Music of Yes: Structure and Vision in Progressive Rock (Feedback - The Series in Contemporary Music)

Rating:
Summary: Impressive personal knowledge of the subject.
Review: Looking through the lens of social philosophy rather than musicology, Bill Martin succeeds in his very personal account of the importance of Yes. Entirely absorbing and insightful, this is a compelling volume of social criticism which explained much of my own past to me. Eventually, however, I found the personal interpretations too much to bother with and was made hungry for a fuller technical study of this fascinating music. For example, writing out strings of note-letters is an inadequate substitute for quoting the musical lines, and avoiding musical techno-speak develops a techno-speak all its own. A fine and absorbing read that goes 50% of the way towards being comprehensive.

Rating:
Summary: A must for serious Yes fans.
Review: Martin takes you by the hand behind the lines of the lyrics of the most influencial prog band of the 70's. Although some background on phylosophical concepts might be helpful, the essay goes quite well for us average mortals (specially non-English native speakers as me!). Cross references with other outstanding bands such as King Crimson and Genesis make the reading not only enjoyable but very enlightening. If someone wants to understand what Yes meant in their work, this is the book on your bedside table!

Rating:
Summary: If you like prog and Yes - buy it!
Review: This is very good book for Yes and prog funs! Well, Bill sometimes likes to put some philosophy fog, but he is professor! What do you want from him? -:)
Anyway, I guess the most prog funs are ( at least) colledge graduate! So, the complains about complexity of some parts sound a little bit odd! This book isn't a comics, and the subject is not a music of KidR ock! -:) -:)
Seriously: the book is good written and has some interesting views from unususal angles on Yes music.

Rating:
Summary: Tour-de-force book on Yes
Review: Yes burst onto the musical scene in the early 1970's with a string of remarkably creative musical works. Radio hits like "Roundabout," and the epic "Close to the Edge" exhibited that instrumental virtuosity, esthetic merit, and commercial appeal could co-exist in Rock music. As the decade progressed even more ambitious works were attempted such as "Tales from Topographic Oceans" and "The Gates of Delirium" showing that Yes was willing to take risks in the pursuit of a genuinely artistic vision. The Times of London even went so far as to suggest that Yes' music would be played and studied for centuries to come. But many Rock critics were unconvinced and outright dismissive. Yes fans, however, knew better, hoping that serious criticism and evaluation would eventually arrive. Bill Martin, a philosopher, musician, and social critic, provides just such a fascinating, thought provoking examination of Yes' music in his "The Music of Yes." Martin delves into a variety of aspects of Yes' music including: 1) the utopian character of Yes music. 2) He situates Yes in the context of the Romantic tradition (Blake and Wordsworth) of which they are a part. 3) And as a musician he discusses Yes' classical influences and considerable theory behind their music. Martin handles all these topics with passion, intelligence, and he rises to the occasion with vivid, rich, and suggestive descriptions and analysis of Yes' best works. Martin's style is often digressive, but the range of topics discussed, and the richness of his associations, make for a very edifying experience. The more the reader puts into this engaging book, the more he or she will benefit. Martin's book, is in many ways, similar to the best of Yes' music: it is long, eclectic, idiosyncratic, ambitious, often brilliant, occasionally awkward, but ultimately a mesmerizing tour-de-force.

Rating:
Summary: Tour-de-force book on Yes
Review: Yes burst onto the musical scene in the early 1970's with a string of remarkably creative musical works. Radio hits like "Roundabout," and the epic "Close to the Edge" exhibited that instrumental virtuosity, esthetic merit, and commercial appeal could co-exist in Rock music. As the decade progressed even more ambitious works were attempted such as "Tales from Topographic Oceans" and "The Gates of Delirium" showing that Yes was willing to take risks in the pursuit of a genuinely artistic vision. The Times of London even went so far as to suggest that Yes' music would be played and studied for centuries to come. But many Rock critics were unconvinced and outright dismissive. Yes fans, however, knew better, hoping that serious criticism and evaluation would eventually arrive. Bill Martin, a philosopher, musician, and social critic, provides just such a fascinating, thought provoking examination of Yes' music in his "The Music of Yes." Martin delves into a variety of aspects of Yes' music including: 1) the utopian character of Yes music. 2) He situates Yes in the context of the Romantic tradition (Blake and Wordsworth) of which they are a part. 3) And as a musician he discusses Yes' classical influences and considerable theory behind their music. Martin handles all these topics with passion, intelligence, and he rises to the occasion with vivid, rich, and suggestive descriptions and analysis of Yes' best works. Martin's style is often digressive, but the range of topics discussed, and the richness of his associations, make for a very edifying experience. The more the reader puts into this engaging book, the more he or she will benefit. Martin's book, is in many ways, similar to the best of Yes' music: it is long, eclectic, idiosyncratic, ambitious, often brilliant, occasionally awkward, but ultimately a mesmerizing tour-de-force.

Rating:
Summary: Tour-de-force book on Yes
Review: Yes burst onto the musical scene in the early 1970's with a string of remarkably creative musical works. Radio hits like "Roundabout," and the epic "Close to the Edge" exhibited that instrumental virtuosity, esthetic merit, and commercial appeal could co-exist in Rock music. As the decade progressed even more ambitious works were attempted such as "Tales from Topographic Oceans" and "The Gates of Delirium" showing that Yes was willing to take risks in the pursuit of a genuinely artistic vision. The Times of London even went so far as to suggest that Yes' music would be played and studied for centuries to come. But many Rock critics were unconvinced and outright dismissive. Yes fans, however, knew better, hoping that serious criticism and evaluation would eventually arrive. Bill Martin, a philosopher, musician, and social critic, provides just such a fascinating, thought provoking examination of Yes' music in his "The Music of Yes." Martin delves into a variety of aspects of Yes' music including: 1) the utopian character of Yes music. 2) He situates Yes in the context of the Romantic tradition (Blake and Wordsworth) of which they are a part. 3) And as a musician he discusses Yes' classical influences and considerable theory behind their music. Martin handles all these topics with passion, intelligence, and he rises to the occasion with vivid, rich, and suggestive descriptions and analysis of Yes' best works. Martin's style is often digressive, but the range of topics discussed, and the richness of his associations, make for a very edifying experience. The more the reader puts into this engaging book, the more he or she will benefit. Martin's book, is in many ways, similar to the best of Yes' music: it is long, eclectic, idiosyncratic, ambitious, often brilliant, occasionally awkward, but ultimately a mesmerizing tour-de-force.