Disco de Yes: “Ladder [Enhanced]”

It has been a long time since I have been hardly able to play any other CD for weeks. The Ladder is certainly the best work by Yes since Talk, and among the best work they have ever done. And no, I did not start out as an 80's Yes fan. I have been a fan for 30 years. They and Renaissance have always been my favorite bands. The Ladder has some of everything for everybody: the classic epics, the sweet ballads, the hard-edged stuff, the Asian-sounding chants, and, of course, the always amazing guitar playing of Steve Howe. I think it is this variety that has brought the most criticism of this CD. Most Yes fans want EITHER Close to the Edge OR 91025 OR Anderson's solo works. Relax. Open your mind. Be versatile, like Yes has become. Then you will know why a long-time devout progrocker (me), a lyric/melody lover of Fairport Convention (my wife), and a heavy metal lover (my son) all thoroughly enjoyed the tour and can't get enough of this CD.

The very first time I heard this CD I didn't care for it. Same for the second time. However, the third time I listened to this CD I suddenly found some of its charm. The fourth time... The point is that if you need to listen to a Yes CD several times before it begins to grow on you, then Yes did exactly what they were supposed to do. A Yes composition is never what you expect. That is the nature of Yes' brand of progressive rock.

There is always the temptation to compare the works of a long-established group against itself. Those who think that a group hit a particular formula that they should have kept and didn't will be disappointed. Those who think a group should continually evolve and instead seem to repeat the same formula over and over are disappointed. Thus we have the quandary of art and music. Fortunately, Yes has the ability to do what they want to do, and if their current incarnation matches your taste, then great; if not, then that's also great. "The Ladder" is one of those releases that is guaranteed to polarize Yes fans.

The nine selections on this CD have a wide range of variation. The songs that are more along the lines of classic Yes are "Homeworld (The Ladder)", "Finally", "It Will Be a Good Day (The River)", "The Messenger", "New Language" and "Nine Voices (Longwalker)".

Each of these songs is worthy of being a Yes progressive rock song. There are clearly some pop influences, but each is recognizably Yes. "It Will Be a Good Day (The River)" sounds similar to some of the music from "Union". "The Messenger" starts with a very blues-sounding bass guitar. The lyrics are Jon Anderson's typical new age mysticism (what would a Yes album be without such songs!). The song reminds me of "Talk" and "Union", and perhaps "90125". A classic Yes-style composition.

"New Language" starts as a rocking composition, fast-paced, a throwback to early Yes. While there are periodic pop influences, the progressive shows through in multiple locations. Very heavy reliance on guitars throughout, punctuated by a firm drum beat, and add keyboards for spice. A very solid Yes song.

"Nine Voices" is another Yes song in the tradition of Yes songs. This song can remind one of "Your Move" and, perhaps, just a touch, of "Wondrous Stories". The harmonies are classic Yes, as are the beautifully orchestrated instruments. One of the better songs on this CD.

The other selections are a varied brew. "Lightning Strikes" starts strangely, but the song then turns into a pop song (I'm not kidding). While the song is not the strongly progressive for which we love Yes so much, as pop songs go, it is good. Remember that "90125" also had pop songs as well, which also worked just as well.

"Can I?" I love. If you remember Eddie Murphy singing on the train in "Trading Places", you'll get a flavor of this song. It's got a bit of African or perhaps reggae flavor to it. "Face to Face" starts sounding like typical Yes progressive rock, and then changes to a pop love song. Again, a good song, just not what you would expect from Yes.

"To Be Alive (Hep Yadda)" again reminds me a bit of Union, perhaps with more pop than Eastern influences. However, as the song progresses, it become pure repetitive pop. I must admit that while I'm a big fan of Yes, this song stretches my liking of Yes to the limit. This song may appeal to fans of modern pop or bubble gum, but is likely to annoy long-time Yes fans.

This album, which brings together so many of the classic members of Yes, is good, but uneven in spots. If I could take an electronic knife and excise some of the cuts, I think the album would have been more coherent and more in the tradition of classic progressive Yes. However, Yes gets to choose their own music, and this is what they chose. A worthy addition to any Yes collection, but with the exception of a few cuts, not among their best.

I don't know if anyone will see this being so far down the line of reviews but here goes. I wish to respond to a couple of points in other reviews. Jon Anderson's 'spacey' lyrics. If you are going to complain about such lyrics don't praise CTTE or TFTO or even the YES album. Jon is simply progressing along a spiritual path and for me that is what YES music is all about. The other point I'd like to address is that too many people expect another CTTE or TFTO. They have done that. I have written poetry and song lyrics and such since H.S. and know the desire and the actually need to do something that you haven't done before while keeping true to yourself. For me this C.D. is a return to form in that, after some wandering down some different paths, YES has rediscovered their destination. All of these guys are spiritual in one way or another and that spirit vision is what makes YES YES! I have grown since I was a young teenager and first heard TFTO on the local late night radio show. That music propelled me towards my own spiritual 'Awaken'ing and still provides me joy when I listen to it. BUT I have grown, so has YES. They will NEVER make CTTE or TFTO or GFTO again. They are not the same musicians or human beings they were then. Neither should we be, those who grew up with them through the seventies. YES is a spiritual band that helped create Progreesive Rock. Don't condemn the spirit, revel in it by allowing your own to grow. The Ladder is an amazing C.D. in that regard. Put Switch The Ladder back in time to Fragile and the people complaining would probably be saying the same sort of things about Fragile today that they say about The Ladder. Yes is about a feeling in the music that comes through the technique and musicainship. If you want pure technique go listen to jazz and other such forms of music. If you are a true to the core YES fan that understands what this group in all it's incarnations has done, you will love this C.D. Only change is permanent but within all change is the unchanging center of what we are. It is there in this YES effort and it touches that unchanging place in me. To Be Alive is one of my favorite tracks on the C.D. So I will quote some of the lyrics here to close, 'There's the sound that keeps you trying/There's the sound that makes you smile/There's a sound in every corner/Of the world that we survive.

That sound is in this effort from the band clearer than it has been for years. If that is what you seek from their music, you will not be disappointed.

Peace to all on the journeys you wander.

Jaroth

The best album from this ageless band of pioneers of progressive-rock. Simply stunning. Finely crafted songs, with power depth and emotion, which get stronger with every listen. From the walking, suspended bass-line and classic (yet stunningly innovative) prog-rock chords from "Homeworld" to the delicate refrain from "Longwalker" this is one seriously wondrous story.... Not only do the guys play and sing as well as they ever have done, but the production (from one of the masters) is flawless - every note, every nuance, every harmony is displayed beautifully. Have no fear of seeing a new name in the line up: Igor's key-work has a prog-classical awareness that is rare - and complements the musical powerhouse of Jon, Steve, Alan, Chris and Billy perfectly. The whole thing has a "first-album" freshness to it which not even a brand-new band can match.... - up-and-coming bands listen in and take notes from a band that's done it all, and can still deliver the goods!

Too many band member changes make it nearly impossible to say that this line up of Anderson, Squire, Howe, White & Sherwood is the best.... but, it IS one of their better line ups. If they could've somehow lured Rick (keyboards) or Trevor from the holes they've been hiding in (not likely), this album could have received higher marks. The musicianship on "The Ladder" is tight and the production is crisp. Jon Anderson, after all these years, still sounds on top of his vocal game. Alan White, one of my personal favorite all-time drummers, is back and he and his drum kit sound great. Howe and Squire on their perspective guitars... more brilliant wizardry! This album has a surprisingly upbeat tone. The songs give off a cultural flair. "The Ladder" offers a world flavor - Jamaican beats, Australian chants, African this, Brazilian that. You get a sweet ballad in "If You Only Knew"; a reggae tune in "The Messenger"; and the three best songs on the album (because they rock and they remind me of "old" Yes - in varied song structure and great guitar work)... "Face To Face", "New Language" and the title cut "Homeworld (The Ladder)". This album from 1999 is easily the best release from that particular decade (you'll see what I mean if you listen to "Union" or "Talk").. and perhaps the best album since "90215". Not classic in the mind of Yes fans, but definitely listenable and essential to the collection. Yes!