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Geoff Downes on Downes Braide Association’s ‘Suburban Ghosts’ – 201

Suburban Ghosts
Win a copy of the new Downes Braide Association album, ‘Suburban Ghosts’!

After popping into episode 200 last week, Geoff Downes is back to talk about his new album with Chris Braide. Geoff also sets the question to win one of two copies of the album. Send your answers to show@yesmusicpodcast.com by 19th November 2015. I will choose the winners at random on next week’s show.

  • What style of music do Downes Braide Association create?
  • Is there more than meets the eye in this album?
  • How does Geoff fit all his music making in?

Listen to the episode and then let me know what you think!

 

Show notes and links

Yes latest setlist!

Preston Frazier reviews I’ve Seen All Good People

Bass Player Magazine Chris Squire feature

Downes Braide Association website

 

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Theme music

The music I use is the last movement of Stravinsky’s Firebird Suite. This has been used as introduction music at many Yes concerts. My theme music is not take from a live concert – I put it together from the following two creative commons sources: thanvannispen and archive.org

4 replies on “Geoff Downes on Downes Braide Association’s ‘Suburban Ghosts’ – 201”

Good to hear M-A K’s review of the LP Yes. Apart from saying it was better than TaaW I’d agree. I think back then though, production was better in that there were fewer variables therefore simpler was better. Where it does score over TaaW is that it is just them, no string section.

Funnily enough, I too bought an early copy of that very same LP recently. Until then I’d had the USA version with the rubbish cover, a photo of the band rather than the YES logo. I swear it sounds better, perhaps the older vinyl was more resilient . Still apart from Chris’s bass, it sounds a bit naive compared to what followed.

Geoff Downes sounds like he is so miserable. He looks like that on the Yes live DVD too. I think that Video killed more than the radio star, it killed his will to live. That is in no way a commentary on your interview Kevin, you tried to engage him in conversation but he sounds more like Roy Hodgson than a musician. After the interview I had no interest in trying to win the album, I’d rather listen to the Buggles than a pair of miserable ex-pats. Sorry if that sounds ungrateful.

Greetings Jeremy. ..thank you for the kind words. Yes my main issue with Time and a Word was indeed the orchestra…i found they sometimes were distracting. Mind you for 1970 it did sound pretty good but I have a feeling if they did that album today it would have turned out better….wait a minute they did do it…it’s called Magnification. Great to hear you also have a vinyl copy of the debut album and yes old vinyl does sound better…just like old wine tastes better.

I’m sure the vinyl of the UK and US of “Yes” sounds the same. I didn’t do the comparison. I’m just glad to have the proper cover after nearly 40 years of the wrong one.
Time and a Word is still a fabulous album. The strings are an oddity but once you get used to them it is not a problem. Just listen to the power and tightness of the ensemble. It is truly memorable. I’d put it ahead of The Yes Album for that. However the songs on the latter are epic.
I can’t comment on Magnification, I’ve never heard it, nor ever will.

By the way I like very much your reviews of Rick’s albums. Most of them are total crap. IU did see him live once back in the 70s for the King Arthur tour in Leeds. It was a great fun night out. Rick is a man of the people. Have you seen him on “Grumpy Old Men”? Recently he was interviewed on Talksport radio, it was him at his best. Totally grounded.

Thanks Jeremy. I’m not sure Geoff is really miserable – just comes over that way. I like the album and I didn’t think I would. I really must dig out the Yes vinyl again and see if can hear the difference between the old ones I have and the ones I bought new in the 1980s. The weight is definitely a factor.

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