* * * * * * * * * * ______ ______ ____________ _________ / \ | \ __/ \ __/ \__ _________ | \| \ / |/ _ \ _________ / | // _____ || / \_/ \ | \ // / \ \\_ \_ NOTES| | \ || _____ ___\ \ \_ \_ FROM| | \ || / ---/______| \ \_ THE| | ___\ || | | /______ __/ \ EDGE| | ___/ \ \\ \_ \_ // | #12| \_____ / ___\ _/ \_ \ \_ _// | ______/ \__ \__/ ___/ \_ \____ | \_/ \__ ___/ \___ _/ \__ \__/ \ \_________/ \_____/ \_ \_____/ \ \_ | \_ | \__ __/ \_____________/ Notes From the Edge #12 April 27, 1991 * * * * * * * * * * In This Issue... ================ Hi, I'm not Cathy... - Notes from the guest editor. Union's Release - It's coming (so's Christmas!) Tour Dates - The latest word. More Shows - Philly, Atlanta and Raleigh confirmed! Release, Release... - Up and coming albums from various Yes-men. Some Questions... - Inquiring minds want to know! Answers (to last issue's questions) - Siberian *$&@%! - Rick's Training. - Covers we'd like to see. - Greg Lake in Asia Interviews - Alan's view of the tour. - Bill, Alan, Chris and Trev on the radio. Some guys have all the luck... - Meeting bandmembers! Yes Music Books - "Complete Vol. 2" and "Relayer". Humorous thoughts - A Darwinian analysis of Yes - Jon & Trevor make up (the true story at last!) :-) Reviews: - Lift Me Up - Rick's "Black Knights..." - Rick's "Zodiaque" - Jon's "Song of Seven" - Re-evolution re-revisited. - GTR concert, from 1986. Concert Groups - Want to meet other list members for a show? Here's how! Birthdays - Rick and Bill, among others. Contributors - The people who make things happen. The Final Word - A couple of reminders. Addresses - Who, what and where. * * * * * * * * * * Administrivia ============= Hi folks! Don't ask me how Cathy managed to talk me into this (or why I agreed), but here I am! :-) I hope that Notes #12 reaches the high standard that our editor has set for this newsletter. Just a few things before we start: * As you probably know by now, Union's release date has been pushed back again. It is not out yet, though it has been played in its entirety on several radio stations. See the next section for more info. * There will be NO concert reviews in this issue! Cathy and I have decided to exclude them for now because they might ruin the surprise for people who haven't yet seen the show. Also, they take up quite a bit of space and not everyone wants to read several lengthy opinions of the same show. However, for the curious souls who cannot wait, we will send out a supplementary issue next Tuesday, April 30th, of concert reviews and related material. So when you see a piece of mail titled, "YES - Concert Reviews" in your file, delete it if you don't want to read concert reviews. * It looks like Notes From the Edge will go on hiatus over the summer. Cathy won't have net access from May 31st to August 31st. I'm going to have to withdraw my offer of doing a few supplementary issues because I can't guarantee my net access either. Sorry. Issue #13 will come out on May 10th, and #14 will be to you on May 24th. Cathy will be back at the beginning of September, and issue #15 has the tentative date of Friday, September 13th. Lucky us! * I'm in the process of adding video information to the discography. I should be done by the time you read this. * Now that we have a dozen issues, it's time for an index of backissues. We need a list of all the issues and what is covered in each one. This will make backissue requests easier for new members who don't want all of them, and give a reference point for what has and hasn't been reviewed. If anybody is interested in doing this, write me. * I'm graduating from Clarkson on May 19th. This means that not only will my personal account be nuked, but I will probably lose access to the CURADIO archiving account. I suggest that you make all requests for backissues/discographies/other info before then. I'm not saying that I *will* lose access, but I might. The good news is that I will regain access by September at the latest and I will try to establish an *automated* archive (OOOOOO! AAAAAAHH!) at my new site. Only time will tell... * As of early this week, we reached another milestone: 300 subscribers! Latest head count puts us at 326. Welcome aboard all you new members! * After this issue Cathy will take over again, so send all submissions for Notes From the Edge #13 to: v111pbxx@ubvms.cc.buffalo.edu. Please don't send them to me! We've come a long way. Since Notes #1 in last October, we've grown fantastically. The last issue was almost 7 times bigger than the first and our readership is over 6 times more than what it was for that issue. Our newsletter reaches over a dozen countries on 4 continents - a truly world wide audience. -Mike Borella (Your Humble Guest Editor) borellms@clutx.clarkson.edu (personal account) curadio@clutx.clarkson.edu (backissue/discography archive) * * * * * * * * * * Union's Release =============== From: 73477.3435@CompuServe.COM (Douglas Gottlieb) 21-APR-1991 20:31 We just saw our 7th show of the Union tour, and I must say, each one was better than the one that came before it. If anyone out there is wondering whether or not to check out Yes this time around, let me encourage you to do so-this may be the best Yesshow ever!!! The album is superb also! Look for it April 30! -Doug Gottlieb, YES MAGAZINE +++ +++ +++ +++ Date: Sun, 21 Apr 91 12:30 EST From: STOREYR@venus.ycc.yale.edu Apparently the new album has been delayed yet again until April 30. Mixing problems. I have heard an advance copy, and it is excellent. Listen for Silent Talking and Miracle of Life as well as a Howe/Rabin acoustic piece called Masquerade. Steve Howe completed a photo shoot for his new album turbulence just prior to the beginning of the tour. I have heard an advance copy of this one too. Yes, it's very good. Included were original instrumental versions of Silent Talking and I would Have Waited Forever. I don't know if they will make the final cut. Ross Storey StoreyR@Venus.YCC.Yale.edu +++ +++ +++ +++ From: Patrick Quairoli Date: Wed, 24 Apr 91 13:35:00 EDT I just came back from tower records only to learn that the Union album has been put back another two weeks.... patrick j. quarioli [ That would make it May 7th. Since the release date seems to be up in the air again, if anyone actually gets their hands on a legitimate copy of Union, let us know! - Mike ] * * * * * * * * * * Scheduled Tour Dates: ==================== April 26 Memorial Auditorium, Buffalo, NY--on sale since March 16th April 27 The Palace, Auburn Hills, Mich--on sale since March 2nd April 29 Richfield Coliseum, Cleveland, OH April 30 Rosemont Horizon, Chicago, Illinois--on sale since March 1st May 1 Target Center, Minneapolis, MN May 3 Wing Stadium, Kalamazoo, MI May 4 Wright State Nutter Center, Dayton Ohio May 5 University of Illinois, Champaign, IL--on sale since April 4th May 7 Myriad Center, Oklahoma City, OK--on sale since April 5th May 9 McNichols Arena, Denver, CO May 10 TBA May 11 Desert Sky, Phoenix, AZ--on sale since April 6th May 12 Thomas and Mack, Las Vegas, NV May 13 TBA May 14 Sports Arena, San Diego, CA May 15 Forum, Los Angeles, CA May 16 Arco Arena, Sacramento, CA May 17 Oakland Coliseum, Oakland, CA--on sale since March 24th May 19 Coliseum, Portland, OR May 20 PNE, Vancouver May 21 Coliseum, Seattle, WA May 29 Festhalle, Frankfurt, Germany May 30 Olympiahalle, Munchen, Germany May 31 Schleyerhalle, Stuttgart, Germany June 1 Weser Emshalle, Oldenburg, Germany June 2 Sporthalle, Koln, Germany June 3-4 Zenith, Paris, France June 6 Halle Tony Garnier, Lyon, France June 7 Palais Des Sports, Marseille, France June 8 Palais Des Sports, Toulouse, France June 12 Palatrussardi, Milan, Italy June 14 Stadium, Cava Dei Terrini, Italy June 16 Sports Palace, Athens, Greece June 18 Sajam, Belgrade, Yugoslavia June 19 Zemun Stadium, Zagreb, Yugoslavia June 21 Nep Stadium, Budapest, Hungary June 22 Forest National, Brussels, Belgium June 23 Ahoy, Rotterdam, Holland--on sale since March 9 June 25-26 NEC, Birmingham, England *June 28-29 Wembley Arena, London, England (originally we had only these 2 dates confirmed, then we heard from Wonderous Stories that there were 3 dates... and now Andrew in London swears there are only 2...let's take the Londoner's word for it, shall we? :-) ****** The Second Leg ****** [ please note that many of these dates are *very* tentative and have not yet been confirmed. - Mike ] July 6 Miami, Fl July 7 Tampa, Fl July 8 Orlando, Fl July 9 Atlanta, Ga--tickets on sale July 10 Raleigh, NC--confirmed July 12 Philadelphia, PA--sold out July 13 Philadelphia, PA--tickets rumored to go on sale Sat, April 27th but haven't been confirmed. July 14 Saratoga, NY July 15-16 Philadelphia, PA ???? [ These were the original dates for the Philly shows. Anybody know where they are playing now? - Mike ] July 18 New York, NY July 19 Portland, ME July 20 Middletown, NY July 21 Weedsport, NY July 22 Darien Lake, NY July 24 Pittsburgh, PA July 25 Indianapolis, IN July 26 Chicago, IL July 27 St. Louis, MO July 28 Nashville, TN July 30 Kansas City, KS August 2 Birmingham, AL August 3 Houston, TX August 4 San Antonio, TX August 6 El Paso, TX August 7 Albuquerque, NM +++ +++ +++ +++ Yes in Philly Again =================== Date: Wed, 17 Apr 91 14:28:08 EST From: Rob Subject: Tix f/ second leg WMMR in Philly just announced that tix go on sale this Saturday (April 20) at 10:00 am for the second show at the Spectrum which is scheduled for July 12 (*NOT* July 15 and 16, as it said in the Notes #11). Rob Petrone +++ +++ +++ +++ From: KAS155@PSUVM.BITNET 21-APR-1991 23:33:47.67 The stations in Philly announced yesterday that tickets for a show on July 12 go on sale tomorrow at 10 A.M. at ticketmaster outlets, etc. This is a different date then was on the list in "Notes". Also, when they were on Rockline, it was announced that you could win a trip to LA to see them on the 15th and be on Rockline on 5/13 with them. Here's the address: Yes- live in LA c/o Rockline PO Box 4383 Hollywood, CA 90078 The deadline for entries is 4/29 and you're supposed to send your name, address, Phone #, age, and what station that you listen to Rockline on. BTW, Rockline was really funny. I got a tape of it, but I edited some of the music to save tape space. Rick was making jokes the whole time. Keith Brown +++ +++ +++ +++ From: IN%"disc!istda11@dsac.dla.mil" 25-APR-1991 10:56:45.63 Subj: YES Another Philly Show Added Just heard YES added another Philly show. Saturday July 13th. Tickets go on sale this Saturday April 27th. MaryLynn Orzechowski ***Marylynn wrote back saying this wasn't exactly confirmed. Play it safe, if interested in this show, and find out! --Cath * * * * * * * * * * Raleigh and Atlanta Confirmed! ============================== From: IN%"cochran@dg-rtp.dg.com" 23-APR-1991 09:06:07.74 Just got confirmation that YES is definitely appearing in Raleigh at the Walnut Creek Amphitheater on 7/10! Also, a friend of mine in Atlanta has already got his tickets for the 7/9 show! -- Dave Cochran (cochran@spam.rtp.dg.com) * * * * * * * * * * Up and Coming Releases ====================== From: borellms@clutx.clarkson.edu (Mike Borella) Date: April 25th, 1991 Rick Wakeman: According to the "Union" tourbook, Rick will be releasing a new album soon called, "In the Beginning." Rick's wife, Nina, will appear on this release. He also has a "20th Anniversary" compilation disc coming out soon that celebrates his 20th year in music with recently re-recordings of his classic works. This makes 28 albums that he has released under his name since 1973, plus the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra doing classical covers of his music, bringing the grand total to 29, more than three times any other Yes band member! Steve Howe: "Turbulence" will be out May 1st on the Relativity label. This album was originally slated for release in October 1989. Trevor Rabin: Trevor is writing material for a new solo album as well as working with ex-Supertramp leader Roger Hodgson on a new project. Jon & Vangelis: Their next release is due out soon, I *think* May 1st was the date I heard. If this is so, it will be one hell of a week for Yes fans! Bill Bruford: His electric Jazz band, Earthworks, will release their third effort, "When All Heaven Broke Loose" in September on the EG label. -Mike Borella borellms@clutx.clarkson.edu * * * * * * * * * * Questions, Questions... ======================= Date: Fri, 12 Apr 91 16:47:08 -0400 (EDT) From: "William F. O'Dell" Does anyone know if Roger Dean is having anything to do with the up coming album/box set? Furman wo04@andrew.cmu.edu +++ +++ +++ +++ From: wes5@quads.uchicago.edu (Diane Westerfield) How exactly is Nikki Squire related to Chris? I've heard that she's his wife, but vocally she sounds like him (same strong voice that has trouble holding a note, same odd pronunciation). The picture of her on the back of _Esquire_ looks too young to be his wife, and too old to be a daughter. She's rather homely and has big cheekbones. Hence the possibility that she could be his sister (not to imply that Chris is homely, fellow Squire worshippers). And while we're at it, who is Carmen Squire? Ideas, authoritative evidence, anyone? -- Diane * * * * * * * * * * Siberian What-the-hell? ======================= From: ewing@ecn.purdue.edu (Suedehead) Subject: Khatru? Date: Sun, 14 Apr 91 23:46:23 EST Yeah, I have looked for the origin of the word Khatru for a while. I started looking in Dictionaries and literary directories; but to no avail. I have researched some folklore, I believe this is were the term comes from. (Indian or Asian folklore) Unfortunately, I have not had the time to do great research in the folklore realm. Andy "Sound Chaser" Ewing ewing@cn.ecn.purdue.edu +++ +++ +++ +++ Date: Wed, 17 Apr 91 08:45 EST From: Rob In response to Mike's question, although I don't know the meaning of the word Khatru, I do know that it is pronounced KNA'-TRU, the "h" being pronounced like an "n" and the "a" pronounced like the "o" in "hot" with the stress on the first syllable. In languages like Russian and Polish, H's are n's. I never really gave much thought to the meaning of the word actually, but I always figured it meant something like "hymn" (just a wild guess). Rob Petrone +++ +++ +++ +++ Date: Fri, 19 Apr 91 16:23:02 EDT From: david b halm In response to the query of what "Khatru" means, I give you the following from the Yes Biography: `khatru' is supposedly a Yemeni word, roughly meaning "as you wish" The pronunciation, as I gather from the song, is something like "ka-TRUE." ----- David [ "Siberian As-You-Wish" ??? Another Yes lyrical oddity... -Mike ] * * * * * * * * * * Dave's Spare Change =================== From: dave.bbs@shark.cs.fau.edu (David Edward Weiss) Date: Sat, 13 Apr 91 12:10:37 EDT my $.02: 1) Rick Wakeman is a graduate of the Royal Academy of Music, in London. his classical background should be obvious in his solo work, as well as in "Excerpts from the Six Wives of Henry VIII". 2) To find "Yessongs", the video, go to any Blockbuster Video. that's where i got it. 3) To anyone who hasn't found "Yessongs" on CD, we have it in 30 or so record stores in the Miami. 4) i plan to be in Atlanta all summer, working at an internship. any Yes fans want to meet me please drop me a line. 5) i want to go to Yes in Atlanta, anyone who can help me get tickets (i will be in Miami when the tickets go on sale) please e-mail me. 6) i heard the new single, and boy, it was a little "empty" of sound. i guess i was spoiled by ABWH! 8-) dangerous dave ($.04 by the time tax is added) * * * * * * * * * * Yes Covers We'd Like to See =========================== Date: Wed, 17 Apr 91 08:45 EST From: Rob In answer to Joe's question about cover tunes, I would like to see Yes perform "Watcher of the Skies" by Genesis. You really need a drummer who is on his (or her) toes to perform that song, and I think Alan is just the person to do it. Also, the lyrics are Yes-esque, and there's a lot of room for Rick to expand upon the relatively simple keyboard parts. Imagine what this song would sound like with a much more pronounced bassline as is Chris' wont. For my second request, I would love to hear an instrumental version of Clapton's "Layla." I can't picture Jon singing "Layla / You got me on my knees..." but could you imagine Howe and Rabin jamming on that song? And how about Rick playing that piano solo epilogue? Rob Petrone [ I'd love to see Yes do a 10 minute version of the Sex Pistols' "Anarchy in the UK" :-) - Mike ] * * * * * * * * * * Greg Lake in Asia ================= From: Valentino Herrera (herrera@tegra.com) Subject: N.F.T.E. #11 (Wetton & Asia) Regarding v111pbxx@ubvms.cc.buffalo.edu (Cathy)'s question in issue 11: >Believe it or not, even the editor has questions every now and then :-) >I've been wondering, why isn't John Wetton in the Asia in Asia video? >Where was he when it was filmed? John Wetton had quit the band at that point. The logical replacement was Greg Lake (just check out King Crimson). Lake's voice sounded better on some of the live Asia stuff than Wetton. I saw one of Asia's first gigs in the states (Orpheum Theatre in Boston on April 29th, 1982), having bought the tickets before the album was released. Wetton was having a hard time on the high notes in songs like "Soul Survivor" and "Cutting It Fine". The thing that annoyed me most were Steve Howe doing "The Clap" (which he inevitably will on the Yes tour) - I actually like the song, but let's not run it into the ground, eh Steve?. Palmer, of course did the same extended drum solo he's been doing since the first ELP album. I think Lake only did the tour in Japan, and Wetton rejoined the band shortly afterwards. I often wondered (like with Yes) who in Emerson, Lake and Palmer were involved in the notorious fist-fights that keeps that band from reuniting. Pity. Valentino Herrera herrera@tegra.com [ I've always found it curious that the 3 members of ELP have worked together in groups of 2, but never re-united. Lake & Palmer in Asia, Emerson & Lake in ELPowell, and Emerson and Palmer in '3'. - Mike ] +++ +++ +++ +++ From: IN%"cochran@dg-rtp.dg.com" 12-APR-1991 14:39:29.99 > Hmmm...this reminds me of the debate Ruth and I had when the > rumors were that ELP was going to open for ABWH. We thought > it'd be amazing to see them all get on stage for an encore... > imagine them all jamming on All Good People. ;-) Ya see? There ARE advantages to being an old guy. I saw ELP in Atlanta at the Tech coliseum when the BACKUP group was Yes. Boy, was I hooked. > I was just reading the liner notes of Bruford's _Feels Good to Me_. > In '76 he got together with Rick Wakeman and John Wetton (King > Crimson's bassist). Didn't John Wetton also play for Uriah Heep? [ I *think* so...I know he did play for Family and Roxy Music. Any takers?? - Mike ] -- Dave Cochran (cochran@spam.rtp.dg.com) * * * * * * * * * * Alan on the Reunion =================== From: Valentino Herrera (herrera@tegra.com) Subject: Yes on tour Oh well, here's the new stuff: Yesterday's Boston Globe had an article by Steve Morse on the up and coming Yes show at the Worcester Centrum. Here's what Morse says: "A yes reunion? No one in his right mind would have bet on it in the last few years. Yes was a splintered group - four early members had taken off to form the peculiarly titled Anderson Bruford Wakeman & Howe (AWBH). That left the remaining cast to carry on the name. Lawyers, NOT musicians, had a field day. When AWBH advertised their shows as "an evening of Yes music-plus" and cited old Yes records in their advertising, they were slapped with a lawsuit from the Yes camp for "creating confusion in the minds of the public over which group is the real Yes". Well, guess what? They're ALL the real Yes again. All eight members have reunited for a new, still-can't-believe-it's-happening yes tour that plays the Worcester Centrum next Wednesday. It will climax the first week of an 85-date comeback by the fathers of classical rock, who formed in London in 1968. "All the lawsuits have been dropped," says relieved drummer Alan White, reached during rehearsals in Pensacola, Fla. "Everyone is forgiving and is trying to find musical parts for the others to play. Not everyone will play together for the whole show, but I'd say a good 80 percent of it they will. It's all been better than I anticipated. I thought we'd have a lot of problems." "Originally, I thought there would be less joining in on stage, but again, everyone is forgiving," White says. "We use both drummers, both keyboardists and both guitarists onstage at the same time. Outside of a couple of solo spots, little is done in other configurations." In short, audiences will see a more powerful band - Rick Wakeman AND Tony Kaye on keyboards, Steve Howe AND Trevor Rabin on guitars, White AND Bill Bruford on drums, Squire on bass and the ageless high-pitched optimist, Jon Anderson, on the voice. "The extra musicians have added strength to the sound," says White. "In some sections, we can really sound like an orchestra. The old Yes was more of a jazz/classical band, and the later Yes had a more rock 'n' roll element. To fuse the two together makes for an interesting combination. You see the development of the band - and see the band's history." "It's taken a lot of maturity to reach this point. As for me and Bill Bruford on drums, we get along very well and understand our role in the band. It's very difficult with Yes music, because the rhythms are not always twos and fours; not always basic. But there's a lot of orchestrated percussion, so you can isolate that and one person can play that role." "The other guys are getting along well, too. Rick (Wakeman) and Tony (Kaye) are getting along like a house on fire on keyboards. Rick loves playing the changes to songs from the '90125' album," White says, referring to the 1983 album that featured the No. 1 hit, "Owner of a Lonely Heart". So how did this sudden renewal of vows happen? "Well, a lot of it was management. They came together initially," says White. "There was also a large movement in the band's career - we moved from Atco to the Arista label, which ABWH was on. So the chess pieces were in place to get people on the same level. It took a lot of contractual work, so much that only six months ago I wasn't sure it would happen. It became an absolute reality only three or four months ago." White admits that management persuaded the musicians that a reunion was financially viable. It was a smart way to get back to the arenas, so neither camp put up a major fuss. "As far as we're concerned, there was no really bad blood. That was more on a management level," says White. "the media blew it out of proportion. My wife is from Seattle, and her sister called up, saying that she heard on the radio that if Jon (Anderson) and Chris (Squire) could sort things out, then George Bush and Saddam Hussein should have an easier task. But that's ridiculous. Jon and Chris get along relatively well. They don't follow each other around all the time, but they get on okay. Besides, all that stuff very easily gets put to rest when you make music." So who makes the decisions in the reconstituted Yes? It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know there are a few major league egos involved. "It's democratic," says White. "It always HAS been, though everyone is guided by Jon and Chris to a certain extent, because they've been in the band the longest." The band will have a new album, "Union", out at the end of the month; the first of four it owes Arista. The music is drawn from both the ABWH and Yes camps, since the reunion idea came after recording had begun. Each group does half the song, with Anderson swinging back and forth. The sound is trademark Yes; and an advance tape suggests longtime fans should be quite pleased. Shimmering atmospherics combine with layered guitars and the usual cosmic lyrics on such tracks as "The Miracle of Life", "The More We Live - Let Go" and the euphoric single, "Lift Me Up". many will still find the sound a bit pretentious, but that's a familiar rap against Yes. "Ah, yes, the cynics will be chipping away again," says White. "That's always been a part of Yes's career". A little sidebar on the article mentions that the 5-CD box set is scheduled to be released this fall, with one CD featuring unreleased tracks and possibly some covers, including The Beatles "I'm Down", recorded with Jimmy Page in 1984 for German television. Well, there's something to chew on for awhile. Maybe I'll review the Worcester show..... Valentino Herrera herrera@tegra.com * * * * * * * * * * Breakfast with Yes ================== From: Mike Borella (borellms@clutx.clarkson.edu) Subject: Yes live on 93.3 in Philly As our moderator Cathy and I drove (actually Cathy did the driving, I was too busy holding on for my life! - just kidding, Cath :-) ) out of Philly on the morning after the Spectrum show, Bill Bruford, Trevor Rabin, Alan White and Chris Squire were interviewed on 93.3 (WMMR, I think?) from about 10:30 to 12:30. It was called "A Breakfast with Yes". Anyway, we heard a few interesting stories and commentary straight from the sources. Some may even clear up a rumor or two. Bill Bruford: thinks that there aren't any great rock drummers because the form of music is too simple. All the great drummers play jazz. Somehow he managed to say this without sounding too stuck up. Bill also is an avid jogger. Alan White: mentioned that just about every time Yes plays, they do Roundabout. It's one of the few songs that has never left their playlist. One show however, as Alan jumped off the stage before the first encore, he hit his head on a low ceiling and knocked himself unconscious. He awoke to see Chris staring down at him, watching him bleed. Chris said, in a totally casual tone of voice, "Does this mean we don't do an encore?" So Roundabout was nixed. Chris: He got his nick-name in Oslo, Norway, in 1969. He and Bill were sharing a hotel room and Chris was in the shower "having fun" (take that as you will!) Apparently, he got carried away, and flooded not only the bathroom, but the entire hotel room! Thus, Bill dubbed him "The Fish". He also mentioned that there *might* be a COMPLETE Yes re-union show during the second leg. This means with Downes, Moraz, Banks, and Horn! If anybody catches wind of a date or place, let us know!!!!! I can't remember much of what Trevor said, but he did whip out an acoustic guitar and improvise a song. As far as I could tell, he made it up as he went along - something about sending money to a charity. (I recall it as being quite humorous :-) --Cath) -Mike Borella borellms@clutx.clarkson.edu * * * * * * * * * * Meetings with Greatness ======================= Date: Mon, 15 Apr 91 14:49:55 -0400 (EDT) From: "Jack C. Deem" I just wanted to let the b-board readers know that the Yesshows are really great. I just got back to Pittsburgh after seeing both shows at the Taj Majal in Atlantic City. I stayed at the hotel for those two nights and had some interesting encounters. On Saturday I passed Trevor as he was coming out of an elevator and said 'Hi.' Sunday morning I was on my way down to the lobby when the elevator doors opened up and there was Steve Howe! We had a little chat on the way down about the shows. I asked him why they played one encore song the first night and two the second and he said they wait 'til the end of the show to decide what to play, depending on the time. As we walked into the lobby we passed Rick. After checking my bags at the bell counter I went back and said Hi to Rick and complimented the band's performances. When I returned to the lobby (Still in awe of my chance meetings with the Yesmen) I spotted a short gentlemen with a pony-tail wearing a long black trenchcoat. I walked up and said "Hi Jon", shook his hand and told him how much I had enjoyed the concerts. I told him I'd see him again in Cleveland and then we went on our ways. It was a weekend I'll never forget. * * * * * * * * * * Yes Music Book(s) ================= Date: Wed, 24 Apr 91 22:51 ??? From: MOONLIT KNIGHT Your humble servant Jeff picked up the book of music "Yes Complete Vol.2" on a freak stroke of luck. These volumes were done before Going for the One; therefore it contains all of Close to the Edge, Tales, Relayer, and songs that showed up, i.e. Henry VIII excerpts and "Dear Father". It's not a musician's book (its substandard tablature was discussed back in #7) BUT it does have the lyrics to Relayer, which are now available, courtesy of me and Christian Walters, your noble lyrics server guy. BTW, I've seen a book with a complete transcription of Relayer for all instruments; it's much larger than this book I have. A musician's dream/ nightmare. Anyone dying to know the lyrics to "Dear Father" can contact me ... Jeff (jdliss@amherst.bitnet) [ While you're at it, please send copies to the lyrics dudes. - Mike ] * * * * * * * * * * The Story Behind "Re-evolution" :-) ==================================== Date: Sun, 14 Apr 1991 22:55 CDT From: RNT3515@TNTECH.BITNET I think I have an idea on why Jon wanted to get _everybody_ back together for this tour. You see, they've had such problems deciding on a lineup... I think the master plan is this: get everybody together for a tour, and then go on the road. During the tour, Bill and Chris will probably try to kill each other, others will get pissed at everybody and leave... Anyway, whoever is left alive and on good terms with the rest of the band at the end of the tour gets to be on the lineup. It's like, natural selection. Ingenious, Jon. - Robert Talbert [ Sounds plausible. I wonder what Darwin would think? And what about mutations? :-) - Mike ] * * * * * * * * * * The "Re-Union": a short story ============================= Date: Sat, 13 Apr 91 10:54:02 CDT From: Kenneth Mark Maxham My brother acquired a copy of the "Lift Me Up" promotional CD that is apparently being released to radio stations. It has four different versions of the song (four? -- an obligatory twelve-minute version is in there somewhere, I guess), album cover art (Roger!), and some notes about how the two Yes-groups reUnionized. It says something to the effect of "Jon was in Los Angeles when he got a call from Trevor. They discussed some song ideas that Trevor had, and Trevor said, "Your vocals would be just perfect". Jon said that his camp had been doing some writing, too, and that they could really use Chris' talents." That's the official version. However, I was able to acquire a *bootleg* of that phone conversation. (You know how Yes-fans will bootleg anything they can.) Here is an actual transcript: [RRING] Jon Anderson: "Hello?" Trevor Rabin: "Hi Jon, this is Trevor." JA: "Spirits of the universe be with you! How goes?" TR: "Pretty well, thanks. Uh, we were sitting around thinking how nice it would be to have you working with us again, since we don't think an album is going to make any money if I do all the singing. ABWH has really landed the Yes-fanatic crowd, so we might be stuck with just the Squire freaks and a handful of old Rabbitt fans." JA: "I was thinking along similar lines. Okay, I'll do it, but only under certain conditions." TR: "Such as?" JA: "Roger Dean does the cover art." TR: "Sure!" JA: "Tony Kaye does *not* get to write any of the material." TR: "I'll, uh, talk to Tony about it, but I'm sure it won't be a problem." JA: "No more songs with `love' in the title." TR: "Uh ..." [erase erase erase scribble scribble] "... sure, hmm, yeah, we can probably come up with something." JA: "And ..." TR: "Yes?" JA: "No more wacko berzerker solos in slow songs like after the first verse of _Shoot High Aim Low_." TR: "Uh ... uh ... I ... uh ... okay, I ... uh ... guess we could do that ... " [sobs] JA: "There there, you can still play. The long solo from _SHAL_ was very nice." TR: [snif] "Thanks." JA: "Sure. It'll be great to unite the group again and write Yes music. Let's get our hearts together, and as before, and like before, we'll do again." TR: "Huh?" JA: "Exactly!" Well, *maybe* this is how it happened. * * * * * * * * * * REVIEW: Lift Me Up ================== Date: Sat, 13 Apr 1991 20:59 CDT From: RNT3515@TNTECH.BITNET Well, we all have heard "Lift Me Up" by now, probably. My first hearing of this song is something of a story within itself... I was making dinner before work last week while listening to a classic rock station in Nashville, and they were playing "Roundabout". The song ended, and the announcer said "It's a Yesterday-and-Today from 104.5..." I thought, oh, they're gonna do "Owner of a Lonely Heart" or something. About the same time it hit me that any other previous Yes would be too old to be "Today", I heard "Lift me up and turn me over..." I dived frantically for any available tape, blank or otherwise! I got it on tape -- although with lots of static and missing the first four measures. I can't wait until I get a decent recording of it... =) But as for the single itself, here's my thoughts. I really don't think Yes has ever done a song quite like "Lift Me Up". I should've known, I guess... I learned from ABWH that whatever you expect them to sound like, they probably won't. It's got a very wistful, laid-back feel to it. Actually, on first listen it kind of made me mad, because I had written a song that was almost a dead ringer for "Lift" for a band I had played with a few months ago, and they didn't like it because they said it sounded too much like bluegrass. Ah well. The first thing you get in "Lift" is the powerful a capella entry. (Don't know if the real radio edit leaves this entry off or what.) There's a movement on in pop and rock today to bring back vocal harmonies, with losers like En Vogue and Nelson and various other schlock-rock bands trying to do so. Yes finally blows twits like this off the air and shows 'em how it's really done. Granted, this song is no "Leave It", but the singing and the mixing of this intro is just too awesome. It's like hearing them in a concert hall or on top of a mountain. It's the strongest part of the song. If you heard "Can't Look Away", Trevor Rabin's latest solo album, you'll be in a severe case of deja vu with this song. It's definitely Rabin all the way through, even though Jon Anderson sang over some of his vocals. I guess this is what Chris Squire meant by wanting to preserve the continuity of the tracks. There are some points where Jon appears to have had a bad day; at one point, he is singing "Help me through the fight", and on "fight" it sounds as if he hiccups or runs out of breath. The vocals are good and consistent throughout, though. As for the rest of it, well, it's a great song but it's no "Owner of a Lonely Heart". It may be unfair to compare _any_ song to "Owner", though... It's not a rocker. It's kind of a spiritual, "Solsbury Hill"-type of song. Squire and White are in top form on their instruments, although Chris' singing needed a bit more work in spots. I was glad to see Alan get out of the 2-4 lockstep that was the rule in "Rhythm of Love". As for Tony Kaye, well... I hear keyboards, but they don't do much, and I can't help but wonder if Tony even played at all on this song. The overall effect of this song will make it a successful single. A lot of Yes fans hate Trevor Rabin, but like him or not he is _the_ master of hook writing. And the very hooky chorus and chord changes here stick in your brain like crazyglue; I expect to hear a lot of people humming the tune before it's all over. At times, it gets a little repetitive. The second time through the chorus could have used some gimmick or novelty item -- perhaps a secondary bridge or modulation -- to keep things interesting. Rabin's solo is awesome, even if it is a 30-second amalgam of every solo off of "Can't Look Away". However, the ending is not good. It sounds more like an afterthought than an ending. The little upbeat part is OK with me, even though it's out of place. It's the last couple of measures that really suck. At the end, I expect to hear CNN Headline News start or something; it just sounds too much like a commercial. The final analysis: It's really very good. It'll be a good refresher course for a radio listening public that hasn't had new Yes in 4 years. Although, if this is the best song on the album, I'll be disappointed. There's some things in this song that could have used a little common-sense cleaning up and livening up. But then again, "Rhythm of Love" was by no means the best song on Big_Generator, and similarly I wouldn't be surprised if another single or more non-single songs on _Union_ end up bettering this already wonderful song. I give "Life Me Up" a B+. -- Robert Talbert ADDENDUM TO THE PREVIOUS REVIEW.... OK, looks like I was a little clueless there for a sec. I taped the Rockline interview last night, and I was surprised to hear a version of "Lift Me Up" quite unlike that which I heard on the radio... I haven't gotten my CD single of the song yet (supposed to come in this week), but apparently the version I heard on the radio was the "A Capella Opening" version. I take it that the one they played on Rockline was the LP version. It's too bad they cut the a capella intro, but the intro that is on the radio edit (assumedly...) and the LP version does make the ending (which I ragged on quite a bit) make a heck of a lot more sense. The beginning to the LP version reminds me a lot of the intro they did to "Owner of a Lonely Heart" on the 9012Live video. Anyway, I still give it a B+. =) gaudi, Robert * * * * * * * * * * REVIEW: Rick's Black Knights... =============================== From: Dave Scidmore Date: Sat, 20 Apr 91 0:24:53 CST _Black Knights At The Court Of Ferdinand IV_ by Rick Wakeman & Mario Fasciano 1) Evuje' 5) Tommaso Aniello 2) Favola 6) Fradiavolo 3) Umberto II 7) Farfarie 4) Umbe' 8) 'O Bilancio The first thing I noticed when browsing the scant liner notes for this 1989 recording was that this was a collaborative effort between G. Castiglia, Mario Fasciano, and Rick Wakeman. Wakeman often produces his best work when in collaboration with others, his work with Yes is somewhat of a testament to that. Upon first listening to this album it becomes clear that other influences besides Wakeman's are at work here. On the one hand this is an album that pulls together styles present in Wakeman's previous works in a combination and form that is easily identifiable as Wakeman while at the same time being quite unusual for Wakeman. On the other hand it fuses elements I've never heard from Wakeman before into a truly interesting work. This album does have somewhat of a split personality. The vocal portions sound almost as if they were written by different musicians than those that wrote the instrumental ones. For some reason the composers chose not to attempt vocals in the more interesting instrumental sections instead always providing a quiet pastoral backdrop for the clear, strong voice of Mario Fasciano. This is a shame as the result might have made this already interesting album an even more interesting one. The transitions between instrumental portions of the songs, and the vocal sections is always accomplished deftly and seamlessly, but still becomes predictable after a while. In other words, by the end of the first listening it was not hard to predict when the vocals were about to start. Still the vocals are so melodic, and clear and the backdrop so well suited to them that the end result is quite excellent, which is rare for a Wakeman album. In fact, the vocals are so good that I never found the fact that the vocals are not in English to detract from the music in the slightest. In a way it does just the opposite, enhancing the effect of the vocals, and giving them a more mysterious and far away feel. Rumors to the effect that Wakeman has an interest in new age music seem credible given his efforts in that area. Some of these efforts such as _Rick Wakeman's Family Album_, _Zodiaque_, and _Suite Of Gods_, while containing material that compares in style to the works of some new age artists fall short of capturing the essential feel that permeates the best of the new age works. Other Wakeman new age efforts such as his _Airs_ series of acoustic piano solos excel in all areas. _Black Knights_ is unique in that while being nothing like his acoustic piano albums, does compare favorably to much of the better new age stuff. New age music is often composed more of mood than of melody, and more of atmosphere than substance. More critical than the choice of notes can be their phrasing, and the combination of sounds chosen to play them. In that respect Wakeman has come closest, in this work, to developing a true new age sound. This new age feel is also mixed, at various times, with a good dose of Wakeman wizardry right out of ABWH, and new elements I have never heard in a Wakeman work before. In many ways parts of the music are comparable to Tangerine Dream, and one song in particular, "Farfarie" has a bit of ELP or 3 flavor to it. All in all, this is a unique album that is sure to surprise any Wakeman addict. Initially my reaction to _Black Knights_ was somewhat lukewarm, but I rapidly became addicted to it, listening to it for hours on end for several days. While I would not consider it Wakeman's best work or the closest to his work with Yes, that honor going to albums such as _Six Wives Of Henry The VIII_ and _Journey To The Center Of The Earth_, it is certainly up there in caliber as Wakeman albums go. So different in style are early Wakeman works, though, that I am sure there will be some people, with different tastes from mine, that will consider it the better of the three. If it is like other Wakeman imports you better snatch it up when you see it, Japanese imports are hard to find, and I'm sure it will only be available for a limited time. Dave Scidmore * * * * * * * * * * REVIEW: Rick's Zodiaque ======================= Date: Mon, 22 Apr 91 23:04 EST From: KELLEY%CERAMICS.BITNET@clvm.clarkson.edu _Zodiaque_ by Rick Wakeman & Tony Fernandez Musicians -- 1988, 1989 c. Relativity Records Rick Wakeman: keyboards Tony Fernandez: Acoustic and Electronic Percussion Produced by John Burns & Rick Wakeman. Side 1: Side 2: Sagittarius 4:19 Aries 5:22 Ruler: Jupiter Ruler: Mars Traits: Optimistic, active and Traits: Brave, energetic restless and impatient Capricorn 4:42 Libra 3:57 Ruler: Saturn Ruler: Venus Traits: Careful, ambitious and Traits: Idealistic, pessimistic romantic and frivolous Gemini 2:51 Leo 3:15 Ruler: Mercury Ruler: Sun Traits: Lively, versatile and Traits: Strong, creative inconsistent and pompous Cancer 3:17 Virgo 3:48 Ruler: Moon Ruler: Mercury Traits: Imaginative, sensitive Traits: Modest, practical and possessive and aloof Pisces 4:43 Taurus 4:14 Rulers: Neptune and Jupiter Ruler: Venus Traits: Caring, intuitive and Traits: Determined, warm vague and stubborn Aquarius 3:52 Scorpio 3:21 Rulers: Uranus and Saturn Ruler: Pluto and Mars Traits: Independent, original Traits: Passionate, and obstinate purposeful and jealous The first track starts off with a keyboard flourish -- typical Wakeman, but it is delicately worked and provides a startling contrast to the percussion. And that pretty well illustrates one of the major themes of the album. Either the keyboards and percussive instruments are "played off" one another, or they work in tandem to create a distinct New Age-jazz fusion sound. You may think you hear voices, but remember: this is Wakeman with a Korg and almost (if not everything) is possible. True to its title, "Sagittarius" is a restless piece, as the percussion dominates the song. It seems to be written in a minor key which lends to a "haunting" sound, although it is *not* pessimistic. Wakeman knows how to use key changes and modulation to his advantage (lest we forget "Firebird Suite" and "Six Wives," two of his best known works, and especially the bit from Handel's "Hallelujah Chorus" toward the end of the excerpt of "Six Wives"). "Capricorn" finds Wakeman and Fernandez working in tandem, as I mentioned earlier. With all the keyboards in this piece (and the occasional glissando), there is a definitely more delicate mood than in the previous song. The texture is rich but not heavy, like a lighter-than-air chocolate creme pie. "Wakeman Does Scott Joplin" might be a subtitle for "Gemini." When I first heard this last fall I immediately thought: ragtime. And what better way to capture the unpredictable Twins of the Zodiaque than in an impish song like this one? Actually, it brings to mind the "Cantina" from _Star Wars_, believe it or not. It borders on the edge of triteness, but the song is so enjoyable you only want to listen and not look beyond. Ah, my sign, Cancer. A very mellow song, so unlike myself! Fernandez restrains his percussion on this piece, allowing Wakeman to have a keyboard solo, as it were. Cancer is represented by the moon, which has power over the tides, and this song is indeed wavelike; Wakeman makes sure of that with his almost constant arpeggios and repetition of a leaping theme in the right hand (for all you keyboardists out there). One might wonder where "Pisces" is going, after its almost monotonous beginning. It is by far the simplest piece yet on the album. In this I find typical New Age devices: melody line that is based on chords, like Liz Story or George Winston's playing; a softly droning left hand that gives us a "watery feel," like a fish through shallow, blue water. The lower notes resonate like the hum of waves gently lapping on a shore. I thought "Aquarius" started out as a dull piece as compared to the rest of the album. It drones on and on with the same figure, only breaking out of it to sound like Phillipe Saisse (whom I actually like). It's not very Wakeman-ish; overall, it's not intense. Rather, it's erratic at best. The longest song, "Aries," is also -- surprisingly -- one of the best on the album. It brings to mind "Six Wives" in the lamenting feel of the B theme (as it were). The A theme is also haunting, but it's more ominous. The martial theme in the middle makes an effective segue. Perhaps it's a brave sound, I don't know; listen and make your own judgment. The percussion and keys change between working in tandem and opposing in a duet. The B theme reminds me of a waltz for some reason. "Libra" has a lower feel than the other purely melodic songs so far on this album. The percussion stays well in the background. It does, however, have a similar feel as to "Pisces." The rhythm lends itself to an Eastern sound. Heavy percussion and warped keyboards distinguish "Leo" from anything else on the album. It doesn't have as nearly a rich texture as so many of the other songs. The near-constant percussion keeps the song moving along nicely, though. Fernandez does throw in a few interesting rhythmic changes here and there. It's time for the circus with "Virgo." The chimes are a shiny effect and work well. This doesn't seem to fit the above description at all, maybe someone out there who's heard this can explain it to me. I see Gypsies on horseback, with their bright clothes and brighter trinkets to sell at the county fair when I hear these chimes. I've been working at a radio station for the past semester, and this sounds like a piece of cheesy music that you hear behind the latest ad for a nightclub. That rapid bass note -- repeated, with a syncopated chord sequence in the right hand. I wasn't impressed with the composition of "Taurus" at all. I like the song, but it seems so out of place for Wakeman. Well, maybe not the latest ad, but maybe the opening music for the six-o-clock news. But the texture is good. "Scorpio" is also uneven. I think Wakeman meant it to be delicate, but there's too much bass for it to be that, and the texture is too heavy. The "lead" keyboard is too "whiny," besides. I like the composition in places, especially where the bass line dips and jumps as the melody keeps doing the same thing. I hope this is a fairly comprehensive review. It is very much a New Age album, don't be mislead about that. My musical tastes range from New Age to Moody Blues to Yes to the Who to the Clash. (Everything but rap, basically.) When I compared one song to Liz Story and George Winston, I should elaborate somewhat. I like Liz Story's compositions and her playing. I think Winston is dull, both compositionally and playing ability. But, they do base their compositions on chords in sequence rather than on a-melody-line-and- take-it-from-there. Wakeman tends to work around a melody line first, and write the music around it. I guess you could say it's all in the approach, but the results differ. I'll close with: if you liked "Six Wives" and like New Age, you'll like this. It's a fine sherry, if you will. Sometimes it has a bite, but it's usually smooth going down. (Like what Jon Pareles said about the Moody Blues' _Long Distance Voyager_; _Zodiaque_ also reminded me of that as well.) I was also surprised to see which track I would like the most, and why; and see if it related at all to my astrological sign. Remember, this *is* a New Age album. I'm basically a Cancer, with a lot of Leo tendencies (what you get for being born on a cusp, for those of you out there who have some idea of what that means). I liked "Cancer" but didn't really feel like that was "me." I liked the "Aries" and "Gemini" pieces the most, and perhaps "Sagittarius." "Aries" felt most like "me." miche bitnet%"kelley@ceramics" kelley@bigvax.alfred.edu * * * * * * * * * * REVIEW: Jon's Song of Seven =========================== From: Dave Scidmore Date: Sat, 20 Apr 91 0:25:09 CST _Song Of Seven_ by Jon Anderson 1) For You For Me 6) Everybody Loves You 2) Some Are Born 7) Take Your Time 3) Don't Forget (Nostalgia) 8) Days 4) Heart Of The Matter 9) Song Of Seven 5) Hear It In the early days of Yes, before their first album, they gained a reputation for taking other bands' material and re-arranging it into longer, more jazzy, and more complex versions. It was not unheard of for those who penned the original songs to go to Yes performances to hear Yes' fifteen minute version of their three minute song. This ability to take a simple song and add compatible musical ideas to it to produce a carefully crafted and sometimes highly complex musical arrangement is a big part of what has made Yes what they are today. To recognize this ability one need only listen to Simon and Garfunkle's "America" and compare it to the "Yes" version on _Yesterdays_, or the Buggles version of "I Am A Camera" and compare it to "Into The Lens" from _Drama_. However, after their first two albums Yes produced mainly original material, most often based on material which Jon Anderson had a hand in writing. Anderson himself has defended Yes against charges that they were too pretentious, by saying that all of their compositions had the same kind of basic, simple "songs" at their core that you hear in other popular music. Listening to the vocal sections of Yes compositions such as "Close To The Edge" you can almost picture Anderson sitting in a room by himself working on that melody with only an acoustic guitar to accompany him. Following Anderson's departure from Yes in 1979, just prior to _Drama_, he probably had a good deal of material already assembled that he had intended to be Yes music. It is a good bet that some of this material shows up on _Song Of Seven_. _Song Of Seven_, Anderson's second solo effort, is interesting in that it contains the same kind of simple basic melodies and chord progressions that appear in Yes music, but the arrangements are not nearly as complex, and the musicians not as willing to display their talent. The end result is an album that is much closer to what you might imagine to be the "original" version of a Yes song than the Anderson material you hear on Yes albums. The quality of the music in various songs on _Song Of Seven_ is less than consistent. For example the overly repetitive and dragging "Take Your Time" is unusually downbeat for Anderson. While "Don't Forget" and "Heart Of The Matter" are both simple, stylized, nostalgic rock tunes, but "Heart Of the Matter" works were "Don't Forget" falls short. Somewhere in the middle is "Everybody Loves You" which works, as a well constructed, simple love song. One of the better songs "Days", is a novel piece which features just vocals, acoustic guitar, and bass, has a simple relaxed feel. The album does feature some quite excellent works such as "For You For Me", "Some Are Born", and "Hear It" all of which are light, upbeat, and soaring, in the best tradition of Anderson music. In my opinion the album is worth while for these three alone. The showcase piece on the album is clearly the Yes-like "Song Of Seven", which builds a collage of musical moods and ideas into a positive and progressive piece. _Song Of Seven_ is a somewhat mixed album with mostly excellent music, but some below average music as well. For me the positive points easily outweigh the negative ones, but I can not guarantee that everyone else will feel the same. If what attracts you to Yes music are the intricate arrangements and dazzling performances by the musicians, this may not be an album for you. For anyone else this may be an album worth trying. Unfortunately, _Song Of Seven_ is only available as an import from Japan and so is harder to find and quite pricey. Dave Scidmore * * * * * * * * * * RE-RE-RE-RE-RE-REVIEW: Re-"Re-evolution" ======================================== Date: Wed, 24 Apr 91 22:59 ??? From: MOONLIT KNIGHT Since this Relayer tour bootleg CD has been reviewed before, I'd just like to add my two cents. My brother complained of a buzz on the guitar on the Stellar Attraction LP bootleg, which is from the same 11/12/74 show. I was disappointed to find the same buzz on Re-ev, but it's not as bad and in no way ruins it; I wouldn't listen to it with treble all the way up. Sound Chaser and To Be Over are great. Close to the Edge Moraz-style is interesting for a while, but I find the last third of it pretty noisy and inarticulate. I especially like And You and I; Squire also did the harmonica thing on the current tour. Contrary to most folks' opinions, I find this Roundabout to rock. The live energy comes through very strongly on this recording, and I recommend it highly. As for the cover, I feel it is both a parody of Dean's Tales cover and Squire himself, who isn't looking all that slim and his beard is pretty nasty. (Sorry about the cheapshot, Chris, but you should have played a longer Fish on this tour ...) Jeff Liss * * * * * * * * * * REVIEW: GTR Live! ================= From: KELLEY@CERAMICS.BITNET Subject: Review of GTR concert, 5 years ago! In response to the two widely diverging views on the GTR concert of 1986, here's my two cents' worth: When I saw them in 1986, I was a Yes fan, but after all, Steve Howe was in GTR. They couldn't be too bad. Plus, he and Steve Hackett were opening the show with an acoustic guitar set. As my concert-going experience at the time was fairly limited (Billy Idol/ Duran Duran in '84, INXS/Go-Go's in '84, Phil Collins in '85), and my boyfriend at the time said I had a choice between GTR, Robert Palmer or a nice dinner, I decided on GTR. I really wanted to hear "Mood for a Day." The SO (names are omitted to protect the guilty!) and I got there in plenty of time. They played the Stanley: an old, small, but a wonderfully acoustic venue. We got a t-shirt (to this day I don't remember exactly who paid for it) which I still have and wear, and it still fits! Sad . . . anyway, the opening set was both unassuming but powerful in its understatement. Here you have two good guitarists (although I think Howe is much better than Hackett, even on Howe's deathbed), sitting on chairs in the center of the stage, no light show, just the two jammin'. Although I can't recall if "Hackett to Bits" was played then, I'm sure it was. I do remember a version of "Mood for a Day" that I was very pleased with. I should mention now that we were in a Yes section (as opposed to a Genesis section that I'm sure must have been there), and I heard some talk about Yes behind me. I'll come back to this. The show wasn't that long. They played through just about everything on the album, putting "The Hunter" (one of my favorite pieces, for sentimental reasons) in the middle of the show, and obviously closing with "When the Heart Rules the Mind," which I remember as going on FOREVER. Is that on the bootlegs, a long version? I wouldn't know, someone'll have to inform me. Anyway, toward the end of the show, I recognized "I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)" coming from the stage! So did the rest of the audience, as a small surge of clapping shot through the audience. But then -- wait! If they were playing Genesis, which was to say Steve Hackett, then . . . YES! Literally! What would they play by Yes? I turned to my SO and asked his opinions. He didn't know. The group behind me heard my question and we started a short, involved discussion on what would be played next. "All Good People" -- nahh. "Starship Trooper" -- no way, it's too much a trademark of Yes. We discounted everything off _90125_ immediately. "Round-about" perhaps? "And You and I" made our list. "Yours Is No Disgrace?" We were fairly clueless, until that unmistakable D chord (I've seen it on sheet music in both C and D, so don't yell) rippled from Howe's guitar. I clutched the arms of my seat and screamed, matching the chord! And then they jammed. And so did the audience. I didn't know if I was ever going to see Yes live, but for sentimental reasons as well (dating back to 1984, when I was a mere freshman in high school, then I was a junior in high school and here I am a graduating senior in college) I HAD to see "Round-about" live. I knew I was seeing the Moody Blues that summer (with the same SO), so that was a dream that only time would fulfill. This, however, was something that happened purely by chance and fortune. Do I remember the performance? How could I forget? Yes it was odd seeing Max-baby up there, singing Jon Anderson's part, but their voices are similar enough to not create much of a problem. Anyway, I was listening to the rockin' bass part, which as some of you might know, is a killer with all those sixteenth notes (but if you can do a D-scale really really fast, you've got 80 percent of the song down). And the guitar solo -- ripping. I was also pleasantly surprised to hear the keyboard part played with a fair amount of accuracy. GTR played well, throughout, but when they got to "Round-about," they let loose with everything they had. Not even on "When the Heart Rules the Mind" could they match their previous intensity, but then again, that would've been nearly impossible. I'm glad I caught the show, for more reasons than one, because I still haven't seen Yes live, and depending on fortune, I may or may not (depending on where and if I get a job). I'll keep you posted. Michelle * * * * * * * * * * Going to a show? ================ Here's the list of people to get in touch with if you are interested in meeting other people before/during/after the concert: Buffalo (4-26) Cathy Leak V111PBXX@UBVMS.CC.BUFFALO.EDU Auburn Hills (4-27) Beth Gehrman ELIZABETH_GEHRMAN@UB.CC.UMICH.EDU Kalamazoo (5-3) Dave Markfield ILWN500@INDYCMS.IUPUI.EDU Los Angeles (5-15) Mike Maddock MMADDOCK@POLYSLO.CALPOLY.EDU Oakland (5-17) Ben Ragunton RAGUNTON1@LLNL.GOV Atlanta (7-9) Christian W. CWALTERS@DUCVAX.AUBURN.EDU Weedsport (7-21) Michelle Kelley KELLEY@CERAMICS.BITNET Nashville (7-28) Robert Talbert RNT3515@TNTECH.BITNET Birmingham, AL (8-2) Christian W. CWALTERS@DUCVAX.AUBURN.EDU If you'd like to be put on this list as an organizer for any shows, drop Cathy a line saying so! +++ +++ +++ +++ Date: Sat, 13 Apr 1991 20:59 CDT From: RNT3515@TNTECH.BITNET I volunteer to coordinate activities for the tentative July 28 date in Nashville, TN. I have to admit that this date seems even more tentative than others, because the only place I figured they'd play -- the wonderful Starwood Amphitheater -- is already booked for the 28th (by Don Henley, no less). The only other places I could imagine them playing would be Municipal Auditorium or Vanderbilt's Memorial Gym. But if they are not going to do it in the round on the second leg, there's some other, smaller places to play though which are far better. Anyways, I'm calling local radio stations and venues to find stuff out. If you are interested, please let me know! Thanks. One more thing: If there's anybody like me who lives in the South and didn't know about the second leg of the tour until recently, then listen up. A friend of mine and I are going to the show in Dayton on the 4th of May. We are leaving from school here in Cookeville, TN which is about halfway between Nashville and Knoxville. We still have two places left in our car, and we could use someone to help with gas (those '73 Buick Centuries get about 5 gallons to the mile =) ). If you Southerners are interested, give me a write and we'll see what we can do. -- Robert Talbert * * * * * * * * * * Birthdays ========= From: CATH Two Yes-men birthdays of the month: Bill Bruford was born on May 17, 1948 and Rick Wakeman was born May 18, 1949. April ----- 27 Rodney Jacks 28 Dale Mahoney 29 Ross Storey 30 Gene VanBuren May --- 3 Brenda Nigh 8 Ken Rothman 9 Mark Williams 11 Greg Johns 16 David Purnell 20 Dean Gitters 24 John Hansen 24 Jeff Appling 24 Sinn Santos 26 Rob Pearson 27 Bilbo Stoner 31 Mike Morgan As Cathy would say... ...A pinch to grow an inch! (A punch to grow a bunch???) :-) * * * * * * * * * * Contributors ============ Thanks to everyone who has made this issue special: Rob Petrone, Michelle Kelley, Dave Scidmore, Ross Storey, Robert Talbert, Doug Gottlieb, Patrick Quarioli, Keith Brown, Mary Lynn Orzechowski, Dave Cochran, Andy Ewing, David Halm, David Weiss, Valentino Herrera, William O'Dell, Diane Westerfield, Jeff Liss, and Kenneth Maxham. Special thanks to Cathy Leak for making this as painless as possible, and for giving me a few minutes in the spotlight. -Mike * * * * * * * * * * The Final Word ============== I love to get the final word!! :-) Just a few quickies before I wrap this baby up... * If you haven't seen Yesshows '91 yet, GO DO IT!! I've seen them twice so far this tour (thanks for the Montreal tickets, Tanguy!) and they put on an excellent show. They might even surprise you... * Remember, I'm merely the guest editor. Cathy will be behind the keyboard for the next issue, so be sure to mail all contributions to her at: V111PBXX@UBVMS.CC.BUFFALO.EDU. If you send them to me, I'm not responsible for what happens... :-) * The concert review special issue will be in your mailbox early next week (We are planning for Tuesday). If you don't want to spoil the surprise, DON'T READ THE ISSUE! It will be titled, "Yes - Concert Reviews". * The deadline for Notes From the Edge #13 is Wednesday, May 8th. The final Notes... before the summer will be #14, which will come out May 24th. I hope you've enjoyed this newsletter. I had a ball doing it (and managed to blow off a ton of work in the process). 'Nuff said! -Mike Borella borellms@clutx.clarkson.edu * * * * * * * * * * Those All-Important Address: ============================= For New Subscribers, Contributions, Questions/Comments/Criticisms: Cathy Leak (Editor) V111PBXX@UBVMS.CC.BUFFALO.EDU For requests for Back Issues and Survey Responses: Mike Borella CURADIO@CLUTX.CLARKSON.EDU For the Discography (Additions, Corrections and Requests): Mike Borella CURADIO@CLUTX.CLARKSON.EDU For the Rarities List (Additions and Requests): Dave Markfield ILWN500@INDYCMS.BITNET For Lyrics (Additions and Requests) Christian Walters CWALTERS@DUCVAX.AUBURN.EDU For Import CD's (last resort): Joe Pizzirusso JOEP@CBMVAX.CBM.COMMODORE.COM ********************************************************************************