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Yes - Keys to Ascension CD (album) cover

KEYS TO ASCENSION

Yes

 

Symphonic Prog

4.04 | 611 ratings

From Progarchives.com, the ultimate progressive rock music website

febus
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator / In Memoriam
5 stars THE RETURN OF GOOD OLD YES MUSIC.

We're now in 1996 and when i didn't expect anything else after the average TALK, and surprise, one day i go to my music retailer and i see this double CD from YES with the old logo, the artwork from ROGER DEAN. First looking at the titles, i thought it was another compilation, but to my delight, no, it was a new live recording by the reunited classic line-up of ANDERSON, HOWE, WHITE,SQUIRE and even RICK WAKEMAN is present.

Not only they are performing live, but we also get treated to 2 new numbers, i won't classify as ''bonus'' as they both make 3O mns of new YESmusic (3/4 of an LP). This is not a stadium or arena live recording, as maybe YES at this time of their carreer was maybe no longer a big draw to attract big crowds as before. So they all came together in SAN LUIS OBISPO, California where JON ANDERSON now resides. So to play it safe, they play in an amphiteater there with......less than 1000 people in attendance.

IF not as mesmerizing as YESSONGS (who can top that anyway), this a darn good concert playing some of the best tunes of their rich repertoire. We get the best song of TFTO with an excellent rendition of ''The Revealing science of god'', also you can hear an 18mn long version of ''Awaken'' also arguably the best song from GFTO. Don't miss either ''Starship trooper'' and ''America'' the cover from SIMON & GARFUNKEL. The band is top notch, especially JON ANDERSON singing better than ever and STEVE HOWE on top of his game.

As i mentionned earlier, there are 2 studio tracks: a 10mn nice classic YES sounding ''be the one '' and a great multi part epic ''that, that's it''. This is very difficult to compare with the stuff from the 70s because the level of quality has been raised very high back then, so it will never be fair for the new material to compete for the hearts of YES fans. But what i can say, that's very good music that could have been included on any album from the golden era. This is YES. The YES with the old logo, the YES with Roger DEAN, the YES we used to love .

And who else among the old bands was progging so well in 1996??

Only 5 stars for this great return.

febus | 5/5 |

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