For many reasons, I respect Led Zeppelin more than any other band in history. At the top of their game, they lost their drummer and that was that. No John Bonham, no Led Zeppelin. They split and never reunited. Now that is loyalty. That is the way you HONOR your bandmate, and your band.
Fast forward to the present day, where Yes has decided to hire an impostor, an impersonator, a cover-band-singer-look-alike, to pretend to be John Anderson. Look, J/A is Yes. No offense to Chris Squire, one of my favorite bassists of all time, but there is no Yes without J/A. You can bring in a poster boy, but it ain't the same. If it weren't for Steve Howe and yes, even Chris Squire, blowing my mind all night, I would have thought I WAS watching a cover band. So look, I don't like it. I don't like the way they threw J/A aside like a used floor mat and I don't like that they walked in to a five and dime and picked up the first Made-In-China replica they could find.
But with ALL that said, if you like Yes, you will pass out at this concert. It was sublime. Downes and White were good. Really good. Squire was amazing. Howe stole the show, like always. And Jon Davison? Well, if you can get over your frustration, your "why can't you be more like Led Zeppelin" loyalty issues, and just pretend, well then you will have to admit the man can rock John Anderson. And you will have your mind blown.
Close to the Edge transported me back to 1972. I was only four but I can still feel it. The Yes Album reminded me why it remains one of the best albums ever, from Yours is No Disgrace to Starship Trooper. As they worked through Going for the One, I settled into unbridled joy (because it was so amazing) while pushing out the crushing sadness of approaching conclusion. It all culminated in 17 minutes of pure ecstasy with the hands-down highlight of the night, Awaken. We didn't even need Roundabout, but it was a nice addition. I wouldn't have complained if they'd thrown in Heart of the Sunrise or a Mood for a Day.
I met John Anderson once, in an airport. I told him that I've loved Yes since I was a fetus and that my dad is their number one fan. He was so nice, he even followed us out to our car to hand us a copy of his new CD and meet my speechless children. I was so disgusted with his treatment that I almost boycotted. But it's Yes, and it was worth every second of the fourteen hour round trip it took to get there. But it wasn't the same without John Anderson and while greatness matters, loyalty and friendship and kindness matter too.
As memorable as Yes 2013 was, the concert wasn't the only thing worth remembering. John: Wherever you are, know we still love you and for many of us: You. Are. Still. Yes.