Giddy (Alan White) (LP 4850)

Alan White  Ramshackled (Vinyl, Atlantic Records, 1976) ***  

Genre: Prog, Jazz fusion, soul/funk, reggae

Places I remember: Real Groovy Records

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Avakak

Gear costume: Song of Innocence 

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5; Part 6; Part 7; Part 8

Active compensatory factors: Yes members all embarked on solo records around 1976. Alan takes advantage to play drums on a set of songs (none written by him). He employs a range of musicians to sing and play along.

It's quite fun, although it does betray a restless approach. I prefer the jazz fusion of Avakak and the proggy Song of Innocence (with Anderson and Howe joining in), A whole album of those songs would have been great.

Where do they all belong? A real one-off - Alan's only solo album.

Wheel of fortune (Badger) (LP 2036)

Badger  One Live Badger (CD, Cherry Red Records, 1974, reissue 2016) ****  

Genre: Prog rock 

Places I remember: Marbecks Records

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Wheel Of Fortune

Gear costume: On The Way Home

Active compensatory factors: A lot of links to Yes with this one: Fresh from a stint in Yes, Tony Kaye features in Badger on keyboards, Jon Anderson produces, Brian Lane manages both bands, and Roger Dean supplies the amazing cover.

Plus this is a live recording, done while supporting Yes. 

The music is great and right up my alley with terrific noodling as they stretch out via some blues rock/prog rock lines.

Kaye stars, but the whole band is on awesome form. Apart from the inter song applause I would swear that this was a studio album. The songs are well crafted and expertly played.

Where do they all belong? A bit of a one off. The Badger line up changed after this debut and moved away from prog rock, so this album is even more of a stand out.

Sundancing (Jon Anderson) (LP 395 - 397)

Jon Anderson Olias Of Sunhollow (Vinyl, Atlantic, 1976) ***
Jon Anderson Song Of Seven (Vinyl, Atlantic, 1980) ***
Jon Anderson In The City Of Angels (Vinyl, Columbia, 1988) ***

Genre: prog rock 

Places I remember: Little Red Book Shop (Hastings);    Amoeba Records (Hollywood)

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles/ Gear costume: Hold On To Love (ITCOA)
  




Active compensatory factors: Jon Anderson's solo career is interesting but not essential. I've dipped into it from time to time because I love Yes and Jon Anderson is the voice of Yes.

It's that simple.

These three have their strengths and weaknesses. Olias Of Sunhollow is a sci-fi concept album that doesn't particularly spin my wheels. Jon plays and sings most of the album, so it's a true solo album.

Song Of Seven benefits from a group approach but eighties synth sounds don't mix happily with the organic instruments for my money.

In The City Of Angels has better pop songs but too much of the Toto sound can be too much of the Toto sound.

Anderson's earnestness can be admired (or not). I don't know really - I have hippy tendencies but when it's saturating every track it can get a bit too much.

So, it's a case of YES to yes and a meh to the Anderson solo output.

Where do they all belong? All up, approach with caution if you are a Yes fan but if you are a student of the eighties you'll be delighted.

Gone but not forgotten (Anderson Bruford Wakeford Howe) (LP 322 - 323)

Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe (CD - Arista, 1989) ***
Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe An Evening Of Yes Music Plus (CD - Fragile Records, 1993) ****

Genre: Prog rock 

Places I remember:  The Warehouse stores when they were interested in selling CDs

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Long Distance Turnaround




Gear costume: Brother Of Mine, Close To The Edge




Active compensatory factors: A recent issue of Prog magazine reminded me of this old set by former members of Yes, before they regrouped for the much maligned (but not by me) Union album.

The studio set is quite dated sounding now, mainly thanks to Bruford's electronic artificial sounding drums. Now Bill Bruford is a great great drummer but this eighties sound is not his finest hour.

Instead I often return to the live set. Even though it has a Roger Dean cover, it's shoddily packaged. Indeed when I first got it I thought it was a bootleg!

Starting off with acoustic instruments (for most of the first volume of this two volume CD set), it is a warm and engaging sound with some welcome twists to my established favourites like Long Distance Turnaround.  

Rick Wakeman follows Steve Howe with some solo turns and almost steals the show! A great Gone But Not Forgotten and Catherine Parr!
  When the full band kicks in it is with power and prog depth. If I want to listen to Close To The Edge (and I do more often than you'd think), I go to this version. 

Where do they all belong? As a one off in the Yes canon but an exciting, worthwhile one off!

Open your eyes (Asia) (LP 36)

Asia Alpha (Vinyl - Geffen Records, 1983) ****

Genre: Progressive Rock

Places I remember: Real Groovy in Queen Street, Auckland. 

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Don't Cry (the first track side one, when John Wetton's vocals start you know all is right with the world). The cheesy Indiana Jones style video should be in a time capsule somewhere!




Gear costume: The Heat Goes On.

Active compensatory factors: Ah, supergroups...sigh. Sometimes they disappoint but often they are AMAZING.

My top 10:

• Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young
• Emerson, Lake, and Palmer
• Cream
• The Traveling Wilburys
• The Plastic Ono Band
• Golden Smog
• Flying Colors
• Chickenfoot
• West Bruce and Laing
• Asia

That first Asia album was pretty special. Similarly, Alpha, their second album, is a worthy addition to the sub genre of supergroup albums.

Asia's pedigree is damn impressive. Members came from bands like Yes, King Crimson, Emerson Lake and Palmer. Together they made a smoothly commercial brand of progressive rock.

John Wetton's voice alone is worth the entry price but the songs themselves are catchy and challenging enough to warrant your sustained interest.

Given all that, I can forgive the slick eighties production sensibilities. Do try it!

Where do they all belong? Yes (the Geoff Downes version), King Crimson (the early records), Emerson Lake and Palmer (the ones that Greg Lake sings on).

I've been lost in the maze of emotional confound (Yes) #551

Yes Saving My Heart (Arista, 1991)

Kind of a single this one - it was released as such but my copy is a promo for the much maligned Union album and so the only track on it is Saving My Heart.

I thought Trevor Rabin brought a lot to the party at the time in terms of his guitar prowess. This is his song so the lyrics kind of make sense; I do prefer Jon Anderson's mind twisters but it was nice to have some variation.

The song itself is very representative of the whole mainstream rock album and a good choice for a single.

Admittedly, it's not very Yes like but, like I said, variety isn't always a bad thing.

A smile upon your face (Yes) #439-442

Yes All Good People/ Your Move (Atlantic, ATL 83, 1971)
Yes America/ Yours Is No Disgrace (Atlantic, ATL 166, 1974)
Yes Don't kill the Whale/ Abalene (Atlantic, 45 1968, 1978)
Yes Roundabout/ All Good People (Atlantic, SD19320EP, 1981)

Yes are not normally associated with singles. Normally Yes are about side long mega epic tales. And yet here are four singles (and no Owner Of A Lonely Heart)!!

Roundabout is the obvious single: a very catchy iconic song that is Yes through and through.

As is All Good People - another catchy Beatles inspired Yes chorus fires this one along. By now it should be obvious why I'm a big Yes fan. 

How big? I own the Don't Kill The Whale single from the fairly dire Tormato album (I drew the line at Drama). Actually the song isn't too bad - it just pales next to these others.

The outlier here is America. A weird choice really. Paul Simon's song is heavily identified with him so Yes having a go at it is a little off to my mind.

Hidden gems: Your Move and Yours is No Disgrace are Yes classic songs and definitely rank in the gem category if not the hidden one. 

Burn me in hell but as long as it pays (10CC)

Okay - so the final post in my album cover series and it's the second, best of the rest and last one on the arty farty theme. Next post - the Big Man remembered.

Aren't these covers awesome??!!

Neutral Milk Hotel - In The Aeroplane Over The Sea

King Crimson - In The Court of the Crimson King

Frank Zappa - The Grand Wazoo



My series ends with the first cover that really zapped me between the eyeballs.

 Love and peace - Wozza

Circled so fine like a velvet palace (Hot Tuna)

Today's album cover theme centres on the striking typography used to register a name into a buyer's consciousness.

Gimme in the kitchen, gimme in the hall (10CC)

The theme is musicians taking centre stage or out standing in their field - location doesn't matter. I couldn't narrow the whole group shot thing down to my favourite ten so here are twenty!


Allman Brothers Band - At the Fillmore East







The Byrds (without Crosby who is replaced by...)



Ummagumma





Yes



The Who



Wings - Wildlife





Beatles - Abbey Rd



Beatles - Hey Jude



Creedence Clearwater Revival - Green River





The Doors