please note the sound quality will vary here due to these being “bootlegs” obviously.

GTR – Away (No One is to Blame) from the unreleased NeroTrend album (1987). This features Max Bacon on lead vocals and Steve Howe on guitar. Steve Hackett left the group at this point and Robert Berry was his replacement.

Paul McCartney and Elvis Costello – So Like Candy demo from the Flowers In the Dirt Sessions boot (1988). This is a great version that features both McCartney and Costello singing lead.

Todd Rundgren – Slut from the Vancouver August 25, 2006 boot. a great audience recording. It’s a rough and loose rendition with Tony Levin on bass and Jerry Marotta on drums.

Lindsey Buckingham – Go Insane from the Coach House December 10, 1992 boot. an awesome solo performance of his early eighties hit. definitely an improvement over the original recording which sounds a bit dated now due to the heavy use of the Fairlight sampler.

Susanna Hoffs – Darling One from her unreleased columbia album (1994). This is from the album that Columbia Records rejected. Hoffs ended up re-recording this song (along with some others) for her 1996 album “Susanna Hoffs”. This particular version is more upbeat than the officially released one.

Yes – Cinema/City of Love from the June 19, 1994 Canandaigua, NY boot. There are a ton of boots from this tour since the band did a simulcast of each show via “ConcertSonics”. Even though the “Talk” album isn’t one of my favorites, I thought some of the performances on this tour were pretty strong. I definitely miss Trevor Rabin, though. It’s definitely way overdue for Rabin to get back on stage!!

Journey – Send Her My Love from the Detroit Raised On Radio simulcast in 1986. It’s not the greatest sounding live recording but the “Raised on Radio” tour is fascinating to me for a multitude of reasons – one of which is the presence of Randy Jackson (of American Idol) on bass for this tour. listening to these old live recordings of Journey make me miss Steve “the voice” Perry even more!

—
Happy Friday, everyone!

Here’s an excerpt of the Haun interview:
So I went to A&M studios in Hollywood to meet Jon Elias and he played me the rough tracks for the new ABWH album. Basically he told me Arista felt Steve’s guitar parts were unacceptable and that he had just soloed over all the songs. Now this was partially true. What they wanted was a blend of the old classic Steve Howe sound mixed with Trevor Rabin! I guess they felt it would sell more records. So Jonathan gave me a mix of three songs with no guitar on them (”Without Hope”, “Dangerous” and “Silent Talking” ), told me to do what Howe/Rabin would do. So in my home studio I recorded wall to wall guitar parts and mailed Jonathan the tape to New York. There was also two other name guitar players (I wish I could tell you who) who had done the same thing but they liked my tape the best, so I flew to New York for approximately three months and recorded guitar for my favorite band (a dream come true!)
about the song: “Shock to the System”:
Must have been a shock to Steve’s system—there is simply no Steve Howe on that at all! Steve had, of course, written the opening riff (which I ended up replacing for sonic reasons). I think this was my favorite track because I got to write most of the riffs and there was this new section we came up with and tacked on at 4:10 and the riff is very reminiscent of “Gates of Delirium”. And I had to replace some of the bass! (Tony Levin left his bass at the studio so we got his exact sound and added the sections.) I guess Steve refused to play this section live. (This is the track that Rabin played for Steve on the plane during the Union tour and Steve’s mouth dropped.)

read the complete interview on Henry Potts’ website.

It’s definitely a great read for those like me who are always interested in that particular era of Yes. The Union album as a whole isn’t one of my favorites but I have to say that it spawned a once in a lifetime tour with eight legendary musicians on one stage.

Anyway, for today’s song of the day I thought I’d post a live version of a song from the much maligned Union album. enjoy.
—
Shock to the System

Shock to the system,
But you’re going back inside of the light.
Shock to the freedom,
Only one more body of love in the rolling
They’re rolling back to you!
Dreaming all the time; they be dreaming all the time.

So, in answer to the prayer,
The one you feel is there,
The one you feel so close to (the order of the Sun).
And everyone is one and all the pieces fit together.
Did it all begin with Someone?
Did it all begin with Someone?
I could not admit to being alive!

- Shock to the System (from the Mountain View, California show, August 1991) [download mp3 via mediafire]

—


—

Bonus mp3: Lift Me Up (also from the Mountain View show)

Asia (approximately 1 hour set)
Wildest Dreams
Only Time will Tell
An Extraordinary Life
Video killed the Radio Star (Buggles)
In the Court of the Crimson King (King Crimson)
The Smile has left your Eyes
Don’t Cry
Fanfare for the Common Man (Emerson, Lake and Palmer)
Soul Survivor
Heat of the Moment

—
Yes (approximately 1 hour and 50 minutes)
Firebird Suite
Siberian Khatru
I’ve Seen All Good People
Tempus Fugit
Astral Traveller
And You and I
Steve Solo/Clap
Owner of a Lonely Heart
Machine Messiah
Roundabout
Heart of the Sunrise
Starship Trooper (encore)
—

Asia: John Wetton, Steve Howe, Carl Palmer, Geoff Downes
Yes: Benoit David, Steve Howe, Chris Squire, Oliver Wakeman, Alan White

—
purchase Yes music at CDUniverse
—

The group is made up of stellar musicians including two former Yes members – Billy Sherwood and Tony Kaye, guitarist Jimmy Haun (who played on Yes’ Union album) and current Asia/GPS/John Payne drummer Jay Schellen. These guys are phenomenal players that would make any prog/rock-fan proud. But the album lacks memorable material and Sherwood’s vocals are weak, thin-sounding and limited in range. Perhaps if the album consisted of all-instrumental music, I would have viewed it differently but the fact remains that the sound of Sherwood’s voice really ruined it for me. It’s very disappointing because I like these guys and think Sherwood is a great musician and producer. The recording sounds fantastic and the sound palette is pleasantly reminiscent of Yes without crossing the line into parody. But until you reach the last two songs on the album (”All Intertwined” and “Remember Along the Way” ), it just seems like a group of musicians lost, trying desperately to find a hook or a distinct melody line. The chops are clearly there – Haun with his fluid, tasty guitar lines, Kaye with his Hammond organ and Sherwood sounding a bit like Chris Squire with his Rickenbacker bass. But it all doesn’t really come together until those last two songs. And even though those two songs last a total of twenty minutes, they can’t save the album as a whole.

I was expecting a lot more from musicians of this caliber and lineage. Well, at least we have another project to look forward to now that Bobby Kimball is fronting the group.

retroGrade : C-

artist: Circa
album title: HQ
label: independent
released: 2009

HQ TrackList:
1. If It’s Not Too Late (10:50)
2. Haun Solo (1:18)
3. False Start (5:08)
4. Chasing After Ghosts (7:05)
5. Set To Play (1:49)
6. Ever Changing World (4:18)
7. We Can Last (9:16)
8. Twist of Fate (5:17)
9. All Intertwined (7:29)
10. Remember Along the Way (12:36)

Circa:
Billy Sherwood: bass and lead vocals
Tony Kaye: keyboards
Jay Schellen: drums, percussion and vocals
Jimmy Haun: electric and acoustic guitar, vocals

LOS ANGELES, April 15, 2009—It’s a prog-rock fan’s dream come true, with two of the legendary British bands of all time on the same stage, playing hits like “I’ve Seen All Good People,” “Roundabout” and “Heat of the Moment.”

Acclaimed British band YES launch their 24-city U.S. tour on June 26 at the Fantasy Springs Casino in Indio, CA, featuring the classic line-up of guitarist Steve Howe, bassist Chris Squire and drummer Alan White with new vocalist Benoit David and keyboardist Oliver Wakeman, son of the group’s Rick Wakeman. The tour runs through August 2 at Bethlehem, PA and includes stops at San Francisco’s Warfield Theatre (July 2), L.A.’s Gibson Amphitheatre at City Walk (July 7) and Philadelphia’s Tower Theater (July 28). The new dates come after this year’s West Coast tour was postponed when Chris Squire was hospitalized for leg surgery.

For this tour, YES will be joined by Special Guest Asia, with Howe, a cornerstone member of both groups, performing as part of each band’s set, alongside original Asia members, including ex-YES and Buggles keyboardist Geoff Downes, ELP’s Carl Palmer on drums and former King Crimson and UK bassist/guitarist/vocalist John Wetton.

Said Howe: “This is a monumental event and even though it will be a challenge, I am up for it.”

Rolling Stone raved that YES’ performance at New York City’s Hammersmith Ballroom last year “sounded as majestic as ever,” adding that the band’s stand-in vocalist Benoit David was able to “expertly mimic the impossibly high-pitched vocals of original singer Jon Anderson.” This may not be exactly the traditional YES line-up… “But it’s close enough,” the magazine declared.

YES concerts have always been very special events, and this spring’s U.S. jaunt will be no different. The group will perform selections from hit albums like Fragile, Close to the Edge, Tales from Topographic Oceans and 90125 along with audience favorites like “Roundabout,” “Owner of a Lonely Heart,” “I’ve Seen All Good People” and “Yours Is No Disgrace,” just some of the enduring classics that have made YES one of the most influential and groundbreaking groups in rock & roll.

This time around, Howe, Squire and White are also pulling out some rarely performed chestnuts, like 1980’s “Machine Messiah” and “Siberian Khatru,” expertly sung by David, a Montreal, Quebec, native and vocalist in several YES tribute groups, discovered by the band on the Internet. His ability to channel Anderson’s distinctive singing voice has added an extra treat for true fans.

Asia’s performance will feature many songs from their historic first album, the world’s best-selling release of 1982. The supergroup’s debut effort was #1 at Billboard for nine weeks and included such smashes as “Heat of the Moment,” “Only Time Will Tell” and “Sole Survivor.” The original line-up of ASIA reformed after 23 years apart in 2006, and has since conducted four successful world tours. In addition, the band released the critically acclaimed Phoenix album on EMI Records. Collectively and individually, the four original members of ASIA have sold over 120 million records.

“People have been waiting for this for decades,” adds Asia’s John Wetton. “Since America was so important to the success of both bands, we feel it was the right time and place to launch it.”

Over the course of a remarkable 40-year career that has continually redefined the boundaries of rock, YES has become renowned for their live performances since being formed in 1968 by Chris Squire and Jon Anderson. With drummer Bill Bruford, guitarist Peter Banks and keyboardist Tony Kaye, they metamorphosed into YES, earning a residency at the famed London venue The Marquee Club, where they played with Jimi Hendrix and Pink Floyd, releasing their self-titled debut album in July 1969.

Guitarist Steve Howe, who continues to release acclaimed solo albums and tour, brought an experimental cutting edge to YES for 1970’s The Yes Album, their first to top the UK charts. Drummer Alan White, who had been hand-picked to play on John Lennon’s Imagine and George Harrison’s All Things Must Pass, came aboard in 1972. YES then went on to conquer America and played at some of the largest paid attendance concerts of all time, including JFK Stadium in Philadelphia in 1976 to a crowd of over 130,000 people.

As a dominant force for more than four decades, YES has sold more than 30 million albums worldwide, stretching the boundaries of progressive art-rock with their dynamic instrumental contrasts and abstract lyrics. Their symphonic use of sound and innovative musical styles continues to make them one of the most successful and long-standing groups in rock history as they continue to add new, young fans to their following.

Added Squire: “This has turned out to be one of the best performing line-ups in YES’ storied history. It feels like we’re rediscovering these songs all over again.”

Summer Tour Dates 2009:
June 26: Indio, CA (Fantasy Springs Casino)
June 27: Las Vegas, NV (Thomas & Mack Center)
June 30: Snoqualmie, WA (Snoqualmie Casino)
July 2: San Francisco, CA (Warfield)
July 3: Saratoga, CA (The Mountain Winery)
July 7: Los Angeles (Gibson Amphitheatre at City Walk)
July 8: San Diego (Humphrey’s)
July 9: Phoenix (Dodge)
July 12: Denver (Paramount Theatre)
July 14: Kansas City, MO (Uptown Theater)
July 15: Ft. Worth, TX (Bass Music Center)
July 16: Muskegee, OK (Civic Center)
July 18: Walker, MN (Moondance Jam)
July 20: Detroit (DTE Energy Music Theatre)
July 21: Pittsburgh (Chevrolet Amphitheatre)
July 22: Glen Allen, VA (Insbrook Pavilion)
July 23: National Harbour, MD (Sunset Concerts)
July 25: Cohassett, MA (South Shore Music Circus)
July 26: Jackson, NJ (Great Adventure Amphitheatre)
July 28: Philadelphia (Tower Theatre)
July 29: Montclair, NJ (Wellmont Theatre)
July 31: Westbury, NY (Theatre at Westbury)
Aug. 1: Jamestown, NY (Savings Bank Arena)
Aug. 2: Bethlehem, PA (Muskfest)
—


—

here are the dates so far -
July 2, 2009 San Francisco, CA
July 3, 2009 Saratoga, CA
July 18, 2009 Minneapolis, MN
July 29, 2009 Montclair, NJ
August 2, 2009 Bethlehem, PA
August 9, 2009 Dallas, TX

I’ll probably post again once I get the official announcement. If they end up in my neck of the woods, I would definitely see this show!

The only downer is that Jon Anderson won’t be fronting Yes on this tour. Benoit David will still be singing for them. Oh and the interesting twist is Steve Howe doing double duty performing with both groups!!! So, hopefully he’ll be able to stay healthy for the duration of the tour!!

—
Update: 16Apr09 -
The tour is now official! You can find the press release on this page.

—


—

check out Asia performing a cover of Yes’ “Roundabout” (from the 2007 tour)

the remaining dates are:
Feb 25 Wednesday Phoenix, AZ Dodge Theatre
Feb 27 Friday Los Angeles, CA The Wiltern
Feb 28 Saturday Reno, NV Grand Sierra Resort & Casino
March 2 Monday San Francisco, CA The Fillmore
March 3 Tuesday Friant, CA Table Mountain Casino

***sending out healing vibes to Chris Squire and hoping for a full and speedy recovery!***

the big rumor going around is that there might be a big “prog” summer tour package in the works involving YES and ASIA with Steve Howe doing double duty for both bands. I guess it’ll all depend on the health of Squire as well as if original Yes frontman Jon Anderson is up for it. we’ll see…

**[UPDATE: 19Feb09]**
no surprise. All the remaining dates of the tour have officially been canceled.

—


—

Disputes among band members and line-up changes are nothing new for a band like Yes but it forces fans to decide where their loyalties lie. Will fans side with Anderson and skip out on seeing this new lineup? and how about the general public? Will they be duped into thinking that the group out on tour this winter is the “classic” lineup? The current advertisements and websites like ticketmaster aren’t that forthcoming with band member details.

Now that I know that Anderson isn’t all that thrilled with the group going out on tour without him, I’ll probably pass on seeing the band this time around.

Here are the tour dates for those that are interested.
Nov 4 Tuesday Hamilton, ON Hamilton Place Theatre
Nov 5 Wednesday Toronto, ON Massey Hall
Nov 7 Friday Hampton Beach, NH Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom
Nov 8 Saturday Williamsport, PA Community Arts Center
Nov 9 Sunday Uncasville, CT Mohegan Sun Arena
Nov 11 Tuesday Hershey, PA Hershey Theater
Nov 12 Wednesday Columbus, OH LC Pavilion
Nov 14 Friday New York, NY Hammerstein Ballroom
Nov 15 Saturday Asbury Park, NJ Paramount Theater
Nov 16 Sunday Baltimore, MD Rams Head
Nov 18 Tuesday Reading, PA Soverign PAC
Nov 19 Wednesday Richmond, VA The National
Nov 21 Friday Atlantic City, NJ Borgata Casino Event Center
Nov 22 Saturday Westbury, NY Theatre at Westbury
Nov 23 Sunday Albany, NY Times Union Center
Nov 25 Tuesday Cleveland, OH House of Blues
Nov 26 Wednesday Detroit, MI The Fillmore Detroit
Nov 28 Friday Cincinnati, OH Taft Theatre
Nov 29 Saturday Milwaukee, WI Riverside Theatre
Nov 30 Sunday Bloomington, IL US Cellular Coliseum
Dec 2 Tuesday St. Louis, MO The Pageant
Dec 3 Wednesday Chicago, IL The Chicago Theatre
Dec 6 Saturday Myrtle Beach, SC House of Blues
Dec 7 Sunday Atlanta, GA The Tabernacle
Dec 9 Tuesday Louisville, KY Palace Theatre
Dec 10 Wednesday Nashville, TN Ryman Auditorium
Dec 14 Sunday Orlando, FL Hard Rock Live
Dec 16 Tuesday Clearwater, FL Ruth Eckerd Hall
Dec 17 Wednesday Miami, FL Seminole Hard Rock Casino

Yes – In the Present Tour 2008
Chris Squire – Bass
Alan White – Drums
Steve Howe – Guitar
Oliver Wakeman – Keyboards
Benoit David – Lead Vocals
—

So, here’s the NEW Yes lineup:
Chris Squire – Bass
Alan White – Drums
Steve Howe – Guitar
Oliver Wakeman – Keyboards
Benoit David – Lead Vocals

check out Benoit David performing with Yes Tribute band – Close to the Edge on youtube:

—
update 11Sep08: I guess it’s official now!
BBC News: Yes relaunch tour with understudy
Associated Press: Rock band Yes to tour with replacement singer

—

Purchase Yes Music on Amazon:

—

Change changing places root yourself to the ground
Capitalize on this good fortune
One word can bring you round – Changes
- download Changes – performed live at the Shoreline Amphitheater August 8, 1991, Mountain View, California (Yes Union Tour)

—

get well soon Jon!

official press release about the canceled tour:

YES Cancels 40th Anniversary Tour
NEW YORK, NY, JUNE 4, 2008 -– Legendary rock band Yes announced today that the group will unfortunately be canceling their 2008 40th Anniversary Tour. The 26-city tour was scheduled to kick off in Quebec next month and run through the summer.

Ticket refunds will be available at the point of purchase.