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

[Paulrus]

In my view, "Open Your Eyes" amounted to a coup d'Etat that destroyed the "KTA" line-up both personally, with Wakeman and almost Howe leaving, and musically, with the Howe/Wakeman part of classic Yes barely represented at all.

Hmmm, you make it sound like Jon, Chris and Billy Sherwood orchestrated a hit job on the band. And yet Billy Sherwood claims the band (including Jon and Chris, I guess) was already a heap of smoldering wreckage when he leaped in to save the day out of his abundance of love for the Yes legacy.

Or something like that.

[calyx]

Hmmm, you make it sound like Jon, Chris and Billy Sherwood orchestrated a hit job on the band. And yet Billy Sherwood claims the band (including Jon and Chris, I guess) was already a heap of smoldering wreckage when he leaped in to save the day out of his abundance of love for the Yes legacy.

I don't even want to go into people's motivations for doing what they did. I don't dispute Billy's love of Yes or even that he meant well when he conceived the "Open Your Eyes" material as a potential Yes album (yet virtually ignoring the "prog" element that he'd made room for in World Trade). As I understand it, work on the "OYE" material began as early as January 1997, only a couple of months after the "KTA 2" studio sessions. The "classic line-up" ended those sessions on a high, being very pleased with the amount of material recorded and the quality of that material. So what happened ? Again, as I understand it, shortly after the sessions, it became apparent that "KTA 1" was a commercial failure, and that the whole "full-on prog revival" concept wasn't going to work. The first step towards "OYE" was the suggestion that "a couple of more commercial songs" be added to the "KTA 2" material and turn that into a more balanced album with at least some commercial (i.e. radio airplay) appeal. In the first months of 1997, Anderson, who was clearly running the band, appears to have lost faith in "KTA" to the extent that "KTA 2" was virtually abandoned in favour of what became "OYE". Obviously, other factors played a part - the change of management, Wakeman leaving, the need for an entirely new studio album to promote on the late 1997 tour - in these decisions, but we can only speculate on that.

[Paulrus]

I don't even want to go into people's motivations for doing what they did. I don't dispute Billy's love of Yes or even that he meant well when he conceived the "Open Your Eyes" material as a potential Yes album (yet virtually ignoring the "prog" element that he'd made room for in World Trade). As I understand it, work on the "OYE" material began as early as January 1997, only a couple of months after the "KTA 2" studio sessions. The "classic line-up" ended those sessions on a high, being very pleased with the amount of material recorded and the quality of that material. So what happened ? Again, as I understand it, shortly after the sessions, it became apparent that "KTA 1" was a commercial failure, and that the whole "full-on prog revival" concept wasn't going to work. The first step towards "OYE" was the suggestion that "a couple of more commercial songs" be added to the "KTA 2" material and turn that into a more balanced album with at least some commercial (i.e. radio airplay) appeal. In the first months of 1997, Anderson, who was clearly running the band, appears to have lost faith in "KTA" to the extent that "KTA 2" was virtually abandoned in favour of what became "OYE". Obviously, other factors played a part - the change of management, Wakeman leaving, the need for an entirely new studio album to promote on the late 1997 tour - in these decisions, but we can only speculate on that.

Well, that all has much more of the ring of truth to it than Billy's version. And I agree -- it's not like Billy's been dishonest with his version of the story. He's just left out some key details. And who knows -- maybe it WAS Chris and Jon who were jettisoning all of the prog and pushing the album into such a radio-friendly direction.

[bondegezou]

A Know with the KtA2 studio material plus "Open Your Eyes" as a lead single would've been a great album (to my ears).

Henry

[happytheman]

Well, that all has much more of the ring of truth to it than Billy's version. And I agree -- it's not like Billy's been dishonest with his version of the story. He's just left out some key details. And who knows -- maybe it WAS Chris and Jon who were jettisoning all of the prog and pushing the album into such a radio-friendly direction.

And now for a different version..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-BZNHwogQU

[calyx]

And now for a different version.

If you take away the obvious PR bullshit, such as Steve's comical first answer, I'm not sure how different a version this is. Leaving out all the behind-the-scenes stuff and the personal differences, they're (somewhat uncomfortably) delivering a "politically correct" version of what went on. What I take away from it is that Jon confirms January 1997 as the beginning of the process towards "Open Your Eyes", but giving no explanation whatsoever about why such a process came about when they'd just finished what was then going to be their next album. I also laughed when Jon talked about Steve joining the process "in the summer", the implication being that he'd been left out of it for a full six months. Jon is also frank about not having contributed much lyrically, which confirms that they were working on existing Squire/Sherwood material (if not, then why not let Jon write more of the lyrics, this being a Yes project ?), if not intended for (what would become) Conspiracy, at least similar in style and intent. This interview is nowhere near a honest account of what took place in the year prior.

[Jacob Holm-Lupo]

I don't care about all that. But if there is going to be a new Yes album, can they PLEASE record and mix it properly? No more triggered cheap drum samples and scooped mix presets and brickwalled mastering. I don't even care if they don't have the greatest material, just make it sound like a BAND again, not a mishmash of cut&pastes run through a studio blender.

[happytheman]

If you take away the obvious PR bullshit, such as Steve's comical first answer, I'm not sure how different a version this is. Leaving out all the behind-the-scenes stuff and the personal differences, they're (somewhat uncomfortably) delivering a "politically correct" version of what went on. What I take away from it is that Jon confirms January 1997 as the beginning of the process towards "Open Your Eyes", but giving no explanation whatsoever about why such a process came about when they'd just finished what was then going to be their next album. I also laughed when Jon talked about Steve joining the process "in the summer", the implication being that he'd been left out of it for a full six months. Jon is also frank about not having contributed much lyrically, which confirms that they were working on existing Squire/Sherwood material (if not, then why not let Jon write more of the lyrics, this being a Yes project ?), if not intended for (what would become) Conspiracy, at least similar in style and intent. This interview is nowhere near a honest account of what took place in the year prior.

Exactly.. welcome to Yes..

[moecurlythanu]

Yes isn't No or even Maybe anymore. Now it's just Harrumph!

[aith01]

I actually like about half of Open Your Eyes. Maybe more. It's an odd one for sure, but I don't find it dreadful.

[julioscissors]

I actually like about half of Open Your Eyes. Maybe more. It's an odd one for sure, but I don't find it dreadful.

I agree with this. There are some solid tracks on that album. I remember buying it at Tower Records, popping it in my car CD player, and absolutely loving "New State of Mind" right off the bat.

If the new Arc of Life album sounds like Open Your Eyes, I'd be OK with that.

[The_Lurker]

I spoke with Billy Sherwood last night about the making of the new Arc of Life album and we dabbled into other topics, such as his sense of responsibility for honoring the memory of Chris Squire when he performs.

Here's the review (quotes throughout): https://michaellikestowrite.substack...billy-sherwood

Here's the full interview, which goes into other topics that may be of interest here:

[Paulrus]

I agree with this. There are some solid tracks on that album. I remember buying it at Tower Records, popping it in my car CD player, and absolutely loving "New State of Mind" right off the bat.

If the new Arc of Life album sounds like Open Your Eyes, I'd be OK with that.

Put me in the "It's not very Yes-y, but it's not bad for what it is" camp when it comes to OYE. And sure, if they rocked that hard again on the next one I wouldn't mind it.

To Jacob's request for a well-produced album, I wouldn't get your hopes up too much. I'm guessing Billy will be in charge, and well...

[bondegezou]

I spoke with Billy Sherwood last night about the making of the new Arc of Life album and we dabbled into other topics, such as his sense of responsibility for honoring the memory of Chris Squire when he performs.

Here's the review (quotes throughout): https://michaellikestowrite.substack...billy-sherwood

Here's the full interview, which goes into other topics that may be of interest here:

Thanks. Interesting stuff in your write-up, although I'm not certain that...

Consider the Heaven & Earth era of Yes crossed with Sherwood’s band CIRCA: — only with more dense and layered compositions — and it’s a fairly good approximation of the sound.

... is going to have people rushing out to buy the album! ;-)

Henry

[The_Lurker]

Thanks. Interesting stuff in your write-up, although I'm not certain that...



... is going to have people rushing out to buy the album! ;-)

Henry

Fair, but not my job to sell the album, just to discuss it. lol
And I quite liked Heaven & Earth and some of the CIRCA: stuff.

[Scott Bails]

I spoke with Billy Sherwood last night about the making of the new Arc of Life album and we dabbled into other topics, such as his sense of responsibility for honoring the memory of Chris Squire when he performs.

Here's the review (quotes throughout): https://michaellikestowrite.substack...billy-sherwood

Here's the full interview, which goes into other topics that may be of interest here:

Great stuff, Mike!

[Frumious B]

Yes Music Podcast have a new interview with Sherwood about Arc of Life: https://yesmusicpodcast.com/billy-sh...l-kind-of-466/

The key point for me is that Billy mentions Derek Shulman being involved, advising him on the production. This explains everything. The decision to launch with "You Make It Real", that screams Shulman to me.

Henry

Derek Shulman signed Nickelback.

[Frumious B]

Open Your Eyes is OK for about the first four songs then it crashes and never quite gets back on track for the remainder of the record.

[bondegezou]

Derek Shulman signed Nickelback.

As you say on a monthly basis. I'd rather listen to Nickelback than most of Open Your Eyes.

Open Your Eyes is OK for about the first four songs then it crashes and never quite gets back on track for the remainder of the record.

I think Open Your Eyes is a poor album; and Open Your Eyes is an album dominated by Sherwood's songwriting. Yet the very worst material on the album is not Sherwood's, it's stuff like "From the Balcony" (Howe/Anderson), "Somehow, Someday" (mostly Anderson) and "Man in the Moon" (mostly Squire). The best song, easily, is the title track, which is a Squire/Sherwood co-write.

Henry

[Steve F.]

....just make it sound like a BAND again, not a mishmash of cut&pastes run through a studio blender.

Never happen.

[aith01]

I don't hate Heaven & Earth either actually. It's not another Close to the Edge (or even another Big Generator), but I like quite a bit of it.

[Frumious B]

As you say on a monthly basis. I'd rather listen to Nickelback than most of Open Your Eyes.



I think Open Your Eyes is a poor album; and Open Your Eyes is an album dominated by Sherwood's songwriting. Yet the very worst material on the album is not Sherwood's, it's stuff like "From the Balcony" (Howe/Anderson), "Somehow, Someday" (mostly Anderson) and "Man in the Moon" (mostly Squire). The best song, easily, is the title track, which is a Squire/Sherwood co-write.

Henry

Lemme put it this way...IMHO the very worst Yes song of all and also one of the stupidest song titles in the entire history of recorded music is “Dangerous (Look In The Light of What You’re Searching For)”. Seriously hard to even look at that song title on my phone screen, let alone look in the light. But I’ll still take that song over Nickelback.

[aith01]

Some early Nickelback was pretty good, IMO. They started to lose it with Silver Side Up, even though it had a few songs I liked still. But everything after that has been downhill and I don't care to hear those records.

The State has some really cool stuff on it -- "Cowboy Hat", "Leader of Men", and "One Last Run" in particular. It's the only album of theirs I'd still listen to honestly.

[Mstove]

I don't hate Heaven & Earth either actually. It's not another Close to the Edge (or even another Big Generator), but I like quite a bit of it.

Same - definitely an unpopular opinion around these parts, but I also like a fair amount of it. Hardly confused with their best work, but it has some nice moments - even if they aren't particularly proggy.

[elliottnow]

Interesting what Rick thought of Keys 2 before he left. http://nfte.org/interviews/RW171.html