The Gonzo Daily: Chris Squire talks Yes albums tour, in Phoenix

Sunday, 7 July 2013

Chris Squire talks Yes albums tour, in Phoenix

Yes will perform three albums, playing songs in the order they were on the original vinyl July 9, 2013, at Celebrity Theatre in Phoenix. Yes band members from left: Guitarist Steve Howe, keyboardist Geoff Downes, vocalist Jon Davison, drummer Alan White and bassist Chris Squire.

Progressive-rock legends Yes will be blowing the dust off three of their most revered albums in Phoenix, revisiting 1971’s “The Yes Album,” 1972’s “Close to the Edge” and 1977’s “Going for the One” in their entirety over the course of one two-hour show at the Celebrity Theatre in Phoenix.

The latest edition of Yes includes bassist/founding member Chris Squire, guitarist Steve Howe, drummer Alan White, keyboardist Geoff Downes and new singer Jon Davison.

Jon Anderson, who sang on all three albums, last performed with Yes in 2004. He was supposed to join them in 2008, but the tour was canceled when Anderson suffered acute respiratory failure.

We caught up with Squire, who’s lived in Chandler since 2008, to talk about the tour.

Question: Could you talk about the inspiration for this tour?

Answer: We’ve had this idea in our back pocket for some time, to do a tour where we play the albums in their entirety in the sequence in which they appeared on the original vinyl. But normally, when we go on the road, there’s a new product to promote. So that takes precedence. But this year, we don’t have a new album, so we thought, well, this would be a good time.

Q: Have you been to shows where bands have done this?

A: I remember being in New York in the ’90s, I think, or the early 2000s, and Steely Dan had this concept. Maybe that’s where I originally got the idea. Other bands have done this. It’s not a new idea on our part. But it’s a new idea for us.

Q: Why these three albums?

A: They mark stepping stones in our career. “The Yes Album,” of course, was the album that put Yes’ name on the worldwide stage. And then, “Close to the Edge” is the album where we first attempted to do the extra-long-form piece of music, having one song taking up the whole side of a piece of vinyl. So that’s another landmark. And then “Going for the One” was the first time Yes had ever recorded outside of the U.K. We actually went to Switzerland. We usually play “Close to the Edge” first, then “Going For the One” with “The Yes Album” third.

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