Yes - Going For The One (remastered)

Year of Release: 2003
Label: Rhino
Catalog Number: 73793
Format: CD
Total Time: 79:44:00

When Yes delivered Going For The One in the middle of the punk phenomenon in 1977 (in fact the album was released on 7/7/77!), it was as if they had been given gallons of fresh blood. With Wakeman back in the line-up, they delivered the kind of sound longtime Yes fans had been wanting to hear ever since Wakeman joined the band and they released Fragile, although augmented with a more contemporary approach. Whilst Johnny Rotten was biting the press' head off, it was exactly Going For The One that topped the UK album charts, whilst the single "Wonderous Stories" even got them onto the popular BBC programme Top Of The Pops, as watched by millions of youngsters. For the first time the combination of Alan White and Chris Squire delivered more of a direct sound, a "younger" approach if you like, and although a track like "Awaken" is still pretty long, Going For The One comprises more shorter tracks, which if we look at the album that preceded it, Relayer came as a rather big surprise! Also, Wakeman introduced some new keyboard sounds, which also helped to change the sound to enter a new era that of a newborn Yes. The new album also introduced a departure from the well-known Roger Dean designs in favour of a more contemporary look designed by Hipgnosis. The second life of Yes could begin.

I'm convinced all of you know exactly what to expect from the "regular" tracks on this album, as this album should have been in your record collection for years now, although the remastered version gives extra depth in the fragile parts such as the delicate acoustic guitar passages of the wonderful "Turn Of The Century." Also Rick's delightful piano is a highlight to listen to, both during "Turn Of The Century" as well as "Awaken." No doubt the most unexpected comes with "Parallels," which combines pure authentic rock'n roll with church organ, a combination only Yes was capable to ever pull off! But let's have a look at the impressive number of seven bonus tracks. Recorded at Advision studios, London on November 4th, 1976, the traditional "Amazing Grace" performed as a solo here by Chris Squire was already issed as one of the unreleased tracks on the lavish Yes Years 4CD box set as issued by Atco in 1991. So was "Montreux's Theme," a group composition recorded during the band's stint at the Mountain Studios in Montreux towards the end of '76- beginning of '77, part of which Steve Howe sometimes uses in his solos. Also included in the Yes Years box set was "Vevey," but only part one, which then clocked in at as little as 1:07. Here on the remastered Going For The One release, all of this collaboration between Jon and Rick is included in all of it's 4:47 glory. With Jon on harp and Rick on church organ, this piece was recorded on 23rd February 1978 at the church in Vevey, Switzerland. Rick lived in Vevey for a while, his neighbour being none other than David Bowie. It's in the Mountain Studios during the recordings for Going For The One that he met Danielle Corminboeuf, who soon afterwards became the second misses Wakeman and who gave Rick his third son Benjamin.

The four final tracks have all been unissued so far, so these recordings are the true gems for any Yes fan and collector. All four of these tracks are rehearsals as recorded during the planning stages at Mountain Studios. Both "Going For The One," as well as "Turn Of The Century" turned out a little longer on the actual album than during these recordings with "Awaken," even becoming more than three minutes longer. On the other hand "Parallels" was cut down half a minute to make it on the finished album. It's interesting, to say the least, to feel as if you're present during those recording stages, so you can hear what was changed in the end. The version of "Going For The One" only contains the work of Steve Howe, Alan White and Chris Squire, which makes this instrumental sound more direct, more rockish than the polished final version. The vocals on the rehearsal take for "Parallels" sound like the Backstreet Boys after a long night out! Again the rhythm is more straight, harder-edged, more rock 'n' roll if you want. Also "Turn Of The Century" in its demo form sounds like poor man's prog to me, so definitely a lot of hard work went into arranging it in order to get it in the form we all know and love so well. Jon's singing is in no way the quality we are used to. In fact it sounds like "prog punk"! Here Steve plays the intro on electric guitar, whilst for the final version he switched to classical guitar. Big difference also where "Parallels" is concerned, where on the finished take you have this amazing church organ solo from Rick, which on the rehearsal take seems to be a rough guitar solo from Steve. Dunno who's responsible for these changes, but it sure is nice to be able to sit in during these recordings with this Rhino release. Looking at the small price these little beauties cost no serious music lover should be without this title or any of the Yes titles in the Rhino remastered series for that matter. Great job!

Originally released by Atlantic

Tracklisting:
Going For The One (5:30) / Turn Of The Century (7:58) / Parallels (5:52) / Wonderous Stories (3:45) / Awaken (15:38) / Bonus Tracks: Monteux's Theme (First Issued On YesYears, Atco #91644 (8/6/91)) (2:34) / Vevey (Revisited) (Edit of this track was first issued on YesYears, Atco #91644 (8/6/91)) (4:43) / Amazing Grace (First issued on YesYears, Atco #91644 (8/6/91)) (2:31) / Going For The One (Rehearsal) (5:00) / Parallels (Rehearsal) (6:33) / Turn Of The Century (Rehearsal) (7:00) / Eastern Numbers (Early Version of

Musicians:
Rick Wakeman - organ, piano, keyboards, choir arrangement, polymoog
Jon Anderson - harp, vocals
Steve Howe - acoustic guitar, guitar, electric guitar, steel guitar, vocals
Chris Squire - bass, vocals
Alan White - percussion, drums

Discography:
Yes (1969)
Time And A Word (1970)
The Yes Album (1971)
Fragile (1972)
Close To The Edge (1972)
Yessongs (1973)
Tales From Topographic Oceans (1974)
Relayer (1975)
Going For The One (1977)
Tormato (1978)
Yesshows (1980)
Drama (1980)
Classic Yes (1982)
90125 (1983/2004)
90125 Live - The Solos (1985)
Big Generator (1987)
Union (1989)
Yesyears (1991)
Yesstory (1991)
Highlights: The Very Best Of Yes (1993)
Talk (1994)
Keys To Ascension I (1996)
Keys To Ascension II (1997)
Open Your Eyes (1997)
Yes, Friends And Relatives (1998)
Beyond And Before: BBC Recordings 1969-1970 (1998)
Something's Coming (1998)
Friends & Relatives (1998)
The Ladder (1999)
Millennium Collection (1999)
House Of Yes: Live From The House Of Blues (2000)
Yes, Friends and Relatives - Volume Two (2001)
YesSymphonic (ep) (2001)
Magnification (2001)
Keystudio (ep) (2001)
3 For 1 Box Set (2001)
Original Members Of Yes (2001)
Extended Versions (2002)
Friends And Relatives: Ultimate Collection, Vol. 1 (2002)
Yestoday (2002)
In A Word (2002)
Yes Remixes (2003)
Friends And Relatives: Ultimate Collection, Vol. 2 (2003)
Roundabout: Best Of Yes Live (2003)
The Yes Story Gold (2003)
The Ultimate Yes - 35th Anniverary Collection (2004)
(Re)Union (2004)
Topography: The Yes Anthology (2004)
Inside Yes 1968-1973: A Critical Review (2004)
The Word Is Live (2005)
Live And Solo: The Collection (2006)
Greatest Hits Live (2006)
An Evening Of Yes (2006)
Yesstories: Group & Solo Tales (2006)
Essentially Yes (2006)
The Definitive Rock Collection (2007)
Roundabout & Other Hits (2006)
Live At Montreux 2003 (2007)
Works (2007)
The Best Of Yes: 1970-1987 (2007)
Symphonic Live (2009)
The BBC Recordings 1969-1970 (2009)
Introducing Yes (2009)
Wonderous Stories: The Best Of Yes (2009)
Union Live (2011)
Fly From Here (2011)
In The Present - Live From Lyon (2011)
Heaven & Earth (2014)
Songs From Tsongas (2014)
Like It Is: Yes At The Bristol Hippodrome (2014)
Progeny: Seven Shows From Seventy-Two (boxset) (2015)
Like It Is: Yes At The Mesa Arts Center (2015)
Topographic Drama - Live Across America (2017)
Fly From Here - Return Trip (2018)
From A Page - Studio Tracks Plus In The Present Live From Lyon (2019) Yes50 Live (2019)

9012LIve (VHS/DVD) (1985/2005)
Greatest Hits Video (VHS/DVD) (1991/2001)
Yesyears: A Retrospective (VHS/DVD) (1991/2003)
Yes: Live - 1975 At Q.P.R. (VHS) (1993)
Live In Philadelphia 1979 (VHS/DVD) (1996/2003)
Keys To Ascension (VHS/DVD) (1997/2001/2009)
The Union Tour Live (DVD) (1999)
House Of Yes: Live From The House Of Blues (VHS/DVD) (2000)
The Best Of MusikLaden Live (VHS/DVD) (2000/2003)
Live In Amsterdam (VHS/DVD) (2002)
Symphonic Live (DVD+CD) (2003)
Yes: Special Edition EP (DVD) (2003)
YesSpeak (DVD) (2003)
YesAcoustic (DVD) (2004/2006)
35th Anniversary Concert: Songs From Tsongas (DVD) (2004)
YesSpeak - YesAcoustic - 35th Anniversary Edition (DVD) (2005)
Critical Review 1968-1973 (DVD) (2005)
Greatest Video Hits (DVD) (2005)
Inside Yes Plus Friends And Family (DVD) (2006)
Acoustic Live (DVD) (2006)
Total Rock Review (DVD) (2006)
Close To The Edge: Rock Milestones (DVD) (2007)
Live At Montreux (DVD/BR) (2007)
The Lost Broadcasts (DVD) (2009)
Rock Of The 70s (DVD) (2009)
Union Live (2011)
Live Hemel Hempstead Pavilion October 3rd 1971 (2014)

Genre: Symphonic Prog

Origin UK

Added: June 7th 2004
Reviewer: John "Bobo" Bollenberg

Artist website: yesworld.com
Hits: 2913
Language: english