Originally published by L.S.Media. November 15th 2011.
L.S.Media Rating ***
It was perhaps fitting that Progressive Rock giants Yes came on stage to Benjamin Britten’s Young person’s Guide to the Orchestra, for the Symphony Hall in Birmingham is one of the most perfect places in the Midlands that blends itself with the music that Yes are universally loved and renowned for.
The subtle yet emotionally flowing guitar of Steve Howe, alongside stalwarts of the band Chris Squire on bass and the ideal drumming technique of Alan White mixed with the outrageously great keyboard playing of Geoff Downes is a combination of sound that everybody should hear at least once in their life. It’s no wonder that these four men fit together so well, the music they create is sometimes just astonishing.
What was missing though, in amongst the beautiful setting and superb musicianship was the vocals which at times seemed lost in the melee. This is not to take away from Benoit David, as his voice on the latest Yes album Fly From Here is astonishingly good but in the freedom of the big halls and concert venues loses something tangible and comes across as if his voice, in parts, is fighting to be heard.
That said, to try and match his voice to the powerful and stunning voice of Jon Anderson would be unfair but it has to be recognised that there may have been some in the Symphony Hall that yearned for Jon to be singing on the tracks played on the night that are closely identified with that golden era of the band including Wonderous Stories, Yours is no Disgrace and the evening’s closing number of Roundabout. A couple of long looks at some in the crowd during these songs confirming these suspicions.
Of the bands songs that have been created in the last couple of years, the band’s reading of the title track Fly From Here, Into the Storm and Life on a Film Set stood at out as musical masterpieces, creatively stunning and visually perfect for the modern age.
Yes remain a band that everybody, if you are serious about music, should see at least once and despite the small niggles on show during the night remain one of the best live bands around.
Ian D. Hall