UNIVERSAL GARDEN

Billy Sherwood releases albums pretty regularly, so it seemed odd that he'd put out a single-only release. Then again, this is a song he'd already done with Yes, so maybe that's why. Actually it hadn't occurred to me that "Universal Garden," originally from Open Your Eyes, had originated as a Sherwood song; Jon Anderson really made it his own song on Open Your Eyes back in 1997. I guess it's likely that Sherwood wrote it with Anderson in mind.

If I recall correctly, among the songs on Open Your Eyes, "Universal Garden" was one of those better-received by Yes fans, but to me it was just average; I preferred "Fortune Seller," "Open Your Eyes," and the title track. This solo version is better in some ways than the original; I prefer Sherwood's guitar work here, for example. On the other hand, Sherwood just can't hit the high notes like Anderson, nor does he have Anderson's expressiveness. Overall, the 2015 version of "Universal Garden" is still the same song that didn't really impress me in 1997.

I'm glad Billy Sherwood is back in Yes, and, to echo another reviewer, I'd welcome his solo takes on additional Yes songs.