Customer Reviews

Conspiracy

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

I have really enjoyed listening to this cd over the past week and it makes me realize how much I love Chris Squire's voice. It is great hearing him sing lead on so many songs and I think his collaboration with Billy Sherwood is excellent.

To me, Chris has always been the heart and soul of YES and if you listen to the lyrics of the songs on this album, you can feel the same positive energy that is always pervasive on any YES recording. I'm glad, however, that this recording is un-YES like in many respects because it is fun to hear something new and different.

I hope that Chris and Billy keep up their work together outside YES. Any music from these talented musicians is welcome!

As a side note, the few reviews that I've read that claim that this project is a "money making conspiracy" baffle me. A recording like this is most likely going to receive little promotion or radio airplay, so it is directed at Chris Squire and Billy Sherwood fans. To fault someone for releasing a project that is clearly a labor of love is ridiculous. I eagerly anticipate any side projects that current and former YES members release. As a true YES fan, I try to support all the members in their endeavors so they'll be encouraged to continue to make great music.

Thanks for listening!

I didn't hesitate picking this cd up, because I have always thought that Chris is the true backbone of YES. However, after listen to this album, I have even more respect for Billy Sherwood as an all around musical talent. There are some really cool tunes here. 'Conspiracy' reminds me a lot of the days when YES rocked bigtime, back during the Rabin era. I actually enjoyed this album more than the last 2 YES albums. There are a few alternative versions of a couple of 90's YES tunes on the album, and while I'm not going to say they're better than the versions that have appeared on the YES albums, I will say they are just as impressive. Other songs of note are 'Days of Wonder' which is reminiscent of something from the YES album 'Open Your Eyes'. My current favorite track is 'Violet Purple Rose' which sounds a little like 'Make It Easy' from the YES BoxSet 'Yes Years' (origanally recorded for 90125) .... awesome bass here and throughout. Billy and Chris definitely show their talents both instrumentally and vocally on this gem. YES solo album? More like a YES album .... and a great one at that!

OK, we've heard from the people who love Yes and will give this a chance, and the people who love 90125, and the prog rock elite who believe only an album that sells less than 100 copies has any artistic integrity, but let's let Chris and Billy do the talking. The best part is that we get to hear Chris Squire singing lead for the first time in 20 years! The lyrics are not awe inspiring but they are positive and uplifting. These guys are not afraid to make a catchy song, and so what? Granted, like most true Yes fans, I don't feel the need for pop hits, but remember, if Yes hadn't been somewhat catchy, none of us would have listened. This is basically an album for fans of Squire and Sherwood and the distinctive sound they create whenever they make music together. Thank goodness it is different, thank goodness it goes in a new direction. It is a breath of fresh air.

This album is about as good as one could have expected given its long and tortured history. Chris and Billy have been working on these songs for the last decade, and it shows. There are songs that go back to the pre-Union days of Yes, all the way up to a few years ago around the time of Open Your Eyes.

Just for those who want to believe that this album is a quick "commercial" attempt, this has been struggling to get distributed for some time now. It will not be making millions for Chris and Billy, as it is more of a labor of love.

If you are the type of Yes fan that demands that everything sound like Close to the Edge or Fish Out of Water, don't bother getting this album. However, if you appreciate different styles of music created by artists you respect, this might be for you.

I don't want this space to become a Yes fans' debate site, but PLEASE stop whining about how this isn't FISH OUT OF WATER II. It was never supposed to be, just like OPEN YOUR EYES was not originally supposed to be a Yes album! This is Chris AND Billy Sherwood (Billy was about 10 when FOOW was released). A fairly crucial difference there. WHY I LIKE THIS ALBUM: I like 80's Yes, and I liked OPEN YOUR EYES. If you have to compare this to something, then there you go. But this is good music on its own terms. Chris' voice is intriguing at the forefront-- it's the one thing that got me into Yes 15 years ago. The lyrics are not great, but they're honest and positive. The arrangements are also good, and NOT commercial. Those of you who call it commercial must not listen to the radio much... no one else puts these chords together. It's daring music, but definitely accessible. There are flaws. First, Chris and Billy probably should have had someone else produce it-- it could use better "editing." Second, the old songs featured here have not been improved, particularly "Love Conquers All," a beautiful song that now sounds as if written and played by cave men (Jimmy Haun's guitar solo is terrible-- he should be suspended from playing for thirty days). Oh, yeah, did I mention the lyrics? Kind of... well, oblique, to say the least! But the songs are all really good. It takes a few listens to catch up with you, but if you are as much a Chris Squire fan as you are a Yes fan, you WILL enjoy this album. Favorites: "Days of Wonder," "Violet Purple Rose," "Lonesome Trail" and "Watching the World," just to name a few. Purchase and enjoy-- it doesn't sound like anything else out there. Not even Yes. Just two guys making THEIR music for themselves and anyone else who'd like to listen.

I meant that as a compliment...I love Chris' "Fish Out of Water" album. This album has Chris handling lead vox on 6 out of the 10 tracks..Billy also does excellent vocal work. Their vocals work together well.

There are only 2 tracks featuring Alan White on drums...I was under the impression he was on all the tracks...a bit misleading.

I prefer this album over the "The Unknown" album they did together.

I would strongly recommend this to any YES fan.

This CD contains superb musicianship and songwriting, but you have to listen to it a couple of times to "get it". A bit like Trevor Rabin-era Yes, this collection boasts the same angelic multi-layered vocals and excellent musical virtuosity that one always expects from Chris Squire, Billy Sherwood,and Alan White.
"Violet Purple Rose" is a masterpiece which features guitar work by Steve Stevens, who manages to preserve his own unique style while still reminding the listener of both Steve Howe and Trevor Rabin at the same time.
Throughout this CD, Chris sounds great on lead vocals, and so does Billy. One thing that may put some listeners off is the over-abundance of songs with slow--occasionally lethargic--tempos. Nevertheless, this is a minor complaint since tunes like "Lonesome Trail", "Days of Wonder",and "You're the Reason" all rival many of Yes' shorter songs.
By the way, if you like this CD, check out Conspiracy's second CD , Circa'c first CD and World Trade's "Euphoria". All of these feature most of the same musicians found on "Conspiracy".

As I begin I should mention that I have had YES as my favorite band for over twenty years and that Squire has ALWAYS been my personal fave. I learned about this "conspiracy" of all places on the internet at YESWORLD.COM and I found it and purchased it largely on the hope that it would be a welcome follow-up (long overdue I might add) to Fish Out Of Water and being a fan of what Billy Sherwood has brought to the band I eagerly put it in the CD player and there it stayed for six weeks! I'm not kidding either. The opening track,"Days Of Wonder" is a brilliant display of Squire's skills (epic sound,huge bass,church-choir vocals)and Sherwood's impressive array of talents the best of which I think is his prowess in the studio.The overall sound of this CD is absolutely dynamic.By no means is the previous statement meant to take anything away from Sherwood's singing,playing or songwriting abilities.I particularly like "Violet Purple Rose"with it's clever use of colors (literally)to help create color!Another song that I believe Sherwood penned "Say Goodbye"may be the best song of them all,but listeners may not even hear it,as it is contained in the un-credited bonus section on CD.Allow thirty seconds or so of silence after the last track(Red Light Ahead)to hear this song as well as Jon Anderson-less versions of "Open Your Eyes"and"Man In The Moon".I remember seeing Chris Squire Experiment live at the Boiler Room in Monterey,CA,1991or2 and while I loved the songs and anticipated a CD I didn't think I'd have to wait eight or nine years for it.Well IT is/was well worth the wait and forget about if you like YES or not I suggest you buy this CD!

Great album, enjoy it very much. To the review who wants it to be Fish Out Of Water II, its not, its also 2000, not 1975. 25 years is a long time and Chris has changed. Not a true "progressive" album with epic length songs, but a "prog pop" album with some finely crafted songs. They date from multiple years so the style varies. Very enjoyable and love hearing Chris singing lead on most songs.

I haven't heard the other Conspiracy album so I can't compare this album to that one. But in itself, it's a very solid album. Sonically, it sounds a lot like the Yes album Open Your Eyes, and maybe a little like The Ladder (I guess because Squire and Sherwood performed on those too). Here's a tracklist:

01 Days Of Wonder
02 Light In My Life
03 Violet Purple Rose
04 No Rhyme
05 Lonesome Trail
06 The More We Live
07 Live Conquers All
08 You're The Reason
09 Watching The World
10 Red Light Ahead
Bonus Tracks
11 The Big Peace
12 Comfortably Numb (Yes, it's a remake of the Pink Floyd song . . . but It's actually not that bad).

Two of these songs were previously released on Yes albums. The More We Live appeared on the Union album (and was a better version with Rabin's guitar work) and Love Conquers All, which was the last track on the Yes Years box set (also done with Rabin). If you have access to these track already, they will serve as an example of the weakest tracks on this album. The other tracks are very strong when played along with these.

If you are a serious Yes fan I highly recommend this album!