What was your favorite Yes lineup?

Modern Saint said:
I prefer the lineups from Drama and 90125:

Drama
  • Trevor Horn: Vocals
  • Steve Howe: Guitars, vocals
  • Chris Squire: Bass guitars, vocals
  • Geoff Downes: Keyboards
  • Alan White: Percussion
90125
  • Jon Anderson: Vocals
  • Trevor Rabin: Guitars, keyboards, vocals
  • Chris Squire: Bass guitars, vocals
  • Tony Kaye: Hammond organ, electric piano
  • Alan White: Percussion
While I like old Yes and love Bruford's drumming, I prefer the more modern era of Yes. Horn and Downes brought the Buggles prog sound to Yes and when Rabin joined, made for a more rock driven prog sound. As for Bruford, love his playing with UK, Solo, Holdsworth, etc.
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It was the classic lineup that got me into Yes as a youngster, so I had to go with that. However, I really like a lol of what the 90125 lineup produced. One of my favorite Yes songs, overall, is this one from the much-neglected Talk release, The Calling. Seems like this could have been a radio hit, but it never was. Perhaps the ~7 minute runtime had something to do with that. :lol:

 
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When I was young I bought Fragile at a garage sale for a dime. I was 12 years old and had never heard music like that before. That was around the same time Drama came out and I bought that. In high school I was into the Yes live Albums and 90125 as well.
But as I matured and evolved over the years I totally grew out of my Yes phase.

My favorite lineup is the one with Steve Howe in it.
 
shoeless said:
It was the classic lineup that got me into Yes as a youngster, so I had to go with that. However, I really like a lol of what the 90125 lineup produced. One of my favorite Yes songs, overall, is this one from the much-neglected Talk release, The Calling. Seems like this could have been a radio hit, but it never was. Perhaps the ~7 minute runtime had something to do with that. :lol:

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If you like this era of Yes, check out Kevin Gilbert's music if you haven't yet. Very reminiscent of this era of Yes. Kevin's most notable recording was with Toy Matinee but all of his music is incredible. Tim Pierce (studio extraordinaire) and company rave about the recording Toy Matinee.



 
...and then just for fun, there's this...which answers the question, "what if Kenny Aronoff was in Yes?". Crazy how he charts it out.

 
shoeless said:
...and then just for fun, there's this...which answers the question, "what if Kenny Aronoff was in Yes?". Crazy how he charts it out.

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That was incredible. I didn't know he was that fluent in theory. I knew he was a stellar player, but to be able to write and play charts like that...that's a complete professional. Aronoff is a beast...he's 71!!??!!
 
I like the lineup where you can see a man about a horse, grab some nachos, and Rick Wakeman is still balls deep into his solo when you return to your seat.
 
For me, I grew up with Anderson, Squire, Bruford, Wakeman, Howe line-up and always enjoyed them, but sometimes less so with the massive epic pieces. My dad wasn't listening to them much, but the classic rock "hits" were something I heard a ton.

Then I got into the 90125-era, I really like Rabin's voice, especially with Anderson and Squire, great tones for harmonies and layering. Tony is really good keyboard player, but the keys took a back seat to more prominent guitar as featured instrument...it would've been different were Wakeman around. Rabin's McLaughlin/Di Meola influence on acoustic was cool too. The jazz influence on Howe vs. the fusion influence on Rabin is a cool contrast. But I got into a huge Yes kick in the 90s. Going for the One is one of my favorites.

I also enjoyed Union, but it was disappointing to find out decades later what a hatchet job is was on some folks...hiring folks to redo Wakeman's and Howe's parts/ideas on several tunes... Apparently Howe, Bruford, and Tony Levin had worked up some material that they were excited about before the record company told them there weren't any hits...it would be very cool to here those ideas, especially if they could work up completed versions.

I've always appreciated the constantly evolving nature of Yes in theory, but there are some really huge misses. I was pretty dedicated to listening to and buy albums up to and including the two Keys to Ascension albums. I also bought Open Your Eyes and the Ladder, but they didn't really resonate with me as has nothing thereafter.

In the end, I like albums and songs from several different lineups and don't have a favorite. I haven't listened to them in a few years (5+ at least), which surprises me...
 
I’m with the OP. Yes Album thru Fragile. But I even have a soft spot for Tales of Topographic Oceans though most folks hated that one. Those were my initial psychedelic years and those records plus Court of the Crimson King and Larks Tongues in Aspic was my fav trippin vibe way back in High School in 74-75’.
I never got into the 90125 era. It seemed too commercial to me and I had moved on to the Dead for my rare occasional psychedelic fix and mostly listened to more rootsy music that I could actually figure out how to play on guitar.
Still, utmost respect to Howe, Wakeman, & Co to this day for blowing my 16-17 yr old mind. If they hadn’t I wouldn't be the person I am today that’s for sure.
 
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