Keith Emerson - An Appreciation

Keith Emerson was among the best keyboard players of his generation.  He was a musical pioneer, blazing a trail for the role of synthesizers in rock, and also the fusion of classical and pop into the movement that became progressive music.

As a trio, Emerson, Lake, & Palmer were brash, kinetic, and abundantly talented.  They blended mind-blowing musical chops, bombast, and a push-the-envelope sense of adventure.  But despite some over-the-top arrangements, they could also surprise with a tender ballad, and some wonderfully intricate and inventive playing too.

Emerson passed away this week under tragic circumstances.  But his work has made an indelible impression.  I’ll never forget the first time I heard “Take a Pebble, “In the Beginning,” and “Lucky Man.”  These were songs that seemed to leap out of the airwaves and demand serious attention.  As a teenage listener, these tunes took me into uncharted realms where the musical imagination reigned.  Keith, I hoped the show would never end, but the songs you created still turn me on.  

Why Yes Didn't Make the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame

The Rock n Roll Hall of Fame is about as popular with Yes fans as Ebenezer Scrooge is with Santa’s elves.  By any objective measure – album sales, influence on other artists, cultural impact, longevity, and body of work – Yes meets or exceeds the RHOF’s supposedly objective standards.

Unfortunately, the institution’s bias against progressive rock seems pretty undeniable at this stage.  The Moody Blues, Jethro Tull and King Crimson are routinely ignored.  Yet, the Moody’s The Days of Future Passed and Crimson’s In the Court of the Crimson King are unquestionable milestones in the history of rock, rivaling Sgt. Pepper’s in terms of influence.  Tull’s back catalogue contains multiple seminal works too.

Yes’ instrumental excellence – the classic line-up sported four virtuoso musicians – enduring career (the band continues to tour, albeit without the incomparable Jon Anderson), and sentimental appeal (the band received waves of support from fellow musicians and the music press following bassist Chris Squire’s passing) apparently counted for little.  Neither did the fact that Close to the Edge routinely polls at or near the top of any list of the greatest progressive albums of all time.  Put simply, CttE is to prog music what Citizen Kane is to cinema.

Speaking of which, Orson Welles’s cinematic classic failed to score with critics or audiences when it was first released.  I don’t doubt that Yes’s music will be vindicated by posterity too.  Unfortunately, the judges representing the RHOF are about as qualified to pass judgment on Yes’s as the celebrity panelists on American Idol would be to evaluate the music of Vivaldi.  There’s a reason Yes isn’t in the RHOF.  It has little to do with the band’s musical merits, and everything to do with the fact that mediocrity never acknowledges anything higher than itself.

Vote Yes Into the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame

I’ll never forget the first time I heard Yes.  The melancholic natural harmonics that emerged out of a backward piano chord seemed both antiquated and timeless.  Then there was that hypnotic bass riff that doubled back on itself – what a hook!  The cryptic lyrics delivered with surgical precision only upped the ante.  Then there were those neo-baroque keyboard fills and the exotic multi-layered percussion – these guys could play, they had a wide musical palette.  The music painted pictures, and my mind was a canvas.

I was not alone.  Roundabout was a song that raised the bar in rock music and inspired countless musicians.  The death of Chris Squire this summer was a blow to everyone who appreciated progressive rock, but it also was an occasion for an outpouring of admiration for the band’s immense influence in the musical world.

Yes fan know it.  Classics like Roundabout, Close to the Edge and Awaken will stand the test of time.  This is music with “structure and vision,” to quote the philosopher Bill Martin.  Audiences will probably be playing works like The Gates of Delirium or Ritual for centuries because this is music with artistry and depth.  These pieces speak to the human condition and invite new critical assessment and interpretation.

That is one reason Yes deserves to be inducted into the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame – they have created an enduring body of work with albums that have genuine musical merit.

By any of the other objective measures – record sales, influence, longevity – Yes more than fits the bill to be inducted.  But there’s a final sentimental reason Yes deserves the nod.  Put simply, it would be wonderful to see founding member Jon Anderson – the true voice of Yes – return to the fold, even if it’s just for an induction evening concert.  That’s why Yes fans should care.

Of course, being inducted will call attention to the music, introduce it to new fans and enhance the group’s legacy.  It may not happen, but it does matter.  Vote Yes.

Why Yes Deserves to be Inducted Into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame

The rock group Yes is once again up for induction into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame.  For many fans, the giants of progressive music require no such validation.  The high regard works like “Close to the Edge” have earned over the years is proof positive that their music will endure.  Indeed, a critic for the Times of London once speculated that Yes’ 70s epics were just the kind of timeless music that would interest audiences centuries from now.

That’s a pretty heady thought.  Mozart, Beethoven and Bach created music of great originality, passion and soul.  The structure of their music, the melodic inventiveness, harmonic complexity and intimation of a personal vision expressed in a musical language still speaks to us.  We still listen because their music carries echoes of their genius.

The same can be said, I would argue, for Yes’s finest efforts –  by that I mean “Close to the Edge,”  “The Gates of Delirium,” “Awaken,” and “Tales from Topographic Oceans.”  This is music brimming with ambition, artistry, imagination and instrumental virtuosity.

The legendary music executive, Ahmet Ertegun, once described Yes as a band that used sound to paint pictures.  This is a wonderful and apt description.  The palette they drew upon to express their sonic vision was equal to our innate thirst for authentic music pitched not at our wallets, but at our souls.  Yes music will speak to future ages because this is music that rewards repeated listening, stirs the imagination and reveals new marvels with each encounter.

I hope the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame recognizes Yes’ musical excellence.  Perhaps beauty is in the ear of the beholder.  There an old Latin saying – de gustibus, non est disputandum (on matters of taste there can be no disputing).  Consequently, some argue that artistic merit can never be entirely objective because aesthetic standards are time-conditioned and subject to change.

Fashions change, of course, but some music seems to emerge from a deep reservoir of creativity.  Such music quenches our spirits, refreshes our imagination and replenishes our souls.   It is from such Topographic Oceans that we are brought Close to the Edge of life where we can Awaken to our highest potential.     

Yes Rocks Pier Six in Baltimore

Yes is a band that has always embodied paradox.  For 47 years they’ve maintained a signature sound while coping with multiple line-up shifts.  The personnel on albums like “Time and Word,” Close to the Edge,” the under-rated “Drama,” “90125” and the rejuvenated “Fly From Here” vary widely, but the music bears the unmistakable stamp of Yes.  When Chris Squire -- the sole thread stitching these diverse efforts together – passed away it seemed not only the end of an era, but very likely the finish of Yes too.

However, if the performance that I saw at Pier Six in Baltimore, Maryland on August 12^th is any indication, then reports of the group’s demise appear to be greatly exaggerated.  Put simply, the band I witnessed was crisp, spirited and clearly on top of its game despite the grievous loss it suffered just months ago.

There was a celebratory atmosphere that evening -- musicians giving it their all to honor a fallen comrade and fans eager to applaud the music and life of the inimitable man who revolutionized the role of the bass guitar and stretched the boundaries of progressive rock.

But this was not just some obligatory tribute – let alone a tribute band as some cynics might suggest – but rather a genuine exhibition and affirmation of the musical positivity and chemistry Squire dedicated his life to.  It started with the set list, which contained a welcome mix of overlooked gems (“Don’t Kill the Whale” and “Time and a Word,”) progressive workouts (“America” and “Siberian Khatru”) and the inevitable greatest hits.  But it was the spot-on performances, which conveyed more than a hint of the power and majesty of Yesteryear, that sealed the deal as far as this Yes fan was concerned.

To begin with, Steve Howe’s fretwork was a mixture of ferociousness and grace.  His climatic solo during the coda of “Siberian Khatru” was blistering and inspired.  The rest of the band seemed equal to the challenge.  For instance, Billy Sherwood handled his mentor’s parts with a mixture of aplomb and deference.  He maintained a low-key stage presence but his deft handling of the supporting vocals and bass duties had me thinking that Squire would be winking with approval.  He seemed locked in with Alan White, who was nothing less than authoritative on the drums.

Geoff Downes and Jon Davison rounded out a configuration that seemed to hitting all the right notes – musical and otherwise -- while nailing the spirit of the music too.  I have a feeling Chris Squire was saying Yes to this lineup on Aug 12^th . . . I know I was.  

Tales from Sunset Days: Review of "Like it Is: Live at the Mesa Arts Center" by Yes

The recent passing of Chris Squire represents a sad turn of events in the story of Yes.  His inimitable bass and distinctive backup vocals were a signature element in the band’s mix.

The respectable performances that make up the “Like it Is” series do not capture the group at its glorious peak, but there may rewarding moments nonetheless.  Squire’s hypnotic bass and heavenly singing during “The Fish” still manage to send a shudder down my spine.  “Heart of the Sunrise” may not have the urgency and dynamic range it once had, but Steve Howe's limpid phrasing shines within the slower tempo.

In “Close to the Edge” Geoff Downes seems to be approximating Rick Wakeman during the climatic solo, but he acquits himself quite nicely on “Cans and Brahms” and also the scintillating finale to “South Side of the Sky.”

Jon Davison sounds fresh and involved throughout, an important element in this concert document of “Fragile” and “Close to the Edge” performed by a supernova of a group entering its twilight phase.  There are sparks and shimmers of greatness, mixed along with mere adequacy too.  But Squire’s thunderous bass and heavenly vocals generate more than enough lightning on this outing to make it all worthwhile.

RIP Chris Squire

Yes is a band that shouldn’t have worked, but it did.  They were composed from contradictory elements that somehow managed to complement one another.  Chris Squire’s thunderous bass and earthy personality were the perfect counterpoint to Jon Anderson’s heavenly tenor and cosmic outlook.  These guys were the foundation upon which Roundabout, Close to the Edge, Awaken, and The Gates of Delirium were built.

Chris, the central pillar in of the House of Yes, is now gone.   Jon has not been a part of the group for more than a decade.  It feels like the end of an era.  No doubt, Yes music will continue in some form or another.  But Chris’ signature sound and sublime harmonic instinct – whether on bass or as supporting vocalist – will be sorely missed.  Rest in Peace, Chris, you have had a hand in creating some of the greatest music of our age . . . and for the ages as well.  And peace be with your family too.