Following years of internecine power struggles and schisms within the band, and the recent death of original member and bass player Chris Squire, the beating heart and soul of Yes – Jon Anderson and Rick Wakeman – are finally friends re-united onstage with Trevor Rabin, uber-guitarist from Yes’ 1980’s mega-stardom period, playing an imperious set of Yes songs spanning the whole spectrum of the band’s career.
Opening instrumental ‘Cinema’ segued hypnotically into the classic early 70’s song ‘Perpetual Change’ with a wizardly caped Wakeman conjuring otherworldly sounds from behind his assembled banks of keyboards.
At 72 Jon Anderson’s voice still has that inimitable angelic upper register and power that lesser mortals and singers aspire to. There were multiple pinch me moments throughout the show and listening to Anderson’s vocals rolling back the years with flawless precision on the epic songs ‘I’ve Seen All Good People’, ‘And You and I’ and ‘Heart of The Sunrise’ his uniqueness of voice and delivery coupled with the stunning guitar mastery of Rabin possessed elements of the transcendental.
When not singing, a fidgety Anderson on tambourine, Tibeton Bells, acoustic guitar or just plain old fashioned handclap remains the central point around which the band pivots particularly on an awe inspiring take of ‘Awaken’, with Anderson playing mini-harp to Wakeman’s church organ – a magical coupling of instruments that you don’t hear every day – before the magnificently crunching riff of Karaoke fave ‘Owner of a Lonely Heart’ with Wakeman and Rabin wandering around the stalls aisles like latter day minstrels chugging out on portable synth and guitar.
With Anderson, Rabin and Wakeman joining their former colleagues for Yes’ induction at the Rock’n’Roll Hall of Fame on April 7, this was about as perfect an ending to a long awaited reunion as it gets.
Daily Express :: Entertainment Feed
