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Interview by John Gabbard [Conducted circa 1997 for the former Warner Cable show AudioVision, hosted by John Gabbard. -ed.] All: Hi John! JG: Welcome to Audio Vision. All: Thank you!
All: That's good, thanks. JG: Jon, if you could tell us about the new album and the new member, or not the new member, Billy Sherwood. Jon Anderson: Billy's been around a long time with the band. He helped to produce the last two albums, the Keys to Ascension project. In fact, the Keys to Ascension II is coming out; It's out now. It seemed natural; he was working with Chris on some songs. Earlier this year we just started writing together. It just seemed a natural event for Billy to be involved in the band and to come on tour. It's a good feeling, and like you say, you enjoy the new album. Billy's been a big Yes fan. We're lucky to have a really good keyboard player on the tour from Moscow, he's Igor. He's a big Rick Wakeman fan. So there we were with the new album, Open Your Eyes and everything seems to be pointed towards the twenty-first century; can we keep the band going smoothly. We're gonna tour for the next year or so and see how it goes; we're pretty excited. JG: The songs on this album are more shorter, but with it being more guitar oriented and less of the keyboards. I just like the feel of it, especially Chris - I think there's a lot of input. Not that there hasn't been in the past, but your feeling on this album is really impressive. I enjoy it a lot. Chris Squire: Thank you very much. Thank you. JG: And the Keys to Ascension, what can we expect... I guess some of the live stuff from the concert you did?
JG: You know Yes has been around for quite a few years. In fact I think you're embarking on your thirtieth year, 25 albums. All: Next year. JG: There's only a few groups - there's the Stones, Genesis, and maybe Floyd, but after all these years it seems like you just keep getting stronger. It's the people, the fanship feels lucky. No matter, I think Steve summed it up pretty well. He says the record is just another season of Yes, but everyone may not like it or may not accept... Steve Howe: It takes a bit of time to get on board with it. Each album takes a bit of time for some sector of our fans. Alan White: Part of the secret is trying to create new music all the time and looking to the future. JG: And that's what this is. This is the Yes of the 90's, not the Yes of the 70's or 80's. All: That's right. Billy Sherwood: This is the Yes of 2000! That's what this is. JG: That's True. It's almost 2000. Billy Sherwood: That's right. Chris Squire: You seem to have said everything we would have said. Billy Sherwood: Except there will be a surround CD available. JG: CD ROM I guess? Billy Sherwood: Yea. Chris Squire: That's what I would have said. Alan White: I believe cutting edge technology. Billy Sherwood: I think that's what I was looking for was cutting edge technology. Chris Squire: You're in Cincinnati, right? JG: Yea, Cincinnati. Is there a video that's going to be from the Keys concert that's going to be coming soon? Steve Howe: Yea, it's been released in Europe. There was a few little problems with it when it came out, and they withdrew it. I think they got the production running in England now and they're considering releasing it now in America. JG: I was looking at some of the setlists that you have and it's phenominal. You give a cross of everything everybody wanted to hear. The response especially from the audience - at least on the internet - has been " hey, don't miss this show" Some people have seen it and traveled three or four hundred miles just to see it cause they like you so much and it was such a powerful show. Chris Squire: Yea. Alan White: I think cause we've been on the road none of us has really looked at the internet but we have very positive reports like you say on the show, and it's a very powerful vision of the band, that you gotta love the show. JG: One of the songs on the tour, "The Revealing Science of God" It's been awhile. I think you played that here in Cincinnati probably about twenty years ago but it's good to hear songs like that. Alan White: Cincinnati... JG: ...and it just brings back the memories. All: Can I just say something here? All: Sure. Alan White: Cincinnati's the only place we ever played the whole of Topographic; right - from beginning to end. (all laugh) It is! JG: Well I should feel special. I was here; why is it...
JG: Has to make you remember this town I guess, huh? Now Chris, there's been some talk that a little bit of this album is kinda little bit of your solo upcoming record, maybe a few songs, correct? Chris Squire: Well yea, there's a little bit of repair work (all laugh) I guess when we get off the tour in the year 2001 I'll get back to it. Finishing it off. JG: And Billy is also... did he produce it or did you guys produce it? Billy Sherwood: We did it all together - at my place. I have a studio in Los Angeles and we all met there. We all participated in the process even though Chris & I got the ball rolling if you will. As soon as it was in motion everyone jumped on board and it became a team collective effort on the production and the songwriting and everything about it. JG: And I wanted to say something about the audiences today. It seems like - I know Jon was saying a little earlier, or one of you was saying about - the audiences... you see people like me being 43 but their kids enjoying your music & then of course the people like myself. It's such a wide spread of age. The audiences are just getting better over the years, correct? Steve Howe: We're getting... We're pulling in the children of the fans or they're in fact just younger people who've heard there's this band Yes exists in the same league as a Genesis, Pink Floyd, and other bands. ELP that were around in the 70's and I think the curiosity gets the better of them so keep being curious and find out what we're like because we're not like a lot of bands. In fact, I don't think there's anybody quite like Yes. So in a way when we come around it's a wonderful opportunity to see that version of Yes and Yes itself at that time. Billy Sherwood: And this music is kinda multi-generational. Once somebody hears one of the many albums, they're hooked - usually. JG: I wanted to ask you about this new movie which I'm sure you're familiar with. It has the title of the song "Starship Trooper." Is there any tie-in? Or what's goin' on with that? Chris Squire: We tried :-) Billy Sherwood: Yea they took the song title. Steve Howe: I have a song called "Brave Heart." You think I didn't try and get that sold :-) Billy Sherwood: You didn't get that message from Mel? (all laugh) Steve Howe: Jon had the inspiration to write that song back in 1970 when that came out. Jon Anderson: I had the book. [Robert Heinlein's Starship Troopers -ed. PW] I was a Sci-Fi freak. I was reading those kind of books. I just thought it was a very strong title for a song. I just had this vision of the Starship Trooper finding the self and the soul and the light within, y'know. Billy Sherwood: I don't think it had to do with blowing up aliens left and right; more of a positive statement. Jon Anderson: No, I just liked the title. Steve Howe: I think they didn't realize that a band like Yes had a song "Starship Trooper" and they've never even looked at a license on it, cause that tune means a lot to a lot of people, and maybe that's good for us. We're not getting trashed by that film. Jon Anderson: I went to go see the movie. I like those kind of movies... those sort of crazy, tied-to-your-seat kind of movies. Chris Squire: Independence Day Jon Anderson: Independence Day was great. Billy Sherwood: Certainly was. Good Job Dave. Alan White: Might change the lyrics :-) JG: Thank you guys for joining us here on Video Vision. Good luck to the rest of your careers. You take care. As I said, out of any band that's ever played a note at all, you guys are to my... you're number one in my book. Ya don't get any better... I really appreciate it. Billy Sherwood: Carry on for eternity. Steve Howe: Flattery will get you everywhere. Alan White: Bye! Discography
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JG: I just want to tell you I listened to the album Open Your Eyes & I've been a big follower of all your albums and I've probably seen you more than any other group. And I'm not just saying that - 'cause I've seen a lot of groups in the past. I just want to say that this new album - it's kind of got the ingredients of everything you've done in the past. I think that people are going to be looking forward to hearing this new thing.
Steve Howe: That's right. It's got another... it's a double CD like the first one. The whole first CD is live; the second one is all studio with Mr. Rick Wakeman which is his last visitation with us. So if you want to catch that you can get retro feelings from that. There's some long tracks on... "Mind Drive" is a very long, very good. It's kind of a companion if you like to Open Your Eyes but more if you want the older style of Yes and you want to know what Rick was doing on his final joint with Yes.
Alan White: I don't know. We just came off stage that night. It was when we did the whole Topographic tour we played the whole thing in its entirety, and we all went backstage and said "dammit we played it right from beginning to end" cause not every night it was like that.