Comments on: Yes – Fly From Here

By: Tim Hall

Tim Hall — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 13:38:39 +0000

Heh,

A few weeks ago I saw a local band (La Mort Subite) playing a mix of jazz and east European folk, and I observed that they were using the accordion in exactly the same way as some classic prog bands used the Mellotron.

By: RÃ©my Leblanc

RÃ©my Leblanc — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 13:20:04 +0000

Well in my opinion everybody has missed the key question which is much more fundamental than the use of the Sonata form or the absence of leitmotif. Why does the accordion get used so little in prog rock? It is particularly effective for those easy-to-dance-to waltzes.

By: Arch Stanton

Arch Stanton — Sat, 30 Jul 2011 11:49:54 +0000

Sorry, Tim, but I don’t follow you. I was merely trying to talk about music. This is a music review blog, is it not? And if making comparisons is snobbery, what is this(?):

“Bit harsh there, Dave. Doesn’t match the standards of their classic 70s material, or the output of many younger, more energetic prog bands. But it’s far, far better than the last couple of very forgettable albums they did with Jon Anderson.”

“Far Better”? “Doesn’t match the standards”?

BTW, I WAS making an honest question and I followed up on the answer and listened to what Scott offered. Thank you, Scott. Nevertheless, I still stand by my own observation: what passes for “prog-rock” today would not have 30 years ago. The prog-rock of yesteryear was FAR BETTER than what is recorded today or, if you will, the “prog-rock” of today “DOESN’T MATCH THE STANDARDS” of that recorded 30 years ago.

If YES music can be compared within its own repertoire, why can’t other comparisons be made?

AND

“The rest of the album is a bit of a mix. High points are â€œLife on a Film Setâ€, another Horn/Downes number in a similar vein to the title track, and the anthemic full band composition â€œInto The Stormâ€, which closes the album. â€œThe Man You Always Wanted to Beâ€ comes over rather pedestrian to start with but picks up in the second half. But the weakest numbers, â€œHour of Needâ€, and Howeâ€™s pleasant but unremarkable instrumental â€œSolitaireâ€ do come over as little more than filler. Which is perhaps the albumâ€™s weakness â€“ an album with running time of an LP-length 48 minutes shouldnâ€™t need padding out with substandard material.”

“rather pedestrian”, “little more than filler”, “the album’s weakness” “padding out”

Those are all comparisons, Dude. Where do you get off calling somebody else a musical snob?

By: Chris

Chris — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 16:45:15 +0000

Or – Guardian reviewer gives up trying to write prog-rock reviews and the Guardian lets you do it,then they would be employing someone who knows what he is talking about,an idle dream maybe but a good one.

By: Tim Hall

Tim Hall — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 15:17:32 +0000

Greg – Should have guessed “Mr Stanton” (probably not his real name) was just trolling from the beginning.

Chris – That Guardian review is awful. Another music critics (who writes for Classic Rock Presents Prog) suggested on Twitter that The Guardian’s reviewer should really give up trying to write prog-rock reviews if he’s going to keep making a fool of himself that way.

By: Chris

Chris — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 12:49:24 +0000

Just want to say that this is a far better review then the superficial Guardian one I just read. Just because I like a particular group I don’t expect a fawning piece of writing, just something critical yet fair and balanced, which is exactly what you did. But it seems the Guardian review (brief as it is) is a bit out of step because quite a few other reviewers are largely positive.

By: Greg

Greg — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 12:10:22 +0000

I shouldn’t respond to trolling, I know, but with great respect to Mr Stanton, he really doesn’t know what he’s talking about. If he’d read any books about Yes, he would find their writing process to be very haphazard. The results were often great (and sometimes superb), but they were a group of rock musicians who put songs together by combining lots of different ideas, not a group of master-composers taking a classical approach to composition. Many musicians in many of the current prog bands are at least as musically knowledgeable and technically proficient as musicians from the 70′s. And if he hasn’t heard a good chord change in a long time, maybe he’s just tired of music.

By: Scott

Scott — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 01:41:58 +0000

Well, we’ll just have to agree to disagree. You obviously have your own agenda.

By: Tim Hall

Tim Hall — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 23:23:25 +0000

Hi Arch,

Thank you for your comments. I had make the mistaken assumption that you were asking an honest question. But your combination of ridiculously elitist musical snobbery and pathetic childish insults makes you a superb example of the sort of person who gives progressive rock fans such a bad name in some circles.

By: Arch Stanton

Arch Stanton — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 23:07:28 +0000

Dear Scott, Thank you for your recommendations of the “new” “prog-rock”. As soon as I read your post I headed to youtube to play selections from each of the bands you listed. I’m sorry to say that I was quite disappointed. Apparently what passes for “prog-rock” today would have been panned as utterly “crude and elemental” (to borrow some words from Walter Becker) thirty years ago. I heard no leitmotif in any of the selections I chose, and not even any sonata form. There is an ocean of difference between Yes’s “Siberian Khutru” and what I heard from Marillion. Mostly Autumn aimed for some atmospherics, but I’m interested in what is on staff paper. I’m interested in music. If what you listed is prog-rock today then the bar for rock must be set so incredibly low so that all one has to do to be a rock star is to have his great aunt by him an electric guitar and amp (if he maintains at least a C- average in school), purchase the Mel Bay method for guitar book volume 1 and cover only the first 20 pages. I’ll take a break from classical and jazz to listen to Yes, but certainly not to listen to anything you listed above. By the way, yes, “Genesis” is a great song by Jorma–with its memorable chord changes–in fact, the album “Quah” where the song can be found, is a example of a bunch of well-written songs. I haven’t even heard a good chord change in a long time. Speaking of Jorma, I caught Jorma about 20 years ago at the guitar summit concert where he headlines with Steve Morse, Kenny Burrell, and Manuel Barrueco. When he came out with his acoustic guitar, he sat down and played the riff from “Smoke on the Water”–again, I haven’t even heard a new, good riff in about 20 years–and everybody laughed WITH him. “I just like to do that” he said, before he launched into his set of Appalachian blues. Now, Deep Purple (“Smoke on the Water”) was by no means considered “prog” in their day. But their music is a helluva lot more advanced than the so-called prog today.

But still, thank you for your list. At the very least I want to know that I’m not missing anything.