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hhhmmmm, not sure why Yes isn’t releasing a recording from their most recent “Fly From Here” tour which includes keyboardist Geoff Downes in the lineup but this isn’t the *first* time Yes and their management has gone and done something screwy. Anyway, this new 2CD/DVD set features Benoit David on vocals and Oliver Wakeman in keys.

Here’s the official announcement:

YES TO RELEASE NEW LIVE 2CD/DVD PACKAGE ON FRONTIERS RECORDS
Frontiers Records proudly announces the latest live release from the most influential and ground-breaking progressive rock ‘n’ roll band in history, Yes. New album In The Present – Live from Lyon will be available on 2CD/DVD package from November 29 in North America and December 2 in Europe.
Recorded in Lyon, France, on December 1st 2009, In The Present – Live from Lyon is an outstanding collection of hidden gems and unforgettable classics, with new singer Benoit David breathing new life into each of the evergreen tracks. The package comes with a 55 minute DVD containing excerpts from the live performance, candid interviews and behind the scenes footage. The cover art features an original design by Roger Dean, author of most Yes album covers including classics ‘Fragile’, ‘Close To The Edge’ and ‘Drama’.
Yes’ powerful compositions influenced a generation of musicians. They have a hugely successful and indelible catalogue of masterpieces; songs like “Roundabout,” a seminal hit which consistently appears on “the best songs of all-time” lists, and the group’s #1 hit “Owner of a Lonely Heart”, taken from the Yes album ’90125′, saw Yes top the UK and US album charts simultaneously.
Yes are the pioneers for the use of synthesizers and sound effects in modern music and produced a multitude of timeless, symphonic-rock masterworks; they continued to push the cutting edge of art-rock music to their limits, selling over 30 million albums and reaching platinum status multiple times worldwide. Yes latest studio album ‘Fly From Here’ – the first in ten years – hit the Top 10 on the Rock Charts and was declared as their “best work since the ’70s” (Paste Magazine)

“In the Present – Live From Lyon” will be released in a gloss digipak edition. The final tracklisting includes:
CD1: Siberian Khatru, I’ve Seen All Good People, Tempus Fugit, Onward, Astral Traveller, And You And I, Corkscrew (Acoustic Solo).
CD2: Owner Of A Lonely Heart, Southside Of The Sky, Machine Messiah, Heart Of The Sunrise, Roundabout, Starship Trooper.
DVD: Interviews, Excerpts from the Live Show, Roundabout, Machine Messiah (running time approx 55 mins.)

A limited edition gatefold sleeve 3 LP vinyl release (only including the audio portion of the album) will be exclusively available in the European markets.

“In the Present – Live From Lyon” lineup features:
Benoit David: vocals
Steve Howe: guitar
Chris Squire: bass
Alan White: drums
Oliver Wakeman: keyboards

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You’ve probably already seen a diverse range of opinions concerning Yes’ brand new studio album, Fly From Here. As far as I can recall, Yes has always had a polarized fan base. But now without Jon Anderson in the band, the naysayers are out in full force. As for me, I’m still not totally convinced that Benoit David has the chops and/or talent to completely fill Anderson’s shoes BUT bringing in Geoff Downes and Trevor Horn to record the new album was a GENIUS move. I was pleasantly surprised by Fly From Here. It’s probably the strongest batch of songs I’ve heard from the band since 1994′s Talk.

First off, with Horn at the helm, the recording sounds impeccable. No complaints about the way it sounds. Another nice touch is the return of the “epic” twenty-minute track (although it’s more like a song suite). “Fly From Here” is well done but I have to say that the transition into “Bumpy Ride” is a bit odd.

Surprisingly, the standout track for me is “The man You Always Wanted Me to Be”. It’s not proggy at all and is more 70′s “yacht-rock” to tell you the truth. But the Chris Squire-led track features a great melodic hook that just won’t leave my brain! someone please help!

I like the direction the band took with this, dialing down the prog and focusing more on memorable melodies. The only track that I’ve found myself skipping is “Life On a Film Set”. For some reason, the song doesn’t do anything for me. But other than that, the album as a whole is very listenable and very enjoyable. It’s definitely worth checking out especially for those that enjoyed Drama, 90125, and Big Generator.

retroGrade: B+

Fly From Here tracklist:
1 Fly from Here – Overture 1:53
2 Fly from Here – Pt I – We Can Fly 6:00
3 Fly from Here – Pt II – Sad Night at the Airfield 6:41
4 Fly from Here – Pt III – Madman at the Screens 5:16
5 Fly from Here – Pt IV – Bumpy Ride 2:15
6 Fly from Here – Pt V – We Can Fly (Reprise) 1:44
7 The Man You Always Wanted Me to Be 5:07
8 Life on a Film Set 5:01
9 Hour of Need 3:07
10 Solitaire 3:30
11 Into the Storm 6:54

Produced by Trevor Horn
Engineered and mixed by Tim Weidner
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Billboard recently posted a short article stating that a new Trevor Rabin album is on the way. Yes, Rabin’s been talking about a new solo album for years. But since the news is from “Billboard”, maybe it’ll actually happen. who knows.

As a long time fan, I’ve been waiting for new Rabin material since 1994. Sure, Rabin has been prolific as a motion picture soundtrack composer but I’d rather hear some proper “rock” songs from the man.

I’m sure working on all those Jerry Bruckheimer films has been very lucrative but I can’t imagine the work being creatively satisfying. But with the music industry the way it is, you can’t blame Rabin for going where the money is.

Here’s the info from the article:

Yes Guitarist Trevor Rabin Working on First Solo Album in 22 Years
by Phil Gallo, L.A. | May 03, 2011 5:17 EDT

“I felt such freedom doing this,” Rabin says, his May schedule intentionally clear of movie scoring — the first time in 15 years — so he can return home to South Africa to see his mother. “I wasn’t restricted in any way. It worked out like a painting. You leave it on the easel and return to it when you’re ready.”

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I guess as a Yes fan, “changing lineups” is just business as usual. So it should come as no surprise then to see that keyboardist Oliver Wakeman (who’s been with the group for 3 years) is being replaced by “Drama” alumni, Geoff Downes. Yes, that’s right, the keytar-ist from Asia.

If I had to guess, I’m thinking that Downes saw how Steve Howe was getting “double pay” by playing in both Yes and Asia and wanted in on the action. hey, ya can’t blame the guy for wanting to get paid especially in this economy.

Anyway, Oliver Wakeman posted an official statement on his facebook page about what happened:
Oliver would firstly like to thank all the people who have taken the trouble to write to him with their concerns over the current YES rumours and press releases that have been circulating around the web.
An official statement will be forthcoming but we would like to at least put some facts forward.
Oliver is not voluntarily leaving YES and, as of this moment in time, we do not know which of Oliver’s many contributions to the recording will exist on the new YES record.
Oliver wanted to stay focused on the music for the ‘Rite of Spring’ tour and felt his primary role was to put on the best possible show for the fans who have paid to see the band.
As soon as the position becomes clear we will be posting more information on the new Facebook page and the official website (oliverwakeman.co.uk).
Thanks again for all the support that has been made for Oliver either through direct emails to the website, via Facebook and MySpace, forums or the web in general. Oliver has been very touched by the support shown for him through this unsettling period.

The band will be releasing their latest album (produced by Trevor Horn), Fly From Here, on July 12th. The new lineup of Yes recently posted a photo with producer Trevor Horn. Check it out.

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Huzzah! After 20 long years, we’re finally getting an official release of Yes Union Live on DVD. Other than a brief release on Laser Disc in Japan years ago, fans had to settle for inferior bootleg copies of either the Mountain View show or the Denver show, both of which were professionally taped. We get both shows here on the new 2-DVD/2-CD set from Voiceprint/Gonzo. The Mountain View show is the main attraction here since it was taken from the master tapes. The Denver show on the second disc appears to be of lesser quality, video-wise. But still good to have since the Denver show was in the round.

Here’s what’s on the two DVDs:
DVD 1: Firebird Suite, Yours Is No Disgrace, Rhythm of Love, Heart of the Sunrise, Clap, Owner of a Lonely Heart, I’ve Seen All Good People, Solly’s Beard, Saving My Heart, The Fish/Amazing Grace, Awaken, Roundabout
DVD 2: Denver – Firebird Suite, Yours Is No Disgrace, Shock to the System, Heart of the Sunrise, Clap/Mood For A Day, Owner of a Lonely Heart, And You And I, Drum Solo, Hold On, I’ve Seen All Good People, Changes, Solly’s Beard, Long Distance Runaround, The Fish/Amazing Grace, Lift Me Up, Rick Wakeman Solo, Awaken, Roundabout. Pensacola, FL- Firebird Suite, Yours Is No Disgrace, Rhythm of Love, City of Love, Heart of the Sunrise, Leaves of Green, Clap, Owner of a Lonely Heart, And You And I, Hold On, Shock to the System, Solly’s Beard, Changes, Take the Water to the Mountain, Soon, Long Distance Runaround, The Fish, Lift Me Up, Rick Wakeman Solo, Awaken, Roundabout, Starship Trooper. 5.1 Audio – Shock to the System, And You And I, Lift Me Up. Bonus audio – Shock to the System, And You And I, Drum Duet, Changes

Kudos to Voiceprint/Gonzo for going through all the red tape to get this thing released. I’m sure it wasn’t easy!!

Here’s the info from Gonzo:
Gonzo are proud to announce the release of Yes UNION in a Special Limited Edition Deluxe Package.
This concert film of the band was made on August 8th 1991 at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, California. It was subsequently only released in Japan on video and then on the briefly new format of Laser Disc. This fantastic film however, was not widely available for a long time and has since become a much sought after artifact amongst Yes fans.
This exclusive deluxe package includes the original film from the Shoreline Amphitheatre (taken directly from the master tapes), reproduction tour program, deluxe “digi-pak” packaging, replica tour passes, along with a debut release of the soundtrack from the Shoreline Amphitheatre show, as a two CD set. If that wasn’t enough, there also a bonus DVD featuring some bootleg footage of the band. It must be stressed however that the bootleg footage is raw and the sound and picture quality is not to the standard of normal commercial releases, but has been included for collectors and completists.
This disc also includes some bonus audio tracks, three of which are 5.1 and four are stereo mixes. The whole package comes housed in a slipcase with artwork approved by Roger Dean and is an official Yes release.
This deluxe package is strictly only available as a Limited Edition via this web site, no shops (not even Amazon) will be carrying this deluxe edition and as such will be sold on a first come, first served basis. There is stock in our warehouse waiting to be shipped the same day orders are received. Get yours now or be disappointed later!
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Frontiers Records has officially confirmed that a new YES album is on the way. It’s not mentioned in the press release but I’ve heard that Trevor Horn is slated as producer of the album. It’s a bit sad that Jon Anderson isn’t involved with this but I won’t judge until I hear the finished product.

YES Signs New Worldwide Recording Deal with Frontiers Records
New Studio CD, First In Nearly A Decade, Slated For 2011
HOLLYWOOD, CA – Grammy Award winners YES, one of the most influential and ground-breaking progressive rock ‘n roll bands, today announced the signing of a new worldwide recording deal with the Italian-based record label, Frontiers Records. Songs such as “Roundabout”, “I’ve Seen All Good People”, “Owner Of A Lonely Heart”, and countless others, have served to place the group upon the pantheon of rock ‘n roll history. But history is still yet to be written, because Steve Howe, Chris Squire and Alan White, along with Oliver Wakeman (Rick Wakeman’s son) and new lead singer Benoit David, will enter the studio to record the group’s first new CD in a decade. It is anticipated for release before Summer 2011.

One of the most popular concert attractions of all-time YES’s remarkable career has served to re-define the boundaries of rock. Proving to be a dominant force for more than four decades, YES has sold over 33 million albums worldwide. Their symphonic use of sound and innovative musical style has made each of the group’s players are virtuosos in their own right.

Even though I’m a long time fan of Trevor Horn’s work, I never took the time to seek out the second album by The Buggles, Adventures in Modern Recording. I guess I assumed that it was simply a throwaway album filled with leftover tracks after keyboardist Geoff Downes left the band in 1981. Well, recently I had the chance to listen to the new re-issue put out by Salvo/ZTT and I have to say that I’m pleasantly surprised by the material on the album. It’s actually very good. In fact, I prefer this Buggles album over their more well known debut, Age of Plastic.

It’s got Trevor Horn’s signature production touches all over it. The sounds and production techniques that Horn achieved here on this album obviously carried over to his subsequent production work with ABC, Yes (90125) and Frankie Goes to Hollywood. There are also precursors to his work with the Art Of Noise in the song “Vermillion Sands”. Just listen for the samples of a car crashing and the car engine turning over. very AON. Horn also does a “left turn” at the end of “Vermillion Sands” with an upbeat pseudo-big-band like instrumental which would fit right in on an AON album. definitely fun to view all of this in hindsight knowing what he achieved as a producer after his start in the Buggles.

10 bonus tracks are also included here on this release. Notables include “We Can Fly From Here” (which was considered for Yes’ Drama album), the 12″ mix of “I Am a Camera”

Yes, there isn’t another song as catchy as “Video Killed a Radio Star” here but taken as a whole, this album is far more satisfying than their first album. Definitely worth seeking out. Highlights include: Adventures in Modern Recording, Vermillion Sands, I Am A Camera, Lenny.

retroGrade: A

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After overcoming various roadblocks, Billy Sherwood’s Yes/Toto hybrid project will finally see the light of day. Frontiers Records just announced that YOSO’s debut album, Elements will be released in July. If you haven’t heard, YOSO is comprised of ex-YES and Toto members, namely – Tony Kaye, Billy Sherwood and Bobby Kimball.

Rounding out the lineup are – Johnny Bruhns on guitar and Scott Conner on drums. I’m a bit disappointed to learn that guitarist Jimmy Haun will no longer be involved with the project. But his guitar work might still end up on the album since he just recently decided to step down from the group to concentrate solely on the lucrative ad/jingle world.

Here’s the official press release about the upcoming YOSO album:

Napoli, May, 2010 – The term “Super-Group” can only describe the band arising out of two of the most creative bands of the past 30 years: YOSO is formed out of TOTO’s brilliant lead vocalist Bobby Kimball and the creative force of former YES members, Tony Kaye and Billy Sherwood, thus equalling the magic of YES with the voice of TOTO. However, YOSO is much more than a combination of two classic rock groups. The band’s debut album “Elements” – which comes together with a bonus live CD where the band plays some old and new classics – presents a fascinating combination of the sound of YES (“90125″/”Big Generator” era) and TOTO, with a very interesting and original sound that truly encompasses the styles.

YOSO does indeed have the magic of YES and the voice of TOTO. However, in 2010 the band intends to convince fans of both bands that the brilliance of YOSO will be just as celebrated in the years to come.

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The neat thing about Yes‘ 1994 Talk Tour was the implementation of “ConcertSonics” at all their U.S. shows. ConcertSonics was an experimental way to transmit the audio mix for the live audience to listen to simply by using their own personal FM receiver and headphones. Ultimately the technology didn’t catch on primarily due to the fact that the actual live sound in the venue overpowered any audio coming from the lil’ headphones. BUT it was an absolute boon for tapers!! Just attach a recorder of some kind to the FM receiver and voila, easy access/recording of a FM quality feed of the soundboard mix of the show. So as you can imagine, the whole U.S. tour was well documented with boots and fan-made tapes of practically every show.

One of my favorite recordings from this tour is the 9/10/94 show at Madison Square Garden in New York City. I’m not sure if it was due to it being in New York or because it was the last U.S. date of the Talk Tour or a bit of both but the band was tight and firing on all cylinders. You can definitely hear the difference in the performance when you compare it to one of the shows at the start of the tour (… but I guess you can say that about pretty much any tour. heh.) Anyway, Trevor Rabin particularly seems to be at his “A” game here. Amazing guitar solos throughout especially on the epic song “Endless Dream”. Yes, Rabin gets a bit self-indulgent with his needless piano solo before “And You and I” but he’s truly mindblowing on guitar.

As for the recording, it’s “FM radio quality” with a bit of static reception at a couple points around the beginning of the recording but still very good overall. Also the audio is heavily limited/compressed just like a radio broadcast so a lot of the big dynamics are missing. In other words, the drum sounds are “squashed” and Chris Squire’s bass isn’t deep and low like it should. But that’s just the audiophile in me talking. In any case, this boot is still a favorite in my collection.

retroGrade: A (performance), B (sound quality: FM quality)

Yes – Madison Square Garden NYC 1994
date: September 10, 1994
recording: from the FM transmitted ConcertSonics broadcast (soundboard mix)

band lineup:
Jon Anderson, Trevor Rabin, Tony Kaye, Chris Squire, Alan White, Billy Sherwood

TrackList:
CD 1 -
Perpetual Change
the Calling
I Am Waiting
Rhythm of Love
Hearts
Real Love
Tony Kaye Solo
Changes
Heart Of The Sunrise

CD 2 -
Make It Easy/Owner of a Lonely Heart
Trevor Rabin piano solo
And You And I
All Good People
Walls
Endless Dream
Roundabout (with Purple Haze)

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While my kids were watching Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs the other day, I was in the kitchen doing some cleaning when I heard a vaguely familiar intro during one of the scenes. I went over to the family room to listen more closely and I immediately recognized the artist – Trevor Rabin. For some reason, the music editors of the film chose to include the intro to a old song of his titled “Promises”. I’m not sure why but perhaps it’s a nod and a wink to Rabin since he does soundtrack work for big-time movie producer Jerry Bruckheimer. In any case, hearing that lil’ snippet of Rabin’s song made me pull out his 1989 album Can’t Look Away for a quick listen. It’s a phenomenal album by the way. I wish Rabin would take a timeout from the lucrative work in movie soundtracks and get back to rockin’ out on the guitar a bit more. It has been way too long Trevor!!

It looks so easy to be walking close behind
And I found it easy to be near you all the time
I’m looking at you now as if you knew the way
But I can’t reach you, you’re far away
It doesn’t seem so easy like the river that flows upstream

Look for the questions from the minds of those who care
You’ll find them waiting and you’ll learn that we can share
Losing the love been looking out for freedom
Been losing our love along the way …
- Promises by Trevor Rabin
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