FLY FROM HERE

Since 1980 when the band released the excellent "Drama", I heard the phrase "YES is back" several times, sadly all of them were huge disappointments. First came the terrible "Rabin" years that almost destroyed the good memories I formed through years of listening the band. Then came "Union" and several boring albums, including the average "The Ladder" which gave me some hopes but was only a mirage.

Now after a decade of concerts, heard the same phrase again, but this time with three novelties, Jon Anderson (who in the later years was more annoying than usual) was replaced by Benoit David, the return of the amazing Geoff Downes, and with him came Trevor Horn, who rescued the sound of "Drama" that I liked so much.

Even when "Fly From Here" is not a masterpiece in the level of "Close to the Edge" or "Relayer", we are before an excellent album that pays tribute to the original sound of the band but adapting the band to a new century with original arrangements and imaginative compositions.

As everybody who knows me suspects, I'm not a fan of Jon Anderson's voice, but he is one of the symbols of YES, so I was afraid that "Benoit David" would try to please the older fans trying to be a clone of Jon, so it was a relief when discovered that he tried to sound like nobody else except "Benoit David", and does a great job. Of course the addition of "Trevor Horn" backing vocals help to create solid choirs and boost the lead vocals.

But what impressed me more is the ability of the band to sound more cohesive than ever, specially the interplay between Howe and Downes, who sound as if they had been playing together by decades and not only some months.

The music is really good and the arrangements even better, plus is great to have lyrics that sound a bit coherent for a change, so there's little to complain about "Fly From Here".

It's true, this is not the YES we are used too, but it's a second chance for the former BUGGLES, who collaborated in the creation of the last YES great album in decades, and only received a good bye after saving YES with the release of "Drama".

Now, if we want to be extremely honest, we must admit even when the "Fly From Here"suite is extremely good and the beautiful "House of Need" reminds me a bit of the "Your Move" entrance, we must accept the best days of YES as composers are behind them, but at least this release gives us a bit of hope that we will see our long time heroes finishing their long career with one or two more good albums instead of aging as a band making cover versions of themselves on stage.

In the 70's, I would had rated "Fly From Here" with no more than 3 stars,. because it pales in comparison with the real YES masterpieces, but in the XXI Century, when they took the risk of releasing a good album, I can't give them less than 4 stars, because it's a new beginning for an old band.

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