Editing Relayer (section)

==Release==
''Relayer'' was released in the UK in November 1974 on LP, audio cassette, and [[8-track tape]], followed by its release in the US on 5 December 1974.{{#tag:ref|Rhino R2-73792|group="nb"|name=usvinyl}} It continued the band's commercial success during the 1970s, reaching number 4 on the [[UK Albums Chart]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/search/albums/Relayer|title=Official Charts Company – Yes ''Relayer''|publisher=[[Official Charts Company]]|access-date=16 September 2011}}</ref> and number 5 on the US ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' [[Billboard 200|Top LPs]] chart.<ref>{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r22457|tab=charts-awards|label=Billboard album charts info – Yes ''Relayer''|access-date=16 September 2011}}</ref> Less than two weeks after its release in the US, the album reached [[RIAA certification|gold]] certification by the [[Recording Industry Association of America]] on 18 December 1974 for over 500,000 copies sold.<ref name="RIAA">{{cite web|url=https://www.riaa.com/gold-platinum/?tab_active=default-award&se=Relayer#search_section|title=Gold & Platinum – Search – Relayer|publisher=Recording Industry Association of America|access-date=28 May 2017}}</ref> A single of the closing section of "The Gates of Delirium", titled "Soon" (From "The Gates of Delirium"), was released as a single on 8 January 1975, with an edited version of "Sound Chaser" on its [[A-side and B-side|B-side]].{{#tag:ref|Atlantic 45-3242|group="nb"}}

===Reception===
====Critical reception====
{{Album reviews
|rev1 = [[AllMusic]]
|rev1score = {{rating|3|5}}<ref name=allmusic>{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r22457|tab=review|label=Album review Yes ''Relayer''|first=William|last=Ruhlmann|access-date=16 September 2011}}</ref>
|rev2 = [[Pitchfork (website)|''Pitchfork'']]
|rev2score = 5.3/10<ref>{{cite web |url=http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/11869-the-yes-album-fragile-close-to-the-edge-tales-from-topographic-oceans-relayer-going-for-the-one-tormato-drama-90125/#review-album-13614/ |first1=Chris |last1=Dahlen |first2=Dominique |last2=Leone |first3=Joe |last3=Tangari |date=8 February 2004 |title=Pitchfork: Album Reviews: Yes: ''The Yes Album'' / ''Fragile'' / ''Close to the Edge'' / ''Tales from Topographic Oceans'' / ''Relayer'' / ''Going for the One ''/ ''Tormato'' / ''Drama'' / ''90125'' |website=[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]] |publisher=Pitchfork Media |access-date=31 October 2014}}</ref>
| rev3 = The Daily Vault
| rev3Score = B+<ref name=vault>{{cite web |url= http://dailyvault.com/toc.php5?review=2019 |title=The Daily Vault Music Reviews : Relayer |first=Jason |last=Warburg |work=dailyvault.com |year=2019 |access-date=29 January 2019}}</ref>
|rev4 = Sea of Tranquility
|rev4Score = {{Rating|4.5|5}}<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.seaoftranquility.org/reviews.php?op=showcontent&id=1312|title=Review: "Yes: Relayer (remaster)" - Sea of Tranquility - The Web Destination for Progressive Music!|website=www.seaoftranquility.org}}</ref>
| rev5 = ''[[Rolling Stone]]''
| rev5Score = (unfavourable)<ref>[http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/yes/albums/album/87305/review/6067851/relayer] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071105061456/http://www.rollingstone.com:80/artists/yes/albums/album/87305/review/6067851/relayer |date=5 November 2007 }}</ref>
|rev6 = ''[[The Rolling Stone Album Guide]]''
|rev6Score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref>{{cite book|last1=Brackett|first1=Nathan|last2=Hoard|first2=Christian David|title=The New Rolling Stone Album Guide|date=2004|publisher=Simon & Schuster|isbn=0-7432-0169-8|page=[https://archive.org/details/newrollingstonea00brac/page/895 895]|title-link=The New Rolling Stone Album Guide}}</ref>
}}
''Relayer'' received a mostly positive reaction from music critics. Music journalist and author [[Chris Welch]] gave a positive review for ''[[Melody Maker]]'', praising the album as "one of the most successful and satisfying Yes albums". He described "The Gates of Delirium" as a "powerful piece ... and benefits by the time structures imposed by this single album." Welch continued to note the band "at their best, creating tension and release with consummate ease, and preparing the way for Jon's crystalline vocals" at the end of the battle section which segues into "Soon".<ref name=welchreview>{{Cite news|title=YES – Art Out of Electronic Orchestration|date=1974|work=Melody Maker|first=Chris|last=Welch}}</ref> In its December 1974 review, ''Billboard'' magazine called ''Relayer'' "another nearly flawless effort" by Yes and noted Moraz "fits in perfectly". It concluded with "one of the simpler, yet at the same time, one of the most workable sets the band has come up with."<ref name=billboard>{{Cite news|title=YES-Relayer|date=21 December 1974|magazine=Billboard}}</ref> Those who gave the album a negative review thought it was the follow-up to ''Tales from Topographic Oceans'' (1973), an album they felt was pretentious and overblown.<ref>"Top Pop Albums 1955–2001", Joel Whitburn, c.2002</ref>

In a retrospective review, [[AllMusic]] rated the album three stars out of five, stating Yes had "little incentive to curb their musical ambitiousness" at the time, the album "alternated abrasive, rhythmically dense instrumental sections featuring solos for the various instruments with delicate vocal and choral sections featuring poetic lyrics devoted to spiritual imagery."<ref name=allmusic />

====The band====
Howe described the music on ''Relayer'' as "very modern, European style of music, and Patrick brought in a South American flavour as well. It was a very international record".{{sfn|Morse|1996|p=50}} Squire thought some of the interaction between his bass and White's drums was better than anything heard on previous Yes albums at that point.{{sfn|Morse|1996|p=52}} Moraz summarised the album's recording as "pretty loose, but the energy is there".{{sfn|Morse|1996|p=52}} Upon its release, Wakeman was asked to review it for the [[BBC]] and felt pleased that the band had made it as it was "far too jazzy and freeform, which I didn't like". Had the group recorded music more melodic and thematic, he would have felt angry as it would have been the direction that he thought Yes should have adopted. "I'm pleased I made the right decision to leave the band when I did".{{sfn|Popoff|2016|p=54}}

===Reissues===
''Relayer'' was first reissued on CD in 1988 on the [[Atlantic Records|Atlantic]] in Europe{{#tag:ref|Atlantic 250 096|group="nb"}} and the US{{#tag:ref|Atlantic 82664|group="nb"}}. The CD mastering has been attributed to Zal Schreiber, one of Atlantic's in-house CD mastering engineers at the time.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/is-this-zals-version-of-relayer.233611/|title=Is This Zal's Version Of Relayer?|website=Steve Hoffman Music Forums}}</ref> In 1998, a mini-sleeve HDCD version mastered by Isao Kikuchi was released in Japan {{#tag:ref|Atlantic AMCY-2738|group="nb"}}.  In 2003, the album was digitally remastered on [[Rhino Records|Rhino]] and [[Elektra Records]] by [[George Marino]] at Sterling Sound.  This version included single edits of "Soon" and "Sound Chaser" and a studio run-through of "The Gates of Delirium"{{refn|group="nb"|name=usvinyl}} with less keyboards and alternate song structures in parts but an identical "battle" section as heard in the final version. 2009 saw the album remastered by Isao Kikuchi for the Japanese market.{{#tag:ref|Rhino WPCR-75500|group="nb"}} The 2003 remastered edition was included in the band's ''The Studio Albums 1969–1987'' box set, released in 2013.

In November 2014, ''Relayer'' was reissued as CD/DVD-Audio and CD/Blu-ray disc packs on the Panegyric label with new stereo and [[5.1 surround sound]] mixes by [[Steven Wilson]]. The packs feature bonus tracks including an original master transfer and studio run-through versions of each track. The Blu-ray pack includes an instrumental mix of the album. This remaster does not include the sound effects heard in the middle section of "The Gates of Delirium" as they were not part of the original multi-track masters. Wilson hypothesised that they were added during the final mixdown of the album from a separate tape source.<ref name=battlesounds>{{cite web|url=http://audiophilereview.com/audiophile-music/yes-relayer-in-51-clarity-distortion-delirium-and-prog-that-rocks.html|title=Yes's Relayer In 5.1: Clarity, Distortion, Delirium and Prog That Rocks|publisher=Audiophile Review|first=Mark|last=Smartroff|date=24 November 2014|access-date=1 March 2018}}</ref>