Will YES survive the eventual retirement of Alan White and Steve Howe?

[josuev80]

I’m not a fan of the current lineup, but how could they realistically bring in anyone post 2004 when a replacement was needed that was equal to or better than Anderson (after he recovered) and Squire? Schellen vs White isn’t that big of a drop off. If they stuck with O Wakeman or brought Brislin back in 2008, they would have been fine at keyboards after R Wakeman left.

[Mr. Holland]

Oh far from it. I saw them live 12 times between 1984 and 2004. They were always great, except the Big Generator show that was quite bad and my last ever show, in Vermont in 2004, that was subpar, the guys were looking very tired.

I really like 90125, even if it's not as good as the albums of the 70's. After that, their studio output is rather disappointing, overall. But as a live act, they were really great.

Jon's departure/firing in 2008 was a huge letdown because for all his flaws, Jon was the voice of Yes and he brought something absolutely irreplaceable. So I stopped attending the band's shows, but Fly From Here was a rather decent album. The one after not at all.

Squire's death was really the end for me. He was the other irreplaceable musician in the band. Sherwood is a nice guy and all, but he's nowhere near as good. That's my big criticism of the current band and the reason why I think Yes should split. Every new musician they brought in after 2004 was not as good as the musician he replaced. David and Davison for Jon, Sherwood for Squire, Downes for Wakeman... Schellen is a good drummer but he's a session guy, basically. So we are left with a subpar lineup playing music that is simply too challenging for the musicians involved. I can't believe they will try to play Relayer in its entirety in 2022...

Oddly enough I find myself both in agreement with your assessment that every musician brought in after 2004 was not as good as the musician he replaced (with the exception for Downes, who for me is a different keyboardist with different strengths, but not necessarily less good than Wakeman), and still liking the current lineup and what they bring. I actually thought that the versions I heard/witnessed in 2018 of Ritual and RSOG were better than those in 2002/2004. The rhythm section of Sherwood/Schellen was particularly strong there.

[michelforest]

les be fair you don't think yes survived post 1980

Oh far from it. I saw them live 12 times between 1984 and 2004. They were always great, except the Big Generator show that was quite bad and my last ever show, in Vermont in 2004, that was subpar, the guys were looking very tired.

I really like 90125, even if it's not as good as the albums of the 70's. After that, their studio output is rather disappointing, overall. But as a live act, they were really great.

Jon's departure/firing in 2008 was a huge letdown because for all his flaws, Jon was the voice of Yes and he brought something absolutely irreplaceable. So I stopped attending the band's shows, but Fly From Here was a rather decent album. The one after not at all.

Squire's death was really the end for me. He was the other irreplaceable musician in the band. Sherwood is a nice guy and all, but he's nowhere near as good. That's my big criticism of the current band and the reason why I think Yes should split. Every new musician they brought in after 2004 was not as good as the musician he replaced. David and Davison for Jon, Sherwood for Squire, Downes for Wakeman... Schellen is a good drummer but he's a session guy, basically. So we are left with a subpar lineup playing music that is simply too challenging for the musicians involved. I can't believe they will try to play Relayer in its entirety in 2022...

[rabin105]

I don't think Yes survived Squire's death, so no, obviously.

les be fair you don't think yes survived post 1980

[michelforest]

I don't think Yes survived Squire's death, so no, obviously.

[rabin105]

Of course not

do you support them now?

[José]

Of course not

[yamishogun]

In other words, the reason The Quest took a long time is not because no-one had any ideas, it's because some of the band just weren't interested in making a new album (for a variety of reasons - not least, the passing of Chris Squire).

Yes had been talking about getting ready to go into the studio for years, and we heard of writing during parts of that entire time as well. It's also likely that one or two songs that Sherwood wrote ended up on Arc of Life.

[rabin105]

Current UK restrictions, which have just been tightened with the emergence of Omicron, would still allow them all to meet up and record. Travel to the UK from the US is fiddly with lots of testing required, but possible. What they're actually doing, I don't know.

European shows begin in May in Portugal. I'd guess they'll rehearse in the UK, but Portugal is lovely in May, so maybe they'll rehearse there? But there's been chatter of North American dates in March before then, although it's getting a bit late to announce anything if those are going to happen.

Agreed which makes me nervous

[PeterCologne]

Unless Rabin rejoins when Howe leaves, I'd say no.


Stick a fork in them ...

That's the only alternative, but right now there seems to be not much indication that Rabin would.

[bondegezou]

They *are* prolific, but not for Yes, for whatever reasons. I don't pretend to understand the process, but clearly when writing they have ideas of the outlet for the music: solo, or Arc of Life, or Downes Braide, or any number of other projects (since rejoining Yes in 2011, Downes has contributed, what, three songs to Yes, and four *albums* with Braide). And who can say what would have happened if they'd had these multiple outlets back in 72/74, what might have been different, or how maybe they're finely tuned now, and both re-energized by playing in other contexts, and exploring different ranges of sound, some of which they may bring back…

Great quip from Jakko Jakszyk on his recent solo album, where he says “we had this bit of an in joke where I would start to play Robert Fripp something. And he would go, ‘I love this, this is marvellous. It would be an ideal track for your next solo album’, which is code for ‘we’re not playing this mate’.” Obviously Fripp and Jakszyk were hearing different things there, but so it goes.

Absolutely.

I think I want to move the conversation away from this idea that composers generate a set number of ideas per month and that there thus might not be enough material for an album. How much people write depends on how much time and effort they put into writing. It also, as you say, depends on the context, are they writing for a particular project, who are they collaborating with, and so on. What matters is the choices they make.

In other words, the reason The Quest took a long time is not because no-one had any ideas, it's because some of the band just weren't interested in making a new album (for a variety of reasons - not least, the passing of Chris Squire). We know little so far, but it appears that the dam has now broken and that the band are now interested in making new music, and are thus doing so. I think they will go at the pace they want to go at, but that pace is much faster than it was 2015-8.

[PhaseDance]

Unless Rabin rejoins when Howe leaves, I'd say no.


Stick a fork in them ...

[Gilly Goodness]

When they have to fill Steve's shoes (hurts to think of it) they would do good to recruit Paul Bielatowicz who plays with Carl Palmer.

Why not? By then Juano, Billy, Geoff and Jay will have cemented a strong desire and will to forge new Yes music. Great singing. Great playing. So just add a young dude who plays jazzy-country-fusion guitar and carry on. Freya Dean to eventually become cover artist.



SAVE THE BOGONG MOTH

[OB1kenOB]

When they have to fill Steve's shoes (hurts to think of it) they would do good to recruit Paul Bielatowicz who plays with Carl Palmer.

[Gilly Goodness]

"Many a slip between the cup and the lip" sounded Shakespearian but turns out to be ancient proverb from SW India. Carry on...



SAVE THE BOGONG MOTH