Union (Yes album)

Occupation

Union is the world's last successful album by British progressive rock band Yes from the year 1991. The title focuses on the unification of the two bands Yes ( Chris Squire, Trevor Rabin, Alan White and Tony Kaye ) and Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman, Howe ( ABWH ). With the total of 18 album Yes released their 13th studio work.

Formation

After the end of the Big Generator tour on 13 April 1988, the band members parted. Trevor Rabin devoted himself to his solo project, Can not Look Away ( published in 1989 ), while Jon Anderson, frustrated by reducing his position in the band on the function of the singer of songs, in whose creation he was not involved with Bill Bruford Steve Howe and Rick Wakeman made ​​contact. With them he released in 1989 the album Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe. Chris Squire had reached in court that the four musicians were not allowed to operate under the name Yes (for details see Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman, Howe ). Nevertheless, formed in the group to Squire for the two bands, the name YesWest ( Squire et al. ) And YesEast ( for ABWH, ie Anderson et al. ), After the main residences of its members in England and the USA

When Yes ( Squire, Rabin, White and Kaye ) came together again, they faced the problem of having to find a singer for a new project. They worked for a while with Roger Hodgson (ex- Supertramp ) and Billy Sherwood ( World Trade ) together and developed first song ideas. At the same time accumulated Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman and Howe after the end of their world tour on March 23, 1990 new material for a second album, under the working title Dialogue, which was originally scheduled for October 1990. However, personal animosities did a collaboration on both sides difficult, also proved to be the work of Hodgson and Sherwood for Yes to be unsatisfactory.

Since Larry Magid, who had been involved in the promotion of a Yes tour in 1971, Jon Anderson had made the proposal during the ABWH tour to finance a 84 -concert tour when this was able ABWH and Yes together, Anderson had planned a reunion of the two bands. With this idea in mind, Jon Anderson, Trevor Rabin now contacted with the request to contribute some guitar parts to Dialogue. Shortly thereafter, he then approached with a request to him to put a song ABWH available. Rabin understood the request so that ABWH needed a single, and sent the record company Arista Records three songs that he did not want to use themselves, to choose from. However, Arista liked all three songs. Then Rabin, but hesitated to leave them to the competition band. Inspired by Larry Magid and Jon Anderson then forced the management of both bands, just been opponents in court, under a single name, a collaboration of all eight Yes veterans: So you would on the one hand can bring a mega project at the start, which requires appropriate publicity promised and on the other hand, both the name Yes, to the Chris Squire owned the rights, and the classic logo, except at the Roger Dean Steve Howe owns the rights to use. In the fall of 1990, Anderson and Squire sat and the participating record labels, Arista and Atlantic Records, together to bring the project Union on the way. Basis for a 90seitiger contract between the musicians, the record companies, the promoters involved etc. due to its YesWest was after 20 years of her record label Atlantic left because Arista clearly had the greater interest in the new band.

No one, however, had talked about the creative side of the work. Steve Howe, Rick Wakeman and Bill Bruford were asked without prior consultation with a fait accompli, Wakeman was even informed by fax only. So it was that the Union was at a very heterogeneous album, standing on the tracks next to YesEast YesWest tracks and completed recordings alongside demos. In addition, there are solo contributions as a stopgap, and land on which the musicians allegedly involved are not at all to hear. A true collaboration there has never been. Chris Squire drove his singing with ABWH on some tracks and Jon Anderson sang a few Yes pieces. Apart from that prevented the personal tensions between many of the musicians involved to work together. Bruford and Howe, who had been informed after the fact, also expressed little interest in a joint project - in advance questioned this, they would have rejected Anderson's idea anyway. But the difficulties in the two camps among themselves were great. Producer Jonathan Elias:

" I could not get Jon and Steve to sit down in a room together without me and the only way did Steve would do anything is to wake up and get very stoned and hey what no good for the whole day after that. [ ... ] And did was just putting Jon and Steve together, and Constantly Steve would be badgering me about how he hated Jon's lyrics and how Jon had no good ideas. And Jon would say to me, 'Oh, Steve's just so washed out and Asia seeking what a horrible thing -look what it did to him. ' "

Also between the other band members, the conditions were no better:

"Steve would not listen to one of Rick's parts, Rick would not listen to one of Steve's parts. "

But Jonathan Elias turned out to not be the first choice for the job of the producer. A friend Jon Anderson had given him credit for this, together the band. But Elias, no first-class producer, soon alienated many of the participating musicians, including keyboardist Rick Wakeman and his replacement, Saga keyboardist Jim Crichton. Wakeman and Elias at war with each other during the recordings for a while with articles in Keyboard Magazine and Crichton had to say not much good about Elias: he announced that the collaboration between Anderson and Elias did not work, this would have told him that he should geared to 90125, that exhorts him not to leave his posts just sound like 90125. In addition, Crichton Elias did not stop for a good producer. - In reality, it went in the project mainly to financial profit - for various reasons: Arista and Atlantic had recognized that they contain more than 750,000 were able to sell ( the edition of Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe ) an album when logo, band name and the classic cast got together at least in parts, but it still contained radio-friendly music. Not unlike the musicians: Jonathan Elias: All Bill Bruford wanted to know is, ' Is it coming in on budget? '. They did not care about a note of music. They all thought Jon did what stealing money from them.

How unloved was the project of the participating musicians, can be seen to this day the contradictory statements of all concerned. According to producer Jonathan Elias at the time of the recordings ABWH had hardly Material: Basically, what there what what what Steve working on a solo album and he Brought in some things. Jon Brought in one or two faint ideas. In fact, the riffs of I Would Have Waited Forever and Silent Talking ( the 9/4-Teil ) on ideas from Steve Howe go back and can be heard in its original form on his solo album Turbulence. On the other hand, however, the Dialogue demos consisted of a wealth of song material - was little used by the Union for.

Then happened that Elias had gotten from the record companies told to form a pop album from the material:

"They could not make money on an album Unless it had a pop sensibility and theywere so far removed from what a pop sensibility at what point did without Trevor [ Rabin ]. There were times I tried to push them into that, But They would just bad mouth Trevor, particularly Steve. Ooof, boy, did he hate Trevor! "

The standing on the other side opposite an immense time pressure because the Union Tour (Start: April 9, 1991) was already posted and until then only about eight months were available in which the band members traveled back and forth across the Atlantic, careful careful not to meet each other. In addition, Rick Wakeman toured from 29 May to 30 September 1990 by England ( the Classical Connection Tour ) and Steve Howe worked alongside his solo album and in the new Asia album with Aqua. In fact, the album was only released less than a month after the start of the tour, and Elias was forced even to lend a hand. Since Jon Anderson was dissatisfied with the contributions of Howe and Wakeman, initially took the two, later Elias alone, the album in my hand and started the corresponding parts without the knowledge of Bruford, Howe and Wakeman of an alternating series of studio musicians to replace leave, primarily by guitarist Jimmy Haun (later with the Chris Squire experiment and Circa: to hear next member Lodgic and Air Supply), the Toto keyboardist and experienced session musician Steve Porcaro and keyboardist Jim Crichton the Saga. Howe and Wakeman are therefore to hear contrary to widespread opinion among fans of the band on the album barely, and same goes for Bill Bruford. Jimmy Haun:

" Basically he [ Elijah ] told me Arista felt Steve's guitar parts were unacceptable and did he had just soloed over all the songs. Now this what Partially true. What they wanted was a blend of the old classic Steve Howe sound mixed with Trevor Rabin! I guess They felt it would sell more records. On the Songs Without Hope You Can not Start the Day, Dangerous and Take the Water to the Mountain is not Steve Howe, but Jimmy Haun listening to, and on the other ABWH tracks you can hear him only as passages. Also Wakeman did not deliver what Anderson and Elias had imagined: Elias claims did Wakeman did not Provide what was needed on the album and did whatthey wanted something more texture and backdrop than keyboard pyrotechnics. "

Howe and Wakeman contributions were therefore rejected as not radio friendly and replaced, also the sounds used Wakeman, Elias were too frumpy well. Howe learned only by the middle of a European tour that his guitar parts were replaced, as he got down the album with a cautious note of Chris Squire 's hand. He responded in anger. Wakeman could barely hear the music throughout: he has thrown by his own admission multiple cartridges from the window. For the bass on the ABWH pieces was originally Tony Levin responsible, but also Steve Howe and Jimmy Haun can be heard on bass.

But the YesWest produced by Eddie Offord fared no better: Lift Me Up, Saving My Heart and Miracle of Life are demos: Rabin wanted to still implement to his surprise, she landed in its preliminary form, provided with Anderson's vocals, on the album.

Include Masquerade ( Steve Howe ), Evensong ( Bill Bruford and Tony Levin ) and Take the Water to the Mountain ( Jon Anderson) just as important as I Would: In addition, the "gaps " have been filled on the album with the originally intended for solo albums pieces have Waited Forever and Silent Talking, which were provided in a different form for Steve Howe Turbulence.

Overview of the song posts

Yes songs

  • Lift Me Up, Saving My Heart and Miracle of Life are demos.
  • Saving My Heart was originally planned for a Rabin / Hodgson project. Anderson liked the song, and he landed on Union.
  • The More We Live - Let Go was the result of the first collaboration of Chris Squire and Billy Sherwood, who was a substitute for Anderson in conversation and since then has been active as an official or unofficial member of the band Yes in the environment ( on the albums talc, Keys to Ascension, Keys to Ascension 2, Open Your Eyes and The Ladder, when Chris Squire experiment in Conspiracy and Circa :). Two other songs of the two, Say Goodbye and Love Conquers All, are not landed on Union, but were later released on the first Conspiracy album ( see below).

ABWH songs:

  • Although Chris Squire sings backing vocals on the ABWH pieces, but only plays on the YesWest pieces bass.
  • On the Songs Without Hope You Can not Start the Day, Dangerous and Take the Water to the Mountain is heard not Steve Howe, but Jimmy Haun.
  • A piano interlude by Rick Wakeman on Without Hope You Can not Start the Day was deleted without his knowledge by Anderson and Elias, the same applies to a guitar solo Howes in the same piece.
  • Part of Silent Talking, a guitar part of Howe called Seven Castles was deleted without replacement by Anderson and Elijah - to the great disappointment Howes, who had kept his part of the best guitar work on the album.
  • In Holding On is a version that could not be completed due to time constraints.
  • The reef of Shock to the system comes from a song by Steve Howe.
  • Riffs of I Would Have Waited Forever and Silent Talking ( the 9/4-Teil ) can also be heard on Steve Howe solo album Turbulence, which was also published in 1991. Therefore you actually belong to the solo contributions.

Solo posts

  • Masquerade is a solo piece that Howe had already begun long before. The record company wanted a solo piece of him, and Masquerade was taken at the last moment on the album. It brought Steve Howe a Grammy nomination.
  • Tony Levin and his King Crimson - mate Bill Bruford contributed to the Chapman Stick and percussion instrumental Evensong at the album, which is an evolution of their duet of the ABWH tour.
  • Of the numerous Dialogue demos only managed Take The Water To The Mountain at Union. Here's a guitar solo Steve Howes was deleted without his knowledge

Deleted songs

  • This song was recorded for the album, but then not published to the surprise of the musicians involved. A re-recorded version of Say Goodbye is published on the second World Trade album, Love Conquers All on YesYears. Both demos can be found on the first Conspiracy album.

Track list

Union reached number 7 in the UK charts and number 15 in the U.S..

Occupation

  • Jon Anderson - Vocals
  • Chris Squire - bass, vocals
  • Trevor Rabin - guitar, vocals
  • Steve Howe - guitar, vocals
  • Tony Kaye - keyboards, vocals
  • Rick Wakeman - keyboards, vocals
  • Alan White - drums, vocals
  • Bill Bruford - drums

With

  • Deborah Anderson - Vocals
  • Richard Baker - Synthesizer
  • Gary Barlough - Synthesizer
  • Jerry Bennett - Synthesizer, Percussion
  • Pauline Cheng - Cambodian poetry
  • Jim Crichton - Synthesizer, Keyboards
  • Jonathan Elias - synthesizer, keyboards, vocals
  • Gary Falcone - Vocals
  • Sherman Foote - Synthesizer
  • Brian Foraker - Synthesizer
  • Chris Fosdick - Synthesizer
  • Tommy Funderburk - vocals
  • Jimmy Haun - Guitar
  • Rory Kaplan - Synthesizer
  • Alex Lazarenko - Synthesizer, Keyboards
  • Tony Levin - Bass
  • Ian Lloyd - Vocals
  • Mark Mancina - Programming
  • Steve Porcaro - Synthesizer
  • Allan Schwartzberg - percussion
  • Billy Sherwood - bass, guitars, keyboards
  • Michael Sherwood - Vocals
  • Danny Vaughn

Sound engineering, mixing,

Due to the special circumstances of the making of the album was an unusually long series of audio engineers and producers involved in the mixing of the songs. Therefore, they should be ausnahmensweise all mentioned here:

  • Jonathan Elias - producer
  • Steve Howe - producer
  • Trevor Rabin - producer
  • Eddie Offord - producer, sound engineering, mixing,
  • Mark Mancina - producer
  • Billy Sherwood - sound, producer
  • Brian Foraker - audio engineering, mixing,
  • Paul Fox - mix
  • Buzz Burrowes - additional sound
  • Chris Fosdick - additional audio engineering, mixing,
  • Stan Katayama - Audio engineering
  • Mike Shipley - mixing
  • Ed Thacker - mix

Cover

The album cover of Union was the first Yes cover for Classic Yes (1981 ), which was again designed by fantasy artist Roger Dean. The image on the front of the album is titled The Guardians and Canyon Cave and comes from Deans Desert Period ( desert period), as well as the rear image tsunami. The idea was to draw a rock, which liquefies, sprayed and then solidified again.

The cover was often discussed at the time of its release, as Dean then had to take into account the smaller format of the CD for the first time.

Roger Dean had, in advance of the Big Generator album developed a new Yes logo on behalf of the band in the 80s. Originally it was for use by the "new" Yes, Anderson, Kaye, Rabin, Squire and White, provided since Steve Howe has any real rights to the original logo, but at that time was not a gang member. However, it was never used by YesWest and came here for the first time used. Dean, however, it combined with the classic logo to bring visual expression that had come together the classic and the 80 -year occupation at Union.

The inner part shows computer graphics of Roger Dean and Kai Krause, a developer of graphics software. He worked with Dean on other projects, including in the cover design by Steve Howe's solo album Turbulence.

Review

It is interesting how uniformly the plate for those sounds that is not informed of the quarrels. Of course, lies with Union no classic Yes album, but many of the songs can convince an intelligent pop rock. On the album by Trevor Rabin 90124 among others, an early version of Miracle of Life is included, which actually has classical approaches Progs.

The album is today downright hated by almost all participants, with the exception of Jon Anderson, on whose idea the Union concept originally declined. Apart from him no one wants to have had something to do with the disk. In interviews, the topic is rarely broached, usually the parties express only very vague about the conditions of their creation. Rick Wakeman called the album to date Onion, he would cry if he think back to the time.

On the other hand, the Union's last successful album of the band (ironically it sold but not Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe better than, about 750,000 times). It reached number 7 in the UK charts and number 15 in the U.S.. Masquerade Steve Howe brought a Grammy nomination.

Bruford, Wakeman Howe and left the band after the tour in 1992 successively, partly under pressure from the new record label Victory Records, who wanted to have an album of the 90125 cast. Talk still sold far worse than its predecessor (about 300,000 times ).

Sources and links

  • Union is mentioned in all Yes biographies. A comprehensive bibliography of the band can be found on the pages of the English Progressive Rock Bibliography ( http://www.progbibliography.de ).
  • Interview with Jimmy Haun
  • Interview with Jonathan Elias
  • Reviews of Union on the Baby Blue Pages
  • About the Cover image on Roger Dean's website
  • Http://members.aol.com/yesfamily/tree/coverstories.html ( English website with explanations on Yes' album covers ) ( offline)

Yes (1969 ) | Time and a Word (1970 ) | The Yes Album ( 1971) | Fragile (1972 ) | Close to the Edge (1972 ) | Tales from Topographic Oceans (1974 ) | Relayer (1974 ) | Going for the One (1977 ) | Tormato (1978 ) | Drama (1980 ) | 90125 (1983 ) | Big generator (1987 ) | Union (1991 ) | Talk ( 1994) | Keys to Ascension (1996 ) | Keys to Ascension 2 (1997 ) | Open Your Eyes (1997 ) | The Ladder (1999 ) | Magnification (2001 ) | Fly from Here (2011)

  • Album ( Progressive Rock )
  • Album 1991
  • Yes album
792504
de