Source: Bravewords.com

Rock legends YES will perform three of their classic albums in their entirety, all in one concert, on a special tour in 2013: 1971’s The Yes Album, 1972’s Close To The Edge and 1977’s Going For The One. Music audiences will experience the albums, each representing an important milestone in YES’ career, performed from beginning to end. Jeb Wright at Classic Rock Revisited recently caught up with drummer Alan White to discuss the endeavour An excerpt from the interview is available below:

Jeb: How did the idea come up and are you sure you can pull this off?

Alan: “It will be a piece of cake because we are all spry young guys (laughter). I am looking forward to it. We are reliving the time frame of when we made each album.”

Jeb: How did you decide on what albums to play?

Alan: “It took a couple of emails, but we all new exactly the right thing to do. The Yes Album, we’ve played a lot of those songs in concert for a while, Going for the One, not so much. Close to the Edge speaks for itself.”

Jeb: This is not THE MONKEES, you are playing Yes music, which is very complex.

Alan: “You have to have your wits about you, that is for sure. There is a lot of intricate playing and there are a lot of things to memorize. At the same time, it is kind of like riding a bicycle. It is a difficult task to play all of this stuff on stage, but everybody is involved.”

Jeb: Rumor has it Yes is recording a new album.

Alan: “We are thinking about it, let’s put it that way. I wouldn’t jump the gun too much. It is a possibility. We are all thinking about it and we have some ideas to make a new album. I’ve got ideas about what is should be, as does everyone. It will happen when it happens.”

Go to this location for the complete interview.

The multi-platinum progressive rock band – bassist Chris Squire, guitarist Steve Howe, drummer Alan White, keyboardist Geoff Downes and singer Jon Davison – will kick off the North American tour March 1st and conclude April 12th in Detroit.

After starting in West Wendover, Nevada, the historic trek continues down the West Coast including stops in Seattle, San Francisco, and Los Angeles before heading east for shows in New York, Toronto, Detroit and more. See the full itinerary below.

The tour will mark the first time since 1973 that YES – who have sold close to 50 million albums worldwide – have performed an album onstage in its entirety.

Steve Howe says, “These albums we all easily agreed on – they are complete works in themselves,” adding that several of the songs have rarely been performed live. “I believe the only song not performed in concert is ‘A Venture’ from The Yes Album,” says Chris Squire. “And probably the most tricky of all the songs planned for this set is ‘Turn Of The Century’ from the Going For The One album.” Alan White believes “This is a great opportunity to show the growth of YES in these different eras – and to relive the memories of these times.”

The Yes Album is widely considered to be the band’s breakthrough album. Certified platinum, it features such signature songs as ‘Yours Is No Disgrace’ and ‘I’ve Seen All Good People’. The band’s album Close To The Edge was on the U. charts for 32 weeks, peaking at #3. Going For The One went gold, hit #8 on the US chart and featured two singles, ‘Wonderous Stories’ (which hit #6) and the title track (#24).

“I think the 12-inch album is alive and well as reinforced by the rising interest in the analog format,” says Squire when asked about the album format in the singles-driven digital age. The album, says Howe, “has never totally gone away – there are those who completely understand.”

Tickets can be purchased in advance. Moreover, YES is proud to provide special show packages, which include near-stage seating, a meet and greet with the band, exclusive limited-edition gifts from YES, and much more.

Tour dates:

March
1 – West Wendover, NV – Peppermill Concert Hall *
3 – Seattle, WA – Moore Theatre
5 – San Francisco, CA – The Warfield
6 – Los Angeles, CA – Orpheum Theatre
8 – Temecula, CA – Pechanga Theater (at Pechanga Casino)
9 – Reno, NV – Silver Legacy Casino *
14 – Omaha, NE – Holland Performing Arts Center
16 – Hammond, IN – The Venue at Horseshoe Casino
17 – Louisville, KY – Palace Theatre
18 – Kansas City, MO – The Midland by AMC
20 – Austin, TX – ACL Live at the Moody Theater
21 – Grand Prairie, TX – Verizon Theatre
22 – Biloxi, MS – Hard Rock Live – Biloxi *
24 – Hollywood, FL – Seminole Hard Rock Live Arena *
30 – Melbourne, FL – Maxwell C. King Center for the Perf. Arts

April
2 – Clearwater, FL – Ruck Eckerd Hall
5 – Mashantucket, CT – MGM Grand at Foxwoods *
6 – Hampton, NH – Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom
7 – Bethlehem, PA – Sands Bethlehem Event Center
9 – New York, NY – Beacon Theatre
11 – Toronto, ON – Massey Hall
12 – Detroit, MI – Fox Theatre

* – YES will only be performing two albums – The Yes Album and Close To The Edge – for shows at casinos due to the time constrictions of events held there.