The Ladder (Yes album)
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The Ladder is the eighteenth studio album from the English rock band Yes, released in September 1999 on Eagle Records. Their only studio album recorded with six full-time members and with keyboardist Igor Khoroshev, recording took place after their 1997–98 tour to support their previous album, Open Your Eyes (1997). The band relocated to Vancouver, Canada, working with producer Bruce Fairbairn who died during the album's mixing stage.
The Ladder received a warm reception from critics who saw the album as a return to creative form from the band. It reached a peak of No. 36 on the UK Albums Chart and No. 99 on the US Billboard 200. Three singles were released, "Homeworld (The Ladder)", "Lightning Strikes", and "If Only You Knew"; the former was used in the 1999 real-time strategy computer game Homeworld by Relic Entertainment. Yes supported the album with their 1999–2000 world tour, and guitarist Billy Sherwood left the group at its conclusion.
History
Following guitarist/keyboardist Billy Sherwood's guidance of the last project, Yes decided to bring in an outside producer, Bruce Fairbairn, to give the music the benefit of objective ears. By the time the band had decamped to Vancouver, Canada to record The Ladder, Igor Khoroshev had become the group's official keyboardist, with Sherwood relegated to guitar duties along with Steve Howe.
Although the sessions went off successfully, with all concerned very pleased with the end results, the project ended with Fairbairn's sudden death in May 1999. Fairbairn died, according to Chris Squire, just before the completion of final vocals and mixing on The Ladder. Yes subsequently dedicated the album to their late producer upon its September release.
Release
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [1] |
| The Daily Vault | B−[2] |
| Progressiveworld | (favorable)[3] |
Concurrently with the release of the album, Yes licensed the use of "Homeworld (The Ladder)" for use as the ending credits theme for the Sierra Studios PC game Homeworld, of which a digital preview was included with The Ladder. The re-issue included in the 2006 box set Essentially Yes also includes this preview.
Reception
Hyped as a "return to form", The Ladder (Eagle EAGCD088) generally pleased most of its listeners and longtime Yes fans, performing slightly better than Open Your Eyes by reaching No. 36 in the UK and No. 99 in the US.
Song info
"Homeworld (The Ladder)" references the working title for Talk, History of the Future.
The track "Lightning Strikes" borrows the opening flute solo from The Kinks' song "Phenomenal Cat" from the album The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society. The song also references "The Revealing Science of God (Dance of the Dawn)" from Tales from Topographic Oceans and "Endless Dream" from Talk.
"Can I?" quotes Anderson's 1971 composition "We Have Heaven" from Fragile.
"Face to Face" references "Lift Me Up" from Union.
"The Messenger" is a tribute to Bob Marley.
"New Language" is based on a jam from the Open Your Eyes album sessions. The bass line from the guitar solo also references the bass line to "Roundabout" from Fragile.
"Nine Voices (Longwalker)" references "Your Move" from The Yes Album.
Track listing
All music by Jon Anderson, Steve Howe, Billy Sherwood, Chris Squire, Alan White and Igor Khoroshev. All lyrics by Anderson.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Homeworld (The Ladder)" | 9:32 |
| 2. | "It Will Be a Good Day (The River)" | 4:54 |
| 3. | "Lightning Strikes" | 4:35 |
| 4. | "Can I?" | 1:32 |
| 5. | "Face to Face" | 5:02 |
| 6. | "If Only You Knew" | 5:43 |
| 7. | "To Be Alive (Hep Yadda)" | 5:07 |
| 8. | "Finally" | 6:02 |
| 9. | "The Messenger" | 5:13 |
| 10. | "New Language" | 9:19 |
| 11. | "Nine Voices (Longwalker)" | 3:21 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 12. | "I've Seen All Good People" (Live in Los Angeles 1997) | |
| 13. | "And You and I" (Live in Los Angeles 1997) |
Personnel
Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes.
- Yes
- Jon Anderson – lead vocals
- Steve Howe – lead and acoustic guitars, steel guitar, mandolin, backing vocals
- Billy Sherwood – guitars, backing vocals
- Chris Squire – bass guitars, backing vocals
- Alan White – drums, percussion, backing vocals
- Igor Khoroshev – keyboards, backing vocals
- Additional musicians
- Randy Raine-Reusch – world instruments
- Rhys Fulber – dance loops
- The Marguerita Horns - horns on "Lightning Strikes"
- Tom Keenlyside – piccolo, tenor saxophone
- Derry Burns – trumpet
- Rod Murray – trombone
- Tom Colclough – alto saxophone
- Neil Nicholson – tuba
- Production
- Bruce Fairbairn – producer
- Mike Plotnikoff – engineer, mixing
- Paul Silveira – second engineer
- George Marino – mastering at Sterling Sound Studios, New York in June 1999
- Steve Hennessy – guitars and keyboards technical support
- Chris Crippen – drums technical support
- Drew Arnott – keyboard technical support
- Chin Injeti – keyboard technical support
- Roger Dean – painting, logo and lettering
- Martyn Dean – design
References
- ^ Adams, Brat (2011). "The Ladder – Yes | AllMusic". allmusic.com. Retrieved 25 July 2011.
- ^ Warburg, Jason (2011). "The Daily Vault Music Reviews : The Ladder". dailyvault.com. Retrieved 25 July 2011.
- ^ Sollow, S. (2011). "PROGRESSIVEWORLD.NET: REVIEWS BY STEPHANIE SOLLOW". web.archive.org. Archived from the original on 30 January 2009. Retrieved 25 July 2011.
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