KEYSTUDIO

"Keystudio" is a compilation of Yes and was released in 2001. However, "Keystudio" can be considered, somehow, a real original studio album of Yes because it was made up with the studio tracks taken from two Yes' live albums "Keys To Ascension" and "Keys To Ascension 2". Both live albums, besides the respective live tracks that any live album must have, in addition to them, they have both some new studio tracks. So, we are talking about 48 minutes of new studio material taken from the recording sessions in Los Angeles, in 1996. That is particularly more evident on "Keys To Ascension 2". On that album the second CD has only studio tracks. At the time, the group was very disappointed that the new studio material wasn't released as a separated studio album, which would have been entitled "Know".

Prior to this album's release, it was reported that it would have a track called "The Second Time Around". This would have been a new version of "Sign Language" that would incorporate Jon Anderson's vocals. However, that didn't happen. So, that track came not to be included on the final release of "Keystudio".

"Keystudio" has seven tracks. The first track "Foot Prints" written by Anderson, Howe, Squire and White is a good opener to the album and is beautifully performed by all band's members. This is a song with a very strong and nice melody, although it's probably a little bit repetitive. However, this track reminds us how was the band in the 70's with their youth, which we were used to love so much. The second track "Be The One" written by Anderson, Howe and Squire, is divided into three parts: "Be The One", "Humankind" and "Skate". This is another strong track with excellent melody and a superb band's work. Anderson's voice sounds beautiful and strong as ever and Squire, Wakeman and How are simply amazing reminding us the good old days of the band. This is, in my humble opinion, one of the best three tracks on the album. The third track "Mind Drive" written by Anderson, Howe, Wakeman, Squire and White represents the first of the two epic tracks on the album. This is a true amazing track which gives to us some of the best and brilliant symphonic rock ever made by Yes. Despite be a much more mellow work than their greatest epic tracks in the 70's, we may say that it's practically at the same quality level of the tracks of those times. This is also one of the three best tracks on the album, and it's also my favourite too. The fourth track "Bring Me To The Power" written by Anderson and Howe is another very good and nice track. It's a very dynamic and melodic song full of several different musical moments, beautiful lyrics and excellent instrumental sections. This is a song with some similitudes in tempo and style with "Be The One", but despite be very nice and enjoyable to hear, it isn't as good as that song is. The fifth track "Sign Language" written by Howe is the shortest song on the album and seems to be a kind of a reminiscence of Howe's tracks. It's a very simple beautiful and enjoyable song to hear and serves perfectly well as a kind of a prelude to their next epic "That, That Is". The sixth track "That, That Is" written by Anderson, Howe, Squire and White, is divided into seven parts: "Togetherness", "Crossfire", "The Giving Things", "That Is", "All In All", "How Did Heaven Begin?" and "Agree To Agree". This is the second great epic on the album and represents for me the third best musical moment on the album. It's another powerful track with many musical changes throughout the song. Probably and because of that is, in my opinion, less cohesive and brilliant than "Mind Drive" is, and so I prefer that track. The seventh and last track "Children Of The Light" written by Anderson, Howe, Wakeman, Squire and Vangelis, is divided into three parts: "Lightning", "Children" and "Lifeline". This is a nice and beautiful track with nice vocal work and where Wakeman and Howe play an extended and extremely beautiful instrumental part that sounds fresh and new as if had been composed in the good old 70's. Curiously, this is the song that seems to be made to close that album, and it did it perfectly well.

Conclusion: In the first place, I must confess that was criminal not having release these tracks before, separately on a single studio album, for so many years. In reality, the general quality of the tracks are unquestionable and so, is very hard to understand why this great music never received the proper promotion that it deserves. We, the Yes' fans and the progressive rock music fans in general, deserved that without any kind of doubt. In the second place, I also must confess that "Keystudio" became, for me, as a great and beautiful musical surprise. In my humble opinion, I sincerely think that "Keystudio" is the best Yes' studio album since their tenth studio album "Drama" and is also their best album since "Going For The One", if we only considered their classic line up with Rick Wakeman. With this studio album, Yes shown and proved that they were alive and we could continue counting with them in our beloved progressive rock world. Fortunately with this album, Yes woke up, and like Camel and unfortunately unlike Genesis, they returned to their progressive roots and showed and proved why they're considered one of the best and great masters in the prog world.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)

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