This is the end of the word YES (to me, the OP)

[dropforge]

They should call themselves The Gates of Delirium.

No, they could call themselves Drama.

No, wait...

[miamiscot]

YES is a state of mind. Thank you, Chris!!! You and Jon created the perfect band.

Long live YES.

[trurl]

no Farner, no Railroad

Hah! I disagree. Don Brewer was the heart of The Funk. He was a better singer and songwriter than Mark.

[-=RTFR666=-]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/larry-...usaolp00000592

[ThomasKDye]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/larry-...usaolp00000592

Nice article, but...

People didn't know it at the time, but the Tormato tour would be the last time that lead singer Jon Anderson, guitarists Steve Howe and Chris Squire, keyboardist Rick Wakeman, and drummer Alan White would play together.

Nnnnnnnnoooooo... the KTA concerts... the 2002-2004 anniversary tour....

[Garyhead]

what would be nice is a tribute concert for Chris with all Yes members past to present. as well as other musicians and bands influenced by Yes.

Like the George Harrison Concert Eric Clapton hosted.....What a fantastic Tribute!

[aokjoey]

Yes installed a revolving door from practically the beginning. IMHO, they are probably the best band to continue forever with new members. My only wish is that they continue to write new material. IMHO, the new Jon understands and has the Yes "soul" in him. I want my grand kids to buy a new Yes album.

[Digital_Man]

Yep, when I saw YES in 2004 it was the Tales/GFTO/Tormato lineup. I guess the writer didn't do his homework. Well he kind of did but messing that up means he did a half assed job.

[ssully]

Why do people continue to think that Yes is one person or another?

This band has had one of the most unstable lineups as any band in history. And yet, they've soldiered on, made great music and not-so-great music, and will continue as long as the people associated with the band want to carry on.

Jon Anderson left, and people screamed "NO JON, NO YES!" as if that meant anything. They've since been proven to be fools, as they've now made 3 albums and toured endlessly without their sacred hero.

Which hasn't prove them fools, sorry. I've heard those albums and seen those tours. Then again, I think the whole 90125 era was a mistake too.

This ghoulish insistence that 'the show must go on' is disheartening (and seemingly peculiar to rock'n'roll). Often it's driven by economics: rock stars usually don't really have a Plan B when their day in the sun fades. Arguably there was still plenty of creative juice left when Drama was made. Now, not so much, on the evidence of what Yes has produced since 'Magnification'

If Yes *music* is to go on being played -- and why not? -- how about presenting it as Steve Hackett does with Genesis music? He doesn't present it *as* Genesis. The answer is, of course, that the 'Yes' brand commands higher (but I gather much lower than before) premiums from promoters.

[wilsoib]

Which hasn't prove them fools, sorry. I've heard those albums and seen those tours. Then again, I think the whole 90125 era was a mistake too.

This ghoulish insistence that 'the show must go on' is disheartening (and seemingly peculiar to rock'n'roll). Often it's driven by economics: rock stars usually don't really have a Plan B when their day in the sun fades. Arguably there was still plenty of creative juice left when Drama was made. Now, not so much, on the evidence of what Yes has produced since 'Magnification'

If Yes *music* is to go on being played -- and why not? -- how about presenting it as Steve Hackett does with Genesis music? He doesn't present it *as* Genesis. The answer is, of course, that the 'Yes' brand commands higher (but I gather much lower than before) premiums from promoters.

"Ghoulish insistence" as you describe it comes from individuals who post on boards like this. Very few seem to consider that perhaps the musicians enjoy working and performing together. As long as that's the case and fans are still prepared to buy records/attend shows, why shouldn't they do something they enjoy?

Chris's death does change the dynamic now and the band may or may not decide to continue. It's really up to them.

[jkelman]

If Yes *music* is to go on being played -- and why not? -- how about presenting it as Steve Hackett does with Genesis music? He doesn't present it *as* Genesis. The answer is, of course, that the 'Yes' brand commands higher (but I gather much lower than before) premiums from promoters.

How very true. There have been semi-reunion bands in the past few years (I'll not mention names as not my business, but you can probably figure some of them out) who were able to tour under a name that made clear they we're related to the groups in question - even performing some of the old music - but some promoters (Japan being a big culprit) refusing to book them unless they went by the original name.

So, just sayin', sometimes it's not the group's choice what name they use....

NP: SHM-SACD of Cream, Wheels of Fire. Wow. Simply wow.

[Scott Bails]

Which hasn't prove them fools, sorry. I've heard those albums and seen those tours. Then again, I think the whole 90125 era was a mistake too.

You may not like what they're doing, but to argue against their legitimacy is just ridiculous.

This ghoulish insistence that 'the show must go on' is disheartening (and seemingly peculiar to rock'n'roll).

Peculiar to rock 'n' roll? Hardly. Pick any form of entertainment and you'll see the same thing. There are examples everywhere.

If Yes *music* is to go on being played -- and why not? -- how about presenting it as Steve Hackett does with Genesis music? He doesn't present it *as* Genesis. The answer is, of course, that the 'Yes' brand commands higher (but I gather much lower than before) premiums from promoters.

That's a completely different situation. That had no continuity with Genesis - it was clearly an homage to Steve's work with his former band. Yes has a very clear lineage.

[bRETT]

Hah! I disagree. Don Brewer was the heart of The Funk. He was a better singer and songwriter than Mark.

Better singer, yes. Better songwriter, not so much...The one track he has to his sole credit is "We're an American Band," and that may have been a Farner gift.

[trurl]

Eh, maybe. But I think that's their best song

[MYSTERIOUS TRAVELLER]

Eh, maybe. But I think that's their best song

it's their biggest seller, but nowhere near their best song

[ronmac]

If the remainders want to play together to affirm the Yes legacy, then they can call themselves The Affirmatives. That name's been thrown around for years and it seems to fit better now than ever before.

[profusion]

.....actually the door for Jon Anderson's return has just opened a bit more.

I'd say almost the complete opposite is true. It was Squire in interviews who always seemed to leave the door open to working with JA again. Howe seems to be much happier with Anderson in the rearview mirror.

Right after Squire's passing, my belief was that the remaining four plus Billy should spend the next year touring the world paying tribute to Chris and saying goodbye--and allowing us to say goodbye, too.

However, after a few days' thought, plus learning that Squire apparently wanted to "pass the torch", I'm more open to them continuing beyond their current commitments. Billy knows how to play bass in that exact style probably better than anyone else now, and his vocal 'persona' is quite like Squire's. He doubled a lot of Squire's vocal parts during the Open Your Eyes and Ladder tours and it really added a lot. Billy is a much more prolific songwriter than Chris was, too, so in a sad way it might actually help Yes to have him involved as a primary player on future recordings.

One odd thing I'd like to see would be for Gerard Johnson to finish the '00s Squire solo album that they were working on with the Stacey brothers. Songs from it were recycled and scattered across Fly From Here, Squackett and Heaven & Earth, but I'd love to see proper Squire versions of those tracks (and whatever else hasn't been used yet) be finished and released as a set.

[Booba Kastorsky]

That's ridiculous!
When one of two founder members, the very distinctive voice of Yes, the author/co-author of the most challenging and popular band's music was unceremoniously kicked out while fighting for his life, the majority of so-called "Yes fans" were howling "bravo!", "way to go", etc. They said a lot of bad and hateful things about Jon, sounding almost like "why you didn't die"? Good Christians, indeed... Remember those words, Jon's haters?
Love is the only answer
Hate is a root of cancer

Now when Chris passed away, they say this is the end of Yes.
Really?
So, the current "Yes" with Jon clone and poppy keyboard player was not the end of Yes? It is more Yes-ish than a band that would include Anderson/Wakeman/Howe/White + say, Sherwood or Berlin or Levin on bass?

[Booba Kastorsky]

YES is a state of mind. Thank you, Chris!!! You and Jon created the perfect band.
Long live YES.

Apparently, the current "Yes" has neither of its creators on board....

[Sean]

Give the dust time to settle before setting sites on what Yes can/would/should be (or not) in the future. The whole premise of this thread was premature. Seems disrespectful to argue over this stuff at at time like this.