New Yes album due around Sep/Oct; first photos?

[bondegezou]

Although the band, particularly Steve Howe, are being particularly secretive, we know we're getting close to a new Yes studio album. Sherwood spoke recently of a release around Sep/Oct of this year. A release through BMG Records, who did The Royal Affair Tour, is expected. "Rabin105" on Yesfans.com noticed this picture, https://www.curtisschwartzstudio.com...cfsuimxl9dmmxd , of Jon Davison in Sep 2020 at Curtis Schwartz's studio near London from what would appear to be recording sessions for the album. (Scroll along for some other pictures of Davison and Howe.) Schwartz has long engineered for Howe.

So what do we know? The band have been working on ideas for several years. Activity appears to have picked up in the latter half of 2019, but then they really got going when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, with the band members working remotely through file-sharing from March 2020 in lieu of cancelled touring. Howe has talked about a personal outburst of creativity at the end of 2019, after finishing writing his autobiography, that may have fueled subsequent Yes activity.

From around June to at least September 2020, Davison, Howe and Downes were recording together in or near London (possibly Schwartz's West Sussex studio). It's unclear how much they were able to work together: it seems there were sessions with Howe and Davison, possibly other sessions with Howe and Downes, and maybe sessions with all three. However, Sherwood and White recorded their parts separately in the US (White in LA in 2020). A second lockdown in the UK in Nov 2020 presumably put an end to the joint sessions. Further work appeared to go on into the first half of 2021, at least until Apr 2021. White said in January of this year that the album had been recorded, but Downes has indicated that there were some further sessions. It may be that the UK contingent were waiting for the third pandemic lockdown here to end so that they could meet up for final overdubs.

If the release date news is correct, I would guess they've finished recording by now. At the end of May, Davison described them as still working on the album, although working could mean mixing, art work discussions etc. We know Roger Dean is doing the cover.

Of course, the big question is what will the album actually be like? White has spoken most about this on a SOAL Night Live, saying they had 11 or 12 songs and revealing one track title as "The Ice Bridge". He said there weren't any epic pieces, talking instead of mainly 5-8 minutes pieces. White also said that Howe and Davison led on the writing, but that everyone has contributed. Downes may have been particularly involved too, and he singled out Howe as leading the project. White, Downes and Howe have all hinted that it won't sound like Heaven & Earth. White on SOAL Night Live said, "There's some more commercial kind of stuff on there. [...] But there's also a few [...] way out kind of stuff. It's a mixture." Downes said on the Yes Music Podcast that, "I think it will surprise people. I think it's going to be a [...] very interesting album. And I think the Yes fans are really going to like it." Sherwood has talked about honouring Squire's bass playing.

More details at http://www.bondegezou.co.uk/wnyesm.htm#nexta

Henry

[Jacob Holm-Lupo]

The non-committal description from Downes doesn't sound particularly promising - some commercial stuff, some other stuff, a mixture. Sounds like more of what we have been disappointed by. On the other hand they MUST have taken some of the massive criticism against H&E to heart, so I guess there's always some vague hope that they cranked their ambitions up a bit. Anyway, not working with Roy Thomas Baker again is in itself proof that the album will be SOME degrees better than H&E.

[bondegezou]

I think the one thing we do know is that they don't want it to be like Heaven & Earth. Howe is running the show and he's been very critical of H&E. Downes did an interview in October in which he talked about H&E's limitations and put the new album in contrast to that. Sherwood said, "Each [Yes] album is different than the last and the same thing can be said here." White said on SOAL Night Live, "A lot of Yes albums are totally different from the last one and this one's different yet again."

That doesn't answer the question of what the album will be like. It's also very hard to parse what musicians mean about projects until you hear them. I think I recall one of the band members describing Fly from Here as like a cross between Close to the Edge and 90125 before its release and... well, in retrospect, you can kind of understand what they mean, but I don't think you could have extrapolated what FfH would be like from that quote! There's a quote from Wakeman where he describes Tormato before its release as "a 1978 version of 'The Yes Album'--'Fragile' era. [...] The basic difference between this album and every other Yes album is in the diversity of rhythms." Is that how you would describe Tormato?

Henry

[Jacob Holm-Lupo]

"a 1978 version of 'The Yes Album'--'Fragile' era. [...] The basic difference between this album and every other Yes album is in the diversity of rhythms." Is that how you would describe Tormato?

That is an interesting and baffling description, for sure!

[Interstellar]

Well, Downes' description is not exciting indeed, but in a way it doesn't raise expectations too high, which may be a good thing in the end.
There will probably be more inviting and enthusiastic-sounding words from the band and record company when the album is officially announced.
At least they're not promoting it as the the next Close To The Edge (well, not yet).

[3LockBox]

I'm sure it'll be a nice, polite and sedate album that elderly gentlemen would make.

[Impman]

I think I recall one of the band members describing Fly from Here as like a cross between Close to the Edge and 90125 before its release and... well, in retrospect, you can kind of understand what they mean, but I don't think you could have extrapolated what FfH would be like from that quote! There's a quote from Wakeman where he describes Tormato before its release as "a 1978 version of 'The Yes Album'--'Fragile' era. [...] The basic difference between this album and every other Yes album is in the diversity of rhythms." Is that how you would describe Tormato?

Remember when Anderson called Union "a revisitation of Fragile" in Yes Magazine? Good times.

[Scott Bails]

I'm sure it'll be a nice, polite and sedate album that elderly gentlemen would make.

This is what I'm expecting. Though, hopefully not as sedate as H&E.

[bondegezou]

Remember when Anderson called Union "a revisitation of Fragile" in Yes Magazine? Good times.

Again, in hindsight, you can kind of see what he was getting at: there are some longer pieces, some shorter pieces, but no epics; there are more songs, there are "solo" pieces. "Mood for a Day" becomes "Masquerade". "5% for Nothing" becomes "Evensong". "We have Heaven" becomes "Angkor Wat". "I Would Have Waited Forever" is "Roundabout". "Heart of the Sunrise" becomes "Miracle of Life". I mean, it's nonsense, but you can see a reason.

Henry

[Koreabruce]

Again, in hindsight, you can kind of see what he was getting at: there are some longer pieces, some shorter pieces, but no epics; there are more songs, there are "solo" pieces. "Mood for a Day" becomes "Masquerade". "5% for Nothing" becomes "Evensong". "We have Heaven" becomes "Angkor Wat". "I Would Have Waited Forever" is "Roundabout". "Heart of the Sunrise" becomes "Miracle of Life". I mean, it's nonsense, but you can see a reason.

Henry

Posts like these are why we like you so much, Henry.

[mozo-pg]

Glad to hear that band has the drive to create new music. It's great that Steve is leading with input from Downes (and Davi, son). I'm not too concerned about the epics, I just wants decent music. This is exciting news! I'll wait for the reviews before purchasing but regardless I will likely buy it.

[Impman]

I mean, it's nonsense, but you can see a reason.

The reason is attempting some unabashed shilling of an inferior project. Nonsense, indeed.

[Progatron]

I often forget which pieces were on Fragile and which on Union.

[M Sary]

I wonder if there will be any drum fills.

[arturs]

I am 54 years old. I've been a hardcore Yes fan for 40+ of those years. And hearing the news about a new Yes album "coming out soon" excites me just as much today as it did when I heard 90125 was "coming out soon" in 1983, Talk in 1994 or the Ladder in 1999.

I have been pleased a few times, and disappointed many times, but it appears I'll never give up hoping for that one final classic Yes album to emerge from the ether.

[Interstellar]

I hope the new album will have some kind of liveliness. I'm not expecting much more than a "nice, polite and sedate" album as 3LockBox wrote, but a little spark, a little sense of freshness and adventure would be welcome. And a few drums fills, yes.

[miamiscot]

Heaven & Earth Part 2 but way worse because it's Sherwood instead of Squire? I'll buy it but my expectations could not be any lower. I thought The Arc Of Life was supposed to scratch that pop itch...

[Steve983]

Heaven & Earth Part 2 but way worse because it's Sherwood instead of Squire? I'll buy it but my expectations could not be any lower. I thought The Arc Of Life was supposed to scratch that pop itch...

Yep, Yes have disappointed me so many times that I can't get too excited, I'd like to like it for sure but will listen before I buy. Remember, Steve Howe was jointly responsible for some of the worst tracks on H&E. On the plus side though, for this one they've been able to spend tons of time on it which was one of the main problems on H&E.

[bondegezou]

Heaven & Earth Part 2 but way worse because it's Sherwood instead of Squire? I'll buy it but my expectations could not be any lower. I thought The Arc Of Life was supposed to scratch that pop itch...

On the one hand, sequential Yes albums do often sound somewhat alike. Time and a Word is similar to Yes. Close to the Edge sounds like a progression from Fragile. Big Generator is very like 90125. On the other hand, sometimes sequential Yes albums sound very different. Drama is little like Tormato. We went from Keys to Ascension 2 to Open Your Eyes to The Ladder. So, there's an argument there that the new album might be somewhat like H&E, but not necessarily so.

However, sequential Yes albums are not usually 7 years apart. Yes albums 7 years apart have usually sounded very different. Compare Yes to Relayer, or Going for the One to 90125! I know Heaven & Earth was the previous Yes studio album, but I'd be cautious in presuming that means it will be a model for the new release. Indeed, Yes have kinda released two studio albums since H&E in Return Trip and From a Page! OK, both of those were mostly older recordings (Howe and Downes did do some new recordings for FFH:RT, as well as of course Horn), but I think they stand as some kind of statement of what quality standards the band has for 'new' material.

More importantly, the band members have explicitly said the album will be different to H&E. Of course, what they think is different may not sound different to our ears! It seems to me that more likely predictors of what the new album will be like are Howe's Love Is (with Davison) or maybe DBA's Halcyon Hymns. Or maybe, but hopefully not, Arc of Life...

Of course, all this will be moot as soon as we get to hear the new album! It will be what it will be.

Henry

[mozo-pg]

I hope the new album is indeed different from Heaven and Earth. This is the only Yes album I didn't by since the start of their catalog because the reviews were so uniformly negative.

[bondegezou]

I hope the new album is indeed different from Heaven and Earth. This is the only Yes album I didn't by since the start of their catalog because the reviews were so uniformly negative.

H&E is oddly not available on streaming... perhaps for the best! Return Trip and From a Page both are now.

Personally, I think half of H&E is good stuff... it's just the other half is terrible.

Henry

[julioscissors]

My main concern is that Davison and Howe are leading the writing. I was very bullish on Davison's writing based on what I'd heard of his with Glass Hammer, but he didn't deliver material of that quality on H&E.

I was hoping Billy would be more involved because I felt there were some promising moments on Arc of Life.

Hopefully they'll deliver something worth the wait. I'm curious who they're using as a producer.

[bondegezou]

It looks as though the producer or co-producer may be Curtis Schwartz, who's long worked with Howe. Schwartz says on Facebook that they finished the album (seemingly meaning mixing) on 15 April. It's in the can.

Schwartz's photos make this look like an album made by him, Howe, Davison and Downes, but we do know Sherwood and White have recorded the bass and drums, and both have contributed to writing, they say.

Henry

[Digital_Man]

I hope the new album is indeed different from Heaven and Earth. This is the only Yes album I didn't by since the start of their catalog because the reviews were so uniformly negative.

You bought the very first Yes album when it first came out?

That's kind of like me in that it's the first one I didn't buy because of the negative reviews. I might buy it at some point anyway though.

[dropforge]

I wonder if there will be any drum fills.