FLY FROM HERE

YES 2011. 'Fly From Here'. I actually wasn't expecting anything this worthwhile from these guys. Actually, I latched onto YES with their 'Big Generator' release back in the 80's, which was O.K. but too much on the commercial side of things. Wanting to see what all the fuss was about this band's earlier material, I acquired the brilliant 'Fragile' release. 'nuff said (it's even a frad better than 'Close to the Edge' for me). Well, 1999's 'The Ladder' release of theirs showed me they still had the chops to produce some impressive Sympho-Prog, but ultimately filling much of the album with what I consider as clever, musically technical 'Pop' music. Of course, being a BIG fan of the splendid DRAMA album (as well as the 2 memorable synth-pop BUGGLES albums), I really didn't know what to expect with this release, over 30 years on, in an over 40 year career.... I love it !!! I'm also very happy that it got a vinyl release (well, CD just doesn't cut it when it comes to Roger Dean artwork...) First and foremost, new vocalist Benoit David has a very fitting voice for this band, a blend of all - Jon Anderson, Chris Squire & Trevor Horn, as well as himself (obviously) !! And the music on the album hasn't sounded this much 'Yes' since the Drama album. Having mentioned this, some of the material here were left-overs from that 1980 period. Trevor Horn is rather low-key, only contributing extra keyboards and vocals, though his production is beautiful and full sounding, providing justice to all parties concerned. Squire is one of the best when it comes to 4 strings and he is no slouch here, and Howe's guitars stand out majestically. He seems to be having a jolly ol' time. The drums from Alan White are simple for the most part, but his sound is solid and superb, adding the right amount of 'oomph' without straying into un-necessary over-indulgence (I have no problem with flashy ego-tripping, but this music doesn't need it). Regarding the keyboards - I miss Rick Wakeman, though there's a glimpse of his son Oliver on some of the tracks (buggered if he stands out though....). Geoff Downes' style is lush, symphonic and adequate, he uses quality sounds and his skills are impeccable. Without analysing the entire album's set ( I can't add much new without boring you readers, indeed if there are any.....) but 'A sad night at the Airfield' is a magnificent, emotional piece from the get-go, and the final track 'Into The Storm' is quality YES music. The weakest moment would go to to the sympathetic ode 'Hour Of Need', but the rest is satisfying Yes-prog, even if a little lite and safe. Overall, this album means 4 stars to me.