Would tales be better with Pat Moraz

[rabin105]

I was listening to the remembering and thought how different this sounds from ricks normal sound and with all this talk of rebranding and reworking and renaming


should Pat Moraz of started with yes an album early

[downbyariver]

It's difficult to know what would have happened had Pat Moraz been in the group and been engaged with Tales from the Topographic Oceans, but I think in this case Rick Wakeman's relative disinterest probably let Jon Anderson's and Steve Howe's creative vision for the album shine through more than it would have with a new keyboardist in the mix who was eager to make an impact.

I also break from the herd somewhat in not considering Relayer one of my favorite Yes albums, so if I am judging what Moraz might have brought to Tales (An album that is in the upper half of Yes' 21 albums for me) based on what he brought to Relayer, I would generally have to say that I think even a semi-disengaged Wakeman might have been a better choice for Tales (In this hypothetical where each keyboardist is an option). Granted, some of Moraz's work with the Moody Blues suggests that he was capable of a different type of work than he did on Relayer, so perhaps he would have brought that to the table, and it is equally possible that with Moraz as the new guy coming into an album that was largely conceived of and implemented by two creative forces on a mission, Anderson and Howe would have largely just had him playing parts they conceived, which may have been largely what Wakeman, by his own choice, could have been doing on the album, so there is also the possibility that he wouldn't have made that much difference one way or the other.

Wakeman's performance on Going for the One, his last great performance on a Yes studio album (Though there were many great non-Rick Wakeman Yes studio albums to come, and probably some very solid Wakeman solo albums within genres I just don't have an interest in), suggest that he was likely still going strong on Tales, a prior album, as well, which could mean that Moraz's contributions would have been materially different. Of course, there are some claims that some of the organ work and such on Going for the One had already been written before Wakeman rejoined the group, possibly by Moraz, which clouds things up a bit, but going by what albums they were credited for, the time period, and the end results, I think Wakeman was the better choice for Tales, and bringing him back for Going for the One was the right choice for that album as well (Though I'm not itching to get him back in 2022 or something of that nature.).

[Ash Armstrong]

'Better'? No.

[pianozach]

Moraz did a phenomenal job with Relayer.

Wakeman did a phenomenal job with Tales, even if he would later be rather critical of the album later on.

[Davy]

I don't like Moraz's playing on Relayer that much, though I think he's technically the best keyboard player Yes ever had. So, no, I don't think Tales would be better with Moraz. (To a lesser extent, I feel the same about Wakeman - I like a lot of his playing and also find a lot of it irrelevant, considering the band already had two lead instruments with Howe's guitar and Squire's bass.)

[Soundwaveseeker]

Better? I'm not so sure, though I would say I can almost hear Moraz' involvement on the first half of The Ancient. That has a somewhat Relayer vibe to it. But the rest of Tales, after giving it a good listen this summer and focusing on the Wakeman parts a little, would have to say no, even if Wakeman's sounds and playing were different to the thing he was doing on the three Classic Yes albums before. Other than the Ancient and part or Ritual, which I could see Moraz contributing to, Tales has a good bit of Rick in it, even if he wasn't doing the wild organ/moog stuff on it from before. Love the oceanic mellotron/moog parts of The Remembering, but can't picture Moraz on that even though he could easily have played it or come up with it.

Here's a question: would Patrick Moraz 'Story Of i' have been 'better' with the rest of Yes on it?

[pianozach]

B


Here's a question: would Patrick Moraz 'Story Of i' have been 'better' with the rest of Yes on it?

Depends on the mix, of course, but . . . but if you have the TYA Chris Squire bass sound, I think that would have been quite an excellent addition. Jon and Chris vocals? Yeah, that would have been nice.

"i" had quite the percussion party going on throughout the entire album. Hard to say what it would have sounded like with just White on drums. The percussion was very much one of the strongest vibes going on the album. Then again, White has contributed some extraordinary drum parts.

So . . . I don't see anywhere for Steve Howe to have fit in on this album. Absolutely no room, unless he were to go all Ancient here and there.

[True]

No

[Oldie on the Goldie]

No. Would Teakbois be better with Moraz? Of course not: you can't improve on perfection.

[madbear]

Tales would be different with Moraz, certainly. But not neccesarily better, though Relayer and Tales are my favourite two Yes albums. Wakeman rather underestimates his own playing on Tales imho.

[Old Frothingslosh]

Better- No. Different- Yes

[Mr. Holland]

In a perfect world side 1 and 2 would have Wakeman on keyboards (as they have) and side 3 and 4 Moraz. Those two sides would have benefitted from Moraz's more wild, wacky out there approach, as the '76 live versions of "Ritual", which smash the studio version, prove IMO.

[soundchaser09]

as much as i love relayer, i dont think i would've enjoyed a jazz-fusiony Tales more tbh.

[kkleinschmidt]

Some of my favorite Rick moments come from Tales so the answer is a firm no, and the same goes for swapping Rick for Patrick on Relayer.

[The Whale]

No.