------------------------------------------------ SEPTEMBER 1, 2001 ------------------------------------------------ Source: Boston Herald  http://www.bostonherald.com/entertainment/music/yes09012001.htm Yes, they're pompous and progressive By Brett Milano  Yes, symphonic tour, at FleetBoston Pavilion, last night. No doubt about it, last night's Yes concert was pompous, excessive and pretentious. And those were just a few of its good points. Like most progressive-rock bands, Yes always sounded best when they weren't afraid to go over the top. (When they started playing it safe, the result was 80s pop hits like ``Owner of a Lonely Heart,'' notably missing last night). This year Yes are back to art-rock in all its glory. Not only did they play a full three hours of their longest and trickiest pieces, they played them with a 50-piece orchestra (all players are recruited locally in each tour city). Save for a few experiments in their very early days, it's the first time they've ever used one. Unlike their progressive brethren the Moody Blues, Yes didn't use the orchestra to make the sound smoother or lusher. Instead the arrangements heightened the drama, with the strings often used in stormy, Stravinsky-inspired settings. The arrangements worked best in the night's three 20-minute epics, ``Close to the Edge,'' ``Ritual'' and ``The Gates of Delirium.'' All three were already played on last summer's tour (the latter two for the first time in decades), but they were fully fleshed out last night. The war-and-peace themed ``Gates of Delirium'' in particular stands as one of art-rock's definitive pieces; even singer Jon Anderson called it wild and wacky in his introduction. During its central battle sequence, the orchestra made a mighty clatter behind Steve Howe's guitar. And the song resolved with an angelic vocal from Anderson, whose high range is still intact. Four-fifth's of the familiar 70s lineup was aboard last night, though keyboardist Rick Wakeman is still estranged from the band (his latest replacement, L.A. keyboardist Tom Brislin, at least proved able to duplicate Wakemans parts). Bassist Chris Squire proved the most fiery of the band's instrumentalists with a tasty solo on ``Ritual,'' though his black Spandex pants have got to go. Though the night drew heavily from the 70s, Yes introduced a pair of as-yet unreleased songs, ``Don't Go'' and ``In the Presence Of.'' Both were fairly straightforward and romantic, though the latter marks the first time they've ever come up with a sexually themed lyric. Close Window YesInThePress.com For site comments, problems, corrections, or additions, contact YesinthePress@aol.com