[virgil283]

The Yes Album

[ClearCase_guy]

Would the Founding Fathers have dug Prog Rock?

[ConservativeStatement]

I have seen the band live a few times though not recently. The early 90s Union tour with eight musicians was a highlight.

[bmwcyle]

At college I got to help Rich Wakeman carry his Moog and set it up on stage.

[Olog-hai]

Steve Howe isn’t an original member of Yes. The late Peter Banks (died March 7^th of this year) was the original lead guitarist, playing on the first two albums; he also came up with the band’s name.

[plain talk]

I have seen them quite a few times and saw this recent tour. I was glad to see them again and liked the idea of playing through entire albums. Unfortunately the sound was not mixed very well but can’t fully blame the band for that. I enjoyed it

[Yogafist]

Saw them in 1982 at the Long Beach Sports Arena, in the round. Well I only “saw” them a couple times during the ocasional parting of the marijuana cloud. But I definitely heard them. One of the concerts I will never forget. My ears rang for about two weeks.

[Freestate316]

Saw them ages ago. Though I recognized their talent, they were never my cup of tea.

[hirn_man]

The first concert I ever attended was Yes when they were on their “Close to the Edge” tour.
IIRC Rick Wakeman was not an original Yes member. That would I believe be Lenny Kaye on keyboards. I also remember a thread years ago where some Freepers met Lenny and he is a conservative guy.

[Moonman62]

I saw them back in the 90’s with all the original members. I’m not a big fan but my friend was. I liked the show, and remember Squire playing Amazing Grace solo.

[Rocko]

One of my obsessions in High School; saw them 9 August 1976. Then I ignored them for a long time; but gravitated back to them in recent years.

[Gman]

I’ve seen them more times than I can remember from 1972 through the current tour. And I’m quoted in the booklet in their boxset “The Word Is Live”.’

[pieceofthepuzzle]

A FR thread dedicated to YES. Now I feel complete!

I love this band, seeing them first when I was very young (the Eagles opened for them), and then multiple times over the years. I've seen Steve Howe multiple times solo, and Rick Wakeman solo. You may or may not like their particular brand of music, but they are each exceptional musicians. Steve Howe is an incredibly versatile guitarist, and has lots of influence from Chet Atkins, as well as Julian Bream (classical). He is also an awesome slide guitarist. Wakeman, in addition to what he's done with Yes, and his solo stuff, also did the piano on Cat Steven's ‘Morning has broken’ and mellotron on David Bowie's ‘Major Tom’. Squire is right up their with the best bass players ever in rock and roll. The original drummer for yes, Bill Bruford, is absolutely phenomenal. Alan White is also fantastic, although in a very different style.

Anyway, as you can tell, I'm a fanatic...

Thanks for posting.

[dfwgator]

I am probably one of the few that actually thinks “Drama” was not a bad album at all.

“Tempus Fugit” is definitely one of their best songs ever, and probably Squire’s greatest moment on bass.

And “Machine Messiah” is Steve Howe at his heaviest.

[AnotherUnixGeek]

The lead singer was no Jon Anderson, but he did try hard.

Did he sound anything like Anderson? His voice was what I always imagined a hobbit would sound like.

[BenLurkin]

Yes - South Side Of The Sky
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XC-FrJ8W0Yc

[ChinaGotTheGoodsOnClinton]

I can’t believe no one has posted this yet but Rick Wakeman is no longer touring with Yes BUT he has a gig as a commentator on a economic opinion show in the UK, and he plays the curmudgeon role quite engagingly.

Sort of a commentary role on little day to day items like Andy Rooney on 60 minutes.

And yes btw he is QUITE CONSERVATIVE...

[Rebelbase]

In 7th grade back in the 70's before I knew their name was Yes, I'd heard them on the radio and was totally confused by a radio commercial for a concert that didn't didn't mention the name of the band that was advertised:

[Promoter DJ voice] "Their music is cutting edge, at the top of the charts and coming to South Florida on Friday night, yes coming to the Hollywood Sportatorium" [/Promoter DJ voice]

I must have heard the commercial 10 times and never figured out who was playing that night.

[Political Junkie Too]

I saw the 9012Live tour in March, 1984, in Houston at the Summit.

-PJ