YES Signs New Worldwide Recording Deal with Frontiers Record

[Tricky]

In 1980, Jon Anderson and Rick Wakeman left Yes, and Steve Howe, Chris Squire, and Alan White pulled in a new lead singer and keyboard player to record a new album. Young prog fans up and down the country screamed in protest (this one included).

Against the odds, the album, Drama, turned out very well indeed.

IIRC, it was only (quite) long after the event that Drama 'clicked'. It certainly wasn't helped by the tour...  

In 2010, thirty years later, with Jon Anderson and Rick Wakeman out of Yes, Steve Howe, Chris Squire, and Alan White pull in a new lead singer and keyboard player to record a new album. Old prog fans around the world sigh gently but can't be bothered getting very worked up.

I'm not even sure I care about this new album.

Sigh. Yes have been such an enormously important part of my life, but all good things come to a natural end. I never thought I'd find myself wishing that this one would follow suit.

Very much agreed: If it comes out on Spotify etc I'll give it listen - hoping to be pleasantly suprised - but not really expecting great things  :roll:

[Trapezium Artist]

In 1980, Jon Anderson and Rick Wakeman left Yes, and Steve Howe, Chris Squire, and Alan White pulled in a new lead singer and keyboard player to record a new album. Young prog fans up and down the country screamed in protest (this one included).

Against the odds, the album, Drama, turned out very well indeed.

IIRC, it was only (quite) long after the event that Drama 'clicked'. It certainly wasn't helped by the tour...  

You may well be right about that, although I'm pretty sure I bought the album on Day One (August 22 1980, thank you Wikipedia) and saw the tour at the Edinburgh Playhouse at the end of November 1980, thirty years ago this month (ouch), so I must've liked the album enough right from the start not to be put off going to the concert. And while I'm afraid I don't have any particularly clear memories of the gig any more, I certainly don't recall thinking it was awful.

But it's certainly true that it took a while before it was possible to take a more objective view, without being overly influenced by the shock departure of Anderson and Wakeman, and their replacement by The Buggles. I still think it's a very under-rated album, along with Tormato. Not all of either is great, but much of both is.

As I'm sure I've related on the forum before, a fellow Yes-head friend slathered this new Buggles+Yes combination with the vitriolic moniker "The Buggers". Then again, for historical completeness and in case, against all odds, he's listening, the same school friend did cause a minor ripple in my otherwise very conventional grammar school world by admitting to me that he liked to come to school on occasion going commando, as he enjoyed being able to play pocket billiards to entertain himself during the day.

I still haven't quite figured what he expected me to do with this unsolicited information  :shock:

[turbo]

I have it from good sources that actually Trevor Horn is producing the new album or at least the one song he has written for YES but never got around recording with them called We Can Fly From Here.

Well, that's an interesting piece of news, although not 100% true, inasmuch as there is a recording of Horn playing We Can Fly From Here with Yes, albeit live in New York in 1980 and not in the studio.

It's on the live compilation 3 CD album "The Word is Live", issued by Rhino Records in 2005. While I don't have the whole album, I do have We Can Fly From Here (I think Rhino made it available as a free taster download), and I have to say that it's quite brilliant: a real Drama-era gem.  

Then again, having got used to Trevor Horn and Chris Squire (I think) singing it, I'm not sure I need a studio version sung by anyone else ...

Actually i think the studio version is going to be sung by Trevor, but D.B will be lead vocalist for the remainder of the record.

[MarkOneMusic]

Well, for what it's worth, I am looking forward to the new album. New blood (Benoit and Oliver - and I do like some of Oliver's solo stuff), Trevor Horn producing.  And although I love Jon's voice, I have found some of his writing a bit too off with the fairies in later years, and though I will always cite Rick as one of my musical heroes (As witnessed by the huge number of his gigs I've been to) I too am wondering about his piano/strings and piano/fairground ride/disney keyboard sounds of recent times.

As for how Jon has been 'treated' by the band, perhaps Messers Peter Banks and Tony Kaye might be able to speak to how that felt when Jon fired them.

[Simon B]

Well, for what it's worth, I am looking forward to the new album. New blood (Benoit and Oliver - and I do like some of Oliver's solo stuff), Trevor Horn producing.  And although I love Jon's voice, I have found some of his writing a bit too off with the fairies in later years, and though I will always cite Rick as one of my musical heroes (As witnessed by the huge number of his gigs I've been to) I too am wondering about his piano/strings and piano/fairground ride/disney keyboard sounds of recent times.

As for how Jon has been 'treated' by the band, perhaps Messers Peter Banks and Tony Kaye might be able to speak to how that felt when Jon fired them.

Indeed and agreed.

In 2006 I was in a London eatery where Chris and Pete were both present, but did not speak to each other. Now that is a looong feud!

[MarkOneMusic]

Newbie here, but I used to moderate over at yesfans.com where I have been a contributor since 2003 (although recently I have defected because of the 'It's not Yes without Jon' theme to every discussion.

I am really looking forward to the new album - and have it on very good authority that the recording and writing is going well.

As I have the Roer Dean Yes logo tattooed on my person and appear in the credits of one of their DVD's, I for one am hopefull that they will be a band for another decade!  

You might know my wife, Mrs One, AKA imagescapegirl over at yesfans

[MrBabou]

People just like to complain about things, and yes it gets annoying...

Shall I quote my own signature?

[L33VEY]

Just listened to "Forever" from Rick and Jon's new album. It's an ok piece but it is soooo formulaic. No-one does that piano-with-strings-sustain sound as well as Rick does....or so bleedin' often. It's soo old now...in my opinion. No new tricks any more?

Saw Wakeman and Anderson last night at the O2 Indigo.  A smart combination of the new "formulaic" stuff following by the Yes faves.  Turn of the Century was just perfect.
Having listened to the freebie available I had low expectations for Jon's voice - needn't have worried - he was great.
Even bumped into him beforehand while he was being shown round the BME exhibition and was able to focus him for long enough to get him to sign my ticket!

[Simon B]

Newbie here, but I used to moderate over at yesfans.com where I have been a contributor since 2003 (although recently I have defected because of the 'It's not Yes without Jon' theme to every discussion.

I am really looking forward to the new album - and have it on very good authority that the recording and writing is going well.

As I have the Roer Dean Yes logo tattooed on my person and appear in the credits of one of their DVD's, I for one am hopefull that they will be a band for another decade!  

You might know my wife, Mrs One, AKA imagescapegirl over at yesfans

Indeed I do Mark! See you both on 6th - not long now!