Camel [UK] ----- Live On the Road 72 (which was originally a bootleg), Camel (73), Mirage (74), The Snow Goose (75), Moonmadness (76), Raindances (77), A Live Record (78), Breathless (78), I Can See Your House From Here (79), Nude (81), The Single Factor (82), Stationary Traveller (84), Pressure Points (84), Pressure Points-Live (84), Dust & Dreams (91), Echoes (93), Never Let Go (93) Another great, undernoticed band is Camel. Though not in the same league as Gentle Giant, their albums are at least on par with Genesis, Yes, ELP, and the rest of the big guys. Essential albums are Mirage, The Snow Goose, Moonmadness, and Rain Dances. Ignore albums after Pete Bardens left (1979's I Can See Your House From Here and on). Their much less adventerous. Andy Latimer's guitar work reminds me of David Gilmour-meets-Steve Hackett. Pete Bardens is notable for his great sense of texture. He's got the warmest Moog tone this side of... well... this side of anybody. Why does everyone leave out Camel's 1st? IMHO as good as any of the ones listed above and should be included. And don't forget their classic Santanaesque side of Greasy Truckers. And don't buy anything after Bardens left they get way too commercial to be considered progressive. Like middle Genesis and light Yes. Mostly mellow but some good rocking tunes as well. _Nude_ (popish) _Mirage_ (progressive) Try The Snowgoose, Stationary Traveller Mirage, their second from 1974,and probably their best work ever. One of the first progressive rock albums to use the flute to augment the guitar & keyboard lineup, highlighted by the sinuous lead guitar of Andy Latimer. This I have "Mirage". Vocals are best described as "unobtrusive". The music is superb; mellow, but not sleepy. Guitar is similar to David Gilmour (Floyd) at times. Pete Bardens, Andy Latimer and company forged a unique sound in the early 70s which would later influence many other bands for decades to come. Based on a strong keyboard and a prominent role for guitar, their primarily instrumental sound was influenced by equal parts of classical, jazz and pop/rock, with lots of catchy melodies, time changes and great vocals. Their approach changed over the years, but not the basic style. All of their albums have some good songs on them but some are better than others: Snow Goose, Nude, Moonmadness and Dust+Dreams are probably the strongest overall, while Single Factor and I Can See... are on the other end of the spectrum. A good place to start is with either of the legitimate live albums (Live Record, Pressure Points), or maybe one of the compilations. _Dust and Dreams_ is the latest from 91, featuring Andy Latimer from the original lineup, and based on the John Steinbeck novel "The Grapes of Wrath", essentially four vocal tracks followed by a sidelong instrumental piece. _Landscapes_ is a best-of, featuring material from most of their albums, and is an excellent introduction to Camel for anyone not familiar with their sound. A bootleg from the 77 tour titled _Unevensongs_ is also worthwhile. A band known to many, they have been said to have been New-Age before there was any such thing. Peter Bardens and Andrew Latimer used to be the core of the band; Peter left so now it's just Latimer. Their origins are blues but they quickly immersed themselves in odd time-signatures and innovative song structures and chord progressions. Their latest album, "Dust and Dreams" (1992), is available only as an import and may be difficult to find but is well worth the search. One of the better known UK progressive bands, led by Andy Latimer on vocals and guitar, along with Pete Bardens on keyboards. Most people seem to agree that _Mirage_ through _Raindances_ (with Richard Sinclair from Caravan) is their best era. The music is very melodic, and features a lot of interplay between guitar, flute, and keyboards (including some excellent moog work). Start with _Mirage_, which contains long songs with well crafted sinuous guitar and moog lines, interspersed with plenty of flute, or _The Snow Goose_ (based on the book of the same name), which is a concept work similar to _Mirage_ in style and execution. With the addition of Richard Sinclair and Mel Collins on _Raindances_, the music takes on a slightly jazzier direction (ala Caravan) though remaining very strong in the guitar/moog department along the lines of earlier work. Because of Collins, the saxophone adds another dimension to their sound that isn't found in earlier work. _Breathless_ (the last album with Bardens and Sinclair) is similar to _Raindances_ though some songs take on a slightly more commercial direction. In fact, under pressure from record execs, _The Single Factor_ is nothing but commercial oriented AOR-styled prog and _I Can See Your House From Here_ (which featured Kit Watkins of Happy the Man) isn't much better and are best left for completists. Between these two was _Nude_, which seems to be relatively popular among fans. There is still an AOR bent in some songs but there is also a return to the strong melodic sensibilies and excellent keyboard work found on early albums. _Dust & Dreams_ is a triumphant return for Andy Latimer. The first few tracks contain vocals (which aren't too bad but not where the band shines) but the rest is solid, excellent instrumental prog, featuring equal doses of Latimer's signature guitar style and solid keyboard playing. There are a few available compilations. One is _Compact Compilation_ which features tracks from _Mirage_ through _Raindances_ and is a good way to experience what many consider Camel's best period. However, _Echoes_ features songs from all their albums beginning with their first and culminating with _Dust and Dreams_. This 2CD set is probably the best introduction to the band. If you'd rather stay away from comilations, go with _Mirage_ or _Snow Goose_ for their early work and _Nude_ and _Dust and Dreams_ for later work. There is also a live album (_Never Let Go_) which again features songs from nearly the entire of Camel's history, plus all of _Dust and Dreams_. Mirage was their best album. The song Earthrise/Lady Fantasy takes up the entire second side and leaves you longing for more. Quite possibly one of the 5 best progressive songs recorded. This band is reminiscent of Yes, but with much stronger emphasis on keyboards and ethereal melodies. I have two of their albums: *Moonmadness* (1976) and *Rain Dances* (1977). The former is a superb piece of work particularly noted (by me at any rate) for the beautifully melodic keyboard parts. When Pete Bardens cuts loose, I'm help completely captive. And the rest of the band is nothing to sneeze at either, though I haven't listened in enough detail to give a gritty breakdown. *Rain Dances* is good, but just doesn't seem to have the "magic moments" that really grab my attention on *Moonmadness*. Plus, many of the songs are quite a bit poppier, with a rather annoying lead singer. The first, self-titled release by Camel has long been awaiting an issue on CD, and finally, Camel Productions bought the rights from MCA, and have released this work. The music features the original Latimer/Bardens/Ward/ Ferguson line-up and is very much along the lines of their classic _Mirage_, perhaps not as glossy, but every bit as good. As with their early material, the melodic interplay between keyboards and Latimer's fluid guitar is very prominent, with a good degree of improvisational passages, a la Caravan. Some of the finer tracks on this are Mystic Queen, Six Ate, and the concert favourite, Never Let Go. _On The Road 1972_ is the first of (hopefully) many live performances by Camel that has been issued on CD, from the master tapes. This is primarily an effort to 'beat the boots', by offering legitimate recordings of better quality at low prices. The CD contains the tracks Lady Fantasy, Six Ate, White Rider, and God Of Light Revisited, performed by the original line-up, who recorded their debut album, described above. The recording quality is not pristine, and has the occasional dropout, which is to be expected from a recording of that age, but the performance is true to form. _Rain Dances_ was released in 1977, and features the "classic" Latimer/ Bardens/Ward core, with appearances by the ubiquitous Mel Collins and Richard Sinclair (of Caravan). The music is very characteristic of the group, a mellow offering of keyboard/flute/guitar-based progressive rock, chock-full of melodic lines and Latimer's laid-back vocals. This release was very represen- tative of the earlier Camel, hearkening back to classics such as _Mirage_ and _The Snow Goose_. _Nude_, released in 1981, featured Kit Watkins on keyboards, along with contributions from Jan Schelhaas (ex-Caravan). The sound was heavier on the drums compared to previous releases, and, perhaps, more up-front than previous releases. Yet, the essential Camel trademarks, Latimer's guitars and vocals, and melodic sensibilities remained, making this release a good indicator of the eighties flavour of Camel, similar at times to the Alan Parsons Project. Great stuff, one of the biggies. Early stuff is more progressive. Mellow stuff with great guitar work. Highly recommended. Start with _Mirage_ (more progressive) or _Rain Dances_ (more jazzy). Later albums tended to sound like the Alan Parsons Project, because half the band was APP (Chris Rainbow, David Paton, Mel Collins). Camel is presently issuing CDs on Andy Latimer's (vox/gtr) private label. Buy 'em and keep him in business! I have _Mirage_ and _Snow Goose_, and would say that the first is a must have for any prog fan. I like the second one a lot too, but it might be too...peaceful for some. _Moon Madness_ is another good album. An incredible group. They should be considered right up there with Genesis, King Crimson, ELP, etc. On some albums, a bluesy feel, on others straight symphonic progressive rock. _Nude_ is a concept album about a Japanese WW2 sailor stranded on a desert island for 30+ years, and who doesn't know the war is over. _Mirage_ is a must have. _Snow Goose_ is the progressive version of "Johnathan Livingston Seagull". INCREDIBLE! To start, I'd have to say to get Pressure Points. It's an incredibly well produced album, and shows what Camel can do! They also recently released a 2-cd set (echoes?) which has a full concert from 1990, from beginning to end. What everyone else has said is true. If you like incredible symphonic progressive music, this band is a must! Essentially guitar-driven prog, _Mirage_ makes for enjoyable listening, but it's hardly wonderful. It lacks urgency, and what's more, it feels oddly conventional. This album has none of the surprises or quirks I expect from a good or even average prog band. That isn't to say it isn't well-done; on the contrary, the musicians play well and the songs are fairly well crafted, but each song seems to be missing something vital. It may grow on me, but I doubt it. [See Caravan/Hatfield and the North/Sinclair, Richard; Contrary to what is written above, _The Snow Goose_ is based on Paul Galico's book of the same name.] Emerson, Lake & Palmer [UK] ---------------------- Emerson, Lake and Palmer (70), Tarkus (71), Pictures at an Exhibition (71), Trilogy (72), Brain Salad Surgery (73), Welcome Back My Friends to the Slow That Never Ends (74), Works Vol. 1 (77), Works Vol. 2 (77), Love Beach (78), In Concert (79), Black Moon (92), Live at the Royal Albert Hall (93), Return of the Manticore (93) ELP pioneered the keyboard "power trio" that was imitated by many bands. Keith Emerson was in the Nice where he was noted for his renditions (torturings?) of classical works while stabbing his Hammond organ with knives. After the Nice broke up, Emerson joined forces with Greg Lake (ex-King Crimson) and Carl Palmer (ex-Atomic Rooster). Together, ELP blasted into the '70s with a keyboard-heavy bombardment of incredible proportions. ELP debuted at the 1970 Isle of Wight festival where they ripped into their now famous rendition of Mussorgsky's "Pictures at an Exhibition," an orgasmic moog workout pushing the bounds of anything previously heard by a rock keyboardist. Emerson's sheer mastery of the moog and flamboyant technical ability were incredible; his talent along with the dynamo drumming antics of Carl Palmer, won the band a legion of fans. Their first self-titled studio release was a quieter work where Emerson displayed his brilliance on the piano in the wonderful "Take a Pebble." With Lake's rich tenor wrapped around an extended piano improvisation, "Take a Pebble" was to become an ELP concert standard. Emerson also had a penchant for lifting classical pieces without credit and making them his own, e.g., "The Barbarian" on ELP is taken from Bartok's "Allegro Barbaro" while "The Knife's Edge" is Janacek's "Sinfonietta." ELP also contained "Lucky Man," often cited as the first use of the moog synthesizer on a rock album. Tarkus followed in 1971. The side-long "Tarkus" featured the moog extensively. "Are You Ready, Eddy?" is a tribute to reknown studio engineer Eddy Offord, whose name graces many classic Yes albums. Tarkus was followed by the LP release of their Isle of Wight show. The next studio release was Trilogy which contained the wonderful "From the Beginning." "Abaddon's Bolero" has Emerson building layers of keyboards while "Hoedown" is an excerpt from Copeland's "Rodeo." After Trilogy, ELP formed their own label, Manticore. In addition to releasing Americanized versions of classic Italian Prog (e.g., PFM, Banco), ELP released their magnum opus: Brain Salad Surgery. BSS contained the 30 minute suite, "Karn Evil 9," that featured Emerson in all his splendor working his Hammond, moog and grand piano against Palmer's furious drumming. Also featured is Palmer's attempt at synthesized percussion on Ginastera's "Toccata." BSS was quickly followed by the live Welcome Back My Friends.... It contains what I feel to be the definitive version of "Tarkus:" aggressive and energetic. It also contains nearly all of BSS and wonderful piano improvisations. After these excellent works, ELP ran out of fresh ideas and went into an extended hiatus. In '77, ELP released the 2LP Works Vol. 1. This reunion album contained three sides of individual works (one side/member) plus two group efforts. Emerson's side is a classical piano concerto and Lake contributes several love ballads. Palmer's contribution is the most ELP-like but suffers from poor composition. The excellent "Pirates" and a perfunctory rendition of Copeland's "Fanfare for the Common Man" highlight the album. The album sold to dedicated fans but paled in comparison to the glory of previous works. This LP was followed by the forgettable Works Vol. 2 and Love Beach. The latter is marred by terrible love ballads and an overall lack of enthusiasm. The band called it quits after the lackluster In Concert. In 1986, Emerson and Lake enlisted Cozy Powell (ex-Rainbow, Jeff Beck) to fill the drum slot. Though better than Love Beach, ELPowell was a weak effort rehashing stale ideas. It does contain a passable version of Holst's "Mars." After a tour, this version of ELP folded. Emerson joined with Palmer in '88, Robert Berry stepped in as singer and they called themselves 3. Bad name for an equally bad album. They too folded. In '92, a reunion of the original ELP was realized in the form of Black Moon. Following their tried and true format, it sold well to fans but otherwise failed to draw attention though it is a fairly solid effort. ELP were a bastion of early '70s Progressive Rock and many bands are compared back to ELP for a point of reference thus you should become familiar with their style. So, to the potential ELP listener, I suggest you get The Atlantic Years which contains nicely remastered versions of their best works and serves as a fine introduction. If you'd rather not buy a 2CD set, check out ELP or Brain Salad Surgery. Genesis [UK] ------- From Genesis to Revelation (69), Trespass (70), Nursery Cryme (72), Foxtrot (72), Live (73), Selling England by the Pound (73), The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway (74), Trick of the Tail (76), Wind and Wuthering (77), Seconds Out (77), ...And Then There Were Three... (78), Duke (80), Abacab (81), Three Sides Live (82), Genesis (83), Invisible Touch (86), We Can't Dance (91), The Way We Walk Vol. 1: The Shorts (92), The Way We Walk Vol. 2: The Longs (93) Their first album _From Genesis To Revelation_ (since reissued under many different titles) was a very majestic blending of late sixties British styles, most notable comparisons would be to the early Bee Gees or The Moody Blues, very acoustically driven (piano, acoustic guitar prominent), with Peter Gabriel's unique vocals and thoughtful, often personal lyrics. There are few hints here of the complex progressive form the band would later turn to, but nonetheless this is an excellent album. The second album _Trespass_ marked the beginning of the band's most influential period, with longer, multi-part tightly arranged numbers that make full use of acoustic-electric rock dynamics, emotive classical and folk influenced melodies, and story type lyrics avoiding the first-person cliches of most bands of the day. Much of their style in this period was driven by the acoustic based guitar ideas of Anthony Phillips (even though Phillips quit after _Trespass_ was recorded, his guitar style would be used by the band for the next five albums). Each of the albums from this second period (_Trespass_, _Nursery Cryme_, _Foxtrot_, _Live_, _Selling England By The Pound_) has it's own unique character and brilliance, and over the period of these albums also saw the emergence of keyboardist Tony Banks as the new dominant musical force within the band. The double epic _The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway_ was more a transitional album musically, even though it does feature Gabriel at his lyrical and theatrical peak. Musically the album features a higher percentage of pure filler than any album they had done to date, which was necessary during the live performances to allow Gabriel ample time to change costumes. It was also their first album that achieved notoriety from the mainstream rock press. After an exhausting tour fostering much tension within the band, Gabriel decided to call it a day, leaving the band without a lead singer....and thus began the band's third period. Up to this point, nearly all of the vocals were handled by Gabriel, although other members frequently sang prominent backup (Banks on "Hogweed" for example), but Drummer Phil Collins had already sang lead on a couple of filler tracks ("For Absent Friends" and "More Fool Me") used during live shows to give Gabriel a breather and time to change costumes. It stood to reason, then, that Collins could take over the role of lead vocalist while a 'hired hand' could take over the drum duties for the live performance. But public perception at that point was that Gabriel WAS Genesis, and the band, without him, would be akin to The Doors without Morrison - and this was a major hurdle the band would have to overcome. On the first 'Collins led' album _A Trick Of The Tail_, it's evident that the band went to some great lengths to produce an excellent album, as well as on it's follow-up _Wind And Wuthering_, which shows the band moving into some new and non- commercial territory. These two albums, while very unlike the Gabriel led Genesis of a few years prior, were still very vital and cohesive. While mixing a live album of the _W&W_ tour (_Second's Out_), guitarist Steve Hackett decided to call it a day. Hackett's role within the band to that point had been primarily a counterbalance to Banks' poppy tendencies in Gabriel's absence. Now as a three-piece with Banks firmly in control, (and a higher public profile), that the band's music would inevitably become more mainstream oriented. And so began the fourth period. The first album as a three piece (_And Then There Were Three_) fares OK when compared with the two albums that preceeded it, but it definitely marks a move in a new direction with shorter 'song' oriented tracks and their first hit single "Follow You Follow Me". The follow-up album _Duke_ was a major step in the commercial direction, at least half the songs seemed to be intended for singles. One long instrumental track on side 2 offered some brilliance, but not enough to save the rest of the album. Subsequent albums _Abacab_, _Genesis_, _Invisible Touch_ and _We Can't Dance_ are firmly in the mainstream mold, with commercially oriented songs and plenty of hit singles. Of course, these later albums are not necessarily bad, but musically they're not that challenging either. Three live albums have appeared in this period: _Three Sides Live_ is mostly recorded on the _Abacab_ tour, and _The Way We Walk_ (2 seperately packaged CDs) was recorded mostly on the _We Can't Dance_ tour. My Recommendations: Start with _Foxtrot_, _Nursery Cryme_ or _Selling England_, IMHO these three represent Genesis at their creative peak. [See Hackett, Steve/Stuermer, Daryl] Gentle Giant [UK] ------------ Gentle Giant (70), Acquiring The Taste (71), Three Friends (72), Octopus (73), In A Glass House (73), The Power And The Glory (74), Free Hand (75), A Giant Step (75), Interview (76), Playing The Fool-Live (76), The Missing Piece (77), Pretentious (77), Giant For A Day (78), Civilian (80) The paradigmatic progressive rock band. They captured almost everything that was great about the 1970s progressive rock movement and ignored most of the unfortunate pretensions. Starting with their fourth Octopus album in 1973, the band churned out a bunch of flawless albums. All are highly recommended. Actually I'd recommend just about anything these guys do, and we can't forget the classics (albeit hard to get into) "Gentle Giant" (with the monstrous "Why Not") "Acquiring The Taste" (with the highly innovative "Pantagruel's Nativity") and "Three Friends" (Which gets my vote for the best side of GG ever - side 2) Most people do not like Gentle Giant at first listen. They definately take some getting used to, but once you get used to them they are great. A good album to start with is _Three Friends_ simply because it is their album that is most like what the other progressive groups of the day were doing. From their I would go on _Octopus_ and _Free Hand_. I found GG to be a very difficult band to get into. While a lot of prog rock can take 2 or 3 listens to fully appreciate, Gentle Giant took me many more. Most people I talk to who like GG didn't care much for them at first listen. I started with _The Power and the Glory_, and most of that has grown on me, but there are still one or two tracks that I find tough to listen to. I also have _Three Friends_, which isn't as good as _PatG_, and _Octopus_, which has some good stuff and one very good instrumental. Generally speaking, the music is excellant it's the vocals that can be irritating. The vocal melodies are often the same as the instrumental bits, and the layered harmony vocal thing is just overdone. I prefer vocals with more of a bite to them, like Fish's or Roger Waters'. Acquiring the Taste is the hardest album to start with but I think its their best. Octopus and Power and Glory are ok, but not as great as everyone says. This is quintessential prog rock. Free hand is also good. Outstanding group...I like the live CD "Playing the Fool" best, for some reason I like the live versions of their songs better than the studio versions, maybe they were more musically mature in developing their sound when this live album was recorded. Studio albums are hard to get into, I have Octopus, Free Hand, and Three Friends. Music is really complex, each member of the groups seems to be able to play 10 different instruments. They do lots of different styles of music...an essential progressive rock band. Gentle Giant is awesome, but you have to have a PHD in music to understand what they're doing. The music is so stunningly complex that it's sometimes difficult to absorb, After listening to albums like _Octopus_ and _Power And The Glory_ 50 times or more, I still hear something new each time that was different from the last time. Multi-part vocal harmonies galore. The best place to start would be with one of their more accessible albums, maybe _Three Friends_ or _In A Glass House_. Brilliant 5 piece. Medieval Rock. Unique. Virtuoso muscianship. It's not a coincidence that these guys are among the most frequently mentioned bands on alt.music.progressive -- they're GR-R-R-REAT! (to quote Tony the Tiger). What's most often alluded to, I think, is the amazing vocal harmonies they pull off. Vocally, they've learned a thing or two from Yes, although GG's voices are far more... down-to-earth, shall we say. Not gruff or raspy, just a far cry from Anderson/Squire's airy-fairy, upper-registers-of-the-male-range act. And the instrumentation is wonderfully quirky, all sorts of neat things thrown in to keep the listener busy. I have three GG albums, which I recommend heartily and with roughly equal weight: *Gentle Giant* (1970), *Acquiring the Taste* (1971), and the incredible live album *Playing the Fool* (1976). One of the better known progressive bands, Gentle Giant were a style unto themselves. This is one of the bands to which others are always compared. GG themselves are comparable to no one. Incredibly tight vocal and instrumental interplay that you'd swear they couldn't pull off live, yet the do so with grace and ease. Influences are Baroque and Renaissance styles. My personal favorite is _Octopus_ followed closely by _Acquiring the Taste_ but any except for the last two or three are great. What can I really say? The quintessential prog band. They are very tight, have some pretty complex musical pieces. Some of their stuff shows strong influence from madrigals and motets of the Medieval period, and I've even noticed a fugue or two. Some people don't like the vocals, but I love them (but then I really like madrigals a lot). For some reason, many people complain about having difficulty getting into this band. Someone sent me a tape of _Playing the Fool_ and within a week I owned 3 of their CDs. This band just really did it for me. My favorites are: _Free Hand_, _Three Friends_, _PtF_, _The Power and the Glory_, _In a Glass House_, and _Octopus_ (roughly in that order). The others that are on CD don't do as much for me, but I still like them a good deal. Truly progressive English band. I've never heard anyone like them. Sometimes they sound vaguely Tull-ish, but they're no clone. Definitely influenced by that medieval sound Tull became famous for, as well as jazz and straight forward rock. Tough to get into, but worth trying out. Took me many listens to really enjoy this stuff. Early albums are pretty 'heavy', they peaked around their 6th-7th album, then put out a few poppy albums after that. Lots of vocal harmonies on each album. Titles with ratings for the ones I've heard: Gentle Giant (***), Acquiring the Taste (**), Three Friends (***), Octopus (***), The Power and the Glory (****), Freehand (****). King Crimson [UK] ------------ In the Court of the Crimson King (69), In the Wake of Poseidon (70), Lizard (70), Islands (71), Earthbound (72), Lark's Tongues in Aspic (73), Starless and Bible Black (74), Red (74), USA (75), A Young Person's Guide to King Crimson (76), Discipline (81), Beat (82), Three of a Perfect Pair (84), The Compact King Crimson (86), Frame by Frame: The Essential King Crimson (91, boxed set), The Great Deceiver (92, boxed set of prviously unreleased live material) There are also a few more compilations/lives such as `Earthbound (72)', `USA (75)', `A Young Person's Guide to King Crimson (76)', `The Compact King Crimson (86)', `The Essential King Crimson (91), `The Abbreviated King Crimson (91)' and `The Great Deceiver (92)'. Anyway, enough catalogue obsession, King Crimson are one of the most influential and highly regarded of the long-lived prog bands. Through numerous line-up changes, their founder and guitarist, the ubiquitous and brilliant Robert Fripp, has crafted King Crimson's sound through quite distinct musical phases. Although the official classification for real KC-heads notes around 7 identifiably different KC phases, the new listener can be given a good picture by pointing out 3 main phases in their musical output. Phase 1 consists of recordings up to and including `Lizard'. Most of this period was characteristically defined by the lyrics and `spiritual guidance' of Peter Sinfield ... a fair degree of high-brow social comment and mysticism. The music shows folk elements and ranges from chaotic improvisations with a seemingly huge amount of instruments (most of them Fripp on mellotron) to beautiful acoustic songs with floating melodies. Fripp's later incredible and highly original guitar work is not too obvious in this phase but complements the music greatly when it appears. Many long, classicaly inspired pieces invloving much mellotron and occasionaly full orchestras make this phase sound more dated than later material but it all has a really timeless quality too (is that a contradiction?). `Lizard' is my favourite from this period and is probably the most ageless album I have. This period involved a lot of prog illumini on various albums ... Jon Anderson sings on `Lizard', Greg Lake sings and plays on some tracks etc. Phase 2 involved `Lark's Tongues' up to and including `Red'. Much more modern sounding, many consider this Crimson's high point. Bill Bruford on percussion, John Wetton on vocals and David Cross on strings. Fripp's guitar rears it's head properly on these recordings and you are treat to some of the most inspired and brilliantly original guitar work ever produced. There are a lot of long instrumental tracks that sound improvised but have a really tight structure ... very loud distortion and strange modalities combine to provide a real challenge to the prog listener. Touching jazz idea in places, folk in others and raw Fripp in most, `Lark's Tongues' is quite superb. Features percussion legend Jamie Muir too. Most of `Starless and Bible Black' is live improvisation around Fripp themes with the audience dubbed out and this fact should be remembered when listening to the two amazing extended instrumentals on side 2! Often descending into what sounds like `horror music' in these instrumentals, they come soaring up from the quiet passages with Whetton's bass and Fripp's screaming guitar together. Great stuff. `Red' shows a new development as the sound is tightened and the characteristic Fripp guitar figures begin to emerge. Great percussion and a fantastic vocal track `Starless' on side 2 that incorporates Fripp's `one-note' solo section! This is often said to Crimson's most `metal' album but this is really misleading ... it has absolutely nothing to do with `metal' as commonly perceived ... it just has more guitar. A brilliant album. Phase 3 envelops `Discipline', `Beat' and `Three of a Perfect Pair'. Very different to the other material, this was the result of a re-grouping that Fripp undertook many years after he had broken Crimson up after `Red'. He originally re-formed the group under the name `Discipline', then changed the name to King Crimson and made an album called `Discipline' ... confusing eh? Anyway, this lineup had Bruford on percussion (although he was to regret this era of KC due to Fripp's dictator-like stance on the role of percussion in this phase), Adrian Belew on vocals/guitar and the stick-master Tony Levin on stick-bass. Belew's influence made this phase a lot more `pop' oriented than had previously been the case and these three albums are probably the most acessible of the KC recordings. Fripp's guitar-work had fully matured and his obscure time signatures and Belew's sense of humour (and amazing guitar talent) made for a really heady mixture. Characterised by overlapping guitar lines played in different times so as to sound like weird delay effects and Levin's perfectly executed and mid-range stick lines, this phase is a real delight. Belew's voice was made for this type of material and it fits well. As usual, brillant (but more subdued) percussion from Bruford. Get some of this phase or miss out on Crimson at a creative height. In short (!) a legendary band in all their incarnations. Rarely has such diversity been containable under one name. Totally recommended. All of their back studio catalogue was re-mixed for CD by Fripp and Tony Arnold in 1989 and is now available ... look for the `definitve edition' blurb on the case. There have been many rumours over the past couple of years about Fripp re-forming ... it seems to be on the cards so watch out. It looks certain however that Bruford won't be in there :-( King Crimson are one of the paradigms of progressive rock. The band was in reality three different bands during its lengthy career, each of these incarnations quite different from the other, with Robert Fripp, the band's guitarist and founder, the only constant member. Their recorded output is quite varied. All of the albums mentioned below have been re-released on CD unless otherwise noted. King Crimson I (1969-72) created immense, orchestrated albums, with strong ensemble playing and some improvisation. Songs range from heavily orchestrated pieces, with particular use of mellotron (comparable at times to the Moody Blues or Gabriel-era Genesis) and occasional power guitar chords from Fripp, to soft, gentle ballads. The band line-up during this period was unstable, which helps to account for the diversity displayed on the albums. _In The Court Of The Crimson King_ (1969) is probably the best. _In the Wake of Poseidon_ (1970) features excellent contributions from Keith Tippet on piano. These two are recommended. The last two studio albums by KC I betray Fripp's growing pre-occupation with minimalism. _Lizard_ (1970) is a little more left field than the first two, perhaps a bit too uneven and inconsistent, and definitely wacky. _Islands_ (1971) is much smoother, more orchestrial and more relaxed, bordering on the soporific. _Earthbound_ (1972, not available on CD) was the last KC I release, a live album, which became a tradition of sorts with KC. It has poor sound quality, but contains the definitive live reading of "20th Century Schizoid Man" from the debut. King Crimson II (1973-75) were a much heavier proposition, the frontal lobes approach to rock. A useful comparison would be the Mahavishnu Orchestra lineup of 1972-74. John McLaughlin was a clear influence on Fripp's guitar style and KC II had a similar approach to fusion as McLaughlin's outfit. Starting from scratch again, Fripp was joined this time by David Cross on violin, Jamie Muir on percussion, though neither would stay the distance, and John Wetton on bass and Bill Bruford (late of Yes) on drums, a formidable rhythm section. Bruford is probably the most sympathetic musician to have worked with Fripp and he would turn up again in KC III. KC II was characterized by a lot of solo improvisation and full blown group jams, very heavy and very loud. Many of the tracks on the albums from this period originated from live performances, with overdubs added later in the studio. Often referred to as Crimson's "mature period", the albums are uniformly excellent, strong on material and performance. The Mahavishnu comparison is particularly telling on the first, _Larks' Tongues' in Aspic_ (1973). Amazing guitar playing, excellent drumming and strong bass, the kind of record that gives 'art rock' a good name. _Starless and Bible Black_ (1974) is more severe, the two highly improvisational group jams that form side two are superb, with Fripp being particularly innovative, but some of the shorter, loosely defined tracks on side one tend to dissipate the effect. _Red_ (1974) is the full fruition of the promise on the previous two albums. It is consistently sure-footed. _Red_ is focused power, the best of these middle period recordings and, IMO, the best King Crimson album. A heavy album, but very expressionistic. Complex rhythms abound. Fripp's range and conceptual rigour are extraordinary. Side two contains the most beautiful piece of music recorded by the band, "Starless" -- the long guitar passage in the middle section is stunning in it's effectiveness and simplicity. It should be said that guitar and drums dominate this album more than on the previous KC II albums, so this may not be to everyone's tatse. But this *is* King Crimson's masterpiece. All three KC II studio albums are highly recommended to fans of progressive *rock* music. The band dissolved again with a live album, recorded before but released after _Red_ (it contains parts of the same concert used as a basis for _Red_) with violin overdubs by Eddie Jobson. _USA_ (1975) is a good live album of the wrong material, with one exception, a superb and at the time otherwise unavailable track called "Asbury Park." The best live material by KC II is found on the 4xCD live retrospective _the Great Deceiver_ (1992), which has some unique group improvs. Not the best place to start, but once you have absorbed the studio albums and acquired a taste for this phase of the bands career, it is a very worthwhile investment. King Crimson III (1980-84) was the nearest the band got to danceable, pop music, albeit with complex underlying musical structures. Fripp retained the services of Bruford and enlisted new members Adrian Belew (guitar/vocals) and Tony Levin (bass/stick). Although the musicianship is of a very high order, the bands instincts are haphazard. Adrian Belew had a disproportionally large influence on these albums and his instincts on guitar are not ideally suited for creating interesting rock music. Bruford uses electronic drums but they don't detract too much. Levin's stick is impressive. Fripp eschews power guitar for ultracomplex, intricate, repetitive rhythm patterns -- Frippertronics, a change traceable through his solo albums of the intervening period. This line up therefore is characterized by a fusion of musical complexity and technology -- the music had obviously changed a great deal. _Discipline_ (1981) is probably the best of these albums, being the most focused and also the most accessible. It has a great range in moods and is the most complete of the 80s releases. And probably the best place to start with KC III too. _Beat_ (1982) is more relaxed and more pop-orientated but still has some interesting material. _Three of a Perfect Pair_ (1984) is the least rewarding of this trio of albums. Some tracks work very well, Bruford again impresses, but this is by far the poppiest album released by the band. They disbanded in 1984 and marked their demise with two live releases, but this time on video. There are a number of compilations which offer an alternative introduction to the band. The best is _A Young Person's Guide to King Crimson_ (1976), a double set arguably featuring the best tracks from all KC I and KC II albums, though some in edited form and _Lizard_ is conspicuous by its absence. Of course, the '80s material is not represented at all, and unfortunately, the CD is I believe only available as an expensive Japanese import. The CD only compilation _The Compact King Crimson_ (1986) couples all but one track each from the two most commercially successful King Crimson albums, _In The Court_ and _Discipline_, with a number of other tracks. Note that only one track represents KC II and as such this compilation is seriously flawed. However, it is widely available. The ambitious 4CD set _The Essential King Crimson: Frame By Frame_ (1991) is a lengthy retrospective which contains three discs of previously released material plus one live CD of unique recordings. This would have provided an excellent overview of the band (even _Lizard_ is represented), if Fripp had resisted the temptation to tamper so much with the original recordings. Some of the lengthier studio tracks, which tend to be among the more essential tracks, have been severely edited for some reason. But, with these reservations in mind, this is recommended as a good introduction to the band, and it will never be redundant because of the live disc. I split the discography into three sections because the band's music falls into three distinct periods: Early period: In the Court of the Crimson King, In the Wake of Poseidon, Lizard, Islands Middle period: Earthbound (Live), Larks' Tongues in Aspic, Starless and Bible Black, Red, USA (live) 80's version: Discipline, Beat, Three of a Perfect Pair These periods are drastically different, and to listen to the albums without knowing who recorded them, one would probably think they're the products of different bands. In effect, this is actually the case: the only musician who was present throughout the history of the band is the mastermind behind the whole thing, Robert Fripp himself. Each period is marked by a complete turnover of personnel (except, of course, for Fripp, and Bill Bruford, who returned from the middle period lineup for the 80's version). I will mention here that _Earthbound_ was performed with early period personnel; however, I placed it with the middle period albums because in my opinion, it's much closer musically to the albums that followed it than to those that preceded it. As is the case with prog rock in general, odd time signatures are frequently found in music throughout the band's history. Peter Sinfield's lyrics on the early period albums, and Richard W. Palmer-James' lyrics on the middle period albums, are regarded by many as self-indulgent and pretentious. Well, such lyrics are often found in prog rock, but even with that consideration, these lyrics are embarrassing--not only to the band, but to its fans, and to the world of music in general. Adrian Belew's lyrics in the 80's version are much easier to deal with--they're often quite inventive and evocative, and (dare I say it) actually pretty good. All three periods also feature a great deal of... er, experimentalism (if that's a word) with structure, harmonics, and instrumentation. Fripp's guitar is the one identifiable thread that runs throughout; pick any Crimson album at random, and you'll find at least a couple places where he cuts loose with one of his fast, clean, somewhat dissonant, Frippian solos. Following are notes on the individual periods, along with recommendations for albums. I believe that all the music within any given period is consistent enough stylistically that if you like one album, you would almost certainly like the others from the same period. Early Period: The lineup of King Crimson has always been highly unstable, and this is especially true in the early period, which featured (in order) Greg Lake, Gordon Haskell, and Boz Burrell on bass; Michael Giles, Andy McCulloch, and Ian Wallace on drums; and Ian McDonald and Mel Collins on sax, with various other players sitting in on various occasions. The early Crimson albums are much more "orchestral sounding" than the others and give the impression of being more deliberately composed and arranged. The heavy use of the mellotron in some songs probably contributes to this impression. These are the albums on which one would look for the classical influences that often typify progressive rock, and some material has a distinct gothic feel. You can also find some very nice jazzy material at times. And the first track on the first album, "21st Century Schizoid Man", might even be considered the prototypical heavy metal song. For recommendations, I'd start with albums from the other two periods (well, that's where my preference lies). Seriously, though, _Court_ would be the early period album to start with. Middle Period: I will unabashedly admit that these are not only my favorite Crimson albums, but among my all-time favorites, period. The music is dominated by the thunderously heavy rhythm section of drummer Bill Bruford and bassist John Wetton, overlaid with Fripp's incredibly precise guitar playing. On _Larks' Tongues_ and _Starless and Bible Black_, violinist David Cross has moments of counteracting the heaviness with a light, delicate touch; at other times, he dives headfirst into the fracas. Percussionist Jamie Muir adds some very nice textures to _Larks' Tongues_. The music, if one wanted to categorize it, might best be described as sophisticated heavy metal, with perhaps some jazz and psychedelic influences. It's characterized by long, intricate improvisations--not the kind in which one guy solos over a riff played by the others, but a continuous interaction in which everyone is "playing off" what everyone else is doing. This is a fairly risky approach, and I'm given to understand they produced some truly awful stuff onstage this way. But the stuff that found its way onto vinyl (and/or CD) is very interesting, compelling, and unique music. It often creates an ominous, even threatening feeling--low and slow, as if it's biding its time. Other times, the guys just blast it out at you--I think of it as music that could sink a battleship. Back when I was a young, single guy, a couple friends and I liked to get drunk and/or stoned, drive far out into the country with the express purpose of getting lost, and then try to find our way back. Well, middle period King Crimson is the musical equivalent, and you don't run the risk of killing yourself or someone else in a wreck, getting arrested for DUI, or running out of gas and meeting up with those mountain guys from _Deliverance_ while hitch-hiking to a gas station that's probably not open anyway. For recommendations, I'd suggest starting with _Red_ and working backwards; _Starless_ next, then _Larks' Tongues_. As of this writing, the two live albums are not, to my knowledge, available unless you can find used LP's. But much of the material on the three available albums was actually recorded in concert, although this is not noted on the sleeves. And the boxed set _The Great Deceiver_ provides four CD's worth of live recordings of the band from this period (obviously, a $50+ set of disks isn't a good recommendation for someone who's not familiar with the band, but it is essential for someone who's already deeply into them). Anyway, _Red_ would present the new listener with the least amount of unfamiliar ground. Then, working backwards as suggested, the new listener would gradually find more "new territory." 80's Version: Bill Bruford returned for this lineup, joined by bassist/stick player Tony Levin, guitarist/vocalist Adrian Belew, and Fripp. Actually, it wasn't until after they had begun rehearsals and had already put some music together that it became apparent that this group should be a reincarnation of King Crimson; previously, Fripp's thought had been to call this particular band Discipline. The 80's Crimson is much more technically and electronically oriented than previous versions. It's an extremely tight, precise band. The middle period Crimson took you for long drives out into the country to get lost, or they'd smash you over the head with a sledge hammer; these guys created highly polished, perfect gems of music for you to stand there and admire. Belew's wailing, anarchic guitar style forms an intriguing contrast to Fripp's precise, exact--and disciplined--playing. Belew also brought with him a sense of wit and good humor, which the band had previously lacked. For recommendations, I would suggest the new listener check out _Beat_ first. Some suggest taking them in chronological order (in other words, _Discipline_ first, then _Beat_, and _ToaPP_), which would mean from the most accessible to the least. But I believe that _Beat_ showed a distinct jump in quality and actually represents the band much better than its predecessor. [See Belew, Adrian/Bruford/Fripp, Robert] Yes [UK] --- Yes (69), Time and a Word (70), The Yes Album (71), Fragile (71), Close to the Edge (72), Yessongs (73), Tales from Topographic Oceans (73), Relayer (74), Yesterdays (75), Going for the One (76), Tormato (78), Yesshows (80), Drama (80), Classic Yes (81), 90125 (83), 9012Live (85), Big Generator (87), Union (91), Yesyears (91, box), Yesstory (92), Highlights: The Very Best of Yes (93) Yes formed in 1968 with Jon Anderson (vocals), Chris Squire (bass, vocals), Peter Banks (guitar, vocals), Tony Kaye (keyboards), and Bill Bruford (drums). Anderson and Squire had met while both were in other bands and got an idea to play music with "vocal harmony backed by strong instrumentation." Yes were soon formed and in 1969 released their self-titled debut. Featuring strong original work and covers of songs by the Byrds and the Beatles, the album was a musical and critical success. This was followed in 1970 by "Time and a Word," which made use of orchestral backing. This was objectionable to Banks, who was replaced on guitar by Steve Howe for the breakthrough "The Yes Album" (1971). This album finally solidified the classic Yes sound. Tensions between Kaye and Howe led to Kaye's departure and the arrival of Rick Wakeman (of the Strawbs) as Kaye's keyboard replacement. Wakeman's flashy stage presence became a symbol of the showiness (or show-offiness) of progressive rock in the '70s. Nevertheless, two classic albums came out of this lineup: "Fragile" (1971) and "Close to the Edge" (1972). These albums featured beautiful harmonies and strong, occasionally heavy playing. These are arguably the band's best albums. Some consider "Close to the Edge" to be a masterpiece of progressive rock, and others consider it to be a prime example of the disasters of the genre. Either way, this album probably made the strongest impact of any of the band's early albums. Also, "Fragile" contained the popular hit song "Roundabout." The band embarked on a major tour after "Close," but major change came soon as Bill Bruford left in late 1972 to join a newly reformed King Crimson. He was replaced by Alan White, whose loose and free drum style was a major contrast to the almost too-tight drumming of Bruford. White at first could not adapt to the styles of the tracks recorded with Bruford, but he eventually came into his own. The three-LP live "Yessongs" was released in 1973 and was a popular success. This was followed by the controversial double-LP "Tales from Topographic Oceans," which was released in the first week of 1974. There were only four pieces on this album, one on each side, and the album marked a change from the carefully rehearsed style of "Close to the Edge" to a more open, experimental sound. Wakeman was put off by this whole experience and left to pursue a solo career. His replacement was the Swiss keyboardist Patrick Moraz, who stayed with the band long enough to record "Relayer" in 1974 and to tour in 1976 after the band took a year's hiatus. During this time, a compilation of work from the first two albums, plus a 10-minute cover of Simon and Garfunkel's "America" was released, 1975's "Yesterdays." Perhaps the most curious thing about this album was Roger Dean's cover art. The front included a nude green woman (taken from the original English cover of "Time and a Word). The back showed two blue naked children, one of whom is urinating. As mentioned, once the band reunited, it embarked on a major tour in 1976 before going on to produce its next album, "Going for the One," in Switzerland. Interestingly, Moraz left the band before the album was begun. Rick Wakeman was hired to play on the album as a session musician, but was soon back in the band. This album showed Yes moving in new directions, affected by New Wave, but still with its own unique style. "Going for the One" was followed by "Tormato" (1978), which was critically and popularly unsuccessful. The band seemed to be pulling apart, and efforts to produce another album were unsuccessful, although demos from these sessions have recently appeared on bootleg CDs. It was at this time that Anderson and Wakeman left the band. Howe, Squire, and White continued on their own, and were soon joined by the Buggles (Geoff Downes, keyboards, and Trevor Horn, vocals), who were famous for their "Video Killed the Radio Star" (which happened to also be the first video played when MTV made its debut in August 1981). This new lineup recorded "Drama" (1980), which was rejected by the critics as garbage and by many fans as not being a true Yes album. The band then broke up, with Downes and Howe forming Asia, Horn going into producing, and Squire and White working together. In 1981 the compilation "Classic Yes" was released, featuring mostly work from the 1971-1972 period. Squire and White then met Trevor Rabin, a South African guitarist. The three began working together on new material. Shortly thereafter, Tony Kaye came back into the picture, and later, Jon Anderson as well. In 1983 this quintet released "90125," the most popular Yes album ever, which featured the #1 hit "Owner of a Lonely Heart." A tour album and video followed: "9012Live" (1985). The process of making the next album was difficult, and Big Generator wasn't released until 1987. It should be noted that this '80s period of the group is not universally appreciated by die-hard prog fans. In 1988, Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman, and Howe joined forces to record and release "Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe." As the nineties began, ABWH were working on a new album, as were the remaining four Yes members. In 1991 all were (ostensibly) gloriously reunited for "Union" and a major eight-man tour. Of course, this lineup disintegrated quickly, and now the lineup from the "90125" era is working on a new album, due out in Spring 1994. Yes was the quintessential '70s progressive rock band. All the necessary ingredients were there: the long songs, the concept albums, the spacy lyrics, the synthesizer solos, the symphonic adaptations, the dry ice, the light shows, the fantastic album covers, everything. All of these things tended to obscure one fact: Yes was first and foremost a fine rock 'n' roll band, with roots in Chuck Berry and the Beatles as well as in Sibelius and Heinlein. Like their prog rock peers King Crimson and ELP, Yes returned in the '80s with revamped sound. By the time the '90s rolled around, the Yes story had grown as complex as the band's own music...so this history of the band is necessarily somewhat "Roundabout." Yes made its vinyl debut in June 1969 with "Sweetness," written, according to legend, the very night that Squire and Anderson first met. By way of a B-side, an extended version of "Something's Coming" from _West Side Story_ (including snatches of other songs from that musical) was recorded. This was a prime example of the early Yes approach (far better than the slightly syrupy A-side), with its explosive opening, heroic bass and organ work, and Anderson's dewy-eyed choirboy voice piping Leonard Bernstein's sophisticated melody. "Something's Coming" was not issued on the U.S. release, Atlantic's American branch opting instead for another cover version for the B-side: the Beatles' "Every Little Thing," taken from the band's first LP, _Yes_. Most of the six original songs on _Yes_ were relatively concise (at least when compared to the band's later output), while more chances were taken with the two cover versions. "Every Little Thing" acquired a brash, elongated introduction and a nod to "Day Tripper." The Byrds' "I See You" (the album's longest track) also came in for the Yes treatment, with extended instrumental noodling and a dash of Bach thrown in for good measure. Although the British and American versions of the album sported different covers, both gave Anderson's first name as "John"; he would henceforth be Jon. _Time And A Word_ followed the pattern of _Yes_ insofar as it contained six original compositions (all written or co-written by Anderson) and two covers, drawn this time from the Richie Havens and Buffalo Springfield songbooks. The sound, however, was vastly stronger and more confident, free of the slight awkwardness that had affected the debut. Anderson is credited with the idea of using strings and brass on many tracks, an experiment that would not be repeated until _Tormato_ in 1978. By the time _Time And A Word_ was released, Banks had been given the boot, He was replaced by Steve Howe, who in fact appeared on the cover of the American edition of the album (which again differed from the U.K. cover) despite not having played a note on it. Although self-taught, the guitarist had a love of classical music (citing Vivaldi and John Bowland in particular) that would serve him well in Yes. His guitar style also showed the influences of flamenco, bluegrass and '40s jazz, but he never forgot how to rock, as his Chuck Berry-meets-Flash Gordon intro to "Siberian Khatru," to name just one example, makes abundantly clear. Howe's debut with Yes was the March 1971 release _The Yes Album_. Promoted with a support slot on Jethro Tull's 1971 American tour, _The Yes Album_ proved to be a turning point for Yes. The title emphasized that it was a new beginning for the band, marking a vast increase in musical sophistication. The album consisted of four lengthy, carefully structured pieces, each pair of epics separated by a short, lighter piece (of these, Howe's guitar solo "The Clap" is the more famous, but Anderson's cryptic little song "A Venture" is the real gem). _The Yes Album_'s gatefold cover was a large photo of Tony Kaye, with smaller pictures of the other band members arrayed around him. Possibly this was a salute to Kaye's exemplary keyboard work throughout the album, from the breezy piano on "A Venture" to the innovative use of Moog synthesizer on "Perpetual Change." Ironically, however, this would be Kaye's last album with Yes for over a decade. Kaye went on to work with Peter Banks' Flash before forming his own group, Badger, with the Warriors' David Foster. Badger's debut album was a live set co-produced by Jon Anderson and recorded during the same concerts that would result in the _Yessongs_ movie. Advance word on the fourth Yes album raved about the band's new whiz- kid keyboardist, Rick Wakeman. "Insiders say he's better than Emerson!" crowed one ad, and indeed, the relative merits of Wakeman and Keith Emerson were debated in those technique-happy times just as fans a few years earlier had argued whether Clapton, Hendrix or Beck was most deserving of guitar godhood. Wakeman, another Londoner, had been in the folky Strawbs, whose _Just A Collection Of Antiques And Curios_ he graced with some fiery playing. His piano showcase from this album, "Temperament of Mind," would serve as the blueprint for a similar featured spot with Yes. Wakeman was also a seasoned studio player, notably David Bowie and Cat Stevens (The mellotron break on "Space Oddity" is his as well as the piano solo in "Morning Has broken"). Even after joining Yes, Wakeman continued to do sessions, including Lou Reed's first solo LP, on which Howe also guested. Wakeman's first album with Yes was _Fragile_, which hit #4 in Billboard and spawned the band's signature tune, "Roundabout" (which itself climbed to #13 on the singles chart). _Fragile_ also contained a solo piece by each band member, including Wakeman's adaptation of a movement from Brahms' Fourth Symphony. (Wakeman had originally prepared a composition of his own for his solo spot, but it was not used for contractual reasons. This piece eventually became "Catherine of Aragon" on his first solo album in 1973.) The solo pieces were all brief, none reaching the three-minute mark and Bruford's bizarre "Five Percent For Nothing" lasting little more than half a minute. This left room for three epics: "Roundabout," "South Side of the Sky" and the stunning "Heart of the Sunrise. A fifth Yes album appeared in September 1972, just eight months after the release of _Fragile_. _Close To The Edge_ consisted of just three lengthy songs. The side-long title track ranged in mood from a fiendishly complicated intro to a hushed, serene middle section and furiously rocking organ solo. The other tracks were the expansive, pastoral "And You And I" and the "Roundabout"-styled rocker "Siberian Khatru." It is astonishing that such intricate music could have been assembled in such a short time, but _Close To The Edge_ stands today as the definitive Yes album. The sound, lush and otherworldly one moment and hard and pure as cut diamond the next, was enhanced by Eddie Offord's sparkling production. Dean's cover art featured the first appearance of the famous Yes logo. Obviously not afraid to provide too much of a good thing, Yes reprised the entire _Close To The Edge_ LP, along with most of the previous two, on the live triple LP _Yessongs_. It is interesting to note that the album included two snatches of music by Stravinsky (the pre-concert tape of _The Firebird_ and the opening bars of _The Rite Of Spring_ hummed by Anderson), reflecting the influence this composer had on the band's music. Bill Bruford, who had quit upon the completion of _Close To The Edge_ in favor of joining the more improvisation-oriented King Crimson, appeared on only three of _Yessongs'_ tracks. The rest featured new drummer Alan White, who had joined in July 1972. Like Anderson, White was a northerner, hailing from Pelton in County Durham. Prior to joining Yes, White had been a busy session drummer, playing with superstars such as John Lennon, George Harrison and Joe Cocker, as well as such lesser-known acts as Happy Magazine and Balls (with Denny Laine). Each of the instrumentalists had a solo spot on _Yessongs_, but the one that drew the most attention was Wakeman's: a medley based on themes from his new solo LP, _The Six Wives Of Henry VIII_. The charismatic Wakeman was considered by many to be the star of Yes, and when a movie--also titled _Yessongs_--was made of the band's December 1972 performances at London's Rainbow Theatre, Wakeman was featured prominently (receiving top billing in the ads). In contrast, White is hardly seen at all! Much was made at the time of the contrast between the outgoing, booze loving Wakeman and a band supposedly otherwise made up of ascetic vegetarians. Although this schism was greatly exaggerated, Wakeman soon followed Bruford into the ever-expanding ranks of former Yes members. Wakeman did stick around long enough to play on the late 1973 release _Tales From Topographic Oceans_, a double LP consisting of four side-long tracks based loosely on some scraps of Hindu philosophy gleaned from a footnote (!) in Paramahansa Yogananda's _Autobiography of a Yogi_. The esoteric nature of the album's inspiration. the length at which it was expounded, and most of all the waning vogue for art-rock conspired to make this album universally hated among the critics. Although it was another Top 10 success for the band (reaching #1 in the U.K.), it is generally remembered as a pretentious mess- which is a shame, as it is actually full of engaging melodies and well crafted playing, even if it is a little light on rock 'n' roll. Wakeman, however, agreed with the album's critics, and Yes soon set about searching for a replacement for its star attraction. Though widely tipped to replace Wakeman, Greek keyboardist Vangelis (full name Evangalos O. Papathanassiou) didn't work out. Howe had recently acquired a prototype guitar version of the Moog synthesizer, and the band briefly considered doing without a keyboardist. In the end, however, it settled on Patrick Moraz, a native of Morges, Switzerland. In addition to recording albums with Refugee (which consisted of the rhythm section from the Nice with Moraz taking Keith Emerson's place) and Mainhorse, Moraz had over two dozen film scores to his credit. But despite his keyboard virtuosity and a unique style that owed nothing to Wakeman or Kaye, Moraz never really got a chance to contribute much to Yes. He played on only one studio album, _Relayer_ the material for which had been substantially worked out before he joined. _Relayer_ was something of a companion album to _Close To The Edge_, again consisting of three long tracks. But where _Close To The Edge_ glittered like jewels in firelight, _Relayer_ had more of the gleam of polished chrome and magnesium flares. The centerpiece of the album was "The Gates of Delirium," which depicted the history of war with the sound of clashing swords, machine gun fire and terrifying explosions. "Sound Chaser" was frantic and ominous by turns, with Anderson injecting a brief note of sweetness among Howe's menacing guitar arabesques. Only the quasi-Oriental "To Be Over" was consistently peaceful. The closing minutes of "The Gates of Delirium" appeared as a single under the title "Soon." _Relayer_ would be the last album of new material from Yes for two-and-a-half years. By the time _Going For The One_ appeared, Moraz was out of the band, having been replaced by none other than Rick Wakeman. (Moraz went on to make a further couple of solo albums before teaming up with the Moody Blues, from which he is now departed.) _Going For The One_ marked a return to shorter songs, with only one real epic: the 15:38 "Awaken," which featured Anderson's harp and a church organ played by Wakeman via telephone lines. Aside from the gorgeous "Turn of the Century" (inspired by Puccini's _La Boheme_), the remaining songs were short, and the title track was the hardest rocking thing Yes had ever recorded. The trend toward shorter songs continued on the following year's _Tormato_, which managed to squeeze an unprecedented nine Yessongs on a single disc. The hard-rocking "Don't Kill The Whale" was lifted as a single (backed in England with the non-LP track "Abeline"), eliciting more derision for its title than chart action. The next news the public heard was unbelievable. The memories of those involved differ as to the sequence of events, but when the smoke cleared both Anderson and Wakeman had been replaced by Trevor Horn and Geoff Downes--alias the Buggles, a new wave duo whose "Video Killed The Radio Star" was the first video ever aired on MTV. Yes without Anderson seemed impossible enough, but the advent of these two techno-popsters threw the fans for a loop. Horn and Downes were themselves caught unaware, as they had only approached the band in hopes of selling a song. (Ironically, the song they were hawking, "We Can Fly From Here," was not recorded by Yes, although it was performed live.) Horn did his best to sound like Jon Anderson on the 1980 album _Drama_, but Yes without its original singer just wasn't well received by fans. In it's defense, Drama found Yes a tight band with several great songs, including the rocking "Tempus Fugit". The Buggles' second LP would feature a guest appearance by Squire and a remake of "Into The Lens" from _Drama_ (retitled "I Am A Camera"). The live album, _Yesshows_, was finally released at the end of 1980 and included material from the 1976 tour with Moraz as well as later recordings with Wakeman. The double LP _Yesshows_ did not duplicate any of the songs from the previous live set, but this was a mixed blessing, as it ruled out so much of the band's material. Yes dissolved--or perhaps just went into hibernation--in 1981, with Howe and Downes going on to form Asia. Squire and White attempted to join with the three surviving members of the recently bereaved Led Zeppelin as XYZ (for Ex-Yes and Zeppelin). Alan White has stated he has tapes of these sessions. However, the union did not last and Squire and White moved on to collaborate on a single, the "Run With The Fox," but a promised album by the duo failed to materialize. In 1983, Squire and White began working with South African guitarist Trevor Rabin (ex-Rabbitt) on a band project to be called Cinema. Rabin had been invited to join Asia with Steve Howe but he declined to work with Squire. Eventually, Anderson was called in and Yes was reborn. After a bit of musical chairs with the keyboard slot, during which prog-rock veteran Eddie Jobson popped in and out of the reconstituted band, Tony Kaye was back to stay. The resulting album, titled _90125_, after its catalog number, gave Yes its first chart-topping single, "Owner Of A Lonely Heart." Yes had entered the modern world of MTV, 12-inch remixes and corporate sponsorship. Despite its personnel, this band bore even less resemblance to the Yes of old than the _Drama_ lineup had. Even Squire's distinctive bass sound seemed to have lost its bite. Two complementary live projects emerged from the band's 1984 tour. _9012Live_ was a concert video in which the band was dwarfed by surrealistic special effects. _9012Live: The Solos_ was a curious LP containing two songs by the full band (drawn from the video soundtrack) plus each member's solo spot from the concert set. Despite rumors that 1987's _Big Generator_ would return to the classic Yes sound and include a side-long track, when the album appeared it was similar in style to _90125_. (In fact, the "side-long track" would have been nothing more than the four tracks on side two resequenced and segued together). As with _90125_, singles drawn from _Big Generator_ appeared in assorted dance remixes. After five years with the same personnel, it was inevitable that Yes would see some changes soon, but what actually happened took the public by surprise once again. Anderson quit the band and teamed up with Wakeman, Bruford and Howe, effectively creating a rival version of Yes! Since Squire, as the only individual to have appeared on every Yes project, retained legal rights to the name Yes, the new band simply called itself Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe. Bruford's old King Crimson partner Tony Levin played bass. The ensuing album, on Arista and imaginatively titled _Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe_, featured a Roger Dean cover, several long songs broken up into "movements," and a reasonable compromise between the classic Yes sound and modern, commercialized sensibilities. Meanwhile, little was heard of the "real" Yes (which by this time was based in Los Angeles). Rumor had it that an album had been completed and rejected by Atco. Certainly no new releases were forthcoming, other than a solo LP from Trevor Rabin, "Can't Look Away". Finally, in February of 1991, yet another Yes bombshell dropped: the four remaining Yes members, throwing legal differences to the wind, had joined ABWH en masse, uniting the two "rival" bands. Wisely choosing to call itself Yes (rather than Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe Squire Rabin White Kaye), the newly aligned octet released _Union_ on Arista in April. _Union_ had originally been recorded as a second ABWH album with the working title _Dialogue_. To this project were added four songs recorded by the "Yes West" faction, one of them recorded with singer Billy Sherwood of Yes-soundalikes World Trade, who had been considered as Anderson's replacement along with Steve Walsh or Kansas fame. Anderson's voice was dubbed onto the Yes West material, Squire's harmonies were added to some of the ABWH tracks, and voila--the new Yes. The album suffered from a serious case of too many cooks, as a glimpse at the credits shows: seven producers, three separate management companies and a veritable army of supplemental musicians on the ABWH tracks (including no fewer than 11 synthesizer players, not counting Wakeman and Kaye!) all stick their two cents' worth in. While there was plenty of inspiring and excellent music there was little cohesion or band feel. There were rumors of a live release from the Union tour but the only thing to surface were numerous bootleg discs that featured a stunning 8 piece version of "Awaken". Also of note was the version of "Long Distance Runaround" played by the _Fragile! members. Shortly after the Union tour Atco unveiled a four-CD set of remastered Yes recordings titled _Yesyears_. About a third of the 46 tracks were rarities of one sort or another, including the B-sides "Something's Coming" and "Abeline," Squire and White's "Run With The Fox," the original Cinema version of "It Can Happen" with Squire taking the lead vocal, and a live performance of "I'm Down." Also included were several completely unreleased songs, such as the 1977 instrumental "Montreux's Theme," "Money," "Make It Easy" (another track from the Cinema sessions) and the _Union_ outtake "Love Conquers All." As for Yes today. A new album, _Talk_, is scheduled for March 1994 release with a tour to follow in spring and summer. The current lineup is Anderson, Squire, White, Kaye, Rabin.