Added: 5 years ago
From: yesfan21
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  • THis is amazing! Thanks for sharing!

  • Atlantic records baby!!! <3

  • Was this the rough mix? Not the same as on the Tormato album...looks like part of it got incorporated into the Yesyears video.

  • This is one of the Tormato best, dont kill the wale too, onward too, circus on heaven too

  • 1--I thought I'd seen and heard everything from this incredible band. I love all kinds of music, but YES by far and away continue to evolve and surprise with incredible musical ability. For 40 years I'm proud to say they are my favorite band. Thank you, yesfan21

  • How Tormato gets so downgraded on the pop polls i dunno. Silent Wings is PURE MAGIC. There are notes sometimes immerging i've never heard before, trickling out as the yrs go by.

  • With so many different possible sounds one can get from synthesizers and so many different possible sounds one can get from a guitar, how did they figure out which voice/sound to use on which song? Most bands just use the "main" guitar sound or keyboard sound and leave it at that. Yes, however, used so many, from acoustic piano to church pipe organ; acoustic guitar to pedal steel guitar.So many effects on top of it all. It's mind-boggling really.It's a wonder a song ever got written. I love it!

  • Go Mu-tron Wah pedal Go

  • This is fantastic. Thanks for posting.

  • And here we get to see the Cranes in on theSkyline! Bless YES.

  • Is there any version of this song that I could watch Wakeman on keyboards at the end?

  • I wonder why did Eddie Offord not produce any albums for them after Relayer?

  • may freedom's wings be not so silent, but rather, come crashing down on all those that use government to force their will on us

  • The individual members of YES are all ahead of their time. They are definitely connected with the music of the spheres. The Great and Beautiful MUSE

  • I have Tormato in vinyl since 1999 and it fuckin´rules!

  • @"knightgame: I agree. I've come to appreciate parts of "Tormato" over the years - but in 1979 when I first heard it I could nor help but comparing with the earlier works, which were - by anyone's reckoning - exceptional and innovative in ways that still are being talked about by both fans and musicians of all sorts.

  • I wish there were a time machine available to go back to the mid to late 70s when they were at their height. I'm too young and never got to see it in the flesh. It must have been amazing! Sadly, we'll never see stuff like this again - the music industry will make sure of that.

  • Alan and Chris are on f*****g fire on this! :o)

  • so i wonder when & if we will ever get a dvd with this video on it, along with some of the other songs from this album (besides dont kill the whale)?

  • Yes, A Celebration 1969-1979 2DVD set available at Tommygunvideo - link and more details can be found on our channel

  • I have heard that YES was not happy with this album at release... it was seen by the band as not as good as other works from the 70s period. I don't know if there is any truth to this but, its amazing to think that this wonderful music could be seen as less than. So innovative. So wonderful So missed in this decade.

  • RELEASE RELEASE! ONE MORE TRUE YES ALBUM PLEASE! RELEASE RELEASE!

  • At that time, music was....music

  • Superb song... the best of the album by far.

  • My first concert ever was seeing these guys in the round at MSG after this album was released and I was hooked for life. To me Yes is the best band in history hands down. I could listen to them just jam for all day without even playing an actual song. So much talent, such a distinctive sound and a simply mystical aura. I played this album over and over for years, I love every single song.

  • @weedhopperps51 same with me ,1st time at the garden..except it was for the Drama tour in the round...from that show I was hooked..even without Jon Anderson

  • @weedhopperps51 "Took the words out of my mouth"

  • There isn't nothing weak in their playing in this album. If their parts weren't put together in a way to make this one of their best works, were for reasons other than genius and musicianship. Most likely managerial issues inside the band. If you start counting the minutes of great and other beautiful musical passages that make this album if not cohesive, but still one fun to listen to.

  • One of my FAVORITE Yes songs!!! I remember listening to this on headphones when I first started smoking dope, and, WOW!!

  • Great song. But overall a weak album. Not their best, by their high standards.

  • From what I heard, they had to rotate the stage one way so many times and then they had to rotate it the other way because of the length of the cables. Another story I read from one of the Yes books (Yesstories) was in one of the shows the motor that rotates the stage around blew, so crew had some of the guys in the front row to help rotate the stage manually!

  • @yesfan21

    Very familiar with YES, since 1977.

    The 'In the Round' tours with rotating stage worked on electrical slip rings. It had nothing to do with length of cables and the twisting of cables. Slip rings and brush contacts for rotating devices (or concert stages) is a simple electrical concept.

  • I think I saw the tour that went with this, they had a circular stage that sat in the middle of the collesium and it rotated slowly so everyone could see everything during the course of the show ... the sound system was excellent ! How the dang thing worked I have no idea, I mean, wouldn't the power cables get tangled up under the stage ? but they pulled off, one of he best shows I have ever seen !

  • love seeing them in the studio - cool !

  • this is album is still ahead of its time... circus of heaven, release release, silent wings, or those two beginning songs omg,,, i think that musically they were against the edge of what a song was - or a contained piece of music- its as if all those different direction they could go in they tried to capture a lot of those vectors- maybe overkill cuz there is an unfamiliar grit to it, not nearly as polished as gfto or drama.. maybe new technology but the the ideas are amazing i.e. 5:27

    .imho :)

  • Tormato is terribly underrated.

  • @Chudhole yes it is. it breaks my heart.

  • Priceless footage. Love love love the alternative intro. By far the best song on this album. Remember albums?

  • Yes,amazing footage,the tension adds to the creativity no doubt,awesome bass,steve howes haunting guitar........a true gem.

  • I think this reheasal footage is far more entertaining than the finished product.

    Aside from the musical exchanges and the obvious talent level these guys were working from-I always thought the song was a bit of a disaster- a lesson in pure overkill. Nice to hear this rehearsal though and at least see what these guys were aiming for at one time. I am not putting them down for the effort, I still think they are by far one of the greatest bands ever!

  • absolutely beyond awesome.

  • Tormato is one great fucking album!

  • One of the MOST underated lp's of all time in my opinion !

    On the silent wings of freedom do we offer ourselves !

  • tormato is a great recording!

  • Fabulous piece of footage, and some playing that, although there are mistakes, has an energy that didn't make it into the final mix. It's amazing to hear. The album version sounds quite sterile by comparison.

  • Nice SONG! yessssss1

  • Love the bass on this track

  • This was my favourite Yes album - I loved the way the music often seems on the verge of falling apart, but never does. All the better for lots of Chris's stuff on it. Shame the band didn;t enjoy making it

  • GREAT band, classic progressive rock masters. Always liked this song, especially the bass. Squire was a beast, especially in the 70's.

  • I think Tormato is THE most underrated Yes album. I was iin high school when it came out, and I loved it from the very beginning!

  • anyone who doubts chris squire's ability needs to listen to this song.

  • we're all playing the right notes,

    but not necessarily at the same time

  • either jon anderson is a giant, or he has a very small guitar

    possibly the latter....

  • dat is het dilemma als je op zoekt gaat naar het verleden

  • They are still @#%*! good. Jon is performing solos now. Hopefully will return soon.

    And Tormato is a f*king great album. Release, Release is exhausting.

  • great times

  • This is harder than Anthrax

  • tormato was a fuckin great album

  • Still is. I have the '08 expanded edition from Rhino. People should just get past the horid keyboard sounds and the short song lengths to see that this is one awesome CD! Long live the Birotron

  • Jon was really pushing the limits of his vocal range with this tune, probably too much. It almost sounds like he's struggling even on the studio track. They probably should have recorded it a step lower from the beginning so that Jon would still be able to perform it live as he got older.

  • White's bass drum work on parts of "Silent Wings of Freedom" is impressive

  • What is Jon Anderson playing in this video?

  • I believe the 10stringed instrument he is playing is called a "Cuatro".

  • It is called a Cuatro Acoustic guitar. I have one at home and it sounds like a combination of a 12-string and a Mandolin. A beautiful little guitar.

  • 1977 (this album + GFTO) - Steve Howe was voted 'Best Overall Guitarist'. If I remember correctly, he achieved that for the next 5 years.

    Anyone know exactly why Squire was unimpressed with Rick? I feel it's because Rick's playing bass on his keys and drowning Chris out, no?

  • the best song!

  • Rick Wakeman plays a Birotron on this song

  • Was that Eddie Offord? I didn't think he worked on this album....

    The band, as a whole, were pretty sick of each other by this time. Rick called them "unproducible". After this tour, during the sessions for the next album, Jon and Rick got together and decided to quit Yes.

    The section at 4:30 is on the YesYears documentary.

    -

  • The best song off TORMATO... even better live!

    As bad as TORMATO was, Yes at their worst is way better than most bands at their best.

    It's been 8 years since MAGNIFICATION... the longest time between any Yes albums. Are they done recording? I hope not.

    Great video... love seeing them behind the scenes.

    Back in the 70s I thought they were Gods. When I realized they were mere mortals I was even more impressed!

    The BEST BAND EVER.

    Period.

    -

  • Very well said :)

  • Great video ! Thanks for posting !

  • Where can you find this video to get on dvd. What is the source, can anyone tell me.

  • did you realize you can learn quite a bit of how to play this song by watching this vid?

  • By far, the best song on Tormato. Squire, you fucking genius!!!

  • love it!

  • Seeing this piece of History, I wonder why I wasnt one of them ;-)

  • Interesting comment, ensaimo.

  • When I was a punk kid in the 70's I took some drum lessons.

    My instructor gave me the Tormato album and told me to study "On The Silent Wings of Freedom".

    I told him I wanted to play like Keith Moon, he said, "If you can play this song, and follow the changes of timing, you will have the foundation to play like Keith, but you will never be as fast as him, no one is."

    Drum teacher aside, this song remains one of my favorite tunes thanks to him turning me onto this song.

  • i dont want to start a fight but, have you realized already Keith Moon aint that awesome compared to Alan White?

    White's speed, precision and technique is superior, only that Moon was flashier

  • Great video. I am on my way to see them in Ft. Worth. 8 hr. drive but worth it. I will have videos up tomorrow!!

  • , 5:26.Oh es hermoso!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • Jeje the critics hate this album, Wakeman too....jajaja but it`s so beautiful an funny!!!! Great Tormato.

  • Wakeman doesn't hate this album, he hates Tales From Topographic Oceans. i think every member of Yes agrees this was a great album

  • first i saw the "in the round" tour in '79 (which i hear U2 is ripping off 30 years later) but then i heard tormato and that album sealed the deal....been a Yes fan for 30 beautiful years now....tormato started it all!

  • Watching this video, it makes you wonder how the hell they could ever decide on how to record their songs. They could go off in a million different directions. Somehow, they always managed to settle on the perfect recording for each song (at least to me they seem perfect).

  • @SiberianMan2u I just made a comment with the same thing in mind without looking at your comment first.It's funny.I was thinking the same exact thing. With so many possibilities as far as voices are concerned, how did they ever get anything done?Apparently, Jon or whoever already had a good idea as to what they wanted a song to sound like.But it's not that simple.It can't be.If you've ever tried to write original music then it makes you appreciate the music of Yes even more. Songwriting is hard.

  • What an awesome video!!

  • Comment removed

  • The classic lineup of Yes 1972-80 1996-97 2002-04

  • My Fav Squire bass sound ever !!

  • I'd definitely put it up there with Squire's Tempus Fugit playing!!

  • 50,081 views as of May 4, 2009

  • AseasonedWitch: now are 50783. Gretings from Donovan

  • Oooh Yes is Yes!!

  • The masters at work!!!!!

  • Tormato fue el primer LP que compré de ellos. Ya había oido topographic, pero este fue MI primer álbum de ellos y guardo un recuerdo intenso de aauellos días... hace ya 33 años de aquello y sigue vital.

    Despues de dont kill the whale, este es el track que más me gusta, adoro la parte donde Steve introduce la parte cantada: eos arpegios descendentes que en la segunda vuelta están sintetizados me elevan hacia los reinos puros de la metafísica.

  • Chris plays the bass brilliantly as well as acts as "PERSONNEL MANGER" of the group.

  • "Have you seen you inside? Midst the being of everyone?"

    The key to it all . . .

  • still love the whole album

  • In it's weirdness close to being one of the best yes songs. Greetings from Hungary.

  • I totally,totally agree!!

  • I LOVE this Yes song!! Love love LOVE it!!

  • I love Tormato. I think the Yes fans miss the root "grandioseness" that is present throughout this whole album. It was as though they were trying to condense Relayer tracks into four to eight minute songs.

  • Release, Release...are you kidding me?  What an incredible progressive tune (not to mention the others).

    The cadence of that tune stands out, doesn't get the credit it deserves.

  • how can these guys do this.

  • Tormato may not be a commercial success but its probably my favorite.

  • I think I like this version of the song more than the one on the record.

  • Are you comparing Green Day with Yes?

    Shame on you!

  • there is some real noodling going on in this song

  • best yes concept album yet

  • There's a futuristic sound in the music that makes Tormato unique. It may be their weakest offering from that amazing decade, but as a concept album of the future, it's ingenious.

  • Wonderful to read your comment. I can't agree more, yet we're a minority..

  • Saw them at Chicago Theatre last Wed. They did rock, but no "Silent Wings". They did entire "Close to the Edge" album and also "Machine Messiah" and "Tempus Fugit" from Drama. It was awesome.

  • HEY YOU WERE THERE TOO? wasn't it great? I was so happy they finally played DRAMA material & ASTRAL TRAVELLER. I'm only waiting now for SURVIVAL. I'd also love to hear INTO THE LENS, my fav from Drama. TANGO's another song I love, but not popular, unfortunately.

  • zEs eso un cuatro puertorriqueno? zSe acaboa el mundo?

  • I hope they're including this on "In the Present" tour...got my tix, I'm PSYCHED...

  • Where are you seeing them? Is Jon gonna be performing with them again? Thats so cool ;D

  • I lost my job @ ShopRite in New Jersey to take a girl to see them @ MSG one lovely night on this tour . They had , a then novel , circular & revolving stage , & the girl BLEW ME ! Well worth losing my gig @ ShopRite !

  • What was rick doing with a roll of toilet paper @ 4:40?

  • You've been Rick-Rolled?

  • For some reason this pun has me cracking up. Its perfect.

  • don't you know Rick's a joker? he does stuff like that all the time. have you seen the extra on the YESACOUSTIC dvd? Rick narrates it. it's hilarious; he sounds so Britishly professional but isn't serious at all. the part about Squire's bass hitting the microphone cracked me up when I first saw it :D

  • wow, awesome clip!!!

  • Wow, what a great clip! I've never seen this (except bits and pieces from "YesYears"). I wasn't big on Tormato EXCEPT for this tune...one of the my all time favorites. This is fantastic!

  • I have a NEW VIDEO: "Yes recording Awaken - Montreux, 1977" - click the "avs002"!!

  • What's really amazing is that MTV actually played this once. Can't see that happening now.

  • MTV actually played this? When? Curious.

  • I remember having seen it on the telly circa 80....

  • Spinal Tap moment at 1:55!! Hahahahaha, I love it!

  • Accoustics are incredible!

    Great Great Sound!!

  • Tormato is one of the most underrated albums ever. This is a great song!

  • Steve Howe is especially amazing on this song!  Look at him go!

  • it was the LSD folks! powerfull stuff!

  • Not every musician is a drug addict, and vice versa.

    Comprehend?

  • oddly enough, this is the album and tour that turned me on to Yes and here i am 30 years later, still just completely amazed by this phenomenal music.

  • I could live 3 houndred years without being able to understand how a rock band like this could be so much visionary!!??

  • critics....??can you anyone name a band who made so many different sounds in the space of 10 or so years?  oasis,u2,coldplay.they sound the same as they did when they 1st started..compere silent wings to harold land to to be over to then to turn of the century etc etc,.the best band bar none.

  • when you realize that the development of Yes from the first LP in 1969 to the complexity of Relayer is only a span of 5 years it demonstrates what an amazing band they were. Far ahead of anything else. Such a shame that it started falling apart after Going for the One.

  • Based on what did the critics say that this album wasn't a good project. I love and like this album a lot, even when it just came up, I allways thought that it was great. And is diferent in a way that has different movements from song to song. Unpredictable I would say. One of my favourite songs is in this album: Onward. It's not that I really care what those idiots have to say, but I have allways wondered why ...Long Life To YES

  • before listening to it,me too I always heard not very good reviews on this album,that´s why maybe,on the very 1st time listening to it I felt tormato was to revalue and rescue,even if(maybe) not their best work,it shows how great in my opinion,yes were even in their not very greatest moments,me too I love them!

  • Your right.This the masters at work once again

  • This is great! The masters at work once again. Thanks!

  • Great tune all around!!!

  • BTW....my utube goal is to type the lyrics to every YES song on UTUBE.....wanna help...make a request. Thanks.

    Lenny " Blue "

  • Don't you have anything better to do?

  • i think they had balls to release this.

    it's not a completed take,

    so it's warts and all,

    and some damn fine playing.

    there seems to be some tension between the members of the group,

    which many groups do not want to have broadcasted to their fans.

    pretty cool clip.

    very real.

  • i think Awaken is about as unearthly as you're going to get!

    Relayer and Tormato took some time for me.

    however,

    Tormato took much longer.

    Relayer is absolutely ace.

    i think Going For The One is my favorite,

    with Relayer just beating Close To The Edge for second place.

    To Be Over and Parallels are favorites.

  • Here you go my fellow YES fans...Lenny " Blue "

    ....ENJOY THE WORDS.

  • On the Silent Wings of Freedom

    On the silent wings of freedom

    Where I ofer myself midst the balancing of the sun

    On the winds of celestial seasons

    That would carry me on, midst the balance of being one

    On the dream of our love eternal

    That will eventually bring our living once more with you

  • Where we are coming from

    Or where we go

    We only know e come with sound

    Where we are coming from

    Or where we go

    We only know we go around and around

    On the back of your forty-second screamdown

    Do you choose to be lost midst the challenge of being one

    On the flight of regardless feelings

    As you hurtle to fear midst the challenge of everyone

  • On the darkest night so painful Do you hunger for love midst the torture of being one On the passing light of easing Have you seen you inside midst the being of everyone To the common goal of freedom Where we offer ourselves midst the balancing of the sun Where we are coming froom Or where we go We only know we come with sound Where we are coming from Or where we go We only know we go around and around
  • Great clip and version of OTSWF. It took me a while to truly appreciate this album. Now it stands brilliantly compared what came later. Nevertheless after RELAYER nothing was going to satisfy me other than something completely unearthly.

  • Great. This was the only Tormato song that could really lay claim to joining the ranks of classic Yes songs. But this was absolutely fantastic. I agree with other comments about the instrumental intro. In the end they opted for the (brilliant) Squire bass performance to dominate. But they kicked out a lot of colour from the others, particalarly Steve Howe's contribution. A bit like Beatles' Anthology; right choice in the end but wonderful to hear an alternative!!!

  • All'be damn. MTV showing this? The credits at the beginning was MTV's insignia from 1981 to 1992 before they started crediting directors, label subsidiaries and all that bullshit. Well...back when MTV shown ACTUAL MUSIC VIDEOS!

  • very rare,thank you for posting

  • OMG! Where has this video been all my life! I had no idea they had a video of this, so kewl.

  • squire was onto the fact that yes music was done! "Its not happenin" At least for a little while...

  • when i got this album, in the 'cut out' section i didn't kick up a fuss... it wasnt topo but it was yes so there, nanny nanny boo boo,,ba ba boooey

  • tomorrows memory is last nights dream

  • ...yikes.

  • Excellent old Yes! Showing the process of completing a song is very entertaining.

  • If I had seen this at sixteen, I would have pissed myself !! thanks for the post !!!

  • So then, the evidently least acclaimed album in Yes repertoire became my key to endurance and appreciation. To this day, I cherish the easy flow of 'Future times' into 'Rejoice', the urge of 'Release, release', the romantism of 'Onward', Jon's fairy-tale opening of side 2, and the straight R&R of 'Silent wings'. It's just what it is: YES. The fact that my parents, God rest their souls, actually went to a record store to ask for and buy this album (Santa, remember) makes me cherish it even more.

  • a "wondrous story" sir. Thank you.

  • It was with mixed feelings that I received this album. Yet in the coming days, it would take me by surprise. 'Tormato' is splendid, versatile, inspired, almost faultless. Granted, it is not clear-cut, one-dimensional Yes. It is an ambiguous album, including both 'Silent wings' and 'Madrigal'. But Yes was always good at being ambiguous ('and rearrange your liver to the solid mental grace'). This album helped me to put my trust in a band's or musician's release that I failed to grasp immediately.

  • Tormato and this favorite song on it strike a very special chord with me. It is December 1978, I am 14 years old and Santa Claus is coming up (December 5th in The Netherlands). I went looking through the house to see where my parents hid the presents, found 'Tormato' all wrapped up in the attic, and secretely played it in the evening. I was appalled, furious. Couldn't believe this was the Yes I liked. A few days later, Santa would pass the record officially unto me.

    (see next post)

  • that's great! you should have never posted "the rest of the story". With the exception of this song I did not care much for the album (and still dont). I love yes but not so much this album. I would have loved to have seen your reaction when you had to open it Christmas day after already giving it the once over.

  • does anyone know where to get theres bass tabs?

  • Part of this was on YesYears: A Retrospective.

  • Incredible footage. KILLER SONG!

  • This is like listening to god explain the creation of the universe!!

  • notice maestro anderson in the beginning...

  • This video is amazing. It is rare to see footage of Yes in the studio. This version of the song sounds different than the original. It seems like there is more to it. Steve is my favorite guitar player. By the way where can you get this footage