Yes - Yes - Review

Songs: Beyond and Before, I See You, Yesterday and Today, Looking Around, Harold Land, Every Little Thing, Sweetness, Survival

Bonus Songs: Everydays (Single Version), Dear Father (Early Version # 2), Something’s Coming, Everydays (Early Version), Dear Father (Early Version # 1), Something’s Coming (Early Version).

Comments:

It must have been great for talented young musicians to make a debut rock album back in 1969. It was an era of innovation ever since Bob Dylan’s Like a Rolling Stone showed the world that everything was possible in Rock Music. Extremely strong commercial pressure did not exist at that time and new bands were allowed to experiment with their musical ideas in the studios. And musical references were widely available and first class. This was the era of the Beatles, the Stones, the Doors, Crosby Stills Nash & Young, Jimi Hendrix, Woodstock, Led Zeppelin and so many other great bands and festivals. All kinds of rock music were being explored and progressive rock was lurking around the corner.

It’s no wonder therefore that I love so many of the debut albums from that period. They sound original, catchy, honest, crisp, daring, sweet, simple, committed, spontaneous and to the point while at the same time you will find that they are not always as coherent, complex, confident and musically perfected as later work. But maybe that’s why I find them often very attractive.  

That’s also the case with the first album of vocalist Jon Anderson, guitarist Peter Banks, bass player Chris Squire, drummer Bill Bruford and Tony Kaye on keyboards. Jon and Chris wrote most of the songs and they were clearly influenced by the Beatles. The two ballads on the album, Yesterday and Today and Sweetness could have easily been written by Paul McCartney. They are beautiful love songs and Jon’s voice seldom sounded so honest and tender as on these two songs. Beautiful piano as well.

And in the Album opener, the very confident rocker Before and Beyond, I imagine the guys having listened to Sgt. Pepper and I Am the Walrus. Great guitar and very strong harmony vocals.

And there’s the cover of Every Little Thing of course with a Day Tripper riff in the intro. Still it’s a great version and it challenges the original as far as I’m concerned.

I See You, written for the Byrds by David Crosby and Roger McGuinn is transformed into a jazzy groove that would do justice to any of the great Steely Dan Albums. It shows that Peter is a very versatile guitarist who masters many styles. Bill Bruford also shines on drums here.

Looking Around is another rocker with great vocals and powerful interplay between organ and bass.

And finally we find Harold Land and Survival. Both songs point to the direction of the Multi Part Suites that Yes would exploit to full length in the future. The first song (about War as so many songs in those days because of Vietnam) could easily have been written by Peter Gabriel and has a Genesis –like feel to it. The latter however is pure Yes and a foreplay of greater things to come.

The Bonus Tracks are awsome and give us three great Yes Songs in early and final versions. It’s very interesting to note the differences. My favorites are the Single Everydays and Something’s Coming from West Side Story, a song that perfectly fits Jon’s angelic voice.

Yes is certainly not a progressive rock album. It’s much more a Pop album with a (prog) rock edge! That makes for a great listen and the excellent sound quality of the re-mastered version as well as the great bonus tracks only add to the pleasure.

Rating: ******** (8 out of 10)

Black = Good Songs

Green = Great Songs

Red = Could Be Better

Who should buy this Record: This is a great start for getting into the music of Yes. I can safely recommend this to everyone as long as you get yourself the Re-Mastered version.

Dewar's 12 Years Review

Country: Scotland

Brand: Dewar’s Double Aged

Type: Blended Whisky

Age: 12 Years

Alcohol: 40%

Colour: Amber

Nose: Sweet Nose with Honey, Toffee, Malt, Sweet Grain and Oak. Give it time to open up as there is some Alcohol there. Some Fruity Tones (Citrus Zest or Lemon Marmalade) and traces of Heather and Buttered Toast.

Taste: The Palate is quite smooth and confirms the Nose with rather sweet Honey and Caramel. Light Spices appear (think Cinnamon) alongside Butter, Oak and Fruitcake.

Finish: Sugary, Light Spices, Oak and Licorice

I added a few drops of water and you get some more Fruity tones on the Nose. But the Palate does not really show a lot of changes so I prefer to drink this Blend neat.

Rating: 80

Nose:  20.5 – Taste: 20.5 – Finish: 19 – Overall: 20

General Remarks: This Blend is Double Aged. This means that after the initial maturation of more than 11 years, the around 40 whiskies that are part of the Dewar’s 12 Years are blended together and return to Oak Casks for an additional marriage of 6 months. The Highland Single Malt Aberfeldy lies at the heart of the Dewar’s 12 Years Blend.

Aberfeldy Distillery

Drinking Experience Neat: Good

Drinking Experience on the Rocks: Good

Conclusion: I can’t get really excited about this Blend because it’s too Sweet and there’s very few flavors out there to balance it out. But it's not bad although a bit overpriced. And, it’s completely drinkable, to a point where you have to remind yourself it has 40% Alcohol. It’s almost like whisky flavoured Honey liquor! One thing is clear though. It’s a very big step up from the rather unpleasant White Label!

Jan van den Ende                                                                       May 5, 2012

Connemara Peated Review

Country: Ireland

Brand: Connemara Peated

Type: Single Malt Whiskey

Age: NAS

Alcohol: 40%

Colour: Amber

Nose: Peat, Earth and Smoke but significantly lighter and somehow less Organic and more Metallic than your average Islay Malt. These first impressions are followed by Rubber, Heather, Burnt Sugar, Oak and Apple. Hints of Leather and Honey and a bit of young Medicinal Alcohol

Taste: Not very attractive. A combination of Burnt Rubber, Earth, Caramel and bitter Herbal Tea with very faint hints of chocolate.

Finish: Sweet (Think more of Sugar than of Honey) and Bitter Almonds. Dry in the end with that same medicinal off note that I found on the Nose. The Wet Earth stays for quite a while and it’s rather unpleasant

With a couple of drops of water the Nose becomes very light. The Peat retreats a bit and some Malt and Grass appears. The Oak and Leather are coming through as well. On the Palate it all gets very watery and the Finish becomes very short indeed. Still, you can experiment with a few drops here.

Rating: 74,5

Nose: 20 – Taste: 19– Finish: 17 – Overall: 18,5

General Remarks: In the old days all Irish whiskey was dried with peat but today Connemara is the only Peated Irish Single Malt. This whiskey is double distilled to improve its smoothness. It’s a blend of a 4, a 6 and an 8 Years old whiskey. The Cooley Distillery where Connemara is produced was bought early this year by Beam Inc.

Drinking Experience Straight: Average

Conclusion: The Nose is the best part of this whiskey despite the rubber and medicinal off-notes. But on the Palate this Malt is disappointing and the Finish is rather unpleasant. I’m sure that Connemara wanted to provide an Irish alternative for Islay malts but I’m sorry to say that this whiskey is no match for the Islay Single Malts. And since it’s also not as smooth as other Irish whiskies despite the Double Distilling, it’s rather a Black Sheep in the family if you ask me. It’s drinkable but I can’t recommend this.

Jan van den Ende                                                                     May 3, 2012

David Crosby - It's All Coming Back To Me Now... - Review

Songs: In My Dreams, Rusty and Blue, Hero, Till It Shines On You, Thousand Roads, Cowboy Movie, Almost Cut My Hair, Déjà Vu, Long Time Gone, Wooden Ships. 

Type of Music:  Folk/Rock   

Comments:

This Live Album was recorded on December 7, 1993 at the Whisky a Go Go in Hollywood, California as part of the tour to promote David´s new studio album Thousand Roads.

It contains a mix of old – and more recent solo work as well as songs from the CSNY period. And there are two new songs, the boring Rusty and Blue and the generic rocker Till It Shines On You.

I think you got the point already. I don´t like this record. I´ve listened to it a few times to find out exactly what it is that makes me dislike this particular set of songs.

For one, it´s David himself. On too many occasions he´s shouting instead of singing. That works fine on Long Time Gone. That song benefits from a rough and dirty treatment. But it stinks on most of the other songs. I also don´t like the different – and sometimes improvised arrangements of the songs. I´ll give you an example. I really like the studio version of Thousand Roads with the nice sort of Keith Richard riff. Here it sounds like a dull version of Joe Cocker´s reading of Randy Newman´s You Can Leave Your Hat On. But most of all I object to the generic sounding guitar of Jeff Pevar. No soul whatsoever in his playing.

Three of the CSN(Y) songs get the “Let´s Jam a Bit” treatment. For me that only works somewhat in Déjà Vu where all the players get their little moment in the sun. And the Crosby/Nash vocals blend well here.

But to summon up things, go try and find the King Biscuit Flower Hour Live CD and leave this one alone.

Rating: ***** (5 out of 10)

Black = Good Songs

Green = Great Songs

Red = Could Be Better

Who should buy this Record: Only for Die Hard David Crosby Fans.

Auchentoshan Three Wood Review

Country: Scotland

Brand: Auchentoshan Three Woods

Type: Single Malt Whisky

Region: Lowlands

Age: Unspecified but said to be 12 Y

Alcohol: 43%

Colour: Deep Amber

Nose: Slightly sweet with Sherry, Oak, Cooked Red Fruit (think of Berries), Malt, Vanilla and Apricot Marmalade. After a while Toffee, Brown Sugar and Butterscotch become more present. There are certainly a number of flavors present here but it does not seem to be a well-orchestrated effort.

Taste: The Sherry and Cooked Red Fruits are still there with Oak, Leather, Licorice and Salted Nuts.

Finish: Sweet like Maple Syrup at first but quickly drying out with Oak, Light Spices and Mint. There is a Rubbery Off Tone in the end.

I added a bit of water but it does not make a whole lot of difference although you get a bit extra fruit on the Nose (Pear). You can play with a bit of water if you want.

Rating:  80,5 

Nose: 21 – Taste: 20,5 – Finish: 19 – Overall: 20

General Remarks:

The Auchentoshan Distillery was founded in 1800 and is located just north of Glasgow. It’s one of only three active Lowland Distilleries alongside Bladnoch and Glenkinchie.  This Single Malt is triple-distilled like most Irish whiskey. Generally, this leaves the young spirit lighter and fruitier. Although no age is specified it is understood that this Single Malt aged in American Bourbon Oak for 10 years and was finished for one year each in Spanish Oloroso – and Pedro Ximenez Sherry Casks.

Drinking Experience Neat: Good (with the exception of the Rubber Off Tone in the Finish)

Conclusion: This is not an easy Malt to judge. On the one hand the Nose has sufficient interesting flavors for you to unravel. But they don’t seem to fit together all that well. The Palate sometimes reminds me a bit of Bourbon and sometimes of Raspberry juice. Red Wine and even Port Wine came to my mind. I have nothing against whisky being finished in casks that previously contained other spirits. But distilleries need to be careful not to overdo it. This is not a bad Single Malt but the Three Wood may have overplayed its cards a bit.

Jan van den Ende                                                                 April 29, 2012