* * * * * * * * * * ______ ______ ____________ _________ / \ | \ __/ \ __/ \__ _________ | \| \ / |/ _ \ _________ / | // _____ || / \_/ \ |NOTES \ // / \ \\_ \_ | |FROM \ || _____ ___\ \ \_ \_ | |THE \ || / ---/______| \ \_ | |EDGE ___\ || | | /______ __/ \ | |#18 ___/ \ \\ \_ \_ // | | \_____ / ___\ _/ \_ \ \_ _// | ______/ \__ \__/ ___/ \_ \____ | \_/ \__ ___/ \___ _/ \__ \__/ \ \_________/ \_____/ \_ \_____/ \ \_ | \_ | \__ __/ \_____________/ Notes From the Edge #18 July 28, 1991 * * * * * * * * * * IN THIS ISSUE... ================ A Letter From... --someone other than the editor. Concert Dates --the few remaining dates. YesFest 91' --it's all over but the shouting. An Evening With Yes --a night to remember. A YesShows 91 Review --and the tour goes on. A Couple News Tidbits --a few notable pieces of news. Turbulence --the review. Going To A Show --make it an event, get togethers for Yes shows. Birthdays --every day in every way... Contributors --thanks guys. Addresses --who to send what to where, when and why. * * * * * * * * * * AN EDITORIAL FROM PAUL ZEMAN: ============================ From: IN%"paulz@hprbear.rose.hp.com" "Paul Zeman" 22-JULY-1991 WHAT ARE WE BUYING IN THE BOXED SET? After studying the song listing for the YES box set in NFE #17, I note that the producers put a high percentage of the material (in minutes) into previous releases. A back issue of NFE showed that we all wanted rarities, outtakes, and b-sides, but from the track listing I would guestimate that only about 20% of the listening time falls into this category. (Admittedly, what may not seem like a rarity to one person may be a real find to another, and admittedly NFE readers are not the only customer base to satisfy.) It is a positive thing that the re-release material has been digitally remastered, but my central whine is that THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE IN THE FIRST PLACE for every single YES album that was originally released on vinyl and then moved to CD. Since we are all used to a certain level of customer satisfaction from our entertainment giants, some might think that expecting remastering as a 'given' is asking way too much. However EMI has digitally remastered all eight of the Focus albums for CD, and other such examples of tender care for both artists and paying customers abound. Can Atlantic do as well as EMI? Also, compare the number of units you think will be sold between YES and Focus: on that kind of volume Atlantic has to have a lot of profit to work with where EMI does not. (The first three Focus albums are available in the US through IRS, the other five must be obtained via import.) So now we get 1/4 of Tales digitally remastered and the rest not, a fraction of Fragile and the rest not, etc. etc. I generally enjoy life and don't have a cry-baby attitude, but I can pout and stomp with the best of them when music as important as this gets second-rate treatment. No candy-floss, no South Side of the Sky, no clowns. We can hope that Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs will release some complete YES albums on ultradisc, but that possibility grows dimmer with Atlantic selling their new remasterings. --Paul Zeman +++ +++ +++ +++ Another Comment on the Box by Christian Walters (cwalters@ducvax.auburn.edu): I counted up the tracks listed in Notes #17, and what we have is 16 "unreleased" tracks compared to 30 remastered versions of stuff already on album, and that's giving 'em the benefit of the doubt on the live versions of "Changes" "Heart Of The Sunrise" and "And You And I"). When you factor in the lengths of some of these songs, they don't really compare that closely (There are some remasters of "Ritual" and "Awaken" and a couple of other long ones.) To be brutally frank, this sucks. Anyone who is also a Kate Bush fan will know how this feels. The KB set, released a year or so ago, contains a whole CD of unreleased things, but you have to buy like 5 CDs with it, which are just remasters of her previous albums. It costs more than $100. Why are they doing this? I know that remastered versions are better than the versions which already exist on CD, but *this* is silly. Unless you have a top-flight stereo or a highly-trained ear, you can't tell that much difference, anyhow. How many versions of "Heart Of The Sunrise" does even the most hard-core Yes fan need? Apparently, at least six, because we're getting two more on this box set. Also, just in case someone has less than about three versions of "Roundabout," "I've Seen All Good People," and "Starship Trooper," they've got a chance to rectify that. Is this really what that survey demanded? Is it possible that Yes doesn't have that much extra material? I guess so. A group that will put "Arriving U.F.O." on an album can't be too picky :) But if this is the case, then why in hell is this thing four CDs long? The Jethro Tull box set was only three, and it was *incredible*. I'm just bitching pointlessly, I guess, since it's too late to do anything about it. I'm sure I'll end up buying the damn thing anyhow. That Roger Dean booklet better be something extraordinary, and not just a rehash of the group's history like we get on every concert program. - Christian * * * * * * * * * * SCHEDULED TOUR DATES: ==================== July 27 St. Louis, MO July 28 Cincinnati, OH (was: Nashville, TN) July 30 Detroit, MI (was: Kansas City, KS) July 31 Deer Creek Music Center, Indianapolis, IN August 1 Cajun Dome, Lafayette LA August 2 Houston, TX (was: Birmingham, AL) August 3 Dallas, TX (was: Houston, TX) August 6 Costa Mesa, CA (was: El Paso, TX) August 7 Concord Pavilion, Concord, CA--tickets on sale June 16th August 8 Shoreline Ampitheater, Mountain View, CA--tickets June 16th * * * * * * * * * * NEWS FROM YESFEST: ================= From: IN%"tompkins@sunrise.acs.syr.edu" "Cathy Leak" 17-JULY-1991 Some random thoughts on Yes Fest 1991: First the basics. Friday featured appearances by Trev and Alan, which I missed entirely since we only planned on spending Saturday at the convention. It's my understanding they had a lot of fun together and played a little something...Saturday, I *was* there! This time Steve previewed _Turbulence_ and answered questions for about an hour. Shortly after he left, Alan and Rick showed up, mumbling something about Chris and Jon being "right behind" them. They joked around and answered questions for about 15-20 minutes until Chris and *Tony* showed. To my dismay Jon never once even poked his head in to say "yo" :-) Details??? If you're lucky...:-) Here: _Turbulence_ was sounding *real* good. They played a bit of it before Steve showed up, and more after he left. It was neat hearing pieces on which some of the _Union_ songs were based (remember that Steve's album has been finished for quite some time...). I was very surprised at how talkative Steve was. My reasoning is that he was the center of attention, none of the other guys were around to detract from his importance, and hey, who wouldn't be more talkative in such a situation? We all know that Rick tends to lead most conversations :-) When asked what his favorite songs to play were, Steve answered that his fave slow song to play is..."Turn of the Century"!!! Definitely one of *my* fave songs to listen to :-) And fast tune: "Siberian Khatru". Yes, even Siberia goes through the motions. And in case the correct pronunciation of "Khatru" was never determined for us, all is at rest now. Steve pronounced it with the accent on the TRUE, as in kuh-TRUE. How's that? Steve played some for us, on a borrowed guitar that he kept pausing every now and then to tune, with a little smile :-) I was delighted as he began with a bit of "Turn of the Century"--such a powerful piece, huh? :-) He also played "Masquerade" for us. Can't seem to recall what else he actually played... Steve offered a little info on his son Dylan, for whom we know the "Clap" was written. Seems Steve thinks very highly of his son's talent as a drummer. And for those of curious nature, Dylan is 22. Wish I had taped all this--so much has slipped my mind... Rick and Alan showed up together. Guess Alan had a lot of fun Friday and was back for more :-) He even autographed quite a few pairs of drum sticks that were raffled off :-) Rick is such a ham. I wish I could remember specifics--he and Alan had a grand old time joking around together. One thing that sticks in my mind was when Alan said something about being a pianist, and Rick said something like "being a what?", with a grin, for he played on that trick of the ear that caught me off guard :-) Did you follow that? Sorry, don't want to start printing such words here. Where would it end??? :-) Chris and Tony eventually showed, and they all continued answering questions...one of which asked Chris how he managed to make it there so early (it being only about 4 pm) :-) Also, when asked when he'd be doing another solo album he replied "next year", without any elaboration. I got the impression he was just saying that because he knew that was what everyone wanted to hear. I don't think he has much intention to go through with that. But we can hope. We begged the guys to play. Chris was very hesitant. Alan really wanted to, and the others went along with it. They discussed it for a few minutes, and finally just plain jammed. Chris was deaf to the requests that he sing :-) It's really wild watching them play like that... We've all probably heard the rumors by now, of them adding "Close to the Edge" to the set list. They didn't play it Friday night in Philadelphia, and there were many requests they add it to Saturday night's show. The guys begged off. Trev's having back problems, etc, etc...(Rick made a nice little joke about Trev being "under a lady chiropractor"...) Our general consensus is that they want it to be perfect if they're going to play it... They held an auction both days. While I was there they auctioned off a guitar autographed by Trev for $2000. One of Jon's paintings was sold (I forgot for how much), two copies of Dan Hedges' biography and a bunch of other stuff. Surprise entry in items was one of Jon's show costumes--framed. It didn't bring in as much money as they hoped. It really surprised me the number of people willing to spend so much money on this stuff! Sure, if I had money to burn, maybe... OK, the show. What was different this time out? Not too much. They dropped "Hold On" and "Long Distance Runaround" for "Saving My Heart", and I got the impression they played longer solos. "Saving My Heart" was wild--they funked it up. I really liked it...gave me this urge to say things like "groovy man", etc :-) It amazes me how much more I like the stuff off _Union_ live. Trev's solo featured the "Star Spangled Banner" and a lick of "Yankee Doodle" in celebration of his becoming an American citizen. He also played what I'm told was "Dueling Banjos". I've heard it before but never knew that was what it was called. Chris added "the Fish" to his solo since they dropped "Long Distance..." Other than that, the show was pretty much the same as the other two times I saw them (although not exciting in the same way as from the 3rd row :-) So that was most of Yes Fest. The convention itself was a great experience. If you ever have the opportunity to go to one, by all means, go! I did manage to pick up a single of "Give and Take" from one of the dealers there...not a bad little tune...anyway, I won't tell you about the behind-the-scenes anarchy/horror/fun of staying at the Sheraton in Philadelphia... --Cath V111PBXX@Ubvms.cc.Buffalo.Edu Tompkins@Sunrise.acs.Syr.Edu +++ +++ +++ +++ From: IN%"uunet.UU.NET!ddtisvr!ddtg.com!melton" "Jeff Melton" 15-JULY-1991 I just got back from Yesfest in Philly over the weekend and there were only a couple of changes in the overall set: The 2nd night at the Spectrum, Steve played a different classical piece in place of "Mood For A Day" and also "Saving My Heart" replaced "Long Distance Runaround." The group is rehearsing "Close To the Edge." Steve said on Saturday that he could play it in his sleep and the group was 'this close' to getting it down. --Jeff +++ +++ +++ +++ From: IN%"curadio@clutx.clarkson.edu" "Mike Borella" 15-JULY-1991 Just got back from Yesfest...must admit, I had a ball! I'll go into gory detail about all the news and gossip I heard in a moment; let's start at the beginning: I drove down from Long Island with Dean Gitters (a not-so-frequent Notes poster) to Philly. It took us 3 hours to get there and 1 hour to find the hotel (we were given real bad directions). We got in around 10:30 Friday night, probably just as Yes was wrapping up the first show. Cathy Leak met us in the hotel room, and Diane Westerfield showed up a little later (the four of us shared a room). Diane had just gotten back from the show and even though she was ready to tell us all about it, we decided that we'd rather be surprised (more on that later!) She did mention that Trevor and Alan had shown up at Friday afternoon's Yesfest. We pretty much just hung out and got to know each other on Friday nite. Strangely enough this took until 4 in the morning! Around 10:00 Saturday morning, Gary and Dori Kelly met us at our room. The six of us went down to the convention, which was being held in the lower lobby of the hotel. Yesfest was basically one large room filled with a stage, chairs and dealer's tables. They were playing rare Yes tracks over the PA (including stuff off the box set, due out August 6th!) and showing vids on large screen TVs. Many of the dealers were selling rare out of print and import records at ridiculously high prices. There were the usual paraphenelia available - books, posters, old backstage passes, bumper stickers, all kinds of junk. A couple dealers were selling bootleg videos. Some had decent prices and interesting selections. I scammed printouts of a couple of catalogs - write me if you're interested in copies. There was one guy selling a darn good selection of Yes and Yes related audio boots. Dean and I bought an excellent Drama bootleg from the first show of that tour. It includes all the songs, solos, everything. There was even this one dealer selling copies of the books that Jon Anderson reads (everything you need to know to be a Cosmic Choirboy!) New age, meditation, and Eastern Philosophy. I gave that table wide berth. :-) Overall, there was a lot of neat stuff to look at. I didn't buy much mainly because there wasn't anything that really caught my eye. There was only one guy selling CD bootlegs and his selection consisted of a whopping one disc (Rehearsal Tales, which has the mismarked track listing). After a couple hours of this wandering they sat us down for the auction. They had some really nice stuff, most of it autographed. Unfortunately, almost all starting bids were over $100.00, which put it out of my range. The most expensive item was an original Jon Anderson oil painting (of flowers - what else?) which went to some poor sod for $2000.00. Other stuff included one of Trevor's guitars, some of Jon's clothes, and assorted band member junk. After that was a raffle in which no one in our little group won anything but there were several neat items. I wanted the autographed "Fish Out of Water" and "Relayer", but luck was not with me. Somewhere along the line, Joe Pizzirusso met up with us, Cathy managed to show off the latest "Notes..." to a few people and I did the same with the discography. In the process I ran into Mike Portnoy, the drummer of Dream Theatre (and an avid Yes fan). He said DT has a new singer, a new label, and will have a new album out soon (finally!) Back to Yesfest...Steve Howe showed up around 2:30 and was interviewed and talked to the crowd. The major dirt he came out with was that he is frustrated with producers and "other people" interfering with his work. He also wants to play longer concerts and do more encores, but the other members won't have it. As for his solo plans, he wants to do a fall tour of the States with (get this!) a band consisting of: his 22 year old son Dylan on drums (Dylan is the individual to whom "The Clap" is written), Tony Levin on bass, and Billy Currie (from Ultravox) on keyboards! He also said that he's interested in working with Patrick Moraz and Steve Morse in the future. The audience had been given index cards to write question's for the band on, and Steve answered some of them. As he answered, he signed promo copies of the CD single from "Turbulence" and the people who asked the question got the single and shook his hand. I asked a great question, "Are the Nerotrend songs ever going to be released?" But of course they didn't give him that one to answer (booo, hiss!) After about an hour of Q&A, Steve whipped out an acoustic guitar and gave us a real treat! He played the intro to "Turn of the Century", "Ram", "Sketches in the Sun" and (if I remember correctly) a portion of "The Clap". The crowd went nuts after this, and Steve hung around a few more minutes to sign autographs. Before and after Steve's appearance they played songs from "Turbulence." Let me tell you, it's REALLY good! A dealer I spoke with had an advance copy and said it's the best thing that any member of Yes has done in the last 10 years. I did manage to sneak a look at his CD. It has really nice packaging, Roger Dean cover and all. Official release date is July 23rd. About half an hour after Steve left, Rick and Alan showed up. There was more Q&A with the index cards, but no prizes. :-( Alan let Rick do most of the talking. Rick was very natural behind the mic; good voice, lively, and extremely funny! He made the crowd laugh literally every time he opened his mouth! The big news is that he is highly disappointed with Union. The keyboard overdubs were done without his permission and he thinks they are very poor. He said that he's extremely angry with "a certain producer" (who we all know is Jonathan Elias) and wants to run this person through with a Christmas tree! (At least that's what I heard - some people think Rick said that he wants to shove the Christmas tree up Elias's ass.) This got a roar of approval from the audience. But Rick seems to be taking it well and has a good attitude. He says that he will live with Union if it enables Yes to stay together and write a "Close to the Edge" for the nineties! When asked about his solo work, Rick stated that he wants to do a Christmas album. This Christmas he's scheduled to perform a newly reworked one hour version of "Journey to the Centre of the Earth" in Moscow. He's also working on a full-blown classical piece, but won't finish for about another 3 years. Among other things, he mentioned that he's made fast friends with Trevor Rabin, and told some stories of recent antics. He was doing his solo one night when Trevor came up on stage wearing a dress and plastic boobs and began sweeping the stage in front of Rick! Of course, the audience wanted to know if "Close to the Edge" was going to be played that night. Steve had hinted at it but wouldn't come out and say yes or no. Rick talked straight and said that they were still 3 or 4 shows away from being ready to play "Close to the Edge" mainly because of Trevor's bad back which was forcing him to miss practices. Rick also stated that he was willing to play some of the more obscure Yes material, including songs from Relayer, on future tours. After a while, Chris and Tony walked in. Chris looked seriously hung over and strung out. He wasn't answering questions very clearly and wasn't being his usual showman self. Many jokes were made about his habits of sleeping late. There were a lot of questions for Chris, including on about his plans for another solo album. Chris answered, "Next year." but I'm not sure if he was being sarcastic or not. Chris seemed to have a pessimistic view on the future of Yes. He said that all eight of them would be in the band for the next album, but he doesn't think they'll be writing songs together. It wasn't long before the crowd noticed that some intruments were laid out in back of the band. We wanted them to play! Chris seemed against the idea, but Rick and Alan were into it. They told us that they couldn't decide what to play (having only bass, drums and one keyboard). As they tuned up, people yelled out suggestions: "Play Relayer!", "Play Ritual!", "Play Close to the Edge!" (yes, we wanted them to hang around!) One brave soul shouted, "Play Supper's Ready!" Finally, someone yelled, "Play the blues!", which is what they did. It was about a 5 minute improv with Tony lending a third hand on the keyboard (but Rick didn't give him enough room to do the patented keyboard wipe). When they finished, Yesfest was offically over. Dean, Cathy, Diane, Joe, Gary, Dori, and I went to dinner at a local mexican place, then scrambled to get to the Spectrum on time for the show (and before the storm broke out!) The show itself was almost indentical to the other 2 I saw on this tour, but there were a few points of interest worth mentioning: - Trevor's extremely phallic treatment of his guitar neck during the solo to "Yours Is No Disgrace." - Jon announced that Trevor had just become a United States citizen and Trevor played the first 6 notes of the National Anthem at the beginning of his solo (beats being South African, I suppose). - They replaced "Long Distance Runaround" with "Saving My Heart." Not a bad version. - They played the long version of "Lift Me Up" including the extended intro. - Steve didn't play "Mood For a Day" in his solo, but he did improvise a bit. - Only one encore, and no "Starship Trooper." :-( After the show, we had a bit of fun getting back into the hotel. Apparently some fraternity that was staying there had been trashing the place, and they weren't letting people back in. Eventually they let us in because we had room keys, but walking up 18 flights of stairs was less than thrilling! Actually, it wasn't fun at all, but everybody agreed that overall we'd had a great time and that we'd stay in touch and maybe get together for the next one. Well, that's my humble attempt at chronicling Yesfest. I hope you enjoyed it. -Mike, borellms@clutx.clarkson.edu Latest word - Yes DID play Close to the Edge in Lake Placid last nite. +++ +++ +++ +++ From: IN%"wes5@midway.uchicago.edu" "Diane Westerfield" 17-JULY-1991 YesFest '91 Let me first say that this was the MOST INCREDIBLE WEEKEND OF MY LIFE!!! (admittedly my life hasn't been too exciting in its first twenty years). It was definitely worth the $250 that went into transportation, registration fees, the hotel, and concert tickets! YesFest was held in Philadelphia's University City Sheraton on July 12th and 13th. Suzanne Cerquone, the editor of _Wonderous Stories_, was the originator of this Yes convention. The convention was in a medium sized room in the lower lobby of the hotel. It was lined with dealers' tables. At the front were two video screens on either side of a few tables with microphones set up. In front of the tables there was a podium where the rather lame DJ/MC stood (apparently the Philadelphia Promoter who is responsible for bringing the two bands together in the first place). Throughout the convention Yes music was played, alternating with videos projected on the screens. We were treated with a version of "Leave It" which I'd never seen nor heard of before, where instead of their heads spinning around after the intro, people come in with balloons and are dancing around them (anyone seen this before?). They previewed the Yes Greatest Hits video at some point, and showed the recent MTV Rockumentary, Yessongs, and "rare video" footage. The dealers were selling albums, singles, cassettes, video tapes, about what you'd expect. One thing they didn't seem to be selling too much of were posters, which was a disappointment. I picked up a _Fish Out Of Water_ for $8, and the "Lift Me Up" single to get "Give And Take" (these were being sold 2 for $5). I restrained myself from buying a "Run With The Fox" single that was $35. There were door prizes, raffles, and auctions. A Jon Anderson painting was bid up from $500 to $2000. A guitar signed by Trevor sold for about $300. Jon's was the only item hot at the auction; some things were not even sold. One woman kept on screaming every time a Trevor item was given away in the raffle; when her ticket was picked they substituted in a Trevor poster just to make her happy. --Diane * * * * * * * * * * HOBNOBBING WITH YES: =================== From: IN%"dchavez@closus.dec.com" "Dale Chavez" 18-JULY-1991 To Whom it May Concern, This originated from our Vax Notes application here at Digital and is a story of a friend that works here in Colorado Springs that has an incredible story about the Yes concert in Denver. --Regards, Dale +++ +++ +++ +++ What can you say except - U N B E L I E V A B L E !!! Yes was as Yes can only be, thoroughly mind-boggling at McNichols Arena in Denver, Colorado last night. A 3-hour set that left us all begging for more. That's not all, because the best part was ........ I open the local Springs paper Wednesday morning, and happen upon a little blurb that says: DRUM CLINIC TONIGHT - with Alan White of Yes 7:00 PM, Graber Music Company So I go over there and get a free ticket. I was on standby here at the CSC and got called in, when I finally broke free it was 7:30. I go to the clinic, and arrive 5 minutes ahead of the fashionably late Mr. White! He puts on a great clinic (30-40 minutes) and has a nice Q&A session with the 60-70 people who are there. He then signs autographs, and is asking people to write down the names of any recognizable Yes songs/patterns he played during the clinic - to be placed into a hat. He says that he'll have 2 tickets/backstage passes for the 3 people who identify the most number of songs. He comes out after tabulating the results (it's 9:30 by now) and says "Nobody got more than 4, and only 1 person came up with Soundchaser ... ", at which point I freak, cuz' it was ME! Sure enough, Alan takes down my name, address and phone number and say I can pick up my tickets/passes at the Will Call window, I'm on the Guest List! Now we're talking! White was very approachable and likeable guy, and my opinion of him has increased exponentially! So my wife and I now arrange to have the kids watched all night, so we can crash in Denver. Get to McNichols, pick up our passes (which we display prominently!) and determine that Alan's free tickets are better than the 10th row floor seats we bought, so we sold those seats. The show was incredible (115,000 watt PA) and the band appeared to have a great time on stage together. After the show, we go the "After Show" party, thrown by the promoter, which was your average beer/potato chip affair. After 20 minutes, Jon Anderson shows up and makes a brief appearance, then leaves. Chara speculates "he'll be back", but she was wrong. We go out into foyer and Alan is there with Tony Kaye - they both sign my program. Alan greets Chara warmly, and tells all within hearing range "This is the only guy who knew Soundchaser!" and says to follow him. We go back to where they have the private band hospitality suite, and I walk in and bump right into Bill Bruford. He is very cordial, shakes hands, and we have about a 15 minute conversation (everything from the problems with his Simmons SDX kit, to missing his family, to working out the drumming role with Alan ...), just a really nice man. And of course he signs our program (which cost more than the new CD!). They have a full bar, and all kinds of hot and cold hors d'ouevers. In walks Trevor Rabin, meet him, get his autograph. This is a trip! They are all joking with each other, drinking, smoking cigarettes, etc. I figure we missed Jon, and never did see Wakeman. Then hear Chris Squire's name being bandied about in the hallway, look out there, and there he is. He is wasted! He is lamenting something (about a girl), and is tottering around with a drink in one hand and a smoke in the other. There is a faintly familiar acrid smoke floating through the air too! He wanders off to his private room. Chara and I go down the hall, and knock on Steve Howe's door, I hear a faint "Yeah ?", so I open the door and am greeted by a slightly sweeter smelling acrid smoke (can you say Hash ?) and we go into the room, where Steve and an assistant are re-stringing guitars. He signs the program, and we talk briefly then leave the room. We go back to the hospitality room and have a few more brews, then when Alan, Trevor and Tony decide to leave, so do we (they all call Alan "Chalkie" ?).On our way out, Squire stumbles into us with a girl (typical looking rock star 20-year old babe) entwined with his smoke/drink - I untangle him enough to get his signature on the program. They all leave together, Alan gives us the old shoulder hug and says "G'Bye, mates!" We thank him profusely. Our only regrets were not meeting Jon and Rick (don't think Rick drinks at all anymore ...). Still cannot believe we were partying with the royalty of English Rock, Y E S! Of the 8 times I've seen Yes, since 1975, this was the BEST! And they did play Awaken - and it was truly dazzling! Yours Humbly, - The Doctor (C.P.) * * * * * * * * * * A YESSHOWS 91 REVIEW: ==================== From: IN%"jcn@aplpy.jhuapl.edu" "John Noble" 22-JULY-1991 Subject: Yes concert, July 20th, Largo, Md. (The Capital Center) I attended the Yes concert last Saturday night at the Capital Center in Largo, Md (in the D.C. suburbs). Here are some observations and comments: First, the obligatory song list: Firebird Suite/Intro Yours is No Disgrace Rhythm of Love Shock to the System Heart of the Sunrise Steve Howe solo spot (Clap/Mood for a Day ?) Owner of a Lonely Heart And You and I Intermission Bruford/White Drum Duet Changes Your Move/All Good People Trevor Rabin Solo Saving My Heart Chris Squire solo (including The Fish, the bass line from Tempis Fugit) Amazing Grace Lift Me Up Rick Wakeman Solo Awaken Roundabout Comments: This was the first Yes concert I have attended after being a Yes fan for about 20 years (I got "Close to the Edge" on my 16th or 17th birthday and have been hooked ever since). I was impressed by the "in the round" setup; I was in one of the "cheap" seats (about 30 rows up from the floor) and felt that I as good a seat as anyone; I think I would have preferred being there rather than on the floor (where the expensive seats were) and being below the stage. I think Jon announced that Trevor Rabin became an American citizen the night before. The highlights of the concert for me were the various "solos"; Howe was incredible, stalking about the center of the stage displaying his incredible style and talent. The drum duet was spellbinding, and a excellent way to begin the second half of the show. Even Rabin's solo was impressive; his style is unmistakable. Rabin did some of the dueling banjo's stuff I had read about in an earlier "Notes"; he added some chords from the Star Spangled Banner (I think), perhaps in honor of his newfound citizenship. Squire's solo was perhaps the best of the bunch. Certainly, he put on the best show from a presentation point of view - he really played to the crowd. And, Wakeman, was, of course, Wakeman. The song highlight for this night had to be Your Move/All Good People. Jon again announced that this was being recorded (whether he was serious or not, I don't know) and he wanted everyone to sing along. And it seemed that everyone did. It sounded great. Jon's voice was crystal clear and crisp. I can't understand how his voice can hold up so well under such a long tour. The band has added another song from the Union album, Saving My Heart. It was good, but I would have liked the song it evidently replaced, Long Distance Runaround, as much. Awaken, the last song of the night (before the encore) is one of my favorite Yes songs, but it really lost something in concert. I suppose one of the aspects of that song I enjoy the most is the majestic sound of the church organ Rick Wakeman used for this song on the Going for the One album. That sound was not captured on the relatively puny electric organ he used. The disappointments I have mainly have to do with the fact that this is only the first Yes concert I have attended; I would have loved to have heard many more songs, like "On The Silent Wings of Freedom," "Going for the One", "Parallels", "Sound Chaser", etc. etc. etc. in concert. I would have loved to hear "Order of the Universe" from the ABWH album, too. The three hours of concert time went far too quickly. All in all, though, the band did an excellent job of spanning the years with their song selection. Overall, I am glad I went and would go to another one in a microsecond. Among the minor criticisms I have: Aside from Squire, the band doesn't really have a lot of charisma. It is their depth of talent that makes watching them perform enjoyable; you won't get too many goosebumps *watching* them perform (unless you watch the hands flying over the keyboards and guitar strings). I didn't get too much out of watching Jon prance roundabout the stage...it just seemed he was doing things up there just to keep from doing nothing. For that matter, even though I could understand his singing very well, I had a hard time understanding what Jon was saying to the crowd between songs. He said something about having a dream the night before about the next song they were to perform (And You and I) - geez, if I was playing and singing the same songs night after night, I would probably have dreams about them, too. He didn't speak very much anyway, and that was fine with me. I bought the program - nice artwork, nice words - but $15?? That seemed a bit pricey to me. Maybe someone out there can explain why it would be so expensive - should I put it in a plastic sleeve and save it as a collectible? And, why didn't the Tormato album appear in the discography with all the other album covers? --John Noble * * * * * * * * * * A FEW RANDOM EVENTS: =================== From: IN%"lewis@ctstateu.bitnet" "Sarah Lewis" 23-JULY-1991 Check out the August issue of _CD Review_ (p. 68) for a favorable review of Union. Finally a reviewer who admits he liked it! The CD got rated 8/10 for performance, and 9/10 for sound quality. Coincidentally, on the previous page is an ad for a CD called "Polar Shift: Album to Preserve Antarctica," which includes a brand new track ("Polar Flight") from Steve Howe, Constance Demby, and Paul Smith. The CD has been out since mid-June, categorized in stores under New Age. The 8/9/91 issue of _Goldmine_ has a cover article on Yes as well as a long discography. Finally, be on the lookout for a radio program called "Close to the Edge - the Yes Holiday Special" presented by the Global Satellite Network. It's slated to air Labor Day weekend on various rock stations across the US. --Sarah * * * * * * * * * * A REVIEW OF TURBULENCE: ====================== I picked _Turbulence_ up when it came out last Tuesday, and listened to it on the way to and from the Yes shows in Chicago and Milwaukee on Thursday and Friday, so I managed to get a good dose of it. By the way, the show in Milwaukee was the best of the three I have seen on this tour, Yes were in stunningly good form. The crowed which kept much more respectfully quite during songs than either of the previous two shows, was whiped into such a frenzy that they could barely be stoped from cheering between songs. A notable exception was "Awaken" which was performed so breathtakingly that it brought everyone to their feet in a standing ovation just as the volume came down for the final section. It was as if Yes and the audience were feeding of off each other, each brining the other to new heights. Near the end both Howe and Wakeman were cutting lose with numerous astounding improvisations on their familiar parts. Altogether an incredable experience which I am sure will rank right up there with the _Relayer_ tour in my list of most unforgetable musical experiences. ***** _Turbulence_ by Steve Howe 1) Turbulence 6) Fine Line 2) Hint Hint 7) Sensitive Chaos 3) Running The Human Race 8) Corkscrew 4) The Inner Battle 9) While Rome's Burning 5) Novalis 10) From A Place Where Time Runs Slow It has been about 12 years since Steve Howe favored us with his last solo album, _The Steve Howe Album_. A lot has happened between the time of it's release and the release of this, his third solo album. _The Steve Howe Album_ followed _Tormato_ and since then Yes replaced Anderson and Wakeman with The Buggles for the unique, semi punkish, Yes album _Drama_, after which Yes simply ceased to exist for a time. Meanwhile Howe and ex-Buggles keyboardist Geoff Downes went on to form Asia whose immensely popular self titled debut displayed the members new found talent for producing a unique style of power/pop music that while merging popular and progressive styles pushed the boundaries of the popular media in directions that had yet to be explored. After the second _Asia_ release, _Alpha_, Howe became possessed of a desire to break away from the heavily layered keyboard sound of Asia and get back to a form of music where the guitar does most of the talking. To this end he formed an alliance with the formidable talents of ex-Genesis guitar virtuoso Steve Hackett to form the ill-fated, one hit wonder, GTR (which stands for GuiTaR). Since GTR had more guitar talent than any one band needs, and more likely because of artistic differences between Howe and Hackett, Howe left GTR to form the new band Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe, which after the release of their self titled debut album merged with what remained of the old Yes to form the new eight member Yes which recently released _Union_. This history lesson may seem out of place at first, but it serves to illustrate the broad variety of musical styles and situations Howe has been exposed to since his last solo album. Much of this has been assimilated into his current playing style. Had several albums been released between _The Steve Howe Album_ and _Turbulence_ we may have heard a gradual growth in Howe's ability and a general broadening of his playing style. As it is _Turbulence_ is more of a quantum leap for Howe displaying even more breadth and sophistication that it's predecessor. For example, on the self titled track "Turbulence" Mr. Howe seems to have taken a page directly from the book of Steve Hackett, producing a track that could compete favorably for space on any number of Hackett solo albums, no small feat given Hackett's own diversity of talent. In fact much of the album has a vague touch of GTR sound to it and on many a track you could swear that you hear Steve Hackett pop in for a brief appearance once in a while. Due, no doubt, in part to his stint in _Asia_ the music on this album, while giving no ground to previous albums in terms of it's progressive nature, displays a marked talent for providing a more accessible sound. Many of the melodies are very memorable, of the type that stick in your head for days, and the songs are more "songs" than musical "pieces." For example "Running The Human Race" has a beautiful melody of the type that can haunt you for days. "Corkscrew" also features a soft, delicate, and catchy melody. These are by no means isolated examples, this album is full of great melodies and memorable turns of a musical phrase. Howe has admitted a recent affinity for "new age" music and _Turbulence_ reflects this interest throughout. For example "From A Place Where Time Runs Slow" whose dynamite intro melody is vaguely reminiscent of "Turn Of The Century" also combines elements that serve to remind me of the likes of Steve McDonald and Bruce BecVar. While I am by no means fluent in "new age" music, even with my modest exposure to it little phrases and bits of every song on the album remind me of the works of any number of artists who are lumped in the "new age" category. Perhaps the most predominant of these is Joe Satriani. Much of the album has production and sound that is ever so slightly similar to Satriani's _Surfing With The Aliens_. One track that seems to contain a significant dose of this smooth, slick, almost jazzy sound is "Hint Hint." Then too "Novalis" combines the same Satriani feel with a touch of Howe's progressive rock roots and killer power finale. Even the liner notes read like something from a "new age" album. Not to make this album sound like a complete departure from previous Howe material, it contains significant doses of many of the easily recognizable Steve Howe sounds and styles. One track in particular "Fine Line" seems to hark back to earlier Steve Howe albums with it's joyous guitar lead, broad range of dynamics, and delicate intertwining of melody lines. Not to mention "While Rome's Burning" which combines most of the elements present throughout the album to produce a strong rocker that just plain feels good. You might have heard that some of the material on this album made it onto _Union_ (this album was completed before _Union_, but went shopping for a record label for quite some time). One such track, "Sensitive Chaos", contains everything but the chorus of "I Would Have Waited Forever" and is every bit as positive as the _Union_ track. The line that Anderson has referred to as the Yes/Zep lick from "Silent Talking" is taken right out of "The Inner Battle." To be honest though, I somewhat prefer the _Union_ arrangement of these two tracks as they seem to benefit greatly from the contributions of the other members of Yes. Of interest is the presence of Bill Bruford as drummer on most tracks, however before die hard Bruford fans get all excited, they should be made aware that, at least in my opinion, Bruford's playing is much more economical on this album than most. It is as if a pact existed between Howe and Bruford, to let the Guitar do most of the talking on this album. The keyboards too are sparse serving more as accent and virtually never taking a lead role. Turbulence is an album that I started out liking a good deal, and after many listenings, it continues to grow on me. I feel that it may be destined to become my favorite of the three Steve Howe solo albums. While I would not go so far as some people in saying that it is a "better" album than _Union_ (if such comparisons are even valid), it is by all measures an excellent album and worthy of a place in any Yes listeners album collection. --Dave * * * * * * * * * * 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: Indianapolis, IN (7-31) Dave Markfield ILWN500@INDYCMS.IUPUI.EDU Concord, CA (8-7) Ben Ragunton RAGUNTON1@llnl.GOV Mountain View, CA (8-8) Ben Ragunton RAGUNTON1@llnl.GOV If you'd like to be put on this list as an organizer for any shows, drop me a line saying so! * * * * * * * * * * BIRTHDAYS: ========= Happy birthday to Mr. Peter Banks who celebrates his birthday on the July 7th, and to Trevor Horn who celebrates his on the July 15th, and Geoff Downs who will be well over the hill on August 25th. July ---- 2 Yunju Baek 4 Sean Leahy 5 Ajoy Kodali 7 *Peter Banks* 10 Dave Cochran 10 Brian Kauffman 10 Robert Talbert 13 Ben Ragunton 13 Gary Kelly 13 Onnie Bose 13 Ted Byrne 15 *Trevor Horn* 16 John Costello 20 Tom Kresin 22 Vicka Corey 22 Rick Meyer 22 Michelle Kelley 24 Paul Parker 25 John Nash 28 David Schuetz 29 Dan Osher August ------ 1 Marc Meltzer 2 Mike Robinson 12 Gary Schroeder 14 John Arnold 16 Dennis Richards 17 Dave Markfield 17 Atro Tossavainen 20 Mike Richichi 23 Sake Aramaki 24 Ron Chrisley 24 Eric Powell 24 Ingrid Agolia 25 *Geoff Downes* 28 David Gidalevitz 29 Andy Will 29 Diane Westerfield 31 Shri Krishnan 31 Tom Erkenswick * * * * * * * * * * CONTRIBUTORS: ============ Without you this would be an awful short newsletter. Thanks. * * * * * * * * * * THOSE ALL-IMPORTANT ADDRESSES: ============================= For New Subscribers, Contributions, Questions/Comments/Criticisms: Dave Scidmore (Editor) DaveS@Heurikon.Com or: Christian Walters CWalters@Ducvax.Auburn.Edu For requests for Back Issues, Lyrics: Christian Walters CWalters@Ducvax.Auburn.Edu For Survey Responses (submissions and requests): Dave Scidmore DaveS@Heurikon.Com For the Yes Discography: Jeff Hunnicutt Hunnicutt@VXC.UNCWIL.Edu For the Rarities List (Additions and Requests): Dave Markfield ILWN500@Indycms.Bitnet For Import CD's (last resort): Joe Pizzirusso JoeP@CBMVAX.CBM.Commodore.Com ********************************************************************************