'Keystudio' - Take You There and Back Again

This particular album review is a bit of an odd one. Keystudio was released in 2001, but it's a compilation of material released years earlier. In 1995, Trevor Rabin and Tony Kaye left Yes. Vocalist Jon Anderson, bassist Chris Squire, and drummer Alan White reunited with guitarist Steve Howe and keyboardist Rick Wakeman as what has been known as the "classic lineup," which had put out Tales from Topographic Oceans, Going for the One, and Tormato in the 1970s. In addition, Roger Dean returned to continue creating artwork for their albums.

From 1995 to 1996, Yes recorded tracks that would end up on Keys to Ascension and Keys 2 Ascension 2, live albums containing performances from three shows at the Fremont Theater in San Luis Obispo from March 4 to March 6, 1996. (The first show was on Chris Squire's birthday.) Essential Records released Keys to Ascension on October 28, 1996, and Keys to Ascension 2 on November 3, 1997. The former included "Be the One" and "That, That Is," while the latter included "Mind Drive," "Foot Prints," "Bring Me to the Power," "Children of Light," and "Sign Language" (in that order). The marketing strategy of burying the new studio tracks in the back of these albums is a perplexing one. Honestly, it would have been better to keep the live tracks and the studio tracks on separate releases. Understandably, Wakeman would become upset by the promotional direction, and a lack of management communication would cause him to leave the group again as his solo tour conflicted with the period during which Yes were set to tour. Billy Sherwood, who mixed the studio tracks on Keys to Ascension 2 and had prior associations with Yes, would help the band move forward with Open Your Eyes.

On May 21, 2001, Sanctuary Records released Keystudio, a collection of all seven studio tracks that had appeared on the Keys to Ascension albums. The tracking order was changed up for this release, and while some can argue over whether this is the best order, I can see the reasoning behind it and think that it works rather well. On Keys to Ascension 2, it feels off to have the epic "Mind Drive" be followed by a set of tracks that, while good, feels like a downward slope after "Mind Drive." With the order changed up and the other two songs thrown into the mix, the experience was reinvented and improved.

1. "Foot Prints"

"Foot Prints" begins with the acapella verses "My eyes see the coming revolution / My eyes see the glory of the world," which are then followed and accompanied by instruments. This is a good start for this collection, with nice keyboard and drum work. "Foot Prints" seems to be a song about connecting with others. The verse "Somebody help me find that universal dream" actually makes me think of "Universal Garden" from the Open Your Eyes album. I'm also drawn to the verses, "Everybody knows where we're going to / Don't forget to leave good footprints behind." My interpretation of this is that, even when one knows their future trajectory, they should good memories along the way.

I enjoy how prominent the bass becomes. And there are great guitar and keyboard solos. Many of the lyrics are repeated, so there was room for lyrical growth. But the music makes up for it. There are moments when the song feels like it's about to end, but then it just keeps on going. Part of me cannot help thinking that perhaps "Foot Prints," which clocks in at nine minutes, is longer than it needs to be. On the 35th Anniversary Tour, the opening verses were sung right before the band played "Mind Drive (Part 3)." This excerpt was titled "My Eyes" on the Songs from Tsongas video. I would have liked for them to have played more than just that excerpt. Perhaps an abridged version that were about five minutes long would have been a good compromise. I do love the harmonica at the end of this track, though.

2. "Be the One"

Next, we dive into ten minutes of "Be the One," which is a great track to place next "Foot Prints." Perhaps it would have worked as the opening track, but placed after "Foot Prints," it feels like a step up (pun intended). The first section is titled "The One." The song has a very cosmic feel to it that is very difficult to describe. This is helped by the verses "How we fill each other's spaces to lose control" and "I'll be there, to bring you the stars at night." It gets very quiet when the singing starts.

"When you're talking, be the children" fits thematically with "Children of Light," so it's nice that both of these songs are on this same album. I've heard the 2001 album Magnification compared to the Keystudio material, and I can see that here. "We Agree" from Magnification contains the verses "If we are one / Seen through the eyes of a child / We will perpetuate this song of love." And on "Be the One," the verse "You stand on solid ground" reminds me of another Magnification song, "Give Love Each Day," in which the words "Standing here on sacred ground" are sung. And on "Be the One," we get the lyrics, "Be the one, giving in to love / Never let the good in life desert you." So the releases of these two albums in 2001 was pretty good timing in the sense of there being similar themes.

I am also reminded of Jon Anderson's "Song of Seven" from 1980 when I hear the words, "Be the one, giving in to love / Never let the fools destroy your dreams." On "Song of Seven," Anderson sings, "I can hear you saying, 'What a dreamer, what a fool to life / Isn't it a pity that he won't come back to earth?'" So again, we are reminded that we should pursue our dreams despite what other people say. The vocal harmonies sound very passionate, and the drumming hammers home the point of the song.

Howe's guitar takes center stage as the second section, "Humankind," comes in. The words "And the children of the crucified will be better off, better dead" feel like a throwback to "The Gates of Delirium," which contains the words "Slay them, burn their children's laughter / On to hell." There are also mentions of senseless killing and chains. Dark stuff such as this can be a bit of a headscratcher.

The third section is titled "Skates," which seems like an odd title to me. I automatically think of roller skates. Anyway, the guitar work and how it works with the drumming feels very reminiscent of Howe's work with Asia during the "Don't stand still" bit. It does not feel out of place, however. It just fascinates me how this connection springs to mind. And again, I appreciate how upfront White is in the mix. As "Be the One" winds down, we are reminded to "Never underestimate the power," and the sounds may make one think of the twinkling of stars as the magic of love persists. Furthermore, power is another recurring theme in this collection.

3. "Mind Drive"

"Mind Drive" is nearly 19 minutes long and has an eerie opening. Howe and Wakeman's instrumentation in the beginning comprise a prelude of sorts. And then we get the beat that those who've heard Ex-Yes-Zeppelin material might find familiar. The beat was also part of the drum duet between Bruford and White on the Union Tour. Repurposed here, the song is fully realized and brought to life, with many moving pieces feeding into it. Howe really goes through some twists and turns.

When it comes to the singing, there is almost no space between verses. The mantra about getting to heaven is very encouraging. The following stanza sounds very empowering as it encourages one to look inside (like "Endless Dream" in a way) for the power to move forward:

"Just as long as you bring the power

From the inside

Just as long as you hold the key

From the inside

Ascend and create

Ascend and create

Ascend and create

Ascension"

The mood winds down, and the singing slows down a bit. Throughout the verses, I keep wondering who the "They" referred to are. The words "To the eyes of child" again remind me of "We Agree." Plus, "Take you there and back again" remind me not just of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit, but also of the verse "Take me there and back again" from "Give Love Each Day." And I do love the idea of becoming independently whole.

We get a melancholic-sounding section that did not make its way into the live version played on the 35th Anniversary Tour, unfortunately. (A couple of songs separated sections of "Mind Drive" on that tour.) The guitar notes enhance the lyrics conveying the feeling of a heart losing control. After these verses, we get notes that feel very rapid but subdued. And then the keys come crashing down, making it feel as though someone is losing their mind. This is truly a magnificent display of prog rock.

Then we get a repeat of earlier stanzas, though the music is slightly different in some instances. Afterward, the music ramps up with the beat from after the intro. "Mind Drive" has come full circle. I am always impressed by the instrumentation toward the end. The musicians really go all in. There is intensity, but then the very end feels anti-climactic, like a pebble skipping across the pond after an avalanche. I much prefer how the live version ends, and apparently so does Anderson, if the above video from his YouTube channel is any indication. It would have been nice for the entire song to have been played on the 35th Anniversary Tour, but it's great that fans got as much of it as they did.

4. "Bring Me to the Power"

The opening notes of "Bring Me to the Power" feel a bit like the beginning of "And You And I." But then expectations are subverted as a jam ensues. "This day began the matrix of the real world thinking" sounds very off the wall. "This day began the history of the future" reminds me of History of the Future, which was considered as a potential title for what became the Talk album. There is a sharp change in tone with "If they don't give us the keys / How are we supposed to get ready?" Howe is featured prominently. "Got talk" is repeated, bringing to mind "Talk" being repeated in "Give & Take" and "Endless Dream." "Revelation" is also sung, and it sounds electric. The music is so odd during this section. The verses regarding the keys are repeated over and over. This is another song in which words are repeated more than required, but the music makes up for it. Toward the end, the words are sung against more subdued music. And then the music speeds up again for an epic finish, with Wakeman having a good last note.

5. "Sign Language"

"Sign Language" is a somber instrumental duet between Howe and Wakeman. With its placement here in the track list, it feels like an interlude between two bombastic songs. A much needed breather. It fits the tone of the opening of "Mind Drive," so it helps reinforce some cohesion on this album. The two musicians convey the moodiness of this track very well. A version of this song with Anderson singing over it was recorded, and there were plans to include it on Keystudio as "The Second Time Around." That ended up not being the case, and I am left curious about how the Anderson-included version sounds.

6. "That, That Is"

"That, That Is" takes up 19 minutes and 15 seconds. It is spaced apart from "Mind Drive" for a fair amount of time. It might have felt overwhelming to some listeners to have both tracks back to back. This epic begins with the section "Togetherness," an elegant Howe piece that is very much the calm before the storm. The notes convey something to come, even though there is uncertainty. I must say, Howe was well-utilized for his return to Yes during this time period.

The next section is called "Crossfire." This was also the title of an instrumental track that Howe, Squire, and White recorded before Trevor Horn and Geoff Downes joined Yes for Drama. While there isn't anything on this section of "That, That Is" that reminds me of that instrumental, bits of the fourth section, "That Is," remind me of it, though I'm not sure whether that is intentional.

As we go into "Crossfire," there is some chanting that, to my ears, sounds like, "Day by deity." Then again, they could just be sounds not meant to mean anything, as was the case on "To Be Over." The music starts to sound urgent as Anderson sings about a struggling woman named Julie, who has a child as well as a friend named Shirley. The lyrics feel very different from classic Yes as they incorporate urban vocabulary at a rapid speed: "Cars screaming round the corner, drugged to heaven, guns are loaded, locked in vengeance." It gets really dark with the elongated "Who shoots the child?" If the intention is to make the listener experience disorientation, then the goal is accomplished, with such verses as, "Watching in the ghetto is the spine and the cruel of the gang life / Sign language of the get go you get in the gang life."

The next section, "The Giving Things," is calmer. There is a flicker of classic Yes lyrics via "And like a ship you come safely to the shore of love eternal." The "That Is" section repeats the first four verses of "The Giving Things," but in a more upbeat tone. It feels like someone is climbing out of the gutter and that things might get better. There is hope. It is a time of rebuilding and redemption. The fifth section, "All in All," tries to be uplifting and reassuring, with such words as, "Ask as you give, as you measure in time." The positive verses "All in all this will to give, this sacrament, this need to live / Take it a step to bring love easily" tie into the theme of giving love which is present in "Be the One."

The sixth section is "Howe Did Heaven Begin?" I am really intrigued by this question. It sounds very existential. The words to it are simply the following:

"These days are just a worry to the children of the world

These days are just a worry to the children of the world

How did heaven begin

How did heaven begin"

For the final section, "Agree to Agree" (where I am again reminded of "We Agree"), the music ramps up again, and the mysterious chanting from earlier returns. The music surges with a vengeance. I am very fond of the message, "Live within the power, you can be the strength it is." Each person is able to "let it come through."

7. "Children of Light"

"Children of Light" was originally started out in 1980 as a Jon Anderson poem titled "Distant Thunder," according to a 1994 interview on Rock Radio Network (where he performed an acoustic version). Jon & Vangelis recorded a demo of it in 1986, and the beat is very different from the version here. A couple of years later, Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe recorded their own version, which was similar to the Jon & Vangelis take. The poem was included in the tourbook for the Union Tour in 1991. On May 8, 1994, Jon Anderson performed an acoustic version on Tommy Vance's radio program. At a Mother's Day concert on May 12, 1996, Anderson performed "Children of Light" and stated that it would be on the next Yes album. On the Open Your Eyes Tour, it was the only studio track from either Keys to Ascension album to be played live, albeit without the "Lightning" or "Lifeline" sections.

The "Lightning" intro by Wakeman actually was not on the Keys to Ascension 2 version. For the Keystudio version, it replaced opening lyrics. I actually prefer the fan edit above, which incorporates both elements. Anderson, Squire, and Vangelis are credited for the "Children of Light" section, which mentions racial inequalities, and suggests that we should be past those days. We are reminded that "We all are one / We all are sacred." Once the singing ends, we go into the Howe/Wakeman-written instrumental section "Lifeline," which has a New Age feel to it. The final notes feel like they are ascending into space, leaving us to gaze up at their journey.

Conclusion

It really is a shame that the studio tracks did not get the amount of attention that they deserved in the 1990s. But the compilation album Keystudio was a nice effort to bring all the tracks together. As mentioned above, there was a tiny bit of representation in the set list for the Open Your Eyes Tour, and a nice chunk of representation on the 35th Anniversary Tour set list. It would be great for other tracks to be performed live, but one can never be certain whether that may come true. In the meantime, one can listen to these songs and know that Yes have left good foot prints behind.