New Levin, Torn, White Interview- (New Yes album info too)

[Sean]

Here's today's chat with Levin, Torn and White, for any of you that missed the live stream.



**For Episode #61 we catch up with Tony Levin, David Torn & Alan White to discuss their current doings and the reissue of their 2011 self titled album on vinyl. We are joined by their producer, Scott Schorr, who gives us the details on how the album was created, insight into some song titles, and where to get it now. Alan fills us in on the new Yes album, which has reached the mixing phase. He shares some info on who did the writing and what styles it touches upon. The guys share a number of great stories too. Like Tony playing with the hot tempered Buddy Rich. Or David being woke at 6AM by another David....Mr Bowie. Or Alan hearing Yoko Ono sing for the first time. Tony and Alan share memories of Yes' Union album that they both appeared on and Alan reminisces about the tour and sharing stage space with Bill Bruford. David also recalls working on Jeff Beck's Jeff album and the Grammy winning song they collaborated on. Scott fills us in on the new album he just completed with Mike Keneally too, MFTJ's "My Mom is getting a horse". Tony shares a bit of an update on the eventual next Peter Gabriel album too.

[Sean]

So, in short, the new Yes album....

*Mostly written by Howe and Davison (Davison was in England for awhile collaborating with Steve)
*Possible song called "Ice Bridges"
*No long epics "we're getting too old to play that long!", most are around 5 to 7 minutes.
*Some is commercial, some is "weird"
*Alan tracked drums and the album is in the mixing phase
*Hopefully it will be out by Summer
*"Every Yes album is different and so is this" makes me think they know what mistakes they made on Heaven and Earth to avoid this time, fingers crossed.

[mozo-pg]

Hmm....

[julioscissors]

Interesting that Geddy - according to Alan - refused to play bass to Owner of a Lonely Heart during the Rock and Roll HOF performance. I had to go back and watch it and sure enough there's ol' Steve playing the Rick. Rabin must have been chuckling inside lol

Was a good performance of that song; Jon sounded great as always.

[ThomasKDye]

So, in short, the new Yes album....

*Mostly written by Howe and Davison (Davison was in England for awhile collaborating with Steve)
*Possible song called "Ice Bridges"
*No long epics "we're getting too old to play that long!", most are around 5 to 7 minutes.
*Some is commercial, some is "weird"
*Alan tracked drums and the album is in the mixing phase
*Hopefully it will be out by Summer
*"Every Yes album is different and so is this" makes me think they know what mistakes they made on Heaven and Earth to avoid this time, fingers crossed.

Thank you very much for this interview, Sean, it was great and had great questions.

I won't lie... Alan White seems very frail here. I hope he's doing okay.

[Top Cat]

I need to go back and hear what Tony has to say about a future PG album. To me it seemed he has tapped in to his creativity to the max and just needed time to recharge and perhaps tap into that Peter part of his brain that sees and hears things a bit ahead of everyone else.
Re-doing his music with a tour with Sting and another time an orchestra and the Back to Front thing didn't do much for me.

I found it interesting how Scott left the US because of the music industry, and it's cool he's landed in Australia. They are definitely a country that have had some great music coming out of, IceHouse and Unitopia to name a few.

Alan seems to be enjoying semi-retirement, and I think the down time from touring will help him a lot after the physical issues and medical procedures he's had, time to heal without the stress of constant touring.
Interesting how he described a lot of the new album as commercial songs, with some quite different songs. Where else will you hear a musician refer to 5-7 minute long songs as short.

Great interview Sean.

[bondegezou]

Another great interview, Sean, and quite a Yes scoop.

I've transcribed the key White quotes at http://www.bondegezou.co.uk/wnyesm.htm#nexta

Henry

[Crawford Glissadevil]

Thanks for the interview, Sean!
I cherish that 2011 Tony Levin, David Torn & Alan White album. It's intense and showcases White's best drumming of the 2000's. Levin was digging Sleepytime Gorilla Museum right before the threesome wrote the album.

https://levintornwhite.bandcamp.com/...vin-torn-white

[bondegezou]

It's intense and showcases White's best drumming of the 2000's

Best since at least 1987.

Henry

[MudShark22]

Best since at least 1987.

Henry

word

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[miamiscot]

Oh no. How to make Heaven And Earth even worse? Replace Squire with Sherwood. Not looking forward to this. At all. But I'll still buy it. Duh.

[bondegezou]

White said of the album, "It's different, yet again. A lot of Yes albums are totally different from the last one". So I'm not expecting something too like H&E.

Henry

[Steve983]

White said of the album, "It's different, yet again. A lot of Yes albums are totally different from the last one". So I'm not expecting something too like H&E.

Henry

I imagine it will sound very much like H&E but missing Squire's bottom end as it were. Let's hope some of the bad songs are left out this time though, they couldn't use the excuse of being rushed this time around.

[Top Cat]

White also said the songs are mostly written by Steve and Jon D.
Maybe I missed something, but does Jon D really have much out there from pre Yes days, or anytime for that matter which showcase his solo writing ability?
This concerns me a bit, perhaps they should've done a Kansas thing and had some songs from outside writers.
What happened to Geoff? he's got a wonderful gift for writing memorable melody's and hooks in my opinion.

I know the new Arc album is co written between Billy Sherwood and Jon D, but in the examples we've been given, I mostly heard Billy's imprint on the songs, and very little of something different(unless Jon D's is mostly lyrics).

[julioscissors]

Maybe I missed something, but does Jon D really have much out there from pre Yes days, or anytime for that matter which showcase his solo writing ability?

He wrote "Dear Daddy" and "Salvation Station" for Glass Hammer on their Cor Coridium album. Both excellent tunes, I was disappointed there weren't songs like this on Heaven and Earth.

[Dave (in MA)]

When Levin/Torn/White was followed in short order by Levin/Minnemann/Rudess, I wondered if we were going to be treated to a series of Levin/X/Y releases. We got one more L/M/R release, but that was that.

[taliesin]

When Levin/Torn/White was followed in short order by Levin/Minnemann/Rudess, I wondered if we were going to be treated to a series of Levin/X/Y releases. We got one more L/M/R release, but that was that.

There is also the Bucket List with Keaggy and Marotta - it doesn’t have as many notes but I love the atmosphere of it.

[MudShark22]

didn't know of that one.....thanks!

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[Dave (in MA)]

There is also the Bucket List with Keaggy and Marotta - it doesn’t have as many notes but I love the atmosphere of it.

I'll have to check that out. I was thinking of the stuff that Scott Schorr was involved with on Lazybones.

[taliesin]

I'll have to check that out. I was thinking of the stuff that Scott Schorr was involved with on Lazybones.

Yes fair enough - as I said it definitely has a different approach but I've been listening to it regularly since I got it.

[Bruno Sampaio Barbosa]

Honestly, I expected an album with a capable, engaged and stimulating producer. An Album remotely recorded and composed through the internet does not excite me. What worries me most is that Billy probably took care of assembling and mixing everything, and everything that goes through his hands sounds the same: no punch, not organic, just a pasteurized, insipid and flat sound. All of his solo albums, projects and bands sounds the same. I don't like his audio engineering style. I definitely don't want this kind of sound for a Yes album.
Despite all the shortcomings of the album "Heaven & Earth" with producer Roy Thomas Baker, it would be a much less weak album if it didn't have Billy Sherwood as a mixer.

[Kcrimso]

Honestly, I expected an album with a capable, engaged and stimulating producer. An Album remotely recorded and composed through the internet does not excite me. What worries me most is that Billy probably took care of assembling and mixing everything, and everything that goes through his hands sounds the same: no punch, not organic, just a pasteurized, insipid and flat sound. All of his solo albums, projects and bands sounds the same. I don't like his audio engineering style. I definitely don't want this king of sound for a Yes album.

This. Sherwood should never be allowed to even go near the mixing desk.

[Nashorn]

There is also the Bucket List with Keaggy and Marotta - it doesn’t have as many notes but I love the atmosphere of it.

Before Levin/Torn/White there was Bozzio/Levin/Stevens.

[Sean]

Would love to chat with them too!

[bondegezou]

He wrote "Dear Daddy" and "Salvation Station" for Glass Hammer on their Cor Coridium album. Both excellent tunes, I was disappointed there weren't songs like this on Heaven and Earth.

http://relayer35.com/Yescography/jondavison.htm has a Jon Davison discography. He also wrote a bit for the prior GH album If, but has no writing credits on any of his subsequent GH appearances.

He has lots of writing credits in Sky Cries Mary, but they're everyone-in-the-group-gets-to-be-a-credited-cowriter things and I don't know what his input actually was. He has a similar credit on The Birds of Satan album.

Henry