New YES release - From A Page- O Wakeman/Benoit era

[taliesin]

Seal had almost no talent in 1990

Complete nonsense.

[lazland]

I was at the Lewisham (south London) show on the Drama tour, my first Yes gig. Horn sang flat the whole evening, there where call outs for Jon Anderson and insults like Wan*er shouted out, it was a bit ugly but when the singer cant sing....

Its ironic that he became such a huge producer whose speciality seemed to be taking bands with very little talent and making superstars out of them.

I was at Deeside. It was terrible, and the audience reaction was unremittingly hostile.

[Sean]

Yeeeeaaaahhhh

[Yestronomy]

This is good stuff. You can hear the love and care that went into putting this release together and the tunes and playing are solid. It doesn’t sound like unreleased leftovers from a decade ago to me.

That's sold it for me. Duly ordered and looking forward to enjoying it.

[happytheman]

It was released this way because Yes knows that a small percentage of fans will want it immediately. I don't think the other options of buying will be available until next year.

Put me in the camp who would be happy to just download the new songs.. I already have Live in Lyon..

[Frumious B]

That's sold it for me. Duly ordered and looking forward to enjoying it.

Hope you like it. Ya know, I had long been under the assumption that the reason they brought in Trevor Horn, jettisoned Oliver Wakeman and devoted half the record to the “Fly From Here” suite is because they were bereft of ideas and, without Horn’s help, they would have made Heaven & Earth three years early. Listening to From A Page I’m eating a spicy crow sandwich (Do they have those at Popeye’s?) on that front. It seems like they actually had some decent ideas flowing and some potential. They well could have come out with a decent record without Horn. Maybe Chris Squire’s presence in this music has me feeling overly sentimental.

[Paulrus]

I saw the Drama tour in Chicago, but I was a very high 16 year old, super excited to see CHRIS SQUIRE for the first time, so I don't recall what the rest of the audience was up to. I definitely recall the sort of "bait and switch" where tickets went on sale before anyone knew about the lineup change.

Pretty much my experience, except in LA (and I wasn't high.) But there wasn't any bait and switch for me. Atlantic ran a full page ad for the show in the Calendar section of the LA Times weeks in advance that used a promo photo of the new lineup. Unless someone didn't see that (everyone read the Calendar section of the LA Times back then), or didn't know what Jon Anderson and Rick Wakeman looked like they had no excuse for not knowing about the lineup change.

I guess I was also fortunate that Trevor's voice was still intact at that point because my memory is that the show was amazing and the audience all went home happy.

[dpt3]

Apparently I never bought Live from Lyon the first time around, so I seem to have lucked out.

Anyway, I definitely enjoyed this collection of songs. While I don't think they are as strong as the Horn/Downes contributions to Fly from Here, they are generally quite a bit stronger than the Squire and Howe contributions. It will be interesting to compile a playlist of the pre-Downes-rejoining tracks to get a feel of how the album might have flowed if Wakeman hadn't been pushed out.

[moecurlythanu]

Complete nonsense.

I think that was tongue-in-cheek, as the statement he was quoting was quite a reach.

[moecurlythanu]

I saw the Drama tour at Richfield in 1980. I knew about the lineup changes, but wasn't going to miss my opportunity to see Yes for the first time. They were well received, and I enjoyed it very much, as most seemed to.

[aith01]

Received this in the mail a couple days ago and finally gave it a listen on my work commute today. I think it's a fine release, and like it a lot. I'm grateful to have it.

In fact, I've compiled a version of Fly From Here that includes all of the material from that period that has been released, mixing and matching from the Benoit and Trevor versions and From A Page. Now I just have to get the track listing right.

[yamishogun]

Complete nonsense.

I thought that was the theme we were going with: Trevor saves amateurs.

[Koreabruce]

I saw the Drama tour at Richfield in 1980. I knew about the lineup changes, but wasn't going to miss my opportunity to see Yes for the first time. They were well received, and I enjoyed it very much, as most seemed to.

I was there too, and it was indeed a great show.

[onward]

I think From a Page is well done. Really enjoying it after multiple listens. Is that Benoit on the third track-From the Turn of the Cards?

[abhorsen]

Pretty much my experience, except in LA (and I wasn't high.) But there wasn't any bait and switch for me. Atlantic ran a full page ad for the show in the Calendar section of the LA Times weeks in advance that used a promo photo of the new lineup. Unless someone didn't see that (everyone read the Calendar section of the LA Times back then), or didn't know what Jon Anderson and Rick Wakeman looked like they had no excuse for not knowing about the lineup change.

I guess I was also fortunate that Trevor's voice was still intact at that point because my memory is that the show was amazing and the audience all went home happy.

Also raised in the LA burbs, the Calendar section was my favorite thing about the Sunday LA Times and as Paulrus says, when Yes announced ticket sales for the Sports Arena show, there was a picture of the band so it was hard to miss at least in So Cal. In addition, I remember reading in the calendar section before the gig was announced that Anderson and Wakeman had left the band and were to be replaced by the Buggles guys. I was monumentally bummed and I had no idea who these dudes from the Buggles were. When I saw a picture of Trevor Horn my first thought was please tell me you are shitting me, this can't be the replacement for Jon Anderson. I was only 15 and my two closest friends and I were taken to the gig by my best friend's older brother. So we all went to the show, had a pretty good time for it not being Anderson. Back then we mailed in a response to receive our tickets by mail in return for that gig.

Afterwards we all grabbed burgers at Tommy's in LA and listened to the older brother compare and contrast what we had just seen to the anniversary tour (1979), tormato and going for the one tours. It was only then that remorse set in that I was too young to have seen Anderson perform songs like Awaken. But the Drama material was great live and I liked that album pretty much from the start.

[Rulo]

Pretty much my experience, except in LA (and I wasn't high.) But there wasn't any bait and switch for me. Atlantic ran a full page ad for the show in the Calendar section of the LA Times weeks in advance that used a promo photo of the new lineup. Unless someone didn't see that (everyone read the Calendar section of the LA Times back then), or didn't know what Jon Anderson and Rick Wakeman looked like they had no excuse for not knowing about the lineup change.

I guess I was also fortunate that Trevor's voice was still intact at that point because my memory is that the show was amazing and the audience all went home happy.

I had also the chance of seeing them during the Drama tour: Landover Maryland - September 11, 1980 and very well aware of the lineup changes. Excellent show and very well received by a happy audience too.

[gearHed289]

there wasn't any bait and switch for me. Atlantic ran a full page ad for the show in the Calendar section of the LA Times weeks in advance that used a promo photo of the new lineup.

I remember a large photo in the Tribune here, but that was after we got our tickets. 16th row BTW.

When I saw a picture of Trevor Horn my first thought was please tell me you are shitting me, this can't be the replacement for Jon Anderson.

I didn't know which was the new singer, and I was thinking "please don't let it be the guy with the glasses!"

[taliesin]

I thought that was the theme we were going with: Trevor saves amateurs.

Sorry my bad - hadn't picked up on that so thought you were serious.

I'll show myself out...

[fiberman]

I saw them at the Spectrum in Philly, i knew of the changes, and from around the third row of an in the round concert I thought it was terrific. Back in the day you didn't see Yes or anybody else every day, if you know what I'm saying. Every concert in those days was special.

[Steve983]

I wonder how long before they re release From A Page with Trevor Horn's vocals on?

[Jubal]

Both versions have their merits are a worth having.

Unfortunately for those across the big pond, it's about 26.00 for a mini-album, plus at least 10.00 for shipping and taxes from the UK. Then there is the 3 week wait for delivery. Maybe they will eventually release it on digital here in the U.S.A.

[aith01]

I wonder how long before they re release From A Page with Trevor Horn's vocals on?

Since Trevor Horn didn't write any of that music -- unlike the Fly From Here suite (which was the bulk of FFH) -- that seems highly unlikely.

[yamishogun]

Since Trevor Horn didn't write any of that music -- unlike the Fly From Here suite (which was the bulk of FFH) -- that seems highly unlikely.

Oh, you don't know Trevor Horn! He have to Revisit that EP next spring.

[Mister Triscuits]

I remember reading in the calendar section before the gig was announced that Anderson and Wakeman had left the band and were to be replaced by the Buggles guys.

Yep, an item headed "The Answer on Yes Is Yes" in the same column as a review of the previous night's Genesis concert, so that would have been in May, well in advance of the show. I was at the San Diego show and remember Trevor Horn being really shaky on pitch and utterly unable to nail the high notes, but no audience hostility.

[JJ88]

On the Classic Artists DVD, ISTR Phil Carson claimed that the tour was already pre-sold before the line-up changes were announced. I have often wondered whether this was one of those 'print the legend' things.

FWIW there's no heckling or anything audible on the Boston recording- the performance is well received. But Steve Howe has said the problems started on the subsequent UK tour. (Worth noting though that Drama itself sold very well in the UK.)