Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Yes
Label: Eagle Records
Release: 1999
Running time: 60:19
Rating: 3.5/5
Prog-rock giants Yes decided in 1999 that with »The Ladder« the time had come for a more convincing return to their classic sound. »Open Your Eyes« (1997), an album that was originally supposed to come out as part of the Conspiracy project and on which they first joined forces with American guitarist, keyboardist, singer and producer Billy Sherwood (ex-World Trade), had fallen below their usual abilities and well short of most fans’ expectations. They simply couldn’t afford another such embarrassment, not at a time when plenty of quality, ambitious symphonic prog-rock revivalists had popped up on the scene, with Yes among their key influences. It seemed the eager pupils were overtaking their tired teachers on the ‘left and right’.
The ‘old tomcats’ therefore had to prove to their longtime fans that they still had enough in the tank to make a studio album with sonic and atmospheric links to their golden years, even without their classic lineup. The new member of Yes at this point was Russian keyboard virtuoso Igor Khoroshev, who had already guested on »Open Your Eyes«. Khoroshev let Sherwood focus purely on guitar and backing vocals from then on, which, alongside guitar legend and old grump Steve Howe, meant the band had (again) one guitarist too many. Howe gladly handed him a few of the main guitar lines he didn’t feel like playing himself, but mostly he ‘generously’ left Sherwood the role of backing rhythm guitarist.
Billy’s stint in Yes would probably have been even shorter if he hadn’t enjoyed the full backing of his Conspiracy buddy, founding bassist Chris Squire. The Russian keyboard wizard occasionally recalled former member Rick Wakeman with his style, which allowed Yes to at least partly restore the classic symphonic arrangements and sonic elements of the ‘golden days’. Elsewhere they still kept the more accessible, strongly melodic structures that were typical of most of their output from the nineties and especially the eighties.
Jon Anderson was in excellent vocal shape throughout the entire nineties, while his lyrics on »The Ladder« were standard fare, meaning there was no shortage of ‘green language’, hymns to light and positivist lessons about the joy of living. Alan White did a decent job on drums, although he’d long since stopped being a guarantee of any special percussive innovation. Still, he effectively complemented Squire’s traditionally melodic bass lines. All six Yes members took part in the songwriting and the backing vocal harmonies, which were once again at a very high level.
Not everything went without tragedy, sadly: during the recording of »The Ladder«, renowned Canadian producer and musician Bruce Fairbairn (best known for his production work for Bon Jovi, Aerosmith and AC/DC) passed away, having delivered one last excellent production job. Anderson, who was the first to hear about Fairbairn’s death, decided together with the rest of Yes to dedicate »The Ladder«, through the liner notes, to the memory of the late production master. Fairbairn’s first words when he met the band were reportedly, »make the best Yes album you possibly can, the rest will follow on its own.« That gave the band extra energy to squeeze out their best, and they achieved some truly impressive results.
The end product of the new Yes was the album »The Ladder«, a noticeable step in the right direction and a partial restoration of their former sonic standards, especially compared to »Open Your Eyes«, which they were keen to forget as soon as possible. The hint that the classic Yes sound had returned in a bigger way on »The Ladder« is already there in the somewhat generic cover by longtime collaborator, legendary graphic designer Roger Dean, who also designed the band’s brand-new and much more minimalist logo. The latter wasn’t particularly popular with fans and lasted only until the breakup of this short-lived version of the band. It’s also interesting that most of Jon’s lyrics on individual songs contained references to some of the band’s songs from the distant and recent past. On the other hand, Yes wanted to keep up with the trends of the time, when various bands at the end of the nineties wanted to leave their mark on the world of entertainment electronics (the most notorious example being Iron Maiden). That’s exactly why Yes teaming up with the game developer Relic Entertainment comes as no surprise. Relic developed a sci-fi strategy video game called ‘Homeworld’, for which the members of Yes contributed a song of the same name, which appeared during the main credits and as the farewell theme.
The song »Homeworld« was also the opening track on »The Ladder«, which besides it contains only one other longer piece (»New Language«), but neither of them reaches ten minutes, which for Yes is kind of the minimum for a symphonic prog-rock epic. »Homeworld« starts with a short ambient intro, then, with the help of melodic guitar passages courtesy of Steve ‘Mr. Owl’ Howe and Jon’s sparkling vocal performance, it tips from melancholic atmospheric shades into much sunnier waters. The ethereal vocal harmonies and the positivist chorus are among the main virtues of one of the better achievements on »The Ladder«, which, with the help of Khoroshev’s unbridled keyboard antics, also pulls you back to the old days, while Squire keeps thrilling with his dynamic laying down of melodic lines on his Rickenbacker bass. Howe’s enigmatic acoustic guitar passages pave the way for a positivist ending with the ‘great spiritual teacher’ at the peak of his vocal game. Despite the absence of ambitious epics, »The Ladder« has plenty of goodies that at least partly summoned up the memory of the days when Yes stood at the top of the progressive rock movement.
»It Will Be A Good Day (The River)« is a rhythmically catchy creation whose lyrics contain yet another of Jon’s awakening mantras, one that, if we’re being a bit sarcastic, can be preached with fervor above all by someone who’s materially well provided for and for whom every day can then be a good one. The positivist atmosphere is crowned by a cheerful chorus with no shortage of epic harmonies, while Howe demonstrates a few distinctive guitar variations. »Lightning Strikes«, laced with world-music elements, features a guest wind section, which makes it one of the strangest experiments on »The Ladder«, while the playful mood is further fueled by Howe’s shifting guitar passages and cheerful harmonies. Luckily Yes didn’t attempt more experiments like this, which suit a Jon solo album better.
»Can I?« is a short vocal-rhythmic improvisation in the style of »We Have Heaven« and even contains a multi-voice verse referencing that »Fragile« (1972) standard. It flows straight into »Face To Face«, which has a slightly ‘cowboy’-tinged electronic synth intro and dynamic laying down of melodic bass lines. Under Jon’s cheerful vocal guidance the band builds a melodic arrangement that peaks in a soaring, multi-voice chorus, carried on the wings of Howe’s guitar variations and well-timed drum fills. It’s one of those »The Ladder« songs on which Yes tried to combine sonic traditionalism with a somewhat more modern approach, which in this case even partly succeeded, with a good result. On the romantic power ballad »If Only You Knew«, dedicated to Anderson’s wife, Howe shines with a subtle use of the mandolin, while the main melody is held up mostly by Jon’s rich vocal, which this time has its head even further in the clouds than usual. Khoroshev meanwhile deepens the romantic atmosphere with solemn orchestral arrangements.
»To Be Alive (Hep Yadda)« features Howe’s ethereal pedal steel passages, which, together with gorgeous backing vocals, decisively accompany yet another high-flying vocal performance from Jon. The soaring melody with its uplifting atmosphere once again ties in perfectly with the spiritual lyrics, which are nothing more than another Anderson ode to life. The up-tempo »Finally« makes a change by shifting into more energetic waters, where the rhythm section, led by White’s drums, is a bit more dynamic again, and where Sherwood’s guitar lines, subordinate to Howe for most of the record, at least get a little room to breathe this time. Mighty vocal harmonies and gorgeous symphonic curtains that conjure up some of the old magic are key to pulling off yet another positivist, ambient closer.
»The Messenger«, dedicated to Bob Marley, features interesting bass lines and slightly funky-tinged guitar passages, while Jon is again in the midst of an ethereal vocal rapture. The excellent multi-voice chorus is key to this being one of the best pieces on »The Ladder«, while this time it’s mainly Howe’s and Squire’s instrumental variations that deserve praise, as they successfully keep the harmonic balance of the individual arrangements.
»New Language«, which opens with interesting interplay between organ and guitar, is a pretty good approximation of a classic Yes epic, while White finally comes fully alive on the drums, making it, rhythmically speaking, one of the highlights of »The Ladder«. Khoroshev’s crazy Hammond organ solo in the middle of the relatively complex instrumental opening section is a chapter in itself. When Jon’s vocal kicks in, the melodic-ethereal arrangement comes to the fore and hits its climax with an epic chorus. The closing part brings a mighty instrumental section in which the members of Yes prove they still have some willingness to experiment left in them, even if it comes across as rather shy compared to some of their past masterpieces. »The Ladder« ends with the short song »Nine Voices (Longwalker)«, laid over pastoral acoustic guitar chords and yet another of Jon’s spiritual odes to ‘the forces that surround us’, while hypnotic harmonies deepen the ethereal atmosphere.
Yes managed to make their best studio album of the nineties with »The Ladder«, if you don’t count both parts of the live-studio hybrid »Keys to Ascension«. That way they at least partly made up for a few less convincing efforts from the decade that was winding down. Sherwood became redundant to Howe already during the 1999 live shows, when he was mostly tasked with covering the guitar lines during the rare performances of songs from the Trevor Rabin era, which he felt himself too, and he left even before the start of the next tour, ‘Masterworks’, during which Yes also visited Slovenia. Khoroshev’s exit, right after the ‘Masterworks’ tour, was on the other hand rather dishonorable and even disgraceful, since because of a bizarre sexual incident that remains not fully explained to this day he ended up in court, which immediately cost him his membership in Yes, a band always known for swearing by higher moral virtues. So for the first time in their career they found themselves without a keyboardist.
Lineup
Jon Anderson – vocals
Steve Howe – lead and acoustic guitar, pedal steel, mandolin, backing vocals
Billy Sherwood – guitar, backing vocals
Chris Squire – bass guitar, backing vocals
Alan White – drums, percussion, backing vocals
Igor Khoroshev – keyboards, backing vocals
GUEST MUSICIANS:
Randy Raine-Reusch – wind instruments
Rhys Fulber – dance digital samples
The Marguerita Horns:
Tom Keenlyside – piccolo, tenor saxophone on “Lightning Strikes”
Derry Burns – trumpet on “Lightning Strikes”
Rod Murray – trombone on “Lightning Strikes”
Tom Colclough – alto saxophone on “Lightning Strikes”
Neil Nicholson – tuba on “Lightning Strikes”
Production
Bruce Fairbairn
Track list
1. Homeworld (The Ladder) (9:33)
2. It Will Be A Good Day (The River) (4:53)
3. Lightning Strikes (4:34)
4. Can I? (1:32)
5. Face to Face (5:03)
6. If Only You Knew (5:42)
7. To Be Alive (Hep Yadda) (5:07)
8. Finally (6:01)
9. The Messenger (5:13)
10. New Language (9:19)
11. Nine Voices (Longwalker)(3:20)
