Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe (album)
Encyclopedia
Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe is the self-titled album by four alumni of the progressive rock
group Yes
: Jon Anderson
, Bill Bruford
, Rick Wakeman
, and Steve Howe
.
had taken the band in a commercially very successful but musically and lyrically different direction. Anderson regrouped with Steve Howe, Rick Wakeman and Bill Bruford of Yes’ "classic" line-up. Bruford, who had at various times been a member of King Crimson
, recruited Crimson bandmate Tony Levin
as the group's bassist. The group was unable to use the name Yes for legal reasons. However, the group did have Arista assign the catalog number of 90126 to the original releases of the CD and cassette. This was their subtle way of stamping this as the next Yes album after 90125
.
The group rehearsed and composed their material in Paris
and then flew directly to the island of Montserrat
to record. Many of the tracks on the album (specifically "Teakbois") carry Latin and Caribbean influences. "Let's Pretend" was co-composed by Vangelis
in 1986, and was a previously unreleased piece by the group Jon & Vangelis.
The artwork for the album was created by artist Roger Dean, known for designing album covers for Yes in the 1970s. It features two paintings, the front titled "Blue Desert" and the back titled "Red Desert". Most releases of this album represent only a truncated version of "Blue Desert". There was, however, a special release with a gatefold cover, though "Blue Desert" was horizontally inverted in that version.
The album was one of the first original recordings to take advantage of the extended time limit on compact disc
s, clocking at almost 60 minutes. Until then, only compilations or double albums on single discs utilized the extra time space.
The song "Birthright" concerns the British nuclear tests at Maralinga
.
The album was re-released in a remastered limited edition by Gonzo Multimedia on March 18, 2011, with a bonus CD with extra tracks, including "Vultures in the City". This edition is available only from Gonzo.
Disc 2
with
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
group Yes
Yes (band)
Yes are an English rock band who achieved worldwide success with their progressive, art, and symphonic style of rock music. Regarded as one of the pioneers of the progressive genre, Yes are known for their lengthy songs, mystical lyrics, elaborate album art, and live stage sets...
: Jon Anderson
Jon Anderson
Jon Anderson is an English singer-songwriter and musician best known as the former lead vocalist in the progressive rock band Yes...
, Bill Bruford
Bill Bruford
William Scott "Bill" Bruford is an English drummer, percussionist, composer, producer, and record label owner. He was the original drummer for the progressive rock group Yes, from 1968-1972. Bruford has performed for numerous popular acts since the early 1970s, including a stint as touring...
, Rick Wakeman
Rick Wakeman
Richard Christopher Wakeman is an English keyboard player, composer and songwriter best known for being the former keyboardist in the progressive rock band Yes...
, and Steve Howe
Steve Howe (guitarist)
Stephen James "Steve" Howe is an English guitarist, known for his work with the progressive rock group Yes...
.
History
The project began in 1988. At that time vocalist Jon Anderson had felt artistically constrained within Yes's current format, where the songwriting of Trevor RabinTrevor Rabin
Trevor Charles Rabin is a South African born musician, best known as a guitarist, vocalist and songwriter for the British progressive rock band Yes from 1983–1994, and since then, as a film composer.- Early years :...
had taken the band in a commercially very successful but musically and lyrically different direction. Anderson regrouped with Steve Howe, Rick Wakeman and Bill Bruford of Yes’ "classic" line-up. Bruford, who had at various times been a member of King Crimson
King Crimson
King Crimson are a rock band founded in London, England in 1969. Often categorised as a foundational progressive rock group, the band have incorporated diverse influences and instrumentation during their history...
, recruited Crimson bandmate Tony Levin
Tony Levin
Tony Levin is an American progressive rock musician, specializing in bass guitar, Chapman stick and upright bass ....
as the group's bassist. The group was unable to use the name Yes for legal reasons. However, the group did have Arista assign the catalog number of 90126 to the original releases of the CD and cassette. This was their subtle way of stamping this as the next Yes album after 90125
90125
-Yes:*Jon Anderson – lead vocals*Tony Kaye – keyboards*Trevor Rabin – guitars, additional keyboards, backing vocals*Chris Squire – bass, backing vocals*Alan White – drums, percussion, backing vocals- Studio personnel :...
.
The group rehearsed and composed their material in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and then flew directly to the island of Montserrat
Montserrat
Montserrat is a British overseas territory located in the Leeward Islands, part of the chain of islands called the Lesser Antilles in the West Indies. This island measures approximately long and wide, giving of coastline...
to record. Many of the tracks on the album (specifically "Teakbois") carry Latin and Caribbean influences. "Let's Pretend" was co-composed by Vangelis
Vangelis
Evangelos Odysseas Papathanassiou is a Greek composer of electronic, progressive, ambient, jazz, pop rock and orchestral music, under the artist name Vangelis...
in 1986, and was a previously unreleased piece by the group Jon & Vangelis.
The artwork for the album was created by artist Roger Dean, known for designing album covers for Yes in the 1970s. It features two paintings, the front titled "Blue Desert" and the back titled "Red Desert". Most releases of this album represent only a truncated version of "Blue Desert". There was, however, a special release with a gatefold cover, though "Blue Desert" was horizontally inverted in that version.
The album was one of the first original recordings to take advantage of the extended time limit on compact disc
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
s, clocking at almost 60 minutes. Until then, only compilations or double albums on single discs utilized the extra time space.
The song "Birthright" concerns the British nuclear tests at Maralinga
British nuclear tests at Maralinga
British nuclear tests at Maralinga occurred between 1955 and 1963 at the Maralinga site, part of the Woomera Prohibited Area, in South Australia. A total of seven major nuclear tests were performed, with approximate yields ranging from 1 to 27 kilotons of TNT equivalent...
.
The album was re-released in a remastered limited edition by Gonzo Multimedia on March 18, 2011, with a bonus CD with extra tracks, including "Vultures in the City". This edition is available only from Gonzo.
Original CD Release
- "Themes" – 5:58
- "Sound"
- "Second Attention"
- "Soul Warrior"
- "Fist of Fire" – 3:27
- "Brother of Mine" – 10:18 (Anderson, Howe, Wakeman, Bruford, Geoffrey Downes)
- "The Big Dream"
- "Nothing Can Come between Us"
- "Long Lost Brother of Mine"
- "Birthright" – 6:02 (Anderson, Howe, Wakeman, Bruford, Max Bacon)
- "The Meeting" – 4:21
- "Quartet" – 9:22
- "I Wanna Learn"
- "She Gives Me Love"
- "Who Was the First"
- "I’m Alive"
- "Teakbois" – 7:39
- "Order of the Universe" – 9:02
- "Order Theme"
- "Rock Gives Courage" (Anderson, Howe, Wakeman, Bruford, Rhett Lawrence)
- "It’s So Hard to Grow"
- "The Universe"
- "Let’s Pretend" – 2:56 (Anderson, Howe, Wakeman, Bruford, VangelisVangelisEvangelos Odysseas Papathanassiou is a Greek composer of electronic, progressive, ambient, jazz, pop rock and orchestral music, under the artist name Vangelis...
)
2011 Limited Edition
Disc 1- "Themes"
- "Fist of Fire"
- "Brother of Mine"
- "Birthright"
- "The Meeting"
- "Quartet"
- "Teakbois"
- "Order of the Universe"
- "Let's Pretend"
Disc 2
- Rick Wakeman intro's
- "Brother of Mine" (edit)
- "Brother of Mine" (radio edit)
- "Vultures in the City"
- "Order of the Universe" (edit)
- "Order of the Universe" (long edit)
- "Quartet (I'm Alive)" (single edit)
- "Brother of Mine" (live)
- "And You And I" (live)
- "Order of the Universe" (live)
Personnel
- Jon AndersonJon AndersonJon Anderson is an English singer-songwriter and musician best known as the former lead vocalist in the progressive rock band Yes...
– lead vocals, backing vocals - Bill BrufordBill BrufordWilliam Scott "Bill" Bruford is an English drummer, percussionist, composer, producer, and record label owner. He was the original drummer for the progressive rock group Yes, from 1968-1972. Bruford has performed for numerous popular acts since the early 1970s, including a stint as touring...
– drums - Rick WakemanRick WakemanRichard Christopher Wakeman is an English keyboard player, composer and songwriter best known for being the former keyboardist in the progressive rock band Yes...
– keyboards - Steve HoweSteve Howe (guitarist)Stephen James "Steve" Howe is an English guitarist, known for his work with the progressive rock group Yes...
– guitar
with
- Tony LevinTony LevinTony Levin is an American progressive rock musician, specializing in bass guitar, Chapman stick and upright bass ....
– bass, Chapman stickChapman StickThe Chapman Stick is an electric musical instrument devised by Emmett Chapman in the early 1970s. A member of the guitar family, the Chapman Stick usually has ten or twelve individually tuned strings and has been used on music recordings to play bass lines, melody lines, chords or textures...
, vocals - Matt Clifford – keyboards, programming, orchestration, vocals
- Milton McDonaldMilton McDonaldMike "Milton" McDonald is a session guitarist. He has played with Patricia Kaas, Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe, The Spice Girls, S Club 7, Ray Davies, Take That, Robert Palmer, M People, Louise, Mick Jagger, Tina Turner, Atomic Kitten, Hear'Say, Mylène Farmer, and Girls Aloud.McDonald also played...
– rhythm guitar - Deborah AndersonDeborah Anderson-Family and early life:Deborah Anderson is the daughter of singer Jon Anderson and Jennifer, and sister to singer Jade Anderson. On the 1983 Jon & Vangelis album Private Collection, Jon wrote the lyrics and sang "Deborah", a song dedicated to his daughter...
– backing vocals - Tessa NilesTessa NilesTessa Niles is an English singer, best known as a backing singer for a wide variety of artists.-Early life and career:Born in Kent, Niles began her professional singing career, as both a lead and a backing vocalist, in 1979...
– backing vocals - Carol KenyonCarol KenyonCarol Kenyon , is a British singer. She was born c. 1959.Although primarily known as a session vocalist on many albums and singles by a variety of prominent artists, as well as in many concerts, Kenyon has also released several singles as a solo artist...
– backing vocals - Frank DunneryFrancis DunneryFrancis Dunnery is an English musician, singer-songwriter, record producer and record label owner. He is best known as a solo performer , and for fronting the original lineup of the band It Bites between 1982 and 1990 .Dunnery served as a sideman and...
– backing vocals - Chris KimseyChris KimseyChristopher Kenneth Kimsey is a record producer, mixer and musician most famous for having co-produced The Rolling Stones' Undercover and Steel Wheels albums...
– backing vocals - Emerald Community Singers, Montserrat – backing vocals
Production
- Produced by Jon Anderson and Chris Kimsey
- Recorded & Engineered By Chris Kimsey, Chris Potter & Giles Sampic
- Assistant Engineers: Rupert Coulson, George Cowan & Steve Orchard
- Mixed By Michael Barbiero & Steve Thompsom
- Mixing Assistant: George Cowan
- Mastered By Bob LudwigBob LudwigBob Ludwig is an American mastering engineer.He is a well known and respected figure within the music industry. His name is credited on the covers of albums released across the world, and he has won numerous awards....
- All Songs Published By Fizz Music Ltd./WB Music Ltd.-Basedown Music Ltd.-Rondor Music Ltd.-E.G. Music Ltd, except "Birthright" (all publishers noted and Sunarts Music Ltd.), "Brother Of Mine" (all publishers noted and Island Music Ltd./Carlin Music Ltd.), "Order Of The Universe" (all publishers noted and Rhettrhyme Music) & "Let's Pretend" (all publishers noted and Warner Bros. Music Ltd.)
Charts
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | The Billboard 200 - USA | 30 |
| 1989 | UK Charts | 14 |
See also
- Progressive rockProgressive rockProgressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
- YesYes (band)Yes are an English rock band who achieved worldwide success with their progressive, art, and symphonic style of rock music. Regarded as one of the pioneers of the progressive genre, Yes are known for their lengthy songs, mystical lyrics, elaborate album art, and live stage sets...