New Rick Wakeman Interview
Vintage Rock
Michel Forest
> http://www.vintagerock.com/rwakeman_interview.aspx
From the interview:
"Q: Is it time for Yes to call it a day?
A: (Slight pause) Um…yeah…the truth is...it’s a very difficult
situation. I could never envision Yes without Jon (Anderson) out front
singing. I think the band, what I call the “classic” lineup — we’re
all in our 60s. Jon is in his mid 60s. Jon’s been feeling very poorly,
as you know. I speak to Jon every week. I think it’s very sad. I think
Yes deserves a real fitting finish, and it’s not been allowed to have
it. I think it’s sad. (...) It’s not a gigging band. It’s going around
doing it. I get hundreds and hundreds of e-mails from people are who
very unhappy and think it’s very sad. I think it’s sad. And I think
it’s not the way I would have liked to have seen the classic Yes sign
off. (...) I just think it’s disrespectful to Yes and I think it’s
disrespectful to the fans, but there you go."
Chet
I don't think the band should quit. They'll be important as the world
focuses on the 2012 mysteries. We need more dramatic prog leading up to
the spacey celebrations.
DT
Yeah, saw this excerpt on Henry's site. I also liked Wakey's idea of
10-15 Yes "weekends" in major metros to wind the band down with
special shows and full-on performances. I may not have been in favor
of that even as recently as a year ago, thinking new music and touring
behind a new album was the way to go out. But the abominable tribute
band idea -- and horrible execution -- makes me yearn for the concept
now. Unfortunately, it will never happen.
DT
clint....@gmail.com
Horrible execution? You may or may not like the idea of Yes touring
without Anderson. I can certainly understand people not liking that.
And, I can understand Anderson being upset. (Though I think it's
pretty pathetic the way Wakeman is badmouthing the band given that his
son is in it.) But, I thought the concert I saw last summer was
pretty good. Astral Traveler and Machine Messiah were both
fantastic. Plus, it gave my 7 year-old son (who is a major, major Yes
fan) a chance to see Yes. Without this "tribute" version of the band,
he would have never had a chance to see Howe, Squire, and White in his
entire life. For whatever reason, he's become really interested in
drumming and is a big fan of White.
rob...@aol.com
Yes.
>You may or may not like the idea of Yes touring
> without Anderson. I can certainly understand people not liking that.
I don't like the idea of them representing their band as being Yes.
> And, I can understand Anderson being upset. (Though I think it's
> pretty pathetic the way Wakeman is badmouthing the band given that his
> son is in it.)
I think Wakeman has stated it quite well...he sees what they are doing
as disrespecting the brand and the fans. I don't see how that is
"badmouthing" at all.
>But, I thought the concert I saw last summer was
> pretty good.
<wince>
I suppose if they didn't call it Yes, pretty good would be good
enough. But even that, I'm not spending the time and money to travel
out to see something that's only pretty good. I'm just needing a
little more for my investment these days.
>Astral Traveler and Machine Messiah were both
> fantastic.
I need more than two songs to justify spending my time.
>Plus, it gave my 7 year-old son (who is a major, major Yes
> fan) a chance to see Yes.
I've got a nephew, now 13 years old...showed an interest in Yes a few
years back, so we gifted him a full Yes catalog. He plays guitar and
is getting quite good...plays some Yes bits sometimes. He's viewed
enough of the DVD's to get a pretty good idea of what Yes was live.
So now I imagine taking him to see the tribute show...and having to
explain the obvious change and deficiencies. What do I do, tell him a
story about how HSW so love playing this music that they just couldn't
wait for JA to get healthy enough to do some shows...or do I tell him
the truth.
This is a smart kid...there's no way he'd fall for the "love playing
this music" bit, so I'd be kinda stuck...might not give him the truth,
but he'd likely spot that I was dancing around it.
>Without this "tribute" version of the band,
> he would have never had a chance to see Howe, Squire, and White in his
> entire life.
or...if HSW had chilled a little, worked on stuff of their own for a
while, he might have had the chance to actually see Yes.
>For whatever reason, he's become really interested in
> drumming and is a big fan of White.
hopefully he's listening more to the stuff White did prior to his work
with the tribute act.
Rob Allen
NP: Bekka Bramlett, "Ain't Here For A Long Time"
DT
>
> - Show quoted text -
I agree with Rob that two "pretty good" songs do not a proper show
make. I saw the Mountain Winery (San Jose) show in July out of
curiosity and was even more disappointed than my vastly-lowered
expectations. They were hiding David in the mix and O. Wakeman was
utterly lost. What was even more disheartening was that White was
barely pedestrian at best and it was painfully apparent the
intervening four years since I saw Squire/Howe play had sapped a
significant chunk of their chops. So mis-representing the Yes brand
aside, they're just not very good. Except for two songs. Then they
were *pretty* good. Not something to be proud of.
DT
Chet
Re: New Rick Wakeman Interview
Group: alt.music.yes Date: Fri, Nov 13, 2009, 6:56am From:
rob...@aol.com
LOL. ....can't take the kid to see YES cause Jon doesn't sing anything
new....and Rick is grumpy cause his son is upstaging his semi-retirement
rob...@aol.com
> LOL. �....can't take the kid to see YES cause Jon doesn't sing anything
> new....and Rick is grumpy cause his son is upstaging his semi-retirement
LOL. ....can't go to see "Yes" or even listen to Yes cause he's a
COSSHF who lives in a bus.
Rob "in other news, the Detroit Lions won a football game this
season" Allen
Chet
Re: New Rick Wakeman Interview
rob...@aol.com
On Nov 13, 9:45�am, TheTimeTrave...@webtv.net (Chet) babbled:
LOL. �....can't take the kid to see YES cause Jon doesn't sing
anything
new....and Rick is grumpy cause his son is upstaging his semi-retirement
LOL. ....can't go to see "Yes" or even listen to Yes cause he's a
COSSHF who lives in a bus.
Rob "in other news, the Detroit Lions won a football game this season"
Allen
---
Football? Fuck that too. Wasting time watching grown men chase a
fucking ball. Hehehehahahaha--->
rob...@aol.com
> Re: New Rick Wakeman Interview �
>
> Group: alt.music.yes Date: Fri, Nov 13, 2009, 10:04am From:
> On Nov 13, 9:45�am, TheTimeTrave...@webtv.net (Chet) babbled:
> LOL. �....can't take the kid to see YES cause Jon doesn't sing
> anything
> new....and Rick is grumpy cause his son is upstaging his semi-retirement
>
> LOL. � ....can't go to see "Yes" or even listen to Yes cause he's a
> COSSHF who lives in a bus.
> Rob "in other news, the Detroit Lions won a football game this season"
> Allen
> ---
>
> Football? �Fuck that too. �Wasting time watching grown men chase a
that's a _one in a row_ joke, you COSSHF. It's kinda like _even a
broken clock is right twice a day_.
I'm still waiting to for you to come *even close* to the performance
of a broken clock...you COSSHF.
Rob Allen
NP: Yes, "Tempus Fugit"