Bowl Orchestra Helps Yes Re-Create Past Glories

Backed by the Hollywood Bowl orchestra, veteran rockers Yes were in the process of finishing up the lengthy instrumental intro to its 20-minute “The Gates of Delirium” when frontman Jon Anderson launched into his vocal line noticeably ahead of schedule.

Struggling to catch up with him, the rest of the band and orchestra offered a desperate cacophony of mismatched pizzicatos and offbeat drumming. Anderson raised his hands and stopped everyone.

A sheepish smile on his face, he apologized for the mishap, took a deep breath and resumed his ethereal chanting, guiding the ensemble back into safe territory.

It was moments like this, refreshing and spontaneous, that kept Yes’ concert Monday at the Bowl above the pretentiousness of the worst ‘70s prog-rock.

Still, the band’s decision to share the stage with a symphony orchestra is questionable. In the hands of a sly arranger, an orchestra could add a darker, richer dimension to Yes’ symphonic poems (think something along the highly textured lines of classical composer Bela Bartok).

But on extended workouts such as the opening “Close to the Edge,” the orchestra only added a bit of pale coloring. Fortunately, “Gates of Delirium” and the rhythmic “Ritual” have enough dissonance and echoes of Eastern mysticism to challenge a Radiohead-loving listener, if you forgive the clumsy lyrics. Both pieces sounded opulent at the Bowl. And the band’s attitude reflects a certain acceptance of who they are as musicians. Rather than attempt to sound hip or contemporary, Yes seems happy to re-create the past glories of the British art-rock genre.