Simon Barrow

Sunday, June 1, 2014 5:36 PM

I thought I would only be able to get to two of the UK shows on the European leg of this tour, so it was wonderful to be able to nab a ticket for City Hall Sheffield at virtually the last minute, thanks to a work commitment in the area. Inter alia, I should mention that these concerts have been mostly pretty full, with several sell-outs. The enthusiasm for and from Yes is clearly still there in these islands and well beyond.

Having viewed the concert from the front circle and front stalls in Southend and Glasgow respectively, this time I found myself in the middle stalls, not far from the mixing desk. The sound was perhaps the best of the three nights overall, and the person in front of me was quite short, so I had a great view in spite of the lack of elevation in the seating.

Yes put on another great concert this evening. The passion is still there, combined with the wisdom that comes with age. As I have remarked before, Jon Davison gives this line-up a surety, presence and vitality which they lacked in the Benoit David era. He is not trying to be an Anderson substitute, though he looks eerily like the original front man from circa 1976. His range and phrasing are remarkable in their own right. Davison certainly deserves his own place in Yes history, and hopefully the forthcoming album, Heaven & Earth, will provide that. I am really looking forward to hear what the band have come up with.

It is always a little difficult to compare, but tonight’s were among the best renditions of the three pieces from Close to the Edge that I heard on this tour. ‘Perpetual Change’, which I love, was also barnstorming in the second half of the show. Thanks to a couple of young friends I managed to get a snap of myself at the side of the stage at the beginning of the concert, and it was good to see some familiar faces, including Pam Bayes of the Steve Howe Appreciation Society.

It was particularly pleasing to have a programme for this tour once again. They have been sorely missed in recent years.

In conclusion, another really good Yes concert and memory from 2014. I would never have guessed when I first fell for the band nearly 40 years ago that I would still be able to see them live today. This was, I believe, my 72nd concert across two continents and four nations. What a privilege. I hope there will be a few more before the grand Yesshow comes to an end.

Paul

Thursday, May 8, 2014 4:41 AM

What can I say about any Yes show which starts with CTTE, steamrollers on through GFTO and makes a grand exit via TYA and Roundabout? Just brilliant. Jon really can sing Yes music, and seems to keep to the original tune rather than going off-piste like JA is wont to do. Geoff Downes really seems to have integrated well.

The visuals are at best superfluous, except for band close-ups. Yes are delivering the meaning and emotion as well as the notes, I was moved by Turn of the Century and a magnificent Awaken, it just seems odd that this wasn't the climactic show closer.

I was wondering if Yes had reached the end of the road - this concert proved to me that there are many miles left in the tank yet.