Trying to explain the Anderson/Wakeman Living Tree Live album is like playing six degrees of separation. Both Jon Anderson and Rick Wakeman were members in the progressive rock band Yes, later members of the band ABWH (Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe), and this album is derived from a studio album by both men sans Bruford and Howe with Yes songs thrown in the mix. Having perused a few Yes albums in my time I was not at all prepared for Anderson/Wakeman’s interestingly delivered album. So how does it sound?

My first reaction to the album seemed to get hung up upon the vocal delivery. It was a reminiscent cross between John Feidler (Piglet from Winnie the Pooh) and Robert Klein as the voice of The Butterfly in the film The Last Unicorn. The mostly feeble sounding vocals had their moments but for the most part I found them mostly grating. Musical composition on the album seemed a bit distant and at times a bit MIDI like. It almost felt as if I had just walked into a bad karaoke performance at times.

There are moments of clarity on the album where synthesizers are replaced by the organic beauty of piano and the warm hum of guitar work. Their inclusion in the context of their respective works though will either falter their inclusion or sound great to each individual listener. In any case this seemed to me to be either an album made strictly for YES and or Anderson/Wakeman fans or just an album all people will either love or hate. I can’t say this album made me a fan either way. As always final judgment is yours. Enjoy.