The irony is that no matter how complex some believe Jon lyrics were there is a such a beautiful simplicity in the obvious message that he expresses. It started for me as a kid in songs like SURVIVAL, THEN & TIME & A WORD. "Sunshine is creeping in and somewhere in a field a life begins" triggered an incredible profound awareness in my youth about the wonder of life! And every song thereafter was an expansion of basic truths regarding existence! "A man conceived a moment's answer to the dream". It's so viscerally clear that just by becoming awakened to the beauty in all things, we open & release so much within us. Jon has always been a Guru for me. What a blessing to have had the chance to actually meet, sit and have brunch with him in LA. Though it was bittersweet because our projects never materialized due to his sudden illness & departure from YES. But his lyrics through his angelic vocal delivery has always channeled the divine. This Messenger has only spread love and peace as was the motto of the generation from which he was arrived
Its rather silly I find...the obsession with trying to box Jon's lyrics. Asking what is the exact interpretation of lines like "A seasoned witch could call you..." ? Or nitpick out another few lines from another song of theirs. Its not about one or two lines of English that don't jive, its not hard to find the message of almost every song Jon wrote, the interconnectiveness of people and potential beautiful possibilities. In music and elsewhere. "seasons will pass you by" " I get up, I get down". Its not like Anderson is always speaking gibberish. They're not so literal, but I certainly don't miss his messages. Some dismiss all his lyrics because of him saying that he uses words as sounds in composing music. And chooses them partly because of how they fit into the music. I say so what. Other song writers do the same thing on a more subtle level. It doesn't mean the lyrics cannot be meaningful. Jon would say they came from the Divine. I loved the mystery of those earlier albums. Eighties Yes configurations of the band lost so much of that lyrically.
The whole point is Jon allows you to discover, rediscover and find new personal meanings with his broad brush stroke lyrics. You can let them flow past or home in on a phrase and ponder deeply.
@@greenbluemonkey I like talking about lyrics, but like poetry there is no one meaning. But otherwise you really have nothing to talk about about music but 'thats good' or 'thats bad'. You talk about things that are worth talking about. I've heard him break down some of his lyrics fairly straightforwardly, then others are just out there, but some just use words many outside england are unfamiliar with.
To me and I've said this many times before through the years, "And You And I" has to be the most perfectly conceived progressive rock song ever written. The lyrics alone have such epic qualities. What a masterpiece! I don't think there's another song that even comes in a close 2nd.
I have been a Yes fan forever (age 59)... Close to the Edge, as a complete work, is a symphony, with four movements... really funny about writing "stoned"... LOL!
Michael, I've always been a fan of yours and adore Jon Anderson/YES. Great interview! I'm totally behind your idea about the documentary. I saw YES in 1971 or '72 in Richmond, VA. Have been a huge fan ever since. Their music is otherworldly and, at the same time, so incredibly relatable. The musicianship is beyond compare and the production is always top-notch. Thanks for this.
I wish Jon could have been more open about the Divine; though I understand the reasons why he held back. “To meet with and to commune with the Divine is the reason why we are all here; connected and searching.” I spent MANY DAYS with Jon in 1989 during the ABWH rehearsals at Tait Towers in Lititz Pa. as well as evenings at the Eden Resort in Lancaster. I will absolutely cherish those days of harmony, understanding, love, music and learning to discover that Jon Anderson is the REAL DEAL! A truly spiritual man who cares about life and people in every way. God bless you, Jon. Your lyrics, your voice and your music have strengthened me many times over the decades. Jon claims that he “will live to 103; and then I have to leave.” Who thinks that he is right about this prediction? I sure do. 🙏
Yes is its own genre of music. every configuration of the band has been spectacular. Jon is one of the most positive and uplifting people I can think of. Every time I’ve seen a concert with him leading the band it has been so positive, so magnificent, so splendid. even when he is expressing sorrow or anger is still so positive and upward looking, just an amazing human. we all need to be a little bit more like him.
You could walk across any college campus in America in 72 and 73 and hear Yes music wafting (or blasting) down from dormitory windows. The music was cerebral - an eclectic mix of rock, jazz, classical, and folk. And it meshed perfectly with the artwork of Roger Dean.
My husband and I love Jon Anderson so much,We named our son after him! Michael we are your age and have listened to Yes,and Jon for many years. Awesome interview.He is definitely a deep thinker. I laughed out loud when he said he wrote the lyrics to Closer very very stoned. Lol
Wonderful interview Michael, thanks! Love Jon Anderson and all Yes members, ALL of them ❤️ amazing music, never get tired of listening to Yes, been doing it for almost 40 years . Thank you!
I was going to say 'is he stoned HERE', but thats just Jon. I always love that Rick Wakeman quote that Nasa and all these people are trying to go to space, when all they have to do is talk to Jon, he's been there.
Yes has some of the greatest lyrics, but some of it is hard to describe but it makes sense when you listen and follow them if you are spiritually inclined.
Fantastic interview! That Jon, a founding member of Yes as well as one of the primary composers and lyricists, was given the pink slip when he was in the hospital (or in recovery at least) due to a major illness is beyond shameful. It's even more shameful that he has never been invited back. For me, Jon Anderson will always be the heart and soul of Yes. He's irreplaceable.
It's even worse than you think; he called Steve Howe and asked to rejoin, and was refused. This, mind you, is THE VOICE, and The Writer of all their lyrics.
@@aprilstewart5929 - Oh, I know. I was oversimplifying it a bit. He wrote most of the lyrics. Chris, Steve and even Alan co-wrote the lyrics to many songs. Nevertheless, I understand what you're saying. For me, there is no Yes without Jon Anderson. As much as I love Drama, and I do think it's a fantastic album, it should not have been a Yes album.
Michael Smerconish carried all the love and enthusiasm, into this utterly delightful and enlightening interview, that I could only hope to express if I were ever to meet this most favourite person of mine. Chris Squire does not seem gone anymore (help me with my bass please : ). Thank you so much from a fellow bedroom album sleeve examiner, also 60yrs, may your seasoned witch always speak to you in your dreams! 👍
Jon makes light of his lyrics...but they still stand up, yeah? Yeah. He is too humble to admit the universe was speaking through him... Thank you, Jon.
I have been listing to YES now for 50 years and I never really tried to understand what Jon was singing about. I always felt that he used his voice much like part of the instrumentaion of the band and kinda left it up to the listener to figure out for themselves what he was saying. I liked the idea that at different points of my life, the words would take on varrious meanings, keeping the music relevant. At 13, AYAI meant someting different than is does at 63 as it should. This was the gift of that Genre and I will always be gratful to have lived it.
For youth musicians, what a broadening and deepening experience to be mentored by Jon and Paul. That would be a dream come true. Thanks to both of them for pursuing that!
Looking good Jon! And anytime you do an interview I try to find it and listen but Smerconish is a true Anderson / Yes fan and I really dig when he interviews you!
Philly roots and The Spectrum!! Oh my goodness saw YES there many times! YES were given keys to the city for the band that sold out the most shows in Philly. NIce 💚💚💚
This is a great interview!! I have wondered the same thing about the earlier Yes songs. " Close to the Edge " is one of the best albums , top 5 of all time.
I love Jon. Saw him with Phillips Academy kid. He is still so great. Amazing vocalist, lyricist. He is so sweet and loves his wife, Janie. Peace & Love
I feel the same about him. Also saw him with the Academy kids. The best concert I had been to in years! Jon feeds from their youthful energy and they feed from his energy and spirit and it all adds up to a very entertaining and delightful experience. His ex band mates are still performing as well but I wonder if they can muster the same joy? Anyway, Jon is a true iocn and musical hero to generations!
just finished tour with jon as part of pgra, quite literally the best experience of my life :) also he signed a ctte poster and wrote chagall on it lol
This guy is just incredible...nobody can get into your bonz like him.a voice you feel thru you...great guy and great,one of greatest bands...would be nice to see all the original guys...to bad money rules everything.....Jon is yes...
I was a Rick Wakeman fan first. Saw him doing JTTCOTE on Wide World in Concert on ABC. Bought all his records (2 at the time). Then I bought Close the Edge.The best piece of music ever recorded. Also, as a SiriusXMU subsriber, FFS, give us a GD Prog Rock Channel ! >:(
I'm looking forward to seeing Yes in Cincinnati this November, in whatever combination of personnel they choose to bring to the stage. Absolutely nothing can compare to the four times I've seen them in the past, with Masterworks being the most brilliant performance I've had the privilege of witnessing.
"This is complicated stuff, man!" Yes, Smerconish, Yes it is! But you didn't ask him when the new, four-hours-long album might actually be released. As a Jon Anderson fan, I've been waiting for "Zamran" (what Jon's new album is supposed to be) for about 20 years now. In a sense, we've been waiting for the sequel to the "Olias of Sunhillow" album since it was originally released in 1976. That's a longer wait than Brian Wilson fans had for him to finally finish the "Smile" album and release it. Follow-up questions are so important!
Yes Head here for 50 years. Always cool to see Jon Anderson talk about the music of the real Yes. While I certainly love me some Steve Howe…the new Yes just ain’t Yes without Jon.
~~ agreed - such a shame how they just cast him aside when he had serious health issues - they should have supported him fully and he'd have recovered soon enough and tours could have continued ..
Billy Z, Jon Anderson has always downplayed his part in him being dismissed from Yes. Yes had signed a contract for doing a summer tour in 2008 that would pay them $250,000 per show. The band would consist of Anderson, Chris Squire, Steve Howe, Alan White with Oliver Wakeman, Rick's son, on keyboards. Anderson was sick, but let the band know he was improving. It was during this period that Anderson also demanded that he receive a greater proportion of the money than the rest of the band. That demand incensed Chris Squire. It also did not go over well with the rest of the band. Also, Anderson never told the band how sick he really was. If memory serves me correct, I think it was Rick Wakeman who checked in on Anderson and saw that he was not well at all and would not be ready to tour. Wakeman told Anderson he had to let the band know. By this point, rehearsals and tour dates had been scheduled. Anderson health deteriorated to the point where he had to be hospitalized. The tour had to be cancelled. Of course, at a minimum, considering how sick Anderson was and the time needed to recover ( and there were questions if he would totally recover), it would be sometime before Yes could hit the road. It had been over 4 years since the band had last toured and Squire, Howe and White wanted to tour again. Anderson's demand for greater pay and him hiding how serious his health conditions were rankled the band and they decided to move on. I'm sure that Squire, Howe and White believed they could do so. That trio with Trevor Horn and Geoff Downes produced Drama, an album that has aged well and is considered a gem in the Yes catalog. They spotted David Benoit, who was a singer in a highly regarded Yes cover band. Obviously, everyone knows the rest of the history. I think Yes fans wished this would have played out differently. But, what happened to Anderson was something he had been guilty of doing in the past, firing band members. Peter Banks, a very good guitarist and a founding member of Yes, was disposed of because Howe was an even better guitarist. Tony Kate was fired because he would not embrace new keyboard technology and he could not play the keys as well as Rick Wakeman. Bill Bruford avoided being fired, jumping ship to King Crimson. But, Patrick Moraz, who was a keyboard virtuoso, was fired despite the Relayer album and tour being quite successful, because, well, the band wanted Wakeman back. Following the successful Union tour, Yes decided to do the next album with the Yes West ( or 90125 band if you prefer) and Howe, Wakeman and Bruford were sent packing ( although Bruford probably cared less). Yes is one of the great bands of all time and a favorite of mine. But, the band has been dysfunctional through a good period of their history. And each member had traits that rubbed other members the wrong way. Anderson is famously domineering, Howe moody, Squire always late ( which rubbed Buford wrong particularly) and Wakeman would check out if the music was not his cup of tea. That said, they put out some of the best rock albums of all time.
Great interview. Saw Michael at the Keswick show which was quite good. I do find it interesting how Jon is still a bit aloof, if that is the word, in his response about Alan and Chris. I wonder if there is still some resentment about his "ouster" in the 2010s?
On October 29th, 2022 at the Paramount... does he do Jon Anderson ? "Close to the Edge", "And You and I", and "Siberian Khatru", and "Awaken" and "YES album ? "Perpetual Change", "Heart of the Sunrise", etc. And "Roundabout !" At end. That's amazing. But Jon Davidson... I have a VIP package (2nd row). ;-)
...Always wanted to answer for Jon when he's asked about his lyrics: Michael: Did you know what you were singing about? Jon: Two things I'd like to mention. One: Do you know what the most anthologized English language poem over the last 25 years is? It's William Carlos Williams' "The Red Wheelbarow." Do you know how Williams described the poem? He called it a "rhythmic fragment." Interesting, right? Williams also wrote of poetry in general: "It isn't what he 'says' that counts as a work of art, it's what he makes, with such intensity of perception that it lives with an intrinsic movement of its own to verify its authenticity." Michael: Wow. What's the second thing? Jon: Robin Blaser wrote of his friend and fellow poet Jack Spicer that his poetry moves in and out of a meaning. In its openness it is more than a meaning and in its compositon less than a meaning. This kind of neither/nor approach is embraced by so many writers as well as other creators. When we meet someone and even more so the more we come to know this person, the more there is that we can say about them, but the less there is that we can explain about them. Yet people all too often complain because in truly creative works, though beautiful, we discover as Andre Gide said of James Joyce's writing: "...the work completes itself with a cliff, the steep face of its genius an enigma to the end."
I think I get Jon Anderson's lyrics. A line or a phrase creates a certain (Ugh ...God help me...) "Feeling" or a "sense". Then the next phrase, line, stanza ...whatever comes and creates another sense or perception. Ultimately when you string all those reactions together you find that the poetry is in the flow of your emotional responses to the individual phrases. (I wonder if that makes any sense to anyone but me...?)
For CTTE (and a lot of the other Jon penned lyrics) I could care less what they "mean" I listened for the melody, the sound of the lyrics, I never memorised or studied the liner notes 🤣 11:42 ... Neil Peart, "Hold my beer while I write this song... Why are we here? Because we're here, Roll the Bones..." 😆
Michael, the only thing I will say is, you need to raise your consciousness man. Jon Anderson is in the stratosphere and your feet are still on the ground.
I have a copy of the original lyrics from CTTE framed (The Green Inner Sleeve from the vinyl album) and for me they are like poetry because when I read them as words, sentences etc rather than listen to them as lyrics of songs, they make total sense ie "A Seasoned Witch Could Call You From The Depths Of Your Disgrace" ( A Witch ie: a healer) could bring healing from the Toxicity of shame and disgrace. "And re-arrange your liver to the solid mental grace" (The Liver is the Engine of the human body - Not the heart- Yes I know we need all of them ..but) "Solid Mental Grace" think of Decarte and how the Mind, Body and Spirit used to be viewed as separate parts, but of course we now understand differently and how they work together as part of our Holistic self.
🤫After all of these years, Jon is still equivocating about the meaning of his lyrics, when it was somewhat obvious that nearly all of his lyrics during this period were a product of his meditations on God, mostly his reflections on his personal relationship with God as he moved from one experience/stage of life to another. I get that he was trying to hide that fact behind his heavy use of cryptic metaphor (not wanting to be perceived a religious nut) but after all these years, he still wants to hide it? I was one of those who absolutely loved what he was doing lyrically, poetry put to music. The man definitely made his mark in the Prog Rock world...
He is in fact…. “The Return of Zamran” is the Olias sequel. Zamran is Olias’ brother. Jon is still sifting through 5 hours of material at the moment, but the album is definitely forthcoming.
I was all set to write a mildly peevish comment about how you failed to give Chris Squire's bass it's proper due, then, when speaking of "Siberian Khatru", you said, "Chris Squire's bass steals the show here. Okay it steals the show literally everywhere." Well said.
''The One's Who'll Continue'' ''There are artists who'll wrest us up And place us into themselves and into their works These are The One's Who'll Continue wresting us up Far and beyond their appointed rests in peace'' ~William Gilpin 72622
The interviewer is so obnoxious..but Jon is very graceful towards him This is a lesson we could learn from Jon on how to act towards shrill interviewers. That's my opinion and I welcome yours
Disagree. Ive been watching Smerconish on cable for a few years now. Very sharp guy. Thinks, and talks fast, and knows his stuff. Shrill to you, quick and tactful to me. And besides, he's a Yes and J.A. fan.
He's become much more ironic and a huge laugh through the years. Lost a bit of his Lancs accent, unfortunately, I'd have preferred him to keep living here in the UK but alas...
There was certainly tension since Squire/Howe/White went on as Yes without him in ‘08. But apparently, they had talked & made peace before Squire passed.
No Michael Smerconish. The story of the Jack Black movie is NOT Paul Green's story. The character that Jack Black portrays couldn't be more different than Paul.
This was a great interview right in the middle of it a Joe Biden ad popped up it must have been AI Joe because he actually sounded almost normal I love YES forever although I must say it's disconcerting to think that we are all somehow connected with Joe, I hope Jon is wrong about that.
Close to Edge is a masterpiece. There are big band and symphonic versions. Intense and virtuoso oriented. It lives on!
What a gem of a human. So happy to share this space / time and being able to hear his music and musings.
The irony is that no matter how complex some believe Jon lyrics were there is a such a beautiful simplicity in the obvious message that he expresses. It started for me as a kid in songs like SURVIVAL, THEN & TIME & A WORD. "Sunshine is creeping in and somewhere in a field a life begins" triggered an incredible profound awareness in my youth about the wonder of life! And every song thereafter was an expansion of basic truths regarding existence! "A man conceived a moment's answer to the dream". It's so viscerally clear that just by becoming awakened to the beauty in all things, we open & release so much within us. Jon has always been a Guru for me. What a blessing to have had the chance to actually meet, sit and have brunch with him in LA. Though it was bittersweet because our projects never materialized due to his sudden illness & departure from YES. But his lyrics through his angelic vocal delivery has always channeled the divine. This Messenger has only spread love and peace as was the motto of the generation from which he was arrived
Its rather silly I find...the obsession with trying to box Jon's lyrics. Asking what is the exact interpretation of lines like "A seasoned witch could call you..." ? Or nitpick out another few lines from another song of theirs. Its not about one or two lines of English that don't jive, its not hard to find the message of almost every song Jon wrote, the interconnectiveness of people and potential beautiful possibilities. In music and elsewhere. "seasons will pass you by" " I get up, I get down". Its not like Anderson is always speaking gibberish. They're not so literal, but I certainly don't miss his messages.
Some dismiss all his lyrics because of him saying that he uses words as sounds in composing music. And chooses them partly because of how they fit into the music. I say so what. Other song writers do the same thing on a more subtle level. It doesn't mean the lyrics cannot be meaningful. Jon would say they came from the Divine. I loved the mystery of those earlier albums. Eighties Yes configurations of the band lost so much of that lyrically.
Just to remind you all
Time
Like gold dust
Brings mind down
Utter nonsense
The whole point is Jon allows you to discover, rediscover and find new personal meanings with his broad brush stroke lyrics.
You can let them flow past or home in on a phrase and ponder deeply.
@@greenbluemonkey I like talking about lyrics, but like poetry there is no one meaning. But otherwise you really have nothing to talk about about music but 'thats good' or 'thats bad'. You talk about things that are worth talking about. I've heard him break down some of his lyrics fairly straightforwardly, then others are just out there, but some just use words many outside england are unfamiliar with.
Oh yes, I love "Survival", such a wonderful song - What I also love is Jon's cheerful and serene character and mind.
To me and I've said this many times before through the years, "And You And I" has to be the most perfectly conceived progressive rock song ever written. The lyrics alone have such epic qualities. What a masterpiece! I don't think there's another song that even comes in a close 2nd.
I have been a Yes fan forever (age 59)... Close to the Edge, as a complete work, is a symphony, with four movements... really funny about writing "stoned"... LOL!
My #1 favorite song of all time. Will have it played at my funeral.
It was great FINALLY seeing them inducted in the RRHOF
The balance between thoughts and actions 💚💚💚
@@donaldkrone4717 Same. Let's hope it's not anytime soon 💚💚💚
Jon Anderson THE VOICE. THE MASTER. FOREVER YES ❗❗❗🎤🎤🎤
Michael, I've always been a fan of yours and adore Jon Anderson/YES. Great interview! I'm totally behind your idea about the documentary. I saw YES in 1971 or '72 in Richmond, VA. Have been a huge fan ever since. Their music is otherworldly and, at the same time, so incredibly relatable. The musicianship is beyond compare and the production is always top-notch. Thanks for this.
I love the energy that Jon has! He isn't one to sit still and watch life go by. Great interview Michael !!
The Hobbit! He's so sweet kind funny and young! 💚💚💚
I wish Jon could have been more open about the Divine; though I understand the reasons why he held back. “To meet with and to commune with the Divine is the reason why we are all here; connected and searching.” I spent MANY DAYS with Jon in 1989 during the ABWH rehearsals at Tait Towers in Lititz Pa. as well as evenings at the Eden Resort in Lancaster. I will absolutely cherish those days of harmony, understanding, love, music and learning to discover that Jon Anderson is the REAL DEAL! A truly spiritual man who cares about life and people in every way. God bless you, Jon. Your lyrics, your voice and your music have strengthened me many times over the decades. Jon claims that he “will live to 103; and then I have to leave.” Who thinks that he is right about this prediction? I sure do. 🙏
What a beautiful lovely humble clever talented man, loved YES for 50 yrs , keep on rocking sir you are a star ❤️🙏
Something about Jon is so honest and pure. I will always love that about him.
Yes is its own genre of music. every configuration of the band has been spectacular. Jon is one of the most positive and uplifting people I can think of. Every time I’ve seen a concert with him leading the band it has been so positive, so magnificent, so splendid. even when he is expressing sorrow or anger is still so positive and upward looking, just an amazing human. we all need to be a little bit more like him.
Jon is one of a kind. Great interview. I love when he says he was high when writing the song
9 months later Band Geeks, an incredible group of musicians, are backing Jon up - incredible shows in NJ and New York
Saw them in Missouri, Band Geeks were great with Jon.
Great memories of listening to YES in the dorm room with friends 70s
You could walk across any college campus in America in 72 and 73 and hear Yes music wafting (or blasting) down from dormitory windows. The music was cerebral - an eclectic mix of rock, jazz, classical, and folk. And it meshed perfectly with the artwork of Roger Dean.
My husband and I love Jon Anderson so much,We named our son after him! Michael we are your age and have listened to Yes,and Jon for many years. Awesome interview.He is definitely a deep thinker. I laughed out loud when he said he wrote the lyrics to Closer very very stoned. Lol
Jon is the spirit of YES !!!!!
Wonderful interview Michael, thanks! Love Jon Anderson and all Yes members, ALL of them ❤️ amazing music, never get tired of listening to Yes, been doing it for almost 40 years . Thank you!
I was going to say 'is he stoned HERE', but thats just Jon. I always love that Rick Wakeman quote that Nasa and all these people are trying to go to space, when all they have to do is talk to Jon, he's been there.
With great respect.
Yes, and Yes again. And yes again.
I love Jon Anderson. Had the privilege of meeting him and hanging out in Liverpool.
I have a 1999 photo with my arm around Jon.😃He is the most lovely human being.
Yes has some of the greatest lyrics, but some of it is hard to describe but it makes sense when you listen and follow them if you are spiritually inclined.
Fantastic interview! That Jon, a founding member of Yes as well as one of the primary composers and lyricists, was given the pink slip when he was in the hospital (or in recovery at least) due to a major illness is beyond shameful. It's even more shameful that he has never been invited back. For me, Jon Anderson will always be the heart and soul of Yes. He's irreplaceable.
Such a wonderful human being, an example to us all
@@deanbarrett8295 - Agreed. He might run a tight ship as the leader of a band, but he's a great human being.
It's even worse than you think; he called Steve Howe and asked to rejoin, and was refused. This, mind you, is THE VOICE, and The Writer of all their lyrics.
@@DavidLazarus That tight ship is what got Yes to level of success it enjoyed. Without Jon, "Yes" is a tribute band.
@@aprilstewart5929 - Oh, I know. I was oversimplifying it a bit. He wrote most of the lyrics. Chris, Steve and even Alan co-wrote the lyrics to many songs. Nevertheless, I understand what you're saying. For me, there is no Yes without Jon Anderson. As much as I love Drama, and I do think it's a fantastic album, it should not have been a Yes album.
The original prog rock hippie. Totally love this guy!
Just found out that Jon Anderson will be touring with the Band Geeks in 2023, move over High school kids! Enjoyed your Video, CNN too
very awakened soul John.. WE love you
Michael Smerconish carried all the love and enthusiasm, into this utterly delightful and enlightening interview, that I could only hope to express if I were ever to meet this most favourite person of mine. Chris Squire does not seem gone anymore (help me with my bass please : ). Thank you so much from a fellow bedroom album sleeve examiner, also 60yrs, may your seasoned witch always speak to you in your dreams! 👍
Jon makes light of his lyrics...but they still stand up, yeah?
Yeah. He is too humble to admit the universe was speaking through him...
Thank you, Jon.
I love awaken that’s a very beautiful song, and the lyrics are wonderful and eternal!
Written by The Maestro.
Good 'ol Jon. Still kicking, hopefully for a good long time.
I love Jon's spirituality. Such an inspiration ❤
I have been listing to YES now for 50 years and I never really tried to understand what Jon was singing about. I always felt that he used his voice much like part of the instrumentaion of the band and kinda left it up to the listener to figure out for themselves what he was saying. I liked the idea that at different points of my life, the words would take on varrious meanings, keeping the music relevant. At 13, AYAI meant someting different than is does at 63 as it should. This was the gift of that Genre and I will always be gratful to have lived it.
Well said!! 💚💚💚
For youth musicians, what a broadening and deepening experience to be mentored by Jon and Paul. That would be a dream come true. Thanks to both of them for pursuing that!
I also believe wholeheartedly that we are all connected to the Divine and our Holy Father.
Jon and YES have been a part of my life since 1969.
Incredible interview Michael 👏👏
Legend! Thanks Michael and Jon
Looking good Jon! And anytime you do an interview I try to find it and listen but Smerconish is a true Anderson / Yes fan and I really dig when he interviews you!
Jon is a genuine good and spiritual person with conviction. the guy opposite him here... eh. Jon, thanks for what you have given the world. Amazing.
I have the Inner (Green) Sleeve from the original 'Close To The Edge' album (Signed by Jon) in a frame; the lyrics are pure "Poetry".
Great interview! Love Jon
R.I.P., Peter Banks ,also ,yes 1st. guitarist.🙏
And went on to release a number of very very good solo albums!!!
I have loved 'And You and I' since I was a teenager..... because it connected me....
Philly roots and The Spectrum!! Oh my goodness saw YES there many times! YES were given keys to the city for the band that sold out the most shows in Philly. NIce 💚💚💚
Philly loves Yes and Yes loves Philly 🎵❤
Were you one of the lucky ones as I who went to the Yes JFK show in 1976?
@@cindydahl9635 I was not! I was just a wee too young, but I know the legacy 💚💚💚
A wonder interview with great depth, sprinkled with some LOL stories… BRAVO MS!!! BRAVO JA!!!
This is a great interview!! I have wondered the same thing about the earlier Yes songs.
" Close to the Edge " is one of the best albums , top 5 of all time.
We are all connected to the divine, good message Jon.
I love Jon. Saw him with Phillips Academy kid. He is still so great. Amazing vocalist, lyricist. He is so sweet and loves his wife, Janie. Peace & Love
I feel the same about him. Also saw him with the Academy kids. The best concert I had been to in years! Jon feeds from their youthful energy and they feed from his energy and spirit and it all adds up to a very entertaining and delightful experience. His ex band mates are still performing as well but I wonder if they can muster the same joy? Anyway, Jon is a true iocn and musical hero to generations!
You should have seen Jon And the band geeks at Njpac Sunday night!
Great interview! I never knew you were a Yes fan. Lots of respect!
I love Jon!! And you and I is my favorite song 💚💚💚
Jon, teens, and Close to the Edge. He can do anything because he’s open to anything.
GREAT interview.....I was ambivalent about you, but now that I know you're a Yesfan, I think you're an Asteral Traveller. :)
Gracias Dios por haber creado a Jon Anderson!! Maestro de Maestros!! ♥️♥️♥️♥️🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻💖💖💖
Jon is the voice and the spirit of YES.
i love this man
just finished tour with jon as part of pgra, quite literally the best experience of my life :)
also he signed a ctte poster and wrote chagall on it lol
Emotion revealed as the ocean maid. As the movement regained and regarded both the same.
Excellent. 🎶❤️🎶
This guy is just incredible...nobody can get into your bonz like him.a voice you feel thru you...great guy and great,one of greatest bands...would be nice to see all the original guys...to bad money rules everything.....Jon is yes...
For me the best album ever made
I was a Rick Wakeman fan first. Saw him doing JTTCOTE on Wide World in Concert on ABC. Bought all his records (2 at the time). Then I bought Close the Edge.The best piece of music ever recorded. Also, as a SiriusXMU subsriber, FFS, give us a GD Prog Rock Channel ! >:(
Great Interview
Michael your stock just went up with me by interviewing Jon Anderson
this LP is their magnum opus..... soooooooooo good, been a fan since the mid 70s
I'm looking forward to seeing Yes in Cincinnati this November, in whatever combination of personnel they choose to bring to the stage. Absolutely nothing can compare to the four times I've seen them in the past, with Masterworks being the most brilliant performance I've had the privilege of witnessing.
If they're not with Jon Anderson, it's not Yes.
"This is complicated stuff, man!" Yes, Smerconish, Yes it is! But you didn't ask him when the new, four-hours-long album might actually be released. As a Jon Anderson fan, I've been waiting for "Zamran" (what Jon's new album is supposed to be) for about 20 years now. In a sense, we've been waiting for the sequel to the "Olias of Sunhillow" album since it was originally released in 1976. That's a longer wait than Brian Wilson fans had for him to finally finish the "Smile" album and release it. Follow-up questions are so important!
Yes Head here for 50 years. Always cool to see Jon Anderson talk about the music of the real Yes. While I certainly love me some Steve Howe…the new Yes just ain’t Yes without Jon.
~~ agreed - such a shame how they just cast him aside when he had serious health issues - they should have supported him fully and he'd have recovered soon enough and tours could have continued ..
Billy Z,
Jon Anderson has always downplayed his part in him being dismissed from Yes. Yes had signed a contract for doing a summer tour in 2008 that would pay them $250,000 per show. The band would consist of Anderson, Chris Squire, Steve Howe, Alan White with Oliver Wakeman, Rick's son, on keyboards. Anderson was sick, but let the band know he was improving.
It was during this period that Anderson also demanded that he receive a greater proportion of the money than the rest of the band. That demand incensed Chris Squire. It also did not go over well with the rest of the band. Also, Anderson never told the band how sick he really was. If memory serves me correct, I think it was Rick Wakeman who checked in on Anderson and saw that he was not well at all and would not be ready to tour. Wakeman told Anderson he had to let the band know. By this point, rehearsals and tour dates had been scheduled. Anderson health deteriorated to the point where he had to be hospitalized. The tour had to be cancelled.
Of course, at a minimum, considering how sick Anderson was and the time needed to recover ( and there were questions if he would totally recover), it would be sometime before Yes could hit the road.
It had been over 4 years since the band had last toured and Squire, Howe and White wanted to tour again. Anderson's demand for greater pay and him hiding how serious his health conditions were rankled the band and they decided to move on. I'm sure that Squire, Howe and White believed they could do so. That trio with Trevor Horn and Geoff Downes produced Drama, an album that has aged well and is considered a gem in the Yes catalog.
They spotted David Benoit, who was a singer in a highly regarded Yes cover band. Obviously, everyone knows the rest of the history.
I think Yes fans wished this would have played out differently. But, what happened to Anderson was something he had been guilty of doing in the past, firing band members. Peter Banks, a very good guitarist and a founding member of Yes, was disposed of because Howe was an even better guitarist. Tony Kate was fired because he would not embrace new keyboard technology and he could not play the keys as well as Rick Wakeman. Bill Bruford avoided being fired, jumping ship to King Crimson. But, Patrick Moraz, who was a keyboard virtuoso, was fired despite the Relayer album and tour being quite successful, because, well, the band wanted Wakeman back. Following the successful Union tour, Yes decided to do the next album with the Yes West ( or 90125 band if you prefer) and Howe, Wakeman and Bruford were sent packing ( although Bruford probably cared less).
Yes is one of the great bands of all time and a favorite of mine. But, the band has been dysfunctional through a good period of their history. And each member had traits that rubbed other members the wrong way. Anderson is famously domineering, Howe moody, Squire always late ( which rubbed Buford wrong particularly) and Wakeman would check out if the music was not his cup of tea. That said, they put out some of the best rock albums of all time.
Can we just appreciate how Jon is in his late 70s yet looks like he's in his 50s?
Great interview. Saw Michael at the Keswick show which was quite good. I do find it interesting how Jon is still a bit aloof, if that is the word, in his response about Alan and Chris. I wonder if there is still some resentment about his "ouster" in the 2010s?
It still sounds fantastic !!!!! So would Zamran !!!! We're not getting any YOUNGER JON !
On October 29th, 2022 at the Paramount... does he do Jon Anderson ?
"Close to the Edge", "And You and I", and "Siberian Khatru", and "Awaken" and "YES album ? "Perpetual Change", "Heart of the Sunrise", etc. And "Roundabout !"
At end. That's amazing. But Jon Davidson... I have a VIP package (2nd row). ;-)
...Always wanted to answer for Jon when he's asked about his lyrics:
Michael: Did you know what you were singing about?
Jon: Two things I'd like to mention. One: Do you know what the most anthologized English language poem over the last 25 years is? It's William Carlos Williams' "The Red Wheelbarow." Do you know how Williams described the poem? He called it a "rhythmic fragment." Interesting, right? Williams also wrote of poetry in general: "It isn't what he 'says' that counts as a work of art, it's what he makes, with such intensity of perception that it lives with an intrinsic movement of its own to verify its authenticity."
Michael: Wow. What's the second thing?
Jon: Robin Blaser wrote of his friend and fellow poet Jack Spicer that his poetry moves in and out of a meaning. In its openness it is more than a meaning and in its compositon less than a meaning. This kind of neither/nor approach is embraced by so many writers as well as other creators. When we meet someone and even more so the more we come to know this person, the more there is that we can say about them, but the less there is that we can explain about them. Yet people all too often complain because in truly creative works, though beautiful, we discover as Andre Gide said of James Joyce's writing: "...the work completes itself with a cliff, the steep face of its genius an enigma to the end."
I think I get Jon Anderson's lyrics. A line or a phrase creates a certain (Ugh ...God help me...) "Feeling" or a "sense". Then the next phrase, line, stanza ...whatever comes and creates another sense or perception. Ultimately when you string all those reactions together you find that the poetry is in the flow of your emotional responses to the individual phrases. (I wonder if that makes any sense to anyone but me...?)
my views of smerconish have changed dramatically...would have never guessed he even knew who jon was
damn, the Keswick, i could have made that one. drat. I did two tours with Jon and the APB band.
Quite life changing experience
For CTTE (and a lot of the other Jon penned lyrics) I could care less what they "mean" I listened for the melody, the sound of the lyrics, I never memorised or studied the liner notes 🤣
11:42 ... Neil Peart, "Hold my beer while I write this song... Why are we here? Because we're here, Roll the Bones..." 😆
Really good thing for Jon to be doing and, when you think about it, fits the themes in Tales From Topographic Oceans.
Hahaha I love Jon's answer... I love Yes and never quite knew what the heck the lyrics meant.
Michael, the only thing I will say is, you need to raise your consciousness man. Jon Anderson is in the stratosphere and your feet are still on the ground.
Jon floats in the universe, we are lucky to catch him from time to time 💚 💚💚
“Magnification” came out the day before on September 10.
Imagine putting your guest in a chair three foot lower than where you are, it looks ridiculous. Should've got this legend up at the same level
just wish everyone would put aside their disagreements and just play the music we all love...
HAHA, Jon is so great...and I don't know WHO this interviewer is, but ALL I can say is dude, BLINK!!! And by the way, they make decaf...!!
He has a program on CNN, and usually covers hard news, political, social, and such. He's very good at it too.
Smerconish is a great guy
@@lindazee Oh Boy.."Clueless Network News"..Wake UP!! Ppl are dying...NEWSMAX!!! Trump 2024...
I have a copy of the original lyrics from CTTE framed (The Green Inner Sleeve from the vinyl album) and for me they are like poetry because when I read them as words, sentences etc rather than listen to them as lyrics of songs, they make total sense ie "A Seasoned Witch Could Call You From The Depths Of Your Disgrace" ( A Witch ie: a healer) could bring healing from the Toxicity of shame and disgrace. "And re-arrange your liver to the solid mental grace" (The Liver is the Engine of the human body - Not the heart- Yes I know we need all of them ..but) "Solid Mental Grace" think of Decarte and how the Mind, Body and Spirit used to be viewed as separate parts, but of course we now understand differently and how they work together as part of our Holistic self.
Close to the Edge transcends pop music, and prog rock. It is a singular musical statement, akin to Miles Davis' Kind of Blue.
🤫After all of these years, Jon is still equivocating about the meaning of his lyrics, when it was somewhat obvious that nearly all of his lyrics during this period were a product of his meditations on God, mostly his reflections on his personal relationship with God as he moved from one experience/stage of life to another. I get that he was trying to hide that fact behind his heavy use of cryptic metaphor (not wanting to be perceived a religious nut) but after all these years, he still wants to hide it? I was one of those who absolutely loved what he was doing lyrically, poetry put to music. The man definitely made his mark in the Prog Rock world...
I didn’t know you were a fan!!!
Hi I wish jon would do a follow up to olias
He is in fact…. “The Return of Zamran” is the Olias sequel. Zamran is Olias’ brother. Jon is still sifting through 5 hours of material at the moment, but the album is definitely forthcoming.
Hey Michael, you still have the barstools signed by the classic lineup? I was at Yes Day, got Rick’s autograph.
I was all set to write a mildly peevish comment about how you failed to give Chris Squire's bass it's proper due, then, when speaking of "Siberian Khatru", you said, "Chris Squire's bass steals the show here. Okay it steals the show literally everywhere." Well said.
''The One's Who'll Continue''
''There are artists who'll wrest us up
And place us into themselves and into their works
These are The One's Who'll Continue wresting us up
Far and beyond their appointed rests in peace''
~William Gilpin 72622
The interviewer is so obnoxious..but Jon is very graceful towards him
This is a lesson we could learn from Jon on how to act towards shrill interviewers.
That's my opinion and I welcome yours
Same
Disagree. Ive been watching Smerconish on cable for a few years now. Very sharp guy. Thinks, and talks fast, and knows his stuff. Shrill to you, quick and tactful to me. And besides, he's a Yes and J.A. fan.
He knows his Yes stuff, he's not the usual clueless interviewer ...
“Bill Byeewferd”?
Yes becomes No without our Jon
He's become much more ironic and a huge laugh through the years. Lost a bit of his Lancs accent, unfortunately, I'd have preferred him to keep living here in the UK but alas...
Gummies are a good thing.
Did Jon Anderson and Chris Squire have some kind of falling out? What is that all about?
There was certainly tension since Squire/Howe/White went on as Yes without him in ‘08. But apparently, they had talked & made peace before Squire passed.
C’mon Michael Smerconish…it’s Bruford, not Buford!
yeah, mistakes like that just never go away, no matter how much they are corrected.
It's B r u f o r d not Buford!!!!! CNN journalism, why would I expect something different?!?
Like he said, he reads cue cards for a living..
Inside out
Outside in
No Michael Smerconish. The story of the Jack Black movie is NOT Paul Green's story. The character that Jack Black portrays couldn't be more different than Paul.
Bill Buford, eh.
That guy is not a Yes fan.
This was a great interview right in the middle of it a Joe Biden ad popped up it must have been AI Joe because he actually sounded almost normal I love YES forever although I must say it's disconcerting to think that we are all somehow connected with Joe, I hope Jon is wrong about that.