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.
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