Alan White and Steve Howe were on fire here:
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RIP Alan White
- Thread starter MonetBass
- Start date
Yet another huge Yes fan here. Saw White on the Union tour, and Big Generator before that... from front row center. As amazing live as he was when recorded - solid as a rock, with impeccable taste for the song. RIP.
There's a great quote from, I forget if it was Patrick Moraz or Chris Squire, but some interviewer asked what time signature the main riff from "Sound Chaser" was in, and they replied "Oh, you'd have to ask Alan White, he wrote that. I just try to hang on."
btw, I saw on Facebook that Jonathan Schang, drummer from District 97, was talking about meeting both Alan White and Patrick Moraz on one of those Cruise To The Edge prog-rock cruise vacations, and at one point in their conversation White said "How did we record Relayer?" to which Moraz replied "We were crazy!"
So sad to here this. He was a phenomenal drummer with The Plastic Ono Band and then with Yes when he joined them when Bruford suddenly left just as they were going out on tour. When I last saw Yes a few years ago, he only played during the encore. May he RIP. I spent thousands of hours listening to his music.Gone too soon.
EDIT Changed article link for correctness: Alan White, drummer for Yes, dies at his Seattle home
I got to see both Alan White and Bill Bruford together the same night with Yes and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. They were both great. R.I.P. Alan.
Ric5
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- Jan 29, 2008
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Well that is awesome. I can understand on Bruford given how much of a monster player he was. I am a little younger and did not see them until the mid-90's but Alan was fantastic along with the rest of the band which was pretty close to the classic lineup.
This is sad news. Yes was my first concert back in 79'. By far my favorite band. I can't count how many times I've seen them. Chris and Alan played on Wakeman's "Criminal Record". Fantastic bass and drums. It is sad to see your heroes pass.Gone too soon.
EDIT Changed article link for correctness: Alan White, drummer for Yes, dies at his Seattle home
He knew Lennon because he was the drummer in the first iteration of the Plastic Ono Band. The one assembled to play the Live Peace in Toronto Festival. Consisting of J. Lennon, Eric Clapton, Klaus Voorman and Alan White.
Then when Lennon was planning to write a song in the morning, record it in the afternoon, and release it the next day, he used Alan.
Alan said after hearing how it went he knew what he wanted to do with it. Said John's only instructions were, " Whatever your doing, keep doing it! It's wonderful."
I saw it a long time coming, I’m bummed he’s gone but glad he’s free from suffering. He was one of the greatest! May he now jam once more with Chris!
I saw Alan play several times over the years with YES. The last time was about 3 months before Chris Squier passed away. Alan always had a smile, seemed to enjoy playing and always gave stellar performances. RIP Alan - you gave us a lot of great music
My wife and I met him by chance in Vegas many years ago. He was engaging and happy to meet a fan.
It was a wonderful encounter.
It was a wonderful encounter.
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Best concert (like you, I have no idea how many times I saw them) I’ve ever been to was on the Relayer Tour at the Hollywood Bowl. They shook off the disappointment of many from the Tales Tour (which I thoroughly enjoyed) and just plain rocked. The encore of Sweet Dreams still stands out as an end to one of the most memorable nights of my life.
Alan was such an incredible drummer. I love the direction he took Yes in after joining. Bruford was already long into the more experimental, jazz-ish, and subtle sorts of drumming by the time Crimson called and he went full on with it.
Alan, meanwhile, was fundamentally a rock drummer, who could absolutely pound with a fury that would make Bruford wince. Alan played the big Ludwigs, like Bonham, and he could drive a rock rhythm with all of the conviction of Bonham.
Listening to the way that Bruford and White play the same classic Yes songs and Alan’s drumming is soooo much heavier. It compliments Chris’s often far from the root playing and brought Yes’ rhythm down to earth.
He had great tempo control - just think of the clock that is “Instant Karma” with the crazy stutter step fills it is still rock solid. And heavy.
He also had amazing drum tone. “Drama” has some of the very best tone I’ve ever heard on every track (that big big LUDWIG sound).
More than this, I knew he was a really good guy, he loved and cared for his mum, and no one has ever had a single bad thing to say about him or his amazing talent.
RIP and thank you
Alan, meanwhile, was fundamentally a rock drummer, who could absolutely pound with a fury that would make Bruford wince. Alan played the big Ludwigs, like Bonham, and he could drive a rock rhythm with all of the conviction of Bonham.
Listening to the way that Bruford and White play the same classic Yes songs and Alan’s drumming is soooo much heavier. It compliments Chris’s often far from the root playing and brought Yes’ rhythm down to earth.
He had great tempo control - just think of the clock that is “Instant Karma” with the crazy stutter step fills it is still rock solid. And heavy.
He also had amazing drum tone. “Drama” has some of the very best tone I’ve ever heard on every track (that big big LUDWIG sound).
More than this, I knew he was a really good guy, he loved and cared for his mum, and no one has ever had a single bad thing to say about him or his amazing talent.
RIP and thank you
Watch him in the Yessongs movie. He has a huge smile the entire time. One of my all time favorite bands.
What? NOOO
I got to hang with him, watch him with YES as they would compose and arrange and rehearse and just hang out, for weeks back in the late 90s. He was incredible.
I'm so saddened to hear this. Chris was tough also.
Man, getting older is lame when ppl keep dying.
I got to hang with him, watch him with YES as they would compose and arrange and rehearse and just hang out, for weeks back in the late 90s. He was incredible.
I'm so saddened to hear this. Chris was tough also.
Man, getting older is lame when ppl keep dying.
