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Jon Anderson
Steve Howe
Chris Squire
Alan White
e-mail: yesmag@yesmag.com
DVD-Audio Credits:
Surround Sound Remix Produced,
Engineered & Mixed by Tim Weidner
Surround Sound & Stereo Mastering: Steve Hall at FUTUREDISC
Surround Sound Remix Executive Producer: Jordan Berliant
Authoring Supervisor: Spencer Chrislu
Authoring: Craig Anderson & David Dieckmann
Authoring Coordinator: George Lydecker
DVD-Audio Produced by Robin Hurley
DVD-Audio Executive Producer: David McLees
Archive Research: Doug Gottlieb,
Glenn Gottlieb & Jeff Varner
Reissue Art Direction & Design: Greg Allen@gapd
Screen Design: Andy Thomas for THOMAS & FRIENDS
Screen Photographs: GOTTLIEB Bros. ©2000, 2001, 2002
Editorial Supervision: Cory Frye
Editorial Research: Steven Chean
Liner Notes Coordination: Tim Scanlin
Project Assistance: Ginger Dettman, Steve Pokorny & Steve Woolard
Thanks To: David Watkinson
IN A WORD:
YES (1969-) - the most definitive YES retrospective ever produced.
More than three decades of YES on 5 CDs.
Over 61/2 hours of music, including 5 previously unissued tracks, plus detailed liner notes by YES authorities Chris Welch and Bill Martin.
All Songs Written by Jon Anderson, Steve Howe, Chris Squire & Alan White
Published by OPIO PUBLISHING (BMI) / BOUNDMERE Ltd.
administered by BUG (BMI) / CARBERT MUSIC (PRS) / WARNER-TAMERLANE PUBLISHING Corp. (BMI),
Except "Give Love Each Day", "Dreamtime", and "Time Is Time" by Jon Anderson, Steve Howe, Chris Squire, Alan White & Larry Croupe,
Published by OPIO PUBLISHING (BMi) / BOUNDMERE Ltd.
administered by BUG (BMI) / CARBERT MUSIC (PRS) / WARNER-TAMERLANE PUBLISHING Corp. (BMI) / Le WOOF MUSIC (BMI)
Recorded at SOUND DESIGN STUDIOS, Santa Barbara, CA
NOTES FROM THE ORCHESTRA
First heard YES back in the 1970s, when they first released
Time And A Word.
I was a fan from that moment on. Everything about the vocal harmonies, chord progressions, and rhythms fascinated me.
They were an early influence in my own musical development, along with
Stravinsky and other American composers.
But I never, ever thought that some 25 years later I would actually have the opportunity to work with this band.
That collaboration was an experience I will never forget, one that I feel very fortunate to have been a part of.
I had my first meeting with YES in Santa Barbara, California.
They were setting up the studio where they were to record all the basic tracks for their next project,
an album that would combine their signature sound with a full orchestra, while using little or no keyboards.
I met with everyone early on to ensure that the orchestra would be used as a fundamental aspect of the music,
instead of as a last-minute addition. I took home three very early rough tracks, then spent a week composing orchestral ideas and overtures that I felt would be exciting contributions.
I loaded the songs and my written scores into my computer and had my samplers play my concepts along with the songs.
I then prepared a CD of these renderings and returned to Santa Barbara.
I'll never forget the anxiety I felt as we sat in the studio, playing that disc — it was the longest 20 minutes of my life.
No one said a word until it was over. The week before, I had agonized over what direction to take with the orchestra.
Because of the band's high musical standards, I didn't want to be safe and just write a lot of fluff.
I knew I had to follow my gut and allow my own voice to be clear, adventurous, and unrestricted.
This, of course, was exactly why my anxiety was so high!
There was silence. Finally, someone spoke.
It was
Jon Anderson. He said,
"I love it!"
I was so relieved!
Steve wasn't sure what to say. I don't think he knew what to expect or, in his case, how this might affect his guitar tracks.
I did know that he felt I was the right person for the job, and that was really all this particular day was about (
Chris and
Alan were not there that afternoon
— I'd made copies for them, then spoke with them later). What was important overall was that the band supported my ideas and encouraged me to keep pushing for what I thought was a new element for their songs.
Ultimately, the challenge was integrating a live orchestra into a group that already had command over a vast sound spectrum.
The orchestra was not to be used in place of keyboards; except for
Alan White's two distinctive moments on piano, there are,
essentially, no keyboards on
Magnification.
I endeavored to use the orchestra in the most diverse way possible, given the temperament and feeling of each song.
I had many conversations with each band member over what they wanted from the orchestra.
Individually they had their own perspectives and were not necessarily in agreement.
I did everything I could to address everyone's concerns and ideas, while at the same time holding onto my own musical pursuits. I wasn't happy with the way other groups had worked with orchestras in the past;
I wanted to be sure that this combination was fresh and inventive.
The first music I composed was the overture to
"Give Love Each Day".
This was my way of entering the Yes world; I wanted to set a grand stage before the song actually began.
The overture's motifs reappear within the piece, thereby maintaining a musical connection. This was a challenging track to mix, given the tremendous sonic expanse during the final choruses.
I deliberately chose to follow with
"Spirit Of Survival".
I wanted it to be the album's most strident and experimental endeavor, pushing the orchestra with numerous cluster chords and dissonant stabs.
Chris and
Steve totally nailed the bass line, so I felt free to hammer from above.
All of this eventually gives way to an elevated and dreamy resolution. I think that
Steve's solo here is one of his best ever.
"We Agree" was my third undertaking.
The serious tone and visceral feelings I got from the song's early stages directed me to score it in a somber way, with the woodwinds saying the most. As the song progressed, the positive flip side was equally rewarding in its fulfillment and release.
I continue to be amazed at how
Jon Anderson's voice can convey the perfect emotional touch in a song like this, where the lyrical content has many sides.
I wanted to simplify matters in
"Soft As A Dove"
Steve's original guitar and
Jon's plaintive vocal had a timeless Renaissance feeling, so I chose to write for just harp, recorder, and flute.
Chris' bass line was the last to go on.
All in all, this piece is a breath of fresh air in the album's flow.
The mixed meter and searching lyrics of
"Can You Imagine" led me to compose more sweeping lines and an angular counterpoint for the orchestra.
I wanted a three-dimensional effect, along with pointillistic accents throughout.
The rhythmic complexity grows over time in the strings.
Once again, the combination of
Chris's bass line and the steadfast piano chords allowed me to float over the top and react to their foundation.
Possibly the most constructed song is
"In The Presence Of".
Here I had the most amount of comments from the band on the final approach with orchestra.
This is a beautiful ballad that very carefully builds its way to ever-climbing heights.
For me, the final landing into the lyric
"Standing on sacred ground" is absolute Yes perfection.
This is what the band is all about: their ability to wind music over a long period into an eventual higher plane.
Even here we build to a dynamic conclusion, an effect similar to that of a powerful mantra.
The postproduction process for Magnification took months—Tim and the band did an outstanding job. This entire project was recorded, mixed, and mastered in the digital domain of Pro Tools, which allowed for many editing opportunities and shifting of musical sections. For instance, I had written an overture for "Dreamtime" that ultimately became an "endrature," edited to the end of the piece. I found that unexpected but interesting in the final result. My contributions to "Dreamtime" were complex, and this piece took me the longest time to arrange. I really enjoy its frenetic elements, as well as all the departures into various fields of motion. Alan White's drumming is absolutely integral here, presenting an endless array of grooves and feelings. The finale is a real driving force, taking us to Chris' signature bass lick, then to the unexpected "endtrature."
Conversely,
"Don't Go" had a more straight-ahead orchestral approach. This tune was a lighthearted, radio-oriented pop concept. I wanted to avoid the trademark chunk-chunk-chunk strings on any of Magnification's songs, but this one seemed to simply demand it. My two favorite parts are the middle bridge section, with the sound effects and clarinet parody, and the very end, where the strings go into a cool "wafting" effect.
Returning to a more intimate accompaniment was the answer for "Time Is Time." Originally I had written a string quartet for the beginning as well as the end. The magic of digital editing finally begins the piece with just Alan's drum fill, then goes right into the full song. This allows the string quartet at the end to be special, and it's a very intimate way to close the disc.
The title track was, oddly, the last piece I worked on. I think it turned out to be the best cut to introduce the album; it has a little bit of everything. I really enjoy the swaying rhythms, the big vocals, and "Beatlesesque" ending, where the orchestra comes in heavy against the band winding down.
In my opinion Yes has reinvented itself with Magnification. I have nothing but admiration and respect for these gentlemen and their continuing pursuits. They don't revisit past glories, yet their essence is preserved and refreshed, as jubilant as ever. Musical maturation does not always happen for many bands; either a breakup occurs without resolution, or the spark is short-lived. However, when the combination is truly right, it has a chance to go the full run. And for me, it will always be a privilege and honor to have been part of this endeavor.
— Larry Groupe
For more information, visit
www.eaglevision-int.com
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