Yes - Going for the One (1977)

Dan:

I don't remember when I picked up Going for the One by Yes. I was not yet captivated by the band and this new one came out some time after the release of a couple of less engaging albums (Tales of Topographic Oceans and Relayer). Going for the One would then be followed by two even more dubious releases: Tormato and Drama. It seemed to me that Yes had difficulty matching their early successes; early brilliance can be a curse for artists expected to match their best work every time out.

So, with low expectations I explored the new Yes album with the weird cover. The title track got me worried; it was a bashing, slashing noisy guitar piece that put vocalist Jon Anderson in the unfamiliar position of having to shout above the band to be heard. Jon was never a good shouter. The second track, thankfully, caught me by surprise with its more familiar narrative form and well-paced dynamics. "Turn of the Century" is a beautiful song about a sculptor whose lady dies. He then creates a stone sculpture of her so that she can always be with him. I don't know if the lyrics are inspired by any ancient legends or not, but it's a moving story conveyed magnificently by the music. At eight minutes in length, "Turn of the Century" feels like a more lyrical, and less opaque, return to Yes's songwriting on their earlier albums. 

Side 2 begins with the fast tempo "Parallels." Chris Squires' lyrics are fine, but the pipe organ and guitar dominate the introduction and smother the vocals. Fortunately, "Parallels" is followed by a much shorter and more appealing song, "Wonderous Stories," which may have been a rare attempt at producing a hit single. It's reminiscent of one of the Life Seeker sections in "Starship Trooper," which tells about "talks by the water, the proud sons and daughter, who knew the knowledge of the land and spoke to me in sweet accustomed ways." In "Wonderous Stories," a new life seeker begs to hear stories from some unnamed mystic. It's a Yes masterpiece that clocks in at less than four minutes. 

The finale is another masterpiece, but much longer at 17:38 minutes. "Awaken" includes three main sections. Part 1 is a mostly vocal introduction featuring Jon Anderson's angelic voice beseeching the sun to stand still "reaching out to touch our own being / past all mortal as we / here we can be." From there, part 2 builds a dense ensemble supporting repetitious chants from Anderson: "awaken gentle mass touch" that shifts into a more rhythmic melody pondering the workings of man. The third and last section returns peacefully to the opening stanza about wishing the sun to stand still. My favorite line is the variation on the first stanza that closes the piece:

Like the time I ran away

And turned around and you were standing close to me

This lovely sentiment is repeated twice over a delicate accompaniment that ends with a soft bass note. If only all beautiful songs could end this way. 

With Rick Wakeman on organ and piano, this version of Yes could extend their instrumental reach allowing them to be more grandiose (in a good way) but also more cluttered. My tune preferences obviously favor the grandiose as long as the lyrics and contrasts are not obliterated. Hitting the jackpot on three of five numbers is a pretty good score, even for one of the most famous prog bands. 

Steve:

While I do not share Dan's opinion that Yes had fallen into a slump prior to Going for the One, this album definitely stands out among its neighbors. For one thing, the cover art is the first in a while not to feature a Roger Dean creation, and the production overall indicates a desire to shuffle the formula somewhat. This shuffling would definitely backfire on the following year's Tormato (despite some nice moments), but for the most part the Yes franchise emerges from Going for the One just as strong as they'd ever been. 

I remember hearing "Wonderous Stories" a LOT around the house as a kid. I could tell it was a big favorite of Dan's, and it's easy to see why. It's concise and tuneful, and yet it builds in emotion and density like a good prog epic. By the end, you want to get your lighter out and wave your hands back and forth. Definitely a career highlight.

I always liked "Parallels" (though I never heard Dan play it - this was after I got my own copy) for its cool bass line and its energetic chorus melody. But I especially treasure "Awaken", a track I still view with a bit of reverence - as if I would spoil its magic if I tried too hard to understand it. I just know it floors me every time I hear it, even if I don't listen to it often. There's a long quiet solo break in the middle of the track that transfixes you for a couple of minutes before the track starts up again with more spiritual verve than before. It's quite a rush.