------------------------------------------------------- APRIL 21, 2004 ------------------------------------------------------- Source: Anaheim: Live Review http://www.livedaily.com/news/6409.html Yes at Arrowhead Pond in Anaheim, CA By Ben Van Houten April 21, 2004 10:13 AM - Judging from the scene inside Anaheim's Arrowhead Pond on Tuesday night (4/20), somebody forgot to tell veteran prog-rockers Yes (news) what year it was. The trippy visuals, synthesizer solos and smoke filling the auditorium made it look, sound and smell an awful lot like 1974. But the British art-rock pioneers recently embarked on their 35th Anniversary Tour to prove a point: that they're not dinosaurs, but rather a current, relevant band still capable of rocking arenas. Actually, their timing couldn't be better. With recent acts like Radiohead, A Perfect Circle and The Mars Volta revealing obvious 'progressive' influences, it could certainly be argued that Yes -- the godfathers of the genre -- needed to hit the road to show those bands how it's done, tricky time signatures and all. And over the course of nearly three hours, they mostly succeeded. Despite an overly dramatic, pretentious, orchestral introduction, the band came charging hard out of the gate with a rocking opener, 1977's "Going For The One," which featured a blistering steel-guitar solo by guitar legend Steve Howe. With larger-than-life bassist Chris Squire and rock-solid skinman Alan White locked in a tight groove behind him, it was quickly apparent that the band wasn't just out to play a nostalgic, sing-along set. One rarely performed track, 1972's "South Side of the Sky," even got an extended jam at the end that showcased the group's improvisational chops. Several hundred fans' jaws dropped visibly as Howe and keyboard wiz Rick Wakeman dueled back and forth for several minutes, leaving it up to the audience to decide who's boss (for the record, Wakeman took that round). The rest of the band was clearly energized by being on stage again. Sixty-year-old singer Jon Anderson, still sounding inexplicably like a choirboy, even took to jogging through the crowd to dance and high-five fans on "Rhythm of Love," the evening's lone nod to their '80s hit-making era. An "Unplugged" portion in the middle of the show was also a stroke of genius. The acoustic interlude saw laid-back, playful renditions of some of the band's poppier fare, such as the melodic ballad "Wonderous Stories" and the classic-rock radio staple, "Roundabout." The latter track got a jazzy reworking, with Wakeman tastefully tickling the ivories. Although Anderson jokingly dubbed it a "Vegas Holiday Inn lounge version," it actually sounded better than the overwrought original. And, of course, the band revisited some of its more symphonic, classical-leaning epics. "Mind Drive," a more recent, intense piece done in the traditional Yes manner of separate 'movements,' was so long, they chose to break it up into more palatable fragments, revisiting it twice during the first half of the show. The half-hour long "Ritual," however, was played straight through, synthesized drum solo and all. Although that number contains some of the group's more beautiful passages, it's also a good example of why the Sex Pistols' Johnny Lydon once sported an "I Hate Yes" T-shirt. A 10-minute drum circle? A drawn-out bass solo? Rock doesn't get much more pompous or excessive. Still, the fans ate it all up, showering the band with a standing ovation. The rest of the show wasn't all on target, either. The band brought along a relic from the past that should have definitely been left there: a surreal stage set designed by Roger Dean, who painted most of the band's sci-fi landscape album covers. Undulating, purple, wave-like shapes swished and swirled behind most of the 5-piece band, with three giant inflatables presumably added to evoke an oceanic aura. But the props looked like cheap and tacky blow-up toys, providing all the mystery and atmosphere of a "Finding Nemo"-themed children's birthday party. (This is the band, don't forget, that was the true-life inspiration for much of "This is Spinal Tap"). Still, it was the music that won out in the end. For a band that once recorded a four-part musical interpretation of some obscure Hindu scriptural reference, Yes certainly seem a lot more hard-rocking and fun these days. For an encore, they dusted off their little-known cover of the Beatles' chestnut, "Every Little Thing." The song encapsulated what's still so unique about the band: warm vocal harmonies, musical virtuosity, and a great sense of melody. Close Window YesInThePress.com For site comments, inquiries, corrections, or additions, contact yitp@yesservices.com