FLY FROM HERE

I caved in and bought the iTunes download available now for the new Yes album "Fly From Here" this morning. I was expecting it to be decent, but two listens on it's actually better than I expected. Not quite classic prog yes, but not quite the more commercial version of the band either. The band made a great move made when they brought Geoff Downes in to replace Oliver Wakeman, because Downes has MUCH more personality in his playing. His Keyboards are all over this record, and it's all the better for it. The epic "We Can Fly From Here" 5 part suite is actually five separate pieces, with a bit of a common theme linking them, but it's certainly not a traditional yes masterwork, though it is good and an interesting work from the current band. As a long time Yes fan I think I can get used to the line-up changes , and even though Jon Anderson is absent, the group have succeeded in adding another true "Yes" work to their catalog, and I welcome it. Now let's hope they play a good chunk of it while on tour this summer !

*** 1/2