Yes's 'Tormato', a Unique Style of Musical Progression 'Up in Smoke'
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Yes's 'Tormato', a unique style of musical progression By Paul Koons something between the two-good strong and straight title for the band.'' One'' dazzled the listener with the vocals well backed,'' said Chris Squire in In fact, the search for growth that refined power of performance as well as Ten years ago, in London's Soho Melody Maker. Jon Anderson offered as motivated Jon Anderson and Chris composition. district, Jon Andersori was working at a a criterion, "The main thing is to think Squire to found the 'Yes', reflected the The eleventh album, "Tormato", is a club called La Chasse. He wanted to on the liens of entertaining the public." zeitgeist in 1968: the strong need for superlatively executed work of art. The meet other musicians that were Drummer Bill Bruford was found by change in rock-popular styles of music, first piece, "Future Times", opens with interested in forming a new band. In means of a classified ad. He had dropped including the incorporation of elements a scintillating Wakeman•synthesizer run. walked Chris Squire. He met Jon out of Leeds University to join the Savoy from other musical.. genre. Jon Anderson really takes off with his Anderson at the bar, the two of them Brown, and had been with that group for The first Yes album, entitled simply unique vocals in a fast-paced rocker. talked it over, and the band became a only a short time. Also recruited were "Yes", was released in 1969. It ."Future Times" leads directly into real possibility. guitarist Peter Banks and keyboardsman introduced the new Yes sound, with "Rejoice", which was in the same In talking, they discovered that Tony Kaye. Anderson's own vocal style. Yes did not tradition. neither was interested in simply The name 'Yes' was picked for a rely on rhythm and blues, as did most Rick Wakeman leads the next song following the boring top-40 type of definite purpose. Said Jon Anderson, rock music, but used more of a folk-pop with his harpsichord. He is joined by format. They wanted balanced music. In "Yes got pulled out of the bag, I think. classical background. The early Yes Steve Howe's spanish guitar to make other words, "You get groups with The names were very quick and precise. music tended to be long in duration also. this song a mellower one, but still powerful backing and bad vocals or good We wanted to be strong in conviction in On the first album, no track was shorter driving with controlled energy. The last vocals and faulty backing. wanted. what we're We had to have a than eight minutes. This trend continued song on side one, entitled "Release", is until "Fragile", the fourth album, which an all-stops-out rocker, with a drum solo contained tracks or shorter length. The by Alan White and the roaring of the fantastic single, "Roundabout", ap audience in the background. Steve peared on this album. Howe's lead guitar is powerful and The group evolved further. After the supercharged. Rick Wakeman's back addition of Steve Howe in 1970, Peter ground synthesizer in the leading part of Banks left to work with another band. this song gives the full range of richness Rick Wakeman joined in 1971, replacing to the number. Alan White's drum work Tony Kaye. Rick Wakeman's training in sets a driving tempo for the song, yet it classical music, along with his introduc is not overwhelming, in keeping with the tion of multiple keyboards, mellotron, philosophy of the Yes. and harpsichord gave Yes a new dimen The first number on side two, titled sion. With the addition of Alan White, "Arriving UFO", begins with a celestial Yes reached its present complement of Rick Wakeman solo on the Polymoog and five musicians. Birotron synthesizers. On the tenth album, "Going for the The last song on the album, "On the One'', the trend toward shorter Silent Wings of Freed6m'' , starts with a compositions was continued. With five Squire guitar lead, backed by White's tracks, it was the first album produced drum tempo. Jon Anderson lends entirely by the 'Yes'. "Going for the richness to the instrumentals using an Alvarez ten-string guitar. Rick Wake man provides the delicate RMI and Polymoog synthesizer tapestry. The instrumental introduction lasts well over a minute and a half. This final selection incorporates all the versatility and richness that is Yes. "Tormato", the eleven Yes album, is a masterpiece of interwoven delicate and intricate instrumentals and vocals. The album contains fast-paced rock as well as softer, mellower music, from celestial mystical selections on side two to the driving "Release. Release". "Tormato" is a crafting of all of these elements into a collection of music that is ver:v fine indeed. 'Up in Smoke' Actors are the only ones high By Paul Strohl concerns the adventures of two highly fact that the director failed to perceive drugged refugees from late-60's Cali this. Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong interesting highlights of the drug Have you ever gone to see a certain fornia. But it takes place in the 70's, and sound much better than they act. What culture. Instead it concentrated on the movie. but somehow ended up seeing so we meet some stereotypical charac works in a record doesn't necessarily recurring theme of humor and silliness another? Accidently !ended up at one ters and some predictable scenes work on film . They are funny, but need associated with the drug mystique. Too which I normally would avoid, Up in happen. control. They need a good director to bad. Smoke. I thought that maybe I'd take a They are hassled by cops, get thrown work with them to help them adapt to a There was a time when censors didn't chance and put away my prejudices, and in jail (then are out again in the next visual medium. allow anything to be shown if drugs were since I was already late for the other film scene). get mixed up in a drug Technically the film ignores the involved. Today censorship is much I might as well try it. The result was that smuggling scheme, pick up a pair of possibility of creative camera usage. The more restrained (but still too oppressive) although I saw a terrible film, at least I over-sexed hitch-hikers, meet a psy only sequence that showed any and that should be taken into learned a lesson. From now on I'll get to chotic Vietnam vet, and end up at a punk consideration for visuals is a scene in the consideration. If the freedom exists, why the theater in plenty of time. band-battle. Nothing new here. courtroom after they get busted. They not use it? It is sad to see a drug film in Up in Smoke is advertised as a film Maybe good directing might have had to swallow all their drugs to avoid which the only symptom of getting high you must be stoned to enjoy, and ag:ee. saved these overly used conventions, but confiscation·, and by the time they were is increased appetite (munchies). There To go unconscious is better, or not to go since the stars (Cheech and Chong) arraigned they were really bombed . •The is more involved and Up in Smoke fails to at all is best! But if you are stoned wanted to use much of their old material camera followed this well, and the deal with it. Up in Smoke cops out! maybe you won't notice that there is no the end result is uninspiring. The jokes swirling courtroom was nice. It is Maybe I expect too much from a film. plot. or that the acting is bad, and the are occasionally funny, but they are too unfortunate that this scene was irrele Up in Smoke was fun (in a limited way) directing is non-existent. Unfortunately I repetitious. Just because a joke is funny vant to the flow of the narrative. The but really added up to nothing. It has no went straight, and as a result saw some once doesn't mean you have to use it only other visual scene was at the punk thought or purpose. It is pure drivel and really bad things. continuously until it's not funny concert-but that's different. Punks are loud music. To begin with. let's take-the story. It is anymore. Maybe if I were stoned it naturally visual. But at least I've learned to get to the hard tn say that there is a story at all. but might have helped, but I doubt it. The major oddity of the film was its theater early if I want to see a good flick. in that "there was a chain of events that Acting in the film is simply non view of drugs. It was supposed to be a If it weren't for multiple theaters. films concerned the same characters, we'll call professional. There is an obvious lack of film about drugs and drugusers, but it like Up in Smoke would never make it. it a story for the sake of discussion. It acting ability. and it is amplified by the t0tally ignored the realistic and And rightly so. .