Apologies

I am sorry for lack of activity here at QoQuaq Music. We have experienced technical issues but all are fixed.

Yes, we've missed the launch of Yes' Fly from Here but expect a review soon.

Work progressing on Anderson / Rabin / Wakeman project

Rick Wakeman has confirmed via his website, RWCC, that plans for a project between Jon Anderson, Trevor Rabin and Rick Wakeman are definitely going ahead.

Here's a quote from Wakeman's site:

Wayne has mentioned to me that he received a lot of e-mails to the site displaying their displeasure at the news that the proposed project with Trevor Rabin and Jon Anderson was not going ahead. I must admit I threw my head in my hands when he told me as it is, to the very best of my knowledge and certainly Jon’s as well, total rubbish.

There are some not very nice people out there who like to stir things up, and believe it or not, we know who some of them are. They are the equivalent to people who start computer viruses and I have no time for them. I have always said that if you hear a rumour, log into this site, and if it’s confirmed here, then it’s true. If it isn’t, then treat it as a rumour started by somebody who thinks they know something, but actually don’t!

Just two days ago I received some music from Jon for the Trevor, Jon and Rick project, and it’s tremendous. I’ve also sent some stuff to both the guys as well, so unless there really is something I don’t know, then all is progressing really well.

-Rick Wakeman

So there you go peeps, a Yes album in July and an Anderson/Rabin/Wakeman album in the works.

Yes press release for new album "Fly From Here". "Drama 2"?

So, as I've mentioned here before, Yes' new album, Fly From Here, is to be released in the summer. Here is the press release from YesWorld.com, this was not written by QoQuaq so is a biased article.

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World's Greatest Prog Rock Band & Grammy Award Winners

YES Announce:

TREVOR HORN To Produce New Album

FLY FROM HERE

To Release on Frontiers Records July 2011

The world's most quintessential Prog Rock band YES, announces today their highly anticipated new album FLY FROM HERE. This marks the first album in ten years with legendary, 2-time Grammy Award winning producer, Trevor Horn.

Horn and YES bassist Chris Squire re-discovered the track "Fly From Here" which has never been recorded as a studio track. “Chris and I were talking one evening about a song ‘Fly From Here’ that we never recorded,” explains Trevor Horn. “I said I was prepared to spend two weeks with ‘YES’ recording that song. When I arrived in America to record it, I was taken prisoner by the band and only allowed my freedom again in return for producing the whole album. It was an offer I couldn’t refuse!”

FLY FROM HERE encompasses YES’ signature brand of mysticism and grand-scale compositions. Maintaining a complex, symphonic sound that features the beautiful harmonies and strong heavy riffs they are known for. “The new album represents the best of YES from the 70s and the 80's with a current twist,” states Squire.

YES are the pioneers for the use of synthesizers and sound effects in modern music, which produced such timeless, symphonic-rock masterworks as "Roundabout", "Close To the Edge" and "Awaken". YES continued to push the cutting edge of art-rock music to their limits, selling over 30 million albums, reaching platinum status multiple times worldwide.

YES’ powerful mainstream progressive compositions have influenced a generation of musicians with a hugely successful and indelible catalogue of music with hit albums such as DRAMA, FRAGILE, CLOSE TO THE EDGE and 90125. Classics such as “Roundabout,” a seminal hit which consistently appears on “the best songs of all-time” lists, and the group’s #1 hit “Owner of a Lonely Heart,” which Horn is responsible for. Taken from the YES album 90125, this single would form part of a unique double, which would see YES and Horn top both the UK and US charts simultaneously.

FLY FROM HERE will be released on Frontiers Records July 2011. More details about the album, its packaging and YES’ live plans for the rest of the year will become available shortly.

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Yes are also touring with their Rite of Spring tour, but are not performing any of the songs from the new album until the Autumn '11.

The currently known musicians performing on the album are:
Benoit David (vocals)
Steve Howe (guitars)
Chris Squire (bass)
Alan White (drums)
Oliver Wakeman (keyboards)
Geoff Downes (keyboards)
Trevor Horn (vocals)

More news will be added to the blog as it is received and, of course, a review in July!

Jon Anderson speaks about Benoît David, Yes and his future plans...

Jon Anderson, long-time vocalist of prog-veteran band Yes has recently, and for the first time, spoken about his replacement in the band, Benoît David - a Canadian vocalist from a Yes tribute act and new-prog band Mystery, a very different sort of replacement from Trevor Horn, who replaced Anderson for the 1980 album Drama.

Jon Anderson is well known for being a very spiritual kind of guy, and doesn't seem the type of chap who'd hold a grudge. He has accepted the limitations his recent bad health has left him with and prevent him from taking up his place - front of stage with Yes.

Anderson recently gave a telephone interview with The Hamilton Spectator, and sounded rather at peace with his place in the world and with his former band mates. "They were busy. They were just guys who had to make a living" he says.

Anderson admits that he is in no shape for touring with Yes, unable to do 4-5 shows per week. An asthma attack in 2008, which almost killed him, has left him unable to push himself as he once did, similar to his close friend and former Yes keyboardist, Rick Wakeman who suffers with heart problems and can no longer tour (he is replaced in the band by his son, Oliver Wakeman). The two have recently released an acoustic album titled The Living Tree and was released last year, a short UK tour followed.

Regarding his replacement, Benoît David, Anderson seems flattered "imitation is the biggest form of flattery" he says. It seems that Anderson is now truly retired from Yes but he holds out some hope of spending time with his old friends.

Anderson is currently working on 2 operas and 3 musicals and says "you can't think the best music I ever made was in 1972". Which is a bold statement considering that Yes released Close to the Edge and Fragile around that time, and The Living Tree certainly doesn't hold a candle to them. Yes are also to release a new album this summer, Fly From Here, the first since 2001's Magnification and is also produced by Trevor Horn.

Anderson has said nothing more of his sequel to Olias of Sunhillow, which is apparently called Songs of Zamran, son of Olias.

One thing is very clear - we have not heard the last of Jon Anderson...

Roger Waters & Nick Mason speak about the future of Pink Floyd

During an interview with the BBC recently, Pink Floyd drummer, Nick Mason, stated that he doubts that the band will ever tour again but doesn't rule out any more one-off performances.

He said: "The answer is, no-one's said we will never work again. I think it's very unlikely we are going to go out on tour - I think Roger's [Waters] really happy working on his own now, it's hard to see him thinking he'd like to come back. It's hard to see Dave [Gilmour] thinking he'd really like to work full time with Roger."

He went on to say: "On the other hand, I live in hope we would absolutely do another Live 8 or play together for the right reasons. Certainly the other two know my stance on this."

He did not speak of the death of band-mate, Richard Wright who died in 2008.

Roger Waters, ex-bassist with Pink Floyd (who left the band in 1985), has also recently spoken out, quashing any rumours of a Pink Floyd re-union, following rumours sparked by his recent appearance with David Gilmour at a Hoping Foundation charity gig, where the pair played an impromptu version of "Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2)" and Gilmour's upcoming special appearance at one of Waters' UK The Wall shows.