Relayer
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Relayer is the seventh studio album by the progressive rock band Yes. Recorded and released in 1974, it is the only studio album to feature Patrick Moraz, who replaced popular keyboardist Rick Wakeman earlier in the year.
History
After the ambitious double-concept album Tales from Topographic Oceans, Rick Wakeman left Yes to continue his solo career. The band auditioned several prospective replacements, the closest contender being the Greek keyboardist Vangelis (although he did not become a member of Yes, these rehearsals paved the way for several future collaborations between Vangelis and Jon Anderson). The band then chose Swiss-born Patrick Moraz as a replacement while this album was well into production. The album title is from verses on the fourth part of Tales.Relayer has the same song format as 1972's Close to the Edge (a long epic on one side, and two nine-minute pieces on the other), but a radically different musical style. "The Gates of Delirium" is a dense, 20-minute piece that was inspired by Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace. It features lengthy improvisations by each member of the band, sometimes clashing intentionally with one another. Featuring lyrics about the futility of war, it remains one of the most musically aggressive songs ever produced by the band. The final section, in which the aggression of the previous 16 minutes is suddenly replaced by a gentle melody and a lyrical prayer for peace, was released as a US single under the title "Soon" in early 1975. "Sound Chaser" is a jazzy, mostly instrumental piece that echoes King Crimson. "To Be Over" is the gentlest piece on the album, and features complex, melodic arrangements of guitar and sitar.
Relayer features artwork by Roger Dean who produced an album cover layout similar to Fragile with two additional paintings and a photograph of the band inside the gatefold sleeve. The cover was later used in a Pepsi-Cola ad [[Citing sources citation needed]], as the t-shirt worn by Shakira.
The critical reaction to Relayer, coming after a predecessor that many felt went over the breaking point, was lukewarm. However, it was still a commercial success with many observers considering it vastly underrated. [[Citing sources citation needed]]
Relayer was remastered and reissued in 2003 with three bonus tracks, including a complete studio-through of "Gates of Delirium."
Track listing
All songs written by Jon Anderson, Chris Squire, Steve Howe, Alan White & Patrick Moraz.- "The Gates of Delirium" - 21:50
- "Sound Chaser" - 9:26
- "To Be Over" - 9:06
Bonus tracks (2003 re-issue)
- "Soon (Single version)" – 4:18
- "Sound Chaser (Single version)" – 3:13
- "The Gates of Delirium (Studio run through)" – 21:16
Personnel
- Jon Anderson - vocals
- Chris Squire - bass and vocals
- Steve Howe - guitar and vocals
- Patrick Moraz - keyboards
- Alan White - drums
Sources
"To be sourced properly"- Relayer, CD booklet essay, Doug & Glenn Gotlieb, c.2003 [[Citing sources citation needed]]
- AllMusicGuide.com
- "Top Pop Albums 1955-2001", Joel Whitburn, c.2002 [[Citing sources citation needed]]
Charts
Album| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | Billboard Pop Albums | 5 |
| Yes |
|---|
| Jon Anderson | Chris Squire | Steve Howe | Rick Wakeman | Alan White |
| Peter Banks | Tony Kaye| Bill Bruford | Patrick Moraz | Geoff Downes | Trevor Horn | Trevor Rabin | Billy Sherwood | Igor Khoroshev |
| Discography |
| Studio albums: Yes | Time and a Word | The Yes Album | Fragile | Close to the Edge | Tales from Topographic Oceans | Relayer | Going for the One | Tormato | Drama | 90125 | Big Generator | Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe | Union | Talk | Open Your Eyes | The Ladder | Magnification |
| Live albums: Yessongs | Yesshows | [[9012Live: The Solos]] | Keys to Ascension | Keys to Ascension 2 | [[House of Yes: Live from House of Blues]] |
| Compilations: Yesterdays | Classic Yes | Yesstory | [[The Ultimate Yes: 35th Anniversary Collection]] |
| Remix albums: Yes Remixes |
| Box sets: Yesyears | [[In a Word: Yes (1969 - )]] | The Word is Live |
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