RIP Chris Squire

[King Bob]

RIP Chris Squire, bassist of Yes. He was a great musician, and had a very recognizable style and sound, and could play both melodic and riff bass lines with equal facility. So I guess this is the end of another classic band, which somehow I never got around to seeing.

Many of those Yes songs have held up and still sound great (notably Starship Trooper IMO one of the best songs of the 1970s). But some of it sounds really silly now (notably Close to the Edge) and as my wife said as I was listening to it, "This is pretty Spinal Tap-ish". Even then though there are some great moments.

[Drunk Monk]

Never saw them either. I had an early gf that was really into Yes, but then abandoned them when they went all pop.

In the NAT GEO cover story on marijuana last issue, the author cited Yes as where all the stoners hang out. It betrayed the author's lack of being 'in tune' with the scene, an lol moment for most marijuana users that read it.

[thatguy]

I've been listening to them in heavy rotation since yesterday. The Yes + Buggles album "Drama" is really good. Much better than the "90120" or whatever album that followed. I saw the "Union" tour at Shorline. Meh...

I had tickets to see them at the Mtn Winery a two years ago when they were playing the classic albums track by track, but gave them away as the date ended up conflicting with a trip to Europe. I missed them on the follow up tour, too. Oh well.

One of my fav bass players. Bill Bruford had a nice Facebook post:

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Bill Bruford
Really saddened to hear of the death of my old Yes band-mate, Chris Squire. I shall remember him fondly; one of the twin rocks upon which Yes was founded and, I believe, the only member to have been present and correct, Rickenbacker at the ready, on every tour. He and I had a working relationship built around our differences. Despite, or perhaps because of, the old chestnut about creative tension, it seemed, strangely, to work.

He had an approach that contrasted sharply with the somewhat monotonic, immobile bass parts of today. His lines were important; counter-melodic structural components that you were as likely to go away humming as the top line melody; little stand-alone works of art in themselves. Whenever I think of him, which is not infrequently, I think of the over-driven fuzz of the sinewy staccato hits in Close to the Edge (6’04” and on) or a couple of minutes later where he sounds like a tuba (8’.00”). While he may have taken a while to arrive at the finished article, it was always worth waiting for. And then he would sing a different part on top.

An individualist in an age when it was possible to establish individuality, Chris fearlessly staked out a whole protectorate of bass playing in which he was lord and master. I suspect he knew not only that he gave millions of people pleasure with his music, but also that he was fortunate to be able to do so. I offer sincere condolences to his family.

Adios, partner. Bill.


The photo is 1971, somewhere in Italy. L-R Steve Howe, Jon Anderson, Bill, Chris.

--tg