Yes: Rocking into the Progressive
Days of Future Past
by Christine Leonard
30 August 2017
There are few things progressive rock and roll pioneer Gary Downes hasn’t attempted in his storied career. As the sole member of the legendary band Yes to possess a musical degree, his expertise on the keyboards has opened the doors (or gates of delirium, if you will) to some remarkable adventures. Opportunities that the innovative synth-player has embraced time and again, as further evidenced by his work with The Buggles and Asia.
“I look at all of the different bands I’ve been in as books, or films, really,” begins Downes.
“I think that certain events happen throughout a band’s history. Talking about Yes, it’s an amazing series of chapters that have happened over the years. And I think that every musician has contributed at some stage when they’ve come into the band. I consider myself to be present in a few chapters of the band at least, which is nice.”
Taking a page from his own book of life, Downes’ current collaboration with Yes members; singer Jon Davison, guitarist Steve Howe, drummer Alan White and bassist Billy Sherwood, is focused on bringing that joy of discovery to a new demographic of prog-rock listeners. And, when it comes to condensing the band’s half-century run of 21 albums into a single concert event, Downes’ is definitely a fan of the divide and conquer approach.
“On this particular tour we’re doing a chronological review of the first 10 albums, plus some extra tracks. And it’s been very successful in terms of the fans getting to hear a couple of cuts they’ve never heard before. We put it together like that in a way that’s interesting from a musicology standpoint in that you see how the band progressed and how the influences moved on. By connecting one song from each album to the next, you see the progression of the group through the years.”
Appreciation for Yes’s time-dissolving long-distance opuses has gained an almost religious quality over the decades, as their popularity has grown despite a persistent disregard for the commercial viability of 10-minute long songs. Given the cult of followers who have embraced the group’s attention surplus disorder, Downes hasn’t really moved that far from his roots as the son of a church organist and choirmaster in Stockport, England.
“The music is quite dynamic, and at times dark in parts, but the end result when you listen to Yes music is one of an uplifted spiritual outlook. The name of the band is positivity. I’ve come across a lot of young musicians like Taylor Hawkins of Foo Fighters who’ve decided Yes is one of their favourite bands of all time. So, you can tell that the music isn’t just the domain of progressive rock fans, it’s spread right across a number of generations and genres.”
He laughs knowingly at the mention of fellow progressive groundbreakers Rush.
“When Yes was getting inducted this year at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the presenters were Alex and Geddy from Rush. They both said that they were hugely influenced by Yes from the very beginning. There are whole eras of different bands and styles of music that appreciated what Yes has had to offer over the years. And I think a lot of that comes down to the individual musicianship being to the fore, as well as composition. You could probably say that we’re the ultimate modern-day musician’s band.”
A bonafide musicians’ musician himself, Downes was reputedly entered into the Guinness Book of World Records for the most keyboards played in a live performance. That’s a record only one with his prowess at tickling the ivories and pushing the envelope of music can hope to achieve.
Catch Yes September 5 in performance with Todd Rundgren at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre (Vancouver), September 7 at the Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium (Edmonton) and September 8 at the Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium (Calgary).
