Keys to Ascension is the fourth live and fifteenth studio album by English progressive rock band Yes, released as a double album in October 1996 on Essential Records. In 1995, guitarist Trevor Rabin and keyboardist Tony Kaye left the group which marked the return of former members Steve Howe and Rick Wakeman, thus reuniting them with vocalist Jon Anderson, bassist Chris Squire, and drummer Alan White, a line-up that had last performed in 1979. The group relocated to San Luis Obispo, California to make a new album and to promote their reunion with three shows at the Fremont Theater, in March 1996. Keys to Ascension features half of the live set from the 1996 shows and two new studio tracks which marked a return to Yes writing longform pieces.

Keys to Ascension received a mostly positive reception from music critics, and reached No. 48 on the UK Albums Chart and No. 99 on the Billboard 200. Yes supported the album with a media tour which included live performances at record stores and television and radio appearances, and a same-titled home video of the concerts. After further studio tracks were completed in 1996 and 1997, these and the second half of the 1996 live set was released on the follow-up album, Keys to Ascension 2 (1997). The studio tracks from both Keys to Ascension albums were compiled on Keystudio (2001), and both albums were packaged in their entirety in 1998 and 2010, the latter with the concert video as a bonus disc.

Background

In October 1994, the Yes line-up of lead vocalist Jon Anderson, bassist Chris Squire, keyboardist Tony Kaye, drummer Alan White and guitarist and vocalist Trevor Rabin wrapped their 1994 tour in support of the band's fourteenth studio album, Talk (1994). The tour was met with crowds smaller than previous tours, and the album was a commercial disappointment among the ever changing music scene, with grunge and rock groups Guns N' Roses, Metallica, Pearl Jam, and Nirvana taking mainstream interest, leaving Yes in what band biographer Chris Welch wrote, "In danger of slipping back into an obscurity more dark and profound than at any time in their history". They suffered a setback when, in May 1995, Rabin felt he had done all he could artistically within the group and decided to leave after 13 years to become a film composer, with Kaye following suit to pursue other projects. Squire convinced Rabin to hang on for several more months, but escalating arguments between Anderson and himself convinced the guitarist that it was time.

With Yes reduced to a trio of Anderson, Squire, and White, the band replaced manager Tony Dimitriades, who had been with them since the early 1980s, with Jon Brewer. Soon after the change, Brewer was approached by Castle Communications, a British independent label with an interest in releasing a Yes album on its subsidiary label, Essential Records. Brewer and Castle agreed to the idea on the condition that the album featured the band's "classic" line-up from the 1970s, which included guitarist Steve Howe and keyboardist Rick Wakeman. it marked the start of Howe's third stint in the band and Wakeman's fourth. This marked the first time this line-up had played together since their unsuccessful attempt to record a new album in early 1980. Squire later revealed the initial plan of having both Keys to Ascension albums feature just live recordings, but Castle wished for them to contain new tracks recorded in the studio. The group agreed to release the album with the aim of letting the public know that the five had reunited, Wakeman particularly enjoyed his time working in a small and remote location as it gave the band the chance to focus without "the glare of everything and it gave everybody a chance to spend a bit of time together and just quietly almost reprogram ourselves". To record the new material, the band leased a building that was once a bank and set up a recording studio inside that was later dubbed Yesworld Studio on the album's sleeve notes. Working with them was co-producer Tom Fletcher, with Kevin Dickey, Zang Angelfire, and Bill Smith assisting with engineering and mixing duties. Dickey also edited the album using the Sonic Solutions audio software. To cater for the high demand for tickets, a third show was organised on 4 March.

The setlist for the three shows was formed of thirteen songs originally released between 1970 and 1978. This marked the first live performance of "Onward" from Tormato (1978) in the band's history and "The Revealing Science of God (Dance of the Dawn)" from Tales from Topographic Oceans (1973) since 1974. Howe later recalled this time in a negative light, pointing out the lack of support from the whole band, working to get the album sounding right without pay, and the lack of appreciation for his efforts. He concluded: "I thought, 'Wow, never again. Don't call me with a project like that". When it came to producing Keys to Ascension 2, the band agreed to have Sherwood produce the studio tracks on Keys to Ascension 2 (1997).

| rev2 = The Rolling Stone Album Guide

| rev2score =

| noprose = yes

Keys to Ascension was released in October 1996 and reached number 48 on the UK Albums Chart and number 99 on the Billboard 200 during its two-week presence on the chart. Anderson thought the album was not promoted effectively due to the lack of funds at Essential.

The studio tracks from both Keys to Ascension albums were compiled on Keystudio (2001), and both albums were packaged in their entirety in 1998 and 2010, the latter with the concert video as a bonus disc.

Track listing

Personnel

Credits adapted from the album's liner notes.

Yes

  • Jon Anderson – vocals, guitar, harp
  • Steve Howe – 6 and 12 string guitars, steel and pedal steel guitar, 5-string bass, vocals
  • Chris Squire – bass guitar, vocals
  • Rick Wakeman – keyboards
  • Alan White – drums, vocals

Production

  • Yes – production
  • Tom Fletcher – producer, engineer, live mixing
  • Kevin Dickey – assistant engineer, live mixing, Sonic Solutions digital editing
  • Zang Angelfire – assistant engineer
  • Bill Smith – live mixing
  • Billy Sherwood – mixing on "Be the One" and "That That Is"
  • Roger Dean – paintings, logos, lettering
  • Gottlieb Bros./Yes Magazine – photographs
  • Martyn Dean – packaging design
  • Jon Brewer – management

Charts

{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

! scope="col"| Chart (1996)

! scope="col"| Peak<br />position

|-

!scope="row"|Japanese Albums (Oricon)

|56

|-

|-

|-

|}

{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

! scope="col"| Chart (2010)

! scope="col"| Peak<br />position

|-

|-

|}

References

Books

  • Official Yes website at YesWorld