---------------------------------------------------- AUGUST 20, 2000 (updated) ----------------------------------------------------- Source: New Gibralter Encyclopedia of Progressive Rock http://www.gepr.net/am.html Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman and Howe By Fred Trafton  In 1988, these four former members of Yes decided to try to get together the "Classic Yes" lineup to do a new album. Legend has it that Chris Squire was not interested in this project, being satisfied with the current incarnation of Yes, which at that time was himself, Trevor Rabin, Alan White, Tony Kaye and Jon Anderson. The legend says that Chris stated that he was Yes, and no band without him could call themselves Yes. Rather than arguing, Jon decided to work with both bands, and the new line-up simply went by Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman and Howe, replacing Squire with bass/stick virtuoso Tony Levin. They recorded one album of original compositions, which oddly enough sounded an awful lot like Yes. This is a pretty good album, and is surely worth the price of admission for any Yes fan. They also released a live album, An Evening of Yes Music Plus, which contains most of the songs from ABWH, plus lots of Yes tunes. Noteworthy is a kick-butt version of "Close to the Edge" with Levin's stick replacing Squire's bass in many new and wonderful ways. They were in the process of recording a second studio album when Squire approached them with the idea of creating a multi-generation merger of Yes. This is the album which eventually became Union, and if you look carefully at the credits you'll see that it's more like a compilation of songs from both versions of Yes than a "union" of any kind. The actual "union" never happened until the tour of that name, when Howe, Rabin, Kaye, Wakeman, Bruford, White, Anderson and Squire actually got together and held their egos in check long enough to create an incredible concert tour, playing music from all the Yes generations (including ABWH) and the new stuff from Union. (Sadly, Levin didn't participate in this union.) Of course, this mega-Yes line-up quickly disintegrated after the tour, and ABWH has not (yet) gotten together again in that form to make another album. Close Window YesInThePress.com For site comments, problems, corrections, or additions, contact YesinthePress@aol.com