Is Relayer the Craziest or Best Yes Album?

When I first heard Relayer over 20 years ago, I was FLOORED by the second track “Sound Chaser”
I just listened again and I think it might be their best album. If not their best, then at least their craziest.
What do you think?
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[@jedidrummerjake]

Look kid, your articulation on guitar needs work. A lot! Even as a drummer, I know

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

Thanks for the tip, Jedi Drummer Jake.

[@danielroos5426]

@@MakeWeirdMusic @jedidrummerjake, if you're referring to the Sound Chaser stuff, I didn't get the impression that he was trying to prove that he was Steve Howe. I mean that shit is masterful work and I got the impression that he was trying to show the complexity rather than show off. Mission accomplished IMO although I think Howe gets a little sloppy as well. This is just my opinion but I've come to really dislike Steve Howe's playing after Going for the One. Even on that album the title song is too riffy and sloppy. Again, just my opinion

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

Thanks Daniel. I didn’t even remember I played the excerpt until the comment came. No worries.

[@danielroos5426]

Actually I disagree about the lyrics of Gates. I think they are poetic and meaningful. You just need to take enough LSD 😊

[@Ms1robby]

"Relayer" and "Close to the Edge" are the two Yes albums I still listen to regularly. I love the 3 long piece format and that each of these pieces never seem padded. I consider "Relayer", however, to be their high water mark as a band. A true landmark of prog.

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

Definitely a landmark. What do you think of Tales, Dave?

[@Ms1robby]

@@MakeWeirdMusic I think it would have been better distilled into a 45 minute piece. All gravy and no meat as it were. By Contrast Relayer bursts with ideas.

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

@@Ms1robby I think there's a lot of meat, but there's a lot of gravy, too. Incredible melodies on Tales.

[@Ms1robby]

@@MakeWeirdMusic You made me re-listen! I'd say there are lots of great ideas and playing, but a lack of focus. Tales is like reading poetry; Relayer is a page-turner.

[@jupiterlegrand4817]

Close to the Edge and Relayer are almost like "parts 1 and 2". The greatest prog music by the greatest prog band ever. I saw the tour for Relayer, and it was Yes at the height of their powers. Good beyond imagination.

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

Is there any official perspective from the band about this?

[@docbobster]

You are so lucky to have seen that tour. I missed it, but watching the video of their QPR Stadium show in London makes me think it might have been them at their live peak.

[@phillipanderson7398]

@@MakeWeirdMusic Not that I know of, but I have heard many people comparing it to the earlier album because Relayer is similarly one disc, two long songs ending with a calmer short third song. I must admit I prefer Close to the Edge to Relayer. For Relayer I have to be in a certain mood whereas I can listen to Close to the Edge anytime. By the way I have read a professional music critic refering to Tales From Topographic Oceans as Close to the Edge on acid. I feel the same way about most of Relayer. I have even read of people comparing Relayer to something by The Mahavishnu Orchestra. Much of mid 70s Yes brought on the emergence of punk rock rebeling against a music so cerebral and complex.

[@maximusindicusoblivious180]

I am also fortunate to have seen that tour. And it was amazing and very loud, as was the custom for arena shows. The show and album was a game changer for sure and for me it was more futuristic than anything else I was listening to in the rock realm. I am very fond of this record and still listen to it for inspiration and resolve during many Winters, just like I did when it was produced.Relayer is a awesome memory for me, as with many of the other shows that I experienced during that era including the "Journey to the Center of the Earth" and various ELP and Jethro Tull tours.

[@danausten1046]

@@MakeWeirdMusicChris Squire and Geoffrey Downes told me at different times that they had rehearsed Relayer and were considering playing it live, which I believe they have. TBH, the intensity and complexity are really for much younger men and non of the replacement members are even close to the players from these incredible performances.

[@ggrape0]

It is their best album, i still listen to it after many years and I am discovering sounds and melodies.

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

Yes, it's very dense and there's plenty to find.

[@twosheds2030]

I’m a Yes nut and I think I agree

[@DonnyOsmosis]

It is crazy, but it is PERFECT.

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

It is really great. Thanks, Donny!

[@DonnyOsmosis]

@@MakeWeirdMusic Thank you for this channel. Just the channel title is inspiring. Really.

[@frankmarotta1960]

A comment on Gates of Delirium. I have read that it was inspired by "War and Peace". I see for sections: (1) Preparation for war (beginning until about 8:00), (2) War Descending to Chaos (8:00 - about 12:48), (3) Triumph Emerging from Chaos (12:48 - about 15:00) and (4) Peace Resulting from Victory (about 15:00 to the end). I think it takes a lot of courage and vision to put that last part into the song. My favorite part of it is the section that starts around 12:48: triumphant themes are not easily achieved in any music, but Yes did a wonderful job here. When my life feels chaotic, I play Gates of Delirium and remind myself that Triumph Emerges from Chaos.

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

Hah, wow Gates makes you feel at peace? That's interesting, Frank!

[@frankmarotta1960]

@@MakeWeirdMusic The ending "Soon" is peaceful. At least that's what I think.

[@ericdonvil7501]

"soon" I'll dedicate to miek smyers...

[@daveshikingandbiking8274]

I bought it when it was released it blew my mind then and still dose now! I cannot begin to even think how they came up with music like this. Also in the video you talk about Tales of Topographic Oceans I loved that as well. Steve is a brilliant guitarist and Yes has always been one of my favorite bands! Thanks for the vid!

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

You're welcome, Dave! Glad you liked it

[@billmcfee]

Great commentary on a great album. I really enjoyed getting to hear you play some Steve Howe stuff, you are such a good guitarist. You have inspired me to play Relayer right now.

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

Enjoy, Bill! Thanks for the compliment on the guitar too.

[@PlanetsandtheWater]

Absolute masterpiece

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

Thanks for watching and glad you feel the same.

[@pigonthewind7908]

I believe that Relayer is one of the best ever recorded. It like all previous Yes albums have been played at once. 45 minutes of all instruments soloing simultaneously, and Soon and To be Over are the finest melodies of all Yes catalog. And after that the Sound Chaser, wich i believe already made relayer the best yes album, completely unique song, even unique for Yes. The most complex (in a good way) music i have heard. Yes, there are In a Glass House or The Power and the Glory, but god they dont have the tenshion and structure of relayer

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

I can't believe how productive Yes was in the early 70s. 2 albums a year!

[@pigonthewind7908]

@@MakeWeirdMusic in 1977 Bowie did Low, Heroes, The Idiot and Lust for life with Iggy

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

Bowie was on a whole nother level, for sure. Gotta love Low.

[@Northman1963]

I don't think I'll ever get tired of Gates of Delirium. It's so similar to classical compositions in it's complexity and emotional impact.

[@pkmcburroughs]

"Relayer" has a much more abrasive and jarring sound than anything they'd approached before. Or ever would again, if memory serves. Absolutely love it. I see it as sort of an alternate timeline's version of "Close to The Edge." NOTE: This alternate timeline also has liver and onions ice cream.

[@modeltrainfan]

I think this is one of their most technically accomplished albums followed closely by Going for the One. They definitely put on their Jazz Fusion faces for this one(eg Sound Chaser).

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

Yes, definitely. Very eclectic and enjoyable. Thanks, Evert.

[@toddblanks]

It took me a while to get used to going for the one as a whole enjoyable listen. It wasn't until i upgraded my record deck and amplifier that i gave it more of a listen. As soon as i played parallels and ricks church organ kicked in it re opened my opinion.

[@dancasey8172]

I agree with Monka. The Steven Wilson remixes of Tales and Relayer are a revelation. They bring so much clarity to the clutter and it really lifts both albums to the top of the Yes canon. You'll appreciate the differences, Anthony.

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

I need to check those out! Wow. Thanks, Dan.

[@Hartlor_Tayley]

Those remixes are amazing. I just keep turning it up more and more.

[@jasonshort1437]

Yeah those remixes rule

[@Astraltraveller05]

Not for me, no idea who SW is, but too many parts, Howe, Anderson, are buried whilst booming up Squire and drums, nowt original or good about them, but that’s just my opinion.

[@scottydub5785]

three words, man: “Gates of Delirium”…I love it from start to finish

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

Great song. I agree, Scotty!

[@dbc7772011]

Absolutely love love it, Howe is incredible, it reaches such a crescendo ……. I’m just not into the soon part. Too slow for me zzzz.

[@steveoglesby4120]

"Sound Chaser" is the track I would play for those who don't understand why I've been a fan of YES for 55 years. There is nothing like it rock-based music. I've heard very talented tribute bands play it and while their efforts are to be applauded, no one can play SC properly. Even YES rarely played it live and even then it doesn't come up to the pure excellence of the studio version. Stravinsky is a good cross-reference for "Gates of Delirium". YES used an orchestral version of Sravinsky's "Firebird Finale" to open many of the shows.

[@francisvaughan7460]

Funny, I have always felt Relayer was rather special, and the one I return to most often. Favourite? Hard to say. Certainly the most satisfying.

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

Not the easiest listen, but if you're pumped up, it's awesome! haha. Thanks, Francis

[@Rowenband]

Hello. With Tales, Relayer is my favorite Yes album. And yes is my favorite band with GG and VDGG. And Sound Chaser, well… you said it all. I'm still amazed 50 years later, each time I listen to it. Squire is incredible on this album. It's just all pure energy. No other album from any band I listened through the years can be compared to it. Of course many other great bands, recent and past, are amazing, but it stay a unique piece of fire, chaos, and beauty.

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

Thanks for watching and commenting, Chris! Hope you're well

[@creaketh]

I always love hearing people mention VDGG, they're one of my favourites too and I always feel they get overshadowed by bigger names. I had a rough time at an terrible college a few years ago and listening to them helped a lot, Hammill's lyrics have been very inspiring to me. GG and Tull as well.

[@Rowenband]

@@creaketh Completely in connection with what you said. Each time I had a start of depression in my life, I made a cure of VDGG. I don't know how but it helped me get through them all. Maybe Hammill saved my life in a way. I should try to analyse this one day.

[@AllMediaReviewsPodcast]

It is their greatest record to me. The Gates of Delirium alone may be their most technical work. They never really did anything like it.

[@bmf00]

Sure they did. Tales from topographic oceans. relayer is an extension of tales.

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

How is it an extension?

[@johncostello6043]

@@bmf00I'm hoping that Yes will do the whole "Tales" on tour this year to celebrate its 40 anniversary, but they haven't announced plans, so I'm guessing that they won't ... :(

[@bmf00]

@@johncostello6043 I think they are too old. To pull that album off live.

[@adamhimelfarb7149]

i love tales for it’s high minded concept and introspection, but relayer for me raises the bar to celestial heights. imo, TGOD is the greatest piece of music ever recorded. large swaths of it set the universe on fire.

[@StephenPeoplePerson]

First CD I ever bought in my life, I absolutely love this album.

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

Wow! That's a great first album!

[@g.willykers]

Ever since I stumbled upon YES in a record shop as a teenager, I was blown away! My first true musical love was The Beatles, and I still enjoy their catalog very much. But it was the ‘70’s, with drug experimentation, and mind expanding influences everywhere. I was set free to experiment musically, and so I would try out new bands. Of course, at that time, album covers were the first impression made to a dumb kid looking for something new. Alas…my album collection grew to include YES, Pink Floyd, Moody Blues, CCR, Black Sabbath, ELP, Fleetwood Mac, King Crimson, Chicago, Bread, Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin, Blood Rock, Jimi Hendrix, CSN&Y, Mountain, Steve Miller Band, Doobie Bros, Iron Butterfly, Peter Frampton, Humble Pie, Grand Funk, Traffic, Blind Faith, Cream, Eric Burden & War, etc. Those were the days, my friend! Who was my favorite band, you ask? Hands down, it was YES!! For many years (I’m now 70), my fave YES album was CTTE, and it’s still right there. But…it took me all this time to finally explore the entire YES discography, and I’d have to admit, “Relayer” is at least a tie with “CTTE”, if not “EDGE”- ing it out by a fraction! You take away “Soon”, and “CCTE” wins easily, IMHO. BTW…I saw YES live in 2002, with Jon, Chris, Steve, Rick & Alan lineup. They were spectacular!!!

[@johncallwa]

Preach it, bro!

[@jeffdunn8007]

Relayer for the ones ready to absorb the sound is radical music. It's not for everyone. The idea of trying to take one's mind to the peak of Everest may be insane. But it's a good sense of crazy. "To Be Over" helps one come down from the experience. It's almost a necessary remedy.

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

Agreed, Jeff. Thanks for watching.

[@maximusindicusoblivious180]

Thanks for the very good video. I must say that you put your money where your mouth is when it comes to this record and show an enthusiasm many share. The years of dedication it must have taking you to play like that is admirable. Best Wishes. By the way, The Relayer Tour was equally awesome.

[@panflutetoth9395]

Relayer has evolved into my favorite album , by any group, i first got it in about 1983 on vinyl and liked it but over the last couple years its blown me away, theres just so much happening, Howe is all over the place like lightning, quite a contrast to Tales which has long stretches of almost nothing happening.

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

Wow, I think it's great, but certainly not my favorite of all time. Very interesting, Panflute!

[@gregmccourt4730]

For me, it's the period between Close to the Edge and Going for the One. Going for the One was my first Yes concert and it blew me away. Sound Chaser -That solo is epic!

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

Going for the one is underrated, for sure. Thanks for watching, Greg. Really appreciate your consistent support. Please consider joining Club Weird. I share new stuff all the time.

[@docbobster]

Great video. I listen to this more than any other Yes album. But I NEVER read Yes lyrics; I just let them flow over me like, well, like Italian or Swedish prog. I actually wish more bands used incomprehensible lyrics!

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

Yes, I am the same way, Bob. Thanks for watching.

[@bobprince1539]

I was studying classical guitar at a conservatory when Relayer came out. I’d loved all of the Yes (and ELP) albums but was particularly struck by Relayer for many of the reasons you’ve mentioned here. Very much so in regards to your references to Stravinsky. I def heard that and am glad you’re bringing it up. I remember the purists were down on Moran at the time…which kind of bothered me. Yeah: we were sad to see Wakeman go. He was wonderful. But Moran was, imho, PERFECT for this album. He even threw in his jazz influence, which I loved. And, as always, I loved everything Howe put down. Drove me to tears at times. Relayer is my favorite Yes album and that’s saying a ton.

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

I can't stand purists. Like the whole "Steve Howe isn't the original guitarist of Yes!" thing. So dumb. Dude has carried the torch for that band for decades and revolutionized the band.

[@beta14ok]

I remember listening to the WMMR (Philly) release of the Relayer LP at midnight, before it dropped in stores. I bought the LP ASAP. Thanks for tweaking my memory. I'll be pulling the LP off the shelf now to give it a re-listen.

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

Do it! And report back

[@beta14ok]

@@MakeWeirdMusic Done,....I still like it. I will probably listen to Close to the Edge or Fragile before I pull Relayer out again. The recording or maybe my old LP is quite shrill. Moraz's synth washes seem to cover-up a lot of details. To be fair, I should stream the digital for comparison. I have always had a challenge with lyrics on most Yes tunes,...no exception here,....but there is so much happening that the words and meaning are easily "chased" away by the immediacy of what's happening musically. This is thick & tricky stuff, maybe trying a little too hard to be tricky. Gates of Delirium is a really cool interesting journey. Chris Squire's bassline is just so great and I think provide the glue to keep things together. S'Chaser is a hoot. The core instrumental trio of Howe, Squire, and White are just blistering. S'Chaser is probably my favorite cut from this listening session. To be Over, could have been a beautiful serene ballad,....but it seems to get lost in the mash-up of styles, textures, and excessive ornamentation. Relayer is not my favorite Yes album, but I still like it. I very much enjoyed your commentary and for provoking me to give this LP another listen. Cheers,.....& Done.

[@frankconnor4969]

Great description. Thank you.

[@charlesnolan7602]

I bought this album on the US release date day, December 5th, 1974-which was also my 19th birthday! ( 20 shopping days before Christmas!) I think RELAYER featured Steve's best played guitar. RELAYER has been my favorite since ... December 5, 1974

[@hyperboreal]

Those guitar parts on "Sound Chaser" at 2:07 are bonkers. And when the verse starts it still sounds outlandish. I don't know how they could come up with licks like those for a song. And the thing is Chris Squire is also going mental on bass mimicking those tricky lines. When you sort out the different parts for the instruments is quite amazing they can make it fit and work so well altogether.

[@paulquinn7980]

Great album Got it when it came out love your videos keep them up

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

Thank you, Paul

[@BretHHamilton]

Fantastic review! I've heard the album many times, but I'm going to listen to Relayer after watching your video!

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

Thanks, Bret. Always appreciate your support.

[@alwayscasesensitive]

Relayer is my favourite Yes album. As a keyboard player myself (in those days!) I was already a huge fan of Patrick Moraz especially from his work with his previous band, Refugee, which was basically the band formed by the remaining Nice members, Lee Jackson and Brian Davison, when Keith Emerson left to form ELP. Anyone not familiar with Refugee should check out their eponymous album. Anyway, when I heard that Moraz was joining Yes, my anticipation of what that combination could potentially create was huge. I most certainly was not disappointed and I think Moraz's approach to improvisational music unleashed a new level in Steve Howe's playing as well as introducing a completely new dimension to the Yes musical palette. After living with Relayer almost permanently on the turntable for several months, I revisited the previous Yes albums Close to the Edge and Fragile and the one difference I noticed that I hadn't previously was that Rick Wakeman's solos had their own place and never overlapped with Steve Howe's whereas Moraz and Howe's soloing was somehow intertwined especially on Gates of Delirium. I am also extremely grateful that Moraz's stint in Yes gave him the financial backing to create his incredible solo album, The Story of I, probably one of the most underrated prog albums ever.

[@jasonshort1437]

Yeah on certain levels, this is their high water mark. I personally think it's Howe's and White's best performances on record. Relayer's weirdness and intensity has not diminished at all for me after decades of listening. If you are one of those people who can't deal with the production, seek out the Steven Wilson remix, he definitely cleaned up the mids.

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

This is the album White really proved himself. I need to find a copy of the Steven Wilson mixes. Thanks, Jason.

[@adamhimelfarb7149]

@@MakeWeirdMusicyes (pun intended)!! alan’s work on this album is breathtaking. the fire-and-brimstone attack of his fills on TGOD and Soundchaser still blows me away nearly 50 years on.

[@twosheds2030]

Superb review! Thank you

[@johannwolf1]

The first time I listened through Relayer was with my best friend, we knew all the other Yes and were looking at the Roger Dean art book and followed the entire history of this interplanetary drama... and our faces were melting for various reasons. Everything was melting.

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

I hope your turntable survived

[@olivermende5269]

It's beyond everthing, I listened as a bands work (solist work is another subject, even a 3 solist Project like 'Friday Night In San Francisco'), and to see it performed life was even more out of my imagination. The moment, this is no longer underrated in popular music will be one result of an evolution in mankind, I'm still heading on...

[@MakinaMotze]

Super commentary. Definitely among my top five favorite YES albums. No - I can't pick just one.

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

Haha that’s great! It’s awesome!

[@MishaPenton]

Great video, Anthony. Jon Anderson is such a big influence for me, musically and lyrically...now you have me singing: 'Soon oh soon the light Ours to shape for all time, ours the right The sun will lead us Our reason to be here'... ☀

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

That's awesome, Misha. Maybe I'll never understand Jon

[@MishaPenton]

@@MakeWeirdMusic 😍

[@MishaPenton]

@@MakeWeirdMusic Oh, and looooove Peter Sinfield too! Let's do a a Crazy Prog Rock Lyrics video! 😉 'Farewell the temple master's bells His kiosk and his black worm seed Courtship solely of his word With Eden guaranteed' 🤔

[@TheProgCorner]

Incredible record!!!

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

Indeed!

[@jagle6085]

Wow what a great channel! Subscribed.

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

Awesome, thank you!

[@VitalMusique]

Discovered YES by this album, at the age of 14 ... It changed my whole life !

[@umgapasky]

Same here. Absolutely showed me what living was for.

[@JamesDupuis]

it is my favorite album. I was asked Allan White how many time are the time signatures changes in Gates... He told me 7 times, I told him I counted 6, so i will have to listen to it a little closer.

[@rafaelmuente]

Relayer means to me the ultimate classic prog rock innovative album. Yes (or prog rock) couldn’t have gone any further than what they did. One detail. Wakeman DID NOT leave Yes to record The Seven Wives… That album had already been released in January 1973, before Tales From Topographic Oceans was released (December 1973).

[@RamonK.]

I've never actually seen someone playing these parts or any tabs/notation... awesome... Especially Sound Chaser is really something else...

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

I've considered doing the whole song. I used to play most of the solo.

[@mikereiss4216]

It's both their craziest and best imo.

[@coreymcd22]

I (attempted) the same thing with Chris Squire's bass parts on Sound Chaser when I was younger, it whipped me and still does. Somewhat related: the one time that I saw Yes live in 2011 Steve Howe actually did an uptempo classical guitar rendition of "To Be Over", it was great.

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

I used to try the bass parts, too, Corey. Lots of great material we can learn from. Thanks for sharing

[@greghaines6488]

I was so excited to buy RELAYER when it first came out. I was in high school, already a huge YES fan, having loved the previous four YES albums. I was with my first girlfriend when I bought it, and brought the record back to her house. Her mother wanted me to play it. I was really reluctant, because I knew she wouldn’t like it. Well, she insisted, and so I did. We all sat there dumbfounded because the first listen of this record is a bit intimidating. Well, of course she hated it, and I felt foolish. After a couple of listens at home, however, I loved it and it became one of my five favorite records. Then Going For the One became the sixth. Still six of my favorite records of all time, with Close to the Edge number one.

[@sarojaband4664]

7:29 chanting [chah cha cha-- cha cha] is at the ending of Sound Chaser. To Be Over is a very sweet, dreamy, beautiful song highlighting Patrick Moraz, especially after the lyric "balance the thoughts that release within you..." RELAYER is a Masterpiece.

[@bobkosturko812]

The “cha cha cha” chant is evocative of Balinese music

[@frankroosen3031]

My favourite Yes Album! I listen to it over and over again. . never get tired of it!!

[@michaelparsons2901]

Something even crazier is how just like Tales a year prior, YES started the Relayer tour a month and a half before the album was released. They started playing all 4 sides of Tales in the UK a month and a half before its release in 1973, and the UK audiences weren't into it as the audiences had no idea what they were going to hear. In Nov/Dec 1974, they toured the US before Relayer's release. Per reviews and my fathers recollection, YES literally launched right into Soundchaser after the firebird suite. NOBODY was prepared for it, as the audience expected Siberian Khatru or another nice song. Soundchaser was something from another world and completely unexpected, a heavy onslaught or barrage on the audience. Even listening to audience reactions on bootlegs from the Nov/Dec 1974 shows is amazing. After Soundchaser ends, you hear a noticeable few moments of dead silence, and then a FRENZY of applause and cheers. My father saw YES on that tour in Lawrence KS, and he told me that the whole arena was just stunned, dropped jaws and had no idea what just hit them. Nobody had heard Relayer yet, and unlike today, no internet to find set list spoilers. But my father told me after maybe 5 or seconds, the audience just went INSANE. They LOVED IT. Relayer was a very special album and really marked the peak of the bands success in the 1970s. From 1974 to 1976, they began selling out stadiums, BIG ones, and they were riding higher than ever during the Relayer era. It's definitely up there with Close To The Edge, it equals it. It sadly became forgotten over time, but that album is always deserving of a revival, as it represented their peak.

[@samcarson8161]

I got to see Yes in Iowa City Dec '74, just as Relayer was being released. Gryphon was the warm up act, & they were EXCELLENT, sadly forgotten. Yes played all of Relayer plus several Yessongs faves. As Patrick Moraz observed later, "Relayer" was their "most progressive" album, & I agree. Like TFTO, Relayer requires listeners to audition it several times before you get on their wavelength. It really is a unique entry in their body of work. I wish Patrick had more time with the band, BUT he truly planted his flag with authority on "Relayer". I'm gonna say it. My favorite Yes album is "Talk," but Relayer was & is a jagged peak in their landscape of prog-rock pioneering. Definitely an album that rewards multiple listens over decades.

[@mikekloepfer7424]

Relayer is my favorite Yes album, and that's saying a lot. I don't expect anyone else to agree with me, and I understand it may not be everybody's cup of tea. But it's my favorite and that's all that matters. I had the good fortune of seeing them perform on that Tour with Patrick, (and the elaborate Roger/Martin Dean set design).... it was a life-changing experience. I consider myself fortunate to have been at the right age, in the right place at the right time when that album came out. Coincidentally, I also saw Gentle Giant on tour with Yes about the time 'Live/Playing the Fool' was released. That was also a life-changing experience. My idea of what was possible in a live show was forever changed between the two experiences. Oh, and both bands may have had one or two other good albums as well. ;)

[@bogatibokorakos]

Love it!!!

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

Me too! Thanks for watching

[@gualterin09]

Lo escuché en 1976 con quince años y mi vida cambió para siempre. Era un universo nuevo y extraordinario. Me voló la cabeza

[@DannyVega-DanielHall4Freedom]

Relay was inspired by the book War and Peace.

[@JeffreyTheTaylor]

Me, I love the lyrics, or rather I love the audacity of them. And I always loved the jazz influence of Moraz. Next stop, the live version of Gates found on the Yesshows album. Some truly fearless stuff. Check it out.

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

Wow! I didn't know that was on Yessongs. I used to watch the video and I don't think that was on the VHS/Laserdics.

[@dewayne5628]

Over the years, and clearly when I first purchased the LP in1976, I've listened to Relayer more than any other of the Yes albums. Close to the Edge places a strong 2nd place. Relayer is the only Yes album that I listened to every day for at least 6 months. During that era of my life, at the age of 16, I went to sleep each night with a 90 minute cassette that had Fragile on side 1 and Relayer on side 2, played in 'loop' (continuous) mode. So, I'm not brainwashed or anything....

[@tbuc2920]

Relayer is one of my YES favs. I seen Yes Relayer tour in New Jersey at Roosevelt Stadium outside in the summer late 70`s. Patrick Moraz was phenomenal live and Steve Howe , there is nothing to say except he is beyond incredible. This concert will stick with me forever. Jaw dropping music that night. I have seen YES half a dozen times mostly at MSG in NYC. Their revolving center stage at MSG shows was fantastic. The train ride up to Penn Station from the Jersey Shore was a partying extravaganza. It was like a Cheech and Chong train. Smoke billowing out of the windows. By the time you arrived at the station everybody was higher than a Georgia pine. Watching this video has brought back some great memories , thx.

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

I bet you and my dad were at the same show. I'm glad they're going to play Relayer on tour this year. I wonder if it'll be good...

[@jamesvital2123]

Bought all these mid to late 1970's Yes albums when they were new. I have to say that "To Be Over" is in a dead heat tie with "The Remembering" from Tales from Topographic Oceans. I was seeking out the spiritual reason why I was put on this planet and Yes partially answered those questions thru their music in that time period, as I was in my mid to late teens at this time with a very troubled soul. Yes gave me inner peace at that time to be myself and not be afraid of that.

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

Wow, that is a big answer. It's amazing what music does for us.

[@johncostello6043]

I wouldn't say that it's the best, because I don't like "Sound Chaser." I would say that "Tales" is the craziest, although comparing a double album to a single album isn't an apples-to-apples comparison. BTW, Rick did "Six Wives" while he was still a Yes member. Some of the "Six Wives" music appears on the Yes live album "Yessongs."

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

Thanks for the correction, John!

[@DanYule55]

1. Tales 2. Close to the Edge 3. Relayer Lovely jubbly

[@Jeff-o-Lee]

"Gates Of Delirium" is based on Tolstoy's "War And Peace". I normally don't like debating music because it's subjective but, saying the lyrics are vapid is a far cry. Rick Wakeman got his advance in 1971 from A&M records to put out a "Six Wives Of Henry The Eighth" which was released in January 1973 & "Tales From Topographic Oceans" was released December of 1973.

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

I'm okay with being wrong! haha Thanks for the commnt, Jeff!

[@bartweitzman227]

What cracks me up, is that Yes Music is now considered required listening in most high school music courses. Relayer is tops on that list and can be used as a whole semester topic due to all the nuances, influences, and creativity the album brought to the genre. Sound Chaser was the song that made my head explode. There is so much packed into this 9:31 second mastery of music. It’s never a dull listen and this is 50 years later. Amazing.

[@liketreeswalking]

This era produced the greatest music of all time... these musicians touched God! And Relayer is Transcendent! We are so lucky to have this music and some of us are lucky enough to remember what 1970s felt like! Compare to our culture today and I get very very sad... but play this vinyl and we are transported to... wonder!

[@danielvahnke3369]

This was a pivotal album in the genesis of MANY punk/alt musicians including Sir Keith Levene. At 11 yrs of age, it helped me understand the 'blind acceleration' risks of speed + chaos for its own sake & how it creates improv forms by clustering & defining splatter patterns/tone clusters (ala Sir Andy Gill). I hate frets.

[@danielsaraceni1848]

Yes, saw the tour with Moraz and this may have been the most creative (fusion inflected) incarnation of Yes.

[@Don.G.Prince]

Definitely Both, I always put Relayer as my #1 Yes album because I love it when musicians do not hold themselves back for whatever reasons. Relayer is Yes at the top of their game in performance and creative writing.

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

So creative and ambitious! Rarely is that pulled off so well. Thanks, Donald.

[@Don.G.Prince]

@@MakeWeirdMusic ELP's Brain Salad Surgery fits this description as well ^_^

[@phatpurrly]

Other than Yessongs, Relayer is my most listened to Yes album. Patrick Moraz brought a refreshing change from Wakeman.

[@phatpurrly]

In defense of the lyrics, Anderson was more concerned with the phonetics and rhythm than content. Still eye rolling and I mostly ignore and just let them wash over me with the music.

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

Whatever his excuse, they're definitely his fault lol

[@Bob-of-Zoid]

I love that album! Tales is great too, and really all of Yes is great in one way or another. It's like they couldn't make a bad piece if they wanted to!

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

Well, there's always Tormato

[@Bob-of-Zoid]

@@MakeWeirdMusic Strange, but true!😁

[@Bob-of-Zoid]

For anyone baffled by reading this: Is from a book from along time ago (50's early 60's) and was also an episode on the twilight zone where the aliens "Came in peace" and humans made friends with them until they found out the aliens were only friendly and feeding them to fatten them up the humans to eat them! "To serve man" was the Title of the Aliens cook book!🤣

[@scottmutterer4967]

Its my fav. Always loved it.

[@noizeartzrecords]

It's my favorite album of all time, barre none.

[@rochalram]

Na época de seu lançamento não sei se gostei tanto. Hoje acho que o Patrick Moraz foi genial, e todos muito performáticos. Moraz passou por aqui no Brasil e tocou no Vímana!

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

I'll be in Brazil in early December! Sao Paolo, Rio, and Belo Horizonte

[@mononoaware1960]

This along with Tales is my favorite Yes, completely agree it’s unlike anything they ever did. I can definitely see how some people wouldn’t like it though. To me the prog excess works with these albums more so than with other bands like ELP. It’s definitely their rawest and most angular, I love how atonal and bizarre it can get. I love a lot of Avant Garde music though so I’m definitely a bit biased lol. I think Steve has said that this was their most jazz influenced album, they saw John McLaughlin with Mahavishnu not too long before this. Speaking of Steve Howe, he is without a doubt the most versatile “rock” player for my money. He’s an absolute master. Jazz, Classical, Country, Folk, Avant Garde, and can tear your head off with a solo. I really can’t think of any other guitarist who has such a solid command of different styles like that, he’s not messing around. I particularly love his acoustic work.

[@Hartlor_Tayley]

Moraz really brought a shot of mania. Maybe Howes best work. I thought the chanting was a allusion to Indonesian monkey chant which was an album that came out a year earlier. Relayer had a bit of Mahavishnu in this one and why not? Great album, all their seventies albums were great

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

Mania is a good word for this! thanks, man

[@Hartlor_Tayley]

@@MakeWeirdMusic I saw Moraz with the Moody Blues and he almost stole the show.

[@izlepox5234]

leaving a note here for myself: 4:10 background guitar at timestamp sounds nice

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

Here's the background track: kzbin.info/www/bejne/j4LHepWQpdGMZs0

[@paulgiaconi-bonaguro4055]

As a consumate Yes fan, udoubtedly Relayer is the peak. Also, a refreshing new sound from Moraz. The most musically challenging of all the albums. It all ends on an exquisite 'cool dwn'. Howe, a tour de force!!!

[@maxo1124]

.Relayer I love ,Patrick Moraz is great in it . This change made the album more dynamic . Waited for more music with him but it was only one.Years later I was lucky to see Yes in original squad (except Bill Bruford) in Melbourne in 2003. They didn't play Relayer...I think Rick don't want to play it ;-) But show was great despite technical problems with Steve guitar...

[@whychromosomesmusic5766]

I'm 62 so a lot of my view of music is based on nostalgia, admittedly. I do remember hearing "Soon" on the radio probably in 1975. And I did like it and it is a memorable tune. I'm more drawn to songs with lyrics. More song structure than long compositions. I did just listen to the whole lp this evening. Parts of it were catchy. I owned Yes, The Yes Album, Fragile, Close to the Edge, Going for the One and Drama as well as Olias of Sunhillow, Criminal Record and Fish Out of Water (which I highly recommend - a very solid lp throughout). I would say out of those probably "Going for the One" is my favorite mostly because of "Turn of the Century". I also think Jon did a great job on "Prince Rupert" for King Crimson. And my record collection was probably full of more Bruford participation projects than anything else. So I think I have a good idea of what I like in the realm of Prog. "Relayer" did not instantly grab me. However, it may be a sleeper. Just a list of those might indicate it may actually grow on me to the point that it is a favorite. "Think Tank" by Blur; "Free All Angels" by Ash; "Scared to Dance" by The Skids were all sleeper albums for me. Thanks for suggesting this album.

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

Thank you for sharing all this! I'll be the first to admit that Relayer is not the easiest Yes album to listen to, but for followers of this channel (emphasis on "weird music") I think it makes sense.

[@whychromosomesmusic5766]

@@MakeWeirdMusic It might grow on me and my tastes in music have been called "weird" since I started collecting albums as a teenager in the mid-1970s. Some of my first albums were "Court of the Crimson King" and "Red". While on Crete from 1984 to 1985 I obtained quite a collection of post punk and New Wave when everyone else was into the latest pop dance and pop metal on the airwaves. In my barracks room you could hear Joy Division, New Order, R.E.M., Buzzcocks, Magazine, Eno, Roxy Music, Simple Minds, Wire, etc. I gave all of that vinyl (and more) to my nieces and nephews. So the music goes on to another generation. I put my hands on the keyboard or guitar and play whatever I feel regardless of what is "conventional." I've always been that way.

[@paulmenard7936]

Nice video Anthony. Relayer is amazing! But it took me a couple of years to enjoy it. Like you say, Howe with his super trebly Telecaster, was too high in the mix. The tempo changes in the middle of Soundchaser still make me laugh. To think back in the day Yes played this music to sold out stadiums!

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

I know, right? Hard to believe Yes is as big as they are. Thanks for watching, Paul!

[@2wayplebney]

Absolutely the best, hands down. I'm not keen on Sound Chaser, but it does act as a pallet cleanser after the drama of Side One, and gets you all comfy for To Be Over. "Soon" gets me every time.

[@MrGariac]

Relayer + Tales + Fish out of water + Close to the edge are my reasons to be heeeeere ! thank you, merci pour la vidéo.

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

LOL good comment.

[@marclajoie4372]

Masterpiece

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

Agreed, Marc

[@reneelyons6836]

True Art

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

Indubitably, Renee!

[@joseluisperezdavalos9539]

Without any doubt Relayer is the best Yes album and a masterpiece for prog-rock history. Cool review...

[@adap2it]

My favorite...got me back listening to Yes after Tales

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

It is just so good.

[@hugorojasalfaro3538]

This album is a genuine jewel!!!

[@JoFandango]

a shame there were no yes album with the same team in 1975 ! it would have been epic !

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

I know! I didn't read about why Moraz left. Do you know the story, Johnny?

[@JoFandango]

@@MakeWeirdMusic he didn't left, they sent him out, thinking the return of wakeman was a better commercial option !

[@psul42]

Learning Mood for a Day and being able to play it all the way through pretty good was my peak guitar. I'm not very good.

[@theboofin]

Anderson's lyrics are Surrealism, that's all.

[@bei1016]

Philadelphia FM DJ Ed Sciakey: Played Relayer on the FM Radio 3 Weeks Before the Record came out. Jon Anderson Sent him an Advance Copy of the Album. He Played The Album. We Made Tapes of the Album. And Played it a Thousand Times. 3 Weeks Later. When Yes Played The Philadelphia Spectrum. The Dedicated Yes Fans were Prepared. I Saw 4 Yes Relayer Shows , Including The JFK Stadium Show. I Still Believe Relayer is 1 of Their Best Albums. The Set Designs were Yes's Best Live Shows.

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

Wow, I really really wish I could have seen a Relayer show, just for Sound Chaser. That song fed my sould for years.

[@mykola_iegorov]

"Steve Howe's show" like you said comes to Tallinn this year with Relayer tour, looking forward to that. So, they have a European tour this year, sadly Jon Anderson is not in a line-up.

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

I'm really curious to see what tempo they play these pieces. They are not easy at all

[@mykola_iegorov]

@@MakeWeirdMusic update, Steve Howe's Yes European tour has cancelled for 3rd year in a row. Requested my money back

[@johnwise9811]

Honestly peak Yes

[@bekantas]

Sin ninguna duda , es una obra maestra ,

[@mickaelb.3931]

The album that introduce me to the Band in 1998... The whole stuff is really great...Maybe exept the "Tcha tcha tcha" at the end of Sound Chaser...

[@keithrichardstaunton]

The live concert with Moraz playing these tunes demonstrates the magic like nothing else. Still fresh after all these years. However, Moraz does get a little sloppy in spots showing his humanity trying to fill Rick’s very big shoes 👟. What’s truly amazing is how they hold the audience attention with tunes that are not radio hits. May we see musical appreciation days like this again 😊

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

I hope so, too, Keith. I think Patrick had an insurmountable task. Not only are Rick's shoes big, but Patrick has big musical feet. He brought so much of himself to this album, I can't imagine having to play like someone totally different.

[@phillipanderson7398]

1:00, Rick Wakeman recorded ( February-October 1972 )and released ( Released 23 January 1973 ), The Six Wives of Henry the VIII a year before Tales From Topographic Oceans was recorded (July-September 1973) and released ( 7 December 1973 ). Even Yes' classic Live album Yessongs ( recorded February to December 1972) has excerpts from Six Wives of Henry VII. (wiki says Excerpts from 'The Six Wives of Henry VIII is a keyboard solo spot of excerpts from Wakeman's first solo album The Six Wives of Henry VIII (1973), which he recorded during the Fragile and Close to the Edge tours and features Howe, Squire, Bruford, and White. The solo is preceded by Anderson singing notes from the opening of another Stravinsky orchestral piece, The Rite of Spring.) Maybe you are thinking of his next album Journey to the Center of the Earth from 1974.

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

Thank you for the correction, Phillip! I am always making mistakes.

[@tonyzz2701]

Relayer is amazing but when i heard « fish out of water », i forgot everything else 😍😍

[@tb-cg6vd]

Yup, this is one of those goosebump albums. And yes, it's completely over the top, bonkers and silly, but that's what makes it Yes, yes?