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Playhouse, Edinburgh Sun 6 Jul
Yes finally said ‘no' and broke up in 1981. It had been a long time since they had opened for Cream at their historic farewell concert at the Albert Hall on 26 November 1968. The new wave, punk and a certain pompous disregard for their legion of fans had killed them off. All the members, however, enjoyed successful solo careers but it came as a bit of a shock to find a re-formed Yes topping the UK singles chart in November 1983 with the Trevor Horn-produced Owner of a Lonely Heart. It was a singles outing from a band that was supposed to be dead.
In the subsequent album 90125, the band sounded livelier than they had for at least five years, and the contemporary dance/rock signatures of the nine songs fitted that 805 crossover moment. But within four years in- house squabbles saw Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman and Howe splinter off and produce
their own indulgent album.
By 1991, disputes were settled and original keyboardist Tony Kaye, bassist Chris Squire, drummer Alan White and guitarist Trevor Rabin had rejoined the fantastic four. The band began to take the shape and form with which it has been
touring ever since.
Twelve years on ~ although there will be no circular stage revolving around Jon Anderson as
he screams his absurdist lyrics into the licks and solos of this remarkable group of classically trained musicians - the show will still be a must for those intelligent enough to put aside those prog-rock cliches that are churned out in every article written about Radiohead and Mars Volta.
This line up is the Ultimate Yes: Anderson, Squire, Howe, White and Wakeman and, believe it or not, this gig is part of their 35th anniversary
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KELLY JOE PHELPS King Tut's, Glasgow, Thu 3 Jul; Queen‘s Hall, Edinburgh, Fri 4 Jul.
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Awrat; no "we tna" 21?.) gigs a ~.eav‘. Kelly Jet‘- Phe- ps a:in* ts t"at 'l‘t? as an itinerant '1‘.is:<t.an “if; .’.s linutatons. '\“."ien In on 1'70 road. can't te. Bat f’tt?" l'r‘ (TO'TSIéili’th soakng; m exper ences and storing "‘tf'l“()'l(?:§ and peas that (tone out when l'n‘ pack non‘e and nax e the : We and space It get tnen‘ donar‘ on. paper,’
th‘n‘ the Pattific No'th \‘t'est. am :‘ aytng fax: gotta". Phelps ea f'vo'i‘ {Te-pod, to blues. p Cm "tr: and s ttte guitar. ‘.'.‘inn!i‘.g fans oridxxide suth W8 anarn‘tn. rpm“.isationat ability at :1 easy \ v'tucsttg. Now the release of a tetr'th R1. koo'sc alhant. Slngsno.’ Profess was. in company with a lLlll con‘pien‘ent of first-rate intxsioans zencmding guitar ltiininan Bill Frisells Phelps shows nor. tar his SOllQ‘fiTlIlllQ
has r"o\.e(i <:e"trestag;e.
'l éoxe tl‘e guitar (l(}£i’|‘,.' "e azimts, But I naue to acheze a valance l>et~.'.'een rm, so.."::<>s of ll‘fSl)‘Téll'().'i. So .1 glutar st. ts the purpose in n‘aking the song; ‘.'.’().’r<. f:ne.' But (:an on see tomsef singng ‘.'.’|!ll()lil the gum“. £18K. '\.'\.’ell, I don". see ti‘at happening" he says. 'When l‘n‘ ‘\.‘.'.'ltlllg, vitaking a song. it's al\.'.'a;, s a partnership of gaitar ano‘ nocal styles. E‘.'en,'th rig l'n‘ doing now :s rooted lll what I've done before. but no more want to play the wax. (lit: il‘.’() yCZi'S ago than want to li\.(-3 the MC had then My music changes. l'n‘ trying to develop. n‘atJre. groan» as an artist. and now. '.-.-'orking .'.':ti‘ other n‘tis‘iCians on the road and in the studio. l‘n‘ taking "(2.: (ill'CCiOllS. As the \. ears go i», I find that I'm includng non; of it“, n"luer‘(:(-2s. l'n‘ tryng to :et tnen‘ oat. Ano :t feels that I've really found a way that's honest. CCll‘iOFIEEDJO. and can We ‘.'.’|'_l‘.,' Ana he auos. t'iotgt am. arrogance: ‘And can't real", consider ‘.'.A't()'8 I‘Kll‘g it. or not trkng It. Or ‘.'.'lt\,'
So does he sill thnk of hrn‘se‘f as GSSOHIlalh a solenst’? '\'\."ell. Ike Ollly d0ne one solo gig so far this year.’ he laughs. ‘l'm exploring this trio with bassst Keith and drumn‘er DC‘VCUSS‘OHISI
cott Arnendola — and grown into a un;t, an organic tlvng‘. tNorn‘an Chalmers.
tour, a remarkable achievement for any band, let alone one that has been used as a by word for dinosaur rock indulgence. It is difficult from this vantage point to recall just how fresh and innovative these boys’ brand of classically-laced rock was back in the early 70$. Rivalled only by ELP in their few years of public acclaim, their influence dripped down the years through their contemporaries - Genesis, Jethro Tull and even
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Music
The stage invasion by darts player on the far right was taken in fun by all of the band
Uriah Heep — and on slowly into the studious record libraries of the discerning, difficult and sometimes downright annoying purveyors of modern pop music. It‘s not for nothing that John Peel gave them their first break on his radio show Top Gear in the late 605, or that actor Vincent Gallo is trying to carve himself a second career as a musician whose albums have been soaked in the decadent splendour of Yes. (Paul Dale)
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rick Carney:
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Stunning second LP Thickfreakness is crammed full of raw, devil-riffing heartbreak, led by Auerbach's wonderfully gravelly vocals, self-produced and allegedly recorded in three days in Carney‘s basement. Into a spot of DIY? /'\::s::..°,‘;,' '"-’:.;’ “1'1"”. 2', ' " y-.»-- " ' "' " ' " ' "' i'iikiiill: ITT’Z’K ,.‘l;:l,’/..°. ' 2 "z r 1' 2 :'
So when we slide on one of your records, it's a pure, unadulterated Black Keys experience?
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Are you experienced?
THE LIST 51