YES 2017 US Tour- Drama & Tales

[Facelift]

So, you're calling Alan White and Chris Squire frauds as well?

Of course, I know CS passed away in 2015, but from 2008 to that time they played a lot of Yes shows,

Never said anything about the band with Chris Squire in it.

[bondegezou]

'Don't Kill The Whale' isn't particularly political IMHO. 'Yours Is No Disgrace' is typically veiled.

Yes's love songs are veiled, their political songs are veiled, most of their songs are veiled! That's their lyrical style.

Henry

[yamishogun]

Yes's love songs are veiled, their political songs are veiled, most of their songs are veiled! That's their lyrical style.

Henry

"Love will find a way for me and you"

True, just how love will find a way is not revealed.

Anderson should have added a vocal background here. A staple like:

"Sister sunshine
Eyes lit up like a child"

[Ken Baird]

Never said anything about the band with Chris Squire in it.

So it appears that if Howe, Squire and White were all there, you're ok with them touring as "Yes", but since Squire has passed away and it's down to Howe and White, you no longer think they have the right to use the "Yes" name, and you consider them a cover band and "frauds".

Seems kind of harsh on Howe and White to me, not to mention Squire's dying wish being for the band to continue on with Billy Sherwood. Again, to call them frauds seems incredibly disrespectful to them as musicians and people. I don't understand why you would say that about them when they are making music they have every right to make, were a huge part of making in the first place, and are bloody good at it!

But OK, I get it, for you you need 3/5 people from the main 70's band to be there, but if it's 2/5 that's not good enough for you. I don't think in those kinds of terms, but I know a lot of people are out there that do, you're certainly not alone. I just get tired of people like you (and them) dissing musicians who are frankly legends and we're very lucky to be able to see them at all. As Bill Bruford once said, "I usually take guitar players for granted, but I don't think I should take Steve Howe for granted-he's REALLY good".

For me, I'm very glad they have done all the shows they have from 2008 till now. Even without Squire, the band still sounds great, although obviously Squire is missed, I'm just glad they kept going and did an amazing tour of two sides of Tales from Topographic Oceans in the summer (and of course, are continuing an extra leg of that tour now) It was really cool to see the Drama material as well, it's an album I like a lot. But, the Tales stuff was the main draw for me.

[Stumpybunker]

Re Palmer with Yes and him rushing tempos; I think sometimes Yes could do with the tempos going a bit faster!
Yes are Yes, ARW are Yes, we have 2 Yeses. I'm happy. No cover bands. Just glad they are still going.

[Ken Baird]

Re Palmer with Yes and him rushing tempos; I think sometimes Yes could do with the tempos going a bit faster!
Yes are Yes, ARW are Yes, we have 2 Yeses. I'm happy. No cover bands. Just glad they are still going.

Agreed. I'm into there being 2 Yeses as well--really hope ARW does their album soon, and wouldn't mind one from Yes/Yes as well.

BTW, Palmer's awesome. I love it when he rushes tempos! And yeah, I think Yes could use more of that. Schellen was better than White for that in the summer, but as far as I've read here, he's still there. There's nothing wrong with 2 drummers, White is 67 after all. Peart retired, Bruford retired, but another option is to have 2 drummers there, as the Moody Blues have done for years now---the younger guy pushes the tempos and the Graeme Edge doesn't have to work quite so hard to keep the energy going. A good solution, I think.

For Palmer, his dedication to his technique has been an inspiration, he still practices 2 hours a day when possible! So, it's great to see him still pushing a tempo or two!

[tom unbound]

[QUOTE=onward;666248][QUOTE=polmico

Howe has a beard.
Any pics? This I have to see. lol[/QUOTE]

Me too ! I googled Steve Howe beard......but nothing yet.....

[mx20]

The two Yeses could tour together and take turns.... Then the inevitable all-star All Good People jam at the end

[wilcox660]

less "jams," more songs!

[yamishogun]

The two Yeses could tour together and take turns.... Then the inevitable all-star All Good People jam at the end

Who knows, but some combination of Yes playing could work. The first set with Yes, the second set with ARW and an encore with everyone or some mix. Thee Union tour was a success, so why not again?

A Union II album doesn't need to happen and just have ARW put out their album this year, which I think is very likely, and Yes can put one out next year if they want to.

I'm a rare defender of Union as overall a decent Yes album but one that could have easily been much better. But they are well aware of the mistakes they made 25 years ago so....make new mistakes this time!

Union II could be the best Yes album since 90125.

[bondegezou]

So it appears that if Howe, Squire and White were all there, you're ok with them touring as "Yes", but since Squire has passed away and it's down to Howe and White, you no longer think they have the right to use the "Yes" name, and you consider them a cover band and "frauds".

In Facelift's mind, Howe, Downes and White playing "Machine Messiah" is a covers band, but Anderson, Rabin and Wakeman playing "Perpetual Change" is the real deal -- to compare opening songs.

Henry

[wilcox660]

I like all of these folks. Yes, even Sherwood. Heck, even Igor. It's fine that I do. It's fine if you don't.

[Supersonic Scientist]

Since they are playing the ATL on Valentine's Day I'm gonna go ahead and boldly predict that there will be a couple of hundred dudes in newly purchased Drama t shirts sleeping on couches and floors across north Georgia that night. I will not be among them as I'm not going.

Maybe, but not me....The Wife and I ARE GOING to this show....yeah, it's a great Valentine's Day present for me (the Wife likes YES also)...however, since our 20th Wedding Anniversary is the following week, I get to make it up to her in short order..... = win-win

[Scott Bails]

I had a good time. So that counts for something, right?

Not really. You have to choose sides and discredit the side you don't like, if you want to be taken seriously.

I admit, I am a fucking douchebag when it comes to this subject.

Well, someone had to say it.

[helix]

I admit, I am a fucking douchebag when it comes to this subject.

how about you're a repetitive cnt whom offers no added insight but your own myopic opinion??



go ahead and muss up the other threads if you wish, on this topic/thread we all know your POV as much as you know the smell of your own sharts

[helix]

Impressions from last night.

Drama sounded really good. Lots of life in that music.
Schellen played all but two songs. He's good but is he the right drummer for Yes? (I am not enough an expert on him or Yes to say one way or the other.)


I had a good time. So that counts for something, right?

thank you for this report

I came very close to making a trip down South to see one of these gigs as I really wanted to see Alan play the Drama material and all of his bits (for better or worse as it were)


reading your post, I suppose I'm glad I didn't make the plunge. disappointed that this arrangement isn't as clear as the last US tour was; it did read as tho Alan would be playing more of the set with the band.

[bondegezou]

^ I understand that on the first night of this tour leg White alone drummed on "Machine Messiah", Schellen then did most of the set, with both drummers playing on "Ritual" and "Roundabout" at the end. So, White is doing a bit more than on the Japanese leg, but this is still a long way from what had earlier been the plan (all White, no Schellen this leg).

Henry

[YESHEAD777]

Its very simple to me. Jon Anderson is the voice of the classic YES. But that band realistically does not exist nor ever will again. So I judge each incarnation on how close it sounds to the original, and how close it comes to making me experience the spirit of the music I listened to as a teenager in the mid to late 70's. I think at it becomes very subjective, that's why all of these arguments about who is the real YES, and who are the fakers is pointless and endless. We will not all agree and get along on this point because we all(or most of us anyway)are so freaking passionate about this band, but have our own individual ideas about what elements, voices, musicians, etc. make them so special-and when you take that away, they're not YES. So is it still great "YES" music, if it is played excellently and moves the listener today like it did in the 70's, but includes no original players? RW had the crazy idea that YES would go on like a symphony for decades and even generations. For me, I got those same goosebumps when I saw the 2014 line-up perform all of CTTE and Fragile live, that I did when I saw them in 75,77,79,98,2000, and 2005 all with Jon. And the fact that they are tackling TFTO and Drama, two of the most difficult YES albums to play, on tour now to me is commendable, and they seem to be doing a honorable job. At least they're tacking some deep cuts and difficult music, while ARW is still playing the live set from the Union tour-just saying. ok, that's enough for now. I feel better. Who knows, next time either one comes even close to me i'll be there!

[floyd umma gumma]

I saw both "Yes" and ARW in 2016. Both very good shows and I would pay to see either of them again. So I'm OK with both bands giving it a go. In fact I hope the competition forces both to be a bit more active and/or daring than they otherwise might be, in order to outdo the other. I hope an ARW record pushes Yes to really come up with something fresh and record it. On the whole I preferred the ARW live performance. First because Anderson sang surprisingly well and he sounds more like Jon Anderson than the current Yes singer. Second because Wakeman plays the Wakeman parts brilliantly, while there are a number of spots at the Yes show where Downes doesn't quite nail the Wakeman parts (Downes does have some great sounds, great job of being faithful to some of the original instruments). Third I think Lee Pomeroy was a little better on the bass. He's really a master. Also the ARW drummer can sing and that helps a lot to beef up the vocals (Pomeroy sings well also). Finally, Rabin was playing very well. He can sing better than Steve Howe so the vocal part of the show is stronger. He can play with finesse when he wants but he rocks harder than Steve Howe, so I felt it brought a broader dynamic to the sound. Steve Howe's increasingly clean tone works well on some of the material but compare 2016 Yes to the raw energy of Yessongs and it felt a little lightweight to me.

[polmico]

Not really. You have to choose sides and discredit the side you don't like, if you want to be taken seriously.

I thought I might be doing it wrong.

[popeyebonaparte]

You mean Yes picked a fight with the Steve Howe Covers Band?

+1

[Dan Roth]

[QUOTE=tom unbound;666475]

Me too ! I googled Steve Howe beard......but nothing yet.....

[Mister Triscuits]

^ Damn, all he needs is a stovepipe hat.

[tom unbound]

^ Damn, all he needs is a stovepipe hat.

Well, that should stop the Cryptkeeper jokes for a while....

[ronmac]

^ Damn, all he needs is a stovepipe hat.

I thought the exact same thing.