FLY FROM HERE

Amazing new CD from music pioneers "Yes". Fly From Here is the first new album in 10 years. Since 2001's Magnification which certainly had some fantastic moments but also had some of Yes's lowest moments. Well I am happy to say after repeated listening I can finally make an honest review. I will start by saying that this is the first Yes cd in years that just I keep playing over and over again. Like all of my favorite Yes albums they grow on you as you learn the nuances of the songs . There is way too much going on to hear it in one or two listens. I don't care what anyone says about that fact. Upon repeated listening this cd reveals itself as true amazing Yes music..... Trevor Horn produced or over saw the production of this and in the process wrote 50% of the music. He is a very prolific song writer IMO. These compositions on FFH by Horn are out takes from the Drama days and songs he and Downs wrote for Yes in the Buggles era. I had previously listened to all these songs as demos from the Buggles sessions and always thought...Man, these songs would be incredible if Yes recorded them. Well I can't believe it but they now have. Thank you Trevor Horn for bringing Yes out of the dark again. This is definitely the bands best effort in years.It also is the best sounding recording of Yes which is typical of Horn, every instrument and musical moment is clear and dynamic. Top notch production. Despite the fact that Jon Anderson is not the lead singer/guru, the music lacks nothing in the vocal department. This album is full of beautiful lush vocal work. Benoit David stands his ground as the lead singer. He sounds like himself then at times reminiscent of Horn and there are plenty of moments when you swear you can hear Anderson in the Harmonies or that "Yes" sound so to speak. Chris Squire is equally great on his vocal work as well and his bass playing sounds amazing. He really came up with some classic bass hooks throughout the whole cd. What can you say about Steve Howe? He is what makes this music exciting for me.He is always on the edge with his lead guitar fills. Still creating that dark or heavenly sound with his slide or strumming and picking on the acoustics. He does it all here in fine fashion. Alan White may appear to be doing less than the rest but like Ringo was in the Beatles, Alan is to Yes. He plays the song. It is almost magical because he makes it sound so easy and it really isn't. He certainly is a seasoned pro behind the drum kit. He gets a great blend of acoustic drums and triggered percussion. He is rock solid throughout. Enter Geoff Downs. Geoff is the glue to this whole cd pretty much. He lays it down with lush, full, spacial soundscapes like a bed for Squire, White and Howe to lay down in. Sometimes he reminds me of Vangelis if that makes sense. But over all Downs part is big and present. Oliver Wakeman gets credit for playing keyboards on We Can Fly and Hour Of Need. Yey Oliver. A good keyboard player and a good man. Now the songs.... 1.Overture.....a classic way to begin any Yes album. I liked it iright from the start. And it set up a brief compact introduction of what was to come in many ways. This is classic sounding Yes to me. 2. We Can Fly.......Heard it years back and can only say wow. They really made it sound fresh and most importantly, it sounds like Yes. What a great song to debut or introduce Benoit David. Everyone is rock solid but Howe is especially noted on lead guitar through out. 3. Sad Night At The Airfield......Wow...Steve howe plays acoustic guitar so sweet and beautiful and the vocal work that follows is just unreal. Anyone want to argue that this isn't Yes music still? This is the first stand out on the cd for most people. 4. Madman at the Screens.....This song has the classic mix of Buggles and Yes imo....Once you start to really hear it you realise just how rocking and pulsating the groove is. Killer bass by Squire start to finish. White rocks hard and steady. in great support. 5. Bumpy Ride.....this is a quirky little piece that seems to be edited in out of no where.The only wierd part of the album. It has that Torrmato era thing going on but it seems to be abrupt to the flow and equally jarring as it segues back into 6. We Can Fly Reprise....Just what it says it's a reprise of song #2...now we get to song # 7. The Man You Always Wanted Me To Be.......At first listen I was thinking oh this is different. Squire sings the lead on the first verse.The chorus and following verses are sung in harmony where Benoit sounds the most like Anderson to me. It is one of those songs that grows on you especially the last 2 minute section where they are singing in classic Yes harmony EEya EEya EEya EEya EEya over this Beatlesque acoustic guitar strumming. Squire is holding it down with a classic bass liine hook and then Howe solos away in counterpoint like we haven't heard in ages. Almost sounds like the going for the one era maybe. A real high point for me after many listens now. 8. Life On A Film Set......OMG this song is just simply amazing. It has Alan whites best drumming on the album and it is complex in signature and moving at a quick tempo. Benoits vocals are just awesome on this song. Very Yes/Buggles sounding music. This is one of Horns songs that I always wanted to here yes do and they just nailed it. Wow what a tune. 9. Hour Of Need......A cool little acoustic tune where Mr Howe plays his Portuguese folk guitar. It is a nice break from the other songs and features some great vintage synth lines from Oliver Wakeman. Once again the vocals sound like classic Yes that any Yes fan would certainly like. The Japanese import has an extended version of this song which has an extensive instrumental intro and outro with some of Alan Whites most featured drum fills and great soloing from Howe. I can't figure out why they left it off the cd.. 10. Solitaire...A great happy, hoppy little solo piece from Steve in much the same vein as Mood For A Day or The Clap. It is a clever arrangement with all the Howe trademarks. Really enjoyable. 11. Into The Storm.........What a perfect song to end the album. This is classic Yes like Release or Tempus Fugit. It is rocking hard and fast from the start. There are some cool synth parts as well as raunchy guitar riffs all filled out with great vocals. Once again if you close your eyes you can hear Jon in there. Sounds like Yes to me. Halfway through this turns into a sound scape where Steve Howe plays some blazing guitar until the end lands us back to where we just flew from............. A truly great album from one of the truly great bands of our time. Too bad for the personal politics and problems they have had over the years. It is too bad that Jon wasn't singing on this. I said that about Drama too. At least we still have Yes around to enjoy and hear new music from after 40 years of playing together in one incarnation or another. As ex Yes member Billy Sherwood quoted on facebook..... "Yes is an amazing band with amazing people and politics. Things are not always what they seem. On with the show...... I couldn't agree more............Get Fly From Here and .......Fly..............