------------------------------------------------------- OCTOBER 26, 1993 ------------------------------------------------------- Source: Progrography http://www.connollyco.com/discography/yes/symphonicyes.html Review: Symphonic Music of Yes By David Connolly Symphonic Music of Yes Produced by Steve Howe & David Palmer Released on October 26, 1993 This is actually something of a hybrid: a skeletal version of Yes plays live in the studio alongside orchestral accompaniment, so the final product feels like a live Yes album scaled back for a smaller venue and fleshed out with an orchestra. Those who expected a serious musical discussion based on the band’s clever and complex motifs will be disappointed with what amounts to Yes in Pepperland. Granted, most of these songs would sound good played on a kazoo, but extended works like “Close to the Edge” and “Heart of the Sunrise” are ripe for a serious reinterpretation, and the decision to merely add strings to the originals is a missed opportunity. On the quieter tracks, however, David Palmer and the London Philharmonic become equal partners in the musical dialogue, which provides a somewhat fresh perspective to old nuggets like “Mood for a Day,” “Soon” (which is given a Moody Blues treatment here), “Survival” and “Wonderous Stories.” It’s on the latter track especially that you realize Yes has contributed some timeless melodies to the musical canon. On the rock side of the equation, Steve Howe is his usual brilliant self, Tim Harries is impressive replacing the seemingly irreplaceable Chris Squire, and Jon Anderson reprises his role on a handful of songs. The presence of Bill Bruford, which would ordinarily be a cause for celebration, is instead a distraction here, since his original drum parts simply don’t mesh with the orchestra. In fact, despite the presence of a qualified cast on both sides of the boards and a legitimate label (RCA Victor), it’s unclear if the parties involved had a shared final vision for what this would sound like. What remains is an unnecessary exercise that recycles their back catalog yet again. TRACK LISTING 1. ROUNDABOUT (Jon Anderson/Steve Howe) 6:09 2. CLOSE TO THE EDGE (Jon Anderson/Steve Howe) 7:38 i. Solid Time of Change ii. Total Mass Retain iii. I Get Up, I Get Down iv. Seasons of Man 3. WONDEROUS STORIES (Jon Anderson) 3:51 4. I'VE SEEN ALL GOOD PEOPLE (Chris Squire) 3:48 5. MOOD FOR A DAY (Steve Howe) 3:01 6. OWNER OF A LONELY HEART (Trevor Rabin/Jon Anderson/Chris Squire/Trevor Horn) 4:42 7. SURVIVAL (Jon Anderson) 4:15 8. HEART OF THE SUNRISE (Jon Anderson/Chris Squire/Bill Bruford) 7:47 9. SOON (Jon Anderson) 6:15 10. STARSHIP TROOPER 7:16 i. Lifeseeker (Jon Anderson) ii. Wurm (Steve Howe) CREDITS BILL BRUFORD -- drums TIM HARRIES -- bass STEVE HOWE -- acoustic & electric guitars, dobro, mandolin, steel guitar, backing vocals, mixing DAVID PALMER -- arranger, conductor, grand piano, synthesizer, vocoder, mixing THE LONDON PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA -- orchestra Jon Anderson -- vocals Julian Colbeck -- Hammond organ The English Chamber Orchestra -- orchestra The London Community Gospel Choir -- vocals Keith West -- backing vocals Ian Anderson -- engineer Mark Flannery -- engineer, mixing Stan Lubieres -- additional engineering, mixing Alan Parsons -- orchestral producer & engineer Pete Smith -- executive producer Steve Vining -- executive producer Judy Teener -- art director Roger Dean -- cover painting Michael Smallcombe -- photographs Close Window YesInThePress.com For site comments, inquiries, corrections, or additions, contact yitp@yesservices.com