Yes, Friday, Feb. 5, doors 6 p.m., show 8 p.m., Penn’s Peak (325 Maury Road, Jim Thorpe). Tickets: $42 reserved, $47
general admission pit, available at Penn’s Peak box office (hours vary), Ticketmaster outlets.
Sold out at press time. Info: 866.605.7325,
by Michael LelloWeekender Editor
Sammy Hagar. Phil Collins. Ronnie James Dio. The list of singers stepping into an iconic frontman’s place, and succeeding, is relatively long. But when Yes debuted a new lineup without the unmistakable and ethereal alto tenor vocals of Jon Anderson two years ago, some fans were understandably skeptical. Throw in the fact that the new singer came from a Yes tribute band — a la the movie “Rock Star” — and the plan bordered on sacrilege.
After hearing Benoit David’s voice, however, most longtime Yes fans have accepted the new lineup, says bassist Chris Squire — the only musician to play on every album released by the British progressive rock band.
David is filling in for the ailing Anderson, and Oliver Wakeman is playing keyboards in place of his father Rick, who’s also experiencing health problems. It may seem like an odd approach, but it is important to point out that Yes, which will perform at Penn’s Peak in Jim Thorpe Friday, Feb. 5, has had myriad roster changes in its 42 years of existence, including stretches without the fan-beloved Anderson.
“Yes’ history is sort of really based on a lot of the change that happens in the band,” Squire says. “There have been people that came into the band, and in Jon and Rick’s case, they’ve both been in and out about three or four times. It’s not an unusual pattern for us.”
Squire and Anderson formed Yes in 1968 during the height of the swinging, psychedelic London scene, becoming a pioneer of progressive rock but placing a premium on immaculate lead and harmony vocals. The band recorded five Billboard Top 10 albums in the 1970s and mounted a surprising comeback in 1983 with the No. 1 single “Owner of a Lonely Heart” and No. 5 album “90125,” both after Trevor Rabin joined the band and pushed it in a more contemporary direction.
Squire, whose innovative, treble-y bass guitar and harmony vocals influenced by his London choirboy days are hallmarks of Yes, spoke with the Weekender about the past, present and future of the band from his home in Phoenix.
Weekender: How have the fans reacted to Benoit?
Squire: It’s been surprisingly good. Obviously, there was a bit of concern that he would be what people hoped for. He’s filling in for Jon. He’ll never be Jon, but he certainly seems to improve all the time, and the fans seem to really like him.
Weekender: When someone leaves Yes, and someone new comes in, how does it impact the band?
Squire: When that change happens, the band always seems to get a kick and a new thing happens for us. In a way, of course, being there the whole time myself, I’ve been very fortunate to experience the influence of all of the different people.
Weekender: What kind of setlist should fans expect on this tour?
Squire: We’ve basically got a good variety of stuff from Yes’ career, going right back to the beginning. We’re playing a track from 1969 from the “Time And A Word” album called “Astral Traveler.”
Weekender: Some fans might not know that Jon and Rick left and were replaced in 1980 with Trevor Horn and Geoff Downes from The Buggles for “Drama.” Will you be playing some songs from that era?
Squire: Yes, a couple songs from the “Drama” album, which we were never able to do with Jon Anderson. … (We) definitely (enjoy playing them), and they’re not easy pieces to play.
Weekender: When you started Yes, did you dream the band would still exist in 2010?
Squire: (Laughs) I had no idea-r about that. We started out in 1968, and that was just at the ending of The Beatles’ career, which was from ’63 to ’69. I remember thinking after we had Yes going for a year, I thought a 6-year career would be fantastic. And to achieve it. … Here we are now at 42.
Weekender: Yes never really was in fashion, so did it make it easier that you didn’t have to be concerned about falling out of fashion?
Squire: That’s a very good point. I think, yeah, it’s almost like Yes has always been on its own path. So trends come and go. We don’t exactly come in with the trends. And Yes has been many things over the years, but we’ve never been really with the trends. We did set a couple.
Weekender: Are there plans for the current Yes lineup to record a new studio album?
Squire: Yes there are. Absolutely, this year. That’s where my attention is going to be.
Weekender: Is this — you, drummer Alan White, guitarist Steve Howe, Oliver and Benoit — the permanent Yes lineup?
Squire: At the moment, it certainly is. As people have asked me, “Do you see working with Jon and Rick again,” I have not closed the door on that.
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