Yes - Keys to Ascension 2 (1997)
🎸 Keys to Ascension 2 — Full Album Guide
📀 Tracklist
Disc 1 – Live Tracks
- I’ve Seen All Good People – Your Move / All Good People
- And You and I – Cord of Life / Eclipse / The Preacher the Teacher / Apocalypse / The Slice of Life
- Awaken
Disc 2 – Studio Tracks
- Face to Face
- Footprints
- Children of Light
- Open Your Eyes
🎤 Credits & Line-up
- Jon Anderson – Lead vocals
- Steve Howe – Guitar
- Chris Squire – Bass, backing vocals
- Rick Wakeman – Keyboards
- Alan White – Drums
Production:
- Yes
Artwork:
- Roger Dean
🎶 Musical Style & Sound
Keys to Ascension 2 continues the concept of combining live renditions of classic epics with new studio compositions, highlighting both nostalgia and forward-looking creativity.
Key characteristics:
- Live tracks capture full-length 70s progressive rock suites with high fidelity
- Studio tracks explore melodic, modern progressive rock, often with layered harmonies and keyboard textures
- Integration of classic Yes instrumentation with contemporary 1990s production
- Balances extended instrumental passages with accessible song structures
- Showcases the classic lineup’s synergy, both live and in the studio
🎧 Standout Tracks
- “Awaken” (Live) – Epic showcase of Jon Anderson’s vocals and Steve Howe’s intricate guitar work
- “And You and I” (Live) – Complete performance of the 1972 classic suite
- “Open Your Eyes” – Studio track blending melodic hooks with layered instrumentation
- “Face to Face” – Progressive rock composition with dynamic shifts and virtuosic interplay
🤓 Fun Facts
- The album was recorded during a continuation of the live and studio sessions from Keys to Ascension (1996).
- Roger Dean provided new artwork with cosmic and organic themes, maintaining Yes’s visual continuity.
- Several studio tracks, like Children of Light, were written specifically to complement the live material.
- This was the last official Yes album to feature Rick Wakeman before the late 1990s lineup changes.
🧠 Trivia
- “Footprints” features extended instrumental sections, highlighting the band’s improvisational skills.
- Live tracks were carefully mixed to retain the energy of the concert while ensuring clarity.
- Some material in the studio tracks reflects previously unused ideas from the 70s, modernized for the 90s sound.
- The album reinforces the classic lineup’s legacy after the reunion initiated in Keys to Ascension.
💡 Did You Know?
- Keys to Ascension 2 completes the documentation of the 1996–97 live shows, making it essential for fans of classic Yes epics.
- Studio tracks like Open Your Eyes were later revisited in solo projects and compilation albums.
- The album is considered a bridge between classic progressive rock and the 90s revival era of Yes.
