[Introspective] Yes, Etc et al

Sun Mar 22 11:26:24 PDT 2009

I'd have to agree that Yes is not the best PSB album since Very, but I can see how, for many people, it might be the most fun PSB album since Very, because the sound of Yes is closer to Very than any PSB album since Very.

Fundamental was pretty much the best PSB album since Very, but Yes doesn't suffer from some of the execution and pace failings of Fundamental.  And Fundamental didn't really have any serious execution and pace failings.  However, beginning with Biligual, PSB began to make some pretty obvious execution, pace, and song-selection errors on their albums.  Don't get me wrong: I think the material on Bilingual is actually superior to the material on Very, overall, but it was uncohesive, poorly executed, and the song-selection needed a bit of tweaking.  It really ould have been their best album (this is also my opinion of Release, more or less, but Release suffered less execution errors.  Release suffered from some key song-selection mistakes).  Nightlife remains their worst album.  All fluff and pumping production, but it failed in song quality and then suffered even more by the album's losing its steam and pace in the second half.  "For your own good" remains one of PSB's best-ever opening tracks, but the album sort of goes downhill from there.

To me, Yes's main failing lies not with its song quality, pacing, or execution.  The main problem with Yes its track editing and glossy, throw-away production sound (so I guess that might count as exeution).  Many of the tracks are beautiful, instrumentally, but we never get to hear many instrumental portions.  And when a fun instrumental portion begins, the song ends immediately (Boy Strange did this, on Nightlife).  "Beautiful people" has this beautiful ending, but it should have lasted longer, and louder, and this bit should have come in the middle of the song.  Same for "King of Rome": my god, what a great and sad piece of music we get to hear at the end, but only as the song fades away!  "Vulnerable" would sound rally cool with longer instrumental portions, but the song is covered in lyrics, and when they're over, the song is over.  "Legacy" gets really beautiful, and then its over.  But this is Yes's failing: everything is edited so tightly and neatly, there's no time to let he songs breathe.  

I will admit, however, that Yes is pretty good.  I also think that, whatever it is as an album, it is exactly what Neil and Chris were going for: they wanted a tight, well-paced, Xenomania-type album (kind of like a modern Stock-Aiken-Waterman album).  In that respect, it actually works.  And that is also kinds of fun, because it breaks up the pace of heavy PSB works.  It contains some really cools, and some moods that we often only hear on PSB's more interesting B-sides.  It's packaged with Nightlife's danceability, and with Very's pace.  To me, it's the right PSB album at the right time.

-Ali

> Date: Sat, 21 Mar 2009 23:01:20 -0700
> To: introspective at lists.jameslick.com
> From: the-magician at magick-land.com
> Subject: [Introspective] Yes, Etc et al
> 
> I'm a bit surprised I haven't seen any detailed track-by-track 
> reviews of the new album, that everyone seems so fond of doing... 
> maybe you are waiting for the proper release date out of respect?
> 
> Well, I'm not.  I got plenty of time, and plenty of good vibes for 
> this album, and I better get them on paper while the turntable's hot. 
> I won't make a stupid joke, like "I say YES to this album, 
> guffaw!"... but that's how I feel.
> 
> So if you want to know how I REALLY feel, in a detailed 
> track-by-track review, read on...
> 
> -------------
> 
> Prologue:  I've been a fan as long as they've been releasing records. 
> My love of the Pet Shop Boys is legendary among my friends.  But I'm 
> not a fanatic.  I've never mailed a letter signed in blood to Neil or 
> anything like that.  I just enjoy their music.
> 
> I drove around the beautiful countryside of western Oregon this 
> morning, with many of these tracks cranked up on the car stereo.  My 
> favorite way to listen!  (original) ratings were from a couple days 
> ago, when I began writing this.  (current) ratings are in the now.
> 
> Also... I care mostly about music and not much about lyrics (except 
> maybe to sing along).
> 
> 
> 01 - Love etc
> Not a bad song... fine for the lead off track... much better than 
> some clunkers that lie ahead... but 1st single?  Pffft.
> kfb rating:
> (original) 6
> (current)    6
> (Gui Boratto Mix on the car stereo) 8
> 
> 02 - All over the world
> This one is sticking.  Really good.  I love singing along to the 
> chorus.  It's like they revamped Se A Vida E and got it right this 
> time.
> kfb rating:
> (original)   7.5
> (current)    8
> 
> 03 - Beautiful people
> No matter how many times I listen, I can never remember what it 
> sounds like.  Forgettable.
> kfb rating:
> (original)  5
> (current)  forgotten
> 
> 04 - Did you see me coming
> A highlight of the album.  Lovely.
> kfb rating:
> (original)   8
> (current) 7.5
> 
> 05 - Vulnerable
> Yawn... I'm sure this will have its fans, but I am not among them.  Filler.
> kfb rating:
> (original) 6
> (current)  5
> 
> 06 - More than a dream
> As I write this (then and now), it's my favorite track.  3:00 is the 
> only part of the entire album where I feel the old magic making my 
> body tingly.
> kfb rating:
> (original)   9
> (current)  8.5
> 
> 07 - Building a wall
> One of those songs that you won't immediately think of when thinking 
> of the PSB, but is quite good nonetheless, especially the chorus.  My 
> 2nd favorite track.  Reminds me of Too Many People (not musically, 
> but how I respond to it.  I love Too Many People).
> kfb rating:
> (original)  7
> (current)  8
> 
> 08 - King of Rome
> Blech.  Now we know why some tracks were leaked early and others 
> weren't.  Let's hope the Italian soccer team doesn't win the world 
> cup and they rush this shit out as a single.
> kfb rating:
> (original)   2
> (current)  -2
> 
> 09 - Pandemonium
> Will likely be a single, none of the remixers will use the gary 
> glitter beat, and all the remixes will suck.  But this album version 
> rocks.
> kfb rating:
> (original)  8
> (current)  8
> 
> 10 - The way it used to be
> A solid track.  It's growing on me.  Should be superb live.
> kfb rating:
> (original) 7
> (current)  8
> 
> 11 - Legacy
> I hated this track at first, now I merely dislike it, and a few 
> minutes ago I figured out why.  I think it could benefit from putting 
> the vocals way more up front in the mix, kinda like on Nervously. 
> And just when it gets going, it comes to an end!  I was hoping for a 
> slam-bang-psb-and-xenomania-strut-their-production-stuff-and-make-the-end-of-Jealousy-sound-like-a-single-theramin-with-no-reverb 
> type ending!
> kfb rating:
> (original) 2
> (current)  3
> 
> 
> Yes Etc dubs (all of them)
> I like them.
> 
> 
> This used to be the future
> I like the part where it goes: BUM BUM... BA BUM!
> kfb rating:
> (original) 6
> (current)  6
> 
> 
> Gin and Jag
> Interesting... but I may never listen to it again.
> kfb rating:
> who cares...
> 
> 
> Wrong (Thin White Duke Mix)
> pretty damn good...
> oops!  wrong band... :-)
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Original overall summation:
> This is a very good collection of music, but those who proclaim this 
> to be the best album since Very are out of their fucking minds. 
> Well, let me rephrase that:  we have differing musical tastes, how's 
> that? :-)  This disc is nowhere near Bilingual's greatness, and I 
> would put Release slightly ahead of it too.  Time will tell how it 
> stacks up to Nightlife and Fundamental.  I haven't heard all of Yes 
> Etc yet, and it might improve my overall opinion of the Yes Era. 
> Fingers crossed.
> 
> Current overall summation:
> Well, I've been playing Yes Etc et al over and over again, and for 
> the most part thoroughly enjoying it.   It's a mighty fine piece of 
> musical production.  Good job Neil, Chris and Xenomania!  I might now 
> rate it neck and neck with Release, but still nowhere near 
> Bilingual's greatness, and everything before that is just in another 
> league entirely.  Pop music is the realm of the young, and these boys 
> are old men.  But these men remain masters of their craft.
> 
> Here's the best way to describe Yes.  It's like Bob Ross and the Joy 
> of Painting.  For those non-Americans who may not know this legendary 
> tv personality, go here:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Ross
> 
> Bob painted hundreds of pictures on tv.  He cranked them out like it 
> was the easiest thing in the world.  He could do them in his sleep. 
> It could be criticized every painting looked the same, and it was 
> almost paint-by-numbers.   And yet, they are all lovely creations, 
> most pleasing to the eye.  Bob Ross was Da Man!
> 
> kfb
> 
> 
> 
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