Potential spoilers, so once again there'll be many carriage returns between this introductory paragraph and the meat of the piece. What follows is the opening night set list from the In The Present tour, featuring Steve Howe/Alam White/Chris Squire of Yes, along with Oliver Wakeman and Benoit David.
Don't say I didn't warn you about the spoilers:
(spoiler space)
1st Set:
Firebird Suite
Siberian Khatru
I've Seen All Good People
Heart of the Sunrise
Tempus Fugit
Onward
Astral Traveller
Close To The Edge
2nd Set:
Parallels
And You and I
Mood For a Day
Clap
Owner of a Lonely Heart
Long Distance Runaround/The Fish
New Song by Chris- Aliens are Only Us From the Future
Machine Messiah
Soon
South Side of the Sky
Encore:
Roundabout
Showing posts with label Steve Howe. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Steve Howe. Show all posts
05 November 2008
03 October 2008
Thoughts on Richard Wright and Yes
A few brief thoughts…
I’ve gotten e-mails and comments elsewhere asking why I haven’t written about two particular topics that have been fairly heavily discussed in progressive music circles recently.
The first of these topics is the recent death of Pink Floyd keyboardist Richard Wright. My honest answer here is this; while his passing is of course sudden, and tragic, and pretty much puts the final nail in the Pink Floyd coffin (and oh how difficult it is to use that analogy here and now), I simply have no real emotional response. I am sad that he is gone, and that his musical voice has been silenced. His recent work with David Gilmour touring On An Island showed him to be happy, motivated and re-energised in playing and singing. “Wearing the Inside Out” on The Division Bell showed his songwriting voice to be back…not as whimsical as he was as a young man, perhaps the flip side of the young man playing in the summer that we saw in “Remember a Day.”
So yes, I am sad he is gone. But I have no other pithy, philosophical statements to make. I never saw PF live (had my chances in 1988/1989 and 1994, and passed due to show size and cost), and while I have the videos and albums, that’s as far as my connection goes. I was probably more upset over the passing of Roger Keith Barrett…not to belittle Richard Wright’s contributions to PF or his importance, but…it’s my position, and I am sticking to it.
The second subject is the “In The Present” tour with Steve Howe, Chris Squire, and Alan White of Yes, with Oliver Wakeman (son of Rick) and Benoit David replacing Jon Anderson. Jon has been very clear in expressing his opinion on the situation:
“And I feel very disrespected, having spent most of this year creating songs and constant ideas for the band, spending time with Roger Dean creating a stage design, also working with VH1 and Sirius and XM Radio to help promote the welfare of YES.”
There’s been thousands…perhaps tens of thousands…of words spent debating this subject on various mailing lists, forums, et cetera. And I am not sure what I can say or add to the discussion that in any way makes a difference…save for the fact that several people have, again, asked me why I haven’t written about it or expressed my viewpoint.
So here it is.
Yes has existed without Jon Anderson before (Drama). Yes has gone through more line-up changes than some major league baseball teams over their history…casting aside musicians without a thought when someone better or more appropriate (or more available) came along. Yes was incredibly active from 1996 through 2004, releasing 3 standalone studio albums (Open Your Eyes, The Ladder, Magnification), two mixed live/studio albums (Keys to Ascension I and II), 1 standalone live album (Live at the House of Blues), and several live DVDs. They toured heavily, every year almost, from 1997 through 2004, with the 2002-2004 tours not being in support of any new material. And none of the guys is getting any younger: Alan is the youngest of the White/Squire/Anderson/Howe quartet at 59…Jon is oldest at 63.
I understand the other three’s motivations for wanting to play out…this is the 40th anniversary of the band’s formation, and that is cause for celebration. For many people, Jon Anderson IS Yes…his voice is the one thing most people immediately recognise as being Yes. Touring without that voice, and his long, winding, easy to get lost in talks between songs, his dedications to Janeeee his wife, his pixie-ish persona, is like touring without a big part of what many people identify as Yes.
Personally, I almost prefer that Howe/Squire/White toured under a different name, similar to how Iommi/Butler/Appice/Dio tour as Heaven and Hell, not Black Sabbath (despite the fact that they are really Black Sabbath…or at least a line-up of Sabbath that had historical precedence). While some tour dates are being listed as Howe/Squire/White of Yes: In the Present, many dates are being advertised as simply Yes. Touring as Drama, or The Affirmatives, or anything else, might not have had the economic strength of touring as Yes, but would perhaps be more clear to casual fans that expect Jon Anderson, “Roundabout,” “I’ve Seen All Good People,” and “Owner of a Lonely Heart” that this is not necessarily Yes…even though it’s 3/5 of Yes, and playing Yes music. It would be fairer to Benoit David, who is being touted as not Jon Anderson’s replacement by Chris Squire (“This isn't an attempt to replace Jon Anderson, because as we all know, that would be impossible.”), and yet in the press has been called the new lead singer of Yes. And it may have gone a long way toward mollifying Jon Anderson, who currently feels disrespected as quoted above.
But this is Yes. And Yes has never been anything but a band filled with dissension, difficulty, occasional hostility, and various/sundry fractures and break-ups. It will be interesting to see how ticket sales go, how the tour goes, and what this means for future Yes activity.
I’ve gotten e-mails and comments elsewhere asking why I haven’t written about two particular topics that have been fairly heavily discussed in progressive music circles recently.
The first of these topics is the recent death of Pink Floyd keyboardist Richard Wright. My honest answer here is this; while his passing is of course sudden, and tragic, and pretty much puts the final nail in the Pink Floyd coffin (and oh how difficult it is to use that analogy here and now), I simply have no real emotional response. I am sad that he is gone, and that his musical voice has been silenced. His recent work with David Gilmour touring On An Island showed him to be happy, motivated and re-energised in playing and singing. “Wearing the Inside Out” on The Division Bell showed his songwriting voice to be back…not as whimsical as he was as a young man, perhaps the flip side of the young man playing in the summer that we saw in “Remember a Day.”
So yes, I am sad he is gone. But I have no other pithy, philosophical statements to make. I never saw PF live (had my chances in 1988/1989 and 1994, and passed due to show size and cost), and while I have the videos and albums, that’s as far as my connection goes. I was probably more upset over the passing of Roger Keith Barrett…not to belittle Richard Wright’s contributions to PF or his importance, but…it’s my position, and I am sticking to it.
The second subject is the “In The Present” tour with Steve Howe, Chris Squire, and Alan White of Yes, with Oliver Wakeman (son of Rick) and Benoit David replacing Jon Anderson. Jon has been very clear in expressing his opinion on the situation:
“And I feel very disrespected, having spent most of this year creating songs and constant ideas for the band, spending time with Roger Dean creating a stage design, also working with VH1 and Sirius and XM Radio to help promote the welfare of YES.”
There’s been thousands…perhaps tens of thousands…of words spent debating this subject on various mailing lists, forums, et cetera. And I am not sure what I can say or add to the discussion that in any way makes a difference…save for the fact that several people have, again, asked me why I haven’t written about it or expressed my viewpoint.
So here it is.
Yes has existed without Jon Anderson before (Drama). Yes has gone through more line-up changes than some major league baseball teams over their history…casting aside musicians without a thought when someone better or more appropriate (or more available) came along. Yes was incredibly active from 1996 through 2004, releasing 3 standalone studio albums (Open Your Eyes, The Ladder, Magnification), two mixed live/studio albums (Keys to Ascension I and II), 1 standalone live album (Live at the House of Blues), and several live DVDs. They toured heavily, every year almost, from 1997 through 2004, with the 2002-2004 tours not being in support of any new material. And none of the guys is getting any younger: Alan is the youngest of the White/Squire/Anderson/Howe quartet at 59…Jon is oldest at 63.
I understand the other three’s motivations for wanting to play out…this is the 40th anniversary of the band’s formation, and that is cause for celebration. For many people, Jon Anderson IS Yes…his voice is the one thing most people immediately recognise as being Yes. Touring without that voice, and his long, winding, easy to get lost in talks between songs, his dedications to Janeeee his wife, his pixie-ish persona, is like touring without a big part of what many people identify as Yes.
Personally, I almost prefer that Howe/Squire/White toured under a different name, similar to how Iommi/Butler/Appice/Dio tour as Heaven and Hell, not Black Sabbath (despite the fact that they are really Black Sabbath…or at least a line-up of Sabbath that had historical precedence). While some tour dates are being listed as Howe/Squire/White of Yes: In the Present, many dates are being advertised as simply Yes. Touring as Drama, or The Affirmatives, or anything else, might not have had the economic strength of touring as Yes, but would perhaps be more clear to casual fans that expect Jon Anderson, “Roundabout,” “I’ve Seen All Good People,” and “Owner of a Lonely Heart” that this is not necessarily Yes…even though it’s 3/5 of Yes, and playing Yes music. It would be fairer to Benoit David, who is being touted as not Jon Anderson’s replacement by Chris Squire (“This isn't an attempt to replace Jon Anderson, because as we all know, that would be impossible.”), and yet in the press has been called the new lead singer of Yes. And it may have gone a long way toward mollifying Jon Anderson, who currently feels disrespected as quoted above.
But this is Yes. And Yes has never been anything but a band filled with dissension, difficulty, occasional hostility, and various/sundry fractures and break-ups. It will be interesting to see how ticket sales go, how the tour goes, and what this means for future Yes activity.
04 February 2008
Update/news about Asia's new album (Wetton/Downes/Howe/Palmer)
(from Original Asia)
Frontiers Records, the Italian-based record label, announced today acclaimed British progressive rock group Asia, will release Phoenix, its first studio album since 1983. The new album, recorded by all four original members following singer/bassist John Wetton's emergency heart surgery last August, marks a return to the classic Asia sound, with some surprising contemporary twists.
“Everything that was there 25 years ago is still there, and quite simply if you liked it then, you'll love it now,” says Wetton. “It does exactly what it says on the tin.” “The recording has gone very well, especially since John is writing, singing and playing great,” adds guitarist Steve Howe. “I believe we've all found the team work creatively rewarding and we look forward to playing some new songs, on stage.”
Phoenix is a collection of songs that speak to the millions of core Asia fans who, like the group, have come a long way since the dawn of the MTV age in 1982. “We're older now, and our audience has grown up with us,” says drummer Carl Palmer. “I think the lyrical themes on this record are some of the best John has ever developed. One track in particular, 'Extraordinary Life,' is among the best tracks we've ever recorded, and I believe could go on to be another Asia classic.”
Phoenix has a very poignant underlying theme placed at the intersection of love, discovery and reflection, no doubt due, at least partly, to Wetton's unexpected serious health issues (which included open heart surgery), and forced the cancellation of Asia's 2007 West Coast North American tour and a sold-out tour of the United Kingdom. “It kind of knocked me sideways on another level,” said Wetton of his recent surgery and physical rehabilitation, in an interview with journalist Jeb Wright. “You tend to become very aware of your mortality and your vulnerability.”
“John is a survivor,” adds Asia keyboardist Geoff Downes. “He has proved that a few times, now. There was never any doubt in our minds that he would recover and be better than ever. We all look forward to hitting the road once again.” Adds Carl Palmer: “The last few years since we reunited have been a very natural process. The recording started and ended on a big high with the sense that Asia now was truly reborn and ready to move forward once again - onto the global stage where we all feel it justly belongs."
Coinciding with the release of Phoenix, Asia, will return to the stage for an extensive World Tour that kick off on March 1, 2008, in Falmouth, UK. It will be the first show by the band since Wetton was sidelined last August.
The four original members reunited in 2006, twenty-three years after all four had last played together. The much publicised reunion resulted in two highly successful world tours in 2006 and 2007; an acclaimed double live LP and DVD, (entitled FantAsia: Live In Tokyo); and an overwhelming response from fans and the media, which continues today. This will be the third world tour for the four accomplished musicians, whose debut album, Asia, was released 26 years ago in 1982, and remains one of only 4 albums in history to stay at the Billboard album chart position of #1 for a staggering nine weeks! Formed at the dawn of the MTV era, Asia was the first super group of the 1980s, featuring members from Yes, Emerson Lake & Palmer, King Crimson and The Buggles. Videos made for the band's first two albums, Asia and Alpha, were a staple part of the historic music channel's initial programming.
“1982 feels only like yesterday,” comments keyboardist Geoff Downes about the first time the original members of Asia made their landmark debut album. “Four guys in the studio, making music together - John, Steve, Carl and me. Fast forward to 2008. Once again, here we are. The same four guys doing the same things. Maybe we're all a bit older now, but nothing's really changed that much over the years - that's the beauty of Asia."
Continuing his thought, Downes is reflective on the creative success of the early albums: Fortunately for his fans, Wetton has recovered fully and his bandmates say he is singing and playing better than ever. “What we set out to achieve way back then- Timeless music that only sounds like the four who created it-, is what we attempted to bring to Phoenix. Still, it remains contemporary and refreshing to us all. Nothing more, nothing less. This is the Asia story, and it remains the same today - so listen on, and enjoy.”
Frontiers Records, the Italian-based record label, announced today acclaimed British progressive rock group Asia, will release Phoenix, its first studio album since 1983. The new album, recorded by all four original members following singer/bassist John Wetton's emergency heart surgery last August, marks a return to the classic Asia sound, with some surprising contemporary twists.
“Everything that was there 25 years ago is still there, and quite simply if you liked it then, you'll love it now,” says Wetton. “It does exactly what it says on the tin.” “The recording has gone very well, especially since John is writing, singing and playing great,” adds guitarist Steve Howe. “I believe we've all found the team work creatively rewarding and we look forward to playing some new songs, on stage.”
Phoenix is a collection of songs that speak to the millions of core Asia fans who, like the group, have come a long way since the dawn of the MTV age in 1982. “We're older now, and our audience has grown up with us,” says drummer Carl Palmer. “I think the lyrical themes on this record are some of the best John has ever developed. One track in particular, 'Extraordinary Life,' is among the best tracks we've ever recorded, and I believe could go on to be another Asia classic.”
Phoenix has a very poignant underlying theme placed at the intersection of love, discovery and reflection, no doubt due, at least partly, to Wetton's unexpected serious health issues (which included open heart surgery), and forced the cancellation of Asia's 2007 West Coast North American tour and a sold-out tour of the United Kingdom. “It kind of knocked me sideways on another level,” said Wetton of his recent surgery and physical rehabilitation, in an interview with journalist Jeb Wright. “You tend to become very aware of your mortality and your vulnerability.”
“John is a survivor,” adds Asia keyboardist Geoff Downes. “He has proved that a few times, now. There was never any doubt in our minds that he would recover and be better than ever. We all look forward to hitting the road once again.” Adds Carl Palmer: “The last few years since we reunited have been a very natural process. The recording started and ended on a big high with the sense that Asia now was truly reborn and ready to move forward once again - onto the global stage where we all feel it justly belongs."
Coinciding with the release of Phoenix, Asia, will return to the stage for an extensive World Tour that kick off on March 1, 2008, in Falmouth, UK. It will be the first show by the band since Wetton was sidelined last August.
The four original members reunited in 2006, twenty-three years after all four had last played together. The much publicised reunion resulted in two highly successful world tours in 2006 and 2007; an acclaimed double live LP and DVD, (entitled FantAsia: Live In Tokyo); and an overwhelming response from fans and the media, which continues today. This will be the third world tour for the four accomplished musicians, whose debut album, Asia, was released 26 years ago in 1982, and remains one of only 4 albums in history to stay at the Billboard album chart position of #1 for a staggering nine weeks! Formed at the dawn of the MTV era, Asia was the first super group of the 1980s, featuring members from Yes, Emerson Lake & Palmer, King Crimson and The Buggles. Videos made for the band's first two albums, Asia and Alpha, were a staple part of the historic music channel's initial programming.
“1982 feels only like yesterday,” comments keyboardist Geoff Downes about the first time the original members of Asia made their landmark debut album. “Four guys in the studio, making music together - John, Steve, Carl and me. Fast forward to 2008. Once again, here we are. The same four guys doing the same things. Maybe we're all a bit older now, but nothing's really changed that much over the years - that's the beauty of Asia."
Continuing his thought, Downes is reflective on the creative success of the early albums: Fortunately for his fans, Wetton has recovered fully and his bandmates say he is singing and playing better than ever. “What we set out to achieve way back then- Timeless music that only sounds like the four who created it-, is what we attempted to bring to Phoenix. Still, it remains contemporary and refreshing to us all. Nothing more, nothing less. This is the Asia story, and it remains the same today - so listen on, and enjoy.”
2008 Asia World Tour - United Kingdom
March 1 - Falmouth Pavilion
March 2 - Bournemouth BIC Pavilion
March 4 - Liverpool Academy
March 7 - Ebbw Vale Leisure Centre (Wales)
March 8 - Frome Cheese & Grain
March 9 - Wolverhampton Civic
March 11 - Nottingham Rock City
March 12 - Oxford Zodiac Club (Academy)
March 13 - Manchester Academy
March 16 - London Shepherds Bush
March 18 - Newcastle Academy
March 19 - Glasgow Academy (Scotland)
March 20 - Perth Concert Halls (Scotland)
North America
April 4 Wilkes Barre, PA - Kirby PAC
April 5 Uncasville, CT - Mohegan Sun Casino Wolf Den
April 7 Harrisburg, PA - Sunoco Performance Theater
April 8 Alexandria, VA - The Birchmere
April 10 Collingswood, NJ - Scottish Rite Auditorium
April 12 Westbury, NY - North Fork Theatre
April 13 Peekskill, NY - Paramount Center For The Arts
April 15 Verona, NY - Turning Stone Resort & Casino
April 16 Red Bank, NJ - Count Basie Theatre
April 17 Englewood, NJ - Bergen Performing Arts Center
April 19 Cleveland, OH - House of Blues
April 20 Chicago, IL - House of Blues
April 21 Indianapolis, IN - Music Mill
April 23 Milwaukee, WI - Pabst Theater
April 26 Marksville, LA - Paragon Casino
April 27 Dallas, TX - House of Blues
April 29 Espanola NM - Big Rock Casino
April 30 Phoenix, AZ - Celebrity Theatre
May 2 Agoura Hills, CA - Canyon Club
May 3 Las Vegas, NV - House of Blues
May 4 San Juan Capistrano, CA - The Coach House
May 5 San Francisco, CA - Grand Ballroom @ The Regency Center
Japan
May 8 Fukuoka, Japan - Shimin Kaikan
May 9 Osaka, Japan - Koseinenkin Kaikan
May 11 Nagoya, Japan - Shimin Kaikan
May 12 Tokyo, Japan - International Forum
Europe
May 17 - Santana 27 - Bilbao, Spain
May 18 - Hall de Martigues - Martigues, France
May 19 - Luz de Gas - Barcelona, Spain
May 21 - Lisbon Coliseu - Lisbon, Portugal
May 22 - Joy Eslava - Madrid, Spain
May 24 - Tenerife Auditorium - Tenerife, Canary Islands
May 26 - Zenith- Lille, France
May 27 - O-13 - Tilburg, The Netherlands
May 29 - Prumyslovy Palac – Vystaviste - Prague, Czech Republic
May 30 - Petofi Hall - Budapest, Hungary
May 31 - Divadlo Arena - Bratislava, Slovakia
More Dates To Be Announced. For all things Asia please visit: www.originalasia.com.
March 2 - Bournemouth BIC Pavilion
March 4 - Liverpool Academy
March 7 - Ebbw Vale Leisure Centre (Wales)
March 8 - Frome Cheese & Grain
March 9 - Wolverhampton Civic
March 11 - Nottingham Rock City
March 12 - Oxford Zodiac Club (Academy)
March 13 - Manchester Academy
March 16 - London Shepherds Bush
March 18 - Newcastle Academy
March 19 - Glasgow Academy (Scotland)
March 20 - Perth Concert Halls (Scotland)
North America
April 4 Wilkes Barre, PA - Kirby PAC
April 5 Uncasville, CT - Mohegan Sun Casino Wolf Den
April 7 Harrisburg, PA - Sunoco Performance Theater
April 8 Alexandria, VA - The Birchmere
April 10 Collingswood, NJ - Scottish Rite Auditorium
April 12 Westbury, NY - North Fork Theatre
April 13 Peekskill, NY - Paramount Center For The Arts
April 15 Verona, NY - Turning Stone Resort & Casino
April 16 Red Bank, NJ - Count Basie Theatre
April 17 Englewood, NJ - Bergen Performing Arts Center
April 19 Cleveland, OH - House of Blues
April 20 Chicago, IL - House of Blues
April 21 Indianapolis, IN - Music Mill
April 23 Milwaukee, WI - Pabst Theater
April 26 Marksville, LA - Paragon Casino
April 27 Dallas, TX - House of Blues
April 29 Espanola NM - Big Rock Casino
April 30 Phoenix, AZ - Celebrity Theatre
May 2 Agoura Hills, CA - Canyon Club
May 3 Las Vegas, NV - House of Blues
May 4 San Juan Capistrano, CA - The Coach House
May 5 San Francisco, CA - Grand Ballroom @ The Regency Center
Japan
May 8 Fukuoka, Japan - Shimin Kaikan
May 9 Osaka, Japan - Koseinenkin Kaikan
May 11 Nagoya, Japan - Shimin Kaikan
May 12 Tokyo, Japan - International Forum
Europe
May 17 - Santana 27 - Bilbao, Spain
May 18 - Hall de Martigues - Martigues, France
May 19 - Luz de Gas - Barcelona, Spain
May 21 - Lisbon Coliseu - Lisbon, Portugal
May 22 - Joy Eslava - Madrid, Spain
May 24 - Tenerife Auditorium - Tenerife, Canary Islands
May 26 - Zenith- Lille, France
May 27 - O-13 - Tilburg, The Netherlands
May 29 - Prumyslovy Palac – Vystaviste - Prague, Czech Republic
May 30 - Petofi Hall - Budapest, Hungary
May 31 - Divadlo Arena - Bratislava, Slovakia
More Dates To Be Announced. For all things Asia please visit: www.originalasia.com.
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