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.