Petition to get Jon Anderson back into Yes

I think JA is singing very very well still. And he seems to have been on his solo tour for quite awhile so I think the health is not so bad now. 

Edited by Shutoku - August 03 2013 at 03:00

I am considering petitioning Jon Anderson to join Keith Emerson and Carl Palmer, just so I can call their band "APE".

Dear Jon Anderson and Yes fans,

Here is an interview that we here at Songfacts.com recently did with Jon: http://www.songfacts.com/blog/interviews/jon_anderson_of_yes/

Anderson talks about the spiritual inspirations behind the likes of "And You And I," "Long Distance Runaround" and "Starship Troopers," which he thinks of as his "search for truth and search for an understanding of what God truly is." Anderson also speaks of his return Yes in the 1980s, when the band became unlikely MTV stars, all thanks to "Owner Of A Lonely Heart."

Enjoy!
Songfacts.com

cstack3 wrote: Dellinger wrote: cstack3 wrote: twosteves wrote: I  I think the group kicked him out because they wanted to (at their advanced ages) take control of their lives and not depend on JA whims---plus they didn't like the songs or ideas he was bringing to the table. ...as opposed to Buggles songs from the '80s?   I guess we won't know unless we ask Squire.  He's been all over the map, suggesting a "Yes residency" on Broadway, bringing back all former players (uh, too late for Peter Banks!), new CD etc.   Yes seemed to work best with a high level of creative tension, so maybe, IF they want to do something, they should strive for that.  Their latest albums just seemed to have a "let's get one out in the racks!" kind of feel to them, although there are a few high-points mixed in.   I hear you about "Little Napoleon" Jon Anderson!  However, his instincts usually seem to hew to what we believe Yes should sound like.   I think Howe should go on tour with the Steve Howe Group and let Steve Hackett take over his slot!   Any other ideas on a new guitarist for Yes?  (Trevor Rabin not allowed as an answer). As a matter of fact, I didn't find "Fly from Here" so terrible. I actually liked those 80's songs that form the main bulk of the "Epic" (which is not an epic in my ears), and am glad they were released in such a beautiful way (specially Sad Night at the airfield). I even found Benoit's voice very beautiful (still, he was no Jon Anderson... but for that album, he didn't have to be). Still, of course, it was not among the best albums from the band... but it still was not worse than any of the albums released since Going for the One. I suppose that, musically, it was okay.  However, I was pretty angry at the way they treated Ollie Wakeman, and I just never warmed up to Benoit David.  I've only listed to FFH a few times, I should probably give it a few more tries.  Mind you, it's a masterpiece next to Union, Big Generator & a host of other stinkers from Yes!  However, there was no really brilliant moment in FFH for me to latch onto, whereas I could warm up to at least one song on all the other Yes albums.   The ruthlessness with which Squire acts is very repellant to me.  He reminds me of a big corporate raider or Wall Street tycoon...maybe Howe will reunite with Anderson and Wakeman?  I'd enjoy something like that!

Indeed, the kicking out of Oliver was unexcusable. I didn't like it then and don't like it now. With Anderson, it might have been explained because they had been waiting for him for a while and didn't know if he'd come back and so on... and when Anderson was ready to come back, they already had Benoit so it wouldn't have done to kick him out (I mean, whenever have you heard about Yes kicking someone out?). But still, in the end, there are some songs I really liked on this album. I only hope they don't do the same thing to Davison... the only reason I would think he would do well to step aside would be for Anderson to come back (and even then, perhaps it would be better to have both of them together).

cstack3 wrote: Dellinger wrote: cstack3 wrote: twosteves wrote: I  I think the group kicked him out because they wanted to (at their advanced ages) take control of their lives and not depend on JA whims---plus they didn't like the songs or ideas he was bringing to the table. ...as opposed to Buggles songs from the '80s?   I guess we won't know unless we ask Squire.  He's been all over the map, suggesting a "Yes residency" on Broadway, bringing back all former players (uh, too late for Peter Banks!), new CD etc.   Yes seemed to work best with a high level of creative tension, so maybe, IF they want to do something, they should strive for that.  Their latest albums just seemed to have a "let's get one out in the racks!" kind of feel to them, although there are a few high-points mixed in.   I hear you about "Little Napoleon" Jon Anderson!  However, his instincts usually seem to hew to what we believe Yes should sound like.   I think Howe should go on tour with the Steve Howe Group and let Steve Hackett take over his slot!   Any other ideas on a new guitarist for Yes?  (Trevor Rabin not allowed as an answer). As a matter of fact, I didn't find "Fly from Here" so terrible. I actually liked those 80's songs that form the main bulk of the "Epic" (which is not an epic in my ears), and am glad they were released in such a beautiful way (specially Sad Night at the airfield). I even found Benoit's voice very beautiful (still, he was no Jon Anderson... but for that album, he didn't have to be). Still, of course, it was not among the best albums from the band... but it still was not worse than any of the albums released since Going for the One. I suppose that, musically, it was okay.  However, I was pretty angry at the way they treated Ollie Wakeman, and I just never warmed up to Benoit David.  I've only listed to FFH a few times, I should probably give it a few more tries.  Mind you, it's a masterpiece next to Union, Big Generator & a host of other stinkers from Yes!  However, there was no really brilliant moment in FFH for me to latch onto, whereas I could warm up to at least one song on all the other Yes albums.   The ruthlessness with which Squire acts is very repellant to me.  He reminds me of a big corporate raider or Wall Street tycoon...maybe Howe will reunite with Anderson and Wakeman?  I'd enjoy something like that!

Despite my better judgment, I ended up buying Fly From Here several months after its release.  I generally agree with your comments about it. As I've said before, it sounds like prog muzak to me.  Something made for elevators and department stores were geriatric old proggers go (which, admittedly, is most proggers ).

However, I am forced to admit that it is probably better as a cohesive and well composed album than anything Yes has done since at least the Keys albums (though musically, I thought Magnification was pretty good.....I just couldn't stand Anderson on it, who I usually love.......there were just way too many vocals and the lyrics were a bit too similar and new age drenched for my tastes).  That, sadly, didn't make it a good album for my tastes though, and certainly well short of a true Yes album (again, all IMO).  Looking at the writing credits, it's even harder to think of it as a real Yes album.  Drama was a solid album, but even with that one I feel like it's not a true Yes album and only sounds good compared to what came immediately before and after it.






Edited by infandous - April 23 2013 at 11:52

Dellinger wrote: cstack3 wrote: twosteves wrote: I  I think the group kicked him out because they wanted to (at their advanced ages) take control of their lives and not depend on JA whims---plus they didn't like the songs or ideas he was bringing to the table. ...as opposed to Buggles songs from the '80s?   I guess we won't know unless we ask Squire.  He's been all over the map, suggesting a "Yes residency" on Broadway, bringing back all former players (uh, too late for Peter Banks!), new CD etc.   Yes seemed to work best with a high level of creative tension, so maybe, IF they want to do something, they should strive for that.  Their latest albums just seemed to have a "let's get one out in the racks!" kind of feel to them, although there are a few high-points mixed in.   I hear you about "Little Napoleon" Jon Anderson!  However, his instincts usually seem to hew to what we believe Yes should sound like.   I think Howe should go on tour with the Steve Howe Group and let Steve Hackett take over his slot!   Any other ideas on a new guitarist for Yes?  (Trevor Rabin not allowed as an answer). As a matter of fact, I didn't find "Fly from Here" so terrible. I actually liked those 80's songs that form the main bulk of the "Epic" (which is not an epic in my ears), and am glad they were released in such a beautiful way (specially Sad Night at the airfield). I even found Benoit's voice very beautiful (still, he was no Jon Anderson... but for that album, he didn't have to be). Still, of course, it was not among the best albums from the band... but it still was not worse than any of the albums released since Going for the One.

cstack3 wrote: twosteves wrote: I  I think the group kicked him out because they wanted to (at their advanced ages) take control of their lives and not depend on JA whims---plus they didn't like the songs or ideas he was bringing to the table. ...as opposed to Buggles songs from the '80s?   I guess we won't know unless we ask Squire.  He's been all over the map, suggesting a "Yes residency" on Broadway, bringing back all former players (uh, too late for Peter Banks!), new CD etc.   Yes seemed to work best with a high level of creative tension, so maybe, IF they want to do something, they should strive for that.  Their latest albums just seemed to have a "let's get one out in the racks!" kind of feel to them, although there are a few high-points mixed in.   I hear you about "Little Napoleon" Jon Anderson!  However, his instincts usually seem to hew to what we believe Yes should sound like.   I think Howe should go on tour with the Steve Howe Group and let Steve Hackett take over his slot!   Any other ideas on a new guitarist for Yes?  (Trevor Rabin not allowed as an answer).

I think Glass Hammer should just replace all the members of Yes, and play all Yes songs (and maybe open for themselves with GH music). 

Okay, that originally came to me as a joke, but it could work!

Listening to "If" and "Cor Cordium", I just keep thinking that they sound like albums that Yes might have made if they hadn't lost their touch at the end of the 70's.  Of course, there are some key things lacking, but maybe with a little input from the former members (including Anderson), they could turn them into true Yes albums.






Edited by infandous - April 22 2013 at 14:19

twosteves wrote: I  I think the group kicked him out because they wanted to (at their advanced ages) take control of their lives and not depend on JA whims---plus they didn't like the songs or ideas he was bringing to the table.

LOL.......let the guy be at peace, he is almost 70 now