Album title: Going for the One
Year: 1977
Personnel: Jon Anderson (Vocals, harp), Chris Squire (bass), Rick Wakeman (Organ, piano), Alan White (Drums, percussion), Steve Howe (Guitars)
Introduction: Seems this may in fact be a slight turning point for me with Yes, not only for the return of Rick Wakeman but the idea of the songs being shorter and more accessible, and a distinct lack of suites. Plus there’s one song on this I already know, and love, so I’m one-fifth of the way there. Mind you, I’m not naive enough to think that this is going to be the album that opens Yes up for me, but I hope it will be less of a struggle than the last three or four have been. I do mark the similarities between this and Rush’s
Hemispheres, (though this album came out first) both of which would no doubt have ended with a black bar across the bottom - literally - in order to be sold in record shops later. Ooh! Cheeky! Is that meant to be Anderson? Looks to me, always did, like the guy is staring up at some graphs or charts on a board. Hey, no kidding! I read they actually added a pair of trousers to the guy on the album cover for one of the advertising posters! Only in America, huh? And probably England. And Ireland. And...
Track by track:
Note: I’m cancelling this “What I like/don’t like about this” as it’s getting boring. I keep saying the same things and while you’re used to me droning on and probably block me out as white noise I ---------- so that’s what I’m going to do now. Sorry? Weren’t listening? White noise, was it? Hah. Tough. Maybe next time you’ll pay more ------------ and it’s your own fault. I can’t help it if ----------- and is perhaps one of the most profound things I have ever written, I think you’ll agree. Anyway, on we go.
”Going for the One”: I must admit, the rock and roll guitar at the beginning took me by surprise; no gentle fade-in or ambient opening here. I almost feel like I’m back in the days of the first two or three albums, when Yes seemed to be searching for their sound and had not yet settled on the intricate multi-part compositions that characterised most of their later seventies albums. There’s a sense of exuberant energy here though, particularly evident both in Howe’s almost blues-like guitar work and Wakeman’s sprightly piano. Anderson is in fine voice, and it’s a fun song. Not something I’ve been saying about Yes, I have to admit. Good start.
”Turn of the Century”: Is the title here a little too reminiscent of Supertramp’s 1974 album? Hmm. Possibility of not copying, but taking from, two other big groups in the prog scene at the time. What to make of that? This is a nice reflective, introspective little song, led by Howe’s this time Spanish guitar I think with that sort of spiritual idea in the vocal, very restrained. Some really nice piano from Wakeman, though I do admit I have yet to see him really stamp his authority on this album, mark it as his triumphant return. But I’m impressed so far.
”Parallels”: The only song into which Anderson has no input; it’s a Chris Squire solo. Ah and here comes Wakeman now with a sonorous throaty church organ. Nice one, Rick! This to me sounds really close to something off later 90125 or even the ABWH album. Class. Howe still holds court, of course, but the keyboard wizard is clearly back, and letting everyone know it.
"Wondrous Stories": This is of course the song I know, and it was a single and quite a successful one too. Anderson’s voice is the glue that holds the melody together here, and it’s a lovely song that always gives me the idea of slowly drifting along on a river. Does the basic melody sound familiar though? Bowie? Lovely ethereal work from Rick Wakeman here. I guess this qualifies as a ballad, though I wouldn’t really consider it one, as such.
"Awaken": Well it wouldn’t be Yes without at least one track that ran into double digits, would it, and indeed this, the closer, chops fifteen out of the overall running time, almost half of it in fact. Opens on a very upbeat and sprinkly piano run from Wakeman, utilising his love of classical music, and while I would hope this isn’t a throwback to the overwrought style of the last few albums, even if it is, there’s been enough of a real seachange here that I can allow them one indulgent track. There’s some really fine guitar from Howe, and though as with most of Yes’s epic pieces I find it hard to follow the idea, or even the melody, it’s not as attention-losing as some of the other songs off previous albums.
The piece slows down in the midsection for a nice instrumental passage that for me gives something of a nod to western movies. The choral stuff is good too, using two different choirs that ties in well with the church organ. A nice sort of ambient, atmospheric ending with Anderson’s voice floating in the air like a songbird, fading into the music.
Bonus Tracks
Other than, as usual, unfinished or different versions of almost every song on the album, there are three:
”Montreux’s Theme”: A nice little guitar-driven instrumental which somehow manages to rise above itself and become more than the sum of its parts, or something. Nice.
”Vevey Revisited”: Again mostly runs on Howe’s guitar, though Wakeman backs it nicely with some lush deep organ and keys which really give him a chance to add to the overall melody and make it complete.
”Amazing Grace”: Sure, but I always love hearing this song, or I should probably say, hymn. Perhaps an odd one to choose, given Anderson at least is more into spirituality than religion, but then, I love it and I’m a pagan, so what harm? Always stirring, always emotional, always impressive whether it’s sung with a full choir or against a single acoustic guitar. This reminds me a little of Jimi doing “The Star-Spangled Banner” and it’s mostly Howe again. I think they could have done a better job, especially with a church organ at their disposal, but however.
Afterword: (What? Weren’t you listening when I said… ah. White noise again? I see. Well, I said I’m going to split the comments section up, with a sort of introduction first, then, once I’ve listened to the album there’ll be an afterword, where I’ll comment on what I thought of it.
And here it is.
Much has been made of Yes re-inventing themselves on this album, and I would agree. Gone, mostly, are the weird, esoteric lyrics, the long multi-part suites and the melodies that - in my opinion - went nowhere. As most prog bands would find as the seventies wound on towards the new decade, and even as their successors would discover in the decades ahead, though prog fans love their epics, the world at large does not, and if you want to make it as a band, particularly a prog rock one, you have to be able to write those shorter, snappier and more commercial tunes and get radio airplay. It’s all very well writing a twenty-minute masterpiece, but who’s going to play it?
So here I think Yes realised that, targeted their audience and began to make their music more accessible. It immediately benefitted them with a number one album and a top ten single in the UK, which remains their highest-charting single there. The return of Wakeman helped, I believe, but for me it’s the shorter and more relatable tracks that make this album different to its predecessors, and points the way towards what Yes would begin to evolve into.
Rating: 8.5/10
Yes or No? Yes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gl6w...Ugb25lIA%3D%3D