Jon Anderson - Awaken

[JohnnyDee]

Hi all,

I've not been around here for a long time. and had to rejoin. So my apologies if this has been covered before.

I have been a fan since 1970 and have seen the band live upwards of 20 times. HOWEVER - this is the best version of Awaken I have ever seen or heard. The section from 17:40 to the end is nothing short of extraordinary. As it builds it reduces me to tears every time. I know it's not actually Yes But... it is nevertheless Yes music played and arranged with brilliance and spectacular flair..

Put simply - Jon Anderson is Yes and the shoddy treatment he has received is utterly disgraceful.

All that said, I invite you to enjoy quite the most sublime experience you are ever likely to see or hear.

[True]

This is one of my favorite versions of Awaken. It's wonderful. All of the songs from that gig are very well done. I have never read or heard any back story as to how they managed to get Anderson to travel there and play this one gig.
I think this may have been the first time I saw evidence of him singing live with his voice recovered, after his long time away from performing and the release of material such as Survival and Other Stories. Hearing this gig made me very excited that he had gotten his voice back. What a gift. I'm sure it would be prohibitively expensive for a tour of JA and Todmobile, but that would be a great show to see.

[Mr. Holland]

Hi all,

I've not been around here for a long time. and had to rejoin. So my apologies if this has been covered before.

I have been a fan since 1970 and have seen the band live upwards of 20 times. HOWEVER - this is the best version of Awaken I have ever seen or heard. The section from 17:40 to the end is nothing short of extraordinary. As it builds it reduces me to tears every time. I know it's not actually Yes But... it is nevertheless Yes music played and arranged with brilliance and spectacular flair..

Put simply - Jon Anderson is Yes and the shoddy treatment he has received is utterly disgraceful.

All that said, I invite you to enjoy quite the most sublime experience you are ever likely to see or hear.

Is is a great version. However to conclude from that, that Jon Anderson = Yes, is beyond me, as what you described is mostly the band behind him and the person(s) that made the arrangement. Plus that the song itself, the foundation of every performance of the song, was written by Anderson and Howe, lyrics by Anderson and the music by Howe (although Jon did have input on the original arrangement).
Sounds to me the wish is the father of the thought and that you're trying to search for examples you feel 'prove' your already formed opinion, rather than your opinion of Jon = Yes was formed by this.

We can of course go back and forth again on his 'shoddy treatment', suffice to say that one gets what one gives.

[Kenny]

This is one of my favorite versions of Awaken. It's wonderful. All of the songs from that gig are very well done. I have never read or heard any back story as to how they managed to get Anderson to travel there and play this one gig.
I think this may have been the first time I saw evidence of him singing live with his voice recovered, after his long time away from performing and the release of material such as Survival and Other Stories. Hearing this gig made me very excited that he had gotten his voice back. What a gift. I'm sure it would be prohibitively expensive for a tour of JA and Todmobile, but that would be a great show to see.

My thoughts were identical to yours when I first saw that video. It brought tears to my eyes and the hope that I would see Anderson sing live with Yes again.

That was hope was then realised when YfARW toured. It was like a dream coming true, a magical and wonderful experience!

That's why YfARW was so important to those of us who love Jon Anderson. He is the true voice and soul of Yes.

[madbear]

He is the true voice and soul of Yes.

I think you mean was.

[Kenny]

I think you mean was.

Not at all. Anderson, despite not being in the Yes "Official" band is still a massive influence on it. He had a huge role in writing a lot of the songs on the albums that Howe's Yes has been touring in recent years. Davison, like David before him, tries very hard to imitate Anderson's vocal style. The last two studio albums, both poor to my ears, demonstrate very clearly just how much Anderson is missed, both as lead singer and song writer.

[madbear]

Unfortunately, Anderson does not write songs like he used to, or sing them like he used to. He is also apparently a. nightmare to work with... so we have to make do with Steve Howe's Yes, which is fine by me, though I agree the recent studio albums have been poor. I have no problem with David or Jon Davison's vocals, though Squire and White are sorely missed.

[Mr. Holland]

Not at all. Anderson, despite not being in the Yes "Official" band is still a massive influence on it. He had a huge role in writing a lot of the songs on the albums that Howe's Yes has been touring in recent years. Davison, like David before him, tries very hard to imitate Anderson's vocal style. The last two studio albums, both poor to my ears, demonstrate very clearly just how much Anderson is missed, both as lead singer and song writer.

I don't feel that Davison is trying to imitate Anderson at all. He very much has his own timing , intonation and phrasing which is different from Anderson's, both Anderson's original studio recordings as well as how Anderson interprets the songs live.

[JMKUSA]

I don't feel that Davison is trying to imitate Anderson at all. He very much has his own timing , intonation and phrasing which is different from Anderson's, both Anderson's original studio recordings as well as how Anderson interprets the songs live.

Agreed. Benoit was definitely more of an imitator in my view than Davison is.

[bondegezou]

the foundation of every performance of the song, was written by Anderson and Howe, lyrics by Anderson and the music by Howe (although Jon did have input on the original arrangement).

... and music also by Wakeman and Moraz.

[Awaken]

Thanks for sharing. I adore this version: Jon is incredible, his voice was great in his 70s!

[rePete]

Does anyone know where I could purchase this concert? I looked and can't seem to find it anywhere, only on Youtube

[bondegezou]

Does anyone know where I could purchase this concert? I looked and can't seem to find it anywhere, only on Youtube

It's on a bonus DVD on Todmobile's CD Úlfur, I believe.

http://relayer35.com/Yescography/ulfur.htm

[rePete]

It's on a bonus DVD on Todmobile's CD Úlfur, I believe.

http://relayer35.com/Yescography/ulfur.htm

Thanks Henry. I'll try searching with that.

[rePete]

It's on a bonus DVD on Todmobile's CD Úlfur, I believe.

http://relayer35.com/Yescography/ulfur.htm

I'm surprised - I searched Amazon, ebay, and did a general google search. I even went to what appears to be the record company (Sena) - can't find it for sale anywhere. I would have thought there would be some demand for it.