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Produced by Joseph Cottrell, Wayne Hall, Ken Fuller and Jeffrey Crecelius
What songs spring to mind when you think about Yes Positivity? Possibly the most positive band in history, there are plenty of obvious examples of songs but which would you choose? Mark and I had a great time choosing three songs each that encapsulate that essential Yes trait.
You might be surprised that our choices came from all sorts of eras of the band. Perhaps this means the basis of the band has been maintained throughout the decades.
Please do add your own choices to the comments here – and let us know why the songs you choose are imbued with such positivity for you.
- Are our choices obvious or a bit more unexpected?
- What is it about these songs that makes them come over as positive?
- How do these songs make you feel?
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- Joseph Cottrell
- Wayne Hall
- Ken Fuller
- Jeffrey Crecelius
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8 replies on “Yes Positivity – 721”
Our Song – first that comes to mind!
To the question:
“Are our choices obvious or a bit more unexpected?”
… I’d say, it’s a mix!
Sure, “It Will be A Good Day”, “Life Me Up”, and “Time And A Word” are pretty obviously positive songs … but “Perpetual Change” and “In The Presence Of” are positive in deeper (pun intended), less obvious ways!
“What is it about these songs that makes them come over as positive?”
Ah, now we get into the uniquely YES aspect … not just positivity in lyrics, nor in pleasant melodies, but real layers of complexity & resolve, conflict & resolution, challenge & triumph. As a counter-example, “I’ve Seen All Good People” is happy, but it starts out rocking and happy, and it ends rocking and happy. It’s like a good party. But “To Be Over” or “And You And I” takes you on a journey … and it’s at times a very pleasant journey, but it’s also a passionate, complex one, and includes some degree of struggle, but it ends joyously, in a way that makes the happiness meaningful, significant, substantive.
My personal philosophy regarding music (and art in general) is that it’s okay if music takes you to very dark places, as long as it doesn’t leave you there. This is one of the reasons that Yes has been my favorite band since I first heard the album Going For The One in the late seventies.
“How do these songs make you feel?”
These, and the best of Yes, make me feel that life is wondrous … that it isn’t always easy … nor should it be … but that success is possible … and more … that joy, happiness, triumph, ecstasy are not only possible, but THE NORM, to be expected, achieved, appreciated, celebrated.
Love your observations. Harkens to the distinctions between happiness, joy, and hope. We ENJOY YES.
“I’ve Seen All Good People” was the first song that came to mind for me when I saw the topic of this episode, but “It Can Happen” is my next purposeful selection, followed by “Finally.”
I think Soon is the most positive piece Yes ever did. Ok, it’s a part of The Gates of Delerium, but it has also been released as a standalone track. And it sings about only positive things: That soon the light will return, and soon everything will be ok again. Despite all the hardships, the fighting and the war. So that gets my vote.
I also love Looking Around. That is just a great rock track, and is my favorite track on their debut album. And I guess Roundabout is a positive song. It has a fantastic drive and energy, and Jon sings about positive things.
Agree with Mark winner is ITPO. My ringtone.
Sleeper suggestion Believe Again. Fun to see it introduced by Chris at the Ryman on YouTube.
Thanks
Great podcast again. Superb topic and choices. But over shadowed by 6 words from Mr K: “some people enjoy being tied up” LOL
Great episode, guys! I am also attracted to Yes music because it embodies positivity, both in music and lyrics. As Mark so rightly pointed out, Yes music is dominated by major keys. As a wannabe song writer, I think it’s more difficult to write songs in major keys. Minor keys easily draw on the darker emotions (consider Pink Floyd songs, for example). Nothing wrong with that at all, but I think it takes a more refined sense of creativity to write positive music. Okay, here are my top three positive Yes tracks: 1) It Will Be A Good Day was the first one that came to mind for the exact reasons that Kevin mentioned. 2) Yours is No Disgrace is about Vietnam and, as Jon said in an interview, it wasn’t a disgrace for those boys to fight because when they are “crawling out of dirty holes their morals disappear”. They’re just trying to survive in an impossible situation they were forced into by this “silly human race”. 3) Soon is only part of a song, but it is about peace after war, healing after pain, and light after darkness. If that’s not positivity, I don’t know what is.