Legendary prog-rock band Yes is back with a new studio album, “Heaven & Earth,” its first since 2011’s “Fly From Here.” The album features singer Jon Davison in the role long held by original Yes frontman Jon Anderson, who exited the band in 2008 when he suffered acute respiratory failure. When Anderson left, he was replaced by vocalist Benoit David, who sang on “Fly From Here” and toured with the band for a while. But in the midst of touring in 2012, David had to call it quits too -- also because of an acute respiratory condition.
Enter Jon Davison, who is also known to prog aficionados for his work in the Chattanooga, Tennessee-based group Glass Hammer. When Davison joined Glass Hammer, he contributed his soaring vocals to “If,” a record on which he and his GH bandmates were “definitely going in a Yes-like direction,” he tells International Business Times.
Now, with Yes, Davison’s vocals can be heard live while he and his band, with its layered, swirling arrangements, perform two of Yes’ best albums -- and two of progressive rock’s mightiest achievements -- in their entirety: 1971's “Fragile” and 1972's “Close to the Edge.”
International Business Times caught up with Davison for an extensive conversation:
IBT: Are you still in Glass Hammer?
Jon Davison: Yes, I am. Right now, I’m just on the studio-project level with them. And whatever live performing they’re doing, I’m not a part of. But that’s OK. Because they’ve always been this live collective.
Jon Davison: Yes, I am. Right now, I’m just on the studio-project level with them. And whatever live performing they’re doing, I’m not a part of. But that’s OK. Because they’ve always been this live collective.
Kind of like Yes.
That’s true. Someone pointed out to me the other day that there’s never been, beyond the very two first Yes albums, one consecutive Yes lineup for more than two studio albums. Because you have the first two albums, and then [guitarist] Steve Howe came in [for “The Yes Album”] and of course [keyboard player] Rick Wakeman came in for “Fragile,” and then there was “Close to the Edge,” with the same lineup as “Fragile.” That’s two albums there, but it never went to three, did it? Because then [keyboardist] Patrick Moraz came in to replace Rick Wakeman. And it’s gone on since. Consistently. So it’s interesting [laughs].
That’s true. Someone pointed out to me the other day that there’s never been, beyond the very two first Yes albums, one consecutive Yes lineup for more than two studio albums. Because you have the first two albums, and then [guitarist] Steve Howe came in [for “The Yes Album”] and of course [keyboard player] Rick Wakeman came in for “Fragile,” and then there was “Close to the Edge,” with the same lineup as “Fragile.” That’s two albums there, but it never went to three, did it? Because then [keyboardist] Patrick Moraz came in to replace Rick Wakeman. And it’s gone on since. Consistently. So it’s interesting [laughs].
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