Mirror To The Sky Yes

• 1Cut from the Stars05:25
• 2All Connected09:02
• 3Luminosity09:04
• 4Living Out Their Dream04:45
• 5Mirror to the Sky13:53
• 6Circles of Time04:59
• 7Unknown Place08:15
• 8One Second Is Enough04:04
• 9Magic Potion04:08
• Total Runtime01:03:35

Info for Mirror To The Sky

“This is a very important album for the band,” says Steve Howe, YES‘ longest serving member, master guitarist, and producer of Mirror To The Sky. “We kept the continuity in the approach we established on The Quest, but we haven’t repeated ourselves. That was the main thing. As YES did in the seventies from one album to another, we’re growing and moving forward. In later years, YES often got going but then didn’t do the next thing. This album is demonstrative of us growing and building again.”

For YES, that “next thing” is a collection of high energy, intricate, lush and layered new studio songs for an album which adds to the band’s much heralded legacy, while charting a path to exciting future times ahead.

As they were wrapping up The Quest, YES found themselves with song sketches, structures, and ideas that were demanding attention. YES received unconditional support from InsideOut boss Thomas Waber, who encouraged them to keep going in the studio, months before The Quest would even go on sale. It was like throwing gasoline on their creative fire.

“When we delivered everything, and they were just getting the vinyl and everything into production for manufacturing, we were still very much in that creative zone,” explains Steve Howe. “That belief that Thomas had in us really meant a lot,” he says.

“We truly get along as people,” says Jon Davison. “I feel like everyone’s focused inward to the greater circle, concentric to the core of highest standards that define YES. It’s a wonderful thing to witness and of which to play a part. I believe this reflects vibrantly in the music and the creative input that each one is willing to apply, not for the benefit of the individual, but for the greater whole that is YES.”

“There was a lot of material floating around because the band hadn’t done anything in the studio for so long. Ideas were just copious,” says bassist Billy Sherwood. “The pace of it was fast. As soon as we were finished with The Quest, and the mix had come out, we took a couple of little breaks there to catch our breath. But there was still music flowing around in the loop. It was just constantly being looked at and worked on. As we were all home and in that mode, things started progressing quite swiftly. We just went one album into another without really announcing, ‘Hey, we’re working on a second record right now.’ We just continued to work on material. It came about pretty naturally, and then we refined it as the process went on. But the initial bursts — there was a lot of material around!”

Much to everyone’s delight, including that of long-time fan Thomas Waber, YES have pushed into territory they practically invented — the prog rock epic — albeit in a thoroughly new and modern way. “I always felt that it would be great to have stuff that’s a little bit more epic,” he says, although he resisted the temptation to push for something that would be too formatted and could come off as contrived. He just gave the band space to do what they do and let things develop. “They were so excited by The Quest and the momentum they had that they went straight back into the studio. What they were writing, even early on, was obviously headed in that epic direction — what Yes music really is to me. It is almost a genre onto itself. It is ‘YES Music.’ Mirror To The Sky certainly is YES Music.”

Mirror To The Sky features not one, but four tracks clocking in at over eight minutes, with the sweeping and cinematic title track coming in just shy of fourteen minutes. What’s more, the tracks, like YES’ best, take the listener on a wide dynamically ranging journey of soundscapes which also showcase Steve Howe’s dazzling guitars, keyboard wizard Geoff Downes’ impeccable sounds, exquisite melodies and fills, Jon Davison’s angelic, crystalline vocals, Billy Sherwood’s deftly dancing bass and Jay Schellen’s masterfully controlled explosions, on drums.

Jay Schellen, who has been touring with the band since 2016, was hand-picked to step into his mentor and friend Alan White’s role when White sadly passed away in 2022. “I had done the 2016 Topographic Drama tour on my own for Alan,” says Jay. “From late 2017 onwards, we had a partnership, and a beautiful partnership, I might add. I learned so much, and discovered so much about Alan’s style, and why it was the way it was. It fit his personality so perfectly. This album has Alan’s presence all over it. It is inside of us. So this is still, in my heart, Alan just being present and with us, and with me, in a big way.”

Steve Howe, guitars, autoharp, backing vocals
Geoff Downes, keyboards
Billy Sherwood, bass, backing vocals
Jon Davison, lead vocals
Jay Schellen, drums, percussion
Additional musicians:
FAMES Studio Orchestra
Oleg Kondratenko, conductor
Paul K. Joyce, orchestral arrangements

Please Note: We offer this album in its native sampling rate of 48 kHz, 24-bit. The provided 96 kHz version was up-sampled and offers no audible value!

Yes is an English rock band who achieved worldwide success with their progressive, art, and symphonic style of rock music. Regarded as one of the pioneers of the progressive genre, Yes are known for their lengthy songs, mystical lyrics, elaborate album art, and live stage sets. No fewer than 18 musicians have been a part of the band's line-up, with its current form comprising singer Jon Davison, bassist Chris Squire, guitarist Steve Howe, drummer Alan White, and keyboardist Geoff Downes. Yes have sold close to 50 million albums worldwide, including 13.5 million certified units in the United States.

Alan White
Alan is considered by many to be one of the greatest rock drummers of all-time. With forty-plus years of performance experience and appearances on over fifty albums, Alan's dossier reads like a who's-who of rock legends. With his consummate professionalism and easy-going nature, Alan continues to be an inspiration to fellow musicians as well as fans.

Chris Squire
Chris was born in London, England in March 1948. Chris began his musical career as a choirboy, which gave Chris a particular insight into choir arrangement and vocal techniques that was to follow him throughout his career. Chris formed YES in 1968 with vocalist Jon Anderson, and is the only member of YES to appear on every studio album.

Geoff Downes
Geoff Downes was born into a musical family in Stockport, England, where his father had been organist and choirmaster at a church. Geoff went to Leeds School of Music in 1971, graduating in 1975, thus becoming the first member of Yes to graduate with a degree in music.

Steve Howe
Born in 1947, Steve began teaching himself to play the guitar at the age of 12, and lists Bill Haley, Les Paul, Jimmy Byant, Speedy West, Barney Kessel, and Chet Atkins as his influences. Steve first joined YES in 1970, and has also been a member of The Syndicats, Bodast, Tomorrow, Asia and GTR. A prolific performer, Steve released his 19th solo album in 2010.

This album contains no booklet.