----------------------------------------------------- JULY 19, 2002 ----------------------------------------------------- Source: Denver Post http://www.denverpost.com/Stories/0,1413,36%7E78%7E739495,00.html?search=filter Yes brings its classic five-man lineup to CityLights show  By G. Brown Friday, July 19, 2002 - Emerson, Lake & Palmer and Genesis were peers in the early '70s, but Yes has been the dominant force in progressive rock music for more than three decades. The British band continues to operate as a recording and touring unit, having weathered a string of personnel changes. There have been so many comings and goings of various guitarists and keyboard players that even devotees sometimes find it hard to keep up. But the classic Yes lineup - with former member Rick Wakeman joining vocalist Jon Anderson, bassist Chris Squire, guitar virtuoso Steve Howe and drummer Alan White - will perform at CityLights Pavilion on Monday. "No orchestra, no parameters, just the five of us - which is the way it should be," Howe, 55, said recently. "Why has there been so much flux and transition over the years? I don't think it's that important to anybody outside the band. None of us are very good businessmen, I'll grant you that, and there's been a price to pay. But it's really about Yes music. "I was the very first change, Jon reminded me the other day. I replaced Peter Banks on guitar in 1970. He had played on the first two albums, "Yes' and "Time and a Word.' When I was invited to join the band, I was delighted. They encouraged me as a musician. They didn't get me in to strum along, they wanted input, and so I was able to contribute things like "Close To The Edge.' " Over the years, Yes has been ridiculed as pioneers of off-the-beam album concepts, cosmic lyrics and long, self-indulgent solos. But the standard of musicianship always has been high, and Wakeman and Howe's improvisational skills took Yes into realms of classical influence. "I don't mind these younger jam bands and their "noodling,' because songs have to start somewhere," Howe said. "But they don't seem to have any of the classical or jazz background to take it to the next level. "That's why it's great to have Rick back. He's the keyboardist you think of when you think of Yes. It's given us all a shot in the arm, an infusion of energy. There's something to be said about playing with the guys you came up with. All those years of paying your dues form a bond that never goes away, despite all of the other stuff. We all wanted to be around a long time, to be great." Howe was the chief producer of a new career-spanning 5-CD boxed set released Tuesday. "In A Word: Yes (1969- )" features 55 tracks, including "Roundabout," "Long Distance Runaround," "I've Seen All Good People," "Owner of a Lonely Heart" and six previously unreleased recordings. Also included is an 80-page booklet and new cover artwork from Roger Dean, who designed the Tolkien-inspired fantasy sleeves for a number of previous Yes albums. "I'm the guy who kept all the tapes," Howe said. "Guitarists think that way, I suppose - we're all about equipment and gear, and I have my own studio. So when anybody is looking for something, they come to me. My copy of "Tales of Topographic Oceans' was better than any master they could find." Close Window YesInThePress.com For site comments, problems, corrections, or additions, contact YesinthePress@aol.com