Yes Men

Serious musicians... no smiling allowed

It was in late 1987 that I saw the progressive rock giants Yes for the first time. I wish I'd witnessed one of their legendary theatrical masterpieces back in the 70's or even earlier 80's. Ah well, that time machine hasn't come to be yet. This incarnation of the band was what I like to call The Trevor Rabin Band. Even though guitarist/singer Rabin was an extremely talented artist, I believe he took over and changed Yes just a bit too much. This Yes's 1983 album 90125 was a stroke of pop-rock genius, melding melodic strokes with masterful technicality. Rabin had a lot to do with that, but at the expense of the subtler and more explorative guitar stylings of ex-axeman Steve Howe (who I have always revered as perhaps the best all-around guitarist ever). But no worries, Howe would enter back into the fold one day.

The album that this concert tour supported, Big Generator, while still carrying the familiar stamp of Mr. Rabin, lacked the Top 10 kick that the previous album packed so heavily - 90125 hit #5, and six of its songs made the top fifty on North American Billboard charts alone. Big Generator only peaked at #15 and its singles Love Will Find A Way and Rhythm of Love reached numbers 1 and 2 respectively... not too much else beyond that.

The real attraction for me was to see some semblance of Yes perform old classics like Roundabout, Wondrous Stories, and I've Seen All Good People. Even with the newer line-up, the band delivered and then some. The Trevor Rabin Band was a tight unit, energetic, and fun to watch. The air was electric when veteran Yes bass master Chris Squire performed his magic; sadly, his talents were on a leash on the newer songs, but he shone brilliantly on early Yes tracks. Tony Kaye was extremely animated on keyboards as he contorted around his very minimalist set-up (compared with studious former piano wizard Rick Wakeman). Though Rabin sang well on recent material, it was when diminutive Jon Anderson stepped forward on vocals that my spine tingled with the thrill of classic Yes music.

I would go on to see Yes in various forms (nearer to the 70's line-up, thankfully) on two more tours, but I'll chat about those experiences another time. I snapped up some merch at that '87 show, though, including the buttons pictured below and a tour T-shirt that I wore until it was rags (I gave it a decent burial).