The Ladder (Yes album)

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The Ladder
File:Yes The Ladder.jpg
Studio album by Yes
Released 20 September 1999
Recorded February – May 1999
Studio Armoury Studios, Kitsilano, Vancouver, British Columbia
Genre Progressive rock
Length 60:19
Label Eagle Records (UK)
Beyond Music (US)
Producer Bruce Fairbairn
Yes chronology
Open Your Eyes
(1997)Open Your Eyes1997		 The Ladder
(1999)		 House of Yes: Live from House of Blues
(2000)House of Yes: Live from House of Blues2000
Singles from The Ladder
  1. "Homeworld (The Ladder)"
    Released: 1999
  2. "Lightning Strikes"
    Released: 1999
  3. "If Only You Knew"
    Released: 2000
Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic 3/5 stars[1]
The Daily Vault B−[2]
Progressiveworld (favorable)[3]

The Ladder is the eighteenth studio album by progressive rock band Yes and was released in 1999.

The follow-up to 1997's tepidly-received Open Your Eyes, The Ladder was seen as a conscious return to the classic Yes sound, while maintaining a contemporary edge. It is the only Yes album with keyboardist Igor Khoroshev as a full time member, the last with guitarist Billy Sherwood (also the only one in which he did not play keyboards), and the only album of the band as a sextet.

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

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 backing track 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 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

Personnel

Band members
Additional musicians
Production
  • Bruce Fairbairn – producer
  • Mike Plotnikoff – engineer, mixing
  • Paul Silveira – second engineer
  • George Marino – mastering
  • Steve Hennessy – guitars and keyboards tech
  • Chris Crippen – drums tech
  • Drew Arnott & Chin Injeti – keyboard tech support

References

  1. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

Sources

  • "Top Pop Albums 1955–2001", Joel Whitburn, c. 2002
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