Happy Late Night, my Darling,
I got back from the concert a while ago. Grimsley gave me a ride home, which saved me a lot of time from taking the subway and then the Orange Line bus back across the Valley. I don't know if you saw my post on FB about an hour ago, but if you did, that was my *facetious* review of the concert, haha. I thought, "hmmm, well I've already used the "I'm speechless" gag a few times, and most recently with Steven Wilson (which I symbolised on FB by posting ".................".) But I was more than even speechless after tonight's show, so I thought, "hmmm, well how can I depict being Beyond Speechless"? And I thought about turning into an anti-matter version of myself or something along those lines, but then I thought maybe that was too complicated, so I figured that positing to Delete My FB Account would be a good representation of being Beyond Speechless. I guess the reasoning is that if I didn't have an FB account, I couldn't possibly review the concert to begin with, which would then count as being Beyond Speechless.......
I've mentioned before that I'm aware I'm a bit nutty, so you don't have to wonder, lol. :)
But these concerts, Sweet Baby..........my goodness, these concerts.....
And then this concert tonight. I finally got my chance to see Jon Anderson, the lead singer of Yes, who is not only one of my favorite singers ever but a true musical genius. You may or may not know much Yes music, and you may or may not like what you hear, but for a lot of progressive rock fans, Yes may have been the greatest of them all. One thing is for certain : no band has ever sounded remotely like them, and vice-versa.
I was also getting the chance to see Rick Freakin' Wakeman, who is perhaps The King Of Prog, having been in The Strawbs and Yes, and on top of that he released his solo record "The Six Wives Of Henry VIII" which went on to become legendary, and he also played keys on albums by David Bowie, Cat Stevens and Black Sabbath. I first saw Rick Wakeman in September 1974, at the Hollywood Bowl, during his tour for the album "Journey To The Center Of The Earth". It was the only other time I've seen him, and it was my third-ever concert - 42 years ago!
That alone is a major-league mindblower.
I had also never seen guitarist Trevor Rabin, who was in the "commercial" version of Yes. The band went through some changes in the 1980s, Rabin replaced the legendary Steve Howe and the music became more radio-friendly, while retaining it's basic prog elements.
Tonight, the set was a mixture of both versions of Yes music, the original and the more commercial, but everything about the concert was sooooo far off the charts that all I can do is just say.....
Well, I can't say anything. Not even that I'm speechless.
I guess the only thing I can say is that the playing was the greatest I've seen by a band since Emerson Lake & Palmer back in 1974. Jon Anderson's voice was flawless. He just turned 72!, and yet he sounds just as he did when the songs were recorded. I am so glad I finally got to see him!
Ditto with Rick Wakeman, who shredded across seven different keyboards tonight, including two Mini-Moogs, which have always been a big part of his signature sound.
But I think the biggest surprise for me was how good a guitarist Trevor Rabin is. State of the art, 21st Century. He gives the band an energetic punch that pushes the sonics of the live show to their absolute limit.
I'm blown away.
It was an appropriate way to end the amazing run of concerts of 2016.
When they play again I may have to become the anti-matter version of myself to review it. :)
See you in the morning. I Love You. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
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