Each track of Relayer is like one of a kind and yet they make the perfect album. Never like to compare them being so different but they all strike some inner chord appart from the amazing musicianship. Sound Chaser just never ages. It sounds as fresh, moving and invigorating as it did back in the day.
SC kicks ars!!! YESon steroids shining like Lightning Bolts. Fantastic syncopation, incredible polyrhythms, immaculate tempo changes, irreverent guitar solos, beautifully composed interwoven sounds of existential ecstasy! YES at their unified peak. NOW LISTEN TO "TO BE OVER" to feel the balancing out of this their LAST highest level of complete album creating achievement!
So interesting the sounds Howe can get out of a guitar! Picked up this cassette tape on a trip back from Florida with my parents when I was 14. Listened to it for 18 hours or so . . . Still listening to it over and over again for the last 4 decades. Never get tired of it. Thanks for your reaction to this fantastic track!!
Soundchaser, Jazzy prog rock, YES. Relayer is a very good album always liked it. I have not listened to Soundchaser for several years but to me it still seems as fresh and lively as ever. As someone who lived through the Yes years I felt that this album lived in the shadow of CTTE and Tales. CTTE was such a giant. I am sure that if came out between Fragile and CTTE it would have done extremely well. Many thanks for the review.
Like others, this was my very first Yes tour. The Roger Dean (Yes album cover artist) influenced "Crab Nebula" staging along with all members firing on all cylinders made it for an unforgettable experience. I can't believe that was 46 years ago.
My first Yes show was this tour. I was 15. I can't count how many more I've been to since then. The good old days $5.50 a ticket. It was outrageous. Now I just paid $400 for Genesis plus airfare and hotel..geez! All for the love of my music! One thing I've noticed through the years..mostly guys listen to prog music. Girls don't know what their missing.
I paid for the last few concerts $150/ticket to see Black Sabbath, Roger Waters, KISS(to say I seen them) however I spend $60 to see Megadeth and Uriah Heep on seperate occassions and those 2 shows were some of my favorites
I remember the times when this came out. Jazz fusion was quite popular (well, amongst my crowd, LOL) as Miles' alumni formed bands (e.g. Mahavishnu Orchestra, Return to Forever, Weather Report) - this was YES dipping their toe into that genre.
Relayer and SC esp. stands apart in the YES catalogue. Some people have trouble with it because it is more chaotic and challenging than their other work. But if you take the time to give it multiple listens it really grows on you. It's one of my favorite YES albums - def. top 3.
After doing my reactions to these songs i will listen to them a bit especially prog bands and see what I missed the first time. With Yes they need many listens and is one of the bands that challenges the listener but also rewards them
Since "Soundchaser" sounds a bit "unusual", in some places even a bit jazzy, I initially thought that this was the influence of Patrick Moraz. But as far as I've read, his only compositional contribution to the album was the intro to this song. (The album was largely finished when Moraz joined Yes). The attraction of this album are (for me) these 3 very different songs.
His playing on this album was phenomenal though, regardless. I'm glad Wakeman left, so this could happen, but I'm also glad he came back, as he and Keith Emerson are my 2 favorites, but I also kind of wish that they did one more album with Moraz. Fortunately I got to see him with the Moody Blues in concert. He's just amazing.
when you have the two main lead musicians whos style is jazz influenced, you tend to end up with jazz...which is not to my taste Im afraid. If you just have one, like steve, it blends and mixes with the others and sounds great
@@Lightmane I believe that was 1980 the show i saw. I took pictures. The Moody Blues opened for YES. We drove from SIU to NIU for the show and then back. A very long day but worth it.
Good insights there...I love it for it's extreme wierd fury, but I agree, that the flurries of notes do not allow room for other supporting tones to come through. I want to hear the drums more clearly in the busy sections too, I wish they had put them more to the front of the mix, it would have grounded the pulse with the bass with more clarity. The time signature is built around groups of ten, which can be counted easier as 5/4, but the rapid notes are actually cycles of 20/16!! That is maaaddness... Not...for...everyone..Lol!!
It’s actually two words Sound Chaser. I love the song and haven’t seen Yes play it since 1975. It’s pretty unique. Steve Howe solos right through the verses which is never done and that would explain why you hear Jon getting lost in the mix.
Interesting thing about Relayer is it has only three songs. Three long awesome songs as on Close To The Edge album. I see you're really into Pink Floyd too. For another long song review, do "Echoes" off the Meddle album. And do "And You and I" to complete the Close To The Edge album. ✌️😎
@@apocketfulofheep If I may suggest, check out Rodrigo y Gabriela's acoustic version of Echoes. I don't believe anyone else has reacted to it, and it is astounding what they do with the track acoustically. You want the studio version from their Mettavolution album, if possible. The live versions are amazing as well, but to really appreciate what they did acoustically, the studio version is key.
The keyboard player was Patrick Moraz . The Bass Player is Chris Squire. Personally , I have to say shame on you , for not doing your research . I think you get a 0 for credibility. Oh by the way , the song is called Soundchaser not "Storm Chaser ". .
A very different creature than Wakeman, I loved Moraz for his sense of texture and they way he blended his sounds, but Wakeman seems to tower above all others as a true master, so we shouldn't be too harsh with the guy who had to step into those shoes. Rick's classical training into advanced composition and arrangement as a classical pianist is why he has an edge on all pretenders.
@@jeffschielka7845 Tony Kaye was great, I also thought Peter Banks was a very underrated guitarist, great raw energy. But when someone like Steve Howe steps in, it's a whole new game, and people tend to forget about those early members. It's like John Rutsey, Rush's first drummer, he rocked that debut album hard, but then came....the master...and John was sort of seen as merely adequate by many fans...I think it's unfair.
