YES Wrap Up 2016 Summer Tour 'The Album Series' To Critical Praise

This past Sunday night (9/4), YES officially wrapped its 28-date U.S. summer tour in San Diego, CA. Billed as "The Album Series: Drama + Topographic 1 &4," the"Evening With Yes" shows--featuring the 1980 album DRAMA performed in its entirety, sides one and four of 1973's double album TALES FROM TOPOGRAPHIC OCEANS as well as selections of the band's greatest hits--traveled across the country receiving critical praise throughout its run.

Of the Tales portion of the show,Chicago Tribune Community Contributor Raymond Britt raved, "The pieces were nothing short of a tour de force of musical ambition, complexity and remarkable synchronicity. It sounded outstanding." Britt also added, "This version of Yes seems to play at a higher level, a more powerful level, like they've been together a decade or more. These guys are on no nostalgia tour. They play it like they mean business, with little intention of slowing down" (8/31/16). See below for additional critical feedback.

Visually, YES stepped up the production on this summer's outing courtesy of video designer Andy Clark and lighting designer Don Weeks with multiple video feeds featuring Roger Dean imagery, from waterfalls and floating islands to topographic landscapes, bioluminescence, deep sea creatures, jellyfish, and marine life.

The stunning visual experience--which Chris Loomis from SoCal Music Today noted, "With a large LED background that displayed colorful graphics as well as the occasional YES logo, the band delivered over 2 ½ hours of classic music that had attendees picking their jaws up off the floor" (8/28/16)--is capped by pyrotechnics at the climax to the "Ritual" crescendo.

Drummer Alan White, who had to sit out the tour due to back surgery, is looking forward to re-joining his YES bandmates Steve Howe (guitar), Jon Davison (vocals),Billy Sherwood (bass) and Geoff Downes (keyboard) in November on their Japan tour and thanks good friend Jay Schellen for stepping in behind the kit all summer.

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