Produced by Joseph Cottrell, Wayne Hall, Ken Fuller and Jeffrey Crecelius

It was great to think a little about what might make up Yes’ authenticity this week. Is it possible to define what makes the output of a band - or any kind of artistic endeavour 'authentic’? Rather than try and come up with a definition of authenticity (which is probably a loftier aim than we had time for this week), Mark and I discussed what the rather nebulous concept means to us, in the context of Yes music.

We each came up with examples of what we consider to be authentic aspects in the 50+ year history of the band and how they support our ideas of what ‘authentic Yes’ is.

As always, we would be fascinated to hear what you think of this concept - please leave your ideas in the comments below.

How can you tell if a band like Yes is ‘being authentic’?

Is authenticity more than simply ‘sounding like the same band’?

Beyond music, are there any other aspects that might contribute to a feeling of authenticity?

Yes - The Tormato Story & Tales from Topographic Oceans - Yes Album Listening Guide

Available now!

YesMusicBooks.com

YMP Patrons:

Producers:

Joseph Cottrell

Wayne Hall

Ken Fuller

Jeffrey Crecelius

Patrons:

Aaron SteelmanLindAl Dell'AngeloLobate ScarpBarry GorskyMark BaggsBill WhittakerMark James LangBob MartilottaMark SlaterBrian HarrisMartin KjellbergBrian SullivanMichael HanderhanChris BandiniMichael O'ConnorCraig EstenesMiguel FalcãoDave OwenPaul HailesDavidPaul TomeiDavid HeydenRachel HadawayDavid PannellRobert NasirDavid WatkinsonRobert VandiverDeclan LogueRonnie NeeleyDemScott ColomboDoug CurranSimon BarrowFergus CubbageStephen LambeFred BarringerSteve DillGary BettsSteve LuziettiGeoff BailieSteve PerryGeoffrey MasonSteve RodeGuy DeRomeSteve ScottHenrik AntonssonSteven RoehrHogne Bø PettersenTerence SadlerTodd DudleyJohn CowanJohn ThomsonJohn HoldenJohn ViolaJamie McQuinnTim Stannard

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Produced by Joseph Cottrell, Wayne Hall, Ken Fuller and Jeffrey Crecelius

This week Mark and I set off once again in our YMP Yes Time Machines, this time to visit Yes concerts that also featured fascinating support bands, or bands on the same bill that we would loved to have seen.

According to the essential Forgotten Yesterdays website, there have been 599 bands who have either supported or played alongside Yes since 1968 so there was plenty of choice for Mark and me. Before we begin, have a think which shows you didn’t manage to attend and would like to go back to in a time machine to experience for yourself.

I wonder if you will pick any of the occasions Mark and I did. Let us know in the comments in the show notes below.

When will we travel to?

What will we see?

What other bands will be playing?

Yes - The Tormato Story & Tales from Topographic Oceans - Yes Album Listening Guide

Available now!

YesMusicBooks.com

YMP Patrons:

Producers:

Joseph Cottrell

Wayne Hall

Ken Fuller

Jeffrey Crecelius

Patrons:

Aaron SteelmanLindAl Dell'AngeloLobate ScarpBarry GorskyMark BaggsBill WhittakerMark James LangBob MartilottaMark SlaterBrian HarrisMartin KjellbergBrian SullivanMichael HanderhanChris BandiniMichael O'ConnorCraig EstenesMiguel FalcãoDave OwenPaul HailesDavidPaul TomeiDavid HeydenRachel HadawayDavid PannellRobert NasirDavid WatkinsonRobert VandiverDeclan LogueRonnie NeeleyDemScott ColomboDoug CurranSimon BarrowFergus CubbageStephen LambeFred BarringerSteve DillGary BettsSteve LuziettiGeoff BailieSteve PerryGeoffrey MasonSteve RodeGuy DeRomeSteve ScottHenrik AntonssonSteven RoehrHogne Bø PettersenTerence SadlerTodd DudleyJohn CowanJohn ThomsonJohn HoldenJohn ViolaJamie McQuinnTim Stannard

Become a Patron!

Produced by Joseph Cottrell, Wayne Hall, Ken Fuller and Jeffrey Crecelius

This week, Mark and I discussed the 'solo' songs on Fragile. Each band member contributed an individual project, some with more success than others. The style and approaches used by Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman, Howe and Squire are very different and they certainly prompted an interesting discussion as you'll hear.

Drama and Fragile Live!

With Yes soon to embark on playing the whole of Fragile live for the third time, we also touched on how these songs come over live - and if it's even a good idea to include them alongside the 4 'proper' songs.

Which of the solo songs is the best?

How do they differ in approach?

Should they be played live?

https://youtu.be/jFB9aujS610?si=ao5lp0xGqiibiQnN

https://youtu.be/NPH145eI66g?si=s_lfYyzr0l2qANP2

https://youtu.be/X6opg8vIcNs?si=ySAszxGH054sU_kL

Yes - The Tormato Story & Tales from Topographic Oceans - Yes Album Listening Guide

Available now!

YesMusicBooks.com

YMP Patrons:

Producers:

Joseph Cottrell

Wayne Hall

Ken Fuller

Jeffrey Crecelius

Patrons:

Aaron SteelmanLindAl Dell'AngeloLobate ScarpBarry GorskyMark BaggsBill WhittakerMark James LangBob MartilottaMark SlaterBrian HarrisMartin KjellbergBrian SullivanMichael HanderhanChris BandiniMichael O'ConnorCraig EstenesMiguel FalcãoDave OwenPaul HailesDavidPaul TomeiDavid HeydenRachel HadawayDavid PannellRobert NasirDavid WatkinsonRobert VandiverDeclan LogueRonnie NeeleyDemScott ColomboDoug CurranSimon BarrowFergus CubbageStephen LambeFred BarringerSteve DillGary BettsSteve LuziettiGeoff BailieSteve PerryGeoffrey MasonSteve RodeGuy DeRomeSteve ScottHenrik AntonssonSteven RoehrHogne Bø PettersenTerence SadlerTodd DudleyJohn CowanJohn ThomsonJohn HoldenJohn ViolaJamie McQuinnTim Stannard

Become a Patron!

Produced by Joseph Cottrell, Wayne Hall, Ken Fuller and Jeffrey Crecelius

This week Mark and I had all sorts of fun thinking about whether there are any short Yes epics - or if this idea is even possible. We set ourselves the restriction of only choosing Yes songs less than 6mins in duration so can you guess what we came up with and how we justified our choices?

It was sad to hear that Ozzy Osbourne died this week, only a few weeks after performing his last ever concert with his Black Sabbath bandmates. I can’t say I was a dedicated fan of Ozzy or Sabbath but my introduction to heavy metal was when a friend of mine took me up to his room in a slightly creepy Victorian mansion and played me the self-titled album by the Birmingham band. How appropriate the setting was. I also learned to play Paranoid on the drums when I was a teenager and my younger son taught my daughter, when she was a toddler, to sing the alphabet to the riff from War Pigs. My elder son was a true fan so he was upset when we heard the news. 

As you know if you’ve read the new Tales book or get your information from many other sources like Matthew Paine on Facebook, Rick Wakeman was a huge fan of Ozzy who he met at Morgan Studios while Yes were recording Tales. He ended up playing keys on 2 songs on Sabbath Bloody Sabbath which was being recorded over the road in another Morgan studio at the time. Eventually, Ozzy returned the favour by singing on Rick’s "The Return to the Center of the Earth", as pointed out by Paul Graf also on Facebook.

Our own Doug Curran interviewed Ozzy for his radio show in 1981 so do make a point of reading his reflections on that on the YMP Facebook discussion group

Rest in Peace Ozzy.

https://www.quora.com/What-makes-epic-songs-epic

https://youtu.be/YGsq3ya1-8Y?si=_4zjczWxt3grbwzH

https://youtu.be/UF2P_qgi7YA?si=n9Vbim5fGeLPjfEN

https://youtu.be/63nZud3Xu1Y?si=Y0PMEIxL5dxYXNHS

https://youtu.be/CBtZ8exhRPQ?si=rt0xacK2W8SeZXl4

https://youtu.be/8-hJFoSgXfM?si=OTCdWuAB7U2zg-1-

https://youtu.be/qEUkRRLe6vQ?si=SwOTImHn3DIXFIYe

Yes - The Tormato Story & Tales from Topographic Oceans - Yes Album Listening Guide

Available now!

YesMusicBooks.com

YMP Patrons:

Producers:

Joseph Cottrell

Wayne Hall

Ken Fuller

Jeffrey Crecelius

Patrons:

Aaron SteelmanLindAl Dell'AngeloLobate ScarpBarry GorskyMark BaggsBill WhittakerMark James LangBob MartilottaMark SlaterBrian HarrisMartin KjellbergBrian SullivanMichael HanderhanChris BandiniMichael O'ConnorCraig EstenesMiguel FalcãoDave OwenPaul HailesDavidPaul TomeiDavid HeydenRachel HadawayDavid PannellRobert NasirDavid WatkinsonRobert VandiverDeclan LogueRonnie NeeleyDemScott ColomboDoug CurranSimon BarrowFergus CubbageStephen LambeFred BarringerSteve DillGary BettsSteve LuziettiGeoff BailieSteve PerryGeoffrey MasonSteve RodeGuy DeRomeSteve ScottHenrik AntonssonSteven RoehrHogne Bø PettersenTerence SadlerTodd DudleyJohn CowanJohn ThomsonJohn HoldenJohn ViolaJamie McQuinnTim Stannard

Become a Patron!

Produced by Joseph Cottrell, Wayne Hall, Ken Fuller and Jeffrey Crecelius

This week, Mark and I returned to the show to talk about the Yes classic album, 90125 from 1983. It is clearly, we believe, a great album but what makes it a great Yes album? It wasn’t originally going to be a Yes album at all and only became one at the last possible moment when Jon Anderson arrived on the scene. The band Cinema, consisting of Tony Kaye, Alan White, Trevor Rabin and Chris Squire had basically finished the record with Trevor Horn but, as you can read in full detail in Stephen Lambe’s excellent book about the album, there were several reasons that band was ultimately replaced by the name and the aura of Yes.

What do you think Mark and I came up with for our 6 reasons and would you have chosen the same features? Let us know in the show notes for this week’s episode.

Is this a real Yes album?

What makes it great?

Who makes it great?

My 90125 and 9012Live collection

90125 Singles

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_nW0C1j_RpvQypX6RHJzN_zSxeDZ7ilOQA&si=UD2mb8Bxeqq6bHl4

Yes - The Tormato Story & Tales from Topographic Oceans - Yes Album Listening Guide

Available now!

YesMusicBooks.com

YMP Patrons:

Producers:

Joseph Cottrell

Wayne Hall

Ken Fuller

Jeffrey Crecelius

Patrons:

Aaron SteelmanLindAl Dell'AngeloLobate ScarpBarry GorskyMark BaggsBill WhittakerMark James LangBob MartilottaMark SlaterBrian HarrisMartin KjellbergBrian SullivanMichael HanderhanChris BandiniMichael O'ConnorCraig EstenesMiguel FalcãoDave OwenPaul HailesDavidPaul TomeiDavid HeydenRachel HadawayDavid PannellRobert NasirDavid WatkinsonRobert VandiverDeclan LogueRonnie NeeleyDemScott ColomboDoug CurranSimon BarrowFergus CubbageStephen LambeFred BarringerSteve DillGary BettsSteve LuziettiGeoff BailieSteve PerryGeoffrey MasonSteve RodeGuy DeRomeSteve ScottHenrik AntonssonSteven RoehrHogne Bø PettersenTerence SadlerTodd DudleyJohn CowanJohn ThomsonJohn HoldenJohn ViolaJamie McQuinnTim Stannard

Become a Patron!

Produced by Joseph Cottrell, Wayne Hall, Ken Fuller and Jeffrey Crecelius

This week I’d like to celebrate the release of my second book, Tales from Topographic Oceans - Yes Album Listening Guide - a title almost as lengthy as the record itself. It’s been a very long and sometimes challenging process to prepare the book for publication - much like the record itself. However, it’s finally here and you can buy it from all the usual places.

If you haven’t yet ordered your copy, you live outside the UK and you would like to help me out, please visit YesMusicBooks.com and order from there. There are print on demand links in the store on the site which will allow you to order copies of the book and its full colour supplement, printed at a location near where you live, avoiding shipping costs and the associated environmental impact. I also get to keep more of the proceeds from the order, rather than giving it to the big corporations. Shipping time may be a little bit longer than the online stores but the choice is up to you.

If you are in the UK please order directly from BurningShed.com and if you normally get your books from a local independent bookstore, then that is also a great option wherever you are in the world.

The book ended up being 336 pages long which is rather a surprise to me. The initial idea was to produce something shorter and simpler than the Tormato Story book - more of an actual guide, rather than an in-depth study. However, as soon as I started, it became obvious that I could resist travelling down just as many fascinating rabbit holes as last time. I did manage to uncover some previously hidden information and it was a lot of fun researching as many different aspects of this epic work of progressive rock as I could. As Prog Magazine put it in their review, “The most rewarding way to experience Tales is to dive in and become immersed. This book is the very definition of that.”

Yes - The Tormato Story

Available now!

YesMusicBooks.com

YMP Patrons:

Producers:

Joseph Cottrell

Wayne Hall

Ken Fuller

Jeffrey Crecelius

Patrons:

Aaron SteelmanLindAl Dell'AngeloLobate ScarpBarry GorskyMark BaggsBill WhittakerMark James LangBob MartilottaMark SlaterBrian HarrisMartin KjellbergBrian SullivanMichael HanderhanChris BandiniMichael O'ConnorCraig EstenesMiguel FalcãoDave OwenPaul HailesDavidPaul TomeiDavid HeydenRachel HadawayDavid PannellRobert NasirDavid WatkinsonRobert VandiverDeclan LogueRonnie NeeleyDemScott ColomboDoug CurranSimon BarrowFergus CubbageStephen LambeFred BarringerSteve DillGary BettsSteve LuziettiGeoff BailieSteve PerryGeoffrey MasonSteve RodeGuy DeRomeSteve ScottHenrik AntonssonSteven RoehrHogne Bø PettersenTerence SadlerTodd DudleyJohn CowanJohn ThomsonJohn HoldenJohn ViolaJamie McQuinnTim Stannard

Become a Patron!

Produced by Joseph Cottrell, Wayne Hall, Ken Fuller and Jeffrey Crecelius

This week, Mark and I enjoyed coming up with 6 reasons why the band’s third record, The Yes Album, is a great Yes album. As I’m sure you know, this was Steve Howe’s first album with Yes and also Tony Kaye’s last. It is correctly viewed by many fans, critics and Steve Howe himself as the first Yes masterpiece.

Clearly, we could have found dozens of reasons why this is a great Yes album but that would have left less room for you to be involved. So please do add your reasons in the comments below.

What do you think we chose?

Is this album the start of the progressive sound of Yes?

Was the success of the album all down to the musicians?

Let us know if you agree with us!

https://youtu.be/1fUudna1Xuw?si=tk5dHyQskjh4_LmY

Yes - The Tormato Story

Available now!

YesMusicBooks.com

YMP Patrons:

Producers:

Joseph Cottrell

Wayne Hall

Ken Fuller

Jeffrey Crecelius

Patrons:

Aaron SteelmanLindAl Dell'AngeloLobate ScarpBarry GorskyMark BaggsBill WhittakerMark James LangBob MartilottaMark SlaterBrian HarrisMartin KjellbergBrian SullivanMichael HanderhanChris BandiniMichael O'ConnorCraig EstenesMiguel FalcãoDave OwenPaul HailesDavidPaul TomeiDavid HeydenRachel HadawayDavid PannellRobert NasirDavid WatkinsonRobert VandiverDeclan LogueRonnie NeeleyDemScott ColomboDoug CurranSimon BarrowFergus CubbageStephen LambeFred BarringerSteve DillGary BettsSteve LuziettiGeoff BailieSteve PerryGeoffrey MasonSteve RodeGuy DeRomeSteve ScottHenrik AntonssonSteven RoehrHogne Bø PettersenTerence SadlerTodd DudleyJohn CowanJohn ThomsonJohn HoldenJohn ViolaJamie McQuinnTim Stannard

Become a Patron!

Produced by Joseph Cottrell, Wayne Hall, Ken Fuller and Jeffrey Crecelius

R.I.P. Johnny Bruhns

https://www.youtube.com/live/QkQRiUdVUag?si=-VMIOIbSdCzLqNYU

https://johnnybruhns.bandcamp.com/album/welcome-to-the-kingdom

https://www.youtube.com/live/1wOQPyQMbE4?si=4rzlFs59JGG5RAsX

This week, Mark and I considered the Yes music of the new Millennium - 25 years after it began. In this time, the band have produced just 5 studio albums and 1 EP:

Magnification

Fly From Here

From a Page (EP)

Heaven and Earth

The Quest

Mirror to the Sky

However, there are plenty of examples of great Yes music to enjoy and Mark and I chose 3 examples each.

What did we choose?

Anything from Heaven and Earth?

Did we get it 'right'?

See if you agree with us and let us know by leaving a comment below.

Let us know if you agree with us!

https://youtu.be/_yWOGPVSifk?si=2pkwqcoB9ryDUwQY

https://youtu.be/5-fwXBRlihc?si=XWz0kM7Vbsc8zHgw

https://youtu.be/odC9FHTWzP8?si=3pEZ2NLmrdl_BJc2

https://youtu.be/1SkVH-lbDzc?si=DgDKnGypsKNKLcOq

https://youtu.be/jj2CulCC-uk?si=Jea1sn1JC4HY77dk

Yes - The Tormato Story

Available now!

YesMusicBooks.com

YMP Patrons:

Producers:

Joseph Cottrell

Wayne Hall

Ken Fuller

Jeffrey Crecelius

Patrons:

Aaron SteelmanLindAl Dell'AngeloLobate ScarpBarry GorskyMark BaggsBill WhittakerMark James LangBob MartilottaMark SlaterBrian HarrisMartin KjellbergBrian SullivanMichael HanderhanChris BandiniMichael O'ConnorCraig EstenesMiguel FalcãoDave OwenPaul HailesDavidPaul TomeiDavid HeydenRachel HadawayDavid PannellRobert NasirDavid WatkinsonRobert VandiverDeclan LogueRonnie NeeleyDemScott ColomboDoug CurranSimon BarrowFergus CubbageStephen LambeFred BarringerSteve DillGary BettsSteve LuziettiGeoff BailieSteve PerryGeoffrey MasonSteve RodeGuy DeRomeSteve ScottHenrik AntonssonSteven RoehrHogne Bø PettersenTerence SadlerTodd DudleyJohn CowanJohn ThomsonJohn HoldenJohn ViolaJamie McQuinnTim Stannard

Become a Patron!

Produced by Joseph Cottrell, Wayne Hall, Ken Fuller and Jeffrey Crecelius

This week, Mark and I returned to our occasional series on Yes concepts. This time we considered Yes audacity - those times when the band has done something few others would have attempted. We both came up with 3 examples and it proved to be a very enjoyable conversation, albeit with quite a bit of shameless self-promotion from me.

In the world of progressive rock, perhaps the most audacious genre of all, what do you think we came up with - and what would you have chosen? Let us know in the comments below.

What are the best examples of Yes' audacity from the past 50+ years?

Innovation or excess?

Would you have chosen the same examples as us?

See if you agree with us and let us know by leaving a comment below.

Let us know if you agree with us!

https://youtu.be/HB0HhZfqG20?si=UPQNMKsMgGNGGoGb

https://youtu.be/VO3KAqsqjaY?si=uloEv_bQjSAAHo8J

https://youtu.be/W4TAQiDaoWg?si=4vTqV1cRDlXnnFFQ

https://youtu.be/9eE1KPwzAzA?si=ueUrlAdpys_hMIne

https://youtu.be/4fBH6uHP_08?si=XkoPglfeKdD34RLS

YMP interview with Larry Groupé

Yes - The Tormato Story

Available now!

YesMusicBooks.com

YMP Patrons:

Producers:

Joseph Cottrell

Wayne Hall

Ken Fuller

Jeffrey Crecelius

Patrons:

Aaron SteelmanLindAl Dell'AngeloLobate ScarpBarry GorskyMark BaggsBill WhittakerMark James LangBob MartilottaMark SlaterBrian HarrisMartin KjellbergBrian SullivanMichael HanderhanChris BandiniMichael O'ConnorCraig EstenesMiguel FalcãoDave OwenPaul HailesDavidPaul TomeiDavid HeydenRachel HadawayDavid PannellRobert NasirDavid WatkinsonRobert VandiverDeclan LogueRonnie NeeleyDemScott ColomboDoug CurranSimon BarrowFergus CubbageStephen LambeFred BarringerSteve DillGary BettsSteve LuziettiGeoff BailieSteve PerryGeoffrey MasonSteve RodeGuy DeRomeSteve ScottHenrik AntonssonSteven RoehrHogne Bø PettersenTerence SadlerTodd DudleyJohn CowanJohn ThomsonJohn HoldenJohn ViolaJamie McQuinnTim Stannard

Become a Patron!

Produced by Joseph Cottrell, Wayne Hall, Ken Fuller and Jeffrey Crecelius

This week we have a bumper, epic episode where Simon Barrow, Mark and I discuss AI and its impact, in the context of Yes music, of course. My daughter, Charlotte, also gives us her thoughts on the subject so many thanks to her. This topic was suggested by the appearance on YouTube of an album entitled 'YEP - On The Waterline (70's Prog Rock / Progressive Rock)' as spotted by Charlie Nolan.

Should AI be used in music?

What impact could it have?

What about the future for Yes and all other music artists?

See if you agree with us and let us know by leaving a comment below.

Let us know if you agree with us!

https://youtu.be/7uECawjO2iM?si=j7QoQVkiXIfrPwPD

Yes - The Tormato Story

Available now!

YesMusicBooks.com

YMP Patrons:

Producers:

Joseph Cottrell

Wayne Hall

Ken Fuller

Jeffrey Crecelius

Patrons:

Aaron SteelmanLindAl Dell'AngeloLobate ScarpBarry GorskyMark BaggsBill WhittakerMark James LangBob MartilottaMark SlaterBrian HarrisMartin KjellbergBrian SullivanMichael HanderhanChris BandiniMichael O'ConnorCraig EstenesMiguel FalcãoDave OwenPaul HailesDavidPaul TomeiDavid HeydenRachel HadawayDavid PannellRobert NasirDavid WatkinsonRobert VandiverDeclan LogueRonnie NeeleyDemScott ColomboDoug CurranSimon BarrowFergus CubbageStephen LambeFred BarringerSteve DillGary BettsSteve LuziettiGeoff BailieSteve PerryGeoffrey MasonSteve RodeGuy DeRomeSteve ScottHenrik AntonssonSteven RoehrHogne Bø PettersenTerence SadlerTodd DudleyJohn CowanJohn ThomsonJohn HoldenJohn ViolaJamie McQuinnTim Stannard

Become a Patron!