| Imagine
it’s your birthday…
Imagine you are turning 19!
Imagine you are attending a YES concert!!
Imagine Jon Anderson singing happy birthday to you in front of thousands
of people…..!!!
That’s what happened to a guy who was sitting only a couple of
seats away from me. In spite of the cold damp building, it warms the
heart. It shows how relaxed YES played on this drizzly Saturday night
in Antwerp in a sports palace that was meant for riding bicycles in
anyway.
As the strings, wood and brass section started to roar I knew right
away this orchestra promised to be as good as the symphonic orchestra
which had guided YES on their tour so far, if not even better. The strings
played the intro of Give Love Each Day of the new superior YES album
Magnification so well, so professional, together with the flute and
harp, promising an evening never to be forgotten. Promising new material
of an outstanding rock band that stood the time…
After seven beats of Alan White on the hi hat YES took us on a trip
Close To The Edge. Magnificently they took the crowd along their journey,
landscaping through dynamics, tempo changes and layers of instrumental
phrases that show true craftsmanship. What a piece of work it was in
the seventies of the previous century and what a piece of work it still
is, now in the new age of 2001. Fascinating rhyme, of which Jon Anderson
later confessed he himself didn’t understand what he was talking
about. Fascinating rhythms, tightly held together by Alan White’s
drums. But above all, so full of emotions. Chris Squire can make a bass
guitar whine and Steven Howe, so playful, intertwines….I get up
I get down…The crescendo on the classical organ still impressive
after all these years. And then, on top of it all, Jon’s voice.
So bright, so clear. Truly a Masterwork. Greatly appreciated by the
Belgian crowd. Then the orchestra softly led Steve Howe into the beginning
riff of Long Distance Runaround accompanying Jon’s melody with
pizzicato’s from the strings, emphasising the square 4/4 beat of
the song, almost like an old Prussian war song.
While the “concert hall” as a building wasn’t warming
up, the atmosphere surely was. Then like a new box of candy YES offered
songs of their new album MAGNIFICATION. A beautiful album. If ever there
was a rock band that deserved playing with an orchestra it’s YES.
And boy did the fans dig into the candybox: Don’t Go and In The
Presence Of….were very well received. Especially In The Presence
Of…I expect to become one of the new YES classics, whereas Don’t
Go is obviously meant to be the hit single of the album MAGNIFICATION.
In The Presence Of…was surprisingly introduced on keyboard by Alan
White and the song contains every ingredient of the YES treatment. Again
a colourful landscape to be led through. (Alas the “curtain fell”
at the end of the song, and instantly all the die hard YES fans knew:
no Gates Of Delirium tonight.) Too bad that at the same time you decided
to grab for another chocolate, YES decided to close the candy box and
continued to play songs of their bestsellers list.
And the audience was in for a treat of maestro Steve Howe playing solo.
The building with the upper rings empty, made Steve look more solo than
ever. But he did it. And how!-e. Leading us to Starship Trooper. Over
the years this song has been played as a last comer. The door that usually
closes the show was now being played during YES’ performance. Chris
Squire’s performance actually. And the fans love it!. And Chris
knows it!
Again YES opened the candy box, playing the title song of MAGNIFICATION.
In 6/8 it makes you want to rock back and forth and then bursting into
a locomotive drive that should make this song the ‘hit single’
of the album. Beautiful orchestration. When heard!!! The mix could have
been better. But then, the mix was overall really satisfactory considering
YES was playing music in a hall where one should have been bikeriding.
Very positive song. Very YES!
And You And I really deserved being played with the orchestra. It was
the only song, besides the new ones, where the orchestra really added
something to it. Made it different. And You And I has always been a
very impressive piece of work, arousing emotions. This time I missed
the emotions, but the result is a beautiful orchestrated work of art
and deserves deep respect.
This tour has offered me the first chance to experience Ritual. Weird
in the seventies, weird now. But so fulfilling. Jon, Alan, Chris and
Steve led me to a climax that resolved in Nous Sommes Du Soleil finally
sweeping up the emotions in Steve’s solo. At the end of which I
felt something missing. Something being amputated. At the height of
the climax! And I wanted more!!! What a way to end the show. ‘Cause
that’s what it was to me. The End.
In spite of the crowd loudly protesting and shouting for Gates Of Delirium,
this song was not being played and I’m sure the Antwerp crowd was
very disappointed by that.
Obviously and understandably YES played the songs I’ve Seen All
Good People and Roundabout for fans. So that people can leave and go
home cheerfully. And I do believe the fans did. At least Dennis did.
You know, the guy that turned 19 that day and had Jon Anderson sing
Happy Birthday to him.
Paula Jakobi/2001
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