Track Listing

1. Going For The One
2. Turn Of The Century
3. Parallels
4. Wonderous Stories
5. Awaken
6. Montreux's Theme
7. Vevey
8. Amazing Grace
9. Going For The One
10. Parallels
11. Turn Of The Century
12. Eastern Number

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #4553 in Music
• Released on: 2003-08-25
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered
• Dimensions: .24 pounds

CD Description
Upon the release of 1977's GOING FOR THE ONE and its predecessor, RELAYER, the gap between albums was the longest to date for Yes. In the interim, keyboardist Patrick Moraz, who replaced Rick Wakeman, departed, and Wakeman returned to the fold. Thus re-energised, the band found its feet again and recorded the finest of their mid-period releases. While the artful ambition of RELAYER hadn't totally disappeared (this was still '70s prog rock after all), there was a new level ofvisceral energy and concision on the title track and "Wonderous Stories", the latter as close as Yes got to a pop single at the time. The more expansive side of the group is represented best on the epic "Awaken", a multi-hued piece that would remain a concert favourite decades later.

Customer Reviews

High vibration go on
At last we get Yes's greatest creation, the soaring pagan hymn 'Awaken' (Track 5), on a superb hiss-free remaster. This track contains the greatest double-crescendo in (rock) music; dynamics are all important as the change-up after the cosmic drift of the middle section builds and builds again past the point mere amplified instruments can reach and upward to the crashing power chords of Wakeman's Vevey church organ. Spine-tingling!
The bonus tracks are interesting, including a sketch of 'Awaken' itself that shows how beautifully crafted the final version really is. However, you have to remember to program them out so they don't intrude into the afterglow of 'Awaken'. This is the fourth time I've purchased this album, but this remaster is definitively the one to take to the proverbial desert island.

Wonderous!!!
After the three large scale epic works that Yes had made prior to this record, Close To The Edge, Tales From Topographic Oceans and Relayer, Yes finally returned to more earthy territory with Going For The One.
Yes had gone as far as they could with their massive symphonic works, and instead went back to the kind of music they were making from 1969 to 1971.
Happily, Rick Wakeman approved of this ideology and duly returned to the band.
It has to be said that there aren't too many Yes albums that can top Going For The One. In fact, I would go as far to say that it is perhaps the perfect Yes record.
'Parallels' and the title track are good straight ahead rock numbers with Steve Howe and Rick Wakeman interplaying superbly together with Chris Squire and Alan White providing a steady rythmn section.
'Turn Of The Century' is a gorgeous track that shows the band using 'real' instruments and coming up with a fusion of folk and classical music in a stupendous piece. Steve Howe plays some outstanding acoustic guitar, and Rick Wakeman uses all his classical nous to give the song some real majesty. Special mention has to go to Jon Anderson here as well who puts in one of his finest ever vocal displays.
'Wonderous Stories' is another quite lovely track. At three minutes plus, it probably ranks among Yes' shortest ever group compositions, but like 'Long Distance Runaround' on the Fragile album, it shows that Yes can come up with a simple, catchy, melodic pop tune when they want to. Wakeman throws in some top keyboards too.
The major track on Going For The One has to be Awaken. At fifteen minutes plus it's the longest track on offer here, but unlike some of the songs on the previous two albums, Awaken is beautifully structured and expertly played by all. It's the ultimate 1970's Yes track in that it seems to draw on everything that Yes had done up to that point in their career. It's a fantastically mature piece that closes the album perfectly.
The production of the album is crisp and fresh and you get the feeling that recording in Switzerland, among the dramatic scenery, and good clean air, really gave the band a lift when recording these songs.
What's fascinating about Going For The One is that it was released in 1977 when punk had arrived. The fact that Yes had a UK number one with this album and top ten and top thirty singles with 'Wonderous Stories' and the title track respectively, proved that quality music and a solid fan base was more than a match for media hyped guff, played by tone deaf tossers.
Absolutely splendid stuff.

Best version yet of a classic album
Rock music was always about more than just drums, screaming and wailing guitars. And this album proves it. Following their 1972 landmark release "Close To The Edge", Yes re-emerged five years later with a fresh stripped down sound and a cover that wasn't a painting by Roger Dean. Punk Rock had already started in 1977, but the title track on "Going For The One" had such bite and incessant drive it gave even them a run for their money. "Parallels" was in the same straight rock vein, but "Turn Of The Century" with beautiful acoustic guitar and piano, and the cascading "Wonderous Stories" showed their more reflective side also. All of these elements come together on the longer "Awaken", coupling dense choral and keyboard textures with brilliant hard-edged electric guitars and drums. And then there was that voice - Jon Anderson's expressive singing and painted lyrics gave Yes a unique presence. If you like rock music with a spiritual or mystical leaning, this is something you should listen to.

The re-master by Rhino with vastly improved sound clarity offers six bonus tracks of rehearsals and outtakes from the original recording sessions. The most interesting of these is "Eastern Numbers" which gives an insight into the creative process of the band. The only disappointment is the standard jewel case packaging, but the booklet is good. This must now be regarded as the definitive version of this album to have, unless you already own the Japanese HDCD with the dinky miniature original LP card sleeve.