The Official Yes Thread

[Dittomist]

I am also on the fence about attending this. I love Yes and I've never seen them live before, but it seems lately they have gotten more criticisms than praises for their performances. I don't want the experience to be a depressing one, but on the other hand, how can I possibly miss this show considering how much I love the Going for the One and Close to the Edge albums?
And this is kinda off-topic but did anyone else feel a little cheated when they discovered just how much of the Fly From Here material came from The Buggles 30 years ago? Fly From Here is a wonderful album and I immediately believed the title track was one of their greatest achievements ever, but then I found that my favorite parts (especially "Sad Night at the Airfield") were merely covers.

[Orbert]

"Fly From Here" - the song - was written during the Drama sessions and was performed during the tour.  There's a version of it on the album The Word is Live.  It's a Yes song, not a Buggles song, although I can see how the line gets a little blurry, as The Buggles were in Yes at the time.

When they were working on what would become the album Fly From Here, they revisited some of the old material from the Drama days.  It made sense, as Geoff was back in the band, and Trevor was producing.  It was essentially the Drama lineup, except that Benoit was singing.  But Benoit actually sounds a lot like Trevor did back in the day, so again, it made sense to revisit the material.

They took the basic song and went nuts with it.  "Fly From Here" was originally a regular five-minute song, and they worked it out into the title suite.  I don't think it's fair or entirely accurate to just call it a 25-minute (or whatever it is) cover of a Buggles song.  The Buggles did put the song on their second album, but why not?  They had written it while they were in Yes, and Yes didn't end up using it.  But the song itself went through a lot of changes and growth, and it was originally a Yes song.

[Dittomist]

Ah, I see--I'll have to do some more research. On Youtube there's a 9-minute video of The Buggles song "We Can Fly From Here Parts 1 & 2". Supposedly it was an unreleased track, which is shocking considering how great of a song it is (those are definitely my favorite sections of the epic Yes track).

[Orbert]

"We Can Fly From Here (Part I)" and "We Can Fly From Here (Part II)" are on The Buggles' second album Adventures in Modern Recording.  The "nine-minute unreleased track" appears to just be the two parts put together (they're not consecutive tracks on the album).  It's even titled "We Can Fly From Here Parts 1&2".

What they played live during the Drama tour was basically "Part I", so it does seem that The Buggles took it and worked with it a bit prior to putting it on their second album.  This may be what gave them the idea to go even further when they pulled it out again 30 years later.

Note that "I am a Camera" -- a reworked version of "Into the Lens" -- also appears on Adventures in Modern Recording.  Again, Trevor and Geoff felt that they could do something else with the song, and since they'd written it in the first place, felt free to do so.

[Gadough]

Orbert, you should seriously write a biography on Yes. I would read it.

[Orbert]

Thanks for the compliment.  Mostly, I just like blabbing and sharing my knowledge of bands and music history, especially obscure stuff I've managed to accumulate over the years.  (Basically, I like showing off, but it's for a good cause.)

As far as Yes goes, most of what I know already went into the Discography thread, and a lot of the rest has shown up in this thread, so consider that your advance copy. 

[Pols Voice]

So Steve Howe quit Asia a couple days ago. His statement: “Myself and the band wish to thank their fans for the enthusiasm shown during the original members’ reunion. I will continue with Yes, and with my trio and solo guitar work. I wish my friends continued success.”

[Orbert]

That was interesting because Asia announced Steve's replacement later the same day, and also that they were already starting work on the next Asia album.  That indicates to me that it was all coordinated.  Steve had made his decision, but they asked him not to say anything until they could find his replacement and put together some good press to offset this obviously heavy blow.

The real question, in terms of Yes, is what this means for Geoff Downes.  Steve and Geoff helped co-found Asia after Drama, when Yes technically didn't exist.  The last three Asia albums have featured the original lineup, but Yes hadn't released anything during that time.  Then last year's Fly From Here from Yes had both Steve and Geoff on it.

But Geoff has been the keyboard player on every Asia album, throughout their various lineup changes, and considers Asia his main gig.  Hopefully he will also continue with Yes.  It sounds like the split was amicable.

Steve has been on most Yes albums, and considers it his main gig, with Asia on the side.  Between Yes, Asia, his solo work, and The Steve Howe Trio, he had to drop one of them.  It's gotta be hard playing in two bands that both enjoying something of a resurgence and you want to keep that going, but they're in their 60's now.

[Man-Erg]

Relayer is their best imo, their only work that I love truly.

[Pols Voice]

That was interesting because Asia announced Steve's replacement later the same day, and also that they were already starting work on the next Asia album.  That indicates to me that it was all coordinated.  Steve had made his decision, but they asked him not to say anything until they could find his replacement and put together some good press to offset this obviously heavy blow.

The real question, in terms of Yes, is what this means for Geoff Downes.  Steve and Geoff helped co-found Asia after Drama, when Yes technically didn't exist.  The last three Asia albums have featured the original lineup, but Yes hadn't released anything during that time.  Then last year's Fly From Here from Yes had both Steve and Geoff on it.

But Geoff has been the keyboard player on every Asia album, throughout their various lineup changes, and considers Asia his main gig.  Hopefully he will also continue with Yes.  It sounds like the split was amicable.

Steve has been on most Yes albums, and considers it his main gig, with Asia on the side.  Between Yes, Asia, his solo work, and The Steve Howe Trio, he had to drop one of them.  It's gotta be hard playing in two bands that both enjoying something of a resurgence and you want to keep that going, but they're in their 60's now.

Yeah, I wonder if this will create scheduling conflicts for Geoff Downes. Yes could be put on hold when two of its members were in Asia, but when it's only Downes, the other guys might want to tour/write/record while he's busy with his other gig. I've heard rumblings that Yes wants to make a new album in the next year or so. Hopefully Jon Davison will be part of the writing process so he's better integrated as a member of the band instead of a "replacement singer".

[Orbert]

They've already announced a return to the studio this fall.  Jon Davison recently spent some time with Chris and Alan, and is now hanging with Steve.  Presumably they're writing, but probably also getting things tightened up for their upcoming three-album tour.

[The Letter M]

Whether Geoff is ready or not, I'm not sure that Steve/Alan/Chris would care otherwise - they seem to do whatever they think suits Yes, and if that means moving on when other players aren't ready, they're quick to replace.

That's not a jab at them, but it's just the feeling I get from them from the last few years. They've gone through 2 replacement vocalists and on their 2nd keyboardist, so who is to say they wouldn't replace Geoff is he's busy with Asia or other projects?

-Marc.

[Orbert]

They waited almost 10 years for Jon Anderson to get his shit together, and he never did.  Oh, he was actually sick for a while, but he's also made a few solo albums, and an album with Rick Wakeman, and toured each of them.  All the while, he kept telling Steve and Chris "I don't have time" or "I'm still not up to it" or anything else he could think of.  He actually goes on record saying that he wants to work with Yes but, you know, it's complicated.  It's not that complicated.  If it's important to you, you make the time for it.

Anyway, they got another singer who, oddly enough, got sick and couldn't tour, but at least he did make an album with them.  Prior to that, Oliver Wakeman was touring on keyboards, but when they got into the studio and it became clear that he couldn't cut it, they offed him.  Steve had been working with Geoff again in Asia, and I'm sure his name came up.

That's what Yes has always done, mercilessly.  They'll drop you for someone better if it suits them.  Right now, Geoff Downes is the best keyboard player for the gig, and Yes will try to wait for him.  They actually like him and know him, and he's a songwriter, something Yes desperately needs.

But you're right; there is a potential conflict.  Yes announced a return to the studio, what, a week ago?  Then the whole thing with Steve quitting Asia, they've already found a replacement, and they're heading back to the studio all came out the same day.  It still seems to me that they worked a bunch of it out.  Yes and Asia are not rival bands.

[The Letter M]

I just had the thought - what if Steve had decided he was leaving Yes instead of Asia, and in turn, Geoff would have followed, leaving Chris and Alan without a guitarist or keyboardist.

And guess who happens to have been working with Jon Anderson as of late? A guitarist (Rabin) and a keyboardist (Wakeman). Too bad this didn't happen because it MIGHT have sparked Chris and Alan to get up with Jon, Trevor and Rick, but oh well.

To be honest, I think Geoff will try to stick it out and work in both bands, especially since he's not as busy as Steve is (or is he? I don't follow Geoff's career closely).

Well, with Steve still in Yes, hopefully this means he'll have more say in the writing process next time around, rather than fumbling around with Buggles leftovers (which, admittedly, were still good once all was said and done, but let's hear something fresh).

-Marc.

[Pols Voice]

I just had the thought - what if Steve had decided he was leaving Yes instead of Asia, and in turn, Geoff would have followed, leaving Chris and Alan without a guitarist or keyboardist.

And guess who happens to have been working with Jon Anderson as of late? A guitarist (Rabin) and a keyboardist (Wakeman). Too bad this didn't happen because it MIGHT have sparked Chris and Alan to get up with Jon, Trevor and Rick, but oh well.

I'd rather have a Yes without Anderson than one without Howe at this point. I like the Rabin years but I don't want him to return and I doubt he would want to anyway. And Howe's my favorite member of Yes.

[Orbert]

The Anderson-Rabin-Wakeman project has been on and off hold for 20 years, ever since the Union days, and even when it's "on" it's still only "on" to the point where they'll admit that they're trying to work out the schedules.  The three of them have still never gotten together.  I get the sense that it's something they'd all love to do, and that the media likes to ask them about, and they'll never say "never".  But as a realistic possibility, no.  Again, these guys can pretty much do what they want, and if it was important enough, they'd make time to do it.

As much as I love Anderson and Wakeman, and what Yes music is like with them in the picture, I too would rather have Steve in the band today than either of them.  Clearly, neither Anderson nor Wakeman are into it, and I'd rather have someone who wants to do it.  Yes is Steve's baby.  Anderson and Wakeman are both total flakes and do whatever they want.  If they both came back, that's a tougher question, but it's not gonna happen anyway.  Rick has pretty much said that he's done with Yes.  He's comfortable with his home and his regular gig in England and has no interest in getting back together with Yes.  They've asked him, many times.  Now, each of those times, Jon was not in the picture, which I'm sure makes a difference, but again, Jon just won't commit to it.  So it's not gonna happen.  (Meanwhile, they'll both whine about how it's not "really" Yes without them.)

At this point, Yes has a working lineup and have a tour scheduled, with all five on board.  They also announced a return to the studio later this year, and it was announced before Asia made a similar announcement.  Geoff Downes is in both bands, but he's always struck me as a pretty cool, upfront guy, and I don't see him backing out of either commitment.  We should see new Yes and Asia albums both by next year.

[The Letter M]

I agree with you all - I'd rather have Steve than Jon/Rick in Yes at this point, but I was just just having one of my fantastic what-if-ideas.

I think this line-up of Yes is capable of churning out a good album, and I hope their touring 3 classic albums on the road re-invigorates their creative and performing juices!

-Marc.

[Nel]

I like Asia, but it's kind of ho-hum compared to Yes for me, so Howe quitting doesn't really affect me much.

Anyway, on the Asia side, I am glad they're already starting on the next album, as I thought after the great Silent Nation, Phoenix and Omega that XXX was kind of a step down as far as interesting music goes. Hell, I still think Omega might be the best album they've done next to the debut.

On the Yes side, I'm on two mindsets. First, as much as I liked Benoit David (still recommend Mystery to y'all), I really like Jon Davison and it will be nice to hear him on an actual Yes album instead of a weak, psuedo-Yes album. Yes Glass Hammer, I mean you. As much as I love Glass Hammer, the last three albums have been really, really weak efforts. I'd love them to go back to the pop-prog thing they were doing on the 2009 album as opposed to the Yes-lite act that made the recent albums a snooze-fest... So yeah, looking forward to more Jon Davison. However...

They won't have the Fly From Here Suite's songs to use as a crutch this time around. I felt like that was the best part of the album, but those songs were written in the 80s. The rest of the songs on Fly From Here were incredibly boring except for Into The Storm.

So basically, I'm really looking forward to the next Yes album so long as it's more like Into The Storm and less like Life On A Film Set/The Man You Always Wanted Me To Be.

/long-winded post

[Implode]

Just found this amazing acapella version of Leave it.

Thought I'd just...leave it...here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJjff0RncqA

[ytserush]

Just found this amazing acapella version of Leave it.

Thought I'd just...leave it...here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJjff0RncqA

That is one of the bonus tracks on the most recent remaster.

It used to be on the 12-inch single with a few other mixes. There was also a Yes cassette that had all of the 12-inch mixes from 90125.

As I recall, it got a fair amount of airplay when it was released.

I think there may have been another version of It Can Happen as well...or I just may be confusing that with Trevor Rabin's version on 90124.

[Orbert]

That is one of the bonus tracks on the most recent remaster.

It used to be on the 12-inch single with a few other mixes. There was also a Yes cassette that had all of the 12-inch mixes from 90125.

As I recall, it got a fair amount of airplay when it was released.

That's what I thought it was going to be as well, then I clicked the link.

[ytserush]

That is one of the bonus tracks on the most recent remaster.

It used to be on the 12-inch single with a few other mixes. There was also a Yes cassette that had all of the 12-inch mixes from 90125.

As I recall, it got a fair amount of airplay when it was released.

That's what I thought it was going to be as well, then I clicked the link.

After clicking, I'm still going to go with what I wrote. Better that way.

[Implode]

The acapella official release you guys are talking about just sounds like they put the vocal stems into one track and took out some pauses. Kind of underwhelming.

[Orbert]

It does sound like that.  But it's also cool to be able to hear all of the harmonies and how much work really went into arranging all the vocals, without the other instruments obscuring a lot of it.

[ytserush]

It does sound like that.  But it's also cool to be able to hear all of the harmonies and how much work really went into arranging all the vocals, without the other instruments obscuring a lot of it.

That's one of the reasons I enjoy it.

Coincidentally, I saw the video for this (the regular version) one morning last week on VH1 Classic.  At the time the video was at the cutting edge of video technology, but now....not so much.

[Orbert]

Is that the one where they're all standing there, then they get stretched and flipped around and stuff?  Yeah, that was some pretty cool effects at one time.

[ytserush]

Is that the one where they're all standing there, then they get stretched and flipped around and stuff?  Yeah, that was some pretty cool effects at one time.

That's the one.

The passage of time sure has the ability to make some things that seemed cool at the time look less than flattering.

[lonestar]

This is cool, the Yes show in San Francisco I'm going to in two weeks will be broadcast live on ASX TV....

https://www.axs.tv/blogs/yes-3-5-live-march-5th-live-on-axs-tv/

[Orbert]

Awesome!  I was wondering how well they'd be able to pull off the three-album tour.  Now I get to see and hear.

[lonestar]

I'll be in the balcony, stage right, fifth row. 

[Orbert]

I'll be at home, watching it in HD on my Sony Bravia, listening to it in 5.1 Surround.

Honestly, I'm not sure which is better, but I'm sure you'll have a better time.

[lonestar]

You'll have me in the sound department, just need to recreate that fog of pot smoke present in every Yes show, even if you don't smoke yourself. Kinda adds to the atmosphere.

[Zydar]

I'll be in the balcony, stage right, fifth row. 

I'll be looking for a guy in a chef's hat holding up a DTF sign

[lonestar]

Noted.

[ytserush]

I'll be at home, watching it in HD on my Sony Bravia, listening to it in 5.1 Surround.

Honestly, I'm not sure which is better, but I'm sure you'll have a better time.

I guess I need to find out if I think it's worth more checking it out then or later on you tube (assuming that's where it would end up.)