The Quest
By Mike O’Cull
Definitive prog rockers Yes are speeding into the future once again on the band’s new album The Quest. Released by InsideOutMusic/Sony Music, the set is a stunning achievement that’s full of the kind of complex structures, grand gestures, and soaring melodies that first created the Yes legend. Those gestures are as powerful as they always were and make The Quest an amazing listen for anyone who can feel progressive rock flowing through their souls.
Produced by Yes guitarist and eternal rock legend Steve Howe, the set is expressive, fleet, and muscular and doesn’t sound anything like a band with 50 years of history behind it. Howe did a commendable job of pulling top-drawer performances out of himself and his band mates and everyone involved sounds like they’ve got another 50 years left in them. It’s obvious that the band has recaptured the fire and brilliance that marked their most successful periods and are still technically and creatively amazing. The 11-song effort is available in a variety of formats, including a Limited Edition Deluxe 2LP and 2CD plus Blu-ray Box-set, a Limited Edition 2CD and Blu-ray Artbook, a gatefold 2LP and 2CD plus LP and booklet set, and a 2CD Digipak.
Yes set the prog rock bar high in the band’s 1970s heyday. Epic compositions including “Roundabout,” “I’ve Seen All Good People,” “Long Distance Runaround,” and “Yours Is No Disgrace” showed the world what rock musicians could do and remain incredibly influential to this day. In the 1980s, Yes reinvented itself into a tighter, more modern outfit and scored big with the album 90125 and unforgettable tracks like “Owner Of A Lonely Heart,” Leave It,” and “It Can Happen.” The present version of Yes includes Steve Howe, Alan White, Geoff Downes, Jon Davison, and Billy Sherwood and has carried the group’s tradition of making smart, beautiful music into the 21st Century.
From Geoff Downes’ first synth notes of the opening cut “The Ice Bridge,” Yes delivers on all expectations. The entire band hits the track hard and uses their considerable skills to pluck melody, grooves, and energy out of the air and make them rock. Vocalist Jon Davison has the perfect pipes for this gig and gives the group the texture it needs out front. Bassist Billy Sherwood does fine work filling the gap left by the passing of iconic Yes bass player Chris Squier and contributes low-end lines that emphasize both brains and brawn. It’s a magnificent, regal track that you’ll want to hear again and again.
“Dare To Know” shifts into a lush, expansive gear that spotlights Howe’s guitar ideas and Davison’s high-range vocals. A gorgeous orchestration for strings adds a soothing and serene interlude before the band continues its gentle, mid-tempo performance. The song’s tone is profound and hopeful, giving listeners an easy way to rise above the mud of daily life. “The Western Edge” brings out more chilled-out strategies at first but evolves into more of a rock song as it evolves. Downes’ keyboards are especially effective here and his filter sweeps and portamento work are ideal for this selection.
The utopian “A Living Island” is smooth, beautiful, and full of love, fear, and reality. Davison truly sparkles here and comes across like he’s singing for the good of the world. It’s a sublime track that’s all about musical humanity and peaceful vibrations. Other bright moments on The Quest include “Leave Well Alone” and “Mystery Tour.” Yes is one of rock’s greatest bands and still has the chops and heart needed to continually write new chapters in its never-ending story. Get The Quest into your headphones and prepare yourself for another adventure.
Watch “Dare To Know”
The Quest by Yes order link here
It’s good to know people still appreciate this music. I’ve only heard 2 tracks but one of them was “Minus the Man” and I love it and the crazy time signatures, although I’ve been told it’s 4/4. A drummer friend called it a 1/1, which may have been a joke, but perhaps sounds like the truth.
This is so far away from any classic Yes I am bemused by the review. Whilst I would love to have a new great album it will never happen without Jon Anderson,Wakeman and of course the late great Fish
I’ll smoke what you’re smoking. Without it, “The Quest” is “The Snoozefest”, only about a step above the abysmal “Heaven And Earth” from a few years back. Nice try.
Sister Sleeping Soul – saves it from at least the graveyard of CDs
I haven’t read a less than glowing revue of this album, which makes me think there must be something wrong with my ears, because in my opinion this is very mediocre indeed. My expectations were high following the abysmal ‘Heaven and Earth’, but sadly this effort is no better. I might stick it on the headphones if I’m having trouble sleeping some night, other than that, there is nothing of substance at all in this album that would make me want to give it the time of day.
As a long time Yes fan, having begun my quest in 1980 and have witnessed the majority of line up formations I have to say The Quest is a brave and beautifully crafted album that sets them on the course of a journey. One point – it’s ‘Squire’ not ‘Squier’
its so great that my favourite band is still going, I remember when Rick wake man took me to Bingley hall in his silver ghost. I was amazed. Great to see you are all still going. many thanks Terry J Powell Poet and Author
Good album this
Many textures coming to life….
I really liked Heaven & Earth but this is a more
defined effort.
Call it Prog call it …whatever
Just call it v good
The Ice Bridge song isn’t a TOTAL embarrassment, but Yes is dead and have been since about 2004. Just a way for Steve H to pay bills with suckers’ money. I wish it wasn’t true, but it is.
Except for the track “The Ice Bridge” this album is forgettable. They should hang it up!
rather or not this Yes is the Yes I essentiallize (and it isn’t), I am thankful and grateful that these musicians continue to create and perform. Give these artists a break. Part of the problem for me with this new music is it seems so thoroughly without conflict and it’s unquestionably conflict, musicians asserting disruptive and surprising ideas that brought so much to the band in the 70s. Everyone knows how the early Yes fought and fought, how the original Jon was always trying to tell Chris to turn his base down and how the great album Relayer is a kill-the-lead-singer album. That tension obviously wore everyone out but it was at the source of such powerfully creative and iconoclastic music. Now, these are mature musicians making mature music with assured skills and even assured reception. It’s not a fight any more. So let’s just sit back and listen while some Yes is still here
I’ve loved Yes music for 50 years and it has been a huge part of my life.
Wasn’t sure about this album on first listening but have been there before with CTTE, TFTO, and Relayer and those are my 3 favourite albums. I have stuck with it and i am now listening on headphones for about the tenth time and its now beginning to make me smile and i am really warming to it.
Give it a proper chance, the best music takes time to sink in!
Not Relayer ! The core four for any budding Yes fan are The Yes Album , Fragile, CTTE , and TFTO. And Yessongs…..ok five.
I adore Yes, but haven’t bought any of their albums since Going For The One. I was lucky enough to stumble upon their best line up (Anderson, Howe, Squire, White and Wakeman) for an AMAZING gig at Glastonbury in 2005 (or was it 2003?!).
I am very confused by all the conflicting reviews for The Quest. I’m gonna take a punt, and get it for Christmas!
Same for me. Going for the one is the latest I could listen to. (Pity Steven Wilson didn´t inclued it in his remix.) Didn´t follow the band in to the 80’s. There was the break. Not later. Owner of a lonely heart was not Yes for me, was not prog. The whole genre seamed to die. Some here suggesting that Yes isn´t Yes without Wakeman. Well, than Relayer isn´t Yes. Though I prefer Moraz I can live whith Wakeman. This said: The Quest isn’t Relayer but it’s certainly Yes. And by the way, maby it isn’t Yes we are missing but the seventies and our youth, and especially the moment when we went from easy listening to more complex. When the gates opened and we entered a whole new world. It required effort but we felt profusely rewarded. If this occured whith Yes or Pink Floyd or Mahavishnu Orchestra I think is less important.
True Relayer isn’t the best Yes. Moraz was no Wakeman for sure. I know they took a break after Relayer to pursue solo projects due to less than stellar reviews.
Como decimos en España: al pan pan y al vino vino. He escuchado el disco The Quest varias veces y no me cabe duda:
es el mejor disco de Yes desde 1977 por lo menos. Está a la altura le Going for the One, o incluso
quiza sea mejor que Going for the One (aun no lo
tengo claro, ya que Awaken, de Going for the One , es un tema insuperable). En
cualquier caso, este disco es mejor que Tormato, que Drama y que todos los discos de Yes que
vinieron despues. Es increíble que el tiparraco de Steve Howe haya conseguido poner en forma a
estos muchachos para alcanzar el niveiazo que
aIcanzan con este disco. Y yo que hasta hace poco los llamaba “grupo homenaje de Yes”. Pues me he
pegado un buen corte. Jon Davison ha mejorado muchisimo y
canta de manera superprofesional. Billy Shervood logra parecerse a su maestro Squire y Geoff Downes
se ha vuelto a poner las pilas que no se ponía desde hace
años. Se ha superado a sí mismo. ¡Que requetebuen disco! Aunque se puede descargar en la red, yo me
lo he comprado: tanto por la parte artística de la
caratuIa de Roger Dean, como para manifestar mi alegria por este CD tan bien
trabajado y tan esperado desde hace muchísimos años. Aun no he logrado quitarme de la cabeza el
estribillo ese tan chulo de quitarra que suena al final del
tema inicial, The Ice Bridge. Yes ha resucitado. ¡Ha vuelto! ¡No me lo puedo
creer!
To say this is better than “Heaven and Earth” is obvious. I think that album is the only real stinker in the Yes catalogue. This album, “The Quest,” is close to excellent. The production is much, much better than on “Heaven and Earth.” This is hardly an album that could have existed in the 60’s-70″s. The songs sound, at times, like Crosby, Stills and Nash and sometimes even like the Beach Boys. The writing here is quite good and Most Improved is Davison. Some excellent hooks from him (and lyrics). Billy Sherwood is fine too and Howe is wonderful as are the keyboards. I originally saw Yes at the Fillmore and they were superb but how many bands have released 22 albums that are superb. Considering that some of the band is hovering around 75 or 80, this is a remarkable album.
I saw them live twice. In the round at the spectrum in Philly and MSG in New York. Both times with Anderson, Wakeman, Squire, Howe and White. Incredible shows. Can’t remember the exact years. Late 70’s I think.
I have seen just about every changeing version of Yes since 1974 .Never disapointed although biased to the Wakeman years .That being said the more I listen to The Quest the more I am really enjoying the sound from beggining to the end. Yes has always been my #1 band since I saw the Relayer tour twice. Lucky me. For all you critical folks of the music that any original member puts out just look ahead these days are coming to an end with these members getting older. All I say is be greatfull and enjoy the moment. As a song on The Quest is called Future Memorys there will be few to come . THh. Quest *****
And now they made plagiarism…Sad. Please retire….
Yes has always evolved in every incarnation, album to album, line-up to line-up. I’ve been an admirer of the band for more than fifty years and yeah, I prefer certain line-ups to others and have favourite albums. I bought “The Quest” without high expectations but I gotta say I was pleasantly surprised. It’s far more mellow than some earlier albums but it certainly has some fine moments. Not their finest moment but certainly not their worst. Of course every aficionado would love the classic line-up back together but given the facts that Chris is no longer with us, Bill Bruford has retired from active service and Steve Howe is mega stubborn, it ain’t likely to happen. Give the current line-up a break. They’re doing their best and it’s gotta be better than no Yes at all.
I have listened to Yes since The Yes Album was released and the band has obviously gone through many changes, both in personnel and musical direction over the years.
I miss Jon, Rick and the late Chris and always will, but “The Quest” is a fine album and shows how the band keeps evolving. The guitars, bass and keyboards are exceptional, complemented by the soft vocal tones.
The “Ice Bridge” and “The Living Island” are definitely stand out tracks which showcase what Yes has stood for all these years.
I am looking forward to their forthcoming tour In June 2022. when I hope to see them performing some of their new music as well as the classic “Close to the Edge”.
Just because they are “, still making music” and we Should be grateful.. I am not going to be shamed into appreciating an album that doesn’t have 1 song you can sing to, hum along with or give credit to too many players on the field with each being the captain. There is just.. gosh.. I hate to write critical of my favorite band but they are all over the place! No melody. The weird other is there but it just isn’t melodic. Rap anyone?
Just like many other reviewers on this feed, I have been a huge Yes fan my entire life and enjoyed amazing productions throughout the decades until recently. Although “The Quest” has improved instrumentally since the 2014 atrocity, “Heaven and Earth”, I just can’t seem to shake the idea that I am in the middle of a bad musical when listening to this album. The lyrical simplicity and forgettable Disney-like melodies without tangible substance leave me feeling unsatisfied and disappointed. Although I hate to feel this way about my all-time favorite band, I must be honest of my perception based upon this album. Some good examples of the bad musical soundtrack experience are: “Sister Sleeping Soul”,” Damaged World”, and “A Living Island”. Oh yeah, and what the hell is going on with “Mystery Tour”? The title teased me with hopes of a production that would be synonymous with Yes’ profound and complex past creations, however, that would be the round side of “NO”. Unfortunately, the album cover is the only thing of substance on this album. Sorry.