After the fairly strong Fly From Here album in 2011, progressive rock legends Yes replaced then new singer Benoit David (who replaced Jon Anderson in 2008) a year later with Glass Hammer vocalist Jon Davison, who filled in for the remainder of the tour and then jumped right into writing with the band for a proposed follow-up album. Working with famed producer Roy Thomas Baker, the band put together Heaven & Earth, their second release with the growing Frontiers Records. Davison joins classic members Steve Howe (guitars), Chris Squire (bass, vocals), Alan White (drums), and returning keyboard player (and current Asia member) Geoff Downes.
So, exactly what does Yes have to offer here on Heaven & Earth? Well, if you've been reading reactions on the internet, the band are really taking a pounding with this new one. While some of the criticism might have some merit, Heaven & Earth is actually one of those albums that takes time to grow on you. It's clearly not a symphonic prog masterpiece by any stretch of the imagination, and for many the songs here will be way too laid back and 'safe' by Yes standards, but the songs are actually quite pleasant and memorable. Davison's vocal performance is reason enough to check out the CD; in fact, he's easily the MVP here, and I'd go so far as to say that he overshadows the rest of the band, who overall sound just a tad too relaxed. "Believe Again" is a real catchy tune, one off the CD that the band is playing in their current live set, featuring a soaring Davison vocal and a tricky Howe guitar break in the middle. "The Game" is another hook laden pop/prog piece with addicting vocal layers and some tasty soloing courtesy of Howe. A few songs in and you start to notice that there's a lack of keyboards, but then Downes lays down some bouncy synths on the rather bland "Step Beyond", as well as supports Howe's gorgeous acoustic guitar with some rather fine piano & synth on the emotional "To Ascend", another tune highlighted by Davison's incredible lead vocals.
White's jazzy drumming & Squire's thick bluesy bass lead in the groove laden "In a World Of Our Own", a nice enough tune but clearly doesn't sound like a Yes song. The Davison penned "Light of the Ages" features cosmic lyrics and majestic soundscapes, including some yearning guitar from Howe, a real enjoyable track that bridges classic Yes as well as Renaissance. One of the albums better tunes. Howe's "It Was All We Knew" let's Squire roam a bit with some muscular bass lines, but it's kind of a generic pop song, again needing some oomph from the keyboards that never happens. "Subway Walls" is the closing number, and the only real 'epic prog' statement here, to an extent. Downes makes his presence known immediately with some orchestral synths that have a grandiose feel, before Howe's jazzy guitar lines creep into the mix, followed by Squire's acrobatic bass excursions. It's a pretty cool tune but never really gets fully 'uncorked' in true Yes fashion, retaining too much of the breezy pop sheen that permeates much of the album. You keep expecting the band to unleash something really amazing, but it's as if they are constantly holding themselves back during the entire song. There is a fun Hammond solo courtesy of Downes, and you end up just wishing he did more of that throughout the album.
With dazzling cover art from Roger Dean, one quick look at Heaven & Earth and any Yes fan hopes and prays for an album that brings that classic sound that the band are known for. Sadly, that doesn't really happen here. Heaven & Earth is less successful than Fly From Here, though arguably a bit more fun than the lackluster releases Magnification, Open Your Eyes, and The Ladder. It's a shame that Yes have not been able to capture the magic they created on the studio tracks from the two live Keys to Ascension albums, but you have to wonder if the absence of Rick Wakeman on all these studio efforts since then is the reason that the band have seemed to have lost their 'proggy' touch. End result is that Heaven & Earth is an ok album, more of a 'nice pop' record than a prog masterpiece from these legends, which, considering the high standards of their fan base, isn't going to cut it. More keyboards from Downes would have helped things out greatly, and perhaps a few more adventurous passages woven into some of these songs, also couldn't have hurt. If anything, Jon Davison proves he's more than capable of fronting this band, and does a great job here.
See more about this release on our recent YouTube show!
Track Listing
1) Believe Again
2) The Game
3) Step Beyond
4) To Ascend
5) In A World of Our Own
6) Light of the Ages
7) It Was All We Knew
8) Subway Walls
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