What does it sound like?:
Oh, bloody joy! What a glorious noise.
This is a live album from 2023’s American tour with The Band Geeks, recorded in St. Charles Illinois in the August. The tour was to celebrate the upcoming release of their wonderful album, True, and was, by all accounts, a triumph. On this evidence, that is the understatement of the century.
Jon Anderson is a force of nature; he was two months short of his 79th birthday at the time of this recording; and his sheer joy at singing these songs, with these musicians, roars out of the speakers at you. So, what do get?
It’s a Yes Greatest Hits setlist, as it should be, so they crash in with Yours is No Disgrace and Perpetual Change from The Yes Album before the glory of Close to the Edge. Then comes Heart of the Sunrise, Starship Trooper, Awaken and And You And I. Next comes Your Move/I’ve Seen All Good People and Gates of Delerium before the obligatory, (but perpetually exciting,) closer, Roundabout.
The musicianship is fantastic. You get to hear 5 musicians who have been practising their whole lives to play with their hero, never thinking for a moment that it might happen. The sheer elation of playing these songs shines through and I have to pick two of the players in particular; Andy Ascolese on drums is a powerhouse without being in the least bit muscular or overbearing. I have to declare an interest here: I think Bill Bruford, from The Yes Album to CTTE, was as close to a genius as you can get. Alan White, Bruford’s successor, was much more straightforward but still had light touches.
Ascolese takes the best of Bill and Alan White and mixes them in with a brilliant -sounding kit and produces a tour de force performance. Add in the secret ingedredient of Richie Castellano on bass, a complete reincarnation of Chris Squire’s sound, and you have the basis for a really special sauce. And it’s bloody delicious.
However, it is Andy Graziano on guitar who steals the show.
I haven’t missed a Yes tour in a decade which means I have seen the slight slowing, (understandably so,) of Steve Howe’s playing. It has taken the urgency and some of the energy out of the performances; not every time, sure; I saw them deliver a fantastic performance of the Close to the Edge album at the Royal Albert Hall a few years ago, for instance; but there is a noticeable drag in his solos, as if he’s waiting for his fingers to catch up with his brain. Graziano is everything that Howe was when he commanded the band in the ’70’s; an absolute monster, aggressive, energetic and driving the band behind him.
Anderson has not sounded happier since; well, since I saw him sing with the bunch of American kids from Paul Green’s Rock Academy at the Shepherds Bush Empire in July 2023. That night was everything that a modern Yes gig is not; joyful, fun, exciting and passionate; so is this.
If you’re a classic Yes fan, this is an absolutely essential buy.
What does it all *mean*?
It means that this band needs to come to Europe as soon as bloody possible.
Goes well with…
A kaftan, an ex-army greatcoat and a bunch of joss sticks.
Release Date:
14th March 2025
Might suit people who like…
Classic Yes.
Your enthusiasm is intoxicating: makes me want to turn my comb-over into a centre parting, and replace my fleece with a tie dyed t-shirt.
I’d type faster, but my fingers are bleeding from sewing huge triangles into the side seams of the legs on my jeans.
Can you do that into a pair of “Foster’s menswear” slacks?
Jon Anderson sounds like Yes. Jon Anderson with Todmobile sounds like Yes. Jon Anderson with the Band Geeks sounds like Yes. Even Jon Anderson with a bunch of school kids can sound like Yes. I love Steve Howe, but I wish he would take Steve Hackett’s approach and tour as himself, doing themed Yes shows even with his current ‘Yes’ lineup. I’d be more inclined to go.
Better still, it’s the 35th anniversary of ABWH and they’re all still alive. What a marvellous opportunity to bury the hatchet without anyone losing face. That would be a Wembley filler I would not want to miss.
Otherwise, if the Jon and the Band Geeks tour over here, sign me up.
I saw the AWBH tour in edinburgh and london wembley in 1989; they didn’t fill Wembley on the night I went.
My first big gig. While it was great to see the classics, the sound put me off arenas for life. Would love to see Jon and the Geeks at Hammersmith.
I was at the ABWH one too. If Geeks happens, let’s plan a mingle
I think we need a section devoted to Yes (or what’s left of them) on this website 😉
Absolutely loving this album
They absolutely nail it. I don’t think Yes every played the song this well.
Oh yes, they did – but it was about 50 years ago!
I’ve been enjoying the Progeny live albums on Apple Music actually, and it’s interesting to hear how much energy they put into the songs. Steve Howe in particular seems like he’s off the leash.
Wow! I used to like to play that little harmonic driven intro from Steve Howe, then I’d get to the three chord chug and run out of steam. That performance had me grinning from ear to ear – can’t wait for my copy of the album to arrive. AWESOME
I never realised that Gordon Ramsay played the fucking drums.
I had a delicious blue paisley shirt I wore to the school dance in 1969, when I was almost 12. These days I’d need 3 or 4 of them stitched together into one shirt.