A Tale of Two Yesmen

[Carl]

Dan interviewed Chris Squire this week, who is the only member of Yes to be part of every band lineup since they formed in 1968. I knew Yes was still going strong, but had no idea how much they tour. They've been on the road since March, 2013 and won't stop until June of this year. They'll take a month off, then head right back out. Somewhere in there, they had time to make an album, which is due this summer.

Their original lead singer Jon Anderson left the group about 10 years ago, in part because the touring was too much for him. I spoke with him last year, but didn't grasp the contrast at the time between the path he chose and that of the current band.

Jon lives out in the country and makes time with nature a priority. He has a studio that you have to walk through a garden to get to. Music is still very much a part of his life - he still tours, but sparingly, typically acoustic shows at small venues.

When Dan called Chris Squire, the bassman was on the Canadian leg of their tour. Chris was in a hotel room, having finished a workout on a treadmill. The current version of Yes are some heavy hitters: Steve Howe, Alan White and Geoff Downes are part of this incarnation. They are packing venues and getting rave reviews.

I can see the appeal of both lifestyles: Chris gets to do what he loves night after night by performing to the band's most appreciative and argent fans. Jon gets to explore his spiritual side and enjoy more unstructured time.

These guys made amazing music when their lifestyles converged. Realizing how different they are, I'm glad we had them together as long as we did.