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Prog Special: Yes
Editor’s Note
Starship Troopers • Fifty years ago, Yes unexpectedly discovered the path to stardom and embarked on a magical journey that led to them becoming one of the biggest progressive rock bands in the world. Prog invites Bill Bruford, Tony Kaye, Rick Wakeman, Steve Howe, Phil Franks and Roger Dean to explore the journey up to and beyond the band’s annus mirabilis: 1971.
COVER STORIES • Phil Franks discusses the making of The Yes Album cover.
COVER STORIES • How Roger Dean entered the world of Yes and changed it forever…
Big Generator • From LSD ‘death’ to CEO of a 30-million-selling band, Chris Squire was the rock on which Yes were built. In 2014, we joined him to look back over his wondrous journey.
YES “…is a marriage multiplied by five” • Producer Roy Thomas Baker on working with prog’s most dysfunctional band.
CLOSE TO THE EDGE: The Making Of A Masterpiece • It’s considered to be the pivotal Yes album, the one that flung the band to new artistic and commercial heights. But how did Yes reach this zenith – and where did this complex creativity leave them personally?
ROGER DEAN • The legendary fantasy artist on creating CTTE’s sleeve.
“When I sing it I go weak at the knees!” • Geoff and Jon, the two (relatively) new Yes boys, discuss what CTTE means to them.
A Boxful Of Bonuses! • Your guide to Yes’ career-spanning box set…
“Pure Hardcore YES” • From the influence of an Indian guru to the loss of Rick Wakeman, Prog takes an in-depth look into the making of Yes’ opinion-dividing sixth album, Tales From Topographic Oceans.
THE PROG INTERVIEW JON ANDERSON • Prog icons don’t come much bigger than Jon Anderson, the man who, for most, is the definitive voice and esssence of Yes. In 2015, Prog caught up with the singer to talk about his upcoming album with Jean-Luc Ponty, reveal what he really thought of his former bandmates carrying on without him, and share his thoughts on everything from Sibelius to strippers and spiritualism.
All That Jazz • New year, new line-up, new sound. With Rick Wakeman out and Swiss hotshot Patrick Moraz in, Yes were about to enter exhilarating new territories with 1974’s delirious Relayer.
“So Sweet… So Beautiful…” • Between 1975 and 1976, at the height of their global fame, the five members of Yes all took time out from the band to focus on their respective solo endeavours. For Chris Squire, this meant making the remarkable Fish Out Of Water album. We speak to the people who were on hand to reel it onto land.
YOU BY MY SIDE • Nick Beggs, bassist with Steven Wilson, talks about the impact Chris Squire had upon his playing and reflects on his love for Fish Out Of Water and the man he called his friend.
“Sometimes I Still Think, ‘Where Did All That Come From?’” • In the summer of 1976, Jon Anderson released his first solo album, Olias Of Sunhillow, which came complete with a complex concept. Forty years later, he talks us through its creation.
“I blame old whatshisname…” • Jon Anderson ponders the highs and lows of his solo career, reveals why he’s big in Quebec, and tells us how Phil Collins stole his thunder – twice.
Close To The Edge • From the unexpected high of Going For The One to the crashing lows of Tormato and the ill-fated Paris sessions, the late 70s was boom and bust for prog’s biggest band. This is how Yes’ decade ended in disarray and a drunken accident on rollerskates.
All The World’s A Stage • Exit the 1970s, Jon Anderson and Rick Wakeman, enter the 1980s, Buggles and a heap of controversy. In 2012, the musicians involved looked back on Drama – a Yes album like no other.
THE CLASSIC Rock INTERVIEW STEVE HOWE • He could have...