FLY FROM HERE

"Fly From Here" is the nineteenth studio album of Yes and was released in 2011. It's their first studio album since the release of their preceding eighteenth studio album "Magnification", which was released in 2001. So, ten years has passed without Yes having made any new studio work. Thus, the album brought some expectations and some curiosity.

Besides, the release of this album represents also, and once more, big changes in the line up of the band. In the first place, this is the second time that Jon Anderson, their charismatic frontman, is absent of a Yes' studio album. The other time that happened was about thirty years ago when Yes released their tenth studio album "Drama", in 1980. In the second place, this is the first performance of their new lead vocalist, the Canadian singer Benoit David. Benoit David is the lead vocalist of the Canadian progressive rock band Mystery and the lead vocalist of the Yes' tribute band called Close To The Edge. He was selected by Yes in 2008 to substitute Jon Anderson, who left the group due to health problems. In the third place, this album represents the return of the duo of the ex-Buggles, Trevor Horn and Geoff Downes, also about thirty years latter, and also when Yes released "Drama". So, as we can see, "Fly From Here" has many common points with "Drama", despite the time that has passed. This is why many like to call it "Drama, Part 2".

So, the line up on "Fly From Here" is Benoit David (lead vocals), Trevor Horn (backing vocals and additional keyboards), Steve Howe (backing vocals and guitars), Geoff Downes (keyboards), Chris Squire (backing vocals and bass guitar) and Alan White (drums). The album has also the participation of Oliver Wakeman (additional keyboards), Gerard Johnson (piano) and Luis Jardim (percussion).

"Fly From Here" has eleven tracks. The first track is the title track and is divided into six tracks: "Fly For Me ? Overture", "Fly From Here ? Pt I ? We Can Fly", "Fly From Here ? Pt II ? Sad Night At The Airfield", "Fly From Here ? Pt III ? Madman At The Screens", "Fly From Here ? Pt IV ? Bumpy Ride" and "Fly From Here ? Pt V ?We Can Fly /Reprise)". The "Fly From Here" track is a reminiscent of "Close To The Edge". But the two pieces, if you want to treat "Fly From Here" as a single piece, have nothing to do with each other. "Close To The Edge" was a band's composition where all band's members spent a lot of weeks fiddling, while on "Fly From Here" they prefabricated set pieces, which were glued together. Too bad that they didn't make "Fly From Here" a real lengthy track as happened with the "Close To The Edge" suite. Still, the epic that dominates nearly 24 minutes of the album is fantastic and is undoubtedly the highlight of the album. The themes are interwoven perfectly well throughout the song's duration, and every individual section is unforgettable. Still it isn't really a true suite I think it can rivaling with some of Yes best material after the 70's. "The Man You Always Wanted Me To Be" is a classic ballad when Squire and David sing harmony as the chorus lifts. It has some interesting lyrics, I think. It has also a great Howe soloing with Squire doing a great job on bass in support, as usual. White's drums are right on target as always too. "Life On A Film Set", musically is very good and combines many of the best qualities of both albums, "Magnification" and "Drama". Lyrically it doesn't have that incredible spiritual quality of the lyrics I can remember when Jon writes, but the music makes up for what is lacking in spirit. "Hour Of Need" is full of great keys from Downes and great solo guitar from Howe. The vocal harmonies aren't bad, but the die hard fans will spot perhaps the lack of some lyrical development. The music is also good as always. These are top notch professional musicians and nothing slides in terms of their musicianship. "Solitaire" is Howe at his acoustic and electric very best. The track brings back the tradition of including a solo guitar track that used to be a common place. With Howe, you know, it's gonna be unique and extraordinary and this new track is no exception. "Into The Storm" is the closing of the album. It opens with that classic Squire's bass lines and keys, with Howe squeezing out the electric guitar. It has some great instrumental work supported with great harmony singing. This is a nice pop track that closes the album on a happy note. Not the classic epic closings we are all familiar with from the past, but, it still is a nice ending to the album.

Conclusion: When many of us expected the end of the old dinosaurs, Yes were back, thirty years later, with their most commercial line up, and they did it again. The Buggles strike back and made "Drama, Part 2", and once more they won the battle. Like "Drama", "Fly From Here" is a different Yes' album. If we play "Fly From Here" to a friend who is familiar with Yes he probably wouldn't recognize the band. However, this isn't a bad thing. Here, we haven't guitar solos, keyboard solos or duels between guitar and keyboards. Here we have a band playing music cohesively. The lyrics are less spiritual and worldlier, the vocals are something between Anderson and Horn and the music sounds modern and less symphonic. Still, "Fly From Here" is a very good album without weak points, a true very enjoyable surprise, really.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*

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