ARW priority: Tour, or New Album?

[agentarmstrong]

If the "ice thaws" (whatever the truth IS over what caused ARW to implode abruptly...), and Jon-Trevor-Rick find it in them to return to work in 2022+ - what do you, as a YES fan, want to see the trio prioritize first:

A- TOURING? (Resume the 100 shows they declared their intentions of... and refocus on restoring their creative chemistry again?)

B- ...or a NEW ALBUM? (Finish what "Fragile" started - and the promise of their reunion itself?)

-Douglas /AgentA\

[Gilly Goodness]

Album. No pop songs. Long meaty slabs of sonic ecstacy. Endless Dream like without the harsh,cold,crunchy production. Warm and organic.
Like the 18 minute Downes and Braide's Skyscraper Souls. Passage after passage of astonishingly melodic music.

And Jon can sing about the 4th dimension or quantum computing....

[Gtkgasman]

Sorry. Neither.

I greatly enjoyed it while it lasted though!!!

[yamishogun]

A- TOURING? (Resume the 100 shows they declared their intentions of... and refocus on restoring their creative chemistry again?)

This is maybe what Brian Lane wanted but Trevor had said that wasn't close to realistic and cited age as a reason.

I wonder why there has been no news on the vocal album in a while. Maybe Rabin is trying to get guest musicians to finish it with him like , you know, Anderson and Wakeman...

[Soundwaveseeker]

A masterful new album is what I would want. Seen them live in 2016/7 and enjoyed it, but don't need to hear Roundabout live again. Live work had become common while the albums had become fewer and far between. I understand that live touring and selling T-shirts is where the money is, but any artist just itches to give birth to their sonic creations even if only three people and a cocker spaniel hear it. They would have to want to do it. And if they ever feel the need to reach deep in and do it, I will certainly buy the results of their musical union and take it to my heart. I'm sure it would be of interest because all three AR&W had not been on a studio album together in a creative context before, so it would be of interest. I'd love some nice ethereal keys, squealy Rabin lead gtr, great vocal harmonies, Jon can sing about the sun or the Fairy Kingdom or whatever, have a cool computer-generated non-Dean cover of some sort of graph or something, it's win/win/win for all.

As for what should it be called? ARW, rather than Yes would be ideal - there's already a Yes. However, if Billy Sherwood and Alan White want to cross over to Jon's team to make it Yes for an album and tour before returning to Steve's side for another go-round of the Quest line-up afterwards, I'm up for that. Unlikely though. But ARW already did the touring, the next step would be original material, and I'm sure it would be very good.

[Grey Wolf]

ARW's priority? How about getting back together first and agreeing on a plan.

Touring seems like the only profitable option in today's market. But with COVID that isn't happening any time soon.

[Mr. Holland]

I would prefer a new album, although I loved the show I saw. And I would love that album to appear out of the blue, without all that holy trinity promotional talk upfront.

[Ceasar’s Palace]

Album. No pop songs. Long meaty slabs of sonic ecstacy. Endless Dream like without the harsh,cold,crunchy production. Warm and organic.
Like the 18 minute Downes and Braide's Skyscraper Souls. Passage after passage of astonishingly melodic music.

And Jon can sing about the 4th dimension or quantum computing....

You’ve got it there!

Except the bit about DBA, nothing much there for me.

[josuev80]

ARW's priority? How about getting back together first and agreeing on a plan.

Touring seems like the only profitable option in today's market. But with COVID that isn't happening any time soon.

Agree on all points. To be, or not to be? That is the question—Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, And, by opposing, end them?” The idea of whether is it better to live or to die.

[Homemade Parachute]

ARW's priority? How about getting back together first and agreeing on a plan.

Touring seems like the only profitable option in today's market. But with COVID that isn't happening any time soon.

I don't know about that… Marillion clearly found a way to make album recording profitable, and I've seen other artists go the Pledge Music (before it went down the outhouse) / Kickstarter approach (somewhat more successfully than Jon), often by playing around with things, and it occurred to me, do you need 50,000 fans to buy an album, or 5,000, if each is willing to pay $50 or $100 or more for something special?

I really went all-in on digital around 2004, as soon as the iTunes store opened in Canada, and vastly prefer digital music, although I've made exceptions for physical CDs, either deluxe editions of new albums where the artist goes this approach, or some kind of deluxe remaster. And I've seen some pretty fun ideas: one artist recorded an album of demos (pre-funded via campaign), then had the patrons vote on songs to be recorded for the album proper; another artists offered as a special reward a box of detritus from the recording studio, which may have included half empty bottles of whiskey, broken guitar strings, etc; or an evening with the band 'round the pub for fish and chips one evening while recording (in the Before Times, of course). The point being, there are a lot of fun ways to make albums an experience, and make some dough while doing so.

And yes, just coughed up again for the latest Marillion disk, to get the kids' names in the booklet…

[rabin105]

recording an album if I am being honest... unless they did all of talk in full then touring

[luna65]

I would prefer a new album, although I loved the show I saw. And I would love that album to appear out of the blue, without all that holy trinity promotional talk upfront.

Yeah, if I was wishing this is what I would want AND I'd want it to be without all of that baggage.

[rabin105]

Yeah, if I was wishing this is what I would want AND I'd want it to be without all of that baggage.

well i wished for a billion dollars and that is slightly more realistic of Anderson Rabin Wakeman recording without baggage... it's like saying them recording without ego

[luna65]

True - but I did indicate it was a wish, after all.

[PeterCologne]

If I must choose then it is the album. Should be labeled as a Yes-album at best, because I would just like to have another- presumably - really good yesalbum for a change again. And if I may add another wish, at best with Billy Sherwood included, of course not very realistic, but to me he is quite the keeper of Chris' spirit. He could as above suggested switch between both lineups. He is busy enough, he could do that. Well just a nice thought.

But I would anyway be happy if I would get an album like that at all, no matter under which banner or with which details.

And a tour or at least some shows here and there would anyway follow