This thread is more geared towards the more 'poppier' elements/albums from various Yes members that you may have an ear for. How you might define "pop" or accessible may vary, but here we're talking about albums where the material is maybe shorter, catchier, more '80's', with an eye towards the radio, maybe simpler or at least not exactly trying to present itself as a big concept thing, musically or lyrically. Some Yes alumni are more apt to make such an album than others. Jon Anderson and Chris Squire may have more of a bearing on that than say, Rick Wakeman.
However, for this thread we'll stick to solo albums or maybe a few offshoots from Yes members - reason being is that accessible material from Yes themselves has already been covered here on the site many times, so leaving out the band proper avoids "Yes were always a pop band" or "Yes sold out" or "CTTE sold millions and it's not even pop, so it's not always about..." or "I don't like Trevor Rabin" etc. That's been done. Instead, we can focus on solo albums rather than on Yes. With the band, expectations are placed a little higher. With a solo album or project, there isn't as much emphasis on living up to these as often.
Here are some of mine:
JON ANDERSON- IN THE CITY OF ANGELS (1988):
I remember this released in the spring of 1988, coming off of the high of Big Generator. Hold On To Love was the single, and I do remember hearing it on the radio. And on the rock station too, where it shared space with Guns & Roses and The Who and the like. I suppose it didn't play for long. But the sound quality on this album is very high and very clear. Jumps out of the speakers. A very R&B oriented album, with Motown great Lamont Dozier co-writing a couple tracks. Throw in members of TOTO in there, and you get a very accessible album. Great production, smooth, glossy. Take out Jon's voice and stick in Mariah Carey or Taylor Dane or somebody, and....chart hit. Especially the smoother ballads on side one. But it's not all smooth jazz and L.A. pop, it's still a very Jon album. Anthemic 'Hurry Home' seems to crop up on other Jon Anderson albums like Change We Must. Sundancing and New Civilization are peppy and bright. Glass Bead Game - almost like a Big Generator leftover, you almost hear Trevor Rabin on it. And I do really love Hold On To Love.
PATRICK MORAZ - TIME CODE (1984):
I found this album a bit too poppy when I first heard it in 1987, I remember saying it was 'unlistenable' - those were exact words, 'unlistenable'. But I was probably suffering from 'prog-itis' and maybe wanted something more like 'The Story Of i'. I've since warmed up to it and it sounds great. Great keyboards throughout. 'Black Brains Of Positronic Africa' is such a cool instrumental, those jazzy 'boards jump out atcha. There is still an element of fusion here, though the majority of the album is vocal. No Sleep Tonight, Beyond The Pleasure and Life In The Underworld are fine enough. There is an element of cheese on here, however - something about tracks like Overload or Shakin' With A Passion almost remind me of the canned music you could have heard in one of those 'pop' shows playing at an amusement park like Six Flags in one of those amphitheaters next to the dolphin show back in the mid/late 80's. 'Puttin; On The Hitz' or something. Or 80's Scooby Doo music, don't ask. Though not one of his best, I'm not so down on it now. Love the graphic art on it.
ESQUIRE - s/t (1987):
Well, not exactly from Yes members completely, though there was some involvement from Chris Squire, Alan White and perhaps Trevor Horn. This is Nikki Squire's band, and it has that bright 80's sound and vibrant sonics expected of 1987. Didn't get it at the time, but later I ended up really digging this first album - probably the best of the three they sporadically did, with decade(s) long gaps in between. Side one is great. To The Rescue is a fun opener, I love how it ends, how it lingers a bit with spacey keyboards for a extra seconds. Could have gone on for a full minute or two longer as far as I'm considered. Knock Twice For Heaven - Nikki in fine voice, also too short - ends where it could have had another repeat of the chorus. Last two cuts on side one - Up Down Turnaround and Blossomtime - excellent, with great panoramic keyboards. Blossomtime is sort of the epic of the album, and to my ears reminds me of Does It Really Happen? from Drama. Nice vibe and sound. The second half isn't as strong as the first, though the track Moving Together has some magic.
Ok, so these examples I chose are from the 80's where a lot of the more 'poppier' Yes-related solo things surfaced, but there is more accessible material from really all eras of the bands existence from members both in and out of the band when they were released.
I like Gates Of Delirium and Heart Of The Sunrise as much as the next Yes fan, but sometimes you gotta give some love to the more song/pop/hit single-leaning stuff out there from the Yes family, regardless of cheese factor.
What are some of the more 'commercial' sounding albums from Yes members you have an ear for?
However, for this thread we'll stick to solo albums or maybe a few offshoots from Yes members - reason being is that accessible material from Yes themselves has already been covered here on the site many times, so leaving out the band proper avoids "Yes were always a pop band" or "Yes sold out" or "CTTE sold millions and it's not even pop, so it's not always about..." or "I don't like Trevor Rabin" etc. That's been done. Instead, we can focus on solo albums rather than on Yes. With the band, expectations are placed a little higher. With a solo album or project, there isn't as much emphasis on living up to these as often.
Here are some of mine:
JON ANDERSON- IN THE CITY OF ANGELS (1988):
I remember this released in the spring of 1988, coming off of the high of Big Generator. Hold On To Love was the single, and I do remember hearing it on the radio. And on the rock station too, where it shared space with Guns & Roses and The Who and the like. I suppose it didn't play for long. But the sound quality on this album is very high and very clear. Jumps out of the speakers. A very R&B oriented album, with Motown great Lamont Dozier co-writing a couple tracks. Throw in members of TOTO in there, and you get a very accessible album. Great production, smooth, glossy. Take out Jon's voice and stick in Mariah Carey or Taylor Dane or somebody, and....chart hit. Especially the smoother ballads on side one. But it's not all smooth jazz and L.A. pop, it's still a very Jon album. Anthemic 'Hurry Home' seems to crop up on other Jon Anderson albums like Change We Must. Sundancing and New Civilization are peppy and bright. Glass Bead Game - almost like a Big Generator leftover, you almost hear Trevor Rabin on it. And I do really love Hold On To Love.
PATRICK MORAZ - TIME CODE (1984):
I found this album a bit too poppy when I first heard it in 1987, I remember saying it was 'unlistenable' - those were exact words, 'unlistenable'. But I was probably suffering from 'prog-itis' and maybe wanted something more like 'The Story Of i'. I've since warmed up to it and it sounds great. Great keyboards throughout. 'Black Brains Of Positronic Africa' is such a cool instrumental, those jazzy 'boards jump out atcha. There is still an element of fusion here, though the majority of the album is vocal. No Sleep Tonight, Beyond The Pleasure and Life In The Underworld are fine enough. There is an element of cheese on here, however - something about tracks like Overload or Shakin' With A Passion almost remind me of the canned music you could have heard in one of those 'pop' shows playing at an amusement park like Six Flags in one of those amphitheaters next to the dolphin show back in the mid/late 80's. 'Puttin; On The Hitz' or something. Or 80's Scooby Doo music, don't ask. Though not one of his best, I'm not so down on it now. Love the graphic art on it.
ESQUIRE - s/t (1987):
Well, not exactly from Yes members completely, though there was some involvement from Chris Squire, Alan White and perhaps Trevor Horn. This is Nikki Squire's band, and it has that bright 80's sound and vibrant sonics expected of 1987. Didn't get it at the time, but later I ended up really digging this first album - probably the best of the three they sporadically did, with decade(s) long gaps in between. Side one is great. To The Rescue is a fun opener, I love how it ends, how it lingers a bit with spacey keyboards for a extra seconds. Could have gone on for a full minute or two longer as far as I'm considered. Knock Twice For Heaven - Nikki in fine voice, also too short - ends where it could have had another repeat of the chorus. Last two cuts on side one - Up Down Turnaround and Blossomtime - excellent, with great panoramic keyboards. Blossomtime is sort of the epic of the album, and to my ears reminds me of Does It Really Happen? from Drama. Nice vibe and sound. The second half isn't as strong as the first, though the track Moving Together has some magic.
Ok, so these examples I chose are from the 80's where a lot of the more 'poppier' Yes-related solo things surfaced, but there is more accessible material from really all eras of the bands existence from members both in and out of the band when they were released.
I like Gates Of Delirium and Heart Of The Sunrise as much as the next Yes fan, but sometimes you gotta give some love to the more song/pop/hit single-leaning stuff out there from the Yes family, regardless of cheese factor.
What are some of the more 'commercial' sounding albums from Yes members you have an ear for?
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