FLY FROM HERE

The tension and the waiting are over, Yes have finally released "Fly from here" and it has to be said that in their present form, Yes are better without Jon Anderson. Really, they are. This is perhaps the most Yes-like album that fans have hoped for, but given up expecting. Surprisingly the combination of Downes and Horn are probably more responsible for this happening.

When Yes announced another reunion and a 40th anniversary tour, fans naturally thought that this would be their swansong, indeed, the lack of Anderson on the tour and the inclusion of Benoit David would have reinforced this thinking. But a more exciting revelation at the time was that Yes would return with a new album. Since this time there has been a lot of speculation and some pessimism about the end result. The line up changes continued through the creative process with Oliver Wakeman out and Downes (Asia) brought in. In addition it was hard to predict how Horn would help to reinvent the new Yes lineup. Horn has produced a polished Yes album that can stand proudly with the other classics. Is as good as the classics, sadly, no. But it is the next best thing.

Purists will argue this isn't Yes, there is no Anderson and who is the interlopper who is trying to sound like him? Benoit David has tough shoes to fill, however after listening to the album after a few minutes you realise that David has not tried to sound like an Anderson clone, true there are some shades of his voice, but overall this is a different voice, a worthy replacement. Howe is as classy on guitar throughout and his sound is prehaps the strongest link the album has the old era Yes, the track "Solitaire" reminds us of the beautifulshort interlude classical pieces of the classic Yes. There is the distinctive slide guitar sound there too, a far cry from the Rabin/Yes period. It may have seemed harsh at the time, but the change of Keyboards from Wakeman Jnr to Downes was an inspired move, clearly his songwriting, sounds and direction were the right choice for the project. Squire and White still provide one of the most solid rhythm sections any band has ever seen, and vocally Squire provides more of the familiar Yes sound. 3 stars would be too little to sum this quality release up, 5 would imply the album was a Yes classic, 4 is the ideal. If this was a star rating for the last 20-30 years then this album would indeed be a 5 star effort. If you needed more convincing that you should get this album, look to the cover. The fact the Roger Dean artwork is back on the cover, speaks volumes about the quality and mindset this album has. Breath in, this is the Yes album you wanted.