MUSIC

Yes-Asia Tour Promises To Be Summer's Most Annoying

LONDON (CAP) - The coming tour of progressive rock legends Yes and Asia may be the most annoying classic rock tour combination in decades, according to industry experts.

"We've seen our share of annoying tours, and frankly we didn't think that any of them would get more annoying than the Styx-Journey-REO Speedwagon tour of 2003," said Jon Frankheimer of LiveDaily.com. "But this one [Yes-Asia] has terrific annoyance potential.

"Frankly, we're all pretty excited to see just how annoying they can be," said Frankheimer.

Frankheimer says that Yes's meandering 20-minute songs about nothing in particular, combined with Asia's post-prog blandness, has the potential to generate a "perfect storm of annoyance."

"Throw in the fact that Yes is using a new lead singer that they found on YouTube [David Benoit] and I'm thinking they'll take the annoying crown hands down," he said.

Karl Quigley of Rolling Stone disagreed, however, calling the Yes-Asia tour "too obscure to be truly annoying."

"Any year that REO Speedwagon is touring, their tour is going to be the most annoying," said Quigley. "Granted, this year they've got .38 Special instead of Journey, which is arguably less annoying. But not by much."

Styx is also joining REO again, and as Quigley points out, they also have a fake lead singer, and "their songs are just as meandering as Yes's, but their lyrics are even stupider. I mean, The Serpent Is Rising makes The Revealing Science Of God (Dance Of The Dawn) sound - well, like it doesn't suck."

The latest poll of music writers has the two tours running neck and neck for most annoying, followed by Aerosmith/ZZ Top, Elton John/Billy Joel and Bob Dylan/Willie Nelson/John Mellencamp.

"That last one is annoying, but in an endearing kind of way, like your crazy old uncle who doesn't bathe enough," said Frankheimer.

For his part, Yes co-founder and bassist Chris Squire - who made headlines last year when he protested that his instrument got short shrift from the videogame Rock Band - says he takes offense that people would label his tour as annoying.

"That David Benoit is one of the best singers we saw on YouTube, even better than that Bo Burnham chap who sings about his parents thinking he's a batty boy," said Squire. "I'll admit those arseholes in Asia can be pretty jarring, though."

Reminded that Yes guitarist Steve Howe is also in Asia, Squire replied, "Yes, I know."