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> http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A959952
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> Yes are a rock band with a strange and interesting history. Back in
> the 1970s, they were among the most popular, best-loved and biggest-
> selling bands on the planet. In 1976, they packed out the JFK stadium
> with over 110,000 enthusiastic fans, just about the largest concert
> attendance ever at that time.
>
> Today they enjoy only limited media exposure; you will seldom hear
> them on radio or see them discussed by critics and few under-20s will
> now even have heard of them. And yet, many teenagers of 2003 are found
> to be open and willing to listen to this band. Given the opportunity,
> they hear the music with fresh ears and are amazed at it; indeed they
> are frequently incredulous at Yes's lack of presence on the music
> scene.
>
> So what accounts for today's lack of market profile?
>
> First, they have never been mainstream pop or dance - nor are they a
> 'singles' band. This is album music to be listened to and enjoyed for
> its own sake. And like all good music, it needs more than one hearing
> to be fully appreciated. Those who give it time will be richly
> rewarded.
>
> Also, they are not natural 'celebrities'. These are professional
> musicians first and seldom attract publicity for their own actions.
> They are not 'hotel wreckers'.
>
> A brief fall in their fortunes, back in the late 1970s, was due to the
> advent of punk, with its emphasis on simple, direct music and blunt
> aggression. The music press naturally jumped on the bandwagon and
> anything that didn't fit in with the New Wave was peremptorily
> 'dropped' overnight. The trend then was towards three-chord songs,
> with keyboards used less often. At that time Yes were probably the
> best-known exponents of more involved and interesting musical forms.
> Some of their output certainly approaches classical music in grandeur,
> scale, invention and sheer musical ability. Their lyrics are positive,
> poetic, full of hope. In contrast, the punk movement embraced street
> language, anger and often a sense of despair.
>
> This hurdle overcome, they later rose to the top again, briefly, with
> their massive 90125 album and the single 'Owner of a Lonely Heart'.
> Unfortunately, subsequent line-up changes and managerial difficulties
> resulted in a couple of weaker albums and, again, a loss of market
> profile.
>
> These days it is difficult to say how popular Yes are, without access
> to their global sales figures. There is certainly a massive global
> following. At the time of writing, Yes are still together, still
> working hard and playing to packed houses around the world; their fans
> are loyal. The latest albums The Ladder and Magnification (2001) are
> real quality, full of vibrant, fresh material.
>
> A Brief History
>
> The band formed around 1968, with the meeting of Jon Anderson (vocals)
> and Chris Squire (bass). The first line-up included Peter Banks
> (guitar), Tony Kaye (keyboard) and Bill Bruford (drums).
>
> The first two albums were Yes and Time and a Word. These are
> interesting collectors items for the established fan, but are
> certainly products of their era and sound a little dated now. Later
> albums have a timeless quality.
>
> Two significant changes then occurred: firstly, the arrival of a new
> producer, Eddie Offord. He was to remain with the band for several
> years and would bring great continuity and invention to their sound.
> The second change was the departure of Banks and arrival of Steve Howe
> on guitar. Howe was to become the most widely respected rock guitarist
> of his time. Unlike other contenders, such as Jimmy Page of Led
> Zeppelin, Howe was happy to move outside blues and rock scales into
> classical and jazz modes.
>
> The 'Classic' Period
>
> There was a certain amount of record company pressure for the next
> album to be successful; it was make-or-break time for the band. The
> Yes Album turned out to be a masterpiece - the breakthrough had come.
> It contained six tracks, five of which are still played regularly on
> tours, and it became almost a one-record greatest hits collection.
>
> Keyboards on the next album, Fragile, were taken over by Rick Wakeman.
> Quite apart from his general flamboyance (and golden cape) he brought
> even more musicality to the band, with his classical training and rock
> experience. He was a pioneer of synthesizer technology, always at the
> forefront of developments1. To achieve the sounds he wanted, he would
> tour with banks of keyboards that he played simultaneously. He also
> brought his own playful sense of humour to the shows.
>
> Jon Anderson has always been a dynamic and strong leader for the group
> in terms of musical direction. Lyrically, he began to explore more
> mystical and spiritual themes, creating word-pictures with sometimes
> profound imagery: a new language that he brought to a huge public. Yes
> were extremely popular at this time - their concerts invariably sold
> out.
>
> The fifth album, Close to the Edge, was a truly massive hit worldwide.
> It established the group as leaders in their art, with an inspired
> title track. This was 18 minutes long, a fact in itself challenging
> for many who wanted to categorise Yes as a pop/rock group. It featured
> four sections, the first a wonderfully crafted rock/jazz intro,
> leading into powerful melodies, a beautifully harmonised third 'slow'
> movement and a final climactic return to the 'Close to the Edge'
> theme, with truly spine-tingling effect.
>
> All this was guaranteed to win many, many fans, but also baffle others
> who were more addicted to the three-minute pop song and the epidemic
> of soul/disco sweeping the world at that time.
>
> Bill Bruford was replaced by Alan White, a former drummer for John
> Lennon, bringing a more rocky, less jazzy approach to the instrument.
>
> Tales from Topographic Oceans was the sixth album, a double, and it
> went to No 1 in the album charts despite marketing and release
> difficulties. This was probably their most challenging album: four
> pieces in excess of 20 minute each, featuring various musical styles.
> By now though, the band had their own distinctive sound and this was
> unlike anything else on the market. It alienated some critics, who
> considered it a step too far outside their strict categories of 'rock
> 'n' roll', disco, etc. With hindsight, the band were steering their
> own course and it was brave and original. Those who gave the album a
> fair hearing are generally still passionate about it to this day, but
> it needed listening to, just as a Sibelius symphony does: it makes
> demands of the listener, but the reward is great.
>
> Album number seven was Relayer. This was what many consider to be
> their greatest-ever recording. It beautifully tackles the great themes
> of war, peace, love and hate. Again, like much that is profound, it
> needs more than one listening to appreciate its genius. Patrick Moraz
> replaced Wakeman on keyboards for this one album and brought a fast
> playing jazz-fusion feel to the overall rock sound. Yes were riding
> high and it was 1976, the year of their great stadium concerts.
>
> The Punk Era
>
> The 'New Wave' hit hard in 1977, but the next album, the superb Going
> for the One, flew in the face of the movement and confounded the
> critics. It reached No 1 in the album charts. However, Yes had
> officially become the 'Old Wave' and the music press began
> systematically to write them off; or rather not write about them at
> all. The tragedy of this was not that it badly affected the band, but
> that future audiences were denied even the opportunity to hear about
> Yes, other than by word of mouth.
>
> The band were shaken and probably hurt by the wave of criticism, and
> the ninth album, Tormato, sounded musically changed, unsure of itself.
> The final mixdown sounded surprisingly hurried and even the album
> sleeve betrayed a lack of self-belief within the band, the planned
> cover-photo splattered in tomatoes. Be that as it may, the record
> still contained some great ideas and was followed by a hugely
> successful and innovative tour 'in the round' ie, on a revolving
> stage.
>
> Dramatics
>
> At some point during this 1978 tour, Anderson and Wakeman decided to
> call it a day. Things were just not gelling within the band.
> Controversially, they were replaced by former Buggles members, Trevor
> Horn (vocals) and Geoff Downes (keyboards). This appeared strange at
> the time, as Buggles had presented a distinctly 'pop' sound - it
> seemed that neither Yes fans nor Buggles fans were happy with the new
> plans.
>
> However, the next album, Drama, put paid to many of their fears. This
> was tight, clever music. The keyboards were solidly played, without a
> foreground presence, but certainly held their own. The vocals were
> performed satisfactorily and suited the songs. However, it was a
> different sound, and the loss of Anderson meant the loss of some
> ethereal, enigmatic quality - spirituality, if you will. It was the
> difference between a mountain-top experience, and simply a hike over a
> mountain. Oddly enough though, these feelings perfectly suited the
> material; 'Machine Messiah', for instance, seemed to speak of a
> mechanistic, soulless universe. Drama remains a popular album because
> the band were true to themselves, and the material has freshness after
> the change in personnel.
>
> The subsequent tour was successful but proved difficult for Trevor
> Horn, as his voice was severely challenged by the older material.
> After the tour, the band split; apparently Yes had finished.
>
> Wakeman undertook various solo projects, Howe formed Asia and Trevor
> Horn now settled into his future successful role as producer. Jon
> Anderson meanwhile, teamed up with Greek synthesizer wizard, Vangelis,
> and enjoyed great success (and hit singles) as Jon and Vangelis.
>
> Squire, White, former keyboard man Tony Kaye, and South African
> guitarist Trevor Rabin teamed up to form a proposed new band, Cinema.
> However, with much of an album already recorded, Jon Anderson rejoined
> and the band was happily reborn as Yes.
>
> Changes
>
> The new album 90125 was a tremendous resurgence for the band, with its
> No 1 single 'Owner of a Lonely Heart'. The instrumental track 'Cinema'
> won the 'Best Rock Instrumental Performance' Grammy Award in 1984.
> However, they were quite a different band from earlier days. Rabin's
> influence was a strong one and the band would sometimes rely on power
> chords rather than the subtle imaginations of Steve Howe. They became
> a harder, louder version of Yes, with a very 'produced' sound. Rabin
> also sang vocals and this territory became vaguer: who was the singer?
> The great thing about Rabin, though, was his energy and drive. It was
> he who kept the band in existence and present fans have him to thank
> for this.
>
> The 90125 album had won many new fans. Unfortunately the next album,
> Big Generator, was less well received. It seemed that Rabin was
> completely in charge at this point and his agenda was harder, driving
> rock without the beauty or grace of earlier albums. Nevertheless,
> there are many who prefer this period of the group's development, and
> many who 'discovered' the band at this time. It should also be said
> that a 'weak' album by Yes' standards is still a good deal more
> ambitious and interesting than most other bands could ever lay claim
> to: their sheer musical proficiency almost guarantees this.
>
> Yes again split after the Big Generator promotional tour in mid-1988.
> There was a dispute about ownership of the name and the members
> settled into two camps.
>
> Union
>
> ABWH (Anderson-Bruford-Wakeman-Howe) released an album and toured,
> while Rabin, Squire, Kaye and White continued, rather unproductively,
> as Yes. Eventually, some of the arguments calmed down and it was
> decided to unite the two factions to record a new album, appropriately
> named Union. The subsequent tour was one of their most successful
> ever, although the album itself was recorded under conditions of
> rancour, disputation and pressure. It is of variable quality, though
> there are wonderful moments. It must have been difficult pulling
> together two drummers, two keyboard players, two guitarists!
>
> The union was temporary and they looked like fragmenting again. Label
> changes and management quarrels seemed to conspire against the music,
> but once more Rabin was inspirational in moving the band forward to
> the next project: Talk, the fourteenth studio album.
>
> Talk was largely produced by Rabin, but unlike the previous two albums
> the effect here was magnificent. The line-up of Anderson, Squire,
> Kaye, Rabin and White seemed finally to be pulling in a unified
> direction. The title itself indicated a new level of togetherness and
> communication. The album's sales were comparatively weak, but it was
> still a real achievement.
>
> After the tour, however, Rabin now left to pursue other projects,
> including film music. There was now a hiatus, as the members
> collectively drew breath. This period was punctuated by various
> concerts around the world.
>
> Keys to the Future
>
> The next significant development was a concert at San Luis Obispo,
> California in 1996, which resulted in a return to the 'classic' line-
> up of Anderson, Squire, Howe, Wakeman and White. Two albums of new and
> live material, Keys to Ascension 1 + 2 followed, to rapturous acclaim
> from many long-time fans. The new material was brimming with
> confidence, ideas and imagination. Yes were back! (Eventually, the new
> material from the Keys albums was collected on one studio album,
> Keystudio.)
>
> Unbelievably after this, Wakeman drifted away from the band again.
> Chris Squire was working with a guitarist/producer, Billy Sherwood,
> who was brought into the band, along with a young Russian keyboard
> player, Igor Khoroshev.
>
> The next album Open Your Eyes (1997) was again a confident-sounding
> record although the overall sound lacked some clarity. It was a guitar-
> based album with keyboards taking a backseat. The material on this
> album is surprisingly varied; at times simple, at times complicated,
> but always permeated powerfully by Anderson/Squire's vision and
> optimism.
>
> Yes's commitment to touring remained as constant as ever, with another
> series of concerts.
>
> Onward and Upward
>
> The Ladder was next (1999). Khoroshev on keyboards really came into
> his own here, wowing Yes fans with his ability and creativity. The
> Ladder was in some ways a return to the magic of those 1970s albums,
> but without in any sense being a retrograde step. Terrifically
> uplifting and positive, with great melodies and arrangements, they
> were really sounding like masters of their instruments and of their
> own lives. It was as though they had finally begun to understand just
> how much they were really loved around the world.
>
> The title track (sub-titled 'Homeworld') was used on the computer game
> of that name, and probably brought many new, young fans into the Yes
> family. The Ladder could undoubtedly have been marketed to even
> greater effect: this Researcher has introduced many young people to
> Yes's music by lending them this record.
>
> Their most recent release Magnification is a marvellous album,
> released in 2001. Undertaken without any keyboard player (after the
> departures of Sherwood and Khoroshev), the band decided to replace the
> keyboards by an orchestra. Many fans were rightly suspicious of this
> plan, wary of the 'classics play rock' scenario, but they need not
> have worried. The orchestra was scored by Larry Groupe, a skilled
> orchestrator and a long-time Yes fan. He wrote sympathetically to the
> songs and helped produce a record that was a true masterpiece.
>
> Many artists have used the events of 11 September, 2001 as inspiration
> for new work. Magnification was different. It was finished just before
> those tragedies unfolded. Miraculously, it seems to capture the
> feeling of that time perfectly. It points towards healing and renewal
> through commitment to love.
>
> The triumphant European and American tours which followed have
> featured some of the greatest (and happiest) concert performances in
> Yes's career. Rick Wakeman has finally rejoined, and the classic line-
> up continues to perform with energy and virtuosity at every show. A
> 'Full Circle' tour commences in 2003 to include Australia, Japan,
> North America and Europe.
>