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Episode 172 – Blasts from the past – Big Generator and Drama artefacts

Yes Magazine and Drama Tour Programme
Yes Magazine scan from Carl and Drama Tour Programme from Bob

The one hundred and seventy-second episode of the Yes Music Podcast featuring two blasts from the past – a scan from Carl Coppage of a Yes Magazine and a Drama tour programme from Bob Burns.

  • What can we learn from old issues of magazines?
  • With hindsight, how do these old items read?
  • Whatever happened to Yes Magazine?

Listen to the episode and then let me know what you think!

Inside front cover showing ticket and play lists
Inside front cover showing ticket and play lists – click to enlarge

Show links and notes

Preston Frazier on Yesterday and Today

Preston Frazier on Ben Craven’s Revenge of Dr. Komodo

Mark Anthony K’s latest Yes compilation

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Theme music

The music I use is the last movement of Stravinsky’s Firebird Suite. This has been used as introduction music at many Yes concerts. My theme music is not take from a live concert – I put it together from the following two creative commons sources: thanvannispen and archive.org

4 replies on “Episode 172 – Blasts from the past – Big Generator and Drama artefacts”

I never saw YES on the BIG GENERATOR tour, although after hearing the setlist you’ve mentioned,
I kind of wish I had. The show your friend has listed, must be from relatively early in the BG tour,
because “Almost Like Love” was, (according to Forgotten Yesterdays) only played 26 times, between
NOV and DEC 1987. I recently listened to the songs from this tour which were featured in the
YESYEARS Box Set, and although I enjoyed them, I was left with the feeling that I had just listened
to some kind of “Heavy Metal Yes” incarnation. Even “And You and I” sounds so ramped up on
speed/adrenaline, it is hardly comparable to the original !

Regarding the weird “Indian Paint” Jon wore on this tour, other fans have commented that this
was the beginning of Jon’s long infatuation with Native Peoples and Native religion. According
to interviews (and also the song “Holy Lamb”), Jon was very much into the New Age excitement
around the “Harmonic Convergence” which supposedly occurred in the summer of 1987.
In fact, there is an interesting interview with Jon which happened (by phone) at “Yes Con ’87”
just after BG was finished….in the interview Jon speaks in great detail about the “Harmonic
Convergence” which is about to happen, and says that he is planning to go to a sacred
spot on Indian land during the “convergence”. (I believe it was later revealed that he went to
the Hopi Indian reservation in Arizona, and initiated a relationship with the Hopi People which
went on for several years).

Fascinating stuff Carl. Perhaps Rabin should have left some of the classics alone although I think some on 9012Live worked well.

I have always liked the concept of Harmonic Convergence or at least how it appears to be portrayed by Anderson.

Thanks again.

Fantastic episode. I also haven’t had the pleasure of seeing Yes during the Drama or Big Generator tours. I admit I’m much more a fan of Drama. The programs you have shown are very interesting as are the set lists. I always thought it was a shame that Shoot High Aim Low was only performed during the BG tour. It’s the best song on the album and would sound good now I believe with this line up. I look forward to next week’s show.

I’d love to hear the current line-up playing the whole of Drama! I think Jon Davison would sing Trevor Horn’s parts really well. Thanks for the comment!

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