YES - It Matters: Jon Anderson In His Own Words
October 14, 2008 · Print This Article
ClassicRockForever Exclusive: We take it for granted – or maybe forget – but hearing “Roundabout” on the radio in 1972 was a very big deal. People didn’t quite know what to make of it …especially when it was sandwiched between Donny Osmond’s “Puppy Love” and a Bobby Vinton song. There was a lot going on with that tune - and it didn’t fit into any particular music box. After the usual “classical meets rock” observations, chatter seemed to revolve around the same two things – the lyrics (“mountains coming out of the sky?”) and “that guy’s” voice.
The creative force of Jon Anderson and his distinctive voice was our companion as we moved from AM to FM and our record collections expanded from singles to albums. I can still hear the shrink-wrap pop and see the needle drop on Close To Edge for the first time in a dorm room filled with 19 year olds.
Fast forward 35 years and we’re all grown up – empty nesters maybe. We’ve been to more concerts in the past year than we’ve been to in the past ten. Most of the bands that really meant something to us are on tour, and damn it, we’re going to see them this time – because we might never get another chance to see them again. Bands like YES. Well, maybe.
The YES 40th Anniversary tour was cancelled this past summer after Jon Anderson was put out of commission and ordered to rest for six months due to a respiratory ailment. A few weeks later it was announced that there would be a tour after all. The “In The Present” tour would be kicking off in November –fronted by a singer who hailed from a YES tribute band – and discovered on YouTube. So we would have our chance to see YES in concert. Right?
Well, not according to “that voice”. Soon after the new lineup for the tour was announced, Jon Anderson had an announcement of his own: “This is not YES on tour”. He checked in with ClassicRockForever this week to help clear up some of the confusion and shed some light on the future.
ClassicRockForever (CRF) It’s been a couple of months since the news about your health – do you have any updates that you’d like to share?
Jon Anderson (JA) As for my health now, I truly feel reborn, it’s gonna take some months before I can do shows, but my dreams are coming true. I have so many blessings, my wonderful Angel Janee, my beautiful kids, friends and family and fans alike. Their words of love and kindness have touched me beyond belief - and I am so thankful to the Stanford Hospital here in Palo Alto for helping me through this part of my life journey and of course Divine Mother for shining Her light always.
(CRF) Here’s a recent quote from Chris Squire to Billboard.com: “Unfortunately Jon has had these health problems for the last few years, which is why it’s taken such a long time (since 2004) to have any YES shows out there. We’ve had to be very respectful of the fact he’s not been well and he’s been in and out of the hospital having quite a few major procedures. If Jon is well again next year, he’ll be back.” Do you see things the same way?
(JA) Like most people my age, I’m now 64 this month, the body/mind goes through so many changes. I feel that my health has always been strong enough for the band …up until 2004. There had been too many tours, too much friction from outside of the band. This had made it impossible to keep touring the way YES truly should - and with NO new music, a lack of passion for the music and each other, and no real promotion of who YES truly is, etc., things just looked so bleak. That’s why I suggested a break for 6 months, maybe do a progressive acoustic CD, and tour on a different style of touring, semi-acoustic for a while, and less shows per year…just for us to realize who we were. We were not communicating as a band should, both Rick and myself could see it happening, but sadly the others just wanted to keep going down that same touring spiral …that’s why YES hasn’t toured, it happens to the best.
(CRF) In the interim – where do your other passions lead you… to the School Of Rock?
(JA) Just very interesting times these days, musically, I’ve never felt more alive, working this last couple of years with (Paul Green’s) The School Of Rock opened my eyes, these young people- boys and girls, playing YES music ZAPPA music BEATLE music, with so much heart and love of it, so exciting. There will be new music; there will be modern music from these kids and others all over the world. Music is easy I say, it’s the business that’s tough and dangerous…$$$$$$ all around you…the big hustle to make stars and then what??? I’ve never bought into it…music is all too powerful.
There will always be great songs popping up here and there, and excellent artists to sing and play them…it has always been the case…
but vibrant MUSIC of the spheres, that’s what I need, that’s what I yearn to hear more clearly everyday… and to be part of that experience…thank the musical Gods for the young at heart.
(CRF) Maybe The School Of Rock could educate me about those mountains coming out of the sky – and just standing there.
(JA) “Roundabout” was written on the way back from a gig; in Northern Scotland, we were heading for Glasgow to do a final show, then home to London, there must have been a dozen or so ’roundabout’s’ on that winding road…. the mountains left and right of the road went vertically up into the sky…with low lying thick clouds…so the mountains just disappeared up into the sky. So in some ways it was about traveling, doing gigs, getting home, 24 (hours) before my love, ”I’ll be there with you”…originally 8 minutes long. In those far off days, we just wrote until we finished, checked the time of the song later.
It was a shock when we heard the song on the radio for the first time…that ‘edit’ was so bad, so unmusical, but man, we got radio. Touring in those days was very special, we were young and very reserved, very into music, and I was wondering why me all the time, why? Would YES become famous and have a hit record even? Damn we were so lucky and I always impressed on the band how lucky we were.
(CRF) Close To The Edge really was a “listening event” in its own right. Still is.
(JA) Steve Howe and myself were always writing songs and ideas, we were very close at that time, that’s how the Close To The Edge time came. I was listening to the composer Jean Sibelius a heck of lot on tour, while reading Lord Of The Rings…. so I suggested we try some extended works…. it was a musical breakthrough on so many levels…the CD still sounds great…but to perform Close To The Edge on stage…wow…what a trip…with the staging, dry ice, we created a whole different musical world for us and the people who came to see us.
One of the amazing things about surviving 35/40 years, is you can revisit music written 25/30 years ago, as we did over the last 10 years of our touring, until 2004, just to perform “Gates Of Delirium”, and ”Revealing”, even ”Ritual” and Close To The Edge, sometimes with full orchestra or just the band playing, and realize that this music has a very special place in modern rock music. Call it what you will, but it still is wonderful to perform and worth all the toil, sweat and at times frustration.
YES — Maybe
It seems that sites like YouTube and MySpace are the new temp agencies for legendary bands heading out on tour without a lead vocalist. First Boston and Journey, now YES. Rock concerts are once again becoming the perfect entertainment prescription for BabyBoomers. However, when it comes to Classic Rock, a generic doesn’t always “work like its brand name equivalent in dosage, strength and performance.”
Regarding the upcoming YES tour (starting November 4th), we’ll know how it shakes out soon enough. And the future? Just ask “that voice” for the definitive answer.
(Jon Anderson) “YES music is and always will be worth performing and listening to, and I feel very proud to have been a part of it. Hopefully we will get back together and perform in the coming years, I truly hope so, the fans deserve it, and so do we. As Rumi says, ‘We have fallen into a place where everything is music’.”
Copyright 2008 ClassicRockForever
I saw Jon at Castle Devin in Bratislava in August (photos may be viewed via my concerts page using the above link) and he was in fine fettle. As I mentioned in my comments on my webpage, I don’t think Jon would be able to do those really LONG tours and judging by his comments, he feels much the same. I have bought a ticket to see YES in November in London but would much rather have Jon on stage with them (why not Benoit David on backing vocals?) . Personally, a new album is imperative. Don’t know if I would want to acoustic, though.
http://www.bigfoot.com/~pgroves/yes_link.htm
I grew up listening to progressive rock, I was born in 1979. Every time I hear those amazing vocals, and that perfect music, I’m covered in goosebumps. It’s absolutely amazing, I’m taken on a journey every single time.
Thank you.
Roxy
I saw Yes 18 times, 3 times in one week, the last time was last fall without Jon, the guys still have a ton of talent, but it’s not Yes without Jon. I was at the Philly concert where there were about 130,000 people, it was the “Relayer” tour with Patrick Moraz. “Gates of Delirium” is as good as it gets. The classic Yes line-up is pure magic. I played drums in a band for years, we played a bunch of Pink Floyd, old Genesis, Zeppelin and Yes. It was great some people hated us (wanted to dance), some people loved us, we loved the people that loved us. I hope Jon gets healthy so they can play together again……
YES has been my whole life.
Thanks so much.
Rex W. Bonham
Indiana
Thank you for this interview. There are alot of different opinions about this tour. Mine is that Yes is a movement and an orchestra as well as a group, the history proves this, and we have to respect it. But Yes is also about more than music, including the spirit behind it and the spirit of life. We owe Jon Anderson for that, and we owe him alot, and every fan knows it. So, here’s hoping he recuperates soon, and gets on with the music and spirit we want and need. “The strength regains us in between our time”.
Mark
Maybe Steve, Allen, and Chris will see what it’s like to be missing both Jon and Rick at the same time and realize what a bummer it is without them. I sure all those guys really love each other down deep. They’ve all been such a beautiful part of each other-
Jon never really answered tyhe questions… Just say your in or out. Don’t leave the other guys hanging, they are talented too and need to earn a living. Us fans want to hear the music, see the band, and thats that. Lets not make it so damn political and about your inter feelings, soul and yatta yatta. Just remember who made you who you are… in part the fans…. Yes you have the talent Jon, but we paved the way and paid your way through life by supporting you financially, now pay us the respect and get out on the road and repay your fans, put your differences asside and pay your respect to your fans.
Jon’s voice–both literally and lyrically–forms much of the “heart of the sunrise” experience that so many, many people feel uniquely from YES music. These experiences clearly transcend generations and cultures, touching for 40+ years (!) the core of our humanity, our rootedness to the earth, to the cosmos, and to one another at the most ecstatic times in our lives. For myself, someone who doesn’t just listen to YES music, but who rather “inhabits” the multi-dimensional space that YES music inevitably creates, I’m both curious and elated to hear this band (In The Present) in such small, intimate venues–and I am thrilled to bring my 16 year-old daughter, herself now a musician deeply inspired by YES music, but who hasn’t ever seen them play live. Will we miss Jon? Absolutely and completely! Do we respect Benoit for leaping onto such a sheer, exposed precipice? Absolutely and completely! I think this will be a quite enjoyable interlude while Jon recovers fully.
Will this be the same depth of experience wrought by the “classic” YES musicians? No. Will it be cool to hear interpretations from “Drama”, “Tormato”, and perhaps even “Keysstudio”? Absolutely! I remember Rick saying “There will always be a YES” about ten years ago. This has proved somewhat prophetic given Oliver’s role on the present tour. Has Rick already passed the torch to Oliver? Perhaps so. This is the natural and, in some sense, regal course that each YES band member must ultimately follow.
Those who truly cherish YES–for the unique ways in which these incredibly talented, wry, and magnificent musicians have managed to give birth collaboratively to such a non-formulaic and ingenious opus of modern music for 40 years–should embrace any opportunity to experience original YES members playing live together. Soon this will no longer be possible. But when that day comes, I hope that other equally talented, vital embodiments of musical genius will interpret YES’ music and take it into their own stratospheres. The sunset of this “present” surely betokens a simultaneous sunrise–and both are uniquely beautiful from their respective vantage points. Surely Jon’s eternal voice will always resonate through others’ expression of his vision. And, in time, this will be true with Chris, Steve, Alan, and Rick (or Tony or Patrick or Bill)–though it can be peculiarly painful to conceive.
For my daughter’s sake–she has played harp for nearly 10 years and aches to see Jon’s hands pluck his magical white harp on stage–I hope the “real” YES will tour once more. We live for that day. But if this cannot be, then I will delight in the daring of other respected musical cohorts who venture into the wild Elysian forests, mist-shrouded lakes, and craggy pinnacles of YES music–and into Jon’s transcendent solar lyrics. Like modern-day bards, soon others will have to take up YES music as their own, investing their souls and sinews to the task, and take it on the road. Failing that, we will only have our memories of YES, digital archives of sound, and a receding window through which to perceive the infinite.
I wish they would make one last new album to get the manification taste out of our mouths.
Squire,Howe…etc…You have not gained any respect from me and hopefully other Yes fans.This isn’t Yes in concert.Why dont you get some new music out with Jon…Then touring can come later.Your not the same band I once loved….
I love Jon and always will. But I love YES way, way more.
If it came to strictly music I believe their efforts as individual artists could never compare to what they can achieve as a whole (except for Squire maybe. His Fish Out of Water is truly a masterpiece) regardless of the members at the time. It seems that not so much the members, but the institution and the respect for it has always found chemistry and balance.
Whatever their (unnecessary) internal politics might be, I think Jon should not only understand but support and incite the rest into going on tour.
I find it respectable that Chris, Steve and Alan are going on tour and taking chances, and I love that they are at least considering playing rare material. I saw Queen in concert 3 weeks ago in Paris and I thank the gods Brian and Roger are doing this. They were amazing live, Paul is superb, their new album is great and best of all, they took chances and went for it.
Of course I want to see Yes with Jon again, but if it is just for a tour with the same songs Jon insists on doing and no new album, well, I’m not convinced.
I think Jon is way wrong if he thinks that at least the majority of people want to hear the same songs. That’s simply not the case. To make matters worse, their last 10 or so DVD’s have the same damn songs (with very minor exceptions) and that is NOT adventurous.
Even though I really like Roundabout, And you And I, Seen All Good People, etc. I just don’t think I’d be able to sit through another concert of the same. i really think I’d walk out.
I think this line up is doing some stuff from Drama. Well, for me even one song from that album would justify my suffering of the standards (please don’t get me wrong, I love music more than anything and Yes is and has been my favorite band for over 20 years now). Anything from Tormato and why not, new music even with this line up. just something new, anything, I’m tired of the waiting and it seems that my heroes are letting me down.
The best of luck to Yes (not “of”) with their present tour. I’m doing my outmost to be able to catch them in Florida all the way from Paris.
I truly hope Jon trades some of his “divine” talk for HUMBLE actions. He IS ONE voice of Yes and a huge part of it. But I don’t think HE IS Yes.
I wish Jon a full and speedy recovery.
Thank you
I was told jon insists on getting more money than the rest of the band when they go on tour. what a hypocrite!
Jon,
I wish for you to recieve a full and joyeous recovery sonn and hope to see you tour with YES again soon as well.
Imainly hope that you do whatever makes you feel whole again and whatever you believe is best for your well being.
Although I myself would like to see you touring again soon, I want you to do only what you feel is best for you.
You’ve already given us so much of yourself and I don’t want for you to drain yourself of your special gift just for us fans. It would be great to see you alive and well for a long time to come. So stay whole and strong.
P.S.: I also want to be considered a candidate as a roadie for YES or yourself whenever tours or shows are happening. I have already worked with most of YES’s road crew in the past and and have done pretty much a little of everything working with your crew as a stagehand.I’ve even set up your riser & instruments several times and would love to ne one of the crew in any department where there may be an opening.
I’ve always appreciated working for YES and always will but instead of working on the Local crew I’d rather be with the Road Crew. Please keep me in mind for anytime in the future.
Thank you,
Michael Songco (grasshopper)
IATSE #84 JOURNEYMAN-Hartford, CT
Jon,
Here’s to a joyous 65th birthday this weekend! While you are certainly are entitled to a comfortable retirement at this point, we dearly hope to see you on stage again soon.
We wish you the strength to keep spreading love and unity in everything you do! You are an inspiration to us all!
With best wishes for a speedy and full recovery,
-John
Living in New York now, I grew up in Missouri, where Progressive Rock was not mainstream (but Classic Rock was). Born in 1966, by the time I started listening to the radio and Casey Casem’s American Top 40, the closest thing we had to Prog was ELO, Kansas, Styx, Journey, etc., which were pop/rock evolutions from the “Prog Era” of the late 60’s and early 70’s.
Funny while in the Midwest I was in classic rock bands, and I had to move to New York to get introduced to Prog, and now I’m in a “Progressive Classical” band (with Tony Levin as our guest bassist).
Needless to say, I’ve never seen YES live, and am very excited to have 12th row seats to the upcoming concert in New York in November. I’m sorry that Jon won’t be singing, especially after meeting him backstage after a School of Rock concert, and having further personal communication with him afterwards, but I understand his health conditions, and I understand that the other band members need to make a living.
I hope that Jon’s health fully recovers, and that the communication improves within the band, so that I and thousands/millions of others might be able to see them again live.
Now, if we could just get Bill Bruford on drums . . .
Thank you for this interview.
Dr. Andrew Colyer
I can’t believe that the other members of Yes…
Could make such a decision…
Without at least consulting Jon.
But what’s worse is…
None of the members of Yes…
Even called to see how Jon was doing in 6 months
Same kind of thing happened to a good friend of mine
I thought it was low then..
And it’s low now
It is very…very sad
Don’t know if I can look at the other band members
in the same way anymore
But…
Yes music is still the best
Peace, Love, & Music to Jon
@Anais:
It’s partly a matter of something as prosaic as schedules, so don’t be too hard on them. They couldn’t wait just a few months for Jon because Steve is committed to Asia (!) for the greater part of next year, having made his plans while there was still a 40th Anniversary Yes tour on the drawing board. It’ll be nearly a year and a half before they next get a chance to tour with Jon. I don’t like it, either, but after waiting for four years, I suppose Chris, Steve, and Alan reached a point where they felt they had to do something.
As a fan of the band since ‘75 I’ve seen Yes go through many phases in their career. This seems merely another of those, albeit with a little more Anderson vs Squire politics involved. Thankfully, “In the present” isn’t being billed as a Yes tour per se…which should possibly placate the legion of Jon-followers. That he has been [temporarily?] substituted by a tribute singer has certainly angered a proportion of the hardcore fanbase (ref alt.music.yes and yesfans.com) altho another section of yes fandom seems to appreciate that at least a 0.6 version of “Classic Yes” will be going out and playing shows in 2008….as is their right.
Technically, Squire & Co aren’t touring as ‘Yes’. They’re supposed to be billed as Howe, Squire and White of Yes, plus two guests. Of course it’s three guys of Yes playing Yes tunes, so the distinction is at best subtle, and to some, ridiculous. But there it is.
The main interesting thing about this tour, to an old fan, is that it means they can do some of the catalog tunes that Jon Anderson wouldn’t do.
If we all want Yes to live on, and I’m sure we do - I’ve always felt that the members would slowly have to be replaced as they expired. As for tribute band guy, I saw the video of him and well he’s no JA but shit he’s better than trevor horn was. Frankly I’d like to see Bjork as the frontman, Tom Brislin on keys, Doug Wimbish on Bass and that kid who played that symphony on his guitair on you tube for so long on guitair, Drummer whatever. Don’t get me wrong - I’m a huge fan. But with all great music it has to be performed to live, It just might be with a different orchestra.
I’ve got nothing against Squire & co. going out on the road without Jon Anderson at all….but it’s not Yes.
Though they were recorded before I was born, I’ve great admiration for the musical inventiveness that Yes displayed in their first five records. For that reason, I’ve investigated the band’s history and have learnt about the remarkable drive, determination, and sheer musical genius of the band’s chief architect and founder, Jon Anderson.
So it is very sad to learn how, as the band approached its 40th anniversary, and Jon developed health problems that prevented him form touring to celebrate that anniversary, Msrs. Squire, Howe and Allen made the decision not to wait for Jon to recover from his illness but, instead, engaged a karaoke-singing-croissant to replace him on tour - all without so much as bothering to inquire about Jon’s health, much less consult with him about their plans to tour without him!
Thus, the sheer disrespect that they have shown towards the man whose creative energy and vision has been the guiding light behind the band’s entire history, simply reflects the extent to which Squire and Howe, in particular, put their monetary interests ahead of the band’s musical and personal integrity.
To state it more clearly, Squire and Howe’s decision to tour without Jon is motivated by sheer greed and stupidity!
Yuuuuuuuuuuuck!!!!