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  • Actually, the narrator is wrong on one point. Anderson did leave Yes in the late '80s, but then he and several members did ABWH and then Yes reformed in 1991 and did Union and the subsequent world tour in the round (which I saw!). Then there were seemingly endless permutations of the band throughout the 1990s.

  • I will never see Yes without Jon there. And I lost a lot of respect for the rest of the band when they just threw him to the wayside.

  • The interview was at the ArtsQuest facility (SteelStax) in Bethlehem, Pa. Behind Jon is the former blast furnaces of Bethlehem Steel. There is an indoor cafe and outdoor stage. Nice place for concerts.

  • Jon just talking about whatever, sounds ten times better and more musical--and more like YES, than Steve, Chris, and Alan with that fruity imposter/wannabe all together on stage.

    I'd rather listen to Jon read the phone book, than have to sit through an entire song of "Benoit Balls"-David.

    As for hiring a replacement that looks like Jon at 30, Jon looks VERY good. Probably because he knows when to slow down. Chris and Steve? Well, just...not so good.

  • Until Jon doesn't rejoin the band, what we fans have is just Karaoke Yes.

    A singer without lyrics writing skills, is just pathetic.

  • Jon sung on the 2nd side of King Crimson's 3rd album, Lizard.

    He was outstanding.

  • Jon. Yes. No Jon. No.

  • This is just MAD. No one can replace Jon Anderson!

  • no jon no yes

  • John simply cannot be replaced. Yes may continue on but they can never be the same without him. It's a shame they can't even keep in touch with him after so many years together.

  • Christ almighty - he's developed a bloody YANK ACCENT.

    God, I HATE that. My respect from him has gone through the floor.

  • @PhilK112 On what planet is that a yank accent? LMAO. Still sounds like a yob.

  • @bobbydimarzio Er...you may not be on planet Earth, but that was the accent was an accent when a Brit is too influenced by Yank accents around him. I hate that. For example Suzi Quatro is from the Bronx, and has lived in the UK since the early 70s when she was a pop star. Still has her accent. As it should be. Bill Bryson (great writer) lived in Britain for a similar length of time, still has mid-west accent.

    Wilfred Hyde-White lived in USA since second world war. Still sounded as if in London

  • @bobbydimarzio

    I agree. What part of the midwest or Boston or New York or L.A. does he sound like he's from? Jon has obviously seen better days, but few have accomplished what he has in his career. And, right now his biggest accomplishment is the evident grace that he has when others would be bitter or petty. Jon, once great, always great!

  • I like Yes and have seen them live a couple of times. When did this split happen?? Can anyone let me know?

  • I'm not Jon but I can tell you that YES doesn't mean anything - not in the way you mean. The name was suggested by Peter Banks, and agreed on "until we find a better one". One of the ideas behind the name was that a short name would be large on concert bills... clever, eh?

  • @Bietel It WAS clever.

  • @PhilK112 Even better than The Who, in that respect. And they never found a better name in all those years, either :-)

  • By the way Jon Anderson, what the initials YES means? is it Young Energy song ? Young Energy Social, Young Eclipsy Service. could you or anyone please response to me? Thanks !

  • @juansihi Y ou're E xceptionally S illy!!!

  • We all still love you Jon, and you will always be Yes for most of us no matter how many lead singers Squire finds to try and imitate you!

  • I'm just surprised that any of them "Needs" to tour for the money. With all the record sells over the years and all the massively successful tours from the early seventies through the eighties you would think they could have put enough money away to retire. I suppose they're very bright when it comes to Music--maybe a little dim when it come to money management.

  • @univibe23 Ah well, that's hardly any news... good musician doesn't equal good businessman. Only very few rock stars have a grasp of financial matters - Gene Simmons being one of the exceptions.

  • Yes without the voice of Jon Anderson??? NOT THE SAME! IT WON'T WORK!

  • im about to cry

  • Jon Anderson and Rick Wakeman are the heart, and especially the soul of YES. Jon is very much a better person by forgiving his former bandmates.

  • @tim3955 Anderson and Wakeman left in 1979 because they couldn't see a way forward with Yes for themselves. We can talk about disagreements and we can watch individual band members' testimony of why they thought the band was wrong and they were right. There is 40+ years of history here, a million things went on that we will never know about. As much as I love Jon, he was part of a machine, not the engine. If people want to talk about the heart of Yes then consider Chris Squire.

  • @NarcissistsDie Well the least they could have done is send a get well card. I have been listening to Yes for almost 40 years and the main reason that I listened was because of the vocals (but not Chris or Steve because they can't sing) and the keyboards, and of course the guitar. I don't know how much music was written by Squire (I would have to research that) but the good news is that Anderson and Wakeman are performing and so is YES, so life goes on.

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  • Yes without jon anderson sounds like shit in concert. They dont rehearse enough and their equipment is crap, P.A system and all, only to save money at the expense of their fans. Never again would i see yes without Jon. To the person who said steve howe is rude, yes he is!

  • @posttyped11 I agree with you on the spinach thing, whereas on the 'eat more red meat'...mate, you are SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO wrong that I can't believe it! I've been a vegetarian for over 25 years and I NEVER EVER get sick...not even a fucking cold, I'm not boasting about it, I just wanted to give another angle on that. Peace and Peas!

  • 1) Jon, we'd hate to lose you, you ARE Yes. eat some red meat and spinach. 2) Greedy management, stop running your dogs until they die. I don't blame this dog for barking and walking away.

  • what was the name of the last song? tnx

  • @think2go you should know this! Awaken.

  • Jon, eat some meat once in a while and you wouldn't get sick.

  • jon anderson - the only man who sounds the same both singing and speaking

  • @newfuckingwave lol yeah his voice is sooo high! ahahahaha love Yes though!

  • this is about the worst job of uploading...can't go 10 seconds without endless streaming.....awful

  • Dam- that interview was done about 3 blocks from where I grew up-->at Bethlehem Steel.

  • For me, this is called injustice with Jon, one of the greatest rock singers of all time! The other musicians of Yes did not realize that the voice is a natural and requires more care. God bless you Mr. Jon Anderson!

  • Sorry to hear that they are such cads. One of the best bands of all times, saw them twice in the late 70s.

  • He nearly died? What happened?

  • Yes is history. Good history, but still in the past. I'm all for something radically new, wild, and unexpected, so try this on for size: a new supergroup consisting of Jon Anderson and the surviving members of Queen. No, it wouldn't be Yes, and it wouldn't be Queen, either, but that's the point. Unless, of course, you're in the "old dog new tricks" camp...

  • Jon sort of reminds me of Graham Nash in this interview. His is the ONLY voice of Yes.

  • Jon is the voice of YES, to me "Drama" wasn't a YES album; it was Chris Squire's project.

  • it would be cool if jon anderson lives to be like 250 years old. Id definitely go see him in concert (i mean if i was alive in the 23rd century)

  • this is pretty low. having met Yes a couple of times i can honestly say jon was the only one other than rick wakeman who made any effort to look bothered to be greeting the fans. steve howe always has been outright rude. so shows you why they just dropped their friend from all them years. best regards to jon from the uk.

  • Sorry, I can't understand the 'band's need to tour'. Yes without Jon is not Yes. They are making a nice enough living without touring. I am sorry for Jon. Episodes like this shakes one's confidence in the integrity of this band which, I must add, have been my all time favourite band since the early 70s.

  • @andrewnorris2 Maybe it's more than just a financial need. Other issues and ethics aside: maybe they just wanted to go out and play music. Whether or not they should call it Yes, well now...

  • I guess the interview was taken in Bethlehem, PA

  • Rick and Jon were so much of the Yes sound. Of course, Howe was as well, Squire to a lesser but still powerful extent. I'd go see Rick and Jon in a flash, if they came close by. Higher than even Sting's voice, Anderson's is understood when you hear him speak. Very high-ranging voice, likely softened by age and illness. Still great to hear him, though. Hearing him brings back wonderful memories.

  • @philipatoz Jon has always been the voice of Yes, but a huge part of what made (makes?) the Yes sound was Chris' vocals, blending with Jon's, and I daresay Chris is singing backing vocals that are at least as challenging as Jon's lead vocals (and doing bass at the same time, ouch!). One can replace Jon with a soundalike, but the blending of two voices that have been singing together for so many years can not be reproduced within a couple of months of rehearsal.

  • Jon IS YES ! Period!.

  • DITTO !

  • Jon sounds like he never left the 70's.Yes needs to tour to make money,and they can't command top dollar anymore, so that means lots of shows.Their album sales market is too limited now for them to sit back and cash royalty cheques after putting out a new cd.I do appreciate his vocal and health issues though, time marches on,No point seeing Yes without him though, that would be like seeing Styx without...........nevermind

  • @kissed61 I would see Styx now without lounge lizard Dennis in a heartbeat. He wanted to take them in a totally non rock direction and had to go. This situation is quite different.

  • @kyla2112 Different direction?

    I think they're both nostalgia acts now, the days of changing musical directions are in the rear view

  • With so much missing must have been tough to use the name.

  • @rainwatrs I agree,maybe change it to "Yeah Kinda"

  • A lot of egos in rock 'n roll. This band has had rotating members for years. Chris Squire seems to be the only constant.

  • when did he become the foreman at a steel mill?

  • @kpl1228 Times are hard, Guy's gotta eat!!!

  • Jon Anderson is a fantastic vocalist and the definitive voice for Yes. But he's being a crybaby about this. "I got really sick 5 or 6 years ago and just wanted to have a break." Jesus Christ, if I called in to work and said I'll be sick for the next 6 years they'd fire my ass on the spot. No tears for Jon Anderson here. Kudos to the band for trying to keep it going (even though it sucks).

  • @MyGalSeven

    Jon knew something was wrong. His voice was failing from his worsening lung issues and if a singer keeps singing through that they can damage their voices to the point it would never be the same again. People dont understand how demanding singing on a nightly basis is and Jon is not a young man. I find your rather insensitive comment shortsighted and obviously from someone that has no clue about what it is like to be a full time musician. Oh and he nearly died.. TWICE !

  • @turdhat singing is a very physical thing to do.

  • @turdhat Your name fits. Jon didn't get the the concessions he wanted from Yes so he toured with Wakeman instead. You fell for the fanboy smokescreen, but if you had a clue about the music industry you'd know it's a business, and people are held to contractual obligations. He CHOSE not to tour. He wasn't on his deathbed for "five or six years", moron.

  • @MyGalSeven That's pretty low man. I'd rather see the guy hang it up for good then read about him in the obituaries. Touring as a musician will take it's toll on everybody... doesn't matter who you are. Like he said, he's not 30 anymore. But happy to see he's still into his music.

  • Jon is the king of that band. I am sorry, but it can never be the same; it is his spirit that makes Yes-Yes, and now it may as well be called Maybe or Sometimes.

  • I just do NOT get why Jon doesn't get some accompanyment these days. I, and hundreds - maybe thousands of other folks who grew up playing his music would love to tour with Jon.

  • @lastdaysguitar Could it be that even Jon at some point considers 'twice the amount of musicians means twice the amount of people having to be paid'? I think it would sound a lot better if he would have a good guitarist there, someone who can do a bit more than this guitar-wise. Seriously, Jon sings great and I grew up with Yes music, but Jon's guitar playing is - well, let's say his singing is so good that he deserves better accompaniment.

  • @Bietel He can't be that strapped for cash can he?.. I sure hope it's not greed or fear of paying folks that is keeping him doing this, and I REALLY REALLY hope it's not a prideful shot at the Yes band.

    Either way I agree 100% that he deserves better accompaniment - this is not the quality of sound expected of Jon Anderson.

  • @lastdaysguitar A prideful shot... no, I don't think so, Jon doesn't sound too bitter about the whole thing. Maybe doing solo gigs simply means 'less hassle' and I could definitely understand that!

  • I love Jon's music, but it is a business, like he acknowledges. I could listen to classics over and over anyways. Jon has given enough music to last me a lifetime. Wish Jon the best and thanks for his great artistry. Now I'm off to listen to Olias...

  • I agree with most of you that the current line-up is NOT Yes. Honestly, Fly From Here sounds more like The Buggles than Drama did. Though Drama is a great album, I don't really see it as a Yes album either. I think they should have called themselves Drama and just had a one-off sort of thing like GTR.

  • So, what is the voice of that guy who's singing instead of Jon? :o

  • No Anderson....No Yes. It IS THAT strange a dichotomy indeed......

  • It's odd how prog bands like Yes,Genesis,King Crimson,Van der Graaf Generator,ELP, can be narrowed down to just one member , I guess Yes is Chris Squire; Genesis:Tony Banks ; King Crimson: Robert Fripp ; Van Der Graaf Generator: Peter Hammill ; ELP:Keith Emerson ...sad to see a partnership/friends break up over one lousy tour in Jon and chris' sake .

  • well Squire has been in Yes the longest that's for sure, and I know what your talking about with the whole idea of how there seems to be one primary contributing member, but I also think that the whole band in Yes is just incredibly talented and I never narrowed it down like that for Yes. I mean to me the Yes I am most familiar with is Jon, Chris, Rick and Steve and they share a lot of the spotlight in my eyes. Though, to me I find that the singer is usually the key member of any group usually.

  • Yes is not Jon Anderson. Yes is the sum of whoever is in the band, as long as Chris Squire is there its Yes. Jon is happy doing his own thing, Yes are happy doing theirs. You have a choice, go see Jon, go see Yes, or both or neither. Or just listen to the records. Easy really.

  • @TheSteveMcvey

    Sorry, pal. This far downstream they should have shown much more respect for Jon; the parting had more to due with Jon's illness than with philosophical differences.

    The episode tarnishes Yes.

  • This summer I saw Yes and Jon Anderson perform a couple of weeks apart. Yes appeared to be just going through the motions. It was stale. Jon appeared to be very fragile onstage. His show was the most memorable and satisfying though. Because of his health, it occurred to me then that Jon won't be with us anymore some day. I spent the last part of that show trying not to cry and be glad that I had another opportunity to see this icon of music.

  • decent bloke jon is i gotta say...spiritual and down to earth at the same time..cant believe he nearly died... keep it up jon ..theres not many left like u now,,,,,,,,

  • The fact that they simply wanted to go faster than he was able doesn't make them cold-hearted. I hope they all are wise enough to not be jealous of his success.

    The sad part, as Jon Anderson said, is they didn't keep in contact and support him during his troubles. It sounds like MAYBE Rick Wakeman was the exception.

  • YES, and many other great bands (JETHRO TULL, KING CRIMSON,EMERSON LAKE & PALMER, to name but a few) like them that emerged in late 1960s and went on to conquer the world with their music HAVE BEEN THE PRIDE OF ROCK MUSIC PURELY MADE IN GREAT BRITAIN.

  • the amount of energy Jon Anderson has spent on music in his life would be equivalent to 1000 lives for an ordinary artist.If you ever had the luck of being around in 1960s and seen a YES performance,you would get exhausted merely at the thought of how these guys played on stage with endless energy, and musicianship that was pushed to the limit of any human capability.From Drummer Bill Bruford to Jon to Lead Guitarist to Bassist, I thought these guys were going to drop dead any minute.They didn't

  • Here is one great thing for Jon Anderson. He gets paid anyway because he is a composer of many of Yes' biggest hits. Composers of his stature always get paid when they play their music on tour or anywhere and I'll bet he makes more than the current replacement. He is a real talent and I would go see him live over the current YES. The Yes lineup from the Close to Edge album was the greatest!

  • The music Yes created in their first 20 years is timeless and mostly great. The music business is far removed from what it takes to make great art and the business people who are behind the scenes want to make more and more $. There is little regard if you can't keep up. That's what happened to Jon Anderson and in today's internet age, people find replacements for icons regularly. Look at Ace from KISS or Steve Perry of Journey. The replacements are never as good but so what? Cold world!

  • I had the pleasure of meeting Jon Anderson when I was playing a gig in Miami many years ago. Being a fan of Yes, I approached him and introduced myself. He was kind, courteous and invited me to sit at his table in the restaurant, with his wife and road manager. What a cool guy! Watching videos of the current Yes. I can see that he is better off without them. The singer Benoit, is not of Jon's caliber. The band sounds tired and without Rick Wakeman, it's not as good . Good Luck to all!

  • Quite the sordid history with the band. I like most of the incarnations (from early stuff, 80's stuff, and even the late 90's), and I even don't mind the latest line-up. However, I find the latest album to be disappointing. It's not that Jon is missing. I just think it's quite boring. Still, I wish them all the best.

  • The whole sound of YES is, and always was, Anderson. The band are all great musicians, who find it hard to accept that YES is Anderson !

  • That karaoke ensemble have now their own THE YE$ ALBUM

  • Jon Anderson is a cheapskate, money grubbing self-opportiunist... poor Jon...Oh brother...

  • The decision to replace him with that canadien guy was the worst idea of all . The man cant shine jon Andersons shoes , he sucks and believe me I was stupid enough to go see them with this guy the whole band was off except for steve howe and also they were very low people had to shout turn it up all night . Please guys get back together again forgive and forget .

  • I have been at the Yes concerts in London in 2009 and in Oslo this december, and I regret to say that Benoit David is a terrible singer. I cannot understand why this outstanding musicians want this "Jon Anderson - wannabe" to be the new voice of Yes. They should be begging J.A. to come back. I heard him in London with Rick Wakeman, and he is still going strong. So...get rid of the canadian dude.....

  • This is Awaken, from Going For The One, often given as the best piece ever written by the band.

  • Hey YES fans, what Yes song are they performing at the end of this video with the killer church organ part?

  • There is NO YES without Anderson!

    I was seriously ill and dumped ny my band at the exact same time, so I know how he feels.

    Casting things back that happened 30+ years ago does no good IMO.

  • Stop complaining about poor Anderson's misfortune. I am in the camp of those who think there is no Yes without him. But he is not the cool loving guy you could imagine through his lyrics. He is just like the others, a selfish guy with a big bad ego and not that much compassion. Firing the others, for whatever reason, is big fun as long as you are on the right side. He is now experiencing what he did to so many others.

  • Kaye, Banks, Moraz, a sad neverending list... Not even a phone call from his mates when he was so bad ? Howe and Squire behave very badly, for sure, but no more as he did in the glory days. At this present day, neither Moraz nor Banks exactly know why there were pushed away. Wonderful music done by awful human beings... End of the line.

  • I'm sure Jon and the guys will get together again......Yee are to special not to be playing as a unit.....thanks for the music.....

  • It's hurtful to hear Jon Anderson talking this way. He would not say these things if they were not true. Jon Anderson had a dream over 40 years ago and that dream was "YES". Without Jon there is no true YES. I went to the House of Blues concert in 2008 to see Steve Howe and Chris Squire play ( Alan White too of course). It's about money of course. However,...as George Harrison said about John Lennon, "You were the one who imagined it all, all those years ago." So was Jon man,...So was Jon.

  • For me, Yes isn't Yes without Jon Anderson.

  • @DayGloClam I 2nd, 3rd and 4th that notion!

  • They're destined to do reunion concerts. A promoter will offer them a ton of money and that makes ticket prices crazy. I don't like how Jon wants sympathy for being asked to tour, then takes a break ... and goes on tour anyway.

  • @roccotool You obviously don't understand. Jon is not asking for sympathy for any decision of his. Because at the time, he didn't have any decision to make. He just COULDN'T tour, period. He didn't TAKE a break, his health forced him to stop. Had you followed Jon at the time, you'd know that he really was close to death. The rest of the band could have waited. And if they really needed to tour they could've worked with a TEMPORARY replacement. Instead, they abandoned Jon & did not keep in touch.

  • Love Yes; possibly my favorite band of all time. But, after watching lots and lots of their interviews over the years and the obvious changes in lineups from almost the very beginning, it's hard not to get the impression that the individuals in that band are simply indescribable pains in the dicks towards one another and something like this, despite it's intensity, is not really a surprise.

  • after hearing this, makes me want to get my money back for the tix I bought to see them when they played with Asia. How can you not be nice to Jon.

  • I hope he records a new album with Rick and Trevor.

  • one should respect both sides, just as Jon just explained it....deep inside they're still brothers; but YES would never have been without Jon, not the Yes we know, nothing close...nothing can change that

  • Towards the end of the 2nd original line up. they were recording tracks separately in the studio. Squire and White would lay down some guide tracking and then Howe would jump in . After that it was member by member on his own in the studio for final tracking etc. So there was always friction going on.

  • Jon is always a positive force. He has the opportunity to trash the band here and doesn't do it, he basically said they disagreed. He does seem a little hurt however. shame

  • @WintersWar Jon leaves it up to us, listeners, to decide if what was done was in any way shameful. I think Jon should be complimented for staying so respectful towards his friends, pardon me, partners in YES. It is the other guys who have repeatedly said nasty things about Jon, not the other way around.

  • Jon please come to Australia again! :) Solo or whatever - you have been an inspiration for MANY years mate :) You got a place to stay if need be

  • I've seen Yes every single time they've toured since 1987, but as soon as Jon wasn't there, I stopped going.

  • Without Jon Anderson the band should be called NO!!!

  • THIS IS RIGHT

  • @sa65cn1 Maybe with a four-letter word added at the front.

  • Jon Anderson is the man!!!

  • YES is not YES without there frontman. You guys all need to meet at a seculded lodge in the mountains somewhere (kinda like Rush does) and have a nice dinner and some drinks for a few hours and iron all this crap out...

  • No Jon no yes !!!! Very true !!

  • So, Jon Anderson finally gets a taste of what its like getting booted out of Yes. Pete Banks, Tony Kaye and Patrick Moraz must all be having a good laugh. I guess what goes around comes around, right Jon?

  • Sorry Jon, but it's all ego. So you and the band fell out and they hurt you a little by being human. Honestly, if there was one person on this planet that I would expect to transcend that kind of stuff, it would be Mr J. Anderson. You're not at fault. They're not at fault. The fact is that humility and objectivity should be part of this equation, for no other reason than for the music.

  • No Jon no YES.

  • Second-rate PR material. Anderson comes across as self-obsessed and self-righteous. He "almost died" because the bad guys made him tour. Tough life for a multi-millionaire whiner.

  • Jesus Christ, he seems like such a nice guy. It's such a shame what happened with him and Yes, but he seems to be doing pretty well for himself, and that's all that matters.

  • I just listened to both Jon Anderson's sans YES but being backed by some Slovakian musicians . YES best bring him apologetically into the band or Managment should be fired , Jon should be re-hired or YES should be retired !!!!!

  • Jon Anderson 'The Spider' Silva

  • "Yes" without Anderson is a big NO!!!!

  • Ugh, Trevor Rabin. Generic, cliched rock musician mocked by Dana Carvey in his stand up routine.

  • Without Jon it is NOT Yes.

  • @spunkbobfartpants Fully agree, just an imitation of THE original and the only.

  • Get Bill Bruford and Rick on keys that should kick ass!

  • Much love to you Jon!

  • Anderson is a genius. Without him, it's less interesting, less Yes, more no, I don't think so, if it's without the soul of it all, Jon Anderson.

  • John..go start a new band with Trevor Rabin! now that would kick ass.

  • @stevezane Rabin kicks ass!

  • keep playing, keep on, Jon. You dont need Grandma Steve and Grandpa Chris. They can bleed the old songs for every penny with an imitation. Make new music with Rick and others - we love it. I just heard Open...what could be better than that ? Peace !

  • I LOVE JON ANDERSON!!! Yes is not Yes with out ya man!!!

  • was always a big yes fan, seen them loads of times in the 70s, but they are a sad old gits now - and what the fuck is that stupid accent that anderson has developed!!!?

  • Really, why would anyone who wants to see Yes go see "Yes" without Jon Anderson? An iteration of "Yes" without Anderson is not Yes, regardless of who they get to sing with them...even Paul Rodgers (nudge nudge, wink wink, say no more say no more). They SHOULD call themselves Squire, Howe, White & Kaye, or better yet, Squhowhye..

  • Yes, Jon Anderson IS the voice of Yes... it's a bit hard to move on from that. I'm seeing them next year - it will be a bit difficult to see them without Anderson, still they will be AMAZING! Heartfelt thoughts for Jon Anderson....

  • An Accy lad.

  • I heard and met Jon at the Vancouver Island MusicFest 2011, and his loose reinterpretation of YES, and Vangelis,and solo songs was heart warming, and he was well received by an audience that mainly might not be all that familiar with all his music, except for the more radio ones eg. "Owner of a Lonely Heart"...nothing wrong with a history like his to go solo and enjoy the fruits of his labour...in a more relaxed way.. then gruelling band tours! Carry on Jon!

  • 2Me - Jon Anderson is the voice of Yes!

    :-)

  • Good on ye, Jon. Honest, if a touch rueful.

    Actually I'd rather see him solo. I know the songs inside and out and frankly the band will never again play them more beautifully than they do now over my stereo. Going to hear Jon reinterpret them in plain arrangements that serve his voice: now there's a new land of pleasure.

  • Two sides to every story. Anyone who follows Yes knows that Jon is notoriously hard to work with, and for better or worse, I think the others used Jon's illness as an excuse to drop him in favor of a guy they could get along with. Whether they ever work together again or not, I'll always love Jon and Chris and the music they made together in their heyday ... nothing can ever take that away.

  • @shammadamma I agree with you, on everything

  • i still love all the guys in Yes. always will!! but, this is really a sad shame.

  • I refuse to see that band in concert, as that band is not YES...

  • Jon has always been the *voice* and creative energy of YES. To remove him as such is to remove Ian Anderson from JETHRO TULL. 'Nuff said.

  • @teaforthehatter But Chris Squire is the big boss man, and you don't mess with the boss.

  • I'm happy I saw Jon and Rick last weekend and I don't care if I ever see Yes again. I'll take emotion over chops any day of the week.

  • The exhilarating joy of creating masterpieces is long forgotten and what remains today is mainly bitterness. Benoît David is obviously a much easier guy to cope with, even if he is in no ways in position to give the same imput Jon gave to the band.

  • And if Anderson was the leading light in those years, it was not only due to his writting skills or imagination. but also because he was the one with most stamina. Read Bruford’s autobiography : it was more a constant wrist fighting than friendly collaboration. The one who shouted the loudest was the winner. I guess the other guys probably don’t want to go through that harsh process again...

  • As Alan White said, he was the only one to get in touch with Anderson when he was so bad… via email, not even a phone call. That says an awful lot about the realtionships going on. But truth is that Yes familly story has never been a 30 years honeymoon...They were never even close friends, just had from time to time a close working relationship, like Howe-Anderson in the glory days...

  • i am always absolutly amazed when someone says Anderson is not a musician. Obviously he can’t play the guitar like Howe or the keyboards like Wakelaman, but if the man who did Olias all by himself is not a musician, just tell me what is a musician ?

  • A singer of Anderson's ability IS a musician. I have seen Yes 7 times, over the years, and I saw Anderson & Wakeman Tuesday. I have NEVER heard Jon blow a single note or lyric. They made 2 hours of great music, and the audience treated them like kings, shouting out comments like: "we are WITH you Jon!"

  • Yes toured last year with a guy from a Yes TRIBUTE band on vocals, and Oliver Wakeman , who looks like Rick did 30 years ago. Noe Geoff Downs is back in. Its like Yes is becoming a Yes Tribute band that includes members of the original band, ala "Creedence Clearwater Revisited". I saw Jon & Rick Tuesday, & I really felt like I was hearing the true heart & soul of Yes music.

  • @Berniedru right!! being a musician does not necessarily mean that you have to spend years in a conservatory or anything(wich is also great)but,that is not the only way

  • Motherfuckers,you've been lucky that Jon Anderson didn't smashed your theeth with a headbutt

  • jon anderson is not a musician. the rest of the band are great musicians.it was a cause of fustration and more.because jon anderson is the heart and soul of yes music . it may be hard for those talented musicians to accept or understand this.jon has made several mistakes in leading the band musically through the years . which caused resentment and anger with the rest of the band.but when his musical vision and ability to coordinate the band when he was right was magical. whithout jon yes are not