New YES album "The Quest" out 1 Oct

[bondegezou]

I remember having a couple of boot tapes back in the early 90s from the Chris Squire Experiment tour, long before Conspiracy. I think I got them through a connection at the Notes From The Edge digest. Some of that material actually sounded quite good - better, if I remember rightly, than it did in its final versions on Open Your Eyes and Conspiracy.

There are several recordings on DimeADozen. I think every or almost every night of the tour has a boot, although sound quality is often so-so. Yes, I agree, some of the material worked better live, like "Lonesome Trail". They stretched out a bit live, or maybe they condensed for the album recording.

Henry

[Aquatarkus]

It's the only material they brought together, and the only material that Howe seems to have brought (it's his music, with Anderson's vocal lines on top). But Anderson also brought "Somehow, Someday", a re-working of "Boundaries" from Animation. He was more involved in putting the album together than Howe, so he may have had some input on the various tracks Sherwood brought, like "Wonderlove" etc.?

Henry

Interesting! I've always wondered to some degree how Open Your Eyes came together. I remember being very surprised at the content released less than a year after Keys to Ascension 2. I can remember checking the then-new Yesworld website for news and being disappointed to learn that Wakeman had left yet again and there would be no tour behind the Keys studio material. It sounds like Steve Howe maybe checked out for a time too, if he brought so little to the sessions? I don't remember at the time being aware of a Chris Squire project with Billy Sherwood previous to this.

[Progatron]

Interesting! I've always wondered to some degree how Open Your Eyes came together. I remember being very surprised at the content released less than a year after Keys to Ascension 2. I can remember checking the then-new Yesworld website for news and being disappointed to learn that Wakeman had left yet again and there would be no tour behind the Keys studio material. It sounds like Steve Howe maybe checked out for a time too, if he brought so little to the sessions? I don't remember at the time being aware of a Chris Squire project with Billy Sherwood previous to this.

Squire and Sherwood had been writing together and took their material out to road-test it for a smaller, more stripped-down affair following the monster Union tour (or was it in between legs? I don't remember now). Songs like Wish I Knew (which became Open Your Eyes), Lonesome Trail, The More We Live, etc.

At the time, I remember Squire saying he wanted to finally do a second solo album (he said that at numerous points though), but I guess in the end it became the Conspiracy project, complete with heavily processed Sherwood choruses. That (and Open Your Eyes) was a bit on the slick side for my tastes, but some of the material - pop-oriented or not - had promise back in '92. IMO.



Oh, and yes, it was a disappointing and confusing time when Open Your Eyes appeared so quickly after Keys 2 (which I loved). Strange times...

[Gravedigger]

It sounds like Steve Howe maybe checked out for a time too,

I seem to remember references to Rabin being asked to re-join, but I thought that was later... mid-2000s, maybe?
I'm sure Henry can answer that.

[happytheman]

There are several recordings on DimeADozen. I think every or almost every night of the tour has a boot, although sound quality is often so-so. Yes, I agree, some of the material worked better live, like "Lonesome Trail". They stretched out a bit live, or maybe they condensed for the album recording.

Henry

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MKljT8Dpk0 Not sure if this link is still working..

[bondegezou]

Interesting! I've always wondered to some degree how Open Your Eyes came together. I remember being very surprised at the content released less than a year after Keys to Ascension 2. I can remember checking the then-new Yesworld website for news and being disappointed to learn that Wakeman had left yet again and there would be no tour behind the Keys studio material. It sounds like Steve Howe maybe checked out for a time too, if he brought so little to the sessions? I don't remember at the time being aware of a Chris Squire project with Billy Sherwood previous to this.

Squire and Sherwood had been writing together and took their material out to road-test it for a smaller, more stripped-down affair following the monster Union tour (or was it in between legs? I don't remember now). Songs like Wish I Knew (which became Open Your Eyes), Lonesome Trail, The More We Live, etc.

At the time, I remember Squire saying he wanted to finally do a second solo album (he said that at numerous points though), but I guess in the end it became the Conspiracy project, complete with heavily processed Sherwood choruses. That (and Open Your Eyes) was a bit on the slick side for my tastes, but some of the material - pop-oriented or not - had promise back in '92. IMO.

I seem to remember references to Rabin being asked to re-join, but I thought that was later... mid-2000s, maybe?
I'm sure Henry can answer that.

Open Your Eyes is a bit of a weird time... although it's Yes, it always seem a bit of a weird time.

OK, yes, let's go back nearly a decade. Squire meets Sherwood and they hit it off. They start writing together. Squire wants Sherwood in Yes to replace Anderson, which doesn't happen, but they soon have a good chunk of material and they tour that as the Chris Squire Experiment at the beginning of the '90s. Squire does interviews talking about doing a second solo album, a follow-up to Fish Out of Water: this is the material he's referring to. Meanwhile, the Yes story moves on: Union, Talk, Keys to Ascension, Keys to Ascension 2. Work on turning the Chris Squire Experiment material into an album goes slowly, although a few tracks turn up on Union, YesYears and the second World Trade album. Squire can be slow... and too much partying and drugs isn't helping. But by the late '90s, an album is ready: it is to be called Chemistry and to be released as by the Chris Squire Experiment.

Everything seemed to be going well with Yes with the Keys to Ascension 2 studio sessions, but then rapidly fell apart. The band switch management, they seem to fall out with the label behind the Keys releases. A tour is planned, but there's been a miscommunication and Wakeman has clashing solo dates. I think there was more going on, but whichever Wakeman is out. At this point, Sherwood, who had co-produced the KtA2 studio sessions, said he felt Yes was falling apart around him and so he suggested to Squire that they start on some new material to rescue the band. Anderson and White enthusiastically join in, and, voilà, OYE comes together, mainly written by Sherwood.

This all strikes me as odd. I don't understand why there was any urgency to get Yes working on new material. KtA2 hadn't even come out, they had a whole album in the can. The rumour at the time was that the new management/label wanted an album of their own, and rushed Yes into the studio, but Sherwood denies that. What we do know is that the label heard Chemistry and wanted to use the song "Open Your Eyes" from that on the new Yes album. "Man in the Moon" also came from there.

So, Sherwood, Squire, Anderson and White are working on a project. Howe is the band's guitarist and is asked to be involved, but he's less impressed by the ideas going around and is reluctant. Meanwhile, the band is without a keyboardist. So Sherwood is recording guitar and keys for the material. Squire and Anderson do try and coax Rabin back, but Rabin says no. Howe eventually is persuaded to engage, and comes to add a few guitar parts. He noodles on "From the Balcony" one day, Anderson loves it and adds vocals to make that song. Late in the day, Khoroshev is recruited and there's just time to add him to a few songs. Howe gives up one of his solos so Khoroshev can have a solo instead.

Chemistry has now lost two songs and is delayed further. They eventually get back to it and it gets released under a new name, Conspiracy, but now as by Chris Squire & Billy Sherwood.

Henry

[battema]

Full honesty, I very very much prefer hearing all the stories behind albums like OYE, as opposed to listening to albums like OYE

[Gravedigger]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Agreed.

[bondegezou]

One thing I respect about Squire is that when he had a new project, he went out and supported it. He didn't do a set full of Yes songs. He did a set of material that hadn't had any release at that point + just "Whitefish". (Reportedly, they did "Long Distance Runaround" at one show.)

Henry

[Aquatarkus]

Squire and Sherwood had been writing together and took their material out to road-test it for a smaller, more stripped-down affair following the monster Union tour (or was it in between legs? I don't remember now). Songs like Wish I Knew (which became Open Your Eyes), Lonesome Trail, The More We Live, etc.

At the time, I remember Squire saying he wanted to finally do a second solo album (he said that at numerous points though), but I guess in the end it became the Conspiracy project, complete with heavily processed Sherwood choruses. That (and Open Your Eyes) was a bit on the slick side for my tastes, but some of the material - pop-oriented or not - had promise back in '92. IMO.



Oh, and yes, it was a disappointing and confusing time when Open Your Eyes appeared so quickly after Keys 2 (which I loved). Strange times...

When I first heard Open Your Eyes I thought Rabin had rejoined! Some of the sounds reminded me of his playing. It's Sherwood's tendencies to over process elements of the music that has left me less than enthused for projects like Conspiracy and Circa. Arc of Life suffers from this too. Happily The Quest seems free of feeling over processed except for the overdone autotune on the song Sherwood shares lead vocal duties.

[BBTPassenger]

I'm not aware of any vagueness in the UK release date...? It is out in the UK. Retailers like Amazon have it in stock. Burning Shed appear to have run out of some formats, which may just be because of buoyant sales...? Don't know. Obviously, deliveries in the UK have been somewhat disrupted by the petrol shortages, driver shortages and other general failings of the current government.

Henry

I pre-ordered the album from Amazon a few days before the advertised release date, 1st October. Then I was informed that it would be available on 5th October. Then I learned it would arrive at some point between 23rd October and 26th November. Now they are talking about 'upstream distribution issues.' In plain English that means we have a government that couldn't run a whelk stall.

[Aquatarkus]

Open Your Eyes is a bit of a weird time... although it's Yes, it always seem a bit of a weird time.

OK, yes, let's go back nearly a decade. Squire meets Sherwood and they hit it off. They start writing together. Squire wants Sherwood in Yes to replace Anderson, which doesn't happen, but they soon have a good chunk of material and they tour that as the Chris Squire Experiment at the beginning of the '90s. Squire does interviews talking about doing a second solo album, a follow-up to Fish Out of Water: this is the material he's referring to. Meanwhile, the Yes story moves on: Union, Talk, Keys to Ascension, Keys to Ascension 2. Work on turning the Chris Squire Experiment material into an album goes slowly, although a few tracks turn up on Union, YesYears and the second World Trade album. Squire can be slow... and too much partying and drugs isn't helping. But by the late '90s, an album is ready: it is to be called Chemistry and to be released as by the Chris Squire Experiment.

Everything seemed to be going well with Yes with the Keys to Ascension 2 studio sessions, but then rapidly fell apart. The band switch management, they seem to fall out with the label behind the Keys releases. A tour is planned, but there's been a miscommunication and Wakeman has clashing solo dates. I think there was more going on, but whichever Wakeman is out. At this point, Sherwood, who had co-produced the KtA2 studio sessions, said he felt Yes was falling apart around him and so he suggested to Squire that they start on some new material to rescue the band. Anderson and White enthusiastically join in, and, voilà, OYE comes together, mainly written by Sherwood.

This all strikes me as odd. I don't understand why there was any urgency to get Yes working on new material. KtA2 hadn't even come out, they had a whole album in the can. The rumour at the time was that the new management/label wanted an album of their own, and rushed Yes into the studio, but Sherwood denies that. What we do know is that the label heard Chemistry and wanted to use the song "Open Your Eyes" from that on the new Yes album. "Man in the Moon" also came from there.

So, Sherwood, Squire, Anderson and White are working on a project. Howe is the band's guitarist and is asked to be involved, but he's less impressed by the ideas going around and is reluctant. Meanwhile, the band is without a keyboardist. So Sherwood is recording guitar and keys for the material. Squire and Anderson do try and coax Rabin back, but Rabin says no. Howe eventually is persuaded to engage, and comes to add a few guitar parts. He noodles on "From the Balcony" one day, Anderson loves it and adds vocals to make that song. Late in the day, Khoroshev is recruited and there's just time to add him to a few songs. Howe gives up one of his solos so Khoroshev can have a solo instead.

Chemistry has now lost two songs and is delayed further. They eventually get back to it and it gets released under a new name, Conspiracy, but now as by Chris Squire & Billy Sherwood.

Henry

What a wild, confusing time. I really appreciate your taking the time to relate this information as some of it is brand new to me. Cheers, Henry.

edit: I never knew that at one point Squire wanted Sherwood to replace Anderson or that they tried to coax Rabin back post Talk at some point in the 1990's. I've also never listened to the Conspiracy album. I think I confused Conspiracy and Circa in my mind and ended up ignoring both. Do both bands suffer from over processed vocals? I will give the Squire Sherwood album a listen in any regard.

[Sunlight Caller]

Open Your Eyes is a bit of a weird time... although it's Yes, it always seem a bit of a weird time.

It was certainly unexpected seeing it in the record shops so close to KTA2, but I approached it with a level of enthusiasm that I struggle to muster now. There are a fair few songs I would cross the street to avoid, but there are others that have stuck around in my head, and the title song is one. Overall in my memory it has more bite than the recent release, I haven’t played it in forever though. I did enjoy the tour, I think I went three nights in a row at Hammersmith, I wouldn’t find that energy or devotion now

[bondegezou]

I pre-ordered the album from Amazon a few days before the advertised release date, 1st October. Then I was informed that it would be available on 5th October. Then I learned it would arrive at some point between 23rd October and 26th November. Now they are talking about 'upstream distribution issues.' In plain English that means we have a government that couldn't run a whelk stall.

As far as I know, the delay in the CD in North America was a specific North American manufacturing problem. I'll see if I can find out whether "upstream distribution issues" relate to InsideOut/Sony, or just the general collapse of the UK's infrastructure.

Henry

[bondegezou]

edit: I never knew that at one point Squire wanted Sherwood to replace Anderson or that they tried to coax Rabin back post Talk at some point in the 1990's. I've also never listened to the Conspiracy album. I think I confused Conspiracy and Circa in my mind and ended up ignoring both. Do both bands suffer from over processed vocals? I will give the Squire Sherwood album a listen in any regard.

I think the first Conspiracy album, i.e. the one called Conspiracy, sounds OK, but the second, The Unknown, drifts more into that generic over-processed Sherwood sound. I also think the debut is much better music.

I think the debut CIRCA: album and Valley of the Windmill are the two best and overcome any production issues.

Henry

[bondegezou]

I did enjoy the tour, I think I went three nights in a row at Hammersmith, I wouldn’t find that energy or devotion now

Just two nights at Hammersmith! I went to both, but got mugged after the first one, then got to meet the band backstage after the second show sporting a massive black eye.

Henry

[Dan Roth]

Been some interesting comments on Facebook with this release. The trolls are out, of course. But Billy Sherwood has been hitting back. Here is an exchange between Ultimate NoJonNoYes Troll Van Epperson and Billy:

[ThomasKDye]

Been some interesting comments on Facebook with this release. The trolls are out, of course. But Billy Sherwood has been hitting back. Here is an exchange between Ultimate NoJonNoYes Troll Van Epperson and Billy:

Billy left ProgressiveEars for the same reason. One schmuck accused him of getting preferential treatment on PE and he did a similar rant and left.

[ThomasKDye]

I never knew that at one point Squire wanted Sherwood to replace Anderson or that they tried to coax Rabin back post Talk at some point in the 1990's. I've also never listened to the Conspiracy album. I think I confused Conspiracy and Circa in my mind and ended up ignoring both. Do both bands suffer from over processed vocals? I will give the Squire Sherwood album a listen in any regard.

I actually remember hearing that at the time and thinking, "Wow, this Billy Sherwood must be an amazing vocalist if they want him to replace JA."

... Yeah.

Although, on the very first World Trade album, he sounds quite decent. I mean, he sounds very hair metal, sure, but there was nothing wrong with his voice then.

[BBTPassenger]

As far as I know, the delay in the CD in North America was a specific North American manufacturing problem. I'll see if I can find out whether "upstream distribution issues" relate to InsideOut/Sony, or just the general collapse of the UK's infrastructure.

Henry

Thank you. I am looking forward to hearing what seems to be a promising album in its entirety.

[IMWeasel]

Been some interesting comments on Facebook with this release. The trolls are out, of course. But Billy Sherwood has been hitting back. Here is an exchange between Ultimate NoJonNoYes Troll Van Epperson and Billy:

on the flipside I mentioned that I liked Geoff's work on this album on twitter and he liked the tweet, so that was cool of him to recognize me :3

[Progatron]

LOL Van Epperson. The guy who was inconsolable at my suggestion that a couple of tracks on Jon Anderson's Animation album were not on par with the rest of the album. He banned me from his little ARW group on Facebook.

[aith01]

on the flipside I mentioned that I liked Geoff's work on this album on twitter and he liked the tweet, so that was cool of him to recognize me :3

Yeah, that was cool of him.

To be honest, I can sympathize with Billy. Some “fans” need to find a better way to spend their time than sharing unconstructive, unsolicited criticism on the musicians’ social media.

[aith01]

LOL Van Epperson. The guy who was inconsolable at my suggestion that a couple of tracks on Jon Anderson's Animation album were not on par with the rest of the album. He banned me from his little ARW group on Facebook.

[Steve F.]

That’s why I would prefer to buy from Bandcamp which provides lossless downloads, plus 24 bit in some cases.

Major labels NEVER do BandCamp. I don’t know why.
Maybe their contracts don’t allow them to keep all the money, like they do for streaming……