Yes: The Quest

....and this brings us all to The Quest. The 22nd full-length Yes release, this is the first in the band's history to not feature Chris Squire, who passed in 2015. He personally chose longtime cohort Billy Sherwood as his successor, and that lineup took to the road, for a series of tours. Eventually, as the band continued to tighten, it was time to make a new album. Being that Chris was no longer around, it effectively put Steve Howe in the driver's seat, and it is his name that is listed as producer. 

Some fans protest this but, along with turnover, the band has gone through many periods when it was steered by one member or another. Albums like Tales From Topographic Oceans and Relayer firmly have Jon Anderson at the helm, while Drama and  Fly From Here were spearheaded by Trevor Horn. Open Your Eyes was derived from a Squire/Sherwood project, and Oliver Wakeman produced the recently unearthed From A Page. Oh, and then Trevor Rabin pretty much ran the show for thirteen years. Now it's Steve's turn. Whether his vision of the band is better or worse than others is irrelevant. This is his time, and The Quest is his album. I will be writing this while listening to the album for the very first time.

Before I drop the needle, I must comment on the artwork. Once again, Roger Dean knocked it out of the park. Sleeves like the ones he creates are what transforms an album from a piece of music into a work of art. 

The album kicks off with "The Ice Bridge", which is broken down into three parts - "Eyes East", "Race Against Time", and "Interaction". From the get-go, this is the sound of a brand new Yes. Modern, vintage, pop, prog, signature Yes, and something completely unheard. This was the first single from the album and, due to a misunderstanding, this borrows heavily from a piece written by Francis Monkman, and he wound up getting a songwriting credit. As the first Yes track to not feature Chris Squire, the pressure's on for Billy Sherwood and he totally rises to the occasion, playing with a feel that echoes Squire while sounding like his own. This is a really cool song that goes through many different feels and then ends up in this killer jam that features Steve Howe trading sixteens with Geoff Downes. It goes on for a while but I really dig it. Steve can still shred. 

Next up is "Dare To Know", written by Howe, and sung in tandem between he and Davison. This features a very dreamy intro and some really cool changes and some wild orchestration that goes beyond even Magnification. Two songs in and it is clear that the prog spirit has definitely not left this band. This is very adventurous music.

"Minus The Man", written by Sherwood and Davison, is a very interesting song, sitting somewhere between pop and prog, with strings and many sections, and lyrics about (what i am assuming is) a cyborg. There is a little bit of a cheese factor, but it might ultimately benefit the song. I sense this will be a bit of an earworm, albeit a really bizarre one.

Moving on to side two, we come upon "Leave Well Alone". Written by Steve Howe, this is divided into three parts - "Across The Border", "Not For Nothing", and "Wheels" - and features Steve singing in tandem with Davison. Their voices together create a very unique blend that further sets this album apart from any other Yes release. This is a really weird song but I like it.

"The Western Edge", courtesy of Sherwood and Davison, starts off a bit slow, almost plodding, but really picks up, going in several different directions. Very similar to what the two of them were doing in Arc Of Life. This one will be a grower.

"Future Memories", written by Davison, moves the album into the acoustic realm and is a really pretty little song. Steve plays some tasty steel guitar swells and Davison proves himself once again.

Moving over to side three, we come to "Music To My Ears". Written by Howe, this is a very positive song that is unfortunately also very cheesy. The vocal blend is this song's one saving grace. Otherwise, I hate to admit, this is a bit of a flop.

The main album ends with the Davison/Downes suite, "A Living Island". Split into three sections - "Brave The Storm", "Wake Up", and "We Will Remember" - this has a very stately feel. A little hushed at times, a little precious at others. This definitely feels like it is missing something, but I'm not sure what that is. Repeat spins will sort that. 

Side four contains three tracks that otherwise occupy a bonus CD, but really they are part of the album. The Howe/Davison co-write, "Sister Sleeping Soul", kicks things off and is one of the best songs on this set. Folky, melodic, and catchy, with a great chorus. This should be a single, not a bonus track.

Steve Howe provides an overt Beatles tribute called "Mystery Tour" that I think would have been much better if perhaps they filled the lyrics with metaphors rather than literal references and wordplay. The music is really great but the lyric, well-intentioned as it may be, is really corny. The band sounds great at least. I will say that this is the kind of song that I will find myself humming tomorrow.

The album wraps up with "Damaged World", also written by Steve Howe, and sung in tandem with Davison. This song has a flow to it that is really nice and while it may be lacking in the vocal department it is still catchy and well executed.

And there we have it. I will definitely be further digesting this album for a long time to come. 

Initial takeaways:

1) The production is leaps and bounds beyond Heaven & Earth, but not as good as Fly From Here.

2) Lyrically, this album leaves a great deal to be desired. Especially the Steve songs. I find it's best to not follow the lyric too closely. There is plenty going on musically.

3) Chris Squire's voice is greatly missed but his absence created a very unique and cool vocal sound.

4) I am so glad to hear Alan White playing drums on all the songs. He sounds great.

5) I will have to listen closer to pick up on Jay Schellen's percussion contributions. 

6) Jon Davison is a fantastic singer and I love how he is not trying to mimic Anderson or Horn, but instead is just himself. 

7) Aside from "Music To My Ears", I would not say that there is a bad song on this set. Some songs are better than others. Some will take some time to get used to, and some struck me from the word go.

8) Sherwood did Squire proud, with the bass playing. Some of the riffs were clearly inspired by Chris, but Billy adds his own flavor. I do wish there was more low-end on the bass. 

9) This album has a very distinct mood, in the way that Magnification did. The orchestration on this set is pretty fantastic.

10) I look forward to further soaking this in, and I do hope they perform at least a few of the songs on their upcoming tour.

The best part of this album is that it doesn't sound like Yes....but it totally sounds like Yes. As I mentioned before, Yes is more of a brand than a band, and this lineup, on this set, does the brand proud. I hope they - in whatever configuration they are at the time - continue to make new music for years to come. The Quest is most welcome, and most wise.