----------------------------------------------------- JULY 6, 2000 ----------------------------------------------------- Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette http://www.post-gazette.com/magazine/20000706yes3.asp  Yes goes long to emphasize instrumental over the vocal  By John Young When Yes played the A.J. Palumbo Center this past winter, the group's show was heavy on songs from its new album "The Ladder." Playing to a bigger, hits-hungry crowd of 7,961 at the Post-Gazette Pavilion last night, you'd think Yes would've trotted out a more accessible set of their standards, right? Wrong. Yes quickly set the tone for the evening by opening with a 25-minute take of "Close to the Edge." While many fans sitting near the stage gave the band a standing ovation, others loudly debated the wisdom of starting a show with a moody, often ponderous rock suite. Little did they know that there was more such fare on the way. By the end of the show's first hour Yes had played three songs. "Starship Trooper" felt a bit looser and faster than its recorded version, but slipped into an interminable coda. "The Gates of Delirium," a meandering art rock mess, clocked in at about 20 minutes and prompted one fan to loudly call out, "Wake us up, please!" Fans who applauded such ventures were likely turned on by the displays of musicianship. The lengthy pieces basically turned into a showcase for guitarist Steve Howe and bassist Chris Squire. The crafty players dueled, doodled, dueted and soloed throughout the night. The harmonic licks they traded at the beginning of "The Gates of Delirium" were the best part of an otherwise mediocre piece. While also a fine player, keyboardist Igor Khoroshev didn't always blend well with his band mates. Too many sounds Khoroshev squeezed from his machines were squeaky and dated. Some hearty organ or real piano might've added an organic quality missing in many of the elaborate compositions. The long instrumental passages also tended to waste the talents of singer Jon Anderson. His high tenor voice remains an amazingly powerful, versatile instrument, but he hardly took center stage until a reading of  "All Good People" at set's end. To his credit, Anderson stayed on stage to play percussion and keyboards during the vocal-less sections rather than dashing backstage during his silences. Kansas opened the show, and their set suffered a bit from obscure selections, too. Fans reacted kindly, but hardly enthusiastically, to songs from the forthcoming album "Somewhere to Elsewhere." The group gave concertgoers what they wanted during their encore, though, sounding almost like a pop band blasting through robust versions of "Point of Know Return," "Dust in the Wind" and "Carry on Wayward Son." Singer Steve Walsh brought the tunes to life with his energetic performance and powerful voice. If only Yes had remembered to add a little pop rock to their art rock. This is a group with hits (on rock radio at the very least), but they mustn't have been in the mood to play them. While hard-core fans seemed to delight in the lengthy, odd selections, more casual Yes listeners likely left this show scratching their heads. Close Window YesInThePress.com For site comments, problems, corrections, or additions, contact YesinthePress@aol.com