John Huebner

Yes Forges Flawless Rock
The Flat Hat
By Dan Conkley
Flat Hat Reviewer

I have one question for Alvin Lee [Ten Years After], "How do you sleep at night?"

In the latest of the William and Mary Memorial Hall concert series, Yes and Ten Years After gave Williamsburg's nuble an amazing two-sided show.

Yes started the evening with a set of truly fine rock music. Using well-arranged three part vocal harmony and tightly constructed instrumental playing they gave one of the best performance of rock music I have ever heard.

Although I was not over-whelmed by all of their compositions, they wrote some excellent songs and played them with a vitality and technical accuracy rarely heard by rock audiences.

Steve Howe is as fine a guitarist as you could hope to hear. All through the set he played absolutely perfect electric guitar, both as back-up and in solid work. His peak came on an acoustic number he wrote called "The Clap," which features some fine country rock picking with a touch of "Classical Gas."

Tony Kaye [sic Rick Wakeman] on electric piano organ and synthesizer did some nice bizarre experimental work in two hypnotic solos. On the songs he and Howe sped through some mind warping runs together with the guitar acting as echo for the electric piano.

On bass was Chris (hands-like-a-vise) Squire, who played a solo that would put most lead guitar players to shame. John Anderson did a fine job on vocals and wrote most of the songs, while Bill Bruford was a usually tasteful drummer.