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Yes - Fly From Here

Time to get excited about Yes again! Ten years have passed since their last effort, Magnification, was released, and although it was credible and solid, I thought at its worst it began to show the age of the band proper, showcasing at times their struggle to stay musically affluent within the microclimate of today’s progressive music. After all, they practically wrote the genre, which through complex time signatures and lofty chord progressions, often caters to fantastic, mythical far away places and familiar elements often associated with the vision harbored here in this forum. For the most part, listeners tend to depend on Yes for extending the boundaries of the progressive rock genre as tempus fugit. But much like The Who returning with the advisedly posthumous Endless Wire a few years back, Fly From Here represents a much more appropriate bookend for the career of Yes, less an asterisk, and if the success of this album is any indication, there is no sign that the band will stop here.

Yes has turned the corner with this album, the very theatrical Fly From Here, by reuniting stalwarts Trevor Horn and Geoffrey Downes back in the studio with Chris Squire, Steve Howe, Alan White and newcomer Benoit David. What began as a lark, with Squire suggesting a return to a demo song that was submitted by the two during the Drama days, it was quickly re-invented into yet another lengthy magnum opus; their first since Keys to Ascension from the 90s. But you know what, it works, and outside the measure of a few instances of self-similarity, the piece resonates as their best work since anything off of Drama back in 1980. Without question, this can be heralded as Yes’ return to form with a follow-up that should have been issued immediately afterwards, before their embarrassingly successful 90125 album which was released in its stead, which paved a short, but unmissable road lined with subsequent albums that continued to polarize fans of the genre until their collaboration with Billy Sherwood for Keys to Ascension.

Indeed, Trevor Horn is back in the saddle. He is a sorcerer, that one. Whether it is his uncanny abilities as one of the best and most successful living producers in the business, or the fact that the band is simply inspired to compose great material once again, he takes leadership of the Yes sound and continues to steer them on course in a direction that was first navigated with precision, like a machine messiah back in 1980.

And yet, this release sounds strangely relevant (read, “modern”) today. This is probably due to the fact that Yes has injected new life in the form of Benoit David, who serves as singer replacement for an ailing Jon Anderson. While the steps germane toward this move were, and continue to be surrounded with controversy (Anderson was fired, but notified by an outside source), making the decision to enlist David marks Yes’ willingness to continue making great music. David, who works with long-time prog-rock associate Daryl Stuermer of Genesis fame, hails from the band Mystery. But it was David’s efforts as a Yes tribute band front man that garnered Squire’s attention (from a YouTube video, no less), and ultimately led to his inclusion to the band as lead singer. He may lack Anderson’s range, but he has fabulous expression and control, and his vocals are rightfully up front in the mix. Several Yes-fans have opined that Yes without Anderson is borderline profane, but to be fair, it’s been done before successfully with the release of Drama. And much how that album would exhibit an awkwardness or peculiarity with Anderson at the mic, this album simply wouldn’t feel right without the immersion of David’s vocal style and approach; after repeated listens it becomes obvious that he has a future with Yes (but I am holding out along with the rest of the jury that this marks a delineation of the band’s career, as Phil Collins did by dichotomizing Genesis, or similarly Steve Hogarth with Marillion). Again, the lyrics are expertly expressed and articulated; clearly, Horn offers guide vocals for David throughout the epic suite (“Always under-STOND-ing that we can fly”), in addition Horn’s fingerprints are all over the mixing board with his mastery of laying down backing vocals; an angelic choir of sound not tapped into since the Tales of Topographical Oceans era of the 70s.

The rest of the band simply falls into place. Howe never sounded better, and has experimented further with the textures and effects of his guitars. The strongest element of change by Howe is his healthy inclusion of minor arpeggios; being a chord master, it is refreshing to hear this side of his guitar repertoire, particularly with his acoustic entries. At the risk of taking away from his layers upon layers of strumming in the past, his approach lately was becoming a bit familiar, if not downright cliché. Here, he proves his mastery and ability to envelope other, more rote techniques… a progression of integrating greater levels of artistry throughout, if one can be so bold. Finally, couched in a family of songs that are as serious as cancer, his solo contribution (Solitaire) is a welcome breath of levity, serving as one of his career-best entries.

By now, White has earned his place as a Bruford orderly. Although I might have preferred to hear more drum fills, of his which I always enjoy and are strangely bereft on this album, it is clear he is the cohesion for the rhythm section of this band, and a perfect foil for Squire’s delectable bass riffs. To that point, Squire is properly set as coming to the fore “when necessary”, as once quoted by Rick Wakeman, whose son Adam contributes on a few songs. Where he really shines,  however, is his work on the second track: The Man You Always Wanted Me To Be. Here, he takes on lead vocals, and if there were any justice in the world, he would have the impetus to assume the role twice as often. Squire could sing the side of a cereal box as far as I’m concerned; it would still hold my interest,  as his vocals are so distinctive and “comfortable”,  much like David Gilmore or Eric Woolfson. It may help that he sings one of the strongest, if not the most “Yes-like” songs on the record (others have cited Crosby, Stills and Nash but I hear more Alan Parsons as an influence). His collaboration with Gerard Johnson of Saint Ettiene fame pays off once again; prior to this he teamed with Squire on his second solo effort: Chris Squire’s Swiss Choir, which was also outstanding. But nothing beats the pleasantness of this track, particularly the outro, and it outdistances other FM friendly pop being broadcast today by a country mile.

Speaking of influences, when asked who his were when composing music, Geoffrey Downes once told me in an unpremeditated way, among others, “Claude Debussy”… and it shows. Downes has an unprecedented ability to write joyfully tight melodies, as his work with Asia has demonstrated, but his real talents here lay within the phraseology of voice selection, from organs to pads, bringing together stanzas of material with such celerity that the progression from one idea to the next within each song is seamless.  Coupled with Horn’s underrated songwriting (his choruses are contagious, staying in your head long, long after the stereo is shut down), you have a contrapuntal tour de force, as evidenced in the coda of the album’s closer, Into the Storm, with the reprise of We Can Fly from an earlier track. Perhaps exhibiting just a smidgen of “fan service”, examples like these exhibiting such continuity are always welcome in the Yes catalog.

The bottom line is that Fly From Here is a very urgent entry in the Yes canon, and it is filled with interest, teeming with life, and marks their best production effort in over 30 years. What’s amazing is that, with their collective levels of experience and long-toothed approach, Yes sounds as virile as they do, as if they are experimenting for the first time with their sound and songwriting craft, and loving it in the process.

Continue reading »]]> It is well known that, as far as computer RPGs go, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion from Bethesda is a masterpiece on many levels: the level of immersion, the attention to detail and the rote but comfortable storyline that supports the main quest, which on its own delivers many, many hours of enjoyment to even the die-hard gamer. Never-mind the fact that there are hundreds of auxiliary quests to whet your enjoyment even further.

But what is slightly less well known is that the Elder Scrolls community, had here, offers a treasure trove of additional quests and missions, along with other casual (or more severe) augments to include improved armour and weapons, fashions, player homes, cosmetic workovers to include face, hair and figure, architecture, landscaping, and even a few outright ruleset outfittings to include better levelling and a complete combat makeover; all done as a labor of love by players and developers like us. I shall return with a list of favorite “mods”, as they are called, in short time… but first I need to express an issue with one of my favorite plugins.

Valenwood Improved is one of the more popular mods, and for good reason: it opens up an entire region of Tamriel (the game continent) for expansion. From all appearances, it is a pretty and robust affair, but I came across this rendered quirk in my travels:

Ghost Mountains... and Floating Trees beyond

(This is the coast line at the Cave of Dusk in the southeastern part of the Valenwood province).

Now, I confess I have stumbled late into the party with the whole modding phenomenon, having logged over 150 hours on the XBox 360 with only 40 hours so far with the “moddable” PC version (once I accepted the sale price for the GOTY edition for the PC from Steam last XMas, the gameworld opened up and swallowed me whole). And yet, I’m no slouch when it comes to software development, and I fully understand that the “loading order” for the dozens of mods I have integrated into the game plays a crucial role.

But even after deactivating all other plugins, and reinstalling the VI mod, AND cherry-picking the textures, meshes and LOD files for replacement… I cannot shake the artifacts you see here. For you experts, this occurs in the Silvenar region, also. I can tell you that this mod is in conflict with the Beyond Cyrodiil – Campsites plugin as well, at the West Mountain Valen Inn, and to a lesser extent the elven village of New Valen mod.

The image above portrays (at least in the far background) what is called in the trade “vertical clipping”. Essentially, there is another mod competing for region space with a mountain-scape which interferes with the VI mod proper. Hence, the “ghost mountains” and floating trees if you were to examine this further. Upon approach, the artifact vanishes (the trees remain)… which I assume is the result of the player “crossing the line” with regards to LOD. But there are also “land-tears”, which is what it sounds like; you can fall into a rift and drop to the bottom of the world… i.e., the developer’s mesh design platform. Reminders like these tend to understate the immersion enjoyed beforehand; it is not an altogether pleasant surprise when it happens without warning.

So, here is my cry for help. If anyone has come across this anomaly please feel free to contact me your humble servant with a posed solution on how to fix this. If I were told this is a conflict that has survived all along and created mistakenly upon design, I would believe it, because I have exhausted all other options on this end in explaining this conflict!

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Screenshots from Uru Live

Myst, developed by Cyan Worlds and distributed by Brøderbund Software, was the most successful interactive computer game of its age (1993 – 2003), selling over 12 million copies, remaining on top until it was toppled by the Sim City series in 2002.

Myst and its brethren possess a number of unique qualities, not the least of which it is a smart game. It’s influence lasted for many years, transcending the popular arcade quality games of its time and bridging the gap between MMORPGs and first person shooters. Refusing to follow the shooter formula, and transcending the MUDs and RPGs outright, Myst instead adopted a more “puzzle solving” premise as a game device. In other words, to “win” the game, one had to finish a sequence of puzzles which typically led to a grand finale of epic “world saving” proportions.

These types of games were called Graphic Adventure Games, and they offer a truly unique experience. For instance, the GUI (or HUD) is minimal and elegant, with a point and click interface and nothing to obstruct the visuals, as this is an observer/explorer game without any serious rote gaming mechanics to speak of. The game is both linear and non-linear, which is part of its charm. Basically, you could roam and tinker with whatever you wished without fear of deviating or upsetting the storyline, but you never had to retread your steps for fear of missing something, or not completing a task properly beforehand. This was a giant step forward in conventional video game play, a strength that clearly is difficult to emulate.

All this is spoken as if Myst started it all. It pretty much did, with the help of 7th Guest and Under A Killing Moon … each of which are classic CD-ROM games in their own right, and each almost singlehandedly ushering the popularity of CD-ROMs as multimedia devices.

The story is loosely based on Jules Verne’s The Mysterious Island,  and for the most part your “mission” is to restore the land, and subsequent quasi-parallel worlds (called Ages) to their former “working splendor”. Some systems are broken, some need adjusting… for the most part the essence of the Age needs restoration on some level.

Of course, there were some genuine Old Testament caliber events (a cataclysm) set off by two zealous engineers (sons of the chief architect of the Ages) who have been set loose. Indeed your help is needed here as well.

The environment is appropriately fantastic, rather a cross between Steam Punk and 1950s Alien Worlds… these nested worlds were engineered through the use of a forgotten “technology” that allows the architect to scribe an entire world/history through books. One enters each Age by simply opening the book. One can imagine the level of exploration this offers the player.

There have been a great number of spinoffs and rip-offs to the Myst franchise (all four sequels are first rate: Riven, Exile, Revelation and End of Ages with Uru: Ages Beyond Myst the red-haired step child of the bunch… see below) but there were a great number of clones as well, some hits and a fair number of misses (Amber, The Dark Eye and nowadays The Whispered World is getting some press). To some extent Monkey Island, Leisure Suit Larry and even more so King’s Quest serve as prototypes to the Myst experience.

A word of caution: some of the puzzles are downright HARD. And addictive. This is a very narrative game as well, despite the distinctive lack of spoken dialog, and for the most part you must uncover the backdrop of the game’s setting on your own. The game is, after all, designed to be a very lonely experience; solving puzzles is a rather cerebral endeavor, whereas hacking and slashing in a modern RPG (tabletop or video) promotes a sense of camaraderie that a solo adventure does not provoke.

But what if somehow it could?

More sample screenshots that illustrate the stunning environments

Here’s where Uru comes in to play. It is a “Mysty“  experience (canonical, but more a spinoff than a sequel) that is effectively immersed in an online environment. Many of the trappings that come with the typical MMOG are here (chat, fast travel, inventory), but no fighting or killing. In fact, as the lead character you cannot die. This makes gameplay less aggravating but no less immersive or engrossing. The return of Uru to online gameplay is actually a story in itself; be grateful it has beaten the odds and resurfaced at once. You can download the game for free at MystOnline.

Uru was canceled as an online experience, although it was released in 2003 as Uru: Ages Beyond Mist as a single-player experience. Lack of funding and subscribers contributed to its ultimate cancelation, but due to its innovative approach and stellar graphics it has garnered a great following. Fans of the series found new and inventive ways to promote its relevance, while the developers were steadfast in continuing its development under the radar. After switching publishers, it has returned to Cyan as an open source project, with many fans and subscribers contributing to its continuity and continued development as Myst Online: Uru Lives Again (hallmarked as the initialism MOULA). The Myst Online Restoration Experiment (MORE) promises to deliver new material with the aid of  development tools that are being provisioned for programmers as an open source endeavor.

The real magic is how such a game, years later no less, can be so engaging and rise to such popularity as back in the day. The answer to this is is simple: Myst offers a truly innovative gaming experience with the highest quality standards, and although it may not be for everyone, if you have never played the Myst games you owe it to yourselves to check Uru out. It has aged well and is very much deserving of a second chance.

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Cover for American Vampire #1

Just when you thought you have heard enough vampire tales, American Vampire arrives without much fanfare and delivers memorable characters, in a memorable setting. This is a refreshing tale of the undead written by Scott Snyder and Stephen King, with artwork by Rafael Albuquerque, set after the Dust Bowl period of the United States (Los Angeles, 1925) and the riches seeking era of the Colorado region during the American Gold Rush (Sidewinder, 1880). It is a split story, each of great length. There is just enough character development for the reader to spot that both parables (and the members contained within each) possess enough commonality to converge in a later telling; at the very least, it is quite a bargain at approximately fifteen pages for each story.

The first tale belongs to Snyder and, besides being a very convincing period piece drama, is replete with flapper attire and Gibson Girl accoutrements that historically mark the period. Indeed, the protagonist, Miss Pearl Jones, a cross between the two, is a typical Roaring Twenties gal that breaks all the gender barriers prevalent during this time. She showcases just enough pomposity, without compromising any of her alluring charms. Her interaction with others, particularly a raunchy highwayman (a cross between Roland Deschain, the Gunslinger, and Kurt Cobain), is a story highlight. If it wasn’t for her stage presence, which swallows up every panel she occupies, the story would be forced to rely on the breathtaking breakdowns of the artwork. Albuquerque has done his homework in capturing the essence of the period, from the turn of the century street lamps to the Wallace Nutting style memorabilia that furnishes the interior settings. For most panels, there is not exactly a surplus of detail, but what Albuquerque does with quill and ink sets a very strong mood for the telling of the story, from fashion to architecture. His approach succeeds on all fronts, and it is fair to say that Albuquerque can be qualified as a master of generic imagery.

Even if the ambient background does not support your sensibilities, we are fortunate to have Miss Pearl Jones and her supporting cast take precedence by shouldering the narrative. For instance, her unwitting (?) acceptance to attend an upper class coffee klatch shines with magnificent tension, up to its violent climax, which (as most vampire stories do well) leaves you clambering for the next issue in cliffhanger fashion. It is obvious the plot is still in its infancy, but it cannot be stressed enough that the characterization and certainly the setting, both of which have been mysteriously absent as storytelling foils for years, take precedent. This is enough to convince the reader to return for another telling.

The second story is written by the legendary Stephen King, who is no stranger to the comic book medium. It is set forty-five years prior, and has all the mood and period placement of the first tale. Most obvious is that with all the familiarities that support a King story, there can be no question that King was behind the wheel with this tale…fans of King will recognize all the artifacts and plot devices for which he is renowned.

What is remarkable about the second chapter are the ingredients: the pace, the breakdowns (you will be doubling back to the credits to confirm the artwork is drawn by the same hand), the dialogue, and the mechanisms that push the story off the page are ephemeral when taken in context with the previous story. In other words, it looks and reads “inhomogeneously,” as if it were created many years beforehand…with one notable exception: both stories share a bond with the highwayman, who makes an important appearance.

The tale is almost typical train-spotting leisure, set in the Old West, which again, from all appearances, is making a comeback in literature and pop media. There are locomotives, gunslinging, and a vintage style of dialogue and posturing that would not be out of place in a good spaghetti western. There is also a rather creative murder in the end. The story finishes much quicker than it begins, but does a good job in establishing the method and madness of the highwayman.

There is a lot to look forward to with this ongoing title, which reminded me at times of the HBO Carnivale series, with its supernatural tendencies and commemorative landscaping. As remarkable and cerebral as this story wants to be, it should also satisfy those hankering for a more immediate tale of “the quick and dead,” with fangs included. Highly recommended.

Continue reading »]]> As an obvious bibliophile, I find that books, of the paper variety, have more than just a little charm to them. Stephen King has referred to books as furniture, in that they have a tangible, physical presence that electronic downloads haven’t quite mustered yet. I will go a step further saying there is something about the aphrodisiacal quality of the printed page, the way it smells and the way feels under one’s fingertips. I fondly remember receiving Tolkien’s The Hobbit as a stocking stuffer one Christmas morning; to this day, when I sniff the open spine of a book, I can recall this moment. Works for every book, too (excepting my college textbooks, which conjure images of late night partying and taking exams. Not in this order).

So, one would think I would only have a measure of disdain for the electronic book format… but I may surprise you. Clearly, I have an affinity for technology, or I would not have built this web site or the PDF content it promotes, for fun and profit.

I also cannot deny the convenience of having an entire library, mine for instance, in the palm of my hand should I choose to go the way of the Kindle. My comic-book collection, which is larger than most, serves as a good example of this feature. We all know Google’s efforts, and Amazon’s record, for scanning and converting as many books as they can get their hands on for the reading community. This has issues for me, but for the most part I think it is a wise approach. As someone once said, it will happen eventually so why not now?

The difference between these two giants is that Google wants to make available the largest catalogue of public domain works under their name. From all appearances, this would be a sensible move, much like how a public library readies such materials for local dissemination. The difference is, the strategy is marketed for Google citizens, so to speak, representing a governing body driven by profit and loss. The public library has no such predilications, at least on the surface. Still another issue I have is that I believe some books have a maturation point. Certain works are designed to go the way of the dodo; many documents have a natural shelf life; once they reach out of print status, they become ill-attainable (and for good reason, whether it be due to content, revision, politics, accuracy or pure vintage acquisition, i.e. collectibles). I know a number of authors who feel this way.

So the conveniences are lavish. What concerns me is this: once the “wow” factor subsides, and the new ebook smell wears off, I’ll be left with yet another electronic toy… possibly hankering for the feel of paper once again when the luster of holding the “magic tablet” has expired.

The temptation is great, and the endorsements are so strong for this technology, so I am going to give it a whirl. I plan to find out whether it replaces books outright; I imagine this will depend on the sensibilities of the reader. In my case, I’m simply too vain to box up all my paperbacks and leather bounds for the sake of saving shelf space.

Continue reading »]]> Coming soon is a brand new adventure module to be used freely with the OGL 3.5 edition of Dungeons and Dragons. It closely resembles the tone and timbre of Oriental Adventures, quite popular back in the day whose supporters remain today. The Gift  will be fully compatible with the SRD and d20 systems.

The module, The Gift,  will be closely followed by a brand new campaign ruleset; a first for Dementia Five Publishing House. It will attract fans of ninjitsu style melee, offer an entire beastiary of mythological beasts closely associated with the orient and possess the infinite spiritual possibilities commonly associated with Asian fable and tradition.

Two additional adventure modules will follow after The Gift, in support of the ruleset.

The Gift – what begins as a simple escort of a gift to a powerful lord in a foreign land leads to a series of uncanny events that risk more than the lives of a party of adventurers, rather the fate of their eternal souls. Deceit, vengeance and dark revelations follow the party as they explore a dark fantasy world called Kaidan: a Japanese Ghost Story setting. Kaidan is a breathtaking empire of samurai, ninja and undead lords rich in legend, culture and nightmares.

The Gift is a mini-campaign arc and an introduction to Kaidan, a dark fantasy setting of oriental myth and gothic horror. It is a world sure to make the bravest adventurer’s blood run cold.

Continue reading »]]> Compatible with Edition 3.5 of the most popular fantasy RPG in the world!

HF2 – The Legacy of Doku an all new OGL adventure 

A simple invitation to a Victorian ball leads to most extraordinary events. In this period piece module, your group of adventurers is solicited by a renowned aristocrat to lead a reconnaissance team. Your quarry: two escaped patients from a local asylum. Of course, things are not always what they seem; indeed a number of macabre events force the players to question the mission and its unspeakable agenda… which ultimately leads to a most untidy, and undead, conclusion. Filled with suspense, shock and horror, this is a tale that binds the best of historical drama within the narrative of a contemporary vampire story.

A period piece OGL dungeon-crawling adventure in the old style RPG tradition! For character levels 8-10.

Get it at www.dementia5.com/shopping

Continue reading »]]> Wizards of the Coast has halted all production of Dungeons and Dragons publications in electronic format. In an expedited motion, WotC has issued a statement that  Adobe (Acrobat) scanned publications will no longer be made available to the public from their website or their distributors.

According to WotC President Leeds, the decision was devised as a counter-measure to the level of piracy toward illicit copies of 4th edition materials in electronic media format.

This was a summary decision to include all editions of D&D, including out-of-print editions and accessories; however Leeds supports “alternate” digital technologies for WotC RPG accessories (e.g. Kindle) which will include legacy TSR products. The interview is available at enWorld:

http://www.enworld.org/index.php?page=news

Continue reading »]]> Two more accessories have been added to “The Dementia 5 and Dime” store;

HFG1 – THE STONE OF THE DAOINE SIDHE (adapted for the Fantasy Grounds VTT, called “something new and fresh in the RPG World!”    - Andy Taylor, Three-Headed Troll” )

and MP1 – FANTASY MAP PACK, a fine compilation of world maps ideal for fantasy RPG use.

Both are available at a promotional low price to make some noise for these adventure modules plus two other campaigns that are coming soon! This sale will end April 6 so hurry!

Continue reading »]]> A new RPG adventure module HF1 The Stone of the Daoine Sidhe is available for purchase at the “Dementia 5 and Dime” store. The shop is opened for a limited time to promote this OGL product at a reduced cost, while the rest of the merchandise is being prepared for store integration. Click here to see the available download:

http://www.dementia5.com/shopping