Yes, they're pompous and progressive
Music Review/by Brett Milano
Saturday, September 1, 2001
Yes, symphonic tour, at Fleet Boston Pavilion, last night.
No doubt about it, last nights Yes concert was pompous, excessive and pretentious. And those were just a few of its good points.
Like most progressive-rock bands, Yes always sounded best when they weren't afraid to go over the top. (When they started playing it safe, the result was 80s pop hits like "Owner of a Lonely Heart," notably missing last night). This year Yes are back to art-rock in all its glory. Not only did they play a full three hours of their longest and trickiest pieces, they played them with a 50-piece orchestra (all players are recruited locally in each tour city). Save for a few experiments in their very early days, its the first time they've ever used one.
Unlike their progressive brethren the Moody Blues, Yes didn't use the orchestra to make the sound smoother or lusher. Instead the arrangements heightened the drama, with the strings often used in stormy, Stravinsky-inspired settings.
The arrangements worked best in the nights three 20-minute epics,
"Close to the Edge," "Ritual" and "The Gates of Delirium." All three were already played on last summers tour (the latter two for the first time in decades), but they were fully fleshed out last night. The war-and-peace themed "Gates of Delirium" in particular stands as one of art-rocks definitive pieces; even singer Jon Anderson called it wild and wacky in his introduction. During its central battle sequence, the orchestra made a mighty clatter behind Steve Howes guitar. And the song resolved with an angelic vocal from Anderson, whose high range is still intact.
Four-fifths of the familiar 70s lineup was aboard last night, though keyboardist Rick Wakeman is still estranged from the band (his latest replacement, L.A. keyboardist Tom Brislin, at least proved able to duplicate Wakemans parts). Bassist Chris Squire proved the most fiery of the bands instrumentalists with a tasty solo on "Ritual," though his black Spandex pants have got to go.
Though the night drew heavily from the 70s, Yes introduced a pair of as-yet unreleased songs, "Don't Go" and "In the Presence Of." Both were fairly straightforward and romantic, though the latter marks the first time they've ever come up with a sexually themed lyric.
Here are the reasons for the delay of the CD
From: Lee [yesman@mediaone.net' - Sept 2
From: jordanb@lbank.com [Jordan Berliant] - Sept 1
Posted to alt.music.yes
Hi.
I am one of the band's managers and I am also Executive Producer of the new album, Magnification. I know many of you are very eager to hear the new album and are wondering (speculating?) about why the release has been pushed back. While I very rarely visit chat boards relating to bands that I manage, my role in this project obligates me to address your question: Why is this album being delayed until December?
First, although I am completely unobjective, having worked on this project for the past several months, I want to let you know that my singular goal on this project was to enable Yes to create an album that broke new musical ground, as the best albums in the band's history all did. By working with an orchestra from the very beginning and tightly integrating this texture and dynamic into the very structure of their music, Yes has certainly acheived this goal. In short, this is a very special record that needs and deserves very special promotion and marketing.
In order to allow this record a chance to 'cut through the clutter' (did you know there are approximately 35,000 different titles released each year yet only 235 go gold?), we needed to add some additional bullets into our promotional arsenal.
First, the special nature of this record needs to be publicized in a wide range of magazines. To achieve this, we have hired a top music publicist. However, magazines work on very long lead times---and, having only had a finished master within the last 2 weeks, this does not afford the publicist enough time to service journalists and others in the media to help generate a public interest in this record.
Secondly, the sonic nature of this album is incredible! I doubt you will have ever heard anything so full sounding yet so listenable and dynamic. While the CD certainly conveys this, this album is perfectly constructed for 5.1 DVD-A, a new technology which you may have heard of. I have created an association with JVC, who are one of the leading consumer hardware manufacturers of DVD-A. In fact, I have just completed mixing 5 songs from Magnification in discreet 24 bit, 96Khz 5.1 and a DVD-A of this material will accompany JVC's player in stores this Christmas. The special disc will also be used as an in-store demonstration item and the new album will be featured in over $2 million of consumer advertising and promotion, thereby bringing an unprecedented level of exposure for the band and this great album.
Thirdly, we will be filming at least one show in the European tour (probably Moscow and perhaps others) and wanted to have this valuable tool to promote the release prior to street date of the album. Next year, we are planning a very special DVD video release that will feature the concert, multiple documentaries and a couple of very cool surprises. But we want the concert to be able to promote the band on television.
Fourthly, as some of you have speculated, we ARE planning additional US dates for early '02, which we would like to launch close to the album's release.
Finally, Yes will be the first artist to simultaneously release a CD & DVD-A of an album in the U.S.---we will be completing the remaining mixes and this will be released commercially on December 4th, along with the CD. This will allow penetration into the audiophile sector of the media, again creating a point of entry for the new album. Those of you who have DVD-A or DVD video players (the DVD-A will also contain a dolby digital stream to allow those of you with standard DVD players to enjoy the magnificent 5.1 mix) will not be disappointed!
Because the band appreciates your enthusiasm and interest in the new album, they've asked me to find a way to allow you to hear it earlier than the release date. Therefore, in addition to making the EP available exclusively at this summer's concert dates (I'll have to figure out what happened in Toronto and get back to you--maybe a customs situation), I have take the unprecedented step of making downloads of the entire album available to fans who pre-order the new album via the internet. Shortly, you will hear details of this opportunity via a special Digital Audio Postcard, which features clips from 5 of the new songs and all the information you'll need to pre-order the new album and download the new album in its entirety prior to street date.
I hope this addresses your questions and concerns. I don't check this board very often so I have tried to give you a thorough [At this point, the transmission ended. Abducted by aliens, I'm sure.]
Review: Magnification
From: h.potts@ucl.ac.uk - Sept. 2
As posted to alt.music.yes earlier today...
At 7 min, "Magnification" is a rousing, joyful opener. Right at the beginning, Howe's guitar, Squire's bass and then Groupé's use of the orchestra are all immediately distinctive. A deceptively simple piece, "Magnification", as with the album named after it, repays attention to its detail. Anderson's lyrics throw a bundle of images at the listener. The music is richly textured and moves between guitar, bass and the expanded palette of the orchestra (strings, woodwind etc.) as the best Yes music should. The orchestra doesn't just provide a bland wash of strings as so often in orchestral/rock crossovers: it is an equal 'member' of the band. Groupé even gets in some solid riffs.
On a number of occasions, Groupé has something of the feel of George Martin in his orchestral work. A Martin-esque crescendo ends the first track and we segue into the more melancholic and then violent "Spirit of Survival" (6 min). Up-tempo, driving bass, stabs from the horns and strings, Anderson's strident lyrics, Howe's solos, White playing insistent rhythms... The flip side to "Magnification", they are both great tunes, both only slightly let down by simplistic, ABWH- like choruses. Anderson's lyrics are that strange and unique mix of prosaic and spiritual that he has had on recent albums.
Again the orchestra leads the song's coda, this time a more subdued affair as we segue into "Don't Go". Much has already been written about this piece. It is the most 'pop' affair on the album and the least orchestral. For all its similarities to ELO, I love its quirky nature. The lyrics suggest a complex story, yet hearing the whole album doesn't make the story much clearer. There are hints, recurring lyrical themes, but this isn't a coherent, single narrative and I think it works better for that.
"Give Love Each Day", at just under 8 minutes, is the centrepiece of the album for me. An extended orchestral opening section feels very modern; there are similarities to Oliver Knussen's "Flourish with Fireworks" (the piece made famous by Simon Rattle's "Coming Home" TV series on contemporary music). (The live orchestral introduction is a short segment from this opening.) Squire leads the band in and, again, the interaction between Squire, Howe and orchestra is gorgeous. There are similarities to parts of _The Ladder_ ("Homeworld", "Face to Face"), but I think the band have upped their game. This is a piece of emotional contrast between maudlin verses and an aspirational verse. Again, a Martin-like use of horns in the coda: make no mistake, Groupé certainly has his own style, but I also hear influence from albums like _Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band_ and _Magical Mystery Tour_.
"Can You Imagine" (3 min) will be very familiar if you've heard the XYZ boot, but the orchestral and piano backing adds to the piece. Squire's vocal is very strong; there is a similarity to _Fish Out of Water_. A short piece, but it works well in the context and flow of the album.
Until now, I would guess that Squire and Anderson were dominating the writing, although Howe is very apparent in his playing (compare _Drama_). "We Agree" (6.5 min) may be the first time that Howe is to the fore as a composer. His versatility of styles is very apparent on _Magnification_ and it's interesting how he uses some country licks in this piece, not that it sounds anything like country. Again, strong use of the orchestra, with some nice use of oboes(?). Anderson's lyrics speak of what the moral theologians call corporate sin: in a piece of apt timing, he sings of the problems of refugees in another song tinged with darkness, but which feels as though it is moving to the light, helped by a particularly gut-wrenching Howe solo which might evoke memories of _Relayer_. A song to be played to the Prime Minister of Australia.
"Soft as a Dove" (2 min) reminds me strongly of what I think is the worst track on _Open Your Eyes_, "From the Balcony". I find the opening bars grating, save for an understated bass part. However, the piece develops in a more interesting way: notable is the use of flute and a mediaeval feel, with guitar/harp/strings interplay. Intriguing lyrics (in how they relate to "Don't Go") also help redeem the piece. At nearly 11 minutes, "Dreamtime" is the longest track on the album. A classical guitar introduction leads into an instrumental segment led by the orchestra, with the three Yes instrumentalists well integrated into the piece. Again, there's a very contemporary classical feel. Accelerating in pace, bass, percussion and tuned percussion and strings produce another burst of Yes music that drags the listener along. (There are some mysterious backing vocals around 3:30 and 7:00 that don't sound like any of the band...?) Once more, this is emotionally ambiguous music, with Anderson's lyrics pulling against the darkness of some of the music. It's also a band and orchestra working together seamlessly. There's just all sorts going on: martial elements, Celtic ones, Howe pulls some fascinating timbres from his guitars. The end section is just the orchestra: echoes of Holst but more so Bernstein.
Then "In the Presence of" and again, previewed and much discussed. I know you all hate me for having heard the album when you haven't and that you're all curious as to whether the two songs many of you have heard, "Don't Go" and "In the Presence of", are typical of the album or not. Well, is "Roundabout" typical of _Fragile_? Is "To be Over" typical of _Relayer_? These two pieces do fit well on _Magnification_, but there is also much more to the album. I think it's unfortunate that neither showcases Groupé's work in the same way that "Give Love Each Day", "Dreamtime" and "Magnification" do. This guy is a tremendous find. "In the Presence of" does not have some of the same jaw-dropping playing, riffing and soloing as elsewhere on the album, but I think it may have the most formally complex structure. The piece is heightened by its position in the album, both musically and lyrically.
"Time is Time" (2 min) is like "Nine Voices", a short coda to the album with an acoustic feel, albeit it is actually mostly electric. One review made a comparison to Lennon, which is an interesting one, helped by the similarity in White's playing; Howe even sounds a bit like Harrison, while the final bars, played by the strings, belong to Groupé, again sounding Martin-influenced.
I think it's a fantastic album. It's distinctively Yes, but it isn't a re-tread of a previous sound (in the way that some of _Keys to Ascension 2_ was). It's a development from _The Ladder_ and those completely turned off by recent Yes may not enjoy _Magnification_, but I think most fans of Anderson, Squire, Howe and White will hear plenty to enjoy here. Strong on dynamics, strong on contrasts, strong on emotion. You can dismiss any fears that the orchestra might be misused: band and orchestra work together very well, better than most past prog/orchestra projects I have heard. (Forget _Return to the Centre of the Earth_.) Moreover, the orchestral parts are interesting and exciting of themselves. There are a number of sections with just the orchestra playing which stand up very well.
Squire's bass leads from the front of the music. Howe's breadth as a guitarist is apparent. I think White did have a large role in this album on the writing front, but his playing generally keeps to the background, but serves a good role unobtrusively binding the music together. Anderson is in good voice, his lyrics are more interesting to me now than they have been for most of his career. It sounds like the album the band wanted to make, rather than the album they thought would get them airplay. This is a very mature album. It's not an album that Yes could have made 30 years ago. You're all in for a treat.
Ciao, Henry
Weakest Link Video
From: Lee [yesman@mediaone.net] - Sept. 4
Just for fun:
http://yesmuseum.org:8080/video/WeakestLink.mov
--
YES Museum:
http://yesmuseum.org:8080/
20th Century Guitar - Steve Howe Interview
From: m_randalt [clubs-mail@yahoo-inc.com] - Sept 7
My apologies if this has already been mentioned, but 20th Century Guitar magazine (August 2001 issue) has a good interview with Steve Howe. He talks about the tracks on his Natural Timbre solo album, the new Yes album, working with an orchestra on the current tour, and his thoughts on the passing of Chet Atkins.
There was also a half-page ad for his Interactive CD-ROM from Beyond Sound. I think I'll order it. http://www.tcguitar.com/tcgmag.html
Rick - on BBC Radio 2 - Friday, September 7th
From: ProgressForum website [tizwin@progress.freeserve.co.uk] - Sept. 7
Rick Wakeman will be on BBC Radio 2 this Friday (7th September) in Steve Wright's show (2.05 - 5.00 in the afternoon, London time). The frequency in the UK is 88 - 91 FM. Also, world-wide online via www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/
Wakey on the Radio
From: Jon Hinchliffe [jon@praying-mantis.com] - Sept. 7
DOCUMENTARY: The Flare Years
Channel: BBC Radio Five Live
Date: Sunday 9th September 2001
Time: 04:00 to 05:00 (starting in 2 days)
Duration: 1 hour.
Keyboard superstar Rick Wakeman reminisces with a galaxy of soccer stars from the 70s.
Yescapade in Great Britain Dec. 8
From: Robert Zorich [rzorich@worldnet.att.net] - Sept 8
Yescapade is pleased to announce another party !!!
This time the Yescapade will be held in Nottingham, England on December 8, 2001, prior to the Yes concert to be held that evening at the Royal Concert Hall.
The Yescapade event will be held at The Works, a new multi-million dollar club, that utilizes state of the art sound, lights and video.
Our special guest will be Peter Banks! The former guitarist for the Syn, Mabel Greer's Toyshop, Yes and Flash will be there to discuss and autograph his new book, "Beyond and Before".
Also appearing will be David Watkinson, to sign his new book, "Perpetual Change - Thirty Years of Yes", available very soon.
Our musical guests will be "Fragile", the UK's Yes Tribute Band. Their CD, "Live at the Half Moon" is available at their web site now.
We are contacting Yes and hope that they will be able to appear.
We have another great organizing team, headed up by Brian Neeson, with Peter Anderson, Declan Logue and his soon-to-be bride Bou, Rob Kemp, and Pete Freeman in the UK, Bryan Jones, Cherokee Wilson, and Bob Zorich in the US.
Join us for a "royally" grand time at Yescapade in Nottingham !!! Please check us out at our new web site : http://www.yescapade.com
Rick Wakeman Interview
From: scooter_mcgrooter_13 - Sept 8
I received the latest issue of "Progression" magazine this past week and was surprised to see an interview with Rick Wakeman. At first he displays his disgust in the state of music these days, with radio and MTV and especially the "boy band" plague. But it gets rather interesting when he is talking about Yes past and future. Unfortunately the magazine doesn't post their interviews online. But you can order it if interested.
http://www.progressionmagazine.com
To give you a brief synopsis; Rick was asked to join the band after Masterworks. He does not say anything about why he was asked to replace Igor. His answer was of course "No". He had no interest in rejoining the band, because he did not like their direction. Though he believes that there is one truly great album left in them (Jon, Chris, Steve, Alan). Adam (his son) was asked to join Yes, but he doesn't really mention a time frame except that Adam would have replaced Igor when he was having Visa problems.
Rick also feels the band was best when Jon was in control from a songwriting perspective. Jon would come in with a "bucketfull" of melodies and the band would work with what he brought in .... together. Now everyone works on their own, and they bring in "their" songs ...... even though the whole band gets songwriting credit.
Rick also mentioned that he was not asked to do the orchestral arrangement for the Symphonic Tour, and is puzzled by that. He says that he was the most qualified for the job, seeing that the orchestra was to replace the keyboardist and he also knows the material inside and out. Added advantages also are that he has played with band and knows where not to step on anyones toes, plus he has much experience orchestrating (and rather well as Marcia would point out on "Cans and Brahms" from Fragile).
He also talks about past and future solo projects that might interest you Wakey fans.
Buggle snubbed
From: Cindy [The_Ladder] - Sept 17
Recently at MTV's 20th anniversary event former Buggle member, Geoff Downes, got snubbed. Read on...
http://abcnews.go.com/sections/entertainment/DailyNews/mtv010802.html
DVD-A Poll?
From: yesman@ntlworld.com - Sept. 20
Jordan Berliant from Left Bank has posted on alt.music.yes a couple of times:
I have established a very robust cross-marketing relationship with JVC, who are one of the leading manufacturers of DVD-A. In fact, a special 10 song Yes DVD-A sampler will be bundled with JVC DVD-A players this fall. The 10 song sampler includes 5 tracks from Magnification, "Homeworld", and 4 live classics, all remixed in discreet 5.1
(snip)
As I announced here last week, Magnification will be the first album ever to be released simultaneously on CD and DVD-A. Having overseen the mixing process, I can tell you that the 5.1 mixes are incredible! I can't wait for you guys to hear them.
(snip)
As for the configuration itself, Warner Music Group has been ahead of the curve, having released a few classic titles from its catalog. I spoke with them a couple weeks back about releasing some of the Yes classics on DVD-A and they were very excited. They suggested releasing Fragile but I told them I thought the core Yes fans would prefer CTTE. I'll let you guys decide. Post your choices here (please don't e-mail me directly). Someone who is up here every day should keep tabs and post them frequently. I will push for whatever title you guys decide.
Magnification plot
From Rayzilla99 - Sept. 25
According to Henry Potts site, Magnification appears to be a concept album. Here is a plot summary; "The idea behind the story is that human beings have the ability to 'magnify' our perceptions, our concept of reality. In ancient times, this was done with a talisman (pictured on the cover of the tour EP). Based on this talisman, an inventor in the late nineteenth century designed the 'Inter-Dimensional Reality' (IDR) machine (pictured on the back of the CD booklet) to serve the same function, magnifying our perception of other planes of existence. (The inventor's notes and sketches are illustrated through the CD booklet.) Someone in the present day discovers these notes and uses them to build the IDR. However, music and harmonics play an important role in the functioning of the IDR. Cesca again: "I particularly like the line below one of the sketches that reads, 'Devoid of harmonics, the machine proved to be worthless.' This has quite a broad-reaching significance."
Without the booklet and lyrics I've only been able to grasp a few of these concepts within the music itself. How about our fellow club members across the pond...can you guys shed any light on this?
Touched and then gone
From: Michael E. LaFave [melafave@chartermi.net] - Sept 30
Hello Everyone. Another SoS'er sent this to me. I apologize if it had been posted previously .It is real, it is sad. This is a Yesnet review posted on the Sept. 8th show, review #55. After reading this I had to pause for a moment of silence.
--------------------------------------
Yessymphonic North American Tour 2001
Venue: New York, NY, September 8
Posted by: ann laye [amlaye@home.com]
this review is dedicated to Debbie Jacobs Welsh
she died on tuesday in the terrorist attacks
she was a flight attendant on united flight 93
debbie is not a yes fanatic like the rest of us. but if she was ever around and we were going to catch a yes show she would go.
sat night she came and saw and was blown away at such an amazing show
she kept saying how awesome they were that she loved the sound etc..
we even tried to get her backstage. she was so excited. we were
almost in but security herded us out the door. too bad. she was
disappointed so we all went out. and had a great evening in NYC.
Debbie we will miss you. May you only experience peace and love
wherever you are. May yes music follow you, rest in peace.
love your friends
Denise, Nancy, Paulo, Ann