----------------------------------------------------- APRIL 1999 ----------------------------------------------------- Source: The Music Index http://www.themusicindex.com/rockahead/reviews/yesbook.htm Book Review: Yes-Close to the Edge: by Chris Welch If anyone is qualified to write a book on Yes then its Chris Welch. Chris was there in the early days when the band played The Marquee and even travelled with them, The Bonzos and The Nice to Ireland in 1969 for a tour which could have been a sub-plot in Spinal Tap. The critics have been unfair to Yes over recent years but Chris seems to have stood by the band through thick and thin. And while you may think him perhaps a little too close to get any real perspective, you'd be wrong. Chris has interviewed every current and ex member of Yes and many of the key behind the scenes people such as Michael Tait, Roger Dean and their first manager Roy Flynn. Over the last 30 odd years Yes has come to mean lots of things to different people. There are people for instance who wouldn't listen to anything pre 90125 and of course vice versa. All in all it's an interesting story told incredibly well. If you are a committed Yes fan, you won't want to put it down. However, if you're just a casual fan then there's enough personal strife and drama (no pun intended) to fill a decent run soap opera. Some of the funnier observations come from Peter Banks and Rick Wakeman and Bill Bruford whilst very proud of his contribution to Yes proves he has a great dry sense of humour and capable of amazing understatement. The only other official Yes biography was a coffee table affair by Dan Hedges which is long out of print. Do yourself a favour - buy this, read it and then reinvestigate some of the greatest music of the last 30 years. Close Window YesInThePress.com For site comments, problems, corrections, or additions, contact YesinthePress@aol.com