s pretty light fare. Tempus Fugit has never struck me as much more than thrusting pop and MiaWC aside I can’t even think what else is on it. That means it’s just really forgettable. For me of course. If others find depths I can’t hear that’s my loss I suppose. My POV is that the depth just isn't there.
                              So CTTE is a very short, thick album?

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                              • Chris2210
                                Junior, what me?
                                • Nov 2021
                                • 416

                                #30
                                Originally posted by yamishogun

                                So CTTE is a very short, thick album?
                                CttE is not one of my absolute favourites, but yes it’s thick in the sense the content is pretty dense and very widely acknowledged as a groundbreaking classic. The ‘lightest’ track on there does interesting and innovative things (for a rock band) with rhythm.

                                Drama is unique and innovative in its way, blending metal and Buggles style gimmickry. I think of it as a cheese grater. While I’m partial to all sorts of mouse-bait, that’s on the plate rather than the platter.

                                That sounds too self-satisfied for its own good.

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