Is this one of those “be careful what you wish for” stories?
On one hand, “Probably every kid fantasizes about being in their favorite band,” says Jon Davison. And he became not just the lead singer, but the driving force behind his favorite band’s new album.
On the other hand, the band is Yes.
“It’s so hard because there’s always this high and strict standard for absolute progressive perfection,” Davison says with a laugh.
The pioneering progressive-rock band has been making albums since 1969, including two certified prog classics — “Fragile” and “Close to the Edge” — which get played in full on the tour that visits the Hard Rock Hotel on Friday.
“You’re never going to measure up to that and we don’t necessarily want to, because it would be forced if we tried,” says Davison, who was born in 1971, the year before “Fragile” was released.
The new album, “Heaven &Earth” must not only compete with that legacy, but with lingering resentment in the group’s fan base for the band replacing its original singer, Jon Anderson, when he was sidelined by illness five years ago. (Anderson is starting a new band with jazz-rock violinist Jean Luc Ponty.)
“Heaven &Earth” came out of the gate last month with impressive sales for a classic-rock group, debuting at No. 26 on Billboard’s album charts.
But fan and critical reaction has been mixed to negative, with the general drift being that it’s too languid and tepid. “Where did the rocking part of Yes go?” asks a typical fan comment on a review site.
CURRENTLY AVAILABLE FROM GONZO
 | Union (Standard DVD) DVD - £9.99 |
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 | Rock Of The 70's DVD - £12.99 |
 | The Lost Broadcasts DVD - £7.99 |
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