Keys to Ascension

Live album / studio album by Yes

Released

28 October 1996

Recorded

Autumn 1995–Spring 1996

Genre

Progressive rock

Length

116:12

Label

Essential

Producer

Yes, Tom Fletcher

Yes chronology

Talk
(1994)

Keys to Ascension
(1996)

Something's Coming: The BBC Recordings 1969–1970
(1997)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	^[1]

Keys to Ascension is the fourth live album and fifteenth studio album by the English rock band Yes, released as a double album on 28 October 1996 by Essential Records. Following the return of guitarist Steve Howe and keyboardist Rick Wakeman into the band's line-up in 1995, the group recorded new material that marked a return to their 1970s progressive rock sound with extended compositions, and performed three shows in San Luis Obispo, California in March 1996, of which the live tracks originate.

Keys to Ascension received a mostly positive reception and reached No. 48 in the UK and No. 99 in the US. Following a short media tour to promote the album, Wakeman left the group over several issues, leaving Billy Sherwood to join Yes as a full time member.

Production and release

The painting "Arches Mist", as featured in the liner notes

The first seven of the album's nine tracks were recorded live in San Luis Obispo, California's Fremont Theater during three nights in March 1996. The purpose of these concerts was to capture the spontaneity of a live performance under controlled conditions, similar to that of a studio. These performances were also filmed and released as a live video under the same title.

All three concerts were instantly available as bootlegs. Comparison of the bootleg recordings and the official release demonstrate beyond doubt that the "live" songs were heavily overdubbed in the studio before being released. Some parts (most notably Jon Anderson's vocals on at least three songs) were completely re-recorded in the studio. The studio tracks were reissued twice: once as part of the Keystudio compilation album on 21 May 2001 and again along with the whole album in 2010 as part of the Keys to Ascension box set along with its companion album Keys to Ascension 2.

The last two tracks "Be the One" and "That, That Is" are studio recordings of new songs made in November 1995 (with subsequent overdubs and post-production lasting into 1996). Other live recordings not released on this album were held over for release in 1997 on Keys to Ascension 2.

Keys to Ascension (Essential EDF CD 417) reached #48 in the UK. It also reached #99 in the US during a chart stay of two weeks.

Track listing

Disc one (Live tracks)
No.	Title	Writers	Length
1.	"Siberian Khatru"	Jon Anderson, Steve Howe, Rick Wakeman	10:16
2.	"The Revealing Science of God (Dance of the Dawn)"	Anderson, Chris Squire, Howe, Wakeman, Alan White	20:31
3.	"America"	Paul Simon	10:28
4.	"Unity/Onward"	Howe/Squire	5:40
5.	"Awaken"	Anderson, Howe	18:29

Disc two (Studio tracks)
No.	Title	Writers	Length
1.	"Roundabout"	Anderson, Howe	8:30
2.	"Starship Trooper" a. "Life Seeker" b. "Disillusion" c. "Würm"	Anderson, Squire, Howe	13:06
3.	"Be the One" a. "The One" b. "Humankind" c. "Skates"	Anderson, Squire, Howe	9:50
4.	"That, That Is" a. "Togetherness" b. "Crossfire" c. "The Giving Things" d. "That Is" e. "All in All" f. "How Did Heaven Begin?" g. "Agree to Agree"	Anderson, Howe, Squire, White	19:15

Personnel

Yes

Jon Anderson – vocals, harp, guitars
Chris Squire – bass guitar (piccolo bass on "Be the One"), backing vocals
Steve Howe – guitars, backing vocals (6-string bass on "Be the One")
Rick Wakeman – keyboards
Alan White – drums, percussion

Production

Yes – production

Tom Fletcher – production, engineering, mixing
Bill Smith – engineering, mixing
Billy Sherwood – mixing

References

↑ Keys to Ascension at AllMusic. Retrieved 2009-05-05.

Yes

Steve Howe Alan White Geoff Downes Billy Sherwood Jon Davison Chris Squire Jon Anderson Peter Banks Bill Bruford Tony Kaye Tony O'Reilly Rick Wakeman Patrick Moraz Trevor Horn Trevor Rabin Eddie Jobson Igor Khoroshev Benoît David Oliver Wakeman

Studio albums	Yes Time and a Word The Yes Album Fragile Close to the Edge Tales from Topographic Oceans Relayer Going for the One Tormato Drama 90125 Big Generator Union Talk Keys to Ascension Keys to Ascension 2 Open Your Eyes The Ladder Magnification Fly from Here Heaven & Earth

Live albums	Yessongs Yesshows 9012Live: The Solos Something's Coming: The BBC Recordings 1969–1970 House of Yes: Live from House of Blues Symphonic Live Live at Montreux 2003 Union Live In the Present – Live from Lyon Songs from Tsongas Like It Is: Yes at the Bristol Hippodrome Like It Is: Yes at the Mesa Arts Center

Compilations	Yesterdays Classic Yes Yesstory Highlights: The Very Best of Yes Keystudio Yes Remixes Yes, Friends and Relatives Greatest Hits Live

Singles	"Your Move" "Roundabout" "America" "And You and I" "Don't Kill the Whale" "Into the Lens" "Owner of a Lonely Heart" "Leave It" "It Can Happen" "Hold On" "Love Will Find a Way" "Rhythm of Love" "Lift Me Up" "Make It Easy" "Saving My Heart" "The Calling" "Walls" "Open Your Eyes" "We Can Fly"

Other notable songs	"Yours Is No Disgrace" "Starship Trooper" "South Side of the Sky" "Long Distance Runaround" "Heart of the Sunrise" "Close to the Edge" "Siberian Khatru" "The Gates of Delirium" "Awaken" "Onward" "Changes" "Cinema" "Our Song" "Big Generator" "Shoot High Aim Low" "The Solution"

Video releases	Yessongs 9012Live YesYears Greatest Video Hits Yes: Live - 1975 at Q.P.R. Live in Philadelphia Keys to Ascension Yesspeak Yes Acoustic: Guaranteed No Hiss Classic Artists: Yes Yesspeak Live: The Director's Cut The Lost Broadcasts Rock of the '70s

Box sets	Yesyears In a Word: Yes (1969–) The Ultimate Yes: 35th Anniversary Collection The Word Is Live Essentially Yes Progeny: Seven Shows from Seventy-Two

Tours	The Yes Album Tour Fragile Tour Close to the Edge Tour 1960s–70s 1980s–90s 2000s–10s

Related articles	Discography List of band members XYZ Cinema UK The Buggles Asia GTR Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe Anderson, Rabin and Wakeman Yesoteric Conspiracy Steve Howe Trio Circa Yoso The Syn Mystery Esquire Glass Hammer Jimmy Haun Tom Brislin Brian Lane World Trade Symphonic Music of Yes Run with the Fox

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