Yes- Siberian Khatru (First Listen)

Hey there, welcome to my channel! I hope you enjoy my clean content as I listen to music and bands I'm unfamiliar with, or digging deeper into. Stick around with me and maybe we can all discover some new music together. Let me know YOUR thoughts on the song and leave me your suggestions as well.

Join me in the comments down below to discuss the music, the latest Marvel movie, life or whatever...

[francobrombal]

Second listen: you're captivated; third listen: you're charmed. Fourth listen: there's no turning back from loving this music.

[roddmcleodable]

So Bill said the band was so loud, and Chris in particular was so loud, that he had to tune his snare drum very high to get it cut through the mix. It is a classic sound. He cut through but the sound wasn't thin--it had a crunch. Bill was once described as a drummer who wanted to play jazz, had the temperament of a classical musician and played in rock bands. He was turned on to music by jazz when he was a teenager, and was a devotee of Max Roach, Art Blakey and Philly Joe Jones. That's why you hear the swing/funk underpinning it all.

[souldreamer]

This song epitomizes early yes for me. It’s their archetype song, that demonstrates what they are all about In 10 minutes. All hallmarks are there: Recurring musical themes, majority of vocals are 3-part harmonies, the odd inserted extra-beat here and there, instrumental excursions, guitar switches (electric, zitar, slide...), keyboard sound switches (organ, harpsichord etc), image-evoking lyrical nonsense (often featuring the word “river” at some point), that monster bass, tight arrangement, brufordish drumming, skillful execution, and most importantly: the fact that all musicians play the lead simultaneously.

Khatru is the ideal album opener, fast powerful and in your face, blowing the socks of the listener. I always thought the song order on Close to the Edge should have been reversed. First khatru, then “And you and I” as the beautiful relaxing “palate cleanser”, and finally the masterpiece Close to the Edge as the main event and grand finale. It’s hard to find faults in a great, superb, splendid album like CTTE, but reversing the song order would in my opinion have made it even better still.

Like Dance on a Volcano, this is a song I spent weeks picking apart into its basic components some 20 years ago, and finding cleverness wherever I looked. This song has much in common with Volcano, I think. They obviously sound completely different, and are not similar rhythmically or harmonically. The similarities is in that both songs have those little melodies/riffs/ themes in the background that are repeated in different keys, by different instruments, in different modulations, at different parts of the songs.

A way of explaining what I mean metaphorically would be that both songs sound as if they are constructed from, say, 150 unique building blocks. On closer inspection, however, one notices that there are only, say, 15 unique building blocks, but throughout the song they are recycled multiple times. The recycled blocks are tweaked and adjusted and shown from different angles, giving the illusion of 150 unique building blocks. Under the complexity there is hidden beautiful simplicity.

Regarding top bands, with a few exceptions, the bands and artists listed below are not music I listen to on a regular basis. I devoured them so intensively upon initial discovery that I don’t ever need to hear them again. These bands/artists are the most responsible for shaping my musical identity:

In no particular order:
Yes
Genesis
John Coltrane
Tool
Beatles
Simon & Garfunkel
Brian Wilson/post-pet sounds Beach Boys
JS Bach
Dave Brubeck
Chick Corea
Queen
Stevie Wonder
The Band

I’ve excluded bands and artists that are not internationally known.

[brushuk]

the most amazing thing about yes, and genesis (and most other 70s prog acts), is that they sounded exactly the same live.. no computers, no sequencers.. just 5 guys actually playing instruments...! (and singing without autotune :-)

[uncledig]

This song doesn't get as much love as it should because it's surrounded by other masterpieces on the same record :) But it's a masterpiece too. Guitar players will usually say this is the best/most challenging guitar playing on the record. Steve Howe's insane playing is driving most of this song and he's really showing off his chops.


And the big vocal break at 9:40 is just a complete mindf*ck.



River running right on over my head!

[craxanshards]

The king Crimson Adrian Belew era with Bruford on drums and Levin on bass is very much worth checking out.

[Biofilmz]

Yes is my favorite band. Regarding - Chris Squire - he was also an excellent showman - so fun to watch in concert. This is also the last album with Bill Bruford before he joined Crimson.
Yes, Beatles, Rush, ... hard to pick 3.

[ndBrother]

Definitely Yes’ masterpiece album
1. Genesis (Gabriel era)
2.Renaissance “the most overlooked band of the early 70’s prog era.
3. Marillion (Hogarth era)

[Drummingvulture]

You'll probably never read this, but I had to comment once I heard you say that the riff seemed soul and funk inspired. One of the most popular genres in music history was disco. It came from funk and soul. And that's what I wanna tell ya about.
Back in 1975, I had a friend, Angel, who had a sister that was a radio DJ in NYC. She sent Angel a ton of new records as they came out; stuff we wouldn't see or hear in our little Wisconsin town in months, if ever. At this time, disco was just starting to emerge as a genre of its own, and it was disco that she sent him more than anything else. It was really gaining a foothold in New York. Angel was totally intrigued by this new sound and style, and played it all of the time (on his quadraphonic, high end stereo, LOL!). The beat was what really captured his interest, as it would the entire country in just a few short years.
I had a fairly extensive 8-track collection, and one night, as we were doing what every other red blooded teen in America was doing if they had their driver's licence and a car, cruising the downtown main drag, I pulled out 'Close To The Edge'. I popped it in the player (a Craig Power Play, of course) and we began enjoying the music. When it got to "Siberian Khatru" and "that riff" started playing, Angel got really excited. "That's disco!", he screamed. And I had to give it to him, it did have a lot of the elements that the disco records his sister sent him had, especially that hard driving 4/4 beat. Now, I knew he didn't mean this was a disco song; that it had "the feel" of a disco song. And that has stayed with me for 45 years. And now, finally, after all this time, someone who's musical tastes and thought filled analyses I respect greatly has just validated my buddy's thoughts and opinion from so long ago.
Whew, sorry for the long winded comment.
Love your channel!

[stevenaustin]

If you listened to them live you’d realise how good Steve Howe is IMO the most inventive rock guitarist in the world I suggest Yes songs album

[hellesndergaardpetersen]

My top bands:
1) Porcupine Tree/Steven Wilson
2) Pink Floyd
3) The Moody Blues/Supertramp/Pineapple Thief/Genesis/The Beatles/ELO
(Can’t choose no 3, it varies!)

[devwhit]

My top three bands:

Rush
Yes
Genesis

[enocvargas]

My top 5 bands:
The Moody Blues
Genesis
Yes
Pink Floyd
King Crimson

[RGRG]

I know this comment my get some groans because it's not practical for this kind of a reaction but for the truest experience of any of these '70's prog rock bands it has to be via vinyl...there's nothing quite like it. For Yes, the recent Steven Wilson remix vinyl set is an amazing representation of their 5 most heady albums. Again, I know it's not practical but whoah what an improvement over mp3.

[arbys]

Top 3 bands:
1. Genesis
2. Steely Dan
3. Gentle Giant (You gotta react to these guys someday)

[riccampbell]

Now, close your eyes and imagine hearing this live, at full tilt. Only a handful of bands ever achieved this breath taking majesty on stage. Yes truly epitomized "rock band as orchestra".

To your questions regarding keyboard sounds - keep in mind the era here, there was no sampling and digital magic. Just didn't exist at the time. Piano was piano, Organ was organ (and yes, definitely Hammond) - all of the orchestral parts came from the Mellotron, which played back actual tapes when you pressed a key. (You really should google the mechanics of it, it's amazing that it ever came into existance.) And the Mini Moog provided the synth sounds - at that time there were no digital memories or such - to get a certain sound the knobs had to be set EXACTLY were they were at the time of recording. Legend has it Wakeman had several Mini's with the knobs taped over so as not to be disturbed.

[MoorgladeMover]

April 9, 1979... age 11....Wings Stadium, Kalamazoo, MI.... Tormato tour. This song was my first live Yes experience. Best concert ever!
My top 3 bands are:
Yes
Yes and
Yes
then in no particular order:
The Moody Blues
Genesis
Pink Floyd
Jethro Tull
David Bowie
Rush
Marillion
U2
Supertramp
ELO
Alan Parsons Project
Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young
Dire Staits
ELP
King Crimson
Vangelis (not a band)
The Police
Renaissance
Simon and Garfunkle
Seals & Crofts
The Who

[DAYHOMEONE]

Chris Squire was the backbone of Yes. With his passing, there is no incarnation to me that meaningfully can represent the sound they pioneered. Bill Bruford is a wonder to himself, and it's not surprising you couple them together. They are both so original in their sound. NO ONE plays like Bill Bruford. His sense of timing is brilliant. His days with King Crimson allowed him to shine even more than his time with Yes.

[fsdrums]

1. Genesis
2. Pink Floyd
3. Yes / Camel

[MissAstorDancer]

I was so excited to wake up from a snooze and see that you had done a reaction to my absolute favorite Yes song from my Favorite Album of All Time!!!!
I love your reactions so much, because not only are you really paying attention, but you let your face show your emotional reactions! And frankly, I don't think there's any other reactor who takes the time to first do a full listen, and then to bo back and break down the songs, section by section, with such precision!

Although I find it difficult to choose, I think my favorite section of this song is from 5:25 thru 6:50, with the best part being the moments between 6:25 and 6:40.
Another favorite part for me is from 7:12 thru about 7:35.
It's like there are so many different songs within the song! (That's a quality that Yes is so famous for, with such killer transitions!)
I absolutely CAN'T WAIT to see and hear your reaction to the Title song in all it's stunning epicness! OMG!!!


As for who my top artists are - please forgive me, but I cannot list just 3 - it seems disrespectful to the rest!!
I own at least 3 albums by each of these artists, and in the case of The Beatles, their entire catalog.

The Beatles
Yes
ELO
The Moody Blues
Pink Floyd
Steely Dan
The Who
Rush
Genesis
Tom Petty (and TP & TH)
Eagles
Steve Miller Band
Crosby, Stills, Nash (and CSN & Young)


Keep doing what you do, and don't lose the wonder!
;)