Walking Out of Darkness and Living Fully

Yes at Radio City Music Hall Review (July 9th 2014)

Yes is a band renowned for its longevity and its internal instability.  Recently, the dissension that has always been part and parcel of the group has spilled over into the Yes fan-base, which is rabidly at odds over the musical merits of the band’s 21^st studio album, Heaven & Earth.  Some die-hard Yes fans are so disgruntled by the new material that their fulminating reviews convey more distemper than Dick Cheney would if he had his hunting license revoked.

The online reaction to new album has been so intense that I had no idea what to expect when Yes was due to perform a song from Heaven & Earth on Wednesday evening at Radio City Musical Hall in New York City.  Surprisingly, the new single, “Believe Again” came off quite well.   As the set order had it, the new track was sandwiched between “Close to the Edge” and “Roundabout,” two of Yes’ most beloved masterworks.  Yet, “Believe Again” managed to hold up reasonably well; not exactly music for the ages, but a song with some graceful touches and inspired moments nonetheless.   Incidentally, singer Jon Davison sounded slightly tentative at first but seemed to gain confidence as the song progressed.  Surveying the crowd's reaction I’d say the song went down quite well.

The rest of the evening was devoted to the music of yesteryear.  The audience was treated to two classic albums – Close to the Edge and Fragile – and a side’s worth of greatest hits.  On this evening, the band sounded tight, energetic, and confident.  Steve Howe came across best on the soaring coda to “Siberian Khatru” and his signature acoustic piece, the ever tasteful “Mood for a Day.”   Also of note, was a brief but wicked guitar/keyboard duel during the finale of “South Side of the Sky.”  Chris Squire’s mesmerizing bass workout, “The Fish,” wisely preserved the economy of the studio version.

The latest configuration of Yes has emerged as a formidable live force.  Several years ago, it seemed that Steve Howe was supplying most of the musical sparks on stage.  Today, Geoff Downes seems well-integrated within the band and Jon Davison appears to have found a comfortable niche as well.  The Squire/ White rhythm section sounds rock solid too.  Whether this line-up will prove more stable than past lineups is anybody’s guess.  However, this configuration has me believing again in Yes, at least live.  

Yes "Heaven & Earth" . . . Yes in Limbo?

Yes is a band that has had more ups and down than an elevator operator.   However, since their 70’s heyday, and brief resurgence in the early 80’s, Yes has released a string of albums that have left many Yes fans heading to used-CD shops to trade in their copies of “Union “ and “Open Your Eyes” for grass (I mean gas) money.   “Fly From Here,” released in 2011, hinted at the kind of cohesiveness, vitality, and sense of adventure that Yes conjured up so effortlessly in days past.  However, the absence of the inimitable Jon Anderson on that record left many die-hard Yes fans feeling more disgruntled than Judge Judy.  Nevertheless, for most critics and fans “FFH” was viewed as a return to form.

Yes’ follow-up, “Heaven & Earth” is proving to be a much more controversial affair.  Some reviews have been so caustic that I fully expected the new Yes material might sound like an acapella duet featuring Ted Nugent and Yoko Ono.  Mercifully, the new music sounds better than it really is.

Yes used to make music with “structure and vision,” to borrow a phrase from the philosopher Bill Martin.  They created epics like “Close to the Edge,” a four piece movement (“Tales From Topographic Oceans,”) and multi-part suites like “And You and I.”  Scholars and music aficionados commended Yes for “painting pictures with sound,” utilizing the sonata form, and for being pioneers in using rock instruments to create an orchestral impact.

The guiding force behind this brash, visionary, and musical artistry was that Napoleon of music, Jon Anderson.  Yes contained many important elements, but it was Anderson who steered the band towards its most ambitious, unified, and genuinely aesthetic creations, works like “Close to the Edge,”  “The Gates of Delirium,” “Tales From Topographic Oceans,” and “Awaken.”  Not since 1977 has the band created a true masterpiece.

In 1980, Anderson departed Yes and was replaced -- to the horror of most Yes fans -- by the one-hit pop wonder, Trevor Horn.  Horn’s true talent would lie as a producer, not a front man, but the resulting “Drama” album turned out to be a cohesive, adventuresome, and musically impressive affair.  To be sure, Anderson’s absence hovered over the album like a ghost.  But in retrospect Trevor Horn (and band mate Geoff Downes) supplied some much need spunk after the lackluster “Tormato” from 1978.

Fast forward to 2011.  Following a mixture of illness and acrimony, Jon Anderson finds himself replaced by the Buggles once again.  This time, Horn is in the producer’s chair.  The intent is to salvage a few demo songs that never made it onto “Drama” and expand them to epic proportions.  The result is “Fly From Here,” with a multi-suite title track that is refreshing and nostalgic all at the same time.  Newcomer Benoit David is in fact largely replicating material originally performed by Horn, but as the new lead singer of Yes he is encroaching on territory once staked out by Jon Anderson.  Despite a beautiful voice and a strong performance on “FFH,” Beniot David was viewed by many die-hard Yes fans as a vocal lightweight whose talents were probably best suited for a Broadway touring company making the rounds in dinner theatres throughout the Catskills.

Benoit David left the band following vocal difficulties and was subsequently replaced by yet another tribute singer, Jon Davison.  Davison has deservedly earned high marks for capably handling vocal duties with Yes on tour.  However, reaction to the new album, “Heaven & Earth,” has ranged from lukewarm support to scathing contempt.  Without a doubt, the direction charted by the latest configuration of Yes can best be described as progressive pop.   The album begins, promisingly enough, with the upbeat, catchy, and narcoleptically melodic “Believe Again.”  Davison, makes a strong entrance and sounds great paired with Chris Squire on backing vocals.  The song meanders, but there is a nifty instrumental interlude with Geoff Downes on keyboards channeling his inner Rick Wakeman.  Like many songs on “Heaven & Earth,” “Believe Again” sounds familiar, unchallenging, but appealingly quirky.  Indeed, the feeling throughout the album is laidback, but there are fleeting moments of inspiration too.

“Heaven & Earth” is not the mind-expanding and soul-stirring Yes music of yore.   However, the songs are accessible and melodic; imagine the Phil Collins era Genesis on Xanax and you’ll have an idea of what I mean.  Jon Anderson had a gift for crafting melodies that encapsulate contradictory emotions; think of the hopeful, but mournful Soon.  Davison has a melodic gift too, but his melodies are all bubbly and soothing whereas Anderson’s melodies can touch us to the core.  Still, I find myself liking and enjoying the new material, probably for the same reason I enjoy an old-timers game at the ballpark.

If there is one element consistently missing from “Heaven & Earth” it is friction.  The music is cheery and optimistic, but there is very little edge or tension.   The signature elements that constitute Yes music break through and shine from time to time, most notably Steve Howe’s fretwork.  But most of the time this configuration of Yes adds up to less than the sum of its parts.  Nevertheless, there is some good music to be found on “Heaven & Earth.”  In particular, I find “Subway Walls” to be one of the more interesting and rewarding tracks.  Geoff Downes ignites some sparks with a slow-combustion keyboard solo that leads into some haunting fretwork from maestro Howe.  Not quite the kinetic outburst of yesteryear Yes.  No, Yes doesn’t achieve the heavenly heights this time out, but the music is not exactly mundane either.

Yes -- "Heaven & Earth" Reviewed. "Is it the end of Yes?

Yes, like the London Symphony Orchestra, is an institution with a revolving line-up.  Nevertheless, some members, notably Jon Anderson, have made such an indelible impression that is hard to think of Yes as existing without him.   No matter the strengths of “Fly From Here,” or “Drama” for that matter, the absence of Anderson hovers over any project involving the remaining elements of Yes.  Put simply, his voice, lyrical approach, and artistic vision elevated Yes’ best music to a level no other configuration of the band has come close to matching.

“Heaven & Earth” is the second album in row from the band going by the name of “Yes,” which doesn’t feature the inimitable Anderson.   Squire & company’s decision to head in a decidedly popish direction isn’t likely to endear the album with a certain segment of die-hard fans, who understandably long for something grand, ambitious, and genuinely aesthetic.  Nevertheless, “Heaven & Earth” is an album suffused with the signature Yes sound, many inspiring moments, and some outstanding instrumental passages.  True, some of the tunes have a simplistic sing-song quality, but I find the music consistently veers off in interesting directions.  “In a World of Our Own” is Beatleseque, Howe’s upbeat “It Was All We Know” seems reminiscent of the band America, and the intro to “Subway Walls” has a faux-classical sound one might expect from ELO.  This is music that feels familiar, not challenging, but the music often defies expectations too.

“Subway Walls” is probably the most progressive track on the album.  The tune features a slowly-smoldering keyboard solo from Geoff, which leads into a haunting guitar passage from Howe.   The pace seems deliberately low-key, compared to previous Yes outbursts.  But it is effective nevertheless.  The same can be said for the album as a whole.  “Heaven & Earth” is pop sprinkled with progressive touches.  Yes-light, perhaps, but “Heaven & Earth” is hardly the end of the world – or Yes, for that matter – that some musical prophets have proclaimed.

Yes -- "In a World of Our Own" Reviewed

For almost forty years, Yes has been a band living in the shadow of its golden days.  During this time, Yes fans have hoped, mostly in vain, that the group could rekindle the musical magic they achieved in their 70’s heyday.  There have been bright spots along the way – the surprising spunk and cohesiveness of the underrated “Drama” album, the fresh accessibility of “90125,” and the revitalized energy of “Fly From Here” – and more than a few cloudy spots too (think “Tormato,” Big Generator,” and “Open Your Eyes”).

Even before its official release, the latest Yes album, “Heaven & Earth,” appears to be engendering hostility and contempt among critics and self-proclaimed die-hard fans.  To my mind, most of the online reviews I’ve read have lacked real wit, insight, or even the faintest pretense of objectivity.  I’ve just heard one new song from the album, “In a World of Our Own,” which I find to be a catchy, melodic, and enjoyable listen.   The song is popish in a Beatlesque kind of way with a nice groove and some stylish fretwork from the inimitable Steve Howe.  Nothing earth shattering, but hardly deserving the heaps scorn it has received from some quarters.

It understandable that some fans feel disappointed that Yes has failed to create another classic album.  The two songs I’ve heard thus far, “Believe Again” and “In a World of Our Own” lack the structure and vision of Yes’ best music.  Jon Davison has a sweet and appealing voice, but he lacks the soul and vision of the one-of-a-kind Anderson.   There is little point in comparing “Believe Again” and “In a World of Our Own” to songs like “Roundabout” and “And You and I.”  The latter is music made by a band pushing the envelope; the former is music made by a band playing it safe.  Nevertheless, I would much rather listen to “Believe Again” and “In a World of Our Own” than endure some of the more caustic reviews I've read. 

Yes - "Believe Again" Reviewed

Yes is like the mythological ship of Theseus, which is replaced plank by plank, but seemingly remains the same vessel.  Today, Yes fans are divided over the question whether Yes remains Yes without the visionary lyricist and vocalist, the inimitable Jon Anderson.

If an Platonic realm exists, then surely Jon Anderson, Chris Squire, Rick Wakeman, Steve Howe, and Bill Bruford, the quintet that created the band’s two most seminal works -- “Fragile” and “Close to the Edge”  --  constitute the eternal essence of Yesness.  But wait, doesn’t that leave out drummer Alan White, who has been a fixture in the band for more than forty years?  After all, White belongs in elite company too (and his contribution to “Relayer,” “Going for the One,” and “Tales from Topographic Oceans” is arguably just as important to Yes’ legacy as his predecessor Bill Bruford’s was).
 

The ship of Theseus remains an unsettled paradox.  And so the situation remains with Yes.  None of Anderson’s replacements have met – yet alone exceeded – the artistic standards he set.  Nevertheless, the “Drama” album is musically cohesive and rewarding and Trevor Horn does a decent job on vocals.  Likewise, “Fly From Here” lacks the gravitas of Yes’ best work, but the band sounds fresh, inspired, and full of life.  Moreover, and the album has a thematic unity not seen since Yes’ heyday in the 70’s.  Oh yeah, the much maligned Benoit David does a fine job singing on a record that happens to be one of Yes’ best efforts in decades.

Jon Davison is the latest plank in the Yes ship.  He has deservedly earned kudos for faithfully, capably, and reliably recreating Yes’ best works live on stage.  Now, Yes is set to release its first new album with Davison at the vocal helm.  “Believe Again” is the first taste of the new music and direction the band is charting.  It is a pleasant, uplifting, and accessible song with occasional flashes of inspiration.  There’s a beautiful intro, a nifty musical interlude, and some nice textural keyboard work from Geoff Downes, who sounds like he’s channeling Rick Wakeman.   Davison makes a strong vocal entry and sounds great paired up with Chris Squire.  But the structure, vision, and edge Anderson provided Yes’ best music is missing.  As a result, “Believe Again” meanders and Yes end up sounding like a more accomplished version of REO Speedwagon.  Still, I find the song growing on me and I find it more productive to enjoy the song than engage in futile debates about which line-up is the “real” Yes.  Yes, Jon Anderson was the best vocalist Yes ever had and probably ever will have.  But Yes is like a snake that sheds its skin so as to renew itself. 

Jon Anderson at BB Kings (A Review)

Jon Anderson has a voice as pure and fresh as a blue sky on a cloudless day.  His celestial high notes, cosmic lyrical concerns, and inimitable sincerity make him a one-of-a-kind singer in rock and roll.   If there is a Platonic realm, with an ideal version of Yes, then surely Jon Anderson is the front man of that archetypal progressive band.

In our fallen world, however, the Yes saga continues with a couple of singers other than Anderson.  Jon Davison has managed to earn respect and appreciation of most Yes fans for his earnest, reliable, and impressive turn as a stand in for Jon Anderson, but there is no doubt that the revamped Yes is missing something without Anderson’s signature sound.

As it happens, Yes and Anderson virtually crossed paths in the first week of April.  Yes was the Borgata in Atlantic City, New Jersey April 4^th while Jon played at BB King’s Bar and Grill in New Your City the following night.  I had an opportunity to enjoy both shows.

Yes, wrapping up their “three classic albums tour,” was crisp, energetic, and formidable.  Jon Davison had an ease in his upper-register and is deservedly winning accolades for his emotional fidelity to Yes’ music.  Keyboardist Geoff Downes also hit the mark with a diligent performance, particularly on “Awaken,” and “A Venture.”  Steve Howe, Alan White, and Chris Squire were in excellent form too.

But Jon Anderson left an even more indelible impression.  Playing before a packed audience, Anderson wove Yes music, songs from Jon and Vangelis, tunes from his solo career, along with personal anecdotes and humorous asides, into a cohesive whole that was a feast for the soul.  Jon may have muffed a few acoustic guitar riffs, but vocally he sounded peerless.

Yes at the Borgata (a Review)

It has been thirty years since Yes’ golden age, an era during which they produced classics records such as “The Yes Album,” “Close to the Edge,” and “Going for the One.”  Since that time, the band has weathered commercial ups and downs, line-up changes, and the loss of Jon Anderson, a lead singer with a signature voice, visionary lyrics, and esoteric conceptual ambitions.

Anderson’s unique voice and artistic vision helped make Yes a complete anomaly in rock; a spiritual force that was more about musical excellence, mind-expansion, and cosmic ideas than chart-topping success.  Anderson and Yes split ways several years ago, but the band has continued to tour and record without him.

In 2013 and early 2014, a revamped Yes, led by Jon Davison, embarked on an ambitious tour, playing three of their most iconic albums – “The Yes Album,” “Close to the Edge,” and “Going for the One”-- in their entirety.  The tour concept has proven popular with audiences and a good fit for the band itself, which has sounded precise and energized.  Yes’ final performance featuring this set list was at the Borgata in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

Wrapping up the “three album tour,” Yes performed as well as they have in ages.  Jon Davision’s effortless high notes, angelic voice, and hippie demeanor easily conjures up memories of Jon Anderson.  Anderson has an inimitable voice, but Davison clearly sounds comfortable in the vocal stratosphere that so much Yes music demands.  Keyboardist Geoff Downes is fitting into the Yes mix as well.  Downes joined Yes in 1980, replacing the illustrious Rick Wakeman, in what then appeared to be a one-time effort (the vastly underrated “Drama” album and the subsequent tour).  On this night, Downes' keyboard fills in the coda of the rarely-played “A Venture” proved to be a highlight of the evening.  The remaining members of Yes (Steve Howe, Chris Squire, and Alan White) met or exceeded their customary high standards.  In short, the “three album” tour came to a fitting conclusion at the Borgata.  Yes turned in a solid performance of their best music before an enthusiastic audience.  There are ample reasons to believe this lineup will continue to remain a force to be reckoned with.