------------------------------------------------------- MAY 6, 2004 ------------------------------------------------------- Source: The Grand Rapids Press http://www.mlive.com/entertainment/grpress/index.ssf/?/base/entertainment-1/108385664776370.xml Yes smartly showcases its rock chops By John Sinkevics In southern Idaho, they offer a college course on "Yesology." A San Francisco institution of higher learning even has talked of presenting the members of Yes with honorary doctorates for their lofty contributions to modern music. As drummer Alan White puts it, "You need a lot of brain power to listen to it." Intellectual snobbery aside, there's an undeniable sophistication and complexity to the music manufactured by one of progressive rock's brightest lights and longest-serving architects. And as Wednesday night's Van Andel Arena concert showed, brain power isn't the only attribute of value: You also need a fair amount of patience to listen to nearly three hours of peculiar lyrics, extended guitar and drum solos and songs that last longer than it takes for most folks to earn a real doctorate degree. Fortunately for the nearly 4,000 diehards who warmly embraced the band at the Grand Rapids tour stop of their 35th anniversary tour, the five members of Yes are eminently less pretentious than some of their prog-rock brethren, swapping a pompous disposition for downright dazzling mastery of their instruments and a down-to-earth demeanor. Oh, sure, the official Art Rock Bylaws require some semblance of an arena spectacle. So the band trotted out inflatable, psychedelic stage props designed by album cover artist Roger Dean, bassist Chris Squire strutted about in a poofy shirt with a monstrous necklace and keyboard whiz Rick Wakeman wore a flowing, ankle-length jacket. Wakeman also surrounded himself with an imposing arsenal of eight keyboards (not counting a half-size grand piano he attacked during a post-intermission acoustic sojourn), and White had 10 kettle drums enhancing a drum solo on "Ritual" (eight played by remote control on arms extending from his drum platform and the other two walloped furiously by Squire). None of this, thankfully, detracted from the real reason Yes has managed to keep its legacy alive more than three decades after the group first formed: rare musicianship that generates a singular sound unlike any other in the rock genre. That sound is marked by Jon Anderson's distinctive, high voice, which seems to have lost none of its range since the 1970s. To be sure, it took Anderson, Wakeman, White, Squire and guitarist Steve Howe a few songs to really get things in gear Wednesday. Opening tunes "Going for the One" and "Sweet Dreams" struggled to find the crispness they deserve vocally and instrumentally. But by the time the band dove into "South Side of the Sky," from 1972's "Fragile," about a half-hour into the opening set, the fire and intensity had returned, driven by Howe's impressive guitar riffs and Wakeman's lightning-quick synthesizer solos. Indeed, Wakeman's powerful playing throughout the evening had me wishing the band employed cameras and video screens to show off his fingers dancing across all those keyboards -- the same mountain of keyboards obscuring his hands from the audience. Nothing obscured the deft, tight execution of tricky rhythms and complex arrangements by Howe, Squire and White on "Yours Is No Disgrace," encore-opener "Every Little Thing" and "Rhythm of Love," an underrated rocker that ranked among the best songs of the night. Yes, the band lost a fan or two to the concession stands on a few drawn-out songs (more than a couple clocked in at 10 minutes or more, allowing plenty of time to wash up, grab a beer, chat with the ushers, finish that brew and return in time for the next tune). But it more than won them over again with striking renditions of some of their most recognizable songs, particularly during the intimate, semi-acoustic interlude that opened the second set. With Wakeman on piano, White on a whittled-down drum kit and Squire on acoustic bass, the band shared some good-natured banter in close quarters and showed off its harmonies on "Long Distance Runaround," "Wonderous Stories" and a surprisingly effective blues-shuffle version of "Roundabout." Stripped of some arena-size, art-rock trappings, the evening's acoustic segment brilliantly highlighted the sophistication and musical aptitude that have propelled Yes to the head of the progressive rock class. And that really is a smart move. Close Window YesInThePress.com For site comments, inquiries, corrections, or additions, contact yitp@yesservices.com