# Best Yes Studio Albums (POLL) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [October 27, 2022, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-yes-studio-albums-poll/973897 "2022-10-27T20:25:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Mr.Greenjeans](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.greenjeans/32/551_2.png) [@Mr.Greenjeans](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Greenjeans)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2022, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-yes-studio-albums-poll/973897/21 "2022-10-28T14:40:44Z")
You are correct. (Thanks!) Ignorance fought. And vote corrected. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2022, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-yes-studio-albums-poll/973897/22 "2022-10-28T14:42:39Z")
> [@digs](#): > > Jon Anderson writes lyrics that are pretty vapid, and would go better on Hallmark’s _‘Psychedelic New Age’_ greeting card line. This is true. I have always ascribed it to Anderson (a) wanting to be all philosophical and metaphorical, and (b) being high on pot when he wrote. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2022, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-yes-studio-albums-poll/973897/23 "2022-10-28T14:45:50Z")
None of this is wrong, but part of it is he liked to use his voice as one of the instruments and often the lyrics were chosen to harmonize with the actual instruments. Which is a little spacey for me and beyond my actual real understanding but I recall that from an interview in I think Yes Magazine or whatever that was called. I was subscribed in the late 80s through mid-90s. ---
**Author:** ![dirtball](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dirtball/32/18772_2.png) [@dirtball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dirtball)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2022, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-yes-studio-albums-poll/973897/24 "2022-10-28T14:49:58Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > None of this is wrong, but part of it is he liked to use his voice as one of the instruments and often the lyrics were chosen to harmonize with the actual instruments. I believe I remember reading an interview where he said pretty much that same thing–that he approached his vocals as another instrument in the arrangement. That said, I’d much rather listen to a guy singing “Sad preacher nailed upon the colored door of time” than a guy rhyming “facts is” with “taxes.” ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2022, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-yes-studio-albums-poll/973897/25 "2022-10-28T14:50:25Z")
I voted for Fragile but it’s pretty much a three way tie with The Yes Album and Close to the Edge. Ask me tomorrow and my answer might be different. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2022, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-yes-studio-albums-poll/973897/26 "2022-10-28T14:51:43Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > None of this is wrong, but part of it is he liked to use his voice as one of the instruments and often the lyrics were chosen to harmonize with the actual instruments. > > Which is a little spacey for me and beyond my actual real understanding but I recall that from an interview in I think Yes Magazine or whatever that was called. I was subscribed in the late 80s through mid-90s. More recently he admitted that a lot of it was due to being really, really high. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2022, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-yes-studio-albums-poll/973897/27 "2022-10-28T14:55:14Z")
> [@dirtball](#): > > I’d much rather listen to a guy singing “Sad preacher nailed upon the colored door of time” than a guy rhyming “facts is” with “taxes.” Agreed. I loved Anderson’s **Olias of Sunhillow** album because of the impenetrable lyrics, rather than despite them. They conjure up for me images of Tolkien’s elves. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2022, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-yes-studio-albums-poll/973897/28 "2022-10-28T14:58:24Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > Agreed. I loved Anderson’s **Olias of Sunhillow** album because of the impenetrable lyrics, rather than despite them. Was literally reaching to hit Reply to say exactly this, and then saw your post. Just re-discovered this album a few years ago and love it again. ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2022, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-yes-studio-albums-poll/973897/29 "2022-10-28T15:22:39Z")
I went with **Tales From Topographic Oceans** because I saw them perform it live and it blew my mind. ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2022, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-yes-studio-albums-poll/973897/30 "2022-10-28T17:03:41Z")
> [@scabpicker](#): > > Oh man, it still makes my nipples hard. I don’t know about hard nipples, but I love Fearless. Love love. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2022, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-yes-studio-albums-poll/973897/31 "2022-10-28T17:12:46Z")
I voted for Fragile, but it’s really a tie with The Yes Album. Tied for second place would be Close To The Edge and side one of Topographic Oceans (_“The Revealing Science of God/Dance of the Dawn”_) ---
**Author:** ![aurora\_maire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aurora_maire/32/328_2.png) [@aurora\_maire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aurora_maire)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2022, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-yes-studio-albums-poll/973897/32 "2022-10-28T22:56:48Z")
> [@Knowed\_Out](#): > > I went with **Tales From Topographic Oceans** because I saw them perform it live and it blew my mind. That’s why I picked it, too. I was sitting in the front row, tripping. It was awesome! ---
**Author:** ![ZonexandScout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zonexandscout/32/544_2.png) [@ZonexandScout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZonexandScout)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2022, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-yes-studio-albums-poll/973897/33 "2022-10-29T13:14:15Z")
**Close to the Edge**. It took me almost a year to hear the end of the title track because I kept falling asleep during the slow bridge. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2022, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-yes-studio-albums-poll/973897/34 "2022-10-29T18:49:19Z")
> [@Shoeless](#): > > I voted for “The Yes Album” because Starship Trooper is one of those songs I could listen to over and over again, especially the guitar solo (and the build up to it) in the outro. I’m with you. My All-Time Favorite song. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2023, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-yes-studio-albums-poll/973897/35 "2023-02-18T15:46:33Z")
_Fragile_ really dominated. I’m pretty sure it was also their most commercially successful album unless/until _90125_ managed to beat it out. ---
**Author:** ![Toxylon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f05b48/32.png) [@Toxylon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toxylon)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2023, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-yes-studio-albums-poll/973897/36 "2023-02-19T11:26:38Z")
Fragile has a three enormous, eternally soul-shaking songs and a bunch of almost total filler. Close to the Edge might end up the winner for me on that basis. 90125 has a couple of really great songs, but it mostly plays like something out of 80’s toothpaste commercials. I really have to delve into the Yes album now. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2023, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-yes-studio-albums-poll/973897/37 "2023-02-19T16:46:18Z")
> [@Toxylon](#): > > Fragile has a three enormous, eternally soul-shaking songs and a bunch of almost total filler. Part of that might be the fact that five of the album’s nine tracks were effectively solo pieces, one by each band member (though most had some support from other band members). Two of those are particularly forgettable, IMO: Bill Bruford’s “Five per Cent for Nothing” is less than a minute long, and Rick Wakeman’s “Cans and Brahms,” which even Wakeman hated – his contract with another record company prohibited him from writing an original piece for the album. ---
**Author:** ![Toxylon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f05b48/32.png) [@Toxylon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toxylon)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2023, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-yes-studio-albums-poll/973897/38 "2023-02-20T06:46:14Z")
Yes, that is the well-known reason for the extremely uneven content of Fragile. Still, it’s like the worst stuff a band put out in 50 years of making music, paired with the very best they ever did. I can’t think of many such albums. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2023, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-yes-studio-albums-poll/973897/39 "2023-02-20T14:05:18Z")
I just listened to _Fragile_ all over again, and can confirm that I like every song on it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-yes-studio-albums-poll/973897.md?page=1)