Music News Network features Steve Howe interview
New State of Mind" on the radio!
Progressive Rock Exhibit coming to Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Roger Dean to appear at Dragon*Con
Los Angeles Concert on Radio Show
The Billboard Guide to Progressive Music
Yes and Crimson music in Buffalo '66
Tony Anderson (Las Bravos)
Jon Anderson (YES)
David Foster (Badger)
Ian Wallace (King Crimson)
Rod Hill
Mike BreretonLead Vocal and Harmonica
Lead Vocal Harmony Vocals
Bass Guitar and Harmonies
Drums
Rhythm Guitar
Lead Guitar
FIRST SET
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SECOND SET
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Price £20 Sterling P/P Inclusive. The US conversion rate is $35
Jewel Case and insert featuring archive photo of the actual gig.
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Allow 28 Days for delivery
P.S. Tell your friends it's here.
Yes in CarvinFrom Bo Sease (1/6): "Got a Carvin catalogue in yesterday's mail. Inside cover is "Carvin Spotlight...Guitars of the Stars" and who is there, but Yes, more specifically Chris and Billy - a pic of them playing, with the Yes logo underneath and this little blurb:"
YES, rock music's royal icons, are wrapping up the winter leg of their "Open Your Eyes" U.S. tour as we go to press. The group's new releases "Keys To Ascension II" and "Open Your Eyes" are a sonic feast for fans of the legendary supergroup. It's a rare event to have two albums released so closely to each other with such remarkable success! Bassist Chris Squire plays his Carvin LB76A on several numbers throughout the spectacular stage show. The prominent master of the bass prefers to tune down to an earth-shaking 'A' on the bottom string, resulting in a massive low end that cuts through the mix while retaining its musical definition! Sharing the stage alongside Squire is Billy Sherwood, who preforms exclusively with an arsenal of Carvin guitars, including the Bolt-T, TL60, AE185, AC275, and AC275-12 models. His stage amps consist of two Carvin MTS3200 Tube Heads with 412 speaker stacks. Be looking for more tour dates this spring, because this is a show you must see and hear to believe!
From Notes From the Edge
Steve is planning to make a documentary covering a portion of his career, to consist primarily of performances from 1975 to 1994. The idea emerged when he had problems compiling a collection of solo Yes promotional films, primarily centered around the solo albums the individual members created in the mid 1970s. When asked what had happened to the original project Steve replied:
"I did research quite hard on the films and I started to believe I could get some of them pulled together. Then I decided that my "Beginnings" film was better placed in my own documentary. I plan to finalize that hopefully next year. I want to start at "Beginnings" and go up to "Pulling Strings" really, and have different video segments from various projects I've done and maybe a few interviews, but in the main part performance.
"There were some complications [in the Yes project] because many of the solo videos just weren't found; Alan couldn't find his. Chris located his and I believe I was going to collect it but it never seemed to quite come off and I unfortunately lost my film again, for the second time I lost "Beginnings" myself. I don't know what it is about films but I certainly can lose films easier than tapes or guitars or records or anything else. Give me a film and it's like, 'This is really special I'll put it here', and two weeks later, 'Where the hell did I put that film?' I mean it's like a treasure, it was a 35 millimeter copy of "Beginnings" and I was given it after it had been saved for years and then I lost the tape [laughs]! I went crazy, I searched the house high and low, I took every guitar out, I called people who load the equipment that day and said 'Listen, there's got to be a tape somewhere that's laying around,' I'm sure that it's a van somewhere in Scotland or something and it's got 'Steve Howe "Beginnings'" and some day I'll get it back. But I think I might have it and the trouble is I lost the actual identity of the tapeI've gone for a lot of semi-unique performances, like me playing "Australia" or "Pleasure Stole the Night", or things like that, there's plenty of that on it which aren't things I've released. Me playing a Bob Dylan medley or "That's All right My Mama""
Steve's comprehensive CD ROM, produced by Lyrrus, is still under development. It will include transcriptions and visual instruction of Steve's classic parts from many Yes songs. In addition Steve plans to produce a book titled 'The Guitarist's Survival Kit', a guide to incorporating a total approach to the guitar, from diet to habits.
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Music News Network features Steve Howe interviewFrom Gary Hill (1/7): "The latest issue of 'Music News Network' has a great interview on Steve Howe, which includes some of his comments on Rick's departure from the band, 'OYE,' the tour, and where Yes may be heading, among lots of other things. It is a very in depth and informative interview, I was quite impressed. "You can order a copy from them for $2--ask for issue #57, and subscriptions are available for $18 for one year also. (All prices US prices.) Make checks or money orders payable to Lisa Mikita, and send them to Music News Network, PO Box 21531, Tampa, FL, 33622-1531." |
From Sarah Dowless (animation7@aol.com) (1/18): "As I'm sitting here [on AOL] and watching The Learning Channel "Guitar Odyssey", or something like that, whose mug do I see but Steve Howe. He had about 2 or 3 minutes at the most."
(JV033@aol.com) continued: "It was cool to hear him talk about what made him pick up the guitar as a kid and how one of his influences was Chuck Berry, seeing the old clip of him and the rest of the guys in action. I thought it was a really cool special on the history of the "Rock" guitar.
Then Jan (Tropicsf) wrote: "I watched the whole thing and Steve was on camera twice. The second time he discussed how the guitar can add musical color, which is a topic he's spoken of more than once or twice in the last 20-odd years :). What tickled me was how happy he looked, that big grin, even laughing a few times. He always gave me the impression of being very serious.
"I must admit, though, that when the clip from "Yessongs" was shown and the camera first glommed onto Mr. Squire, wearing his pirate boots and that winged purple assemblage....well.....::blush:: One wonders at oneself, one do. :)"
From David Martyn (david_martyn@mindspring.com) (1/19): "Did anybody happen to catch Dennis Miller Live on HBO over the weekend? Doing his usual rant, this time on drugs, he says: 'The U.S. has 5% of the world's population and consumes 50% of the world's illicit drugs. I got that off the liner notes from Yessongs.'"
From: Krista Wallhagen (kwallhagen@cshore.com) (1/28): "I was listening to WPLR (a radio station in New Haven, Ct.) today. Guess what I heard... "New State of Mind"!!! Has anyone else heard this one on the air yet? I think they made a great choice for single # 2. I hope they pick "Universal Garden" for single # 3 (if there is a third single- I hope so!)"
Las Vegas Review Journal
December 8, 1997)
The Hard Rock Hotel concert was the perfect match for the band [YES] and it's dwindling audience, which judging by this one crowd is down to the fanatics... with tickets topping out at $77.
Yes have been around for 30 epic chest-thumping years and they are still showing half the modern young pups of rock a clean pair of heels.
You thought they'd decided to retire gracefully after all these years? Not a bit of it! The pioneering prog-rockers are back with 'Open Your Eyes,' their first new studio album for three years.
Planet Sound chatted to Yes singer Jon Anderson about Oasis, AWOL keyboardist Rick Wakeman and... er... dinosaurs.
PS: Yes are back again after 30 years - is it a serious return, Jon?
JA: We're very committed to taking Yes into the next century. We tour USA and then we'll be touring Europe next year. I've been writing with Chris Squire and the songs worked out so well we decided to make a new Yes album. We're all really up for it - we've got a great live show worked out and we're hungry. We've missed playing live.
PS: What's your new album all about then?
JA: It's about how things will be okay in the new millennium. They are songs of hope for the future. We haven't changed that much. It's classic style Yes - we're still making strong statements. It's very immediate. I've been very lucky, making solo albums with so many great musicians and I've had a lot of success with Vangelis, but Yes will always be special.
PS: What happened to Rick Wakeman?
JA: I think he went through a mid-life crisis! We all thought he'd be joining us, but in the end he couldn't stand touring again. That was bad news. But we've got a new keyboard player in a Russian called Igor Khoroshev. He'd sent us a tape and when Rick went off, we called him. He looks like Sean Penn. He can't believe it. One minute he's a fan - the next he's in the band!
PS: Does it bother you to be called a dinosaur?
JA: No - I liked Jurassic Park! We had about 10 minutes of being hip and we've been unfashionable ever since. It's made us more successful. Fashion bands don't last long, and it's amazing the fans we have around the world. In the 70s we were different 'cos we played music as art. Punk took our legs off, but we were the punks of our time.
PS: What do you think of the current bands?
JA: I see all the hype about Oasis and laugh. If the music was any good they wouldn't have to act nasty to be noticed. They're just another band. Musically they're so derivative and I don't think they'll last long. Same with the Spice Girls! But I also like Radiohead. How weird are they? I also like Alanis Morissette and Paula Cole. I do a lot of listening.
PS: Why did you leave Yes in the 80s?
JA: We did '9012 Live' with Trevor Horn and it topped the charts and sold six million. But we were never a hit parade band and I got tired of chasing hits. So in '87 I went to Greece and worked with Vangelis and learned so much about music from him. I got into ballet and Sibelius, Stravinsky, these people. Yes needed a break. We fell out, but now we're back stronger than ever.
From Désirée (hbeachbabe@aol.com) (12/30): "Well, maybe not but...last Friday, Dec. 26, at 10:20 PM, the live ('Yesyears') version of 'And You and I' was played. Today, being twofer Tuesday, two Yes songs in a row were played - usually this amounts to any two of 'Open Your Eyes,' 'Owner of a Lonely Heart,' 'Roundabout,' 'Long Distance Runaround,' 'I've Seen All Good People,' or 'Changes' but today the twofer was 'Wonderous Stories' and 'And You and I.' I called the station and told the person answering the phones that this was one of the best Yes twofers I have ever heard the station play. After the set was done, the DJ (Kelly Cox for you L.A.er's) back announced the songs and indicated that those two songs had generated a number of calls (positive ones). I hope that is a lesson to 'em. BTW, they're still playing 'OYE' in pretty regular rotation (once a day, often more)."
From Roy DeRousse (1/13): I found the following in the "new releases" section of the Worldwide CD catalog (http://www.worldcd.com/) for 1/5:
Full Length import CD's
Yes - "Open Your Eyes + 1" - Japan edition of new album adds the bonus "Open Your Eyes (radio edit)" - $31.00
Full Length Independent Domestic CD's
Yes - "Open Your Eyes" - new album - $16.00
(note: "Import" and "domestic" are from a US perspective.)
"So who amongst us is obsessive enough to pay $31 for a radio edit of 'OYE' (assuming you already have the original 'OYE' CD release)? And I assume that the 'new album' is the surround sound stereo version? Has anyone seen this yet?"
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Eddie OffordFrom Tim Morse (StarkL9) (1/15): "I spoke with Eddie about two months ago for the 'Mix Magazine' article I did on the recording of 'Roundabout.' He told me that he has basically retired from the recording industry and spends most of his time sailing (and working on his sailboat)." |
Mix Mag ArticleFrom: Joe Luca (joeychop@erols.com) (1/20): "I just finished reading the Tim Morse article in 'Mix Magazine' focusing on the recording of 'Roundabout.' Nothing we don't already know- but my hat comes off to Tim for being the first person that I can recall who states publicly that Peter and Tony were axed rather than opted to leave (except of course for Bruford in the MTV Rockumentary). Way to go Tim! Say it like it is brother." |
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From: Kevin (snnrissrvd@aol.com) (1/15): "Check out the current 'Billboard' magazine with Atlantic Records 50th anniversary.
"There's a lot of mentioning of Yes and a picture of White, Squire, Moraz, Anderson, Howe on the inside cover fold.
"Also of note, Yes shows up on the top singles list of Atlantic, top albums list of Atlantic, and most notably....Yes is #5 on the list of Top Overseas Sales by an Atlantic Artist--#5!!!"
From: Raymond Novotny (ray@cboss.com) (1/17): "In regard to the posts about YES and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: A special exhibit on progressive rock is being planned to open in September 1998. One of the curators told me that 'they have some great artifacts lined up...they are hoping to have some live musical events happen in conjunction with the exhibit and with any luck they will involve the actual artists.' I have spent full days on my two visits to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and I hope my next one includes a performance by YES."
From: John Hopkins (johnhopkins@darkhop.com) (1/17): "R. Lagerwey wrote: 'Does anybody know some URLs where i can find Roger Dean images/wallpaper and stuff?'
and I've got a reworking of the logo sitting at: http://www.darkhop.com/yes.htm"
From Linda Shultz (RBHH01A@Prodigy.com) (1/21): "I just got a catalog from an outfit called Vroom. One of the items offered is a limited edition lithograph of the 'Relayer' cover - hand signed by Jon (there's even an inset photo of Jon signing one of the prints). The price for this is $375. I've got a nice 'Relayer' print (mounted and framed) hanging in my living room. I bought it some years ago. The plate was signed by Roger Dean (as is the one offered in the Vroom catalog). The web site is at www.vroom.com."
From Philip Satterley (atv@tvdial.com) (1/29): "Found out Yes/Asia artist Roger Dean will be in person at this year's Dragon Con in Atlanta Sep 3-6. Also appearing will be the Goth/Prog band the Changelings. For more info check out their web page: http://www.dragoncon.org/"
From Chris (ckraatz@m2.sprynet.com) (1/18): "Got lucky and heard the broadcast of the LA show tonight, wonderful show. The broadcast lasted two hours, but there were so many commercials that there was actually closer to 1 hr 20 minutes of music. Nonetheless, it was great hearing the band get so much big time hype, much deserved and long overdue. The setlist for the broadcast -
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"The interviews with Squire and Anderson were too short, and although they were touting the 'OYE' album throughout, Mind Drive was playing in the background.
"The quality of the recording for this show was quite good, the crowd enthusiastic. Particularly good were the band's renditions of 'ROL' (the vocals were really great on this!), 'AYAI' and 'HOTS' were played with that unique YES combination of precision + passion + gentle. It was good to hear a live version of 'From the Balcony' (Jon introduced the song by saying that he and Steve had written together while sitting in a hotel room). 'Children of Light' was as moving as when I saw them live back in November - this one really had me in tears...
"Nothing really new on the show, but some great publicity and a really fantastic show. The rest of the show must have been wonderful, judging from the sound of what was aired tonight.
"I'll be picking up my taped copy of the show from my sister in late February - by then I hope you all have heard it - it's almost enough to give you that post-YES-show-glow and make you want to dance outside no matter how cold...almost."
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From Jeff Brown (heyjb@hotmail.com) In Raleigh, the show was only 90 minutes long, with only one commercial break, before 'Roundabout.' But, every second or third song, there was a short voice-over from the DJ about, well, the usual bs. The set also started with 'ISAGP.' Must've wanted to catch the casual Skynyrd fan with something more familiar than 'Khatru.' No "road crew jingle" either. What was it?
"They sounded really tight. It's great to hear that they were into it for the whole tour, even though it gets tiring, voices get worn, etc. Billy's leads were much better than back in October."
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From Kevin (snnrissrvd@aol.com) (1/20): "There was a short interview w/Chris and Jon before the show. Chris explained how he's happy to have something new out to tour behind rather than "legend peddling" (his words). Jon explained the commercial aspect of 'OYE' to some extent-basically just saying that if songs are able to played on the radio then more people get interested in the band naturally."
From: Kevin McNamee (McNameek@rw.com) (1/22): "The BMG Music Service printed an insert this month with the usual catalog- the 50 Landmark Albums: The Albums That Belong in Your Collection. 'Fragile' was on the list, which was in no particular order of quality- it was alphabetized by group name. I forget the commentary exactly, but it mentioned the individual contributions which synthesized on the classic track... (guess which song they mentioned!)
"Of course, the list did not include albums from labels that the service does not carry, so there was a noticeable lack of Beatles, Pink Floyd, King Crimson, and (of course) Queen's 'A Night At The Opera'."
The Billboard Guide to Progressive MusicFrom Alvin T. Chase (relayer00@aol.com) (1/24): "I just bought this book today. It is by Bradley Smith. It looks from a glance through, very interesting. It has a lot about Yes and many other progressive artists. It has many artists listed in alphabetical order with 1-page (more or less) comments about some of the albums. The Yes entry includes 'TYA,' 'Fragile,' 'CTTE,' 'TFTO' and 'Relayer,' which all get very positive comments.
"I have noticed a lot of progressive rock books coming out lately. A new one by Bill Martin has just come out, and a book that analyzes YES's 'CTTE,' the Dead's 'Dark Star' and other music. This in addition to the Macan book."
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From: Joe Mcglinchey (joemcg@u.washington.edu) (1/25): "They're all essentially review-form essays, like a sort of encyclopedia. The cover of the book is orange, and it can be found in your local Barnes and Noble.
GOOD POINTS: It's all-in-all a pretty decent effort, and you can tell Bradley Smith's love of the genre. It gives good coverage to the lesser-known acts (and seems to give especially good coverage to some of the women involved in the genre), and has some great pictures (includes: a cool one of Anekdoten in front of a mansion, one of Moerlen-era Gong with Allan Holdsworth, the 1996 touring Gong, the promo picture of the current King Crimson with them wearing dark clothing, Genesis with Bruford, National Health, etc.).
BAD POINTS: I thought the introduction seemed a bit 'overcompensatory'. Seems to take a bit of a omantacized approach in the opposite direction (progsters being the eternal innovators and rebels flying in the face of all that is conformity and commercialism, that sort of thing-a bit overdone, IMO). Although for the most part he gets all the heavy hitters in there, there are also some glaring omissions. Most noticeable to me was Magma; he has one review of a Vander/Lockwood/Wideman/Top album (rather obscure and unrepresentative) and also the related band Zao, and that's it. From the former review, I began to wonder if the only reason he left Magma out is because of the implied self-admission that he doesn't like their vocal technique. I also didn't notice (though they might be there and I just didn't see it) anything from pretty well-known prog bands like Art Zoyd, Univers Zero (though there is one Daniel Denis mention in the appendix) who deserve mention and I thought would've been included. Or a handful of Krautrock bands like Can, Cluster, etc. (though he *did* see fit to include lesser-known krautrock bands like Agitation Free, Guru Guru, etc.)..maybe it was a matter of editing, or (again) maybe I just didn't see it and it was there.
"Still, all-in-all, I'd say it's a recommended reading. Macan's book is still currently the 'king of the mountain,' though, IMO."
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British tour in April!From: Tom Carson (Roger_Carson@msn.com) (1/23): "For any information on the Yes Tour in Britain in April, go to Tales From Britains Oceans: http://www.geocities.com/sunsetstrip/underground/5271." |
From Mark Cudillee (MECLED@aol.com) (1/27): "Here we go again with the '7 Days of 70's' on VH1. Ironically, I tuned in at the exact moment when they (Johnny Rotten and some other goof critic) dismissed the entire prog scene as "mindless noodling on a keyboard" or just a bore all together. All this while showing clip of Rick in 'Yessongs'. Great publicity for Yes or what? Finally, after paying homage to the punk-scene, they cut away to the credits with Gabriel singing 'Solsbury Hill'.....I just had to laugh. Go figure."
From (h.potts@icrf.icnet.uk) (1/27): "The online Q magazine has a feature on progressive rock - and the 'new progressives' like Radiohead. One page at http://www.erack.com/qweb/_showcase/_progrock/yes.htm is about Yes. Check it out."
From: froy (vmimusic@wwa.com) (1/27): "The March 13 issue of 'Goldmine' magazine will feature Yes as its cover story, There will be a Question and Answer with Jon and Chris. Check out the February 13th issue on page 172 and there is a nice picture of Jon, Chris, Steve, Billy, and Alan."
From: Nic Caciappo (nicbeat@earthlink.net) (1/29): "I have learned that the Jon and Vangelis CD of 1991, 'Page of Life' will be issued in America for the first time. Higher Octave who also released Jon's 'Angel's Embrace' and 'Promise Ring' will release it on or about February 10. I was told that it will have some extra goodies too! The CD will begin with the original Jon and Vangelis recording of 'Change We Must' and track two will be the original extended version of 'Wisdom Chain' which contains a lengthy intro from Vangelis and builds up very nicely before Jon starts his chant and lyrics. The artwork is going to be different too.
"I don't know if 'Sing With Your Eyes,' the B-Side of the 'Wisdom Chain' single will also be included. Sure would be nice though!
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From Henry Potts (1/30): "Higher Octave have a web page about the release at http://www.higheroctave.com/new/homartists/anderson/3002/page.html and they give a release date of 24 Feb now.
The track listing given suggests that the longer version of 'Wisdom Chain' simply replaces the version on the prior European release.
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From Peter Smith (SEYPLE@webtv.net): "Not only is there no sign of 'Sing with your Eyes' but they left out some songs.
The crisp, melancholy drum n' bass of Deborah Anderson's debut single, 'Lonely Without You', might sound like the perfect compliment for her distinctive vocals, but not so long ago she was well on her way down a different career path. Living in Los Angeles with her father, Jon Anderson of 70s prog rockers Yes, Deborah was singing with him on tour ("cheap labour"), acting in plays and writing songs for forgettable straight-to-video films ("stuff I hope never to see"). Fortunately, her introduction to jungle came just at the right time. Suitably enough in the, er, jungle. "I was travelling in the jungle and I hitched a ride on a Winnebago," Anderson explains in the transatlantic tones of the well-travelled. "There were musicians all over it so I got inside and Alex Reece was sitting in the back. It's a good story isn't it? It's boring saying I met him in Clapham or somewhere."
The result of this chance encounter was 'Feel The Sunshine', where Anderson's blissful voice helped give Reece his breakthrough single and pricked the ears of MoWax's James Lavelle. Working on blending her new love for drum n' bass with her passion for South American music, she's found time to sing on DJ Krush's 'Skin On Skin', one of the highlights of his 'Milight' LP.
Now DJ Shadow is just one of the producers to offer their services for her own album, and her general euphoria suggests things are going very well indeed. Now if it wasn't for those pesky Bjork comparisons that followed 'Feel The Sunshine'...
"I hate comparisons", she huffs. "One magazine said that 'Lonely Without You' was 'more like Portishead than Portishead themselves' and I thought, how nice... for them. Hopefully, soon people will say 'You sound like Deborah Anderson'." No doubt about it."
Dorian Lynskey
'Lonely Without You', with remixes by Stereo MCs, is out now on MoWax
Yes related releases comingFrom: Marty Brandt (actstud@ix.netcom.com) (1/30): "I saw in the lastest issue of 'ICE' magazine several Yes related releases coming in February. I don't have the rag in front of me right now, so these are from memory.
1) CMC is releasing on Feb 10 what appears to be a various artists "In Concert" disc which includes Yes. Wonder if it's unreleased versions or KTA material?
2) Peter Banks has a new CD coming out in UK only. Can't remember the name and no date given IIRC.
3) Atlantic records is releasing a various artists collection to celebrate 50 years in late February. No mention of Yes, but it's possible they may be included.
"This is all I know right now about these releases. There may be more info out on the web."
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From: yyztrooper@aol.com (YYZTROOPER) "Steve Howe performs on "The Age of Impact", a cd that features artists from well known prog/rock bands (John Petrucci, Derek Sherinian, John Wetton, Billy Sheenan, Terry Bozzio). Howe plays acoustic guitar on one track. This is scheduled for an April/May release on Magna Carta."
Yes and Crimson music in Buffalo '66From: Roy DeRousse (roylayer@yahoo.com) (1/31): "I got this note from the Elephant Talk mailing list (for King Crimson):"
From: David Lee.Ressel@viacom.com
"Sadly, I missed the Night Watch in-store appearance in NYC, because I was attending a premier screening of a film at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, UT. However, I was still able to get a KC fix that Saturday! Much to my surprise, the film I viewed had a special KC moment, --viz. the song "Moonchild" from 'the Court of the Crimson King' album was featured quite prominently on the soundtrack.
"The movie, BUFFALO '66 (Coincidentally, my home town and year of my birth, as well), was directed, co-written, and scored by Calvin Klein model/actor/sculptor/impresario Vincent Gallo, and stars Christina Ricci, Angelica Houston, Ben Gazzara, Mickey Rourke, Rosanna Arquette and Jan-Michael Vincent.
"'Moonchild' is used as the accompanying music for a quite magical tap dance set piece in a bowling alley, performed by Ms. Ricci (from the Adams Family movies and 'Ice Storm').
"Also, for you fans of other early seventies music there is some YES music used quite effectively during the climactic scenes of the movie. Most of the rest of the music was composed and performed by Mr. Gallo. In addition, a scene is set in a bar where Gamalon, a local Buffalo band used to play King Crimson covers, as I recall from my foregone youth."
From: Bearded Wolf (brddwolf@erols.com) (1/31): "According to OpioWorld, there is to be a February release of a Jon CD, entitled "The More You Know.' It is to be a European release. It features Jane, and two new musicians, Francis and Bobby Jocky, whom Jon met in France last summer.
"There is also a release of Jon's and Vangelis's 'Page of Life,' a remix, which will be released through Higher Octave Music.
"Opio has an exclusive; 'The Promise Ring Video Collection,' which you can order from them by sending $19.95 + $5.00 postage to the Opio Foundation.
"Jon is also checking into getting the out-of-print '3 Ships' re-released."
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Something's ComingFrom: Nic Caciappo (nicbeat@earthlink.net) (1/31): "I've learned that 'Something's Coming' will be released in a vinyl-LP gatefold configuration soon. It will include a 7inch 45 with the track 'For Everyone' on it, which is on the CD set. The nice thing is that the gatefold cover will have all the photos much larger and Banks' liner notes as well." |
From Matthew Piaker (PeabodyMat@aol.com) (1/30): "I often listen to NPR's Morning Edition for the news. Ya know how they like to segue from one news item to the next by playing a snippet of some music...?
"Well, today, as I scanned through this BB, with the news on radio in the background, I suddenly recognized the driving rhythm of the last few bars of 'Changes' playing, as they readied the next news story.
"Just a few seconds, unidentified by anyone on air...but...any Yes on radio at all gets my attention!!! (Radio-starved for Yes in Boston!!!!)"
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Open Your Eyes and Keys to Ascension 2 CD Reviews |
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Try as they may, Yes will never be anything more than an old-fashioned, overblown art-rock band - not that there's anything wrong with that. Recorded quickly and released quietly to fulfill a lame-duck contract, the studio disc of 'Keys to Ascension 2' is their best album since 1977's 'Going for the One,' and the first time they've played full-blown Yes music since then. Rick Wakeman's twiddly but dazzling keyboards and Steve Howe's twiddly but raunchy guitar are back to shed light on singer Jon Anderson's melodic musings. "Footprints" and "Mind Drive" (running nine and 18 minutes, respectively) are complex epics that hold together as songs; "Sign Language" is a simple and pretty instrumental. The second disc of 'Keys' is a live reworking of Yes oldies, neither improving on nor trashing the original versions.
On the other hand, the official new album 'Open Your Eyes' shows how silly Yes can sound when they try to go mainstream. Wakeman's out and LA dude Billy Sherwood is in to write and produce most of the songs; Howe doesn't get enough to play, and it sounds as if Anderson had been hastily dubbed over Sherwood's vocals. The title track and "New State of Mind" have a bit of the old Yes grandeur. The rest is mostly slick adult-contemporary with "I'm okay, you're okay"-type lyrics. Save for an interesting bonus track, with 15 minutes of effects and a cappella snippets, this makes "Owner of a Lonely Heart" sound like Beethoven's Ninth.
At the 30 year mark, Yes can't seem to decide whether it wants to be an art-rock nostalgia band or a pop hit maker. In releasing two new CDs at once, the British progressive rockers inadvertently provide a strong argument for indulging the former. 'Open Your Eyes' showcases Yes' pop side, with 11 radio-friendly tunes cut from the same shallow cloth as the '80s hit "Owner of a Lonely Heart." 'Keys to Ascension 2,' with one live and one studio disc, highlights the more daring classical-rock side that earned Yes its reputation for innovation in the 1970s.
The better of the two, 'Keys' offers new live releases of classic Yes masterpieces and six lengthy new tracks that rank with the band's most exploratory work. Neither CD is Yes' best work, but collectively they provide neat bookends of the band's two musical sides-and, if nothing else, an interesting antidote to the techno-driven dreck that passes for so much of new progressive rock.
The 30-year history of Yes is not unlike that of a sprawling, contentious extended family, with members drifting in and out of the band's orbit between solo projects, stints with rival megabands and the supergroup's own demise and regeneration.
But through every conceivable personnel permutation, Yes' trademark sound has endured. With 'Open Your Eyes,' longtime veterans Jon Anderson, Steve Howe, Chris Squire and Alan White - joined by Billy Sherwood - deliver vocals every bit as crystal-clear and resonant as they were three decades ago, along with the flawless musicianship that has become the band's trademark. Moreover, a special multichannel "surround sound" audiophile edition of this CD, designed for owners of home-theater systems, is due in January. Yes' dense, classically tinged style seems a wholly appropriate vehicle for this popular technology.
While remaining characteristically consistent in approach, the band's latest effort also reflects a telling musical and philosophical shift. In short, Yes has lightened up. 'Open Your Eyes' features a relatively minimalist style, marked by briefer, more concise compositions and a less baroque, cerebral lyrical vision. The band's lush textures and multilayered harmonies remain intact, but gone are the marathon epics of yore: The longest track runs just a shade over six minutes.
But all is not lost for fans who pine for the bombast of the quintessential Yes. The band that so often personified the overproduced excess of the '70s has used the digital trickery of the '90s to sneak one more grandiloquent relic in through the back door. On its final track, The Solution, the band has tacked on a "hidden" 16-minute coda, resplendent with New Age ocean/birdsong/wind chime effects punctuated by a cappella outbursts of lines borrowed from earlier tracks.
Nevertheless, with the exception of this self- indulgent tic, the latest incarnation of Yes has acquired a refreshing penchant for self-restraint.
So, OK, the line-up has become interesting again (Jon Anderson, Steve Howe, Chris Squire,....). OK, they're technically perfect. OK, but still Yes ages terribly badly (even if the unshakeable base-fan won't agree) and this new opus is not gonna go against the trend. 'Open Your Eyes,' they call it, fortunately not "Open your ears" or everyone would run away fast.
In the 1970s, Yes was progressive. In the 80s, the band was progressively worse. I was almost afraid to find out what the late '90s would bring, but this stellar effort dispelled my worries [and] has me looking forward to a Yes-filled millennium. 'Open Your Eyes' succeeds because it borrows, but doesn't steal, from those glorious '70s. The group seems to point to the outstanding and underrated 'Going for the One' album for inspiration. Many cuts, like "Wonderlove" and "Universal Gardens," bear resemblance to that '77 record, with an underlying virtuosity and powerful guitar hijinks by Steve Howe.
But Yes gives its tunes an up-to-date sound by slacking back on the excess of the old days and integrating just enough [of] their catchy, but annoying when overused, '80s style.
Singer Jon Anderson joins Howe as a stand-out throughout the disc, especially on the Celtic hymn "Somehow, Someday," where he uses syncopation as an art form. Bassist Chris Squire seems under-used, and the absent Rick Wakeman is missed on keyboards, but the energetic foraying musicianship on the closing tune, "The Solution," proves that the old Yes is back for the new age!
Working 30 years without the benefit of the Hall of Fame or VH1 boost, the latest lineup of Yes began its latest tour in Hartford last fall, promising another volume of live versions of the old songs fans love as well as a new contemporary work.
"Open Your Eyes" is not modern in the sense that "9127" [sic] was in 1983 to revive the British band's carreer. It's just, uh, a new Yes album, at a time when the preserving members (Rick Wakeman being the latest to dropout) seem to have come to terms with each other.
Jon Anderson is able to continue his outstandingly high-pitched vocals and increasingly simplistic, optimistic world view, even as he makes way for Steve Howe's still interesting guitar solos. And, as the rhythm section of Chris Squire and Alan White demonstrated in the Hartford show, they add a lot more to the overall Yes sound than one may realize.
"Open Your Eyes" may not bring the band a lot of new fans, but it will satisfy those who've continued to follow the band for years.
'Open Your Eyes' kicks off promisingly enough with the robustly funkified 'New State of Mind,' but then things plummet. The layered arrangements and crystalline production values are more suited to mainstream rock of a decade ago and the songwriting is lightweight, with some lyrics bordering on trite. The tracks are largely either soppy declarations of love or airy fairy, New Age style philosophising, of which 'Man In The Moon' ("I am the man in the moon/And I ope to shine upon you very soon") is the most irritating example. Despite this, the album's redeeming feature is Steve Howe's guitar work, which is consistently excellent throughout. ** Valerie Potter
One acceptable track, the first, cannot atone for the lyrical banality
and musical showing-off which fills the rest of of this pitiful offering.
It does not deserve to share a shelf with Yes masterpiece, 'Close to the
Edge.'
