Originally Posted by Paulrus
Ye wish is me command!
Ye wish is me command!
Hmmm, why am I suddenly flashing on...
I'm holding out for the Wilson-mixed 5.1 super-duper walletbuster special anniversary extra adjectives edition.
Yes.
Henry
Where Are They Now? Yes news: http://www.bondegezou.co.uk/wh_now.htm
Blogdegezou, the accompanying blog: http://bondegezou.blogspot.com/
In many cases that's LN too. In Boston they operate the two places (the Pavilion and Great Woods) where Yes would play. So we can assume it's a tour they feel OK about promoting, unless Yes turn up in a bunch of alternative venues this year.
Yesworld confirms that today. Sides 1 and 4 of Tales, Drama and more.
One date announced in Ohio with "many more" to come.
Yesworld.com
Billy better be eating his Wheaties in order to pull this off (the entire band will, really -- I'm already shuddering at the thought of Alan's "performances"). These albums are full of bass heroics and if he fails to deliver the goods I predict the response from the punters won't be kind.
I'm holding out for the Wilson-mixed 5.1 super-duper walletbuster special anniversary extra adjectives edition.
I suspect Billy will be the least of the worries.
Feeling conflicted about this one. On the one hand, I really like the material; it's about 80 minutes--tag on Roundabout and ISAGP as your encore and you get the typical 95 minute show. However, depending on the ticket price they feel they need to charge, I don't know if I get enough value. For me, it's not the lack of Squire or really even Anderson (Davison and Sherwood do a competent job, although I would obviously prefer JA in the lead role), but I just don't care for Downes' interpretation of classic material. I don't like his practical invisibility in the mix and his solos and tones leave me wanting. Granted, half of the set list is based on material he wrote, but when you add all the drawbacks (personnel, tempo issues, live mix, etc..) versus cost (which will probably be in the $75 per ticket range), I don't know if I'm on board. I've seen them 15-16 times over the years, but I am having an issue getting excited this time around.
Just curious, does anyone else have an issue with Downes? I realize he is not Wakeman or Moraz, (and he is a good player in his own right with his own style) but I never saw the synergy with the rest of the band. Am I nuts?
"So it goes."
-Kurt Vonnegut
I don't have an issue with Downes playing his own stuff. Asking him to be Rick Wakeman is never a fair deal but he does the best he can in the situation.
I realize that to be the case; but I always found him to be a square peg in a round hole. His individual style doesn't mesh with the vibe/sound. (It's an extreme example but it's like asking Joe Satriani to play guitar for Paul Simon). FFH, H&E are fine, but far from what I want from a Yes album. I know he and Howe are buddies, but I would think a player like Tom Brislin made a better stylistic fit for the band.
"So it goes."
-Kurt Vonnegut
I feel that I do understand something of what you describe. My early life was characterized by being passionately critical of every band that I liked. I critiqued every performance I saw, every new album, and every personnel change. I second-guessed every decision, every mix, every song, and I passionately cared about the personalities involved. But I missed out on a lot of happiness because I was too judgmental. I passed on too many shows.
But as I have grown older and I hope, wiser, I have learned how precious every moment and every performance is. I realize that I could never see my favorite bands enough. I see how at any given moment in time it is easy to say, "they are charging too much, they are too far away, I miss that member who is gone, I don't 100% like so-and-so's performance." But as sure as eggs is eggs, once I pass up the opportunity I rue the loss of that opportunity.
Too many people have died. Too many golden situations pass us by. Too soon, we find ourselves uttering that classic Vonnegut expression "so it goes" when a great musician dies. We have a choice to retract and be safe or to take a chance on an amazing time, a show that will never occur again. I more clearly see the fleeting nature of life. I understand that when my life ends I will not have seen enough or enjoyed enough. I don't want to miss out on anything more than I have to so I buy the new albums and I go to the shows. I also want to repay these artists for their contributions and gifts. We do that by supporting them with our money.
Yes, I too wonder if they are "up" to the task. But I don't mind if things fall a bit short. There is always something worthwhile to be gained when the musicians on stage take a chance and shoot for the moon. But if i don't take a chance on buying a ticket it really doesn't matter.
No, you are not nuts. Your points are valid. Wondering if the show is for you is your own personal decision and I would never give you a hard time for choosing not to go. But I do think many of us need to be encouraged to take a chance. It might not be great; but it might be brilliant.
The band were playing for about 110 minutes on their most recent dates. They're playing without support on this tour. I presume therefore that we'll be getting shows of about that length. In other words, half of Tales, Drama, "Roundabout"/"OoaLH" as the encore plus another 15 minutes of material, probably 'greatest hits' stuff, so maybe "Siberian Khatru", "ISAGP"... but maybe they'll throw in "Believe Again", "Time and a Word" or "Don't Kill the Whale" (all played in November).
Henry
Where Are They Now? Yes news: http://www.bondegezou.co.uk/wh_now.htm
Blogdegezou, the accompanying blog: http://bondegezou.blogspot.com/
Nicely put.
Henry
Where Are They Now? Yes news: http://www.bondegezou.co.uk/wh_now.htm
Blogdegezou, the accompanying blog: http://bondegezou.blogspot.com/
I'm in this camp (except for the Downes comment, I don't have an issue with that). When I saw Yes two years ago at the Mahaffey Theater in St. Petersburg, FL (with Syd Arthur opening), I decided that was going to be the last time. But then last year, at the last minute, I decided to attend their Ruth Eckerd Hall gig in Clearwater, FL, not because I really wanted to see them, but because I was more interested in seeing Toto who opened for them. Since I've seen them 5 times since they reconvened, unless it is a free show, I'll pass from now on. Each of the last three concerts have cost almost $90 and I don't see myself paying that kind of money for Yes anymore. If they release a new studio album, I'll buy it and support them that way but I prefer to spend my money on acts that I haven't seen.
^ Indeed. Its not 1975 anymore sadly but if you like Yes music then go see the band while you still have the chance.
I only wish they were playing Tales here in the UK too.
Shrug...I'm holding out for Anderson, Rabin and Wakeman.
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"It was a cruel song, but fair."-Roger Waters
Sorry for the truncating, there was too much worth quoting. But everything you just said.
The ticket prices don't bother me. I feel that Yes are usually a pretty good value for the money. What I worry about is that they've set pretty demanding goals for themselves in terms of the material. As Geoff himself noted in a recent interview, Drama is a real workout for a band half their age. It demands a level of energy and snap that I'm not sure these guys can deliver.
That said, I'll probably see them on this tour out of respect that they're even attempting it. And I'm pretty sure I'll enjoy more of the show than I don't. Plus I feel that for all the musical pleasure they've given me over the years the cost of a ticket is a small way of showing my appreciation.
I'm holding out for the Wilson-mixed 5.1 super-duper walletbuster special anniversary extra adjectives edition.
Right on!
No, you're not. Love what he brought to Drama, it was very fresh and different, and liked his work on Fly From Here too, but not when playing the Wakeman stuff. It's not remotely his style IMHO.
I wish Downes would add more of his own style to the old stuff ("Buggle" it up, so to speak), but that's just me.
I'm hoping they can pull off the DRAMA stuff, that is why I am planning to go! I would've been more excited about sides 2/3 of TFTO...cause I've never seen/heard that!
Downes is more of a textural player. It's a different style, not better or worse.
They haven't played 'The Remembering' or 'The Ancient' since the initial album tour. The latter has been dipped into for extracts, but not played in full.
This is a no F-ING brainer for me.
(I am skeptical about how TFTO side 4 will come out. AW can barely keep time let alone power-charge THAT tune from start to finish)
Howe should have ditched this band a long time ago and got a proper group of excellent musicians to tour Tales etc like his former buddy Hackett did.
I would def go---this line up playing Tales is way more than I can take--the singers voice sounds like JA on helium---sherwoods playing doesn't move me---downes plays wakeman so so but is rarely powerful---I love allen and not going to judge him but any drummer would have a hard time playing this at 66. ANd Howe is still a god to me but not worth the price of admission. So. it's a cluster fuck and I'd say only for die hard fans but I thought I was a die hard fan.
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