Prog Critics' Choice

With the end of the year approaching, it's a traditional time for retrospectives and awards. Prog begins with their Critics' Choice, a top 20 chosen by 22 writers and editors at the magazine. Anathema's Weather Systems comes top, followed by Rush's Clockwork Angels and Marillion's Sounds That Can't be Made. No Yesmen are in the top 20, but Adam Wakeman's band Headspace make #19 with their debut album, I am Anonymous.

Prog also gives the 22 individual responses. Producers' Made in Basing Street (with Horn and Downes) makes four lists, including topping one. Squakett's A Life Within a Day is on six lists; Asia's XXX is on three lists. Trevor Rabin's Jacaranda, Glass Hammer's Perilous and Nektar's A Spoonful of Time appear once each.

In the reissue category, Larks' Tongues in Aspic comes second, with King Crimson's Live in Argentina 1994 comes fifth in the multimedia category.

Poll: Best Yes-related album of first half of 2012

Our latest 6-monthly poll of the best Yes-related album releases attracted 126 votes.

1. Squackett: A Life Within a Day (w/ Squire): 46 (37%)
2. Trevor Rabin: Jacaranda: 39 (31%)
3. Asia: XXX (w/ Howe, Downes): 24 (19%)
4. Producers: Made in Basing Street (w/ Horn, Downes): 11 (9%)
5= Tales from the Edge: A Tribute to the Music of Yes (w/ Davison): 2 (2%)
5= King Crimson: Live in Toronto, June 24, 1974 (w/ Bruford): 2 (2%)
7= Sonic Elements: XYZ—A Tribute to Rush (w/ Sherwood): 1 (1%)
7= King Friday: Let the Song Begin (w/ O Wakeman): 1 (1%)

It was a bumper period for major Yes-related releases. The clear winner was the much-anticipated and long-awaited Squackett collaboration. Major Chris Squire projects outside Yes are a rare thing and the team-up with former Genesis/GTR guitarist Steve Hackett proved irresistible. It's unfortunate that plans for a Squackett tour this year have evaporated.

Until a late surge for Squackett, Jacaranda was very close. While Rabin's film music output has been prodigious, his non-score work has been limited to just a handful of guest appearances over the 18 years since Talk, so Jacaranda was perhaps even more anticipated and awaited than Squackett. I've reviewed the album previously and interviewed Rabin about it recently.

Completing a triumvirate of projects that took their time about being released was Producers' Made in Basing Street. The band has been going since 2006 and much of the album was written and recorded in December 2006 and January 2007. For Yes fans, the album is most notable for seeing Horn taking on the lead vocal role for parts of the album, with a series of poignant songs about his wife's accident.

But Made in Basing Street only made 4th, beaten by Asia's XXX. In comparison to Made in Basing Street, Jacaranda and A Life Within a Day, XXX was a rapid project and the third album from the reunion band in fairly quick succession.

There were no votes for Marco Sabiu's Audio Ergo Sum (with Anderson guesting on one song), Icon's Heat of the Rising Sun, Estelle's All of Me (minor Horn production input), Jay Tausig's Pisces (Sherwood guests on one track) or the two Patrick Moraz releases, Pianissimoraz and Live at Abbey Road.

Anderson's PR machine made much fuss about the Sabiu album and Anderson's talked about making a full album with him, although it's unclear whether that will actually happen.

Moraz' Pianissimoraz attracted much anger from fans: although billed as a new album, it actually only contains one new piece, otherwise being a compilation from Windows of Time and ESP, plus one track from Resonance.

The second half of the year sees no less than six guest star-laden releases from Cleopatra Records (five with Billy Sherwood) going up against major releases from the most recent two Yes vocalists (Davison and David) and possibly one from the guy before.

[Edit: corrected vote totals.]

Interview with Trevor Rabin

This interview was conducted by e-mail in July 2012 and my thanks to Trevor. We focus on Trevor's recent solo release, Jacaranda, later in the interview, but we start with some broader questions, looking across Trevor's long career, from commercial success with Rabbitt in South Africa, to his time in Yes, and writing film scores.

If the questions seem a bit odd(!), I was asked specifically for questions away from the usual, so I took this opportunity to quiz Trevor about a variety of topics from some unusual angles. To improve readability, I have re-arranged the order of questions and done a bit of editing.

Henry: You went from being this huge success with Rabbitt in South Africa to coming to the UK and a less commercially successful solo career, and then back to huge audiences with Yes. What was that journey like for your self-esteem? Do the periods of big success carry you through the other times, or do they just make you more frustrated when every album doesn’t sell as well? Do you think of the fans of different parts of your musical life – Rabbitt, Yes, film scores – as being separate groups, or are you keen to pull them along with you as your work evolves?

Trevor: Without sounding too philosophical, I feel like each different endeavor is like stopping in at an address and then moving on to the next one. Some addresses are nicer than others. But I feel that one cannot plan too much… you have to go with it, and as long as the music is really the focus, I don't think there's much more you can plan.

South Africa has obviously been through substantial change since you left. It has a whole new spirit and approach. Some South Africans who left during apartheid have since moved back to the country. Is that something you considered? Does that new spirit in the country reach to you as an expat?

Yeah, I have family there and it still has a big place in my heart, but I'm an American now and am proud of it.

Rabbitt’s breakthrough was a Jethro Tull cover. Were you aware of the British prog scene at the time? Did you ever listen to Yes, oblivious to the fact you would one day join the band?

"Locomotive Breath" was recommended by the record company. My awareness of YES when I was in RABBITT, was hearing Six Wives of Henry the Eighth which I loved a lot.

 

You did your national service in South Africa in the army’s entertainment division: what was that like, being so young, being politically opposed to apartheid?

It was leave the country (which I was not ready for), go to jail (ugh) or go to the army. I spent a year in the entertainment unit. I played in the big band, had a rock band, and spent the rest of my time practicing the guitar and piano. It was invaluable. So in retrospect, I never shot anybody and improved myself.

You’ve now lived many years in the US, but you also had that period in your life when you lived in the UK. Is there anything you miss about the UK?

I really do miss London, it was a great time for me.

In the late 1970s, you did a tour opening for Steve Hillage, I believe. I wondered what you recalled of that period? Had Hillage chosen you as his opener, or was that something the record company put together?

Not sure who suggested me for the tour. But Steve Hillage was a pure gentleman.

The late 1970s also brought us Disco Rock Machine, your brief foray into disco. [Disco Rock Machine was the band name used for releases in 1978-9, produced, co-written and co-performed by Rabin. Several songs are on YouTube: I like this cover of The Kinks' "You Really Got Me".]

I had started a record company when I moved to London called Blue Chip Music, and Disco Rock Machine was done to sell. Creatively my solo albums was really my focus. Ironically Disco Rock Machine sold more.

Rick Wakeman tells the story about a planned supergroup Geffen was trying to put together in 1980 with him, John Wetton, Carl Palmer and you. Do you have any memories of this?

I remember this well. Carl Palmer, John Wetton and I had a dinner at Brian Lane’s house with David Geffen, and Rick unfortunately missed his plane. It was an interesting dinner.

It seems to have been a long journey from your original solo demos to the eventual release of 90125 as a Yes album. Several songs got abandoned along the way (e.g., "Make It Easy", "It’s Over", "Time"), there were several line-up changes. Was that a difficult journey or did it feel right? Did you weep over each song that didn’t make it to the final cut, or was that a sensible pruning process? When Jon Anderson joined the band, it became a Yes reunion. You’ve often said you never wanted the Yes name, but do you think you ended up making a better album with Anderson than without? It’s the 30th anniversary of 90125 next year. Any plans for some special re-release with alternate and demo versions, along the lines of the Pink Floyd Experience editions? Between your earliest demos and the Cinema versions, there must be enough for a triple CD at least!

I mentioned on my website that I'm not a fan of compilations. I never liked the idea of 90125 with extra tracks. By all means release the early tracks. I did with 90124 [a collection of demos, mostly related to 90125, put out in 2003: see the Yescography entry], which I thought might be interesting. Actually it was Rob [Ayling] from Voiceprint who came up with the idea. But I feel 90125 should remain as it began. As far as tracks not making the album, one must keep in mind that I was involved in this process, so I agreed on the choices, and all demos that lead to being on albums would change whether it was YES or anyone. Having said this, it was a very creative place. And Chris and I had a great time, followed by Jon’s amazing contribution. Love to see something done for the (wow) 30th anniversary.

Sometime in the late 1980s or early 1990s, you are rumoured to have recorded a whole album with Roger Hodgson, with the other Yesmen too. What happened? Will this ever surface?

Roger and I wrote a lot together and we recorded a lot of it, but it never surfaced. We have taken such different roads now, I doubt whether it will see the light of day.

In the late 1980s, you, Chris Squire and the others tried continuing Yes without Jon Anderson, but ultimately there was the Union. Having faced that challenge yourself, what do you think of your old band mates now continuing Yes without Jon?

I love Chris like a brother and wish only the best for him. But I think Jon is such an important part of YES, and it's not just the sound. It's the input and perspective that Jon brings. It sometimes is tough, but it's so worth it.

And, giving you’re working with Jon and Rick, but you’ve also guested with the current Yes, do you find it difficult being caught in the middle of this schism?

I do believe that Jon and Chris are mature about the split, and neither one ever talks ill of the other to me.

Many rock stars lived on the edge: drugs, broken marriages and financial disasters are familiar elements of many rock biographies, and affected even Yes. You seem to have escaped comparatively unscathed: what’s your secret?

I'm not sure why I remained relatively sane... Maybe I'm the crazy one.

You’ve talked about an Anderson-Wakeman-Rabin project. Such a project is going to be seen in the context of Yes, it will be seen as an alternate Yes, any publicity will be all about Yes. Is that a fear? How do you position yourselves?

While Jon, Rick and I are excited about the prospect of doing something together nothing is organized yet and there’s no telling when or how something will be done. We really want to. Time is the enemy at the moment.

When you are working on a film score, you are often working to a tight deadline and various requirements from the filmmakers. Do those constraints fire up your creativity, or does it become a chore? And how does that compare to Jacaranda, where you had complete freedom to do anything you wanted?

I love film partly because of the pressure. You have no choice but to work. I think while Jacaranda was given a long time to evolve, it somehow was benefited by the years of scoring.

Your scoring covers many styles and genres. When you are scoring a film set in some different place (as with "5 Days of War") or time ("American Outlaws", "Flyboys"), do you actively go and research the music of that period or place? Did you investigate, say, Georgian music?

With the help of the producers, who were Georgian, I did explore the music of Georgia prior to getting too deeply involved, and it was inspiring. And yes, I love the fact that I get to go to so many places.

Your film work is heard by millions, but as a film score composer, you are comparatively anonymous compared to the screaming fans of Rabbitt or Yes, underwear being thrown, that sort of thing. How does that difference in the feedback you get from audiences affect you?

I guess to be honest, I would love more people to actively listen to the score work, although I have to say, Varese have done a great job doing the score albums. I also think Sony did a great job on the score album for Armageddon (where I worked with my old friend John Kalodner).

In a time of global austerity, with many politicians looking inward with a nationalist agenda, do you feel you have something to say musically in response? As a lyricist, you often wrote with a political message. As a film score composer, you can't do that, although you have scored several films with a political message, and I recall you being pleased when Obama used "Titans Spirit" after a key speech. Is there a way that you can, as an instrumentalist, respond to the political issues of the day?

I am very proud of some of my lyrics. Sorrow, Can't Look Away, State of Fear ([1973 single by South African band] Freedom's Children) speaking about apartheid, or Miracle of Life, about the human abuse of animals. However, I'm a musician first, and while I care deeply about the social political state of the world, and the needless conflicts, I tend to confine my commentary to lyrics. As far as the global picture, it seems to be cyclical. Deep financial downturns seem to be followed closely by nationalism, racism, and ultimately revolution. I love doing films which I feel have a strong message, although doing fun action films are as valid in an entirely different way.

You have been through many technological changes in how music is made during your career. How often have you adapted your working practices to suit the technology, and how much has the technology adapted to suit your working practices?

I feel technology is something that's always excited me ... I'm always looking to see what's on the horizon. The Talk album was quite tough however. I think I embraced a nonlinear digital format slightly before it was ready. But I think on balance, it was a net benefit.

There have been persistent rumours that not all of the bass and drums on Talk was by Chris Squire and Alan White. Any comment?

It was a totally new experience from a recording point... Alan and Chris had strong input, but I believe it was the most fun Jon and I had together.

I can turn on my computer, start up Spotify and legally listen to most of your Yes albums, numerous score albums etc., and you get paid very little. All of Jacaranda appeared illicitly on YouTube soon after its release. What is it like for a musician working in this modern digital world?

Yeah, I'm disappointed with the current level of "the business of selling music". Outside of a reasonable live environment, which is there for a small percentage of acts ... recorded material is in a disgraceful mess... and I really say this not for myself, I've done OK. But for new, inspired talent, it really, really worries me. I hope it doesn't lead to young talent choosing to do something else because of the near collapse of the record business. I just hope people continue to follow their musical dreams. It's important.

You are supporting Ryan as he launches his career, and you were supported by your father when you started yours. But isn’t rock’n’roll about sex ‘n’ drugs ‘n’ youthful rebellion? Does that fit with dad coming along on tour?

I always was a bit irritated with the shallow chant... “sex, drugs & rock’n’roll”. While that's what does happen on the road, it was never ever why I'm a musician.

In the words of Steve Howe’s drumming son, Dylan, do people come up to Ryan and ask, “How’s your dad?” How does Ryan define himself as being more than “Trevor Rabin’s son”?

I don't think Ryan needs my help. His band, Grouplove, just hit number one on the billboard alternative chart, the band are doing great, and having a wonderful experience. Ryan is definitely not in my shadow, and has never used that.

The titles of the pieces on Jacaranda hark back to growing up in South Africa. Are you nostalgic for that time?

No, not nostalgic, but it does bring inspiration to the table.

I would describe Jacaranda as mostly jazz/fusion, but unlike much jazz, there doesn’t seem to be any improvisation on the album. It's composed through and through. Are you interested in more improvisational work?

Actually a lot of it was improvised and then assembled. I think I love both disciplines equally, improvising and composing. I treat them pretty much different parts of the same family.

I spent quite a while playing with Hennie Becker (one of the most ridiculous musicians I've ever come across) where I really learned to improvise with jazz that involved extremely complicated jazz chord progressions. It was certainly not one-four-five stuff.

Jacaranda made #6 in the US Jazz Chart – congratulations! I wonder how you relate to genre? So, when you were writing a piece like “Anerley Road” or “Zoo Lake”, do you think, “This is a jazz piece, so it will develop in a certain way,” or, “This is a jazz piece, so the listener will expect it to develop in a certain way and I’ll do something different,” or do you just not think about genre at all, that’s for the marketing department and the chart compilers to worry about?

I think the only vague rule was that it would probably be instrumental, that I wouldn't restrict myself by genre, and that I was to challenge myself as a player and writer more so than I had prior... I never expected the album to chart, but I'm delighted where it got to.

One of my favourite tracks on the album is “Killarney 1 & 2”. Did you sit down intending to do a piano piece, or did you have a melody, an idea, and it seemed to fit the piano best?

The piece was written for piano. My chops were a little rusty, so it took some practicing for me to play.

“Through the Tunnel” stands out as one of the rockier tracks on the album, reminiscent of past pieces like “Sludge”. That’s also one of the tracks where you worked with Vinnie Colaiuta on drums. How did that collaboration work? Did you have the piece worked out and were fairly clear how you wanted the drum part to go when Colaiuta came in? Or did you develop the piece around what Colaiuta played?

On this track, I talked to Vinnie about the groove and that it was in 20/8. I had written the broad stroke idea, but had not recorded anything. So Vinnie went in and gave me around 6 minutes with certain fills. I then played on top, and later edited his performance. Vinnie did one take. He's ridiculous ... and the nicest guy.

In one interview you did about Jacaranda, you talked about a jazz club back in South Africa you attended when you were young. I wondered how much the particular style of ‘60s and ‘70s jazz in South Africa was still an influence on you today and on Jacaranda. I also came across this long out-of-print album by Mike Makhalemele & Winston Mankunku Ngozi called The Lion and the Bull and featuring Trevor and Rabbitt bandmates in 1976 [see here] – good stuff!

The club was the Branch Office. Hennie Becker was a giant in South Africa regarding jazz, and I often played with him at the club. I learned a lot from him, and guitarist John Fourie who died recently. I worked a lot with Mike Makhalemele. He was a gentle soul and a wonderful player.

Listening to Jacaranda, you have these intricate, fast-moving pieces and then, bam!, “The Rescue”, this complete change of pace. Was that contrast something you deliberately wanted on the album?

Yes, The Rescue was the last addition to the album, and I thought it helped shade the sequencing quite well.

I am curious about the process of composition for Jacaranda. Where did you begin? Did you tend to start just fiddling around on an instrument? Did you write yourself scores while composing Jacaranda or when working out some of the more complex arrangements (like “AnerleyRoad”)? Or do you use technology a lot, recording multiple ideas and manipulating them on the computer to see how different arrangements or passages work?

There wasn't a lot of searching blindly, which can be a useful tool, but while the arrangements sound quite worked out, there was a lot of improvisation. Not a lot of takes on the floor, and a very intentional goal was that everything would be 'humanly' played, warts and all. ...and yes, the album evolved during breaks on film work, and then last year I focused on finishing the album.

I know some musicians go into recording with a clear idea of what they want to do, and then they fill in the pieces. But others work more iteratively, trying something, then changing it, then something else. Which are you? If we took a look at your hard drive, would there be a hundred different versions of each piece on the album, all subtly different?

While there is some modular repetition used, I had a good idea of where I was going, but I always trusted myself to change at any time. There are different versions on the hard drive, but mostly you would find that each version would be a development and a move forward.

On some film scores, you’re the composer and the music is performed by an orchestra. On Jacaranda, of course, you’re largely doing all the performing yourself. When composing a score for an orchestra, you sometimes have to bear in mind what it’s practical to play and adapt to the limitations of the performance, but what do you do when you’re also the performer? Does the composition process drive you to perform better? Or is the composition of an album like Jacaranda so rooted in performance that the distinction is moot?

The distinction is somewhat moot, however, I feel strongly that arranging for orchestra is part of writing, and that to write confidently for orchestra, one should be aware of what the different instruments are capable of. One must also have knowledge or at least a good instinct as to how the various instruments work together as well.

Obviously, in the past, you’ve made albums with a record company breathing down your neck, wanting results. With Jacaranda, you made it in your own time, on your own terms. How do you decide when to stop? How do you get over that inner perfectionist saying, “Let’s just try something else?” I know some artists who like having deadlines because otherwise nothing ever gets finished!

Firstly, thank you for astonishingly relevant and pertinent questions. Yes, I've made many albums with record companies nagging to "end it already". This time we're breathing down the record companies neck. I didn't even think of who or how it would be released until it was all done. I think, I hope I knew when to stop (maybe). I have been in a position where I allowed music to get stale due to not letting go, so it's important to let go at the right time. But on Jacaranda, I seemed to have a good idea when it was complete.

The deadlines on movies are so hurried in so many ways. I have no choice but to be extremely prolific. I did 3-4 albums during 15 years in YES, and an average of 60 minutes a movie on thirty nine films, which is highly technical as far as linking to specific film, constantly catching up to the latest edits, with film editors who don't care that the endless new cuts they make screws the composer up. So in contrast to the amount of inspiration that hit YES in 15 years, I have done 39 movies in 12 years on film, the equivalent of 39 albums. Of course it's a different kind of focus, but no less relevant.

You’ve tantalised us with hints of another solo album, this time with vocals, of a guitar concerto, of working with an orchestra… What is the next step for your non-score work? What does the future hold? Will it be difficult doing solo albums in parallel with film scores – the film scoring work seems very demanding of your time?

I am so motivated by Jacaranda it certainly won’t be 20 years between albums again.

Yesmen outside Yes: final poll

After three rounds, we moved to the final poll on the best non-Yes(/ABWH) albums featuring 3+ Yesmen. There were 119 votes:

1. Chris Squire: Fish Out of Water (w/ Bruford, Moraz): 66 (55%)
2. Rick Wakeman: The Six Wives of Henry VIII (w/ Squire, Bruford, Howe, White): 20 (17%)
3. Rick Wakeman: Criminal Record (w/ Squire, White): 12 (10%)
4= Chris Squire & Billy Sherwood: Conspiracy (w/ White): 6 (5%)
4= Symphonic Music of Yes (w/ Anderson, Bruford, Howe): 6 (5%)
6. The Buggles: Adventures in Modern Recording (w/ Horn, Downes, Squire): 5 (4%)
7. CIRCA: 2007 (w/ Sherwood, Kaye, White): 4 (3%)

A very clear result then for Fish Out of Water, perhaps the best-loved Yes-related album. Squire, I note, also plays on 4 of the top 5.

Wakeman's two solo albums with multiple Yes guests come a clear second and third. Nice to see some recognition for Criminal Record, an album which I feel gets overlooked compared to the 'official' 1975/6 solo releases. (Note all three of the tracks with Squire/White from Criminal Record and the only track on Six Wives with Squire and Howe are on the 2000 compilation, Recollections The Very Best of Rick Wakeman (1973-1979).)

We've got three more albums featuring 3+ Yesmen out in the next two months, all on Cleopatra Records: Billy Sherwood's The Prog Collective (with Squire, Wakeman, Kaye, Banks and Levin on different tracks); his Supertramp tribute Songs of the Century (with Squire and Kaye on an original track by Sherwood; Wakeman and Levin with Sherwood on "Crime of the Century"; and Downes, Kaye and Banks each on different tracks); and Nektar's Spoonful of Time, a covers album with Howe, Downes, Wakeman and Moraz on different tracks.

Jon Anderson & Miro Žbirka at Sadler's Wells (8 Aug 2012)

Jon Anderson's set (55 minutes):

orchestral intro

“Starship Trooper” (abbreviated, ~7 mins)

“I’ll Find My Way Home”

“Earth & Peace”

“Long Distance Runaround” (abbreviated)

“Nous Sommes du Soleil” (with orchestral intro)

“Race to the End”/“Match of the Day” theme excerpt (orchestra only)

“Music is God”

“Change We Must”

“And You and I” (abbreviated, ~6 mins)

“State of Independence”

joint encore with Žbirka: “All You Need is Love”

I arrived at Sadler’s Wells to find the foyer full of beautiful, young people – my first clue that this wasn’t a typical prog concert! You see, this event was a double bill: Slovak singer Miro Žbirka for an hour, then Jon Anderson for just under, and a joint encore. The venue (capacity 1560) was about 60% full. All the Yes fans had the same story: we logged on pretty much as soon as tickets went on sale to find most of the stalls already sold – some sort of mass booking by the Slovaks – and that’s pretty much how the ticket availability remained with further tickets going slowly. [10 Aug: Apparently, this was a block booking to supply free tickets to the Slovaks as part of the Olympics.]

While disappointing that the show had sold poorly – lack of promotion? high ticket prices? – this meant all of us in the second circle (good seat, £45) got upgraded. I ended up with a great seat, front row of the first circle.

First on, then, was Miroslav Žbirka, who first came to fame in successful Czechoslovak band Modus in the 1970s. But I only know that because I just looked it up; he was an unknown quantity to me. Sixties-tinged pop, he sang well, a nice stage presence. And, excepting a cover of “Hey Jude”, he sang in Slovak and most of his song introductions was in Slovak too. I’m sure he’s a lovely man – and the Slovak fans, as I indicated, are a more attractive lot than us ageing Yes fans! Judging by who laughed when Žbirka said something funny, maybe 2/3 of the audience were there for him. But the concert made no sense with little stylistic similarity between the two singers. The other 1/3 of us, here for Anderson, sat bored and restless for an hour. And the Žbirka fans were, it seems, as uninterested by Anderson as we were by Žbirka. I saw a fair few trickle out early in Anderson’s set.

Žbirka was backed by Cappella Istropolitana (the Bratislava Chamber Orchestra), conducted by Adrian Kokoš: 11 violins, 3 violas, 2 cellos, 1 double bass, 6 brass, 4 woodwind and 1 keyboard player. For some numbers, he had additional support from a rock band (two guitarists, bassist, drummer). Finally, his set (60 minutes) ends and he introduces Anderson, talking about getting The Yes Album as a young man. Cappella Istropolitana also backed Anderson, but he had a different supporting band led by Peter Machajdík (keys, backing vocals). A few years back, Anderson guested on a great piece entitled "Sadness of Flowing" on Machajdík's album, Namah. (You can read my interview with Machajdík about the collaboration with Anderson here.) And Machajdík previously headed a band who played with Anderson in Slovakia in 2009. Joining Machajdík were a guitarist (plus backing vocals; possibly Juraj Burian?), a backing vocalist (plus additional percussion) and a drummer.

The last time I saw Anderson live was at the end of the last UK Anderson Wakeman tour, about two years ago, and his voice was a disaster. Thankfully, his voice tonight was fantastic (and I’m told he sounded even better in the soundcheck). This was the best I’ve heard him since 2008, very nearly back to his pre-morbid state. He perhaps opted out of holding some of the higher notes as long as he once did, but that was barely noticeable. This was the voice we love: precise, powerful, warm. A joy to hear.

On the other hand, the musical context around that glorious voice was hit and miss. I felt the orchestra could have been tighter. The guitarist was weak in places. “Starship Trooper” made for a poor opener: it didn’t seem to translate well to the orchestral context and lacked energy. “I'll Find My Way Home” was better, but the orchestra seemed superfluous. However, the show improved: newer piece “Earth & Peace” was reminiscent of The Living Tree, but had a role for the orchestra too. "Long Distance Runaround" and particularly "Nous Sommes du Soleil" really lifted the set, although both were rather short.

Anderson talked about the beauty of Bratislava, the Slovak capital. He had had four days rehearsing with the orchestra. He was often flustered between songs, but in a good-natured way. He forgot the song order, had lyrics on a music stand for a couple of pieces, had to be reminded of the names of his backing band and the conductor. But he had a good rapport with the audience – least, those of us who knew who he was! Anderson's personal guests in the front row – I think Damion was there, and Jade was also around – led the applause. But having a big chunk of the audience there for Žbirka rather sucked the energy out of the crowd response for Anderson.

Žbirka had played his classic hits. OK, I have no idea if Žbirka had or had not played his greatest hits, but the audience reaction suggested he did. The Žbirka fans had sung along in places, and we’d all sung along to “Hey Jude”. Anderson tried to get us to sing along to “Music is God”. No. Everyone knows “Hey Jude”. Only hardcore Anderson fans have heard “Music is God”. That didn’t work. And Anderson introduced “Music is God” saying he wanted to get an orchestra to play a reggae song, pointing out the absurdity, but his point was rather proven by how poorly the orchestra fit the song!

But mostly the set list worked. The strongest pieces were the later Vangelis-composed numbers, where the orchestra had a clear role behind Anderson's soaring vocals: “Change We Must” a particular highlight. “And You and I” was orchestrated well, ending nicely with Anderson accompanied by a single violin, if again rather on the short side.

The Beatles’ “All You Need is Love” was a joint encore, with Žbirka and his supporting band joining Anderson, his supporting band and the orchestra. A good choice of song, everyone fitting together, making a lovely finale.

For a concert just over two hours long, we had maybe 30 or 40 minutes of great music with Anderson, although it was a delight whenever Anderson was singing. In all, this concert feels like a metaphor for Anderson’s career. That voice is back. He’s got new material – both “Earth & Peace” and “Music is God” are growing on me – but he needs to find the right context to work in. The match-up with Žbirka made no sense and the set list choices didn't always fit with an orchestra, but when it worked – with songs like “Nous Sommes du Soleil”, “Change We Must”, “And You and I”, “State of Independence” and “All You Need is Love” – this was well worth it.

[13 Aug edit] Anderson's supporting band were: Juraj Burian (guitars, backing vocals), Peter Machajdík (keys, backing vocals), Igor "Ajdži" Sabo (drums, percussion), Andrea Zimanyiová (vocals, hand percussion)

Review: ABWH, Live at the NEC

The Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe tour has always been blighted by its one official live recording missing Tony Levin, who was taken ill and temporarily replaced by Jeff Berlin. While not included in the band name, Levin was then, as now, more than a faceless sessioner and had an established rhythm section partnership with Bill Bruford. So a show with Levin is the key selling point of Live at the NEC, the latest Gonzo release from this period following their ABWH re-release and Union Live.

Gonzo, successor to Voiceprint, have been much criticised in the past, but Union Live was generally well received. The ABWH re-release was notable for its bonus tracks, although it was an embarrassment to discover neither Steve Howe nor Levin were even told of the release. (Howe was saddened as he's sitting on a pile of unreleased recordings that would have made for better bonus content.) Sadly, Gonzo's poor reputation strikes again here with the wrong track order for disc 2, but more on that later.

 

In short, this is a good recording of a great show and a welcome addition to An Evening of Yes Music Plus. There are seven musicians on stage (ABWH + Levin, with Julian Colbeck on keys and Milton McDonald on guitar), only one of whom is in the current Yes (Howe), yet this feels, legal quibbles over the name notwithstanding, like Yes and serves as a reminder of another path the band once took.

Let's begin with the beginning and the much-discussed, inventive but low-key start to the show, where Anderson, Howe and Wakeman all took solo spots. Sadly the audio on Live at the NEC misses the full Benjamin Britten lead-in and there a few annoying audio glitches early on, particularly in Anderson's solo. Anderson's medley is inventive (compared to predictable solos from Howe and Wakeman), although the cheesy keyboard sounds from second keyboardist Colbeck are unfortunate.

 

If Howe's choice of pieces is safe, I'll praise the strong performance of "Mood for a Day". Wakeman's solo is one of his better and there's a nice lead-in to the first full band piece, "Long Distance Runaround". And this is the first time that you really notice the difference to the Squire/White rhythm section with a heavy bass from Levin and Bruford's much-criticised electronic drums. More than most, I like Bruford's electronic kit and what he did with it in early Earthworks, but here, the result is more questionable. His solo after "Long Distance Runaround" feels more like a tech demo than good music. It feels as if the electronic kit is more often limiting Bruford's playing rather than than allowing him to explore new territory.

Apart from "Teakbois" appearing in Anderson's medley, the first (then) new piece is "Birthright". It is sadly marred by a poor mix, with the keys too low and the drums too loud. We're then into "And You and I" and, as we're early in the tour, this is still one of the first few times Bruford has ever played this song as he left before the tour supporting Close to the Edge. This is a good version; Bruford's drums work for me here and Levin is distinctive. McDonald and Colbeck bring some great backing vocals to the mix.

 

It is interesting to compare how ABWH put together the set and how they approach different songs with what Yes today do, or Yes in the early 2000s did. Geoff Downes was criticised by many online when he explained Yes sometimes opt for slower tempos to give some songs more power, but here ABWH seem to take the same approach. Anyone who complains about the modern band's tempos should try this version of "And You and I": ABWH chose what feels like a fairly slow tempo, but it complements the piece. They speed up for a rocking edition of "I've Seen All Good People", with Howe notably strong and a great solo from Wakeman. And then straight into an aggressive "Close to the Edge". An almost industrial rhythm section play against Howe's fiery playing in the opening section. The clang and clatter of Bruford's electronic drums might not be to everyone's tastes, but I think they (mostly) work here, bringing a different edge to the piece. Anderson is in great voice, as he is throughout the show. A grandiose and triumphant climax is met with lengthy applause.

"Themes" is a reminder of the strengths of the ABWH album. The set could have been included more material from the album, but it's clear this was all about Yes music and re-uniting (4/5 of) the Fragile/Close to the Edge band.

 

Levin's playing is less to the fore than Squire would be, but he is spotlighted in a duet with Bruford, obviously missing from An Evening of Yes Music Plus. Their duet varied from night to night, and unfortunately this night's wasn't their best. There are some nice ideas initiated by Levin, but it feels as if they never quite find their feet and the piece doesn't develop. Bruford's machine gun rattle from his electronic kit is over-used.

"Brother of Mine" is another testament to the album, with good back-up guitar from McDonald. "The Meeting" has a nicer introduction than on the album and a strong performance, unfortunately with a little bit of audio hiss.

Anderson then announces to the audience that, "It's request time" and then waits for someone to shout out "Heart of the Sunrise". Was it as obvious a ruse at the time as it is in retrospect? Anyway,  Levin's funkier take on the bass line is odd, and there's that machine gun clatter from Bruford again! But, overall, it's another great performance: a more pacific reading of the piece than some performances by other Yes incarnations.

"Roundabout" is another strong performance, notably from Anderson. "Starship Trooper" is taken at a measured pace. Anderson interpolates a bit of "Soon" at the end of "Disillusion", then chats with the crowd, does thank yous. It makes for a laidback version of the song, but by beginning "Wurm" at a slow tempo, it allows them to steadily speed up to a high-energy climax to the evening.

But, hold on, you may be thinking, wasn't "Order of the Universe" played in between "Heart of the Sunrise" and "Roundabout"? Yes, yes, it was and that's what the track listing on the back of the box says. But for no clear reason at all, what we get on disc 2, after "Starship Trooper", is a short silent gap and then "Order of the Universe". Across the whole show, the audio has one or two problems, which presumably reflect the BBC's source recording and are forgivable, but this bizarre move of "Order of the Universe" smacks of straight incompetence.

So, anyway, better late than never: here's "Order of the Universe". It's actually one of my favourites on the album, but I think here it is weaker than the other tracks. While Anderson sings well for most of the show, he lacks fluidity here. We also get more overly clattering drums from Bruford, and another poor drum solo.

Currently available is this deluxe, 3-disc edition of the release. The packaging comes with a replica of the tour programme. And there's a DVD with a 26 minute, black and white film by Colbeck, consisting of fairly raw footage shot on 25 Oct 1989 backstage, of the soundcheck and short portions of the show (shot from the side of the stage). The film is interesting to see once, but I can't imagine watching it a second time! I presume a standard release with just the 2 audio CDs will follow at some point.

One can criticise how the set was ordered or Bruford's foray into electronic drums, but the release reflects those choices that ABWH made at the time. Live at the NEC is an honest document of ABWH live. Bottom line, while there are some glitches, some better and worse performances, this is a great set and worth getting.

Yesmen outside Yes: poll part 3

Part 3 of our survey covering albums featuring 3+ Yesmen together outside Yes covers 2000 through to the present day. There were 52 votes in all:

1. Chris Squire & Billy Sherwood: Conspiracy (w/ White) - 28 (54%)
2. CIRCA: 2007 (w/ Sherwood, Kaye, White) - 13 (25%)
3. Return to the Dark Side of the Moon: A Tribute to Pink Floyd (w/ Sherwood, Bruford, Kaye, Banks, Howe, Wakeman, White, Downes) - 3 (6%)
4= Pigs & Pyramids—An All Star Lineup Performing the Songs of Pink Floyd (w/ Sherwood, Squire, Kaye, White) - 2 (4%)
4= CIRCA: Live (w/ Sherwood, Kaye, White) - 2 (4%)
4= John Wetton: Raised in Captivity (w/ Sherwood, Kaye, Downes) - 2 (4%)
7. Abbey Road: A Tribute to The Beatles (w/ Sherwood, Kaye, White, Downes) - 1 (2%)
8= Back Against the Wall (w/ Sherwood, Howe, Wakeman, White, Downes, Squire, Kaye) - 0
8= From Here to Infinity (w/ Sherwood, Kaye, Howe, Wakeman, White) - 0
8= Led Box: The Ultimate Tribute to Led Zeppelin (w/ Sherwood, Kaye, Wakeman, White, Downes) - 0

 ... and there was one 'other' vote for an ineligible album. So, a clear win for Conspiracy, with the debut CIRCA: album second. (The second Conspiracy album and multiple further CIRCA: releases only featured 2 Yesmen each and so didn't make this poll.)

The final will feature the first and second placed albums from the three semi-finals. That means:

Chris Squire's Fish Out of Water (w/ Bruford, Moraz): 1st in the 1970s poll
Rick Wakeman's The Six Wives of Henry VIII (w/ Squire, Bruford, Howe, White): 2nd equal in the 1970s poll
Rick Wakeman's Criminal Record (w/ Squire, White): 2nd equal in the 1970s poll
Symphonic Music of Yes (w/ Anderson, Bruford, Howe): 1st in the 1980/90s poll
The Buggles' Adventures in Modern Recording (w/ Horn, Downes, Squire): 2nd in the 1980/90s poll
Chris Squire & Billy Sherwood's Conspiracy (w/ White): 1st in the 2000s+ poll
CIRCA: 2007 (w/ Sherwood, Kaye, White): 2nd in the 2000s+ poll

Seven albums: Squire is on five, White is on four, Bruford is on three, Howe, Wakeman and Sherwood are on two apiece. I don't know whether that says something about the popularity of those Yesmen (presumably so in Squire's case) or just about how often they collaborate!

We'll have the final poll shortly, which will then lead us up to the release in August of two more multi-Yesmen albums, The Prog Collective and Songs of the Century: An All-Star Tribute to Supertramp, both led by Sherwood and with guests including Squire, Wakeman, Downes, Banks and Kaye.