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573 Reviews - 332 Artists - 79 Detailed biographical profiles - 26 Prog Meteors -  22 Progressive Rock Subgenres

Relayer by Yes

25-09-2025 14:13

FrancescoProg

Symphonic Rock, ESSENTIAL, Seventies Albums, yes, chris-squire, jon-anderson, steve-howe, patrick-moraz, alan-white,

Relayer by Yes

Relayer by the magnificent Yes, an album from 1974, released a year after Tales from Topographic Oceans and after part of Rick Wakeman left the band...

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Relayer by the magnificent Yes, a 1974 album, released a year after Tales from Topographic Oceans and after Rick Wakeman left the band, was replaced after several auditions by Patrick Moraz, who played with Yes on this album and also appears on a 1980 album, Yesshows, which collects tracks recorded before its release.


The album's structure is the same as Close to the Edge: a long suite on the first side and two songs on the second. It goes without saying how the keyboard style influenced the album's sound, moving from Wakeman's classically influenced sound to Moraz's more modern style, yet still rich in virtuosity and nuance.


Jon Anderson, always immense in his interpretation and unique style.

- "The Gates of Delirium" is a suite about war, with excellent orchestration. The final section is especially beautiful, featuring a sort of overlapping of solos. The main theme is a beautiful, sweet melody, with Jon Anderson's angelic voice making the difference.

- "Sound Chaser" is a jazz-influenced song, almost entirely instrumental, with beautiful jams and dissonances, and a fantastic solo by Steve Howe.

- "To Be Over" is a melodic piece, with beautiful parts by Howe on guitar and sitar. A beautiful song.


The cover is beautiful, also based on a painting by Roger Dean.


This album is definitely one of Yes's masterpieces in my opinion, following "Close to the Edge" and "Fragile" in beauty and importance. I'd put it among the 20 best progressive rock albums.

Relayer features elements of both Close to the Edge and Tales from Topographic Oceans, with Patrick Moraz in top form, his personal style making Rick Wakeman's absence felt, at least for me.

Great Album!


The Tracks

1. The Gates of Delirium (21:55)
2. Sound Chaser (9:25)
3. To Be Over (9:08)
Running Time 40:28


Line-Up

- Jon Anderson - lead vocals
- Steve Howe - acoustic and electric guitar, pedal steel guitar, electric sitar, vocals
- Patrick Moraz - keyboards (piano, Hammond, Vako Orchestron synthesizer, Moog)
- Chris Squire - bass, vocals
- Alan White - drums and percussion

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