All language subtitles for YES - Relayer by Yes - Documentary and Analysis - The Classic Prog. Rock Albums (1080p)

You

sound in April 1974, the members of Yes,

were completing their Tales from

Topographic Oceans tour. This was an

ambitious double LP concept album and is

widely considered to be the most

divisive release ever recorded by Yes.

with many ardent Yes fans either

strongly liking or disliking the album.

Despite reaching the number one spot in

the UK, keyboardist Rick Wakeakeman

found it difficult to relate to the

band's new musical direction and felt

that the album had a lot of padding as

he put it.

He took less interest in the musical

agenda of the band and despite the salad

success of the album. Wakeakeman advised

yes in May of 1974 that he was leaving.

Soon after the news hit the media with

Wakeman choosing to return to a solo

career with his latest release, Journey

to the Center of the Earth. Wakeakeman's

departure at the time left yes with a

massive void to fill. As Wakeman added

significant flare, exuberance and

keyboard virtuosity to the group. His

ornate classically inspired playing was

an essential element in the early 1970s.

Yes. Landmarks like Fragile and Close to

the Edge, which helped to establish the

band as a leading force in the genre of

progressive rock.

At the time, Wakeakeman said, "I think

we veered off the path with Tales

because of various reasons, and if I had

stayed with the band, it would have

veered off even more. It would have

ruined the band and ruined a lot of good

music. I think that because I have left,

whoever will come in with them now will

help the other four people pull it

together and they'll get back on the

path and continue to make really good

music. In the long run, it will

undoubtedly be best for

them. Alan White later said morale was

low and obviously people were

disappointed because Rick was an

important part of the band. I think we'd

started working on some of the relayer

material before Rick left, but he had a

bad taste in his mouth after playing and

touring Tales from Topographic Oceans.

And I guess he just wanted to carry on

with his own music. We all got a grip

and obviously started looking for a new

person and started working as a

fourpiece to get the flow going. We

spent a long time rehearsing, getting

the basic ideas for Relayer

together. Around eight keyboard players

were contacted as potential

replacements. First on their list was

Eddie Jobson, the young rising star who

had played in Curved Air and Roxy

Music. But Jobson politely turned down

the offer as he felt he wasn't yet ready

to replace the towering figure of the

great Wakeman.

Keith Emerson was also contacted but

said that he wished to continue his

success with

[Music]

ELP. Rejoice your

eyes. Our young men have not died in

pain.

[Music]

Blue Weaver, an ex-member of the Straws,

was asked by John Anderson to audition,

but also turned the band down. Weaver

suggested that they ask Tony Kay back

into the band, but that didn't happen.

Van Jealis, formerly of the psychedelic

and progressive rock band Aphrodites

Child, was also asked to audition and

shipped an impressive array of keyboards

for the rehearsal, where he spent two

weeks with the band. Anderson was a big

fan of Vanelis, having recently visited

him in Paris at the end of the Tales

tour. He liked his modern electronic

approach and of course collaborated with

Vanelis a few years later. It also

became clear that Vanelis had a strong

personality which yes, we're not used to

and he rejected becoming part of the UK

Musicians Union which was a requirement

for all members of the group. Steve

House said, "Musically, it would have

been fantastic with Vanelis. He had a

fantastically strong direction, but the

reason it didn't work out with him was

that when we said, "Let's play that

again," he'd say, "Well, it won't be the

same." We were kind of improvising, but

we're learning our parts as we went

along. And I think that's when we

realized that he was such a spontaneous

player that, yes, was going to be a

problem for him. We were really about

working out a solid arrangement and

relying on him at any given point to

play something that we'd recognize.

Vanalis felt he didn't really need to.

He was pretty overpowering. We could see

the musical possibilities right from the

beginning, but it just didn't really

click. In August 1974, Vanelis said, "I

know all the records of Yes, and we

don't exactly have the same perception.

We go in two different directions. And I

can say that yes, music is very

interesting. In every record that they

do, there are some parts I like and some

parts I don't. I think Topographic

Oceans is more of a head work. I prefer

heart work. Speaking about his chances

of joining the band at the time, he

said, "It's difficult. It's a problem.

Maybe we are going to do things

together. Maybe I'm going to make a solo

album with John." But about yes, I can't

[Music]

say. After some time, it was suggested

that Swiss musician and film composer

Patrick Morazz be asked to audition.

Morazz had a background in both jazz and

classical music and appeared with the

progressive rock band's main horse and

refugee. The latter originally being

known as the Nice, which had featured

Keith Emerson on

keyboards. Yes's manager at the time,

Brian Lane, invited Morazz to meet with

the band. Vanalis's keyboards were still

present in the studio, so he used these

for the audition.

I tuned the instruments before we

started playing together and that gave

me an opportunity to play around with

those keyboards that Vanelis had used

while the guys were getting

ready. I was improvising showing a bit

of my speed and ability and they stopped

talking and all gathered around the

electric piano and the mode to watch and

listen. I played all sorts of things

including a little bit of And you and I.

Steve House said, "We did an audition

and we liked the guy and he was

enthusiastic and once we had Patrick

there, we were up and running. Patrick

was brilliant and more than capable of

holding the fort." Morazz said,

"Apparently, it was a unanimous

decision. The day after I played with

them for the very first time, I got a

call telling me that I was in the band

as an equal member and my presence was

being requested immediately. And you may

recall the following lyrics from the

remembering from the tales from

topographic oceans album. There is a

reference to a relayer being someone who

relays or communicates a message.

[Music]

We rejoiced in all their

meaning. We have to retrace our story.

[Music]

I haven't been able to find any details

on why Relaya was chosen as the title

for the follow-up album. So, I guess

that either Anderson considered Relayer

was an important enough figure to carry

over or perhaps he just liked the sound

of that word.

[Music]

Why do we

know? Destroy

oppression. The point to

reaction as leaders look to you.

The gates of delirium. This is the

opening track on the LP and is the

album's masterful centerpiece.

The inspiration for the song came after

Anderson viewed images showing the

destruction and devastation at the

closing stages of the Vietnam War.

Anderson said, "It was still a very sad

time with Vietnam lingering in my mind

and the Cold War. There seemed to be no

end to the cycle of wararm mongering

around the world."

Anderson originally planned to present

Relayer as another concept similar to

Tales from Topographic Oceans with a

whole album to be based on the literary

work war in peace by Leo Toltoy, but

instead he opted for just one sidelong

track inspired by its themes. Early

during rehearsal sessions for the new

album, Anderson presented several short

musical ideas to the group on a piano.

As with the song Close to the Edge,

which I have spoken about in an earlier

video, The Gates of Delirium was

recorded in sections at a time. Eddie

Offford said, "When you listen to the

music on that album, it sounds

consistent and planned with each musical

note in its right place." In reality,

during the recording phase, there were

fragments of ideas that were recorded

and then chopped, sliced, edited, and

spliced together in the editing phase.

Anderson said the ideas would come to me

very fast and structure was something

that I was learning about at the time.

So I'd always be one step ahead of the

guys while they were learning the last

part and I'd be on to the next part sort

of leading the way. The majority of the

musical sections in this work were

developed following Wakeman's departure

when the group was still a fourpiece.

Shortly after Morazz joined, he

presented Anderson with a copy of the

recently published Delirious. The novel

has an abstract trippy science fiction

theme. And although the story itself

wasn't drawn upon in the song, it is

plausible that the English translation

of the title was carried over. And as

you may be aware, the word delirium

describes a medical condition which can

reduce the ability to think clearly

because of a fever or mental condition

resulting in a state of acute confusion,

disorientation, and disturbance in an

individual. So in this context, I guess

the title implies that those who start

wars suffer from delirium. So let's have

a listen to this song. I've decided to

break the piece up into five sections.

The live footage I'm about to show has

terrible audio. So, I've tried to sync

the video to the live audio from the Yes

Shows LP, which is a lot better and also

has Morazz playing on it. The composite

result is not perfect as the

performances are from different

concertets, but it's the best I can do.

[Music]

The quiet introduction belies the

cacophony which is about to follow.

Before long, the lyrics begin and the

first two verses state the intention to

stand and fight to deliver the debts of

honor. The peaceful lives do not deliver

freedom. The need to destroy oppression

is also mentioned. This section is in a

major key suggestive of optimism as the

warriors seek freedom and a better life.

By the time of the fifth verse, the

lyrics become very direct and dark

indeed as we hear the most chilling and

sinister lines yes would ever deliver.

Your friends have been broken.

They tell us of your poison. Now we

know. Kill

them. Give them as they give

us. Save

them. Burn their

children's to

[Music]

Stand and fight we do consider reminded

of and in a back between us that seen as

we

go and

I

emotion to feel

music stand the marches soaring talents

peaceful lies will not deliver

freing we

Destroy

passion

action to

[Music]

attack and

reounce to the kill

Killing the sins correct the flow

casting by shadows of the penetrating

force to hold my under

[Music]

and shouts and screams of

languish surely

we

glory we rise to

power we are

[Music]

victorious I silence we promise as we

pray we find the power I live by you by

day I go to

wake as high to the

[Music]

[Applause]

Heat.

[Music]

[Applause]

[Music]

Heat. Heat. Heat.

[Music]

[Applause]

[Music]

Heat.

Heat.

[Music]

Listen, should we fight

forever knowing as we do know fear displ

the

son. Should we leave our

[Music]

children? Our lives there inside us.

Help

us now.

[Music]

The

sun your friends have been

for. They tell us of your poison. Now we

know kill

them. Give them as they give

us. Slay

them burn their

children to hell.

[Music]

Heat. Heat.

[Music]

[Applause]

This

[Music]

true spiring

[Music]

Dr.

[Music]

Before we go any further, let's have a

look at some manuscripts showing part of

the prelude. In bars 82 to 94, that's 13

bars. We have 11 time signature changes.

Now, that is a lot, but not unique for

Yes. The time signature changes help to

make the music sound a little more

interesting.

[Music]

[Applause]

[Music]

Wars that shout and screams and

languish. Hearts that crash this wall

are so deceiver.

We

[Music]

[Applause]

know here Squire and White deliver the

rhythm which represents armed riders on

horseback approaching the enemy. The

fighters are full of bloodthirsty

determination and terrifying

self-belief. We also hear how's

metallic, harsh and piercing guitar

which builds the tension with

unforgiving purpose. The feelings of

hostility escalate as the warriors

remind themselves of why they wish to

fight.

Heat.

Heat. Heat.

[Music]

[Applause]

Heat. Heat. Heat.

[Music]

[Applause]

[Music]

[Applause]

[Music]

Heat. Heat.

[Music]

Heat.

[Music]

[Applause]

[Music]

Heat. Heat. Heat.

[Music]

There is a lot to talk about in this

section. First of all, the tempo picks

up, the adrenaline starts pumping, and

it's time to do or die as the listener

is placed at the very heart of this

darkest of human deeds. There is a

deliberate instrumental cacophony

representing the battle. And we hear

many warlike sound effects over the

music, including flying shrapnel,

machine gun fire, buzzing machinery,

crashes of metal, smashing glass, and

other disturbing sounds to represent the

escalating intensity of the fighting.

Alan White said it extended to John and

myself going to a scrapyard and banging

pieces of metal in the morning for about

an hour to see what sounded good. We

actually built a frame in the studio

made out of springs and car parts. This

tower of car parts was deliberately

pushed over during the recording to

represent a significant moment in the

battle.

[Music]

Heat.

Heat.

[Music]

Heat. Heat.

[Music]

[Music]

Musically, the melody rises and builds

to a point of almost unbearable tension,

which is released by slowing of white

snare drum and the ushering in of the

change to the next

[Music]

section. Heat. Heat.

[Music]

[Music]

Heat.

Heat.

[Music]

Heat.

[Music]

[Applause]

Heat.

[Music]

[Applause]

[Music]

Heat.

Heat.

[Music]

[Applause]

[Music]

Heat. Heat.

[Music]

[Music]

Heat. Heat.

[Music]

[Applause]

[Music]

After the snare drum retardando, we hear

the first solo entry of new keyboard

player Patrick Eraz as he introduces a

second melodic theme using a glorious

miniog synth sound. Morazz's lead marks

the beginning of this section to briefly

herald an unmistakable sense of jubilant

euphoria. How then follows by playing

his variation of this theme on the

guitar.

[Music]

Yeah. Heat.

[Music]

[Applause]

[Music]

Heat. Heat.

[Music]

Heat.

[Music]

Heat.

[Applause]

[Applause]

Heat.

[Music]

Heat.

Heat. Heat.

[Music]

[Music]

[Music]

[Music]

Soon the

[Music]

to

[Music]

sh. The final part of the song is called

soon, which represents some of the most

beautiful four minutes, yes, ever

recorded. And I can still remember

hearing this part of the song in my

teens for the first time and thinking

this sounds just epic. The part begins

in the first moment of calm pre-dawn.

There is a sense of eeriness amongst the

darkness and silence before the

shimmering rays of the sunrise appear

represented by the sound of a melatron

increasing in volume as dawn breaks. The

mist and smoke clear and before too long

how plays a pedal steel guitar. This

section represents signs of lament as

the bodies of fallen fighters are now

seen strewn across the battlefield. And

there is a sudden realization of the

cost of the battle. This changes the

happy celebration from the previous

section into something more

introspective and reflective as feelings

of immense sorrow emerge. Before long,

Anderson delivers words of healing and

peace. soon in some ways draws parallels

with after the ordeal by Genesis which

is also a realization of the cost of the

fighting in the battle of Eping forest

but in soon the setting is much more

real and confronting

[Music]

the

[Music]

light

within this

endless

Tonight I'm waiting for

you. Our reason to be here.

[Music]

Soon as soon the

time or we move to gain will reach and

[Music]

come. Our hearts is open.

[Applause]

our reason to be

[Music]

here. Long

ago sent to rise.

[Music]

Oh, soon the

light user all

times the

right. The sun will lead

us our reason to be here.

[Music]

Heat. Heat.

You

[Music]

are heat.

[Music]

So the

light to shine for all

time the light.

The sun will lead

us. Our reason to be

[Music]

here.

[Music]

Heat.

Heat.

[Music]

Heat.

Heat. Heat. Heat.

[Music]

Heat. Heat.

[Music]

[Applause]

As you may be aware, all members of Yes

had a strong interest in classical music

with how and Morazz in particular having

received strong formal training in this

area. Anderson to my knowledge didn't

have any musical training but fully

embraced the classical genre and held

impressionistic composers such as Rall,

Dusi, Stravinsky and Holst in high

regard. The final section of Soon

contains a series of major and minor

chords over a C and briefly a B flat

pedal point. The latter change giving

the music a momentary and distinct

feeling of unease.

[Music]

Let's have a listen now to Neptune from

the planets orchestral suite written by

Hol which I think bears similarities to

the final section of soon having a

series of major and minor triads against

and pedal notes. The sweet Neptune

nicely captures the atmosphere of a cold

and lonely planet.

[Music]

Soundchaser. Alan White said the

following about this song. We were

working in the studio and doing quite a

lot of really crazy stuff. I had this

rhythm that I've been playing for a

while and Chris came up with the initial

lick to go with it. Then with Steve, the

three of us started working on putting

it all together. The idea of speeding up

and slowing down took a long time to get

right. I mean, it has to be done

perfectly. The idea behind it was the

feeling of being in a car. Going down

the freeway changing gears. We tried to

do that with music. It was an

interesting concept. At his audition,

Morazz was asked to play along with a

rough version of this song. Morazz was

staggered. They played it at an

unbelievable speed. They blew my mind. I

was in the middle and they were starting

to do this riff and Ellen was crashing

with his drums and so on. And they had

probably just worked on this threepart

harmony there. It was absolutely

unbelievable.

down catching

corporate freedom moves to counter by

the stars expound our conscience all to

know and see the look in your eyes

[Music]

to experience that I could say was the

truest surround experience I had ever

encountered as an observer and listener

I was totally overwhelmed because they

played so fast and so precisely. The

swing was there. I had never heard such

original music except for what the

Maravishna Orchestra was doing at the

time. Then casually John and Chris said,

"We need an introduction to this. Can

you come up with something?" So Morazz

responded by playing a fast arpeggio on

Offender Roads, an instrument more

commonly used in jazz and fusion, which

immediately captured the band's

attention. I explained the rhythm to

Alan and Chris. I even suggested to John

that he use his flute, but actually it

was a piccolo, to which I could play

these little fast clusters. The whole

thing was recorded there in the next 30

minutes, and that's what came out on the

record.

before I was offered the job.

[Music]

[Music]

Chick Korea and Return to Forever were

one of Morazz's influences at the time.

So, let's have a listen to a piece by

Chick Korea in a similar style.

[Music]

during the audition. Alan White was

buzzing with excitement following the

new addition to the track. White said,

"The first time Patrick played with us,

he had this jazzy progue kind of intro

that became the opening of Soundchaser.

It didn't really have a fixed time to

it, but rather it was something that was

felt between the keyboards and the

drums. Soundchaser, more than any other

year song, contains elements of jazz

fusion arrangements. One of the

highlights is Steve How's ambitious solo

at the 3minute mark which I think

demonstrates the influence of John

Mccclaclin and Aldiola at that time. The

band members realized they had a special

piece of music on their hands. Steve How

said, "Soundchaser is like this mad man

from hell. An indescribable mixture of

Patrick's jazzy keyboard and my weird

sort of flamingco electric.

[Music]

An outrageously different song for yes

is a perfect description for

soundchaser. A fusion progue piece

fueled by Morazz's jazzy keys and a

manic rhythm section. I believe the

lyrics speak of a sense of boundless

energy in a celebration of our

relationship with sound and how music

can amaze, excite, and connect people.

The cha section, which appears twice, I

think is simply a moment of letting go

and letting out a spontaneous release of

joy and emotion upon hearing exciting

piece of music. Soundchaser has frequent

rhythm changes and instrumental breaks

to give a sense of musical diversity,

evolution, and constant

movement. Morazz's jazz fusion

influences can also be heard on his mini

solo towards the end of the piece, which

sounds distinctly more like Chick Korea

or Yan Hammer rather than Rick

Wakeakeman or Keith Emerson and

reinforces the fusion influenced

exploration that Yes. took with this

[Music]

[Applause]

[Music]

song.

[Music]

He

[Music]

Heat up

here. Heat. Heat.

[Music]

Faster change within the sound

Freedom

[Music]

to

[Music]

[Music]

experition guiding light We touch them.

Our

body as we separate our days to the

[Music]

[Applause]

[Music]

looking Heat

[Music]

up

[Music]

here.

[Music]

[Laughter]

Heat. Heat.

[Music]

Heat.

Heat.

[Music]

Heat up here.

[Music]

[Music]

Heat. Heat.

[Music]

[Applause]

[Music]

[Applause]

[Music]

From the moment I reached out to hold, I

felt a sound.

And what touches our soul slowly moves

as

touch. And to know that tempo will

continue lost in trance soft dances as

rhythm takes another

turn. As is my want I only reach to look

in your eyes.

[Music]

Heat.

[Music]

Heat.

[Music]

Heat. Heat.

[Music]

[Applause]

[Music]

Heat.

[Music]

Heat.

[Music]

[Applause]

Heat. Heat.

I

[Music]

got

heat.

[Music]

Heat.

[Music]

Heat.

[Music]

[Music]

Heat.

[Music]

Heat. Heat

[Music]

up here.

[Music]

Heat. Heat.

[Music]

[Music]

Down do

down go down.

[Music]

[Applause]

to be over.

[Music]

You

[Music]

wonder how

[Music]

Relayer concludes with its most

straightforward piece, the reflective to

be over. This song offers some melodic

rest bite after the fast-paced

soundchaser. How's layered guitars,

sitter, and pedal steel guitar provide a

tranquil, soothing, and meditative

experience. The song originated when

Anderson spent an afternoon at House

House in London and How played a piece

he was working on following a boat ride

on the Serpentine Lake in Hyde Park,

London. The music gives the listener a

relaxed feeling of just floating

downream on a river on a summer's day

and the lyrics reinforce a sense of

serenity, peace, and positive vibes. The

opening section has how creating a a

volume swell on his guitar to mimic the

crescendo associated with a violin note.

For

example, it feels like the music is

always climbing repeatedly resolving and

moving forward. To be over, I think can

be interpreted to mean to be complete

and to be whole again. The worst is over

and we can prepare for the future with

hope. But the song doesn't stay relaxed

for long as in familiar Yes. style, it

builds with Steve How's countrylike

guitar playing on a steel guitar and

finally reaches a nice intermediate

crescendo. The second half also features

a great synthesizer solo from Arz.

Squire uses a Fender jazz base on this

song which is a departure from his usual

cream colored Rickenbacker RM 1999.

probably because he was seeking more

mellow sound for this piece. From start

to finish, this is a gorgeous Prague

lullabi, and the song feels like a

logical conclusion to the album.

[Music]

[Music]

[Applause]

[Music]

Wow.

Wow. All

right. Heat. Heat.

[Music]

[Music]

[Music]

[Music]

Heat.

[Music]

Heat. Heat. Heat.

[Music]

[Applause]

[Music]

So

[Music]

deeper to see Heat.

Heat. Heat.

[Music]

Heat. Heat. Heat.

[Music]

Heat. Heat.

[Music]

Heat. Heat. Heat.

[Music]

[Music]

[Applause]

[Music]

[Applause]

[Music]

Your soul will still

After

all, don't count your

heart to

[Music]

[Applause]

[Music]

me. Let's talk about the artwork. The

album's Sleeve was designed and

illustrated by English artist Roger

Dean, who had designed artwork for the

band since

1971, with one of his designs being the

iconic yes bubble type logo, which first

appeared on Close to the Edge. In his

1975 book, Views, Dean picked the Real

Layer album as his favorite Yes cover.

He drew what he described as a giant

Gothic cave and a sort of fortified city

for military monks as he put it. The

painting originated from a watercolor

Dean had sketched while a college back

in

1966. The final painting was done with

tones of gray and notably the artwork is

not colorful like the previous Tales

album cover and is almost a monochrome

piece. The images depicted in many of

Dean's album covers set an otherworldly

tone and act as a visual representation

of the band's creative

style. The warriors on horseback nicely

reflect the lyrical themes of war

present in the album's main work and the

sleeve also includes an untitled four

stanza poem.

The album was recorded at Squire's house

in New Pipers in Virginia Water, Surrey,

a grand estate he purchased in late

1972. This marked the first time Yes had

made an album outside of London. How's

main guitar on the album was a 1955

Fender Telecaster, marking a stylistic

departure from his usual Gibson models

used on earlier albums. House said, "For

me, every album was always a journey to

find better sounds and ways of

interpreting the music. When it came to

relayer, I decided I was going to go

Fender, but not a Stratacastaster

because the sound was so common at that

time. The Telecaster is also one of the

greatest guitars ever designed, and I

was so excited to have a great 1955

model. It felt just right for the

album." Yes, we're joined by Eddie

Offford, who had worked with the band

since 1970 as their engineer and later

as a co-producer and live sound mixer.

Offford installed a mobile 24 track

recording machine and mixing desk in

Squire's basement for the recording

while the mixing was completed at

Advision Studios in London. Relayer was

the final yes album with offered before

he left in

1975 to work with other bands. Mor said

the following about the recording of the

album. When we started to record

Relayer, some of the music had already

been written and rehearsed by Chris,

John, Steve, and Allan. I contributed as

much as I could to the overall picture

of the pieces.

However, it is a fact that Steve used

quite a lot of tracks for his many

overdubs everywhere on the album except

where there is no guitar at all, which

is a rare

occasion. Chris Squire said, "It was a

very different album. We were growing,

experimenting, and trying new things.

There was definitely a bit of jazz rock

fusion going on." Alan White said, "The

gates of delirium was one of the hardest

numbers we ever did. It demands a hell

of a lot of energy and precision, and of

course, if it's played sloppily, it just

doesn't work." We were very proged and

experimental in those days. We were

looking for anything that sounded

different. People always ask me what my

favorite Yes album is. From the

perspective of where the rhythm section

is coming from, I always single out the

Relayer album. As you may recall, there

was no single release from the previous

Tales and Topigographic Oceans album,

but the song soon was released as the

single from the Relayer album. It didn't

chart, and I'm not sure how many radio

stations played it. And while it is a

beautiful work featuring How's weeping

pedal steel guitar, it also delivers a

mournful and heartbreaking

sadness and soon doesn't have the impact

when played on its own as it requires

the drama of the preceding pieces to be

fully

appreciated. Relayer was another

landmark Yes album and of course as we

know it was unlike any album either

before or after it. It stands on its own

as a unique entity in the Yes catalog.

It was the seventh album released by Yes

in only 5 years, which is a grand

achievement. It is a sonic extravaganza

and one of the band's most complex

albums. It was also Yes's last truly

fearless prog rock excursion. And with a

three-year break between Relayer and

Going for the One, Relayer really feels

like the end of an era for Yes. It only

had three tracks which marked a step

back to the format of their highly

regarded masterpiece close to the edge.

Although much has been said about the

ambiguous nature of Anderson's lyrics,

the words on the gates of delirium

without doubt are his most

straightforward. You may also remember

that yes had previously mentioned the

subject of war in earlier recordings.

For example, in the song Yours is No

Disgrace from their 1971 release of the

Yes album,

the lyrics speak of soldiers traveling

on a sailing ship, leaving any place and

suddenly experiencing a change from

summer to winter.

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In the summer cage to win your

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snow. And earlier on the album Yes. from

1969, a song called Harold Land spoke of

a man who had been taken away from

everyday normality and placed into the

horrors of war. He knows it's going to

be tough and that he may well die.

Promising that he would return, but in

reality doubted that he would.

promising that he would

return, but doubting that he

would

doubt that he

was doubting.

Now he's marching

songs in the rain as on to all

they gates of delirium is a roller

coaster ride and I believe is one of the

band's most accomplished

achievements being a brilliantly

constructed masterwork. It is certainly

a pinnacle achievement in progressive

rock and worthy of comparison, I

believe, with post-romantic classical

composers such as Stravinsky,

Shustikovich, and Schunberg. I also

believe that the gates of delirium

manages to capture a clear musical image

embodying human conflict, terror,

destruction, and loss even without

considering the lyrics. Like Tails,

Relayer was the brainchild of Anderson

Anhow. The session started without a

keyboard player, which led to the

compositions being very much

guitar-based, and I believe the album is

really a tour to force for Steve How and

his guitar is out front from start to

finish. There may be some who say

there's too much guitar, but I love the

guitar on the album just the way it is.

Patrick Morazz, I believe, did a

wonderful job of filling the void left

by Wakeman and gives the work a very

nice flow. Being the new guy, I think

Morazz might have been moved into the

background somewhat to provide sonic

textures or layers rather than being a a

major lead instrumentalist. But there

are several parts where he is allowed to

shine. And in these he shines very

brightly. Morazz aptly demonstrated that

he is a keyboard virtuoso in his own

right by adding his own brilliance.

Comparing him with Wakeman is pointless.

They are simply different players and

both great in their own way. The Relayer

album, like the album which preceded it,

is in many ways another stylistic

departure for Yes, who took a leap of

faith and dived into uncharted waters.

and I'm glad that they did. And in

closing, I also need to say something

about Alan White's drumming on this

album. As you will recall, Alan joined

Yes, at quite short notice after Bill

Bruofford left after the recording of

the Close to the Edge album. Bruofford

is a brilliant drummer, and I don't

believe anyone disliked the eloquent,

intricate, and jazzy drum sound he

brought to Yes. And I have to say that

Allan was also a great drummer. He

played with more of a straight beat,

delivering heavy, bold, energetic, and

exciting rhythms, which required a lot

of stamina. And I think he did a

brilliant job on Relayer. And to be

honest, I think the Gates of Delirium

needed Allan's big sound and power to

help elevate the song to the masterwork

it became. Alan brought his own

personality and style to the songs and I

think he was a great fit for the band as

they moved to more of a pop rock or pop

progue feel in the 1980s and beyond.

Bill and Allan Styles are both great and

they nicely complemented different eras

of Yes. So, my name is Tom. I thank you

for watching and I look forward to

preparing and presenting other videos in

this series on classic Prague rock

albums.

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