Yes (September 2001)

Date of Performance: September 1, 2001
Venue: Oakdale Theatre, Wallingford, CT, US

I still remember the first time I heard Yes live. I can hear it in my head, and I can see the band on the stage, as if only a few months have passed rather than more than 30 years. I had tickets to see Grand Funk Railroad, of all people, not exactly whom you might expect a progressive-rock act to be paired up with. You have to remember that back then progressive rock was a new thing. The term hadn't yet been coined, and bands like King Crimson, ELP, Genesis, and Gentle Giant were all the new kids on the block.

Before I left for that first concert, the bass player in my band told me that he had heard on the radio this amazing new group called Yes. The name meant nothing to me at the time; I had never heard of them, and I didn't know that they were to be the opening act for Grand Funk. Still, the name stuck in my head, and I've always thought that it was amazing coincidence that Yes was the band that came strolling out on the stage that warm summer evening at the Yale Bowl in New Haven, Connecticut.

On that tour, they opened with "Yours Is No Disgrace," and I was captivated. By the end of their short set, I was a fan. In fact, though I didn't know it at the time, I was a fan for life. It wouldn't be long before Yes became my second favorite band of all time (the first is The Beatles). Now, 30 years later, I've seen them for the 16th time.

This time around, Yes is touring with a full orchestra (about 35 pieces, by my estimation), and only three of the band members -- Jon Anderson, Steve Howe, and Chris Squire -- have managed to stay a part of Yes since that concert 30 years ago. (That first show featured Bill Bruford on drums and Tony Kaye on Hammond organ.) This time filling the keyboard position is a young man from New Jersey, whose name I didn't catch ['twas Tom Brislin -ed.], and fulfilling the drum-pounding task is Alan White, who, while not a member of the group when I first saw them, has been with the band ever since he took over for Bruford.

I expected that Yes would play a lot of new stuff from their upcoming album, Magnification. I was surprised, however, that only about 15 minutes of the more than two-and-a-half hour show was new material. In fact, except for that 15 minutes, the entire show was dedicated to classic Yes. They played nothing from the previous album, The Ladder, nor did they play anything recorded later than the Relayer album from 1975, which most people consider to be the last album that can be called classic Yes.

I thought the set list was surprising considering that they had brought along a full orchestra. Why? Because on the upcoming album, an orchestra plays all parts usually done on keyboards. Naturally, I assumed if they were touring with the orchestra, the bulk of the music would be from the new album. I was even surprised to see a keyboard player on stage, because, as I understand it, no keyboard player appears on Magnification.

Also unusual was the piece that began the concert. Yes usually starts off with something driving and upbeat. Often, that something is "Siberian Khatru" from Close to the Edge. This time, they jumped immediately into the epic pieces, starting with a magnificent and unabbreviated "Close To The Edge." (This thrilled my son, who was afraid they wouldn't play "Close To The Edge" this time around. That song is his favorite Yes track. I take pride in knowing that I've raised a 17-year-old who, in between bouts of Eminem and Slipknot, will listen to Yes and The Beatles.)

Other epics in the set list included "The Gates Of Delirium" from Relayer and "Ritual" from Tales from Topographic Oceans. "The Gates Of Delirium" was the highlight of the concert. I've never before heard Yes play this piece with such skill and power. And I wasn't the only one who noticed. Over the course of the piece, the group received three standing ovations. The instrumental center part was an explosion of prowess, inventiveness, and well-crafted sound -- in a word, amazing.

The set list included most of The Yes Album, including "Starship Trooper," "I've Seen All Good People," and "Perpetual Change." All were played magnificently, although I have to admit to being bored with "I've Seen All Good People," the most overplayed Yes song. (It also doesn't help that I've performed it at least 100 times in various bands!) Representing Fragile were "Roundabout" and "Long Distance Runaround." I really missed "Heart Of The Sunrise," a concert staple, but not played this time around.

The two new songs from Magnification (whose release date has been delayed until December 4, dammit) were "In The Presence Of" and "Don't Go." Although "In The Presence Of" clocks in at over 10 minutes, neither track is especially progressive in the classic sense. Both songs would have fit just fine on the previous album, The Ladder, along with the more commercial fare on that disc. Don't get me wrong: Both songs are enjoyable and have that Yes sound. They're just not very complex or challenging. I'm still looking forward to the new album. In fact, I had hoped that they would sell copies of it at the concert. Instead, they sold a three-song EP titled YesSymphonic that includes the two new songs, as well as the live, orchestrated version of "Long Distance Runaround."

All in all, this was a fabulous concert -- classic Yes fare performed nearly perfectly. The only complaint I have is that I couldn't hear the orchestra over the band. What a great waste of money to pay all those musicians union scale or better, and then not be able to hear them except during the few quieter parts. This is especially disappointing when you consider that the tour is called Yes Symphonic, and a lot of people expected to hear an orchestra. Still, all those classic Yes pieces are symphonic all on their own, and this reviewer was happier than a Congressman in a roomful of concubines to be there.