Extended Play Lounge Episode 5 - Poll (Round 2)

I wish Haken made it

Khaled Akbik

Agreed!!

Estefanía Sucre

Tales! Tales! Tales!

Estefanía Sucre

Absolutely agree - ommiting middle part of concept album is a bit harsh thing to do :)

Artur Kinal

If TFTO wins: this is not my favorite Yes album, but it has grown on me over the years, and It would be great to hear Doug`s opinions on all 4 songs, because they are so different, yet belongs in the same "sphere", they are all connected to each other. And there are musical treasures in all of the compositions. So it would be a pity if half of them were to be omitted from the picture. Also, Rick Wakeman`s contributions are lovely, although he takes every opportunity to dismiss the album (though milder in recent times).

I'm strongly against puting out the middle section of a concept album composed with inner logic, but I see your point.

Artur Kinal

Just doing side 1 & 4 would be good first listen.

Jamie Mellway

If you do Fragile, I would recommend adding in the side of Close to the Edge that you haven’t done yet as well. And if you have an extra 10 minutes, their version of the song America. That is all of the material recorded by the Anderson, Bruford, Howe, Squire and Wakeman lineup and really all works together (in part because most Yes fans grew up listening to Yessongs). Fragile has some key Yes tracks, but there’s also a solo piece for each member of the band, so it’s a bit fragmented as an album.

Randy Hammill

I have a french release with tracks in order of the vinyl sides :) Would love to hear Doug doing all (in two parts maybe) <3 But for now Tales is still behind Fragile though.

Artur Kinal

If you wind up with “Tales” and decide to do two sides, most people (including me) prefer sides 1 & 4. And that makes it easy because sides 1 & 4 are on one record and sides 2& 3 are on the other, so you only need to flip over the one record. Oh, wait… 😉

Bill Sanders

You’re absolutely right, but I’d be kind of interested to hear what Doug makes of the filler, as well!

Bill Sanders

To all those who don't dig Tales from Topographic Oceans - I know it's a divisive album, I had to grow another pair of ears myself to appreciate it fully and now I love it. If you happen to be on the unimpressed side of the fence now is your opportunity to hear it again with a different (Doug's) perspective and maybe (re)discover a "new" Yes masterpiece, so please give it a chance and thank yourself later :)

Artur Kinal

Let's keep the good Doctor away from Open Your Eyes. And Heaven and Earth.

John Clark

Topographic is amazing and unique. As Steven Wilson put it: "It's hardcore Yes" and I can only agree.

Artur Kinal

C'mon Topographic Oceans!!!! There really is nothing else like it

Sian Podmore

I really hope Tales from Topographic Oceans wins it (though I like Fragile). As one of my friends said (wrote to me in a text) about Tales from Topographic Oceans, "Wakeman hates Tales, and it was controversial in that journalists decided they had gone too far, so it became the lazy orthodoxy for anyone writing about their music and progressive rock in general. But it's all bullshit. That thing is genius."

Michael

I feel like the high points of Fragile are high indeed, but that most of the solo tracks are disposable filler. Ah well, at least we'll get to see Doug enjoy "Heart of the Sunrise" and "South Side of the Sky."

Matthew Weber

I love Yes. I was force-fed the 3LP Yessongs by my brother when I was 10 and for many years The Yes Album/Fragile/CTTE was my favorites (+Wakeman solo albums). Unlike my brother, I LOVE Tales :) but if you ask me to single out the one (1) song, I would vote for Awaken. Well, it is a difficult choice and decided to vote for Tales From Topographic Oceans

I agree with John - I also voted for both Fragile and TFTO, but would really prefer TFTO if it's not too big a bite to chew through in one session. Love the songs on Fragile, of course, especially Heart of the Sunrise.

David Marshall

Fragile will probably win and that's fine because it's a fantastic album. I voted for Tales since, unlike the others (which I like all but Union) it's really a conceptual album. Union is, in my opinion, is their worst work along with Open your eyes.

Juan Ignacio Quesada

The Ladder is missing from this list. it is only of the better latter albums and marked a return to form.Onion should be removed from the list even Rick W hates it as he tells us often enough.

Charles Hill

Assuming you will do more Yes in the future, The Yes Album would be the best starting point here. This album really is the transition to the direction they would be heading. It will add to the understanding of their later albums. In any case, should Tales win, be sure to get the Steven Wilson remix. That album particularly benefits from his treatment.

Frits van Voorst

I am voting for The Yes Album. I do love Tales, but it is another huge undertaking, and quite honestly it took me quite a while to 'get'. The Yes Album on the other hand, I loved immediately.

Richard Karbowski

Also, I have a sound board bootlegs of that Show!

Paul t hebert

I recommend the Yes album because this is where the broke through and really started to feel their prog oats 😊. Also, not that any one really cares, but the first time I saw them was a fluke as I had gone to the Yale Bowl to see Grand Funk, Yes was the opening band on their Yes Album tour. I had never heard if the before, left a lifetime fan (7/24/1971).

Paul t hebert

I have also voted for Tales From Topographic Oceans, arguably the most ambitious and experimental of all Yes albums (along with Relayer). Whilst it certainly divides fans it has my vote as a monumental piece of music and certainly worthy of 4 sides despite Rick Wakeman having said otherwise. Nothing they did since TFTO and Relayer came close to the sheer creative exuberance they found on these two albums IMHO.

Johnny Marsh

At some point I would like Tales From Topographic Oceans, a much maligned (even by some Yes fans) bundle of absolute wonderfulness, but even the possibility of only doing half the album is enough to make me vote instead for Fragile. If it can't be all of TFTO then it really shouldn't be any of it. If the voting comes down to a tie between it and Fragile, and you have the time/inclination to do the full four sides, Doug, then you can move my vote.

John Clark

And You and I is one to look forward to!

Richard Moore

Just realized it's approval voting, so added The Yes Album.

Richard Moore

Any of these except Union... I voted for Fragile because of Roundabout, Mood for a Day, Long Distance Runaround, South Side of the Sky, and Heart of the Sunrise.

Richard Moore

I'm a devoted fan of the entire Yes catalogue, but I really hope we get to hear Doug react to another mature work like Gates. Fragile is great, but they developed tremendously on the way to Tales and I don't feel like enough attention is paid to the post-CTTE albums. Personally, I would love to hear an extended play from the Keys to Ascension through Magnification era as well.

MPHawk

I went with Fragile so you can have some Rick Wakeman in there! The Yes Album was my second best pick.

Voting for my favorite Yes album: The Yes Album. (What a name!) I'll be happy if that or Fragile wins. I'm a bit shocked to see Tales getting a competitive number of votes early on. I mean, I love a good joke as much as anyone, but... 😜 What a slog. (I'm half kidding. Half.)

Shawn LeMaster

I think the Yes album or Fragile would be the best choices of these. You really can't go wrong with Yes!

Bryan Tursk