YES – a review of the year
use...@bondegezou.demon.co.uk
planning. OK, it soon became apparent that the line-up was changing
again with Oliver Wakeman to replace his dad, but the classic four of
Anderson, Squire, Howe and White were all ready to go. But the year
was dominated instead by Jon Anderson's health problems. 2008 had
begun with Anderson having some respiratory problems. One rumour
suggests that Anderson's vocal health had been an issue in
negotiations for the planned summer Yes tour and he continued to have
intermittent problems as the year went on, including cancelling one
show with the School of Rock All-Stars. Then came the serious asthma
attack in May. An asthma attack does not sound like a very serious
thing, but it can be and it took a while for it to sink in with fans
quite how bad things were. Jon Anderson nearly died, he was in a coma
for some days. He was put off work for at least 6 months. About on
that schedule, it was only at the end of 2008 that he started working
together, with work on demos with two collaborators (Tom Curiano and
Steve Layton) reported in Nov/Dec. However, Anderson has had further
unrelated health issues too.
What the future holds for Anderson is unclear. Optimistically, 2009
might see him back touring with Yes, yet Rick Wakeman, who himself has
mostly retired from touring, has suggested that Anderson will never do
another big tour.
When Anderson had his attack in May, Howe/Squire/White looked into the
possibility of finding a replacement to meet the dates on sale, but
that wasn't to happen. However, their planning continued and a tour
was announced in September with new vocalist Benoît David, who had
been singing in Canadian Yes tribute band Close to the Edge. The news
split fandom, a split that only widened when condemnatory comments
about the tour appeared from Jon Anderson. Some sort of reconciliation
with Anderson occurred, but it was clear that the rifts between Howe/
Squire/White and Anderson that had existed for some years remained and
remain significant.
Online discussion also obsessed at length about the Yes name. The new
tour was ambiguously labelled "Steve Howe, Chris Squire and Alan White
of Yes"; shades of ABWH, although SHCSAAWOY made for a less handy
acronym! Venues and the media went back and forth between the long
name and just calling the touring group Yes. By the end of the year,
SHCSAAWOY is still being used in advertising and on tickets, but the
reality is that the band and most of the fans usually just call this
"Yes".
It was, however, always the music that was going to matter more than
the name. Despite some pessimistic predictions, the tour has been
fairly successful. This quasi-Yes are selling about as well as Yes did
in the late 1990s and the performances have persuaded most. Some
radical set list choices pleased fans and, by and large, David's
singing has done the trick. More criticism has been directed at the
other newcomer, Oliver Wakeman.
What fans want as well is new material. There's talk of recording an
album in 2009, with Anderson if possible, or David otherwise, although
it increasingly looks as though it will be the latter. One new song
was premiered live, Squire's "Aliens are Only Us from the Future", a
song originally demo'd for his solo album but now expected on an album
with Steve Hackett. The lyrics have been panned, but personally the
song has grown on me.
2008 also saw another classic line-up, with the reunion of the
original Asia continuing their tour with 52 more dates and release of
their new album _Phoenix_. However, Howe's commitments to Asia pose a
new complication for Yes. 2009 begins with a complex interlocking
dance between the members of Yes and Asia. Wetton and Downes, as iCon,
play live in Feb, while Howe, Squire and White continue the In the
Present tour into early Mar. Wetton squeezes in some School of Rock
All-Stars dates. Then Howe joins Wetton and Downes for Asia in March/
April, about when Squire looks to be touring with Steve Hackett. Asia
had Howe booked for the summer, but Yes have been talking about
touring then, possibly doing North America again in the summer as part
of some package. Reports suggest the dance may come to a whirling
finale with that package including both bands, Asia and Yes... and
maybe even joined by ELP too.
Steve Howe was the hardest working Yesman of the year. As well as the
aforementioned Yes and Asia tours, and the new Asia album, he also
released a new solo album, _Motif Vol. 1_, and a Steve Howe Trio
album, _The Haunted Melody_, and did both solo and Trio dates. Chris
Squire's energies appear to have shifted over the year from his solo
project to the collaboration with Hackett, jokingly referred to as
Squackett, with a release due in early 2009. In more personal news,
Chris and Scotty Squire had a new daughter, Xilan, at the end of
December, while Howe gained a daughter-in-law earlier in the year when
Virgil Howe married model Jen Dawson, who made headlines at the
beginning of the year posing topless in a shop window for Agent
Provocateur.
Biggest Yes-related piece of music of the year? Two pieces of music
were linked to one of the most significant events of the year, Barack
Obama's election. So I'm tempted to suggest the biggest Yes-related
piece of music of 2008 was the Trevor Horn-produced "If You're Out
There", John Legend's anthem inspired by Barack Obama. The album it's
on, _Evolver_, made #4 in the US, while the song was made available as
a free download to those in the US through the Obama campaign. That
campaign also used "Titan's Spirit", from Rabin's 2000 _Remember the
Titans_ score. While Rabin wasn't involved in its selection, he's
spoken of his pride at the choice made to use it at the end of both
Obama's convention speech and his acceptance speech.
Possibly the best-selling Yes-related song of the year was "For All
Time", a bonus track on the 25th anniversary re-release of Michael
Jackson's _Thriller_. Co-written by Michael Sherwood and Steve
Porcaro, Porcaro had recorded a demo at the time, but the song didn't
make the original album. Jackson recently completed the recording for
the re-release.
My favourite Yes-related song of the year is the Steve Howe-penned
"Wish I'd Known All Along" on _Phoenix_. Album of the year? Billy
Sherwood's _At the Speed of Light_ has been well received, but I
confess I've not heard it yet. Billy also continued work with CIRCA:,
2008 having begun with several live dates, but White's commitments to
Yes led to a line-up change and long-time collaborator joining the
band: a new album and tour dates with Toto's Bobby Kimball are due
this year.
Jon Anderson song of 2008 must be "Sadness of Flowing", his
collaboration with composer Peter Machadjík. Machadjík's affecting
composition combined so well with Anderson's fragile lyric about, as
far as I can make out, the war in Bosnia. Runner-up for me was "Sacred
Balance", a demo by Anderson worked on by Steve Layton and available
on the latter's MySpace page. Tom Curiano is also working on a version
of the piece. What exactly Anderson is planning with all these online
collaborations remains unclear. Earlier plans to clear his backlog of
projects has made little progress, although clearly ill-health must
have interrupted all of Jon's plans. There's been continued talk of
doing webcasts, but these have yet to materialise. Likewise, the
Anderson & Wakeman album seems still in limbo.
2008 passed by some other projects without any news emerging, like the
Tony Kaye orchestral project about 9/11. Pete Banks' collaboration
with Anderson has evaporated and there's no word on any more Harmony
in Diversity activity. The Producers with Trevor Horn played a few
live shows, but their album is now long overdue, although a cryptic
message on their MySpace promises news soon. Other projects seemingly
stuck in limbo include the Geoff Downes/Tony Levin/Michael Holmes/Nick
D'Virgilio/Thomas Lang/Rob Aubrey project; and Jonathan Elias's new
project with Sting, Anthony Kiedis, Alanis Morisette et al. Billy
Sherwood's post-Conspiracy album Psy-ops still seems to await a gap in
his release schedule.
Disappointments of the year (beyond obviously Anderson's ill health)?
The _Led Box_ release, partially organised by B. Sherwood and with
guests including Kaye, White, Wakeman and Downes, was something of a
let-down, I felt, although Keith Emerson's take on "Black Dog" is
worth hearing. Jon Anderson's Lost Tapes series appeared stalled
before the surprise release of _From You to Me_, but an album of
looped birdsong and multilayered vocals garnered little excitement.
I could mention plenty more events of the year: Tony Levin's StickMen,
Virgil Howe joining Future Sound of London spin-off Amorphous
Androgynous, Tom Brislin joining The Syn, Trevor Horn guesting live
with The Feeling, Alan White's An Evening with the Music of John
Lennon, Jim Ladd's Headsets with Billy Sherwood... But what highlights
do we have to look forward to in 2009? As well as the obvious -- more
Yes and Asis, new CIRCA:, Squackett -- consider these. It looks like a
Trevor Rabin solo album might be a real possibility for this year,
while a Patrick Moraz album has been announced for February: _Change
of Space_ appears to be, in part, based on 1989 sessions including
Kazumi Watanabe, Alex Ligertwood and Bunny Brunel. The Bill Bruford/
Colin Riley/pianocircus collaboration should finally be out next year
too, possibly with accompanying live dates. Horn is producing Aviv
Geffen's debut English-language solo album, which includes Porcupine
Tree's Steve Wilson, with whom Geffen collaborates in Blackfield.
Deborah Anderson's debut solo album is out early in the year, with
Jade's second also expected at some point. Dylan Howe is collaborating
with Portishead's Adrian Utley. Bill Bruford's autobiography is due in
the spring. Eddie Jobson's new project UKZ launches (although people
are grumbling about the ticket prices for their debut live show) and
he's talked about the possibility of some UK live releases. And both
Alan White and Rick Wakeman celebrate their 60th birthdays!
--
Henry
Peter Smith
Any chance of this UKZ material getting recoreded?
As well as the <new> Yes tours?
Lone Wolf
news:33ff35e9-0f22-4e64...@i24g2000prf.googlegroups.com:
>
> Online discussion also obsessed at length about the Yes name. The new
> tour was ambiguously labelled "Steve Howe, Chris Squire and Alan White
> of Yes"; shades of ABWH, although SHCSAAWOY made for a less handy
> acronym! Venues and the media went back and forth between the long
> name and just calling the touring group Yes. By the end of the year,
> SHCSAAWOY is still being used in advertising and on tickets, but the
> reality is that the band and most of the fans usually just call this
> "Yes".
>
Thanks for the excellent summary, Henry.
The two shows I saw were billed as "Howe Squire & White of Yes" on the
websites and the tickets. A small difference, but certainly more
manageable than SHCSAAWOY. I personally see no problem with calling them
Yes. The so-called fans who object are idiots. ;-)
--
Lone Wolf
Peter Smith
with BD and OW.
So not a bad year for yes concerts.
progea
<use...@bondegezou.demon.co.uk> wrote:
Billy
> Sherwood's _At the Speed of Light_ has been well received, but I
> confess I've not heard it yet.
No. 1 @ usaprogmusic.com Hear the songs on his MySpace page. Like
CIRCA: with Gentle Giant-like vocal harmonies.
vide...@aol.com
Some sort of reconciliation
with Anderson occurred, but it was clear that the rifts between Howe/
Squire/White and Anderson that had existed for some years remained
and
remain significant.
I'm surprised no one else has thought of my jaded guess.... Jon was
somehow "paid off".
Either that or told to shut up or they'd never have him back!
Chuck
<use...@bondegezou.demon.co.uk> wrote:
Thanks for the excellent review Henry. I have to agree with Rick, a
tour including JA is unlikely. I hope I (and Rick) are shown to be
incorrect as I long for him to be a part of the show. In fact; I'm not
sure if I would go see them again sans JA... thats how much Jon's
absence effected me. Regardless, its been a hell of a run and anything
of value going forward, I see as an added bonus.
CB
use...@bondegezou.demon.co.uk
> Any chance of this UKZ material getting recoreded?
They're releasing an EP and, I think, the plan is to record their
debut show for a DVD release.
--
Henry
Chris Jemmett
> > On Jan 2, 1:30 pm, "use...@bondegezou.demon.co.uk"
>
> Some sort of reconciliation
> with Anderson occurred, but it was clear that the rifts between Howe/
> Squire/White and Anderson that had existed for some years remained
> and
> remain significant.
>
> I'm surprised no one else has thought of my jaded guess.... Jon was
> somehow "paid off".
It's been thought of and mentioned.
> Either that or told to shut up or they'd never have him back!
If you keep guessing you will probably hit the nail on the head,
eventually.
Relayer
We discussed Jon being paid off at some length
vide...@aol.com
>
> We discussed Jon being paid off at some length
Obviously, I completely missed that. It may have been on one of the
very long threads I gave up following.
Bill
Relayer
>
> read more »
Awesome post hat obviously took a lot of time and effort,,,thanks
Kevin Caffrey
<use...@bondegezou.demon.co.uk> wrote:
> My favourite Yes-related song of the year is the Steve Howe-penned
> "Wish I'd Known All Along" on _Phoenix_.
This is a pretty weak track, imo, Henry. What is its appeal to you?
Kevin
http://www.cdbaby.com/caffrey2
http://www.myspace.com/kcaffrey
http://kevincaffrey.proboards77.com
use...@bondegezou.demon.co.uk
> <use...@bondegezou.demon.co.uk> wrote:
> > My favourite Yes-related song of the year is the Steve Howe-penned "Wish I'd Known All Along" on _Phoenix_.
>
> This is a pretty weak track, imo, Henry. What is its appeal to you?
What's not to love? Great melody and riff, great arrangement in how it
uses keyboard and guitar, lyric a bit more interesting than some, and
I like how the lyrics are fitted to the tune. Howe just sometimes
comes out with these lovely tunes.
--
Henry
Kevin Caffrey
He sometimes does. This is not one of those times however. ;o)
Maybe I'm being too hard on it, but if a song with the lyrics "When
you meet the preacher man/Remind him of your fears/Over which you
operate/operate control" was your favorite Yes-related song of the
year, that does not say a lot for Yes-related music of 2008.
Peter
My vote is for the Billy Sherwood / Jim Ladd collaboration.
use...@bondegezou.demon.co.uk
> <use...@bondegezou.demon.co.uk> wrote:
> > On Jan 5, 8:21 pm, Kevin Caffrey <kevincaff...@optonline.net> wrote:
> > > <use...@bondegezou.demon.co.uk> wrote:
> > > > My favourite Yes-related song of the year is the Steve Howe-penned "Wish I'd Known All Along"
> > > This is a pretty weak track, imo, Henry. What is its appeal to you?
> >
> > What's not to love? Great melody and riff, great arrangement in how it
> > uses keyboard and guitar, lyric a bit more interesting than some, and
> > I like how the lyrics are fitted to the tune. Howe just sometimes
> > comes out with these lovely tunes.
>
> He sometimes does. This is not one of those times however. ;o)
>
> Maybe I'm being too hard on it, but if a song with the lyrics "When
> you meet the preacher man/Remind him of your fears/Over which you
> operate/operate control" was your favorite Yes-related song of the
> year, that does not say a lot for Yes-related music of 2008.
Doesn't seem a bad lyric to me: suggest something better from the
year! But I guess lyrics are often a pretty personal thing. I also
like the way those syllables are spread over the melody, which, I
feel, adds a drama to them.
But you can't argue someone into liking a piece of music, so I'll stop
trying!
--
Henry
rob...@aol.com
the lyrics that finish that song are interesting enough considering
what Howe is currently doing with "Yes".
Rob "unintended results?" Allen