Is ABWH a Yes album?

[patrickq]

[Yesed]

Technically it's not. But it's listed on the poster that comes with the Ultimate Yes compilation.

[Frumious B]

I have it filed between Big Generator and Union in my physical collection and tagged as artist “Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe” with album artist “Yes” in my digital library. Two tracks are on the In A Word box and the album is included in the official discography on YesWorld.

[rePete]

I remember when it was released, folks pretty much universally considered ABWH real Yes, and wrote off what was left of YesWest as a dead proposition that bore pretty much no resemblance to what folks considered Yes. ABWH+L was my first experience with 'Classic' Yes - I had only ever seen YesWest prior to that. I have to say, it was a game changer for me, hearing those musicians playing the 70's material live.

[Gtkgasman]

An emphatic ……Yes! 😁

[josuev80]

The band's official website has it in its discography so yes.

https://www.yesworld.com/discography/

[downbyariver]

Absolutely not.

It's an ABWH album.

I have it. I listen to it. I like it. The membership of the band means it's closely related to Yes. It is not, however, actually Yes.

Similarly, just because Circa:'s debut album included past and present Yes members Tony Kaye, Alan White, and Billy Sherwood; plus the session guitarist for most the Union album, Jimmy Haun, and, on some future albums, Yes drummer Jay Schellen, it was and is not Yes. I have all their studio albums and am looking forward to the one that's on the horizon (No scheduled release date yet, but I think they've finished or are close to finishing it. After that, it's in the label's hands.). I like them. I listen to them. They're just not Yes, and that's okay. Yes isn't the only band I like.

People can wish ABWH was Yes all they want, and I don't begrudge people organizing their album collections however they want and slotting ABWH in with Yes or whatever it is they do. It just, from a purely emperical factual perspective isn't Yes. I think a judge actually adjudicated that it wasn't Yes in an American court. I see why the music has a special appeal to many Yes fans, though.

[rePete]

Absolutely not.

It's an ABWH album.

I have it. I listen to it. I like it. The membership of the band means it's closely related to Yes. It is not, however, actually Yes.

Similarly, just because Circa:'s debut album included past and present Yes members Tony Kaye, Alan White, and Billy Sherwood; plus the session guitarist for most the Union album, Jimmy Haun, and, on some future albums, Yes drummer Jay Schellen, it was and is not Yes. I have all their studio albums and am looking forward to the one that's on the horizon (No scheduled release date yet, but I think they've finished or are close to finishing it. After that, it's in the label's hands.). I like them. I listen to them. They're just not Yes, and that's okay. Yes isn't the only band I like.

People can wish ABWH was Yes all they want, and I don't begrudge people organizing their album collections however they want and slotting ABWH in with Yes or whatever it is they do. It just, from a purely emperical factual perspective isn't Yes. I think a judge actually adjudicated that it wasn't Yes in an American court. I see why the music has a special appeal to many Yes fans, though.

Both ABWH studio album and the live album are included in the official discography on Yesworld. So apparently Yes don't agree with your assessment.

[JMKUSA]

Absolutely not.

It's an ABWH album.

I have it. I listen to it. I like it. The membership of the band means it's closely related to Yes. It is not, however, actually Yes.

Similarly, just because Circa:'s debut album included past and present Yes members Tony Kaye, Alan White, and Billy Sherwood; plus the session guitarist for most the Union album, Jimmy Haun, and, on some future albums, Yes drummer Jay Schellen, it was and is not Yes. I have all their studio albums. I like them. I listen to them. They're just not Yes, and that's okay. Yes isn't the only band I like.

People can wish ABWH was Yes all they want, and I don't begrudge people organizing their album collections however they want and slotting ABWH in with Yes or whatever it is they do. It just, from a purely emperical factual perspective isn't Yes. I think a judge actually adjudicated that it wasn't Yes in an American court. I see why the music has a special appeal to many Yes fans, though.

This is the literal answer.

However, there are a few facts that strengthen the case that ABWH is in fact a Yes album:

1) Jon Anderson created ABWH to create his alternate Yes
2) The four principal members were all Yes/former Yes members
3) They later merged with the other Yes lineup to create the Union lineup and a majority of songs on Union were sourced from the ABWH camp
4) Songs from the album were included on a Yes compilation
5) It’s listed on the band’s discography on their website

[josuev80]

This is the literal answer.

However, there are a few facts that strengthen the case that ABWH is in fact a Yes album:

1) Jon Anderson created ABWH to create his alternate Yes
2) The four principal members were all Yes/former Yes members
3) They later merged with the other Yes lineup to create the Union lineup and a majority of songs on Union were sourced from the ABWH camp
4) Songs from the album were included on a Yes compilation
5) It’s listed on the band’s discography on their website

6) Circa didn't arise to be a version of Yes

[Drone Decipher]

Absolutely not.

It's an ABWH album.

I have it. I listen to it. I like it. The membership of the band means it's closely related to Yes. It is not, however, actually Yes.

Similarly, just because Circa:'s debut album included past and present Yes members Tony Kaye, Alan White, and Billy Sherwood; plus the session guitarist for most the Union album, Jimmy Haun, and, on some future albums, Yes drummer Jay Schellen, it was and is not Yes. I have all their studio albums and am looking forward to the one that's on the horizon (No scheduled release date yet, but I think they've finished or are close to finishing it. After that, it's in the label's hands.). I like them. I listen to them. They're just not Yes, and that's okay. Yes isn't the only band I like.

People can wish ABWH was Yes all they want, and I don't begrudge people organizing their album collections however they want and slotting ABWH in with Yes or whatever it is they do. It just, from a purely emperical factual perspective isn't Yes. I think a judge actually adjudicated that it wasn't Yes in an American court. I see why the music has a special appeal to many Yes fans, though.

Despite all this I still consider ABWH and Circa 2007 to be Yes albums. I am aware it is arbitrary that I do not include any more Circa albums nor do I include Arc of Life.

[madbear]

No, it's not. It's an album by ABWH, not Yes .

[josuev80]

Any XTC fans out there? Do you consider the albums by The Dukes of Stratosphear to be XTC albums?

[Gtkgasman]

I also consider ARW as one of my Yes albums!!

[Soundwaveseeker]

My take:

It is an ABWH album. It is not Yes, but it is Yes music. It's the closest thing to a Yes album due to the membership and the overall aim of the project to be Yes in all but name. Jon created it to be his Yes to work with former Yes members to create music more in line with their 70's glory but updated for 1989/the 90's. Jon wanted it to be Yes. Steve and especially Bill in interviews considered it a new band. So I'll have to respect that too. Wakeman probably could go either way, I'm not sure - he still had his solo career.

When it came out and when a friend first told me 'Yes are back with...' in the spring 1989 I was intrigued, but I remember thinking (my thoughts in 1989 as I 'member them):

1) Tony Levin? But no Squire? But he's on every Yes album! How can it be Yes?
2) Bruford's back? No way! But what about Alan White? Did they fire him?

and later in 1990:

3) What about the rest of Yes? Are they gonna put out one too? They've been quiet. I know Rabin's got a solo album, but...did he quit too?
4) Who's replacing Jon Anderson? And who is this Billy Sherwood guy?

In my mind, the thread was never broken because they never called it Yes. But it was still Yes music, because it was collective rather than a solo album or even a solo album featuring more than one other Yes alumni - Fish Out Of Water, Criminal Record, Beginnings etc. But it was in the 'see also...' category. Yes, but not Yes.

It wasn't too uncommon back in those days for partial reunions or renamed spin-offs that are the main band or contain the ethos of the main band - Emerson Lake and Powell comes to mind. I suppose most ELP fans slot it after Love Beach but before Black Moon or even 3. I guess that's the thing with bands named after their members. ABWH may not technically be Yes, but it is Yes music. True, Yes themselves often list it in the catalogue as a Yes discography entry, and a lot of the material would not be out of place if Yes pulled any of it out of the closet for live airings. Brother Of Mine, Birthright or Order Of The Universe would sound valid in the setlist without question.

Even if it isn't Yes, I also slot it in between Big Generator and Union, just as I probably would have placed ARW after Heaven & Earth had they made the dang thing. It belongs there. But ABWH was not Yes, it was a new Yes-related band formed to operate in the same ballfield as the brand Yes, with classic members as a selling point. Not Yes, but definitely Yes music.