Olias of NYC
04-06-2001, 11:48 AM
Hello to all Yesfans out there!
A bit about myself in relation to Yes. I first heard that Yes was an incredible band when I was 16 from this drum instructor, Bob Perillo, at band camp--yes, I was a band geek--in summer of 1987. I didn't believe him as I only knew "Owner of a Lonely Heart" and "Rhythm of Love" and these songs did not strike me as particularly incredible, in fact, the over airplay rather turned me off to them. However, that Autumn I found myself on the couch with chicken pox for two weeks and "Love will Find a Way" was in heavy rotation on MTV. Being a captive audience and bearing in mind what Bob had told me, I paid attention. Plus I was looking for a band of whom to become a fan. The middle section where Jon sings, "Love will find a way...etc...Love will find..." and then the band cuts out as the camera follows Jon's hand reaching into the void into silence before the band comes back in with "...a way" really struck a chord (and of course, all's a chord) with me. And seeing it so many times made it like a mantra. I went out and bought Big Generator and 90125 and listened to them daily. Soon I bought Classic Yes. I waited until I was going to bed, turned off the lights, looked out my window at the stars (I grew up in the Hamptons), and started the tape. From the opening of "Heart of the Sunrise" I knew I was turning some kind of new corner. The song has been special to me as the beginning of things ever since and even though some think they play it too much in concert, I'll never complain. There was also something familiar about Yes music which I realized right away. I still don't know what it is--whether I heard it when I was young as background or fate, but I felt at home. Oddly enough, I thought "Loved by the Sun" was great when I had seen "Legend" when I was about 12 on HBO because of Jon's voice.
So that was the beginning. After that I went into a collecting frenzy. The following summer ABWH came to Jones Beach and blew my mind. Union hit when I was in college and the past several years I see them whenever they come to town. I am so grateful to this band that helped change my view of the world and life for the better, even if it is hard to be a Yes fan at times because of the digs against prog rock. I have walked down many avenues that may have taken years to find because of the "cosmic mind" of Jon Anderson and realized what rock music can be when performed by a band of musicians who really care about pushing their limits.
Thanks to them and thanks to Tim for setting this up and thanks to whoever read the whole thing!
"Reach out as forward tastes begin to enter you"
A bit about myself in relation to Yes. I first heard that Yes was an incredible band when I was 16 from this drum instructor, Bob Perillo, at band camp--yes, I was a band geek--in summer of 1987. I didn't believe him as I only knew "Owner of a Lonely Heart" and "Rhythm of Love" and these songs did not strike me as particularly incredible, in fact, the over airplay rather turned me off to them. However, that Autumn I found myself on the couch with chicken pox for two weeks and "Love will Find a Way" was in heavy rotation on MTV. Being a captive audience and bearing in mind what Bob had told me, I paid attention. Plus I was looking for a band of whom to become a fan. The middle section where Jon sings, "Love will find a way...etc...Love will find..." and then the band cuts out as the camera follows Jon's hand reaching into the void into silence before the band comes back in with "...a way" really struck a chord (and of course, all's a chord) with me. And seeing it so many times made it like a mantra. I went out and bought Big Generator and 90125 and listened to them daily. Soon I bought Classic Yes. I waited until I was going to bed, turned off the lights, looked out my window at the stars (I grew up in the Hamptons), and started the tape. From the opening of "Heart of the Sunrise" I knew I was turning some kind of new corner. The song has been special to me as the beginning of things ever since and even though some think they play it too much in concert, I'll never complain. There was also something familiar about Yes music which I realized right away. I still don't know what it is--whether I heard it when I was young as background or fate, but I felt at home. Oddly enough, I thought "Loved by the Sun" was great when I had seen "Legend" when I was about 12 on HBO because of Jon's voice.
So that was the beginning. After that I went into a collecting frenzy. The following summer ABWH came to Jones Beach and blew my mind. Union hit when I was in college and the past several years I see them whenever they come to town. I am so grateful to this band that helped change my view of the world and life for the better, even if it is hard to be a Yes fan at times because of the digs against prog rock. I have walked down many avenues that may have taken years to find because of the "cosmic mind" of Jon Anderson and realized what rock music can be when performed by a band of musicians who really care about pushing their limits.
Thanks to them and thanks to Tim for setting this up and thanks to whoever read the whole thing!
"Reach out as forward tastes begin to enter you"