20th Anniversary

[John Khatru]

It seems that this weekend marks the 20th anniversary of ABWH's release.... according to Amazon.. June 13th 1989... which sounds about right...

My recollection of first finding out about its release was in the arts/entertainment section of a Sunday edition of Newsday... there was a picture of the album cover... I immediately recognized the Roger Dean cover and the names ... though Anderson and Howe hit me the quickest.... ooh!! a new Yes album? I think...

and saw my first "Yes" concert that August at Nassau Coliseum...
I mostly recall hearing repeated shout outs for "CLOSE TO THE EDGE!!"

I still got my shirt from the show!!...

[marklovesyes]

Good call. That was indeed an exciting time.

[Meng]

I remember how excited I was too, not just because "real" Yes was back for the first time in almost a decade - even if it wasn't named as such - but also because it gave me my first opportunity to see BB play live (having just missed out on the Fragile tour).

[Lulu Mortice]

That album was eclipsed by my excitement over another event that weekend, the birth of my son, who turns 20 today (June 14). How did either of us get so old?

[brianos]

I remember going to buy ABWH the day it came out. I forget exactly how I knew it was coming out, but made the trek to my old favorite Record Theatre on Liberty, Rd in the Batlimore burbs. Walking into the store I heard new music that could only be ABWH!! Really cool that the store was playing the entire album for all to hear.

ABWH was the main go-to disc for me that summer. Was such a thrill to see them play at Merriwether Post that August. First time for me seeing Wakey & Bruford, and first time seeing (most of) the classic lineup on stage together.

[ladybugjt68]

AWESOME TIMES !!!! Those were the days where ya had to sleep out to get good seats!!! It was worth it FRONT ROW for that round of shows !!!!!!!!!!ABWH...AWESOME

[CybrKhatru]

aaahhh 1989. Good times.

Graduated high school to the sounds of a new "yes" tune on the radio... Bought the album and loved it. Saw the show and loved it more! First "Close to the Edge"... :D

[harty]

I remember being so pumped over this release. Finally after all the inner-turmoil.
When I first listened to it I kept thinking, that they are going back to the old Yes ( after the Rabin years ). The endings on some of the songs were, to me, classic YES endings. When I went and saw the tour, I had no idea who would replace Squire. To my surprise it was Tony Levin. To see Wakeman again. Awesome. The show started with solo numbers and hearing and seeing Anderson do Time and A Word blew me away. Jon was also uplifting on his OOALH ending. His vocals got so spiritual. And I recollect that they just brought the house down with AYAI.
I so longed for album 2....even without Squire needless to say.
The rest, as they say, is history.

[Andersonic]

this album led the way to the realm of fantasy...as Jon descibes it in the video In The Big Dream.

On a friday afternoon I walked into my local record store. Looking for new hard rock and/or heavy metal albums. Dissapointed I headed for the exit again untill a colourful album cover caught my eye...ANDERSON BRUFORD WAKEMAN HOWE...hmm...I liked the voice of that Jon Anderson guy, my sister used to play Short Stories a lot (JON & VANGELIS) and of course I knew Owner Of A Lonely Heart and a few other songs of the 90125 album.

As my visit was a short one to the record store I decided to give that album a listen...the guy at the store raised his eyebrow as he used to sell me albums of a different genre.

the intro...tension building but when Bruford crashes in I knew I had to have the album. I bought it and like I said, it led my into the realm...of Yes Music +.

Whenever I'm moving house or buy a new stereo set or speakers ABWH is the first album I play. Go ahead call me crazy... ;)

[relayer_1]

Great times indeed. When I first found out about this album and tour, while reading Rolling stone magazine (our internet at the time) at the Sherbrooke metro station in Montreal as I was going home around early June 1989. I had not seen Yes since 1974 for the Topographic oceans tour (many ask me why, but it's a long story). I had seen Bill Bruford in 1980 at the Bottom line in NYC, never saw Yes west.

When the album came out, I picked up my copy at HMV and the store clerk was so cool he gave me a promotional poster with the Roger Dean cover on one side and the Yes family tree on the flip side, it is a truly rare Yes item I treasure.

I went to see them at the Montreal Forum (Montreal still does not have an open air amphitheater like so many cities in northamerica) where they played with the Roger Dean backdrop design. The show is still the best Yesshow I have ever seen and I've seen 10 of them.

Great times, oh Yes!

[Bluegrunt]

I remember buying ABWH - it was the first cd I ever bought. At the time of buying it I didn't even own a cd player! It was about two months before I could save up enough to buy a cd player and listen to it.

[yarstruly]

I remember hearing Brother of Mine on the radio and the DJ saying who it was and that he thought it was cool they were using their own names instead of calling it Yes....Bought the LP soon after....Never got to see the tour, but have the Big Dream VHS...

[kirklott]

They were good days, although some of the production on that album sucked, as well as a few of the songs. Inconsistent album.

Quartet is the highlight for me.

As for the tour, it was awesome. Very disorienting to become a Yes fan in 1980, as I saw the Drama line-up, then 90125, then ABWH, then Union. The line-up changed with every album.

But the ABWH tour was very satisfying...

[STEVEtheYESman]

Great album, great tour! Sat in the second row, got to shake Jon's hand as he walked to the stage singing "Time and a Word". Bruford was awsome. It was my first time seeing him play. Wouldn't it be something to see a reunion?

[Relayer_KC]

Great album, great tour! Sat in the second row, got to shake Jon's hand as he walked to the stage singing "Time and a Word". Bruford was awsome. It was my first time seeing him play. Wouldn't it be something to see a reunion?
==========

That's where i met Krista! It's our 20 yr. Anniversary! WOO HOO (I better send her a note!)

I also got to shake Jon's hand as well as he drove up for sound check! (I was hanging out w/Krista in the stage area). They stopped for her, i was lucky to make friends w/her. :)

Memories!!!

kc

[Olorin]

Magic times, magic memories.... I had heard on the radio earlier that summer that at least 4/5 of the classic lineup was getting back together. The story the station was giving was that they wanted Squire too but it was unknown whether Atlantic would let him out of his contract.

Several weeks later I was telling my cousin about this, who had coincidentally just picked up a Ticketmaster brochure. He said, "oh, would that be the Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe that's playing at Poplar Creek (Chicago)?" As soon as I could get to a phone I called a friend in Chicago and he got tickets for us. I don't recall if all the seats were sold or simply that being cheap, he got lawn seats, but we were on lawn, slapping mosquitoes for all we were worth as dusk fell. But oh what a show! A blazing, three-hour Yes concert, under the stars!

Magic memories, indeed!