Steve Howe on Jon and Rick ever returning to Yes.....

[Mr. Holland]

...interesting quote from a recent 'Classic Rock Revisted' interview that is mainly about Asia, but the last question is about Yes:

Jeb: For my last question, I am going to switch over to your other band Yes. I saw you guys with the new singer and he is amazing. But Yes fans want to know if they will ever see the day when Rick Wakeman and Jon Anderson all play together as Yes again?

Steve: Well, how in the hell do I know? I wouldn’t particularly say that it is on the agenda. People have said the cliché like we have burned bridges and all of that.

We are realistic people, so in the sense of realism, for Yes to evolve, we had to be a strong group and we had to have people who were committed to it to warrant a position in the band. In other words, if you come in and say to Yes, “I play the drums but in Yes I am going to play the bongos.” We would say, “But we want a drummer.”

You’ve got to be able to provide the full story. What Yes needs now, and we’ve proved this by doing Awaken and America, is that everybody in this group needs to accept that we look at the entire career of this group. We don’t just look at little pockets when certain people were in the group—we don’t do that anymore. We look at the group as a whole. Of course, we do focus a lot on the ‘70’s but there were a few lineups there.

In a way, that is the commitment. It is not about Jon and Rick now. It is about who can do these tours and who can perform the repertoire from 1968 to 2012. If you can do that then you have an opportunity to be in Yes. I’m not going to say Rick and Jon can’t do that. I will say that I don’t think that is what they want to do. But that is what Yes demands. We want artists who can come in and perform with an open heart right across the board. I guess that is the key to it.

[luvyesmusic]

...interesting quote from a recent 'Classic Rock Revisted' interview that is mainly about Asia, but the last question is about Yes:

Jeb: For my last question, I am going to switch over to your other band Yes. I saw you guys with the new singer and he is amazing. But Yes fans want to know if they will ever see the day when Rick Wakeman and Jon Anderson all play together as Yes again?

Steve: Well, how in the hell do I know?

Sounds like he had a piece of steak recently. ;-)

[pianozach]

"It is about who can do these tours and who can perform the repertoire from 1968 to 2012."

That must be a typo. I do believe he must have meant "It is about who can do these tours and who can perform the repertoire from 1968 to 1982, and from 1996 to 2012"

[Mr. Holland]

"It is about who can do these tours and who can perform the repertoire from 1968 to 2012."

That must be a typo. I do believe he must have meant "It is about who can do these tours and who can perform the repertoire from 1968 to 1982, and from 1996 to 2012"

Well, I was going to say that I hope someone in the band will suggest 'open your eyes' and "I am Waiting" for the next tour.....LOL

But in all seriousness, it seems like Steve has come around a bit and is actually willing to play (almost) anything out of the Yes catalogue. He has said before that he would not mind giving 'Changes' are try for instance.

[brufy]

"It is about who can do these tours and who can perform the repertoire from 1968 to 2012."

That must be a typo. I do believe he must have meant "It is about who can do these tours and who can perform the repertoire from 1968 to 1982, and from 1996 to 2012"

Well, I was going to say that I hope someone in the band will suggest 'open your eyes' and "I am Waiting" for the next tour.....LOL

But in all seriousness, it seems like Steve has come around a bit and is actually willing to play (almost) anything out of the Yes catalogue. He has said before that he would not mind giving 'Changes' are try for instance.

You guys!

[pianozach]

Well, I was going to say that I hope someone in the band will suggest 'open your eyes' and "I am Waiting" for the next tour.....LOL

But in all seriousness, it seems like Steve has come around a bit and is actually willing to play (almost) anything out of the Yes catalogue. He has said before that he would not mind giving 'Changes' are try for instance.

That would be a nice start.

Then he can tackle Endless Dream . . .

[downbyariver]

You’ve got to be able to provide the full story. What Yes needs now, and we’ve proved this by doing Awaken and America, is that everybody in this group needs to accept that we look at the entire career of this group. We don’t just look at little pockets when certain people were in the group—we don’t do that anymore. We look at the group as a whole. Of course, we do focus a lot on the ‘70’s but there were a few lineups there.

In a way, that is the commitment. It is not about Jon and Rick now. It is about who can do these tours and who can perform the repertoire from 1968 to 2012. If you can do that then you have an opportunity to be in Yes. I’m not going to say Rick and Jon can’t do that. I will say that I don’t think that is what they want to do. But that is what Yes demands. We want artists who can come in and perform with an open heart right across the board. I guess that is the key to it.

This sounds amazingly hypocritical when one realizes that the band plays nothing from it's best selling album, 90125, or it's followup, Big Generator, in most concerts. The only song off either of those albums they've played in like 15 years has been "Owner of a Lonely Heart", and they dropped it at some point on their European tour, never to pick it back up. Also, they've don't really do anything from the 90s or their 2001 album period. Basically, they do 1969-1980 and then 2011.

This is at least the second interview where Howe's said this. I think it sounds like a great policy. Now, they need to start actually implementing it. Or does he only mean it to apply to the albums that Steve Howe played on and Jon Anderson didn't?

If not, I'm looking forward to reading about them playing top 40 hits like Love Will Find a Way, Ryhthm of Love, Leave It, and It Can Happen at future concerts, and seeing them on the next live CD.

I feel like those of us who enjoyed the YesWest phase of the band's existence are almost being taunted with comments like that.

[Mr. Holland]

This sounds amazingly hypocritical when one realizes that the band plays nothing from it's best selling album, 90125, or it's followup, Big Generator, in most concerts. The only song off either of those albums they've played in like 15 years has been "Owner of a Lonely Heart", and they dropped it at some point on their European tour, never to pick it back up. Also, they've don't really do anything from the 90s or their 2001 album period. Basically, they do 1969-1980 and then 2011.

This is at least the second interview where Howe's said this. I think it sounds like a great policy. Now, they need to start actually implementing it. Or does he only mean it to apply to the albums that Steve Howe played on and Jon Anderson didn't?

If not, I'm looking forward to reading about them playing top 40 hits like Love Will Find a Way, Ryhthm of Love, Leave It, and It Can Happen at future concerts, and seeing them on the next live CD.

I feel like those of us who enjoyed the YesWest phase of the band's existence are almost being taunted with comments like that.

Howe did say the emphasis is on the 70's, so he is honest about that. But I do think with Downes and Davison in the band things have turned a bit again and the band is looking more openly into playing stuff from their entire catalogue and also Howe is coming to terms with playing stuff he wasn't on or that he was on, but doesn't belong to his favorite stuff. I do think that one of the main considerations is whether a song will translate to the stage well with this line-up, will they be able to do it justice.

"Leave It" for example is nearly impossible. When Yes did it on the 90125 tour with the line-up that recorded it, most of it where backing tracks and very little was actually played live. That would look very silly with the current line-up, having for instance Rabin's harmony vocals blasting out of the speakers.

There is the theoretical side of this 'policy', as you call it, which is that everything out of the catalogue should be an option and then there is the practical side which is what can actually be pulled of on stage. That practical side means some songs just won't ever be an option and I think "Leave it" is one of them, but at the same time I do believe we will see some more varied setlists in the future.

[downbyariver]

"Leave It" for example is nearly impossible. When Yes did it on the 90125 tour with the line-up that recorded it, most of it where backing tracks and very little was actually played live. That would look very silly with the current line-up, having for instance Rabin's harmony vocals blasting out of the speakers.

There is the theoretical side of this 'policy', as you call it, which is that everything out of the catalogue should be an option and then there is the practical side which is what can actually be pulled of on stage. That practical side means some songs just won't ever be an option and I think "Leave it" is one of them, but at the same time I do believe we will see some more varied setlists in the future.

One option would be to rework the songs a bit so that they can be played live by the current lineup. No one would expect "Leave It" to sound exactly like it sounds on the album. Give Squire Rabin's vocal parts, Howe Rabin's guitar parts, and let Davison sing Anderson's parts and play a second guitar or a second keyboard (Whichever is needed), and do something different in the parts that really can't be done live. If it sounds very different and very good- *bam* you've got a selling point for your next live album. They could even do a stripped "acoustic" version if necessary (That seems to work for a lot of bands).

[Mr. Holland]

One option would be to rework the songs a bit so that they can be played live by the current lineup. No one would expect "Leave It" to sound exactly like it sounds on the album. Give Squire Rabin's vocal parts, Howe Rabin's guitar parts, and let Davison sing Anderson's parts and play a second guitar or a second keyboard (Whichever is needed), and do something different in the parts that really can't be done live. If it sounds very different and very good- *bam* you've got a selling point for your next live album. They could even do a stripped "acoustic" version if necessary (That seems to work for a lot of bands).

...but the song consist of more layers of vocals then just two, the fact that it's so multi-layered is what makes 'leave it', 'leave it'.

Anyway, my general point is that some songs will work on stage and others just won't for some reason. As much as I feel that every song should be an option, just as much every song should be an option not to play. Being open works two ways.

[BrianD]

Surely its a bit tongue in cheek for Steve to be talking about the whole of the Yes catalogue being on the table.

Just putting aside the failure to play anything apart from Owner from their albums from 1983-2001 since 2008, their 70s selections have been very repetitive

Since 2008 Yes have played 11 tours

These are the main 70s songs they have regularly played on the tours

Roundabout - 11 tours
All good People - 11 tours
Yours is no disgrace - 9 tours
Starship Trouper - 9 tours
And You And I - 8 tours
Heart of the Sunrise - 8 tours
Siberian Khatru - 5 tours


And here are some of the others they had been playing 1997-2004 but seem to have neglected
Close to the Edge - 3 tours
Wonderous stories - 3 tours
Long Distance Runaround - 2 tours
South Side of the Sky - 2 tours
Soon - 2 tours
America 1 tour
Awaken - 1 tour
Going for the One - 0 tours
Don't Kill the Whale - 0 tours
Revealing Science of God - 0 tours
Ritual - 0 tours
Gates of Delirium - 0 tours
Time & a Word - 0 tours

They did try Parallels (2 tours), Onward (3 tours) and Astral Traveller (5 tours) but these have been the only real excursions from their 70s repertoire

Most of Tormato, Tales, Time & a Word, GFTO and Relayer have been given little attention.

So even the era they spend most of their concerts has largely been limited to 3 albums - The Yes Album, Fragile and Close to the Edge

[Sharp on Attack]

I think it's almost criminal that my alltime favourite band does this (only perform songs from 3 great yet very ancient albums) and add a few songs off the latest album only to drop them in the next tour. But I know they've almost always worked this way and I've come to accept this fact. But still...what a lazy bunch of guys !

[Sharp on Attack]

It's too late to change them...

[JaneEyre]

...We want artists who can come in and perform with an open heart right across the board. I guess that is the key to it.

Wow, that almost seems.....reasonable. How outrageous.

[Rabin105]

If the whole discography is on the table I can think of.... wait I smell a new thread coming on

[Mr. Holland]

Surely its a bit tongue in cheek for Steve to be talking about the whole of the Yes catalogue being on the table.

Just putting aside the failure to play anything apart from Owner from their albums from 1983-2001 since 2008, their 70s selections have been very repetitive

Since 2008 Yes have played 11 tours

These are the main 70s songs they have regularly played on the tours

Roundabout - 11 tours
All good People - 11 tours
Yours is no disgrace - 9 tours
Starship Trouper - 9 tours
And You And I - 8 tours
Heart of the Sunrise - 8 tours
Siberian Khatru - 5 tours


And here are some of the others they had been playing 1997-2004 but seem to have neglected
Close to the Edge - 3 tours
Wonderous stories - 3 tours
Long Distance Runaround - 2 tours
South Side of the Sky - 2 tours
Soon - 2 tours
America 1 tour
Awaken - 1 tour
Going for the One - 0 tours
Don't Kill the Whale - 0 tours
Revealing Science of God - 0 tours
Ritual - 0 tours
Gates of Delirium - 0 tours
Time & a Word - 0 tours

They did try Parallels (2 tours), Onward (3 tours) and Astral Traveller (5 tours) but these have been the only real excursions from their 70s repertoire

Most of Tormato, Tales, Time & a Word, GFTO and Relayer have been given little attention.

So even the era they spend most of their concerts has largely been limited to 3 albums - The Yes Album, Fragile and Close to the Edge

...but Steve isn't saying that the whole Yes catalogue has been on the table in the past, even the more recent past, but he says it is for the future. We will only know for sure when a next tour will come.

[downbyariver]

...but the song consist of more layers of vocals then just two, the fact that it's so multi-layered is what makes 'leave it', 'leave it'.

Maybe they could have as many members of the band who can join in, join in, even the ones who normally don't sing. Make it like the opening of "I've Seen All Good People". Or adapt it for just Davison and Squire singing. It'd sound different, but, hey, there's a reason to buy a live album right there- a version of a song that truly sounds different and isn't just the song on the album with added mistakes and clapping. These songs aren't holy writ, they can be changed to sound good on stage. Actually, adjusting "Leave It" a little to be easier to perform on stage might make it sound more like 70s Yes and go over better with the crowd that didn't appreciate the YesWest phase- while still pleasing fans of 90125 who will be thrilled just to hear "Leave It", even a version that's been altered to be more suited to being performed on stage.

[profusion]

I think we've got a better chance of hearing Union material than of ever hearing "Leave It" in concert again, and that's saying a lot.

To me, 90125 and Big Generator are both studio creations that didn't transfer as well to the stage as the '70s main sequence did. In fact, those main sequence pieces came to life on stage in a way they didn't on the studio albums. The '80s material was heavily overdubbed, especially vocally. The songs seem mostly one-dimensional in concert when stripped of the studio gloss. There just isn't as much "there," and I say that as a fan of both albums.

I can see Howe playing one or two other '80s Rabin-era pieces, but I can't see him putting in the work to completely rewrite and rearrange them so they are interesting in concert. That's just not going to happen.

More disappointing is that "Astral Traveler" is the only place they ventured into the first two albums since 2008. To me, that is music that would be welcome by many current Yes fans and would give a needed change from the old warhorses.

[SBDTrader]

More disappointing is that "Astral Traveler" is the only place they ventured into the first two albums since 2008. To me, that is music that would be welcome by many current Yes fans and would give a needed change from the old warhorses.

Agreed. Would love to hear "Survival", "Then" or "The Prophet" in their entirety.

[HoweGuitargod]

It's hard for Howe to play cheezy guitar licks in an 80's hair power pop band like 80's Yes---not that all of it is bad--it's just very simple stuff----as profusion said---Howe is so good he even makes the guitar licks in his power pop band Asia-- sound interesting and original---I say let Jon, Alan, Chris and Geoff do a semi-acoustic medley of these songs for those who must hear them--I'd like to hear That, that is or anything from Relayer---but that's just me.