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MARCH 5, 1996
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Source: San Luis Obispo County Telegram-Tribune
http://www.yessng.net/high.html
Yes, They Can Still Rock Out
By Adam St. James
Progressive rock, art rockcall it what you willit lived and breathed
Monday night at the Fremont Theatre on Monterey Street, a full 20 years
after being declared dead by the Sex Pistols.
In a grand reunion of classic ’70s rock superstars the band Yes thrilled a
rapt audience of approximately 650 with a three-hour concert that blurred
the line between rock and symphony.
The concert was special because it marked the reunion of the five musicians
many loyal fans consider the ultimate of the three-decade old band’s
several incarnations. Vocalist Jon Anderson, guitarist Steve Howe,
keyboardist Rick Wakeman, bassist Chris Squire and drummer Alan White
hadn’t performed together since the late ’70s, with the exception of an
early ’90s tour that also featured members of other Yes lineups.
They came together at the Fremont Monday for the first of three concerts
being recorded for a future album and video release. Anderson moved to the
Central Coast last summer, and the band has been rehearsing in town for
several months. Loyal fans traveled from across the country to attend the
performances.
Anderson, the group’s principal songwriter and spiritual leader, sang with
his unique soprano voice sounding as clear and brilliant as ever. Howe,
clearly second-in-command, staged a virtual clinic for string players,
switching repeatedly between various electric and acoustic guitars, pedal
steel guitar, and more exotic instruments. The two led the five-member band
through album-faithful renditions of often obscure material and the rare
radio-friendly Yes track. Casual fans may have been left confused by songs
like Siberian Khatru, Close to the Edge and Time & A Word, but casual fans
were in the minority. Nearly every song was received with a standing ovation.
Lengthy solosprimarily by guitarist Howeand complex, syncopated rhythms,
such as in the 18-minute Close to the Edge, showed the band to be rehearsed
and in control.
Background vocals by Howe and Squire blended harmoniously with Anderson,
especially on I’ve Seen All Good People, played early in the set.
Surprisingly, keyboardist Wakeman kept largely in the background most of
the evening, his batttery of electronic keyboards serving mostly as padding
for Howe’s solos.
Anderson, dressed all in white with a flowing white linen coat, appeared at
times almost priestly as he chatted between songs, explaining some of the
band’s origins and the meaning behind some of his lyrics. At one point in
the show, after telling a humorous tale of how he first met bassist Squire,
he announced that it was Squire’s birthday, and the crowd joined him a
singing ‘Happy Birthday.’
The venue itself, the beautifully restored Fremont Theatre, built in the
1940s, was the perfect setting for the band’s artsy music.
Before leaving, Yes closed with rousing versions of two of the band’s most
well-known songs, Roundabout and Starship Trooper.
Throughout the performance the musicians showed no sign of having lost the
virtuosity that made them so popular two decades ago. Their technical
mastery was matched, however, with just enough heartfelt emotion and
enthusiasm to make their fans’ long wait all worthwhile.
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