Relayer

Relayer is the eighth album by the progressive rock band Yes. Recorded and released in 1974, it is the only album the band recorded with the featured line-up.

Related Topics:
Progressive rock - Yes - 1974

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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.

Related Topics:
Tales From Topographic Oceans - Rick Wakeman - Yes - Vangelis - Jon Anderson - Patrick Moraz

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Relayer has the same song format as 1972's Close to the Edge (a long epic on one side, and two relatively short 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 15 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.

Related Topics:
Close to the Edge - Leo Tolstoy - War and Peace - 1975 - King Crimson - Sitar

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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 fold-out sleeve. The cover was later used in a Pepsi-Cola ad, as the T-shirt worn by Shakira.

Related Topics:
Roger Dean - Fragile - Pepsi-Cola - Shakira

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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.

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