Noisecreep recently caught up with esteemed guitarist Steve Howe of Yes to talk about the band’s upcoming ‘Triple-Header’ US tour and to ask whether he is comfortable with being shelved in the progressive rock category. A couple of excerpts from the chat can be found below.
Yes has long been considered one of the leading bands in the prog-rock genre; however, Howe said that when the band formed in 1968 the term hadn’t even been coined: “I called it ‘soft rock’ back then, that was my term for what Yes music was… In the interim after we came out, beside soft rock, then you had orchestral rock, classical rock, graphic rock – so many kinds of rock before prog became such a well-know term.”
However, he added: “But I love a lot of the music that gets called prog today. It’s very complex, intense, and played by very talented musicians.”
Yes’ current lineup: Howe, bassist Chris Squire, drummer Alan White, keyboardist Geoff Downes and singer Jon Davison will perform arguably its three most revered albums: 1971′s ‘The Yes Album,’ 1972′s ‘Close to the Edge’ and 1977′s ‘Going for the One’ in full on the tour, which kicks off on March 1 next year.
Howe said that the concept for the tour had been in the works for some time: “It’s been floating around for a bit actually. I was pushing for it years ago so it’s been kicking around. But as a band we thought it would be nice to put all of these albums, which are very near and dear to us, in their full and proper context.”
He explained that the song order of the albums would not be varied: “The flow will all be intact, which was important back when albums mattered; back when people actually sat and listened all the way through a long form piece of work.”
Howe added that the prospect of the tour was the most exciting since Yes reunited: “Since we got back together in 2008 we have had a more linear view about what we’ve wanted to play, and so the culmination of this tour is truly exciting for all of us.”
Click here for the full interview.
Yes Triple-Header 2013 Tour Dates:
03/01 West Wendover, NV Peppermill Concert Hall
03/03 Seattle, WA Moore Theatre
03/05 San Francisco, CA The Warfield
03/06 Los Angeles, CA Orpheum Theatre
03/08 Temecula, CA Pechanga Theater (at Pechanga Casino)
03/09 Reno, NV Silver Legacy Casino
03/12 Aspen, CO Belly Up Aspen
03/14 Omaha, NE Holland Performing Arts Center
03/16 Hammond, IN The Venue at Horseshoe Casino
03/17 Louisville, KY Palace Theatre
03/18 Kansas City, MO The Midland by AMC
03/20 Austin, TX ACL Live at the Moody Theater
03/21 Grand Prairie, TX Verizon Theatre
03/22 Biloxi, MS Hard Rock Live – Biloxi
03/24 Hollywood, FL Seminole Hard Rock Live Arena
03/25 Ft. Lauderdale, FL MSC Poesia
03/30 Melbourne, FL Maxwell C. King Center for the Perf. Arts
04/02 Clearwater, FL Ruck Eckerd Hall
04/05 Mashantucket, CT MGM Grand at Foxwoods
04/06 Hampton, NH Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom
04/07 Bethlehem, PA Sands Bethlehem Event Center
04/09 New York, NY Beacon Theatre
04/11 Toronto, ON Massey Hall
04/12 Detroit, MI Fox Theatre