New Yes album "The Quest" out in October! (5.1 Blu-ray confirmed)

[Progfiend]

(Posted to voting page as well)
I don’t know if it’s been mentioned before, and, meaning no disrespect to Alan White, who hasn’t been well, but I find the drumming on the album very weak and pedestrian. I think a powerhouse drummer would have elevated this album immensely. BB, we miss you. Maybe it’s partly the songs, but I also think that the tepid drum performance makes a lot of it sound lacklustre. I will say that I enjoyed the album’s surround mix, it is very good. If I was voting just on that, it’s either a strong 9 or a possible 10. In light of recent comments on including musical quality in the voting, that brings my vote down to a 7.

 

[Bill B]

In fairness, that's an extra track and not part of the album, but I share your opinion that it is a clunker.

Extra tracks are a real conundrum for fans. If any band released two versions of the same album, one with 12 songs and one with 15 songs, and they told you the extra 3 songs weren't that good, AND both were the same price, which would you buy?
Most people gravitate towards the "more is better" philsophy which is human nature, and many of us are completists and want everything a band we love puts out. Worse is when they release an album and then 6 months later release it again with more songs, then fans complain about double dipping (and rightly so).
So what is the answer?

 

[jimfisheye]

(Posted to voting page as well)
I don’t know if it’s been mentioned before, and, meaning no disrespect to Alan White, who hasn’t been well, but I find the drumming on the album very weak and pedestrian.

That's the sound you get when you punch in the drums to a click track. You end up with this low energy 'playing along to the click'. You have to govern yourself enough to stay on grid that you can't just throw down and play.

Yeah, there are examples of people putting down music like this and just absolutely killing it and nailing it. Pretty few and far between. Usually only solo projects and there are a LOT of hours behind the scenes. It usually sucks the energy right out. This album sounds like a worst case example. Just monotonous dynamic flatness to a metronome. Very polite and computer assembled sounding.

Heard the demos from the ABWH and Onion albums that leaked out? They run circles around the official releases and put them to shame. Make you say out loud "Wow, they actually sounded like Yes!" I wonder if they ever even got together and played anything here. Doesn't sound like it.

At least that faux Kansas album a little while ago had one track on the album that came from something. (Last track on the album.) I watched/listened to that ABWH live broadcast video again. They all had smiles on their faces. Rick was smiling! They were just killing it through most of the show. Listen to that if you want to hear Yes with a "modern edge".

 

[fetchmybeer]

(Posted to voting page as well)
I don’t know if it’s been mentioned before, and, meaning no disrespect to Alan White, who hasn’t been well, but I find the drumming on the album very weak and pedestrian. I think a powerhouse drummer would have elevated this album immensely. BB, we miss you. Maybe it’s partly the songs, but I also think that the tepid drum performance makes a lot of it sound lacklustre. I will say that I enjoyed the album’s surround mix, it is very good. If I was voting just on that, it’s either a strong 9 or a possible 10. In light of recent comments on including musical quality in the voting, that brings my vote down to a 7.

I thought this too. None of the usual flair from AW, who in his prime was godlike (I actually prefer him to BB).

 

[jefe1]

Just go back to The Ladder remix it to surround and call it a day.

 

[privateuniverse]

I wish Steven Wilson would do a 5.1/Atmos mix of 90125. My favorite YES album.

He said it's too AOR to him.

I've heard that too, however in this interview from earlier this year, Steven refers to "Owner Of a Lonely Heart" as "one of the greatest pop singles of all time."



(He makes the comment around the 49 minute mark).

 

[Sal1950]

He said it's too AOR to him.

AOR ? Lost me with that one, something I should know I would guess.

 

[GOS]

AOR ? Lost me with that one, something I should know I would guess.

Album Oriented Rock. Still, I don't really know what the hell it means.

 

[Sal1950]

Album Oriented Rock. Still, I don't really know what the hell it means.

Ah yes, it was something I should have known. LOL
Thanks bud!
Refers more to pre 1970 stuff where most all albums were just individual songs with no theme.
A lot of later albums started to have a theme to them, think Thick As A Brick, Dark Side Of the Moon, etc.

 

[NYMo]

We old people may sit more (or not), but we can be deviously treacherous.
We just can't remember half of what we once knew, and what did I have for breakast and is today Thursday?

Totally agree ! I'm 64

 

[NYMo]

(Posted to voting page as well)
I don’t know if it’s been mentioned before, and, meaning no disrespect to Alan White, who hasn’t been well, but I find the drumming on the album very weak and pedestrian. I think a powerhouse drummer would have elevated this album immensely. BB, we miss you. Maybe it’s partly the songs, but I also think that the tepid drum performance makes a lot of it sound lacklustre. I will say that I enjoyed the album’s surround mix, it is very good. If I was voting just on that, it’s either a strong 9 or a possible 10. In light of recent comments on including musical quality in the voting, that brings my vote down to a 7.

Agreed.
When I saw Yes in 2012 and 2014, a drummer friend and I both commented how there was no fire from Alan as a drummer and instead of pushing the songs, he held back to the point where the tempos became too slow for the tracks.
You're right in your assumption, but he was passed it then !

 

[LuvMyQuad]

Album Oriented Rock. Still, I don't really know what the hell it means.

Doesn't it primarily pertain to a radio station format? Its not just the hits... not the top 40. AOR stations play deeper cuts and non hits in addition to the hits.

 

[IMachine]

Album Oriented Rock. Still, I don't really know what the hell it means.

Adult Oriented Rock

 

[GOS]

Adult Oriented Rock

Oh yeah. That too.

 

[IMachine]

Oh yeah. That too.

Thats the correct category.
Not album

 

[GOS]

Thats the correct category.
Not album

Yes, I realized that, when you posted it. And, it makes more sense that way.
It's sort of how when you are a "youngster", the rock music you like may be of a very different nature than the "rock" music you like when you're 50.

 

[IMachine]

Yes, I realized that, when you posted it. And, it makes more sense that way.
It's sort of how when you are a "youngster", the rock music you like may be of a very different nature than the "rock" music you like when you're 50.

I was always turning backwards to music. Born 72 started to hear music from 60s.

 

[GOS]

I was always turning backwards to music. Born 72 started to hear music from 60s.

I do/did the exact same thing.

 

[LuvMyQuad]

Thats the correct category.
Not album

Maybe there is more than one meaning then. See below.

Album-oriented rock - Wikipedia

 

[ProgRules]

Totally agree ! I'm 64

Does she still need you? Does she still feed you?