Vol. 6, No. 11 - November 1999
Well, it was inevitable I suppose but I just heard the beginning of "If Only You Knew" as bumper music on CBS Sunday Morning. They played the beginning strains as they advertised their website.
YESterday's NY Times, in the Arts and Leisure section, page 2, featured a 4" x 6" ad for YES at the Beacon theater on December 7 and 8 (wasn't there a 3rd date?).
The ad says the tix are on sale today (Monday) at 10am (although we know they were already on sale on line). The ad looks the same as the one included in a flier I saw at the MB HOB, with a black & white image of the Ladder cover art by Dean, the "block" letter Yes logo in the middle of it (why they hide from their swirly Dean logo I have no idea...would seem to me that it is more recognizable instantly)...
A caption above the Yes logo says "Lightening Strikes Again..."
Surrounding the perimeter of the 4x6 box are song titles, including ISAGP, Awaken, Owner, Roundabout, Perp. Change, Rythm of Love... For those that know the setlist, we know that not every one of these titles is being played. ;-)
The bottom of the ad lists the members of the band in nearly alphabetical order (deviating from that order in as much as Igor is listed last, even though K comes before S or W). The very bottom of the ad lists the www address of Yesworld, and mentions that the Ladder is on sale.
I have been carefully checking the Boston Globe for a similar ad, but no such ad has yet been run. I understand from calling TM that very few seats (and NO good seats) are left for the Boston Yesshow, so maybe the promoters figure that there is no need to waste promotional $$ on an ad. It seems that the on line pre-sale pretty much sold out most of the theater, as very few seats were available even on the day that the tickets "officially" went on sale. I bet that, if Yes added another night in Boston, it would sell out quick.
The following is a very close, but admittedly not entirely word for word accurate, transcription of the promo program Yes - The Ladder being shown in rotation on Direct TV. It is a voice interview and music only program with no video. I have been told by DSS that they will be airing a pay per view special featuring Yes on November 25, 1999. This will be the Las Vegas House Of Blues show taped on October 31, 1999. No additional information was available as of today, but may be next week. The interviewer is Lou Simon.
Jon Anderson: When we did when If Only You Knew, It started out with a simple guitar phrase that Steve was working on, that theme ...and I had a couple of ideas for a chorus and the lyrical content and I think it's probably the most accessible ...in that commercial world, very...it's a very difficult thing in some ways to promote because people expect Yes to be doing more stronger pieces of music ...shall we say, rather than an out and out ballad... but I still love hearing it and when we were recording it, we realized, especially again, Steve doing his guitar style which is very beautiful and the feel of the track and that Chris has this wonderful way of using his bass as a counterpoint of the vocal melody to give it that beautiful balance...and I feel that as a song, it's one of those songs I'd love it to be top 10 ...but it's a question of maybe, we have to wait for Celine Dion to sing it or something.
Lou Simon: Another song on the album is a song called Can I which makes use of a song from many albums ago.
Jon Anderson: I was given a couple of hours to work on it and I just kept hearing that We Have Heaven and by the time we got to mixing it, we pushed it up a little louder and so, it was just meant, as a reflection of the Fragile times that we were still a band that was interested in furthering music as far as we're concerned and to sing "we have heaven" is to sing we still feel very, very strong about what we do and we still have a great friendship about what we do ...and there's a lot of pride involved.
Alan White: What tends to happen when we all start rehearsing and start writing is that we, ...people tend to come in with ideas and you sit and analyze everything and see what is needed for what parts but really it's a combined effort and um, ...you play your role to a degree but there is always other musicians to bounce off of because, the standard of playing is usually very high within the band and that makes it a perfect platform to be able to create something we call Yes Music and basically it weaves its way through and we go in on different days to work on long songs and sometimes the mood takes it in another direction so it's all a magical process that we go through and, as you hear with The Ladder, we come out with something that's really got aspects of the albums right through the band's career all built into one.
Lou Simon: Yes has been around for close to three decades and there have been many changes in the world during those years and the band has managed to be able to reflect those changes in their music.
Jon Anderson: The feeling that I was getting ...and I really got this on over the last ten years is that we are creating a new language, very interestingly through computer. If you could speak to anybody in the world, even if they don't speak your language and you say floppy disc, they'll know what you're talking about... And it goes deeper than that. It's as though the computer world we are developing, the Internet and everything, it has a new language, if you like, and if the new language is based on trust, because you are not meeting these people... You are just contacting people through your electronic equipment, there has to be an element of love ...and trust ...and this is what I was trying to get out with the song; That we are going through an incredible evolvement due to these ways of making contact with each other ...and it's a New Language
Lou Simon: Of course this band's been around for a while and there are only a handful of bands out there that last this long. I wonder if the thought of retirement ever crosses their mind.
Chris Squire: Right now, we're really enjoying...life, playing out there together and uhh, ...so it doesn't even enter the thought process. You know, it's like...I guess the day we really will stop to enjoy it...when we thought people will had lost interest in the band...we might think about it then ...but up until now that hasn't happened so uhh, ...so we're still to old to rock and roll, but we're going to keep going anyway!
They played some tracks from The Ladder, said that the new album is available now in stores. This was sponsored by Liquid Audio and Iomega and Musicchoice.Com.
This is where it is if any one hasn't read it yet.
Hi folks, a little recap from last night:
Saw the first of three House Of Yes (aka House Of Blues) shows last night in LA. It was my first time at that venue. It was the smallest place I've ever seen Yes. Not a bad venue, if you're into the crowd thing. I enjoyed talking with some Yes fans, and dancing and bumping elbows with the crowd. I would have been fine except for a couple of obnoxious drunks in front of me. Idiots. "Shut up and listen to the show", if felt like saying.
So I spent the whole concert standing on the floor, in the center, and 10 feet from the stage. Including the lines to get in, I stood (or danced) for about 5 hours. I'll be there tonight and tomorrow, too. Tonight, I think I wander around a bit, check out the sound from different angles, and Thursday maybe just find a couple seats somewhere, since my wife is going with me. My feet won't be able to take two more nights like last night!
The set list was nearly the same as last Saturday in Anaheim, just a slight change -- no CttE! Boohoo! :( The show started promptly at 8:02, and ended about 10:20. A funny moment: Jon got distracted from someone in the crowd at the end of AYAI, and flubbed the words. So he put his hand to his ear, out to the audience, and coached them to sing the rest of the song, which they did pretty good. That was neat. However, I was just a little miffed at the end of Awaken. After Chris' final bass note, just before Steve plays his last little 'country' lick (oh, I hate that description), the audience started cheering so loudly that Steve was bothered and decided not to even play it. Arrgghh! So remember folks, wait until the song *REALLY* ends before going nuts. Steve's virtuosity just completely blew me away; his solos are mind-blowing, especially if your a guitarist like me. His playing makes up for his total lack of stage expression. He doesn't dance or make the facial expressions he used to in the old days. Maybe he's just focused. But Chris Squire is THE MAN! His stage presence is incredible!! Look it up in the dictionary - you'll see his name. He was jumping, twirling, dancing, all over the stage. He was having FUN! Jon was all smiles. Billy was the obvious Trevor Rabin replacement, playing all his parts. I couldn't hear Igor as well last night compared to Anaheim, I thought they needed to bring him out in the mix a little more. And Alan was, well, Alan. The imagery was pretty wild. Lots of eye candy for those into that.
I loved the show, but I personally preferred Anaheim, for a couple reasons:
o Reserved seating (I had good seats)
o They played CttE (One of the top 3 favorites)
o Better overall sound
Of course, I did hang around and chatted with some Yes folks after the show. Got to check out some of the bands equipment up close. They've got one of the most massive sound boards I've ever seen. Alan came into one of the bars there and was chatting with folks for a while, so I got to talk with him a bit. Igor came in for a minute, then left. I'm gonna try to get some pictures tonight. After over 30 years, this band is still just amazing.
Cheers,
Robert
http://www.ecs.uci.edu/rwm/yes/
Not sure if anyone has posted this before, but the transcript is available on the hob.com website. I accessed it via the hob link on Yesworld.
YO!
GO HERE NOW:
http://www.hob.com/live/events/991104yes/live.shtml
Yes is on!
If you missed it, go later, they'll keep rebroadcasting it. You may need to download Windows Media Player. They tell you howe on the site.
And if you still missed it...
I'm dubbing it right now to my DAT player... ;-)
The following appears in today's Boston Globe, Calendar section, page 8.
YES
The Ladder
Beyond Music
Yes singer Jon Anderson's gushing optimism, in greeting-card lyrics that make one yearn for his oblique guru-speak of old, and glossy, meticulous production from the late Bruce Fairbairn (Aerosmith, Bon Jovi) make this CD hard to take at first. Yet, like old Yes albums, rewards emerge on repeat spins. In its 30th year, the British group again streamlines its epic pretensions, while absorbing its knotty virtuosity into the clean production. (What does that sentence MEAN????) Horns blend seamlessly with the Rick Wakeman-style synthesizer flow of Boston's own Igor Khoroshev through the propulsive dance of "Lightening Strikes". Chris Squire winds the forward-looking "Face to Face" in sharp bass coils, and Steve Howe's gently spiraling guitar flavors "Finally". Anderson's lovey-dovey tone swamps "If Only You Knew". But there are tasteful echoes of old Yes tunes in layered-vocal masterpiece "Can I?", and the mandolin-touched "Nine Voices". Progressive or not in 1999, Yes is at least still trying.
Yes plays the Orpheum Dec. 11.
-Paul Robicheau
I have read this review 4 times, and I still don't know whether it was a "thumbs up" or "thumbs down". In the past, this critic has been very oblique when reviewing Yesshows or new Yes albums, seeming to like them, but carefully avoiding any phrase that comes right out and says so.... [shrugging]
http://www.msnbc.com/news/329206.asp
They review six games released this month; Homeworld gets five stars and is the game columnist's pick for best game of 1999. There's a poll as well asking which of the six games the users think is best; Homeworld is winning with 72% and the second-place title (another Metal Gear game) has 11%.
Nowhere in the review does it mention Yes, but it sounds like if you thought of Homeworld as a Yes single, it would likely end up being their bestselling song ever. ;)
Today I bought a Norwegian music paper called Backstage, and much to my surprise it had a very positive review of The Ladder . The Norwegian musicpress has mostly ignored or slaughtered Yes effords in the 90`s. Except for a heavy metal magazine which gave OYE top rate...
I will try to translate hastly the review (time is limited, so I don`t use a dictionary):
"WHAT A SURPRISE, THEY ARE STANDING!
A new CD from the dinosaures in Yes is a mixed emotion, especially when you concider the groups ups & downs the last 20 years. But, just to have said so, this was a positive surprise. We have to agree with CS who says this is their most commercial CD in a very long time (LARS: it is also an interview with CS in the paper) .
A commercial Yes doesn`t necessarily means a light or pompous album, no it means actually good melodic songs, good arrangements and rather good lyrics. And very good musicians. The starter, Homeworld, is may be the most ambitious song with 9. 33. Number two is IWBaGD, which absolutly has radio- and hit potensial. An excellent tune!
And like this it continues more or less: Can I is the fastest thing Yes have ever done, with 1. 32 it shows us that Anderson & co knows how to compress. FtF, IOYK, TBA is all from time to time very positive, while Finally is the album weak spot. Listen, by the way, to Chris Squires brilliant playing on his el-bass in The Messenger! The Ladder, against all odds, is a pop/rock album (almost) in the highest league."
5 stars which is the highest possible.
Regards Lars
A review of the Saturday Yesshow in Milwaukee is up at Music Street Journal as of today. It includes lots of pics. Be sure to check it out. Music Street Journal is located at www.50megs.com/msj.
Yes video taped a live show at the Las Vegas House Of Blues on 10-31-99. It was taped in High Definition TV. (HDTV) This show, archived at hob.com was broadcast on the Internet last week. It is the entire show.
It will be continuously broadcast, free to subscribers, on Direct TV (DSS), channel 103 (or 199 if you have HDTV capabilities), starting at 6:00 AM on 11-25-99 through 11-28-99. There will be repeat broadcasts at various times in December.
This month, on Direct TV channel 200, there are two preview / promos running on a loop. One is a brief clip detailing the event. Another is a 4 minute promo with video clips and interviews filmed during the recording of "The Ladder" in Vancouver, BC in May 1999.
Having seen Yes 5 times this tour, it will be great to have a video memory of this tour on what, I believe, was a good night in Las Vegas.
Well, kids, here it is:
First, I departed my home at 5, expecting a 1 1/2-hour drive (notorious Chicago traffic time allowance included), and would then have an hour to kibbitz with other fans. Unfortunately, traffic was worse, but I was lucky enough to get there with 15 minutes to spare.
The "discount" tickets in the balcony provided a nice vantage point, not too far away (yet about 5 rows from the ceiling), good view, so-so sound, and I sat on a line between Steve and Jon.
The key points:
- No setlist surprises- "Awaken" and "AYAI" got the biggest responses; surprisingly, the stuff (besides LS) from TL got a warm reception, but was not received as well as what I expected. F2F was my personal performance fave from the Ladder...woulda liked to hear 9V as well, though...
- Steve Howe = MVP. I concentrated on watching/hearing Steve more than anyone else, and he was FLAWLESS - absolutely brilliant. HOWE-EVER, regarding the recent Steve discussion, it is of my personal opinion that the guy is just not doing well healthwise. He looked very thin, and I'm talking Calista Flockhart thin; there was a point where he kinda leaned back as if he was stretching out, and I could almost count the ribs.
BTW - I left after "Owner..." ::::ducking::::: - I didn't stay for Roundabout. Did I miss Steve's solos ??? If not, then he DIDN'T DO any (will have to recheck previous setlists for Steve's pieces...)
On a lighter note, Steve, PLEASE trim what hair you've got left (at least the stuff near your ears)- yer looking like you're about to go airborne when you do your "chicken" thing, not to mention the uncanny resemblance to the Hager (sp?) twins from "Hee-Haw"...
- Slobs of the night: Squire/Sherwood - and that means musically. Squire's playing was, well, sloppy (moreso than I remember from previous shows I've seen), and so was Billy's (when I could hear 'im) - really noticable during Cinema. That said...- ...Chicks dig Billy.
- Igor was great on "Awaken", and I think he could be the secret weapon for future Yes/Yes alumni projects...nice tamborine playing, too, BTW
. Now, if they would just "kick it up a notch" in the mix... - The tour program is one of the nicest I have seen for ANY artist, and the Gottliebs should commended for doing a great job.
- I got the balcony ticket, parking, the program and the Ladder tour shirt for the same price of floor ticket...a BARGAIN :)
- The Chicago audience was good overall, but DAMMIT, SAVE YOUR LONG-WINDED CONVERSATIONS FOR AFTER THE SHOW !!!! Geez, during some of the quieter musical moments, I had to focus on the band more just to hear them above all the talking...sheesh.
- On to the venue: The Riviera. Now, this was the first time I've been there, and if I remember correctly, it may have been MattEast (or someone else here) that mentioned that a friend told them it was a "vomit-encrusted, rat-infested hellhole"...
I can't vouch for vomit or rats, but it IS a hellhole. Sadly, it looked like it may have been a nice place, oh, around 1960, but apparently the ownership is not interested in fixing the place up. Plaster holes everywhere, horrible old repaint jobs, hall lighting that probably hasn't been cleaned in decades....I guess they feel that since this is a venue that primarily caters to hard rock/metal bands, there is no point in upkeep, which is a shame. I hope they don't plan on doing any future shows there, because a class act like Yes doesn't deserve it. A suggestion I would make if they want another theater is the Rialto in Joliet, a gem of a theater restored in full glory (and not to mention mere blocks from where I work !)
All-in-all, I had a great time, for a great price, and it only took me an hour-15 to get home !