Arc Of Life, new band featuring Davison, Schellen, Sherwood, Kerzner and Haun

[Paulrus]

...but as he's written, he should be more involved in the next album.

You're more optimistic than me.

[Splicer]

Indeed. Compared to Arc Of Life Wilson's album is a masterpiece.

At least Wilson is genuinely arrogant.

[aith01]

At least Wilson is genuinely arrogant.

Hmm... no, I don’t think so.

[Splicer]

I'm listening to the album right now. The first song was OK. Song #2, "Talking with Siri", is sh*t. If it's supposed to be tongue-in-cheek then it doesn't quite come across because the humor is obvious at best. If it's meant to be social commentary, then it is actually sh*t.

[Squids]

I wouldn't worry too much about Squids, as a musician you have to develop tough skin from negativity and people not liking your work.
That being said(and I'm not accusing anyone here), there is a big difference between making comments about not liking something, and pure nastiness. We see the later on the internet far too often.
If someone bought something, or is a fan and they feel the latest project isn't what they like or expect, then it's fair game for criticism, especiallly if you've spent money on it.

Squids has repeatedly said, he wasn't involved in the writing, and from what I've heard his keyboard parts are low in the mix, which for us fans of Dave is disappointing, but as he's written, he should be more involved in the next album.

There are people who like this, and that's fine, that doesn't make them stupid or blind sheep. Music is subjective and everyone is different and we all like different stuff.

Squids have thick skin. Haha. Just reading this now. Thanks for the kind words guys... at least regarding me and a few others. I understand this album or Billy's production and mixing may not be everyone's cup of tea. Please just remember that it's subjective and there are plenty of people who are enjoying it as well. Same as TFB album. To each their own I say.

Now, as for me, I think it's obvious from listening to albums I've produced/co-produced and written that my style is different whether it's Sound of Contact, In Continuum or my solo work, there's a certain approach sonically and musically that I like. That's when I'm at the helm. In this band, at least on this debut album it's the smallest amount of creative involvement I've ever had on anything I've been part of. I was the last person added to the line up after the songs were already written. But, it was an honor to be invited to be part of it. I've always loved working with Billy and Jon. Every time I've had them guest on my albums or in my live shows they've given me gold. Same thing with Jay when Fernando Perdomo and I produced that Yesterday and Today 50th Anniversary Tribute to Yes. I met Jimmy for the first time through this project and he's an instant brother too.

I have a feeling this line up can be really good live playing all sorts of songs from various catalogs including some classic Yes (either some rarely heard live tracks or a medley or anything I'm totally up for it!). I look forward to when that can happen and yeah I also look forward to an opportunity to contribute what I can offer creatively to the next album as well. Although I am already co-writing new music with Jon D for another project anyway and I have many unreleased tracks with Billy that will be finished and put out this year.

Anyway, I'll see some of you tonight on Sean's awesome SOAL Night Live! The whole band Arc of Life will be on Zoom with him this evening at 10pm EST. Although Jon told me where he is he might not have the best wifi access so he'll do his best. Billy, Jay, Jimmy and myself will be there.

[bondegezou]

I'm listening to the album right now. The first song was OK. Song #2, "Talking with Siri", is sh*t. If it's supposed to be tongue-in-cheek then it doesn't quite come across because the humor is obvious at best. If it's meant to be social commentary, then it is actually sh*t.

I've never been that keen on Sherwood's social commentary. His strength is not generally in lyrics.

I'm on my second listen to the album. Albums can grown on one: check back with me in a few weeks. But... if you've heard Sherwood's solo albums, CIRCA:, Prog Collective, etc., then there are note progressions, phrasings, tones that sound very familiar. I think I'd enjoy more if I was less familiar with Sherwood's past work. And it does seem very much Sherwood's album: how much of this was from Davison? Maybe I'm just not picking up on Davison's contributions... There are some verses in "Locked Down" that sound like Davison's to me? Overall, it's middling, IMHO. There are parts that are nice. It gets better as the album goes on. F'rinstance, I'm on "Just in Sight" right now and Haun's got a lovely guitar solo in the middle, and the bass line under the verses is good; or Squids has a nice solo in "I Want to Know You Better", and Schellen is good on this bit that is just percussion and vocals. But then Sherwood's approach to producing the vocals is unappealing (as I've said before, compare how much better Sherwood sounds singing on Marcelo Paganini's Identity Crisis). The lyrics are so-so. There's lots of melodies and riffs that are nothing special. It's weaker than the last several things I've heard with Davison or Squids or Haun (details available on request)... it's weaker than the last 3 new albums I listened to with Sherwood on them. It should be better. A second album with lots of writing input from Haun and Kerzner -- and Squids producing! -- could be great.

Favourite track so far... possibly "Locked Down".

Henry

[Splicer]

I will say that the comparisons to Open Your Eyes and Heaven and Earth are apt - especially the former. They are indeed songs that exist on an album.

[ThomasKDye]

I will say that the comparisons to Open Your Eyes and Heaven and Earth are apt - especially the former. They are indeed songs that exist on an album.

This made me wonder... what are the songs I genuinely enjoy off each album?

Open Your Eyes:
"New State of Mind" - Big and 90125-ish, not bad
"Open Your Eyes" - Catchy and driving with some great guitar work from Steve
"Universal Garden" - I like the mellow psychedelic feel at the end
"The Solution" - Kind of a decent closer, I have a soft spot for the "Giving out! Giving in!" section
Everything else is either bad or unmemorable.

Heaven and Earth:
"Believe Again" - Nice chorus and the middle section is all right
"Subway Walls" - I love this one and will stand by it, especially the coda
The others are mostly mediocre, except for "In a World of Our Own," which is flat-out awful.

So I guess, for me, Open Your Eyes beats out Heaven and Earth, but they both stand as indifferently-completed projects that could have used much more effort to even remotly come CLOSE to the standard set by Yes from 1970-1984.

[Frumious B]

Open Your Eyes might as well have been an EP because I usually only play the first four songs and then bail at the start of “There’s No Way We Can Lose (Unless This Song Turns up on Shuffle)”. The only track I would really keep from Heaven & Earth is “The Game” and I would potentially welcome a Belle & Sebastian cover of “It Was All We Knew”. So there are more songs I like on Open Your Eyes, but I agree that Heaven & Earth is better sonically speaking, just because it sounds like human people with instruments, as someone else opined a few pages back.

[floyd umma gumma]

Open Your Eyes might as well have been an EP because I usually only play the first four songs and then bail at the start of “There’s No Way We Can Lose (Unless This Song Turns up on Shuffle)”. The only track I would really keep from Heaven & Earth is “The Game” and I would potentially welcome a Belle & Sebastian cover of “It Was All We Knew”. So there are more songs I like on Open Your Eyes, but I agree that Heaven & Earth is better sonically speaking, just because it sounds like human people with instruments, as someone else opined a few pages back.

I agree with the view that H&E sounds better, but also agree with the view that it is lacking in memorable material. With regard to OYE, I think I thought a few of the songs were OK at the time of its release, but as I look through the tracklisting now, I don't think there is anything on it that I would want to hear again.

[luvyesmusic]

Ah, the joys of being a YES-fan and reading many of the same folks, on various forums, politely and not so politely, explaining just how much YES suck; usually without Jon Anderson. Never seems to get old for some folks. ;-)

[Progatron]

many of the same folks, on various forums, politely and not so politely, explaining just how much YES suck; usually without Jon Anderson. Never seems to get old for some folks. ;-)

To be fair, neither does the unceasing praise.

[Sean]

Here's this weekend's chat with the Arc guys. Jon Davison was tied up in Barbados, btw. **For Episode #67 we catch up with the new Yes offshoot group, Arc Of Life. Billy Sherwood, Jay Schellen, Jimmy Haun and Dave Kerzner drop by to discuss their new self titled album. First, we catch up on what each have been working on as of late. Later we discuss the genesis of the AoL band, the songs, the band's name and artwork. Billy shares details on arranging and writing. Thoughts on playing live and writing for the next album are included too. Other topics come up as well... Jimmy Haun playing on Yes' Union album. Details on the future of Asia and Circa. Memories of Yes and Chris Squire and The Experiment. And more... The guys were tight lipped about the new Yes album, so don't look for details on that one here, other than Billy is "pleased" with it.

[bondegezou]

Here's this weekend's chat with the Arc guys. Jon Davison was tied up in Barbados, btw.

How terrible for him!

Henry

[Kcrimso]

The guys were tight lipped about the new Yes album, so don't look for details on that one here, other than Billy is "pleased" with it.

Well, that's a relief. Billy is pleased.

[luvyesmusic]

To be fair, neither does the unceasing praise.

I think the vast majority of folks/fans are grounded and can avknowledge the good and the bad, and yes, even the very bad. Most folks on this planet don't know of, or couldn't give a flying cluck about any of this music, or history of the band, or who is in it. The vast majority of one time YES-fans appreciation and expenditure curve was short-lived, they are old, dead, or reality took over fandom.

Astonishing how long this ride has lasted for me, despite getting off this ride several times, trying and loving so many other "carnavel-music acts". People keep slaping on new paint, lubing the moving parts, repairing and replacing parts, when "it" has been open for buiseness, in one form or another. I've been okay with that for others, and myself when I've been interested. The YES-offshoot rides continue to surprise me and give me joy in all varying forms of degrees, as do the old and new friends I have met a long the way. What's not in any so-called YESfan-pissing match or question are the discussions i
that this collection of one time younger experimental musicians, who somehow landed a major record contract prior to little or no original songs wrote and produced most of their best and most defining works sometime during a small period of time during thr very early seventies.

"YES", in whatever collection, configuration, context or as an individual musician or singer you favor, it is actually a compliment that while many folks still talk about them, buy albums and go to shows, their legacy for a wide-range/generations of folks is without question. The fact that as long as it/they has been around, only one prominant, well-known musician. ( two in total with one playing a couple of gigs only back in the very early days ) are still breathing. It's also quite something the extremes of what many fans favor more. It shouldn't be any question or dispute given decades of material, but I'm talking extremes of loving Owner only, versus the classics.What do those "Owner-folks" know anyway? ;-)

"YES" with their long histories, ( we can't really define any of these individuals, or shouldn't by their stints within the entities known as YES/YES' ) have been and are a reflection of every changing life, if you have lived long enough. I'm okay with that.

[Top Cat]

I think it's important to recognize the divide between discussing Yes or a new Yes album, and a new band with Yes members and Yes contributors.
Why must there be a comparison, this is a totally different project and is, I assume meant to express themselves musically with other musicians who they have worked with before.
To me, it's no different than when Geoff Downes, Carl Palmer, John Wetton and Steve Howe formed Asia. Their sound is pretty much different than King Crimson, Yes or ELP.
Yes, you know what to expect vocally from John Wetton, or the style and sound Steve's guitar, but the Asia material was pretty far from their band's music.

If anything I hear a strong Billy influence, perhaps a bit of Circa, but nothing remotely close to Yes from the songs I've heard. This is NOT a Yes album!
So why are folks lamenting the fact they don't hear Yes. If it's not your cup of tea, I understand, cause it's not one I'll be picking up, although I love and respect the talent of each person in AOL.

As it's been suggested here, pick up something else with your money, and walk away from AOL, or even care about them.

If you don't mind to please indulge me for a moment and if you're a Yes fan, watch this video(it popped up in my YT suggestions panel the other day). It is to me, one of the best versions of Siberian Khatru I have ever heard(and to me surpasses anything I've heard from Yes in like forever) The Band Geeks obviously know the passion of Yes fans, because they felt it necessary to post a "before you watch, please read this" statement. lol
Hope you enjoy it.

[moecurlythanu]

The Band Geeks obviously know the passion of Yes fans, because they felt it necessary to post a "before you watch, please read this" statement. lol
]

Hilarious!

[Kcrimso]

I haven’t seen anyone lamenting that Arc Of Life doesn’t sound like Yes.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[moecurlythanu]

I haven’t seen anyone lamenting that Arc Of Life doesn’t sound like Yes.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

True, but I have seen some lamenting that Yes doesn't sound like Yes.

[bondegezou]

The Band Geeks obviously know the passion of Yes fans, because they felt it necessary to post a "before you watch, please read this" statement. lol

The bigger note is about them wearing masks ("This is by no means a political statement or an invitation to debate the effectiveness of mask-wearing"), so I don't think that's about the passion of Yes fans, but a sad indictment of the collapse of American society and/or the evils of social media.

Henry

[Rarebird]

I think it's important to recognize the divide between discussing Yes or a new Yes album, and a new band with Yes members and Yes contributors.
Why must there be a comparison, this is a totally different project and is, I assume meant to express themselves musically with other musicians who they have worked with before.
To me, it's no different than when Geoff Downes, Carl Palmer, John Wetton and Steve Howe formed Asia. Their sound is pretty much different than King Crimson, Yes or ELP.
Yes, you know what to expect vocally from John Wetton, or the style and sound Steve's guitar, but the Asia material was pretty far from their band's music.

If anything I hear a strong Billy influence, perhaps a bit of Circa, but nothing remotely close to Yes from the songs I've heard. This is NOT a Yes album!
So why are folks lamenting the fact they don't hear Yes. If it's not your cup of tea, I understand, cause it's not one I'll be picking up, although I love and respect the talent of each person in AOL.

As it's been suggested here, pick up something else with your money, and walk away from AOL, or even care about them.

If you don't mind to please indulge me for a moment and if you're a Yes fan, watch this video(it popped up in my YT suggestions panel the other day). It is to me, one of the best versions of Siberian Khatru I have ever heard(and to me surpasses anything I've heard from Yes in like forever) The Band Geeks obviously know the passion of Yes fans, because they felt it necessary to post a "before you watch, please read this" statement. lol
Hope you enjoy it.

Great, the green sparkling cape and the other capes are a nice touch. Love the vocals.

[Top Cat]

Hilarious!

True, but I have seen some lamenting that Yes doesn't sound like Yes.

I haven’t seen anyone lamenting that Arc Of Life doesn’t sound like Yes.

We are on page 14..start at page 1 and work your way through the whole thread, buried deep somewhere in this thread, it's there, I'm sure it is. And some may take exception to the word lamenting, I stand by it, just like The Lamb Laments on Broadway song.

The bigger note is about them wearing masks ("This is by no means a political statement or an invitation to debate the effectiveness of mask-wearing"), so I don't think that's about the passion of Yes fans, but a sad indictment of the collapse of American society and/or the evils of social media.

Henry

I disagree Henry, I thought the need to write #2 is very telling and recognizes the danger of going into "oh my god, we changed a note in a Yes song" territory.
Band Geeks wrote"2. Yes... we know we changed the arrangement. The ultimate goal of this session was to create a backing track for my live stream shows, so we tailored the arrangement for that specific use. We also recorded the majority of this on a live stream and cutting out certain parts made that run smoother".

Great, the green sparkling cape and the other capes are a nice touch. Love the vocals.

Yes, I agree, I LOVE the vocals on this version.

[noisynoise]

The BAND GEEKS for the win, killing it as usual!

[Mstove]

The bigger note is about them wearing masks ("This is by no means a political statement or an invitation to debate the effectiveness of mask-wearing"), so I don't think that's about the passion of Yes fans, but a sad indictment of the collapse of American society and/or the evils of social media.

Henry

Yeah, I didn't think the note was much about the arrangement (though they did include that) but about the masks. Ridiculous that they had to do that, no matter what anyone's view is about masks, but as usual a really enjoyable effort from them.