ANDERSON BRUFORD WAKEMAN HOWE

Jon Anderson was on vacation in Greece in 1988, making music with his friend Vangelis. It was during this time that he came up with the idea of reforming the classic 1971 Yes lineup the one that had produced Fragile and Close to the Edge. This seemed unthinkable, considering that Yes was already on a different path and had just released Big Generator the previous year.

Anderson contacted Steve Howe, Bill Bruford, Rick Wakeman, and Chris Squire. However, Squire declined the invitation and reminded Anderson that the name Yes was legally his property. If Anderson wanted to release an album with that lineup, it would have to be under a different name. Eventually, Bill Bruford brought in bassist Tony Levin to join the project.

The first part of the recording began in France. There, Anderson gathered his bandmates with an epic idea something in the spirit of Close to the Edge. Howe had a ton of unused ideas left over from his time with Asia. Wakeman was open to anything his bandmates wanted to do, and Bruford agreed to participate, though he made it clear he wouldn't do any songs longer than 20 minutes. Anderson took charge not just musically, but also handling accommodations, the well-being of his friends, and even the smallest production details. Anderson and the guys wants Brian Lane back to managed the project and he accepts, Lane also manages GTR but he was out of the new incarnation of Yes . Jon Anderson aimed for a sound reminiscent of classic Yes, and although Eddie Offord declined to join but in the other hand Roger Dean enthusiastically returned to create the artwork.

The vibe was good and full of creative energy. It was actually a friend of Anderson's who suggested naming the band using their last names, as their legacy carried enough weight to rival the Rabin-Squire-White-Kaye version of Yes. Arista Records supported the idea and provided the necessary logistics.

The band then moved the project to Montserrat Island to record. Wakeman, Bruford, and Levin traveled there and had a great time recording their parts. Steve Howe recorded his guitar sections separately at West Studios in London. The main conceptual theme of the album centered on Native American culture, treated with a notable sense of respect and depth.

In a 2021 note, Howe explained that Steve Thompson and Michael Barbiero who co-supervised the mixing with Anderson were very much in demand at the time, but unfamiliar with the Yes sound and how the band had traditionally balanced their instruments. Some songs appeared to be pieced together during post-production, and the writing credits didn't accurately reflect each member's real input. For example, Howe is credited on the opening track "Themes," but stated he had nothing to do with it, while other tracks that were mostly his work are shared with others. Bruford echoed this, saying that although he's listed as a co-writer on all tracks, he contributed neither to their writing nor arrangement?his role was limited to re- recording drum parts that had originally been programmed before he joined.

That led to the album's biggest flaw: the sound. With its ultra-modern reverb and heavy reliance on machines, the final product ended up feeling more like a techno version of Yes than the organic, analog sound fans hoped for. Electronic drums and sequenced percussion stripped much of the warmth from the music, and Steve Howe's guitar was barely present. Even more surprising, Tony Levin's bass so distinctive in other projects has almost no presence at all. What started as a brilliant concept gradually got diluted by excess and misguided production. One can't help but wonder what this album could have become if it had been recorded in a more traditional, analog way.

Finally, Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe contains some truly beautiful music, thoughtful lyrics, and moments of brilliance but the final result didn't quite live up to the promise of the lineup or the spirit of classic Yes. It's a case of what could have been.

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