Yes' 'The Quest' - Album Review

When it comes to progressive rock, there are few bands as important to the development and longevity of the genre as Yes. The UK-based band, who formed back in 1968, have been real innovators over the years and their expansive body of work is testament to this. Despite this, I have only ever really been what you might call a casual fan of the band. I like a lot of progressive music, but Yes have never been one of my particular favourites - despite my long-held respect for the band. The type of progressive rock that I tend to prefer is the more song-based variety, and I sometimes find some of Yes' music to be a bit meandering. That being said, when I am really in the mood for some Yes their music really hits home. Sometimes only the band's unique sound will do, and I think that it is fair to say that I have grown to like them more over the last couple of years. My wider appreciation of progressive rock in general has coincided with this increased enjoyment of Yes (I have become quite a big fan of early Genesis recently, for example), but there is still quite a lot of Yes' lengthy catalogue that I am yet to discover. As well as being lengthy, the band's catalogue is also pretty diverse. Yes certainly have a sound, but that sound has taken on many different guises over the years - making Yes a progressive band in the truest sense of the term. 1970s Yes is pretty different from 1980s Yes for example, despite both eras of the band being unmistakably Yes - and that is something that I have always liked about them. In recent years Yes have slowed down as a songwriting outfit, but there have still been a handful of new releases since the turn of the millennium. The Yes of recent years has certainly focused on writing more song-based albums, with much of the lengthy experimentation of their early work largely absent. This has upset a certain portion of the band's fanbase, but I generally have enjoyed their recent output - and I would consider 2011's excellent Fly From Here to be one of my favourite Yes albums. Elements of Yes' fanbase are notoriously strange, and often very fickle, however - so listening to their opinion on anything that the band has released since the mid-1990s is probably not wise. Having said that, however, the band's latest release seems to be have received quite well - at least by recent Yes standards. The Quest, which was released earlier this month, is the band's 22nd studio album (including the two Keys to Ascension albums) and their first album since 2014's somewhat lukewarm Heaven & Earth. Predictably, Heaven & Earth was not generally well received, but I enjoyed it for its laid back vibe and poppy songwriting style. It is not one of the band's best albums however, and in my opinion The Quest is a far stronger release. Some of the relaxing vibes of Heaven & Earth have made their way onto The Quest, but on the whole the band's latest album has much more bite to it - and instrumentally it is much more expansive. It is also the band's first album without any founding members in tow following bassist Chris Squire's death in 2015, but old hands guitarist Steve Howe and drummer Alan White help to keep 2021's Yes a legitimate venture. Replacing Squire is the returning multi-instrumentalist Billy Sherwood - who last featured as a rhythm guitarist on 1999's The Ladder.

While The Quest is essentially an eight-track album, I believe that every CD version of the album released comes with three bonus tracks on a separate disc. According to the band, however, The Quest is not meant to be viewed as a true double album, with the three songs on the bonus disc being additional extras. As such, this piece will focus on the main album - although the three additional songs are enjoyable in their own right and act as a mini EP to compliment the main event. The album opens with one of its strongest cuts in my opinion, and one of the best Yes songs for a number of years: The Ice Bridge. Written by singer Jon Davison and keyboardist Geoff Downes (with some melodies Downes accidentally borrowed from a Francis Monkman (Curved Air; Sky) piece on a music library that he thought was his!), the song contains all the classic Yes hallmarks - and it feels like an old-school melodic Yes track with modern production. The opening keyboard melody is very old-school, and Emerson, Lake & Palmer-esque, but it does not take long for Yes' trademark sounds to rise to the surface. Sherwood has perfectly re-captured Squire's classic growling bass sound, which propels the song's early sections, while Howe's occasional jagged, jazzy guitar leads add a slightly chaotic edge. Arguably the standout performer throughout the song, however, is Davison. On his second album with the band, he has really stepped up - and his performance throughout The Ice Bridge really channels all of the classic Yes vocalisms, while adding a little of his own power. He does sound quite a lot like Jon Anderson, but there is a more of a smoothness to his voice that suits the modern Yes sound - and the way he floats above the cacophony of rumbling bass and busy synths beneath certainly brings those classic 1970s Yes albums to mind. One thing that really sets The Quest in general apart from Heaven & Earth to me is the fact that there is a lot more soloing and instrumental expressiveness throughout. The Ice Bridge contains a fantastic, lengthy instrumental closing section that sees Howe and Downes trading solo spots - with shimmering synth leads and fluid jazzy guitar melodies colliding and dancing around each other perfectly. All of these elements help to ensure that The Ice Bridge is modern Yes at their best, and it is a great way to open the album. Dare to Know, written by Howe, is less in-your-face, but it opens with a great progressive instrumental section that showcases Howe's unique playing - as well as how well Howe and Sherwood can lock in together to lay down subtle grooves. Another thing that the band lost with Squire's passing were his vocal harmonies, but Howe seems to have stepped up in this regard throughout the album - and much of Dare to Know is sung somewhat in harmony. Davison and Howe teaming up helps to create the song's floaty atmosphere - although busier instrumental breaks shake up the vibe in a way that only Yes can really achieve. The song is rich, with layers of acoustic guitars and Downes' Hammond organ adding depth, but the overall melodies remain generally quite simple. It is a song that reveals more with each listen however, particularly during the instrumental breaks, so it is one that rewards repeated spins.

Minus the Man, which is the first of two Sherwood compositions, is a bit more vocally-driven. Sherwood has been a part of a number of prog-cum-AOR projects over the years, and Minus the Man certainly feels like something that could have fit on one of those albums - but the presence of Davison's voice and the occasional Howe guitar lead ensures that the song still feels like Yes. The simple chorus certainly has a bit of an AOR feel, however, and is complete with a soaring Howe guitar pattern that really boosts Davison's hooky vocal melodies. One thing that I really notice throughout the album, and alluded to earlier, is how important the bass is to Yes. Squire really drove Yes' sound in the way that a guitarist usually would, as Howe is not really a riff player, and Sherwood has really nailed that sound and style throughout the album. It shows throughout Minus the Man in particular as the overall arrangement is one of the album's most simple - so the bass is constantly there plugging away, while Howe and Downes add their magic atop it with flowing melodies and dense atmospherics. Leave Well Alone is the album's longest song at just over eight minutes, so unsurprisingly it is one of the most complex. The opening is somewhat more upbeat than is typical for the album, with White's potent drum beat and some driving, 1980s-style pompous keyboards, but this vibe is relatively short lived - as soon much of the instrumentation drops out to leave Davison and Howe singing against a simple acoustic guitar backing. As with Dare to Know, much of the song sees Davison and Howe singing together. This helps to add to the song's overall downbeat vibe at times, at least early on - although the stabbing keyboards from the intro return after a few minutes and the song springs to life. I really like how the song constantly shifts in tone as it moves along. Upbeat sections sit perfectly alongside more acoustic-based and atmospheric parts; and the overall transitions are classic Yes. The song still hangs together well though despite this, and like The Ice Bridge it is another piece that allows the band to indulge instrumentally. Howe's lengthy guitar solo, backed by some great White drumming, sounds as jazz-influenced and off-kilter as ever - but the melodies he conjurors up really add to the song overall, and the solo is a joyous closing moment as a result. The Western Edge, the second Sherwood composition, has some of the AOR vibes of Minus the Man - but with arguably more Yesisms and a greater dose of prog. Sherwood sings some of the song too, with him and Davison trading vocal lines throughout, while his bass playing really helps the song along - which is important as the pace often changes throughout. Howe's guitar playing certainly takes a bit of a backseat during the song, but this only allows the bass and Downes' spacy synths to shine - which help to form a bed for the melodic vocal interplay.

Future Memories, a solo Davison composition, is the album's gentlest song - and also its only real ballad. There are no drums at all, and Davison is the dominant force throughout with his shimmering vocal melodies and acoustic guitar playing. Davison handles much of the song's main guitar presence, but Howe adds some trademark effects-heavy notes and leads to root the song firmly in the Yes canon. Fretless bass and subtle washes of organ add depth when required, but on the whole the song is pretty simple arrangement-wise. Yes have often included songs like this on their albums, and Future Memories allows the spotlight to be shined on Davison as both a singer and as a songwriter - while the rest of the band subtly support his vision. Music to My Ears opens quite gently too, with Downes' piano melodies and mellotron backing, which soon morphs into an acoustic-based verse that once again sees Davison and Howe singing together. The song is the third of three Howe compositions here, and it is easily the most relaxed of the three. The song is largely rooted in acoustic guitar chords and a whimsical attitude, which Downes backs up with his spacy mellotron and synth flourishes, but there are occasional moments of chaotic instrumentation such as when Howe and Downes launch into brief discordant bursts of noise that punctuate Davison's piercing vocal melodies. Moments like this help the song to really stand out, and stops it from being a simple, acoustic-based sing-a-long. Flourishes like this have always defined the Yes sound, and I really like how the band have managed to stay true to that throughout the album. Music to My Ears is improved hugely thanks to this experimentation, as is the rest of the album. The album then comes to a close as it started, with a Davison/Downes composition. A Living Island is less dramatic than The Ice Bridge, but it is still a multi-part piece that builds as it moves along nicely. It opens with piano and Howe's acoustic guitar melodies, but much of the song, at least early on, is driven by Davison - who's voice is given real prominence in the mix. He particularly shines during the song's chorus, which is simple but infectious, while occasional musical flourishes such as an understated keyboard solo add additional depth. As the song moves on, however, it gets more majestic. The tide really turns for me with Howe's grand guitar solo, which is much more traditional-sounding than usual with soaring melodies, which sets the scene for Davison's closing, rousing vocals. The guitar lines occasionally punctuate Davison's singing - and the last couple of minutes of the song is characterised by this rich overall sound and the mix of guitar and vocals. The album does not end on a bang, but the grandness of A Living Island's closing section works just as well for me - and the song is another highlight as a result. It is also one that really sums up the album overall for me, as The Quest has a real flow to it in a way that Yes' albums often do. For me, The Quest is a really strong album in the context of modern Yes. There are lots of great melodies to enjoy, and the instrumental bite that was missing from Heaven & Earth has returned. It is certainly not a ground-breaking release, but it sees the band playing to their strengths and having fun - which can only be a good thing.

The album was released on 1st October 2021 via InsideOut Music. Below is the band's promotional video for The Ice Bridge.