This Day in Music History (09/20): Yes/Tormato and Yes/The Ladder

On this day in music history, Yes was at it again (they love the month of September apparently) with not one, but two different albums released on this date.

First, in 1978, Yes released Tormato, which had a few decent ideas, but overall was basically crap.

The original album title was to be Yes Tor, referring to a geological formation in southern England. The photographs taken by Hipgnosis for the album cover were seen as so unimpressive that Rick Wakeman (RW!), in frustration, threw a tomato at the pictures. The cover and title were adjusted accordingly. No, really. That's how it got its name.

Music Monday (The Ladder, Side 2)

So after covering side one, and trying to sort through the whole John Lennon/Yoko Ono thing (whut?), it is time to move on to the second half of The Ladder.

********************************************************************************

Music Monday (The Ladder, Side 1)

The Ladder is the eighteenth studio album by progressive rock band Yes and was released in 1999. To me, it is the best album they have done in years.

The follow-up to 1997's tepidly-received Open Your Eyes (blah), The Ladder was seen as a conscious return to the classic Yes sound, while maintaining a contemporary edge. It is the only Yes album with keyboardist Igor Khoroshev as a full time member, the last with guitarist Billy Sherwood (yay?), and the only album of the band as a sextet.

Plus, Roger Dean ya'll:

Friday and the Random 10 (Roll Tide Edition)

College football has finally started! Last night was battle of the Carolinas (with a long weather 101), followed by a great back and forth SEC game between Vandy and Ole Miss. But that's all just the appetizer. The Main course starts tomorrow as Bama takes on Va Tech. I am so pumped!

And nothing better to help me get more pumped up than a Random 10! Looking back at last week, I see that no one was banned. Cool. As usual, the rules and whatnot are over there → to the right.

Time for the kickoff!

Friday and the Random 10

I must say, this is my favorite post to write every week. I don't write it ahead of time either or fudge the results. I truly have no idea what will play when I start this. So here I am setting my media player on random and waiting to see what shows up. And away we go!

1) Korn/For No One - Well that was a heavy way to start the day. Not really my style. Just trying them out because of a friend.

2) The Moody Blues/Words You Say - Don't know this song. Very over the top with the orchestra.

3) The Buggles/Living in the Plastic Age - Video winner because a video actually exists of this song:

4) Steve Howe/Cruise Control - From Homebrew 3, which is the third (duh) collection of his at home demos that evolved into other songs or parts of other songs. I was really surprised at how much of Yes' music came from him. This piece eventually became New Languages on The Ladder album.

5) U2/The Fly - I do not really know much, or really cared about their music. This sounds cool though.

6) Yes/Harold Land - Now here's some classic stuff that I've already shared here.

7) Syd Barrett/Waving My Arms in the Air - I tried some of his stuff because of the whole Pink Floyd thing and from an episode of The X Files. IMHO, his music is complete crap and gets the Picard Award (brand new!)

8) ELO/Starlight - I love bands that have a certain sound and no matter what they play you know it's them.

9) Korn/Ball Tongue - I don't even know how to comment on this one. I'm just not a fan of the dark angry music. They might get the (so far unused) Cybermen Award before too long.

10) Phil Collins/In The Air Tonight - You know, the song where everyone (including Mike Tyson) knows the drum parts.

Well there we go for another week. I keep waiting for something new to show up, and for that matter, we haven't seen RW in quite awhile either! No album cover winner this week? Odd. The STCS for this week is Chicago/What Else Can I Say. Good, older stuff from them before the 80's happened.

Play us out Phil! Everyone drum along!