Notes From the Edge

Please can you help. At the HMV store signing in London for Yes Acoustic my treasured Japanese CD cover of YESSONGS went AWOL. I did find an insert version. I can only assume that the insert owner picked up my one in error and that I have theirs. I would dearly like my one returned as I still have all the disks and inserts for it.

Please get in touch so we can sort it out. Thanks.

Southern Prog Festival

From: Barry Sanchez BARR9025@aol.com
Location: Powder Springs, GA USA

This is just a trail balloon to judge the response to organizing a Prog Music Festival in the North Georgia area? There are many great venues that could be utilized, and hopefully Yes could be the headliner. It may be a pipedream, but if you don't dream, what do you have? All suggestions, and thoughts are welcomed.

Performance

Steve Howe in NY

From: Diane Swible gretz99@comcast.net
Location: Malden, MA USA

Talk about doing a show on a "whim"!!!

With about a weeks notice, I had very little time to think about going to see him this time. I had found out the night of the Yes Lowell show at the preshow party, my friend Yvette had mentioned it to me and I said ok, cool.

We saw Steve arrive at the downtown a little after 7, we figured he would take the stage at 8. We kept seeing more musicians show up, figured ok, well looks like he will have more people joining him, not. There were about 3 other acts on before Steve came out.

Kevin and Kenny from Wonderous Stories came out about 9:30, and they just had the place going. They started out with early Genesis, and then mentioned about The Who playing at MSG, "Well we have some Who here tonight for you", and went right into TOMMY, they started with Overture and ended it with "See Me Feel Me". I tell you this, for 2 guys with just a bass and acoustic guitar, they did a great job. I had John Entwistle's french horn in my head the whole time while trying to sing along with the crowd.

Ok, now at 10:45, Steve finally took the stage, I thought it was very odd for Steve to be playing this late but it was well worth the wait, with standing room only in a place that holds around 200 or so people, the place erupted when Steve came out.

Plain and simple, he sat down with an acoustic guitar, he had next to him his guitar tuner, his set list and a bottle of water. (I took the water after he left).

He played "Clap", "Wurm", "Ancient", "Mood for a day", "To Be Over", just for a preview. He went into a lot of mixture between his older stuff and some country music as well.

His persona and mood were very upbeat and easy, constantly smiling to us and telling jokes and stories really made the night feel good.

As for the downtown itself, the food was very good, prices were reasonable, yet the seating was very crowded. They had long tables with chairs to them, but leg room was very minimal, and having my back realigned the previous two nights did not make me feel any better until the show was over.

Steve did come out a half an hour later, walked up the stage stairs, looked out and walked back out the other way, he was very taken aback on how many fans stuck around to see him, as he made his way out, people were saying hi, he was smiling and signing. I showed him a picture that was taken of him at the Lowell show, said he liked it, told him from where it was. My friend Alan had taken the shot, and blown it up on a 8 x 10 glossy, the autograph was the finishing touch.

On a personal note, Steve thank you very much for coming out to NY on a weeks notice. As a musician and a fan, I really enjoyed the time seeing you and listening to you. Great job.

Jon Anderson Captivates Cleveland - May 25th, 2004

From: Gary Shay garyshay@adelphia.net
Location: Cleveland, Ohio USA

There's been this one question I have been dying to ask legendary Rock singer Jon Anderson since reading a recent interview in which he was asked about his age (he was born October 25, 1944) and how that might affect his career in an industry where being born after 1974 bids for retirement.

His answer in that interview was this: "I think a person will start to really achieve his own goal in life when he is seventy years old."

His answer totally blew me away. He was completely serious. And, as I said, it inspired a question I have been dying to ask him ever since.

Well, being in the right place at the right time has it's definite advantages. The place was Waetjen Auditorium at Cleveland State University. The time was Tuesday night, May 25th, 2004. The occasion was billed as "Symphonic Song Cycle, an Evening With Jon Anderson and the Contemporary Youth Orchestra."

The concert itself was awe-inspiring. The Contemporary Youth Orchestra, a 90 piece full blown symphonic orchestra, headed by Liza Grossman, draws it's talent from 42 Northeast Ohio schools. Liza and the Orchestra are the recipients of the 2003 Northern Ohio Live Award of Achievement in the Classical Music/Opera category. And I can see why.

Though the qualifying age of those in the CYO range between the birth dates of 1986 and 1992 (12 to 18 yrs old), the sound of the CYO is another matter altogether. The best way I can describe the professional standards this orchestra has attained since it's 1995 inception was aptly said by Mr. Jon Anderson himself from the stage after he sang "Roundabout", a Yes classic, on Tuesday night.

To a standing ovation crowd, Jon apologized.

"I'm sorry. I was so enthralled listening to the orchestra I missed my part," he explained, with that patented grin on his face. Jon had come in a few beats late in the middle of the song, after an orchestral passage.

But no apology was necessary. The packed house was still on it's feet and continued to applaud.

Songs that Jon and CYO covered ranged from Yes classics such as "Long Distance Runaround" (FRAGILE 1972), "Time is Time" (Magnification 2001), "Roundabout" (FRAGILE 1972), "And You And I" (CLOSE TO THE EDGE 1972), to Vangelis collaborations such as "Change We Must" (CHANGE WE MUST 1994), to an unreleased Anderson original "This Is (Buddha Song)," featuring the CYO Youth Chorus.

By the way, the Youth Chorus, the youngest of it's 31 members having arrived to this world in 1998(!) continued to prove a message that was delivered loud and clear: great music is great music and age has no bearing on it whatsoever. And in this case, great music brought three generations together (both on stage and in the audience) for a magical night of inspiration.

The most notable performance of the evening was "State of Independence" (Change We Must 1994), which Jon co-wrote both words and music for with Vangelis. The orchestral arrangement, by Nick Ingman, was definitely the night's best. SOI was performed as both the opening piece and as the first encore; the encore performed with a fiery intensity and passion where one could perceive that those on stage knew that this was their final UNION with Jon. The only downside being those of you who may have been turned away due to the sell-out and that the performance deserved to be presented at a major venue, such as the Gund Arena. But one encore wasn't enough for this mixed crowd of Yes die-hards, parents and newcomers. So Jon performed a final encore, a haunting acapella Irish folk melody where it was now the orchestra's turn being enthralled with Jon.

Which brings me back to the question I had been dying to ask Jon. I caught up with him backstage, in between Jon spending time with the members of the Orchestra. I noticed that though he sells millions of concert tickets and CD's, Jon takes the time and the care to set a stellar example as a true humanitarian -- both on and off stage. A rare commodity in this day and age.

The question? "Jon, you said that a person really starts to achieve his own goal in life when he is seventy years old. What's YOUR goal?"

And, not unlike the 18 year old orchestra members who were telling me what they wanted to be and do "when they grew up," Jon Anderson looked me in the eye with that grin and said, "Now THAT's a good question. I would like to get into theatre. I would also like to get more into my painting and definitely into symphonic music. Those are areas that truly inspire me, and they open the door to all kinds of possibilities in helping others."

And with that, every question I ever had as to why Jon Anderson is a world-wide musical legend spanning three generations (with more to come) was fully answered.

Birmingham - NEC

From: Jon McMahon jtm_@bigfoot.com
Location: Leicester, Leics UK

Well to be honest, with the very mixed reviews that I had read from the concert review submissions prior to the gig I was attending, I wondered what I was going to experience at the Birmingham, NEC gig on the 18 June 2004.

Well any worries that I had just faded away once the set list got to Mind Drive at this point the gig just kicked off, soared, and rocked. The Yes Men performed with enthusiasm, humour, and of course the technical skill that we have come to expect. I would say that this years gig was the most relaxed Yes concert I have ever been to.

It was also refreshing to hear a set list that was so radically different from the tours of recent years.

I'm not a fan of unplugged style concerts, but I confess I did enjoy the acoustic set that started the second half of the concert.

High points for me were - "And You And I" (I agree with Jon Anderson the power of this song increases each time I hear it performed live), "Ritual" (mind blowing), and "Starship Trooper" (a mega encore, which got all the old men around me up on their feet; it was difficult for them, but they did manage to stand up for 15 minutes, and even raised their arms in the air in short moments of unrestrained excitement!). A nice surprise was how effective "Rhythm Of Love" was, which had the added visual effect of Jon Anderson singing as he walked around the arena floor. This was exciting; 35 years ago perhaps he would have dive bombed from stage, but now he did the mature walk around. :-)

Thank you Yes for giving me my £35 ticket + £6 parking money's worth. I salute you, and look forward to hearing you again soon!

With regard to sound, it did start off awful, (I was seated on the floor right of stage) it improved from "Mind Drive" on; though I would say that the sound was too top-end throughout the concert. Problems seem to have been voiced about the sound in many of the gigs previously. Why hasn't this been rectified as the tour has progressed?

As for the Roger Dean's stage set, well it just did not work for me. For most of the concert the set just looked like miss-shaped balloons with black marks on them. The light show did not enhance the set shapes at all, in fact the light show was very light on lights: the stage set just did not work because of this. Is there a reason for skimping on the light show?

I go to a Yes concert because I love Yes music and appreciate the musicianship of the band members and this tour did not leave me disappointed.

Wembley June 2004

From: Song Crafter Songcrafter@ntl.com
Location: Cardiff, West Glamo UK

Ever watched somebody get to "that" place?

I love Yes.

My particular friend (notice the Patrick O'Brian - Jack Aubrey/Stephen Maturin phrasing) Dave, "loves" Yes (I don't know how many quotation marks are necessary to highlight the level of commitment/understanding Dave feels for the band), but I enjoyed his enjoyment more than my own.

Dave is a drummer--best I ever played with --and there's one thing about Yes that is unique in my experience: The ability to toy with "timings". That is their province entirely; as a drummer he would notice that, because Dave "gets" the whole picture.

Since Wednesday, I tried, without recourse to pestering Dave for his percussive input, to get to grips with "Wondrous Stories"; chords O.K., frills O.K. What is Mr. Squire doing? I'm not a great/good/average guitar player, but I felt a complete **** (supply adjective as required here) when I was forced in frustration to phone Dave for help, only to be "humoured" into accepting that my gut reaction was correct, and 4/4 was all there was to it: Damn you, Mr. Squire.

Dave "gets it": When one member of the band adds something a little off the wall, it's the way it should be!

Why don't I get it so fundamentally?

Why do these brilliant musicians have to pander to Dave so exclusively by playing behind the beat/in front of the beat, just so he 'gets it' more than me?

I'm not an un-nice guy!

Why should I be made to feel so small just for my particular friend?

Online

First of 2-part Wakeman Interview in CREEM

From: Boy Howdy! creemboyhowdy@hotmail.com
Location: Detroit, MI USA

Jeffrey Morgan has written a two-part in-depth interview with Rick Wakeman. The first part is running in CREEM this month: http://www.creemmagazine.com .

RnR HOF

Hall of Fame, Yes, But "Rock & Roll"?

From: D. A. Payne reem@mindspring.comd
Location: Charlotte, NC USA

I've shared this thought separately with one or two fellow NFTE contributors, but now with an official petition out it seems time to go "public".

Should Yes really be celebrated as "rock & roll"? I don't think so. While they do use rock [more than roll] as a primary vehicle, Yes are really a fusion band who bring training and inspiration from classical, jazz and many other genres to their work. Like colleagues King Crimson, ELP and others, labeling Yes "rock & roll" would remove them from consideration in the minds of many whose respect and patronage they deserve--something which RRHoF induction would do irreversibly. It might get a few straight rock fans buying Yes albums who wouldn't otherwise, but at too high a price in mislabeling a very different legacy.

With all due respect to RRHoF members, and to Yes fans who feel otherwise, Yes should be recognized more for the sheer complexity of their achievements. Probably an altogether new Hall of Fame would have to be created to encompass the kind of "crossing over" they and their kin do. Yes and ELP in particular have served effectively as ambassadors of sorts between the worlds of classical, rock, jazz and other formats. Many are the young rock fans I've met who became interested in classical and jazz thanks to Yes [without any HoF exposure], as are strictly classical listeners who realized what "rock" could be in the right hands when they were properly introduced to Yes.

Render unto rock & rollers what is theirs, and unto Yes what most accurately reflects their approach.

The Rhino BIG GENERATOR petition is a different matter. All, for reasons already well stated by many, should sign it. More than enough superior outtakes do exist and I can't imagine why Rhino would claim they don't, unless masters were lost and only copies of inferior quality remain. Even these would be worth having legitimately. Far truer to what Yes originally stood for than 90125, BG was even suggested by Trevor Rabin as more representative of what he and Yes were actually working toward (see Rabin interview at http://www.innerviews.org thanks to NFTE post by Anil Prasad/June).

We also need a Rhino UNION petition, and I urge YesWorld/NFTE to offer one. Once again, despite unfathomable claims there are many high quality outtakes to choose from. UNION, like TORMATO, was a great but frustrated Yes album. We can debate endlessly about what went wrong, and much criticism focuses on the awkward mix of two very different Yes lineups. This never bothered me as much as what Arista producers did to UNION's ABWH material before letting it out--where lies most if not all justification for a full Rhino treatment.

A long list of alternate ABWH takes definitely, absolutely exists and they are straight 70's Yes at its finest. What finally ended up on UNION only hints at their brilliance. No wonder Rick supposedly threw his production copy of UNION out a hotel room window when he first heard it. The original ABWH UNION tracks at minimum should be released in all their undiluted glory. If Yes West outtakes are included, fine, but when the larger Yes community hears what ABWH originally did for UNION I think we'll start seeing some significant shift in its overall reputation as a Yes album.

Meanwhile, memo to Rhino on the recently postponed live box set:

1] "Release Release" and "Sound Chaser". Enough said here.

2] Take the latter from 8/17/76 - same concert as YESSHOWS' "Gates' and "Ritual". Plenty of live SC's to choose from but there's especially good reason for that one, as Gates and Ritual on YESSHOWS hint at despite its flattened sound edit. Choosing the best live RR should be almost as simple since it was only performed two or three times.

3] Pro audience tapes if they can be found, and don't let ANYONE edit ANY part of them! I keep repeating this ad nauseum, but no mixed, filtered, edited or otherwise molested "live" release has ever delivered the power or feel of even a lo-fi audience tape. Audience micing was certainly done by the band's own engineers if they were recording at all (we know they were at least on 8/17/76) and if resulting tapes still exist Rhino has a golden opportunity. I'd even settle for amateur audience tapes if quality at least fair and Yes/Rhino cut the deal for them.

4] The Ancient would be nice too.

Well, Are They?

From: Jeff O'Brien jeff.o@cox.net
Location: Burke, VA U.S.A.

Suffice it to say I am a substantial fan of the music of Yes, and will sign any document that might assist in the recognition of this great ensemble. I do however (just for fun) pose the question, is Yes really a "Rock n Roll" band. Clearly the instrumentation is similar to that of most "Rock n Roll" bands, also the time in which their music was written and performed was and is during the age of "Rock n Roll", even their stage appearance, although far more elaborate and imaginative than most, is again "similar" to that of many "Rock n Roll" bands. That, however is where the similarities end. The level of virtuosity, and degree of passion exhibited in the playing of their instruments is far more like that of a highly trained musician in say a major Symphony orchestra. The style and complexity of their compositions is more like that of Mahler and Stravinsky than that of Lennon and McCartney.

I realize there is no hall of fame for a group like Yes, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is the only place they might possibly achieve the notoriety they deserve, but it is unfortunate that to do so they have to be subjected to the scrutiny of a body of individuals that for the most part, don't even understand the material produced by this unbelievable group of musicians. I'm sure most who read this will think I'm a goof ball, but it's something to think about.

What Should Yes Play at the HOF Party?

From: William Burchell Wburchel@rochester.rr.com
Location: Rochester, NY USA

As I ponder the thought of Yes entering the Hall of Fame, which I'm sure they will "Soon", I smile at the thought of what they might play. Unlike other R & R Hall of Fame inductees, Yes can still blow the doors off practically any other band out there. After the hell that the Hall of Fame panel has put them through, Yes should put on the show of all shows and blow them away, as if to say "Take that! You cynical followers of fashion!"

They shouldn't play "All Good People" or "Roundabout". That's what they expect (and probably all they know). They should open with "Close to the Edge", then hit them with "the Gates of Delirium" and "Awaken". They should drive home the point that they are special, and that nobody plays like they do. Yes music is not contemporary fluff. It is music for the ages. They take rock and roll and elevate it to something that's never been heard before. They need to demonstrate to the world what we fans already know, that their music is rock and roll at its best.

BIG GENERATOR

Why Stop at BIG GENERATOR?

From: David Way omeganalpha@earthlink.net
Location: Parlin, NJ USA

Since Rhino has been so kind as to release their remasters in batches, why stop now? In addition to BG, I'd gladly BUY (hint, hint, Rhino) extended remasters of ANDERSON, BRUFORD, WAKEMAN, HOWE (wouldn't it be nice to have finally an easily obtainable CD source of "Vultures", as well as the alternate takes of the songs which made the album, e.g., the incendiary alternate take of "Fist of Fire" which can be heard on the "IN A WORD" boxset--incredibly good!), UNION (there are entire bootlegs which have extra tracks from these sessions, and, frankly, there is a LOT to clean up production-wise on this CD, esp. the ABWH-authored pieces; e.g., listen to the original version of "I Would Have Waited Forever" and then listen to the version on "IN A WORD"--MUCH better the second time around), and even TALK (I know a remaster was just released a couple of years ago, but, again, I know from bootlegs that there are many more tracks to be had as a bonus here as well). I think we could stop there as far as complete album remasters go.

Maybe an additional CD could be released of extra songs post-TALK (e.g., songs like the "Last Train" demo from the MAGNIFICATION sessions, among others). Just an idea...

Possible Bonus Material for BG Remastered

From: Eddie Lee Eddie_K_Lee@hotmail.com
Location: Honolulu, HI USA

Besides the various alternate versions of songs from the original BIG GENERATOR CD. Others songs are definitely out there:

Yes was in the studio rehearsing in 1985 and clips of it were shown in the "Entertainment This Week" TV show around that time. By the way, that song sounded pretty good, I don't think it evolved into anything in the final BIG GENERATOR album.

Plus Trevor Rabin mentions in his recent in-depth interview with Innerviews about a 20-minute song called "Time":

http://www.innerviews.org/inner/rabin.html

The song "Time" will be of a lot of interest to Yes fan, sadly it wasn't included in the '90125' Remastered!!!

Great Sounding BG Tracks on UY

From: Martin Plamondon martin.plamondon@videotron.ca
Location: Gatineau, QC Canada

My comment might not be long, but I want to share with you here the same I sent as an e-mail to Rhino myself a few months ago when the last batch of remasters was released.

After I saw that there would be no BG remaster, I e-mailed Rhino telling them how great was the sound of the BG songs included in the recent compilation THE ULTIMATE YES compared to the sound of the current ATCO album release and that I would like for the whole album to get that treatment. The bass and bass drum especially, the ATCO release is really missing some punch in the subwoofer!

I'd like to add now that I would still buy that remastered release even if there'd be no bonus tracks, I just want good sound and BG has of all the Yes albums the worst sound but very good songs, even the albums Yes and TAAW had better sound.

Dialog

Madison Square Garden Standing Ovation

From: Matthew Powell mpowell@thoughtequity.com
Location: Boulder, CO USA

MADISON SQUARE GARDEN, May 13, 2004:

Yes, it's true.

The "And You And I" standing ovation was indeed something that was other-worldly.

I have never witnessed anything like it (I've seen 27 Yes concerts, 50 Dead shows, and probably 40 other big-name bands over the last 30 years).

This was deeply profound and auspicious because it was New York City and Madison Square Garden. At some point, maybe right after this ovation, Jon mentioned that it had been a long time since Yes played MSG. He was absolutely deeply moved and grateful. The crowd really hit them big time...it was surreal!

SO CHECK THIS OUT!!: The only other event I've witnessed that comes close to this cosmic phenomenon?

The Jon Anderson solo concert on Mother's Day, San Luis Obispo, 1996. Jon had his entire Toltec band with him (including Longwalker) and during their rendition of "And You And I" (I'm pretty sure it was this song: I had a bootleg videotape of this concert but now I can't find it: can someone confirm this for me?) a huge whirlwind came up out of nowhere (it was a beautiful, clear, calm summer day with not a single cloud in the sky: we were sitting on the side of a hill in the middle of a giant vineyard), it seized many objects from the audience, and blew them hundreds of feet in the air. The most prominent (and it was captured on this videotape) was a giant rainbow-coloured umbrella, that was lifted, twirling around and around, about 200+ feet off the ground and hovered over the audience (maybe 500 people). Right in the middle of the song, this occurred, and before the audience knew what was happening, Jon exclaimed: "Look! It's a whirlwind" and everyone looked up (it was right over us) and he kept the song going without missing a beat. It was also very eerie, just like MSG, and had a definite cosmic force undertone. Very sublime.

There was some kind of benevolent force present, making itself known, perhaps drawn in by the sacred-type atmosphere of the music and awareness of the audience.

How's that for a spiritual coincidence? Almost 10 years apart, separate sides of the continent: same song, same singer, same presence of this Force. Wow!!

Does anyone else know about this or were they there? Send me your feedback!

Sadness - No 35th Dublin Visit

From: Keith Furlong smileyems@aol.com
Location: Banbridge, Down Ireland

Dear Jon, Steve, Rick, Alan and Chris:

For ardent fans of these tireless men it is lamentable that there is no Dublin visit by you.

I have attended all performances to hear the 'word'.

Ireland is the first point of contact with Europe. Dublin has now a multicultural society many of whom attend every performance and who live here from their home European country due to work transfer. They do not have the opportunity to travel home to their mother city for one night to see you all.

Unfortunately I am one of these who are unable to travel to Europe or England due to work and family commitments. I am greatly saddened by the fact that I will not be amongst the many more honoured followers to experience the embrace and celebrations of the 35th Anniversary Tour.

The No Yes Blues

From: Dan Lowe lookn4allgoodpeople@excite.com
Location: St. Louis, MO USA

Home of the blues, having the blues, no Yes in 2 years!!! It has been almost 2 years since the outdoor show at Riverport.

Hoping we are blessed with a visit on the 35th anniversary.

We have never missed a touring year with the exception of 2003.

Say it ain't so...

Jade Anderson at Wembley

From: Stuart Black sdb@easy.com
Location: London, UK

I was at the Wembley Arena concert on 16th June and wrote a review on it early the following morning. For no particular reason, I mentioned a beautiful young lady I'd seen at the concert. Within a couple of days I'd received 10 emails telling me "hands off--it's Jon's wife". But that didn't seem right 'cos this young lady looked well, young. (No offence to Jane). So I did a bit of a research on the internet and I think that it was Jon's daughter Jade that I saw. So, can anyone enlighten me and tell me if she was at the concert? She spent part of the 2nd half in front of the stage and part in the block to the left as you look at the stage.

Anyway, check out her website http://www.jadeandersononline.com and her album DIVE DEEPER 'cause they're cool and she's like the soulful girlie side of Jon. Neither of them will forgive me for that, but heh!

Just Say Yes To Tampa

From: Howard Dick howe10@earthlink.net
Location: Middleburg, FL USA

Just wanted to thank all members of Yes for putting on a truly remarkable Yesshow in Tampa, Florida. Also the Tampa Tribune Newspaper mention the Yes concert in the following days newspaper. (Patience Yields A Positive After Yes Finds Its Footing)! Well I got news for you, Jon, Steve, Rick, Chris and Alan did not have a problem with there footing. They were all in step on all night long! What a tremedous show!!! I don't what show this editor was at? But it wasn't the same Yesshow I had attended. I think he must had a few to many and was at some pub checking out some local garage band.

Thank You all members of Yes for continuing to play us fans for all these Yesyears.

P.S. For all you Steve Howe fans, 20th Century Masters has just put out some old Asia Videos on DVD from Asia and Alpha. $5.99 at Best Buys ...

White Vinyl Rarity

From: Randy Waters randall.waters@att.net
Location: Troy, NY USA

I recently picked up a white vinyl Yes record at a garage sale. I think it's some sort of Promo from the 90125 days. Cover states 1973 Broadcast London. Songs are "I See All People" (sic) & "Round-A-Bout" (sic). Can anyone tell me what I have here? Thanks!

Clean Up "Yessongs" DVD

From: Doug Brown mrmojo1953@yahoo.com
Location: Los Banos, CA USA

A show of hands please... who out there in YesLand would like to see Yes clean up the visual and audio of the '70s concert film YESSONGS? They could use the same team of guys that restored Led Zep's old washed out concert footage. Any comments?

Why Leave Out Part of "Roundabout"?

From: Martin Deinum martincd@planet.nl
Location: Alkmaar, Noord-Holl, The Netherlands

The thing that has puzzled me for years is why does Jon while the band is playing "Roundabout" in concerts always leave out the part starting with "Along the drifting cloud...", replacing it by shouting "1,2,3,4"? Does anybody know why he does this? This part is my favorite part of the song!

A Question About "Walls"

From: Jose Cruz jicruz@cruzalta.cl
Location: Santiago, Chile

I need to know the following : in the song "Walls" I can hear 2 voices as lead vocals. One must be from Trevor Rabin, but the other one am not sure about who would be. However, it sounds like Roger Hogdson from Supertramp.

Although we know that there is a friendship between T Rabin and Roger H, I don't know whether Roger was involved in the TALK project, reason why I will appreciate if somebody can confirm my theory. At least, I would prove that my ears are working well.

[It may actually be Trevor providing the back-up vocals. --MOT]

Better Live Sound Quality Please

From: John Stabler johns@avellino.com
Location: Whitchurch, Hampshire UK

I noticed one of the postings referred to issues with live sound. I have to say I have reached an age where I expect live sound quality to be living room perfect, and I just lose interest and stay home and watch the DVDs if its not. I saw Yes on the Orchestral tour a few years back and the quality of sound was glorious. I saw them again a couple of years later when Rick rejoined and it was back to the thumping mush of the bad old days. After that disappointment I stopped bothering with the gigs and just got a really decent surround sound system and bought all the DVDs, which are uniformly excellent. I've just risked booking tickets for the upcoming 'intimate venue' gig in Oxford, in the hope that a smaller acoustic space might increase the chances of getting it right. It can be done because I've seen it done a few times by other bands for whom the music matters.

The whole reason we love Yes, surely, is that it is rock and roll, but its more than JUST rock and roll. Its got layers, its got depth, dynamics and subtleties. You don't get any of this when the hall starts to boom louder than the band. Perhaps I'm just getting old :-) Anyway whatever happens, will keep on with the discs and vids, and will probably get tempted to at least try the gigs from time to time.

Total love to the band that invented the sounds that have become the ubiquitous soundtrack of our lives and nobody's realised. They'll be remembered and seen for what they really were, the primary exponents of the classical music of our age (living as opposed to academic), when three-chord rock and roll has been forgotten with all the other ephemeral fads and fashions.

Moaning Yes Fans?

From: Linda Oswald eennymo@yahoo.com
Location: Albuquerque, NM USA

This is in response to Rob Jones's letter (issue #288) regarding Yes fans who "moan" about certain things they don't like or disagree with about their concerts. I have read similar postings by others in various Yes websites and mailing lists, as if we aren't supposed to state any negatives regarding them. Since I posted my honest assessment on YesWorld reviews about this last concert I attended, including the negatives, I guess I could now be considered a moaning fan! I do understand that there is such a thing as going overboard and focusing on only the negatives, and if you only have negative things to say about this band, then one could safely assume you are probably not a Yes fan. There are some very negative and almost hateful reviews posted in YesWorld reviews that I do have to wonder about(has anyone noticed that they are usually the first review or two on each concert?).

When I stated my negative opinions, it didn't mean I don't love and appreciate this great band. I "moaned" about the less than desirable sound and the stage set I didn't particularly care for. Sorry, but I was just being honest! On the other hand I wrote about Jon's voice never sounding better and the rest of the band's superb performance, the wonderful acoustic section, the great set list, and my favorite songs they performed beautifully. I also highly recommended that everyone attend one of these concerts. But what do we moaning fans know? ;0)

There are numerous Yes discussion boards, mailing lists, and chat rooms, some that I frequent. If we were all there stating nothing but positives, I would think these would all become quite boring after a while! What would we have to discuss if we couldn't disagree?

As a rabid Yes fan, I don't always appreciate negative comments about my favorite band, either. But we are all entitled to our opinions and I'm sure Jon, Chris, Steve, Alan, and Rick don't mind honest opinions from their fans. I don't think they expect them to all be positive, and consider those negative opinions as only made by "moaners"!

Moaning All Together

From: Eddie Mulder el.mulder@hetnet.nl
Location: Bakkeveen, Friesland The Netherlands

Just this once I thought I'd come up with my thoughts about Yes, or better, about (some) Yes fans and the continuous uproar on things Yes.

Being a Yes fan from the '70s, having my doubts in the '80s and early '90s; having renewed hope after the KEYS-era; also being a regular visitor of NFTE and being a Yesfocus-member from the start, I hope some of you would like to think about the next:

In some reviews I lately read about Yes raising pension-funds for themselves.

So what? Aren't they one of the bands that have been betrayed by record-companies, greedy managers etc. Of course they've spent money freely as well, but... Isn't it right to earn money the best (and probably only) way they can (apart from a milkman's past) and maybe enjoy a comfortable time when they really have become old people?

And then about the show's quality: as dynamic as Yes is in music, characters, different circumstances and so on, is it then any wonder that there are differences in their performances? Thank got they (still) make mistakes. How could they otherwise improve?

The things I'd like to moan about, would be the somewhat neglecting of the Rabin-era and -stuff, though the politics behind seem not so difficult to understand.

Another thing to moan about might be the not so adventurous set lists of past and present tours, though even saying that, there's still lots of variety within.

I guess I heard the "Roundabouts" of their repertoire too many times.

It's just that too many nice Yes-tunes seem to be ignored, but then again, politics might be (and probably are) involved once more.

One (very) positive thing seems clear: Yes seems to be a band again, with a better bond both musically, professionally and personally (?) then before.

At least Jon and Chris seem more at ease with each other and the whole band seems motivated. Hopefully this renewed band spirit brings us some really new, progressive and daring music before they run out of time.

The Best Day of My Life

From: David Roy davidroy@fsmail.net
Location: Glasgow, Glasgow Scotland

On the morning of June 20th, early, my partner gave birth to our first child. A son. The dawn was breaking and a new, innocent, beautiful life came into the light. He knows no hate, war, greed. Only love, warmth, caring and family. He watches contrasts in colour and shape. He seeks comfort and protection and he makes me as happy as I have never known. And he can hear. He knows my passions in music as I have been playing them to him for the last nine months. He recognises my voice and he will recognise certain songs from the cannon of Yes. 15 hours later I had to leave the hospital--no choice given. Life is good

I changed in the car to a fresh logo-ed t-shirt and drove 10 minutes along the Clydeside to a large building of enraptured people, where my friend met me, with the tickets. No it was not worship but appreciation of Yes the band and their music as it lifted and inspired and encouraged us. Musically and with words they flowed positive energy into a fantastic concert. The acoustic set was fantastic and indeed the slight mis-timings of Steve in "Starship Trooper" "Wurm" gave an honest energy. Life is good.

We waited in the cold at the back of the hall as a small party was going on, eight of us. (How do you get invited to these things). Then the band came out in a row. Steve stopping to sign, smiling. He saw my grin and on asking why I told him. polite congratulations offered. Jon came out, went to the van and tired as he was came back and signed. Chris just went to the van--no stopping. Disappointed yes but he is his own man and must have been tired. Then Alan (and his mum) and finally Rick who was full of enthusiasm and happiness and offered me congratulations and a little chat. God life shining from his eyes. Life is good.

In Britain the 20th was Father's Day. I got the greatest gift I could in the morning and celebrated it in style with music that has been with me my whole life. Music I celebrate with unseen friends at www.soundchaser.org. Life is good.

I got home and found I had won a small amount on the lottery--enough to buy flowers for my darling, some clothes for my boy and the acoustic DVD for myself. The rehearsal part is the funniest ever and worth the DVD alone. Rick should have narrated "YesSpeak' too.

Life is good and the 20th June 2004 will always be in my heart. Bless this world and the music of Yes that has allowed me to get to this point and will help me as I guide a new life to better the world that George Bush and so many others want to hurt.

Don't berrate Yes for the music or venue choices. It is there right. Be glad they play, the write and they lift our souls. Thank You Jon, Chris, Alan, Rick and Steve and all the others. Live for life, help your fellow beings, not hurt--for it is all to the good.

Thumbs Down to Fanfire During Ticket Pre-Sale

From: Mary Wood mwood@ll.mit.edu
Location: Soth Grafton, MA USA

I just wanted to voice my displeasure with Fanfire's handling of the ticket pre-sale for the Hartford, CT show. The official Yes website initially mentioned that the pre-sale for that particular show "may not" start until the 23rd of June while the other shows included in the pre-sale would be on the 22nd. I really wanted to purchase the platinum package for the Hartford show, so I called Fanfire's toll free number on the 22nd and was told by a customer sevice agent that the Hartford show would in fact begin on the 23rd.

Imagine my disappointment when I tried to purchase my package on the 23rd, (exactly at 1:00pm ET), and the platinum packages were not available. So, I went back to the official Yes website, (updated), to see that they actually started selling them on the 22nd at 7:00pm ET. Fanfire blamed "circumstances beyond their control" for the late notice. To be fair to the folks who were wrongly informed, they should have just waited until the 23rd to start the pre-sale for that show. That way we all would have had the same shot at those platinum packages.

Yes Acoustic DVD Rip Off!

From: Peter Marriott marrpete@hotmail.com
Location: Derby, Derbyshire England UK

Was very disappointed with the purchase of Yes Acoustic..

The main feature just being 36 minutes long.. I have to admit that it was good to watch Yes do an unplugged set, but just too short to warrant the full price that I had to pay.

Waiting in anticipation for 9012Live and 35th Anniversary Tour DVDs.

Went to see Yes at Manchester MEN Arena, fantastic gig.. the best Yes gig I have been to so far (and I have been to quite a few in the last 15 years). (My review is on YesNet.)

"ROL": He'll Have Fries With That

From: Carl Legg leggacy1@yahoo.com
Location: Aldan, PA USA

What a day and night in Philly May 10th was. My lovely wife, my two great Yes fan son's and I got to the parking lot around 4 and the party was already going. A lot of old and new Yes friends gathered before the show and a great time was had by all.

We made it into the good ole Spectrum with memories of past shows going back to 71 washing over me. The crowd was electric and when the strains of the Firebird suite sounded a charge went threw the audience, looking at my sons I saw excitement etched on there 13 and 10 year old faces.

To my ears and eyes this was one of there best shows ever right from the start you knew it was a special night.

Without giving you a blow by blow review I'd like to pass along a amusing story.

The boys and I made a quick trip up from section 103 to the men's room during Steve's solo (sorry Steve) as we headed back down to our seats the band was in the middle of "Rhythm of Love". I'd forgotten about Jon's walkabout and as we headed back to our seats with my son's leading the way there he was. With a glowing smile on his face he gave my boy's a big hi five leaving me standing between him and the stage holding a drink carrier loaded down with beers and soda and a big ole cup of french fries in the middle. With out further adieu I held out the carrier and he grabbed a couple fries thanking me and chowing down still chirping the lyrics before going back up to his band mates.

The people around us got a kick out of the whole scene and my family and I where left with the memory of the night "Dad gave Jon some french fries".

Concert Etiquette

From: Brad Prior bandlprior@bigpond.com
Location: Brisbane, QLD Australia

I attended the Sydney Australia performance of the Full Circle Tour last year (only a 15 year wait for me--it was as much as 30 years for some people) only for the show to be ruined by inconsiderate, noisy people sitting all around me. I ventured to England for the 35th Anniversary tour in June, attending the London and Birmingham shows. To my dismay, the same problems occurred at these shows, particularly in Birmingham! It is therefore with great regret that I post the following points on concert etiquette.

(1) If you must sing along with the lyrics, do so quietly so that you don't disturb the people in front of and around you. After all, we pay our money to hear Jon's beautiful vocals, not the strains of a drunken Scotsman sitting nearby (case in point London show).

(2) Don't talk during the show and even better, don't laugh raucously at your own pathetic jokes during the show (case in point Birmingham show).

(3) More specifically, please don't constantly ask the person next to you the name of every song (and the album it came from) if you don't know--it's very annoying (yes that's you again Mr. Scotsman).

(4) Please arrive on time at the start of the show, and be on time after the intermission so that you are not constantly standing up and blocking the views of all behind you (case in point Birmingham show).

On the whole, enjoy yourselves at concerts, but do so in a way that doesn't spoil anybody else's enjoyment. We all pay a lot of money to attend concerts, so why sit and talk through the whole show? I am really disappointed that it has been necessary for me to have a rant about this --I thought that the average Yes fan would have been intelligent enough to know better.

Yes & Donna Summer - A State of Independence?

From: Neil Haigh music@blueside.freeserve.co.uk
Location: Preston, Lancashire United Kingdom

At the moment in the UK, Donna Summer has issued (yet another) greatest hits compilation--curiously though, the song that is getting played the most on the radio is her brilliant version of "State of Independence" by Jon and Vangelis. To my ears, she is the only vocalist whom I could imagine getting close to Jon's vocals, and of course she brings in her own tonality and soul which I think are worth hearing.

So my question is, given the undoubted quality of her version of 'State of Independence', would Donna Summer not be perfect for covering some more Jon Anderson and Yes material? For example, I could imagine her covering most of SONG OF SEVEN pretty easily (it is an excellent solo album, and a pity that the title track was never covered by Yes!), other songs such as "Madrigal", "Onward", "Wonderous Stories", "Give Love Each Day", "The Meeting" would also work well, and dare I say it, I think "To Be Over" would be interesting to hear.

No doubt there will be many Yes fans who are appalled at this idea, but anyone else here care to chime in? I'd love to suggest this idea to Donna herself.

Thanks to Rick Wakeman

From: Tim Kelly timbo.kelly@btinternet.com
Location: Stretham, Cambridge U.K

Traveling to the show at the Manchester Evening News Arena on the 19th June 2004, which incidentally was my birthday, my partner Alison and I met Rick Wakeman on the M6 motorway service area. We would just like to thank Rick for stopping to say hello, we know how busy the guys are, but to sign an autograph and tell us how the tour was going, completely made my weekend. The show was brilliant as usual. Thanks again Rick.

They Still Can Release a Mega-Classic Album

From: Rhodri Thomas 02061392@glam.ac.uk
Location: Pontypridd, Wales UK

A recent poll of favourite Yes albums put FRAGILE, CLOSE TO THE EDGE, and THE YES ALBUM in the top three. Generally, bands tend to produce their best work when they are young and full of youthful drive. There are, however, some excellent recent albums that deserve high praise. I recently bought KEYS STUDIO. What a great album! Listening to it, I realised how important Rick is. It's Rick's presence that brings in the elements of jazz-rock and classical music that characterised the band's output in the seventies. On the negative side, he tends to repeat himself but many great artists have made a career of repeating themselves--hey, if it works, why change it? Rick's presence gives the music that widescreen fantasy element while his solos provide a frenetic, manic drive.

In contrast, MAGNIFICATION--another truly great album, this time without Rick--achieves a unique character, and sounds fresh and contemporary. Without Rick, there is none of the Jazz-rock mania, but instead the orchestra provides a mature, stately assurance. One gets the impression that this is a band of grown-ups: wise old men with still a lot to say. Wise and old they maybe but they still manage to produce a pop classic, "Don't Go". This should have been a hit single. Similarly, "It Will Be A Good Day" is a wonderful, wonderful song that deserves wider recognition even though THE LADDER as a whole is disappointing.

So, based on the evidence of MAGNIFICATION and KEYS STUDIO, I think that the current line up has within them the potential to make a major work. Perhaps now is the time for them to attempt the huge sweep of TOPOGRAPHIC. A double album that summarises 35 years of creativity. I would like them to bring back the orchestra and try to weave it in with the current sound on selected passages or tracks. The band achieves their best work when Jon's voice blends in with the instrumental and isn't allowed to dominate, as happened on THE LADDER. With all their experience of music and life, I am sure they have a lot more to say, and mustn't be afraid to give it a go.