Mission Improbable - They've survived countless changes of fashion, years of critical contempt, musical and personal differences de luxe. For legal reasons they can't even call themselves Yes. Yet Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman and Howe have re-formed and are once more delighting American audiences with their complex time signatures and cosmic visions. "We're on this beautiful search," they tell Phil Sutcliffe. "It can't end.."

"I'm a musician." He's Jon Anderson of Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman & Howe, just arrived at Rickey's Hyatt Hotel. Palo Alto, and making for the outdoor pool even before he's checked into his room.

I'm an artist." He leans forward, pointing assertively. "I'm 44, I'm half-way through my career and I'm still trying to discover the art of making good music that will last at lease, well.. longer than two months anyway." Losing track for a moment, he runs both hands through his mop of streaked hair. "So much music these days is computerized, sommuterised, satirized businesswised."

No questions have been asked thus far but, like an ace striker, the co-founder of Yes is showing sharp anticipation. "We have always gone for far-searching musical ideas. Sometimes they're a bit overblown - which is only natural because we don't know the way, we haven't been schooled and it can get a bit haywire, but 80 per cent of the time we're right on it, there's no question. Did you find those swimming trunks for me, mate?" he says to a passing roadie. Remarkably, Anderson still speaks - and sings - with an accent from Accrinton, Lance, where he grew up. In fact, he registers in American hotels as "Mr. Accrington Stanly".

Right, Jon. What...?

"And lyrically I'd say the same thing. It's a learning process. Becoming a poet lyricist, or whatever, that I tend to think I am, it takes time to bring that out, it takes maturity. So the lyrical content is occasionally a little bit over your head. But I know exactly what I mean. When I'm singing Heart Of The Sunrise (from Fragile, 1971) I know exactly what I'm talking about. "Love comes to you and you follow,' It's the spirit of love within and you follow that spirit of love, you dream it and you make it become a reality."

He stands up, drops hi track-wilt bottoms and slips his trunks on, content to let the tail of his T-shirt apologizes for an apparent lack of underwear.

"And 'the heart of the sunrise' is an incredible energy, but I tend to think there's a more unifying level, a more spiritual level, a more cosmic level to it and having actually found and witnessed one or two extra dimensions on this planet I know for a fact it ain't just a ball of fire so the heart of the sunrise is something that energizes the within of the beings which we are. We are all the same, we are human functional beings with a soul with is all one. You understand that. We call that God. You understand that." he insists. "I'm going to take a dip, I won't be five seconds."

He removes his shades and his top and says he'd prefer it if no pictures were taken. He looks very well but he carries the appropriate set of wrinkles and half a stone of flab over the waistband.

Emerging swiftly as promised, he stretches out on a lounger. "I should get a bit of sun. We're on TV tonight." He smiles. "All that was a sort of defense mechanism by the way. Don't question me about my lyrics! You know, Our music is what it is! It might not seem really cool for me to think of myself as an artist, some journalist might say. Who the fuck does he think he is? Well, they can say what they like about us, make-out we're aging money-grabbing, psychedelic dinosuaric, popflaho-hippo...Rock 'n' roll can't accept anyone 'pontificating". But I don't pontificate. I'm just on this beautiful search. It can't end, because there's the known, the unknown and the unknowable!" And it's a knowing grin he's grinning. He's enjoyed this. "That's life! Whoo!"

"If you never liked Yes, you

What's the story with Tony Levin? Tonight's Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe concert featured Jeff Berlin on bass, reading charts (written out music) for most of the show. I actually missed Tony more than I missed Chris Squire, although Jeff really shone in spots, notably "Heart of the Sunrise".

Set list was pretty similar to what others have posted. We didn't get "Yours is No Disgrace" (being played as a last encore at some shows). We also didn't get the Tony Levin/Bill Bruford duet (for obvious reasons).

It was a great show - well worth the bucks. The coolest thing was that they were really appearing to have a great time - especially Anderson and Wakeman. It was very nice to see, and quite encouraging that there might be a future for this group.

Those of you who don't know who Jeff Berlin is - he's got several fusion albums of his own, and played for a few years in Bill Bruford's band Bruford. He was also the bass player on Patrick Moraz' _i_. He's a great, great player, but he did appear to be somewhat unfamiliar with the material. My assumption is that Tony Levin is ill, and I'm guessing that he might have written out the bass charts - it often sounded like what Tony might play on the Yes material.