Yes v. Boston

Now here’s an argument I can really sink my teeth into. Rhino’s “Reissue Rumble” is featurning Yes’ Yes (1972) against Boston’s Boston (1976).

Those wanting to relive the ’70s rock experience could not possibly hope to do so accurately without these two albums. For a certain generation of self-respecting white American teenage boys (and many girls too), Fragile and Boston were both essential components of the collection, no matter how big. My older brother was among that number, and so a good chunk of my early years played out to these soundtracks (which, in all honesty, I have barely heard since).

Though each album shows a credible amount of songcraft, both were most notable for their sonic qualities—two great leaps forward—in an era when dry and compressed were generally the orders of the day. So these standard-CD remasterings (One from 2003, the other brand new) do hold some importance.

I know that Fragile is the Yes gold-standard for most, but I have to say, every time I listen to Yes (1969), I’m more enamoured.

I have to go with Boston, simply because I like my Yes albums to be less noodly spoodly. Now if the contest had been between Boston’s s/t debut and Yes’s 90125 or Big Generator, the choice would’ve been much harder.

What? “Union” wasn’t Yes’ gold-standard?

Sarcasm aside, I have to agree with Paul–Boston IS the 70s. The only album that can compete for sheer bombast and thundering power is Who’s Next. And those closing chords of Foreplay/Longtime are still chilling, even if I can barely stand listening to it after all the over-exposure of my youth.

Besides, I can’t side with lyrics like “in and around the lake / mountains come out of the sky / they stand there”

Man, y’all are harsh.

CB: A conversation about what band IS the 70s is a whole other ball of wax, but another I’d get really into discussing.

And come on, “Long Distance Runaround”? COME ON.

Nah, it’s just that as I’ve gotten older, all the prog I listened to as a teenager and in my early 20s just seems kind of cornball to me now (I make exceptions occasionally for the likes of King Crimson or Genesis if I’m in the mood). Also, there’s just something about Jon Anderson’s voice that’s only tolerable if he’s singing pop-ish songs. If you throw him on top of some complex proggy drawn-out piece of music, it’s on par with waterboarding for me.

i go for Yes (and yes, Yes Yes), just because that’s what my mother and her brothers all liked, when i was a wee tot. so i got to spend a lot of time listening to Yes - the songs are like nursery rhymes, to me.

Boston will always be just something i’ve always heard on the radio.

Hell no! The Yes Album! ‘Yours is No Disgrace’! Caesar’s Palace, morning glory, silly human, silly human race! Boston blows! Therefore, it is the band of the 70s. Wait, no. Average White Band.