Sherwood, his playing is actually kind of on fire throughout The Quest.) Luckily, three of the best songs on the album arrive next and all is right in the world again. Sadly, the worst song here – the plodding Sherwood-penned “Minus The Man” – ruins the momentum. It’s a great track.) Next up is the weirdly orchestrated “Dare To Know” and it could have been taken straight off 2001’s excellent Magnification. It was yet another misstep from a band that knows a thing or two about making career-threatening mistakes (although this was a mild tempest it definitely cast a pall on the first single. The album sounds fresh and alive yet still retaining enough of the classic Yes sound to satisfy even the most jaded of fans (yeah, that’s me.) The opener, “The Ice Bridge” arrived with a writing controversy that was settled amicably by adding Francis Monkman (Curved Air, Sky) to the credits. I was concerned when I first heard that this was going to be a Steve Howe joint through and through but he deftly handles this material in a way only someone intimately familiar with Yes could. Is this Yes? Sure, why not?! But can these guys defy the odds and drop a record worth hearing? After the humiliatingly bad job done by Roy Thomas Baker (Queen, The Cars) on their last record, Howe decided to take the production reins himself. I use the quotation marks as Sherwood’s involvement with Yes dates back to 1994 when he was a touring member. So who is in Yes nowadays? Guitarist Steve Howe is joined by Alan White on drums (the longest serving Yesman, replacing Bill Bruford in 1972), Geoff Downes (Asia, The Buggles), Jon Davison on vocals and “newcomer” Billy Sherwood replacing Squire. It is also without Jon Anderson or Rick Wakeman. So how do the progressive rock warriors fare in 2021? Let’s dive in.įirst things first: this is the first Yes album without founding member and monster bass player Chris Squire. There have also been some late career Prog gems (see 1999’s The Ladder for evidence.) Now on their 22nd album (depending how you count certain releases) Steve Howe and company attempt to right the ship after the less-than-stellar Heaven & Earth.

There was 80’s Yes without Steve Howe that blended their earlier progressive sounds with newer, more commercial songwriting. Although their output in that decade was unimpeachable, it’s been a bumpy ride ever since with a real mixed bag of releases.

They have also been my favorite band since the first time I heard “Roundabout” on the radio as a child in the seventies.

Throughout their 52 years as a band there have been numerous lineup changes, lawsuits, multiple bands calling themselves Yes touring at the same time – multiple times Yes is a disaster. They are, by turns, confounding and astounding – often at the same time. There are few bands that generate the kind of emotions from audiences that Yes can.

Rick wakeman beyond the planets rar