And maybe there is a parallel to draw with Jon's culture awareness. The less jame has, the more you'll spread it over you bread slices. I don't know if you've noticed but Yes only managed to write 10 songs over four discs since fragile's release. The closing To Be Over is a bit overshadowed by its two sister tracks, but it has its charms, not least being mellotron-drenched. Thankfully the middle section is much calmer, although you can still hear the band wanting to outdo McL's MO in the closing section. The flipside is certainly not easier to "get", especially with the aptly-titled Sound Chaser (I'm tempted to speak of Music Hunter, here), as it starts on an almost-dissonant jazz-rock intro, but trouble really starts when the band gets ready for the noisy verses and chorus parts. The 22-mins aptly-titled Gates Of Delirium (yes, they were close to its edge) is an important improvement on the previous album's sidelong "epics", but it is still not always fascinating, but sometimes extremely moving, like the Soon Oh Soon section, reminiscent of the I Get up or the And You And I passages in CTTE.
Graced with an unneeded Sword & Sorcery gatefold album sleeve (beautiful enough not to crack out laughing out loud) from the now-usual Roger dean, this album represent one of the most difficult album of the h-group for the prog newbie, because it often goes over the top.Ī monstrous album with 2000 notes to the second that only Birds of Fire(of Mahavihnu) can match, one that would even scare the shedding Al Dimeola. Well after that dreadful dreck of Tales, which provoked the first of a record string (Guiness world record) of leaving the same band, Wakeman was now gone defector) to make his own embarrassing drecks, and the band had to enlist a Keith Emerson clone (well at least in the Refugee project), but the Swiss keyboardist Patrick Moraz will indeed provide a good foot size to fill the empty shoes. Posted Tuesday, Decem| Review this album | Report (Review #13284) The greatest music ever recorded never sounded better than it does here.) For discriminating fans the version to own is the HIGH-DEFINITION CD JAPANESE MINI-LP release which came out a few years prior and which features a crystal clear transfer straight from the master tapes. Whoever did the remastering should get his ears checked, and get another job. (Note to readers: the newly remastered 2003 release of this album is a VERY poor representation of the sound, and should be avoided. Although Yes had quite a few more masterpieces ahead of them, never would the otherworldy plateau of TALES/RELAYER be fully revisited. "Sound Chaser" pretty much sets the bar for guitar-driven virtuosic prog, while "To Be Over" manages to be as intensely beautiful as the previous two tracks are aggressive. Patrick Moraz replaces Wakeman on keys and proceeds to rip out glorious synth excursions which carry the band beyond the confines of their previous classicism, while CHRIS SQUIRE and ALAN WHITE submit possibly the greatest rhythm section performance of all time. Stinging scalar runs, dive-bombing pyrotechnics, cosmic sustain leads, the most beautiful slide-guitar tones ever - it's all here. Steve Howe's guitar work throughout is unparalleled within the entire progressive canon, period - no other guitarist is capable of evoking the range of tones and emotions Steve does in even a single piece such as "The Gates of Delirium". In these three pieces of music, there is more fury and beauty than most other "prog bands" could muster throughout their whole careers, and certainly the musicianship of RELAYER has yet to be challenged by anyone. I would liken it more to a sun going supernova.
In its wake, RELAYER gathers all the band's mounting energy at their volatile and explosive creative peak, and blasts it out into space in one supercharged musical rush. Over the course of 4 album sides, it explores more beauty and intensity than many people are willing to contend with, and it certainly is not forgiving of those with short attention spans. TALES is literally an ocean of music - expansive, deep, immense as the sea itself.
Eddy Offord / co-producer, engineer Releases informationĬD Atlantic - 82664-2 (1994, Germany) Remastered by George Marino Sterling SoundĬD Elektra - 8122-73792-2 (2003, US) Remastered by Bill Inglot & Dan Hersch w/ 3 bonus tracks Patrick Moraz / keyboards (piano, Hammond, Vako Orchestron synth, Moog) Steve Howe / acoustic & electric guitars, pedal steel guitar, electric sitar, vocals * Previously unreleased Line-up / Musicians The Gates of Delirium (studio run-through) (21:16) *