The Anderson Ponty Band: Yes Meets Jean-Luc Ponty

[admin]

Music Legends Jon Anderson and Jean-Luc Ponty Announce Formation of New Music Ensemble - The Anderson Ponty Band! The band will visit the music created by Jon Anderson and Jean-Luc Ponty over the years with new arrangements, virtuosic performances and new energy, while creating new compositions as well.

Read the Anderson Pony Band: Yes Meets Jean-Luc Ponty

After hearing the rather uninspiring new studio release of the new Yes Album Heaven & Earth we are pleased to see this alternative formation of a Prog Rock/Jazz band featuring the original lead singer and heart of Yes; Jon Anderson at the helm. Let us know what you think.

 

[EricP]

I do have some respect for the late iteration of Yes insofar as they at least are touring and they keep making albums. I've even gone to a couple of shows over the past five years. I don't know if I'm quite ready to toss out Steve Howe and Chris Squire and relegate them to bubble gum rock. But, all you would have to do is go as far back as the "The Ladder" to realize the magic this band used to have. Imitation Jon is NEVER going to stand up to the real thing. I live in L.A. and regret sadly I never saw Jon Anderson perform solo in Santa Barbara. All I can say is that when two visionaries like Jon Anderson and Jon Luc Ponty decide to collaborate, the results have to be enormous. Both musicians produce records that do more than just sound good. They take their listeners on a journey. I'm very much looking forward to hearing this band's material and hope that they come to or near L.A.

 

[adk highlander]

Jean-Luc Ponty is the man. Oh the Zappa days.

 

[gene]

I do have some respect for the late iteration of Yes insofar as they at least are touring and they keep making albums. I've even gone to a couple of shows over the past five years. I don't know if I'm quite ready to toss out Steve Howe and Chris Squire and relegate them to bubble gum rock. But, all you would have to do is go as far back as the "The Ladder" to realize the magic this band used to have. Imitation Jon is NEVER going to stand up to the real thing. I live in L.A. and regret sadly I never saw Jon Anderson perform solo in Santa Barbara. All I can say is that when two visionaries like Jon Anderson and Jon Luc Ponty decide to collaborate, the results have to be enormous. Both musicians produce records that do more than just sound good. They take their listeners on a journey. I'm very much looking forward to hearing this band's material and hope that they come to or near L.A.

I was on the Cruise to the Edge and had to endure Chris Squire's ego driven bass cranked to vol 11. It was quite painful especially when he guest appeared with Steve Hackett and totally ruined a Jimmy Hendrix song. The guy knows no limits to his ego. I hate to say it but Yes is better off without him.

The fact that they have Geof Downes on keyboards who can only play the same handful of songs and thus can't alter their playlist at all is a huge letdown. I'd rather see Trevor Rabin back in yes anyday!

In any even, Ponty/Anderson band looks very promising!

 

[Peart2112]

Gene - I went to the show at the Mahaffey last Saturday, it was better than I thought it would be but still not the same without Anderson there. And as you said above, Squire was over-amplified as usual. He hit a few notes that left my friends and I saying "what the hell was that?". The highlight for me was seeing Steve Howe and despite Downes being average at best, they did a great job with 'South Side of The Sky' and he nailed the middle piano part.

 

[The Dreaming]

I've seen Yes live many times, including twice in August 2014 and have never had a problem with Chris Squire's bass sound. Sounded great to me (in fact, he rocked it on The Fish). Squire actually met Jimmy Hendrix and admires him (of course, I can't speak to how he played with Hackett, but I would be surprised if he ruined a Hendrix song).

On another note, here is a quote from the Anderson Ponty Band before the first comments page of the website:

"After hearing the rather uninspiring new studio release of the new Yes Album Heaven & Earth featuring Jon Davidson on vocals and ego driven Chris Squire on bass, we are pleased to see this alternative formation of a Prog Rock/Jazz band featuring the original lead singer and heart of Yes; Jon Anderson at the helm. Knowing the people behind this band, we have high hopes that the music will maintain the integrity we've all come to love and respect of Yes. We are relieved to know that the bubble gum keyboards and cranked up bass to volume 11 won't make its way into this band. What do you think? Are you ready for the Anderson Ponty Band?"

I think this comment is unprofessional and not helpful. No need to insult the new album or make accusations about what drives band members or make other disparaging remarks about the quality of the keyboards. Although Geoff Downes is no Rick Wakeman, he is a very qualified keys player. I've seen him perform several times and he has chops, if not the same as Wakeman. To say that his keyboards are "bubble gum keyboards" is totally inaccurate and very insulting, which isn't necessary. To imply that the attitude of the current lineup of Yes (or the bass plalying of Chris Squire) is synonymous with "volume 11" mentality is simply unfair. Obviously, this is a reference to the brilliant mockumentary "This is Spinal Tap", but it implies that Suire's attitude or intelligence is similar to the guitarist's in the movie. This is clearly not true for anyone familiar with Yes. I noticed that if you click on the "reply" button, that some of the negative remarks have been removed. This is a little too late, as the original comments are still there on the previous page.

Do I wish Jon Anderson and Rick Wakeman were still in Yes? OF COURSE! Was Heaven and Earth a disappointment? Somewhat. Believe Again and Subway Walls were great to me and there were a few other great moments on the album, but too much of it was a little lackluster. Fly From Here was better and Drama was much better. I still enjoy the current lineup of Yes, though, and I am excited to hear what the APB sounds like. My point is that there is no need to discredit the current lineup or its album. Just talk about the good qualities of your new band's album and leave it at that.

 

[KEW]

The fact that they have Geof Downes on keyboards who can only play the same handful of songs and thus can't alter their playlist at all is a huge letdown.

Let's not forget that Geof Downs does not know how to keep time (constantly rushing) despite Alan White on drums and Steve Howe going over to the keyboards and waving his guitar in time as he played. (at least that is what happened when I saw them at the Atlanta Symphony Hall). Despite that, It was a great concert.

Squire was well balanced with band for this performance, but did what you are talking about when I saw him earlier at a low-budget venue in Charlotte. The low ceiling in Charlotte really amplified the bass and once Squire found the resonant frequency he laid on it over and over. Then, of course there were the members in the audience celebrating how loud that note was cheering him on! As an aside, Wakeman's son was playing keyboards for this one, he can keep time.

I would guess it was whether they had a engineer running the mixing boards to keep Squire in check. Huge difference in these two productions, I have a hard time paying $120 for a concert, but you'd have to pay me to get me to go back to the $40 one!

Re: Squire playing so loud, I have to believe his hearing is going. He is too good of a musician for me to believe he would deliberately mess up the bands balance the way he did in Charlotte. I am not talking standing out from the band, I am talking drowning out the band! Ego would have him playing loud with the band, but not obscuring the band!