retroblog.net » Yes

The Buggles – Adventures in Modern Recording – review

retroDan — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 13:09:55 +0000

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

Adventures of Modern Recording by The Buggles
remastered reissue by Salvo/ZTT
released: Feb 2010

tracklist:
1. Adventures In Modern Recording
2. Beatnik
3. Vermillion Sands
4. I Am A Camera
5. On TV
6. Inner City
7. Lenny
8. Rainbow Warrior
9. Adventures in Modern Recording (Reprise)
Bonus Tracks
1. Fade Away
2. Blue Nylon
3. I Am A Camera (12” mix)
4. We Can Fly From Here – part 1
5. Dion
6. Videotheque
7. On TV
8. Walking On Glass (original version of Lenny)
9. Riding A Tide
10. We Can Fly From Here – part 2

—

Frontiers Records to release YOSO debut album Elements

retroDan — Fri, 14 May 2010 15:35:43 +0000

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.

“Elements” will see the light of day on July 2nd in Europe and July 27th in the USA, where the band has already scheduled a number of tour dates in support of the album’s release, on Frontiers Records.

Even though the band’s heritage is from 2 classic bands, YOSO intends to become its own identifiable entity in a very short time, YOSO’s collective mission is to make the next decade one where YOSO’s music will be held up alongside their classic rock backgrounds as a band as important as TOTO and YES.

Billy Sherwood recalls: “YOSO was started when I suggested to Bobby Kimball we should write some new music and form a band, we had been working together on various tribute projects I was producing and one thing lead to another, before too long we had 5 songs in the can and were well on our way to making a record and thinking seriously about taking it to the next level. Once there was a few songs underway the concept grew into the band we now have, YOSO.”

YOSO line-up was later rounded out with two amazingly gifted musicians: Johnny Bruhns as the guitarist and background vocalist and Scott Conner on drums, percussion and background vocals.

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.

“Elements” tracklisting includes:
Yoso
Path To Your Heart
Where You’ll Stay
Walk Away
The New Revolution
To Seek The Truth
Only One
Close The Curtain
Won’t End Tonight
Come This Far
Time To Get Up
Return To Yesterday

Bonus live CD:
Yoso
Rosanna
Owner of a Lonely Heart
Walk Away
Good For You
Yes Medley (Yours Is No Disgrace/Heart of the Sunrise/South Side of the Sky/Starship Trooper/I’ve Seen All Good People)
To Seek the Truth
Hold The Line
Cinema
Gift With a Golden Gun
White Sister

YOSO – August Tour dates
11 August 2010 – Keswick Theatre, Glenside, PA
12 August 2010 – The State Theatre, Falls Church, VA
15 August 2010 – Ramshead Tavern (Ramshead Onstage), Annapolis, MD
17 August 2010 – B.B. King’s Blues Club and Grill, New York, NY
19 August 2010 – Kent Stage, Kent, OH
20 August 2010 – Syndicate Dinner Theatre, Newport, Ky
21 August 2010 – Lake Clementia Amphitheatre, Rancho Murieta, CA

—

Yes – Madison Square Garden – 1994 – NYC – Talk tour

retroDan — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 18:55:33 +0000

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)

—

Here are two mp3s from the MSG boot. enjoy.

- Endless Dream (the highlight of the show. a favorite off of the album Talk)

- Changes

—

Promises by Trevor Rabin

retroDan — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 21:50:54 +0000

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

Promises! Don’t give me promises
Don’t give me promises when all you do is lie
No promises when all I do is cry

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

download the mp3 [for a limited time via mediafire]

—

the Friday Free for All – Get On Your Boots

retroDan — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 19:36:57 +0000

It’s time once again for Retroblog.net’s Friday Free for All. For today’s edition, I thought we should explore the vast underworld of bootlegs a bit. thanks to the almighty internets, the sharing of rare and interesting boots exploded these last few years. here’s just a random sampling of some that I have on hand at the moment.

Enjoy the tracks. and feel free to post a list of some of your favorite boots.

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!

Shock to the System by Yes

retroDan — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 19:54:46 +0000

I recently stumbled across an interesting 2001 interview with guitarist Jimmy Haun (currently with Circa and AKA) conducted by Henry Potts that’s posted on Henry’s Bondegezou website. I’ve always known that Haun contributed guitar work on some of the tracks on Yes’ 1991 Union album but I didn’t realize the extent of his contributions. According to what he said in the interview, Haun pretty much redid the bulk of Steve Howe’s guitar tracks on the album. Apparently Howe, Rick Wakeman and Jon Anderson weren’t really getting along with each other during the making of the album (yeah, I know, what’s new?) and producer Jonathan Elias had to rely on other studio musicians in order to complete the tracks.

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.

Shock to the politicians,
You know they just got burned by the fire.
Shock to the freedom whispers,
They’re only coming after the rolling
They’re rolling, coming over!
Dreaming all the time; they be dreaming all the time.

So, in answer to the prayer, the one you want is there,
The one you feel inside of you.
So, in answer to the dream, this time you are so clear
It’s always got to be this way …forever…

Shock to the future, shock to the rights of Mankind.
And they won’t even go blind when they see what’s going on.

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)

Yes/Asia 2009 summer tour setlist

retroDan — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 16:22:33 +0000

Well, it appears that Yes’ summer tour (with Asia) kicked off this past weekend without a hitch. Hopefully the tour will be successfully enough for them to book dates beyond the Pennsylvania date on August 2nd. I’m personally hoping the next leg of the tour will make a stop in the southeast region of the U.S. so that I won’t have to commit to a long road trip just to see the show. come on, this middle-aged man can’t handle those long treks out on the road anymore!
—
*Warning – spoiler alert* – don’t read any further if you don’t want to know the current Yes/Asia tour setlists…
—

—
Yes/Asia setlists (from the June 27th show in Las Vegas) *spoiler alert*

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
—

Circa HQ – album review – Billy Sherwood

retroDan — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 00:13:02 +0000

I’m relieved to hear that prog-supergroup Circa is currently working with ex-Toto lead singer Bobby Kimball for an upcoming album. The vocals happen to be one of the weak points on Circa’s recently released HQ album.

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

It's official! – Yes – Asia – Tour Dates – 2009

retroDan — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 16:35:03 +0000

It’s now official! Prog-rock legends Yes will be touring the U.S. with Asia as their special guests. With Benoit David fronting Yes though, it’s a toss-up to me on who should be headlining. I mean, if Jon Anderson was involved, it’d be obviously Yes as the show-closer but with Asia having all original members and Yes without Anderson, it’s a tough call in my mind. I guess the promoters feel that Yes EVEN WITHOUT Jon is still a bigger draw than an all original Asia band. I’m a bit disappointed that they are NOT coming close to where I live but maybe they’ll add a second leg later on depending on ticket sales?

Here’s the official press release:
YES THEY CAN! LEGENDARY BAND BEGINS 24-DATE U.S. TOUR JUNE 26 IN INDIO, CA THROUGH AUGUST 2 IN BETHLEHEM, PA, WITH SPECIAL GUEST ASIA
North American Tour Will See YES’ Steve Howe, Chris Squire, Alan White joined by singer Benoit David and keyboardist Oliver Wakeman, with Howe doing double duty in both bands

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)
—

—

Yes – Asia – summer tour dates – so far

retroDan — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 20:43:42 +0000

So the rumors turned out to be true! Legendary prog-rock group Yes will indeed be touring the U.S. this summer with Asia. I was personally pulling for a triple bill with ELP but apparently that didn’t pan out. And maybe that’s a blessing in disguise since a triple bill would require a severely shortened setlist for all the groups involved which concert goers probably wouldn’t want anyway. An official announcement is imminent but in the meantime dates are slowly trickling in.

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)