SeanTGuitar

Monday, November 9, 2015 7:02 PM

I remember this show! In hindsight this is probably the best tour I saw from this lineup because they focused mostly on material that was centered around this particular group of players (save for new guy Jon D, who did great). This lineup went on to play most of the 70s catalog over the next three or four tours (with mixed results) but here is where they did the best, IMO. Not to say they didn't do justice to a few oldies on this night... America was a hilight for sure. Awaken on the other hand seemed a bit stilted. It took this lineup a few tours to get that one smooth and this was the first time they played it. The new stuff from Fly From Here in particular shined on this night. Seeing Yes sans Jon Anderson at first seemed like an interesting proposition. In 2008 it was great to hear some Drama tunes and on this tour the FFH material was enjoyable. After this point it was more of a curiosity seeing the tours where they played whole classic albums that were Wakmeman/Anderson heavy. Could they pull it off? How close could they get? It was amusing for a few years but it was quickly apparent that the cosmic mojo Anderson channeled that made Yes more than just a rock show left with him. You can nail the notes and all but that intangible "something extra" was AWOL. I have felt that Yes minus JA was still Yes but live it was a curiosity that was satisfied and grew weary after three or so tours. Only Jon's return could add spark and take it to a new level, and then... Chris died. Game over regardless. Thanks Yes, you gave us some amazing memories for 4 decades. More than most bands, RIP Chris!