NEW YORK - Yes are not just another new British rock group; they are
the new British rock group, a thrilling hint of what English pop is becoming in the '70s, and perhaps most important, Yes are the first of the fantastically successful Atlantic supergroups, including Led Zeppelin and ELP, to merit consideration with the best that England has to offer, that is, the likes of the Beatles, the Who, the Rolling Stones, and the Move.
Not only have Yes produced four exciting and sophisticated albums, among them their current top ten Ip "Fragile," but their live performances convey the same nerve-tingling clarity of expression, finely-crafted high energy and amazingly apt approach to electronic experimentation. Their first two performances at the Academy of Music sold out so quickly that another two shows were added on February 23, complete with head lights and impressionistic classical music as a prelude to what was easily the most satisfying show I've seen in Howard Stein's usually crowded, noisy, and over-rated venue.
Yes began with their hit singles, "Roundabout" and "Your Move," replete with high strung and beautiful melodies, Steve Howe's facile lead guitar, and Rick Wakeman's extraordinary keyboard virtuosity. Yes express themselves almost exclusively in their music, which is sensual in a way that a twitchy pelvis can never be. They are completely in command of an arsenal of electronic equipment that most groups would use to create sound effects rather than music. And above all, they are commercial in the sense that they bring off any number of immensely popular "tricks" with new enthusiasm, style, and originality. They aren't trying to raise the level of rock or educate the public taste; they simply want to be liked, and with material like "Heart of the Sunrise" and "Perpetual Change," they couldn't miss. It says something very fine about the business and the public that Yes are succeeding as well as they are. A live album will probably be put together from the Academy concerts, and if the high standard of production that Yes have maintained in their studio work is applied here, then one of the great live rock albums should follow.
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