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Keys to Ascension is a double album by the British progressive rock group Yes and was released on this date in 1996. The last time Jon Anderson, Chris Squire, Steve Howe, Rick Wakeman and Alan White had worked together on officially released studio recordings was 1978's Tormato. It is the band's fourth live album and fifteenth studio album. Yes, it's one of those live albums with new studio material that they create to make you spend more money.
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.
The last two tracks are studio recordings of new compositions recorded in November 1995. Other live recordings not released on this album were held over for release in 1997 on Keys to Ascension 2. To me, all of these newer studio tracks sound a lot like what ABWH would have sounded like if they had put out more material instead of simply dissolving back into Yes. And, as you can see, they are much longer songs with multiple parts.
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The "Humankind" section is the best thing on the whole album. Jon sings forcefully and with passion. Every time it plays I'm like "preach it Jon!". I wish more of their music was like this, direct and to the point instead of being flighty and all over the place.
a) The One (0:00 - 4:11)
Never underestimate the loving
How we intertwine our very soul
How we fill each other's spaces to lose control
When you're talking, be the children
Who stand on solid ground
Never underestimate the giving that will bring you around
I'll be there, to bring this love in the morning
I'll be there, to bring you the stars at night
I'll be there, just waiting to hear you singing
Never underestimate a giver
The gift of love will surely be
When you're asking for the secrets to set you free
When you're talking to the friendship
That love of higher self
This gift of love is the answer to all your doubts
Be the one, giving in to love
Never let the good in life desert you
Be the one, giving in to love
Never let the fools destroy your dreams
Be the one, giving in to love
I can dream myself every minute
So how did we become, masters of limitation?
I'll be there, I'll be there, I'll be there
To make it right for you
Giving in, giving in to love
It's the balance of this everyday feeling
Giving in, giving in to love
Without love our dreams become illusion
Giving in, giving in to love
I can hear you singing every minute
So you can sing the song, and see the truth
b) Humankind (4:11 - 7:20)
So we worked all around amidst the glory of life
Any fire of the flame would be made
Should the famine of change to disguise everyone
Who cannot see the soul of truth ready made
But all because we're changing now
As the prophets of doom speak their mind
It's a long, long way from where mankind began
It's a long, long way humankind
So we dance down on nature as we try to repeat
All our efforts as one sent today
Taking back instead of giving, taking back more or less
Taking back a sense of being afraid
So all this necessary changes now, as the will to help all man
And the children of the crucified will better off, better dead
But all this senseless killing, and all these chains and lies
I want to know right now, I want to know right now
I want to know where we come from
For it's a long, long way from where the system began
It's a long, long way humankind
It's a long, long way from where the system began
It's a long, long way humankind, yea
c) Skates (7:20 - 9:50)
Giving in, giving in to love
I can see and feel the truth every minute
Giving in, giving in to love
Be the one to rescue you, rescue you
Giving in, giving in to love
There's no way that you can live without it
So we can become, masters of our invention
Giving in, giving in to love
I can see and feel the truth every minute
Giving in, giving in to love
Be the one to rescue you, rescue you
Giving in, giving in to love
There's no way that you can live without it
So we can become, masters of our invention
Never underestimate the power
Never underestimate the power
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2) That, That Is - Did I mention being all over the place? This another multi-piece song that has seven (!) sections. Now the music is absolutely great with an intro by Howe on acoustic guitar which is repeated a few times throughout. Wakeman, however seems nowhere to be found. I have always thought that the "All in All" part should have been edited and released as a single.
[I. TOGETHERNESS (Instrumental)]
[II. CROSSFIRE]
Julie's sick and tired of her job n'all the reasons lately
She took it out on God and laid her soul to hell and let the baby die
Julie's child was born without a need or a reason for being
She took it as a message from a real and a distant life
Shirley gets to help her with the child though she's strung out on crack time
Shirley never knew what it was to be held in real love
Together getting high to get to mess up their night
Anything to get up so they're losing their mind
Just to get high, breaking out from this life, gotta get them a drug to get higher
Julie gets to walking out and drags the child, says 'come on'
How we'll walk in the dark of the morning
Car is screaming round the corner, drugged to heaven, guns are loaded, locked in vengeance
Who shoots the child?
Watching in the ghetto is the spine and the cruel of the gang life
Sign language of the get go you get in the gang life
Fear the only law, fear is all we hear about,
Feed us in tha raw, fear is all we fear about,
Listen, get up, quickly get up, get up
It's the answer to punishement given you
Don't give us reasons,
Caught in the crossfire dying
God give us reasons,
God get a reason, God give a reason
Why lay dead a child's life?
[III. THE GIVING THINGS]
That talk is just a worry and a worry in a man
That life is just a worrying and getting in a mess
That deal is just awakening his spirit to be giving him
The pleasure of the giving things within
This day is of a meeting of the manner to be borne
And like a ship you come safely to the shore of love eternal
[IV. THAT IS]
That talk is just a worry and a worry in a man
That life is just a worrying and getting in a mess
That deal is just awakening his spirit to be giving him
The pleasure of the giving things within
That word is in it, that talk is in it
This day is of a meeting of the manner to be borne
And like a ship you come safely to the shore of love eternal
That beat is of the wanting of the where you're going
That street talk is the basis of the push and shove
They never told you that you have the right
The spirit of the angel, angels sing "Shaava, shava shava-Shaava"
They be waiting for you, they be asking for you
We depending on you, we depending on your healing of the structure centre
Until you reach and touch your own redemption
They never give you a reason, they never give you a reason
They never give you a, give you a, give you a, give you a reason
[V. ALL IN ALL]
All in all the wisdom call, you shall be young, you shall be free
Watching for the signals that come easily
Take it as a point of love, a reference place to where you are
Every step a step to set you free
All for the sake and the calling of light
Ask as you give, as you measure in time
All in all this will to give, this sacrament, this need to live
Take it as a step to bring love easily
All in all the wisdom call, you shall be young, you shall be free
Waiting for the waiting to be free
Talk is the easy end, everyone heard
Ask as you seek the clear, ask and you can
This play is of a myriad of conscience sitting
This day is of a special way of love relating
This sight is in it, this way is in it, the dream is of the positive to
make you
Wonder
How did heaven begin?
This time is in it, this thought is in it, this light is in it,
When you see, you get it
All in all the wisdom call, you shall be young, you shall be free
Take it as it comes so easily
We'll be there beside the sign, the wherewithal, this will to be,
Bringing all the love that's meant to be
All in all we shall be young, we shall be free, we shall be there
All in all this time is meant to be
[VI. HOW DID HEAVEN BEGIN]
These days are just a worry to the children of the world
These days are just a worry to the children of the world
How did heaven begin?
How did heaven begin?
[VII. AGREE TO AGREE]
Don't imagine any way, so any fool can take away the drugs and the pressure
Asking for the level where a world divides its answers
To the gang lords of evil life, they can't show you how
Look upon this life as just a picture you are painting
There is a reason for this being
Look upon this place as just a part of all that is
It is a spiritual part of being
Live with the power, you can be the strength it is
Walk among the living, you can be the strength it is
To give, to live, this hope, comes through,
It takes the trust to agree this agreement
Live for the breaking free
Live for the breaking freedom
Just let it come through come through
[II. CROSSFIRE]
Julie's sick and tired of her job n'all the reasons lately
She took it out on God and laid her soul to hell and let the baby die
Julie's child was born without a need or a reason for being
She took it as a message from a real and a distant life
Shirley gets to help her with the child though she's strung out on crack time
Shirley never knew what it was to be held in real love
Together getting high to get to mess up their night
Anything to get up so they're losing their mind
Just to get high, breaking out from this life, gotta get them a drug to get higher
Julie gets to walking out and drags the child, says 'come on'
How we'll walk in the dark of the morning
Car is screaming round the corner, drugged to heaven, guns are loaded, locked in vengeance
Who shoots the child?
Watching in the ghetto is the spine and the cruel of the gang life
Sign language of the get go you get in the gang life
Fear the only law, fear is all we hear about,
Feed us in tha raw, fear is all we fear about,
Listen, get up, quickly get up, get up
It's the answer to punishement given you
Don't give us reasons,
Caught in the crossfire dying
God give us reasons,
God get a reason, God give a reason
Why lay dead a child's life?
[III. THE GIVING THINGS]
That talk is just a worry and a worry in a man
That life is just a worrying and getting in a mess
That deal is just awakening his spirit to be giving him
The pleasure of the giving things within
This day is of a meeting of the manner to be borne
And like a ship you come safely to the shore of love eternal
[IV. THAT IS]
That talk is just a worry and a worry in a man
That life is just a worrying and getting in a mess
That deal is just awakening his spirit to be giving him
The pleasure of the giving things within
That word is in it, that talk is in it
This day is of a meeting of the manner to be borne
And like a ship you come safely to the shore of love eternal
That beat is of the wanting of the where you're going
That street talk is the basis of the push and shove
They never told you that you have the right
The spirit of the angel, angels sing "Shaava, shava shava-Shaava"
They be waiting for you, they be asking for you
We depending on you, we depending on your healing of the structure centre
Until you reach and touch your own redemption
They never give you a reason, they never give you a reason
They never give you a, give you a, give you a, give you a reason
[V. ALL IN ALL]
All in all the wisdom call, you shall be young, you shall be free
Watching for the signals that come easily
Take it as a point of love, a reference place to where you are
Every step a step to set you free
All for the sake and the calling of light
Ask as you give, as you measure in time
All in all this will to give, this sacrament, this need to live
Take it as a step to bring love easily
All in all the wisdom call, you shall be young, you shall be free
Waiting for the waiting to be free
Talk is the easy end, everyone heard
Ask as you seek the clear, ask and you can
This play is of a myriad of conscience sitting
This day is of a special way of love relating
This sight is in it, this way is in it, the dream is of the positive to
make you
Wonder
How did heaven begin?
This time is in it, this thought is in it, this light is in it,
When you see, you get it
All in all the wisdom call, you shall be young, you shall be free
Take it as it comes so easily
We'll be there beside the sign, the wherewithal, this will to be,
Bringing all the love that's meant to be
All in all we shall be young, we shall be free, we shall be there
All in all this time is meant to be
[VI. HOW DID HEAVEN BEGIN]
These days are just a worry to the children of the world
These days are just a worry to the children of the world
How did heaven begin?
How did heaven begin?
[VII. AGREE TO AGREE]
Don't imagine any way, so any fool can take away the drugs and the pressure
Asking for the level where a world divides its answers
To the gang lords of evil life, they can't show you how
Look upon this life as just a picture you are painting
There is a reason for this being
Look upon this place as just a part of all that is
It is a spiritual part of being
Live with the power, you can be the strength it is
Walk among the living, you can be the strength it is
To give, to live, this hope, comes through,
It takes the trust to agree this agreement
Live for the breaking free
Live for the breaking freedom
Just let it come through come through
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Also, more Roger Dean inside.
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Keys to Ascension reached #48 in the UK. It also reached #99 in the US during a chart stay of two weeks.
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