Pink Floyd. Anytime of second, minute, hour, day or life.

It's a tough one as both bands are so completely different. But my two favourite Yes albums (The Yes Album, Fragile) come higher up the list of my all time favourite albums than do Pink Floyd (Wish You Were Here). So it has to be Yes.

The Eagles?

Yes

Quoted from 632

Yes

Don't mince your words then!

Quoted from BlueMeanie

Don't mince your words then!

Quoted from 632

Yes

No!  

NO!! Never heard the Band???

Quoted from 632

NO!! Never heard the Band???

I went through two long periods of being into Yes. I now find their music claustrophobic, while the lyrics of Anderson just bore me. Sometimes, all Anderson would have needed was to tweak the words a little to get them meaningful. Some of his words are meaningful, but most of them are not.

Pink Floyd struggled after Barrett left to get the new sound. About five years to create DSOTM. After that, they stayed with music which was both architecturally sophisticated and lyrically very clever. Yes, on the other hand, had so many changes in sound which also resulted in weak albums (Big Generator, Tormato, Open Your Eyes).

Sure, Wakeman and Howe are outstanding musicians, and oher Yes members have been very good. Pink Floyd may not have such instrumental abilities, but they still make excellent music. And every concept album Floyd has made has been structurally and lyrically consistent. Compare that to Yes's concept stuff. The music of Close To The Edge is excellent, but Anderson spoiled it with meaningless lyrics. Floyd's music can get me drawn into the subject matter of the album (The Wall, and it's strong emotions for example).

Put it this way, some years back there was a Yes tribute album. None of those artists on it I'd ever heard of, and even Steve Howe contributed to it! What's he doing on a Yes tribute album!? Yes just never achieved the same legendary status as Pink Floyd. I think the music of Pink Floyd will stand the test of time much better than Yes.

Meaningless lyrics  
JON ANDERSONs song writing is unique, theres nobody writes like he does, as to say its meaningless , i think that when you listen to his songs you can make your own thoughts to them .
TURN OF THE CENTURY  for example ,is about an artist who makes a bust of his wife [lover ] and she dies leaving him the memory of her beauty in the bust   and it reminds him of the days when they were together dancing watching the seasons change
Or it could be somthing compleatly different
Anyway its a truly beautiful song in which i never tire of hearing    

pink floyd all the way- one of my other fave bands after the beatles  

Quoted from mr kite

Meaningless lyrics  
JON ANDERSONs song writing is unique, theres nobody writes like he does, as to say its meaningless , i think that when you listen to his songs you can make your own thoughts to them .
TURN OF THE CENTURY  for example ,is about an artist who makes a bust of his wife [lover ] and she dies leaving him the memory of her beauty in the bust   and it reminds him of the days when they were together dancing watching the seasons change
Or it could be somthing compleatly different
Anyway its a truly beautiful song in which i never tire of hearing    

True, you can make the lyrics what you want. I got so tired of it.

Turn Of The Century is probably the best love song ever written! And I also would never tire of it. And, yes, Going For The One is a great album. I'm not against Yes, but I think Pink Floyd are better at art rock. That's what I'm saying. Also, Wondrous Stories is very good. And a number of others too.

I know your not anti- YES GREEN APPLE  
Im just a big fan of JON ANDERSON im just defending his corner  
I love FLOYD and will defend them with just as much passion
Heres a thought for you to perussle[is that how you spelt it]
Would FLOYD been as sucsessful if SYD had stayed in the band ?      

Pink Floyd for me.  Syd Barrett's songs were one of a kind.  And the band rose to the occasion after he left.  Roger Waters is a great lyricist, Dave Gilmour a great melody-man and incredible guitar player (on par with the best of Yes).  And you don't get that annoying Jon Anderson post-hippie lyrics.  

Actually one of my favorite songs by Yes is on their first album (I think)--a cover of Paul Simon's "America."   It's a shame they didn't do more covers of classic material.  Love to hear their take on Dylan or even the Beatles.  Jon Anderson does have one of the amazing voices of rock.  And all the guys in the band are amazing.  I'm a big fan of the bass player Chris Squire.  His "Fish out of Water" album is pretty damn good.  

Yes' lyrics were never a problem for me--being nonsense.  It was the pretense of meaning that irritated me.  But I do agree with other commenters that Yes and other classic prog rock bands deserve to be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as much as Iggy and the Stooges, Black Sabbath and Patti Smith (who can be just as pretentious in another way).  

Quoted from mr kite

[...]
Heres a thought for you to perussle[is that how you spelt it]
Would FLOYD been as sucsessful if SYD had stayed in the band ?      

A fascinating question! And one I have pondered many times before. I would say - no. Various questions surrounding that. If Syd had stayed without the drug problem, would Gilmour have joined? Would we have been without both his amazing guitar AND vocals!? Syd might well have continued to dominate musically, and it just wouldn't have gravitated to DSOTM, as far as I can see. Maybe Waters wouldn't have seen the chance to come so forward in the band. Even if Roger had come up with the idea for DSOTM, do you think Syd could have handled the vocals and guitar like Gilmour? I don't think so. If they had stayed as a five-piece, maybe it would have been too many contributors to the band. And it might have developed in different ways. I think Floyd wouldn't have been so successful with Syd. Sounds like you agree with me from your tone.


P.S. - Peruse  

Quoted from adamzero

[...]
Actually one of my favorite songs by Yes is on their first album (I think)--a cover of Paul Simon's "America."  

It's not on the first album, Yes. It was recorded later when Rick Wakeman was on keyboards I'm sure I once read on the internet. There's certainly a picture of Rick in the sleeve for the Yesterdays compilation album Yesterdays on which it appears, released in 1975. But, the album, at least on vinyl, doesn't seem to make it clear that Rick is on keyboards for it. It seems to have the earlier Yes sound though. It's a hard-edged interpretation of the song, knocking spots I think off S&G's original.