Yes: An Animated Breakdown of the Band Over 19 Iterations 

Hi. I quite loved Tales from Topographic Oceans. To ignore Relayer and keyboardist Patrick Moraz was a shame.

I will never understand the critics' hate for Tales From Topographic Oceans

Lol where is Relayer ?

1:55 - Tales From Topographic Oceans is better than Rolling Stone Magazine.

Tales was fucking incredible

Geddy Lee filling in for Chris at the induction felt so right. Guy was super influenced by yes, spent the entire 70s playing a Rickenbacker and probably loved getting to play with the band with Rush retired. Literally the only guy on the planet to do those bass lines justice

This guy (or these people) are entitled to his/their opinion. So here's mine: Tales From Topographic Oceans is a great album. I love it. I believe the Bruford/Wakeman, Fragile/CTTE line-up is the best, with CTTE being their best album. But Tales is amazing. But, as so many have already stated: Relayer/Moraz, not even mentioned; Going for the One/Wakeman return, not even mentioned. Ridiculous. And, as many have also already stated, this is from Rolling Stone. It has no credibility. That's MY opinion.

No mention of Patrick Moraz. (Relayer)

Loves Genesis but hates Tales? Sounds like someone has never actually listened to Tales with an open mind.

You missed some points. The most important being Patrick Moraz replacing Wakeman for the Relayer album and then Wakeman returning for Going for the One and Tormato. Saying Tales from Topographic Oceans sucked and that 90125 was fun makes you lose any creditably. The way you pronounce Trevor Rabin says it all.

Lets get real. First of all... Tales from Topographic Oceans was light years ahead of its time. Something Rolling Stone drive by journalist fluffs don't understand. Maybe because they're journalists and G-chord strummers and not musicians.

I can't believe he said that about tfto. The whole album is a masterpiece. If that sucks then so does close to the edge which I think is equally as good an album as tfto. Relayer however in my opinion is the best album. He didn't even cover relayer.

There is a reason I don't read Rolling Stones. Because it's full of crap like this, trying to be edgy and smart, and failing horribly.

Is this Narrated by Chris Griffin?

The Roling Stone was never a great source of good info about music anyway

*sigh* I should have known when I saw the name Rolling Stone not to click on it. You can always rely on them to have their information wrong, make asinine commentary, and to attack and besmirch the finest bands out there.

Tales From Topographic Oceans sucks??? More like, Rolling Stone SUCKS!!! always the authors of music criticism I have the least care and respect for

Why the Hell fast forward from TFTO to Drama?I gave up on this after I heard him say Trevor "Ray Bean".

It seems way more snarky than it needed to be. Sure, it comes from a viewpoint of a "non-adoring" fan, which is prob. a good place for a history of a band- generally speaking, since they wouldn't fawn over their favorite parts or albums and forget to "move" the history along for those uninformed about the band. Having said that, it comes across more like he was assigned to do a history of Yes, from the perspective of someone who actually has an opinion about them, as in, he doesn't really like them. It needs to be more factual than that. This had bias in the wrong places too many times, and it felt like he was looking for dirt, rather than explaining the history of the band. I love this band, will always be able to listen to their music, and I have my favorites, and things that aren't as good, like everyone else. I won't let this bother me- I take this video with a grain of salt, because I know the history of the band already, and I know how much Yes means to me in my music listening.

Tales from topographic is in my top 3 favorite albums by them and is what got me into Yes. That album was a masterpiece

What a crappy thing to say about Steve Howe's appearance, which is an irrelevant opinon, when you are talking about the MUSIC of Yes.

Okay, I can understand people not liking Tales (although I like it!) but at least they mentioned it. To completely skip Patrick Moraz, Relayer, Going For the One, and Tormato and jump to Drama with Downes and Horn is pretty inexcusable for someone covering the band's history. No point in finishing this video.

I agree...YES & GENESIS (you forgot to mention the RELAYER era with Patrick Moraz, then the return of Wakeman with GOING FOR THE ONE...a stellar period)

Tales is beyond masterpiece. How dare you call it horrible

I am 63 and still have goosebumps while listening to "Yessongs", "Going for the one (awaken)" and "Drama (Machine Messiah and Into the lens)".

Who made this crap? Rolling Stone, yet again, you disappoint and disgrace the world of Rock Music yet again!

And Patrick Moraz did Relayer with them, which was one of their best albums.

Trevor RabEEN ?

Tales from Topographic Oceans has to be the most criminally underrated album in the entire prog genre. Of course it’s not gonna click after one, two, or even three listens. Listen to The Revealing Science of God 10 times ATTENTIVELY with an open mind and tell me that it isn’t calculated brilliance from start to finish.

This is more about the narrator/writer of this piece attempting to be cute, clever and witty rather than an accurate depiction of YES history as a band. Blech.

Not much to talk about after "Tales" to the year 1979??? ... What? Tales didn't "suck"! Not my Favorite YES work of the 70's but that album had some nice passages and I enjoy listening to it... ... and "Relayer" was a fantastic work, and "Going For The One" may have been their best album of the 70's era. You didn't even mention that album. There are a couple of pieces on "GFTO" that might be their best "classic" compostions ever!!! .. Also, the "Talk" album of 1993 might be their best album of the "modren line up" ... Some of the work on that album is incredible! ... Not a mention of "Talk" and no mention of Peter Banks passing? You should of made it 8 minutes long and included these subjects!

Drama (the one with the Buggles) is one of my favorite Yes albums.

What about the Patrick Moraz period?

I adore Steve Howe. This hurt.

I love YES, and Union does not suck!

I very much enjoyed the Trevor Horn years... Drama is one of my favorite albums ever.

My uncle was a big fan of Yes back in the 80s, 90125 is a classic in my family and will never die.

Anyone who doesn't love Topographic Oceans isn't worth listening to in regards to Yes; it's their masterpiece. 90125 is bubblegum by comparison. Just because juveniles bought it, and disposed of the band the next year, doesn't mean anything.

I think that any Yes fan will tell you that Tales from Topographic Oceans is there favorite album. It is a

Tales was a great album enjoyed by many.

The 2nd picture at 0:08 is King Crimson.......

Oh, and Tales is an increible double album. You managed to play a ten second clip of the low point of the whole 90 minute album, and clearly since you love Genesis more you've got great taste...but you really missed the Topographic boat back when we were young, and had the time to sit back an absorb the albums, read the liner notes, and fire up the bong.

Yes Bungles hybrid did one album, Drama, and it is excellent. It’s one of their best. And it absolutely has that Yes sound, but kinda evolved

Thank you for this. I laughed. I cried. And then I went back and listened to Union.

I gave up of this video when he talks about how Steve Howe looks...

Topographic Oceans is one of their best albums tbh

Back in 1974 ~ I was not ready for Tales From Topographic Oceans. HOWEVER ~ due to that I have a musically open mind,......after a while it grew on me to the point of appreciating it for its' originality and creative risk of stepping out of main stream media's comfort zone. Therefore the critics will always never get it.

That's the reason why I only play Fragile and Close to the edge albums... and sometimes Magnification... and sometimes Fly from here... and sing sometimes Owner of a lonely heart just because everyone knows that song.

Relayer ? More importantly.... “Going for the One”. !!!! An excellent album with the classic “Awaken”. Tormato was good and many many fans loved “Tales from Topograghic Oceans too. Start again and do this properly.

Tales got to number one in Britain. The bass solo on Ritual was indispensable to Prog. I can't say when I have seen someone looking happier than Squire bouncing around playing it. Some things suck really, really, well.

please tell me where all of this info coming from, I'm pretty sure a crossword puzzle about 80's rock has done more research about yes than you guys.

Drama is a very underrated album!

What's with this Rabeen crap? His last name is pronounced Rabin (as in Ray bin).

As a fanatic of Yes since attending their Close To The Edge (yessongs) tour in 1972 or 73 all I can say about this "animated breakdown" is *lmao*

TFTO does not suck. Side 1 is amazing. Also, why bother mentioning Benoit Davide when Jon Davison is -- right now -- the real singer of Yes ??

Tales is difficult, long, overly padded, sure. But it does NOT suck. It is beautiful and the first and last of the four sides are right up there with the best of Yes.

Best Albums they ever did were Tales of topographic oceans and Relayer. Period.

Yes, along with Rush, Pink Floyd, and Genesis (Peter Gabriel era), are my favorite Prog Rock Bands.

Listen to Steve Wilson’s remastering of Topographic Oceans. It sounds alive and almost a complete success.

You missed Relayer with Patrick Moraz in 1974:)

Jon Anderson was having vocal problems and was sick and they wanted to keep going. Yes has always been about the band being more important than It's members Geoff Downes , Peter Banks, Trevor Horn, Benoit David, Oliver Wakeman , Billy Sherwood and Patrick Moraz are real members of Yes if they played on the albums and toured The Drama tour did not tank. Horn got heckled in England but were well received elsewhere Get a real fan of the band who knows what they are talking about instead of some sarcastic douchebag who leaves out important facts and eras What do you expect from rolling stone , who puts Tupac , Greenday and Madonna in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame , but not ELP , King Crimson , and only recently acknowledged The Moody Blues, Deep Purple and Chicago due to bad press and public outcry ,but then again they put terrorists on their magazine cover too so fuck them. BTW Keith Emerson is the king of Prog Keys

What about going for the one!

Tales From Topographic Oceans is a masterpiece.

The Yes album "Yesterdays" should probably not be forgotten here as well - just another nugget in the basket of an amazing evolution of the band, as dysfunctional as it all seems to have been. Yes changed my life in the '70's, that's all I'll remember.

One of the best prog bands! Rip Chris squire!

In that flash forward to 1979 you missed another of their great lineups featuring keyboardist Patrick Moraz on the Relayer album.

Tales from topographic oceans and relayer are masterpieces!!! 💖🎸

WTF, Tales is a great album!!!... And I never heard Trevor Rabin's last name pronounced "Ray-Bean" before!

Did this guy lose his job at the enquirer?

bro. Tales is so good. Relayer might be better. No mention of Going for the one. Edit. oh wait...Rolling stone. der

“Hey, I work at Rolling Stone which means I’m cool cause I drop f-bombs all the time.” Can’t wait for the day that magazine finally folds.

what´s wrong with you! tales from topographic oceans is a masterpiece!

Mostly right with some errors. Tales from Topographic Oceans is mostly awesome. You never mentioned Relayer or Going for The One, very important part of Yes history. Yes are better than Genesis. And Steve Howe didn't look too bad when he was younger.

After the 1979 "tanking" tour, they recorded Drama with that lineup, released in 1980, which is one of the best Yes albums.

I love how Relayer and going for the one never happened Probably all in my head...I should right it down I guess

Tales from Topographic Oceans rules. Wash your mouth.

Genesis were an excellent prog band until Gabriel left and then they just gradually melted down into Phil Collins's Motown wet dream nostalgia band.

The guy sounds like he's 27 years old of course Tales From topographic oceans is the most phenomenal greatest album ever written based on Parma Hansa yogananda's Yogi book which millions of people love worldwide Jon Anderson lead singer did an extra tremendous job getting the band to finish that album

Topographic does NOT get enough love. It is criminally underrated.

I thought this might be o kay until he got to TOPOGRAPHIC, where I stopped watching . which if you are a YES fan or music appreciator is nowhere near " horrible". maybe some one with more listening experience or sophistication could re do this .

Inaccurate and trite with a commentator’s irritating voice which should be reserved for email

I havnt looked yet to see if this is a series yet but if it’s not, it most certainly needs to be

Yes @ QPR Football Stadium-West London -1975. I was there and also saw the first ever Top-Of-The-Bill by Genesis in 1972 at Croydon Greyhound after the original main act=Bell an Arc disbanded just b4 the sunday gig....Memories...lol

A video in which more time is spended insulting albums than talking about them. What a waste.

Did Rolling Stone ever have a good thing to say about any prog band in its time? Now they are presenting an opinionated and flawed timeline of a band that they ignored and mocked. RS is more about pushing their own values than informing or letting you make up your own mind.

I liked Tales from Topographic Oceans too. And, Tormato and Drama were not mentioned. I kinda liked those albums too. But, alas, after 90125 (1982) I just gave up on them. I still find Close to the Edge my favorite album and have recently really enjoyed their earlier stuff such as the first two albums. The "America" cover song is awesome.

The Drama tour didn’t tank, the album sold well. Trevor Rabin killed Yes.

Billy Sherwood????? Hello!!!!!!! 😠

This is a hilarious roast, obviously. Lower the torches and pitchforks people.

You forgot Patrick Moraz!! Moraz is an incredible player. I Love the Relayer Album. One of Yes' best Albums ever. I used to play D&D to that album in the 80s. LoL.

tales is the not only their best album but in my 40 years plus experience with prog rock it is the best prog album of all times followed closely by Pipers, the floyd masterpiece

Actually the 1980 drama tour did not tank it’s just fans weren’t happy in america

Dude - Totally agree: Rick Wakeman is f***ng AWESOME! Couldn't have said it better myself. Hands down, Fragile is one of the greatest albums of all time! There are lots of good albums, lots of GREAT albums, but Fragile has never left its throne in my opinion.

The people that listened to Tales from Topographic Oceans once or twice inattentively as background music and feel that they can form a credible opinion on an album of that magnitude are idiotic to a point that transcends the comprehensible boundaries of logical retardation. That album doesn’t even begin to start clicking until after many attentive listens. The Revealing Science of God has to be the most underrated song in the entire prog genre. And this is coming from a 34 year who just got into this band a year ago and didn’t like Tales after 1 listen. Give it time and it will be one of your favs. I promise.

Missing stuff (people/members). YES & ARW are Both awesome (as was ABWH).

Can't get those 7 minutes back. Great. Just great.

The best thing about this clapped together piece of trivia is the last two sentences.

Yes is the band in which Chris Squire served from the first day of the band, in 1968, until his passing in 2015. The band exists today with his chosen successor, Billy Sherwood, playing bass. The recently formed Yes spinoff band, ARW, is not Yes, even though they claim to be. Yes came to their current lineup through a natural progression of personnel changes over the years, whereas ARW is a new band. The current members of Yes have a combined 36 appearances on Yes albums as members of Yes. That number for ARW is 28. There can only be one legitimate Yes and, for all of these reasons, ARW is not.

I like one song from Union album with 5/4 and 2/4 time signature,Miracle of Life.

I'm 1:18 into the video and there are two main points: 1. Why are you attacking how Steve Howe looks? Why do you think it's acceptable to attack someone based on their physical appearance? 2. You said that Banks and Kaye were both fired from the band so they could "upgrade their performers". Not true. Banks left because he felt undervalued (many of the guitar parts on 'Time and a Word' were given to the orchestra); and Kaye left because the band wanted to use more interesting synthesisers and new electronic keyboard instruments, so Kaye left believing them to be a fad (he was very wrong) and said he was a piano/organ player.