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.
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