Fly From Here (CD/DVD)

 

 

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I know right away that some hard core fans are going to dislike this album on principle since it doesn't have Jon Anderson. But this CD is still a worthy addition to the Yes discography. It's not their most traditional prog-rock sounding album, nor their most commercial either.

The album features Squire, Howe, White, the return of Geoff Downes, and Benoit David on lead vocals. It was produced by Trevor Horn, who contributes backing vocals (hard to tell where) and additional keyboard bits, as does Oliver Wakeman on some spots. And thus this album while not the "classic" Yes line-up, or the Rabin line-up, is still in effect the reunion of one of Yes's former incarnation, specifically the Drama line up.

Of course, it's not as good as The Ladder or Magnification (which I think are arguably their best albums). Stylistically it is more like a follow up to Drama than to The Ladder or Magnification, which were more symphonic and had more spots for keyboard solos and such. The album is a more subdued style of progressive rock, a bit more like Asia.

In some ways this album feels more like a "potluck" album, in that the material feels like it was drawn from the members past or outside projects rather than created jointly and specifically for this project.

Half the space is devoted to the multi-part Fly From Here opus. Fly From Here was a song (shorter orginally) composed by then Buggle-duo Trevor Horn and Geoff Downes which they had written for Yes just before becoming Yesmen themselves for the Drama album. Fly From Here and Life On A Film Set, also written by Horn-Downes, thus harkens back to Drama period Yes. Downes is a good keyboardist, though his work is style is more texturing than fanciful soloing of a Rick Wakeman. So part of the album sounds very early 80s Buggle/Drama.

Canadian Benoit David is the new lead singer of Yes. His voice is very good. He sings in a range similar to Anderson and Horn, with a clear tone. He's not as distinctive as Jon Anderson, but he's also less strained sounding. It's hard though to gage from this CD what David's natural vocal phrasing would be. The songs that were Horn compositions have melodies that sound like songs sung by Horn (Horn incidently does backup vocals), so if feels more like David is playing the role of Horn. Nowhere do you feel that he is trying to copy Anderson's style, and that's probably just as well.

Squire's song, The Man You Always Wanted Me to Be, features himself on lead vocals and was co-written with Gerard Johnson, who plays piano on the track. Johnson had also been part of the Syn reunion album, Syndestructable, and thus this song sounds like something that could have been leftover from that project.

Howe's song, Hour of Need, has him doing co-lead vocals with David and again sounds like it might have been a song he could have put on the last Asia album. His intrumental, Solitaire, is nice, and typical of many of his solo acoustic songs on his solo albums.

The only song that seems to be a full joint creation is the final song, Into the Storm, which gives credit to Squire, Wakeman (Oliver I assume), Howe, Horn, David, White. That one also features everyone singing on the song in harmony.

So while David is good, the impression you get is that unlike Anderson, David's influence on the album is rather muted. If David remains as "lead" vocalist in the studio, then he should play a bigger role on the next album rather than being a space filler. They could have just as well had Horn do his parts and then it would have really been like Drama II.

Overall, the material is still rather good, though not epic. It would be nice in the future to see them record again with Jon Anderson, even if he can't always tour with them. I think they are generally better with Anderson, he brings a lot to the table, even if his lyrics are sometimes nonsensical.

The best Yes albums are the ones where everyone is contributing evenly and not just one or two pushing it while the rest get dragged along, that makes the album too much one style. This album here feels more like a compilation of idea created on their own with other people that jointly made.

I hope it won't be another long gap until we get new Yes material. Next time around I think they should try to create new material jointly. Hopefully fans of Yes will keep an open mind and not reject the album because Anderson wasn't involved.

Since my first YES concert during the Relayer tour, I've been struggling to figure out what sets this group apart. After almost 40 years of listening to all of their records I've found that you have to let the music find its place. That requires many listens. I've listened to Fly From Here frequently since I got it on July 13th. Here's what I think of it and this applies to all YES music.

Every listen yields a new surprise. This is very complex music (the source of many criticism of the band) and each listen is never like the previous one. There is one thing that is the same though. Very very stong melodies. Try and say that about any other band from the past or present.

I won't deconstruct the whole disk here, but the title track is wonderful with strong melodic segments mixed in with rhytmic sections and a variety of atmosphere.

There are some really nice acoustic parts. Steve Howe is the BEST guitarist/musician on earth. There are a few who may be better technicians, but they lack his inate feel for musicality. He also doesn't shy away from effect pedals and the like. FANTASTIC.

Chris Squires bass playing is unique and stunning. Alan White always manages to make the drums interesting. Geoff Downes adds his interesting style with less of the whinny synthesizer parts Wakeman always seemed to toss in. Trevor Horn has produced another masterpiece.

And Benoit David, fellow Canadian deserves so much credit for just having the nerve to fill what some call unfillable shoes. He does an admirable job here if not spectacular. He gets help from Squire and Horn on vocals and the whole mix is just so refreshing.

If you don't like this album I feel sorry for you. Give it a really good chance, like any other YES creation and you will be a fan for life. MB

Cet Album est un retour au plaisir que le rock progressif des années 70 pouvait engendré dans le cerveau de ceux qui ont eu la chance de vivre cette belle époque riche de groupes comme YES, qui pouvaient nous transporter ailleurs. Le chanteur fait un travail remarquable, et si ceci est le dernier album en carrière de YES, ce sera
alors considéré comme une grandiose finale...

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4.0 out of 5 stars Du très bon Yes
Un très bon album pour tous les fans de Yes. Fly from here (23 ou 25 mn) est digne des longues tounes de Yes. A ajouter a sa collection.

Published 7 months ago by J. Deschesnes

5.0 out of 5 stars YES is an Entity
Hey Folks! I've been listening to YES music since 1972 (I was 16), and it has been quite a ride! YES music changes and morphs throughout the decades.... Read more

Published 9 months ago by Richard A. Ware

5.0 out of 5 stars Worthy of repeat play...
Long time YES fan. Love Topographic Oceans, Drama is cool too...

This is the first new YES music in waaaaay too long. Read more

Published 10 months ago by polarsekvenser

4.0 out of 5 stars Il y a pire que ça...
Il y a longtemps que nous avions entendu du matériels d'aussi belles qualités et je suis en partie surpris, surpris entre autre par la qualité sonore. Read more

Published 10 months ago by Roger Pion

3.0 out of 5 stars Return to Form
'Fly From Here' is Yes' first album in 10 years, their last being 2001's 'Magnification'. This album is a return to form, with the classic Yes sound featured. Read more

Published 10 months ago by LJ

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