The Gates of Delirium
Encyclopedia
"The Gates of Delirium" is the first track on Yes
’s 1974 album, Relayer
. Based on Leo Tolstoy
's War and Peace
, the song begins with a prelude
, which leads into a lengthy instrumental
section (beginning at about the 8 minute mark) representing the battle
. The final section (entitled "Soon"), released as a single
in 1975, is a very gentle, soothing prayer for peace and hope which represents the aftermath of the battle. Before the re-issue of Tales from Topographic Oceans
or In a Word: Yes (1969 - )
, this was the longest officially released studio recording by the band with almost 22 minutes, taking up the entire first side of the LP.
. It was revived for the 2000 Masterworks based on a fan survey in which it came out as the top choice for songs fans wanted to hear Yes play live. Yes continued to play the song in the 2001 Magnification
tour.
Otherwise, only the "Soon" fragment was performed.
" or a mono version of the song (without "Sound Chaser" in any form) as the b-side.
A much different edit of "Soon," this one 5:44 in length, was released on The Ultimate Yes: 35th Anniversary Collection
.
Yes (band)
Yes are an English rock band who achieved worldwide success with their progressive, art, and symphonic style of rock music. Regarded as one of the pioneers of the progressive genre, Yes are known for their lengthy songs, mystical lyrics, elaborate album art, and live stage sets...
’s 1974 album, Relayer
Relayer
-Personnel:*Jon Anderson – lead vocals*Steve Howe – acoustic and electric guitars, vocals*Patrick Moraz – keyboards*Chris Squire – bass guitar and vocals*Alan White – drums, percussion-Production:*Produced By Yes & Eddie Offord...
. Based on Leo Tolstoy
Leo Tolstoy
Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy was a Russian writer who primarily wrote novels and short stories. Later in life, he also wrote plays and essays. His two most famous works, the novels War and Peace and Anna Karenina, are acknowledged as two of the greatest novels of all time and a pinnacle of realist...
's War and Peace
War and Peace
War and Peace is a novel by the Russian author Leo Tolstoy, first published in 1869. The work is epic in scale and is regarded as one of the most important works of world literature...
, the song begins with a prelude
Prelude (music)
A prelude is a short piece of music, the form of which may vary from piece to piece. The prelude can be thought of as a preface. It may stand on its own or introduce another work...
, which leads into a lengthy instrumental
Instrumental
An instrumental is a musical composition or recording without lyrics or singing, although it might include some non-articulate vocal input; the music is primarily or exclusively produced by musical instruments....
section (beginning at about the 8 minute mark) representing the battle
Battle
Generally, a battle is a conceptual component in the hierarchy of combat in warfare between two or more armed forces, or combatants. In a battle, each combatant will seek to defeat the others, with defeat determined by the conditions of a military campaign...
. The final section (entitled "Soon"), released as a single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
in 1975, is a very gentle, soothing prayer for peace and hope which represents the aftermath of the battle. Before the re-issue of Tales from Topographic Oceans
Tales from Topographic Oceans
-2003 CD re-issue:A remastered edition was released in 2003, which restored a two-minute ambient section at the beginning of the album's first song. This section was deleted at the last minute before the album was originally pressed...
or In a Word: Yes (1969 - )
In a Word: Yes (1969 - )
In a Word: Yes is a 5-CD box set by progressive rock band Yes encompassing their entire career from its inception in 1969 to 2001, including material from the 1989 Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe album...
, this was the longest officially released studio recording by the band with almost 22 minutes, taking up the entire first side of the LP.
Recording
A loud crashing sound heard in the middle of the song is caused by a set of old automobile parts mounted on a rack being pushed over. The band decided to keep it in instead of doing another take. Alan White explains in the liner notes of the 2003 remaster of the album."The percussion on that song is pretty unusual," he says. "Jon and I used to travel together to Chris' home studio, where we recorded the album. We would stop at a junkyard along the way and pick up parts of cars. We'd just go there and bang on things. There were springs and pieces of metal, brake, and clutch plates. We'd buy them and bring them back to the studio. We built a rack and hung all these things off it, and we'd bang on them. During the recording I pushed the whole thing over. That crash is what you hear on the album."
Live
The song was performed in its entirety during the lengthy set of tours between the releases of Relayer and Going for the OneGoing for the One
Going for the One is the eighth studio album from the English progressive rock band Yes, released in 1977 on Atlantic Records. It was produced after an extended break for solo activity from the group, and marks the return of keyboardist Rick Wakeman, who had departed in 1974 after the Tales from...
. It was revived for the 2000 Masterworks based on a fan survey in which it came out as the top choice for songs fans wanted to hear Yes play live. Yes continued to play the song in the 2001 Magnification
Magnification (album)
Magnification is the nineteenth studio album by progressive rock band Yes, released in 2001. It was the band's first album of the new century, and their second with a full orchestra...
tour.
Otherwise, only the "Soon" fragment was performed.
- A 22min 40sec live version of the track recorded on August 17th, 1976, at Cobo Hall, Detroit, appears on the live album YesshowsYesshowsYesshows is the second live album by British progressive rock group Yes. Released shortly after the appearance of Drama, Yesshows comprises live performances ranging from the summer of 1976 to the supporting tour for Tormato in 1978...
. - It was found in the "Big Medley" of the TormatoTormatoTormato is the ninth studio album by British progressive rock group Yes. Issued as the follow-up to 1977's acclaimed Going for the One, Tormato received less than charitable reviews upon release and its virtues are still a matter of debate for Yes fans and critics...
tour. A version of this can be found on The Word is LiveThe Word is LiveThe Word Is Live is a live box set by progressive rock band Yes and was released in 2005 through Rhino Records.Considered the live companion to 2002's studio In a Word: Yes box set, The Word is Live serves to document the band's live story from early BBC recordings in 1970 with Peter Banks to 1988...
. - It also appeared on the 9012Live tour90125-Yes:*Jon Anderson – lead vocals*Tony Kaye – keyboards*Trevor Rabin – guitars, additional keyboards, backing vocals*Chris Squire – bass, backing vocals*Alan White – drums, percussion, backing vocals- Studio personnel :...
in 1984-85. - The song was not regularly played live again until the Open Your EyesOpen Your Eyes (Yes album)Open Your Eyes is the seventeenth studio album by progressive rock band Yes, released in 1997. The follow-up to the twin projects Keys to Ascension and Keys to Ascension 2, Open Your Eyes marked Billy Sherwood becoming an official member of Yes, following Rick Wakeman's departure.-History:Sherwood...
tour. However, it did appear on April 4th, 1988, in Tokyo, Japan, and October 28th and 29th, 1989, in Wembley, UK, on the Big GeneratorBig GeneratorBig Generator is the twelfth studio album by progressive rock band Yes. It was released in 1987 on Atlantic Records' Atco subsidiary label and was the follow-up to the massively successful 90125 album.- History :...
tour, and on April 9th, 1991, in Pensacola, Florida, on the Union tour. - More recently, the song was performed on Yes's 35th Anniversary tour; before this (but after the Open Your Eyes tour), the song only appeared on September 6th, 1999, on the The LadderThe Ladder* "Top Pop Albums 1955-2001", Joel Whitburn, c. 2002...
tour.
Single
The last part of the song, entitled "Soon", was issued as Atlantic single #3242 on January 8th, 1975. Its b-side was typically a single edit of "Sound Chaser" (3:13), though copies exist of the release with both "Sound Chaser" - probably in the same single edit - and "RoundaboutRoundabout (song)
"Roundabout" is the opening track for the 1971 album Fragile by British progressive rock band Yes. The song was written by singer Jon Anderson and bassist Chris Squire. In January 1972, an edited version of the song was released as a single with "Long Distance Runaround" on the B-side. "Roundabout"...
" or a mono version of the song (without "Sound Chaser" in any form) as the b-side.
A much different edit of "Soon," this one 5:44 in length, was released on The Ultimate Yes: 35th Anniversary Collection
The Ultimate Yes: 35th Anniversary Collection
The Ultimate Yes: 35th Anniversary Collection is a triple compilation album by progressive rock band Yes, was released in 2003 in the United Kingdom and in early 2004 in the United States, and covers the length and breadth of the band's thirty-five-year career.Released on Warner Music in the UK as...
.