The rock group Yes is once again up for induction into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame. For many fans, the giants of progressive music require no such validation. The high regard works like “Close to the Edge” have earned over the years is proof positive that their music will endure. Indeed, a critic for the Times of London once speculated that Yes’ 70s epics were just the kind of timeless music that would interest audiences centuries from now.
That’s a pretty heady thought. Mozart, Beethoven and Bach created music of great originality, passion and soul. The structure of their music, the melodic inventiveness, harmonic complexity and intimation of a personal vision expressed in a musical language still speaks to us. We still listen because their music carries echoes of their genius.
The same can be said, I would argue, for Yes’s finest efforts – by that I mean “Close to the Edge,” “The Gates of Delirium,” “Awaken,” and “Tales from Topographic Oceans.” This is music brimming with ambition, artistry, imagination and instrumental virtuosity.
The legendary music executive, Ahmet Ertegun, once described Yes as a band that used sound to paint pictures. This is a wonderful and apt description. The palette they drew upon to express their sonic vision was equal to our innate thirst for authentic music pitched not at our wallets, but at our souls. Yes music will speak to future ages because this is music that rewards repeated listening, stirs the imagination and reveals new marvels with each encounter.
I hope the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame recognizes Yes’ musical excellence. Perhaps beauty is in the ear of the beholder. There an old Latin saying – de gustibus, non est disputandum (on matters of taste there can be no disputing). Consequently, some argue that artistic merit can never be entirely objective because aesthetic standards are time-conditioned and subject to change.
Fashions change, of course, but some music seems to emerge from a deep reservoir of creativity. Such music quenches our spirits, refreshes our imagination and replenishes our souls. It is from such Topographic Oceans that we are brought Close to the Edge of life where we can Awaken to our highest potential.
