Jon Anderson & The Band Geeks - Live Perpetual Change (CD/DVD)
Following the acclaim for True, their debut album of all original, intentionally Yes-sounding material, and given how well received their Yes sets have been in the U.S., it’s no surprise – and indeed a very welcome one – that Jon Anderson & The Band Geeks have released a live album of classic YES material.
Live - Perpetual Change is a CD/DVD package, recorded & filmed at the Arcada Theater in St. Charles, Illinois, during their August 2023 summer tour of the U.S.
Opening with a barnstorming version of 'Yours Is No Disgrace' immediately reinforces the fact that The Band Geeks have done their homework.
Not only is it musically on-point, Andy Graziano’s guitar and Richie Castellano’s bass sounds are uncannily like Steve Howe and Chris Squire (the latter, with the percussive top-end Rickenbacker 'signature Squire' sound, is spot on).
The original Tony Kaye keyboard flourishes are also in place, and the Hammond sound from Robert Kipp is glorious (utilising two keyboard players – Kipp and Christopher Clark – means every original studio keyboard part is covered).
Jon Anderson floats above all this in an ethereal manner as if it was the 70s, recorded with 2020s technology.
Collectively it's a statement of seriously impressive, long-form intent. A smile upon your face, indeed.
'Perpetual Change' maintains the high standard of both performance and attention to detail (the backing vocals are also exemplary).
Additionally, the instrumental mid-section, where the song veers into jazz-fusion territory, illustrates how complex and influential some of the arrangements were in Yes music, and how good this band is (special nod here to Andy Ascolese for some stellar drum work).
'Close to the Edge,' a Yes and progressive rock classic, is arguably the band's high watermark, with every section, time-shift and nuance embedded into the DNA of prog fans.
Such complexities of arrangement are clearly also in the DNA of The Band Geeks, because they deliver this four-movement magnum prog-opus flawlessly; the performance is heightened further by a seemingly vocally ageless Jon Anderson and outstanding harmony vocal work.
'Heart of the Sunrise' allows some room for improvisation by Richie Castellano in the intro section, where he sympathetically adds to Chris Squire’s original bass part.
Jon Anderson again shines on this number, to the degree that, two decades removed from Yes, he remains the one true voice of that band, and these songs.
It’s also worth noting The Band Geeks effortlessly move from one section to another whilst retaining the necessary dynamics. Keyboard sounds (including mellotron) are also faithfully recreated here.
'Starship Trooper' is equally impressive, as is the iconic 'Wurm' outro section, where a repeating guitar chord figure is complemented by another great bass part, which introduces a synth section that builds upon the original studio version.
'Awaken,' revered among Yes fans, is a tour-de-force of compositional arrangement (with roots in both baroque classical and pastoral folk).
With many vocal parts sung in Jon Anderson’s highest register, there is, for the first time, some evidence of his limits, but more in terms of slightly thinner highs, not any vocal degradation (and this is an alto-tenor who was just two months short of turning 79 on this show/ tour).
'And You And I,' another work of progressive art, pays beautifully delivered homage by sticking incredibly closely to the original recording (complete with 12 string guitar intro from second/ acoustic guitarist, Rob Schmoll).
But, then, as mentioned earlier, most of these renditions are uncannily accurate, with Jon Anderson the vocal ace up The Band Geeks sleeve.
Live - Perpetual Change is a CD/DVD package, recorded & filmed at the Arcada Theater in St. Charles, Illinois, during their August 2023 summer tour of the U.S.
Opening with a barnstorming version of 'Yours Is No Disgrace' immediately reinforces the fact that The Band Geeks have done their homework.
Not only is it musically on-point, Andy Graziano’s guitar and Richie Castellano’s bass sounds are uncannily like Steve Howe and Chris Squire (the latter, with the percussive top-end Rickenbacker 'signature Squire' sound, is spot on).
The original Tony Kaye keyboard flourishes are also in place, and the Hammond sound from Robert Kipp is glorious (utilising two keyboard players – Kipp and Christopher Clark – means every original studio keyboard part is covered).
Jon Anderson floats above all this in an ethereal manner as if it was the 70s, recorded with 2020s technology.
Collectively it's a statement of seriously impressive, long-form intent. A smile upon your face, indeed.
'Perpetual Change' maintains the high standard of both performance and attention to detail (the backing vocals are also exemplary).
Additionally, the instrumental mid-section, where the song veers into jazz-fusion territory, illustrates how complex and influential some of the arrangements were in Yes music, and how good this band is (special nod here to Andy Ascolese for some stellar drum work).
'Close to the Edge,' a Yes and progressive rock classic, is arguably the band's high watermark, with every section, time-shift and nuance embedded into the DNA of prog fans.
Such complexities of arrangement are clearly also in the DNA of The Band Geeks, because they deliver this four-movement magnum prog-opus flawlessly; the performance is heightened further by a seemingly vocally ageless Jon Anderson and outstanding harmony vocal work.
'Heart of the Sunrise' allows some room for improvisation by Richie Castellano in the intro section, where he sympathetically adds to Chris Squire’s original bass part.
Jon Anderson again shines on this number, to the degree that, two decades removed from Yes, he remains the one true voice of that band, and these songs.
It’s also worth noting The Band Geeks effortlessly move from one section to another whilst retaining the necessary dynamics. Keyboard sounds (including mellotron) are also faithfully recreated here.
'Starship Trooper' is equally impressive, as is the iconic 'Wurm' outro section, where a repeating guitar chord figure is complemented by another great bass part, which introduces a synth section that builds upon the original studio version.
'Awaken,' revered among Yes fans, is a tour-de-force of compositional arrangement (with roots in both baroque classical and pastoral folk).
With many vocal parts sung in Jon Anderson’s highest register, there is, for the first time, some evidence of his limits, but more in terms of slightly thinner highs, not any vocal degradation (and this is an alto-tenor who was just two months short of turning 79 on this show/ tour).
'And You And I,' another work of progressive art, pays beautifully delivered homage by sticking incredibly closely to the original recording (complete with 12 string guitar intro from second/ acoustic guitarist, Rob Schmoll).
But, then, as mentioned earlier, most of these renditions are uncannily accurate, with Jon Anderson the vocal ace up The Band Geeks sleeve.
'Your Move / I’ve Seen All Good People' drops the intensity until the fun, up-tempo sing-along kicks in.
'Your Move' features well-delivered multi-harmonies while 'I’ve Seen All Good People' has short, instrumental showcases that reflect the way the song has always been extended in the live environment.
'Gates Of Delirium,' which is almost as long as Tolstoy’s War And Peace (upon which it is loosely based), was a mammoth and ambitious undertaking in the studio and remains such, live, fifty years later.
However, The Band Geeks take on one of the most complex songs Yes ever wrote and performed and pull it off with some panache, culminating in the Jon Anderson (and now Andy Graziano) spotlight moment, 'Soon.'
Perennial favourite 'Roundabout' closes out the album and is, as one would expect, a (ten) true (summers) highlight. Richie Castellano’s bass parts particularly impress here, along with Jon Anderson’s vocals and the backing accompaniments.
If there is any gripe to be made it would simply be the 70s only set-list.
That will actually suit many, but there will be others who would love to hear songs from the Trevor Rabin-ised 80s era (they do perform 'Owner Of a Lonely Heart') or material from 2001’s Magnification, Jon Anderson’s final album with Yes.
Whatever the song choices, this is 'YesMusic' as it should be played, with vocal verve, musical energy, great aplomb and respect; it thus eclipses the current version of Yes, who have become a pale, by the numbers imitation by comparison.
But, for Jon Anderson, in the company of The Band Geeks, the more things perpetually change, the more they stay the same. And as vocally and musically effervescent as they were fifty years ago.
Nelson McFarlane & Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ
Live - Perpetual Change will be released March 14th via Frontiers Records s.r.l. as a 2CD/DVD package and on triple vinyl. Pre-order link: https://ffm.to/jonandersonperpetualchange
'Your Move' features well-delivered multi-harmonies while 'I’ve Seen All Good People' has short, instrumental showcases that reflect the way the song has always been extended in the live environment.
'Gates Of Delirium,' which is almost as long as Tolstoy’s War And Peace (upon which it is loosely based), was a mammoth and ambitious undertaking in the studio and remains such, live, fifty years later.
However, The Band Geeks take on one of the most complex songs Yes ever wrote and performed and pull it off with some panache, culminating in the Jon Anderson (and now Andy Graziano) spotlight moment, 'Soon.'
Perennial favourite 'Roundabout' closes out the album and is, as one would expect, a (ten) true (summers) highlight. Richie Castellano’s bass parts particularly impress here, along with Jon Anderson’s vocals and the backing accompaniments.
If there is any gripe to be made it would simply be the 70s only set-list.
That will actually suit many, but there will be others who would love to hear songs from the Trevor Rabin-ised 80s era (they do perform 'Owner Of a Lonely Heart') or material from 2001’s Magnification, Jon Anderson’s final album with Yes.
Whatever the song choices, this is 'YesMusic' as it should be played, with vocal verve, musical energy, great aplomb and respect; it thus eclipses the current version of Yes, who have become a pale, by the numbers imitation by comparison.
But, for Jon Anderson, in the company of The Band Geeks, the more things perpetually change, the more they stay the same. And as vocally and musically effervescent as they were fifty years ago.
Nelson McFarlane & Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ
Live - Perpetual Change will be released March 14th via Frontiers Records s.r.l. as a 2CD/DVD package and on triple vinyl. Pre-order link: https://ffm.to/jonandersonperpetualchange