Yes during their windblown interview – photo by Raphael Murciano
The name alone seemed to suggest some sort of limitless adventure and on that score, the recent Cruise to the Edge delivered on all counts. Although inclement weather limited the port of call to Cozumel and forced the exclusion of Honduras, the onboard revelry seemed limitless in scope, providing a far reaching sampling of what’s come to represent today’s progressive rock vanguard. Headlined by Yes, the line-up also included Steve Hackett, Marillion, U.K., Strawbs, Simon Collins (Phil’s offspring) and his band Sound of Contact, Tony Levin’s Stickmen, an offshoot of Gentle Giant called Three Friends, Renaissance, Patrick Moraz, IO Earth, Saga, Queensriche, PFM, Tangerine Dream, and the latest incarnation of Soft Machine, among others. It was a broad sampling of adventurous sounds, and one which made this musical cruise unlike any other.Naturally, on an outing like this, one might expect to encounter a fair number of eggheads and intellects (read “nerds,” if you will), and while it’s tempting to label many of the voyagers as such, it’s also fair to say that the insightful knowledge these fans possessed was well beyond that of the average music aficionado. Everywhere one turned, there seemed to be discussions of attributes, anecdotes and back stories tied to each of the bigger bands, enough to offer a quick primer on any ensemble that wasn’t already well known. It was no surprise then to find that the level of enthusiasm reigned at peak proportions. Some of the discussions proved contentious; debate about Yes’ status found some extolling the group’s virtues and others arguing that their decision to replay full albums offered no change from their standard tour fare. Nevertheless, for the uninitiated — admittedly those in the minority – the onboard offerings showed a full range of prog prowess.
Certainly, there’s no denying Yes’ continuing endurance, not only in their performance, but also in terms of their sheer perseverance. The membership roster has been fluid throughout their forty plus year collective career, but even with new singer John Davidson at the helm, the band’s ability to effectively retrace its earlier catalogue remains unimpaired. That was clear not only in the way they wove their way through both The Yes Album and Close to the Edge in their entirety, but also in the choice of “America” as an opener. In the beginning, it was their unique interpretation of this Simon and Garfunkel song that helped affirm the band’s acumen early on.
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