Yes: Topographic Drama - Live Across America

Over the many years, there have been almost countless twists and turns in the world of Yes, but none more so than on 27 June 2015, when the world lost founding (and sole constant) member, Chris Squire, to leukemia. The thought of a Yes without Squire was almost unthinkable, except to the man himself, who instructed the band to continue and chose longtime associate (and former member) Billy Sherwood, as his replacement. Squire's shoes were big ones to fill, but if there was anyone who could take on the role, and perfectly understand the need to balance homage and originality, it would be Sherwood, who worked so closely with Squire for the last 30 years or so.

And so, with that, the Howe/White/Downes/Davison/Sherwood lineup took to the road and continued their "album series" with a tour that saw them performing 1980's Drama in its entirety, as well as a significant portion of 1973's Tales From Topographic Oceans. The first noticeable difference is obviously Squire's absence, not just in the bass playing but also in the backing vocals. Not hearing his harmonies is jarring, but Sherwood does a great job. Their voices are somewhat similar, so it works. Also, the tempos are faster and a little more solid, thanks to Jay Schellen, who joined the band on the road to sub in for the ailing Alan White, who was only able to play a handful of songs per night, due to back issues. This "show goes on" mentality is the Yes way, and they do a remarkable job with this music.

The program begins with Drama, and its amazing opener, "Machine Messiah". Recorded in 1980, this album found Trevor Horn and Geoff Downes (aka The Buggles) in place of the departed Jon Anderson and Rick Wakeman. Drama indeed, and the result was a bold statement of purpose, albeit overlooked. This album takes a lot of flak for not having Anderson or Wakeman but, based on the aborted 1979 material, this album would be nowhere near as good as it ended up being. Trevor Horn sang high but never tried to sound like Anderson, and the music was fiery as all get out. Their purpose was made known on the epic opener, which features metallic guitars, and dramatic lifts. While not in my top five, this is certainly in my top ten, and this lineup does a fantastic job. Jon Davison handles the vocals with great confidence and Steve Howe totally nails it, especially that insane middle section. 

The miniature "White Car" is a piece that was more or less The Buggles, and served mostly as a breather, after the monstrosity that preceded it. It is most fitting that Geoff Downes is in the current lineup, and he sounds more comfortable than ever.

Rounding out side one is "Does It Really Happen", which had its roots in the sessions for 1978's Tormato, but is totally rewritten here, and was a should-be hit single. This version is rock solid and features some nice bass jamming by Sherwood, towards the end.

Next up, "Into The Lens" finds the Sherwood/Schellen rhythm section playing super tightly, with Jon Davison delivering a beautiful vocal performance. Now, it is very weird to not hear this sung by Horn/Squire, but it is solid nonetheless. Steve Howe's playing on this, and everything else, is super fluid and inspired. This is such a weird song, which is why I love it. 

"Run Through The Light" was the only song that survived the 1979 Paris sessions, though vastly rewritten for the album. This song, more than any other, paints a perfect picture of the very early 80's, at least as I remember it. This should have been a killer single. This version is fantastic and, dare I say, perhaps even more solid than the album version. Funny that.

Closing out the album, and this portion of the program, is the epic "Tempus Fugit". A song that started life when the band was reduced to a trio, this one features one of the most killer bass lines ever written, played through a flanger. Even after the band had dropped this song, it would factor into Squire's and White's showcase segment every night. This version here is fiery as all hell. 

What's crazy is that this show isn't even half over. Not even close. There is still another album to represent, but first they bridge that gap with a couple of classics.

I've already talked about my take on "And You And I" being sung by those who are not Jon Anderson, but as we move into the third such performance (in this series), I am getting used to it. Jon Davison sounds pretty amazing on this and, while Squire's voice is noticeably absent, Sherwood does a great job, as he blends perfectly with Steve Howe. The tempo is closer to normal, with some dramatic bits here and there. Very solid take.

Next up is "Heart Of The Sunrise", forever in my top five, and this is a very interesting version. Hearing the bass in the intro not played by Squire is a little off-putting, but Sherwood nails it, and even takes it into a spacy little jam. Likewise, as amazing as Jay Schellen is, he plays with a different feel than Alan White and that takes a bit of getting used to. That said, it's a very good take. It just sounds different.

With those out of the way, it is time for the next part of our program, with Tales From Topographic Oceans. Specifically, sides 1 & 4, with a bit of side 3 thrown in. Funny, of all four sides of that album, I would pick "The Remembering" as the one most suited for Jon Davison's voice, but it's cool. I will admit that it is pretty weird to hear Davison doing the chant in the intro to "The Revealing Science Of God". I usually don't find his voice to be that similar to Anderson's but this chant, it's almost eerie. He sings the rest of the song perfectly, and his harmonies with Howe and Sherwood are thick and beautiful. The band sounds great here, which is a plus given that only 1/5 of those on stage had anything to do with the original album. 

In lieu of performing sides two and three, only the "Leaves Of Green" section, from "The Ancient" was performed. Featuring some exquisite classical guitar work from Howe, this is a pretty little guitar/vocal duet that is right in Davison's wheelhouse. This gave the rest of the band a break, before coming back for the big one.

"Ritual", also known as Nous Sommes Du Soliel, spanned all of side four of Tales From Topographic Oceans, and is probably the most well-known, of the four, having appeared on Yesshows and on several subsequent tours. This current lineup plays its collective heart out, especially Billy Sherwood, who does Chris proud. Steve Howe's guitar work is also quite impressive. He makes that Gibson soar. The jam in the middle sounds as inspired as it did way back when. I really like the vocals on this. Davison sounds great on this entire set, but this song is a peak performance, and the blend is right on point. 

The best part, however, is that Alan White takes over on drums during this song, and he stays for the last two songs of the show. With limited mobility, it sucks to see him unable to play at length, but it is inspiring that he did what he did. And he sounds great doing it.

It is rare that Yes can get out of a gig without playing "Roundabout", and this is not one of those occasions. Kicking off a two-song encore, with Alan White back on the kit, Yes burns through one of their biggest hits, with the energy level of a band that just wrote it.

Closing out the show is "Starship Trooper", which is another that is forever in my top five. Alan sounds fantastic on these tracks. Wish it could be more, but that's the way it goes. Sherwood handles Squire's parts well, and his vocal on the "Disillusion" section is right on the money. The jam known as "Wurm", that closes it out, is pretty wild. The wheels almost fly off a couple of times, but that's the sign of a good jam. What a way to end  a show.

To date, this is the last of the "album series" shows, though there is a tour booked for next year that will include a performance of 1974's Relayer. One of their most badass albums, I am curious to see how this lineup pulls it off. On this set, they sound great. This was the first tour, and album, without Chris Squire, and with Jay Schellen subbing for Alan most of the night, it was a very different Yes. But it is still Yes and they do this music right. 

Yes: Heaven And Earth

By 2014, the Squire/Howe/White/Downes/Davison lineup of Yes had put in some serious time on the road, both promoting their album, Fly From Here, and performing classic Yes albums in their entirety. All of this playing made the band incredibly tight, and so naturally, it was time to put that tightness to use on an album of new songs. Jon Davison asserted his role in the band, writing or co-writing all but one of the songs on the album, and his voice brought a softer tone to the music. Unfortunately, for reasons not entirely unrelated, this has turned out to be the most divisive, maligned album of the band's entire career. There are entire Facebook groups dedicated to bashing this album, it's really astounding. The thing is, yes, this album has issues, but none of them are the thing that everyone is so mad about. 

Yes fans, like fans of most bands, tend to be very proprietary, often clutching on to some particular era or iteration of the band, and they shit on everything that sounds or looks different. And there is that whole "no Anderson - no Yes" thing going and they shouted it from the rooftops when Drama came out in 1980, even though that is one of the most brilliant statements of purpose any band has ever delivered, and people moaned when 90125 came out, but that record is a stroke of genius too. Neither sound like Close To The Edge, but that's the point. Why re-recreate a pinnacle? Bands need to stretch, morph, and adapt to new ideas. If I liked what they did then, it means that I've put my faith in them, and I will hang on through it all. And if it doesn't grab me, I will listen to it over and over again until it does. And, when it does, you better watch out.

So it was that I went into Heaven And Earth, in 2014. I was living in St. Johns, Newfoundland, and I have very fond memories of walking those jellybean streets, listening and familiarizing myself with the album. Some of it grabbed me instantly and some of it took a few listens, but by the end of the day I loved this record. I was a fair bit off the grid at the time so I was shocked when I got online and saw all the horrible things people were saying about this album, and the band. Some truly hurtful comments, which is sad coming from fans of a band as perpetually positive as YES (it's in their fucking name). Granted, most of those were (and are) written by people who are intent on hating the album, for some fucking stupid principle that has nothing to do with them anyway. Or, even worse, they are written by people who haven't even heard the album but want to hate on it because it's not their lineup. But guess what? Yes became a brand the moment they kicked out Peter Banks out in 1970. From that point forward, the music's message became more important than the personnel.

If you want a reason to hate on this album, you can point to the producer. Roy Thomas Baker was a hitmaker in the 70s and 80s and he worked with everyone, but he never quite gelled with Yes. His flat, slick style just doesn't quite jibe with a band as dynamic as Yes. It's just too clean and not deep enough. They attempted to work together in 1979 and those sessions ground to a halt, leading to Jon Anderson and Rick Wakeman leaving the band. Why they chose to try it again, I'll never know. The recordings that survive from 1979 are some of the worst in the band's history. There was no vibe. Fortunately Heaven And Earth has vibe, but that is courtesy of the band, who plays phenomenally, and totally in spite of the production.

The set kicks off with "Believe Again", which reveals a softer side of the band, but it is still clearly Yes. This is a band that is not trying to sound like any other version of itself - this is just Yesmusic. Davison sounds fantastic, just so full of positive energy, and the blend between he and Chris Squire is spine tingling. The middle section of the song is pure Steve Howe and is reminiscent to the middle of "Terrapin Station" by the Grateful Dead. I could imagine a jammier band stretching this out and really having fun with it. The chorus is one of those classic Yes moments and it is so wonderful to hear Squire sound so strong, on what turned out to be his final album.

"The Game", courtesy of Davison and Squire, is a great little single, one of those songs that sounds like nothing in the Yes catalogue, but is one that continues to get under my skin. It could have a bit more punch but the way it sort of glides is beautiful. This is one song that all the haters love to bash but, fuck 'em, I love this song. I just might cover it one day.

Next up is "Step Beyond", which has a really weird little keyboard motif that runs through the song, and a very bouncy groove that gets a bit dark in places. In its simplicity, this goes in several different directions and has some very cool sections, and some amazing backing vocals. Not that they ever played this live but I could hear a crowd singing along with this chorus.

Co-written by Davison and Alan White, "To Ascend" is one of the most beautiful songs to ever appear on a Yes album. There is no rational reason why someone could hate a song like this. Every note and every lyric of this song resonates to the core of my soul.

That is not necessarily the case for "In A World Of Our Own", which was co-written by Davison and Squire, but this is a cool song that has a slippery swagger of a groove. There is a bit that reminds me of Pepper-era Beatles, a little Beach Boys, a little bit of a late-night swing. There is an awkward middle section that I'm not sure works. This song goes all over the place and, for that, I like it. This one has a good bit of shit talking in it, which is not common for a Yes song - "'bout time you hail a taxi for that ego" is a fun one.

Next up is what convinced me, once and for all, that Jon Davison is the man for the job. Written solely by him, "Light Of The Ages" has a bit of a Beatles feel at times, a beautiful lyric, and a very airy vibe. I would be curious to hear this played with a more dense arrangement. There are bits that are begging to be giant, but I also appreciate the restraint. That is what makes this so fantastic.

"It Was All We Knew" is the only song not to feature a Davison writing credit, instead being courtesy of Steve Howe. It's a pretty decent tune, sung in tandem by Davison and Howe. I really like the chorus and the middle section is pretty cool. Not the best song on the album but it does serve as a great lead-in to what is the best song on the album. 

"Subway Walls", written by Davison and Geoff Downes, is a proper little epic, with several contrasting sections that touch on about every Yes feel, including some wicked Squire playing on the verses, a soaring chorus, and a good bit of math-rock. Even haters of this album call this song out as a highlight. This album's proggiest moment, and one of the most impressive things to appear on a Yes album.

And so we reach the end of Heaven And Earth. The first album to feature Jon Davison, and the last album to feature Chris Squire (at least until the surprise archival release of From A Page). Listening through the album, I find that I genuinely like every one of the songs, and absolutely adore a handful of them. Every now and then I can pinpoint the things that make the haters hate, but I don't really get hung up on those sorts of things. My number one rule when listening to a new album by a favorite band is to never ever ever ever ever ever ever ever EVER judge it against their past work, at least until it has been properly and thoroughly digested. When you just look at it as just an album by some band, it is fucking magnificent. 

Or it would be, if Trevor Horn had produced it. But instead Roy Thomas Baker created what is essentially a felt version of Yes.

Also, it's a particular sore spot that they never properly promoted this album on the road. Instead they played only two songs, in between performances of Close To The Edge and Fragile. It's like they were begging people to hate it. They should have played a normal set, with at least four or five of these songs, and then maybe come back and do an album set. But instead they buried it, just like so many veteran bands do, and that shit drives me nuts. Don't make an album if you don't believe in it enough to perform it for your fans. 

See? Those are the things that irritate me about this album. Not the songs or the personnel. The songs are outstanding, and every member of the band did their job perfectly. This album just deserved to be better treated. This could be enormous. Hell, they ret-conned Fly From Here. Why not do the same with Heaven And Earth? I think people would be shocked at what they were missing.

But not until they promote the shit out of The Quest.

Yes: Like It Is - At The Mesa Arts Center

Moving right along, through our survey of post-Jon Anderson Yes, this set is drawn from the same series of shows as the previous Like It Is set. However this one features the Squire/Howe/White/Downes/Davison lineup tackling two of Yes's most giant albums - Fragile and Close To The Edge. Respectively released in 1971 and 1972, these were originally recorded by the Anderson/Squire/Howe/Wakeman/Bruford lineup of the band, and both are ones that factor into just about every "classic albums" list there is. Most of the material from both albums are cornerstones of the band's repertoire to this day. To try and tackle them in full is no small feat. Those original albums are perfect, so there is no point trying to judge the two against each other. Those albums were Yes, like it was; these albums present Yes like it is. 

And the results are pretty impressive. Jon Davison adds his own flavor, without trying to sound like Jon Anderson, and he reveals himself to be quite worthy of the gig. These are not easy songs to sing, and he handles them like a champ. The rest of the band sounds great, though sometimes the tempos are just a bit too stately. Just the tiniest bit of pep would have helped. No worries. I'd rather have slow Yes than no Yes.

The program begins with Close To The Edge, and its side-long title track. Now, I cannot overstate the importance of this song in my life. So much so that its nineteen minutes fly by me like three. The version presented here is pretty solid, if a bit stiff in parts. Geoff Downes does his best with the keyboards but comes up a bit short. Rick Wakeman may be overrated but this is one song that always suffers from his absence. Chris Squire and Steve Howe both sound amazing as always, but Alan White is dragging it a bit too much. It's clear that those drags are deliberate, but it makes the overall feel seem forced. That's not to say that this is a bad performance, but this is Yes's greatest song (forever in my top five) and it is very hard for anyone to do it justice. This is a mighty noble attempt and I am glad to be able to hear it. 

I've already mentioned my thoughts about hearing "And You And I" sung by anyone besides Anderson, but Jon Davison does a fantastic job. The band is really tight as well, and even a bit snappy. Very, very well done.

Rounding out the Close To The Edge portion of the program is "Siberian Khatru", which is one of the coolest songs in the band's catalogue. This song has famously suffered from tempo issues but this take is quite sprightly and Davison's vocals are on point throughout. Squire and White have a lot of fun with the rhythm, throwing in lots of tricky little breaks and such, little snippets that they have inserted throughout the years. For a band that doesn't improvise or jam that much, these clever bits are what keeps the music fresh, for both the listener and performer.

Close To The Edge is in my Top Three Albums Of All Time, and nothing can top that original performance, but this is an exquisite homage to the band's legacy and I quite enjoy it.

Next up in the program is a full performance of 1971's Fragile, which was the first album by the Anderson/Squire/Howe/Wakeman/Bruford lineup. This was the album that introduced the artwork of Roger Dean, and was chocked full of classics. Those songs were interspersed with short solo showcases for each of the five members, so to hear those pieces being led by others is kind of weird, but they are part of the album and that is the theme of these tours so they must be played. And they are played quite well. 

This side of vinyl opens up with "Roundabout" which is one of the band's biggest hits. This is one of those songs that, at any and every given moment, is being played on a classic rock radio station somewhere in the world. As such, this is one of the few songs that they always must play, and so it is very well rehearsed. It shows. The entire band comes screaming out of the gate and absolutely jam their asses off on this. 

The first solo spot comes up and this one is very tricky. Rick Wakeman was still under contract elsewhere so he could not contribute an original piece, so he arranged some of Brahms' pieces in a solo piano blast, but here it is being played by Geoff Downes and he does a great job. There are a lot of things going on at once in this piece and he manages to pull them all off. 

Jon Davison leads the band through Jon Anderson's original showcase, "We Have Heaven", which features many different layered vocal lines. This is tricky to pull off and I am curious as to how they did it. 

Rounding out this side of vinyl is "South Side Of The Sky", which is a song that was never really played live until the 2002 "Full Circle" tour, but has become a bit of a late-period standard. This has a cool funky groove that is on full display here. Geoff Downes does a great job with Wakeman's piano breaks, and the "nah nah" section has even more of an airiness to it than usual. The jam at the end is fantastic. I could listen to a loop of that all day, especially the part when Howe and Downes are trading sixteens. Very underrated Yes song and it is always a pleasure to hear it, and to hear it played so well.

The final side of vinyl kicks off with  Bill Bruford's contribution, "Five Percent For Nothing", which sounds like King Crimson on meth, made even more maniacal by this lineup. I have no idea how they worked that one out but it definitely did what it needed to do, and very quickly so.

This led us right into "Long Distance Runaround", which is another staple of classic rock radio everywhere. Davison does a great job inserting himself into this song, but this is another one that I have a hard time hearing being sung by anyone other than Anderson. That minor hangup aside, this is a great version and it leads into "The Fish (schindleria praematurus)" seamlessly. This was Chris Squire's solo contribution on the album, and is traditionally a wild showcase on stage. It is on this jam that he reminds everyone of just how amazing a bass player he was.

Moving along, we finally make it to Steve Howe's showcase, "Mood For A Day", which is a hauntingly beautiful classical guitar piece, and one of his signature solos. I think at this point he could play this flawlessly in his sleep. Here, it shines.

Closing out this set is the mammoth "Heart Of The Sunrise", which is another that is forever in my elite Top Five. This is another song where the genius of Chris Squire is on full display, especially in the intro. In keeping with the general vibe of this lineup, this one glides. There are a few points where it sounds like it is about to go flying off the rails but it always comes together.

The thing I have with these album shows - and this goes for all bands - is that it eats up valuable time that could, and should, be spent creating new music. I take a fair bit of issue with the idea of treading on past glories, and I feel like a band is only truly valid if they are moving forward. However, I really like these sets. None of them hold a candle to the original, and they are not meant to, but they offer a cool perspective - how would those records sound if they had been recorded by the current lineup? It answers that "what it", and that's great, but then you have to wait several years between new albums. 

That said, the next one we discuss will be a studio album....

Sadly, this was the last Yes record to come out before Chris Squire's July 2015 passing. He puts on one hell of a performance here. Very sadly missed, that man. Squire was Yes and Yes was Squire. But the band plays on so ya better stay tuned.

Yes: Like It Is - At The Bristol Hippodrome

Continuing along our journey through the post-Jon Anderson Yes catalogue, we now move into the "Juano" era of the band. As mentioned before, soon after the 2011 release of Fly From Here, vocalist Benoit David was sidelined with vocal issues and was subsequently replaced by Glass Hammer vocalist, Jon Davison. His recommendation came to Chris Squire from Taylor Hawkins (Foo Fighters drummer), who was his childhood friend. Davison has a voice suitable for Yes music - in fact, he was hired by Glass Hammer because they were making a Yes-inspired album. Unlike Benoit David, however, his voice is not a carbon copy of Jon Anderson (or Trevor Horn). His voice is a bit softer and it perfectly suits his persona, which is a pure radiation of positive energy.

Anyway, soon after Davison's arrival to the band, Yes began a series of "Album Tours", where they would perform two of their classic albums, in their entireties. While I was initially dubious of the idea, it is actually really cool to hear these albums, with a different perspective. They are in no way intended to replace, or upstage the originals, but rather to serve as an homage to the music, and to provide a snapshot of how that music sounds when presented by the current band, just like when you recreate a classic photograph or something. 

For their first such outing, the band performed 1977's Going For The One, and they really nail it from the get-go, Steve Howe exuberantly shouting "1-2-3-4" as his lap steel kicks off the opening title track. This album comes from an era when Jon Anderson was really pushing the limits of his upper register but Jon Davison holds on tightly and his debut is one hell of a performance. 

As I mentioned, Davison's voice has a softer timbre and that really works to his advantage on the mellower songs, such as "Turn Of The Century", which comes next in the set. This is one of the rare Yes songs that never quite grabbed me, despite being extraordinarily beautiful. Perhaps it's the placement on the album, I dunno. Whatever the case, this is a pretty impressive version that is making me rethink my stance.

Chris Squire gets his first sole writing credit on "Parallels", which is a spectacular song, and one that foreshadows the band's work in the 80's. This version is a shade on the side of loose. Everyone is playing well on this track but it is not as tight as it could be. Perhaps it's the mix. It's no big deal, though. Any opportunity to hear Chris Squire sing is worth it. 

I have mentioned before that there are a small handful of songs that I have a hard time hearing being sung by others. "Wondrous Stories" is one of those. There is just so much Anderson in that song that it is impossible to properly convey it. No matter how well Davison sings it - and he does a spectacular job - it just sounds a bit off. But it's part of Going For The One so it must be played and the band sounds really good on this track. 

And now we have come to the true test - "Awaken". Often referred to as the "quintessential" Yes song, to perform this is a monumental task. Fortunately, this lineup - 3/5 of which was present on the original album - delivers in full. Geoff Downes handles Rick Wakeman's keyboard parts brilliantly, which is no easy task. This is one of those songs that seem custom-built for Jon Davison's voice, who delivers a blockbuster performance. If he hasn't validated his presence by now, this will clinch it. 

I just realized that, throughout this project I have yet to comment on Alan White's drumming, or at least not that much. Shame on me. His playing is as on-point as ever. It's easy to take the drummer for granted but this dude has held it down for 49 years (the longest-serving member) and he has been a rock the whole time. He's had some issues as of late and hasn't been able to play as much as before, but he is still a towering presence in this band. And, on this set, he is superb.

For the next act of this show, the band revisits 1971's The Yes Album. This is one of those albums that is iconic, not just in Yes or "prog" circles, but in the history of popular music. To attempt to recreate it is a very tall order. Makes sense though. Most of these songs are in regular rotation anyway.

This set kicks off with "Yours In No Disgrace", which is a song that firmly sits in my Top Five. As much as I hate to admit it, however, there is very little fire in this version. The tempo drags, and there isn't a lot of depth to the performance. I much preferred the version on In The Present. This is still better than most bands could do, and it has Chris Squire on it, so it'll do. 

The Yes Album was Steve Howe's first with the band and, after that initial statement of purpose, he is given a solo spot, known as "Clap". The original album version is taken from a concert and this version, performed 42 years later, is note-perfect and sounds great. Some folks like to scream about how "Steve has hijacked the band", when then fail to realize that it was his arrival, in 1970, that elevated the band, artistically and commercially. The number of signature songs that he has written (or co-written) makes him more than eligible to do whatever the hell he wants to with this band.

"Starship Trooper" comes next and is another one of those songs that sits happily in my Top Five. This version is pretty solid. There are a few tempo issues here and there, but there is a nice flow, and Squire's bass really cuts. Davison's acoustic in the "Wurm" section adds a nice texture, and Steve's solo is killer. 

The classic, "I've Seen All Good People", comes up next and it is a pretty fantastic take. This is one of the band's most famous songs and is one of those that has been performed consistently since its initial release. It's pretty hard for any version of Yes to blow this one. Davison sounds great on the "Your Move" section, as does Squire, and their voices mesh beautifully. The "All Good People" section is solid, if a bit stately. 

The best part of album-performance shows, regardless of the artist, is that you get to hear the deep cuts as well. Those songs that were made for the album but not necessarily ever performed, or intended to be Not that there are many (how can you have a deep cut on a three-song album) but there are some. None more so, in this era, than "A Venture". The only song on the album that hinted at the band's earlier sound, this is a really cool take, that gets a nice slippery groove going, and some exceptional piano work from Geoff Downes. Nice to see this one finally gets its due, even if only two of the musicians present appeared on the original recording.

Wrapping up the Squire/Howe/White/Downes/Davison version of The Yes Album is the epic, "Perpetual Change", which is more or less the recurring theme of this band, and one of their most impressive pieces. While this version lacks the frantic punch of the original, there is a relaxed sway present that gives this a very different mood while still maintaining the premise of the song. As always, Steve Howe's playing on this is pure fire. 

Of the two performances here, I would probably give it to Going For The One as the more solid of the two. Both are incredibly noble attempts that honor the music quite well, and I am incredibly grateful that these renditions exist. The one downside of these album shows, however, is the exclusion of all other material. When you have a catalogue as deep as Yes, there are so many songs that are begging to be played. I would almost prefer that they do the album in one set and the next one be a career cross-section, with lots of deep cuts. I am not in charge of the band, however, so I defer to them to do what they will.

This performance finds Jon Davison working to further establish himself as part of this band that he loves so much, while Geoff Downes continues to get reacquainted with the Yes universe . The seven years that have passed since this was recorded has only further cemented their status in the band. There is a wealth of cool releases to come...

Yes: Fly From Here

Moving along, as we continue to prepare to hear the new Yes album, The Quest, we are revisiting the post-Jon Anderson years, and the many live and studio releases that have come during this time. The new album has been out for a few days now and, as always, the response is mixed. There are far more positive reviews out there than I had expected and I am pretty sure that most of the negative ones are from people who didn't want to like the album to begin with, or people who hate it on principle and will never actually hear it, but I will be the judge of it, with my own ears and opinions. Yes fans can be the worst, but I digress.

We last left off with a stunning studio EP called From A Page, which found Oliver Wakeman finishing four songs that he brought to the band, during his brief stint, which they recorded for what was to be their next album (and first since 1980 to not feature Anderson). While the band was making headway, there came a lull and they wound up short on material. The late, great Chris Squire remembered this one song called "We Can Fly From Here" that the 1980-81 Drama lineup had played live, but never recorded for an album. So he called up Trevor Horn and they got to talking about it and it turned out that there were other parts to that which had been worked up later by The Buggles, but were never used, and this led to Horn being tapped to produce this new album, and Yes turning "We Can Fly From Here" into a six-part, 30-minute suite.

Being that this was originally conceived with Geoff Downes on keyboards, it made sense that he return to the band, but that unfortunately meant curtains for Oliver Wakeman. I am really glad that his contributions eventually saw the light of day but, in the situation's defense, it is now 11 years later and Downes is still in the band.

Fun fact: "We Can Fly From Here" was originally a Buggles demo, from before Horn and Downes were part of Yes, and it was with this song that they initially approached the band and ultimately became part of the legacy. While it was not recorded for the album it was, along with another song called "Go Through This", performed live on the subsequent tour. That lineup fizzled before a second album could be made, so this was left on the back burner. It was only fitting that the next album to not feature Anderson would continue on this track.

Featuring stunning artwork from Roger Dean, the resulting album, 2011's  Fly From Here, is a fantastic Yes album. Sure, it's not perfect, but not all of them are anyway. Benoit David is in fantastic voice here, sounding more like Horn than Anderson, but also coming into his own a lot. The band sounds inspired and, while some of the songs are a bit weird and maybe an acquired taste, it really holds together well.

The set kicks off with the "Fly From Here" overture, which is a grandiose piece that is every bit a statement of purpose as the intro to "Machine Messiah", and touches on the various parts of this suite. Next up is "We Can Fly", which is the original song and it really has that Drama feel. Chris Squire's playing and singing is goosebump-inducing, and Steve Howe's guitar work is equally astounding. This track is Yes at the highest level, and proof that this band is always more than the sum of its parts, regardless of who those parts may be.

"Sad Night At The Airfield" comes up next and has a feel that is both dark and peaceful. There is absolutely nothing in the Yes catalogue that sounds even remotely like this. Benoit's voice takes on a deeper, more hollow timbre and proves that he was more than worthy of his position. The arrangement is very unique as well, and really illustrates the production genius of Trevor Horn. This is music that gets under your skin and glides along the surface of your soul.

The suite continues with "Madman At The Screens", which revisits themes from the first part of the overture and features some amazing vocal harmonies and rhythmic counterpoint that is just fucking wicked. This is one of the coolest tracks in all of modern Yes.

This leads to "Bumpy Ride", which is a really cool track that is mostly instrumental, written by Steve Howe, and features some jagged playing and cool twists. I'm honestly not sure how well it fits, within the scheme of the suite, and it seems that they drop a bit of the main motif in the middle just to make it fit, but fuck it. It is still really cool and the way it lands into the "We Can Fly Reprise" is pretty majestic. 

The album continues on with Chris Squire's "The Man You Always Wanted Me To Be", which is a bit simple for Yes but is actually a really good song. I always love to hear Chris take a lead vocal on a Yes album, and this is a great example. While his greatest strength was in tandem singing (either lead or harmony) but when he sings by himself, there is a subtle richness that comes out. Oh yeah, the outro of this is killer.

While not part of the suite, "Life On A Film Set" is another Horn/Downes song that was never used for a Buggles release. The whole "riding a tiger" thing I don't get, but the song itself is really cool, and has a similar mood to the suite. With several distinct sections, this is like a mini-suite in itself. The acoustic bit in the middle is one of my favorite things in the world. 

Steve Howe contributes the lovely "Hour Of Need", and I believe this is his first lead vocal on a Yes album, singing in tandem with Benoit. A short little strummer, it was later revealed that this is only half of the song, with some very contrasting, and complex, sections edited out. Of course I dig the full version most, but this is also cool. Howe follows this with a stunning solo piece called "Solitaire". I generally find things like this unnecessary on a band's album, but Howe's solo pieces are always really great, and this one leads into the amazing album finale.

The only piece credited to the full band, and the only one on this set to feature Oliver Wakeman in the writing credits (while he does not play on this recording, his keyboards to appear on a few other tracks), "Into The Storm" is a killer song that stands near the top of the Yes canon. The entire band is playing like pure fire. Squire is running his bass through that Tormato filter, and it gives a bit of a feel of that era (maybe a cross between "On The Silent Wings Of Freedom" and "Tempus Fugit"). The vocal harmonies are tight and trademark Yes, and the production is stellar. This should be on every best-of from here on out.

While all of the material on this album is not of the same caliber, it is all fantastic, and this is an inspired set that should have been a bigger deal that it was. The musicians play at the highest level and Benoit David more than states his case for being in the band. Of course Jon Anderson is missed, but it all goes along, and it goes along well.

Unfortunately the universe can be a cruel maiden and, soon after this album came out, Benoit David was sidelined with a severe vocal issue and soon found himself without a band, replaced by current vocalist, Jon Davison. Ironic, given the way he got the gig in the first place. What goes around...

To add insult to injury, in 2018 Trevor Horn revisited this album. There were a lot of edits made, some new parts added in, some removed, an extra song added, "Hour Of Need" was restored to its full length, and.....all of Benoit's vocals were replaced by Trevor himself. One of the biggest WTF moments in rock history. The tough thing is, despite being a pretty shitty thing to do to Benoit, this actually made the album more legit. Horn is the one who wrote most of the album, and he was the producer as well, so it's his baby. Subtitled Return Trip, this becomes the Drama follow-up that it should have been, and is a stunning work. We will discuss this later. 

While the original is no longer in print, it is still easily found. Taken together, we get two different perspectives of the same album, both of which drive the point home that while Jon Anderson might be one of the most significant Yes members, his presence is not necessary to get the point across.