Aurora, Yes (CD, Inside Out)
Tell me that isn’t what I think it is?
What? It’s a CD I bought.
I can see that. But it’s by Yes, isn’t it. It’s got one of those airbrush landscapes on it.
I know that. I bought it because I like Yes.
I thought they were all dead now?
No, not at all. Only some of them. And by all accounts, they are a band re-energized by new members, and on a bit of a roll.
Bread roll…
I don’t think so.
Play us a bit of this masterpiece then.
I thought you hated them?
I do, but you have to give them a chance.
Ok, this first track, the title track, was the first single. It has a great animated video to go with it.
Ok, that’s enough. Next!
And this was the second single.
More of the same. Is there anything worth hearing?
Well, let’s try Countermovement, 13 minutes woven together from four individual movements or pieces.
Or not quite woven together. More like tracks fudged together with some widdly-diddly guitars and keyboards or meaningful pregnant pauses. Rick Wakeman has never sounded so boring.
Well I think he has, but he hasn’t been in the band for yonks. Geoff Downes is the keyboard player now.
From Biggles?
The Buggles, yes.
Tally ho, Trevor, bring her down to land. Strafe those Jerries.
You can’t say that.
I just did, so hard luck. I’m only joking. I like jokes, though not this album.
You haven’t exactly given it a chance!
Why would I? I know it’s gonna be crap. Hippyshit vocals, power chords and endless solos from the guitarist and horrible plastic sounding synths.
Anything else?
Well the orchestral bits are a bit much aren’t they? Trying to convince us all how serious and highbrow it all is.
Or it might just be for musical colouring?
Maybe, maybe not. I quite like the bass, and the drums are, well they do whatever drums always do. I’m sure drum machines are more useful though.
Come on, the big drum sounds helps make the music progressive.
Progressive? In what universe is this progressive? Most of it seems either tame M.O.R. or warbly folk-rock.
If you say so.
I do. I mean what planet do these guys live on? They don’t seem to have heard anything from the last 40 years or so.
What do you want? Duets with Kylie or a Grime album?
Well, Kylie can sing better than anything I’ve heard today, but what on earth is Grime? Apart from what lives under my fingernails.
Oh, for goodness sake put your metal albums away and start listening to some contemporary music.
If this is contemporary music, I’ll pass, thanks.
It’s not, is it? I mean it is, but that isn’t what I meant. There’s loads of interesting new music out there. I just like Yes as well.
It’s just one of your nostalgia trips, I reckon.
And Budgie, Deep Purple, Bethnal and Iron Butterfly aren’t?
Well, some music surpasses it’s moment of creation and becomes immortal.
And some of it is and always was crap.
Well, there is that too. Anyway, have you finished playing me this?
Yes, I don’t think you’re helping with a conducive atmosphere for listening.
The pub’s open? Liquid lunch?
You’re a bad influence but OK.
I do my best.
Johnny ‘Sky Dancer’ Brainstorm