Several various updates (Yes, NEARfest Records)

YES:

This has been circulating some, but for the benefit of anyone who may not yet have seen it, the following was published by Billboard:

Even as it prepares for its 40th anniversary tour this summer, Yes is working on new material, frontman Jon Anderson has revealed to Billboard.

Anderson says the progressive rock heroes are preparing four new songs of the "opus" variety -- lengthy, multi-movement compositions along the lines of Close to the Edge and Tales From Topographic Oceans.

"They're very, very different," Anderson says. "It'll be interesting when we perform them, because we know that we want to try and perform them in a unique fashion."

But Anderson adds that he's not sure those songs will wind up comprising Yes' first set of new material since 2001's Magnification. "Putting together an album really isn't logical anymore," he notes. "Putting together a large piece of music or something that is really a jump in a musical direction takes a lot of commitment from everybody.... But maybe during the tour we will discuss making some new music."

Anderson says he'd also be amenable to some sort of reunion of the Yes lineup that made the group's triple-platinum 1983 smash 90125 as well as 1987's Big Generator and 1994's Talk. He and Trevor Rabin, the guitarist and co-producer in that incarnation of the band, have been in discussions about "maybe touring some of that '80s-period music, because it was very special." But Anderson says he and Rabin aren't necessarily thinking about resurrecting that version of Yes as a recording entity. "I wouldn't do it, like, Yes," Anderson explains. "I'd do it like me and Trevor aspiring to be the two of us making music and see what we come up with.

The Yes anniversary tour kicks off July 12 at the Festival d'ete de Quebec in Quebec City.



NEARfest Records:

Chad Hutchinson posted the following at ProgressiveEars regarding future releases:

2006 (DVD) is next on the plan, but time permits too much being done at that moment. I'll have plenty of time in my "retirement" to focus on it.

A 2007 DVD is a different animal as neither headliner allowed recording of any kind. We're not sure of the wide-spread appeal of a product from '07 without Magma and Hawkwind on it. Another option though, is to do a combo '06-'07 DVD. We'll see. It depends on the response from '06 bands for the most part, especially Mr. (Keith) Emerson.

2008 is in progress. In theory, I think they'll all agree to it. Recording agreements for both audio and video will be sent out in the next week or so.

My focus, NFR-wise, right now is to get the live PRR (Pure Reason Revolution) CD designed and manufactured in time for NFX. Gonna be tight!