Musical fads come and go, but we all tend to still love prog rock. Die-hard fans of Yes, Jethro Tull, Pink Floyd, ELO and other bands of that ’70s era still pack large venues anxious to hear the classic hits. Good thing the members of those bands almost without fail have great senses of humor. Take the response from Steve Howe, renowned guitarist for Yes, when asked why his band recorded a new studio album when fans seem only to want to hear the classics.
| Onstage |
| Yes |
| When: 8 p.m. Monday |
| Where: Warner Theatre, 513 13th St. NW |
| Info: $50 to 85; 202-397-SEAT; ticketmaster.com |
“That is a very fair question,” he said with a laugh, going on to talk about how many of the recent albums of various prog rock bands have been ignored by critics and fans. “I asked that question myself a few years ago.”
The satisfying answer that Howe and his band mates found was that they would make it clear that their new record is not a retread of some of their most loved albums from the ’70s. In effect, Yes said yes to moving the band’s sound forward.
Although Howe prefers to keep mum when asked for specifics about songs, writing and release dates, he promises the new album will deliver a sound akin to that from the album ” ‘Close to the Edge,’ that we haven’t played [like] in 20 years.”
Trevor Hall, a producer, songwriter, and musician himself who produced the band’s hit single “Owner of a Lonely Heart,” produced the new album and worked collaboratively with Yes to distill the new sound. Enlisting Hall was something of a coup because he’s preferred to work with solo artists in the recent past.
“A good producer is kind of a disseminator for the band,” Howe said. “We allowed him to push us and it became a [stronger and] more collaborative album. I don’t want to be quoted widely as saying this is the best thing since sliced bread — or baked beans, as we say in England — but there is something here that isn’t on the last few albums. Something greater, it has more breadth.”
Purists can relax ,though.
On this current minitour, Howe said that the band will not play any of the songs destined for the new album.
“People like those songs,” Howe said. “And of course we’re very grateful for that.”
Still, he does hope fans will give the new album a listen.
“Trevor really brought something to the party,” he said. “But Yes to wake up and shake up, and we did.”
