You can take Rick Wakeman out of YES, yet you can’t take YES out of Rick Wakeman. The legendary ivories driver has been finding new ways to interpret his former ensemble’s classics for decades now, from reimagining familiar pieces for the deceptively titled “Greatest Hits” in 1993, to 2002’s "The Yes Piano Variations" and beyond, to his London Palladium concerts where “The Yes Suite” was premiered. Still, the Wakeman wizardry continues, so October 4th will see the release of “YesSonata”: a vinyl-side-long in which 30-odd cuts from Rick’s former collective are corralled into a single tapestry.
YesSonata
Vinyl is mentioned not incidentally, as the composition that made its debut during the veteran’s recent American tour before Wakeman took it to the studio is to be issued only as an LP – at least, initially – whose second side runs a similar course and, also played solely on piano, incorporates fragments from Rick’s “The Myths And Legends Of King Arthur And The Knights Of The Round Table” album. With Roger Dean’s artwork, the forthcoming release feels very alluring.
Side One:
YesSonata
Side Two:
The King Arthur Piano Suite
