Read about it here at Wikipedia if my synopsis is less than your prog dork mind wants to envelop regarding these four dudes. Because if you're reading this, you probably recognize their names as belonging to four of the dudes in Yes, sans the bassist, during their greatest period. This lineup put out the four Yes albums that I have--Close to the Edge, Fragile, Tormato, and Tales from Topographic Oceans.Edge and Fragile are easily the best of those four works, the former being less accessible, the later being more rock oriented. Both are sweet, weird prog rock albums that rely more on musical innovation and technical ability than lots of distortion and typical rock song formats. They've become two of my favorite vinyls to listen to.
So I pick up this used cd of ABWH, not knowing what to expect. And goddam, it's crazy. It's really 80's, and annoyingly so. But by track 6, they're doing some cool jazz-infused jamming... ugh, then it starts sounding like it could be Jimmy Buffet or some such drivel.
It certainly was a find. I think I'll like it during the next listen. I don't know when I'm ever going to have the patience to listen to the whole thing all the way thru. Lots of it is just too happy for me. I'll grumblingly admit that it is very family-friendly, if it ever comes to that.
The album was released in '89. The Yes lineup had already gone thru extensive changes. So there was Yes, and then there was ABWH, both wanting to play Yes songs, and both, in my mind, having the right to. And get this--the NEW Yes sued the OLD Yes (ABWH) to keep all mentions of Yes off their promo releases! Fucked up!
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