“What’s even more amazing than us playing this music again is that you would want to hear it.” That’s what Yes vocalist Jon Anderson told a few thousand Yes fans on a July 30 concert appearance at the Lakewood Amphitheater in Atlanta, Geo. Whether his statement was made out of humility or a genuine lack of understanding of what Yes fans have been wanting to hear for two decades is anyone’s guess. Either way, Yes pulled a few of the dustiest and most neglected “masterworks” off the shelf and played them with almost as much enthusiasm as they must have “all those many years ago.”

A pre-concert visual survey revealed that a variety of concert goers turned out for this show. The most common sight was typical looking couples in their 40s. These were followed in number by nerdy looking men of various ages in tight fitting Yes T-shirts from ages past and present. Of course there were also the typical aging leather-clad rock’n’rollers who crawl out of the woodwork for every big rock concert that comes to their town. There seemed to be very little representation by hardcore prog rockers, but one brand new King Crimson ConstruKction of Light T-shirt was spotted. All these and more crowded themselves into the partially covered Lakewood Amphitheater. The roof was fortunate, as a nasty thunderstorm started brewing just before the concert. Jon Anderson’s first words to the crowd were, “Lightning, lightning, very, very frightening.”

From the first tinkles of the surprise opener, “Close to the Edge,” it was clear this would be no ordinary Yes show. Only a few years ago, Yes wouldn’t have even considered playing a song this long at any of their concerts. Tonight, it was just the beginning. Unfortunately, this particular performance of the classic 18 minute piece was weak, as it started off way too slow and never really made it up to speed. It almost seemed as if the band were playing at a snail’s pace so guitarist Steve Howe could keep up. The energy level did pick up a bit during the organ solo about three quarters of the way through the piece as Igor Khoroschev’s keyboards mowed over the audience and his band mates with a glorious, rumbling wall of sound.

By the end of the next song, a predictable rendition of “Starship Trooper,” Howe and the rest of the band seemed to have warmed up. This was just in time for what would be one of the most strenuous workouts of the evening – the long lost “Gates of Delirium.” This sonic depiction of Tolstoy’s War and Peace is one of Yes’ most chaotic yet beautiful compositions. The band performed it with vigor and surprising accuracy. Steve Howe rose to the occasion during several of his most challenging and frenetic guitar solos; and he finished off the “Soon” section of the song beautifully with effortless grace on his pedal steel guitar. That this masterpiece seemed to be lost on all but the most hardcore fans in the audience is a testament to the closed-mindedness of today’s even so-called discriminating music listeners. Ironically, “Ritual” and the acoustic section of “The Ancient,” both from the much maligned icon of progressive rock extravagance, Tales from Topographic Oceans, were received with rapturous approval. Rightfully so, however, as “Ritual” was indeed a major highlight of the show. Chris Squire used the song’s middle section to perform an absolutely overpoweringly resonant solo a’la Yesshows. This was followed by an intense barrage of all kinds of percussion played by all the band members except for Steve Howe. What other band gives its bass player a chance to play tympani drums on stage? Except for Steve Howe’s slow start, all the band members played flawlessly. Alan White was his usual rock solid self on drums. Jon Anderson remains one of the few singers of his generation whose voice has not lowered substantially or lost its clarity. And Chris Squire seemed to be genuinely enjoying himself as he hogged the spotlight on more than one occasion, his Rickenbacker bass ringing out like it never did in the 80s. It was truly a sight to see guys in their early 50s playing such complicated music with such vigor.

Of course, not all the band is that old. Keyboardist Khoroschev lent a relatively youthful energy to the performance (he’s 35). He played all his predecessors’ parts with accuracy and fervor that could have only come from someone who hasn’t been playing these songs for very long. He even added a few punctuations on his own china cymbal placed within the ranks of his bank of keyboards.

The show ended with an apparently inevitable encore of “All Good People” and “Roundabout.” Supposedly the set list for this tour was selected by letting fans vote for songs on Yes’ website. It’s curious that the same people who voted for “Ritual” and “The Gates of Delirium” also voted for the two most overplayed songs in the Yes catalog. People in the crowd were even heard stating that they hoped Yes would not play “Roundabout.” Perhaps any one of “America,” “Siberian Khatru,” “Yours is No Disgrace” or “Soundchaser” would have been better choices for this crowd.

Despite these minor disappointments, Yes managed to pull this tour off without looking like a typical washed-up 70s classic rock era band playing free shows at county fairs. If the Atlanta show was any indication, this “Masterworks” tour attracted many more people, even at higher ticket prices than most of the last few Yes tours (not including Keys to Ascension). For just one night in each town Yes managed to put on quality shows which, without all the trappings, helped revive and legitimize the memory of the golden age of progressive rock. For veteran fans it was a chance to relive their youth. For the the many younger fans who came, it was a rare and fleeting glimpse into a legendary past now obscured by the mists of time. “We must have waited all our lives for this moment.” Thanks and congratulations to Yes for an enjoyable evening.